Akpabio apologises for the manner he left PDP (Guardian)
Nigerian lawmaker Senator Godswill Akpabio Thursday apologised to members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the manner he left the party months before the 2019 general elections. “I apologize to my colleagues in the PDP for the manner I left,” Akpabio said in a tweet by Nigeria Senate at its valedictory session in Abuja. “I know they miss me.” Read more
Alleged N2.4bn misappropriation: Ganduje queries Emir Sanusi (Punch)
Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano State has queried Emir Muhammadu Sanusi over alleged financial misappropriation of N2.4 billion. The office of the secretary to the state government issued the letter on behalf of the governor on Thursday. The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission had on Tuesday, disclosed that it has uncovered over N2.4 billion, allegedly misappropriated by the Emir between 2014 and 2017. Read more
Gov Ihedioha appoints Perm Sec as principal secretary (Punch)
The Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, has appointed, the Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Training and Pensions, Theodore Nwokonkwo, as his principal secretary. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Chibuike Onyeukwu, confirmed the appointment in a statement issued in Owerri, the state capital on Thursday. The statement read, “Governor Emeka Ihedioha CON, has approved the appointment of Mr. Theodore Uzoma Nwokonkwo as Principal Secretary. Read more
Motorcycle ban: Adamawa Police Command confirms violent protest in Fufore LGA (Guardian)
Adamawa Police Command on Thursday confirmed eruption of violent protest by youths in Gurin, Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa over ban on the use of motorcycles. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the military last month banned the use of motorcycles across the state to contain activities of bandits and kidnappers. The Adamawa Police spokesman, DSP Sulaiman Yahaya, said the youths protesting the ban stormed the palace of the district head and a military checkpoint, which resulted in the fracas. Read more
BPE disowns ex-PHCN workers, says no ongoing verification (Punch)
The Bureau of Public Enterprises has denied any link with purported on-going verification of former workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria. In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, Head of Public Communications at the privatisation, Amina Othman, said that BPE did not have anything to do with the communication purportedly issued by some former workers of the defunct PHCN. Othman said, “Our attention has been drawn to attempts by a group of former staff of the defunct PHCN to link the bureau to a purported verification exercise for the disengaged staff of the entity and they have circulated various correspondences to their members in that regard. Read more
I will be sworn in on June 11, sacked Imo reps member-elect boasts (Punch)
Ugonna Ozurigbo, the member-elect for Nkwerre/Nwangele/Isu/Njaba of Imo State, who was sacked by the Owerri Federal High Court over alleged illegitimate nomination process has insisted that he would be part of the members of the ninth Assembly, who would be sworn in on June 11. Ozurigbo, in a statement issued in Owerri on Thursday by his media aide, Philip Dike, said that there was no truth in the speculation that the Court of appeal in Owerri had ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue the Peoples Democratic Party, Kingsley Echendu, with a certificate of Return. Read more
DPR revokes six oil licenses (Punch)
The Department of Petroleum Resources has revoked five Oil Mining Licences and one Oil Prospecting Licence belonging to five companies. In a public notice issued on Thursday by the regulatory body, the revocation was based on a presidential directive to “recover legacy debts” owed by the companies operating the licences. The five companies affected are Pan Ocean Oil Corporation (OML 98); Allied Energy Resources Nigeria (OML 120 and 121); Express Petroleum and Gas Company (OML 108); Cavendish Petroleum Nigeria (OML 110) and Summit Oil International (OPL 206). Read more
Underage girls: Court orders closure of two brothels in Calabar (Punch)
The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons on Thursday sealed two brothels in Calabar for allegedly harbouring underage commercial sex workers. The Leader of the NAPTIP operation team, Mr Godwin Eyake, told newsmen that the operation followed an order of the Federal High Court in Calabar. “We are carrying out the order of the Federal High Court, Calabar, to seal the brothels pending the determination of criminal investigation against their owners,’’ he said. Read more
South Africa: Toddler killed by leopard in Kruger National Park (BBC)
A two-year-old boy has been killed by a leopard in South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The leopard managed to access a fenced off area of the park and grab the boy, who was the son of an employee. Family members rushed the boy to hospital but he was pronounced dead on arrival. The park said in a statement that such attacks were “very rare”, but rangers killed the leopard to “remove the danger”. Read more
Man allegedly stabs wife for refusing to allow him use her money to pay sex worker (Punch)
A Ghanaian woman, Akua, has revealed how her husband, Kofi, stabbed her multiple times in the head for refusing to allow him to use her money to pay a sex worker, he had spent the night with. According to Adomonline, Akua shared her experience on a radio programme. She said the incident happened on Monday, May 27, 2019 at Kanda, Accra. Akua said, her husband had spent the night outside of their home, only to return in the morning with a sex worker, who had demanded payment for the service she rendered. Read more
D-Day: Veterans and world leaders mark 75th anniversary (BBC)
The only words we can say to veterans are “thank you”, Theresa May has told a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Her words were echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who told D-Day veterans gathered in northern France that we owe them “our freedom”. The day of commemorative events began with a lone piper marking the moment the first UK soldiers went ashore. Read more
Putin says Russia prepared to drop START treaty (Guardian)
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said Russia was prepared to drop a nuclear arms control agreement with the US, known as New START, if there was a lack of interest in renewing it. “If no-one feels like extending the agreement — New START — well, we won’t do it then,” Putin said at an economic forum in Saint Petersburg, referring to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. “We said a hundred times that we are ready (to extend it),” Putin said, lamenting that Washington was “not conducting any talks” on the issue with Moscow. Read more
Body of British tourist missing in Ibiza found floating in sea (Metro)
A tourist missing in Ibiza has been found dead in the sea, it has been reported. Johny Doherty, 28, vanished from a rented villa near Cap Martinet, in Santa Eulalia, between the hours of 6am and 10am on Monday morning. He had been celebrating a friend’s birthday and was only reported missing when they realised his bed had not been slept in. Read more
- Kelly pleads not guilty to 11 new sex crime charges (Punch)
RnB star, R. Kelly, pleaded not guilty on Thursday in a Chicago courtroom to 11 new felony sex crime charges. The charges were a refiling of one of the four cases of alleged abuse that prosecutors lodged against the singer earlier this year. A grand jury last week increased the felony counts against the 52-year-old and upgraded some of the charges. He now faces five felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault. Read more
Madonna says Weinstein ‘crossed boundaries’ (BBC)
Madonna is the latest star to accuse disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of making unwanted sexual advances. Hollywood was rocked last year by allegations of sexual assault made against Weinstein, which he denies. The singer said Weinstein “crossed lines and boundaries”, when they worked on her 1991 documentary, Truth or Dare. Read more
Real Madrid agree to sign Chelsea’s Hazard (Punch)
Real Madrid have agreed a blockbuster deal to sign Chelsea winger Eden Hazard for a fee of up to £130 million ($165 million), according to British media reports on Thursday. Hazard is Real’s top transfer target as the Spanish club rebuild after a dismal season and the Belgium star appears set to complete his move to the Bernabeu in the next few days. A Daily Telegraph report said Real and Chelsea came to an agreement over the terms of the deal on Thursday after several days of negotiations. Read more
French Open 2019: Simona Halep loses to unseeded teenager Amanda Anisimova (BBC)
American teenager Amanda Anisimova reached the semi-finals of the French Open with a straight-set win over defending champion Simona Halep. Romanian third seed Halep, 27, lost 6-2 6-4 to the unseeded 17-year-old. Anisimova had never won a match at Roland Garros before this year but is yet to drop a set on the way to her first Grand Slam semi-final. Read more
Alvaro Morata slams Maurizio Sarri over broken promises at Chelsea
Alvaro Morata has hit out at his former manager Maurizio Sarri by suggesting that the Italian made empty promises to him and forced him to train alone during his time at Stamford Bridge. The 26-year-old started last season as Sarri’s first-choice striker but after struggling in front of goal he was allowed to join Atletico Madrid on an 18-month loan deal in January, following Gonzalo Higuain’s arrival from Juventus. Read more
Neymar rape accuser filmed hitting footballer in hotel day after ‘attack’ (Metro)
A model who has accused footballer Neymar of rape has been filmed lashing out at him in a hotel room one day after the alleged attack. Najila Trindade, 26, who revealed her identity this week, is seen in the mobile footage – shown on Brazilian station Record TV – lying on a bed with the Brazilian athlete laughing, before she suddenly begins to slap him in a Paris hotel room. As Neymar, 27, puts his foot up towards her face to defend himself, it is believed he says: ‘No, no, no, no, no, don’t hit me’. Read more
Tammy Abraham drops hint over his Chelsea future following successful Aston Villa loan (Metro)
Tammy Abraham has hinted that he could be playing his football at Chelsea next season after appearing to bid farewell to Aston Villa in a social media post. The 21-year-old was one of the standout stars behind Villa’s promotion from the Championship, scoring 26 goals and providing three assists in 40 games during a season-long loan from Chelsea. Only Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki scored more goals in the Championship last season than Abraham with 29 and the Villains are keen on securing his services again in the Premier League. Read more
Portugal’s Pepe out of Nations League final (Punch)
Portugal will be without veteran centre-back Pepe as they aim to lift the first ever Nations League title on home soil on Sunday. The Porto defender fractured a shoulder blade as Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick secured a 3-1 semi-final win over Switzerland on Wednesday. Portugal will face England or the Netherlands in the final. Read more
US billionaire Commisso buys Italian club Fiorentina (Guardian)
Italian-American media magnate Rocco Commisso on Thursday completed the purchase of Serie A team Fiorentina, the Italian club announced. Reported to be worth in the region of 170 million euros ($190 million), the deal brings an end to the 17-year ownership of the Della Valle family. The 69-year-old Commisso is chairman of cable television provider Mediacom group and owns New York Cosmos soccer club. Read more
Alexander Zverev hails Novak Djokovic for great sportsmanship in French Open quarter-finals (Metro)
Alexander Zverev was ultimately well beaten in his French Open quarter-final against Novak Djokovic, but he was full of praise for the world No. 1 after the match. After two hours and nine minutes, the German world No. 5 went down 7-5 6-2 6-2 to the top seeded Serb, with the match turned on its head when the 22-year-old failed to serve out the first set. From that point onwards, it was one-way traffic with Djokovic operating at a supremely high level as he continued his flawless run on the clay courts of Paris without dropping a set. Read more
Tyson Fury brands Anthony Joshua a disgrace after defeat to Andy Ruiz (Metro)
Tyson Fury launched an incredible attack on Joshua, branding the beaten champion a disgrace after his defeat to Andy Ruiz. Joshua will rematch Ruiz at the end of the year after suffering a humiliating loss to the new champion at Madison Square Garden last weekend. Fury initially issued a heartfelt message of support for Joshua, but has now opened fire on his rival. Read more
