4 killed, one rescued in Lagos collapsed building (Punch)
The National Emergency Management Agency on Friday said four persons died while one was rescued in the building that collapsed at Oye Sonuga Street, Palm Avenue, in Mushin, Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the NEMA South-West Zonal Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, spoke during a telephone interview. He said two males and two females died, while one person was rescued in the building collapse.
Earlier, the Lagos State Government also said it would investigate the cause of the collapse. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, made the disclosure in a statement obtained by NAN.
During a visit to the scene of the three-storey building, which was said to be about 40 years old, he directed that it should be pulled down immediately for safety reasons and to forestall further collapse. He directed the Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory to unravel the cause of the collapse. Read more
Lagos orders investigation into another building collapse (Guardian)
The Lagos State government has disclosed that it has directed the prompt investigation of the cause of the collapse of a building on 2/4 Oye Sonuga Street, Palmgrove, Mushin, yesterday afternoon.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Omotayo Bamgbose-Martins, who spoke at the scene of the incident, explained that it was a partial collapse of an old four-floor building.
He stated that while moves were on to determine the cause of the collapse, he directed that the adjoining building be pulled down for safety reasons.
The Commissioner said the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory had been directed to swing into action to unravel the cause of the collapse while the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency had since commenced rescue operations. Read more
Police launch manhunt after abductors release inspector, others (Punch)
The Ogun State Police Command has launched a manhunt for a gang of kidnapers who abducted a police inspector and two other passengers in the state.
The cop and two others were abducted by gunmen on Wednesday and released 48 hours after.
There was a rumour that ransoms were paid before the victims were released. However, the state police spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the victims’ release on Friday, denied ransom payment.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped at Wasinmi on the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state. Read more
Undergraduate kills parents, abandons decomposing corpse in room (Nation)
A yet-to-be-identified man suspected to be student of one of the universities in Anambra State has allegedly killed his father and mother in Nnewi, the industrial city of the State.
The incident, which reportedly took place on Thursday, has thrown the community into mourning.
The reason behind the act is yet to be ascertained but Nation gathered that the already decomposing corpses were discovered by neighbours inside the room of the deceased.
A source said, “The corpses of the man and his wife were discovered by neighbours after perceiving offensive smell. They must have been killed by their only son.”
Police spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga confirmed the incident, saying a manhunt has been launched for the man. Read more
Soludo visits FERMA, seeks partnership with agency on road maintenance (Independent)
In continuation of his working visit to the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo was at the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on a courtesy visit to the MD/CEO, Engr Nuruddeen Rafindadi
Governor Soludo who was received by his host, Engr Rafindadi, commended the Agency on the maintenance of roads and for doing more with little resources
This Productive Partnership with FERMA will be strengthened with Anambra State Road Maintenance Agency to ensure the roads in the State are always in good condition. This strategic partnership will cover areas of financing, identification of the roads that needs maintenance and how it will be maintained for ease of movement within the State
Responding, Engr Rafindadi thanked Governor Soludo for the visit and thereafter gave a bit of a background of what FERMA is about.
The Governor also seek for “fruitful and productive partnership” with the federal agency for the maintenance of roads in Anambra State. Read more
2023: Tinubu offered me senatorial ticket, says Wike (DailyTrust)
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), offered him a senatorial slot.
Daily Trust had reported how Tinubu and Wike met in London last month, amid the crisis rocking the opposition party.
After the meeting with Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had flown to UK, where he also had a meeting with Wike.
However, Atiku’s meeting did not calm frayed nerves as Wike and his allies insisted that Senator Iyioricha Ayu had to resign as National Chairman of the party for peace to reign.
Some of those who lost the presidential ticket of the PDP like Wike have accused the governor of being a bad loser.
But responding in a live TV programme on Friday, Wike said, “I didn’t contest so I can become a vice presidential candidate, I am not like others who were not serious and bought senatorial form alongside presidential form and that’s why when Tinubu offered me senate slot, I didn’t go for it. If I want power or want to be in power, I would have gone ahead to take the senatorial ticket. But I said no. That is a man who believes in equity, fairness, and justice. So the analysis does not rhyme at all. Read more
Tope Alabi, Sola Allyson to headline Luli concert 2022 (Nation)
Soulful singers Tope Alabi, and Sola Allyson have been billed to headline the 2022 edition of the Luli concert in Lagos, Nigeria.
This was made known by Dr. Gbenga Daniel-Adebayo, the concert’s convener during a media parley.
Daniel-Adebayo also announced that a gospel act from the Republic of Benin, Johnny Sourou, will also be joining a long list of singers scheduled for the concert.
The 2022 edition of the Luli Concert 2022 is scheduled to hold on Friday, October 7, 2022, at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos.
Speaking at the parley, Dr. Daniel-Adebayo noted that Luli Concert is a gospel music concert powered by El-Berachah Worship Ministry and seeks to create a medium to promote God’s word, worship, and intercede via praises for the nation. Read more
I used to steal food just for me to eat – Tems (Vanguard)
Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi known professionally as Tems revealed how she struggled mentally and financially before she gained stardom.
In a chat with GQ magazine, the music star revealed that she didn’t become an overnight sensation as she faced financial struggles while growing up.
She recounted how broke and hopeless she used to be which made her resort to stealing food just to be able to eat.
She said, “I couldn’t take care of anybody. There were times when I was not just broke and hopeless. I used to steal food. I used to go to my aunty’s house just so she could give me food to take home.”
“I just felt like, what is the point of me existing right now? You have to remember those times. Because that person does not exist anymore.” Read more
Naija star search: VJ Adams unveiled as host as main show begins (DailyTrust)
The search for the next Afrobeats superstar has entered a new phase on as the group stage of Naija Star Search kicked off, with celebrity OAP, VJ Adams, as the show host.
Naija Star Search airs every Sunday at 8 pm on ST Nollywood Plus, ST Nollywood and ST Yoruba channels on StarTimes, and on StarTimes-ON mobile app.
Seventeen contestants, made up of young and promising music talents, were unveiled by the judges last Sunday. They will perform only Naija songs, starting with the classics and contemporaries to warm their vibes (ginger their swagger) and then singing original songs composed by themselves.
In the group phase, the contestants are grouped under the judges for mentoring. It is expected that the show’s judges, Kenny ‘Keke’ Ogungbe, ID Cabasa and Asha Gangali, will use their wealth of experience to bring out the stars in these young gems.
The contestants under Team Asha include Sparrowh, TOMs, MB Dre, Specko and Kachi; For Team Cabasa, there are Jaydbody, Greysky, Denerio, Esjay, Thekhaleed and Skimzo; while Team Keke has eMzez, Eniolá, Black Bella, SKIFFY, Melo and Jazzman. Read more
Constance Wu claims she was sexually harassed by ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ producer (PageSix)
Fresh Off the Boat alum Constance Wu claims in her forthcoming memoir that she was sexually harassed by senior of the production team on the now-defunct ABC sitcom.
According to the New York Times, the actress, 40, only refers to the staffer by an initial in “Making a Scene.”
Wu also alleges that during the show’s inaugural season in 2015, the man exhibited such controlling behaviors as “demanding that she run all her business matters past him and telling her what to wear,” per the Times.
“‘Fresh Off the Boat’ was my first-ever TV show,” Wu told the the publication. “I was thrown into this world. I don’t have parents in the industry. And because I was 30, people thought I knew what I was doing. It made me paranoid and embarrassed.” Read more
Johnny Depp ‘seriously dating’ lawyer who worked on his UK trial (Metro)
Johnny Depp is dating his former lawyer, Joelle Rich, it has been claimed.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor has reportedly struck up a romance with the lawyer, who famously represented him in his libel trial against the Sun Newspaper in 2020.
Although the 59-year-old wasn’t successful in the case, the pair are thought to have become close behind the scenes, leading to a relationship.
In fact, an insider has claimed that their ‘chemistry is off the charts’, and things are becoming ‘serious’. Read more
Autopsy finds Elijah McClain died from ketamine injection, by paramedics, during police encounter (CBC)
Elijah McClain, an unarmed Black man who died days after he was subdued by three police officers and injected with a powerful sedative in August 2019, poses in an undated photograph in Aurora, Colo. (Family photo/Reuters)
A Black man died after a police encounter in a Denver suburb in 2019 because he was injected with a powerful sedative after being forcibly restrained, according to an amended autopsy report publicly released Friday.
Despite the finding, the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist, was still listed as undetermined, not a homicide, the report shows. McClain was put in a neck hold and injected with ketamine after being stopped by police in Aurora for “being suspicious.” He was unarmed.
The original autopsy report that was written soon after his death in August 2019 did not reach a conclusion about how he died or whether is was a natural death, an accident or a homicide. That was a major reason why prosecutors initially decided not to pursue charges. Read more
Uganda confirms three more Ebola deaths (AlJazeera)
Health authorities in Uganda have confirmed the death of three more Ebola patients in the country, days after declaring an outbreak of a strain of the disease in a central district.
In a statement released on Friday, the health ministry said the total deaths attributable to the outbreak – confirmed and suspected – stood at 11.
It also said the total number of confirmed cases now stood at 11 after four more infections were confirmed in the past 24 hours. Nineteen others suspected of contracting Ebola were receiving treatment at a hospital, the ministry added.
Authorities declared an outbreak – attributed to the Ebola Sudan strain – in the district of Mubende on Tuesday, announcing the death of a 24-year-old man. Mubende is about 130km (81 miles) from Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Read more
Pound sinks as investors question huge tax cuts (BBC)
The pound has fallen to a fresh 37-year low against the dollar as financial markets reacted to the biggest tax cutting moves in 50 years.
UK stocks also dropped after chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng outlined a series of tax cuts and economic measures in a massive shake-up of the country’s finances.
The pound fell more than 3% against the dollar, dropping below $1.09.
Sterling has fallen recently over worries about the economy and partly due to a stronger US dollar.
The pound also fell more than 1% against the euro on Friday, dropping to €1.12. Read more
Moscow-held regions of Ukraine begin ‘sham’ vote to join Russia (USAToday)
Voting began in Russian-held regions of Ukraine on referendums to become part of Russia, Moscow-backed officials there said Friday as Ukrainian and United Nations officials reported evidence of war crimes during the nearly seven-month war in the country.
The Kremlin-orchestrated referendums, which have been widely denounced by Ukraine and the West as shams without any legal force, are seen as a step toward annexing the territories by Russia. The votes are being held in the Luhansk, Kherson and partly Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
The governor of the Kharkiv region, which was mostly held by Russian forces before a
Ukrainian counteroffensive this month, reported Friday that 436 bodies have been exhumed from a mass burial site in the eastern city of Izium, 30 of them with visible signs of torture.
Gov. Oleh Synyehubov and the region’s police chief, Volodymyr Tymoshko, told reporters in Izium that three more grave sites have been located in areas retaken by Ukrainian forces. Read more
Week of unrest in Iran leaves at least 35 dead (VOA)
Iranian counterprotesters gathered across the country on Friday in a show of support for authorities after nearly a week of anti-government protests and unrest over the death of a young woman who was being held by the morality police.
Thousands attended a rally in the capital, Tehran, where they waved Iranian flags, and similar demonstrations were held in other cities. The government claimed the demonstrations of support were spontaneous. Similar rallies have been held during past periods of widespread protests.
The pro-government demonstrators chanted against America and Israel, according to state media, reflecting the official line that blames the latest unrest on hostile foreign countries.
State TV suggested late Friday that the death toll from this week’s unrest could be as high as 35, raising an earlier estimate of 26. Anti-government protesters and security forces have clashed in several major cities in the most severe political violence since 2019, when rights groups say hundreds were killed amid demonstrations against a hike in state-controlled gasoline prices. Read more
Why I dumped Nigeria for Germany –Jenz (Punch)
Celtic defender Moritz Jenz has revealed why he chose to play for Germany and ruled out the chances of wearing the Super Eagles Jersey.
Jenz is currently on loan at Celtic from French Ligue 1 club, Lorient where two Nigerians Terem Moffi and Innocent Bonke ply their trades.
The 23-year-old was born in Berlin to a Nigerian-born father from Bremen and a German mother and is eligible to play for Super Eagles and Germany.
“I qualify for Germany and Nigeria but I would prefer Germany because that’s where I grew up,” Jenz said as reported by GlasgowTimes.
“It’s a great country to play for and hopefully one day I can make a couple of appearances, then maybe a couple more and then, who knows, perhaps play in a World Cup or Euros.” Read more
CAF tourneys: North African teams not superior – Ezeji (Independent)
CAF Champions League winner, Victor Ezeji, has urged Nigerian teams not to entertain fear against North African teams who they will play in the second round of their CAF inter club competitions.
Recall that after ASFAR Rabat eliminated Remo Stars in the CAF Cup, Rivers United, Plateau United and Kwara United – will play North African teams in the second round.
While Rivers United have been drawn against Wydad Athletic of Morocco, Plateau United will take on Esperance of Tunisia, even as Kwara United will play another Moroccan side, RS Berkane.
However, as Nigerians have expressed doubts on the chances of the remaining continental campaigners, Ezeji, one of the most successful NPFL players, who admitted the superiority of teams from the Maghreb region due to their organization prowess, said that in terms of players’ talent, they cannot match Nigerian players. Read more
Election of Bayelsa commissioner Into world wrestling body excites Diri (Independent)
The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has expressed delight in the recent election of the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Daniel Igali, into the United World Wrestling Bureau.
Diri, who was out of the country, spoke on Thursday morning at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa shortly after the weekly health and fitness exercise tagged ‘Prosperity Walk’.
The governor, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said that Igali’s victory as the first black to be elected into the global wrestling body has again put Bayelsa prominently on the world map of sports. Read more
Ekong: Eagles target against Algeria is outright victory (ThisDay)
Deputy Captain of the Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong, has insisted that Nigeria’s target in Tuesday’s international friendly with the Fennec of Algeria in Oran is outright victory.
Speaking in an interview on NFF TV yesterday, the Watford defender in the English Championship who was part of the Super Eagles that lost in the semifinal of AFCON 2019 in Egypt to the Algerians, believes victory is achievable.
Ekong is excited about the fresh blood that have been injected into the team since Portuguese gaffer Jose Peseiro took charge.
“It has been good. We are very happy to see the boys back together and the staff.
“We have a game coming up against Algeria and spirit have been high, training has been good and we are just working hard to improve our team cohesion and be ready for the game.
“The secret to our team is that there’s togetherness. We have experienced a lot in the last year. For the new guys, they are welcomed and they will have to do the initiation and singing still but the most important thing is that they are comfortable with us and they can show themselves on the pitch and contribute. Read more
Oscar Piastri: Red Bull boss Christian Horner ‘regrets’ not taking option to look at Australian driver (Sky)
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has spoken of his regret at missing the chance to sign Oscar Piastri when the Australian was working his way up to Formula 1.
The highly-rated 21-year-old has signed to race for McLaren from next season after a contract tussle with Renault-owned Alpine.
The 2020 Formula Three and 2021 Formula Two champion raced for the Arden team, founded by Horner and his father, in Formula Four and Formula Renault.
“There was an opportunity for Red Bull to look at him at the time and we didn’t take up that option, which is something that I regret,” Horner told Formula 1’s Beyond the Grid podcast released on Wednesday. Read more
Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver plans to sell team amid abuse scandal (StraitsTimes)
Bowing to what he called an “unforgiving climate,” Robert Sarver on Wednesday said that he planned to sell the Phoenix Suns and Mercury amid public pressure after a National Basketball Association (NBA) investigation found that he had mistreated team employees for years.
It was a swift turnabout for Sarver, who seemed determined to hold onto his stakes in both basketball franchises after the NBA last week fined him US$10 million (S$14.2 million) and suspended him from team operations for one year.
According to the investigation’s report, he had engaged in more than a decade of workplace misconduct, including using racial slurs, making sexual remarks and treating women inequitably.
But following the punitive measures, Sarver – and the NBA – faced mounting public pressure to levy a harsher punishment for behaviour NBA commissioner Adam Silver had described as “beyond the pale”. Read more
Greg Norman lobbies for LIV Golf during Congressional visit, gets mixed reviews (ABC)
LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman met with federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby on behalf of the new circuit being financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and his message was met with mixed reviews from politicians.
Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee told ESPN that he walked out of Norman’s lunch meeting with the Republican Study Committee and described his lobbying efforts as “propaganda.” He also took to Twitter to question Saudi Arabia’s connections to the 9/11 attacks and its role in the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. citizen.
“It’s propaganda,” Burchett said of Norman’s meeting. “I don’t want to hear about that. It’s not Congress’ business to settle a fight between a bunch of billionaires over a game of golf. They need to take it to the courts. Congress made a big mistake by getting involved in Major League Baseball. Here we are dealing with a [league] being funded by some Saudis. I just thought our priorities were out of whack.”
Norman told reporters after the lunch meeting that he wanted lawmakers to have “both sides of the story for them to understand what LIV is all about,” according to a report from The Hill.
Lafferty axed by Northern Ireland over alleged sectarian comment (RFI)
Kyle Lafferty has been cut from Northern Ireland’s squad for upcoming Nations League games against Kosovo and Greece after a video emerged which appeared to show the Kilmarnock striker using sectarian language.
The video, which has appeared on social media, shows Lafferty react when a man posing for a photo with him says “up the Celts” in reference to Scottish champions Celtic.
Lafferty, 35, had two spells at Celtic’s rivals Rangers during a nomadic career that has taken in clubs in seven different countries.
A statement from the Irish Football Association read: “Northern Ireland senior men’s team player Kyle Lafferty has been withdrawn from the squad ahead of the upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Kosovo and Greece. Read more
