How SARS operatives arrested serial car thief (Vanguard)
For 29-year-old Joseph Femi, removing Vanagon buses from where they are parked, is like child’s play, no matter how tight the security lock is.
This is because he boasted to have a key that could disconnect any security lock in such buses. His work as a commercial bus driver was an added advantage as it makes it easier for him to get ready buyers, within two hours after stealing the buses.
The suspect who was recently paraded by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Hakeem Odumosu, told Crime Guard that he operated a lone squad and sold stolen buses between N120,000 and N150,000, to ready buyers.
Genesis
He disclosed that he started removing buses from where they were parked, in 2018.
Hear him: “I live in Abule-Egba. But I operate around Oyingbo and Agric, Ikorodu. Whenever I wanted to operate, I would get to either of the two places around 10 pm and perambulate for two hours, waiting for residents to retire. Read more
Awala Boys: Teenage hoodlums terrorise Lagos community, kill three (Punch)
Amid lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, residents of Aiyetoro community in Ajegunle, in the Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State are living in fear of hoodlums popularly known as Awala Boys.
The thugs who belong to different factional groups have reportedly been terrorising residents and passersby since 2018, dispossessing them of phones, cash and other valuables.
Their operations recently led to the death of three persons – a photographer and secretary of a security committee in Aiyetoro, Peter Edogbei, one Daniel aka Warrior and Moshood aka Alegba – while many others, including a traditional ruler (otherwise known as baale), were injured.
Saturday Punch learnt the traditional ruler, Baale of Oke-Ira (also in Ajegunle), Taiwo Olayeni, Edogbeji and other community leaders, were returning from a meeting held at Ajeromi Plaza on Tuesday, March 24, when they ran into the hoodlums on Okoya Bridge, Aiyetoro, around 7pm. Read more
More Nigerians recover from Coronavirus (DailyTrust)
A total of 24 people who were earlier confirmed to be infected with Coronavirus have so far been treated and discharged from the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Yaba Lagos after testing negative twice, the state Commissioner for Health said yesterday. Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this at a news conference in Lagos yesterday, said four more patients were discharged yesterday, including three females and one male. The three females included an eight-week-old baby along with her mother. In the last two days, the commissioner said, 15 people have been discharged and another 16 new patients have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Lagos. Read more
APC, Buhari, Tinubu eulogise Oshiomhole at 68 (Nation)
The All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari, and National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu have hailed the National Chairman of the ruling party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as a courageous and resilient mobiliser.
They gave the eulogy, yesterday in separate statements to commemorate Oshiomhole’s 68th birthday anniversary, affirming that the party chairman’s skill had galvanized the party.
The APC in a congratulatory message signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said Oshiomhole has been living a life of service to mankind.
The statement read in part: “On this special day, we salute our Comrade Chairman, who in his entire public service to this great country, has demonstrated doggedness, steadfastness and pro-masses disposition in his actions and utterances. Read more
Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna residents: Our lives under lockdown (DailyTrust)
Days after the lockdown order in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), residents who live on the lower rungs of the social ladder have begun to fret about how they would get food to eat and portable water. Most of Abuja’s suburbs do not have portable water and residents depend on vendors to get their supply from boreholes. Grace Ijeoma lives in a slum at Abattoir, Karu, a suburb of Abuja, with her three children. She is one of millions of Nigerians who live from hand to mouth, so the lockdown means that getting her daily sustenance is a big challenge.
“We are not talking about washing hands. Let us get enough water to drink and bath. In this lockdown we are afraid we might run out of resources, so we have to manage,” she said. Read more
Police bust Abuja gang selling cocaine (Punch)
Six suspects dealing in cocaine and rohypnol in the Federal Capital Territory have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team.
Cocaine weighing about 15 grams and 300 sachets of rohypnol (popularly called refnol) were said to have been recovered from them.
City Round learnt that the suspects – Jide Akinsanya, 37; Johnson Uche, 45; Apai Idoko, 30; Nnemaka Kalu, 38 and Azubike Kelechi, 40 – were apprehended recently in Abuja and Kaduna State.
It was learnt that the suspects got the supplies from Lagos and Onitsha, Anambra State and sold the drugs to miscreants in bits. Read more
BUK produces sanitizers (Nation)
Bayero University’s Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry has mobilized its staff for the production of hand sanitizers to be used within the university campus and possibly the Kano community.
Already, a number of the academic staff from the department who volunteered to participate in the project with a view to contributing their quota towards fighting the COVID 19, are currently in the laboratories formulating the sanitizers based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) specifications.
According to the Head, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Dr. Ibrahim Tajo Siraj, who revealed this yesterday to reporters, said that the idea was borne out of the desire to give a helping hand in the fight against the disease. Read more
OAU sex-for-mark lecturer released from prison two years after (Punch)
A lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Richard Akindele, jailed for sexual harassment has been released from prison after serving a two-year term.
The Cable, an online newspaper, reports that Akindele, a professor of management accounting, was released about two weeks ago.
A Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, in 2018 had sentenced Akindele to prison after he pleaded guilty to four counts filed against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. The Commission had investigated sexual harassment allegations levelled against the professor by a female student, Monica Osagie. Read more
Military set to deploy 80 doctors (Nation)
As part of efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Nigerian military is set to deploy 80 medical personnel to complement the number of health workers fighting the virus.
Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, who made the disclosure while briefing defence correspondents on the preparedness of the Nigerian Armed Forces to manage COVID-19 cases, said that the 80 medical personnel had commenced the requisite training and would soon be deployed.
He said an additional treatment centre had been provided at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, bringing the number to 18.
He said: “In continuation of our briefing on the Armed Forces of Nigeria support on COVID-19, the High Command of the Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to assure the public of its commitment to the presidential directives on COVID-19. Read more
‘What gave me courage to marry two women same day’ (DailyTrust)
A 35-year-old farmer and councilor representing Iwogu ward in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Ibrahim Kasimu Oboshi, also known as Ogah, has married two young women on the same day. He married Nazira Dahiru Ozegya and Rabi Isyaku Akose on March 28, 2020. Speaking exclusively to Daily Trust Saturday, he said, “I am an orphan, self made farmer and now a councilor. As an orphan, I took up farming and school seriously. I made it in farming as I was able to take care of my mother and myself. I later won election to represent my ward.” What gave me courage to marry two women same day He said that when many people heard he was planning to marry two wives on the same day, they wondered if he was a prince or son of a very rich man, but they were told he was a farmer. Read more
How lockdown redefines our weekends (BBC)
There’s a scene in the Downton Abbey pilot in which the landed Crawley family’s sumptuous evening meal is marred by a dinner guest’s shocking disclosure that he has a real job. When the guest explains that he has time for other pursuits at the weekend, Maggie Smith’s wealthy dowager inquires with a hint of alarm: “What is a weekend?”
It’s a question those of us with non-essential jobs have had plenty of time to ask in recent weeks as schools, offices and public spaces of all kinds have closed to slow the spread of coronavirus. Confined to our homes and stripped of our daily routines, many in self-isolation have found that time has become a strange and amorphous thing that can’t be defined by a calendar.
If you’re still in pajamas and both the TV and your work laptop are on, does it matter what time it is? If you’re still ping-ponging between work that needs finishing and kids who need snacks, does it matter what day of the week it is? What is a weekend, really, and is even possible to have one in a quarantined world? Read more
Make delicious, creamy mayonnaise with just three ingredients (Metro)
Grocery shopping is no longer the simple task it used to be. Now, you need protective clothing, plenty of time to allow for extra queueing, and half of what you want might not even be on the shelves. So, with plenty more time at home, many of us are trying our hand at home baking, cooking and making things from scratch. It might surprise you to realise just how easy and quick it is to make your own mayonnaise. You can make it with three ingredients, and it will be just as delicious as your favourite brand, with none of the preservatives and only costing a fraction of the price. Read more
French doctors blasted for saying coronavirus vaccines should be tested in Africa (NYPost)
Two French doctors have been blasted for racism after one of them suggested trialing a tuberculosis vaccine in Africa to determine whether it could combat the coronavirus, according to a new report.
The comments came during a debate on the French TV channel LCI, the BBC reported. Camille Locht, head of research at the Inserm health research group, had mentioned conducting a trial of the BCG vaccine in Europe and Australia.
“If I can be provocative,” responded Jean-Paul Mira, head of intensive care at Cochin Hospital in Paris, “shouldn’t we be doing this study in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatments, no resuscitation?” Read more
Bernie Ecclestone responds to uproar over having baby at the age of 89 (Metro)
Bernie Ecclestone says he’s ‘not sure what all the fuss is about’ after he announced that he’s set to become a father for the fourth time at the age of 89. On Thursday, the ex-Formula One chief executive revealed that his wife Fabiana Flosi, 44, is expecting a baby boy in July. The couple, who tied the knot back in 2012, have been self-isolating in their Brazilian farm north of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The billionaire business magnate is already the father to three daughters, Deborah, 65, Tamara, 35, and Petra, 31. Ecclestone had Deborah with his first wife Ivy Bamford, while his next two children came from his second marriage with Slavica Radic. Read more
Trump bans US companies from exporting needed medical supplies (NYPost)
President Trump on Friday said that he had ordered US companies to stop exporting crucial medical supplies and equipment to ensure that hospitals and health care facilities have the life-saving supplies they need to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
“I‘m signing a directive invoking the Defense Production Act to prohibit export of scarce health and medical supplies by unscrupulous actors and profiteers,” Trump said, referring to the Korean War-era law that gives the president sweeping powers to order American companies to manufacture and deliver needed equipment. Read more
Robert Kennedy’s granddaughter and her son missing (BBC)
Authorities are searching for Maeve Kennedy McKean, 41 – granddaughter of assassinated presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy – and her young son.
Mrs McKean and her son, eight-year-old Gideon, were last seen on Thursday evening in a canoe off Chesapeake Bay.
“They just got farther out than they could handle and couldn’t get back in,” said Ms McKean’s husband, David McKean, to the Washington Post newspaper.
The Coast Guard has reportedly covered 2,275 square miles in its search.
The agency is joined by the Maryland Natural Resources Policy and the Anne Arundel County Fire Department in looking for the pair. Crews on boats and in helicopters have all been engaged in the search. Read more
Cyberbullying against Asians skyrockets 900%, report claims (Metro)
The current coronavirus pandemic has originates from China and analysts are reporting a growing wave of online anti-Chinese sentiment as a result. Things probably weren’t helped by Donald Trump referring to the covid-19 outbreak as the ‘China virus’. Israeli startup L1ght tracks online hate speech and cyberbullying and reports it has seen a 900% increase in abuse targeting Asian people since the outbreak began. Obviously, given the lockdown there are far more people online inhabiting social media and messaging forums but the findings are nonetheless shocking. Read more
The climber who bagged all 282 Munros in one winter (BBC)
A climber who battled through relentless storms to complete all of Scotland’s 282 Munros in one winter round has said it feels odd to be stuck at home due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Kevin Woods, from Glasgow, is believed to be only the third person to have achieved the feat in a winter season following in the footsteps of the late Martin Moran and Steve Perry, who both died last year in separate climbing accidents.
Tributes paid to ‘incredible’ climbers
Himalayas search for climber Martin Moran called off, says family
The 28-year-old, who started the continuous trek on Ben More on Mull in December finished it in 97 days on Ben Lomond. Read more
Anthony Joshua vs Kubrat Pulev postponed with new date ‘being worked on’ (Metro)
Anthony Joshua’s scheduled world title defence against Kubrat Pulev on 20 June has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with no new date announced as yet. Joshua was due to defend his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight titles against the Bulgarian in north London, but it has been pushed back. A Matchroom Boxing statement read: ‘Anthony Joshua’s defence of his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World Titles against Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev scheduled to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday June 20 has been postponed. ‘A new date for the event promoted by Matchroom Boxing and 258 Management in association with Top Rank and Epic Sports Entertainment is currently being worked on. Read more
Ronaldo becomes football’s first billionaire (Punch)
Juventus talisman Cristiano Ronaldo will become the third sportsman in the world after golf star Tiger Woods and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr to have earned $1bn during his career.
The Old Lady announced a massive pay cut to help them during a period with loss of revenue, but it won’t affect the Portuguese superstar too much.
Thanks to the brand that is CR7, he exclusively earned about €100m only in 2019, but in his career, he is expected to reach the $1bn club in 2019-20, even with the three-month pay cut at the Bianconeri.
Only Barcelona star Lionel Messi earned more than Ronaldo last season, but the fact that the 35-year-old has almost played 18 seasons of professional football helps him become the first-ever footballer to reach $1bn during his career. Read more
Coronavirus: LPGA Tour on hold until majority can play (BBC)
The LPGA Tour will not resume after the coronavirus pandemic until the majority of international players are able to compete in tournaments, said commissioner Mike Whan.
On Friday it was announced that the US Women’s Open, scheduled to take place in June, had been moved to December.
The next five LPGA events have been postponed or cancelled.
“I couldn’t see us running an event where half of our players couldn’t play,” said Whan.
He added: “Could I see us playing an event where our international players can’t attend? I don’t think I could call that official. Read more
Bayern Munich: Head coach Hansi Flick agrees contract extension (BBC)
Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick has agreed a new contract with the Bundesliga champions until June 2023.
The 55-year-old joined the club at the start of the season as Niko Kovac’s assistant.
However, he became interim boss when Kovac was sacked on 3 November and subsequently earned a deal until the end of the season.
He has won 18 of his 21 matches in charge, earning praise from Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Read more
Manchester United should keep hold of Odion Ighalo, believes Dimitar Berbatov (Metro)
Manchester United should seriously consider keeping hold of Odion Ighalo for next season after an impressive start to his loan spell, believes former Red Devils striker Dimitar Berbatov. The Nigerian has scored four goals in eight appearances for United since his surprise arrival on loan from Chinese club Shanghai Shenua in January. There seemed little chance that the move would be made permanent when he arrived, but his displays, and goals, have made it a serious possibility, and one that the player would be thrilled to pursue. Ighalo grew up as a Man Utd fan and is considering taking a significant pay cut to stay at Old Trafford rather than return to the Chinese Super League, and Berbatov feels the club should encourage him to stay, rather than spend big on other targets. Read more
Neymar makes £775,000 donation to fight COVID-19 (Punch)
Neymar has been revealed as the anonymous donor who gave 5 million Brazilian real (£775,000/$950,000) to charity to fight coronavirus.
The PSG star has been unveiled as the generous figure who split the sum between UNICEF and a benefit fund in his home nation of Brazil
The Paris Saint-Germain star split the donation between UNICEF and a benefit fund in his home nation of Brazil to aid in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Neymar had made the generous gesture without putting his name to it, however, Brazilian television channel SBT revealed that the national team striker had made the donation. Read more
Unveiling Auwal Ali, Kano Pillars FC ‘silent assassin’ (DailyTrust)
It will be an understatement to say that Kano Pillars started the current Nigeria Professional Football League, season on a shaky note as the ‘masu gida’ boys from the pyramid city struggled to win their first match. Although their first victory came against Dakkada FC of Uyo in a rescheduled week 2 match, Pillars had uncharacteristically gone six matches without a victory. Auwal Ali ‘Malam’ Their opening match in kano against Rivers United ended in a 0-0 draw. They lost their second home match 0-1 to Lobi Stars, lost again 0-1 to Jigawa Golden Stars, were held to 0-0 draw by Wikki Tourists in Kano before the significant 0-0 draw in week six against Plateau United in Jos. Read more
Germany eye Jurgen Klopp as Low’s successor (Vanguard)
Germany have identified Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as the man to take over from Joachim Low in the national team dugout.
Since arriving at Anfield in 2015, Klopp has guided Liverpool to 155 victories from 256 games in charge, and the 57-year-old is committed to the Champions League holders until 2024.
However, according to The Mirror, Klopp has privately admitted that Liverpool is likely to be his last managerial role at club level, and he is said to have taken an interest in the national team role. Read more