Death should have taken me instead of my only son –Mother of resident doctor stabbed to death in Lagos (Punch)
Gloom has enveloped Omolade Osinowo Street in the Mafoluku, Oshodi area of Lagos following the gruesome murder of Stephen Urueye, a resident medical doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, by some hoodlums on Thursday evening. The street in Mafoloku where family members of the young man reside has since turned into a Mecca of sort with sympathisers of all kinds trooping in to commiserate with the household. Saturday PUNCH learnt that Urueye was on housemanship at the hospital and was to finish the programme in December 2019 when the incident happened. Read more
Lagos police apprehends 2 suspected killers of LUTH resident doctor (Guardian)
The Police in Lagos state say they have arrested two suspected killers of a University of Lagos (UNILAG) graduate, Dr Stephen Urueye, who was a resident doctor at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), for the Police Command in the state, DSP Bala Elkana, who made the disclosure on Friday in Lagos, said the suspects allegedly stabbed the deceased on his right thigh and at the back with a knife while trying to dispossess him of his valuables. He said: “On April 4, 2019 at about 9.45p.m, Itire Police Station received a distress call that some hoodlums, armed with knives, attacked one Dr Stephen Urueye, a resident doctor with LUTH and dispossessed him of his valuables such as handsets. Read more
PDP leaders set to meet over National Assembly positions (Punch)
The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party will meet with the party’s lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives very soon to discuss the zoning of the offices meant for the opposition party in the two chambers, Saturday PUNCH learnt on Friday. The offices are Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip. A source close to the party, told one of our correspondents that the PDP had also started working behind the scene to decide who become the President of the Senate, Deputy President of the Senate, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Read more
50 civilian JTF, others killed in Zamfara — Speaker (Guardian)
The Speaker of the Zamfara State House Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji, on Friday said no fewer than 50 persons including members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were killed in Zamfara on Tuesday. Rikiji, who revealed this during a condolence visit to Kaura Namoda emirate, attributed the incidence to CJTF confrontation with bandits in a community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of the state. The Speaker, who led the state government delegation on the visit, decried the worsening security situation in the state. Read more
Imo pupil kills female classmate for rejecting advances (Punch)
Tragedy struck in Umuoli Ikpem in the Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State on Thursday after a 16-year-old Senior Secondary School Three pupil, Chibuzo Ohaneme, stabbed his female classmate, Olamma Ekwebelem, to death. The tragedy, our correspondent learnt, has attracted public outcry in the community. A village source told our correspondent that Ohaneme was irked that Ekwebelem had repeatedly turned down his relationship proposal to her. Read more
Man slits wife’s throat, buries corpse in his room (Punch)
The Kano State Police Command on Friday paraded a 20-year-old man, Aminu Inuwa of Jakada Quarters, for allegedly slitting his wife’s throat. He was also said to have buried the corpse of the 17-year-old victim, Safara Inuwa, in his room. Confirming the incident, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, said on April 3, 2019 around 11:00am, the police received a report that Inuwa killed his wife with a knife. According to the PPRO, Inuwa and his late wife had a dispute during which the suspect slit her throat and buried her corpse in his room. Read more
Robbery: We didn’t review visa validity for Nigerians –UAE (Punch)
The United Arab Emirates has denied report it has reviewed the visa validity for Nigerians from three to one month. The UAE Embassy in a statement on Friday said it had not suspended tourist visas for Nigerians. The statement said, “In the light of the press reports published this morning, and alleging that the United Arab Emirates had suspended issuing tourist visas to Nigerian nationals, the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Abuja would like to announce these news are inaccurate, and stresses the importance of getting news from its official channels.” Read more
Libya fighting prompts condemnation by G7 and UN (BBC)
World powers and the United Nations have condemned fresh fighting in Libya as rebel forces from the east of the country march on the capital. The G7 group of rich countries urged all parties “to immediately halt all military activity”. The UN Security council issued a similar call. Khalifa Haftar, leader of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), has ordered the advance on Tripoli. Reports suggest there is fighting near the international airport to the south. Tripoli is the home of Libya’s internationally recognised government, which has the backing of the Security Council. Read more
Ethiopian Airlines crash: Boeing reduces 737 production (BBC)
Boeing is temporarily cutting production of its best-selling 737 airliner in the continuing fall-out from crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Production will drop from 52 planes a month to 42 from mid-April, Boeing has said in a statement. The decision is a response to a halt in deliveries of the 737 Max – the model involved in the two accidents. The plane is currently grounded as preliminary findings suggest its anti-stall system was at fault. An Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crashed only minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa in March, killing all 157 people on board. Read more
Boy, 3, crushed to death by father’s Land Rover as he reversed on farm (Metro)
A three-year-old boy died after falling from of the back of his father’s 4×4 as it was reversing, an inquest heard. Evan Williams was crushed to death by the vehicle at Ceunant Farm, in Carmarthenshire, on October 21 last year. Pembrokeshire Coroner’s Court heard how his mum Sian and older sister had also been in the Land Rover at the time of the horrific accident, while his father Dewi was behind the wheel. Read more
US acknowledges civilian deaths in Somalia drone strike (BBC)
The US has admitted that a woman and child were killed by an American drone strike in Somalia last April. It marks the first time America has admitted to causing civilian casualties during its air campaign in Somalia. Only weeks ago, the US had denied claims by rights group Amnesty International that 14 civilians were killed in five separate raids. The US began an air war against al-Shabab militants in 2011 under the direction of President Obama. Since the election of Donald Trump, the number of strikes has risen sharply. Read more
Man ‘bragged about killing his wife and cremating her body with charcoal’ (Metro)
A man confessed to strangling his wife and burning her body with charcoal after after the couple fought at a strip club, prosecutors say. Jay Hammersley, 44, told police that he choked his 29-year-old wife, Mara Vestal, to death on a bed in their Katy, Texas home on February 16 during the argument that continued from the strip club to their house. After killing Vestal, Hammersley bought more than 100 pounds of charcoal and cremated her body in his backyard shed – then told an unnamed friend he ‘did a good job and reduced her to ashes,’ according to prosecutors. Read more
Idris Elba won’t play Deadshot in Suicide Squad 2 because he’s getting a completely new character (Metro)
Idris Elba was reportedly going to take over from Will Smith as Deadshot in the upcoming Suicide Squad, but turns out that’s not exactly true anymore. Reports have now claimed that Deadshot won’t feature in the movie anymore, meaning Will won’t be replaced, as Idris is apparently getting a brand new character. According to Variety, that Suicide Squad 2 director James Gunn and everyone else involved thought it was better to add a completely new character in the mix and not move forward with Deadshot. Read more
Onyekuru named fastest player in Turkish Super Lig (Guardian)
Nigerian forward Henry Onyekuru can lay claim to being the fastest player in the Turkish Super Lig. This is according to United Kingdom-based sports analytics company OPTA, which measured the speed of players in the Turkish top flight. The Galatasaray winger clocked 32kph over 20 meters to be ranked at the top of the speed list. Onyekuru is loan at the Istanbul-based club from Premier League side Everton until the end of the 2018/19 season. The 21-year-old Nigerian has racked up 11 goals and three assists in 24 Super Lig appearances, making him one of the top performers for Gala. Read more
Southampton 1-3 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson strike late on to pile pressure back on Man City (Metro)
Naby Keita, Mohamed Salah and Jordan Henderson ensured Liverpool fought back from a goal down to beat Southampton at St Mary’s. The Reds were behind after just eight minutes when Shane Long fires the home side ahead and the Saints were well on top for most of the first half. However, a fantastic cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold was met by Keita before the break to level the scoring. It was the midfielder’s first goal for the club. Read more
‘Danny Rose has a responsibility to be an inspiration for young black players’ – Jermaine Jenas (BBC)
Tottenham’s Danny Rose can overcome his feelings of resentment towards football and become an inspiration for future black players, Jermaine Jenas has told BBC Radio 5 Live. England left-back Rose, 28, “can’t wait to see the back” of the game because of the lack of action on fans’ racism. Jenas said Rose had a “responsibility” to stand up to abuse like John Barnes and Cyrille Regis did in the 1980s. Read more
Real Madrid identify Kalidou Koulibaly as replacement for Manchester United target Raphael Varane (Metro)
Real Madrid are lining up a move for Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly as a replacement for Raphael Varane if the Frenchman chooses to push through a move to Manchester United. The 25-year-old is believed to be keen on a move away from the Bernabeu and has reportedly told the club that he wants to seek a new challenge this summer. Madrid pipped United to Varane’s signature in 2011 after Zinedine Zidane’s intervention but the Red Devils have never given up hope of signing the former Lens defender. Read more