Couple arrested for child abuse in Lagos (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Police Command is currently investigating a couple for child abuse crime of a minor, Chidera who lives and works as houseboy with them.
The couple identified as Mr Franc Ifedili and Mrs Ifunnanya Ifedili were arrested by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, Panti after the police received a petition from a human rights organisation, Paths of Peace Initiatives about the inhuman treatment melted to victim.
It was gathered that the couple who hail from Achi, in Orji LGA, Enugu state resides at no 2, Diran Alake Street, by Ogundele Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi are in the habit of bringing minors from villages to act as house boys and girls, subjecting them to all sorts of child abuse including corporal punishments and others. Read more
Lagos records four new COVID-19 deaths (Punch)
Four patients have died of coronavirus-related complications in Lagos State, The PUNCH reports.
This was contained in the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s Situation Report 93 published on Monday.
The PUNCH reports that four fatalities bring the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the state to 54.
The report noted that 14 COVID-19 deaths were recorded in eight states in the last 24 hours in Nigeria. Read more
FG lifts ban on religious centres (Guardian)
Nigerian Government on Monday relaxed the restrictions on religious centres in the country.
The restrictions were put in place as part of the measures to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.
This was announced by Chairman of the presidential task force on covid19 Boss Mustapha.
“Relaxation of restriction on places of Worship based on guidelines issued by the PTF and Protocols agreed by State Governments,” he said. Read more
NGOs accuse Osun hospital of illegally detaining patients (Punch)
Two non-governmental organisations, the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, and the Centre for Reproductive Rights, have petitioned the Minster of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, over the alleged detention of two patients by the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesha, Osun State, over their inability to settle medical bills after treatment.
The Executive Director, WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, alleged in a letter dated May 25, 2020, and addressed to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital that two patients, Funmilayo Taiwo and Taiwo Olowokere, were being detained unlawfully by the hospital.
The organisations explained that Funmilayo had been moved to the gatehouse of the hospital, because she could not settle a bill of N55,000 for her treatment of childbirth complications since April 4, 2020, while Olowokere had been detained since March over N170,000 treatment bill. Read more
Phase Two of Eased Lockdown to last for 4 weeks – FG (Vanguard)
The Federal Government has announced the second phase of its eased lockdown which would be in place for four weeks.
The initial six weeks eased lockdown would end by midnight of Monday, but the Presidential Taskforce PTF on Covid-19 said the pandemic is still very potent as Nigeria has not reached the peak of infection.
The new phase of the lockdown also places a ban on interstate movement, gatherings with more than 20 people among others.
While it said the states can relax the restrictions placed on religious houses, the PTF was however silent on the 8pm to 6pm curfew imposed on the country. Read more
COVID-19: Yahaya Bello orders lockdown of Kabba-Bunu LGA over index case (Independent)
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has ordered an immediate and total lockdown of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area for two weeks following a suspected case of COVID-19 pandemic in the area.
Bello, who gave the order on Monday, while briefing newsmen in Government House, Lokoja, said the lockdown, which was to commence from 12.00am on Tuesday, would enable verification and authenticity of the claims.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that claims by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) that Sheikh Abubakar Ejibunu, the Chief Iman of Kabba, had tested positive to the disease has continued to generate controversy between the Kogi government and the NCDC. Read more
AbdulRazaq slashes telecoms RoW fee to N1 (ThisDay)
Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has directed the reduction of the Right of Way (RoW) fee for telecommunications firms from N5,500 per linear metre to one Naira per kilometre of fibre.
The state now has the second lowest RoW fee in Nigeria after Kaduna State.
Commissioner for Communications, Mr. Murtala Olanrewaju, said the reduction takes immediate effect.
Until now, telecoms were paying N5,500 per linear metre as the fee for laying fibre cables in the state to strengthen their digital connections. Read more
Wizkid fumes, faults Buhari, Trump on leadership (Vanguard)
Following the killing of an African-American, George Floyd, by a Minneapolis police officer, cum the killing of Tina, a 16-year-old girl, at Iyana Oworo area of Lagos, by suspected officer of the Nigerian police, Ayo Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, Monday lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari and his counterpart, President Donald Trump of United States, describing the duo as clueless leaders.
Wizkid who has never commented on any public discourse, surprised Nigerians and indeed the entire world today.
He said Police are killing black Americans and Nigerian Police on the other hand are killing Nigerians.
Recall that Floyd on Monday last week, was pinned down by a police officer, his cheek pressed into the asphalt of the street just behind the right rear tire of the Minneapolis Police SUV. He screamed, “Please, please. I can’t breathe. “I can’t breathe, officer.” As one officer continues to kneel on Floyd’s neck, till he stopped breathing. Read more
Coronavirus: South Africans cheer as alcohol goes back on sale (BBC)
Long queues have formed outside shops selling alcohol in South Africa after restrictions on its sale, imposed two months ago as part of measures to fight Covid-19, were lifted.
Social media posts showed people, who had braved the morning chill, cheering as buyers emerged with their bottles.
The alcohol ban was to allow police and hospitals to better focus on tackling the coronavirus, the authorities said.
Alcohol-fuelled violence is a huge problem in South Africa. Read more
Cameroon opens schools amid COVID-19 spike (VOA)
Schools and universities in Cameroon have opened Monday with hundreds of thousands going to class, despite the number of COVID-19 infections continuing to increase. Cameroon so far has 6,380 confirmed cases of the virus with 273 deaths. But officials say the increasing number of recoveries from the virus and health measures taken at schools makes them confident that they can handle the pandemic.
Speaking on Cameroon state media CRTV on Sunday, Cameroon prime minister Joseph Dion Ngute said president Paul Biya ordered schools that he closed last March 17 as part of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus to reopen on June 1st because 3, 630 of the 6, 380 COVID-19 patients in the central African state have recovered from the killer disease indicating that the strategy put in place by the government to protect its citizens from the coronavirus is yielding posotive results. Read more
DR Congo declares new Ebola outbreak (France24)
Democratic Republic of Congo declared a new Ebola epidemic on Monday in the western city of Mbandaka, more than 1,000 km (620 miles) away from an ongoing outbreak of the same deadly virus in the east.
Health Minister Eteni Longondo said four people who died in Mbandaka were confirmed as positive cases following testing at the national biomedical laboratory in the capital Kinshasa.
“We have a new Ebola epidemic in Mbandaka,” Longondo told reporters. “We are going to very quickly send them the vaccine and medicine.”
The outbreak was confirmed by World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who tweeted: “This outbreak is a reminder that #COVID19 is not the only health threat people face.” Read more
America is chronically ill with racism, Beijing proclaims, as George Floyd rallies blight US cities (RT)
The death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police is a symptom that is sufficiently acute for the US to be diagnosed with “a chronic disease” of racism, China’s foreign ministry has declared.
The running demonstrations demanding justice for George Floyd show “the severity of the problems of racism and police violence in the US,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian told at a regular press briefing on Monday.
Racism itself is “a chronic disease of American society,” Zhao stated, as quoted by AFP.
The Chinese foreign ministry’s take on the case seems to mirror that of their Iranian counterparts, who tweeted a photograph of a black demonstrator valiantly facing down a squad of riot police. Read more
Derek Chauvin, cop charged in George Floyd death, moved to maximum-security prison (NYPost)
The former Minneapolis cop who was charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd has been transferred to a maximum-security prison, according to a report.
Derek Chauvin — who was captured in video with his knee pinned against Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes — was originally held at the Ramsey County Jail before being transferred Sunday afternoon to the Hennepin County Jail, KSTP reported.
He has since been sent to the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Oak Park Heights in Stillwater, the news outlet reported, citing the state Department of Corrections. Read more
Primark set to reopen all of its stores in England on June 15 (Metro)
Primark has said it wants to reopen all of its stores in England from the middle of next month, as the coronavirus lockdown eases. The company’s owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), is working to open the doors of all its 153 stores in England on June 15. The international chain added that it expects to have reopened 281 of its stores by that date, having already reopened 112 of its sites across mainland Europe. The discount retailer said it is waiting on further guidance over its branches in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – but anticipates openings in ‘late June’. In England, Primark shops will reopen with new measures in place to help stop the spread of Covid-19. Read more
Staying fit is important says, Udoh (Guardian)
Oche Udoh, the number one ranked golfer in the country, on Monday, said that maintaining body fitness during the coronavirus pandemic “is the only goal any athlete or player should work towards’’.
Udoh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that losing fitness is a struggle that most players try to avoid.
“Still, golf courses aren’t open yet, but I’m sticking to my lockdown goals in the meantime; that’s keeping fit and using practice aids to help keep the swing in check.
“It’s tough but we are soldiering on; everyone had a goal before the New Year.
“The only goal now is to stay alive and stay fit. Read more
George Floyd death: Liverpool players take knee in picture at Anfield (BBC)
Liverpool players took a knee around the centre circle at Anfield in a message of support following the death in police custody of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The picture featuring 29 Reds players came with the caption “Unity is strength. #BlackLivesMatter”.
Players reportedly requested the picture during training on Monday.
England internationals Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho added their voices to worldwide protests against racism. Read more
Why we extended Ighalo’s loan deal – Manchester United (Punch)
Manchester United have given three reasons for extending Odion Ighalo’s loan deal until the end of January 2021.
The club made this known Twitter on Monday.
The PUNCH reports that Ighalo joined Manchester United in a Deadline Day move in January from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.
He has scored four times in eight appearances in all competitions prior to the suspension of the Premier League because of coronavirus. Read more
F1 world champ Lewis Hamilton slams fellow drivers for lack of response to George Floyd death (RT)
Reigning F1 champion Lewis Hamilton has hit out at the sport for what he sees as ‘silence’ in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died while in police custody in an incident which has sparked a wave of protests.
Floyd’s death was captured on cell phone footage which showed him telling the arresting officer that he couldn’t breathe while three of the officer’s colleagues stood watching.
The death has led to an outpouring of grief and anger from numerous members of the global sporting community, but Hamilton says F1 has stayed largely tight-lipped – prompting the star to issue a statement in which he is heavily critical of what he sees as inaction in his sport in addressing the issue.
Hamilton, who is the first and only black Formula 1 champion in history, wrote in an emotional Instagram post that he ‘sees’ the people in his sport who are remaining silent in the face of injustice. Read more
Mike Tyson offered $1.1m to fight Peter McNeeley in rematch (Metro)
Mike Tyson has been offered $1.1 million (£888,000) to fight ‘Hurricane’ Peter McNeeley for his comeback. Iron Mike has announced that he plans to return to the ring in order to raise money for charity and is looking to take part in four or five-round exhibition fights.
Tyson has been tipped to face Evander Holyfield in his comeback fight as the 57-year-old is also back in training and is planning a return to boxing.
But Boston Boxing Promotions has announced that it will offer Tyson a substantial amount for a second fight with McNeeley. ‘Hurricane’ McNeeley lasted just 89 seconds against Tyson during their first fight in 1995. Read more
Coronavirus: Competitive professional sport a step closer to returning in SA (BBC)
Competitive professional sport in South Africa has taken another step closer towards returning following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
It follows the weekend’s announcement by Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa that non-contact codes including swimming, cricket, athletics, tennis and golf would be allowed under Level 3 of the country’s lockdown conditions.
While training will also be allowed in contact sports such as rugby and football, matches will not be allowed.
Mthethwa also said discussions with administrators from football and rugby were ongoing but the ministry’s director general Vusumusi Mkhize suggested that Level 1 (the lowest level) of the lockdown was a realistic prediction for when contact sports will be able to resume competition. Read more