Ataga: Police say more suspects have been arrested (Guardian)
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, on Wednesday, said more suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of the chief executive officer of Super TV Usifo Ataga.
Odumosu, during a parade of suspects at the police command in Ikeja, said the police have established a case of conspiracy and murder and more suspects have been arrested.
The commissioner did not disclose who the suspects are or how many of them have been arrested. He said the investigation is ongoing in the matter.
21-year- old Chidinma Ojukwu had been arrested in connection to the murder of Ataga. Ojukwu told newsmen in Lagos that she stabbed Ataga to death in self-defence. Read more
My nickname is ‘king of madness’ but I’m innocent – Heavily tattoed artiste arrested by Lagos police (Punch)
A young man who identified himself as King of Madness has been arrested and paraded by the Lagos State Police Command.
Speaking to The PUNCH during the parade, the young man stated that landing at the police command is something he finds hard to believe.
He said he was arrested after some policemen stopped the Uber ride he had boarded on his way to a show at Lekki around 10.45 pm.
When asked why he was brought to the command, King of Madness said, “I still don’t know. Read more
Sanwo-Olu mourns as Lagos APC treasurer dies (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has expressed sadness over the death of the Treasurer of Caretaker Committee of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, Sumbo Ajose.
Ajose died on Tuesday, July 13 2021, in the United States, where she was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
She died at the age of 55.
The governor described the late party treasurer as a “trustworthy, committed, extremely loyal politician and an invaluable asset to Lagos APC”.
This was contained in a statement titled, ‘Sanwo-Olu Mourns Lagos APC Treasurer, Sumbo Ajose’ which was signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile. Read more
EFCC launches ‘Eagle Eye’ App to ease financial crimes reporting, says Bawa (Guardian)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday launched a computer application known as Eagle Eye, to ease the reporting of economic and financial crimes to the commission.
The application was designed to complement existing channels of reporting crimes, according to the Chairman of the commission, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Bawa said a unique advantage of the application was the elimination of direct person-to-person interface in the reporting process, thereby guaranteeing anonymity and “an added incentive for effective whistle blowing”.
“For us at the EFCC, this event is unique in several ways. It’s the first of its kind by any law enforcement agency in the country. Read more
2 soldiers die as troops repel ESN attack on military location in Enugu (Tribune)
The High Command of the Nigerian Army said that the troops deployed to checkmate the activities of gunmen at Adani community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State on Tuesday repelled the Eastern Security Network (ESN) gun attack on the troops’ location at Iggah/Asaba checkpoint.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.
He regretted that during the gunfight, two soldiers paid the supreme price while the bandits escaped with serious gun wounds.
According to him, “Troops are currently on the trail of the criminals. We assure the general public of our commitment to provide adequate security in the general area in collaboration with other security agencies. Read more
Royal father kidnapped in Kogi State (DailyTrust)
A first-class traditional ruler in Kogi State, the Adogu of Eganyi in Ajaokuta Local Government Area, Alhaji Mohammed Adembe, has been kidnapped.
He was kidnapped last Tuesday evening by yet to be identified abductors along Okene–Adogo road.
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The kidnapping of the royal father is coming barely three days after the kidnap of Pharmacist AbdulAzeez Obajimoh, the Managing Director of AZECO Pharmaceutical company at Ozuwaya in Okene, Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The abduction of the Pharmacist in the broad daylight was resisted by the youth of the community in which one Habeeb Anda paid the supreme price while two others were injured by the kidnappers.
A source, who spoke to journalists on phone, said the royal father was alone in his car on his way to Eganyi community from Okene around 4 pm but was abducted between Ebiya and Eganyi by the gunmen. Read more
Alcohol responsible for over 740,000 cancer cases in 2020 -Study (Punch)
A recent study has shown that over 740,000 global cancer cases in 2020 were caused by alcohol consumption.
The study titled, “Global burden of cancer in 2020 attributable to alcohol consumption: a population-based study”, was published in The Lancet Oncology on Tuesday.
According to the study, the intake of alcohol has been linked to different kinds of cancers and in 2020, an estimated 741,300 or 4·1% of all new cases of cancer were attributable to alcohol consumption, with males accounting for 568,700 of these cases.
The study also gave a breakdown of the kinds of cancers attributable to alcohol: 189,700 cases were accounted for cancers of the oesophagus, cancer of the liver had 154,700 cases and breast cancer had 98,300 cases. Read more
Police not aware of killing, eating of 5 farmers corpses in Ebonyi –PPRO (Guardian)
The Police Command in Ebonyi on Wednesday said it was not aware of the killing and eating of five bodies of cassava harvesters in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that several media have on Wednesday reported that no fewer than five indigenes of Ali Ugwelu village, in Ekoli-Edda community, Afikpo South Local Government Area of the state were killed by assailants on Monday.
The reports added that the assailants, who were from Cross Rivers State allegedly attacked, killed and ate up the five lifeless bodies in their farmland.
Reacting to the development, DSP Loveth Odah, Spokesperson of Police Command in Ebonyi said the command was not aware of the incident. Read more
Supreme Court stops FG from ceding 17 oil wells to Imo (Tribune)
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted an order of injunction stopping the federal government and its agencies from ceding 17 disputed oil wells located at Akri and Mbede to Imo State.
The order of injunction was granted to stop an alleged implementation of the ceding of the 17 oil wells to Imo state pending the determination of a suit brought before the apex court by the Rivers state government.
In a chamber ruling by the Supreme Court in an ex-parte application argued by Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), the apex court restrained the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and the Attorney General of Imo state from taking any further action on the ownership of the disputed 17 oil wells till the ownership disputes surrounding them are resolved by the court. Read more
Gun resembling Lego toy sparks backlash in US (BBC)
A US gun company is facing a backlash for producing a pistol that looks like a children’s toy made of Lego.
Culper Precision said its customised Glock weapon, named Block19, was developed to “highlight the pure enjoyment of the shooting sports”.
But Danish toymaker Lego has written to the company demanding that it stop producing the weapon, which is covered in what looks like Lego bricks.
Gun control campaigners described the pistol as irresponsible and dangerous. Read more
Fears of food and fuel shortages as unrest rocks South Africa (AlJazeera)
Violence and looting has raged in South Africa for the sixth day running, stoking fears of food and fuel shortages as disruption to farming, manufacturing and oil refining began to bite amid the country’s worst unrest in decades.
More than 70 people have died as grievances over the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma have widened into an outpouring of anger over the inequality that remains 27 years after the end of apartheid.
Poverty has been exacerbated by severe social and economic restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
More than 1,200 people have been arrested in the lawlessness that has raged in poor areas of two provinces, where a community radio station was ransacked and forced off the air on Tuesday and some COVID-19 vaccination centres were closed, disrupting urgently needed inoculations. Read more
Rouhani says Iran can enrich uranium to 90%, equivalent to weapons-grade (RT)
Iran’s president has said his country has the capacity, if authorities there deem it necessary, to enrich uranium up to 90%, nearly 25 times greater than the level stipulated in the JCPOA ‘Iran Nuclear Deal.’
Speaking on Wednesday while addressing a cabinet meeting, President Hassan Rouhani said the authorities were exploring the possibilities of their nuclear technology as they were no longer bound by the constraints of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) deal, known as the Iran nuclear deal.
“The AEOI (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran) can enrich uranium by 20% and 60% and, if one day our reactor needs it, it can produce 90% uranium,” Rouhani was quoted as saying by the semi-official Mehr News Agency, adding that Western powers had tried to shut down its Fordow nuclear site but now its facilities were stronger than ever.
The 90% figure quoted by Rouhani will be particularly concerning, as the concentration is considered the minimum benchmark for the production of nuclear weapons. Uranium enrichment beyond even 20% is considered to have few civilian applications. Read more
Afghanistan: Taliban flag raised above border crossing with Pakistan (BBC)
The Taliban are reported to have raised their flag above a key border post between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and claim it is now under their control.
Videos being shared on social media show the white flag fluttering above the Spin Boldak crossing near Kandahar.
Afghan officials have denied the post has fallen, although pictures on social media show the militants chatting to Pakistani border guards.
The BBC has been told the Taliban took the border crossing with no resistance. Read more
Lightning strikes George Floyd mural in Ohio, reducing it to pile of bricks, witnesses tell authorities (RT)
A brick wall adorned with an image of George Floyd has been reduced to rubble in Toledo, Ohio. While some suspected it may have been vandalized, authorities say witness reports suggest the damage was caused by a storm.
The mural of Floyd, titled ‘Take A Breath’, was destroyed on Tuesday, local media reported. It was painted last year on a building that used to house a bar, during protests by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The artist, David Ross, claims he was criticized for the initiative at the time and even received threats, according to local media.
Based on images posted on social media, other murals surrounding the disintegrated image of Floyd’s face were left almost unscathed. Police secured the scene while the owner of the building cleaned up the painted bricks and worked on tearing down the rest of the wall.
A local building inspector initially said the wall might have collapsed because of old age. “It was just age. It just came away. It happens to the older buildings,” he said, as quoted by Toledo’s The Blade publication. However, the inspector added that the building itself was structurally sound, local ABC-affiliate WTVG reported. Read more
Country singer Ashley Monroe diagnosed with rare blood cancer (PageSix)
Country singer Ashley Monroe has been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer.
The Pistol Annies member, 34, announced in an emotional Instagram post Tuesday that she has Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia and will start chemotherapy treatments Wednesday.
“A few months ago my dr. was doing some routine lab work and found that I was anemic,” she wrote. “I was like, FINE, I’ll just double up on cheeseburger patties , take some extra vitamins and call it a day. Well my red blood count just kept falling, and they found out my iron /b12/ folic acid numbers were actually fine. short story long, they did a bone marrow biopsy, (ouch) , and VOILA.. a rare kind of blood c word called ‘waldenstrom macroglobulinemia’ It’s causing my body to be pretty severely anemic, and I feel it.” Read more
EU unveils sweeping climate change plan (BBC)
The European Union has announced a raft of climate change legislation aimed at pushing it towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
A dozen draft proposals, which still need to be approved by the bloc’s 27 member states and the EU parliament, were announced on Wednesday.
They include plans to tax jet fuel and effectively ban the sale of petrol and diesel powered cars within 20 years.
The proposals, however, are likely to face months of negotiations. Read more
Refugee Olympic Team trains ahead of Tokyo 2020 (AlJazeera)
Full of enthusiasm, passion and excitement, the Refugee Olympic Team has been training hard in the Qatari capital of Doha in preparation for Tokyo 2020.
The 29-member squad, which will compete across 12 sports at Tokyo 2020, will become the second of its kind to take part in the Olympics after its debut at Rio 2016.
In 2016, after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board approved the team’s creation, 10 athletes were selected to take part in the 2016 Olympic Games.
All athletes who were considered had received United Nations refugee status.
A refugee, according to the UNHCR, is “someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence”. Read more
Viral video sparks conspiracy theory on when Conor McGregor broke his leg at UFC 264 (NYPost)
A fan theory has sparked a debate questioning when Conor McGregor’s leg break occurred, which led to his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
It was originally believed the Irish MMA star lost the fight when he stepped back to dodge a punch and dislocated his tibia. However, a viral video points to a moment 20 seconds into the fight in which Poirier points down at McGregor’s leg after a kick, seemingly signaling the injury.
After the point by Poirier, McGregor went on to fight four more minutes. He lasted until a doctor’s stoppage after the first round when he stepped back awkwardly and was bound to the floor before being carried off by a stretcher.
Social media sleuths have become enamored by the video because Poirier, in a post-fight press conference, noted that he believed McGregor broke his leg early on in the bout. Read more
Wimbledon: 2 matches investigated over irregular betting patterns (BBC)
Two matches at Wimbledon this year are under investigation after “possible irregular betting patterns”.
The matches, which were reported to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), are an early-round singles match and a men’s doubles contest.
On the singles match, a five-figure sum was bet at the end of the second set on the exact result.
During the doubles match, a winning bet was placed as the favourites, who eventually lost, took the first set. Read more
Harry Maguire reveals his father was injured in Wembley ‘stampede’ (RT)
Harry Maguire, who was one of England’s successful penalty takers in Sunday’s Euro 2020 final against Italy, says that his father suffered injuries to his ribs when he was caught up in the chaotic scenes at Wembley.
Maguire’s father is thought to have suffered broken ribs in the melee which marred last weekend’s showpiece event in the English capital, during which hundreds of ticketless England supporters attempted to gain entry to the stadium, leading to scenes of violence and open drug-taking in and around Wembley.
The Manchester United skipper says that his father was left struggling to breathe following the violence, with Maguire adding that the situation was “scary” and indicating that his family will be “more careful” when attending games in the future.
“My dad was in the stampede,” Maguire told English tabloid The Sun. “I have not spoken with him too much but I am pleased my kids didn’t go to the game. It was scary – he said he was scared and I don’t want anyone to experience that at a football match. Read more
Luca Vildoza living out ‘dream’ with Knicks (NYPost)
New Knicks point guard Luca Vildoza said it’s his “dream,’’ and he wasn’t talking about playing in the Olympics.
After Argentina’s rough 108-80 exhibition loss to Team USA on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Vildoza talked for the first time about signing with the Knicks for the 2021-22 season.
Vildoza scored just nine points Tuesday, going 3-for-8 (3-for-6 from 3-point range). Vildoza had some moments against the Americans, but not enough.
“I’m really happy to be part of the historic team,’’ Vildoza said on Zoom when asked by The Post about signing with the Knicks and playing for coach Tom Thibodeau. “I’ve been saying this for the last two months. For me, it’s a dream since I was a child, I was dreaming of this day. When I got there, coach was there. I’ve been talking to him — one of the best coaches in the league. It’s so special. This is my chance to get here and get through to my dream.’’ Read more
Online racists to be banned from football matches, vows Boris Johnson (BBC)
Boris Johnson has promised to ban people guilty of sending racist abuse to footballers from attending matches.
The prime minister said he would ensure the “football banning order regime is changed” to crack down on racism.
Labour has been calling for the law to be changed after England players were subject to abuse.But Sir Keir Starmer said the PM’s promise to take action “rings hollow” after his previous refusal to condemn fans who booed players taking the knee. Read more