Gunmen abduct popular native doctor, kill aides in Anambra hotel (Nation)
A popular native doctor has been reportedly abducted by gunmen in Oba, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki” was said to have been kidnapped Sunday night from his hotel room while two of his personal aides were shot dead.
The Nation gathered that the man, said to be among the strongest as well as the richest witch doctors in the State, was abducted effortlessly by the gunmen. Read more
INEC can’t explain Tinubu’s victory, claims Peter Obi (Sun)
The Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Peter Obi, has told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) how the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), deliberately subverted the will of Nigerians by dishonestly manipulating the February 25 presidential election in favour of President Bola Tinubu and his All Progressives Congress (APC).
The petitioners in their final written address argued that the Commission has been unable to provide evidence in court and prove ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ how it came to the conclusion that APC and Tinubu won.
It, therefore, urged the court not to close its eyes to constitutional violations that characterised the disputed election but to act in the interest of justice by declaring the purported return of Tinubu and APC as winners invalid and a nullity. Read more
Lagos suppressed #EndSARS evidence, Farotimi alleges (Guardian)
A lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has accused the Lagos State Government of suppressing the evidence of killings that occurred during the EndSARS protest in October 2020.
Farotimi said this while reacting to a leaked memo that the Lagos government has approved the mass burial of 103 corpses recovered in the aftermath of the EndSARS protest.
“It is so simple so say that the Lagos state government suppressed the evidence, that this (mass burial talk) is coming out three years after is nonsense,” he said on Monday during an interview on Arise Television. Read more
Lagos Gov Poll: APC files final written address, says GRV’s petition ‘‘dead on arrival’’ (Channels)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the petition filed by the Lagos State Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, as “wishy-washy”.
In its 36-page final written address to the Lagos Governorship Election Tribunal, the APC in its response to the petition of Rhodes-Vivour also submitted that no evidence had been put before the 3 man panel to sway its mind that the votes cast for Gov. Babajide SanwoOlu were not lawful or that the election was not conducted in substantial compliance with the relevant laws.
Rhodes-Vivour who was dissatisfied with the outcome of the March 18 governorship elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on April 9th filed
a 271-page petition to challenge the return of SanwoOlu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat. Read more
NASS: Furore as Lagos Reps pick 4 ‘juicy’ committee chairs (Leadership)
Forty-eight hours to the public presentation of the composition of the various standing committees of the National Assembly, there is discontent at the way the exercise has been handled in the two chambers of the federal legislature.
LEADERSHIP gathered that lawmakers in both chambers trembled with anger, especially at the weekend. A majority of the lawmakers are nursing the hurt of being unfairly treated by the handlers of the exercise in the Presidency.
The names of the federal lawmakers allocated to the various committees in the Senate and House of Representatives are expected to be made public during plenary on Thursday, ahead of the six-week recess by the two chambers. Read more
LASUBEB monitors school placement test (Punch)
Officials of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board have embarked on a monitoring exercise for the 2023 placement test in the state.
This, according to LASUBEB, is to ensure a “hitch-free conduct of the year 2023 Placement Test by Continuous Assessment Scores at designated school centres.”
The placement test is an annual transition examination for primary six pupils of public and private schools across Lagos State. Read more
Tinubu replaces 4 names on ministerial list as deadline approaches (NewTelegraph)
Four days to the expiration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s to submit names of ministerial nominees to the Senate for screening and confirmation, multiple sources have revealed that the President is yet to fulfill this constitutional provision.
New Telegraph findings show that the Red Chamber of the National Assembly is yet to receive the final list of the ministerial nominees 56 days after Tinubu took over the mantle of leadership from former President Muhammadu Buhari.
It has been earlier reported that sources at the presidency had last week hinted that the list was ready, but that a few adjustments were being made by the President. Read more
Kano Tribunal affirms Hanga’s election as Senator (DailyTrust)
National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kano has upheld the victory of Senator Rufa’i Hanga as the elected member of the Kano Central Senatorial District.
Daily Trust reported that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25, senatorial election in Kano Central, Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura, has filed a petition at the election petition tribunal in Kano challenging the declaration of Hanga of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the winner of the election by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Zaura, through his counsel, Ishaka Dikko (SAN), prayed the tribunal to declare him the winner of the election and set aside the INEC declaration that announced Hanga as the winner of the poll. Read more
Operatives arrest suspected killer of 3 police officers in Delta (Tribune)
Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested the suspected killer of three police officers and two others.
This was disclosed late Monday in a statement by Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bright Edafe, on Tuesday.
He said several counter police operatives also recovered three AK-47 rifles and one assault rifle from the fleeing gunmen. Read more
Tori Kelly hospitalized for blood clots after collapsing in public (People)
Tori Kelly is reportedly in the hospital being treated for blood clots after collapsing at dinner Sunday night.
TMZ reported that the “Nobody Love” singer, 30, fainted after her heartbeat quickened while out with friends in downtown Los Angeles, with sources telling the outlet that she was “out for a while.”
According to the outlet, Kelly’s friends then transported her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment, where doctors found blood clots around her lungs and legs. Read more
Nina Simone’s 1966 Newport Jazz Festival set now available via live album (AS)
Fans now get to hear Nina Simone’s revered set at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival. On Friday (July 21) Verve Records released “You’ve Got To Learn,” a six-song album containing live recordings of Simone’s legendary set at the historic festival.
The album is named after the only known recording of the song “You’ve Got to Learn,” along with the first recording of “Music For Lovers” and “Blues For Mama.” It also features a swing-style recording of her famous protest anthem, “Mississippi Goddam,” that she released in 1964 after the murders of Emmett Till and Medgar Evers in Mississippi and the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Alabama. The live version at Newport also finds Simone improvising a line about the Watts riots in Los Angeles in 1965. Read more
Somalia: Al-Shabab Islamist kills dozens in attack on army (DW)
A lone Islamist suicide bomber from the al-Shabab militia killed scores of Somali soldiers Monday in an attack on the Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in Mogadishu.
Conflicting reports say between 20 and 30 service members were killed in the attack and as many as 60 may have been injured.
Witnesses say the lone assailant entered the facility, where the Somali army’s 14th infantry brigade was gathered, then detonated his explosive vest. Read more
Florence Pugh, Cillian Murphy’s Oppenheimer sex scene condemned as a “scathing attack on Hinduism” (PageSix)
Indian officials have denounced Christopher Nolan’s latest film Oppenheimer as a “scathing attack on Hinduism” for a sex scene between Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh.
In a lengthy tweet shared Saturday, journalist and government-appointed information commissioner Uday Mahurkar slammed Nolan and the scene for its use of the Bhagavad Gita, which he called “one of the most revered scriptures of Hinduism.”
“We do not know the motivation and logic behind this unnecessary scene in the life of a scientist,” wrote Mahurkar, who also founded the Save Culture Save India (SCSI) Foundation. Read more
Jane Birkin: Stars pay tribute to singer, actress and style icon at her funeral (Sky)
Singer Vanessa Paradis and the French president’s wife, Brigitte Macron, were among the famous faces who paid tribute to singer and actress Jane Birkin at her funeral in Paris on Monday.
The British-French style icon, who lent her name to the Hermes Birkin handbag, died earlier this month at the age of 76.
The London-born star was found at her home in Paris by her carer.
She was best-known for her 1969 hit single “Je t’aime… moi non plus” with then-husband Serge Gainsbourg. Read more
Barack Obama’s personal chef found dead in Martha’s Vineyard lake (AlJazeera)
Former United States President Barack Obama’s personal chef has been found dead in a lake near the Obamas’ family home, in the resort community of Martha’s Vineyard.
Massachusetts State Police confirmed on Monday that a paddle boarder who was seen getting into difficulty on the Edgartown Great Pond was the Obamas’ personal chef Tafari Campbell.
Campbell, 45, worked at the White House before continuing to work for the Obama family after the 44th president left office in 2016. Read more
Prison riot in Ecuador leaves at least 5 dead (VOA)
Rival gangs fought in a prison in Ecuador, leaving at least five inmates dead in the latest riot to hit the troubled penal system, the government said Sunday.
Another 11 prisoners were injured in the new bout of violence in the Guayas 1 prison in the port city of Guayaquil overnight Saturday into Sunday, the agency that runs the prison system said.
Mass killings featuring stunning levels of violence such as beheadings are common in the overcrowded Ecuadorian prison network. Read more
Falcons want more money, admits hungry Ebi (Punch)
Nigeria captain, Onome Ebi, says the nine-time African champions have no reason to lose against Australia on Thursday as they seek more money from the tournament, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Ebi who aims to play a part in the encounter having missed out in the goalless draw with Canada, added that the Falcons will play more adventurously against the Matildas at the Lang Park.
“It is interesting that they have an idea of how to play us,”Ebi told thenff.com. Read more
Aribo scores in Southampton’s pre-season win (Sun)
Super Eagles midfielder, Joe Aribo marked his return to Southampton after the holidays with a goal in their 4-2 pre-season victory over Reading, Soccernet.ng reports
The 27-year-old has been linked with a move from Southampton in this transfer window.
He has struggled in his first season in England, scoring two goals in 21 league appearances, with Southampton relegated to the Sky Bet Championship at the end of last season. Read more
Saudi club Al Hilal makes world record $332m bid for Mbappé (ESPN)
After missing out on Lionel Messi, Saudi team Al Hilal made a record €300 million ($332m) bid for Kylian Mbappé on Monday, which could see the France striker join Cristiano Ronaldo in the oil-rich kingdom.
The 2018 World Cup winner is in a contract standoff with PSG after his decision to not take up the option of a 12-month extension on his deal.
Instead, he plans to walk away as a free agent at the end of the upcoming season, when he is widely expected to join Real Madrid. Read more
Wilfried Zaha: Galatasaray sign former Crystal Palace forward (BBC)
Wilfried Zaha has joined Galatasaray following the expiration of his Crystal Palace contract.
Zaha, 30, has signed a three-year deal and will be paid a signing-on fee of 2.35m euros (£2m) and an annual salary of 4.35m euros (£3.75m), the Turkish club said.
Zaha started out at Palace aged just 12, spending most of his career there.
The forward made 458 appearances for the Eagles, the third-most in the club’s history, and scored 90 goals. Read more
Lance Stroll makes Aston Martin demand as Fernando Alonso blunt after Hungarian GP (Mirror)
Lance Stroll wants his Aston Martin team to return to the position of strength it was in at the beginning of this Formula 1 season.
The Silverstone-based team was the surprise package at the beginning of this year. Fernando Alonso was lightning quick in pre-season testing and lived up to the hype when the competitive action began.
Five podiums in the first six races made Alonso the most likely challenger to Red Bull and Max Verstappen. But he has been in the top three just once in his five most recent outings. Read more
Serhii Bohachuk aims for title shot after blowing out Patrick Allotey in one (BoxingScene)
Saturday night at the Chumash Casino Resort, WBC #2 ranked super welterweight Serhii ‘El Flaco’ Bohachuk, (23-1, 23 KOs), continued his knockout streak through the division with a stunning, one punch, first round knockout (2:32) of world title challenger, Patrick Allotey, (42-5, 32 KO), of Accra, Ghana.
Said promoter Tom Loeffler, “Serhii continued to prove why he’s the most exciting fighter in the super welterweight division. He’s ready for a world title fight now.”
“The entire card was full of action-packed fights, the crowd here at Chumash Casino was tremendous and we look forward to returning in the future.” Read more