Court remands man for defiling his 3 daughters (Vanguard)
A Port Harcourt Magistrate Court has remanded one Uchenna Tobias for alleged defilement of three minors, all his daughters.
Tobias had been arraigned before the court, after the 38-year-old accused’s wife, Christiana, narrated to Police how her husband has been habitually defiling their nine months, five years and 10 years old daughters since the eldest was two.
Presiding Magistrate, Amaka Amanze, at Thursday’s hearing, also asked the Police to amend the charge against the accused from a case of sexual assault to defilement.
In a related development, management of the Ignatius Ajuru University, Port Harcourt, has suspended a lecturer, Dr Rowland Igwe for alleged sexual harassment of a female student. Read more
Court workers to begin strike on Monday over fuel, electricity prices hike (Guardian)
The Federal High Court staff across the country have indicated their intention to commence a two-week strike on Sept. 28 over the recent increase in the electricity tariff and fuel pump price.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) had, on Friday, observed copies of the notice posted in and around the Federal High Court Headquarters building in Abuja by the court staff, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).
JUSUN said all its members would abandon their duties in line with the industrial action planned by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to begin on Monday. Read more
Access Bank partners Lagos to improve Oniru road network (Thisday)
Following the improvement of the road network around the Oniru-Victoria Island and Lekki axis, where its head office is located, Access Bank Plc in partnership with the Lagos State government yesterday inaugurated the project.
The road network project measuring around 1.8 kilometers was inaugurated by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and had in attendance his Deputy, Mr. Femi Hamzat, the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Abdul-Wasiu Omogbolahan Lawal and array of distinguished persons.
Speaking during the ceremony, Sanwo-Olu said the most critical challenge being experienced on daily basis by residents and road users along the axis was the heavy traffic, saying delivering the project has improved traffic flow, reduced travel time and eliminated perennial flooding issues. Read more
Tale of Lagos community where defecation costs price of a meal (Vanguard)
With the envy of its infrastructure and being the commercial hub of Nigeria, every region in Lagos State would have been imagined to possess basic amenities. However, such is not the case with Agboyi 2, a community in Agboyi Ketu CDA of the state.
The residents of the community which is surrounded by water predominantly fish for a living.
Vanguard gathered during a visit that this peaceful community lacks proper “ile-igbonse” which translates “toilet”.
The Minister, Ministry of Water Resources, Dr Musa Wen Ibrahim, in October 2019 disclosed Nigeria ranks number one in the world for open defecation. Read more
Buhari receives Obaseki, says national interest supreme over politics (Guardian)
Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday received Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy Phillip Shuaibu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Obaseki’s visit to Buhari came days after the governor was re-elected to office in the Edo State governorship election where he defeated Buhari’s party-man Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obaseki, a candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) polled 307,955 votes to defeat APC’s Ize-Iyamu, who secured 223,619 votes. Read more
No plans to return to APC now -Obaseki (Nation)
The Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has foreclosed the possibility of returning to the All Progressives Congress (APC) any time soon.
Obaseki, who gave the hint while speaking to State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, noted that such a move would negatively affect his credibility.
Obaseki said he was at the State House on an appreciation visit to the President, following last weekend’s governorship election, which he won and re-elected as governor of Edo State. Read more
Police parade 17 teachers, supervisors, principal for WAEC exam malpractices (Vanguard)
The Police at Force headquarters on Friday paraded 17 suspects including School Principals, Teachers and Supervisors who were caught engaging in examination malpractices during the last West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) in the country.
The 17 suspects were arrested from Kano, Bauchi, Nasarawa and Rivers states while other suspects nabbed for similar malpractices in Delta, Enugu and Lagos states have been prosecuted in competent courts.
Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba who paraded the suspects disclosed that their arrest was made possible with the cooperation of the West African Examination Council. Read more
Man jailed 36 months over $1m internet scam in US (Thisday)
A Nigerian national was sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in a computer hacking and identity theft scheme that defrauded vendors of nearly $1 million of office products after “phishing” e-mail login information from government employees, US Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Olumide Ogunremi, aka “Tony Williams,” 43, previously pleaded guilty before US District Judge Susan B. Wigenton in Newark Federal Court to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
A press statement issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence yesterday by video conference. Read more
Ekiti APC crisis deepens as factional SEC suspends Fayemi, excos (Nation)
The internal crisis rocking the ruling All Progressive Congress in Ekiti took a new dimension on Friday as some statutory members of State Executive Committee(SEC) suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi over alleged anti-party activities.
According to the allegations against Fayemi, the SEC members said he worked against Edo APC candidate, Pastor Ize Iyamu and supported Godwin Obaseki, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP).
The statutory members of the SEC also imposed sanction on the party chairman, Paul Omotosho and other executives by suspending them. Read more
Coup: ECOWAS may lift Mali sanctions today – Jonathan (Punch)
Nigeria’s ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, mediating in the Mali crisis for the West Africa bloc ECOWAS, said the organisation would probably decide on Friday whether it would lift economic sanctions against the country.
Speaking in Mali’s capital Bamako on Wednesday, Jonathan called the measures imposed on the country by the 15-nation bloc “unfortunate”.
West African leaders heaped pressure on Mali’s ruling junta to return power to civilians after an August 18 coup that toppled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
A junta-appointed committee this week named retired colonel Bah Ndaw as interim president, who is set to govern for at most 18 months before arranging elections. Read more
Bafta announces changes to film awards to address lack of diversity in 2020’s ceremony (Metro)
Bafta has announced a host of changes to its film awards in response to a lack of diversity at this year’s ceremony.
Organisers will be expanding the nominations for the director, actor and actress categories from five to six as well as expanding the outstanding British film category from six to 10 nominations to showcase more British work.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ voting will also see changes, as well as the membership and campaigning processes. Read more
Kim Jong-un apologises for killing of South Korean official – South (BBC)
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has issued a rare personal apology for the killing of a South Korean official, Seoul says.
Mr Kim reportedly told South Korean leader Moon Jae-in that the “disgraceful affair” should not have happened.
South Korea has said the 47-year-old man was found by troops floating in the North’s waters.
He was then shot dead and his body was set alight, according to Seoul. Read more
Massive fire breaks out in Huawei 5G research facility in China (RT)
A research and development lab of the Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies in the southern city of Dongguan caught fire, producing large clouds of thick grey smoke. Locals caught the incident on camera.
The videos show plumes of smoke coming from the building’s top floors, and largely obscuring the sky above the facility. According to the local fire department, the flammable sound-absorbing cotton which the facility was using may be the main source of the blaze.
The fire was put out by the Dongguan city fire rescue department, city authorities say, and no casualties have been reported.
Huawei has yet to comment on the incident. Read more
Paris attack: Two people stabbed near former Charlie Hebdo office (BBC)
Two people have been stabbed and seriously hurt in Paris near the former offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Two suspects have been arrested. One of them was seized in the nearby Bastille area with blood on his clothing, police told the BBC.
Anti-terrorism police have taken over the investigation.
A security cordon has been set up in the 11th arrondissement in eastern Paris. Read more
BTS forced to cancel first in-person concert since coronavirus pandemic (Metro)
BTS have been forced to cancel an upcoming in-person concert amid continued fears during the coronavirus pandemic. The K-pop boyband were set to perform their first concert since the global health crisis began, in Seoul on October 10 and 11, with a socially-distanced audience. Due to a spike in infections in the South Korean city, tougher restrictions have been enforced, which means the event can no longer go ahead with an audience. It will still be livestreamed, however. Read more
Ruth Bader Ginsburg becomes first woman to lie in state in US capitol (BBC)
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died a week ago, has become the first woman in US history to lie in state at the US Capitol in Washington DC.
The liberal icon died from pancreatic cancer after 27 years on the nation’s top court.
Thousands have been paying their respects as she lay in repose outside the Supreme Court building this week.
Ginsburg, who died aged 87, was an outspoken advocate for gender equality and civil rights. Read more
365 Days’ Michele Morrone defends controversial Netflix film following intense backlash (Metro)
365 days is a film that has broken records. According to Forbes, it is the most-streamed film in Netflix history, after it was released in June when much of the globe was locked down. Lead actor Michele Morrone has since taken the world by storm, with his 10million-plus Instagram followers, a record deal with Universal Music Germany and a Guess campaign – but that’s not to say his recent rise to worldwide fame has not been met with controversy. Italian star Michele plays the suave Massimo Torricelli, with his black suit and slicked-back hair, who kidnaps Laura (played by Polish actress Anna Maria Sieluka), giving her 365 days to fall in love with him. Read more
NFF appoints Bosso, Danjuma national teams’ coaches (Punch)
The Nigeria Football Federation has appointed new technical crews for men and women U-17, U-20 national teams.
This was contained in a statement by NFF’s spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, on Friday.
The statement was titled, ‘NFF appoints Danjuma, Bosso, Olowookere to head coaching crews of National Teams’.
The composition saw the return of one-time U-20 Boys’ Head Coach, Isah Ladan Bosso, with Christopher Danjuma retaining the U-20 Girls’ lead role, and Bankole Olowookere emerging as Head Coach of the U-17 girls, Flamingos. Read more
Valtteri Bottas fastest in second Russia practice (BBC)
Valtteri Bottas set the pace ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second practice at the Russian Grand Prix despite scruffy sessions for both Mercedes drivers.
The Finn was top by 0.267secs despite sliding wide at the final corner, while Hamilton abandoned what would have been his own best lap after an error.
Hamilton locked a front wheel into Turn 13 and just avoided the barrier.
Bottas was a second ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo in third and McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. Read more
‘Nothing surprise me anymore,’ says Messi lamenting Suarez departure (Guardian)
Lionel Messi bid an emotional farewell on Friday to Luis Suarez, the day after the Uruguayan striker had said tearful goodbyes to Barcelona after the club sent him to Atletico Madrid.
“Today I went into the dressing room and the awful truth hit me,” Messi posted on Instagram, before renewing his criticism of club management.
“You deserved to be sent off as what you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club,” Messi wrote. “And not to be fired in the way they did it.” Read more
French Open 2020: Tournament to have 1,000 fans a day after new restrictions (BBC)
The number of fans allowed into the French Open has been cut to 1,000 per day after new coronavirus restrictions were imposed by the French government.
The French Tennis Federation said it “deeply regrets” the new restrictions.
The clay-court Grand Slam, which starts on Sunday, had originally been set to welcome around 11,500 fans each day before that number was cut to 5,000 last week amid rising Covid-19 cases.
The event is usually in May-June but was postponed because of the pandemic.
Around 35,000 fans usually attend Roland Garros – a 12-hectare site with 16 courts – every day in the first week. Read more
NBA legends earn social media wrath by daring to speak up for police in Breonna Taylor shooting (RT)
NBA greats Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have endured predictable criticism after arguing that the shooting of Breonna Taylor had been ‘lumped in’ with the killing of George Floyd, offering an apparent defense of police.
Stars including Los Angeles Lakers talisman LeBron James and tennis world number one Naomi Osaka have joined a chorus of public outrage this week after the verdict in the case, which centered around a botched drugs raid that resulted in Taylor being shot in her home in Louisville in March.
While many had called for the police officers involved to face heavy potential punishments, the only charges that were raised in the announcement on Wednesday were brought against an officer for endangerment after they opened fire in a home next to Taylor’s apartment. Read more
Eddie Hearn targets Anthony Joshua vs Zhang Zhilei in huge Beijing showdown (Metro)
Eddie Hearn would love to match Anthony Joshua against unbeaten Chinese star Zhang Zhilei in an epic world heavyweight title fight in Beijing.
Zhang (21-0) signed with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing last week and the plan is to move him swiftly towards a world title shot.
The 37-year-old, known as Big Bang, is an Olympic silver medallist from all the way back in 2008 and while he is building an impressive professional record, it has largely been against low-level competition. Hearn wants to step that up quickly with an enormous homecoming in China against AJ the dream fight for the 6’6″ behemoth. Read more
Arsenal can face Liverpool with confidence, says Arteta (Guardian)
Mikel Arteta believes Liverpool are getting “better and better” but says Arsenal must go to Anfield believing they can win after two straight victories against Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Arsenal has a maximum six points from their first two league matches of the season but face the ultimate test of their character against the Premier League champions on Monday.
Liverpool also has a 100 percent record this season but suffered a league defeat at the Emirates in July and lost to Arsenal on penalties in the Community Shield last month.
“We know the standards they have set in this league, how consistent they have been and that’s because they dominate almost every aspect of the game,” Arsenal boss Arteta said on Friday. Read more