Trial of Danish man accused of killing Nigerian wife, kid stalled (Guardian)
The trial of a Danish, Peter Neilsen, accused of killing his Nigerian wife and their daughter, was on Monday stalled due to the defendant’s delay in filing an application.
Nielsen, 54, is standing trial before a Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on two counts bordering on murder.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defendant was accused of killing his singer wife, Zainab and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra on April 5, 2018.
At the resumed hearing, the defendant’s Counsel, Mr Olasupo Shasore, SAN, filed an application requesting for some exhibits, to enable him conduct an examination. Read more
Man docked over alleged kidnap of toddler (Vanguard)
A man Victor Udoh, who allegedly kidnapped a child from the parent custody was yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere High Court, sitting at Tafa Balewa Square (TBS), annexe.
The defendant whose residential address was not given is facing a count charge of adoption, preferred against him by the Lagos State government.
The prosecuting counsel, Bukola Okeowo, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence, on September 18, 2015.
She said that the incident took place, at the Maruwa area of Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, at 9 pm. Read more
Driver, apprentice docked for allegedly stealing 15 BRT tyres (Guardian)
A 62- year old driver, Habeeb Haruwa, and his apprentice, Nuru Aliu, 26, on Monday, appeared in an Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly stealing 15 new BRT tyres worth N750,000.
The defendants, whose house addresses were not given, are charged with conspiracy and theft.
The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Benson Emuerhi, told the court that the defendants and some persons, now at large committed the offence sometime in June, at Alausa, Ikeja.
Emuerhi alleged that the defendants also stole a car battery worth N35,000 property of the complainant, Laralek Ultimate Nigeria Limited. Read more
Man, 42, faces trial over alleged N2m wallpaper fraud (Vanguard)
A 36-year-old man, Kenneth Titus, on Monday appeared before a Surulere Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos for allegedly stealing 3D panel wallpaper worth N2 million.
The defendant, whose address was not provided, is being tried on a three-count charge of obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Anothia Osayande, told the court that Titus and others still at large allegedly committed the offences between Nov. 10, 2020, and June 15, 2021, at No. 115 Ojuelegba Road, Lagos.
Osayande alleged that Titus and others obtained the 3D panel wallpaper from the complainant, Mr Chijioke Ofomodogu by sending forged bank alerts to Ofomodogu to the tune of N2 million. Read more
Banker arraigned over alleged N46m theft in Delta (Punch)
A 39-year-old banker, Osazuwa Obarisiagbon, has been arraigned at a Chief Magistrate Court in Effurun, Delta State, for allegedly defrauding a customer to the tune of N46.4 million.
Obarisiagbon, a staff of a new generation bank located at Effurun, near Warri, the state capital, was accused of conspiracy and stealing of the said sum of money belonging to Wellington Hotel Ltd, Effurun.
The prosecuting counsel, Vincent Orawemen, told the court that the suspect and others, now at large, committed the offence between December 2015 and November 2016, noting that the offences were punishable under Sections 516, 390 (8)(b) and (9), 516, 467 (4)(u), 516 and 484 of the Criminal Code, Cap C 21, Vol. 1 Laws of Delta, Nigeria, 2006 respectively. Read more
Court threatens to issue arrest warrant on ex-Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah (Guardian)
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, if she failed to appear in court by the next adjourned date.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the warning after Dr Hassan Liman, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the alleged N5 billion trial against Oduah and eight others told the court that the former minister and one other defendant were not in court to take their plea.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court had earlier fixed Feb. 9 for the arraignment of the former minister and eight others. Read more
Why I defected to PDP -Gombe APC chieftain (Punch)
Former gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress in Gombe State, Muhammad Barde, on Monday, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, claiming “bad governance” as the sole reason for his defection.
He revealed that he defected in February 2021 when he failed to revalidate his membership with the governing party.
Barde said, “I have formally come to pay my respect to our great party, I left APC when the party asked its members to go through a revalidation exercise. Eventually, I took the membership of the party PDP on February 2nd 2021.
“I’m not leaving APC for any reason other than bad governance. What we are witnessing is a government of a person, by a person, and for a person, not a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Read more
Again, National Assembly Flooded As Roof Leaks (Leadership)
The heavy downpour of Monday in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja has exposed the National Assembly roof as the foyer of the White House segment of the complex was flooded.
The National Assembly structure which was built about three decades ago had its lobby turned to a fishing pond during the Monday’s heavy downpour.
Few weeks ago, a similar incident occurred, a development that caused altercation between the National Assembly and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
Even though the FCDA has last month issued a statement that the earlier leakage was as a result of a blockage of the rooftop of the complex, but apparently nothing was done to remedy the situation. Read more
Jacob Zuma: Military deployed to tackle unrest over jailed ex-president (BBC)
South Africa is deploying the military to tackle riots that have broken out over the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma.
Shops were looted and buildings set on fire on Monday as Zuma challenged his sentence at a hearing in the top court.
Several people have been killed and dozens arrested since the unrest began last week.
Zuma was convicted of contempt of court after failing to attend an inquiry into corruption during his presidency. Read more
5 Nigerian businesses attacked as pro-Zuma protests hit SA cities (Guardian)
The leadership of the Nigerian community in South Africa has warned its members in various cities in Kwa Zulu Natal and Gauteng provinces to be vigilant and adopt safety and security measures.
The warning came after five Nigerian-owned businesses were attacked in the unrest sparked by pro-Jacob Zuma protesters.
“We identified five businesses belonging to Nigerians looted and destroyed yesterday, Sunday 11 July 2021 by the angry mob,” the president of the Nigerian community in South Africa Adetola Olubajo said in a statement.
“It includes two car sales business outlets in Johannesburg. The looting and destructions of properties continue unabated till today. Read more
At Cannes Film Festival too, Italy is every bit the winner (France24)
Italy’s Euro football triumph on Sunday was loudly celebrated on the Italophile French Riviera, where the world’s premier festival has been blessed by a bevy of movies from the peninsula, signalling a resurgence in Italian film.
Decked in the Italian tricolour, the Salsa Rossa pizzeria got plenty of smiles and encouragement as shoppers left Cannes’s market on Sunday, just hours before Italy took on England in the Euro football final.
“Allez l’Italie, go get them!” shouted one driver, rolling down the window of his van as he drove past.
That Cannes would be leaning heavily in favour of the Azzurri was never in doubt. Italy is only a short drive down the coast and many locals here have at least an Italian-sounding name, when they’re not actually from the country. Read more
1 dead, 10 missing as hotel collapses in China (Punch)
A hotel collapsed in eastern China Monday, leaving at least one person dead and 10 others missing, the local government said.
Rescuers had pulled seven survivors from the rubble of the budget Siji Kaiyuan hotel in the popular tourist city of Suzhou, according to a statement on the city government’s official social media account.
The Suzhou government said it was “sparing no effort to treat the injured”, adding that authorities were investigating the cause of the disaster.
The Siji Kaiyuan opened in 2018 and had 54 guest rooms as well as a banquet hall and conference rooms, according to its listing on the travel site Ctrip. Read more
Avocado farmers take up arms as Mexico violence spikes (Guardian)
A convoy of vigilantes snakes along a road in western Mexico, vowing to defend their avocado orchards from gangs sowing terror in a country reeling from a new wave of bloodshed.
Armed with assault rifles and other firearms, the masked men travel between plantations and maintain checkpoints in Ario de Rosales in Michoacan state, the scene of a bloody cartel turf war.
Before they began patrolling the area, residents lived in fear of kidnapping, extortion and theft of avocados, according to a member of the self-defense group Pueblos Unidos, which says it has 700 members.
“We need to be armed to defend ourselves,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity, wearing a badge reading “Down with injustice, no more dead.” Read more
Jaipur: Lightning strike kills 16 taking selfies in India (BBC)
A lightning strike killed at least 16 people and injured many more in Jaipur in northern India on Sunday.
The victims were taking selfies in the rain on top of a watch tower at the city’s 12th Century Amer Fort, a popular tourist attraction.
Dozens have also died in lightning strikes in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states.
Lightning strikes kill some 2,000 Indians on average every year, according to official data. Read more
Biden voices solidarity as Cuba protests jolt go-slow approach
(RFI)
Historic mass protests in Cuba have thrust onto US President Joe Biden’s priority list an issue on which he was content to go slow and, experts say, will likely doom near-term prospects of a fresh opening.
Biden issued a statement to voice solidarity with “the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom,” and the White House warned authorities not to use force after thousands poured onto the streets Sunday amid the worst economic crisis in decades.
Cuba has seen a whiplash in US policy with former president Barack Obama normalizing relations at the end of his term, declaring that a half-century of efforts to topple the regime had failed, and then his successor Donald Trump reimposing sweeping economic pressure.
Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president, ordered a review upon taking office but his White House openly said it was in no rush, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki in March saying Cuba policy is “not currently among President Biden’s top priorities.” Read more
5 things you didn’t know about Mike Brown, Nigeria basketball team’s coach (Punch)
Nigeria Basketball team’s coach, Mike Brown, has received praises after D’Tigers stunned the United States 90-87 in a pre-Olympic exhibition game at Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday.
The match-up serves as one of the tune-up games arranged by the Nigeria Basketball Federation for the team as they prepare for the 2020 Olympics where they’ll face Australia, Germany, and Italy in Group B.
Brown, who has been in the basketball space for decades, was instrumental in Nigeria’s victory over the US basketball team.
In this piece, The PUNCH highlights five things you didn’t know about Brown: Read more
NBA Finals: Giannis Antetokounmpo stars as Milwaukee Bucks beat Phoenix Suns (BBC)
Giannis Antetokounmpo played down comparisons to Michael Jordan after making history in helping the Milwaukee Bucks to a crucial win over the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.
The Bucks star became only the sixth player in NBA Finals history to score 40 points in consecutive games as his team won game three of the series.
Antetokounmpo notched 41 points in a 120-100 home success, leaving the Bucks 2-1 down in the best-of-seven series.
“I’m no Michael Jordan,” he later said. Read more
“You stand on the shoulders of giants” -Osinbajo tells Nigeria’s Olympic Team (Vanguard)
As Team Nigeria to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics prepares to leave the shores of the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has called on the team to replicate the outstanding performances of past Nigerian Olympians, noting that “you stand on the shoulders of giants.”
Recalling the exploits of past Nigerian teams, the Vice President added that “you will also carry with you the encouragement of the great exploits of Nigerian Olympians before you.”
Prof. Osinbajo stated this today at the send forth ceremony for Team Nigeria to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, at the Presidential Villa. The event also marked the formal handover of the Nigerian contingent to the Nigeria Olympic Committee and the unveiling of the team’s official outfit and kit.
He reminded the team of “such legends as Chioma Ajunwa who won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics for the long jump and became the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event. Read more
5 records broken at Euro 2020 final (Punch)
No fewer than five records were broken on Sunday as football went to Rome from Wembley in London, thanks to an astonishing penalty kicks shootout which ended 3-2 in Italy’s favour against England in the Euro 2020 final.
After a 1-1 draw following 120 minutes, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, brought on at the death just to take penalty kicks, both missed.
Though Jorginho spurned Italy’s first opportunity to win, Gianluigi Donnarumma then saved from Bukayo Saka.
It is heartbreak for England, seeking to end a title drought from 1966, and for manager Gareth Southgate who missed a crucial spot-kick in the 1996 semi-final shootout loss against Germany. Read more
Chinese athletes complain about lax virus measures at Olympics hotel (Guardian)
China’s first athletes to arrive in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics have complained that poor prevention measures at their hotel will increase the risk of catching Covid-19.
The pandemic has cast a shadow over the Games with organizers banning all fans from venues in Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures, in a huge blow for the event.
A few outlying areas are allowed to have a limited number of domestic fans — with overseas spectators banned months ago — and organisers have promised that the event will be safe.
However, after they arrived in Enoshima, a small island where the sailing events will take place, China’s sailing team complained of insufficient precautions at their hotel. Read more
England FA condemns ‘disgusting’ racist abuse against players after Euro 2020 letdown (NYPost)
England’s Football Association condemned racist attacks unleashed by football fans on social media Monday morning after the country’s disappointing loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
The attacks were largely targeted towards Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, who are all black. Each player missed a penalty kick during the crucial shootout that decided the game – and tournament – for Italy.
“The FA strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media,” the statement said.
“We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team. We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.” Read more