Scores wounded, shops looted as armed thugs, tanker drivers clash in Lagos (Guardian)
About 50 people, including truck drivers were fatally injured yesterday, while many shops and trucks were looted and torched after heavily armed thugs invaded Vinager and Abule-Ado areas of Satellite town along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lagos State.
It was gathered that the fight, which started on Tuesday evening, was as a result of illegal levy being collected by thugs allegedly loyal to a monarch in Satellite Town, Ojo. The violence paralyzed business activities in the heavily-populated area, which led to the closure of banks and other businesses as residents scampered to adjoining Festac town and Mile 2 areas for safety. Many schools were also closed as fear of escalation heightened.
Trouble started when the armed thugs said to have been recruited from Benin Republic by a suspected terrorist gang with base at Oguntade village in Old Ojo road, invaded shops and residential areas demanding money forcefully from people. Eyewitness narrated that the thugs, who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons, were shooting sporadically to scare their targets, mostly truck drivers. Read more
Lagos yellow taxi drivers association gets mobile App (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Yellow Taxi and Eko Cab Drivers Association has introduced a digital mobile app, called the Eko Cab App, to enhance the operational efficiency of its members. It was gathered that the association launched the app in response to the declining patronage of the yellow taxi cab, following the advent of several digital transportation apps in the state. The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, who spoke during the launch, advised members of the association to comply with the extant laws and stipulated regulations to ensure success and sustainability of the initiative. Read more
Court fines police N2m for detaining pastor, wife for eight days (Nation)
‘A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the police to pay a couple N2 million for detaining them for eight days.
Justice Sule Hassan said the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) Ikoyi, Lagos, breached the fundamental rights of Reverend Godwin Izuchukwu and his wife, Reverend Prayer Godwin.
The respondents in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/699/19, are: Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Police Commissioner in-charge of PSFU, Jane Nzekwe and Kate Nwuba.
The Godwins sued the respondents for detaining them beyond the constitutionally accepted period. Read more
Monarch seeks grassroots development in Lagos (Guardian)
The Baale of Candoso community in Ayobo- Ipaja Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, High Chief Moroof Owonla, has urged the three senators representing the state at the National Assembly, Abuja, to work towards upgrading the 37 LCDAs to substantive local government areas to speed up grassroots development in the state.
He implored Senators Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), Solomon Adeola Olamilekan (Lagos West) and Adebayo Osinowo (Lagos East) to quickly sponsor a bill to that effect on the floor of the red chamber.
Owonla made the appeal during a meeting he held yesterday with community stakeholders including artisans, market women, landlords and youth leaders in his palace, urging members of House of Representatives from the state to also do same, so as to enhance further development of rural areas in the state. Read more
UNILAG lecturers protest, demand Babalakin’s removal (Punch)
Tension mounted on Wednesday as lecturers at the University of Lagos, Akoka, protested against the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin.
The lecturers, who marched round the school, gathered under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, UNILAG branch.
The placard-carrying protesters, who chanted slogans against the pro-chancellor, called for his removal.
The protest followed a week of renewed clash between the varsity management led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Toyin Ogundipe, and the governing council. Read more
Fire guts Anambra building material market (DailyTrust)
Building material market in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State was, early Wednesday morning, gutted by fire.
Daily Trust gathered that the fire started at about 4am. It was also gathered that the fire emanated from an articulated vehicle parked inside the market. Firefighters were still battling with the fire as at the time of filing this report. Read more
NIPOST staff docked for alleged N1.5m fraud (DailyTrust)
A staff of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Daniel Ishaku, has been arraigned by the police before a Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, over forgery and fraud. The defendant was dragged before the court for allegedly defrauding a cooperative society (Arcuma Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited) of N1.5 million by forging a pay slip and an I.D card. The Prosecution Counsel, Peter Ejike, told the court that the defendant had also forged signatures and passport photographs of four NIPOST staff members who are now at large, to defraud the cooperative under the guise of loan. Read more
Ondo policeman kills wife, self over alleged infidelity (Punch
A policeman identified as Tolulope, who was attached to the Ondo State Police Command, has allegedly shot his wife dead and later killed himself.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday evening, was said to have happened in Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
A police source said the cop was specifically attached to the Akungba Police Division and he was said to have committed the act after he returned from work.
Another source narrated that the deceased policeman and his wife had been having frequent quarrels over issues of infidelity. He said the late cop always accused his wife of receiving too many calls and messages from different men. Read more
FG retains 5% VAT for contracts awarded before February 1 (DailyTrust)
The Federal Government on Wednesday said it has retained 5 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) for contracts awarded before February 1, 2020. Addressing State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council meeting today, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said the report of a Cabinet Committee on the effective date for the commencement of the 7.5% VAT on government contracts has been approved. Shehu said the council had given approval that new contracts signed from February 1, 2020, going forward would attract 7.5% VAT, while those contracts earlier signed on 5% VAT before February 1 would remain at 5%. Read more
Court bars APC NWC from stopping Tues NEC meeting (Punch)
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has restrained the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress, Babatunde Ogala; the National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu; and Waziri Bulama from taking any steps to disrupt the meeting of the APC National Executive Committee, convened by the party’s National Working Committee and scheduled for March 17.
The court, in a ruling by Justice S.U. Bature, made the restraining order on Wednesday following an ex parte application by one Mustapha Salihu. Read more
Donald Trump bans all travel from Europe to US for 30 days to stop coronavirus (Metro)
Donald Trump has suspended all travel to the US from Europe for 30 days to try and tackle the coronavirus crisis. The draconian measures come into effect from midnight Friday, but do not apply to the United Kingdom. Trump revealed his plans in a rare Oval Office address on Wednesday night while criticizing the European Union for allowing the virus to take hold. He said: ‘The European Union failed to take the same precautions (as the US) and restrict travel from China and other hotspots. As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe. ‘After consulting with our top government health officials I have decided to take several strong but necessary actions to protect the health of all Americans. To stop new cases from entering our shores we will be suspending all travel from Europe to our shores for 30 days.’ Read more
WHO declares coronavirus pandemic
(Guardian)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday finally declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic and urged countries to take urgent and aggressive action to contain the spread.
There are now more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries while 4,291 people have lost their lives to the disease.
The Director General of the organisation, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who made the declaration said the number of cases outside China had increased 13-fold over the past two weeks and expressed concern about “alarming levels of inaction” in the fight against the spread of the disease. Read more
Coronavirus: What is a pandemic and why use the term now? (BBC)
As the virus spreads, preventative checks are taking place around the world
The coronavirus outbreak has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is a term that the organisation had refrained from using before now.
A pandemic describes a disease that is spreading between people in multiple countries around the world at the same time.
WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was now using the term because of deep concern over “alarming levels of inaction” over the virus.
What is a pandemic?
The description is reserved for an infectious disease where we see significant and ongoing person-to-person spread in multiple countries. Read more
Doctor with coronavirus shares daily symptoms on Twitter (NY Post)
A doctor with coronavirus is giving his followers a day-by-day look at the disease’s symptoms as it takes hold of his body.
Dr. Yale Tung Chen got infected while treating patients at Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, where he works as an emergency physician.
The 35-year-old is live-tweeting ultrasounds of his lungs and a diary of his aches and pains while being quarantined in his home. In exchange for giving the world a first-hand look at the symptoms patients may face, his followers are giving him their well-wishes. Read more
UK soldier and two Americans killed in rocket attack in Iraq (BBC)
Three people have been killed after a base hosting US and UK troops in Iraq was hit by a rocket attack.
At least 12 people were injured in the attack on the Taji military camp, north of Baghdad.
US military sources said an American soldier, an American contractor and a British soldier were killed. No names have yet been released.
Tension has been high since the US killed senior Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in January. Read more
Harvey Weinstein rushed to hospital with ‘chest pains’ after receiving 23-year prison sentence (Metro)
Harvey Weinstein has been taken to hospital just hours after he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. The disgraced Hollywood producer appeared in court on Wednesday (11 March) where Judge James Burke handed down a 23-year sentence following his conviction for sex crimes. Hours later, Weinstein’s spokesperson Juda Engelmayer confirmed he had been taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for ‘ongoing heart problems and chest pain’. Read more
Bernie Sanders vows to grill Joe Biden at Sunday debate (NYPost)
By Ebony Bowden and Mark MooreMarch 11, 2020 | 10:09pm
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden talk during a break in the Democratic presidential primary debate in South Carolina last month.Getty Images
A defiant Sen. Bernie Sanders promised Wednesday to hammer Democratic front-runner Joe Biden over key progressive issues at Sunday’s head-to-head debate, even as Sanders admitted that a slew of primary losses has left his campaign on the ropes.
“I very much look forward to the debate in Arizona with my friend Joe Biden,” said Sanders about the forum slated for Phoenix — before detailing his promise to whack at the suddenly surging Biden on a checklist of Bernie’s progressive priorities. Read more
Floyd Mayweather’s ex-partner found dead in car (BBC)
Josie Harris, the mother to three of boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather’s children, has been found dead in her car in California.
The 40-year-old was found unresponsive on her driveway, a spokeswoman for the coroner told the BBC.
No information has been released regarding the cause of death.
Harris dated the boxer between 1995 and 2010. He was convicted of her misdemeanour battery in 2010 and later served two months in jail. Read more
Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson diagnosed with coronavirus (Metro)
Movie icon Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have both tested positive for coronavirus. The two-time Oscar winner said he and his wife of 31 years, who are both 63, found out the news while on Australia’s Gold Coast, where Hanks is about to start filming Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann’s new Elvis Presley biopic. In a statement released Wednesday evening, Hanks told Deadline: ‘Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia,.
‘We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive.’ Read more
Liverpool out of Champions League (BBC)
Holders Liverpool are out of the Champions League after a dramatic last-16 second leg against Atletico Madrid went into extra time – and a finely balanced game turned on a catastrophic blunder by goalkeeper Adrian.
Jurgen Klopp’s side – seeking to win the trophy for a seventh time – thought they had overturned Atletico’s 1-0 advantage from the first leg when Roberto Firmino’s first goal at Anfield this season at the start of the added 30 minutes gave them the lead in the tie.
Georginio Wijnaldum’s first-half header was full reward for Liverpool laying siege to the Atletico goal for much of the first 90 minutes. Read more
Galatasaray sweating over Onyekuru’s fitness ahead of Besiktas clash (DailyTrust)
Henry Onyekuru left Galatasaray’s training session on Wednesday with pain in his left lower back muscle as the Lions prepare for Sunday’s derby against Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig. The Super Eagles forward was withdrawn as a precautionary measure, and he is expected to undergo further medical examinations on Thursday to determine his health condition. Onyekuru has been in fine form for Galatasaray since his return to the Turk Telekom Stadium on loan in January, after struggling for playing time at Monaco. Read more
NBA star Rudy Gobert tests positive for coronavirus 48 hours after mocking worldwide panic (Metro)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) have suspended the league season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus. The 27-year-old had been feeling unwell in the last two days and had been rated doubtful for the Jazz’s match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The NBA, like other sporting associations, had been looking to take measures to minimise the spread of the virus but they decided to suspend the season indefinitely on Wednesday night after Gobert’s results came back positive shortly before tip-off. The player was not at the arena at the time.
The result comes less than 48 hours after the 27-year-old appeared to make light of the mass panic in society by touching all of the microphones at a press conference on Monday. Read more
LeBron backtracks on refusing to play games in empty arenas (DailyTrust)
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has backtracked on his earlier statement that he wouldn’t play in an empty arena if teams were forced to keep fans out because of the coronavirus outbreak. “Well, it’s funny, because when I was asked the question – would you play without no fans? – I had no idea that there was actually a conversation going on behind closed doors about the particular virus,” James told reporters on Tuesday. “Obviously, I would be very disappointed, not having the fans, because that’s who I play for. I play for my family. I play for my fans. They’re saying no one could come to the game if they decide to go that point. Read more
Why Anthony Martial will miss Man Utd’s Europa League game against LASK (Metro)
Anthony Martial will miss Thursday’s Europa League match against LASK after he suffered an impact injury in Sunday’s Manchester derby. The France international collided with a post attempting to close down Ederson’s clearance early in the second half. Martial managed to continue for a further 25 minutes before being replaced by Odion Ighalo for the closing stages. Martial was not involved in United’s training session at Carrington on Wednesday morning and did not accompany his teammates on the flight to Austria ahead of the last 16 first leg tie. United travel to Tottenham on Sunday looking to enhance their chances of finishing in the top four but Solskjaer admitted Martial is also a doubt for the trip to north London. Read more
McIlroy chasing first back-to-back at Players Championship (DailyTrust)
Rory McIlroy has his eye on a piece of PGA Tour history this week as he targets a successful defense of The Players Championship. The world No 1 arrives at Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida aiming to become the first player to go back-to-back at TPC Sawgrass. “I don’t think you ever need an extra motivation when you come to this golf tournament, but to be the first one to defend here would be very cool,” McIlroy told reporters on Tuesday. McIlroy will tee off on Thursday after an encouraging start to the season that has seen him post five top-five finishes in six starts. Read more
Neymar scores as PSG overcome Dortmund in empty Parc des Princes (BBC)
Paris St-Germain rid themselves of their Champions League curse as they overturned a 2-1 deficit against Borussia Dortmund inside an empty Parc des Princes to reach the last eight.
Concerns over the coronavirus meant fans were barred, but many gathered outside the stadium and celebrated when Neymar headed PSG into the lead.
Juan Bernat made it 3-2 on aggregate when he turned in Pablo Sarabia’s ball.
Dortmund’s Emre Can saw red late on after two bookings in quick succession.
PSG’s players celebrated wildly at full-time before greeting the hundreds of supporters who remained outside the Parc des Princes. Read more
Nigeria Archery plans to debut at 2024 Olympics (DailyTrust)
The Newly-elected 2nd vice President of Nigeria Archery Federation, Mike Egbayelo has pledged his commitment to ensure Nigeria does not only become a force to be reckoned with in Africa but also rub shoulders with the best in the world by way of debuting at the 2024 Olympics Olympics in Paris, France.. Egbayelo, who defeated incumbent Ayo Phillips to also emerge as the South-west representative on the board on Wednesday’s poll in Abuja said various plans have been tailored for the phenomenal rise of the sport in Nigeria. Read more