Gunmen kidnap girl in Ondo, demand N10m ransom (Guardian)
A 19-year-old girl, Adetutu Okinbaloye, has been abducted by gunmen suspected of being kidnappers in Ondo State.
Adetutu was kidnapped from her residence in the Imoru community, Ose Local Council of the state.
It was gathered that the abductors, seven in number, had stormed the residence of the victim, where she lives with her aunt, before whisking her away.
The victim’s aunt was said to have been macheted by the kidnappers while pleading with them not to take her niece away.
According to sources in the community, the abductors made contact with the family and demanded N10 million as ransom. Read more
Davido breaks silence, announces new album, “Timeless” (DailyTrust)
The Nigerian megastar, Davido has teased fans about his new album, “Timeless.”
The singer who had been away from social media for a while after the death of his three-year-old son posted in a tweet, “There is a time for everything. A time to grieve and a time to heal. A time to laugh and a time to dance. A time to speak & a time for silence.”
In the video posted on his verified Twitter account, Davido is seen scribbling down words on a note and then show flashbacks of his performances from when he was younger, he is also seen running in the forest.
Davido added, “Thank you to everyone out there for your love and that has held me down. Read more
Grandmother sets son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren ablaze in Ondo (Guardian)
For residents of Aponmu in Akure South Local Council of Ondo, it was like a scene in a Nollywood movie when an elderly woman in the community set her son, daughter-in-law, and her two grandchildren ablaze.
The grandmother, identified as Iforiti, who used to live with her deceased son, Victor, set the family of four ablaze yesterday at midnight.
The suspect allegedly committed the crime while the family was fast asleep when she poured petrol into their room, after which she used a matchstick to ignite it. Read more
APC Professionals’ Council hails Sanwo-Olu on election victory (Independent)
The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professionals’ Council has congratulated the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on his re-election for another term in office for four years.
The council, in a congratulatory message to the governor on Monday, signed by the Director General, Seyi Bamigbade, noted that Governor Sanwo-Olu ran on competence and track records.
Bamigbade said Sanwo-Olu’s emergence as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state after polling 762,134 votes to beat his closest rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, who polled 312, 327 votes, was not a fluke. Read more
6 drug traffickers bag 156 years jail term in Lagos, Ogun (Vanguard)
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and Ogun state has sentenced six drug traffickers to a total of One Hundred and Fifty Six (156) years imprisonment for offences bordering on drug dealing, transportation, and conspiracy to transport illicit substances filed against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
Worse hit is a 27-year-old drug dealer, Ahmed Abdulsabur who was arrested in 2022 by NDLEA operatives and prosecuted in charge number FHC/AB/20C/2022 at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, presided over by Hon. Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik.
Delivering her judgment on the six counts charge brought against Ahmed, Justice Abdulmalik convicted and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment on each count, bringing the total number of his in jail term to 60. Read more
Anambra will partner you for developments, Soludo tells Tinubu (Nation)
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has congratulated President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress APC for being victorious during the last presidential election in the country.
While congratulating the APC winner Tuesday in his statement in Awka, Soludo advised his opponents who lost the election to approach the Court, if they feel aggrieved.
But he pledged to partner with Tinubu for more developments in Anambra State, adding that Nigeria needed healing and restructuring. Read more
Taraba: NNPP rejects governorship poll results, heads to court (DailyTrust)
New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Governorship Candidate, Professor Sani Muhammed Yahaya, has rejected Taraba governorship election results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Professor Yahaya, while reacting to the election results during a press conference in Jalingo on Wednesday, said the results were not what was actually recorded in the field.
He said he won the election but the results were manipulated, adding that people of the state knew that it was the NNPP that actually won the election. Read more
It’s my turn to be next Senate president, says Uzor Kalu (Leadership)
Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared that it was his turn to be next Senate President, insisting that he was the most qualified candidate to emerge as the chairman of the 10th National Assembly.
According to Kalu, his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) should zone the office of the Senate president to Abia State and micro-zone same to his village.
“I will not be comfortable with a Muslim Senate President, the answer is no, I will not be comfortable with a Muslim Senate President because this is a secular state.
“In a secular state, we need to accommodate interests and spread to be able to maintain the secularity of our country. Read more
Star Trek star voted one of world’s sexiest women is unrecognisable after shunning fame (DailyStar)
Jolene Blalock was in high demand in the early part of the millennium, with her modelling and acting career in its ascendency.
The American actress captured headlines and catapulted herself into fame with her portrayal of first officer T’Pol in Star Trek: Enterprise.
Her modelling career, which started at the age of 17, meanwhile saw her featured twice in Maxim ’s “Girls of Maxim” gallery, and in 2003, she was named the 10th sexiest woman in the world by the men’s lifestyle magazine FHM (For Him Magazine). Read more
Somalia faces 135 deaths per day during drought (MEMO)
A record drought sweeping the Horn of Africa may lead to 135 deaths per day in Somalia from January to June, a study by the Somali health ministry, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed yesterday. The study projected a total of 18,100 to 34,200 deaths from drought in Somalia “during the first six months of 2023.”
It added that, “An estimated 43,000 excess deaths may have occurred in 2022 in Somalia due to the deepening drought… higher than the first year of the 2017–2018 drought crisis.”
The WHO representative in Somalia, Mamunur Rahman Malik, told the media that his organisation is racing against time to prevent deaths that are avoidable and save lives. “The cost of our inaction will mean that children, women and other vulnerable people will pay with their lives while we hopelessly, helplessly, witness the tragedy unfold,” he warned. Read more
The Weeknd is ‘Statistically the Most Popular Musician on the Planet,’ According to Guinness World Records (Complex)
The Weeknd, certainly no stranger to breaking records, has now been determined to be “statistically the most popular musician on the planet.”
That’s the word straight from the folks at Guinness World Records, which announced two new titles held by the singer on Monday. Specifically, he’s now added the distinctions of having the most monthly listeners on Spotify (at 111.4 million as of Monday) and being the first artist to ever hit 100 million monthly listeners on the platform.
Second in such stats is Miley Cyrus at 82.4 million. Cyrus—whose Endless Summer Vacation album arrived this month—is followed by Shakira at 81.6 million monthly listeners, Ariana Grande at 80.6 million, Taylor Swift at 80.2 million, Rihanna at 78.5 million, and Ed Sheeran at 77.5 million. Read more
Bruce Springsteen to receive The National Medal of Arts from President Joe Biden (Loundersound)
Bruce Springsteen is to be awarded The National Medal of Arts by US President Joe Biden, during a ceremony at the White House today (March 21). The medals are given annually to those considered to have most enriched the US’s cultural legacy.
“We are a better nation because of their contributions,” says National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chair Maria Rosario Jackson. “Their work helps us see the world in different ways. It inspires us to reach our full potential and recognise our common humanity. I join the President in congratulating and thanking them.”
The statement from the NEA describes Springsteen as “One of our greatest performers and storytellers,” before going on to say, “Bruce Springsteen’s music celebrates our triumphs, heals our wounds, and gives us hope, capturing the unyielding spirit of what it means to be American.” Read more
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits Ukraine for talks with Zelenskyy (FOX)
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was heading to Kyiv early Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that coincide with the Chinese leader’s visit to Moscow.
Kishida will “show respect to the courage and patience of the Ukrainian people who are standing up to defend their homeland under President Zelenskyy’s leadership, and show solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine as head of Japan and chairman of G-7,” during his visit to Ukraine, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in announcing his trip to Kyiv.
At the talks, Kishida will show his “absolute rejection to Russia’s one-sided change to the status quo by invasion and force, and to affirm his commitment to defend the rules-based international order,” the ministry’s statement said. Read more
Biden signs bill on COVID origins declassification (VOA)
President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill Monday that directs the federal government to declassify as much intelligence as possible about the origins of COVID-19 more than three years after the start of the pandemic.
The legislation, which passed both the House and Senate without dissent, directs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to declassify intelligence related to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. It cites “potential links” between the research that was done there and the outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic March 11, 2020. The law allows for redactions to protect sensitive sources and methods.
U.S. intelligence agencies are divided over whether a lab leak or a spillover from animals is the likely source of the deadly virus. Read more
Watch Underworld debut new songs at first show of 2023 (NME)
Underworld debuted four new songs during their first show of the year last Sunday (March 19) – check out fan-shot footage and the setlist below.
The electronic duo – comprising Karl Hyde and Rick Smith – performed a 15-track set at the 1,600-capacity venue The Marble Factory in Bristol.
Per Setlist.FM, the group opened with an as-yet-unreleased number called ‘Gene Pool’ before playing three more unheard songs throughout the gig: ‘Strawberry Hotel’, ‘Denver Luna’ and ‘And The Colour Red’. Read more
Okocha urges Osimhen to play for EPL (Punch)
Former Super Eagles player, Austin “Jay Jay” Okocha has urged Napoli player, Victor Osimhen, to switch to the English Premier League this summer.
Premier League clubs, Chelsea and Manchester United are currently eyeing the Napoli player to their side from Serie A.
Osimhen had also unveiled his interest to play in the English Premier League.
Speaking with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Okocha said playing in the Premier League would be ideal for Osimhen. Read more
Kylian Mbappe named as the new captain of France (DailyMail)
Kylian Mbappe has been named as Hugo Lloris’ replacement as captain of the French national team.
Antoine Griezmann will be the vice-captain, despite reports on Tuesday suggesting he was questioning his international future after being snubbed for the captaincy.
Mbappe – the top scorer at last year’s World Cup, where France finished as runners-up to Argentina – is set to lead the side during the country’s upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Holland and Ireland. Read more
Fulham’s Mitrovic, Silva charged over Manchester United FA Cup incidents (ESPN)
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is facing a lengthy ban after the Football Association said the standard punishment for his dismissal during their 3-1 FA Cup quarter final defeat by Manchester United would be “clearly insufficient”.
Fulham coach Marco Silva was also charged by the FA on Monday.
During the second half of Sunday’s tie, a confrontation broke out after Fulham’s Willian was red-carded for handling the ball in the box following a VAR review. Read more
Roy Hodgson is set to become Crystal Palace manager again (DailyMail)
Roy Hodgson is set to step out of retirement for a second time to become Crystal Palace head coach until the end of the season.
The 75-year-old is ready to accept the task of guiding the south London club to Premier League safety following the dismissal of Patrick Vieira – the man who replaced him in the Selhurst Park hotseat in 2021 – last week.
It is understood Hodgson has agreed a deal until the end of the season. As it stands the expected appointment is on a short-term basis, with the club looking to have a long-term successor to Vieira in situ for the start of pre-season. Read more
Navratilova ‘‘’cancer free’’ after fearing she would not see next Christmas (RTE)
Martina Navratilova has revealed she is now “cancer free” after her diagnosis had left her fearing she “may not see next Christmas”.
The former world number one announced in January she had been diagnosed with throat and breast cancers.
The 66-year-old is due to undergo further preventative radiation treatment, but revealed in an interview with Piers Morgan on Talk TV she should then “be good to go”. Read more
‘‘Uniquely’’ talented amateur GB boxer dies aged 19 (BBC)
A “uniquely” talented amateur boxer from Bristol has died at the age of 19.
Jude Moore, who trained at Downend Boxing in Fishponds, was found dead on Friday, his family confirmed.
Shortly before his death, Jude won his first senior fight by knocking out the Polish national champion and was due to compete in Milan this week.
Boxing trainer Craig Turner said he was “immaculate” and “by far the best boxing talent that emerged” from Bristol for his age. Read more