3 killed in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway multiple crash (DailyTrust)
Three persons died on Friday while three others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a multiple accident at U-turn, by Total filling station, Ogere, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Florence Okpe, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta.
Okpe said that the accident occured at 7:10 am.
According to her, the accident involved a Toyota Hiace bus marked MN A48 ZY, a Man diesel truck marked ABC 682 ZW and Daf truck with registration number T-3756LA.
She attributed the accident to excessive speed, which resulted in collision involving the three vehicles while the Man diesel truck was making a U-turn.
”A total of eight men were involved in the accident, three sustained injuries, two unhurt and unfortunately three persons in the bus were recorded killed,” she said. Read more
Atiku, Obi approach court, demand election materials inspection (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, respectively have approached to Presidential Election Court to seek permission for the inspection of election materials used during last Saturday’s poll.
The PUNCH reports that Atiku and Obi refused to concede defeat in the February 25 presidential election, vowing to recover their mandate in court.
The two candidates rebuffed the gesture of conciliation made by the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, who in his acceptance speech after he was declared the winner of the poll on Wednesday, asked them to support him in the task of building the nation. Read more
Lagos receives post-mortem report on Chrisland’s pupil (Nation)
Lagos Commissioner for Education Mrs Folasade Adefisayo has confirmed receipt of the post mortem report on the cause of death of 12-year-old pupil of Chrisland Schools, Whitney Adeniran.
She assured the current administration will leave no stone unturned in prosecuting those culpable in Adeniran’s death after appropriate investigation.
Adefisayo assured Whitney’s parents that justice would be served over the girl’s death stating the Ministry of Education shares in their grief. Read more
Police officer’s son burnt to death in Lagos barracks (DailyTrust)
A 15-year old son of a senior police officer attached to the Lagos Police Command lost his life during a fire outbreak at Falomo Police Barracks in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Confirming the tragic incident, the command’s Police Public Relations Officers, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ikoyi, got information about the incident.
He said the DPO was informed that on Tuesday about 9.00 p.m., fire gutted Room 24, Block 1 of ASP Godspower David, attached to Bar Beach Police Division, Victoria Island, Lagos. Read more
Tinubu’s victory: Wike thanks Nigerians, says rotational presidency settled (Vanguard)
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Friday thanked Nigerians for supporting the return of power to the Southern part of Nigeria.
Wike, a Governor serving under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the issue of rotational presidency has been settled for good with the emergence of a President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, who is from the southern region of the country.
Wike spoke on Friday when he joined his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde to commission the Oyo State 5,000,000-litre Aviation Fuel Dispensing Depot at the Ibadan Airport in the Alakia area of the state. Read more
Senator Gumau dumps NNPP for PDP in Bauchi after losing election (Tribune)
Barely one week after losing his reelection bid, the incumbent Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District in the upper chamber under the platform of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP), Lawal Yahaya Gumau, alongside his campaign Coordinators and hundreds of supporters have dumped the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The development has, therefore, boosted the reelection bid of the State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir who is the gubernatorial candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Senator Lawal Yahaya Gumau announced this when he led his supporters, coordinators and well wishers to an interactive session with the Governor at Ramat House, Bauchi on Friday. Read more
International Women’s Day:Tallen seeks gender responsive approach to digital innovation, technology (Guardian)
As the world marks International Women’s month, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has called for a gender-responsive approach to innovative technology and digital education for increased awareness of women and regard regarding their rights and civic engagement.
Tallen made the call at a media briefing for the commemoration of the 2023 International Women’s Day, (IWD) celebration, yesterday in Abuja.
She said the 2023 theme ‘DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality’, highlights the need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education among women and girls and also aligns with the priority theme for the upcoming 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, (CSW-67). Read more
Child dresses as Prince Harry for World Book Day following release of memoir Spare (Independent)
A child dressed as Prince Harry for World Book Day on Thursday (2 March) has been “ecstatic” to see himself on television.
Following the release of the royal’s tell-all memoir in January, the three-year-old named Ellis, from Redhill, Surrey, was given a makeover to resemble the Duke of Sussex.
His mother, a makeup artist named Melissa Wright, said Spare was the only book her son wanted to portray this World Book Day.
“He’s only three so he can’t read but he’s obsessed with being a prince,” she told The Independent. Read more
Bryant & May novelist Christopher Fowler has died aged 69 (Guardian)
Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant & May series of detective novels, has died at the age of 69, having been diagnosed with cancer three years ago.
Fowler was best known for his Bryant & May thrillers, featuring the veteran detectives solving unusual crimes in London from the second world war to the present day. The series began with Full Dark House in 2003, and 17 more novels followed, most recently London Bridge Is Falling Down, published in 2021. A further book exploring the London of the characters, Bryant & May’s Peculiar London, came out last year.
Fowler’s death was announced late on Thursday by his husband, Pete, who posted on the writer’s Twitter account: Read more
Willem Dafoe made Emma Stone slap him 20 times despite being off-camera in scene (FilmNews)
Willem Dafoe made his “And” co-star Emma Stone slap him about 20 times despite being off-camera for the scene.
In one scene in Yorgos Lanthimos’s anthology movie, the La La Land star’s character is seen slapping Dafoe’s, who is meant to be off-camera. Stone would usually do the slapping gesture without the actor present, but Dafoe insisted she did it to him for real because the act would look more genuine – and he ended up taking the stage slap around 20 times.
“There’s this instinct to perform that many actors have – the ‘look at me, look at me!’ kind of performer,” Stone said as part of a profile of Dafoe in T: The New York Times Style Magazine. “He’s the opposite of that.” Read more
John Williams leaves door open for more film work after ‘‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’’ (CNN)
Harrison Ford has said he intends to hang up his whip as Indiana Jones after the new film hits theatres, but famed film composer John Williams isn’t so sure “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” will be his own last film adventure.
In an interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace for a new episode of “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” the 91-year-old Oscar winner, a frequent collaborator of director Steven Spielberg, said while it is possible that the forthcoming fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise could be the final film on which he acts as composer, he’s leaving the door open.
“I’m not anxious to go into another film. But…Steven is a hard man to say no to,” he said. “If he should turn around tomorrow with another ‘Schindler’s List,’ you probably have to fight me to keep me away from it.” Read more
Chaka Khan slams Mariah Carey, Adele, Mary J. Blige’s high rankings on Rolling Stone list (USAToday)
Chaka Khan isn’t holding back her opinions on music stars who ranked higher than her on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest singers of all time.
In Wednesday’s episode of the Los Angeles Magazine podcast “The Originals,” Khan, 69, gave her unfiltered reaction to finding out that the music magazine ranked Mariah Carey, Adele and Mary J. Blige higher than her.
“What list is that?” Khan said, when told on the podcast about the list. “These are somebody’s opinions, correct? Then that’s all I have to say. I feel honored; however, it’s not going to take me over any moon. These people don’t quantify or validate me in any way.” Read more
Glastonbury Festival 2023: Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses join Sir Elton John as headliners (Sky)
Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Roses will join Sir Elton John in headlining this year’s Glastonbury Festival, meaning all the top-billed acts will be male.
The Glastonbury line-up also includes Christine And The Queens, Fatboy Slim, Lana Del Rey, Lewis Capaldi, Lil Nas X, Maneskin, Rudimental, Manic Street Preachers, The War On Drugs and Royal Blood.
Cat Stevens will fill the Legends slot on Sunday afternoon. Read more
Ales Bialiatski: Nobel Prize-winning activist sentenced to 10 years in jail (BBC)
A court in Belarus has sentenced Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in prison.
He was convicted of smuggling and financing “actions grossly violating public order”, the Viasna human rights group said.
Supporters of Mr Bialiatski, 60, say the authoritarian regime of Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is trying to silence him. Read more
6 players, 4 coaches for February NPFL awards (Punch)
Enyimba forward and current Nigeria Professional Football League top scorer, Emeka Obioma, and Bendel Insurance goalkeeper, Amas Obasogie, have been nominated along with four other players for the League Bloggers February Player of the Month award.
Other players in the contest are Bendel Insurance marksman Osarenkhoe Imade, Akwa United’s Uche Collins, Lobi Stars’ playmaker Joseph Atule and Bayelsa United’s striker, Robert Mizo.
This month’s nominations appear to be a close contest with the performances of each player worthy of commendation for their respective teams. Read more
Roberto Firmino will leave Liverpool at the end of the season when his contract expires (Sky)
Roberto Firmino will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, according to Sky Germany sources.
The 31-year-old striker has decided not to renew his expiring contract and will part ways with the club in summer after eight successful years.
Firmino personally informed manager Jurgen Klopp about his decision and had positive talks with him on Friday. Klopp had expressed several times that he wanted to work with Firmino beyond this summer, but the player has now decided to leave with his next move still undecided. Read more
Morocco and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi charged with rape (AlJazeera)
Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been charged with rape, French prosecutors have said.
The prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Nanterre said Hakimi was questioned on Thursday by investigators probing rape allegations. He was then indicted by an investigating judge and placed under judicial supervision.
Hakimi, 24, is prohibited from contacting the alleged victim, a 24-year-old woman who says she was raped by Hakimi on Saturday at his home in a Paris suburb. Hakimi is allowed to leave French territory, prosecutors said. Read more
Mikel Arteta hails Arsenal players for ‘‘leadership’’ development in absence of Gabriel Jesus (Standard)
Mikel Arteta believes his Arsenal players have developed into leaders in the absence of Gabriel Jesus.
Striker Jesus has been out since the World Cup with a knee injury but he is closing in on a return to action.
Arteta has said the Brazilian is “feeling better every day” and his return to the squad will be a major boost for the Gunners’ Premier League title charge. Read more
Michael Vaughan: Yorkshire cricket racism hearing is ”terrible look for game” (BBC)
Former England captain Michael Vaughan says the disciplinary hearing into allegations of racism at Yorkshire is a “terrible look” for cricket.
Vaughan is accused of saying “there’s too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that” to Azeem Rafiq and three other Asian players at Yorkshire before a T20 match in 2009.
Vaughan has “completely and categorically” denied the allegation – and did so again when giving evidence for the first time in the hearing on Friday. Read more
Lewis Hamilton given permission to wear nose stud at Bahrain GP despite F1 jewellery ban (Mirror)
Lewis Hamilton has registered one success before Sunday’s Grand Prix in Bahrain, he WILL be able to wear his nose stud during the race.
The seven-time world champion spent most of last season in a stand-off with the sport’s governing body, the FIA, over their insistence that strict rules forbidding Formula One drivers to wear jewellery were enforced. For many of the 2022 races, 38-year-old Hamilton was forced to remove ALL his jewellery before taking his place on the starting grid.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, was seen as the driving force behind the push to implement the long-standing, but often unused, rules. Read more
