Mother, daughter arraigned for energy theft (Guardian)
Two residents of Fatokun Street, in Abule Taylor, off Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Lagos, have been arraigned before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court for energy theft under the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company network.
The duo of Latefat Shofidiya, aged 65 and Ekundayo Taiwo, aged 40, were nabbed after initially absconding from their residence for stealing power supply by illegally tapping from a source and passing it underground for more than 100 meters into their home.
A few weeks ago, a video had gone viral showing some workers of the company uprooting a long cable hidden under the ground. Read more
LUTH petitions panel over failed surgery by cosmetic surgeon (Punch)
The management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, has urged the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Investigation Panel to investigate the alleged professional misconduct of a Lagos-based cosmetic surgeon and owner of Med Contour Aesthetic Clinic, Dr Anuoluwapo Adepoju.
The hospital, in a petition dated June 11, 2020, and signed by its Director of Legal Services, O. O. Olajide, accused Adepoju of professional misconduct during a surgery she performed on one Miss Nneka Onwuzuligbo at her facility.
According to LUTH, Adepoju had continued to perform surgeries despite the fact that her facility was sealed off by the Lagos State Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency. Read more
Lagos equips Abule Egba IDPs (Nation)
The Lagos State Government on Wednesday gave start-up kits to over 300 residents displaced by the pipeline fire at Abule Egba on January 19.
The packs, which included gas cookers, cooking utensils, tailoring, hair-dressing, beading, soap making and fabric making equipment, were handed over to the beneficiaries after their graduation from various skills acquisition training programmes organised by the state Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA).
The Nation reports that camping for Abule Egba fire victims was declared closed on June 30, six months and eight days since the government took charge of their shelter, feeding, healthcare and education. Read more
Magu faces police censure as interrogation enters third day (ThisDay)
The heat on the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, a Commissioner of Police, increased wednesday as his interrogation by the Justice Ayo Salami-led presidential panel entered the third day, with the Police high command insisting that it is against its service rule for him to be under investigation and still function in office.
The Police, THISDAY learnt last night, has, therefore, directed the most senior police officer in the commission, Mr. Mohammed Umar, a deputy commissioner of police, and the commission’s director in charge of operations to stand in, pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation of Magu. Read more
COVID-19: Nigeria ready to forfeit WASSCE 2020 as FG stops reopening of schools (DailyTrust)
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, says the federal government will not reopen schools in view of the rising cases of COVID-19 pandemic. Adamu, who briefed State House reporters after the seventh virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, said schools would remain closed until it was certified that the situation was safe.
He said this was not the right time to open schools, adding that the government would not mind forfeiting the 2020 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE earlier scheduled for August 5 and September 5 in order to save the lives of students. Read more
Fresh suit challenges legitimacy of APC caretakers (ThisDay)
Despite the appeal by the National Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC) to all aggrieved members to withdraw their cases from the courts, a member of the party in Lagos State has filed a suit against the party at the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking the sack of the caretaker committee.
This is coming as the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal Wednesday fixed July 16 for hearing in the appeal brought by members of the party in Rivers State loyal to the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.
The APC member, Chief Lateef Arigbaruwo, in the suit number FHC/L/CS/789/2020 is faulting the NEC meeting of the party held on June 25. Read more
Man stabs wife to death in Jigawa (Guardian)
A 45-year-old man, Adamu Hassan, has been arrested for stabbing his wife to death in Gangawa, Jigawa State. The suspect allegedly stabbed his 25-year-old wife, Hauwa, to death over an undisclosed reason at about 11:00a.m. on July 3 and escaped. Detectives later tracked the suspect and arrested him.
The spokesman of the Jigawa State Police Command, Abdu Jinjiri, confirmed the incident. He explained that the suspect stabbed the victim eight times with a knife, adding that the victim later died following the attack.
According to the police spokesman, preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect acted based on the influence of drugs as he has been addicted to substance abuse for a long time. Read more
Ondo Assembly suspends Deputy Speaker as Majority Leader resigns (Nation)
The Ondo State House of Assembly yesterday suspended Deputy Speaker Iroju Ogundeji, for alleged gross misconduct. Majority Leader Jamiu Maito (Akoko Northwest) resigned his position.
Ogundeji represents Odigbo Constituency I.
Two other members – Adewale Adewinle (Ondo West 2) and Mrs Favour Tomomewo (Ilaje Constituency II) – were also suspended.
The letter of suspension was read by Mr Bode Adeyelu, the Clerk of the House, during plenary. Read more
Ivory Coast Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly dies (Aljazeera)
Ivory Coast’s prime minister and the governing party’s candidate for the October presidential election, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, has died just days after returning from two months of medical treatment in France.
The 61-year-old, who had heart surgery in 2012, became unwell during a weekly cabinet meeting and was taken to a hospital where he passed away on Wednesday, President Alassane Ouattara said in a statement read on national television.
“Fellow compatriots, Ivory Coast is mourning. It is with deep pain that I announce to you that Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly has left us,” Ouattara said in a statement read by the presidency’s secretary-general. Read more
Oregon man driving stolen car crashes into woman driving another stolen car (NYPost)
A police chase in Oregon ended when a driver fleeing authorities in a stolen car crashed into a woman driving another stolen car.
The debacle took place Monday when police responded to a report of a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser driving through downtown Newberg, according to the Newberg-Dundee police.
A pursuit ensued, and lasted for several blocks until the driver crashed into another car near an intersection.
Cops identified the driver of the first car as Randy Lee Cooper of Portland. Read more
US surpasses 3 million coronavirus cases (BBC)
More than three million people in the US have now tested positive for Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Over 131,000 deaths have been reported, and on Tuesday the US broke its record for most new cases reported in one day.
Despite the rise, the White House wants to press forward on some reopenings, including for schools.
US Vice-President Mike Pence, who leads the White House Coronavirus Taskforce, argued rules should not be “too tough”. Read more
British aid worker in Syria held ‘incommunicado’ after abduction (Aljazeera)
More than two weeks since a British aid worker living in Syria’s opposition-held Idlib province was arrested by a dominant armed group, his exact whereabouts and health condition remain unknown.
Tauqir Sharif, 33, was taken last month by Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an al-Qaeda-linked group and United Nations-designated “terrorist” organisation that has been in control of the last rebel-held bastion in Syria since 2019.
Sharif, also known as Tox, from east London, has been working on humanitarian projects in Syria since 2012. Read more
Melania Trump sculpture in Slovenia set on fire on US Independence Day (BBC)
A quirky wooden sculpture of US First Lady Melania Trump is reported to have been set on fire near her hometown in Slovenia, prompting its removal.
Brad Downey, the American artist who commissioned the statue, said it was targeted on 4 July, Independence Day in the US.
The Berlin-based artist arranged for the charred statue to be removed the next day.
Police told Reuters news agency they had launched an investigation. Read more
Baker uses female urine from public toilets to make ‘Goldilocks bread’ (NYPost)
Stream of wheat?
An enterprising French baker is switching up her bread recipe, or should we say reci-pee, by using wheat fertilized with female urine harvested from public restrooms.
“Urine is a great fertilizer,” said engineer and self-proclaimed “ecofeminist” Louise Raguet, who regularly gathers piddle from female urinals in the 14th Arrondissement of Paris, reported RT. She’s the brains behind “Boucle d’Or” — or Goldilocks bread.
Raguet’s goal: To “break taboos over excrement,” and create a sustainable food cycle. Read more
Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald are recreating Life In A Day (Metro)
Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald are reuniting to recreate the movie Life In A Day and they want you to help out. That’s right, the duo are teaming up with executive producer Kai Hsuing to create a 2020 version of their former indie project on its 10th anniversary.
And they’re encouraging fans from across the globe to come together on Saturday, 25 July, 2020, to film their lives and tell the story of a single day on Earth.
We sure hope more lockdown restrictions are lifted by then, otherwise they’ll end up with everyone sat on their sofas! Read more
Eagles star Onuachu tests positive for COVID-19 (Nation)
Super Eagles striker Paul Onuachu has tested positive for coronavirus, according to his Belgian club Genk.
But his club mates and compatriots Stephen Odey and Cyril Dessers tested negative.
The 26-year-old striker is the only positive case in the club.
“In the run-up to the first exhibition game of the season, the entire Genk group was tested yesterday (Tuesday). Everyone tested negative except Onuachu,” a report on Belgian website hln.be stated. Read more
Salah scores twice as champions Liverpool see off Brighton (BBC)
Liverpool continued their relentless pursuit of a Premier League points record with victory over Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
The newly-crowned champions looked on course to secure three more points with ease when they went two up inside eight minutes as Brighton, with sights set on Premier League safety, made a nightmare start.
Naby Keita robbed Davy Propper in a dangerous position to set up Mohamed Salah before Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson swiftly swept home a superb second from 20 yards. Read more
Surajo reiterates Pillars’ readiness to excel when football resumes (DailyTrust)
Alhaji Surajo Shuaibu Yahaya has said players of the club who are back in the team’s camp are in high spirits as they await commencement of training.
On Monday players of Pillars residing outside Kano were recalled to the city for a meeting that held on Tuesday July 7 between the club and Kano sports authorities.
Although there are insinuations in some quarters that Pillars have resumed training even as the ban on sporting activities is yet to be lifted, Yahaya said that is far from the truth. Read more
Ghana’s Jonathan Mensah on living in MLS ‘Disney bubble’ (BBC)
Ghana and Columbus Crew’s Jonathan Mensah has been getting used to some unique circumstances ahead of the restart of North America’s Major League Soccer (MLS).
The season originally kicked off on 29 February but was suspended in March due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
In order to try and restrict the spread of the disease the MLS teams are effectively living inside a bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. Read more
Jurgen Klopp accuses Liverpool squad of failing to protect Neco Williams on his full Premier League debut (Metro)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said he had no choice but to take Neco Williams off at half-time on his full Premier League debut against Brighton after accusing his side of failing to protect the 19-year-old.
Williams was a surprise starter at the Amex Stadium and the teenager impressed in the opening 45 minutes.
However, as is to be expected, the defender had a couple of questionable moments and he picked up a yellow card for a foul on Tariq Lamptey. Read more
Suarez gives Barcelona victory and relegates city rivals Espanyol (BBC)
Barcelona kept alive their hopes of winning La Liga with a victory over Espanyol at the Nou Camp that alsoMetrogated the visitors.
Both sides had a player sent off early in the second half after video assistant referee reviews.
Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati was dismissed for a foul on Fernando Calero before Pol Lozano was red carded for a dangerous tackle. Read more