I lost 2-month pregnancy to SARS’ torture, schoolteacher tells Lagos panel (Punch)
Hearing by the Lagos State Panel of Judicial Inquiry into complaints of human rights violations by men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad continued on Saturday with a schoolteacher, Ndubuisi Obiechina, narrating to the panel how she was arrested in 2017 on a bogus allegation of being a thief and a kidnapper and tortured by SARS men till her then two-month-old pregnancy was aborted.
The schoolteacher, who appeared before the retired Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel alongside her husband, told the panel that she was detained for 22 days and tortured till she lost her pregnancy.
She named the officers who tortured her as Phillip Rilwan, Christian and Haruna Idowu.
She alleged that the policemen stole her husband’s N50,000 and compelled them to part with N400,000 as bail fee before they were freed. Read more
How to tackle poverty through education, empowerment, by Lagos Lawmaker (Nation)
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Apapa Constituency 1, Hon. Mojisola Meranda, has empowered 102 petty traders with the sum of N25,000 each to support their businesses as a means of cushioning the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She noted that poverty can be tackled through education, empowerment and supporting businesses.
According to her, “On personal level, I believe in empowering people. I believe we can tackle poverty through education and supporting businesses. Whenever I see people I have empowered in the past, I’m always happy and fulfilled because they have left that poverty line and that level where they make financial requests regularly. They can now afford things on their own and I can see the possibility of impact in the community.” Read more
Petrol tanker catches fire near Ogun Governor’s Office (Punch)
A truck loaded with about 50,000 litres of petroleum was gutted by fire in front of Ogun State Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The incident happened on Saturday.
Our correspondent gathered that the tanker was coming from Ijora, Lagos State, en route to Adatan, in Abeokuta metropolis.
The driver, who identified himself as Nurudeen Yusuf, told newsmen that he, alongside his two motorboys, discovered a spark from the engine, which resulted in the fire outbreak.
The leader of the Federal Fire Service at the scene, Sodiq Atanda, said it took the timely intervention of his men to put out the fire. Read more
Rivers’ National Assembly Caucus backs Wike’s ban on IPOB (Thisday)
The Rivers State caucus of the National Assembly has affirmed its support for measures taken by Governor Nyesom Wike, to rein in the Indigenous Peoples Organization of Biafra (IPOB) in the state.
The federal legislators said they stand with Wike on every actions he has taken to preserve lives and properties of all residents in the state.
Leader of the caucus, Senator George Sekibo, who made this disclosure when he led members of the caucus on a solidarity visit to Wike at the weekend explained that the Caucus was impressed with efforts and commitment of the governor in the handling of #EndSARS protest and the aftermath. Read more
FRSC boss orders immediate resumption of operational activities (Guardian)
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has ordered the immediate resumption of all operational activities in FRSC formations across the country.
Oyeyemi gave the order in a statement by Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM), Bisi Kazeem on Friday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Corps had earlier suspended all enforcement as a result of the unrest that trailed the #ENDSARS protests in the country.
Some offices of the Corps were also torched by rampaging hoodlums who hijacked the protests against police brutality to terrorise Nigerians including road users. Read more
What keeps me going despite 2020’s challenges –DJ Cuppy (Punch)
Popular disc jockey, Florence Otedola, better known as DJ Cuppy, says that 2020 has indeed been a tough year for all.
The rich kid spoke with her fans on an Instagram Live session during the week. She said, “I have not been around but I miss you so much. It has been a tough time for us. I have been going through it; our country has been going through it. I just want to say I care about you and I believe everything will be okay. I didn’t feel like this a few days ago but I am better now. We are stronger than we think. Everything will be okay.”
Cuppy also insisted that she would do whatever it took to make a difference. Read more
Gunmen abduct 3 persons in Ondo (Thisday)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers Saturday abducted three persons, who were said to be travellers, in Ikakumo Akoko in Akoko North East area of Ondo State.
Ikakumo Akoko is a border town between Ondo and Edo state.
It was gathered that a commercial motorcycle rider who ran into the scene was beaten to stupor by the suspects, who abandoned him thinking he was dead.
However, the commercial motorcyclist, who was later resuscitated, recounted the incident to the residents of the community.
Reacting to the incident, the Police Area Commander for Ikare, Mr Razak Rauf, confirmed the incident. Read more
Okowa relaxes curfew in Delta (Nation)
The Delta State Government has announced a relaxation of the statewide curfew imposed on 22 October, 2020 following wanton destruction of public property.
The curfew which had run from 6p.m. to 8 a.m. would now be between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. with effect from Saturday, October 31, State Information Commissioner, Charles Aniagwu disclosed.
Aniagwu, in a statement ,yesterday ,expressed appreciation to Deltans for observing the curfew, which is expected to restore normalcy in the state.
“As a government we are not unmindful of the stress our people are going through on account of the curfew, but it was inevitable in order to protect lives and property of Deltans. Read more
Niger: American hostage rescued by US special forces (BBC)
An American hostage kidnapped in Niger earlier this week has been freed in a raid by US special forces, the Pentagon has announced.
Philip Walton was abducted on Monday from a village close to the border with Nigeria.
He was taken across the border into Nigeria and rescued on Saturday.
Jihadist and criminal groups are known to operate in the area. It’s thought at least six hostages are currently being held captive in the Sahel area.
Mr Walton was abducted from the village of Massalata, where he had been living with his wife and child for two years, his father told AFP news agency.
Locals said six men armed with AK47s arrived in the village on motorbikes.
It’s unclear why Mr Walton was targeted and who the armed group were. Read more
Sacramento conjoined twins by head separated successfully (NYPost)
Sacramento twin girls who were born conjoined at the head were successfully separated in an extensive, day-long surgical procedure Friday.
Nine-month-old Abigail and Micaela Bachinskiy underwent a 24-hour surgery at UC Davis Medical Center and were successfully separated in the early hours of Friday morning reports KCRA3.
The joining of the little girls’ skulls and brains, a congenital condition known as craniopagus twinning, is a ” very, very rare anomaly,” UC Davis Children’s Hospital Pediatric Neurosurgeon, said. Read more
Tanzania elections: Main opposition parties demand fresh vote (BBC)
Tanzania’s two main opposition parties have demanded fresh elections, after denouncing last week’s presidential vote as fraudulent.
The Chadema and ACT-Wazalendo parties, in a joint news conference, also called for mass protests from Monday.
Incumbent President John Magufuli was declared victor in Wednesday’s election with 84% of the vote.
Chadema alleges ballot boxes were tampered with after its agents were stopped from entering polling stations.
“We first call for fresh elections as soon as possible,” the party’s chairman, Freeman Mbowe, said on Saturday. “We call for continuous, peaceful, countrywide demonstrations until our demands are met.” Read more
Lori Loughlin officially begins sentence at California federal prison (PageSix)
Actress Lori Loughlin has turned herself in early and begun her two-month sentence at a California federal prison for her role in the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal.
The “Full House” star had been ordered to report to prison on Nov. 19, but she surrendered on Friday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., a Bureau of Prisons spokesman said.
She has been assigned the prisoner number 77827-112, according to BOP records.
Loughlin, 55, who played “Aunt Becky” on the popular sitcom, and her designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, 56, pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to pay a half-million-dollar bribe to get their daughters into the University of Southern California. Read more
Indian doctor duped into buying ‘Aladdin’s lamp’ for $4,150 (BBC)
Two men have been arrested in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for allegedly duping a doctor into buying an “Aladdin’s lamp” that they promised would bring him wealth and health.
As part of the con, they even pretended to conjure up spirits from the lamp, in line with the tale from The Arabian Nights, Indian media report.
The men had reportedly wanted more than $200,000 for the lamp but settled for a down payment of $4,150.
A third, female, suspect is at large.
The doctor reportedly filed a complaint with local police in Meerut, western Uttar Pradesh, earlier this week. Read more
Professor resigns after allegation she lied about being Mexican (USAToday)
An assistant professor at Furman University has resigned after university officials investigated an allegation that she lied about having Mexican heritage.
An anonymous essay posted on the blog website Medium claimed Kelly Kean Sharp had been posing as Chicana, a term used to describe an American woman of Mexican descent.
Sharp resigned Wednesday, the university confirmed.
Sharp did not respond by Thursday morning to phone calls and emails sent on Wednesday to addresses she’s been associated with according to public records. Read more
Valtteri Bottas beats Lewis Hamilton to Emilia Romagna GP pole (BBC)
Valtteri Bottas beat Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole position with his last lap of qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The Finn was 0.097 seconds quicker than Hamilton, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third nearly 0.5secs behind.
Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly was a surprise fourth, ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull’s Alexander Albon.
On Sunday Mercedes could win a seventh consecutive constructors’ title.
They will do so as long as Red Bull do not out-score them by 34 points. Read more
World No. 2 Simona Halep says she has coronavirus (USAToday)
Simona Halep revealed Saturday morning on Twitter that she has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Romanian tennis star said she has “mild symptoms” and is “recovering well.” She said she is self-isolating at home.
The No. 2-ranked Halep had won 17 matches in a row before losing to 19-year-old Iga Swiatek in the fourth round of the French Open in early October as the No. 1 seed.
Prior to the French Open, Halep had not played since winning in Dubai in February because of a foot injury and the coronavirus pandemic. The two-time Grand Slam champion did not travel for the U.S. Open in September due to COVID-19 concerns, according to the New York Times. Read more
Walker goal against boyhood club gives Man City win over Sheff Utd (BBC)
Kyle Walker marked his 100th Premier League appearance for Manchester City with a goal against his former club as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Sheffield United.
The right-back, who came through the ranks at the Blades, struck midway through the first half with a superb long-range strike.
It was a deserved goal for a Manchester City side who dominated the first half, and they could have added another but for an excellent save by Aaron Ramsdale from Ferran Torres’ header.
Ramsdale did well again in the second half when he dived at full stretch to keep out a Riyad Mahrez free-kick. Read more
LeBron James sought guidance from Barack Obama during NBA boycott (USAToday)
There is less than one week until the 2020 presidential election and athletes from leagues across the country are using their platforms to share their political views and encourage their fans to vote.
LeBron James, who has been outspoken on his efforts to dismantle voter suppression in the Black community with his More Than a Vote initiative, brought an influential guest to his HBO show “The Shop: Uninterrupted” Friday night.
James, alongside Maverick Carter, was joined by former President Barack Obama.
On the special edition of the show that adhered to COVID-19 filming guidelines, Obama discussed life during quarantine, the NBA and the importance of voting in the upcoming election. Read more
Entire Lazio squad in quarantine after COVID-19 positives (Punch)
Lazio, already deprived of several players, announced on Saturday that it had put its entire squad in quarantine after positive coronavirus tests.
Lazio fielded a depleted team in Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday and drew 1-1 without last season’s top European scorer Ciro Immobile and midfielders Luis Alberto, Manuel Lazzari, Lucas Leiva and Djavan Anderson.
The club said in a statement on Saturday that it had conducted a further round of tests on Friday. Read more
Steven Caulker on drink and gambling addictions (BBC)
Steven Caulker seemed to have it all when he made his England debut in 2012 aged 20 and was featuring regularly for Premier League side Tottenham.
But, behind the scenes, the central defender’s rise helped to fuel drink and gambling addictions that meant he failed to recapture those heights.
He left Spurs to join Cardiff then moved to Queens Park Rangers before loan spells at Southampton, Liverpool and Lokomotiv Moscow, and a permanent switch to Dundee.
He is now at Alanyaspor, who are top of Turkey’s Super Lig, as he rebuilds his career.
“For me, the internal pain that my addictions caused me, I can’t really describe it, to tell you the truth,” the 28-year-old told BBC World Service. Read more