Truck crushes bride-to-be to death in Lagos (Punch)
Family and friends of a bride-to-be, Immaculate Okochu, who was crushed to death by a truck, have taken to their various social media handles to mourn her demise.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Immaculate mounted a motorcycle on her way to work on Wednesday when a truck rammed into her and the motorcyclist at Badore in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
In a video posted on Instagram by @iam_uchenwankwo, Immaculate could be seen still breathing, while the person recording the video could be heard saying, “She never die nau, the bike fall down for that place, trailer come drag am from that place to this place.”
She was rushed to a hospital, where she later died.
It was gathered that the 24-year-old, who had her introduction in March, was scheduled to get married to her fiancé in October. Read more
Housewife falsely accuses Lagos businessman of attempted rape (Punch)
A businessman, Mark Davies, is demanding justice after allegedly being falsely accused of attempted rape by a woman, Chiamaka Hamzat, in the Wagbare Estate area of the Igbogbo-Bayeku Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that trouble started between Mark and Chiamaka when the executive of the estate purchased a transformer to power the area and demanded money from each landlord before they could be connected.
In a bid to power his house, Mark, whose building is located about 400 metres away from an electric pole, reportedly paid the estate management and purchased a long wire, which was connected to the pole. Read more
Residents, monarch cry for help as hoodlums take over Ajah, environs (Guardian)
Residents of Langbasa, Addo and Badore in the Ajah area of Lagos State have cried out for help as criminals and cultists unleash mayhem in their neighbourhoods.
The attacks and reprisals by the hoodlums have heightened the fear of residents from carrying out their lawful businesses in peace.
Despite daily raids and arrests by the Langbasa Police Division to rein in the criminals, the hoodlums keep returning to unleash terror on citizens. According to sources, many of the hoodlums are members of the defunct Badoo cult group in Ikorodu, who usually migrate into Ajah on waterways via Ijede Badore and Oke-Ira ferry terminals.
On several occasions, there have been sporadic gun battles between policemen and the hoodlums. Read more
Sacked UNILAG VC heads for court, leads workers’ protest (Punch)
The sacked Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, on Thursday led a protest against his removal by the governing council of the school.
The sacking of the vice chancellor was announced during the meeting of the Governing Council of UNILAG at the National Universities Commission in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting was chaired by the UNILAG Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of its Governing Council, Dr Wale Babalakin.
The Thursday protest was held by four unions of the university – the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, National Association of Academic Technologists, and Non-Academic Staff Union. Read more
Lagos empowers 1,100 vulnerable women (Guardian)
The Lagos State government has provided economic support to 1,100 vulnerable women and indigent residents whose means of livelihood have been decimated by the effects of the pandemic.
The presentation was made to the beneficiaries on Wednesday at the year’s Mega Empowerment Programme held at the Skills Acquisition and Vocational Training Centre, Isheri.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the initiative is a significant step forward as his administration continues to deliver palliatives for the economic empowerment of the most vulnerable and indigent residents. Read more
Lagos: Residents protest plan to build cemetery in Ejigbo (DailyTrust)
Some residents of Ejigbo in Lagos State, on Thursday, staged a peaceful protest, rejecting the move by the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to build a cemetery in their domains.
The residents, bearing different placards, marched to the secretariat of the local council, asking the authorities to rescind the decision to convert portions of land used as playground to burial playground. Read more
Fire engulfs two Guinness warehouses (Guardian)
The men of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service are currently battling to put out the fire that engulfed the two warehouses belonging to Guinness PLC, opposite Sunday Market, Wemco Road, Ogba, Lagos.
The Acting Head of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, who disclosed this morning, stated that a distress call was received at about 0330hrs to Wemco Road, Ogba where it was discovered on arrival that twin warehouses belonging to Guinness PLC were on fire. Read more
FG to prosecute man who destroyed Enugu Airport fence (Vanguard)
The federal government yesterday said it will bring the full weight of the law on Mr John Emejulu who wilfully destroyed the concrete perimeter fence, covering about 2km, being erected at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
The fence is one of the structures undergoing rehabilitation at the airport
The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, made the federal government stand known yesterday while speaking to newsmen after inspecting the site to ascertain the level of destruction.
Sirika was unhappy that Emejulu could take such an unlawful act by destroying a “national security asset”, at a time the federal government was in the course of delivering the Enugu airport, on August 30, as promised. Read more
PenCom opens PFA transfer window (Nation)
Contributors under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) will be able to move their pension account from their current Pension Fund Administrator (PFA) to another by the end of this year, the Acting Director-General, Mrs Aisha Dahir-Umar has said.
According to a statement, she said this will facilitate full and equitable pension assets portability within the pension industry, enhance ethical competition among the PFAs and improve service delivery to Retirement Savings Account (RSA) holders.
According to her, the transfer window that will enable the seamless movement of account, the RSA Transfer System (RTS) has been successfully developed. Read more
How the world reacted to UAE, Israel normalising diplomatic ties (Aljazeera)
The United Arab Emirates has become the first Gulf Arab country to reach a deal on normalising relations with Israel, capping years of discreet contacts between the two countries in commerce and technology.
The so-called “Abraham Agreement”, announced by United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, secures an Israeli commitment to halt further annexation of Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank.
However, addressing reporters later in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he agreed to “delay” the annexation as part of the deal with the UAE, but the plans remain “on the table”. Read more
Canadian tech group spends $100K on billboards to lure anxious tech workers from US (CBC)
The technology industry in the Waterloo, Ont., region hopes a provocative billboard campaign in Silicon Valley will entice anxious tech workers to move to Canada.
Communitech, a Kitchener company that advocates for the Canadian tech industry, has spent $100,000 on nine full-size billboards stationed at key points along Highway 101 from San Francisco to Santa Clara in California.
The billboards ask, “What if my visa gets cancelled?” and “What if I lose my job and health insurance?” against the red and white backdrop of the Canadian flag. Underneath, there’s the Communitech website address. Read more
Trump stokes ‘birther’ theory about Kamala Harris (BBC)
President Donald Trump says he has heard Democratic running mate Kamala Harris “doesn’t qualify” to serve as US vice-president, amplifying a fringe legal theory critics decry as racist.
Ms Harris was born to a Jamaican father and Indian mother in Oakland, California, on 20 October 1964.
But a conservative law professor has questioned her eligibility.
For years, Mr Trump promoted a false “birther” theory that President Barack Obama was not born in the US. Read more
White House’s Kushner confirms he met with Kanye West (Aljazeera)
White House adviser Jared Kushner on Thursday confirmed that he had met recently with entertainer Kanye West, who is seeking to get his name on ballots for the November 3 United States presidential election.
West is a supporter of Republican President Donald Trump, and some view his bid to run for president himself as intended to have a spoiling effect that would help Trump and hurt Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Asked whether he had discussed the campaign with West, Kushner told reporters at the White House: “We had a general discussion, more about policy” Read more
Biden raises $26m in 24 hours after Harris running mate announcement (CBC)
Joe Biden raised $26 million US in the 24 hours after he named Kamala Harris as his running mate for the U.S. presidential election, doubling his previous one-day record and signalling enthusiasm among Democrats following the selection of the first Black woman on a major party’s presidential ticket.
“It’s really palpable, the excitement,” Biden said Wednesday.
The campaign hopes the haul is the beginning of a prolific fundraising push in the final stretch before the election. Democrats are close to matching, if not surpassing, the massive $300 million cash stockpile President Donald Trump and Republicans reported in July. Read more
France to be added to UK quarantine countries (BBC)
People coming to the UK from France and the Netherlands will be forced to quarantine for 14 days from Saturday.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the measure – which also applies to people travelling from Monaco, Malta, Turks and Caicos, and Aruba – would kick in from 04:00 BST.
He added that this was necessary to keep coronavirus infections down.
France warned the UK decision would lead to “reciprocal measures” across the Channel. Read more
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen expecting third child together (Metro)
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are expecting their third child together – as they appeared to announce their baby news in the music video for John’s new single, Wild. The pair already share daughter Luna and son Miles, and are set to expand their family once more. The clip – which dropped today – shows the couple packing on all the PDA as they enjoyed a beach day. However, it wasn’t until the end of the video where the camera panned out slightly to show the model cradling her stomach. Side note: Can you even imagine a cooler baby announcement? The music video was a family affair as one scene showed John, 41, and Chrissy, 34, walking in the sand alongside their adorable little ones. Read more
Premature relocation to Europe hindering goalkeepers’ development, says Shorunmu (Guardian)
Former Super Eagles Goalkeepers’ Trainer, Ike Shorunmu, has attributed the poor quality of goalkeepers in the domestic league to Nigerian youngsters’ undue quest to move to Europe even before developing their skills.
Shorunmu, who recalled that in the past goalkeepers remained in the country to sharpen their skills and earn Super Eagles invitation before attracting overseas clubs, said goalkeepers, unlike outfield players, require careful grooming to excel.
He said staying at home to develop their skills ensured that top quality stars such as Vincent Enyeama, Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu and other great goalkeepers got on top of their game in world football. Read more
Ugandan athlete Joshua Cheptegei aims to return with a world record (BBC)
Ugandan athlete Joshua Cheptegei is aiming to make a real statement and claim a world record in his first race on the track this year on Friday.
The 23-year-old is aiming to break the 16-year-old world record for the 5,000 metres, set by Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele, at the first Diamond League meeting of the year.
Cheptegei does not seem concerned that this will be his first track race this season, which has seen many events cancelled or postponed due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
“It is great time back here again for something special. I am feeling great to compete again and I just hope that the body responds well,” he told BBC Sport Africa. Read more
Defending champion Bianca Andreescu pulls out of US Open (CBC)
Saying she needs more time to return to top form, defending champion Bianca Andreescu has dropped out of the US Open.
The Canadian made the announcement on Thursday, calling it a difficult decision. Rafael Nadal, the 2019 men’s champion, has also said he will not compete in the event scheduled for August 31-September 13.
Andreescu hasn’t played a match since suffering a knee injury last October. Read more
USA’s Adams scores winner as Leipzig shock Atletico in Champions League (BBC)
RB Leipzig overcame a typically cautious Atletico Madrid to reach their first Champions League semi-final just 11 years after their formation.
After a poor first half, Dani Olmo headed the German side ahead but Atleti substitute Joao Felix levelled the tie from the penalty spot after he had been fouled in the box.
Madrid, chasing a third final in the last six years, seemed content to take the one-legged tie in Lisbon to extra time and sat back for much of the game. Read more
Serena completes comeback to beat Venus in 31st meeting between sisters (CBC)
There was zero interaction between the two, not even a furtive glance, when Venus Williams walked past Serena Williams in the Top Seed Open’s warmup area Thursday before their 31st matchup as pros.
Moments later, both headed to the court, each wearing a face covering — Serena sporting a leopard print design, Venus with a light blue medical mask — and were greeted not by the roars of an appreciative audience but basically by silence. Zero fanfare because, well, there are zero fans at the first tennis tournament in the U.S. since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more
Sergio Perez to return after testing negative for coronavirus (BBC)
Sergio Perez will return for Racing Point at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix after testing negative for coronavirus.
The 30-year-old Mexican has missed the past two races at Silverstone after contracting Covid-19 last month.
Perez tested positive for the virus after travelling to Mexico, one of the world’s coronavirus hotspots, to visit his mother after she had an accident. Read more