Panel rejects LCC’s request to ‘take back’ Lekki tollgate (Punch)
The Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing the alleged shootings of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers on October 20, 2020 at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos has declined the request by the operators of the tollgate, Lekki Concession Company, to “take back possession” of the tollgate.
The Chairman of the panel, retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, in a short ruling on Tuesday, said the tollgate plaza would remain closed.
The judge said the panel might have a need to pay another visit to the tollgate plaza after watching the video footage from a surveillance camera submitted by the LCC on Tuesday.
Counsel for LCC, Rotimi Seriki, had urged the panel to allow the firm “take possession” of the tollgate plaza to evaluate the level of damage for the purpose insurance claims. Read more
Lekki Tollgate: Surveillance camera stopped recording at 8 pm – LCC MD (Vanguard)
The Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company Mr Abayomi Omomuwasi, who was subpoena by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) related Abuses and other Matters, narrated to the panel how their surveillance camera stopped recording at 8 pm, on October 20, 2020, due to network issues.
He said, ” We never ever tempered with the surveillance camera until about 8 pm, when it was tampered with and stopped recording, the network was interfered with which stopped the recording”.
”The cameras that were removed at the Lekki toll gate were plate numbers recognition cameras, they identify the vehicle, and vehicle type,” Omomuwasi said. Read more
COVID-19: Lagos may re-impose lockdown, other measures – Health commissioner (Punch)
The Lagos State Government may impose a new lockdown and return other measures if there is a recurrence of high cases of coronavirus in the state.
This was contained in a press statement by the Director, Public Affairs of the Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, on Tuesday.
The statement was titled, ‘Lagos calls for precautions against second wave of COVID-19’.
The statement quoted the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, as saying that many countries around the world have found it necessary to impose a second lockdown and restriction of movements, which have significant socio-economic and security consequences. Read more
Court remands 3 men over alleged rioting, robbery, arson in Lagos (Guardian)
An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, on Tuesday, remanded three men, who allegedly participated in rioting and set ablaze Lekki Toll Gate and Ajah Police Station, in Kirikiri Custodial Centre.
The Magistrates, Mr P. E Nwaka, who did not take the defendants’ plea, said they should be in the Custodial Centre pending the release of Director of Public Prosecution’s advice.
Nwaka then adjourned the case until Dec. 3 for mention. Read more
Police shoot dead cobbler, apprentice in Lagos (Punch)
The families of a cobbler, Kabiru Azeez, and an apprentice in a tailoring shop, Femi Orojo, have been thrown into mourning after policemen attached to the Pedro Police Station shot them dead.
PUNCH Metro learnt that 30-year-old Kabiru was shot in front of his shop on Bolaji Omupo Street, while 20-year-old Orojo was killed on the same street while returning from where he went to buy food.
The two victims were killed on Thursday, October 22, 2020, in the wake of the violence that trailed the #EndSARS protests.
Our correspondent gathered from witnesses that around 11am, some hoodlums from the Onipanu area mobilised in a vehicle and attempted to attack Pedro Police Station. Read more
Police begin mental evaluation for defunct SARS operatives (Guardian)
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, yesterday said his command has flagged off the debriefing and medical evaluation exercise for the operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other tactical units in the Lagos State Command.
The flag-off took place at the Area F Command Hall, GRA Ikeja, on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar Adamu. The police boss informed them of the commitment of the IGP to change the psyche of the operatives and prepare them for better police duties, which are entirely different from their previous duties.
He admonished the operatives to believe and key into the ongoing reform agenda of the IGP in the Nigeria Police Force, as such is sine-qua-none to having people-oriented policing in the country. Read more
Senate quizzes Lai Mohammed over N19m travel expenses (Nation)
Members of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, on Tuesday, asked the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to explain how the ministry expended N19million on international travel during the COVID-19 lockdown.
This was even as the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Danladi Sankara (Jigawa North-West), called on the Federal Government to increase the annual budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Information and Culture in view of its numerous critical schedules.
Senator representing Imo East, Ezennwa Onyewuchi, had during the budget Defence by Lai Mohammed that N19million was expended from the N43million meant for international travels whereas the period coincided with the COVID-19 lockdown. Read more
Why numerous road projects were abandoned – FG tells Senate (Vanguard)
The federal government on Tuesday told the Senate why there are numerous abandoned road projects across the country, saying that the processes in which appropriation is made both at the executive as well as the legislative arms of governments form part of the reasons.
Disclosing this in Abuja when she appeared before the Senator Clifford Ordia, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Edo Central led Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed said that abandonment of projects across the country will be averted if it was possible for the Federal Government to take just take one or two projects at a time and complete it before going to the next one.
The Minister said, “The current Sukuk fund is N162 billion is for 45 roads cutting across the six geopolitical zones. Read more
Chrissy Teigen attends campaign rally in first appearance since pregnancy loss (PageSix)
Chrissy Teigen joined husband John Legend on Monday night at an election-eve rally in Philadelphia for Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, the model’s first public appearance since revealing her pregnancy loss in early October.
Wearing a black face mask and a white blazer, Teigen, 34, was photographed as she waited for Legend, 41, to take the stage, one day before Tuesday’s Presidential Election. The couple, who has been married since 2013, also shared a sweet moment at the piano with their children, daughter Luna, 4, and son Miles, 2.
“I want to send a shoutout — actually, can you come onstage, baby?” Legend said, according to NBC’s “Today” show. “I want you guys to see, my wife is here. My daughter, Luna, is here. My son, Miles, is here. We’re teaching our young people early to participate in their democracy.” Read more
Jack Ma’s Ant Group $34bn market debut suspended (BBC)
The stock market debut by Chinese tech giant Ant Group has been halted after its Shanghai listing was suspended.
Shanghai authorities said the group had reported “changes in the financial technology regulatory environment”, leading to the suspension.
The listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong would have been the biggest to date.
Ant, backed by Jack Ma, billionaire founder of e-commerce platform Alibaba, was set to sell shares worth about $34.4bn (£26.5bn) on Thursday.
Ant runs Alipay, the main online payment system in China, where cash, cheques and credit cards have long been eclipsed by e-payment devices and apps.
Alipay says the total volume of payments on its platforms in China for the year ending in June was $17.6tn.
The online giant had planned to make its dual listing this week. Read more
WhatsApp finally introduces lifesaving feature of self-destructing messages (Metro)
WhatsApp has confirmed it plans to introduce self-destructing messages which will disappear after seven days.
Rumours have been circulating since last November that WhatsApp was planning to introduce the feature. Now it’s official. ‘You can send messages that disappear on WhatsApp by enabling disappearing messages,’ the Facebook-owned app explained in an FAQ section on its website. ‘Once enabled, new messages sent in the individual or group chat will disappear after seven days. The most recent selection controls all messages in the chat. This setting won’t affect messages you previously sent or received in the chat. ‘In an individual chat, either user can turn disappearing messages on or off. In a group chat, only group admins can turn disappearing messages on or off.’ There are a few things to bear in mind if you’re looking to start using self-destructing messages. Read more
New Edition’s Ralph Tresvant ambushed by an amorous fan in a maid costume (PageSix)
New Edition lead singer Ralph Tresvant nearly got maid service of a very different kind back at the height of his fame.
Tresvant tells Page Six that when he was around 15 years old, a fan dressed up as a maid to sneak into his hotel room and waited for him to arrive.
“When I checked in my room, she was lying in the bed. It was an old lady, too,” he told us. “I said, ‘I’m sorry — I think I’m in the wrong room.’ And she said, ‘Oh no, you got the right room, baby,’ and pulled the covers back.”
She was “like my mother’s age,” he said. “I was a youngster. I didn’t go through with it. I just slowly backed out the room with my luggage, got my security, and I said, ‘There’s someone in my room.’ They escorted her out.” Read more
Enola Holmes producers blast lawsuit from Sherlock creator’s estate against Millie Bobby Brown film (Metro)
Producers of Millie Bobby Brown’s Netflix film Enola Holmes have blasted the lawsuit filed by the estate of Sherlock Holmes’s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. While the author who brought us the iconic detective died in 1930, his estate launched a lawsuit earlier this year, filing a 19-page argument going after the streaming platform for copyright and trademark issues in regards to the film’s portrayal of the detective as possessing emotions. The estate also named Legendary Pictures, the film’s writer and its director, Jack Thorne and Harry Bradbeer respectively, as well as author Nancy Springer, who wrote the Enola Holmes stories, in the suit. Read more
Beyoncé gifts new Ivy Park collection to Kerry Washington, Kehlani and more (PageSix)
Beyoncé is blessing her famous friends and family with her new Ivy Park x Adidas “Drip 2” collection.
The singer, 39, released her second line of sporty bodysuits, track pants, jackets and accessories last week, and is now sending special deliveries of the sold-out pieces to the likes of Kerry Washington, Kehlani, 21 Savage and more.
The large rolling racks are decorated with the same mountain scheme seen in the collaboration’s “Find Your Park” campaign, and are packed with all of the colorful, coveted pieces from the second drop. Read more
Harrison Ford pays tribute to ‘dear friend’ Sean Connery (BBC)
Harrison Ford has paid tribute to his “dear friend” Sir Sean Connery, who died on Friday at the age of 90.
The pair appeared together in Steven Spielberg’s 1989 sequel Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, with Sir Sean playing Ford’s father Henry Jones.
“He was my father… not in life… but in Indy III,” said Harrison in an interview with Variety.
“God we had fun – if he’s in heaven, I hope they have golf courses. Rest in peace, dear friend,” he added.
Ford recalled the “pleasure” of taking Sir Sean “for a ride in the sidecar of a Russian motorcycle, bouncing along a bumpy, twisty mountain trail and getting to watch him squirm”. Read more
Five Africans nominated for Female World Athlete of the Year award (BBC)
Britain’s Laura Muir has been nominated for this year’s World Athletics Female Athlete of the Year award.
Muir, 27, is the quickest in the world over 1500m this season and set a new UK 1,000m record in August.
A month later the Scot ran a world-leading three minutes 57.40 seconds in Berlin over 1500m.
Of the 10 nominees, Muir is the only Briton in the running for the award, which was won last year by Dalilah Muhammad of the United States. Read more
Dereck Chisora reveals Deontay Wilder text message after Tyson Fury cheat claim (Metro)
Dereck Chisora has revealed he reached out to Deontay Wilder after the heavyweight made a host of farfetched claims suggesting Tyson Fury had cheated in their rematch earlier this year.
The American was stopped in the seventh round in Las Vegas back in February as Fury put on a masterclass to win the WBC heavyweight title, dominating his opponent with a brutal display.
They were due to have a trilogy fight this year, but that has been repeatedly delayed due to both the coronavirus pandemic and an injury sustained by Wilder, with Fury now pulling out completely and pursuing another opponent to fight in December. Read more
Alexander Povetkin v Dillian Whyte postponed as Russian has Covid-19 (BBC)
Dillian Whyte’s rematch with Alexander Povetkin has been postponed after the Russian tested positive for coronavirus.
Povetkin, 41, produced a stunning knockout win over the British heavyweight in August and the pair were due to fight again on 21 November.
Promoter Eddie Hearn tweeted Povetkin was “in hospital”.
“Povetkin-Whyte II is postponed with a new target date of 30 January 2021,” Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing tweeted. Read more
Timo Werner believes Chelsea have ‘good chance’ of winning the Champions League under Frank Lampard (Metro)
Timo Werner believes Chelsea have a ‘good chance’ of winning the Champions League under Frank Lampard in the next two seasons. The Blues continue their European campaign on Wednesday night, with French club Rennes visiting Stamford Bridge. Chelsea drew their opening Champions League group game against Sevilla 0-0, before securing an emphatic 4-0 victory at Krasnodar. Lampard’s side finished fourth in the Premier League last season and were knocked out of Europe in the last-16 stage by eventual champions Bayern Munich. Read more
Ryan Giggs will not take charge of Wales games following arrest (BBC)
Former defender Robert Page will stand in for Ryan Giggs for the next three Wales matches
Manager Ryan Giggs will not be involved in Wales’ three matches in November, with assistant Robert Page taking charge of the team.
Giggs has denied an allegation of assault made against him.
The 46-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend, several newspapers have reported.
“The Football Association of Wales and Ryan Giggs have mutually agreed that he will not be involved in the upcoming international camp,” the FAW said. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defends Paul Pogba’s excuse after his mistake in Manchester United’s defeat Arsenal (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has defended Paul Pogba after the midfielder claimed he was ‘out of breath’ for his mistake in Manchester United’s defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. Pogba gave away a penalty for a foul on Hector Bellerin in the second half and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted the penalty to secure a 1-0 victory for Mikel Arteta’s side at Old Trafford. After United’s third defeat of the Premier League campaign this season, Pogba took responsibility for his error but blamed fatigue for his foul on Bellerin. ‘I felt like I touched him a bit, I knew I was in the box, I shouldn’t have given a penalty away like that,’ said Pogba. Read more