How lifeless body of Super TV boss, Ataga, was found, witness recounts (Sun)
Nkechi Mogbo, the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a 300-Level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, who was alleged to have killed Michael Usifo Ataga, the Super TV’s Chief Executive Officer, has told court how the deceased’s lifeless body was found.
Mogbo is the owner of the short service apartment where Ataga’s lifeless body was found in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.
Ojukwu, alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri, are standing trial for the alleged murder of the deceased before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS).
Testifying before the court, yesterday, Mogbo told the court that she was the one who rented out the apartment where the deceased body was found. Read more
Passenger Extortion: Joint Task Force unveiled, storms Lagos airport (Independent)
Barely 48 hours after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) apprehended a staff of Arik Air for extortion of air travallers at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, a joint taskforce to stop such unwarranted act has been set up by the Federal Government.
Multiple sources close to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos confided in our correspondent on Thursday evening that the joint taskforce comprises Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Nigeria Police and Aviation Security (AVSEC) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
It was learnt that the taskforce was inaugurated on Tuesday, but commenced work at the major airports across the country on Wednesday. Read more
Police arrest suspected kidnappers while collecting ransom (ThisDay)
Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command in collaboration with men of the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, and men of the So Safe Corps in the state have arrested three members of a kidnap syndicate.
The suspects, according to a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, were arrested on November 9, 2021.
The suspects are Abubakar Sodiq, 26; Ibrahim Kuaki, 24, and Muhammadu Dio, 22.
Oyeyemi disclosed that the suspects were arrested following a report lodged at Ilupeju divisional headquarters that two men, who had gone to work at Abule Oba Alamala on Ayetoro road, were kidnapped by some gunmen.Read more
Intrigues as police parade 14 alleged invaders of Odili’s home (Guardian)
The drama trailing invasion of the Abuja residence of Supreme Court Justice, Mary Odili, received a fresh twist, yesterday, as the Nigeria Police Force announced it arrested 14 persons allegedly responsible for the act.
Mrs Odili is the wife of Peter Odili, a former governor of Rivers State, who has been having a running battle with the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The October 29 invasion had drawn fiery condemnations, accusations, counter-accusations, conspiracy theories and denials, with some Nigerians insisting the Presidency, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) were complicit.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had given the Federal Government a 48-hour ultimatum to get the perpetrators, claiming that the incident was an assassination attempt. Read more
Okada rider killed over refusal to buy N100 ticket in Ibadan (Sun)
There was pandemonium in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday, when three revenue collectors, suspected to be from the Oyo State Park Management System, a commercial motorcyclist to death over refusal to purchase N100 daily ticket.
The incident occurred at Queen Cinema, Dugbe, Ibadan. But other motorcyclists reportedly descended on the revenue collectors and beat them mercilessly. But for the quick intervention of men of Oyo State Police Command, more death would have been recorded.
The mob later took the lifeless body of the dead okada rider to the Oyo State Government Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, and requested to see Governor Seyi Makinde. But security operatives locked the entrance gate of the secretariat and prevented the mob from taking the dead body to the Governor’s Office.
But the Executive Assistant to the governor on security matters, Sunday Odukoya, attended to them, saying the matter would be investigated and the government would ensure that justice is done on the incident. Read more
Missing Vanguard reporter, Tordue Salem, found dead (Vanguard)
The Vanguard Newspaper reporter who went missing last month, Tordue Salem, has been found dead.
The newspaper reported that details of the recovery of his remains were sketchy as of 9.30pm on Thursday.
The Federal House of Representatives correspondent was last seen around Total filling station, close to the Force headquarters, Abuja.
An alarm was raised the day after he was last seen when his whereabouts became unknown. Read more
Soludo, deputy to receive certificates of return Friday, says INEC (Tribune)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the governor-elect in the Anambra State governorship election, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo and his deputy will receive their Certificates of Return on Friday.
The commission stated this on Thursday, adding that the governor-elect and his deputy of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) would receive the certificates at the commission’s office in Awka, the state capital.
Also, the commission acknowledged that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed at the weekend for accreditation of voters in the governorship election conducted last weekend in Anambra State fell short of expectations of most Nigerians.
Mr Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, in a statement on Thursday said the technology was overstretched as it performed two functions on the election day. Read more
Osun: Angry mobs beat policeman to stupor for allegedly causing accident (Sun)
An angry mob in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, yesterday, descended on a policeman and beat him to stupor for allegedly causing an accident.
The policeman whose name could not be ascertained was drained in blood and helpless at the Owo-Eba area, along Ilesha road, Osogbo, where the incident happened.
Sources told Daily Sun that some policemen who were not in uniform mounted a checkpoint at the area when a man and his son became their victims.
It was gathered that the man and his son were on their motorcycle when they were stopped by the policemen. Their apparent refusal to comply allegedly led to an argument and on of the policemen allegedly pushed them, leading to an accident. Read more
Police partner AGN to promote peace, security in Imo (Guardian)
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Hussaini, has assured citizens and residents of the command’s commitment to sustain relative peace in the state.
Hussaini gave the assurance, yesterday, when the leadership of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Imo State chapter, visited him at the command’s headquarters in Owerri.
He disclosed that from investigations, those behind the security issues in the state were mainly escapees from the correctional centre in Owerri, after the attack by gunmen on Easter Monday this year.
Others, according to the CP, are armed criminals and hoodlums, who disguise as members of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN), to cause insecurity in the state. Read more
Lady Gaga and Jared Leto improvised most iconic line in House of Gucci (Metro)
Lady Gaga has revealed she and co-star Jared Leto were the brains behind one of the most memorable moments from House of Gucci and we’re obsessed.
The Bad Romance hitmaker, who first turned her hand to acting in Oscar-nominated A Star is Born, plays Patrizia Reggiani in the highly-anticipated movie.
In the trailer, she’s seen saying: ‘Father, son, and House of Gucci’ like a prayer.
‘That was something Jared and I came up with together,’ she explained, adding that it was improvised and not originally part of the script. Read more
US federal court temporarily blocks release of Trump’s January 6 records (TimesofIsrael)
A US federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily blocked the release of White House records sought by a US House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, granting — for now — a request from former president Donald Trump.
The administrative injunction issued by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit effectively bars until the end of this month the release of records that were to be turned over Friday. The appeals court set oral arguments in the case for November 30.
The stay gives the court time to consider arguments in a momentous clash between the former president, whose supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, and US President Joe Biden and Congress, who have pushed for a thorough investigation of the riot. It delays the House committee from reviewing records that lawmakers say could shed light on the events leading up to the insurrection and Trump’s efforts to delegitimize an election he lost.
The National Archives, which holds the documents, says they include call logs, handwritten notes and a draft executive order on “election integrity.” Read more
UK caves, allows Assange to get married in jail (RT)
Imprisoned WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange will tie the knot with the mother of his children at a maximum security UK prison, after Stella Moris sued the “creepy” British government for denying them the right to marry.
“Julian and I now have permission to marry in Belmarsh prison,” Moris tweeted on Thursday evening, explaining that the UK government “backed down” 24 hours before the legal deadline.
“I am relieved but still angry that legal action was necessary to put a stop to the illegal interference with our basic right to marry,” she added.
Moris, who has two sons with Assange, filed a lawsuit against Justice Secretary Dominic Raab and Belmarsh Governor Jenny Louis on Friday, arguing that “creepy elements of the UK government” engaged in “unfair, irrational and sinister” behavior to illegitimately interfere in their plans. Read more
US: Death toll from Astroworld music festival stampede rises to 9 (MB)
A Texas college student has succumbed to injuries sustained during last week’s Astroworld Festival stampede in Houston, a lawyer for the family announced on Thursday, bringing the death toll from the incident to nine.
Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old Texas A&M University student, died late Wednesday from “horrific injuries” sustained during rapper Travis Scott’s music festival, the representative said.
Nine concertgoers between the ages of 14 and 27 were killed and many others were injured during the opening night of the festival on November 5. A nine-year-old boy remains in critical condition, police have said.
“We want to make sure that the people who decided to put profits over the safety of the lives of children are held responsible,” James Lassiter, the lawyer for Shahani’s family, said during a news conference. Read more
‘We killed Herman Cain’: Trump staffers blamed themselves for COVID death of ally (DailyMail)
Aides to former President Donald Trump believe they’re responsible for the death of Herman Cain, who rose to political prominance after running for the GOP nomination in 2012.
In journalist Jonathan Karl’s forthcoming book, Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show, one senior Trump staffer told ABC News’ Will Steakin, ‘We killed Herman Cain,’ according to an excerpt in Vanity Fair.
The 74-year-old Cain had attended Trump’s June 20, 2020 indoor rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before succumbing to COVID-19 on July 30.
Cain, who led the Black Voices for Trump coalition, was photographed at the indoor rally unmasked, surrounded by people. Read more
Western Nations condemn Belarus at UN Security Council (VOA)
The United States and European members of the U.N. Security Council condemned Belarus on Thursday for what they called the “cynical instrumentalization of migrants,” as tensions simmered along the Polish-Belarusian border.
“We … condemn the orchestrated instrumentalization of human beings whose lives and well-being have been put in danger for political purposes by Belarus, with the objective of destabilizing neighboring countries and the European Union’s external border and diverting attention away from its own increasing human rights violations,” Estonian Ambassador Sven Jürgenson said on behalf of seven Western nations.
The flow of migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan rose sharply after the European Union imposed sanctions on Minsk for forcing a commercial airliner flying over its territory in May to land. The authorities arrested a Belarusian opposition blogger and his girlfriend, who were on board.
Now thousands of migrants who have traveled legally to Belarus face an uncertain fate and freezing temperatures along the border with Poland. Read more
Boris Johnson had to be told 3 times before finally keeping face mask on at hospital (Mirror)
Boris Johnson had to be told three times before he finally followed rules and kept his mask on for a hospital visit.
He was accused of “callous disregard” for the NHSafter wandering around without one.
Susie Flintham of Covid-19 Families for Justice said: “The PM was putting lives at risk completely unnecessarily by visiting a hospital and refusing to put his mask on, despite being repeatedly asked to.
“For him to make a point of posing for a photo without a mask is a slap in the face to bereaved families.” Read more
Liberia vs Nigeria: Ighalo arrives Super Eagles camp, says ‘I’m happy to be back’ (Punch)
Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has returned to Super Eagles, two years after his earlier retirement from international football.
Ighalo, who arrived at the camp on Thursday, expressed delight at his return to the Super Eagles after more than two years of hiatus.
“I am happy to be back. It has been long. Two years plus. Good to see some of the guys.
“I have seen Ekong, my strong man, hopefully, I will see the other guys,” the Al Shabab striker told NFF TV.
Ighalo retired from the Nigerian senior national football team after helping the Super Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt where he emerged as the top scorer. Read more
Athletes battle for $4,500, other prizes at Bigi/Abeokuta 10km marathon (Guardian)
The 2021 edition of the Bigi/Abeokuta 10km marathon race will hold tomorrow with various prizes, including $4,500 at stake for the athletes.
The headline sponsor, Bigi Table Water brand from Rite Foods, said yesterday that it was fully prepared to energise all athletes, who will run at the ancient city.
The international event with the theme ‘Naija, race for Homeland’ is specifically for Nigerians within the country and Diaspora.
It will start from Oba Alake’s palace and end at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta, with five water points at the 2.5km, 5km, 7.5km, and the finishing line. Also included are two Refreshing points along the route. Read more
NBBF crisis: New twist as Ahmadu-Kida, ministry clash over kits (Punch)
The crisis rocking the Nigeria Basketball Federation has taken a new twist after the federation’s former president, Musa Ahmadu-Kida, refused to hand over the national teams kits in his possession.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the federation’s election, scheduled to hold in Benin City, Edo State on October 30, was postponed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, due to the crisis in the federation.
The decision left the NBBF with no board in place to manage its activities.
The PUNCH also reported that the sports ministry set up a task force to manage the federation’s activities, as well as D’Tigers’ 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup African qualifying campaign scheduled to hold from November 22 to 30. Read more
Sadio Mané limps off for Senegal to hand Liverpool fresh injury scare (DailyAdvent)
Sadio Mané was withdrawn early on for Senegal in a World Cup qualifier against Togo on Thursday, providing Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp with more injury jitters. The forward was substituted in the 28th minute, replaced by Villarreal’s Boulaye Dia, shortly after showing visible signs of discomfort following an aerial challenge.
Senegal’s coach, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Birmingham City midfielder Aliou Cissé, said afterwards: “We took him off as a precaution and there is nothing serious,” while conceding that the withdrawal of the 2019 African Footballer of the Year “destabilised us … he is an important player for the team”.
Reports have described the issue as a knock and, though the player will be assessed, his participation in Sunday’s match against DR Congo has not yet been ruled out.
Having overcome the substantial injury problems that hit Liverpool’s defensive line last season, the campaign to date has seen Klopp’s options depleted in attacking areas, with Harvey Elliott badly dislocating his ankle in September, and Roberto Firmino out for several weeks with a hamstring problem, sustained against Atlético Madrid last week. Liverpool’s injury list also currently contains James Milner, Naby Keïta, Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez. Read more
Mamador rewards Tokyo 2020 medallists with N6.5m (Punch)
Mamador, makers of vegetable cooking oil, on Thursday in Lagos rewarded Nigeria’s medal-winning athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games with N6.5m.
The athletes include are Blessing Oborududu, who won Nigeria’s first Olympic wrestling medal (silver) and Ese Brume, a long jump bronze medallist.
The Paralympians are Flora Ugwunwa, Bose Omolayo, Folashade Oluwafemiayo and Latifat Tijani, who all won para-powerlifting gold medals at the Games.
Others are silver medallist Loveline Obiji, bronze medal winners Olaitan Ibrahim, Lucy Ejike, Lauretta Onye and Eucharia Iyazi, as well as bronze-winning para-table tennis trio Tajudeen Agunbiade, Alabi Olufemi and Victor Farinloye. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo gives his shirt to young pitch invader following Portugal’s draw with Republic of Ireland (Metro)
Cristiano Ronaldo gave his shirt to a young fan who ran into the pitch following Portugal’s goalless draw with Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
Following the full-time whistle, a young female fan approached the Manchester United forward having found her way onto the pitch.
While security appeared to be ready to usher her away, Ronaldo intervened, hugging the fan before handing over his shirt to cheers around the Aviva Stadium.
Earlier on in the contest, the 36-year-old was made to dodge another pitch invader who has snuck onto the Aviva pitch. Read more
Dates confirmed for 2022/23 Premier League season (Sky)
The Premier League has confirmed that the winter break required next season to accommodate the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will last for just over six weeks.
The 2022/23 season will get underway on Saturday, August 6, before being put on hold from Monday, November 14, ahead of the World Cup starting a week later on Monday, November 21.
Ahead of players being released for international duty for the tournament, 16 rounds of Premier League fixtures will be played between the opening day of the campaign and Sunday, November 13
The Premier League campaign will resume on Boxing Day, meaning England will have its traditional set of festive fixtures. The World Cup concludes just a week before Christmas, with the final being staged on Sunday, December 18, in the yet-to-be-completed city of Lusail.Read more