Task force nabs 71 miscreants in early morning raid at Oshodi (Nation)
Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) on Wednesday morning arrested 71 miscreants around railway-line in Oshodi as part of efforts to rid the State of criminal elements, especially those operating at notorious blackspots across the metropolis. In a statement, Chairman of the Agency, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, who led the enforcement team in the early morning raid, stated that the crackdown is in line with the determination of the Task Force to curtail the activities of hoodlums who rob unsuspecting members of the public. Read more
Second batch of Nigerians return from South Africa (Punch)
The second batch of 315 Nigerians returned from South Africa on Wednesday at about 7:22 p.m. at the cargo wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The evacuation which should have taken place on Tuesday was stalled due to delayed landing permit to Air Peace by the South African airport authority. Read more
Buhari removes Oyo-ita, names new HoS (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr. Mrs. Folashade Yemi-Esan as the Acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation with immediate effect. In a statement signed by Mr. Willie Bassey, Director Information, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita has been directed to proceed on an indefinite leave to allow conclusion of the investigation being carried out by EFCC. Read more
Osinbajo’s economic team dissolved for good reasons —Adesina (Punch)
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says the economic management team hitherto led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was dissolved “for good reasons” and also for “better management.” Adesina said this during an interview on Channels TV’s ‘Politics Today’ programme on Wednesday. Read more
Xenophobia: Onyeama did not snub NASS – Foreign Affairs ministry (Punch)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied allegations by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, that the MFA minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, failed to appear before the House plenary and Committee on Foreign Affairs to brief them on his efforts to address the plight of Nigerians facing xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Read more
Over N10bn compensation paid to communities for 2nd Niger Bridge – Fashola (Punch)
Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, admitted on Wednesday that poor funding was reason major road projects delayed since 2015. He said some communities made ridiculous compensation demands for roads traversing their localities, further causing problems for the projects. Read more
Two die in Port Harcourt, Asaba accidents (Nation)
One person died on Monday night after a car plunged into a river on the NLNG/Nkpogu road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. There were just two occupants. A middle-aged woman drowned, while the driver was found by the shore unconscious. Local divers and the police retrieved the vehicle from the river yesterday morning. Read more
Reps probe P&ID $9.6bn contract, invite Malami, Sylva (Punch)
The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the circumstances surrounding the $9.6bn judgment recently secured by Messrs Process and Industrial Developments in a court in the United Kingdom against Nigeria. As part of the probe, the House also resolved to invite the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); and Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, for questioning. Read more
DisCos to FG: Respect electricity contracts (Nation)
The electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to respect the various agreements it entered into with the investors in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). Following the commencement of the Transition Electricity Market (TEM), the electricity market was expected to be governed by the sanctity of power purchase agreements that the private investors entered into with the government. Read more
FG releases timetable for 59th Independence anniversary celebration (Punch)
The Federal Government has released the timetable of events leading to the celebration of the 59th Independence anniversary. Nigeria obtained her Independence from Britain on October 1, 1960. In a press release signed by Willie Bassey, Director (Information) at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the anniversary will celebration will commence on Monday, September 23, with a press conference at the National Press Centre, Abuja. Read more
Tribunal is frustrating our right of appeal, PDP cries out (Nation)
The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State has accused the National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin City of frustrating its right of appeal in the judgment delivered in the petition filed by Hon Omosede Igbinedion against the election of Hon Dennis Idahosa. In the judgment, the three-man panel had dismissed Omosede’s petition for lack of merit. Read more
Prisons official, five others arrested for alleged ATM fraud (Guardian)
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Office have arrested six suspected fraudsters said to specialise in defrauding innocent Nigerians by using bank details obtained through sim swaps and Automated Teller Machines (ATM). The suspects that were apprehended were Urulo Ikenna Henry, an Inspector with the Enugu Command of Nigerian Correctional Service, Ugonna Nelson Owete, Ugonna Samuel Okafor Obinna, Chigbo Paschal Chidiebere, Oha Chukwujekwu Kingsley and Ahamefula Francis Izuchukwu. Read more
Housewife seeks divorce because husband refuses to pray (Nation)
A housewife, Shamsiya Muhammad, on Wednesday begged a a Sharia Court ll, sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna state to dissolve her marriage with Sani Adamu, over his refusal to pray. The complainant, Muhammad, who resides at Tudun Wada, Kaduna, said that she cannot continue with Adamu, because he also does not care for her and always insults her parents whenever they have a misunderstanding. Read more
South Africa’s Ramaphosa pledges to tackle violence against women (Guardian)
President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted Wednesday that South Africa is one of “the most unsafe places in world to be a woman” and announced an emergency plan to stop the resurgence in violence against them. Comparing the levels of such attacks to a war zone, Ramaphosa told a special session of the two chambers of parliament that “there is a dark and heavy shadow across our land. Women and children are under siege”. Read more
Gang violence claims four lives in Cape Town (Punch)
Authorities on Wednesday reported that gang violence has claimed four more lives in Cape Town, a port city on South Africa’s southwest coast. Albert Fritz, Minister for Community Safety in the Western Cape Province said that the incident occurred one day after President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the deployment of troops to fight gangs in the city. Read more
Trump strips California of power to set auto emission standards (BBC)
The White House has stripped California of its right to set its own vehicle emissions standards and banned other states from setting similar rules. The waiver allowed the state – America’s most populous – to set stricter standards than the federal government. President Trump says the move will cut car prices and the impact on emissions will be minimal. Read more
US Fed cuts interest rates for second time since 2008 (BBC)
The US central bank has cut interest rates for only the second time since 2008, amid concerns about slowing global growth and trade wars. As expected the Federal Reserve lowered the target range for its key interest rate by 25 basis points to between 1.75% and 2%. President Trump reacted by attacking Fed chairman Jerome Powell for lacking “guts”. Read more
Dutch gangster case: Shock at murder of lawyer Derk Wiersum (BBC)
A Dutch lawyer in a major gangland case has been shot dead outside his Amsterdam home – a crime described by police as exceptionally brutal. Derk Wiersum, 44, was the lawyer for a state witness in a case against members of a violent drug gang, who are accused of five murders between 2015 and 2017. A hoodie-wearing suspect fled on foot. Read more
Girl, 5, abducted from a playground in broad daylight by man in red van (Metro)
Police are conducting a massive search for a five-year-old girl who was abducted in broad daylight on Monday. Authorities say Dulce Alavez was taken from a playground in Bridgeton, New Jersey as she played with her three-year-old brother. The man reportedly led Dulce to his van then drove away. Police have described him as a light skinned, possibly Hispanic male who was driving a red van with sliding doors and tinted windows. Read more
Chinese woman pleads guilty in ‘birth tourism’ case (BBC)
A Chinese woman has pleaded guilty in the US to federal charges of running a “birth tourism” scheme for Chinese nationals who paid so their children would be born American citizens. Dongyuan Li admitted her company assisted wealthy Chinese nationals in getting to the US to give birth. Ms Li would give clients training on how to bypass US immigration control and hide their pregnancies. Read more
France insists world’s ‘oldest woman’ was not fake (BBC)
French officials have refused to change the death certificate of the oldest person on record despite claims of fraud by Russian researchers. Jeanne Calment died in 1997 aged 122 but a recent Russian study claimed she had in fact died in the 1930s. They claimed her daughter then assumed her identity in order to avoid paying inheritance tax. Read more
Kim Kardashian’s security tackles Kris Jenner and lands her in neck brace in dramatic scenes (Metro)
In a case of mistaken identity, Kris Jenner was tackled by Kim Kardashian’s security and rushed to hospital. As we caught our first glimpse of the next season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, we saw the matriarch of the family Kris being put onto a stretcher. Not looking the best, we were left wondering what on earth had her being rushed to hospital in such a state. Read more
Andre Ayew happy to be back in Swans nest for third spell (BBC)
He is the captain of Ghana and has spent his career playing at the top level for club and country. Yet as his 30th birthday approaches, Andre Ayew is playing Championship football for Swansea City despite the club spending much of the summer trying to offload him. Read more
Man City ease to victory at Shakhtar (BBC)
Manchester City bounced back from their shock Premier League defeat at Norwich by launching their Champions League campaign in style with a deserved victory at Shakhtar Donetsk. Humbled at Carrow Road on Saturday evening, the English champions were imperious in Ukraine against an initially tenacious, but ultimately inferior, opponent. Read more
Man City’s Fernandinho reveals he has been training to play at centre-back all season (Metro)
Fernandinho says he has been training to play at centre-back all season, after starting in the middle of defence in Manchester City’s dominant win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday night. The Brazilian was making his first start of the season after losing his holding midfield role to summer signing Rodri. However, he returned to the starting line-up alongside Nicolas Otamendi in central defence after injuries to Aymeric Laporte and John Stones left City short in that position. Read more
Tottenham held by Olympiakos after blowing two-goal lead (Guardian)
Tottenham failed to get off to a winning start in the Champions League as last season’s finalists let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2 with Olympiakos in Greece on Wednesday. Despite a slow start, two goals in four minutes from Harry Kane and Lucas Moura put Spurs on course for vital win in group B. Read more
Mauricio Pochettino slams Spurs stars for failing to ‘respect’ his tactics against Olympiacos (Metro)
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino accused his players of failing to ‘respect’ his gameplan following their 2-2 draw with Olympiacos. First half goals from Harry Kane and Lucas Moura gave Spurs a 2-0 lead in Greece but Daniel Podence scored on the stroke of half-time to half the deficit. Spurs, in truth, were lucky to be ahead and gave away a number of chances to the hosts. Read more
Atletico fight back for draw v Juve (BBC)
Substitute Hector Herrera scored a 90th-minute equaliser to crown a fine Atletico Madrid comeback and deny Juventus victory in the Champions League. Former Chelsea winger Juan Cuadrado produced a sumptuous curling finish to put Juventus in front before a header by French World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi made it 2-0. Read more
Paul Pogba leaving would be no loss to Manchester United, says Paul Scholes (Metro)
Losing Paul Pogba would not be a loss for Manchester United and there are other players in the squad who could perform to his standards, believes Paul Scholes. The Frenchman looked likely to leave the club over the summer after he announced that he was looking for a new challenge away from Manchester. Read more
Di Maria scores two as PSG beat Real to increase pressure on Zidane (BBC)
Angel di Maria scored twice against former employers Real Madrid as Paris St-Germain began their Champions League Group A campaign with a comfortable win. Thomas Meunier’s stoppage-time goal added more embarrassment for the Spanish giants – and heightened the pressure on Real manager Zinedine Zidane, whose win ratio is below 50% since returning to the club towards the end of last season. Read more