Ex-cop jailed one year after raping, sex-trafficking Lagos teenager (Punch)
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced a retired policeman, Ariwayo Oloyede, aka Oyinbo, to one-year imprisonment for human trafficking.
The ex-police officer was convicted alongside a Burkina Faso-based Nigerian, Christian Owanebi, who was handed seven years jail for the same offence by Justice Abimbola Awogboro.
Justice Awogboro sentenced them after pronouncing them guilty of three counts of conspiracy and human trafficking, preferred against them by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons.
Delivering judgment on Friday, the judge said the prosecution proved all the charges against the convicts beyond reasonable doubt. Read more
50-year-old man dies in Lagos fire tragedy (Channels)
Tragedy struck in the Bariga area of Lagos State as a fire razed 10 rooms in a bungalow building in the early hours of Sunday, killing a 50-year-old man.
According to emergency officials, the incident happened at 48, Jagunmolu Street, Bariga around 12:31 am.
The Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, confirmed the incident to Channels Television in a statement on Sunday, saying firefighters were quickly mobilised to the scenes.
She equally confirmed another fire incident in the Shomolu area involving four rooms and three shops in a bungalow building consisting of eight rooms and four shops. Read more
Lagos police arrest 2 cultists, recover gun, charms (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command says it arrested two suspected cultists, Sodiq Muftau, aka Mainama, and Surakat Toheeb, aka Elewedu, over alleged possession of a gun and substances suspected to be Indian hemp in the Badagry area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement on Sunday, said policemen on a routine patrol in Ajara community arrested the suspects, adding that investigation revealed that they were members of the Eiye cult.
He said, “Detectives of the Badagry Division of the Lagos State Police Command arrested one Sodiq Muftau, aka Mainama, 30, and Surakat Toheeb, aka Elewedu, 29, in Badagry, on Friday, September 23, 2022, around 6.30pm.
“The suspects were arrested when policemen on a routine patrol noticed their suspicious movement within Ajara community. Other members of the gang took to their heels upon sighting the police. Read more
Brain Drain: Lagos employed 920 health workers in 9 months – Official (DailyTrust)
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos state Primary Healthcare Board (PHCB), Dr Ibrahim Mustapha, has revealed that the Lagos state government has employed not less than 920 health workers in the last nine months.
Mustapha made this known during a congress organised by the Nigerian Society of Rheumatologists in Lagos.
He said the state government is mitigating the effect of the drain brain by engaging in “automatic exit replacement”
He said: ‘We have a lot of infrastructural deficit in the country, Lagos is no exception but in Lagos, we are moving forward by revamping a good number of our primary healthcare centers for them to be able to meet up with managing the challenges of patients not just patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases but also other conditions. Read more
2023 polls: Diaspora Lagos APC visits Ojelabi, pledges support for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu (Vanguard)
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State based in United Kingdom, UK, has expressed resolve to ensure the victory of the party’s presidential flag-bearer, Bola Tinubu and Vice- Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima as well as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s re-election in the 2023 general elections.
The diaspora group, led by its Chairman, Tayo Sodeinde, gave the assurance at the weekend, during a strategic visit to the party’s Chairman, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, at the party’s secretariat, Acme, Ogba area of the state.
Sodeinde, explained that the decision to pay the visit was borne out of the fact that for the first time in history the presidential candidate emanates from Lagos and given their culture in the diaspora to show much concern and affinity with what goes on at the home front, their total loyalty to ensuring a functional country remains sacrosanct. Read more
Showmax hosts exclusive premiere of “Diiche” (Leadership)
Showmax hosted an exclusive screening of its first Nigerian original limited-drama series, Diiche on September 27 at The Hall, V.I., Lagos.
The event which was hosted by popular media personality Chigul celebrated and premiered the six-part series produced and directed by James Omokwe.
Diiche is a thriller that follows the life of the titular character, Diiche. The cast members; Uzoamaka Onuoha, Chinyere Wilfred, Gloria Anozie-Young, Frank Konwea, and Uzoamaka Aniunoh were at the event. Also, the show’s directors, Fiyin Gambo, James Omokwe, and Ifeoma Chukwuogo, were present and answered a few questions during the Q&A session.
After the screening of the first episode, Executive producer James Omokwe talked about how excited he was to produce the series. He said, “I don’t want to give too much away, but there’s a particular episode entirely in Igbo, and it’s a big deal. When the opportunity to make this film came, it was exciting for us as a team. Read more
Disruption in Lagos parts for Lagosians’ good – Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has admonished Lagos residents to bear the burden of the moment as the disruption in the state is to decongest the prevailing traffic jam with the provision of the Red Line Rail System.
Sanwo-Olu, who spoke to the Redeemed Christian Church of God congregation at the October Thanksgiving Service titled, “Perfect Peace In the Land” which was held on Sunday to commemorate Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day, made the comment as he reacted to the complaints of some Lagos residents about the new development in the state causing major road diversions and traffic jam.
On Tuesday, The PUNCH reported that the Lagos State Government took delivery of new trains from Milwaukee, United States, for its Redline rail project, a 37-kilometre intracity railway system.
According to the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, the delivery was in line with the government’s determination to deliver the operation of the Red Line Rail System by the first quarter of 2023. Read more
Supreme Court verdict makes Edo PDP victory sure, says Obaseki (Guardian)
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, weekend, said the ruling of Supreme Court on Friday would help the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to resolve all issues and work together to ensure success in the 2023 general election.
Obaseki spoke to journalists during the inspection of Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) headquarters at Ogba Road, Benin City.
He said the inspection became necessary to assess the level of preparedness of EDSIEC, especially in the deployment of materials to conduct council elections in the state.
Obaseki, who was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., and other top government functionaries, said members of PDP in the state belong to one family and would work together. Read more
Sofia Carson reteams with Netflix following “Purple Hearts” success (DigitalSpy)
Sofia Carson has reteamed with Netflix following the huge success of the romantic movie Purple Hearts.
According to Deadline, the star of the romantic drama has been cast in a new thriller from Netflix and Amblin titled Carry On.
Carson will be joined by Kingsman’s Taron Egerton as well as fellow Netflix star Danielle Deadwyler, who previously starred in The Harder They Fall.
The Netflix stars will also be joined by Ozark’s Jason Bateman, though further details about their respective roles are currently under wraps. Jaume Collet-Serra will direct the thriller while Dylan Clark is set to produce. Read more
Burkina Faso’s military leader agrees to step down after coup (BBC)
Burkina Faso’s military leader, who was ousted in a coup on Friday, has formally agreed to step down, religious and community leaders said.
They said the country’s new self-declared leader, Capt Ibrahim Traoré, had Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba’s resignation and conditions he had set.
The announcement followed attacks on French institutions, after it was reported that Lt Col Damiba was sheltering at a French military base.
It is the second coup this year.
In both cases, the country’s dire security situation and failure to deal with an Islamist insurgency were blamed for the takeovers. Read more
Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre to reunite for new album ”Missionary” (HipHopDX)
Snoop Dogg is releasing a new album produced by Dr. Dre, the West Coast rap legend has announced.
Snoop dropped the bombshell during a recent appearance on Stephen A. Smith’s Know Mercy podcast, where he revealed the project is called Missionary and is due to be finished in November, although it’s unclear how soon it will be released.
Next month will mark 29 years since Snoop and Dre joined forces on the former’s first album Doggystyle, which extended the winning partnership they formed on 1992’s The Chronic — to record-breaking sales.
“I’ma tell you this, you’re the first one to hear this: me and Dr. Dre have been working on an album for the past two months,” Snoop said at the 34:30 mark. Read more
Ringo Starr falls ill and cancels concert (TMZ)
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band did not hit the stage Saturday night, because the famed drummer had fallen ill.
The plug was pulled at the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan after the 82-year-old former Beatle realized he could not perform. Whatever he has, it affected his voice, so just a few hours before the scheduled show … It was canceled.
The band spokesperson said Ringo does not have COVID, but did not say what was ailing him.
There seems to be some hope the concert could be rescheduled, which is good news on the health front. Promoters did say people could get a refund if they wanted. Read more
“SNL” parodies Nicole Kidman’s iconic AMC ad with hilarious twist (Variety)
Nicole Kidman’s AMC ad has achieved a new level of pop culture prominence.
The so campy, you have to love it ode to the power of cinema has been meme’d, made into t-shirts and inspired audiences to stand and salute since it first started airing over a year ago. And now, “Saturday Night Live” has weighed in with its own take, one that perfectly satirizes the cultish response to the 60-second spot.
In it, Chloe Fineman channels Kidman’s Australian accent, runway strut as she finds her seat in the auditorium, and the kind of dramatic hand gestures that exist in movies, but not on Earth. Fineman largely sticks to the original script (which can’t really be improved upon), and repeats the same observations that “somehow heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” Only this time, Kenan Thompson’s regular moviegoer isn’t entirely sold on Kidman’s gilded aphorisms or the audience’s rapturous embrace of her message.
That’s probably a good thing, because it turns out the “SNL” version of Kidman’s ad ends with her flying above the stadium seating, eyes ablaze like Dark Phoenix, made powerful by the incantations of the adoring throngs. Read more
Sony acquires rights to “Tarzan”, will take swing at reinventing movie franchise (Deadline)
Sony Pictures has acquired film rights to Tarzan in a deal with the estate of original book author Edgar Rice Burroughs, Deadline has confirmed.
Plans are in the earliest of stages we hear, with no writer, director or producer attached to what would be a full reinvention of the popular character first created by Burroughs in 1912; the author continued to write Tarzan books into the 1940s.
Tarzan was the son of an English nobility who was raised by apes in the African jungle after his parents were marooned there and died. He had no contact with Western culture until he was grown and “King of the Apes.”
Screen adaptations go back almost as far as Hollywood itself, with the first, Tarzan of the Apes, appearing in 1918. Since then, the franchise has seen long runs on the big and small screen with stars such as Olympian Johnny Weissmuller and Ron Ely, as well as a 1999 animated movie from Disney, a popular animated series from Filmation in the ’70s, and Broadway and radio adaptations. Read more
Lula and Bolsonaro to face run-off in Brazil (BBC)
Brazil’s election is going into a second round in which left-winger Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will face far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro.
With almost all the votes counted, Lula had won 48% against Bolsonaro’s 43% – a much closer result than opinion polls had suggested.
But Lula fell short of the more than 50% of valid votes needed to prevent a run-off.
Voters now have four weeks to decide which of the two should lead Brazil.
Winning outright in the first round was always going to be a tall order for any candidate – the last time it happened was 24 years ago. Read more
Ebun Comets, MFM, others listed for Oguche/Bullet Basketball Championship
(Guardian)
Organisers of the 2022 Sam Oguche Energy Bullet Basketball Championship have confirmed that Nigeria basketball league’s traditional teams, Ebun Comets, Rivers Hoopers and First Bank, are among top clubs confirmed for the competition, which holds from November 1 to 6, 2022 at the National Stadium, Lagos.
The promoter of the championship, Sam Oguche, at the weekend, told the media from his base in the United States that only a few teams would be invited to join the list of the 19 already confirmed for the competition.
“We are almost good to go with the teams featuring this time. There about two or three teams especially in the women’s category still under consideration,” he said.
Oguche, an ex-Nigeria international, who was also a guard with the Lagos Islanders, said: “I am delighted once again to expand the next edition of the championship to add more teams.”
Hoopers, who represented Nigeria in the first Basketball Africa League (BAL), are tipped as favourites for the trophy. Read more
Bruno Lage sacked by struggling Wolves with club in relegation zone (Mirror)
Wolverhampton Wanderers have sacked boss Bruno Lage after Saturday’s two-goal defeat at West Ham left them in the Premier League relegation zone.
Lage – who was appointed Wolves boss last summer to replace Nuno Espirito Santo – has overseen a long-term slump in form at Molineux with just one victory in their opening eight Premier League matches this campaign following last season’s concerning finish which saw the side finish without a league victory in their final seven games.
Wolves are the lowest scoring team in the Premier League with just three goals in their opening eight matches, continuing their concerning form in front of goal last season: their 38 Premier League goals was the lowest of any team to avoid relegation.
Lage took the Midlands club to a respectable top-half finish in his first season at the helm but their hopes of European football tailed off in the closing weeks of the season with an alarming seven-game winless run, which was to carry on into this season. Read more
Oldham v Wrexham: 11 arrested over brawl before game (BBC)
Eleven men have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder after a brawl before a match between Oldham Athletic and Wrexham.
The trouble broke out in a “residential area where kids play” in Failsworth on Saturday afternoon, local MP Angela Rayner said.
The deputy Labour leader tweeted she was “disgusted” by the violence.
Greater Manchester Police said the arrested men have all been bailed pending further investigation. Read more
Amos Kipruto wins London Marathon in debut; Yalemzerf Yehualaw recovers from fall to take women’s race (ESPN)
Debutant Amos Kipruto, a world bronze medalist in Doha in 2019, won the men’s race at the London Marathon on Sunday, while Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia recovered from a fall to win the women’s race.
Kipruto, a 30-year-old Kenyan, pulled away from the rest of the field as it reached the final five kilometers. He finished in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 39 seconds to beat Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase in second place. Bashir Abdi of Belgium was third.
Yehualaw, 23, appeared to trip on a speed bump with six miles remaining but recovered to rejoin the leading pack and came home in 2:17:25, the third-fastest time at the event.
Yehualaw’s victory came just six months after making her debut over the distance. She is the youngest-ever London Marathon champion. Read more
F1: Sergio Perez wins hectic Singapore Grand Prix as Max Verstappen misses 1st chance to seal title (Standard)
Sergio Perez won a hectic Singapore Grand Prix as Max Verstappen dramatically missed out on his first chance to bag the F1 world championship.
A heavy downpour 30 minutes before the scheduled start time led to an hour-long delay and the first wet start in Singapore since 2017 – when a first corner crash wiped out a Red Bull and two Ferraris, including title contender Sebastian Vettel.
There was no such flying debris at the start this time around but still drama aplenty as Perez leapt past pole-sitter Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lost out to Carlos Sainz for third.
Verstappen, starting eighth, found himself bogged down off the line and had only recovered to ninth when a safety car was required on lap eight. Read more
Nia Long spotted with son in Los Angeles for first time since Ime Udoka scandal (NYPost)
Nia Long kept mum on Saturday in Los Angeles, where she was spotted for the first time with son Kez following fiancé Ime Udoka’s reported affair, according to footage obtained by TMZ.
The 51-year-old Long did not offer a comment when asked by the paparazzi how she’s holding up amid the controversy surrounding the Celtics head coach, 45, who was suspended for the 2022-23 NBA season after violating the franchise’s code of conduct over an alleged romance with a female member of the team’s staff.
Long, who has been in a relationship with Udoka since 2010, also didn’t appear to wear her engagement ring, per the outlet, which noted how “she doesn’t always rock it when out and about.”
A short time after the Celtics announced on Sept. 22 that Udoka was being punished, Long released a statement, expressing gratitude over the support she received. Read more