11 years after, NDLEA re-arrests escaped drug baron in Lagos (Nation)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected drug baron, Mr Chidi Olife who escaped arrest for unlawful importation of 5.250kg of heroin, concealed in books, from Pakistan to Nigeria since June 2010.
The arrest was carried out by the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Unit of the agency in Lagos.
A statement by the agency giving the details of Olife’s arrest indicated that following vital intelligence, a planned controlled delivery operation was coordinated and led by the Commander of the JTF, Adeniyi Olumuyiwa, a deputy commander of narcotics.
“The careful execution of the operation led to the arrest of Oladimeji Oladotun and Alhaji Danjuma Idris while processing the documents for clearing the consignment. Both were the clearing agents hired by Chidi Olife, the owner of the drug. Read more
Lekki Port project will bridge the gap in Nigeria’s Maritime Infrastructure – Du Ruogang (Vanguard)
Managing Director, Lekki Free Trade Zone Enterprise Limited (promoters of Lekki Port), Mr Du Ruogang has said that the delivery of the Lekki Deep Sea Port project would go a long way in helping the nation to bridge the gap in Nigeria’s maritime infrastructure in the shortest time possible.
Speaking at the ongoing Ehingbeti Ruogang organised by the Lagos State Government with the theme “For a Greater Lagos: Setting the Tone for the Next Decade”, Ruogang saidthat deepening of infrastructure footprints by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration both within the environment where the project is located and other axis of the State is a strong pointer that the State Government is committed to the development of the port and its underlying socio-economic potentials.
He said; “We are very pleased with how well things are going with the construction despite the challenges being encountered all over the world with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also being felt in Lagos State, and all over the country,” he said, further expressing confidence that the delivery of Lekki Port project would be sooner rather than later. Read more
MFM’s Olukoya wins defamation suit as court slams N500m damages against blogger (Punch)
Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of an Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta has slammed N500 million damages against a United Kingdom-based blogger, Maureen Badejo, for libellous publications against the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (Worldwide), Dr Daniel Olukoya, and the church.
The Court also granted “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant by herself, her agents, servants, privies or other persons howsoever called or described from further making, publishing and/or disseminating defamatory stories and statements about the claimants or any one of them.”
The Judge described the report as the worst case of reckless defamation and evil use of the internet and social media.
Badejo, the anchorperson in the Facebook-GIO TV, had published what the Incorporated Trustees of the MFM and Olukoya described as 52 lies. Read more
Rivers traders lose millions to night fire outbreak (Sun)
Property worth millions of naira have been destroyed by fire outbreak, which occurred at the popular Mile 3 Market, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The incident occurred on Friday night, and the section of the market mostly affected was the Bishop Okoye Line.
Several shops, including cool rooms, were destroyed by the night inferno, which traders could not confirm what ignited the fire.
Immediate past Chairman, Goat Meat Sellers Association, Bishop Okoye Line, of the Market, Nelson Tasie, expressed shock at the level of destruction, saying it was difficult to quantify the things traders had lost. Read more
Hushpuppi laundered funds for North Korean hackers, US alleges (Nation)
New details have emerged about the case against Instagram influencer, Ramon Abbas, fondly referred to as Hushpuppi.
According to the United State of America’s Department of Justice, Hushpuppi laundered money for North Korean hackers.
The revelation was known when federal prosecutors in Los Angeles unsealed a case against one Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada for his role as a money launderer for the North Korean conspiracy, among other criminal schemes. Read more
Legendary highlife musician Pa Chris Ajilo dies at 92 (Punch)
Legendary highlife singer, Pa Chris Ajilo, has died from malaria at the age of 92.
According to the singer’s caregiver, David Ekanem, the highlife singer had been battling malaria since last week. He died in a hospital this morning at 10:30 am
Ekanem said, “What happened is that he had malaria last week, so, we gave him malaria medication. The malaria persisted, and as there was no improvement after three days, we rushed him to a hospital at Ilesha, but there was no bed space.
“I took him to two hospitals at Ile-Ife as well, but there were no bed spaces there; so, I had to take him back home. A doctor was attending to him at home. Yesterday, I noticed that there was no improvement, so, I had to rush him to another hospital at Ilesha. I was there with him since yesterday, but he died today at 10:30 am. He had been battling malaria; the doctor even carried out a COVID-19 test on him but he tested negative.” Read more
Why we invited military to flush out IPOB members from Orlu- Imo govt (Sun)
The Imo state government has justified why it invited the military to flush out members of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, an arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, operating in the forest of Orlu -Orsu axis.
This is even as the state government said that the arrested members of the ESN will be prosecuted for murder. The state Attorney General and commissioner for Justice, Cyprian Akaolisa who disclosed this on Friday in Owerri, said that the state government had to bring in the military to arrest the orgy of violence caused by the ESN members who he described as hoodlums and criminals.
He accused the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu of engendering the lives of the people of the state through the alleged criminal activities of the ESN in Orlu.
“The activities of the ESN linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra led by Nnamdi Kanu is endangering the lives of the people of the state and the state government will not allow that to continue and that was why the state government invited the military to flush out the hoodlums who call themselves members of ESN in the Orlu – Orsu axis of the state. Read more
Police intercepts lorry load of ‘palliatives mattresses’ in Bayelsa, arrest two suspects (Vanguard)
Operatives of the Bayelsa Police Command has intercepted a truckload of mattresses suspected to be stolen “Covid-19 palliatives”, in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The suspects identified as Shehu Yola, 42 years and Sunday Emmanuel, aged 28, were arrested as they have were arrested in the state capital with the “stolen palliatives” as they were about exiting the state capital.
According to police source, the arrests of the suspects followed a tip off, which prompted peratives of Bayelsa State Police Command to swing into action.
Confirming the arrests of the suspects, a statement by state Police Spokesman Asinim SP Butswat, stated: “Following a tip off, Operatives of Bayelsa State Police Command have arrested one Shehu Yola ‘m’ 42 years and one Sunday Emmanuel ‘m’ 28 years, at Okaka, Yenagoa. Read more
Governor grants financial autonomy to Nasarawa LGAs (Nation)
Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe says, the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule has granted full financial autonomy to the 13 LGAs of the State.
He stated this yesterday while declaring open a two day training workshop, organized for members and staff of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission.
The deputy governor who represented the governor at the event assured that the state government will not interfere in the conduct of council elections, but will support the full independence of the commission and other assistance to conduct free, fair and credible council elections.
“In a society like ours, free, fair and credible election constitutes the basic principle of democracy. In this regards, electoral administrators are the drivers who ensure that the tenets of democracy are greatly enhanced through election” he said. Read more
Why more men are suffering from infertility than ever before (NYPost)
Sperm counts in Western countries have dropped by more than 50 per cent since the 1970s. At the same time, men’s problems with conceiving are going up: Erectile dysfunction is increasing and testosterone levels are declining by 1 per cent each year.
“The current state of reproductive affairs can’t continue much longer without threatening human survival,” warns Mount Sinai fertility scientist Dr. Shanna Swan in her book, “Count Down” (Scribner), out Tuesday. “It’s a global existential crisis.”
Dr Swan should know — she’s been researching fertility for thirty years. She studied a miscarriage boom in Santa Clara, Calif., in the 1980s, which she eventually linked to toxic waste dumped into the drinking water by a local semiconductor plant. She moved on to sperm rates in 1997 and they’ve been her “canary in a coal mine scenario” since. In 2017, she sounded the alarm with a meta-analysis of 40,000 men that showed that sperm count fell a whopping 59 percent between 1973 and 2011. Read more
Microsoft will release Office 2021 for Windows and Macs later this year (USAToday)
Microsoft said it will launch Office 2021 for personal and commercial uses later this year.
Microsoft confirmed it will launch Office 2021, the latest version of its productivity suite of apps like Word, Excel and others, later this year for personal and small business use.
In a post Thursday highlighting an upcoming commercial preview of Office, Microsoft said Office 2021 will be available for both Windows and Macs.
Microsoft said they will support Office 2021 for five years under a “one-time purchase model,” where owners pay a single, one-time cost for the software.
The company said it will unveil more information about features coming to Office 2021 in the future. Read more
Myanmar coup: At least two killed as police disperse protesters (BBC)
At least two people have been killed during fresh protests in Myanmar against a military coup.
Police used live ammunition to disperse demonstrators in Mandalay, local media and medical staff reported.
Hundreds had gathered for a rally at a shipyard in Myanmar’s second largest city. Several were injured, reportedly by live fire and rubber bullets.
Myanmar has seen weeks of protests following the coup which overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. Read more
Kanye West ‘believes failed presidential run cost him his marriage’ to Kim Kardashian (Metro)
Kanye West reportedly believes his failed presidential run was the ‘straw that broke the camel’s back’ in his marriage to Kim Kardashian. After much speculation, it was confirmed last night that Kim, 40, has filed for divorce from Kanye, 43, after nearly seven years of marriage. Divorce proceedings are reportedly amicable, with the stars having signed a pre-nuptial agreement and Kim filing for joint legal and physical custody of their four children. Still, it’s a tough time for the stars, and Kanye has apparently been pinning the blame on his presidential campaign. Read more
US federal agents seize $2.8m in cocaine-frosted corn flakes cereal shipped from South America (USAToday)
Federal agents say they seized frosted cereal in Cincinnati because the corn flakes turned out to be soaked in cocaine, officials announced in a statement Friday.
Bico, a narcotic detector dog with US Customs and Border Protection, alerted authorities to the cocaine-coated flakes on Feb. 13 in a shipment of cereal that originated from South America, according to a release from the agency.
The 44 pounds of cocaine cereal seized has an estimated value of $2.82 million, according to authorities, who said the shipment was headed to a private residence in Hong Kong.
Officers found white powder and the flakes were coated in a grayish substance after the dog alerted them to the shipment. Read more
Alaska woman attacked by bear while using toilet (BBC)
A woman in Alaska says she “jumped up and screamed” after she was attacked by a bear while using the toilet.
Shannon Stevens sustained a puncture wound while using a remote outhouse toilet at Chilkat Lake last weekend.
After hearing her scream, Ms Stevens’ brother went to see what had caused the injury, only to find a bear’s head in the hole of the toilet.
Ms Stevens says the wound was caused by either a bite or a swipe from the animal’s claw.
She was spending the weekend in a yurt with her brother Erik and his girlfriend when the incident occurred. Earlier in the evening they had cooked sausages on an open firepit. Read more
Scientists regrow and repair liver from lab-grown cells in world first (Metro)
Lab-grown ‘mini bile ducts’ have been used to repair human livers in a scientific first, paving the way for new regenerative medicine treatments. Scientists at the University of Cambridge grew replacement liver cells in the lab and used them to repair donor livers that had been damaged, making them suitable for transplantation. Bile ducts are used by the liver to remove waste from the body – when they malfunction, the only viable treatment is a liver transplant. More than a third of adult and 70 percent of children’s liver transplantations are as a result of malfunctioning bile ducts. Read more
Rory McIlroy: Northern Irishman misses Genesis Invitational cut by seven shots (BBC)
Rory McIlroy missed his first cut since the 2019 Open Championship after recording a second-round 76 at the Genesis Invitational.
McIlroy had played in 30 events since his Friday exit at the Open in his native Northern Ireland.
The Northern Irishman carded one birdie, four bogeys and a double bogey to drop down to seven over par.
Sam Burns hit a bogey-free 66 to go 12 under, which put him five clear of a group which includes Dustin Johnson.
Burns led after an opening 64 and his 12-under-par total tied the 36-hole course record. Read more
Thomas Tuchel provides fitness update on four players ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Southampton (Metro)
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has ruled Thiago Silva out of the side’s trip to Southampton but Tammy Abraham and Kai Havertz could both feature at St Mary’s this weekend. Summer arrival Silva, 36, has missed Chelsea’s last three matches due to a muscle injury and while the veteran defender trained on Thursday, he’s yet to return to full fitness and will not travel with the rest of his team-mates for the Premier League clash. Havertz, meanwhile, picked up a knock prior to Chelsea’s win at Tottenham earlier this month and has managed just two appearances under his new head coach as a consequence. Read more
Ibrahimovic, Lukaku rematch as Milan rivals clash (DailyTrust)
AC Milan and city rivals Inter renew their duel for top spot in Serie A on Sunday in a third clash this season between star strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku as champions Juventus play catch-up.
Antonio Conte’s Inter went top after Lukaku scored twice in a 3-1 win over Lazio, one point ahead of Milan who dropped to second after losing to Spezia last weekend.
Juventus will be looking for a boost against rock bottom Crotone after following their Napoli defeat with a Champions League last 16, first leg loss at Porto.
Inter have the advantage of being fresher having been eliminated early from European action. Read more
All Blacks legend Dan Carter retires at 38 (Punch)
All Blacks legend Dan Carter, a three-time world player of the year and double World Cup winner, announced his retirement on Saturday.
The fly-half, who remains the record points-scorer in both Test and Super Rugby, said he was “sad” to call it quits.
“I’m officially retiring from professional rugby,” Carter wrote on Instagram.
“A sport I’ve played for 32 years which has helped shape me into the person I am today.” Read more
Nuggets’ Jamal Murray first player in NBA history to score 50 points without attempting free throw (USAToday)
Not himself of late, Jamal Murray got a lecture from Nuggets coach Michael Malone about being more aggressive and not passing up open shots.
He listened — and launched.
Murray scored a career-high 50 points and became the first player in NBA history to get that many without trying a free throw as Denver adjusted to a schedule change by handing the Cleveland Cavaliers their ninth straight loss, 120-103 on Friday night.
Following the game, Murray was unaware that he had done something unique.
“I was just making my shots,” he said nonchalantly between sips of a postgame smoothie. “It’s kind of cool to make history. It’s a cool stat.” Read more
Ex-NFL player Kellen Winslow II faces 14 years for assaults (NYPost)
Former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II agreed Friday to accept a 14-year prison sentence for raping a homeless woman and assaulting two other women.
The 37-year-old Winslow, who played for the Jets and three other NFL teams, agreed to changes to a previous guilty plea in order to avoid a potential 18-year sentence.
In 2019, Winslow was convicted of raping a 58-year-old homeless woman in Encinitas, California. Facing a retrial on other charges, he later pleaded guilty to raping an unconscious teenager in 2003 and to the 2018 sexual battery of a 54-year-old hitchhiker in Encinitas.That plea deal capped his sentence at 18 years. On Friday, a San Diego County Superior Court judge approved a change in which Winslow’s sexual battery plea was replaced with a guilty plea to assaulting the hitchhiker with the intent to commit rape. Read more
