Outrage as Nigerian lady wrongfully jailed in Ivory Coast dies (Punch)
Nigerians have taken to social media to express deep anger over the death of a wrongfully jailed Nigerian lady, Itunu Babalola.
According to reports, 21-year-old Babalola from Oyo State was a trader based in Bondoukou, Cote d’Ivoire. Her apartment had been burgled by an Ivorian in September 2019 and she had reported the incident to the police but DPO informed her that the suspect was his nephew. He reportedly offered her a settlement worth roughly N100,000 to drop the case, an amount lesser than the N300,000 worth of stolen effects.
Babalola was subsequently arrested when she refused the settlement, charged to court for human trafficking and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
A journalist, David Hundeyin, had shared the story of Babalola on Twitter in March 2021 and the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission had said it was working to prove the innocence of Babalola. Read more
Court adjourns money laundering trial of ex-Lagos Speaker Ikuforiji (Nation)
A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday adjourned the trial of a former Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, for N338.8 million money laundering.
Ikuforiji was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his former Personal Assistant, Oyebode Atoyebi, on a 54-count charge.
They had pleaded not guilty before Justice Mohammed Liman, and were allowed to continue on bail granted them in 2012 when they were first arraigned.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trial of the defendants, earlier scheduled to continue on Monday, was stalled as the trial judge was said to be indisposed. Read more
Alleged importer of fake Tramadol gets N10m bail (Vanguard)
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, on Monday, granted a N10 million bail to a 43-year-old businessman, Afamefuna Udensi, charged with alleged importation of fake Tramadol.
The defendant is being prosecuted by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
The defendant, who was arraigned on Nov. 10 before Justice Daniel Osiagor on a three-count charge of importation and sale of fake and unregistered drugs, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
After the plea of the defendant, the Defence Counsel, Mr Emeka Okpoko (SAN), had informed the court that his client was granted an administrative bail by NAFDAC, and urged to appear for his arraignment. Read more
EU opens IDP camp in Lagos (Punch)
The European Union has opened a transit camp for migrants and Internally Displaced Persons in Lagos to aid rehabilitation and reintegration.
The project, which was located on the premises of the Lagos State Relief and Resettlement Camp in Igando, was implemented by the International Organisation for Migration and would be managed by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the launching of the camp, said the IOM would provide the services needed at the camp and upgrade the facilities.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, said efforts are ongoing to establish a third relief camp in Ibeju-Lekki as part of measures to make the reintegration of migrants and IDPs in the state easier. Read more
Sanwo-Olu presents Y2022 budget estimates to Lagos Assembly, Wednesday (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, is to present Year 2022 Appropriation Bill before members of the State House of Assembly on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at Alausa, Ikeja.
Sanwo-Olu, is scheduled to present the budget estimates before the lawmakers for consideration and approval in line with provisions of the constitution
The event is expected to kick off by 11.am, at the state Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja, with members of the state executive council in attendance.
Though, the details of the year 2022 was still sketchy as of press time, a source confided in Vanguard that the 2022 budget estimates is higher than that of the outgoing year, 2021 of N1.163 trillion. Read more
Anambra declares Tuesday work-free for Zik (Independent)
The Anambra State Government has declared Tuesday, November 16, 2021, work-free in honour of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president who was born on November 16, 1904.
Tuesday’s marked the third consecutive year Anambra State is observing the birthday anniversary for Zikbecause of his extraordinary Pan-African vision and commitment.
Part of a statement signed by the Commissioner of Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba stated: “It was the Great Zik of Africa who inspired such outstanding Pan-African leaders as Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana who led his country to freedom from colonial rule on March 6, 1957”, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State declared in a statement signed on his behalf by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba.
“Zik, who was born in Zungeru in Niger State and grew up in Calabar and Lagos, studied various disciplines in the United States and remains the most urbane, cosmopolitan and intellectually engaging of all Nigerian leaders. Read more
BUA CEO: It’s cheaper to transport a container from China to Lagos than Lagos to Kano (DailyTrust)
Abdul-Samad Rabiu, Chairman and CEO of BUA Group, has said it is cheaper to transport a container from China to Lagos than from Lagos to Kano.
He said this in Paris while commenting on the enormous opportunities in the Nigerian transportation system, particularly the rail sector.
Rabiu said investment in transformation, especially the railways system, will unveil enormous opportunities for the country and investors.
Rabiu commended the Buhari administration’s investment in rail infrastructure across the country. Read more
7 killed, 3 injured in Lagos/Ibadan Expressway accident (Channels)
Seven persons have been confirmed dead in a late-night accident along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The accident, which involved two vehicles with no registration numbers, left three others injured on Sunday in the Ogere axis of the highway.
The Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), confirmed the incident on Monday.
The spokesperson for the command, Florence Okpe, said the suspected cause of the crash was a route violation. Read more
Nigeria won’t have peace until Igbo become president ― Northern communities (Vanguard)
Northern Communities residents in the South-East geopolitical zone have declared that peace would remain elusive to Nigeria until an Igbo man or woman is allowed to become President.
The Northern communities under the aegis of AREWA communities in Igbo land who addressed a press conference in Umuahia, Abia State, said that Igbo should be allowed to succeed President Muhamnadu Buhari in 2023 in the spirit of equity and justice and fairness.
According to them, it is now time for power to shift to South East as that will help to engender peace and national cohesion.
“The unity of this country should be paramount in our hearts. This, we can achieve by allowing an Igbo man to emerge as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023″, they said.Read more
Gumi establishes school for herdsmen to curb banditry (Vanguard)
Renowned Muslim preacher, Sheikh (Dr.) Ahmad Gumi has established a school for herdsmen inside a Kaduna forest,insisting that the provision of infrastructures to herdsmen in their remote locations could help in curbing their violent ideologies.
The Sheikh denied saying there will be no Nigeria if bandits are declared terrorists, adding that he was quoted out of context.
He said insecurity in Nigeria ,particularly banditry can become a thing of the past, as bandits are ready to drop their arms if education opportunities and other basic amenities are provided for them at the grassroots.
He named the school Sheikh Uthman Bin Fodio Centre, located at Kagarko Grazing Reserve near Kohoto Village in Kaduna state. Read more
1773 killed by herdsmen in Benue in three years – Benue leaders allege (Sun)
Leaders of sociocultural organizations and local government chairmen in Benue have claimed that 1,773 people have been killed in the state by armed herdsmen between January 2018 and now.
The leaders who spoke to newsmen at a press conference in Makurdi, the state capital on Monday noted that the number only reflects those whose corpses were traced and accounted for.
The group, in a statement read by the Ukum council boss, Steve Ayua, lamented that the killers no longer come with cows but with AK47.
“It is on record that open grazing has led to the invasion of farming communities by Fulani herdsmen leading to massive killings and maiming of people including children, raping of women, destruction of property, loss of livelihoods and displacement of persons.” Read more
Ryan Reynolds celebrates Netflix blockbuster scoring ‘biggest ever opening’ day (Metro)
Ryan Reynolds revealed that the action movie Red Notice broke Netflix’s record as the most viewed on the day of its release.
The latest blockbuster, which also stars Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot, was released on the streaming platform on November 12.
With a stellar cast such as this, can’t say we’re surprised.
The comedy follows an Interpol agent who attempts to hunt down and capture the world’s most wanted art thief. Read more
COVID-19: 15 people arrested after protests in Dutch city of Leeuwarden over newly imposed lockdown (Sky)
Hundreds of people gathered in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden on Saturday night, where videos showed them setting off fireworks and holding flares billowing smoke.
The Northern Netherlands Police Unit said a number of people refused to leave after they called on everyone to return home.
Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that riot police later moved in to push the protesters off the city’s central square.
Police said on Twitter that officers are continuing to monitor Leeuwarden, which is around 85 miles north of Amsterdam. Read more
4 Kenya police convicted of manslaughter of British aristocrat (Metro)
Kenya’s High Court on Monday found four policemen guilty of the manslaughter of Alexander Monson, the son of a British aristocrat who was found dead in a police cell in the beach town of Diani in 2012.
Judge Eric Ogola issued the verdicts in the coastal city of Mombasa at the end of a high-profile case that has shone a spotlight on police brutality in the east African country.
Sentences are set to be announced later in the day.
Monson, 28, was found dead after being arrested for what police said was smoking cannabis during a night out in Diani, near Mombasa on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast. Read more
Biden and Kamala’s relationship is in crisis as their poll ratings crash just one year in (DailyMail)
Joe Biden’s relationship with Kamala Harris is in crisis, with her staff furious that she is being ‘sidelined,’ while the president’s team are increasingly frustrated by how she is playing with American public.
Harris’ approval rating has plunged even further than Biden’s in recent months, with rumors swirling that the president is considering appointing her to the Supreme Court as a backdoor method of selecting a new VP.
She and her top aides are meanwhile frustrated with Biden for handing her ‘no-win’ issues like the border crisis, White House insiders told CNN.
They cited how the president defended ‘white man’ Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, more vigorously than her. Read more
Liverpool hospital blast declared terrorist attack as taxi driver escapes alive (Examiner)
A suspected terrorist blew himself up with a homemade bomb in a taxi outside a Liverpool hospital on Remembrance Sunday while the driver, who managed to escape alive, has been branded a hero.
Police have declared the blast from a car outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital shortly before 11am on Sunday a terrorist attack but said the motive was unclear.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host an emergency Cobra meeting on Monday afternoon in response to the incident.
Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson, from Counter-Terrorism Policing North West, said the man who died in the blast brought a homemade bomb with him into a taxi and asked to be taken to the hospital. Read more
US-China summit: Biden set to tell Xi to ‘play by the rules’ (Independent)
US President Joe Biden is expected to tell his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping that China must “play by the rules of the road” like a responsible nation during a summit on Monday that is meant to stave off any future conflict between the two superpowers.
A senior US official told reporters that the long-awaited virtual summit, expected to last for several hours, will set the terms for future US-China competition.
Biden is focused on writing those rules “in a way that is favourable to our interests and our values and those of our allies and partners”, the official said, adding that talks with China must be “substantive and not symbolic”. But he also ruled out any tangible outcomes to arise from the meeting.
The meeting will be the third between the two leaders since Biden took office in January. Read more
Australian women sue over Qatar airport strip-searches (BBC)
A group of Australian women who were strip-searched and examined at Doha airport are suing authorities in Qatar.
The women were ordered off a flight and checked for whether they had given birth after a baby was found in a bin at Hamad Airport in October 2020.
They described their experience as state-sanctioned assault and the incident sparked widespread outrage.
Qatar later apologised and one airport official was handed a suspended jail sentence. Read more
Lewis Hamilton fined €5,000 for celebrations after epic Sao Paulo Grand Prix win (Metro)
Lewis Hamilton’s incredible Sao Paulo Grand Prix weekend ended with an epic win and a €5,000 (£4,265) fine.
The seven-time world champion endured plenty of highs and lows in Brazil that began when he had to start from the back in Saturday’s sprint after being excluded from qualifying.
Having finished fifth in the sprint he was then handed a five-place grid penalty as a result of the use of a new engine.
The Mercedes driver delivered when it mattered though as he raced from 10th to pole on Sunday, overtaking rival Max Verstappen late on to close the gap on his Red Bull rival in the overall standings. Read more
Tennis star Peng Shuai disappears following sexual assault accusations (NYPost)
The head of the WTA Tour said that sexual-assault allegations made by a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion from China who has reportedly gone missing “must be investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship.”
In a lengthy social media post that disappeared quickly, former No. 1-ranked doubles player Peng Shuai wrote that Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier and member of the party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, had forced her to have sex three years ago.
Her post, which was removed from her Chinese Wiebo account, also said they had sex once seven years ago and that she had feelings for him after that.
“Peng Shuai, and all women, deserve to be heard, not censored. Her accusation about the conduct of a former Chinese leader involving a sexual assault must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in a statement released Sunday. Read more
Wales wait on injury assessments for 4 players (Sky)
Wales look set to end the Autumn Nations Series with more injuries as head coach Wayne Pivac waits on assessments to four players ahead of Saturday’s autumn finale against Australia in Cardiff.
Wing Josh Adams, who was due to line up at outside centre against Fiji on Sunday, was withdrawn just before kick-off due to a calf muscle issue.
Prop Tomas Francis had already pulled out after suffering concussion during training, while his fellow front-row forward WillGriff John and lock Will Rowlands suffered head knocks in Wales’ 38-23 victory over Fiji.
Wales went into the autumn series with star names such as Leigh Halfpenny, George North, Josh Navidi and Justin Tipuric all absent as they continued long-term injury recoveries. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo’s thoughts on playing for Portugal may explain World Cup fury (Mirror)
Cristiano Ronaldo looked dejected as Portugal ‘s chances of World Cup qualification suffered a blow during a 2-1 home defeat by Serbia.
The Portugal skipper watched on helplessly as Aleksandar Mitrovic headed home a last-gasp winner that will force Ronaldo and co to secure their place at Qatar 2022 via the play-offs.
As is often the case with Ronaldo, the Manchester United icon struggled to hide his emotions at full-time, slumping to the floor in frustration as his opponents celebrated emphatically around him.
Tears quickly turned to anger for Portugal’s skipper, as he made his feelings clear to under-fire boss Fernando Santos come the full-time whistle. Read more
‘I’m in a lot of pain’: Van Gaal has bike crash before vital Netherlands qualifier (Guardian)
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal suffered a hip injury when he fell off his bicycle on Sunday but will be able to coach his team in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Norway in Rotterdam.
Van Gaal, who was cycling near the team hotel when he fell and was taken to hospital for tests, used a golf cart to conduct Monday’s training session before the Group G decider, where the Dutch need a draw to seal a place at next year’s finals in Qatar.
The 70-year-old was unable to attend Monday’s pre-match press conference in person but made an appearance via video link, sitting in a wheelchair. “Physically I’m not good, but the brain is still working,” Van Gaal told reporters. “I’m in a lot of pain, that’s why I was in a buggy during training. I can still do everything and have done all the preparation that I normally would have.” Read more
Okowa hails Southwest Athletics Association on developmental meet (Leadership)
Athletics Federation of Nigeria President Tonobock Okowa has hailed the Southwest Athletics Association over its successful organisation of the first South West Developmental Athletics Meet in Lagos on Friday.
Okowa who was a special guest at the event held at the Sports Ground of Yaba College of Technology says the zonal association has given a proper definition to grassroot sports development.
“I am delighted with the spirit behind the athletics meet. This is what the states and the zones should be doing because they own the schools and it is always better to catch them young so that they can be properly trained to become elite athletes that will grow to represent not only the states in the Southwest zone at major national event but can grow to become another Enoch Adegoke who made history as the first Nigerian man in 25 years to qualify and run in the finals of the 100m,” Okowa said.
He added: “This he achieved at the Tokyo Olympics to follow in the footsteps of the duo Davidson Ezinwa and Olapade Adeniken who made it to the blue riband event final in Atlanta, Georgia in the USA in 1996.” Read more
Roger Federer set to miss Australian Open but wants to continue playing (BBC)
Roger Federer is unlikely to play in next year’s Australian Open as he recovers from injury.
However, his coach Ivan Ljubicic says the 20-time Grand Slam champion is still determined to return to tournament action at some point.
Swiss Federer, 40, has not played since losing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in July and having more knee surgery.
“I think the Australian Open is not a real possibility right now,” Ljubicic told Stats Perform. Read more