Kidnappers now wear school uniforms to abduct children in Ibadan –Oyo Govt (Sun)
Kidnappers now wear school uniforms to abduct unsuspecting school children in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, through free rides.
The state government said the warning became necessary following a security report on the new method adopted by kidnappers, wearing school uniforms similar to that of the children in their vehicle and they would offer to help unsuspecting school children to their schools.
The alarm was raised by the state government on Friday in a circular letter, with reference number: EDU 215 T18/166, issued from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. The circular letter was dated October 27 2021.
The circular, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. A. B. Atere, was entitled: “Need To Be Security Conscious And Reject Free Rides Offered By Strangers.” Read more
Man arraigned for alleged production of substandard engine oil (Punch)
A trader, Chizoba Emmanuel, has been arraigned before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos for allegedly adulterating and producing substandard engine oil belonging to Forte Oil, Ammasco Oil and others.
Chizoba was arraigned by the Standard Organisation of Nigeria before Justice Abimbola Awogboro on four charges of producing fake engine oil, unlawful and fraudulent possession of SON’s mark of quality, certification number and logo, and fraudulently inscribing same on the adulterated and substandard engine oil.
According to the prosecutor, Jaiye Olofindare, the defendant, was arrested on July 16, 2021, in an area in Lagos where he was allegedly producing adulterated and substandard engine oil.
According to the prosecutor, Jaiye Olofindare, the defendant, was arrested on July 16, 2021, in an area in Lagos where he was allegedly producing adulterated and substandard engine oil. Read more
Amadi-Obi, Atafo become Macallan’s influencer Icons (Guardian)
The Macallan, an ultra-premium whisky brand, has kicked off a new campaign, The Macallan Mastery, to promote passion, excellence, craftsmanship and celebrate mastery.
The campaign was announced officially at an exclusive event held recently at the Lagos Marriot Hotel with captains of industries and whisky lovers present to grace the occasion.
The campaign announcement, amongst other things, saw the unveiling of the brand’s influencer icons, veteran photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi and fashion guru, Mai Atafo, both of whom the brand confirmed are masters of their craft and perfect representations of what the brand stands for.
Speaking on what makes the ultra-premium whisky brand a leader of the pack, the lead brand ambassador, The Macallan Nigeria, Motunrayo Abiona disclosed that The Macallan brand has garnered a global reputation as the world’s most valuable and luxurious spirit brand, saying this was as a result of The Macallan’s dedication to mastery and craftsmanship, while consistently achieving excellence without compromising quality. Read more
Jumia launches first Africa e-commerce report, as Lagos tops list of cities with most orders on Jumia (Leadership)
Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, Jumia, has published its first Africa e-commerce report, Jumia Africa e-Commerce Index 2021 with a Nigerian section, which leveraged data from the company’s platform to illustrate the importance of shopping online in a pandemic context.
The shift to everyday products during COVID-19, is part of a broader economic transformation led by the continent’s young, urban and tech savvy population.
The effects of the pandemic, combined with dedicated commercial and marketing efforts on the Jumia side, led to a shift in our product category mix with everyday product categories including Fashion, Beauty and FMCG categories accounting for c. 57% of GMV in 2020, up from 44% in 2019.
Jumia Nigeria CEO, Massimiliano Spalazzi said: “Since the COVID-19 outbreak, e-commerce has played an important role by supporting sellers, consumers and communities. Many businesses have joined Jumia to keep their business running and to grow. Consumers used Jumia for their daily needs and seeked convenience and competitive prices on the platform too.” Read more
Radisson hotel becomes world’s first hotel to offer carbon negative meetings (Guardian)
Radisson Hotel Group has been recognised as the world’s first hotel to make all meetings and events across 400-plus outlets in its EMEA portfolio carbon negative.
For every event taking place at its participating hotels, Radisson Hotel Group will offset double the carbon footprint, to ensure that every meeting has a positive impact on the environment.
Planet Positive will set a new sustainability standard in the global hospitality industry. This programme allows clients to host meetings in a sustainable way by offsetting double the CO2 emissions from meetings and events free of charge to the client, making meetings booked between October 18, 2021 and January 31, 2022, as well as meetings taking place before March 31, 2022, at participating hotels Carbon Negative.
Planet Positive reinforces the group’s 100 per cent Carbon Neutral meetings offering, in place across the group’s 1,600 hotels worldwide since 2019. The initiative forms part of its wider Responsible Business programme, which targets reducing the Group’s carbon footprint by per cent, and which aims to set science-based targets. Since the launch of the 100 per cent Carbon Neutral Meetings programme, the Group has offset over 30,300 tonnes of CO2 at no cost to its clients, which is the equivalent to removing more than 6,500 fuel driven cars off the road. Read more
TotalEnergies 2021 Startupper Initiative targets young Nigerian entrepreneurs (Leadership)
TotalEnergies Nigeria has announced the commencement of the third edition of its Startupper of the Year Challenge which is designed to support young entrepreneurs in Nigeria and the African continent.
Mrs Olubunmi Popoola-Mordi, Executive General Manager, TotalEnergies Country Services, made the announcement during a virtual news conference in Lagos.
Popoola-Mordi said the Startupper Challenge was designed to support and reward young entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 35 who had created a company in the past two years.
She said said the projects would be assessed based on their innovative character, feasibility and development potential as well as they relate to the Sustainable Development Goals as defined by the United Nations. Read more
I shunned Obiano’s assignment for denying me bullet proof car –Deputy (Punch)
Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, has said he will not resign from office despite his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress from the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Okeke also accused the governor of treating him unfairly.
The deputy governor, who visited his office at Government House, Awka, for the first time after his defection, told journalists that he would continue to hold office until March 17, 2022 when his joint ticket with Governor Willie Obiano, would expire.
He disclosed that he was under pressure to resign but would not do so because his defection was in the overall interest of the state. Read more
We’re contributing our quota to legal education in Nigeria –Wike (Sun)
State governor, Nyesom Wike, said the Nabo Graham Douglas Campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt would stand out as an eloquent contribution of the state towards the growth of legal education in the country.
According to him, that was why the best facilities and attention were being given to the ongoing structural work in order to match the furnishing aspect later, so, that it would be the envy among other Law School campuses.
Governor Wike made the assertion shortly after inspecting the progress of work on the main campus and the staff quarters of the school, yesterday.
The Chairman of the Council of Legal Education, Emeka Ngige, and the Director General of Nigerian Law School, Prof. Isa Hayatu Chiroma, accompanied the Rivers governor. Read more
Gospel legend, Broda Martyns proffers solutions to Nigeria’s problem in ‘Jaw Jaw’ (Tribune)
Popular street gospel singer, Akarutu Balogun, otherwise known as Broda Martyns, is making another entry into the mainstream music scene with the official release of the song entitled ‘Jaw-Jaw’.
The new work which decries the social injustice and political upheavals in Nigeria strongly opposes the use of violence and proffers peaceful dialogue as the only civilised way to settle tribal and political differences.
Broda Martyns in the song also urged Nigerians to embrace our uniqueness as a country and seek peace in the nation.
“May reason prevail against the senselessness of violence. May there be a stop to the wanton destruction of lives and properties that have characterised our landscape for several years now. May our conscience be awakened by the voice of God. May the peace that Jesus gives pervade the length and breadth of this potentially great country. May there be one Nigeria again where all citizens are truly safe and equal under God and may the Nigeria of our dream arise and shine,” he said. Read more
Will Ferrell turned down $29,000,000 to star in Elf sequel because the script was ‘not good’ (Metro)
Buddy the Elf almost got another festive adventure in New York City, but Will Ferrell was not impressed with the script.
The actor has revealed that he turned down $29million (£21m) to star in an Elf sequel, because it just wasn’t very good.
The 54-year-old starred as an elf who leaves the North Pole in search of his biological father after discovering he is a human adopted by an elf in the Christmas favourite, and after the 2003 movie was a huge box office success, a sequel was written.
However, Will felt he was too honest to promote the movie. Read more
Fetty Wap: US rapper charged with drug trafficking (BBC)
US rapper Fetty Wap has been indicted on drug trafficking conspiracy charges, federal prosecutors say.
The 30-year-old artist, whose real name is Willie Junior Maxwell II, was arrested on Thursday at a stadium in New York City ahead of his concert.
Mr Maxwell and five other people are accused of transporting drugs, including heroin, on Long Island and New Jersey.
If convicted they face a maximum of life imprisonment.
Mr Maxwell has so far made no public comments on the issue. Read more
Queen told to rest for at least two more weeks (WAToday)
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has been advised by doctors to rest for at least the next two weeks, with the 95-year-old monarch avoiding official visits and only undertaking light duties during this time, Buckingham Palace said on Friday.
The world’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch is still determined to appear at the annual Remembrance Sunday service that commemorates the nation’s war dead in central London on November 14, the palace said.
The Queen has been resting at Windsor Castle since she stayed overnight in hospital last week after undergoing “preliminary investigations” for an unspecified ailment that is not related to COVID-19.
The monarch had already pulled out of addressing world leaders in person next week at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow. Read more
Almost 30 LGBT Afghans arrive in the UK after ministers and charities evacuated them from the Taliban-ruled country over safety fears (DailyMail)
The first group of almost 30 LGBT Afghans arrived in the UK on Friday after ministers and charities supported their evacuation from the Taliban-run country.
Among the evacuees are students and activists who had repeatedly stood up for equality for the at-risk LGBT community in Afghanistan, the Foreign, Common and Development Office (FCDO) said.
The 29 people will be supported by Stonewall, Micro Rainbow and other LGBT charities to set up their new lives in the UK.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Britain would continue to defend ‘the right of all people to be themselves and love who they want’. Read more
Prince Andrew seeks dismissal of accuser’s ‘baseless’ and ‘frivolous’ civil lawsuit in New York (SkyNews)
Prince Andrew’s lawyers in the US have asked a judge to dismiss his accuser Virginia Giuffre’s civil lawsuit.
Ms Giuffre has accused the Duke of York of sexually abusing her when she was 17, more than 20 years ago.
In court filings, the duke said he “unequivocally denies” sexually abusing or assaulting her.
His request was filed on Friday with the US District Court in Manhattan.
In court documents seen by Sky News, Prince Andrew states the lawsuit should be dismissed because Ms Giuffre failed to “state a claim warranting relief” and has asked the court to hold oral arguments on his application. Read more
Tonga’s first COVID-19 case detected, may face lockdown (VOA)
Tongan Prime Minister Pohiva Tuionetoa warned Saturday that residents on the country’s main island Tongatapu faced a possible lockdown next week after recording its first case of COVID-19.
The tiny Pacific kingdom had been among only a handful of countries to escape the virus so far, and the infection was detected in a person in managed isolation after returning to Tonga on a repatriation flight from New Zealand.
“The reason the lockdown won’t happen this weekend is because I have been advised that the virus will take more than three days to develop in someone who catches it before they become contagious,” Tuionetoa said.
“We should use this time to get ready in case more people are confirmed they have the virus.” Read more
Puneeth Rajkumar: Indian film star dies age 46 (BBC)
Puneeth Rajkumar, a prominent film actor from southern India, has died at the age of 46.
The star of Kannada cinema worked on more than 29 films and won the national award for “the best child artist” earlier in his career.
Rajkumar died of a heart attack in Bengaluru on Friday, his manager confirmed.
Offices and shops in Bengaluru have closed fearing violence following his sudden death.
There has been a sudden outpouring of grief among his fans who have gathered outside his residence in the city. Read more
Emma Raducanu crashes out of Transylvania Open in defeat to Marta Kostyuk (Metro)
Emma Raducanu’s Transylvania Open journey came to an abrupt end at the quarter-final stage as she suffered defeat to Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in just 57 minutes.
The world No.55 defeated the US Open champion 6-2, 6-1 in convincing fashion with 18-year-old Raducanu far from her best as 41 unforced errors proved costly.
Raducanu found herself a break down from the opening game with some early nerves evident as she double faulted twice.
The world No.23 soon found her feet in her next service game to hold but it was clear from the early stages long rallies weren’t likely to be a regular feature in this match. Read more
Ighalo won’t rush decision on Eagles return (Punch)
AL SHABAB striker Odion Ighalo says he won’t rush his return to the Super Eagles two years after he announced his international retirement, Saturday PUNCH reports.
The 32-year-old quit the Super Eagles after finishing top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and previously resisted pressure from coach Gernot Rohr to reverse his decision.
Both Rohr and Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick have publicly called for Ighalo to play in the country’s upcoming 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
“Talks have been going on for a while now, and I respect the coach and the NFF president,” Ighalo, now playing for Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia, told BBC Sport Africa. Read more
Safety shooters’ title ambition suffer setback against Lagos Seasiders (Guardian)
Defenders Babes, Kada Queens, Tojemarine Academy, Lagos Seasiders and D Defenders yesterday secured victories in the women and men categories of the ongoing Prudent Energy Handball Premier League holding at the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Seasider Babes lost 22 to 24 to Defender Babes in the opening match of Day Nine, while Kada Queens defeated Confluence Queens 31 to 22 in the female category.
However, in the male class, Plateau Vipers lost 23 to 25 Tojemarine Academy, while the defending champions, Safety Shooters suffered a shocking 26 to 30 loss to Lagos Seasiders, as D Defenders narrowly defeated Kada Stars 20 to 19.
Speaking on their victory against the defending champions, Safety Shooters, Lagos Seasiders’ Ibrahim Dikko said his team’s aspiration is to win this year’s edition of the premier league. Read more
Arsenal hit by sickness bug (Independent)
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has confirmed that a sickness bug in the squad has affected preparations for Saturday’s Premier League trip to Leicester City.
Defender Pablo Mari missed Tuesday’s Carabao Cup victory over Leeds with the virus, while Ben White was forced off during the game. White has not trained since and is doubtful for the game with the Foxes.
“It was a bit of sickness, tummy aches and stuff like that. Hopefully, everyone will be OK,” Arteta said.
“[White] hasn’t trained yet so we will have to wait and see how he is feeling and make the decision then. Read more
NFF is unfair to younger generation of female players, says Izilien (Guardian)
‘It’s Sad For Super Falcons To Panic Over African Opponents’
Former Super Falcons Coach Godwin Izilien is unhappy with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over what he described as continuous rotation of old players in the senior women national team.
The Super Falcons qualified for the final round of the qualification for next year’s Women African Cup of Nations finals slated for Morocco with a 2-1 aggregate against the Black Queens of Ghana.
Nigeria will now face Lady Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire, who eliminated the Falcons from the race to Tokyo Olympic Games. While the Super Falcons struggled to overcome Ghana Black Queens, the Lady Elephants walloped their counterparts from Niger Republic 9-0 in the first leg to make the return led a mere formality.
To coach Izilien, who led the Super Falcons to capture the AWC title in South Africa in 2004, the ‘romance’ between the NFF and some old players in the team was the reason behind the poor performances recorded in recent times. Read more
Antonio Rudiger aims sly dig at Frank Lampard with Chelsea star now in form of his life (DailyStar)
Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has aimed several digs at former manager Frank Lampard after his short spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The German defender has been a revelation for the Blues since Thomas Tuchel was appointed as manager.
Rudiger has been an integral part of Chelsea’s back-three in the Premier League this season, being given the freedom to bomb forward when his side are in possession but also be the rock-solid leader in the heart of the defence.
Some of Europe’s top clubs are currently keeping tabs on the 28-year-old as his contract runs out next summer and he is yet to agree on a new contract with Chelsea, though he does seem happy at his current club. Read more