Drug Abuse: Lagos building one of Africa’s largest rehab centre (Tribune)
Lagos State government, on Monday, said it is currently building a rehabilitation centre, considered to be one of the largest in Africa, to address issues of increasing victims of drug abuse in the state as the impact of drug abuse continued to assume a disturbing dimension in the country.
Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Investment, Mrs Solape Hammond, made this known at a press conference to unveil the official launch of a platform, tagged: “Lagos SDGs Youth Alliance,” designed to engage youths in productive ventures.
“There is a lot of intervention around drug abuse. We are building one of the largest rehabilitation centres in Africa currently as we speak,” she said.
Hammond lamented the effects of the increasing rate of drug abuse among youths in the country, saying the state government was much aware of the menace and had been taking proactive measures to confront the impacts on the society, assuring that it would be unrelenting in the measures. Read more
UI, UNILAG, Covenant listed in World Best University ranking (Guardian)
Nigerian tertiary institutions – University of Ibadan (UI), University of Lagos (UNILAG), Covenant University among others were listed in the 2022 World Best University ranking.
Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the University of Ibadan (UI) as the best University in Nigeria.
The 2022 World University Ranking published recently listed the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in the second place (501-600) and Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State third position (601-800), respectively.
University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) was in the 4th position (1201+), the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in the 5th place (1201+), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in the 6th position (1201+) and the Lagos State University (LASU) occupying the 7th place on the table. Read more
Plateau: Women, children, masquerades dance as lawmaker inaugurate N232m road project (Sun)
Women, children and the masquerades sang and dance yesterday as Member representing Shendam, Quan-Pan, Mikang Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Alphonsus Komsol inaugurated the construction of Gidan Adamu-Kwap-kuwa road in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau state.
Komsol, while inaugurating the road project, urged Nigerians to reject politicians who are agitating for secession of Nigeria.
“I am happy today that I am flagging the construction of this road. The road is linking to several villages including my village and I don’t have to go and lobby the Governor or Local Government Chairman to construct the road but I have told myself that before 2023, this road should be motorable.
“Anybody who knows the Workin of the National Assembly, you will have to domicile your constituency fund with a company, this fund is domicile with the Lower Basin development Authority and I will have to domicile another money in 2022 before the project can be completed and by the grace of God, the road will be completed before the end of my tenure.”
He urged the contractor to ensure quality job in accordance to specification and called on the Lower Basin Development Authority to release fund whenever the contractor raise a certificate.
“I want to assure members of this community that we have agreed with the contractor that people that will be needed to work on the road, either engineers or labourers will be source from the community. Read more
Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer sues DSS for alleged human rights violation (Punch)
Maxwell Opara, one of the lawyers for the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has dragged the Department of State Services before the Federal High Court Abuja for allegedly violating his fundamental human right.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1018/2021, Opara is demanding compensation of N50 million for the infringement on his right to dignity of the human person.
Opara alleged that the DSS interfered with his right during his routine visit to his client who was being detained in the DSS facility.
Consequently, he also prayed the court to compel the DSS and its Director-General to issue a written apology and publish same in two national daily newspapers. Read more
Celebrities react to Johnny Drille’s debut album “Before We Fall Asleep” (Leadership)
Nigerian singer, Johnny Drille, released his long awaited debut album tilted ‘Before We Fall Asleep’ in the early hours of Friday, September 3, 2021, to rave reviews.
This is the first body of work by the Mavin Artiste, who was signed by Don Jazzy in 2017, after he released a cover of ‘Awww’ by fellow Mavin Artiste, Di’ja.
The singer admitted that the album has been long coming and assured fans that he put his heart into making it a special project.
“God knows I’ve waited for this moment and now we are finally here. This album is a piece of my heart in words and letters to you,” he wrote on a Twitter post.
Celebrities from Don Jazzy to Ric Hassani have also taken to social media to praise the new project. Read more
Nigeria troops raid bandit camps in northwest (France24)
Nigerian troops backed by gunships and fighter jets are carrying out an offensive against kidnap gangs in a northwestern state, where the authorities have shut down telecom services, security sources and locals told AFP Monday.
The military operation and communications blackout in Zamfara state came after gunmen kidnapped more than 73 school students in the latest mass abduction by heavily-armed criminals known locally as bandits.
On Saturday, military jets began air raids on remote camps of gangs and troops moved after the authorities imposed a telecommunication shutdown aimed at disrupting contacts and coordination between the gunmen.
“Several camps have been raided, a large number of the bandits have been neutralised,” said a security source with knowledge of the operations. Read more
Pastor’s wife, daughters abducted as gunmen break into FCT home (Guardian)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 45-year-old woman and two of her daughters at Pegi community in Kuje outskirts of Abuja.
The victim was identified as Oladapo Bukola. Her daughters, Moyo Oladapo, 17, and Glory Oladapo, 14, were also kidnapped around 1.04 a.m on Sunday, September 5.
It was gathered that the woman’s husband, Pastor Gabriel Oladapo, was out of Abuja when the gunmen attacked the home.
The trio was abducted two days after a father, Abdullahi Benda, and his 23-year-old son, Jibrin Abdullahi Benda, was kidnapped at Yangoji village, in Kwali outskirts of FCT.
The spokesman of the FCT police command, ASP Daniel Y Ndiparya, confirmed the incident. He said efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims unhurt. Read more
Business activities grounded in Imo despite IPOB suspension of sit-at-home (Punch)
For the fifth week running, commercial activities in various parts of Imo State, mainly at the urban centers, were paralysed on Monday, just as few vehicles were seen on the roads.
This is consequent to the sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra on Monday.
Artisans, civil servants, banks, schools, business centres, and markets — including streets/roadside trading — were also affected. Read more
Guinea coup: Soldiers seek to tighten grip after ousting Alpha Condé (BBC)
A group of soldiers who ousted Guinea’s President Alpha Condé from power on Sunday have ordered the country’s cabinet to attend a mandatory meeting on Monday.
Those who refuse to attend the 11:00 GMT meeting will be considered rebels, a statement on state TV said.
President Condé remains in detention, but his fate is unclear.
The UN, African Union, and regional body Ecowas have condemned the coup and called for a return to civilian rule. Read more
Afghan filmmakers warn against Taliban: “Imagine a country without artists” (FirstPost)
There was moving testimony from Afghan filmmakers at the Venice Film Festival this weekend, as two female directors warned against trusting the Taliban’s promises.
“In just two weeks, the most brilliant elements have left the country, at least those who were able,” 38-year-old director Sahraa Karimi told reporters at the festival on Saturday. “Imagine a country without artists,” added Karimi, who has won several international prizes for her work.
She said the Afghan film industry had entirely stopped “in the space of a few hours” after the sudden takeover by the Taliban last month in the wake of the US military’s withdrawal. “The archives are now under the control of the Taliban. The work of directors vanished in a few hours. Some were able to leave with their computers, others with nothing at all.”
Her fellow Sahra Mani, known for a documentary about victims of incest A Thousand Girls Like Me, added: “This collapse meant we lost everything.” Read more
Celebrity couples who divorced and got remarried (WomensHealth)
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
We all know the on again, off again love story of Liz and Dick, but it turns out they aren’t the only celebrities to marry (and divorce) twice. From Old Hollywood unions to some of today’s most talked-about couples, these famous stars prove that you don’t always get it right on the first try—and that’s okay!
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were both married when they met on the set of Cleopatra. The actors left their spouses for one another, got married in 1964, and after 10 years divorced in 1974. Don’t worry: The following year, they reunited and eloped in Botswana, but divorced *again* in 1976.
Pamela Anderson and Rick Salomon
Pamela Anderson wed her longtime friend, Rick Salomon, in Las Vegas in October 2007. It was the Baywatch star’s third marriage, but it didn’t last long, as she petitioned for an annulment two months later. The couple’s marriage was annulled in 2008 and Pamela reunited with her other ex-husband, Tommy Lee, shortly after. Ready for a curveball? In 2014, Pamela and Rick shocked everyone when they announced they’d secretly tied the knot for the second time. Their union lasted six months this time. Read more
Netflix’s next period drama looks even steamier than “Bridgerton” (Nylon)
Golden Globe winner Emma Corrin is returning to Netflix as the lead of a steamy new period drama. The British actress is starring in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, an episodic adaptation of the classic novel by D.H. Lawrence.
Following her success as Princess Diana in The Crown, this series gives Corrin, who uses she/they pronouns, another chance to play a love-torn wife. Only this time, they’re in the English countryside instead of Windsor Palace. The upcoming television series uses a forbidden romance to unveil the complexities between the upper class and the world around them, and it’s very raunchy.
In fact, Lady Chatterley’s Lover is famously known for being a scandalous text. The original book was published in Italy in 1928, then re-released in France in 1929. After some heavy editing, an additional version was published in England. However, the book did not make it overseas until the 1960s, after being the subject of an obscenity trial for its provocative plot.
As we know, Netflix is not one to shy away from a spicy romance (see, like, all of Bridgerton), so this acquisition comes as no surprise. If anyone can make this, and make it right, it’s the streamer. Read more
Float: Small town swimming pool is stage for Scotland’s unexpected love story (Scotsman)
A seaside town’s swimming pool might not be the most obvious place for a new Scottish love story to unfold.
But it’s certainly not the most unusual thing about BBC Scotland’s groundbreaking new mini-series Float.
The six-part show, which explores an intense and complex relationship formed between two female lifeguards, is made up of episodes just 10 minutes long.
And the first part of the queer coming-of-age story was shot two years before the remaining episodes, after plans to return to Helensburgh Leisure Centre were held up by the Covid pandemic. Read more
Ann Arbor home of late Black poet Robert Hayden could get historic designation (MLive)
Ann Arbor is considering granting historic status to a home where the University of Michigan English department’s first Black faculty member once lived.
Known as the Robert Hayden House, it stands at 1201 Gardner Ave. in Ann Arbor’s Lower Burns Park neighbourhood.
“Hayden wrote some of the most powerful Black history poems in the English language,” Jill Thacher, the city’s historic preservation coordinator, wrote in a memo to City Council detailing Hayden’s biography and accomplishments.
He was “one of the most important Black American poets in American history,” Thacher said of Hayden, who wrote about historical Black figures such as Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X and Harriet Tubman and about topics such as the Underground Railroad, Civil War and American slavery.
Hayden, born in Detroit in 1913, attended Detroit City College and later the University of Michigan, where he won a prestigious Hopwood Award for aspiring writers, Thacher said. After finishing his degree in 1942, he taught at UM for several years, becoming the English department’s first Black faculty member. Read more
Lindelof welcomes Varane competition at Man United (Punch)
Manchester United defender, Victor Lindelof, has welcomed the competition brought by Raphael Varane who joined the Premier League side from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window.
The position United signed Varane for is currently jostled for by Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Teden Mengi and Lindelof.
However, Lindelof believes that United’s current competitive situation will help the club’s players develop.
The 27-year-old Swedish captain made this known while speaking to the media in his homeland ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier in Greece.
“I think it’s great,” Lindelof told Fotballdirekt. Read more
Brazil v Argentina: FIFA ‘regrets’ scenes leading to match suspension (BBC)
FIFA says it “regrets” the scenes leading to the suspension of Brazil and Argentina’s World Cup qualifier which stopped “millions of fans” from enjoying the game.
Sunday’s match was abandoned just after kick-off after Brazilian health officials objected to the participation of three Argentine players they say broke quarantine rules.
Fifa said it had received the first reports from match officials, which will now be analysed by “the competent disciplinary bodies”.
No date for the rearranged fixture has been set. Read more
Red Bull was willing to sacrifice Dutch GP win to cover Hamilton (MotorSport)
Red Bull was prepared for Max Verstappen to sacrifice victory to Valtteri Bottas in Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix if it guaranteed finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes employed a strategy split between its two drivers at Zandvoort on Sunday in a bid to try to overhaul Verstappen’s Red Bull at the front of the field.
Hamilton was put on to an aggressive two-stop strategy while Bottas tried to make a one-stop work.
The hope from Mercedes was that by diverging the strategy of its two drivers, it would leave Red Bull in a tricky situation is having to choose which one to cover.
In the middle phase of the race, as Bottas headed the field, there was a period where it looked like the Finn would be in with a shot at gunning for the victory. Read more
Shelby Rogers has gone from journeywoman to US Open star (NYPost)
Teenagers have been all the rage at this US Open. But it’s a journeywoman who has pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament. And what a journey it’s been for Shelby Rogers.
After the 28-year-old American knocked off top-seeded Ashleigh Barty — her first-ever win against a world No. 1 — she’s clearly become the Flushing Meadows fan favourite heading into Monday’s Round of 16 tilt with Emma Raducanu.
The crowd helped carry Rogers past Barty, against whom she’d been 0-5. And the South Carolinian is counting on a home-court advantage again versus Radacanu.
“I just think the energy that they brought and sheer will and passion that they were providing there in the stadium [Saturday] was truly incredible,” Rogers said. “Sometimes when you’re in an empty stadium or on the back court [at] midnight, it’s tough to muster up some of this courage yourself; so it’s always helpful to have other people cheer you on and encourage you. That was definitely a factor. Read more
Paul Pogba hails Cristiano Ronaldo and warns Manchester United team-mates he’ll ‘raise level’
(Metro)
Manchester United star Paul Pogba says it will be a ‘pleasure’ to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and says the Portugal captain will ‘raise’ the club’s level.
The 36-year-old rejoined the Red Devils last week in a shock move that saw Ronaldo sign a two-year deal with his former club.
The move came completely out of the blue, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stressing just 48 hours before an agreement was struck with Ronaldo that the club did not plan on making any further additions in the window.
But Solskjaer couldn’t resist the chance to sign his former team-mate and United’s title chances have increased with Ronaldo back at the club. Read more
Jean-Pierre Adams: Former France international dies after 39 years in coma (BBC)
Former France footballer Jean-Pierre Adams, who had been in a coma for 39 years, has died at the age of 73.
Adams was admitted to hospital for knee surgery in March 1982 but never regained consciousness after an error with his supply of anaesthetic.
Born in Senegal, the defender made more than 140 appearances for Nice and also played for Paris St-Germain.
In a statement, PSG said Adams’ “joie de vivre, charisma and experience commanded respect”. Read more