Six arrested at suspected kidnappers’ den in Lagos (Guardian)
Residents with the help of soldiers yesterday uncovered a tunnel used by suspected ritualists at Ladipo bus-stop, Agege Motor Road, Lagos State, while six suspects have been arrested with efforts ongoing to fish out other members of the gang who were running father inside the tunnel.
Military uniforms, camouflage, schools uniforms, clothes belonging to persons suspected to have been declared missing and other personal effects were recovered from the tunnel. It was gathered that trouble started for the suspected ritualists when they accosted a woman who was going to work in the early hours of yesterday.
The woman was being dragged into the tunnel by the suspects, but by divine intervention, she escaped and raised the alarm, which attracted other passersby.
As sympathisers were chasing after the suspects, they ran into the tunnel. Read more
COVID-19: Lekki hospital asks visitors in last 10 days to self-isolate after two staff tested positive (Vanguard)
Verdic Lifecare Hospital in Lekki, Lagos, has asked all those who visited the facility in the last 10 days to go on self-isolation.
The hospital, in a statement on Monday, said it had admitted a patient who tested positive for COVID-19.
The patent was said to have tested positive after he was discharged, but two of the hospital staff had contracted the disease.
“We also had 2 staff members who tested positive yesterday evening. The patient and our staff are now being managed by the NCDC at their isolation centre,” the hospital said. Read more
Lagos govt threatens to shut down markets over social distancing order (DailyTrust)
Worried by the increasing number of COVID 19 cases, the Lagos State government has threatened to shut down any market that fails to comply with the social distancing order. Officials of the Nigeria Centre for Decease Control (NCDC) had advised citizens to observe social distancing as a way to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease. Daily Trust reports that Lagos State has the highest number of infections, having recorded a total of 376 by Sunday. The Corps Marshal, Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), Gbemisola Akinpelu, yesterday advised traders in markets in the state to ensure strict compliance with the order, warning that defaulters of the directives would be appropriately sanctioned by the state government. Read more
Danfo, okadas return to Lagos roads as NSCDC intercepts seven in Ilorin (Guardian)
Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday nabbed seven commercial vehicles who were passing through Ilorin, in Kwara State from Lagos State.
According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NSCDC, Kwara Command, Ayeni Olasunkanmi, the seven vehicles, fully loaded were stopped while passing through Ilorin for violating the coronavirus lockdown issued by the state government.
Kwara had a week ago reviewed its earlier decision to allow vehicles to move on days earlier designated for the restocking of foods and other essentials, directing residents to instead patronize neighbourhood shops and observe all safety protocols. The review means that commercial and private vehicles are now barred from operating, except trucks and trailers conveying foodstuffs, medicines and other essential services. Read more
Lagos discharges four COVID-19 patients (Vanguard)
Lagos State has discharged four additional fully recovered COVID-19 patients.
The discharged persons bring the number of patients that have so far recovered fully from the coronavirus disease in Lagos to 98.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Professor Akin Abayomi, disclosed this via his Twitter handle.
The commissioner also confirmed 70 new COVID-19 cases recorded in Lagos on Sunday. Read more
Nigeria records 38 new coronavirus cases, total now 665 (Guardian)
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Monday announced 36 new cases of coronavirus.
NCDC said the new cases were discovered in Kano, Gombe, Kaduna, Borno, Abia, FCT, Sokoto, Ekiti.
23 in Kano, five in Gombe, three in Kaduna, two in Borno, two in Abia, one in FCT, one in Sokoto, one in Ekiti.
As at 11:10 pm 20th April there are 665 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria,” NCDC tweeted. Read more
150 people die in Kano in 3 days (DailyTrust)
Over 150 people who reportedly died in Kano between Friday and Saturday last week have been buried in three cemeteries, heightening fears that the deceased must have died as a result of a strange ailment. Undertakers who doubled as grave diggers in the affected cemeteries said the frequency at which they received corpses these days was unusual when compared with the number of people they buried before the coronavirus outbreak.
The figure of the dead buried in the three cemeteries excludes other people buried in dozens of burial grounds in the eight local government areas that constitute Kano metropolis, though those working in such cemeteries said they did not notice anything unusual. Read more
FG extends closure of International Airports by two weeks (Vanguard)
The Federal Government Monday said the closure of all the international airports in the country would be extended by two weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika via his Twitter handle.
However, the government had said emergency and essential flights could be operated from any of the airports within the period.
While disclosing the extension of the current closure, Sirika said the airports would no longer open for commercial operations on April 23 due to the extended lockdown in the three cities. Read more
My people afraid of bandits more than pandemic – Dep Speaker (DailyTrust)
The Deputy Speaker of Katsina State House of Assembly, Dalhatu Tafoki, has said that his constituents are more afraid of bandits than the new coronavirus ravaging the world. Speaking against recent attacks by bandits at Sabon Layin Galadima Ward of Faskari Local Government Area of the state, where three persons were killed, Tafoki said in the last two weeks, the people had faced series of attacks. Katsina is one of the states in the North West where bandits have killed many residents. On Sunday, 47 persons were killed in the state. Read more
WHO Chief: Worst on coronavirus pandemic yet to come (VOA)
The chief of the World Health Organization warned Monday that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over, even as some countries gingerly started to ease restrictions.
“Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Let’s prevent this tragedy. It’s a virus that many people still don’t understand.”
He compared the coronavirus outbreak, which worldwide has sickened nearly 2.5 million people and killed more than 167,000, to the 1918 Spanish flu that killed up to 100 million. But he said that such a dire outcome does not have to occur. Read more
Toddler with congenital heart defect and chronic lung disease recovers from coronavirus (Metro)
A one-year-old girl suffering with a chronic lung disease and a congenital heart defect has become one of the UK’s youngest coronavirus survivors. Leah Peters was taken to the emergency department at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital, Lincolnshire, after she developed a cough and had low heart stats at the end of March.
She was given oxygen support and later tested positive for Covid-19. Despite her parents, Agata and Michael Peters, worrying what might happen if Leah caught the virus, they said she ‘surprised us all’ by being well enough to be discharged the day after her results came back. Read more
Coronavirus: Hope as Italy records first fall in active virus cases (BBC)
The number of people officially identified as infected with coronavirus in Italy has fallen for the first time since the country’s outbreak began, authorities have said.
As of Monday, there were 108,237 people either being treated in hospital or recovering at home, 20 fewer than the previous day.
Authorities say the small but symbolic drop is a “positive development”.
Italy’s lockdown continues until 3 May but some businesses have reopened. Read more
President Trump to suspend immigration to US due to coronavirus (NYPost)
President Trump said on Monday night that he would temporarily suspend all immigration to the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The president announced the drastic measure in a post on his favorite social media platform.
“In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens, I will be signing an Executive Order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States!” Trump tweeted. Read more
After historic price plunge, Trump declares: ‘this is a great time to buy oil’ (VOA)
After oil prices crashed to historic lows Monday, US President Donald Trump declared “this is a great time to buy oil.”
The president largely brushed off the ramifications to domestic energy jobs and the geo-political consequences of the oil price plunge amid the coronavirus pandemic, telling reporters that the “problem is nobody’s driving a car anywhere in the world, essentially.”
The president, looking to add as much as 75 million barrels of oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, said “if we can buy it for nothing, we will take everything we can get.” Read more
Coronavirus: Governors ask Trump to call off lockdown protests (BBC)
Democratic governors have asked the White House to urge Americans to heed stay-at-home orders amid anti-lockdown protests stoked by the president.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the “phenomenon was nationwide” and asked for “help on the national level”.
President Donald Trump has been accused of inciting insurrection after championing the demonstrators, while telling governors they were in charge.
The plea comes amid 782,159 confirmed US Covid-19 cases and 41,816 deaths. Read more
Prince Harry texted Meghan Markle’s dad before royal wedding, court docs show (PageSix)
Prince Harry reached out to Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle‘s father, ahead of his 2018 wedding.
In advance of Meghan’s case against Associated Newspapers on Friday, the 35-year-old Duke of Sussex submitted text messages to London’s High Court which revealed his exchange with Thomas Markle, Reuters reported.
Meghan, 38, is suing Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Mail on Sunday tabloid, for invading her privacy by publishing portions of a letter she sent to her father ahead of the May 2018 royal nuptials. Read more
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ‘gravely ill after heart surgery’ (Metro)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is gravely-ill after undergoing heart surgery, it has been claimed. CNN reported that the 36-year-old leader’s condition is being monitored by US intelligence officials, who were reportedly told that Kim was ‘in grave danger’ after the cardiovascular operation. Kim was absent from North Korea’s most important annual holiday on April 15, raising speculation about his wellbeing.
South Korean news website the Daily NK claimed earlier on Monday night that Kim was ‘mostly-recovered’ from the procedure. The website obtained the story from a single anonymous informant based in North Korea, and has been unable to obtain further details on Kim’s condition, Bloomberg reported. Read more
Dahiru Sadi: How Nigerian football can benefit from COVID-19 lockdown (DailyTrust)
A former international, Dahiru Sadi has said despite the gloom caused by COVID-19 pandemic, Nigerian football can still benefit, if football administrators maximally utilise the break caused by the deadly coronvairus to sit down and re-strategise.
Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, the former Abiola Babes and Ranchers Bees midfielder said even before the lockdown, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, had some outstanding issues to deal with so now that everything has been put on hold, they should get the best out of the bad situation.
He warned that post COVID-19 will ultimately exert a lot of pressure on global sports so the right time to begin to prepare to tackle imminent hiccups that would surface inevitably is now. Read more
Former Arsenal and Chelsea star Fabregas reveals the moment Liverpool ‘hit the jackpot’ (Metro)
Cesc Fabregas says Liverpool ‘hit the jackpot’ when they hired Jurgen Klopp as their manager.
The former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder revealed his admiration for Klopp in a Q&A with fans on his social media page on Monday. Klopp arrived at Anfield in 2015 and, following a difficult start in England, has transformed Liverpool into the best team in Europe. The Reds won last season’s Champions League and had moved 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League when the 2019-20 season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
Possible May 9 resumption of Bundesliga behind closed doors (Vanguard)
Germany’s Bundesliga could resume from May 9, regional leaders of the country’s biggest states said on Monday, although games can only take place without spectators to prevent coronavirus contagion.
Markus Soeder, state premier of Bavaria which hosts champions Bayern Munich, said it remains “completely unimaginable to have spectators” in the stadiums given the need for social distancing to slow the virus spread. Read more
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil refuses to take pay cut on £350,000-a-week wages (Metro)
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has reportedly refused the club’s request to take a pay cut on his £350,000-a-week wages to ease the Gunners’ financial worries during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Gunners released a statement on Monday afternoon to confirm that the first team squad and Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff had agreed to a 12.5% pay cut for the next 12 months.
The agreement states that the club would repay the money in full if Arsenal qualify for the Champions League this season or next, while all players would receive a £100,000 bonus for finishing in the top four. Read more
World Rugby to investigate Fiji chairman over homophobia allegations (BBC)
The Fiji Rugby Union has backed Sir Bill Beaumont’s bid for re-election as boss of the world game.
World Rugby has begun an investigation into the chairman of the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU), which has backed Sir Bill Beaumont’s bid for re-election as boss of the world game.
Francis Kean is under pressure to stand down amid accusations of homophobia and discrimination, as revealed by the Sunday Times. Read more
Coronavirus: Liverpool v Atletico Madrid virus link an ‘interesting hypothesis’ (BBC)
Speculation over a possible link between coronavirus cases in Liverpool and the club’s Champions League match with Atletico Madrid last month is an “interesting hypothesis”, a scientific adviser to the UK government has said.
Some coronavirus deaths in Liverpool have been blamed on the 11 March match at Anfield, which was attended by more than 52,000 people, including 3,000 from Madrid, where a partial lockdown was already in force.
While there is no confirmed link between the match and any coronavirus cases, the government’s deputy chief scientific adviser, Angela McLean, said it warranted further investigation. Read more
‘It’s real’: Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez take big step to buy Mets (NYPost)
Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez appear to be getting serious about buying the Mets.
The power couple retained JPMorgan Chase to raise capital for a possible bid, a source confirmed to The Post on Monday, two months after our newspaper first reported A-Rod and J.Lo had emerged as potential suitors to purchase the team.
“It’s real,” a source with knowledge of the situation told The Post’s Thornton McEnery of the JPMorgan Chase move. Read more