Sergeant kills inspector over gate closure in Lagos (Punch)
An inspector of police, Adekunle Ilesanmi, has been killed by a sergeant, Okema Azuquo, in the Oke-Odo area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Azuquo was quarrelling with some tenants over the time to close the gate of their place of residence on Dosumu Street in the Agbelekale area of Oke-Odo, when Ilesanmi intervened and attempted to subdue him.
Out of annoyance, Azuquo was said to have pounced on the inspector and dealt him several machete blows on his leg and other parts of his body.
A co-tenant, Ayodele Eyitayo, was said to have also sustained an injury on his face during the attack, which occurred last Thursday. Read more
Alleged Fraud: Court orders interim forfeiture of businessman’s N827m to FG (Vanguard)
Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday, ordered the interim forfeiture of N827 million recovered from a businessman, Matthew Edevbie, to the Federal Government.
Justice Aneke gave the order, following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Aneke directed the EFCC to publish the order in any national daily for any interested party to appear before the court within 14 days and show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal government.
The court fixed June 29 for parties to show cause. Read more
Lawmakers pass vote of confidence in Obasa (Nation)
Lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary yesterday passed a vote of confidence in Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
This followed the presentation of a report of a nine-man fact-finding ad hoc committee of the House on allegations of corruption levelled against the Speaker by SaharaReporters.
The committee, headed by Mr. Victor Akande (Ojo Constituency 1), was mandated to investigate the allegations of corruption levelled against the Speaker, which include operating 64 bank accounts with different banks with different names.
It was also alleged that the Speaker unilaterally approved expenditure for programmes and activities in the House and spent N258million to print invitation cards for the inauguration of the 9th Assembly. Read more
Four suspected robbers arrested in Ogun hideout (Punch)
The Ogun State Police Command, on Sunday, nabbed four members of a notorious armed robbery syndicate in their hideout.
The suspects, Sunkanmi Tajudeen, Habeeb Oladimeji, Sunday Akintunde and Ishola Samson, were said to have been terrorising residents of the Mowe and Ofada areas of the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
Oyeyemi said the suspects had been on the wanted list of the command before their arrest.
The PPRO stated, “The suspects were arrested following an intelligence report received by the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad about the hideout of the gang in the Adesan area of Mowe. Read more
Flood renders Ondo residents homeless (Nation)
Residents of Ilutitun-Osooro, an agrarian community in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, have sent a Save Our Soul (S.O.S) message to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over the flood ravaging the community. The development followed the recent downpour.
The rains have rendered people homeless, with property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
The affected areas include houses along Union Bank Road, Akinyemi and Agidi streets, extending to Seba Olawole Street along Ilutitun-Osooro Broad Street.
One of the victims, who spoke on behalf of others, who gave her name as Mrs. A. Idebi, said the incessant rains that caused flood had wreaked havoc on them, rendering them homeless. Read more
50% of Kano 979 strange deaths caused by coronavirus, says FG (Punch)
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Monday said the South-East geopolitical region was not conducting enough COVID-19 tests.
Ihekweazu, who stated this at the press briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, said the low number of tests being conducted in the South-East was responsible for the fewer number of confirmed cases in the zone. He said the situation did not reflect the reality on the ground.
The NCDC DG said this just as the PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, at the press conference said the country had conducted 80,000 COVID-19 tests. Read more
FG declares June 12 public holiday to mark Democracy Day (Guardian)
The Nigerian Government has declared Friday, June 12, 2020, as public holiday to mark this year’s Democracy Day celebration.
Nigeria’s interior minister Rauf Aregbesola in a statement signed by the permanent secretary in the ministry Georgina Ehuriah congratulated all Nigerians at home and abroad for the entrenchment of democratic rule in the country.
He commended the heroes of democracy for their dogged determination and sacrifice which eventually birthed Democratic Governance in Nigeria.
Aregbesola called on all Nigerians to continue to cherish these selfless efforts and collaborate with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to ensure the realization of the democratic ideals which these Patriots fought for, even at the cost of their lives. Read more
Judge demands more evidence in Saraki’s houses forfeiture suit (Punch)
Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court in Lagos has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to bring more evidence in support of its suit seeking the permanent forfeiture of two houses in Lagos belonging to a former Senate President and two-term Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki.
The anti-graft agency had claimed that the houses, located in the Ikoyi area of Lagos, were acquired with funds allegedly diverted by Saraki from the coffers of Kwara State while he was governor.
The EFCC alleged that between 2003 and 2011, Saraki “withdrew over N12bn cash from the account of the Kwara State Government and paid same into his accounts domiciled in Access and Zenith banks through one of his personal assistants, Abdul Adama, at different intervals.” Read more
WHO: Asymptomatic spread of coronavirus appears to be ‘very rare’ (NYPost)
People who have the coronavirus but don’t display symptoms aren’t driving the spread of the pandemic, World Health Organization officials said Monday.
“From the data we have, it still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said at a news briefing in Geneva, CNBC reported.
“It’s very rare.”
Health officials warned early on that asymptomatic carriers could be fueling the spread by stealth –but Van Kerkhove said that while asymptomatic spread can occur, it is not the main way the virus was being transmitted. Read more
China releases lengthy white paper to chronicle COVID-19 response (VOA)
China on Monday released a lengthy white paper to chronicle what it called a hard-won fight against the COVID-19 outbreak in the past five months – a report that has mostly won acclaim from its people.
In the 37,000-word document, however, China said little about its early response to the coronavirus outbreak. Several accounts of what happened in Wuhan, the epicenter of the global pandemic when the outbreak began, have run contrary to what whistleblower doctors had said, according to analysts. China claimed the virus was first reported in Wuhan in December. Read more
North Korea halts all communications with South in row over leafleting (BBC)
North Korea has said it will cut off all inter-Korean communication lines with the South, including a hotline between the two nation’s leaders.
The North said this was the first in a series of actions, describing South Korea as “the enemy”.
Daily calls, which have been made to a liaison office located in the North Korean border city of Kaesong, will cease from Tuesday.
The two states had set up the office to reduce tensions after talks in 2018.
North and South Korea are technically still at war because no peace agreement was reached when the Korean War ended in 1953. Read more
Dozens of IS fighters captured in new campaign in Eastern Syria (VOA)
US military officials said more than 60 Islamic State (IS) terrorists were captured by U.S.-backed forces in Syria as part of a major campaign to hunt down remnants of the terror group.
Col. Myles Caggins, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against IS, said in a tweet Monday that U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) continue their operation against IS sleeper cells in parts of Deir al-Zour and Hasaka provinces in eastern Syria.
Since its territorial defeat in March 2019, IS has carried out terror attacks against civilians and SDF fighters, especially in areas along the border with Iraq. Read more
Thousands pay last respects to George Floyd at Houston church (NYPost)
Thousands gathered at a Houston church Monday to pay their last respects to George Floyd, a day before he is due to be buried next to his mother in his Texas hometown.
For five hours the mourners — ranging from average citizens to top government leaders and celebrities — filed into the Fountain of Praise Church and past Floyd’s casket, more than two weeks after Floyd died while being pinned down by Minneapolis police.
His death has sparked worldwide protests and calls for racial justice. Read more
UAE’s first Mars mission ‘to launch within weeks’ (BBC)
The first Arab space mission to Mars is preparing to lift off within weeks. Fuelling is due to begin next week.
It will take seven months to travel the 493 million km (308 million miles) to reach Mars and begin its orbit, sending back ground-breaking new data about its climate and atmosphere.
The probe will remain orbiting Mars for an entire Martian year, 687 days, to gather sufficient data.
A single orbit around Mars will take the probe 55 hours. Read more
NFF’s target for Rohr will put positive pressure on Eagles, says Baruwa (Guardian)
Former Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Abiodun Baruwa, believes the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has done the Super Eagles a world of good by insisting that Coach Gernot Rohr must win the Cameroun 2021 Nations Cup and also excel at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Speaking at the weekend from his base in London, Baruwa said the target given to Rohr was a clear signal that the federation expected better from him than his past performance in his new contract.
He said, “I don’t think the Nations Cup target will put Rohr under unnecessary pressure as some people have said. Read more
Football needs more black managers – Sterling (BBC)
Progress in the fight against racism will only come in football when more black players become managers, England and Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling says.
Thousands of people have taken part in anti-racism marches in the UK, following the death of American George Floyd on 25 May in Minneapolis.
“The protest is a great starting point, to make your voice be heard,” he said. Read more
Manchester United wonderkid Teden Mengi promoted into first team (Metro)
Manchester United teenager Teden Mengi trained with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first team on Monday after being promoted from the Under-23s.
The 18-year-old is yet to make his debut for the club but he was an unused substitute in United’s 2-1 defeat to Astana in the Europa League in 2019. Read more
Remove all racist symbols – Hamilton (BBC)
Lewis Hamilton has urged countries around the world to remove “racist symbols” after the toppling of the statue of a slave trader in Bristol.
The world champion saluted anti-racism protesters for tearing down a monument to the 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston at a demonstration on Sunday.
Hamilton said governments around the world should “implement the peaceful removal of these racist symbols”.
He has made a series of statements amid global anti-racism protests.
Hamilton ‘overcome with rage’ at events in US
These have occurred in a number of countries following the death of George Floyd in the US last month. Read more
Tammy Abraham confident of keeping Chelsea starting spot despite Timo Werner transfer (Metro)
Chelsea ace Tammy Abraham is not concerned about his future at the club and is confident of seeing off competition from Timo Werner to remain Frank Lampard’s first choice striker, according to reports.
The Blues are set to sign Werner for a fee of around £49million after Liverpool pulled out of a deal for the Germany star.
That deal has cast doubt over Abraham’s future at the club, particularly as he’s yet to sign an extension to his current contract which expires in 2022. Read more
Lyon Star Ada Hederberg inks landmark 10-Year deal with Nike (Vanguard)
Lyon star Ada Hederberg has signed a groundbreaking 10-year deal endorsement deal with Nike, in a first for women’s football.
Hederberg is widely regarded as one of the finest players in the world, winning the inaugural Ballon d’Or Femin in 2018 and being named BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year on two occasions.
She has not represented her national team Norway since 2017 in protest over how they treat the women’s side, forcing her to miss the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Read more