Abuja woman dismembered, stuffed in sacks, residents suspect ritualists (Punch)
The dismembered remains of a yet-to-be-identified lady have been found in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory.
The corpse, which was found by a river in the community on Monday, was said to have been packed in two sacks.
According to residents, the stench from the corpse drew attention to it.
A resident, who gave his name as Shehu, said the corpse was found alongside dead animals. Read more
62-year-old Gbajabiamila arraigned for defrauding UK-based Nigerian of N30m (Guardian)
The police, yesterday, arraigned Suleiman Gbajabiamila, 62, before a Chief Magistrate’s Court 1, Yaba, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding a United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, Lateef Adeyemo, of the sum of N30 million.
Gbajabiamila, who was said to have been at large for months, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun, on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and false presentation, an offence punishable under Section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.
The accused was brought to the court by police prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Folorunso. According to the charge, Gbajabiamila had presented himself as an estate agent last year, fraudulently collected and converted to his own use, N30 million meant for the purchase of a two-bedroom flat for Adeyemo between September and October 2021. Read more
Bus driver kills, dumps colleague’s corpse at Lagos park (Punch)
There was apprehension in the Berger area of Lagos State on Monday after the lifeless body of a bus driver was found near a motor park.
The deceased, identified only as Wasiu, was alleged to have been dumped close to the entrance of the park around midnight.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the late driver, who plied the Ishaga-Fagba route, had a confrontation with a colleague from another park on Sunday, which resulted in a fight between them.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Wasiu picked a fight with someone at the park and went to pick a bottle. But when he smashed it on the ground, the broken pieces hit the baby of a nearby alcohol seller; the little child started bleeding.” Read more
Equities market opens week with N550b loss (Vanguard)
The equities market resumed trading on Monday with a decline of 1.97 per cent as a result of losses in large stocks such as Dangote Cement, WAPCO, GTCO and Oando.
Specifically, the market capitalisation shed N550 billion or 1.97 per cent to close at N27.364 trillion against N27.914 trillion posted on Friday.
Also, the All-Share Index, which opened the week at 51,778.08 points closed at 50,756.74 points, recording a loss of 1,021.34 points or 1.97 per cent.
Accordingly, Year-to-Date (YTD) losses increased to -18.82 per cent.
Analysts at Vetiva Dealing and Brokage said, “We saw sell-offs in the banking space moderate today amid price recovery in selected names, while other sectors yielded to the sell pressure. Read more
Abdulsalami out of London hospital (DailyTrust)
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has left a London hospital, where he was admitted over an unknown ailment.
The elder statesman, who clocked 80 last week, had traveled out of the country to seek treatment.
This made him cancel events lined up to mark his entry into the Octogenarian league and also made him miss the Peace Accord signed by governorship candidates of the just concluded Ekiti election.
Alongside, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Abdulsalami chairs the Peace Committee, which has been playing a pivotal role in elections since 2015.
However, on Monday news broke that Abdulsalami might have suffered stroke. Read more
Sexual misconduct: OAU, UNIABUJA dismiss four profs, 14 others (Punch)
No fewer than 18 lecturers in the nation’s tertiary institutions have been indicted and dismissed over sexual misconduct in one year, analysis of media reports by The PUNCH has revealed.
The issue of sexual harassment has been recurring in Nigerian institutions with a survey conducted in 2018 by the World Bank Group’s Women revealing that 70 per cent of female graduates from tertiary institutions in Nigeria were sexually harassed in school, with the main perpetrators being classmates or lecturers.
Though the Senate had in 2021 passed a bill that randy lecturers should be subject to 21 years imprisonment, The PUNCH reports that most of the lecturers indicted and found guilty after the bill was passed were simply sacked.
According to the reports compiled by The PUNCH, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife topped the list of institutions with the highest number of lecturers indicted for sexual misconduct. Read more
Firm partners NASU to develop 25 acres of land for UNILAG staff (DailyTrust)
One of Nigeria’s leading property development firms, Bashmoh Homes has entered into a partnership with the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), University of Lagos chapter to develop 25 acres of land and make home ownership very convenient for staff of the school.
During the official commissioning of the project at the weekend in Sojuolu town Ifo local government area of Ogun state, Bashmoh Homes’ Head of Marketing and Corporate Development, Ifeoma Ekwenye said the high poverty level and bureaucratic bottlenecks, makes house ownership very expensive and cumbersome.
She said the UNILAG’s NASU determination to ensure affordable houses for its members culminated in the partnership with Bashmoh Homes.
According to her, the 25 acres of land was purchased by the Union, and then handed over to Bashmore Homes for development, noting that allocation of plots to various subscribers will begin by September, 2022.
“When we signed the partnership, we were very clear on the task ahead and the audacity of our ambition. This ambition was solidly rooted in our determination to deliver not just high quantity, but quality housing units built to the best global practice and at a price that will be quite affordable to UNILAG staff and other subscribers,” she added. Read more
Alleged N26m Fraud: Absence of lead counsel stalls Fani-Kayode’s trial (Guardian)
The trial of former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode could not go on at the Federal High Court Abuja on Monday due to the absence of his lead counsel, Mr Ahmed Raji, SAN.
At the resumed hearing, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Farouk Abdullah told the court that the business of the matter was for continuation of trial to allow the defence team cross examine the third prosecution witness.
“The witness is in court and with the permission of the court, we are ready to proceed,” Abdullah said.
However, Fani-Kayode’s counsel, Mr Zakari Garba who was holding brief for Raji informed the court that they received information only on Friday that the matter had been slated for hearing on Monday. Read more
Alleged Rape: Police confirm arrest of Nollywood actor in Akwa Ibom (Vanguard)
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom has confirmed the arrest of Moses Armstrong, a member of Actors Guild of Nigeria for alledgedly raping a minor.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Odiko Macdon, confirmed this in a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Monday.
Macdon said that the Police Command had been inundated with inquiries about one Moses Armstrong, the actor.
He said that the actor was arrested on June 9 in the state.
“The popular Nollywood actor and singer, Moses Armstrong, has been arrested by men of the Police Command for allegedly defiling a 16-year old girl in the state. Read more
‘Breaking Bad’ star Bob Odenkirk feels ‘great’ after heart attack (PageSix)
Bob Odenkirk feels “great” after a July 2021 heart attack that nearly killed him.
“I got two stents, a tiny part of my heart is made of metal, and I feel good,” he told Page Six exclusively Saturday during a “Better Call Saul” screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The actor, 59, collapsed while on the “Better Call Saul” set, and a deliberator was used three times in an attempt to revive him. Eventually, he was rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery.
The “Breaking Bad” alum told us he was not scared at all over the health scare “because I don’t remember anything” about it. Read more
France elections: Macron to meet rival parties after losing majority (BBC)
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet political opponents on Tuesday after he and his allies lost its majority in the National Assembly.
Mr Macron is now under pressure to secure support from rivals to fulfil his government’s reform agenda.
But neither Marine Le Pen’s far-right nor Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s left-green alliance are keen to work with him.
Minority governments are a rarity in France, and Mr Macron’s Ensemble alliance is 44 seats shy of a majority.
This means he will need to find support from mainstream MPs from both the left and right side of politics to help build a working majority. Read more
Teen’s lung burst after he inhaled laughing gas at Parklife festival (Metro)
A teenager is lucky to be alive after his lung burst after inhaling laughing gas at a music festival.
Alex Littler, 16, inhaled nitrous oxide at Parklife Festival in Manchester. But on the Monday he was rushed to hospital after he complained of a swollen neck, breathlessness and that his chest felt like ‘popping bubble wrap’.
He was forced to confess to his mum, Cathy McCann, 44 and doctors about inhaling the laughing gas.
At the hospital, Alex was diagnosed with a ruptured and leaking lung with doctors telling him he was lucky to be alive. Read more
Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov auctions Nobel medal for $103m (BBC)
The Russian editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta has auctioned off his Nobel Peace Prize medal for $103.5 million (£84 million).
Dmitry Muratov said all the money from sale will go to help refugees from the war in Ukraine.
Muratov was co-awarded the peace prize in 2021 for defending freedom of expression in Russia.
Novaya Gazeta suspended its operations in March, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This came after Moscow said anyone who described Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a “war” would face heavy fines or closures. The Kremlin calls the conflict a “special military operation”. Read more
Laurence Fishburne is open to dating again at the age of 60 (PageSix)
Laurence Fishburne is open to the idea of getting back in the dating scene.
The “Matrix” star, 60, was married to “Suits” alum Gina Torres for 16 years, but the pair divorced in May 2018 after Page Six revealed the previous September that Torres, 53, was dating a man described by a friend as “the cowboy type” while quietly separated from Fishburne.
And while it seems that Torres was quick to, er, get back on the horse, Fishburne is not quite there — at least not yet.
“Eventually I would like to date, but there is nobody in particular on my radar,” he told Page Six at the Tribeca Festival on June 13. Read more
Nigerian Refugees in Niger Thrive in ‘Opportunity Villages’ (VOA)
The west African country of Niger hosts more than 303,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, most fleeing violence from neighboring Nigeria.
In the southern Maradi region, the U.N.’s refugee agency (UNHCR) and aid group Save the Children have set up camps to help refugees stay safe from the border while also easing the burden on their host community.
At a dusty playground at Garin Kaka refugee camp in southern Niger, young children spin on a merry-go-round and clamber on a metal climbing frame.
The camp, in a patch of scrubland in southern Niger, is home to around 4,000 refugees who have fled violence from Islamist militants and bandits in neighboring Nigeria. Read more
Chris Hemsworth fans shocked to discover Netflix’s Spiderhead movie after ‘lack of promotion’ (Metro)
Chris Hemsworth is used to dazzling the masses as Thor in Marvel’s various blockbusters, but it’s his new sleeper hit Spiderhead which has everyone talking at the moment.
While most fans await the release of Thor: Love and Thunder next month, Netflix quietly dropped Spiderhead starring Chris in the lead alongside Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett on Friday.
The dystopian thriller is based on George Saunders’ short story Escape from Spiderhead, and follows two inmates at a state-of-the-art prison as they form a bond while dealing with events of their past.
However, the institution is run by a visionary who experiments on his inmates with mind-altering drugs. Read more
Ugbade sure Nigeria will beat Cote d’Ivoire for WAFU B U-17 final ticke (Guardian)
Head Coach, Nduka Ugbade, has assured that Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will go all out against their Ivoirian counterparts in today’s first semifinal match of the ongoing WAFU B U-17 Championship in Cape Coast, Ghana.
Both teams take to the pitch of the 15,000–capacity facility at 3.00 p.m. Ghana time (4.00 p.m. Nigerian time) before the second semifinal between hosts, Ghana, and Burkina Faso, at the same venue.
“The match against Cote d’Ivoire is of high importance to us. In fact, I have reminded the players that this one is the biggest match of their lives. They must win to secure a ticket to the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, and from there to the U-17 World Cup, and from there to several opportunities and possibilities. Read more
Ryan Giggs resigns as Wales manager (BBC)
Ryan Giggs has resigned as Wales manager “with immediate effect”.
The former Manchester United winger, 48, stepped away from his role in November 2020 after being arrested.
Giggs was later charged with using controlling behaviour and assaulting his ex-girlfriend, charges he has denied.
Robert Page took over as interim Wales boss in Giggs’ absence, leading them to a first World Cup finals since 1958.
In a statement, Giggs said: “After much consideration, I am standing down from my position as manager of the Wales men’s national team with immediate effect. Read more
Awoniyi close to record £17.5m Forest deal (Punch)
Nottingham Forest are set to announce Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi as their first major signing since clinching promotion to the Premier League.
Forest are in advanced talks over a club record £17.5m deal for the Union Berlin striker, who has a release clause with the Bundesliga side.
Awoniyi, 24, impressed for Union Berlin last season, scoring 15 league goals and is expected to become Steve Cooper’s first significant capture of the summer.
Forest are also poised to face Union Berlin in a pre-season friendly next month, with Awoniyi in line for a swift reunion with his former teammates. Read more
US-based Nnamdi sure of Commonwealth Games ticket despite ‘high’ standard (Guardian)
United States-based javelin thrower, Chinecherem Nnamdi, is sure of grabbing a ticket to fly Nigeria’s flag at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games in England despite what he considered a ‘high standard’ set by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
Nnamdi, who got a bronze medal in men’s javelin at the last World U-20 Athletics Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, arrived in Lagos on Saturday alongside four other athletes, Godson Brume, Udodi Onwuzurike, Nathaniel Ezekiel and Imaobong Nse Uko.
Speaking with The Guardian at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, Nnamdi described the 85.00 metres standard set by AFN at the national trials in Benin City ‘as higher’ than usual this year.
For a foreign-based male javelin thrower to secure the ticket to the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games, he must throw 85.00 metres, while women must throw 64.00 metres. Read more
Arsenal drop Youri Tielemans talks as Gabriel Jesus’ agent jets in for ‘critical’ negotiations (Metro)
Arsenal have cooled their interest in Leicester City star Youri Tielemans in order to focus on a deal for Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus.
The Gunners have been in talks with the Belgian’s representatives for months and had been confident of striking a £25m deal for the midfielder, who is out of contract in 12 months’ time.
However, Goal report that Arsenal have stepped back from talks as they focus on other deals, of which Jesus is the priority.
Mikel Arteta has prioritised signing a striker above all other positions this summer following Alexandre Lacazette’s departure and Jesus is keen on a move to the Emirates, despite interest from Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham. Read more
Eto’o pleads guilty for €3.88m tax fraud to avoid jail term (DailyTrust)
Former FC Barcelona footballer, Samuel Eto’o Fils and his former representative José María Mesalles have accepted this Monday the sentences of 22 months and one year in prison, respectively, after acknowledging having defrauded €3,872,621 from the Public Treasury, between 2006 and 2009.
In his statement in the Criminal Court number 11 of Barcelona, Eto’o has admitted the fraud but has blamed it, without citing him directly, to Mesalles, whom he has always defined as “a second father”. Read more