Methodist Church paid N100m for my release, says Prelate (Guardian)
Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, Samuel Uche, who was released from his abductors on Monday, said N100 million was paid as ransom.
At a press conference in Lagos, yesterday, the cleric said the money was arranged in five sacks containing N20 million each.
He said the Church raised the money, adding that neither the federal or state government nor the military or police intervened.
The cleric was kidnapped on Sunday in Abia State alongside two others: the Bishop of Owerri Diocese and the Prelate’s chaplain. They were reportedly whisked away at about 2:00 p.m. as they returned from a church programme.
The cleric added that his abductors beat and threatened to kill him if the money was not paid. Read more
Okada Ban: Lagos dismisses anxiety as enforcement takes effect (DailyTrust)
As the ban on commercial motorcycles popularly known as okada takes effect in six Local Government Areas of Lagos state, the government has urged residents to go about their lawful businesses without fear.
The state government had outlawed the operation of Okada in six local governments and nine local council development areas under them following the killing of a sound engineer by Okada riders at Lekki.
The affected LGAs are Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Apapa.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu explained that the fresh ban on okada followed the February 2020 restriction placed on the activities of the commercial motorcycles.
He said the government took the decision in line with the State’s Transport Sector Reform Law of 2018 to immediately address the chaos and menace created by operators of Okada in the listed areas. Read more
Robbery convict gets seven years jail term after appeasing victim (Punch)
A Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square has sentenced a man, Madu Uche, to seven years’ imprisonment for armed robbery.
The convict had initially pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy and armed robbery on October 6, 2021, when he was first arraigned.
However, on Tuesday, the prosecution team, led by Olayemi Shofolu, told justice Y.A. Adesanya that the defendant had agreed to plead guilty to the offences.
Shofolu also informed the court they had filed and executed a sentencing agreement which was to the knowledge of the attorney-general of the state. Read more
‘How my dad’s neighbour repeatedly defiled me’, 14-year-old girl tells court (Vanguard)
A 14-year-old girl (name withheld) on Tuesday told an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court how his father’s neighbour, Rafiu Sanusi, allegedly defiled her five-time in his room.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the girl was 12-year-old at the time Sanusi allegedly had sex with her for the first time.
The defendant, whom she recognised in the dock as “Baba Aliyah” and ” Baba Maruwa” is being charged for defilement.
The girl said this while being led in evidence by the Lagos State Director of the Public Prosecutions, Dr. Babatunde Martin. Read more
Lagos int’l airport runway lights collapse, pilots warn FAAN (Punch)
The approach lights on the runway of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have gone off, forcing pilots to depend solely on equipment onboard their aircraft to land, findings by The PUNCH have revealed.
An approach lighting system is a lighting system installed on the approach end of an airport runway and consisting of a series of light-bars, strobe lights, or a combination of the two that extends outward from the runway end, according to Wikipedia. It is a lighting system that assists the pilot/aircraft to come in and land safely.
Impeccable airport sources said the approach lights collapsed on Monday evening and pilots were subsequently forced to rely solely on their onboard equipment to land airplanes.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said it was sad that the relevant aviation authorities did not issue a Notice to Airmen on the development until later on Tuesday. Read more
Sovereign Trust Insurance collaborates with Rotary Club on CRS for Lagos school (ThisDay)
Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc in collaboration with Rotary Club of Lagos, Lekki Phase 1, and Victoria Garden City (VGC), has inaugurated the ‘Project WASH’ initiative (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) with the commissioning of a borehole, wash hand basins, renovation of toilets and water treatment plant at Edward Blyden Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Lafiaji, Lagos Island.
According to UNICEF, Project WASH is a project aimed at providing education, awareness, and funding to supply clean drinking water and sanitation education to schools and children in underdeveloped regions of the world.
In view of this and in line with the guiding philosophy of Sovereign Trust Insurance with regards to its CSR initiatives anchored on Health Safety and the Environment (HSE), the underwriting firm has identified a partner in Rotary Club of Lagos, Lekki Phase 1 and VGC and has decided to put a smile on the faces of the staff and pupils of Edward Blyden Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Lafiaji, Lagos.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Education Folashade Adefisayo was represented by Assistant Director in the Ministry of Education, District 1, Folashade Adewuyi. Read more
Nigeria has no laboratories where Monkeypox Virus is generated, says NCDC (Vanguard)
THE Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has refuted claims in some quarters that Nigeria has a laboratories where it generate Monkeypox virus.
The NCDC said a recent report in the social media ascribed to the Chief of Russian Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Force, containing allegations has come to its attention.
The allegation,the centre said,was that “there are four US-controlled biological laboratories operating in Nigeria”. That “WHO reports that the Monkeypox (MPX) virus responsible for outbreaks in Europe and elsewhere was imported from Nigeria where the United States of America deployed its biological infrastructure. In order words, MPX virus is generated in these laboratories”.
Reacting to it in a statement by its Director General, Ifedayo Adetifa,the NCDC said,”The statement is not backed by any evidence.” Read more
Security operatives arrest man with human hand in Zamfara (Guardian)
Operatives of Zamfara State Police Command have arrested one Jabiru Ibrahim for being in possession of a human hand. Spokesperson for the Command, Superintendent of Police (SP), Mohammed Shehu, said detectives are investigating a case of culpable homicide and being in possession of human body parts (Hand) against the suspect, a member of the outlawed notorious Yansakai group from Dauran district in Zurmi Local Council.
He said: “The suspect was arrested by the Joint Police and Military operatives on Anti-Banditry Operation along Dauran-Zurmi axis and brought to the Police Command Headquarters, Gusau, for discreet investigation.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that, the suspect was among members of the outlawed group (Yansakai), who have been terrorising members of Dauran Community through jungle justice, leading to reprisal attacks by terrorists against the innocent members of the public.
“In the course of interrogation, the suspect has confessed that, himself and three other members of his gang now at large carried out the gruesome killing of one Abdullah, a Fulani and later the suspect removed the right hand of the deceased. Read more
How sons of CJN clinched PDP, APC tickets for National Assembly contest (DailyTrust)
Two sons of the Chief Judge of the Federation Justice Ibrahim Tanko have clinched National Assembly tickets for the 2023 elections.
One of the sons, Siraj Ibrahim Tanko, won the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Bauchi North Senatorial seat.
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He defeated two other contestants, including the incumbent Senator representing the constituency, Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa.
While Siraj polled 189 votes, Imba, his closest rival secured 177 votes while Bulkachuwa did not get a single vote.
The other son of the CJN, Sani Ibrahim Tanko, won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Primary election in Shira Giafe Federal Constituency of the House of Representatives. Read more
Indians mourn death of popular singer KK (BBC)
Indians are paying their tributes to popular singer KK, who died unexpectedly on Tuesday night, hours after performing at a concert.
The 53-year-old, whose real name was Krishnakumar Kunnath, sang hundreds of songs over his career, which began in the 1990s.
He collapsed at his hotel in Kolkata city and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
The cause of death hasn’t been confirmed yet.
On Wednesday morning, ‘Not KK’ trended on Indian Twitter as fans and colleagues registered their shock and disbelief at the news. Read more
BTS share devastation over anti-Asian hate crimes as they appear at White House amid President Biden meeting (Metro)
BTS spoke of their devastation over the anti-Asian hate crimes across the United States as they appeared at a White House briefing earlier today.
The K-Pop megastars, made up of Jimin, V, Suga, Jungkook, J-Hope, Jin and RM, made their way into the White House for a meeting with President Joe Biden, on the final day of Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month.
The Butter singers appeared in front of a press conference where they called for a stop to the violence.
Addressing the crowd – and the many thousands watching on a live stream- RM began: ‘Hi, we’re BTS and it is a great honor to be invited to the White House today to discuss the important issues of anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian inclusion and diversity. Read more
Ex-Glee star Matthew Morrison fired after texts left show contestant ‘uncomfortable’ (Mirror)
Matthew Morrison’s sudden departure from So You Think You Can Dance was due to him sending messages which left a contestant “uncomfortable,” reports claim.
The former Glee star, 43, left the show a little over a week after the dance competition had started with him revealing his departure was because he had failed to follow “competition production protocols.”
However, a source has now tried to expand on his statement as claimed he was sacked due to inappropriate texts.
The insider told PEOPLE the star “had an inappropriate relationship with a female contestant”. Read more
Arden Cho says she turned down ‘Teen Wolf’ movie Over Pay Inequity, Hopes for “More Equality in the Future” (THR)
Arden Cho is weighing in about her decision not to appear in Paramount+’s upcoming Teen Wolf movie.
The streaming platform announced in February that the original MTV series, which signed off in 2017 after six seasons, would be revisited in a sequel film that would bring back most of the core cast. Cho and Dylan O’Brien will not return for the movie, and Deadline reported at the time that Cho, the only woman of color among the show’s four female regulars, had turned down the film due to having been offered half the per-episode salary of the three other actresses.
During an interview with The Cut that was published Monday, Cho publicly addressed the situation for the first time. When asked about the report regarding her salary, Cho told the outlet, “I think I was actually offered even less.” She added that the leaked salary information did not come from her team: “I probably would’ve never shared it.”
The 36-year-old actress, who is set to play the lead role in the upcoming Netflix legal drama series Partner Track, went on to say that she knows she’s not the only actor of color to deal with pay-inequity frustrations. “I could probably, off the top of my head, think of over 10 Asian-American actors I know who were paid significantly less than their counterparts,” Cho shared. “Sometimes you don’t have a choice to say ‘no.’ Sometimes you just need it. You’ve got bills to pay.” Read more
Shanghai lockdown: Relief and caution as city returns to life (BBC)
Shanghai was locked down for more than two months
It was supposed to last just nine days – a staggered lockdown to lessen the impact on Shanghai’s economy, state media said.
It lasted 65 days. It crippled the city and scarred its people.
Restrictions are now being eased as quickly as they were imposed. There’s no gradual process over several weeks. Instead there’s a big bang – one day when most of the emergency rules and regulations are simply being lifted.
The relief is immense – for generations of some families who’ve lived together behind a locked front door for more than two months; for workers who’ve lived in tents inside factories where they’ve carried on working; for the shop and restaurant owners whose livelihood ground to a halt; for the thousands of people forced to leave their homes and sent to quarantine centres; and for the almost 25 million people who live in Shanghai.
Now the onus is on a full-speed-ahead opening up. Business, transport, production, consumption. The pendulum has swung back. Read more
Billie Eilish ‘splits from boyfriend Matthew Tyler Vorce’ as he slams cheating rumours (Metro)
Billie Eilish and boyfriend Matthew Tyler Vorce have split, it has been claimed.
The Bad Guy singer, 20, and Little Monsters actor, 30, were first linked in April of last year, and appeared to confirm their romance just months later – but have remained fiercely private over their relationship.
However, according to reports, the couple have gone their separate ways.
The screen star seemingly confirmed their split on his Instagram story, but insisted that no one had been unfaithful. Read more
Surbiton Trophy: Murray Begins Wimbledon Warm-up with Win over Rodionov (ThisDay)
Andy Murray began his build-up to Wimbledon with a routine straight-set win over Austria’s Jurij Rodionov in the first round of the Surbiton Trophy.
Former world number one Murray, 35, triumphed 6-2 6-1 in just 57 minutes.
The three-time Grand Slam winner broke Rodionov’s serve twice in each set to comfortably beat the world number 125.
Murray elected to skip the French Open and instead enter the ATP Challenger Tour event in London to concentrate on the grass-court season. Read more
Tired and sad, Mane and Salah head to Africa for AFCON qualifying (Guardian)
Premier League stars Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah head to Africa for 2023 Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers weary and disappointed after a 70-match season that ended with Liverpool’s Champions League final loss.
Mane-inspired defending champions Senegal host Benin and visit Rwanda in Group L and should secure maximum points in a competition where section winners and runners-up secure tournament places.
Salah-captained Egypt begins with a home match against Guinea in Group D, then travel to Malawi to face Ethiopia, none of whose grounds meet international standards.
The first three of 46 matchdays one and two qualifiers are scheduled for Wednesday and the last three for June 13. Read more
Napoli set deadline for Osimhen suitors (Punch)
According to Italian newspaper, La Gazzetta Dello, Napoli have set a deadline date of July 8 for clubs interested in Victor Osimhen to come forward with their bids or forget about signing the Nigeria international.
Osimhen, who won the Italian Serie A Most Valuable Player for U-23 footballers, has attracted the attention of many clubs and is one of the most sought-after players in Europe after a fine season in Italy.
The Nigeria international scored 18 goals and registered six assists for Napoli in all competitions despite missing a chunk of the season with injury.
English Premier League clubs Manchester United, Arsenal, and Newcastle are desperate to sign the 23-year-old striker but Napoli’s valuation of €110m has been a stumbling block in the purchase of the Nigerian. Read more
Players stranded, groan over unpaid CBN tennis prize money (Punch)
Some tennis players, who took part at the just-concluded 2022 CBN Senior National Open Tennis Championships, are yet to be paid their monies and stranded in Abuja, The PUNCH has learnt.
The CBN tourney, the most glamorous tennis tourney in Nigeria, had a total of 64 male and 32 female players competing at the 10-day championship at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. The tournament ended May 22.
Nonso Madueke clinched the male singles title after a stunning comeback 2-1 (2-6, 7-6, 2-0) win against Henry Atseye in the final match while No.1 seed Marylove Edwards defeated Oyinlomo Quadri 2-1 (2-6 6-2 6-4) to win the women’s title.
Our correspondent learnt that some of the players who played at the tourney borrowed money to feature at the event and were stranded in Abuja, with some sleeping inside the National Stadium, over one week after the event ended. Read more
Panic As MFM Start To Mop Up Points In Relegation Dogfight (DailyTrust)
Palpable panic has gripped clubs battling against relegation in the 2022 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) as the hitherto whipping boys, MFM of Lagos appears to have recovered their lost form in time for the ongoing relegation dogfight.
Although, they were rooted permanently at the base of the NPFL table, since the arrival of Festus Allen as the new technical adviser of the ‘Church Boys’, they have not lost a match.
After they were pummelled 5-0 by table toppers Rivers United in Port-Harcourt in week 27, the club that was rightly tagged relegation-bound returned home to beat fellow strugglers, Kano Pillars 2-1 in Ijebu Ode in week 28.
MFM then travelled to Ibadan where they forced 3SC to a 1-1 draw before Sunday’s convincing 3-1 win at home over the more illustrious Gombe United in their week 30 match. Read more
Ogba, Okowa predict Okpekpe International Race will produce Nigerian champions (Guardian)
Two of Nigeria’s biggest athletics administrators, Solomon Ogba and Tonobok Okowa, have predicted that East Africa’s dominance of the Okpekpe 10-Kilometre International Road Race will soon be halted.
At the eighth edition of the competition last Saturday, Ethiopians dominated the men’s and women’s categories with Jasin Hadi (29.05) and Anchinaiu Dessie outrunning their Kenyan challengers to emerge champions. Hadi’s 29.05s time is the third-fastest winning time in the history of the race. He won ahead of the Kenyan duo of Elvis Cheboi (29.20s) and Bereket Nego (29.30s).
For his effort, Hadi went home with the $13,000 top prize money. In the women’s race, Dessie’s 33.09s effort also fetched her $13,000.
For the Nigerians in the race, Ismael Sadjo (31.12s) and Rose Akusho (36.40s) came home first in the male and female cadres respectively. Read more