Controversy surrounds video vixen’s electrocution in Lagos (Punch)
Controversy has surrounded the death of a popular dancer and video vixen, Love Divine, popularly known as Picturekodak, who was allegedly electrocuted on Wednesday.
Picturekodak was allegedly electrocuted around 9pm while charging and operating her phone.
Our correspondent learnt that the victim was on set in the house of a video director, Clarence Peters, in the Omole Phase 1 area of Lagos State when the incident happened.
However, mixed reactions have greeted the news of her death on the social media.
While some urged the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances of her death, others believed that she died of a natural cause. Read more
Lagos issues fresh guidelines for public transport operations (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Government on Thursday issued fresh guidelines for public transport operations in the state as part of the controlled measures to ease the lockdown over COVID-19 pandemic.
The state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, released the guidelines at a news conference in Lagos.
According to him, public transport operations within the state shall be between the hours of 6.00a.m and 7.00p.m daily from May 4. Read more
Lockdown: Mobile court officials nabbed for extorting motorists (Punch)
The Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, on Thursday, arrested five officials of the Lagos State Mobile Court for allegedly extorting motorists.
It was gathered that the officials had paraded themselves as personnel of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences to extort motorists over the use of face masks.
Our correspondent learnt that the modus operandi of the officials was to write on their vehicles ‘task force’ and move in convoy to arrest and extort motorists on the pretext of enforcing the state government’s directive on the use of face masks. Read more
Man allegedly rapes, strangles teenager (DailyTrust)
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a 28-year-old suspect, Godday Robinson, who allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl, strangled her and threw her into a pit. Robinson had allegedly dragged the girl, who was said to be on her way home from work, into the bush and raped her at Agbara, Ado-Odo/Ota local government, Ogun State, after the girl refused to accept his advances. A statement by the Command’s police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, in Abeokuta yesterday said the suspect was arrested on April 24, 2020, after the girl mysteriously regained consciousness in the pit and was rushed to a hospital. Read more
58 dead as Nigeria’s COVID-19 cases rise to 1,932 (Punch)
204 more persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing to 1,932, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known via its Twitter handle.
It also said that a total of 58 patients have died of coronavirus-related fatalities in the country.
It tweeted, “204 new cases of #COVID19 reported: 80 in Kano, Lagos, 45;
Gombe – 12, Bauchi – nine, Sokoto – nine, Borno – seven, Edo – seven, Rivers – six, Ogun – six, FCT – four, Akwa Ibom – four, Bayelsa – four, Kaduna – three, Oyo – two, Delta – two, Nasarawa – two, Ondo – one, Kebbi – one.
“As of 11:50pm on the 30th April, there are 1,932 confirmed cases of #COVID19 in Nigeria. Discharged: 319; Deaths: 58.
“34 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Nigeria have recorded at least one confirmed case of #COVID-19. 71 per cent of all cases are from three states.” Read more
Boko Haram: No room for complacency, PMB tells military (Leadership)
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the military to sustain the ongoing counter-insurgency operations on the fringes of Lake Chad and the entire North East zone until the Boko Haram menace is contained.
Yobe State governor, Mai Malta Buni, disclosed the fresh presidential directive to State House correspondents yesterday after meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa.
The governor, who said that he briefed the president on the security situation in his state, lauded the federal government for the decisive and proactive measures being employed in the renewed onslaught against the boko haram terrorists. Read more
3 dead, many trapped as eight storey building collapses in Owerri (DailyTrust)
At least, three persons have lost their lives when an eight storey building under construction along Yar’Adua Drive in Owerri municipal collapsed, trapping many people in the process. As at the time of filing this report, three corpses have been pulled out while 17 persons were rescued. The incident, which occurred at about 5pm on Thursday, threw the entire neigbourhood into panic, especially as many residents were rushing home to beat the the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on the state. Daily Trust is yet to ascertain the number of people still trapped in the building. Read more
Policemen, soldiers clash over Delta lockdown enforcement (Punch)
A bloody clash which ensued between soldiers and policemen on patrol over the enforcement of lockdown order in Bomadi, a riverine community in Delta State, claimed a casualty in the early hours of Thursday.
Our correspondent gathered that trouble started between both parties following initial
COVID-19: Using herbs to treat virus not discouraged – PTF (Sun)
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Wednesday in Abuja, said the Presidential Task Force PTF on Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic said the use of herbs to treat the deadly virus is not discouraged.
Ehanire who was responding to a question on the use of herbal remedies for the treatment/prevention of the Coronavirus, said that so far, herbs don’t cause ‘harm’, Nigerians can use it.
According to him, traditional medicine experts are encouraged to work with the Ministry of Health and Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, (NIPRID) on developing a possible cure for the virus. Read more
argument over alleged violation of the lockdown rules. Read more
COVID-19: Using herbs to treat virus not discouraged – PTF (Sun)
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, on Wednesday in Abuja, said the Presidential Task Force PTF on Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic said the use of herbs to treat the deadly virus is not discouraged.
Ehanire who was responding to a question on the use of herbal remedies for the treatment/prevention of the Coronavirus, said that so far, herbs don’t cause ‘harm’, Nigerians can use it.
According to him, traditional medicine experts are encouraged to work with the Ministry of Health and Nigerian Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, (NIPRID) on developing a possible cure for the virus. Read more
FG, govs tackle rising COVID-19 cases in Kano, Gombe, others (Leadership)
The federal government and governors of northern states have taken drastic steps to curb further spread of coronavirus in the region.
This came yesterday as Kano, Gombe, Kaduna and Sokoto states alone accounted for 363 of the 400 cases of the disease so far recorded in the North.
When the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) released the update at 11.55pm last night, Kano had 80 new cases, with a total of 219, Kaduna 9, Gombe 12, Bauchi 9, Sokoto 9 and Kaduna 3. Read more
Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen dies aged 79 (BBC)
Tony Allen has been described as “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived”.
Pioneering Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, a co-founder of the Afrobeat musical genre, died in Paris on Thursday aged 79, his manager says.
“We don’t know the exact cause of death,” Eric Trosset told AFP, adding it was not linked to the coronavirus.
Allen was the drummer and musical director of musician Fela Kuti’s famous band Africa ’70 in the 1960-70s.
Kuti, who died in 1997, once said that “without Tony Allen, there would be no Afrobeat”.
Allen has also been described by UK musician Brian Eno as “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived”. Read more
Illinois church sues Governor Pritzker over stay-at-home order (TMZ)
An Illinois church and its pastor believe the Governor is treating them like second-class citizens during the coronavirus pandemic … and they’re suing to open back up.
Pastor Stephen Cassell and The Beloved Church of Lena, Illinois are going after Gov. Jay Pritzker over the state’s stay-at-home orders, claiming places of worship are “no less ‘essential’ than its liquor stores to the health and well-being of its residents.” Read more
CNN’s Anderson Cooper announces birth of son (DailyMail)
Anderson Cooper has announced the birth of his son, a little boy named Wyatt Cooper.
The CNN town hall anchor shared the first picture of the little boy Thursday night, telling viewers: ‘As gay kid I never thought I’d have a child.’
He thanked the child’s surrogate mother and medical professionals who delivered the child amid the coronavirus outbreak during the emotional segment which began by acknowledhing the ‘difficult times’ the nation is going through. Read more
Amazon investors told to ‘take a seat’ as demand jumps (BBC)
Amazon sales surged in the first three months of the year, as the coronavirus lockdown boosted demand for the firm’s groceries, online marketplace and cloud computing services.
Sales in the quarter jumped 26% year-on-year and the firm said they could rise another 28% in the next.
But the demand has strained the internet giant.
It said it would spend roughly $4bn (£3.2bn) on coronavirus measures through June.
Those costs reflect increased worker pay, purchases of masks and other protective gear, expenses related to cleaning and less efficient warehouses, as the firm implements social distancing measures. Read more
Coronavirus: Northern Territory first in Australia to lift major restrictions (BBC)
Australia’s vast Northern Territory will become the first in the nation to move out of lockdown on Friday with the lifting of major restrictions.
Group limits will be removed for weddings, funerals and sport while parks and pools will also open.
Australia’s least populated territory – which counted 28 cases – says it will ease all lockdown measures by June.
The rest of the nation is also beginning to open up after success in containing the virus.
The most-populous state, New South Wales, which includes Sydney, will allow some socialisation to resume on Friday, with households allowed to have two adult visitors at a time. Read more
Musk’s SpaceX, Bezos’ Blue Origin land contracts to build NASA’s astronaut moon lander (Reuters)
NASA on Thursday selected space firms SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics to build lunar landing systems that can carry astronauts to the moon by 2024, the White House’s accelerated deadline under the space agency’s moon-to-Mars campaign.
The three companies, which include firms of tech billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, will share $967 million from NASA, though specific amounts each company will receive were not immediately known. Read more
Trump says evidence ties China lab to virus, threatens tariffs (Guardian)
US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened China with fresh tariffs as he stepped up his attacks on Beijing over the coronavirus crisis, saying he had seen evidence linking a Wuhan lab to the contagion.
The diatribe from the Republican incumbent came as data showed the United States shed more than 30 million jobs in six weeks, as lockdown measures began to bite across the nation. Read more
Will Smith and Fresh Prince cast break down in tears as they remember late costar James Avery (Sun)
Will Smith and the rest of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast broke down in tears remembering their late costar James Avery in an emotional show reunion.
The cast paid tribute to James – who died in 2013 aged 63 from heart surgery complications – when they reunited for a Zoom chat 30 years after the hit sitcom’s first episode aired.
Will Smith broke down in tears during a tribute to his late costar James AveryCredit: Instagram
The Fresh Prince cast held a tribute for James during their Zoom reunion chat
The Fresh Prince cast held a tribute for James during their Zoom reunion chatCredit: Instagram. Read more
Mike Tyson reveals how he would beat Tyson Fury in a dream fight (Metro)
Mike Tyson claims he would need all of his aggression in order to win a fight against Tyson Fury. The 53-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time and still holds the record for being the youngest person to win a heavyweight title at the age of 20. Fury, meanwhile, remains undefeated in 31 fights and was crowned the WBC heavyweight champion in February after beating Deontay Wilder in a dominant seven-round performance. In an interview with The Ring magazine, Tyson was asked what his gameplan would be against Fury, who would hold a significant height, weight and reach advantage if both were at their peak. Read more
World Cup 2022 ambassador tests positive for virus (Guardian)
An ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the tournament’s organisers said on Thursday.
Retired Qatari midfielder Adel Khamis, 54, “was unfortunately diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19,” the Supreme Committee for the organisation of the 2022 tournament wrote in a tweet.
“We wish a speedy to all those affected.” Read more
Sergio Aguero: Players ‘scared’ about Premier League return (BBC)
Players are “scared” about the prospect of returning to action amid the coronavirus pandemic, says Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.
The Premier League is hoping to resume the season on 8 June, which would require players to be be back in full training by 18 May.
Top-flight clubs will meet on Friday to discuss options for the restart.
“The majority of players are scared because they have children and families,” said 31-year-old Aguero. Read more
‘Cristiano Ronaldo has three or four tricks’ (Guardian)
Cristiano Ronaldo is not as fearsome as his Brazilian namesake, says former Manchester United teammate Mikael Silvestre, with the Portuguese considered to have “three or four tricks” while R9 was “something different”.
Ex-France international Silvestre played alongside both of the Ronaldos during his distinguished career, with a spell at Serie A giants Inter preceding a switch to Old Trafford. Read more
Ligue 1: Paris St-Germain awarded French title as season finished early (BBC)
Paris St-Germain have been awarded the Ligue 1 title after it was announced the season would not resume because of the coronavirus pandemic.
PSG were 12 points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand, when French football was suspended indefinitely on 13 March.
Earlier this week the French government cancelled the 2019-20 sporting season.
The club said they wished to dedicate the title “to healthcare staff and all the everyday heroes on the front line”. Read more
Virtual Madrid Open: Andy Murray & Kiki Bertens clinch titles (BBC)
Andy Murray won the Madrid Open for a third time on Thursday without even leaving the comfort of his sofa.
With tennis suspended until at least mid-July, the Scot emerged triumphant in a contest of 16 leading ATP players who had all swapped their racquets for PlayStation 4 controllers.
David Goffin was Murray’s victim in the final, with the world number 121 edging out the Belgian 7-6 (5) on the Tennis World Tour video game.
Murray, who reached the final by walkover after Diego Schwartzmann had a “connection issue”, twice served to stay in the contest and trailed 5-4 in the tie-break before winning the last three points. Read more
Thierry Henry responds to Ruud van Nistelrooy Golden Boot claim (Metro)
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has played down his rivalry with former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and insists he was nowhere near as obsessed with topping the scoring charts as the Dutchman.
The pair fought for the Golden Boot for five consecutive seasons following Van Nistelrooy’s £19m move to United from PSV Eindhoven in 2001. Henry came out on top in Van Nistelrooy’s first year at Old Trafford but the Dutchman claimed his first Golden Boot in 2003 when the Red Devils reclaimed the Premier League title. Read more