Octogenarian, two others arraigned for N2.6m land fraud (Punch)
An 80-year-old man, Zacheus Abati, has been brought before a Lagos State magistrates’ court sitting in Ogba for allegedly defrauding a cleric, Omobola Adeosun, of N2.6m.
Abati was arraigned alongside his nephew, Michael Oni, 55, and one Nojeem Adeokun, 61, on four counts of fraud and issuing of dud cheque.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that Adeosun bought a parcel of land for N4m at Igbo Esisi community, Amikanle area of Lagos, from Abati in December 2017.
She was said to have paid N2.6m to Abati in four installments and was issued receipts. Read more
29-year-old woman dies during sex romp in Rivers (Punch)
An unidentified 29-year-old woman has died during an alleged sex romp with an unnamed 31-year-old lover who also became unconscious after the act.
The lovebirds, whose names could not be immediately ascertained, were said to have taken a sex enhancement drug during the exercise.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the incident which happened at Elechi by Wobo Street shocked other occupants of the one-storey building.
Residents became curious when the duo did not come out from the apartment on Monday morning. The residents and the police invited to the scene later forced the door open and discovered the lifeless body of the young woman and her unconscious lover. Read more
Lagos-Ibadan rail: Better to delay project than contract coronavirus, NRC boss tells Nigerians (Punch)
The Nigerian Railway Corporation boss has said the possible delay in the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan rail project owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus is better than jeopardising the health of Nigerians.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, had on Thursday disclosed that the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China might delay the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan rail project.
The COVID- 19, which has become a global health challenge, is threatening the April deadline of the project being handled by the China Civil Engineering and Construction Corporation (CCECC).
The minister said the delay might not be unconnected to the fact that the bulk of the workforce handling the project were stuck in China, where the disease broke out and spread to other countries. Read more
Women’s Day: No country attains gender equality- FIDA (Nation)
The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) says in spite of the ongoing efforts to promote same opportunities in all areas for the sexes, gender equality has not been attained by any country of the world.
The Chairperson of the Lagos Chapter of FIDA, Mrs Philomena Nneji, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday ahead of the 2020 International Women’s Day, commemorated annually on March 8.
The day is to celebrate the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women and also serves as a focal point in the movement for women’s rights.
The theme for the 2020 celebration is: “An Equal World Is An Enabled World”.
Nneji also noted that the celebration was very significant because Year 2020 marks the 25th Anniversary of the 1995 World Conference on Women, which had established the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Read more
At seminar, kid entrepreneurs share experiences (Guardian)
Tony Recury is a smart, talented and confident 13-year-old. He is a singer, environmentalist, and the proud owner of O.T Smile Popcorn.
Tony started singing at the age of seven. He has written six songs and recorded four in his first CD titled, Nigeria We Are One. His songs are meant for both children and adults.
He explained that he was inspired to start singing when he noticed children hawking in the streets all over the country. After asking why this was happening, and he was told the government was not adequately catering for the society, he sang his first song titled: ‘Nigeria we are one.’
He started his popcorn business in 2018 and the proceeds of the business are given to the less privileged.
His advice to other kids, as well as a young entrepreneur, is to be focused and try everything to achieve their goals in life. Read more
Boko Haram war trauma: Military deploys psychologists, others to battlefields (Punch)
Worried by the disturbing rate of soldiers killing themselves and their colleagues, the Nigerian military authorities have deployed new strategies to mitigate the ugly development, investigations by Sunday PUNCH have revealed.
The Defence Headquarters has therefore commenced the deployment of psychologists to the battleground in a bid to reduce the suicides and murders among the troops fighting against Boko Haram in the North-East.
It was learnt that the medical experts had been catering to the emotional, psychological and mental health needs of the soldiers fighting against the insurgents whose activities have led to the loss of many lives and destruction of property in the region. Read more
Coronavirus: No wash-hand basins, sanitisers at Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti assemblies (Punch)
Amid increasing sensitisation of the public to the need to use disinfectants in order to contain the spread of the dreaded coronavirus, some state Houses of Assembly have yet to put in place such measures on their premises, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
Our correspondents, who visited the Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti Assembly complexes found that the hand sanitisers, wash-hand basins and other things that could help to prevent the spread of the virus were lacking.
The first and only case of the virus in Nigeria so far was confirmed in Lagos on February 27 when a 44-year-old Italian, who arrived in the country onboard a Turkish Airlines flight having transited through Istanbul, Turkey, tested positive for the virus. Read more
Six million Nigerians at risk of going blind, says eye expert (Guardian)
Head of Optometry Department, Imo State University, Prof. Frank Iwuagwu, has said about six million Nigerians are at risk of going blind, as a result of untreated glaucoma.
“Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterised by silent and gradual loss of vision,” Iwuagwu said.
He disclosed this in Owerri, while briefing journalists on a survey conducted by students, which revealed that about five percent of glaucoma patients in the country is from Imo State. Read more
Nigerian gospel band, Empraiz Gospel emerges Best African Gospel Group (Nation)
Nigerian Afro-contemporary gospel band, Empraiz Gospel Group has been ranked one of the Top Best Gospel Group in Africa.
The Gospel group was ranked by International gospel choir of New Foundland.
Empraiz Gospel was nominated at the Africa Gospel Music Award (AGGMA) in London and won the awards for Best Traditional Group (West Africa) and BAGMA awards in the United States respectively. Read more
‘We were deported from the US to the wrong country’ (BBC)
Saren Idaho said he has no connection to Sierra Leone and had never been to the country until he was deported there from the US six months ago.
“I know nobody here,” lamented the 55-year-old father of two.
Looking unwell and struggling to walk, he sat down on a plastic chair in his sparsely furnished hotel room in the capital, Freetown. As he was talking he played with a pack of cigarettes and several butts were squashed in an ashtray beside him.
At least this was better than the crowded police cell, where he slept on the floor “with cockroaches, rats and bed bugs” for the first five months of his time here. Read more
Ex vicar, 81, moves to Romania with toyboy and pays for his clubbing with church pension (Metro)
The rollercoaster on-off romance between an 81-year-old retired vicar and his toyboy Romanian husband finally looks to be settling down after the pair moved in together, again.
Philip Clements and his 27-year-old husband Florin Marin got married three years ago after meeting on the Gaydar dating app.
Mr Clements now hopes the couple, separated by 54 years and nearly 2,500 miles, can start to live a normal married life after spending most of their relationship apart.
It’s the not first time the couple have had a stab at living with each other in Romania. In 2017, the newlyweds spilt after only five months together, leaving Mr Clements broke and homeless after he sold his £215,000 home in Sandwich, Kent, to be with Mr Marin. Read more
Over 40 rescued from collapsed coronavirus quarantine facility (Punch)
More than 40 people have been rescued following the collapse of a hotel used as a coronavirus quarantine facility in eastern China on Saturday, state media reported.
Officials said around 70 people were initially trapped when the building first crumbled.
Footage circulating on microblogging platform Weibo showed rescue workers combing through the rubble of the 80-room Xinjia hotel in coastal Quanzhou city in the dark as they reassured a woman trapped under heavy debris and carried wounded victims into ambulances.
A total of 43 people have so far been rescued from the wreckage, state news agency Xinhua said.
The hotel’s facade appeared to have crumbled into the ground, exposing the building’s steel frame, and a crowd gathered as the evening wore on. Read more
Oppo announces ‘Oppo Watch’ and it looks a bit familiar (Metro)
Chinese smartphone brand Oppo has just announced it’s bringing out a smartwatch called the Oppo Watch.
Like all smartwatches, it’ll track your activity and relay messages and notifications from your phone. You can pick up different bands to change up the style of it and there’s a host of third-party apps for added functionality.
It also really, really looks like the Apple Watch.
According to Oppo: ‘The 46mm version features a 1.91-inch AMOLED screen with a 72.76% screen-to-body ratio, 402×476 resolution, and 326ppi density for extra detail. An “ultra-frameless” design makes the most of every millimeter of space, packing in an impressive amount of information.’ Read more
Greece migrant crisis: Refugee centre ablaze as tensions rise (BBC)
A fire has ripped through a refugee shelter on the Greek island of Lesbos as tensions over a surge in migration from Turkey continue to rise.
Flames engulfed the One Happy Family centre, near the island’s capital Mitilini, on Saturday.
It is not clear how the fire started. No causalities have been reported.
In recent days, there has been hostility towards migrants on Lesbos after an increase in arrivals from Turkey. Read more
Harry and Meghan get standing ovation as they complete final engagements as senior royals (Metro)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were given a rousing ovation after they arrived at the Royal Albert Hall for one of their final public engagements before stepping back as senior royals.
The pair wore matching red, Prince Harry in the mess uniform of the Royal Marines and Meghan Markle in a £1,295 Safiyaa dress and cape, accessorised with earrings from Simone Rocha, to the Mountbatten Festival of Music.
Harry, in his role as Captain General of the Royal Marines, and Meghan met with five members of the Royal Marines before taking their seats in the royal box of the famous South Kensington venue.
The Duke and Duchess also meet performers during the interval.
The royal couple were seen laughing and joking with the crowd before heading on to the stage to meet more attendees and musicians. Read more
Four soldiers killed in DR Congo (Punch)
Four soldiers and at least 13 militia members were killed during clashes in eastern DR Congo, the army said Saturday.
The two sides clashed in the Beni province of North Kivu bordering Uganda on Friday, said Lieutenant Anthony Mualushayi, spokesman for the army in the region.
At least another five soldiers were wounded he said, adding that the fighting had been particularly fierce because the enemy forces were concentrated.
While Mualushayi said 14 ADF militia members had been killed in the fighting, another army spokesman, Sylvain Ekenge, put the figure at 13 in comments to the UN’s Okapi radio. Read more
Vin Diesel opens up on Fast 9 coronavirus fears: ‘We need movies now more than ever’ (Metro)
Vin Diesel has responded to the coronavirus fears surrounding his upcoming movie Fast 9. The film industry has been suffering as a result of the outbreak, with it recently being announced that upcoming Bond movie No Time To Die has been delayed until November. Addressing the fears surrounding his upcoming flick, which is set for release in May, Vin said he ‘won’t fault anyone in the world for saying, “You guys are stupid for releasing this movie right now.”‘ Read more
Ronaldinho in court in Paraguay over fake passport claims (BBC)
Former Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho and his brother appeared in court on Saturday over allegations the pair used fake passports to enter Paraguay.
Prosecutors say the brothers were given the false documents when they landed in the capital Asuncion on Wednesday.
The pair were taken into custody on Friday, just hours after a judge refused to uphold a prosecutor’s proposal for an alternative punishment.
The prosecutor argued the brothers had been tricked. They deny any wrongdoing. Read more
Moses to return against Getafe (Punch)
Inter Milan wing-back, Victor Moses, will miss the team’s all-important clash against champions Juventus but is expected to return against La Liga side Getafe in the UEFA Europa League.
The ex-Super Eagles star suffered a muscle injury in training days after their 2-1 win over Ludogorets to qualify 4-1 on aggregate with the former Fenerbahce man playing the entire duration of the game.
Manager, Antonio Conte, will have to do without the Nigerian when they face Juventus in the Derby d’Italia as the medical team have declared him not fit enough for the clash. Read more
Mohamed Salah beats Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres to hold rare Liverpool record (Metro)
Mohamed Salah has become the first Liverpool player since Michael Owen to score 20 goals for the club in three successive seasons.
Egyptian forward Salah has emerged as one of the most prolific goalscorers in world football since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2016.
He scored a staggering 44 goals in 52 matches in his first season at Anfield, before contributing 27 goals during the 2018-19 campaign in which Liverpool won the Champions League. Read more
Ighalo has proved me wrong– Berbatov (Punch)
Former Manchester United striker, Dimitar Berbatov, is delighted seeing Odion Ighalo making an instant impact, adding further that the Nigerian exploits has forced him to eat his words.
The 30-year-old was a divisive figure within the football community, as some suggested his arrival was an act of desperation on the path of United while, others believed his signing might have a Cantona effect at the end of the day.
Berbatov, was part of those skeptics, unconvinced about the Shanghai Shenhua striker, but, after his recent goal-scoring exploits, the Bulgarian looks quite happy to indict himself.
“I’m really happy to see that Odion Ighalo is settling in well and he deserves it with the way he is playing, how he links the plays and the goals he is scoring,” he told Betfair. Read more
Manchester United demand £25m for Roma target Chris Smalling
(Metro)
Roma are reconsidering a permanent move for defender Chris Smalling after Manchester United slapped a £25million price tag on the 30-year-old.
The former Fulham defender joined the Serie A club on loan last summer after a frank conversation with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about his future following Harry Maguire’s arrival from Leicester.
Smalling has impressed in the Italian capital and Roma are keen on making his season-long loan deal a permanent one.
However, sources have told Metro.co.uk that the Italians were ‘shocked’ by United’s insistence that it will require a bid of £25m to sign Smalling next summer. Read more
Beckham’s Inter Miami score first MLS goal but lose to DC United (BBC)
David Beckham’s Inter Miami scored their first-ever goal in Major League Soccer but were denied a maiden victory as DC United fought back to win 2-1.
Rodolfo Pizarro got Inter Miami off to a dream start in what was just their second league game with the landmark goal after two minutes.
They then had a goal ruled out by VAR and Roman Torres sent off for handball.
Yamil Asad and Frederic Brillant then scored twice in two minutes as DC United turned the game around to win.
Inter Miami have now lost both their MLS games, having been beaten in their inaugural fixture by Los Angeles FC last Sunday. Read more
Kamiludeen Banjo: Coaching Deaf Eagles is challenging and interesting (Nation)
Nothing prepared head coach of Nigeria deaf team, otherwise known as ‘Deaf Eagles,’ Kamiludeen Banjoh, for the challenges and fascination of the job until he stepped into the saddle in 2004. Sixteen years down the line, the ex-international and former Shooting Stars striker says he’s enjoying the ride in spite of the challenges. “Actually, coaching deaf people, for me, is a gift of nature. When I was in NIS in 2002, they (Nigeria Deaf Football Association) came to me and asked me to coach them. At first I felt they were troubling me until the late coach Yemi Tella advised me to see it as divine intervention. He said why would they pick me out of 200 coaches; ‘it means God wants to do something in your life with them.’ That is how we started.
“My first experience was 2004, when I moved them to Ghana. On our way to Ghana, a coach came from Abuja because the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) kitted us and we were representing Nigeria. We went to Ghana and lost and four years later, the players, having watched the attitudes of the other coach and myself, decided they wanted me to coach them and that is how I was appointed as the head coach of the Deaf Football Nigeria. In 2008, I qualified Nigeria for the first time for the Deaf Olympic Games. We beat Ghana 3-1 on their soil to qualify and it was amplified by the Nigerian media.” Read more