Why I stole newborn after suffering stillbirth – Lady (Punch)
Ibadan, Oyo State-based couple, Lawal Lateef and his wife, Monsurat, are currently trying to shake off the anxiety which gripped them following the theft of their three-day-old baby at the Ogbere Tioya area of the state.
The tot was retrieved from one Itunu Adepoju; a self-acclaimed acquaintance to the Lateefs, through the help of well-meaning Nigerians.
Narrating the incident to Saturday PUNCH, Monsurat, who gave birth to a baby girl on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at Mission House, Yahora Faith Mission, Ogbere Tioya, Ibadan, noted that she went to immunise the newborn at Abaemu General Hospital, Ona-Ora, when she met Adepoju. She stated that the lady later stole her baby at their residence the following day.
She said, “On Tuesday, July 19, 2022, when I went for immunisation, I was breastfeeding my daughter when she approached me claiming she knew me. She claimed to have known me from my area and that she was the daughter of my in-law’s friend. I couldn’t doubt the veracity of her claim because that is where I live. Read more
“Report of imminent attacks in Lagos communities false” (Guardian)
The Lagos State Police Command has said nothing would be left to chance in securing the state against alleged imminent terrorist attacks on Lagos border communities.
One Deyemi Saka had claimed that terrorists were planning to attack parts of the state, including LASU-Iyana Iba, Mile 12 – Ikorodu, Iyana Ipaja, Sango/Toll gate, Maza Maza, Fun Park at Alausa, Shoprite in Ikeja, Third Mainland Bridge, Police College, Alausa, Maryland Shopping Complex, local wings of Murtala International Airport and others.
He also said terrorists were targeting some churches. Read more
Lawyers storm Lagos CJ’s chambers, demand urgent reforms (Vanguard)
Lawyers from all the Branches of the Nigerian Bar Association in Lagos State yesterday stormed the Chambers of the Chief Judge of Lagos Lagos State, Hon Jus Kazeem Alogba, to discuss issues relating to the administration of Justice in the State.
Led by Bar leaders and senior lawyers, the chairmen of NBA, Lagos Branch, Ikeja Branch, Ikorodu Branch, Badagry Branch, Epe Branch, Surulere Branch and other selected Bar leaders, all gathered together to brainstorm with the judiciary.
The meeting was also attended by the Honourable Attorney-General of Lagos State, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN.
In recent times, there have been protests from lawyers and litigants concerning the slow and frustrating process of filing papers in the Registry of the Court due to the ineffectiveness of the Judicial Information System. Read more
Cable thief electrocuted in Lagos (Punch)
An unidentified man has lost his life after being electrocuted at Isale-Agbede in the Lagos Island area.
City Round gathered that the man died while stealing a cable from a transformer in the area.
Though details of the incident remained sketchy as of the time this report was filed, a video watched by our correspondent on Friday, showed the body of the man trapped between two transformers while about three long cables were also seen at the incident scene.
It was further learnt that the incident happened a few days after the cables were replaced after the former ones were stolen by suspected louts in the area. Read more
Hoodlums cart away voter registration Machines In Lagos (Leadership)
Hoodlums in their large numbers, on Friday, invaded St. Bridget Catholic Church ljesha, Surulere, Lagos and disrupted the ongoing voter registration exercise by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Our correspondent gathered that the thugs did not only prevent INEC officials from registering people for the Permanent Voter Card (PVC), they also carted away their registration machines.
It was learnt that as the miscreants invaded the church premises, the Parish Priest of the church hurriedly locked up the church while people who came out to get registered scampered for safety in different directions.
According to some residents of the area, the hoodlums attacked the registration centre and carted the machines away to stop registration of people they felt will not vote for their party and candidates in the forthcoming 2023 general election. Read more
Gunmen abduct movie stars in Enugu (Nation)
Veteran film stars Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornell have been kidnapped after they left a movie location in Enugu.
Spokesman of Actors Guild of Nigeria(AGN) Monalisa Chinda announced this via her verified Instagram page.
Chinda stated her senior colleagues were reportedly missing after their family members confirmed they didn’t come back from a film location at Ozalla Town, Enugu State.
National President of AGN Emeka Rollas urged members to avoid going to cities’ outskirts to film except full security was provided to ensure safety. Read more
Man held for strangling 26-year-old girl in Bayelsa
(Sun)
A 27-year-old man, Joseph Fekala from Ikibiri community in Yenagoa Local Government Area has been arrested by the Bayelsa State Police Command over the murder of a 26-year-old girl at Okaka, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
The deceased, identified as Kate Ogwoh, was said to have been strangled to death and her body buried in a shallow grave in the bedroom of the suspect.
According to sources in the area, the mother of the deceased had come knocking at the house of the deceased Friday morning and requested to see her daughter.
His response that he had not seen her made the woman call for help, shouting that something untoward had happened to her daughter. Read more
How we killed, amputated rival members, cult leader confesses (Independent)
Policemen from the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), led by Olatuniji Disu , a Deputy Commissioner of Police have arrested three leaders of a deadly cult group, in the Abeokuta area of Ogun State.
The suspected cult leaders arrested were identified as: Saeed Taiwo, Isaiah Babatunde and Oyede Sulaimon and they were reportedly responsible for some of the killings of suspected cult members around Ita Oshin and neighbouring communities in the Ogun ancient town.
In his confession, the leader of the gang, Saheed Taiwo disclosed that his gang not only killed rival cult members but also cut their hands and use for rituals to fortify themselves against attack from their rivals and against arrest from the police.
A police source at the IRT said that the police are on the trail of another notorious member of the gang, simply identified as Ben, who reportedly vanished into thin air with the gang’s AK 47 rifle. Read more
King’s College lauds foundation, others over library project (Guardian)
The King’s College, Lagos has commended the Triune Foundation and co-sponsors of the refurbishment of the school’s library, urging public-spirited groups to complement the government’s efforts at boosting the quality of education in the country.
The Principal, Andrew Agada made the commendation at the opening of the refurbished library, a project was undertaken to celebrate the birthday of the Senior Pastor, Trinity House and Managing Partner, SIAO, a professional accounting firm, Ituah Ighodalo.
“We appreciate the gesture of Ighodalo and the foundation. The bulk of work done include changing the very bad ceiling to a suspended ceiling, procuring new fans and new chairs, fixing the light, painting the library and fixing new window blinds,” he said. Read more
Neimeth plans strategic expansion with Anambra plant (Punch)
Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc is embarking on strategic expansion plans with a new plant to be opened in Amawbia, Anambra State.
The Managing Director, Matthew Azoji, made the disclosure during a news conference on Friday in Lagos.
Azoji said that the new plant would be a multi-product facility that would be tailored to comply with the World Health Organisation’s current standards of Good Manufacturing Practice.
He said the new plant would be completed in 18 months from the time of inception. Read more
Shakira prosecutors call for 8 year prison sentence over alleged tax fraud (NME)
Spanish prosecutors have said Shakira should face eight years in prison over the ongoing alleged tax fraud case involving the musician.
Shakira has been charged with failing to pay the government millions in taxes between 2012 and 2014. Shakira was offered a plea deal earlier this year but instead opted to pursue a trial.
A statement sent to the BBC by Shakira’s publicist said the singer is “fully confident of her innocence” and called the case a “violation of her rights.”
The charges, which date back to 2018, come from an allegation that Shakira spent more than half the year of each year in Spain between 2012 and 2014. Read more
Little Mix star Jesy Nelson splits from record label one year after launching solo career (DailyStar)
Jesy Nelson has split from her record label just one year after launching her solo career.
The Little Mix star decided to fly solo last year and released her debut single Boyz, which featured Nicki Minaj.
She left the chart topping girl band due to mental health and the pressure of being in a band.
The star came under fire last year when some people accused her of blackfishing – a type of cultural appropriation where someone tries to look black or mixed race – in the video to Boyz. Read more
‘Blonde’ Official Trailer: Ana de Armas unravels as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s NC-17 drama (Variety)
Netflix has dropped the official trailer from Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde,” an NC-17 biopic starring Ana de Armas as Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The movie, based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates, will world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
“Blonde” reimagines the life of Marilyn Monroe, from her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements. The supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams.
The subversive movie is one of the most anticipated titles set to compete at the Venice Film Festival. Cannes Film Festival’s chief Thierry Fremaux previously said he had been trying to slot it into the 2022 lineup but wasn’t able to reach a compromise with Netflix. The streamer hasn’t returned to Cannes since 2017 due to the festival’s rule that all films competing must have a theatrical release in France.
Johnny Depp raises a whopping £3,000,000 in a matter of hours by selling his artwork (Metro)
Johnny Depp has raked in around £3million in just a matter of hours by flogging his artwork while his legal battle with Amber Heard continues.
The 59-year-old actor painted a number of celebrities in his debut collection, including Rolling Stone Keith Richards, folk legend Bob Dylan and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor.
The Pirates of the Carribean actor’s fans rushed to snap up his art after he announced on Instagram he was selling prints through Castle Fine Art gallery in London’s Covent Garden.
All 780 pieces sold within hours on Thursday, with framed individual images going for £3,950 and the complete portfolio of four images selling for £14,950.
Depp’s post on Instagram, captioned only ‘NOW AT #CASTLEFINEART’, caused such a spike in traffic the gallery’s website crashed. Read more
At least 8 dead, more missing in eastern Kentucky flooding (USAToday)
At least eight people were confirmed dead Thursday after heavy rains caused massive flooding across eastern Kentucky, leaving people stranded on rooftops and others without power or water as forecasts call for even more rain.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he expects deaths to rise into the double digits, calling it one of “the worst, most devastating flooding events” in state history. He said forecasted storms Thursday evening and into the weekend mean the impacts could worsen, potentially hindering both rescue efforts and work to restore power and water.
“This is an ongoing disaster that continues to put people in danger,” Beshear said Thursday evening. “Our death toll is growing, … and a lot of families out there have lost absolutely everything.”
Beshear declared a state of emergency for all of Kentucky, and the National Guard has been mobilized. Read more
Gorgosaurus skeleton sells for $6m at auction (BBC)
A rare ancient dinosaur skeleton has been sold in the US to an unknown buyer for just over $6m (£5m).
It was offered up by Sotheby’s and sold at the firm’s natural history auction in New York City on Thursday.
The fossil is that of a Gorgosaurus – a distant relative of the infamous and deadly Tyrannosaurus rex – that was discovered in 2018.
The anonymous buyer will have the unique opportunity to bestow a nickname on the one-time apex predator.
The sale is the second-ever of a fossilised dinosaur skeleton auctioned by Sotheby’s. The first, a T-rex nicknamed Sue, was sold to Chicago’s Field Museum in 1997 for $8.36m. Read more
Will Smith apologises to Chris Rock and reveals the comedian is ‘not ready to talk’ (IrishIndependent)
Will Smith has apologised to Chris Rock for his infamous Oscars slap, in his first public statement in three months.
In a five-minute video on Instagram, he spoke directly to the camera and answered a series of questions about the incident on March 27.
The Hollywood star stormed the stage and slapped Rock after he perceived the comedian to have made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her hair loss as a result of alopecia.
Asked why he did not apologise to Rock during his best actor acceptance speech for King Richard that came minutes later, Smith said: “I was fogged out by that point. It’s all fuzzy. Read more
Disu pleads with FG to disqualify Pinnick, Dikko, others (Guardian)
Former Nigeria defender, Tajudeen Disu, says all members of the current board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), lack the moral standing to contest any position in the election scheduled for September.
Disu, who is also the chairman of the Players Welfare Committee of the Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria, said this during an interview with globalsportsng.com in reaction to reports of NFF President, Amaju Pinnick and some notable members of the current board expressing their interest to run as president.
His reaction is hinged, especially on the desire of League Management Company (LMC) chairman, Shehu Dikko, who is confident of succeeding Pinnick as president of the body and is gearing up his campaign.
Buttressing the opinion severally harped on by the players’ body, Disu said the current NFF board has done a lot of damage to Nigerian football in all ramifications and will be sent packing in September at the polls. Read more
Awoniyi relishes EPL chance with Forest (Punch)
Nigeria international, Taiwo Awoniyi, is relishing the prospect of making his Premier League debut next weekend with Nottingham Forest, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Steve Cooper’s side paid a reported £17m for Awoniyi after he scored 20 goals in 43 games across all competitions last season for Union Berlin.
And he hopes the Nigerian can help Forest stay up in the Premier League after a 23-year absence.
Awoniyi who failed to make any competitive appearance for Liverpool before he was finally sold to Union Berlin last season is hoping for a big season in the Premier League. Read more
Nigeria beats South Africa in Men’s team event (Guardian)
Quadri Aruna led Nigeria to defeat South Africa in the Men’s Team – Group 2 table tennis event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games yesterday.
Aruna and Olajide Omotayo picked up wins in the singles while Amadi Omeh and Omotayo won in the doubles.
Against South Africa’s Shaun Jones, Aruna triumphed in three straight sets (11 -6,11 – 3, 12 -10) with Omotayo replicating the feat against another South African Chetan Nathoo (11 – 9, 11-6, 11-6).
And in the men’s doubles, both Omotayo and Omeh beat South Africa’s Theo Cogill and Nathoo 3-0 (11 -5, 11-5, 11 -5). Read more
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hit with fresh Liverpool blow amid uncertain Anfield future (Mirror)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is set for more time on the sidelines amid continued doubt over his future at Liverpool.
The midfielder has been heavily linked with a move away from Anfield this summer with the club reviewing their options. Midfield is an immensely competitive area and Oxlade-Chamberlain finds himself some way down the pecking order with new recruits being bought in.
A fresh injury blow will mean he is unable to further his case for more involvement, which is all the more frustrating given his contract expires in the summer. Oxlade-Chamberlain picked up a serious hamstring injury in the pre-season game against Crystal Palace a fortnight ago in Singapore.
Jurgen Klopp has now confirmed that the former Southampton man will have to endure a lengthy period on the sidelines, whilst teammate Caoimh Kelleher is only facing a matter of weeks out ahead of this Sunday’s Community Shield.
Cristiano Ronaldo to miss Atletico friendly as future of United striker remains in doubt (IrishIndependent)
Manchester United flew to Oslo without Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their friendly against Atlético Madrid today as the unsettled Portugal star hit out at the scrutiny over his situation.
Ronaldo – who wants to leave Old Trafford this summer – was left behind in Manchester as Erik ten Hag took a strong squad including new signings Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez to the Norwegian capital for the game against Atlético at the Ullevaal Stadium.
Ten Hag will use the match as the final warm-up for his planned starting XI against Brighton in their Premier League opener tomorrow week, when Anthony Martial is expected to start at centre-forward.
Having missed all of United’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia citing family reasons, Ronaldo, who only returned to the club on Tuesday when his agent Jorge Mendes reiterated the player’s desire to leave during crunch talks with the club, is considered to be well behind the rest of the group in terms of fitness. Read more
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge becomes 1st player to 40 home runs (ABC)
Aaron Judge became the first big leaguer with 40 homers this season, smashed a grand slam for No. 41 and robbed a home run in right field as the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals 11-5 Friday night.
A free agent at the end of the season, Judge is on pace for 66 home runs, which would top Roger Maris’ club record of 61 in 1961. Judge, Maris and Babe Ruth in 1928 are the only Yankees with at least 40 homers by the end of July, per MLB.com.
Judge was lavished with “MVP!” chants throughout the night, none louder than after his slam in the eighth cemented yet another Yankees rally. He also had a single and finished with six RBIs.
Judge began the game by reaching over the right-field fence to rob MJ Melendez of a homer, then hit a 449-foot, two-run shot in the third inning. It was his second homer in three at-bats after he hit a game-ending drive in the ninth inning of a 1-0 win against Kansas City on Thursday night. Read more
Philadelphia 76ers’ signing of James Harden being investigated by NBA for tampering (USAToday)
The NBA has opened a tampering investigation into the Philadelphia 76ers’ signing of James Harden, ESPN reported.
Harden, who was traded to Philadelphia from Brooklyn at the trade deadline, declined the player option on the final year of his contract worth $47 million in 2022-23.
He became a free agent, and on Wednesday, he signed a two-year $68.6 million with the Sixers. This season, he will make $33 million, a $12 million pay cut from what he could’ve made had he exercised his player option. The reduction in salary allowed the Sixers to sign P.J. Tucker and Danuel House in free agency.
Harden is on record saying he was willing to do what it took, including a pay cut, to help put the Sixers in better position to win a championship. Read more