You’ll have to defend yourself, furious judge warns alleged kidnap kingpin Evans (Guardian)
Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court on Friday told alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike alias Evans that he will have to defend himself in his criminal trial if he comes to court without legal representation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during Friday’s proceeding, the visibly angry judge noted that Evans had changed his defence counsel four times during trial, an action which has slowed the pace of proceedings.
“The first defendant (Evans) informed the court that his lawyer has left and that his people have gone to approach Okpara’s chamber.
“If the first defendant is not represented in the next adjourned date, he will have to conduct his defence himself. The first defendant has himself changed counsel four times during proceedings. Read more
Academic fraud: ASUU battles LASU VC, Fagbohun over sacking of whistleblowers (Punch)
The National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has imposed heavy sanctions on lecturers at the Lagos State University, Ojo, saying no Nigerian university should relate with them.
The NEC also barred the lecturers from sabbatical leave, visitations, external assessments, conferences, workshops, and research collaborations.
The decisions were taken at the ASUU NEC meeting which held from March 7 to 8, 2020, at the Enugu State University of Technology.
A resolution of the NEC, obtained by our correspondent, showed that the decisions were taken after the council considered a report of the ad-hoc committee on LASU. Read more
Lagos PDP crisis: Court strikes out contempt charge against Secondus, Obi (Nation)
Lagos High Court in Igbosere yesterday struck out a contempt application filed against the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, and other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Justice Taofikat Oyekan-Abdullahi gave the order following the applicants’ prayer to withdraw the charge.
The claimants in the suit are: Dr Adegbola Dominic, for state chairman of the party; Elder John Babatunde Agbaje, Alhaji Fatai Ajisefinni and Chief Taiwo Kuye, of the PDP’s Lagos State chapter.
But Oyekan-Abdullahi declined the respondents’ prayer to impose a N500,000 fine on the applicants for initiating the contempt proceedings.
The defendants, apart from Secondus, are: Senator Ben Obi, the PDP, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, Danladi Baidu Tijo, Ahmed M. Mukthar and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Read more
179 contacts in isolation for coronavirus released – Lagos (Punch)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said all 179 people in isolation in Ogun and Lagos States, who had contact with the Italian who brought coronavirus to Nigeria, have been released.
Abayomi, at a briefing on Friday, said 179 contacts were traced to the Italian, adding that since they had exceeded the mandatory 14 days isolation, they have been released as none of them developed any symptom of the disease.
He said the index case still remained on admission as he was still secreting the virus. Read more
Alleged Lagos deadly cult leader ‘Okoko Danger’ arrested (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Police Command says it has arrested a suspected leader of the Aiye confraternity, a secret cult group in the state, who it identified simply as Shola. The suspect was said to be widely known in cult circles in the Mile 2-Badagry expressway axis as Okoko Danger. The Command announced it also arrested four other suspected members of the dreaded gang, namely Idris Musa, 19; Oluwaseyi Oguntobi, 23; Ramon Adebimpe, 18; and Saheed Kareem, 19. Read more
Sanusi, El-Rufai leaves Awe for Abuja (Guardian)
Deposed Kano emir Muhammadu Sanusi in the company of Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai on Friday left Awe, a community in Nassarawa State where he was exiled by the Kano State Government.
Sanusi has been resident in the community for over four days since the Kano Government dethroned him and consequently evicted him from the palace.
“His highness is leaving, and we are going to Abuja and possibly to Lagos where part of his family is,” El-Rufai told journalists in Awe, Nassarawa State. Read more
Nigerian who tested positive for coronavirus now negative (Punch)
The Federal Government, on Friday, said the second confirmed case of coronavirus in the country no longer had the virus in his system and would be discharged from the treatment centre in Lagos.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this while giving an update on the virus in Abuja.
He said the person, who had contact with the index case, had no symptoms of the COVID 19, adding that he had not been sick while in isolation.
He also said the index case, an Italian who is receiving treatment in Lagos, would also be discharged next week. Read more
Lassa fever death toll hits 144, says NCDC (Nation)
Death toll from the latest round of Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria has risen to 144, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Thursday.
Its Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was put at 16.8 per cent.
The NCDC said this is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2019’s 23.3 per cent, which highlights improved levels of detection and case management for Lassa fever across the country.
NCDC’s Director General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, who gave an update on the disease, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that in Week 10, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 85 cases in Week Nine in 2020 to 81 cases. Read more
Market unfavourable for Naira devaluation -CBN (DailyTrust)
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says market fundamentals do not support Naira devaluation this time around. The CBN made this known in a statement by the bank’s Director, Corporate Communications, Mr Isaac Okorafor in Abuja on Friday. Okorafor expressed dismay at speculative activities at the foreign exchange market from impressions that the CBN would devalue the Naira, thereby triggering panic in the Foreign Exchange Market. Read more
South Africa King Dalindyebo arrested after ‘axe rampage’ (BBC)
A South African king, who is a nephew of the late Nelson Mandela, has been arrested after allegedly going on the rampage with an axe in the palace.
Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, freed from jail on parole in December, broke into the Thembu royal palace in the early hours.
Witnesses said he was searching for his son, the regent, who was appointed the acting monarch while he was in prison.
The regent escaped through a window, but his wife has been injured and taken to hospital, a royal spokesman said. Read more
White police official sues for discrimination as he’s paid less than black woman (Metro)
A senior police official on £140,000-a-year is suing home secretary Priti Patel in a discrimination row – claiming he is paid less than a black female colleague because he is a white man. Matt Parr, one of the five HM Inspectors of Constabulary who oversee the UK’s police forces, says his pay packet is lower than a black female inspector who does the same job as him. He is arguing that the discrepancy between his wage and the £185,000 salary of Wendy Williams – the last inspector appointed before him – is due to gender and race. However, Ms Patel insists that his lower salary is down to a Home Office drive to reduce senior staff salaries. Read more
AU calls for continent-wide response to contain infections (Nation)
The African Union (AU) has called for a continent-wide response to contain infections.
This development is coming barely two days after the organisation announced the restriction of public access and all guided tours at the headquarters.
Also yesterday, the African Union (AU) stressed the crucial importance of fostering a continent-wide collective response in containing the spread of COVID-19 across the African continent.
The urgent call was made by the Peace and Security Council of the 55-member pan-African bloc in a statement issued, which followed the council’s latest meeting that dwelt upon the COVID-19 outbreak in Africa.
The council “stressed the importance of a continent-wide collective response to the COVID-19. Read more
A Microsoft Windows 10 update is causing ‘blue screen of death’ crashes, users claim (Metro)
A new Windows 10 update is causing mayhem on some people’s computers and causing them to suffer the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’. The software is called KB4540673 and offers various security fixes as well as other small features. But some people claimed it crashed their system. ‘After installing it I started having a blue screen of death every time I started my PC,’ one Microsoft user opined. Read more
US military may have brought coronavirus to Wuhan, says China (IndianExpress)
A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry suggested on Thursday the U.S. military might have brought the coronavirus to the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has been hardest hit by the outbreak, doubling down on a war of words with Washington.
China has taken great offence at comments by U.S. officials accusing it of being slow to react to the virus, first detected in Wuhan late last year, and of not being transparent enough.
On Wednesday, US National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said the speed of China’s reaction to the emergence of the coronavirus had probably cost the world two months when it could have been preparing for the outbreak.
In a strongly worded tweet, written in English on his verified Twitter account, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said it was the United States that lacked transparency.
“When did patient zero begin in US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! US owe us an explanation!” Zhao wrote. Read more
Barnier shows ‘ambitious’ draft UK deal to EU members (Guardian)
Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier said Friday that he had sent an “ambitious” draft of what could be a new post-Brexit trade deal with Britain to EU capitals.
Next week’s face-to-face round of EU-UK negotiations in London has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, but both sides are keen to press on.
There is also, for some officials, an unspoken race to publish a comprehensive draft proposal as both sides seek to gain the initiative in a tricky months-long negotiation. Read more
US-Mexico border: Pregnant woman from Guatemala dies after fall from wall (BBC)
A 19-year-old pregnant woman from Guatemala died from injuries suffered after falling from the US-Mexico border wall, officials said on Thursday.
Miriam Stephany Girón Luna fell as she tried to climb the steel mesh barrier near El Paso, Texas on Saturday.
She was taken to hospital where doctors tried to deliver the baby through an emergency C-section without success.
Officials say the case indicates a change in how migrants are trying to reach the US amid new restrictions. Read more
Disney’s Mulan release date pushed back over coronavirus just as stars attend European premiere (Metro)
Disney has taken the bold move of delaying the release of their anticipated Mulan remake – just as the movie’s stars arrived at the European premiere in London. The live-action remake of Disney’s 1998 classic animation hosted its major premiere at London’s Leicester Square Odeon cinema on Thursday evening, hours after announcing they had scrapped their red carpet and media line-up over the coronavirus pandemic. Attending the premiere’s photocall were Liu Yifei, who plays Mulan, director Niki Caro, Ron Yuan, Jason Scott Lee and Yoson An. Read more
UEFA suspends Champions League and Europa League fixtures (Metro)
UEFA has suspended next week’s Champions League and Europa League fixtures. Manchester City’s match against Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium had already been postponed along with Juventus’ second leg against Lyon in Turin. But UEFA has now taken the decision to halt all games that were due to be played next week. Barcelona were due to host Napoli at Camp Nou, while Chelsea were set to travel to face Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Read more
Man United can beat any team – Ighalo (Punch)
Odion Ighalo is confident Manchester United can beat any team if they are at their best.
Ighalo signed for his boyhood club (Manchester United) on loan until the end of the season from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in January.
Since then, he has scored three goals in eight appearances for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, and enjoyed his first Manchester derby victory on Sunday.
“We have what it takes to do even better,” Ighalo told the BBC. Read more
Yakubu leads Team Nigeria to gold at CAT qualifier (Nation)
The profile of young Nigeria tennis player, Nene Yakubu, has continued to rise as she recently helped the country to a gold medal at the recently concluded West/Central Africa CAT qualifiers.
Yakubu, who won all her games in the tournament, was the captain of the country’s U-12 team. She also helped her teammates, Khadijat Mohammed and Success Ogunjobi, in the double as the country qualified for the main CAT championship in Morocco later in the year.
Yakubu won her singles game against Gabon 6-0, 6-0 before partnering with a teammate to win the double with the same scoreline. One of her teammates, however, made it 3-0 against Gabon with 6-0, 6-1 win in the other single game. Read more
How the coronavirus has hit global sport (Guardian)
AFP looks at the effects on the sport of the coronavirus, which by Thursday had killed over 4,600 people while infecting more than 127,000 in 115 countries and territories.
FOOTBALL
– Arsenal’s match at Brighton & Hove Albion was postponed early on Friday after Gunners manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19.
— The Premier League announced it was holding an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the fate of future fixtures.
— Spanish club Real Madrid’s players were put in quarantine as La Liga announced Spain’s top two divisions will be suspended for at least two weeks. Read more
Emiliano Sala’s plane broke up while being flown too fast for its design, investigation finds (Metro)
The plane crash that killed footballer Emiliano Sala was caused when the pilot flew too fast and lost control while attempting to avoid bad weather, accident investigators said. A final report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded that the single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft suffered an in-flight break up while being flown too fast for its design limits. It added that pilot David Ibbotson, 59, was probably affected by carbon monoxide poisoning. Investigators found that a contributory factor in the crash was Mr Ibbotson having no training in night flying and a lack of recent practice in relying only on. Read more
Maiden Kunav Football League kicks off in Vandeikya (Nation)
Expectations are high as the maiden Kunav Football League (KFL) is expected to take off today at the Vandeikya Township Stadium at 3:00pm.
The League, which is being organised by the Vandeikya Local Government Football Council (VLGFC) led by its Chairman, Bob Terry Akpenpuun will begin with a colourful opening ceremony which will involve a march past by the 12 participating ward teams, before the opening game kicks off.
Three other games will hold in Tsar, Tsambe and Tse-Mker on the opening day.
According to Akpenpuun talents discovered at the events will be camped, trained and nurtured to stardom. Read more
Everton first-team squad and staff in self-isolation as Premier League crisis grows (Metro)
Everton have become the latest Premier League club to go into lockdown with the first-team squad and coaching staff in self-isolation after an unnamed player reported coronavirus-like symptoms. Both Arsenal and Chelsea undertook similar measures on Thursday evening after Mikel Arteta and Callum Hudson-Odoi respectively both tested positive for Covid-19. The Premier League will hold an emergency meeting at 10.30am on Friday, with the competition expected to be suspended, and Everton’s announcement only increases that likelihood. Read more
Ronaldinho defense appeals pre-trial detention in fake passport case (Guardian)
Lawyers for Brazilian football great Ronaldinho have appealed his pre-trial detention and he will return to court next Tuesday, Paraguayan judicial sources said on Thursday.
The 39-year-old World Cup winner and his brother, Roberto de Assis Moreira, have been held in a police cell since last Friday accused of entering Paraguay using fake passports.
Ronaldinho’s lawyers insist that the magistrates who ordered the brothers’ detention “exceeded their functions,” making his jailing illegal. Read more