Sanwo-Olu seeks resumption of Lagos-Abuja flights (Punch)
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the state government is trying to get the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to allow flights from Lagos to Abuja to operate, following the increasing impact of the closure of the airports on the state’s economy.
The governor lamented that the aviation industry, as well as the entertainment, hospitality and transportation sectors, had been “significantly” affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Federal Government on March 23 shut all international airports in the country before it later extended the closure to all airports in the country, banning all local and international flights. Read more
Police charge 17 hoodlums to court (DailyTrust)
Residents of the Layeni community in Ajegunle, Lagos State, can now sleep with both eyes closed as the police on Wednesday arraigned 17 hoodlums, whom they said had been terrorizing the area, before an Igbosere chief magistrate court. The accused persons were arrested on May 3, 2020, at Layeni, allegedly for conspiring to commit felony by going about in public, armed and threatening violence. The police prosecutor, Superintendent of Police Innocent Jimoh, told the court that virtually all the community leaders in the area were in court seeking justice. Read more
Nigerians blast Bashir Ahmad over comments to influence Ese Oruru’s judgment (Punch)
Nigerians have expressed dismay over the comments of Bashir Ahmad, Personal Assistant on New Media to the President, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the ruling of a Federal High Court which convicted Yunusa Dahiru for the abduction and sexual abuse of Ese Oruru.
Many of them described his comments that he would contact those “capable” to influence the ruling as bigoted and paedophilic
The PUNCH reports that Justice Jane Inyang of the court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital on Thursday, sentenced Dahiru to 26 years in prison for criminal abduction, illicit sex, sexual exploitation, and unlawful carnal knowledge of the minor. Read more
Lockdown: Poultry farmers demand review of security at checkpoints (Tribune)
The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has appealed to the Federal and State Governments to urgently reconstitute security operatives manning various checkpoints in the country.
This, they said, would ensure smooth and effective implementation of directives on COVID-19 containment.
Tribune Online reports that Mr Ezekiel Ibrahim, the President of the association, made the appeal while reacting to the restriction and detention of vehicles conveying eggs and day-old-chicks on Monday in Oyo State by junior security operatives leading to the death of chicks worth over N50 million. Read more
24-Year-old Ekiti indigene bags PhD in Law in American Varsity (Nation)
An Indigene of Ekiti State, Dr Damilola Arowolaju, has bagged a PhD in Law from The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States of America.
Damilola who hails from Omuo Ekiti, in Ekiti East Local Government area of Ekiti State is the son of a former Special Adviser to Governor Segun Oni on Due Process, Dr. Bayo Arowolaju
He was decorated with the honour at the university’s virtual convocation ceremonies held on Thursday, May 21, 2020. Read more
Kidnap victim recounts ordeal, urges govts to address insecurity (DailyTrust)
A kidnap victim, Mr Emenike Soronnadi, 50, has recounted his ordeal in the hands of his abductors, urging Federal and State Governments to urgently address issues of insecurity to safeguard lives of citizens. Soronnadi, a businessman, was kidnapped on April 20, and held captive for 11 days before his release on May 10, 2020. The victim told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that he was abducted from his wife’s shop in Woji, Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Rivers. According to him, three men fully armed with AK47 assault rifles and shooting sporadically into the air forcibly took him away from his wife’s shop. Read more
Gov. Bello says Tribunal ruling is an affirmation of his landmark victory, as Wada heads to appeal (Guardian)
Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has said the judgment of the Election Tribunal upholding his election and the All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier today is an affirmation of his landmark victory on the 16th of November, 2019.
In a statement by Onogwu Muhammed, Chief Press Secretary, (CPS) to the Governor, said the landmark judgment affirming his landmark victory is a validation of the people’s mandate and an added impetus to his drive to do more for the good people of Kogi State.
The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on Saturday declared Governor Yahaya Bello, APC as the winner of the November 16 Governorship Election. Read more
Air Force operatives assault medical doctor in Rivers (Nation)
Some operatives of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) have allegedly assaulted a medical doctor in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
It was gathered that the operatives manhandled Dr. Avwebo Otoide, slapped her, wrestled with her and in the process damaged her phone.
A Facebook user, Fisayo Soyombo, who narrated the incident said the doctor was later detained at the isolation centre. Read more
China reports zero new COVID-19 cases for first time as pandemic finds new ‘epicenter’ in South America (RT)
Beijing has reported no new Covid-19 infections for the first time since the pandemic erupted last year, but as the virus dies out in its original epicenter, South America has quickly emerged as a major hotspot.
China’s National Health Commission said it confirmed zero new cases of the virus on Saturday – a first since the country began tallying infections in January – and reported only two suspected cases, one of them imported from abroad.
The lethal illness first emerged late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, spreading across the country to infect some 84,000 people, killing in excess of 4,600. Read more
Photographer gets to know her neighbours by taking socially distanced doorstep portraits in lockdown (Metro)
Freelance photographer and mum-of-two Francesca Nelson is documenting life in lockdown. She’s been getting to know her neighbours by heading out and capturing portraits from people’s doorsteps, and chatting with them about how life is going amid the coronavirus pandemic. The project was born out of an inability to do her usual work, as well as a desire for human interaction. Read more
Coronavirus: France reveals reciprocal quarantine plans for UK arrivals (BBC)
People arriving in France from the UK will have to self-isolate for 14 days from 8 June, the French government has announced.
It comes after Home Secretary Priti Patel revealed quarantine plans for visitors to the UK from the same date.
France said it would impose reciprocal measures for any European country enforcing a quarantine.
Travellers arriving in France from Spain by plane will also be asked to go into quarantine from Monday. Read more
Anti-viral drug effective against COVID-19 – Study (Punch)
Anti-viral drug remdesivir cuts recovery times in coronavirus patients, according to the full results of a trial published Friday night, three weeks after America’s top infectious diseases expert said the study showed the medication has “clear-cut” benefits.
Complete results from the research, which was carried out by US government agency the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), were published by leading medical periodical the New England Journal of Medicine.
The United States authorized the emergency use of remdesivir in hospitals on May 1, followed by Japan, while Europe is considering following suit. Read more
Iran announces further easing of virus measures (Guardian)
Iran announced a further relaxation of coronavirus lockdown measures on Saturday and said it has started to control the outbreak in nearly a third of its provinces.
The Islamic republic has battled the Middle East’s most deadly coronavirus outbreak since February 19, when it announced its first two deaths.
Ten out of Iran’s 31 provinces are now in the virus “containment stage”, said President Hassan Rouhani in a televised virus taskforce meeting. Read more
Hana Kimura, Japanese wrestler and Netflix star, dead at 22 (NYPost)
Hana Kimura, the Japanese pro wrestler who starred in Netflix’s “Terrace House,” has died. She was 22.
Kimura’s death was confirmed Friday by Stardom Wrestling, which promotes pro women’s wrestling in Japan. The organization didn’t give a cause of death, but the reality star had posted messages on social media implying she had been bullied online, the BBC reported.
The latest post on Kimura’s Instagram account showed a photo of her and her cat, with the caption “goodbye.” Read more
Bribery: Don’t dismiss Obasi’s allegations, says Akpoborie (Punch)
Ex-international, Jonathan Akpoborie, says Chinedu Obasi, who accused officials of demanding bribe from him prior to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, should be given a chance to present his case.
Obasi, in an Instagram live video interview with Kelechi Bernard, disclosed that he was asked to give bribe to feature at the 2014 World Cup.
However, some officials of the national team during the time, assistant coach Sylvanus Okpala and media officer Ben Alaiya debunked the allegations, saying the forward was dropped due to injury and fitness issues. Read more
Green light: Spanish government gives go-ahead for La Liga resumption from June 8 (RT)
Spanish football appears set to emerge from its coronavirus hiatus next month after government officials gave their blessing to the resumption of football after a two-month break amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has given his blessing for the return of football from the week starting June 8 after it had been suspended since mid-March, but football authorities have been assessing the situation in a bid to conclude the campaign should the public health situation allow for it.
La Liga officials have been pushing for a June 12 restart date, and Sanchez’s announcement now gives the league a concrete return date to target. Read more
World Cup winner Goetze to part ways with Dortmund (Guardian)
Borussia Dortmund sports director Michael Zorc confirmed Saturday that Mario Goetze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final, will leave at the end of the season.
“We will stop working together with Mario Goetze in the summer,” Zorc told Sky before Saturday’s Bundesliga game away to Wolfsburg.
“It is a joint decision after a constructive conversation. Mario is a really good guy.” Read more
Premier League proposed June 12 restart date labelled ‘impossible’ (Independent)
Watford defender Christian Kabasele does not think the Premier League’s proposed return date of June 12 is realistic, and believes the end of next month is a more likely start date.
Teams returned to small group training this week as part of Project Restart’s phase one, and there is growing optimism from some that the Premier League will soon be able to follow in the footsteps of the Bundesliga and play matches behind closed doors.
But some players, such as Kabasele’s teammate Troy Deeney, have opposed such a quick return while coronavirus is still rife, and speaking on the Counter Attack podcast Kabasele urged for caution. Read more
Arsenal transfer target Willian speaks out on ‘difficult’ Chelsea situation (Metro)
Chelsea star Willian insists the club’s refusal to offer him a three-year contract extension has left him in a ‘difficult’ situation ahead of next month’s potential Premier League resumption. The experienced Brazil international has just over a month remaining on his current deal but has intimated he will sign a short-term deal that would see him through until the end of the current season, before becoming a free agent. Arsenal, who have ties with Willian’s representative Kia Joorabchian through head of football Raul Sanllehi and technical director Edu, have emerged as a the front-runners to sign the 31-year-old who is keen to remain in London. Read more
Coronavirus: NBA legend Patrick Ewing reveals positive Covid-19 test (BBC)
NBA legend Patrick Ewing has revealed that he has tested positive for coronavirus.
The New York Knicks great, who played 17 seasons as a centre in the NBA, is currently the head coach of the Georgetown University men’s team.
He was an 11-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medallist.
“I want to share that I have tested positive for Covid-19. This virus is serious and should not be taken lightly,” the 57-year-old tweeted. Read more