Police arrest 2 car robbers in Lagos (Guardian)
The police in Lagos have arrested two members of a car robbery gang, who specialise in robbing Uber riders and private motorists in the state.
The suspects were arrested last Tuesday at Igando, by operatives attached to the Commissioner of Police (CP) Special Crack Squad. They are George Nnadi Ogidi 34 and Rafiu Jaiyesimi 27.
The Guardian learnt that Ogidi had been arrested several times by the police and sent to prison. But on each conviction, his lawyer would always bring him out and he would be back to his criminal enterprise more viciously. Read more
Ortom hid over 570 bank accounts from Alia, declared only 25 – Benue Govt (DailyTrust)
The Benue State government has accused the immediate past administration of ex-Governor Ortom of operating 600 accounts.
Speaking when State Correspondents’ Chapel members of Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) paid him a visit at his office in Makurdi, on Tuesday, Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning, Michael Oglegba, said that was why Governor Hyacinth Alia froze all government accounts on assumption of office.
The finance commissioner said the governor was shown only 25 accounts when he took over office but information at the Nigerian Inter Bank System, however, showed that the state had over 600 accounts. Read more
Impeachment saga: Ondo lawmakers reach ceasefire agreement (Nation)
Ondo House of Assembly has agreed to stay action in the ongoing move to impeach the state deputy governor, Lucky Ayiedatiwa.
A decision to this effect was reached on Tuesday, October 17, after a closed-door meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Aiyedatiwa has been under the threat of impeachment by the House over allegations of gross misconduct and has been served with notice of the allegations levelled against him by the lawmakers. Read more
Lagos committed to women’s welfare, says Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has pledged the support of the state government for the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials’ drive to improve the welfare of women.
Sanwo-oLu reaffirmed this on Tuesday at the 23rd National Women’s Conference of COWLSO held at Eko Hotels, Lagos.
“The Lagos State Government, under my leadership, stands firmly committed to the vision set forth by COWLSO, because we recognise the pivotal role that empowered women play in the development and progress of every society,” part of the governor’s speech read. Read more
Lagos deputy gov calls for multi-faceted approach to address environmental challenges (ThisDay)
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, has called for sustained combined efforts to address the environmental challenges in the country.
He stressed the need for a multi-faceted approach which includes government intervention, community participation and international cooperation.
Hamzat, who was the special guest of honour at the 68th annual conference of the Historical Society of Nigeria (HSC), held in Lagos, said post-colonial industrialisation and globalisation combined to expand issues of the environment. Read more
Tinubu appoints Aliyu as ICPC Chairman (Channels)
President Bola Tinubu has appointed the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Jigawa State, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, as the new Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
He also appointed Clifford Okwudiri Oparaodu as the secretary of the commission, the Presidency announced in a statement on Tuesday.
Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said the appointment is in exercise of the President’s powers conferred on him as established in Section 3(6) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Read more
Fresh trouble in Senate as Akpabio, Ndume clash (Vanguard)
The brewing crisis in the Senate came to a head yesterday, as the Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, stormed out during plenary to protest the refusal of the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, to address alleged procedural errors.
To prevent the situation from degenerating, Akpabio requested that his colleagues meet behind closed doors for further discussion.
Trouble started minutes after the commencement of the day’s session when Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), raised a point of order to draw the Senate President’s attention to alleged procedural errors committed by him which were yet to be corrected. Read more
Kwara: Gunmen break into lawmaker’s residence, abduct wife, children (DailyTrust)
Gunmen have abducted the wife and two children of Lawal Ayanshola Soliu, lawmaker representing Ipaiye/Malete/Olooru of Moro Local Government in the Kwara State House of Assembly.
The abductors, our correspondent gathered, stormed the residence of the lawmaker around 1am on Monday.
According to a community leader in Shao, “the abductors came in their numbers shooting sporadically before whisking the victims away into the nearby bush”. Read more
Gloria Gaynor approves of Madonna’s “I Will Survive” cover on tour (People)
Many people would be afraid, or even petrified, to cover Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” — but according to the singer herself, Madonna nailed it.
The Queen of Pop includes an acoustic cover of the 1978 disco classic on her new Celebration Tour, which kicked off at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, and Gaynor took to social media the following day to express her approval.
“@Madonna congratulations on the launch of #TheCelebrationTour at the @TheO2,” wrote Gaynor, 80, on X (formerly Twitter) alongside a video of the “I Will Survive” cover. “So happy that you are in good health and ready to have a holiday with fans around the world! By the way, you have excellent taste in music!” Read more
Ugandan president wants to ban imports of used clothing from west (VOA)
Jostling for space, people jam the crowded footpaths crisscrossing a massive open market in Uganda’s capital. They are mostly looking for secondhand clothing, sifting through piles or trying on shoes despite getting pushed around in the crush.
Downtown Kampala’s Owino Market has long been a go-to enclave for rich and poor people looking for affordable but well-made used clothes, underscoring perceptions that Western fashion is superior to what is made at home.
Discarded by Europeans and Americans, these clothes are often purchased from wholesalers and then shipped to African countries by middlemen. It’s a multimillion-dollar business, with some two-thirds of people in seven countries in East Africa having “purchased at least a portion of their clothes from the secondhand clothing market,” according to a 2017 U.S. Agency for International Development study, the most recent with such details. Read more
Summit with Arab leaders called off as Biden heads to Israel for solidarity visit (TimesOfIsrael)
US President Joe Biden’s efforts to tamp down tensions in the escalating war between Israel and Hamas faced massive setbacks even before he departed for the Middle East on Tuesday, as Jordan called off the president’s planned summit with Arab leaders after a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital killed hundreds.
Biden now will visit only Israel and will postpone his travel to Jordan, a White House official said as Biden departed.
The postponement of the Amman summit comes after Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas withdrew from the scheduled meetings in protest of the blast at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, which the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza blamed on an Israeli airstrike. Read more
Prosecutors seek to recharge Alec Baldwin in the “Rust” movie shooting (NPR)
Special prosecutors say they plan to present the New Mexico Grand Jury with a criminal case against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of the cinematographer on the movie set of “Rust”.
Baldwin was one of the producers of the Western movie, which was being filmed on a ranch outside Santa Fe in October of 2021. As an actor, he was holding the gun that went off during a rehearsal. Baldwin pointed the Colt .45, which was not supposed to have been loaded, directly at the camera, and the bullet that went off killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Read more
Love Actually director regrets weight jokes, lack of diversity in past films (THR)
Looking back at Love Actually and Bridget Jones’s Diary, Richard Curtis regrets including negative commentary about women’s bodies in the films amid criticism in recent years.
While recently speaking at The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, via Today, the director-writer recalled “how shocked I was like five years ago when [my daughter] Scarlett said to me, ‘You can never use the word fat again.’”
In the 2003 Christmas movie, Martine McCutcheon’s character Natalie is teased a handful of times for her weight, including being called “plumpy” and someone saying she has “massive … tree trunk thighs.” At one point, Natalie’s love interest, the British Prime minister played by Hugh Grant, also says, “God, you weigh a lot,” when she jumps into his arms. Read more
Daniel Noboa, heir to banana dynasty, wins Ecuador’s presidential election (France24)
Daniel Noboa, an inexperienced politician and an heir to a fortune built on the banana trade, won Ecuador’s presidential runoff election Sunday held amid unprecedented violence that even claimed the life of a candidate.
With more than 97% of the votes counted, electoral officials said Noboa had 52.1%, compared to 47.9% for Luisa González, a leftist lawyer and ally of exiled former President Rafael Correa. González conceded defeat during a speech before supporters in which she also urged Noboa to fulfill his campaign promises.
Noboa, 35, will lead the South American country during a period that drug trafficking-related violence has left Ecuadorians wondering when, not if, they will be victims. Their uneasiness has prompted them to continuously watch their backs and limit how often they leave home.
Republican state AG launches effort to send surplus police body armor, tactical gear to Israel (Fox)
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has launched an effort to collect surplus body armor, protective gear and tactical equipment from more than 100 sheriffs’ offices across the state to send to the Israeli army as it fights Hamas terrorists.
Miyares said if any of the offices have excess law enforcement protective equipment, his office will collect it and ship it to the Israel Defense Forces. Fox News Digital obtained exclusively a version of the letter sent to Stafford County Sheriff David Decatur.
“While I’m aware that some police departments are stretched for resources, there are many departments that have expired equipment that are required to be donated or discarded,” the Republican AG said in the letters sent Tuesday. Read more
Nigerians craving AFCON title – Eguavoen (Punch)
Former Super Eagles captain, Austin Eguavoen, has admitted that Nigerians have been craving another Africa Cup of Nations trophy win, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Nigeria last lifted the AFCON trophy 10 years ago when they triumphed in South Africa beating Burkina Faso 1-0 in the final.
The Eagles are three-time winners of the AFCON, with the West African giants riding to victories in 1980, 1994, and 2013. Read more
Dosu shocked by Peseiro, Uzoho’s response to Nigerians (DailyTrust)
A former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph has expressed shock at recent comments credited to Coach Jose Peseiro and Francis Uzoho as their response to the barrage of criticisms that have trailed the latter’s disappointing performances in goal for Nigeria.
Following his underwhelming showings in the friendly matches against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique in Portugal, most Nigerian football fans have questioned Uzoho’s ability to remain as Nigeria’s number one goalkeeper.
His critics have gone further to call on the national team handlers to look elsewhere for a more competent goalkeeper who will stand in between the sticks for the Super Eagles at next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire. Read more
NPFL hails Rangers FC, Afrinvest sponsorship deal (Sun)
The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) has applauded the recent jersey sponsorship deal signed by Rangers International Football Club with Afrinvest Limited, a financial firm.
Head of Operations of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of NPFL, Davidson Owumi stated this in Enugu at a ceremony to consummate the N50m deal in the first season.
He praised Governor Peter Mbah for “putting aside politics to give Rangers the platform to excel,” disclosing that the sponsorship would have been sealed six years ago, but some persons allegedly politicised it. Read more
VARs return to Premier League duty after Liverpool error (ESPN)
The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials involved when Liverpool were wrongly denied a goal in last month’s Premier League loss at Tottenham Hotspur will return for this weekend’s fixtures.
Officials Darren England and Dan Cook were replaced for two matches that same weekend, before being excluded from the previous round of games.
England will be the fourth official for Brentford’s home game against Burnley, while Cook will serve as an assistant referee for Manchester United match at Sheffield United. Read more
Williams provide timeline for Sargeant F1 seat decision (RN365)
Williams Team Principal James Vowles has detailed when he will make a decision regarding his squad’s driver line-up for next year.
The Grove-based squad has already signed Alexander Albon up for the campaign, but question marks remain over the second seat currently filled by Logan Sargeant.
The American has endured a challenging rookie campaign with a number of recent events being overshadowed by crashes. Read more
76ers star James Harden says he has “lost trust” in Daryl Morey, front office (CBS)
Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden remained steadfast that his fractured relationship with the front office can’t be repaired.
Harden has yet to play in the preseason. But he did attend training camp and continues to practice with the 76ers in the wake of the disgruntled guard’s trade demand.
Harden in June picked up his $35.6 million contract option for this season with the belief the team would try to trade him. He blasted team president Daryl Morey at a promotional event in China when no trade materialized, calling Morey a liar. Read more