World Malaria Day: Lagos records 700,000 cases annually (Leadership)
Lagos State reports more than 700,000 malaria cases annually, with the disease accounting for more than 70 per cent of outpatient in the public health facilities, the state’s commissioner for health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said.
Abayomi said 657,154 patients with malaria were seen in both private and public health facilities in 2020 in the state, while adding that malaria is prevalent in the vulnerable groups, like children under 5 years and pregnant women, where the infection can be profoundly more severe.
The commissioner spoke on Sunday on the occasion of the World Malaria Day celebrated annually on April 25.
Abayomi noted that the topography and ecological features of Lagos State, the vast coastal terrain, rapid urbanisation and poor drainages are major predisposing factors that contribute to transmission of malaria all year round. Read more
Policeman dismissed for alleged murder at Lagos pub (Nation)
The Police Inspector alleged to have murdered one Jelili Bakare at a nightclub in Lagos has been dismissed, the Command said on Sunday evening.
Inspector Jonathan Kampani with force number 278055, who was attached to Mounted Troop on Marxh 18, opened fire on Bakare during a disagreement at Quinox Lounge, Sangotedo.
The killer cop was said to have fled the scene after shooting the victim but was eventually apprehended by policemen in Sangotedo.
Kampani, according to a statement by spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for prosecution following a legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). Read more
NDLEA seizes N10b heroin, khat at Lagos, Kano airports (DailyTrust)
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano have seized consignments of heroin and khat with a street value of over N10bn
The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said on Sunday in Abuja that at the MMIA, Lagos, during cargo examination at SAHCO Import Shed, a freight agent had presented a cargo from South Africa with an Ethiopian Airline ET 3901 Airway Bill no: 071-40689003 for examination before NDLEA operatives attached to the beat.
According to him, the officers subsequently conducted a search of the cargo during which a suspected brownish substance was discovered concealed inside a red bag popularly called ‘Ghana-must-go’.
“During a preliminary interview of the suspect, it was gathered that another freight agent sub-contracted the clearing job to him and eventually six suspects have so far been arrested in follow up operations, while the substance had tested positive to heroin with a total weight of 24.05kg. Read more
2nd Anniversary: Sanwo-Olu to unveil projects in health, education, housing sectors (Independent)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will be unveiling several iconic projects in the health, education, transportation, housing and other sectors as his administration attains second year in office.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said in a statement on Sunday that the projects to be unveiled were among those that had been completed since Sanwo-Olu came on board on May 29, 2019.
Omotoso said that from Tuesday, series of activities had been put together to showcase the administration’s performance and impact on residents.
He, however, said that it would not be all about what had been achieved, as Sanwo-Olu would be offering residents a glimpse into the future of ”A Greater Lagos”. Read more
Why I approached Keyamo for assistance in 2018 – Eedris Abdulkareem (Punch)
Veteran Nigerian singer, Eedris Abdulkareem, has taken to his verified Instagram account to reply to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), who stated that the singer’s new song, Jaga Jaga reloaded, is a poor attempt at blackmail.
According to the minister, Eedris Abdulkareem, who is displaying a stance against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), once begged to be part of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, which he directed in 2018.
Keyamo showed screenshots of his chats with Eedris Abdulkareem where he begged to be introduced to the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
The minister also claimed that the singer asked for a loan to pay for his hotel bills to the tune of N1.3m and money to cater for his ‘sick mum’. Read more
‘953 lives lost to malaria in Borno in 4 years’ (Nation)
Borno state Acting Commissioner of Health, Prof. Isa Marte, has disclosed that the state recorded 953 deaths, out of the over one million cases of malaria recorded in the state, from 2017 to 2020.
Marte made this known on Sunday, in Maiduguri, while briefing newsmen, in commemoration of this year’s World Malaria Day.
“The 2020 World Malaria Report shows that Nigeria continues to account for 25 per cent of the estimated global malaria burden, with mortality associated with malaria standing at over 80 000.
“In Borno, persons confirmed with malaria in 2020 stood at 359,366 with 370 deaths, the figure for 2019 was 330,587 with 240 deaths, 2018 was 237,971 with 110 deaths and 2017 was 143 with 231 deaths, according to DHIS2 routine data. Read more
Accident claims 9 wedding guests in Edo (DailyTrust)
Nine persons were on Saturday reportedly killed in an accident that occurred at Ekpon junction on the Agbor-Ewohimi road in the Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.
But the state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Edo, Henry Benamaisia, said only five died, three unconscious victims were rushed to the hospital while two others escaped unhurt.
Fresh crisis looms in Chad as issues on Deby’s successor tear family, military apart
Bandits break into church in Kaduna, kill worshipper
It was gathered that the deceased were travelling to Ewatto community in the Esan South East Local Government Area from Benin to attend a wedding ceremony when the accident happened.
Daily Trust also gathered that 10 passengers were involved in the accident but nine died on the spot while one other sustained serious injuries. Read more
Police arrest six suspected car snatchers in Abuja (Punch)
Six suspected car snatchers have been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory Police Command along Kubwa, Garki and Lokoja axis of Abuja.
Three of the suspects have been identified as Beneth Idiwogu, 31; Uche Victor, 37; Julius Kilotomo, 22; all male.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Yusuf Mariam, revealed that the suspects were arrested during different coordinated intelligence operations by the Command’s Anti-Car Theft Unit.
According to the PPRO, “The suspects confessed to being members of the notorious syndicate terrorizing the FCT. Exhibits recovered are: two (2) silver coloured Toyota Corolla, two (2) silver coloured Toyota RAV4 and one (1) black coloured Lexus. Read more
Presidency now employer, defender of terrorists, bandits – Fayose (Leadership)
A former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has described as appalling, the present situation of Nigeria, where the Presidency under President Muhammadu Buhari, has become the employer and defender of Boko Haram terrorists and armed bandits.
The former governor, who also called on Nigerians to restrict their movements to avoid falling victims of terrorists, who have taken over the entire country, expressed concern that nowhere was safe in the country.
Fayose in a statement on Sunday by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said that the issue of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has further exposed the government’s hypocrisy and complicity.
He added that, “it is saddening and worrisome that spokesmen of the president were the ones going from one media house to another to defend someone who openly supported terrorists.” Read more
Hero who died trying to rescue woman who fell off London Bridge is pictured (Metro)
Tributes have been shared for a ‘pure-hearted’ hero who died after jumping into the River Thames to rescue a woman who fell from London Bridge. Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole, 20, also known as Jimi, was one of two people who went into the water to help the woman just after midnight on April 24. Emergency services were able to pull the woman and another man from the water, but Mr Olubunmi-Adewole could not be found. His body was located six hours later following an extensive search and rescue effort. Mr Olubunmi-Adewole was a former student of Harris Academy in Peckham, South East London, and supported the Malcolm’s World Foundation, which was set up after Malcolm Mide-Madaiola, a pupil of the school, was murdered in 2018. Read more
Biden scores majority approval after 100 days, but the numbers don’t add up (RT)
A majority of Americans approve of Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office, and the president has been treated to glowing media coverage. But behind the poll numbers might be a different story.
Biden’s first 100 days in office have been busy. A slew of executive orders did away with nearly all of Donald Trump’s policies as the Democratic president opened up the country’s Mexican border, launched a bid for gun control and banned key fossil fuel projects. The coronavirus vaccine rollout continues at home, while internationally, Biden has hit Russia with economic sanctions and strained relations with Turkey by recognizing the Armenian genocide.
A majority of Americans agree with his progress thus far, according to an ABC/Washington Post poll published on Sunday, which found that 52% of adults say they approve of the job Biden is doing, while 42% disapprove, a near reversal of Trump’s ratings after his first 100 days. Biden scored highly – 63% – on his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, and averagely – 52% – on his management of the US economy. However, 53% of respondents disapproved of his performance on immigration, as unprecedented numbers of illegal immigrants pour across the Mexican border. Read more
French Resistance and Holocaust documentary film Colette vies for an Oscar (France24)
French film Colette is up for the best short documentary award at the Oscars on Sunday night. It tells the story of a woman from Normandy who goes on a sort of pilgrimage to Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp in Germany, where her brother was killed during the Second World War, in the company of a young history student.
Tears are running down the cheeks of Colette Marin-Catherine – who turns 92 on April 25, the day of the Oscars ceremony – as she grips the arm of 19-year-old history student Lucie Fouble. They are at Mittelbau-Dora in central Germany. There is not much to see at the site of this former Nazi concentration camp. But the haunting effects of the past are all too present for these two women.
Marin-Catherine’s brother was murdered during the Second World War – one of the 9,000 French people deported to Dora. Fouble was conducting research on his story. The two of them decided to visit the camp together. Read more
Oscars 2021: Everything you need to know about this year’s Academy Awards (Metro)
The 2021 Oscars will be looking a little bit different this year – not least because it is taking place in April rather than March! But although there will be social-distancing and lots of masks on the red carpet, this ceremony won’t be taking place on Zoom. So what can we expect instead? We’ve compiled a handy guide to get you up to speed with all the changes we expect to see at this year’s Oscars, including how to watch and who is tipped to win big. Read more
Indonesian submarine found split in pieces, all 53 crew declared dead (France24)
A missing Indonesian submarine has been found cracked apart on the seafloor in waters off Bali, the military said Sunday, as it confirmed that all 53 crew were dead.
“There were parts of KRI Nanggala 402 — it was broken into three pieces,” said Navy Chief of Staff Yudo Margono.
Indonesian military head Hadi Tjahjanto, meanwhile, told reporters that “all 53 personnel onboard have passed”.
Authorities said that they received signals from the location more than 800 metres (2,600 feet) deep early Sunday morning and that they had used an underwater submarine rescue vehicle supplied by Singapore to get a visual confirmation. Read more
Megan Thee Stallion announces break from music and social media in very creative way (Metro)
Megan Thee Stallion has announced she will be taking a break from music after a whirlwind year of success. The rapper took to social media to announce the news with followers, revealing she was ‘recharging’ while in ‘a period of regeneration to prepare for what’s next’. And she of course did it in a very creative way. The WAP rapper first took to Instagram to share a series of futuristic posts, with one depicting her wearing an oxygen mask, while another showed her in a liquid chamber. Read more
Why Paul Pogba was benched for Manchester United’s clash against Leeds United (Metro)
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Paul Pogba was benched for today’s Premier League clash against Leeds United because of the side’s upcoming fixture pile-up. The Red Devils are looking to solidify second spot in the Premier League, with Leeds today and Liverpool up next Sunday at Old Trafford. Before then though, United take on Roma in the Europa League semi-finals and there’s less than a 72-hour gap between the game against the Italians and the clash against Liverpool. Read more
Griezmann double fires Barca to Villarreal victory (France 24)
Barcelona took over as Atletico Madrid’s chief challengers for the title on Sunday as Antoine Griezmann scored a quick-fire double in a 2-1 win away at Villarreal in La Liga.
Three goals in seven minutes before half-time saw Villarreal take the lead and then swiftly throw it away as Griezmann equalised with a sumptuous lob before capitalising on a misplaced backpass to make it two.
Helped by a red card for Villarreal’s Manu Trigueros shortly after the hour, Barcelona held on for a win that puts them level on points with Real Madrid, having a played a game less than the reigning champions.
Atletico are two points further in front and can extend that gap to five by beating a struggling Athletic Bilbao side at San Mames later on Sunday. Read more
Four-midable: Late Laporte strike seals 4th Carabao Cup in row for Man City as Spurs struggle in front of fans at Wembley (RT)
Manchester City welcomed fans back to English football as they secured the first silverware of the season with a late Aymeric Laporte strike enough to clinch their fourth successive Carabao Cup at the expense of Tottenham.
Frenchman Laporte provided the breakthrough in what was in truth a dull affair in front of 8,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on Sunday when he nodded in a late Kevin de Bruyne free kick to continue Pep Guardiola’s impressive cup final record.
Premier League champions-elect City had the better of the action throughout the 90 minutes but the identity of the goalscorer will ruffle some feathers in North London, as Laporte was lucky to remain on the field after coming close to picking up a second yellow card in the first half. Read more
PSG and Barca level after Women’s Champions League semi first leg (France24)
Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona’s Women’s Champions League semi-final tie is finely poised after Sunday’s first leg ended 1-1.
Barca host the French capital side for the return leg next week with a potentially vital away goal from Jenni Hermoso for the opener after 12 minutes against her former club.
This season’s top scorer was increasing her tally to six in a tightly contested match at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Read more
UFC Florida crowd slammed for jeering Chinese ex-champ Zhang Weili (RT)
Zhang Weili, who lost her UFC strawweight championship to Rose Namajunas at Saturday’s UFC 261, was targeted with a chorus of boos from the Florida crowd, apparently for no other reason than she hails from China.
The UFC’s first fight card to take place in front of a capacity crowd in more than a year was worth the wait. From title changes, to upsets, to stunning one-shot knockouts… and, well, whatever it was that happened to Chris Weidman’s leg, but one element from the evening which may have left a bad taste in some fight fans’ mouths was the not-so-warm welcome afforded to Zhang.
Winner of 21 straight fights, Zhang was about as dominant a champion on the UFC roster before she walked into a high kick from Namajunas which ended her night – and her title reign – a little over a minute into the first round. Read more
Heung-Min Son breaks down in tears after Tottenham’s Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City (Meteo)Tottenham forward Heung-Min Son was consoled by Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden after breaking down in tears following his side’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Pep Guardiola’s side picked up the trophy for the fourth season in a row thanks to a late goal from Aymeric Laporte. It was Son’s first final with Spurs since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and the South Korean was inconsolable at the full time whistle, as he broke down in tears as the majority of City’s squad celebrated their record-equalling triumph. Read more