Burna Boy flees, Police escorts arrested for shooting fun-seekers at nightclub (Leadership)
Five police escorts attached to top music artiste, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, have been arrested for attempted murder after they shot two fun-seekers, Irebami Lawrence and Tolu, at Club Cubana in Lagos last Wednesday.
According to a preliminary police report by the Bar Beach Police Division in Lagos State, trouble started around 4am on June 8, 2022 when the musician and the five police escorts visited Club Cubana in Victoria Island.
Four of the police escort waited outside while one of the policemen identified as Inspector Ibrahim, who was plain clothed, accompanied Burna Boy into the club.
According to reports, the singer was in the VIP section with three women when he spotted another woman. The Grammy Award-winning artiste allegedly told Inspector Ibrahim to invite the woman to come join him. Read more
Speed up probe into family of five’s death, relatives tell police (Punch)
The relations of one Lawrence Olorugbo have decried the slow pace of investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of their son and his family members.
The decomposing bodies of Lawrence, his wife and three children were found in their apartment in the Apapa area of Lagos.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, had disclosed that the police suspected generator fumes as the cause of death.
Hundeyin, however, stated that the corpses had been evacuated for autopsy to determine the true cause of their death. Read more
Lagos to partner NGOs, civil society groups on development initiatives (Independent)
The Lagos State government has said it will partner non-governmental organizations (NGO) and civil society groups as part of measures to attain development in the state.
The Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Samuel Egube, stated this at the weekend during a “Lagos State Development Partners Initiative: NGO Summit 2022,” held in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
Egube said Lagos State, government under the leadership of Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, places high premium on NGOs and civil societies organizations as very important segments of the development partnership in the state.
He added that the government will bring together all the NGOs across the state, intimate them on the processes and procedures, aimed to drive their individual programmes and projects from the of the “THEMES” agenda. Read more
PVC: Tinubu, APC afraid of Atiku, instigated attack on South Easterners in Lagos – PDP (Vanguard)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, are behind the attack on Nigerians, particularly people of the SouthEast region living in Lagos State.
According to PDP, the plot behind the aforesaid attack is to prevent Nigerians from collecting their permanent voter cards (PVC).
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the plot is allegedly instigated by APC leaders in the state. The opposition party noted that Tinubu is allegedly afraid of the popularity of the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The statement read: “Nigerians are disturbed by the dastardly action instigated by leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) to prevent citizens, particularly people of the SouthEast region resident in Lagos State from collecting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) to enable them vote in the 2023 general elections. Read more
NDLEA intercepts US, Dubai-bound drugs in Lagos, arrests 39 in Abuja raids (Channels)
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Nigeria-based Congolese, Kandigu Kadi, and a Nigerian, Makowulu Ebuka Anthony, for attempting to export controlled and illicit drugs to the United States and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the suspects were intercepted at the NAHCO and SAHCO export sheds of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.
“While Kandigu was arrested on Tuesday, 31st May at the NAHCO export shed for attempting to export 2.100kilograms of pentazocine injection, Makowulu was nabbed on Friday, 3rd June in connection with an attempt to export parcels of cannabis sativa concealed in cereals packs to Dubai through the SAHCO cargo shed,” the statement said.
“Investigations reveal that the pentazocine consignment was being sent to Kinshasa, Congo, while a similar package containing 200 bottles of pentazocine injection intercepted a week earlier at the airport was heading to the US. Read more
Accident claims 4 lives on Lagos-Ibadan expressway (Guardian)
Four persons died while eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries in an accident involving an articulated vehicle and a Mazda bus at Foursquare in Ogunmakin axis on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogunmakin is located at Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun.
Mr Ahmed Umar, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta on Sunday, said that the accident occurred at 8:45 p.m. on Saturday.
Umar explained that the accident was caused by excessive speed and loss of control by the bus driver who rammed at the stationed truck. Read more
Security agents disregard law meant to be enforced, embolden willing lawbreakers (Punch)
The Ayodeles (not real name) were on their way from Ibadan, Oyo State, to attend the Christian wake of their aged relative in Lagos when they sighted a gridlock around Ibafo on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Understandably, they became apprehensive regarding meeting up with the event if the traffic persisted. It was even more worrisome for them because the head of the family, who had a significant role to play in the event, was in the car.
A ray of hope appeared when the driver sighted the patrol vehicle of the Federal Road Safety Corps driving against traffic in the other lane. The driver quickly manoeuvred to the other lane and followed the FRSC vehicle at a distance. Read more
June 12: Abiodun commutes 6 death sentences, frees 40 inmates in Ogun (DailyTrust)
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun on Sunday freed 40 inmates and commuted six death sentences to life imprisonment.
He said the gesture was in commemoration of the June 12 Democracy Day anniversary and the need to decongest the Correctional Centres across the state.
Abiodun announced this in his remarks at the Democracy Day event held at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, the state capital.
He said “In commemoration of June 12 and in the exercise of my powers under section 212 (sub 1 and 2) of the constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), and section 4 and 5 of Ogun State Advisory Council of the Prerogative of Mercy Laws, 2006, I have approved the committal to life imprisonment of death sentences of six convicts. Read more
UNTH demands comportment forms to admit patients (Nation)
Relatives of patients seeking admission in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu for treatment will have to sign comportment forms.
This was following a reported attack on a doctor by a patient’s relatives now at large.
The affected doctor (names withheld) was attacked and reportedly beaten to pulp by relatives who were allegedly not satisfied with the way and manner their relation/patient was attended to at the hospital.
In an update provided after an emergency meeting of the Association of Resident Doctors,(ARD) University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), the association condemned the renewed attack on doctors on duty by patients’ relatives. Read more
Dozens still missing two months after South Africa’s worst floods (Guardian)
Nearly 90 people are still missing two months after the worst floods in living memory swept through South Africa’s third-largest city of Durban and surrounding areas, killing hundreds, the government said Sunday.
The death toll from the raging floods and landslides has climbed to 461, with 87 people still unaccounted for, southeastern KwaZulu-Natal provincial government premier Sihle Zikalala told journalists.
“The floods affected 85,280 people with 461 fatalities. A total of 87 people are still reported missing,” Zikalala said in media briefing marking two months after the floods raged across the province. Read more
The Killers pause Manchester gig to check on elderly crowdsurfer (NME)
The Killers paused their Manchester gig last night (June 11) for Brandon Flowers to check on an elderly crowdsurfer.
The band were continuing their 2022 UK and Ireland stadium tour at the Emirates Old Trafford.
During the gig, Flowers spotted an elderly crowd member being taken over the barrier, and paused the show in order to check on the fan.
After putting his arm round the fan, Flowers told the crowd: “I said Billy what ya doin’?” Read more
Billie Eilish pauses show at London’s O2 Arena over fan safety fears (Standard)
Billie Eilish was forced to stop her show while performing after fans began to struggle with the sweltering temperatures in the arena.
The pop star, 20, was performing at the O2 Arena in London as part of her Happier Than Ever world tour on Saturday.
Footage posted online shows the singer telling fans at the 20,000 capacity venue that people had been “fainting and getting pulled out”.
Eilish asks: “Are we okay? Let me know. It’s hot.”
She then tells fans to move back from the stage before restarting the show. Read more
Morocco bans “Lady of Heaven” film (Sky)
Morocco has banned controversial British film The Lady Of Heaven over its “blatant falsification of established facts in Islamic history”.
UK cinema chain Cineworld has already cancelled screenings of the film after protests over its depiction of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter Lady Fatimah.
Now the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre (CCM) has issued a statement to say no cinema in the country will be granted a licence to show the movie.
Morocco’s Supreme Council of Ulema has strongly condemned the film, claiming its writer, Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Yasser al-Habib, was stripped of his Kuwaiti nationality over his “extremist ideas”. Read more
Saudi Arabia to host first European Film Festival
(National)
The best of European cinema will be showcased at a new film festival in Riyadh.
Running from Wednesday until June 22 at The Esplanade, the inaugural European Film Festival will feature 14 films from countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Finland.
Some of the key films to be screened include the acclaimed 2019 French romcom Les Parfums, starring Gregory Montel and Emmanuelle Devos, and the 2016 comedy Welcome to Germany, a box office sensation in Germany that grossed more than $20 million.
French director Gregory Magne and Cypriot filmmaker Marios Piperides will also be on hand to discuss their respective films, Les Parfums and Smuggling Hendrix, after the screenings. Read more
Trump dismisses daughter’s testimony on voter fraud (BBC)
Former US President Donald Trump has hit back at his daughter Ivanka after she distanced herself from his unfounded claims of mass voter fraud.
A probe into the 2021 US Capitol riots on Thursday aired a previously unseen clip of Ms Trump rejecting the claims.
Mr Trump said Ivanka had not been looking at election results and “had long since checked out”.
Democrats argue the mob attack on Congress was the culmination of a months-long attempted coup by Mr Trump.
Graphic footage and testimony of the 6 January 2021 raid on the Capitol in Washington DC was televised on Thursday by the US House of Representatives select committee. Read more
Governors forming task force to address mass shootings (VOA)
The leaders of the National Governors Association said Friday they’re forming a bipartisan working group to come up with recommendations to stop mass shootings following the Texas school massacre.
Reaching consensus could be a tall order given that the nation’s governors have been divided along partisan lines on how to approach issues of gun control and school safety.
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, the group’s chairman, and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey, the vice chair, told the White House in a letter that they will convene a group of six to 10 governors, with a particular focus on making schools safe.
Hutchinson and Murphy appeared to leave open the possibility that the recommendations could include some gun control proposals. The U.S. House this week approved a wide-ranging gun control bill that has little chance of passing the Senate. Read more
NPFL: Rivers United to re-open 10 point lead
(Leadership)
The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season enters its deep end with the title race looking almost sewn up by Rivers United and the battle for survival still very much alive.
This weekend, Matchweek 33 offers tantalizing fixtures with Rivers United looking to re-open a possible 10-point lead at the summit when they play hosts to Abia Warriors who are looking over their shoulders at the other end of the standings.
Table-toppers Rivers United will miss the service of centre-back Fabian Nworie as he is suspended for the game while Warriors will be without the duo of Chigozie Umeh and Gabriel Innocent for the trip to Port Harcourt as they are also suspended for card accumulation.
After scraping to a 1-0 win over Kano Pillars last time in front of their supporters in Jos, second-placed Plateau United will take a trip to Ibadan where they will face 3SC who could be sucked into the deep-end of the league table should they drop points. Read more
Liverpool agree club-record deal of €100m to sign Darwin Núñez (IrishTimes)
Darwin Núñez is due in England on Monday to take his medical after Liverpool sealed a €100 million agreement with Benfica to sign the striker.
Liverpool will pay a guaranteed €80 million and up to another €20 million in add-ons. Núñez was in Almería on Sunday, where he played before joining Benfica, and is scheduled to fly from Spain to England.
The 22-year-old Uruguay international has agreed a six-year contract with Liverpool and will become the most expensive player in the club’s history, his fee surpassing the £75 million (€88 million) paid to acquire Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in January 2018.
Núñez was the top scorer in Portugal in the 2021-22 season with 26 league goals and scored 34 in total. He also scored in each leg of Benfica’s Champions League quarter-final tie with Liverpool in April, and following the first leg in Lisbon he was showered with praise by Jürgen Klopp. Read more
Bernd Bransch, East Germany’s World Cup captain, dies at 77 (USAToday)
Bernd Bransch, who captained East Germany at its only World Cup appearance in a symbolic Cold War win over West Germany, has died. He was 77.
Bransch’s former club Hallescher FC said in a statement Sunday that he had died on Saturday following “a long, severe illness.”
Bransch was East Germany’s equivalent of the charismatic West German star Franz Beckenbauer. Both men captained their national teams and both played as a sweeper, sitting deep in defense with space to start counterattacks.
When they met at the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, it was Bransch’s team that came out the surprise winner, beating West Germany 1-0 with a goal from Jürgen Sparwasser. Both teams qualified from the first group stage, but East Germany was eliminated in the next round while West Germany won the tournament with a 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the final. Read more
Liverpool star Mo Salah reveals extreme health regime has left his home ‘looking like a hospital’
(DailyMail)
Mo Salah has revealed the lengths he goes to stay at the top of the game, as he discussed cutting down on fast food and filling his house with medical machinery.
Whatever he’s doing appears to be working. The Egyptian winger won the golden boot last season with 23 league goals and was a key part of a double-winning Liverpool side.
He also won a range of other individual awards, including PFA players’ player of the year and FWA footballer of the year.
Speaking to France Football, Salah said: ‘Two rooms in our house are dedicated to different fitness machines, bodybuilding. Read more
Andy Murray beats petulant Nick Kyrgios in straight sets to reach Stuttgart Open final (Express)
Andy Murray has beaten Nick Kyrgios 7-6, 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open to set up a clash with Matteo Berrettini in the final.
The match was Murray’s first tour-level semi-final since 2016 at Wimbledon, where he beat Tomas Berdych in straight sets before defeating Milos Raonic to win his last Grand Slam singles title. Since then, Murray’s career has been beset by injury problems, with the former world number one forced to undergo two hip surgeries in 2018 and 2019.
The 35-year-old’s win over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals at Stuttgart was his first victory against a top-five player since he beat Novak Djokovic at the 2016 ATP Finals. Murray was in vintage form against Tsitsipas and continued to show his quality against Kyrgios.
In a very close first set, Murray led throughout before winning a tiebreak to go 7-6 up in the match. The Scotsman’s triumph in the tiebreak prompted a furious reaction from Kyrgios, who smashed his racket on the floor and was handed a penalty point, before getting a game penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Read more
Tyson Fury responds amid reports he will fight winner of Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch (Standard)
Tyson Fury has called reports he is in talks to face the winner of Anthony Joshua’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk as the “biggest load of rubbish ever!”
The WBC heavyweight world champion has repeatedly hinted at retiring from the ring, repeating his claim after beating Dillian White in April.
Fury knocked out the fellow Briton in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium in April to retain his heavyweight crown, telling fans afterwards it was unlikely he would fight again.
His wife, Paris, later told BT Sport that he would return only for a title unification bout. Read more
Max Verstappen defends Red Bull after father’s criticism (Formula1News)
Max Verstappen has affirmed that there was not a lot more Red Bull could have done to get a better result in Monaco last time out, despite his father’s complaints.
Red Bull played out a brilliant strategy over Ferrari in Monte Carlo to get Sergio Perez into the lead of the race ahead of Carlos Sainz, while Verstappen got ahead of Charles Leclerc, who was sent from pole to fourth after a catalogue of errors from the Scuderia.
Jos commented after the race that the Milton Keynes-based team might have done more to at least help his son climb up to second, but the reigning champion asserts that it was always going to be difficult after Perez’s crash at the end of qualifying cost him a run that looked as though it would be good enough for second on the grid.
“My race was done on Saturday already after that red flag where I had to start fourth, and that is how it goes then in the race,” he said. Read more