Ex-convict arrested for stealing generators in Lagos (Punch)
Officials of the Rapid Response Squad have arrested an ex-convict, Yekini Opeyemi, 35, for stealing two generators around the Odo-Iya Alaro, Ojota area of Lagos State.
Opeyemi, who was reportedly working as a guard at Ojota New Garage, was nabbed while trying to load two generator sets into a Volkswagen Golf car
Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Hundeyin, the driver on sighting police officers sped off, leaving Yekini behind. Read more
LASTMA advocates establishments of more traffic safety clubs in schools (Independent)
As part of efforts geared towards improving Traffic Management across the state, Mr Bolaji Oreagba, General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has called for the establishment of more ‘Traffic Safety Advocacy Clubs’ in both Public and Private schools.
Mr Oreagba made this call on Thursday during an interactive session with Students of ‘Dee-Gee Secondary School’, Ebute Metta, Lagos who came on a courtesy visit to commemorate with him on the occasion of his 365 days in office.
He remarked that he was the Director of Operations before he was appointed as the General Manager of LASTMA by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on the 14th of September, 2021.
The LASTMA boss disclosed that the establishment of more of these Clubs in our School would go a long way in inculcating Traffic Safety measures into our students at a tender age. Read more
Lagos driver steals employer’s property on resumption day (Punch)
The Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Monday, has remanded a 46-year-old driver, Samuel Harrison, for stealing his boss’s N8.1m property on his first day of duty in the Lekki area of the state.
Harrison was arraigned on two-count of conspiracy and stealing before Magistrate O. O Fajana.
The defendant was charged with stealing his employer’s car and other valuables worth N8.1m.
The prosecutor, Inspector Funmilayo Akinleye, told the court that the defendant committed the offense on July 9 in the Lekki area of the state.
She said one Janet Essien had hired the defendant to be her driver. The defendant, however, ran away with the car after she dropped Essien at the salon.
Akinleye said the defendant committed the offence on his first day of work, adding that he ran away with two Iphones worth N600,000 and one Apple laptop worth N550,000 that were inside the car. Read more
UK-based Nigerian DJ commits suicide (Vanguard)
A Nigerian disc jockey (DJ) resident in the United Kingdom, Olaniyi Oladigbo, has killed himself after coping with a long time of depression.
According to a Facebook post by Philip Oyewale, a pastor with Pentecostal Baptist Church (PBC), Oladigbo committed suicide on Tuesday.
The pastor said the deceased’s wife called on the phone to inform him about the passing of her husband.
Oyewale in his post revealed that Oladigbo had raised the issue of battling depression and insomnia a few weeks before his demise. Read more
FG, UNICEF partner on rural water supply (ThisDay)
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has recently collaborated with United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) with the goal of improving and sustaining water supply in rural communities.
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu disclosed this at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the implementation of the national Village Level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM) strategy in Abuja.
The minister further said that the essence of Village level Operation and Maintenance (VLOM), was to address the baseline challenges and create communication channels with 100% functionality in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Adamu who spoke through Mr. Emmanuel Awe, Director of water quality control and sanitation, also said lack of maintenance and monitoring of water facilities results in frequent breakdown and abandonment of the facilities by affected communities. Read more
British High Commission holds service of commemoration for Queen Elizabeth II (Vanguard)
The British High Commission held a Service of Commemoration in honour of departed Queen Elizabeth II in Lagos on Wednesday.
Queen Elizabeth II, UK’s longest-serving monarch, died on September 8 at her Scottish estate, at Balmoral where she had spent much of the summer. She was aged 96. She spent 70 of those years on the throne.
Wednesday’s Service of Commemoration was held at the residence of the Deputy British High Commissioner, Mr Ben Llewellyn-Jones.
He said the departed queen showed professionalism and dedication during her reign.
“All through her days on the throne, she showed professionalism and dedication that she became renowned for in public service.
“Her Majesty talked about politics and ensured stability of government as she was at the centre of British life. Read more
National Security Council disbands NATFORCE (DailyTrust)
The National Security Council (NSC) has urged those behind the creation of National Taskforce on the Prohibition of Illegal Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons and Pipeline Vandalism (NATFORCE) to disband the “illegal” outfit or be forced to do so by security agencies.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, announced this Thursday while briefing State House reporters alongside his Police Affairs counterpart, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, after the NSC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Bill to legalise the NATFORCE is currently being considered in the National Assembly amid opposition from security experts.
Aregbesola said the highest security executive body expressed satisfaction with the performance of security agencies in the fight against insecurity. Read more
ASUU Strike: Commuters stranded on Ibadan-Ife Expressway as students protest (Channels)
Thousands of commuters were stranded along the Ibadan-Ife Expressway on Thursday after the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) mounted a roadblock at Gbongan Bypass.
The students are protesting the nine-month-long strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Speaking to Channelstv.com, NANS spokesperson, Giwa Yisa Temitope, said Nigerian students are tired of staying at home. He added that the Federal Government has failed young people.
On Wednesday, the students also blocked the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to protest against the lingering dispute between ASUU and the Federal Government. They blocked the inbound and outbound sections of the expressway. Read more
We will cage all known terrorists, bandits, kidnapping sponsors before 2023 elections, DSS boss Bichi assures (Sun)
The Department of State Services (DSS) has vowed to cage all individuals and groups responsible for the insecurity ravaging the country before the 2023 general elections.
The DSS said that it would go after those perceived to be sponsoring activities of terrorists, bandits, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country, irrespective of their political, religious and public status.
The Service indicated that it has collated the data of such persons in readiness to effect their arrest any moment from now.
The move, according to DSS Director General Mohammed Yusuf Bichi, is to pave way for a smooth, free, fair and safe conduct of the 2023 general elections in the country.
Bichi, made this known at a ceremony organised by the staff of the Service to mark his four years in office, unveiling of a book written in his honour and the renewal of another four-year term in office by President Mohammadu Buhari, held at the service headquarters Wednesday night. Read more
Halle Bailey is “truly in awe” as black girls react to ‘The Little Mermaid’ teaser (Deadline)
Halle Bailey is the star of Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. A teaser for the film directed by Rob Marshall was released during the D23 Expo and the reactions have been outstanding.
Parents have recorded their kids reacting to the short clip of Bailey singing “Part of Your World.” The trend that went viral on TikTok features Black girls watching the video and being surprised when seeing Bailey’s skin tone.
“She’s brown like me,” one girl said.
The reactions have moved people on social media showcasing that representation matters. Many fans started tagging Bailey and she ended up retweeting one of the supercut reaction videos shared online. Read more
George Clooney launches new specialized film and television production high school in Los Angeles (DailyMail)
With classrooms opening all across the country, George Clooney opened a brand new school in Los Angeles on Wednesday, aimed at helping future filmmakers.
The 61-year-old actor and filmmaker helped open the Roybal School of Film and Television Production Magnet in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.
He was joined by fellow actors and Roybal Advisory Board Members Don Cheadle and Mindy Kaling for the school’s launch.
Clooney stepped out with a navy blue polo shirt and light blue jeans for the event on Wednesday. Read more
Skydance scraps Matthew McConaughey soccer movie ‘Dallas Sting’ weeks ahead of production (THR)
Skydance is no longer moving forward with Dallas Sting, a soccer project starring Matthew McConaughey that was to be directed by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Kari Skogland.
The pulling of the plug occurs as the inspirational drama was only six weeks away from beginning production and was almost fully cast.
The feature project, set in 1984, was to tell the true story of a Dallas girls soccer team that traveled to China and, against the odds, defeated some of the best women’s teams in the world. McConaughey was to play coach Bill Kinder, who led the team to victories over Australia, Japan and China and finally Italy in the championship game.
Sources say Skydance and the producers received disturbing allegations surrounding aspects of the true story on which the drama was based. That investigation led Skydance and the producers to pull the plug, according to sources.
Leonardo DiCaprio keeps a low profile in NYC after night out with Gigi Hadid (PageSix)
Leonardo DiCaprio rocked his usual baseball hat while keeping a low profile on Wednesday following his night out with girlfriend Gigi Hadid over the weekend.
The “Revenant” star, 47, took a spin around New York City in a white collared shirt, black shorts and a gray baseball hat. He concealed the bottom half of his face with a gray mask during the weekday escape with friends.
Just last night, the actor partied with his friends, including art dealer Helly Nahmad, at the swanky members-only hotspot Casa Cipriani.
Spies told Page Six that the “Wolf of Wall Street” actor donned his signature all-black ensemble paired with a baseball cap — the same outfit he wore while hanging with Hadid just a couple of days prior.
The actor and his new leading lady were spotted getting a little handsy at a party thrown by DiCaprio’s friend Richie Akiva and Darren Dzienciol at a loft in SoHo on Saturday.
Photos from the party showed the pair wrapped up in conversation while DiCaprio rested his hands on the model’s shoulders.
Hadid had no problem with the close Read more
Brandy And John Legend tapped for Audible’s ‘Words + Music’ series (Vibe)
Brandy and John Legend have been tapped by Audible for their Words + Music series. Variety reported on Tuesday (Sept. 13) that the two R&B acts are set to be featured on the series’ final 2022 episodes. Legend’s “Living Legend” will premiere on Monday (Oct. 3), while Brandy’s “A New Moon” will debut on Friday (Dec. 2).
“Living Legend” will see John narrating his career with stories about how he met Kanye West and how that relationship led to his stage name. The audio series will highlight the artist’s obstacles and wins, from the church to EGOT status. John Legend’s episode will be recorded live from Ronnie Scott’s in London, where the singer will “reflect on faith, freedom, and love” and how it has “followed him throughout his life.”
Music has always been how I express emotion and how I spread love and compassion,” Legend said about his love for music. “I hope that hearing the stories behind my music gives the songs a deeper meaning. It has been a fulfilling and wonderful experience to revisit these times in my life.” Read more
R&B singer R Kelly found guilty on child pornography charges (France24)
R&B singer R. Kelly was found guilty on Wednesday on multiple charges of child pornography and luring underage girls to have sex with him but not guilty of obstructing a 2008 state case that ended with his acquittal.
In his latest trial, Kelly – whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly – was found guilty by a jury on six out of 13 counts, prosecutors said.
He was found guilty of three child pornography counts and three counts of enticing minors for sex, but acquitted of seven other charges that included obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to receive child pornography.
In Chicago, a conviction of just one count of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years. Read more
Woman arrested in S. Korea over deaths of 2 kids found in New Zealand suitcases (NYPost)
A woman in South Korea has been arrested over the deaths of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in New Zealand last month, police said.
The 42-year-old woman, whose name was not released, was arrested Thursday by South Korean authorities on a murder arrest warrant at the request of New Zealand police.
The children were found Aug. 11 in Auckland after a family was rifling through the contents of an unclaimed storage locker they had purchased in an online auction the previous week.
Inside suitcases, they found the remains of two “primary school-aged children.” Read more
Osimhen will be available for Algeria friendly –Finidi (Sun)
Super Eagles’ first assistant coach, Finidi George is hopeful Victor Osimhen can feature for Nigeria when they trade tackles with Algeria in this month’s international friendly.
The two former African champions will lock horns at the Stade Olympique d’Oran in Bir El Djir on September 27.
Head coach, Jose Peseiro will target bringing in the best Nigerian legs available to shoot down the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winner.
Already, the Portuguese manager will be without the injured Super Eagles stars Jamilu Collins, Umar Sadiq, Akinkumi Amoo and Semi Ajayi. The quartet faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering various serious injuries. Read more
NFF Elections: I have not stepped down, says Amadu (DailyTrust)
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Presidential candidate, Barr Musa Amadu has refuted reports that he has jettisoned his ambition.
In a statement, the former General-Secretary of the federation said he was still in the race and has not dropped his presidential ambition for the position of general secretary of the football house.
“This is the handiwork of mischief makers who are desperate for political powers. I never told anyone that I was stepping down and will not do so at this time. My plan to rebrand Nigeria football is still intact and if given the chance to be president of the federation, I will make sure I empower the state FA’s with monthly grants to support football in their domain” Read more
Erling Haaland scores miraculous goal to sink Borussia Dortmund in Champions League (ABC)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says Erling Haaland’s spectacular winner in their victory over Borussia Dortmund reminded him of former Dutch great Johan Cruyff.
It seemed the German side would cause a boilover in the Champions League Group G game after England’s Jude Bellingham netted in the 56th minute, before a thundering long-range drive from defender John Stones equalised for City in the 80th minute at the Etihad.
Guardiola joked before the post-match news conference that he wanted to focus on the Stones strike before mentioning Haaland, but the superstar signing’s effort was worth talking about.
The Norwegian leapt at the back post, six minutes from the end of the game, to hook an already-impressive João Cancelo cross into the net with the outside of his left foot from well above the head of any defenders in sight. Read more
Potter’s 1st game as Chelsea manager ends 1-1 vs Salzburg (USAToday)
Graham Potter’s first game as Chelsea manager ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against Salzburg in the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving the English team facing an uphill task to advance from its group.
Raheem Sterling, deployed as an attacking left wing back in an early tactical call by Potter, curled home a fine finish to give Chelsea the lead in the 48th minute at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea failed to put away a number of half-chances and were made to pay by the Austrian champions, who equalized through Noah Okafor in the 75th.
Having lost 1-0 at Dinamo Zagreb last week, Chelsea has just one point from its opening two matches and now faces back-to-back matches against AC Milan after the international break.
LeBron James rips NBA’s Robert Sarver punishment (NYPost)
Count LeBron James among those who felt Suns owner Robert Sarver got off easy.
The NBA suspended Sarver for a year and fined him $10 million after an investigation revealed that Sarver, allegedly repeating statements made by others, said the “N-word” at least five times.
The 60-year-old Suns owner was also found to have made inappropriate comments about women and their physical appearances that were sex-related.
Further, the report said that Sarver had inappropriate physical contact with men and was verbally abusive to employees. Read more
Agony for Murray as Great Britain beaten by USA in late night Davis Cup epic (Sky)
Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury fell an agonising doubles rubber defeat as Great Britain went down to a 2-1 defeat against USA in a tie which ended at 12.58am at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
Dan Evans lost the first rubber to Tommy Paul before Cameron Norrie scrapped to a gutsy win over Taylor Fritz to send the tie to a deciding doubles rubber.
But Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury were unable to delight the home crowd and they eventually fell to a late-night defeat to Salisbury’s US Open-winning partner Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock as USA claimed an opening win in Group D.
A sombre start to the tie reflected the period of national mourning following the Queen’s death, with the usual music replaced by a lone piper and a minute of silence before the national anthems, while the British players and support team wore black ribbons. Read more
LIV Golf’s Norman has ‘no interest’ in talking to PGA Tour (RFI)
LIV Golf kingpin Greg Norman Thursday said he was no longer prepared to negotiate with US PGA Tour chiefs while denying the Saudi-funded circuit was a “breakaway” league.
In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Norman said he had offered to meet with PGA Tour officials but they had repeatedly declined, instead focusing on reforming their tour to hang on to leading players.
“That’s why we are where we are today,” Norman claimed.
“We tried awfully hard, I know I did personally for the past year… when we knew we were never going to hear from them, we just decided to go. Read more