Niger state : 40 shops, eight houses burnt as tanker explodes

No fewer than forty shops and eight houses were on Saturday completely burnt in a tanker fire incident.

Although, no death recorded, four persons were said to have sustained severe burns.

The incident happened in Make, Suleja Local Government Area of Niger state.

It was learnt that the fire started when one of the trucks, which were parked illegally along the Maje, road fell and caught fire as its contents spilled out.

Visiting and commiserating with the victims of the disaster, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, said the fire was caused by indiscriminate and illegal parking by a tanker driver expressing concern over the increasing rate of unfortunate but avoidable losses to accidents.

He warned that illegal and indiscriminate packing, as well as reckless driving of any kind by heavy duty truck drivers will be met with stiffer punishment.

Bello, who was represented by his deputy, Alhaju Ahmed Mohammed Kelso, lamented that incessant accidents along the Minna- Suleja road were being caused by the indiscriminate and illegal parking by the trucks, a development which had led to collateral damage and wanton destruction of properties.

He said: “There is the need for an all inclusive solution to indiscriminate parking, directed heavy duty truck drivers, security agencies, emergency management agencies officials and all other relevant stakeholders to meet to find lasting and permanent solution to that menace.

“Youths should be blamed for the losses experienced in the disaster, some losses recorded in some disasters would have been minimal but for the unpatriotic and unfriendly attitude of youth to fire fighters and other emergence officials.” - Daily Post

Miss Imo wins 2018 MBGN pageant

Anita Ukah, Miss Imo, was on Friday crowned winner of the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) pageant.

The 2018 edition of the pageant took place at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Center, Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

Aspiring beauty queens, numbering 37, took part in the crowning ceremony witnessed by Ben Murray-Bruce, Silverbird founder, and Dickson Seriake, Bayelsa state governor, among others.

The newly-crowned MBGN will represent Nigeria at the 2018 Miss World pageant in China.

Aramide Oluwatobi Lopez, Miss Lagos, emerged the first runner-up. She will represent Nigeria at Miss Universe.

Danielle Jatto, Miss Edo, was the second runner-up and will represent the country at the Miss Tourism pageant.

Valentina Ogbonaya, Miss Sokoto, was named the third runner-up and will fly Nigeria’s flag at the Miss ECOWAS pageant.

Tolulope Mary Ayanfalu, Miss Ogun, was the fourth runner-up while Miss Kwara, Damilola Adeshina, emerged fifth runner-up.

Betty Harry of Rivers was given the award of Miss Amity.

The MBGN pageant is in its 31st year. - TheCable

PL News : Virgil van Dijk’s injury isn’t serious

Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Southampton was about as comfortable a game as any team will ever get in the Premier League.

The game was over by half-time but one post-game talking point focused on Virgil van Dijk.

The Dutch international was substituted early in the second half with what looked like a rib injury.

With big games against Chelsea, Manchester City and Napoli on the horizon, Liverpool fans will have been worried that their £75m defender had broken his ribs but speaking after the game, manager Jurgen Klopp eased their fears.

As reported by the BBC, he said:

“Virgil van Dijk has a bruise on his rib. He’s uncomfortable but I don’t think it’s much more.”

  Van Dijk will likely sit out of Wednesday’s League Cup clash with Chelsea, with a view to being fit and fresh for the trip to Stamford Bridge next Saturday evening.

It appears that the substitution was more precautionary with Liverpool in complete control of the game against Van Dijk’s former side. - Read Sport

Tottenham boss praises team spirit

Mauricio Pochettino praised his side's spirit after they got over their mini-slump with a 2-1 win at Brighton.

Spurs had lost three games in a row for the first time under Pochettino, but put things right in soaking conditions at the Amex Stadium as Harry Kane and Erik Lamela both scored.

Kane's return to the scoresheet made it an even better evening for Spurs as his penalty in the first half ended a five-game goalless run and also drew him level with Jermain Defoe on 143 goals for the club.\

There were a few nervy moments in the second half, and Anthony Knockaert pulled a goal back in stoppage time, but the visitors survived to move back up to fifth in the Premier League.

"The spirit that we showed today was the spirit that I wanted to see in all of the games," Pochettino said.

"I am so happy with the attitude. We know very well we have a great quality, with great players who can play amazing football.

"In some periods we played so well. We deserved the victory in the end, of course we are very disappointed with the way we ended the game, the final two minutes.

"It's impossible that it happens again. It's good that it happens and you win but to concede a goal like we did was a very bad feeling.

"But of course the players were suffering a lot, the pressure was high and they wanted to deliver a very good result for the fans, for themselves and for us. I think we need to be pleased and congratulate them because the effort was massive after the Inter Milan defeat."

For Kane it was an end to 469 minutes without a goal for club and country and Pochettino never had any doubts about his quality.

"Always for me Harry is one of the best," Pochettino added. "He is one of best players in our team. I don't have doubt.

"It's always a guarantee to have him on the pitch, because he's a special player. For me he's a great player, not today because he scored. When he didn't score in the past it was the same.'' - Sky Sport

Anthony Joshua knocks out Povetkin

Anthony Joshua, British boxer, has beaten his mandatory challenger, Russia’s Alexander Povetkin by a knockout in the seventh round, to keep hold of the WBA, (Super) IBF, WBO and IBO belts.

Joshua born by Nigerian parents, beat the Russian at the Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, to hand the Russian, his first knockout defeat in his professional boxing career.

Joshua was very brutal punching Povetkin in the closing rounds, although Jovetkin got the better of him in the earlier rounds.

After two slower opening rounds, Joshua found his range in that fight. And it was a series of accurate combinations which did it in the seventh round, first with an overhand right and then some big lefts.

His win has improved his professional career to 22 fights unbeaten, 21 of the fights by knockout.

Joshua is expected to earn £20 million and Povetkin £6 million. - TheCable

‘Order whatever you want’ -How playboy left 10 women with huge restaurants bills

A dine-and-dash” dater, Paul Guadalupe Gonzales, is standing trial for allegedly forcing women he took on a string of first dates to pay for their expensive meals by sneaking out of upscale restaurants immediately he finished eating.

Police said Gonzales ordered expensive wines, steaks, lobster and desserts during more than a dozen dates in which he ran away without paying.

According to prosecutors, while his dates were generally forced to pick up the bill, two restaurants took pity on the women and did not charge them.

The man from Los Angeles, faces 10 counts of extortion, fraud, and petty theft against no fewer than 10 women over the past two years.

The 45-year-old would reportedly chat to women online, offering to take them to restaurants across the city, before vanishing without a word after consuming large amounts of food and alcohol.

Appearing in court in Pasadena for his preliminary hearing, Gonzales listened as women testified about their experiences dating the alleged tab-skipper.

A single mother, Martha Barba said she was due to meet Gonzales at a Chipotle outlet in July 2016, before he convinced her into a meal close by at an upscale eatery called Houston’s.

“I didn’t want to go. He didn’t look like his pictures. I wasn’t attracted to him,” Barba said, who however agreed to go to be “nice”, according to NY Daily News.

“He kept saying, ‘I got you. Order whatever you want. It’s on me. Don’t worry about it’,” she said, adding that “He ordered steak, wine, salad, just whatever you could order.”

She continued that Gonzales would at a point leave to take a call, insinuating she should order dessert while he stepped away to talk. He allegedly never came back, forcing Ms Barba to pay the $120 (£92) bill.

“I felt embarrassed and didn’t want to say anything… I felt humiliated,” Barba told the court, lamenting that she had to use her rent money to cover the cost.

Another woman, Yolanda Lora, told the newspaper she accepted an invite from Gonzales to a sushi restaurant in West Hollywood last year.

“I remember he was talking really fast and eating really fast and then said his youngest son was calling him,” Lora said, claiming that Gonzales ordered two glasses of wine within 15 minutes of each other.

After getting up, she alleges he never returned.

“What kind of monster does this? I was so embarrassed. I’m not an insecure woman, but it made me feel very insecure,” Lora said, saying “I’m just glad he got caught. I don’t want any other women to have to go through that.” - Daily Post