Three per cent of our men are corrupt —EFCC (Punch)
Michael Wetkas, head of the North-East zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has disclosed that just about three per cent of his men is corrupt. Wetkas stated this on Thursday at a town hall stakeholders meeting organised by the commission in Gombe State. He noted that the zone chose to organize the town hall meeting to interface with members of the public and civil societies for more effectiveness. Read more
Osinbajo to Muslim, Christian youths: Live up to tenets of your faith (Nation)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday has charged Christian and Muslim youths the country to live up to the tenets of their faith and the best values of human kind. He gave the advice at the National Muslim and Christian Youth Summit held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja. This, he said, was necessary for the youth to effectively perform their roles as present and future leaders in society. Read more
FG takes delivery of $8.5m calibration aircraft (Punch)
The Federal Government on Thursday evening took delivery of a calibration aircraft worth $8.5m that will serve in the calibration of navigational aids across Nigerian airports. According to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, the aircraft would help make Nigeria’s airspace safer. Sirika, who tweeted the development via his official Twitter handle on Thursday night, said, “Just received new calibration aircraft for the country. (The) make is King Air 350i. Cost is $8.5m. Read more
Police recover explosive materials from four suspects in Abuja (Nation)
The FCT Police Command has arrested four suspects for their involvement in unauthorized movement of explosive materials. The explosive materials according to the Police are mostly used for quarry, mining and rock blasting. The suspects were arrested by joint team of police operatives from the Command Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit and Nyanya Police Division at the Baba Nagode Motor Park in Nyanya area of Abuja. Read more
RIPAN to begin sale of rice at N13,300 per bag (Punch)
The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria on Thursday said the association has agreed to sell rice for between N13,300 and N14,000 per bag. The association also expressed support for the Federal Government’s closure of the land border with Benin Republic and other neighboring countries. President of RIPAN, Mohammed Maifata, said this during a chat with journalists in Abuja. Read more
Police deploy helicopters to Southwest, Northwest to curb crime (Nation)
s part of efforts aimed at curbing crimes in the country, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu has ordered the deployment of Police aerial surveillance helicopters to major cities in the South-West and North-West of the country. The Police Air-Wing operational base in Abuja is expected to cover Abuja – Kaduna highways as well as the neighbouring States in the North-West and North-Central. Read more
Adeniran Ogunsanya lecturers begin ‘indefinite strike’ Friday (Punch)
The Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin chapter of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, says it will resume its suspended strike on Friday, August 30. The strike notice signed by the union’s chairman, Mr. Ige Ajayi, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos, said the strike would be indefinite. Read more
Yahaya Bello wins Kogi APC Governorship ticket (Guardian)
Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Thursday emerged as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Nov. 16 Governorship election. Bello emerged the winner of the governorship ticket by polling 3,369 votes to beat eight other aspirants who contested the governorship primaries conducted by the party in Lokoja. Read more
Audu’s son sues Oshiomhole, INEC for exclusion from Kogi gov primary (Punch)
An All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Mustapha Audu, has sued the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and the state APC for his exclusion from the August 29 governorship primary. Joined as third to fifth defendants are the chairman of the Primary Election Screening Committee, Senator Hope Uzodinma; the Chairman of the appeal panel, Lawal Yakawada; and the Independent National Electoral Commission. Read more
Interior Minister advises staff to shun corruption (Nation)
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has urged staff of the ministry to shun all forms of corrupt practices in the conduct of government business. The minister gave the advice in a statement issued by Mr Mohammed Manga, Director Press and Public Relations of the ministry in Abuja on Thursday. Manga quoted Aregbesola as saying that the fight against insecurity and corruption is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians. Read more
FG to introduce solar powered vehicles, says Amaechi (Nation)
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has said that the federal government plans to introduce solar powered vehicles and vehicles that can dive on land and water. The minister also said that the Federal Executive Council has given approval for the commencement of reduction in pollutant from vehicles in the country, saying such pollutants are creating serious health issues in the country. Read more
Hijrah 1441 AH: Osun declares Friday public holiday (Guardian)
The Osun Government on Thursday declared Friday, Aug. 30, as a public holiday to commemorate the Islamic New Year, Hijra 1441 AH. The state government made the announcement in Osogbo in a statement signed by Mr. Adebisi Obawale, a Supervisor in the state Ministry of Home Affairs. While felicitating with Muslims on the occasion of the Islamic New Year, the government enjoined all Muslims to use the occasion to pray for the state’s economic prosperity, stability, peace, and continuation of good governance. Read more
‘Don’t beat us, just shoot us’: Kashmiris allege violent army crackdown (BBC)
Security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir have been accused of carrying out beatings and torture in the wake of the government’s decision to strip the region of its autonomy. The BBC heard from several villagers who said they were beaten with sticks and cables, and given electric shocks. Residents in several villages showed me injuries. But the BBC was not able to verify the allegations with officials. Read more
‘Murderer killed his new cellmate hours after asking to move in with him’ (Metro)
An accused murderer allegedly strangled his new cellmate to death just hours after requesting to move in with him. Dekota Harvey, 24, who was in jail awaiting his trial for capital murder, reportedly killed Luis Cobos-Cenobio, 30, on Wednesday at the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas. On Tuesday, Harvey told a prison deputy that he was afraid for his life and specifically asked to be moved to cell R-21, authorities said in a press release. Read more
Trump statue erected in Melania’s home country Slovenia (BBC)
A wooden statue of the US president has been built in his wife’s home country of Slovenia, dividing opinion there. The nearly 8m (26ft) tall statue was constructed on private land and depicts Donald Trump with a square head and jaw, raising his fist in the air. The artist behind the statue told AFP news agency he wanted it to serve as a comment on populist politics. Read more
Mother made toddlers have sex with each other while pedophile boyfriend watched (Metro)
A pedophile whose girlfriend made toddlers have sex with each other so he could watch over the internet was jailed for 50 years. Roberto Oquendo, 38, was handed the sentence on Monday, almost three years after police found him to be in possession of child sex abuse images during a routine traffic stop in September 2016. His girlfriend Rose Beth Litzky, a hotel housekeeper who forced the youngsters to have sex with each other while she filmed, will be sentenced in October. Read more
US hospital ‘forced’ Catholic nurse to assist with abortion (BBC)
The US government has accused a hospital in Vermont of violating the civil rights of a nurse by forcing her to help carry out an abortion. The nurse, who has not been named, said she told the hospital that she could not take part in pregnancy terminations because of her religious beliefs. Health workers are protected under federal law from discrimination based on their religious or moral beliefs. Read more
Ukraine president picks young lawyer as Prime Minister (Guardian)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday picked untested 35-year-old lawyer Oleksiy Goncharuk as his prime minister, as a new parliament met for the first time. Zelensky, a popular comedian before winning the presidency this year, has promised to bring in fresh faces to clear away an establishment that he says has ruled Ukraine since independence in 1991. Read more
Denver lawsuit alleges woman had to give birth alone in jail cell (BBC)
A woman in Denver, Colorado, is suing the city and sheriff staff, alleging she had to give birth alone in a jail cell with no medical assistance. Diana Sanchez claims in a complaint that she was forced to deliver her baby last year “on a cold hard bench, feet away from a toilet” in the county jail. She alleges staff knew she was in labour for hours but ignored her. Read more
Drug dealer repeatedly stabbed police officer in frenzied attack (Metro)
A police officer suffered a collapsed lung after being stabbed by a drug dealer. Michael Enzanga repeatedly stabbed PC Russell Turner, 56, on February 21 at Stamshaw Park in Portsmouth. PC Turner and PC Claire Parry, who were in plainclothes, had approached Enzanga, then aged 19, near an adventure playground in the city. Read more
No single gene associated with being gay (BBC)
A genetic analysis of almost half a million people has concluded there is no single “gay gene”. The study, published in Science, used data from the UK Biobank and 23andMe, and found some genetic variants associated with same-sex relationships. But genetic factors accounted for, at most, 25% of same-sex behaviour. Read more
Lil Nas X makes history as first openly gay man nominated for a Country Music Award (Metro)
Lil Nas X has made history as the first openly gay man to be nominated for a Country Music Award. Not bad for a 20-year-old. He was nominated alongside four other artists for the musical event of the year award, which also included Maren Morris’ All My Favorite People, Brand New Man by Brooks and Dunn, Dive Bar by Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton, and Brantly Gilbert and Lindsay Ell’s What Happens In A Small Town. Read more
Champions League draw: Liverpool drawn with Napoli, Tottenham to meet Bayern Munich (BBC)
Holders Liverpool will face Napoli, Salzburg and Genk in the Champions League group stage this season. Premier League champions Manchester City were drawn alongside Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb and Atalanta. Last year’s runners-up Tottenham are in a group with five-time European Cup winners Bayern Munich, plus Olympiakos and Red Star Belgrade. Read more
Uefa Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze and Virgil van Dijk win awards (BBC)
England’s Lucy Bronze has been named the Uefa Women’s Player of the Year, while Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk took the men’s award. Full-back Bronze beat Lyon team-mates Ada Hegerberg and Amandine Henry to the award. She is the first English winner of the honour, voted for by top coaches in the women’s game and journalists. Read more
Manchester United confirm Alexis Sanchez’s loan move to Inter Milan (Metro)
Alexis Sanchez has completed a season-long loan move from Manchester United to Inter Milan. Sanchez, 30, managed just three league goals in a miserable 18-month spell at Old Trafford and has been keen to follow Romelu Lukaku to the San Siro in order to revive his stuttering career. Negotiations between United and Inter advanced rapidly on Tuesday night and the two clubs finally came to an agreement following weeks of intense speculation. Read more
Mesut Ozil: Arsenal boss Unai Emery expects German to stay at club (BBC)
Arsenal manager Unai Emery expects midfielder Mesut Ozil to stay at the club – but says Nacho Monreal could leave. Ozil, 30, who has not featured yet this season due to safety concerns and illness, has been heavily linked with a move away from Emirates Stadium. Real Sociedad are interested in signing defender Monreal, 33, and Emery believes a transfer is a “possibility”. Read more
Neymar: Barcelona and PSG reach agreement on value of Brazilian (BBC)
Barcelona and Paris St-Germain have “reached an agreement on the value of Neymar” as a deal edges closer, says BBC Radio 5 Live’s Guillem Balague. Barca have offered 200m euros (£182m) in cash, plus defender Jean-Clair Todibo, midfielder Ivan Rakitic and Ousmane Dembele on a season-long loan. Officials from both teams met in Paris on Tuesday to discuss a possible deal. Read more
Jurgen Klopp reacts to Liverpool’s ‘very interesting’ Champions League draw (Metro)
Jurgen Klopp has described Liverpool’s Champions League group as ‘really interesting’ but admits he will have to take a ‘closer look’ at lesser-known opponents Genk and Salzburg. Liverpool will be desperate to defend their sixth European title which they won last June and kick off their new campaign alongside Napoli, Genk and Salzburg in Group E. Europe’s heavyweights eagerly awaited their fate in Monaco on Thursday evening and the draw threw up a number of mouth-watering ties to look forward to in the coming months. Read more
Wolves beat Torino to reach group stage (BBC)
Wolves booked their place in the Europa League group stage after beating Torino in front of a jubilant Molineux. The Black Country side are in the main stage of a European competition for the first time since 1980 after coming through three rounds of qualifiers. Raul Jimenez opened the scoring as he hooked home Adama Traore’s cross. Read more
Arsenal or Tottenham? Charlie Nicholas makes prediction for north London derby (Metro)
Charlie Nicholas has backed Arsenal to come away from the north London derby with all three points as they have a more ‘balanced’ side than Tottenham this season. Spurs kicked off their Premier League campaign with a victory over Aston Villa, but have since drawn against champions Manchester City and were beaten at home to Newcastle last weekend. Read more
Former Barca, Spain coach Luis Enrique loses daughter (Nation)
Xana, the nine-year old of former Barcelona coach, Luis Enrique’s has passed away. She died after suffering from bone cancer for five months. Luis Enrique, releasing a statement on twitter, said “Our daughter Xana has passed away this afternoon at the age of 9, after fighting for 5 intense months against osteosarcoma. Read more
US Open 2019: Petra Kvitova knocked out in second round by Andrea Petkovic (BBC)
Czech sixth seed Petra Kvitova is out of the US Open after losing 6-4 6-4 to world number 88 Andrea Petkovic in the second round. The two-time Wimbledon champion, who has been struggling with a forearm injury, was broken in the 10th game as the German, 31, took the opening set. She was a break up in the second set before Petkovic broke twice more en route to sealing victory. Read more
US Open 2019: Dan Evans to face Roger Federer, Johanna Konta also into third round (BBC)
Dan Evans set up another Grand Slam meeting with Roger Federer by beating French 25th seed Lucas Pouille in the US Open second round in New York. The British men’s number two, 29, dug deep to overcome an out-of-sorts Pouille in a 6-4 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win. Meanwhile, Johanna Konta made an impressive statement as she swatted aside unseeded Russian Margarita Gasparyan in 54 minutes. Read more
