Sanwo-Olu seeks Badagry, Lekki Seaports’ approval (Punch)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Monday called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to accelerate the process of giving approval to the State’s request to build two seaports in Lekki and Badagry. The Governor said the State had already deployed resources and manpower in the construction of the seaports, which, he said, were being initiated to complement the capacities of the existing ports in Apapa and Tin Can Island. Read more
Ramaphosa apologises to Nigeria over xenophobic attacks (Punch)
The President of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, has just apologised to Nigeria over the xenophobic attacks in his country. The apology was delivered to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Monday by Ramaphosa’s special envoy, Mr Jeff Radebe. A meeting between Buhari and Radebe has just ended at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Read more
Banditry: NAF to deploy air assets to Niger (Guardian)
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it will work closely with other security agencies to tackle the security situation in Niger State. The Chief of the Air Staff, (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, gave the assurance on Monday when Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger visited him in Abuja. “We are interested in adding value to your governance, We are also monitoring what is happening there. Read more
Abuja one of world’s safest capital cities, says IGP (Guardian)
The Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Mr Mohammed Adamu, says Abuja is one of the major cities across the world with lowest crime rate. The IGP said this in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba, on Monday in Abuja. Adamu said the assertion that the city was one of safest in the world remained indisputably, following a comprehensive analysis of crime statistics on major cities. Read more
Early morning road crash claims two lives in Rivers (Punch)
An early morning motor accident has claimed the lives of two persons, while others are critically injured when a car rammed into a truck parked at the Rumueme axis of Ikwerre Road, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Monday. Eyewitnesses said the truck was offloading mattresses at the side of the road when the Mazda saloon conveying five persons lost control and rammed into the parked truck around 5am. Read more
EX-NAFDAC boss escapes gunmen attack on his residence (Guardian)
Former director-general of National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC Dr Paul Orhii Monday escaped an attack on his residence by unknown gunmen. According to a family source, four armed men forced themselves into his house located behind Nigeria Television Authority, Makurdi. They were, however, repelled by policemen on duty at the time. Read more
Commercial bus plunges into River Osun, three die (Punch)
A commercial bus branded in Lagos State colours on Sunday evening plunged into River Osun, around Oke Gada area of Ede, killing three passengers. An eyewitness, Akintunde Bello Sheriff, told our correspondent that the bus lost control and plunged into the river. He also said the passengers were traders dealing in perishable goods. He added that apart from human casualties, goods purportedly bought by the passengers were also lost in the crash. Read more
10,000 Nigerian girls forced into prostitution in Burkina Faso – Ambassador (Guardian)
The Nigerian Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Ramatu Ahmed, says no fewer than 10,000 Nigerian girls are forced into prostitution in Burkina Faso. Ahmed disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) in Ouagadougou on Monday She said the victims of the sex-trade were mainly underage girls kept in appalling conditions in Ouagadougou and in mining camps across the West African country. Read more
NIHSA tells Southern states to expect more floods (Guardian)
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) says southern states should expect more flood incidents due to high rainfall intensity of long duration. Mr Clement Nze, the Director General of the agency gave the warning in Abuja on Monday while updating newsmen on 2019 flood early warning information. Nze also said that relevant stakeholders, especially individuals and state governments have failed to heed the warning issued before the onset of flooding season across the country. Read more
Seven-year-old Nigerian robotic wonderkid aims to be world best (Punch)
Seven-year-old 2019 World Robot Olympiad joint champion Brendon Ikem has said that he aimed to be the best Artifical Intelligent developer in the world. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ikem emerged champion alongside his pair Christian Peter-Jesse at the just-concluded 2019 World Robot Olympiad held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island on Saturday. Read more
Bob Hewitt: South Africa stops early release of rapist former tennis star (BBC)
South African officials have stopped the early release of convicted rapist and former tennis star Bob Hewitt following a public outcry. The 79-year-old was jailed for six years in 2015 for raping two girls and sexually assaulting a third while he was a coach in the 1980s and 1990s. He was set to be released on parole later this month but, on Monday, that decision was suspended. Read more
Boris Johnson says EU has had ‘bellyful’ of Brexit process (BBC)
The EU has had “a bellyful” of the Brexit process and wants to get a deal, Boris Johnson has told the BBC. He told Laura Kuenssberg it was “fed up with endless delays” and wanted to move onto the next phase of trade talks. Brexit would happen on 31 October, he insisted, despite a new law requiring an extension if there is no deal. Read more
Thieves steal disabled toddler’s lifesaving medical kit while family is at hospital (Metro)
A family are at ‘rock bottom’ after thieves ransacked their home and stole a life-saving medical pump used to keep their disabled three-year-old alive. Toddler Emily Anderson has cerebral palsy and cannot eat or drink, relying on the pump to get food into her stomach. Her parents say that without the back-up pump her life is now ‘at risk’ and they are pleading for its return. Read more
Russian actor jailed for 3 1/2 years over opposition protest (Guardian)
A Moscow court on Monday sentenced a 23-year-old actor to three-and-a-half years in prison for violence against police at an opposition protest even though he claimed he was simply a bystander. Moscow’s Tverskoy district court sentenced actor Pavel Ustinov to serve the sentence in a penal colony despite pleas from activists and prominent figures to let him go. Read more
Incredible moment screaming mother scares off masked burglars who broke into her house (Metro)
Doorbell camera footage captured the incredible moment a screaming mother scared away two masked burglars who broke into her house. Andrea Legget was in her shower upstairs and her son was downstairs, waiting for a ride to school, when she heard a series of loud bangs coming from her front door in Pleasanton, California. The family’s security camera aimed at their front door captured two thieves kicking and slamming the door to break it down last week. Read more
Boy poisoned by E. coli-infected beef in 2011 dies in France (BBC)
A 10-year-old French boy poisoned in 2011 by contaminated supermarket beef has died in intensive care. Nolan Moittie fell ill along with 14 other children after eating the beef burgers infected with E. coli bacteria. The frozen meat came from a firm called SEB, based in Saint-Dizier, northern France, and was sold by Lidl. In 2017 ex-SEB boss Guy Lamorlette was jailed for two years over the food poisoning. Read more
Woman battles to keep emotional support monkeys after they’re branded as dangerous as alligators (Metro)
An animal lover is battling to keep her three trained emotional support monkeys after officials said they’re as dangerous as alligators. Texanne McBride-Teahan was reported to the city officials in Creve Coeur, Missouri, last month after moving home and letting one of the creatures out into her garden. She claims the monkeys help her cope with post-traumatic stress disorder caused by a past event she refuses to disclose – but her neighbors are terrified by their presence. Read more
Avengers star Samuel L Jackson calls for end to ‘cruel’ Alzheimer’s disease (Metro)
Samuel L Jackson has called for support to end Alzheimer’s disease, calling it a ‘cruel’ condition that ravaged his family. The actor is backing a campaign aiming to battle the misconception that dementia is an inevitability of old age, explaining how he’s seen six relatives – including his mother, grandfather, aunts and uncles – battle the disease. Jackson is helping Alzheimer’s Research UK’s £ShareTheOrange campaign, which urges people to think differently about the disease. Read more
Ed Sheeran breaks silence on apparent feud with Wiley as he pens lengthy statement amid ‘culture vulture’ claims (Metro)
Ed Sheeran has defended himself amid an apparent feud with rapper Wiley, after the Godfather Of Grime dubbed the singer a culture vulture. Last week the Wearing My Rolex artist took to Twitter to announce ‘the war has started’ as he slammed both Drake and Ed as ‘pagans’ and ‘the 2 worse [sic] culture vultures on this planet’. Read more
Never say never, says Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham on playing for Super Eagles (Punch)
Youngest Chelsea player to score a hat-trick, Tammy Abraham, has said that he has not completely shut the doors on playing for Nigeria’s Super Eagles. Abraham scored three goals in the Blues match over the weekend, making him one of the joint top scorer of the Premier League. After the match with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, Goal.com quoted Abraham as saying, “Yes, I have heard the talk. I have not really been focused on that yet. I think when the time comes, the times comes. It is about focusing on Chelsea and hopefully scoring goals and getting victories. Read more
Moroccan side Wydad to lodge complaint with Court of Arbitration for Sport (BBC)
Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca say they will return to the Court of Arbitration (Cas) for Sport over May’s African Champions League final result. It comes after Sunday’s meeting of the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) Appeal Board, who ruled that Tunisia’s Esperance won the title in May. Wydad’s president Said Naciri confirmed on Monday, as he was re-elected as the president of the Moroccan Football League, that they would go to Cas as permitted by the Caf statutes. Read more
Eden Hazard compares Chelsea and Real Madrid and claims English fans ‘are not so fanatical’ (Metro)
Eden Hazard claims life is different at Real Madrid because the fans care more than they did at Chelsea. Hazard left Stamford Bridge for £88million over the summer in deal that could end up costing Madrid as much as £130million depending on performances, bringing to an end a seven-year spell at Chelsea. The Belgian winger won two league titles and two Europa Leagues for the Blues but fulfilled a childhood dream by joining Real, where he feels the support is on another level. Read more
David de Gea signs new deal at Man Utd (Guardian)
David de Gea has signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United, the Premier League club announced on Monday, ending months of speculation over his future. “David de Gea has signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until at least June 2023,” United said on their official website. “There is an option to extend for a further year.” De Gea joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has made 367 appearances for the club. Read more
‘Disgrace!’ Gary Neville hits out at Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola over ‘devastating’ transfer saga (Metro)
Gary Neville has hit out at Mino Raiola for his part in the transfer saga that has surrounded Paul Pogba. Pogba has repeatedly hinted that he is ready to move on from Manchester United and has been linked with moves to Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, the summer transfer window closed before any deal could be completed and he will be a Manchester United player until January at least. Read more
Aurier committed to Tottenham after failing in summer transfer bid (Guardian)
Tottenham right-back Serge Aurier says he is happy at the Premier League club, despite being prevented from leaving in the transfer window. The Ivory Coast international said last week that he would have liked to have moved on from Spurs but instead made his first appearance of the season and was involved in the build-up for two of the goals in the 4-0 romp over Crystal Palace on Saturday. Read more
Granit Xhaka admits Arsenal were too scared against Watford (BBC)
Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says the Gunners “were too scared” as they let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Watford. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice in the first half for the visitors but the Hornets hit back after the break through Tom Cleverley and a late Roberto Pereyra penalty. Watford finished with 31 shots on goal, 23 of those coming in the second half. Read more
Reus plots Dortmund path past Barcelona (Guardian)
Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus insisted Monday that his team could beat Barcelona regardless of whether Lionel Messi plays or not, but feared however that Dortmund would ‘have to suffer’ when the two sides meet in the Champions League on Tuesday. Messi is a doubt for Tuesday’s game amid ongoing struggles with a calf injury, but Reus suggested Dortmund could win if they play to their own strengths instead of obsessing over the opponent. Read more
Carina Horn: South African sprinter tests positive for banned substance (BBC)
South Africa sprinter Carina Horn has been provisionally suspended after violating anti-doping rules. Horn tested positive for Ibutamoren and the anabolic agent LGD-4033, according to the International Athletics Federation’s Athletics Integrity Unit. The 30-year-old is the first female South African to run sub-11 seconds in the 100m, clocking 10.98 seconds. Read more