Angry mob beats police officers to death (Dailytrust)
Angry youths at the weekend killed two mobile police officers and injured two others over the death of a motorcyclist and his passenger.
The incident happened in Ikpeshi community, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo state.
It was gathered that trouble started when a vehicle with four police officers ran into a motorcycle, resulting in the death of the rider and his passenger. Read more
Prices of garri, rice record more than 50% increase (Vanguard)
The price of cassava flakes, popularly known as ‘garri’, and rice have recorded more than 50 per cent increase in Enugu metropolis.
The NAN Correspondent who conducted a market survey on Sunday in Enugu, observed that prices of foodstuffs such as garri and rice have increased by 50 per cent in the metropolis.
The survey showed that a cup of garri, which was N120 in January, now goes for N150 while a 5-litre painter is sold for between N2,200 and N2,700. Read more
SSANU accuses FG of treating members, NASU with ‘disdain,’ threatens strike (Channels)
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has accused the Federal Government of treating its members and that of the Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) with “disdain”.
President Bola Tinubu had directed the payment of withheld salaries for university workers owing to their strike of 2022. But SSANU, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) said they are yet to get salaries for the said period, threatening to go on strike.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the President of SSANU Mohammed Ibrahim alleged abandonment of the unions by the Federal Government. Read more
Lagos gives Lekki shanty dwellers 4-day ultimatum (Punch)
The Lagos State Government on Sunday issued a four-day relocation notice to all squatters occupying illegal shanties around the Lagos Coastal Road in Mayegun, in the Lekki area of the state.
Speaking with newsmen after an inspection tour to Jakande, Elegushi Itedo, System 156 and 44 on Orchid Road, the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said all such shanties and squatters, close to regional road alignment must vacate the area by Thursday afternoon as enforcement would commence in the early hours of Friday.
A statement on Sunday quoted the commissioner as saying that the tour was important in order to ensure that the coastal alignment of the aforementioned areas were secured and illegal settlements along the corridors were removed. Read more
Police to arraign 19 BDC operators for alleged money laundering (Nation)
Nineteen Bureau De Change (BDC) operators arrested by the Lagos Police Command for alleged illegal transactions would be arraigned before a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, on charges of money laundering.
The suspects are Ibrahim Jubril, Abdullahi Abubakar, Ibrahim Hassan, Adamu Isiaka, Ibrahim Abdulrahman, Jubril Hassan, Mohammed Isiaka, Mohammed Aminu, Adamu Ibrahim, Hassan Ahmadu, Salisu Hamidu, Mahmoud Mohammed, Murtala Usman, Hassan Yakubu Balguda, Abdullahi Kabiri Mohammed, Ali Sadam, Ahamadu Yusuf, Abdullahi Hussain and Alhai Sido.
They were arrested in different parts of Lagos on February 21 during a joint operation conducted by the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). Read more
Tinubu meets Emir of Qatar in Doha (ThisDay)
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday held a closed-door meeting with the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as part of his two-day state visit to Qatar.
The executive session was preceded by bilateral deliberations between the two leaders which culminated in the signing of historic agreements between both nations, opening a gateway for leveraging the potential of mutual cooperation in pivotal sectors of education, enterprise development, investment promotion, youth empowerment, mining, tourism and sports.
Before the signing ceremony at the Qatar Presidential Palace, President Tinubu assured his host of Nigeria’s preparedness to welcome investors into the country, noting the ongoing reforms that favour innovation, return on investments and multiculturalism. Read more
SERAP sues Tinubu over failure to probe missing $3.4b IMF loan (Channels)
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against President Bola Tinubu over “the failure to probe the grim allegations that $3.4 billion loan obtained by Nigeria from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to finance the budget and respond to COVID-19 is missing, diverted or unaccounted for.”
SERAP in a statement signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday, said the allegations are contained in the recently published 2020 Nigeria’s annual audited report by the Auditor-General of the Federation.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/269/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is asking the court “to direct and compel President Tinubu to probe the allegations that $3.4 billion loan obtained by Nigeria from the IMF to finance the budget and respond to COVID-19 is missing, diverted or unaccounted for.” Read more
Tinubu mourns Mr Ibu, Sisi Quadri (Nation)
President Bola Tinubu has mourned the death of two ace Nigerian comic actors, John Okafor, also known as Mr. Ibu, and Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji, also known as Sisi Quadri.
In a state issued on Sunday, March 3, by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu, while mourning the two losses with their love ones, noted that both acts would always live on through their works.
“President Bola Tinubu receives with deep sadness the news of the passing of two of Nigeria’s ace comic actors, John Okafor, famously known as Mr. Ibu, and Tolani Quadri Oyebamiji, popularly known as Sisi Quadri. Read more
Taylor Swift announces 4th and final edition of new album (MusicNews)
Taylor Swift thrilled fans as she announced the fourth and final edition of The Tortured Poets Department during a concert on Sunday.
The 34-year-old star was performing her second show in Singapore as part of her Eras Tour when she made the surprise announcement about her upcoming album.
“I just had a plan for night two,” Taylor told the audience, in a clip which was also briefly broadcast live via her Instagram account. “I kinda felt you’d be excited, so I kinda wanted to show you something that no one else has seen before.” Read more
Burkina Faso says 170 dead in village “executions” (BBC)
Some 170 people including women and children have been “executed” in attacks on three villages in Burkina Faso, a public prosecutor has said.
Aly Benjamin Coulibaly appealed for witnesses to help find those who attacked Komsilga, Nordin and Soro.
Separately, army chiefs warned of the increased risk of attacks by militants, “including attacks on urban centres”.
The country’s army seized power in 2022, but more than a third of Burkina Faso is controlled by insurgents. Read more
Shehbaz Sharif becomes Pakistan’s new prime minister (HuffPost)
Lawmakers in Pakistan’s National Assembly elected Sunday Shehbaz Sharif as the country’s new prime minister for the second time as allies of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan in parliament shouted in protest, alleging rigging in last month’s election.
Khan is currently serving prison terms in multiple cases and has been barred from seeking or holding office. Sharif replaced him as prime minister after his ouster in a no-confidence vote in parliament in April 2022.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said Sharif secured 201 votes, defeating Omar Ayub of the Sunni Ittehad Council who got 92 votes. The winner only needs 169 votes to get a majority. Read more
7-year-old girl drowns in Channel crossing tragedy (National)
French officials said on Sunday that a seven-year-old girl had died after a boat carrying 16 migrants capsized in the English Channel.
The child had been travelling with her pregnant mother, her father and three siblings when the boat got into trouble in the early hours of Sunday morning, the local authority Prefet du Nord said.
Another couple, two men and six young children were also on board the “probably stolen” vessel, which was unfit to carry that number of passengers, officials added. Read more
Haiti gang attack on prison leads to massive jailbreak, at least a dozen dead (France24)
At least a dozen people died as gang members attacked the main prison in Haiti’s capital, triggering a breakout by several thousand inmates, an AFP reporter and an NGO said Sunday.
“We counted many prisoners’ bodies,” said Pierre Esperance of the National Network for Defense of Human Rights, adding that only around 100 of the National Penitentiary’s estimated 3,800 inmates were still inside the facility after the gang assault overnight Saturday.
Haiti has been wracked for decades by grinding poverty, violence, political instability and recurring natural disasters but the country plunged further into chaos with the assassination of president Jovenel Moise in 2021. Read more
Mark Dodson: “Talented” actor who voiced creatures in Star Wars and Gremlins dies (Sky)
US actor Mark Dodson, who provided voices for creatures in the Star Wars and Gremlins movies, has died aged 64.
His daughter Ciara said he had suffered a “massive heart attack” while sleeping, reported TMZ, which said it had spoken to her.
Dodson was the voice of Salacious Crumb, a scruffy monkey-lizard character who was a cackling court jester and pet of gangster Jabba the Hutt in the 1983 film Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi. Read more
Dune: Part Two sets new records with huge box office debut (DigitalSpy)
Dune: Part Two has set multiple new records with a huge box office debut for the science fiction space opera.
Starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya amongst a star-studded cast including Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler and more, the Denis Villeneuve-directed Part Two is based on the second half of the novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, and is a follow-up to 2021’s Dune.
According to Variety, the sequel has collected $81.5 million in its domestic debut, in the biggest opening weekend of 2024 so far – and the largest since Taylor Swift’s concert film The Eras Tour ($93 million). Read more
Aiyegbeni opens up on missing goal for Nigeria (Leadership)
Former Super Eagles striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has cried out over the bullying he suffers in the hands of Nigerians over the goal he missed 13 to 14 years ago.
Most Nigerian football fanatics are finding it difficult to forget the events of June 22, 2010 when Aiyegbeni missed a tap-in during a World Cup game between Nigeria and South Korea.
The miss came when Nigeria was trailing the Koreans 2-1 in their final Group A match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, South Africa.
Dillian Whyte says he is free to return after positive drugs test (BBC)
British heavyweight Dillian Whyte says he is clear to resume his career because an investigation has shown his positive drugs test was caused by a contaminated supplement.
The 35-year-old’s rematch against Anthony Joshua in August was cancelled after he returned “an adverse finding” from a test.
Whyte said he unintentionally ingested a banned substance. Read more
Guardiola hails “world class” Foden after derby triumph (RTE)
Pep Guardiola praised Phil Foden and said the Manchester City midfielder is developing into a world-class player after his wonderful, derby-winning display against Manchester United.
Nobody expected anything other than embarrassment at the Etihad Stadium for Erik ten Hag’s stumbling Red Devils, yet Marcus Rashford’s scorcher gave them a shock half-time lead.
United were under the cosh for large periods before and after the break, finally buckling as 23-year-old Foden scored a superb leveller in the 56th minute before then firing City ahead 10 minutes from time.
Erling Haaland added gloss in stoppage time but there was no doubt who the star of the show was in Sunday’s important 3-1 victory for Guardiola’s title-chasing team. Read more
Barcelona suffer Frenkie de Jong, Pedri injury blows in Athletic Bilbao draw (SportsMole)
Barcelona have suffered a double injury blow after Frenkie de Jong and Pedri were forced off in the goalless draw with Athletic Bilbao at San Mames.
The Catalan giants played out a stalemate in Sunday’s league fixture as they missed the chance to close the eight-point gap to leaders Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s failure to claim all three points was compounded by the fact both De Jong and Pedri picked up injuries in the first half.
Carlos Alcaraz outlasts Rafael Nadal in made-for-Netflix tennis exhibition (StraitsTimes)
Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal warmed up for the ATP Indian Wells Masters on March 3 with a lively exhibition in Las Vegas won by Alcaraz 3-6, 6-4, 14-12.
The contest at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, carried live by streaming service Netflix, was a chance for both Spanish stars to test their fitness.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, missed most of last year with a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open. Read more
Celtics demolish Warriors, set record with third 50-point win (ABC)
Jaylen Brown scored 29 points, Jayson Tatum had 27 on his 26th birthday and the NBA-best Boston Celtics posted their third-largest winning margin in franchise history, drubbing the weary Golden State Warriors 140-88 on Sunday.
Payton Pritchard added 19 points for the Celtics, who set a league record with their third win this season by 50 points or more and extended their season-best winning streak to 11 games. Boston led by a franchise-record 44 points at halftime and pushed it to 51 early in the third quarter before coach Joe Mazzulla went to his reserves the rest of the way.
The Celtics are beating teams by an average of 22.1 points over their past 11 games, the best point differential over a win streak of at least 10 games in a single season in NBA history, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. Read more