Traffic violation: Lagos to auction 44 seized vehicles (Punch)
The Lagos State Task Force on the Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit has announced the sale of 44 vehicles seized from traffic offenders.
Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made this known in a public notice posted on Twitter.
The notice titled, ‘List Of Court-Forfeited (One-Way) Vehicles To Be Auctioned’ listed 44 vehicles of different brands and registration numbers.
It partly read, “Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Task Force) wishes to inform interested members of the public, especially owners whose vehicles have been forfeited to the Lagos State Government that all necessary arrangement has been concluded with a ‘Court Order’ in accordance with the law for a ‘Public Auction’ of the vehicles which would hold at the Agency’s car park behind Shoprite, Alausa, Ikeja, on Monday 23rd of November 2020. Read more
Gridlock: Tension rises in Apapa as suspected miscreants launch attack on Presidential task team (Vanguard)
Traffic may worsen in the coming weeks, as operators and stakeholders in Apapa Ports are currently living in fear, following violent attack on men of the Presidential Task Team on Restoration of Law and Order in Apapa by suspected miscreants, during an operation.
The incident, it was gathered happened at the weekend around Second Gate, TinCan Island Port, Apapa.
However, eyewitnesses have debunked claims by some groups that a person died as a result of gunshot during the clash, which left operational van of the leader of the task team, destroyed. Read more
Sanwo-Olu donates palliatives to 200 widows in Badagry (Guardian)
Mr Solomon Bonu, the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts and Culture, on Monday donated palliatives to 200 widows in Badagry to cushion economic hardship faced by them.
Speaking shortly before the distribution of the food items in Gbaji, Badagry, Bonu said he was sent to the widows by the governor to give them the palliatives.
The special adviser said that COVID-19 pandemic palliatives had been shared throughout the state and particularly throughout the three local government/LCDAs of Badagry.
Bonu added that the food items included Indomie noodles, beans, rice and garri, adding that they were mainly for the widows. Read more
Lekki shooting: Army insists personnel never fired live bullets (Sun)
The Nigerian Army on Sunday insisted that its personnel deployed to the Lekki Toll Gate area during the #EndSARS protest in Lagos only used blank bullet and also shot into the air and not directly at protesters.
The force said its personnel fired the blank bullets into the sky to disperse the crowd and not at the protesters adding that, “The results are all glaring as there was no fatality recorded. This has been corroborated by BBC reports and other reputable news media outfit”.
The Army further emphasized that carrying both blank and live ammunition is part of the table of Equipment for internal Security Operation as well as part of the rules of engagement for soldiers during such IS operations. Read more
Lagos-Ibadan rail line: Inadequate manpower slowing down pace of work, Amaechi laments (Vanguard)
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, Monday, continued his routine inspection tour of railway projects on the Lagos-Ibadan axis.
Accompanied by the Ben Akabueze, Director General Budget Office of the Federation; Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Engr. Fidet Okhiria; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, amongst others, the inspection commenced at the Ebute-Metta Railway Complex, where significant work has been done including tiling and plastering.
At the Agege sub station, the Minister expressed dismay at what he called the slow pace of work, reminding officials of the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, that he would return on December 23 to ascertain the level of work done. Read more
Court Orders Remand of Ndume over Maina’s Absence in Court (Thisday)
Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja Monday, ordered the remand of Senator Ali Ndume at the Kuje Correctional Centre following his inability to produce a former chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, in court to answer to corruption charges.
Ndume stood surety for Maina in his alleged corruption charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Maina is standing trial on alleged money laundering charges to the tune of N2 billion.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of N500 million and a surety in like sum, who must in addition attend sitting at every time the matter is called and also ensure that Maina unfailingly appears in court for his trial. Read more
Ex-Bauchi health commissioner Zuhwaira dies at 45, in car accident (Guardian)
The Head of Department, Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, (ATBUTH), Bauchi, Dr. Zuhwaira Hassan, 45, has died in a car accident.
Adamu Garkuwa, a Junior brother to the deceased, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Hospital on Monday that late Zuhwaira died in the early morning of Monday, while returning from Jos.
Garkuwa, who is also the Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Bauchi State Command, said the incident occurred at Zaranda Village, on the Bauchi-Jos Road. Read more
Police launch rescue operation for abducted priest (Punch)
The Police Command of the Federal Capital Territory has launched an operation to rescue a Catholic reverend father kidnapped on Sunday at Yangoji village along Kwali axis, Abuja.
The command urged the members of the public to remain calm, while it intensifies effort to liberate the unidentified victim unhurt.
This is happening barely one week after five persons were kidnapped in the early hours of Wednesday in a village along Pegi, Kuje Area Council, Abuja. Read more
“Double Fantasy” album John Lennon signed for his killer is up for auction (PageSix)
A shocking piece of rock ’n’ roll memorabilia is expected to sell for more than $1 million at auction.
The “Double Fantasy” album that John Lennon signed for his killer, Mark David Chapman, hours before Chapman assassinated the star in 1980 in front of The Dakota will be put up for sale by Goldin Auctions on Monday.
According to the auction house, Chapman left the album in one of the planters outside the Upper West Side building’s entrance, where a passerby found it and turned it over to police.
The album — which in 1998 sold for $150,000 — has a starting bid of $400,000 and includes police-evidence markings. Read more
Saudi surgeon dies at work in hospital operating room (BBC)
A surgeon in Saudi Arabia has died in a hospital operating room where he was set to perform an orthopaedic procedure, according to Saudi media.
Mahdi al-Emari suffered a heart attack and died on Friday at the Khamis Mushait Civil Hospital, reports Al-Watan Daily website.
Colleagues noticed that the doctor appeared ill and convinced him to get tested for heart problems.
It is not known if he operated on the patient after the electrocardiogram. Read more
Saudi Arabia denies meeting between MBS and Israeli officials (AlJazeera)
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has denied reports that a meeting took place between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli officials on Sunday.
“I have seen press reports about a purported meeting between HRH the Crown Prince and Israeli officials during the recent visit by @SecPompeo. No such meeting occurred. The only officials present were American and Saudi,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud wrote on Twitter on Monday.
Israeli media reported earlier that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held secret talks in Saudi Arabia on Sunday with Crown Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS. Read more
Vegans are 43% more likely to suffer bone fractures, study shows (NYPost)
Vegans may be significantly more likely to develop bone fractures than meat-eaters, a new study revealed.
The large, longitudinal study published Sunday in the journal BMC Medicine, revealed that there were 19.4 more cases of fractures in vegans and 4.1 more cases in vegetarians for every 1,000 people over 10 years.
“This is the first comprehensive study and the largest study to date to look at the risks of both total fractures (fractures occurring anywhere in the body) and fractures at different sites in people of different habitual dietary habits,” the study’s lead author, Tammy Tong, a nutritional epidemiologist at the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, said in an email to CNN. Read more
Iranian anti-hijab activist could face 12 years in prison if deported from Turkey (VOA)
An Iranian anti-hijab activist who fled Iran after being sentenced to 12 years in prison is now facing deportation while detained in a repatriation center in Turkey.
Nasibeh Shemsai, 36, was arrested at Istanbul Airport on November 5 as she attempted to take an Italy-bound flight using a fake passport to reunite with her brother in Spain.
She was initially taken to a police station in Istanbul, then was transferred to a repatriation center in Edirne, a border province in northwestern Turkey, where she could be sent back to Iran. Read more
Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective (BBC)
The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is highly effective at stopping people developing Covid-19 symptoms, a large trial shows.
Interim data suggests 70% protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose.
The results will be seen as a triumph, but come after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines showed 95% protection.
However, the Oxford jab is far cheaper, and is easier to store and get to every corner of the world than the other two. Read more
Israeli scientists: New cancer treatment like using ‘tiny scissors’ to hit cells (NYPost)
Israeli scientists say they’ve created a way to treat cancer in mice that is so precise, it’s like using “tiny scissors” to target the cells, according to a report.
“This is the first study in the world to prove that the CRISPR genome editing system, which works by cutting DNA, can effectively be used to treat cancer in an animal,” Professor Dan Peer, a cancer expert from Tel Aviv University told the Times of Israel.
Peer’s research was published last week in the Science Advances journal.
“There are no side effects, and we believe that a cancer cell treated in this way will never become active again.” Read more
Boris Johnson personally intervenes to secure Lewis Hamilton knighthood (Metro)
Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will receive a knighthood in the New Year Honours list after Prime Minister Boris Johnson personally intervened to secure the accolade.
The 35-year-old from Stevenage claimed his seventh world title last week after a pulsating race at the Turkish Grand Prix, equalling Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record. Hamilton’s latest title victory has not only put him in the conversation for the greatest Formula One driver of all time, but one of the greatest British athletes ever too. Read more
Former South Africa star Anele Ngcongca killed in car crash (BBC)
Former South Africa midfielder Anele Ngongca has been killed in a crash.
The 33-year-old, who played for Bafana Bafana at the 2010 World Cup, died at the scene of the accident as he was driving between Johannesburg and Durban in South Africa.
Ngcongca was travelling to Durban to meet up with his new AmaZulu team-mates, who he was joining on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns.
He had helped Sundowns win a third straight Premier Soccer League title last season.
The two clubs released a joint statement confirming the death and paying tribute to Ngcongca. Read more
FIFA bans African football head for five years over ethics probe (AlJazeera)
The head of African football, Ahmad Ahmad, has been banned from football for five years by FIFA following an ethics investigation by the world football’s governing body.
Ahmad, who is president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), had intended to stand for re-election in March, a campaign in which he would have faced a number of challengers.
The ban was announced during the Madagascan official’s campaign for four more years as the head of CAF. His position also makes him a FIFA vice president. Read more
Joshua Cheptegei: Ugandan on final list for World Athletics Awards (BBC)
Ugandan long distance star Joshua Cheptegei has been named on the final shortlist for the Male Athlete of the Year Award.
The sports’ governing body World Athletics reduced the nominees from 10 down to five on Monday.
Cheptegei’s compatriot Jacob Kilplimo and Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot were among those who missed out.
The World Athletics Awards 2020 will be staged as a virtual event on 5 December and streamed live on social media. Read more
Frank Lampard provides update on Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva and Christian Pulisic ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Rennes (Metro)
Frank Lampard has confirmed both Kai Havertz and Thiago Silva are available for selection ahead of Chelsea’s clash with Rennes – but Christian Pulisic is not ready to feature in Tuesday’s Champions League clash. Havertz tested positive for Covid-19 at the beginning of the month and has missed Chelsea’s last three games, as well as Germany’s matches with the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Spain during the international break. But the young attacking midfielder has been given the all clear to travel to France following a period of self-isolation and will no doubt be desperate for a place in Lampard’s starting XI at Rennes’ Roazhon Park. Read more
Queensland Lions goalkeeper says ‘I do’ and stars in semi-final win on the same day (BBC)
Your wedding is one of the most important days you will ever experience. But what would you do if your football team reached a semi-final on the same date?
That’s the position Queensland Lions FC goalkeeper Luke Borean found himself in on Saturday, when the happiest day of his life clashed with the Lions’ biggest game of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rather than disappoint either his new wife Ellen Hepburn or team-mates, Borean decided to go straight to the game after tying the knot, with the newlyweds arriving at Peninsula Power’s ground in a Ferrari – and their full wedding outfits. Read more