Trump suggests just repeal Obamacare, then try to replace it

President Donald Trump barged into Senate Republicans' delicate health care negotiations Friday, declaring that if lawmakers can't reach a deal they should simply repeal "Obamacare" right away and then replace it later on.

Trump's tweet revives an approach that GOP leaders and the president himself considered but dismissed months ago as impractical and politically unwise. And it's likely to further complicate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's task as he struggles to bridge the divide between GOP moderates and conservatives as senators leave Washington for the Fourth of July break without having voted on a health care bill as planned.

"If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!" Trump wrote.

The president sent his early-morning tweet shortly after Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse appeared on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends" to talk about a letter he had sent to Trump making that exact suggestion: a vote on repealing former President Barack Obama's health law followed by a new effort at a working out a replacement.

Trump is a known "Fox & Friends" viewer, but Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky also claimed credit for recommending the tactic to the president in a conversation earlier in the week.

"Senator Rand Paul suggested this very idea to the president," said Paul spokesman Sergio Gor. "The senator fully agrees that we must immediately repeal Obamacare and then work on replacing it right away."

Either way, Trump's suggestion has the potential to harden divisions within the GOP as conservatives like Paul and Sasse complain that McConnell's bill does not go far enough in repealing Obama's health care law while moderates criticize it as overly harsh in kicking people off insurance roles, shrinking the Medicaid safety net and increasing premiums for older Americans.

McConnell, R-Ky., has been trying to strike deals with members of both factions in order to finalize a rewritten bill lawmakers can vote on when they return to the Capitol the second week of July. Even before Trump weighed in, though, it wasn't clear how far he was getting, and Trump's tweet did not appear to suggest a lot of White House confidence in the outcome.

"McConnell's trying to achieve a 50-vote Venn diagram between some very competing factions," said Rodney Whitlock, a veteran health policy expert who worked as a Senate GOP aide during passage of the Democrats' Affordable Care Act. "So what the president tweeted takes one side of that Venn diagram and pushes it further away, and actually puts on the table an option that will probably drive that group away from seeking compromise with the other side of the Venn diagram."

A McConnell spokesman declined to comment on Trump's tweet.

Even before Trump was inaugurated in January, Republicans had debated and ultimately discarded the idea of repealing Obamacare before replacing it, concluding that both must happen simultaneously. Doing otherwise would invite accusations that Republicans were simply tossing people off coverage and would roil insurance markets by raising the question of whether, when and how Congress might replace Obama's law once it was gone.

The idea also would leave unresolved the quandary lawmakers are struggling with now, about how to replace Obama's system of online insurance markets, tax subsidies and an expanded Medicaid with something that could get enough Republican votes to pass Congress. House Republicans barely passed their version of an Obamacare replacement bill in May, and the task is proving even tougher in the Senate, where McConnell has almost no margin for error.

Moderates were spooked as the week began with a Congressional Budget Office finding that McConnell's draft bill would result in 22 million people losing insurance over the next decade, only 1 million fewer than under the House-passed legislation which Trump privately told senators was "mean." But conservatives continue to insist that the bill must go further than just repealing some of the mandates and taxes in Obama's law.

"It's distressing to see so many Republicans who've lied about their commitment to repeal," Ken Cuccinelli, president of the Senate Conservatives Fund, said in a conference call on Friday.

Underscoring the fissures within the GOP, conservative group leaders on the conference call welcomed Trump's suggestion but said it didn't go far enough because it could open the door to a subsequent bipartisan compromise to replace Obama's law. At the same time, a key House Republican, Rep. Kevin Brady who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, rejected Trump's suggestion, contending that it "doesn't achieve what President Trump set out to do."

"I really think the Senate's approach — certainly in the House — of not simply repealing but to start to put into place the elements that can make health care affordable, that's what the president set out to do," Brady said in an interview on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program. - AP

Mother and daughter killed in crossfire in Rio slum

A 76-year-old woman and her daughter were killed Friday during a shootout between police and drug traffickers in a Rio de Janeiro slum, apparently hit by stray bullets.

Marlene Maria da Conceicao was shot in the neck in the doorway of her home in the Mangueira slum. Neighbors told The Associated Press that her 42-year-old daughter, Ana Cristina da Conceicao, was hit when she tried to help her mother.

After the deaths, residents began protesting, blocking roads and burning a bus.

Military police were conducting an operation when the firefight began. It wasn't immediately clear whether the stray bullets came from shots by police or traffickers.

Violence has been on the rise in Rio's hundreds of slums amid an economic crisis in recent years.

Man jailed after attacking Muslim teenager with packet of bacon

A man has been jailed after attacking a Muslim woman with a packet of bacon.

Alex Chivers, 36, targeted the Muslim teenager who was walking with her mother in Hertford Road, Enfield on June 8, calling her “Isil scum” and shouting “you deserve this” as he hit her in the face with an open packet of bacon.

Chivers, of Bryanstone Road, Waltham Cross, was sentenced to 26 weeks’ imprisonment after admitting religiously/racially aggravated assault and 12 weeks’ imprisonment for a public order offence at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court.

Ikram Ali described how she was attacked as she was on her way to a polling station with her mum and her sister when she felt something on her face.

She said: “I was unable to see and breathe for a while and at this point I couldn’t understand why. I was being suffocated. I thought I was dead. I didn’t know what hit me.

“It was only when the bacon peeled off my face and it fell to the ground, and the male behind me started shouting ‘bacon, bacon, it’s bacon’ that I started to grasp what was happening to me.”

She added: “Islamophobia is real, and it is out there and because of the way Muslim women choose to dress, we’re unfortunately a target. However, I still choose to believe there’s more good out there than bad, and that my hijab will not hinder me in my life.”

DC James Payne, from Enfield Community Safety Unit, said: “This was a truly shocking incident.

“The victim was out with her mother and getting on with her day when Chivers abused her and then set upon her with something he knew would both upset and offend her.”

He said: “We know other people were present during this attack, including an associate of Chivers’ who filmed the incident. Enquiries are ongoing to trace these people and if you have any information that may assist in identifying them please contact the Community Safety Unit at Enfield via 101.

“The Community Safety Unit here in Enfield would encourage all victims of hate crime to contact police so that the culprits can be identified and brought to justice.”-Yahoo News

New York hospital shooting: Gunman 'dressed in white lab coat shoots three doctors'

NYPD armed police are responding to reports of an 'active shooter' - and multiple people injured - at a hospital in New york according to Mirror report.

Authorities are responding to a developing incident at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital on Grand Concourse - said to involve a man 'dressed as a doctor and carrying an assault rifle'.

Shots have been fired INSIDE the medical facility and the shooter is said to 'remain at large' - with one saying he has barricaded himself in an upper room, around the 17th floor.
The New York Times reports that three doctors have been shot.

NYCityAlerts is tweeting that an assailant 'armed with an M-16 rifle and dressed in a while lab coat' has left a 'blood trail leading from the 2nds to the 8th floor' - all yet to be officially confirmed.
The bomb squad is also said to be responding alongside a special ops force from the NYPD.

The situation is unclear and developing - but one police source says at least two people have been shot.

There are also unconfirmed reports of a fire or smoke on the 16th floor.
The hospital is on lockdown and police are reported to be bringing patients out 'floor-by-floor'.

Publicist to AP: Venus Williams will play at Wimbledon

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Venus Williams' publicist says the five-time Wimbledon champion will play at the Grand Slam tournament after a police report emerged in Florida saying the tennis star caused a car crash that led to the death of a passenger in another vehicle.

Stephanie Jones confirmed in an email to The Associated Press on Friday that Williams is in London, where the year's third major tennis tournament begins Monday.

Williams is seeded 10th at what will be her 20th Wimbledon. She won the title in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008, and is the only past champion in the men's or women's fields who is not scheduled to appear at a pre-tournament news conference on Saturday or Sunday.

In Friday's draw at the All England Club, the 37-year-old American was set up to play Elise Mertens of Belgium in the first round.

Police in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, say witnesses told investigators that Williams ran a red light in her 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV on June 9, causing a crash that injured 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who died two weeks later.

Barson's family filed a lawsuit Friday against Williams, the Palm Beach County Court Clerk's Office confirmed.

Williams, who had lost in the fourth round of the French Open in Paris on June 4, told investigators she had entered the six-lane intersection on a green light but had been forced to stop midpoint by traffic ahead of her. She said she did not see the Barsons' car when she crossed into their lanes.

Palm Beach Gardens Maj. Paul Rogers said the crash remains under investigation. Williams, who has a residence in Palm Beach Gardens, has not been cited or charged. The police report , released to the AP on Thursday, said Williams was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The report says a 2016 Hyundai Accent driven by Barson's wife, Linda, crashed into the side of Williams' SUV. Linda Barson told investigators that she was approaching the intersection when her light turned green and that she was unable to stop in time. Linda Barson suffered unspecified moderate injuries. Williams was not hurt.

An attorney for Williams, Malcolm Cunningham, said in a statement on Thursday that Williams expressed "her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one."

Williams is a former No. 1-ranked player who owns a total of seven Grand Slam singles championships, including two at the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001, along with 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, all won with her younger sister, Serena.

Since revealing in 2011 that she had been diagnosed with Sjongren's syndrome, which can cause joint pain and fatigue, Williams had a half-dozen losses in the first round at major tournaments, raising questions about whether she might consider retirement.

But a year ago at Wimbledon, at age 36, Venus Williams became the oldest woman in the semifinals at a major since 1994.

She continued her resurgence at the Australian Open this January, making it all the way to the final before losing to Serena, who earned her 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy.

Facebook changes algorithm to curb 'tiny group' of spammers

Facebook Inc said on Friday it was changing the computer algorithm behind its News Feed to limit the reach of people known to frequently blast out links to clickbait stories, sensationalist websites and misinformation.

The move is another step by the world's largest social network to weed out spam, a battle Facebook has fought for years but that gained urgency after hoax news stories spread widely during last year's U.S. presidential campaign.

Facebook said the change would reduce the influence of a "tiny group" of people it has identified who share vast amounts of low-quality public posts daily. Only about 0.1 percent of people who share more than 50 posts a day fall into that category, the company said.

The change would affect only links shared by those people, not their photos or other posts, the company said.

"Our research shows that there is a tiny group of people on Facebook who routinely share vast amounts of public posts per day, effectively spamming people's feeds," said Adam Mosseri, Facebook's vice president for the News Feed, in a blog post.

Ahead of the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election, Facebook users saw false news reports saying Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump and that a federal agent who had been investigating Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was found dead.

The algorithm behind the News Feed determines which posts people see from friends, advertisers and other sources, and the order in which they appear depending on how users responded to previous posts.

Facebook, which has 2 billion monthly active users, frequently tweaks the computer code behind the News Feed.

The latest tweak will have a negligible effect, said Jennifer Grygiel, a Syracuse University communications professor who monitors social media, in a telephone interview, adding that Facebook needs to hire more content moderators.

"Communications platforms used to employ a whole lot more humans, but what we've been led to believe now is that technology will solve everything," Grygiel said.

In May, Facebook announced a change that would give lower prominence to links that lead to pages full of deceptive or annoying ads.

A change in August was designed to deemphasize stories with clickbait-style headlines.

Friday's change will de-prioritize links from specific spammers, Mosseri said.- Reuters

Explosion kills four soldiers in Borno

The army has confirmed that it lost an officer and three soldiers in Borno state on Thursday when their patrol vehicle encountered IED buried on the road between Kangarwa and Alagarno village.

Sani Usman, army spokesman, confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday.
He said three other soldiers sustained various degrees of injuries, while the patrol vehicle was completely damaged.

Usman, however, said three suspects who planted the explosive had been fished out and neutralised.
The army spokesman added that apart from clearance operations, troops stationed at Banki in Borno rendered humanitarian assistance to over 887 Nigerian refugees who returned from Cameroon since Tuesday.

He said the troops, also on Thursday, handed over one Jada Hachaba, who was abducted by insurgents to her mother at Gulak in Adamawa.
The army spokesman explained that Hachaba escaped from captivity, adding that she was handed over in the presence of the district head of Gulak.

At Buni Yadi in Yobe, Usman said troops in the period under review discovered a 122mm D30 unexploded ordinance inside an uncompleted building at the federal low-cost housing estate.
He said the explosive ordinance team was drafted into the scene to safely detonated the explosive.
Usman said that based on credible information, troops arrested two suspected Boko Haram militants collaborators/informants; Abubakar Ahmed, 23 and Aji Maina, 45, on Wednesday.

“Both were arrested at Garin Gada and Kanamma after painstaking training,” he said.
“Abubakar Ahmed was arrested while trying to collect relief materials for onward conveyance to Boko Haram terrorists, while Aji Maina was arrested while on transit at Kanamma en route Gamari in Niger Republic.” - Cable Nigeria 

Court sentence 28-year-old armed robber to death by hanging for stealing Toyota Corolla

Justice Y.G. Dakwak of a Jos High Court has sentenced a 28-year-old man, Auwalu Sule to death by hanging for robbing a woman of her Toyota Corolla car at gun point.
The judge gave the ruling after Sule was found guilty of the crime, on Friday.

In his sentence, Dakwak said, “due to evidence before this court, presented by the prosecution and your admittance to committing the crime, the court has found you guilty.
“You are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for robbery.
“You shall be hanged by the neck till you are dead, may God have mercy on your soul.”

Sule was first arraigned on March 19, 2014 on a one-count charge of robbery.
The prosecutor, G.D. Fwomyon, told the court that Sule, in company of two others still at large, committed the offence on Dec. 5, 2013.
Fwomyon, who doubles as the Director of Public Prosecution said Sule, with two others were armed with a locally made pistol when they disposed one Mrs Zipporah Mang of her Toyota Corrolla car, worth about N3 million.

The prosecutor informed the court that the 28-year-old and others trailed Mang to her home behind WAEC Office, Bukuru, Jos, before robbing her at gun point.
Fwomyon told the court that the 28-year-old in a confessional statement to the police said he and two others, Abba and Tutu, met on the said date at Anguwan Rukuba to arrange the robbery.
The prosecutor disclosed that Sule said Abba, who knew the complainant and her address, guided them to her house, but on reaching there, met her absence.

Fwomyon said the gang alighted from a tricycle when they saw the complainant returning home and disposed their victim of her car.
He told the court that the crime by the convict was contrary to Section 1(2)(b) of the Robbery and Firearms ACT, CAP R11 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, which is punishable to death upon conviction.

On Fri, Jun 30, 2017 at 1:40 PM, Seun Opejobi wrote:
Justice Y.G. Dakwak of a Jos High Court has sentenced a 28-year-old man, Auwalu Sule to death by hanging for robbing a woman of her Toyota Corolla car at gun point.
The judge gave the ruling after Sule was found guilty of the crime.

In his sentence, Dakwak said, “Due to evidence before this court presented by the prosecution and your admittance to committing the crime, the court has found you guilty.
“You are hereby sentenced to death by hanging for robbery.
“You shall be hanged by the neck till you are dead, may God have mercy on your soul.”

Sule was first arraigned on March 19, 2014 on a one-count charge of robbery.
The prosecutor, G.D. Fwomyon, told the court that Sule, in company of two others still at large, committed the offence on Dec. 5, 2013.
Fwomyon, who doubles as the Director of Public Prosecution said Sule, with two others were armed with a locally made pistol when they disposed one Mrs Zipporah Mang of her Toyota Corrolla car, worth about N3 million.

The prosecutor informed the court that the 28-year-old and others trailed Mang to her home behind WAEC Office, Bukuru, Jos, before robbing her at gun point.
Fwomyon told the court that the 28-year-old in a confessional statement to the police said he and two others, Abba and Tutu, met on the said date at Anguwan Rukuba to arrange the robbery.

The prosecutor disclosed that Sule said Abba, who knew the complainant and her address, guided them to her house, but on reaching there, met her absence.
Fwomyon said the gang alighted from a tricycle when they saw the complainant returning home and disposed their victim of her car.

He told the court that the crime by the convict was runs contrary to Section 1(2)(b) of the Robbery and Firearms ACT, CAP R11 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, which is punishable to death upon conviction. - Daily Post

Man caught making love to neighbour’s teenage girl in her parents’ room

A 27-year old man identified as Michael Ubani has been brought before an Apapa Magistrates court in Lagos for sleeping with a 19-year old girl in her parents’ room.

According to P.M. Express, the incident happened at Apapa area of the state where both the suspect and the victim’s parents reside.

The suspect was said to have sneaked into the victim’s parent’s apartment when they were not around and engaged her in a sex romp allegedly without her consent.
It was gathered that while they were in the act, the father of the victim came back unexpectedly, met the door locked from inside and forced them to open the door.

According to the report, on seeing her father, the victim burst into tears and told him that she was inside the room when Ubani sneaked into their apartment and threw her on the floor.

The matter was reported to the police at Apapa division and Ubani was arrested and charged to court under the Criminal Code.
He pleaded not guilty.
The presiding Magistrate, M.A. Etti granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety in like sum.

Ubani was then remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail condition.
The case was adjourned till 17th July, 2017.

Three suspected Badoo members, cultist lynched in Lagos

There was tension at Ikorodu, Lagos, on Friday following the murder of three suspected members of ritual gang, Badoo, and an alleged cultist.
The suspected Badoo members were hacked to death at Ogijo, Igbo-Oluwo area of Ikorodu.

It was gathered that the suspected cultist was caught by angry residents after his gang stormed a community and shot sporadically.
While the cultists who rode in a bus fled at the sight of a mob, one of their members was caught and hacked to death.

According to residents, the Igbo-Oluwo Badoo suspects were caught around 1:00 a.m. on Friday, while trying to break into an apartment near a gas station.

Our correspondent gathered that the suspects applied engine oil on their body.
An eyewitness, Fatai Odulana, said some of the residents, who kept vigil, raised alarm when they noticed strange movements in the area.

Watch the shocking moment a Brazilian referee pulls a GUN on a player after being punched in the face

This is the shocking moment a Brazilian referee runs onto a football pitch with a gun in an apparent effort to restore order after scenes turned violent when an amateur footballer challenged a penalty.

Referee Camilo Eustáquio de Souza, was filmed grabbing the weapon from his bag along with a pair of handcuffs last Sunday, as an angry player, named as Marcos Lopes Vieira, disputed the decision and allegedly punched him in the face.
Mercifully Mr de Souza’s extraordinary reaction was too late because Mr Vieira escaped as soon as he saw the ref wasn’t returning with a red card.
The player fled the ground, jumping the Starling Soares Stadium fence in Passos, south east Brazil, to hide in the dressing room.

Footage captures Mr de Souza, a police officer, returning to the bench and collecting his stuff as bewildered players look on, giving him a wide berth.



The incident happened during a game between Oriente from Passos and Industrial from Itaú de Minas in the Amador Regional Championships in the Passense League.

The home team was winning 3-2 when 30 minutes into the second half, the Industrial goalkeeper fouled an opposition striker about to score.
The game turned ugly and ended in confusion the moment the ref awarded the penalty.
Fans watching the game can be heard shouting in disbelief: “Shame on you officer. Instead of defending and protecting look at what you’re doing!”

But a defiant Mr de Souza, who has been a ref for 19 years, defended his actions and declared he had not overreacted while sporting his blackeye.
He said: "My actions were not an exaggeration; the exaggeration was down to the behaviour of the player. I was in charge of the game and to bring things under control I made the decision to act in my capacity as a police officer and arrest a citizen who assaulted me.”

Bizarrely the ref added he had no intention of using violence.
“I took the handcuffs so everyone could see that I wasn’t going to use aggression but I was going to take him into custody,” Mr de Souza explained.

Industrial’s team manager, Ideraldo Ribeiro de Assis, who is a retired cop, lodged a formal complaint while acknowledging his player was in the wrong.
He said: “In the changing rooms, I told my player off but what the referee did was completely wrong and a total overreaction.

“This situation could have ended in a really bad way if the footballer hadn’t run off as tempers on both sides were already out of control.”
Mr de Souza has been reported for abuse of power and could face a two-year suspension from the game following the ‘act of agresssion’ said José Vítor dos Santos, president of the Passense amateur football league.

“We will need to examine all the facts and get a more detailed report before making our decision,” Mr dos Santos said.
Mr Vieira is expected to appear before the Passense league board this week and faces suspension from the game and charges of assault. - UK Mirror

Watch clip below;

Tottenham Confirm New Lucrative Nike Kit Deal After Under Armour Association Ends

Tottenam Hotspur have officially - and finally - confirmed that sportswear giants Nike will manufacture their new kits from the 2017/18 season onwards.

The Lilywhites took to their official Twitter account to formally announce one of the worst kept footballing secrets, after months of speculation over who would produce their strips from next term, although the length of the deal has not been disclosed.

Under Armour had produced Spurs' kits since the 2012/13 campaign after the North Londoners signed a £50m deal with the US-based company but, with that contract now having expired, Tottenham have opted to trade them out for Nike instead.

Club chairman Daniel Levy expressed his delight at being able to shake hands on a deal with Nike, and stated his hope that their association with their new kit partners would help expand Spurs' global reach.

He said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Nike, one of the world's leading brands.
"Nike is committed to partnering with us both at home, at a time when our new stadium scheme is the catalyst for the regeneration of Tottenham, and globally, with our growing fan base mirrored by Nike's worldwide reach."
News of Nike producing Spurs' strips is not exactly shocking news, especially since rumours have persisted about a deal being struck since mid-March.

The new partnership, which is expected to net Tottenham around three times as much as their former deal with Under Armour did, was reportedly finalised around 17th March and is thought to contain a clause that will allow Nike to have a say in any naming rights deal for Spurs' new ground, which is due to be completed in time for the start of the 2018/19 campaign.

Leaked images did the rounds on Twitter on Thursday night that showed Tottenham stars Harry Kane and Dele Alli wearing the alleged new kit - pictures that helped to confirm that an announcement over the agreement was imminent - and Spurs have now taken the opportunity to affirm the gossip by finally going public with the news.

Tottenham have now joined Chelsea and Manchester City in agreeing kit deals with the German-based sportswear corporation, and while their agreement blows City's out of the water - the Citizens are said to be earning £12m-a-year from their deal - it pales in comparison to the Premier League champions' £60m-a-season, 15-year long association. - 90min

How female magistrate was kidnapped, consistently raped by suspect in Owerri

A suspected kidnapper, identified as Akachukwu Agu, has confessed to abducting and consistently raping a female magistrate.

The suspect, who was arrested with 35 victims found in his custody, including seven children, told newsmen at the Imo State Police Command in Owerri that he was sleeping with the magistrate in the bush before she was rescued by the police.

The suspect also confessed that he went into the crime less than three months ago in order to measure up with his mates considering the responsibilities that awaited him as a father.
The Commissioner of Police in the State, Chris Ezike, however, while parading 36 suspects in connection with kidnapping, armed robbery, child trafficking, cultism, murder, possession of fake currency notes, among others, said that the suspects included those who abducted Rev. Father Charles Nwachukwu, identified as Ogadinma Ajonuma, Chinedu Odoemenam and Uzoma Mejuru.

Others included Akachukwu Agu, Chima Agujuo, Tochukwu Chima and Desmond Akano who kidnapped the magistrate.

Accordingb to the CP, some of the suspects, Femi Ajibola from Avu, Uzoka Ikenna Polycarp, Ahanonu Chikadibia and Chibuike Nwauzor, confessed that they abducted one Mrs. Obiageri Ekukema at Avu in Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.

Ezike further explained that one pump action rifle and one locally made pistol were recovered from suspects.
The commissioner also paraded were Igboerika Ifeanyi, Obodo John Ifeanyi and Agumadu Tochukwu, all three, suspected student cultists from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.

He said the suspects had attacked and robbed one Felix of the same university in Ezeiobodo Hostel and took away his laptop, charger and extension wire, and inflicted injuries on his hands. - Daily Post

Three suspected kidnappers docked in Lagos

Two men and one woman were on Friday brought before an Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State over alleged kidnap and robbery.
The accused – Ronti Echiye (47), Rafiu Akeem (45) and Animashaun Segun (39) faced a seven- count charge of kidnapping and robbery.

The prosecutor, Sgt Kemi Adeniran, said the three accused committed the offences at No. 2 Alleluya Street, Temu, Poka, Epe, Lagos.
They kidnapped one Luke Boniface on June 22 at his residence in Ikorodu and robbed him of his N9000 cash, while taking him away.

Adeniran said the trio kidnapped the complainant, took him to an unknown destination, hanged him, battered him and gave him a phone to call his family for ransom.

“When the phone was given to the complainant to call his family, he spoke in a different language which the alleged kidnappers did not understand.
“In his calls, he described where he was to his wife in his native language, so his wife alerted the police and the place was bombarded.

“We found tear gas, handcuffs, and other dangerous weapons in the apartment he was kept,’’ the prosecutor said.
Adeniran said the offence contravened Section 409, 271, 173, 285, 171, 330, 78 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2015 and punishable under same. - NAN

Teenager sold father’s car to buy drugs – NDLEA

A teenage boy has reportedly sold two of his father’s Sports Utility Vehicles valued at N7.5 million for a N350, 000 in Umuahia, Abia, in order to buy hard drugs.

The Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the state, Mr. Akingbade Bamidele, who spoke at a workshop on substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking for senior secondary school students, organized by the National Committee on Narcotics and Substance Abuse, said the teenager carried out the act because of his involvement in drugs.

Bamidele, who spoke on the topic: “Illicit Drug and the Law,” said the teenager was later brought to NDLEA facility by his parents for counseling and rehabilitation.
He said: “There’s a boy at Umuahia that his father brought to us for counseling. He sold two vehicles – a Lexus and a Forerunner worth N7.5m for N350,000.

“Do you know why? The reason is because he was involved in drug abuse and has gotten to dependent stage where there’s absolutely nothing he cannot sell, just to buy drugs. It was a situation of keep this vehicles for me and just be giving me drugs. You notice when things began to miss at home, that something is wrong.”

The NDLEA commander, who attributed high rate of violent crime amongst youths to drug abuse and consumption of illicit drugs, warned that ignorance of the law is not an excuse.

“The cult boys that cut the heads of other students at Uturu and used them for goal post, when they were arrested, we went and tested them and it was clear that they were high on drugs and that gave them such mind to severe another persons’ head for goal post.

“You have to be very careful. The young man you saw on the screen was sent to deliver a parcel of which he doesn’t know much about and today, he’s in trouble. Ignorance is not an excuse in law. The rich will use the children of the poor to do their illicit drug trafficking,” he added. - The Nation

Manchester United keen on Tierney

Manchester United are reportedly considering a surprise move to sign Kieran Tierney from Celtic.
According to the Mirror today, the Red Devils have been keeping a close eye on the young full-back in recent months and are poised to make an offer.

It’s stated that United are prepared to lodge a bid worth £15m; a price that could prove to be too good for Celtic to refuse.

Tierney enjoyed a hugely successful 2016/17 campaign at the back for Brendan Rodgers’ side, and has been attracting the interest of several English clubs as of late.
The 20-year-old has also broken onto the international scene and has impressed while playing for Scotland’s senior side.

The report suggests that Jose Mourinho is keen to offload Luke Shaw and sign a new left-back this summer, and Tierney is a man firmly on his radar.
Although Celtic want Tierney to remain at the club for a further season, United and Arsenal are both interested.