Lockdown: Be friendly on enforcement, Sanwo-Olu tells security operatives (DailyTrust)
As the restriction of movement began in Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appealed to security agents to be friendly in enforcing the lockdown order. Sanwo-Olu, at a Security Council meeting on Monday with commanders of security formations in the state, urged security agents to show high professionalism in dealing with erring persons and cautioned that high-handedness may lead to the violation of residents’ human rights. Briefing the media on behalf of the Council after the meeting, the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, assured that the presidential directive would be fully implemented, noting that commanders of each security agency had resolved to comply with the governor’s entreaty. Odumosu pleaded with residents and inter-state commuters to exercise self-compliance with the presidential directive. Read more
Lagos PCRC gives materials to police command (Nation)
As part of steps to contribute in stopping spread of Coronavirus, also called COVID-19, among the officers of Lagos Command of Nigeria Police Force, the State’ Command of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), has donated some preventive materials to the police command.
Some of the materials donated on Monday, includes: Infrared Thermometer, Wash Hand Buckets Fixed with Taps and Other Hand Washing Materials, Hand Sanitizers, Hand Gloves, Face Masks and others.
Presenting the materials, Chairman of PCRC, Apostle Kehinde Adewale Showemimo, said the gesture is part of PCRC community Policing input for the safety of the Police Officers and men while carrying out their constitutional duties. Adding that the COVID19 preventive materials will also be replicated by the PCRC in all the police formations across the state command (Divisions & Area Commands). Read more
Customs battles smugglers in Lagos, Ogun, intercepts cartons of poultry products (DailyTrust)
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, were on Monday engaged in a gun battle with smugglers. At the end of the clash, the Customs officials intercepted and destroyed poultry products worth N20,678,400. Eko Trust gathered that the smugglers had attempted to bring into Nigeria many cartons of frozen poultry products, but met stiff resistance from the Customs officers. The Acting Comptroller of the unit, Usman Yahaya, who confirmed this, said seizures were actually made in two separate operations. Read more
Travellers lament as Lagos, Abuja lockdown begins (Punch)
There was substantial compliance with the Federal Government’s lockdown order in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states, on Tuesday as travellers groaned under the weight of the initiative to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had on Sunday ordered a 14-day lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and the FCT to curtail the spread of the coronavirus ravaging the world.
Dozens of policemen, officers and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps were out on the streets as from 11pm on Monday night into the early hours of Tuesday.
Only workers on essential services were allowed to move freely within the FCT. Read more
Lagos revenue body extends deadline for filing of returns
(Guardian)
In view of the coronavirus pandemic altering socio-economic activities worldwide and as part of the on-going efforts to mitigate the effect on businesses and taxpayers, the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has extended the deadline for filing of annual returns for individual taxpayers including self-employed persons for two months from April 1 to May 31, 2020.
Statutorily, the filing of annual returns expires on the March 31st of every fiscal year, and attracts stiff penalties for defaulters. With this extension as announced by LIRS, taxpayers are given a breather. Read more
Lagos gets 700 Mouka mattresses for Abule Ado victims, COVID-19 centres (DailyTrust)
A Lagos-based foam manufacturer, Mouka, has donated 200 mattresses to victims of the Abule Ado explosion in Lagos. The company also donated 500 mattresses to the state government towards equipping the isolation centres the government had set up for the treatment of the coronavirus pandemic. The company said it was donating the items as part of its corporate social responsibility to bring relief to the victims. The donation to Abule Ado victims was made through the Lagos State government to affected families in dire need of assistance due to the havoc cause by the explosion. Read more
FG plans 1,500 tests daily, Oyo, Edo decry kit shortage (Punch)
The Federal Government on Tuesday said by next week, Nigeria would be testing 1,500 people for COVID-19 every day.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, who disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, said the country, as of last week, was conducting 500 tests per day.
Ihekweazu said this as some states, including Oyo and Edo, on Tuesday complained that they were facing a shortage of testing kits for the virus. Read more
Buhari shows Nigerians how to wash hands to curb COVID-19 spread Guardian)
A photograph of the president, Muhammadu Buhari, teaching Nigerians how to wash their hands in order to avoid contracting or spreading coronavirus has been released by the State House, Abuja.
In the photograph, he is seen washing his hands in a wash hand basin right in front of a mirror. The location is reported to be his office or residence at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, Abuja. Read more
Experts want government to create intervention funds for essential industries, others (Guardian)
To alleviate pains of COVID-19 on the citizenry, financial experts have urged the Federal Government to consider the provision of intervention funds to support essential industries/commodities such as rice, vegetables and related products. According to them, the measure would also enhance outputs and efficiency.
The experts, while suggesting key fiscal measures that the federal government should consider within this period, said government should also develop economic stimulus packages for essential industries and commodities in their respective states. Read more
Army redeploys anti-B’Haram war commander, 12 generals in shakeup (Guardian)
The Nigerian Army on Tuesday redeployed no fewer than 13 Major Generals and Brigadier Generals, including the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Olusegun Adeniyi, who has been replaced by Maj. Gen. Faruk Yahaya.
Adeniyi, who was seen two days ago in a viral video reportedly complaining about the state of fighting equipment in the North-East, has been moved to the Nigerian Army Resource Centre as a Senior Research Fellow. Read more
Climate change: Warming clips the nightingale’s wings (BBC)
Rising temperatures may be having a profound physical impact on one of the world’s favourite songbirds.
Researchers in Spain found that over a 20-year period, nightingales had evolved smaller wingspans.
The scientists say this is linked to a changing climate in the region which has seen the early onset of spring and increased drought.
They are concerned that this could affect the bird’s ability to migrate in winter.
Alpine ice sheds light on medieval murder
Self-isolation proves a boon to rainfall project
Coronavirus: Lockdown ‘must become the social norm’ Read more
Three-ingredient flourless peanut butter cookies are perfect to make during lockdown (Metro)
Lots of people are getting into baking during the coronavirus quarantine period, as they have more time on their hands. It’s a great activity to do with kids who aren’t at school. But with some things still in short supply in supermarkets and people being told not to go out for essentials, getting lots of ingredients might not be straightforward. So, we bring you the three-ingredient cookies. All you need for these is some peanut butter, one egg and some sugar. If you have some chocolate chips (or just a bar you can break up) you can add those too but they’re not essential. Read more
Coronavirus: Police punish lockdown defaulters with sit-ups (Guardian)
Police punish coronavirus lockdown defaulters with sit-ups | Image: The Pioneer
As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, many countries have enforced lockdowns as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
However, a number of people keep flouting the restrictions. For such people, the Indian police have found a way to punish defaulters of the lockdown.
According to Economic Times, Indian police are making ‘COVIDIOTS’ (a term coined for those flouting restrictions) squat on the road, do sit-ups and make them pose with pamphlets admitting their fault. Read more
Apple buys weather app Dark Sky (BBC)
Apple has purchased the weather predicting app Dark Sky and plans to shut down the Android and Wear OS versions.
Dark Sky is known for its hyper-local weather predictions and ability to forecast minute by minute.
The app’s creator Adam Grossman said the partnership would allow Dark Sky to reach “far more people”.
Owners of Android phones or wearable devices not made by Apple will have access to the services until 1 July. Read more
Trump tweets that Pelosi’s appearance on Morning Joe ‘wasn’t bad’ (NYPost)
President Trump offered his chief foe, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, what appeared to be some rare praise in a tweet commenting on a cable news appearance she made.
“I watched a portion of low rated (very) Morning Psycho (Joe) this Morning in order to see what Nancy Pelosi had to say, & what moves she was planning to further hurt our Country,” the commander-in-chief wrote Tuesday morning.
“Actually, other than her usual complaining that I’m a terrible person, she wasn’t bad. Still praying!” he continued. Read more
Lockdowns may have saved 59,000 lives in Europe (Guardian)
Strict containment measures might have already saved up to 59,000 lives across 11 European countries battling the spread of the new coronavirus, experts in Britain say.
Basing their modelling on the numbers of recorded deaths from COVID-19, researchers from Imperial College London said most countries it looked at had likely dramatically reduced the rate at which the virus spreads.
Using the experiences of countries with the most advanced epidemics like Italy and Spain, the study compared actual fatality rates with an estimate of what would have happened with no measures such as school closures, event cancellations and lockdown. Read more
Little Women follows Game Of Thrones’ coffee cup drama as fans spot water bottle in background (Metro)
Little Women has followed Game Of Thrones’ drama with a coffee cup appearing in the background of a scene, as fans have spotted a plastic water bottle knocking about in the movie. Whoops… Eagle-eyed viewers of the film, which stars Emma Watson (Meg), Saoirse Ronan (Jo), Florence Pugh (Amy) and Timothee Chalamet (Laurie), and is set in the 1860s, have spotted the pesky bottle and a hydro flask in the background of one the scenes.
‘Laurie, played by Timothée Chalamet, was ahead of his time in ‘Little Women’ (2019). During the 1860s, he already owned a Hydro Flask and water bottle,’ one tweeted. Read more
Suzanne Somers wants her tasteful nudes to appear in Playboy at 75 (NYPost)
She’s getting her birthday suit ready.
Suzanne Somers recently proposed a titillating idea for how to celebrate her upcoming 75th birthday: Appear buck naked in Playboy magazine, preferably shot by respected photographer Annie Leibovitz.
Unfortunately for the former “Three’s Company” actress, the nudie mag was shuttered two weeks ago over declining sales and coronavirus concerns — although its online edition is still up and running. Read more
Three clubs lodge bids for Osimhen (Guardian)
Three clubs have made bids for in-demand Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, according to Sky Sports.
The broadcaster claim that “two top Premier League clubs and a LaLiga side” have made formal offers for the 20-year-old Osimhen has scored 18 goals in all competitions this campaign, including 13 in Ligue 1, and providing four assists and that has led to a flurry of interest from the Premier League.
Nigeria football ambassador, Daniel Amokachi, said over the weekend that the Lille striker was the second best Nigerian footballer. Read more
Olympics postponement blessing for Team Nigeria – Ogba (Punch)
Nigeria Olympic Committee 1st vice-president, Solomon Ogba, has said the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics could work in Team Nigeria’s advantage as it would give them ample time to prepare well, but warned that athletes who didn’t prepare well might not be able to do so again.
The Olympics, initially scheduled for July 24 to August 9, 2020, have been postponed due to the widespread of coronavirus.
The International Olympic Committee’s executive board met on Monday and decided that the event would now start from July 23 to August 8, 2021. Read more
National Council of Sports will fix new date for NSF – Dare (DailyTrust)
The Minister of Sports and Youth Development Mr. Sunday Dare The Minister of Sports and Youth development, Mr. Sunday Dare has said the National Council for Sports (NCS), will soon meet to do a review of the postponement of the 2020 National Sports festival and possibly choose a new date for the games. He explained that “After the lockdown, the NCS will meet again to review the postponement and brief the stakeholders on how and what to do on the sports festival. “The NCS is the highest decision sports making body in the country, so, we hope that after the two weeks break or sometimes before the end of April, the National Council of sports will meet as a body. Read more
Arsenal monitors Traore brothers of Ivory Coast (Guardian)
Arsenal are interested in striking deals for Ivoirian brothers, Hamed and Amad Traorè, who have both been earning rave reviews in Italy, reports 90min.com.
An attacking midfielder, 20-year-old Hamed is currently on loan with Sassuolo from Empoli, while younger brother, Amad, is a 17-year-old winger, who has managed three appearances for Atalanta’s senior side this year.
Arsenal are on the lookout for some exciting, young forwards to rejuvenate their struggling side, and a source has confirmed to 90min that both Traorè brothers have played their way on to the Gunners’ radar. Read more
Rohr named amongst Bordeaux’s five greatest players (Punch)
Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, has been named among the top five legendary players who played for Ligue 1 club, Bordeaux, by French journalist Julien Bee.
Rohr holds the record for the players with the highest number of appearances for Bordeaux in the French Ligue 1 over the past 50 years, with 352 appearances, before calling it quits in 1989.
During this period, the 66-year-old won three French League titles, two French Cups and was also part of the team that made it to the semi-final of the Champions League before being knocked out by Juventus in 1985. Read more
Tokyo Olympics new date should spur Nigerian athletes – Gumel (DailyTrust)
The President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, Engr Habu Gumel, has said Nigerian athletes who have qualified and those who are hoping to qualify for the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics should be spurred by the new date for the games as announced by the International Olympics Committee. On Monday, the host nation Japan and IOC announced July 23- August 8, 2021 as the new date for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics Gumel in a statement said the new date has underlined the fact that there is still hope for sports despite the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic. He also said the announcement is a sliver linen silver linen across a gloomy sky as the world continues its battle to overcome the deadly scourge. Read more
NFL team owners vote to extend play-offs from 2020 season (BBC)
NFL team owners have voted to add two extra teams to the play-offs, starting from the 2020 season.
Both the AFC and NFC will add a seventh team for the post-season, but only the top seed in each conference will get a first-round bye instead of the top two.
The new format had needed approval from three-quarters of the 32 NFL owners during a conference call.
It means there will be six matches across wildcard weekend in January 2021 instead of four in the previous format. Read more