Fire Breaks Out At Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos

Information available to Greenwich News indicate that there was a fire outbreak at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, this morning.

An eyewitness said the fire emanated from some electric cables, which apparently melted under heat.

This led to a blackout in the airport terminal, while fire fighters deployed swiftly in the affected area to quench the inferno.

The fire fighters were able to put the situation under control while security men erected a metal barricade around the site.

Manchester United to Face Real Madrid as Arsenal draws Bayern Munich In the UEFA Champions League last 16.

 Barcelona versus AC Milan and Manchester United against Real Madrid were the pick of the ties in the Champions League last 16 draw on Thursday, as the knock-out phase of this year’s competition took shape.

Perennial favourites Barcelona, champions in 2009 and 2011, are currently nine points clear in La Liga but received a hammer blow on Wednesday when it was revealed coach Tito Vilanova must undergo surgery after cancer returned to his salivary gland.

His assistant, Jordi Roura, has been placed in temporary charge.”Yesterday (Wednesday) was a very hard day, a tough blow,” said Barca captain Carles Puyol in comments posted on the club’s official Twitter feed.

“Tito gave us strength, already talked about coming back. Personally, I’m happy about facing Milan. Not because it’s an easy opponent but because it’s a team I’ve always liked.”

Barcelona and Milan locked horns four times in last season’s competition, with Barca finishing above Massimiliano Allegri’s side in the group phase and then prevailing 3-1 on aggregate when they met again in the last eight.

United’s tie with Madrid will see Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo face his former club for the first time since leaving Old Trafford for the Spanish capital in 2009.

The sides last met in 2003, when a famous hat-trick in Manchester by Ronaldo — Cristiano Ronaldo’s Brazilian predecessor and namesake — gave Madrid a 6-5 aggregate quarter-final win.

Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has only lost two of his 14 previous encounters with Alex Ferguson’s side, and United club secretary John Alexander admitted the club would have preferred a more gentle draw.

“Everyone wanted to keep this for later in the competition but, out of several stand-out ties, I think this is the one,” he told British television channel Sky Sports News.

“If history has anything in our favour, our one victory against Real Madrid in this competition was in the season when we won the final at Wembley (in 1968).”

Former Madrid player and club director Emilio Butragueno said: “I’m sure it’s going to be a special game for Ronaldo.

“He’s a great professional so I’m sure he’s going to do his best to help Real Madrid qualify for the next round, but going back there will be special for him.”

Arsenal were drawn against last season’s beaten finalists, Bayern Munich, who have constructed a nine-point lead in the Bundesliga after a storming start to the season.

“We know Arsenal well,” said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“That’s fortunate and we can be happy about the draw. The game won’t be a foregone conclusion and we should not under-estimate Arsenal.”

Meanwhile, Celtic’s reward for reaching the knockout phase for the first time since 2007-08 is a rendezvous with Italian champions Juventus.

“In terms of glamour, it is great,” Celtic coach Neil Lennon told Sky Sports News.

“In terms of qualification it is going to be very tough. But we will take it as it comes and our supporters will be looking forward to this match.”

Big-spending French club Paris Saint-Germain will take on Valencia, with German champions Borussia Dortmund slated to face their Ukrainian counterparts Shakhtar Donetsk.

In the remaining ties, competition debutants Malaga tackle Porto and Turkish outfit Galatasaray meet German side Schalke.

In a remarkable quirk, the draw for the matches in February and March produced exactly the same ties as had been drawn in Wednesday’s rehearsal.

Champions League last 16 draw:

Galatasaray (TUR) v Schalke 04 (GER)

Celtic (SCO) v Juventus (ITA)

Arsenal (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER)

Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)

AC Milan (ITA) v Barcelona (ESP)

Real Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)

Valencia (ESP) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)

FC Porto (POR) v Malaga (ESP)

Man demand N1.2m refund from wife’s parents for starving him of sex

Malam Mukailu Naibi of Keke Village, Kaduna, whose wife allegedly starved him of sex for two years, on Wednesday demanded N1. 2 million as compensation from the wife’s parents before an Abuja Area Court.

Naibi, while testifying at the resumed hearing of the case, told the court that the amount, covered the bride price he paid before marrying Maryam, his wife.

He also told the court that the amount also covered the cost of damages done to the house after Maryam allegedly set the house on fire before fleeing to court to seek divorce.

He also tendered written documents with records of all expenses made on his estranged wife and her parents, in addition to a witness to testify in his favour.

Naibi, aged 37, had told the court that his wife had refused to make love to him since they got married two years ago.

He also accused her of setting their house on fire.

“Your Worship, since we got married two years ago, my wife never allowed me to make love to her for once and all my attempts to do it always led to fighting.

“I married her out of love and I still love her, but with this development, I have no choice, but to ask the court to grant her divorce wish for the sake of peace,” Naibi said.

In her testimony, Maryam, who is 16 years old told the court that her husband made love to her once, but that she was not impressed and so she wanted a divorce.

“I don’t love him, I don’t love anybody who bears his name and I hate anybody who loves him,” she told the court.

Maryam’s mother who was her only witness in court denied most of Naibi’s claims but admitted some, saying that Maryam’s father was in a better position to clarify some issues.

The Judge, Haruna Masanawa, after hearing all the submissions of the parties in the case, ordered the court’s registrar to summons more witnesses, including Maryam’s father.

He adjourned the case to Jan. 16, 2013 for further hearing.

Nigerian Team Win Beach Soccer Title For the Second Straight Time

Nigeria’s Beach Sand Eagles maintained their winning streak to retain their Copa Lagos trophy at the Eko Atlantic, after over coming hard fighting Portugal 8-7 in the final game  yesterday.

Nigeria needed not to lose the game by more than a goal in other to win the competition, and Portugal looked as though they were on their part to victory after racing into an early lead.

But at the third and final quarter, the game was tied at 7-7 and it looked as though the result was enough to see Nigeria retain the trophy, but there ought to be a clear winner, in other to separate the teams.
Bartholomew Ibenegbu scored the decisive goal for Nigeria in the three minutes extra time to earn a decisive win for Nigeria at 8-7.