6 arrested as Customs intercepts 8 exotic cars, others (DailyTrust)
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’ (FOUC), says it intercepted eight different exotic cars from suspected smugglers between January 1 and February 28, 2022.
The cars were three Toyota Hilux (2017, 2020 and 2021 models); one Land Cruiser Prado (2016 model); one Toyota Highlander (2014 model) and Toyota Venza (2016 model) among others.
Daily Trust gathered that the cars, which were intercepted without relevant customs documents, have been moved to an unknown location.
The FOUC Comptroller, Mr Ali Ibrahim, disclosed in a statement that six suspects have been arrested for their alleged involvement with the smuggled items.
He put the value of all the goods intercepted which also included pharmaceutical products – tramadol as well as other contraband – at over N529 million.
He added that the six suspects, who were arrested during the period under review, were granted administrative bail. Read more
Lagos holds grand finale of Spelling Bee competition (Vanguard)
The Office of Education Quality Assurance in the Lagos State Ministry of Education has announced that the grand finale of the 20th edition of the Lagos State Annual Spelling Bee Competition for public school students will be held on 16th and 17th March, 2022, at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja.
The Spelling Bee project was pioneered in 2001 by the former First Lady of Lagos State, Senator Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu (OON), through New Era Foundation, with the aim of promoting excellence, healthy academic rivalry, good reading habits and public speaking proficiency among students in government schools in Lagos State.
The two-day competition will witness students from 57 primary and secondary schools vying for cash prizes and scholarship awards, just as the winner and runners-up in the secondary school category will serve as one-day Governor and members of the State Executive Council respectively.
A statement issued by the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni acknowledged the partnership of the private sector towards the successful hosting of Spelling Bee competitions, expressing gratitude to 7up Bottling Company, Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu Foundation (KAAF) and United Bank for Africa (UBA) for partnering with the state to host this year’s edition of the event. Read more
LCCI: Russia-Ukraine war, a threat to food security in Nigeria (Nation)
The festering war between Russia and Ukraine will adversely affect Nigeria’s food supply, the President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, has warned.
Olawale-Cole said Nigeria’s food supply will surely come under some pressure as it imported four per cent of wheat from Ukraine and 27 per cent of wheat from Russia in 2021.
Also, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that “Russia was the sixth major exporter to Nigeria as of the third quarter of 2021 coming only after China, India, USA, Netherlands, and Belgium in that order.
“It is unclear,” Olawale-Cole surmised, “how long the current disruptions in the food supply chain will last, even though it has already triggered higher wheat prices around the world,” pointing out that “in developing economies including Nigeria, where populations already struggle to afford food, disruptions to food supply may result in substantial additional hardship and instability.” Read more
For fairness, APC must give second term ticket to Sanwo-Olu, says Ogunlewe (Punch)
A former Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, has said that members of the All Progressives Congress and elders in Lagos State must ensure that the governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu gets a second term ticket.
Ogunlewe, who was a former member of the PDP but defected to the APC, said the governor must be compensated for what he “is doing during his first term in office.”
Speaking on Arise TV on Saturday, the former minister said though other politicians should not be barred from competing with the governor for the party’s ticket, Sanwo-Olu must be given the opportunity to pick the ticket based on his performance.
He said, “The fact remains that the APC has no better candidate in Lagos State than the incumbent, Mr Sanwo-Olu, who is doing well. He has performed above my expectations and he is going to also build on what he is doing now during the second term. Read more
Honour for ex-Lagos Deputy Governor Adebule, 56 others (Nation)
Former Lagos State Deputy Governor Idiat Adebule was among 57 women honoured for their contributions to the eradication of poverty, and especially for raising the standard of living of women.
They were recognised during the state celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) at Onikan Stadium, Lagos Island.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation Mrs. Cecilia Dada said the ministry identified 57 individuals and organisations in the areas of social development, integrity and commitment to community development.
She explained that the ceremony provided an avenue to celebrate the resilience of women, and to encourage kind-hearted individuals and organisations to complement government’s effort in addressing challenges confronting women. Read more
Colonial masters responsible for Nigeria’s faulty foundation ― Ganduje (Vanguard)
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has attributed the challenges of nation building in Nigeria to the faulty foundation laid by the colonial masters.
Ganduje made the assertions at the launching of N250 million Dr Abdullahi Ganduje Lecture Theatre and Award on Saturday at the University of Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ganduje, who was the Guest Speaker, bagged the Most Distinguished Alumni Award.
The governor said that the faulty foundation laid by the colonial masters was purely done to actualise their interests and not for any genuine development of the country. Read more
I didn’t exonerate Kyari, I only asked for further probe – Malami (Guardian)
Nigeria’s attorney general and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, has described as false the media reports that his office had conclusively exonerated Abba Kyari.
The clarification was made via a statement by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the AGF, Dr. Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.
“It was a case of work in progress in respect of which the office of the Attorney General of the federation requested for further probe in relation to some aspects of investigation,” Gwandu said in the statement.
“It was clear that the conclusion on the alleged contradiction on the issue was a clear case of misconception. Read more
Recognise my music, not just my dance – Korra Obidi (Punch)
Popular singer and dancer, Korra Obidi, has asked her fans and the public to recognise her music as much as her dance.
The singer, in a Facebook video on Saturday, joked that despite doing music for seven years, they still referred to her as a ‘popular dancer.’
The singer said that she knew that her dance was good but asked the public to recognise her music as well.
Korra said this while joking about how the media would have painted her body posture in the live video.
“Popular dancer, Korra Obidi was caught exposing cleavage to fans,” she joked.
“When I’ve been doing music for seven years, you guys are still calling me a dancer.
“But thank you, I know that I know how to dance, but please recognise that my music is dope as well, I use God’s name to beg you,” she said. Read more
Infectious diseases: MultiChoice, HEI distribute 1,650 medical equipment to 3 public hospitals in Lagos (Vanguard)
Amid ongoing COVID-19 and Lassa fever infections in Nigeria, MultiChoice Nigeria in collaboration with Health Emergency Initiative, HEI, last week distributed 1,650 Hazmat coverall suits to three public hospitals in Lagos.
The hospitals include; the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, and the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ebute Metta, Lagos.
Hazmat suits are full-body garments form of Personal Protective Equipment, PPES, worn by medical personnel during the treatment of highly infectious diseases as it protects them from hazardous substances or materials.
According to the donors, the gesture was to protect and encourage Nigerian medical personnel in the discharge of their duties. Read more
Oxford, Cambridge to return 257 stolen Benin artefacts October (Punch)
Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum and Cambridge’s Museum of Archaeology, both in the United Kingdom, have said they would return a total of 257 looted artefacts to the Nigerian government.
According to The Telegraph UK, the museums were contacted by the Director of Nigeria’s National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Prof. Abba Tijani, who said institutions were now ‘ready to repatriate’.
Museums linked to Oxford and Cambridge universities are set to return their collections of Benin Bronzes within the year, it is claimed, after receiving a formal request for their repatriation, Sunday Punch has learnt.
The Times reported that Cambridge will be ready to return about 160 pieces in July and that Oxford was “100 per cent willing”, and could repatriate about 97 pieces by October. Read more
JK Rowling says Keir Starmer misrepresents law over ‘woman’ definition (Guardian)
JK Rowling has accused Keir Starmer of publicly misrepresenting equalities law, in what she says is “yet another indication that the Labour party can no longer be counted on to defend women’s rights”.
The Harry Potter author was responding to comments the Labour leader gave to the Times, when asked to define a woman.
Starmer, formerly the director of public prosecutions, the most senior prosecutor in England and Wales, said: “A woman is a female adult, and in addition to that trans women are women, and that is not just my view, that is actually the law. It has been the law through the combined effects of the 2004 [Gender Recognition] Act and the 2010 [Equality] Act.”
He called for reforms of the Gender Recognition Act, under which people diagnosed with gender dysphoria who have lived in their acquired gender for at least two years can apply to be legally recognised.
“The process that people have to go through does need to be looked at,” he told the Times. “If you talk to anybody who’s been through the process there’s a real issue about respect and dignity.”
On Saturday, Rowling said in a tweet: “I don’t think our politicians have the slightest idea how much anger is building among women from all walks of life at the attempts to threaten and intimidate them out of speaking publicly about their own rights, their own bodies and their own lives. Read more
Music success requires more than talent, says Dolly Parton (MusicNews)
Dolly Parton thinks talent is only one-third of what it takes to become a successful musician.
The 76-year-old icon was asked on the ‘Headliners’ podcast to divide “talent, fearlessness, and shamelessness” into percentages of how much a performer needs to achieve success.
Dolly explained: “I’m going to have to say a third, a third, a third … You gotta have a backbone. You gotta keep your heart, you gotta keep your soul.
“I’ve often said I’ve never hardened my heart – I just try to toughen the muscles around it. You have to learn to be strong without becoming harsh or hard. I try to never let anybody or anything get to my true heart or get to my true soul.”
The ‘Jolene’ singer has made many sacrifices in order to achieve fame and success. But Dolly has always refused to compromise her morals and values.
The chart-topping star said: “I’ve sacrificed a great deal, and I was always willing to do that, but I only sacrificed to a point. I would never – I have never compromised to the degree that I lost my integrity, my beliefs, my faith, any of that … I would walk away, I’d never go past that point.” Read more
Oscar-winning actor William Hurt dead at age 71 (StraitsTimes)
American actor William Hurt, known for much-loved films such as The Big Chill and A History of Violence, has died at age 71, US media reported Sunday (March 13).
Multiple outlets cited Hurt’s son, Will, who said in a statement: “It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar winning actor, on March 13, 2022, one week before his 72nd birthday.
“He died peacefully, among family, of natural causes.”
The actor had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in May 2018, but his son’s statement did not specify whether the disease contributed to Hurt’s passing. Read more
‘Dune’ DP Greig Fraser “honoured” to receive BAFTA, says COVID kept him from event (THR)
Dune DP Greig Fraser won the BAFTA in cinematography on Sunday and provided an acceptance statement to The Hollywood Reporter, while saying he was unable to attend the ceremony because he tested positive for Covid-19.
Fraser–who is also nominated for an Oscar, Critics Choice and American Society of Cinematographers Award for Denis Villeneuve’s sci fi epic–wrote that he is “honored to receive this award from such a distinguished body, which celebrates the crafts of our industry.” He noted that the work on Dune is “greater than the sum of its parts,” thanking Villeneuve, his camera team and additional collaborators in other departments.
Dune also won BAFTAs for special visual effects, sound, original score and production design.
The busy Fraser also recently lensed The Batman, the Warner Bros./DC hit topped the box office in its second weekend with $66 million for a 10-day domestic total of $238.5 million. Read more
Ciaran Hinds lands two Best Supporting Actor gongs at IFTA awards (IrishPost)
Ciaran Hinds won both Best Supporting Actor awards at Saturday’s Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards.
In the Drama category, Hinds got the nod for his portrayal of drug lord Eamon Cunningham in the RTÉ crime drama KIN.
He also took the gong in the Film category for his role in Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, in which he plays Pop, the grandfather of young protagonist, Buddy.
Accepting the award at Saturday night’s virtual ceremony, Belfast-born Hinds praised Branagh’s script and film for reconnecting him to his roots.
“This film Ken wrote touched me very deeply,” he said.
“As much as the story was of Ken’s childhood, it was also the story of my childhood, and the people I knew, and the community and the wonderful, wry-humoured, stoic people of the north of Ireland.” Read more
Michael Palin ’emotional’ as he reunites with Ukrainian he first met 30 years ago (Standard)
Sir Michael Palin has been reunited with a Ukrainian man who he first interviewed on one of his travel shows 30 years ago.
The Monty Python star first met writer and film-maker Vadim Castelli while travelling through Ukraine in the early 90s.
At the time, the comedian turned travel writer was attempting to travel from the south to the north pole while covering as much land as possible. His experience during the journey would later be turned into 1992 TV show Pole to Pole.
He then met Mr Castelli again 15 years ago when they discussed what his vision of Ukraine would look like in 15 years’ time.
“Ukraine, by that time, should be much more sovereign,” Mr Castelli said.
“It should be much more independent and much more prosperous. Hopefully, it will be a real part of the European family.” Read more
Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang signs new artist Tanna Leone (NME)
Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free have signed 23-year-old Los Angeles-based artist Tanna Leone to their pgLang record label.
Leone was announced as the latest addition to the pgLang roster in an Instagram video posted on March 9, where the artist introduces himself and answers questions including what drives him and what he’s most excited for.
The release of Leone’s double-single was then announced in an Instagram post that followed. ‘With The Villains’ and ‘Lucky’ are out now, along with an official music video for ‘With The Villains’.
The Neal Farmer-directed video for ‘With The Villains’ has an ominous feel to it, starting off as a black and white affair. It shows Leone moving from block chase to a VR strip show and then a tattoo parlour.
“When pgLang launched, I knew that’s where my home was,” Leone said in a statement. “It’s an honor to join my brothers on this journey of shaping the future of media and entertainment. As an artist I want to represent disrupting the status quo, push people to focus on their growth as a human, and to be a voice for the voiceless through my artistry.” Read more
Lobi Stars 1-2 Abia United: Dombraye sacked as Lobi named Agagbe interim coach (Nation)
The management of Lobi Stars has parted ways with former international Eddy Dombraye as the technical adviser of the team.
The club’s Vice Chairman Tama Aondofa announced the dissolution of the Dombraye-led technical crew yesterday after their 1-2 home defeat to Abia Warriors in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) matchday 18 clash at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.
Odoh Valentine’s double sealed the victory for the visitors while Adams Olamilekan scored a consolation for the hosts.
Coach Eugene Agagbe has been named as interim Coach to be assisted by goalkeeper coach Sam Addingi. Read more
Composed Arsenal ease past Leicester to strengthen grip on 4th spot (IrishIndependent)
Arsenal remain a team with flaws but those weaknesses are being well hidden by their growing number of strengths, and Mikel Arteta’s side are developing a habit for winning that stands them apart from the other contenders for the Premier League’s top four.
This latest victory was Arsenal’s fifth in a row, a run of consistency that currently seems beyond the reach of both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. While their rivals for a Champions League place are veering from one drama to the next, Arsenal are playing with a calm sense of purpose, control and menace.
Admittedly, there are much tougher tests to come than this meeting with an understrength Leicester City, who were without regular Arsenal-slayer Jamie Vardy.
On Wednesday, the Emirates Stadium plays host to Liverpool, before Arteta and his players travel to face Aston Villa next weekend. Read more
For us, top 4 has to be a dream’ – Antonio Conte gives brutally honest assessment of Tottenham following Manchester United defeat (TalkSport)
Antonio Conte has told talkSPORT that a top-four finish is just ‘a dream’ for his Tottenham team at present.
The Spurs boss spoke with raw honesty in the aftermath of their 3-2 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday – a game that had been billed as key in the battle to finish in the Champions League places.
Conte’s side performed well for large parts of the match, and came from behind twice to draw back level.
Ultimately though, they were unable to contain hat-trick hero Cristiano Ronaldo whose goals won the game single-handedly. Read more
Jurgen Klopp names 5 Liverpool players who have helped Luis Diaz settle (LiverpoolEcho)
Jurgen Klopp has revealed the role of Liverpool’s senior players in helping Luis Diaz settle at Anfield.
The Colombia international has hit the ground running since his £50million move from Porto at the end of January, turning in some eye-catching performances in the front three alongside Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
Diaz opened the scoring in Saturday’s 2-0 win at Brighton as Liverpool closed the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City to three points at the Amex Stadium.
The former Porto winger bravely headed past Robert Sanchez before he was taken out by a high challenge from the goalkeeper who avoided a red card for the incident. Read more
Nadal ekes out Indian Wells win as No. 1 Medvedev cruises (France24)
Rafael Nadal pulled off another great escape Saturday, rallying from two breaks down in the third set to beat young American Sebastian Korda in the second round at Indian Wells.
As newly minted number one Daniil Medvedev — the man Nadal beat with an epic comeback in the Australian Open final — cruised to victory in his first match as the world’s top-ranked player, Nadal was made to work by 21-year-old Korda, ranked 38th in the world.
“I feel very, very lucky today to be through,” Nadal said after a 6-2, 16, 7-6 (7/3) victory in the prestigious WTA and ATP Masters hard court tournament.
“Sebastian was playing some fantastic tennis. I didn’t play my best match without a doubt (but) a lot of credit to him that he played so aggressively and he put me in a lot of trouble.” Read more
Leigh Wood KOs Michael Conlan out of ring in dramatic 12th-round finish to featherweight title fight (USAToday)
Leigh Wood turned a one-sided fight into a classic.
The English featherweight contender seemed to be well behind on the scorecards when he put Michael Conlan through the ropes and stopped him midway through the 12th round Saturday in Wood’s hometown of Nottingham.
The fight will surely be remembered as one of the most dramatic comebacks in British boxing history.
Conlan, a two-time Olympian from Ireland, outclassed what appeared to be an inferior opponent for most of the fight. Read more
Bulls’ Alex Caruso receives standing ovation upon return (NBC)
Alex Caruso made his return for the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The fans at the United Center greeted Caruso with a standing ovation.
It was Caruso’s first minutes for the Bulls since suffering a fractured wrist on a flagrant foul by Grayson Allen against the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan 21.
There were some inklings Caruso was close to making his return against the Cavaliers during practice on Friday. Read more