Obasanjo, Atiku are villians of June 12, says Pro-Buhari group (Nation)
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) said on Friday that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and his former boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo deserve to be listed among the villains of June 12 and placed in a hall of shame for their act of perfidy against Moshood Abiola and other unsung heroes of the struggle for democratic rule. The Pro-Buhari group also asked the former Vice President to stop playing to the gallery by claiming to stand shoulder to shoulder with Moshood Abiola, the icon of the June 12 struggle. Read more
Gombe State 6th Assembly: Abubakar Ibrahim emerges Speaker (Guardian)
Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, the lawmaker representing Yamaltu West in Gombe House of Assembly, on Friday, emerged the Speaker of the state’s sixth Assembly. Ibrahim was nominated by Mr Musa Buba, representing Balanga North Constituency and seconded by Abdullahi Abubakar of Akko West Constituency at the inaugural sitting of the Assembly. The speaker, who is representing his constituency for the second term, was elected unopposed. Read more
Tribunal strikes out petition challenging Abiodun Faleke’s victory (Nation)
An Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Ikeja, Lagos Friday struck out an application challenging James Abiodun Faleke’s victory in the House of Representatives election of February 23. Mr Faleke, of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is the member representing Ikeja Federal Constituency in the lower chamber. The tribunal chaired by Justice Kunaza M. Hamidu made the order following a motion by the petitioner, Mutiu Olakunle Okunola, to withdraw his application. Read more
I can’t remember June 12 without shedding tears — Ojudu (Guardian)
The former Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, says he was always in tears whenever the remembrance of the annulled June 12 election comes to mind. Ojudu made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Serie-2 Colloquium in honour of a safety icon, Dr Bamisayo Oluwagbemi, held at De Rembrandt Hotel, Ikeja, on Thursday. The theme of the posthumous colloquium is “Legacy of Service and People-Safety in Contemporary Nigeria”. Read more
Bayelsa Assembly leadership unequal, unfair – Lokpobiri’s campaign DG (Nation)
The governorship campaign outfit of the immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri on Friday faulted the composition of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly leadership describing it as unequal and unfair. The Heineken Lokpobiri Campaign Organisation (HLCO) wondered why Ogbia Local Government Area was excluded from the leadership structure of the House. The outfit said its investigations revealed that the entire Bayelsa East Senatorial District where Ogbia is located, got one out of the six leadership positions. Read more
SGF: Igbo group begs Buhari to consider South-East for position (Guardian)
A pan Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Igbo Amaka (AM) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to consider South-East for the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Mr Michael Okoro, Coordinator of the group in Ebonyi made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Abakaliki on Friday. The group noted that the Igbo nation has contributed so much in the development of the socio-economic and political lives of the nation, stressing that the exclusion of the region was a gross injustice and negation of the principle of federal character. Read more
Bandits attack: 2,277 people displaced in Niger (Nation)
Three Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps are currently set up by the villagers displaced in the armed bandit attacks in Shiroro local government area of Niger state. The Nation learnt that over 2,277 people were displaced in eight communities in Shiroro local government area. The Nation also learnt that one of the pregnant women currently displaced gave birth to a baby last night in the IDP camp; the mother and the baby are doing fine while efforts are being made by fellow campers to get the necessary things needed by the mother and child. Read more
You’re misrepresenting facts, Kano anti-graft agency tells Sanusi (Punch)
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has described the claim by the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammad Sanusi II, that he was not the accounting officer of the Kano Emirate Council, as a misrepresentation of facts. This was contained in a preliminary report of the Commission on the investigation being carried out in respect of the alleged misappropriation of over N3.4 billion by the Kano Emirate Council between 2014 and 2017. The report was signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Magaji Muhuyi Rimingado, and addressed to the Secretary to the State Government. A copy was made available to newsmen in Kano on Thursday. Read more
Zamfara gets new Police Commissioner (Guardian)
The new Commissioner of Police, Mr Usman Nagogo, deployed to Zamfara, has assumed duty, the command’s Spokesman, SP Muhammad Shehu, said on Friday. Shehu said in a statement in Gusau that Nagogo took over from Mr Celestine Okoye, who has been redeployed to Force Headquarters, Abuja. He said that before his new posting, he was DC in charge of I-G project Monitoring Unit, Headquarters, Abuja. Read more
NAF recruitment is free – Official (Nation)
The Nigerian AirForce (NAF) says its ongoing recruitment process is completely “FREE OF CHARGE” and executed in an equitable and transparent manner. Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, announced this in a statement on Friday in Abuja. Daramola said Information reaching the NAF indicated that some unscrupulous individuals were extorting money from unsuspecting applicants/candidates under the false impression that they can guarantee their eventual recruitment into the Service. Read more
20-year-old drowns in Kano pond (Punch)
A 20- year-old man, Mustapha Abdullahi, has drowned while bathing in a pond at Kofar Mata by Hauran Balago Municipal in Kano State. The Public Relations Officer of the State Fire Service, Mr Saidu Mohammed, made the disclosure in Kano on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria. Mohammed said that the incident happened on Friday morning when the deceased went to take his bath. Read more
Eddie Ugbomah to be buried July 12 (Punch)
The late veteran filmmaker, Chief Eddie Ugbomah, who died on May 11, 2019 will be buried on July 12 at the Vaults and Garden, Ikoyi. The Chairman of the Burial Planning Committee, Mr Rahman Raji, stated this in a press statement he signed and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Friday. Raji said that the final programme had been approved by the family of the deceased before releasing it to the public. Read more
Tanzania row over wig and hair extension tax (BBC)
A row has broken out in Tanzania over the government’s decision to impose a tax on wigs and hair extensions. Many male and some female MPs applauded and thumped their desks in approval when Finance Minister Philip Mpango announced the tax in parliament. Supporters of the levy say it will help women keep their hair natural. But there has also been public outrage, with women saying they are being punished for wanting to look good in wigs and hair extensions. Read more
Family sent back to DR Congo after 2 die of Ebola in Uganda (Nation)
Authorities repatriated the relatives of two people who died of Ebola in Uganda back to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday, the Ugandan health minister said on Friday. The repatriation included a three-year-old boy confirmed to be suffering from the disease. The cases marked the first time the virus has crossed an international border since the current outbreak began in Congo in August. The epidemic has already killed 1,390 people in eastern Congo. Read more
Tory leadership: Matt Hancock quits contest (BBC)
Matt Hancock has quit the contest to become Conservative leader – and prime minister – a day after coming sixth in the first ballot of the party’s MPs. The health secretary did not endorse any of his former rivals, but told the BBC he was “talking” to them all. Mr Hancock, who had been the youngest contender, said he was “focused on the future” but the party needed a leader to succeed in “the here and now”. Read more
Gulf of Oman tanker attacks: US says video shows Iran removing mine (BBC)
The US military has released a video which it says shows Iranian special forces removing an unexploded mine from the side of an oil tanker damaged in an attack in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday. The US also released images of the Japanese tanker apparently showing the unexploded mine before it was removed. A Norwegian tanker in the gulf also reported being hit by three blasts. The US accused Iran of being behind the attacks. Iran said it “categorically” rejected the allegation. Read more
Swiss women strike for more money, time and respect (BBC)
Women across Switzerland have taken to the streets to protest against what they say is the country’s unacceptably slow pace to equality. Friday’s protest comes 28 years after similar action saw half a million women take to the streets in 1991. Swiss women have long campaigned to accelerate the pace of gender equality. They joined millions of other women in Europe after World War One ended in 1918 in demanding the right to vote – but did not get it until 1971. Read more
German court fines two doctors over abortion ‘advertising’ (Guardian)
A German court Friday fined two gynaecologists for offering information publicly on how they carry out abortion services, despite the recent easing of a Nazi-era law banning practitioners from advertising of pregnancy terminations. German law allows abortions but effectively discourages them through various hurdles, including the law in question, article 219a, which dates to May 1933, shortly after Adolf Hitler took power in Nazi Germany. After an uproar over another recent case, the government early this year lifted a blanket ban on publicising abortion services. Read more
Indian in-laws stab man for marrying their daughter (Nation)
Four Indian in-laws were arrested in Hyderabad on Sunday, June 9, 2019, after they allegedly stabbed a man for marrying their daughter. The victim was identified as 21-year-old Imtiaz and he got married to Fatima, aged 19. The in-laws allegedly attacked the man after he got married to Fatima without informing her relatives before. The reason for the attack was also due to Imtiaz “maligning” their family name. Imtiaz, Fatima and his family were returning home on June 7, 2019, when the incident took place. Read more
Senior cop, 44, charged with having sex with boy, 16, multiple times (Metro)
A 44-year-old sheriff’s deputy faces serious charges over claims she had sex with a 16-year-old boy. Shauna Bishop, 44, is reported to have had full sexual intercourse with the youngster, as well as oral sex, and also stands accused of molesting him. The age of consent in California is 18. Read more
Leonard Cohen love letters fetch $876,000 at auction (BBC)
A collection of love letters written by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen to his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen have sold at auction for $876,000 (£692,190). Many items from the archive sold for more than five times their pre-sale estimates, according to Christie’s. One letter, expected to fetch $10,000 (£7,900), went for $56,250 (£44,445). The top lot in the five-day online auction was an Italian bronze bell that hung in the home Cohen and Ihlen once shared on the Greek island of Hydra. Read more
Super Eagles drop to 45th spot on latest FIFA ranking (Punch)
The Super Eagles dropped three places to 45th spot in the latest FIFA world ranking released by International Federation of Association Football. Despite holding firm to the third spot in Africa, Super Eagles failed to improve on their impressive jump back in April when the country moved four places in the ranking. Meanwhile, Senegal is still the best team in Africa and are ranked 22nd in the world, with Tunisia in second and 25th globally. Read more
AFN to organise open trials in Abuja ahead of African Games (Guardian)
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) on Friday said that it would organise a national open trials for athletes ahead of the 12th African Games scheduled for Rabat, Morocco. The Secretary of AFN, Elijah Adamu, said in Lagos that the trials would hold from June 24 to June 27, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja. Adamu said that the arrival date was June 24, while June 25 to June 26 would be the competition days and that participants were to depart on June 27. Read more
Scotland’s World Cup hopes hang by thread after loss to Japan (BBC)
Scotland’s chances of qualifying from their Women’s World Cup group hang by a thread after defeat by Japan. Shelley Kerr’s side had rarely been out of their own half by the time Mana Iwabuchi blasted a shot past goalkeeper Lee Alexander after 22 minutes. With Japan dominating, Rachel Corsie was ruled to have hauled down Yuika Sugasawa and the striker sent the spot kick low into the corner. A late Scotland rally produced a fine long-range Lana Clelland finish. Read more
Frank Lampard: Chelsea would have to pay Derby County £4m to release the Rams boss (BBC)
Chelsea would have to pay Derby around £4m in compensation if they appoint club legend Frank Lampard as their new manager. With current boss Maurizio Sarri set to be confirmed as Max Allegri’s replacement at Juventus, Lampard is the overwhelming favourite to take over. However, BBC Sport understands Chelsea are yet to make contact with the Rams. Read more
Eden Hazard reveals what former Chelsea star Thibaut Courtois told him before joining Real Madrid (Metro)
Eden Hazard has revealed Thibaut Courtois urged him to join Real Madrid before his transfer move from Chelsea was complete. Belgium forward Hazard has signed a five-year contract with Real and was officially unveiled to the club’s fans at the Bernabeu on Thursday. Hazard scored 110 goals in 353 games for the Blues after joining from Lille in 2012 and was signed by Real in a deal that could exceed £150million. Read more
Takefusa Kubo: Real Madrid sign Japanese teenager from FC Tokyo (BBC)
Real Madrid have signed Japanese teenager Takefusa Kubo – describing him as “one of the most promising young players in the world”. The midfielder will join Real Madrid Castilla, the club’s reserve team. Kubo, 18, is on duty at the Copa America with Japan, for whom he made his international debut on 9 June against El Salvador. Madrid will pay 2m euros (£1.78m) to Japanese top-flight side FC Tokyo for the player, reports Marca. Read more
Brazil police question Neymar over alleged rape (Guardian)
Brazilian police questioned Neymar for five hours on Thursday over allegations he raped a woman he met through social media in a Paris hotel last month — charges he has denied. “The truth appears sooner or later,” the world’s most expensive footballer, who walked on crutches after injuring his right ankle in a pre-Copa America friendly against Qatar last week that forced him out of South America’s showcase tournament, told reporters. The footballer, aged 27, arrived at the police station shortly before 4:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) and left at around 9:00 pm. Read more
Caster Semenya invited to run Rabat Diamond League 800m says organizer (BBC)
Caster Semenya has been invited to race in the 800m at Sunday’s Diamond League Meeting in Rabat, says the organiser. On Tuesday the Swiss Federal Supreme Court suspended the IAAF’s new rules, which want to restrict testosterone levels in female athletes like Semenya. Despite being cleared to continue racing Semenya said on Thursday she was not being allowed to run in Morocco. Read more