Lagos issues notice to demolish 102 distressed buildings (Guardian)
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), yesterday, said 102 out of about 500 identified distressed buildings in the state have been marked for demolition.
The state also advised all tenants/occupiers of the structures to evacuate immediately, as demolition would commence after the expiration of a seven-day notice already issued.
The General Manager of the agency, Biola Kosegbe, disclosed this to newsmen in Ikeja, stating that the affected buildings had been published in the national dailies by the agency.
Kosegbe said the distressed structures would be removed by LASBCA, having served all the statutory enforcement notices in accordance with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010 and with no response from the respective owners/developers. Read more
Outrage as police brutalise, extort man of N260,000 in Lagos (Punch)
Public outcry on Wednesday greeted the alleged torture and extortion of a young man, Olumide Bakare by men of the Ogudu Division, Lagos State Police Command.
Bakare had taken to micro blogging site, Twitter, late on Tuesday to lament his ugly encounter with the policemen who allegedly unlawfully arrested him, tortured and forced a video statement on him before fleecing him of N260,000.
His only offence was being inside a taxi which they flagged down, diverted and proceeded to illegally search his phones, personal items for possible incriminating materials.
Finding nothing except for a phrase “gay men dey pay” in a group chat Bakare had with some friends, the rogue officers then unleashed terror on him, checked his bank account balance and then demanded N500,000 only to settle for N260,000 which they received via Paga. Read more
Ex-NIMASA Executive Director bags 7-year jail term (DailyTrust)
A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos has sentenced a former Executive Director at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ezekiel Agaba, to seven years in prison for laundering N1.5 billion. Mr Agaba was, at a time, in charge of Maritime, Safety and Shipping at the agency.
Reps committee summons NIMASA to explain unaudited accounts Magu: PDP left behind huge corruption mess – Presidency He is also facing another trial over a 12-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, and stealing amounting to N687 million alongside Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of NIMASA.Read more
Truck driver escapes electrocution (Punch)
A truck driver, who identified himself only as Azeez, escaped electrocution on Monday after his vehicle, with number plate, Ogun LAR 700 YD, pulled down live electric cables.
The incident, which happened around 5.15pm on Monday along Association Avenue, Arigbede community, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, caused momentary power outage.
The driver escaped death by the whisker as he avoided stepping on any of the wires.
Residents, who rushed out from their homes, were sent back by a group of men blocking the road to prevent any unsuspecting passerby from stepping on the live cables. Read more
Alleged fraud: Court grants social media influencer, ‘Adeherself’ bail (DailyTrust)
Social media influencer, Adedamola Adewale popularly known as ‘Adeherself’, charged with fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was on Wednesday granted N500,000 bail by an Ikeja Special Offences Court. In a ruling, Justice Sherifat Solebo also ordered that Adewale must provide two sureties with reliable means of income which would be verified by the court. EFCC docks ‘Adeherself’ for alleged possession of fraud documents 12 top EFCC officials suspended Solebo adjourned the case until Aug. 5 for substantive hearing. Daily Trust reports that the defendant, who had been in the custody of the EFCC following her arraignment in court on July 7, is facing a charge of possession of fraudulent document. Read more
How Tolulope Arotile was hit by an “excited friend” – NAF (Guardian)
The deceased first female combat helicopter pilot Tolulope Arotile who died on Tuesday was knocked down by an “excited” friend reversing vehicle inside the Kaduna Air Force Base.
“Flying Officer Arotile died on 14 July 2020 at the age of 24, when she was inadvertently hit by the reversing vehicle of an excited former Air Force Secondary School classmate while trying to greet her,” Nigerian Air Force spokesman, Ibikunle Daramola, said in a statement.
A source told The Guardian that the deceased officer went to Mammy market to print some credentials and was knocked down on her way back to her quarters. The source said Arotile “a sustained a severe head injury with massive haemorrhage.”
“A panel has been set up to investigate the circumstances that led to her death,” another source told The Guardian. Read more
Akpabio denies sexual harassment allegations (DailyTrust)
A former governor of Akwa Ibom State and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio The Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio, has denied sexual harassment allegations against him by Ms. Gbene Joi Nunieh, the former Acting Managing Director, Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) The minister, in a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja by Anietie Ekong, his media aide, said the allegations were “litany of lies”. “They are simply false. “The Honourable Minister did not, at any time, place or circumstance make any form of sexual advances to Ms. Nunieh, not even to put himself in a position or posture suggestive of sexual advances towards Ms. Nunieh, or any female staff of his Ministry or the NDDC,” according to the statement. Read more
2Baba Delves into Agri-business (ThisDay)
Known for his work in activism to advance various socio-economic causes in the country, music icon and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba has formally unveiled the Innobia Cooperatives Organization (Innobia Allied Ltd).
The agro-allied business venture was birthed to augment various government efforts in diversifying the Nigerian economy through agriculture and its secondary businesses. So far, the outfit has branches in Nigeria, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Read more
Somali General Survives Suicide Bomb Attack (VOA)
Security likely tightens around Somalia’s army commander, General Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, following a car bomb attack on his convoy, which he survived, but the attack killed at least one person and injured two others.
Al-Shabaab militants are believed to have carried out the attack as the general’s convoy left the Defense Ministry compound in Mogadishu on Monday.
Somali army spokesman, Abdiqani Ali Ashkir said, security forces shot and killed the driver before the car packed with explosives detonated. Read more
Moderna coronavirus vaccine shows promising results in early clinical trial (Politico)
An experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna provoked an immune response without major side effects in an early-stage clinical trial, scientists reported Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The Phase I trial, conducted in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, enrolled 45 people who were given two doses of the vaccine in March and April. More than half of participants developed mild side effects, including chills and body aches, and three did not receive the second vaccine dose.
The vaccine is the first developed by a U.S. company to publish clinical trial results. Read more
Cecil Rhodes statue in Cape Town has head removed (BBC)
A statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes has been decapitated in Cape Town in South Africa.
The bronze bust in a city park had its head removed with an angle grinder on Sunday night or Monday morning, South African National Parks said.
It is the latest monument associated with imperialism or slavery to be targeted since African American George Floyd was killed in US police custody.
His death triggered huge anti-racism demonstrations around the world. Read more
Tyra Banks named new host of Dancing With the Stars (Vulture)
Tyra Banks is bringing her smize to the dance floor as new host and executive producer of Dancing With the Stars, replacing Tom Bergeron, who is exiting the show after 28 seasons as host. Erin Andrews, Bergeron’s co-host, is also leaving the show, which will get a “creative refresh” in its new season, according to ABC. Banks said in a statement that the performances on Dancing With the Stars “always transported me to my days of turning it up 10 notches on the catwalk.” Perhaps this means the new season of DWTS will include makeover scenes? Banks continued, “Tom has set a powerful stage, and I’m excited to continue the legacy and put on my executive producer and hosting hats.” Read more
EU court scraps order for Apple to pay €13b in Irish taxes (France24)
A European Union high court on Wednesday ruled in favor of technology giant Apple and Ireland in its dispute with the EU over 13 billion euros ($15 billion) in back taxes.
The Luxembourg-based General Court said that the multinational does not need to pay the 13 billion euros that the EU Commission called for. The EU Commission had claimed that Apple had an illegal sweetheart tax deal with Irish authorities.
The ruling from the EU’s second-highest court on the 2016 decision can only be appealed on points of law. Read more
Viola Davis: I betrayed myself and my people in The Help (BBC)
Viola Davis says she feels like she “betrayed myself and my people” in 2011 film The Help.
Set in 1960s Mississippi it was nominated for multiple Oscars but Viola says it was “created in the filter and the cesspool of systemic racism”.
The film was “invested in the idea of what it means to be Black” but catered “to the white audience”.
It has been one of Netflix’s most-watched films since recent Black Lives Matter protests. Read more
Idris Elba blasts censorship of movies & TV over offensive material (RT)
‘Luther’ star Idris Elba has pushed back against moves to censor past movies and television shows, saying he believes in “freedom of speech” and is against censorship to protect audiences.
“The thing about freedom of speech is that it’s not suitable for everybody,” Elba told Radio Times magazine when asked about the recent removal of certain shows or episodes of said shows deemed racially insensitive.
“To mock the truth, you have to know the truth. But to censor racist themes within a show, to pull it… I think viewers should know that people made shows like this,” the actor said, arguing rating systems already in place should be enough for audiences to “know what they’re getting into.” Read more
Nigerian veteran Obafemi Martins returns to Shanghai aged 35 (Guardian)
Veteran Nigeria striker Obafemi Martins has rejoined Shanghai Shenhua, the Chinese FA Cup winners said on Wednesday, more than two years since his last competitive match.
The 35-year-old former Inter Milan and Newcastle United forward was without a club last year as he battled a hamstring injury.
His last game was in April 2018 for Chinese Super League side Shenhua, for whom he scored 32 goals in 59 matches during his previous spell. Read more
Premier League & EFL summer transfer window to be from 27 July to 5 October (BBC)
The Premier League and English Football League summer transfer windows will be open for 10 weeks between 27 July and 5 October, subject to Fifa approval.
In addition, the Premier League and EFL say there will be a domestic-only window between 5-16 October.
“During this window, clubs will only be able to trade with EFL clubs (either loans or permanent registrations),” said a Premier League statement. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo poised to set another record as Juve star nears 50 GOALS in Premier League, La Liga, Serie A (RT)
Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of setting another record in his remarkable career, standing one short of the 50-goal mark in Serie A following his previous prolific exploits in Spain’s Liga and the English Premier League.
The Juventus ace has his next chance to score his 50th Serie A goal when the league leaders visit eighth-placed Sassuolo tonight, where he will take on a side with a defensive record that is the joint-worst outside of the bottom five teams in the division. Read more
FIFA World Cup 2022: Four games a day to be played in group stage in Qatar (BBC)
Four matches will be played each day during the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Fifa has announced.
The group games will be played over a 12-day period, with matches not being assigned to particular venues until after the finals draw in March 2022.
Kick-off times for the first two rounds of games will be 1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 10pm local time with the eight stadiums all within a 40-mile radius of each other. Read more
Atalanta thrash Brescia to move closer to Serie A goalscoring milestone (RT)
Serie A side Atalanta went goal crazy once again as they thrashed Brescia 6-2 on Tuesday night to surge into second place in the Italian top flight and close in on a remarkable goalscoring milestone.
The side, which has been one of the biggest success stories of European football in this pandemic-hit season, hammered relegation candidates Brescia with Croatian midfielder Mario Pasalic hitting a hat-trick in the Bergamo side’s latest goal-laden win.
Pasalic’s treble was joined by three more strikes from Marten de Roon, Ruslan Malinovsky and Duvan Zapata as Atalanta registered their sixth Serie A victory by four or more goals during the 2019/20 Serie A campaign. Read more
Barcelona unveil new jersey for 2020/21 La Liga Season (ThisDay)
FC Barcelona on Tuesday officially presents the new jersey for the 2020/21 season, whose design is inspired by the 1920s, considered the Club’s first Golden Era.
The red and blue strip – a retro Barcelona look – went on sale yesterday after the club revealed the design online with plenty of pictures of the club’s stars.
According to price tag released on the jersey, it will set their fans back a cool £136 for the shirt, while the shorts come in at £64 alone that is £200 for the complete outfit. Read more