Rescued Uber passenger jumped into lagoon after killing girlfriend – CP (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has revealed that the Uber passenger, Princewill David, who jumped into the lagoon, did so in order to escape justice after allegedly killing his girlfriend.
PUNCH Metro had reported that David, a resident of Tajudeen Balogun Street, Igando, Lagos, had boarded an Uber from his residence to the Lekki area of the state on February 27, 2020.
On getting to the Third Mainland Bridge around 12am, David reportedly asked the driver to stop to allow him to urinate, but the driver, who had learnt about the same tactics allegedly used by one Toju Daibo before allegedly plunging into the lagoon 12 days earlier, drove to where some personnel of the Rapid Response Squad were stationed on the bridge to alert them. Read more
Lagos camp free of disease, says Sanwo-Olu (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday urged corps members and the country not to be scared as the state’s orientation camp was free of coronavirus, saying all facilities were in place.He said corps members were also being monitored to avoid infection throughout their stay at the camp and beyond.
The governor also charged the 2020 Batch A, Stream One National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members to take advantage of the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme to become economically independent after their mandatory one-year service.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins gave the charge during the swearing in ceremony at the Orientation Camp in Iyana-Ipaja. Read more
Lagos Assembly silent on why members were removed (Nation)
Five days after the removal of two principal officers and suspension of two members by the Lagos State House of Assembly, it is still unclear what their offence is.
When reporters yesterday asked the spokesperson for the Assembly, Tunde Braimoh, after a parliamentary session, what constituted ‘insubordination’ and ‘misconduct’, which the Speaker gave as reasons for the action at plenary on Monday, all he said was that the issues were being handled internally.
He said: “We are in the process of conflict resolution. We don’t want to talk about what constitutes gross insubordination and indiscipline.” Read more
Fire razes 100 shops at Ibadan market (Guardian)
Iyaloja-General of Apapa, Alhaja Hafusat Popoola (middle) with other market leaders during the sensitization against fire outbreak in Lagos.
Safety team sensitizes Lagos traders on fire prevention
About 100 shops, equipment and goods worth millions of naira were yesterday razed by an inferno at a section of Ifesowapo, Iso-Ege market, Eleyele area of Ibadan, Oyo State. An eyewitness, Mrs. Dorcas Olasunkanmi, said the inferno started at about 1:00a.m. and razed the entire Iso-Ege market before the arrival of the Oyo State Fire Service.
Mrs. Modupe Adepoju, who also a victim of the inferno, said she had lost everything she has to the fire, adding that it would affect her livelihood and that of her family. She, therefore, called for the state government’s intervention. Read more
Emulate Lagos in your development plans, Lawan tells states (Nation)
Lagos is a model for other states to emulate in their development plans, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said yesterday.
Lawan spoke after the Southeast and Northcentral Development Commission Bills scaled second reading in the Senate.
He said Nigeria needs consistent national plan instead of creating development agencies for the six geopolitical zones.
“What Nigeria needs more is proper national planning that is followed through. Read more
Senate to strip president, governors, others of immunity (Guardian)
The Senate has introduced a bill that would alter the constitution and strip the president, his deputy, governors and their deputies of immunity from criminal prosecution.
Sponsored by Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, it was read the first time on the floor of the chamber yesterday. According to the bill, immunity will not apply “to persons who hold the office of vice president, governor or deputy governor, if it is determined either by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, Nigerian Police and State Security Service through a collaborative investigation that the said person is indicted by a court of competent jurisdiction for financial misappropriation of funds belonging to the federal, state or local government; or sponsoring of thugs to perpetrate violence that causes injury or death of political opponent, a member of his family, agent or personal representative.” Read more
Naira crashes in value, dollar sells for N420 (Punch)
On Thursday, the naira exchanged between N405 and N420 to a dollar in the Bureau De Change segment of the market.
The President, Association of Bureaux De Change Operators of Nigeria, Aminu Gwadabe, said the crude oil price which fell drastically in the international market to as low as $35 per barrel, raised speculations among the BDC operators and Nigerians in general.
He said this caused speculations in the market which were not necessary.
Gwadabe said, “With the fall in oil crude oil prices on Monday, we witnessed a lot of foreign investors portfolio dropping their assets, most especially to convert to cash. Read more
Pressure mounts for Sanusi’s release (Guardian)
Even though President Muhammadu Buhari has denied any role in the ordeal of former Kano Emir Muhammadu Sanusi, stakeholders are unrelenting in pointing out that he should stop his security operatives from being used to detain the deposed traditional ruler.
Besides, Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, yesterday rated the protagonist and antagonist in the Kano royal crisis. In an article, ‘For Whom The Gates Open Wide’, Soyinka said the conduct of Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje, “apart from the innate travesty of justice in this recent move, is on a par with the repudiated colonial order, one that out-feudalised feudalism itself, and is synonymous with authoritarianism of the crudest temper.” He noted that Ganduje’s action “has proved one of the worst examples of a system that enables even the least deserving to exercise arbitrary, unmerited authority that beggars even the despotism of the most feudalistic traditional arrangements.” Read more
70% of illegal emigrants from Edo, says UN agency (Nation)
Seventy-per cent of illegal emigrants are from Edo State, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said.
UNHCR’s Senior Liaison Officer, Amah Assiama-Hillgartner, stated this in Benin, the state capital, during the agency’s Telling the Real Story (TRS) meeting.
She described Nigeria as the country of transit and trafficking of illegal emigrants, with over 8,000 returnees from Libya so far.
“The data available to us show that a lot of the departures or people who claimed to have left from Nigeria claimed Edo as their state of origin. Read more
Canadian PM Trudeau’s wife tests positive for coronavirus (BBC)
Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, has tested positive for coronavirus, a statement from the prime minister’s office says.
“She will remain in isolation for the time being. She is feeling well, is taking all the recommended precautions and her symptoms remain mild,” it read.
The couple is now self-isolating.
Mr Trudeau is in good health and has no symptoms, according to his office, but he will remain in isolation for 14 days.
There are no plans at present for Mr Trudeau to be tested for coronavirus. Read more
Jing Fong, NYC’s largest Chinese restaurant, closes as coronavirus hurts business (NYPost)
Jing Fong, the city’s largest Chinese restaurant, has closed.
After 48 years in business, the iconic restaurant known for its classic dim sum carts, is shuttering due to a slowdown triggered by the coronavirus outbreak, said Claudia Leo, the restaurant’s marketing director.
The decision was made on Thursday, following Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that gatherings of 500 people or more will be banned.
Jing Fong on Elizabeth Street has almost 800 seats. It was founded in 1972 by the grandfather of the current owner, Truman Lam. Read more
Chelsea Manning case: Judge orders release from prison (BBC)
Chelsea Manning was found guilty in 2013 of charges including espionage for leaking secret military files
A US judge has ordered the immediate release of former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning from prison.
Manning had been remanded for refusing to testify in an inquiry into Wikileaks and had been in detention in Virginia since last May.
She was scheduled to appear in court on Friday, but the judge ruled that it was no longer necessary for her to testify.
Manning was found guilty in 2013 of charges including espionage for leaking secret military files to Wikileaks. Read more
Soulja Boy’s soap company triples profits amid coronavirus pandemic (PageSix)
Soulja Boy is cleaning up with his soap salesGetty Images (Composite)
Soulja Boy chose the right time to invest in a soap company.
The 29-year-old rapper recently revealed that he and manager Miami Mike invested in a Mississippi franchise of The Soap Shop and sources told TMZ that the store’s profits have tripled amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Soap Shop corporation, which sells hand soap, dish detergent, and other cleaning products that people are snatching up amid the COVID-19 outbreak, has gone from selling 100 bottles of cleaning products a month to well-over 3,000 bottles, according to the website. That means the bubbly biz has seen a “record-setting” 3,000 percent increase.
The “Crank That” artist recently explained that he invested in The Soap Shop to mix things up. Read more
A dating app for small penises is here because of the ‘pressure’ to be big (Metro)
Contrary to popular belief – bigger isn’t always better when it comes to penises. In fact, women prefer an average-sized peen over a large one. And men, if you’re worried about the size of your schlong, please listen to your partners if they say it doesn’t matter.
If you still don’t believe them, you can sign up to Dinky One – a dating app for those with small willies and those who enjoy it. Read more
Are female urinals the answer to queues at the loos? (BBC)
A few years ago, Nathalie Des Isnards was attending a music festival with her husband David, and planning to watch her favourite group.
Before the show, they headed to the toilets. “I spent 30 minutes in the queue waiting to pee,” she recalls. Much to her frustration, she missed the first part of the concert.
Meanwhile David took just “two minutes”, and saw the whole show.
“I was upset. I told myself, ‘We’re in the 21st century, something should be done about that.'” Read more
Man jailed for delaying flight by lying that his mum had coronavirus (Metro)
An Aer Lingus passenger who made cabin crew cry by lying that his mum had coronavirus has been jailed for two months. Job van den Broek, 30, made the hoax claim after he was asked to put his phone down so staff could perform a safety demonstration before the flight to Dublin took off on Wednesday, March 11. He refused to end the call for 10 minutes, delaying the flight and causing a ‘pandemonium’ among passengers. He later reduced cabin crew to tears when he attempted to clear the air by saying that the reason he was using his phone was because his mother had the deadly coronavirus and he had been in contact with her. Read more
TAG Heuer unveils new smartwatch (Metro)
Smartwatches have been around for a whole now, but the most well-known ones are still largely produced by tech companies like Apple, Fitbit or Huawei. But TAG Heuer, the storied Swiss watchmaker, has stormed into the arena with the TAG Heuer Connected. This circular bit of wrist candy is the company’s second stab at a smartwatch and aims to blend historic style with modern functionality. As TAG puts it: ‘a unique combination of the refinement and elegance of a chronograph-inspired timepiece crafted in the purest watchmaking tradition, with a state-of-the-art, custom-designed digital experience geared towards performance.’ Starting prices for the TAG Heuer Connected start at £1,495 but you can choose different cases or straps to push the price up further if you fancy. Read more
Europe-based Eagles may not honour Sierra Leone game (Guardian)
Due to the travelling restrictions in some countries across the world over the deadly Coronavirus (Covid-19) scare, there are fears that most of the players invited for this month’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone may not honour the game.
The Super Eagles will host the Leone Stars at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba on March 27. Yesterday, Eagles Media Officer, Toyin Ibitoye tried to douse the anxiety when he said that the Federal Government and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) were monitoring the situation on ground, adding that credible information on the players’ travelling logistics would be known next week. Read more
Mason Greenwood sets Manchester United record during LASK thrashing (Metro)
Mason Greenwood became the first teenager to score at least five goals for Manchester United in a single European campaign after helping the Red Devils smash LASK.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side proved too strong for Austrian side LASK on Thursday evening, clinching a 5-0 victory to put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Loan signing Odion Ighalo put the Premier League giants ahead with a superb goal midway through the first half, and Daniel James doubled their lead shortly after half-time. Juan Mata added a third for Manchester United before Greenwood came off the bench to score his 13th goal of the season. Read more
Bayer Leverkusen condemn Rangers to first-leg defeat (BBC)
Rangers suffered a first home European defeat in 18 games as they lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.
Kai Havertz’s first-half penalty – given after a VAR check for handball against George Edmundson – put the Germans in front and Charles Aranguiz crashed in a second.
Edmundson gave Steven Gerrard’s side hope when he headed in a James Tavernier cross, but Leon Bailey lifted in a stunning third to condemn Rangers to a third defeat in four matches.
On a disappointing night for the Scottish Premiership side, a glass bottle was thrown onto the pitch from the crowd in the final few moments before being picked up by Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby. Read more
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tests positive for coronavirus (Metro)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has tested positive for coronavirus. The Gunners have closed their training ground and club staff who had contact with Arteta will now self-isolate. Following Arteta’s diagnosis, Saturday’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Brighton has been postponed. Arteta said in a statement: ‘This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I’m allowed.’ Arsenal believe a ‘significant number of people’ – including first-team staff and coaches – will self-isolate and confirmed the Hale End Academy will also temporarily close. Read more
Coronavirus: NBA, NHL, MLS suspend seasons, MLB delays start of 2020 campaign (BBC)
All major sport in the United States has been suspended amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The NBA has announced that all matches will be suspended from Thursday until further notice, after a Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive.
The NHL and MLS later announced the stoppage of its respective seasons, the latter for 30 days.
The MLB has delayed the start of its 2020 season by at least two weeks due to the “national emergency”. Read more
Callum Hudson-Odoi tests positive for coronavirus (Metro)
Chelsea’s first team squad have been placed in self-isolation after Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for coronavirus. The Blues released a statement early on Friday morning to confirm that the winger had tested positive for COVID-19 but that he was doing ‘well’ despite the diagnosis. All those that came into contact with Hudson-Odoi, including Frank Lampard’s first team squad, have been placed in quarantine and it’s inevitable that this weekend’s match against Aston Villa will be postponed. ‘It is expected that those who did not have close contact with Callum will return to work in the coming days. In the meantime, the men’s team building, one of several separate buildings at our training ground, will remain closed. The rest of our training facility, Stamford Bridge and our other facilities are operating as normal,’ a statement read. Read more
Wolves’ Neto scores valuable away goal at Olympiakos (BBC)
Substitute Pedro Neto scored a valuable away goal for Wolves as they drew with 10-man Olympiakos in their Europa League last-16 tie played behind closed doors over coronavirus concerns.
The Premier League side, who wanted the game postponed, faced 10 men from the 28th minute after last-man Ruben Semedo was sent off for fouling Diogo Jota.
But Wolves laboured and went behind when Youssef El Arabi tapped home.
Neto equalised with a low driven free-kick that took a deflection.
Wolves had largely underwhelmed inside the eerie Karaiskakis Stadium and their only other clear-cut chance was when Raul Jimenez’s angled strike struck the face of goalkeeper Jose Sa.
The second leg is next Thursday, but whether it is played depends on Uefa’s decision over whether to cancel its club competitions because of the increasing threat of coronavirus. Read more