Ruling family asks EFCC to investigate Oniru monarch (Guardian)
The Omowunmi Abisogun ruling house of Iruland, Lagos has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Oba Omogbolahan Lawal, the Oniru of Iruland over alleged misappropriation of family properties.
Alhaji Surajudeen Durosimi, the head of the Omowunmi Abisogun ruling house made the call while addressing newsmen in Lagos.
He alleged that the Oniru of Iruland is making efforts to misappropriate properties belonging to the Oniru family.
According to him, historically and traditionally, the principal members of the Oniru family are the custodians of the heritage and properties through the management committee comprising all three ruling houses. Read more
Traders, residents count losses as fire guts Lagos shanties (Punch)
Some traders and residents on Kano Street, in the Ebute Meta area of Lagos State, on Monday lamented heavy losses after fire gutted some shanties and makeshift structures in the community.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the fire, which started around 6pm on Sunday, was caused by an electric spark after power was restored in the area.
It was gathered that the fire emanated from one of the shanties before spreading to other parts of the community.
A resident, Ifadamilare Adeoye, told our correspondent that the fire expanded after a cooking gas in one of the shanties exploded. Read more
Court grants four bail over Ipaja land tussle (Guardian)
A high court has granted Prince Adeniran Owen Alao and three others bail over alleged stealing of 101 acres of land located at P&T Ipaja Akinyele area of Lagos state.
The other three are Kolusade Oluwafemi, Quadro Lookman and Atinuse Albert.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo in her ruling dated October 8, 2020 held that the defendants are presumed innocent until the contrary is proved and thereby granted them bail in the sum of N20 million with two sureties in like sum.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had in charge number ID/12978C/2020 accused them of conspiracy to commit felony and stealing of land contrary to section 409 and 410 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. Read more
Lagos, FCT, Ondo move to stem new COVID-19 wave (Punch)
Amidst the fear of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country due to rising numbers of infected persons, some state governments have spoken of their determination to stem new infections.
The states include Lagos, Ondo and the Federal Capital Territory.
The PUNCH had reported that there were fears that Nigeria could soon be hit with a second wave of COVID-19 following rising daily cases and the abandonment of safety protocols by states across the country. Read more
Six-year old girl raped to death in Kaduna (Guardian)
Police arrest two for allegedly kidnapping, gang raping teenage girl in Ogun
The family of Ya’u Ibrahim has been thrown into mourning by a yet-to-be identified person who raped their six-year old daughter, Aisha, to death and dumped her body in a cemetery at Kurmin Mashi area of Kaduna State.
The girl was said to have returned home from Arabic school around 11:00a.m on Sunday, and went out to play close to their compound before she was discovered missing.
Mother of the victim, Amaratu Ya’u, could not speak to The Guardian, as she was yet to recover from the shock of her child’s death. Read more
Govt to sell forfeited assets within six months (Nation)
All assets forfeited to the Federal Government are to be sold off within the next six months, it was learnt on Monday.
A 22-member committee was on Monday inaugurated in Abuja by Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami.
The mandate has been given to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Disposal of Federal Government of Nigeria Forfeited Assets, to dispose of both movable and immovable assets recovered from suspected looters.
Malami urged members of the committee not to betray the trust in them by the government, pointing out that they were drawn from relevant agencies that deal with the recovery and disposal of federal assets. Read more
Second wave of COVID-19 infections possible, says NCDC (Nation)
The second wave of COVID-19 infections is possible in the country, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Director-General Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, said on Monday.
He urged for caution and responsibility to help prevent another outbreak of the pandemic.
Ihekweazu spoke during an event organised by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja.
He said: “The increasing number of COVID-19 cases in other parts of the world is a reminder that the virus is still with us and we cannot afford to be complacent. Read more
Niger governor tests positive to COVID-19 (Guardian)
Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger has tested positive to COVID-19, an aide disclosed in a statement.
Chief Press Secretary to Bello, Mary Noel-Berje, in Minna on Monday said “his sample was taken for test, and unfortunately returned positive.
Noel-Berje said the governor made this known via his Twitter handle and that he has immediately gone into self isolation and commenced treatment. Read more
Resident doctors, others begin strike in Ondo (Nation)
The Association of Resident Doctors at the Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) on Monday began indefinite strike over non-payment of four months’ salary.
Legal officers at the Ministry of Justice, under the auspices of Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN), also withdrew their services over what they termed worsening despicable and deplorable conditions they were subjected to.
Last week, the UNIMEDTH ARD embarked on a three-day warning strike with a threat to totally down tools if their demands were not met. Read more
Injection prevents women from contracting HIV, study finds (AlJazeera)
Researchers are stopping a study early after finding that a shot of an experimental medicine every two months worked better than daily pills to help prevent women from contracting HIV from an infected sexual partner.
The news is a boon for AIDS prevention efforts – especially in
Africa, where the study took place and where women have few discreet ways of protecting themselves from infection.
Results so far suggest that the drug, cabotegravir, was 89 percent more effective at preventing HIV infection than Truvada pills, although both reduce that risk. Read more
2-million-year-old skull of human ‘cousin’ unearthed (BBC)
Australian researchers say the discovery of a two-million-year-old skull in South Africa throws more light on human evolution.
The skull was a male Paranthropus robustus, a “cousin species” to Homo erectus – a species thought to be direct ancestors of modern humans.
The two species lived around the same time, but Paranthropus robustus died out earlier.
The research team described the find as exciting.
“Most of the fossil record is just a single tooth here and there so to have something like this is very rare, very lucky,” Dr Angeline Leece told the BBC. Read more
EU welcomes Biden’s ‘victory’, but says it’s too early to discuss cooperation (RT)
The EU has cautiously welcomed what it called the election “victory” of Joe Biden. Still, any cooperation prospects will be discussed no sooner than he takes office, the bloc added.
The European Union has expressed tacit support for what it described as “the victory in the election of Joe Biden” while stopping short of officially congratulating him on his projected win. Still, it appeared to be in no rush to comment on any future plans on cooperation with its allies across the pond, until at least the presumed winner takes office.
“I think we should take things one step at a time,” Eric Mamer, a spokesman for the European Commission, told journalists at a briefing. An “ongoing” process in the US has led the bloc to “welcoming” Biden’s success, he said, adding that developments in America are still at a “very, very early” stage. Read more
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia sign Nagorno-Karabakh peace deal (BBC)
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia have signed an agreement to end military conflict over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the deal “incredibly painful both for me and both for our people”.
It comes after six weeks of fighting between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians.
The region is internationally recognised as Azerbaijani, but has been run by ethnic Armenians since 1994.
In that year, a truce was signed after fighting but not a peace deal. Read more
Militant Islamists ‘behead more than 50’ in Mozambique (BBC)
More than 50 people have been beheaded in northern Mozambique by militant Islamists, state media report.
The militants turned a football pitch in a village into an “execution ground”, where they decapitated and chopped bodies, other reports said.
Several people were also beheaded in another village, state media reported.
The beheadings are the latest in a series of gruesome attacks that the militants have carried out in gas-rich Cabo Delgado province since 2017. Read more
US aviation regulator in final stages of approving Boeing 737 MAX (AlJazeera)
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the final stages of reviewing proposed changes to Boeing Co’s grounded 737 MAX jet and expects to complete the process in the “coming days,” the agency’s chief told the Reuters news agency.
Three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters the FAA is set to lift its grounding order on the plane as early as November 18.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told Reuters in a statement that he expects “this process will be finished in the coming days, once the agency is satisfied that Boeing has addressed” safety issues involved in two fatal crashes. Read more
Tropical Storm Eta expected to strengthen after hitting Florida (BBC)
Tropical Storm Eta has hit Florida, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds that forecasters fear may lead to storm surges and flash flooding.
Schools, beaches and public transport in the southern part of the US state were shut before Eta made landfall late on Sunday in the Florida Keys.
With winds of up to 65mph (105km/h), Eta is moving westwards and is expected to strengthen over the Gulf of Mexico.
Eta has already wreaked devastation in parts of Central America. Read more
Pinnick to vie for FIFA council membership as Ivoirien, South African, Tunisians battle for CAF presidency (Guardian)
Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick has disclosed his intention to vie for membership of the FIFA Council, which is the highest decision making body in world football.
Pinnick was earlier touted as a candidate for Confedertation of African Football (CAF) presidency, but the former CAF Vice president in a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday has now thrown his hat into the ring for the FIFA executive position.
He said, “Following consultations far and wide and within the broad spectrum of continental and global footballing interests and concerns, I have decided to be a candidate for the FIFA Council at the next Elective Congress of the Confederation of African Football scheduled for March 21, 2021 in Rabat, Morocco. Read more
Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara makes international u-turn (BBC)
Sierra Leone striker Kei Kamara has come out of international retirement to re-join his country’s national team ahead of their upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Leone Stars will play Nigeria in Benin City on Friday and host the Super Eagles four days later in Freetown.
It comes a year ago after the former Norwich City and Middlesbrough player announced his international retirement on the eve of Sierra Leone’s opening 2021 qualifier against Lesotho in Freetown which ended 1-1.
Kamara. who now plays for MLS club Minnesota United in the United States, is one of 16 foreign-based players invited by Leone Stars coach John Keister. Read more
Enyimba draw Rahimo FC as Plateau get Tanzania’s Simba FC (Guardian)
Nigerian champions, Plateau United, will meet Tanzania’s Simba Football Club in the preliminary round of the 2020/21 CAF Champions League, while former African kings, Enyimba of Aba, will battle with Rahimo FC of Burkina Faso.
In the CAF Champions League draws released yesterday, the Plateau United will be away in the first leg billed to hold any day between November 27 and 29, while Enyimba will be away in the opening tie.
The reverse legs will hold between December 4 and 6. Read more
Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds in bid to buy football team (RT)
Hollywood actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have pledged to turn Welsh side Wrexham, who play in the fifth tier of English football, into a global powerhouse after announcing a bid to purchase the club.
McElhenney, best known for creating and starring in the the hit comedy series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and Reynolds, who drew acclaim for his performances in the Marvel franchise “Deadpool,” moved closer to confirming reports that they were to invest in the lower league club after speaking to members of Wrexham’s supporters’ trust on Sunday. Read more
Paul Pogba ‘cannot be happy’ at Man Utd – France boss Didier Deschamps (BBC)
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba “cannot be happy” with his situation at the club, says France manager Didier Deschamps.
Pogba has figured in 11 games for the Old Trafford side this season but started in just five of those.
He was again on the bench at Everton last Saturday before coming on after 82 minutes in a much-needed 3-1 win for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Pogba is with France’s squad for games against Finland, Portugal and Sweden.
“He is in a situation with his club where he cannot be happy, neither with his playing time, nor with his positioning,” said Deschamps. Read more
Sergio Garcia withdraws from Masters after positive coronavirus test (BBC)
Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia will miss this year’s event at Augusta after testing positive for coronavirus.
The 40-year-old Spaniard, who won the event in 2017, missed the cut in last week’s Houston Open.
“On Saturday night after driving back from Houston, I started feeling a bit of a sore throat and a cough,” he said. Read more