Global Naija Info

Political leaders in Lagos with some musicians Political leaders in Lagos at a special evening of music and camaraderie to usher in the Yuletide season at the Lagos House, Ikeja.

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State At least 18 farmers are believed to have been hacked to death by unknown assailants at Dan-anacha in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba in the early hours of Sunday. The killings are one of the series of bloody attacks in the state. Most of the farmers were killed on their farms. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr David Misal, who confirmed the incident, said that the police would soon release the casualty figure. “Actually, I cannot lie to you there are casualties, but we will release the figures later after we might have finished combing the area. “It was an undercover attack by some unidentified people in the area,” Misal said. He said the police would soon conduct a thorough search for the perpetrators of the wicked act through intelligence gathering. The acting Chairman of Concerned Taraba Tiv Youth Frontier, Mr Dooior Torkula, said a total of 18 persons were killed in separate attacks. Torkula said the frontier recov

Saidu Ayorinde Saidu Ayorinde of Nigeria on Sunday emerged the 13th Africa Scrabble Champion winning 23 games of 32 in Tema, Ghana. Ayorinde dethroned his Nigeria counterpart, Nsikakabasi Etim, the immediate past Africa Scrabble Champion, when he finished first in a 32-game scrabble marathon to become the best in the duel. Ayorinde was ranked sixteenth at the 2015 World Scrabble championship. Some Nigerians, namely: Eta Karo, Umebiye Cyril, Nsikakabasi Etim and Rex Ogbakpa emerged in the second, third, fourth and fifth positions respectively. A Kenyan, Gitonga Nberitou, broke Nigerian line up to take the sixth position. Other Nigerians in the listing are: Ogbogu Azubuike, seventh; Dennis Ikekeregor, eight; and Anthony Ikolothe, the National Scrabble Coach of the Senior Team, ninth. John Curtis Ebomah came tenth. Nigeria won nine of the ten positions in the championship and consolidated its position as the best team of the championship since nine of its representatives finished

Jolly Nyame, former Taraba State governor At least 18 farmers are believed to have been hacked to death by unknown assailants at Dan-anacha in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba in the early hours of Sunday. The killings are one of the series of bloody attacks in the state as most of the farmers were killed on their farms. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr David Misal, who confirmed the incident, said that the police would soon release the casualty figure. “Actually, I cannot lie to you there are casualties, but we will release the figures later after we might have finish combing the area. “It was an undercover attack by some unidentified people in the area,” Misal said. He said the police would soon conduct a thorough search for the perpetrators of the wicked act through intelligence gathering. The acting Chairman of Concerned Taraba Tiv Youth Frontier, Mr Dooior Torkula, said a total of 18 persons were killed in separate attacks. Torkula said the frontier rec

TURNING-POINT-Bola-Bolawole President Muhammadu Buhari was one of four West African leaders who led a peace meeting to The Gambia last Tuesday to try and talk President Yahya Jammeh out of the suicidal attempt to go back on his acceptance of the result of the December 1, 2016 presidential election in his country, which he lost. The others were Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia; Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra-Leone; and out-going President John Mahama of Ghana. A week after Jammeh’s defeat, Mahama lost his own bid for a second term in office but unlike Jammeh, he has accepted the defeat in good faith. Jammeh is a bloody dictator who ousted the elected government of Sir Dauda Jawara and had ruled for 22 unbroken years with iron fists. His reign is blighted by corruption, abuses of fundamental human rights, and extra-judicial killings of opponents – real and imagined. Jammeh’s term as president expires on January 18, 2017. He must be reminded Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe and Charles Taylor,

Douglas Costa’s winner was his third Bundesliga goal of the season. Douglas Costa’s spectacular winner took Bayern Munich top of the Bundesliga on goal difference before Wednesday’s meeting with title rivals RB Leipzig. The Brazilian’s 25-yard left-foot shot swerved in off the underside of the bar to send bottom club Darmstadt to a seventh straight defeat. Bayern laboured for much of the game against spirited opponents. Peter Niemeyer should have equalised, heading straight at Manuel Neuer, who had parried Jerome Gondorf’s free-kick. Carlo Ancelotti’s side regained first place from Leipzig, who had moved three points clear by beating Hertha Berlin 2-0 on Saturday. One eye on Wednesday? Leipzig have supplanted Borussia Dortmund as Bayern’s biggest Bundesliga title rivals this season, and Wednesday’s meeting between the two side in Munich is keenly anticipated. There was a sense that Ancelotti and his players may have had one eye on that fixture, as they were far from at their b

Balotelli Mario Balotelli scored twice as Nice ensured they would finish the weekend as Ligue 1 leaders by beating Dijon. The former Liverpool striker converted a 32nd-minute penalty after Alassane Plea was brought down. Julian Tavares equalised from the spot for the visitors before half-time, but Balotelli turned in Arnaud Souquet’s cross soon after the interval. Dijon, outside the relegation zone on goal difference, had captain Cedric Varrault sent off late on. Nice’s victory puts them four points ahead of second-placed Monaco, who are at home to Lyon later on Sunday (19:45 GMT).

Joe Hart Dries Mertens scored four goals – and became the first player since 1974 to score consecutive Serie A hat-tricks – as Napoli beat Torino 5-3. The Belgium international beat England goalkeeper Joe Hart three times in nine first-half minutes, seven days after a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Cagliari. Mertens drilled his first from a Jose Callejon cut-back and added a penalty before scoring a third from close in. Torino, 3-0 down after 22 minutes, did fight back in the second half, with Andrea Belotti pulling one back before former Tottenham centre-back Vlad Chiriches added Napoli’s fourth. Luca Rossettini and Iago Falque, with a penalty, then scored either side of Mertens’ classy effort, but Napoli ensured victory to move up to third. The last player to score hat-tricks in consecutive Serie A matches was Juventus forward Pietro Anastasi in May 1974. In Sunday’s early Serie A match, Antonio Candreva’s first-half goal gave Inter Milan a third successive league win, 1-0 at Sa

Danny Rose scored his second league goal of the season for Tottenham Danny Rose scored the winner as Tottenham controversially came from behind to beat lowly Burnley in the Premier League. Substitute Moussa Sissoko was given only a yellow card for a high, late challenge on Stephen Ward, before putting Rose through on goal in the next move, as the full-back smashed home at the near post. Spurs were punished for a sloppy start as they failed to clear the ball, allowing Ashley Barnes to poke in the opener. Prior to the goal, Dele Alli had struck the post from close range, before the midfielder restored parity by converting Kyle Walker’s low cross. Burnley will rightly feel aggrieved as they were hanging on for an away point, with Spurs struggling to break their defence down in the second half until Sissoko’s intervention. As referee Kevin Friend saw the incident and took action, no retrospective disciplinary case can be brought against the Frenchman by the Football Association. De

Leroy Sane scored two minutes after the break to get City back into the match. Manchester City moved up to second in the Premier League table as Arsenal squandered a lead to lose for the second successive game. Theo Walcott’s cool fifth-minute finish from Alexis Sanchez’s pass put the Gunners in control at the interval – but the second half brought a familiar painful fate for manager Arsene Wenger and his players. As at Everton on Tuesday, they were overpowered and the credits were rolling once Leroy Sane ran on to David Silva’s pass to beat Petr Cech with Arsenal appealing in vain for offside. City were on a roll and Arsenal were on the rack, the winner coming 19 minutes from time when Raheem Sterling was the beneficiary of Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliant pass to arrow a low finish past Cech at his near post. It bolstered City’s title ambitions, although they are still seven points behind leaders Chelsea and completed a damaging double for Arsenal as they now lie nine points behind

Sergey Mavrodi, MMM Founder In a recent development, the founder of Mavrodi Mundial Movement (MMM), Sergey Mavrodi, has written an open letter to Nigerian journalists, “analysts” and all kinds of “experts” who according to him are guilty of causing unnecessary panic and tension amongst MMM participants in the country. Mavrodi who expressed his disappointed about the way MMM is being painted in the media, said emphatically that “MMM will be back in January” while stating that the rumour about the scheme collapse should stop. Mavrodi’s open letter is coming after a one-month freezing of confirmed “Mavros” notice was sent to MMM Nigeria participants on Dec 12, 2016. Sergey Mavrodi went ahead to describe articles from Nigerians journalists and bloggers as “provocative and worthless.” Read Mavrodi’s appeal to journalists below: “Dear journalists, “analysts” and all kinds of “experts”! Please stop using MMM to gain cheap popularity. Leave us alone and let us work without interferenc

The suspect Falope Oluwole Israel, a 22 – year old suspected male student of the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Ogba, Lagos arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, has confessed that he duped over 33 men while pretending to be a lady on Instagram. Falope it was revealed, was arrested when officials of the RRS decoy team, who had been monitoring him for some weeks, trailed him to a popular club in Ikeja City Mall on Thursday evening, before arresting him. The officers were reported to have monitored him, and those that he was interacting with at the club before arresting him and a colleague late in the night. It was gathered that the suspect recently celebrated his birthday at Hard & Rock, Lekki, Lagos, week before his arrest, where he lavished over half a million on foods and drinks. The suspect, a 100 level part time student of NIJ who confessed committing the crime, said that he had been in the business for more th

Madrid players celebrate their victory Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid survived a scare to beat Japanese side Kashima Antlers in extra time and win the Club World Cup. Real took the lead in the ninth minute through Karim Benzema, but Gaku Shibasaki scored either side of half-time to put Kashima in front. Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot on the hour mark after Lucas Vazquez was fouled by Shuto Yamamoto. The Ballon d’Or winner put his side ahead in extra time after being played through by Benzema, and completed his hat-trick seven minutes later. Victory gave Real their second Club World Cup and extended their unbeaten run to 37 games in all competitions. It also means nine of the past 10 winners of the competition have come from Europe. The Champions League winners looked set for a comfortable afternoon when Benzema put them ahead, and they dominated possession in the opening stages. But Kashima – the first Japanese team to reach a Club World Cup final

Group Managing Director/CEO, Master Reality International Concepts Limited, Mr. Lai Omotola (middle); flanked by Head of Business, Mrs. Ajayi Ann Ada (right) and Head of Marketing, Mr. Marcel Nweze, during during the unveiling of plans to begin construction of the Alade Mall. Masters Reality International Concepts Limited has begun the construction of the N13 billion mega Alade Mall, situated in the heart of Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria. The construction giant has a 30-year concession agreement with the Ikeja Local Government on the redevelopment of the old Alade Market into a first class shopping mall. Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Masters Reality International Concepts Limited, Lai Omotola unveiled plans for the construction of the mall to newsmen at the weekend in Ikeja, saying that upon completion in December 2018, the Alade Mall would be the first 24-hour live, work, shop, eat and entertain smart mall in Nigeria and West Africa at large. “

Miss Nigeria With a day to the grand finale of the 40th Miss Nigeria contest, the organisers have automated the voting process for this year’s edition, offering the audience chance to determine who wears the crown. The organisers, Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN), said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos that the innovation allowed the audience to vote for their favourite contestant during the show. “The result collated alongside those of the Judges, gives a clear and fair chance to the contestants,’’ it stated. “To take part in the voting process and also experience the glitz and glamour of the event, tickets are obtainable for N5000 or N10,000 at Eko Hotel and Suites. “Tickets can also be obtained online at www.aryatickets.com for a 50 per cent discount. “For tables and enquires, call 08033150455, 0706433209, 08176201460.’’ The statement said that there would be the unveiling of the Green Girl Project, a fashion show, music, and dance and so much more at the event planned for the E

Moshe Katsav, former Israeli president Disgraced former Israeli President, Moshe Katsav, was granted early release from prison on Sunday after serving more than two-thirds of his seven-year sentence, according to Israel Radio. The 71-year-old Katsav, who was convicted for rape and sexual harassment, is expected to be released for parole within a week, local media reported. Sunday’s request was his third appeal for an early release since he first entered Ma’asayahu prison in 2011. Katsav has maintained that the accusations against him are false, and during trial, he rejected a plea bargain that would have seen him convicted on lesser charges, saying he wanted to prove his innocence. Katsav, who served as president from 2000 to 2007, was convicted in 2010 on two counts of rape. The woman, identified in court only as “A’’, was his office manager when he was the Tourism Minister in 1998.

Ankara Placing stones on clothing materials such as Ankara, Kampala (tie and die), guinea and lace material is now the latest trend in Lagos. Almost every cloth worn by ladies around the Lagos metropolis is being bedazzled with stones. Mrs Abosede Olajide, revealed on the latest fad that she started the business of selling readymade traditional wears in 2009, with sales of “embroidered Kampala’’ tie and die material. She told NAN that she purchased the material in bulk from Abeokuta and brings them to Lagos to sew into different traditional styles with embroidery. “Before bedazzling of Ankara and other materials which we referred to as stoning became the trend, I was bringing in our locally made tie and dye materials from Abeokuta to Lagos. “When fashion and trend started changing, I had to change with the trend and supply my customer’s demands. She said bedazzling of Ankara materials was currently the “hot cake’’ in fashion, a trend which every class had fallen in love with i

Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis, on Sunday, at the Catholic festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, urged Christians to reflect on the “true” meaning of Christmas. Francis made this call during his Sunday Angelus message at the the Vatican City. “Next Sunday will be Christmas Day. In the coming week, please, let’s try to find a moment to stop, be a bit quiet, and imagine the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph on their way to Bethlehem,’’ he said. “Imagine their journey, their hardship but also their joy, their anxiety about finding a place to stay, their worry, and so on. “Nativity scenes can help us a lot with this. Let’s try to experience the true Christmas, the Christmas of Jesus,’’ he added. The Catholic Church has often complained about the increasing commercialisation of Christmas, which is also a secular holiday that most people associate with shopping for the exchange of gifts and big family meals. In 2011, Francis’ predecessor, Benedict XVI,

Christmas tree German teachers were on Sunday at one of Istanbul’s most elite public high schools, told for the first time, they could not mention the topic of Christmas inside their classrooms. There are 35 teachers in the German department at the Istanbul Lisesi, which is attended exclusively by Turkish students, but is also recognised as a German International School. “According to a decision by the school’s Turkish Management, (material on) Christmas traditions and the Christian holiday will not be conveyed, worked on or sung about, effective immediately,’’ the high school’s leadership wrote to the department’s faculty in an email seen by dpa. The school’s choir was also prevented from performing last week at the German consulate in Istanbul. The salaries of the German teachers are paid for by German taxpayers, under a cultural treaty between the two countries. However, the school is under Turkish management. Critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan say he is eroding moder

Miss Nigeria With a day to the grand finale of the 40th Miss Nigeria contest, the organisers have automated the voting process for this year’s edition, offering the audience chance to determine who wears the crown. The organisers, Daily Times of Nigeria (DTN), said in a statement on Sunday in Lagos that the innovation allowed the audience to vote for their favourite contestant during the show. “The result collated alongside those of the Judges, gives a clear and fair chance to the contestants,’’ it stated. “To take part in the voting process and also experience the glitz and glamour of the event, tickets are obtainable for N5000 or N10,000 at Eko Hotel and Suites. “Tickets can also be obtained online at www.aryatickets.com for a 50 per cent discount. “For tables and enquires, call 08033150455, 0706433209, 08176201460.’’ The statement said that there would be the unveiling of the Green Girl Project, a fashion show, music, and dance and so much more at the event planned for the E

Queen’s 90th birthday portrait Britain’s Prince Charles has released a new portrait of himself with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to mark end of a year celebrations and the queen’s 90th birthday. “As a year of 90th birthday celebrations draw to a close, we would like to share this special photo of the prince and the queen,’’ Charles’s office, Clarence house, said. Fashion photographer Nick Knight’s picture shows the queen seated, facing the camera, while Charles, 68, stands to her right looking down at her and smiling. Queen Elizabeth with her grand and great grandchildren Some British commentators speculated that the scene was meant to convey the impression that Charles was making a private joke to his mother. Knight, 58, describes himself as “among the world’s most influential and visionary photographers’’. He is the founder and director of fashion website SHOWstudio.com and is “feted for his ground-breaking creative collaborations with leading designers including Yohji

Tokunbo Korodo, South-West Chairman of NUPENG The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG)said members would begin a three-day nationwide warning strike by Jan. 9 2017, against the anti-labour practice of International Oil Companies (IOCs). The South-West chairman of the union, Alhaji Tokunbo, revealed in Lagos that the warning strike was inevitable because all other options had failed. According to Korodo, “We are not gaining anything by going on strike because it is not a joyful thing but as a union, we have to protect and fight for the welfare of our members. “We have sensitised the public and also seek the intervention of the Federal Government over the anti-labour activities of the IOCs on our members but we are not getting results. “Our members that put in their best within the duration of time they worked were not paid their severance packages by their employers when they sacked them. “This is a big slap and it will not be allowed. “What they are pract

Alade mall The concessionaire of the Alade Mall in Ikeja area of Lagos State, Master Reality International Concept Limited, on Sunday said the proposed mall would cost N13 billion and would be completed in December 2018. Mr Lai Omotola, the Group Managing Director of the company, who addressed newsmen on the Alade redevelopment project, said 114 indigenous and foreign brands had shown commitment to taking spaces in the mall. The structure of the old Alade market was in July dismantled following government’s approval. Its entire land area was fenced off, finally giving way for the construction of the proposed shopping mall. Omotola said that the former occupiers had been relocated, adding that the essence of the relocation was to pave way for a modern structure that would meet the mega city status of the state. Upon completion, he said the mall would be the first 24-hour live, work, shop, eat and entertain smart mall in Nigeria and West Africa. He said that the layout plan incl

FRSC boss, Boboye Oyeyemi (middle) and other top officials The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday reiterated its total ban of petroleum tanker drivers from embarking on night journeys across the country from Monday, Dec.19. Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the FRSC Corps Marshal, disclosed in Lagos that efforts had been put in place to impound any truck found contravening the order. According to him, the ban is to promote safe petroleum haulage in the country. “No tanker should be seen on the road at night, we need to find solutions to incessant crashes of tankers on the road. “Beneficial as petroleum sector is to the nation, safe haulage remains FRSC concern. “There is a problem and we have solutions to them, no more night journeys for petroleum products as from Monday, Dec. 19, enough is enough. “The effects of crashes are quite unquantifiable on human life, the environment and to the economy,” Oyeyemi said. The FRSC boss also said that a crash involving a tanker laden with petrol

Fire razes Araromi Market, Agodi Gate, Ibadan, Oyo State on Sunday An early morning fire outbreak on Sunday razed some parts of Araromi Market at Agodi Gate, Ibadan, where used tyres and motor parts worth over N10 million were destroyed. Mr Abdul Azeez Ojo, Chairman of the market, disclosed that the fire began at about 5.30 a.m. According to him, the Fire Service was alerted and they responded promptly. Ojo, however, said a sizeable number of shops equipped with tyres and other goods were razed before the arrival of the fire fighters at about 6 a.m. “The Fire Service were able to put out the fire to avert more destruction, nevertheless, shop owners still suffered losses worth over N10 million. “The most pathetic thing is that these burnt shops were owned by young traders who have just started business and we appealed to the state government to assist them,’’ he said. Two victims of the incident, Hassan Olanrewaju and Michael Ajayi, whose shops were razed lamented the ugly incid

Somalia minibus attack A rocket-propelled grenade was on Sunday launched on a civilian minibus in southern Somalia, killing six people, a family member of one of the victims according to a local report, said. The attack occurred near Qoryooley in Lower Shebelle region late Saturday. Most of the victims were farmers, said Qalid Ahmed, a family member of one of them. The area is under the control of Somali and African Union troops, but al-Shabaab Islamist militants’ stage attacks there. Officials declined to comment on the attack and on who might have carried it out.

Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna State Governor Residents have rated Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i very low in the implementation of Kaduna State 2016 budget. The residents, in separate interviews said the budget did not create the desired impact, particularly on the common man. They particularly said that insecurity, lack of access to agricultural inputs by farmers and poor health services have continued to impact negatively on the lives of the people. Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, the Secretary, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State Chapter, said in spite of the huge budget, people were dying of hunger due to inability to afford two square meals a day. He added that the protracted insecurity in the state had scared people from their farms to avoid attack or kidnap. According to him, a budget only makes sense when the poor have shelter, engage in economic generating ventures, have food on their table, can send their children to school, and move about freely without fear. “This was

Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, Enugu State Police Commissioner The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a man who allegedly abused a minor sexually for money ritual in the state. The command’s spokesman, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, said this in a statement issued in Enugu on Sunday. Amaraizu said the suspect was arrested on Dec. 11 through intelligence information. He said that the suspect, a resident of Opanda in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state, often had anal sex with his victims. The police spokesman said the suspect had believed that wealth could be gotten through money ritual by sexually abusing male and female minors. “He has sexually abused no fewer than 11 minors through their anus. “The suspect revealed that he has a white cloth with which he used to flash on the face of his victims usually within the age range of 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 11. “He further revealed that as soon as the white cloth is flashed on their faces, they will lose their consciousness and follow him to wher

EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned the United Nations for refusing to confirm Mr Ibrahim Magu as substantive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over false security report. SERAP wrote to Mr Michel Forst, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders over alleged “intimidation, harassment and unfair treatment of Mr Ibrahim Magu, by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria apparently working with other agencies of government to use a purported security report that is politically motivated to reject Mr Magu’s confirmation as substantive chairman of the EFCC.” SERAP said that “by relying on a report they knew or ought to know is baseless and politically motivated to reject Mr Magu’s appointment as chairman of the EFCC, the Senate of Nigeria has flagrantly violated his right to a fair hearing, and is implicitly working to weaken, intimidate, harass and ultimat

Ibadan market An early morning fire outbreak on Sunday razed some parts of Araromi Market at Agodi Gate, Ibadan, where used tyres and motor parts worth over N10 million were destroyed. Mr Abdul Azeez Ojo, Chairman of the market, said that the inferno began at about 5.30 a.m. According to him, the Fire Service was alerted and they responded promptly. Ojo, however, said a sizeable number of shops equipped with tyres and other goods were razed before the arrival of the firefighters at about 6 a.m. “The Fire Service were able to put out the fire to avert more destruction, nevertheless, shop owners still suffered losses worth over N10 million. “The most pathetic thing is that these burnt shops were owned by young traders who have just started business and we appealed to the state government to assist them,’’ he said. Two victims of the incident, Hassan Olanrewaju and Michael Ajayi, whose shops were razed lamented the ugly incident. They pleaded with the state government and other

Pastor T.B. Joshua of Synagogue Church Of All Nations The Lagos State Government has said that it was aware of the fresh stampede in the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun area of the state last weekend which reportedly led to the death of three victims. The State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, in a statement, said government would ensure proper and thorough investigation of the incident and take appropriate and necessary step on the outcome of the investigation. Kazeem also reiterated the commitment of the present administration in the State to ensure security and safety of all residents and visitors. Meanwhile, a Lagos High Court in Ikeja has fixed January 19, 2017 for continuation of trial of the contractors and engineers involved in the construction of a guest house belonging to Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) which collapsed on September 12, 2014 and killed 116 persons. The Lagos State Government is prosecu

The reigning champions went 2-0 down after the dismissal of their star striker, but were able to recover in the final 15 minutes and earn a draw. Daniel Amartey scored a dramatic late equaliser as 10-man Leicester City overcame Jamie Vardy’s red card to earn a 2-2 draw at Stoke City on Saturday. Vardy was controversially sent off midway through the first half for a challenge on Mame Biram Diouf, while referee Craig Pawson also awarded Stoke a penalty after Bojan Krkic’s cross was handled by Danny Simpson. Bojan netted from the spot and Joe Allen looked to have killed off the match in first-half stoppage-time with his fifth top-flight goal of the season – the strike giving him more goals this season than his previous four combined. Claudio Ranieri was furious with Pawson but he had late hope when substitute Leonardo Ulloa headed in his first Premier League goal of the campaign. And Amartey scored with a header of his own with two minutes left on the clock – his first Leicester g