Landlord’s son arraigned for allegedly stabbing tenant with bottle (Sun)
A 30-year-old landlord’s son, Nurudeen Adegboyega, on Wednesday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly assaulting a tenant with a bottle.
The police charged Adegboyega, who resides in Aboru, Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos State, with assault.
The defendant committed the offence on Oct. 2 at 9:00 a.m., in his residence; the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Mojirade Edeme, told the court.
She said that the defendant assaulted one Mr Lukmon Tanimowo, by stabbing him with a bottle over an unpaid rent. Read more
Ojodu Accident: We are too professional to indulge in chasing vehicles – FRSC boss (Channels)
The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) in Lagos, Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide has denied involvement in the road accident which occurred on Tuesday at the Ojodu area of the state.
The FRSC boss during an interview on the Channels Television Breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily said road safety officials are professional in their conduct and will not chase after vehicles to apprehend erring drivers.
“Let me just speak from the Federal Road Safety Corps angle. FRSC does not have cause under any guide to pursue any vehicle. By virtue of technology that is available to us, the only thing I need is to get the number plate of the vehicle and I can get him any day anytime.
“So, we don’t even pursue saloon vehicles not to talk of articulated vehicles in a built-up arrear. Attributing such to FRSC is quite unfortunate. We are too professional to indulge in that,” Ogungbemide said. Read more
Kidnappings: Reps seek police, military intervention in Lagos, others (Punch)
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to deploy Special Forces in the Nigeria Police Force as well as the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy on a rescue mission to free the kidnap victims in Lagos and other parts of the country.
The House also urged the Federal Government to carry out training of Special Forces across the security agencies, “who will be mandated to patrol waterways, creeks and highways across the country.”
At the plenary on Wednesday, a member of the House, Mufutau Egberongbe, had moved a motion titled ‘Urgent Need to Curb Incessant Kidnappings in Lagos and Other States Across the Country.’
Egberongbe decried that almost on a daily basis, Nigerians are faced with news of abduction of persons in different parts of the country. He cited a report on September 29, 2021, which said there was a resurgence of kidnappings in Lagos State, as many people were reported to have been kidnapped within a few weeks, with the kidnappers demanding huge ransoms. Read more
Mob sets 2 PoS robbers ablaze in Akwa Ibom (Vanguard)
Nemesis on Wednesday caught up with two hoodlums said to be specializing in robbing Point of Sale (POS) operators and other soft targets in the Uyo metropolis as angry youths overpowered and set them ablaze.
The charred remains of the suspected thieves were still smoldering and sending thick smoke into the air when our Correspondent visited the scene of the incident.
It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 10:30 am, when two robbers on motorcycle tried to overpower a PoS attendant, while dispensing cash to customers at Ikot Oku Ikono, near the newly commissioned fly-over bridge, on the outskirt of Uyo, the state capital.
An eyewitness Nyenime Effiong, a tricycle operator told newsmen that the suspects ran out of luck, when the alarm raised by the PoS attendant attracted angry youths, who pounded on them and immediately set fire on them before the arrival of Police operatives. Read more
Kidnappings: Reps seek police, military intervention in Lagos, others (Punch)
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to deploy Special Forces in the Nigeria Police Force as well as the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy on a rescue mission to free the kidnap victims in Lagos and other parts of the country.
The House also urged the Federal Government to carry out training of Special Forces across the security agencies, “who will be mandated to patrol waterways, creeks and highways across the country.”
At the plenary on Wednesday, a member of the House, Mufutau Egberongbe, had moved a motion titled ‘Urgent Need to Curb Incessant Kidnappings in Lagos and Other States across the Country.’
Egberongbe decried that almost on a daily basis, Nigerians are faced with news of abduction of persons in different parts of the country. He cited a report on September 29, 2021, which said there was a resurgence of kidnappings in Lagos State, as many people were reported to have been kidnapped within a few weeks, with the kidnappers demanding huge ransoms. Read more
New report claims Nigeria is spying on its citizens’ data and communications (Guardian)
Nigerian states and the federal government have been using surveillance technologies to snoop on citizens’ data and communications on their devices, according to a report.
A report by the Action Group on Free Civic Space said the government is using the technologies to track down rights activists, journalists, opposition politicians, and other targeted citizens.
The report acknowledges Nigeria’s security challenges “that threaten to tear its sovereign fabric apart” – such that the Nigerian government is deploying technology and anti-technological means to curb terrorist activities.
Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) in June 2021 shutdown telecommunication networks in northern states – Zamfara, Katsina, Yobe, Kaduna where bandit and other terrorism activities have rendered millions of people homeless and over 20 thousand lives lost. Read more
Jigawa releases N498.467m to 219 retirees (Tribune)
The Jigawa State and Local Governments’ Contributory Pension Scheme has paid over N498,467,000 to about 219 retirees who have not received 60 months pension after their retirement, as well as the families of the deceased civil servants who died in an active service.
This was disclosed by the executive secretary to the board, Alhaji Kamilu Aliyu Musa said the exercise was carried out every end of the month with a view to servicing the society.
According to him, “out of the total amount, about N201,232,621.09 was paid to 55 state retirees and the sum of N46,025,490.85 to 30 Local Government Councils’ Pensioners, while the sum of N175, 055,738.72 was distributed to 78 beneficiaries from the Local Education Authorities across the state.”
He said the board paid over N14,448,249.44 as a death benefit to 6 beneficiaries at the state level, N24.246,726.00 to 19 Local Government Councils beneficiaries and N18,501,110.00 to 8 Local Education Authorities beneficiaries while N18,393,545.00 was paid to 19 beneficiaries as death pension balance. Read more
Court awards N2m fine against DSS over seizure of Sowore’s iPhones (Nation)
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to pay the Convener, #RevolutionNow, Omoyele Sowore, the sum of N2 million over the unlawful seizure of his mobile phone in 2019 at the point of his arrest.
Justice Anwuli Chikere, in a judgment, also ordered the DSS to release forthwith the iPhones and the sum of N10,000 which were alleged to have been forcefully taken away from him without a court warrant.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sowore, through his lawyer, Funmi Falana, in a fundamental rights enforcement suit, had alleged that the operatives of the DSS, on Aug. 3, 2019, at a hotel in Lagos, forcefully took away his iPhones and the sum of N10, 000 when he was arrested on allegations bordering on treasonable felony and terrorism.
The judge ordered the DSS, the 1st respondent in the case, to also tender an apology in two national dailies within two months. Read more
I make N.5m annually from onion farming, says Septuagenarian farmer (Sun)
Malam Ahmadu Audu, a 75-old-year onion grower in Gombe State, says he makes about N500,000 annually from onion farming.
Audu stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday at his farm in Dogon Ruwa community in Kaltungo Local Government Area of the state.
NAN reports that onion also known as bulb onion or common onion is a vegetable most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium.
Onion is used mainly as a food item and it can either be serve cooked or eaten raw. Read more
Olivia Colman stars in new drama Landscapers that her husband wrote for her (OK!)
She’s the Oscar winning actress who scored another hit on the small screen when she replaced Claire Foy as the Queen in The Crown. And now Olivia Colman has teamed up with Harry Potter star David Thewlis to take the lead roles in a real-life crime story, written by Olivia’s real-life husband Ed Sinclair.
The stars play mild-mannered couple Susan and Christopher Edwards, who are convicted of the murder of Susan’s parents 15 years previously.
The fascinating case hit the headlines at the time due to mind-boggling details like the fact that the couple spent much of the deceased’s cash on Hollywood memorabilia.
With a glittering career like hers – Olivia has more than 100 acting credits on her CV – work is not in short supply for the star. But she couldn’t resist the chance to work with her husband Ed, who wrote the Sky drama especially for her. Read more
Daveed Diggs finds New Eden in ‘Snowpiercer’ season three trailer (NME)
The trailer for season three of Snowpiercer has just been released.
The post-apocalyptic TV series will be returning on TNT next month, after making a move over from Netflix.
Daveed Diggs reprises his role as Layton in the show, and opens the trailer teasing the next steps after Melanie’s (Jennifer Connelly) sacrifice.
Snowpiercer was renewed for a fourth season this year by TNT, soon after production on season three had wrapped. Read more
Russian rocket blasts off carrying Japanese billionaire to ISS (Aljazeera)
A Russian rocket carrying a Japanese billionaire has lifted off for the International Space Station (ISS), marking the country’s return to space tourism after a decade-long pause that saw the rise of competition from US companies.
Online fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa and his production assistant Yozo Hirano blasted off on Wednesday from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 07:38 GMT, an AFP correspondent at the scene reported.
Their journey on board the three-person Soyuz spacecraft piloted by cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin will take just over six hours, capping a banner year that many have seen as a turning point for private space travel.
Billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson all made breakthrough commercial tourism flights this year, bursting into a market Russia is keen to defend. Read more
Boris says he’s ‘furious’ about video and insists Christmas party didn’t happen (Metro)
Boris Johnson said he is ‘furious’ after seeing a video of No 10 staff appearing to joke about a secret Christmas party last year, when London was under Tier three restrictions.
Downing Street has repeatedly insisted there was no bash and coronavirus rules had been followed at all times following reports one took place there on December 18.
But footage obtained by ITV News shows the Prime Minister’s then press secretary Allegra Stratton answering questions at a mock press conference on December 22 about a party the previous Friday – the date of the alleged rule-breaking gathering.
At PMQs, Mr Johnson said he has asked a Cabinet Secretary to investigate what happened. Read more
Russia launches strike bombers near Ukraine in war games ahead of crisis talks with US (Mirror)
Strike bombers made their debut in the skies near Russia ‘s western border today just hours before Joe Biden plans to hold crisis talks with Vladimir Putin about Ukraine.
Moscow announced that its Sukhoi Su-34 fighter bombers have made their first flights from a renovated military airport just 105 miles from the Ukrainian border.
“Crews of the Western Military District’s bomber regiment have started to perform the first planned flights at the reconstructed Baltimore airfield in Voronezh,” said a military statement.
“During the training flights, the bomber crews practiced takeoff and landing in various weather conditions.” Read more
Man arrested over Jamal Khashoggi killing being held in case of mistaken identity, says Saudi diplomatic source (Sky)
The man detained in Paris over suspected links to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi is thought to be a namesake of the wanted suspect, a Saudi diplomatic source has told Sky News.
France has 48 hours to verify the identity of the man arrested, with the Saudi Embassy calling it a case of mistaken identity.
Named by French law enforcement sources as Khaled Aedh Al-Otaibi, he was arrested as he was about to board a flight to the Saudi capital Riyadh because his passport triggered an alert.
He has the same name as a former member of the Saudi Royal Guard listed in US and British sanctions documents and a UN-commissioned report as having been involved in Khashoggi’s killing in Turkey. Read more
Poland says another migrant found dead near Belarus border (DW)
Polish authorities reported finding the body of a man and a Nigerian passport at a forest near the border with Belarus as groups of migrants remain stranded in poor conditions.
Polish soldiers found a body of a migrant in the border region with Belarus, a police spokesperson said Wednesday.
In recent weeks, authorities in Poland have reported multiple deaths near the border with Belarus amid a standoff between Minsk and Brussels over migrants.
Around a dozen people have been found dead along the border. Rights and aid groups warn the toll could be even higher. Read more
Philippines to ban travel from France starting December 13 (Independent)
The Philippines will ban travel from France starting Dec. 13 to stem the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, a government official said Wednesday.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the ban will take effect until Dec. 15 just like the 14 other countries earlier flagged by the government, before a possible extension to be approved.
“The entry in any port of the Philippines shall not be allowed for passengers coming from or who have been to France within the last 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines, regardless of vaccination status,” he said.
Only Filipinos returning “may be allowed entry, subject to existing testing and quarantine protocols for red list countries or territories or jurisdictions,” he said. Read more
Liverpool fans joke after Ibrahima Konate’s disbelief following Nat Phillips’ outrageous drag-back (DailyMail)
Liverpool fans were left amused after Ibrahima Konate’s funny reaction to Nat Phillips’ outrageous piece of skill during the 2-1 Champions League victory at AC Milan.
Picking up a loose ball and facing his own goal, Phillips looked to be in serious trouble as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Franck Kessie instantly pressed looking to rob him of possession.
But the back-up defender casually performed an effortless-looking drag-back to evade both Rossoneri stars and bring the ball away from the Liverpool penalty box – and French defender Konate reacted by flailing his arms in the air in disbelief.
The scene triggered amusement amongst Liverpool fans as the Reds secured their sixth Champions League win of the group-stage. Read more
Super Eagles star to make a surprise return to Turkey (Soccernet)
The January transfer window is around the corners, and one of Nigeria’s exciting attackers is back in the rumour mills
Greek media, as per Mynet, is claiming that Henry Onyekuru will leave Olympiacos in the January transfer season after failing to make much positive impact during his first six months at the club.
Onyekuru only moved to Olympiacos in August after the Greek champions secured his signing on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of four-and-a-half million euros. The Greek giants beat Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, and Besiktas to his signature in the summer.
But the 24-year-old forward has found it hard to settle down in Greece, and he is yet to produce his best form. Read more
Motor racing: Mercedes and Kingspan end sponsorship deal amid Grenfell backlash (Metro)
Insulation firm Kingspan and the Mercedes Formula One team have agreed to end a sponsorship deal, they said on Wednesday, amid a backlash about the Irish company’s link to Britain’s 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.
British Housing Minister Michael Gove and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire last week called for Lewis Hamilton’s team to reconsider a sponsorship deal due to Kingspan’s link to the 2017 London disaster.
The Grenfell fire killed 72 people, with combustible cladding used on the residential block identified as central to the rapid spread of flames.
Kingspan, whose branding features on the team’s cars, said that while its Kingspan Insulation UK business was a core participant in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, it had no role in the refurbishment. Read more
Former Liverpool defender takes charge of first division Norwegian women’s side Avaldsnes (Eurosport)
Former Liverpool defender John Arne Riise has become the head coach of Norwegian top-tier women’s side Avaldsnes IL.
Riise previously coached Flint before leaving the role last month after the men’s team were relegated from the third division in Norway.
The 41-year-old spent seven seasons at Liverpool from 2001 to 2008, and then played for Roma for three seasons before returning to the Premier League with Fulham.
Towards the end of his playing career Riise played for a number of sides, including Delhi Dynamos and Chennaiyin in India, while he played more than 100 times for Norway. Read more
Tottenham to ask Premier League to postpone Brighton game after Covid-19 outbreak (Metro)
Tottenham are set to ask the Premier League to postpone their fixture against Brighton this weekend due to their Covid-19 outbreak.
Seven players and at least two members of Spurs’ coaching staff have tested positive this week.
Antonio Conte’s side are due to play Rennes in the Europa Conference League on Thursday and that game is still expected to go ahead as UEFA rules state that clubs must fulfil their fixtures if they have 13 available players, including a goalkeeper.
But Spurs will make a request to the Premier League to postpone their match against Brighton on Sunday due to the outbreak. Read more
NBA: LeBron James stars as Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics (BBC)
LeBron James scored 30 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 117-102 win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA.
James, who turns 37 later this month, was ably assisted by Russell Westbrook, who contributed 24 points and 11 assists, and Anthony Davis, who racked up 17 points and 16 rebounds.
“Tonight was one of the best 48-minute games that we’ve had so far,” James told broadcaster TNT.
Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 34 points in defeat for the Celtics. Read more
Cricket Scotland welcomes review into racism within Scottish game (Independent)
Cricket Scotland has welcomed the move by sportscotland, the country’s national agency for sport, to carry out an independent review into racism within the Scottish game.
Scotland players Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh have described Cricket Scotland as “institutionally racist” and called for an investigation.
Haq, Scotland’s all-time leading wicket-taker, was sent home from the 2015 World Cup after sending a tweet implying he had been dropped for a match against Sri Lanka for race-related reasons.
In the wake of the racism crisis in English country cricket the England and Wales Cricket board published a 12-point, game-wide action plan to tackle racism and all forms of discrimination. Read more