THE INTENSIFIED REPORT

Governor of Ekiti State Kayode Fayemi has recovered from COVID-19 after just 11 days. The Governor made this know via his Official Twitter page. "After 11 days in isolation, I received news that my CoviD 19 repeat test came back negative. My sincere gratitude goes to God Almighty, my family, my medical team and all well wishers for the prayers and solidarity. We must continue to do all we can to tackle the pandemic. JKF"

A British teenager has been charged for his alleged part in a Twitter hack that accessed the accounts of some of the world’s most famous people. The US Justice Department said that Mason Sheppard, 19, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, had been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud and the intentional access of a protected computer. He is one of three men charged, alongside Nima Fazeli, 22, from Orlando, Florida. The third defendant is a “juvenile” who is too young to be named.

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, on Friday announced his COVID-19 status, saying his result returned negative. Umahi said he is ready and fit to resume work officially next week. The governor said his daughter and three other members of his family have also tested negative for COVID-19. According to him: “The Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Engr. Chief David Nweze Umahi has tested negative for coronavirus. “The Governor confirmed this in a statement he personally released on Friday, 31st July 2020. “He disclosed that his daughter and three of his close aides also tested negative for the virus. “The Governor is full of praise to God for His grace and healing powers and thanks the people of Ebonyi State and Nigeria for their prayers and solidarity. To God be the glory.”

Nine people have died in India from drinking alcohol-based hand sanitiser after liquor shops in their town were closed due to virus restrictions, police said Friday. The group lost consciousness after consuming a "high quantity" of hand sanitiser mixed with water or soda, Siddharth Kaushal, police superintendent for Kurichedu town in Andhra Pradesh state said. They were rushed to hospital but declared dead on arrival, he said. The group turned to hand sanitiser "as a substitute" for liquor after supplies were cut off when authorities ordered a lockdown of the town to combat the coronavirus, he added. An investigation into the nine deaths has been launched, he said. Hundreds of poor people die every year in India due to alcohol poisoning, mostly from consuming cheap hooch. Bootleggers often add methanol -- a highly toxic form of alcohol sometimes used as an anti-freeze or fuel -- to their home-brew liquor to increase the alcoholic content. The deaths in K

President Donald Trump has announced he is banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok in the US. He told reporters he could sign an executive order as early as Saturday. US security officials have expressed concern that the app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, could be used to collect the personal data of Americans. The fast-growing app has up to 80 million active monthly users in America and the ban would be a major blow for ByteDance. "As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States," Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. TikTok spokesperson Hilary McQuaide declined to comment on the move  but said the company was "confident in the long-term success of TikTok", the Washington Post reports.

President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, told his people on Friday to use gasoline as a disinfectant for protective face masks, stressing that his advice was not a joke. In a similar remark last week, the outspoken president said that petrol should be used on masks if cleaning agents were unavailable, a remark his spokesman said was a joke and reminded the public that Duterte often says things in jest. In a televised address on Friday, Duterte said, "What I said is true. Just go to a gasoline station, and have some drops, that's disinfectant." "I am not joking. That is true. You think I am just kidding,"   he added. Medical experts has since condemned his recommendation, saying that inhaling gasoline could cause more harm and  lead to more problems like respiratory diseases. Philippines has so far recorded nearly 90,000 cases of coronavirus and more than 2,000 deaths. Face Masks has been a mandatory attire in the Philippines since March.

A British man whose penis fell off due to a severe blood infection had a new one built – on his arm, where he even got an extra 2 inches, according to a report. Malcolm MacDonald, 45, a mechanic, suffered a horrific infection in his perineum that turned his fingers, toes and manhood black,  The Sun reported . “I had struggled for years with an infection in my perineum but I had no idea what could happen,” the separated dad of two from Thetford, Norfolk, told the outlet. “When I saw my penis go black I was beside myself. It was like a horror film. I was in a complete panic. I knew deep down it was gone and I was going to lose it,” he said. He said he was “completely gutted” when his penis “just dropped off on to the floor” in 2014 – but his testicles remained intact, according to the outlet. “Because I had been through the devastation of knowing I was going to lose it, I just picked it up and put it in the bin,” MacDonald continued. “I went to the hospital and th

Nigeria recorded 462 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the NCDC has announced. Nigeria has now recorded 43,151 cases of the virus, 19,565 recoveries and 879 deaths. State by State breakdown of the new cases are as follows; FCT-93 Lagos-78 Plateau-64 Kaduna-54 Oyo-47 Ondo-32 Adamawa-23 Bauchi-19 Rivers-9 Ogun-9 Delta-9 Edo-7 Kano-6 Enugu-6 Nasarawa-5 Osun-1

Frank Lampard has said that he does not need a phone call or message from club owner Roman Abramovich , to be assured of his support, "I have felt it from him from the moment i took the job," Lampard said. Lampard, four-time winner of the FA Cup, leads the Blues out on Saturday against Mikel Aterta's Arsenal in the 2020 FA Cup final. Chelsea’s Russian billionaire owner Abramovich missed the club’s last FA Cup final as he was having visa problems two years ago. And Lampard says he is not expecting a pat on the back from his boss before the game. Blues boss Lampard said: “I don't need a phone call, or a message, or recognition like that because I feel the support from the owner. "I have felt it from him from the moment I took the job. "I felt it for many years as a player. I am happy if I can make him happy. "Last Sunday was a step forward in where we are right now (by finishing in the top four) and I want to continue making thos

Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, on Thursday urged a US appeals court to block the release of a deposition about her sex life, saying it could destroy her ability to get a fair trial against criminal charges she aided the late financier's sexual abuse of girls. Maxwell filed an emergency request with the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan one day after a federal judge rejected her claim that her need for confidentiality outweighed the public's right to see the April 2016 deposition, which was taken in a civil defamation lawsuit. "Absent a stay from this court, it will forever let the cat out of the bag," Maxwell's lawyers wrote, noting another judge's recent refusal to block publication of former National Security Adviser John Bolton's memoir because copies had already been circulated. Late Thursday, US District Judge Loretta Preska, who oversees the civil case, ordered the separate release of dozens of ot

Kenneth Petty, husband of rapper Nicki Minaj, has filed documents requesting that he attend the birth of their child. Petty was arrested after failing to register as a sex offender in California, and he would like the judge to alter some of his pretrial release restrictions. He is asking to be able to travel with Nicki as her manager while she attends business meetings and to also attend the birth of their child if she goes into labor outside of his curfew hours.  So far, U.S. Attorney's Office and pretrial services office don't oppose his request and it's up to the judge to decide if Petty's request will be approved. 

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's wife and one of his ministers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an official statement on Thursday, as the spread of the novel coronavirus showed no signs of slowing in the country with the world's second-worst outbreak after the United States. Just days after her husband said he had overcome the virus with a negative test following weeks in quarantine, Bolsonaro's wife Michelle has tested positive, the presidential office said in a statement. "First lady Michelle Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. She is in good health and will follow all established protocols," it said, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman left a Riyadh hospital on Thursday after a 10-day stay that included an operation to remove his gallbladder, quieting speculation that his son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman might soon accede to the throne. The 84-year-old monarch walked out of King Faisal Specialist Hospital with the help of his usual cane but otherwise under his own power, a video published by state news agency SPA showed. Prince Mohammed, often referred to by his initials MBS, followed close behind, wearing a face mask. In a statement, the Royal Court provided no new details about the king’s condition after saying a week ago he would stay in the hospital for an unspecified period following the surgery. He left the hospital a day ahead of Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s most important festivals.

The former St. Louis police officer who killed Michael Brown will not face charges, the St. Louis prosecutor in charge of the reopened case announced Thursday.  Darren Wilson was filmed in a 2014 confrontation with Brown, who was unarmed, and he ultimately fatally shot the Black teenager, an incident that captivated the nation and led to the  rise of the Black Lives Matter movement  after the initial protests in Ferguson, Missouri.  The St. Louis County prosecutor, Wesley Bell, had taken charge of the reopened case two years ago after unseating the prosecutor who originally handled it.  Bell said at a press conference, “Can we prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred? The answer to that is no.”  A grand jury had already cleared Wilson of wrongdoing in the months after the shooting. 

Nigeria recorded 481 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the NCDC has announced. The new cases were recorded across different states in the country. Nigeria has now recorded a total of 42,689, 19,270 recoveries, and 878 deaths. State by State breakdown of the new cases are as follows; FCT-96 Lagos-89 Plateau-68 Ogun-49 Edo-44 Rivers-43 Oyo-25 Osun-23 Delta-15 Enugu-11 Kano-7 Kaduna-7 Bauchi-2 Bayelsa-1 Yobe-1

Two planes reportedly collided at the international wing of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s on Wednesday, raising fear among passengers. Airbus A330-243 owned by Middle East Airlines with registration number OD-MEA, ran into a Boeing 777 airplane with registration number TC-LJC operated by Turkish Airlines. The Turkish cargo flight was parked at the tarmac when the MEA airbus ran into it l, ripping off part of the empennage of the aircraft”. the source said. According to the report, MEA Airbus, which had been boarding passengers since 12:00 pm, had to disembark every passenger on board, it quoted another source at the scene of the incident to have said the Middle East Airline and others had been carrying out commercial operations under the disguise of evacuation flights at the Lagos airport. These people have been running commercial flights under the disguise of evacuation. They come to this country at least three times a week. “The MEA and e

Toke Makinwa has threatened to sue P.M. News for defamation, should they fail to pull down offensive publication and tender a public apoligia via their website. This is coming after the news website, published that the OAP  has lost ownership of her Banana Island property, a news  which she came out to say was false. Earlier, the Nigerian Telegraph, guilty of the same offence has tendered their unreserved apologies over the controversial post.

Tragedy hit the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs on Wednesday with the death of its Director of Administration, Yusuf Nwoha in an auto crash. Although the details of the incident were still sketchy, it was gathered that the crash occurred around the Okene area on his way to Owerri. Two other persons involved in the accident were said to have also lost their lives. A member of NSCIA council, Ishaq Sanni, confirmed the death of Nwoha in a tribute to the deceased. He said, “Ina lillah waina ilaehi rojihun. What a season of death, what a season of sadness! Alhaj Yusuf Nwoha, the Director of Administration in NSCIA also left us today. He died in a motor accident in Okene on his way to Owerri to observe the Eid. Yusuf is unequivocally one of the best among us. He accepted Islam in the early 80’s and acquired the knowledge of Islam with the speed of sound. “He was educated at Bayero University, Kano. We employed him as Director of our Islamic Propagation Center in Owe

Former Barcelona star Xavi Hernandez said on Wednesday that he had recovered from the coronavirus, returned home and resumed his duties as Qatari side Al-Sadd’s head coach. “Thank you so much for all the caring messages that I’ve received during these days,” he wrote on his verified Instagram page alongside an image of him holding his daughter. “I want to share with you that I’m recovered and back home with my family and the Al-Sadd team.” Xavi, 40, announced on Saturday that he had tested positive following routine screening of players and staff in Qatar’s top-flight. Exactly 4 percent of Qatar’s 2.75 million people have had coronavirus, with 110,153 cases reported since the start of the pandemic giving the tiny Gulf state one of the highest per capita total infection rates. However the gas-rich country has reported just 169 deaths meaning it has one of the world’s lowest virus death rates and 106,849 people have recovered from COVID-19, according to official statistics. X

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has stated that Godwin Obaseki, the candidate of the People's Democratic Party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo state, has no opponent in the contest. Wike was quoted to have made the declaration on Wednesday in a statement released by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, while speaking on a live television programme in Port Harcourt. He said, “Adams Oshiomhole told Edo people that Ize-Iyamu (Edo APC governorship candidate) was rusticated from school; that he poured acid on a fellow student that destroyed his manhood. “Adams Oshiomole’s sudden U-turn is a great insult on Edo people. This is an opportunity for Edo people, both at home and in the diaspora, to use their votes to tell Oshiomole they cannot take his lies anymore. “From all indications, it is obvious that there is no strong opposition against Obaseki and he will win convincingly.” But in its reaction, the All Progres

One of the ex-Babcock University students in the sex tape video which went viral in November 2019, has gotten a scholarship to study abroad.  Dr. Ola Brown of Naija Flying Doctors shared the good news on Twitter while revealing that she has made scholarship payments for the young lady to study abroad.  The British-Nigerian medical doctor also disclosed she is set to travel in the next few months.  She wrote:  'Just made her scholarship payment. She will be travelling out to study in the next few months. Future head of the IMF/World Bank loading by God's grace.'   Just made her scholarship payment. She will be travelling out to study in the next few months. Future head of the IMF/World Bank loading by God's grace  https://t.co/SplHiwfVI9 — Dr Ola Brown (@NaijaFlyingDr)  July 29, 2020   The young lady involved in the viral sex tape is said to be the daughter of a Senior Pastor of Calvary Bible Church, and she was a 300 level student of accounting at that time.

The Roots on Wednesday announced the passing away of one of its member, Malik Abdul Basit (aka Malik B.). The group took to Twitter to make the sad announcement. “We regretfully inform you of the passing of our beloved brother and long time Roots member Malik Abdul Basit,” the statement read. “May he be remembered for his devotion to Islam and innovation as one of the most gifted MCs of all time. We ask that you please respect his family in our time of mourning.” The rapper and singer, has been a longtime member of The Roots, and appeared on the first four albums released by The Roots. He also performed alongside current band members and co-founders Questlove and Black Thought before departing the group to pursue a solo career. He was 47 years old. Cause of his death is not known. Rip.

Nigeria recorded 404 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the NCDC has announced. Nigeria has now recorded 42,208 cases of the virus, 19,004 recoveries, and 873 fatalities. State by State breakdown of the new cases are as follows; Lagos-106 FCT-54 Rivers-48 Plateau-40 Edo-29 Enugu-21 Oyo-20 Kano-18 Ondo-15 Ogun-10 Ebonyi-9 Ekiti-8 Kaduna-6 Cross River-5 Kwara-4 Anambra-3 Delta-3 Imo-2 Nasarawa-2 Borno-1

Police Operatives attached to the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested thirty-five (35) suspects across the country for their active involvement and participation in series of kidnapping, armed robbery and other heinous crimes across the country. According to a statement via the Nigeria Police Force Official Twitter page, "The arrest is sequel to the unrelenting efforts by the Force to rid the country of heinous criminals and to get justice for victims of these crimes." Recovered from the suspects are, four Ak47 Rifles, 5 other Assault Guns, 378 Rounds of Ammunition, 18 Vehicles and 1 Anti-Tracker Device amongst others. Notable among the arrests is a criminally minded pastor, Adetokumbo Adenopo ‘m’ 52years, Founder and General Overseer of New Life Ministry, Lukosi, in Shagamu Area of Ogun State and three other members of his criminal gang.

GOVERNOR Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state has picked a former representative of the state on the Board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa as his deputy. Ayedatiwa is from oil-rich ilaje council area of the state. He is expected to run with Akeredolu in the October 10 election if his name was not substituted before August 18, 2020 deadline by INEC. Recall that Akeredolu estranged former deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi had since defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and contested for the party’s governorship primary but lost to Eyitayo Jegede SAN. Agboola came second in the election.

Twitter on Tuesday suspended the account of Donald Trump Jr for 12 hours  over coronavirus hydroxychloroquine conspiracy theory. Donald Trump Jr. was barred from the social media site for 12 hours Tuesday after sharing a debunked claim that hydroxychloroquine is a miracle cure for COVID-19 — and there’s no need to wear masks or implement social distancing. Twitter said the president’s son was punished for violating its terms of use that bar users from spreading false medical advice about the pandemic. An ally of Trump Jr. framed the suspension as an effort by Twitter to silence alternate view points. “Big Tech is the biggest threat to free expression in America today & they’re continuing to engage in open election interference — full stop,” wrote Republican strategist Andrew Surabian. Trump Jr. posted a video posted by Stella Immanuel, a Houston physician and evangelical Christian, who touts hydroxychloroquine as a cure for coronavirus, a claim debunked by m

Real Madrid striker Mariano has tested positive for Covid-19, the club said on Tuesday. A statement said the 26-year-old Spanish-born player was in "perfect health” and “complying with the sanitary isolation protocol at home”. He was an unused substitute for Real’s last match – a  2-2 draw in La Liga away at Leganes  on 19 July. Madrid play at Manchester City in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on Friday, 7 August.

Johnson Onuigbo, the Abia State PDP Chairman is dead. He reportedly died in the late hours of Monday, 27th July, 2020 in Umuahia. According to Vanguard, his body has been taken to an undisclosed hospital mortuary in Umuahia. The cause of his death is yet to be known. On May 12, 2020, Johnson Onuigbo was appointed the interim chairman of the party for three months following the expiration of his tenure. He however did not wait to finish his term before his demise. -Vanguard

The Health Ministry announced 1,748 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 102,051. According to data released by the ministry on Tuesday, 63 more people have died of the disease, bringing the death toll to 4,901. The total number of recovered patients has also increased to 60,539.

Femi Fani-Kayode has come out to criticize president Buhari's ommission of some notable Nigerians who he thinks deserves to be honoured, following the release of names of Nigerians who had railway stations named after them. President Buhari, on Monday, released the list of Nigerians who had railway stations named after them, but Femi thinks the list is incomplete as he highlights key Nigerians that deserved the honour. He wrote in a tweet, "The list of Nigerians who had railway stations etc. named after them was incomplete without OBJ, Umaru Yar'adua, Tafawa Balewa, T.B. Joshua, David Oyedepo, Emeka Ojukwu, @atiku & others.  Though this slight takes nothing from them, the FG could have done far better." Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section, Do you agree with Femi Fani-Kayode, that the list is incomplete without those he mentioned?

Gold rocketed to record peaks at US$1,975 on Tuesday while the US dollar plumbed two-year lows as investors wagered the Federal Reserve would reaffirm its super-easy policy outlook this week, and a tolerance for higher inflation. The prospect of endless stimulus allowed Asian shares to shake off coronavirus concerns and Sino-US tensions to make early gains. Nations around the globe are announcing new travel curbs amid a fresh wave of the coronavirus, a setback to hopes for a “V” shaped economic recovery. Yet investors are taking comfort from the prospect of yet more fiscal spending and endless cheap liquidity, with Fed Chair Jerome Powell expected to sound reassuringly accommodative after a policy meeting on Wednesday. “Fed officials have made clear that they will be making their forward guidance more dovish and outcome-based soon,” wrote analysts at TD Securities. “The chairman is likely to continue the process of prepping markets for changes when he speaks at his press co

Nigeria recorded 648 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the NCDC has announced. Nigeria has now recorded a total of 41,180 cases, 18,203 recoveries, and 860 deaths. State by State breakdown of the new cases are as follows; Lagos-180 Plateau-148 FCT-44 Ondo-42 Kwara-38 Rivers-32 Oyo-29 Kaduna-21 Osun-20 Edo-17 Ogun-17 Ekiti-11 Kano-9 Benue-9 Delta-9 Abia-9 Niger-7 Gombe-3 Borno-1 Bauchi-1 Imo-1

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas have welcomed their first child together. The Game Of Thrones star and her US pop star husband are "delighted to announce the birth of their baby", the couple's representative said. No other details were given about the baby's name, sex, or the date of birth. British actress Turner, 24, and 30-year-old Jonas have been in a relationship since 2016 and were engaged the following year. They tied the knot last year in a ceremony live-streamed by music producer Diplo after the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas. Turner, who is best known for portraying Sansa Stark on the HBO fantasy series, later said she wished the ceremony itself had been kept private. Jonas is a member of US pop group the Jonas Brothers alongside his siblings, Kevin and Nick.

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the naming of some railway stations along the Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe/Ajaokuta/ Aladja/Warri corridors after some deserving Nigerian citizens. Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director of Press Eric Ojiekwe. The Minister noted that the deserving citizens have contributed to the progress and development of their respective communities and the nation at large. He listed the beneficiaries to be the following; Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Apapa station) Mobolaji Johnson (Ebute Metta Station) Babatunde Raji Fashola (Agege station), Lateef Jakande (Agbado station) Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (Kajola station). Others are Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Papalanto station) Prof. Wole Soyinka (Abeokuta station), Aremo Segun Osoba(Olodo station) Chief Ladoka Akintola (Omio-Adio station) Chief Obafemi Awolowo (Ibadan station) Chief Alex Ekwueme (Operation Control Centre) For the Itakpe-Ajaokuta/Aladja-Warri Railwa

A group of thieves who broke into a century-old baptist church in Bronx and made away with electronics worth $8,000, also left a very disturbing and downright sinful piece of evidence before taking off. Police announced Sunday they are looking for at least three culprits who stole nearly $8,000 worth of electronics from the Creston Avenue Baptist Church on Tuesday at 12:30 a.m. The group broke through the lock on the back door to gain access to the unoccupied church grounds. But before they left, one of the deviant crooks defecated in the church’s foyer, a  member of the congregation told CBS . “They messed up my office, broke up the safe, break up the doors, break up the kitchen. What could possess them to do things like that?” Pastor Marcia Stanley told the station. “Can’t they see this is the house of God?” Church treasurer Emeka Oseafiana said in a GoFundMe set up this week that the crooks swiped audio equipment and computers — stealing or damaging about $10,000 of pr

Authorities in Georgia are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a 25-year-old mother and her 10-month-old twin sons, whose bodies were pulled from a submerged car Friday evening. According to local media outlets, ShaQuia Philpot and her baby boys, Cassius and Caysen Williams, were pronounced dead Friday night, after her car was discovered beneath the surface of Mayor's Pond in Augusta. The Augusta Chronicle  reports  a fisherman noticed the car in the water and called 911. WJBF reports  the Richmond County Coroner's Office have launched an investigation into how the car ended up in the pond. The three bodies will be autopsied this week. According to WFXG , firefighters and EMS workers helped pull the car out of the water. At this point, police can not say for sure if the vehicle wound up in the water accidentally. A balloon release was held on Sunday for Philpot and her sons. - People

The Federal Ministry of Education has announced that Secondary Schools in the country are to reopen as from the 4th of August, 2020, but for exit classes only. In a statement released by the body, exit classes should resume immediately after the Sallah break, from the 4th of August, 2020 to enable them prepare for the WAEC examination scheduled to commence from the 17th August, 2020.