Police killed my husband for rejecting special duty — Wife of Kwara inspector (Punch)
The atmosphere was pensive as seated family members and friends of Inspector Taiye Atobiloye sobbed quietly.
The sombre air was punctured anytime a new visitor rushed in, asked if the news was true and burst into searing tears.
Curled up in a corner of the two-bedroom apartment was Taiye’s wife, Oluwabukola, a teacher in a public school in Kwara State. She looked dishevelled and shattered. After four stillbirths, her hope of being a mother after 12 years of marriage had just ended. Read more
Couple ‘kidnaps’ self, demands N5m ransom (Vanguard)
The Police Command in Lagos State says it has arrested a couple (name withheld) over alleged self-kidnap for N5 million ransom.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.
Hundeyin said that the husband, a 53-year-old technician and wife, 48 years old body massager and bone setter, were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday respectively after a family member of the man reported the purported kidnapping.
Timini, Tobi Bakre, Mc Lively, Ninalowo, Shaffy Bello star as The Bloom Boys go to cinema (Guardian)
The last week of April will see thousands of viewers and movie consumers waiting in the Cinemas for the debut of one of the most anticipated films of 2023 “The Bloom Boys’ following a strong marketing campaign that has been applauded by various industry experts, the movie is expected to finally debut on the Big screen from Friday, April 28th as it continues to position itself as a top consumer choice for its theatrical run.
With over 5,000 organic followers from the movie page via social channels like Instagram, it is interesting to say this is the first time a Nigerian film will organically grow such an audience from zero to achieve this height this further shows a strong indicator of success in at the Box office in week 1.
On what to expect from the movie, The Founding Partner of Linar & Shrewd Films, Ilyas Ishaq says, “We are excited that ‘The Bloom Boys” is finally set and market fit for exhibition nationwide after a long time in post-production. From casting a group of seasoned and method actors to ensuring we tell a relatable story that addresses pressing issues within the world of today, I am confident the audience will be thrilled and encouraged about the growth we have contributed to the Nollywood market…” Read more
Court convicts Lagos Fire false caller (Channels)
The Magistrate sitting at the Samuel Ilori Magistrate Court Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos has yesterday convicted one Uzuokwu Solomon of the two counts charge preferred against him by the State.
Magistrate Bambo Odueke committed him to a month imprisonment with an option of a fine and a month of community service that includes campaign against false calls within the jurisdiction of the State. Whereas the convict opted for the fine.
The Magistrate who tempered justice with mercy passed the minimum verdict of the law on him after the defendant showed remorse and wasted no time of the court by pleading guilty to bridging the public peace and making a hoax Fire emergency call. Read more
Lagos residents groan as gridlock worsens (Punch)
Some Lagos State residents on Saturday lamented the increasing hardship of commuting after nearly 24 hours of gridlock in some parts of the state.
The congestion was recorded in areas like Ojodu Berger inward Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Kara outward Berger, Ikorodu road, and Berger/Ogunnusi road, among others.
The PUNCH reports that the traffic diversion after the Kara Bridge section of the highway inward Mowe, Ogun State, for the reconstruction of the ever-busy corridor, may be largely responsible for the gridlock. Read more
Nigerian workers to mark May Day on Abuja streets (NewTelegraph)
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has frowned at the last-minute withdrawal of the license earlier issued to organised labour to make use of the Eagle Square for the 2023 May Day celebration, by the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA).
Every year on May 1st, workers from various unions and their affiliates under the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), are known to gather in their numbers at Eagle Square to mark the day in a memorable event with notable dignitaries from the government in attendance.
However, following what was described as a “questionable action,” the NLC has resolved to use the streets of Abuja as its new venue for the May Day event scheduled to hold on Monday, May 1. Read more
Fire guts Ooni’s palace (Vanguard)
A building apartment inside the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, was late Friday gutted by fire.
The incident, said to have occurred around 11:30 pm., did not spread to other sections of the palace as the fire was successfully extinguished.
It was gathered that the fire started after electricity supply was restored to the palace.
Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, while confirming the incident, disclosed that the fire was triggered by a power surge, which caused electrical appliances to explode. Read more
Census postponement: Gov. Ortom lauds President Buhari (Guardian)
Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue has lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for directing that the 2023 National Population Census be postponed.
This is contained in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Terver Akase on Saturday in Makurdi.
Ortom had on April 13, called on the Federal Government to postpone the planned census until adequate security was guaranteed in the country. Read more
Donna Summer documentary to debut on HBO May 20 (UPI)
HBO has announced plans to air a documentary called Love to Love You, Donna Summer on May 20.
The network is billing the film as “an in-depth look at the iconic artist as she creates music that takes her from the avant-garde music scene in Germany, to the glitter and bright lights of dance clubs in New York, to worldwide acclaim, her voice becoming the defining soundtrack of an era.”
The documentary, which had its international premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and its domestic premiere at SXSW, includes archival interviews with and home-video footage of the Queen of Disco herself, as well as new remarks from close family members, friends and colleagues. Read more
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Big Steppers Tour’ becomes highest-grossing rap tour ever (Complex)
Kendrick Lamar’s The Big Steppers Tour is now the highest-grossing tour in hip-hop history.
According to Touring Data, Kendrick’s nationwide trek has earned $110.9 million in revenue from 929,000 tickets sold across 73 shows. Big Steppers gives Kendrick the most lucrative tour ever by a rapper as a headlining act, surpassing Drake’s 2018 Aubrey & the Three Migos Tour, which pulled down $79 million in 2018 from a total of 678,410 tickets sold across 43 dates.
Rounding out the top five highest-grossing tours are Drake and Future’s 2016 Summer Sixteen Tour, Kanye West and Jay-Z’s 2011 Watch The Throne Tour, Kendrick’s 2017 DAMN Tour, and Travis Scott’s 2018’s Astroworld Tour. Read more
Kelly Clarkson promises Troye Sivan ‘we’re not in a fight’ after he thought she called him out in new song (EW)
Kelly Clarkson and Troye Sivan’s hilarious internet beef has officially been squashed.
Last week, Sivan posted a TikTok in which he asked his followers to help him figure out what he did to “upset Kelly Clarkson.” To further prove his point, he shared a clip from one of Clarkson’s recent performances of her new single “Mine,” in which it sounds like she sings the (incorrect) lyrics: “Troye Sivan / Who the hell do you think you are?”
Well, Clarkson saw Sivan’s TikTok and was quick to set the record straight on Friday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. Read more
Bruce Springsteen joined by Michelle Obama to perform ‘‘Glory Days’’ (FarOut)
Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama’ joined Bruce Springsteen on stage in Barcelona last night (April 28th) to perform a rendition of his Born in the U.S.A. track ‘Glory Days’. Obama sang and played the tambourine with Springsteen, his wife, actress Kate Capshaw, and the E Street Band’s Patti Scialfa.
The night before the concert, Springsteen, Scialfa, Capshaw and her husband, Michelle Obama and her husband, former President of the United States, Barack, and director Steven Spielberg had shared a dinner together in the Catalonian city.
The Obamas share a special relationship with Springsteen, which goes back as far as 2008 when the ex-world leader first ran for the United States presidency. Springsteen played at a number of Obama’s first campaign rallies and also played at his inauguration after he won the White House. Barack Obama’s official 2012 re-election campaign song was also written by The Boss. Read more
Super Mario Bros. Movie crossing $1b globally (THR)
Illumination and Universal’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie is checking off another notable milestone.
The Nintendo video game adaptation will cross $1 billion at the worldwide box office sometime on Sunday, its 26th day in release. It becomes only the 10th animated film to achieve the feat, and is easily the first title of 2023 to do so.
In North America, Super Mario’s projected weekend gross is $37.5 million from 4,204 theaters for a domestic tally of $487.5 million through Sunday. Its projected weekend overseas haul is $69 million for a foreign cume of $533 million and $1.02 billion globally. Read more
Martin Scorsese calls for “really independent films” to be shown in cinemas (NME)
Martin Scorsese has urged theatres to screen “really independent films” to safeguard the future of cinema.
The award-winning director attended a luncheon with Leonardo DiCaprio at this year’s CinemaCon to talk about their latest collaboration, ‘‘Killers Of The Flower Moon.’’
Scorsese spoke about the importance of the cinematic experience and how independent films shaped his tastes and inspired him to become a filmmaker. Read more
Ukraine war: Crimea oil tank set ablaze by reported drone (BBC)
A drone strike has caused a massive fire at an oil depot in Russian-controlled Crimea, local officials say.
Social-media footage showed flames billowing from the site in Sevastopol, Crimea’s main city, early on Saturday.
The fire was later put out and no-one was hurt, the Moscow-appointed regional governor said.
On Friday Russia launched a wave of airstrikes in cities across Ukraine, killing at least 25 people. It was the first such attack in months. Read more
Algeria 2023: Golden Eaglets launch campaign against Zambia in Constantine (Leadership)
Five-time world champions Nigeria will begin her quest for honours at this year’s Africa U17 Cup of Nations when they take on their Zambian counterparts in the Algerian city of Constantine on Sunday evening.
The Golden Eaglets flew into Constantine on Tuesday night, after MRI tests conducted on the 26 players in Algiers following their arrival in the North African country from Egypt.
Nigeria, two-time winners of the continental championship, have won the world titles in 1985 (China), 1993 (Japan), 2007 (Korea Republic), 2013 (United Arab Emirates) and 2015 (Chile). Read more
Ibrahimovic’s season at risk after injury (Punch)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s injury-hit season could be at an end after AC Milan said on Saturday that the Sweden international has picked up a knock to his right calf.
Milan did not specify for how long Ibrahimovic would be out but said that there a “small hope” that he could play before the end of the season, which in Italy finishes on the first weekend in June.
The veteran striker picked up the injury during the warm-up before Milan’s 2-0 win over Lecce last weekend. Read more
Palace set to survive after thriller against West Ham (France24)
Crystal Palace effectively sealed their Premier League survival with a thrilling 4-3 win against West Ham that left their London rivals still in danger of relegation on Saturday.
Roy Hodgson’s side moved 11 points clear of the bottom three thanks to goals from Jordan Ayew, Wilfried Zaha, Jeff Schlupp and Eberechi Eze at Selhurst Park.
Palace have won four of their six matches since Hodgson returned for a second spell at the club in place of the sacked Patrick Vieira. Read more
Women’s Super League: Leicester thump Liverpool to boost survival chances (RTE)
Leicester’s hopes of Women’s Super League survival were handed a big boost as they beat Liverpool 4-0.
A second straight league win sees the Foxes move off the foot of the table and into 10th, two points clear of Reading who now drop into the relegation zone.
Leicester went in front in the 15th minute when Josie Green’s effort from just inside the area took a deflection into the bottom left of the net. Read more
Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Sergio Perez overtakes Charles Leclerc to win sprint race (BBC)
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to win the sprint at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Mexican, who qualified second to Leclerc in the sprint shootout earlier on Saturday, passed the Ferrari shortly after an early safety-car period.
Championship leader Max Verstappen finished third, after his car suffered damage in an early collision with George Russell’s Mercedes. Read more
Grizzlies’ Ja Morant points to off-court issues: needs ‘‘more discipline’’ (ABC)
A Memphis Grizzlies season marred by several controversies involving the face of the franchise finished much earlier than expected and in embarrassing fashion Friday night when the Grizzlies were eliminated in a first-round series that ended with a 125-85 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6.
After the most lopsided postseason loss in franchise history, All-Star point guard Ja Morant took accountability for the Western Conference No. 2-seeded Grizzlies’ disappointing season, acknowledging that his off-court issues negatively impacted the team.
“I’ve just got to be better with my decision-making,” said Morant, who finished with 10 points on 3-of-16 shooting in the blowout defeat. “That’s pretty much it. Off-the-court issues affected us as an organization pretty much. Just [need] more discipline.” Read more