Court to conduct Mompha’s N6.5b fraud trial in absentia (Leadership)
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has fixed November 16 for the continuation of the trial of social media celebrity, Ismailia Mustapha, also known as, Mompha, who is facing money laundering allegations.
Mustapha’s trial is to continue in absentia following the failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest him after he jumped bail.
The judge on June 22, 2022, revoked the defendant’s bail and ordered his arrest for failing to appear in court for his trial.
The EFCC had arraigned the defendant before the court on an eight-count charge of laundering the sum of N6.5 billion alongside his firm, Ismalob Global Investment Limited. Read more
5 family members arraigned over fraud, vandalism (Punch)
Five family members have been arraigned before Magistrate L.A. Owolabi of the Ogba Magistrate’s Court, Lagos State, over alleged fraud and vandalism.
The defendants, Ufoma Ometan, 48; Ejiro, 42; Jite, 44; Francis, 82; Benjamin, 83; were said to have vandalised the property of a couple, Mr and Mrs Victor Erhabor, and fraudulently obtained the sum of N44m from them.
The defendants are facing seven counts bordering on conspiracy, fraud, burglary, and vandalism.
The charges read in part, “That you, Ufuoma Ometan, Ejiro Ometan, Jite Ometan, Francis Ometan, Benjamin Ometan, sometime between December 2019 and January 2020, along Awoniyi Elemo Street, Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did fraudulently obtained the sum of N44m from Mr & Mrs Victor Erhabor, with the pretence of selling to them a property at Awoniyi Elemo Street, Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos, knowing same to be false. Read more
Aboyeji urges Nigerians not to play up the Muslim-Muslim Ticket (Sun)
The General Overseer of the Foursquare Gospel Church Rev. Sam Aboyeji has urged Nigerians not to play up the muslim, muslim ticket issue anymore that there are other interesting matters that can be discussed.”
According to him, playing up the muslim, muslim ticket is view as lack of trust among Nigerians,pointing out that Nigerians should stop over labouring themselves on this.
He spoke during a parley with journalists at the Church’s Headquarters, Yaba, enumerating four qualities the leader Nigerians will enthrone in 2023 must possess, to include; vision, competence; character; and enthusiasm.
On character, He highlighted that character is the quality control room, and if this is not there in a leader, such leader will collapse. Read more
Customs seizes 75,000 litres of petrol in Seme, Badagry (Vanguard)
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Seme Area Command, says it has seized 75,000 litres of petrol, within bushes along Seme and Badagry, in Lagos.
Comptroller Bello Jibo, Customs Area Controller, said this in a statement by Mr Hussein Abdulahi, the command’s spokesman, on Thursday in Seme, Lagos.
According to Jibo, the seized containers of petrol were concealed inside sacks and Jerry cans.
He added that the petrol seized had a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N19,785,000 only.
“This is in continuation of our efforts to suppress the smuggling of petroleum products within the nooks and crannies of the command. Read more
Flood destroys 14,496 farms in Kano communities (Punch)
No fewer than 14, 496 farms were destroyed by flooding in five local government areas of Kano State.
The Director General, National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Habib, made the disclosure during an on-the-spot assessment tour of communities ravaged by flood in Warawa and Wudil LGAs of the state on Wednesday.
He listed the affected communities as Warawa Gishiri Wuya, where 1,113 farms were washed away, Larabar Gadon Sarki with 1,135 farms affected and Wudil, which had 4,808 farms destroyed as a result of the disaster.
He said other affected areas include Bebeji, 1,405 farms; Rano, 260 farms; and Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, 5,775 farms.
According to him, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had directed that an assessment of the damage caused by the flood be conducted immediately. Read more
Terrorists kill 15 in fresh attacks on Benue communities (DailyTrust)
At least 15 people have been killed in fresh attacks by terrorists on two communites in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Villagers said that the attacks happened on Wednesday night simultaneously in the two villages of Logo during which the victims were hacked to death and many others injured.
A community leader in Logo who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent on the telephone that 12 people were killed in Mchia village in Mbagber council ward while three residents were murdered in
Mou village in Ukemberagya/Tswarev council ward.
The source said 15 injured persons, including children, are now receiving treatment at a hospital in Anyiin, Logo.
Special Adviser on Security Matters, Lt. Col. Paul Hemba (rtd), confirmed the attacks, but said 14 people were killed in the two affected communites.
He said that 12 persons were killed in one of the villages while two others were killed in the second village on the same Wednesday at about 10:30pm, adding that 15 people were injured during the attack. Hemba stated that on the same night, he received a distress call from Guma villages and he quickly informed all the security formations who responded immediately. Read more
Benue: 2 killed, 3 abducted in renewed communal clash (Sun)
Two people have reportedly been killed with three others abducted and some houses burnt during a communal clash between the Iharev and Kparev people of Tse-Sho Village in Makurdi Local Government Area on Thursday morning.
The Iharev and Kparev (indigene-settler) crisis in the Tyomu area had lingered for sometime now with both government and security agencies trying assiduously to intervene with a view to bringing the matter to an end.
Locals from the affected area disclosed to reporters that trouble however started on Wednesday when the Kparev people blocked the Makurdi/Gboko highway after they claimed that three of their men were abducted by the Iharev people.
The mayhem was said to have led to the death of two persons while commuters were stranded for hours due to traffick gridlock that was created on the highway as a result of the crisis.
When contacted, the Security Adviser, Lt Col Paul Hemba (retd), confirmed the report saying the youths of the two warring communities were already seated in his office for a meeting to resolve the crisis.
It’s pure stupidity to declare your virginity in public, Ossai Ovie slams Amarachi (Vanguard)
Delta State Governor’s aide, Ossai Ovie has slammed content creator, Amarachi for openly disclosing she was a virgin on social media.
Amarachi, known to be a famous skit maker and social media influencer, recently posted on her Instagram handle, revealing that she fulfilled a longtime promise of remaining a virgin till marriage, with hopes her future husband is worth the wait.
Ovie on the other hand took to his Twitter page to condemn her, claiming it was stupid of her to openly disclose such information to the world.
He commended the maiden for keeping herself, and further added, being a virgin does not serve as criteria for being a good wife.
According to him, being a virgin is a good thing and only her husband should be the only one entitled to such information. Read more
Burna Boy: I’ll never again date a musician – Stefflon Don (Nation)
British rapper, Stephanie Victoria Allen, popularly known as Stefflon Don has vowed never to date a musician again.
Stefflon Don and her ex-beau, Burna Boy, parted ways over irreconcilable differences in 2021 after dating for two and half years.
During an interview with media personality, TT Torrez on a New York-based radio state, Hot 97, Stefflon was asked if ‘she would want to date and industry guy or someone different’. Read more
Ana de Armas says it’s ”disgusting” nudity from “Blonde” film will go viral (Fox)
Ana de Armas finds it “disgusting” that her nude scenes from the highly anticipated Netflix film “Blonde” will most likely go viral on the internet.
“Blonde,” which is based on a fictional take on the life of Marilyn Monroe, debuts on the streaming service Sept. 28.
Speaking to Variety, de Armas discussed candidly what her reaction will be once the nude scenes hit the internet. “I know what’s going to go viral,” the 34-year-old actress said, being the one to first address the scenes.
“And it’s disgusting. It’s upsetting just to think about it. I can’t control it, you can’t really control what they do and how they take things out of context. I don’t think it gave me second thoughts, it just gave me a bad taste to think about the future of those clips,” she continued. Read more
Ex-Journey frontman Steve Perry files to block former bandmates from trademarking song titles (NME)
Steve Perry, who fronted American classic rock stalwarts Journey from 1977 to 1998 and sang on many of their most well-known hits, is attempting to stop his former bandmates from owning trademarks to the names of some of the band’s biggest songs.
As Billboard reports, Journey’s two biggest mainstays – guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain – hold the trademarks to many of the band’s hits, including ‘Anyway You Want It’, ‘Wheel In The Sky’ and ‘Open Arms’, through their Freedom JN LLC company,
The trademarks covers the use of those titles on merchandise such as T-shirts, hoodies and other apparel, making it easier for Schon and Cain to sue anyone infringing the trademark by selling items bearing those titles.
However, in a petition filed by Perry to the US Patent and Trademark Office on September 11, the singer argued that Schon and Cain’s trademark goes against a partnership agreement the trio signed requiring unanimous consent for any business relating to the trademarked songs, and that he had not provided that consent. As such, he has asked the agency to invalidate 20 of the pair’s trademark registrations. Read more
PnB Rock laid to rest during muslim funeral service in Philadelphia (HipHopDX)
PnB Rock has been laid to rest during a Muslim funeral service in Philadelphia, just over a week after his death.
The service reportedly took place at the Khadijah Alderman Funeral Home on 1924 W. Hunting Park Avenue on Wednesday (September 21). The service sheet showed a photo of Rock with “In Loving Memory of Rakim Allen, December 9, 1991 – September 12, 2022” on the front, and included a copy of the Janazah prayer.
The funeral was attended by XXXTentacion‘s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, with the two rappers previously collaborating on songs such as “MIDDLE CHILD,” “SMASH!” and “Bad Vibes Forever.”
In the days following his death, PnB Rock’s brother, PnB Meen, claimed Los Angeles officials were making it difficult to recover his body and wasn’t sure when the funeral would take place. Read more
Lorde planning to unveil new album ‘sometime soon’ (MusicNews)
Lorde is planning to unveil her next album “sometime soon”.
The ‘Green Light’ singer teased fans during her headlining set at Primavera Sound Los Angeles on September 16 that her follow-up to 2021’s ‘Solar Power’ is nearly ready to be revealed to the world.
She told the audience that ‘Pure Heroine’ “was about not being a teenager,” ‘Melodrama’ “was about a boy,” and ‘Solar Power’ is “about the climate.”
Of her eagerly-awaited fourth studio album, she said: “Who knows what will come next.” Read more
Olivia Wilde addresses Harry Styles, Chris Pine’s Spit-Gate (THR)
Olivia Wilde doesn’t want Stephen Colbert to worry about the various rumors surrounding her new movie.
The Don’t Worry Darling director is a guest on CBS’ The Late Show on Wednesday ahead of the Warner Bros. film’s release this Friday. In a preview clip posted to the show’s Twitter account, Wilde discusses the so-called “Spit-Gate” speculation that had surrounded a viral video and led social media users to question whether Harry Styles spat on co-star Chris Pine during the film’s premiere screening earlier this month at the Venice Film Festival.
“Another one of our weird rumors, Spit-Gate, which you might have heard about, is I think …” Wilde said before Colbert cut her off.
The host made it clear he had wanted to ask Wilde about the furor and appeared to read from his notecard: “Did Harry Styles spit on Chris Pine? Why or why not? Support your answer.” Read more
James Bond producers search for a new 007 who will commit for a decade (Variety)
Landing James Bond may be the biggest acting gig in Hollywood, but 007 producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson say they still have to pitch prospective actors on the part.
When Variety catches up with Britain’s most famous producers in late August, they’re busy preparing for the 60th anniversary of Bond in October. But the search for a new actor to play the world’s most famous spy is quietly rumbling on in the background. It’s still “early days,” they claim, but whomever lands the role has to be in it for the long haul.
For a while, that person seemed to be Idris Elba. But the “Luther” star recently said he didn’t see Bond when he “looks in the mirror” — remarks that some have interpreted as Elba’s valediction to 007.
Broccoli and Wilson hadn’t recently spoken to the long-time Bond candidate at the time of this interview, but they say they understand. “He’s great,” says Wilson, and Broccoli quickly adds, “We love Idris.” Read more
Feds win appeal to resume use of classified records in Mar-a-Lago probe (NYPost)
Federal prosecutors were handed a legal win Wednesday in their Mar-a-Lago investigation when an appeals court allowed them to resume handling the trove of classified records taken from Donald Trump’s Florida estate.
A three-judge Florida federal appeals panel lifted a hold that halted the Department of Justice’s ability to comb through the documents as it weighed potential criminal charges against the former president for stockpiling sensitive government records at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump-appointed US District Judge Aileen Cannon had implemented the restriction on Sept. 5 when she approved Trump’s request for a special master to independently arbitrate claims of privilege on the some 11,000 seized files.
The feds had claimed that the hold hindered the ongoing obstruction and espionage probes against Trump, and successfully argued the government shouldn’t have to wait for special master Judge Raymond Dearie — a longtime Brooklyn federal prosecutor — to finish his review of the case ahead of a late November deadline. Read more
NFF yet to offer Finidi, Shorunmu contracts (Punch)
Four months after the Nigeria Football Federation announced ex-internationals George Finidi and Ike Shorunmu assistant coaches to Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, both are yet to be offered a contract by the federation, PUNCH Sports Extra has learnt.
On May 15, the NFF appointed Peseiro as the new Eagles head coach, with Finidi named the Portuguese first assistant. Salisu Yusuf serves as the second assistant as well as head coach of the CHAN and U-23 National Teams.
Shorunmu was named the goalkeepers trainer, with Usman Abdallah third assistant, while Eboboritse Uwejamomere is the match analyst.
While Peseiro, 62, was offered a performance-based one-year contract and will reportedly earn $70,000 (N30m) monthly, Finidi and Shorunmu don’t know how much they will be paid, four months after they were ‘employed.’ Read more
Nigeria begins campaign on high note, beats Hungary, Turkey (Guardian)
Nigeria’s representatives at the 2022 World School Basketball Championships, Bayelsa State’s duo of Bishop Dimieari Grammar School and St Jude’s Girls Secondary School, Amarata, yesterday, in Belgrade, began their campaigns with victories over Hungary and Turkey.
The boys’ team took to the court early in the day, but did not start well against the experienced Hungarian side. The Hungarian team led from the first and second quarters, while taking the dominant lead to the third quarter with 15 points gap. But the third quarter became the turning point for the Nigerian side, as it reduced the lead to seven points at the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter brought out the best in the Nigerian boys, as they raced to the lead from the start to overtake their opponents and continued that way to win the last quarter by 15 points gap and end the match at 59 to 52 points.
Dickson Bumam was the standout player, as he scored 14 points, with one assist. John Wilberforce added a double digit score with 14 as well, while Favour Kpee scored 11 points. Read more
Algeria vs Nigeria: Full house in Super Eagles camp as Duru, Uzoho arrive (Vanguard)
All invited Super Eagles players for the international friendly against the Desert Foxes of Algeria have arrived camp as the team intensify preparation for the clash.
Early on Wednesday morning, Kelechi Ihenacho joined the team before Francis Uzoho and Rivers United left wing back, Ebere Duru arrived in the evening.
Head coach Jose Peseiro now has all 24 players in camp in preparation for friendly against Algeria.
The two players are likely to participate in the team’s planned practice session on Wednesday night. Read more
Udeze hails Okoye’s Super Eagles return (Sun)
Former Super Eagles left back, Ifeanyi Udeze has thumbed up the invitations back to the Super Eagles of some players who were speculated to have quit the national team.
Nigeria head coach, Jose Peseiro has named his squad for the September 27 international friendly against former African champions, Algeria albeit there have been some withdrawals by some of his players through injuries.
Speaking on goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who has not been on national duty since the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, where his gaffe led to a goal scored by Tunisia in the Round of 16 defeat, Udeze opined that two things might have led to his nonavailability since that ouster.
“The medical report from his club then in Holland stated that he had a shoulder injury which saw him miss a lot of games,” Udeze said on Brila FM. Read more
Ex-PSG player Diallo released after questioning over assault on teammate (France24)
A former Paris Saint-Germain women’s player has been released on probation Wednesday following her arrest on suspicions she orchestrated a brutal attack on teammate Kheira Hamraoui, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Aminata Diallo, 27, was detained Friday at the behest of the prosecutor’s office in Versailles, outside Paris, after police arrested her and took her into custody for questioning.
Four other suspects, men allegedly involved in the attack, have also been charged with aggravated violence over the attack last November on Hamraoui, which rocked the women’s football game in France.
Diallo was driving Hamraoui, a star PSG midfielder, home from a club dinner on November 4, 2021, when they were allegedly forced to stop by two masked men. Read more
Scotland impress in beating Ukraine to go top of group (RTE)
Super substitute Lyndon Dykes scored a late double as Scotland moved impressively to the top of their Nations League group with a thumping win over Ukraine at Hampden Park.
After a goalless first half, striker Che Adams and midfielder Stuart Armstrong missed good chances before skipper John McGinn fired home a 70th-minute drive and Dykes headed in twice from fellow replacement Ryan Fraser’s corners for a morale-boosting win.
The Scots had been well-beaten by Ukraine in the 2022 World Cup semi-final play-off in June but they had the measure of Oleksandr Petrakov’s side this time.
Scotland have nine points from four fixtures, two more than Ukraine, and will host Republic of Ireland on Saturday before another meeting with Ukraine in Poland next week in their final Group B1 fixture when promotion to Group A could be on the line. Read more
Barcelona condemn Lionel Messi’s contract leaks and threaten legal action (DailyMail)
Barcelona have threatened to take legal action against a Spanish newspaper over details of the club’s contract negotiations with Lionel Messi.
On Wednesday, El Mundo claimed Messi made a number of requests before he would renew his deal at the Nou Camp in the summer of 2020.
However, Barcelona said the leaked information was part of a judicial procedure.
‘In relation to the information published in El Mundo under the title ‘Barca Leaks, the club’s secret files’, Barcelona express indignation at the intentional leaking of information that is part of a legal process,’ the Catalan club said in a statement. Read more