FRESH 4RM GIM

The leader of Burundi's coup on Friday said that top members of his movement were surrendering after their attempt to overthrow President Pierre Nkurunziza failed. "We have decided to surrender," General Godefroid Niyombare told the AFP news agency, adding that troops loyal to the president were approaching him. "I hope they won't kill us," he was quoted as saying. A presidential spokesman said three generals involved in the coup plot had been arrested, but that General Niyombare was "still on the run".

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has affirmed that he is yet to learn any useful thing from the outgoing President, Goodluck Jonathan’s government. Buhari stated this on Thursday when a committee from the Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, presented a five-point policy document to him at the Buhari Support Organisation office in Abuja. Speaking earlier, the All Progressives Congress, accused the Federal Government of not cooperating with the transition committee set up by the President-elect.

Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, has released a list of 26 home-based professionals who will kick-start the team’s camping programme ahead of next month’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Chad. Familiar faces Daniel Akpeyi, Solomon Kwambe, Chibuzor Okonkwo, Azubuike Egwuekwe, Rabiu Ali, Kunle Odunlami, Gbolahan Salami and Ezekiel Mba are joined by exciting new faces – Ibrahim Shaibu, Onoriode Odah and Igbinosa.

A former military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, says the leader of the defunct Biafra, the late Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, underestimated him by thinking that he (Gowon) would never go to war. Gowon, who led Nigerian forces to defeat Ojukwu’s army during the Nigerian civil war from 1967-1970, said this at the Diamond Jubilee Lecture of the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday.