Lagos seals 21 illegal pharmacies, patent medicine stores (Nation)
About 21 Pharmacies, Patent Medicine shops, and unlicensed premises were shut by the Lagos State Taskforce on Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods for offences bordering on the illegal operation and operating beyond scope of practice.
Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement.
The sealing of the affected pharmacies and patent medicine stores was in accordance with the provisions of Section C34 of the Counterfeit, Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Processed Foods Miscellaneous Provision Act of 1999.
The locations of the affected pharmacies include Alakuko, Ajegunle, Ologogoro, Ijaiye, Abule-Egba, Agbado and Agege in Alimosho, Ifako-Ijaiye and Agege Local Government areas of Lagos. Read more
Family kicks as drivers crush Lagos neighbourhood watch officer to death (Punch)
The family of an officer of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Chika Nsude, is demanding justice after a truck crushed him to death around the Powerline area of Iyana-Ejigbo, in the Ejigbo Local Council Development Area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Chika was riding a bicycle to his beat at the Excel College in Ejigbo when a yet-to-be-identified commercial driver drove against the direction of traffic and rammed him into the truck.
The truck driver, who was also on motion, was said to be unaware that his vehicle was dragging Chika, but eyewitnesses signalled to him to stop the vehicle. Read more
18-year-old allegedly drugs, rapes 15-year-old female friend in Lagos hotel (DailyTrust)
Detectives from the Ejigbo police station, Lagos, have arrested an 18-year-old man, Pelumioluwatobi Ola, for allegedly luring his teenage girlfriend (names withheld) to a hotel where he was said to have drugged and raped her.
The police said Ola lured the girl out on the pretence he wanted her to accompany him on an errand for his father.
The suspect was said to have taken the girl to the undisclosed hotel with words that he was only waiting there for his father’s friend from whom he wanted to collect some money.
He then allegedly added sleeping pills to a bottle of drink he ordered for her and raped her. Read more
FEC approves $1.96bn rail contract from Kano to Niger Republic (Vanguard)
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Wednesday approved about $1.96 billion for the award of contract for the development of the proposed Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Jibia to Maradi rail line in Niger Republic.
The Council also approved the sum of N745.2 million for the procurement of additional eight Field Forensic Auditors for the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and another N12.088 billion for Umuahia/Bende/Ohafia road with a distance of 45 kilometers.
The approval was disclosed by the Ministers of Transportation, Rotimi Amechi, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC virtual meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja. Read more
Outrage as ex-minister allegedly orders hotel female workers stripped naked (Punch)
There was outrage on Tuesday over the alleged dehumanisation of four employees of the Signatious Hotel, Warri, Delta State, by the management.
The Chairman of the hotel and former Minister of State for Education, Mr Kenneth Gbagi, was alleged to have ordered that workers – three women and a man – be stripped naked.
Their nudes were filmed and the snapshots sent online.
Activists and social media users condemned the act and urged the state Commissioner of Police, Hafiz Inuwa, to investigate the incident and arrest all those complicit. Read more
Ondo poll: Don’t allow crisis to escalate among parties, INEC charges staff (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has charged its staff members to resolve all conflicts that may arise in the field during the Oct. 10, Ondo State governorship election before it escalates to crisis.
Mrs Feyi Saseyi, Acting Director, INEC headquarters, Abuja, made the appeal during a capacity building programme for heads of department, units and electoral officers held on Wednesday in Akure.
Saseyi explained that the peacebuilding programme was organised by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Directorate, INEC headquarters Abuja, in collaboration with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES). Read more
Court faults Buhari on appointment of 11 FCT judges (Thisday)
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday faulted President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of 11 judges into the bench of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Justice Ekwo, who faulted the president’s action in a judgment on a suit seeking the stoppage of the appointments, said Buhari violated Section 256(2) of the Constitution when he forwarded the recommended names, sent to him by the National Judicial Council (NJC) to the Senate.
Meanwhile, the judges were sworn in on September 14, 2020 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Muhammad. Read more
23 killed as fuel tanker explodes in Lokoja (Punch)
No fewer than 23 persons including five students of the Kogi State Polytechnic and three children on their way to school have been killed in a road crash involving a petrol tanker in Felele along the Lokoja-Abuja Highway.
The tanker, loaded with Premium Motor Spirit and belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was said to have had brakes failure around 8 am. The tanker fell on five cars, two motorcycles, and three tricycles popularly known as Keke, killing all occupants.
Among those killed and burnt beyond recognition were five students of the state-owned polytechnic, three nursery school pupils, and passersby.
Also killed was a businessman identified simply as Samson, his wife, and three children. Read more
To avert mass action over electricity tariff, fuel price hike, FG to meet with Labour Thursday (Thisday)
In a bid to stave off the looming mass action being planned by the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), the federal government has fixed another meeting with members of the organized labour movement for Thursday.
The two labour unions had threatened to commence nationwide industrial action and protest along with their civil society allies from Monday, September 28 to compel government to reverse the recent hike in pump price of fuel and electricity tariff.
A statement signed by the Deputy Director (Press) in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr. Charles Akpan, said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige “will be hosting a meeting with the organised labour on Thursday, 24th September at the Banquet hall, Presidential Vila by 3 pm”. Read more
Coronavirus: Health chief hails Africa’s fight against Covid-19 (BBC)
The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has praised African states for managing to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Africa has seen about 1.4 million cases, and 34,000 deaths since March.
These figures are far lower than those in Europe, Asia or the Americas, with reported cases continuing to decline.
Early interventions played a crucial role in curbing the virus’ spread, Africa CDC head John Nkengasong told the BBC’s Newsday programme.
Africa CDC is the health agency of the 55-member African Union (AU).
The continent of more than one billion people accounts for just under 5% of cases globally and 3.6% of deaths. Read more
World may be running out of gold with mine production in decline (RT)
While uncertainty created by the global pandemic has sparked a surge in gold buying, analysts are raising concerns over how much of the precious metal is left to mine.
According to the World Gold Council, gold mine production totaled 3,531 tonnes in 2019, which is one percent lower than in the previous year. That is the first annual decline in production since 2008.
Statistics showed that around 190,000 tonnes of gold has been mined in total. Estimates do vary but based on those rough figures, there is about 20 percent still left to be mined. Some experts say we have mined the most we ever can in any one year, others believe we may have already reached that point. Read more
Belarus president inaugurated despite election protests (VOA)
President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus assumed his sixth term of office Wednesday during an inauguration ceremony that officials did not announce in advance after weeks of mass protests against the authoritarian leader’s reelection, which opposition activists maintain was rigged.
State news agency Belta reported that the swearing-in ceremony took place in the capital of Minsk with several hundred top government officials, lawmakers, representatives of media organizations and other prominent figures present.
Lukashenko, 66, took an oath in Belarusian with his right hand on the country’s Constitution, and the head of the country’s central election commission handed him .the official ID card of the president of Belarus.
“The day of assuming the post of the president is the day of our victory, convincing and fateful,” Lukashenko said at the ceremony. “We were not just electing the president of the country — we were defending our values, our peaceful life, sovereignty and independence.” Read more
ISS forced to carry out emergency maneuver to dodge remnant of Japanese rocket – NASA (RT)
Astronauts on board the International Space Station were forced to take evasive action to avoid an incoming piece of debris, which shot past within “several kilometers” late on Tuesday night.
The three crew members, Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner along with American astronaut Chris Cassidy, began the maneuver before taking up positions on board the Soyuz spacecraft at around 10:21pm GMT in case anything went wrong and they needed to abandon ship.
Manning the lifeboats is precarious at the best of times, but far from ideal in the void of space, 260 miles (420km) above Earth while traveling at 17,130 miles per hour (27,568kph).
Thankfully, all went to plan and potential disaster was averted, as confirmed by NASA chief Jim Bridenstine, who took the opportunity to complain about the growing threat posed by space junk and debris. Read more
Poisoned Russian opposition leader discharged from Berlin hospital (VOA)
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was discharged Wednesday from a Berlin hospital — raising the prospect of his eventual return to Russia little more than a month after falling ill from a poisoning attack that has strained already difficult Russia-West relations.
“The patient’s condition had improved sufficiently for him to be discharged from acute inpatient care,” said a statement from the Charité Hospital in Berlin, where Navalny has spent the past 32 days — much of them in an artificially induced coma and under heavy police protection.
“Based on the patient’s progress and current condition, the treating physicians believe that complete recovery is possible. However, it remains too early to gauge the potential long-term effects of his severe poisoning,” the statement said. Read more
Google Pixel 5 specs outed by leak days before launch event (Metro)
Google itself revealed the Pixel 5 was happening back when it announced the Pixel 4a at the start of August.
But now we know a lot more about the upcoming phone thanks to an exhaustive leak that has occurred in the run up to the official launch on September 30.
German tech site WinFuture has apparently got access to the entire Pixel 5 specifications and wasted no time in telling the entire internet.
For starters, the Pixel 5 will boast a 6-inch OLED screen with a 2340×1080 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. Read more
Gwyneth Paltrow says she saved ‘every red carpet look’ for daughter Apple (PageSix)
Apple Martin will have her pick of the best from mum Gwyneth Paltrow’s closet someday.
The Goop founder, 47, told People that she’s been saving all of her most-loved red carpet outfits for her daughter for decades.
“I have saved everything for her since 15 years before I had her. I save everything. Not everything, but every red carpet look I have saved for her,” Paltrow revealed. Read more
Tom Cruise space movie confirmed to film in 2021 after NASA teased ‘ambitious’ trip (Metro)
Tom Cruise’s space movie isn’t just a pipe dream as a confirmed date has revealed exactly when the actor and crew will be jetting to outer space. The Mission: Impossible star will be making his way to the International Space Station with the help of Nasa and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Now, Space Shuttle Almanac announced the ‘tourist mission’ is set to take place in October 2021. ‘So its confirmed that @CommanderMLA is flying the @Axiom_Space @SpaceX #CrewDragon tourist mission with Director @DougLiman & Tom Cruise. One seat still to be filled. They are to launch in October, 2021,’ they tweeted. Read more
Atanda eyes Super Eagles’ call-up (Nation)
Hapoel Kfar Saba of Israel star, Sodiq Atanda, has urged Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr to give him a chance to represent Nigeria at senior level.
The 27-year-old defender is a regular with Hapoel Kfar Saba team and one of the most consistent performers in the Israeli top league.
“I have been working hard to earn Super Eagles call this new season,” said Atanda. “My priority is to transform my performance to the national team. I want the coach to visit my team and see what I am doing.”
“I think Rohr has challenged Nigeria players to be in top form, and in fairness, the coach has been consistent in the criteria of good form for national team selections. Read more
FIFA delays Akpoguma Super Eagles switch (Vanguard)
World soccer governing body FIFA is now being awaited to give the final approval for former Germany youth international Kevin Akpoguma to be eligible to play for Nigeria.
Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr disclosed that he would have loved to have the Hoffenheim towering defender to make his debut for Nigeria during the friendlies against Cote d’ Ivoire and Tunisia but that wouldn’t be possible.
The center-back was born to a German mother and a Nigerian father and has represented Germany U16, U17, U18, U19, U20, and U20 teams, featuring in more than 60 games.
“We are very happy about the decision of Kevin Akpoguma to switch from Germany to Nigeria. Because he played for Germany at youth levels, the process is not finished yet because Fifa must give the authorization,” Rohr told BBC sport. Read more
Simona Halep in confident mood ahead of French Open challenge (RT)
Riding a 14-match winning streak, Romania’s Simona Halep is flying high heading into the French Open at Roland Garros, and the heavily favored starlet says she’s feeling strong ahead of the clay court Grand Slam.
Halep opted to sit out the US Open due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as she instead decided to remain in Europe and focus on her preparation for the French Open.
That decision seems to have paid off, with Halep adding to her list of titles with clay-court championship wins in Prague and Rome to give her real momentum heading into Roland Garros. Read more
Luis Suarez leaves Barcelona’s training ground in tears ahead of Atletico Madrid transfer (Metro)
Luis Suarez left Barcelona’s training ground in tears after saying goodbye to his teammates ahead of his transfer to Atletico Madrid.
The 33-year-old is on the verge of joining Diego Simeone’s side in a €4 million (£3.6m) deal after an agreement between the two clubs was reached on Tuesday evening.
Barcelona’s chairman, Josep Maria Bartomeu, had initially blocked Suarez’s move to Atletico as he did not want the striker to join a La Liga rival. Read more
Nelson Semedo: Wolves sign defender from Barcelona in deal that could be worth £37m (BBC)
Wolves have signed Portuguese right-back Nelson Semedo from Barcelona in a deal that could be worth £37m.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo had been seeking a replacement for Matt Doherty, who moved to Premier League rivals Tottenham last month.
“It isn’t often that we have the opportunity to sign a world-class player from a world-class club,” said Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi. Read more
Timo Werner reveals doubts about Chelsea move after Bayern Munich thumping (Metro)
Timo Werner admits Bayern Munich’s crushing victory over Chelsea in the Champions League ‘hadn’t exactly spoken in favour’ of a move to Stamford Bridge but believes the club have since gone some way to addressing the problems made evident in the one-sided last-16 tie.
A quickfire double from Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski’s 76th-minute strike put Bayern in total control of the clash and Chelsea’s hopes appeared to have been extinguished before the second leg had even kicked off.
The break in football caused by the coronavirus pandemic meant Werner joined the Blues before their trip to the Allianz Arena but the German could play no part in Munich as Bayern extended their advantage and secured a place in the quarter-finals. Read more
NBA stars could miss Tokyo Olympics, says chief Adam Silver (BBC)
The NBA’s best players could miss the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics if the 2020-21 season begins in January.
A December start was suggested for the delayed campaign, but NBA commissioner Adam Silver believes it might now be the new year.
A January start could mean the play-offs finish in August or September with the Olympics set for a 23 July start.
Silver said it was possible “the top 15 NBA players aren’t competing in the Olympics, but others are”. Read more