Lagos court jails pastor for visa fraud (Punch)
A pastor, Michael Njoteah, was on Wednesday sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by the Lagos State Magistrates’ Court in Igbosere over visa fraud.
It was gathered that Njoteah obtained the sum of N1.3m from one Samuel Ezeoha under the pretext of procuring Australian visa for him.
The convict also obtained the sum of N850,000 from one Chukwunonso Okeke, under the pretext of procuring a visa for him.
Njoteah stood trial on six counts bordering on conspiracy, fraud and stealing. Read more
Govt to Lagosians: stop patronising ‘motorcyclists’ (Nation)
Lagos State Government on Wednesday urged residents to stop patronising commercial motorcyclists and tricycle operators plying restricted routes.
It said policemen “who use this mode of transportation on restricted roads will not be spared, as they will be arrested and made to face the law.”
The government said that there would be increased re-enforcement of the restriction of commercial motorcycles and tricycles on roads. Read more
Disquiet in Lagos Assembly over suspension of principal officers (DailyTrust)
There is disquiet and division in the Lagos State House of Assembly over the suspension of two principal officers and two other members. They were suspended indefinitely through voice votes on Monday for what the House called “gross misconduct and other infractions that were against the rules guiding the House and its operations.” Daily Trust however learnt that the suspension of the lawmakers followed recent car purchase by the House of Assembly for members and principal officers. Read more
NRC resumes freight services to port, removes 38-40-feet containers (Vanguard)
The Lagos Railway District Manager, Mr. Jerry Oche, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the resumption of freight shuttles in and out of the port had reduced pressure on the road.
According to Oche, no fewer than 38 trucks carrying 40-feet containers or 76 trucks carrying 20-feet containers are being removed from the road each day.
“We have resumed our freight shuttles but we are still struggling because the same standard gauge rail line construction, for which we earlier shutdown both passengers and freight services on narrow gauge line, is still ongoing.
“We are trying to manage the standard gauge rail line construction in Lagos axis and the narrow gauge operations. Read more
Expected petrol pump price drops to N114.53 per litre (Punch)
The expected open market price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, has dropped to N114.53 per litre, N30.47 lower than the approved pump price of the product.
The PUNCH reported on March 2, 2020 that the sharp drop in crude oil prices on the back of the spread of coronavirus had wiped off subsidy on petrol.
The landing cost of petrol plunged to N123.88 per litre on February 27, and the product was expected to be sold at N143.25 that day if the price of the product was adjusted to reflect the change in crude oil prices, according to Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency. Read more
New Kano Emir weeps (DailyTrust) The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero The newly appointed Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, yesterday wept as he bade farewell to the people of the emirate where he was emir. The emir, while making his remarks shortly after he received his letter of appointment, had to pause awhile to control his emotion. He said the people of Bichi showed him real love, respect and support while he was their emir. “I really appreciate you, the people of Bichi. Today, I am leaving you not because I do not want to stay with you but because this is how Allah has destined it. Read more
Reps intervene in 10-year blackout (Nation)
The House of Representatives on Wednesday intervened in a 10- year old blackout in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.
The Green Chamber urged the Federal Ministry of Power to carry out comprehensive inspection and evaluation on the communities to ascertain the level of damages on the transformers, with a view to rehabilitating them.
Read Also: House of Reps summons BOA over ABP
It also mandated its Committee on Power to interface with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on the disconnection of electricity in Ife South Local Government for the past 10 years and investigate the outrageous bill of over N50 million allegedly owed the company and report back in four weeks for further legislative action. Read more
Nigerien nabbed for altering stolen phones’ IMEI numbers (Punch)
The police have arrested a Nigerien, Abdullahi Ali, who allegedly specialises in altering the International Mobile Equipment Identity number of stolen mobile phones.
Ali, 29, from Maradi, Niger Republic, said he used apps to alter the IMEI of phones, adding that he learnt the skill from some persons.
The IMEI is a unique set of 15-digit numbers to identify GSM phones and can be used to track stolen phones and to lock them out of the networks.
Ali was among 108 suspected kidnappers, gunrunners, armed robbers, drug traffickers and bandits arrested by the Intelligence Response Team and paraded by the force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, in Abuja on Wednesday. Read more
APC removes Oshiomhole’s pictures, banners at party secretariat (DailyTrust)
Banners displaying the pictures of the embattled chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at the party secretariat in Abuja, have been removed. The billboard with the picture of President Muhammadu Buahri and Oshiomhole, at the entrance of the party secretariat has also been replaced. It was replaced on Wednesday night with a billboard displaying only the picture of Buhari. Other billboards of Oshiomhole on Blantyre street, where the party secretariat is located, have been removed. Read more
Our business environment must make case for itself to investors – Osinbajo tells agencies (Vanguard)
In order to ensure government’s efforts in improving the business climate in Nigeria are translated into long term sustainable growth for the economy, stakeholders in the public and private sector will need to redouble their reform efforts, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Wednesday evening at the 3rd edition of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) Awards, held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.
According to the Vice President while referring to the progress the country has made in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Rankings, “what is more important than moving up in the rankings, is the need to ensure that all our efforts translate into long-term sustainable growth for the economy.” Read more
INEC to deploy 451 for Saturday’s Kwara by-election (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday that all is set for Saturday’s House of Assembly by-election in Patigi Constituency of Kwara State.
It added that it would deploy 451 personnel for the poll.
The Patigi Constituency seat became vacant following the death of the former occupant, Saidu Rufai, last December.
Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Attahiru Madami, said six parties would take part in the election.
He said Patigi Constituency had 10 wards and 105 voting units, adding that INEC and security agencies would do all within their power to ensure a hitch-free election. Read more
Kate Beckinsale: Harvey Weinstein encounter ‘left me in tears’ (BBC)
Kate Beckinsale has said Harvey Weinstein was verbally abusive towards her after a film premiere in 2001.
The actress alleges she was left in tears after Weinstein objected to an outfit she wore to a premiere, which he said made her “look like a lesbian”.
The disgraced movie producer was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual assault on Wednesday.
Representatives for Weinstein said he was unable to respond to Beckinsale’s claims.
White suit instead of a dress
In an Instagram post which contains highly offensive language, Beckinsale uploaded a picture of her outfit and recalled her encounter with Weinstein. Read more
Why you shouldn’t go to the gym during the coronavirus pandemic (Metro)
In these scary, uncertain times we’re all doing what we can to stay clean and healthy. Yes, we’re washing our hands, we’re practically bathing in hand sanitiser, we’ve stopped shaking hands unnecessarily. But another important factor in keeping healthy and warding off illness is exercise. When your body is fit, strong and healthy, you’re less likely to pick up nasty bugs. But here’s the problem – is your gym teaming with germs? Think about it. When it comes to intimate communal sharing spaces, gyms have got to be high on that list. Think about how many sweaty hands have touched those dumbbells. How many naked bodies were in the shower before you. How many people rolled around on that stretching mat before you got there? Read more
EU slams US for ‘unilaterally’ imposing travel ban (Vanguard)
European Union leaders on Thursday rebuked the United States for imposing a unilateral travel ban on arrivals from countries in the Schengen passport-free zone without consulting them.
“The coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent, and it requires cooperation rather than unilateral action,” EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel said.
“The European Union disapproves of the fact that the US decision to impose a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation,” they said in a written statement.
“The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus,” they insisted. Read more
Dating app doesn’t let you upload pictures, write a bio, or even message your matches (Metro)
Navigating dating apps can be such a chore – with the swiping, the chatting, the judging. Finding love shouldn’t be so taxing. So one new matchmaking app has got rid of all those components. Venchur hopes to encourage people to have dates, not just virtual conversations. It’s a blind date app that is to be used exclusively to secure dates. A Yellow Pages for dating, if you will.
Instead of traditional apps, where you’re left wondering which person in a group pic lineup is the user, Venchur has drawn avatars to represent the person. If there’s one person you like the look of, you can try to match with them and send a potential location to meet. Read more
Wall Street chaos as ‘circuit breaker’ halts trading for second time in global market plunge (Independent)
US stocks continued to fall on Thursday morning after President Donald Trump’s Wednesday night Oval Office speech aimed at calming markets.
On opening, all three major Wall Street indices, The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and Nasdaq all plunged, triggering the automatic ‘circuit breakers’ that halt trading.
Trading stopped for 15 minutes to establish order in the market, and resumed at 9.50am. Read more
Travel bans ineffective in preventing virus spread – UK (Punch)
Britain on Thursday hit back at a US decision to impose a travel ban on Europeans to limit the spread of coronavirus, insisting there was no proof such measures worked.
President Donald Trump slapped a 30-day ban on people travelling from the Schengen passport-free zone, as the continent grapples with spiralling numbers of cases in the global outbreak.
Britain, which left the European Union on January 31 but is still abiding by EU rules until the end of the year, is not affected by the restriction, as it never signed up to Schengen.
But finance minister Rishi Sunak. said, “With regard to flight bans, we are always guided by the science as we make our decisions here. Read more
Zainab law aims to catch child abusers (BBC)
The rape and murder of six-year-old Zainab sparked outrage in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s parliament has passed a new bill against child abuse, two years after the murder of a seven-year-old sparked deadly riots and public debate.
The Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill is named after Zainab Ansari, whose raped body was found in 2018.
The legislation provides for a dedicated agency to respond more quickly when children go missing.
Zainab’s murder was one of a string of such attacks in Kasur city, and sparked outrage and protests in the country. Read more
WHO pandemic declaration gives headache to Tokyo Olympic officials (Vanguard)
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike on Thursday expressed concerns about the World Health Organisation declaration that the novel coronavirus outbreak is a global pandemic.
The WHO declaration could affect discussions over the Tokyo Olympics and the Paralympics, Koike told reporters.
But Koike said emphatically, “There is no way that the Olympics will be cancelled when considering the feelings of Japanese people and the preparations up to this point that we have done.” Read more
Tiger Woods elected to World Golf Hall of Fame (Vanguard)
US superstar Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion, will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2021.
The hall, located in St. Augustine, Florida, released a statement on Wednesday saying Woods had been advised of his impending induction in the male competitor category in a phone call from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
“I am both honored and humbled to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame,” Woods said in a statement. “This past year has been such an incredible journey and the support I’ve received from my family, friends, and fans has been overwhelming. Read more
Osimhen ranked 5th in Ligue 1 (Nation)
Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has been among the top French Ligue 1 best five finishers following his goal scoring form with OSC Lille in the on-going campaign.
The 21-year-old has scored an impressive 13 goals on the last count in the Ligue1 to be so ranked behind the likes of PSG duo of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in a data polled together by whoscored.com.
French striker Mbappe is ranked in first position partly for his 18-goal haul and five assists and he is the only player in the top five that has not been cautioned this season. Read more
Wimbledon under threat as behind closed doors idea is snubbed (Mirror)
Wimbledon is under threat of being cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak this summer – as All England Club bosses are reportedly reluctant for the tournament to go ahead behind closed doors.
Sports events across Europe are increasingly taking place without spectators in a bid to limit the spread of the deadly virus, and governing bodies in the UK are making contingency plans to follow suit if necessary.
The UK government is co-ordinating sport’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, and the issue of locking fans out of events was discussed at a meeting of the major sports’ governing bodies and broadcasters at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on Monday. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo in quarantine in Portugal over Coronavirus (DailyTrust)
Cristiano Ronaldo is remaining in quarantine in his Madeira home after Juventus team-mate Daniele Rugani tested positive for coronavirus. The Portuguese star flew to his homeland to visit his mother, who recently suffered a stroke, before the news broke and must stay back rather than fly back to northern Italy where the outbreak is at its most rampant. Ronaldo and Rugani shared a dressing room on Sunday when Juventus beat Inter Milan 2-0 behind closed doors. A picture posted on Instagram by Miralem Pjanic after the game shows Ronaldo and Rugani celebrating the victory in a close huddle with their team-mates. Read more
Real Madrid players in quarantine after positive test for coronavirus (Vanguard)
Real Madrid are the latest football club to be affected by the Coronavirus outbreak, after a member of the club’s basketball team tested positive for the virus.
Spanish outlet El Chiringuito TV revealed the news on Thursday morning. The basketball team train at the same place as the football team and the positive test means that players may well have been in contact with the virus.
As per the protocols players will be in self-isolation for the next two weeks, meaning that their game with Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 next week will have to be delayed. Read more
Ighalo predicts tougher tests for United after derby win (Nation)
Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has said the win over neighbour Manchester City has renewed the team’s confidence to finish well at the end of the season.
The Nigerian joined the Red Devils on transfer deadline in January and has scored three goals – one in the Europa league and two in the FA Cup against Derby.
Currently on loan from Chinese Super League side, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, Ighalo stated that the win against Manchester City has seen the dressing room buzzing again with players realizing that a good run in the final games of the season will help them qualify for Europe next season. Read more
Three Leicester City players in self-isolation over coronavirus fears, confirms Brendan Rodgers (Metro)
Three Leicester City players are currently in isolation after showing symptoms of coronavirus, according to manager Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman says that the club has followed advice from doctors and the unnamed players have been kept away from the squad. ‘We’ve had a few players who have shown symptoms and signs,’ Rodgers said in a press conference ahead of Leicester’s game at Watford on Saturday. ‘We’ve followed procedures and they’ve been kept away from the squad. Read more
Who is Billy Gilmour the Chelsea teenager setting Premier League on fire? (DailyTrust)
There is a new star at Stanford Bridge and his name is Billy Gilmour. The teenager has helped Chelsea to record two straight wins and won man of the match awards in the two starts this season. The Blues are a different animal when the midfielder is fielded. The Scot was excellent in the FA Cup win over Liverpool and was at it again at the Bridge yesterday few days later on his full Premier League debut. Calm and composed in possession, he helped set the tone for a superb Chelsea performance that yielded the club’s biggest league success of the campaign. For the second time in five days, Gilmour showed no nerves on such a big stage. Here, we have compiled few things about this diminutive player you may not know about before now: Read more