Normalcy returns to Lekki area of Lagos (Vanguard)
Normalcy has returned to the Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos State, as commuters and residents now ply the road with little or no obstruction.
The New Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent reports that commuters were seen driving through the Admiralty and Ikoyi-Link Bridge Toll Gates to their various destinations.
NAN reports that protests over a now-disbanded police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), took over the area for about two weeks, with demonstrators using the social media hashtag #EndSars to rally crowds.
The protesters had blocked the toll gates, while protesting against police brutality and an end to such, calling on the government to accede to their demands. Read more
Lekki Shootings: Soldiers’ barracks have been identified, says Falana (Punch)
Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana (SAN), says the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 And Beyond, has commenced an investigation into last Tuesday shootings of protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State.
Falana, who is the Chairman of the group, said ASCAB has so far identified the barracks where the soldiers who opened fire on protesters were deployed from.
He made this known on Monday in an interview with Arise TV monitored by The PUNCH. Read more
Sanwo-Olu: Lagos needs N1tr to fix destroyed assets (Nation)
It will cost not less than N1 trillion to rebuild Lagos State following last week’s massive destruction of public assets, according to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The state was the epicenter of looting, arson and destruction between Wednesday and Friday last week.
It cuts across all areas of endeavor, including businesses, government and private. Even the judiciary was not spared as court rooms were razed.
House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, revealed the estimated cost during his visit to the governor at the Government House in Marina on Sunday. Read more
Lekki Toll Gate shooting: Lawmakers, others seek immediate prosecution of culprits (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari was on Monday urged to immediately commence prosecution of all soldiers found culpable in the deadly Lekki Toll Gate shooting.
Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, in a statement, described the shooting as a gross violation of the fundamental right of the #EndSARS protesters.
Describing the shooting as barbaric, Ubah said, “I am deeply saddened by reports of extrajudicial shootings and barbaric killing of peaceful protesters in Lekki-Lagos, Nigeria. I wish to categorically condemn in its entirety, these shootings by security operatives who are meant to protect the citizens.” Read more
Adegboruwa faults Fashola’s ‘discovery’ of camera at Lekki tollgate (Punch)
Human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), has faulted the supposed discovery of a video camera recorder by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), at the Lekki toll plaza on Sunday.
Adegboruwa said this in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Usurpation of powers of the panel of inquiry on SARS abuses’.
Fashola, had while conducting a tour of the toll plaza alongside governors and ministers from the South-West, supposedly discovered a camera at the toll plaza five days after the shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters by soldiers. Read more
Lekki: No stake in LCC, says Tinubu, calls for shutdown of toll gate (Vanguard)
National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, insisted yesterday that he had no stake in the Lekki Toll gate operated by Lagos Concession Company, LCC, proposing that the facility be shut indefinitely to traffic, if that would exonerate him of allegations that he ordered the shooting of #EndSARS protesters there last Tuesday.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, also said in the alternative, revenue from the toll gate should be donated to confirmed victims of the attack and other identified victims of police brutality, if the facility must be allowed to continue to be operate. Read more
NBC fines Channels TV, Arise, AIT over #EndSARS coverage (Punch)
The National Broadcasting Commission has fined Channels Television, Arise Television and Africa Independent Television for what it termed “unprofessional coverage” of the #EndSARS protests.
The acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, announced this at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
The NBC had last week warned all television and radio stations against reporting the #EndSARS protests in a manner that could embarrass the government or private individuals or cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society. Read more
Police absence on Abuja streets worry residents (Nation)
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja have complained about the near absence of police presence on the streets, especially at night, leading to increasing activities of criminal elements.
The situation has become a source of worry, especially for those who close late from work or have other endeavours that keep them out late.
The city, as most other parts of the country, has experienced upheavals in the wake of the #ENDSARS protests, that has led to deaths and destruction of property. Read more
FCT minister vows arrest, asks looters to return items (Vanguard)
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has asked those who looted warehouses in the territory to return their loot, directing security agencies in the territory to go after them and ensure their arrest and prosecution.
Warehouses including those privately owned had come under raid in various parts of Abuja since Saturday. On Monday, another warehouse in Gwagwalada where COVID-19 palliatives were stored was looted, with the looters saying it would take them about two days to empty the expansive storage facility. Read more
Climate change: ‘Dangerous and dirty’ used cars sold to Africa (BBC)
Millions of highly polluting used cars from rich countries are being “dumped” on developing nations, according to a UN report.
Between 2015 and 2018, some 14 million older, poor quality vehicles were exported from Europe, Japan and the US.
Four out of five were sold to poorer countries, with more than half going to Africa.
Experts say that up to 80% failed to meet minimum safety and environmental standards in exporting countries. Read more
Natural History Museum to show off JK Rowling’s ‘fantastic beasts’ (Metro)
An exhibition on the creatures dreamt up by JK Rowling will open in December after being postponed because of the pandemic.
The Natural History Museum exhibition takes inspiration from the Harry Potter author’s ‘fantastic beasts’.
It will explore how legends and stories have been inspired by the natural world.
Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder Of Nature was meant to open its doors in May, but will now welcome visitors from December 9. Read more
Harvey Weinstein gives up hope of getting out of prison on bail (NYPost)
Harvey Weinstein has given up any hope of getting out of prison on bail, his lawyers say, but still thinks he’ll win an appeal, which the ex-movie mogul wants to be “the Sistine Chapel of appeals.”
Weinstein’s legal reps began building his appeal in February, after the disgraced honcho was convicted on rape charges. But the appeal was delayed by the pandemic.
Now Weinstein’s attorney, Arthur Aidala of Aidala Bertuna & Kamins, tells Page Six he expects the appeal to be filed by the end of this year. Read more
Hugh Grant thinks “Notting Hill” sequel would involve a divorce and ‘psychological scarring’ (Metro)
Hugh Grant may be the king of the rom-com, but he’s here to stamp all over our happy ending fantasies. We all like to think that our favourite rom-com couples lived happily ever after – that Sleepless In Seattle’s Sam and Annie spent their lives together after meeting at the Empire State Building, and that Edward really was Vivian’s Prince Charming in Pretty Woman.
But Hugh, 60, has decreed that those happy endings are all a ‘terrible lie’. The actor has said he would like to do a sequel to Notting Hill to show that his character William and Julia Roberts’ character Anna’s marriage would hit the skids, had the cameras kept rolling. Read more
Jubilation as Chile votes to rewrite constitution (BBC)
There have been jubilant scenes in Chile after an overwhelming majority voted in support of rewriting Chile’s constitution, which dates to the military rule of Gen Augusto Pinochet.
With almost all the ballots counted, 78% had voted “yes” in a referendum that was called after mass protests against inequality.
President Sebastián Piñera praised the peaceful vote.
He said it was “the beginning of a path that we must all walk together”. Read more
Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet put on hold (NYPost)
Were all those guitar lessons for nothing?
A Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet as the iconic folk-rocker has been put on ice, according to the project’s cinematographer.
Page Six previously reported that Chalamet has been seen around town with a Gibson guitar case headed to lessons for the film, which was to be directed by James Mangold. Read more
Syria war: ‘Russian air strikes kill dozens’ in Idlib (BBC)
Russian air strikes in northern Syria have killed more than 50 Turkish-backed militia fighters in the mainly rebel-held province of Idlib, reports say.
Many others were wounded in the attack, which marks an escalation of violence in the region.
A training base for an Islamist group called Faylaq al-Sham was hit.
The assault puts at risk a ceasefire in Idlib, brokered and monitored by Russia and Turkey, which back opposite sides in the war. Read more
Olympic boxer Natasha Jonas offers free food and lessons (BBC)
Olympic boxer Natasha Jonas is offering free boxing lessons with food packages to families from the area she grew up in “who might be struggling”.
The Liverpool star said she had “seen cafes giving people lunch or breakfast, and I thought ‘how can I help?'”
The 36-year-old said she also wanted to “give back” to those who “stood together” to get a decision to close gyms to combat Covid-19 overturned.
“[We] can’t change the world, but we can change our little bit,” she added. Read more
Ajax legend Danny Blind confused by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s use of Donny Van de Beek (Metro)
Danny Blind, father of former Manchester United man Daley, cannot understand Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reluctance to play Donny Van de Beek since his arrival from Ajax over the summer. Van de Beek was United’s most significant purchase of the transfer window, arriving for £40m from the Dutch side, but he has not been given much of a chance in the first team yet. He came off the bench to score on his debut in a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace but is still waiting for his first Premier League start, making just four substitute appearances. Read more
5 arrested over South African football captain murder (Punch)
South African police on Monday arrested five suspects over the 2014 murder of national football captain Senzo Meyiwa, a major breakthrough in a case that stunned the crime-ridden nation.
The 27-year-old goalkeeper and national squad captain were gunned down at the home of his pop-star girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, southeast of Johannesburg during the evening of October 26, 2014. Read more
Paul Pogba plans to sue over ‘fake’ reports of international retirement (BBC)
Manchester United and France midfielder Paul Pogba says he will take legal action after “total fake” reports said he was to quit international football.
Pogba, 27, was reported to be quitting the France national team over comments made by the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, about Islam.
World Cup winner Pogba, who is Muslim, has 10 goals and 72 caps for France. Read more
Isco complains about Zinedine Zidane during Real Madrid’s win over Barcelona (Metro)
Isco has been caught complaining about Zinedine Zidane during Real Madrid’s win over Barcelona on Saturday. The midfielder was left on the bench as Madrid sealed a 3-1 victory over their La Liga rivals at Camp Nou. Isco has started just two matches this season and it appears the 28-year-old is less than happy with the amount of playing time he has received under Zidane. As he took his place on the bench at Camp Nou on Saturday, a conversation between Isco, Luka Modric and Marcelo was caught by Spanish television station Movistar. Read more
Man City ‘ready to win Champions League’, says Villas-Boas (Guardian)
Marseille coach Andre Villas-Boas said on Monday Manchester City are “a machine ready to win the Champions League”, on the eve of the two teams’ group-stage meeting.
City have never reached the Champions League final and are yet to even reach the semi-finals in four attempts under Pep Guardiola.
“(City) are a machine ready to win the Champions League,” said Villas-Boas. “They may not be at their best level, their coach admitted that. Read more
Milan duo test positive for Covid-19 three days after facing Celtic (BBC)
Two AC Milan players – Gianluigi Donnarumma and Jens Petter Hauge – who played against Celtic on Thursday have tested positive for Covid-19.
Goalkeeper Donnarumma played the full 90 minutes at Celtic Park while substitute winger Hauge secured the 3-1 Europa League win with a late goal.
The Italian club say three other members of their staff have also gone into isolation after positive tests. Read more