2022 Commonwealth Games: Oborududu and Adekuoroye win Gold In Women Freestyle Wrestling For Nigeria

Team Nigeria Captain Blessing Oborududu clinched gold medal in Women’s Freestyle 68kg Wrestling event as she defeated Canada’s Linda Morais to win Nigeria’s 2nd medal in wrestling.

Oborududu, a Tokyo Olympics silver medalist did it in style as she beat the Canadian 5-1 (Points without the opponent scoring 1).

Star girl, Odunayo Adekuoroye also won gold in women’s 57kg for Team Nigeria, defeating her Indian opponent Anshu Malik 7-3 Points without the opponent scoring 1 to secure Nigeria’s first gold medal in wrestling on Friday.

Adekuoroye is still unbeaten since she won her first title in 2014.

In Women’s freestyle 62kg wrestling,
Esther Kolawole needed only 20 seconds to dispatch her Scottish opponent, Abbie Fountain to win bronze.

2022 Commonwealth: Tobi Amusan qualifies for Hurdles final round 

Tobi Amusan of Nigeria finished first (12.40 sec) in the Women’s 100m Hurdles, Round 1 Heat 3, to qualify for the final event, coming up on Sunday.

In another development,Nasiru Sule and Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi are through to the final of their respective Table Tennis Singles Classes. Both won 3-1.

In Paralympic ,Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi defeated Sonalben Patel of (India) 3-1 to reach the final of the Para Table Tennis event.

In Table Tennis Doubles Round of 16,Amadi Omeh/Olajide Omotayo beat Guyana’s Shemar Britton and Christopher Franklin 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5

2022 Commonwealth Games: Lawrence Okoye wins discus silver 

England’s Lawrence Okoye, who left athletics for American Football after London 2012, won his first senior medal with Commonwealth discus silver.

30 year old Okoye, returned to discus in 2019 after his NFL career ran out of steam.

He failed to make the final at last year’s Tokyo Olympics or the 2022 World Championships, but a 64.99m throw took him to the podium behind Australia’s Matthew Denny in Birmingham.

Okoye was one of the stars of London 2012, reaching the Olympic final and finishing the year with the fifth-furthest throw of the season.

However, the 20-year-old had other options. Instead of pursuing athletics, top-flight rugby union or a law degree at Oxford University, he signed a deal with NFL team the San Francisco 49ers.

He was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins, without ever making an appearance in a competitive game, before making his comeback to athletics.

Okoye told BBC Sport “It’s a massive breakthrough for me. I have doubted myself quite a bit so to do this means a lot,” said Okoye.

“Since I’ve come back, I’ve thrown massive in training and warm-ups but haven’t quite got it together in competitions.

“Today was a great step forward and hopefully in the Europeans, and moving forward to Paris, I can really unlock my potential.”

Okoye’s personal best remains a 68.24m effort from May 2012, and he has previously said he believes he can throw over 70m, a distance that would have won gold at the Tokyo Olympics as well as in Birmingham.

2022 Commonwealth Games: Nigeria Soaring higher with More Medals

Nigeria’s hope of surpassing the feat achieved in 1994 seems to have been boosted with more success in Birmingham.

it was double delight for Team Nigeria as Folashade Oluwafemiayo broke the World Record in women’s Heavyweight Powerlifting event, lifting a series of: 130kg, 150kg & 155kg to score a cumulative 123.4 points, winning yet another GOLD medal for the country.

Bose Omolayo finished second behind her compatriot to make it a Nigerian 1-2. Omolayo lifted 145kg and scored 115.2 points to also get on the podium.

While in women discus,Nwachukwu Chiemerie won Gold in Discus with a new world record.
She threw 34.84 to set a new World Record and broke her own Record (World Record) that she achieved on March 20, 2022 in South Africa, when she threw 33.35.

She is ranked number 1 in the ongoing event.

In the men’s Para Powerlifting,Nnamdi Innocent won Bronze for Team Nigeria in Para Powerlifting lightweight category, while Obichukwu Ikechukwu close an eventful day with silver medal in men’s heavyweight category.

FG asks Google to delete proscribed groups

FG asks Google to delete proscribed groups

The Federal Government and global internet company, Google, are collaborating to curb the excesses of subversive YouTube channels, being used to spread hate speech and misinformation against Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this on Thursday during a courtesy call on him by a delegation from Google in Abuja.

He expressed delight that both the Federal Government and Google shared the same concern on the responsible use of social media.

“We want Google to look into how to tackle the use of private and unlisted YouTube channels and YouTube live streams by proscribed groups and terrorist organisations.

“Channels and emails containing names of proscribed groups and their affiliates should not be allowed on Google platforms,” the minister said.

The minister stated that Google had become a platform of choice for the Indigenous People of Biafra, which he described a proscribed terrorist group.

Mohammed implored the tech giant to deny IPOB the use of its platform for its acts of violence and destabilisation.

He said Nigerians are among the most vibrant social media users in the world, with over 100 million Internet users in the country.

“Internet platforms such as Google, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and WhatsApp enable Nigerians to interact, share ideas, earn a living and participate in social and political affairs,” he added.

The minister, however, observed that those platforms are also used by unscrupulous persons or groups for subversive and nefarious activities.

Mohammed said the Nigerian Government had recently proposed a “Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries” in an attempt to provide a framework for collaboratively protecting Nigerian users of Internet platforms.

“This code couldn’t have come at a better time, as the country prepares for general elections next year. We are committed to working with platforms like yours as well as the civil society, lawyers, media practitioners and other relevant stakeholders to ensure a responsible use of the Internet and to protect our people from the harmful effects of social media,” he said.

The Google Regional Director (Sub-Saharan Africa, Government Affairs and Public Policy), Charles Murito, said the platform has introduced a programme called “Trusted Flaggers” for citizens trained to track and engage with online contents in order to flag contents of serious concern.(Punch)

Alleged Organ Harvesting: Ekweremadu to remain in custody till Oct 31 next hearing date

Alleged Organ Harvesting: Ekweremadu to remain in custody till Oct 31 next hearing date

….As UK court says trial will commence fully on May 2, 2023

The Central Criminal Court in the UK has adjourned the alleged organ harvesting case involving Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy president of the senate.

The judge handling the case is going to hear pretrial applications on October 31, but the trial will commence fully on May 2, 2023.

The former deputy senate president and Beatrice, his wife, are facing charges bordering on conspiracy to arrange/facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

The couple were arrested by London Metropolitan Police in June and appeared before a magistrate court in July.

Ekweremadu’s wife was granted bail on July 22.

At the court on Thursday, the senator representing Enugu west asked that a new lawyer represent him.

The police had alleged that David Ukpo, the reported victim at the centre of the organ harvesting allegation, is a 15-year-old but the court ruled that he is 21.

Recall that the former senator wrote to the UK high commission in December 2021 to support a visa application for Ukpo.

In the letter, Ekweremadu said Ukpo was undergoing medical investigations for a kidney donation to Sonia Ekweremadu, his daughter, who is in need of a kidney transplant.

He said both Ukpo and Sonia will be at the Royal Free Hospital London.

Ekweremadu’s appearance in the UK court is the third time since his arrest.

The politician is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and served three terms as Nigeria’s deputy senate president from 2007 to 2019 but has been a senator since 2003.

2022 Commonwealth Games:Nigeria currently have 8 Medals

Nigeria’s Ogunkunle Isau defeated Raj Aravidan of India 3-1 to win his opponent in the men’s Para Table tennis game.

In Game 1, Ogunkunle won 11-9, game 2 ended 4-11 to India’s Raj while Ogunkunle won Game 3 and 4 with 11-6 and 11-8 score respectively.

There was no medal for Nigeria.Rosemary Chukwuma who finished 4th while Grace Nwokocha 5th in 100M

Elaine Thompson Herah of Jamaica emerged fastest woman in 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham clocking 10.95 seconds. 

This is her first individual Commonwealth Games medal. She is the Olympic champion, bronze medalist at the World Championship in Eugene, Oregon, USA few weeks ago and second fastest woman in history.

Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala won men’s 100 meters gold in 10.02 seconds beating Akani Simbine of South Africa.

Nigeria currently occupies 10th position on the Medal Table, comprising 3 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze.

On day four,medals were added from weightlifting and Discus throw.

Two medals from the Discus event.

Chioma Onyekwere became Commonwealth Games Discus champion to the surprise of many Nigerians.

She won Gold in the women’s Discus Throw, throwing a season best of 61.70m.

Her Compatriot Obiageri Amechi was able to take bronze also in the with a throw of 56.99m.

In weightlifting, Taiwo Laidi took home Silver in women’s 76Kg category.

The second medal from weightlifting was recorded by Mary Taiwo Osijo.

Osijo recorded a bronze medal in the Women’s 87kg Weightlifting with a combined lift of 225kg (102kg in Snatch, 123kg in Clean & Jerk).

Tima Godbless Breaks 100m 23-year Record At World Athletics Championship

Tima Godbless sped to a new 11.09 seconds to set Nigeria U-20 record to qualify for the semifinal of the women’s 100m at the World Athletics U20 Championships on Tuesday morning in Cali, Colombia.

18 year old Godbless, withdrew from the Nigerian Commonwealth Games team and won her first round heat in style by breaking the 23-year-old record (11.11 seconds) set by Joan Uduak Ekah in July 1999.

The time is also the second fastest ever by an African U20 athlete after Christine Mboma’s 10.97 seconds run last April in Gaborone and the 12th best in the Nigerian overall all-time best.

Godbless, a semifinalist a year ago at the last edition of the championships in Nairobi, Kenya has thrown herself into the reckoning for a podium appearance alongside Jamaica’s Tina Clayton who ran 11.38 seconds to win her heat in Cali.

The Nigerian will be joined in the semi finals by her compatriot, Praise Ofoku, a finalist a year ago in Nairobi who ran 11.55 seconds to come second in the third of seven 100m heats in Cali.

NiDCOM Boss Sheds Light on Alika, Other Killings by Ada Nkong

NiDCOM Boss Sheds Light on Alika, Other Killings by Ada Nkong

The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Hon. (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa says the suspect in the murder of Mr. Ogochukwu Alika has been arrested by the Italian police and is expected to be charged to court .

A statement by Mr Gabriel Odu of the media, public relations and protocol unit ,NiDCOM reports the NiDCOM Boss said the Italian police were working and cooperating with the Nigerian mission in Italy to ensure justice is done and the culprit face the consequences he deserves.

According to Odu, the Nigerian mission is requesting that the Italian government provides Mrs. Alika, the widow, a good job to cater for the rest of the family, being the family’s bread winner, now.

He said Dabiri-Erewa seized the chance to thank the Nigerian community in Italy, various organizations and individuals in Italy who have rallied round to support and raise funds for the late Alika’s family since his death.

The late Mr. Ogochukwu Alika was a physically-challenged Nigerian street vendor, allegedly beaten to death by an Italian man, using the clutches of Mr. Alika in Italy.

Odu further stated that Hon. Dabiri-Erewa, also gave an update on the gruesome murder of two young Nigerians, Tosin Amos Arowoshegbe, and Chibueze Momoh, who were shot dead at a Canadian nightclub, while working as guards.

The NiDCOM Chairman said that Canadian authorities have identified a suspect and are working to get to the cause of the unfortunate incident