Ajayi’s family writes Lagos agency over land grabbers’ intrusion (Guardian)
Some months after the death of the founder of First Foundation Hospital, Dr Olutosin Ajayi, a lawyer, Mr. Akinjide Isola, has called on the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) to intervene over intrusion on the deceased’s property by land grabbers, destroying structures erected on the land in Opebi area of Ikeja.
According to the lawyer, less than a month after Ajayi died, armed hoodlums invaded the property situated at Afolabi Awosanya Street, Opebi. “We reported to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Police Command at Onikan, Lagos. The police instructed them (land grabbers) to stay away from the property pending when investigations would be concluded. Read more
Lagos plans fish processing centre for farmers (Punch)
The acting Commissioner for Agriculture in Lagos State, Ms Abisola Olusanya, has disclosed plans by the state government to establish a fish processing centre for the benefit of fish farmers.
She said the centre would take the produce from registered farm clusters and fish farm estates, adding that this would help set profit margins for farmers.
Olusanya noted that the decision was necessary because the state realised that a lot of fish farmers had problems with marketing and sales.
The commissioner spoke at a quarterly forum for fish and crop farmers organised by the Lagos State Agricultural Inputs Supply Authority at the Odogunyan Fish Farm Estate, Ikorodu. Read more
7 feared dead, others injured as another building collapses in Lagos (Guardian)
No fewer than seven persons have reportedly died and many trapped in rubbles after a three-story building collapsed in the Obalende area of Lagos State yesterday.
Although the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed four persons dead, sources said seven bodies have so far been recovered as at 7 pm.
According to LASEMA spokesman, Nosa Okunbo, “Upon arrival at the scene, a three-story building under construction was discovered to have self-collapsed. The cause of the collapse is yet to be ascertained, but efforts are ongoing by LASEMA and other responders towards salvaging the situation. Read more
Lagos gas explosion: Plant has no operational licence – DPR (Vanguard)
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Sunday said reports from its preliminary investigations had revealed that the Best Roof Gas Plant Station, Baruwa, Lagos where last Thursday’s gas explosion occurred had no operational licence.
The Director of DPR, Mr Sarki Auwalu, made the disclosure in a statement while commiserating with the victims of the incident.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five persons lost their lives in the explosion while eight persons were rescued alive with various degrees of injuries. Read more
#EndSARS campaigners demand executive order disbanding squad (Punch)
After days of public outcry and nationwide protests, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, on Sunday, bowed to pressure and disbanded the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
He said a new policing arrangement to address armed robbery and other violent crimes that fall within the mandate of the dissolved tactical unit would be presented in due course.
Announcing the decision at the Force headquarters, Abuja on Sunday, Adamu acknowledged the inalienable rights of citizens to freedom of association and expression.
But the #EndSARS campaigners said they would not back down, insisting that the street rallies would continue until the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), issued an Executive Order scrapping the police tactical unit. Read more
Buhari, Lawan, APC govs, others hail Akeredolu’s re-election (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, All Progressives Congress governors and others on Sunday congratulated the governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, on his re-election.
Akeredolu, candidate of the ruling APC, emerged victorious in the poll with 292,830 votes to defeat his closest contenders, Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party who had 195,791 votes and Ajayi Agboola of the Zenith Labour Party who had 69,127.
Buhari, in his congratulatory message, urged Akeredolu “to be humble and magnanimous in victory”. Read more
COVID Fuels Surge in Sexual Violence, Child Marriage (VOA)
A young girl holds a sign that says “Raise Boys Who Respect Girls: Stop Rape.” She stands in front a huge anti-rape banner of the Women Commission of the Nigeria Trade Union Congress.
A young girl joins in an anti-rape demonstration organized by the Trade Union Congress Nigeria Women Commission, Aug. 20, 2020. Of the organization’s 2.5 million members, 1 million are female.
Fresh out of university, Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi was living in the southern Nigerian state of Rivers when she was sexually assaulted. A housemate comforted her and urged her to report the attack. Read more
Ethnic fault lines show as IGP dissolves SARS (Guardian)
Yesterday’s dissolution of the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad by Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu triggered mixed reactions. While youths and socio-cultural organisations in the South welcomed the announcement, which followed weeklong protests in major cities of the country, some northern interests insisted that SARS was useful for their region.
IGP Adamu who succumbed to pressure after an emergency meeting with a worried President Muhammadu Buhari disbanded SARS across all formations, the 36 State Police Commands, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The IGP, while noting that the dissolution was in response to the yearnings of the Nigerian people, hinted that all officers and men of the now-defunct anti-robbery squad were being redeployed with immediate effect. Read more
André do Rap: Brazil crime boss goes on the run after release from prison (BBC)
One of Brazil’s biggest crime bosses has gone on the run after being briefly freed from prison the previous day.
André Oliveira Macedo, also known as André do Rap, was released from a high security prison on Saturday – but this decision was revoked just hours later.
He has been missing since.
Macedo is a senior member of the São Paulo-based First Command of the Capital (PCC) gang, which holds power in jails across Brazil and Paraguay and smuggles tonnes of cocaine into Europe. Read more
Over half of French nurses on brink of professional burn-out amid Covid-19 pandemic – survey (RT)
More than the half of French nurses are close to burning out due to the pressure the ongoing pandemic has put on the nation’s medical workers, who struggle with increased work and lack of holidays, a new survey indicates.
Some 57 percent of France’s nurses have described their condition as “state of professional exhaustion” since the beginning of the pandemic, the national French nursing union has said, publishing results of a survey of nearly 60,000 nurses across the nation.
Nearly half of the burnt-out nurses believe their exhaustion may be affecting their ability to perform their professional duties. Read more
Fauci says his words ‘taken out of context’ in Trump campaign ad (VOA)
Dr Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the United States, told CNN Sunday that his comments were taken “out of context” in a campaign ad for President Donald Trump.
Fauci said the ad, released Saturday as Trump recovers from the coronavirus, was made without his consent.
“In my nearly five decades of public service, I have never publicly endorsed any political candidate. The comments attributed to me without my permission in the GOP campaign ad were taken out of context from a broad statement I made months ago about the efforts of federal public health officials,” Fauci said in a statement to CNN. Read more
US election 2020: The other 1,214 candidates running for president (BBC)
The US has had presidents for more than 230 years, but only the first – George Washington – has ever been elected as an independent candidate.
The twin peaks of US politics, the Republican and Democratic parties, dominate media coverage and campaign donations so completely that the chances of an outsider winning are virtually nil.
What kind of person looks at those near-insurmountable odds and thinks – I’m running anyway? Read more
Gal Gadot ‘grateful’ as she’s confirmed to play Cleopatra (Metro)
Gal Gadot is set to portray another strong heroine on-screen after confirming she’ll be playing Cleopatra in an upcoming blockbuster.
Cleopatra will reunite Gal, 35, with Patty Jenkins who directed her in the Wonder Woman franchise, which is currently the highest-grossing live action film ever directed by a woman. Announcing the news, Gal tweeted on Sunday: ‘I love embarking on new journeys,I love the excitement of new projects, the thrill of bringing new stories to life. Cleopatra is a story I wanted to tell for a very long time. ‘Can’t be more grateful about this A team!!’ Read more
“The Undoing” review: A supremely gripping marriage thriller (BBC)
You have to love a series so clever that a minor figure looks at Hugh Grant’s dashing character and asks in an exasperated tone: how much charm do you think you have? He does have quite a lot, which he puts to good use in The Undoing. Grant and Nicole Kidman bring an upscale gloss to a potboiler that is endlessly entertaining even though it includes a bludgeoned murder victim. Written by Big Little Lies’ David E Kelley, it has a plot that relies on a slew of cliffhangers and secrets. Susanne Bier, who directed all six instalments, brings the same precision and taut narrative to this series as she did to the more sober. Read more
Tom Cruise joins Hayley Atwell in Rome for “Mission: Impossible 7” shoot (Metro)
Tom Cruise has been busy shooting for Mission: Impossible 7 out in Rome, with his latest scenes seeing him zip around the city on a motorbike, before teaming up with his co-star to shoot new car scenes. The actor, 58, is reprising his role as Ethan Hunt for the seventh movie in the Mission: Impossible franchise, with the film set for release next year. Production has well and truly picked up again, after being halted back in February due to the coronavirus pandemic, and behind-the-scenes pictures have been dropping, showing Tom in action. Read more
Rohr may drop Ajayi, Onuachu for Tunisia clash (Punch)
Gernot Rohr is set to make some changes in his Super Eagles line-up to face Tunisia at the Jacques Lemmans Arena in Sankt Arena on Tuesday, The PUNCH reports.
The Eagles, parading four debutants, lost 1-0 to Algeria on Friday in Klagenfurt, Austria.
The defeat ended the Eagles’ five-game unbeaten run since they last lost to the Fennecs in the semi-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
A team official, told The PUNCH on Sunday that Semi Ajayi and Paul Onuachu could be left out from the starting line-up for the game against the Carthage Eagles as the Eagles seek to return to winning ways. Read more
Expect a different Super Eagles on Tuesday, Rohr tells Nigerians (Guardian)
Super Eagles manager, Rohr has promised to present a better team than the one that lost to Algeria on Friday when Nigeria takes on Tunisia tomorrow.
Algeria beat Nigeria 1-0 in the Eagles first match since the coronavirus halted all sporting activities.
The loss in Austria has generated a lot of criticism from Nigerians, who have started questioning Rohr capacity to give the country the national team of its dream. Some critics have even started calling for Rohr’s sack, saying he has not shown that he has the capacity to lead the team to greatness. Read more
England beat world’s top-ranked team Belgium to lead Nations League group (BBC)
England came from behind to overcome the world’s top-ranked team Belgium and record an important Nations League victory at Wembley.
Belgium took a lead their early superiority deserved when Romelu Lukaku sent England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford the wrong way after the striker had been brought down by Eric Dier’s poor challenge.
England were on the back foot for most of the first half but were handed a lifeline back into the game six minutes before half-time when captain Jordan Henderson went down very easily in a tussle with Thomas Meunier, Marcus Rashford scoring from the spot. Read more
Joaquin Buckley delivers one of the ‘craziest knockouts’ in UFC history (RT)
UFC middleweight Joaquin Buckley produced a knockout from the gods to claim the most spectacular victory of the night on UFC Fight Island on Saturday night as he starched Impa Kasanganay with a stunning spinning back kick.
Buckley attempted to connect with a left high kick to the head, but Kasanganay blocked it and held on to Buckley’s leg to set up an opening for himself to land a big shot.
But Buckley saw it as an opening for himself, and spun swiftly and connected with a vicious turning back kick, which connected hard with Kasanganay’s chin, knocking him out instantly. Read more
Haaland scores hat-trick as Norway beat Romania (BBC)
Erling Braut Haaland scored his first international hat-trick as Norway cruised to victory against Romania.
Borussia Dortmund’s star striker was in devastating form and put the home side ahead inside 15 minutes.
Norway doubled their lead just before half-time thanks to a tapped-in effort from RB Leipzig’s Alexander Sorloth.
A slotted finish from six yards out and a sublime left-footed effort took Haaland’s tally for Norway to an impressive six goals in six games. Read more
Ozil, Rashford, Rudiger, Kanoute, other world stars join Nigerians’ protest against police brutality (Guardian)
Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, Ghana’s goalkeeper Fatau Dauda, Chelsea duo of Tammy Abraham, and Antonio Rudiger, as well as former African Footballer of the Year, Frederic Kanoute, have lent their voices to the protest against police brutality in Nigeria, reports goal.com.
There have been ongoing protests in Nigeria over the week with citizens agitating for the scrapping of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police Force. The Federal Government heeded to the people’s demand at the weekend. Read more
Luis Suarez wasn’t forced out of Barcelona – Koeman (Vanguard)
Ronald Koeman felt Lionel Messi’s angry response to Luis Suarez’s Barcelona exit made “sense”, but insists the Uruguay striker left of his own accord.
The turbulence at Barca became arguably the biggest saga of the pre-season anywhere in European football, with Messi attempting to force an exit after Suarez had been put up for sale, and Koeman replacing Quique Setien in the wake of their 8-2 Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich.
While Messi ultimately accepted that leaving was an impossibility despite being convinced a get-out clause in his contract was still valid, Suarez was sold to Atletico Madrid for just €6million. Read more
