Italy-bound woman arraigned for ‘attempted heroin export’ (Nation)
An Italy-bound traveller, Mrs. Nora Chinyere Nadi, was on Thursday brought before the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged drug trafficking.
Nadi was arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on a one-count charge of attempting to export 2.55 kilogrammes of heroin to Rome, the Italian capital.
According to the NDLEA, its operatives arrested Nadi on August 3, 2021, with 100 wraps of heroin and two parcels of the same substance at the departure hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, during the outward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight to Florence, Italy.
Nadi was allegedly caught with the heroin neatly packed inside Petal Hair Relaxer containers. Read more
Absence of translator stalls trial of 5 Guineans involved in elephant tusk smuggling (ThisDay)
The absence in court of a translator stalled the arraignment of five Guinean nationals arrested by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for allegedly trying to export N22.3 billion worth of Pangolin scales and elephant tusks.
The accused were supposed to have been arraigned at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Lagos on a four count charge raging from collecting, loading, exporting, transporting and keeping different kilograms of pangolin scales and Elephant tusk worth N22.3 billion.
The accused are Troare Djakonba, Muyribein Bereye, Isiaka Musa, Mohammed Bereta, and Sediki Berete.
In a chat with newsmen, the Nigeria Customs Service legal Adviser, Smath Akande said the absence in court of a translator stalled the arraignment of the accused persons. Read more
Court dissolves 10-year marriage over woman’s alleged stealing habit (Punch)
An Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday dissolved a 10-year-old marriage after a 45-year-old businessman, Mr Mutiu Bamgbose, accused his wife, Aliyah, of stealing.
Mutiu, in his statement to the court, said, “My wife is a thief; she is not always satisfied with whatever I give to her; she keeps stealing my money at will.
“The most painful incident was when she stole my N3m and squandered it. Because of her habit, I started keeping my money in the ceiling, but that didn’t stop her.
“When I could no longer condone it, I opened a bank account and she became angry, making life miserable for me.
“It is obvious that my wife doesn’t love me; she is just after my money.” Read more
Hushpuppi: Court declines ex-parte motion to stop Abba Kyari’s extradition (Vanguard)
The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has rejected an ex-parte application for an order to stop the Nigerian Police Force and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, from arresting and extraditing the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, Abba Kyari.
The court, in a ruling that was delivered Thursday evening by Justice Ahmed Mohammed, declined the motion which was filed by a group under the eagis of the Incorporated Trustees of Northern Peace Foundation.
Rather, the court ordered the Applicants, through their lawyer, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, to turn the ex-parte application a motion on notice and serve all the relevant processes on Police and AGF.
It subsequently adjourned the matter till September 9 for mention. Read more
Gambari leads delegation to Buhari son’s wedding (Sun)
Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, is leading a high level delegation to President Muhammadu Buhari son’s wedding in Kano on Friday.
Yusuf Buhari is set to marry Zahra Bayero, the daughter of Nasiru Ado Bayero, the Emir of Bichi in Kano State on Friday.
Other members of the delegation include the Ministers of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu and the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), Garba Shehu.
Shehu will stay back after the wedding to represent the president at the coronation of the Emir at Bichi tomorrow. Read more
879 foreign-trained doctors, dentists join medical practice in Nigeria (Punch)
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, on Thursday, in Abuja, inducted 862 foreign-trained medical and 17 dental graduates.
The details of the inductees were given by the Chairman, MDCN, Prof Waziri Hassan.
According to Hassan, 1,042 candidates presented themselves for the assessment organised by the MDCN in June 2021 at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
“A total of 1,042 graduates sat the examination; 1,019 medical graduates and 33 dental graduates out of which 862 medical graduates passed and 17 dental graduates passed, giving an overall pass rate of 83 per cent pass for the medical and 51 per cent for the dental graduates. This is the best result in the history of this examination,” he stated.
Hassan said plans were ongoing to improve the council’s infrastructure. Read more
INEC blanks out PDP candidate, clears Soludo (Sun)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a fresh list of political party candidates that will participate in the November 6 governorship election blanking out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and giving a clean bill of health to former Governor of Central Bank (CBN), Professor Charles Soludo as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA).
In a statement the Commission issued on Thursday and signed by National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, the apex electoral body indicated that while a total number of eight political parties substituted governorship candidates, four others substituted their deputies.
The Commission disclosed that the final list of candidates will however be released on September 7 in line with its timetable and schedule of activities approved on January 18, this year.
According to the Commission, the political parties that substituted candidates are Accord Party, Action Alliance (AA), Africa Action Congress (AAC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), National Rescue Movement (NRM) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which substituted due to Court Order.
Court remands banker for fraudulent transfer of customer’s N10m (DailyTrust)
A magistrates’ court in Ibadan has ordered the remand of a 36-year-old staff member of a commercial bank, Tosin Adeyemi, over alleged fraudulent transfer of N10 million from a customer’s account.
Adeyemi was charged with a one-count offence of fraudulent transfer of customer’s money and the magistrate ordered his remand at Abolongo correctional centre, Oyo.
The Police Prosecutor, Insp. Opeyemi Olagunju, told the court that the accused, a banker with the Challenge branch of the bank in Ibadan, committed the offence between Aug. 12 and 13.
Olagunju alleged that the defendant transferred N10 million from the account of one Oladele Quadri domiciled at the branch without the customer’s consent and converted the same to his own use. Read more
Plateau crisis: Four UNIJOS students killed, says union leader (Punch)
Students of the University of Jos, Plateau State on Thursday raised the alarm over the continued attacks on them by hoodlums, whom they said had killed four students in the last five days.
The alarm came just as the corpse of a 100-level student of the university was found on the ground within the Naraguta permanent site of the institution on Thursday.
The diseased student was said to have been pulled out of a tricycle which he boarded and stabbed to death around Bauchi Road in the Jos North Local Government Area.
The President of the Student Union Government of the UNIJOS, Danladi Joshua, Speaker, Prosper Lakai; and the Chairman, Student Judicial Council, Sunday Timothy, confirmed the killing of the 100-level student on Thursday. Read more
Warri Kingdom agog for royal coronation (Sun)
Warri Kingdom is agog ahead of the coronation Omoba Emiko Tsola, the Olu-designate as the 21st Olu of the Warri Kingdom tomorrow.
Natives and visitors alike have described the intensive preparations in the city, all the way from the Warri Mainland right to the coronation site at Ode-Itsekiri Island, as impressive.
There are exciting conversations regarding the attractive renovations, heavily-branded streets and exquisitely decorated edifices. Airport shuttles can be observed plying to and from fully-booked hotels that are packed with guests from near and far.
Coming off the heels of Prince Tsola Emiko recently completing his Idaniken rite of seclusion, locals and noblemen alike recognize the epoch-making nature of the coronation and its statutory role towards generating harmony and unity both within Warri Kingdom and its immediate environs. Read more
The Weeknd buys massive $70 million LA mansion (PageSix)
The Weeknd purchased a massive new mansion for $70 million.
The Weeknd purchased a massive new mansion for $70 million.
Getty Images for dcp
The Weeknd just bought a mansion fit for a king. The “Can’t Feel My Face” singer, 31, just dropped $70 million on a new Bel Air pad.
Dutch media mogul Reinout Oerlemans and his wife Danielle sold the house to the Toronto native, according to the Wall Street Journal. The couple revealed they originally didn’t want to sell their renovated home until real-estate agents Rayni and Branden Williams of the Beverly Hills Estates approached them.
The sprawling property sits on 1.6 acres that overlooks the Bel-Air Country Club.
The property was sold in an off-market deal when the Oerlemans finally came around to consider selling the place to The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye.
The sprawling property sits on 1.6 acres that overlooks the Bel-Air Country Club. The 33,000-square-foot mansion is composed of nine bedrooms, a sports court, a spa with a sauna, a hammam, an indoor pool, an outdoor infinity pool with a waterfall, a movie theater, a gym and a music studio. Read more
Vaccinated Melissa Joan Hart tests positive for Covid: ‘It’s bad … it’s hard to breathe’ (Toofab)
“I’m really mad that my kids didn’t have to wear masks at school,” said the mother of three, who pleaded with her followers to “do better.”
Melissa Joan Hart revealed she tested positive for Covid after getting vaccinated, telling her followers that she and the country as a whole have gotten “lazy” when it comes to precautions against the virus.
The “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star, 45, revealed her diagnosis in an Instagram video on Wednesday — saying, “I am vaccinated and I got Covid and it’s bad.” Explaining her breakthrough case symptoms, Hart said it felt like a weight was on her chest and added it was “hard to breathe.” She also said she believes one of her three sons also caught it.
“I’m praying that the other ones are okay. I’m mad, really mad, because we tried and we took precautions and we cut our exposure by a lot but we got a little lazy and I think as a country we got lazy,” she continued. “I’m really mad that my kids didn’t have to wear masks at school and I’m pretty sure that’s where this came from.” Read more
Washington DC: Man arrested over bomb threat near US Capitol (BBC)
A man has been arrested after making a bomb threat near the Congress building in Washington DC.
The man, identified as Floyd Ray Roseberry, 49, surrendered hours after the threat was made.
US Capitol Police had been negotiating with the driver who had parked a pick-up truck near the Library of Congress, across the street from the Capitol building and Supreme Court.
His motives remain unknown. Police are still searching the vehicle. Read more
Oklahoma mum of 11 rescues members of Afghan all-girls robotics team (NYPost)
An Oklahoma mother of 11 flew to Afghanistan earlier this month to rescue 10 members of the country’s all-girls robotics team, and hoping to save more as the Taliban takes power in Kabul.
Allyson Reneau, a 60-year old Harvard graduate with a Masters degree in international relations and US space policy, took it upon herself to try and save members of the Afghan Girls Robotic Team, according to NBC.
She flew into Qatar on Aug. 9 after making a “Hail Mary” call to a former roommate at the US Embassy there to help get the girls from the advancing Taliban, known for their oppressive treatment of women.
Reneau had been in contact with the team — made of girls ages 16 to 18 — since 2019 when she worked on the board of directors for Explore Mars and met the girls when they attended the organization’s annual Humans to Mars conference. Read more
Doja Cat is becoming the quintessential Gen Z pop star (Billboard)
Throughout 2021, Doja Cat has been transforming more and more of Planet Earth into inhabitants of Planet Her. The foundation has been there for years, but with Planet Her, Doja has firmly planted herself in the current class of pop music A-listers. On July 4, the LP became Doja’s highest-charting project on the Billboard 200 albums chart (No. 2), while marking the biggest opening-week sales total of her career yet, and the biggest opening day for a female rapper in Spotify history. If dominating the previous year with the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Say So” wasn’t enough, the resounding success of Planet Her and its singles have unequivocally solidified Doja Cat as one of the defining pop stars of this era.
Although the masses are finally catching up, Doja proved her star power from the moment “Mooo!” went viral in August of 2018. The winkingly meme-driven novelty song expertly tapped into the specific brand of self-deprecation and intricate webs of online inside jokes that make up Gen Z humor. Like any smart pop star, Doja was able to capitalize on the viral success of “Mooo!” by launching a deluxe version of Amala, her debut studio album, in the following months. Read more
Britney Spears ‘accused of battery by housekeeper’ (Metro)
Britney Spears has been accused of assaulting her longtime housekeeper during a disagreement over the treatment of her dogs.
The 39-year-old pop star, whose camp denies the claims, is currently being investigated over the alleged battery.
According to TMZ, Britney allegedly slapped the housekeeper’s phone away from her grasp after she took one of her dogs to the vet.
Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the alleged incident which is said to have occurred on Monday at Britney’s house. Read more
Onazi terminates Zalgiris contract (Punch)
Nigeria midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, has thanked Lithuanian side Zalgiris for their hospitality after terminating his contract with the club by mutual consent.
Onazi joined the A Lyga side in February, scoring two league goals in 19 appearances, as well as hitting target in their UEFA Champions League qualifier against Linfield in a 2-1 win.
The Nigerian has, however, explained that his decision to quit the club was due to a better offer for his services by another club.
“It’s a very difficult time to say goodbye. In the contract we had, it said that I could leave anytime I had an offer and at this time it came very fast so we had to take the option and I will like to thank the club president for giving me the opportunity to show that I’m not injured, which I really appreciate,” Onazi explained in an Instagram video. Read more
Arsenal confirm Aubameyang and Lacazette among four players to test positive for Covid (Metro)
Arsenal have confirmed that the quartet of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazete, Willian and Alex Runarsson have all tested positive for Covid, which is why Aubameyang and Lacazette missed out on the clash with Brentford last Friday.
The Gunners lost 2-0 to the newly-promoted side in their first match of the Premier League season and had to do so without the two forwards.
It has now been confirmed that it was Covid that kept them out of the London derby and both Willians and Runarsson have also tested positive.
Arsenal remain hopeful that Aubameyang and Willian will be available for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Chelsea, but have ruled Lacazette and Runarsson out of the big clash with the Blues. Read more
Bad day for Team Nigeria as Brume, Ofoku fall in 100m final (Guardian)
It was a bad day for Team Nigeria at the Nairobi 2021 World Athletics U20 Championship yesterday, as the country lost two medals in the sprint events.
The disappointment started in the women’s 100m race, where Praise Ofoku ran a rather slow race to finish fourth in a race won by Jamaica’s Tina Clayton in 11.09 seconds. The Nigerian ran 11.53 seconds. Namibian Beatice Masilingi was second in 11.39 seconds, while Melissa Gutschmidt was third in 11.51 seconds. Ofoku had come from behind to win the ticket to the final on Wednesday.
After losing the medal in the women event, attention of Team Nigeria officials shifted to the men’s sprint event, but one of Nigeria’s best men’s junior sprinters, Godson Brume, could not live up to the expectations as he finished last in a time of 10.74 seconds. The race was won by Botswana’ s Letsile Tebogo in 10.19 seconds, just as South Africa and Cuba were second and third respectively.
Brume had run 10.24 seconds to book his final ticket on Wednesday. Attention now shifts to the javelin event, where Nnamdi Chinecherem will be on duty today. Read more
Spurs lose Europa Conference League play-off first leg (BBC)
Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo said the club’s “feelgood factor disappeared” as they were beaten by Pacos de Ferreira in the Europa Conference League play-off first leg.
He left the entire starting XI from Sunday’s 1-0 win over Manchester City – and Harry Kane – at home.
They were very poor in Portugal.
Lucas Silva ran in behind Cristian Romero too easily to latch on to Nuno Santos’ through ball and slot into the bottom corner for the only goal.
“Nobody likes to lose a game,” said Nuno. “Nobody likes to not play good. The feelgood factor disappeared. This is football, ups and downs. The players have to bounce back.” Read more
Red-hot Yankees hold off Twins for seventh straight victory (NYPost)
The Yankees tend to beat up on the Twins even when they are playoff-bound — and then crush them even more in October.
So when a struggling edition of the Twins arrived in The Bronx on Thursday, they just served as more fodder for the red-hot Yankees.
With a spark from the bottom of their lineup and another solid start from Jameson Taillon, the Yankees ran out to a big lead and then hung on for their season-high seventh straight win, 7-5.
“You know you’re not going to end up winning every day, but I do feel like they’re playing with a lot of confidence that we expect to do something special,” manager Aaron Boone said. “A lot of good things are happening to allow us to win ballgames. The fun part about it is that it’s taken everyone in that room.” Read more
Mourinho’s Roma reign starts with win over Trabzonspor (BBC)
Jose Mourinho’s spell as Roma boss started with a win at Turkish side Trabzonspor in the Europa Conference League play-off first leg.
Captain Lorenzo Pellegrini gave Roma the lead when he converted Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s cross.
Andreas Cornelius came off the bench to head in an equaliser for Trabzonspor.But Uzbekistan striker Eldor Shomurodov poked home a late winner on his Roma debut following his summer move from Genoa. Read more