Abducted two star general regains freedom (Sun)
Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith (retd.), who was abducted on Monday in the Ajah area of Lagos State, has regained freedom, The Sun has learnt.
It was learnt that the retired two star general was released in the early hours of Saturday.
The spokesman for the Police in Lagos State, Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed the development saying, “I can confirm that he has been released.”
It was reported that AVM Smith, who is currently the Chairman of Double Wealth Ventures Limited – a dredging and engineering firm – was supervising work on a site in the Ajah area of Lagos State on Monday when masked gunmen invaded the place and shot into the air to scare away people.
The gunmen were said to have whisked him away in a waiting speedboat, after which they sped off. Read more
We know criminals’ hideouts on Lagos waterways –Merchant Navy chief (Punch)
The Training Depot Commander of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Coastal Defence Force, Lagos, Ichuku Agaba, says the Force has identified criminal hideouts on Lagos waterways.
Agaba told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Saturday that the Force was prepared to take the battle to the criminals in their hideouts.
He said also that the group had joined forces with the Nigerian Navy and the Police to check coastal crimes in Lagos.
The Merchant Navy chief said that, in the last eight months, the Force had arrested eight suspected armed robbers around Kosofe waterfront as they attacked innocent citizens. Read more
Water transportation in Lagos increases to 3.2% in 2021 — Commissioner (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government says that water transport increased from 0.8 per cent to 2.8 between 2020 and 2021.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, disclosed this in Lagos on Friday.
The commissioner spoke during the barge cruise from Falomo to Lekki Ikoyi Link Bridge in commemoration of Nigeria’s Independent Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by the Lagos State Ministry Tourism, Art and culture, Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY) and Goge Africa. Read more
Kidnappers on the prowl in Lagos (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Police Command seems to have few good leads into the recent daylight kidnappings in the state.
Among those recently abducted by masked gunmen are retired Air Vice Marshall (AVM) Sikiru Smith, a pastor, a couple and a Lagos-based businessman.
Investigators say the abduction of AVM Smith might be linked to suspected vandals who have long converted the nation’s creeks into a safe haven for their criminal activities.
This new trend in kidnapping seems to have introduced a more dangerous crime trend in Lagos.
The vandals-turned-kidnappers were dislodged after several successful attacks and abduction of some school children in Ikorodu, but the crime is rearing its ugly head again. Read more
Accident claims one, injures one on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway (Guardian)
The Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) has confirmed the death of a woman in a head-on collision between a truck and motorcyclist at Iyana-Cele on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
The Owode-Ijako Unit Commander of TRACE, Mrs Temitope Oseni, who confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, in Ota, Ogun, said that one male sustained various degrees of injuries.
Oseni explained that the accident, which occurred at about 1.50 p.m., involved a Commercial motorcyclist with registration number GBE 476 WU and an Iveco truck, marked KRD 43 XE.
She added that a motorcyclist, which was on a top speed, was trying to overtake a vehicle at a diversion stretched area when it collided with the truck going on the opposite direction. Read more
Abductions: Panic in Lagos’ posh areas (Tribune)
There is a security alert in Lagos State following the abduction of six residents within 24 hours. Lagos Island is particularly witnessing a flurry of upgraded security measures where most of the victims were kidnapped.
Beyond the neighbourhoods of wealthy residents of the state, there is a general sense of apprehension among residents after a security company, Eons Intelligence, released another advisory asking the residents to look out for the red flags in their daily interactions.
The advisory specifically asked residents to rely more on technology in finding their ways round town rather than seek help from human beings who might turn out to be kidnappers on the prowl. Read more
Gunmen Kidnap Permanent Secretary, Son In Niger (DailyTrust)
Gunmen kidnapped Dr Ibrahim Garba, a permanent secretary in the Niger State Ministry of Transport, and his son, on Friday.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Monday Kuryas, disclosed this in Minna on Saturday.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that father and son were kidnapped from their home in Zungeru in Wushishi Local Government Area after a wedding ceremony had been held in Garba’s house.
The police commissioner said an investigation had begun into the abduction and assured that the perpetrators would be tracked down. Read more
I’m healthy, just undergoing therapy, Tinubu tells northern lawmakers (Punch)
All Progressives Congress chieftain, Bola Tinubu, says he is healthy but only undergoing physiotherapy in London.
Tinubu said this while addressing members of the House of Representatives northern caucus that visited him in London on Friday.
The former governor, who has been in the United Kingdom for the last three months since undergoing knee surgery, however, said he was undergoing physiotherapy which he described as “gruesome”.
Addressing the gathering, Tinubu who was dressed in kaftan and a red cap said, “Because of God and people like you, I am well. It is just the physio (physiotherapy) that is gruesome.” Read more
NCDC announces 161 additional infections, total now 205,940 (Guardian)
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 161 new cases of COVID-19 in the country as of Oct. 1.
The NCDC said on its website on Saturday morning that the additional 161 infections brought the total of infections in the country to 205,940.
It said 193,812 cases had been successfully treated in the country, while three deaths had been registered as of Oct. 1, putting Nigeria’s total deaths from the pandemic at 2,724.
The Public Health Agency said 161 new cases were reported from 13 states with Lagos reporting 45, Kaduna (32), Ondo (28), Kwara (12), Rivers (11), Edo (8), Ekiti, Niger and Zamfara (5) each, Plateau (4), Nasarawa (3), FCT (2), and Oyo (1). Read more
Migrants trying to cross Channel ‘shot with rubber bullets by French police’ (Metro)
Record numbers of people have already made the Channel crossing this year (Picture: Getty)
Migrants trying to cross the channel were shot and injured by French police using rubber bullets, according to reports.
Two Iranian Kurds were hospitalised in the night time shooting at Dunkirk, which happened while they were carrying a dinghy towards the sea.
The men were set to launch the boat in an attempt to carry 40 people across the 21 mile stretch of water to the UK.
They told the Daily Mail that three or four police officers arrived in a car and shot at them at point blank range. Read more
Disturbing video shows Mexican cartel lining up rivals for mass execution (NYPost)
Shocking video shows Mexican cartel members lined up on their knees and taunted, moments before they are executed by a rival gang.
The video, posted to social media by members of Los Tlacos, shows about 20 doomed men who are purported members of La Bandera, part of the Guerreros Unidos cartel, according to El País, a Spanish language publication.
A man narrating the disturbing footage says, “This plaza already has an owner,” El País reported. Read more
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announces retirement from politics (RT)
The Philippines’ controversial leader Rodrigo Duterte has said that he will not run for vice-president of the country in the 2022 election, but will instead retire from politics altogether.
Duterte, who has been president since 2016, is ineligible to seek another term in the next year’s presidential vote.
His ruling PDP-Laban party instead nominated the 76-year-old for the position of vice-president.
But Duterte announced on Saturday that he won’t be running for VP, saying that he had made this decision in response to the “public’s wishes.” Read more
Analogue photography makes a comeback (DW)
Long considered obsolete, film photography is experiencing a renaissance, especially among young people. And #filmisnotdead is also a social media trend.
When Kodak, the largest producer of photographic film, filed for bankruptcy in 2012, it seemed as if analog photography was history.
Up until then, the US company had dominated the world of photography for more than a century, much like how Google, Facebook and Amazon dominate the internet today.
But already with the first iPhone, most people had a high-resolution camera in their pocket with which they could easily capture thousands of photos, and analog photography quickly became obsolete.
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, analog photography is experiencing a renaissance among photo enthusiasts. And the younger generation especially want to snap pictures like they did in the last century. Read more
Adele fans freak out as ’30’ projections and billboards appear around the world (Metro)
Social media is rife with speculation that mysterious billboards and projections of the number 30 that have been popping up around the world over the past 12 hours or so are linked to Adele’s new album.
The London-born singer has called all her albums after ages in her life so far – 19, 21 and 25 – and with anticipation over a new album from the chart-topper this year anyway, fans think this is the official teaser.
With recent reports of her planning a Christmas charts comeback via a November album release and an internationally streamed Las Vegas show, as well as Canadian radio presenter Mauler posting a now-deleted tweet which read ‘New Adele. This week’ on Wednesday, anticipation has reached fever pitch. Read more
BepiColombo: Europe’s mission to Mercury returns first picture (BBC)
Europe’s BepiColombo mission has returned its first picture of Mercury, the Solar System’s innermost planet.
The probe took the image shortly after it zipped over the little world at an altitude of just 200km (125 miles).
Controllers have planned a further five such flybys, each time using the gravitational tug of Mercury to help control the speed of the spacecraft.
The aim is for Bepi to be moving slow enough that eventually it can take up a stable orbit around the planet. Read more
Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard agrees to be extradited to NY (PageSix)
Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard has agreed to be extradited to New York to face sex-trafficking charges, his lawyer confirmed Friday — as Canadian police issued a new arrest warrant accusing him of six more attacks.
The 80-year-old millionaire accused pedophile appeared in a Canadian courtroom in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Friday by video link from the nearby jail, where he’s been held since his arrest in December.
Crown prosecutor Scott Farlinger told the court that Nygard had agreed to be extradited to face the federal charges. Read more
World Cup qualifiers: Rohr invites Moffi to replace injured Iwobi (Punch)
Lorient striker Terem Moffi has been handed a late invitation to the Super Eagles for next Thursday’s Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Central Africa Republic over two legs, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
Moffi replaces Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi, who is currently injured.
“Moffi has been called up to replace injured Alex Iwobi for the games against Central Africa Republic, the Super Eagles revealed through their Instagram page on Saturday.
Midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo were also dropped due to injury, Etebo for the foreseeable future after tearing a quad muscle in last weekend’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Newcastle while Ndidi sustained a hamstring injury. Read more
Townsend strike earns Everton draw at Man Utd (BBC)
Andros Townsend’s second-half equaliser earned Everton a deserved point against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Rafael Benitez’s men were unlucky to fall behind just before the break as Anthony Martial scored for the first time since February.
But Demarai Gray escaped the attentions of Fred and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as Everton countered from a United corner, setting up the attack which ended with Townsend driving a low shot into the corner from Abdoulaye Doucoure’s lay-off. Read more
Healthy James Harden trying to make up for lost time at Nets camp (NYPost)
James Harden has finally gotten his hamstring back to 100 percent. Now, he’s working on getting his conditioning there as well.
Between last year’s training camp drama when he was still with the Rockets, and the hamstring injuries that kept short-circuiting his campaign after his trade to the Nets, Harden has played less basketball over the past season than he’s accustomed to. Now healthy and in camp with the Nets, he’s making up for lost time.
“He’s healthy, but he’s trying to get himself in shape and elevate that,” head coach Steve Nash said. “He hasn’t really played since the Boston series, and before that, he hadn’t played for a long time either. So he hasn’t played a lot of basketball, period, since the [2020] bubble. It’s been stop-start for him. He still wants to get his legs under him, and then can feel a few new levels for him to go.” Read more
Bryson DeChambeau beaten in longest drive final (BBC)
Bryson DeChambeau bowed out in the final after making the last eight of the Professional Longest Drive Association World Championship.
The 28-year-old American was eliminated with a top distance of 391 yards, although did manage a ball speed of 218 miles per hour in Nevada.
Compatriot Kyle Berkshire won the event with a 422-yard drive.
DeChambeau had survived three days of elimination rounds to make the final eight competitors from a field of 128.
The 2020 US Open winner secured a final place after hitting a 416-yard drive, just a yard short of his monster effort in last week’s Ryder Cup. Read more
Chess bosses blasted after announcing breast enlargement sponsorship deal for women’s game (RT)
Chess governing body FIDE has faced anger from female players after announcing a major new sponsorship deal for the women’s game with a company that specializes in breast implants.
FIDE issued a carefully-worded PR release towards the end last month trumpeting the deal with Establishment Labs – owner of the Motiva brand which offers breast enlargement services.
“The partnership is the first-ever corporate sponsorship agreement specifically aimed at supporting women’s chess events,” read the FIDE press release.
“The agreement will continue through 2022, a year that has been designated by FIDE as ‘The Year of Women in Chess’.” Read more
Mohamed Salah has a clear preference amid doubts over his Liverpool future (Metro)
Mohamed Salah is envious of the treatment Kevin De Bruyne was afforded during his contract negotiations with Manchester City, as speculation mounts over the future of the Liverpool talisman.
The Egypt international has cemented a reputation as one of world football’s most prolific goalscorers since returning to the Premier League in the summer of 2017, having rebuilt his career in Serie A following a demoralising spell at Chelsea under Jose Mourinho.
Salah is an essential component in a Jurgen Klopp built side which looks set to compete for major honours again this season after a torrid 2020/21 campaign, which was undermined by an unprecedented defensive injury crisis. Read more