Lagos contractor in court over N6m missing kerosene (Punch)
A defendant, Isaac Bassey, has told Magistrate S.K. Matepo of the Samuel Ilori Courthouse in Ogbà, Lagos State, that he is not part of the contract that led to the disappearance of 33,000 litres of kerosene in the state.
Bassey, alongside one Peter, are on trial for allegedly stealing 33,000 litres of kerosene worth N6m and disposing of the delivery truck.
The defendant, who was led in evidence by the defence counsel, U.E. Udo, told the court that he was not a party to the matter.
He said one Ndubuisi contacted him for a delivery truck that could transport 33,000 litres of kerosene, but he could not provide it. Read more
Ondo: 39-year-old tricycle operator allegedly beats colleague to death (Guardian)
A tricycle operator, Festus Akintelure, 39, over the weekend, allegedly beat his colleague, Titus Adebayo, 35, to death after engaging in a fight in the Oke-Aro axis of Akure South Local Council of Ondo State.
The Guardian gathered that the deceased tricycle operator slumped when he was hit by Akintelure. He was said to have been hit in a delicate spot that made him collapse and fainted, but was revived at the clinic before he gave up the ghost.
Speaking on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Command, Olufunmilayo Odunlami, said operatives from the State Command had been directed to investigate the cause of death of the tricycle operator .
The PPRO said: “The man was rushed by people around the vicinity of the fight to a nearby clinic where he was attended to and admitted. The victim collapsed as a result of the fight on Saturday and was confirmed dead early Sunday morning at the hospital. Read more
15-year-old Akwa-Ibom student wins national essay competition (DailyTrust)
Fifteen-year old student of Federal Government Girls College, Ikot- Obio Itong, Akwa-Ibom state, Otong Usungobong Paul, on Monday, emerged the overall winner of the grand finale of the 2022 edition of the UBA Foundation annual National Essay Competition (NEC).
Otong clinched the best prize after beating eleven other finalists at a competition that had over 5,000 entries from students of Senior Secondary Schools across Nigeria.
Another 15-year-old student of Value Spring College, Lagos, Princess Sholabomi, emerged second place while 15-year-old Sharon Nwajiaku of Ota Total Academy, Ogun State, clinched the third position.
Topic for the essay this year was ‘ASUU Strike has often cost Nigerian students time. Advise Governments on how they can reach an agreement with ASUU to improve Tertiary Education in the Nation’ while the topic for the final competition among the shortlisted 12 finalists was ‘Nigeria and the Brain Drain: The Interface between a Better Life and a Loss of Fortunes’. Read more
Forgery: Court remands Lagos chief, Ikuforiji (Punch)
Justice Abdulazeez Anka of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday revoked the bail earlier granted to the Balogun of Epe, Chief Olajide Ikuforiji, and granted him fresh bail conditions.
The court, in addition, ordered that Ikuforiji be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service, Ikoyi, pending the perfection of the fresh bail conditions.
The defendant, who is currently standing trial for alleged forgery and uttering of forged documents in two counts, had for a long time stopped attending court sessions for his trial consequent upon which the prosecutor, Mr Chukwu Agwu, from the Police Special Fraud Unit, sought a warrant of arrest, which was granted by Justice Anka.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the defendant, alongside his lawyer, K.S. Lawal appeared in court. Read more
2022 Trade Fair: Sanwo-Olu draws curtain, assures investors of better business climate (Sun)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday declared the 2022 Lagos International Trade Fair formally closed, while assuring investors of a better business climate consistent with the state dream of becoming Africa’s Model City.
The 36th Edition of the 10- day event, held at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, had as its theme: “Connecting Businesses, Creating Value’’.
In all over 3,500 exhibitors participated in the fair organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the state government, Sherifat Folashade Jaji, assured members of the business community that his administration was committed to improving the business environment towards making it more attractive for investment. Read more
2022 MTV EMAs: Burna Boy wins ‘‘Best Africa Act’’ (Vanguard)
Popular Nigerian singer, Damini Ogulu popularly known as Burna Boy has won the award for the ‘Best Africa Act’ at the 2022 MTV European Music Awards.
The award show which took place on Sunday saw Burna Boy nominated alongside Ayra Starr, Musa Keys, Tems, Zuchu and Black Sheriff.
Though announced winner, the 31-year-old wasn’t physically present to receive his award.
He, however, via his Twitter handle appreciated the organizers of the event for honouring him. Read more
Flooding: NCDMB moves Bayelsa oil event to Uyo (ThisDay)
The management of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced the movement of her flagship annual Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) conference to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Simbi Wabote made the announcement in an email to staff and other stakeholders to confirm that the event would still be held on the scheduled dates later this month and would attract major stakeholders in the oil and gas industry from across Nigeria.
Wabote explained that the change in venue for the conference was due to the ‘unprecedented’ flood situation that has ravaged 31 states in the country and its impact on the scheduled conference.
“We are saddened to come to the realisation that the event is now threatened due to the unprecedented flooding that affected 31 states in the country, including Bayelsa State with most parts of the state seriously affected, including Yenagoa, the state capital and host city for the event. Read more
Kidnapping: Visually impaired lady regains freedom after 11 days (DailyTrust)
A visually impaired lady, Hannah Opeyemi, who was abducted in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has regained her freedom from her abductors, after 11 days in captivity.
The lady was abducted during an attack on a legal practitioner, Sanni Boladale, in the front of his house at Soyoye, Abeokuta.
She was taken away after they failed to abduct the lawyer who was said to be their target.
Eleven days after, the kidnappers freed the victim after some amount of money was reportedly paid as ransom. Read more
Roberta Flack diagnosed with motor neurone disease (RTE)
The Grammy-winning singer Roberta Flack, whose hits include Killing Me Softly with His Song, has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease, and can no longer sing, her representatives have said.
A statement from Flack’s publicists said the progressive disease “has made it impossible to sing and not easy to speak”.
“But it will take a lot more than ALS to silence this icon,” they added.
A documentary about Flack’s life is set to debut at a film festival in New York next week. Flack, 85, is also releasing a children’s book in January. Read more
Stormzy reveals just how deep he got with Adele in Jamaica (Metro)
Stormzy didn’t act too big for his boots when he holidayed with his friend Adele – instead enjoying some quiet soul-searching in Jamaica.
‘It was deeply spiritual. We would sit by the pool all day and by the water and just talk and just have time with our feelings,’ the rapper recalled of his escape with the Rolling In The Deep singer.
‘I’d go to the water every day, and I’d pray. It just dawned on me that I had a lot of growing up to do. I feel like that’s when my life changed forever.’
Appearing on the cover of British GQ’s December/January issue, out on November 29, the south Londoner also addressed his 2019 split from Maya Jama. Read more
Jay Leno speaks out after suffering ‘‘serious’’ burns from gasoline car fire (PageSix)
Jay Leno needs some time to recover following Sunday’s freak car fire that left him with “serious” facial burns, but he is otherwise “OK.”
Monday afternoon. “I am OK. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.”
The statement comes shortly after TMZ reported that the former “Tonight Show” host and avid car collector was in the Los Angeles garage where he stores his dozens of prized vehicles on Sunday when one of them burst into flames.
Sources told the outlet that the explosion severely burned the left side of Leno’s face without causing injury to his eye or ear. Read more
Anthony Rapp opens up about Kevin Spacey lawsuit in 1st comments since trial (Variety)
Anthony Rapp has offered his first public comments since the conclusion of his $40 million civic lawsuit against Kevin Spacey. On Oct. 20, a New York jury sided with Spacey, finding that the Oscar-winning actor did not molest Rapp when he was a teenager.
Rapp opened up about the trial and his original decision to come forward with allegations against Spacey during an event hosted by The Meteor, a media company with a feminist point of voice, on Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. Speaking with moderator Salamishah Tillet, the 51-year-old actor reflected on the opportunities and limitations of confronting trauma through legal venues.
“A courtroom is not a safe space for trauma, that is for sure. So I also deeply understand why some people don’t pursue that angle,” Rapp said during the conversation. “What is proof? How do you prove things? Part of the movement is so much about honoring a story, listening, being a mirror, being holding, healing. You speak about these things. Those things aren’t necessarily anything that a courtroom is at all interested in. It is not the only avenue. It is an avenue. I did want to avail myself of the opportunity to see what might be possible.” Read more
Nickelback to be inducted into Canadian Music Hall of Fame at 2023 Junos (CBC)
Today, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) have announced that Alberta rock band Nickelback will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the upcoming Juno Awards. To celebrate, Nickelback will perform live at the 52nd Juno Awards, which will be broadcast from Rogers Place in Edmonton on March 13, 2023.
“Returning home to Alberta, back to where everything started for us, is truly a full circle, milestone moment for the band,” said frontman Chad Kroeger via press release. “We take so much pride in our Canadian roots and hope that this retrospective look back at our career will demonstrate to younger generations that dedication and passion will take them far — within Canada and beyond.”
Nickelback formed in the mid-’90s in Hanna, Alta., first as a cover band called Village Idiot. In 1996, Kroeger and bandmate Ryan Peake joined Kroeger’s brother, Mike, in Vancouver, where the band currently resides. Today’s lineup includes both Kroegers, Peake and Daniel Adair. While the band signed to EMI in 1999, it was its third album, 2001’s Silver Side Up, that took off thanks to the hit lead single “How You Remind Me.” The band has since become one of the bestselling acts to ever come out of Canada, selling more than 50 million albums worldwide and hitting more than 4.7 billion streams globally. At the end of the aughts, Billboard named Nickelback the top rock group of the decade. The band will release its 10th album, Get Rollin’, on Nov. 18. Read more
Dave Chappelle switched ‘SNL’ monologue between rehearsal and live show (PageSix)
Dave Chappelle did a “fake” “Saturday Night Live” monologue during the show’s dress rehearsal, sources said, and then switched his material for the live show.
A source told Page Six: “Dave does a fake monologue during the dress rehearsal, because he doesn’t want [‘SNL’ creator] Lorne Michaels, or anyone else, to know what his real monologue is.”
The source added that Chappelle made a joke during the dress rehearsal about a writer who refused to work with him this week on the show.
We previously reported that some staff writers were so furious that the comedy superstar — who’s made transphobic and homophobic jokes in his past comedy shows — was chosen to host that they were sitting out the episode. Read more
Global population will reach 8b Tuesday in historic milestone for humanity, UN projects (USAToday)
It’s not a small world after all.
The global population projects to reach 8 billion people Tuesday, the United Nations says, in a historic milestone for humanity as the organization gives a look into what the future could look like.
The U.N. praised the population growth as mortality levels decline and life expectancy continues to increase. The global life expectancy is 72.8 years as of 2019, an increase of nearly nine years since 1990. Current projections believe the life expectancy could be 77.2 years by 2050.
“This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognize our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement. Read more
World Athletics confirms May 27, 2023 for Okpekpe 10km road race (Guardian)
World Athletics has confirmed the date of the ninth Okpekpe International 10km Road Race. The organisers said the event would hold on May 27, 2023 in Okpekpe town near Auchi, Edo State.
The race, the first road running event to be granted a label status by World Athletics in West Africa, according to World Athletics, will be one of the 40 gold-label road running events to hold in 2023.
It will also be the second gold label 10km road race to hold next year after the TCS World 10K Bengaluru in Bengaluru, India which is billed for May 7, 2023.
According to the calendar released by World Athletics, the gold label Okpekpe international 10km road race will be the only label road race to hold May 27, which means the focus of the entire world will be on Okpekpe, a small agrarian community in Estako East Council of Edo State for the world class event. Read more
Fans rush Nigeria, Portugal friendly tickets (Punch)
With just three days to the mouth-watering friendly clash between Nigeria and Portugal, viagogo, the website in charge of the sales of match tickets for the game, says the tickets are fast selling, with fans anxious to watch the match.
The friendly between the three-time African champions and the 2016 European champions is slated for Thursday at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.
Our correspondent learnt on Monday that more than 45,000 tickets had been sold out for the match. According to viagogo, less than two per cent of the tickets are available, an indication that about 49,000 tickets have been sold for the game at the 50,095-capacity Estadio Jose Alvalade.
“Less than two per cent of total tickets in this venue are currently available on our site,” the website wrote. Read more
U.S. Soccer Federation using rainbow crest at World Cup training facility in Qatar (CBC)
The U.S. Soccer Federation is using a rainbow version of its crest at the Americans’ World Cup training facility in Doha, Qatar.
The federation, which normally uses a crest with blue lettering and red stripes, changed the stripes to seven different colours at Al Gharrafa training facility, where workouts started Monday ahead of the Americans’ World Cup opener against Wales on Nov. 21. The rainbow crest is part of the Be the Change initiative of the USSF and its players, which also called for tougher U.S. gun laws.
Qatar has been criticized over attitudes towards LGBTQ fans and the treatment of migrant workers. Read more
World Cup 2022: Brighton trio named in Ecuador squad for Qatar (BBC)
Ecuador called up three Brighton players as they became the final team to confirm their 2022 World Cup squad.
Left-back Pervis Estupinan and midfielders Moises Caicedo and Jeremy Sarmiento – a former England youth international – have made the cut.
Fenerbahce striker Enner Valencia, the country’s all-time top scorer with 35 goals, captains the 26-man squad.
Gustavo Alfaro’s Ecuador play hosts Qatar in the opening game of the World Cup on Sunday (16:00 GMT). Read more
Ash Barty reveals she will return to the Australian Open in January (DailyMail)
Champion Aussie tennis player Ash Barty has confirmed that she will return to the Australian Open in 2023 – just not as a player.
The 26-year-old sensationally quit the sport at the peak of her powers following her watershed Australian Open championship this year and has rejected all suggestions that she might return to professional sport in the future.
While tennis fans won’t get to see her defend her title at Rod Laver Arena in January, they will get to see Barty at the Open – and will even get to have a hit with her if they are lucky.
‘I was never going to run away, I promise. I was always going to be back,’ she said on the Today Show. Read more
Fernando Alonso makes honest admission after redemption race at Brazilian GP (Mirror)
Fernando Alonso admitted his head is looking to next season with the F1 icon soon to leave Alpine to join Aston Martin.
The two-time world champion revealed in August that he would be making the switch to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, sparking off a dramatic chain of events at Otmar Szafnauer’s team. And he seemed set for a sour exit after he and teammate Esteban Ocon crashed into each other in Saturday’s Sprint Race at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The incident infuriated Szafnauer, who accused the pair of letting his team down. And speaking to reporters afterwards, Alonso himself appeared to revel in the fact he would soon be leaving.
However, despite starting Sunday’s Grand Prix 18th on the grid, Alonso enjoyed a stellar race, crossing the line in fifth. It equalled his best result of the season, having finished in the same position in Silverstone and Spa. Read more