#EndSARS: Tension, fear in Lagos as Lekki shooting rally looms (Tribune)
THE rally being planned by some Nigerian youths to commemorate the first anniversary of last year’s bloody #EndSARS nationwide protests is heightening tension and generating fear among residents of Lagos State.
Those behind the planned rally have chosen Wednesday, October 20, for the commemoration which the police and the Lagos State government are insisting would not be allowed. Lagos became the epicentre of the protests when, on October 20, 2020, soldiers from Bonny Camp, 81 Division, fired live bullets at protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate and the alleged killings that reportedly attended the shooting led to a global outrage that rattled both the state and federal governments.
The actual number of fatalities at the shooting scene is yet to be established despite multiple testimonies at the judicial panel set up by the state government to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the mayhem and compensate identifiable victims of police brutality. Read more
Falz, Mr Macaroni, react as Landmark pulls out of #EndSARS summit (PMNews)
Mr Macaroni and Falz are among the prominent activists billed to speak at the panel holding on October 20 in Lagos.
The event, marking a year after the shooting of protesters at the Lekki toll gate, is themed the ‘Soro Soke Summit’.
Organisers of the summit had earlier secured the venue to host a memorial in commemoration of one year since the historic #EndSARS protests against police brutality and rights abuses. Read more
Ambode group elects own exco in Lagos APC parallel congress (Tribune)
Lagos State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday held parallel congress across the state as a group led by immediate former governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, under the aegis of Akinwunmi Ambode Campaign Organization (AMCO) took a space at the Baptist Academy, Obakoro, to conduct the exercise.
The congress, which has since commenced as at the time our reporter left the venue, will produce Mrs. Beatrice Omotayo Tugbobo as the APC chairman and Barrister Wasiu Adeyemi Sulaimon as the state Legal Adviser, being the only candidates standing election for their respective post.
Speaking with newsmen, Tugbobo, who admitted that there were factions in Lagos APC, asserted that the exercise, taking place was being conducted in line with the party’s constitution, which she said stipulated that the congress could be held by consensus arrangement or election.
“According to the constitution of APC, you can conduct your congresses whether by consensus or by voting and the agreement from the National Headquarters of APC constitutionally is that we hold our congresses in a consensus manner. Read more
Chike, Gyakie join Fiokee in love riddim “Follow You” (Guardian)
When you blend silky vocals, soothing Afro-fusion melodies and stellar sound engineering, the record is likely to sound like ‘Follow You’, the just-released single from Nigeria’s acclaimed guitarist, Ifiok Effianga. On this record, Effianga, who is acclaimed as Fiokee, collaborates with Afro-RnB sensations, Gyakie and Chike, to create a mesmerizing love melody that is all shades of soothing and exciting.
“Baby know that I’m not crazy/ You know that I’m not lazy/ I will follow you anywhere that you want to go/ And I will let the whole world know that I am in love with you,” the heartwarming chorus from Chike captures the essence of the song, which peels into layers of love professions and honest assurances between lovers. With the Ghanaian lovebird herself taking a verse, laced with Fiokee’s soulful guitar renditions, the track crescendos from the middle right down to the end, like a well-enjoyed meal relished with cold soda.
Talented soundwhiz, Deyasso who also produced some songs off Chike’s debut ‘Boo of the Booless’, creates a soft-groove harmony that illuminates the vocal prowess of each of the singers, while balancing them at the core.
With ‘Follow You’, Fiokee continues to shape his discography with evergreen songs that show the depth of the Akwa Ibom indigene. His earlier releases this year such as, Cut Soap, Plenty, among others, have spotlighted the guitar prodigy as one of the most talented acts in the industry. Having worked with the likes of Tiwa Savage, Teni, Mercy Chinwo, Flavour, Yemi Alade, among others, he has also created a hit-laden portfolio that leaves you exclaiming like his signature song-openers, “Oh my God, Fiokee!”. Read more
FRSC vows to clamp down on vehicles without number plates in Ondo (Punch)
The Federal Road Safety Corps, Ondo State Command, vowed on Saturday in Akure that it would impound vehicles without number plates and those with illegal registration.
Mr Ezekiel SonAllah, State Sector Commander of the corps told the News Agency of Nigeria that the command would ensure that only duly registered vehicles ran on roads in the state.
He said that the command had concluded plans for comprehensive patrol of roads and highways in the state to ensure compliance.
“We have deployed our special patrol teams on the highways and we will continue until we get into a situation where we no longer see unregistered vehicles plying the highways,’’ he said. Read more
Hoodlums disrupt Amosun’s factional congress in Ogun (Punch)
Pandemonium broke out on Saturday when some hoodlums invaded Ake Palace ground, the venue where a faction of the All Progressives Congress loyal to Senator Ibikunle Amosun was holding its congress in Ogun State.
The thugs who invaded the venue shot into the air to disperse the loyalists of Amosun, a former governor of the state.
Our correspondent who was at the venue shortly before the violence broke out, gathered that the venue had earlier been sealed by the police in the state, but was later reopened.
Amosun’s loyalists, drawn from all the local government areas of the state, were just settling down for the business of the day when the thugs invaded the venue. Read more
First mental health fellowship births in Nigeria (Vanguard)
To commemorate this year’s World Mental Health Day held globally on October 10, 2021, Kunle Adewale, a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at the University of California San Francisco, launched the first-ever Mental Health Fellowship in Nigeria.
Themed “Raising Community Champions: The Roles of Youth in Mental Health Advocacy, Education and Engagement”, the inauguration of the Fellowship held virtually on October 10, 2021, by the Mandela Washington Fellow, Kunle Adewale and his team of youths.
Welcoming the over one hundred participants to the health event, Adewale described the Mental Health Fellowship as an initiative driven by young people for young people and the next generation. The program he noted, “Aims to provide an incredible network and professional development opportunities for young people where they can be inspired and inspire one another through peer mentoring and collective community projects on mental health education, advocacy and engagements.”
Adewale added that “Through the Mental Health Fellowship, we aspire to amplify the voices of the youths at local, national, and global arena; doing this through collaboration with the relevant government agencies, NGOs, faith-based organizations, civil societies, Diplomatic Missions among many others”. Read more
NCDC confirms 3,208 deaths from cholera in 31 states, FCT ― NCDC (Vanguard)
As the cholera outbreak continues to hit Nigeria hard, a total of 3,208 deaths have been recorded out of a total of 88,704 suspected cholera cases reported in 366 local government areas of 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, since the beginning of 2021.
Disclosing this in its latest weekly epidemiological situation report for Week 39, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, listed the affected states as Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Rivers, and Zamfara.
From the report, three states – Bauchi (19,451 cases), Kano (12,116 cases), and Jigawa (10,763 cases) account for 48 percent of all cumulative cases even as 11 LGAs across five states – Bauchi (4), Zamfara (3), Jigawa (2), Kano (1), and Katsina (1), have reported more than 1,000 cases each since January 2021.
According to the NCDC, in the reporting week, 35 LGAs in 13 states accounted for 737 suspected cases recorded with a case fatality ratio of 1.5 percent. The states are Yobe (230), Zamfara (136), Bauchi (113), Sokoto (84), Adamawa (42), Katsina (35), Oyo (32), Ebonyi (26), Kebbi (26), Gombe (5), Nasarawa (4), Kano (3) and Abia (1). Read more
Divided Nigeria will not survive – FG (Guardian)
The Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Andrew Adejo, has said that a divided Nigeria cannot survive and prosper.
Adejo, who is also the Secretary, inter-ministerial Committee on “Nigeria at 60” awards, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, while receiving an award on behalf of Mr Boss Mustapha, the SGF.
NAN reports that the award was presented to Boss Mustapha as well as to the Permanent Secretary by “‘Say It Loud” group, organisers of the award initiative.
The Permanent Secretary said that the clamour for the division in Nigeria is not realistic. Read more
Jessica Chastain had one condition before going nude for ‘Scenes From a Marriage’ (NYPost)
Jessica Chastain was only comfortable doing full-frontal nudity in “Scenes From a Marriage” if her co-star, Oscar Isaac, also bared it all.
“I said in the very beginning, ‘I’m comfortable with all the nudity, but any part of my body that you show, you’re going to have to show the same with Oscar,’” the 44-year-old actress shared while visiting “The View” with Isaac on Friday.
Chastain appears nude in a shower scene in the second episode, while Isaac, 42, appears nude in episode four.
“For me, I wanted it to be balanced,” the Golden Globe-winner explained.
Meanwhile, Isaac claims that he “didn’t know” that his full-frontal scene had made it onto the series and was surprised when people started talking about it on social media. Read more
Adele’s record 21 named the biggest selling UK album by a female of all time (Metro)
Adele’s Grammy-winning record 21 is the biggest selling UK album by a woman of all time, it has been revealed.
The singer-songwriter’s second album has accumulated the most UK sales and downloads by any female artist – with more than five million sales, according to figures compiled by the Official Charts Company for BBC Radio 2.
The news was announced during BBC Radio 2’s All-Female Chart Countdown as part of the station’s celebrations for National Album Day.
This year, the station took on the theme of ‘women in music’ and dedicated the whole day to album tracks by female artists. Read more
Britain to ramp up security for its lawmakers, interior minister says (RT)
Protective measures will be reviewed for lawmakers during meetings with voters, the UK interior minister says. After visiting the site of Friday’s fatal stabbing of an MP, she described the incident as an attack on democracy.
“All measures are being put in place for the security of MPs so that they can carry on with their duties as elected democratic members,” Home Secretary Priti Patel said on Saturday. Lawmakers should remain accessible to the public, she added, “to absolutely stand by the principles that we are elected by.”
The statement came following her visit to the church in Leigh-on-Sea where Conservative Party MP David Amess was stabbed to death on Friday. Patel paid tribute to him, alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer.
Amess, who was 69 years old and served most of his life in Parliament, was engaging with the public in a regular meeting known as a constituency surgery. While protection is offered to MPs in Westminster, with armed police patrolling the territory, in their electoral districts, lawmakers are open to anyone who turns up. Read more
Matt Hancock’s exile continues as UN withdraws job offer days after he announced it (Metro)
Matt Hancock has been left red faced after the UN u-turned on appointing him as a special representative.
The former health secretary has made no secret of his wish to reboot his political career since he was forced to quit when he was caught breaking his own social distancing rules by kissing an aide.
On Tuesday Mr Hancock proudly announced he was joining the United Nations in an unpaid role working to help African countries recover from Covid-19.
But his comeback has stalled as it’s emerged the appointment ‘is not being taken forward’.
The UN Economic Commission for Africa ‘has advised him of the matter’, a spokesperson added. Read more
UK leaders pay tribute to slain lawmaker David Amess (DW)
Among British politicians paying tribute Saturday was UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. David Amess was stabbed to death while holding meetings in his constituency east of London on Friday.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Priti Patel were among the politicians who paid tribute to the late Member of Parliament David Amess, 69, on Saturday after he was stabbed to death in his constituency east of London.
Earlier, the Metropolitan Police said the preliminary investigation “has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.” Two locations in London were being searched, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Amess, a long-serving MP in the British Parliament since 1983, was repeatedly stabbed at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea about 40 miles (62 kilometers) east of London on Friday. Read more
Britney Spears ‘fearful of doing something wrong’ after conservatorship ends (Metro)
Britney Spears has admitted she’s ‘fearful’ of her conservatorship ending after her father Jamie Spears was suspended as her conservator.
Britney has not had control over her financial or personal decisions since 2008, when the conservatorship was put in place.
The popstar’s conservatorship is still currently in place, with care professional Jodi Montgomery remaining as her conservator, but Britney has been campaigning to have it removed completely.
However, opening up about her fears, she said on Instagram: ‘I’ll just be honest and say I’ve waited so long to be free from the situation I’m in … and now that it’s here I’m scared to do anything because I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake !!! Read more
Slapfight Nigeria commences training for athletes, officials (Guardian)
Organisers of the epic Slapfight Nigeria on Saturday said that there is an ongoing training session for athletes and official that will be participating in the inaugural combat sport.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Slapfight Nigeria, Abdullrahman Orosanya, said in a statement that the inaugural Slapfight championship will be tagged `slapmania 1.0.’
He noted that the athletes for the sport must follow strictly their dietary advices and shun banned substances.
“There are nutrition, dieting and training regimes that athlete must practice to remain competitive and healthy.
“The athletes must avoid issues of taking no approved or contraband substances and drugs in order to have a clean championship.
“After the required training, the stage will now be set for the maiden Slapfight championship in Lagos in October, 2021,” he said. Read more
Borussia Dortmund: Reus, Haaland score but Malen must wait (DW)
Marco Reus and Erling Haaland were on the scoresheet again as Borussia Dortmund eased past Mainz. But the third member of their attacking trio, new big money signing Donyell Malen, is not yet off the mark in the league.
Sometimes, your luck just isn’t in. Though his team didn’t require any fortune to breeze past a toothless Mainz side and go top of the league, for now at least, Donyell Malen must be starting to wonder when things will turn for him.
The Dutchman was Dortmund’s headline arrival before the season, an exciting forward who scored at a rate of one every two games in the Eredivisie for PSV, set the Bundesliga side back €30 million and would try to fill a Jadon Sancho-shaped hole.
But as Malen was withdrawn with 23 minutes remaining and the game won thanks to a powerful, early Marco Reus strike and a second half penalty from Erling Haaland, he had to accept an eighth Bundesliga game without opening his account. Read more
Barca can still win La Liga, says Koeman (Punch)
Ronald Koeman said on Saturday Barcelona will have a team to win La Liga once their injured players have recovered.
Barca sit ninth in the table ahead of a crunch week that includes league games against Valencia on Sunday and Real Madrid next weekend, with a Champions League match at home to Dynamo Kiev in between.
Koeman suggested Sergio Aguero could be included in the squad to face Valencia, with the former Manchester City striker yet to make his debut for Barca due to a calf injury.
Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Martin Braithwaite and Ronald Araujo are also out while Ansu Fati has only just returned from a long-term knee problem. Read more
Manchester United defend decision to take 10-minute flight to Leicester (Metro)
Manchester United have defended their decision to travel by plane in a bid to beat congestion on the M6 ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match against Leicester City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are back in action after the two-week international break, but were forced to alter their pre-match plans due ‘circumstances’ that were beyond their control, according to the BBC.
United would normally travel by coach or train, but opted to make the 100-mile journey, which took just 10 minutes, by flying to the east Midlands.
Man Utd captain Harry Maguire made his comeback against Leicester after missing the last two games through injury
Short-haul domestic flights have been banned in France in a bid to reduce carbon emissions and help prevent global warming. Read more
Mohamed Salah on cusp of EPL goals record for Africa (Nation)
On Saturday, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah could become the top-scoring African in Premier League history.
One goal against Watford will be enough to equal the record, while two or more means the Egyptian will own it outright.
That record is currently held by Chelsea and Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba, who accumulated 104 goals over two spells with the London club before his eventual departure, for a second time, in 2015.
Salah, who also has a previous affiliation with the European champions, has become one of the Premier League’s most prolific forwards since joining Liverpool from Italians Roma in 2017. Read more
Dani Alves tells Barcelona he wants to return (Metro)
Dani Alves has told Barcelona that he would welcome the chance to return to Camp Nou.
The 38-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Sao Paulo in September following a dispute with the Brazilian club over unpaid image rights.
Alves spent eight seasons at Barcelona and was an integral figure during his time at Camp Nou as he helped the club win six La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies and the Club World Cup on three occasions.
Alves also became the oldest player to win an Olympic gold medal this summer following Brazil’s victory at Tokyo 2020. Read more