Police confirm report on lady who strips naked, barks like a dog (Punch)
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the report of a young mentally-ill lady who stripped herself and barked like a dog in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The state police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this in a statement on Friday.
He said the command was aware of the report of the yet-to-be-identified lady who might have been diabolically used for money ritual by a suspected internet fraudster otherwise called Yahoo boy.
Oyeyemi said, “The young lady in question was alleged to have been spiritually and diabolically used by a suspected yahoo boy, as a result of which she started barking like a dog.” Read more
UK ex-convict gets one year jail term over fraud (Guardian)
Justice Mojisola Dada of a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has sentenced a United Kingdom (UK) ex-convict, Ahmed Soetan to a year imprisonment for defrauding Radisson Blu Hotel of N4.4 million.
The trial judge sentenced Soetan after he pleaded guilty to a one-count amended charge of obtaining by false pretence brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had alleged that the Commission received a report from the hotel sometime in December 2020 that the defendant, who had lodged in their facility, off and on, made payments through credit cards and American Express in favour of the hotel and the payments were recalled by the unified payment system.
However, Justice Dada in a judgement yesterday, found him guilty as charged and sentenced the defendant to a one-year jail term
The judge also gave him an option fine of N2 million and ordered the convict to restitute the sum of N4 million, which must be paid within four months. Read more
Homosexuality: Bauchi Shari’ah Court sentences three to death by stoning (Guardian)
A Sharia Court in Ningi Local Government Area (LGA) of Bauchi State has sentenced three men to death by stoning over homosexuality.
While delivering the judgement after hearing the statements by witnesses and admittance of guilt by the three accused persons, the trial Judge, Munka’ilu Sabo Ningi, sentenced them to death by stoning.
The convicts are Abdullahi Abubakar Beti (30); Kamilu Ya’u (20) and Malam Haruna (70) years.
They were convicted based on provision 134 of Bauchi State Penal Law of 2001 as well as the provisions of Fiquhussunah Jizu’i number 2 on page 362. Read more
Intrigues, cover-ups behind Funke Akindele, JJC’s marriage crash (Punch)
It is no longer news that the marriage between popular actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele-Bello, aka Jenifa, and music producer cum film director, Abdulrasheed Bello, aka JJC Skillz, has hit the rocks. As different opinions are still making the rounds on social media, Saturday Beats takes a wider look at the intrigues surrounding the couple before their break up, denials, custody of children, business interests and other issues
Skillz confirms rumours
JJC Skillz took to his Instagram page on Thursday morning, June 30, 2022, to inform fans that he had separated from his estranged wife. Read more
Ekweremadu: Court orders Immigration, NIMC others to release bio-data of organ donor (ThisDay)
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court on Friday ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service, National Identity Management Commission, United Bank of Africa (UBA), and Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc to release a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of David Nwamini Ukpo.
The order was sequel to an application by Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife to enable them defend themselves in an alleged modern slavery and organ harvesting charge leveled against them at United Kingdom Magistrate Court.
The Metropolitan Police had last week arrested Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice for allegedly trafficking a minor to the UK for exploitation and organ harvesting, an offence punishable by prison terms in the UK.
But, Ekweremadu and his wife had denied any wrongdoing, claiming that contrary to the position of the UK police, the said donor, is not a minor and was neither tricked or induced to donate his organ for the ailing daughter of the Ekweremadu’s who is currently in a London hospital. Read more
Lagos community panics over streetlight under high-tension cable (Punch)
Some residents and business owners on Daddy Savage Street, in the Fagba area of Lagos State, have accused a yet-to-be-identified contractor of putting their lives at risk after installing a streetlight directly under a high-tension cable.
During a visit to the community, PUNCH Metro observed that the streetlight was installed about two weeks ago.
A resident, Isa Olatunji, said the streetlight was life threatening as he demanded urgent government intervention to avert any tragedy.
He said, “I noticed this life-threatening work done by the contractor on Friday morning. If the high tension cable gets closer to the streetlight, someone can get electrocuted. We want the appropriate quarters to do the needful to shift the streetlight pole away from the high tension wire. Read more
Adding fun to STEM encourages girl child study engineering courses —APWEN, WORLEY (Vanguard)
Need to make Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics exciting and enjoyable for the girl children in schools so as to be able to become engineers in future was the reason for organizing the two days APWEN FunSTEM in girls only public secondary schools in Lagos.
The programme organised by the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, sponsored by the Worley Foundation, took place at the Girls’ Senior High School, Agege, Lagos and Port Harcourt respectively.
The girls were selected from 12 different schools in Lagos and Port Harcourt. 10 students from each school. The Lagos schools were Girls’ Junior High School, Agege, Government Junior College, Government Comprehensive Junior College, State Junior High School, Alimosho Junior Grammar School, Abesan Junior High School, District Junior College, Agege and Port Harcourt.
With 120 students engaged in the FunSTEM game on how the heart pumps blood, how rain accumulates and learning mathematics, the students now know creative ways of solving STEM subjects with the simplest demonstration using ice block, plate, glass, color, straw, bottle among others. Read more
Shiroro attack: Buhari vows to rescue captives, punish perpetrators (Punch)
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Friday, said his government would do everything possible to ensure the return of those abducted in an attack on a mining site in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
This was as he described the attack as a direct assault on Nigeria which will not be allowed to go unpunished.
In a statement signed on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President also paid tributes to the military personnel who lost their lives repelling the attack saying their effort will not be in vain.
The statement is titled ‘President Buhari: Attack on Shiroro is an attack on Nigeria herself. it will not go unpunished.’ Read more
‘Thankful for a fine evening’, says Wike after rumoured meeting with Tinubu in France (DailyTrust)
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who lost the presidential ticket of the opposition party to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has dropped a cryptic message on social media.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Joe Igbokwe, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, claimed Wike met with the ruling party Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in France.
“While they are on social media abusing everybody, Governor Wike goes to France to meet Asiwaju. Abuse, calling names, hate, and bigotry are no strategy. They have hated and abused PMB (President Muhammadu Buhari) since 2015 and now they have transferred the aggression to Asiwaju. We wait and see,” he wrote.
Some Social Media users had dismissed Igbokwe’s claim and demanded pictorial evidence. Moments after Igbokwe’s post went viral, it was no longer found on his page. Read more
Emotional Adele makes live comeback in Hyde Park (BBC)
Adele told fans she was “so happy” to be back on stage as she briefly became overwhelmed with emotion at the start of her first public concert for five years.
The pop superstar’s composure momentarily cracked as she took in the huge audience in London’s Hyde Park during the opening lines of her first song, Hello.
She quickly resumed singing and soon hit her stride, going on to play a crowd-pleasing two-hour set for the 65,000 fans in her home city.
“It’s so strange to be in front of a crowd again,” she told them.
This would not have been her live comeback if a Las Vegas residency that was scheduled to start in January had gone ahead. But she postponed it 24 hours before the first show, tearfully informing ticket-holders it “ain’t ready”. Read more
Ciara inks new deal with Republic & Uptown Records, teases new single (Vibe)
Ciara and her imprint, Beauty Marks Entertainment, have gone into partnership with Republic Records and Uptown Records as revealed by Billboard on Wednesday (June 29).
“I am thrilled to partner with Uptown/Republic Records through my own label imprint Beauty Marks Entertainment,” Ciara shared in a press statement. “[Republic co-president] Wendy [Goldstein] and I have been in discussion to work together for some time and the enthusiasm that her and the entire team have expressed over this new project marks an exciting new chapter in my career. I am grateful to be able to continue my mission of making the world dance with a team I admire, who are at the forefront of empowering artists.”
Kicking off her new label deal is “Jump,” Ciara’s first release since her 2019 independent album, Beauty Marks. The news also comes on the heels of the “Level Up” singer revealing to ET Live that she owns her masters as of June 2018, citing she “no longer felt creatively handcuffed.”
“It’s an incredible chapter,” she expressed. “It’s pretty cool to know you’re out here running around and hustlin’ and bustlin’ and you’re not only performing songs you wrote, but you also own the masters to those songs. I used to dream about that while being signed to a label. I was like, the day that I get a chance, I want to own my own masters. I want to do it differently.” Read more
‘It is uncouth for A-Plus to insult people to stay relevant’ – Feli Nuna (MyJoy)
Ghanaian rapper and singer, Feli Nuna, says it is “uncouth” on the part of Kwame A-Plus to insult people to stay relevant.
According to the ‘Towel’ singer, the musician cum politician’s habit of belittling people’s hard work and brands can be described as his career.
“I feel like that is what he does to stay relevant,” said Feli Nuna. “He trashes people to rise. But that is the wrong thing to do. And it is uncouth in my opinion,” she told Doreen Avio on Daybreak Hitz.
This follows a banter with the former musician on UTV’s United Showbiz.
During the show, A-Plus said that “your boyfriend is rich but does not work in showbiz. So you’re going to look for someone to invest while your boyfriend hides his?” he quizzed. Read more
Texas trucker ‘didn’t know air con had failed’ (BBC)
The suspected driver of a truck where 53 migrants died from heat in Texas did not know that the air conditioner had stopped working, an informant says.
According to charging documents filed in federal court, Homero Zamorano did not know of the issue. Officials say he was found hiding near the truck.
The Texan is one of four people charged in the deadliest human trafficking incident in US history.
Several children found in the vehicle are still being treated in hospital.
In another development, another truck carrying migrants has been found in the same part of Texas. Read more
Ariana DeBose says ‘my country is at war with me’ after abortion ruling, marriage equality threats (People)
Ariana DeBose is speaking out amid the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling against the constitutional right to abortion and Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion about contraception and gay rights.
DeBose, 31, appeared on The Tonight Show Thursday, telling host Jimmy Fallon, “I’m Black, I’m Afro-Latina, I’m a woman and I’m queer. My country is at war with me, and that’s hard.”
“Clarence Thomas was very clear on what his plan was. He’s not just coming for women — they already came for voting rights, they’re gonna continue,” the Oscar winner said. “But they’re coming for marriage equality. And, quite frankly, they’ll probably come for adoption rights, by same-sex couples.”
“So this is the time to get in the fight, and it starts on a local level,” she said. “So find ways to get involved.” Read more
‘Magnum P.I.’ moving to NBC with two-season order (THR)
NBC has closed a deal to pick up Magnum P.I., saving the action-drama series that CBS canceled in May, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
NBC has ordered two more seasons of Magnum P.I., with each season containing 10 episodes. The additional two seasons follow four from the CBS Studios/Universal Television production completed at CBS. NBC also has the option for more seasons of the reboot.
Debuting in 2018, the series stars Jay Hernandez, Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Amy Hill, and Tim Kang.
The show is a reboot of the popular 1980s series starring Tom Selleck. The update still takes place in Hawaii and stars Hernandez as Thomas Magnum, a former Navy SEAL turned private investigator. Read more
Mexico Mayor weds alligator wearing white wedding dress in strange ritual (Newsweek)
The mayor of a small Mexican town married an alligator in an unusual ritual that is thought to date back centuries.
The symbolic ceremony took place in San Pedro Huamelula, a town located in the southwestern state of Oaxaca on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
On Thursday, the mayor of the town, Victor Hugo Sosa, who is of indigenous descent, wed a seven-year-old alligator that was clothed in a white wedding dress and other colorful attire with many local residents in attendance, Reuters reported.
In a colorful ceremony, Sosa and other attendees danced to traditional music as the mayor held the reptile in his arms. Read more
D’Tigers defeated in World Cup qualifiers (Guardian)
Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, yesterday went down 70 -79 points to Cape Verde at the ongoing FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda.
To remain in contention, stand-in head coach, Alan Major, says the team must take care of the ball when they face Mali in their next game.
He highlighted the team’s turnover ratio and rebound efforts, which he said were responsible for the team’s 70-79 points loss despite crediting the team for their resilience and hard work.
“They (Cape Verde) had 16 points from our turnovers, 11 second-chance points from 16 offensive rebounds. These are some things we can clean up, but I do like the effort. We fought back and had the lead, but we gave up a big put back to Williams Tavares. Read more
Pauw reveals rape and assault in Dutch football (BBC)
Warning: This story contains some descriptions of sexual assault
Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw says she was raped and sexually assaulted by three different men involved in Dutch football.
The 59-year-old, who played for the Netherlands and managed them for six years, has been the Irish boss since 2019.
In a statement released on Twitter, she said: “For 35 years I have kept a secret from the world, from my family, from my team-mates, my players, my colleagues and, I can now accept, from myself.”
She says she was raped by a “prominent football official” when she was a young player – and later sexually assaulted by two other men.
All three were employed in Dutch football at the time of the incidents, her statement said. Read more
15, 000 runners to grace maiden Abuja International Marathon (Leadership)
No fewer than 15, 000 local and international distance runners are expected to participate in the maiden Abuja International Marathon scheduled to hold on saturday, December 17, 2022 in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday to herald the significant milestone event, project coordinator, Mr. Femi Abegunde, said Abuja International Marathon (AIM) aimed to be the first distance race in the world to win the prestigious World Athletics Label after its first edition.
He said they intend to achieve the feat by ensuring that 80% of the 60 elite runners to be officially invited for the race are Gold Label Runners.
According to Adegunde, the 42 kilometer marathon being put together by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in collaboration with Unicentral Resources Generation Nigeria Limited and Corporate Nigeria will see the winners of the men and women categories go home with $50,000 each, while the first Nigerian male and female runners to reach the finishing lines would also smile to bank with the sum of N3millins each respectively. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Man Utd on Monday after he gets transfer wish on holiday (Mirror)
Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Manchester United to report for pre-season training on July 4 after enjoying a summer getaway with partner Georgina Rodriguez and his children.
The family had jetted off to Spain to enjoy some downtime before a gruelling Premier League season gets set to resume in just over a month’s time. Ronaldo and his family flew into Majorca via his £20million G200 private jet before residing in a villa situated at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains.
He was also snapped on a private yacht in Ibiza on the same day many of his United colleagues were enduring some brutal double sessions as non-international players returned to Carrington a week early. Ronaldo’s late holiday is down to the fact he represented Portugal during UEFA Nations League fixtures almost immediately after the club season had finished.
However, the time for rest will shortly be over as he gears up to be put through his paces by new United boss Erik ten Hag for the first time. United’s first pre-season trip to Bangkok is rapidly approaching and Ronaldo will be keen to see some new additions made before then. Read more
Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi makes permanent Marseille switch (IrishExaminer)
France international midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has completed his move to Marseille, Arsenal have announced.
The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at the Stade Velodrome and, as part of that deal, Marseille had the option to make the move permanent this summer.
The move already appeared to have been confirmed by the Ligue 1 side, who included Guendouzi in a social media video advertising their new kit.
Arsenal officially announced the deal on Friday afternoon with a short statement on their website. Read more
Environmental protesters threaten track invasion at Silverstone Grand Prix (ESPN)
A group of environmental protesters have threatened to invade the track during Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
The threat was made ahead of what could be Silverstone’s record attendance, with F1 expecting 400,000 fans to attend across Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Race day attendance may well exceed the current daily record of 142,000.
Silverstone’s race has been the scene of a track invasion once before. In 2003 Cornelius Horan, a radical Irish priest, ran down the Hangar Straight during the grand prix and narrowly avoided being hit by David Coulthard. Read more
Jokic in record $US270m deal with Nuggets (WestAustralian)
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have agreed to a five-year deal worth $270 million, the richest contract in NBA history.
Jokic’s base contract covers four seasons and begins with the 2023-24 season at a salary of $US46.6 million ($A69 million).
ESPN reported the fifth year of the new deal is a player option for the 2027-28 season worth at least $US61.1 million ($A90.2 million), meaning he’s under contract for the next six years at a total of $US303 million ($A447 million).
Jokic, 27, edged 76ers center Joel Embiid in voting for the 2021-22 MVP award, becoming the 13th back-to-back winner, and was again named All-NBA First Team. Read more