Plateau bans blockage of access roads to worship centers (Leadership)
The Plateau State Government has ordered ban on blockage of access roads to worship centres in Jos, the state capital.
The directive was contained in a letter addressed to the chairmen of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jamatul Nasril Islam (JNI) by the General Manager, Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), Mr. Hart Bankat; a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent in Jos.
The letter reads in part, “Following the Executive Order 003 of the Governor of Plateau State, Bar Caleb Mutfwang, signed on the 1st of March 2024 for the control of Building/Vehicular traffic, I convey the ban of blockage of access roads and advise that all worship centers should provide appropriate parking spaces off the main roads during worship for their members. Read more
Emefiele awarded contracts to his wife, brother-in-law, witness tells court (DailyTrust)
Mr Michael Agboro, a prosecution seventh witness alleged that the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, awarded contracts to companies belonging to his wife and his brother-in-law.
Emefiele is standing trial on an alleged 20-count amended charge, preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before an FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
He was alleged to have engaged in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence, when he served as the apex bank’s boss. Read more
Court clears ex-Lagos Speaker, Ikuforiji, aide of money laundering charge (NewTelegraph)
Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos has discharged and acquitted a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, of an alleged N338.8 million money laundering charge slammed on him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ikuforiji was cleared of the alleged offence alongside his former Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi.
Delivering judgment in the matter on Monday, June 24, Justice Liman held that the anti-graft agency failed to prove its case against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt. Read more
Alleged N1.84b fraud: ICPC arraigns REA Finance Director, Sambo (Vanguard)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Monday, arraigned Abubakar Sambo, Director of Finance and Account of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) for alleged fraud to the tune of N1.84 billion.
Sambo was arraigned before Justice Bolaji Olajuwon of a Federal High Court, Abuja on a three-count charge for allegedly diverting the funds to personal accounts.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts and ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, prayed to the court for a trial date. Read more
Sultan is an institution, jealousy guard him, Shettima tells Sokoto (Channels)
Vice President Kashim Shettima says the throne of the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III is an institution that must be jealously guarded and protected.
The Vice President stated this at the North-West Peace and Security Summit in Katsina State on Monday.
There have been rumours that the administration of Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State allegedly plot to depose the Sultan and some traditional rulers in the state. Read more
Nigeria has 40.2m agriculture households – NBS (Nation)
Nigeria has about 40.2 million agricultural households, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said.
This was made known an the unveiling of the National Agricultural Sample Census (NASC) 2022 in Abuja on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the census was conducted by the NBS in partnership with the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Read more
20-year-old student faked kidnap, demanded over $700k ransom – Lagos police (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command said it has uncovered what appears to be a staged kidnapping involving a 20-year-old student, Collins Ikwebe, and five of his schoolmates.
The case came to light on Saturday after a distressing social media post by a friend of one of the suspects went viral.
According to the post, the friend, identified only as 888 @FlackoT on X, claimed, “Guys, I’m locked up in Ikeja Police Station. I don’t have enough time and I don’t know what to do. So, this is my only alternative. So, y’all know what happened to me. Read more
Army destroys 14 boats used for oil bunkering in Abia (Nation)
Operatives of the Nigerian Army involved in Operation UDOKA in the southeast have recovered 14 boats and several drums of crude oil recovered from oil bunkerers at Isimini Waterside, Ukwa West local government area of Abia state.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army Enugu, Major Gen. Hassan Dada, who personally led the operation near an oil flo station in the Ukwa West LGA, told our correspondent that troops acting on intelligence, laid siege on the bunkerers for five days before eventually catching up with them.
According to Dada, six suspects were apprehended and handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further interrogations and prosecution. Read more
Travis Kelce makes on-stage appearance during Taylor Swift’s London show (NBC)
It’s the Summer of Kelce.
Which followed the Spring of Kelce. Which came right after the Winter of Kelce. Preceded by the Autumn of Kelce.
It’s basically been Kelce World for more than a year, both for Travis and Jason. Travis has a 3-1 edge in Super Bowl rings. He now has a 1-0 lead in on-stage appearances during Taylor Swift concerts.
In the fourth of eight sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium, Kelce donned a top hat and tails to replace one of the usual performers during an in-show wardrobe change and makeup refreshening. Read more
US faces tense relations and troop reductions in Africa as Military leaders meet (AfricaNews)
The forced U.S. troop withdrawals from bases in Niger and Chad and the potential to shift some troops to other nations in West Africa will be key issues as the top U.S. military officer meets with his counterparts this week at a chiefs of defense conference.
Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Botswana Monday as the U.S. faces a critical inflexion point in Africa. Increasingly, military juntas that overthrew democratic governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are reassessing their ties to the U.S. and the West and turning instead to mercenaries linked to Russia for security assistance.
Speaking to reporters as he travelled to Gaborone, Brown said that as the U.S. pulls its 1,000 troops out of Niger, including from a critical counterterrorism and drone base there, other West African nations want to work with the U.S. and may be open to an expanded American presence. Read more
The Bikeriders director and Michael Shannon had opposite reactions to his scene-stealing monologue (EW)
Michael Shannon and director Jeff Nichols had very different opinions on the actor’s big, scene-stealing monologue in their sixth and latest collaboration, The Bikeriders.
Following the rise and fall of a fictional biker gang in the ’60s, the film is based on Danny Lyon’s popular photobook of the same name, which chronicled the photographer’s time riding with the Chicago chapter of the real-life Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Shannon plays a particularly eccentric gang member named Zipco, based on a real biker Lyon interviewed for his book. The real Zipco, Lyon told A Rabbit’s Foot, “was born in Latvia, was always drunk, had ‘stuff’ in his beard, and when he wore a helmet, had a WWI German Spike on it. Read more
Hugh Grant praises Taylor Swift’s ‘‘incredible’’ Eras Tour and ‘‘excellent if gigantic boyfriend’’ Travis Kelce (Variety)
Hugh Grant took to social media on Sunday to share his experience of attending Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour in London, calling the show “incredible.” The actor also implied that he did tequila shots with Swift’s “excellent if gigantic” boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.
In a post on X, Grant said: “Dear @taylorswift13, You have an incredible show, an amazing and v hospitable team and excellent if gigantic boyfriend (#tequilashots.). Thanks so much from one ageing London boy, wife and thrilled 8 year old #halfgirlhalfbracelet.”
The actor was just one of several celebrities who attended the second date of Swift’s stop in London on Saturday night. Other big names in attendance included Tom Cruise, Liam Hemsworth, Rachel Zegler, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. Read more
Liam Gallagher clarifies Oasis reunion status following reports about Wembley Stadium plans (NME)
Liam Gallagher has given an update on the status of a possible Oasis reunion, following reports that the band apparently booked concert dates at Wembley Stadium this year.
Earlier today (June 23), Gallagher replied to a fan who asked if a reunion of the band is happening next year. “Nobody’s told me,” he tweeted, “maybe [they’re] getting a new singer like the dude out of Queen”, referring to Adam Lambert’s stint with the classic rock band.
This follows an exclusive report by The Daily Mirror, published yesterday (June 22), which claims Liam and Noel Gallagher had apparently booked dates for an Oasis reunion at Wembley Stadium in July this year, all before plans ultimately fell through. Read more
‘‘Human shielding in action’’: Israeli forces strap Palestinian man to jeep (AlJazeera)
Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank have tied a wounded Palestinian man to the hood of a military vehicle during a raid on the city of Jenin, appearing to use him as a human shield.
A video posted online on Saturday, and verified by Al Jazeera, showed Mujahed Azmi, a Palestinian resident of Jenin, strapped to a military jeep that passes by two ambulances.
The family of Azmi told the Reuters news agency that Israeli forces carried out an arrest raid in Jenin, during which he was wounded. Read more
Princess Anne hospitalized with concussion following an ‘incident’ at her country home (People)
Princess Anne is hospitalized after an “incident” at her country home in England.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement released on June 24, “The Princess Royal has sustained minor injuries and concussion following an incident on the Gatcombe Park estate yesterday evening. Her Royal Highness remains in Southmead Hospital, Bristol, as a precautionary measure for observation and is expected to make a full and swift recovery.”
The statement continued that her brother King Charles has been “kept closely informed and joins the whole royal family in sending his fondest love and well-wishes to the Princess for a speedy recovery.” Read more
Super Eagles must find A way to qualify for 2026 World Cup — Adepoju (CompleteSports)
Former Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju has charged the Super Eagles to devise a way to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Recall that Nigeria lost 2-1 to Benin in June after being held to a 1-1 draw against South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo in the qualifying series.
Before now, the Eagles began their qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw at home against Lesotho, followed by another 1-1 draw away to Zimbabwe last November. Read more
Angel Reese outduels Caitlin Clark in Sky’s win over Fever (ABC)
For the first time in their pro careers, Angel Reese got the win over Caitlin Clark.
Reese did so with one of the best performances yet, scoring a career-high 25 points and grabbing 16 rebounds to lead the Chicago Sky to a thrilling 88-87 comeback victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday, despite 17 points and a franchise-record 13 assists for Clark.
Reese recorded a double-double for the eighth consecutive game, extending her WNBA rookie record, to help Chicago overcome a 15-point second-half deficit and earn her first victory over the Fever and Clark as a pro. The Fever had won the previous two matchups this season, both in Indianapolis. Read more
De Bruyne seals Belgium’s 2-0 win over Romania to get Euro 2024 campaign on track (ABC)
Kevin De Bruyne scored and Belgium got its European Championship campaign up and running after beating Romania 2-0 on Saturday.
The No. 3-ranked Belgians shook off the shock of losing to Slovakia in their opening game by responding with a dominant performance in front of the Belgium royal family at Cologne Stadium.
Youri Tielemans gave them a flying start with a goal from the edge of the area in the second minute. Read more
Euro 2024: David Moyes pinpoints key player for Scotland against Hungary (SportsMole)
Former West Ham United manager David Moyes has said that Scotland need to “get Scott McTominay in the Hungary box” if they are to stand a chance of triumphing in Sunday night’s Euro 2024 fixture.
Steve Clarke’s side are currently third in Group A on one point, meaning that they need to beat Hungary to stand a chance of progressing to the last-16 stage of the European Championship.
A win over Hungary may not secure second spot in the group, but four points would likely be enough to see them advance to the next round as one of the best third-placed finishers. Read more
Murray out of Wimbledon after spinal surgery, claim ATP (Sky)
Fresh doubts over Andy Murray’s participation at Wimbledon surfaced on Sunday amid reports the three-time Grand Slam champion had undergone spinal surgery.
The Daily Telegraph reported the 37-year-old had gone under the knife on Saturday after withdrawing from his second-round match against Jordan Thompson at Queen’s on Wednesday.
Those claims appeared to be substantiated by a post on X by the ATP Tour, the governing body for men’s professional tennis, but with the post subsequently deleted and no confirmation from Murray’s camp, the extent of his injury remains unclear. Read more
Norris snatches F1 pole with “perfect lap” in Spain (RNZ)
Lando Norris hailed a perfect lap to put McLaren on pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix and deny Red Bull’s triple Formula One world champion Max Verstappen the top slot.
Verstappen had taken provisional pole with a time that looked hard to beat but Norris took it to another level and went 0.020 quicker than his Dutch rival at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
The pole was only the second of the 24-year-old Briton’s Formula One career, the last coming at the Russian Grand Prix in 2021. Read more