Sales rep arraigned for allegedly stealing 160 crates of beer (Punch)
A 33-year-old sales representative, Funmi Willoughby was on Wednesday docked in a Badagry Magistrates’Court for allegedly stealing 160 crates of beer worth N357,100.
The police charged Willoughby, whose address was not provided, with stealing.
The Prosecution Counsel, Clement Okuiomose, told the court that the defendant committed the offence between July and August, at the Green House, opposite Total filing station, Seme Border Area of Lagos.
Okuiomose said the defendant allegedly stole 160 crates of different brands of beer worth N357,100 by not giving a satisfactory account of the sales.
The beer, he said, belonged to Musa Ibrahim, the complainant. He said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.Read more
#EndSARS Anniversary: celebrities, youths hold memorial procession at Lekki Tollgate (Channels)
Celebrities and youths on Wednesday held a memorial car procession at the Lekki tollgate in Lagos State.
The parade announced by rapper Falz and comedian Mr Macaroni took place amid heavy security presence to commemorate the one year anniversary of the #EndSARS protests that led to the disbandment of the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police.
Scores of young Nigerians, alongside the celebrity duo, filled up several cars and buses, blaring horns as they drove through the toll plaza as early as 8am.
While the parade was in progress, officials of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) passed vehicles to ensure a free flow of traffic.
Meanwhile, there was an altercation between some members of the press and the security officials after the journalists were harassed by the police at the venue.Read more
Armed ‘protester’ arrested at Lekki Tollgate (DailyTrust)
A cutlass-wielding man has been arrested at Lekki tollgate in Lagos State.
Young persons marking the first anniversary of the EndSARS protests had converged on the tollgate on Wednesday despite warnings from the police.
The police had said they would not allow protesters to gather there so as to prevent hoodlums from hijacking their protests.
However, a procession of vehicles was allowed by the security operatives.
Hakeem Odumosu, Commissioner of Police in Lagos, had said approval was given for the procession to hold between 8am and 10am.
But a crowd gathered at the scene after 10am, wielding placards and chanting anti- government songs.Read more
Police disperse Osun #EndSARS protesters (Punch)
Some armed policemen have dispersed #Ensars protesters around Oke Fia, Osogbo, Osun State.
Some youths under the aegis of the #Endsars Movement had stormed streets in Osogbo in protest to commemorate the first anniversary of the demonstration against police brutality in the state.
The protesters, who took off at about 12 pm at Ita Olokan Area, went through Station Road before heading to Freedom Park, Osogbo, singing to demand the end to police brutality and ask for good governance.
The leader of the protesters, Victor Lijofi in a chat with The PUNCH, accused the police of cordoning off the initial convergence point for the protest. Read more
Pro-Buhari #EndSARS protesters storm Unity Fountain (Nation)
Supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari have staged a protest in Abuja.
They described last year’s Lekki toll gate #EndSARS protest as a hoax.
Their aim was to counter a parallel protest by some aggrieved Nigerians in FCT seeking justice for the victims of nationwide protests against police brutality.
It was learnt that the pro-Buhari protesters stormed the Unity Fountain ground around 10:30 am immediately after the anti-Buhari protesters left the scene. Read more
#EndSARS Memorial: police arrest journalists, others in Lagos (Leadership)
Journalists and other members of the protesting youths were, on Wednesday, arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force during the memorial protest to commemorate the one year anniversary of #EndSARS protest in Lagos.
#EndSARS is a code calling for the end of police brutality in Nigeria by members of the public.
A journalist reporting for an online newspaper, SaharaReporters, and some other protesters arrested by the Police operatives, led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu.
Speaking to journalists after the arrest, the CP Odumosu said the command had earlier issued statement banning any form of protest in public places. Read more
Forex constraint depresses investments in stock market (Vanguard)
Foreign investors’ apathy in the Nigerian stock market has led to a decline in the value of investments on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) in the first nine months of 2021, despite the increased volume of transactions reported by the exchange during the period.
The investors committed N636.60 billion to the market, about 1.9 per cent decline from the N648.91 billion they posted in the corresponding period of 2020.
Industry analysts believe the negative gap is actually wider when it is denominated in foreign currency. They also attributed the decline to foreign exchange liquidity constraint which has restricted earnings repatriation.
This is coming amidst an increase in the volume of traded equities during the same period.
Vanguard’s analysis of transactions in the market for the nine-month period showed that the volume of stocks traded within the period rose by 7.7 per cent to 62.602 billion units compared to 58.151 billion units traded in the corresponding period in 2020.
However, Quarter-on-Quarter (Q/Q) breakdown of transactions in the market for the nine month period showed a consistent decline in the value of traded equities.
Specifically, the value of traded equities fell by 12.96 percent in Q3’21 to N158.054 billion from N181.601 billion in the previous period in Q2’21.
It had declined by 38.8 percent to N181.60 billion in Q2’21 from N296.63 billion in Q1’21.Read more
Save The Children trains civil society, media on grievance redress mechanism (Sun)
As a part of the Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development (ESPID) project funded by UKaid, the implementing partner, Save the Children International (SCI), is currently building the capacity of civil society and media groups on Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) otherwise known as a complaints-handling mechanism.
The mechanism refers to the channels that capture the complaints or grievances related to targeting, service delivery, or other programme functions, and provide redress especially under social protection programmes designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability among the Nigerian populace.
GRM is therefore a very important platform for mitigating inclusion and exclusion errors and for monitoring corrupt practices both on the demand and supply sides.
One of the key objectives of the training was to strengthen accountability mechanisms towards effective civil society and citizens’ engagement on planning, monitoring and evaluation and budgeting process for social protection in Kaduna and Zamfara States.
Speaking at a five-day training for members of Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition (KADSPAC) and Zamfara Social Protection Platform (ZSPP) in Kano, Social Inclusion Officer, SCI, Eunice Victor said, the training became necessary for the civil society and media practitioners working around social protection.Read more
Filmmaker releases “Abdul” to mark #EndSARS first anniversary (Punch)
A Nigerian filmmaker Samuel Adeoye has released the trailer of his new short film entitled, Abdul, in commemoration of the one-year remembrance of the #EndSARS protest.
The trailer with English, Yoruba, and German as the languages of expression, was released on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
Speaking on the achievement, Abdul noted that it’s imperative for Nigerians to tell their stories to the world, most especially one shrouded in secrecy.
“It’s imperative that we tell our own stories to the world. The #EndSARS protest of October 20, 2020, is one that has become historical and will forever linger on in the minds of individuals, who were affected and several Nigerians in and outside Nigeria. This is one of the reasons we had to tell the story through film,” Adeoye said.
Facebook reportedly plans to rename itself (CNET)
Facebook is planning to give itself a new name next week to reflect its focus on the metaverse, The Verge reported Tuesday.
The social media giant’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, plans to discuss Facebook’s rebranding at the company’s annual Connect conference on Oct. 28, but an announcement could come sooner, The Verge reported, citing an unidentified source with direct knowledge of the matter.
Like Google’s creation of its parent Alphabet in 2015, a rebranded Facebook would likely create an umbrella company that oversees the Facebook app, as well as Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus, among others.
The idea of a metaverse — a computer-generated environment where people can interact with each other using AR, VR and other technologies — is something Facebook has been discussing since it acquired virtual reality headset maker Oculus
in 2014. Building out the metaverse is of interest to many large tech companies, with developers comparing it to the internet in terms of openness and interoperability. Read more
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto has Covid-19, urges vaccines(NBC)
Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto has tested positive for Covid-19 and is urging people to get vaccinated.
“While I’m somewhat stunned by this news, doctors tell me I’m lucky as well. Had I not been vaccinated, and with all my medical issues, this would be a far more dire situation,” Cavuto, 63, said in a statement.
Cavuto, who had open-heart surgery in 2016, was treated for cancer in the 1980s and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997, has been open about his health challenges.
The anchor learned of the test results after Monday’s episode of “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” and wasn’t on the air Tuesday.
He said he is “surviving” Covid because he is vaccinated. “I hope anyone and everyone gets that message loud and clear. Get vaccinated, for yourself and everyone around you” Cavuto said in his statement. Read more
COP26: Russia’s Vladimir Putin will not attend climate summit (BBC)
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will not attend the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
No reason was given for the decision not to attend, but a Kremlin spokesperson said climate change was an “important” priority for Russia.
COP26 takes place in Scotland’s largest city from 31 October to 12 November.
Russia’s decision is seen as a blow to efforts to get leaders to negotiate a new deal to stall rising global temperatures. Read more
ADB Group signs $500,000 grant agreement with MTN to enhance women’s access to financial services (Sun)
The African Development Bank’s (ADB) initiative, the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI), and Y’ello Digital Financial Services (YDFS), the fintech subsidiary of MTN Nigeria, have signed an agreement for a $500,000 grant initiative to determine the feasibility of deploying women agents in the northern part of Nigeria where, due to security issues and cultural norms, women have been disproportionately excluded from accessing finance.
The grant will cover a feasibility study, human-centred design of a women-centric agent network and a pre-pilot to test the impact on the uptake of financial services by women in the northern region.
Despite being the continent’s largest economy, access to financial services in Nigeria is still a challenge for millions of people, particularly in rural areas, where an estimated 55% of the total population are unbanked.
Mobile money adoption currently stands at 4%, with an agent ratio of 228.8 agents per 1,000 adults. A strong agent banking network forms the backbone for the adoption of digital financial services. The Central Bank of Nigeria has, in recent years, been working to create a more conducive environment for the adoption of digital financial services. Read more
Kremlin critic Navalny wins EU rights prize (Aljazeera)
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny was awarded the European Parliament’s annual human rights prize on Wednesday for his efforts to challenge President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power.
Navalny, 45, who was poisoned in August 2020 by what Western nations said was a nerve agent, is serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for parole violations he calls trumped up.
The EU has imposed sanctions on Russian officials over Navalny’s poisoning and imprisonment.
Moscow has denied any wrongdoing and accuses the EU of interfering in its domestic affairs. Read more
US surgeons successfully test pig kidney transplant in human patient (NBC)
For the first time, a pig kidney has been transplanted into a human without triggering immediate rejection by the recipient’s immune system, a potentially major advance that could eventually help alleviate a dire shortage of human organs for transplant.
The procedure done at NYU Langone Health in New York City involved use of a pig whose genes had been altered so that its tissues no longer contained a molecule known to trigger almost immediate rejection.
The recipient was a brain-dead patient with signs of kidney dysfunction whose family consented to the experiment before she was due to be taken off of life support, researchers told Reuters.
For three days, the new kidney was attached to her blood vessels and maintained outside her body, giving researchers access to it. Read more
President Raisi Terms Islamic Unity A Strategy For Iran(Independent)
President Ebrahim Raisi said unity among Muslims is not a tactic but a strategy for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Speaking in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, President Raisi underlined that those who move against unity, no matter deliberately or unknowingly, play in the enemy’s ground.
He said that everybody should try to protect unity among Iranian Muslims from every ethnicity or denomination and this was a strategy not a tactic for Iran.
The statements come as Iran and many Muslims around the world commemorate the Islamic Unity Week, marking the days between birthdates of the Holy Prophet in Sunni and Shiite traditions. Read more
Andy Murray reveals special moment with Frances Tiafoe after Antwerp win(Metro)
Andy Murray and Frances Tiafoe shared a ‘rare’ and special chat together in the locker room about all things tennis following their epic encounter at the European Open in Antwerp.
The former world No.1 saved two match points to eventually win 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (10-8) in a match that lasted three hours and 45 minutes.
Following the match, the pair shared an embrace at the net as both players lapped up the applause from the crowd.
Murray admits it’s rare players continue their conversation in the locker room after a match but on this occasion the pair enjoyed a chat, something the Scot will remember for a long time.
‘I think maybe once I’ve had that conversation… twice, but very short after matches in the locker room,’ Murray said.
‘Once was with Melzer at the US Open after I beat him in five sets and we chatted a bit about the match, and then once after playing Jarkko Nieminen because we were waiting to speak to the Queen after we played.
‘We were sort of standing next to each other, so we had a chat about the match. Read more
Atletico Madrid Suffer Key Injury Blow During Liverpool Defeat(Independent)
Atletico Madrid have suffered a big injury blow on the back of their defeat to Liverpool.
Diego Simeone‘s men came up just short in the Champions League clash on Tuesday night, losing 3-2 after Mo Salah’s penalty in the second half.
Atleti had come from behind thanks to an Antoine Griezmann brace, but the Frenchman was later sent off, and things unwound for Los Rojiblancos after that.
Atletico now face a tough challenge to win the group, now five points behind Liverpool after three games, but in the short-term, there is worse news than that.
Key midfielder Marcos Llorente has suffered an injury setback after coming off the bench in the game.
Llorente was a doubt for the fixture, but he was risked off the bench, and he has now suffered a setback to his thigh injury.
The Spain international has already started rehab treatment, but it is not clear just how many games he will miss.
What is clear is that he will miss this weekend’s key La Liga clash with leaders Real Sociedad. Read more
Newcastle manager, Steve Bruce sacked following Saudi takeover (Nation)
Newcastle United have confirmed that Steve Bruce has left the club by “mutual consent”, drawing an end to the protracted saga over the head coach’s future.
A change of manager had been considered inevitable ever since the £305m Saudi-backed takeover of the club was completed, with Bruce mocked by home supporters during Newcastle’s 3-2 defeat by Tottenham last weekend.
The 60-year-old had kept Newcastle in the Premier League for two seasons but much of his tenure has been mired in hostility, owing to his relationship with former owner Mike Ashley and a cautious playing style, with divisions deepening in recent weeks. He will be due around £8m in compensation and leaves Newcastle 19th in the table without a win this season.Read more
Stop wearing Arab-style clothing, Newcastle beg fans (Punch)
Newcastle United have asked fans to refrain from wearing traditional Arabic clothing or Middle-East inspired head coverings at matches if they would not ordinarily wear such attire.
The club was, a few days ago, taken over by the consortium of PIF, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports & Media, after approval by the English Premier League.
Since the Saudi-led takeover, many fans have been seen storming St James’ Park in traditional Arabic attire, a gesture welcomed by Newcastle.
However, a statement on the club’s website on Wednesday stated that the gesture might be offensive to others. Read more
No vaccination exemption for Australian Open, Australia’s immigration minister says(Sun)
Australia’s immigration minister on Wednesday ruled out vaccination exemptions for tennis players competing in the Australian Open, amid speculation about the vaccination status of world number one Novak Djokovic.
“Our health advice is that when we open the borders, everyone that comes to Australia will have to be double vaccinated,” Alex Hawke said.
“I don’t have a message to Novak,” he went on. “I have a message to everyone who wishes to visit Australia, you’ll need to be double vaccinated.
“That’s a universal application, not just to tennis players.”
Hawke’s comments came after the nine-time champion, who has been refusing to say whether he is vaccinated, cast doubt over his participation in the Melbourne slam.Read more
Dillian Whyte fight against Otto Wallin off after Brixton heavyweight suffers shoulder injury(Metro)
Dillian Whyte’s showdown with Otto Wallin this month has been called off after the Briton suffered an injury in training.
Whyte was scheduled to headline the card in London on 30 October against the Swedish heavyweight.
But just 11 days before fight night at the O2 Arena, The Sun report a shoulder injury has left the Brixton heavyweight unable to compete.
Whyte has been preparing at his regular training camp in Portugal and was scheduled to fly back to the UK at the start of next week.
After a shock knockout defeat to Alexander Povetkin last year, Whyte reclaimed his status as the no1 contender for the WBC title with dominant victory over the Russian in their March rematch.
The winner of his showdown with Wallin was due to take on Tyson Fury for his WBC heavyweight belt next year.Read more