Police arrest woman during stolen baby’s christening (Punch)
The Ondo State Police Command said it had arrested a woman identified as Funmi Mogbojuri for allegedly stealing a day-old baby.
The police said the 35-year-old suspect stole the baby at the Sabo Area of Okitipupa, the headquarters of the Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state and took the baby to Sagamu in Ogun State.
Speaking on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said the suspect was arrested while the latter was about to christen the stolen baby
She said, “One Abass Issah of Arikawe Street, Okitipupa, came to the station and reported that his new-born baby was stolen by unknown persons. Discreet investigation by the Okitipupa Divisional Policemen led to the arrest of Funmi Mogbojuri, who absconded with the baby to Makun, Sagamu in Ogun State. Read more
FG records N3t deficit in 4 months, subsidy gulps N1.94t (Vanguard)
THE Federal Government recorded a N3.09 trillion deficit in its 2022 budget implementation between January and April as subsidy on fuel gulped N1.94 trillion, exceeding revenue for the period by 19 per cent.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this at the Public Consultative Forum on the draft federal government 2023 – 2025 Medium Term Fiscal Framework & Fiscal Strategy, in Abuja, yesterday.
According to her, the deficit underscored the fiscal challenges confronting the federal government.
Her words, “As of April 2022, FGN’s retained revenue was only N1.63 trillion, 49% of the prorata target of N3.32 trillion,” adding, “The actual spending as of April 31st was N4.72 trillion.” Read more
30 feared killed, vehicles burnt in Kaduna auto crash (DailyTrust)
At least 30 persons were feared dead in an auto crash along Zaria-Kano Expressway on Thursday.
The accident occurred around 5.30pm near Hawan Mai Mashi in Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Abdurahman Yakasai, Assistant Corps Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, in charge of Zaria Zone, confirmed the accident to Daily Trust.
He said the auto crash involved two Toyota 18-Seater buses and a Volkswagen Gulf, adding that it was caused by speeding and dangerous overtaking.
He said, “Those that sustained injuries have been rushed to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Shika Zaria by our men, while the remains of the deceased were also evacuated and deposited at the hospital morgue.” Read more
Sola Allyson marks 10th album with superlative performance (Nation)
With the feat of releasing her 10th album entitled, Imisi, inspirational singer and songwriter, Sola Allyson recently staged an electrifying performance for a graceful journey.
Held at Marcellina’s Place, GRA, Ikeja, Allyson who burst into the music scene in 2003 with her hit album, Eji Owuro, spoke on her evolution.
With a total of 10 albums in 20 years to her credit, she said: “My 10th album is not really different from what I have been doing before. There is a way that I write my songs with a theme of hope, encouragement, worship of the Almighty, love, and all of that, it is just that things are getting better technically but the spirit is the spirit always. Read more
BBNaija Season 7 kicks off Saturday as winner gets N100m (Guardian)
The seventh season of Big Brother Naija will have a double launch this weekend on Saturday and Sunday at 7:00 p.m. on Africa Magic Showcase, Urban and Family channels.
The housemates will be competing for a whopping N100 million worth of prizes; the highest of any reality TV show in Africa. This year’s prize money is N10 million higher than last year’s BBNaija show.
The show will also air on the 24/7 Big Brother Naija channel on DStv 198 and GOtv channel 29, as well as on Showmax.
Fans of the show will love this season because several pre-COVID elements are returning to the game, such as the Ninjas and live studio audience. BBNaija lovers can also expect a line-up of more engaging tasks, unpredictable twists and Big Brother’s wit. Read more
N109bn Fraud: EFCC To Arraign Suspended Accountant General, Ahmed Idris, Others On Friday (Tribune)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Friday, July 22, arraign suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, before Justice A. O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
He is to be docked alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109,485,572,691.9
Count one of the charge reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris between February and December 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation, accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 which sum was converted to the United States dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13 per cent derivation to the nine oil producing states in the federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.” Read more
$50m fraud case: Court reserves ruling on legality of prosecution of Amaechi, others (Vanguard)
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, yesterday, reversed its decision on a move by the state government to handover the prosecution of the former Governor Rotimi Amaechi; candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2023 poll, Tonye Cole, and five others in the $50 million fraud case against them to a private prosecutor.
Trial judge, Justice Okogbule Gbasam, reserved ruling after argument by the parties in the matter on whether it was right for the public prosecutor to hand over the prosecution of a criminal matter to a private prosecutor without meeting some legal requirements.
This followed the appearance of Mr. Donald Denwigwe, SAN, with a certificate issued from the Office of the Attorney-General of the state to take over the prosecution of the criminal matter. Read more
Surveyor disappears on election eve, family writes police (Punch)
A 33-year-old surveyor, Jacob Adepoju, has been declared missing by his family after he did not return home on the eve of the Osun State governorship election.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Jacob, who lived with his family in the Oke Baale area, Osogbo, went out around 10pm on Friday, July 15, and did not return home.
His wife, Tope, recalled that he said he was going to look for his phone when he left the house.
She said, “After we ate, he and our son, Michael, went out to our compound. When Michael came in, I asked about his daddy and he said he had left. Read more
N21b needed to complete NASS renovation – FCT Minister (Leadership)
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello yesterday said that the administration need a total sum of N21.029 billion to complete the ongoing National Assembly Complex renovation.
Bello stated this during an oversight function embarked upon by the Senate Committee on FCT. The minister said the National Assembly Phase II project popularly known as “the White House ‘’ was built from 1996 to 1999 by ITB Nigeria Ltd adding that no major rehabilitation work has been done since then.
Bello said the contract was awarded December 30, 2021 to be completed in 16 months at the cost of N30, 229, 290, 830.35. He said the amount paid as at yesterday is N 9,200,000, 000.
“The commencement date is April 16 and the project is expected to be completed August 15, 2023,” Bello said, while listing some other priority projects embarked upon by the administration to include rehabilitation of Federal Secretariat Complex, construction of southern park way from Christian Centre to ring road. Read more
Facebook is making a massive change to your news feed (Metro)
Facebook has unveiled a new look for its mobile app, as it moves towards becoming more of a ‘discovery engine’ than just a social network.
The major update to both the iOS and Android version of the app sees a new ‘Feeds’ tab being introduced.
This is designed to show the most recent posts from friends, favourites, pages and groups, with no ‘suggested’ posts cluttering things up.
Feeds will sit alongside the existing Home tab, which will still be the first page a user sees when they launch the app, and will now become the place where other content is recommended to users based on their interests. Read more
Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck honeymoon in Paris following Las Vegas wedding (PageSix)
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have taken their first international trip as Mr. and Mrs.
The newlyweds were photographed honeymooning in Paris, France, on Thursday, just days after tying the knot in Las Vegas.
In pics obtained by Page Six, the couple looked smitten as they held hands while strolling through the City of Love.
Lopez, 52, dazzled in a flowy red dress with a plunging neckline, while her new husband donned a dark suit and flashed his new wedding band. Read more
Ex-policeman jailed for role in George Floyd killing (BBC)
An ex-policeman has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for violating the civil rights of George Floyd, whose 2020 Minneapolis death led to protests.
Thomas Lane, one of the officers who tried to arrest Mr Floyd, was sentenced following a conviction in February.
Lane, a white man, was found guilty of showing “deliberate indifference” to the medical needs of Mr Floyd, a 46-year-old black man.
Federal prosecutors had called for Lane to face more than five years in prison.
But his lawyers had asked for just over two years on the grounds that Lane had suggested pushing Mr Floyd onto his side and had attempted to resuscitate him. Read more
Shonka Dukureh, ‘Elvis’ actress and blues singer, dead at 44 (PageSix)
Shonka Dukureh, an actress and blues singer who portrayed Big Mama Thornton in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” biopic, died on Thursday in Tennessee, police confirmed. She was 44.
The musician was found dead inside her bedroom in the Nashville apartment she shared with her two children, according to a tweet by the Metro Nashville Police Department.
The Tennessean reported that one of Dukureh’s children found her unresponsive before rushing to a neighbor’s home, who then called 911 at approximately 9:30 a.m.
A spokesperson for the MNPD confirmed that the medical examiner is working to determine the cause of death. No foul play is suspected.
A rep for Dukureh did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment. Read more
Putin’s state TV predicts sanctions on Russia will lead to ‘western collapse’ (Metro)
Russian state-controlled television is running bulletins predicting Western countries will collapse due to the sanctions imposed on Russia.
Numerous countries, including the UK, have imposed sanctions on Russia since it started threatening to invade Ukraine.
Sanctions are penalties a country imposes on another nation, organisation, or individual as a way to try and restore or maintain international peace and security.
The UK started imposing economic sanctions on Russia on February 22, just two days before it invaded Ukraine, since then, further penalties have been imposed. Read more
India patient airlifted from US in 26-hour-flight (BBC)
An Indian woman who needed an emergency surgery was airlifted from the United States to her home country this week in one of the longest aeromedical evacuations in recent years here.
The flight lasted 26 hours and stopped three times on the way – once in Iceland and twice in Turkey – before reaching the southern Indian city of Chennai (Madras) early Tuesday morning.
She is now awaiting surgery at the hospital. “The patient is stable. She has a heart valve issue and is under observation currently,” a hospital official told BBC Hindi.
The 67-year-old woman – whose identity has not been disclosed – was staying with her children in Portland, Oregon when she developed a heart problem, which requires her to undergo surgery. Read more
Louis Tomlinson teases second solo album as he admits music is coming ‘very soon’ (DailyStar)
Louis Tomlinson has revealed his upcoming second album is set to be released “very soon”.
The former One Direction star, 30, has been busy in the studio since the release of his first solo album in 2020.
Released on January 31, 2020, the album debuted at No 4 on the UK Albums Chart and featured singles such as Don’t Let It Break Your Heart.
Now, Louis has teased the release of new music during an appearance on Australian show The Project. Read more
Oshoala wins CAF women award for fifth time (Punch)
Super Falcons striker, Asisat Oshoala, has been crowned 2022 CAF women’s Player of the Year.
The 27-year-old was announced the winner of the gong in the gala held in Rabat, Morrocco, on Thursday.
With this win, Oshoala becomes the first player in history to win five African Player of the Year awards.
Oshoala was adjudged the best African female footballer in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019. Read more
Sadio Mane wins African player of year award (BBC)
Senegal’s Sadio Mane was crowned African Footballer of the Year for the second time running at the Confederation of African Football (Caf) awards ceremony in the Moroccan capital Rabat.
Mane scored the winning penalty as Senegal beat Egypt in a shootout in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations final to lift the trophy for the first time.
The awards returned for the first time in three years after being suspended by the coronavirus pandemic, with Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala also retaining the title she won in 2019.
“I am very, very happy to receive the trophy this year,” Mane, 30, said as he collected his prize.
Mane beat compatriot and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy as well as former Liverpool team-mate Salah, whose Egypt side lost February’s final. Read more
Barcelona president Joan Laporta claims Chelsea will sign Jules Kounde (Metro)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has suggested that Chelsea have won the race to sign Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde.
Chelsea saw their £55 million bid for Kounde accepted by Sevilla this week and the France international has agreed a five-year contract.
However, Barcelona have also expressed an interest in signing Kounde and reports on Thursday evening claimed that the defender has decided to hold out for the Spanish club to negotiate with Sevilla.
Barcelona are yet to submit an offer to Sevilla as their transfer plans have been hindered this summer due to their financial situation. Read more
NBF vice president Azania Omo-Agege, elected African boxing director (Guardian)
Vice President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Azania Omo-Agege, was at the AfBC elective congress in Algiers, Algeria, elected as a director of the African Boxing Confederation (AfBC).
He was elected alongside eight others as Directors of the AfBC to give adequate support to the President, Mr. Bertrand Mendouga from Cameroun.
Apart from Omo-Agege, other directors elected at the congress are Irene Ntelamo (BOT), Eric Ndayishimiye (Bur), Alpha Amadou Balde(Gui), Zoubida Wissam (Mor), Issoufo Abdou Mallam(Niger), Siyabulela Cecil Nkwalo (RSA), Anta Gueye (Sen) and Lukelo Anderson Willilo from Tanzania.
Present at the congress was the president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), Umar Kremlev, who instantly issued a certificate to the new directors. Read more
Jesse Lingard joins Nottingham Forest after Manchester United exit (Metro)
Jesse Lingard has joined Nottingham Forest on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester United earlier this summer.
Having spent over 20 years at United, Lingard opted to leave Old Trafford as a free agent at the end of last season after failing to agree a new deal.
West Ham had held talks with Lingard following his successful stint with David Moyes’ side in 2021 but they were unable to reach an agreement with the midfielder.
Lingard has now opted to sign a one-year deal with newly promoted Forest, with reports claiming that the contract is worth £80,000 a week, which could rise to £120,000 a week after performance-related bonuses. Read more
Mamelodi Sundowns sign Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams (IOL)
Following week’s of speculation and negotiations, Mamelodi Sundowns have reportedly landed the signature of Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen William on a five year deal.
According to the SABC, the 30 year old shot-stopper will leave SuperSport United after spending 18 years at the Pretoria based club.
Williams has reportedly been looking to leave Matsatsantsa as he looks to challenge for trophies, and it appears he has found his new home at current DStv Premiership champions Sundowns.
“Indications are that the deal has been concluded, with Williams signing a long-term contract, while his former club have successfully negotiated the transfer of another goalkeeper in Ricardo Goss as well as young striker Thabang Sibanyoni to join coach Gavin Hunt’s side for the upcoming season,” SABC Sport reported on Wednesday. Read more
French GP: Max Verstappen eyes 2021 Paul Ricard repeat (GMS)
Max Verstappen says he is looking to get himself back to winning ways in France this weekend, and is aiming to use last year’s result as inspiration.
Red Bull’s winning run came to an end back in Silverstone as Carlos Sainz earned victory for Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc then doubling up for the Scuderia in Austria last time out.
Verstappen still has a healthy lead in the championship despite that, of course, but he knows that things can quickly turn around in F1, as we head into the second half of the season.
That said, he’s looking forward to getting going at Paul Ricard this weekend, and is hoping that the performance that yielded him victory here in France last year can be repeated this time around Read more