Prophet nabbed over defilement of church member’s daughter in Lagos (Punch)
The pastor of Fountain of Liberation Church, Prophet Wisdom Okoronkwo, has been arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old girl in the Ikotun area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim was living with the pastor on the instructions of her mother, who is a member of the church.
The pastor was said to have taken advantage of the situation to allegedly defile the victim.
The victim’s uncle, who identified himself simply as Philip, said after she informed him of the incident, he reported the case to a non-governmental organisation, the Esther Child Rights, in Ikotun. Read more
Baba Ijesha traumatised, weak, lean in detention – Lawyer (Nation)
Adesina Ogunlana, lawyer to embattled Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James Omiyinka popularly known as Baba Ijesha has explained that his client is traumatised, weak and growing lean in police detention.
In the letter obtained by The Nation to Lagos Police Commissioner, Ogunlana demanded his client should be released on bail.
He noted that Baba Ijesha’s colleague Yomi Fabiyi is ready to stand surety for him.
The Nation reports Baba Ijesha has been in police custody since his arrest in April for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old. Read more
Lagos PoS operator laments police extortion, suspected fraudster disappears from custody (Punch)
A mobile money agent, Elijah Fakoyin, has accused policemen attached to the Maroko and Ikeja divisions in Lagos State of allegedly releasing a yet-to-be-identified suspect allegedly involved in a scam around Ipodo in the Ikeja area of the state.
Fakoyin also accused one Inspector Monday attached to the Maroko Division of detaining him unjustly for a crime the suspect allegedly committed, adding that the sum of N80,000 was extorted from him before the police released him from detention.
PUNCH Metro gathered that sometime in April 2020, Fakoyin was attending to customers in his office in the Ipodo area of Ikeja when one Ahmed, a barman from the KO Gardens, informed him that two yet-to-be-identified men needed to withdraw N40,000 through his point of sale terminal.
One of the men was said to have requested Fakoyin’s account number, and after providing it, the 40-year-old received a credit alert of N40,000. Afterwards, he gave them N40,000 and the men left his office. Read more
Motorists lament deplorable state of Aswani Road (Guardian)
Aswani Market Road users have lamented its deplorable state and called on Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to fix it.
According to some of them, the road, which has been in deplorable state for over two years now, had attracted the goodwill of private companies in the area willing to give it a face-lift, but the local council had, allegedly, continuously demanded that companies taking up road construction must pay a fee to the purse of the council before they could embark on any repair.
Taiwo Rahmon, a driver in one of the companies located in the area, said Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited have made attempts to rehabilitate the road but was stopped by the local council over a fee, which the company refused to pay to the council’s purse. Read more
FACAN seeks partnership with Lagos on ranching (Nation)
The Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN) is seeking partnership with the Lagos State government on operation of ranches as part of a road map with investment plans that seeks to improve animal productivity and production, as well as increase the value addition of key livestock value chains.
Its President, Dr Victor Iyama told The Nation that the association is examining various aspects of agricultural development such as investment, demand, consumption, gender and social inclusion and is ready to partner Lagos in driving out livestock-sector investment interventions, to help the state a meet its targets by improving productivity and total production in the key livestock value chains of sheep and cow
According to him, the absence of a roadmap to develop the livestock sector had hindered the successful implementation of previous investment plans for the sector.
He said the creation of the master plan would guide livestock-sector investment interventions in improving feed and water resources, health services, industry and factory and promote private sector investment and business environment. Read more
Herdsmen kill four persons in Benue (Guardian)
ACF insists on probe of chopper supplying B’Haram food, arms
Suspected herdsmen have reportedly killed four persons in Yelwata community of Guma Local Council of Benue State.
Three of the victims had gone to their farms and were working when the herdsmen stormed the area, killed them and disappeared.
The development reportedly angered youths in the area who used the lifeless bodies of the victims to block the Makurdi–Lafia highway for hours.
Efforts by the military, the police and other security agencies to get the angry youths off the road were said to have failed. Read more
Modern training, equipment needed to overcome insecurity – IBB (Leadership)
Former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has called on the federal government to provide soldiers with modern training and equipment to overcoming the current spate of insecurity.
The former President, who stated this in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service monitored by our reporter on Sunday, also expressed concern over the state of insecurity in Nigeria.
He said himself and the likes used to advise government on the matter but not necessarily making noise about it.
IBB also noted that it was important for Nigerians to support government and security agenies, in order to bring an end to the security crisis. Read more
Robbers loot Ogun warehouse, kill guard, attack policemen (Punch)
A security guard at a warehouse was killed, while one suspected robber was arrested after men of the Ogun State Police Command clashed with a gang of armed robbers.
The clash occurred on Saturday when the gang reportedly engaged policemen in a gun battle in the Ipamesan area of Sango-Ota in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Oyeyemi explained that the Divisional Police Office at the Sango-Ota Divisional Headquarters, CSP Godwin Idehai, received a distress call that robbers were operating in the Ipamesan area. Read more
PDP govs meet over insecurity, economy in Oyo Monday (Leadership)
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will take far-reaching decision on the security and economic crises affecting the country on Monday.
The meeting, which is scheduled to hold in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, comes barely days after the Southern Governors of the country met over the state of the nation in Asaba, Delta State.
Weeks earlier, the PDP national leadership had called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on security and establishment of a state policing system.
According to a statement by the director-general, PDP Governors’ Forum, Hon. C.I.D. Maduabum, he said “the meeting will further review the current state of the nation especially issues of national security and the economy, and also fine-tune strategies to support PDP as a viable and necessary alternative to the disastrous APC administration.” Read more
Camila Cabello looks every bit a princess in first look at Cinderella remake (Metro)
Camila Cabello fans have been given their first look at the singer all dolled up as Cinderella for Disney’s remake – and she definitely looks the part. The Senorita hitmaker is playing the well-loved Disney princess in the new live action flick, alongside Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Robert and Billy Porter as the Fairy Godmother. In one of the shots, the 24-year-old is seen gazing into the prince’s eyes, as we get a small glimpse of her glitzy ball gown. Another first look shot shows Cinderella pre-ball as her step-mother and sisters get ready for the big night, with Camila dressed down. Read more
Cyber-crime: Irish health system targeted twice by hackers (BBC)
Ireland’s healthcare system has twice been targeted in cyber-crime attacks, it has been confirmed.
The Department of Health said it shut down its IT systems after a ransomware attack on Thursday.
A similar attack on the Health Service Executive (HSE) on Friday caused “substantial” cancellations to outpatient services.
The same cyber-crime group is believed to be behind both incidents, RTÉ has reported. Read more
G7 urged to donate excess COVID vaccines to global sharing scheme (AlJazeera)
The head of UNICEF, the United Nations children’s agency, has asked G7 countries to donate excess supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to the global COVAX sharing scheme as an emergency measure to address a severe shortfall following a curb on exports from India.
India had pledged supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by its Serum Institute to COVAX but a devastating surge in cases at home has restricted exports.
UNICEF, which is in charge of supplying coronavirus vaccines through COVAX, estimates the supply shortfall will reach 140 million doses by the end of May and about 190 million by the end of June. Read more
More corpses found washed up on Ganges River banks (DW)
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the reported appearance of more than 1,000 corpses washed up on riverbanks. State officials have refuted suggestions it is related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Indian police on Sunday were reaching out to villagers in the north of the country after hundreds of corpses were found in shallow sand graves or washed up on the banks of the the Ganges River.
Recent reports of large numbers of people falling ill in villages, and then putting dead bodies in the river, comes as COVID-19 has seemingly spread to India’s rural hinterland, where 70% of its 1.3 billion people live.
Police used loudspeakers as they roamed in jeeps and boats, asking people not to dispose of corpses in the water. “We are here to help you perform the last rites,” police said. Read more
Covid-19: Lockdowns ease in England, Wales and most of Scotland (BBC)
People must continue to play their part in stopping coronavirus, Boris Johnson has said, as lockdown rules ease in England, Wales and most of Scotland.
Millions of people can now socialise indoors in limited numbers, hug loved ones and visit pubs and restaurants inside again.
The ban on foreign travel has also been lifted and replaced with new rules.
But Mr Johnson said everyone still needed to be cautious, and also get tested twice a week. Read more
Chile votes for who will draft new constitution (AlJazeera)
Maribel Mora Curriao, a Mapuche poet who lives in the Chilean capital, was excited to cast a ballot on Sunday in what she described as a “historic election for the Mapuche people”.
Curriao flew to Freire, a small town in southern Chile, to vote – and be closer to her roots.
“We are voting with pride and identity for the first time. We have taken this process very seriously and we are very much aware that this is a unique opportunity not only for us but for the Chilean people as a whole,” she told Al Jazeera. Read more
Gates left Microsoft board amid probe into relationship: report (France24)
Bill Gates left the Microsoft board in 2020 as the board pursued an investigation into the billionaire’s romantic relationship with a female employee, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
The founder and former head of the US technology giant stepped down as board chair in March 2020.
“Microsoft Corp. board members decided that Bill Gates needed to step down from its board in 2020 as they pursued an investigation into the billionaire’s prior romantic relationship with a female Microsoft employee that was deemed inappropriate,” the Journal reported, citing people close to the matter.
This was “an affair almost 20 years ago which ended amicably,” a spokeswoman for Gates told the Journal. Read more
Supporters Club hails Ndidi, Iheanacho for FA Cup glory (Nation)
The Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) has described Midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi and Forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, as gifts to Nigeria.
The duo helped their club, Leicester City to clinch the 2020/2021 English FA Cup title.
The club’s National Chairman, Samuel Ikpea, gave the commendation in a statement by NFSC’s media officer, Peter Ejiofor.
Reacting to the feat by the players, Ikpea said they were good ambassadors of the country, having etched their names in gold in the competition’s annals. Read more
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker scores dramatic winning goal against West Brom (Metro)
Alisson Becker produced one of the most incredible goals of the season as the goalkeeper headed in a last-minute winner against West Brom, to give Liverpool a 2-1 win at the Hawthorns. The Brazilian strode forward with the score at 1-1 and jumped to nod in a corner in stoppage time. It was a fantastic header from the goalkeeper who has scored the first goal of his career, although finished like a man who had scored plenty before.
Hal Robson-Kanu had given the Baggies the opener before Mohamed Salah equalised, and while Liverpool dominated much of the match it looked like they were going to have to settle for a draw. Read more
Italian Open: Iga Swiatek beats Karolina Pliskova in Rome final (BBC)
Polish teenager Iga Swiatek thrashed Czech ninth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-0 6-0 to win the Italian Open.
The 19-year-old reigning French Open champion took just 45 minutes to dispatch the 2019 winner.
Former world number one Pliskova has now lost back-to-back Rome finals after defeat by Simona Halep last year.
“I’m overwhelmed, at the beginning of this tournament I would not have dreamed of winning it,” said 15th seed Swiatek. Read more
Tottenham boost European hopes with win over Wolves (BBC)
Tottenham boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League with a comfortable Premier League win over Wolves.
Spurs are now five points adrift of a top-four place and leapfrog West Ham into sixth on goal difference, with Everton three points further back.
It was a deserved victory for the hosts, who hit the woodwork three times after creating a number of excellent chances.
Harry Kane saw an early effort cannon off the left-hand post before setting Spurs on their way, calmly slotting in the opener from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s superb pass on the stroke of half-time. Read more
Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus looks better than ever (DW)
Borussia Dortmund spent the majority of the season underperforming, but a sensational finish saw them achieve their goals. Captain Marco Reus played a key role.
Marco Reus smiled wryly when he said that Borussia Dortmund’s mentality had been strong in the last few weeks.
Mentality has been a cloud over this side in recent years, but there’s no denying that down the stretch of this season Dortmund have been superb. And at the heart of that has been captain Marco Reus.
“The year, for me personally, cost a lot. We had to fight in every game. The ease came late in the season,” Reus told Sky after Dortmund’s win in Mainz, one where Reus scored his 10th of the season in all competitions and Dortmund confirmed their Champions League status for the following season. Read more
Chelsea thrashed by Barcelona in Women’s Champions League final (BBC)
Chelsea conceded four goals in the first 36 minutes as Barcelona blew them away to win their first Women’s Champions League title in Gothenburg.
Chelsea trailed 33 seconds in when an attempted clearance hit Melanie Leupolz and went in for an own goal, and Alexia Putellas’ penalty made it 2-0.
Aitiana Bonmati finished an intricate move and Caroline Graham Hansen tapped in to put a rampant Barca out of sight.Despite a spirited second-half display there was no way back for the Blues. Read more