Buhari, ECOWAS presidents in crucial meeting over Gambia’s Jammeh’s fate

The meeting of West African leaders aimed at resolving the brewing political impasse in the Gambia is currently ongoing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari who is chairing the meeting as Chief Mediator of the mediatory panel appointed by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS is being joined by his co-Mediator and immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama.

Other key members of the panel who were present included the Liberian and Senegalese presidents. The meeting is expected to reach a compromise on how to effect a successful transition of power from the outgoing President Yahya Jammeh who has vowed not to leave office for the winner of the December 1, 2016 presidential election, Adama Barrow

Maiduguri Night Explosion: Emergency workers evacuate 12 bodies

After the failed attempts by suicide bombers to wreck havoc in Maiduguri due to prompt interceptions by Nigerian troops last night, rescue workers from the National and state emergency management agencies have evacuated corpses of the suspects and victims to the mortuaries. Led by Chairman of Borno State Emergency Management Agency (BOSEMA), Engr. Satomi Ahmed in conjunction with NEMA, twelve bodies were evacuated this morning.
Among the corpses were that of two suicide bombers at Muna Garage and two other suicide bombers killed at Kaleri temporary settlement, behind University of Maiduguri. PRNigeria confirms that apart from the four killed suicide bombers, four bodies of innocent victims who died during the explosion were also removed. The Nigerian troops had ensured that none of the suicide bombers escaped during the incidents as they closely monitored and protected the exit routes

Pastor cuts off wife’s breast in Ibadan

A 61 year old man, Adejare Adebayo who was identified as a pastor has been remanded in Agodi Prison Custody, Ibadan by a Magistrate Court for allegedly using a knife to cut off the breast of his wife. After cutting off the left breast of his wife, Mrs. Risikayat Adegbule aged 43, the excruciating pain allegedly led to the death of the woman after some days.

When he appeared before the Chief Magistrate F. Richard of court 2. Monday, the accused man pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge. The crime was allegedly committed at Onikankan Village, Ibadan on the eve of Christmas. Though yet to be ascertained, the man was quoted as saying that he cut the other affected breast because his dead wife had earlier suffered cancer in her left breast.

Jose Mourinho to face the 'new Mourinho' in League Cup

Jose Mourinho is preparing to face the man who has been dubbed the "new Jose Mourinho."

The Manchester United manager will lead his team against Hull on Tuesday in the first leg of the League Cup semifinals. Hull is coached by Marco Silva, a Portuguese manager who has drawn comparisons with Mourinho.

"I'm Marco Silva only," said Silva, who has been called a "kid friend" by Mourinho.

"He's a friend also," Silva said. "All Portuguese coaches are proud of him for what he did before and for me, what he continues to do in his career."

Hull has been struggling in the Premier League, sitting in last place with only 13 points, while United has won eight consecutive matches and next faces Liverpool in the league on Sunday.

"We play against Liverpool, a big match for us, but we want to be in the (League Cup) final," Mourinho said. "So we are going to face this Hull match with everything we have, all the power we have, as we know it's two legs but the second leg is away. If we can do something in the first leg that gives us the advantage, so we will try to do that."

Liverpool plays at Southampton on Wednesday in the other League Cup semifinal, only days after the team was held to a 0-0 draw by Plymouth in the FA Cup.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has since defended his decision of making 10 changes and fielding the club's youngest ever starting lineup against Plymouth.

"If you want to see it (the result) in a bad way then I am 100 percent responsible, I have no problem with that," Klopp said.

Besides the two legs of the League Cup and the match against United, Liverpool also has a replay at Plymouth and matches against Swansea and league leader Chelsea in January.

Barcelona pulls Messi from attending FIFA awards ceremony

Lionel Messi will not attend the FIFA awards ceremony later Monday, when Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to be named the world's best player for 2016.

Barcelona says it decided Messi would skip the event in Zurich and be "prioritizing preparations" for a match on Wednesday

Messi's teammates, including Neymar, who could be named in a World XI voted for by players, will also not travel.

Ronaldo is favored to win his fourth FIFA player award after helping Portugal and Real Madrid become European champions last year.

Messi has five FIFA best player awards and has been runner-up in all other years since 2007.

Barcelona hosts Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday in the Copa del Rey. The defending champions lost the first leg 2-1 in Bilbao.

Truck bomb kills 8 police in Egypt’s Sinai

A truck bomb attack on an Egyptian security checkpoint in the Sinai Peninsula killed at least eight policemen on Monday, officials and state media said. Police officials said a suicide bomber rammed a truck packed with explosives into the checkpoint in the north Sinai city of El-Arish and gunmen then opened fire on the security post.

The Islamic State group’s Egyptian branch in the Sinai Peninsula has carried out several such attacks over the past two years. Eight people were also wounded in the attack, state newspaper Al-Ahram reported on its website. Jihadists have killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen since the 2013 military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, which unleashed a bloody crackdown on his supporters. Most of the attacks have taken place in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. In November, a car bomb attack on a checkpoint in Sinai killed eight soldiers.

Judicial shakeup: Justices Abang, Liman, others moved to Asaba, Enugu…

Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt and Justice Okon Abang in Abuja division have been redeployed, in a major shake up ordered by the Chief Judge of the court. A circular addressed to all judges of the court, announced that Justice Liman had been moved to Enugu division, while Justice Abang is transferred to Asaba division.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, who endorsed the redeployment of Justices Liman, Abang and nine others, was silent on the reason for the movement. He mainly attributed it to “the recent developments in the court.” The circular said the postings would not affect the criminal cases the redeployed judges are currently handling. According to the circular:  “In view of the fact some divisions are currently short of judge following the recent developments in the court, it has become necessary to take urgent steps to fill in existing vacancies. “Affected judges are expected to resume in their new divisions by January 30, 2017. The judges shall continue with the hearing of criminal cases currently before them, as well as at least two witnesses have testified.” Others affected include Justice S. Saidu (moved from Lagos to Port Harcourt); Justice A.O Faji (from Asaba to Lagos); Justice R. M Aikawa (Sokoto to Lagos); Justice B.O Quadri (from Port Harcourt to Abuja); Justice Mallong Hoommuk (from Port Harcourt to Lafia). Also moved are, Justice K.K Dagat (from Lagos to Kano); Justice Saleh Idrissa (Kano to Sokoto); Justice H.I.O Oshomah (from Lafia to Port Harcourt) and Justice J.K Omotosho) from Kano to Port Harcourt. Two of the judges being moved are Justices Liman and Abang, have been very controversial. Liman gave the judgment that accentuated the leadership crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when he recognised the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee as the authentic body to run the affairs of the party. Justice Abang gave the judgment which sacked Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu last year. The appellate court reversed the decision. Justice Abang also gave the judgment on which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) based his decision to substitute Eyitayo Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the PDP during last February’s governorship election in Ondo State. Justice Abang is the trial judge in major criminal cases including those involving ex-spokesman of the PDP, Olisa Metuh; ex-Chief of Defence Staff Alex Badeh and former governor of Adamawa State Murtala Nyako.

Metropolitan Police officers are asked if they want to be armed both on and off duty in the wake of terror attacks in France and Germany

• More than 30,000 officers in the Met are being asked for their opinions 
• They highlight how Berlin terrorist Anis Amri was shot dead by Italian police 
• The provocative move has already raised concerns among chief officers 
• Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe does not support the initiative 

Every frontline officer in Britain’s largest police force is being asked whether they would be prepared to carry a gun at all times.

More than 30,000 officers at the Metropolitan Police are being polled on their views over being routinely armed both on and off duty.

Rank-and-file representatives say they want to gauge support for making firearms more readily available in the wake of terrorist atrocities in France, Belgium and Germany.

They highlight how the armed Islamic State terrorist responsible for the Berlin Christmas market attack was shot dead by an Italian officer on a routine patrol.

But the provocative move has already raised concerns among chief officers who insist there are no plans to ditch 188 years of unarmed policing.

Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe moved quickly to distance himself from the survey, saying he does not support the routine arming of officers.

‘We are proud to maintain the tradition that police in this country are not routinely armed,’ a spokesman for the force said.

The short email survey, organised by the Metropolitan Police Federation, the de fact ‘union’ for lower ranking officers, was sent to every officer today.

It asks whether they would be willing to carry a gun both on and off duty, and their views on whether officers should be armed ‘at all times’.

Highlighting the higher fitness standards required for firearms officers, it also asks whether more weapons should be made available, possibly by converting vehicles into mobile armouries.

Officers also face questions over whether they want more access to controversial Taser stun gun weapons, which are already carried by thousands of response officers.

The final question asks whether officers would resign rather than carry a firearm if their use was made compulsory.

Ken Marsh, who leads the London Federation branch, said: ‘We’re not an armed force, we never have been.

‘But the terrorism threat in London is constant and our officers must be vigilant and be able to deal swiftly with any scenarios we face.

‘We are already moving closer towards that by arming 600 more officers and I think it’s only fair that we ask our colleagues – who go out there on a daily basis – what they want.’

Mr Marsh added that there would be no changes to the rigorous training and fitness requirements for officers who carry a gun.

It broke my heart': Meryl Streep fights back tears as she rips into 'bully' Donald Trump and his impersonation of a disabled person in speech that brings stunned Golden Globes audience to its feet

• Meryl Streep publicly slammed Donald Trump in her Golden Globes speech 
• She was awarded the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award on Sunday
• She took aim at Trump for mocking disabled reporter during election campaign
• Streep said publicly humiliating people made it okay for others to do the same
• The star also called for the press to stand up to the president-elect going forward
• Trump dismissed Streep as a 'Hillary lover' following the award ceremony 

Meryl Streep used her Golden Globes acceptance speech to publicly slam president-elect Donald Trump as she alluded to racism and disrespect in front of a room of visibly stunned stars.

The Cecil B. DeMille honoree took aim at Trump, without mentioning him by name, by calling the moment the president-elect mocked a disabled reporter the most stunning performance of the year.

'There was nothing good about it, but it did its job,' Streep said in the powerful speech that left many teary-eyed.

'It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can't get it out my head because it wasn't in a movie, it was in real life. 

'It was that moment when a person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter - someone he outranked in privilege, in power and in the capacity to fight back. 

That instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in a public platform, it filters down into everyone's life because it gives permission for others to do the same. 

'Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose.'

Trump came under fire in 2015 for mocking New York Times investigative reporter Serge Kovaleski by impersonating the journalist's physical handicap. It was an incident replayed frequently in campaign advertising. 

Streep, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention, also called for the press to stand up to Trump and hold him to account going forward. 

Trump dismissed Streep as a 'Hillary lover' following the awards ceremony, the New York Times reports. 

While Trump said he had not seen Streep's speech or the Golden Globes, he said he was 'not surprised' that he was under attack by 'liberal movie people'.

The president-elect said: 'I was never mocking anyone. I was calling into question a reporter who had gotten nervous because he had changed his story.

'People keep saying I intended to mock the reporter’s disability, as if Meryl Streep and others could read my mind, and I did no such thing.'

He added: 'And remember, Meryl Streep introduced Hillary Clinton at her convention, and a lot of these people supported Hillary.' 

In her speech, which earned a standing ovation from the stunned audience, Streep noted that 'Hollywood' was a reviled place.

She spoke about how the Hollywood Foreign Press and the actors present were part of 'the most vilified segments in American society right now' - Hollywood, foreigners and the press.

'But who are we, and what is Hollywood anyway? It's just a bunch of people from other places,' Streep said as she touched on her New Jersey upbringing.  

She mentioned nominees seated in the room by name and recalled details of their cultural backgrounds to shine a light on Hollywood's multicultural makeup and to build context for the rest of her speech.

'Viola (Davis) was born in a sharecroppers cabin in South Carolina, came up in Central Falls, Rhode Island. Sarah Paulson was born in Florida, raised by a single mom in Brooklyn,' she said. 

'Sarah Jessica Parker was one of seven or eight kids from Ohio. Amy Adams was born in Vicenzia, Italy, and Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem.

'Where are their birth certificates?' she asked.

'The beautiful Ruth Negga was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and was raised in Ireland and she's here nominated for playing a small-town girl from Virginia. 

'Ryan Gosling, like all the nicest people is Canadian. Dev Patel was born in Kenya, raised in London, is here playing an Indian, raised in Tasmania.

'Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners and if you kick them all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts,' Streep said to loud applause.

Trump fires back at 'Hillary lover' Meryl Streep: President-elect says he is 'not surprised' he is being slammed by 'liberal movie people'

• President-elect Donald Trump hit back at Meryl Streep calling her a 'Hillary lover'
• Streep slammed Trump during her Golden Globes speech on Sunday night
• Actress said the moment Trump mocked a disabled reporter 'broke her heart'  
• Trump said he 'was not surprised' that he was criticized by 'liberal movie people'  

Donald Trump has hit back at Meryl Streep calling her a 'Hillary lover' after her Golden Globes acceptance speech took aim at the president-elect.

Streep, who was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award on Sunday, slammed Trump in front of a room of stunned Hollywood stars.

She said the moment he mocked and humiliated a disabled reporter 'broke her heart' as Streep labelled it the year's most stunning performance. 

Trump told the New York Times early Monday that he had not seen Streep's speech or the Golden Globes coverage.

But he said he was 'not surprised' that he was being criticized by 'liberal movie people'.

The president-elect said: 'I was never mocking anyone. I was calling into question a reporter who had gotten nervous because he had changed his story.

'People keep saying I intended to mock the reporter’s disability, as if Meryl Streep and others could read my mind, and I did no such thing.'

He added: 'And remember, Meryl Streep introduced Hillary Clinton at her convention, and a lot of these people supported Hillary.' 

Streep, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Clinton last year, never mentioned Trump by name during her speech.

The president-elect came under fire in 2015 for mocking New York Times investigative reporter Serge Kovaleski by impersonating the journalist's physical handicap. It was an incident replayed frequently in campaign advertising last year.

'There was nothing good about it, but it did its job,' Streep said of the moment in her acceptance speech.

'It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can't get it out my head because it wasn't in a movie, it was in real life. 

'It was that moment when a person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter - someone he outranked in privilege, in power and in the capacity to fight back. 

'That instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in a public platform, it filters down into everyone's life because it gives permission for others to do the same. 

'Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose.'

Streep, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention, also called for the press to stand up to Trump and hold him to account going forward. 

Trump had mocked Kovaleski at a rally in South Carolina for what he saw as the reporter stepping away from an article he wrote on the 9/11 attacks in The Washington Post.

'Now the poor guy, you ought to see this guy,' Trump said, drawing his wrists up close to his chest and flailing around. '"Ah, I don't know what I said! I don't remember!"'

Kovaleski has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that has locked his right arm up against his chest in a similar position to the one Trump held. He claimed Trump was mocking his disability, while Trump denied at the time knowing who Kovaleski was.

Pro-Trump website Catholics 4 Trump claimed last year that the Republican had a long history of making similar gestures while mocking other people. 

Driver steals ex- boss’ car, dog over unpaid salaries

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a driver, Abass Ope, for allegedly stealing his former boss’ car, television sets and dog in the Magodo, Ketu area of the state

Ope, who hails from Ogun State, was said to have sneaked into his boss’ home while the latter was away with his family members on a Christmas holiday in Delta State.

Together with three other accomplices, the suspect was alleged to have made away with a Toyota Avensis, 2013 model, a 100-inch LCD television, a 42-inch LCD TV, a dog, a suitcase and two DSTV decoders.

The victim, Ekinodo Ifoghale, upon getting a report of the incident, cut short his Yuletide trip and returned to Lagos.

He was said to have reported the case to policemen at the Magodo division.

The suspect was said to have been rounded up by a decoy team of the Rapid Response Squad in the Ojuelegba area on December 26, 2016.

A police source said the suspect was about to sell the Toyota Avensis for N2m when he was apprehended.

He said, “The suspect stopped working for his boss in August 2016. While the man was away for Christmas with his family, he sneaked into the house at a time he knew the gatekeeper would have gone to church.

“Since he knew where his boss normally kept keys to the rooms, the job was easier for him. He and his gang left with the man’s car, two TVs, two decoders, a suitcase and a dog.

“The former boss, on learning of what happened, called him to ask if he knew anything about it, but he denied.

“The police, who got the information of the theft, tracked the Toyota Avensis to Ojuelegba. He was picked up while trying to sell the car for N2m.”

Ope, in his statement to the police, allegedly confessed to the crime, adding that he stole the items because Ifoghale owed him eight months’ salaries.

He said he committed the crime to raise funds with which he would celebrate Christmas with his family members.

He said, “It has been four months since I left my former boss. I worked for him for four years before quitting in August 2016. I left because things were tough for him. I also left so that he could sort himself out. While things were tough for him, he owed me eight months’ salaries. This prompted me to take his property and the vehicle.

 “I took the car because I had no money to take care of myself and my younger ones. They had no clothes and no shoes for Christmas. They looked up to me to take care of the expenses.

“The auto dealer wanted to pay N2m for the car, but I insisted on N4m because I knew it was worth more than that. He offered me N1m instantly and said the balance would be ready in a few minutes. But I decided to ignore the offer, hoping that he would call me back for a re-negotiation.

“I went back to Ojuelegba a few hours later in company with three of my friends; that was when the RRS operatives arrested us. My former boss was nice to me. He enrolled me in a university, but I dropped out after I left him.”

The complainant, Ifoghale, in his statement to the police, denied owing Ope any salary.

He said, “I am in shock. This was a guy I treated like a son. Aside from my wife, he was the closest person to me. He did my shopping for me. How can I owe him eight months’ salaries when he never worked for me during the period? He was never in my house during the period that he claimed.

“I called him more than twice when I got the report that my house was burgled. He told me he knew nothing about it. If he had told me that he needed money, I would have given him because we were still close even after he stopped working for me.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, advised members of the public to always run a background check on their domestic helps to avoid falling prey to criminals.

She said Ope and the other suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department ,Yaba, for further investigation.