Fire guts petrol-laden tanker in Lagos (Punch)
Fire on Saturday morning gutted a tanker loaded with 46,000 litres of petrol at the Secretariat Bus Stop in the Alausa area of Lagos State.
It was gathered that the incident happened around 1 am and the head of the truck was badly burnt by the fire.
But tragedy was averted when first responders drafted to the scene put out the fire before any probable explosion of the liquid content. Read more
Third Mainland Bridge: Alternative routes ready, says LASG (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government announced on Friday that rehabilitation of alternative routes to be used during the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge had been carried out.
The state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, made the announcement in a statement in Ikeja.
The statement was signed by the Head of the Public Affairs Unit of the ministry, Mrs Bolanle Ogunlola. Read more
Oniru’s stool saga: Our lives in danger, Lagos royal family cries out (Sun)
The Omowunmi Abisogun Ruling House of Iruland, Lagos State has cried out over alleged intimidation and hassment by the monarch of town.
The royal families in the town have been in loggerheads since the installation of the new monarch, Wasiu Gbolahan, while some families were accusing the state government of imposing the monarch on them, others were taking side with the government.
However, the Omowunmi Abisogun Ruling House of Iruland, Victoria Island, who had been a major opposition to the emergence of the monarch, during a press conference held yesterday, alleged that since the imposition of the monarch, Gbolahan, by the state government, he has been a ‘torn in the flesh’ of all those who opposed his emergence. Read more
Gridlock as tankers fall on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (Punch)
Many commuters and motorists were held in traffic jams on Friday after two fuel tankers fell in the OPIC end of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, inwards Ogun State and spilled their contents.
A section of the expressway was cordoned off to remove the tankers, resulting in a backlog of traffic which extended inwards Lagos.
The accident occurred around 6am but as of 1pm, emergency officials were still trying to remove the second tanker. Read more
Enugu priest dies of COVID-19 (Vanguard)
There was tension in Enugu on Thursday following the announcement of a Catholic Priest of Enugu Diocese, Fr. Joachim Cabanyes who died of COVID-19 at an Enugu isolation center.
It was gathered that the Enugu Priest who died from COVID-19 hailed from Spain and had served in Opus Dei Prelature, Emene, Enugu for over 28 years.
Speaking on the death of Fr. Joachim on weekend, the Public Relation Officer of Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Fr. Benjamin Achi said the deceased was such a nice, easy-going, cordial, generous, prayerful and dedicated priest, stressing that, “he loved our people so much and always attend Diocesan function”. Read more
Buhari names railway station after Goodluck Jonathan (Independent)
President Muhammad Buhari has approved the naming of the Railway Complex in Agbor, Delta State after former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
Buhari’s Special Assistant on New Media, Tolu Ogunlesi, made the announcement on Saturday.
Ogunlesi, on Twitter, quoted Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, as saying the facility will be known as the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station & Complex. Read more
Arotile: ‘more female pilots to battle B’Haram, bandits’ (Nation)
With the shocking death of Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, the Nigerian Military is consoled that more female pilots will join the counter terrorism war which the late pilot was committed to.
Eleven female pilots are currently concluding flying trainings both within and outside the country, the Nigerian Air Force has disclosed.
Arotile was knocked down by a reversing vehicle driven by her old schoolmate at the NAF Base in Kaduna. Read more
Five siblings die in Katsina explosion (Punch)
Five family members died on Saturday at Yammawa village in Zango Local Government Area of Katsina State when a device said to be an Improvised Explosive Device planted on a farmland near the community exploded.
The victims were said to have died on the spot.
It was learnt that the victims went to get grasses for their animals at the farm when they reportedly stepped on the device.
When contacted, the Spokesman for Katsina State Police Command, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the occurrence, saying the victims were children of one Alhaji Adamu. Read more
Davido signs May D to his DMW record label (Vanguard)
Singer Davido has added Akinmayokun Awodumila, popularly known as May D to the list of artists signed to his record label DMW Vanguard reports.
May D has managed to remain relevant in the music industry despite not enjoying as much attention as he used to get and joining Davido’s label looks like a move in the right direction.
He took to social media to make the announcement by writing, “My New Family, I’m So Excited! PROBLEM #DMW #30BG #CONFAMENT 🚨🚨🚨 @davidoofficial 🙏🏿” Read more
Twitter says hackers downloaded private account data (BBC)
Twitter has confirmed hackers made use of tools that were supposed to have only been available to its own staff to carry off Wednesday’s hack attack.
The breach saw the accounts of Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Kanye West and Bill Gates among other celebrities used to tweet a Bitcoin scam.
Twitter also revealed the perpetrators had downloaded data from up to eight of the accounts involved. Read more
Swarm of flying ants is so big it shows up on weather map (Metro)
If you already felt like 2020 was bringing echoes of the Biblical ten plagues, then you might want to click away from this article. The picture above looks like it shows a rain cloud drifting across Kent, London and the South East – but friends, that is no rain cloud. Look closer and you’ll see the little arrow annotating the blue area as ‘flying ants’. There are so many of them that they are messing with the weather radar. Horrifying, no? Read more
Iran estimates it has 25m coronavirus infections (France24)
Iran’s president on Saturday estimated as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreak’s beginning, as he urged the public to take the pandemic seriously, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Hassan Rouhani cited a new Iranian Health Ministry study in offering the unprecedentedly high numbers.
Rouhani also said about 30 to 35 million will be infected to the virus in the coming months.
“We have to estimate that 30 to 35 million people will be exposed to the virus, which is very important,” Rouhani added. Read more
John Lewis, Civil Rights Icon and Longtime Congressman, Dies at 80 (People)
Rep. John Lewis, a longtime congressman and renowned civil rights activist, has died. He was 80.
The politician died on Friday, according to multiple reports.
A senior Democratic official confirmed Lewis’ death to the New York Times.
Lewis was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in December 2019. Read more
Algerian ex-minister dies of COVID-19 in jail (France24)
A former Algerian cabinet minister detained in a corruption case has died from the COVID-19 illness, his brother said Saturday.
Ex-telecom minister Moussa Benhamadi, 67, who was close to ousted president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, contracted the novel coronavirus earlier this month and died on Friday, his brother Abdelmalek Benhamadi told AFP.
He had contracted the disease in prison and been transferred to an Algiers hospital where he died. Read more
Flustered Donald Trump caught lying about Joe Biden on Fox News (Metro)
Donald Trump dramatically halted a Fox News interview after being caught lying about election rival Joe Biden.
The President of the United States halted the chat with journalist Bill Hemmer to order aides to find proof that Biden wanted to defund the police – only to be told that there wasn’t any.
Trump’s blunder was teased by Fox News ahead of Sunday’s exclusive interview, and saw the president say: ‘Biden wants to defund the police.’ Hemmer firmly but politely corrected Trump saying: ‘Sir, he does not.’ Trump was seen raising his hands to Hemmer and continued: ‘Look, he signed a charter with Bernie Sanders – ‘. Hemmer interjected: ‘And he says nothing about defunding the police.’ Read more
Nantes: Arson suspected in fire at Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral (BBC)
A fire at the cathedral in the French city of Nantes is believed to have been started deliberately, prosecutors say.
Three fires were started at the site and an investigation into suspected arson is under way, Prosecutor Pierre Sennes said.
The blaze destroyed stained glass windows and the grand organ at the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral, which dates from the 15th Century. Read more
Villarreal confirm Santi Cazorla is leaving the club amid links with a return to Arsenal (Metro)
Villarreal have confirmed that Santi Cazorla has opted not to renew his contract with the club and will make his final appearance this weekend before decided his next move.
The 35-year-old has enjoyed a renaissance in La Liga this season having overcome his injury problems, scoring 11 goals and laying on nine assists in 34 appearances.
He had been weighing up whether to continue his playing career at Villarreal or start a new chapter elsewhere, having been linked with a return to Arsenal as a coach under Mikel Arteta. Read more
Unpaid salaries: Our families are suffering, laments Ilechukwu (Punch)
Heartland FC coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu, says officials and players of the club are suffering and in dire need of help, after being owed six months’ salary by the management.
The Owerri-based club are yet to pay salaries since the turn of the year, a situation that has left players and officials stranded, with some reportedly turning to begging to make ends meet.
Ilechukwu, who joined the club from Lagos side MFM FC at the start of the 2019/20 season, appealed to the club management to pay their outstanding six months salaries, saying as their families’ breadwinners, they’ve found it difficult maintaining their households. Read more
Andre Schurrle: Former Chelsea forward and World Cup winner retires at 29 (BBC)
World Cup winner Andre Schurrle says he doesn’t “need the applause any more” after announcing his retirement at 29.
The Germany forward had a year left on his deal with Borussia Dortmund but the two parties agreed to cancel it.
Schurrle, who helped his country win the 2014 World Cup, had a spell at Chelsea and was on loan at Fulham. Read more
‘He’s a genius’: Peers praise Bielsa after ‘El Loco’ guides football’s Leeds back to English Premier League (France24)
For a man nicknamed ‘El Loco’ (mad man) and with little silverware in his long managerial career, Marcelo Bielsa is an unlikely hero to a younger generation of coaches including Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino.
However, hordes of Leeds fans will now treat him with similar reverence after he guided one of English football’s sleeping giants back to the Premier League after a 16-year wait.
The Leeds bust that followed a boom time of big spending and a Champions League semi-final at the turn of the century lasted far longer than many people anticipated. Read more
Klopp sets sight on RB Leipzig defender to boost Liverpool’s defence (Vanguard)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is looking to bring RB Leipzig defender Nordi Mukiele to Anfield this summer, according to reports.
The 22-year-old put in some outstanding displays to guide Leipzig to the Champions League quarter-finals, impressing in both games against Tottenham in the round of 16.
Spurs themselves have been linked with Mukiele as Jose Mourinho looks for an upgrade on current right-back Serge Aurier.
However, the latest report out of France reckons that Klopp wants to bring the versatile defender to Liverpool in the upcoming transfer window. Read more
Monaco sack Moreno, set to hire Kovac (Punch)
Monaco have sacked coach Robert Moreno and are preparing to hire former Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac, a source close to the Ligue 1 club told AFP on Saturday.
According to the source Spaniard Moreno, 42, has been relieved of his duties at the principality club only a few months after replacing Leonardo Jardim in December.
He led the club to ninth in Ligue 1, failing to qualify for European football as the 2019-20 season was suspended and then ended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more