How medical doctor, others allegedly killed billionaire businessman, Lagos court told (Guardian)
The prosecution witnesses to the trial of a medical doctor, Daniel Ibeaji and two others suspected over the killing of a billionaire businessman, the late Ignatius Odunukwe, yesterday, told a Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), how the suspects allegedly killed the deceased.
Giving graphic description of the events that led to the killing, brothers to the deceased, Afam and Eugene Odunukwe, told the court that police findings, showed that Ibeaji, the first defendant, was the last person to call the deceased (the late Chief Odunukwe), before his line was switched off.
Ibeaji is standing trial alongside Uzor Igwe Arinze and Cletus Solomon for alleged kidnapping and killing the businessman, while pretending to buy a property from him on December 1, 2019, at Atican Beach Hotel, Ajah, Lagos.
The trio was charged before Justice Yetunde Adesanya by the Lagos State Government for conspiracy, kidnapping and killing of Odunukwe Read more
Collapsed Ikoyi 21-storey building has no insurance cover (Leadership)
There are strong indications that the recently collapsed 21-storey building in Ikoyi, Lagos, has no insurance coverage, Leadership investigation revealed.
As of yesterday, insurance operators under the auspices of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) as well as the insurance brokerage fraternity, that is, the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) were still searching for the likely insurer of the building, but to no avail.
NIA is a body of 58 insurance and reinsurance companies in the country while NCRIB is a council of about 500 insurance brokers across the federation.
Although, building insurance is part of the requirements for documentation and approval to construct such an edifice, insider sources said the contractors have little regard for insurance coverage, seeing the cover as a waste of money. Read more
Police burst illegal military training camp in Lagos (Sun)
The Lagos State Police Command said it has bursted an illegal military camp with code name, Nigeria Marchant Navy, at Ogudu area of the State.
The police said that 107 suspects, including one of their commanders, were arrested, while several military accoutrements, which included camouflages, barges of ranks, signboards, and identity cards, were recovered from the camp.
Other items recovered included recruitment letters, promotion letters and portrait of the commanding officer, two motorcycles, plasma television, three cutlases, charms and other items.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, who paraded the suspects at the command Headquarters, Ikeja, yesterday, said that the Nigerian Marchant Navy had since been outlawed by the Federal Government, hence it was illegal for anyone to operate such a military outfit; giving military training to unsuspecting young Nigerians was not a good thing for the country. Read more
Lagos says no directive to demolish remaining Ikoyi high-rise buildings (Guardian)
Contrary to speculations, the Lagos State government, yesterday, said no directive had been given for the demolition of the two high-rise buildings standing at the site of the 21-storey collapsed building in Ikoyi.
The state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, who disclosed this in a statement, said that the panel of inquiry instituted into the collapse of the building had continued to sit and an integrity test on the two buildings is yet to be conducted.
He added that it was, therefore, wrong to assert or speculate that the buildings would be demolished. Omotosho said two more bodies had been recovered from the site yesterday, which brings the number of bodies retrieved from the site to 45.
Meanwhile, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) has set up a nine-member investigation panel on the collapse of the 21-storey building at Ikoyi, Lagos. Read more
Dangote pledges to bridge unemployment gap in Nigeria (Sun)
Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) has restated its commitment to contributing to significant reduction in the number of unemployed Nigerians even as the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) lauded the indigenous conglomerate spread across Africa.
Speaking at the Dangote Special Day at the ongoing 2021 Lagos International Trade Fair, its Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Hajiya Halima Aliko-Dangote, stated that the nation’s foremost conglomerate intends to achieve the goal through its various investment projects spread across the nation.
Halima Aliko-Dangote who was represented by DIL Group Chief Commercial Officer, Rabiu Umar, said that the Group is committed to the ameliorating the sufferings in the society especially in the reduction of unemployment, hence the huge sums being invested in various projects across Nigeria.
He stated that the Group’s interest is beyond profit making but to supporting government in job creation, reducing poverty, and engaging in unprecedented philanthropy, adding that outside of government, the Dangote Group is the biggest employer of labour in Nigeria. Read more
Crude oil fire raises tension in Bayelsa community (Guardian)
Fresh massive crude oil fire caused by a massive crude oil spill from the wellhead of Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company in its Santa Barbara South Field is currently ravaging Opu-Nembe community in Bayelsa State.
The fire, which is still raging from the wellhead, according to community sources, has left many of the people in fear as many had fled their community.
A community source, who spoke in confidence, said the wellhead from Well One of the oil exploration company has been discharging serious hydrocarbon into the environment before it caught fire yesterday night.
He said, “The people of Opu-Nembe need serious environmental and medical attention. You can see there is a boom line but the boom line set up by Aiteo cannot put off the fire, it has gone to the highest level of hazard.” Read more
My victory reflects supreme will of God, people’s mandate -Soludo (Sun)
Governor–elect of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo, has said his victory reflects the supreme will of the Almighty God, as well as an overwhelming sacred mandate of the people.
He stated this at his country home in Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area, in his acceptance speech following his declaration as winner of the poll by INEC.
While promising to make the people proud, Soludo solicited guidance, advice and contribution of everyone to succeed.
“My role will be that of your chief servant, and I will work every minute of the day with you to make you profoundly proud. Working in collaboration with other states, the Federal Government and the international community, we have all that it takes to make our state whatever we collectively wish it to be. As we transit to a post-oil world and into the fourth industrial revolution, let us work together to create that liveable and prosperous homeland. That is the industrial, technology and leisure hub of West Africa. This is our manifest destiny, and collectively we shall get there,” he said. Read more
Cocoyam tuber extract suppresses enlarged prostate — Experts (Tribune)
As men age, many experience prostate gland enlargement. This condition is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) which is quite common in older men. In fact, the condition impacts about 50% of men between the ages of 51 and 60. When the prostate gets bigger, it can squeeze or partially block the urethra, which leads to problems urinating.
Now, in addition to cocoyam tubers being used as staple food, experts say that it is a potential functional food in ameliorating an enlarged prostate gland.
Currently, the treatment options for BPH include the use of drugs or surgery. Whereas the use of drugs has been associated with serious adverse effects, the use of surgery could be life-threatening, thus highlighting the need for alternatives.
Although many men with BPH have no symptoms, others show signs, most commonly, urinary and sexual difficulties. They can range from mild and barely noticeable to serious, but the amount of prostate enlargement is not directly related to the severity of the symptoms. Because BPH cannot be cured, the treatment focuses on reducing the symptoms. Read more
No man can control me – DJ Cuppy (Nation)
Popular disc jockey DJ Cuppy has stated no man will ever be able to control her.
Cuppy, in an interview with Zeze Millz on the “ZEZE MILLZ SHOW”, said she believes every woman should be totally independent and have her money.
She said most persons call her bluff when she speaks on her stance, which leaves her surprised since she works hard and does not depend on her father’s wealth.
“When I say to people, I’m so pro-women having their own money. People are like “Come on Cuppy, shut up! Your dad is wealthy. But if my dad was really someone I depend on, why do I work so hard?” Read more
Elon Musk’s SpaceX launches four astronauts on flight to ISS (France24)
The SpaceX-built launch vehicle, consisting of a Crew Dragon capsule perched atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, climbed into the night sky from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as its nine Merlin engines roared to life at about 9 p.m. (0200 GMT Thursday).
Liftoff of the Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance by the crew, was aired live from Cape Canaveral on NASA TV. Intermittent rain and clouds over the Cape earlier in the day had cast doubt on launch prospects, but the weather cleared sufficiently by flight time, NASA said.
Live NASA video footage showed the four crew members strapped into the pressurized cabin of their gleaming white SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, wearing their helmeted white and black flight suits in the final minutes before launch.
The three American astronauts and their European Space Agency crewmate were due to arrive at the space station, orbiting some 250 miles (400 km) above the Earth, on Thursday evening following a flight of about 22 hours. Read more
Italy issues warrant for Israeli grandfather of cable car survivor (Alarabiya)
An Italian judge has issued an international arrest warrant for the Israeli grandfather of a 6-year-old boy who survived a cable car crash in Italy, after the man spirited the child to Israel in violation of an Italian court order.
Eitan Biran was the sole survivor of the May 23 cable car crash in northern Italy that killed 14 people, including his parents and younger brother. Ever since, he has been the focus of a custody battle between his maternal grandparents in Israel and his paternal relatives in Italy.
On Sept. 11, Eitan’s maternal grandfather, Shmulik Peleg, drove him to Switzerland after a regular visit and flew him aboard a private plane to Israel. Last month, an Israeli court ordered Eitan to be returned to his relatives in Italy, ruling his relocation to Israel was unlawful and ordering Peleg to pay around $20,000 in expenses and attorney fees.
Peleg has defended his decision to spirit the boy away, saying it was in the child’s best interest. Read more
Lindsey Graham admits friendship with Biden is over, blaming Afghanistan (Independent)
Senator Lindsey Graham has consigned any hope of repairing his years-long friendship with President Joe Biden to the dustbin, purportedly because of the president’s decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.
Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Graham called the president — with whom he served in the US senate for six years — a “decent man,” but said he “will never forgive him” for executing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that was required under an agreement negotiated under former president Donald Trump.
“He has blood on his hands, and he’s made America less safe, and he’s been the most consistently wrong man on foreign policy in my lifetime,” Mr Graham said.
The South Carolina Republican, who was once known as one of the senate’s most bipartisan members but has increasingly toed whatever line has been drawn for him by Mr Trump in recent years, claimed that Mr Biden’s decision to honour the agreement made by the prior administration will result in a future terrorist attack upon the United States, but did not cite any sources to back up his claim. Read more
US, China surprise climate summit with joint declaration (VOA)
The United States and China surprised the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow on Wednesday with a joint declaration to take action to limit global warming over the next decade.
The declaration came as delegates entered the final hours of negotiations to agree on a final text at the conference that will outline how the world will limit global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
China and the United States are the world’s two biggest polluters, and scientists say their future actions are critical in the fight against climate change. The absence of Chinese leader Xi Jinping from the summit last week was strongly criticized by U.S. President Joe Biden.
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told reporters in Glasgow on Wednesday that the joint declaration builds on statements made by both countries in April. Read more
San Francisco police officer, 47, dies fighting Covid within 4 days of testing positive’ (DailyMail)
A police officer put on leave by the San Francisco Police Department earlier this month for missing the city’s November 1 vaccination deadline died battling COVID-19 on Saturday after being stricken with the virus just days earlier.
Officer Jack Nyce, 47, a 17-year-veteran of the department, died November 6 after testing positive for the virus four days prior, his wife Melissa Nyce told The San Francisco Chronicle on Monday.
‘He loved being a cop,’ Melissa told the outlet, adding that she had not taken a COVID-19 test after her husband’s passing.
She also revealed that she was by her husband’s side throughout the four-day ordeal until he succumbed to COVID-related complications in a San Francisco hospital. She declined to tell the paper whether her husband had been vaccinated or not. Read more
Afghan Taliban claim to have captured 600 IS militants (VOA)
Afghanistan’s Taliban said Wednesday that they have rounded up nearly 600 members of the local Islamic State affiliate, known as Islamic State-Khorasan Province, since returning to power in mid-August.
A spokesman for the General Directorate of Intelligence, the new name of the Afghan spy agency under Islamist Taliban rule, told reporters in Kabul that “high-ranking” commanders of IS-Khorasan were also among the detainees.
“These men linked to Daesh are now being held in jails under tight security,” Kahlil Hamraz told a news conference in Kabul, using a local, derogatory name for IS-Khorasan.
He said ongoing security operations against the group have also killed almost 40 militants. Read more
Jamaica deportation flight leaves with just four people on board (BBC)
A deportation flight from the UK to Jamaica left with just four people on board, the Home Office has said.
Several last-minute legal challenges meant 33 people did not board Wednesday morning’s flight as planned.
Some of them were guilty of crimes such as murder and child sexual offences, Home Secretary Priti Patel said, adding it was “absolutely galling” they had been stopped from being deported.
Lawyers for some of those due to be on board said it wasted taxpayers’ money. Read more
PSG women star Aminata Diallo arrested following violent ‘attack on the club’s players’ (Goal)
The club confirmed that the France international was in police custody on Wednesday morning, a day after playing in the Women’s Champions League
Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that midfielder Aminata Diallo was taken into police custody on Wednesday morning “following an attack on the club’s players” last week.
The news came just a day after the France international featured in PSG’s comprehensive Women’s Champions League victory over Real Madrid, playing 89 minutes in the 4-0 group-stage win.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the club said: “Paris Saint-Germain can confirm that Aminata Diallo was taken into custody this morning by the Versailles Regional Police Service as part of the proceedings opened following an attack on the club’s players last Thursday evening. Read more
Wolves could recall Sanderson from Birminghan in January (MolineuxNews)
Wolves could recall Dion Sanderson from his loan in the Championship with Birmingham in January.
The Athletic claim that is an option the club is looking at to boost Bruno Lage’s central defensive options.
Romain Saiss and Willy Boly are due to go to the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
That could leave Lage light at the back, with Yerson Mosquera a long-term injury absentee. Read more
Generating more shots a point of Rangers emphasis (NYPost)
The Rangers don’t play again until Saturday at Columbus, so they finally have a couple of days during which they can catch their breath after a tiring travel schedule and to home in at practice on troublesome parts of their game.
“When you’re in the midst of it, you don’t really think about the challenge that faces you,” Ryan Strome said after practice Wednesday. “But then when you have a few days off, you realize — I mean, I slept pretty good the last few nights.”
The Rangers worked at MSG Training Center on getting shots off more quickly and attacking the net. They have been outshot in all but one of their past seven games. Even Monday, when they handed the Panthers their first loss in regulation, the Rangers were limited to fewer than 10 shots in each period.
“[We’re] generating good scoring chances, but not near enough,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “There’s no doubt we need more shots to the net. But the chances we got last game were Grade-A, and the chances we got in the 6-0 loss to Calgary [on Friday] … [Flames goalie Jacob] Markstrom played an unbelievable game. Read more
Andy Murray into Stockholm Open quarter-finals with win over Jannik Sinner (BBC)
This was Andy Murray’s second victory over a top-10 player this season
Andy Murray knocked out top seed Jannik Sinner to reach the Stockholm Open quarter-finals and said “it’s probably my best win this season”.
The Briton, 34, was fired up and focused against the 20-year-old Italian world number 10 in a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win that was one of his finest since his comeback from two hip surgeries.
Murray will face American Tommy Paul for a place in the semi-finals.
“Now I’m in the quarters, I want to have a deep run here,” he said. Read more
Furious rally can’t undo Knicks starters’ dud in loss to Bucks (NYPost)
One moment, the Garden had gone from uneasy groans to all-out boos. The next, it was on its feet, at full throat, treating each possession like it was an elimination game.
Wednesday was a 2 ¹/₂-hour roller-coaster ride. The Knicks went from getting run off the court to nearly pulling off a stunning victory. Only the Bucks’ clutch 3-point shooting prevented them from blowing another huge lead to the Knicks five days after choking away a 21-point edge in Milwaukee.
Ultimately, the poor performance by the Knicks’ starters in each half was too much for the Derrick Rose-led crew to overcome in a 112-100 defeat. The loss continued their recent problems at home, the Knicks’ third straight loss at MSG and fourth in five games. Their perimeter defense remained a major issue, allowing the Bucks to shoot 52 percent (26 of 50) from deep. Reserve Pat Connaughton hit eight of them and two-time MVP GiannisAntetokounmpo had 15 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Derrick Rose led the Knicks with 22 points and Immanuel Quickley had 18 as the struggling starters sat for the final 14:01.
At one point, the Knicks trailed by 24. Even the shots of Celebrity Row showed disappointed faces. But when coach Tom Thibodeau went to his bench, the somber atmosphere eventually turned raucous. Read more
Leon Edwards slams ‘fraud’ Jorge Masvidal with UFC 269 fight now off and calls out Kamaru Usman (Metro)
Leon Edwards has labelled Jorge Masvidal a ‘fraud’ after their UFC 269 fight was shelved due to injury, with the Birmingham fighter now targeting welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Edwards and Masvidal were set to finally meet in the octagon to resolve a bitter feud that has been brewing ever since the two came to blows backstage at UFC London in 2019.
That contest is now off however with the Florida fighter forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury, ESPN report.
It is not known at this stage whether the fight will be rebooked in 2022 but a frustrated Edwards appears to already be looking elsewhere. Read more
Carlos Alcaraz wows Next Gen ATP finals fans by winning point-of-the-year contender against Brandon Nakashima (Eurosport)
Carlos Alcaraz is a rising star in the world of tennis, with many tipping him as a future major winner, and he wowed the fans in Milan with an incredible point during his win over Brandon Nakashima.
We’re not sure if there is a point-of-the-year award. If there isn’t one, then there should be – and Alcaraz would be high up the list for this effort at the Next Gen ATP Finals.
The Spaniard, who is the first player into the semi-finals of the event, showed pretty much every facet of his game in a single point.
His American opponent had the upper hand, forcing Alcaraz to traverse the court like the roadrunner. Read more