Why Naira Marley cannot be released now – EFCC (Guardian)
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Wednesday said music star Naira Marley cannot be released because of ‘overwhelming evidence’ against him. “There is overwhelming evidence against Naira Marley; so we can’t afford to release him on administrative bail like Zlatan and the three others,” EFCC spokesman Tony Orilade said. “Naira Marley is still in our custody and will be charged to court soon and we will make the charges known in an official statement soon.” Read more
Senate: Group begins legal, mass actions against INEC over Okorocha’s certificate (Punch)
A group, The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights, on Wednesday unfolded lawful measures to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue Certificate of Return to Governor Rochas Okorocha. The Executive Director of CASER, Frank Tietie, told journalists in Abuja that his group was already mobilising constituents of Imo West Senatorial District to embark on simultaneous protest against INEC in Abuja and Imo State. He said the mass action would start immediately until the INEC issued the certificate to Okorocha as the validly elected Senator for Imo West district. Read more
Buhari off to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to jet out of the country on Thursday, 16th May 2019 for Umrah. According to a statement by the media aide to the President, Shehu Garba, the visit is at the instance of Salman Bin Abdulaziz, the ruler of Saudi Arabia and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to perform the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) in the Kingdom. The Umrah trip which was announced through a statement noted that the president is expected back in the country on the 21st of May 2019. Read more
New emirs: Court orders Ganduje, Emir Sanusi to maintain status quo (Punch)
A Kano High court presided over by Justice Nasiru Saminu has ordered Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi ll to maintain status quo in respect of the interim order issued against the governor on May 10. Justice Saminu ordered all the parties in the suit to maintain the status quo, pending the hearing of motion on notice. The court also ruled that the order issued on May 10, restraining Kano state Government from appointing four new Emirates in the state was still subsisting, pending the determination of the motion on notice. Read more
Buhari support groups kick against Emefiele’s reappointment (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari has been strongly advised to reverse the reappointment of Godwin Emefiele as the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Buhari support groups, made up of all Buhari 2019 campaign support organizations expressed disappointment at Emefiele’s reappointment saying that his antecedents, especially the periods prior to 2015 general elections did not merit being rewarded with a new tenure in office. Read more
Nigerien soldiers missing after ambush (Guardian)
A search was underway Wednesday for several Niger soldiers missing since an ambush by armed men the day before left several of their colleagues injured, security sources said. A military patrol was ambushed Tuesday afternoon near the village of Tongo Tongo in the western Tillaberi region near the border with Mali. One of the military vehicles had set off an explosive device. Several troops were injured and evacuated to the capital Niamey, a security source told AFP. Read more
Alleged money laundering: EFCC re-arraigns Justice Ajumogobia, Obla (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday re-arraigned a Judge of the Federal High Court, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla, over alleged money laundering charges. EFCC charged Ofili-Ajumogobia and Obla on 18 counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful enrichment, retention of crime proceeds and money laundering. The defendants are standing trial before Justice Rilwan Aikawa. Read more
Army commander calls for inter-agency collaboration to combat insecurity (Guardian)
The commander 1 Brigade Nigerian Army, Linus Udeagbala has called for effective inter-agency collaboration between civil-military and paramilitary organizations to combat insecurity within their areas of responsibilities. Udeagbala, who spoke while receiving the new director of State Security Service (SSS), Zamfara State Command and the state coordinator, Defence Health Maintenance Limited (DHML) during courtesy visits to the Brigade. The commander said the collaboration was necessary in order to checkmate the security challenges within the Brigade and other parts of the country. Read more
FEC meeting may last till Thursday, preparatory to valedictory session (Punch)
The ongoing Federal Executive Council meeting may continue till Thursday to enable members treat all outstanding memos preparatory to the valedictory session, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported. President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over the meeting of the weekly FEC at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. NAN reports that the meeting was being attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and Head of Service, Mrs. Wilfred Oyo-Ita. Read more
How I was drugged, gang-raped in Lekki hotel, woman tells court (Nation)
A 24-year-old woman (name withheld) on Wednesday narrated to an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court how she was allegedly drugged by her friend in a nightclub and was gang-raped in a hotel in Lekki, Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the woman, the first prosecution witness, testified in the trial of two dropouts of Babcock University – Don-Chima George, 25, and Olusegun Rasak, 28, charged with rape. Read more
Nigeria sent us plane load of materials, medicines over Cyclone Idai —Zimbabwe president (Punch)
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has commended the government of Nigeria for its assistance to the people of Zimbabwe, who were recently hit by a tropical disaster, Cyclone Idai. Mnangagwa made the commendation when he received a Federal Government Delegation, led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, on Wednesday at the State House in Harare. “The people of Nigeria and their leadership have realised that their brothers and sisters here in Zimbabwe, visited by Cyclone Idai, needed assistance. Read more
Pilots ‘raised Boeing safety fears’ months before Ethiopia crash (BBC)
American Airlines pilots confronted Boeing about potential safety issues in its 737 Max planes in a meeting last November, US media are reporting. They urged swift action after the first deadly 737 Max crash off Indonesia in October, according to audio obtained by CBS and the New York Times. Boeing reportedly resisted their calls but promised a software fix. Read more
US pulls ‘non-emergency staff’ from Iraq as Iran tensions mount (BBC)
The US state department has ordered the departure of “non-emergency employees” from Iraq, amid rising tensions between the US and Iraq’s neighbour Iran. Staff at the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Irbil must leave as soon as possible on commercial transport. Germany has meanwhile suspended its training of soldiers in Iraq. The US military said on Tuesday that the threat level in the Middle East had been raised in response to intelligence about Iran-backed forces in the region. Read more
Bike handle stuck in woman for two years after husband shoved it in vagina (Metro)
A woman in India is recovering from surgery after doctors shockingly removed a motorbike handle from her uterus. The woman, 30, was admitted to MY Hospital, in Indore, Madya Pradesh, in central India, two days ago with severe stomach pains. Doctors did an X-Ray before spotting a large object. Read more
Mexico City pollution: Residents urged to stay indoors (BBC)
Officials in Mexico City have declared an environmental emergency after air pollution in the Mexican capital reached levels potentially dangerous to human health. They urged those at particular risk to stay indoors and restricted the number of cars which can be driven in the city on Wednesday. Smoke from nearby forest fires has contributed to the spike in pollution. Read more
Woman has no idea how she got pregnant during 17 months in jail (Metro)
A woman says she has no idea how she got pregnant during a 17-month prison sentence, with her family demanding an investigation over fears she was raped. Latoni Daniel, 26, is eight-months pregnant, and has spent the last year-and-a-half on a capital murder charge in Coosa County, Alabama. Daniel faces the death penalty after she was accused of being the getaway driver for her then-boyfriend Ladaniel Tuck, who allegedly robbed and killed 87-year-old Thomas Chandler in December 2017. Read more
Trapped Nebraska farmer cuts off leg with pen knife (BBC)
A Nebraska farmer has sawed off his own leg with a pen knife after becoming trapped in farming equipment. Kurt Kaser, 63, was moving grain from one silo to another when he was pulled into an auger – a tube with an interior shaped like a screw. He was forced to cut off his lower leg with a 3in (7.6cm) pen knife and crawl to the nearest phone for help. Read more
Woman shoved man, 74, off bus and killed him after he told her to be nice (Metro)
Horrific video footage shows the moment a 74-year-old man was shoved off a bus and fatally injured by a woman he’d just argued with. Serge Fournier is said to have told Cadesha Michelle Bishop, 25, to act nicely after he heard her swearing at other customers – only for her to allegedly push him off the vehicle. Fournier landed on his head on the Las Vegas sidewalk after the incident on March 21, and died from the injuries he sustained on April 23. Read more
Britney Spears’ mum promises she is doing well despite cancelling shows (Metro)
Britney Spears and mother Lynne Spears (Photo by Jim Smeal/WireImage) Britney Spears’ mum Lynne insists her daughter is doing well despite cancelling her tour and having a stint in rehab. Lynne Spears was in Thousand Oaks, California on Monday 13 May when she told a photographer that, despite claims Britney was held in a facility against her will, she is doing ‘wonderful’. Read more
Divorce: I’m rediscovering my love of men, Wendy Williams reveals (Punch)
American Talk show host, Wendy Williams has opened up on her ongoing divorce from estranged husband Kevin Hunter, saying that she is rediscovering love of men again. Williams who reiterated that she is still single made this known during her “Hot Topics’ segment on Tuesday’s show. The 54-year-old mother of one said she was reclaiming her life and enjoying rediscovering her ‘love of men’ as she spoke on her divorce. Read more
Liverpool season deserves a trophy, says Wijnaldum (Guardian)
Georginio Wijnaldum says Liverpool’s “wonderful” season deserves to be rewarded with a trophy as they prepare to face Tottenham in the Champions League final after falling agonisingly short in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s men missed out on a first league title in 29 years after being edged out by defending champions Manchester City by just one point but will travel to Madrid for the June 1 European final as favourites. Midfielder Wijnaldum told liverpoolfc.com that the club wanted silverware to show for a stunning season in which they finished with 97 points — the third-highest total in Premier League history. Read more
Jose Mourinho hopes Anthony Martial ‘reaches real potential’ after underwhelming season for Man Utd (Metro)
Jose Mourinho has urged Anthony Martial to make the most of his enormous potential after the Manchester United winger ended the latest campaign in disappointing fashion. Martial was one of few United players to shine during the first half of the 2018/19 season, scoring in five consecutive Premier League matches before Mourinho was sacked. After a promising start under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he managed just two league goals after the turn of the year and lost his place in the side amid rumours of a falling out with his manager. Read more
Griezmann exit leaves Atletico lost just as rivals get set to strengthen (Guardian)
Antoine Griezmann’s decision to leave Atletico Madrid has plunged the club into chaos and fired the starting gun for a summer scramble among Europe’s elite. Top scorer in each of his five seasons, Griezmann was the stardust of Atleti, offering spontaneity and craft in a team renowned for discipline and grit. But he grafted too, which is why he was the perfect fit. Griezmann would run and chase as much as he passed and shot, his willingness perhaps except for one of the world’s premium attackers, a class in which he now deservedly belongs. Read more
Marcus Rashford breaks silence after Manchester United’s embarrassing defeat to Cardiff (Metro)
Marcus Rashford has urged his Manchester United teammates to improve their mentality following their loss to Cardiff City on the final day of the Premier League season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ended their campaign with a dismal defeat to Neil Warnock’s men at Old Trafford and finished outside the Champions League places in sixth position in the Premier League. Solskjaer was furious with his side after the poor result and has already warned his players that they are in for a tough pre-season schedule when they return on July 1. Read more