Former South Africa winger Cornal Hendricks has died at the age of 37 due to a heart attack, South African Rugby said on Thursday.

Hendricks, who played in 12 tests for South Africa and scored five tries, was also part of their sevens team when they won gold in the World Games in 2013 and the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

A heart condition had forced him to retire in 2015, but he returned to the sport in 2019 and played in a total of 233 first-class matches in a professional career spanning more than 17 years.

“We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Cornal Hendricks, a remarkable athlete who represented his country in sevens and fifteen-man rugby with distinction,”

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander said in a statement.”Cornal was one of those players who loved the game and he worked extremely hard, but he always did so with a smile on his face… our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife Stephaney and their children, his family, friends, and teammates.”

The Lagos State Government has restricted construction activities across the state to between 7.00 am and 6.00 pm Mondays to Saturdays.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, announced the new directive in a statement on Thursday by the agency’s Director, Public Affairs, Mr Mukaila Sanusi.

Olumide said the measure became necessary to safeguard the environment, curb incidents of building collapse, and enhance the overall well-being of residents.

“This restriction must be strictly adhered to by all stakeholders in the construction sector.

“It is in the public interest and will be enforced by relevant government agencies.

”He added that while the state recognised the dynamic nature of building projects, any request to work beyond the stipulated hours must be made through a formal application and would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

“Concessions may be granted but only after due diligence and evaluation,” he said.

The commissioner also urged residents to be vigilant and proactive by reporting construction sites that flout the directive.

“We encourage the public to take ownership of their environment. If you observe construction activities going on outside the approved hours, please report them to the appropriate authorities,” Olumide said.

A construction worker at a site in the Agodo-Egbe area in Alimosho Local Government, who gave his name simply as Musa Tola, told NAN that while the policy might affect project timelines, it was a welcome development if it would help reduce hazards.

“Sometimes we work overnight to meet deadlines but safety is important. If the government is serious about this, we will have to adjust,” Tola said.

Similarly, Mrs Ifeoma Uche, a resident of Idimu, described the move as timely.

“Some sites work all night and the noise disturbs everyone. I think this will bring some sanity,” she said.

There is tension in parts of Ogun and Lagos states over rumours that there is deadly rice in circulation.

Parents and relatives send voice messages to their loved ones, warning them against buying or consuming rice at this time because a foreign trader had invoked the spirit of Ogun deity after her two trucks of rice were stolen and smuggled into Nigeria.

In various voice notes forwarded to the PUNCH, the speakers maintained that two trucks of rice were stolen from a neighbouring country and were later smuggled into Nigeria through the Idiroko border and the Seme border.

It was stated that the owner of the bags of rice, a woman, contacted some Ogun worshipers in Ghana to lay curses on whoever buys or consumes the alleged stolen rice.

In a voice note, it was rumoured that some Customs officers and a soldier had died in Badagry, Lagos State.

It was also alleged by another sender on WhatsApp that over 70 persons had died in the past few days after buying or consuming the said rice.

Imported rice from the Benin Republic remains one of the most consumed staples in Nigeria, especially by children and the youth.

As the warnings keep getting to people in Ogun and Lagos, they pass the same to their loved ones, emphasising to them that rice must not be consumed or bought at this time.

A resident in the Ipokia Local Government of Ogun State, Morayo, told our correspondent on Wednesday that some parents went to schools, telling the food vendors not to sell rice to their children.

As some individuals tried to debunk the rumour, more voice notes came from different people, claiming their alleged confirmation of the deaths.

This has left many confused as to whether to buy rice or not.

However, the Nigerian Customs Service in Lagos and Ogun debunked the claims, saying there was no deadly rice in circulation.

In a statement by the NCS, Seme Area Command, Public Relations Officer, Isah Sulaiman, said the narrative was entirely false, misleading, and did not reflect the reality of the matter.

“The attention of the Nigeria Customs Service, Seme Area command, has been drawn to a widely circulated unfounded and baseless allegation claiming that the Command seized and distributed bags of rice without the knowledge of the purported owner, who then allegedly invoked traditional powers leading to the death of individuals, including a soldier at Badagry.

“The command wishes to categorically state that this narrative is entirely false, misleading, and does not reflect the reality of the matter,” the statement said.

It disclosed that the command had always adhered to NCS Standard Operating Procedures for disposing of seized goods, which is guided by transparency, due process, and strict adherence to extant laws and guidelines.

“It is instructive to say that no incident within the Command’s Area of Responsibility or among personnel corroborates the false claims of deaths resulting from rice consumption linked to the NCS.“

Unfortunately, some unscrupulous elements wearing the garment of journalism (a credible profession) to disinform members of the public with baseless, fictitious and malicious accusations to score cheap points instead of the social responsibility they are supposed to uphold,” the command added.

The NCS urged the general public to disregard this “unfounded story and refrain from spreading false information that could incite fear or tarnish the image of the security agencies working tirelessly to safeguard the nation.

”It was learnt that rumour has spread to Abeokuta, Ibadan, and other states, creating fears among rice consumers.