Man burnt to death for stealing phone (Guardian)
A man, on Tuesday, suspected to have stolen an Android phone from a lady at the popular Gada Biu market in Jos North local government area of Plateau State was lynched to death. It was learnt that the lady was returning from work at about 8:00 p.m. when a thief lurking around the area snatched her phone while she was making a call and bolted away.
An eyewitness stated that those within the vicinity who noticed the incident ran after the thief and eventually caught up with him under the overhead bridge close to the scene of the incident and dragged him to the market area where he was beaten and burnt to death.
When journalists visited the scene yesterday, a bystander, simply identified as Joseph, who claimed to have witnessed the mob action, said Gada Biu in the state capital has become a no-go area once it is past 8:00 p.m. He called for security operatives to be drafted to the area in order to reduce attacks on unsuspecting persons. Read more
Lagos explosion: Residents condemn FHA boss’ takeover comment (Punch)
Some residents of the community have condemned the plan by the Federal Government to acquire the Abule-Ado community in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State that was devastated by an explosion on Sunday.
Twenty persons, including the Administrator and workers of the Bethlehem Girls College, lost their lives to the explosion, which also destroyed over 50 buildings.
While the corpses were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed buildings, the fire which followed the explosion ravaged the community and burnt some other buildings.
Hundreds of residents were rendered homeless as a result of the tragedy. Read more
Lagos-Ibadan rail track to reach Ebute-Metta March end (DailyTrust)
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporationn, Fidet Okhiria, says despite the fears over the coronavirus outbreak, work is ongoing on the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge. He also assured that the track laying in the Lagos axis would reach Ebute-Metta by the end of March. Okhiria, spoke at the commissioning of the Press Centre of the Transport Correspondents Association of Nigeria in Lagos donated by the NRC. Read more
Lagos State bans religious gatherings above 50 persons (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday suspended all religious gatherings above 50 persons in the state for the next four weeks with immediate effect.
The Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Olanrewaju Elegushi, announced this to newsmen in Ikeja after a closed-door meeting with religious leaders in the state on the issue of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
Elegushi said that the decision was taken in the interest of Lagosians and necessary toward curbing the spread of the ravaging coronavirus.
“We met with religious leaders both Christians and Muslims. We discussed, argued and realised that the lives of Lagosians is important to us. We prefer to offend people than to kill our people. Read more
Churches, Mosques, schools shut in COVID-19 lockdown (Nation)
Drastic measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in the country were rolled out on Wednesday.
Churches and mosques were advised to lockdown as schools are shut in Lagos and the nine states in the Northwest.
Ogun and Kwara states also announced measures to curtail gathering of a large number of people and to close schools.
Nigeria’s list of infected persons rose to eight from the three announced on Monday.
Lagos and Ogun state governments announced that any gathering of 50 persons and above should be suspended with immediate effect.
Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs Olanrewaju Elegushi told reporters after a meeting with religious leaders that the suspension of large gatherings had taken effect. Read more
Lagos explosion: 276,000 people displaced – LASG (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said 276,000 people have been displaced by Sunday’s gas inferno that engulfed the Abule Ado and Soba areas of the state.
Dr Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Director-General, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), disclosed this newsman in Lagos while assessing the damage at the scene of the incident.
Damilola-oke, who expressed shock at the level of destruction, said the impact assessment by the agency would enable the state government to make provision for the people. Read more
Oil price sinks to $24, lowest in 17 years (Punch)
The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, tumbled on Wednesday to the lowest level in 17 years as global markets continued to respond to the price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Brent, against which Nigeria’s crude is priced, fell by $3.84 to $24.89 per barrel as of 7.05 pm Nigerian time on Wednesday, its lowest level since late 2002.
With the oil price now more than 50 per cent lower than Nigeria’s budget benchmark, the country’s oil-dependent economy has come under more pressure. Read more
Ekiti’s coronavirus patient likely contracted virus from dead American (Guardian)
Ekiti State Government Wednesday said the person who tested positive for coronavirus in the state may have contracted the virus while driving an American man who died in a hospital in the state.
The 38-year-old Ekiti State indigene man was one of the five confirmed cases announced by Nigeria’s health minister Osagie Ehanire on Wednesday morning.
The man is suspected to have been infected while driving an American Caucasian, male, 27 years old, who was visiting Nigeria from Richmond, Virginia, the USA in the company of his caregiver, a Nigerian female Age 31, of Ekiti origin. Read more
Two doctors, 159 others die of Lassa fever (Nation)
No fewer than 16 persons, including two doctors, were said to have died of Lassa fever in Bauchi State this year.
The Bauchi State Surveillance Support Officer, Dr. Suleiman Lawal, addressing reporters yesterday at the Lassa fever camp at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), said that 43 confirmed cases had also been recorded in the state since January.
He said one of the doctors died at the ATBUTH, while the other one died at a private clinic in the state.
Lawal said: “Totally, we have seven health workers that were affected. One of the doctors who was pregnant and had the disease, we managed her and discharged her. Four others are on admission, we’ve been managing them. They are now stable. In fact, we will discharge two of them today because they have finished their 10-day treatment period. Read more
Coronavirus: Asian nations face second wave of imported cases (BBC)
South Korea, China and Singapore are among the Asian countries facing a second coronavirus wave, spurred by people importing it from outside.
China, where the virus first emerged, reported no new domestic cases on Thursday for the first time since it started recording numbers in January.
But it reported 34 new cases among people recently returned to China.
South Korea saw a jump in new cases on Thursday with 152, though it is not clear how many were imported. Read more
Coronavirus patient says it ‘feels like her body is on fire’ (Metro)
A woman fighting coronavirus said it felt like her whole body was on fire and she ‘had swallowed glass’. Mum-of-three Mandy Charlton, 46, was admitted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle via ambulance on Friday evening with a temperature of more than 38 degrees celsius. The photographer is now self-isolating at home until the end of the week and has been sleeping for 20 hours a day and taking paracetamol to recover. Mandy, from Newcastle, said: ‘I know my temperature was once 37.9 and once over 39. I have a weird dry cough which hurts. Read more
Italy coronavirus deaths rise by record 475 in a day (BBC)
The whole of Italy has been on lockdown for almost two weeks
The number of people dying from coronavirus in Italy has risen by 475 in one day to nearly 3,000 – the biggest increase since the outbreak.
There are a total of 35,713 confirmed cases in the country, with more than 4,000 having successfully recovered.
Lombardy, the worst-hit region, recorded 319 deaths in one day.
Italy is the world’s worst affected country after China, where the virus originated last year. At least 8,758 people have died, most in China. Read more
How Africa battles coronavirus (DailyTrust)
Following the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China, several news items and videos flooded the media, especially social media, depicting the severity of the virus. The spread of the disease to several countries across the world heightened fears. And when on the 28th of February, Nigeria confirmed its first case of the disease, which was an Italian, who visited the country for work, Nigerians anxiety increased with so many dreading a trip outside the country. The fear was such that anyone with flu is suspected of having the virus. The discovery of the disease also led to the panic buying of face masks and hand sanitizers, while supermarkets hiked prices of the commodities. Read more
Coronavirus: Trump puts US on war footing to combat outbreak (BBC)
Describing himself as a “wartime president”, President Donald Trump has vowed the US will achieve “total victory” over the coronavirus.
He spoke as he revived a Korean War-era measure allowing the US to ramp up production of vital medical supplies.
Two lawmakers meanwhile became the first members of Congress to test positive for the infection.
The US has more than 9,300 cases of Covid-19 and has seen 150 deaths so far, according to estimates. Read more
Apple announces new iPad Pro and Macbook Air models for 2020 (Metro)
Apple has refreshed two of its most popular products for 2020 in a low-key announcement made in the midst of the coronavirus lockdown. The company has announced updated versions of the Macbook Air and the iPad Pro. Both models are immediately available to order online and feature improvements in several key areas. The iPad Pro has seen the lion’s share of the update and now boasts a faster processor and a new camera system. The tablet still comes in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch and outward design hasn’t changed apart from the dual-lens camera module on the back which now houses a regular wide-angle lens alongside a new ultrawide angle lens. Read more
New Zealand passes law decriminalising abortion (BBC)
New Zealand’s parliament has passed a bill decriminalising abortion and allowing women to choose a termination up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
Voting to remove the procedure from the country’s Crimes Act changes a law that has been in force since 1977.
Previously, two doctors were required to approve an abortion – and this could only happen if there was a “serious danger” to the pregnant woman’s health.
The bill passed on its third reading by 68 votes to 51. Read more
Will Smith ‘feels responsible’ for spreading misinformation in I Am Legend amid coronavirus pandemic (Metro)
Will Smith has joked he is responsible for spreading misinformation through his movie I Am Legend as the coronavirus outbreak continues. The 2007 blockbuster was set years after a deadly plague kills of most of humanity and mutates the rest into monsters. Will played the sole survivor, a virologist, in a desolate New York City. TOP ARTICLES 4/5 Will Smith ‘feels responsible’ for spreading misinformation in I Am Legend amid coronavirus pandemic The Bad Boys For Life star spoke to his wife Jada Pinkett on her Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk, along with his children Trey and Willow, and his mother-in-law Adrienne Banfield-Jones. Read more
Rangers, Enyimba, Katsina United record crucial away victories (DailyTrust)
The trio of Enugu Rangers, Enyimba FC and Katsina United emerged the best performers after yesterday’s NPFL MatchDay 25 as they recorded crucial away victories to brighten their chances in the race for this year’s NPFL title. Meanwhile, Plateau United 2-1 winners over visiting Kwara United remain at the top of the table even as Rivers United in a routine 3-0 win over Warri Wolves are keeping the pressure on them. In Uyo, it was a goal fest as Rangers defeated Dakkarda FC 3-2 to return to the top 5 of the NPFL for the first time this season. Read more
Coronavirus: Gary Neville opens hotels to NHS staff to help with crisis (BBC)
Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville is to open his hotels free of charge to health workers to help with the coronavirus crisis.
Neville’s two Manchester hotels will be closed to the public, freeing 176 beds for NHS and other medical staff.
The former United captain said none of his staff will be made redundant or asked to take unpaid leave.
“It is something we are delighted to have been able to come to an agreement with,” Neville said. Read more
NFF finally shuts down all football activities over COVID-19 concerns (DailyTrust)
Following the continuous spread of the dreaded coronavirus, the Nigeria Football Federation yesterday ordered that all forms of football activities in teh country be put on hold for the next four weeks. According to the country’s supreme football -governing body, the shutdown affects all on-field activities the various National Teams, the Nigeria Professional Football League, the other Leagues, youth football programmes and even street football. President of the NFF, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick said the cessation will be for four weeks after which the situation will be reviewed in line with events and trends worldwide. Read more
Italian FA chief looking at May return for Serie A (Guardian)
Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina expressed his hope on Wednesday Serie A would resume on May 2 with a possible finish in July at the latest.
All Italian sport has been suspended until April 3 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic which has killed 2,978 people in the country and forced the postponement of Euro 2020.
“I don’t even want to think that we won’t start again, it would be a hiatus, it would worry me for our country,” Gravina told Italian radio. Read more
Coronavirus: ATP and WTA Tours extend suspension until 7 June (BBC)
The suspension of the professional tennis tours because of coronavirus has been extended to 7 June, ruling out the entire clay-court season.
The ATP and WTA Tours were already off until 27 April and 2 May respectively.
The extension covers joint tournaments in Madrid and Rome, plus women’s events in Strasbourg and Rabat and men’s events in Munich, Estoril, Geneva and Lyon.
All men’s and women’s rankings have been frozen until further notice. Read more
Cancelling football season could cost Europe’s top clubs four billion euros (Guardian)
Europe’s top five football leagues could lose as much as four billion euros ($4.33 billion, 3.75 billion pounds) in combined revenue if the coronavirus pandemic completely wipes out the rest of the season, according to a study by KPMG.
The accounting firm, one of the world’s biggest, calculated the total potential matchday, broadcasting and commercial revenues set to be generated by the remaining matches in the Premier League, La Liga, German Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A and France’s Ligue 1 added up to between 3.45-4 billion euros across the five leagues.
KPMG estimates England’s Premier League would lose the most, with as much as 1.25 billion euros going up in smoke should the season be halted — a potential 800 million euros of that in broadcasting revenue alone. Read more
Coronavirus: F1 moves summer break from August to March at April (BBC)
Formula 1’s summer break has been moved forward from August as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The new season has been thrown into disarray by the virus and F1 is working on plans to run as long a season as possible once races can be held.
Following unanimous agreement, the ‘break’ will be held in March and April, with teams choosing a three-week period in that time to close.
It is normally held in August, when teams shut down for two weeks. Read more