Atiku demands public apology from Presidential aide over alleged defamation (Guardian)
Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has asked Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Muhammadu Buhari to issue him a public apology over what he called her defamatory statements. Abubakar made the request in a letter dated May 14 and addressed to Onochie by his counsel, Mr Mike Ozekhome, SAN. In the letter, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, Abubakar threatened to institute a 2 billion Naira suit against Onochie if she did not meet his demands. Read more
Allow private sector function as engine of economic development – OBJ tells govt. (Nation)
Former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has charged government at all levels in the country to see the private sector as the engine for economic development. Chief Obasanjo, who gave the charge over the weekend in Oleh, the headquarters of Isoko South council area of Delta state, while commissioning a new hotel facility; Dantinajo Gold Resort, said the industrial mindset of the owners of the hotel was an example of mobilizing resources for national development. Read more
NHRC, Abuja agencies agree on suspending nightclub raids (Punch)
The National Human Rights Commission said on Sunday that it had reached a resolution with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board and other agencies of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to suspend the raids of nightclubs and other leisure places in Abuja. The Director Corporate Affairs and External Linkages of the NHRC, Lambert Oparah, said in a statement that the resolution was reached at a meeting between the representatives of the NHRC, the AEPB and civil society organisations. Read more
Police kill suspected kidnapper of UBEC Chairman (Guardian)
The Police on Sunday said they had killed the suspected mastermind of the kidnap of the Board Chairman, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and his daughter. Muhammed Mahmood and his daughter were kidnapped on April 29 around Katari Village, along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway and later released. Force Spokesman, Frank Mba, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said in a statement in Abuja that the suspect was killed on Saturday during a shootout with operatives attached to “Operation Puff Adder”. Read more
We’re still searching for Ajegunle killer cop –Police (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has said it is still searching for a policeman, Inspector Dania Ojo, who allegedly shot dead a 20-year-old lady, Ada Ifeanyi, in the Ajegunle area of the state a few weeks ago. Dania, on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 7am, reportedly shot at Ada and her beau, 32-year-old Emmanuel Akomafuwa, who survived but with gunshot injuries. The command subsequently arrested five policemen (Inspector Adamu Usman, Sergeant Adeyeye Adeoye, Sergeant Kashim Tijani, Sergeant Lucky Akigbe and Sergeant Paul Adeoye) in connection with the killing. Read more
NNPC to inaugurate largest LPG storage in Benin (Guardian)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) says it will unveil the largest Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) also known as cooking gas and Propane Storage and dispensing facility in Oredo, Benin City. The Corporation disclosed this in a statement by its spokesman, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, in Abuja on Sunday. He said the corporation with its subsidiary the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NPDC) would unveil the facility as part of its efforts to fasttrack the consumption of LPG in the country. Read more
Police demolish kidnapper’s den in Akwa Ibom (Nation)
Akwa Ibom State Police Command has demolished a building inside of a forest where kidnappers hid their victims while waiting for ransom to be paid. The building was located in a forest area of Ekpri-Nsukara offot, a community in Uyo local government area of Akwa Ibom. The building which was fenced round, housed 5 bedrooms including toilet close to river. The demolition occurred following the rescue of a kidnapped expatriate (foreign national), Mr Gassan Naser, a staff of Zenith Construction company, who was abducted on 30th April 2019 at work cite in Mbiaya Uruan. Read more
Uniuyo student drowns in hotel swimming pool in Akwa Ibom (Nation)
A 100 level political science/public administration student of the University of Uyo, Kingsley Etim has drowned in a hotel swimming pool. The incident occurred at about 9pm on Saturday at De Vegas Paradise hotel during a pool party. An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the deceased was found when one of his colleagues spotted someone in the pool when others have left the water for other recreations. Read more
Gunmen kill 19 at fish market in northeast DR Congo (Guardian)
At least 19 people were killed when gunmen attacked a fish market in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo near Lake Albert, local officials said on Sunday. No group has claimed responsibility, but the region around Ituri province has been hit in the past by inter-communal violence between militias from the Hema and Lendu communities. “Nineteen corpses were found in the village of Tara on the edge of Lake Albert, and eight others were wounded,” said Pilo Mulindo, a local community leader in Djugu territory. Read more
Blast hits Egypt tourist bus, 17 injured (Guardian)
An explosion struck a tourist bus on Sunday near Egypt’s famed pyramids, injuring 17 people including foreigners, security and medical sources said. South Africans and Egyptians were among those injured when an explosive device went off, hitting the bus in Giza, according to the sources. No deaths were reported. Images circulating online showed some of the bus’ windows shattered. Read more
India election 2019: Exit polls suggest Narendra Modi back as PM (BBC)
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on course to win the general election, exit polls suggest. The BJP and the main opposition Congress party battled it out with powerful regional rivals in a bruising campaign over seven phases of polling. Results will be announced on 23 May. Analysts warn exit polls have often been wrong in the past. Read more
Switzerland gun control: Voters back EU regulations (BBC)
Voters in Switzerland have backed a tightening of gun laws to conform with European Union regulations. Almost 64% of voters in Sunday’s referendum supported tougher restrictions on semi-automatic and automatic weapons, final results show. Switzerland is not an EU member, but risked removal from the open-border Schengen Area if it had voted “no”. Read more
Boy arrested over ‘attempted rape of teenager leaving nightclub’ (Metro)
A boy has been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape after a teenager was allegedly attacked after leaving a nightclub. The 16-year-old was detained after an 18-year-old woman was allegedly attacked by a man in Frederick Place, Weymouth, in the early hours of Saturday. Dorset Police said the girl had earlier left Actors Club in Maiden Street. Read more
Saudi Arabia imposed tax on e-cigarettes, soft drinks (Guardian)
Saudi Arabia has imposed a special tax on electronic cigarettes and sugary drinks, extending similar taxes introduced in 2017 as it seeks to reduce a budget deficit caused by low oil prices. The General Authority of Zakat and Tax said a 100 per cent tax would be levied on electronic cigarettes and products used in them, and a 50 per cent tax on sugared drinks. Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy, already had a 100 per cent tax on cigarettes and tobacco products, a 100 per cent tax on energy drinks and a 50 per cent one on fizzy drinks. Read more
On-stage Stonebwoy-Shatta Wale brawl disrupts Ghana music awards (BBC)
An on-stage fight broke out at a major music awards show in Ghana after one of the country’s biggest artists went to collect a prize. Stonebwoy had just been awarded dancehall reggae artist of the year when his musical rival, Shatta Wale, and his entourage mounted the stage. Video footage of the brawl appears to show Stonebwoy holding a gun. The two men have huge followings who regularly exchange insults over who is the best artist. Read more
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas continue the newly-wedded bliss at Vanity Fair Cannes party (Metro)
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas may have had multiple wedding ceremonies already but that has not stopped them from revisiting the theme at the 72nd annual Cannes Films Festival. The newlyweds, who tied the knot late last year, took inspiration from their lavish big day as they took to the Vanity Fair party dripping in sauce – not literally, of course. Read more
FIFA U-20 World Cup: Flying Eagles arrive in Poland (Guardian)
Nigeria’s national under-20 male football team, the Flying Eagles, on Sunday arrived in Poland for this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup which begins on Thursday. They arrived in the southern Polish city of Katowice after rounding off a three-week residential training at Bad Gogging on the outskirts of Munich in Germany on Saturday. Ademola Olajire, the Director of Communications, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the team flew out of Germany via Munich on Sunday morning. Read more
Expect tough AFCON, Appiah tells players (Nation)
Former Ghanaian midfielder, Stephen Appiah, has advised participating teams and players to prepare well for the African Cup of Nigeria holding from June in Egypt. He said only good teams will do well in the apex football competition in the continent. Appiah, who was part of the Black Stars team to the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, said in an interview over the weekend at the Agege Stadium, Lagos that he wishes all the teams operate at their the best because it is not going to be easy to win. Read more
Bale bows out on bench as Madrid blow season finale (Guardian)
Real Madrid delivered a suitably dreadful end to their miserable season, and Gareth Bale was not even given the chance to say a likely goodbye, as Zinedine Zidane’s side were beaten 2-0 at home to Real Betis on Sunday. Zidane had indicated this could be Bale’s final game ahead of an expected summer departure but the Welshman was left on the bench, made to watch on as three substitutes came on ahead of him at the Santiago Bernabeu. None were able to revive another dreary and disjointed Madrid performance, which concluded both the season and first phase of Zidane’s much-hailed return as coach. Read more
Messi scores twice but Barcelona held (BBC)
Lionel Messi scored two goals in two minutes but champions Barcelona had to settle for a draw against an impressive Eibar side in the final La Liga match of the season. Marc Cucurella, on loan from Barcelona, grabbed the home side’s opener when his low shot beat Jasper Cillessen. Messi fired in the equaliser from a tight angle before he clipped his second past Marco Dmitrovic. Read more
Pliskova sweeps past Konta to win Italian Open (Guardian)
Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova swept past Britain’s Johanna Konta 6-3, 6-4 to win the WTA Italian Open on Sunday. Pliskova, the 2017 French Open semi-finalist, clinched her 13th career title, in the final major warm-up tournament on clay before Roland Garros starts on May 26. A break in each set was enough for former world number one Pliskova to get past Konta, sealing victory on her third match point after 85 minutes on court. Read more
Dutee Chand becomes first openly gay Indian athlete (BBC)
Indian sprinter Dutee Chand has revealed she is in a same-sex relationship, the first sportsperson in India to openly acknowledge being gay. The 23-year-old athlete says she has been seeing her partner, who comes from her village, for five years. Chand says the Indian Supreme Court’s historic decision to descriminalise gay sex in 2018 encouraged her to speak publicly about her sexuality. Read more