Panic as COVID-19 breaks out in Lagos lab, workers infected (Punch)
There is panic at the WellMed Healthcare Laboratory in the Ajah area of Lagos State, as several workers at the facility have reportedly tested positive for the COVID-19 pandemic.
PUNCH Metro gathered that at least five workers had tested positive for the virus.
The laboratory is one of government-accredited facilities for coronavirus tests in Lagos.
Sources who spoke to our correspondent said the management of the lab refused to fumigate the facility, adding that it had continued to expose other staff and the public to the virus.
Our correspondent learnt that there was confusion at the laboratory on Tuesday when the husband of one of the infected workers stormed the lab, accusing the management of nonchalance. Read more
Taskforce seeks NURTW support in traffic law enforcement in Lagos (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Taskforce has expressed its readiness to collaborate with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the enforcement of the State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018 as amended.
Chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, made this disclosure on Thursday while playing host to the executive members of the NURTW (Lagos branch), led by its chairman, Alhaji Musiliu Oluomo (aka MC), during a courtesy visit to the agency.
Jejeloye noted that it is now pertinent for the union to educate its members on the need to comply with the state traffic regulations.
He said they would no longer tolerate the excesses of commercial bus drivers whose illegal activities were the major cause or traffic accidents in the metropolis. Read more
Man loses leg to auto accident in Oshodi (Guardian)
A commercial motorcyclist, yesterday, was hit by a mini-truck with the registration number Lagos AKD 02XH at Toyota Bus Stop, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos. The crash, which happened around 6:04 p.m., was the second crash involving a motorcyclist and truck at the same spot in three months.
While the first one that happened in October 2020 claimed the life of the motorcyclist, the latest saw the victim being seriously injured the leg of the victim, with much blood loss after the crash. The name of the cyclist was unavailable as at the time of filing this report.
In a brief interaction with The Guardian, the truck driver, who introduced himself as Taiwo Ara, said the brake of his truck failed and while he was trying to avoid other vehicles on the busy road, he made effort to manoeuvre to the Murtala Mohammed Airport Road to avoid casualty, but he hit the okada rider, who stationed his bike at the bus stop awaiting for passengers going to Mile-2. Read more
Driver nabbed for crushing LASTMA officer to death (Punch)
An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Samson Akinmade, has succumbed to the injuries he sustained when a bus driver rammed him on Demurin Street Junction, in the Mile 12 area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Akinmade was directing traffic in the area when he spotted the driver of the Opel Space Bus with number plate, AAA 74 GG, violating the traffic rule by picking passengers at an undesignated point.
Akinmade was said to have moved in the driver’s direction to caution him.
Upon sighting the approaching officer, the suspect reportedly drove off recklessly and knocked him down. Read more
More Chibok girls ‘escape’ (DailyTrust)
Some of the Chibok girls abducted and held by the Boko Haram insurgents since 2014 might have escaped Thursday.
A parent, who spoke to Daily Trust, said some of them had been contacted by officials handling the girls and that the affected parents might be invited to Maiduguri on a later date.
A source indicated that Halima Ali is one of the girls believed to have escaped five years since the escape of her sister Maryam.
Daily Trust gathered that Halima was married off to a commander under the instruction of Abubakar Shekau few months after their abduction from their boarding school in Chibok. Read more
NIMC urges PLWD to be calm as Airtel begins NIN registration (Guardian)
A telecommunication service provider, Airtel, has commenced the National Identity Number (NIN) registration exercise in its retail outlets across the country. Airtel, in a statement yesterday in Lagos, said it was following an approval from the federal government, which granted it a verification and enrolment licence.
The telco said that while selected retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja were now fully operational to register Nigerians for the NIN exercise, it had planned to expand its NIN footprints to cover more areas and states.
It added that residents of Abuja could now visit Transcorp Hilton situated in Mataima or Airtel showrooms at Carpet Plaza and Aminu Kano Crescent in Wuse 2 while those in Lagos could walk into Airtel Express Point, Oyin Jolayemi, Victoria Island or Airtel showroom in Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere, Lagos. Read more
Herbalist, three others arrested, fake dollars, charms recovered from fraudsters (Punch)
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested an herbalist, Kunle Adeyemi, and three others for allegedly defrauding one Imoleayo Ashade of N1.3m.
The police also recovered from the suspect a box containing various denominations of fake currencies, charms and a cash sum of N1,310,000.
Others arrested at the shrine in the Ijagun area of Ijebu-Ode, are Salau Taiwo, Tajudeen Jimoh and Adebayo Akeem,
The state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, who took journalists round the crime scene on Thursday, said the arrests were made by the Awa-Ijebu Police Division with the support of members of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and vigilantes in the area. Read more
Buratai relives experiences, hands over to Attahiru as COAS (Guardian)
Immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, yesterday, recounted how former President Olusegun Obasanjo almost retired him 21 years ago as a major. Speaking while handing over to his successor, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru in Abuja, the ex-COAS said his retirement after 40 years of service was historic.
Thanking troops serving at home and abroad, Buratai noted that the military would not remain the same owing to his transformational leadership and achievements. His words: “Former President Olusegun Obasanjo almost retired me 21 years ago when I was a major. My retirement after 40 years of service is historic, hence it calls for gratitude.” He added that the Nigerian Army had been better positioned with intelligence gathering techniques and equipment.
Buratai insisted that the security situation in country was largely stabilised under his watch. He said his administration would be remembered for three things – improved professionalism, improved responsiveness to personnel welfare and responsiveness to Nigeria’s democratic system.
Responding, General Attahiru lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for finding him worthy to lead. He then sought support of soldiers and officers to build a Nigerian Army of their dream. There was jubilation across military units and formations as the new COAS took over. Read more
COVID-19: Novavax vaccine shows 89% efficacy in UK trials (BBC)
A new coronavirus vaccine has been shown to be 89.3% effective in large-scale UK trials.
The Novavax jab is the first to show it is effective against the new variant of the virus discovered in the UK, the BBC’s medical editor Fergus Walsh said.
The PM welcomed the “good news” and said the UK’s medicines regulator would now assess the vaccine.
The UK has secured 60 million doses of the jab, which will be made in Stockton-on-Tees. Read more
Tony and Emmy award winning actor Cicely Tyson dead at 96 (CBC)
Cicely Tyson, the pioneering Black actor who gained an Oscar nomination for her role as the sharecropper’s wife in Sounder, a Tony Award in 2013 at age 88 and touched TV viewers’ hearts in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, died Thursday at age 96.
Tyson’s death was announced by her family, via her manager Larry Thompson, who did not immediately provide additional details.
“With heavy heart, the family of Miss Cicely Tyson announces her peaceful transition this afternoon. At this time, please allow the family their privacy,” according to a statement issued through Thompson. Read more
Bumble will ban users for being ‘fat-phobic’ or ‘transphobic’ (NY Post)
Dating app Bumble is putting the kibosh on body shaming.
The company announced Wednesday that the app would begin throwing out members caught using “language that can be deemed fat-phobic, ableist, racist, colorist, homophobic or transphobic.”
The new restrictions will apply to users’ direct messages as well as those with profiles that openly discriminate against different body types.
“Body shaming is not acceptable on or off of the Bumble app,” a statement from Bumble reads. “For those who may not know, body shaming means forcing your opinion of a ‘good body’ onto others.” Read more
UN court rules UK has no sovereignty over Chagos islands (BBC)
The maritime law tribunal of the United Nations has ruled that Britain has no sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
It criticised London for its failure to hand the territory back to Mauritius.
The judges’ decision confirms a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and a vote in the UN General Assembly.
The Indian Ocean archipelago includes a US military base. The UK has said it will hand the islands back when they’re no longer needed for defence purposes. Read more
Nurse vaccinated for COVID-19 tests positive (CBC)
An Ottawa nurse has tested positive for COVID-19 about two weeks after getting vaccinated, and experts say there are a number of possibilities why that might be.
Santosh Baral said he was “speechless” when his results came back positive for COVID-19 last week after a routine test.
The positive test comes after receiving his second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Jan. 8 and testing negative on Jan. 13. Read more
Wendy Williams reveals she hooked up with Method Man ‘back in the coke days’ (PageSix)
Turns out the Wu-Tang Clan was something to f–k with.
Wendy Williams revealed that she hooked up with Wu rapper Method Man at some point in the 1990s — “back in the coke days” — during an interview with DJ Suss One that aired Thursday.
The topic came up semi-organically while Williams, 56, was discussing her past issues with cocaine, when she said, “I smoked a blunt with [Method Man] while I gave him a bath and it was a one-night stand.” (Williams repeatedly confuses Method Man and Redman and refers to Method Man as “the leader of the biggest group in the world,” which probably will not sit well with Wu-Tang mastermind RZA.)
“He’ll deny it — maybe not,” she added. Read more
Married teacher guilty of having sex with schoolboy in a field (Metro)
A married teacher has been told she faces a lengthy prison sentence after being found guilty of having sex with a schoolboy in a field. Kandice Barber, 35, threatened to ‘bring the boy down with her’ if he told anyone about what had happened. She was working as a supply teacher at his school when she sent him topless pictures and then had sex with him. Barber, of Wendover, Buckinghamshire, has been found guilty of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at her second trial at Amersham Law Courts. Read more
Jesse Lingard: West Ham set to sign Man Utd midfielder on loan (BBC)
West Ham are set to sign England midfielder Jesse Lingard on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.
Lingard, 28, has been told a move away from Old Trafford will be sanctioned given his lack of first-team action.
A deal between the clubs has been agreed in principle, subject to completion of contract.
Any deal would require West Ham to sign either Said Benrahma or Craig Dawson on a permanent basis.
That is because Premier League rules only permit clubs to have a maximum of two domestic loan signings within their squad. Read more
Fury has edge over Joshua – Joyce (Punch)
Joe Joyce is convinced Tyson Fury will beat Anthony Joshua in their £200m heavyweight showdown.
Joyce has had experience of sparring against both athletes and believes Fury holds the upper hand as AJ is too ‘wary of getting hit’.
It is likely that Joyce will face the winner of the Fury-AJ showdown, following his own fight against Oleksandr Usyk.
Joyce knows Joshua from their days on the GB boxing squad and feels the unified champion is ‘too negative in his style’. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo investigated by Italian police after birthday trip (Metro)
Juventus and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is being investigated by Italian police after he appeared to flout coronavirus rules by allegedly travelling to Aosta in the north-west of the country. Ronaldo’s girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, turned 27 on Wednesday and the couple are accused of moving between the regions of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta to celebrate the model’s birthday in the Alpine town of Courmayeur. Pictures uploaded to social media – which have since been removed – showed the pair enjoying themselves on a snowmobile at an unspecified ski resort. Read more
Champions Liverpool end poor run with emphatic win at Spurs (BBC)
Liverpool returned to form in impressive fashion as the Premier League champions secured a convincing victory at Tottenham Hotspur.
After a run of five league games without a win – four of those without a goal – Liverpool moved back into the top four as they discovered their cutting edge in style at the expense of an uninspiring Spurs.
Spurs, who lost striker Harry Kane to an ankle injury at half-time, had an early Son Heung-min strike ruled out for offside before Liverpool’s threat was rewarded with their first league goal in 482 minutes in first-half stoppage time.
Brazil striker Roberto Firmino took advantage of hesitation between Eric Dier and Hugo Lloris to tap in Sadio Mane’s low cross from close range.
France keeper Lloris was at fault again two minutes after the break when he pushed Mane’s shot into the path of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who finished emphatically. Read more
Raptors’ VanVleet honoured to be among U.S. Olympic player pool invitations (CBC)
Fred VanVleet didn’t grow up among basketball’s young stars.
He was an underdog on the outside looking in, developing himself into an NBA star through sheer will and hard work.
So the Toronto Raptors guard said to see his name among USA Basketball’s pool of players for the Tokyo Olympics was a “big honour.”
“It’s a nod of respect to be thought about for that pool of players to represent your country,” VanVleet said Thursday.
“It’s going to take some time to wrap my head around that one. I’ve never been a part of that type of environment. Growing up I didn’t do much AAU top-100, those types of things, where it’s the same guys you see all the time and end up being a lottery pick.” Read more
Jose Mourinho gives worrying update on Harry Kane after injury vs Liverpool (Metro)
Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 3-1 by Liverpool on Thursday night but they potentially suffered an even bigger blow with Harry Kane suffering an injury. Goals from Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane saw Liverpool climb back into the Champions League spots as they moved within four points of Premier League leaders Manchester City. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored a screamer from outside the area just after half-time but it proved to be a mere consolation for Jose Mourinho’s side. The result leaves Spurs sixth in the table and four points behind Liverpool in the fourth and final Champions League spot, although they do have a game in hand over Jurgen Klopp’s side. Read more
