Gunmen abduct 9 surveyors in Ondo, demand N100m ransom (Guardian)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have again kidnapped no fewer than nine surveyors in Ondo State.
The surveyors were abducted by armed gunmen who were lurking in the bush while on site at Ilu-Abo axis in Akure North Local Council Area of the state.
According to the source, the kidnappers made contacts with some families of the victims and demanded N100 million for their release but were later reduced to N50 million after a series of pleas. Read more
IGP bans parade of suspects (DailyTrust)
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Tuesday ordered ban on parading of suspected criminals before the media by police operatives across the country.
Egbetokun explained that the decision was taken in order to uphold the fundamental human rights of every citizen and adhere to global best practices in policing.
The top cop, who spoke through the Force spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stressed that the standing directive prohibiting the public parade of criminal suspects before formal charges are filed in a court of law remains. Read more
Nigeria’s anti-graft commission recovers nearly $500m in a year (AfricaNews)
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it recovered nearly $500 million in proceeds of crime last year.
The recovery effort is part of the agency’s anti-graft campaign launched by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
It also seized over 931,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products, 975 properties, and company shares. Read more
‘Fluctuating petrol prices threatening our businesses,’ Oil Marketers Lament (Channels)
Oil marketers have cried out about the negative impacts of unstable prices of Premium Motor Spirit or petrol in the country on their businesses.
President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy Gilly-Harris raised concern during Channels Television’s Business Morning on Tuesday.
According to him, fluctuating petrol prices in the last few weeks are constituting potential threats to the survival of businesses of its members. Read more
Seek alternative ways to resettle FCT indigenous people, Reps tell government (Nation)
The House of Representatives on Tuesday asked the Federal Capital Territory Administration to seek alternative ways of resettling or integrating indigenous and others persons residing within the Federal Capital Territory.
Adopting a motion on notice sponsored by Gaza Jonathan Gwefwi (SDP, Nasarawa) the House ask the FCT Administration to formulate policies to guide the resettlement practices within the FCT.
Gbwefi recalled the initial misconception regarding the Federal Capital Territory as a no man’s land and Decree 3 of 1976, which created the Federal Capital Territory and provided for the resettlement of persons within the territory. Read more
Aviation workers kick as Customs, FAAN security clash (Punch)
Aviation workers have issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to remove the Area Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service at the Pilgrims and Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over an assault on the Director of Security at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Igbafe Afegbai.
The workers also called on President Bola Tinubu to redeploy all Customs officers involved in assaulting the FAAN director.
A letter obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday showed that the ultimatum started counting from March 7, 2025. It will elapse on March 21. Read more
2027: No time to waste, Adebayo welcomes El-Rufai to SDP (Vanguard)
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2023, Adewole Adebayo, has welcomed former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to the party.
Taking to X on Monday, Adebayo expressed his excitement, stating that El-Rufai’s entry strengthens the party’s mission to rescue Nigeria from years of poor governance and economic decline.
“On behalf of the teeming members of the @TheSDPNg and patriotic democrats who believe in Nigeria and her promise of inevitable greatness, I heartily welcome my dear brother @elrufai to our party.
“With the hardworking and sagacious Mallam joining our ranks, an avid worker for the people has been enlisted in our forces against poverty and insecurity,” Adebayo wrote. Read more
CBN ordered by Reps to suspend hike on ATM charges (Sun)
The House of Representatives has passed a resolution for the suspension of the increment in Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction charges and the stoppage of free ATM withdrawals for customers from other banks in Nigeria.
The decision was taken on Tuesday after the motion was moved by a member, Marcus Onobun, who informed the House about the circular released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The CBN had, on February 10, 2025, disclosed that customers using the ATMs of banks other than theirs would attract charges. Read more
Holly Willoughby quits ITV series with co-host Stephen Mulhern (DigitalSpy)
Holly Willoughby is departing her role of co-presenter of the ITV series You Bet! after its first series.
The Dancing On Ice star teamed up with Stephen Mulhern to host two episodes of the rebooted series when it premiered on ITV in December last year. The show is set to return for more episodes, but will be hosted solo by Stephen when it returns later in 2025.
An ITV spokesperson confirmed to Metro in a statement: “Unfortunately Holly couldn’t commit to the dates to host, but will hopefully appear as a guest panellist on one of the shows in the new series.” Read more
Ukraine to present peace plan in talks with US (VOA)
US and Ukrainian officials began talks Tuesday in Saudi Arabia with the Ukrainian side expected to present a partial ceasefire plan with Russia.
The Ukrainian plan includes halting long-range missiles strikes and a truce covering the Black Sea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not take part in Tuesday’s meetings, with Ukraine represented by his chief of staff Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and military commander Pavlo Palisa. Read more
The biggest animated film ever is coming to UK cinemas soon (NME)
Ne Zha 2, the biggest animated film of all time, is set to get a UK cinema release.
The Chinese film was released in its homeland in January, and has broken a slew of records since, notably becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever after surpassing last year’s Inside Out 2.
Ne Zha 2 is also now the highest-grossing film of all time in China and the biggest in a single market, the first non-English language film to gross $1billion (£700 million), as well as the highest-grossing non-English language film ever. It also currently stands as the sixth highest-grossing film in history. Read more
Ben Affleck jokes ‘‘Tom Cruise has nothing on me’’ thanks to ‘‘The Accountant 2’’ line-dancing scene (GoldDerby)
Good friends and Oscar winners Matt Damon and Ben Affleck hit Austin, Texas, on Saturday night to celebrate the SXSW Film and Television premiere of The Accountant 2. The long-time collaborators produced the new Amazon MGM Studios sequel under their Artists Equity banner.
“I don’t have very many — none of us really have very many friends. You don’t need a million friends. You need a few good ones. And I’m really lucky to have had a friend in Matt,” Affleck told People on the red carpet before the premiere. “I’m lucky to have friends like that in my life.”
The bearded Damon didn’t speak to reporters on the red carpet. He arrived in Austin from the set of Christopher Nolan’s new film The Odyessy, in which he stars as “Odysseus”. The follow-up to Nolan’s Oscar-winning blockbuster Oppenheimer is an adaptation of the Homer classic. It features an all-star cast that includes Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, and “The Accountant 2” co-star Jon Bernthal. Read more
Ian McKellen encourages actors to come out as LGBTQ+ (FarOut)
Hollywood stalwart and staunch LGBTQ+ activist Ian McKellen has encouraged any actor who may still be guarding their sexual or gender identity to come out, as he claimed, “being in the closet is silly”.
The veteran actor was speaking to The Times ahead of his new production of Edward II about the prevalence of LGBTQ+ voices and communities in the film industry, saying: “I have never met anybody who came out who regretted it. I feel sorry for any famous person who feels they can’t come out. Being in the closet is silly — there’s no need for it.”
Appealing particularly to young actors who he feared could be receiving poor guidance on the matter, McKellen insisted: “Don’t listen to your advisers, listen to your heart. Listen to your gay friends who know better. Come out. Get into the sunshine.” Read more
Donald Trump hits back after Canadian Premier slaps major tax increase on electricity for Americans (Unilad)
Donald Trump has announced the US will retaliate after the Canadian Premier established a major tax increase on electricity for neighbouring American states.
The trade war between the US and Canada is raging on, as President Donald Trump wasted no time in signing off on ‘catastrophic’ tariffs to its neighboring trading partners almost immediately after being sworn into office for his second term in January.
Trump accused Canada, Mexico, and China of failing to stop a ‘flow of illicit drugs’ crossing US borders and cited immigration and trade deficits among his justification for the tax hikes. Read more
Syrian leader Sharaa calls for peace as over 1,000, mostly civilians, killed in clashes (TimesOfIsrael)
Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa called for peace on Sunday after hundreds were killed in some of the deadliest violence in 13 years of civil war, pitting loyalists of deposed president Bashar al-Assad against the country’s new Islamist rulers.
The clashes, which a war monitoring group said had already killed 1,000 people, mostly civilians from Assad’s Alawite sect, continued for a fourth day in Assad’s coastal heartland.
A Syrian security source said the pace of fighting had slowed around the cities of Latakia, Jabla and Baniyas, while forces searched surrounding mountainous areas where an estimated 5,000 pro-Assad insurgents were hiding. Read more
2026 WCQ: Chelle unveils 23-man squad for Rwanda, Zimbabwe games (CompleteSports)
Super Eagles’ head coach Éric Sékou Chelle has named goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Kayode Bankole, defenders William Ekong, Calvin Bassey and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen and Simon Moses in his final list of 23 players for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Also in the final list are defenders Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielders Raphael Onyedika and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and forwards Samuel Chukwueze and Sadiq Umar.
Czech Republic-based defender Igoh Ogbu makes the final cut, alongside home-based midfielder Papa Daniel Mustapha, and Belgium-based forward Tolu Arokodare. Read more
Musa: Missing World Cup will be a disaster (Nation)
Nigeria’s most capped international Ahmed Musa said it would be a big disaster should the Super Eagles miss qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup but remains upbeat ahead of the March 21 showdown against Rwanda in Kigali.
The Super Eagles are living dangerously in their bid for a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after they slipped to fifth position with three points from their opening four matches.
Incidentally, the Amavubi are leading the Group C section with seven points –the same as South Africa and Benin- while the Brave Warriors of Zimbabwe who meets the Super Eagles in Uyo on Matchday 6 are in fourth position with four points. Lesotho occupies the sixth position on the table. Read more
Golf legend issues stark warning to Tiger Woods ahead of The Masters (DailyMail)
Gary Player has warned Tiger Woods that he might struggle to walk around Augusta National – let compete to win The Masters.
Woods is a five-time champion at Augusta, winning most recently in 2019 when he secured a remarkable victory – and a 15th major crown – at the age of 43.
That earned him a five-year exemption to the Players Championship, considered the PGA Tour’s flagship event and golf’s ‘fifth major’. Read more
Liverpool: Cody Gakpo returns to training ahead of PSG showdown in Champions League (Standard)
Cody Gakpo has trained with the Liverpool squad ahead of the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool players were put through their paces at the club’s AXA Training Centre on Monday afternoon in a session open to the media in preparation for the second leg at home to PSG.
Gakpo missed games against Wolves and Aston Villa but made a brief return to action with substitute appearances in wins over Manchester City and Newcastle.
However, he did not train in the build-up to the first leg against PSG and was subsequently absent from the matchday squad at the Parc des Princes. Read more
Nottingham Forest ordered to delete extraordinary post that followed Everton defeat as £750k fine appeal lost (LiverpoolEcho)
Nottingham Forest have been ordered to remove a viral social media post that slammed decisions made in the club’s defeat to Everton last season. Forest had penalty appeals waved away as they lost what, in April of last year, was a crucial relegation battle between two teams who had been hit with points deductions for breaching Premier League spending rules.
Minutes after the final whistle, Forest’s official account on X, formerly Twitter, slammed the penalty decisions and drew reference to the fact the Video Assistant Referee had been Stuart Attwell, a supporter of Luton Town, another club in the relegation battle. Read more
India clashes injure 4 in cricket win celebrations (GulfToday)
At least four people were injured in the central Indian town of Dr Ambedkar Nagar on Sunday night in clashes that erupted when revellers celebrating India’s Champions Trophy win lit firecrackers outside a mosque, officials said.
India won the Champions Trophy title on Sunday evening after beating New Zealand by four wickets in the final in Dubai, claiming its second successive global title.
The clashes in Dr Ambedkar Nagar, earlier known as Mhow, involved stone pelting from both sides, officials said, and several cars, shops, and bikes were also vandalised and torched. Read more