Shi’ites deny killing DCP Musa, Channels reporter (Nation)
Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shi’ites have denied being responsible for the murder of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations in the FCT, DCP Usman Musa and the Channels Television reporter, Precious Owolabi. The Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky led group of the Shi’ites Islamic sect however said that, the victims may have been victims of ‘friendly fire’. The IMN in a statement issued by the President of its Media Forum, Ibrahim Musa stated categorically that, Owolabi’s death was a clear case of falling victim to a shooting spree embarked upon by the police during the protest. Read more
Buhari used ministerial list to distract Nigerians – Atiku’s spokesman (Guardian)
A spokesman to former Nigerian vice president Tuesday accused the country’s president of deflecting the attention of the country from the Shiite-police clash with the release of the ministerial list. Paul Ibe, who is the spokesman for Atiku Abubakar, said President Muhammadu Buhari used his 43-man ministerial nominees’ list to deflect the narrative of the ‘avoidable’ death of about 13 persons during a protest against the continued detention of their leader Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife on Monday. Read more
Photos of Miyetti Allah vigilante authentic, but I didn’t leak them —Ajulo (Punch)
The General Secretary of Forward Buhari, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, says he did not leak the photographs of armed members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Ondo State which went viral on social media on Monday. Ajulo told The PUNCH that he had been part of the fact-finding mission put together to look into the incessant clashes between farmers and herdsmen following the murder of Mrs. Funke Olakunri, daughter of Afenifere chieftain, Pa Reuben Fasoranti. Read more
Two Nigerian airmen killed in gunfight with bandits (Guardian)
Two airmen were killed in gun battle with bandits in Nigeria’s restive northwest, where kidnapping and cattle-rustling is common, the air force said Tuesday. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said in a statement its fighters on Monday encountered “an ambush set up by armed bandits at Kawan Pole Waya” in Kaduna state, along the notorious Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road. The troops were able to fight their way out of the ambush, but “unfortunately, two NAF personnel paid the supreme price in the process”. Read more
Nigerian doctor revives pilgrim in Holy Mosque (Nation)
A non-Nigerian pilgrim on Monday night slumped at the Masjid Haram/Nabawi in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. The pilgrim collapsed shortly after Solatul Maghrib, a prayer offered around 7am. Officials of the Saudi Arabia Red Crescent Authority otherwise known as emergency responders were seen by The Nation attending to him. About five of the emergency responders battled hard to revive him unsuccessfully. Read more
Ortom swears in 15 commissioners in Benue (Nation)
Governor Samuel Ortom on Tuesday swore in 15 Commissioners to help stir the affairs of his administration especially as members of the State Executive Council, EXCO. He stated that the appointments were made without interference from any quarters, stressing that those appointed should know that their godfather is God and then the Benue people. The Governor noted that the new appointees were coming into governance when challenges are enormous and should deploy their experiences to bear on the collective determination of his administration to respond to the challenges confronting it. Read more
We’re tackling insecurity, human trafficking with quality education, says Obaseki (Nation)
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the state government is tackling insecurity and human trafficking in the state by prioritising and investing in quality education and ensuring good governance to engender peace and development. The governor said this Tuesday in his lecture at the Department of State Services’ Institute of Security Studies, in Bwari, Abuja, themed: “Transhumance and International Migration: Challenges of Good Governance, Peace and Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa,” organised for participants in Executive Intelligence Management (EIM) Course 12, drawn from the State Security Services (SSS) and other sister security agencies from Nigeria and other West African countries. Read more
Court remands welder over Lagos pipeline explosion (Guardian)
An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Tuesday remanded a welder, Lanre Orebela, who allegedly caused the July 4 petroleum pipeline explosion in Ijegun area of the state. The Chief Magistrate, Mr Alex Komolafe, ordered that 35-year-old Orebela should be kept in the Ikoyi Prison, pending advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Komolafe adjourned until Aug. 26 for mention. Read more
School principal dies during bone marrow donation for anonymous teenager (Punch)
A high school principal, Derrick Nelson, 44, has died while donating bone marrow for an anonymous teenager. Nelson, the principal of Westfield High School in Westfield, New Jersey, died on April 8 after falling to into a coma during a procedure to donate bone marrow to a 14-year-old boy in France, Nelson’s father told ABC News. “He was the greatest,” Willie Nelson, 82, told ABC News. He added that the family doesn’t know the exact cause of death, but was told Derrick may have suffered a heart attack. Read more
Police nab 2 suspects for allegedly kidnapping, killing girl, 8 (Guardian)
The Police Command in Kano State says it has arrested two suspects for allegedly kidnapping and killing an eight-year-old girl, Aisha Umar. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abdullahi Haruna, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Kano. Haruna said that detectives from the command’s Anti Kidnapping Squad of “Operation Puff-Adder” arrested the suspects after it received on July 22, a report of a lifeless body discovered inside a well at Gandun Albasa, Kano. Read more
Gangs kill 12, including children, in DR Congo (Punch)
Machete- and gun-wielding gangs killed 12 civilians, including two children, in twin overnight attacks in northeast DR Congo blamed on the Islamist-rooted ADF militia group, an official said Tuesday. In the first attack, nine civilians were killed and four injured at Oicha Mabasele near the city of Beni, regional administrator Donat Kibwana told AFP. At the same time, in Eringeti, three civilians were killed, also by suspected ADF members, he said. Dozens of militias operate in the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a vast country the size of western continental Europe. Read more
India denies PM Modi asked Trump to mediate in Kashmir conflict (BBC)
India has denied that PM Narendra Modi asked US President Donald Trump to mediate in the longstanding Kashmir conflict with Pakistan. The Indian foreign ministry tweeted that “no such request” had been made, adding that all issues with Pakistan were “discussed only bilaterally”. Mr Trump’s claim that he had been asked came as he hosted Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House. Read more
Venezuela hits out at US ‘spy plane’ incursion (Guardian)
Venezuela claimed on Monday that a US “spy plane” had entered its airspace, just days after Washington accused a Venezuelan fighter jet of “aggressively” shadowing an American intelligence plane over the Caribbean Sea. Venezuela’s Communication Minister Jorge Rodriguez said a plane that had come from the United States flew over the Caracas airport “flight information region,” without explaining its reasons for doing so. On Sunday, US defence officials said a Russian-made Venezuelan SU-30 had followed a US EP-3 aircraft at an “unsafe distance … jeopardizing the crew and aircraft.” Read more
Russian LGBT activist Yelena Grigoryeva murdered in St Petersburg (BBC)
A prominent LGBT rights campaigner has been found dead with multiple stab wounds and signs of strangulation in the Russian city of St Petersburg. The body of a 41-year-old woman was found in bushes near her home in the city on Sunday, local police said. Relatives and friends later named the victim as Yelena Grigoryeva, Russian news website Fontanka reports. Ms Grigoryeva, who had reportedly received death threats, regularly campaigned for human rights in Russia. Read more
Hero dog dies protecting baby from cobra (Metro)
Two dogs sacrificed themselves to stop a deadly cobra from going into a room where a one-year-old slept inside. The brave pets fought the lethal reptile by baby Skye’s room, outside the family home in Kidapawan City, the Philippines. Incredible CCTV showed Moxie, a two-year-old white dachshund, immediately rushing over and pawing at the snake as it neared the property. Read more
Li Peng: Former Chinese premier known as ‘Butcher of Beijing’ dies at 90 (BBC)
Former Chinese Premier Li Peng, who ordered martial law during the 1989 Tiananmen protests, has died at the age of 90, state media have announced. Li died on Monday evening in Beijing of an unspecified illness. He served in several top positions in China in the 1980s and 1990s. But he was best known as the “Butcher of Beijing” for his role in the Tiananmen Square crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989. Soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed civilians. Read more
Graphic designer admits beating fiancee to death with metal bar (Metro)
A man has admitted the brutal killing of his fiancee at their home in London but denied it was murder. Roderick Deakin-White, 37, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to the manslaughter of Amy Parsons, 35, who was bludgeoned to death with a metal bar. The prosecution indicated the plea was not accepted by the CPS and the defendant now faces a two-week trial, starting on October 28. Read more
The Lion King star JD McCrary is raking it in for playing Simba in the live-action remake (Metro)
We all knew Disney was going to make a lot of money from their epic live-action remake of The Lion King so it’s nice to see that that company was happy to pay the stars of the film accordingly. Child actor JD McCrary bagged the role of a lifetime as the voice of young Simba, and he was reportedly paid $5,000 (£4,000) for each day he worked on the flick. Read more
Bale ‘won’t be leaving’ Real Madrid on loan, says agent (Guardian)
Gareth Bale will not be leaving Real Madrid on loan during the transfer window despite falling out of favour under Zinedine Zidane, his agent said on Tuesday. The Real boss said at the weekend the La Liga giants were poised to offload the 30-year-old Wales star. But his representative, Jonathan Barnett, told Sky Sports News any deal would have to be a permanent one. Read more
Chelsea: Frank Lampard’s side beat Barcelona in Japan friendly (BBC)
Goals from Tammy Abraham and Ross Barkley gave Frank Lampard’s Chelsea an impressive 2-1 win against Barcelona in a pre-season friendly in Japan. Abraham opened the scoring with a neat first-half finish after rounding the goalkeeper, and substitute Barkley curled in a second late on. Ivan Rakitic struck in injury time for Barcelona with powerful drive. Read more
Frank Lampard issues challenge to Tammy Abraham after his goal in Chelsea’s win over Barcelona (Metro)
Frank Lampard has challenged Tammy Abraham to prove his goalscoring credentials for Chelsea after he netted in their 2-1 win over Barcelona. The 21-year-old has returned to Stamford Bridge following a productive loan spell at Aston Villa and will duke it out with Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi for a place in Lampard’s side. Abraham missed a gilt-edged chance to put Chelsea in front early on before making amends shortly after by rounding Marc-Andre ter Stegen to score with a composed finish. Read more
Frank Lampard hits back at Willian over Eden Hazard squad number claim (Metro)
Frank Lampard has hit back at Willian’s claim that he has already been offered Eden Hazard’s iconic Chelsea No.10 squad number. Hazard’s move to Real Madrid means Chelsea will have a new No.10 for the first time in four years with the Belgium international having vacated the shirt previously warn by the likes of Juan Mata and Joe Cole. Speaking to Brazilian TV show Desimpedidos, Willian claimed: ‘I was offered the number 10 jersey ahead of next season and I will take it.’ Read more
De Gea keen to captain Man United as keeper nears new deal (Punch)
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea reported being on the verge of agreeing a six-year contract extension, has said he would welcome being captain of the Premier League club. De Gea, 28, has long been linked with a move away from Old Trafford but said he wanted to help the team return to the summit of English soccer at a supporters’ event in Singapore. United’s previous captain Antonio Valencia left at the end of last season and De Gea is one of several players in the frame to replace him along with Ashley Young, Juan Mata, Chris Smalling and Paul Pogba. Read more
Sepp van den Berg still awaiting Liverpool debut over FIFA international clearance issue (Metro)
Sepp van den Berg’s wait to make his Liverpool debut could be extended further with the club unsure whether he can feature against Sporting Lisbon on Thursday. The 17-year-old is Jurgen Klopp‘s only signing this summer after joining in a deal that could rise to £4.3m from Dutch Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle but he is yet to play for his new side. Read more
Ernesto Valverde opens door for Ivan Rakitic exit amid Man Utd transfer speculation (Metro)
Ernesto Valverde has refused to guarantee that Ivan Rakitic will remain an automatic starter in his Barcelona side this season, amid speculation Manchester United are preparing a bid. The 31-year-old Croatia international has been a mainstay of Barcelona’s midfield since his move to Camp Nou from Sevilla five years ago. Barcelona’s £72million purchase of Frenkie de Jong, however, means Rakitic’s place is under threat with the likes of Arthur Melo and Carles Alena also competing for midfield spots. Read more