Woman locks up five-year-old for six months in Lagos (Punch)
The police in Lagos State have arrested a 43-year-old woman, Sharon Williams, for allegedly locking up and assaulting her five-year-old nephew, Micheal Ibiyome, for six months.
Ibiyome lived with the suspect in Gberigbe community, in the Ikorodu area of the state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect allegedly used a cutlass to inflict injuries on the back of Ibiyome’s head.
It was gathered that a neighbour reported the matter to the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs, which transferred the case to the state Ministry of Youths, Sports and Social Development. Read more
Residents get relief as Lagos clears canal (Guardian)
Relief from perennial flooding has come for Lagos residents of four local council areas as the state has successfully desilted the major channel which was blocked by refuse for over 10 years.
The affected local governments and development areas are Surulere, Mushin, Odi-Olowo and Itire-Ikate LCDAs.
Some of the residents, who spoke during the inspection in Akobi Crescent, LUTH collector and tributary, Idi Araba and Ishaga, said flooding would become a thing of the past with the regular clearing of System 6c.
A resident, Akindele Michael, said the clearing would address perennial flooding in the Idiara and Mushin area. Read more
Fake developer defrauds 100 prospective Lagos tenants of N500m (Punch)
A suspected fake developer, Ahmed Ayinde, has been arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defrauding no fewer than 100 prospective tenants in the Olowo Ira area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the victims paid for different flats in a one-storey building on No 5, Ayedun Street, Olowo Ira, being developed by Ayinde.
After receiving payments, it was learnt that Ayinde and his accomplices told the prospective tenants that they needed some time to complete renovation works on the building.
It was agreed that after the renovation was completed, keys to the respective flats would be handed over to the tenants.
However, drama ensued on Wednesday when efforts by some of the prospective tenants to access their flats proved abortive.
A victim, Sunday Akinmoladun, said he was surprised that over eight persons paid for the same flat he paid for, adding that a lot of intending tenants were stranded because people had occupied all the flats in the building. Read more
2019 UTME best candidate, 29 others get $4.35m scholarship in US (DailyTrust)
The 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) highest scorer, Ekene Ezeunala, has been offered scholarship to study Computer Science and Mathematics at the Columbia University in New York, United State.
The 17-year-old, who graduated from Meiran Community Senior High School in Lagos, scored 347 out of 400.
Ezeunala was among the 30 Opportunity Funds Programme (OFP) scholars of the U.S. Embassy, who have received fully-funded scholarships totaling $4.35million to pursue higher education in American universities and colleges for the 2021/2022 academic session.
The beneficiaries comprised six undergraduates, three masters and 21 doctoral candidates
Speaking yesterday in Lagos at a reception in honour of the scholars, US Consul General, Claire Pierangelo, urged them to make the most of their opportunity to get a top-notch education while gaining first-hand experience of American life and culture. Read more
IVF: Ighodalo Foundation to empower 40 childless couples (Leadership)
Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation (IIF) yesterday announced that it would commence the second cycle of Project 40at40, an initiative that gives 40 couples grants for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).
The chairperson of the foundation, pastor Ituah Ighodalo who disclosed this at the head office of IIF in Ikoyi, Lagos State, said the project is in keeping with the wishes of his late wife, Ibidunni, who was the founder of the project.
The foundation established in 2016 to give couples in-waiting the chance to become parents through assisted reproduction, IVF, and other fertility treatments which resulted in many years of interventions for struggling parents.
This year’s edition will kick-off with registration on the foundation’s portal from July 19-31, 2021. In collaboration with renowned fertility medical partners, IVF treatments have been administered to beneficiaries of the first cycle, resulting in a number of couples currently undergoing their gestation period. Read more
Court remands 21-year-old woman over theft, attempted murder (Punch)
The Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos State, has remanded a 21-year-old woman, Blessing Lawal, in a custodial centre for the alleged stealing of N1m and attempted murder.
Lawal, who resides in the Aguda area of Lagos, is standing trial for conspiracy, obtaining by false pretences, stealing and attempted murder, contrary to sections 287, 230, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The police prosecutor, Mr Williams Ologun, brought a request for her remand with a supporting affidavit and the defendant’s statement.
According to Ologun, the defendant on April 2, 2021 lured the complainant, Mr Abdullahi Babatunde, to a location on the pretext of selling a Toyota Corolla to him for N1m. Read more
Nigerians are starving, Kano Emir tells Buhari (Guardian)
Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has said the present economic situation in the country is inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians, urging the government to urgently find a lasting solution.
The monarch, who raised the concern yesterday while receiving President Muhammadu Buhari at his palace, said: “Nigerians are suffering from perpetual hunger coupled with security challenges.”
Citing the high cost of food and consumables in the country, occasioned by hyperinflation, urged the Federal Government to ease the economic crunch impoverishing the masses.
He equally drew Buhari’s attention to security challenges across the country, urging the government to intensify efforts to restore peace. Read more
Army general gunned down in Abuja, wife abducted (DailyTrust)
Hassan Ahmed, a Major-General of the Nigerian Army, has been murdered in Abuja.
Ahmed, who was recently appointed director at army headquarters, was shot dead in Abaji area of the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday night.
The assailants, according to a family member, also kidnapped his wife.
The couple were said to be returning from Okene in Kogi State when they ran into an ambush.
In a statement, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, army spokesman, confirmed the death of Ahmed. Read more
Eid-el-Kabir: FG declares Tuesday, Wednesday public holidays (Leadership)
Federal government has declared Tuesday July 20 and Wednesday July 21, 2021, as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Minister of interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated all Muslim faithful and Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora on this occasion.
“I call on Muslims to continue to imbibe the spirit of love, peace, kindness and sacrifice, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) and to also use the period to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country, considering the challenges of insecurity we face at the moment. These mainly are bandits in the North West and North Central, insurgents in the North East, kidnappers, armed robbers, ethnic agitators and sundry criminals in other parts of the country,” Aregbesola added. Read more
Eid-el Kabir: Kano residents groan over ram price hike (Guardian)
Barely a few days to Eid-el Kabir celebration, popular ram markets in Kano are witnessing low patronage due to exorbitant prices of animal feeds, as well as the dwindling purchasing powers of Nigerians.
Some of the markets visited by our correspondent in Kano looked deserted as only sellers are sited taking refuge under shades due to rain or scorching sun in different parts of the state.
As a commercial hub in sub-Saharan Africa, Kano received an unprecedented number of rams, cattle and camels from neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad and Mali in anticipation of bumper sale and profit.
According to an investigation in some major ram markets, turnover has drastically reduced compared to previous years. Read more
Ethiopia’s Tigray crisis: Fleeing for fear of new ethnic conflict (BBC)
Almost every night, a handful of young men slip across the well-guarded border, swimming across a fast-flowing brown river and trudging into Sudan to escape what they say is a sudden upsurge in ethnic violence in the far western corner of Ethiopia’s Tigray region.
This fertile area, still held by soldiers and militias loyal to Ethiopia’s federal government, is now seen as a likely next target for Tigray’s rebel fighters, as they seek to strengthen their control over the region and secure a potentially crucial supply route into neighbouring Sudan.
The conflict in Tigray is now showing dangerous signs of transforming into a more widespread ethnic conflict that could suck in other parts of Ethiopia.
“They gave us two days to leave, or we would be killed,” said one 18-year-old Tigrayan, who’d just crossed the river with three school friends and asked for his identity to be hidden to protect relatives still living inside Ethiopia. Read more
Britney Spears celebrates court victory with cartwheels (Metro)
Britney Spears celebrated a judge appointing her lawyer of choice by doing cartwheels.
The pop legend won a legal victory on Wednesday after Mathew S Rosengart was named her new counsel in the conservatorship case that controls much of her life and career.
The 39-year-old had delivered tearful testimony during the hearing in Los Angeles, the second time she has addressed the court in a matter of weeks, in which she said she wanted her father Jamie Spears charged with conservatorship abuse.
Following the hearing, Britney celebrated with a joyous post on social media, thanking her army of fans for supporting her and using the hashtag #FreeBritney. Read more
Biden, Merkel agree to disagree on Russian pipeline (VOA)
“Good friends can disagree,” U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the two leaders answered questions about their differences on a controversial Russian natural gas pipeline.
Biden said the United States and Germany would be looking at what practical measures could be taken if Ukraine’s energy security was weakened.
The $11 billion Nord Stream 2 pipeline, nearing completion, will allow Germany to double the amount of gas it imports from Russia. But it would bypass Ukraine, thus depriving Kyiv of lucrative transit fees.
Biden said he and Merkel agreed that “Russia must not be allowed to use energy as a weapon to coerce or threaten its neighbors.” Read more
Covid: Younger adults still at risk of serious organ damage – study (BBC)
Younger adults admitted to hospital with Covid are almost as likely to suffer from complications as those over 50 years old, a study has found.
Four in 10 of those between 19 and 49 developed problems with their kidneys, lungs or other organs while treated.
The research looked at 73,197 adults of all ages across 302 UK hospitals in the first wave of Covid in 2020.
“The message is that this is not just a disease of the elderly and frail,” said Prof Calum Semple, who led the work. Read more
Bonkers unauthorised Celine Dion biopic sees 57-year-old actress play star at five years old (Metro)
Musical biopics have become major awards bait thanks to the success of Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, so it was only a matter of time before Celine Dion’s life was given the silver screen treatment.
Although, nobody was expecting it to involve a 57-year-old playing a five-year-old girl.
Aline, a kinda-sorta Celine Dion biopic written by, directed by and starring Valérie Lemercier, got a five-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival, and it sounds absolutely bonkers.
The unauthorised Dion biopic describes itself as a work of ‘fiction freely inspired by the life of Celine Dion’, in that the whole thing is based on Celine’s life, but the main character’s name is Aline Dieu. Read more
UN urges Libya to hold elections on time (VOA)
The UN Security Council urged the Libyan transitional government on Thursday to complete the necessary groundwork to hold national elections on time in December, as concerns grow that they could be postponed.
“The Security Council stresses the importance of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections that are inclusive and credible and underlines the importance of arrangements to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and the inclusion of youth,” the 15-nation council said in statement.
Elections are scheduled for December 24 — 70 years to the day since Libya declared independence in 1951. But critical work remains to be done, with less than six months to go, including preparing legal and constitutional frameworks for the vote.
At a conference in Tunis in November 2020, 75 men and women came together as the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) and chose the date and agreed to a road map to get the war-battered country to elections intended to be inclusive, credible and democratic. Read more
WhatsApp to let users message without their phones (BBC)
WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will let people message without using their phone for the first time.
At present, WhatsApp is linked to a user’s phone. Its desktop and web apps need that device to be connected and receiving messages.
But the new feature will let users send and receive messages “even if your phone battery is dead”.
Up to four other devices – like PCs and tablets – can be used together, WhatsApp said. Read more
AFCON 2021: Super Eagles to know group foes August (Leadership)
Three-time African champions, the Super Eagles of Nigeria will know their group opponents for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in August.
Confederation of African Football Federation president, Patrice Motsepe has also confirmed that the competition will be hosted by Cameroon.
Motsepe’s announcement also put to bed months of speculation over the future of the 2021 competition.
“Very good meetings have been taking place between CAF and the government and local organisers in Cameroon and I have no doubt in my mind that we will host a very successful Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon,” said Motsepe. Read more
Fury v Wilder III: Rescheduled fight confirmed for 9 October (BBC)
Tyson Fury’s third world heavyweight title fight against Deontay Wilder has been rescheduled for 9 October.
The bout, which had been due to take place in Las Vegas on 24 July, was postponed after the British heavyweight tested positive for coronavirus.
Fury, 32, beat American Wilder, 35, to become WBC champion in February 2020 – 14 months after the pair shared a thrilling draw in Los Angeles.
Neither man has fought since Fury’s victory in Las Vegas. Read more
Novak Djokovic confirms Olympics decision after throwing doubt over Golden Slam (Metro)
Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will take part in this summer’s Olympics despite previously admitting he was ‘divided’ over travelling to Tokyo following his victory at Wimbledon on Sunday.
The world number one is bidding to complete a calendar Grand Slam and Golden Slam by winning all four majors as well as the Olympics, having already won the Australian and French Opens in addition to Wimbledon.
Only Steffi Graf has previously achieved a Golden Slam, though Djokovic was giving serious consideration to spurning his shot at history due to the strict restrictions on athletes at the Games as well as the absence of fans. Read more
The Open 2021: Louis Oosthuizen leads from Jordan Spieth and Brian Harman after round one (BBC)
Former champion Louis Oosthuizen leads The Open by one stroke after posting a brilliant bogey-free six under par on the opening day at Royal St George’s.
The 2010 winner salvaged par on the 18th to set the early pace as the Kent venue welcomed the return of fans, with up to 32,000 allowed each day.
That puts the South African one clear of another former champion in American Jordan Spieth, the 2017 winner.
Brian Harman also reached five under in warm but windy conditions on the coast.
Six major winners have been crowned since the last staging of The Open two years ago, with the 2020 championship cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more
Darts legend Andy Fordham dies aged 59 as tributes pour in for the former world champion (Metro)
Andy Fordham, the former darts world champion and iconic figure in the sport, has sadly passed away at the age of just 59.
The Viking was one of the most recognisable figures in darts, with his career peaking when he won the 2004 BDO World Championship at the iconic Lakeside venue.
Fordham also claimed the BDO’s World Masters in 1999 and reached the World Championship semi-finals on four other occasions.
The former world champion has suffered numerous health problems notably back, groin and liver conditions, while he had to have an operation on his bowel last year to drain 16 litres of fluid from his body. He also suffered coronavirus earlier this year. Read more
Azarenka withdraws from Tokyo Olympics (Punch)
Former world number one and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Victoria Azarenka on Thursday became the latest Grand Slam winner to withdraw from the Tokyo Games, citing “challenges from the pandemic.”
Azarenka, who won mixed doubles gold alongside Max Mirnyi in 2012, as well as a bronze in singles, joins Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Dominic Thiem and Angelique Kerber in pulling out.
“I would like to inform everyone that I have made the very difficult decision to not play in the Tokyo Olympics,” the 31-year-old Belarusian wrote on Twitter.“I have many amazing memories winning the gold while competing and representing Belarus in previous Games. Read more