Cybercrime Act, Emergency Rule Protest: Police, protesters clash in Abuja, Port Harcourt (Vanguard)
The police and protesters clashed in Abuja and Port Harcourt yesterday during the protest declared by the Take-It-Back Movement against the CyberCrime Act and the emergency rule imposed on Rivers State last month by the Federal Government, which resulted in the suspension of democratic structures in the state.
The protest in Lagos, Osun and some parts of the country was, however, devoid of any clash between both parties.
It will be recalled that Force Headquarters had warned against the protest on Sunday, saying it is ill-timed but organisers insisted the protest must hold to compel the government to stop bullying citizens with the Cybercrime Act and also reverse the suspension of democratic structures in Rivers State. Read more
Beijing Legacy for Global Advancement honours Awolowo Dosumu (Tribune)
The Beijing Legacy for Global Advancement has honoured the Chairman of the Tribune titles, Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, over her dedication to the preservation of socio-cultural, political heritage and advancing women in leadership.
The award ceremony, which was held as a parallel event during the 69th session of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW69), marked a historic celebration of Afro-Asian unity, leadership and women’s empowerment.
Awolowo Dosumu, a former Nigerian Ambassador to the Netherlands was recognised in the women in Power and Decision-Making Category for her lifelong dedication to the advancement of women in leadership. Read more
Akpoti-Uduaghan recall plot embarrassing –TMG (Sun)
Transition Monitoring Group has described as embarrassing for Nigeria the recall attempt on Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi Central, saying it has implications on Nigeria’s democracy.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the TMG chairman, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, described the swift move to recall her as a desperate attempt by political figures to silence her, following her public feud with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. TMG highlighted the need for a thorough investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power.
This is even as it commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a transparent process but noted that the recall effort seemed to be a political manoeuver rather than a genuine expression of the constituents’ dissatisfaction. Read more
Nigeria’s economic team set to meet over Trump’s tariffs (ThisDay)
In a bid to navigate the turbulence and uncertainty in the global economy created by United States’ President, Donald Trump’s new tariffs on countries, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Economic Management Team (EMT) yesterday disclosed plan to appraise the various scenarios in the ongoing trade war and advise the federal government on the way forward.
The EMT may advise the federal government to consider adjusting the 2025 budget.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister, Mr. Wale Edun, disclosed this in Abuja, while reacting to the global trade war, adding that the federal government would appraise the various scenarios and options and advise the government accordingly. Read more
LG autonomy: Govs block council chairmen from opening CBN accounts (Punch)
The challenges facing the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy have assumed a new dimension, with some state governors explicitly warning their council chairmen against opening an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria for the direct payment of their allocations from the Federation Account.
The latest development represents yet another significant hurdle, nearly nine months after the Supreme Court granted full autonomy to the 774 local governments across the country, paving the way for direct payment of federal allocations.
As part of the Federal Government’s commitment to the Supreme Court judgment, a panel was set up to ensure the implementation of LG autonomy. Read more
COAS visits Bokkos, engages community leaders (NewTelegraph)
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on Monday visited Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, where he held a robust engagement with community leaders and key stakeholders in a renewed effort to restore lasting peace to Bokkos and its environs.
Speaking during a town hall meeting in Bokkos, the COAS urged residents to embrace unity and foster peaceful coexistence, stressing that peace and harmony are prerequisites for meaningful development and progress.
Oluyede emphasized that security forces alone cannot eliminate threats without the cooperation and support of the local populace. Read more
Court adjourns Binance, executives’ tax evasion trial to April 30 (Nation)
A Nigerian court has adjourned a tax evasion case against Binance to April 30 to allow the local tax authority to respond to a request by the cryptocurrency exchange to annul an order for court documents to be served on it by email, a lawyer for Binance said on Monday.
The lawyer, Chukwuka Ikwuazom, asked the court to set aside the order because the tax authority did not obtain a leave from the court to serve court documents on Binance outside Nigeria. Binance does not have a physical office in Nigeria.
“On the whole the order for the substituted service as granted by the court on February 11, 2025 on Binance who is … registered under the laws of Cayman Islands and resident in Cayman Islands is improper and should be set aside,” Ikwuazom said. Read more
Foreign Airlines Misplaced 4,353 Passengers’ Baggage In 2024
(Leadership)
A total of 4,353 baggage belonging to passengers on International flights to and from Nigeria have been confirmed missing between January 2024 and December 2024, a report has shown.
Also, passenger traffic has dropped by 1.5% from 15.89 million in 2023 to 15.66 million in 2024.
These were contained in the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Executive Summary on International and Domestic Flight Operations from January-December 2024. Read more
‘A little miracle’: First baby born in UK to woman with transplanted womb (BBC)
A “miracle” baby girl has become the first child in the UK to be born to a mother using a donated womb.
The baby’s mum, Grace Davidson, 36, was born without a functioning uterus, and received her sister’s womb in 2023 – in what was then the UK’s only successful womb transplant.
Two years after that pioneering operation, Grace gave birth to her first child in February. She and her husband, Angus, 37, have named their daughter Amy after Grace’s sister, who donated her womb. Read more
Africa off track on maternal mortality targets, UN warns on world health day 2025 (AfricaNews)
Africa must increase its annual rate of progress twelvefold to meet the global target for reducing maternal deaths by 2030, according to new estimates from the United Nations. While the region has halved maternal deaths since 2000, it still accounts for seven out of every ten maternal deaths worldwide.
The findings, released by the UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Interagency Group, show that maternal mortality in Africa fell from 727 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 442 in 2023.
Despite the decline, the continent remains far off track to reach the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by the decade’s end. Read more
Drew Barrymore fondly remembers Val Kilmer: “So nurturing and kind and safe” (Deadline)
While chatting with guest Kevin Bacon on her eponymous daytime program, Drew Barrymore fondly reminisced about working with Val Kilmer, who along with director Joel Schumacher, convinced her to star in Batman Forever.
The tender moment came up as The Bondsman star reflected on various old projects of his, including 1990’s Flatliners, which the late Schumacher also helmed. Jumping in to bond with her colleague, Barrymore recalled her own fond experience.
“I was friends with Joel Schumacher, the director, who I thought of this morning because it was he and Val Kilmer that pulled me into Batman Forever,” she said. Read more
Mexican President Issues A Stern Statement Following AXE Ceremonia Festival 2025’s Fatal Crane Collapse (Uproxx)
On Sunday, April 6, Tyler The Creator, Massive Attack, Lil Yachty, and more were scheduled to perform at Axe Ceremonia Festival 2025 in Mexico City. Sadly, due to a fatal crane collapse the festival was suspended.
Today (April 7), Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the tragic deaths of photographers 26-year-old Miguel Angel Rojas, and 28-year-old Berenice Giles during a public press conference. “We regret and send our solidarity to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,” said Sheinbaum. “Beyond the fact that it was an accident, we need to look into how the equipment that fell was set up. An investigation needs to be carried out. There should be no impunity in this case.” Read more
Apple unveils genius plan to avoid huge tariffs on iPhones (DailyMail)
Apple is ramping up iPhone shipments from India to the US as it scrambles to avoid steep new tariffs on Chinese imports under Donald Trump’s latest trade crackdown.
The move is a temporary fix while Apple seeks an exemption from the new duties — something CEO Tim Cook successfully secured during Trump’s first term.
The shift was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Read more
A century of rare royal portraits are on display in Edinburgh exhibition (Petapixel)
The Royal Collection Trust announced that over 100 years of rarely seen royal portrait photographs, negatives, and archival materials will be displayed at The King’s Gallery in Edinburgh.
The Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography exhibition follows the evolution of Royal portrait photography from the 1920s until the present day.
Rarely seen vintage prints, contact sheets, proofs, and documents such as letters and memorandums from the royal archives are included. It is the first time many of these works have been shown in Scotland. Read more
European markets dive as global tariff fears shake investor confidence (EuroNews)
The Euro STOXX 50 closed 4.7% lower on Monday evening — its worst session since early March 2022 (-4.9%).
It comes as US President Donald Trump reiterated his commitment to eliminating US trade deficits — particularly with China — while denying any intention to fuel market turmoil.
In the US, there was wild swings on Wall Street with major indices opening in the red on Monday afternoon with the tariff sell-off sending the S&P 500 into bear market territory. Read more
Osimhen to go on date with Turkish beauty (Sun)
Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen is rumoured to be going on a dinner date with Turkish model and social media influencer, Oya Osmanağaoğlu.
Oya Osmanağaoğlu, 25, is a TikToker and Instagram brand influencer currently studying at Okan University, where she is enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture, Department of Interior Architecture.
Her content primarily focuses on fashion, makeup, daily life, dance, and entertaining videos, which have contributed to her popularity on social media. Read more
Chinaka wins 2025 IBB Lady Captain’s Cup (Punch)
Clement Chinaka has emerged as the overall winner of the 2025 IBB Lady Captain’s Cup in the tournament, which teed off on Wednesday and ended on Sunday at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.
Chinaka, who played off handicap 16, returned a gross score of 85 and 69 net and beat his closest challenger on countback to emerge the overall winner of the tourney.
An elated Chinaka said winning the tournament’s overall prize was a thing of joy, adding that the week-long tournament was one-of-kind and very well organised; a testament to the attributes of the outgoing lady captain. Read more
Balmoral to Host International Boxing Showdown April 18 (ThisDay)
Lagos is set to take center stage in the global boxing scene as six nations converge on the Balmoral Convention Centre on April 18, 2025, for “Chaos in the Ring” — an electrifying night of international boxing, fierce rivalries, and unforgettable entertainment.
Organised by Game Rush and Balmoral Group Promotions, the event follows the massive success of “Chaos in the Ring” in December 2024 and the widely acclaimed launch of Friday Fight Night in February 2025.
The upcoming edition will bring together top-tier fighters from Ghana, Tanzania, Egypt, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria, all set to clash in high-stakes bouts that promise adrenaline-pumping action and displays of championship-level grit. Read more
Cabrera returns to Masters for first time since prison (BBC)
Former Masters champion Angel Cabrera is set to compete at Augusta National for the first time in six years following his release from prison.
The Argentine was found guilty in 2021 of numerous charges that included assault, theft and illegal intimidation against former girlfriends.
He was released in August 2023 after serving 30 months in South American prisons. Read more
Florida Gators beat Houston Cougars 65-63 to win NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (CBS)
Florida defeated Houston 65-63 to take home the school’s third NCAA men’s basketball championship, coming back from down double digits and taking the lead in the final minute of the game.
Florida and Walter Clayton Jr. somehow overcame Houston’s spirit-crushing defense Monday night in an NCAA title-game thriller not decided until Clayton’s own defense stopped the Cougars from taking a game-winning shot at the buzzer.
Clayton finished with 11 points, all in the second half, but what he’ll be remembered for most was getting Houston’s Emanuel Sharp to stop in the middle of his motion as he tried to go up for the game-winning 3 in the final seconds. Read more
UFC double-champ brings down hit-and-run suspect with one-arm (SI)
What an interesting week for MMA fans.
First, an ex-UFC fighter is involved in an alleged assassination plot in Sydney, Australia. Now, former UFC double-champion Henry Cejudo played the part of a vigilante on Friday night.
Cejudo reportedly used his skills as a championship prize fighter to detain a suspect who plowed into his neighbor’s house.
In a statement shared with MMA Junkie, Cejudo told all on his incident last night.Cejudo alleged a vehicle was driven at 80-100 mph (128-160 kmph) into one of his neighbor’s homes. According to Cejudo, a suspect attempted to leave the scene, and their passengers tried to follow. Cejudo and the homeowner made an effort to keep them at the scene, where it escalated. Read more