Italian jailed 24 years for beating physically challenged Nigerian to death (Channels)
Filippo Ferlazzo, the Italian who beat Italy-based Nigerian man Alika Ogorchukwu to death in July 2022, has been sentenced to 24 years in prison.
The 39-year-old Nigerian who was murdered by beating in the Italian city of Civitanova Marche in the Province of Macerata’s Marche Region has at last received justice.
The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this in a statement signed by NIDCOM spokesperson Gabriel Odu on Thursday. Read more
Lagos imposes total ban on street trading, hawking, display of wares on walkways (Guardian)
The Lagos State government has announced a total ban of street trading, hawking, building illegal structure on drainage systems, and displaying of wares on walkways across the state.
Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State, Tokunbo Wahab disclosed this on his X handle.
According to Wahab, the move is part of the renewed effort to ensure a cleaner, safer, and healthy environment. Read more
Tribunal affirms Delta gov’s election, dismisses Omo-Agege’s petition (Punch)
The Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, on Friday, struck out the All Progressives Congress candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege’s petition challenging the election of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
The tribunal struck out the petition brought before it by Omo-Agege for lacking merit.
In its judgment, Justice C.H. Ahuchaogu-led three-member tribunal panel affirmed the return of Oborevwori as the winner of the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election in the state. Read more
MohBad: Coroner bars journalists from inquest, sits on preliminary enquiries (Channels)
The Coroner’s inquest into the death of the late Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba popularly known as MohBad commenced sitting on Friday at the Magistrate court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos.
Journalists were barred from gaining access into the courtroom and no reason was given for this development.
Channels Television, however, gathered that the coroner, Magistrate Taofikat Adedayo Shotobi, told parties in the inquest that the day’s proceedings was to discuss the modalities for hearing of evidence. Read more
Lagos resolves Apapa-Tincan gridlock as clearance exercise continues (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government (LASG) on Friday said that it will continue the clearance exercise on major roads after alleviating the gridlock along the Apapa-Tincan corridor.
This is according to a statement issued on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Lagos State Government following its meeting with the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation (LAGMOT).
“Following the agreement reached at a meeting held yesterday in the conference room of @lagosmot18 between the LASG and stakeholders to implement solutions aimed at alleviating gridlock along the Apapa-Tincan corridor, the pictures and videos below depict the current state of the Corridor this morning, as the clearance exercise is still ongoing,” LASG wrote. Read more
Tribunal sacks Plateau assembly speaker (DailyTrust)
The election petition tribunal sitting in Jos, Plateau State capital, on Friday, sacked the speaker of the state house of assembly, Hon Moses Sule.
The speaker, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was sacked alongside Danjuma Azi, member representing Jos North West constituency in the assembly.
The tribunal, however, declared the former majority leader of the house, Hon. Naanlong Daniel and Hon. Mark Na’ah, all of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as winners of March 18 election. Read more
Military arrest 8 suspected killers of Catholic seminarian, others (Vanguard)
The Special Military Taskforce, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), maintaining peace in Plateau and parts of Bauchi and Kaduna States, have arrested suspected killers of Na’aman Stephen, a Catholic seminarian.
Capt. James Oya, the Media Officer of OPSH disclosed this while addressing newsmen on Friday in Jos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen killed Na’aman when they attacked the rectory of St Raphael Catholic Church, Fadan-Kamatan of Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Read more
NNPP: Ganduje’s attack on Kwankwaso sign of pains, defeat (ThisDay)
The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), yesterday, described the recent comments by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as signs ofpains of defeat and electoral losses during the 2023 elections.
The Kano State Chapter of the NNPP, Hashimu Dungurawa, in a formal reaction to Ganduje’s recent media attack, said the party was not surprised as it alleged that, “such kind of payback are known attributes of Dr. Ganduje.”
Dungurawa explained that the pain inflicted by Kwankwaso on his political godson at Ganduje ward was a clear sign of the pain of election heartbreak. Read more
Pastor Daniel: Claims that a Christian preacher has the power to tame lions are false (BBC)
A video of a man in a suit stroking three lions has been widely shared online in several African countries, but it does not show a church pastor demonstrating his powers to tame lions as many online have claimed.
In the short film, a man in a blue suit can be seen playing with the lions, at one point putting his hand inside the mouth of one of them.
Outside the enclosure, a small crowd is watching, some filming or taking pictures.
The video itself is real enough and there appears to be no manipulation of the footage Read more
Gabon charges wife of ousted president with money laundering (AfricaNews)
Gabon’s former first lady has been indited with receiving stolen goods among other charges. Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, the wife of Gabon’s ousted president Ali Bongo Ondimba has been charged with “money laundering” and other offences, the public prosecutor said Friday (Sep. 29) a month after a coup toppled her husband.
Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin was charged by an investigating judge on Thursday (Sep. 28), Andre Patrick Roponat announced on state TV channels on Friday.
“A dozen compatriots were arrested and charged with criminal and misdemeanor offences, and some were remanded in custody. It was in this context that Madame Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin appeared before the examining magistrate on the 28th of September 2023. She was charged with money laundering, receiving stolen goods as well as forgery and fraud, all offences punishable under articles 116, 117, 312 and 380 of the Penal Code, before being placed under house arrest.” the prosecutor said. Read more
Diddy returns to the Top 10 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart with “The Love Album” (Billboard)
For the first time since 2011, Diddy is back in the top five on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart thanks to his new album, The Love Album: Off the Grid. The set, released on Sept. 15 via the mogul’s own Love Records, earned 27,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending September 21, according to Luminate.
Streaming contributes 24,000 units of the 27,000-unit starting sum, equaling 31.7 million official U.S. audio and video on-demand streams of the project’s tracks.
Traditional album sales contribute 2,000 of the remaining units, with 1,000 units of activity from track-equivalent album units. (One unit equals the following levels of consumption: one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.) Read more
Desperate for More Children, China Urges Soldiers to Procreate (VOA)
As China faces a demographic dilemma with a ballooning number of elderly citizens and fewer newborns, the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, has given soldiers and their spouses a new order — lead the charge in childbearing.
The move, analysts say, is aimed not only at addressing the country’s population challenges, but also at making the military a more attractive career option for educated urban professionals.
On Sept. 7, China’s communist leaders announced a new executive order on family planning and the military. Highlighting the urgency, the order went into effect Sept. 10. Read more
Martin Scorcese suggests Oscars flop Shutter Island was a mistake (NME)
Martin Scorcese has suggested in an interview that he regrets his decision to direct Shutter Island, the mystery thriller that came out in 2010.
Ahead of the release of his upcoming eighth collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio, ‘‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’’, Scorcese revealed to GQ that he now thinks Shutter Island may not have been the right project for him at the time.
Scorcese’s success at the Oscars with The Departed in 2007, sending him home with the award for Best Director, “encouraged [him] to make another picture with Shutter Island.” But the nine-time Oscar nominated director said that at this point, he perhaps should have picked something else instead. Read more
Rotterdam shootings: Gunman arrested after killing 3 people (BBC)
Dutch police have arrested a gunman who killed at least three people in twin shootings in the city of Rotterdam.
They say the male attacker, 32, opened fire in a home before setting it alight, then stormed the city’s Erasmus Medical Center on Thursday.
He was a student at Erasmus University, which is affiliated with the hospital.
A woman, 39, and her 14-year old daughter were killed in the first shooting. A male lecturer, 43, was shot dead at the hospital. Read more
Andy Taylor and stars to hold concert in aid of new cancer platform (BelfastTelegraph)
Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor and other leading musicians will join forces to raise money for a cancer charity at a special concert next month.
The 62-year-old guitarist and singer was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2018 and has since sought to raise awareness of the condition.
He will join Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin, Andrew Ridgeley of Wham!, David Palmer of ABC and singer-songwriter Ella Henderson and guitarist Phil X, who will play some of their greatest hits to guests including philanthropists, musicians and two lucky fans. Read more
Alozie clears air on sexuality (Sun)
Super Falcons forward, Michelle Alozie, has addressed questions about her sexuality after a photo on her social media sparked a debate.
The Nigerian footballer recently shared a picture with a female friend, referring to her as her “husband” in the caption, leading to some speculation about her sexual preferences.
After much discussion on the internet, Alozie took to X (formerly Twitter) to reassure her fans that she prefers men over women.
“I like guys. lol. relax,” she wrote to her to put any doubts to rest. Read more
Plateau United storm Ibadan ahead NPFL opener (Punch)
Former champions Plateau United on Thursday arrived in Ibadan ahead of their NPFL match-day one encounter against 3SC on Saturday.
Unlike their ordeal when the league was postponed the last time, there was no aborting their trip this time as the Jos-based side will train at the Lekan Salami Stadium on Friday (today).
Plateau had reached Abuja, on their way to Ibadan on Wednesday September 6, but had their trip cut short by the indefinite postponement of the league. Read more
Aston Villa want early termination of shirt deal after “wet-look” infuriates (Mirror)
Aston Villa are seeking an early termination of their deal with kit manufacturer Castore after their ‘wet-look’ shirts have prompted complaints from both their men’s and women’s teams.
Talks have been held over cancelling the multi-year contract between the club and Castore, who say they have been made aware of Villa’s complaints and have promised to act swiftly to resolve the issue.
Villa’s men’s players have complained that the shirts feel heavy and tough to play in during matches, with the kits growing noticeably wetter throughout games as players sweat. The women’s side were said to be ‘dreading’ playing in them in their Women’s Super League opener at home to Manchester United this weekend, a game which will be screened live on BBC Two. Read more
Mourinho stands with Roma players after worst ever start (FootballItalia)
Jose Mourinho accompanied the Roma players to salute the away fans at Marassi after the humiliating 4-1 defeat to Genoa, marking his worst ever start to a season.
The coach usually walks straight off at the final whistle, whether there is a positive or negative result, preferring to leave the squad to their own devices.
However, he realised this evening that they needed him to stand up and provide his presence as they walked over to the understandably angry Giallorossi supporters who had made the journey to Genoa for this Thursday night match. Read more
Andy Murray suffers defeat to Alex De Minaur in 1st round of China Open (Sky)
Andy Murray failed to capitalise on three match points as he fell to a first-round defeat to Alex De Minaur at the China Open in Beijing.
The 24-year-old Australian battled his way to a 6-3 5-7 7-6 (8-6) victory over the former world No 1 in a fifth career meeting between the pair, with De Minaur having won all five including in the first round at Queen’s earlier this year.
He took the first set courtesy of a single break in the second game of the match, but a succession of backhand errors in the second set gave Murray the chance to level the match. Read more
Ralf Schumacher highlights one key factor in Lando Norris to Red Bull move (PlanetF1)
Ralf Schumacher believes a possible switch to Red Bull for Lando Norris will come down to his own self-belief, as well as money…
Throughout the course of this season, Lando Norris’ potential future at Red Bull has become a talking point – the British driver is known to have been approached by Red Bull in the past, and senior management have indicated interest in him again for the future.
Recently, Norris said that he’d be more than open to working alongside Max Verstappen as a teammate, joking that the Dutch driver would be welcome at McLaren any time. Read more