He was so calm! Nigerians raise N.5m for armed Lagos policeman assaulted by civilian (Punch)
Nigerians on social media have raised about N500,000 to compensate an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sunday Erhator for his professional conduct and restrain when assaulted by a traffic offender, Victor Ebhomenyen, in the Oniru area of Lagos State.
Thirty-three-year-old Ebhomenyen had on Saturday assaulted the policeman at Four Point Hotel in Oniru and inflicted severe body injuries on him, according to Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi.
In viral videos, Ebhomenyen and an accomplice, Etinosa Obaywana, who is now at large, were seen pushing the chest of Erhator and spewing expletives after the policeman and his colleagues attached to the Rapid Response Squad of the state command stopped a white Hyundai SUV, MUS 251 EH facing their convoy on one-way.
“When the police stopped the vehicle, the occupants, one Victor Ebhomenye and Etinosa Obaywana, angrily came down, confronted and violently assaulted ASP Erhator Sunday, inflicting severe bodily injuries on him. Read more
‘I live by roadside to make kidnapping easy’ (Nation)
A 20-year-old suspect has told police in Osun State that he set up camps near expressways to facilitate kidnapping travellers.
Twenty-year-old Ahmad Muhammad was arrested on Ife/Ibadan Expressway at Wasinmi, a village in the state.
During his parade at police headquarters in Osogbo, the state capital, he said he was one of the seven gang members who kidnapped passengers on the expressway, adding that he was arrested in a shootout with police.
He said he hailed from Tambuwal community in Sokoto State. Read more
Why Lagos is yet to have Amotekun – Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said that operatives of Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps are currently doing the work of Amotekun in the state.
He spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics at the Lagos House.
According to him, apart from community policing, operatives of the LNSC also engage in border patrol.
Sanwo-Olu said, “It’s just a name change in the case of Lagos. I appreciate what my colleague governors are doing, and they also appreciate the peculiar nature of Lagos. Read more
Students in viral shisha video: Lagos wades in, orders for rehabilitation of pupils (Vanguard)
Lagos State Government has waded into the viral video of five female students in school uniform smoking what is called “Shisha,” with the order for the rehabilitation of the identified pupils.
Recall that the disturbing video which trended on social media has received wide condemnation from concerned Nigerians both at home and in the diaspora, calling for sanction against the pupils and their parents.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, the state government, through the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth and Social Development, subsequently, identified the female pupils and the school in the state.
They were subsequently, identified as students of Oreyo Senior Grammar School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu area of the state. Read more
Gridlock: NPA wants more enforcement personnel on TinCan-Mile 2 axis (Vanguard)
THE Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA, weekend, urged the Lagos State Traffic Management and Enforcement Team on Apapa to deploy more security personnel along Mile-2- TinCan Port, to boost efforts at decongesting traffic on the axis.
This came as NPA resumed full operations at the AP Moller Terminal, APMT, Apapa, Lagos Port Complex, and Electronic-Call-Up system, which was shut down by Maritime Workers Union, MWUN, over anti-labour practices.
The Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Usman, made the call for more security personnel, when she led a team on inspection of the Apapa axis at the weekend.
At end of the inspection of the ongoing road construction works at Liverpool, under the bridge, Tin-Can Port Second Gate and Sunrise, along Apapa-Mile 2 Expressway, which had NPA, port stakeholders and Lagos Traffic Team, it was resolved, among others, that “To clear the backlog of trucks created by the picketing of APMT by MWUN, the Electronic-Call-Up system be temporarily shut down for 24 hours. As such, new bookings and the merging of tickets will be put on hold. Read more
Family seeks justice over son abducted, killed by hoodlums in Lagos (Independent)
The family of a 40-year old Wale Kalejaiye, who was abducted and killed while helping the Police in the Akodo area of Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, to ensure that the killers do not go unpunished.
Reports showed that Wale had on February 1, 2021, led some police personnel to the notorious community to arrest some criminals, when hoodlums attacked him and the policemen.
Daily Independent gathered that Policemen from Akodo Divisional Police Station at Magbon Segun Beach in the Ibeju Lekki area, recovered Wale’s bloated body on February 5, 2021. Read more
Judicial autonomy: Lawyers protest in Lagos, Abuja (Punch)
Members of the Nigerian Bar Association protested against the non-implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary in Lagos State and Abuja on Monday.
This is coming after members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria commenced a nationwide protest.
Some of the judicial workers converged on the gate of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, chanting solidarity songs. Read more
Gunmen raze Anambra police zonal headquarters (Punch)
Gunmen numbering about 20 in the early hours of Monday attacked the Zonal Police Headquarters, Zone13, Ukpo, Anambra State.
They razed some offices and scores of vehicles during the attack.
Reasons behind the attack could not be ascertained as of press time.
A police officer, who pleaded anonymity, said the hoodlums were rebuffed from getting into the armoury department of the place. Read more
NCS intercepts used vehicles, smuggled rice worth N1.3b in Q1 (ThisDay)
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, has announced that it intercepted contraband and raised a debit note (DN) worth N1.3 billion in the first three months of 2021.
In a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Jerry Attah the unit stated that while N1.280 billion was generated from seizures from contraband, N7.6 million was raised as DN for cargoes that exited the seaports.
The Customs Area Controller, Zone C, Compt. Yusuf Lawal, was quoted in a statement as saying, “Following our anti-smuggling drives, between January to March 2021, we have intercepted various contraband within our areas of jurisdiction which covers south-south/south east zones with a duty paid value of N1.280 billion. Read more
Table Mountain fire: Residents evacuated in Cape Town suburb (BBC)
South African emergency workers have evacuated three 17-storey residential buildings overlooking Cape Town as a huge fire burns along Table Mountain.
The blaze spread quickly after breaking out on Sunday morning near a memorial to politician Cecil Rhodes. A restaurant was destroyed.
The University of Cape Town’s historic library was also badly damaged.
About 250 firefighters have been battling the blaze, which has been fanned by strong winds. Read more
France ‘enabled’ 1994 Rwanda genocide, report says (AlJazeera)
The French government bears “significant” responsibility for “enabling a foreseeable genocide,” a report commissioned by the Rwandan government concludes about France’s role before and during the horror in which an estimated 800,000 people were slaughtered in 1994.
The report, which The Associated Press has read, comes amid efforts by Rwanda to document the role of French authorities before, during and after the genocide, part of the steps taken by France’s President Emmanuel Macron to improve relations with the Central African country.
The 600-page report says that France “did nothing to stop” the massacres, in April and May 1994, and in the years after the genocide tried to cover up its role and even offered protection to some perpetrators.
It is to be made public later on Monday after its formal presentation to Rwanda’s Cabinet. Read more
Cuba leadership: Díaz-Canel named Communist Party chief (BBC)
Cuba’s Communist Party has announced Miguel Díaz-Canel will succeed Raúl Castro as the party’s first secretary.
Mr Díaz-Canel, who in 2018 succeeded Mr Castro as Cuba’s president, had been widely tipped for the arguably more influential post of party leader.
The transition means that the island will be governed by someone other than Fidel or Raúl Castro for the first time since the Cuban revolution in 1959.
Mr Díaz-Canel is seen as loyal to the Castros and their economic model. Read more
Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny send X-Files fans wild with reunion photo (Metro)
X-Files fans have gone wild after Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny enjoyed a low-key reunion. The former co-stars – who appeared as FBI special agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder respectively in the sci-fi show from 1993 to 2002 – hung out recently, and it’s safe to say everyone loved seeing them back together again. Gillian shared an adorable photo on Instagram as she and David cuddled up for a selfie with her new pup Stella. She captioned the snap: ‘Stella made a new friend today.’ Read more
How product placements may soon be added to classic films (BBC)
Product placement is big business for movies and TV series alike, and items can now be added digitally to films and programmes both new and old.
Fans of classic war flicks will know the scene – actor Steve McQueen revs his motorcycle furiously as he is chased by German soldiers.
Hoping to use the bike to jump over a barbed wire border fence, and reach safety in Switzerland, he pauses to gather his thoughts by a barn.
On the side of the building is a big poster advertising a best-selling beer. Read more
Madonna says gun control should be the ‘new vaccination’ as she campaigns for laws to ‘save lives’ (Metro)
Madonna has said that gun control should be the ‘new vaccination’ because it ‘saves lives’. Launching a passionate plea for new laws in the United States, the singer shared a video of herself erecting posters that read ‘Wake up America’ and ‘Gun control now’. She wore a blue balaclava while shouting ‘wake up motherf’ during the clip, soundtracked by her 2019 song God Control, which is based on mass shootings. In an accompanying caption, the 62-year-old wrote: ‘There’s a new Vaccination!! It’s called GUN CONTROL! Should be mandatory. It will SAVE LIVES!’ Read more
Russia moves ailing Putin critic Navalny to prison hospital (BBC)
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been moved to a prison hospital, where the authorities say his condition is “satisfactory”.
He has been on hunger strike for 20 days, complaining of inadequate medical attention. He is now in Vladimir, a city 180km (112 miles) east of Moscow.
The FSIN prison service says he is being examined by a doctor daily and he has agreed to take vitamins.
Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent last August and only narrowly survived. Read more
Ugo Monye hopes new RFU group can help everyone feel rugby is ‘for them’ (BBC)
Ugo Monye earned 16 international caps and now works as a TV and radio pundit after retiring from playing in 2015
Ex-England wing Ugo Monye hopes that as chair of a new Rugby Football Union advisory group he can help everyone feel rugby “is a game for them”.
Monye will lead the independent diversity and inclusion advisory group which will “shape plans” and “challenge the RFU on its progress” in the area.
“It’s important that we get this right so that anyone, from anywhere, feels rugby is a game for them,” Monye said.
“The RFU has made diversity and inclusion a core priority.”
He added: “Clear plans are being worked on that should make a substantive difference to the game.” Read more
I’m done with national team – Aiyenugba, Kwara Utd goalkeeper (Vanguard)
Dele Aiyenugba, erstwhile Super Eagles goalkeeper, says he is done with the national team, but now focusing on winning the league with Kwara United FC of Ilorin.
Aiyenugba stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Sunday.
“I don’t want to go back to the national team; I am done,” he said.
The former Enyimba International FC of Aba goalkeeper, who played 17 times for the national team, between 2005 and 2015 spent 13 seasons in Israel with four teams.
Aiyenugba returned to Nigeria ahead of the 2020-21 season to play for Kwara United and he has been a huge success for the Ilorin-based Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) side. Read more
European Super League: Breakaway football clubs launch new league (AlJazeera)
A group of 12 elite English, Spanish and Italian clubs have dramatically split European football by announcing the formation of a largely closed Super League (SL).
The clubs said on Sunday night they were leaving the existing UEFA-run Champions League structure despite warnings they could be kicked out of their domestic competitions and face legal action. UEFA stands for the Union of European Football Associations.
The move came after the rebel clubs reneged on a promise on Friday to back the plan by UEFA – European football’s governing body – to expand the Champions League beginning in 2024.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez would be the founding chairman of the new league, which said it “intended to commence as soon as practicable” as a 20-team competition playing in mid-week matches like the current Champions League and Europa League. Read more
UEFA confirms players in Super League will be banned from international football (Metro)
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has confirmed that players who participate in the European Super League will be banned from representing their national team at major tournaments. On Sunday, 12 clubs from England, Spain and Italy, including the Premier League’s ‘big six’, announced their plan to form a European Super League and break away from the current Champions League and Europa League format. Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have all signed up along with Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter. Read more
Lorna Brooke: Amateur jockey dies in hospital after Taunton fall (BBC)
Amateur rider Lorna Brooke has died in hospital following a fall at Taunton earlier this month.
Brooke was riding Orchestrated for her mother, Lady Susan Brooke, when the horse fell at the third fence in a handicap chase on 8 April.
The 37-year-old was taken to intensive care at Southmead Hospital in Bristol for observation and tests on a suspected spinal injury.
After complications she was placed in an induced coma on Friday. Read more
Wayne Rooney blasts Tottenham decision to sack Jose Mourinho (Metro) Wayne Rooney has branded Tottenham’s decision to sack Jose Mourinho as ‘crazy’. The 58-year-old leaves Spurs with less than a week to go until their Carabao Cup final against Manchester City on Sunday. Former Spurs midfielder Ryan Mason has been placed in temporary charge until the club find a long-term replacement. Spurs have been on a woeful run of form in Mourinho’s final few weeks in charge, winning just one of their last six games and suffering a 2-1 defeat to north London rivals Arsenal. Read more
