Four policemen who killed Lagos phone thieves lose jobs, remanded in prison (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has dismissed the four policemen who killed two suspected phone thieves in the Igando area of the state. The police spokesperson, Bala Elkana, on Thursday said they were arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court and remanded in prison custody. He said, “The policemen were subjected to internal disciplinary proceedings at the Provost Department. Read more
Air Force Jets strike Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa (Nation)
The Nigerian Air Force on Wedneday said it has conducted air strikes in Bula Bello on the fringes of Sambisa forest killing scores of Boko Haram terrorists and destroying their structures. Its spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said in a statement that two Alpha Jet fighters were used to conduct the strikes. He said:”Air strikes being conducted by the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE under Operation GREEN SWEEP 3 have continued to yield tangible results. The latest of these results is the destruction of a Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) Logistics Base/Assembly Area at Bula Bello on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State. Read more
You can’t make 27-year-old APC member a commissioner, PDP tells Makinde (Punch)
For several hours on Thursday, leaders of the Oyo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party protested the nomination of 27-year-old Seun Fakorede as commissioner at the screening session of the state house of assembly. The ruling party described his nomination as “unguarded” ‘because Fakorede is allegedly from the opposition All Progressives Congress. Read more
We consulted before increasing electricity tarrif —NERC (Punch)
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission said the planned increase in tariff was done through consultation with Electricity Distribution Companies and stakeholders in the sector. Chairman of NERC, Prof. John Momoh, said this to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja during the assumption of office of the new Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman. Read more
35 state govt owe FG N614bn —Finance minister (Punch)
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, says the Federal Government has resolved to recover N614bn loan facility from 35 states of the federation. The minister revealed this when she briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of the National Economic Council, presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, at the State House, Abuja. Read more
Banditry: Immigrations begin registration of foreigners in Ogun (Nation)
Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is set to commence bio – metric data registration and documentation of migrant’s resident and doing businesses in Ogun state as part of Federal Government measures to tackle security challenges facing the country. The Comptroller, NIS Ogun state Command, Doris Braimah made this known while addressing leaders and representatives of the various associations of ECOWAS citizens resident in the state during a sensitisation and awareness ahead of the e – registration of migrants. Read more
N-Power beneficiaries, corpers may be recruited as community policemen —FG (Punch)
The National Economic Council says plans are underway to engage N-Power beneficiaries and National Youth Service Corps members in community policing. Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Read more
Kwara auto-crash kills 17 (Nation)
An auto-crash on Thursday at Bacita junction, on Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa express way in Kwara, killed seventeen (17) people. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the accident involved an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus and an articulated DAF trunk carrying container. An eyewitness account revealed that the accident was due to speeding and dangerous driving as the two vehicles had head-on collision at a bend along the highway. Read more
512 Nigerian students enjoy Chinese scholarship —Official (Punch)
Five hundred and twelve, among the 6,845 Nigerian students currently studying in China, are on Chinese government scholarship as at 2019, an official said. Mr. Sun Saixiong, the Press Officer in the Embassy of China in Nigeria, said this in a statement in Abuja. Saixiong said the scholarships cover was students undergoing their masters and doctorate degrees in engineering, medicine and agriculture among others. Read more
Police launch manhunt for woman who tortured daughter to death (Nation)
The police in Ondo state on Thursday said it has begun investigation to unravel how a woman tortured her daughter to death in Akure, the Ondo State capital. The Command Spokesperson, Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incident, said efforts were on to track the woman to know how it all happened. It was learnt that a woman whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was said to have rushed her daughter believed to be about four year-old to the Ondo State University Teaching Hospital, Akure Annex. Read more
Suspected herdsmen kill pregnant woman in Enugu (Punch)
Barely three weeks after a Catholic priest of Enugu Diocese, Reverend Fr. Paul Offu was killed by herdsmen along Ihe-Agbude road in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, a pregnant woman has also been killed by suspected herdsmen in Nchatancha Nike in Enugu East Council Area of the State. The woman, whose name was not yet known as of the time of filing this report was said to have been slain while returning from the farm and her stomach opened to remove her baby. Read more
Zimbabwean comedian Gonyeti ‘abducted and beaten’ in Harare (BBC)
A Zimbabwean comedian has been found after being abducted and beaten by masked gunmen in the capital Harare, her relatives and colleagues say. Samantha Kureya, known by her stage name “Gonyeti”, has been critical of the police and government in her skits. She was taken from her home, beaten and forced to drink sewage before being dumped, her colleague says. Read more
Giraffes given greater protection from unregulated trade as numbers fall (BBC)
Giraffe conservation has taken a big step forward with the world’s tallest mammals receiving enhanced protection from unregulated trade. The move will regulate the trade in giraffes and their body parts under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The vote was overwhelmingly approved, although some countries opposed it. Read more
Migration: UK cannot end freedom of movement on Brexit day, experts say (BBC)
Migration experts say the UK cannot end freedom of movement from the EU on Brexit day because it has no system to work out who is legally in the country. The Home Office said on 19 August that EU freedom of movement would end immediately in a no-deal Brexit. But Oxford University’s Migration Observatory said employers will have no way to tell whether EU nationals have arrived after 31 October. Read more
Erdogan says Turkey to press ahead with gas search off Cyprus (Guardian)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday hit out at EU measures to punish Ankara for drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean and vowed to press ahead with gas search in the region. Brussels unveiled last month measures including cutting 145.8 million euros ($164 million) in pre-accession financial funds to Turkey allocated for 2020. Read more
Poland lightning strike kills four, injures 100, in Tatra mountains storm (BBC)
At least four people died and more than 100 were injured in lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Poland, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says. The worst bolt fell on a group of hikers at the summit of Giewont, a popular peak in the Tatra range in the south of the country. A fifth person was killed in neighbouring Slovakia. At least one of the victims was said to be a child. Read more
Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou not a bargaining chip, says Pompeo (BBC)
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has denied that a Huawei executive is being detained in Canada as a bargaining chip in the US-China trade war. Meng Wanzhou, 47, was arrested in Canada in December at the request of the US. The US wants her extradited to be tried on charges of fraud linked to alleged violation of sanctions on Iran. Read more
Mother whose baby suffocated after she ignored warnings about sleeping next to him avoids jail (Metro)
A mother whose five week-old baby son suffocated a week after she ignored warnings about not sharing a bed with him avoided jail. Genna Aaronson, 33, struck a plea deal Tuesday which saw her admit culpable negligence over the death of Clarke Aaronson in January 2018. Aaronson, of West Palm Beach in Florida, had originally been charged with negligent manslaughter, but did 300 hours community service, took parenting classes and had mental health counseling. Read more
Italy crisis: Centre left and Five Star set tough coalition demands (BBC)
Two days after Italy’s populist government collapsed, the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) leader has told the president he will try to reach a deal with the populist Five Star party. Nicola Zingaretti said Italy needed a “turning-point government” but made a series of demands. President Sergio Mattarella wants a swift government deal, otherwise Italy faces new elections. Read more
Snoop Dogg confirms end of Suge Knight feud as he reveals ‘love’ for Death Row Records boss (Metro)
Snoop Dogg has revealed that he and Suge Knight are no longer feuding, stating he has nothing but ‘love’ for his former Death Row Records boss. The pair were famously locked in a bitter beef when Snoop, 47, was signed to the iconic gangsta rap record label which Suge co-founded in the ‘90s. However, it was rumoured that Snoop and Suge, 54, had buried the hatchet when the business executive began a 28-year prison sentence for a fatal hit-and-run in 2018. Read more
Junior Agogo: Ex-Ghana, Nottingham Forest and Bristol Rovers striker dies aged 40 (BBC)
Former Ghana, Nottingham Forest and Bristol Rovers striker Junior Agogo has died at the age of 40. Agogo, who began his career at Sheffield Wednesday, played 27 times for his country and scored 12 goals. He finished his career at Hibernian in 2012 having also had spells in the United States, Cyprus and Egypt. Agogo suffered a stroke in 2015 and struggled with his speech afterwards, telling a BBC Four documentary in 2017 he felt anxious about his language. Read more
Anthony Martial plays down rivalry with Marcus Rashford for Manchester United’s centre-forward spot (Metro)
Anthony Martial has played down any potential rivalry with Marcus Rashford for Manchester United’s centre-forward position, but admitted they are running a competition to see who will score the most goals in training. Many United fans and pundits have reservations about Martial and Rashford playing in the same eleven, considering both players prefer to play through the middle. But Martial dismissed the idea he and Rashford cannot gel together upfront. Read more
‘Make up for lost time’: Oxlade-Chamberlain pens new Liverpool deal (Guardian)
Injury-hit Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain penned a new deal with the European champions on Thursday and pledged to “make up for lost time”. The 26-year-old former Arsenal star, who made just two appearances last season after being sidelined with a serious knee injury, has agreed a deal that stretches to 2023. “I feel like I missed out on a year, which I obviously did, so it’s really exciting for me to be able to sign,” Oxlade-Chamberlain, who moved to Anfield from Arsenal in the summer of 2017 for £35 million, told liverpoolfc.com. Read more
Wolves win against Torino in Italy (BBC)
Wolves are in a good position to qualify for the Europa League group stage for the first time after winning 3-2 away in Italy against Torino. The visitors went ahead when Joao Moutinho’s free-kick was headed into his own net by Torino’s Gleison Bremer. Diogo Jota doubled the advantage as he finished after Adama Traore’s pass. Lorenzo de Silvestri pulled one back, Raul Jimenez’s calm finish restored Wolves’ two-goal lead before Andrea Belotti’s late penalty for Torino. Read more
Arsenal to decide late on fitness of Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka for Liverpool clash (Metro)
Arsenal will decide on Friday if Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka will be fit enough to start against Liverpool on Saturday. Unai Emery brings his unbeaten Arsenal side to Anfield, but Ozil and Xhaka are fitness concerns. Midfielder Xhaka has been struggling with a leg problem while Ozil missed Arsenal’s last game due to illness. Read more
Forrest & Edouard ease Celtic to win (BBC)
Celtic ended a turbulent nine-day spell by taking a significant step towards the Europa League group stages after beating AIK 2-0 in Glasgow. Neil Lennon spoke of the “hysteria” around his side after their Champions League exit to CFR Cluj and an underwhelming League Cup win, but second-half goals by James Forrest and Odsonne Edouard eased them to victory. Celtic suffered a frustrating first 45 minutes in this play-off round first leg, but pulled clear and will take a healthy lead to Sweden next Thursday. Read more
Axel Witsel turned down transfer to Manchester United before Borussia Dortmund switch (Metro)
Axel Witsel has confirmed he turned down a move to Manchester United last summer because Borussia Dortmund made him feel like he was their priority transfer target. United were linked with Witsel when Jose Mourinho was still in charge and was searching for a defensive midfielder that could shield a fragile back four. Witsel revealed he held talks with United and explained why he snubbed the chance to become a Red Devil. Read more
US Open draw: Serena Williams drawn to play Sharapova in first round (BBC)
Serena Williams will play Maria Sharapova in the first round of the US Open at Flushing Meadows in New York. Britain’s Johanna Konta faces Daria Kasatkina of Russia while Kyle Edmund will play Spain’s Pablo Andujar. Dan Evans faces Adrian Mannarino of France while Cameron Norrie will take on a qualifier. Read more
Peter Fury tells Anthony Joshua how to beat Andy Ruiz Jr in rematch (Metro)
Peter Fury has handed Anthony Joshua the gameplan to beat Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch. Joshua is set to take on Ruiz Jr at the end of the year after suffering the surprise defeat to the new champion last June. Ruiz Jr stopped Joshua in seven rounds in a thrilling fight, but AJ has faced heavy criticism for his performance. Fury, the uncle and former trainer of Tyson Fury, feels all Joshua needs to do to beat Ruiz Jr is to keep the Mexican moving. Read more
Christian Coleman under investigation for three alleged missed drugs tests (BBC)
American sprinter Christian Coleman is under investigation over concerns he may have missed three drugs tests, BBC Sport has been told. If found guilty he would face an automatic one-year ban and would miss the World Championships in Qatar and the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year. He is alleged to have had three possible failures under the ‘whereabouts’ system in the last year. Read more