Lagos records new COVID-19 death (Punch)
Lagos State has recorded one new coronavirus fatality, bringing the total deaths in the state to 19, The PUNCH reports.
The state Health Ministry disclosed this on Saturday via Twitter in its daily coronavirus update.
It acknowledged the 80 new infections announced on Friday night by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control which brought the total number of cases reported in the state to 670, the highest by any state in the country. Read more
Defying lockdown order suicidal – LASTMA (Guardian)
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says residents of Lagos, especially motorists, defying COVID-19 lockdown order are on a suicidal mission.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olajide Oduyoye, made this assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
“It is very difficult to understand how we are trying to prevent people from killing themselves by violating the stay-at-home order and some still do not understand the implications for them and their loved ones,” Oduyoye told NAN. Read more
LASU VC congratulates alumni on appointment as judges (Vanguard)
The Vice Chancellor, Lagos State University, LASU, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, has congratulated six alumni of the institution on their appointments as judges of Lagos and Abuja high courts.
In a statement by the Coordinator, Centre for Information Press and Public Relations, Mr Ademola Adekoya, the VC expressed the joy of the management of the institution on the achievement recorded by the six individuals.
The alumni are: Her Lordship Jadesola Adeyemi-Ajayi, Her Lordship Oluyemisi Ilori-Adeleja, His Lordship Olaitan Sharafa, His Lordship Adeniyi Pokanu, His Lordship Ezekiel Ashade, and Her Lordship Folake Ojoawo
Prof. Fagbohun noted that an appointment into such an exalted position was not a mean feat, but a testament of their hard work, sacrifice and dedication to the noble profession – Law, and an exemplary contribution to the Lagos State and FCT judiciaries. Read more
Why Obaseki’s chief of staff suddenly resigned’ (Nation)
The Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Taiwo Akerele, suddenly resigned yesterday for being sidelined, over his refusal to join the fight against the National Chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
The resignation of Akerele came barely two months after Obaseki’s Senior Special Assistant on Anti-Human Trafficking Issues, Solomon Okoduwa, also threw in the towel for undisclosed reasons, but said he decided to move on and to explore other opportunities.
It was reliably gathered yesterday evening in Benin that the youthful Akerele, an indigene of Igarra in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, first tendered his resignation on Friday, but it was rejected by Edo governor, who urged him to change his mind and continue in office, to prevent embarrassment, ahead of the June 2 governorship primary election of APC. Read more
2 children killed in panic shopping stampede in Taraba (DailyTrust)
Markets across Kano State were heavily congested on Thursday following government’s relaxation of a seven-day lockdown for residents to buy foodstuff Two children died in a crowd stampede at Jalingo main market in Taraba during panic shopping in hours allotted for resident to stock household needs. With the state in lockdown, residents are allowed to go out between 10am and 2pm to stock up on home needs. Thousands of shoppers trooped to the market to buy food items resulting in the stampede as they tried to beat the 2pm deadline. Read more
How police failed to stop herdsmen killing in Issele-Azagba, kidnap in Ibusa (Vanguard)
In two separate incidents of kidnap and killing of residents by herdsmen at Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area and Issele-Azagba, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, this month, the family of one of the victims and a vigilante group contacted the Police and they refused to take action.
In one of the incidents at Ibusa, the police said it was late for them to visit the scene of crime, while in the second incident at Issele-Azagba, they said the vigilante group should handle the matter.
This fact came to light following Saturday Vanguard investigation, as suspected Fulani armed herdsmen continued their rampage, weekend, despite the lock-down order in the state over Covid-19 pandemic. Read more
COVID-19: Kaduna government confirms one new case, discharges six patients (Guardian)
The Kaduna State Ministry of Health says it has confirmed one new case of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
With the new case, the number of active cases in the state has increased from three to four.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed Baloni, disclosed on Saturday that the new case is a close contact of one of the three active cases announced earlier in the week.
According to Baloni, contact tracing is ongoing to identify persons the new case has interacted with so that they can be monitored and tested if they meet the case definition. Read more
Kidnapped Plateau traditional ruler regains freedom (Punch)
One week after he was kidnapped by gunmen, the traditional ruler in Kanan Local Government Area of Plateau State, Alhaji Shehu Suleiman, has regained his freedom.
Suleiman, who is the Pankwal Boghom, a second class chief in the state was abducted by the gunmen in his palace last Monday .
It was gathered that the octogenarian monarch was released on Saturday by his abductors who abandoned him at a village called Burga in Bauchi State. Read more
Decomposing whale heightens fear of massive pollution (Nation)
A big whale has been washed ashore the Bonny Island, Bonny Local Government Area, Rivers State, amidst suspicions of massive aquatic pollution in the Niger Delta region.
It was gathered the whale, whose tail and other parts of its body, were already decaying, was discovered by residents of Finima.
The dead whale was found at the shore at a time oil and gas sector regulators said they had launched an investigation into the cause of death of thousands of croaker fish known as broke marriage in rivers across Ijaw communities. Read more
New malaria vaccine hailed as ‘game changer’ that could save millions of lives (Metro)
Augustine Tamia gently cups her son Philip’s face in her hands and lets out a small sigh. The love for her only boy is evident but it is clear his health exacts a heavy financial and emotional toll on the family.
The mother-of-four has just returned from a gruelling morning in the cassava fields of rural Ghana. Earlier this year, she sliced off part of her finger with a machete as she worked to pay off loans used to buy Philip’s malaria medication. Each bout of the disease takes ten days hard labour to repay and he will fall sick at least three times a year. Read more
Zimbabwe official charged for insulting president over COVID-19 management (Punch)
An opposition municipal official has been charged with insulting Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa over for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, a lawyers’ association said.
Chrispen Rambu, a local councillor in the eastern town of Chipinge and a member of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was called in by the police, the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said in a statement late Friday.
He was then charged with insulting Mnangagwa and undermining his authority, it said. Read more
Back from the COVID dead in Ecuador, after hospital mixup (Guardian)
An Ecuadoran woman who was pronounced dead of COVID-19 suddenly woke up in the hospital, to the delight and relief of relatives who had identified someone else’s body like hers and had it cremated.
Alba Maruri, 74, was hospitalized in March in Guayaquil, the Ecuadoran city hardest hit by the pandemic, with fever and trouble breathing.
She lost consciousness for three weeks and was declared dead on March 27, relatives said. Read more
Mission: Impossible 7 release date is pushed back due to coronavirus crisis after filming is halted (Metro)
Fans will have to wait that little bit longer for the release of Mission: Impossible 7, as the movie’s release date has been pushed back due to the coronavirus crisis. The latest Mission: Impossible movie, starring Tom Cruise, has been delayed by several months and will now hit the big screen in the US in November 2012 – four months later that its originally scheduled release of July 2021. Studio Daily reports that Paramount has confirmed the new release date and revealed that the follow-up film Mission: Impossible 8 will also be delayed. Read more
Saudi Arabia abolishes flogging as punishment (Punch)
Saudi Arabia has abolished flogging as a punishment, the supreme court announced, hailing the latest in a series of “human rights advances” made by the king and his powerful son.
Court-ordered floggings in Saudi Arabia — sometimes extending to hundreds of lashes — have long drawn condemnation from human rights groups.
But they say the headline legal reforms overseen by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have brought no let-up in the conservative Islamic kingdom’s crushing of dissent, including through the use of the death penalty. Read more
Apple Magic Keyboard review: the ultimate iPad Pro accessory (Metro)
For the last few iPad generations Apple has been pushing to turn the tablet into more of a productivity device akin to your laptop. Hardware additions like the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard Folio have intertwined with increased functionality in software through iPadOS. But the biggest leap by far has come this year through the addition of the Magic Keyboard peripheral. There has been an insane amount of hype about this thing because many of us are finally wondering if it’s the last piece in the jigsaw puzzle that turns the iPad Pro into a laptop replacement. Let’s find out. Read more
Man behind 5G conspiracy video is UK pastor (Guardian)
The source of the viral claim that the erection of 5G mast is the cause of coronavirus has turned out to be a pastor in the United Kingdom, The Guardian UK reports.
Pastor Jonathon James regularly preached at churches in Bedfordshire and the Light City Christian Ministries in Luton. He was the previously unidentified individual who reached millions of people with his detailed but unproven claims that Covid-19 is a fake disease covering for the impact of 5G.
He claims to have at one point advised central bankers in “the Congo” and Bangladesh on cryptocurrencies and he has posed with the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa. Read more
Deontay Wilder warned his career will be over if Tyson Fury beats him again (Metro)
Deontay Wilder’s boxing career is over if he loses his third fight against Tyson Fury, according to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman. The Bronze Bomber lost his WBC heavyweight title after suffering the first loss of his career against Fury in Las Vegas on February 22. Despite being convincingly beaten in seven rounds by the Gypsy King, Wilder insists he will take up his rematch clause and a third fight between the pair was scheduled for the summer before the coronavirus outbreak halted the boxing calendar. But while Sulaiman believes the delay will benefit Wilder, the WBC president has warned the Bronze Bomber that his career is on the line if he takes a third fight against Fury. Read more
Stick to your guns on pay, Keane advises top Premier League players (Nation)
Players at the Premier League’s top clubs should “stick to their guns” and resist pressure to take pay cuts during the COVID-19 shutdown, ex-Manchester United captain, Roy Keane said on Friday.
Professional soccer in England has been suspended since March 13 due to the pandemic and some Premier League clubs have furloughed non-playing staff under a government scheme.
Players at some clubs have accepted wage deferrals while Arsenal’s players and coaching staff agreed a 12.5% salary reduction. Read more
Premier League come up with concrete proposals to finish season (Guardian)
The English Premier League are eyeing a resumption of the season on June 8, behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, and reaching a climax on July 27, according to The Times.
The paper claims football chiefs, along with other sports governing bodies, have been holding talks with the British government about when they can resume and at only “approved grounds”.
The Premier League has 92 games remaining since it suspended the season on March 13 with Liverpool agonisingly close to their first-ever EPL title. Read more
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s dad sends message to Arsenal striker after Chelsea transfer link (Metro) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s father has appeared to urge the Arsenal striker to sign a new contract after he was linked with a move to Chelsea. The 30-year-old will have just 12 months remaining on his current deal with the Gunners this summer, meaning that he could potentially leave on a free transfer next year if he does not reach a new agreement. On Friday, reports claimed that Chelsea are in the race to sign Aubameyang and the club believe that Arsenal will be forced to sell the forward in the next transfer window. Read more
Giroud extends Chelsea contract until June 2021 (Guardian)
Chelsea has triggered the option to extend France striker Olivier Giroud’s contract by a year until June 2021, a source said Saturday.
Giroud, 33, signed for Chelsea in winter 2018 from cross-city rivals Arsenal.
The 33-year-old has scored 39 goals in 97 appearances for France, making him his country’s third-highest goalscorer behind Michel Platini (41) and Thierry Henry (51), and the striker will be vying for a spot at next year’s European Championship. Read more
COVID-19: Ajax denied Dutch league shield (Nation)
The Eredivisie has ended the league’s season following an announcement from Prime Minister Mark Rutte that stated that all matches are forbidden until September.
As a result, the current table has been made final, although Ajax will not be awarded the title for finishing first with the Eredivisie not having a designated champion for the first time in the league’s 64-year history.
The decision to finalise the table was made after UEFA asked the Dutch federation to maintain the current standings to decide which teams are awarded spots in European competition. Ajax will head straight to the last round of Champions League qualification despite being level on points with AZ Alkmaar, who will enter in the second round of qualifiers. Read more
FIFA to give Nigeria, others $150m of coronavirus relief funds (DailyTrust)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks with Amaju Melvin Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), during the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City, Mexico, May 13, 2016. FIFA will release $150 million (139 million euros) to its member football associations to help handle financial troubles caused by the coronavirus, the global governing body said on Friday. FIFA said that “all operational funding” for 2019 and 2020 would be distributed amongst the 211 member associations in the next few days “as the first step of a relief plan to assist the football community impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic”. Each national governing body will receive $500,000, that FIFA says would normally be delivered “upon fulfullment of specific criteria”, but will release those funds and any “remaining entitlement for 2019 and 2020”. Read more