Four killed in gun duel between kidnappers, soldiers in Ondo

 

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers were on Friday killed in a heavy gun exchange with soldiers in Ondo State.

With four soldiers said to be wounded during the gun duel which happened on the busy Owo/Ifon road in Ose Local Government Area of the state, the kidnappers were alleged to have laid siege on the highway before the arrival of the soldiers.

According to a source, some road users who were on transit through the highway had been held hostage by the kidnappers.

The source added that the troops who were on patrol ran into the barricade of the kidnappers on the road while the gunmen opened fire on them and the soldiers responded immediately.

The soldiers were said to be careful in exchanging gunfire with the kidnappers in order not to kill some of the victims who had been held hostage by the kidnappers but four of the kidnappers were reportedly shot dead during the heavy gun duel.

The source, however, said four of the military men who sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owo for medical attention.

Following the incident, the Owo/Ifon axis of the road was immediately deserted by motorists as well as residents of the area due to the heavy gun shots.

While confirming the incident, spokesperson of the Nigeria Police in the state, ASP Tee-Leo Ikoro, said men from the command had been drafted to comb the forest in order to apprehend other fleeing suspected kidnappers.

- DAILY POST

UK mulls £500 universal incentive for each COVID-19 positive person

 UK Ministers are mulling expanding paying £500 as incentive to everyone who tests positive for Covid-19, to encourage more turnout for tests.

Under the current system, only those on a low income who cannot work from home and are eligible for benefits are entitled to a “support payment” of £500.

But ministers are considering replacing that system with a universal payment, meaning anyone who had a positive test could claim the funds.

According to The Telegraph, the move has been costed at up to £453 million a week if there were 60,000 cases a day – 12 times the cost of the current approach.

The plan would cost the state almost £2 billion a month, the newspaper reported.

Health officials are understood to have drawn up the proposals amid concern that just one in six people with symptoms are coming forward for tests because some fear a positive result and self-isolation would cost them too much.

The proposal for universal incentive comes as coronavirus R number in the UK dropped since last week, suggesting the lockdown has halted its spread.

The R, which refers to the number of people that an infected person will pass COVID-19 on to, is between 0.8 and 1 across the UK, according to the figures released on Friday by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).

Last week, the R – or the reproduction number – was between 1.2 and 1.3 for the UK as a whole.

The growth rate is now estimated to be between -4% to -1% – last week, this was between +2% and +5%.

Regional variations of R – or the reproduction number – indicate where the virus is spreading fastest.

The update comes as separate figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed there had been a slight drop in the number of people infected with coronavirus in England after lockdown measures were introduced.

An estimated one in 55 people in private households in England had COVID-19 between 10 and 16 January, down from one in 50 people for the Christmas period of 27 December to 2 January.

The data is from a random sample of people, including those with no symptoms, but does not include care homes, hospitals or other institutional settings.

- PM NEWS

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane hit by COVID-19

 Real Madrid have announced that head coach, Zinedine Zidane has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Frenchman, who has been unsure about his future at Santiago Bernabeu, will now enter a period of self-isolation.

Zidane’s side endured a shocking Copa del Rey defeat to Alcoyano on Wednesday, with the Blancos slipping out of that competition after being humbled by third-tier opposition.

His positive test means he would not be in the dugout for Real’s next trip to Alaves as they look to bounce back from their Copa del Rey exit.

The Blancos boss has become the latest among senior figures at the Bernabeu to contract coronavirus.

PM NEWS

US: ‘We’re ungovernable’ – Protesters vandalize Democratic Party headquarters, others

 Protesters have vandalized the Democratic Party headquarters in Portland and Oregon and a federal US Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, CNN reports.

The CNN on Thursday quoted a police Sgt. Kevin Allen, a spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau, as saying in a video statement that at least four demonstrations were planned in the city.

Allen explained that while two of the protests remained peaceful, the others resulted in “property damage.”

The police spokesman further explained that a group of about 150 people converged on the ICE building in the South Waterfront neighborhood Wednesday evening around 9 p.m.

He said that some of them were carrying pepper ball guns, fireworks, shields, rocks and “electronic control weapons similar to Tasers.”

Allen explained further that the gathering was declared unlawful by federal officials after protesters started throwing rocks and vandalizing the building, Allen said.

Allen said that police were in the surrounding neighborhood and “some arrests were made.”

A crowd of about 150 people were said to have gathered at Revolution Hall before marching to the Oregon state Democratic Party headquarters.

Portland Police added that officers on bicycles encountered the protesters in a parking lot at Revolution Hall, where “(d)ozens of people pressed in on the officers and then took one of the officers’ bicycles.”

The demonstrators then left Revolution Hall and marched to the Democratic Party headquarters, where they “smashed windows and vandalized the building,” Allen said.

At one point, the crowd “showed aggression by swarming officers and throwing objects,” Allen said.

Another showed the crowd making their way up the street, many of them clad in all black, carrying a sign that read, “We are ungovernable.”

CNN reports the demonstration was billed as a protest against Joe Biden and law enforcement, while supporting the rights of indigenous people.

Democratic Party in the State of Oregon have reacted to the incident in a statement, saying that none of its staff were in the building at the time, adding that they are “frustrated and disappointed.”

“This is not the first time our building has been vandalized during the past year — none of the prior incidents have deterred us from our important work to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, and this one will be no different,” the statement said.

Joe Biden was sworn in on Wednesday as the 46th President of America.

Before the swearing in ceremony on Wednesday, there was a deadly attack on the US Capitol leading to the death of some citizens.

Former President Donald Trump was accused of having incited his supporters to carry out the attack as a final push to stop the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the November 3 presidential election. He was impeached a week later.

- DAILY POST

Nigeria hits highest single-day record — over 1,900 fresh COVID infections

 

Nigeria reached its latest single-day record on Thursday with 1,964 fresh coronavirus infections confirmed across 23 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The development comes less than one week after the previous highest daily record.

The previous single-day record was on January 15, 2021, when 1,867 new cases were confirmed in 23 states and the FCT.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the new positive samples in its update for January 21, 2021, making it the 18th consecutive day that the country has recorded over 1,000 new cases.

Lagos topped the list with 824 fresh cases, followed by FCT with 246 infections, and Plateau with 166 positive samples.

Meanwhile, seven persons were confirmed to have died of COVID-19 complications on Thursday, increasing the fatality toll to 1,485.

On the daily count for discharged patients, Nigeria stayed on the plus side with 1,310 new recoveries recorded on Thursday.

According to the NCDC, the discharged patients included “798 community recoveries in Lagos State and 191 community recoveries in Ondo state managed in line with guidelines”.

A total of 116,655 infections have now been confirmed across the country, but 21,542 are currently active cases.

- THECABLE

Doyin Okupe’s gay son hits back at critic

 

Bolu, the son of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Spokesperson, Doyin Okupe, has hit back at a critic over his recently declared gay status.

Bolu expectedly drew the angry reactions of some Africans after declaring his gay status.

An Instagram user went on his comment section to say that he (Bolu) would have been a corpse if he was in Kenya.

The IG User, @blueweb_foundation, wrote, “Somewhere (in) Kenya, you could be a corpse. We Black coloured Never go against our God! Stay with your stupidity in France (sic).”

To the critic, Bolu replied, “Your whole mentality is tragic. I feel sorry for you. Your religion has turned you into a psychotic imbecile that you think it’s okay to kill people? First, you said to stay in France with your stupidity; sir, who do you think gave Africans Christianity? The French and the English pushed the religion on you that you are calling.

“Black coloured, you should educate yourself a bit. Second, the Europeans who gave you your religion has since moved past that because the world has developed while people like you are still stuck in the 18th century. You should know that the same religion that you so deeply cherish justified people to enslave your ancestors in the past.

“You are delusional. I hope one day you will educate yourself. If not, I don’t care; you will die ignorant and on the wrong side of history. (sic)”

- PM NEWS

Nigerians pay high taxes, provide water, electricity, others for themselves – Adesina

 President of the African Development Bank, AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina, has frowned on the situation where Nigerians do not have basic infrastructure despite paying taxes.

Adesina spoke on Thursday at the first national tax dialogue organized by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).

According to him, Nigerians werere among top implicit tax payers in the world. He explained that Implicit taxes are levies that are borne but are neither seen nor recorded.

Adesina noted that in Nigeria, citizens provide electricity, road, security, water, among others, for themselves.

“Truth be told, Nigerians pay one of the highest implicit tax rates in the world — way higher than developed countries,” he said.

“Think of it: they provide electricity for themselves via generators; they repair roads to their neighborhoods, if they can afford to; there are no social security systems; they provide security for their own safety; and they provide boreholes for drinking water with their own monies,” he added.

AfDB boss further described the borehole system as ridiculous, noting that boreholes are not the way to provide water in the 21st century, insisting that every household should have pipe borne water.

He lamented that Governments, over time, have simply shifted their responsibility to citizens.

-DAILY POST