Protests rock Lagos, Abuja over rising rape cases, sexual assault against women (Nation)
Group of protesters on Friday stormed the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, and police command in Lagos to protest the rising spate of rape, sexual violence, assault against women, incest in the country.
Unanimously, they demanded that there should be declaration of state-of-emergency on gender-based violence in the country.
The protesters who demanded justice for the rape and killing of Miss Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, Miss Bello Barakat and other victims in the country, called on the police and other security agencies to devise effective strategies to checkmate the rising cases of sexual assault in Nigeria. Read more
Report officials demanding money for safety compliance certificate, Lagos tells social, event centres owners (Guardian)
Lagos State government has said event centres, cinemas, restaurants and social clubs should not pay to anyone to get Safety Compliance Certificate for the reopening of their centres, as it is offered by the state government free of charge.
The Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr Lanre Mojola stated this at a press briefing on the reopening of religious and social centres.
He said if any agents of the state government or person ask for money to get the Safety Compliance Certificate, such persons should be reported to the state government through the whistleblower numbers. Read more
Corruption Allegations: ‘Obasa does not operate multiple accounts with our banks’ (Nation)
Officials of Ecobank, Wema Bank and Polaris on Friday denied that Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa is operating multiple bank accounts with them.
Some representatives of the banks spoke before the 9-man House Adhoc Committee on fact finding and investigation on the corruption allegations against Speaker Mudashiru Obasa being circulated on the social media on Friday.
The bank officials stated that it was not possible for an individual to operate multiple accounts with one Bank Verification Number (BVN). Read more
Lagos has zero tolerance for rape – Joke Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
Mrs Joke Sanwo-Olu, wife of Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the state has zero tolerance for rape.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu stated this on Thursday while reacting to the various cases of rape and sexual molestations recently reported in the country.
The governor’s wife protested the serial abuses together with the wife of Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat, as well as the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, among others. Read more
Lagos has hired 3,000 teachers in one year (Nation)
Lagos State Education Commissioner, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo said the state hired 3,000 Primary and Secondary school teachers to boost teaching and learning in its 1,500 schools in the past one year.
Speaking during the annual Ministerial Press Briefing of the Ministry held at the JJT Park, Alausa Ikeja on Tuesday, the Commissioner said that the Education Sector which represents the third pillar of the THEMES agenda of the present administration has witnessed tremendous improvements, placing high premium on quality of teaching and learning in all schools in the State.
She said many of the 16,000 teachers in the state’s employ had also benefited from training organised at education district and state levels. Read more
Buhari, others observe Juma’at as Aso Rock mosque reopens (Punch)
The mosque located inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja resumed religious activities on Friday with Juma’at service after weeks of closure due to the restriction placed on worship places as part of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 had on Monday announced the relaxation of the restriction with effect from Tuesday, asking state governments to design guidelines for reopening of worship centres.
The Federal Capital Territory Administration on Thursday met with religious leaders where they adopted the guidelines issued by the PTF. Read more
Gunmen kill 21 in fresh Zamfara attacks (Guardian)
Armed gangs have killed 21 people in the latest bloody assaults on villages in restive northwest Nigeria, police said.
Assailants trying to steal cattle shot dead 15 people in clashes with local residents in six remote communities of Zamfara state on Tuesday, regional police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said.
The gunmen — dubbed “bandits” by the authorities — returned the next day and shot dead six mourners at funerals for the earlier victims, the statement released Thursday said. Read more
Kidnapped UNIJOS student regains freedom (punch)
A female student at the University of Jos, who was kidnapped by gunmen, has regained her freedom, The PUNCH reports.
The 300-level Zoology student simply identified as Helen was abducted on Wednesday night by gunmen, who attacked the staff quarters of the Federal College of Land Resources Technology located at Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Sources from the staff quarters confirmed Helen’s release to The PUNCH in Jos on Friday. Read more
Family of six found dead in their SUV in apparent mass suicide (NYPost)
A San Antonio family and their two cats were found dead in an SUV parked in their garage Thursday, local police said.
The bodies of the husband and wife and their four young children — ages 11 months to 4 years — were discovered in the vehicle along with their cats in a basket as police conducted a welfare check at the residence.
Authorities arrived at the home around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, finding a note on the front door with military jargon and a cryptic message, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. Read more
FGM: Egyptian father ‘used coronavirus lie to trick daughters’ into procedure (BBC)
A man in Egypt who allegedly had female genital mutilation (FGM) carried out on his three daughters after tricking them, has been charged along with the doctor who performed the procedure.
The doctor went to the girls’ house after their father told them they would receive a coronavirus “vaccination”, Egypt’s prosecutor-general said.
The girls, aged under 18, were drugged and the doctor cut their genitals.
FGM was made illegal in 2008 in Egypt but remains prevalent. Read more
EU’s chief negotiator says no real progress made on Brexit trade talks (RT)
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says “no significant progress” has been made in talks with the UK over a trade deal and that discussions need a “new boost,” concentrating on the most difficult sticking points.
Giving an update on the latest round of virtual talks on Friday, Barnier said the UK was “still a long way away” from an agreement on the governance of the future partnership. “We cannot go on like this forever,” he said.
Barnier accused UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government of trying to “backtrack” on commitments made in the Political Declaration it signed with the EU. Read more
Madeleine McCann: New suspect also investigated over missing German girl – reports (BBC)
A picture has emerged of Christian B, who is the new suspect
The new suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has also been investigated over the disappearance of a German girl, according to German media reports.
The 43-year-old German man, named in reports as Christian B, is currently serving a prison sentence.
He is believed to have been in the area where Madeleine, three, went missing while on holiday in Portugal in 2007.
A source told the BBC an investigation into the suspect began after a tip-off in Germany in 2017. Read more
Just 20% of coronavirus cases responsible for 80% of transmissions – Study (RT)
The latest research into so-called “superspreader events” could inform public policy across the world, to help fight the widely feared “second wave” of coronavirus infections, but without the need for strict lockdowns.
A “superspreader” is an infected person who transmits a virus to a large number of people. A growing body of evidence has found that superspreaders account for the vast majority of coronavirus transmissions.
In the latest study on superspreaders, epidemiologists in Hong Kong analyzed over 1,000 coronavirus cases between January 23 and April 28, and found that just 20 per cent of cases were responsible for 80 per cent of total transmissions, data which could impact policy around the world. Read more
Arnold Schwarzenegger remembers nasty wrist injury from filming 1990 movie Total Recall (Metro)
Schwarzenegger ended up with a nasty wrist injury while filming scenes for Total Recall back in 1989. The movie, released in 1990, follows the story of construction worker Douglas Quaid (played by Schwarzenegger) who starts to suspect he is a spy after a visit to a company, that provides people with implanted fake memories of a like they would have liked, goes wrong and he is forced to go on the run. One scene sees Schwarzenegger’s character running from a gang of hitmen through a subway station and he crashes through the window of a train that starts to leave the platform using his gun. Read more
Chelsea named Women’s Super League champions, Liverpool relegated (BBC)
Chelsea have been named winners of the Women’s Super League title on a points-per-game ratio, while Liverpool have been relegated.
When the season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic in March, Chelsea were one point behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand.
Aston Villa, who were top of the Championship, will replace the WSL’s bottom club Liverpool next season.
The Reds said they are “disappointed” with how the season has been concluded. Read more
Barcelona confident Messi can face Mallorca, despite thigh injury (Punch)
Lionel Messi has sustained a “minor” thigh injury, but Barcelona remain confident he will be fit for the team’s first game back against Mallorca on June 13, the club said on Friday.
Messi has not trained with the rest of the squad since Tuesday after working separately in the gym on both Wednesday and Friday, while on Thursday all the players were given the day off.
Barcelona said Messi should return to training “in a few days’ time”, but his absence raises doubts over his fitness ahead of the trip to Mallorca. Read more
Sancho and Dortmund teammate Akanji fined for home haircuts (Guardian)
English midfielder Jadon Sancho and his Borussia Dortmund teammate Manuel Akanji were fined by the German league on Friday for breaking stringent health guidelines to get haircuts at home.
Photos emerged of Sancho, 20, and 24-year-old Swiss defender Akanji having their hair styled in their respective homes, with neither the players nor the hairdresser wearing any personal protective equipment.
The German league (DFL) said in a statement: “The players from Borussia Dortmund had obviously violated general hygiene and infection protection standards at home hairdressing appointments and in particular the medical-organisational concept of the DFL task force. Read more
Benfica condemn ‘criminals’ after team bus is stoned in attack (RT)
Top-of-the-table Portuguese side Benfica have issued a statement after disgruntled fans launched stones at the team bus in an attack that saw stars Julian Weigl and Andrija Zivkovic end up needing treatment in a Lisbon hospital.
The reigning Primeira Liga champions were returning from a disappointing goalless draw at home to lowly Tondela when a group of people throw stones at the players and coaching staff through the glass windows of their team bus.
Former Germany midfielder Julian Weigl and Serbia winger Andrija Zivkovic were immediately taken to Lisbon’s Hospital da Luz in the aftermath of the shocking late-night attack, which took place on the A2 motorway on Thursday. Read more
Salwa Eid Naser: World 400m champion provisionally suspended for whereabouts violation (BBC)
Naser has been given a provisional suspension for failing to make herself available for anti-doping tests.
The Bahraini, 22, ran 48.14 seconds – the third-fastest time in history – to claim the world title in Doha in 2019.
Naser, who was born in Nigeria but switched allegiance to Bahrain in 2014, is the first Asian woman to be world champion in the discipline.
She could face a ban of up to two years for the whereabouts violation. Read more
Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick congratulates Chelsea for sealing Timo Werner transfer (Metro)
Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick has made the classy move of congratulating Chelsea for winning the race to sign RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner. The German outfit were one of the frontrunners for the 24-year-old’s signature, but the Blues have now reportedly agreed terms with the player and are ready to activate his £54 million release clause. Werner is set to put pen to paper on a five-year deal which will see him earn around £200,000 per week, becoming Chelsea’s second-highest paid player behind N’Golo Kante. Read more