Lagos man arraigned for allegedly abducting 2 children (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command on Monday arraigned a 50-year-old man, Babatunde Rasak, before a Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in the Badagry area of the state, for allegedly attempting to abduct two children in the state.
The defendant is facing two counts bordering on abduction and breach of public peace.
During the proceedings, the prosecution counsel, ASP Clement Okuiomose, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on August 18, 2022, at the Comforter area, Oko-Afo, Badagry.
Okuiomose said the defendant allegedly attempted to abduct the complainant, Ramota Bello’s two children by sneaking into her residence with no justifiable reason. Read more
EFCC quizzes 2 over alleged NIS fraud in Lagos (Sun)
Two members of staff of Newworks Solutions and Investment Limited are telling operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) what they know about alleged fraud running into billions of naira.
The EFCC’s move followed intelligence received by the Commission alleging that the Ministry of Interior awarded a contract to Newworks Solutions and Investment Limited to provide operational support to the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS), to host its website and platforms for passport application as well as collect fees from applicants on behalf of the Federal Government.
The allegations of conspiracy, diversion of public funds and extortion and passport racketeering involved the Chairman, Newworks Solutions and Investment Limited, Ahmadu Mahmood, alongside two other companies, New Era Delivery Services Limited and Innovate 1 Limited. Read more
Lagos Assembly passes forensic centre bill (Punch)
The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday passed a bill to establish the Lagos State Deoxyribo-Nucleic Acid and Forensic Centre to support criminal investigations, law enforcement, the preservation of evidence for the judicial system and other connected purposes.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Eromosele Ebhomele, disclosed this in a statement, adding that the bill was passed by the House after it scaled the third reading at plenary with all lawmakers in attendance giving their approval.
The report on the bill had been adopted at an earlier sitting presided over by the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.
The statement read in part, “Part of the objectives of the centre includes providing for the use and regulation of DNA-based technology in Lagos State, in order to carry out profiling or analysis. The centre will also carry out other forensic disciplines including, toxicology, drug chemistry, fingerprint examination, firearms examination, among others. Read more
Certificate Forgery: I sued Lagos Assembly, not Tinubu, says Keyamo (Channels)
Spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for the 2023 elections, Festus Keyamo, has said that he didn’t sue then-Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, over alleged certificate forgery.
“I never sued Tinubu. No. I sued the House of Assembly seeking an interpretation of the law,” Keyamo said in a statement sent to Channels Television on Tuesday.
The Minister of State, Labour and Employment was reacting to a statement by the Spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, Daniel Bwala, who insisted that Keyamo sued Tinubu during his first-term as Lagos governor.
Bwala, who spoke on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, cited a law report, Keyamo V. House Of Assembly, Lagos State (2002)18 NWLR (Pt. 799)605. Read more
National Theatre’s regeneration will boost environment, provide jobs – Govt (Tribune)
The regeneration of the National Theatre, Iganmu and surrounding communities will boost the environment and provide jobs to the locals, in addition to contributing to the THEMES Agenda of the Sanwo-Olu Administration, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in Lagos State, Dr Idris Salako, has said.
Salako stated this while seeking the understanding of the Ojora of Lagos, Oba Fatai Aremu Aromire, on the project.
The commissioner, who led a team of Federal Government consultants and the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) to the royal father at the weekend, said that the regeneration of the edifice, which is at the instance of the Federal Government, also provided the opportunity for the Lagos State Government to consider the upgrading of adjoining communities like Otto and Otumara so as to bring them to a complementary level.
Salako noted that the regeneration project, involving some correlative facilities that support the entertainment industry, would boost the environment and provide jobs to the locals.Read more
APM Terminals Apapa sets new safety record, logs 400 days no lost time injury (ThisDay)
Nigeria’s largest container terminal, APM Terminals Apapa has said that it has set a new safety record at the port, as it recorded 400 days no Lost Time Injury (LTI).
No Lost Time Injury (LTI), which is a key indicator of the effectiveness of an organisation’s safety program, means no injury was sustained on the job by an employee or contractor that resulted in the person being away from work due to his or her injury.
This was made known at an event to mark the company’s 2022 Global Safety Day in Lagos, with the theme, “We Learn And We Adapt.”
Regional Managing Director, Africa and Europe at APM Terminals, Igor Van Den Essen, who was on a visit to Nigeria, commended the Apapa team for the major safety milestone, charged them to sustain and improve on the record. Read more
Pensioners occupy Niger Government House over unpaid pensions (Nation)
No fewer than 10,000 pensioners across the 25 local government areas of Niger State have occupied the Government House over unpaid pensions and gratuities.
The pensioners had moved from the union’s secretariat to the Government House with placards with inscriptions such as “non-payment of pension is not acceptable,” “Pensioners’ lives matter,” “no gratuity, no pension, no vote in 2023,” and “we shall occupy until Lolo pay,” among others.
They carried out the protest in the heavy rain and remained even after the rain had stopped.
The pensioners, led by Ibrahim Mahmud, told the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane that they had lost several pensioners due to their inability to get funds to treat themselves when they fall sick. Read more
I’m bigger than Headies, BNXN — Portable (Vanguard)
Nigerian singer, Portable has, in a viral video, lamented his loss of the award for Street Artiste, saying he is bigger than the organisers of the Headies and the Next Rated award winner, BNXN
The Headies award which was held on September 4th, 2022, in the United States of America saw Buju BNXM winning the Next Rated Award.
Portable, who was recently banned by The Headies over his inappropriate conduct after threatening to kill co-nominees for the street artiste award category of the Headie, was seen in an Instagram video saying he is bigger than the organisers of the award and berating the artiste who won the category he was nominated for.
Similarly, Portable in a video was heard saying he was the leader of the notorious gang “one million boys” known for stealing during the pandemic. Read more
Bandits free Abuja family members after collecting N4m, wine (DailyTrust)
Five family members who were abducted at Bukpe community of Wako Ward in Kwali Area Council of the FCT have been set free after their abductors collected N4 million, wine and foodstuff.
City & Crime reports that the bandits, on August 22, 2022, invaded Bukpe and whisked away the five family members whose names were given as Ibrahim Dakwoi Bukpe, Monica Ibrahim, John Dakwoi Bukpe, Yabuku Dakwoi Bukpe and Margaret Yakubu.
A family relation of the victims, John Dakwoi, was killed by the bandits after a gun was said to have been recovered from his house.
The Village Head of Bukpe, Alhaji Hussaini Shamdozhi, confirmed the release of the victims through telephone. Read more
Cardi B and Offset throw stunning car-themed party for son’s 1st birthday (Mirror)
Cardi B and husband Offset certainly didn’t do their son’s first birthday by half as they threw the youngster a lavish car-themed birthday.
The mum-of-two treated her youngest child Wave Set to the extravagant celebration and shared the fun with her Instagram followers. She uploaded a series of videos to her Stories showing the efforts the pair had gone to to make the tot’s day a special one.
The clips began with the famous rappers throwing up hand signs and gushing about their son’s birthday milestone. Wave is then filmed riding around on a small motorised truck before venturing down a fancy red carpet which was flagged by a range of expensive-looking sports cars on either side.
The jam-packed party saw revellers watch as the tot made his impressive entrance through huge green and blue balloon arches. When the car nearly came to a standstill, Wave’s big sis Kulture, four, was on hand to push him along to keep him going on his way. Read more
Biig Piig shares new single ‘Kerosene’ and announces London and Dublin gigs (NME)
Biig Piig has shared her latest single ‘Kerosene’ and announced details of a series of live shows in London and Dublin.
The song follows on from the Irish artist’s June single ‘Fun’, which was subsequently remixed by Yuné Pinku.
Biig Piig has shared ‘Kerosene’ today (September 6), which was written alongside her ‘Feels Right’ collaborators Zach Nahome and Maverick Sabre.
“‘Kerosene’ is the first track off a wider project I’m working on,” the artist, real name Jess Smyth, explained in a statement. “It’s about wanting someone to rip my clothes off, and the tension of that relationship… my own hot girl summer anthem, tbh.” Read more
Eminem and Drake lead tributes after rapper Pat Stay, 36, was stabbed to death (DailyMail)
Members of the music world have been paying their respects to 36-year-old Canadian rapper Pat Stay who was stabbed to death in the early hours of Sunday morning in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Eminem led tributes to the hip-hop star and father-of-two on Twitter, calling Stay ‘one of the best battlers of all time’.
He wrote: ‘Hiphop lost one of the best battlers of all time … RIP.. KINGS NEVER DIE.’
Fellow Canadian artist Drake also paid tribute to Pat Stay on Instagram, writing: ‘RIP to the Sucka Free Boss, one of my fav rappers ever.’ Read more
Gender identity gets starring role at Venice Film Festival (France24)
Transgender issues have taken centre stage at the Venice Film Festival this year, with Italian director Emanuele Crialese even using the platform to reveal he was born a woman as he presented his new film starring Penelope Cruz.
The revelation by Crialese came at a press conference for his new film, “L’Immensita”, which is inspired by his difficult adolescence.
“I am never going to be like any other man… I was born biologically a woman,” Crialese said.
He added that, despite his transition, there was still a “huge part of my character that is female”. Read more
Richard Dreyfuss recalls initially saying ‘no’ to “Jaws” as movie returns to theatres (UPI)
Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss tweeted this weekend about his initial response to Steven Spielberg’s offer to cast him in his 1975 shark blockbuster, Jaws.
“When they asked me to do Jaws I said no,” Dreyfuss, 74, posted on Saturday.
“I said I wanted to watch it but not have to shoot it. Eventually I came to my senses. It only took a few weeks into production to realize that Steven was a genius and he was going to change the world. RIP Rob & Roy.”
The thriller followed characters played by Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider as they hunted down the Great White shark terrorizing a Massachusetts beach community dependent on tourism just before the Fourth of July. Read more
Julia Roberts says George Clooney and his family saved her from ‘Loneliness and Despair’ while Filming ‘Ticket To Paradise’ (Deadline)
Julia Roberts and George Clooney are reuniting in the upcoming film Ticket to Paradise which was filmed in Australia. The longtime friends were stuck in a pandemic bubble and Roberts is now opening up about how the Clooney family “saved” her during filming.
In a New York Times interview, Roberts and Clooney opened up about working together again after starring in films like Ocean’s Eleven and Money Monster. During the filming of Ticket to Paradise Roberts was housed in a home by herself while Clooney, his wife Amal and their kids stayed in a rental close by.
“We started on Hamilton Island, with all these wild birds, and Julia had the house down just below Amal and me and the kids,” Clooney explained. “I would come out in the early mornings and be like, ‘Caa-caa,’ and Julia would come out and be like, ‘Caa-caa.’ And then we’d bring her down for a cup of coffee. She was Aunt Juju to my kids.” Read more
Powerful typhoon lashes South Korea, sends thousands fleeing for shelter (Global)
The most powerful typhoon to hit South Korea in years battered its southern region Tuesday, dumping almost a meter (3 feet) of rain, destroying roads and felling power lines, leaving 20,000 homes without electricity as thousands of people fled to safer ground.
Typhoon Hinnamnor grazed the resort island of Jeju and made landfall near the mainland port of Busan in the morning and was moving northeast toward the sea with winds of up to 144 kilometers (89 miles) per hour. It is on track to move closer to eastern China later in the week, after ferry services in eastern China and flights in Japan were suspended in previous days.
South Korean officials put the nation on alert about potential damages from flooding, landslides and tidal waves unleashed by Hinnamnor, which came just weeks after heavy rains in the region around the capital Seoul caused flooding that killed at least 14 people. Read more
Super Eagles face Desert Warriors in Int’l friendly (Vanguard)
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will be facing the Desert Warriors of Algeria in an international friendly on September 27 at the New Stadium, Oran, Algeria.
Both nations failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with Nigeria losing out to bitter rivals, Ghana, and Algeria beaten to the ticket by Cameroon.
Algeria were initially billed to face the Black Stars of Ghana for the international friendly, but Ghana pulled out of the tie compelling the Algerian football authorities to get another opponent.
Algeria defeated Nigeria 2-1 in the semi-final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations via a 95th minute free-kick from Man City winger, Riyadh Mahrez. Read more
Antonio Conte name-drops Carlo Ancelotti as he outlines his Tottenham ambitions (Mirror)
Antonio Conte has revealed his burning ambition to end his wretched record in Europe.
Tottenham boss Conte is one of the most successful managers in European football when it comes to domestic trophies as he has led Juventus, Inter Milan and Chelsea to Serie A and Premier League titles.
But, incredibly, Conte has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the Champions League and has gone out at the Group stage in three of his five campaigns in the competition. The closest Conte has come to European success was in the Europa League but Inter lost the 2020 final to Sevilla.
Conte has steered Tottenham back into Europe’s elite competition and begins his latest campaign against Marseille with a burning ambition to add more silverware to his glittering CV. Read more
Celtic must ‘dream big’ for Real test, says Ange Postecoglou (IrishIndependent)
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou challenged his players to stamp their identity on their meeting with the Champions League holders as he encouraged the supporters to “dream big”.
Postecoglou is set to unleash his intensive attacking style on Real Madrid at Celtic Park tonight and see how far it can take his team.
Postecoglou always encourages his full-backs to attack, has two attacking central midfielders in front of the creative Callum McGregor and two wingers supporting his centre-forward. And he is not about to change for the visit of Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
“There’s no point playing football a certain way but when you get an opportunity to measure it against the very best, you shy away from it and kind of go ‘you know what, let’s just try and limit any sort of damage’,” he said. Read more
Maccabi Haifa tunes up for Champions League duel at Benfica (JerusalemPost)
Maccabi Haifa will begin its UEFA Champions League group stage campaign on Tuesday night in Lisbon when it visits Benfica in the opener of arguably the best annual club competition in the world.
This will be the third time that the Greens will be featuring in the Champions League and the first since the 2009/10 season.
During that campaign, which was managed by head coach Elisha Levy, Haifa did not score a goal or earn a point in the six-game group stage. This time around there is no question that Barak Bachar will be aiming to ensure that not only his team scores but also earns several points while picking a few wins along the way.
However, that won’t be an easy task. As well as Benfica, Haifa will play against Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain and Italian powerhouse Juventus. Read more
US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick told his attitude was ‘a disgrace’ by his caddie (DailyMail)
Just two months before lifting the first major of his career, Matt Fitzpatrick received a rocket from his caddie, the esteemed Billy Foster.
Fitzpatrick, 28 and widely considered one of the more amiable figures on tour, edged Scottie Scheffler and Will Zaloratis by a shot at The Country Club in Massachussetes in June to win the US Open.
But in April, he received a phone call from Foster which served as a wake-up call while he was at dinner with his parents after the RBC Heritage, where he had missed the cut just a week after coming a respectable 14th at The Masters.
It was Fitzpatrick himself who lifted the lid on the discussion with Foster, telling Golf Digest of the phone call: ‘He wanted to have a word. I had no idea what was coming. Read more
Fury after ‘toxic’ TV graphic aimed at Daniel Ricciardo (F1News)
Outgoing McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo has been ridiculed by the sport’s TV graphic designers, after a pre-race graphic regarding the Australian had the wording “struggling again, McLaren”.
Viewers who noticed the caption have since called out the sport’s official TV coverage and have labelled the aforementioned Ricciardo caption as “disgusting” and “toxic”.
Ricciardo had another horrific weekend at Zandvoort, after finishing in P17, whilst team-mate Lando Norris finished seventh.
The label given to Ricciardo was a real ‘low blow’, given that all the other drivers had much more neutral captions awarded to them. Read more
US Open 2022: Frances Tiafoe surprised by LeBron James after upset win (ESPN)
Just over an hour after Frances Tiafoe upset 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, on Monday in front of an adoring near-capacity crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to his first US Open quarterfinals, his night somehow got even better.
While checking his phone after getting back to the locker room, he spotted a tweet from LeBron James about what he had just done.
Alongside a video of the match’s final moments posted by the tournament’s account, James wrote, “CONGRATS Young King!!! You earned it!” Tiafoe couldn’t believe it.
“Man, I was losing it in the locker room,” Tiafoe told reporters later while laughing. “Bro, I was going crazy.” Read more