SARS responsible for 80 per cent of police’s success, says IG (Punch)
The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said in Benin on Monday that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad has contributed up to 80 per cent of the successes recorded by the Nigeria Police Force. Adamu made the remark at the commencement of a three-day Human Rights Training Programme for officers of SARS in Edo. The IG, represented by CP Abiodun Odube, Commissioner of Police in charge of Training and Development, said this was in spite of the protests by Nigerians against the activities of SARS. Read more
‘Suspended’ Sowore suspends AAC’s acting chairman (Guardian)
2019 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress and chairman of the political party, Omoyele Sowore, has denied being suspended as the chairman of the party. He, in turn, suspended Leonard Nzenwa sworn-in by his party as the acting national chairman. Sowore claimed the rumours were simply a distraction from the Central Bank scandal. ““Sowore suspended from @aacparty as Chairman” kindly ignore but don’t forget that they needed some distraction from the @cenbank N500billion scandal,” Sowore tweeted on Monday Read more
Buhari to have low-key inauguration – Information minister (Punch)
The Federal Government has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will have a low-key inauguration for his second term on May 29. The Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this in Abuja, explained that most events for that date had been moved to June 12, the country’s new Democracy Day. He added that world leaders had already been invited to attend the Democracy Day on June 12. Read more
Ayade begs Cross River IDPs in Ebonyi to return home (Guardian)
Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has urged all the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the state taking refuge in Ebonyi to return home, assuring that their safety would be guaranteed. Ayade made the call on Monday at Nguzu Edda in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi when he led a 10-man delegation to visit IDP camps at various locations in Edda. The governor, who was represented by Mr Nicholas Odum, the Paramount Ruler from Biase Local Government Area of Cross River, interacted with the IDPs and officials of the Afikpo council. Read more
Zainab Aliyu returns to Nigeria after 4-month detention in S/Arabia (Nation)
Zainab Aliyu, a Nigerian student who was detained in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug trafficking, has on Monday arrived in Nigeria after four months in detention. Aliyu, a 22-year-old student of the Maitama Sule University in Kano, had travelled to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj alongside her mother and sister. She was arrested at the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina, Saudi Arabia in December 2018 after tramadol, a banned drug was allegedly found in her bag. Read more
UTME results inaccessible, candidates complain (Guardian)
Candidates of the Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) have decried technical challenges faced in accessing by telephone, the just released results. And the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, which conducted the examination, admitted the problem, but said it was working in collaboration with telephone service providers to resolve the glitches. JAMB on Saturday directed the candidates to use the same telephone numbers used in registering for the examination to access their results by sending ‘RESULT’ to the code, ‘55019’. Read more
Defence minister ought to have been fired – Zamfara emirs’ chair (Punch)
The Emir of Anka, who is also the Chairman of the Zamfara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, has again taken a swipe at the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, for accusing traditional rulers of aiding banditry. The traditional ruler, who stated this in an exclusive interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday, said the minister ought to have been fired by President Muhammadu Buhari for making this allegation. The emir, who described the minister’s allegation as serious, said Dan-Ali, who hails from Birnin Magaji Local Government Area of Zamfara State, ought to have relocated to his local government as part of efforts to tackle banditry. Read more
Taraba killings worry CAN (Guardian)
The Coordinator of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Jalingo Local Government Area of Taraba, Mr Lawrence Tata, has expressed sadness over the endless killings among ethnic groups, herdsmen and farmers in the state. Tata told newsmen on Monday in Jalingo that the killings should be stopped forthwith for meaningful development to be fostered in the state. He appealed to security agencies to redouble their efforts to end the violence, saying that incessant killings had destroyed the peace and unity the state was known for. Read more
Alleged fraud: Court admits KWSG Perm Sec, three others to N5m bail each (Guardian)
A Federal High Court in Ilorin on Monday admitted a Permanent Secretary, Kwara Government House, Abubakar Ishiak and three others, to bail in the sum of N5 million each. The EFCC arraigned Oshiak on May 2, along with Shina Mudashir, Director of Administration and Finance, Rasaq Momonu, Controller Finance and Account and Hafeez Yusuf, Cashier, all of Kwara State Government House on two counts of fraud. Justice Babagana Ashigar admitted the defendants, following an application made by the lead Defence Counsel, Mr Abdulwahab Bamidele. Read more
Bus driver detained for six years wins N10m against police (Punch)
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday ordered the immediate release of a commercial bus driver, Jones Ofori, who was detained for alleged robbery without trial since 2013. The court also ordered the police to pay him damages in the sum of N10m for his unlawful detention. Justice Muslim Hassan, who gave the judgment on Monday, noted that though the defendants filed a counter-affidavit in opposition to the suit, they never served it on the plaintiff. Read more
NERC insists on sanction for MAP slippages (Nation)
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has insisted that it is committed to the timeline in its Meter Assets Provider (MAP) regulation, stressing that it would sanction either the electricity distribution company (DisCo) or MAP that violates the guideline. Speaking with The Nation at the weekend, the commission’s General Manager, Finance and Management Services, Mr. Abudukadir Shetima, said that “Customers of AEDC and JEDC should expect from the commencement of rollout date for meters to be installed in their premises within 10 working days of making payment to MAPs in accordance with section 18 (3) of the MAP Regulations 2018.” Read more
Be good ambassadors, foreign affairs minister advises Nigerians in Malawi (Punch)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has urged Nigerians residing in Malawi to be good ambassadors of the country by exhibiting good character in their dealings. Onyeama gave the advice when he was received at the Kamuzu International Airport, Malawi by the Nigerians living in the country, on Sunday in Lilongwe. The Minister led a Federal Government delegation to deliver relief materials to the Government of Malawi which was hit by the recent tropical Cyclone Idai. Read more
China hits back in trade war with US (BBC)
China has said it will impose tariffs on $60bn (£46bn) of US goods from 1 June, extending a bilateral trade war. The move comes three days after the US more than doubled tariffs on $200bn of Chinese imports. Earlier, US President Donald Trump denied that US consumers would pay for higher tariffs on Chinese imports and warned China not to follow suit. But Beijing said it would not swallow any “bitter fruit” that harmed its interests. Read more
The office will destroy you, Philippine president warns daughter against succeeding him (Punch)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned his eldest daughter against running for president in 2022, saying the office would “destroy” her. Sara Duterte, mayor of the president’s home city of Davao in the southern region of Mindanao, has gained traction as a possible frontrunner in the next presidential election. The mayor has not confirmed her plans, but she formed a political coalition called Hugpong ng Pagbabago, or Faction for Change, that endorsed 13 candidates for the Senate in mid-term elections that were being held across the Philippines on Monday. Read more
Pastor who raped daughter, 14, gets light prison sentence because he is a man of God (Metro)
A pastor facing life in prison for raping his 14-year-old daughter was shown mercy by a judge because of his ministry. David Richards, 41, was sentenced to 12 years in jail on Thursday in Knox County Tennessee for raping his adoptive daughter – although prosecutors sought the maximum term of 72 years. As he handed down the lenient sentence, Judge Steve Sword cited Richard’s work as a pastor and the Bible study he began in jail as mitigating factors. Read more
Author’s book deal canceled after she ‘shames’ public transport worker for eating on train (Metro)
An up-and-coming novelist has had her book deal canceled after she shamed a public transport worker for eating her breakfast on a train. Natasha Tynes sparked fury after she shared a snap of the unidentified woman on the Washington DC Metro on Friday. She wrote: ‘When you’re on your morning commute & see @wmata employee in UNIFORM eating on the train. Read more
Doris Day, Hollywood actress and singer, dies aged 97 (BBC)
Hollywood legend Doris Day, whose films made her one of the biggest stars of all time, has died aged 97. The singer turned actress starred in films such as Calamity Jane and Pillow Talk and had a hit in 1956 with Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be). Her screen partnership with Rock Hudson is one of the best-known in the history of romantic movies. In a statement, the Doris Day Animal Foundation said she died on Monday at her home in Carmel Valley, California. Read more
2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Dennerby lists Ebi, Oparanozie, others (Punch)
Defender Onome Ebi, midfielder Ngozi Okobi and forward Desire Oparanozie top the list of 27 players Super Falcons’ Head Coach Thomas Dennerby has listed for the team’s final camping programme. Ademola Olajire, the Director of Communications, Nigeria Football Federation in a statement on Monday said the final list of 23 players would emerge from the 27-player list after the camping. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the camping is scheduled for Austria ahead of the 8th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals. Read more
Christian Pulisic names the ONE Chelsea star he can’t wait to play alongside (Metro)
Chelsea new boy Christian Pulisic admits he can’t wait to play with N’Golo Kante at Stamford Bridge. The American winger will feature for Dortmund for a final time against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday before making his move to west London. The 20-year-old has long been linked with a move to the Premier League but Chelsea won the competition for his signature in January for a fee of around £58million. Read more
Yaya Toure denies retiring from football (Guardian)
Former Ivorian and Manchester City midfielder Yaya toure has denied retiring from football. “There has been a lot of confusion about my future recently. I want to make it clear here that I love football and I’m still in contention to play for a few more years,” Yaya Toure said in a tweet on Sunday. Yaya Toure, who clocked 35 last week, was reported to have announced his retirement on his birthday. But he distanced himself from the report. Read more
Drinkwater slapped with long ban for drink driving (Guardian)
Out-of-favour Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater has been banned from driving for 20 months after admitting to drink driving. The 29-year-old — capped three times by England on the back of his pivotal role in Leicester’s fairytale 2016 title victory — was two-and-a-half times over the legal limit when he crashed his Range Rover through a wall last month. Drinkwater, who had two women passengers in the car, caused £50,000 ($65,000) damage to his car and suffered a graze to his forehead. Read more
Barcelona want Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson, but know a deal is highly unlikely (Metro)
Liverpool full-back Andrew Robertson has reportedly been identified as an ideal transfer target by Barcelona, but the Spanish side know a deal will be almost impossible to do. The Scot has been in fine form all season for the Reds, providing 13 assists in all competitions as his side finished second in the Premier League and prepare to face Tottenham in the Champions League final. Liverpool knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League in the semi-finals and the Catalans were thoroughly impressed with Robertson’s performances. Read more
Serena eases to victory in Rome return (Punch)
Serena Williams made a winning return from injury beating Swedish qualifier Rebecca Petersen 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the second round of the Italian Open clay-court tournament on Monday. Williams, 37, has not played since a hard-fought three-set win over Petersen in the second round at the Miami Open in March before withdrawing with a knee injury. The 23-time Grand Slam winner — now ranked 11th — also withdrew from Indian Wells in March complaining through illness. Read more
South Africa to appeal Semenya ruling (Guardian)
South Africa on Monday said it would lodge an appeal after Olympic champion Caster Semenya lost her case challenging new rules forcing female athletes to regulate their testosterone levels. Semenya’s case has provoked a furious debate across sport worldwide about gender and “hyperandrogenic” athletes, those with “differences of sexual development” (DSD). The decision on May 1 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, means female athletes with elevated testosterone will have to take suppressive treatment if they wish to compete as women in certain events. Read more
Conor McGregor: Charges dropped after phone smashing incident (BBC)
Florida prosecutors have dropped all charges against UFC star Conor McGregor after he was arrested for allegedly smashing a fan’s phone. The Irish fighter had been charged with strong-armed robbery and misdemeanour criminal mischief. But on Monday state prosecutors said the alleged victim had gone abroad and stopped co-operating with police. The incident took place on 11 March as McGregor, 30, left the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. Read more