February 18, 2019 – Halif's blog

Firmino in doubt for Champions league knockout

Liverpool, already dealing with a massive injury crisis in the back line, could also be without one of their top scorers tomorrow night when they Bayern Munich in UEFA Champions League round of 16 action. Forward Roberto Firmino missed training today due to an unspecified virus, making him a serious doubt for the epic Euro clash at Anfield.

Firmino is the fourth Liverpool player who has fallen ill since the beginning of February. Additionally, central defender Dejan Lovren will face a last minute fitness test before the midweek evening kickoff.

“I don’t know 100 per cent. It’s Monday and we play on Tuesday so most of that should be clear,” Klopp told reporters on Monday.

“Gini trained and looked really well. Shaqiri did a lot, so it will be close, we have to see. Dejan, I actually have to wait minute by minute if there is a chance or not. But that’s pretty much all, I would say.”

In addition to all their injury woes, Liverpool must also soldier on against the Bavarian giants without their best defender as Virgil van Dijk is suspended for this one.

Lagos State Police arrest seven-man robbery gang on Valentine’s day (Photo)

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad have arrested hoodlums allegedly terrorising residents and passersby around College Road, Ifako Ijaiye and its environs.

The suspects allegedly robbed and stabbed at least five victims around 9pm on Valentine’s Day. Police identified them as Lekan Akinyemi, Chimeze Ofulie, Babangida Abdullahi, Abubakar Umaru, Samuel Oyinloye, Timileyin Oladipupo and Habeeb Olayinka.

One of their victims, Agafe Augustine said he was attacked as he alighted from a taxi. They allegedly dispossessed him of N14,000, a mobile phone and a handbag. “I allowed them to rob me because they were many and were holding dangerous objects but I trailed them to an open place before raising alarm,” Augustine said.

The Nigerian Customs tried to undermine our basic intelligence with that disrespectful press release – Adekunle Gold

Singer Adekunle Gold has called out the Nigerian Customs over what he describes as a ‘disrespectful press release’ by the institution following the viral video of a custom officer killing a civilian because of a Five Thousand naira bribe.

Reacting to the viral video that captured the ‘murder’, Nigerian Customs issued a press release saying, ‘our attention has been drawn to a disturbing video going viral with conflicting narratives. While it is painful and totally unnecessary to loose life in anti-smuggling operations, today at Shagamu interchange along Ijebu Ode, attempt to obstruct lawful performance of duty by passengers of a commercial bus (a white Toyota Hiace) suspected to be carrying bales of used clothing led to the death of a young man (Godwin) and serious injury of a Customs Officer, ASC1, Destiny Onebamho’.

The statement also said, ‘contrary to some narratives, the young man was not a passenger of the bus but a good citizen who always come to fetch water for Customs Patrol men anytime they return to the base. Preliminary finding indicate that it was during the skirmishes and struggle to disarm the Officer that the riffle discharged and hit the friend of the Customs (Godwin) who lost his life.

The Service is already in touch with the bereaved family. Sadly, it should be noted that while attention shifted to the dead and the wounded, the passengers who filmed with inciting commentaries boarded their vehicle and left, leaving the wrong impression that it was one of them that was killed.

While the wounded Officer is under intensive care at the hospital, the patrol team has been recalled to the office for further investigation’.

See more social media reactions below…

Saudi Arabia crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman denies £3.8bn Manchester United takeover bid

Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has denied the widely speculated reports linking him with a £3.8bn takeover of Premiership club, Manchester United.

The rumours resurfaced over the weekend that the Glazers family who bought the club for £790m in May 2005 were looking to sell the club to the Crown Prince for £3.8bn.

In a statement through his media minister, Turki al-Shabanah, he said the reports linking the crown prince with a £3.8bn takeover of Manchester United is false.

“Reports claiming that HRH the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman intends on buying Manchester United are completely false,” said Turki al-Shabanah.

“Manchester United held a meeting with PIF [ Public Investment Fund] Saudi to discuss a sponsorship opportunity. No deal has materialised.”

Photos: Four NDLEA officials killed in Ondo

Four officials of the National Drug Law Enforcementr Agency NDLEA, were killed by unknown gunmen in Ondo state over the weekend.

According to reports, the gunmen stormed the NDLEA checkpoint in lfon Division in Ose Local government area of the state, and opened fire at the officers who were on a stop and search mission. The gunmen who came with motorcycle, also burnt the NDLEA Toyota Hilux.

One of the officers however escaped unhurt. The gunmen also carted away the rifles of the deceased NDLEA officials.

“You died as a hero saving this country” – Friend mourns young Nigerian soldier killed in battle with Boko Haram terrorists in Buni Yadi

Five Boko Haram terrorists were killed as they attempted to ransack a military base at Buni Yadi, in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.

According to army spokesman, Sagir Musa, the terrorists struck at about 06:05pm on Saturday 16 February. The terrorists stormed the military base with four gun trucks, one Mine Resistant Ambush Protection,one MOWAC and assorted arms and ammunition, were outgunned by the vigilant Nigerian troops.

However, four Nigerian soldiers, including an officer died in the crossfire. Five soldiers were wounded. One of the soldiers has been identified as Shedrack Godwin. His friend, Christian Agboeze posted his photos on Facebook and wrote:

“Rip Bro… Who will be buying me plantain now…. Shedrack Godwin you left so soon..
You died as a hero saving this country
Team 18:77 miss you
I will miss you bro”

Meanwhile, the wounded are stable and are receiving treatment in the Brigade Field Ambulance.

Among the arms seized from them were nine AK 47 rifles, one Anti Aircraft gun, 121 rounds of 12.7 mm Anti Aircraft ammunitions, 36 hand grenades, 295 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, four Improvised Explosive(IED) Device, one IED cylinder, one RPG bomb, one RPG bomb charger and one gun truck. Also seized from them was one Bajaj Motorcycle.

"You died as a hero saving this country" - Friend mourns young Nigerian soldier killed in battle with Boko Haram terrorists in Buni Yadi

‘Petrol to sell at N140 per litre from Wednesday February 25th’ – IPMAN

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The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said petroleum will be sold across the country from Wednesday, February 20th at N140/litre.

A statement released by Chinedu Okoronkwo, IPMAN’s National President, said the slash in price will last five days and end on the 25th of February. IPMAN says the decision is to encourage many Nigerians to travel to their respective destinations to cast their votes duirng the Saturday February 23rd and March 6th election days.

“IPMAN was prompted to slash N5 from the N145 per litre official Petroleum pump price in a bid to motivate Nigerians to return to vote again on February 23. We urge all our members across Nigeria to immediately reduce the fuel pump price from N145 per litre to N140 per litre.

“This is because of the political situation that hit the country after INEC suddenly announced the postponement of presidential and National Assembly elections after Nigerians were fully prepared. We are all aware how Nigerians travelled to different parts of the country in order to exercise their civic duty; unfortunately, they heard a sad news of postponement of the polls.

“This made us deem it fit to reduce the pump price in order to ease their suffering, and to also motivate them to travel again to exercise their franchise on February 23.” the statement read

Court grants Deji Adeyanju bail

A Kano state Magistrate court has granted activist and convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, bail.

Adeyanju was arrested on November 28th 2018 while leading a protest in Abuja. He was released on December 3rd 2018 from the federal prison in Keffi after meeting his bail condition and then re-arrested by a police team waiting around the prison. He has been in prison since then.

The court this morning, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 and two sureties. The court also ordered him to deposit his international passport.

Adeyanju had spent 63 days in prison before his release was granted on Monday.

My life is in danger – Kogi deputy governor, Simon Achuba cries out

Kogi State Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, on Sunday raised the alarm that his life is in danger following the withdrawal of his security details allegedly on the order of the state governor, Yahaya Bello.

Achuba made the allegation at a press briefing where he said he was shocked after returning from a trip to his village where he had gone for the Saturday’s scheduled elections to find the gate to his official residence empty without any of his security personnel.

He said, “I was surprised to see that all policemen attached to my house had been withdrawn. I then put a call across to the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Busari, who also expressed shock and promised to give the matter an urgent attention. After about an hour, I called him again but he refused to pick my call. I sent a text message to him and up till now, he has not got back to me.”

The deputy governor called on the acting Inspector-General of Police to intervene so as to maintain law and order in the state. He also called on the Federal Government to intervene in the affairs of Kogi State whose citizens, he claimed, had been subjected to hardship.

“When God gives you the privilege to rule a people, the people should not be taken for granted. You don’t have to use force for your policy to scale through if they are popular and people-oriented,” he said. He said that the point of departure between himself and the governor was in the area of urging the government to do things according to the will of the people to which no one had been listening.

When contacted, the Director-General, Media and Publicity to the governor, Kingsley Fanwo, said it was not the state governor’s responsibility to post security details to the deputy governor.

Nollywood actress, Yvonne Jegede yanks off her husband surname “Fawole” from her Instagram bio

For a while now, there’s been rumours about crisis in the marriage of Nollywood actress, Yvonne Jegede and Kunle ‘Abounce’ Fawole.

It became obvious when she took their 3-month old son to church for dedication yesterday and her husband wasn’t present.

Now, the actress has taken it a step further by yanking off her husband surname “Fawole” from her Instagram bio, further raising questions about troubles in her two year marriage.

See the screenshot below…

Nollywood actress,?Yvonne Jegede yanks off her husband surname "Fawole" from her Instagram bio

2019 Election: APC national caucus to hold emergency meeting on Monday

Today Monday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caucus will hold an emergency meeting in Abuja to discuss prevailing national issues.

The meeting is coming after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponed the earlier scheduled Feb. 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections. The APC caucus which is a statutory organ of the party, is chaired by President Buhari and has the Vice President and all the party’s former governors as members. Its membership also includes the party’s serving governors, and members of its National Working Committee (NWC), among others.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu,had a few hours to commencement of the presidential and National Assembly elections announced the rescheduling of the exercises by one week. By the postponement, the Presidential and National Assembly elections now comes up on Feb. 23, while the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections comes up on March 9.

Yakubu had said the decision to postpone the elections was taken after a meeting with INEC Commissioners, citing “logistics’’ problems as issues that prompted the postponement. He said the decision was further necessitated after reviewing the level of the commission’s preparedness for the exercise.

Photo: 19-year-old nursing mother stabs her husband to death over alleged infidelity in Lagos

Mary Adeniyi, a 19-year-old nursing mother has been arrested for stabbing her husband to death in Lagos.

Mary committed the offence on Friday afternoon, during a scuffle with her husband, Solomon Nduka, 30, over her alleged infidelity at their Shagamu Road, Ikorodu residence.

According to reports, the deceased usually accused the suspect of cheating on him which led to a fight. Adeniyi, said to have a 4-month-old baby, allegedly stabbed Solomon in the neck which ultimatelty led to his death.

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