Kano stands still, as Buhari’s son weds Emir’s daughter (Sun)
Thousands of dignitaries from within and outside the country, Friday, witnessed the wedding ceremony of Yusuf Buhari, the son of the President and Zahra, the daughter of the Emir of Bichi. The ceremony was conducted at the palace of the Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero, with President Buhari in attendance.
The solemnisation, which took place soon after Friday’s Jumat prayers, was conducted by the Minister of Communications and Digital information, Sheikh Isa Pantami. The sum of N500,000 was paid by President Buhari’s uncle, Mamman Daura to elder statesman and billionaire businessman Aminu Dantata, who received the dowry on behalf of the pride. The groom, Yusuf Buhsri dressed in white traditional wear was accompanied by a host of his friends to the venue of the wedding ceremony.
Earlier in the day, traffic to Bichi town, which is about 30 kilometres outside the city, was heavy as dignitaries poured into the state. Read more
Lagos warns motorists against violation of traffic laws (Punch)
The Lagos State Special Offences (Mobile) Court has warned recalcitrant motorists fond of violating the traffic law of the state to desist or be ready to face the consequences of their actions under the law.
The Coordinator, Special Offences (Mobile) Court, Mrs Arinola Ogbara, gave the warning during a road show to create public awareness and sensitise residents to the importance of obeying the state’s traffic law.
She noted that driving against traffic and plying designated Bus Rapid Transit corridors and obstruction of vehicular movement on the highway contravened the Lagos State Transport Reformed Law, 2018 and was punishable under the law.
“All motorists, including private car owners, are hereby warned to henceforth desist from all forms of traffic obstructions, driving against traffic, and plying BRT corridors. Read more
Landlords, LASBCA, others meet over move to remodel Obalende (Guardian)
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Physical Planning Permit Authority and the Urban Renewal Agency have agreed to work together with Obalende landlords to give the area a new look that befits a metropolitan city.
Speaking during a meeting held with the executives of Obalende Landlords Association, yesterday, at the agency’s headquarters, the General Manager of LASBCA, Gbolahan Oki, said the government wants a better Obalende and all hands must be on deck to make it a reality.
According to him, it had been established that after 100 years there should be a renewal of the area, but instead of the residents to toe the line of best practices, landlords in the area were constructing buildings without recourse to the terms of agreement and the state’s building control laws and regulations.
Oki said all the ongoing constructions in the area did not have the government’s approval. Read more
Food price: our interventions will be felt soon -Lagos commissioner (Nation)
The various agricultural intervention programmes of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration will soon put an end to the exorbitant cost of food items, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya has said.
The commissioner gave the assurance at the graduation of persons with disability and special needs at the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe. The 165 beneficiaries were trained under the Women and Youth Empowerment Programme of the Lagos Office of the Agro-Processing, Productivity, Empowerment and Livelihood (APPEALS) project. They were trained in the rice, aquaculture, and poultry value chains.
She said: “It is pertinent to note that the present administration of Mr. Sanwo-Olu is exploring and investing in the use of technology to create a competitive advantage in ensuring that Lagos attains a 21st Century economy. Gone are the days when agriculture depended solely on cutlasses, hoes, and nature. Read more
Church, LAWMA, others partner on waste management (Guardian)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has partnered with the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Project Fix Nigeria to engage about 90, 000 people in a national environmental sanitation exercise across eight states including Lagos, Abia, Benue, Edo, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, among others.
The move, according to the partners, was geared towards curbing flooding and preventing the outbreak of epidemics in the country.
Speaking at a press briefing to herald the sanitation exercise, scheduled to hold today, the Director of the project, Ikpe George Nkanang, said the three hours exercise would involve sweeping the streets, clearing the drainages, painting, marking, filling potholes, and mending of roads, cleaning markets and renovating public institutions, including hospitals, health centres, police stations, old people’s homes, and motherless babies’ homes. Read more
Lagos adopts unified protocol, referral pathway to tackle SGBV (Guardian)
In a bid to provide a multi-sectoral survivor-centered approach in responding to domestic and sexual violence in the state, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) has adopted the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Unified Protocol for the main purpose of outlining the procedures to be used in responding to, investigating and prosecuting cases of domestic and sexual violence.
Supported by the European Union (EU) funded Spotlight Initiative, head of DSVRT, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said it had become necessary to outline the protocol, to ensure coordination and cooperation among all agencies involved in domestic and sexual violence cases, so as to increase their efficiency and minimise stress created for survivors by the legal and investigative process.
In her view, all domestic and sexual violence advocates and/or responders will adhere to the practices outlined in the Domestic and Sexual Violence Unified Response Protocol and Referral Pathway (URPRP) Resource manual, which was endorsed by the Attorney General/Commissioner of Justice, Lagos State and Chairman of the DSVRT, Moyosore Onigbanjo, Lagos State commissioner of education, Folasade Adefisayo, Chief judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba and the state’s commissioner of women affairs and poverty alleviation, Cecilia Bolaji Dada. Read more
Crisis rocks Ife/Modakeke, five killed, attack on Ooni’s palace repelled (Punch)
There was palpable tension between residents of Ile-Ife and Modakeke of Osun State on Friday, following the killing of five farmers from Modakeke along Toro Road in the early hours of the day.
The five victims, all male, were found dead on the road to Toro village, where they reportedly had farms.
A community leader in Modakeke, Mr Femi Eluyinka, who confirmed the incident in an interview with our correspondent, said some people from the town, accompanied by police operatives, evacuated the corpses.
Eluyinka, who said the incident had aggravated tension in Modakeke town, said, “Policemen operatives have arrived; tension is on the rise; five of them (deceased) were indigenes of Modakeke and they were killed this morning along Toro road. They were heading to their farm.” Read more
Editors congratulate ex-President on appointment as NNPC’s spokesman (Sun)
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has congratulated one of its former Presidents, Garba Deen Mohammed (FNGE), on his appointment as the Group General Manager (Public Affairs) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
In a press statement signed on Thursday by its President, Mustapha Isah and the General Secretary, Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the umbrella of all the editors in Nigeria, said that Garba Deen is eminently qualified for the position, considering his experience both in the media and the oil/gas sector.
‘’We commend the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, for making the right choice. Read more
Sean Penn and daughter Dylan had ‘two-hour standoff’ about mascara on film set (Metro)
Sean Penn and his daughter Dylan didn’t clash too often on the set of their new film, Flag Day, but when they did, neither was keen to back down.
During a joint appearance on Thursday’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the 61-year-old actor opened up about the one major fallout the pair had while filming.
When the host asked Dylan, 30, if she and her father ever got ‘into loggerheads’ over notes on the film, she replied: ‘We had one major — I think it was a two-hour — standoff about a note he had.’
The host, 57, was shocked about the length of time which led Dylan to add: ‘About whether I could wear mascara or not wear mascara’. Read more
R. Kelly aide says he paid bribe for singer to marry Aaliyah (BBC)
A former tour manager for US R&B singer R. Kelly has testified that he bribed a government worker in 1994 to obtain a fake ID for then 15-year-old Aaliyah – so the singers could marry.
Demetrius Smith said he paid $500 (£367) for an ID used by Mr Kelly, then 27, to wed Aaliyah, who was under age.
Mr Smith was giving evidence after he was granted immunity from prosecution.
Mr Kelly is on trial accused of sexual abuse, racketeering and bribery. He has denied the charges. Read more
Jessica Walter’s Star Shines on at the Emmy Awards (IndieWire)
Betelgeuse is one of the brightest stars in the sky, with prime placement within the constellation of Orion. It takes 640 years for the light from the red supergiant to reach Earth, meaning that for humans, its starlight will burn on long after its death.
In a way, the same is true of certain people. There are some individuals whose light shines so brightly during life, that it can’t help but radiate after they’re gone, providing comfort and beauty that long outlasts their lifespan.
When Emmy nominations were announced July 13, among them was a nod for Jessica Walter, nominated in Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her work as Malory Archer on FXX’s long-running animated series “Archer.” It was the fifth Emmy nomination of her career — she won in 1975 for her work on “Amy Prentiss” — but the first for her memorable work on “Archer.” It came nearly four months after her death on March 24. Read more
Greece erects fence at Turkey border amid warnings of Afghan migrant surge (BBC)
Greece has installed a 40km (25-mile) fence and surveillance system on its border with Turkey amid concern over a surge of migrants from Afghanistan.
“We cannot wait, passively, for the possible impact,” Greece’s Citizens’ Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis said on a visit to the region of Evros on Friday.
“Our borders will remain inviolable.”
His comments came as Turkey called on European countries to take responsibility for Afghan migrants. Read more
Marvel releases final trailer for “Eternals” (Metro)
Yesterday we were blessed with the final trailer from upcoming Marvel film Eternals, which has painted a much more vivid picture of the superheroes’ place in the world and their quest.
Continuing its latest phase, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were presented with The Emergence, a rather heinous, planet-destroying event which was kickstarted after Thanos’ snap was reversed in Avengers: Endgame and those who were dusted returned.
According to the very helpful voiceover work of the likes of Gemma Chan and Salma Hayek, we come to understand the ‘Emergence’ involves a dangerous species known as Deviants, who wreak havoc. Read more
Netflix’s “Virgin River” holds strong in Nielsen’s streaming ratings (IndieWire)
Eight of the 10 most-viewed streaming television shows in Nielsen’s latest viewership report hailed from Netflix, a dominant showing for the company that is continuing to attract significant audiences thanks to its massive subscriber base and popular titles like “Virgin River.”
“Virgin River,” a romantic drama that premiered its third season July 9, was viewed for 1,270 million minutes from July 19 to July 25, according to Nielsen’s latest streaming ratings report. The show was the most popular title of that period by a considerable margin: Netflix’s “Never Have I Ever,” which premiered its sophomore season on July 15, came in second with with 567 million minutes viewed. Netflix’s “Atypical,” which premiered its fourth season on July 9, came in third with 422 million minutes viewed.
Netflix’s string of strong July premieres helped the streaming service lead Nielsen’s latest report, but several of the platform’s older titles also appeared on the list. “Lucifer,” which premiered the second half of its fifth season on Netflix in May, has been a mainstay on Nielsen’s streaming reports for over a month and is continuing to attract viewers; “Lucifer” was the sixth most-viewed show on Nielsen’s latest list, with 277 million minutes viewed. Read more
Rafael Nadal withdraws from US Open and ends 2021 season due to foot injury (Metro)
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the 2021 US Open and will not compete again in 2021 due to a foot injury.
Nadal, the world No. 4 from Spain, has joined defending champion Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer to become the latest high-profile withdrawal from the final Grand Slam of the season.
Novak Djokovic will now have the opportunity to pass both Nadal and Federer’s joint all-time Grand Slam record without facing either of his rivals in New York.
It is the second consecutive Slam Nadal, 35, has missed after being forced to withdraw from Wimbledon with the same foot problem, while he also missed the Olympic Games. Read more
Nigeria’s Chinecherem wins bronze at Nairobi 2021 World Athletics U20 Championship (Guardian)
Team Nigeria revived its hope of finishing among the top nations at the ongoing World Athletics U20 Championship, Nairobi 2021, yesterday with the country’s javelin thrower, Nnamdi Chinecherem, winning a bronze medal.
The Nigerian had recorded a Personal Best throw of 78m on his way to the final on Thursday to give Team Nigeria the hope of another gold medal. However, Chinecherem threw 74.48m to settle for the bronze medal. Janne Laspa of Finland won the gold with a throw of 76.46m, while Arturo Felfner of Ukraine got the silver with a throw of 76.32m.
Chinecherem was applauded for his effort, considering the tough challenge from his opponents in the javelin event.
Before Chinecherem’ s bronze medal yesterday, Nigeria’s flagbearer in the women’s discussion, Esther Osisike placed 11th in the final. Read more
Olympiacos debut thrills Onyekuru
Johnny Edward (Punch)
Nigeria international Henry Onyekuru is delighted to have made his debut for Olympiacos in their 3-0 Europa League victory over Slovan Bratislava on Thursday.
The 24-year-old, who joined the Greek giants from Ligue 1 club Monaco on a permanent deal, was introduced in the 74th minute for Mathieu Valbuena as his side took the advantage heading into the return fixture. Aguibou Camara put Olympiacos ahead in the 37th minute, before Senegal’s Pape Cisse added the second in the 52nd minute.
In the 68th minute, Olympiacos were 3-0 up after defender Vasil Bozhikov turned the ball into his own net following a sweeping cross from Cisse.
Though he did not find the back of the net, Onyekuru created two chances which were not converted by Cisse, and also saw his shot from outside the 18-yard box go inches wide. Read more
PSG without Messi and Neymar but still too good for Brest (BBC)
Paris St-Germain were without a number of star players, including new signing Lionel Messi and Neymar, but still had too much for Brest as they made it three wins out of three to top Ligue 1.
Ander Herrera’s volley and a Kylian Mbappe header put PSG in control before Franck Honorat pulled one back.
Idrissa Gueye fired in from way out, but Brest refused to lie down with Steve Mounie side-footing in.
Substitute Angel di Maria decided the contest for good with a neat lob.
Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is yet to feature for PSG after joining from Barcelona earlier this month. Read more
Mikel Arteta explains decision to keep Granit Xhaka at Arsenal
(Metro)
Mikel Arteta insists it was always his intention for Granit Xhaka to remain at the club and maintains the Switzerland international still has a vital role to play at Arsenal.
The Switzerland international appeared to be on the verge of joining Roma earlier this summer, but the Serie A club failed to table a suitable offer and are now said to have switched their attention to Xhaka’s wantaway teammate Lucas Torreira.
Xhaka is now set to renew his commitment to Arsenal by signing a new long-term contract and his experience is likely to prove vital to a young squad which has been given a fresh injection of youth with the signings of Ben White, Sambi Lokonga, Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard and Nuno Tavares. Read more
The Hundred: Southern Brave thrash Trent Rockets to reach Lord’s final (BBC)
Southern Brave thrashed Trent Rockets by seven wickets in the men’s Hundred eliminator to set up a final against Birmingham Phoenix at Lord’s on Saturday.
In a faultless bowling performance, the Brave’s fearsome attack bowled the Rockets out for 96 in just 91 balls.
George Garton removed the Rockets’ formidable top three while Tymal Mills also took three wickets and Chris Jordan and Craig Overton two apiece.That total was never going to be enough and Brave romped to victory with 32 balls to spare, even with the early loss of Quinton de Kock for six. Read more