Busola Dakolo files complaint against Pastor Fatoyinbo (Nation)
Celebrity photographer, Busola Dakolo, who accused founder of Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of rape has finally filed a formal complaint to the police. With her complaint, the Police has commenced investigation into the allegation. Read more
Fatoyinbo didn’t wed Busola and me, Timi Dakolo says (Punch)
Singer Timi Dakolo has said that pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, Biodun Fatoyinbo, did not preside over his wedding to Busola, as widely circulated. Busola had, in an interview with Y!Naija last Friday, accused Fatoyinbo of raping her on two occasions 20 years ago. The allegation, which generated a lot of controversies on social media, had thrown up some alleged rumours, which the singer addressed on his verified Instagram page on Thursday. Read more
Miyetti Allah fails in bid to void Benue’s law banning open grazing (Nation)
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore seeking to void the 2017 Open Grazing Prohibition and Establishment Law passed by the Benue State House of Assembly. In a judgment on Thursday, Justice Okon Abang held that the plaintiff’s suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/527/2017 was incompetent. Justice Abang further held that the plaintiff failed to comply with an earlier order of the court made about 19 months ago, directing it to file an amended originating summons. Read more
Ninth Assembly will end jinx of PIB passage —Lawan (Punch)
The President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmed Lawan on Thursday assured Nigerians of conclusive reform in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, saying the ninth National Assembly would quicken the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill. Lawan spoke when he received the Chief Executive Officer of the ExxonMobil Group of Companies, Mr. Paul McGrath, who led Executives from the company to his office on Thursday. Lawan recalled several attempts had been made by previous assemblies, but the PIB was not passed. Read more
EFCC accuses judge of favouring Saraki, Okorocha (Nation)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja of exhibiting bias in favour of former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the immediate past Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorcha, in his handling of the cases they filed. The allegation is contained in two fresh motions the EFCC filed before the court, demanding the withdrawal of Justice Taiwo from the two fundamental rights enforcement cases filed by Saraki and Okocha. Read more
1 dead, another injured as tanker explodes in Kano (Guardian)
One person has been confirmed dead while another sustained injury when a tanker filled with gasoline (diesel) exploded at Rano road in Bunkure, Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State. The Spokesman for Kano State Fire Service, Alhaji Saidu Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano that the accident occurred at about 8.52 a.m on Thursday. “We received a distress call from one Malam Mohammed at about 08.52 a.m that there was a tanker that was gutted by fire on Rano road. Read more
RUGA suspension: PFN calls for national summit (Punch)
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has called for national summit following the suspension of the RUGA settlement scheme by the Federal Government. The General Secretary of PFN, Nuhu Kure, made the call in Ibadan during a courtesy call on the National Vice President of the association, Bishop Wale Oke. RUGA, a scheme designed to settle herdsmen and their cattle on acquired lands in states in the federation, is the recent of many solutions offered by the Federal Government to resolve the farmers/ herdsmen crisis in the country. Read more
Court orders INEC to issue certificate of return to Sen. Uwajumogu (Nation)
The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to issue certificate of return to Sen. Benjamin Uwajumogu as the validly elected senator representing Imo North senatorial District. In the application filed by Uwajumogu, for the release of his certificate of return, Justice Taiwo Taiwo said INEC’s decision to review the outcome of the 2019 senatorial election was in contravention of the electoral Act. Read more
NAFDAC intercepts 21 containers of damaged frozen fish in Lagos (Guardian)
National Agency for Food and Drugs Adminstration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted 21 containers of spoilt frozen fish at Tincan Island Port in Lagos. The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that fish is among items banned for importation into the country by the Federal Government. Read more
Ekiti Assembly reinstates eight suspended LG chairmen (Punch)
The Ekiti House of Assembly on Thursday reinstated eight local government chairmen and their councilors who had earlier been earlier suspended. The chairmen were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that their reinstatement followed the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Public Petitions submitted by its chairman, Mr. Adegoke Olajide. Read more
There convicted over child trafficking-NAPTIP (Nation)
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) says it has secured the conviction of three men before a Federal High court sitting in Portharcourt, Rivers over offences bordering on human trafficking. A statement signed by the Head of Public Relation Unit of the agency, Mrs Stella Nezan mentioned the names of the suspects as: Olujimi Mayokun, Peace Eze and Adaugo Okafor. According to the statement, the suspects were arraigned before Justice J.K Omotosho of the court on a six-count charge on Nov. 13, 2018. Read more
Don’t occupy unauthorised seats, Gbajabiamila warns lawmakers (Punch)
Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday cautioned members against occupying seats not allotted to them, saying it was unauthorised. Gbajabiamila made the remark at plenary in Abuja, and said that some members, especially the new ones, were fond of abandoning seats allocated to them for those of other lawmakers. “This is unauthorised. The seats are named and attached to members and because of the E-Parliament we are adopting, it will not be proper for honourable members to engage in such act,” he said. Read more
Quacks threatening journalism practice, says Prof Wilson (Guardian)
Renowned professor of Mass Communication, Desmond Wilson, has decried the ‘increasing number of quacks’ in Nigeria’s media industry, describing the situation as threat to journalism profession and national unity. Speaking in a telephone interview with The Guardian, the former Dean of Faculty of Arts, at the University of Uyo advised that the profession should be entrusted in hands of well-trained, unbiased and patriotic professionals. Wilson noted that untrained personnel posing as journalist had been responsible for the misinformation and dissemination of fake news, a two-fold trend that has brought distrust to the media industry. Read more
Tutankhamun: Bust Egypt says was ‘stolen’ sells for £4.7m (BBC)
A 3,000-year-old Tutankhamun bust that Egypt claims was stolen has fetched £4.7m ($6m) at auction. Egypt earlier called on auction house Christie’s to cancel the sale of the relic depicting ancient boy-king Tutankhamun. The country’s foreign ministry says that the bust was probably stolen from an Egyptian temple during the 1970s. Read more
China Muslims: Xinjiang schools used to separate children from families (BBC)
China is deliberately separating Muslim children from their families, faith and language in its far western region of Xinjiang, according to new research. At the same time as hundreds of thousands of adults are being detained in giant camps, a rapid, large-scale campaign to build boarding schools is under way. Based on publicly available documents, and backed up by dozens of interviews with family members overseas, the BBC has gathered some of the most comprehensive evidence to date about what is happening to children in the region. Read more
Venezuela’s rulers accused by UN of death squads and policy of fear (BBC)
The UN has accused Venezuela of a strategy of instilling fear in its population to retain power, removing opponents with a “shocking” number of alleged extrajudicial killings. Victims are arrested and shot, with crime scenes manipulated to suggest they resisted police, a report says. The UN urges Venezuela to end the “grave violations of economic, social, civil, political and cultural rights”. Read more
Southern California shaken by 6.4 magnitude earthquake (BBC)
Southern California has been struck by a moderate earthquake of 6.4 magnitude, which has caused some fires. The tremor’s epicentre was near the city of Ridgecrest, about 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Los Angeles. People from the Mojave Desert to the Pacific coast are reported to have felt shaking as the US celebrated Independence Day. Read more
Pensioner, 95, excited to take her first ever flight (Metro)
A 95-year-old woman has taken her first ever flight, picking EasyJet for the experience. Gladys Blackburn said it was ‘wonderful’ to fly from London Luton to Switzerland, fulfilling her dream of seeing Lake Geneva. She had a glass of champagne on board the flight on Tuesday. Before this, she has always gone on holiday by car or train. Read more
Halle Bailey: Disney announces singer to play Little Mermaid (BBC)
Disney has cast singer Halle Bailey in the starring role of Ariel in a live action remake of The Little Mermaid. “Halle possesses a rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence and substance, plus a glorious singing voice,” director Rob Marshall said. Halle, 19, half of R&B sister duo Chloe x Halle, “said it was a “dream come true”. Read more
Frank Lampard fires warning to Chelsea youngsters (Metro)
Frank Lampard warned Chelsea’s band of youngsters they must prove their worth during pre-season if they are to force their way into his first team plans. The club’s all-time record goalscorer was confirmed as Maurizio Sarri’s replacement on Thursday, despite only a solitary season in professional management under hist belt. Lampard’s exciting, young Derby side were denied a return to the Premier League following defeat to Aston Villa in a play-off final which showcased the talents of three Chelsea loanees in the shape of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori. Read more
Vincent Kompany turns to DR Congo’s TP Mazembe for new signings (BBC)
New Anderlecht player-manager Vincent Kompany has turned to the Democratic Republic of Congo for reinforcements as he tries to make the Brussels giants a force in Belgian football again. Anderlecht, who finished a distant fourth in the league last season and missed out on European club competition, are to sign Meschak Elia and Arsene Zola from TP Mazembe. The pair were regulars for the Lubumbashi-based club, with Elia also competing for DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations. Read more
Saint-Etienne issue warning to Arsenal over William Saliba transfer (Metro)
Saint-Etienne have warned Arsenal they will not allow William Saliba to join the club unless he returns to Ligue 1 immediately on loan. Arsenal are in talks to sign Saliba, who has caught the attention of the Gunners despite only being 18. Saint-Etienne have rejected Arsenal’s opening bid for Saliba and club president Roland Romeyer insisted there was one non-negotiable condition on the deal. Read more
Leicester sign striker Perez from Newcastle United (Nation)
Leicester City have signed striker Ayoze Perez from Newcastle United on a four-year contract, the Premier League club said on Thursday. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed but British media reported that Leicester would pay Newcastle 30 million pounds for the 25-year-old Spaniard. Perez, who joined Newcastle from his hometown club Tenerife in 2014, was the Premier League club’s top scorer last season with 12 league goals. Read more
Lucas Torreira says Arsenal feels like home amid links to AC Milan (Metro)
Lucas Torreira has further distanced himself from speculation he could return to Italy this summer, insisting he feels at home at Arsenal. AC Milan made an approach for Torreira, with the midfielder’s former Sampdoria coach Marco Giampaolo now in charge at the San Siro. Torreira, 23, has already denied he has been contacted by Milan and now insists he is happy at Arsenal, despite a difficult adjustment period. Read more
Andy Murray returns to Wimbledon with men’s doubles win (BBC)
Andy Murray’s Wimbledon return began in ideal fashion as the Briton and his partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert thrilled the home fans with a late-night comeback win in the men’s doubles. Murray and Frenchman Herbert won 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-0 against Marius Copil of Romania and France’s Ugo Humbert. The first-round match finished at 21:22 BST in front of a sizeable crowd under Court One’s new roof. Read more
Tennis: Serena battles back against Slovenian qualifier (Punch)
Seven-time champion Serena Williams survived a scare to come through and reach the third round at Wimbledon on Thursday, beating Slovenian qualifier Kaja Juvan 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. The 37-year-old American — bidding to join Margaret Court with a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title — struggled to impose herself on an opponent ranked 133 in the world. “She played well and then I started out a little slow,” said Williams, who was watched by a close friend, Britain’s Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Read more
Deontay Wilder predicted Anthony Joshua’s knockout loss to Andy Ruiz (Metro)
Deontay Wilder claims he predicted Anthony Joshua’s loss to Andy Ruiz in a conversation with Shelly Finkel before the fight. Finkel, Wilder’s co-manager, was backing Joshua to stop Ruiz in six rounds, while the WBC champion was pushing the prospect of the Mexican pulling off an upset win. Ruiz stunned the boxing world by beating Joshua and Wilder revealed he wasn’t shocked by the result. Read more
