Police arrest ASP, sergeant for alleged extortion (Guardian)
The Lagos State police boss, Hakeem Odumosu has arrested an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and a Sergeant for allegedly extorting a woman in a viral video. The Lagos State police spokesman, who disclosed the arrest, noted that the
attention of the command was drawn to a video on social media in which a lady alleged that her vehicle was impounded by the Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO) Agbowa Division and a female sergeant.
“She equally accused the officers of extorting money from her. After analysing the video, the officers mentioned were identified by our operatives and arrested. They are ASP Adebayo Ojo and Sergeant Adeleke Mojisola. The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered an in-depth investigation into the case.
“While appreciating the courage of the complainant and other well-meaning citizens who forwarded the video to our social media page, the command urged the complainant to take a further step by reporting at the Command Headquarters Ikeja to enable the Command conclude the investigation. Read more
202 Lagos lockdown violators arraigned, 189 convicted (Punch)
A mobile court sitting at the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, on Thursday, convicted 189 out of the 202 persons arraigned for violating the lockdown order of the government to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.
Sixty juvenile violators, including some with hearing and speech impairment, were also ordered to do community service.
PUNCH Metro gathered during a visit to the SCIID that the violators were arrested while playing football, jogging and partaking in different forms of physical exercise in different parts of the state. Read more
Court approves withdrawal of charges against Gbadamosi, others (Guardian)
A magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos State, has approved withdrawal of charges filed against Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley; former Lagos governorship candidate under the platform of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi and his wife, Folashade, for flouting the Coronavirus social distancing directives.
Chief Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa made the order yesterday after the submission of Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yhaqub Gbadebo Oshoala, that Gbadamosi, his wife and Marley had accepted and complied with the state’s conditions for the withdrawal. Read more
Fire razes vehicles at Lagos Airport Hotel (Punch)
Five vehicles parked on the premises of the Lagos Airport Hotel were, on Thursday, razed by fire.
The fire, which started around 8.16pm, was said to have started from one of the vehicles and burnt three beyond recognition, while the other two were partially burnt.
It was gathered that the cause of the inferno was still unknown.
Confirming the incident, the acting General Manager of the Lagos Fire Service, Margaret Adeseye, stated that the Alausa Fire Service Station responded to the incident and extinguished the fire. Read more
Coronavirus: Bauchi governor tests negative (DailyTrust)
Bauchi state governor, Senator Bala A. Mohammed, on Thursday tested negative for the coronavirus infection. This is coming sixteen days after he was confirmed positive for the virus. Daily Trust had earlier reported that the governor had on March 24, 2020 tested positive after his samples were taken and tested by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). “Of the six initial tests carried out, one sample was confirmed positive of COVID-19, the positive result happened to be of His Excellency Senator Bala Abdukadir Mohammed, the Executive Governor of Bauchi state,” a statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mukhtar Gidado, had stated. Read more
SEC develops investors data, consent form (Punch)
The Securities and Exchange Commission has developed a standardised Investors Data and Consent Form to be adopted by all capital market operators.
Identity theft is the deliberate use of someone else’s identity, usually as a method to gain financial advantage or obtain credit and other benefits in the other person’s name, and perhaps to the other person’s disadvantage or loss.
The form will assist the operators in collecting and updating investors’ data as well as enable them to obtain consent of investors for implementing capital market initiatives targeted at improving overall experience and participation in the capital market. Read more
COVID-19: FCT to discharge 2 more patients (DailyTrust)
The University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, the flagship isolation centre in Abuja, said yesterday that two patients are ready to be discharged. The centre had earlier discharged seven patients. So far, the Federal Capital Territory has recorded 54 cases. The Chief Medical Director, Prof. Bissalla Ahmed Ekele, who spoke on Thursday when the Managing Director of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL), Engr. Lamu Audu, handed over donations of medical equipment to the management of the hospital. said the success recorded was due to interventions from MESL, NNPC and the FCT, which boosted operations at the hospital. “As I speak to you, we discharged seven of the patients in good health two days ago and I have just been informed by the team lead that two more patients are ready to be discharged. That is the impact of the interventions you have brought for us,” Ekele said. Read more
COVID-19 can’t deprive Christians of joy, victory over evil, says CAN (Guardian)
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has declared that the disruptions of activities occasioned by the outbreak of coronavirus cannot deprive Christians of the joy and victory over all evil, which the resurrection of Jesus Christ has brought to the world.
It charged governments to be transparent and include all regions and religious persuasions in identification of the poor to which relief materials and payments were being disbursed.
President of the association, Reverend Samson Ayokunle who made the assertion in his Easter massage titled, “We Shall Have Victory at Last,” assured Nigerians that they shall see the end of all evils challenging them, including COVID-19. Read more
Kogi gov dissociates self from 2023 presidential campaign (DailyTrust)
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has distanced himself from campaign posters suggesting his interest in the presidency come 2023. A poster with the All Progressives Congress (APC) logo and colours attributing that ambition to him has been in circulation on the social media. The message on the poster says, ‘All Progressives Congress Continual of Good Governance. Vote for Governor Yahaya Bello as President, Federal Republic of Nigeria’. However, a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Onogwu Muhammed in Lokoja, said Bello has no prior knowledge of the purported materials neither does he have any link with the group or individuals behind them. Read more
South Africa’s mysterious coronavirus lull (BBC)
During the past fortnight South Africa has seen a dramatic, and unexpected slow-down in the daily rate of coronavirus infections.
Health experts are warning that it is far too early to see this as a significant development, and worry that it could even trigger a dangerous sense of complacency.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has now suggested that the two weeks of lockdown is responsible. He has extended the nationwide restrictiions, scheduled to end in one week’s time, to the end of the month.
But – as the country and the continent continue to brace for the potentially devastating impact of the pandemic – doctors are struggling to explain what’s going on. Read more
The psychology behind the lockdown buzzcut (Metro)
Since the coronavirus lockdown began, have you been struck by a strangely unshakeable urge to shave your head? It’s not just the usual ‘it’s hot and I want this hair blanket off my damn head’ sensation. This is a desire that wakes you in the middle of the night, that haunts your waking thoughts and makes your boyfriend’s shaver look undeniably appealing. You’re not alone in this.
All over Instagram and Twitter, previously lengthy-haired people are sharing their quarantine-induced buzzcuts. Read more
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson out of intensive care but remains in hospital (BBC)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been moved out of intensive care but remains in hospital, Downing Street has said.
Mr Johnson has been receiving treatment for coronavirus at St Thomas’ Hospital in London since Sunday.
No 10 said he “has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery”.
A spokesman added: “He is in extremely good spirits.” Read more
Macron in surprise visit to controversial French virus doctor (Guardian)
President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday held a surprise meeting with the Marseille-based French medical professor who has caused controversy within the country’s scientific community for insisting the anti-malaria drug chloroquine can beat the coronavirus.
Professor Didier Raoult met Macron at his specialised infectious diseases hospital in Marseille, in a visit that was not announced in advance, the French presidency said.
The meeting lasted three and a half hours and, unusually, media were allowed no access. Read more
101-year-old woman broke out of care home to visit daughter on her birthday (BBC)
A 101-year-old woman crept out of an old people’s home in a bid to get to visit her daughter on her birthday, German police said Tuesday. Officers intercepted her after she had escaped via an emergency exit at the home in northern Germany. Brunswick police said they were called out after the enterprising senior lost her way in her search for her daughter’s house in a suburb. Although she claimed that she lived with her daughter, officers suspected the truth. Read more
Clothing makers in Asia give stark coronavirus warning (BBC)
“If our workers don’t die from coronavirus, they’d die of starvation.”
This is the stark assessment of how the pandemic is impacting the clothing industry from garment factory owner, Vijay Mahtaney, the chairman of Ambattur Fashion India.
In normal times, Vijay Mahtaney and his partners Amit Mahtaney and Shawn Islam employ a total of 18,000 workers in three countries – Bangladesh, India and Jordan. But the outbreak has forced them to shut down the majority of the business, with just one factory, in Dhaka, partially operational.
Coronavirus lockdowns aren’t the only thing affecting their ability to pay their workers. They say their main problem is unreasonable demands from big clients – mainly in the US and the UK. Read more
Jussie Smollett and Lee Daniels no longer on speaking terms (PageSix)
Jussie Smollett and Lee Daniels no longer speak — and it’s not just because of Smollett’s alleged hate-crime hoax.
Smollett starred on Daniels’ Fox hit “Empire” for five seasons. But we’re told that the pair butted heads over, among other things, R. Kelly’s involvement in Smollett’s career.
Smollett and Daniels’ “relationship is nonexistent, and it was tense even before Jussie’s attack incident,” an insider told Page Six.
One point of contention, we’re told, was that Daniels wanted now-disgraced musician Kelly to write songs for Smollett’s “Empire” character — and even suggested that Kelly work on the actor’s own album. Read more
Oil producers agree to cut production by a fifth (BBC)
OPEC producers and allies have agreed to cut output by more than a fifth to counter the slump in demand caused by coronavirus lockdowns.
The group said it would cut output in May and June by 10 million barrels to help prop up prices. The cuts will then be eased gradually until April 2022.
Opec+, made up of Opec producers and allies including Russia, held talks on Thursday via video conference.
Talks were complicated by disagreements between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Read more
Super Eagles retain 31st position in latest FIFA ranking (DailyTrust)
The forced suspension of all major football tournaments across the world due to the rampaging coronavirus has resulted in most teams remaining at their previous position in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Nigeria’s Super Eagles have retained their 31st position in the world and 3rd in Africa while the Teranga Lions of Senegal remain 20th in the world and 1st in Africa. Belgium remain the number one team in the world occupying the summit of the FIFA standings with France and Brazil in the 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. England and Uruguay make up the top five teams. Read more
I’ll sign new Eagles contract –Rohr (Punch)
Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, has admitted he wants to continue in his position with the national team.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick, on Monday, disclosed that the contract extension papers with conditions will be sent to the Franco-German next week, for him to study.
Pinnick stated that the contract entailed that the coach would be paid in Naira and would have to be domiciled in the country and monitor games of the Nigeria Professional Football League. Read more
Juan Mata responds to Manchester United’s £120m move for Jadon Sancho (Metro)
Manchester United star Juan Mata has admitted he would love for the Red Devils to sign Jadon Sancho after he described the Dortmund winger as a ‘great player’. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was desperate to sign Sancho last summer but United’s failure to qualify for the Champions League ended their hopes. However, United have maintained a strong interest and they are leading the chase for Sancho, who Dortmund rate at £120m. Sancho has attracted interest from across Europe but United are currently the only club willing to match Dortmund’s valuation of Sancho, who is also likely to command wages of around £150,000-a-week. Read more
Coronavirus: Rose Namajunas pulls out of UFC 249 after family deaths (BBC)
Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has pulled out of her bout next weekend because of two family deaths related to coronavirus.
The American, 27, was set to feature in UFC 249’s co-main event in a rematch with Brazil’s Jessica Andrade, who won their previous meeting 11 months ago.
The withdrawal was confirmed by Namajunas’s management on Instagram.
“Rose hopes to return to the Octagon as soon as possible but we ask people to respect her privacy,” a statement read. Read more
UFC 249 cancelled due to coronavirus (Metro)
UFC 249 has been officially cancelled, UFC president Dana White confirmed on Thursday. The event was originally scheduled to take place in Brooklyn and had a hotly-anticipated lightweight title bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson on the card. The event in Brooklyn was initially scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic but White began promoting the event in California. The headline fight had already been cancelled with Khabib being stuck in Russia due to travel restrictions as a result of Covid-19. Still, White was pushing ahead with the event on April 18, with Justin Gaethje accepting a short-notice fight against Ferguson to headline the bill. Read more
Andy Murray signs up for virtual Madrid Open (BBC)
Andy Murray will swap his racquet for a controller after he signed up to compete in a virtual version of the Madrid Open at the end of the month.
Sixteen men and 16 women will take part in a four-day online tournament from the comfort and safety of their own homes after the real event was postponed because of coronavirus.
Prize money of 150,000 euros (£131,700) will be directed to good causes – with the winners able to donate part of it to players currently struggling financially.
Those taking part will compete on the Tennis World Tour video game which does not have Murray, 32, as a playable character. Read more
Football director commits suicide over coronavirus (Guardian)
Bernard Gonzales, Stade de Reims Football club’s doctor has committed suicide. He left a letter explaining that he was a victim of the coronavirus. More than a doctor, Bernard Gonzales was an emblematic figure of the historic Reims club, which had seen a rebirth in the past years. His demise deeply shocked the French football league, which now seems completely disoriented.
For French football leaders, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA’s) threats to exclude from European competitions all nations that do not finish their national championship has fallen on deaf ears. In France, fear and stupor now dominate. Read more