Dokpesi arrested in Abuja on arrival from Dubai medical trip (Guardian)
Founder of DAAR Communications, owners of African Independent Television (AIT), Chief Raymond Dokpesi, was arrested yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, on his return from medical treatment at the American Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). AIT, which announced the arrest, quoted an immigration officer as saying Dokpesi is on the federal government’s security watchlist and that there were instructions from above to arrest him on arrival. An unconfirmed source said he was later released. Dokpesi is standing trial for alleged involvement in the diversion of N2.1 billion security funds by former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd). Read more
No regrets not supporting Buhari –Ohanaeze (Punch)
The apex socio-political body of Igbo, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said it has no regrets for refusing to support President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 23 presidential election. The group backed the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the poll, Atiku Abubakar. However, Buhari of the All Progressives Congress eventually won the election. Some political leaders in the South-East, including the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, and APC’s National Auditor, George Muoghalu, criticised Ohanaeze for its decision to back Abubakar against Buhari. Read more
Abubakar tasks INEC, security agents on violence-free elections today (Guardian)
The chairman of National Peace Committee (NPC) and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agents and other stakeholders to adhere strictly to the provisions of the Nigeria constitution and ensure that peaceful supplementary election is conducted in Adamawa State. Abubakar who spoke yesterday in Yola during the town hall meeting organized by the NPC to interact with key stakeholders on peaceful conduct of the supplementary governorship and two House of Assembly seats elections in Adamawa insisted that elections can only be adjudged to be credible when it is free and fair without violence. Read more
1.6 million votes claim: We ‘ll meet Atiku in court, says INEC (Punch)
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Friday said it was ready to meet the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in court to explain how he had access to its server. The commission also said it would not join issues with politicians, especially the All Progressives Congress over allegations that some PDP agents made some failed attempts, before the postponement of the Presidential elections, to hack the INEC database. “The commission will not join issues with political parties. The allegation made by the APC is the figment of its imagination”, INEC said. Read more
N5bn fraud: You have case to answer, court tells Ex-Gombe governor (Guardian)
Justice Babatunde Quadri of a Federal High Court, Jos, Plateau State has ruled that a former governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje, has a case to answer on counts eight and nine of the 21-count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC). Goje, a serving Senator, is standing trial along with a former Executive Chairman of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board, Aliyu El-Nafaty; and S.M. Dokoro for an alleged N5 billion fraud. A fourth defendant, the ex-governor’s cousin, Sabo Tumu, who is now late, was removed from the charge sheet. They are alleged to have been involved in alleged financial impropriety, including the award of contracts for food supply to the state’s Government House during his tenure. Read more
Court remands 31-year-old for alleged armed robbery in Rivers (Punch)
A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Friday remanded in prison custody a 31-year-old man, Yusuf Lawan, for alleged armed robbery. The suspect and others, now at large, allegedly robbed one Chief Seleipiri Bob-Manuel of his belongings valued at N810,000, using machetes and kitchen knives. A document obtained from the court stated that the suspect and his accomplices dispossessed their victim of a 42-inch television valued at N350,000, a Samsung S8 mobile phone valued at N250,000, a Samsung S6 mobile phone valued at N200,000 and a DSTV decoder valued at N10,000. Read more
NEMA distributes relief materials to flood victims in Ondo (Guardian)
About 745 victims of flood, windstorm and ocean surge in Ondo State have received succour and relief materials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). NEMA, in collaboration with the state government, gave out fishing nets, water pumping machines, building materials, sewing machines, grinding machines, foodstuffs, soap and beverages, among others, as palliative to 745 flood, windstorm and ocean surge victims in over seven councils of the state, especially in the coastal communities. Read more
Lesson teacher defiles 13-year-old pupil, says victim seduced him (Punch)
The police in Lagos have arrested a 30-year-old teacher, Charles Munroe, for allegedly defiling a Senior Secondary School one pupil he was giving extramural education. Although Munroe admitted to having sex with the 13-year-old girl, he claimed it was consensual and that the victim seduced him. City Round learnt that the girl’s mother had employed Munroe sometime in August 2018 to be teaching her daughter in their residence at Ajangbadi area of the state. Munroe was said to have gone to the girl’s school on January 16, 2019 and asked her to follow him to his house on the pretence that he wanted to show her something. Read more
Cyclone Idai: Cholera cases reported in storm-hit Mozambique (BBC)
A week after the flooded Mozambican port of Beira was hit by Cyclone Idai, cases of cholera have been recorded, a humanitarian aid group said on Friday. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned of the risk of other outbreaks, already noting an increase in malaria. The storm has so far killed 557 people across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, but the death toll is expected to rise. Idai made landfall near Beira with 177km/h (106 mph) winds on 14 March. Read more
Trump-Russia: Special counsel Robert Mueller delivers report (BBC)
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has submitted his long-awaited report on alleged collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. A justice department official said Mr Mueller’s report did not recommend any further indictments. The special counsel has already charged six former Trump aides and dozens of Russians. The Attorney General William Barr will now summarise the report and decide how much to share with Congress. Mr Barr told congressional leaders in a letter that he anticipated being able to inform them of the report’s key findings over the weekend. Read more
Christchurch attacks: Al-Noor mosque reopens to worshippers (BBC)
Worshippers have returned to the Al-Noor mosque in Christchurch for the first time since a mass shooting there in which dozens of people were killed. The building had closed so police could investigate the attack but on Saturday small groups were allowed to return. Fifty people were killed in shootings at two mosques on 15 March. As the Al Noor mosque reopened, some 3,000 people walked through Christchurch on Saturday for a ‘march for love’ intended to honour victims. Read more
R Kelly pulls out of helping girlfriend Joycelyn Savage reunite with family (Metro)
R Kelly has pulled out of helping his girlfriend Joycelyn Savage reunite with her family, after struggling to find a location to meet. The Ignition hitmaker – real name Robert Kelly – and his team were set to arrange a meeting between the 23-year-old and her parents after it was alleged that she was the rapper’s sex slave. R Kelly’s reps confirmed to Metro.co.uk that they would no longer be helping to co-ordinate a meeting because the Savage family are putting ‘too many conditions’ on the meeting. Read more
We ’ll make Nigerian athletics great again —Alozie (Guardian)
Gloria Alozie remains one of the greatest athletes to emerge from the continent of Africa. Before switching nationality to Spain in 2001, Alozie brushed aside a strong challenge to grab a silver medal in the 100m hurdles for Nigeria at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Games. She narrowly missed the big one, no thanks to Olga Shishigina of Kazakhstan, who came from nowhere to snatch the gold medal. Since Alozie left the Nigerian athletics scene in 2001, no other athlete has been able to meet the Nigerian and African record of 12.44secs she left in the 100m hurdles more than 18 years ago. Read more
Nigeria beats Seychelles 3-1 despite Ozoho’s poor goalkeeping (Guardian)
The Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated the Pirates of Seychelles 3-1 in Asaba yesterday to end their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign on a high note. The Eagles had already sealed their place in the 2019 finals before yesterday’s clash at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba, Delta State. Odion Ighalo opened the scoring in the 35th minute from the penalty spot after Wilfred Ndidi was brought down in the box. It was Ighalo’s 7th goal in the campaign. However, the jubilation didn’t last long as the visitors levelled just five minutes, as Rody Malenie took advantage of a poor goalkeeping by Francis Ozoho, who made a schoolboy error. Tall Ozoho gifted a Pirate attacker the goal by failing to punch the ball far from the Nigerian defence. Read more
Pharaohs will surprise Eagles in Asaba, says Egypt’s FA (Guardian)
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) is optimistic the Pharaohs will prevail against the Super Eagles in the March 26 International friendly scheduled for the Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba, Delta State. Both countries had already qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) before the last qualifiers. Nigeria tops group E with 10 points, while Egypt with 12 points are second behind Tunisia in group J, as the tournament commences on June 21 till July 13 in Egypt after Cameroun was stripped of the initial hosting rights due to unpreparedness. Read more
Sterling scores hat-trick as England thrash Czechs (BBC)
Raheem Sterling scored his first England hat-trick as their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign started in hugely impressive fashion as they outclassed the Czech Republic at Wembley. Manager Gareth Southgate gave Jadon Sancho his first international start and Borussia Dortmund’s 18-year-old repaid his faith with a fine display. But it was Sterling who stole the show as England built on the development that saw them reach the World Cup semi-finals in Russia and the finals of the inaugural Nations League. Read more
Juventus intensify interest in Salah (Punch)
Juventus have once again been linked with a sensational swap deal involving Paulo Dybala and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah. Last month, Tuttosportreported that the Italian giants had tabled an extraordinary offer for the Egyptian worth £44m in cash as well as Dybala. And now the story is gathering pace once again with Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb claiming Juventus are still keen on the deal. It is claimed Juve’s director of football, Fabio Paratici, is extremely keen on recruiting the 26-year-old. Read more