Police intercept dismissed soldier smuggling drugs in Lagos (Guardian)
It was end of the road for a dismissed soldier and his accomplice after operatives of the Lagos State police command apprehended two of them for transporting about 1,200kg of cannabis and other hard drugs.
The suspects, a dismissed soldier, identified as Okoliko Andrew, and his partner, Idowu Adebayo, were arrested with vehicles in which they were conveying loaded drugs before they were intercepted around Itowolo in Ikorodu area of the state.
The two men were said to have been initially stopped for driving through Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) corridor around Itowolo, an offence that contravenes the state traffic laws. Read more
Lagos govt urges FG to help prevent erosion, protect coastline (Tribune)
The Lagos State Government has appealed to the Federal Government to assist the state in mitigating the effects of erosion and protect Lagos coastline.
The Commissioner for Waterfront, Mr Kabiru Abdullahi, made the appeal, on Wednesday, at the year 2020 Ministerial Press Briefing, to commemorate Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s first year in office.
”The erosion of Lagos coastline is a direct impact of the construction of the Eastern and Western Moles by the Federal Government as far back as 1912 to provide safe access for vessels coming into the state harbour. Read more
Oshodi-Abule-egba BRT to commence operation in July, says Lagos govt (Guardian)
Lagos State government has said that the Oshodi to Abule Egba Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route have been completed and operation would commence on that route by July 2020.
The Commissioner for Transport, Mr Frederic Oladeinde, disclosed this at the ongoing Year2020 ministerial press briefing by the Lagos government to mark one year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He added that the state government is currently working with selected operators to ensure the roll-out of buses as soon as possible to offer relief to commuters along the Agege Motor Road and Lagos Abeokuta Expressway. Read more
Lagos presents scorecard on environment (Nation)
Through its Environment and Water Resources Ministry, the Lagos State government has renewed the mandate given to relevant agencies to deliver a cleaner Centre of Excellence.
Environment and Water Resources Commissioner Tunji Bello made the while presenting the scorecard of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the environment as part of activities making the anniversary of his first year in office.
The presentation was at the JJT Park, Alausa.
Bello, who said his ministry has improved on the drainage network to ensure free the water ways of silts, added that all the drainage channels were being attended in what he described “a continuous cleaning and maintaining exercise”. Read more
87 patients discharged in Lagos after testing negative for coronavirus (Tribune)
Eighty seven patients were on Wednesday discharged from various isolation centres in Lagos after testing negative for coronavirus twice, bringing the number of those discharged to 825.
The state Ministry of Health disclosed this on its twitter handle, adding that those discharged comprised 47 males and 40 females.
The ministry said of those discharged, 26 were from Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba; 24 from Onikan, 12 from Eti-Osa (LandMark), 11 from Agidingbi, nine from Gbagada and five from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) isolation centres. Read more
Police torture man to death over friend’s offence, detain corpse (Punch)
Members of the Inspector-General of Police Special Tactical Squad have been accused of torturing an electrician, Olaoluwa Bolarinwa, to death while trying to use him as a bait to arrest his friend.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the policemen stormed Olaoluwa’s house in the Ekotedo, Iyaolobe area of Ibadan, Oyo State, on March 26, 2020.
They were said to have arrested Olaoluwa and his nephew, Oreoluwa Abiona, and took them and two televisions, decoders and phones, and detained the two men at the Mokola Police Station.
The police reportedly called Olaoluwa’s wife, Blessing, the following day to come and bail Oreoluwa, saying her husband’s friend was their main target. Read more
Applicant docked for allegedly stealing friend’s camera (DailyTrust)
The police on Wednesday arraigned a 21-year-old applicant, Sunday Francis, before a Wuse Zone 6 Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing his friend’s Cannon 6D Mark2 camera worth N710, 000. Francis, who resides in Block C6, Same Global Estate, Darkwo District, Abuja, is charged with two counts of house breaking and theft. The prosecution counsel, Peter Ejike, told the court that the complainant, Mr. Wangel Kunsept, of Block 21, Darka Street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja, reported the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, on May 13. Read more
Petrol marketers to gain N8.3bn on depot price reduction (Punch)
retail marketers of petrol are currently raking in billions of naira as findings on Wednesday showed that they would make over N8.3bn profit in May (this month) due to the recent reduction in the ex-depot price of the product.
On May 6, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation announced a reduction in the ex-depot price of petrol from N113.28 per litre to N108 per litre.
Ex-depot price is the price at which depot owners sell petrol to retail outlets in Nigeria. Read more
Coronavirus: 1,694 mental health patients discharged in ‘error’ (BBC)
Almost 1,700 mental health patients have been wrongly discharged from support services during the pandemic in north Wales.
Last week it emerged Betsi Cadwaladr health board advised people to seek new referrals once the pandemic has eased.
It had estimated that between 200 and 300 were affected, but the true figure is 1,694, according to a letter it has since sent to a Plaid Cymru politician.
The health board has apologised and said it was contacting the patients. Read more
US coronavirus death toll passes 100,000 (NYPost)
A medical staff member treats a patient suffering from the coronavirus disease in the Intensive Care Unit at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista, California.
A medical staff member treats a patient suffering from the coronavirus disease in the Intensive Care Unit at Scripps Mercy Hospital in Chula Vista, California.REUTERS
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More than 100,000 people have died from the coronavirus in the US, according to the latest data.
The country passed the grim milestone Wednesday, with more than 1.6 million testing positive for the bug, according to a count from Johns Hopkins University. Read more
Nasa SpaceX launch: Big day called off because of weather (BBC)
Poor weather has forced SpaceX to call off the launch of Nasa astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station (ISS).
The two men were due to go up from the Kennedy Space Center in what would have been the first orbital mission from the US in nine years.
But unfavourable atmospheric conditions prompted controllers to call a stop just 16 minutes before lift-off.
The next opportunity for SpaceX and Nasa will come on Saturday. Read more
Formerly homeless New Yorker gives back during coronavirus pandemic (NYPost)
A decade ago, Lisbon Black was squatting in an abandoned house in Brooklyn, fresh out of jail, panhandling for money and dealing with a substance abuse problem.
But these days, Black is a star volunteer for The Alliance for Positive Change — helping struggling New Yorkers get through the coronavirus crisis.
The non-profit — which works with New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS, chronic health conditions and other challenges like homelessness — is the same organization that got him back on his feet so many years ago. Read more
China refuses UN Security Council meeting on new Hong Kong security laws (France24)
Washington on Wednesday requested an emergency UN meeting over a controversial security law China has proposed for Hong Kong, but Beijing refused to allow it to proceed, according to US diplomats.
The US spelled out its desire for the Security Council session, saying it was “deeply concerned” by Beijing’s move, which would ban “sedition” and other perceived offenses in the international finance hub.
Hong Kong activists say that the proposed law effectively abolishes the basic freedoms enjoyed in the city since it was returned to China by the British in 1997. Read more
Tom Cruise enlists director Doug Liman to shoot upcoming movie together in space (Metro)
Travelling between countries might be up in the air for now, but it looks like plans to head into space haven’t been put on the backburner for Tom Cruise and his upcoming movie. According to Deadline, Tom has enlisted Edge Of Tomorrow and Mr & Mrs Smith director Doug Liman to direct his upcoming project which will be shot in space. The as-yet untitled project is currently being mounted independently and involves Elon Musk’s SpaceX and NASA, according to Deadline.
Tom and Doug have worked together on Edge Of Tomorrow as well as American Made, so they’ll no doubt be perfectly comfortable spending plenty of time together in space, too. Read more
Andy Murray targets return on British soil at Jamie Murray’s event (Metro)
It may not be Wimbledon but Andy Murray is plotting a return to tennis action on British soil this summer – earmarking an event organised by his brother Jamie for his comeback. The younger Murray brother has not played competitive tennis this season due to a pelvic issue and the coronavirus pandemic, but he is preparing to be involved in what’s becoming a congested calendar of all-British tennis. Murray, the three-time Grand Slam champion from Dunblane, made a dramatic return from a hip resurfacing operation last year, winning the European Open in October, but was forced to skip the Australian Open and ATP Cup due to his latest injury setback. Read more
Formula 1’s cost-cutting proposals approved by FIA (BBC)
Formula 1’s plan for cost-cutting measures has been approved by the sport’s governing body the FIA.
The changes to the sporting, technical and financial regulations were passed by e-vote at Wednesday’s world motorsport council meeting.
It was “due to the need to reduce costs and safeguard the sport in light of the Covid-19 pandemic”, said a statement. Read more
Bulls drama went way beyond Michael Jordan (NYPost)
An old magazine has breathed new life into the Bulls’ snitching controversy.
Douglas Charles, an editor for BroBible, dug up a photo of a 1993 cover of “Inside Sport” in which Horace Grant is featured giving unflattering quotes about Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson. Grant has become a central figure in the drama following “The Last Dance,” coming out with the harshest rebuke of Michael Jordan in the aftermath of the docu-series that chronicled the Bulls’ six-title dynasty. Read more
RB Leipzig miss chance to go second (BBC)
RB Leipzig missed a chance to go second in the Bundesliga as they conceded late on to draw at home with Hertha Berlin.
The visitors opened the scoring when Liverpool loanee Marko Grujic volleyed in from Marvin Plattenhardt’s corner.
Leipzig equalised through Lukas Klostermann’s glancing header after a corner but then went down to 10 men when Marcel Halstenberg was dismissed. Read more
Chelsea handed major boost in bid to sign Barcelona youngster Xavier Mbuyamba (Metro)
Chelsea have been handed a major boost in the race to sign Xavier Mbuyamba after the highly-rated youngster was told he was surplus to requirements by Barcelona. The Catalan giants signed the 18-year-old from Dutch side MVV Maastricht last year and although he has impressed, Barcelona will not be offering him a new contract and he will be free to leave in the summer, according to Sport. Juventus had been exploring the the possibility of a swap deal involving their young Senegalese striker Kaly Sene, but with Mbuyamba’s contract set to expire that transfer is now dead in the water. Read more
Luiz, three other defenders set to leave Arsenal (Guardian)
David Luiz looks set to leave Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer, reports talksports.com. The defender only signed a one-year contract when he joined from London rivals Chelsea in 2019 – not a two-year deal as was widely reported – and Sky Sports say that he’s not been offered an extension.
Mikel Arteta has praised Luiz’s influence on the team since his arrival as manager and wants him to stay. But Sky claims the 33-year-old is now heading for the exit door, as Arsenal chiefs look to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic and the likely lack of Champions League football. Read more