An unnamed rape survivor speaks up alleging Modele Fatoyinbo is aware of Biodun Fatoyinbo’s actions, Frank Lampard returns to Chelsea FC, Kim Kardashian West wins a lawsuit against Missguided and other stories. So in case you missed it, we’ve got you covered with our Rave News Digest which summarizes some of the hottest global news you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.
Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics…
1. Pipeline explosion rocks Lagos
Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has said that oil bunkerers intentionally started the fire that broke out at Ijegun, Lagos, today.
Residents of the community said they were thrown into confusion when they heard the explosion followed by a fire outbreak.
The explosion, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, was caused by pipeline vandals who were scooping petrol from pipes in the area. The vandals stormed the area to siphon petrol but were engaged by security agencies who attempted to apprehend them.
They, however, started the fire to divert the security agencies from arresting them. According to the general manager,
“The vandals had already siphoned petrol into a 33,000 litres tanker while a second tanker of the same capacity was being loaded when security agencies suddenly intercepted the vandals. While trying to escape, some of the siphoned fuel spilt into the drainage and the vandals were alleged to have set the spilt fuel on fire in a bid to deter the security agencies from apprehending them.
The fire eventually returned to the pipeline point where the vandals siphoned the fuel and exploded with escalating fire which led to two fatalities and over 30 vehicles burnt, eight persons were also injured. The actual loss will be determined upon conducting post-disaster enumeration after the fire has been put out.”
2. Donald Trump accused of politicizing 4th of July celebrations
As America celebrates its Independence Day, President Donald Trump is facing pushback over his “Salute to America” celebration in Washington D.C.
The president is promising pomp and circumstance: the largest-ever fireworks on the Mall, fighter jet flyovers, and performances by military bands – but neither the White House nor the Pentagon will disclose how much the event will cost, sparking criticism from Democrats.
As Donald Trump took to Twitter to tweet a message wishing everyone a happy Fourth of July on Thursday morning, he also wrote about the “Salute to America.”
The president also defended the event on Twitter, by writing “the cost of our great Salute to America …will be very little compared to what it is worth.” He went on to say that “we own the planes, we have the pilots…all we need is the fuel.”
But the new events have prompted controversy and accusations that the president is turning a holiday into a “Make America Great Again” rally. Protests are planned against the president and a permit was granted for protesters to float a giant “Baby Trump” balloon.
The now infamous inflatable grabbed headlines when Trump visited London in June. The president’s remarks, set to begin at 6:30 p.m., are not expected to be a political speech, according to a White House official, but instead “it’s about saluting America, our flag and our great armed forces.”
3. Former staff at COZA says Modele Fatoyinbo groomed her for Biodun to rape her
An unnamed rape survivor who was once a staff of COZA has come forward in an interview with Red Media’s Chude Jideonwo on Y Naija TV to also give her story.
She said Modele Fatoyinbo, Biodun’s wife took an interest in her and let her watch the children which was a rare thing. She got so close to the family that she started tutoring the kids as well. It was said that Modele suggested the survivor move across continents to become an au pair for her children to which the survivor saw as an opportunity and was open to it. She, however, alleges that this was a well-calculated move by Modele to groom her for Biodun.
Explaining to YNaija TV, while in the new city, Biodun had started their meeting innocently enough, “he talked about something to do with the church. Things moved pretty swiftly from there and raped her.”
The alleged rape happened in the last quarter of 2017, but she stayed on working within the church till July of the following year. According to her, “Busola Dakolo coming forward to talk about her experience with Pastors Biodun and Modele Fatoyinbo brought a number of things into stark focus for her. First, that there was a pattern where Modele either deliberately or inadvertently drew young women into her orbit and groomed them into complacency that Biodun Fatoyinbo allegedly exploited to allegedly rape and sexually assault them.
Second, there were pastors who were aware of the violence and exploitation that Fatoyinbo was accused of wreaking and either kept quiet about it or enabled it. He called them ‘The COZA 12’, pastors and religious leaders within and outside the church to which Fatoyinbo publicly defers to.”
Watch the interview here…
4. Kim Kardashian Awarded $2.7 Million in Knockoff Lawsuit
Kim Kardashian West just won a major lawsuit against an online retailer profiting off her name and image without permission. ET Online reported that the reality tv personality was awarded $2.7 million in the filing.
According to court documents obtained by ET, the 38-year-old reality star was awarded $2.7 million in damages and $59,600 in attorneys’ fees from Missguided USA, who it’s alleged in her lawsuit “have repeatedly used Kardashian’s name and image without authorization to generate interest in their brand and website, and to elicit sales of their products.”
The court documents state that Missguided USA has “failed to appear, plead, or otherwise defend in this action,” and that a default judgment was entered on March 29.
“Furthermore Missguided USA is hereby permanently enjoined from using Plaintiffs’ trademarks in connection with the sale, marketing or distribution of its products,” the documents state.
“Missguided has not only knocked-off the clothing of other designers, but it has unabashedly misappropriated the rights of celebrities like Kardashian in selling these knock-offs on its websites,” her lawsuit states.
5. Rave soccer roundup
24 teams made it to Egypt but after 12 days of action, 8 have crashed out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations leaving 16 others to continue with the dream of becoming champion for the 32nd edition.
Action resumes on July 5 when the first two games of the round of 16 are played between Morocco and Benin, Uganda and Senegal for a place in the quarterfinals.
Super Eagles will face perennial rivals Cameroon at the Alexandria Stadium on Saturday, while the host nations Egypt battle South Africa before debutant Madagascar face DR Congo, Algeria vs Guinea, Mali vs Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana vs Tunisia for a spot in last 8.
In the world of sports, Chelsea FC has appointed Frank Lampard as their new manager as the club legend makes a sensational return to Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard, the club’s all-time top goalscorer, has signed a three-year deal to succeed Maurizio Sarri. The 41-year-old had been the frontrunner for the job since it became clear Sarri would return to Italy after just one year to take over at Juventus, despite having just one year as a manager under his belt.
In a statement released by the club, Frank said he was immensely proud to return to Chelsea as head coach. According to Frank Lampard, “Everyone knows my love for this club and the history we have shared, however, my sole focus is on the job in hand and preparing for the season ahead. I am here to work hard, bring further success to the club and I cannot wait to get started.”
Titi Dokubo reporting
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Oluwatunmise oluyede speaks on rape by Biodun Fatoyinbo
