Fubara’s removal unconstitutional – NBA (DailyTrust)
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency and removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
In a statement on Tuesday, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN) said the President does not have the constitutional power to remove an elected governor under a state of emergency.
“Any such action is an unconstitutional encroachment on democratic governance and the autonomy of state governments,” he said. Read more
‘Political Manipulation’, Atiku faults Tinubu over Rivers Emergency Rule (Channels)
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state, describing it as an assault on democracy that must be condemned in the strongest terms.
The former vice president, who reacted on his verified Facebook page, noted that the declaration is a political manipulation, carried out in bad faith.
According to him, President Bola Tinubu cannot evade responsibility for the chaos his administration has he either enabled or failed to prevent it in Rivers State. Read more
Tinubu appoints ex-naval chief, Ibokette Ibas, as Rivers administrator (Guardian)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (retd) as Administrator for Rivers State, following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs. Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the state’s House of Assembly.
Tinubu made this appointment during a nationwide broadcast on Tuesday amid the political and insecurity crisis in Rivers State.
The Guardian reports that Ibas was the 22nd Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of Nigeria. Read more
Fubara, Amaewhule gone with Tinubu’s emergency declaration (Nation)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wielded the big stick to restore order yesterday in beleaguered Rivers State.
Swept away by the declaration of a state of emergency are the major actors in the intractable crisis – Governor Amaopusenibo Siminalayi Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Nma Odu and the House of Assembly members led by Speaker Martins Chike Amaewhule.
They were suspended “for an initial period of six months”. Read more
Emergency rule: Soldiers, tanks move into Rivers Govt House (Punch)
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday evening declared a state of emergency in Rivers State in a nationwide broadcast.
Citing the need to restore law and order, Tinubu announced the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State for an initial six months.
Tinubu announced the nomination of retired Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas as the Rivers State administrator to steer the affairs of the state. Read more
Fubara’s whereabouts unknown as aides move out of Govt House (NewTelegraph)
The whereabouts of Rivers State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara are currently unknown after President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency for the state.
New Telegraph had earlier reported that Pesent Tinubu also suspended the executive and legislature for six months and appointed Admiral Ibak Ete-Ibas rtd as sole administrator.
Fubara was said to be attending to some visitors in his official residence at Government House, Port Harcourt watching the President’s broadcast. Read more
South-South leaders, PANDEF flay emergency rule in Rivers (Vanguard)
Several South-South leaders and stakeholders criticized President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the blunder of pliably supporting the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the state’s citizens
Ill-advised decision — Nwoko, ex-Akwa-Ibom AG
One-time Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN, told Vanguard that the decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State is ill-advised.
“The president’s action is not well thought out. The situation in Rivers State has not met any of the conditions prescribed by the constitution for the declaration of a state of emergency by the president. It falls short of it. Read more
FG to detain uncertified animals, establish border posts (Leadership)
The federal government has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding public health and Nigeria’s livestock industry by enforcing stricter regulations on animal imports.
The minister of livestock development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, stated that any animal entering the country without proper health certification would be detained.
He made this declaration while receiving a delegation from the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) in Abuja. Read more
Trump, Putin discuss US-Russia hockey series during call, Kremlin says (CBC)
US President Donald Trump and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed staging a series of hockey games between players from their respective countries during their lengthy call Tuesday, according to the Kremlin.
Moscow said in its recap of the call that Trump supported Putin’s idea to organize games in the U.S. and Russia involving players from the NHL and the KHL, and agreed to remain in contact on all issues raised on the call, which was scheduled to discuss the war in Ukraine. The White House’s report of the call did not mention talks involving hockey, and the NHL learned of the idea after it was over.
“We have just become aware of the conversation between President Trump and President Putin,” the NHL said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “Obviously, we were not a party to those discussions, and it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.” Read more
Army airstrike on a market kills 18 in Mali (AfricaNews)
A separatist group in Mali said an airstrike on a market in the country’s north has killed at least 18 people. Mali’s army said its attack targeted armed militants.
The Collective for the Defense of the Rights of the Azawad People, part of a Tuareg separatist coalition, said the attack occurred 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of Lerneb in the Timbuktu region.
Seven people were also injured in Sunday’s strike, the group said in a statement late Monday, denouncing a “barbaric act from another age.” Read more
Astronauts Butch and Suni finally back on Earth (BBC)
Watch: Astronauts return to Earth after extended stay in Space
After nine months in space, Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finally arrived back on Earth.
Their SpaceX capsule made a fast and fiery re-entry through the Earth’s atmosphere, before four parachutes opened to take them to a gentle splashdown off the coast of Florida.
A pod of dolphins circled the craft.
After a recovery ship lifted it out of the water, the astronauts beamed and waved as they were helped out of the hatch, along with fellow crew members astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Read more
Congolese, Rwandan leaders meet in Qatar, call for ceasefire in eastern DRC (AlJazeera)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame have held direct talks for the first time since Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in eastern DRC.
In a joint statement issued with Qatar, whose emir mediated the talks in Doha, the countries called for an “immediate ceasefire” in eastern DRC.
“The Heads of State then agreed on the need to continue the discussions initiated in Doha in order to establish solid foundations for lasting peace,” the statement said. Read more
Judge officially sets schedule for Diddy’s trial (AllHipHop)
Sean “Diddy” Combs is now officially on the clock. A federal judge in New York has set key dates for his racketeering and sex trafficking trial, marking a significant step toward what could be one of the most high-profile legal battles in recent memory.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian issued an order finalizing the timeline, with jury selection beginning on April 28, 2025, and opening statements scheduled for May 12, 2025.
The ruling ensures that Diddy, who remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, will stand trial after months of legal maneuvering and unsuccessful attempts to secure release. Read more
Dropkick Murphys suspended from X after insulting Donald Trump and Elon Musk (Farout)
Dropkick Murphys have been suspended from social media platform X after insulting President Donald Trump and his right-hand man, Elon Musk, at a series of concerts and during a recent interview.
The Celtic-punk group’s lead singer, Ken Casey, has been an open and vocal critic of Trump for many years since the former host of The Apprentice ventured into politics. Casey often uses his live shows as a vehicle to express his opinion on the Republican politician, as well as Musk, who also owns X.
In a new conversation with MeidasTouch, Casey shared of the band’s political values: “One other thing Dropkick Murphys has always been about is a lot of songs about standing with your friends and family and the things you believe in, whether it’s politics, or just how you were raised. And Donald Trump is the exact opposite of everything we sing about.” Read more
Full house in Kigali ahead of Chelle’s first test as Eagles’ gaffer (Guardian)
Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle was all smiles, yesterday, following the arrival of the last set of players for Friday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against the Amavubi of Rwanda.
Nigeria needs to win this game to rekindle hope of returning to the World Cup after missing the last edition in Qatar in 2022. This is Chelle’s first test since he was appointed Super Eagles coach three months ago.
On Monday, the Malian trained with just six players, but yesterday he had the full complement of the players he invited for the game to work with. Simon Moses, Victor Boniface, Raphael Onyedika, Jordan Torunarigha, Stanley Nwabali, Samuel Chukwueze, Bright Osayi and Igoh Ogbu arrived in Kigali on Monday night, while team captain, William Ekong, Wilfred Ndidi, Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Joseph Aribo, Igoh Ogbu, and Ola Aina breezed in before midday yesterday. Read more
Aruna tops Assar to claim Africa’s top ranking spot (DailyTrust)
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has risen to become Africa’s highest-ranked table tennis player, surpassing Egypt’s Omar Assar in the latest Week 12 world rankings released yesterday. Aruna now sits at 18th globally, marking a significant milestone in his career.
Despite finishing as the runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Aruna’s consistent performances in World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments this year have earned him the top spot in Africa. His achievements include reaching the semifinals of the WTT Contender Doha for the second consecutive year, a feat that has solidified his position as the continent’s leading player.
In the latest rankings, Aruna climbed from 19th to 18th, while Assar, the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup champion, dropped from 17th to 19th. Denmark’s Jonathan Groth took over the 17th position, moving up from 18th. Read more
Motorsport: Ondo Rally to attract 100 racers (Leadership)
Over 100 participants are expected to converge at the tracks adjacent to the renowned Smokin’ Hills Golf Course for the 2025 Ondo Auto Rally scheduled for April 19 on the racing tracks of Ilara-Mokin, Ondo state.
Organisers said the rally, in its eight edition, would showcase speed, skill and innovation while also featuring off-road challenges on rugged terrain, high-speed bike races with daring riders, and the X-Kart series which has become a hallmark of motorsport in Nigeria.
Adeoye Ojuoko, The President of Work and Play Promotions, organiser of the rally, said: “This edition will attract racers, bikers, and automotive enthusiasts from across Nigeria.” Read more
New Zealand thrash Pakistan again to go 2-0 up in T20 cricket series (AlJazeera)
New Zealand’s openers went on a six-hitting blitz to thrash Pakistan by five wickets and go 2-0 up in their Twenty20 cricket series.
The home side reached 137-5 with 11 balls to spare in Dunedin on Tuesday to take control of the five-match series after Pakistan posted 135-9 off 15 overs in a rain-reduced second match.
New Zealand’s highlight was a ferocious opening stand between Tim Seifert and Finn Allen in which seven of the first eight scoring shots were sixes. Read more
Trump sets up Murphy quarter-final at Players Championship (BBC)
World number one Judd Trump beat China’s Lei Peifan to set up a quarter-final against Shaun Murphy at the Players Championship.
England’s Trump produced a clinical display on the show table in Telford to win 6-2, with the turning point coming in the sixth frame when Lei missed what appeared to be an easy shot to level 3-3.Trump then took full advantage as he won the next three frames to progress, with a top break of 139. Read more