Emefiele spends 5th day in DSS custody (Guardian)
Suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has spent five days in the custody of Nigeria’s secret police.Investigation of the former apex bank’s boss has been shrouded in secrecy.
Today, June 14, 2023 is the fifth day, since the Department of State Services (DSS) took him into custody. Emefiele was picked up hours after President Bola Tinubu suspended him from office on June 10, 2023.
The DSS and Emefiele have had a turbulent relationship in recent past. Last year, the agency accused the governor of several offences. The DSS secretly requested a court order in December to arrest him on allegations of “financing terrorism, fraudulent activities, and economic crimes of national security dimension.” Read more
We’ll surpass expectations of Nigerians in building prosperous nation – Akpabio (Vanguard)
The newly sworn-in President of the Senate and former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, has vowed that the 10th Senate will surpass the expectations of Nigerians in building a prosperous nation.
Akpabio made this vow while delivering his inaugural speech after his swearing-in Abuja on Tuesday.
Recall that, Akpabio, who is the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC was sworn in as the Senate President after polling 63 votes, beating his rival, Abdulaziz Yari, who scored 46 votes.
Presidential poll: Obi, LP tender IRev reports in Rivers, Adamawa, 3 others (Sun)
Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Peter Obi, yesterday, tendered additional 191 exhibits from 157 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the federation, including INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) reports obtained from five states as part of exhibits to prove alleged malpractices during the February 25 presidential election.
In their petition No: CA/PEPC/03/2023, LP and Obi are contesting the declaration of Bola Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the poll.
The tendered exhibits comprised results’ sheets and reports used by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the election. Read more
Sanwo-Olu congratulates Ambode at 60 (Independent)
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has rejoiced with his predecessor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
Ambode clocks 60 today, Wednesday, June 14, 2023.
Sanwo-Olu in a congratulatory message, issued on Tuesday by Mr. Gboyega Akosile, his Media Adviser , described Ambode as a seasoned administrator who contributed his knowledge and expertise to the growth of the public service in Lagos State. Read more
Lagos begins initiative to end open defecation (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has flagged off its ‘Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet’ campaign as part of efforts to meet the 2025 target for the eradication of open defecation nationwide.
According to a press release on Tuesday by the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, the campaign was flagged off on Tuesday in the Apapa Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking during the flag-off, held at the Legislative Hall of Apapa Local Government, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji, said the campaign sought to promote the use of toilets and good hygiene practices in every community across the state. Read more
Saudi Arabia-bound drug smuggler, sponsor bag 4-year jail term (Guardian)
Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, convicted a Saudi Arabia-bound drug trafficker, Akanbi Silifat Tunrayo, and her sponsor, Adebayo Adeola Wasiu, for smuggling 2.90 kilogrammes of cocaine to the holy land.
The judge sentenced Tunrayo and Wasiu to four years imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to the two-count charge of unlawful export of the banned substance brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The prosecuting counsel, Abu Ibrahim, told the court that the convicts committed the offences on April 19, 2023, during the outward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight to Jeddah, Saudi-Arabia via Doha. Read more
Students Loan: NANS wants lecturers, others removed from committee (Leadership)
President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Umar Barambu has said they want inclusion of past national leaders of the association and exclusion of lecturers and lawyers.
He disclosed this to State House correspondents yesterday after they met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
Recall that Tinubu on Monday signed the Students Loan Bill into law, in fulfilment of one of his promises to liberalise funding of education in the country. Read more
Anambra rescues 17-year-old girl locked by her father for 1 month (ThisDay)
The Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare has rescued a 17-year-old girl from her father, Sunday Ezeh, who allegedly tied her hands and feet, and locked her up for a month without food.
Commissioner for the Ministry, Mrs Ify Obinabo, told journalists yesterday in Awka that the girl, who hailed from Nise in Awka South Local Government Area is a step daughter of the suspect.
Obinabo said she took the girl to Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka, for medical diagnosis and treatment. Read more
Jennifer Lawrence no longer interested in directing movies (FilmNews)
Jennifer Lawrence is no longer planning to direct a feature.
Back in 2015, The Hunger Games actress was attached to direct a movie called ⅖Project Delirium, however, the project never came to fruition and she has yet to step behind the camera.
In an interview with Good Morning America on Monday, Jennifer was asked if she was still interested in directing and she joked, “You know, I used to think that, and now I’m just so tired. And it just looks so hard.” Read more
Babyface booted off Anita Baker’s tour after his ‘‘crazy’’ fans bully soul legend (HipHopDX)
Babyface has been kicked off Anita Baker’s tour after the “Body and Soul” singer alleged she was being bullied by his “crazy” fanbase.
On Tuesday (June 13), Baker revealed she couldn’t take any more of the alleged abuse from the LaFace co-founder’s fans online and announced on Tuesday that he had been cut from her Songstress Tour, which will continue as scheduled later this month without Babyface.
“After Silently, Enduring Cyber Bullying/Verbal Abuse & Threats of Violence from the FanBase of Our Special Guest/Support Act,” Baker wrote on Twitter. “In the Interest of Personal Safety. I will continue, The Songstress Tour, alone. Appropriate refunds will be made. Blessings.” Read more
Man fakes own death and turns up at funeral in helicopter to prank family (Metro)
A dad faked his own death and then dramatically arrived at the funeral in a helicopter in an attempt to try and teach his family ‘a life lesson’.
David Baerten staged an extraordinary prank in Belgium to see how his loved ones would react after he died.
The 45-year-old TikTok creator claimed he wanted to pull off the elaborate stunt because he had lost touch with his wider family. Read more
Malaysia seeks New York comedian over MH370 joke (BBC)
Malaysia is seeking Interpol’s help in tracking down a New York-based comedian who joked about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Jocelyn Chia, a US national who grew up in Singapore, is being investigated under laws related to incitement and offensive online content, police say.
Her joke, posted online last week, prompted an official protest from Malaysia and an apology from Singapore. MH370 went missing after taking off from Kuala Lumpur in March 2014. Read more
Cormac McCarthy, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Road, dies at 89 (USAToday)
Cormac McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Road and No Country for Old Men, has died. He was 89.
His death by natural causes was confirmed by his son, John McCarthy, according to a statement from his publisher.
McCarthy was both revered and criticized for his brutally violent, morally ambiguous, often bleak novels in which men were pitted against primal forces, books that read like a sock to the jaw numbed by a slug of whiskey. Read more
Pixar’s ‘‘Elio’’ Trailer debuts; Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett join voice cast (THR)
Disney has released a teaser trailer and images from Pixar’s 28th feature, “Elio”, and announced that Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett have joined the voice cast of the intergalactic tale.
Slated for a March 1, 2024, theatrical release, the original story follows Elio (Yonas Kibreab), an underdog with an active imagination who finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the “Communiverse,” an interplanetary organization with representatives from numerous galaxies.
Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, Elio must form new bonds with alien lifeforms, survive a series of trials and discover who he is truly meant to be. Read more
Trump receives hero’s welcome as he cries ‘‘political persecution’’ after federal indictment (NYPost)
Former President Donald Trump received a hero’s welcome Tuesday night as he returned to his New Jersey golf club after pleading not guilty in Miami federal court to more than three dozen counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office in 2021.
After taking the stage at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA,” Trump, 76, told a couple hundred supporters he had undergone “political persecution like something straight out of a fascist or communist nation.”
“They ought to drop this case immediately, because they’re destroying the country,” the 45th president said during his 30-minute address. Read more
Naira rains on players as Victor Ikpeba Football Challenge ends in Lagos (Guardian)
The third Victor Ikpeba Five-A-Side Football Challenge ended in Lagos on Monday, with players and officials of the teams smiling to the bank.
Eight teams participated in the 2023 edition, with Segun Ijitola Football Club of Surulere, emerging the new champions of the competition held at its traditional venue, Obele Odan Community Centre, Fujah, Surulere.
The 2023 edition was tagged ‘Appreciation,’ as the sponsor, Victor Ikpeba, who was the 1997 African Footballer of the Year, said he hosted it in appreciation of the great opportunity given to him by Nigeria to become a world-class soccer star.
In the final match played on Monday, June 12, which was Ikpeba’s birthday, FC Segun Ijitola defeated Chidi Chukwuka FC 2-0 to lift the Gold Cup and win the N200,000 cash prize. Read more
Osun athletes protest poor welfare, block stadium entrance (Punch)
About 80 athletes working with the Osun State Sports Council on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the Osogbo City Stadium in protest of poor disposition of the state government to their welfare.
The protesters said since 2012 they were not rewarded for winning medals while representing the state, adding that the sports council also refused to offer them job opportunities whenever there were vacancies to be filled.
During the protest, workers at the stadium were prevented from accessing their offices, as the athletes refused to remove the barricade at the entrance despite appeals by the workers. Read more
N100m Prize Money: IMC wants Enyimba to prioritise recruitment, facilities upgrade (DailyTrust)
Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Enyimba, have been charged to use N50m of the N100m their prize money to recruit quality players and upgrade the facilities at the Aba Township Stadium to be able to compete favourably on the continent and meet infrastructural conditions set by CAF for hosting Champions League matches.
The Chairman of the NPFL Interim Management Committee (IMC), Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye, who laid the charge to Enyimba Chairman, Felix Anyansi Agwu in Lagos said the club must give priority to the two critical needs.
“Let me again congratulate Enyimba International for emerging the champions but it has to be stated that in line with the developmental trajectories of the IMC and our investment partners, GTI, there is a portion of the money tied to certain projects. Read more
Brazil to play Spain friendly in anti-racism game in support of Vinicius Jr (BBC)
Brazil will play Spain in a friendly in March next year as part of an anti-racism campaign in support of Vinicius Jr.
The game will be played at the Bernabeu – home of Brazil winger Vinicius’ club side Real Madrid.
Vinicius was the target of racist abuse multiple times in Spain while playing for Real in the past campaign. Read more
Ex-USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter approached by Club América, Sparta Rotterdam (ESPN)
Former United States coach Gregg Berhalter is in the running for the vacant managerial posts at Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam and Liga MX giants Club América, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The Sparta job recently became open when Maurice Steijn departed to become manager at Ajax Amsterdam. Berhalter, who managed the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup, has a previous connection to Sparta having played there from 1996 to 1998. He also spent time as a player with PEC Zwolle and SC Cambuur.
Berhalter has also held preliminary talks with América over potentially filling their managerial vacancy ahead of the new Apertura season, which begins June 30, sources confirmed to ESPN Mexico. Read more
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan recovering from medical issue, cedes day-to-day control (Fox)
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is recovering from a medical situation, the tour announced Tuesday night.
The tour did not disclose the nature of the situation or how serious it was, only that two of his executives would lead the day-to-day operations of the PGA Tour during the most intense time of its 54-year history.
The announcement comes a week after Monahan stunned the golf world by announcing the PGA Tour had ended its battle with Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund and its LIV Golf League by agreeing to a business partnership. Read more