Okorocha urges IGP to disregard Ihedioha’s petition against him (Guardian)
Sen. Rochas Okorocha, the immediate past governor of Imo has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu to disregard the petition against him by the present governor, Emeka Ihedioha. He said that the Nigerian Police Force, being a reputable organisation, should not allow itself to be distracted by “such deceitful petition” which he said lacked merit. Okorocha made the call in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media Mr Sam Onwuemeodo. Read more
IPOB accuses Nnia Nwodo of sabotaging Biafra agitation (Nation)
The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra has accused the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nodo of sabotaging efforts of the group and the Igbo race towards the realization of the Sovereign State of Biafra. The Spokesman of IPOB, Comrade Emma Powerful in a statement issued to newsmen on Saturday said that the statement released by Nwodo where he denied agreeing to cede any part of the Southeast for the purpose of RUGA said that the group views Nwodo’s comment as “cowardly anti-Biafra utterance with the utmost contempt that it deserves.” Read more
Minimum wage talks end in deadlock again (Punch)
Organised labour met with the Federal Government on Friday in Abuja over the implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage. However, no decision taken on a new wage structure. A source told our correspondent exclusively that both parties agreed to wait for President Muhammadu Buhari’s position on the issue. Read more
Twelve dead in Niger Boko Haram village attack (Guardian)
A night raid blamed on Boko Haram has left a dozen villagers dead in southeastern Niger on the frontier with Nigeria, a local official said Saturday. The attack on Friday night in the border district of Gueskerou, is the latest to hit the Diffa region near Lake Chad, which is crisscrossed by militant groups and traffickers who murder and kidnap people in local communities as they compete for money and influence. Read more
Human trafficking: FG launches ‘Not for Sale’ campaign (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the nation’s anti-trafficking agency has rolled out the “Not for Sale” campaign to mitigate the deceptions of human smugglers across the country. The president stated this in an opinion article he published in the Washington Post newspaper to mark the UN-declared International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. News Agency of Nigeria reports that the UN declared August 23 as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Read more
Melaye: ‘APC responsible for Tribunal’s judgement’ (Nation)
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, has described the tribunal judgement which sacked Dino Melaye as senator representing Kogi west as a distraction for his governorship ambition. Frank accused the governing APC of being responsible for the judgement which he described as miscarriage of justice, adding that the APC was afraid that if Melaye gets the PDP governorship ticket, he will emerge winner of the Kogi state governorship election. Read more
AA rejects Court judgement on Nwosu (Nation)
The Action Alliance (AA) said on Friday that it was rejecting the recent judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja, nullifying the candidature of its governorship candidate in the last election in Imo State, Chief Uche Nwosu, saying the judgement was a bundle of contradiction. In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, the party said the judgement was given in error as Uche Nwosu was never enlisted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Read more
Kano Guber: I didn’t cancel election results, says INEC Officer (Nation)
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC Returning Officer who superintend over Kano state governorship election, in Nassarwa LG, professor Ibrahim Khaleel has dismissed the allegations of issues of over-voting and violence attributed to the cancellation of the outcome of the elections in Gama ward. The university don, who appeared before the state Election Petition Tribunal, on subpoena, said there were no formal reports of cases of violence and over voting during the governorship election held on March 9th in Gama ward. Read more
Ortom replies Akume: You don’t have power to make govs (Punch)
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has asked his estranged political godfather and Minister of Special Duties, Senator George Akume, to stop arrogating to himself the power to instate governors. Ortom also warned the All Progressives Congress’ governorship candidate in the state in the 2019 general elections, Emmanuel Jime, to stop insulting him. Faulting Akume’s recent utterances, the governor said it was God and the people of Benue State who chose him as governor first in 2015 and not him (Akume). Read more
Umahi conducted transparent ward congresses in Bayelsa, says committee (Nation)
The Restoration Governorship Election Primary Committee at the weekend commended the Governor Dave Umahi-led PDP Ward Congress Committee for organising a very transparent, credible and rancour-free ward congresses. Head of Media and Publicity of the PDP Restoration Governorship Election Primary Committee, Daniel Iworiso-Markson in a statement issued in Yenagoa applauded Umahi and his team for the maturity displayed in the discharge of their duties. Read more
Masari advises parents to present children for immunisation against killer diseases (Guardian)
Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has advised parents and guardians to present their children/wards below the age of five years for immunisation against child-killer diseases. Masari gave the advice via a state-wide broadcast on Saturday. “We are calling on parents to present their children for immunisation against measles, tetanus, yellow fever, polio, Diphtheria, and for Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination. Read more
NAPTIP nabs man allegedly involved in kidnapping Ghanaian girls (Nation)
Operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition in Trafficking of Persons (NAPTIP) has nabbed a man accused of being involved in kidnapping Ghanaian girls to Nigeria. The suspect Chika Nnodim is believed to be part of a cross border criminal gang including kidnapping and have been under security watch list of the government of Nigeria and Ghana. Read more
I sold my day old baby for N500,000 — Imo woman (Punch)
The operatives of the Imo State Police Command have arrested a woman, Chinasa Ukaonu, for selling her day-old baby for N500,000. Also arrested were two nurses, Dorothy Esomonu and Catherine Eke who assisted the woman to trade her child. The police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, told our correspondent that the buyer, Chioma Amadi, had been nabbed by the police. Read more
Flights suspended at Libya airport after rocket fire (Guardian)
Flights were temporarily suspended Saturday at the Libyan capital’s sole functioning airport after it was hit by a rocket as two civilian flights were landing, airport authorities said. “Flights are suspended until further notice due to rocket fire,” the Mitiga airport said on its Facebook page. After a pause of several hours flights resumed around midday, airport authorities announced in a later post. Read more
Prince Andrew: I did not suspect Epstein’s behaviour (BBC)
Prince Andrew has defended his former friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, saying “at no stage” did he “see or suspect” any criminal behaviour. Epstein, 66, took his own life in a jail cell this month while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In a statement, the Duke of York said he wanted to “clarify the facts” around his “former association or friendship” with the US financier. He said it was a “mistake” to meet Epstein after he left prison in 2010. Read more
Macron, Trump break the ice with surprise pre-G7 lunch (Guardian)
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted his US counterpart Donald Trump for a previously unscheduled lunch Saturday ahead of the official opening of the G7 summit in southwest France. The two leaders sat on a terrace at the ornate Hotel du Palais in the Atlantic resort of Biarritz, the G7 venue, just a day after Trump reiterated his threat of tariffs against French wine in retaliation for a new tax on major US tech companies. Read more
Brexit: EU ‘willing to listen’ to Boris Johnson’s ideas, says Donald Tusk (BBC)
European Council President Donald Tusk has said the EU is “willing to listen” to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ideas for Brexit if they are “realistic”. But speaking at the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, Mr Tusk said he would “not co-operate on [a] no-deal”. Mr Johnson said that if Mr Tusk – who he will meet on Sunday – did not want to be remembered as “Mr No-Deal Brexit”, then UK demands must be met. Since becoming PM, Mr Johnson has said the UK will leave the EU on 31 October. Read more
Bangladesh police shoot dead two Rohingya in refugee camp (Guardian)
Bangladesh police said they had shot dead two Rohingya refugees during a gunfight in a refugee camp on Saturday after the pair were accused of killing a ruling party official. Nearly a million Rohingya live in squalid camps in southeast Bangladesh, 740,000 of whom fled a 2017 military offensive against the Muslim minority in Myanmar. Rights activists, who asked not to be named, said they believe the two Rohingya men were killed by police in what appeared to be a staged encounter. Read more
Dangerous sex offender used Instagram and Snapchat to target victims (Metro)
A paedophile who ‘prostituted’ two vulnerable teenage girls by paying them for sex after targeting them on Instagram and Snapchat has been jailed. Nicholas McEntee, 26, was described by the judge as ‘posing an appalling danger to young children’, after his latest sex offences against minors. He was out of prison on licence for similar offences, when he once again used the internet to prey on children. Read more
Florida car-park killing: Gunman guilty as ‘stand your ground’ defence fails (BBC)
A white man who shot and killed an unarmed black man over a parking dispute in the US state of Florida has been found guilty of manslaughter. Michael Drejka, 49, shot Markeis McGlockton after a fight broke out over a disabled parking space last year. Drejka had cited the state’s “stand your ground” law, which has provided a self-defence case for those threatened by deadly force or imminent danger. Drejka faces up to 30 years in prison and will be sentenced in October. Read more
Nasa said to be investigating first allegation of a crime in space (BBC)
Nasa is reported to be investigating a claim that an astronaut accessed the bank account of her estranged spouse from the International Space Station, in what may be the first allegation of a crime committed in space. Anne McClain acknowledges accessing the account from the ISS but denies any wrongdoing, the New York Times reports. Her estranged spouse, Summer Worden, reportedly filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. Read more
Taylor Swift responds to accusations she’s ‘playing the victim’ as she addresses privilege (Metro)
Taylor Swift revealed she only learned about white privilege after fans pointed out her ‘victim’ narrative. The London Boy singer has found herself being criticised for the way she appears to portray herself to fans, following high-profile spats with Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, to name a few. And the 29-year-old explained she realised her privilege meant she never had to learn about what the term truly meant. Read more
2022 World Cup: Emmanuel Adebayor out of Togo squad for qualifiers (BBC)
Captain Emmanuel Adebayor has been left out of the Togo squad for next month’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Comoros. The 35-year-old is not in coach Claude Le Roy’s 23-man provisional list for the preliminary round double-header which takes place in Comoros on 6 September and in Lome four days later. No official reason has been given for the omission of Adebayor who has been without a club since leaving Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir at the end of last season. Read more
Abraham double fires Chelsea to first win of Lampard’s reign (Guardian)
Tammy Abraham fired Chelsea to their first win of the Frank Lampard era as the young striker’s double clinched a 3-2 victory against Norwich on Saturday. Lampard had gone three games without a win in all competitions since he took over as Chelsea manager, but the Blues legend finally got off the mark thanks to his faith in Abraham. Abraham had failed to score in his three previous appearances this term, but the 21-year-old striker bagged his first goal for the club to put Chelsea ahead in the sunshine at Carrow Road. Read more
Tammy Abraham reveals what Chelsea players said at half-time to inspire Frank Lampard’s first win (Metro)
Tammy Abraham scored his maiden Chelsea goals to help secure a first Premier League win for the club’s new manager Frank Lampard. The club legend replaced Maurizio Sarri in the summer but had suffered a frustrating start to his reign, having seen his side thrashed 4-0 at Manchester United on the opening weekend, before being held to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge by Leicester six days ago. Abraham has enjoyed productive loan spells at the likes of Aston Villa and Swansea in recent years but has an opportunity to make the grade at his boyhood club due to the transfer ban which prevented Lampard from making new signings earlier this summer. Read more
I’m shocked Arsenal let Iwobi go –Lescott (Punch)
Former Everton defender, Joleon Lescott, has admitted that he is shocked that Arsenal allowed Nigerian international, Alex Iwobi, join Everton. The Super Eagles forward made a shock switch to the Merseyside club on transfer deadline day for £34m after the team failed to sign Ivorian forward Wilfried Zaha. Speaking to Sky sport, the former Everton defender revealed that the acquisition of the Eagles star will make the team better and also compete for a position in the top six in the 2019/20 Premier League season. Read more
Ayew scores as Palace win at Old Trafford (BBC)
Crystal Palace stunned Manchester United as Patrick van Aanholt scored an injury-time winner to record their first victory at Old Trafford since 1989. Full-back Van Aanholt netted in the 93rd minute, smashing in as the ball broke loose following Wilfried Zaha’s burst forward. Daniel James thought he had rescued a point for United when he curled in a delightful equaliser in the 89th minute following neat build-up from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. Read more
Wilfried Zaha ruins Ashley Young with ridiculous skill in Man Utd v Crystal Palace clash (Metro)
Wilfried Zaha turned Ashley Young inside at Old Trafford on Saturday, with the Manchester United full-back probably wishing he’d stayed on the bench against Crystal Palace. Young was brought on in the 34th minute after regular left-back Luke Shaw picked up a knock, and he was given the unenviable task of having to mark Zaha. The winger was making his second start of the season having been left out of Palace’s Premier League opener at Everton after failing to secure a deadline day move away from the club. Read more
Lille back Osimhen to become Ligue 1 legend (Punch)
Ligue 1 side, Lille, say they are confident Nigerian international, Victor Osimhen, will not only be a hit at the club but has the right qualities to become a league legend. The League’s official Twitter handle made a post, asking if the new Lille front man will one day be as prolific as former African players who have played and succeeded in the league. Read more
Ian Wright urges Unai Emery to start Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette for Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool (Metro)
Ian Wright believes it is ‘vitally important’ that Unai Emery starts Nicolas Pepe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette together for Arsenal’s clash against Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp’s side and the Gunners have both won their two opening Premier League games ahead of their match at Anfield on Saturday evening. Aubameyang has scored in both matches, while Lacazette opened the scoring in the 2-1 victory over Burnley last weekend. Read more
PSG coach coy over Neymar (Guardian)
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel said Neymar is “ready” for Sunday’s Ligue 1 game but whether he plays depends on developments in the Brazilian’s bid to leave the club. The 27-year-old is angling for a return to Spain but reports this week suggest PSG have rejected an offer from Real Madrid of 100 million euros ($111 million) plus players. Neymar arrived amid deafening fanfare from Barcelona two years ago as the world’s most expensive player in a 222 million euros deal. Read more