Sanwo-olu condoles with Buhari over Abba Kyari’s death (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari on the death of his former Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, who passed on in the early hours of Saturday.
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement, described the death of Mallam Abba Kyari as shocking, painful and a monumental loss to the nation, the people and government of Maiduguri and the Kyari family.
Sanwo-Olu said: “I received the sad news of the death of Mallam Abba Kyari, an astute public servant with a heavy heart. Mallam Kyari was a dedicated Nigerian, a deeply committed and patriotic citizen, who contributed remarkably to the smooth and successful running of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.’’ Read more
Air Peace donates food items to indigent families in Lagos (Nation)
Air Peace at the weekend engaged in a corporate social responsibility outreach as it distributed food items to several indigent families in different areas in Lagos.
The airline’s officials visited Sabo Makoko in Yaba and Ajegunle areas of Lagos where they gave out edibles, includes bags of rice, cartons of noodles and loaves of bread to hundreds of people whose sources of livelihood have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 lockdown aimed at curtailing the spread of the pandemic that has stifled global economy.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, stated that the airline is aware that the current lockdown has made it very difficult for many Nigerians to eke out a living as they are compelled by government directive to stay at home, so as to curtail the spread of Coronavirus. Read more
Gbajabiamila, Wase, Ndudi Elumelu, Dino Melaye, others mourn Abba Kyari (Tribune)
Rt Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Rt Hon Idris Ahmed Wase, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Senator Dino Melaye and Human rights lawyer, Mr Kayode Ajulo have expressed grief over the demise of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, described as shocking and sad, the passing away of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari.
Hon Gbajabiamila said it was unfortunate that Abba Kyari died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is now ravaging countries all over the world. Read more
Obasanjo writes Buhari over Kyari’s death (Guardian)
Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo has condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari over the death of his chief of staff Abba Kyari.
Kyari died on Friday after battling coronavirus infection.
“I received the news of the demise of Alhaji Abba Kyari, your Chief of Staff, over Friday night with great sadness, as he lost the battle against the dreadful disease, COVID-19,” Obasanjo wrote in a letter he addressed to Buhari.
“Abba Kyari’s death must be painful to you and to his family and friends, but you can all take solace in the fact that he died in harness, in the service of his country.” Read more
Lagos, Gombe, Kwara, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Kaduna, Kano govs mourn Abba Kyari (Tribune)
The Governors of Lagos, Gombe, Kwara, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Kaduna, Kano States, respectively, have expressed grief over the demise of the Chief of Staff to the President, Late Mallam Abba Kyari.
Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari, describing the death as shocking, painful and a monumental loss to the nation, the people and government of Maiduguri and the Kyari family.
Sanwo-Olu, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Gboyega Akosile, said: “I received the sad news of the death of Mallam Abba Kyari, an astute public servant with a heavy heart. Mallam Kyari was a dedicated Nigerian, a deeply committed and patriotic citizen, who contributed remarkably to the smooth and successful running of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.” Read more
Pregnant health worker tests positive for COVID-19 in Ekiti (Punch)
A pregnant health worker has tested positive for coronavirus in Ekiti State, making her the third infected person in the state.
The PUNCH reports that the pregnant woman was at the point of labour when it was discovered that she had been infected.
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State made this known in an address delivered on COVID-19 cases in the state, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent.
He narrated that the pregnant woman delivered safely without announcing the status of the child. Read more
Gunmen kidnap Anglican priest in Delta community (Guardian)
Gunmen on Saturday kidnapped an Anglican priest working on his farm at Issele-Mkpitime in the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta.
A resident in the community, Mr Uche Obinkwor, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that the priest, Rev. Anthony Oyi of Oko Agbele Quarters was abducted by suspected herdsmen along with members of his family.
“The priest, who resides at OKo Agbele Quarters in Issele-Mkpitime was kidnapped this morning along with his wife and children while working in their farm. Read more
Ganduje sacks Commissioner for celebrating Kyari’s death (Nation)
Kano Governor Abdullahim Ganduje has sacked Commissioner of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Mu’azu Magaji of his appointment with immediate effect.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba explained Magaji was removed following his unguarded utterances against the late Chief of Staff to the President Muhammadu Buhari, Malam Abba Kyari.
According to the statement, Garba said as a public servant, the commissioner ought to have respected the profanity of the office by refraining from any act capable of rendering the office to disrepute. Read more
Abba Kyari: Avoid mass gatherings, NCDC warns Nigerians (Punch)
In the wake of the death of the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, from the dreaded coronavirus, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has warned Nigerians to refrain from attending mass gatherings.
The centre asked Nigerians to adhere to its guidelines on safe burial of victims of the virus.
The NCDC made the appeal in a message it posted across its social media handles on Saturday.
The message read, “Even at this time, as we mourn loved ones lost to COVID-19, including recently deceased Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari, we need to refrain from attending mass gatherings to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
“Let us #StaySafe and protect each other.” Read more
Coronavirus: BCG rumours and other stories fact-checked (BBC)
BBC teams are fact-checking some of the most popular fake and misleading coronavirus stories on social media. Jack Goodman brings together what’s been debunked this week by BBC Monitoring, Trending and Reality Check.
False claims about the BCG vaccine
WhatsApp messages claiming the BCG vaccine prevents coronavirus infection are inaccurate.
The Bacille Calmette-Guérin jab has been given to children around the world to fight off tuberculosis, and was widespread in secondary schools in the UK until 2005.
It’s still given in the UK when a child or adult might be at risk of coming into contact with tuberculosis. Read more
No birthday celebrations for Queen Elizabeth as Covid-19 wracks UK (France24)
In an unprecedented step, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will not celebrate her 94th birthday in any special way and has asked that there be none of Britain’s traditional gun salutes to mark the occasion because it would not be appropriate while the country battles a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Britain is at or near the peak of an outbreak in which more than 14,000 people have already died – the fifth highest national death toll of a pandemic linked to at least 150,000 deaths worldwide.
The Trooping of the Colour, ceremonial gun salutes in which blank rounds are fired from various locations across London, are typically used by the royal family to mark special occasions such as anniversaries and birthdays. The Queen’s birthday is on April 21.
The Queen was keen that no special measures were put in place to allow gun salutes as she did not feel it appropriate in the current circumstances, a royal source said. Read more
Thomas Thabane: Lesotho’s PM sends army into streets (BBC)
Lesotho’s prime minister, who is accused of murdering his estranged wife, has deployed the army on the streets to “restore order”.
In a TV address, Thomas Thabane accused unnamed law enforcement elements of seeking to undermine democracy.
The decision comes a day after the constitutional court ruled against his decision to suspend parliament.
The prime minister has so far resisted pressure to resign over the killing of his then-wife Lipolelo Thabane in 2017. Read more
France says no evidence Covid-19 linked to Wuhan research lab set up with French help (France24)
France on Friday said there was no factual evidence so far of a link between the Covid-19 outbreak and the work of the P4 research laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which France helped set up and where the current pandemic started.
“We would like to make it clear that there is to this day no factual evidence corroborating recent reports in the US press linking the origins of Covid-19 and the work of the P4 laboratory of Wuhan, China,” an official at President Emmanuel Macron’s office said.
The broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, the official name of the coronavirus, originated in bats.
In 2004, France signed an agreement with China to establish a research lab on infectious diseases of biosafety level 4, the highest level, in Wuhan, according to a French decree signed by then-foreign minister Michel Barnier. Read more
Ofcom destroys 5G conspiracy theory with blunt reality check (Metro)
Ofcom has published a damning response to the widely-circulated conspiracy theory that 5G radio waves have something to do with the coronavirus. The communications regulator has said there is ‘no scientific basis or credible evidence’ to suggest 5G technology plays any role in the spread of the Covid-19 virus. It also goes on to condemn the vandalism of telephone masts by idiots believing it to be true. ‘Like previous generations of mobile technology, 5G uses radio spectrum,’ the regulator explained. Read more
Coronavirus: Japan doctors warn of health system ‘break down’ as cases surge (BBC)
Japan, which initially appeared to have the virus under control, has recorded a flurry of new cases
Doctors in Japan have warned that the country’s medical system could collapse amid a wave of new coronavirus cases.
Emergency rooms have been unable to treat some patients with serious health conditions due to the extra burden caused by the virus, officials say.
One ambulance carrying a patient with coronavirus symptoms was turned away by 80 hospitals before he could be seen.
Japan, which initially appeared to have the virus under control, passed 10,000 confirmed cases on Saturday. Read more
Germany staggers world with low COVID-19 death rate (VOA)
While countries around the world struggle with a lack of hospital beds and equipment for coronavirus patients, German cities such as Bremen have taken in patients from neighboring countries.
On a recent Saturday, Bremen received its first two French coronavirus patients from Strasbourg as Germany’s neighbor France struggles with hospitals at their limits.
The city could theoretically take more patients from abroad, hospital group Gesundheit Nord spokeswoman Karen Matiszick told local news outlet Buten un Binnen – although the situation could rapidly change. Bremen currently has had 567 cases and 24 deaths, according to official statistics. Read more
Captain Tom Moore’s charity single with Michael Ball tops charts just hours after release (Metro)
Captain Tom Moore and Michael Ball have landed straight at the top of the iTunes chart with their charity single, You’ll Never Walk Alone. Not content with raising more than £20million for NHS staff with his initiative to complete 100 laps of his garden, the 99-year-old joined up with the Love Changes Everything star to rack up even more money. And their track has stormed right to the peak of the charts, just hours after it was released. Read more
NFF to name Maikaba as Flying Eagles’ coach (Nation)
Barring any last minute change of heart, the leadership of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has concluded plans to name the incumbent Plateau United Chief Coach Abdu Maikaba as the next manager of the national U-20 team Flying Eagles.
According to a reliable source to the NFF technical Department, Maikaba is highly flavoured due to his track record on the domestic league coupled with the federation’s new philosophy to build the national teams around domestic league players.
“Maikaba is known and experienced on our domestic league and he knows virtually all the players in our league since many of them had passed through him and we have the confidence that he will build a formidable team that will graduate to the National U-23 team,” the source told NationSport. Read more
I will choose Olympic gold ahead of $10m – Brume (Punch)
Doha 2019 World Championships bronze medalist, Ese Brume, says she will pick an Olympic gold medal ahead of $10m if she is offered a chance to pick either of the two.
In an Instagram Live chat with The PUNCH on Friday, African long jump champion Brume said, “I will choose an Olympics medal; it’s an honour to win an Olympic gold medal and being an Olympic gold medalist will also open doors to many more opportunities for me.”
She also opened up on her personal experiences with the opposite sex, saying she never had any relationship while in secondary school. Read more
Toto Wolff: Mercedes Formula 1 boss buys stake in Aston Martin (BBC)
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff has bought a stake in Aston Martin.
The British sportscar company is controlled by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, owner of the Racing Point F1 team, which will be rebranded as Aston Martin in 2021.
Wolff has bought a stake of just under 5%, which will become 0.95% after a rights issue in Aston Martin on Monday. Read more
Chelsea star Tammy Abraham explains why Frank Lampard is the ‘perfect’ manager (Metro)
Tammy Abraham believes Chelsea boss Frank Lampard’s belief in nurturing young talent makes him the ‘perfect manager’ to guide the Blues to success. The club legend has won plaudits for bringing through the likes of Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James and Billy Gilmour, claiming they are the best young crop of players at Stamford Bridge that he has seen. Lampard’s first season in charge of his former side has been positive, guiding them to fourth place in the Premier League table, before the season was postponed over the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
Ex-Eagles star, Etuhu, banned five years for matchfixing (Guardian)
Former Super Eagles midfielder Dickson Etuhu has been handed a five-year ban for match-fixing in Sweden.
The Nigerian, who represented seven clubs in England and also played 33 times for the Super Eagles offered AIK keeper £160k to underperform.
The midfielder who played for Manchester City, Preston, Sunderland and Fulham, has been banned from all football activities in Sweden for five years after being found guilty of match-fixing. Read more
Sports bettors in Nigeria count losses as COVID–19 bites harder (DailyTrust)
Football fans are now left without football matches to watch and also bet. Following the outbreak and the subsequent spread of the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the globe, most sporting activities were suspended while others have been cancelled outrightly. With the suspension or outright cancellation of tournaments in popular sports like football, tennis, basketball, revenue generation has naturally nose-dived for everyone involved sports at all levels and this include sports betting companies and the bettors. According to a report on Gambling in Africa published in 2016 by KPMG on sports betting in Nigeria, it was said that Bet9ja rakes in an average monthly turnover of $10m while the second player in the industry, NairaBet makes an average turnover of $3m to $5m with a 20-30% margin on profit. Read more
Clemens Westerhof: How Nigeria can win World Cup (Vanguard)
Penultimate week, former Nigeria coach, Clemens Westerhof whose reputation in Nigerian football folklore looms large was accused by his former assistant, Johannes Bonfrere of selling the 1994 World Cup group game against Italy for $100,000.
Westerhof has since denied the allegation, and threatened to institute a law suit against his accuser.
In this no-holds-barred interview with Jacob Ajom, Westerhof, Nigeria’s most successful foreign coach bared his mind on his relationship with Jo Bonfrere, his desire to lead the Super Eagles again and explains why he thinks Gernot Rohr has challenges. Read on. Read more