Court orders Lagos Public Defender to take over Evans’ case (Punch)
Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court on Friday ordered the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender to take over the defence for alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans due to his inability to afford legal fees.
During Friday’s proceedings, the Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), informed the court that his team placed a phone call to the law chambers of Ladi Williams (SAN) and Co, who represented Evans on the last court date to enquire about the whereabouts of Evans’ counsel.
The AG noted that his team was informed by the law chambers that Evans has not “perfected their brief”. Read more
Lagos churches, mosques remain closed (Nation)
Worship centres in Lagos will remain shut until further notice, State Government has stated.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared this on Friday during a briefing at Alausa Ikeja.
The Governor also announced that all restrictions applying to mass gatherings will remain in force. Read more
Old Mutual partners Lagos to drive virtual learning (Vanguard)
Following the introduction of virtual learning by the Lagos State Ministry of Education in response to the shutdown of schools due to COVID-19 pandemic, Old Mutual Nigeria Limited, the Nigerian subsidiary of the world’s leading insurance group, has partnered with the state government to provide comprehensive material and financial support.
According to the insurance firm, the support is coming at an appropriate time when the global pandemic has accelerated the need to adopt virtual learning to enable students to stay on track with their education.
The partnership will see Old Mutual partnering with the state across the education ecosystem through digital and some traditional means of education, which include support for Math on the Ministry’s digital platform ‘Roducate’ to providing radio sets for more traditional forms of engagement. Read more
EFCC denies dropping charges against Adoke (Guardian)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has denied dropping charges against a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed Adoke.
“The EFCC wishes to make it abundantly clear that, Mr Adoke is standing trial in two separate courts: Federal High Court, Abuja before Justice Inyang Ekwo in Suit Number: FHC/ABJ/CR/39/2017 and FCT High Court, Gwagwalada before Justice Idris Kutigi in Suit Number: FCT/CR/151/2020,” EFCC’s spokesman Dele Oyewale said in a statement on Friday. Read more
Ondo: APC rakes in ₦258.2m from sale of forms (Vanguard)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has generated the sum of ₦258.27 million from the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms ahead of its July 20 Governorship Primary Election in Ondo State.
The incumbent governor of Ondo, Rotimi Akeredolu, and ten other male aspirants paid ₦247.50 million at the rate of N22.5 million per expression of interest and nomination form.
The only female aspirant of the list, Mrs Olajumoke Olubusola Anifowoshe, however, paid N11.25 million in line with the party’s guidelines which slashes the fees by half for women and persons living with disabilities. Read more
Edo 2020: PDP appoints Wike campaign chairman (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party’s National Working Committee has appointed Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike as Chairman, Edo State Governorship Election National Campaign Council.
The party also appointed Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, as the deputy chairman of the council.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, announced this on Friday.
“@OfficialPDPNig NWC appoints @GovWike as Edo State Governorship Election National Campaign Council Chairman. The deputy chairman is Adamawa State Governor, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri,” he disclosed via Twitter. Read more
Post COVID-19: FG to implement report on Creative Industry – Lai Mohammed (Guardian)
The Federal Government says it will study the report of the Post COVID-19 Initiative Committee on the Creative Industry and ensure its full implementation, within the realms of available resources.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja at a virtual meeting with the members of the committee and presentation of the report.
“Based on the feedback that I have received, I have no doubt that the report you have just submitted is a culmination of painstaking efforts by all of you. Read more
Police promote 6,618 officers (DailyTrust)
The Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of 6,618 senior police officers across the country. The promotions was one of the highpoints of the 8th Plenary Meeting of the Commission which spanned a period of three weeks. Only IGP can post, withdraw policemen attached to deputy governor – Ondo CP Police make mockery of anti-torture law-Amnesty International The meeting which was chaired by the chairman of the Commission, former Inspector General of Police (IGP), Musiliu Smith (rtd), according to the commission, ended on Wednesday. This was contained in a statement issued by the Commission’s, Head, Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, dated Friday, July 3rd 2020. Read more
Uganda boda boda rider sets himself on fire ‘over bribe’ (BBC)
Hussein Walugembe became frustrated after going to the police station several times
A 29-year-old motorbike taxi rider in Uganda has died after setting fire to himself inside a police station.
Hussein Walugembe’s bike was seized in the south-western district of Masaka, about 135km (85 miles) from the capital, Kampala, on Monday.
Some riders allege that officers had demanded a $40 (£32) bribe from Walugembe to release his vehicle.
A police spokesman says the entire traffic department is now under investigation for bribery. Read more
Scientists in Kenya working to develop environmentally friendly way to get rid of locusts (NYPost)
Eat them, poison them, and use scent to drive them to cannibalism – as a second wave of locusts threatens to devour East Africa’s crops, scientists in a Nairobi lab are experimenting with novel ways to kill them.
Swarms are the worst for three generations, encouraged by unseasonably wet weather and dispersed by a record number of cyclones. The destructive pests could cost East Africa and Yemen $8.5 billion this year, the World Bank has said.
Locusts are usually controlled by spraying them with pesticides before they can fly, but the chemicals can damage other insects and the environment. Read more
Microsoft force-feeds users new Edge browser and they aren’t happy (Metro)
Microsoft has a new version of its Chromium-based Edge browser and it wants to make sure all Windows users know about it. Through an automatic update applied to all Windows users, the Edge software is installed and pinned immediately to desktops and taskbars. Moreover, it takes over the entire screen on startup and asks users if they want to migrate their preferences from Chrome and then bugging them when they launch the rival browser, asking them to reconsider. Read more
Macron replaces popular PM with little-known Castex (France24)
French President Emmanuel Macron named Jean Castex – who coordinated France’s reopening strategy after almost two months of Covid-19 lockdown – the country’s new prime minister on Friday as part of an expected cabinet reshuffle.
The relatively low-profile Castex replaces Édouard Philippe, who resigned earlier in the day as is expected before a government reshuffle. Macron is reshaping his government to focus on restarting the economy after months of lockdown and a poor showing for his party in local elections last week.
Castex, 55, is a career civil servant who has worked with multiple governments, but is considered close to right-wing ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy, of whose presidential office he was deputy security general. The gradual reopening plan he has spearheaded for Macron has been generally viewed as a success so far. Read more
One dead, six wounded in series of shootings across NYC (NYPost)
One person was dead and six others wounded after a spate of shootings across New York City Thursday night.
The gunplay began about 6:45 p.m. in Brownsville, Brooklyn, when a 20-year-old man was killed and a 36-year-old woman injured in a shooting on New Lots Avenue near Mother Gaston Boulevard, cops said.
The man was shot in the head and the woman was hit in the arm and torso, police said. Both victims were taken to Brookdale Hospital, where the man died. Read more
Jamal Khashoggi murder: Turkey puts 20 Saudis on trial in absentia (BBC)
Twenty Saudi nationals have gone on trial in absentia in Turkey for the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Khashoggi, a prominent critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed by a team of Saudi agents inside the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul.
The defendants include two former aides to the prince, who denies involvement. Read more
Isis supporter smiles as she’s jailed for life for plot to blow up St Paul’s (Metro)
A would-be suicide bomber who plotted a terror attack at St Paul’s Cathedral has been jailed for at least 14 years. Safiyya Shaikh, a 37-year-old mother from Hayes in west London, researched how to cause maximum carnage at the visitor attraction and place of worship, saying she wanted ‘a lot to die’ before being killed herself so she could reach paradise. Shaikh thought her murderous plans had come to fruition when she sought help from a bomb-making expert who she believed to be a willing co-conspirator – only to find it was an undercover officer. The Muslim convert admitted preparation of terrorist acts and dissemination of terrorist publications on the internet. Read more
Zidane wants Messi to stay in Spain despite Barcelona exit claims (Punch)
Lionel Messi was reported on Thursday to be planning to leave Barcelona in 2021, but Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was hoping the Argentine maestro will stay in Spain.
Messi’s current contract expires next year and he has halted negotiations due to frustrations with the direction of the club, said Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.
Barca sits second in La Liga with five games left, four points behind Real Madrid, who edged past Getafe 1-0 on Thursday to put the title within their grasp. Read more
Liverpool will learn from Man City humbling, says Klopp (Guardian)
Jurgen Klopp said on Friday Liverpool will learn from their 4-0 thumping by Manchester City, praising his side for their attitude despite the punishing defeat for the newly crowned Premier League champions.
The Reds came back down to earth with a bump at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday in their first match since securing the title last week.
Klopp’s side, who host struggling Aston Villa on Sunday, still have a 20-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s second-placed team and have City’s record of 100 points from 2017/18 in their sights. Read more
Leroy Sane completes £55m transfer move from Manchester City to Bayern Munich (Metro)
Bayern Munich have announced that they have completed the signing of Leroy Sane from Manchester City. The 24-year-old forward joins the Bundesliga champions for an initial fee of £44.7million which could rise to around £55m with add-ons. Sane’s contract at City was due to expire in 2021 and Pep Guardiola’s side held discussions over a possible extension but the German made it clear he wanted to leave the club this summer. Read more
Washington Redskins agree review of controversial team name (BBC)
The Washington Redskins American football team will review its name after demands from major sponsors.
Its headline sponsor, Fedex, joined a fresh wave of calls to scrap a team moniker long-criticised as racist.
The Washington DC-based team has faced years of pressure over a name seen as offensive to Native Americans. The latest calls come amid a fresh focus on racism sparked by worldwide protests.
FedEx made the request at the behest of its own investors. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer promotes Manchester United teenager Ethan Laird to first-team squad ahead of Bournemouth clash (Metro) Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that teenager Ethan Laird has been promoted to the senior squad and has begun training with the first team. The 18-year-old, who plays at right-back, is highly rated around Old Trafford and has already made two appearances in the Europa League against Astana and AZ Alkmaar in the group stages at the end of last year. Solskjaer always intended to bring Laird into the first-team fold eventually, though that decision has been hastened after a pair of injuries in defence. Read more
Red Bull lodge protest against Mercedes steering system (BBC)
Red Bull have lodged an official protest against a controversial and revolutionary steering system on Mercedes’ 2020 Formula 1 car.
Red Bull allege that the so-called dual-axis steering system (DAS) breaks the rules on two counts.
These are that it constitutes a moveable aerodynamic device and that it is an adjustment to the suspension while the car is in motion.
DAS alters the ‘toe’ of the front wheels by moving the steering wheel. Read more
