7 burnt to death in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash (Channels)
The Ogun State Sector of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) has disclosed that seven persons were burnt beyond recognition and 17 others injured in a crash that occurred along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a few metres after the Saapade Bridge.
According to a statement issued in Abeokuta, the state capital by the Public Education Officer and Chief Routes Commander, Florence Okpe, the fatal crash occurred at about 9am on Thursday.
Two vehicles — a Toyota Sienna with registration numbers BWR762PV and a Mazda bus with registration number BDN18 LG — were involved in the crash. Read more
1 killed as armed robbers invade popular Abeokuta Computer Village, TARMAC (Vanguard)
Suspected armed robbers, on Wednesday, stormed the popular phone market, otherwise known as Tarmac at Ibara Round About in Abeokuta, Ogun State, killing one of the traders.
The armed robbers numbering about eight, arrived at the Abeokuta computer village at about 4:51pm masked and shot sporadically to scare away passersby, business owners and other customers at the business hub.
The Chairman, Mobile Phones Dealers and Technicians Association (MOPDATEC), Ogun State, Mr. Ifebola Togunwa, said men of the underworld dispatched themselves into four groups and raided about six shops within one hour at gunpoint. Read more
Sanwo-Olu halts all building developments on Banana Island (Guardian)
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed that all developments on Banana Island be placed on hold, subject to a comprehensive audit by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA). This is to determine how many buildings are being constructed without approval from the Lagos State Government and if all approved buildings are being built in line with the approval limits provided. This exercise will be extended to other estates and gated communities.
The directive comes in the aftermath of the collapse of a seven-storey building under construction on Banana Island. The incident occurred on Wednesday, and nobody has died as of the time of this report. Twenty-five people were rescued from the site, and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has continued excavation work, using the architectural designs.
According to a news release issued by Gbenga Omotoso, the commissioner for Information & Strategy, the Lagos State Government has also launched a probe into the collapse of the building under construction on Banana Island. Read more
Brain Drain: Many qualified doctors still unemployed in Nigeria – NMA President (DailyTrust)
The President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr Uche Rowland Ojinmah, has said in spite of the brain drain in the health sector, many qualified doctors in Nigeria are still not employed.
He disclosed this while speaking on the exodus of Nigerian medical practitioners leaving the country for greener pastures abroad.
Recently a bill was sponsored by a lawmaker from Lagos, Hon. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson, proposing a mandatory five-year work in Nigeria by Nigerian doctors before being given a full practicing licence. The bill had passed the second reading in the House of Representatives,
However, Ojinmah, while appearing on Channels Television’s programme, Politics Today on Wednesday, argued that notwithstanding the high number of medical practitioners leaving the country, there were still many doctors unemployed in the country. Read more
Ortom asks FG to suspend national census (Sun)
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has asked the Federal Government to suspend the conduct of the national population and housing census until all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are returned to their ancestral homes.
He made the call, yesterday, when he received a delegation from the Middle Belt Forum, led by its President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu at Benue People’s House, Makurdi.
He said close to two million indigenes of Benue State were in IDP camps and expressed the fears that they may not be counted to add to the state’s census data unless they are returned to their localities. Read more
Lagos to prioritise children-related issues (Punch)
The Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development has organised a stakeholders’ meeting for all relevant ministries, departments and agencies on children-related issues.
According to a statement on Thursday, the meeting which was held at the Correctional Centre for Junior Boys, in the Yaba area of the state, was part of efforts to ensure that the best interest of children was accorded priority.
Speaking at the meeting, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, said, “Our children are the future of Lagos State, and their well-being should be of utmost importance to us. However, recent social issues have highlighted the significant challenges that our children face.” Read more
President Buhari performs Umrah ritual in Makkah (Leadership)
President Muhammadu Buhari has performed Umrah rituals amid tight security, upon his arrival at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Thursday.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, the President was received by a number of officials, including a delegation from the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and Nigerian Embassy staff.
A day earlier in the second Holy City of Madina, President Buhari had also visited and prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque. Read more
FG cedes exclusive custody of returned Bini Artefacts to Oba of Benin (ThisDay)
The federal government has in an order of recognition of ownership vested custody and management of repatriated looted Benin Artefacts in the Oba of Benin Kingdom.
The government made the order in notice No. 25 in the official gazette No. 57 in Volume 110 at pages A245-247, dated March 28, 2023.
The document was titled: “Notice of Presidential Declaration in the Recognition of Ownership and an Order Vesting Custody and Management of Repatriated Looted Benin Artefacts in the Oba of Benin issued on 23rd March, 2023.” Read more
INEC concludes 2023 polls with supplemetary elections on Saturday (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) will conclude the 2023 general elections on Saturday with the conduct of supplementary elections across the country.
Twenty-six Governorship, 104 Senatorial, 329 Federal and 935 State constituency elections have been concluded with winners declared.
Governorship election is expected to be concluded in Adamawa and Kebbi States while supplementary Senatorial elections will hold in Kebbi (Kebbi North); Plateau (Plateau Central); Yobe (Yobe South); Zamfara (Zamfara Central) and Sokoto (Sokoto East, North and South). Read more
Lady Gaga and Bruce Cohen to co-chair Joe Biden’s revived President’s Committee On The Arts and Humanities (DailyMail)
US President Joe Biden will appoint pop superstar Lady Gaga to co-chair the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities with film producer Bruce Cohen.
The President, 80, made the announcement Thursday in an official press release that also included a list of the committee’s A-list members, such as George Clooney and Kerry Washington.
Gaga, 37, has aligned herself with President Biden over the years and famously performed the National Anthem at his inauguration ceremony in 2021. Read more
Angela Bassett shares why she held Austin Butler’s hand during his Oscars category (ET)
Angela Bassett opened up this week about her connection with Austin Butler’s awards season experience, writing in an essay for TIME that she “understood intimately what he felt” in the moments just before Oscars announcers revealed the Best Actor winner.
Bassett wrote an essay about her friendship with the Elvis star in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023 series, published Thursday. In the piece, she recalled the moment that she held hands with Butler at this year’s Academy Awards just before the presentation for Best Actor.
“I understood intimately what he felt when it was time to learn if he would climb those stairs to the stage,” Bassett wrote”So, I took his hand and held it softly as the winner was announced.” Read more
Texas dairy farm explosion kills 18,000 cows (BBC)
Approximately 18,000 cows were killed in a blast at a Texas dairy farm earlier this week, according to local authorities.
The explosion, at South Fork Dairy near the town of Dimmitt, also left one person in critical condition.
Authorities believe that machinery in the facility may have ignited methane gas.
Nearly three million farm animals died in fires across the US between 2018 and 2021. Read more
Glen Powell in talks to star in Universal’s Twister sequel opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones (Variety)
Glen Powell is in talks to star opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones in Universal and Amblin Entertainment’s “Twisters,” a sequel to 1996’s Twister.
Minari helmer Lee Isaac Chung is directing the film from a script by The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith. “Twisters” is set to release on July 19, 2024.
Starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Carey Elwes and Philip Seymour Hoffman, 1996’s Twister made nearly $500 million at the box office and received Oscar nominations in the visual effects and sound categories. It was directed by Jan De Bont (Speed) from a screenplay by Michael Crichton, with Steven Spielberg executive producing. Read more
Lloyd Banks taps Dave East, Method Man, Cormega and more for ‘‘COTI3’’ (HipHopDX)
Lloyd Banks has unveiled the tracklist for his upcoming album, COTI3, which includes features from heavy hitters like Dave East, Method Man, Cormega, and more.
On Thursday (April 13), the former G-Unit rapper took to Instagram to share his forthcoming album’s tracklist while also sharing a pre-order link for the project that will be released on April 21.
In addition to the aforementioned guest stars, the album will also feature appearances from Vado, Tony Yayo and 38 Spesh. Production on COTI3 comes from George Getson, Haas Almahdi, V Don, Cartune Beats and Tha Jerm. Read more
FBI arrests Massachusetts Air National Guardsman in classified intel leak probe (UPI)
FBI agents on Thursday surrounded a Massachusetts home and arrested a 21-year-old Massachusetts Air National Guardsman in the leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence documents.
“Today the Justice Department arrested Jack Douglas Teixeira in connection with an investigation into alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement Thursday afternoon.
The FBI’s Boston office said in a statement on Twitter that Teixeira was arrested in North Dighton, Mass., “without incident,” and Garland said Teixeira will have an initial appearance in U.S. district court in Massachusetts. Read more
WHO monitoring new Covid-19 sub-variant Arcturus, which is driving surge of cases in India (StraitsTimes)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is monitoring the new Arcturus Covid-19 sub-variant, which is fuelling a recent surge of cases in India.
The Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16, first detected in late January, is a recombinant of two descendants of another BA.2 Omicron variant.
The WHO said that the sub-variant has one additional mutation in the spike protein. Read more
Blame gov’s enemies, referees for Wikki Tourists’ woes — Yusuf (DailyTrust)
The chairman of Wikki Tourists, Alhaji Balarabe Yusuf ‘Douglas’, has alleged that dirty politics by those he tagged enemies of Governor Bala Mohammed and bad officiating are responsible for the crisis that has hit the club in recent times.
Speaking during a media parley, Yusuf further said the club is yet to formally receive the resignation of its ‘former’ manager, Abdullahi Adamu as the club chairman insisted that he and members of the club’s board only saw his resignation letter on social media.
It will be recalled following his side’s 1-2 home defeat to Bayelsa United on Sunday, Abdullahi resigned from his position barely a month after taking over the club’s vacant managerial job. Read more
Mane suspended by Bayern Munich for punching Sane (Guardian)
Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane will not be part of the squad for Saturday’s Bundesliga game against Hoffenheim and has been fined over a row he had with team mate, Leroy Sane, the club said, yesterday.
Senegalese international, Mane, clashed with Sane at the end of their 3-0 loss at Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg on Tuesday, reports Reuters.
“Sadio Mane will not be included in the FC Bayern squad for this Saturday’s home match against 1899 Hoffenheim,” the club said in a statement. Read more
Manchester United pay for late lapses against Sevilla (RNZ)
Manchester United conceded two late own goals to allow Sevilla to snatch a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final at Old Trafford on Friday.
Marcel Sabitzer’s quickfire double in the first half put Erik ten Hag’s team in control of the tie, but Sevilla, record six-times Europa League champions, pulled one back in the 84th minute when Jesus Navas’s shot pinged off the feet of Tyrell Malacia and keeper David de Gea into the net.
United were reduced to 10 men when defender Lisandro Martinez was carried off injured and Youssef En-Nesyri’s stoppage-time header glanced off Harry Maguire into the goal to give Sevilla a huge lift ahead of next week’s second leg. Read more
MLS suspends New York Red Bulls’ Dante Vanzeir for 6 games (ESPN)
Major League Soccer has suspended New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir for six games for using racist language during his team’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
In a statement, the league said: “Vanzeir is prohibited from participating in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, MLS NEXT Pro games, and exhibition matches until the suspension is completed.
“The League has also imposed an undisclosed fine and will require Vanzeir to participate in additional League-mandated training and education sessions, as well as a restorative practices program.” Read more
Novak Djokovic dumped out of Monte Carlo in major upset after crowd turned on Serb (Express)
Novak Djokovic was upset by Lorenzo Musetti in a dramatic defeat at the Monte Carlo Masters. The 16th seed dispatched the Serb 4-6 7-5 6-4 after the crowd booed the world No 1 for arguing a ball mark midway through the match. There was also drama as both men received code violations and the match was paused for an hour due to rain.
Djokovic had raised some concerns when seen with strapping on his right elbow while training on Wednesday, and he took to the court with the sleeve on his arm again. The Serb came into the match with a 3-0 record against Musetti but the 21-year-old had been on a roll in Monte Carlo – winning his last three sets 6-0.
The pair traded breaks early on before the Serb quickly regained his advantage and he looked to break for a third time as he held two set points on the Italian’s serve at 5-2. But momentum suddenly shifted towards the 16th seed, who held and saved another set point on Djokovic’s serve as he broke to keep himself in the opener. Read more
Waterford rally driver Craig Breen dies in crash (RTE)
Waterford rally driver Craig Breen has died in a crash, his Hyundai Motorsport team has confirmed.
Breen was participating in a pre-test event ahead of Croatia Rally when the incident happened at approximately 11 am Irish time. His co-driver James Fulton was unharmed.
“Hyundai Motorsport sends its sincerest condolences to Craig’s family, friends and his many fans,” a statement read. Read more