Lockdown: Youths storm tanker accident scene, scoop fuel (Punch)
There was mild apprehension at the OPIC end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when a tanker fell by the main road on Wednesday.
Shortly after the incident, however, many young persons around the area stormed the scene and started scooping fuel from the busted tanker.
The incident, which happened around 12:43 pm, was witnessed by our correspondents, some policemen, motorists and other passersby. There was however mild apprehension that the tanker could explode.
The accident, which was triggered by reckless driving, happened when the driver of the unregistered tanker suddenly veered right from the light traffic that emanated from the police checkpoint close to the long bridge. Read more
Coronavirus: Despite lockdown, social distancing fails in Lagos (DailyTrust)
Except the public vehicles – the popular yellow buses and the mass transit buses – that are out of sight on major roads and highways in Lagos, everything seems to be normal despite the lockdown in the state.
Are Lagosians now defying the lockdown and the social distancing regulations? Our correspondents report! From Lagos Mainland to the Island, Lagosians seem to be tired of the directive just one week after the Federal Government ordered the lockdown of Lagos, FCT and Ogun State. Last week when the regulations took effect, the compliance was very appreciable though pedestrian movements remain conspicuous prompting many people to wonder where people were heading to. Some of them claimed to be factory workers who needed to get to their places of work. Read more
Lagos confirms another coronavirus death (Guardian)
Lagos State Government on Wednesday said one of the coronavirus patients taking treatment in its facility has died.
“We just recorded another #COVID19 related death in Lagos,” spokesman to Lagos State governor Gboyega Akosile tweeted quoting a statement by the state’s health ministry.
“Lagos State Ministry of Health says it’s a 66-year-old Briton who travelled from India via Dubai to Lagos on 17th of March, 2020.”
The patient’s death brings the total number of coronavirus deaths in Lagos State to three. Read more
Lagos withdraws charges against Naira Marley, Gbadamosi (Guardian)
Lagos State Government on Wednesday said it will withdraw its case against a former governorship candidate Babatunde Gbadamosi and Azeez Fashola popularly known as Naira Marley.
Naira Marley and Gbadamosi were arraigned at a magistrate court, Ogba for flouting government’s stay-at-home order to attend a birthday party organised by celebrity couple Funke Akindele and Abdul Rashed Bello known as JJC Skillz.
Lagos State attorney-general and justice commissioner Moyosore Onigbanjo SAN through the directorate of public prosecution led by Yakub Oshoala said the remorsefulness of the defendants is considered to withdraw the case against them. Read more
We don’t know if lockdown’ll end in 14 days – SGF (Vanguard)
The Federal Government, yesterday, said it does not know if the lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, ordered to check the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic would end in 14 days.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, said only President Muhammadu Buhari can decide if the lockdown would be extended, depending on experts’ advice.
It added that the country was on course to stop the spread of the virus.
Buhari had on March 29, 2020, ordered a total lockdown of Lagos, Ogun and FCT for 14 days in the first instance. The lockdown is on day 9 today. Read more
Fitness enthusiasts defy lockdown, police presence, occupy Ikorodu road (Guardian)
After some angst and criticism on social media against the fitness enthusiasts, who defied the stay-at-home order by the federal and state government and turned the Gbagada-Oshodi expressway into a gym site on Monday, battle-ready policemen stormed the highway to disperse the crowd that had gathered for another day in the sun.
A detachment of policemen were stationed along the route sending people away from the highway a day after some concerned residents called on the state government to take action against the violators. Read more
Fire guts Accountant-General’s office in Abuja (Punch)
There was a fire outbreak on Wednesday at the Treasury House, which is the headquarters of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The cause of the fire, which started about 10 am, is yet to be known.
The PUNCH gathered that as soon as the incident started, men of the Federal Fire Service were alerted to assist in putting out the fire. Read more
PDP calls for investigation into Treasury House fire (Vanguard)
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the mysterious fire outbreak in critical offices at the Headquarters of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in Abuja on Wednesday.
The party added that an investigation is imperative given apprehensions in the public space regarding the time and the offices involved in the fire outbreak. Read more
COVID-19: Demand for Nigeria’s oil drops by 6.8m barrels, says NNPC (Punch)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation says demand for Nigeria’s crude oil in March dropped by 6.8 million barrels due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.
Kyari said the drop in the demand for oil was not peculiar to Nigeria but global. Read more
Coronavirus: Nigeria’s mega churches adjust to empty auditoriums (BBC)
The auditoriums of Nigeria’s mega churches are empty and their gates are shut as they are forced to observe a government ban on large gatherings to halt the spread of coronavirus.
But it took not only threats, but force and arrests for the message to get across.
In some cases those in charge of making the churches bolt their doors turned to the scriptures. Read more
Mother of quadruplets dies after contracting coronavirus (Metro)
A mother of five who was a respected councillor has died after contracting Covid-19 during a trip to Pakistan.
Shabnum Sadiq, who served on Slough Borough Council, died on April 6 after suffering ‘complications’ from the virus. She leaves behind her husband and five children, including 13-year-old quads. A spokesman for the local authority said that it was flying flags at half-mast at the council offices in tribute to the 39 year old. Mrs Sadiq was elected to Wexham Lea ward in May 2016 and served on various council committees. She was a former lead member for education and children’s services. Read more
Exploiting nature ‘drives outbreaks of new diseases’ (BBC)
New evidence has emerged of a link between human exploitation of nature and pandemics.
Close contact with wild animals through hunting, trade or habitat loss puts the world at increased risk of outbreaks of new diseases, say scientists.
Coronavirus is thought to have originated in bats, with other wild animals, possibly pangolins, playing a role in transmission to humans.
There are strong indications of a wildlife source and a link to trade. Read more
R. Kelly loses bid to leave jail amid coronavirus pandemic (PageSix)
R. Kelly will have to stay trapped in the lockup while he awaits trials on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and child pornography, a judge ruled Tuesday.
The 53-year-old R&B icon filed requests with federal judges in the Windy City and Brooklyn to spring him from Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, arguing that both his age and his recent hernia surgery put him at high risk for catching the coronavirus. Read more
Coronavirus Outbreak: Smart thermometer shows us shelter in place measures work (VOA)
There’s a race on to predict where the COVID-19 virus is growing, what social distancing measures are working and when it will be safe to open society again.
But to do that takes data and the ability to detect signals in the noise of information. Governments are turning to tech companies such as Facebook and Google to see if location data might offer help.
One unlikely place to turn: A smart thermometer that is connected to the internet. Fever is one of the common symptoms of the novel coronavirus and capturing fever data – in real time – might be an indicator of where the virus is moving. Read more
Chinese Americans battle racism as COVID-19 spreads (VOA)
Lu Ping does battle for her adopted country armed with a smartphone.
Every day from 6 am to midnight, Lu coordinates donations of masks, medical supplies and money to Chinese Americans Support Hospitals (CASH), a GoFundMe group she started with friends in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States.
The group’s mission is to get needed supplies for hospitals in the Washington, D.C., metro area, which includes portions of Maryland and Virginia, and is known by residents as the DMV. Read more
John Prine: Bruce Springsteen leads tributes to late singer (BBC)
Bruce Springsteen has said he is “crushed by the loss” of US country-folk singer John Prine.
The Grammy-winning songwriter died on Tuesday, aged 73, due to Covid-19 complications, his publicist confirmed.
Prine had been in hospital in Nashville since last week with coronavirus symptoms, with his wife and manager, Fiona Whelan Prine, posting updates about his condition online.
Prine was revered by his peers including Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. Read more
Cardi B laments her lack of quarantine sex while in LA (PageSix)
Cardi B is lonely, and randy, in LA.
The isolating rapper said she’s been unable to get it on with her husband, Offset, lately. “I have sex so many times, and now I’m on my period, I can’t even f - - k,” she crassly lamented to fans on Instagram.
Plus, “I miss my family and I miss my friends … I’ve never been so alone … I just watch documentaries and watch movies,” she said. Read more
COVID-19: Why slashing NPFL players’ salaries will be wickedness (DailyTrust)
A football coach and administrator, Austin Tyowua has said it will amount to wickedness for any club in the Nigeria Professional Football League to cut down players’ salaries in the name of Covid-19 crisis. Following the suspension of football activities around the world due to the coronavirus pandemic, most clubs in Europe have of recent slashed the wages of their players and officials in order to stay afloat. Consequently there are fears that NPFL clubs may decide to emulate Nigeria National League side, Yobe Desert Stars who recently slashed salaries and allowances of their players and officials. Read more
Ronaldinho and brother under house arrest in Paraguay (BBC)
Former Brazil forward Ronaldinho has been released from prison and placed under house arrest in Paraguay.
The 2005 Ballon d’Or winner had spent time in jail along with his brother after being arrested on 6 March, accused of using fake passports.
The pair had previously been denied bail but posted $800,000 (£648,000) each and must now stay in a four-star hotel in Asuncion while awaiting trial. Read more
Osimhen can be the new Drogba, says Penneteau (DailyTrust)
Victor Osimhen can be Ligue 1’s next Didier Drogba, according to former team-mate Nicolas Penneteau. The 21-year-old Nigerian has lit up French football with Lille this season, scoring 18 goals and finding himself linked with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Barcelona. After a slow start to his career, Drogba’s last season in Ligue 1 brought 32 goals in all competitions before he moved to Chelsea, and goalkeeper Penneteau – who played with Osimhen at Charleroi – thinks the youngster has similar quality. “He doesn’t surprise me,” Penneteau told BFM with RMC Sport. Read more
Reject new clauses, no contract renewal – Pinnick tells Rohr (Vanguard)
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) president, Amaju Pinnick has given assured that a new contract for Super Eagles boss Gernot Rohr will be ready in a week.
Pinnick however made it known that the Rohr’s contract will only be renewed if he accepts the new set conditions.
These conditions inserted include:
1. He must reside in Nigeria,
2. His salary will be paid in naira
3. He must watch league matches with a view to picking players that could be nurtured to become international stars. Read more
Alan Shearer: ‘Let Premier League players decide the best way to help’ (BBC)
Not many Premier League players will need to be told to play their part in the fight against the financial effects of coronavirus.
A lot of them are high earners who should definitely contribute, but I am sure the vast majority have always been willing to help, if they haven’t already.
The biggest question for them will be ‘how?’ Read more
Golf’s Tiger King: Woods-Phil Mickelson rematch would give Vegas needed boost (NYPost)
A year ago, Tiger Woods authored an inspiring comeback story by winning the Masters and capturing his first major championship in more than a decade. In a perfect world, he would get the chance to repeat this week.
This is a much different world, of course. As summer approaches, no baseball, basketball or hockey games are on the horizon. All three golf majors staged in the U.S. are postponed and rescheduled, and the British Open has been canceled. But golf might be making a big comeback in the near future, if Tiger has his way.
According to reports, Woods has expressed interest in participating in another head-to-head duel with Phil Mickelson. Read more
Lockdown: Former Eagles star Lawal faults FG, police (Punch)
Ex-international, Garba Lawal, has lamented the Federal Government’s poor handling of the lockdown directive due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), announced on March 29 that Abuja, Lagos and Ogun would observe a mandatory two-week stay at home to help curtail the spread of the virus.
But the ex-Eagles star, despite applauding the FG’s initiative, said the situation could have been better if the masses were provided with food. Read more