Court orders EFCC to release Aisha Achimugu within 24hrs (Punch)
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to within 24hrs release socialite and business woman, Aisha Achimugu.
Justice Inyang Ekwo in a short ruling also added that parties in the suit especially the EFCC are to report to the court to give report on compliance to the order of court on May 2, 2025.
Recall that Justice Ekwo had on Monday, ordered Achimugu to submit herself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with an on going investigation bordering on Money laundering and other offences. Read more
Workers’ Day: FG declares Thursday public holiday (Channels)
The Federal Government has declared Thursday a public holiday to mark this year’s Workers’ Day.
Workers Day is celebrated every year on May 1.
Announcing this in a statement on Tuesday, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, commended Nigerian workers for their diligence and sacrifice. Read more
Oshiomhole denies saying APC forgives sins of defectors (Sun)
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, has refuted claims that he said defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) forgives one’s sins.
Speaking at the 28th Founders’ Day Lecture of Independent Television and Radio in Benin, themed “Nigeria, Where Are We Going?”, Oshiomhole clarified a 2019 statement made during an APC rally.
He explained that he was addressing a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, Iluobe, whose surname means “I do no wrong” in Edo. “I was only telling him to maintain his surname now that he joined APC,” Oshiomhole said, denying that he implied sins are forgiven upon defection. He noted that the comment was misconstrued and widely misrepresented. Read more
Stock market down N117b on profit-taking in MTN, 19 others (ThisDay)
Trading activities on the stock market yesterday closed negative, as investors profit-taking in MTN Nigeria Communications (MTNN) Plc with a 6.1 per cent drop and 19 others pulled the market lower by N117 billion.
The Nigerian Exchange Limited All-Share Index (NGX ASI) lost 185.00 basis points or 0.17 per cent to close at 105,931.18 basis points.
Accordingly, the NGX ASI in its month-to-date and year-to-date returns moderated to +0.3per cent and +2.9per cent, respectively. Read more
Nigeria, Chinese Partners Move To Strengthen Bilateral Relations (NewTelegraph)
The Director General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), Joseph Tegbe, has stated that Nigeria is paying close attention to the ongoing global tariff dispute as it presents a new dynamic in global trade.
He stated this at a recent meeting with Amb Yu Dunhai, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, at the Chinese Embassy in Abuja. The meeting is in furtherance of the NCSP’s mandate to bolster economic cooperation and trade between the two nations.
During the meeting, the DG shared insights from his recent trip to China, highlighting discussions with key companies, including SINOMACH-HE and China National Electrical Engineering Company (CNEEC). Read more
PDP has lost its steam, no longer competitive — Okowa (Tribune)
Former Governor of Delta State and the 2023 Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that the PDP has lost its momentum as a party and can no longer be competitive in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Okowa stated this while explaining his reason for leading elected officials in Delta State into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). According to him, the political structure birthed in 1998 is no longer the same party that exists in today’s opposition. Read more
Presidency threatens 51 varsities, others with sanctions over illegal loan deductions (Guardian)
The last is yet to be heard about The Guardian story on illegal deductions, double institutional fee collection by 51 tertiary institutions, allegedly exploiting the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) student loan scheme.
Specifically, the Presidency has threatened sanctions against any institution found culpable.
A statement on Wednesday in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Sunday Asefon, said the actions of these institutions, if left unchecked, may tarnish President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring inclusive access to education through the student loan scheme. Read more
Algeria to unveil military mobilisation bill amid regional tensions (AfricaNews)
Amid ongoing tension with neighbours Morocco and Mali, Algeria is to unveil a military mobilisation bill on Wednesday.
Adopted by the Council of Ministers earlier this month, the draft law signals a significant shift in the country’s security policies.
It comes as Algeria’s army chief of staff makes a series of trips to border areas to oversee military manoeuvres. Read more
Katy Perry felt ‘battered and bruised’ by backlash (BBC)
Singer Katy Perry has admitted feeling “battered and bruised” by the backlash following her recent space trip, but reassured fans she is OK and would “keep looking to the light”.
Writing two weeks after the much-derided Blue Origin voyage, which saw her take an 11-minute flight with five other women, the US star said the “online world” had tried to make her a “human Piñata”.
Her comments came after fans paid for a billboard in New York to show their support for her ahead of her world tour. Read more
Study of over 865,000 abortion pill patients: 11% suffer ‘serious adverse events’ (CNA)
A first-of-its-kind study that delves into public health insurance records found that more than 1 in 10 women who take the abortion pill mifepristone to complete a chemical abortion will suffer a serious health complication during the process.
The study of 865,727 patients between 2017 and 2023, which was published by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) on April 28, discovered that 10.93% of women suffer at least one “serious adverse event” within 45 days of taking mifepristone for an abortion.
“This isn’t idle speculation; this is based on the largest data set that we know of,” Ryan T. Anderson, the president of EPPC and one of the study’s authors, told EWTN. Read more
The Six Triple Eight, an all-Black female WWII unit, receives Congressional Gold Medal (CBS) An all-Black, all-female World War II unit received the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday for improving soldiers’ morale with their work sorting mail addressed to those on the frontlines.
Congress passed bipartisan legislation in 2022 to recognize the unit with the gold medal, one of the highest civilian honors. On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson hosted the ceremony to award the honor in Emancipation Hall at the US Capitol building.
“The entire Six Triple Eight are great American patriots, loyal to a nation that for far too long failed to return that favor,” said the Louisiana Republican in his opening remarks at the ceremony. Read more
Kneecap apologises to families of murdered MPs after concert video clip furore (Standard)
Rap trio Kneecap has apologised to the families of two murdered MPs.
The apologies to the families of Sir David Amess and Jo Cox came after the band faced condemnation from Downing Street and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch when footage emerged from a gig appearing to show one member of Kneecap urging support for the killing of MPs.
In the video from the November 2023 concert, the band member appeared to say: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Read more
Mamoru Hosoda’s Anime Princess Film ‘‘Scarlet’’ lands December 2025 release (THR)
Oscar-nominated Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s upcoming anime pic “Scarlet” will open in North American theaters on Dec. 12, during the lucrative year-end holiday corridor and the heart of awards season.
Sony Pictures, which is co-producing and co-financing the film with Studio Chizu and Nippon TV, announced the release date Monday. Sony will distribute the film in the U.S. and around the globe except for in Japan, where Toho is handling the movie theatrically.
Scarlet tells the story of a brave princess who transcends time and space. Read more
I’m Nigeria’s best fighter, UNILAG’s Badoo declares (Punch)
West African Boxing Union light-welterweight champion Raheem “Badoo” Animashaun has declared himself the best boxer in the country following his latest victory at GOTV Boxing Night 33, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The teenage sensation, who is also a law student at the University of Lagos, extended his professional record to 15 wins without a loss after defeating Benin Republic’s Gboja Jean Coffi via a technical knockout in the third round on Saturday at the Indoor Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
The bout headlined the night’s programme and ended when Coffi failed to continue after getting injured. Animashaun controlled the contest from the opening bell and landed several heavy blows before the referee stopped the fight at one minute and 39 seconds of the third round. Read more
McIlroy to play Scottish Open before Portrush bid (BBC)
Rory McIlroy will play the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club as part of his preparations for the Open Championship in his native Northern Ireland this summer.
The Masters champion will aim to win a second Open title at Royal Portrush from 17-20 July.
The Scottish Open is the final event before golf’s fourth and final major of the year and McIlroy will return to the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, where he won the title in 2023 by beating Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre by one shot. Read more
Thompson, Duren step up to keep Pistons’ season alive (CBS)
Once again, Cade Cunningham had the ball in his hands down the stretch for the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. In Game 5 of the Pistons’ first-round series against the New York Knicks, the star guard scored 13 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, including a pull-up 3 with about four minutes to play, a clutch floater a couple of minutes later and a pair of free throws that sealed the 106-103 victory in the final seconds.
This was not, however, The Cade Cunningham Show. At halftime, the All-Star guard had four points on 2-for-8 shooting. He did an excellent job running the team, which often meant getting off the ball and trusting his teammates. The Knicks consistently blitzed Cunningham’s pick-and-rolls, effectively daring the other Pistons to beat them. Over and over again, they did.
More specifically, 22-year-old guard Ausar Thompson and 21-year-old center Jalen Duren did. And their efforts were critical as the Pistons kept their season alive and sent the series back to Detroit for Game 6 on Thursday. Read more
Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger sidelined for two months – sources (ESPN)
Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger is expected to be out of action for up to two months, sources have told ESPN, after undergoing knee surgery on Tuesday.
Sources have told ESPN that Rüdiger was expected to be unavailable for up to two months, which would see him miss the remainder of the LaLiga season and jeopardise his participation in this summer’s Club World Cup.
The club’s target would be for the centre-back to be fully fit for preseason, sources said, without taking any unnecessary risks. Read more
Max Purcell accepts an 18-month doping ban (NBC)
Two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month ban after breaching anti-doping rules, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.
The Australian player admitted to a breach of rules relating to the use of a “prohibited method” after unknowingly receiving an intravenous infusion of vitamins above the allowed limit of 100 milliliters in a 12-hour span and entered into a provisional suspension in mid-December.
Purcell said he’d informed the clinic he was a professional athlete and that the infusion had to be less than 100 milliliters. Read more