Banks raise cash withdrawal limits to reduce queues (Punch)
Deposit Money Banks are set to raise their cash withdrawal limits from the current N20,000-N50,000 range to over N80,000-N100,000, according to multiple bank officials.
The move, it was learnt, would help bank branches to tackle lingering queues in some cities across the country.
The Central Bank of Nigeria had on Friday directed commercial banks to open for operation on Saturday and Sunday, as part of a coordinated effort to ease the circulation of old and new banknotes. Read more
Emefiele begs NLC to shelve protest over naira scarcity (DailyTrust)
The governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, on Monday appealed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, to prevail on the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over its planned protest slated for Wednesday.
Daily Trust had reported that the leadership of NLC had last Friday mobilised its affiliate unions and the State Councils to shut down offices of the apex bank nationwide over current cash scarcity in the country.
But at a closed-door meeting which held at the headquarters of Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja, Emefiele was quoted as saying the protest would hinder the progress of the apex bank if not averted. Read more
Troops kill ISWAP commander, 41 other fighters in Borno (Guardian)
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have neutralised the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) Commander, Abu Zahra, in Dikwa-Ngala axis of Borno State.
The coordinated operations, led by General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of the Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 1, Maj.-Gen. Shaibu Waidi, eliminated the Commander and other terrorists in a silent intelligence-led midnight offensive at Mukdolo hideout.
A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed yesterday in Maiduguri that in a deadly special operation, the commander was eliminated by the ground troops. Read more
Domestic staff sentenced to death for killing grandma, daughter (Sun)
A domestic staff, Joseph Ogbu, was sentenced to death by hanging, yesterday, for killing his employer, an 89-year-old grandmother, Ajoke, and her daughter, Oreoluwa, in their home in Lagos.
Delivering the judgement, Justice Modupe Nicole-Clay, sitting at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, found the defendant guilty of a three-count charge of armed robbery and murder. The charges were preferred against him by the Lagos State government.
The defendant committed the offence on June 19, 2019 by killing one Adejoke John, by strangulating her to death and stabbing Oreoluwa to death. He pleaded not guilty when arraigned on October 22, 2019, to a three-count charge of armed robbery and murder, contrary to Section 222 and 297 of Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. Read more
Pastor accused of defiling member’s daughter to file no-case submission (Punch)
A Lagos Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja on Monday heard how a pastor, Chris Mcdouglas, allegedly defiled a 17-year-old daughter of a member of his church.
A medical doctor, Mrs Maria Fadaka, told the court while testifying in the ongoing trial of Mcdouglas, a pastor at Peculiar Generation Assembly Church, Lagos.
The defendant is facing a nine-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration, preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.
He, however, pleaded not guilty, to the charges when he was arraigned. Read more
PDP crisis gets messier as party suspends Chairman, Ayu (Vanguard)
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu has been suspended by the party with immediate effect.
The suspension of Dr. Ayu was effected by the Ward Executive of the party in Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State.
Addressing the media yesterday, on behalf of Kashi Philip, the Ward Chairman, the Ward Secretary Mr Vangeryina Dooyum, explained that Dr. Ayu was suspended by the Executive for alleged anti-party activities. Read more
Ogun to give Diya state burial as Osinbajo, Oyebanji mourn (ThisDay)
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, paid a condolence visit to the Lagos residence of former Chief of General Staff and Military Governor of Ogun, General Oladipo Diya, who died Sunday at the age of 78, disclosing that the late military top brass would be given a state burial by the state.
This is as Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, yesterday, joined hundreds of Nigerians, who had since Sunday mourned the passing of the general.
Abiodun, who led a delegation to Diya’s family house, said a committee made up of some State Executive Council members would be set up to liaise with the family to give the former military governor of the state a befitting burial, while describing his death as a great loss to Ogun in particular and the country in general. Read more
Gov Ishaku, Taraba Governor-elect disagree over salary arrears (Leadership)
Barely one week after the governorship election in Taraba State, the governor elect, Col. Agbu Kefas (rtd), and his boss, Governor Darius Ishaku, have engaged in a war of words over the salary arrears of the civil servants in the state.
Agbu, in a statement made available to journalists, promised to clear all the salary arrears being owed by the administration of Governor Ishaku.
He pledged to pay the backlog of the arrears within 100 days in office after his inauguration on May 29, 2023. Read more
Amotekun arrests 2 juvenile burglars in Osun (Independent)
Operatives of the Western Security Network Agency, Osun Amotekun have arrested two juveniles for alleged burglary.
The two boys; Samuel Adam Korede, 13 years old, and Adam Oyinlola Teslim, 11 years old allegedly stole a bulk recharge card, beverages and money from a shop at Asubiaro, Osogbo.
According to Brigadier General Bashir Adewinmbi, the Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, the duo were arrested on Saturday after receiving information about their hideout through the corps surveillance. Read more
Pink says she’s “grateful to be alive” during 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards acceptance speech (People)
“Raise Your Glass” — Pink’s officially been crowned an icon!
The singer-songwriter was honored with the icon award during the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Monday and spoke about embracing “vulnerability” in her acceptance speech.
“Thank you iHeart[Radio] for this moment. It has been said that miracles are often associated with icons,” she told the crowd before referencing her star-studded tribute performance from earlier in the night. “Kelly Clarkson singing with me, and Pat Benatar singing one of my songs, two of the greatest voices alive, being on stage, doing what I love with people that I love with all of my heart — and my babies in the audience — this feels like a Christmas miracle.” Read more
White news anchor fired after quoting Snoop Dogg lyrics during live broadcast (AtlantaBlackStar)
A news anchor was fired in Jackson, Mississippi, after she quoted lyrics from Snoop Dogg during a live broadcast on March 8.
Former WLBT morning show anchor Barbie Bassett lost her job after she quoted the lyrics while talking about the rapper’s new wine, Snoop Cali Blanc, with meteorologist Patrick Ellis and co-anchor Wilson Stribling. The lyric Bassett used contains slang for the N-word.
As the story was wrapping up, Bassett blurted out, “Fo shizzle, my nizzle.” Ellis, who was laughing up until Bassett said the lyric, quickly changed his facial expression. The video was shared on social media and has gone viral with more than one million views.
Twitter users reacted to the video, and one user took note of the meteorologist’s reaction to Bassett’s comment. Read more
China responds to Putin’s threat to break nuclear weapons pledge (Newsweek)
China renewed calls for de-escalation in Ukraine on Monday and reminded Russia of its recent opposition to nuclear war days after President Vladimir Putin announced plans to deploy strategic arms in neighboring Belarus.
Putin told state television on Saturday that a storage depot for tactical nuclear weapons was being built at Minsk’s request and would be completed by July. He didn’t say whether the Russian weapons would be transferred to the country in the same month.
His comments—framed as a response to a similar posture adopted by the United States—appeared to undermine a position he took with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping just days earlier, when the two leaders reaffirmed their opposition to nuclear war and jointly opposed the deployment of nuclear weapons abroad during the latter’s high-profile state visit to Moscow. Read more
John Mayer adds fall dates to ‘‘Solo’’ tour (UPI)
John Mayer is extending his Solo tour.
On Monday, the 45-year-old singer-songwriter announced a new North American leg of the tour for the fall.
The new dates begin Oct. 3 in New York City and end Nov. 10 in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday at 9 a.m. local time, with fan pre-sales to start Wednesday at 9 a.m.
In addition, Mayer will announce new U.K. and European dates for the tour soon. Read more
Italian art experts astonished by David statue uproar in Florida (BBC)
The Florence museum that houses Michelangelo’s statue of David has invited teachers and students from a Florida school to visit, after an uproar over an art lesson.
The school’s principal quit after a complaint about a sixth-grade art class that included an image of the statue.
A parent had complained the image was pornographic.
Cecilie Hollberg, director of Galleria dell’Accademia, has now issued the invitation to the class.
She said the principal should be “rewarded, not punished”. Read more
Woman shoots dead 3 students and 3 staff at Nashville Christian school (Metro)
A woman fatally shot three students and three staff members at a private Christian school in Nashville.
The shooter opened fire at The Covenant School at 33 Burton Hills Blvd shortly before 10.15am on Monday. Police who responded to the scene encountered ‘a female who was firing’ with at least two ‘assault-type’ rifles as well as a handgun, said Metropolitan Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron.
‘We now know that there are three students who were fatally wounded as well as three adults inside the school,’ said Aaron. Read more
Russian forces carry out deadly attack on eastern Ukrainian city (PBS)
Two people were killed and 29 wounded Monday when Russian forces shelled the Ukrainian city of Sloviansk, in the partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, local officials said.
Video footage of the aftermath showed damaged residential buildings, debris in the streets and vehicles on fire.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as “terrorism.” Read more
Miami Open: Elena Rybakina beats Elise Mertens to reach quarter-finals (BBC)
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is through to the Miami Open quarter-finals after beating Elise Mertens in straight sets.
The Kazakh 10th seed defeated her Belgian opponent 6-4 6-3.
Rybakina is now unbeaten in 11 matches, while victory in Miami would see her achieve the rare ‘Sunshine Double’ following her title win at Indian Wells earlier in March.
She will play Italy’s Martina Trevisan in the last eight. Read more
Cricket: Nigeria beat Sierra Leone, eye second win (Punch)
Nigeria’s senior women’s cricket team, the Female Yellow Greens, will hope to make it two wins in a row when they take on debutants Cameroon in their second game of the NCF T20i tournament in Lagos on Tuesday (today) in Lagos, The PUNCH reports.
The Female Yellow Greens began their campaign with a six wickets win over Sierra Leone in the opening game of the tournament on Monday.
Seirra Leone won the toss and chose to bat first. However, they could only manage 65 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 19 overs, leaving Nigeria to do the bare minimum to win the game. Read more
AFCON Qualifier: Super Eagles beat Guinea Bissau, return to table top (DailyTrust)
The Super Eagles of Nigeria moved back to the top of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying table after Moses Simon’s 30th-minute penalty condemned hosts Guinea Bissau to a one-goal defeat on Monday.
The Super Eagles, just as it happened in the first leg in Abuja, created opportunity after good opportunity but failed to get behind goalkeeper Jonas Mendes.
Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze could not convert chances in the first half, before Moses Simon made good from six yards to put Nigeria in front for the first time in the fixture. Read more
France survive Ireland scare, Netherlands ease past Gibraltar (Vanguard)
France held on to beat Ireland 1-0 in Dublin on Monday to win their second Euro 2024 qualifier, while the Netherlands eased past Gibraltar 3-0.
Right-back Benjamin Pavard pounced with half an hour remaining at a sold-out Lansdowne Road before two superb Mike Maignan saves in the final two minutes.
With 30 seconds to play in Dublin, AC Milan’s Maignan, who has succeeded former captain Hugo Lloris as Les Bleus’ goalkeeper, tipped over team-mate Jules Kounde’s panicked header.
From the resulting corner Maignan saved the visitors’ skin as he made a similar save from Nathan Collins’ powerful effort. Read more
USMNT takes control in 2nd half over tough El Salvador to reach Nations League finals (ESPN)
The United States men’s national team progressed to the CONCACAF Nations League finals, though it made hard work of defeating El Salvador 1-0.
Ricardo Pepi scored the all-important goal just moments after coming on as a second-half substitute, and with the U.S. proving resolute in defense, that was enough to claim the top spot in Group D and move on to the CNL finals in Las Vegas in June.
Overall, the U.S. were worth their win given how they gradually took control of the match, but honor is due El Salvador, who under manager and former U.S. international Hugo Sanchez continued to give the U.S. all it could handle. Read more
Morant’s 27 points help streaking Grizzlies hold off Hawks (DailyMail)
Hidden in the Memphis Grizzlies´ six-game winning streak is a potentially more important number for the team´s postseason hopes – two straight road wins.
Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return to the Memphis starting lineup and the Grizzlies held off the Atlanta Hawks 123-119 on Sunday night to extend the NBA’s longest active winning streak.
Desmond Bane added 25 points for Memphis, twice delivering fourth-quarter baskets after Atlanta pulled within one. Read more