12 suspected internet fraudsters arrested for burying newborn baby alive in Rivers (Leadership)
Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command and members of two vigilante groups in the state, have arrested 12 suspected internet fraudsters, popularly known as ‘‘Yahoo Boys’’ for allegedly burying a newborn baby alive at Andoni waterfront in Diobu area of Port Harcourt, the State capital.
The vigilante groups were the PHALGA Security Watch, popularly known as PHALGA Security, which was set up by the Port Harcourt City local government area, and the Rivers Neighbourhood Watch.
Speaking with journalists, chairman of PHALGA Security Watch, Victor Ohaji, said he got intelligence that some ‘yahoo boys’ were doing some rituals at the waterfront. Read more
Wike bans street trading, accuses corn sellers of fueling crime (DailyTrust)
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has prohibited street trading within Abuja.
Wike attributes the ban to his belief that individuals who engage in activities like selling corn and street hawking contribute to the insecurity and criminal occurrences in the nation’s capital.
He unveiled this directive while sternly addressing the leadership teams of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). Read more
Face-off looms as Lagos lawmakers reject 17 Sanwo-Olu’s commissioner-nominees (Vanguard)
A fresh crisis is brewing in Lagos after the state’s house of assembly confirmed 22 out of the 39 cabinet nominees sent by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for screening and approval in what seemed to be a powerplay between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, who presided over the day’s sitting on Wednesday, said the confirmation followed rigorous and detailed screening of the nominees by an ad-hoc committee led by the Chief Whip of the House, Fatai Mojeed.
He commended the committee for its effectiveness and urged the confirmed nominees to always remember that they are in office to serve the people and not individuals. Read more
Alleged bribery: Diezani to appear in UK Court, October 2 (Tribune)
Former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke is scheduled to appear in court in the British capital on October 2 after being charged with bribery offences relating to her time in office, the UK National Crime Agency said on Tuesday.
Diezani Alison-Madueke was being charged with bribery offences relating to her time in government, the United Kingdom National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Tuesday.
The NCA said Alison-Madueke, 63, will appear in court in the British capital on October 2. Read more
Truckers lament business decline, write LASG over extortion (Punch)
Truckers under the auspices of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, have lamented massive drop in business.
A letter dated August 11, signed by Remy Ogungbemi, was sent to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, where the group expressed their deep concern over the disturbing issue of extortion by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.
AMATO in the letter titled ‘Request for your intervention on LASTMA towing charges that have become a systematic ripoff or allow us to be removing our break-down trucks by ourselves’, complained about the N250,000 towing charges imposed on broken-down trucks in the state by LASTMA officials. Read more
LASU watches India to the moon, rated best varsity in Nigeria (Independent)
It was another head-swelling moment for the Lagos State University (LASU) on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, as the chart-bursting institution was declared one of the greatest in Nigeria and the best in Lagos.
Making the declaration was no less an international figure than the Consulate-General of India (the official Head of the Indian Government in Nigeria), Mahesh Narasimhan.
He made the informed declaration while chatting with journalists shortly after his country’s unmanned spacecraft, CHANDRAYAAN-3 successfully landed on the moon at exactly 1:33 pm Nigerian Time on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. Read more
Poor blood donation remains tragic in Nigeria — Bolarinwa laments (Vanguard)
As the month of August remains unforgettable following the painful death of Dr Vwaere Diaso, a medical doctor who passed away at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, after an elevator she took crashed from the tenth floor, it was alleged that the non-availability of blood at the general hospital contributed to her death, which the Founder Haima Health Initiative, Bukola Bolarinwa, lamented that poor blood donation remains a tragedy across the country.
Bolarinwa asserted, “This avoidable loss raises extreme concerns over the state of Nigeria’s medical emergency response, even within the hospital premises.
“Although reliable data remains unavailable, stories such as this illustrate that the unavailability of blood significantly contributes to loss of lives during accidents and emergencies in Nigeria. Read more
Group faults police multiple checkpoints, seeks reforms (Guardian)
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has expressed its disappointment with the recent affirmation by the Police Force to continue the practice of checkpoints, which it considers outmoded, ineffective, and contrary to international best practices in policing.
The group called for urgent and comprehensive police reforms in line with modern global policing standards, the civil rights advocacy group, expressed its strong disappointment with the recent affirmation by the Police Force to continue the practice of checkpoints, which it considers outmoded, ineffective, and contrary to international best practices in policing.
The group’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, asserted that the persistence of checkpoints perpetuates an outdated method of law enforcement, eroding public trust and hindering the establishment of a truly professional police force. Read more
Halle Berry will pay $8k a month in child support to Olivier Martinez after finalising divorce (People)
Halle Berry’s divorce settlement from Olivier Martinez has been finalized after almost eight years.
The pair, who are co-parents to son Maceo, 9, settled their divorce and custody agreement, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.
Part of the ruling indicated that the two will share joint legal custody, with Berry agreeing to pay Martinez $8,000 a month in child support. She will also pay him “4.3% of any income she receives above $2,000,000” in additional support. Read more
Denzel Washington may be “de-aged” for origin story of ‘‘The Equalizer’’ (Deadline)
Denzel Washington has played former spy Robert McCall in 2014’s The Equalizer, 2018’s The Equalizer 2, and will reprise the role in the franchise’s upcoming “The Equalizer 3”.
In an interview with NME, Equalizer director Antoine Fuqua revealed he’s considering deploying AI technology to de-age Washington for a potential origin story.
“Especially now with the new technology and the AI and all of that kind of stuff… Is there a story to be told about how [McCall] became this person — the younger version?” Fuqua said to NME. “I’ve had that conversation with Richard Wenk [Equalizer series screenwriter] quite a bit.” Read more
Zimbabwe votes as the president known as ‘the crocodile’ seeks a second and final term (AfricaNews)
Zimbabweans voted in closely-watched elections in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa is seeking a second term after a campaign tainted by a crackdown on the opposition, fears of vote rigging and public anger at the economic crisis.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 80, who came to power after a coup that deposed late ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017, squares off against Nelson Chamisa, 45, who leads the yellow-coloured Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party.
Casting his ballot in his home town of Kwekwe, central Zimbabwe, a confident Mnangagwa — nicknamed the ‘Crocodile’ for his determination — told journalists: “If I think I’m not going to take it, then I will be foolish.” Read more
David Ayer says he has “nothing to show” for writing The Fast and the Furious (EW)
David Ayer is feeling left in the dust by the Fast & Furious franchise.
In a recent interview on Jon Bernthal’s Real Ones podcast, the Suicide Squad and End of Watch director lamented that he has “nothing to show” for writing The Fast and the Furious, the first film of the blockbuster series.
“Biggest franchise in Hollywood, and I don’t have any of it,” Ayer said. “I got nothing to show for it, nothing, because of the way the business works.” Read more
Diddy announces his new album is coming this September (Vibe)
Despite being the instigator of the “R&B is dead” campaign in 2022, Diddy is adding to the genre’s dominance with his forthcoming album, The Love Album: Off The Grid.
With his first solo album in nearly 17 years, the rapper-producer has declared R&B to be alive — ahead of the LP’s slated release on Sept. 15.
“Why am I doing this? Especially with the success that I’ve had, especially where my life, how stressful and treacherous this music business is,” he inquires in the album’s trailer. “Why would I just come back in here and do something that I don’t have to do? My heart has been broken. I still got that question of, like, ‘Am I gonna love again?’” Read more
Republican candidates take the stage in Wisconsin, Trump skips debate (France24)
Vying to be the leading alternative to front-runner Donald Trump, eight Republican candidates were gathering Wednesday night in Milwaukee for the first Republican presidential primary debate.
The former president wasn’t on stage, choosing to skip the primetime event. But he will be a central figure nonetheless, with Fox News moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum expected to press his rivals to articulate how they would differ in style and substance from Trump, who holds a commanding early lead in the race. Read more
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on plane that crashed, Russian aviation agency says (CBS)
Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military earlier this year, was aboard a plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board, according to Russia’s civil aviation agency.
Russian channels report the plane, an Embraer business jet, crashed in Russia’s Tver region. The pro-military channel Military Informant claims the aircraft belonged to Prigozhin’s team and repeatedly flew to Belarus.
The AP reports that flight tracking data shows a private jet that was registered to Wagner took off from Moscow Wednesday evening. Minutes after takeoff, the jet’s transponder signal was lost in a rural area with no nearby airfields, according to the AP. Read more
Crystal Palace ready to splash N10Bn on Iheanacho (Sun)
Premier League side, Crystal Palace is set to splash the sum of €12 million for the services of Super Eagles and Leicester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, but a reliable journalist has revealed that Roy Hodgson will only make an official move on one condition.
Turkish journalist and Europe Transfer Football expert, Ekrem Konur revealed on Wednesday via social media platform-Twitter, that Iheanacho who doesn’t want to play in the English Championship, will be offloaded by the Foxes, owing to his huge weekly wage.
At the King Power Stadium, the Nigerian currently pockets £80k-per-week, which he has more than earned during his 210 senior appearances at the club since joining from the Premier League’s reigning champions Manchester City back in 2017. Read more
Tobi Amusan qualifies for 3rd World Athletics Championship final (Leadership)
Reigning World champion and record-holder, Tobi Amusan, has qualified for the Women’s 100m Hurdles final for the third consecutive time at the World Athletics Championships after securing the victory in her heat with 12.56s(-0.7).
The Nigerian superstar athlete finished ahead of Ackera Nugent, who took the second automatic spot in 12.60s.
Former WR holder Kendra Harrison won the first semifinal race in 12.33s as Jasmine Camacho-Quinn took Heat 3 in 12.41s, ahead of Nia Ali in 12.49s. Read more
Eagles’ camp opens next week for Sept 10 qualifier against Sao Tome (Guardian)
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has said that preparations are in top gear for Super Eagles’ last Cote d’Ivoire 2024 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome and Principe on September 10 in Uyo.
The NFF told The Guardian, yesterday, that the team would be in camp on September 4 for the game, which is just a formality as the Eagles have already qualified for the biennial championship.
There are speculations that the Super Eagles would be made up mostly by home-based players to give the local players an opportunity to show what they can do and at the same time save the NFF the cost of ferrying about 24 players to the country for the match. Read more
Messi leads Inter Miami past MLS-best Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal thriller (NBC)
Lionel Messi had two assists and converted a penalty kick as Inter Miami rallied from a two-goal deficit and beat MLS-leading Cincinnati 5-4 in penalties in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday night.
Cincinnati jumped to a 2-0 lead before Messi set up a pair of goals by Leonardo Campana, tying the game at 2. Miami moved ahead when Josef Martínez scored three minutes into the first extra period, but Cincinnati tied the game at 3 when Yuya Kubo scored in the 114th minute, forcing penalty kicks.
Messi made Miami’s first attempt in the shootout, and both teams were perfect through four rounds. Herons goalkeeper Drake Callender saved Nick Hagglund’s kick in the fifth round, and Benjamin Cremaschi made his PK to send Miami to another tournament final. Read more
SWPL: Big three all win to maintain promising starts to the campaign (BBC)
Rangers overcame their toughest hurdle of the SWPL season so far as they ended Hearts’ 100% record to maintain their own flawless start.
Summer signing Rio Hardy grabbed a goal and assist as Rangers prevailed at the Oriam, after the hosts were buoyed by a Kathleen McGovern goal to make it 2-1.
Glasgow City and Celtic both picked up dominant wins as the division’s big three made it nine points from nine.
Meanwhile, Partick Thistle and Aberdeen both tasted victory. Read more
Terry Funk, WWE wrestling icon, dies at 79 (CBS)
WWE wrestling icon Terry Funk has died at age 79, his manager Timothy Beal confirmed to CBS News Wednesday. His cause of death was not immediately released, but Beal said that Funk “was in bad health for some time” and was “in a nursing home.”
Funk’s death was also confirmed in a statement by the WWE.
For Funk, wrestling was a family affair. Growing up in Amarillo, Texas, his father, Dory Funk, Sr., was a professional wrestler, and he started out as a tag-team wrestler with his brother Dory Funk, Jr., according to his WWE biography. Read more