The funeral for Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who died in Kenya after being set on fire by her ex-boyfriend, will be held on September 14 in her home country.

The 33-year-old, who competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics last month, succumbed to severe burns on Thursday, September 5, four days after being doused with petrol and set alight at her home in western Kenya.

Doctors said she had suffered burns to more than 80 per cent of her body after the attack on Sunday last week.

The attack was carried out by Cheptegei’s Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who also suffered serious burns and is being treated in hospital.

“The burial date of Rebecca Cheptegei has been set for September 14, in Kongasis sub-county in Bukwo district (eastern Uganda),” Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary general of the Uganda Olympic Committee and a member of the funeral organising committee, told AFP.

Bukwo is the location of Cheptegei’s family home and lies on the border with Kenya about 380 kilometres (240 miles) northeast of the Ugandan capital Kampala.

Last week Friday, the city of Paris said it would honour Cheptegei, who came 44th in her Olympic marathon debut in August, by naming a sports venue after her.

Northampton Crown Court in the United Kingdom has found two Nigerians, Tosin Dada and Solomon Adebiyi, guilty of multiple rape charges.

Northamptonshire Police disclosed this in a statement on its official Facebook page on Monday.

This follows weeks after a Nigerian pilot, Olukayode Ojo, was convicted in a Texas court in the United States for making false statements to obtain a certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Before their conviction, Northamptonshire Police stated that Dada and Adebiyi had each been charged with three counts of rape connected to a March 2022 incident.

It was also learnt that the convicts had claimed they engaged in consensual sex with a 17-year-old girl, a claim the jury has now ruled against, finding them guilty.

After finding the duo guilty of the crimes, the court ordered their remand pending sentencing, scheduled for October 25, 2024, at the same court.

The statement read, “Tosin Dada, 34, previously of Knox Road, Wellingborough, and Solomon Adebiyi, 39, previously of Stanley Street, Northampton, were both charged with three counts of rape each in connection with the offence on March 12, 2022.

“Their nine-day trial at Northampton Crown Court ended last week with both men being found unanimously guilty by the jury on all charges after eight hours of deliberation.

“Both men were remanded into custody ahead of sentencing at Northampton Crown Court on October 25, 2024.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will become the first UK leader to address the annual meeting of Britain’s trade unions in 15 years on Tuesday.

Starmer’s Labour party is billing the speech as a powerful symbol that the centre-left party is back in government after nearly a decade and a half of Conservative rule.

Labour has historically been allied with trade union organisations, which contribute a substantial amount to the party’s income.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC), the umbrella body of 48 member unions comprising more than 5.5 million working people, helped found Labour in the early 20th century.

Gordon Brown was the last premier to deliver a speech to its conference in 2009.

Starmer, 62, is set to tell TUC delegates in the seaside resort of Brighton that he “will champion unions and business to come together” to refire Britain’s economy, according to excerpts of the speech released by Labour.

“Partnership is a more difficult way of doing politics,” the prime minister was due to say, seeking to draw a line under years of industrial unrest and tensions between unions and government.

“I know there’s clarity in the old ways, the zero-sum ways: business versus worker, management versus union, public versus private. That kind of politics is not what the British people want.”

Starmer will repeat his mantra that the Conservatives left Labour with a dire economic inheritance when they vacated office following a landslide election defeat in early July.

He was also due to warn that “the road to fixing the foundations of the country won’t be easy”.

Labour came to power pledging to end the waves of strikes that blighted the country in sectors from the railways to hospitals in the last few years of Tory rule.

It has announced above-inflation pay rises for public sector workers such as teachers and doctors and struck a pay deal with train drivers to pave the way for renationalising the railways.

Labour has also laid out proposals to legally ban practices such as “fire and rehire” — where employers let workers go in order to rehire them on contracts with inferior terms — and to ban zero-hours contracts, which leave workers without a minimum number of hours to be worked.

The TUC has welcomed the pay deals as a “crucial first step” but tensions are already emerging between some major unions and the new government.

The disagreements are in part caused by finance minister Rachel Reeves’s promise of imposing “iron discipline” over public finances to claw back what she says is a £22-billion ($28.8-billion) black hole inherited from the Tories.

Two major unions have called on Starmer to reverse his government’s decision to scrap winter fuel benefits for 10 million elderly people.

Unite boss Sharon Graham accused Labour of opting to “pick the pocket of pensioners” while leaving the richest “totally untouched”.

Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union general secretary Mick Lynch said the government was making a “historic mistake”

The Department of State Services, DSS, has provided an explanation as to why its personnel visited the office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, in Abuja.

On Monday that the operatives of the DSS stormed the office of SERAP in Abuja.

The report had it that the officers were demanding to see the rights group’s directors

In a statement released on Tuesday, the secret police challenged SERAP’s narrative, clarifying that unarmed members of the service were conducting a routine investigation.

It said, “The Department of State Services (DSS) has been inundated with multiple enquiries on its alleged unlawful invasion of SERAP offices in Abuja and Lagos.

“This narrative is inaccurate and misleading in its intent. For the records, a team of two (2) unarmed Service operatives were lawfully detailed on routine investigation to the SERAP office in Abuja, which has sadly been skewed and misinterpreted as unlawful, harassment and intimidation of SERAP officials.

“The Service further wishes to state that such official enquiries and liaison are traditional and does not in any way amount to illegality or raid.

“While it assures in-depth investigation of these malicious contents, it sues for citizens’ participation in national security management.

“The DSS, therefore, urges the public to disregard these false narratives as it restates its commitment to utmost professionalism in the discharge of its core mandate.”

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has approved the appointment of Barr. Aber Serumun Deborah as Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

The appointment followed the resignation of Prof. Joseph Alakali, who tendered his resignation on Monday.

Alakali had in his letter of resignation stated that he needed time to address some personal challenges.

Sir Tersoo Kula, the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Hyacinth Alia announced this in a statement on Tuesday.

According to Kula, the new SSG, Barr. Aber, is a seasoned solicitor and arbitrator with a strong sense of initiative and excellent analytical skills.

“She is a team player with good interpersonal skills who always strives for excellence and aims to contribute positively to the success and growth of an organization.

“She aspires to work in a reputable and challenging environment that encourages professionalism.

“Barr. Aber is a graduate of the University of Jos and Nasarawa State University.

“Governor Alia believes that with her wealth of experience and trustworthy record of service, Barr. Aber will add significant value to his government.

“He charges her to remain focused and align her work with the vision of the administration as outlined in the working document.

“He urged her to always prioritize the interests of the state in her day-to-day official functions.

“The appointment takes immediate effect”, the statement added.

Bandits have reportedly abducted several persons in Kallah Afogo community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A source told DAILY POST that the bandits, who attacked the village around 11:15 pm on Sunday, broke into houses and went away with the locals.

According to the source, those killed in Kallah were Garkuwa Alfarma, Buhari Maidiga, Uba Auta, Yakubu Thomas Gaku, and Atabata Naallah.

He said, “One of the locals, who pursued the bandits into the bush, was killed and his body mutilated.”

He further explained that the bandits launched another attack on Bakin Pah in Maro Ward of the same LGA, stressing that one person was killed and six others abducted.

He called on security agencies to enhance security in the communities and ensure the safe return of the abducted people.

The state Police Command was yet to react to the incident.

The Cherubim and Seraphim, C&S, Church Worldwide has urged its prophets to cease conducting rituals for youths involved in internet fraud, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo.”

This call was made during a pre-centenary revival in Osogbo on Monday.

Making the call, Senior Apostle Samuel Onigbinde, Chairman of C&S Unification in Osun State, emphasised that the church’s mission is to eliminate unorthodox practices within its fold.

Onigbinde noted that fraudulent rituals conducted by so-called prophets are against the true teachings of the church’s founder, Moses Orimolade, which focused on healing through prayer, fasting, and divine intervention, not spirit conjuring.

He said, “One of the key goals of the Unification is to combat strange practices among our members. C&S is not a refuge for ‘Yahoo boys,’ and prophets using our white garment to perform such rituals must stop.”

He added that a committee has been formed to ensure all members adhered to the doctrines of Prophet Orimolade.

Pastor Olusegun Elijah, the convener of the pre-centenary revival, spoke on the proliferation of churches, attributing it to widespread unemployment in Nigeria.

He warned that many individuals, driven by joblessness, were opening churches for personal gain rather than spiritual leadership, contributing to rising crime rates.

“The surge in crime despite the growing number of religious centres reflects the failure of religious leaders to focus on salvation.

“Additionally, many clergy members are now aligning with the political class, making it difficult to hold politicians accountable,” Elijah remarked.

He called on religious leaders to disengage from political fraternisation and maintain their role as moral watchdogs.

The Nigeria Labour Congress has condemned the arrest of its president Joe Ajaero, who was whisked away by officers from the Department of State Services on Monday on his way to the United Kingdom.

The union said Ajaero was detained without any legal warrant or formal instrument, describing it as a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation.

This was contained in a statement t by the Head of Information and Public Affairs, NLC, Benson Upah on Monday.

Upah said Ajaero’s whereabouts was unknown as all efforts made to get in touch with him have proved abortive.

Condemning the detention, he said the act was a bid to silence every voice of dissent and opposition in the country.

The statement read, “This morning, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, was seized and whisked away by agents of the Nigerian State while on his way to the United Kingdom on the invitation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain. Comrade Ajaero was set to attend and address the global gathering of workers on behalf of Nigerian workers at the Congress of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, a platform where critical discussions on workers’ rights, social justice, and economic fairness are discussed. We are yet to ascertain his whereabouts or his state of health as all efforts we have made to get in touch with him have proved abortive.

We wish to categorically state that Comrade Ajaero has been detained without any legal warrant or formal instrument. Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive. His detention is therefore a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation as he has not been declared wanted by any law enforcement body. His detention is a brazen act of intimidation and completely unjustified under the laws of our nation. The mere contemplation of not just stopping a lawful citizen from travelling but also sequestering his freedom is an affront to our democratic and natural rights as a people and as workers.

“This is an unmistakable demonstration of the height of lawlessness being perpetuated by the Nigerian government and its agencies in their bid to silence every voice of dissent and opposition in the country as the economic policies of the government continue to afflict the people with monumental suffering and hardship. Such actions are not only undemocratic but immoral as well as a direct affront to the fundamental rights of citizens and organizations to lawfully express their views and carry out their activities.”

The union called for the immediate release of their president saying, “In light of this troubling development, the Congress puts all its affiliates, State Councils, Civil society allies and all patriotic Nigerians on the highest state of alert. The Congress will not stand idly by while the rights of its leaders and members are trampled upon. Accordingly, we demand for the immediate and unconditional release of comrade Joe Ajaero.

“Furthermore, we call on the international community, human rights organisations and all advocates of democracy to take note of this rising wave of authoritarianism in Nigeria. The world must bear witness to these assaults on human dignity, civil liberties, and the rule of law.

“The NLC remains resolute in its commitment to protecting workers’ rights and will not be cowed by the oppressive tactics of the state. Once again, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero and the cessation of all forms of harassment against labour leaders and the Nigerian working class including innocent citizens who hold dissenting opinions. We equally demand that the state frees all Nigerians languishing in various prisons around the country for exercising their democratic rights to protest in the #EndBadGovernance rallies around the country.

“Finally, the Organs of the Congress are in a closed door meeting whose outcome will be made available to the public.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, on Monday convened a closed-door meeting following the arrest of its National President, Joe Ajaero.

Recall that operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, had arrested Ajaero at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Ajaero was picked up while on his way to the United Kingdom to attend the Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Britain.

However, a statement by NLC spokesman, Benson Upah, reads partly: “The NLC remains resolute in its commitment to protecting workers’ rights and will not be cowed by the oppressive tactics of the state.

“Once again, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero and the cessation of all forms of harassment against labour leaders and the Nigerian working class including innocent citizens who hold dissenting opinions.

“We equally demand that the state frees all Nigerians languishing in various prisons around the country for exercising their democratic rights to protest in the #EndBadGovernance rallies around the country.

“Finally, the Organs of the Congress are in a closed-door meeting whose outcome will be made available to the public.”

The police have confirmed that a middle-aged man allegedly killed his grandfather and uncle in the Apete area of Ibadan.

The spokesman of the Oyo Police Command, SP Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the case in a message sent to journalists on Monday.

Mr Osifeso said the command had commenced investigations to determine the reason behind the act.

He added that updates would be made available to the public accordingly.

“Investigation has commenced into the matter, while updates will be provided accordingly,” he said.

The incident occurred around 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The accused, simply identified as Ahmed, resides in the same residence with his visually impaired grandfather and ailing uncle.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will leave Tehran for the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Wednesday, marking his first foreign trip since taking office in late July, local media reported.

During the visit, Mr Pezeshkian is expected to hold meetings with high-ranking Iraqi officials and sign several cooperation agreements and security memoranda.

Iranian ambassador to Iraq, Mohammad-Kazem Al-e Sadeq, said the trip was at the invitation of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.

Mohammad-Mehdi Shahriari, a member of Iran’s parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the visit aimed to strengthen relations with Iraq and address issues such as border demarcation, the report said.

Mr Pezeshkian was sworn in as Iran’s ninth president on July 30, replacing Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Operatives of the Department of the State Service, DSS, have arrested the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero.

Vanguard reports that he was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja this morning September 9.

Ajaero was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom, UK, for an official assignment when he was picked up by the DSS officials.

Although details of the arrest and the reasons are still sketchy, sources said he has been handed over to the National Intelligence Agency, NIA. According to the report, Ajaero was billed to attend the conference of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, in the UK today.

This comes barely a week after he was invited by the police to answer questions over his alleged involvement in terrorism financing.

Men from the Department of State Services, DSS, have taken over the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP.

According to a post shared on its X handle, SERAP said the officers were asking to see the rights group’s directors.

“Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors. President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation, and attack on the rights of Nigerians.”

A 27-year-old driver, Mustapha Suleiman was arrested while attempting to sell employer’s Toyota RAV4 in Benin City, Edo State.

The suspect was arrested alongside his accomplice, Isaac Joseph, 25, by operatives of the Edo State Police Command’s X-Squad.

The spokesperson of the command, SP Moses Yamu, said that the suspects met with someone who wanted to buy the car for N4m but that they insisted on selling it at N6m.

“On 03/09/2024 at about 1545hrs, operatives of the Command’s X-Squad acting on credible information arrested the duo of Mustapha Suleiman ‘m’ 27yrs and Isaac Joseph ‘m’ 25yrs in possession of a Toyota RAV4 with registration number EKY 855 JJ, suspected to be stolen. During investigation, the suspects confessed to have stolen the vehicle from Lagos State and were looking for a buyer to sell it,” the PPRO said.

Speaking with journalists, Suleiman said, “I am a driver. The car belongs to my madam. When she asked me to wash the car, I drove it down to Edo to sell it,” adding that they wanted to sell the car for N6m with a view to start a laundry business.

The Lagos State Police command has begun an investigation after a 20-year-old man was accosted and k!lled by assailants on the streets of Okokomaiko in the Ojo area of Lagos State.

In a statement released, the spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police received a distress call from concerned members of the public, reporting that a group of four unidentified gunmen were seen chasing the deceased along Abeokuta Street, Okokomaiko. and firing gunshots targeted at his head, stomach, and legs, before fleeing the scene.

“Upon receiving the information about 9:30pm., our anti-crime team was immediately dispatched to the scene. There, they met one Ms. Vivian, the mother of the deceased, who identified the victim as her 20-year-old son. The young man, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, had been fatally shot multiple times.

Investigation is currently in progress, and efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest the suspects. This act of violence will not go unpunished,” Hundeyin stated

Hundeyin said the remains of the deceased has been deposited at the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Mortuary in Yaba, Lagos, for further examination.

He addded that the police has since intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects, with Hundeyin assuring the public that every resource would be utilized to bring the culprits to justice.

China said on Monday it would hold joint military drills with Russia this month, as the allies deepen ties that have seen NATO dub Beijing an “enabler” of Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Naval and air forces will take part in the “North-Joint 2024” exercises in the skies and around the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk, off Russia’s coast, China’s defence ministry said.

“This exercise aims to deepen the strategic cooperation level between the Chinese and Russian militaries and enhance their ability to jointly deal with security threats,” the ministry said.

The two sides will send naval fleets to “relevant sea areas of the Pacific Ocean” for a joint maritime patrol, and China will also participate in Russia’s “Ocean-2024” strategic exercise, it added.

The ministry did not give a specific date when the drills will take place.

In July, the two countries held joint drills in the waters and airspace around Zhanjiang, a city in southern China’s Guangdong province.

Those drills came the same week that NATO leaders warned China had “become a decisive enabler” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting Beijing to warn the US-led military bloc against “provoking confrontation”.

Russia and China have ramped up military and economic cooperation in recent years, with both railing against “Western hegemony”, particularly what they see as US domination of global affairs.

They declared a “no limits” partnership shortly before Moscow launched its offensive in Ukraine in 2022.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia’s economic and trade links with China were “yielding results” as he met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Moscow.

The operatives of the Imo State Police Command have apprehended five suspected cultists during an intelligence-led operation at Irete, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

In a release signed by the command’s spokesman, Henry Okoye, and made available to newsmen on Sunday, he said, “The suspects, identified as Uche Ibejiako, 26, from Owerri Municipal; Mariano Daniel, 24, from Delta State; Michael Chukwuemeka, 23, from Umuokwu Izombe in Oguta Local Government Area (LGA); and Annointing Ezeh, 23, from Umugada Irete in Owerri West LGA, were arrested following a strategic operation designed to combat cult-related activities within the state.

“All four suspects have confessed to being members of the Black Axe Confraternity, a known criminal group. An ongoing investigation to gather further evidence on their activities has started. The suspects will be charged in court upon completion of this thorough investigation.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, urged the public to “continue supporting our efforts to combat crime by reporting suspicious activities to the nearest police station,” adding that such combined efforts are “crucial in maintaining peace and security across the state.”

On July 27, 2024, the state command also arrested a suspected cultist, Chibueze Kalu, and recovered one locally made pistol from the 25-year-old.

Kalu confessed to being a member of the Black Axe Confraternity.

A plane with 48 people aboard skidded off the runway in Indonesia’s remote eastern region of Papua on Monday, police said, injuring several passengers.

The Southeast Asian archipelago has a poor aviation safety record, and Papua is covered in mountainous terrain where flying is hampered by frequent poor weather.

The ATR-42 aircraft belonging to Trigana Air was taking off from an airport in the remote Yapen Islands regency to Papuan capital Jayapura on Monday morning when it skidded off the runway.

The flight was carrying 42 passengers, including a baby, and six crew.

“Praise God everybody survived and has been taken to a hospital for a health checkup,” local police chief Ardyan Ukie Hercahyo said in a statement.

“We are investigating the incident and coordinating with related parties to ensure this will never happen again.”

The local search and rescue agency said in a statement that some passengers were injured and traumatised by the incident.

Indonesia relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands, but Papua is a particularly difficult area to reach.

In 2015, a Trigana Air plane crashed there, killing all 54 people on board.

The Authority of the Nigerian Army has debunked reports of mass resignation of its soldiers from the service due to corruption, low morale, among others

The Authority in a statement by Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director, Army Public Relations, described the reports as baseless.

A news platform had alleged mass resignation of Nigerian soldiers over corruption, low morale, among others

But the statement further described the report as not only misleading, but also a deliberate attempt to sow the seeds of disaffection and acrimony, as well as denigrate the patriotic service of personnel and reputation of the Nigerian Army.

“Consequently, it is crucial to clarify that service in the Nigerian Army, like most militaries the world over, is voluntary and not conscriptive. This, therefore, provides that individuals are free and at liberty to disengage at will.

“The situation is the same as the Nigerian Army. Personnel are at liberty to disengage from time to time in accordance with laid down procedures as contained in the Harmonized Terms and Conditions of Service (Officers/Soldiers) alike.

“This process allows for personnel who are about to either mandatorily or voluntarily disengage to adequately prepare and process entitlements, emoluments, pensions, and gratuity for the period of service to the nation,” he said.

It said contrary to the insinuations in the report, Nigerian Army personnel are highly motivated, and their welfare is top priority under the visionary leadership of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja.

In response to the economic downturn in the country, the Methodist Bishop of Nsukka, Rev. John Eze, has donated free fuel to all motorbike riders in the Eha Amufu community, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, in a remarkable display of kindness and generosity.

The Bishop’s gesture, which took many by surprise, was aimed at alleviating the financial burden on commercial motorcyclists and providing some relief to commuters.

In a statement issued to the press on Sunday, Bishop Eze said, “I am thrilled to see the smiles on the faces of these hardworking bike riders.” He added, “As a church, we are committed to serving the community and making a positive impact on people’s lives.”

The free fuel distribution, which took place at the Eha Amufu Motor Park, attracted hundreds of motorbike riders who were delighted to receive the unexpected gift.

“Thank you, Bishop Eze, for this wonderful gesture,” said one of the beneficiaries, Mr Chukwuma Okoro. “This will go a long way in helping us sustain our families.”

The Bishop’s act of kindness has been widely praised by members of the community, many of whom have taken to social media to offer prayers and express gratitude for his generosity.

“Please join us in praying for Bishop Eze and his ministry as they continue to touch lives in Eha Amufu and beyond,” the beneficiaries said.