Father mourns death of 35-year-old mother of two, cries for justice (Guardian)
Father of Mercy, the 35-year-old mother of two, who was hacked to death and buried in sacks fears the family may not get justice going by the manner the case is being delayed.
Mercy was last seen on December 16, 2021, and was found mutilated and buried in five different sacks behind a building in Ijegun, Lagos, belonging to Bamidele.
She had informed her family that she was on her way to Ijegun, a Lagos suburb in the Ikotun area, but never mentioned the name of the person she was visiting.
Bamidele and four others linked to the murder have since been taken to Magistrate Court Two; Yaba, while their file is presently at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The matter was first adjourned to March 4 and further adjourned to April 20 for hearing due to the failure of the DPP to assign the case for prosecution. Read more
I never knew Osinachi’s husband was a fake pastor – Late singer’s mother (Vanguard)
Finally, Mrs Oriaku Madu, the mother of the late gospel singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, who was allegedly killed by her husband following domestic violence, has opened up, saying that Nwachukwu deceived the family into allowing him to marry her daughter by claiming he was a pastor.
She said she never knew that Nwachukwu was only a fake pastor as his conducts and attitude towards both the wife and the her family betrayed his claims.
According to Osinachi’s mother, the son in-law was so mean that he never allowed her to come for ‘omugwo’ ( baby sitting) in all four children that her daughter gave birth to.
Mrs Nmadu who hails from Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area, LGA, of Abia State, said the tragic death of her daughter had shattered and traumatized her. Read more
Army officer shuns Lagos task force, claims land ownership (Punch)
The Commanding Officer, 174 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lt. Col. Seyi Sholotan, has shunned a second invitation extended to him by the Lagos State Taskforce on Land Grabbers.
Sholotan is locked in a dispute with an engineer, Adewole Adeleye, over the ownership of a piece of land on Bashorun Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos State.
Adeleye had petitioned the task force following an alleged invasion of the land by Sholotan with soldiers on more than three occasions.
The task force, in a letter by its Coordinator, Owolabi Arole, first invited Sholotan to a hearing at the meeting room of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice Annex on March 23, 2022. Read more
OAU student’s murder trial: Osun government grants Falana fiat to take over prosecution (Guardian)
The law chamber of human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Femi Falana, has secured fiat from Osun State Government to prosecute all the seven defendants arraigned for alleged murder of a Postgraduate student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Timothy Adegoke, at Hilton Hotel in Ile-Ife.
The hotel owner, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin and six members of his staff namely; Adedeji Adesola, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwale Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, and Adebayo Kunle, were arraigned on 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, altering of receipt and administration of extrajudicial oath among others.
The permission was contained in a statement signed by the Osun State Attorney-General & Commissioner of Justice, Oluwafemi Akande, entitled: “Re: Justice for Timothy, Mr. Governor over to you: Osun State Government Position on State of Prosecution in HOS/5C/2022 The State vs Dr. Rahmon Adedoyin & others”. Read more
Probe begins as Lagos lady narrates robbery, attempted rape in Tanzanian hotel (Punch)
The Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, Tanzania, has commenced investigation into allegations of robbery and attempted rape made by a Nigerian tourist, Zainab Oladehinde.
This was after Nigerians expressed outrage at the incident, which trended on Twitter and affected the reviews of the Warere Beach Hotel, Nungwi, Zanzibar, where the event occured.
Oladehinde had, in a series of tweets on Saturday, said she boarded a plane from Lagos to Tanzania and proceeded to lodge in the hotel to celebrate her 23rd birthday.
The victim said she was to be lodged in the hotel for six days, but a “traumatic experience” in the facility made her undergo therapy for a year. Read more
Show your numerical strength in 2023, Opadokun, group tell Yorubas (Leadership)
The former Secretary of National Democratic Coalition NADECO Mr. Ayo Opadokun and a socio-political group, Alliance of Yoruba Democratic Movements, (AYDF) have urged people of the South West and Yoruba in other states of the federation to mobilise themselves and vote en mass in the 2023 general elections to prove their numerical strength and attract political and economic development to the region.
Opadokun who stated this at the two -day event held in Ikeja area of Lagos State noted that the Yoruba race took the future of the race and that of the country seriously and came up with Oodua Development Council which was launched in year 2000 and was a pacesetter for other ethnic nationalities who set up their sectional movement after that of the Yoruba.
He noted that Yoruba has an agenda and plan to move forward the Yoruba speaking states and as such 18 committees were set up to take care of issues that affect Yoruba nation.
Opadokun stated that any aspirant that seeks the vote of the race in 2023 should be asked if he or she supports the Yoruba agenda before they give them their votes. Read more
2022 WASSCE: No clash in date with UTME, says WAEC (ThisDay)
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has clarified that there is no clash in its examination dates with this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The council’s Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Patrick Areghan made the clarification during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday.
Areghan was speaking against the backdrop of concerns raised by some stakeholders, including parents, that a clash might endanger the performance of some candidates in both examinations.
The Federal Ministry of Education had in a circular dated April 5, titled: Update on 2022 Examinations Timetable for all Examination Bodies, addressed to all the test bodies in the country, showed a clash in date. Read more
Yari, Marafa Dump APC For PDP (DailyTrust)
A former Zamfara state Governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, and Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa have dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The Chairman of the opposition PDP in the state, retired Colonel Bala Mande, made the announcement shortly after a stakeholders’ meeting in Gusau, the state capital, on Sunday.
Col. Bala Mande said they had sat down and finalised the issue of the defection of Yari and Marafa and they had reached an agreement to work for the development of the Party.
“We have all agreed to work for the development of the party and the PDP in the state has welcomed them to its fold. We will ensure justice and fairness to all members even after we have won elections in 2023.” Read more
Winner gets car in Bigi’s ‘Watch & Win’ promo (Nation)
In a move described as boosting brand loyalty, Bigi carbonated soft drink (CSD) brand of Rite Foods recently rewarded the winner of its ‘Watch & Win’ promo, Amarachi Chukwuma, with a brand-new car, as well as consolation prizes comprising laptop computers, Bigi products, blenders, printers, and several amazing prizes to other participants, after about 12 weeks of the reward scheme.
Receiving the grand prize at the Silverbird Cinema, in Victoria Island, Lagos, an elated Chukwuma expressed her gratitude to the award-winning brand for connecting with its consumers through a platform that refreshes movie lovers with the taste of its 13 unique variants as they watch their favourite films.
The 26-year-old lawyer from Anambra State, received the key to the brand-new car with over one hundred packs of Bigi drinks, and other Bigi prizes.
The ‘Watch & Win Promo’ flagged off by the Bigi CSD in December 2021, was aimed at encouraging movie and cinema lovers in Silverbird Cinemas in Lagos and Abuja by offering them rewards for their viewing experiences. Read more
Coachella: Fans confused by Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘bizarre’ debut (Independent)
Meghan Thee Stallion’s debut Coachella show has confused fans after the “WAP” singer appeared to leave the stage mid-set for an extended period of time.
The singer, who performed at the two-weekend California music festival on Saturday (16 April), previewed an unreleased track and shouted out her “Sweetest Pie” collaborator Dua Lipa during her first Coachella outing.
However, fans on social media said her set was derailed by a lengthy interlude during which Megan walked off stage, with many wondering whether the singer had “bailed mid-set” until she re-emerged in a different costume.
“I know the second outfit gave Megan hell,” one Twitter fan wrote, adding, “But it was so gorgeous.”
Elsewhere, the singer’s hype man “Jay Bone” was criticised online for drowning the singer out.
“Who is Jay Bone? Why is he ruining Megan’s set???!!!???? Someone take his mic???!!!!???,” one fan wrote.
“Oh my god. Megan Thee Stallion’s hype man really is going to shout over her the entire performance, isn’t he??” another tweeted.
The Independent has reached out to the singer’s representative for comment.
Megan’s fans were impressed with her forthcoming single, claiming it had “mid-Nineties Lil Kim vibes”. Some Twitter users speculate that the American rapper will feature as a collaborator on the new song. Read more
Meghan Markle praises ‘incredible’ Prince Harry at 2022 Invictus Games (PageSix)
Meghan Markle praised her “incredible husband” Prince Harry during the opening ceremony for the 2022 Invictus Games.
“It is my distinguished honor to introduce someone that I think you’ll all be very excited to hear from. I could not love and respect him more and I know that all of you feel the same,” the former “Suits” star gushed while introducing him to the crowd in the Netherlands Saturday night.
“He’s the founder of the Invictus Games, and the father to our two little ones, Archie and Lili,” she continued. “Please welcome my incredible husband, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex.”
Harry – who founded the Games for injured and sick servicemen and women in 2014 – then took the stage and kissed Markle in front of everyone, saying, “Thank you, my love.” Read more
Billy Crystal back on Broadway as “Mr. Saturday Night” (CBS)
When the film “Mr. Saturday Night” hit the big screen in 1992, it seemed to have everything: There was Billy Crystal as the abrasive stand-up comedian Buddy Young, Jr., and a top-notch cast as his long-suffering family. It was Crystal’s first shot at directing, and he played Buddy from a young star to a washed-up has-been.
For Crystal, the film was a personal victory. But a hit, it was not.
Correspondent Tracy Smith asked, “We talked about ‘Mr. Saturday Night,’ and I asked you, was ‘Mr. Saturday Night’ a hiccup or a career killer? And you said, ‘Oh, I thought it was a career killer.'”
“I did, yeah,” Crystal replied. “And this was, I thought, for me, my best work. And the fact that it didn’t perform as well at the box office as we wanted was, like, uh-oh, it’s the first time you get punched in the face, basically.” Read more
‘Greyhound’: sequel to Tom Hanks’ WW2 film in the works (NME)
A sequel to Tom Hanks‘ Greyhound – a WW2-based hit from lockdown – is in the works at Apple TV+.
In the film, which was released in July 2020, Hanks starred as Lieutenant Commander Ernest Krause. Greyhound was directed by Aaron Schneider and is adapted from C. S. Forester’s 1955 novel The Good Shepherd.
A synopsis explains more about Greyhound: “In the early days of WWII, an international convoy of 37 Allied ships, led by captain Ernest Krause (Tom Hanks) in his first command of a U.S. destroyer, crosses the treacherous North Atlantic while hotly pursued by wolf packs of Nazi U-boats.”
According to The Wrap, a Greyhound sequel is in the works as part of an overall deal signed this week between Apple TV+ and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s production company Playtone. Read more
Fantastic Beasts 3 suffers weakest box debut of the franchise (Metro)
Fantastic Beasts 3: The Secrets of Dumbledore has earned the lowest-grossing debut in the franchise’s history.
The third entry in the Wizarding World spin-off series, following the adventures of magizoologist Newt Scamander, played by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, opened on Friday 8 April in select markets – including the UK – before opening this weekend in the US.
The movie, which has received a mixed to bad reception from critics, is sitting on an uninspiring 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, although its audience rating is currently a much more positive 85%.
In terms of box office, the film managed to scrape a $43million (£33m) opening weekend in the US, although a better performance worldwide saw it add $71.7m (£55m) internationally in its second week to a total in released territories outside the US of $150.4m (£115.2m), and $193.4m (£148.2m) overall.
However, this figure sees it behind both of its predecessors. Read more
EastEnders star Lorraine Stanley is unrecognisable in crime thriller with Tom Hardy (Mirror)
EastEnders actress Lorraine Stanley appeared in a Tom Hardy film before starring in the soap – and she looks very different.
The 45-year-old star made her first appearance as Karen Taylor on Albert Square back in 2017.
But before being cast for the BBC soap, she was seen in a number of roles, including crime thriller Legend in 2015 with the hunky A-list actor.
Lorraine appeared in the biographical crime thriller which saw Tom play twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray, two of London’s most dreaded gangsters. Read more
Perrie Edwards and Baby Axel Twin in Little Mix Merch at his first-ever concert (People)
Perrie Edwards is one rockstar mom!
The “Confetti” singer brought her baby boy Axel to his very first concert on Friday — to see Little Mix, naturally — and couldn’t resist sharing a sweet series of photos and videos from the evening on Instagram.
Edwards and her son, 7 months, even rocked matching black Little Mix hoodies at the show.
In the first picture, Edwards lifts Axel high in the air as he adorably pairs his hoodie with grippy green socks. “Here we are!” Edwards wrote in her caption on Saturday. “Watching his first ever show. Read more
Teen boxer dubbed ‘next Amir Khan’ dies in car crash aged 18 (Metro)
A talented young boxer tipped for the top has died in a car crash in the West Midlands.
Ali Tazeem, 18, was killed after the car he was travelling in hit a wall in Wolverhampton in the early hours of this morning.
The 18-year-old driver who was with him was also injured, and is in a critical condition in hospital.
Mr Tazeem was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, off Merridale Road in Chapel Ash at around 1.45 am.
The Wolverhampton-born teen was part of Walsall’s Pound 4 Pound Boxing Academy and had spent the past week training with Floyd Mayweather Senior. Read more
Tomas Soucek saves point for West Ham against Burnley after Westwood injury (Guardian)
Ashley Westwood signalled instantly to the bench, and the London Stadium fell silent. Several minutes later, he departed for hospital on a stretcher, his ankle far from its natural position.
It had seemed innocuous, Westwood winning the ball ahead of Nikola Vlasic. The West Ham man pulled his shirt above his face to hide the tears, Issa Diop and Craig Dawson both consoling him. As did several Burnley players, affirming the lack of malice. A freak incident, with a horrible outcome.
The noise returned to the ground within minutes, but only for the small pocket of visiting fans. Jay Rodriguez headed Maxwell Cornet’s corner against the bar, Wout Weghorst nodded in the rebound.
And for a time, it seemed the post-Sean Dyche era would start with an oh-so-precious victory. Interim manager Mike Jackson will rue Cornet dragging a penalty wide in first-half stoppage time. That might have spoiled the kings of Lyon’s homecoming entirely. Tomas Soucek’s late leveller ensured the points were shared. But for Nick Pope’s later acrobatics it would have been a full reversal. Read more
Bayern Munich one win from 10th straight Bundesliga title (France24)
Bayern Munich can secure a 10th straight Bundesliga title next weekend after they bounced back from their Champions League exit in midweek with a 3-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.
An own goal by Bielefeld defender Jacob Laursen and strikes by Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala saw Bayern move nine points clear in the table.
There are four games left and Bayern can secure the title by beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund in next Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash in Munich.
Bayern returned to winning ways five days after conceding a last-gasp equaliser at home to Villarreal to crash out of the Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals. Read more
‘I’m coming for that (expletive) belt’: Errol Spence Jr. defeats Yordenis Ugas, wants Terence Crawford next (USAToday)
Boxing fans have wanted to see Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford step into the ring together for years.
The welterweight bout finally may be happening.
Spence defeated Yordenis Ugas on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Texas with a 10th round TKO. Spence entered the fight with the WBC and IBF titles to his name and took Ugas’ WBA belt, giving the Dallas-area native three of the four in the weight class.
That all sets up for a much-anticipated unification matchup against Crawford, who owns the WBO belt. The winner would be the undisputed welterweight champion, while the other would receive the first loss of his career. Read more
FIA deliver verdict on scary incident between Schumacher and Tsunoda (Formula1News)
Mick Schumacher can see a points finish on the horizon after an impressive showing at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
For the first time this season, the young German managed to out-qualify experienced team-mate Kevin Magnussen as neither Haas car managed to make it into the third and final qualifying session.
The 23-year-old’s race was a highly entertaining one. On lap three, he had to take avoiding action as he somehow escaped contact with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz after the Spaniard spun across the track and into the gravel.
He then narrowly missed Yuki Tsunoda under the Safety Car caused by a crash for his good friend Sebastian Vettel after a misunderstanding as the drivers attempted to retain as much heat as they could in the tyres by accelerating and braking on the straight, before getting involved in some exciting battles. Read more
Monte Carlo Masters: Stefanos Tsitsipas defeats Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to defend title (Sky)
Stefanos Tsitsipas successfully defended his Monte Carlo Masters title with a straight-sets victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Sunday.
Tsitsipas missed an opportunity to serve out for the match in the second set but regrouped to take a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) victory in a little over 90 minutes, with the win set to move him up to second in the ATP Race to Turin.
“I am very proud of myself,” the 23-year-old said on the ATP website.
“Things weren’t going well at one point, but I managed to stay composed to finish the match off. I am really proud of the belief I put in my game. Sometimes you doubt yourself, but it is always important to keep your head high.” Read more