Eight feared dead as rival youth groups clash in Lagos Island (Guardian)
Residents and traders in some parts of Lagos Island are now living in fear after eight youths were reportedly killed during the renewed bloody clashes between Onola and Okepopo boys at weekend. Many others, including one beggar, sustained fatal injuries during the attack by the miscreants. Also, many traders lost their goods to the mayhem as the warring youths used the opportunity to break into shops and carted away goods. Read more
2019: Why Atiku’s dream will crash, by Tinubu (Nation)
All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday dismissed the plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win the February 16 presidential election. He delivered a firm verdict on PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s ambition, saying he cannot win because Nigerians “will not go back to the illusion of the PDP”. He said no matter the attempt to dress up the former ruling party, “the leopard cannot change its skin”. Read more
Shiites defy military’s threat, vow to continue protest (Punch)
There are strong indications of another clash between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Thursday (today). This followed a vow by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to end the protests even as members of the sect declared that they would continue with their protests at the expense of their lives and until their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, was released from detention. Read more
Minimum wage: Unions begin strike next week, slam govs (Punch)
The Nigeria Labour Congress has rejected the N22, 500 minimum wage recommended by the Nigeria Governors Forum, adding that an indefinite strike shall commence on November 6, 2018. The President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday. The NLC President said the NGF was unknown to law and thus had no right to make such a decision. Read more
Army finds body of missing General (Nation)
It was a grim discovery for the army. The body of a senior officer, a General, found in a shallow well in a remote village in Plateau State. Gen. Idris Alkali (retd.) had been declared missing since September 3. The intensive search for him ended yesterday in a shallow well in Guchwet village, Shen District, Jos South Local Government Area. The late Gen. Alkali was the immediate past Chief of Administration of the Army. Read more
Senate condemns FG for non-payment of fuel subsidy claims (Punch)
The Senate has condemned the Federal Government for not paying the subsidy claims by petroleum product marketers despite approval by the National Assembly since July. At a meeting of stakeholders called by the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream) and held in Abuja on Wednesday, senators took turns to criticise government agencies for allegedly slowing down the process of paying petroleum product marketers what was owed as and when due. Read more
Adeleke, four others arraigned for alleged exam malpractices (Nation)
Senator Ademola Adeleke (Osun West) and four others were yesterday arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja for allegedly engaging in examination malpractices. Also arraigned were Sikiru Adeleke (who is said to be the senator’s relative), Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau (the school principal), Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (registrar) and Dare Samuel Olutope (teacher). Read more
ECOWAS, INEC, others move for peaceful polls (Guardian)
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP) have launched a mechanism to mitigate violence during the 2019 general elections. Named Electoral Violence Monitoring, Analysis and Mitigation (EMAM) project and commissioned at INEC headquarters in Abuja, the move is to facilitate and support local and national response architectures to prevent or mitigate identified threats to the peaceful conduct of the polls. Read more
UK confirms China’s Xinjiang camps exist (CNN)
British diplomats who visited Xinjiang, in China’s remote northwest, have confirmed reports that large numbers of Muslims are being held in so-called “vocational education centers.” UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told Parliament earlier this week that London had viewed the reports which began emerging in recent months “with a lot of concern.” Read more
Third of US see media as enemy – Trump (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh assault on the US media, saying he has “forcefully condemned hatred and bigotry” but this goes unreported. Speaking at a rally in Florida ahead of next week’s mid-term elections, he said a third of Americans believed that the media was “the enemy of the people”. He did not provide evidence for this. Read more
Peru opposition leader jailed until trial (BBC)
A judge in Peru has ordered that opposition leader Keiko Fujimori spend three years in jail while she awaits trial for corruption. Judge Richard Concepción said there was a high risk of Ms Fujimori fleeing Peru. Ms Fujimori has been accused of taking $1.2m (£940,000) in bribes from the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht in 2011. Read more
3SC players hit with food poisoning, 22 hospitalised (Punch)
The Nigeria National League Group B1 between Shooting Stars and Bendel Insurance in Benin has been postponed indefinitely by the management of the league after 3SC players were struck down with stomach illnesses ahead of the clash. Team manager of 3SC, Dimeji Lawal, who confirmed the development, said the players had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Ibadan. He said 22 players were affected by the illnesses suspected to have been contacted after their dinner on Tuesday night. Read more
Chelsea beat Derby in dramatic cup tie (BBC)
Chelsea knocked out Derby in the Carabao Cup fourth round as Frank Lampard’s return to Stamford Bridge as a manager ended in a dramatic defeat. Five goals were scored in a frantic first half, including two own goals from Derby defenders Fikayo Tomori and Richard Keogh. The Championship side came from behind twice through Jack Marriott and Martyn Waghorn. Read more
Housemaid flees with boss property (Punch)
The police are on the trail of an 18-year-old housemaid, identified simply as Queen, for allegedly fleeing with her boss’ property. PUNCH Metro learnt that Queen on October 19 went away with property worth N500,000 belonging to her boss, Omowunmi Odejide. It was gathered that Odejide had returned home from a birthday party around 8pm on the day of the incident to see her two children wandering in the compound. Read more