Emeka Ihedioha did not win Imo election – Rochas Okorocha (Guardian)
The immediate past Governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha has said his successor, Emeka Ihedioha, did not win the election that brought him into office. “Let me be clear, Emeka Ihedioha did not win elections in this state but was crookedly handed the mandate,” Okorocha said during a town hall meeting at his home town of Ogboko community in Imo. “This is why he is going about running government in such a crookedly manner,” he added. Read more
Why we restrict movement at Seme border —Customs (Punch)
Many travellers and vehicles were stranded for hours on Thursday at Seme border post following restriction of movement around the country’s frontier with Benin Republic. A News Agency of Nigeria Correspondent who visited Seme border reports that the restriction followed the joint border security exercise ordered by the Federal Government and aimed at securing Nigeria’s land and maritime borders. The exercise, code-named, ‘Ex-Swift Response’, was being jointly conducted by the customs, immigration, police and military personnel and coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser. Read more
Osinbajo presides over NEC meeting (Guardian)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday presided over the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Osinbajo, who chairs the NEC, is the head of Nigeria’s Economic Management team. The meeting comes on the heels of the inauguration of new ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday. Read more
Falana approaches court, seeks date for hearing Sowore’s application (Punch)
Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, on Thursday, prayed the Federal High Court, Abuja, to give him a date for hearing in his application regarding Mr Omoyele Sowore’s, Convener, #RevolutionNow protests detention. Sowore. who is presently in detention had, on Aug 9, approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking an order to vacate the ex parte order that gave the Department of State Service (DSS) the legal backing to detain him for 45 days. Read more
Boko Haram recaptures two local government areas in Borno (Guardian)
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents in gun trucks and motorcycles on Wednesday recaptured two Borno council areas, after torching the secretariat complexes and houses in Magumeri and Gubio towns. The insurgents simultaneously attacked the two council headquarters by 6.30pm, after performing their evening prayers in mosques with some residents. Read more
Aregbesola enlists Nigerians’ support to tackle insecurity (Punch)
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Wednesday, urged Nigerians to be ready at all times to share opinions with the government on how best to tackle the various security challenges facing the country. Aregbesola, who was inaugurated and assigned portfolio alongside other 42 ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari, earlier on Wednesday, made the call while speaking at a reception organised in his honour by some of his associates later in the day in Abuja. Read more
Police confirm abduction of Sokoto lawmaker (Nation)
The Police in Sokoto state have confirmed the abduction of Alhaji Aminu Bodai, a member of the state House of Assembly by gunmen in Bodai village of Dange/Shuni Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Abubakar Sadiq confirmed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Thursday. Bodai, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress representing Dange/Shuni state constituency. Read more
Firm asks FIRS to retract name from tax defaulters list (Guardian)
One of the firms listed on the Federal Inland Revenue Services’ tax defaulter list has pushed back on the claims that it did pay not to tax to the Nigerian government and is demanding a retraction from the FIRS. God is Good Motors (GIGM) said in a statement on Thursday that it has fulfilled all tax obligations to the government and said it was “unfair” to the company to be listed as a tax defaulter. Read more
Cholera: NCDC records 83 suspected cases in 3 Adamawa (Guardian)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded 83 suspected cases of cholera in three local government areas in Adamawa. The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said in a statement in Abuja that 14 cases were confirmed in the laboratory and no death was recorded. Ihekweazu said that the cholera Technical Working Group (TWG) had continued to coordinate cholera activities in states in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and support from partners. Read more
Man hired by Nigerian swallowed 68 cocaine packets, arrested in Thailand (Guardian)
A Kenyan man was stopped at Bangkok’s airport for allegedly trying to smuggle more than 60 packets of cocaine in his stomach, Thai authorities announced Wednesday. Authorities said Glenn Chibasellow Ooko, 43, had flown on Monday from Ethiopia to the Thai capital’s Suvarnabhumi airport, where he was detained. An x-ray showed dozens of oblong items in his stomach, which were filled with cocaine, according to photos provided by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. Read more
California hotel employee ‘prevents mass shooting’ (BBC)
California police say a hotel worker may have prevented a mass shooting after the worker reported that a disgruntled colleague had threatened to shoot staff and guests. Acting on the tip-off, officers arrested a 37-year-old man who was found to have high-powered weapons and ammunition at his Los Angeles home. It comes amid a wider FBI effort to prevent such shootings. That followed attacks in El Paso and Dayton that killed 31 people. Read more
South Korea to scrap military intel sharing pact with Japan (Guardian)
South Korea said Thursday it will terminate its military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, the latest swipe in an intensifying tit-for-tat trade and diplomatic dispute between the neighbours. The decision comes with the countries at loggerheads following a series of South Korean court rulings against Japanese firms, requiring them to pay for forced labour during World War II. Read more
Brazil environment minister heckled over Amazon fires (BBC)
Brazil’s environment minister, Ricardo Salles, has been heckled at a meeting on climate change over the record number of fires in the Amazon. Satellite data published by the National Institute for Space research (Inpe) shows an increase of 85% this year for all of Brazil. Some of those at Wednesday’s meeting shouted “the Amazon region is burning”, as Mr Salles stepped on to the podium. Conservationists have blamed Brazil’s government for the Amazon’s plight. Read more
Girl, 2, died choking on cocktail sausage while waiting for her tea (Metro)
A toddler choked to death after being given a cocktail sausage as a snack while her mum cooked dinner, an inquest heard. Mia Atkins, two, died at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent the day after she was admitted when her airways became blocked. At her inquest, her family argued her chances of surviving were reduced because breathing tubes to keep her little body supplied with air had been put in the wrong place by paramedics. Read more
Execution set for US killer who preyed on gay men (BBC)
A serial killer who preyed on gay men along the US east coast is set to be put to death in Florida on Thursday, barring a stay by the US Supreme Court. Gary Ray Bowles admitted to killing six men in 1994 from Florida to Maryland but was only convicted of three deaths. Sometimes dubbed the “I-95 killer”, most of his victims were found nearby to the interstate corridor that spans the entire eastern seaboard of the US. Read more
Death row killer shares exactly how it feels to be executed by lethal injection (Metro)
A death row killer shared exactly how it felt to be executed by lethal injection as the poison worked its way through his body. Larry Swearingen, 48, was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville on Wednesday for the abduction, rape, and murder of 19-year-old Melissa Trotter in 1998. As the fatal dose of pentobarbital began to enter his bloodstream, Swearingen said he could ‘hear it’ going into his vein, then claimed that he could taste it. Read more
Qandeel Baloch: Parents fail to free brothers accused of killing sister (BBC)
The parents of a Pakistani social media star allegedly murdered by her brothers have lost their bid to free their sons. Qandeel Baloch’s parents told the court they forgave Waseem and Aslam Shaheen, who are on trial for the apparent honour killing. Ms Baloch, 26, was strangled in July 2016, in a murder that shocked Pakistan and the wider world. Read more
Spain’s former king Juan Carlos to undergo heart surgery (Guardian)
Spain’s former King Juan Carlos I, who retired from public life in June, will undergo heart surgery on Saturday, the royal palace said. Doctors detected the need for the operation during an annual check-up in June and the operation was scheduled for the end of August, a spokesman for the royal palace told AFP. “It does not seem like it is a serious case,” the spokesman said, adding the 81-year-old had “led a normal life” since he was told he needed surgery. Read more
Poland lightning strike ‘kills several’ in Tatra mountains storm (BBC)
Several people are reported to have been killed and a number of others injured in lightning strikes during a sudden thunderstorm over mountains in southern Poland. The lightning is said to have struck a group of tourists at the peak of Giewont, a popular mountain in the Tatra range. Rescuers said about a dozen people had been hit by lightning in the area. Read more
Former Super Falcon Ifeanyi Chiejine dies after brief illness (Guardian)
Former Super Falcons captain, Ifeanyichukwu Chiejine has died after a brief illness. The announcement was made by the Nigeria Football Federation on its official twitter handle on Thursday. “We are sad to announce the sudden demise of former @NGSuper_Falcons player Ifeanyichukwu Chiejine who passed on after a brief illness on Wednesday, 21st August 2019,” The NFF said on Twitter. Read more
Vincent Kompany: Anderlecht boss gives up managerial duties on match days (BBC)
Anderlecht’s Vincent Kompany is to relinquish his managerial duties on match days in order to concentrate on playing. Kompany was appointed player-manager at the Belgian club this summer after 11 years at Manchester City. But Anderlecht have taken only two points from their first four league games – their worst start for 21 years. Read more
Real Madrid loan Japan’s Kubo to Mallorca (Punch)
Real Madrid will send 18-year-old Japan Takefusa Kubo midfielder on-loan to Mallorca this season, the clubs announced on Thursday. Madrid signed Kubo, who has been dubbed the “Japanese Messi” in his home country, from FC Tokyo in June but have allowed the teenager to leave to gain experience. “Real Madrid and RCD Mallorca have agreed to the loan of Takefusa Kubo for this season until June 30, 2020,” Real Madrid wrote in a statement. Read more
Watford loan Sweden winger Sema to Udinese (Punch)
Watford winger Ken Sema has completed a season-long loan move to Udinese, the Serie A side confirmed on Thursday. The six-times capped Sweden international only moved to Vicarage Road last summer from Ostersunds FK and made 22 appearances for the English club. The 25-year-old’s departure follows the arrival of Senegal international Ismaila Sarr to the Premier League outfit on a club-record transfer of 35 million euros ($38 million) from Rennes. Read more
Besiktas sign Spurs winger N’Koudou (Punch)
Tottenham’s Georges-Kevin N’Koudou has joined Besiktas on a four-year-deal, the Turkish club announced on Thursday. N’Koudou, 24, spent last season on-loan Monaco as he did with Burnley a year ago, after joining Spurs in 2016 from French outfit Marseille. “We say welcome to our footballer whom we believe will significantly contribute to our club and wish him success,” Besiktas said in a statement. Read more
Andy Murray to play in Rafael Nadal’s ATP Challenger event (BBC)
Andy Murray will continue his singles comeback by playing in the Rafa Nadal Open in Mallorca starting on Monday. Murray has played in two ATP Tour events and will now compete on the second tier Challenger Tour for the first time since 2005. The 32-year-old Scot was already due to play two events in China at the end of September, but had hinted that he may add more to his schedule. Read more
Deontay Wilder planning to take ‘calmer’ approach in Tyson Fury rematch (Metro)
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder says he will take a calmer, more patient approach when he eventually rematches Tyson Fury next year. The Bronze Bomber twice knocked Fury down in their thrilling split-draw last December and a hotly anticipated rematch is scheduled to take place in February 2020. First, Wilder will put his belt on the line in another rematch, this time with Luis Ortiz – though no date has been officially announced yet – while Fury takes on Otto Wallin in September. Read more
James Haskell joins Bellator as heavyweight MMA fighter (BBC)
Former England rugby union international James Haskell has signed a deal to fight with mixed martial arts promotion Bellator MMA. The 34-year-old is expected to make his debut as a heavyweight next year. The former Wasps and Northampton Saints flanker, who won 77 caps for England, retired from rugby in May. Read more
World Champion high jumper Mariya Lasitskene criticises Russian Athletics over doping (BBC)
Russian high jump world champion Mariya Lasitskene has criticised her country’s suspended athletics federation for not doing enough to gain reinstatement. Lasitskene, 26, won her title in 2017 as a neutral athlete after Russia was barred from international competition in 2015 for state-sponsored doping. She said: “The situation bothers me because I don’t see any movement. Read more