Ijegun traffic: Sanwo-Olu, DPR meet over relief plans for residents (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday met with the leadership of the Department of Petroleum Resources to discuss measures being taken to alleviate the hardship faced by Ijegun residents due to the presence of tank farms in the area and its attendant consequences. According to a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Gboyega Akosile, the meeting, held at the Lagos House in Marina. He said, the governor tried to bring lasting relief to residents living around the vulnerable areas hosting oil tank farms and depots belonging to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. Read more
NDLEA arrests 21 suspected drug peddlers in Taraba (Guardian)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Taraba Command, has arrested 21 suspected drug dealers with a total seizure of 299.6 kg of assorted illicit drugs. The NDLEA Commander in the state, Alhaji Suleiman Jadi, disclosed on Friday in JAlingo while parading the suspects and the items seized from them. He said that the suspects were arrested in some flashpoints across the state that include: Gidin-Doruwa in Wukari Local Council and Forest. Read more
Nobody should blackmail Fayemi’s wife over FUOYE killings -NANS (Nation)
The National Association of Nigerian Students/Joint Campus Committee (JCC) Ekiti chapter has condemned attempts the national Public Relations Officer of NAN, Adeyemi Azeez, to blackmail and rope in wife of Ekiti Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi over the killing of two Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) students by police operatives. The students were shot during a protest on Tuesday by students of the institutions against epileptic power supply to the town. Read more
Gov. Ayade suspends aide (Nation)
Gov. Ben Ayade of Cross River has suspended his Special Adviser on Budget, Mr Moses Onoh for mishandling of official communication. The notice of Onoh’s suspension was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday to newsmen in Calabar by Mr Christian Ita, Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the governor. According to Ita, Onoh’s suspension which is a direct consequence of his mishandling of privilege official communication takes immediate effect. Read more
Ortom bans revenue consultancy at BIRS (Nation)
Benue Governor Samuel Ortom has banned consultancy services for the purpose of revenue collection at the Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service (BIRS). He declared the practice only made consultants smile to the Bank at the expense of government. The Governor stated instead graduates would be employed to help collect revenues on behalf of government, thereby providing job opportunities to a reasonable number of youths. Read more
Police recruitment: Constable doesn’t know who Nigeria’s president is — DCP (Punch)
Mr Sola Okediji, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), FCT, has said that some constables aspiring to join Nigeria Police could not give the name of Nigeria President and the Chief Justice of the country. Okediji disclosed this at the investigation and sensitisation on rule of law training for FCT police officers, organised by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC), on Friday in Abuja. Read more
Shops closed, drums forbidden in Akure as Deji begins 7-day traditional leave (Guardian)
The paramount ruler and Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladelusi Ogunlade Aladetoyinbo, will embark on seven-day traditional leave on Saturday, leading to the utmost seclusion of the monarch. This was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Akure by the Chief Press Secretary to the monarch, Michael Adeyeye, who noted that the during the leave, the beating of drum is also forbidden in the ancient town. Read more
FG urged to key into global fight against microbes (Nation)
Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state, Prof. Charles Esimone has called on the Federal government to key into the global fight against microbes to sustain the efficacy of available antimicrobials in order to curb the spread of ESBL-producing pathogen. He also called for more research and development of arsenal to fight microbes, noting that it would involve collective effort. Read more
Ex-finance Minister Iweala loses dad (Nation)
Former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has lost her father, Obi (Prof) Chukwuka Okonjo, Obi of Ogwashi Uku, Aniocha South L.G.A, Delta State. His Royal Majesty Obi (Prof) Chukuka Okonjo died at the age of 91 in the United States of America. The late monarch, who was a professor of mathematics, ascended the throne of his ancestors in 2007. Read more
Nigeria’s Shalangwa becomes African Military Law Forum president (Punch)
The Director, Nigerian Army Legal Services, Maj.-Gen. Yusuf Shalangwa has been elected President of the African Military Law Forum on Thursday in San Remo, Italy. Col. Sagir Musa, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. Musa said that Shalangwa was a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, African Bar Association, International Bar Association and the African Military Law Forum. Read more
I’ll no longer take part in street protests because they don’t work, Charly Boy vows (Punch)
Convener of ‘urMumuDonDo Movement, Mr. Charles Oputa, a.k.a Charly Boy, on Friday said street protests by Nigerians over national issues cannot change political leaders at all levels. Charly Boy made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja. He said that successive Nigerian political leaders had remained insensitive to the plight of ordinary Nigerians over the years and were not moved by such protests to hold them accountable. Read more
South Africa sexual violence protesters target stock exchange (BBC)
People campaigning over the high levels of violence against women in South Africa have taken their protest to the financial heart of the country. Hundreds have gathered outside the Johannesburg Stock Exchange to call on the country’s big firms to do more to tackle gender inequality. Protests have been triggered by the rape and murder of 19-year-old Uyinene Mrwetyana in Cape Town last month. Read more
Boris Johnson ‘won’t be deterred’ from Brexit on 31 October (BBC)
Boris Johnson has said he “won’t be deterred by anybody” from leaving the EU on 31 October. The prime minister said he was “cautiously optimistic” of getting a Brexit deal, but the UK would leave by the deadline “whatever happens”. EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said he did not have “reasons to be optimistic” over getting a deal. Read more
Boris Johnson confronted by woman over austerity deaths (Metro)
Boris Johnson’s tour of the north has not been welcomed by everyone and he has now been heckled by three people on different occasions. In Doncaster this afternoon, the Prime Minister was confronted by an angry voter who told him he had ‘a cheek’ to come to her South Yorkshire town. She accused him of selling a fairytale with the claim that life in the UK would be better after Brexit. Read more
Julian Assange to stay in prison over absconding fears (BBC)
Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange is to remain in prison when his jail term ends because of his “history of absconding”, a judge has ruled. He was due to be released on 22 September after serving his sentence for breaching bail conditions. But Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard there were “substantial grounds” for believing he would abscond again. Read more
Donald Trump blames energy-efficient lights for making him ‘look orange’ (Metro)
Donald Trump blamed his signature orange hue on energy-efficient light bulbs, claiming the light they emit ‘is the worst.’ Trump’s bizarre attack on energy-efficient light bulbs was just one of many environmentally related rants he went on at the GOP House Retreat Dinner in Baltimore on Thursday night – but this subject seemed personal to the president. He said: ‘The light bulb. People said what’s with the light bulb? I said here’s the story.’ Read more
At least 10 dead in Rio hospital blaze (Guardian)
At least 10 people have died in a fire in a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, the fire service in the Brazilian city said, with preliminary reports suggesting a short circuit in a generator could have sparked the blaze. The fire broke out at dusk Thursday at the Badim hospital in the north of Rio, sending medical staff and relatives into a desperate flurry to try to evacuate scores of patients. Read more
Daniel Buren painting damaged in Pompidou Centre attack (BBC)
An attacker with a knife has seriously damaged a painting by French contemporary conceptual artist Daniel Buren at the Pompidou Centre in Paris. The centre said that the work Peinture (Manifestation 3) was cut in an attack on Thursday afternoon. The suspect was held after an employee alerted security. He is now undergoing a psychiatric evaluation. Read more
Boy banned from class for wearing branded shoes to school (Metro)
An angry mum has slammed her son’s school after he was removed from lessons and placed in a behaviour support unit for wearing branded footwear. Sir Harry Smith Community College in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire has a no brands or logos on shoes policy. Read more
Research on postmen’s testicle warmth wins Ig Nobel (BBC)
Research measuring if there is a difference in temperature between the left and right testicles is one of the winners of this year’s spoof Nobel prizes. Fertility experts Roger Mieusset and Bourras Bengoudifa measured the temperature of French postmen’s testicles, both naked and clothed. They found the left one is warmer, but only when a man has his clothes on. Read more
Sam Smith wants to be referred to as ‘they’ not ‘he’ after coming out as non-binary (Metro)
Sam Smith has reportedly requested friends and family refer to the singer as ‘they’ instead of ‘he’, six months after coming out as non-binary. According to The Sun The Stay With Me singer prefers that people now use they/them pronouns instead of he/him. Smith thanked Hits Radio presenter James Barr this week for a tweet referring to the star as ‘they’. Read more
Ryan Reynolds reveals the cheeky trick he uses on his daughters wanting to watch R-rated Deadpool (Metro)
Ryan Reynolds just revealed the sneaky trick he uses to make his daughters think they’re watching his R-rated Deadpool films. The 42-year-old Canadian actor answered a fan question about the age-appropriateness of his movies. The fan asked: ‘RYAN I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION I NEED AN ANSWER TO RIGHT TF NOW! My son is four, he loves Marvel, I’m dying to show him Deadpool but I can’t decide if I should or not. Help a sistah (sic) out!’ Read more
Why rescuing Siasia’s mother is difficult —Police (Punch)
The police in Bayelsa State have lamented the difficulties they have faced in their efforts to rescue the abducted mother of former coach, Samson Siasia. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Uche Anozia, said this on Friday while giving an update on the investigation into the attempts to rescue, abducted Mrs. Beauty Ogere Siasia. He told journalists in his office at the police headquarters in Yenagoa that the impediment bordered on the “changing of locations” of the bandits. Read more
Lokomotiv move, career setback, laments Osaze (Punch)
Retired Nigerian footballer, Osaze Odemwingie, says leaving Lille for Lokomotiv Moscow was a career setback following his performance for the French outfit. There had been interests from Roma and Werder Bremen but Osaze moved to the country of his mother, a decision he believed wasn’t the best for his career at that moment. Read more
Eto’o junior set to follow in father’s footsteps for Cameroon (BBC)
Samuel Eto’o’s son Etienne Eto’o Pineda has been called-up to Cameroon’s initial squad for the Under-17 World Cup in Brazil. The 17-year-old is eligible to play for Spain, where he was born, but is now expected to commit to playing for his father’s country of Cameroon. He was not part of the squad that won the Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Tanzania earlier this year to qualify for the World Cup that begins on 26 October. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer responds to Paul Scholes Manchester United prediction (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits he agrees with the sentiment in Paul Scholes’ belief that Manchester United are at least two years away from challenging for the Premier League title. The Norwegian has been tasked with a significant rebuilding task following the unsuccessful reigns of Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal which were characterised by lavish spending. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer backs Harry Maguire to be future Manchester United captain (Metro)
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lavished praise on recent addition Harry Maguire, saying he could go on to be the club captain at Old Trafford. The 26-year-old arrived from Leicester this summer for a world record fee for a defender of £80m, placing plenty of pressure on the Yorkshireman’s shoulders. Read more
Aymeric Laporte out until January or February, says Man City manager Pep Guardiola (BBC)
Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte will be out until January or February, says manager Pep Guardiola. The France centre-back, 25, has had surgery on his right knee after being carried off in the 4-0 win over Brighton on 31 August. He damaged his cartilage and lateral meniscus in a challenge with Brighton defender Adam Webster. Read more
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling is better than Neymar, reckons Jamie Carragher (Metro)
Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi can be rated as better players than Raheem Sterling, believes Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher. The 24-year-old has been in superb form for club and country so far this season, scoring eight goals in his last seven games for Manchester City and England. Read more
Ashley Barnes recovers from injury for Burnley’s Premier League trip to Brighton (Metro)
Ashley Barnes has recovered from a groin strain and is available to start for Burnley in their Premier League clash with Brighton on Saturday afternoon. The 29-year-old had been struggling with a minor groin problem, but the club’s official website confirmed on Thursday that he has recovered. Read more
Basketball World Cup: Spain beat Australia in double overtime to reach final (BBC)
Spain beat Australia 95-88 in double overtime to claim a place in the Basketball World Cup final in China. The second-ranked team were on the verge of going out before Australia’s Patty Mills missed one of two free throws with 4.7 seconds of regulation time left to leave the game tied 71-71. Spain took control in the second of two added periods to reach their first final since their 2006 win. Read more