Police arraign pastor for criminal Intimidation (Nation)
A 38-year-old pastor, Uche Macldurence, appeared before a Grade 1 Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja, on Tuesday charged with criminal intimidation.
Macldurence, of NEPA Road off Gado Nasko Road, Kubwa, pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge of criminal intimidation levelled against him.
The prosecuting counsel, Babajide Olanipekun, told the court that the matter was reported by one Mr. Anthony Igokwe of Tugo Road phase 4 Kubwa Abuja, at the Kubwa Police Station on June 19.
Olanipekun said Macldurence and the complainant had a little misunderstanding during which the pastor threatened “to deal’’ with the complainant, an utterance that contravened the law. Read more
FRSC arrests 1,091 traffic offenders in 7 days (Guardian)
The Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), arrested 1,091 traffic offenders in its ‘Operation Show your Driver’s Licence’ exercise, in the past seven days, its Commander, Olusegun Ogungbemide, has said.
Ogungbemide told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that the offenders were arrested over expired vehicle documents, tyres and speed limiting devices.
He said that the operations were carried out simultaneously in all the 12 commands and five outposts across the state.
“On the first week of the operation, from Sept. 14 to Sept. 20, the total booking recorded was 1,091, out of which we generated 1,377 offenses. Read more
Bartender in court for allegedly raping unconscious woman (Nation)
A 20-year-old bartender, Joshua Toryile, on Tuesday appeared in an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court, for allegedly raping a 22-year-old unconscious woman (name withheld).
The police charged Toryile with two counts of conspiracy and rape.
The lead state prosecutor, Mr Peter Owolabani, alleged that Toryile committed the offence alongside an accomplice, who is at large, at 2 a.m on Oct. 2, 2019, at No. 1, Professor Olagoke Olabisi St., Lekki, Lagos.
He alleged that the complainant, who is also the victim, who works as a housekeeper, attended a party and had become very drunk. Read more
My wife is possessed, says husband of woman who killed her 2 children in Kano (Vanguard)
Husband of the Kano-based housewife who allegedly stabbed two of her biological children to death has claimed the woman is possessed.
The housewife, Hauwa Habibu allegedly killed the children because her husband, Ibrahim Haruna Aminu, 39, married a second wife.
The deceased children were identified as a boy, Yusuf, 5 and girl Zahra’u 3.
In an audio recording obtained by Arewa Agenda, the husband said that the suspect had called him in the morning at exactly 9:55 am and told him that some people had come to kill her. Read more
Akeredolu, Jegede, Ajayi sign peace accord (Thisday)
The Ondo State Governor and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, his two major challengers, the state’s deputy governor and candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Hon. Agboola Ajayi, and Eyitayo Jegede, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other governorship candidates have promised to embrace peace in the forthcoming Ondo election.
The candidates made the pledge at the signing of a peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The event took place at the International Cultural and Event Centre, the Dome in Akure, the state capital. Read more
Troops rescue five expatriates in Rivers (Punch)
Troops have rescued five expatriates from suspected militants at Yellow Island in Rivers State.
The victims comprising three Russians, one Ukrainian and one Equatorial Guinean abducted on May 9, were freed by a joint team from Forward Operating Base Bonny, Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder and troops of 146 Battalion, on Tuesday.
A statement by the Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, said the men were presently at NNS Pathfinder medical centre receiving medical attention. Read more
Court jails Prophet Sotitobire over missing child (Nation)
Founder of Sotitobire Praising Chapel, Prophet Babatunde Alfa and five others have been sentenced to life imprisonment for last year’s disappearance of a one-year -old child, Gold Kolawole from the church.
They were found guilty on two- count charges bordering on kidnapping, aiding and abetting to kidnap preferred against them.
Justice Olusegun Odusola said the prosecution proved circumstantial evidence against the accused persons.
Other defendants jailed include Omodara Olayinka, Margaret Oyebola ,Grace Ogunjobi, Egunjobi Motunrayo and Esther Kayode. Read more
Davido terminates contract with Lil Frosh over domestic violence allegations (Vanguard)
Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has terminated the contract between his record label Davido Music Worldwide (DMW) and fast-rising rapper Sanni Goriola Wasiu aka Lil Frosh, over allegations of domestic violence by his girlfriend Gift Camille on Monday, October 5, 2020.
The fast-rising rapper, Lil Frosh was called out on Monday by the brother and manager of the girlfriend Gift Camille For allegedly beating his girlfriend to a pulp. Read more
19 Black families buy 97 acres of land to create ‘Freedom’ (USAToday)
19 Black families came together to purchase nearly 100 acres of land in Wilkinson County, Georgia
Real estate agent Ashley Scott was looking for some way to participate in the nationwide movement against police brutality and systemic racism without joining protests in the streets. She didn’t want to expose herself or her family to COVID-19, but she wanted to make an impact.
That’s when her friend and fellow entrepreneur Renee Walters told her about a town for sale.
“The foundation of our structure is where the problem is,” Scott said. “Finding a town, it felt like OK this is how you change the foundation of the structure.”
In June, the pair went to visit the tiny town of Toomsboro, Georgia – which it turned out was not actually for sale – where they met dozens of other Black investors and scoped out nearby pieces of property. When they came upon a plot of nearly 97 acres of land in rural Wilkinson County, Georgia, Scott said “it spoke to my spirit.”
“It was like the ancestors were like ‘this is it,'” she said. Read more
Coup: ECOWAS lifts Mali sanctions (Punch)
Malian soldiers parade as they arrive by military vehicle at Independence Square in Bamako on August 18, 2020, after rebel troops seized Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse in a dramatic escalation of a months-long crisis. – Neighbouring states in West Africa, along with France, the European Union and the African Union, condemned the sudden mutiny and warned against any unconstitutional change of power in the fragile country. Photo: AFP
The West African regional bloc ECOWAS announced Tuesday that it was ending sanctions imposed against Mali after a military coup in August, saying it wished to back the return to civilian rule. Read more
Black hole breakthroughs win Nobel physics prize (BBC)
Three scientists have been awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics for work to understand black holes.
Sir Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez were announced as this year’s winners at a news conference in Stockholm.
The winners will share the prize money of 10 million kronor (£864,200).
David Haviland, chair of the physics prize committee, said this year’s award “celebrates one of the most exotic objects in the Universe”. Read more
“Trump defeats COVID” commemorative coin for sale at the White House Gift Shop (USAToday)
Coins commemorating President Donald Trump surviving COVID-19 are already available for preorder at an online gift shop.
The $100 “Trump defeats COVID” coins are for sale on the website of the White House Gift Shop, which is not affiliated with the White House.
The coin is part of a series designed by Anthony Giannini, chairman of the White House Gift Shop. He described the COVID-19 coin as the last in a series illustrating “President Trump’s ascendance over and defeat of the deadly COVID pandemic virus.” Read more
Kyrgyzstan election: Sunday’s results annulled after mass protests (BBC)
The electoral authorities in Kyrgyzstan have annulled the results of parliamentary elections following violent protests.
Demonstrators broke into parliament overnight and clashed with police, demanding a new vote be held.
Hundreds were injured and one person has died, the Health Ministry said.
The move by the electoral commission came soon after President Sooronbai Jeenbekov accused “political forces” of trying to illegally seize power. Read more
Cinema crisis: “Dune” and “The Batman” delayed (BBC)
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is the latest Hollywood blockbuster to have its release date delayed.
The Warner Bros sci-fi epic featuring a star-studded cast including Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya was due for release in December.
The premiere has now been pushed back to October 2021, according to Variety.
Warner Bros has also delayed The Batman, now due in March 2022, but the company has brought forward Matrix 4 to December 2021. Read more
Teacher disqualified for ‘promoting Hong Kong independence’ (BBC)
A Hong Kong teacher’s licence has been removed after being accused of promoting the territory’s independence in the classroom.
Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam said it was important to weed out “bad apples” from the education system.
Officials in Beijing believe schools have been helping to foment opposition to China’s communist party.
Hong Kong’s largest teachers’ union has accused Hong Kong authorities of conducting an unfair investigation. Read more
CAS Shifts Siasia’s Appeal against FIFA Ban to February 3, 2021 (Thisday)
The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has once again shifted the hearing in the appeal filed by former Super Eagles Head Coach, Samson Siasia, against FIFA to February 3, 2021.
Siasia, who did not leave his Abuja home for the hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, told THISDAY Tuesday that CAS informed him that the hearing listed for Tuesday, October 6, 2020, cannot proceed due to the recent spike in the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe.
“This hearing has been shifted again to February 3, next year. They (CAS) told me the postponement is as a result of the Covid-19 that has taken another upward swing in Europe,” Siasia told THISDAY from his base in Abuja.
The new February 3, 2020 date is the third time the case will be listed for hearing since the former Nigerian manager challenged the life ban slammed on him last year by FIFA for purportedly accepting to fix a match. Read more
Fulham sign Adarabioyo from Manchester City (Nation)
Fulham have secured the services of Tosin Adarabioyo on a permanent basis after working out a transfer with Manchester City, the Premier League side announced on Monday.
The 23-year-old spent last season on loan with English Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
At Ewood Park, he featured in 34 league games and got three goals but Tony Mowbray’s men failed in their quest to earn an English top-flight berth.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the club announced the Anglo-Nigerian was handed a three-year contract with the Cottagers holding the option to extend by an additional 12 months. Read more
French Open 2020: Danielle Collins beats Ons Jabeur to reach quarter-finals (BBC)
American Danielle Collins booked the final spot in the French Open women’s quarter-finals with victory over Ons Jabeur in their rain-delayed encounter.
The pair had been scheduled to play on Monday and did emerge for a warm-up and coin toss after waiting for several hours because of bad weather, only for the match to be called off.
They returned in much better conditions on Tuesday, with Collins triumphing 6-4 4-6 6-4 over the Tunisian 30th seed. Read more
FIFA approves Akpoguma’s switch to Nigeria (Nation)
Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick has confirmed Fifa’s approval of Kevin Akpoguma to switch allegiance to Nigeria.
The defender was born to a German mother and a Nigerian father and has represented Germany at various youth levels.
Akpoguma is, however, still eligible to feature for the Super Eagles since he is yet to play for the European country’s senior team.
The centre-back has been delivering consistent performances for Bundesliga side Hoffenheim since joining the club in 2015. Read more
Geraint Thomas pulls out of Giro d’Italia with fractured hip (BBC)
Britain’s Geraint Thomas has been forced to pull out of the Giro d’Italia because of a fractured hip.
The Ineos Grenadiers rider, 34, crashed just before the start of Monday’s third stage after a drinks bottle became lodged under his front wheel.
The Welshman completed the stage but lost more than 12 minutes, effectively ending his hopes of winning the race.
A scan on Monday was inconclusive but a second on Tuesday morning showed a fracture. Read more
Omeruo, Simon, Kalu, Yakubu early birds in Super Eagles’ camp (Vanguard)
Defender Kenneth Omeruo and forward Moses Simon were among the early arrivals at the Super Eagles’ Hotel die Zeit an der Glan in Austria yesterday, ahead of the international friendly matches against African champions Algeria and Africa’s number two –ranked team, Tunisia.
Forwards Samuel Kalu and Chidera Ejuke, defender Leon Balogun and goalkeeper Mathew Yakubu were also in the early birds’ corp. Hours later, England –based defenders William Ekong, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, and Olaoluwa Aina, as well as forward Kelechi Iheanacho landed in Austria. Right behind them were goalkeeper Dele Alampasu, defender Jamilu Collins, midfielder Frank Onyeka and forwards Cyril Dessers and Alex Iwobi. The other invited players were being expected in camp by Monday night. Read more
Turkish Grand Prix: Plans for fans to attend scrapped amid rising coronavirus cases (BBC)
Organisers of the Turkish Grand Prix have abandoned plans to invite fans to November’s race because of Covid-19.
A statement from the Istanbul governor’s office on Monday said the event at the Istanbul Park track on 13-15 November would be held without spectators.
The decision was made on the recommendation of the coronavirus provincial pandemic committee. Read more