Our kidnappers told us they would have killed us if we were christians –Bature, kidnap victim (Punch)
Recently, Andy Bature, a musician and Senior Special Assistant on Drugs to a former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, learnt two things; one is that three days could seem like three years when living conditions are hellish and the other is never to ignore his gut feeling. While going to Jos, Plateau State from a seminar in Kaduna State on a Thursday evening in late May 2019, Bature and three friends he was with, were kidnapped by suspected Fulani herdsmen. Till now, Bature has found it difficult to believe that he only spent three days in the kidnappers’ den. Describing the kidnappers, the former SSA said “they are typical Fulani men”. Read more
Revive railway, waterways transportation in Apapa – Rep member tells FG (Nation)
A member of the House of Representatives for Apapa Federal Constituency, Hon. Mufutau Egberongbe, has commended the task force for the cleaning of Apapa area of Lagos. The lawmaker hailed the task force for its resilience and determination to end the perennial gridlock experienced by the residents in the axis. Egberongbe commended the task force in a statement he released on Friday in Lagos, saying more needed to be done to sanitise the area. Read more
PDP alleges infighting, hostilities in APC, Presidency (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday alleged that there were infighting and hostilities in the Presidency and All Progressives Congress. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said the hostilities were as a result of the confusion that had allegedly enveloped the All Progressives Congress and the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency. He said, “The vicious fight for positions as ‘booty’ of a stolen mandate further exposes the APC and the cabal in the Buhari Presidency as powermongers who are only interested in power-grabbing, treasury-looting and plundering of our national patrimony and not in the welfare of Nigerians.” Read more
Ayade berated over setting up task forces instead of constituting cabinet (Nation)
Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, has been berated for his decision to set up various task forces instead of constituting a proper executive council by appointing commissioners. A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr Goddie Akpama, who spoke with The Nation in Calabar yesterday, wondered how the governor would achieve his lofty projects without a proper cabinet. Read more
Gombe govt begins sales of fertilisers, pegs price at N5, 000 (Punch)
The Gombe State Government has begun the sales of 68, 400 bags of assorted fertilisers at a subsidised price of N5,000 per bag for the 2019 wet season to boost food security in the state. Governor Inuwa Yahaya, who announced this in Gombe on Saturday, said the inputs would be sold to farmers at subsidised rates to improve agricultural productivity, increase farmers’ incomes and boost food security in the country. Read more
Borno: NAF destroys insurgents’ hideouts in Gobara, Bakassi (Guardian)
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says its Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has destroyed terrorists’ hideouts and killed some fighters at Gobara and Bakassi in Borno. Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, added that the operation was conducted on Friday in separate air raids. According to Daramola, the settlements were two of the targets selected for attack in the intensive air interdiction operations launched by the ATF on Wednesday. Read more
NAFDAC seizes fake alcoholic wines in Edo (Punch)
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has seized not less than 90 cartons of fake ‘Fidossi Spunmante’ drinks, a brand of alcoholic wine, without registration number in Edo State. Mrs Itua Esther, Assistant Director of NAFDAC in Edo disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Benin on Saturday. Itua said the seizure followed a raid on five shops at Upper Sakponba, Mission Road, Benin on Friday. Read more
Troops kill 8 bandits, arrest 17 collaborators in Sokoto (Guardian)
No fewer than eight bandits have been killed and 17 other collaborators arrested by troops of Operation HARBIN KUNAMA III under the 8 Division Nigerian Army, Sokoto. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Division, Maj.-Gen. Hakeem Otiki, told the newsmen in Sokoto on Saturday that those apprehended were bandits’ informants and logistics suppliers. Otiki said five bandits’ camps and 25 motorcycles were destroyed in the operation. Read more
66-year-old woman dies in Anambra inferno (Punch)
A fire outbreak on Saturday killed a 66-year-old woman, Veronica Okwuogu in Awka, the Anambra State capital. The cause of the fire incident could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report. An eyewitness told our correspondent that the incident which occurred at about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday in a residential building saw the deceased trapped. Read more
Kofi Annan, Adadevoh get 2018 ECOWAS Prize of Excellence (Punch)
The 2018 ECOWAS Prize of Excellence has been posthumously awarded to a former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan and Dr Ameyo Adadevoh for their contributions to the region’s well-being. The prize was presented to representatives of their families at the 55th Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Saturday in Abuja. The award was also presented to Madam Germaine Acogny, a Senegalese dancer and choreographer responsible for developing African Dance and the creation of several dance schools in France and Senegal. Read more
Ethiopian to seize undeclared currencies above $3,000 from travelers (Punch)
The Ethiopian Customs and Revenue Authority has revealed it would commence seizure of undeclared foreign currencies and valuables in excess of 3,000 dollars. Mr Friday Akpan, Acting Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja. Akpan said that the rule on the forfeiture of undeclared valuables applies to all passengers travelling to Ethiopia or transiting, including the prosecution of offenders of money laundering in line with Ethiopian Laws. Read more
G20 summit: Trump and Xi agree to restart US-China trade talks (BBC)
The US and China have agreed to resume trade talks, easing a long row that has contributed to a global economic slowdown. US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping reached agreement at the G20 summit in Japan. Mr Trump also said he would allow US companies to continue to sell to the Chinese tech giant Huawei, in a move seen as a significant concession. Read more
Seoul food for Trump as Moon serves up US steak (Guardian)
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in sought to appeal to Donald Trump’s personal preferences on Saturday with a US steak dinner and a guest list including a star woman golfer. The US president is known for his love of the sport and his simple culinary tastes — he likes his meat well-done. In the past he has bonded with Shinzo Abe, the conservative prime minister of South Korea’s neighbour Japan — who Trump has regularly described as his friend — over burgers and several rounds on the course. Read more
Italy migrant boat: Rescue captain accused of trying to sink police boat (BBC)
Italy’s far-right interior minister, Matteo Salvini, has accused the captain of a ship carrying rescued migrants of trying to sink a police boat. Carola Rackete was arrested at the Italian port of Lampedusa after a two-week stand-off with police at sea. Her vessel, Sea-Watch 3, was banned from docking, but it eventually entered the port on Friday night. Read more
Firefighters save dog left in boiling car with no windows open (Metro)
Firefighters were forced to break into a boiling car and rescue a dog after owners left him alone with no windows open in a supermarket car park. Cockapoo Bertie was left in direct sunlight on the roof level of a multi-storey car park, as temperatures rose to a sweltering 30°C on Friday. Officials were forced to step in after Waitrose staff, at Saffron Walden, in Essex, couldn’t find the owner who was shopping in the store. Read more
Merkel’s shaking: Chancellor says she’s ‘fine’ after attacks (BBC)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she is “fine” following two bouts of shaking in public that have sparked concerns about her health. Speaking at the G20 summit in Osaka, she said she was convinced that “this reaction will disappear just as it has arisen”, German news agency DPA said. Asked what lay behind it and whether she had seen a doctor, she said she had “nothing in particular to report”. Read more
Mother-daughter killed over witchcraft allegation in India (Guardian)
An Indian mother and daughter were hacked to death by three men over allegations of witchcraft in the country’s remote tribal-dominated east, police said Saturday. The 50-year-old woman and her young daughter were beaten by their neighbours before being attacked with knives on Wednesday night in West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand state. Police said the victims’ family was embroiled in a land dispute with one of the accused, who used black magic allegations as a cover-up to commit the crime. Read more
Luis Alvarez, police campaigner for 9/11 compensation, dies (BBC)
A former New York Police Department detective has died after campaigning to extend compensation for those who suffered injury, illness or trauma due to the 9/11 attacks. Luiz Alvarez, 53, underwent 68 rounds of chemotherapy to fight cancer caused by toxic exposure at Ground Zero. He spoke at a congressional hearing on 11 June in support of a bill to extend medical funding from 2020 to 2090. Read more
Sir Elton John calls Vladimir Putin’s gay rights claims ‘hypocrisy’ (BBC)
Sir Elton John has written an open letter to Vladimir Putin accusing him of “hypocrisy” over his claims Russia has “no problems” with gay people. The singer said he was “deeply upset” by the Russian president’s comments in an interview in the Financial Times. Sir Elton said his film Rocketman was edited in Russia to remove references to his husband David Furnish and their family. Russia has denied censorship. Read more
Kit Harington and Rose Leslie celebrate one-year wedding anniversary together in London after his rehab stint (Metro)
Kit Harington celebrated his and Rose Leslie’s one-year wedding anniversary together in the UK, weeks after his stay at a rehab facility. The Game of Thrones stars tied the knot on 23 June 2018 in Scotland and celebrated their first year of marriage last Sunday. According to a source, the couple spent their special day together in London and are now ‘enjoying the summer’ ahead following Kit’s rehab stint. Read more
Dutch beat Italy to reach first semi-final (BBC)
The Netherlands reached the Women’s World Cup semi-finals for the first time thanks to two second-half headers against Italy in Valenciennes. Vivianne Miedema, the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer, netted her 61st international goal with a glancing header from Sherida Spitse’s free-kick. And Stefanie van der Gragt powered home another Spitse free-kick to seal their place in the last four. Read more
Rohr keeps Nigeria players on toes as top spot at stake (Guardian)
Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr pledged to ring the changes for his team’s final Africa Cup of Nations group game against surprise package Madagascar to stoke competition in the squad. The Super Eagles are guaranteed a place in the last 16 but need a point on Sunday in Alexandria to secure top spot in Group B and set up a meeting with a third-place finisher in the next round. “It’s important to finish first of the group, it’s better to play a team in third than second so we will do all to finish top,” Rohr told reporters at a pre-match news conference in the Mediterranean city. Read more
Andre Onana wants Ajax stay after Manchester United have bid rejected (Metro)
Andre Onana insists he wants to stay at Ajax after the Dutch champions reportedly turned down a bid from Manchester United. United are struggling to reach an agreement with David De Gea over a new contract and have a shortlist of candidates to replace the Spaniard if he decides to leave Old Trafford. Onana is on United’s radar and reports last month claimed that the club had submitted an offer to Ajax which was rejected. Read more
Doubles trouble: Murray admits it will be difficult to face brother (Guardian)
Former world number one Andy Murray conceded on Saturday it will be tough to face his brother Jamie should they play each other in the third round of the men’s doubles at Wimbledon. The 32-year-old Scotsman will end up in that scenario should he and his third partner in as many weeks, Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert and older brother Jamie and his partner Neal Skupski make it through. The younger Murray returned with aplomb following “life-changing hip surgery” winning the Queen’s doubles tournament with Spaniard Feliciano Lopez last weekend. Read more
ATP should have say over ‘unfair’ Wimbledon seedings, says Nadal (Guardian)
Rafael Nadal said Saturday that the ATP should have more say over the seedings at Wimbledon with the two-time champion, who was relegated a spot for this year’s tournament, describing the system as “unfair.” The 33-year-old, who moved to within two of Roger Federer’s record 20 Grand Slam triumphs with his 12th French Open earlier this month, said his qualms over Wimbledon organisers modifying the seedings according to grass court form rather than adhering to the world rankings, were valid as it is the only Grand Slam event to do so. Read more