N4.65bn ONSA fund: EFCC moves Fayose to Lagos (Nation)
There were indications last night that the trial of ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose at a Federal High Court may begin on Monday. The ex-governor is facing trial in connection with N1.299 billion and $5.3 million allegedly allocated to him by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) from N4.65 billion slush fund allegedly shared by ONSA. Ahead of the trial, Fayose may be relocated from Abuja to Lagos today. Read more
EFCC keeps mum about Ganduje’s corruption allegation (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has refused to comment on viral video clips which show Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State allegedly receiving bribes in dollars from contractors. In the videos, which were first posted by an online news medium, Daily Nigerian, Ganduje was seen receiving wads of dollar bills said to be part-payment of $5m allegedly given to him as a kickback from government contractor. Read more
Abaribe under fresh pressure as IPOB leader Kanu resurfaces (Nation)
The senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe came under fresh pressure yesterday to produce the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, following the public appearance of the latter in Jerusalem, Israel. Kanu, who was widely rumoured to have been killed during the September 2017 invasion of his Afaraukwu Umuahia residence by soldiers, was pictured praying at the Wailing Wall. Photographs and video of the Jerusalem appearance of Kanu who professes to be Jew, were shared on the internet by his supporters. Read more
I’m not ready to allow my defamers smile by resigning –Shittu (Punch)
In this interview with EVEREST AMAEFULE, Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, says that the All Progressives Congress is set to lose the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State except it reverses his disqualification and asks him to be the party’s candidate in the election. Looking at recent events, you took your party to court; it appears you are planning to defect. Are you planning to defect? Read more
Certificate forgery: Why we prosecute Adeleke, spare Adeosun – Police (Punch)
The police will on October 31 arraign the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the recent Osun State election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, for alleged examination malpractice, criminal conspiracy, and impersonation. The police also accused the senator of presenting a forged birth certificate, stating that in his National Examination Council 2017 result obtained by detectives, he claimed that he was born on June 12, 1997, but in his statement to the police, the senator wrote May 13, 1960 as his date of birth. Read more
900 Nigeria Airways retirees die awaiting pensions (Nation)
A member of the Ministerial Committee on the verification of payment of retired Nigeria Airways workers, Captain Shu’aibu Alfa, revealed yesterday that 900 retirees have so far died nationwide since 2004. Alfa, who is the Supervisor, Kano Verification Centre, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano that there are three centres where the ongoing verification exercise for the Nigeria Airways retirees are being conducted. He said during the 15 years, no fewer than 900 of the retirees died, while the medical cases of some of them became worse, homes were broken and some were in situations beyond human imagination. Read more
UNILORIN invents bullet-proof gadget (Nation)
The management of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) yesterday said it had invented a bullet-proof gadget. The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, declared this to reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, as part of activities to herald the school’s 34th convocation ceremony. He said the Nigerian Army had tested and accepted the invention. Read more
Libya ‘opposes EU plan for migrant centres’ (BBC)
Libya’s foreign minister says his country opposes a European Union plan to set up assessment centres for migrants outside the EU. The plan was drawn up by EU leaders in June as Italy called for more controls on migration. But Mohamed al-Taher Siala told an Austrian newspaper that all North African countries reject the idea. Read more
Scores dead in India as train hits crowd (BBC)
More than 60 people have been killed and 100 hurt after a train ran into a crowd near Amritsar in India’s northern Punjab state, police told the BBC. The victims were standing on the railway tracks watching celebrations for Dusshera, a Hindu festival marking the triumph of good over evil. They did not hear the train approach as they watched a firecracker-filled effigy of the demon king Ravana burn. Read more
Russian national charged with attempting to interfere in 2018 US midterm elections (CNN)
A Russian who allegedly worked on funding online propaganda efforts to manipulate voters in the 2016 and 2018 elections was charged with a federal crime Friday as part of a wider conspiracy to hurt American democracy. Elena Alekseevna Khusyaynova, 44, of St. Petersburg, Russia, is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States for managing the financing of the social media troll operation that included the Internet Research Agency, which special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators charged with crimes earlier this year. Read more
Mourinho ‘would love’ to sign Hazard (BBC)
Jose Mourinho “would love” to sign Eden Hazard for Manchester United but knows it would be impossible because “Chelsea are led by intelligent people”. Hazard, 27, won the Premier League under Mourinho during the manager’s second spell at Chelsea in 2015. The forward had said he wanted to work with Mourinho again in an interview with Belgian newspaper HLN on Saturday. Read more
Hamilton title boost after Vettel penalty (BBC)
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has been handed a three-place grid penalty at the United States Grand Prix. The decision, for not slowing sufficiently for a red flag in practice, increases the chances of Lewis Hamilton clinching his fifth world title in the race on Sunday. Hamilton will be champion if he scores eight more points than Vettel. Read more
