#EndSARS: 32 protesters in Lagos, Oyo prisons 2 years after (Punch)
Ending police brutality formed the crux of their movement, “EndSARSNow!’ was the song on their lips, as they marched in Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Osun, and Ondo states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to mention a few. Virtually, there were protests in all the six geo-political zones in the country, with youths seeking the disbandment of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
In the mass protest that began early October 2020, shortly after the Nigerian Labour Congress called off its scheduled nationwide protest, late September, thousands of youths, whose tension was already bottled up by various experiences of police brutalities cum the COVID-19 lockdown, and who could not control their erupting urge for resistance, took to the streets across various states in the country.
Fast forward to October 20, 2020, the protests had grounded Nigeria, gained international attention and supports until the shooting at the Lekki Tollgate in Lagos, by the Nigerian military, began.
It was a silent night, as protesting Nigerian youths began to mourn their colleagues. Admittance and denials began from state authorities, since then, the question: ‘Who ordered the shooting?’ is still being asked. Read more
Lekki tollgate no-go area, police tell ‘Obidients’ (Punch)
The coalition of support groups, Lagos4ObiDatti and the Peter Obi Support Network, says it is set to hold its four million man march on Saturday (today) in designated areas in Lagos.
The Chairman of the Publicity and Media Committee for the coalition, Christopher Ademuyiwa, noted that the march would hold simultaneously in three different locations in the Lagos metropolis.
He listed the locations as Admiralty Gate, Lekki Phase 1; Archbishop Vining Memorial Church, GRA, Ikeja; and FHA Field, 23 Road, FESTAC Town.
But the Federal High in Lagos had on Wednesday made an order stopping the organisers of the ‘#Obidatti23 Forward Ever’ rally from converging on the Lekki tollgate. Read more
In Last Independence Speech: Buhari scores self high (DailyTrust)
President Muhammadu Buhari has scored the performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration high.
Buhari in his last Independence Day Address this morning said the efforts in re-setting the economy manifested in Nigeria as it exited two economic recessions by the very practical and realistic monetary and fiscal measures to ensure effective public financial management.
He added that the effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and cutting down on the cost of governance facilitated early exits from recessions.
President Buhari said his administration had given the desired priority to the agricultural sector through a series of incentives to micro, small and medium scale enterprises that resulted in creating millions of jobs.
“Leading this initiative, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s intervention in a number of areas as well as the Anchor Borrowers Programme had created the required leverages for Nigerians towards self-sufficiency in food and the necessary attraction for farming as a business,” he said. Read more
Saraki congratulates Nigerians (Guardian)
Former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has congratulated Nigerians on the 62nd anniversary of the nation’s independence, saying that the future of the country looks bright despite the present challenges.
Saraki in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, called on Nigerians to reflect on the past achievements of the country, particularly the contributions of the founding fathers towards achieving independence and building a united country.
He said like a part of the national anthem stated, the present generation of Nigeria should ensure that the labour of the past heroes is not in vain as everybody should work to realise the lofty heights the founding fathers envisaged for the country.
“Nigeria remains a country which possesses all the necessary factors for achieving greatness. What is important is for the present generation, both the leaders and the followers, to work for the unity of the country and place the country first before their interests.” Read more
Asake sells out O2 London show in minutes (Vanguard)
Sensational singer, Asake teases new single, ‘Terminator’
Nigerian Afrobeats singer-songwriter, Ahmed Ololade, popularly known as ‘Asake’ has sold out a show at the prestigious O2 Academy Brixton in London in five minutes.
The ‘Terminator’ crooner broke the news in post via his Twitter handle on Friday.
He also announced a second show at the venue to accommodate other interested music lovers. Read more
Lawan, Atiku, Tinubu, governors, others celebrate Nigeria @62 (Punch)
The Senate President and chairman of the National Assembly, Ahmad Lawan, presidential candidates of some political parties, state governors and other leaders have felicitated Nigerians on the 62nd anniversary of the country’s independence.
Also, President Muhammadu Buhari, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Friday exchanged felicitations on the independence anniversaries of the two countries on October 1. While Nigeria marks its 62nd anniversary, China is celebrating its 73rd.
In his letter congratulating the Chinese President, Buhari said relations between the two countries had “achieved far-reaching and fruitful results on the basis of equity, mutual trust and mutual benefits,” adding that Nigeria sought to elevate the strategic partnership to a new level.
On his part, Jinping, said the Sino-Nigerian relations enjoy “sound momentum, with political mutual trust being enhanced, cooperation in various fields yielding fruitful results and coordination on international and regional affairs being closer.” Read more
BeejVibes turns up the heat with new single, ‘Bad’ (Vanguard)
Fast rising artiste, Babatunde Jonathan Johnson also known as BeejVibes is set to make a mark in the music scene with his new single ‘Bad’.
Born in Atlanta to Nigerian parents, BeejVibes affinity for music is evident in his lyrics, hooks and melodies. After casually writing and recording ideas on voice notes for a year, it was not until February 2021 that he decided to do a studio recording.
His writing patterns are heavily influenced by his favorite artist, Drake, different afro-genres, and years of watching rap battles on the Ultimate Rap League platform. BeejVibes has released a couple of songs, with afrobeats emphasis in the production, but also makes R&B and rap as well. He has collaborated with artistes and producers including Dami Oniru, David Meli, Phaemous, and Masterdon to name a few.
Gospel singer Victoria Orenze releases new album (Punch)
Gospel singer and pastor, Victoria Orenze, has released her fourth album, titled Truth in Sounds.
The Covenant Keeping God crooner, who recently headlined a worship concert in the United Kingdom, released the 13-track album on all digital platforms on Thursday.
In a statement made available to The PUNCH, the gospel singer noted that the album was aimed at making Christians know God by his word and introducing unbelievers to Jesus.
Orenze, a lead pastor at Jesus Unhindered Church, said, “The Bible is The Truth and because of its timeless nature the words in it can be trusted. There is truly nothing new under the sun that has not been captured in The Bible.”
Published under Kadosh Music, Truth in Sounds was recorded live with the Usound United band. All 13 songs on the album are written and produced by Pastor Victoria, with one song featuring Nathaniel Bassey on the trumpet. Read more
Mel B teases Spice Girls tour – despite Mel C denying Glastonbury appearance (Metro)
Melanie Brown has seemingly suggested a Spice Girls tour is in the works and, should this be happening, well, we can’t contain our excitement!
Mel B, also known as Scary Spice, has said the girl power group will be back for a string of shows in 2023 and fans have gone wild for the announcement.
‘To ALL our fans get ready for#spiceworld25yippppeeee its here at long last!!!! Boom#girlpower #foryou#friendshipneverends#spicetour2023,’ she wrote.
Our excitement *may* be short-lived, though, seeing as organisers have not yet officially confirmed such a tour. Read more
Cyclone Ian batters South Carolina in second US landfall (BBC) Post-Tropical Cyclone Ian is lashing South Carolina in its second US landfall after carving a swathe of deadly destruction across Florida.
Ian returned as a category one hurricane near Georgetown at 14:05 local time (18:05 GMT) on Friday before losing some power as it marched inland.
But the danger is not over. Flooding is projected to continue throughout the region, including in Florida, for days.
Florida emergency officials announced 21 deaths as of Friday morning.
But a state medical examiner must determine if all the fatalities are directly related to the storm. Read more
Apple executive fired after TikTok claim he fondles ‘big breasted’ women (Metro)
A senior Apple executive has been sacked after a TikTok video showed him joking about fondling women.
Tony Blevins, a key player in the company’s supply chain operations, was filmed inside his $500,000 (£450k) Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
When questioned about what he did for a living, the tech executive responded he ‘I have rich cars, play golf and fondle big-breasted women, but I take weekends and major holidays off’.
Blevins had been approached by TikTok content creator Daniel Mac at a car show as part of a video series in which Mac asks owners of expensive cars their occupations. Read more
Russia proclaims annexation of Ukraine territories (VOA)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday proclaimed the annexation of four Ukraine regions, even as Ukraine announced its military was achieving significant results in the country’s east.
“People living in Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson region and Zaporizhzhia region are becoming our compatriots forever,” Putin said during a ceremony at the Kremlin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded in his Friday evening video address by saying, “We have significant results in the east of our country … everyone has heard what is happening in Lyman.”
Even as Putin moved forward with annexation, Ukrainian troops encircled hundreds of Russian troops at one of their main garrisons in northern Donetsk, near the city of Lyman. Read more
Mistress who helped catch wife-killer talked to victim the day she was murdered (NYPost)
A murdered Colorado woman told her husband’s mistress she was “done” with the man the day he strangled her and staged her death to look like an accident.
Susan McBride told “Dateline” in a Friday episode she reached out to the late Stacy Feldman the fateful day she was murdered to confess she was in a relationship with Robert Feldman
“I said, ‘My name’s Susan McBride. You don’t know me, but I met your husband on a dating site called Tinder. He told me you had been separated for quite some time. If you’re not separated, you should know that he’s cheating on you,’” McBride said, recalling the March 1, 2015, conversation.
Stacy confirmed that she and Robert were not separated. Read more
Military officers remove Burkina Faso leader (BBC)
An army captain in Burkina Faso has announced on national television that he has ousted military leader Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba.
Ibrahim Traore cited Lt Col Damiba’s inability to deal with an Islamist insurgency as the reason.
He also announced that borders were closed indefinitely and all political activities were suspended.
Lt Col Damiba’s junta overthrew an elected government in January, citing a failure to halt Islamist attacks.
But his administration has also not been able to quell the jihadist violence. On Monday, 11 soldiers were killed when they were escorting a convoy of civilian vehicles in the north of the country. Read more
Taylor Swift to embark on ‘ambitious’ stadium tour next summer (PageSix)
‘Tis the damn season.
Taylor Swift is plotting a massive stadium tour for the summer of 2023, multiple sources tell Page Six exclusively.
“Taylor has some really ambitious plans in place,” one insider teases. “She’s excited to get back on the road after such a long but fruitful break.”
A second source shares that several shows have already been booked.
Swift’s rep did not respond to Page Six’s multiple requests for comment.
The “Betty” singer, 32, was due to go on tour in 2020 in support of her seventh studio album, “Lover,” but she was forced to cancel the dates once COVID-19 swept the world. Read more
Fumbling Super Eagles put Peseiro under fire (DailyTrust)
In May 2022, Portuguese gaffer, José Vítor dos Santos Peseiro, was appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) because of his impressive resume as it was believed he came highly recommended by a former Chelsea and Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho.
The then NFF Vice President, Shehu Dikko had said Peseiro’s wealth of experience gave him the edge over other candidates.
“He has coached across the world, in Asia, in Europe, South America, in Africa.
“He has worked with big coaches like (Jose) Mourinho and (Carlos) Queiroz, coached at a big club like Real Madrid, coached big players and small players, coached in the World Cup qualifiers, UEFA Cup, UEFA Champions League and so on. He is also well educated, with a Masters degree in Sports Science.
“He might not have won anything but we believe he’ll bring value to our team,” he said. Read more
Nigeria may lose 15-year-old Akinmboni to US (Guardian)
Matai Akinmboni is a highly talented 15-year-old left-footed centre-back, currently trending as the third youngest footballer to make a professional debut in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.
He also added another achievement to his kitty by being part of the starting line-up for DC United in the match against Real Salt Lake in Sandy, Utah. Although he was born in Maryland, his parents are of Nigerian heritage.
His father and mother, Taiye and Abiola Akinmboni were born in Idanre, Ondo and Lagos State respectively.
Standing at 6’2ft, Matai joined Freddy Adu and Alphonso Davies to imprint his name on the historical roll call of youths, who made their first appearance on the professional stage at record-breaking ages. Read more
Drama, vote-buying allegations as Gusau emerges new NFF president (Punch)
Ibrahim Gusau, on Friday, emerged as the 35th President of the Nigeria Football Federation, following the election held on Friday in Benin City, the Edo State capital, Saturday PUNCH reports.
Gusau was elected as the new president of the NFF at the body’s 78th Elective Congress held at the Edo Heritage Hotel, replacing long-term incumbent Amaju Pinnick.
At the end of the first session of voting, Gusau had 21 votes, which was enough to defeat the outgoing NFF VP Seyi Akinwunmi, who came in second with 12 votes. The second runner-up Shehu Dikko, the other outgoing NFF VP, garnered six votes, while Abba Yola and Idah Peterside both had one vote each.
When it was obvious that a clear winner did not emerge as a result of FIFA rule, which states that the winner must score up to 51% of the total votes cast, a re-run was needed for a winner to emerge. Read more
National Stadium comes alive as Ojez Entertainments reopen (Guardian)
Sports and social activities at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos are set to return in full swing with the reopening of Ojez Entertainments this weekend.
Sports Minister, Sunday Dare, has given approval for the reopening of Ojez Entertainment Center having been closed since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The management of Ojez Entertainments said they have rebranded and are fully prepared to render entertainment and sporting services like never before.
“We really thank the Honourable Minister for giving us the opportunity to reopen. We are creating an atmosphere for sports and social engagements as it is done in other stadia around the world. Read more
Pep Guardiola hits out at criticism of Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez (Metro)
Pep Guardiola has hit back at critics of Lisandro Martinez and insists his height won’t prevent him from combatting the goal threat of Erling Haaland in Sunday’s Manchester derby.
The Argentina international has already secured cult hero status at Old Trafford following a series of combative displays during the course of United’s recent revival.
Many pundits, most notably Jamie Carragher, have argued that Martinez’s stature would see him targeted and outmuscled in the Premier League and the former Liverpool defender suggested on Friday that it was far too premature to label the summer recruit from Ajax an unqualified success.
He wrote in the Daily Telegraph: ‘United’s defence has impressed since the calamitous performance against Brentford and Martinez has been central to that. Since he was paired with Varane, they have kept three clean sheets in five games. But, long-term, the reservations I had when first seeing Martínez remain. Read more
Klopp backs Alexander-Arnold after England omission (BBC)
Jurgen Klopp would pick “exceptional” Trent Alexander-Arnold in any team after the full-back was overlooked by England manager Gareth Southgate.
The Liverpool defender, 23, did not figure against Italy and was dropped from the squad that drew with Germany.
Reds boss Klopp says there is “space for improvement” in Alexander-Arnold’s defensive game, but his offensive ability is “so extreme”.
“I’d decide obviously differently, but I’m not in charge,” said Klopp.
“My point of view, it’s an easy pick. Whichever team I would coach in the moment, I would sign him because he is exceptional.” Read more