NDLEA dismantles first-ever hashish oil laboratory in Lagos (Nation)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a clandestine laboratory for the production of hashish oil in Lagos.
According to a statement by the Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs of the agency, Jonah Achema, in Abuja, the laboratory was the first ever.
Hashish oil is a derivative of cannabis sativa. The statement revealed that the laboratory, located at 7 Imam Augusto Close, Victoria Island, was dismantled by the Serious Enforcement Team of the agency.
The Agency also arrested the suspected owner of the laboratory, Oladapo Ifedayo Oluseyi Adedayo. Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (Rtd.), in the statement said the drug trade is “assuming a hitherto unthinkable dimension for somebody to turn his premises into a cannabis farm and also establish in the same premises a laboratory to process the proceeds into bye products such as Hashish.” Read more
Financial autonomy to legislature best Sallah gift – Obasa (Guardian)
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures in Nigeria has described the approval of financial autonomy granted its members by President Muhammadu Buhari, as the best Sallah gift.
The Chairman, Conference of Speakers, Mudashiru Obasa, said this in a statement, yesterday.
The President, on Friday, signed an Executive Order granting financial autonomy to state legislatures and judiciaries, months after Obasa led his colleagues on a visit to the President, where he made the demand.
“The Executive Order 10 signed by Buhari makes it compulsory for 36 states to always include the allocations of the legislature and the judiciary in the first-line charge of their budgets. Read more
Tinubu, Gbajabiamila eulogise Akiolu on 17th coronation anniversary (Punch)
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, have eulogised the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, on his 17th coronation anniversary.
They said the traditional ruler had offered purposeful leadership in Lagos.
In a statement on Saturday by Tinubu’s media aide, Tunde Rahman, the APC leader said, “A foremost traditional ruler fondly called ‘Olowo Eko,’ Oba Akiolu has led the way for other royal fathers in Lagos to follow. He has given unwavering support to the government’s policies and activities in Lagos. Read more
Lagos discharges 45 more COVID-19 patients (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government has announced the recovery and discharge of 45 more coronavirus patients after they tested negative twice to the virus.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said in a statement on Saturday that 707 patients had now been discharged from the isolation centres.
”Good people of Lagos, I bring you great news from our isolation facilities.
“Today, 45 fully recovered COVID-19 Lagos patients; 22 females and 23 males, all Nigerians were discharged to join the society. Read more
Osun Amotekun arrests two for stealing women underwear (Punch)
Men of Amotekun Corps in Osun State on Saturday arrested two men who allegedly broke into a residential building and stole five women underwear in Ajaba, a community in the Ila Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects, identified only as Friday and Toib, were reportedly caught after using an axe to break into a house in the community and steal the items.
The state Director-General of Amotekun Corps, Amitolu Shittu, told Sunday PUNCH that the suspects were nabbed following a tip-off by some residents. Read more
21 members of a household test positive for COVID-19 (Guardian)
Twenty-one members of a household in Jos North local government of Plateau State have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state, as of yesterday, to 76.
In an interview with journalists, yesterday, Management Committee Chairman of Jos North local government, Hon. Shehu Bala Usman, said the council’s meagre resources that would have benefitted the people had been diverted to stop the spread of the dreaded virus, which he described as unfortunate.
Usman said Jos North, being a cosmopolitan local government, is one of the biggest local governments in the state. Read more
Kidnap victim recounts ordeal, urges govts to address insecurity (DailyTrust)
A kidnap victim, Mr Emenike Soronnadi, 50, has recounted his ordeal in the hands of his abductors, urging Federal and State Governments to urgently address issues of insecurity to safeguard lives of citizens. Soronnadi, a businessman, was kidnapped on April 20, and held captive for 11 days before his release on May 10, 2020. The victim told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that he was abducted from his wife’s shop in Woji, Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Rivers. According to him, three men fully armed with AK47 assault rifles and shooting sporadically into the air forcibly took him away from his wife’s shop. Read more
PDP heads to A’Court as tribunal affirms Bello’s victory (Punch)
The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal by a split judgment of two-to-one, on Saturday, affirmed Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state.
Two of the three members of the panel which sat in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate in the election, Musa Wada, to challenge Bello’s victory at the poll.
Justice Kashim Kaigama, who headed the three-man bench, and another member, Justice Baraka Wali, held that the petitioners failed to prove any of the grounds of the petition. Read more
Benue makes u-turn on decision to reopen worship centres (Guardian)
Benue State Government has rescinded its decision to reopen worship centres, markets and public places.
Governor Samuel Ortom, who announced this, yesterday, at the Government House, Makurdi, said he decided to accept the advice of the Federal Government, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other religious bodies, against reopening of these places.
Ortom said: “We are a component part of the Federal Republic and we appreciate the fact that the Federal Government is the custodian of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Read more
Afghanistan: Taliban announce three-day Eid ceasefire with government (BBC)
The Taliban have announced a ceasefire with the Afghan government that will take effect when the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr begins on Sunday.
It follows a rise in attacks by the hardline Islamist group against government troops in recent weeks.
President Ashraf Ghani welcomed the announcement, and said his soldiers would respect the terms of the truce.
The three-day ceasefire is likely to raise hopes of a longer-term reduction in violence in the country. Read more
Photographer gets to know her neighbours by taking socially distanced doorstep portraits in lockdown (Metro)
Freelance photographer and mum-of-two Francesca Nelson is documenting life in lockdown. She’s been getting to know her neighbours by heading out and capturing portraits from people’s doorsteps, and chatting with them about how life is going amid the coronavirus pandemic. The project was born out of an inability to do her usual work, as well as a desire for human interaction. Read more
Coronavirus: France reveals reciprocal quarantine plans for UK arrivals (BBC)
People arriving in France from the UK will have to self-isolate for 14 days from 8 June, the French government has announced.
It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel revealed quarantine plans for visitors to the UK from the same date.
France said it would impose reciprocal measures for any European country enforcing a quarantine.
Travellers arriving in France from Spain by plane will also be asked to go into quarantine from Monday. Read more
Anti-viral drug effective against COVID-19 – Study (Punch)
Anti-viral drug remdesivir cuts recovery times in coronavirus patients, according to the full results of a trial published Friday night, three weeks after America’s top infectious diseases expert said the study showed the medication has “clear-cut” benefits.
Complete results from the research, which was carried out by US government agency the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), were published by leading medical periodical the New England Journal of Medicine.
The United States authorized the emergency use of remdesivir in hospitals on May 1, followed by Japan, while Europe is considering following suit. Read more
Dozens infected with virus at Frankfurt mass (Guardian)
More than 40 people were infected with the new coronavirus after attending a mass in Frankfurt earlier this month, German media reported on Saturday.
Six people were admitted to hospital, local health authorities told the news agency DPA.
The service was held on May 10, a few days after the reopening of places of worship in Germany, the daily Frankfurter Rundschau reported. Read more
Hong Kong: World political figures condemn China’s security law plan (BBC)
Protesters marched to the Chinese Liaison Office on Friday. Further protests are expected on Sunday
Nearly 200 political figures from around the world have added to growing condemnation of Beijing’s planned new security law in Hong Kong.
Signatories from Europe, Asia, north America and Australia called the plans a “comprehensive assault on the city’s autonomy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms”.
China is seeking to pass a law that would ban “treason, secession, sedition and subversion” in the territory.
It rejects criticism of the move. Read more
Nwakali: Leaving Arsenal was a tough decision to make (Nation)
Fresh from leading the Nigeria U-17 team (Golden Eaglets) to winning the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup, Kelechi Nwakali got the attention English Premier League giant, Arsenal that wasted no time in snapping him up.
Nwakali had emerged the MVP of the championship as he captained and marshalled the Nigerian team from the midfield to beat Mali 2-0 in the final game played at Vina del Mar stadium in Chile. Yet, the championship paraded some of the brightest names that have taken the stage by storm. Some of them are Victor Osimhen, Samuel Chukwueze, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Lee Seung-woo.
The 21-year old has gone on to captain the Nigeria U-20 squad, and recently the U-23 team. Read more
Musa rules out Al Nassr exit (Punch)
Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa has confirmed he won’t be leaving Al Nassr during the summer transfer window despite reports linking him away from the club when the transfer window reopens, The PUNCH reports.
The former Leicester City star was linked with Fenerbahce for most of the season before the coronavirus outbreak, and Le 10 Sport even reported a transfer fee had been agreed between both clubs.
The Nigerian forward left the King Power Stadium to join Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in a £15m deal in 2018 after he failed to justify the £16m transfer fee the Foxes paid CSKA Moscow for his services in 2016. Read more
Premier League says two more people test positive for coronavirus (Guardian)
England’s Premier League on Saturday said that two more individuals from two different clubs have tested positive for coronavirus, just three weeks from a proposed restart of the season.
In all, 996 players and club staff were tested over three days last week for COVID-19.
“Of these, two have tested positive from two clubs,” said an EPL statement.
“Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days.” Read more
Bayern score five to stay four points clear at top of Bundesliga (BBC)
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will take a four-point lead into Tuesday’s top-of-the-table clash with Borussia Dortmund following an entertaining victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
With Dortmund having narrowed the gap at the top to a single point earlier on Saturday, Bayern staged the perfect response, barring one three-minute period.
Leon Goretzka’s superb strike and a close-range Thomas Muller finish gave them a 2-0 half-time lead, which Robert Lewandowski added to with a header less than a minute into the second half. Read more
Dortmund beat Wolfsburg to close in on Bayern ahead of title showdown (Guardian)
Borussia Dortmund warmed up for Tuesday’s top-of-the-table clash against Bayern Munich with a 2-0 win at Wolfsburg on the second weekend of the Bundesliga’s restart after the coronavirus-enforced suspension.
Goals by Raphael Guerreiro and Achraf Hakimi sealed an away win behind closed doors to leave Dortmund a point behind league leaders Bayern.
On Tuesday, Dortmund host defending champions Bayern, who were facing Eintracht Frankfurt later on Saturday. Read more
Okoye set to join Sparta on loan (Punch)
Fortuna Dusseldorf goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is poised to join Dutch Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam, The PUNCH reports.
Okoye, currently tied to a contract with Fortuna Dusseldorf till June 30, has been in talks with the club’s Director of Football Henk van Stee, a report on Omasports revealed.
The 20-year-old, who has not played for Fortuna Düsseldorf in the Bundesliga, made 14 appearances in the third division (Regionalliga West) conceding 26 goals and keeping two clean sheets this season.
Okoye, born in Dusseldorf, Germany, has one cap for the Super Eagles and has been an unused substitute in the team’s last three games. Read more
