I killed female neighbour for accusing me of phone theft –Suspect (Punch)
It was anger that made me stab her to death” was the confessional statement of a 27-year-old murder suspect, Ejike Eze.
An Ebonyi State indigene, Eze had lived in the Ayegbami area of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State for about four years dealing in scraps. The house where he lived was a bungalow with a large compound populated by people from the Igbo and Yoruba tribes.
Penultimate Friday morning, he committed an act that threw his neighbourhood and the entire community into confusion and panic when he killed a 59-year-old neighbour, Mrs Adeyigba Oladipo.
It was gathered that Eze and Oladipo had always been at loggerheads and that day, the woman accused Eze of stealing her phone. Read more
Cleric donates school to Lagos community (Nation)
The Shepherd-in-Charge of Celestial Church of Christ Genesis World Lagos, Prophet Israel Ogundipe, has donated a modern school he built to a community in Lagos,
Ogundipe, who made the donation as part of his birthday celebration in Lagos during the week, noted that he finds joy and happiness in making people laugh.
While stating that he is not God, the cleric said he is happy to share the little he has with people.
He recalled how he came across the idea to donate the school: “We just acquired two acres of land to the glory of God as we wanted to extend our church, but when I was ministering, some children over the fence were shouting “Genesis, we love you” so I started praying for them and I told them I will come and visit them, but after the service I went to visit the school, and realised that they were only sitting on the floor, no concrete no tiles. Read more
Lagos gives six-week ultimatum for removal of rickety’ articulated vehicles (Guardian)
Lagos State Government has given owners of rickety articulated vehicles six weeks to stay off Lagos roads, as such trucks would be impounded at the expiration of the ultimatum.
Director, Vehicle Inspection Service, (VIS) Engr. Akin-George Fashola, stated this during a stakeholder meeting to sensitise articulated vehicles/ trucks owners on the need for safety, by ensuring that their vehicles are in good conditions before putting them on the road.
Fashola said the stakeholders’ meeting was aimed at bringing different players together to educate them on government policy on movement of dry and wet cargo within the state, as well as government policy involving movement of articulated trucks on Lagos roads. Read more
Foundation, Household of God Church hold medical outreach (Nation)
A faith-based health organisation, Relume Charitable Foundation in conjunction with the mission department of the Household of God Church, Lagos has provided free healthcare services to residents of Ikenne, Ogun State and its environs.
At the two-day event at the Obafemi Awolowo Square, aged and young residents received free medical attention.
Tagged: Health and education mission, the outreach featured blood pressure screening, vision screening, children vocation bible study, diabetes screening, distribution of medication, education of food nutrition and distribution of foodstuffs.
Over 50 residents had minor surgeries while some were referred to hospitals for major surgeries.
Chairman of the foundation, Dr Sunday Adeosun, said the initiative was to put an end to suffering from different kinds of ailment or diseases. Read more
Man in court for having sex with goat (Punch)
The police in Ekiti State on Friday arraigned a 22-year-old man, Sunday Ogaji, who allegedly had sex with a she-goat.
The defendant is standing trial on one count of “unnatural offence” at an Ado-Ekiti magistrates’ court.
The police prosecutor, Sgt. Olubu Apata, told the court that “the defendant committed the offence on March 4 around 2.30pm at Basiri area in Ado-Ekiti.”
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty and his counsel, Mr Timi Omotosho, prayed the court to admit his client to bail in the most liberal terms.
The presiding magistrate, Kehinde Awosika, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum. Read more
Undue interference: Call Alaafin to order, Ekiti Council of Obas writes Makinde (Vanguard)
There seems to be brewing unrest between Ekiti Council of Traditional Rulers and paramount ruler, Alaafin of Oyo, over what it termed “undue interference” by the Oyo monarch in monarchial affairs in Ekiti.
In a five-page letter written and signed by the Ekiti State chairman of the council of traditional rulers, Alawe of Ilawe, Oba Adebanji Ajibade Alabi to Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde titled: REQUEST TO STOP UNDUE INTERFERENCE OF HIS MAJESTY, OBA LAMIDI ADEYEMI IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF EKITI OBAS, the chairman asked Makinde to stop Alaafin from his “meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of Ekiti Obas.” Read more
Traffic wardens, airmen beat motorist for taking pictures (Punch)
A motorist, Marvelous Chukwuma, has recounted his ordeal at the hands of some traffic wardens and men of the Nigerian Airforce on Orji Road, Owerri in Imo State.
Chukwuma was reportedly beaten with cables which left marks on his back for taking pictures of an alleged traffic offence he was accused of.
The motorist told Sunday PUNCH that he was heading for Rockview Hotel on Wednesday around 2.45pm when four traffic wardens stopped his car at a junction leading to the hotel and accused him of not putting on the indicator to show he wanted to navigate through the junction. Read more
Why Ikpeme, other female judges were denied appointments (DailyTrust)
The fact that Justice Akon Ikpeme was denied the position of the substantive chief judge of Cross River State because ‘she is not an indigene of the state’ although married to a man from that place, has continued to raise fresh controversy over gender discrimination in Nigeria’s judiciary. Ikpeme’s case is not the first in Nigeria, as female judges in Abia, Kano, Kebbi and Rivers states were also denied elevation or confirmation at different times. While the case in Cross River, those in Abia, involving Justice Theresa Uzokwe and Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo, and that of Kano, involving Justice Patricia Mahmoud, were believed to be linked to the state of origin syndrome, the Kebbi matter, involving Justice Elizabeth Asabe Karatu and that of Rivers, involving Justice Daisy Okocha, were believed to be about religious or political considerations. Read more
Osinbajo visits family of late police escort (DailyTrust)
“Late Inspector Ali Gomina was an officer that was loved by many, he served very dutifully and diligently. We are all very sad when this happened. It is terrible.” Those were the words of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, earlier today when he paid a condolence visit to the family of late Inspector Ali Gomina and the entire Gui community in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. Late Inspector Ali Gomina, aged 45, one of the police escort riders in the Office of the Vice President, was killed in a road accident while on official duty on Friday 13th March 2020. Read more
COVID-19: 150m Nigerians lack access to hand-washing facilities – WaterAid (Vanguard)
As healthcare service providers, children, others face high risk
By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja
As Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to ravage countries across the world with Nigeria having its share, WaterAid Nigeria has disclosed that 150 million Nigerians lack access to hand-washing facilities with water and soap.
This was made known in a statement signed by the Communications and Media Manager, WaterAid Nigeria,Oluseyi Abdulmalik, raising serious concerns over the situation, which frequent hand-washing with soap prevents the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases, but currently lacking in the country.
The Statement reads in part, “Following confirmation of the second case of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Nigeria, WaterAid is re-echoing the importance of frequent handwashing with soap to prevent the spread of this and other diseases. Read more
Trump tests negative for coronavirus – White House doctor (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus, the White House physician has said.
“This evening I received confirmation that the test is negative,” Sean Conley said in a statement on Saturday.
Mr Trump underwent a test days after hosting a meeting at his Florida resort with a Brazilian delegation, some of whom have tested positive.
Fabio Wajngarten, an aide to the Brazilian president, was among those later confirmed to have the disease. Read more
Senegal orders all schools closed in response to coronavirus (Vanguard)
Senegal’s President Macky Sall on Saturday ordered all schools and universities closed for the next three weeks and religious festivals cancelled in response to a coronavirus outbreak that has infected 24 people in the past two weeks.
Senegal is the first sub-Saharan African country to close its schools, according to a list compiled by U.N. cultural agency UNESCO. As of Friday, 39 countries had closed schools nationwide, affecting over 420 million children and youths, UNESCO said.
Since Thursday, 17 contacts of a man who returned from Italy to the city of Touba, which was scheduled to host a religious festival later this month, have tested positive. The man’s two-year-old baby was one of three new confirmed cases on Saturday, the health ministry said. Read more
Coronavirus: ‘Future of UK aviation’ at risk, say airlines (BBC)
The UK’s aviation industry may not survive the coronavirus pandemic without emergency financial support, airlines have warned.
Trade body Airlines UK has asked the government for a package worth several billion pounds.
US travel restrictions will hit all transatlantic routes from Tuesday, further denting the aviation sector.
The government said it was open to supporting all businesses, including airlines. Read more
Sneaky cat opens up box of biscuits and takes a bite of every single one (Metro)
Oh, we do love a mischievous cat. And thus we adore Nellie, a calico kitty living in Illinois with her owner, Allison Riebel. Nellie loves snacks and will go to extreme measures to get her greedy paws on a tasty treat. She isn’t a stickler for traditional snacking etiquette, either.
Recently Nellie took it upon herself to open up a plastic tub of biscuits Allison had baked for her fellow volunteers at the Wildlife Medical Clinic in the University of Illinois, sneak her way inside, and take a single bite of each and every cookie inside. Read more
Coronavirus spreads to more African nations (Nation)
The list of African nations hit by the coronavirus keeps growing, with Namibia, Rwanda, and Eswatini among those reporting their first cases.
In Eswatini, formerly Swaziland, the health minister said the infected person is a 33-year-old who recently returned from a business trip to the U.S.
In Namibia, the health minister announced at a press conference that a Spanish couple had tested positive.
An Indian national from Mumbai is Rwanda’s first case, said Health Minister Daniel Ngamije. Read More
Canadian and Italian kidnapped in Burkina Faso turn up safe in Mali (BBC)
A Canadian woman and an Italian man kidnapped in Burkina Faso in 2018 are said to be in good health and spirits after arriving in neighbouring Mali.
Édith Blais and Luca Tacchetto, both in their 30s, apparently escaped and were picked up by UN forces before being transferred to Mali’s capital, Bamako.
They appeared bemused when officials greeted them with elbows, before the pair were told of new social etiquette measures to help curb coronavirus.
Mali said no ransom had been paid. Read more
G7 leaders to plan joint coronavirus response in video chat (Metro) Leaders of G7 countries will hold an extraordinary summit via video conference on Monday to thrash out plans for a coordinated response to the coronavirus crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron said his country was seeking a more organised approach over border controls. The announcement comes after the Group of Seven rich nations committed on Thursday to working together to tackle the fast-spreading infection. In a statement the US Treasury said: ‘The G7 is in regular contact and committed to continued international cooperation to address the global health and economic impacts of Covid-19.’ Read more
Who is in the cast of Netflix’s Lost Girls and is it based on a true story? (Metro)
The feature film Lost Girls, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Robert Kolker, has landed on Netflix. It follows the disappearance of a 24-year-old sex-worker called Shannan Gilbert and her mother Mari, who refuses to give up the search for her. This compelling and tragic story has caused quite a stir among viewers, with many wondering whether this crime could have happened in real life… Is Lost Girls based on a true story? Lost Girls is indeed based on a true story. Shannan Gilbert went missing in May 2010, and her body wasn’t found until 2011. It was discovered that she’d made three calls to emergency services, however no police officers were sent to meet her. Read more
Merciless Flamingos hammer Guinea 5-1 in Lagos (Nation)
The Nation’s women under 17 side Flamingos defeated their Guinean counterparts 5-1 at the Agege Stadium on Saturday.
The Bankole Olowokere tutored side who had prior to the match predicted that the visitors will suffer a second defeat, walked the talk putting five goals past their hard fighting opponents.
The team had won the first leg in Conakry 6-1 thus advancing to the next round on 11-2 aggregate.
The Guinean Babes did not however run aimlessly on the pitch for 90 minutes as their efforts yielded an 84th minute penalty, which Diallo Fatoumata Dede converted from the spot.
Flamingos will next face Ghana in another two legged home and away encounter. Read more
I don’t know if I’ve contracted Coronavirus –Nwankwo (Punch)
Nigeria international, Simy Nwankwo, who plays for Crotone in the Serie B in Italy, has opened up on how scary life has been since the outbreak of the coronavirus in the country, adding that people have been living in fear and panic.
Italy is the most affected country in Europe with 17,660 confirmed cases and a total of 1,266 deaths recorded.
The country is virtually on lockdown as part of its government’s measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and people have been told to stay in their homes except for visits to grocery stores for supplies and pharmacies. Read more
Chelsea step up bid for Chukwueze (DailyTrust)
English Premier League club Chelsea are ready to firm up their interest in Samuel Chukwueze by making a bid for the Nigeria international, according to reports. Berlin based media company Onefootball claims The Blues are planning to make an offer for the Villarreal winger and manager Frank Lampard wants him in his squad for the 2020-2021 season. Read more
Give me Falconets, Swiss-based Nigerian coach tells NFF (Vanguard)
A Switzerland-based Nigerian coach, Adeyemi Adedeji Anthony has made himself available to the Nigeria Football Federation saying he is ready to coach either the women under-17 or under-20 teams.
Adedeji who is a UEFA B licensed coach submitted that with his 11 years experience of coaching youth teams in Europe, he could be a valuable asset in the NFF’s quest to develop women football in Nigeria.
He urged the NFF to look his direction for either of the women youth teams. Read more
Edo to screen athletes, others with infrared scanners (Nation)
With less than a week to the hosting of the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin City, the Edo State capital, the state government has said it is deploying 150 medical personnel to offer essential medical services and other measures to ward off the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak during the games.
Chairman, Local Organising Committee (LOC), Rt. Hon. Comrade Phillip Shaibu, said this during a press conference at the Secretariat for the 2020 NSF in Government House, Benin City.
Noting that the state government has procured five scanners and Infrared thermometers to be stationed at the stadiums and the Benin Airport to check for high body temperature of athletes and spectators during the games, he stressed that the state government has taken necessary measures to ward off the Covid-19 outbreak at the NSF 2020. Read more
Sports, health ministries okay 2020 NSF amid COVID-19 concerns (DailyTrust)
The Minister of Sports and Youth Development Mr. Sunday Dare Despite the outbreak of the Covid-19, otherwise known as coronavirus across the globe which has necessitated the postponement and cancellation of sporting events around the world, the organisers of the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival to be held in Edo State have said the games won’t be postponed. The Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare, who was in Edo state recently to ascertain the level of preparations for the national explained why the sports Festival would that the festival would go ahead as scheduled. Read more
Warri Wolves have functional medical facilities, official says (Vanguard)
Warri Wolves Football Club have in place functional medical facilities and personnel, the club’s spokesman, Azuka Chiamaka, assured on Saturday in Warri.
Chiamaka told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the club had put in place such facilities and personnel when they played continental competitions.
“Before the club was relegated and when we played on the continent, we put those things on ground as functional medical facilities was one the requirements to host matches by the Confederation of African Football (CAF),’’ he said. Read more
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised by World Heath Organisation over coronavirus statement (Metro)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been praised by the World Heath Organisation over his statement in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus has now spread to 149 countries, with more than 155,000 people diagnosed with the disease. On Friday, all professional football in England was suspended until at least April, with UEFA also postponing next week’s Champions League and Europa League fixtures. Liverpool are currently on the verge of winning their first domestic title in 30 years but Klopp nevertheless praised the decision to suspend Premier League football. Read more