How we spent N80m on lawmakers’ wives Dubai trip – Lagos Speaker, Obasa (Punch)
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, on Saturday appeared before the House panel of enquiry on the corruption allegations levelled against him by an online medium.
Obasa told the panel that the allegations were untrue and that they were the handiwork of his enemies.
The Speaker appeared before the nine-man fact-finding panel of the House headed by Mr Victor Akande (Ojo Constituency I) at the House chamber.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that an online medium had reported on May 23 that at least 64 bank accounts had been discovered and linked to the Bank Verification Number of the Speaker. Read more
Lagos discharges 42 COVID-19 patients (Vanguard)
Lagos State Government on Saturday discharged 42 patients from various Isolation centres in the state having recovered fully and tested negative twice consecutively for COVID-19.
The state Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu who is the COVID-19 Incident Commander disclosed this in a statement.
According to Sanwo-Olu, “42 fully recovered COVID-19 Lagos patients; 11 females and 31 males have been discharged from our Isolation facilities today t(Saturday) to reunite with the society.
“The patients; 20 from Gbagada, 11 from Eti-Osa (LandMark) and 11 from Lekki Isolation Centres were discharged today after testing negative to COVID-19. Read more
LUTH denies demanding ‘charges’ against suspected rapist be dropped (Guardian)
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) has denied a claim that it demanded that charges be dropped against a dispatch rider who reportedly raped an 18-year-old girl before she is offered post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatment.
“At no point did any of our staff approach the woman to drop charges against the alleged rapist,” LUTH Management said in a statement.
“LUTH as a hospital has a well-documented policy on handling and supporting cases of rape, and we have handled many of such cases in the past.” Read more
Fraudster disguises as airman, to claim slain officer’s benefits (Punch)
A 34-year-old man, identified as Olusegun Abe, has been arrested by the Nigerian Air Force for allegedly parading himself as an officer of the force.
The suspect allegedly claimed to be a flight lieutenant.
The impostor, fully dressed in military camouflage, reportedly planned to defraud a family member of a late NAF pilot, Flight Lieutenant Ohai Idonije, who was recently killed by Boko Haram insurgents.
It was learnt that the suspect had approached a sister of the deceased, Mrs Tola Gbadamosi, under the guise of being her late brother’s senior colleague at NAF, and promised to assist the family in claiming the deceased’s benefits. Read more
4 men nabbed for drugging, gang-raping 13-yr-old girl in Kaduna (Nation)
Kaduna State Government has confirmed arrest of four men, who allegedly drugged and gang-raped a 13-year-old girl.
The state’s Ministry of Human Services and Social Development which disclosed this said, the victim was later dumped underneath a parked vehicle near her home.
The Ministry on its official Twitter handle narrated that, the victim was taken by the suspects on a motorcycle that was driven by an unsuspecting biker and dumped underneath a parked car close to her house. Read more
Muslim women condemn spate of rape, murder (Guardian)
The Criterion, an Association of Muslim Women in Business and Professions, has condemned the spate of rape and murder in the country in recent times.
The Association also called for justice and a comprehensive investigation into the gruesome murders of Barakat in Ibadan, Uwaila Omozuwa in Benin and Azeezat, who was also brutally murdered in Ibadan.
A statement by its National Ameerah (President), Hajia Fatymah Yewande Oyefeso, called on relevant authorities to bring perpetrators to book and ensure they do not go unpunished. Read more
‘One-chance’ gang robs Abuja trader of N500,000 (Punch)
For about two years, Chizoba Ede hawked snacks around Lugbe, Abuja to raise funds she invested in second-hand cloth trading. Considering her humble beginning, raising N60, 000 to start the ‘okirika’ business by the roadside in Otako Market, Jabi, was a big dream come true in June 2018. She worked hard and ploughed back most of the profits she made.
As the trading grew in leaps and bounds, the 28-year-old extended her line of business to soap making. And within a year, her capital had spiked to about N500, 000.
The young woman planned to rent a small shop so she could fully establish herself and build on her success. Sadly, her plans cruelly went down the drain on June 10, 2019 while she was returning home from the market in the evening. Read more
N33b budget padding: House clears Orelope-Adefulire (Guardian)
The House Committee on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has cleared Victoria Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) of Financial Impropriety.
Chairman of the House Committee on SDGs, Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye declared it was untrue that the office of the OSSAP-SDGs was appropriated N33 billion in the 2020 budget assented by the President.
The committee maintained that it’s finding revealed that the prevalence of COVID-19 distorted implementation of the entire 2020 budget. Read more
George Floyd: Thousands protest against racism across US (BBC)
Huge peaceful rallies are taking place across the US against racism and police brutality on the 12th day of protests sparked by George Floyd’s death.
Tens of thousands of people have marched in Washington DC in the capital’s largest demonstration so far.
Security forces blocked any approach to the White House. Crowds also protested in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, people paid their respects to Mr Floyd in North Carolina, where he was born, before a memorial service. Read more
The Confederate flag banned by marines (NYPost)
The US Marine Corps has finally banned the Confederate flag from public and workspaces at its military bases — 155 years after the Confederate States of America surrendered to Union forces.
“The Confederate battle flag has all too often been co-opted by violent extremist and racist groups whose divisive beliefs have no place in our Corps,” the military branch said in a tweeted statement.
“Our history as a nation, and events like the violence in Charlottesville in 2017, highlight the divisiveness the use of the Confederate battle flag has had on our society.” Read more
Mali vows to investigate after army accused of deadly village attack (Guardian)
Mali on Saturday pledged to investigate claims that the army killed dozens of civilians in its conflict-riven centre, as complaints about the military’s conduct in the West African nation escalate.
Some 30 people were killed and a village burnt in the region, officials said, but it was unclear who was behind the latest violence.
Friday’s attack targeted a Fulani village named Binedama in the volatile Mopti region, said Aly Barry, an official from Tabital Pulaaku, a Fulani association. Read more
Coronavirus ‘a devastating blow for world economy’ (BBC)
The coronavirus pandemic is a “devastating blow” for the world economy, according to World Bank President David Malpass.
Mr Malpass warned that billions of people would have their livelihoods affected by the pandemic.
He said that the economic fallout could last for a decade.
In May, Mr Malpass warned that 60 million people could be pushed into “extreme poverty” by the effects of coronavirus. Read more
Poisoned ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and daughter start over in New Zealand (NYPost)
A former spy and his daughter who were poisoned by Russian military intelligence agents have started a new life in New Zealand.
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia settled in the country after spending more than a year ensconced in a British MI6 safe house, according to the Sunday Times of London.
The two were both found unconscious on a park bench in the British city of Salisbury in March 2018. An investigation revealed the pair had been poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era chemical nerve-agent, which had been smeared by Russian operatives on the door handle of their home.
Once a Russian spy, Skripal fell afoul of his old colleagues after acting as a double agent on behalf of the British during the 1990s and 2000s. Read more
Coronavirus: Paris returns to cafe life with new normal (BBC)
Fear isn’t something 88-year-old Mathilde gives into easily. Sitting on the terrace of her local bistro in Paris, hours after it reopened this week, she sipped a fizzy drink, as the morning sunshine drew perspiration from her glass.
“I’ve been waiting for this,” she said. “To be surrounded by people, not to be alone anymore!”
Mathilde had dressed for the occasion: a printed dress, perfectly styled hair. Read more
We will welcome Ighalo back to Eagles – Osimhen (Punch)
Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen, has welcomed the idea of Manchester United striker, Odion Ighalo, making a return to the national team.
The 30-year-old announced his retirement from the national team in 2019, immediately after the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where he emerged the tournament’s highest goal scorer with five goals to claim the Golden Boot.
Ighalo on Thursday told Brila FM that he was in touch with Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr and would not rule out a possible return playing for the country. Read more
Anthony Joshua on crutches as he marches in Black Lives Matter protest (Independent)
Anthony Joshua joined a Black Lives Matter protest in his hometown of Watford on Saturday afternoon, despite wearing a brace on his left leg and using crutches.
The WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion, wearing a black hoodie bearing the name of the movement, joined hundreds of peaceful protestors following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in handcuffs, by a white police officer in Minnesota on 25 May.
In a speech shared on Instagram, Joshua said: “We can no longer sit back and remain silent on these senseless, unlawful killings and sly racism on another human being – based on what? Only their skin colour. Read more
Novak Djokovic: US Open coronavirus protocols ‘extreme’ (BBC)
World number one Novak Djokovic has called the coronavirus safety protocols, planned in order for the US Open to take place, “extreme”.
The hard-court Grand Slam tournament is scheduled to start on 31 August at Flushing Meadows in New York.
“We would not have access to Manhattan, we would have to sleep in hotels at the airport, to be tested twice or three times per week,” said Djokovic. Read more
Man City face critical appeal against two-season European ban (Guardian)
Manchester City’s appeal against a two-year ban from European competition will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) from Monday in a case of wide-reaching repercussions.
City are accused of overstating sponsorship revenue to hide that they had not complied with UEFA’s financial fair play (FFP) rules between 2012 and 2016 and were also handed a 30 million euro ($34 million, £27 million) fine.
UEFA’s case was prompted when German magazine Der Spiegel published a series of leaked emails in 2018 that purported to show how City manufactured extra sponsorship revenue from a series of companies with connections to the club’s Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour. Read more
Colin Kaepernick: How the NFL made its U-turn (BBC)
Almost four years have passed since former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first protested against racial injustice in the United States by kneeling during the national anthem.
In the time since, many players have joined Kaepernick in protesting, while Kaepernick himself – after opting out of his 49ers contract – remains without a team.
There has been criticism by US President Donald Trump, rules to fine teams whose players kneel introduced – and then put on hold – and even a lawsuit. Read more
Giants owners take part in virtual team meeting on racial injustice (NYPost)
Football talk took a back seat this week, as new head coach Joe Judge on Friday used his virtual team meeting with the Giants to discuss the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the ensuing protests around the nation railing against racial inequality and police brutality against African Americans.
The meeting did not only include Judge and his players. Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch participated, The Post has learned, for the purpose of listening and understanding the issues being discussed, and the thoughts and emotions of those logging into the meeting remotely from all over the country. Read more