N130m Fraud: Court threatens to revoke alleged fraudsters’ bail (Leadership)
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Lagos has threatened to order the arrest of two alleged fraud suspects, Seun Awosanya and Amaechi Osita for refusing to appear before her for their trial on an alleged N130 million fraud.
Justice Awogboro, who dangled the axe at the resumed hearing of the fraud charges brought against the two defendants by the police, also threatened to revoke their bail if they fail to appear in the next adjourned date.
The defendants were arraigned before the court by the men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) sometime in 2016, on a two-count charge of alleged conspiracy and fraudulent conversion of the sum of N130 million belonging to a company, Logic Vantage and Trust Limited to personal use.
The police, in the charge, marked FHC/L/c/2016, alleged that the defendants committed the offences sometime in March 2015, with one Okoli Chigozie Kingsley, who is said to be at large, and a firm, Osymaco Investment Limited, belonging to the second defendant, Amaechi Osita. Read more
PDP Lagos West senatorial candidate calls for support for guber candidate, Jandor
(Independent)
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Otunba Segun Adewale, popularly called Aeroland, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Lagos West has called on the members of the party in Lagos State to rally support for the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, also called Jandor.
Aeroland made the call while reacting to the fallout of the party’s State and National Assembly primaries where some candidates who lost out during the primary elections have threatened fire and brimstone alleging manipulation by Jandor.
In a press statement on Tuesday, the former Lagos State PDP chairman absolved Jandor of any wrongdoing noting that checks across the Local Governments indicated that concessions were made to unify all the tendencies in the party to present a formidable team that would entrench unity ahead of the general elections.
While advising Jandor to seek genuine reconciliation with aggrieved members, Adewale expressed a desire to sustain his peace initiative in the party: Read more
39-year-old suspect commits suicide in NAPTIP detention (Channels)
A 39-year-old suspect has committed suicide at the detention center of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The suspect was arrested and detained in Ikeja GRA, Lagos State for child trafficking offences.
An intelligence officer on duty explained that while on a routine check, she discovered that the suspect detained hung himself.
Although Channels Television could not however ascertain the cause for the action, NAPTIP authorities are yet to comment on the situation. Read more
Ex-BRT driver abandons N60,000 job, excretes 90 cocaine wraps (Punch)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted 22 blocks of heroin weighing 23.55 kilograms concealed in packs of baby food at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Director, Media Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
He said the consignments, worth over N4.5b, were flown in from South Africa on board a South African Airways flight on Wednesday, June 29, 2022.
The statement read in part, “After a series of follow-up operations that led to the arrest of two freight agents, the actual receiver of the drug consignment, Chike Okeke Eweni, who distributes the substance for his South Africa-based partner, was arrested the following day, Thursday, June 30, at a logistics warehouse on Ajao Estate, Ikeja. Read more
ASUU raises hopes, gives condition to ‘immediately’ call off strike (Guardian)
Government’s team and the National Executive of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has raised hopes of students that it is close to calling off the ongoing strike action that has lasted for over three months.
ASUU on Monday issued a condition that will cause it to immediately call off the strike that led to the closure of many public universities in Nigeria.
Prof. Emmanuel Osedeke, ASUU president challenged the federal government to accept the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform for it to call off the ongoing strike.
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday night, Osedeke said the strike will continue unless the government accepts UTAS and honour the 2009 agreement. Read more
‘Producers, songwriters, others deserve more credits’ – Alabi (Nation)
Talent manager-cum-artist PR, Okanlawon Taiwo Alabi has said music producers, songwriters and others involved in the creative process of songs deserve more credit than they receive.
According to the talent manager, a song will be a fruitless effort without the contributions of producers, songwriters, and engineers.
“A lot of people fail to realise that without the instrumental, there would not be a song.
“It’s just like filling your car with petrol for you to drive it. The artist is the petrol and the producer is the car itself. I blame the listeners, artistes, awards organizers for not doing enough to accredit the producers,” he noted. Read more
Otedola visits Tinubu in France, endorses him to become president (DailyTrust)
Billionaire business mogul, Femi Otedola, has paid a visit to the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in France, tipping the APC national leader to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
Otedola via his verified Twitter handle, @realFemiOtedola, on Tuesday tweeted a picture he took with Tinubu, describing the former Lagos State governor as his “great friend.”
“I am always excited visiting my great friend Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu @officialABAT. May God grant him his heart’s desire in becoming the President of this great Nation,” he wrote.
Otedola’s visit comes a day after the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, also visited Tinubu in France and took a picture with him. Read more
Strangers have taken over forests in southern Nigeria — Nnamdi Kanu’s brother (Vanguard)
Prince Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has warmed communities in Southern Nigeria particularly South East, to as a matter of urgency, mobilise their youths to comb every forest in their locality.
Prince Emmanuel who raised the alarm in an exclusive chat with Vanguard, said the combing had become imperative following credible intelligence that forests in the zone have been infiltrated and taken over by some stranger elements.
He said that every community should take the alarm very seriously to avoid being caught off-guard.
His words:” Every community in the Southern region should visit its forests. Town Unions should mobilise their youths as a matter of urgency to enter into their forests and find out what is going on three. Read more
You can now buy a hangover pill that leaves you feeling ‘fresh’ the morning after (Metro)
Headaches, nausea and tiredness really are the worst – especially when they’re self-inflicted from alcohol.
Most of us know that feeling of waking up to a spinning room, with a throbbing head and a dodgy stomach – after having one too many drinks the night before.
But what if we told you these groggy mornings could be thing of the past.
A brand new hangover pill, available to buy now, could be all you need to make ‘morning afters’ more bearable. Read more
Woody Allen plans French-language film to shoot in Paris, but financing not yet in place
(Variety)
While promoting the French release of his 2020 film “Rifkin’s Festival,” Woody Allen said he was planning to shoot his next movie in Paris.
The New York-based director told the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche that he was aiming to relocate to Paris in September to lens his next project which he said will be a French-language movie with a local cast. Allen said he was able to find the financing in the U.S. but didn’t give any further detail. A source close to the project said the financing was not yet in place.
Some French actors have been approached and the cast will be confirmed once the financing is locked and shooting dates confirmed. The budget is in the $10 million range.
Allen said the story of the film will be “in the same vein as ‘Match Point,’ a sort of poisonous romantic thriller.” Read more
Canadian movie depicting Hindu goddess smoking sparks outrage in India (Vancouver Sun)
The Hindu goddess Kaali is a fearsome being, often depicted holding the severed head of a demon, her tongue lolling out and her foot on top of the chest of a prone Shiva, the deity’s husband.
But when a filmmaker portrayed Kaali smoking a cigarette in a poster for a movie set in Toronto, it was a step too far for many Indian Hindus.
The image uploaded Saturday has sparked online outrage in the country, while India’s high commission in Ottawa issued a statement Monday demanding that Canadian authorities and the organizers of a festival at Toronto’s Aga Khan Museum remove the offending film.
The movie, called simply Kaali, documents the deity’s imaginary appearance one night in the streets of Toronto. Director Leena Manimekalai — who is studying for a master’s degree in film at York University — says the goddess in her movie “chooses love and champions humanity.” Read more
Quentin Tarantino and wife Daniella welcome second child together (NYPost)
This year’s Fourth of July weekend festivities were made much sweeter for Quentin Tarantino and his wife, Daniella Pick Tarantino.
The pair — who wed in 2018 — confirmed to People they welcomed their second child together on Saturday.
“Daniella and Quentin Tarantino are happy to announce that Daniella gave birth to their baby girl on 2 July, 2022, a little sister to Leo, their first child,” their rep said in a statement to the outlet.
The baby girl’s name has not yet been revealed. Read more
Charli XCX to play tiny Brighton show as part of Revive Live Tour (NME)
The National Lottery and the Music Venue Trust (MVT) have announced more acts for their summer Revive Live Tour – see all the details below.
The Revive Live campaign was launched in 2020 in an effort to help UK grassroots venues survive post-COVID. Its first run of dates saw Wolf Alice, Sam Fender, Tom Jones and more play sets to intimate crowds.
Back in January, the Revive Live Tour returned with a series of winter dates that included special shows from the likes of Bastille and Enter Shikari.
Last month saw organisers share details of a further 200 concerts for between June and September 2022, including Paolo Nutini (September 12), Sleaford Mods (July 27) and The Amazons (August 11). Read more
Nas & Jadakiss join forces for rare ‘Made You Look (Remix)’ performance in New Orleans (HipHopDX)
New Orleans may have played host to the 2022 Essence Fest, but New York made its presence felt during the festival weekend.
During Nas‘ co-headlining concert with the City Girls at The Fillmore on Sunday night (July 3), the Queensbridge MC brought out Jadakiss as a surprise guest. Sharing the stage for the first time in roughly a decade, the veteran New York rappers joined forces for a rare performance of their “Made You Look” remix.
“Esco wassup Brave-hearts wassup @nas #essencefest,” Kiss wrote on Instagram afterward while celebrating the moment.
Produced by Salaam Remi, “Made You Look” was originally released in September 2002 as the lead single from Nas’ sixth album God’s Son. The track peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 — Nas’ third highest-charting single — while cracking the top 10 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. Read more
Ukrainian professor wins prestigious Fields Medal in mathematics (BBC)
Ukrainian mathematician, Maryna Viazovska, has become only the second woman to receive the prestigious Fields Medal.
Often regarded as the Nobel Prize for mathematics, she won for her work on a 400-year-old puzzle about sphere packing.
The 37-year-old professor received the award alongside three other winners at a ceremony in Helsinki.
“I feel sad that I’m only the second woman,” she said. Read more
Man Utd completes signing of Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord (Guardian)
Manchester United completed their swoop for Feyenoord defender Tyrell Malacia on Tuesday as Erik ten Hag made his first signing since taking charge at Old Trafford.
United landed Malacia in a reported £12.95 million ($15.4 million) deal after making a late move to sign the Netherlands full-back, who had been close to joining French club Lyon.
The 22-year-old has agreed a four-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
It is a landmark deal for Ten Hag, who had been linked with a host of potential signings before finally making Malacia the first acquisition of his United reign. Read more
Bayern table €120m bid for Osimhen (Punch)
Bayern Munich are reportedly preparing a €120m bid for Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, Corriere dello Sport reports.
The Bavarians see the 23-year-old Nigerian as an ideal replacement for Robert Lewandowski, who is on the verge of departing the Allianz Arena this summer.
Lewandowski, who has a year left on his contract, is keen to join Spanish giants, Barcelona.
Osimhen has been impressive for the Partenopei since his arrival two years ago from Ligue 1 outfit Lille and the Partenopei are aware of the interest from other clubs, but are not ready to let him leave for any amount less than €100m, having signed him for a club and African record fee of €75m. Read more
PSG name ex-Lille boss Galtier as new manager after sacking Pochettino (France24)
Paris St Germain announced Christophe Galtier as their new manager on Tuesday, shortly after the Ligue 1 champions parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino.
Galtier joins PSG after leaving Nice last month, having guided them to a runners-up finish in the French Cup and fifth place in Ligue 1 last season.
The 55-year-old Frenchman joined Nice in 2021 after leading Lille to their first Ligue 1 title since 2011 in the previous campaign. Before joining Lille, Galtier spent eight seasons at Saint Etienne, where he won the French Cup in 2012-2013.
Galtier’s appointment comes after PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi put an end to speculation surrounding France great Zinedine Zidane, dismissing reports that PSG had been in talks with the 1998 World Cup winner about becoming their new boss. Read more
AC Milan confirm the signing of Divock Origi on a free transfer (DailyMail)
AC Milan have confirmed the signing of Divock Origi on a free transfer after his contract at Liverpool expired at the end of last season.
Origi spent seven years at Anfield before airing his desire to leave the club following a lack of pitch-time under manager Jurgen Klopp.
The 27-year-old, who made just seven Premier League appearances last season, has signed a four-year deal with the Serie A champions.
Origi has reportedly signed a four-year-contract with the Serie A giants and is said to be earning around £3.4million per annum, according to Goal. Read more
Tiger Woods says he didn’t want to jeopardize chances of playing in Open by also playing in U.S. Open (ESPN)
Tiger Woods had planned to play in last month’s U.S. Open, but problems with his surgically repaired right leg didn’t allow him to compete in the third major of the season.
Woods said he skipped the U.S. Open because he didn’t want to jeopardize his chances of playing in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews, which begins on July 14.
“The plan was to play the U.S. Open, but physically I was not able to do that,” Woods said, while speaking to reporters Tuesday at the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor Golf Club in Ireland. “There’s no way physically I could have done that. I had some issues with my leg and it would have put this tournament in jeopardy, and so there’s no reason to do that.”
Woods’ 15 major championships include three victories at The Open, including wins at the Old Course at St. Andrews in 2000 and 2005. Read more
Wolff not yet ready to ‘talk up’ Mercedes performance (F1i)
Mercedes is encouraged by its progress of late as validated by Lewis Hamilton’s podium in the British Grand Prix, but team boss Toto Wolff isn’t ready to “talk up” his outfit’s performance.
For the third race in succession, the Brackley squad was third in the pecking order at the end of a race while Hamilton scored in his home race last weekend his third podium of 2022.
Mercedes has worked tirelessly to pull its troubled W13 silver arrow up the grid, with the team focused especially on mitigating its car’s bouncing issues.
And the team’s latest update package which was introduced last weekend appears to have moved the ball forward again for Mercedes, but Wolff is keeping expectations in check. Read more
Wimbledon: Tatjana Maria beats Jule Niemeier to reach first Grand Slam semi-final (BBC)
Tatjana Maria reached her first Grand Slam semi-final with a comeback victory over Jule Niemeier at Wimbledon.
World number 103 Maria beat her German compatriot 4-6 6-2 7-5 in a high-quality encounter.
Maria, 34, was ranked outside the top 250 as recently as March and only returned to the tour a year ago after having her second daughter.
She will face either third seed Ons Jabeur – the highest ranked player left in the draw – or Marie Bouzkova next. Read more