Yoruba Nation: 14-year-old drink seller killed by stray bullet in Lagos (Punch)
A yoghurt seller, identified simply as Jumoke, has been killed by bullets reportedly fired by a security operative dispersing Yoruba Nation agitators at Ojota, Lagos State.
Our correspondent, who sighted the girl’s corpse, observed that bullets had ripped open the victim’s stomach. She is said to be 14 years old.
She was reportedly displaying drinks at a shop when the bullet hit her.
Her body has been covered with a piece of cloth as a crowd gathered at the spot. Read more
#YorubaNationNow trends on Twitter as secessionists defy police (Guardian)
Despite the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, agitators for an independent Yoruba nation moved their campaign to the social media platform on Saturday as many others defy police to hold a physical rally in Lagos on Saturday.
Days before, the leader of the secessionist group Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, was declared wanted by Nigeria’s secret police.
The Department of State Services also paraded 13 persons arrested at Igboho’s Ibadan home during an early morning raid on Thursday. Two persons were killed during the raid.
On Friday, police in Lagos insisted it would not allow the protest planned by Sunday Igboho’s group to hold. Lagos police boss Hakeem Odumosu said he feared the rally could degenerate into the sort of violence the state saw in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests against police brutality last October. Read more
Yoruba Nation: Police deny killing 14-year-old girl, claim no shot fired (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has denied claims that a 14-year-old girl was shot and killed by the police during the Yoruba Nation rally on Saturday.
The police made this known in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, in Lagos, Olamuyiwa Adejobi, titled, ‘Re: Alleged killing of 14-year-old girl at Oodua rally in Lagos’.
The statement read, “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a news making rounds that a 14 year-old girl was hit and killed by police bullet today 3rd July, 2021 at the venue of the Oodua Republic Mega Rally in Ojota, Lagos.
“The Command hereby wishes to debunk the rumour and state categorically that it’s a calculated attempt to create confusion and fears in the minds of the good people of Lagos State and the country at large. Read more
Massive gridlock hits parts of Lagos as police clampdown on Yoruba nation rally (Guardian)
Thousands of Lagos residents were subjected to a massive gridlock to and fro roads lanes as the Nigerian police continued to clamp down on a planned rally by a Yoruba secessionist leader Sunday Igboho.
Sunday Adeyemo, known as Igboho, was billed to continue the rally for the agitation of the creation of an independent Yoruba nation from Nigeria’s southwest region.
Our correspondent observed a standstill traffic jam on major roads in Nigeria’s commercial city. In Berger area, the border community between Lagos State and Ogun State, hundreds of commuters were stuck in the gridlock.
Many commuters resorted to trekking the distance as there was no end in sight for the traffic jam.
In the Ikorodu area of Lagos, police personnel were stationed at Ogolonto. The gridlock stretches from Ikorodu garage beyond towards Mile 12 International Market. Read more
#YorubaNation Rally: Investigate killing of 14-year-old girl — Igbo group tells Lagos govt (Vanguard)
An Igbo group, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, on Saturday called for an independent investigation into the report of the killing of a 14-year-old girl, by a stray bullet during the Yoruba Nation rally held at Ojota in Lagos State.
COSEYL’s President, Goodluck Item, spoke in a statement to newsmen in Owerri while reacting to the outcome of the Yoruba Nation rally.
The group termed it as ruthless and should not be seen in a democratic government.
They said: “The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, the apex socio-political youth group in the South-East geopolitical zone condemns in strongest terms the ruthless shootings against unarmed protesters by the Nigerian police and other security agents in Yoruba Nation Rally in Ojota Lagos State that led to the untimely death of a 14-year-old hawker by name Jumoke, a yoghurt seller who came out to hawk her goods in other help her parents feed her family. Read more
Kidnap kingpin, Evans, to continue trial July 9 (Punch)
Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, has adjourned the trial of Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, till July 9, 2021, for the continuation of defence.
Evans, along with his co-defendants, Uche Amadi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba, had previously been arraigned before Justice Oshodi on August 31, 2017, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping. The gang was alleged to have kidnapped Donatus Dunu, the Managing Director of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
According to the prosecution, Dunu was kidnapped on Ilupeju Road, Lagos State, on February 14, 2017 and the defendants allegedly collected €223,000 as ransom from Dunu’s family. Read more
Kidnappers target my son, I withdrew him from public school -El-Rufai (Vanguard)
Governor of Kaduna State ,Malam Nasir El-Rufai has said that he had to temporarily withdraw his son from the Kaduna Capital School because of some kidnap threats.
His son, Abubakar Sadiq was enrolled in the public school in 2019.
However, the Governor told the Pidgin Service of the BBC that security reports available to his government had it that, three bandit groups were planning to abduct his son from the school.
He said he had also enrolled Sadiq’s younger sister, Nasrine in the same school after turning six years, before the security development which forced the family to, temporarily, withdraw the children. Read more
Timi Frank condemns DSS attack on Igboho’s residence (Leadership)
A former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has condemned the Thursday’s dawn attack on the Ibadan residence of Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo (popular known as Sunday Igboho) and killing of his aides and forceful abduction of his family members by security forces.
Frank in a statement in Abuja on Friday described the attack by security operatives as lawlessness, high level impunity and one in a series of state sponsored terrorism against innocent Nigerians.
He urged Nigerians to brace up for the worst form of persecution, intimidation, arrests and human rights violations that has become the hallmark of the President Muhammadu Buhari regime in the last six years.
He also urged Nigerians to speak up against heinous crimes being meted on citizens like Igboho and Nnamdi Kanu by agents of the Federal Government. Read more
Foundation gives succour to 500 residents in FCT (Nation)
A non-profit organisation, She-4-She Initiative has distributed food items to residents of Gishiri and Jahi villages in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to help alleviate the sufferings of poor residents.
About 500 beneficiaries participated in the exercise. Items such as rice, vegetable oil, geisha, salt, seasoning among others were presented to them.
Founder of the organisation, Barrister Oyanbo Peace Owei said she was moved by the plight of the residents at a time of economic hardship.
She said the outreach tagged: “7 items for item 7”, would be sustained to help residents temporarily, as the foundation is working towards other programmes to support women. Read more
Vatican embezzlement trial: Cardinal Angelo Becciu among 10 charged (BBC)
A Vatican judge has ordered 10 people, including an Italian cardinal, to stand trial for alleged financial crimes.
Cardinal Angelo Becciu has become the highest-ranked cleric in the Vatican to be indicted over charges that include embezzlement and abuse of office.
The 73-year-old cardinal, who denies wrongdoing, was forced to resign last September, but retains his title.
The charges relate to a multi-million-dollar property purchase with Church funds in London. Read more
Chrissy Teigen and family escape to Italy after cyberbullying scandal (PageSix)
Chrissy Teigen and husband John Legend have escaped to Italy with their young children as talk of the model’s cyberbullying past begins to die down.
The 35-year-old beauty shared photos Friday via Instagram of herself with hubby Legend, captioning one flick, “John plus high waisted pants plus me in flats makes him extremely pleased with himself.”
“I loook soooo tallllll 😎,” 42-year-old R&B crooner Legend replied in the comment section.
The “Cravings” author also shared photos of daughter Luna, 5, and son Miles, 3, having vastly different experiences over dinner. Read more
2 soldiers jailed over death of 107 people in Equatorial Guinea (Punch)
Two Equatorial Guinea soldiers were handed lengthy prison sentences after being found guilty of homicide and negligence over a huge explosion at a military camp that killed 107 people, the state broadcaster announced Saturday.
The military court in Bata, the economic capital of the small central west African nation, on Friday jailed Lieutenant-Colonel Valentin Nzang Ega, the head of the camp, for 35 years and handed Corporal Jose Antonio Obama Nsue a 50-year prison sentence, state channel TVGE reported.
Stocks of explosives in the camp accidentally detonated on March 7 obliterating neighbouring residential areas, killing 107 people and injuring 615 others on the outskirts of economic capital Bata.
It is believed the explosions came after slash-and-burn land clearance fires spread out of control and reached the camp’s armoury. Read more
Demolition of remaining Florida condo structure expected within 36 hours (USAToday)
Florida officials on Saturday abruptly moved up plans to demolish the remaining part of a Miami area that condo collapsed last week, as the threat of a secondary collapse of the damaged structure looms, potentially endangering rescue crews.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Saturday news conference that the state will pay for all costs of the demolition, which he said should take place within 36 hours. He said officials believe the building can come down before Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to the area early next week.
“This building is too unsafe to let people go back in,” he said. “This could protect our search and rescue teams.”
“You’d hate to see there be another disaster out there if this building falls in the wrong way,” he added. Read more
Terminally ill groom dies at altar as bride walks down aisle (NYPost)
A Scotsman with terminal cancer collapsed and died at the altar last Friday as his horrified bride and their son walked down the aisle, according to a report.
Paul Wynn, 57, a father-of-eleven, passed just minutes before he was due to marry his partner of 21 years, Alison Wynn. Doctors told the groom he had cancer in May but only diagnosed it as terminal a little more than a week ago, according to the Daily Mail.
Paul Wynn, a 57-year-old dad of 11, was sitting in a chair waiting for his beloved partner of 21 years, Alison Wynn, to greet him at their nuptials in a town hall in Scotland, the Sun said.
A Scotsman with terminal cancer collapsed and died at the altar last Friday as his horrified bride and their son walked down the aisle, according to a report.
Doctors told the groom he had cancer in May but only diagnosed it as terminal a little more than a week ago, according to the Daily Mail.
Doctors had told groom Paul Wynn, right, he had cancer in May but only diagnosed it as terminal a little more than a week ago. Read more
Japan landslide: 20 missing in Atami city (BBC)
Twenty people are missing in central Japan after a huge landslide hit Atami city following heavy rainfall.
Video on social media showed a torrent of black mud plummeting down from a mountain top and on through the city towards the sea. Several houses were destroyed or buried.
Two bodies have been found by the coast guard, the local governor said.
A resident said he heard a “horrible sound” and fled as the landslide engulfed everything in its path. Read more
South Africans gather in support of Zuma, a day before jail deadline (Guardian)
Hundreds of supporters gathered in a show of solidarity for former South African president Jacob Zuma outside his Nkandla homestead Saturday, as the deadline looms for him to hand himself over.
In an unprecedented ruling, Zuma was on Tuesday told by the constitutional court to hand himself over by Sunday to start a 15-month jail term for contempt of court.
Supporters, mainly members of the African National Congress’s Umkhonto Wesizwe military wing, have for weeks camped outside Zuma’s home in KwaZula-Natal province in solidarity with the former leader.
Donning traditional leopard skins and ostrich feathers – wielding spears, shields and clubs known as “knobkerries,” men known as “amaButho,” or Zulu regiments marched in the streets of Nkandla, singing praise songs about Zuma. Read more
Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes driver signs new two-year deal (BBC)
Lewis Hamilton is second behind Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship this season
World champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes until the end of 2023.
The Briton, 36, has won six of his seven world titles with the British-based German team since joining from McLaren in 2012.
This season Hamilton is contending for a record-breaking eighth championship but is currently second behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
“We still have a lot to achieve, both on and off the track,” said Hamilton. Read more
Nigeria vs Mexico: Rohr makes U-turn (Vanguard)
The drama surrounding the Super Eagles match against Mexico has continued with the latest reports indicating that coach Gernot Rohr, who had earlier distanced himself from the match, has sensationally made a U-turn and has agreed to lead the team when they file out against the North American heavyweights, Sunday in the USA.
Early last week, the Super Eagles manager had said he would not take the home-based players to face Mexico because he did not believe in their abilities. His favourite foreign-based stars who are holidaying were not available for selection.
Subsequently, Rohr was a mere visitor to the team’s training sessions at the FIFA Goal Project pitch in Abuja and had no hand in their training as the NFF technical Director, Austin Eguavoen, and his deputy, Paul Aigbogun took charge of the team. Read more
Master P’s son, Hercy Miller, signs $2M endorsement deal after NCAA rule change (USAToday)
Hercy Miller is a 19-year-old millionaire.
The teenage son of rapper Master P signed a $2 million deal with Web Apps America before setting foot on a college campus, according to his father.
With the new Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) laws in effect starting July 1, the Minnehaha Academy guard from Minneapolis, Minnesota will arrive at Tennessee State University with one of the largest brand deals in college sports.
Miller was ranked as the fifth best player from Minnesota by ESPN’s Top 100, and held offers from USC, UCLA and Howard before deciding on Tennessee State. Read more
Olympics protest rules relaxed for Tokyo Games (Guardian)
Athletes at Tokyo 2020 will be allowed to “express their views” before and after competing — but not on the podium — after Olympics chiefs relaxed some of the rules for protests at the event.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) released new guidelines Friday softening a long-standing ban on political protests at the Games.
It means athletes will now be allowed to take the knee before play begins to highlight racial injustice, speak to the media and post online about their views, or wear clothing with a protest slogan at a press conference.
But political statements during events, victory ceremonies and at the Olympic Village are still off the cards, the IOC said. Read more
Wimbledon 2021: Angelique Kerber & Coco Gauff win to set up fourth-round meeting (BBC)
Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber will face Coco Gauff in round four after coming from a set down against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The 25th seed started slowly, slumping to 1-5 before rain halted play, but then returned to win 2-6 6-0 6-1.
Gauff was in total command against Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan on Centre Court, winning 6-3 6-3.
The 17-year-old American has now reached the last 16 at Wimbledon on the two occasions she has played here. Read more
Italy’s Spinazzola suffers Achilles injury (Guardian)
Italy left-back Leonardo Spinazzola suffered an Achilles tendon injury in their Euro 2020 quarter-final win over Belgium on Friday.
Team management said there were “clinical signs of an injury to the left Achilles tendon”.
The Roma defender will be a big miss for Italy in the remainder of the European Championship after enjoying a fantastic tournament.
Some media reports have suggested the 28-year-old could be out of action for several months.“The first important thing is that we’re sorry for ‘Spina’,” said Italy coach Roberto Mancini. “He didn’t deserve this injury. Read more