EFCC didn’t investigate before sealing off our colleges —Okorocha (Punch)
The immediate past governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did not investigate the group of colleges owned him and his family before some of them were sealed off on Tuesday. He said the anti-graft agency did not interact with the colleges’ owners, as would be expected, before taking action against them. He therefore appealed to the EFCC to unseal the Rochas Foundation Colleges and other ventures belonging to him. Read more
Only 314 places of worship licensed to conduct marriages in Nigeria – FG (Punch)
The Federal Government has said that most worship centres conducting marriages in Nigeria did not possess the licence to do so under the statutory Marriage Act. It explained that only 314 places of worship were licensed to contract marriages in the country. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, at a one-day stakeholders’ conference on the conduct of statutory marriage in accordance with the Marriage Act Cap M6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as amended. Read more
Oshiomhole, Obaseki reunite, shake hands at Aso Rock (Nation)
The hostilities between the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole and Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, seemed to have come to an end on Wednesday. The duo met at the Presidential Policy Retreat at the Council chamber of the State House, Abuja. Before the retreat started, they were asked by some photojournalists in the council chamber to shake hands and pose for snapshots. Read more
TASUED students clash with SARS, burn police car (Punch)
Scores of students of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on Wednesday clashed with men of Special Anti Robbery Squad and burnt their operation vehicle. Our Correspondent gathered that the confrontation occurred within the university campus when the students prevented the SARS operatives from arresting some students suspected to be engaging in cyber fraud, otherwise known as Yahoo Yahoo. Read more
Police confirms release of Abbo’s stepmother (Guardian)
The Police in Adamawa has confirmed the release of Sen. Elisha Abbo’s stepmother, Madam Rifkatu Elisha. The Spokesman of the command, DSP Suleiman Yahaya, confirmed the release to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Wednesday. Yahaya said that the woman was abducted by unknown gunmen about two weeks ago at the family house of Abbo at Muchalla village in Mubi North Local Government Area of the state. Read more
Obasanjo working to cause acrimony in Nigeria – ACF (Guardian)
Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) on Wednesday accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of deliberately attempting to cause division and acrimony along religious, ethnic and regional lines in the country. Reacting to Obasanjo’s open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, the ACF said that the former president has continued to predict doom and bloodshed in the country, adding that his conduct was uncivilised. The ACF made its stand known at a press conference in Kaduna addressed by Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, its National Publicity Secretary. Read more
Zamfara APC secretariat attacked, property destroyed (Punch)
Unknown persons, suspected to be hoodlums, have allegedly attacked the All Progressives Congress Secretariat in Zamfara and destroyed property worth millions of Naira, including billboards, posters and windows. Briefing newsmen on Wednesday in Gusau, the chairman of the Security Committee of the party, Abdullahi Tsafe, said the attacks were carried out on Monday and Tuesday. Tsafe, who is a retired Commissioner of Police, said that apart from the state Secretariat at the bypass Gusau, the Central Zonal office of the party and other offices across the state were also attacked. Read more
Hard landing: Air Peace says aircraft was airworthy (Nation)
Less than 24 hours after a Boeing 737-300 aircraft belonging to Air Peace experienced hard landing at runway of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the airline said Wednesday that its aircraft was airworthy. The airline said ongoing in house investigation into the accident revealed that nothing was wrong with aircraft, but attributed the accident to possible pilot error. In a statement signed by its Safety Manager, Godfrey Ogbogu, he said the pilot landed the airplane harder than intended, which affected the nose wheel. Read more
FRSC, JTB postpone number plate enforcement for motorcycles (Punch)
The Federal Road Safety Corps and Joint Tax Board have agreed to postpone the enforcement of motorcycle and tricycle riders’ licence and number plates from August 1 to October 2, 2019. This, they said, was to allow the JTB to further sensitise state governments, especially the Boards of Internal Revenue of the states on the proposed clampdown. Read more
Police arrest Evans arms supplier after two years manhunt (Guardian)
A 46-year-old notorious arms dealer, Godwin Chinyere, who was alleged to have sold most of the firearms, ammunition and rocket launchers used by billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Owuamadike, A.k.A Evans has been arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT). Evans who was arrested on June 2017 in his mansion at the highbrow area of Magodo, Lagos State, by the IRT, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari and currently standing trial at the Lagos State High Courts of Igbosere and Ikeja, was said to have mentioned Chinyere at the time of his arrest, as his major arms supplier. Read more
Police clear forest to curb kidnapping in Edo (Nation)
The Edo State Police Command has commenced the clearing and bulldozing of section of the forest along the Benin-Lagos highway with a view to curbing incessant kidnappings on the road. About five bulldozers were on site on Wednesday clearing the forest. The forest is to be cleared 50 metres inside between Ovia River and Okada junction. Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army joined in the operation. Read more
Reps to investigate alleged carting away of billions by five soldiers (Nation)
The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc to investigate the Alleged carting away of billions of Naira by five Nigerian Soldiers of the Operation Harbin Kunama Ill. This was sequel to the passage of a motion by Hon. Abubakar Hassan Nalarabe. The committee is to report back to the House within four weeks for further legislative action. Read more
Egypt minister downplays threat to ‘cut’ critics abroad (BBC)
Egypt’s minister for expatriates’ affairs has downplayed the significance of comments she made about its critics abroad, whom she said would be “cut”. A video of Nabila Makram speaking at a meeting with Egyptians living in Toronto, Canada, appears to show her also making a throat-slitting gesture. She later said she liked to improvise and that “such simple, spontaneous words reach the hearts of the people”. Read more
Six dead and Mogadishu mayor wounded in blast at his office (Guardian)
Six people were killed and the mayor of Mogadishu wounded in a bombing at the mayoral offices in the Somali capital, the government said on Wednesday, in an attack claimed by Al-Shabaab jihadists. United Nations special envoy James Swan had met the mayor, Abdirahman Omar Osman, and left just before the blast at the headquarters of the Banadir district, which encompasses Mogadishu, according to the mission’s Twitter account. Read more
Boris Johnson overhauls cabinet on first day as PM (BBC)
Boris Johnson has given key cabinet roles to leading Brexiteers after becoming the UK’s new prime minister. Dominic Raab and Priti Patel return to government as foreign secretary and home secretary respectively. Sajid Javid has been named as the new chancellor as more than half of Theresa May’s old cabinet, including leadership rival Jeremy Hunt, quit or were sacked. Read more
Trump was not exonerated by my report, Robert Mueller tells Congress (BBC)
President Donald Trump’s claim that he was “totally exonerated” by special counsel Robert Mueller was rejected by Mr Mueller in a hearing on Wednesday. Appearing before Congress, Mr Mueller said he had not exonerated the president of obstruction of justice. Mr Mueller spent two years investigating alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia. Read more
Bangladesh lynchings: Eight killed by mobs over false child abduction rumours (BBC)
Eight people have been killed in mob attacks in Bangladesh after false rumours about child abductions spread online, police have said. The victims were targeted over rumours that human sacrifices were needed to build the Padma Bridge, south of the capital Dhaka. Rumours claimed children were being beheaded as offerings to the $3bn (£2.4bn) project. Read more
Flesh-eating bacteria hits Thai hospital (Punch)
Thailand’s Nan Hospital said on Wednesday that 25 cases of flesh eating bacteria, necrotising fasciitis, was diagnosed in July, with one patient seriously ill in the intensive care unit. Dr Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Deputy Director of Nan Hospital in Thailand’s north, said the hospital had seen 25 flesh eating bacteria infections in July, compared to two cases reported in June. “Most of the patients are farmers,who have been ploughing in their muddy fields and got some wounds on their skins but failed to heal. Read more
Facebook to pay record $5bn to settle privacy concerns (BBC)
Facebook will pay a record $5bn fine to settle privacy concerns, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said. The social network must also establish an independent privacy committee that Facebook’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg will not have control over. The FTC had been probing allegations political consultancy Cambridge Analytica improperly obtained the data of up to 87 million Facebook users. Read more
Rutger Hauer: Blade Runner actor dies aged 75 (BBC)
Actor Rutger Hauer, who starred in 1982’s Blade Runner, has died at the age of 75. The star died in the Netherlands on Friday after a short illness, his agent confirmed. Hauer played the murderous replicant Roy Batty in Blade Runner, which was directed by Ridley Scott and also starred Harrison Ford. The actor’s funeral was held on Wednesday. Read more
Danika McGuigan: Actress and daughter of ex-boxer dies aged 33 (BBC)
Actress Danika McGuigan, the daughter of boxing champion Barry McGuigan, has died following a short illness. Her family say they are “devastated” by the 33-year-old’s death “after a brief but brave battle against cancer”. Ms McGuigan died during the early hours of Tuesday morning surrounded by her family. During her career she had appeared in numerous television, film and theatre productions. Read more
Pillars’ Musah sure of beating Asante Kotoko (Guardian)
Kano Pillars coach, Ibrahim Musah insists his side’s aim is to win the 2019/20 CAF Champions League, reports africanfootball.com. Pillars, who finished runners-up behind Enyimba in the Nigeria PFL, will take on Ghana’s Asante Kotoko over two legs in the preliminary round next month. The first game in Nigeria will be on the weekend of August 9 to 11, with the return in Ghana two weeks later. According to Musah, Pillars are focused on winning every game they play in the competition in order to reach their target. Read more
Nigeria returns from World Para-Powerlifting Championship as second best team (Guardian)
It was fanfare at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos on Monday evening when the Nigeria Para-Powerlifting team arrived in the country to a heroic welcome following an outstanding performance at the just concluded 2019 World Para-Powerlifting Championship held in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. At the championships, which featured 76 countries and 608 participants, Nigeria team of 14 athletes finished second behind China with three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals. They were the first among the African teams in attendance. Read more
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp speaks out on Philippe Coutinho transfer links (Metro)
Jurgen Klopp has dismissed speculation linking Philippe Coutinho with a return to Liverpool. Brazilian forward Coutinho only joined Barca in January 2018 but is already being linked with a move from the Nou Camp. The 27-year-old has won two La Liga titles and the Copa del Rey with Barcelona but is struggling to produce the type of form he displayed at Anfield. Read more
Jurgen Klopp responds after Paul Ince tells Liverpool to sign Gareth Bale from Real Madrid (Metro)
Jurgen Klopp has quashed speculation Liverpool could offer Gareth Bale an escape route from Real Madrid this summer. Despite winning four Champions League titles at Real Madrid, Wales international Bale has been unable to win over returning manager Zinedine Zidane. The legendary Frenchman admitted on Sunday that he wanted Bale sold and Paul Ince subsequently suggested the 30-year-old could move to Liverpool. Read more
Ex-Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere slams £27m William Saliba transfer and ‘ridiculous’ Wilfried Zaha offers (Metro)
Former Arsenal striker Jeremie Aliadiere has criticised the club’s move for William Saliba and the ‘ridiculous’ ongoing pursuit of Wilfried Zaha. The Gunners expect to announce the signing of teenage defender Saliba over the coming days after agreeing a £27million fee with Saint-Etienne. Saliba is set to undergo a medical at the Emirates but will immediately be loaned back to the French club before linking up with Arsenal next summer. Read more
Eric Bailly fearing for his future as Manchester United push for Harry Maguire deal (Metro)
Manchester United star Eric Bailly fears he’ll be the victim of Harry Maguire’s proposed move to Old Trafford. Ed Woodward will not attend the China leg of the club’s pre-season tour after deciding to remain in the UK to conclude transfer business. United have signed Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James so far this summer and Woodward will now focus on completing deals for Maguire and at least one midfielder. Read more
Brazil’s Haddad Maia suspended after failed drugs test (Guardian)
Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia has been provisionally suspended for failing a drug test, just three weeks after one of her greatest results when she knocked 2017 champion Garbine Muguruza out of Wimbledon. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) said the 23-year-old world number 99 had tested positive for an anabolic agent at the Croatia Open in Bol in June. “(Her urine) the sample was found to contain SARM S-22 and SARM LGD-4033 metabolite. Which are prohibited,” said an ITF statement. Read more