Navy intercepts 162 bags of suspected smuggled rice in Lagos offshore (Guardian)
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT on routine patrol recently intercepted a wooden boat with 162 bags of foreign parboiled rice off the shore of Lagos.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Bashir Mohammed on Sunday in Lagos.
Mohammed said the patrol team intercepted the boat at 3:30pm on June 8.
“Preliminary investigations by the Base reveals that the bags of rice were all foreign parboiled rice smuggled into the country from Republic of Benin. Read more
Otedola Bridge accident kills 1, injures 2 (Nation)
A man identified as Lawal was on Sunday morning killed and two others injured in an accident involving three vehicles on Otedola Bridge, Lagos.
This accident occurred less than 24 hours after rescuers responded to multiple accidents involving three articulated vehicles around Maryland on Ikorodu Road.
It was gathered the accident on Sunday involved a truck with two registration numbers- LSD973XM and FKJ214XY-, a Toyota Wagon with registration number JJJ28FR and Toyota Camry with number BDG597CY.
According to the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), the accident occurred around 11:30am and involved six persons. Read more
US-based Nigerian songstress, Jemiriye celebrates “Lagos” in new song (Vanguard)
A US-based Nigerian artiste named Jemiriye Adeniji, better known as Jemiriye who says music is the air she breathes has released her latest audio-visual work tagged “Eko (Lagos)” to celebrate the cultural heritage of Lagos and Africa.
“I’m using my new song, ‘Eko (Lagos) to educate the world about Africa. It is to celebrate Lagos and also serves as a love letter to Lagosians and Africans as a whole because people in the Diaspora are not privileged to see good things about Africa. Many of them believe Africans leave on the tree but you can’t blame them because that is how they’ve painted African and this why I’m using the song to change this narrative,” she said in a chat with Potpourri.
The Afro-fusion 2012 Nigerian Idol finalist also revealed the source of her obsession with Lagos and indeed Africa and how it influences her life and music.
“Every day in Lagos is hustling and bustling. Because you constantly have to provide for yourself, I mean, you are your mayor. So, anywhere I found myself in the world, I realized that whenever I stepped up to do things people looked at me and said ‘Why are you so up and doing?’ and this is because Lagos has moulded me to be a goal-getter,” she said. Read more
Lagos govt pays LG, SUBEB staff deceased’s families N364.9m (Vanguard)
Lagos State Government has disbursed N364,982,210.39 only through the presentation of insurance benefits to the first batch of beneficiaries of deceased staff of Local Government and State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB.
Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Dr Wale Ahmed, while presenting the insurance benefits to 159 members of the family of late employees of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, LASUBEB and Local Government Service Commission, in Alausa, Ikeja, at the weekend, said, the payment was In line with its total commitment to continually uplift the welfare of its staff.
The Commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Morenike Sanyaolu,, stated that the payment of insurance benefits was one of several welfare packages of the state government for its workforce.
He stated that the State Government recognises its workforce as the engine room and drivers of all its policies, stressing that the contribution of every employee of the state government was germane to achieving the greater Lagos initiative. Read more
NDLEA arrests drug kingpin, recovers 548,000 Tramadol tablets (Leadership)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a suspected major illicit drug kingpin in Anambra State, Okeke Chijioke, 44, and recovered 548,000 tablets of Tramadol tablets branded as Tarkadol.
The arrest and recovery was done at his warehouse at No. 3, Atunya Street, Maryland Estate, Nkwelle, Oyi local government area of the state.
Spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said Okeke’s arrest on Saturday, July 10, 2021 followed credible intelligence and surveillance, which confirmed he stocked his warehouse with the illicit drug.
According to Babafemi, “after the search of his warehouse, 548,000 tablets of Tarkadol weighing 302.500 kilograms were recovered. The suspect accepted ownership of the substance recovered.
“Preliminary investigation has established that Tarkadol is a brand of Tramadol that has just been introduced into the market to evade attention. The substance has also tested positive to amphetamine. Read more
1 dies as robbers engage cops in shoot-out (Punch)
A suspected armed robber was killed during a gun duel between men of the Ogun State Police Command and a gang of armed robbers on the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode Expressway.
The police clashed with the armed robbers who were robbing travellers on the highway around 2:30am on Friday.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
Oyeyemi said the police got a distress call that armed robbers, numbering about seven, blocked the road around the South-Western University and were dispossessing people of their belongings. Read more
GOC urges public to partner army to fight crime, insurgency (Guardian)
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Lawrence Fejokwu, has urged the public to continue to partner and share information with Nigerian Army to help combat crime and insurgency.
Fejokwu made the appeal at the closing of 2021 81 Division Inter Brigade Warrant Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers Competition, hosted by 243 RECCE Battalion, Ibereko, Badagry, Lagos, on Sunday.
According to him, the public should continue to see the army as partners in progress and share valuable information that will help fight insurgency and crime.
He commended the host community for maintaining peace with the army officers.
The GOC said the competition was in line with the charge given by the Chief of Army Staff that Nigerian soldiers must trained on a continuous basis. Read more
FRSC to clamp down on driver’s license violators, vehicles without speed limiting devices (Punch)
The Federal Road Safety Corps has said it will start to clamp down on driver’s license violators and also vehicles without speed limiting devices.
Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, issued the order in reaction to the rising cases of speed-related road crashes and fatalities.
A statement issued to newsmen on Sunday by the Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem, said, “Oyeyemi has directed Commanding Officers across the country to intensify special operations targeted at the offenders. This is with the ongoing operation sanity aimed at restoring sanity to the nation’s highways.”
According to the statement, “The Corps Marshal expressed dismay over continuing incidents of fatal crashes caused by speed violation with most of the drivers failing to install speed limiting devices in their vehicles despite repeated warnings. This, he said, is unacceptable to the FRSC Management and decision has been taken to clampdown on such recalcitrant violators who must be subjected to the fullest sanctions provided by law to serve as deterrence for others.” Read more
Drama as policeman opens fire on colleague’s wives in Aba (DailyTrust)
An assistant superintendent of police, Ifeanyi Henry, is in custody for causing panic at Aba Central Police station where he pulled a gun and began shooting.
Henry ran amok at Okwu na Uka Street and St Michael’s Road, linking the main gate of the station.
He suddenly pulled his pistol and started assaulting women, including his colleague’s wives, children and traders.
It was learnt that the incident began around 7pm on Saturday.
Abia police spokesman, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, confirmed that Henry is currently in custody. Read more
Merkel visits areas devastated by ‘terrifying’ floods as death toll tops 180 in Europe (France24)
Chancellor Angela Merkel visited flood-ravaged areas of Germany on Sunday to survey the damage and meet survivors after days of extreme rainfall in western Europe left at least 183 people dead and dozens missing.
Merkel travelled to the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state, one of the two hardest-hit regions in western Germany where the swollen Ahr river swept away houses and left debris piled high in the streets.
“We are by your side,” Merkel told residents of the small town Adenau, calling the situation there “terrifying”.
The chancellor said she was overwhelmed by the “surreal, eerie” devastation she had seen. Read more
Zuma’s graft trial to resume despite unrest (DW)
The corruption trial of former South African president Jacob Zuma is set to resume despite the violence that shook the country this week. The court will hold a virtual session to “avoid disruption”.
The trial of former South African president Jacob Zuma is set to continue on Monday.
Zuma, who was jailed in July, faces 16 charges — including fraud, graft and racketeering — related to his time as the country’s deputy president. The case focuses on a 1999 purchase of fighter jets, patrol boats and military gear from five European arms firms.
He is also accused of pocketing four million rand (€ 234,000, $277,000) in bribes from one of the firms, French defense giant Thales, which has been charged with corruption and money laundering. Read more
Britney Spears says she will not perform while father controls career (BBC)
Britney Spears has said she will not perform again while her father retains control over her career as part of a conservatorship set up in 2008.
The singer’s message is the latest in a series of emotional public comments about the arrangement that controls her personal and financial affairs.
“This conservatorship killed my dreams,” she said in a lengthy post on Instagram. “So all I have is hope.”
Britney wants to bring an end to the arrangement, calling it abusive. Read more
“Space Jam: A New Legacy” beats “Black Widow” in surprise box office victory (Variety)
The Tune Squad ruled over the court and box office charts this weekend. In an unexpected win, “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which sees LeBron James team up with the animated Looney Tunes crew, debuted to $31.6 million in ticket sales.
The better-than-expected start for “Space Jam 2” pushed last weekend’s champion, Disney and Marvel’s “Black Widow,” to second place on box office charts with $25 million. Critics rebuffed “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (it holds a bleak 31% average on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences appeared to embrace the film, giving it an “A-” CinemaScore. “Space Jam 2” played in 3,965 cinemas in North America, while being available on HBO Max at no extra charge to subscribers.
Sony’s “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions” opened in third place with $8.4 million from 2,815 locations. Though on par with industry expectations, its three-day debut marks a steep decline from its predecessor, 2019’s “Escape Room,” which debuted to $18 million and ended its box office run with $57 million. The sequel cost $15 million to produce, an increase from the first film’s $9 million price tag.
At No. 4, Universal’s “Fast and Furious” sequel “F9” pulled in $7.6 million in its fourth weekend of release, bringing its overall domestic tally to $154 million. Another Universal title, “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” rounded out the top five, generating $4.7 million over the weekend. In total, the animated sequel to 2017’s “Boss Baby” has made $44 million in theaters while playing simultaneously on the nascent streaming service Peacock. Read more
“Just a Friend” rapper Biz Markie dead at 57 (PageSix)
Biz Markie, the legendary New York rapper and DJ best known for his 1989 hit “Just a Friend,” died Friday evening after a battle with complications from diabetes. He was 57.
The beloved artist died at a Baltimore hospital, and held his wife’s hand as he took his last breath, according to his manager.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce, this evening, with his wife Tara by his side, Hip Hop pioneer Biz Markie peacefully passed away,” Jenni Izumi said in a statement to The Post.
“We are grateful for the many calls and prayers of support that we have received during this difficult time. Biz created a legacy of artistry that will forever be celebrated by his industry peers and his beloved fans whose lives he was able to touch through music, spanning over 35 years.” Read more
Taliban leader ‘favours political settlement’ to Afghan conflict (AlJazeera)
The Taliban’s supreme leader Haibatullah Akhunzada has said he “strenuously favours” a political settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan even as the group launched a sweeping offensive across the nation.
The announcement on Sunday comes as representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban armed fighters sat down for a new round of talks in Doha over the weekend, stirring hopes that the long-stalled peace talks were being resuscitated.
“In spite of the military gains and advances, the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan] strenuously favours a political settlement in the country,” Akhunzada said in a message released ahead of next week’s Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
“Every opportunity for the establishment of an Islamic system, peace and security that presents itself will be made use of by the Islamic Emirate,” he added. Read more
Israel claims Pfizer COVID vaccine less effective against Delta variant (NYPost)
Israeli officials are warning that the Pfizer vaccine is “significantly less” effective against the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the strain first seen in India that now accounts for 31 percent of cases in the US.
“We do not know exactly to what degree the vaccine helps, but it is significantly less,” said Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
The shot is still keeping people from getting seriously ill in Israel, where over 60 per cent of the population has received a jab. Just 1.6 percent have become critically ill, compared with 4 percent in the pre-vax wave of cases.
Concerns are also rising about the effectiveness of vaccines against the Beta variant, first identified in South Africa. Read more
Scans show Flying Eagles’ star Ofoborh has heart issues -Gerrard (Punch)
Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has said that scans revealed that Flying Eagles star Nnamdi Ofoborh has heart issues.
This, the coach said, would put the career of the 21-year-old midfielder who joined the club on a free transfer from Bournemouth this summer on hold.
After his side drew 2-2 with Arsenal in their friendly at Ibrox, Gerrard told RangersTV, “I don’t think you’ll see him in the short term.
“Unfortunately something has flagged up with his ECG, which is the heart test. Read more
11-year-old steals show at Ijebu Heritage Half-Marathon (Guardian)
Eleven-year-old Abigael Ogunbowale on Saturday stole the show at the maiden edition of Ijebu Heritage Half-Marathon as she braved the odds to finish the 21km race at the Otunba Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the young runner, a registered runner for the half-marathon, completed the race to prove doubters wrong about her resilience.
The young Ogunbowale was however instantly rewarded with N250,000 cash by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rite Foods, Saleem Adegbuwa, who was one of the race’s co-sponsors.
Adegbuwa praised the courage of , adding that she was a beauty to behold as the curtain closed on the race adding that the next edition would be better. Read more
Senegal’s Ballo-Toure joins AC Milan (Punch)
Senegal’s Fode Ballo-Toure has agreed a four-year deal with AC Milan from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, the Italian club announced on Sunday.
“AC Milan are delighted to announce the permanent signing of Fode Ballo-Toure from AS Monaco,” last season’s Serie A runners-up said in a statement.
“The defender has signed a contract with the Rossoneri until 30 June 2025 and will be wearing the number 5 jersey.”
The 24-year-old spent his youth career with Paris Saint-Germain, before moving to Lille in 2017. Read more
NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks move closer to title after game 5 win (BBC)
The Milwaukee Bucks moved to within one game of their first NBA title since 1971 with a 123-119 win over the Phoenix Suns.
The Bucks now lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can seal the title at home in game six (02:00 BST on Wednesday 21 July).
They overcame an early 16-point deficit with 43 points in the second quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and nine rebounds, while Khris Middleton added 29 points and seven rebounds.
“One more to go,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’ve got to keep playing good basketball. We kept our composure, we kept fighting. Read more
Racist abuse sees Germany’s men’s football team walk off in pre-Olympics friendly (DW)
Just a few days before the start of the Olympic tournament against defending champions Brazil on Thursday, Germany’s men’s football team walked off during a pre-tournament friendly against Honduras.
The game, which was played behind closed doors in three 30-minute periods, did not resume and finished 1-1 with five minutes left to play after centre-back Jordan Torunarigha was allegedly racially abused by an opposition player in Wakayama, Japan.
“When one of our players is racially abused, playing on is not an option,” said head coach Stefan Kuntz. “[Torunarigha] could hardly contain himself and got terribly upset because he said he had been repeatedly racially insulted. It was clear to us then that it violates our values. We couldn’t tolerate that either and we’re backing our player completely.”
The incident was announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on social media, while the Honduras FA have denied the claims citing a “misunderstanding on the pitch.” Read more
Wimbledon finalist Berrettini out of Tokyo Olympics with injury (France24)
Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini has been forced to pull out of the Tokyo Olympics with a muscle strain, the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) announced on Sunday.
World number eight Berrettini picked up the injury in London where he became the first Italian to reach a Wimbledon singles final, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Berrettini was forced “to renounce participation in the Olympic Games, due to the after-effects of a muscle injury, an unwelcome legacy of his historic exploit at Wimbledon,” CONI said.The 25-year-old was spearheading an Italian team of Fabio Fognini, Lorenzo Sonego, Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s tennis and Sara Errani, Jasmine Paolini and Camila Giorgi in the women. Read more