Pastor remanded for murder (Punch)
A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting at Lokoja, Kogi State, has remanded a cleric, Pastor Peter Michonza, of the New Jerusalem Deliverance Ministry, Ageva, in the Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State, in the Federal Custodial Centre, Kabba, for 14 days.
Michonza was arrested on September 19, 2022, by the Department of State Services following an outcry by the people of the local government and the council chairman.
The suspect had been accused of running labour wards for pregnant women in his church and selling ‘bullet-proof’ water to the people, among other practices, which had allegedly led to the death of many people.
The Chief Magistrate, Abdul Umar, remanded the cleric on Thursday following an ex parte application the DSS filed to enable the agency to continue further investigations. Read more
Lagos cleric who blamed ‘spell’ for raping five-year-old gets life imprisonment (Guardian)
The Executive Secretary, Domestic and Sexual Violence agency (DSVA) Mrs TitiLola Vivour-Adeniyi, has reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure the menace of all forms of Sexual and gender-based violence cases becomes totally eradicated from society with the sentencing /conviction of Alfa Abdulsalam Salaudeen to life imprisonment.
In a statement, on Thursday, Vivour-Adeniyi maintained the need for parents and guardians to remain vigilant and ensure that they strengthen their relationship with their children, empower children on body safety, set boundaries and encourage them to always speak up and speak out so that cases of child sexual abuse would be prevented.
She also urged residents to report cases as Lagos State has provided holistic care for survivors at no cost.
Vivour-Adeniyi further intimated that the state government had also recently upgraded five more police stations as Family Support Units FSUs. These designated police stations which has trained Police Personnel are responsible for investigating incidents that pertained to Domestic and Sexual related cases in Lagos Read more
Youths protest alleged illegal arrest by EFCC in Ibadan (Vanguard)
Some youths, yesterday, stormed the Oyo State Governor’s Office with placards over what they described as incessant illegal arrests by officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
One of the protesters, who identified himself as Wale Oluwasegun, an engineer by profession, said they are agitating against indiscriminate arrest by the EFCC, who he said many times accused them of being fraudsters.
Oluwasegun, who said he is also into real estate, lamented that on several occasions, he has been busted by officers of the EFCC, accusing him of being into fraud. Read more
How Marlian owners assaulted me, by Mohbad (Nation)
Singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba aka Mohbad has recounted how he was allegedly assualted by his record label owners, Marlian.
On Wednesday, Mohbad pleaded for help claiming to have been assaulted by his label owners at the Marlian house after he demanded a change of manager.
The singer shared a video that saw him spotting a singlet stained with blood alongside several bruises on his body to prove his point.
In response to the allegation, the Marlian boss, Naira Marley said the incident was a “family affair” and would be resolved amicably within the label. Read more
It’s childish for NWC members to return money – PDP campaign council member (DailyTrust)
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Adetokunbo Pearse, has described some members of the National Working Committee of the party, who returned the money given to them as stipend, as being childish.
Some members of the committee had received sums running into about N30m each in their bank accounts, a development some of them described as surprise alerts.
However, some of them had returned the money following bribe allegations surrounding it.
Those who returned the money included the National Deputy Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; the National Vice Chairman (South-South), Chief Dan Orbih; PDP National Woman Leader, Prof. Read more
Release of 23 Abuja-Kaduna victims: Giving details‘ll subject families to fresh trauma – DHQ (Vanguard)
The Rescue of the 23 remaining victims of the Kaduna-Abuja train attack on Wednesday, 5th October, 2022 after six months in terrorist’s captivity has been described as a non-kinetic operation, with the Defence headquarters’ stating that giving details of how they were rescued, would subject their families to a fresh trauma.
This is just as the DHQ said that though there was a lot of secrecy involved in the operation because of the high powered committee members involved, the terrorists involved will definitely be fished out and made to face the consequences of their criminal actions.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Dan Madami and the Director of Defence Information, Major General Jimmy Akpor both made the disclosure on Thursday at a media briefing.
Asked to tell Nigerians how Nigerian security agents secured the release of the victims and what happened to the terrorists, Major General Dan Madami said, “The most important thing is that those people (victims) had been held captive for about six months and have been rescued. It was part of the non-kinetic operation of the military. Giving details may subject their families to fresh trauma. So for now, we will wait for the appropriate time for the details to come out. Read more
Court sentences man to death by hanging for murder in Ebonyi (Independent)
A State High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has sentenced a man, Lucky Godwin to death by hanging for stabbing a woman to death inside a hotel room in Abakaliki, the state capital.
He was accused of stealing a baby belonging to the deceased after stabbing her to death and sold the two-year-old baby girl in Akwukabi Etche, River State.
The accused brought the deceased and her 2-year-old child from Enugu State and they both lodged at Crown
garden hotel, Abakaliki, where he allegedly killed the woman with a knife provided for him by the hotel gateman, Monday Onwe who collected N30, 000 to assist Godwin in the act and escaped from Abakaliki after the incident. Read more
Professor calls on media to be responsible in election coverage (Sun)
Media professionals have been advised “to stick to media logic of social responsibility, ethics and values” as they prepare for coverage of the 2023 general elections.
Delivering a lecture titled “2023 polls: Effective media coverage amidst insecurity”, at the 2022 Press Week celebration of the Kwara State Council of the NUJ in Ilorin on Thursday, a Professor of Mass Communication at the University of Ilorin, Prof Lukman Azeez, said that politicians use every strategy and logic against their political opponents to sell themselves in every election.
“Journalists and media practitioners need to be extra careful of politicians’ strategy/logic of attack of their opponents in order to win elections. In the process of selling themselves, politicians might attack and tell falsehoods against their opponents. So, it behoves media practitioners to stick to media logic of social responsibility, ethics and values”, he said. Read more
Nigeria’s wealth, glory belong to all not few – Mr Macaroni (Nation)
Skit maker Mr Macaroni has called on Nigerians to awaken to the fact that all the country possesses belongs to everyone and not just to a few.
Mr Macaroni said all the country’s endowments which belong to all shouldn’t be circulated just among few individuals.
According to him, these few individuals who covet the country’s endowments desire to see the masses live perpetually divided so they can keep looting the nation’s treasury.
The 29-year-old actor wrote: “Fellow Nigerians, Nigeria belongs to you!! All of the milk and honey, the wealth and glory all belongs to us. It is not to be circulated amongst few people. Read more
Joe Biden pardons everyone convicted of marijuana possession under federal law (Metro)
President Joe Biden has announced he will pardon thousands of people convicted of simple marijuana possession under federal law.
Biden’s decision on Thursday represents a first step toward decriminalizing simple marijuana possession.
‘Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives – for conduct that is legal in many states,’ tweeted Biden.
‘That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs.’ Read more
Taylor Swift shares scented new track title from “Midnights” (Billboard)
Taylor Swift’s Midnights album can’t come soon enough for her millions of fans. At least now, Swifties have a new track title to tide them over.
As the clock struck midnight, Swift spun the bingo cage yet again for a round of Midnights Mayhem With Me.
“Good evening and welcome to another episode of Midnights Mayhem With Me,” she says in a clip posted to TikTok. “I’m going to be announcing another track title from the Midnights album. We we don’t really have that many left, so getting very exciting. The tension is palpable, what’s it going to be.”
With each game, a numbered ball drops, and Swift reveals the corresponding song title from Midnights.
The winning number this time is Track 1, the song “Lavender Haze.” Read more
Adidas puts Kayne West Yeezy deal under review (BBC)
Adidas says it is reviewing its Yeezy partnership with Kanye West days after he showcased a “White Lives Matter” t-shirt design at Paris Fashion Week.
The company did not mention the controversy but said “successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values”.
The rapper and fashion designer responded on Instagram, saying the firm “stole” his designs.
That post now appears to have been deleted.
Adidas told the BBC it had made the decision to put the partnership under review after “repeated efforts to privately resolve the situation.” Read more
US to send recent Uganda visitors to 5 airports for Ebola screening (VOA)
The Biden administration will begin redirecting U.S.-bound travelers who had been to Uganda within the previous 21 days to five major American airports to be screened for Ebola as public health officials sent an alert to health care workers.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday issued an alert to health care workers to raise awareness about the outbreak but said there were currently no suspected or confirmed U.S. Ebola cases from the Sudan strain, which is behind the latest Uganda infections.
According to Uganda’s Health Ministry at least nine people had died of the disease in Uganda by October 3. Authorities in the east African nation announced the outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever on September 20. There are 43 total cases, including the deaths.
U.S. screening began Thursday at the airports but the funneling requirements are expected to take effect within the coming week or so, a source told Reuters. Read more
Ukraine lauds Kherson gains as Russian strike destroys building (AlJazeera)
Ukraine says it has recaptured swathes of territory from Russian troops in the country’s south as discontent has been mounting in Russia about the handling of the war.
Ukrainian forces have retaken more than 500sq km (195sq miles) of territory and dozens of settlements in the southern Kherson region alone since Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday.
In a video address, he said there have also been more military successes in the east. The battlefield victories reported in Kherson are the latest in a series of Russian defeats undermining the Kremlin’s claim to have annexed about 20 percent of Ukraine.
Southern army command spokeswoman Natalia Gumeniuk said the recaptured territory was home to nearly 30 towns and villages that had been occupied by Russian forces for months. Read more
Samsung warns of 32% hit to profits on chip slump (BBC)
Technology giant Samsung has warned of a 32% slide in its profits as demand for electronic devices and the memory chips that power them shrinks due to the global economic slowdown.
The South Korean company estimates its quarterly operating profit was about 10.8tn won ($7.6bn; £6.9bn).
On Thursday, US chip maker Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) also said it was hit by a fall in demand for computers.
It comes as people cut back on purchases as the cost of living rises.
Samsung’s profits from its microprocessor making business suffered as the global price of memory chips plunged due to weakening demand for consumer electronics. Read more
Justin Bieber officially cancels world tour to ‘prioritise health’ following facial paralysis (Metro)
Justin Bieber will be stepping away from the stage to focus on his health (Picture: WireImage)
Justin Bieber has announced the rest of his world tour will be cancelled as the singer continues to face health battles.
The Peaches hitmaker recently resumed his mammoth world tour with performances in Italy and the Rock In Rio festival in Brazil.
This month, he was due to fly over to Dubai, Tel Aviv and Bahrain for a set of three performances until October 13.
However, it has been confirmed that Justin will no longer fulfil the commitments in order to recover after suffering facial paralysis earlier this year. Read more
Nigeria face Costa Rica in friendly game (Punch)
Nigeria will face 1989 CONCACAF champions, Costa Rica, in an international friendly scheduled to hold in November, PUNCH Sport Extra reports.
This was confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation on their official Twitter handle on Thursday.
The three-time African champions were initially scheduled to play Guinea Bissau in a double-header Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in the FIFA international break.
But with the qualifiers postponed until March 2023 by the Confederation of African Football last month, the NFF are busy arranging a grade A friendly for the Eagles.
According to the tweet by the NFF, the game between the two countries will hold at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose on November 10. Read more
10 months after, FG finally inaugurates NBBF board (Guardian)
Ten months after the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) elections in Benin, which returned Musa Kida as president of the Federation, the Federal Government, yesterday inaugurated the Federation’s board.
Yesterday’s inauguration finally puts an end to the dispute over the authentic leadership of the body.
The Guardian recalls that Kida was re-elected as NBBF president for another four years in an election witnessed by international observers, including representatives of the world basketball ruling body, FIBA.
Kida’s victory was, however, challenged by another group, led by Igoche Mark, who claimed to have been elected as NBBF president in another election held on the same January 30 in Abuja. This led to a crisis that eventually stalled the government’s recognition of any faction as the authentic governing body for the sport. Read more
Ajibade leads Super Falcons against Nadeshiko in Kobe (Nation)
Ace forward Rasheedat Ajibade will lead Nigeria’s senior women team when they confront their Japanese counterparts in a prestigious international friendly match in Kobe today.
Regular skipper Onome Ebi is only just recovering from an injury sustained at the Women Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco in July and Spain-based forward Asisat Oshoala is not in Kobe for this encounter.
The precocious Ajibade scored three of Nigeria’s goals in Morocco, including the winner against Cameroon in the quarter-finals that qualified the nine-time African champions to the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand next year. Read more
Akwa UTD players fit for next season (Independent)
All registered Akwa United players for the 2022/23 Nigeria Professional Football League season have been certified medically fit to play when the new campaign kicks off.
The players underwent routine medical examination in Uyo and they have all been confirmed to be in sound health condition.
According to the team’s head of medical department, Doctor Obot Jackson, an Electrocardiogram (ECG) test was carried out on all the players to detect the electrical signals produced by the heart each time it beats.
“The test was carried out in line with league’s guidelines and we are delighted to announce that all the players are in sound health and are fit to compete at any level of football in Nigeria. Read more
Akinwunmi restates support for football (Sun)
The Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association and the former 1st Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, has opened up after losing the election to become the president of the NFF last week Friday.
Akinwunmi said that he would continue to support football and help the youths to grow in the round leather game just to further confirm his football first campaign for the NFF elections.
He said: “Let me start by saying the dream epitomised by the Football First campaign is not dead.
I know the road for me in football has not ended, especially with the messages I have received from the football fraternity including my competitors, that has actually been very humbling and in a sense fulfilling. Youth development is part of my DNA and I will not turn my being away from that. Read more
FIFA U-17 WWC: Fenerbache trash Flamingoes in friendly (Vanguard)
Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, Flamingoes lost 3-1 to Fenerbache Ladies in their last friendly game ahead of the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.
Flamingoes had on Saturday trashed Galatasaray Ladies by the same score line.
However, Fenerbache proved to be impregnable for the Coach Bankole Olowookere girls, humbling them 3-1.
Fielding Nigerian star Patricia George in their lineup, Fenerbache took a two-goal lead by the 80th minute courtesy of a Busan Seker brace. Read more