Family of 5, homeless as Lagos landlord seizes property, locks them out for owing rent (Vanguard)
A family of five the Olalekan Baloguns of European Quarters, Meiran area of Lagos, has been rendered homeless after their landlord allegedly seized their belongings and locked them out of their room and parlour apartment since Thursday, March 25, 2021.
It was gathered that the family with three children ages 16, nine and seven are currently stranded as they have no access to their belongings at their rented apartment located at 10, Powerline, European Quarters, Meiran area of Lagos.
Vanguard gathered that the family rented the apartment in 2018 after effecting annual rent into a bank account unfortunately, they could not renew it before the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic and in January 2021, the landlord issued quit notices which lapsed a month after and their belongings were allegedly seized and they were locked out since March 25. Read more
Develop waterways to ease transportation hardship in Lagos, indigenes urge government (Tribune)
The Lagos State Government has been urged to develop other means of transportation without delay, especially the waterways to alleviate the hardship commuters face daily on Lagos roads and curb the constant waste of time and human resource on the roads as a result of traffic gridlock.
A group, the Lagos State Prominent Indigenes, made the call at the weekend, urging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to review all wastages in the system including the Alpha Beta contracts, the illegal collection of taxes by the National Union of Roads Transport Workers (NURTW), the market unions amongst others and direct such wastages to develop the ocean economy and thus provide jobs for our restive youths.
The group’s spokesman, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, a socio-political activist stated that, “Lagosians now face more hardships in commuting within the Lagos metropolis. You can hardly reach your destination without spending a whole day on Lagos roads. Many business opportunities have been lost and a lot of people frustrated by their failure to meet appointments due to the unending traffic hold-up on Lagos roads. Read more
Corruption: Court orders forfeiture of over N316,748 to ICPC (Vanguard)
A Kaduna State High Court has ordered the interim forfeiture of N316,748 belonging to one Mr. Haruna Mamuda, over allegations of fraud, to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Mr. Mamuda was docked before Justice M.M. Ladan of the Kaduna State High Court on allegations of corruption by the ICPC following a receipt of a petition against him.
A statement by ICPC said that Haruna Mamuda was alleged to have fraudulently demanded and received the sum of N120,000 from one Bartholomew Ifeanyi Nwagu, as a security clearance fee for a non-existent federal government committee.
The statement reads in part: “ICPC had approached the court with an ex parte motion pursuant to section 45, 47 and 48(1) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 for an order for the interim forfeiture of the money held in the First City Monument Bank Plc, FCMB, account of Mamuda. Read more
Judicial workers begin strike Tuesday, to shut courts nationwide (Tribune)
Workers in the judiciary sector will from Tuesday shut down courts across the country, as the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) commences a nationwide strike over the non-implementation of financial autonomy of the judiciary in line with the constitution of the country and other extant laws.
JUSUN has issued a 21-day ultimatum which elapsed on Sunday, April 4, 2021, after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held two weeks ago.
According to JUSUN President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu, “all courts will be totally shut until and unless government do the needful.”
Already, the union had issued a circular directing all its members, nationwide to commence strike on Tuesday and to shut down all court premises. Read more
Easter, Ramadan: NCDC reemphasises need to avoid non-essential travels (Guardian)
The Nigeria Center For Disease Control (NCDC) re-emphasises the need to avoid non-essential travels during the Easter and Ramadan celebrations to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director- General, NCDC, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday that it is very important to adhere to public health and social measures required to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19.
“As Nigerians plan to celebrate Easter and begin Ramadan, it is very important to remember the public health and social measures required to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19. Read more
Women group tackles Edochie over “misogynistic rants” (ThisDay)
The Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) has described as unreasonable the comments allegedly made by celebrated thespian, Chief Pete Edochie during an interview he granted to BBC IGBO.
In a statement by its Communications Officer, Angela Nkwo, NFF said Edochie in the interview “furthered his misogynistic rants concerning his views on Nigerian women in general.”
NFF, therefore, called on Edochie to immediately retract the comments, which it said grossly misrepresented his pedigree as an elder in the Nollywood community.
The women group also asked him to issue an apology for the gross misrepresentation and cause for concern he had provided for women to experience, tolerate and accept violence meted out to them by their husbands and partners. Read more
Anglican Church to begin annual Correctional Marriage service (Vanguard)
Couples who have been faced by recurrent economic and social challenges that had prevented them from the solemnization of their holy matrimony have been given a window of opportunity to participate in a correctional marriage programme by the Anglican Church in Nigeria on the second Saturday after every Easter Sunday annually.
This announcement was made public by the Primate of All Nigeria, Anglican Communion, The Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba during the general announcements to close the special service to mark the 2021 Easter Sunday at the Cathedral Church of The Advent, Gwarimpa, Abuja.
In his brief announcement of the programme nationwide, he said, “We hereby invite you all to attend a programme for the correctional marriage of some members who might need the blessing of the Church on their marriages on Saturday the 17th of April, 2021.
“This is the opportunity for members and indeed all of those who have been living together and raising a family but have been unable to organize a wedding ceremony as elaborate as they wished due to some socio-economic challenges. Read more
How Buhari can avoid the curse of second term – Pastor Bakare (Tribune)
Senior Pastor, Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday went both historical and futuristic to help his friend, President Muhammadu Buhari, retool and avoid the curse of second term.
In his annual State of the Nation Broadcast given on Easter Sunday, the cleric also disclosed that he had handed the president a blueprint for national reconciliation since the commencement of his first term, in 2015.
The president has obviously not found a use for the said blueprint.
The 2021 edition was with the theme: “The Conspicuous Handwriting on the Wall.” Read more
Pope Francis, in Easter message, slams weapons spending in time of COVID-19 (NYPost)
Pope Francis urged countries in his Easter message on Sunday to quicken distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly to the world’s poor, and called armed conflict and military spending during a pandemic “scandalous”.
Coronavirus has meant this has been the second year in a row that Easter papal services have been attended by small gatherings at a secondary altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, instead of by crowds in the church or in the square outside.
After saying Mass, Francis read his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message, in which he traditionally reviews world problems and appeals for peace.
“The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for the poor. Nonetheless – and this is scandalous – armed conflicts have not ended and military arsenals are being strengthened,” he said. Read more
Dolly Parton glams up to receive second dose of coronavirus vaccine she helped fund (Metro)
Dolly Parton received her second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and commemorated the day in the most Dolly way possible. Taking to Instagram, the 9 to 5 singer blessed us all with a photo as she posed with the doctors. Alongside the upload, she penned: ‘Dolly gets a (second) dose of her own medicine. Thank you Dr Naji Abumrad, @andrearae80 and @heatherbrooke613 of @vanderbilthealth.’ The 75-year-old also snapped the moment she was jabbed for the second time, while looking seriously glam in a bedazzled gold blazer – with a button on the shoulder for easy jab access – and patterned face mask. Read more
Florida declares state of emergency over toxic wastewater leak (BBC)
A state of emergency has been declared in Florida after a leak from a large pond of toxic wastewater in Tampa Bay.
More than 300 homes in the area have been ordered to be evacuated, and a motorway near the Piney Point reservoir has been closed off.
Residents were sent a text alert telling them to leave home immediately.
Officials said the 77-acre (31-hectare) reservoir holds millions of gallons of water containing phosphorous and nitrogen from an old phosphate plant. Read more
Mystery ‘Marsquakes’ still rattling Red Planet: NASA (NYPost)
NASA said on Saturday that they’re investigating mystery earthquakes that have taken place on Mars.
NASA said on Saturday that they’re investigating mystery earthquakes that have taken place on Mars.NASA
NASA is investigating a new series of “Marsquakes” on Earth’s planetary neighbor — just the latest exciting mystery being probed on the Red Planet.
Scientists at the space agency believe the tremors will offer clues to surface landslides or underground volcanos on the planet.
The latest quakes were detected not by the newly-landed Perseverance land rover — but by NASA’s InSight lander, which touched down on the surface back in 2018.
InSight’s seismometer picked up evidence of two new quakes in March, the space agency said Thursday. Read more
Space Jam: A New Legacy casts Zendaya as Lola Bunny as she joins LeBron James (Metro)
Zendaya has officially joined the cast for the upcoming Space Jam movie, A New Legacy. The actress, 24, will voice Lola Bunny in the highly-anticipated reboot to the original 1996 film, which sees LeBron James face off against Don Cheadle with the help of the Looney Tunes. After first being reported by Entertainment Weekly, the official Twitter account for Space Jam: A New Legacy later confirmed the news by sharing a gif of Lola Bunny from the movie’s trailer. ‘Welcome to the Jam, @Zendaya,’ they captioned the tweet. Read more
Celebrities send love to DMX after reported overdose, heart attack (PageSix)
Prayers for rapper DMX poured in on social media after news of the rapper’s reported overdose and heart attack made headlines.
The 50-year-old rapper, who was born in Mount Vernon and raised in Yonkers, began trending on Twitter as fans flooded the site to honor him.
Ja Rule, who worked with DMX and famously feuded with the “Where The Hood At” performer for years, was one of the first to send him well wishes.
“Prayers up for my brother DMX,” he wrote on Twitter, including many prayer hand emojis. Read more
Sports festival: 10 athletes test positive for COVID-19 (Punch)
Ten athletes, who tested positive for COVID-19 at the ongoing Edo 2020 National Sports Festival, have been placed in isolation.
Speaking with journalists, Dr Andrew Obi, the Incident Manager, COVID-19 Response, Edo State stated that seven of the athletes had been moved to the Stella Obasanjo Isolation Centre, where medical personnel are attending to them.
The remaining three, according to Dr Obi, tested positive Sunday morning.
“So far, we have 10 persons who tested positive; seven of them have been moved to the Stella Obasanjo Isolation Centre.
“They will be there taking their doses until they’re declared fit enough to get back to the public,” Dr Obi said. Read more
African Champions League: Zamalek earn vital win as Ahly and Simba reach quarter-finals (BBC)
Al Ahly beat Egyptian rivals Zamalek in last season’s final to lift the African Champions League trophy.
Egyptian giants Zamalek earned a 2-0 win away to Mouloudia Alger on Saturday night to keep alive their hopes of reaching the African Champions League quarter-finals as holders Al Ahly and Simba both qualified.
In their penultimate match of Group D, Zamalek – who needed to get their first victory in the group to stay in contention – beat MC Alger of Algeria with first-half goals from Youssef ‘Obama’ Ibrahim and Shikabala in Algiers.
In the same group, already-qualified Esperance of Tunisia surprisingly fell 2-1 to Teungueth of Senegal with Baye Diop scoring the 72nd-minute winner in Thies.
Zamalek, runners-up to Ahly last season, will squeeze into the last eight if they win at home to Teungueth next Saturday and Mouloudia lose away to Esperance. Read more
Ash Barty defiant over No. 1 status after winning Miami Open (Metro)
Ashleigh Barty defended her Miami Open title on Saturday, with her opponent Bianca Andreescu forced to retire from their final, before launching a passionate defence of her status as the sport’s world No. 1. Barty, the one-time Grand Slam champion from Australia, was in complete control of the match before an ankle sprain for her opponent brought a premature conclusion to the contest at 6-3 4-0. It was a disappointing end to the first chapter of a rivalry that should be a mainstay of women’s tennis over the next decade but the tournament could prove significant in announcing both of their returns to the top of the sport. Read more
PGA Tour keeping 2021 Tour Championship in Georgia after MLB yanks All-Star Game (NYPost)
Major League Baseball has pulled its All-Star Game from Atlanta, but the PGA Tour says it will not move its Tour Championship later this year from Georgia based on the state’s new voting law.
With The Masters slated to be played this week in Augusta, the PGA Tour announced the Tour Championship – the season’s final FedEx Cup playoff event — will be held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta in the first week of September due to financial commitments to local businesses and charities.
“The Tour Championship’s commitment to East Lake has helped our partners transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and thriving ones, which is a key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty,” the PGA Tour said Saturday in a statement. “The charitable and economic benefits that have led to these substantial changes would not continue if we simply walked away from those in need.” Read more
Joel Embiid returns from injury in Philadelphia 76ers win (BBC)
Joel Embiid scored 24 points on his return from injury as his Philadelphia 76ers side beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 122-113.
Embiid missed 10 games with a bone bruise in his left knee and was rusty on his comeback, missing all of his three-point attempts.
The win sent the 76ers back to the top of the Eastern Conference, level with the Brooklyn Nets.
Western Conference leaders the Utah Jazz beat the Orlando Magic 137-91. Read more
Neymar involved in furious tunnel bust-up after PSG defeat against Lille (Metro)Paris Saint-Germain talisman Neymar could find himself in hot water again after he was involved in a furious tunnel bust-up with Tiago Djalo after PSG’s costly Ligue 1 defeat against Lille. The Brazillian superstar, making only his second appearance since an injury lay-off that kept him out of action for six weeks, was dismissed in the closing stages of Saturday’s crucial league encounter at Parc des Princes. Jonathan David’s 20th minute goal was enough to secure a landmark victory for the visitors as they moved three points ahead of their opponents in the race to be crowned French champions. Read more
