Sanwo-Olu says Lagos has overcome COVID-19 third wave (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, said Lagos has successfully overcome COVID-19 third wave and already taking proactive measures to banish the virus from the state completely.
Speaking at the 61st independence day parade at Agege Stadium, Sanwo-Olu said the county celebrates, his administration is mindful of the various challenges confronting the nation and the state.
The governor said more than ever before, it is time for all Nigerians to close ranks, and view the differences not as a stumbling block but instead as an energizing force, and unite with renewed determination and commitment to move the country forward against all odds.
“Even in the face of the many challenges confronting us as a people and as a nation, my message to every Nigerian at this time is that we have no reason to lose hope. There is enough evidence around us of the fact that while we are not yet where we would like to be as a country and a people, we are also no longer where we used to be. Read more
Man smashes grinding stone on peacemaker’s leg for meddling in fight (Punch)
A Lagos resident, Nofiu Odusanya, alias Atere, has allegedly broken the leg of a community leader, Mutairu Olayiwola, in Isale Oja, in the Agege area of Lagos State for meddling in a fight.
It was gathered that Odusanya, on Sunday, September 19, had a disagreement with Mutairu’s daughter, Islamiya, which degenerated into a fight.
PUNCH Metro learnt that when the community leader attempted to broker peace between the parties, Odusanya ran out and grabbed a grinding stone.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspect smashed the stone on Mutairu’s leg. Read more
N45m Scam: Ex-Navy captain jailed (DailyTrust)
Justice Mojisola Dada of the special offences court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has jailed a retired Navy Captain, Jerry Ogbonna, for stealing and obtaining N45 million by false pretence.
Ogbonna, alongside his company, Obyke System Consult Limited, obtained the N45m from Diamond Bank Plc by falsely presenting to the bank that the said money represented the mobilisation fee from the Department of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
A statement on Thursday by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said the former naval officer was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the anti-graft agency.
It said the convict had previously appeared before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court in 2016, before the case was struck out after several attempts to have him take his plea proved abortive. Read more
Tears as Lagos police officer killed by hoodlums buried in Ibadan (Punch)
The remains of a Chief Superintendent of Police, Kazeem Abonde, killed by hoodlums in Lagos during a raid on commercial motorcyclists have been buried in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The 54-year-old police officer, who held a Master’s Degree in Law, was said to be due for retirement in nine months and it was gathered that he was planning to go into law practice after that but was mowed down by hoodlums in the line of duty.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations in Lagos State, Ahmed Kotangora, led other senior police officers from the command to the family house of the deceased at Abonde community, Ibadan in the Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State where he was buried.
Kotangora, who delivered the message of the Inspector General of Police to the head of the family said the police would do everything to arrest and prosecute the killers of the officer. Read more
CBN postpones launch of digital currency, e-Naira (Tribune)
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced the postponement of the proposed launch of its digital currency, e-Naira.
A statement by apex bank’s Director of Communications, Mr Osita Nwanisobi, said that the launch, which was earlier scheduled for October 1, was postponed due to other activities lined up to commemorate the country’s 61st independence anniversary.
Nwanisobi said that the CBN and other partners were working round-the-clock to ensure a seamless process that would be in the overall interest of customers, especially the unbanked population.
He said that with the e-Naira, Nigerians would be able to carry out peer-to-peer transfer to another person’s e-Naira wallet as well as pay for goods and services at selected merchants. Read more
Zamfara restores telecom services in Gusau (ThisDay)
Governor Bello Mohammed of Zamfara state has ordered the restoration of telecommunications services within the state capital, Gusau, with effect from Friday.
A statement by his special adviser on media , communication and public enlightment Zalaini Bappa said the restoration of the service at the state Capital becomes imperative following the tremendous success recorded in the fight against banditry in the state and to ease the hardship faced by both the private and public sectors of the state.
“Government finds it necessary to ease the tight measure after the recorded success desired of it which has no doubt destabilsed the syndicate of criminals terrorising the state leading to the successes recorded against them by the security operatives” it stated. Read more
Police arrest father for alleged incest (Guardian)
The Police Command in Ogun has confirmed the arrest of a 52-year-old man, Adebayo Akinrinoye, for allegedly defiling his 16-year-old daughter.
Police Spokesman in Ogun, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement issued to newsmen on Saturday in Ota.
Oyeyemi explained that the suspect, who resides at No. 11 Kabiru Close, Idi Opatun bus stop, Matogun, Agbado area of the state, was arrested on Sept. 23, following a report via a written petition brought to Agbado Divisional Police Headquarters by the victim.
He added that in the petition, the victim alleged that her father had been sexually abusing her since she was 14 years old. Read more
We are looking forward to Buhari’s promise to lift ban, says Twitter (Tribune)
The social media platform, Twitter, which is currently banned in Nigeria, says it looks forward to being reinstated there following “productive” discussions with its government, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported.
Their statement follows President Muhammadu Buhari’s announcement that the months-long ban on Twitter will be lifted, but only after certain conditions are met.
An unnamed Twitter spokesperson said on Friday shortly after the prresident’s broadcast: “We continue to engage with the Nigerian government and we are committed to charting a path forward to the restoration of Twitter for everyone in Nigeria.
“Discussions with the Nigerian government have been respectful and productive – we look forward to seeing the service restored very soon.” Read more
Why NG Eagle is yet to commence operations (ThisDay)
A new airline, NG Eagle being floated by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) is yet to obtain Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to start operation because one of the aircraft needed to secure minimum number of equipment that would qualify it for certification is not ready.
The aircraft, a Boeing B737-700 originally owned by Arik Air but taken by AMCON to NG Eagle is waiting for livery change at Ethiopia Airlines Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Addis Ababa.
It was learnt that the aircraft has been in the MRO facility for weeks after a C- check (maintenance) had been conducted on the aircraft.
When painted, the aircraft would now be ready to be ferried to Nigeria to complete the process of obtaining AOC from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Read more
Steve Jobs’ daughter Eve makes runway debut at Paris Fashion Week (PageSix)
There’s a fresh new face on the catwalk this season.
Eve Jobs, the 23-year-old daughter of Apple founder Steve, made her runway debut at Coperni’s show during Paris Fashion Week on Thursday, strutting her stuff in a neon green mock turtleneck top, navy embellished miniskirt, platform flip-flops and shield-style sunglasses.
Jobs joined the likes of Gigi Hadid, Paloma Elsesser and Adut Akech in the show — where, fittingly, the label introduced its new “Origami” handbag, whose shape was inspired by the iPhone’s Photos app icon.
“I can’t put into words how extraordinary this collection is. It was an honor to be apart of the vision @coperni,” Jobs wrote on Instagram, sharing snaps of her outfit and congratulating the brand’s designers, Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer. Read more
Covid antiviral pill can halve risk of hospitalisation (BBC)
An experimental drug for severe Covid cuts the risk of hospitalisation or death by about half, interim clinical trial results suggest.
The tablet – molnupiravir – was given twice a day to patients recently diagnosed with the disease.
US drug-maker Merck said its results were so positive that outside monitors had asked to stop the trial early.
It said it would apply for emergency use authorisation for the drug in the US in the next two weeks. Read more
Superstar Russian actress flying to ISS next week to beat Tom Cruise in movie space race (Metro)
A Russian actress is preparing to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next week in order to shoot a movie in space.
Yulia Peresild will blast off aboard a Soyuz MS-19 rocket on October 5 and will be joined by a director and two other cosmonauts.
This will be the first film shot in orbit and will see the Russians chalk up another space-based victory over the Americans.
That’s because Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise is also rumoured to be planning a trip to the ISS to film a movie of his own. Read more
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin: Allegations of safety issues at company (BBC)
The US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has said it will review safety concerns raised by whistleblowers at Blue Origin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ space company.
The announcement comes after 21 current and former employees claimed the company had ignored safety concerns to gain an advantage in the space race.
Staff also complained of a culture of sexism within the company.
Blue Origin rejected the charges and said it stands by its safety record. Read more
Britney Spears shares nude photos from vacation after conservatorship win (NYPost)
Britney Spears celebrated her latest conservatorship win by sharing a series of nude photos from her vacation with fiancé Sam Asghari.
The pop superstar, 39, posted several snaps of herself posing in front of a bathtub wearing nothing — except for strategically placed flower emojis.
Her post also included images of her on a secluded beach, rocking bright red bikini bottoms and covering her breasts with her hands.
“Playing in the Pacific never hurt anybody 😉💋🙊 !!!!” wrote Spears, who has developed a penchant for posting skin-baring Instagram photos throughout 2021. Read more
Cardi B denies tummy tuck after giving birth to baby boy as she recalls ‘losing so much blood’ during labour (Metro)
Cardi B has hit back at claims she had cosmetic surgery just weeks after giving birth, while revealing how she suffered complications during labour.
The WAP rapper welcomed a baby boy, her second child with husband Offset, in September.
Since then, some fans have commented on how much weight Cardi, 28, appears to have lost after seeing recent photos, while others have speculated on whether she’s had a tummy tuck.
However, the rapper has insisted it’s simply down to angles and the good old fashioned trick of breathing in. Read more
Joshua confident he’s learnt lesson after Usyk defeat (Punch)
Anthony Joshua says he has “learnt my lesson” after losing his world heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in London at the weekend.
Usyk outpointed Joshua on all three judges’ scorecards as he wrested the WBA, IBF and WBO titles away from the British boxer in front of a crowd of more than 66,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Joshua cut a surprisingly relaxed figure in the early hours of Sunday as he gave his initial thoughts on just the second defeat of his 26-fight professional career despite having greater height, reach and weight than his Ukrainian opponent.
In a social media post on Thursday, the 31-year-old said, “I’ve watched the fight, analysed my preparations and identified my mistakes. I’ve learnt my lesson. Read more
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City boss says Liverpool rival Jurgen Klopp has made him a ‘better manager’ (BBC)
Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp has made him a “better manager”.
City are a point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and the teams meet at Anfield on Sunday (16:30 BST).
The only time City missed out on the title in the past four years is when the Reds won it in 2019-20.
“Since I arrived here – maybe not the first year – Liverpool were always there,” said Guardiola. Read more
Nets owner Joe Tsai: James Harden wants to retire in Brooklyn (NYPost)
James Harden hasn’t signed a long-term extension yet but wants to retire in Brooklyn. At least, that’s what Nets owner Joe Tsai told The Post.
Tsai planned to host the entire team at his La Jolla home Thursday night, including Harden. And while it could be an opportune time to talk with the star guard about his contract status, Tsai told The Post whether Harden inks an extension now or after the season, he’s already given his assurances that he plans to retire a Net.
“Yeah, whether or not it’s the season now or later, the way I look at it is he’s already said I want to play and finish my career in Brooklyn: He’s actually said that. And our job is to make sure that he continues to feel that way,” Tsai told The Post. “Obviously, if we win a championship and also have the chance to win multiple championships down the road, that’s going to be even more convincing, more compelling. Read more
Dele Alli reveals how he reacted to getting hauled off at half-time against Arsenal (Metro)
Dele Alli revealed he endured sleepless nights after he suffered the ignominy of being hauled off at half-time during Tottenham’s 3-1 defeat at Arsenal last weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s side roared into a three-goal first-half lead and never looked likely to surrender their advantage, despite a late Son Heung-min consolation.
After a wretched opening 45 minute display, Spurs coach Nuno Espirito Santo reacted by dragging off the England international at the break, as well as north London derby rookie Japhet Tanganga.
Tottenham were hammered by Arsenal in last weekend’s north London derby
Tottenham were hammered by Arsenal in last weekend’s north London derby (Picture: Getty)
‘I’m sure you could imagine. It’s hard for us to take,’ said Ali, who scored from the penalty spot in last night’s confidence boosting Europa Conference League win over Mura. Read more
Andres Iniesta says he hopes to one day return to Barcelona (BBC)
There is still a romance to the way Andres Iniesta enjoys a career that, if it were a video game, would have been completed several times over.
The 37-year-old has a trophy haul which reflects his status as one of the great midfielders of his generation – a World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, four Champions Leagues and countless other silverware with Barcelona.
But for the past three years the midfielder has called Japan his home, adding an Emperor’s Cup and Japanese Super Cup with Vissel Kobe. He recently committed to a new deal that will keep him playing until he is almost 40.
Ask Iniesta how he continues to see the seemingly impossible pass, or wriggle out of the tightest situations, and he will take you back three decades and almost 7,000 miles to the instincts honed on the makeshift pitches of his hometown of Fuentealbilla. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer laughs off reports Cristiano Ronaldo is trying to influence Manchester United tactics (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has denied rumours Cristiano Ronaldo is actively trying to alter Manchester United’s tactics and insists the forward has only had a positive impact since his summer return.
A report from ESPN suggests Ronaldo has asked Solskjaer to change United’s style to increase his goal ratio, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner demanding sharper and quicker play when distributing the ball in the opposition half.
The talismanic 36-year-old is convinced his goals tally could have been higher since rejoining United from Juventus, despite an outstanding return of five goals in his opening five games.
Ronaldo’s latest strike, a last-gasp winner against Villarreal in the Champions League, got Solskjaer out of trouble during a particularly sticky period and the Norwegian only had good things to say about his superstar signing at a press conference on Friday. Read more