Lagos clubhouse kicks as 100 policemen, thugs demolish buildings, arrest workers (Punch)
No fewer than 100 armed policemen and thugs, allegedly led by members of a Lagos family, have demolished buildings at the Ikeja Saddle Club, in the Isheri-Olowora area of Lagos State.
The policemen were said to be from the Zone 2 Police Command, while the thugs were armed with weapons, including cutlasses, axes and machetes.
PUNCH Metro gathered that business owners, workers and members of the club scampered for safety as a bulldozer they brought pulled down structures on the club’s premises.
Four employees of the club were reportedly arrested during the invasion.
The President of the club, Wole Osinupebi, told our correspondent that the family that led the group claimed to be in possession of a court judgment giving them rights to the land. Read more
Court summons, threatens Lagos CP with jail over seized truck (Punch)
Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos State has ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to obey an order seeking the release of a truck unlawfully seized and detained by the Divisional Police Officer and the Divisional Crime Officer of the Isolo Police Division, Lagos State, since December 21, 2020.
Justice Aluko also ordered the IGP to produce the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, and the other officers who were co-respondents in court for contempt proceedings over alleged violation of the court’s order.
In suit FHC/L/CS/471/2021 filed by one Taju Alade, the IG, CP, DPO and DCO, Isolo; the Investigative Police Officer of the division, ASP Ganiyu, and the Nigeria Police Commission were respondents.
Alade, a truck driver, commenced the suit before Justice M. A. Onyetenu on March 10, 2021, through his counsel, Love Okwuokei. Read more
Lagos partners Alaro city to support 5,000 indigent mothers (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has rolled out the Mother, Infant and Child (MICH) Initiative to address the nutritional needs of 5000 pregnant women across the 57 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
The scheme, done in partnership with Alaro city, a new city being built in the Lekki Free Zone, is a comprehensive nutrition programme to tackle cognitive and learning disabilities in newborns, aimed at raising the level of care for expectant mothers in underserved communities throughout their pregnancy periods.
The health initiative, a key component of the Womb To School Programme, a basket of social investments initiated by the Sanwo-Olu administration to facilitate human capital development and to raise socially responsible citizens from the womb through infancy, childhood, and into adulthood, is also to support the development of infants’ brains from foetus to neonatal stage, especially in the first 2,000 days said to be significant in a child’s formative stage. Read more
COVID-19 business booms: Inbound travellers bribe officials to evade tests, experts warn of spike (Punch)
Virologists and other health experts have warned that corrupt practices of airport officials who aid inbound passengers to evade the COVID-19 test may lead to the spike in infections in the country.
The PUNCH gathered on Sunday that passengers who were supposed to undergo the test were being aided to shun it by airport officials who were collecting between N10,000 and N15,000 from them.
It was learnt that law-abiding passengers, who paid the mandatory N51,400 for the test were sometimes not assigned to any laboratory by the officials.
A professor of Medical Virology at the University of Maiduguri, Prof Marycelin Baba, and other health experts, who spoke to The PUNCH, blamed test evaders for increasing infections. Read more
Bouncer stabs boy to death trying to pick money at wedding reception in Delta (Tribune)
A bouncer, Francis Utuedor, has been arrested for stabbing to death a teenage boy at a wedding reception in Delta State.
The incident occurred on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at a wedding reception held at Wetland Hotel in Mofor, Udu Local Government Area, near Warri, in the state.
Sources said tragedy struck midway at the reception when the boy attempted to pick up some naira notes being ‘sprayed’ on the dancing couple as the overzealous bouncer grabbed and stabbed him.
The deceased, who lived along Kolokolo Street in Udu Road, was said to have gone to the wedding party with his mother, who had reportedly earlier lost an older son some two months before. Read more
Worshipper gunned down as bandits break into Kaduna church (DailyTrust)
Bandits invaded the Evangelical Church of Winning All (ECWA), Gavaciwa in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday, killing a worshipper.
The armed men reportedly struck while the church service was ongoing.
The state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the attack, saying gunmen also killed one Nasiru Abdullahi of Gobirawan Kamacha in Bina General area of Igabi Local Government Area.
He said Governor Nasir El-Rufai had condemned the attacks and condoled with the families of those who lost their lives.
Aruwan quoted El-Rufai to have said that the attack on the worshippers was a divisive intent of the criminals who play on religious sensitivity. Read more
2 docked for duping Abuja Redeemed Church N10m (Guardian)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Mrs. Patricia Eni Hassan and Mr. Zachaeus B. Gana, for duping the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Wealthy Place Parish, Gwarimpa, Abuja, to the tune of N10 million.
The duo were arraigned before Justice Muawiyah Idris of High Court 36 sitting in Nyanya, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on a six-count charge, which bordered on fraud, dishonesty, falsification of documents and corruption.
Part of the charges as read in the court stated that sometime between 2014 – 2016, both accused conspired to obtain by false pretence the sum of N10 million to secure land for the church, which they failed to do. Read more
Nigeria suffering from leadership failure –Wike (Sun)
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has expressed regrets that 61 years after independence, Nigeria is still grappling with leadership challenge.
He pointed out that because of such leadership failure, Nigeria is now at a point in its history needing God more than ever.
He made the assertion at the interdenominational church service organised in commemoration of the 61st independence anniversary of Nigeria at the St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The governor stated that there was hardly anything for Nigerians to celebrate because its leadership continues to entrench hatred, mediocrity, promote ethnicity and religion.
“This is the time that Nigeria needs God more. The country is gone. Insecurity everywhere. Everyone needs to say God, we need You because man’s leadership has failed this country.” Read more
“No Time To Die”’s Ana de Armas says her Bond girl will be the ‘most badass’ in James Bond history (Metro)
Ana De Armas has teased that her character in No Time To Die goes against the Bond girl stereotype and is ‘very badass’.
The 33-year-old, who stars as CIA agent Paloma in the upcoming 007 flick – out on Thursday – described Paloma as something that ‘hadn’t been seen’ yet in Bond girls, over the franchise’s 59-year span.
Talking to The Sun, Ana explained: ‘Paloma is a really complete character. She’s definitely something else that I don’t think we’ve seen in other Bond girls in previous movies. She’s a lot of fun — very active, very badass.’
The Cuban actress also praised her co-star Daniel Craig as ‘so easy’ to work with, in their second film together, as their previous friendship meant she ‘didn’t feel out of place being part of a huge production’. Read more
German elections: Centre left take narrow lead in tight vote (BBC) Germany’s centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are edging towards election victory, as projected results look increasingly bleak for the party of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Ms Merkel’s successor, Armin Laschet, is still vowing to form a government, but his conservative CDU party has seen its worst performance in history.
The SPD currently leads by a small margin, but results are not yet final.
Their leader Olaf Scholz says his party has a clear mandate to rule. Read more
Swiss voters approve same-sex marriage in national referendum (RT)
Switzerland has voted to legalize same-sex marriage in a national referendum on Sunday. It gives extra rights to gay couples, who previously faced some legal restrictions.
Final results published on Sunday said the initiative has been accepted by nearly two-thirds of voters, with 64.1% voting in favor. Opinion polls conducted prior to the referendum indicated similar support levels. The final tally of the vote is expected later on Sunday afternoon.
Before the vote, same-sex couples had the option of a civil partnership under a 2007 law, but some of their rights were limited, compared to married couples. They couldn’t get joint custody of adopted children, for example, and couldn’t adopt children to whom they are not related by blood.
Once same-sex marriage is legalized, lesbian couples in Switzerland will be entitled to use sperm from donors and other forms of medically assisted conception, on par with heterosexual couples. Read more
UK Labour leader says it’s ‘not right’ to claim only women have cervixes (RT)
Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, claimed on Sunday that people should not say only women have a cervix, calling it “not right,” after one of his MPs received threats online for making the statement.
When asked by BBC presenter Andrew Marr whether it was “transphobic to say only women have a cervix,” Starmer replied, “It’s something that shouldn’t be said. It’s not right.”
Pressed on whether someone who does think only women have a cervix would be welcome in the Labour Party, Starmer said, “We need to have a mature, respectful debate about trans rights and … bear in mind that the trans community are among the most marginalised and abused communities.”
“Wherever we’ve got to in the law, we need to go further, and we want to go further,” he continued, concluding, however, that the Labour Party conference would be “a place which is safe for that debate to take place.” Read more
The Fugees reunite with ‘Ready or Not’ for Global Citizen 2021 (Billboard)
Fugees performed at Pier 17 in NYC in support of Global Citizen Live, a once-in-a-generation global broadcast event calling on world leaders to defend the planet and defeat poverty, airing on Sept. 25.
Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel were seen together again during Global Citizen Live 2021.
The Fugees reunited for the first time in 15 years just in time for this weekend’s 24-hour, star-studded festival, with a video of them performing their 1996 single “Ready or Not” hitting YouTube on Saturday (Sept. 25).
Their participation in the fest comes ahead of their recently announced international reunion tour in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their landmark sophomore album The Score.
Global Citizen Festival 2021: How to Stream the Event Live Online
The performance that aired during the massive Global Citizen Live event on Saturday (Sept. 25) was filmed on Wednesday, when the group put on a surprise pop-up concert at Pier 17 in New York City on the heels of announcing their tour. Global Citizen featured countless artists performing across several continents in an effort to spark global change and to urge world leaders and corporations to defend the planet and defeat poverty. Read more
Publicist Bobby Zarem, behind ‘I Love New York’ campaign, dead at 84 (PageSix)
Bobby Zarem, the famed publicist who helped come up with the “I Love New York” campaign, has died of cancer at 84.
In his storied career, he represented countless stars, befriending many of them, including Kirk and Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Diana Ross, Michael Caine, Al Pacino and Mick Jagger.
In 1976, following a soul food supper for Stevie Wonder at the Del Monoco Hotel’s ballroom, The New York Times bestowed Bobby with the title, “Super Flack.”
The Savannah, Georgia native was influential in helping to turn films such as “Pumping Iron”, “Saturday Night Fever”, “Scarface”, “Rambo” and “Dances with Wolves” into huge hits. Read more
Arsenal beat rivals Tottenham with first-half blitz (BBC)
Arsenal’s revival gathered pace as Tottenham’s recent decline continued in an entertaining north London derby at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners propped up the table after three games while Spurs were top under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo – how things have changed as a rampant Arsenal ripped their shambolic rivals to shreds in a brilliant first half.
Emile Smith Rowe started the celebrations for the Arsenal fans when he arrived unmarked to sweep home Bukayo Saka’s cross after 12 minutes before the scorer turned provider as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got the second midway through the half.
Spurs were producing a horror show and nothing summed it up better than Arsenal’s third after 34 minutes. Harry Kane fell over the ball in a Spurs attack then missed two tackles on Saka as he raced back into his own penalty area to try to rescue the situation. Saka compounded the agony with a calm finish. Read more
Iheanacho should be starting for Leicester –Agbonlahor (Punch)
Aston Villa legend, Gabriel Agbonlahor, has questioned Leicester City manager Brendan Rodger’s decision to keep forward Kelechi Iheanacho on the bench despite being aware of his qualities and contributions to the team.
Rodgers has shown preference for the partnerships of Jamie Vardy, Harvey Barnes, Ayoze Perez and Youri Tielemans as well as James Maddison.
Iheanacho is yet to start his first Premier League match this season but his time off the bench proved effective as he helped the side in their team draw against Burnley.
Although he failed to get his name on the score sheet, he provided the assist for Vardy to score the team’s equaliser. Read more
Tennis bad boy Kyrgios admits his future in the sport is in doubt as he axes remaining 2021 schedule (RT)
Nick Kyrgios, who has gained a reputation as one of the sport’s most controversial stars, has hinted that he may be close to retiring from tennis after he announced that the Laver Cup in Boston was his final appearance of 2021.
Kyrgios, who reached as high as 13th in the world rankings in 2016, has been largely inactive from the tennis circuit for much of the past two years and has played in very few tournaments throughout the Covid-19 global pandemic.
This relative inactivity has seen his world ranking plummet to 95th, and after a straight sets defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas during Saturday’s meeting at the Laver Cup, a disappointed Kyrgios admitted that he is unsure of his future in professional tennis.
“Definitely, this is my last event of the year,” said Kyrgios, who was participating for Team World against Team Europe in the so-called ‘Ryder Cup of tennis’. Read more
Berlin Marathon: Ethiopia’s Guye Adola and Gotytom Gebreslase win men’s and women’s races (BBC)
Ethiopia’s Guye Adola beat a field including two-time winner Kenenisa Bekele to win the Berlin Marathon and take his first title over the distance.
The 30-year-old survived the brutal early pace to finish in two hours five minutes 45 seconds and hold off Kenya’s Bethwel Yegon and Ethiopian veteran Bekele, who was third.
Adola’s compatriot Gotytom Gebreslase won the women’s race on her debut over the distance, the 26-year-old clocking 2:20:09 to lead home an Ethiopian sweep of the podium places.
Hiwot Gebrekidan took second and Helen Tola third. Read more
Joshua must beat Usyk in 2022 rematch or forget Fury, Wilder big purse fights (Guardian)
Spencer Oliver insists Anthony Joshua has to beat Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch or face being frozen out by Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, writes talksport.com.
The Brit was completely nullified by the Ukrainian on Saturday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and relinquished his WBA, WBO and IBF world titles.
Usyk was giving up three inches in height and four in reach, as well as nearly 20lbs in weight, but the former undisputed world cruiserweight champion’s technical acumen came to the fore in an electric atmosphere. Read more
Ryder Cup: US beat Europe to regain trophy at Whistling Straits (BBC)
The United States have regained the Ryder Cup with a record 19-9 victory over Europe at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
Open champion Collin Morikawa claimed the winning half point in the fifth of Sunday’s 12 singles matches as the home side raced to the 14½ points they needed.
Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter – Europe’s only winners in the singles – were in tears as they showed the emotion of what will be a chastening defeat.
Around them, American players celebrated, with Brooks Koepka downing a beer thrown to him from the fans after he completed a 2&1 victory on the 17th green to booming chants of “U-S-A” from a 40,000-strong home crowd. Read more