Lagos taskforce arrest 16 miscreants over alleged violence (Independent)
Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) has arrested 16 miscreants believed to have masterminded violence and robbing of commuters in Iyana Cele and Iyana Isolo.
The agency in a statement signed by its Head of Public Affairs Unit, Femi Moliki, said the miscreants who capitalized on the peaceful “no work protest” embarked upon by drivers of commercial buses on Oshodi – Mile 12 Expressway to unleash mayhem on commuters, were caught molesting passersby and destroying public facilities.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Shola Jejeloye, who was in the area to maintain law and order as well as listen to some of the aggrieved protesters called for calm that Government would address their grievances.
He added that no official of Lagos State Taskforce operates between Toyota and Mile 2, adding that the agency is presently rejigging its operation in order to prevent reported incidences of illegal Taskforce operatives in the metropolis. Read more
Lagos motorists lament alleged imposition of drivers’ certification cards (Guardian)
A company driver, Kehinde Oluwadare, was driving a Toyota Prado from Maryland to Oshodi when he was stopped as he tried to join the Gbagada Expressway en-route Oshodi, after Anthony Village Bus Stop by the Lagos Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO).
He was going to Ajao Estate, Isolo to pick his boss at a hotel along Airport Road.
Convinced that all his vehicle documents and particulars, including the driver’s licence, were intact, he slowly brought the jeep to a halt and exchanged pleasantries with the officers.
One of the officers demanded his vehicle particulars, which he gladly gave to him. After a perusal of the documents, the officer requested his drivers’ institute verification card. Read more
BBNaija 2021: Stop playing with my emotions, speak up, Cross tells Saskay (Vanguard)
BBNaija ‘Shine Ya Eye’ housemate, Cross has urged Saskay to open up about her feelings for him and stop playing on his emotions.
The 30 year old mixologist disclosed this during his Diary Session on Tuesday while speaking about his uncertainties after being put up by the Head of House, Liquorose for possible eviction on Sunday.
He said; “After the Sunday eviction, I felt like Saskay was playing with my emotions. I mean, Big Brother cannot be playing with my emotions and Saskay is also playing with my emotions.
“My mum used to say a woman’s mind is very deep. If Liquorose had picked me to be her deputy Head of House, I would have picked Jmk.” Read more
Boy gets 12 strokes of cane for enjoying crime proceeds (Punch)
An Upper Area Court in Zuba, Abuja, ordered that a 16-year-old boy be given 12 strokes of the cane for collecting N500 proceeds of crime.
Delivering judgment, Mr. Gambo Garba gave the order after the minor had pleaded guilty and had asked the court for leniency.
Garba said that the punishment would have been stiff if the minor had not saved the court the rigour of protracted prosecution.
He warned him to desist from committing crimes or collecting proceeds of crimes henceforth. Read more
96-year-old former soldier arrested for drug trafficking (Guardian)
A 96-year-old retired soldier, Pa Joseph Owherhi has been arrested in Suleja area of Niger State by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for dealing in illicit drugs.
The Nonagenarian was arrested in his house at Rafin Sanyi area of Suleja on Saturday, August 21, 2021 with three kilograms of skunk based on credible intelligence. In his statement, he confessed he has been living on the illicit trade since he retired from the military in 1982. He also claimed he has eight wives and 50 children.
In the same vein, four trans-border drug traffickers have been arrested in Adamawa state while attempting to cross the land border on motorcycle in Kolere village, Mubi North LGA to Cameroon on Sunday, August 22, with packs of Tramadol concealed inside noodles cartons.
The suspects include Ibrahim Aliyu; Umar Mohammed; Aliyu Adamu; and Usman Adamu. Narcotic officers had during a raid the previous day arrested a drug dealer, Chimezie Okorie at Layin ‘Yan Gwanjo, Mubi market where assorted drugs such as 23kg of Tramadol and 32kg of Diazepam injection were recovered from him. Read more
NDA attack: Security operatives go after gunmen (Punch)
Security operatives are trailing gunmen, who attacked the Nigerian Defence Academy.
The Punch had reported that the gunmen gained entrance into the academy’s residential area in Afaka, Kaduna, in the early hours of Tuesday.
Two officers were killed and one abducted in the early morning attack.
The Nigerian Defence Academy confirmed the attack in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Maj. Bashir Jajira. Read more
Zulum: I’ve survived over 50 Boko Haram attacks (DailyTrust)
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State on Tuesday said the Boko Haram sect has attacked him more than 50 times.
The governor said this in an interactive session with State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said over 100,000 Borno indigenes have been killed in the 12-year-old insurgency in the North East.
The governor, who also disclosed that 2,600 insurgents had surrendered, added that the figure included children, wives, and other family members of the former fighters.
He said among those that surrendered were innocent people who were forcefully conscripted to join the Boko Haram sect, while some are teenagers.
Zulum said the Borno State Government was not contemplating to give the repentant terrorists any dime for relinquishing the sect.Read more
Secondus attacks Wike as Rivers court suspends PDP chair (Punch)
The crisis of confidence between some members of the Peoples Democratic Party and the National Chairman, Uche Secondus, took a turn for the worse on Monday.
This followed the decision of a Rivers State High Court to grant an interim injunction restraining Secondus, from parading himself as chairman and member of the PDP.
Justice O. Gbasam of the Degema Judicial Division vacation court, sitting in Port Harcourt, granted the order.
This was sequel to the consideration of an ex parte application in suit No: PHC/2183/CS/2021 filed by Ibeabuchi Ernest Alex, Dennis Nna Amadi, Emmanuel Stephen and Umezirike Onucha against Uche Secondus (1st defendant) and the PDP (2nd defendant). Read more
Zambia new president sworn in on pledge to repair economy, rights (Guardian)
Zambia’s newly elected president Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday promised to rebuild the ailing economy and alleviate poverty as he was sworn in following an election hailed as a milestone for African opposition movements.
“We will grow our economy so we can lift more people out of poverty than ever before,” 59-year-old Hichilema told thousands of jubilant supporters — sporting the red and yellow colours of his United Party for National Development — in the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.
Hichilema also vowed to restore respect for human rights and liberties eroded under his predecessor.
In his sixth bid for the presidency, Hichilema defeated the incumbent Edgar Lungu, 64, by almost one million votes — a landslide spurred by economic hardship and restricted freedoms under the previous regime. Read more
Sofia Vergara issues heartfelt plea as she reflects on shock cancer diagnosis when she was 28 (Woman&Home)
Sofia Vergara has opened up about her experience after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was just 28 years old, sharing a heartfelt plea with Stand Up to Cancer viewers.
The Modern Family star, who is best known for her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the hit sitcom, has had a busy year so far, as it was announced she will be launching her own beauty brand. Now, alongside her acting and brand commitments, Sofia has also joined forces with fellow Hollywood greats in honor of an incredibly poignant television event as she took part in a Stand Up To Cancer Telethon on August 21. The telethon was executive produced by fellow actor Reese Witherspoon, who has recently become Hollywood’s highest earning female actor.
Coming together with the other hosts in honor of this important cause, Sofia candidly spoke out about her own experience with cancer, revealing deeply personal details of how she came to receive this life-altering diagnosis. As reported by The Independent, the now-49-year-old star shared, “At 28 years old during a doctor’s visit, my doctor felt a lump in my neck. Read more
Convicted ex-Chadian leader Hissène Habré dies at 79 (BBC)
Chad’s ex-ruler Hissène Habré has died at the age of 79 while serving a life sentence for crimes against humanity.
He was being treated for a coronavirus infection, reports say.
Habré was found guilty in 2016 of crimes committed while he was president from 1982 to 1990.
The conviction was the result of a landmark trial in Senegal. It was the first time an African Union-backed court had tried a former ruler for human rights abuses. Read more
R. Kelly trial: Woman says singer pressured her to have abortion (BBC)
A second accuser took the stand at R. Kelly’s sex-trafficking trial on Monday, testifying that the star abused her, knowingly infected her with herpes and ordered her to have an abortion.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe No 5, said her five-year relationship with Mr Kelly began in 2014, when she was 17.
She alleged that the singer sought to control every detail of her life and would punish her if she did not comply.
Mr Kelly, 54, has denied the allegations against him. Read more
Paul McCartney to reveal unseen Beatles lyrics in new book (Guardian)
Paul McCartney will include the previously unseen lyrics to an unrecorded Beatles song in his forthcoming book The Lyrics.
On Monday, the former Beatle revealed the 154 songs to feature in the book, which will be based on conversations McCartney had with the poet Paul Muldoon. Described as a “self-portrait in 154 songs”, The Lyrics will feature songs from throughout McCartney’s career, including Blackbird, Live and Let Die, Hey Jude, Band on the Run and Yesterday.
Publisher Allen Lane said the book would also feature the lyrics to the unrecorded song Tell Me Who He Is. The handwritten and never-before-seen lyrics were found in one of McCartney’s notebooks – believed to date back to the early 1960s – while preparing the book.
The book will be released on 2 November and will also include “many further treasures” from McCartney’s archives, said Allen Lane, from handwritten lyric sheets, to previously unseen personal photographs, drafts and drawings. Each song – from All My Loving to Yellow Submarine – will come with commentary from McCartney about its creation. Read more
German poison probe after drinks spiked at university in Darmstadt (BBC)
German police have begun an attempted murder investigation after six people were taken to hospital in a case of suspected poisoning at Darmstadt Technical University.
They had all had food or drink from a small kitchen on the university’s Lichtwiese campus.
A “harmful substance” was added to milk cartons or water, police believe.
Investigators have not revealed what type of poison was found but say they know what it is. Read more
Tokyo 2020 Paralympic games begin (Punch)
Japan’s emperor declared the Tokyo Paralympics open in a nearly empty stadium on Tuesday, with athletes ready to defy stereotypes and shatter records despite a year-long pandemic delay.
Emperor Naruhito made the announcement surrounded by banks of vacant multicoloured seats at Tokyo’s 68,000-capacity Olympic Stadium, with virus rules banning spectators from almost all Games events.
“I declare open the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games,” he said, wearing a white surgical mask.
The pared-down ceremony took place in front of around 800 VIPs and officials, but there was a celebratory mood as 162 teams enjoyed their long-awaited moment in the global spotlight. Read more
Christian Eriksen: Uefa honour Kjaer and medical team with President’s Award for saving Denmark midfielder’s life (BBC)
Denmark captain Simon Kjaer and the medical team that saved Christian Eriksen’s life are the recipients of this year’s Uefa President’s Award.
Eriksen, 29, suffered cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 defeat by Finland in Copenhagen on 12 June.
Kjaer has been recognised for showing “exceptional leadership qualities” in his response to the situation.
Thanking the medical team, Inter Milan player Eriksen said: “You did a fantastic job and saved my life.” Read more
Napoli to appeal Osimhen’s two-game ban (Punch)
Napoli said on Tuesday they will appeal Victor Osimhen’s two-match suspension after the Nigeria forward was sent off in the weekend’s win over Venezia.
Osimhen was shown a red card after 22 minutes on Saturday for slapping opposing midfielder Daan Heymans in their opening game of the Serie A season.
The Napoli striker was sanctioned by the Sports Judge “for having voluntarily slapped the face of an opponent with the ball not within playing distance”. Read more
Andy Robertson: Scotland defender signs new Liverpool contract until 2026 (BBC)
Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson has signed a new deal with the club which runs until the summer of 2026.
The 27-year-old Scotland captain joined the Reds from Hull in July 2017 for an initial fee of £8m and has made 177 appearances for the Anfield club.
Robertson follows Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Alisson and Virgil van Dijk in extending his contract with Liverpool this summer.
“I want to stay at this club for as long as possible,” said Robertson. Read more
Mikel Arteta sends defiant message to Arsenal fans ahead of West Brom and Man City games (Metro)
Mikel Arteta has sent a defiant message to Arsenal fans ahead of this weeks games against West Brom and Manchester City.
The Arsenal boss is already under pressure to keep his job following back-to-back defeats to newly-promoted Brentford and Chelsea to kick off their Premier League campaign.
Arteta’s car was surrounded by angry Arsenal fans as he left the Emirates after the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, in a game where the Gunners were booed off at both half time and full time.
But the Spaniard has praised the fans and told them to stick with the project the club is trying to build. Read more
Bale scores first La Liga goal since 2019 as Real draw with 10-man Levante in six-goal thriller (OmanNews)
Real Madrid and Levante played out a six-goal thriller that saw Gareth Bale’s first La Liga goal since 2019 and an outfield player end up in goal.
Bale scored from Karim Benzema’s pass but Roger Marti levelled 28 seconds after the restart.
Jose Campana volleyed Levante ahead but Vinicius Jr levelled.
Rober Pier put Levante back into the lead but Vinicius made it 3-3 with a clever finish before Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez was sent off.
He ran 20 yards outside his box and handled to stop Rodrygo going past him, with defender Ruben Vezo having to goal for the final few minutes.
Fortunately for Levante, Real never forced him into a save.When Bale scored the opener for Real with a clever first-time finish, it looked as if that would be the story of the game. Read more.