Lekki hotel rape: Lagos will continue prosecution of two varsity dropouts (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has said that in spite of a letter of withdrawal by the complainant in a rape case, it was determined to bring the two defendants to justice. The defendants are Don-Chima, 25, and Rasak, 28, both dropouts from Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo in Ogun State. The duo are facing trial before an Ikeja High Court for allegedly drugging and raping a 24-year-old woman at a hotel in Lekki Phase One, Lekki, Lagos. Read more
Buhari signs Federal Polytechnics Amendment, Security Studies bills into law (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja signed into law the Federal Polytechnics Amendment bill and the National Institute for Security Studies bill. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Alhaji Umar El-Yakub disclosed this when he addressed State House Correspondents on Tuesday. According to him, the new Act on Federal Polytechnics now pegs the tenure of Rectors of Federal Polytechnics at single five year tenure. Read more
Women appointed by APC govt proving their worth —Omo-Agege (Punch)
Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege has said that all women given leadership responsibilities by the All Progressive Congress administration are proving their worth. He also expressed his appreciation to the APC Women from the South-South geopolitical zone who visited him at his residence in Abuja and emphasized his firm commitment towards enhancing the lot of Nigerian women. He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s inclusive policy has prioritized women empowerment and given several women the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in various positions. Read more
Court restrains Ganduje from taking action against Emir Sanusi (Nation)
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano on Tuesday restrained Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, the State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission with the Attorney General from acting on the Preliminary Report of Investigation In Respect of Petition of Financial Misappropriation against Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II. The Presiding Judge, Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu gave the order on Tuesday in a motion Exparte filed by Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II dated June 7th against Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Governor of Kano and the state Attorney General. Read more
Taraba women protest herdsmen killings, harassment of youths (Punch)
Hundreds of Kona women in the early hours of Tuesday took to the streets of Jalingo the Taraba State capital to protest the killings of their people by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The protest is coming after killing of eleven people between Sunday and Monday night when suspected armed Fulani militia invaded Tudiri and Janibanibu villages in Ardo-kola Local Government Areas of the state. The women who started the pretest from Kona village located six kilometers away from the city centre wore black attires and matched across major streets of Jalingo to protest what they called continued attacks on their communities and killings of their husbands and children by armed herdsmen. Read more
INEC did not conduct governorship polls in parts of Kaduna – witnesses (Nation)
Thirteen witnesses on Tuesday told the Kaduna State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, that the March 9 governorship elections did not hold in parts of Zaria Local Government Area of the state. The witnesses, who testified on behalf of the petitioners, the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Alhaji Isah Ashiru, also said even where the poll held, it was disrupted and marred by irregularities. Read more
‘No indication we have been suspended’ – Ogun Transport Unions (Punch)
The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Ogun State, Akeem Adeosun, said he was yet to receive any letter indicating that transport unions in the state have been suspended by the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun. Abiodun had given an order for the dissolution of all transport unions in the interim and had named a 13-man committee to coordinate the activities of road transport trade unions. The statement read that the interim road transport unions’ committee would be headed by Bar. Sunday Olufemi Adeniyi. Read more
75 migrants stuck off Tunisia agree to go home —NGO (Punch)
Seventy-five migrants rescued in the Mediterranean and stranded for two weeks off Tunisia will be allowed to disembark after accepting that they will be returned home, the Red Crescent said. Representatives of the International Organization for Migration are preparing to meet the migrants, to find out what they want to do, before the IOM finances their potential return. But “it is their choice to return (home) or not”, said Lorena Lando, the head of the IOM in Tunisia. Read more
DR Congo exodus of 300,000 ‘may hamper Ebola battle’ (BBC)
More than 300,000 people have been displaced this month by ethnic violence in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN says. There are fears that the latest clashes – between Hema cattle-herders and Lendu farmers – could hamper efforts to combat an Ebola outbreak in the region. The two communities have repeatedly fought over land and water in Ituri, a gold-rich region in the north-east. Read more
At least 14 killed in attack on Mali villages (Guardian)
At least 14 people were killed in an attack on two ethnic Dogon villages in centre of Mali, local officials said Tuesday, in the latest in a cycle of violence in the fragile Sahel country. No group immediately claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack but Mali has seen a spate of massacres this year between ethnic Dogon and Fulani communities. The attacks on Ganfafani and Yoro villages near the border with Burkina Faso left “14 people dead according to a provisional toll”, said local judicial official Boubacar Sidiki Samake. Read more
Trump still without Pentagon chief after Shanahan pulls out (Guardian)
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday his pick for defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, has withdrawn, leaving the Pentagon without a permanent boss for more than six months just as tensions soar in the Middle East. Shanahan “has decided not to go forward with his confirmation process so that he can devote more time to his family,” Trump tweeted after Shanahan faced questions over his past personal life and an allegation of domestic violence. Trump said the army secretary, Mark Esper, will come in as acting secretary of defense. Read more
Three teenagers jailed for setting boy’s genitals on fire after spilling drink (Metro)
Three teenagers have been sentenced to 14 years in prison for torturing a 15-year-old boy whose genitals were set on fire with a lighter. Kyle Ashton, 19, led the sickening attack with Christopher Pyatt-Pierce, 18, at his flat in Highgate, Birmingham after lashing out at the boy. They began battering the visitor after he had spilled a drink on the floor while visiting the flat on September 29 last year. Read more
Man dies as parachute fails to open when he jumped out of a plane (Punch)
A Canadian man has died after his parachute failed to open when he jumped out of a plane during a military exercise led by US forces in Bulgaria, local media reported on Tuesday. Three soldiers, reportedly US citizens, were also injured during the exercise overnight to Tuesday, dubbed Swift Response 2019, according to the private television channel bTV. The Defence Ministry in Sofia has confirmed the incident near the southern village of Cheshnegirovo, the BTA news agency reported. Read more
Hungry and exhausted polar bear wanders into Russian city (BBC)
A starving and exhausted polar bear has been spotted wandering in Russia’s northern city of Norilsk – hundreds of kilometres from its natural habitat. The female bear was roaming around a factory, under observation by officials in the world’s northernmost city. They say the animal could have simply got lost. Wildlife experts will soon inspect the bear and decide its fate. Read more
Weinstein in search of a lawyer as trial approaches (Punch)
The main lawyer for Harvey Weinstein has asked a judge to be removed from the case, leaving the disgraced movie mogul without counsel as his sexual assault trial approaches in September. Weinstein has been charged over the alleged assaults of two women — a rape in 2013 and an incident of forced oral sex in 2006. He faces life in prison if convicted, and is also accused of sexual misconduct with dozens of other women. Read more
Marta sets record as Brazil into last 16 (BBC)
Six-time world player of the year Marta scored a record 17th World Cup finals goal to clinch Brazil’s place in the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Italy, who topped Group C on goal difference. The 33-year-old Brazil legend’s nerveless, second-half penalty saw her become the all-time leading scorer at men’s or women’s World Cups, surpassing retired Germany striker Miroslav Klose. Italy, who had already qualified, went close twice through Juventus’ Barbara Bonansea in the first half, but faded after the break in Valenciennes. Read more
Kerr hits four as Australia crush Jamaica (BBC)
Sam Kerr scored four goals to become the Women’s World Cup joint-top scorer as Australia beat Jamaica 4-1 to reach the Women’s World Cup last 16. The striker nodded in twice in the first half to make it four headed goals in five and poked in the third after the break, before she punished Jamaica keeper Nicole McClure’s terrible error. Havana Solaun scored Jamaica’s first-ever goal in the tournament. Read more
Wrong to remove World Cup fans advocating for Iranian women, FIFA says (Nation)
World football governing body FIFA on Tuesday in Zurich said it was wrong for stewards to intervene and remove two fans at a women’s World Cup match in France on Saturday. The fans were ejected because they advocated for Iranian women to be allowed into stadiums in the middle eastern country. Two supporters were forced to leave a match in Grenoble because they wore t-shirts which had slogans. Read more
Emerson Palmieri reveals Eden Hazard’s brutal goodbye to Chelsea players’ WhatsApp group (Metro)
Emerson Palmieri has hilariously revealed how Eden Hazard abruptly left the a Chelsea players’ WhatsApp group after his switch to Real Madrid. Hazard moved from Chelsea to Real Madrid this summer for £88m after speculation lasting months, if not years, over the Belgian leaving Stamford Bridge. The Blues’ 4-1 victory over Arsenal in the Europa League final turned out to be Hazard’s final game for the club, in which he scored twice in Baku. Read more
Liverpool’s Ojo joins Rangers on loan (Guardian)
Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo will link up with former Reds captain Steven Gerrard after agreeing a season-long loan move to Rangers on Tuesday. England youth international Ojo has made 13 appearances for the Liverpool first team, but has spent most of his Anfield career in loan spells at Wigan, Wolves, Fulham and last season with Reims in Ligue 1. “The last 18 months to two years I’ve not had that consistent opportunity to play football,” Ojo told Rangers TV. Read more
Former Real Madrid president warns club over ‘dangerous’ Paul Pogba signing from Manchester United (Metro)
Real Madrid have been warned about signing Paul Pogba this summer by their former president Ramon Calderon, who has described the Frenchman as ‘dangerous’. The World Cup winner has made it clear he wants to leave current club Manchester United, with Real boss Zinedine Zidane keen to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu. However, after an extended period of unrest at Old Trafford, Calderon has questioned if Pogba is the right kind of character for the Spanish giants. Read more
Top Swiss prosecutor must recuse himself from FIFA case —Court (Punch)
Switzerland’s attorney general Michael Lauber committed professional misconduct in his handling of the massive corruption investigation targeting FIFA and must recuse himself from the case, a Swiss court said Tuesday. Regulators opened a disciplinary investigation last month looking into a series of meetings that Lauber had with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who is also Swiss. The Swiss Federal Criminal Tribunal said that Lauber’s conduct was not consistent with the rules governing the country’s top prosecutor and highlighted that his FIFA meetings only came to light through media investigations. Read more
PSG president rubbishes rumours of Kylian Mbappe moving to Liverpool (Metro)
Paris Saint-Germain’s president has dismissed rumours that Kylian Mbappe is set to leave the club this summer, amid Liverpool and Real Madrid links. The French striker opened up the possibility of an exit last month when he said it is ‘maybe the moment to have more responsibilities at a new project.’ However, he has since gone back on that statement, suggesting he plans to stay in Paris, and now PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has completely ruled out the World Cup winner leaving. Read more
Sharapova makes winning return in Mallorca (Guardian)
Maria Sharapova made a winning return from injury on Tuesday by beating Viktoria Kuzmova 7-6 (10/8), 6-0 to reach the second round of the Mallorca Open. The five-time Grand Slam champion has not played since the end of January after taking time out to recover from a shoulder injury, but edged a tight opening set against Kuzmova before strolling through the second. Victory on the grass will come as a timely boost to morale for Sharapova, with the start of Wimbledon now less than two weeks away. Read more