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Fury To Face Usyk In Undisputed Heavyweight Title Fight Tyson Fury will take on Oleksandr Usyk in a historic undisputed heavyweight showdown in Saudi Arabia, promoters announced on Friday. The date of the contest, which will take place in Riyadh, has not yet been announced, though unconfirmed reports said it could be staged on December 23 or in January. Ukraine’s Usyk holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts, while Britain’s Fury is the reigning WBC heavyweight champion. The winner of the bout will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era. “This is the biggest fight that could possibly be made in our sport,” said Fury’s promoter Frank Warren. “The heavyweights always spark the imagination of the fans, and I have no doubt this will be the biggest boxing event of the century.” Neither fighter has been beaten in their professional careers. Fury has won 33 fights with one draw since turning professional in 2008. Usyk has won all 21 of his bouts, but defende...

Process of seeking my successor must be fair, says Obaseki The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the process of choosing his successor ahead of the Governorship election in 2024 must reflect fairness, equity, and a sense of inclusion, as his administration’s focus is to finish strong. The governor, who disclosed this while addressing journalists on Friday, said it is not his place to determine, “appoint or anoint” his successor. “But all I know is that in the process of seeking my successor, there must be fairness, equity, and a sense of inclusion because our goal is to keep Edo as one. “For me, that is the only issue I understood that may be a problem and that should not stop us. The important thing for us as an administration is for us to finish strong and try to complete everything we told Edo people we would do for them during our campaign,” he declared. On his relationship with the State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, the governor said, “I have nothing personal aga...

FG laments rising deaths from hypertension, stroke The Federal Government on Friday, lamented the rising number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, heart failure, cardiac arrest, stroke, and others in the country. The government noted that the morbidity and mortality due to CVDs in the country are underestimated because of inadequate awareness, limited screening, and poor data repository. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, who made this known during the commemoration of this year’s World Heart Day with the theme: “Use Heart, Know Heart,” also unveiled the Cardiac Emergency Response Box, otherwise known as Automated External Defibrillators, to respond to heart emergencies such as cardiac arrest. Pate, who was represented by the Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, disclosed that the AEDs would be deployed at appropriate designated high-population areas such as airports. He said statistics from the World Health Organisatio...

Gabon ousted president’s wife charged with ‘money laundering’ The wife of Gabon’s ousted president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been charged with “money laundering” and other offences, the public prosecutor said on Friday, a month after a coup toppled her husband. Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, who is Franco-Gabonese, and one of the couple’s sons have been accused by the coup leader of having pulled the strings in the oil-rich country. Their eldest son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, has already been charged with corruption and embezzling public funds with several former cabinet members and two ex-ministers. Sylvia Bongo was charged by an investigating judge on Thursday and ordered to remain under house arrest, Andre Patrick Roponat announced on state TV channels. She also faces other charges including concealment and forgery, he said. Sylvia Bongo has been under house arrest in the capital Libreville since the coup on August 30. She has been isolated from her husband and her French lawyers have...

Burna Boy is cheap, fake, unoriginal - Brymo  Nigerian singer, Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ, popularly known as Brymo, has described Grammy-winning musician, Burna Boy as “sleazy, cheap, very unoriginal and very fake”. In a recent interview, Brymo chastised Burna Boy for trying to invent a new Afrobeat style based on the labors of the king of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti. He also stressed his lack of originality and the fact that he steals tunes by Fela. He said, “I saw a video where he said he was the Jesus of Afrobeat and he put Davido and Wizkid on some other mountain like that. "I think he is sleazy, he is cheap, he is a thief, very unoriginal, very fake. Every song is a sample or a stolen slogan. Who does that?. "Afrobeat is a music style, not a genre. Fela started the genre and it is disrespectful that a new generation of musicians came and just added ‘S’ to create another center of number one.’’  

Church member snatches Prophet’s wife; changes children’s name The founder of Divine Prophetic Solutions Prayers Ministry, located off Arowojobe Street, Ladipo, Lagos, Prophet Theophilus Ayodeji Obayan, has asked the court to dissolve his marriage of 23 years to Prophetess Lilian Obayan. Obayan had dragged his estranged wife and mother of four to the customary Court in Akure, Ondo state, seeking the reclaim of the paternity of his children and the dissolution of his 23-year-old marriage. He approached the court to seek justice over the snatching of his children by a member of his church. The petitioner prayed the court to dissolve his marriage and grant him the custody of his four children whom his wife had changed their surname to the name of her new lover, Prince Abua Obi. Narrating his ordeal in court, Obayan said “My wife and I have a ministry in Lagos with a large congregation. But at present, she is married to Prince Abua Obi, a junior worker in our church where both of us led as...

Controversy over tribunal judgment in Kaduna Gov tussle ....Governor: my election upheld as petition was dismissed .....PDP candidate: tribunal declared election inconclusive There was controversy on Thursday over the judgement of the Kaduna State Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal. While Governor Sani Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said his election was upheld, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Isah Mohammed Ashiru said the election was declared inconclusive. The judgment, which took five and half hours, saw the three-man panel of judges led by Justice Victor Oviawie, Justice K. Damlat and Justice N. Nonye, struck out the petition because the preliminary notice was filed out of time after the seven days prescribed by the constitution and was deemed to have been abandoned. Giving a split judgment, Justice Victor Oviawie said the preliminary notice was filed outside the seven-day prescribed by the Constitution from the day when the main ...

LT GEN LAGBAJA COMMISSIONS NEWLY REMODELED 71 SUPPLY AND TRANSPORT BRIGADE TRAINING WING IN KADUNA. The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja has commissioned newly remodeled 71 Supply and Transport Training Wing at Ribadu Cantonment, Kaduna. The Training Wing, which consists of a lecture hall, drivers training class, offices, catering demonstration hall refectory and students' lavatories was reconstructed and remodeled for the enhancement of training of students of the school. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the COAS expressed satisfaction with the execution of the project and commended the initiative and commitment of the project executor Colonel Wasiu Bakare, who is now redeployed as Commander 70 Supply and Transport Command. Gen Lagbaja expressed optimism that the training facility will deliver quality training to trainees. He urged the Commander, staff and trainees to ensure adequate maintenance of the facility. The COAS further affirmed that the commissi...

Suspect arrested in fatal shooting of Tupac Shakur. Las Vegas police has arrested a man on suspicion of murder in the 1996 shooting of hip-hop star Tupac Shakur.  Duane "Keffe D" Davis was arrested early Friday morning, Sept. 29, although the exact charge or charges were not immediately clear.  An indictment was expected later on Friday, AP reports.  Shakur was wounded in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996. He died in a hospital six days later (Sept. 13) at the age of 25.  Davis has admitted in interviews and in his 2019 tell-all memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” that he was in the Cadillac from which the gunfire erupted during the shooting, the AP said.  In July this year, Las Vegas police served a search warrant at the Henderson, Nevada, home of Davis’ wife, Pamela Clemons, as part of Shakur’s homicide investigation.  Cops confiscated several computers, laptops and iPads from the home, as well as a .40-caliber cartridge — the sam...

ABIODUN ASSURES STABLE POWER SUPPLY TO BOOST MANUFACTURING SECTOR Better days are ahead for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and other manufacturing companies as Ogun State Government says it is committed to building power infrastructure that will guarantee stable electricity supply across the State. The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun unveiled the plan in his address as a special guest of honour at the 38th Annual General Meeting of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun State Chapter held at the Conference Hotel, Abeokuta. Represented by the Secretary to Ogun State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, Governor Abiodun said the government is taking full advantage of its opportunity as the State with the widest gas reticulation in Nigeria to address the menace of irregular power supply, saying when the issues of the high cost of petroleum and irregular power supply are adequately tackled, it will forestall the high rate of unemployment and insecurity. Prince Abiodun said...

Sultan, SGF Urge Organised Labour To Shelve Planned Strike President General Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar has appealed to the Organised Labour to shelve their planned nation wide strike to protest the current hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.  The Sultan who made the call in Abuja during a public Jummaat Lecture organised as part of activities to mark Nigeria's 63th Independence Anniversary said the planned indefinite strike will only worsen the situation of the already impoverished masses. The Sultan of Sokoto and Chairman on the occasion, Alhaji Sa'ad Abubakar who noted that the economic hardship being faced by citizens is not peculiar to Nigeria, however called on the leaders to do their best to address the myriads of challenges facing the country  The Sultan emphasized the need for Nigerians to give the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration a chance to prove what it has for th...

COMMISSIONER EMBARKS ON FAMILIARISATION TOUR OF LAGOS FIRE STATIONS The Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Honourable Gbenga Oyerinde has embarked on a familiarization tour to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS), starting from the Headquarters of LSFRS in Alausa Ikeja. Speaking during that tour on Thursday, the Commissioner conveyed the heartfelt appreciation of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to all the men and women of the Fire and Rescue Service for their unwavering commitment  to ensuring the safety of lives and the protection of properties in Lagos State. He thanked the Director of LSFRS, Mrs. Margaret Adeseye and her team of dedicated  Professionals for their efforts, stating that the purpose of the tour was to allow him to gain valuable insights into the operations of the agency. In his words, “This visit underscores the Lagos State Government's commitment to its emergency response and safety infrastructure. It serves as a t...

SANWO-OLU REITERATES COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL SAFETY, AS BOS AWARD HONOURS 24 LAGOS SCHOOLS The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reiterated the commitment of his administration to ensuring that priority attention is given to School Safety as part of efforts of the State Government towards achieving the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Agenda. Mr. Governor stated this in his address delivered recently at the inaugural “Beacon of Safety Award” (BOS Award) organised by the Safe School Lagos (SSLAG), an arm of the Lagos State Safety Commission, in collaboration with Safe School Alliance, commending the Awardees for their commitment to enhancing safety in Lagos Schools. He stressed the need for more schools to comply with the safety initiatives of the State Government. Represented at the event by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende, Sanwo-Olu averred that the award is a valuable addition to the concerted efforts to ensure safety in all schools as well as ...

LASG ANNOUNCES TRAFFIC DIVERSION FOR REPAIR OF TRUCK BARRIER AT OJUELEGBA FLYOVER BRIDGE In line with the plan to repair the truck barrier at Ojuelegba Flyover Bridge which was recently damaged again, the Lagos State Government has announced traffic diversion on the night of Monday, 2nd  October, 2023 from 10.00 pm to 6.00 am. Consequently, the following alternative routes will be available to Motorists during the diversion:  i.    Motorists from Eko Bridge/Constain/Iponri inbound Ojuelegba/Alhaji Masha Road will be diverted to the service lane from Alaka via the National Stadium gate to link Barracks or Alhaji Masha Road to continue their journeys.  ii.    Motorists from Eko Bridge via Costain and those from Apapa Road going through Iponri will make use of Iponri Estate road to link Bode Thomas via Adeniran Ogunsanya to Shitta Roundabout for their desired destinations. Motorists are implored to be patient as the brief closure of the bridge is planned ...

 Chukkol Charges 332 Newly- Graduated Cadets Against Corruption and Indiscipline   The Acting-Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,  Abdulkarim Chukkol has charged newly- graduated cadets of the Commission  against indiscipline and other acts of corruption.  He gave the charge on Friday, September 28, 2023 at the Passing out Parade of 332 Detective Assistant Course 4 Officers at the Police Mobile Training College, Ende Hills, Akwanga, Nasarawa State. According to him, EFCC, as an anti-graft agency,  places high premium on its core values of integrity, courage, professionalism and collaboration and fresh entrants into its workforce must be above board in their conduct. “I must also sound a note of warning that the Commission will not condone any indiscipline, as violation of the established code of conduct will be met with appropriate sanctions”, he said.     While urging the cadets to be focused, the EFCC b...

 Tribunal sacks Enugu PDP lawmaker,  orders rerun The National and State Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Enugu has nullified the election of Okey Mbah of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the March 18 House of Assembly poll for Nkanu East state constituency. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Mbah as the winner of the election, but the tribunal in its ruling on Friday, September 29, said the process did not meet the provisions of the 2022 electoral act. The three-man panel led by Honourable Justice Adie Attoe Onyebueke while delivering their judgment on the petition filed by Labour Party candidate, Okwudiri Nnaji, ordered a rerun in some polling units in Ugbawka and Owo wards. The tribunal averred that the number of votes returned from the two wards are higher than the number of registered and accredited voters in those areas and faulted the return by INEC. It, however, ordered the electoral umpire to conduct a r...

MohBad probably surrounded himself with cultists – Naira Marley Embattled rapper Azeez Adeshina Fashola aka Naira Marley, has suggested his former signee, Mohbad, most likely surrounded himseld with cultists. He made the remark in a chat with former President Goodluck Jonathan’s media aide, Reno Omokri on the nature of the singer’s demise. Naira Marley admitted the deceased endured a lot of bullying and needed help as a result of all the stress that came with being a target of constant harassment but noted none of those were from him or his record label. According to him: “I believe he was actually stressed as much as he needed help. I believe he has been bullied. I believe there were people on his neck, people all over him that he was in danger. But it wasn’t from us. “If he was in danger from me, if anybody is scared of me, nobody is gonna come out doing all of these. “I don’t believe in any cult whatsoever. I came to Nigeria in 2019 from England. I don’t know what a cult is. I’ve be...