Buhari government unworthy of June 12 celebration, says Atiku (Guardian)
The presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar Wednesday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is unworthy of celebrating June 12 as Nigeria’s Democracy Day. “It is not enough to declare June 12 a Democracy Day when the government of the day is disrespectful of the rule of law and wantonly disregards court orders on issues that border on fundamental human rights,” Atiku said in his Democracy Day message. Atiku, who was Nigeria’s vice president from 1999 till 2011, said, the Buhari government failed to deliver the change it promised Nigerians in his first tenure as president. Read more
Nigeria won’t know peace until MKO Abiola killers are prosecuted – Fani-Kayode (Guardian)
Former Nigeria Aviation Minister and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Femi Fani-Kayode Wednesday called for the death penalty for murderers of the Chief Moshood Abiola. Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election died while in prison when General Abdulsalami Abubakar took over after Abacha’s death. He was imprisoned by the Abacha military government for refusing to renounce his mandate as the elected President of Nigeria. Read more
June 12: Best way to celebrate is upgrade citizens’ living standard —Bauchi governor (Punch)
Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state said on Wednesday that the best way his administration would celebrate Democracy Day is to upgrade the living standard of citizens of the state. Mohammed stated this in Bauchi in a message to the people to commemorate 2019 Democracy day in the state. According to him, it will be done through the provision of critical infrastructure, ensuring sound education, stimulating agricultural growth and qualitative healthcare for Bauchi state citizens. Read more
PDP members who sued Adeleke expelled by party (Guardian)
Nigeria’s opposition People Democratic Party has ordered the expulsion of five of its members in Osun State. Bola Ajao, the party’s state spokesman, said Awosiyan Olalekan Kingsley, Ojetade Thomas, Awodire Sina Peter, Olatunji Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwasegun Idowu, were suspended for insubordination and gross anti-party activities. “The Osun State PDP Executive Committee hereby formally adopt the recommendation that the following affected members be EXPELLED from the party for their insubordination and gross anti-party activities,” Ajao said in the expulsion statement. Read more
DSS arrest three activists, stop June 12 rally at Agodi (Punch)
Operatives of the Department of the State Security Service on Wednesday stopped a rally of the Yoruba Summit Group scheduled to hold at Agodi, Ibadan, Oyo State. The group, an amalgamation of all sociocultural and self-determination groups in Yorubaland, had converged to discuss insecurity in the South West. The security operatives in about five buses and clad in black uniforms had arrived around 7:00 a.m. and cordoned off the area. Read more
Herdsman allegedly beheads wife in Ekiti (Punch)
The police have confirmed the alleged beheading of a lady in Ilasa Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday, by a herdsman believed to be the deceased’s husband. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Caleb Ikechukwu who confirmed the killing, said the suspect had been arrested while investigations into the incident had commenced. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that tragedy struck when the young herdsman (name withheld) allegedly cut off the head of the lady at a stream in Ilasa Ekiti. Read more
Air Force combat helicopter crash-lands in Katsina (Guardian)
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says its helicopter crashed in the process of landing while returning from an anti-banditry combat mission in the Northwest Theatre under Operation HADARAN DAJI. A statement on Wednesday in Abuja by NAF’s spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said that details of the cause of the incident, which occurred at the Katsina Airport at about 3.30pm, were still scanty. “However, there was no loss of life, either of persons on board the helicopter or on the ground,” he said. Read more
Army arrests three with pistol, ammunition in Taraba (Punch
The personnel of the 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army Ada Barracks Takum on Wednesday arrested three persons with a pistol and some ammunition near Rafinkada in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State. Caretaker Chairman of Wukari LGA, Hon. Daniel Adi confirmed this development in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Jalingo. Adi said the youth were coming towards Rafinkada when men of the Nigerian Army Ada Barracks Takum ran into them and arrested three in possession of a pistol and some ammunition. Read more
South African president under investigation over graft allegations (Guardian)
The South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is under investigation by the country’s anti-corruption watchdog over a 500,000 rand ($35,000) donation to his campaign fund from a company facing extensive graft allegations, the presidency said Wednesday. Ramaphosa, who was re-elected last month, has staked his reputation on fighting corruption in a nation smarting from the graft scandal-tainted tenure of his predecessor Jacob Zuma. But his party has continued to face wide-ranging corruption claims against senior figures and even the president himself. Read more
Shops reopen as Sudan protesters agree to talks with generals (Guardian)
Shops and restaurants began to reopen in Sudan’s capital Wednesday after demonstrators called off a nationwide civil disobedience campaign and agreed to new talks, though many residents remained indoors after last week’s deadly crackdown. The apparent breakthrough in the standoff between the military rulers who toppled veteran leader Omar al-Bashir and protesters demanding civilian rule followed mediation led by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Read more
MPs reject Labour plan for no-deal vote (BBC)
MPs have rejected an effort by Labour and Tory rebels to take control of Parliament’s timetable, blocking the latest attempt to stop no-deal Brexit. The Commons opposed the move by 309 votes to 298. If passed, it would have given opponents of a no-deal Brexit the chance to table legislation to thwart the UK leaving without any agreement on the 31 October deadline. Read more
Trump says he received a ‘beautiful letter’ from North Korea’s Kim (Guardian)
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has received another “beautiful letter” from Kim Jong Un and expressed openness to holding a third summit with the North Korean leader. Indicating that he continues to trust Kim, despite making little progress in efforts to get Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons, Trump said the North Korean strongman “has kept his word.” “That’s very important to me,” he said at the White House. Read more
Yemen war: Houthi missile attack on Saudi airport ‘injures 26’ (BBC)
At least 26 civilians have been injured in a missile attack by Yemen’s rebel Houthi movement on an airport in south-west Saudi Arabia, the military says. Three women and two children were among those hurt when the arrivals hall at Abha airport was hit early on Wednesday, according to a statement. The rebels said they had launched a cruise missile at the facility. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of Arab states backing Yemen’s government in its four-year war with the Houthis. Read more
Donald Trump Jr meets with US senators for fresh grilling (Guardian)
Donald Trump Jr returned to Congress Wednesday to face questions likely to focus on his contacts with Russians, as the president’s eldest son insisted he has “nothing to correct” from his 2017 testimony. The 41-year-old will testify behind a closed door for up to four hours before members of the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of the Republican-led panel’s two-year investigation of Russia’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election. Read more
South Korean president calls for new Trump-Kim meeting (Guardian)
South Korean President Moon Jae-in called Wednesday for US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to meet soon, saying a prolonged impasse could weaken their willingness to pursue dialogue on the Korean peninsula. During a visit to Oslo, Moon said it was “desirable that Chairman Kim and President Trump meet in the near future”. “If the period of no dialogue is prolonged, then the passion for dialogue could subside,” he said, on the one-year anniversary of the pair’s historic meeting in Singapore. Read more
Ivan Golunov case: Hundreds arrested at Moscow protest (BBC)
Hundreds of people have been detained at a Moscow rally demanding punishment for police who detained an anti-corruption journalist. Officers in riot gear clashed with protesters during the unauthorised march in support of Ivan Golunov. Among those detained at the rally were fellow journalists as well as opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Read more
Boy watched sister, 2, drown then said: ‘Daddy held sissy under water and when she came up she was dead’ (Metro)
A boy allegedly saw his stepfather drown his sister, then told police: ‘Daddy held sissy under water and when she came up she was dead.’ The youngster made the harrowing statement after being interviewed by police about the death of two year-old Kennley Bramlett at their home in Benton, Missouri, on Saturday. He also told how his father ‘hurts him, his sister and brother,’ it is claimed. Read more
Four passengers die in ‘unbearable’ heat on train (Punch)
Four people died in ‘unbearable’ heat while travelling by train in northern India, which has been in the grip of a heatwave for two weeks, officials and passengers said Tuesday. The four died Monday while travelling from Agra — the city of the Taj Mahal — to Coimbatore in the country’s south. “Heat seems to be a factor,” Indian Railways spokesman Ajit Kumar Singh told AFP, “it is really unfortunate”. Read more
Miley Cyrus apologises for comments trashing hip hop as she admits she ‘still has a lot to learn’ (Metro)
Miley Cyrus has apologised for comments she made about the hip hop scene two years ago, where she dismissed it while still saying she liked Kendrick Lamar song, Humble. The Wrecking Ball singer commented on a Youtube video in which a fan questioned what she said to Billboard about the music genre in May 2017. Youtuber Kenya Wilson uploaded a video on 31 May called Miley Cyrus Is My Problematic Fave…Sorry in which she addressed what the singer had said two years ago. Read more
Aina completes permanent transfer to Torino from Chelsea (Punch)
English Premier League clubside Chelsea say Nigeria defender Ola Aina has joined Serie A side AS Torino on a permanent deal. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Aina spent last season on loan at Torino and made a huge impression at the club. His performance prompted the Italian club to trigger a buyout option in their loan agreement. Read more
Man Utd complete signing of Wales winger Daniel James (Punch)
Manchester United have tied up the signing of Daniel James from Swansea, both clubs announced on Wednesday, with the 21-year-old Wales winger becoming manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing at Old Trafford. James has signed a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year. Reports said the initial fee was about £15 million ($19 million). Read more
Ryan Giggs claims Manchester United signing Daniel James is quickest player he’s ever seen (Metro)
Ryan Giggs has claimed that Manchester United new boy Daniel James is the quickest player he’s seen in his entire playing and managerial career. James became the first signing of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign on Wednesday after United agreed an £18million fee with Swansea for the 21-year-old winger. The youngster joins United on the back of an exceptional breakthrough season at the Liberty Stadium in which he terrorised Championship defenders with his electrifying pace while notching up four goals and seven assists across the campaign. Read more
Aston Villa sign Anwar El Ghazi on permanent deal (Guardian)
Newly promoted Aston Villa announced on Monday they had completed the signing of Netherlands international Anwar El Ghazi on a permanent deal from French club Lille. The 24-year-old midfielder has agreed on a four-year contract, having spent last season on loan at Villa Park. El Ghazi starred in the Championship play-off final win against Derby last month, scoring the opening goal in the 2-1 victory that clinched Villa’s return to the Premier League. Read more
Anthony Joshua is ‘finished’ says Tyson Fury (Guardian)
Tyson Fury believes former world champion Anthony Joshua is “finished” after the British heavyweight’s shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in New York. Joshua lost his IBF, WBA and WBO titles on June 1 in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the division. After the fight, Fury sent a message on Twitter that urged his fellow Briton to “rest up, recover, regroup and come again”. Read more