*Hoodlums rape, kill 24-year-old graduate in Benue (Punch)*We’ve no hidden agenda on #EndSARS panel report — Sanwo-Olu (Sun)
Hoodlums rape, kill 24-year-old graduate in Benue (Punch)
A 24-year-old lady, Joy Onoh, was on Wednesday murdered by some hoodlums in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The lady, a graduate of Mass Communication from the Benue State University awaiting call up from the National Youth Service Corps, was allegedly raped and killed at North Bank Area of Makurdi.
She was said to have received a call from someone to come to a particular place at North Bank, a suburb of Makurdi to supply clothes.
The mother of the deceased, Mrs Grace Onoh, a widow with three children and native of Obollo Afor, Enugu State, told journalists that Joy who was her first child told her that she was going to North Bank to supply clothes to some people. Read more
We’ve no hidden agenda on #EndSARS panel report — Sanwo-Olu (Sun)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday declared that whatever be the recommendation of the Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Related Abuses and Other Matters, and the October 20, 2020, Lekki Tollgate shootings, would be made public and implemented .
The governor said his administration did not know what would be the outcome of the panel report but gave assurance that the state government has no hidden agenda on it.
Sanwo-Olu made this known while speaking as a guest speaker at the 10 National Council on Lands, Housing and Urban Development held in Ikeja, Lagos.
He disclosed that all protesters arrested at the Lekki Toll Gate during the one year commemoration of EndSARS on October 20, had been released, except for people caught with weapons. Read more
#EndSARS memorial: Release arrested youths for peace to reign ― Onitiri (Tribune)
The Nigeria Police and other relevant authorities have been advised to release all the youths and journalists arrested by security operatives during Wednesday’s ENDSARS memorial protest across the country in order to ensure peace continues to reign.
Lagos based socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, gave this advice yesterday, adding that those brutalised should also be compensated.
“We, the Democrats wish to call on the Inspector-General of Police and other security operatives to release immediately all youths arrested and rough-handled during last Wednesday memorial protests of ENDSARS.
“Peaceful demonstration is part of democracy. No government can take or deny its citizens the constitutional right to peaceful demonstration. In most advanced nations, people demonstrate and the police provide protection for the demonstrators. Read more
4 Nigerians, others join YouTube Black Voices music class 2022 (Nation)
YouTube on Thursday announced a roster of four Nigeria artistes and 50 other artistes, songwriters and producers selected to join the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022.
YouTube’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan, Addy Awofisayo, said in a statement that also among the artistes from Australia, Brazil, Canada, USA a
nd the UK are eight African artistes based in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.
Supported by the #YouTube Black Voices Fund, the #YouTubeBlack Voices Music Class of 2022 is a development programme designed to directly support and mentor Black artistes, songwriters and producers worldwide,
Awofisayo said.
She said that the addition of songwriters and producers to the 2022 class demonstrates the continuation and expansion of Youtube’s efforts to support Black artistes on the platform. Read more
Borno lawmaker empowers 400 victims of insurgency (Leadership)
The Member of House of Representatives representing Jere federal constituency of Borno State, Hon. Ahmed Satomi, has empowered over 400 victims of insurgency involving men, women and youths in his constituency, with tailoring equipment such as knitting and sewing machines.
The lawmaker who had previously distributed 2,500 bags of rice to the people, also said that he has acquired 250 rice milling machines made in Japan for rice farmers in Zabarmari to boost rice production in the State.
Our correspondent reports that Zabarmari, a farming settlement known for quality rice production, was last year during harvesting season attacked by Boko Haram terrorists where over 68 farmers were murdered.
Flagging off the distribution on Thursday at his Progressive House in old Maiduguri area of the State, Satomi said the over 400 beneficiaries were selected to acquire the machines and train others for improvement of livelihood of his people. Read more
Declare state of emergency in education, allocate more resources, JAMB boss tells govt (Vanguard)
The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, has called on the government to declare and prosecute a state of emergency in the education sector with a view to addressing all the challenges facing it comprehensively.
Oloyede, who was the Guest Speaker at the 2021 Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University, LASU, Annual Lecture in Lagos on Thursday, also called for an increase in budgetary allocations to the sector that at least would be comparable with African countries with lower Gross Domestic Product, GDP, than Nigeria’s but have nonetheless given education the priority it deserves.
His lecture was titled ” Normalising the abnormal: JAMB operations during the COVID-19 era.”
“Apart from the state of emergency in the sector and allocating more funds, we must return excellence and competence as the main criteria for the recruitment of staff, not clannish or ethnic patronage. Read more
Osinbajo to Youth: Join politics to effect desired change (Independent)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has urged Nigerian youths to join political parties and be involved in politics in order to make a great change in the country.
According to Osinbajo on Wednesday at a virtual forum with Nigerian Fellows of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the youths involved in politics is the only solution for transformation in Nigeria.
He said, “You need to go the extra length if you are not already involved, get involved in politics while a lot can be achieved in civil society, the government still holds the ace in terms of capacity and resources to bring social goods to the largest numbers.”
“Without a public office, I would have remained a pressure group activist, I would have done some nice things, but I wouldn’t have been able to make the changes that my country required. Read more
Bishop Oyedepo plans to build ‘world class’ university (Vanguard)
The Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Dr David Oyedepo, says he will build a world-class university to compete favourably with such other universities.
Oyedepo said this on Thursday at Ota, Ogun State, at the 19th Founder’s Day celebration of Covenant University.
He said that the institution would provide the enabling environment for quality education to thrive so that new generation of leaders could be raised to proffer solutions to nations’ challenges.
He attributed the successful execution of developmental projects that could aid teaching in the university to the grace of God. Read more
I participated in BBNaija for financial stability – Liquorose (Nation)
Professional dancer Liquorose has revealed why she participated in the BBNaija reality TV show.
In an interview with Abisola Alawode, the reality TV star argued that although she had a large Instagram followership of over 700k, it didn’t translate to money as she had financial issues.
Liquorose, who emerged as the first runner-up for the just-concluded season 6 edition of the BBNaija show, said her need for financial stability informed her decision to take part in the show.
She said: “I had financial issues. I needed financial stability in my life. People don’t see that, people don’t know that. Read more
R. Kelly placed on suicide watch following conviction (Guardian)
R&B singer R. Kelly has been placed on suicide watch following his conviction for sex trafficking charges in New York.
The 54-year old singer’s attorney Steve Greenburg revealed this at the first court hearing since a jury found Kelly guilty three weeks ago. Greenburg told a federal judge in Chicago that R. Kelly had been put on suicide watch but failed to confirm if he had expressed a desire to self-harm.
This court hearing was the first to take place since the singer was found guilty of nine different sex crimes last month.
Kelly was found guilty by the jury of nine counts, including eight counts of; violating the Mann Act, a law to curb sex trafficking that bars transporting people across state lines ‘for any immoral purpose’, including child sexual exploitation, production of child pornography, obstruction of justice, kidnapping and forced labour; and one count of racketeering, a charge that is used when a group organises an illegal and fraudulent scheme to collect money or other profit. Read more
Facebook agrees to pay French press for news (Punch)
Facebook said Thursday it had reached an agreement with some French newspapers to pay for news content shared by its users, months after Google announced plans to renumerate them for articles shown in web searches.
Facebook said the licensing agreement with the APIG alliance of national and regional newspapers “means that people on Facebook will be able to continue uploading and sharing news stories freely amongst their communities, whilst also ensuring that the copyright of our publishing partners is protected.”
The company said it would also launch a French news service, Facebook News, in January to “give people a dedicated space to access content from trusted and reputable news sources”.
The head of APIG, Pierre Louette, said the deal would generate “significant financing” for the alliance’s members, “particularly the smallest of them.”
Louette, who is the CEO of the group that publishes the Le Parisien and Les Echos dailies, said it would also bring Facebook in line with French and EU law. Read more
“Passing,” “The Lost Daughter,” lead 2021 Gotham Awards nominations (Variety)
“The Green Knight,” “The Lost Daughter,” “Passing,” “Pig” and “Test Pattern” will compete for best feature film at the 31st annual IFP Gotham Awards. The event is key stop in the awards season marathon, particularly for lower-budgeted indie fare that is looking to elbow into the Oscars race.
At the Gothams, “Passing,” a black-and-white drama that examines racism and colorist, and “The Lost Daughter,” a searing look at motherhood, led the pack with five nominations apiece. Close behind was “Coda,” a tender look at a teenager who is the only hearing member of a deaf family, earned three nominations including one of breakthrough performer for its star Emilia Jones. “Red Rocket,” the story of a washed-up porn star who returns to his hometown, also nabbed three nominations.
Nominees for the best documentary prize include “Ascension,” “Faya Dayi,” “Flee,” “President,” and “Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised).” Best international feature is a race between “Azor,” “Drive My Car,” “The Souvenir Part II,” The Worst Person In The World,” “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?” and “Titane,” which recently picked up the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
But not every likely Oscar contender found itself up for Gothams. “The Power of the Dog,” “tick, tick…Boom!” and “The Harder They Fall,” were among the films not eligible for awards — nominees had to have budgets under $35 million. That kept other awards season favorites such as “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” “King Richard,” “The French Dispatch,” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” out of contention. Read more
Boys, nonbinary student suspended over long hair sue school district for gender bias (NBC)
Students in the Magnolia Independent School District in suburban Houston must adhere to several requirements when it comes to their hairstyles. That includes keeping their locks “clean, well-groomed, and worn out of the eyes,” maintaining “appropriate hygiene at all times” and having a “natural hair color.”
For males, the districtwide policy is even stricter: no beards, mustaches or long sideburns; hair can’t be pinned up in a bun or held in a ponytail; and its length shouldn’t be longer than the bottom of the ear.
For at least six boys, and one student assigned male at birth who identifies as nonbinary, having hair longer than permitted has come at a steep cost this school year: They’ve been suspended.
A federal lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of those students by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas argues the punishment is biased and violates both their constitutional rights and Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools. The students, who are identified by their initials, are seeking an injunction to halt enforcement of the policy. Read more
Man, 25, in dock over murder of UK MP David Amess (Guardian)
A 25-year-old man appeared in court on Thursday after being charged with the murder of British MP David Amess, who was stabbed to death last week in what lawyers said was an attack with a “terrorist connection”.
Ali Harbi Ali, who was arrested at the scene of the killing in Leigh-on-Sea, east of London, last Friday, also faces a separate charge of preparing acts of terrorism.
He appeared in court in central London wearing a grey tracksuit and thick-rimmed glasses, speaking only to confirm his name, age and address at the 13-minute hearing.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and London’s Metropolitan Police announced charges against Ali earlier on Thursday.
Anti-Graft agency arrests 14 govt Officials over Corruption (Leadership)
Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has arrested 14 former and current government officials over graft offenses.
ACC said in a statement on Thursday, that the 14 arrested include a former Southern province Permanent Secretary, Sibanze Simuchoba.
It stated that the permanent secretary and two other officials were arrested for failure to follow applicable procedures in the manner they authorised transfer of funds without the approval of the secretary to the Treasury.
The statement added that 11 other officials from Choma district were arrested for fraudulent false accounting. Read more
Jacob Zuma makes first public appearance since release from prison (Punch)
South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma on Thursday made his first public appearance since his release from prison on medical parole last month to lay charges against a chief state prosecutor.
Zuma walked into a police station in the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg, where he is on trial for corruption, to open a criminal case against advocating Billy Downer for allegedly leaking his medical records.
Zuma stepped briskly out of his vehicle and up to the building’s entrance surrounded by security personnel, according to AFP reporters at the scene.
He was accompanied by one of his daughters and waved to people queueing outside the building as he walked past.
A small crowd of supporters gathered on the street, singing and dancing in Zuma-print t-shirts. Read more
Super Falcons spank Black Queens 2-0 in 2022 AWCON qualifiers (DailyTrust)
The Super Falcons’ bid to qualify for the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations received a major boost yesterday following a 2-0 victory over perennial rivals, Black Queens of Ghana at the Mobolaji Johnson stadium, Lagos.
From the blast of the whistle, Nigeria appeared ready for the challenge as they engaged their hosts who deployed physicality to curtail them.
In the 18th minute, Kanu Uchena missed an opportunity to open the scoring after failing to latch onto a tailored pass from Francisca Ordega.
But she made up for the miss in the 22nd minute after Ordega squared played with her to break the hearts of the Ghanaians. Read more
Super Eagles drop two places in latest FIFA rankings (Punch)
Nigeria have dropped two places in the latest FIFA men’s rankings for the month of October.
The Super Eagles, who were ranked 34th in the world in the ranking released in September, dropped 14 points to 36th.
The Eagles’ drop in the rankings was largely due to their 1-0 home defeat to Central African Republic in their 2022 World Cup qualifier earlier this month.
Gernot Rohr’s men would go on to beat CAR 2-0 in the reverse fixture of their doubleheader, but it was not enough to prevent them from dropping in the rankings.Read more
Bruno Fernandes insists Manchester United players back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Metro)
Bruno Fernandes insists Manchester United’s players are fully behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following their comeback win against Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Pressure has mounted on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the defeat to Leicester City on Saturday has left United without a win in three Premier League games.
United were forced to come from two goals down to run out 3-2 winners against Atalanta at Old Trafford, which has now put them top of Group F in the Champions League.
Recent reports have claimed that members of United’s squad have doubts about Solskjaer and his coaching staff. Read more
Arsenal sign 4-year-old boy after he was seen dribbling youngsters twice his age (Tribune)
English football club, Arsenal, have demonstrated that it is never too early to spot future talent after the Gunners signed a four-year-old Instagram sensation dubbed ‘little Messi’.
Zayn Ali Salman has made history in becoming the youngest ever recruit at Arsenal after signing up for the Premier League side’s pre-Academy aged just four.
Videos of Salman producing his dazzling skills on the pitch have racked up thousands of views on Instagram, with the youngster’s balance and skill earning him comparisons to Lionel Messi.
His old coach, Austin Schofield, told BBC News: “We put him with kids twice his age, but he was better than all of then. He was quicker and he could score and pass much better than the others. Read more
Ansu Fati: Why I signed new six-year Barcelona contract (PMNews)
Barcelona youngster, Ansu Fati who signed a new long-term term contract until 2027, has said he endorsed the deal because it is his ‘dream’ to keep playing at Camp Nou.
The 18-year-old broke into Barcelona’s first-team aged 16 towards the end of 2019 but recently returned from a knee injury that forced him to miss most of last season.
Upon his return, he is already playing a starring role in the team and has been assigned Lionel Messi’s old number 10 shirt.
Fati who penned his new deal on Thursday now has a €1bn release clause matching that of fellow teenager Pedri, who has also recently signed a new deal. Read more
Emma Raducanu urged to rehire US Open winning coach as former Grand Slam champion disagrees with decision (Metro)
Emma Raducanu should not have fired her coach Andrew Richardson after her US Open triumph.
That’s the verdict of two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin, who believes the 18-year-old should look to rehire him.
In September, Raducanu became the first ever qualifier to win a Grand Slam as she went the entire tournament without dropping a set.
It was only the British teenager’s second appearance at a Grand Slam, and while her parents were unable to attend the tournament, she had coach Richardson by her side throughout. Read more
