Worker falls from eight storey building, estate tackles Lekki Gardens (Punch)
A construction worker, Steven Magilo, met untimely death after falling off the eighth floor of a building under construction and owned by Lekki Gardens, a property company in Lagos.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident happened at the Royal Palm Drive, Osborne Foreshore Estate Phase 2, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
Our correspondent gathered that the 30-year-old was confirmed dead in a hospital in the community, as the matter was reported at the Dolphin Police Station.
However, the Chairperson of the estate, Chinwe Ezenwa-Mba, accused Lekki Gardens of negligence, saying it was not the first time such a tragedy would be occurring in their buildings. Read more
Rumpus in Lagos over move to delineate divisions (DailyTrust)
The move by the Lagos State House of Assembly to delineate and readjust the five administrative divisions in the state is generating ripples across the state.
The Lagos Assembly Delineation Bill whose sponsor is yet to be revealed has triggered massive protests across the state leading to the suspension of its consideration, it was learnt.
The public hearing slated for last Friday did not hold following the suspension.
Despite the suspension, stakeholders across the state said they would remain vigilant and oppose any attempt to push the bill through. Read more
Ehingbeti: Sanwo-Olu pledges to double investment in youth (Vanguard)
The 8th Lagos State Economic Summit was concluded yesterday with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State pledging to double investment in youths.
Meanwhile stakeholders at the Summit have passed eleven resolutions for joint execution of the public and private sector in the quest to build the Lagos of our dreams.
Sanwo-Olu, in his closing address read virtually from Abuja, said the State Government had started to look into the future and was ready to implement resolutions that would make Lagos adaptable to the new culture of business interactions occasioned by technology and unpredictable pandemic.
Sanwo-Olu said the State Government’s investments in youth-focused initiatives, such as Lagos Excel Project, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSSTF), Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC), were pointers to the readiness of the State to improve youth inclusion in governance and raise their entrepreneurial skills. Read more
Save Nigeria from civil war, disintegration, CAN tells Buhari (Sun)
Benue State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop visa-on-arrival policy at the country’s borders to enable Nigerian security agencies check the influx of militia herdsmen into the country.
Chairman of the association, Akpen Leva, who made the call at a press briefing, yesterday, said the unity of the country was being eroded by the inaction of the president and anti-people’s policies of the Federal Government.
He expressed the fear that the country was heading towards a second civil war and disintegration and that the president must act fast to save the situation.
“It is my belief the president is aware of what the open visa policy has caused us as a nation. This is why we urge him to act fast; the earlier he acts, the better the security situation of the country. As patriotic Nigerians, we strongly believe unity is strength, but we are getting increasingly worried that our unity is being eroded by the inaction of the president and anti-people’s policies. Read more
NLC declares strike in 18 states over minimum wage (ThisDay)
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday directed workers in all the states where the national minimum wage of N30, 000 is yet to be paid to immediately proceed on strike.
Although it did not name the states yet to honour the minimum wage, NLC said about half the 36 states of the federation were yet to conclude negotiations on payment of the minimum wage.
However, THISDAY checks showed that Kwara, Imo, Osun, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Gombe, Rivers and Ogun States are among those yet to fully implement the new wage bill as of October 2020.
The NLC also demanded a downward review of the template used in determining the pump price of petrol to stave off an imminent hike in the cost of the commodity following the rising price of crude oil in the international market. Read more
EFCC busts Internet scam training centre, arrests 27 (Punch)
Operatives of the Abuja Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have uncovered another training centre for the grooming of Internet fraudsters.
The ‘academy’ located in the Arab Contractors area of Mpape Hills, a suburb of Abuja, was discovered when operatives, acting on intelligence, stormed the base on Thursday and arrested 27 Internet fraud suspects.
This is happening few weeks after the anti-graft agency discovered an Internet fraud academy in the Bwari axis of Abuja, where 10 suspects said to be learning the trade of cyber trickery were nabbed.
A statement by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, indicated that the coordinator of the Mpape centre, said to be 30-year-old Emmanuel Clement, and his ‘students’ were mostly young school leavers, including ladies within the age range of 18 and 25 years. Read more
Niger, Zamfara hold talks, troops locate students, workers in forest (Punch)
Niger State Government on Thursday stepped up efforts to rescue students and workers of Government Science College, Kagara who were abducted on Wednesday.
A competent source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told one of our correspondents that officials of Niger and Zamfara state governments met some bandits at Dutsin Magaji of Kotonkoro forest in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State on Thursday evening.
The source stated, “The committee from Niger State went to Kotonkoro forest this evening where the bandits who allegedly took the students chose as meeting centre. Some officials of Zamfara State also joined them.”
Kotonkoro forest, according to him bordered four states of Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna where the bandits from the affected states could easily meet if there was any serious issue. Read more
Second Republic legislator, Dr Junaidu Mohammed is dead (Sun)
Second Republic Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) member in the House of Representatives, Dr Junaidu Mohammed is dead.
Family sources told Daily Sun in Kano that the social critic died of an undisclosed illness in a medical facility in Kano.
Daily Sun gathered that the fiery critic of the
President Mohammed Buhari admistration would buried in Kano on Friday according to Islamic rite.
His younger brother, Salik Ahmed confirmed the passage of the Russian trained medical doctor, saying he died at about 9.00 pm on Thursday.
Salok a one time House of Representatives member (Dala Fdederal Constituency ) told reporters that the deceased died of a protracted illness saying that he had been sick for time now. Read more
NASA lands rover and first-ever helicopter on Mars (DW)
The USA’s Perseverance rover has successfully landed on Mars with a helicopter called Ingenuity strapped to its belly. The Mars 2020 mission is seen as a first step towards bringing samples of Martian rock back to Earth.
It may be last but by no means least — NASA’s Mars 2020 is the third mission to have successfully arrived at the Red Planet in the space of 10 days. It’s the USA’s largest Mars rover and it’s carrying the first-ever Mars helicopter.
The “show,” as NASA put it, started late morning Pacific Time (early evening in Central Europe). But it was another two hours before the USA’s latest rover, Perseverance, touched down on the surface of Mars at 20:56 UTC.
To land on Mars, the rover started its descent at a speed of over 20,000 kilometers per hour (12,000 miles per hour). A parachute and a powered descent mechanism then slowed the rover to about 3 km/h before a large sky crane lowered it on three bridle cords down to the surface of the planet, touching down on its six wheels. Read more
Hervé Gourdel: Man sentenced over French tourist’s killing (BBC)
An Algerian court has sentenced a man to death over the kidnap and murder of a French mountaineer in 2014.
Hervé Gourdel, 55, was abducted while exploring Djurdjura National Park in a case that sparked outrage.
A graphic beheading video later emerged of his death with the Jund al-Khilafa group, affiliated to the Islamic State, claiming responsibility.
One suspect, Abdelmalek Hamzaoui, appeared in court on Thursday with others being tried in absentia. Read more
Pfizer says variant identified in South Africa could significantly reduce protective antibodies from vaccine (CBC)
A laboratory study suggests that the variant of the coronavirus first identified in South Africa may reduce protective antibodies elicited by the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by two-thirds, and it is not clear if the shot will be effective against the mutation, the companies said on Wednesday.
The study found the vaccine was still able to neutralize the virus and there is not yet evidence from trials in people that the variant reduces vaccine protection, the companies said.
Still, they are making investments and talking to regulators about developing an updated version of their mRNA vaccine or a booster shot, if needed.
For the study, scientists from the companies and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) developed an engineered virus that contained the same mutations carried on the spike portion of the highly contagious coronavirus variant first discovered in South Africa, known as B1351. The spike, used by the virus to enter human cells, is the primary target of many COVID-19 vaccines. Read more
Downton Abbey movie sequel: Plot, cast, and release date (Metro)
The Downton Abbey movie sequel is officially in the works and it’s exactly what we all need right now. Naturally, fans are hyped about the second instalment, and Hugh Bonneville, who plays Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, has been blessing us with updates as often as possible. In fact he recently revealed that he has seen a script after Jim Carter, who plays Mr Carson, confirmed last year that the sequel was in the works. Now, Hugh has said that the ‘planets are circling’ and that ‘they are beginning to get into alignment.’ While we’re not entirely sure what that means, it all sounds very exciting. Read more
Rose McGowan is now a permanent resident of Mexico (PageSix)
Rose McGowan is currently living in Tulum, and appears to be staying south of the border for good.
“I just got my permanent residency card from Mexico, and I’m so grateful to have it. This is a really healing land here and it is truly magical,” she said on the cannabis-centric interview show, “The Dab Roast.”
McGowan chatted with host Chris Crayzie for hours while enjoying 10 “dabs” of potent “cannabis wax.” She also expounded on Hollywood, Kamala Harris, Mark Zuckerberg and womanhood.
“I don’t identify as a woman… it’s a system of thought that needs to be rebuked… I don’t come from a system where we value face and body,” she said. “There were no mirrors how I grew up for the first 10 years.” Read more
Horror movies we’ll probably see before James Bond in 2021 (Metro)
As you cry over the repeated delays of James Bond and Marvel’s fleet of blockbusters, can you spare a thought for us horror geeks too? Due to the pandemic-that-shall-not-be-named, the horror genre has seen anticipated gems such as Halloween Kills, A Quiet Place II and Spiral: From The Book of Saw pushed back into the oblivion of 20-never. We’ve been assured that these key releases will arrive throughout 2021 and, while we don’t want to hold our breath, it’s definitely giving us something to look forward to. To be fair, we have been treated to some stellar indie stand-outs recently, such as the quarantine-inspired Host which is streaming on Shudder, and the understated chiller The Vigil, currently available on Netflix in the UK. Read more
Peace court: Colombia army ‘behind 6,400 extrajudicial killings’ (BBC)
An inquiry in Colombia has found that 6,402 civilians were killed by the military between 2002 and 2008 and falsely passed off as enemy combatants.
The number of killings, known as “false positives”, is almost three times higher than previous estimates.
The inquiry is by a special court looking into crimes committed during a half century of conflict between troops and left wing rebels.
A peace deal ending the conflict was signed in 2016. Read more
Pressure grows on Dubai’s Sheikh Maktoum (DW)
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, father of Latifa, is accused of keeping her imprisoned.
The United Arab Emirate’s carefully administered public image is taking a different turn. Growing calls for evidence that Princess Latifa is alive reflect the Emirate’s double standards on human rights.
Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has been doing a lot to change his country from a dusty oil-dependent spot in the desert to a modern, ultimately rich and oil independent business and tourism destination. Only last week, the country made headlines for its successful Mars space program.
This week, however, the 71-year-old billionaire, who has been serving as vice-president and prime minister of the UAE since 2006, has been the focus of unwanted attention. In stark contrast to the country’s otherwise well-administered news, growing pressure from global human rights organizations, the UN and international politicians have turned the focus on the alleged treatment of his daughter, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum. Read more
Ezenwa, Chukwueze doubtful for AFCON qualifiers (Punch)
Super Eagles duo Samuel Chukwueze and Ikechukwu Ezenwa are doubtful for next month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, The PUNCH reports.
The Eagles, who lead Group L with eight points from four games, play Benin on March 22 in Cotonou, before taking on Lesotho eight days later at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
Chukwueze, who recently underwent a groin surgery, is not fully fit for the game, according to Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.
“Some players are injured like Chukwueze, I hope he will be ready before the end of March,” Rohr told The PUNCH. Read more
Sierra Leone’s Ernest Kamara: ‘How being denied a visa cost me my career’ (BBC)
Aged just 20, Ernest Kamara seemed to have the football world at his feet but unfortunately his career was cut short by an injury.
Kamara fractured his right leg in October 2003 during Sierra Leone’s joint 2006 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo in Brazzaville.
He believes that surgery in Italy could have saved his career but he was denied a visa to travel there after members of the Sierra Leone’s Under-17 World Cup side sought asylum in Finland earlier that year.
The injury turned out not only to be career ending but left him with a permanent deformity.
Mohamed Kallon was the Sierra Leone captain at the time and was playing for Inter Milan and arranged for Kamara to fly to Italy for that surgery. Read more
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang speaks out after missing sitter in Arsenal’s draw with Benfica (Metro)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang admits he should have scored ‘a couple of goals’ after missing a sitter during Arsenal’s Europa League draw to Benfica. Aubameyang netted his first Premier League hat-trick in Sunday’s victory over Leeds United and could have bagged another against Benfica but missed a number of chances as Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw. The Gabon international looked destined to put Arsenal ahead in the first half when Hector Bellerin played a square ball into his path, with the goalkeeper struggling to move across his goal. Aubameyang put his effort wide of the post, however. The 31-year-old missed a couple more chances later and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta insisted after the match that his team need to be more ‘ruthless’. Read more
Arsenal must not put a foot wrong in second leg, says Saka after scoring in draw at Benfica (BBC)
Bukayo Saka warned his Arsenal team-mates that they cannot put a foot wrong when they face Benfica in the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie after his goal earned them a draw in the first game in Rome.
Played in Rome’s Olympic Stadium instead of Portugal for Covid-19 reasons, the Gunners were the better side but failed to take a number of first-half chances before falling behind to a Pizzi penalty.
However, they responded quickly with Cedric Soares crossing low for England winger Saka to level from close range.
The England winger is now determined not to allow his side to suffer the same European fate as last season, when a goal in the last minute of extra time saw Olympiakos advance to the last 16 on away goals at Arsenal’s expense. Read more
Zack Britton doesn’t seem thrilled about Domingo German’s Yankees return (NYPost)
Domingo German is still a Yankee after serving a Major League Baseball-mandated suspension for violating the league’s domestic violence protocols, but that doesn’t mean his teammates have to be pleased about it.
Zack Britton said Thursday he doesn’t expect an explanation from German about what transpired that led to the ban, but he also didn’t sound thrilled he was still around.
“I think sometimes you don’t get to control who your teammates are and that’s the situation,” Britton said. “I don’t agree with what he did. I don’t think it has any place in the game or off the field or at all.”
Later on Thursday, Britton defended his position on Twitter when someone profanely questioned why he was “worried about” German after German was “punished for his mistakes and you still don’t know the circumstances of what took place.” Read more
Bayern Munich fear Kingsley Coman will join Manchester United in £260,000-a-week deal (Metro) Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich fear Kingsley Coman will reject a new deal at the club because Manchester United are willing to offer him a double-your-money £260,000-a-week contract to move to Old Trafford. The Frenchman has two years to run on his deal at the Allianz Arena but Bayern are keen to tie him down to an extension given the 24-year-old is entering the peak of his career. Coman has been a long-term target for the Red Devils and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made no secret of his desire to sign a right-winger, with the club failing to land top target Jadon Sancho last summer. Read more