Salesgirl docked for stealing N154,000, granted N100,000 bail (Vanguard)
A salesgirl, Anuoluwapo Bakare, who allegedly stole her employer’s N154,000 was on Thursday arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
Bakare, who resides in the Dopemu Agege area of Lagos, is standing trial on a one-count charge of stealing.
She, however, entered a not-guilty plea and was granted bail in the sum of N100,000. The Magistrate, Mrs M.I. Dan-Oni also ordered Bakare to produce one surety in like sum and adjourned the case till November 20 for mention. Read more
#SexForGrades: Dr Boniface Igbeneghu alleges BBC set him up (Guardian)
A few days ago, October 7, BBC Africa Eye released a documentary that shook many as it brought to light the burning issue of sex for grades in West African Universities.
The documentary titled “Sex For Grades” focused on two prominent universities, University of Lagos (Nigeria) and the University of Ghana where some undercover journalists posing as students secretly filmed their interactions with some lecturers that have sexual harassment allegations trailing them.
Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, a former sub-dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Lagos was one of those caught in the scandal. He is also a pastor of a local church, Foursquare Gospel Church. Read more
Sex For Grade: University of Ghana suspends two lecturers (Vanguard)
Two Ghanaian lecturers who were secretly filmed sexually harassing undercover BBC reporters (in the Sex For Grade documentary) have been suspended pending an investigation. Professor Ransford Gyampo and Dr Paul Kwame Butakor were filmed by undercover BBC reporters. PHOTO: BBC University of Ghana lecturers Ransford Gyampo and Dr Paul Kwame Butakor propositioned journalists posing as students for a BBC documentary. Both Professor Gyampo and Dr Butakor denied any wrongdoing. Read more
FG, CRCC sign $3.9bn Abuja-Itakpe rail, Warri Port contracts (DailyTrust)
The federal government of Nigeria has entered into a Public Private Partnership agreement with China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCC) to build a new standard railway track from Abuja to Itakpe. The contract also covers the construction of the Warri sea port.
Under the terms of the contract, the FG will take 15 percent equity in the project while the CRCC will take 10 percent equity. The remaining 75 percent will be sourced from Chinese Banks to execute the project.
The CRCC will operate both the rail and the sea port, recover the money, pay back the debt and hand over the facility to Nigeria under the PPP that would last for 30 years. Read more
Nigeria seeks anti-sexual harassment law after BBC #SexForGrades film (BBC)
The Nigerian senate has introduced a bill that aims to prevent the sexual harassment of university students.
The proposed legislation follows a BBC investigation that uncovered alleged sexual misconduct by lecturers in Nigeria and Ghana.
The senate’s deputy president said he hoped the BBC’s investigation would help energise support for the bill.
Senator Ovie Omo-Agege said that he regarded sexual harassment in universities as unacceptable. Read more
Ekiti goes tough on rapists, pushes for castration of offenders (Vanguard)
In addition to lifs term sentence in jail, the Ekiti State government, in collaboration with the office of Wife of the Governor, is making moves to amend the gender-based law to carry capital punishment such as medical castration of rapists and defilers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the wife of the governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, is seeking amendment of the Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, 2011 at the State House of Assembly, to deter the perpetrators. NAN also reports that a public hearing on the GVB amendment bill was held at the state House of Assembly on Thursday, in Ado-Ekiti. Read more
FG approves review of National Broadcasting Code, proposes N5m sanction for hate speech (ThisDay)
The federal government has approved recommendations to review the National Broadcasting Code and extant broadcasting laws.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Thursday that the measure was to insulate the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from undue political interference and exercise its regulatory powers, particularly with respect to the issuance and withdrawal of broadcasting license.
The review of the National Broadcasting Code and extant broadcasting
laws will now reflect the review of fines to be paid by erring broadcasting stations from N500,000 to N5 million for breaches relating to hate speeches, inciting comments and indecency. Read more
Pioneers of lithium-ion battery win Nobel Chemistry Prize (Guardian)
Three researchers won the Nobel Chemistry Prize on Wednesday for the development of lithium-ion batteries, paving the way for smartphones and a fossil fuel-free society.
John Goodenough of the United States — at 97 the oldest person to be awarded a Nobel prize — Britain’s Stanley Whittingham, and Japan’s Akira Yoshino will share the nine million Swedish kronor (about $914,000 or 833,000 euros) prize equally, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. Read more
Olga Tokarczuk and Peter Handke win Nobel Prize for Literature for 2018 and 2019 (BBC)
Polish author Olga Tokarczuk and Austria’s Peter Handke have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Two winners were named – one for 2019 and one for 2018 – because the prize was not awarded last year.
The Swedish Academy, which oversees the prestigious award, suspended it in 2018 after a sexual assault scandal.
Tokarczuk, who also won the Man Booker International Prize last year, was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize, with this year’s Nobel going to Handke.
The 76-year-old Austrian playwright, novelist and poet was recognised for “an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience”, the academy said in a statement. Read more
Married priests question raises fears of Church split (Guardian)
An idea to fill empty pulpits in remote locations by allowing married men to become priests is bitterly dividing a Vatican assembly, with critics warning the emotive issue could fracture the Catholic Church.
The hot-button topic of whether an exception can be made to the centuries-old custom of celibacy in places where there is a shortage of priests has dominated the start of the three-week “synod” on the Pan-Amazonian region.
Austro-Brazilian bishop Erwin Krautler said Wednesday he estimated some two-thirds of the bishops in the region support the idea of “viri probati” (married “men of proven virtue”) as candidates for the priesthood. Read more
Jonathan keeps mum after meeting Buhari at Aso Rock (Vanguard)
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday declined comment on the outcome of his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agenda of the meeting between President Buhari and Jonathan, which lasted for about 15 minutes, was unknown to newsmen. The former president, who was escorted to his car by the State Chief of Protocal, Amb. Lawal Kazaure, only answered greetings from State House correspondents and other staff. Why we joined APC- Former Jigawa PDP chieftain(Opens in a new browser tab) NAN observed that the former president visited the Presidential Villa for the fifth time as he was last seen in the State House in 2016. Read more
Erdogan threatens EU with refugee influx if criticises Syria operation (Guardian)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned the EU on Thursday that Ankara would allow millions of refugees to head to Europe if the bloc criticised Turkey’s military offensive in Syria.
“Hey EU, wake up. I say it again: if you try to frame our operation there as an invasion, our task is simple: we will open the doors and send 3.6 million migrants to you,” Erdogan said in a speech to his party.
Turkey launched an operation into Syrian territory on Wednesday, aimed at combating Kurdish militants tied to insurgents in its own territory. Read more
Ebola virus now squeezed into ‘corner’ of DR Congo: WHO (Guardian)
Efforts to halt an Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo have made “significant progress”, with the virus now contained to a far smaller and mainly rural area, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday.
“We have put the virus in the corner,” Michael Ryan, the executive director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters in Geneva.
“I believe we have really squeezed the virus into a much smaller geographical area,” he said. Read more
Blind man climbs on top of BA plane in Extinction Rebellion airport takeover (Metro)
XR protester James Brown climbed on top of a BA plane at London City Airport (Picture: SWNS/XR) An environment activist climbed on top of a British Airways plane at London City Airport as part of Extinction Rebellion’s climate protest today. James Brown was taken on to the plane as a passenger and was the first person to board as he is partially sighted. He managed to clamber on to the top of the plane’s body before lying down on top of it. A video of his protest was streamed on the group’s Facebook page and ended after firefighters arrived to bring him down. Read more
Air pollution is causing baldness and hair loss, scientists claim (Metro)
We know filthy air does terrible things to our lungs and poses a major risk to our overall health.
But it’s been claimed air pollution could also be causing baldness and hair loss. Research presented at the European Dermato-Venereology Society (EADV) Congress in Madrid this week has suggested that exposure to common pollutants is ‘linked to hair loss in humans’. Read more
Iran football: Women attend first match in decades (BBC)
Iranian women have attended a World Cup qualifier in Tehran after being freely allowed to enter a stadium for a men’s match for the first time in decades.
Women have effectively been banned from stadiums when men are playing since just after the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The change followed the death of a fan who set herself alight after being arrested for trying to attend a match.
But Amnesty International described the move on Thursday as a “cynical publicity stunt”.
The NGO said there were only a “token number” of tickets for female fans as it called for all restrictions on female attendance to be lifted. Read more
Arsenal eyeing transfer move for Salzburg forward Hwang Hee-chan (Metro)
Arsenal are reportedly keeping close tabs on Salzburg attacker Hwang Hee-chan. Hwang, 23, has had an outstanding start to the league campaign, scoring five goals in seven matches for Salzburg who sit top of the Austrian Bundesliga.
The South Korea international has also impressed in the Champions League and shone in the side’s thrilling 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield earlier this month. Read more
Argentina fights back to hold Germany (NewTelegraph)
Argentina came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Germany in a friendly in Dortmund.
In a repeat of the 2014 World Cup final, the hosts raced into an early lead when Serge Gnabry poked home in the 15th minute before Kai Havertz side-footed in seven minutes later.
But Argentina fought back after the break as substitute Lucas Alario’s header halved the deficit, reports the BBC. Read more
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson taking extra training sessions to be fit for Manchester United clash (Metro)
Alisson is undertaking extra training sessions in a bid to make himself available for Liverpool’s clash against Premier League rivals Manchester United.
Brazil international Alisson has been sidelined since the opening day of the season, when he suffered a serious calf injury in Liverpool’s 4-1 win over Norwich City.
The 27-year-old is closing in on a return to first-team action, however, and is hopeful of featuring for Liverpool when they visit Old Trafford on October 20. Read more
International Friendly: Brazil 1-1 Senegal (Independent)
Brazil were in action against Senegal in an international friendly on Thursday and Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino opened the scoring for the Selecao.
Both sides put out strong line-ups as they evidently wanted to win, but it was Brazil who struck first through Firmino after just nine minutes. Read more
Eagles settle for N0.15b hotel in Singapore (Sun)
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have settled for massively built Fairmont Hotel in Singapore ahead of their friendly against Samba Boys of Brazil on Sunday.
The 5-star hotel in heart of Singapore will cost Nigeria N15million for the period of five days in the Asian country.
The Nigerian squad made up of 23 players and officials will spend about N3 million per-night as average price for single room, which goes for N102,557. Read more
Super Eagles in first training session for Brazil Thursday (Nation)
The Super Eagles will begin training on Thursday ahead of the October 13 International friendly against Brazil.
Almost all the invited 22 players have arrived Singapore for the match.
NationSport gathered that the four other players including Oghenekaro Etebo, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Jamilu Collins and Shehu Abdullahi were yet to arrive the camp of the team as at 3pm local time which is 10pm in Singapore. Read more