Vandal electrocuted while stealing Lagos transformer cable (Punch)
A suspected vandal, Kabiru Ismaila, has been electrocuted while allegedly stealing a transformer cable in the Adamo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Ismaila led some hoodlums to Owu Ikosi Street in Agbowa to steal the transformer jumper cable, which supplied power to the community.
While vandalising the transformer, he was said to have been electrocuted.
A resident, who identified himself as Seun, said other members of the gang fled the scene after Ismaila gave up the ghost.
He said, “Some hoodlums came to vandalise the transformer. As they cut the jumper cable, one of them became electrocuted; others quickly ran away. Read more
CP visits family of lady gang-raped to death, commissions office complex at Ejigbo (Guardian)
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Hakeem Odumosu, yesterday paid a visit to the family of the late Favour Ikechukwu, who was gang-raped to death by some hoodlums on September 30, around 8:30p.m. at Olanrewaju Street, Ejigbo area of Lagos State.
The police boss, who delivered a condolence message to the parents of the deceased, on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu, assured the family that the police would do the needful to apprehend every culprit in the barbaric act and get justice for Favour.
Odumosu, while promising the family of constant police support, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Yetunde Longe, who accompanied him, to deploy additional detectives from her office to go after the fleeing culprits and subject them to prosecution as soon as possible. Read more
Lagos atop as states’ IGR drops by 11.7% (Punch)
The Internally Generated Revenue of the states dropped to N612.87bn in the first six months of 2020 from N693.91bn in the corresponding period of 2019.
The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed on Tuesday in its report published on the ‘Internally Generated Revenue at state level for half year 2020’.
The NBS stated that Lagos State had the highest IGR with N204.51bn or 33.37 per cent of total figure recorded in H1 2020, followed by Rivers State with N64.59bn or 10.54 per cent; while Jigawa State recorded the least IGR of N3bn or 0.49 per cent.
Part of the report read, “The 36 states and FCT IGR figure hits N612.87bn in H1 2020 compared to N693.91bn recorded in 2019. Read more
Lagos rejects FG peg, insists fibre-laying firms pay N1500/km (Guardian)
Lagos State Government has said it will not honour Federal Government’s appeal that telecoms firms, currently laying fibres round the country, should pay N145 per linear kilometre. It, instead, insists that the firms should pay N1,500 for Right of Way (RoW).
It made its position known through Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (LASIMRA). LASIMRA stressed that the FG’s stance on N145 per linear kilometre was only advisory, not a directive.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Issa Pantami, had insisted that telcos should reject any hike in RoW by states. He stressed that there was an agreement between the ministry and the NGF on N145 per linear kilometer. Read more
2,500 Nigerian graduates to benefit from HiiT’s tech empowerment (Vanguard)
Smarting from the excitement of a successful N20 million scholarship it offered to some Nigerian undergraduate students recently, Information and Communications Technology, ICT, Training firm, HiiT Plc, is also gearing to empower up to 2,500 Nigerian graduates across the 36 states of the federation.
The company said it is part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary and also a way to support youth empowerment in the country.
According to the firm, not less than 60 graduates resident in each state including Abuja will be shortlisted for this exercise. Read more
Internet fraud suspect changes plea in $950 scam (Punch)
A 21-year-old student of the University of Ilorin, Itanola Abdulsamad, on Tuesday stunned a Kwara State High Court when he changed his plea from ‘guilty’ to ‘not guilty’ in a case of $950 Internet scam.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had re-arraigned Abdulsamad and two others, Popoola Afolami and Olayeni Yemi, who were at large, on four counts bordering on Internet fraud.
Count two of the charge read, “That you, Itanola Abdulsamad, Popoola Afolami (at large) and Olayeni Yemi (at large) sometime between 2018 and 2019, at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, fraudulently induced several unsuspecting foreigners vide the Internet to deliver to you digital currency from which you benefited $950.” Read more
Obaseki-backed Assembly speaker, six lawmakers defect to PDP (Punch)
The Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Frank Okiye and six other members, on Tuesday formally defected to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party on the floor of the House.
Okiye, who announced the defection at plenary, added that he had received letters from the six members, expressing their desire to decamp to the ruling party in the state so as to identify with the developmental strides of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
The speaker relied on what he called the division within the state chapter of the All Progressive Congress as one of the reasons for their action. Read more
Gov Abiodun donates house, cash to Laycon, BBN winner (Vanguard)
Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, on Tuesday, announced the donation of N5 million and a three-bedroom bungalow to the winner of the just-concluded Big Brother Naija reality show, Olamilekan Agbelesebioba
He also appointed him as the Youth Ambassador of the state.
Abiodun made the announcement when he played host to Agbelesebioba, popularly known as Laycon, in his office in Abeokuta
He expressed the hope that his good character, excellence, good virtues, calmness, and integrity would serve as a model to the youths in the state. Read more
Twitter is tweaking misinformation flags to make them easier to spot (NYPost)
Twitter is reworking its misinformation labels to make them easier for users to spot.
The social network, which earlier this year began labeling fake or manipulated media as well as misleading content about the election and coronavirus, wants to make its flags more “overt” and “direct.”
The adjustments include making the labels a more visible reddish-magenta color, as well as possibly flagging users who consistently post false information, Twitter’s head of site integrity Yoel Roth told Reuters. Read more
Covid: White House aide tests positive as military leaders quarantine (BBC)
COVID-19 is spreading further among those close to President Trump, with White House advisor Stephen Miller and a senior military official infected.
Mr Miller, who has been self-isolating for the past five days, confirmed he had contracted coronavirus on Tuesday.
Top US General Mark Milley and other military leaders are also quarantining after Coast Guard official Admiral Charles Ray tested positive. Read more
Henry Golding reveals reason for Crazy Rich Asians 2 delay (Metro)
Don’t hold your breath for Crazy Rich Asians 2 as Henry Golding has explained the delay for the anticipated sequel. The first installment of the rom-com, released in 2018, starred Henry as Nick Chu who travels to Singapore with his girlfriend Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) for a best friend’s wedding. Rachel discovers that Nick comes from a very wealthy family and is considered the most eligible bachelor in Asia – leaving Rachel to fend off jealous women trying to get to her man. Read more
Eddie Van Halen: Revered guitarist dies at 65 after cancer battle (BBC)
Eddie Van Halen, revered guitarist and co-founder of the popular rock band Van Halen, has died of cancer, his son has announced.
The Dutch-American musician, 65, had been undergoing treatment for throat cancer.
His band, Van Halen, were best known for their song Jump, which hit the top of the US charts in 1984. Read more
Johnny Nash: Reggae singer-songwriter dies aged 80 (BBC)
American reggae and pop singer-songwriter Johnny Nash, best known for the 1972 hit I Can See Clearly Now, has died aged 80, his family has said.
Nash, whose health had been in decline, died at his home of natural causes on Tuesday, his son told US media.
The musician began singing as a child and made his major label debut with the 1957 song A Teenager Sings the Blues. Read more
Cardi B apologises after supporting fundraiser for Armenia (Metro)
Cardi B has apologised after she and Offset supported a fundraiser for Armenia amid the country’s conflict with Azerbaijan.
The WAP hitmaker shared a voice note on Twitter that saw her admit that the pair ‘didn’t do their research’ and call for peace.
‘I woke up this morning and I’m seeing that me and my baby father are getting attacked,’ she began. Read more
Rihanna apologises for Islamic verse at Fenty lingerie fashion show (BBC)
Rihanna has apologised after using a controversial song at her latest Savage X Fenty fashion show.
She received a backlash online for using the song Doom by artist Coucou Chloe, which includes a Muslim text known as a Hadith.
Rihanna says the use of the song was “irresponsible” and an “honest, yet careless mistake.” Read more
2019/20 season: Osimhen Europe’s most expensive summer signing (Punch)
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has emerged the most expensive signing in the just-concluded European football season after his €81m move, plus add-ons, from Lille on July 31.
The move also made him the most expensive African signing of all time, eclipsing Ivoirian Nicolas Pepe’s €80m move from Lille to Arsenal last summer.
Osimhen joined Napoli after a breakthrough maiden season at Lille, where he scored 18 goals in 38 matches to emerge the club’s top scorer.
Kai Havertz’s €80m move from German side Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea is the second most expensive signing in the transfer window. Read more
Akpoguma may feature against Algeria (Guardian)
Former Germany U-20 Captain, Kevin Akpoguma may feature in this weekend’s international friendly match against Algeria following his clearance by world football governing body, FIFA, to switch allegiance to Nigeria.
The Super Eagles will meet Algeria in the first of two international friendly games in Vienna, Austria on Friday. Akpoguma has been in the Eagles’ camp since the squad came together on Monday, but his stay in Vienna was initially aimed at getting him acquainted with the squad ahead of his clearance by FIFA to play for Nigeria. Read more
French Open 2020: Elina Svitolina suffers shock defeat by qualifier (BBC)
World number 131 Nadia Podoroska says she “doesn’t want to wake up” after a dream French Open run continued with a quarter-final victory over third seed Elina Svitolina.
Podoroska beat Svitolina 6-2 6-4 and now faces Pole Iga Swiatek, who won 6-3 6-1 against Italian Martina Trevisan.
The Argentine, 23, dropped to 508th in the world in 2018 and could not afford to travel to some tournaments.
“It is a bit difficult for me to speak,” Podoroska said on court. Read more
Seattle sweeps Las Vegas to win second WNBA title in three years (NYPost)
Breanna Stewart scored 26 points, and the Seattle Storm won their second WNBA championship in three seasons, sweeping the Las Vegas Aces with a 92-59 rout Tuesday night.
It’s the fourth title in franchise history for the Storm, who also won in 2004, 2010 and 2018. Seattle had pretty much the same core group that won the 2018 championship back for this year, led by Stewart, Sue Bird and Jewell Loyd. The Storm joined Minnesota and Houston as the only franchises to win four championships. Read more
Xherdan Shaqiri becomes third Liverpool star to test positive for coronavirus (Metro)
Xherdan Shaqiri has becomes the third Liverpool star to test positive for coronavirus, the Switzerland Football Association has confirmed. The 28-year-old’s team-mates, Thiago Alcantara and Sadio Mane, are already self-isolating after it was confirmed last week that the pair had contracted the disease. Shaqiri has featured only once for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season, against Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup last month, and was not included in the squad for Sunday’s match at Aston Villa where the champions suffered a humiliating 7-2 defeat. Read more
French Open 2020: Dominic Thiem says he was ‘over the limit’ in defeat (BBC)
US Open champion Dominic Thiem said he was “over the limit” physically in his five-hour 7-6 (7-1) 5-7 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 loss to Diego Schwartzman in the French Open quarter-finals.
Austrian Thiem beat Hugo Gaston in the last round in another gruelling five-set encounter, and simply ran out of steam against the Argentine.
“In the end I gave everything I had out there,” Thiem said.
“It was an amazing match – I think the first in my career over five hours.” Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer explains why he wanted to sign Edinson Cavani for Man Utd (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists the opportunity to sign a seasoned winner in Edinson Cavani was too good to turn down.
Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time record goalscorer was released by the Ligue 1 champions at the end of last season, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Thomas Tuchel, The 33-year-old will earn around £190,000-a-week and will provide experienced cover for United’s young forward line which currently comprises of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood. Read more
