Drug trafficking: NDLEA intercepts 18.8kg of tramadol in Lagos (Punch)
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a total of 34,950 tramadol and diazepam capsules weighing 18.8kg in Lagos.
The NDLEA made this known on Saturday in a statement titled ‘NDLEA seizes 34,950 tramadol, diazepam capsules going to Borno in Lagos’, signed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, the drugs, suspected to be transported to insurgents’ camps in Borno State, were recovered from a 25-year-old Mohammed Isah on Tuesday.
Isah was arrested at SD Motors park in Agege, Lagos with “12, 390 capsules of Tramadol weighing 4.8kg and 22,560 tablets of Diazepam with a total weight of 14kg, bringing the total weight of the exhibits to 18.8kg.” Read more
One dead as commercial bus collides with articulated lorry in Lagos (Guardian)
A commercial bus on Saturday collided with an articulated truck carrying a container, claiming the life of an unidentified male and causing multiple accidents around Pen Cinema, Agege area of Lagos State.
Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Director-General (DG), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said the accident happened in the early hours of Saturday.
Oke-Osanyintolu said that two articulated trucks, a commercial bus and a car were recovered from the scene.
“The accident recorded a casualty that was taken to an unknown hospital before the arrival of the agency’s responders.
“A fatality was also reported and the dead handed over to the State Environmental Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, Read more
Nigeria’s unity must be negotiated without bias – Sultan (Leadership)
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III, has said that Nigeria’s unity is very important to all, adding that all deliberations about it must be harmonised without bias.
The sultan spoke through a representative yesterday at a two-day symposium organised by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) in collaboration with the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
Sultan Abubakar who urged Nigerians to refrain from bias in their contributions, said the symposium must be towards helping to bring progress and development to Nigeria.
The sultan who was represented by the Emir of Keffi, Dr Shehu Usman Chindo Yamusa, said: “The unity of Nigeria is very important to us and to our nation, and so all deliberations must be harmonised without bias. Read more
‘This is the language they understand’, Bashir Ahmad mocks tweeps (Punch)
Personal Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Bashir Ahmad, on Saturday, took to his verified Facebook page, to taunt the Nigerian Twitterati community over the suspension of the ‘operations’ of the microblogging site in the country.
“This is exactly the language they clearly understand,” he posted on Facebook.
The post attracted hundreds of comments in less than an hour, with many Nigerians lambasting Ahmad and his principal, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for “undemocratic practices”. Read more
Twitter Nigeria: Phone companies told to block site (BBC)
Nigeria’s government has told the country’s mobile phone networks to block access to Twitter, a statement from the industry umbrella body said.
Phone users are reporting difficulties in accessing the site. It is still available through some wi-fi networks.
This comes after the government said it was suspending Twitter operations in the country “indefinitely”.
It alleged the site was being used to undermine “Nigeria’s corporate existence”.
Twitter has called the ban “deeply concerning”. Read more
House Minority Caucus condemns Twitter ban, says suspension violates freedom of speech (ThisDay)
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria by the Federal Government, saying that it is a clear violation of freedom of speech and other democratic rights and tenets as provided by the 1999 constitution.
The Federal Government had on Friday, in response to Twitter’s deletion of a “civil war” post by President Muhammadu Buhari, announced the suspension of the operations of the micro-blogging platform in the country.
The caucus in a statement by its leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu described the suspension as provocative, obnoxious and unjustifiable.
The lawmakers opined that the suspension shows the APC led government’s insensitivity and aversion to the views, opinions and aspirations of Nigerian citizens, especially the youths, on matters of state. Read more
Protest in Abuja as northern group demands referendum (Punch)
A group of women under the aegis of the Amalgamation of Northern Women Associations, on Saturday, demanded a referendum to allow Biafran agitators to chose whether or not to remain in Nigeria.
The coordinator of the group, Hadiza Adamu, spoke on behalf of other members, during a protest in Abuja, on Saturday.
She said, “Nigerian History has shown that women carry the heavy burden of war and acts of insurrections and terrorism. We have gone through it from 1967 to 1971, our men died and left us with the children to cater for out of nothing, other men that survived simply moved on but we never moved on.
“The aftermath of the war and the sufferings left lifetime scars in our hearts and on our bodies. It is for this reason that we (have) come together today and say we don’t want another war, another insurrection. Read more
Twitter Ban: Nigerian editors urge FG to rescind decision (Leadership)
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has urged the federal government to tread with caution and immediately reconsider the suspension of the operation of Twitter in Nigeria.
The umbrella body of Nigerian Editors also urged the federal government to seek other legitimate means of resolving its dispute with the microblogging platform.
In a statement jointly signed by Mustapha Isah and Iyobosa Uwugiaren, NGE president and general secretary respectively on Saturday, the Guild said that the federal government’s action has the unintended consequence of jeopardising the economic interests of many Nigerians who rely on the social media platform for vital information to make informed business decisions daily.
Advising the federal government to desist from any action that would project the Nigerian government as a dictatorial, the Nigerian editors said that the action is an infringement on Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and violates the right of Nigerians to interact freely on this platform. Read more
Months at sea: Boat carrying Rohingya washes up in Indonesia (AlJazeera)
A boat carrying 81 Rohingya refugees has washed ashore at an uninhabited island in Indonesia after drifting for more than 100 days at sea, leading to a tense standoff with local authorities as to whether they will be allowed to enter the country or be driven back to sea.
The small wooden boat was discovered early morning on Friday in waters off Idaman Island off the coast of Aceh province, about two hours away from the town of Lhokseumawe, which is usually only used as a rest spot for fishermen in the area.
“Our staff in the field have met with the refugees who said that they have been travelling for three months,” said Rima Putra Shah, the Director of Geutanyoë Foundation, an NGO which provides education and psychosocial support to refugees in Indonesia and Malaysia.
“They travelled from India to Aceh using a small twin-engine, 100-seat boat,” she told Al Jazeera. Read more
Indigenous schools: Trudeau tells Catholic Church to take responsibility (BBC)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has urged the Catholic Church to “take responsibility” for its role in indigenous residential schools.
The remains of 215 children were found buried in one school last month, prompting nationwide outrage.
Mr Trudeau said requests for the Church to release its records on the schools had been met with “resistance”.
The government-run boarding schools were set up for the forced assimilation of indigenous children. Read more
US gun laws: Judge overturns California assault weapons ban (BBC)
A California judge has overturned the state’s ban on assault weapons, describing the popular AR-15 rifle as “good for both home and battle”.
Federal judge Roger Benitez said the law went against the constitutional Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Judge Benitez found that the way California defines military-style rifles deprives the state’s residents of weapons allowed elsewhere in the US.
Governor Gavin Newsom described the ruling as a threat to public safety. Read more
Several killed as Myanmar forces fight villagers in delta region (AlJazeera)
Fighting between Myanmar’s security forces and villagers armed with catapults and crossbows in the Ayeyarwady river delta region has left at least three people dead, state media said – although local media reported as many as 20 people had been killed.
State television news said three “terrorists” had been killed and two arrested on Saturday at the village of Hlayswe as security forces went to arrest a man accused of plotting against the state.
A military government spokesman did not answer calls from Reuters news agency requesting comment on the violence at the village in the Kyonpyaw township of Ayeyarwady. Reuters was unable to confirm the toll independently.
Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since the military deposed Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February, citing unsubstantiated allegations of fraud during 2020 elections. Read more
‘GoT’ star Nathalie Emmanuel: Bosses always expect nude scenes now (PageSix)
Just because she stripped down for one show doesn’t mean it is now par for the course.
Actress Nathalie Emmanuel has opened up about bosses expecting her to be down to go nude ever since she did it for the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
“When I did ‘Game of Thrones’ I agreed toward certain nude scenes or nudity within the show,” the 32-year-old, who played Missandei on the show, told journalist Josh Smith on his “Make It Reign” podcast this week, Metro reported. “And the perception from other projects, when the role required nudity, that I was just open to do anything because I did it on that one show.”
Agreeing to nudity in the context of that project, she continued, in no way implied that she’s open to it in others. Read more
Dozens killed in Burkina Faso attack (BBC)
Armed men have killed around 100 people in an attack on a village in the north of Burkina Faso, say reports quoting government and security sources.
During Friday night’s raid on Solhan village, homes and the market were also burned, Reuters news agency quoted a government statement as saying.
No group has said it was behind the attack.
But Islamist attacks are increasingly common in the country, especially in regions bordering Niger and Mali. Read more
HIV incidence down 73% since 1980s peak, CDC estimates (NYPost)
HIV incidence, or yearly new infections, in the US has declined about 73 per cent since peaks in the mid-1980s, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The report released Thursday resulted from modeling applied to data in the National HIV Surveillance System to determine the number of new annual HIV infections from 1981 to 2019. The agency estimated 2.2 million new HIV infections during the decades-long study period, with about 1.2 million Americans living with HIV infection in 2019.
Results suggest annual HIV incidence increased from about 20,000 infections in 1981 to a high of some 130,400 infections in 1984-1985, before leveling off in 1991-2007 with up to 58,000 infections and dropping to about 34,800 infections in 2019.
“HIV incidence decreased by 73 percent from the highest annual number of infections (130,400 in 1984 and 1985) to 34,800 in 2019,” the report reads. Read more
Ruben Dias wins Premier League Player of the Season award (Punch)
Manchester City defender, Ruben Dias, has won the English Premier League ‘Player of the Season’ award for the 2020/21 football season.
The 24-year-old Portuguese centre back won the prestigious award in his debut season at the Etihad side, after helping coach Pep Guardiola win the Premier League, Carabao Cup, and to reach the Champions League final.
The award given to Ruben Dias was decided by a combination of public votes with those of 20 club captains and a panel of football experts.
Since joining The Cityzens from Benfica in 2020 for a record fee of £65 million, Dias has formed a formidable partnership with co-defender John Stones, which saw him make 32 league appearances for Man. City, scoring a goal, wins in 23 games, and keep 15 clean sheets. Read more
Handball: Team Nigeria jets out to Cameroon for Nations Cup (Leadership)
No fewer than 16 players, coaches and officials departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Friday for Yaounde, Cameroon to battle for 2021 in Women’s Handball Nations Cup.
After a 25 years absence, Nigeria’s female National Handball Team return to the Nations Cup in search for the title and Tokyo Olympic qualification at the start of the continental showpiece.
Before their departure, the team played their last training match on Tuesday where they were out classed 46-28 by an Abuja-based Men’s National Division 1 Side, Arise Stars.
Coach Rafiu Salami in naming his final squad dropped two players, Alawaye Ramat and Onyinye Ilo.
The final list of 16 players and HFN Officials had their 2nd Covid-19 tests on Wednesday. Read more
Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc on pole position in Baku (BBC)
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole position from Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in a thrilling qualifying session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Leclerc set his fastest time with the help of a slipstream from Hamilton, and a red flag on the final runs secured his second successive pole.
Hamilton recovered superbly after a difficult weekend for Mercedes while Verstappen will be ruing his luck. Read more
Indomitable Lions halt Eagles’ unbeaten run (Guardian)
A 36th minute strike by relegated Fulham striker, Anguissa Zambo, was all the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon needed to beat their African rival, Super Eagles of Nigeria in an international friendly match played at Stadion Wiener Neustadt in Austria yesterday.
The defeat, which was the first for the Lions in their last four games dented Nigeria’s unbeaten run.Two years ago at Egypt 2019 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Lions were on their way to the quarterfinal after scoring two quick goals in Alexandre, but the Super Eagles came from behind to knock them out with a 3-2 win.
But the game in Austria yesterday saw the Nigerians putting their foot wrong with poor string of passes and lack of coordination.
Moses Simon came close to giving Nigeria the equalising the goal in the second half, but his shot from 25m was parried to corner by the Cameroonian goalie Omatsola. Paul Onuachu also missed an opportunity as the Eagles tried to gain control late in the second half of the match. Read more
French Open 2021: Novak Djokovic through & faces Lorenzo Musetti (BBC)
Top seed Novak Djokovic’s quest for a second career Grand Slam continued with another one-sided victory as he reached the French Open last 16.
Djokovic, 34, has not dropped a set so far this week after seeing off Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis 6-1 6-4 6-1 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 2016 champion, aiming for a 19th Grand Slam, took six of nine break points and did not face one himself.
Djokovic’s next opponent will be rising Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti. Read more
French Open: Women’s draw is wide open (Guardian)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia, defeated the third seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6/4; 2/6; 6/0. American Sofia Kenin, seeded fourth and compatriot Serena Williams seeded seventh are the only top ten players left, after the earlier exits of Ashleigh Barty and Naomi Osaka.
In the first set, Aryna won the first game, broke Anastasia’s serve and held for 3-0. Anastasia held serve for 3-1 and won four straight games to lead 5-3. Aryna held serve in the ninth game while her opponent served out the set, 6/4.
Sabalenka returned from a bathroom break and won the first game of the second set with an ace. She won the third and fifth games to lead 3-2. Pavlyuchenkova conceded a break and her opponent took the eighth game and set, 6/2.Anastasia received off-court medical treatment and returned with her left thigh taped. Sabalenka double-faulted twice and lost the first game of the third set. Read more