Presidency reacts to report on Leah Sharibu’s purported death (Punch)
The Presidency has reacted to reports that Leah Sharibu, one of the Dapchi schoolgirls abducted last year has been killed. Grace Taku, an aid worker with Non-Governmental Organisation, Action Against Hunger, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists on July 18, had claimed in a “proof of life video” that Leah alongside one Alice had been killed by the insurgents because of the Federal Government’s inability to “do something”. Although Taku did not expressly state whether it was Leah Sharibu or another Leah that was killed, many assumed immediately that it was Sharibu that was being referred to thereby causing shockwaves across social media. Read more
Tearful farewell for Channels TV man Precious (Nation)
It was a grim but necessary task – the funeral of Precious Ayoola Owolabi, the Channels Television reporter who was killed in Monday’s clash of protesting Shiite sect members with the police in Abuja. His remains were buried in Zaria, Kaduna State. Precious, 21, was a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) observing the mandatory one-year programme with the Abuja office of Channels Television. It was a scene of anguish – of his parents, siblings and relation – at the Wusasa Cemetery, Zaria, where his remains were interred. Read more
B’Haram resurgence: Ex-General blames infighting among service chiefs (Punch)
A ministerial nominee from Kano State, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd), on Thursday said during ministerial screening in the Senate that infighting among Nigerian service chiefs was affecting the war against insurgency and other efforts against other forms of insecurity. The Senate had on Thursday screened additional 14 ministerial nominees, bringing the number of people so far screened at the red chamber to 24, having screened 14 on Wednesday. Read more
Eight doctors kidnapped in four years in Cross River, says NMA (Nation)
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Cross River State says eight doctors, as well as six of their dependents, have been kidnapped at various times in the state in the past four years. State chairman of the Association, Dr Agam Ayuk, who disclosed when he led a peaceful protest to the House of Assembly and governor’s office in Calabar Wednesday, demanded for the safe release of their colleague, Dr Inyama Marcus, who was kidnapped last Thursday in Akpabuyo local government area of the state. Read more
S’West troop deployment an option, not a promise – Osinbajo (Punch)
There were indications on Thursday that the military had yet to get an order on the deployment of troops in the South-West to tackle killer herdsmen. The acting Director of Defence Information, Col Onyema Nwachukwu, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, said if a directive was given, the military would comply. Traditional rulers, including the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji; motorists and residents of the South-West in separate interviews with The PUNCH, said the Federal Government had yet to deploy troops in the zone as it promised after Mrs Funke Olakunri, a daughter of the Afenifere leader, Pa Ruben Fasorati, was killed by herdsmen in Ondo State on July 12. Read more
Producers to Fed Govt: let fertiliser importation ban stay (Nation)
Fertiliser producers have called on the Federal Government to sustain the ban on the importation of the product. They said: the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) has attracted huge inflow of investments into the fertiliser blending segment of the agric sector; huge foreign exchange has been saved; thousands of direct and indirect jobs have been created; and the ban will save at least $ 9 billion investments in area of production. Read more
States devise new methods of spending LG funds –NULGE (Punch)
The National President of the National Union of Local Government Employees, Ibrahim Khaleel, said the state governments had come up with another means of taking money from the local governments’ accounts despite the financial guidelines issued by the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit to them not to tamper with local governments’ funds again. The NFIU had said that in consonance with the 1999 Constitution, no debit would be allowed on any local government funds with effect from June 1, 2019 until the money was credited to the receiving local government. Read more
Ganduje, INEC reject Abba’s witness at tribunal (Guardian)
Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have rejected Abba Kabiru Yusuf’s witness at the election tribunal for alleged impersonation. Objecting to the appearance of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) witness during resumed hearing of governorship election petition tribunal yesterday, Lead Counsel to Governor Ganduje, Offiong Offiong (SAN) accused the petitioner of injecting a fresh name on the witnesses list. Read more
African varsities sell certificates to unqualified Nigerians –NYSC (Punch)
The National Youth Service Corps has met with the registrars of 159 foreign universities in Africa, accusing some of these institutions of selling their certificates for between N300,000 and N500,000 each to unqualified Nigerians. These unqualified Nigerians, the NYSC added, were thereafter sent in by these corps-producing institutions to participate in the one-year national service. Read more
‘Osoba, Okurounmu feud may worsen Afenifere crisis’ (Guardian)
Yoruba leaders have warned that, if not nipped in the bud, the dispute between former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, and Senator Femi Okunrounmu, may deepen the over two decades crisis in the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere. The two octogenarians, who recently launched memoirs to mark their birthdays, had thrown verbal missiles at each other. While Osoba used Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics to launch himself into the octogenarians club, Okunrounmu used The Dream: Pursuing the Black Renaissance through the Murky Waters of Nigerian Politics. Read more
Roads, schools, houses flooded as rain pounds FCT (Punch)
Roads and streets were flooded on Thursday following a downpour in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Parts of the Airport Road, Kubwa Expressway, and other areas were inaccessible during the rain which lasted for over four hours. The flood also caused gridlock in Wuse, Jabi, and other commercial areas in the city as major roads were taken over by the flood. Read more
LASTMA officer decries neglect after accident (Punch)
An officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Damilare Adeshina, has decried the neglect by the agency following his involvement in an accident in the line of duty. PUNCH Metro gathered that Adeshina, who was deployed in Zone 6, Agege area of Lagos, was pushed from a truck while he was trying to apprehend the driver, who drove against traffic. The 52-year-old lamented that since he had been admitted to hospital, the agency had not provided him with any financial support. Read more
Mentally-ill man wrongfully tortured over missing child (Punch)
The family of a mentally-ill man, Kehinde Sodiq, who was wrongly accused of kidnapping his sister’s son, Ahmed, has demanded justice for the torture he was subjected to. Kehinde was allegedly tortured by Ahmed’s father, Taye, and a traditional religion adherent, identified simply as Baba Olomitutu, in the Amukoko area of Ifelodun Local Council Development Area of Lagos State. Kehinde’s twin sister, Taiwo, accused her enstranged husband, Taye, of using candle wax, flaming charcoal and hot iron to burn him till he became unconscious. Read more
Shot musician arrested for having tattoos dies (Punch)
The family of a musician, Chinedu Obi, aka Zinquest, has been thrown into mourning after the personnel of the Ogun State Police Command shot him in the Sango area of the state. PUNCH Metro learnt that Obi, whom the police personnel accosted for having tattoos on his body, was protesting his arrest when the men of the Sango Area Command gunned him down on Friday, July 19, 2019. The musician, who was still alive after being shot, was accused of destroying the windscreens of over 17 vehicles parked on the premises of the area command while protesting his arrest. Read more
Boy, 6, almost loses his tongue after getting it stuck in a water bottle (Metro)
A mum has asked Sainsbury’s to recall a plastic bottle after her son needed emergency surgery while drinking from one. Riley Woof’s tongue got stuck and started to swell so his mum Clare, 33, took him to Lancaster Royal Infirmary. His tongue continued to swell and turned black with Clare being warned he may need major surgery. Read more
Boris Johnson’s Brexit policy ‘unacceptable’ – EU negotiator (BBC)
Top European officials have rebuffed the Brexit policy of Boris Johnson after his first speech to UK MPs. The new prime minister said he was committed to “getting rid” of the Irish border backstop, which has long been a bone of contention in negotiations. The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said removing the backstop guarantee was unacceptable. Mr Johnson also spoke on the phone with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. Read more
‘Wicked’ mum who let husband rape her daughter has sentence increased (Metro)
A mother has had another two years added to her jail term after a judge found the original sentence was too lenient. Mary-Louisa Andrews was described as ‘wicked’ after letting her husband Anoyke rape her daughter and was jailed for three years. However, after an appeal by prosecutors that was increased to five years at Aylesbury Crown Court yesterday. Read more
Trump’s doctored presidential seal leads to firing (BBC)
A member of a conservative US group has been fired after projecting a doctored version of the presidential seal at an event featuring President Donald Trump. A representative for the group, Turning Point USA, told the Washington Post that the fake seal was a mistake, the result of a rushed online search. But while the group called the slip-up “unacceptable”, they maintained there was no “malicious intent”. Read more
An Aussie Thor? Chris Hemsworth announces Sydney set for Love And Thunder (Metro)
Hot on the heels of news the fourth instalment of Marvel’s Thor will not only be sporting Natalie Portman in the role of female Thor and it’ll be called Love And Thunder, now Chris Hemsworth has announced where it’ll be filmed. Adding a touch of his native home to the beloved Marvel Cinematic Universe brand, Chris will take his mighty hammer Mjolnir to the sunny shores of Australia. Read more
Nigeria ready for Morocco 2019 African Games, says Adesola (Guardian)
Nigerian athletes are ready to compete against their peers from across the continent when the Africa Games begin in Morocco, the Ministry of Sports has disclosed. The 12th African Games, which will see athletes from 53 countries compete for honours in 23 sports, will kick off on August 19 in four venues. According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Olusade Adesola, the government in conjunction with the sports federations has put everything in place to ensure that the athletes are in top form for the games. Read more
VISA prepares athletes, fans for Tokyo 2020 Olympics (Guardian)
With one year to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Visa (NYSE: V), the Worldwide Payment Technology Partner of the Olympic Games, is preparing innovative payment experiences for athletes, visitors and citizens in support of the government’s “Cashless Japan” imperative to double the total of payments made digitally to 40 percent by 2025. With the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 expected to be the most innovative Olympic and Paralympic Games yet, Visa is in a unique position to help the Games become a catalyst for delivering the best in digital payments to Japan. Read more
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac face carjacking gang (BBC)
Two Premier League footballers have been involved in a carjacking attempt by an armed gang in a London street. Arsenal players Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac were targeted, the club confirmed, but both escaped uninjured. Footage on social media appears to show Kolasinac chasing the robbers in Platts Lane, near Golders Green, at about 17:00 BST. Arsenal said in a statement: “We have been in contact with both players and they are fine.” Read more
Make your mind up! Guardiola urges Sane to decide Man City future (Punch)
Pep Guardiola urged Leroy Sane to decide if he wants to stay at Manchester City or go to Bayern Munich as the unsettled star scored twice in a 6-1 rout of Hong Kong’s Kitchee. Sane, the subject of persistent interest from the Bundesliga giants, underlined his class with a goal in each half, one rifled left-footed and one from a tight angle after a sharp turn in the box. The 23-year-old German winger found himself frozen out at times last season as City won a gripping Premier League title race. Read more
Solskjaer ‘hoping for best’ after Bailly stretchered off in United win (Punch)
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was left “hoping for the best” after defender Eric Bailly was stretchered off in a 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. The 25-year-old Ivorian appeared to get his foot stuck in the turf at Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai and a concerned Solskjaer said the player had twisted his knee. Solskjaer, who had been linked with a move for Leicester City central defender Harry Maguire even before losing Bailly, said: “It’s never nice when you get an injury. Read more
Daniele de Rossi: Roma legend joins Boca Juniors (BBC)
Former Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi has joined Argentine side Boca Juniors. The Italian World Cup winner, 36, left the Serie A giants at the end of last season, having spent his whole professional career with them. He scored 63 goals in 616 appearances – only Francesco Totti, with 768, has played more games for Roma. De Rossi rejected the chance to move into a director’s role saying that he “still feels like a player” and wanted to pursue “a new adventure” elsewhere. Read more
Wolves beat Crusaders in Europa League qualifier first leg (BBC)
Ruben Vinagre’s injury-time goal gave Wolves a two-goal lead at the halfway point of their Europa League second round qualifier against Crusaders. For much of the evening the hosts looked to be heading towards a frustrating return to European football after a 39-year absence. Diogo Jota’s 37th minute strike gave Wolves a well-earned lead as Crusaders dug in to keep the scoreline close. Read more