Police patrol Lagos after days of unrest (Punch)
Police officers on Friday and Saturday patrolled Lagos State in a bid to restore order.
Earlier, barricades and police checkpoints were seen on the streets of Lagos after Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu imposed a curfew on the state after days of violent unrest.
The governor visited burnt police stations and razed facilities across the state on Friday, lamenting that it would take many decades for the state to recover from the destructions caused by the unrest.
Sanwo-Olu on Friday afternoon eased the curfew, saying that “people can go out between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm.” Read more
No cyber attack on our website – LASG (Nation)
The Lagos State Government has denied that its website was hacked as reported by a section of the media on Thursday.
According to a statement from the ministry of science and technology, signed by the commissioner, Hakeem Fahm said the information is not true.
“I wish to come out to clear the air on the issue. This information is not true. Our website was never hacked.
He advised the public to always verify issues, and get facts and figures right before dissemination. Read more
Enough is enough, we must stop those inciting people on social media – Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has lamented the wanton destruction of private and public assets as hoodlums under the guise of the #EndSARS protests looted and razed important government infrastructure and business premises in the state.
Sanwo-Olu, who led some members of his cabinets to the vandalised sites across the state, said he won’t allow further destruction in the state.
He also warned those instigating people on social media to desist from such act while preaching peace and assuring residents that the government was on top of the situation.
“Moving forward from the destruction, we have to continue the process of healing ourselves. We need to stop some of our citizens still using the social media to instigate or incite the people. Read more
Hoodlums comb Ogun communities in search of COVID-19 palliatives (Guardian)
Some hoodlums, mostly youths, on Saturday besieged Magboro Communities in Ogun in search of warehouses that might be storing COVID-19 palliatives.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the youths had trooped to Magboro communities on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway as early as 7a.m., moving from house-to-house in search of COVID-19 palliatives.
NAN reports that there has been unrestricted looting of warehouses that housed the relief items across the country in the past days by rampaging youths. Read more
Lagos needs healing, reconciliation, Sanwo-Olu laments (Guardian)
After three days of rage, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babjide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, said the city-state needed healing, lamenting that the carnage it witnessed in the last few days was unprecedented in its history.
Speaking after a tour of some areas in the city that were torched or destroyed as a result of the violence that erupted in the state, a visibly dejected Sanwo-Olu said what he saw was not the Lagos that was handed over to him on May 29, 2019. He added that he had never seen the level of destruction of private and public property perpetrated in the state before. Read more
Olumakaiye condemns shootings of protesters (Nation)
The Diocesan and Missioner of Lagos Anglican Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Humphrey Olumakaiye, has condemned the shooting of protesters at Lekki, Lagos last Tuesday.
Olumakaiye, in a statement, said the incident was a despicable and outrageous act of terror against harmless citizens.
He said: “It is highly depressing the same government, which promised to reform the police and bring an end to police brutality ended up using the military against them.”
The Bishop said the police had acquired notoriety with successive governments paying lip service to quelling their high-handedness despite outcries over the years. Read more
Buhari’s #EndSARS speech failed to meet Nigerians’ expectation, says House Minority Caucus (Thisday)
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives on Friday said the speech delivered Thursday night by President Muhammadu Buhari on the EndSARS protest across the country, left much to be desired, as it did not meet the expectation of most Nigerians.
The Caucus in a statement signed by its Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said they are particularly surprised that Buhari’s speech did not find a space to address the killing of innocent and unarmed Nigerian youths at the Lekki Tollgate, the very development that sparked off violent restiveness across the nation and consequent widespread demand for a presidential address.
The lawmakers said they expected the address by the President to come with some empathy for victims of the killings and those of other acts of brutality by unscrupulous security operatives, particularly at this time when reassuring words from the President would have gone a long way to calm frayed nerves. Read more
Okowa eases curfew from 8am to 6 pm (Punch)
The Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has eased the curfew in the state from 08 am to 6 pm.
He added that people would be allowed to move during the day from Sunday, adding that the new arrangement would remain indefinitely.
He made this known in a series of tweets on Saturday.
He tweeted, “I just received a comprehensive briefing on the security situation across Delta State from the three Service Commanders. Read more
Odi leaders to Obasanjo: you’re not fit to comment on Lekki shootings (Nation)
Leaders of Odi community in Bayelsa State on Saturday came down on former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his recent comments on the shooting of #EndSARS protesters by the military at Lekki toll gate in Lagos.
The community leaders under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Odi berated Obasanjo and said the former leader lacks the moral right to speak on the activities of a military invasion.
At the wake of the military invasion on the #EndSARS protesters on Tuesday night in Lekki, Obasanjo frowned at the attack and berated the Government for deploying maximum force at the peaceful protesters. Read more
Ethiopia River Nile dam: PM condemns ‘aggressions’ after Trump comment (BBC)
Ethiopia’s prime minister has said his country “will not cave in to aggressions of any kind” after President Donald Trump suggested Egypt could destroy a controversial Nile dam.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is at the centre of a long-running dispute involving Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan.
Mr Trump said Egypt would not be able to live with the dam and might “blow up” the construction.
Ethiopia sees the US as siding with Egypt in the dispute. Read more
Health system ‘won’t be able to cope’ if current growth of Covid-19 infections continues, top UK epidemiologist warns (RT)
Britain’s leading epidemiologist, Neil Ferguson, has warned that “in a month’s time,” the country may be hit much harder by the pandemic than during its peak level in March, unless the surge in infections is stopped.
A professor at Imperial College London, Ferguson said on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today’ show that the growing infection rate was “worrying.”
“We now have 8,000 people in hospital with Covid. That is about a third of the level we were at the peak of the pandemic in March,” the epidemiologist stressed, warning that, if the trend continues, “in a month’s time, we will be above that peak level in March and that is probably unsustainable.” Read more
Covid-19: Poland President Duda tests positive for virus (BBC)
Polish President Andrzej Duda has contracted Covid-19 but is feeling “fine”, a presidential minister says.
Mr Duda, 48, was tested on Friday and found to be positive, Blazej Spychalski announced on Saturday.
He joins a handful of world leaders who have caught the virus, among them US President Donald Trump and UK PM Boris Johnson.
Poland faces a surge in the coronavirus pandemic, with a daily record of more than 13,600 new cases on Friday. Read more
Liberals outraged that undecided black voters won’t automatically back Kamala Harris (RT)
Undecided black voters shouldn’t examine vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ record, and shouldn’t be given airtime if they don’t back Joe Biden – this appears to be the liberal consensus in comments on a recent MSNBC clip.
When MSNBC’s Chris Jansing sat down with three undecided black women voters on Friday, they told her that neither President Donald Trump nor Biden had made a convincing enough case for their vote. After they took issue with Biden’s sponsorship of a controversial crime bill in 1994, Jansing asked whether the presence of Harris on Biden’s ticket swayed them at all. Read more
“Borat 2” review: ‘Fascinating and urgently satirical’ (BBC)
He’s back! Sacha Baron Cohen’s greatest creation, the iconic character who encouraged stag-night attendees to squeeze into lime-green mankinis, has returned for a second film. Fourteen years after he shocked cinema-goers everywhere in Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Amazon announced the new film was ready, a mere month ago.
It was exciting, but it was worrying, too. How could a belated sequel possibly compare with a side-spitting, gobsmacking all-time comedy classic? The answer, I’m afraid, is that it can’t. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm is nowhere near as hilarious as its predecessor. The pranks tend to be longer and baggier, more audacious than funny, and there is nothing to match the gross-out brilliance of the naked wrestling, or the magnificent silliness of keeping a bear in the back of an ice cream van. Read more
Yemen activists want to preserve country’s beauty beyond war (VOA)
While the conflict in Yemen continues to make headlines, a group of 16 Yemeni volunteers is seeking to put the war-torn country in a positive light by presenting its rich history and culture.
The activists started their initiative, Yemen Used to Be, in 2019 on social media platforms and recently launched a website to expand their outreach. With the motto “There’s no present without a past, and there’ll be no fruitful future if its seeds aren’t planted in the present,” the group says it wants to change the way people think about Yemen. Read more
Blake Lively leads stars roasting Ryan Reynolds for his birthday (Metro)
If there’s one thing that is a constant in this ever-changing world, it’s Ryan Reynolds getting brutally roasted on his birthday.
So much has changed this year that the phrase ‘the new normal’ has been thrown around like no one’s business.
But one thing’s for certain – as October 23 rolls around each year, the Deadpool star will be shaded by friends and fans alike.
What a time. Ryan’s wife Blake Lively helmed the annual shade-a-thon, sharing a snap of her beloved husband with his birthday pie. Not cake, pie. Read more
Pep Guardiola confirms fresh injury setback for Man City star Sergio Aguero (Metro)
Pep Guardiola has confirmed Sergio Aguero suffered a fresh injury setback during Manchester City’s disappointing 1-1 draw against West Ham on Saturday.
The club’s all-time record goalscorer had only returned from a lengthy lay-off last week in the 1-0 victory against Arsenal and opened his account for the season in the midweek Champions League win over Porto.
Aguero started at the London Stadium but gave a subdued performance and did not reappear after the break, with Phil Foden introduced in his place. Read more
Real Madrid’s Luka Jovic faces six months in jail (Guardian)
Real Madrid star, Luka Jovic, is reportedly facing a six-month prison sentence in Serbia after breaking coronavirus rules when he flew home to a party in Belgrade.
Real Madrid told their players to self-isolate following the outbreak of the virus in March but Jovic broke quarantine in order to travel back to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.
The striker was heavily criticised in his come country at the time and according to Serbian agency Tanjug, as reported by Marca, he is being prosecuted for breaking the rules and faces up to six months in prison.
Serbian newspapers also criticised the forward, explaining that he had celebrated his girlfriend’s birthday on the streets of the capital city. Read more
Antonio stunner helps resolute West Ham draw with Man City (BBC)
Michail Antonio scored a wonderful goal to earn his side a hard-earned point against Manchester City, who have now won once in four Premier League games.
Antonio’s spectacular acrobatic overhead volley from Vladimir Coufal’s cross put the Hammers ahead at London Stadium – and provided another twist in this unpredictable top-flight season.
But substitute Phil Foden equalised for City six minutes after coming on at the start of the second half, producing a really good turn to score following Joao Cancelo’s pass.
City dominated possession and sent on Kevin de Bruyne, who had missed the previous two games through injury, but could not find a winner and remain anchored in the bottom half of the table after five games. Read more
Lekki shootings: We cannot imagine the pain, Arsenal sympathise with fans (Punch)
Arsenal have sympathised with their fans in Nigeria over the crisis that followed the #EndSARS protests in the country.
The club tweeted on Saturday that it had seen “the footage” and could not imagine the pain.
Though the club did not state exactly which footage, hundreds of protesters were shot by soldiers in the country at the Lekki toll gate on Tuesday.
The footage of the soldiers firing live ammunition at the protesters has since gone viral and attracted condemnations globally. Read more
Another PSG player tests positive for coronavirus (Guardian)
An unnamed Paris Saint-Germain player has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the club’s Ligue 1 match against Dijon on Saturday.
PSG were badly hit by the virus at the start of the current season, when Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes all had to self-isolate after a holiday to Ibiza following the team’s Champions League final loss to Bayern Munich.
The player would also likely miss Wednesday’s Champions League game at Istanbul Basaksehir. Read more
Ramos and Modric ensure Real beat Barca (BBC)
Real Madrid beat Barcelona in an entertaining El Clasico behind closed doors.
Federico Valverde smashed Real, who had lost their previous two games, into the lead from Karim Benzema’s pass.
Barcelona’s Ansu Fati, 17, levelled from Jordi Alba’s cross, becoming the youngest goalscorer in El Clasico history.
Sergio Ramos scored from the spot after he was fouled by Clement Lenglet and Luka Modric smashed in a late third. Read more