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Cele inferno Fire razed two tankers on Monday at the Cele bus stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos State, during which two persons died. Our correspondent gathered that the fire, which started around 4pm, was caused by one of the trucks – a tanker carrying 33,000 litres of petrol – which was discharging fuel by the expressway. It was learnt that the driver of the tanker, as well as the  motor boy,  were killed in the inferno. PUNCH Metro  learnt that the fire spread to the second truck, which was on the Cele-Ikotun Bridge, and the two tankers were razed. Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the police were said to have responded to the emergency. The inferno reportedly caused gridlock for hours on the expressway. The NEMA spokesperson, South-West Zone, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the fuel also spilled into some drainage channels. He said, “Rescue operation ...

Police officers at the crime scene in Ansbach, Germany AFP PHOTO/DANIEL ROLAND A Syrian migrant set off an explosive device near an open-air music festival in southern Germany that killed himself and wounded a dozen others, authorities said Monday, the third attack to hit the region in a week. The 27-year-old had spent time in a psychiatric facility, but the authorities said an Islamist motive for the attack on Sunday night in the city of Ansbach appeared “likely”. Germany is reeling after nine people died in a shopping centre shooting rampage in Munich on Friday and four people were wounded in an axe attack on a train in Wuerzburg on July 18. All three attacks were in Bavaria, which has been a gateway for tens of thousands of refugees under German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s liberal asylum policy. Police said the man intended to target the music festival on Sunday but was turned away because he did not have a ticket, and set off the explosive device outside a nea...

Niger Delta Avengers The Niger Delta Avengers on Monday claimed responsibility for the attack on a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation gas pipeline  at Nsit-Ibom council area of Akwa Ibom State. A statement sent to our correspondent by the spokesperson for the group, Mudoch Agbinibo, said the facility was blown up at about 11:30pm on Sunday night. The Avengers claimed responsibility for similar attacks on oil and gas facilities since renewed militancy in the region begun. taunted the NNPC authorities asking them check their facility  and decide whether to describe the incident as ‘system Anomaly’ as Exxon Mobil recently did after a similar attack on their facilities before later affirming that there had been an attack. The statement read, “11:30pm on Sunday, the NDA blew up Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), gas pipeline at Nsit-Ibom L.G.A, Akwa Ibom state. NNPC should check their pipeline if it’s ‘system Anomaly’....

File photo The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency on Monday announced that there would be flooding in 14 states and urged residents living in flood-prone areas of the states to relocate. According to the agency, most cities would experience heavy floods due to the rise in sea levels and tidal surge. The agency added that Lagos, Rivers, Calabar, Benue, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Cross River, Yobe, Ogun, Osun, Kaduna, Oyo and Yola were the states that would be affected by flooding this year. The Director-General, NIHSA, Mr. Moses Beckley, said this during the public presentation of the 2016 Annual Flood Outlook in Abuja and warned that this year’s flooding would be higher than the one experienced in 2015. He said, “The expected inflows in the country for this year will be lower than that of 2012. Meanwhile, the predicted probable flood area coverage in 2016 is expected to be higher than the predicted probable flood as well as the observed value of 2015. “The expected...

…for allegedly using forged governor’s letters to get jobs  THREE workers in Enugu State University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Parklane, have landed in police net for allegedly gaining employment with forged letters, purportedly written by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. Southern City News learnt that the said letters bore the official letterhead of the Office of the Governor and also had the governor’s signature. The suspects, Onuoha Gloria, Onwuameze Roseline and Thomas Nwigwe, were reportedly employed as accountant on Grade 11, Level 7, Higher Executive Officer Level 8 and chief typist CONTISS 8, Step 13, respectively. Spokesman, Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the development, disclosed that one Chijioke Nzegwu facilitated the forged letters. It was gathered that Nzegwu received an unspecified sum of money from Nwigwe on behalf of himself and other suspects, to raise the letters. Amaraizu said Nzegwu was on the run, stres...

FLOOD  SCORES of villagers have been rendered homeless following heavy rainfall in Alisse and Osokora communities in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State. The Director-General of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. John Inaku, who disclosed this on Sunday, said agricultural produce worth millions of naira had also been destroyed. Inaku said no fewer than 20 houses were pulled down in the communities on Saturday while several others were seriously damaged by flood. He said the affected houses were built close to the river bank, which made it easier for the buildings to be overrun by water. The director-general put the total number of destroyed buildings in both communities at 43. Inaku said, “Following the heavy rains of Sunday, no fewer than 17 houses were pulled down, while 43 others were destroyed. The affected victims also lost their crops such as cocoa, tubers of yam, rice and others worth millions of naira. “The victims are current...

FIFA PRESIDENT Mr. Gianni Infantino President of world football-governing body, FIFA, Mr. Gianni Infantino and the Secretary General, Ms Fatma Samoura arrived in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, on Sunday. They were accompanied by executive assistants Mattias Grafstrom and Veron Mosengo-Omba. The world football governors were received on arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by NFF President Amaju Pinnick and General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi. There were also vice presidents Seyi Akinwunmi and Shehu Dikko, and other members of the NFF Executive Committee and management. A 10-year old girl handed the 46-year old Infantino a bouquet of flowers as the train emerged from the arrival hall, and a cultural troupe entertained in the foreground as he and Samoura walked to waiting cars. At the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Pinnick accompanied Infantino to the presidential suite, and meetings between the FIFA President and the NFF Board and with the visiting FA presidents from oth...

Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh Former Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh has again made shocking revelations about his time as the coach of the team. He gave detail account on Sunday via his Twitter handle with a link to his blog,  SundayOliseh.tv . Oliseh resigned in February after only seven months on the job. The former Eagles captain who left abruptly cited unpaid salaries and poor working conditions as reasons for leaving the job. Oliseh said he had quite a difficult time with the Nigeria Football Federation, with some senior players like Mikel Obi, Vincent Enyeama and Victor Moses. Of his near-death he wrote, “One day whilst coaching the Super Eagles in Abuja stadium prior to the Burkina Faso game, all of a sudden I felt dizziness, light headedness, headache and could barely stand. I managed to finish the session before calling on the doctor into my room who was clueless to what was happening. “From then on it was sleepless nights, loss of appetite, h...

File photo The Federal Government is planning to prosecute nine out of 26 members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly for alleged forgery of their academic results,  The PUNCH  has learnt. A security source told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Sunday that  the decision to prosecute them was based on the outcome of “an intensive investigation carried out by the Department of State Services into the state lawmakers’ certificates.’’ The DSS, it was gathered, carried out the investigation into the credentials submitted by the politicians to the Independent National Electoral Commission during the last general elections. The PUNCH  gathered that the probe was sequel to a myriad of petitions sent to the agency and the Police by aggrieved members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress. Investigation was said to have been carried out in schools allegedly claimed to have been attended by the law...

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 60-year-old man, Mayegun Alani, for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl. The suspect and victim reside on Mayegun Street, Sango, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, the suspect was arrested after the victim’s mother reported him to the police. Adejobi said the suspect confessed to the police that he had been raping the minor for a month before he was caught. He said, “The police were informed by the mother of the victim, who noticed something strange about the girl whenever she was taking her bath “The mother asked the little girl some questions which gave a clue that the landlord was responsible for her defilement. “The suspect was arrested by the police immediately. Initially, he denied the allegation, but later confessed that he had been sleeping with the girl for at least a month. Medical reports also confirmed that...

the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a suspected robber, Ifeanyi Okorie, who said he started robbing after he finished his primary school education. PUNCH Metro  learnt that 22-year-old Okorie allegedly left Enugu State to rob at the Ladipo Market in the Mushin area when he was arrested. It was gathered that two other accomplices, Ejike Francis and Oboho Nuel, were arrested with Okorie. Our correspondent learnt that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja, recovered a pump-action rifle, a locally-made pistol and 13 unexpended cartridges from the suspects. Speaking with  PUNCH Metro , Okorie said after he left primary school, he decided not to further his education and to become a robber. He said, “I abandoned schooling after my primary school education. I am based in Enugu State. I was arrested in Lagos State. I was caught in Ladipo Market in the Mushin area. The owner of the pump-action rifle is our gang leader. His name is Ebuka Mbajide. ...

• Jerry Photo: Samson Folarin Some suspected hoodlums have killed a 70-year-old truck driver, Jerry Akinsola, in the Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos State. PUNCH Metro  gathered that the father of four was attacked on Tuesday around 8pm at Fashola bus stop after his truck broke down. They were said to have demanded the payment of N5,000 for  owo omo taku (breakdown fee) from the septuagenarian who pleaded that he didn’t have the money. The men were said to have hit him with an iron rod on the head before smashing his head on a concrete. He reportedly collapsed in the street as blood gushed out from his head and nostrils. He died on the spot. Two of the suspects were, however, apprehended by people in the area and were subsequently handed over to the police. A relative of the victim, Richard Akinsola, told our correspondent that the remains of the Ondo State indigene had been deposited in the Mainland Mortuary, Yaba. He said, “My brother was in the truck...

• A section of the Redemption Camp Photo: Adelove.com There was panic at a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at Santos bus stop in the Isawo, Ikorodu, Lagos State, on Sunday after  some gunmen walked in and abducted the pastor during the service. PUNCH Metro  learnt that the pastor, identified only as Bajomo, was whisked away by the gunmen, who came to the church as if they were new members. Our correspondent learnt that the pastor, who was abducted around 7am, was the first to reach the parish and was preparing for a workers’ meeting which usually preceded the Sunday service. It was gathered that when the other members arrived at the church, the pastor was nowhere to be found. Our correspondent gathered that the matter was reported at the Owutu Police Division. A witness, who identified herself only as Esther, said the gunmen wore attractive clothes as if they had come for the church service. She said, “The pastor came earlier around 7am...

–might be charged with attempted murder Francis Taiwo, a Celestial Church of Christ pastor who starved and kept his nine-year-old son in chains for months, has been arrested. The 40-year-old pastor was apprehended by the police from the Onipanu division on Sunday at his church – CCC, Key of Joy Parish – in Ajibawo, Atan, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. Police sources told  PUNCH Metro  that Francis might be charged with attempted murder, among other offences, after the completion of investigation. “The pastor may be charged with attempted murder. His action was capable of killing the boy,” one of the sources said. Our correspondent had reported that Francis chained his son, Korede, to the altar in the church for more than a month and starved him until he went into a coma in an attempt to cast out the supposed spirit that made the boy to steal. Korede was, however, rescued on Friday during a joint operation by the Ni...

File photo Tragedy struck on Sunday as a truck driver, Femi Adewale, crushed a tricycle rider to death in the Mushin area of Lagos. Thirty-year-old Adewale, who hails from Sagamu, Ogun State, was said to be heading for Ibese, Ikorodu, when the incident happened at about 6.30am. It was learnt the truck, with number plate, XB 499 LSR, had rammed into the tricycle from behind and the rider was thrown out by the force of the crash. An eyewitness, Nurudeen Akintunde, told PUNCH Metro  that the rider, whose name had yet to be ascertained, landed on the road after which the truck crushed his body. “The rider died on the spot. The driver abandoned the truck, but I later learnt that he went to the Alakara division to report himself,” Akintunde added. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the driver had been detained. She said, “The truck driver reported at the division that while he was driving from Apapa to Ibese in his trailer, h...

Niger Delta Avengers The Niger Delta Avengers, on Saturday, dismissed claims by the Nigerian Navy that two of its members had been arrested. The NDA claimed that the suspects arrested by the navy, Felix Ebiador, and another person identified as David, were not its members. The militant group through a statement by its spokesperson, Mudoch Agbinibo, added that its members were intact, and that the Navy could not arrest any of them because they have superior weapons.. It will be recalled that two suspected members of the Niger Delta Avengers, who were arrested on July 10, 2016 were on Friday paraded in Delta State. They were said to have been apprehended with new 11 vehicle batteries and electric cables allegedly used for bombing oil and gas pipelines in the state. But the NDA insisted that the Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunve, was trying to please the Chief Naval Staff, Vice Admiral, Ibok-Ete Ibas, with the claims and to give the impression that he was worki...

The Word of Faith Christian Centre, Kano, was thrown into mourning on Friday when a learner driver, Gloria Okocha, accidentally crushed another member of the church, Remi Nwokolor, to death. The tragedy took place at Nomansland, Sabon Gari, Kano. Our correspondent gathered that Okocha was trying to drive out of the church premises when she suddenly hit the victim before colliding against the wall of the church. A source, who witnessed the accident, said the collision attracted church members, who rushed to the scene and conveyed the victim to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. Nwokolor was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.Police officers from the Nomansland Police Station visited the scene of the accident. Security operatives impounded the Toyota jeep, while Okocha was detained at the police station. It was learnt that the remains of the deceased, had been deposited at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital morgue.

A member of a gang that specialised in raping women and minors in Ibese, Ikorodu area of Lagos State, has been burnt to death after he was caught by an angry mob. The alleged rapist, who was said to be an accomplice of a gang of four rapists terrorising residents of the community, was apprehended around 3pm on Saturday. The gang leader, popularly called Badoo, had allegedly earlier been arrested by the police. But some residents said the suspect in police custody was not Badoo, saying the one caught on Saturday was the real Badoo. Sunday   PUNCH  learnt that the rapist had sneaked into a Celestial Church of Christ in Itesiwaju, a suburb of Ibese, and abducted an eight-year-old girl, while a vigil was ongoing. He was said to have taken the girl to the back of the church, raped her to a coma and fled. One of the worshippers, who came out of the church around 5am, reportedly found the girl writhing in pains and alerted the congregation. The girl was said to have been rush...

The federal government vowed that the killers of the Ekiti-State-born preacher with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Evangelist, Eunice Elisha Olawale, in Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory will not go unpunished. President Muhamadu Buhari, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, made the promise during the burial service held in RCCG FCT 2 Provincial Headquarters in Kubwa. The 42-year-old mother of seven was murdered while preaching in the Gbazango -West area of Kubwa, a satellite town, in the Bwari Area Council on Saturday, July 9 2016. Meanwhile, tears flowed on Saturday at the Gudu Cemetery in the FCT, where the deceased was buried. While paying their last respect to their mother, the children of the deceased performed the ‘ash to ash’ ceremony at the cemetery and wept uncontrollably. Some sympathisers who could not hold back themselves joined them to mourn the deceased who was descr...

Korede Taiwo A nine-year-old boy, Korede Taiwo, who was chained by his father for months, has narrated his heart-rending experience to  SUNDAY PUNCH . Korede’s father, Francis Taiwo, was said to be the pastor in charge of Key of Joy Celestial Church of Christ, Ajibawo area in Atan Ota, Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. The boy told our correspondent that he would not want to live with his father and step-mother again. He said, ‘‘I was not fed regularly when I was chained. My father and my step-mother only fed me twice a day. Some days, I was not given any food. I want to go back to school because I want to be a doctor in the future. I also do not want to go back to my father’s house.’’ The boy was rescued on Friday by men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps alongside officers from the Ogun State Command attached to the Onipanu Division, Ota, inside a room where his father, who is now on the run, chained him. SUN...

Acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris Barako community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday stormed the State Police Command with the corpse of their murdered chief. Chief Levi Ndorbu Korgbara was shot dead by unknown gunmen on Friday afternoon while going to the Police Divisional Headquarters in Kpor to respond to an alleged invitation by the District Police Officer in charge of the division. SUNDAY PUNCH  learnt that the police had allegedly invited the monarch who is also the Chairman of Barako Council of Traditional Rulers for a peace talk with chiefs from Nwebiara. It was gathered that on his way to honour the police invitation, the chief was ambushed and killed by some gunmen. Angered by his death, the community took the remains of the chief to the police headquarters in Port Harcourt, alleging the police’s complicity in the matter. Speaking at the police headquarters, the community’s spokesman, Mr. Kimanyieke Kesiop, said...

Nyesom Wike The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has ordered the rebuilding of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Bori, Khana Local Government Area that was burnt on Friday. Wike, who gave this directive on Saturday while inspecting the burnt office of INEC, also charged security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the crime. He advised politicians not to see elections as a do-or-die affair, urging them to submit themselves to the will of the people. Wike said, “We will make sure that this does not dampen the spirit of INEC. I have directed the caretaker committee chairman of the local government area to immediately rebuild the burnt office.” He promised that the state government would provide an alternative office for the electoral body to conduct the July 30 rerun poll in the area, saying that the people have been mobilised and ready to cast their votes. He said the fire that gutted INEC’s office in Khana should not be...

President Muhammadu Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday expressed shock and horror at the shootings which recently rocked Munich, Germany. According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President sent his condolences on behalf of the Federal Government to the families and friends of the victims. He assured the German government that his government is ready to assist in anyway possible to defeat planners and executors of such crimes. The statement read, “On behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Buhari sends his most sincere condolences to the families and friends of victims of the barbaric act. “The President says it is quite unfortunate and inconceivable that the forces of evil do not relent on their activities, but expresses confidence that with the unanimity of purpose from all forces around the world, the workers and perpetrators of these evil acts will not prevail. “The President also as...

The Ogun State Police Command have commenced a manhunt for a pastor who allegedly chained his son inside a room for over month. The nine-year-old son, Korede Taiwo, who looked emaciated, was rescued on Friday by police operatives attached to Onipanu Division ,Ota. Korede’s father was said to be the pastor in charge of Key of Joy Celestial Church of Christ, Ajibawo area in Atan Ota, Ado Odo Ota Local Government Area of the state. However, his wife, who is also said to be victim’s step mother, has been arrested. The pastor’s neighbours were said to have given the policemen a tip off about the incident. The State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident. He said the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Abdulmajid Ali, had ordered the arrest the fleeing pastor. Adejobi said, “The police operatives, who got a tip-off from a neighbour in the community, swung into action and moved to the said church where the ...

Kidnappers on Tuesday abducted the wife of the lawmaker representing the Ijebu East Constituency in the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olufowobi Oyenuga. The victim, Felicia Oyenuga, was said to have been kidnapped around 10am at Odoladalepo in Ijebu Ife shortly after her son dropped her off in front of their farm. However, nemesis caught up with the driver of the gang, Ahmed Folorunso, who was arrested at Ijagun junction on Ondo Road, Ijebu Ode. A vigilance group in Ijebu Ife and police patrol team were said to have given the gang a chase, and they eventually caught up with Folorunso, who drove the gang’s operational vehicle with number plate, EPE 663 AJ. But the other members of the gang made away with their victim. The lawmaker who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and the chairman of the House Committee on Establishment, was said to have been contacted by the kidnappers, who demanded N25m ransom. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confir...

Isaac Olawuyi Sixty-four-year-old Isaac Olawuyi, who had been in a coma for four days after suffering an electric shock on the premises of John Holt Plc where he worked as a casual worker, has died. Isaac died around 6pm on Wednesday as he was being rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. The family blamed the company for his death, saying the firm allegedly delayed in  attending to his health until it was too late. PUNCH Metro  had reported on Thursday that Isaac had worked for about 10 years at the Oregun, Ikeja office of John Holt Plc. Our correspondent reported that he was fixing an electrical fault on May 29, when he suffered an electric shock. He was said to have reported at the office for three consecutive days, appealing for medical help without success. He was said to be preparing to take his medication last Sunday when he collapsed and went into a coma. His son, Biodun, reportedly visited the Victoria Island office of the company for f...

The United Nations has made the first food aid delivery to thousands of people displaced by Boko Haram Islamists in the Nigerian town of Banki, where hundreds have starved to death since March, the UN said on Friday. Officials from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) delivered 30 tonnes of “various lifesaving food items” transported from neighbouring Cameroon, the OCHA said in a statement. The convoy reached Banki on Thursday and distributed food to the more than 25,000 people in the town, it said. “An additional 700 kilograms of supplementary food for malnourished children was airlifted from the state capital Maiduguri to Banki on the same day”. It was the first aid delivery to the thousands of internally displaced in the northeast region in the last four months following deadly Boko Haram raids. They have been without food and basic supplies and relied on paltry food handouts from soldiers who have been sharing their rations...

Leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-political body of the Igbos, narrowly escaped death on Friday when a trigger happy policeman opened fire at the National Secretariat of the organisation in Enugu. Our correspondent learnt that the incident was caused by leadership tussle between rival factions of the Ohanaeze Youth Council. The President General of the organisation, Chief Gary Igariwey and other Ohanaeze leaders, including the National Secretary, Dr Joe Nwaorgu, were at the secretariat for a National Executive Committee meeting of the body when the incident occurred. Leaders of the youth wing were also at the meeting. However, trouble started when the National Publicity Secretary of the youth wing, Obinna Adibe, who belonged to the Arthur Okafor faction, came with some plain clothes policemen from the Enugu Area Command to arrest one of the youth leaders, Alex Okemiri. Adibe had, in a petition to the Enugu Area Command, accused Okemiri, who belonged to the faction of the...

Heavy rain in China has killed at least 87 people and forced thousands from their homes, state media reported on Saturday. Seventy-two people have been killed and 78 are missing in the northern province of Hebei after rain triggered floods and landslides, the Xinhua  news agency reported, citing the civil affairs department. Nearly 50,000 homes have collapsed, it said. In the central province of Henan, 15 people were killed and eight were missing after thunderstorms and strong winds forced 72,000 people from their homes and damaged 18,000 houses. Altogether about 8.6 million people have been affected by the flooding, according to state media and local government reports. Large parts of China have been inundated with rain this summer, killing more than 200 people. More than 1.5 million hectares of crops have been damaged, leading to direct economic losses of more than 20 billion yuan ($3 billion), the government has said. The central bank on Friday issued a statement saying...

An early morning inferno on Saturday destroyed shops at Sabon-Gari Market, Kano, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. This is the second fire incident in the last four months with the first destroying hundreds of shops and property worth billions of Naira. Eyewitness said the fire, which affected shops belonging to meat, fish and vegetable sellers, started around 5:00am. Men of the State Fire Service, were however, able to control the inferno before it spread to other parts of the market. When contacted, the State Director of Fire Service, Mustapha Rilwan, said the fire, which started around 5:00am, destroyed many stalls. “The affected shops were made up of shift but our people were able to put off the fire in time. “The fire was said to have been caused by some people believed to have been cooking in the market.” 

Police secures the area near a shopping mall (the Olympia Einkaufzentrum (OEZ) ) in Munich on July 22, 2016 following a shooting earlier. At least one person has been killed and 10 wounded in a shooting at a shopping centre in Munich on Friday, German police said. Photo: STRINGER /AFP At least eight people died Friday in a shooting rampage at a shopping mall in the German city of Munich, with the gunmen still at large, police said. “Sad news, the number of dead has risen to eight,” Munich police said on Twitter. A police spokesman later told reporters that the dead body of a man had been found near the shopping centre and investigators were trying to determine whether he was one of the assailants. “The possibility that this was someone involved in the crime is currently being closely examined,” he said. A male witness speaking to rolling news channel NTV said he saw one of the gunmen at the mall “dressed as Father Christmas and wearing sunglasses...

Iyiola Omisore The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday released a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, after 19 days in detention. It was learnt that Omisore was released on bail by the commission after meeting his bail conditions. The former deputy governor, who was declared wanted by the EFCC in May, was arrested on July 3, 2016 after N1.310bn was traced to the accounts of five companies allegedly belonging to him. The money was said to be part of the N4.7bn allegedly disbursed by a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and his two sons, Gbolahan and Babajide. The N4.7bn was said to have emanated from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser in 2014 and then transferred to the Diamond Bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company in which Obanikoro’s sons are the signatories to its bank account. Omisore allegedly received the funds in four tranches from Sylvan McNamara between July and Augus...

Mikel Obi National Under-23 team coach Samson Siasia on Friday named his 18- man squad for  the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Brazil  –with the Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi  and South Africa-based goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi the overage players on the list.   Erhun Obanor, who has been a regular player for the side, is the surprise exclusion from the squad.  Siasia’s decision to place Germany-based striker Taiwo Awoniyi on the standby list is another surprise. Also on the standby list are Stanley Dimgba, Godwin Saviour and  Yusuf Bala. South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winners  Godfrey Oboabona and Kenneth Omeruo, as well as Belgium-based attacker Simon Moses failed to make the cut. Siasia had named  them in his 35-man provisional squad for the tournament. Senior national team players  William Ekong and   Oghenekaro Etebo made the squad alongside Azubuike Okechukwu, Usman Mohammed, Sincere Seth,  Junior Ajayi...

Egypt says it had trained over 100 Nigerian officials in medicine, agriculture, security and counter-terrorism investigation and engineering in order to improve Nigeria’s expertise in various fields. It stated that the training courses were provided and funded by the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, an organ of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen bilateral relations with Nigeria. The Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ashraf Salama, disclosed this on Thursday night during the 64th anniversary celebration of the Egyptian revolution that toppled the monarchy in Egypt peacefully and established the republic. The envoy, said his main objective was to bring his country and Nigeria closer and to strengthen bilateral ties thereby setting a solid example of inter-African relations on the continent. Salama, who is approaching the end of his tenure after spending four years as ambassador, stated that President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Egypt had ...

THE office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State is currently on fire. The incident is happening a few days to the legislative rerun slated for July 30, 2016. An official of the commission in the area said he contacted security agencies and informed them about the development. Though, no reason has been given for the fire outbreak, a source linked the fire outbreak to sabotage.

A man has finally given up hope for his son as he posts a public notice in the Newspapers disowning him and cutting off his inheritance. According to the public notice, the man, Mr Andrew Chukwurah Nwora who hails from Awka, shares his reasons for disowning his son identified as Mr Bethel Nwora . The notice reveals that the son had threatened to kill him amongst other misconducts, for which reason he has cut off his 39-year-old son. He adds that upon his death, his son is not to participate in his funeral rites and would not be inheriting any of his properties. Mr Bethel is also not entitled to the grant of probate to his father's will, as the notice adds a disclaimer warning people who transact with him in respect to Mr Nwora, do so at their own risk.

Several persons have been killed and 10 wounded in a shooting at a shopping centre inMunich on Friday, German police said. The mall near the southern German city’s Olympic stadium was surrounded by police after shots were fired. “There is a major police operation under way in the shopping centre,” Munichpolice said on Twitter, urging people to avoid the area. Emergency vehicles were seen in the streets outside, as passers-by looked on. The shooting comes just days after a teenage asylum seeker went on the rampage with an axe and a knife on a regional train in Germany, injuring five people. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the teenager was believed to be a “lone wolf” attacker who appeared to have been “inspired” by the Islamic State group but was not a member of the jihadist network. It also follows a truck attack in the French Riviera city of Nice after Bastille Day fireworks last week that left 84 people dead. ...

World renowned football star cum business tycoon, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to launch his new, rated five-star Pestana CR7 hotel this week, Friday July 23, in his native Funchal in Madeira, Portugal. The Real Madrid FC star has obviously invested his millions in the hospitality business and the location is breath taking. Currently on a blissful holiday on Ibiza, recovering from a busy season on board a private yacht, Ronaldo is expected to return for the grand opening of his boutique hotel this Friday with its design said to appeal to “millennial traveller” See Also: The 9 Highest Paid Footballers In The World Right Now Pestana CR7 Hotel’s Description The sophisticate Pestana CR7 hotel as described in the hotel’s website, is also located in downtown Lisbon and has been built in the heart of the vibrant city, only 50 metres away of the famous Praça do Comercio, a lifestyle, individual designed hotel in contemporary Art Deco style. The hotel also has a roo...

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control impounded unregistered drugs worth N15 million in Gembu, Taraba State. The impounded drugs included Tramadol and Sildenafil combination. Mr Joseph Asikpo, the state Coordinator of the agency, made this known at a media briefing in Jalingo on Friday. According to him, the drugs are evacuated in 20 sacks and seven cartons from some hidden stores in the area. He said that the Tramadol and Sildenafil combination was an unregistered drug used by people in the area to enhance sexual performance. “The problems associated with Tramadole alone outweigh its benefits because its indiscriminate use causes serious bodily harm. “This is because the drug has addictive tendency and it is responsible for several violent behaviour we see on the streets today,” Asikpo said. The coordinator said that other illegal drugs seized included banned Analgin and Gentamycin injections, fake Swidar and Ampiclox tablets, fake...

Reanalysis of samples from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 London Games has uncovered 45 new doping failures, the International Olympic Committee said Friday. “Reanalysis of the second wave of samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 has resulted in Provisional Adverse Analytical Findings of 30 athletes from Beijing and Adverse Analytical Findings of 15 athletes from London,” an IOC statement said. “The latest results bring the total number of athletes who tested positive for prohibited substances from the first and second waves of reanalysis to 98.”