You can enjoy toilet I renovated at Panti, Seun Kuti taunts Naira Marley (DailyTrust)
Afrobeats singer, Seun Kuti, has taunted Azeez Fashola widely known as Naira Marley, who is currently being held by the police over the death of his former signee, Ileriloluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
Kuti said he renovated the cell where he was held at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, after he left around mid-2023.
Recall that the son of the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti was arrested in May for assaulting a police officer on the Third Mainland Bridge. Read more
Nigeria needs servant leadership, says Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde (Tribune)
Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has voiced her perspective on the qualities of leadership that Nigerians truly deserve.
The actress, celebrated for her roles on screen and her advocacy off-screen, disclosed that Nigerians yearn for servant leaders who genuinely love and support their fellow countrymen.
In a statement released on her Instagram handle on Friday, Omotola expressed her belief in the aspirations of the Nigerian people. She asserted that Nigerians are diligent, street-smart and have an unwavering work ethic. Read more
NDLEA arrests 67-yr-old with 100 wraps of cocaine at Abuja Airport (Leadership)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a 67-year-old trafficker, Chukwuemeka Clement, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA), Abuja for ingesting 100 wraps of cocaine.
The suspect claimed he ventured into Illicit drug business to raise enough money to marry a new wife and start life afresh after wasting 30 years of his life in Brazil, Ethiopia and Thailand.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said Chukwuemeka was arrested on Tuesday 3rd October during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight 951 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and taken for body scan, which revealed multiple pellets in his stomach. Read more
Sanwo-Olu orders demolition of markets built on drainage (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered the demolition of illegal market structures built on drainage in the Lagos Island area of the state.
Sanwo-Olu, who spoke on Sunday during a “drainage and regeneration tour of Lagos Island,” expressed sadness over the “outright disregard for their well-being and environment” by residents in the area.
“I am using this information as a notice to all of the illegal squatters and those that are doing illegal activities there, that it is an official notice again that we will take and clean up the entire market and we will start fully with Bombata Market and Jankara Market. It’s going to be ground zero,” the governor said. Read more
Speaker sets performance benchmark for Lagos councils (Nation)
Local government chairmen, vice chairmen, councillors and other top officials of the 57 local governments and local council development areas will henceforth be monitored to meet the people’s yearnings and aspirations, House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa has said.
He berated the council chairmen for not meeting expectations, warning that it would no longer be business as usual, as the Assembly will now ensure strict compliance with serving the people’s interests.
The Speaker, who met with the council officials, frowned at their aloofness. He berated the chairmen for personalising the councils’ allocations while their communities cry for development. Read more
Sunday Igboho regains freedom after 2 years (Tribune)
Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho, has regained freedom after two years of trial by the Beninese government.
Igboho has now been released from protective custody in the neighbouring Republic of Benin, Tribune Online reports.
According to the Yoruba Nation leader, Prof. Banji Akintoye, Sunday Igboho’s release came a few hours’ ago and he is right now on his way to Germany to be reunited with his family. Read more
Condemn attack on Israel, Fani-Kayode urges Tinubu (Vanguard)
A former minister of aviation and Director of Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to condemn the vicious attack on the state of Israel by Hama militants yesterday.
Vanguard had reported that Israel came under sudden heavy attack yesterday by Hamas terrorists with hundreds of Israelis killed and several others taken hostage.
Following the incident, the federal government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called for a de-escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group, while expressing deep concern about the situation and called on both sides to exercise restraint and prioritize the safety of civilians. Read more
Air Force boss meets foreign defence attachés, harps on cooperation (Vanguard)
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar has stated that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is ready to strengthen its relationship and deepen defence cooperation with friendly allied countries.
According to him, the NAF stands ready to partner with friendly military forces on international defence and security, just as they are willing and ready to extend similar assistance to our allied partners in any identified area where Nigeria’s defence interests coincide.
The CAS stated this while playing host to a gathering of the Defence Attachés of allied countries accredited to Nigeria. Read more
Barbra Streisand reveals Robert Redford initially turned down The Way We Were (People)
It turns out The Way We Were almost wasn’t the way it is now.
In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir My Name Is Barbra published in Vanity Fair on Saturday, Barbra Streisand reveals that Robert Redford initially turned down playing romantic lead Hubbell Gardiner in the 1973 romantic drama.
The Way We Were follows the “opposites attract” love story between Jewish anti-war activist Katie Morosky (Streisand) and politically neutral WASP Hubbell Gardiner (Redford) and how their stance on historical events at the time of World War II and McCarthyism ultimately strained their relationship. Read more
Kelleigh Bannen shares wise new single “I Know Better Now” (AS)
Kelleigh Bannen knows better now, a point she’s proving through the power of song. The Apple Music Country host recently released her new single, “I Know Better Now.” The piano ballad penned by Logan Wall finds Bannen as an evolved woman who gained valuable wisdom from the challenges she’s walked through in life. You lean a lot harder onto faith when your luck runs out / The pain cuts to the nervе / And I’m no stranger to the hurt / But I know bettеr now, she professes in the chorus.
“I have a lot to say about what this song means to me, but in this moment I think the song itself says more than I can. Can’t wait for you to hear it,” Bannen shared in a preview post. “I’ve always felt like this song knows every corner of hurt in my heart, and knows how to heal it at the same time. I hope it does the same for you,” she added in another Instagram post when the song was released. Read more
Bruno Mars cancels concert in Tel Aviv (Fox)
Bruno Mars’ sold-out concert in Tel Aviv, Israel scheduled for Saturday night has been canceled, according to the show’s organizer Live Nation Israel.
The company announced that the 37-year-old singer’s performance at the 100,000-seat HaYarkon Park had been called off in a post that was shared to Live Nation Israel’s verified Instagram page earlier on Saturday. The concert’s cancellation comes amid escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict after Hamas militants launched deadly surprise attacks on Israel Saturday morning.
“Dear customers, the Bruno Mars concert scheduled to take place tonight is cancelled. All ticket purchases to the show will receive an automatic refund to the credit card through which the purchase was made. We strengthen the residents of Israel , IDF fighters and the security forces in these difficult moments,” the company wrote, adding a prayer hands emoji. Read more
Guillermo del Toro reveals why he didn’t direct Pacific Rim sequel (FarOut)
Veteran filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has explained why he didn’t end up making the sequel to 2013’s Pacific Rim.
Notably, the movie is the first in the franchise and stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, and Ron Perlman. It is set in the future when the world is in conflict with the Kaiju sea monsters who have emerged through an interdimensional portal on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. To combat them, the humans create the gigantic humanoid mechas, the Jaegers.
The Pinocchio filmmaker Del Toro was initially on board to direct the sequel to the blockbuster but ultimately dropped out due to the sound stages he wanted to shoot at not being available, he has revealed. Read more
Cities under siege as Mali slides towards chaos (BBC)
People living in cities in Mali under siege by al-Qaeda-linked militants have told the BBC they are facing shortages of food, fuel and medicine, and rapidly rising prices.
The blockades have come as fighting intensifies between the army, who are backed by Russian Wagner mercenaries, and both Islamist groups and ethnic Tuareg separatist fighters.
For nearly two months, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has been trying to completely cut off the historic northern city of Timbuktu, preventing supplies from getting in. Read more
Hamas attack was “well-funded”, says Israeli Ambassador (RTE)
Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland has said yesterday’s “integrated, orchestrated attack” by Hamas was well-funded and well organised and “was in the making for some time.”
Dana Elrich also said it is not yet known how many civilians and military personnel have been taken hostage by Hamas.
She said “at the beginning, we thought it was dozens, but we’re not sure about the final numbers,” adding, “a lot of people are still missing.” Read more
Thousands march in Istanbul in support of Palestinians (AfricaNews)
Thousands of Turks in Istanbul are participating in a march called “March for Fatah” to support the Palestinians.
A pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul, though officially Turkey’s remaining neutral, stops short of condemning Hamas.
“The Palestinian people are only defending their homeland, this has nothing to do with terrorism,” Sahin Ocal, 54, an activist with one of the associations organizing the march, tells AFP. Read more
Nigeria’s Boniface scores again as Leverkusen go top (DailyTrust)
Nigeria striker Victor Boniface was on target again on Sunday as Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable win over derby rivals Cologne.
Leverkusen were superb in attack with goals from Jonas Hofmann, Jeremie Frimpong and Boniface taking the side to a dominant victory against their struggling opponents.
“When you see how hard we’re working daily, week after week, we’ve changed our mentality. We fight and we run,” said midfielder Granit Xhaka. Read more
NPFL: Enyimba, Remo, Rivers eye 1st victories (Punch)
Nigerian Premier Football League champions Enyimba, Remo Stars, and Rivers United will be eager to get their league season off on a winning note when they begin their campaigns on Sunday.
Enugu Rangers coach, Fidelis Ilechukwu is confident as his team gears up for a tough clash against last season’s runners-up, Remo Stars.
The Flying Antelopes started the season on a high note, defeating Doma United, and they are determined to continue their winning streak. Read more
Swiatek beats Samsonova to win China Open (France24)
Iga Swiatek delivered a dominant performance to win the China Open on Sunday, crowning a resurgent run of form with a straight-sets win over Liudmila Samsonova in Beijing.
The world number two triumphed 6-2, 6-2 to take the first China Open women’s title since 2019, after Beijing lifted its isolationist zero-Covid policy.
The victory capped a strong showing for four-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek, who was deposed as the world’s top-ranked player by Aryna Sabalenka last month. Read more
Pep Guardiola “knows what happened” but refuses to explain bust-up after Arsenal defeat (BBC)
Pep Guardiola said he “knows what happened” but would not go into detail after Kyle Walker and Erling Haaland were involved in a heated exchange with members of Arsenal’s backroom staff following Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat.
After the final whistle at Emirates Stadium, Walker and Haaland confronted Arsenal set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, who previously worked at City.
“I know what happened but I won’t say anything,” Guardiola said with a smile. Read more
Lionel Messi returns but Miami loss ends MLS playoff hopes (ESPN)
After missing five of the past six games with a hamstring injury, Lionel Messi returned to action Saturday, playing 35 minutes off the bench in a 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati that eliminated Inter Miami from MLS postseason contention.
Messi’s only real contributions came when he sailed two free kicks — one in the the 58th minute, the other in stoppage time — well over Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano’s crossbar.
“His injury is healed, but his rhythm was just off. He hasn’t played much, that’s why I only played him 35 minutes,” said coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino. Read more
Man Utd stars have “lost trust” in Andre Onana as Peter Schmeichel gives damning verdict (Mirror)
Peter Schmeichel believes Andre Onana ‘s teammates are beginning to lose trust in him after the Manchester United goalkeeper made another error against Brentford.
Onana has endured a nightmare start to his United career since joining the Red Devils in a £47.2million deal from Inter Milan in the summer. The Cameroon international has made a string of high-profile mistakes and was once again at fault for Brentford’s opening goal in Saturday’s dramatic 2-1 win at Old Trafford.
A late Scott McTominay double salvaged a result for United, but the Scotman’s remarkable contribution has not prevented Onana from further scrutiny. And Schmeichel, a club legend, revealed after the match that he had reached out to the 27-year-old in the wake of his poor form. Read more
