Farm labourer bags life imprisonment for raping Lagos teenager (Punch)
Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos State, on Wednesday, sentenced a farm labourer, Isiaka Adeoye, who raped a 17-year-old girl, to life imprisonment.
The judge held that the prosecution proved the charge of defilement against the convict beyond reasonable doubt.
She held that the testimony of the survivor corroborated the evidence of the investigating police officer and the medical reports.
The judge stated that the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses were coherent and unshakable, adding that there was no substantial contradiction to raise reasonable doubt in prosecuting the defendant. Read more
‘It’s your 3rd birthday behind bars’, Hushpuppi’s friend writes him (DailyTrust)
A friend to Abbas Ramon, suspected internet fraudster popularly known as Hushpuppi, has written a letter to him on his 40th birthday.
Sikiru Adekoya, fondly called Pac, took to his Instagram account and wrote a letter addressed to Hushpuppi, who is still awaiting trial in the United States.
Pac shared a picture and a video of him with Hushpuppi on his Instagram account, recalling that he had spent three birthday years in prison.
“Dear Rahman, I write to you from a place of hope and pain, the hope that as your verdict draws close and a pronouncement kick starts, our reunion is made possible, and the pain that comes with every day knowing that you are in there. Read more
What I’ll do if I find someone who loves me again – Alexx Ekubo (Nation)
Actor-cum-model, Alexx Ekubo has confessed what he intends to do if he finds someone who loves him again.
Ekubo, who lost out on love the previous year, said he would cling on to his next lover like a thief when she eventually materialises.
“If I find somebody who likes me again, I go hold am like thief,” he tweeted.
On May 2021, Alexx Ekubo proposed to his Los Angeles-born model and actress ex-girlfriend, Fancy Acholonu in Los Angeles, United States of America. Read more
2023: Sanwo-Olu begins campaign for 2nd term (Independent)
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Wednesday announced commencement of his campaign for a second term in office in the 2023 elections.
Sanwo-Olu announced this at the closing of the ninth Edition of Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit at Victoria Island, as he rolled out his achievements and plans for Lagos State.
He said that he remained the best among the governorship candidates in the state, based on his administration’s track records in the last three and half years, through the THEMES developmental agenda for Greater Lagos.
According to him, those contesting against him in the March 11, 2023 governorship election in Lagos State are yet to match his administration’s achievement. Read more
Kwankwaso unveils Lagos NNPP secretariat, preaches peace (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Wednesday, inaugurated the Lagos State Secretariat of the party.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the secretariat is located at Fadeyi Bus Stop along Ikorodu Road in Lagos.
Before Kwankwaso’s arrival at the location, thousands of his supporters wearing red caps had gathered at the secretariat hoisting the party’s flags and posters of the former governor of Kano State.
The crowd, comprising members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, obstructed the free flow of traffic along Ikorodu Road for some hours. Read more
FAAN set to tackle touting at Lagos Airport (Tribune)
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), has put all necessary security measures on the ground to tackle activities of touts and other undesirable elements at the Lagos airport.
The Chief Security Officer of the airport, Mr Adebayo Badejo dropped this hint at the NIGAV centre while speaking at the event marking this year’s FAAN customer service week.
Badejo, while describing the task ahead in combating crime at the airport as a big one that needed collective efforts, called on the public to assist FAAN in reducing the presence of crowds by staying off the airport terminals.
Lamenting how about five persons normally accompany a travelling family member to the airport, the airport security manager bemoaned how some of these family members often sleep at the airport after seeing off their travelling family members. Read more
Dufil Prima Foods retools public, private school teachers (Sun)
Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie Instant Noodles recently organised a value-added seminar for more than 2,000 teachers in public and private schools in Lagos.
The impactful seminar saw teachers learn new and modern teaching techniques that will benefit their students. The teachers commended the organisers of the seminar, Dufil Prima Food for making education a major part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
On the rationale behind the 2022 edition of the annual seminar, Group Corporate Communications & Events Manager of the company, Mr Tope Ashiwaju, said most of the company’s activities were centered on children and partners such as teachers.
“We appreciate the fact that teachers are crucial to the growth of a nation, especially at the primary and secondary level. Indomie identifies teachers as the core influencers of children. We believe that by empowering teachers with effective interpersonal skills, we are indirectly touching the lives of the younger generation,” Ashiwaju said. Read more
US Consulate hosts 100 school girls, harps on access to education (Vanguard)
The US Consulate General in collaboration with the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs Alumnae Association of Nigeria hosted 100 schoolgirls from across Nigeria to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, highlighting the importance of girls’ empowerment through increased access to education.
The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
The event with the theme, “Our time is now, our right, our future,” provided the high school girls the opportunity to learn about emotional intelligence, how they can harness their skills, identify career choices and opportunities to study in U.S. colleges and universities.
In his remarks, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer Joe Kruzich said the U.S. government works closely with partners and civil society organizations to help girl children live free from gender-based violence, learn new skills, and become future leaders. Read more
Lagos Government canvasses more collaborative combat of insecurity in schools, lauds EWAN initiative (Independent)
The Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration of Lagos State has made a passionate call for all concerned Nigerians to partake in the collaborative initiative of the Education Writers Association ( EWAN) towards ensuring the safety and security of students, teachers and other stakeholders across all levels of the nation’s schools.
The call was made by the governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu while delivering his address as the Chief Host of the 2022 edition of EWAN annual Education Summit held on Wednesday, October 12 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The governor was represented by his Special Adviser On Education, Barrister Tokunbo Wahab who also doubled as a member of the panel at the summit.
He observed that the security situation in our country in the last few years has been worrisome and, therefore, canvassed a concerted effort and repeated advocacy programmes such as the EWAN summit. Read more
RCCG holds CSR in Lagos community (Nation)
The Pastor in charge of Lagos Province 1 who doubles as the Assistant Pastor in charge of Region 1, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Samuel Olaniyan, has called on public-spirited bodies and individuals to key into the saying that the government cannot do it alone and go out of their ways to put smiles on the faces of the members of their communities.
He said this during the exercise tagged: “Christian Social Responsibility” carried out by a large number of Love Assembly members, RCCG which featured street lighting, house numbering, and street cleaning.
“We are embarking on these three projects at the same time in our community where the headquarters of the church is located which I describe as an integrated intervention with a view to giving back to them and making our presence felt.
“We are fixing street lights, starting from our street, Adefowope Street, to be followed by other streets for security reasons. We are clearing the drains to rid the community of rodents, mosquitoes, and other health hazards and mitigate flooding. We are also numbering our streets to enable strangers with good intentions to locate their destination without hassle inconsistent with modern practice” he said. Read more
Cardi B is the 1st woman rapper to earn 2 11x platinum certifications (Vibe)
On her 30th birthday, Belcalis “Cardi B” Almánzar received a huge gift — her two singles, ” Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It” featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny, are now certified 11 times Platinum.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Atlantic Records confirmed the news on Tuesday (Oct. 11) with a sweet birthday tweet to the Grammy-winning rapper.
“Happy Birthday @iamcardib! Congrats on becoming the first female rapper to have TWO @RIAA certified 11x platinum singles with “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It,” the label tweeted.
The RIAA followed up with, “What’s better than [one emoji] 11X Diamond single [eyes emoji] ? TWO! Happy Birthday @iamcardib!” Read more
Trevor Noah confirms date of his final day on ”The Daily Show” (People)
Trevor Noah’s tenure as host of The Daily Show has an official end date.
The late-night host, 38, is signing off for good on December 8, the network announced Wednesday.
Noah has been the Comedy Central show’s host for the past seven years, since taking the reins from Jon Stewart in 2015.
Paramount Media Networks and MTV Entertainment Studios president and CEO Chris McCarthy praised Noah in the announcement saying he “is an incredible talent who has left an indelible mark on The Daily Show.” Read more
Russell Crowe and Elsa Pataky’s brand new Stan original film Poker Face to premiere next month (DailyMail)
Australian streaming service Stan has revealed Russell Crowe’s anticipated thriller Poker Face will premiere next month.
The film, directed by and starring Crowe, will debut November 22.
Poker Face features an array of Aussie stars led by Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth.
Other stars include rapper RZA, Aden Young (Rectify), Steve Bastoni (Fires), Daniel MacPherson (Neighbours), Brooke Satchwell (upcoming Stan Original Series Black Snow), Paul Tassone (The Code), Matt Nable (upcoming Stan Original Film Transfusion, The Dry), Benedict Hardie (Joe vs. Carole), Jacqueline McKenzie (Stan Original Series Bloom) and Molly Grace (Savage River). Read more
Willie Spence, American idol season 19 runner-up, dies at 23 after car accident (EW)
Willie Spence, the runner-up on American Idol season 19 who performed soaring renditions of “The Circle of Life” and “Georgia on My Mind,” died Tuesday after a car accident in Nashville, Tenn., reports NBC News. He was 23.
Spence’s Jeep Cherokee veered off the road and crashed into the back of a tractor trailer that was located on the side of Interstate 24 at 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a preliminary report by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Marion County Medical Examiner obtained by the outlet.
Spence, who was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision, was pronounced dead at the scene. His cause of death was listed as “multi-system trauma due to motor vehicle accident,” and an investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol is underway, the outlet reports.
The Douglas, Ga., native, who wowed judges when he sang Rihanna’s “Diamonds” during his audition back in 2021, made it all the way to the finale before placing second behind Chayce Beckham. Read more
Brandy addresses fans amid health scare, has ‘dehydration and low amounts of nutrition’ (USAToday)
After reportedly being hospitalized amid a health scare, Brandy is recovering and resting.
“To my beloved fam, friends, and starz thank you for sending love and light my way,” the singer, 43, said Tuesday on social media.
TMZ reported that Brandy was hospitalized after possibly suffering a seizure. Law enforcement told the outlet that police received a call for emergency services to Brandy’s Los Angeles home at noon.
Brandy did not confirm in her statement whether she had a seizure, but the “Queens” actress said she was “following doctors’ orders and getting the rest I need due to dehydration and low amounts of nutrition.” Read more
Lil Yachty officially releases viral song ‘‘Poland’’ (NME)
Lil Yachty‘s viral hit track ‘Poland’ has been officially released, along with an official music video.
Following several leaks last week, Lil Yachty shared the new song to SoundCloud, where it quickly went viral. Denzel Curry, Wiz Khalifa and more celebrities quickly reacted to the cut’s now-famous hook: “I took the Wock to Poland.”
Today, Yachty has officially released the song – produced by F1lthy, Lucian and Lukrative, and still just over 80 seconds long – on digital streaming platforms.
‘’Poland’’ marks Yachty’s first official solo track of this year, following several features on songs including Fivio Foreign‘s ‘Slime’ and Diplo‘s ‘Humble’. The rapper’s last full-length release was 2020’s ‘Lil Boat 3’, though last year saw the rapper share his ‘Michigan Boat Boy’ mixtape and ‘Birthday Mix 6’ EP. Read more
Kremlin isolated as just 4 nations back Russia on Ukraine annexation (Newsweek)
The Kremlin was dealt a significant diplomatic blow after the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to denounce Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four occupied regions in Ukraine.
About three-quarters of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly voted for a resolution calling on countries and international organizations to not recognize Russia’s claim over four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine. Only Belarus, North Korea, Nicaragua and Syria joined Russia in voting against the resolution. The vote is a setback for Moscow, which has sought to reverse the international isolation it’s faced since invading Ukraine in February.
The resolution comes in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s September 30 proclamation that residents of Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia voted overwhelmingly to join Russia. The annexation was condemned as illegitimate by the U.S. and others, as Ukraine’s military has sought to reassert control over the regions. Read more
FG’s national award on Rashidi Yekini excites Kwara SWAN (Guardian)
The Kwara State chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has commended the Federal Government for recognising late football legend, Rashidi Yekini, with a posthumous Member Order of the Niger (MON) award.
The late Yekini, who hailed from Irra, Oyun Council of Kwara State, was an integral part of the Super Eagles’ golden era. He made history in 1994 when he fired Nigeria to the World Cup in the U.S.A and even scored the country’s first-ever goal at the competition.
The late Yekini was among 11 outstanding personalities from Kwara, and 456 Nigerians, who were conferred with national honours. He was also one of the two Kwara indigenes that got the award posthumously. The other was Chief Superintendent of Police, Benedict Okoh Ajide.
According to a statement signed by Kwara SWAN Secretary, Olayinka Owolewa, the honour is a recognition of the contributions of the late striker to the development of football in Nigeria, Africa and the world.
While describing the late awardee as a true patriot, who paid his dues, both at national and international levels with various clubs, SWAN commended the Federal Government on its decision to honour the late Yekini for his services to his fatherland. Read more
NSF: Lagos, Rivers, Edo dominate ball games qualifiers (Punch)
Participating states in different ball games at the upcoming 2022 National Sports Festival in Delta State have been confirmed by the Main Organising Committee.
The games are basketball, football, volleyball, handball, hockey, beach volleyball and baseball/softball.
In the Southwest zone, Lagos State dominated the qualifiers in all the seven ball games, qualifying for both male and female categories, except in beach volleyball, where they fell short in the men’s category.
Oyo and Ogun states followed up to fill up the remaining spaces, leaving just the female basketball slot for Ondo, while Osun picked one of the slots in male beach volleyball. Read more
Lewandowski late show rescues Barca but early exit looms (RTE)
Robert Lewandowski scored two late goals to earn Barcelona a point in a breathless 3-3 draw with Inter Milan on Wednesday which kept alive their faint hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16.
Barcelona are still facing elimination at the group stage of the competition for the second consecutive season but Lewandowski’s stoppage-time equaliser gave them a slim chance of progressing with two games left.
Inter need a home win over Viktoria Plzen next week to join Bayern Munich in the last 16.
“It’s bad, I think this Champions League is being very cruel to us,” Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez told Movistar Plus. Read more
Son scores twice as Tottenham takes control of CL group (USAToday)
Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham came from behind and then survived a late scare to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Harry Kane also scored to help Tottenham move atop Group D — one point clear of both Marseille and Sporting Lisbon — with two rounds remaining.
But the England captain’s penalty miss in stoppage time added to a frantic finale.
“We could have scored many, many goals,” manager Antonio Conte said. “Instead, until the end we suffer. For sure, we have to try to learn about this situation and understand the game is never ended. Read more
Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters latest to invest in pickleball team (ABC)
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and four-time major tennis champion Kim Clijsters were announced Wednesday as part of an ownership group for a Major League Pickleball expansion team.
Brady and Clijsters are part of a group led by Knighthead Capital Management.)
“Of course, I’m excited at the investment opportunity,” Clijsters said in a statement. “But what excites me the most about becoming an MLP owner is that I get to help shape the future of pickleball, a sport I have come to love, with great people — who also happen to be some of my best friends. I’m thrilled to help showcase professional pickleball and make an impact on the sport through my experience gained in the top levels of professional tennis.”
Brady and Clijsters are the latest big names to invest in MLP. LeBron James was announced last month as an owner of another expansion team, along with Maverick Carter, Draymond Green and Kevin Love, and Drew Brees and James Blake also are investors. Read more
ATP chief explains why he feels Rafael Nadal will be at ATP Finals (TennisWorld)
ATP chief Andrea Gaudenzi believes Rafael Nadal will participate at this year’s ATP Finals. Nadal, a record 22-time Grand Slam champion, became a father this past weekend after his wife Mery Perello gave birth to a baby boy.
Nadal, 36, is one of the most accomplished players in tennis history. But there is a prestigious title that Nadal has never won – the ATP Finals one. “I don’t know. I hope he’ll come. In my opinion he will, because he’s never won the ATP Finals.
He’s won everything else, but is still to secure an ATP Finals (title). He has always complained about the fact it’s played on hardcourt and not on clay. He’s got a point, but it’s quite inevitable considering the scheduling.
Anyway I know it’s an event he would like to win at all costs because it’s the only important title missing from his resume,” Gaudenzi told Ubitennis. Read more
Hearn backs Andy Ruiz to beat Deontay Wilder if Fight happens in 2023 (BoxingScene)
Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder returns to the ring on Saturday night, when he faces veteran Robert Helenius at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The fight with Helenius will be the first for Wilder since suffering a knockout loss in his sensational trilogy fight with current WBC champion Tyson Fury last October in Las Vegas.
The bout with Helenius is a semi-eliminator under the WBC.
If Wilder wins, he would then fall in line for a final eliminator against former unified champion Andy Ruiz – who recently defeated Luis Ortiz to win his side of the semi-eliminator. Read more