Consultant gynaecologist offers N120m free fertility treatment to childless couples (Guardian)
As part of efforts aimed at supporting individuals and couples struggling with infertility, a consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician, Dr. Ademola Ayodele, has offered a N120m free fertility treatment.
Speaking during his 60th birthday held in Lagos recently, Ayodele, who is also the Medical Director, The StrongTower Specialist Hospital and Fertility Centre, Lagos, described the gesture as giveback initiative.
He said the gesture was also to make fertility treatments more accessible and affordable, adding that โthe joy of many marriages is often tied to the ability to have children, especially in Africa.โ Read more
Banditry: 578 massacred in North Central states in 6 months (Sun)
No fewer than 578 Nigerians were massacred by armed bandits, killer herders and other criminal groups in the six North Central states between November 2024 and this month, according to findings by Saturday Sun.
The figure was arrived at after a careful study of media reports on deaths from multiple attacks perpetrated by bandits and herdsmen in the zone from November 2024 to April 24, 2025.
The breakdown of the figures showed that Benue State is the worst hit in the zone, with at least 244 fatalities, representing 42 per cent of the total deaths in the zone within the examined period. Read more
Over 500,000 students applied for loan in 11 months โ NELFUND (Nation)
Over 500, 000 students applied for loans in 11 months, the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has said.
The agency said that the figure indicates the critical need for accessible student financing in Nigeria.
The Director of Strategic Communications of the Agency, Mrs Oseyemi Oluwatuyi in a statement yesterday stated that the number of applicants highlights the widespread trust in NELFUND to democratise access to tertiary education. Read more
Delta defections: Politicians have right to move, realign โ Atiku (Tribune)
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to the defection of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, his successor Sheriff Oborevwori, and a large section of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in Delta State to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying defections and political realignments are normal in a democracy and should not be a cause for alarm or outrage.
In a strongly worded statement issued Friday, Atiku stressed that freedom of association is a core democratic right, adding that he holds no grudges against those who have chosen to align politically with other parties.
โDefections, alliances, and realignments are part and parcel of democratic politics. Weโve seen them before, and weโll see them again,โ Atiku said, noting that democracy only thrives when the people, the rule of law, credible elections, and accountability are upheld. Read more
Firm inaugurates new plant in Nigeria (Leadership)
Guala Closures, a world leader in the production of closures for the spirits, wine, water, beer, non-alcoholic beverage, and edible oil markets, has inaugurated its new greenfield manufacturing facility in West Africa, strategically located in the Lagos Free Zone.
The recent inauguration ceremony in Lagos, was attended by Ugo Boni, Consul General of Italy in Lagos, Adesuwa Ladoja, CEO of Lagos Free Zone, Andrea Lodetti, CEO of Guala Closures, and other executives of the Group. According to the firm, the expansion represents a key milestone in the companyโs growth strategy, strengthening its commitment to the African market and enhancing its presence in one of the continentโs most dynamic economies. Read more
Olayemi Bajomo dies at 78 (ThisDay)
The former Bursar of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Mrs Olayemi Bajomo, passed on to glory on 28 March 2025 at the age of 78.
According to a statement, Mrs Bajomo was a devout christian who loved God passionately. She was born on 15 January 1947.
She started her schooling at Ago Ijaiye Primary school Ebute Metta and then proceeded to Methodist Girls High School (MGHS), Yaba. At MGHS, she excelled both academically and in sports especially in the sprints where she won several medals and represented MGHS at several meters. Olayemi then proceeded to the Yaba College of Technology to study Accountancy. Read more
Akpabio leads Nigerian delegation to Pope Francisโ funeral (Punch)
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is heading a high-level Nigerian delegation to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, in Vatican City on Saturday.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Friday.
Tinubu sent the five-member delegation, which also includes the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama. Read more
Rivers: Ex-Dep Speaker sues Tinubu to stop Sole Administratorโs funding (Vanguard)
A former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marshall Stanley-Uwom, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, praying it to stop the Federal Government from releasing allocations accruable to the Local Government Councils, LGCs, in the state, to the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Rtd.
The plaintiff, who was a lawmaker while the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr. Nyesom Wike, held sway as governor of the state, urged the court to declare that under section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as the judgement of the Supreme Court, Ibas cannot legally appoint unelected officials as caretakers to run the affairs of the LGCs in Rivers.
Among the reliefs he is seeking from the court are: โAn order that the State of Emergency in Rivers State issued and or proclaimed by the President has ceased to have effect.โ Read more
Virginia Giuffre, Who Stood Up for Victims of Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein, Dies by Suicide (RollingStone)
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, with a photo of herself as a teen.
Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused the late convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein of trafficking her as a teenager, has died by suicide at the age of 41.
Giuffre died in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living, confirmed NBC News. โIt is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,โ her family said in a statement to the outlet. โShe lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.โ
Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts, had alleged that she was brought into Epsteinโs circle by his now-convicted sex trafficker associate Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000, when she was 16, with the pair grooming her to provide sexual services to Epstein and those in his close orbit. At that point, she had already experienced the trauma of sexual assault, become a child runaway, and suffered abuse at the hands of Miami sex trafficker Ron Eppinger, who pleaded guilty in 2001 to smuggling women from Europe for prostitution. Read more
Federal judge seals the fate of James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ after legal battle (Movieweb)
Superman is widely expected to become one of the biggest movies of the year when it flies into theatres this summer. However, a recent lawsuit put the film’s release in select countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada, into question.
Those are major markets where having a theatrical run is vital to the DCU project’s box office prospects. Fortunately for Warner Bros., a judge has ruled in their favour and sealed the fate of James Gunn’s DC superhero film.
As reported by Bloomberg, a federal judge has dismissed the case between Warner Bros. and Warren Peary, the nephew of Superman co-creator Joseph Shuster. The estate of the late Schuster alleged that the studio did not have the rights to release the film in select territories due to an apparent lack of foreign copyrights to the original comic book storyline. Read more
Gabonโs constitutional court confirms Nguemaโs landslide presidential victory (AfricaNews)
Presidential elections
Gabon’s Constitutional Court has officially confirmed the victory of transitional leader Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema in the countryโs recent presidential election. According to the final results announced on Thursday, Nguema secured an overwhelming 94.85% of the vote.
The former general, who seized power in a military coup in August 2023 that ousted long-time President Ali Bongo Ondimba, ran largely unopposed in the April 20 vote. His main rivals either withdrew from the race or had limited political reach.
While the turnout and conditions of the vote have sparked debate among observers, Nguema’s supporters celebrated the courtโs ruling as a step toward democratic stability. His election formally ends the transitional period, giving him full constitutional legitimacy to lead. Read more
World leaders to pay respects to Pope Francis at Saturday funeral (NBC)
Three days of public viewing of Pope Francis’ body ended Friday evening, after some 250,000 people paid their respects to a pontiff beloved by many for his gestures of compassion and humility, and outreach to outsiders, immigrants and the downtrodden.
Earlier, crowds packed into St. Peterโs Square to line up to say their final goodbyes to Francis, and hundreds ended up being turned away when the square was closed hours before the viewing period ended at 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET). On Wednesday and Thursday, larger-than-expected crowds prompted officials to extend opening hours overnight.
Friday was Liberation Day, which commemorates Italyโs liberation from Nazi occupation and fascist rule, so many people may have waited for this opportunity to bid farewell to the pope before his coffin was closed. Read more
โโThe Holdoversโโ TV series in the pipeline, director may return (NME)
A TV series version of The Holdovers could be on the way.
In a recent interview with Variety, Miramax chief Jonathan Glickman talked about taking over the studio that was previously run by Harvey Weinstein.
He discussed his plans to revive and reboot numerous successful works in Miramaxโs library, including the Scary Movie franchise โ and, he teases, Alexander Payneโs award-winning 2024 film The Holdovers. Read more
Hip-Hop stars Okasian, Bryan Chase signed by Universal Music Korea (Variety)
Universal Music Korea, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), has signed hip-hop artists Okasian and Bryan Chase.
The signing coincides with a rebranding of the companyโs local Artist & Label (A&L) division.
Okasian, a veteran with more than a decade in the industry, first gained prominence as part of The Cohort hip-hop crew alongside Keith Ape and Bryan Chase. His reputation earned him a spot on XXLโs โTop 10 Must-Know Rappers from Koreaโ list alongside BTSโs RM. His distinctive sound has led to collaborations with The Blacklabel (home to Blackpinkโs Rose and Taeyang), along with releases through Interscope and 88rising. Read more
Amusan set for first hurdles race in seven months (Punch)
World record holder in the womenโs 110m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, will compete in the season opener of this yearโs Diamond League in Xiamen, China, on Saturday (today), marking her first race in the hurdles since crashing out of the Paris Olympics in August 2024, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Amusan was confirmed as one of the entrants for the Xiamen Diamond League last week.
The three-time Diamond League winner has led a low life off the tracks and returned for her first race of the season in the 100m last month, running a seasonโs best of 11.28s to win the Velocity Fest 16 in Kingston, Jamaica. Read more
Lewis Hamilton tipped to make sudden F1 2025 retirement decision (PlanetF1)
Lewis Hamilton could retire from Formula 1 at the end of the F1 2025 season if his Ferrari situation does not improve soon.
That is the claim of Ralf Schumacher, the former F1 driver, who fears Hamilton may soon decide: โIโm not doing this to myself anymore.โ
Hamilton has had a largely lacklustre start to his Ferrari career following his blockbuster move from Mercedes last winter. Read more
Top basketball recruit, son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas out of coma following car accident (NBC)
Alijah Arenas, a top high school basketball prospect and teenage son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, emerged from a coma and has shown “significant signs of progress” in the wake of a serious car crash in Los Angeles, his family said Friday.
The USC commit was hospitalized after his Tesla Cybertruck slammed into a tree and fire hydrant a little before 5 a.m. Thursday, a law enforcement source said.
โIn a remarkable and hopeful development, Alijah Arenas has come out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours,โ according to a family statement. โIn a powerful and emotional moment, Alijah opened his eyes and was able to write on a piece of paper that he remembered the smoke and asked, โDid anyone get hurt?’โ Read more
Cup final ref in tears over critical Real Madrid TV video (BBC)
The referee for Saturday’s Copa del Rey final broke down in tears as he revealed the pressure Real Madrid’s TV channel has put officials under this season.
Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea will take charge of the ‘Clasico final’ between Los Blancos and rivals Barcelona in Seville on Saturday (21:00 BST kick-off).
But he is the latest in a line of referees to be attacked on Real Madrid TV this season.
Chris Eubank Jr posts worrying video after missing weight for Conor Benn fight (Mirror)
Chris Eubank Jr has uploaded a few concerning videos after failing to make weight for his clash with long-time rival Conor Benn.
The British boxing stars are scheduled to go head-to-head at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday night. There is a real animosity between the pair after they were thrust into a family feud following their famous fathers’ historic fights in 1990 and 1993.
There have been many chaotic moments involving the pair over the last few months, but none more surprising than Friday morning’s weigh-ins. Benn was quick to weigh in, coming in well under the 160lb middleweight limit at 156.4lb. However, after some time, Eubank Jr eventually weighed in at 160.2lb on his first attempt and 160.05lb on his second and final attempt. This means he will be fined a staggering ยฃ375,000, but the fight will still go ahead as planned. Read more