Uber, Bolt, others may soon have to pay thousand of dollars in fees to Lagos State (Guardian)
Lagos State Government is planning to put in place a new regulation for ride-hailing companies operating in the state – a regulation that may hobble operations of car-hailing companies.
Under the new regulations, which come into effect on March 1, drivers on ride-hailing platforms are required to have LASDRI card and a driver badge issued by the Department of Public Transport and Commuter Services of the Ministry of Transport.
The vehicles on such platforms must have hackney permits issued by the Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Agency and be fitted with a tag to be issued by the aforementioned department. Read more
Coronavirus: Italian patient arrived via Turkish Airlines, says Lagos commissioner (Punch)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, has said the Italian citizen who was tested positive for Coronavirus, on Thursday, in Lagos came into the state from Milan, Italy en route Istanbul on Turkish Airlines on Monday and did not exhibit any symptom of the disease.
Abayomi during a briefing on Friday said the patient slept over at a hotel in Lagos from where he left for Ogun State, where he lodged in an accommodation provided by host.
The Commissioner revealed that the patient fell ill on Wednesday while still in Ogun State and was brought over to Lagos on Thursday, where he tested positive to COVID-19 and has been confined at the isolation facility at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba. Read more
We never had contact with Corona virus patient – LUTH (Guardian)
Prof Wasiu Adeyemo, Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) said that the institution did not have any contact with any Coronavirus patient.
Adeyemo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone on Friday that the patient was never presented in the hospital.
He said that there was no need for the populace to panic.
He said that in his own opinion and as far as LUTH was concerned, several meetings, seminars, and workshops had been done on how to respond to such cases if they should occur. Read more
How to protect yourself against Coronavirus – WHO (Punch)
Nigeria on Friday confirmed the first case of Coronavirus, code-named COVID-19, by the World Health Organisation, in the country.
The case is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos, on February 25, 2020. He was confirmed by the virology laboratory at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, part of the laboratory network at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
Here are tips from the WHO on how to protect yourself and others against the virus:
Wash your hands frequently.
Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand. Rub or wash them with soap and water.
Maintain social distancing
Maintain at least one metre (three feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease
Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Practice respiratory hygiene
Make sure you and the people around you follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately. Droplets spread the virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19. Read more
Why we are regulating ride-hailing companies – Lagos Transport Ministry (Guardian)
Lagos State Transportation Ministry said it is focused on regulating activities of commercial hailing companies operating in its metropolis for security reasons.
“The issue is that we are experiencing so many security situations in the state and we are taking charge of everything,” the spokesperson of the Ministry of Transport Bolanle Ogunlana told The Guardian on Thursday.
Reacting to claims that government was stifling activities of ride-hailing companies Ogunlana said the state has not asked any operator to pay license or renewal fees. Read more
Buratai says Nigerian Army Farm and Ranches Limited will reduce unemployment, insecurity (Guardian)
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen.Tukur Buratai, has said that the Nigerian Army Farm and Ranches Limited will bring about economic development and reduce unemployment in the country.
Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai sad this when he inaugurated some projects at the 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment on Friday
He added that it would help to continuously improve on the welfare of the military officers and their families. Read more
Coronavirus: Stop all flights from affected countries, Atiku tells Buhari (Punch)
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has advised the President, Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to stop all flights from countries facing coronavirus outbreak.
Atiku, who was the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election said Nigeria should fight the disease the same way it was able to tackle the outbreak of Ebola in 2014.
He said in a Facebook post that since Buhari had been able to shut land borders to protect the economy, it would not be too difficult to stop flights from countries facing the coronavirus scourge. Read more
Court remands man for allegedly stealing mobile phone (Nation)
An Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun, on Friday, remanded one Victor Jorma, 24, over alleged theft of a Techno Camon-11 mobile phone.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Elijah Adesina, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Feb. 21, around 8.30 pm. at “O ti Seese Cool Spot”, Ilesa Road, Ile-Ife.
Adesina said that the defendant entered into the place with the intent to commit felony therein. Read more
I wanted to use proceeds for marriage – Bauchi robbery suspect (Punch)
One of three suspected armed robbers arrested by the police in the Dambam Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Shehu Abdullahi, has confessed that he was planning to use his share of the proceeds to get married.
Abdullahi, 20, in an interview with Northern City News, while being paraded at the Bauchi State Police Command on Wednesday, said he initially didn’t want to be a part of the gang but his friend convinced him otherwise.
He claimed that it was his first time of participating in such an act before he was arrested by the police. Read more
Why coronavirus in Italy sparks fears in Edo (Nation)
The outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has sparked fears among residents in Edo State.
This is because there is hardly any home in Benin City and environs that does not have a relative in Italy or other European countries.
There is also weekly influx of goods to Edo from Italy.
Italy is perhaps the first destination of choice for any young lady seeking to travel abroad or being trafficked.
Some persons, who spoke after report of an Italian testing positive to coronavirus in Lagos State, said they have contacted their loved ones to ensure they were safe. Read more
Troops arrest female bandit dancing with AK-47 rifle (Punch)
Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected bandit, Zainab Abubakar, at the Ungwan Salaha, Mararaban Jos community, in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The military said on Thursday that preliminary checks into the suspect’s phone “revealed a video clip of her dancing with an AK-47 rifle hung on her neck.”
Our correspondent learnt that Abubakar was arrested on Monday by troops of the 1 Division Garrison under the Operation Mesa.
The Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspect to newsmen, said, “Troops of the 1 Division Garrison have arrested a female bandit at Ungwan Salaha in Mararaban Jos. Read more
Netflix’s first African series, Queen Sono, premieres (BBC)
Netflix’s first African original series, Queen Sono – about a spy from South Africa – has been released.
The streaming site’s six-episode TV thriller stars South African Pearl Thusi as the eponymous secret agent.
Written and directed by Kagiso Lediga, an award-wining stand-up comedian in South Africa, it is filmed in several locations across the continent.
Thusi is quoted as saying that it is empowering for Africans to tell their own stories. Read more
Coronavirus updates: Dog tests positive for Covid-19 in Hong Kong (Metro)
A Pomeranian has been diagnosed with having coronavirus after catching it from its owner in Hong Kong. The dog is now being kept in quarantine for 14 days after rectal, oral and nasal samples came back confirming it had the disease. Owner Yvonne Chow Hau Yee took her dog to a vet in the Happy Valley area of the city. The results showed that the dog tested weak positive to the virus and it had not shown any symptoms. Officials at the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department ordered for the dog to be kept at Hong Kong’s only quarantine facility where its condition will be monitored and it will continue to be tested. Read more
Assange’s UK extradition hearing paused until May (Guardian)
A British judge on Thursday paused Julian Assange’s extradition hearing following four days of intense legal wrangling over Washington’s request for the WikiLeaks founder to stand trial there on espionage charges.
Judge Vanessa Baraitser, who will ultimately rule on the controversial case, ordered the legal teams for the 48-year-old Australian and the US government to reconvene for briefcase management hearings in March and April.
The full extradition hearing is then set to resume for three weeks in mid-May, when witnesses will be called and cross-examined, with an eventual ruling expected by August at the latest. Read more
Belgian wine alert after woman dies from sip of MDMA drug (BBC)
The original wine bottle comes with a black cork but the one in the contaminated bottle was a lighter colour
Belgian authorities have issued a warning after a woman died, having apparently taken one sip of a glass of wine contaminated with the drug MDMA.
The 41-year-old woman from Puurs near Antwerp died in December, five days after losing consciousness and being admitted to hospital.
It is unclear how she got hold of the bottle but some drugs are commonly dissolved into wine for smuggling.
Investigators say the woman was not a drug user. Read more
Ruling party retains sweeping majority in Cameroon (Guardian)
President Paul Biya’s party has retained an absolute majority in Cameroon’s parliament, the constitutional council announced Friday after the controversial February 9 vote.
His Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (RDPC) won 139 out of 167 declared seats on “moderate” turnout of almost 46 percent, said the council’s president, Clement Atangana.
Elections were cancelled in 13 other seats, in Cameroon’s troubled anglophone regions, and are to be held at a later date. Read more
Scientists bake cake using insect ‘butter’ and folks can’t tell the difference (Metro)
A team of researchers in Belgium have discovered that fat from black fly larvae actually makes a pretty good substitute for butter. To test this out, they put together three identical versions of cakes, cookies and waffles. In one case, the snacks had been made with regular butter, in the other with 25% larvae fat and, finally, with 50/50 butter and insect fat. In a blind taste test, a group of 344 tasters didn’t really mind the switch. ‘The cake with a quarter of insect fat passed the test: the taste panel did not notice that insect fat was used,’ the researchers from Ghent University said in a statement. Read more
Pope cancels more official appointments over cold (Guardian)
Pope Francis postponed his official appointments Friday and was working from home, the Vatican said, a day after cancelling a scheduled appearance at mass because of “a mild ailment”.
Francis, 83, had appeared earlier in the week to be suffering from a cold. He was seen blowing his nose and coughing during the Ash Wednesday service, and his voice sounded hoarse.
He celebrated morning mass as usual and greeted participants at the end, but cleared his diary of everything apart from meetings at the Saint Martha’s guest house at the Vatican he lives, chief press officer Matteo Bruni said in a statement. Read more
White House: ‘Media stoking virus fears to take down Trump’ (BBC)
The acting White House chief of staff says US media is stoking a coronavirus panic because they hope it will take down President Donald Trump.
“The reason they are paying so much attention to it today is that they think this is going to bring down the president,” Mick Mulvaney said.
Speaking to a group of conservatives on Friday, he added people should ignore the media in order to calm the markets.
Global markets have continued to fall as the virus infects over 50 countries. Read more
Girl, 16, killed by train while taking shortcut across tracks to get home (Metro)
A teenager’s death has been ruled an accident after she was hit by a train while walking home. Mary Beary, 16, died on July 30 last year soon after being dropped off at Broxbourne station, Hertfordshire, where she was seen jumping onto the tracks to take a shortcut home and was hit by a train. A police officer who viewed footage of her death told a coroner that he could see that Mary was holding her phone at the time of the collision. When emergency services arrived at the scene there was nothing that could be done for her and she was declared dead at the scene shortly after 10pm. Read more
Rohr gets NFF contract offer (Punch)
Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has received an offer for his contract renewal from the Nigerian Football Federation, Sports Extra has exclusively gathered.
Rohr whose current deal lapses in June has been ‘offered a two-year deal’ to remain as the gaffer of the three-time African champions.
Sports Extra gathered that the German was offered a reduced monthly salary and bonuses to remain in charge of the Eagles.
It remains to be seen if the 56-year-old coach will consent to the offer.
The Bordeaux legend penned a new deal two years ago when he qualified the Eagles for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Read more
Chelsea face uncertainty over Abraham injury (Guardian)
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has revealed the club “are not clear” on how long Tammy Abraham will be out of action following a recurrence of the England striker’s ankle injury.
The 22-year-old limped away from Chelsea’s warm-down after the London club’s chastening 3-0 loss at home to German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Abraham managed to play through the pain in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw at Leicester on February 1 but it now appears he failed to recover fully and may have exacerbated his original injury. Read more
Nia Dennis wows everyone with amazing Beyonce gymnastics routine (BBC)
Gymnast Nia Dennis performed a routine to a medley of Beyonce music
Nia Dennis scored a 9.975 for her routine on Sunday
Will somebody hurry up and crown Nia Dennis the queen of gymnastics, already?
Because, wow.
The 21-year-old University of California gymnast blew everybody away with an outstanding routine on Sunday – also her birthday.
Close to perfect marks, she scored an impressive 9.975 for the routine which she performed to a medley of classic Beyonce tunes. Read more
Chinese Olympic champion Sun Yang handed eight-year ban for doping offences (Metro)
Chinese swimmer Sun Yang was banned for eight years on Friday for breaking anti-doping rules and will miss the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Court of Arbitration for Sport found the three-time Olympic champion guilty of refusing to cooperate with sample collectors during a visit to his home in September 2018 that turned confrontational. In a rare hearing in open court in November, evidence was presented detailing the astonishing claim that a security guard, instructed by Sun’s mother, used a hammer to smash the casing around a vial of his blood. The swimmer had asked CAS for a public trial. A 10-hour hearing broadcast on the court’s website showed Sun to be evasive at times under questioning that was hampered by severe translation issues between Chinese and English. Read more
Arteta calls on Arsenal to put Euro pain behind them (Punch)
Mikel Arteta has called on his Arsenal players to “keep fighting” for the rest of the season after last year’s finalists were dumped out of the Europa League by Olympiakos on away goals.
Youssef El-Arabi scored in the dying seconds of extra time to give the Greek side a 2-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium, meaning the last-32 tie ended 2-2 after the second leg.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s acrobatic finish in the second half of extra-time appeared to have put Arsenal on course for qualification after Pape Abou Cisse’s header had sent the tie into an additional 30 minutes. Read more
Kane could return for Tottenham ahead of schedule, says Mourinho (Guardian)
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho is hopeful that striker Harry Kane will return for the “last few games of the season” to help their push for a Champions League place.
The England captain underwent surgery on a hamstring injury in January after suffering a ruptured tendon at Southampton on New Year’s Day and Spurs expected him to be back in training at some stage in April.
But he appears to be making a quicker-than-expected recovery and Mourinho said: “I would say he is a little bit ahead. It gives me hope that instead of (being fit for) one or two matches, three, four, five. Read more
Europa League draw: Man Utd face LASK, Wolves play Olympiakos, Rangers v Bayer Leverkusen (BBC)
Manchester United have been drawn against Austrian league leaders LASK in the last 16 of the Europa League.
Fellow Premier League side Wolves will face Olympiakos, who knocked Arsenal out to reach this stage.
Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers will face former winners Bayer Leverkusen.
Five-time champions Sevilla face Roma and another Spanish-Italian duel sees Inter Milan, third in Serie A, up against Getafe. Read more
