Hypertensive man dies as hoodlums invade Lagos home (Punch)
A hypertensive patient, Simon Maduekwe, has died from the shock he suffered when suspected political thugs invaded his residence on Fatomi Crescent, Off Bajulaiye Compound, Shomolu, Lagos State, in a bid to catch a yet-to-be-identified man using his mobile phone to capture their violent actions at one of the polling units in the area.
PUNCH Metro gathered that during the governorship and state House of Assembly elections, residents including Maduekwe visited the polling unit to vote for their preferred candidate.
As voting was ongoing, it was learnt that some suspected political thugs started creating tension and warned the voters against voting for another candidate other than their preferred candidate. Read more
Police investigate murder of ex-Ogun PS, wife (Guardian)
Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed investigation into the murder of a former permanent secretary in Ogun State, Adefemi Egbeoluwa, and his wife, Oluwafunmilayo, in Lagos.
The Guardian gathered that the couple were at home with their domestic worker on March 18, 2023, the day of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections, when yet-to-be-identified persons invaded the premises and killed the couple.
It was alleged that the attackers, after killing the couple, inflicted the domestic worker with injury and fled the scene. Some neighbours of the former permanent secretary were said to have stormed his residence after the incident and rushed the domestic worker to the hospital, where she had been placed on admission. Read more
Lagos bus-train accident report ready soon, says FG (Punch)
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has agreed to deepen its relationships with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Railway Corporation through a Memorandum of Understanding on ways of enhancing safety in the rail and road sector.
The agency also said the report of the Lagos bus-train crash would be ready very soon.
The development came barely three weeks after a train crashed with a Lagos State Government staff bus in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. Read more
Lagos to integrate LASUTH, 28 General Hospitals on e-procurement platform (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Government says it will integrate the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and 28 General Hospitals on the e-procurement platform.
The Director-General, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency (PPA), Mr Fatai Onafowote, made this known on Wednesday in Magodo, during a three-day Year 2023 Annual Public Procurement Clinic, organised by PPA.
Onafowote said that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has granted the agency approval for the integration of all the 28 General Hospitals, LASUTH and four other MDAs on the e-procurement platform. Read more
LP’s Alex Otti declared Abia Governor-elect (Nation)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Alex Otti, winner of the March 18 governorship election in Abia.
Otti scored 175,467, Ahiwe polled 88,529 while Nwafor got 28,972.
The LP candidate also won 10 of the 17 local government areas in the state, PDP got six while the YPP got one. Read more
Sultan declares today 1st day of Ramadan (Leadership)
The Sultan of Sokoto and president-general of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) yesterday declared the commencement of Ramadan, saying the crescent for the commencement of the fasting period has been sighted.
Sultan, in a broadcast on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) last night, directed Muslims in Nigeria to commence fasting today, March 23.
The announcement followed the sighting of the moon in different parts of the country as confirmed by the National Moon Sighting Committee. Read more
Group reconstructs classrooms, provides learning kits for inmates (Guardian)
A Non-profit organisation, Inmates Educational Foundation (IEF) has reconstructed classrooms and provided 100-seater chairs and tables for inmates at Ife Correctional Centre, Osun State.
The organisation also provided 250 notebooks and other instructional materials needed at the facility. IEF is an organisation concerned with the rehabilitation, reformation and liberation of inmates in all correctional centres across the nation through quality education.
Speaking during the presentation, Director of IEF, Alabidun Mahfuz, said: “Research on prison education indicates that seven out of 10 inmates in the nation’s correctional centres do not have access to education or are drop-outs, hence the need to fill the vacuum for a better society we all desire.” Read more
US raises interest rates despite banking turmoil (BBC)
The US central bank has raised interest rates again, despite fears that the move could add to financial turmoil after a string of bank failures.
The Federal Reserve increased its key rate by 0.25 percentage points, calling the banking system “sound and resilient”.
But it also warned that fallout from the bank failures may hurt economic growth in the months ahead.
The Fed has been raising borrowing costs in a bid to stabilise prices. Read more
Harry’s drug use ‘could threaten his US visa’, lawyer warns (Metro)
Prince Harry’s US visa could be revoked after he admitted using drugs when he was younger, a legal expert has warned.
The Duke of Sussex revealed he had done cocaine, smoked marijuana and experimented with magic mushrooms and ayahuasca in his autobiography Spare.
It has now prompted former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani to warn such a confession could jeapordise Harry’s family life in California. Read more
Steven Knight to write new Star Wars movie after Damon Lindelof, Justin Britt-Gibson exit (Variety)
“Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight is set to write the screenplay for the untitled Star Wars movie that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Ms. Marvel) is attached to direct, as original screenwriters Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson have departed the project, Variety has confirmed.
The movie is widely expected to be among Lucasfilm’s first Star Wars films since 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. More information about the movie, including a possible title, is expected to be announced at the Star Wars Celebration in London in April. (A representative for Lucasfilm did not respond to a request for comment.)
Knight is a veteran screenwriter who launched his career specializing in gritty crime dramas like 2002’s Dirty Pretty Things and 2007’s Eastern Promises, eventually branching out to lighthearted dramedies (2014’s The Hundred-Foot Journey), war thrillers (2016’s Allied), and biopics (2021’s Spencer). He also created and executive produced the BBC period crime drama Peaky Blinders, which streams on Netflix in the US. Read more
Gordon T. Dawson, Peckinpah Protégé and Walker, Texas Ranger writer and producer, dies at 84 (THR)
Gordon T. Dawson, who parlayed a stint as a costumer for Sam Peckinpah into a career as a writer and producer with credits including The Ballad of Cable Hogue, The Rockford Files, Bret Maverick and Walker, Texas Ranger, has died. He was 84.
Dawson died March 6 in West Hills Hospital of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his family announced.
A former firefighter, Dawson spent three months in a Columbia Pictures basement using a blowtorch, paraffin and glue to age the principal soldier uniforms for the Peckinpah-directed Major Dundee (1965). When the extras’ costumes did not match the ones Dawson had prepared, Peckinpah shut down production on the first day of shooting. Read more
Future, Missy Elliot and more to appear on Chloe Bailey’s ‘‘In Pieces’’ album (HipHopDX)
Chloe Bailey has unveiled the tracklist for her forthcoming album, In Pieces, due later this month, which includes features from a few industry heavyweights.
The 14-track album will drop on Friday (March 31) and Future and Missy Elliot are just a few of the heavy hitters that will make an appearance on the project. The album will also feature her highly controversial track with Chris Brown, titled “How Does It Feel.”
Last week, Chloe revealed her album cover, which shows a sleek, refined portrait of her holding what appears to be a heart. Then, today, Monday (March 20) Chloe teased her album tracklist via Instagram. Read more
American Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is beaten to a pulp in men’s locker room of LA Fitness gym (DailyMail)
Rapper Tekashi6xine9 was beaten ‘to a pulp’ last night and humiliated in front of other gym goers at an LA Fitness five years after breaking rank to testify against gangmates and Cardi B.
The artist was jumped as he tried to leave the fitness club by a group of men who later boasted about the attack on social media.
In videos circulating online, they called him a ‘rat’ who wouldn’t be tolerated in their hood.
The extent of his injuries is not yet known, and it’s unclear whether any of the men involved have been apprehended. Read more
United Nations rights chief urges Uganda’s president to block anti-LGBTQ bill (Fox)
The United Nations rights chief is urging Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to block an anti-LGBTQ bill that prescribes harsh penalties for some homosexual offenses, including death and life imprisonment.
“The passing of this discriminatory bill – probably among the worst of its kind in the world – is a deeply troubling development,” Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement Wednesday.
Uganda’s legislature passed the bill late Tuesday in a protracted plenary session during which last-minute changes were made to the legislation that originally included penalties of up to 10 years in jail for homosexual offences. Read more
Paris 2024 Race: Olympic Eagles fire blanks against Guinea (Sun)
Nigeria’s U23 boys failed to take advantage of home soil and finished their U23 Africa Cup of Nations final qualifying fixture, first leg match against Guinea 0-0 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja yesterday.
Success Makanjuola and Timilehin Ogunniyi, who ran Tanzania out of gas in Ibadan in October last year, could not produce the same fiery performance as Guinea stifled Nigeria’s midfield play, created chances of their own and were solid at the rear.
In the 28th minute, Ogunniyi rocked the crossbar from a free-kick 20 yards out on the right, but that turned out the major effort of the Olympic Eagles in a tepid game that did not quite live up to its billing. Read more
Man United bidders given deadline extension; Sheikh Jassim, Ratcliffe to make new offers – sources (ESPN)
Bidders for Manchester United have been given extra time to make their offers, sources have told ESPN.
The Raine Group, the merchant bank handling the process for current owners the Glazer family, initially set a deadline of 9 p.m. UK time Wednesday for second bids.
However, an extension was granted by Raine to some potential buyers late on Wednesday leading most interested parties to take the opportunity to “fine tune” their offers. Read more
Chelsea beat Lyon in Women’s Champions League quarter final 1st leg (ABC)
Sam Kerr has nicked the advantage in her duel with Australia teammate Ellie Carpenter as Chelsea prevailed 1-0 against holders Lyon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter final clash.
The two Matildas, so influential for their club sides, were both at the heart of the action in the Parc Olympique Lyonnais as the closely contested tie was decided by Guro Reiten’s fine 28th-minute winner.
Kerr, feeding largely off scraps from Chelsea’s counterattacks, still proved hard to handle for the home defence and came close to scoring on several occasions. Read more
Tyson Fury called out by ex-Anthony Joshua opponent after Oleksandr Usyk fight collapses (Express)
Andy Ruiz Jr has called for a fight with Tyson Fury after the Gypsy King’s proposed heavyweight unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk fell through.
Fury and Usyk’s camps were locked in talks for months, with the fight tentatively scheduled to take place on April 29 at Wembley Stadium. However, the highly anticipated clash is now off after talks broke down.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren admitted it is now a “dead duck” and claimed Usyk’s camp “looked for a way to get out”. He said: “They said the fight must take place before 29 April and if it goes later they want different splits. Read more
Raducanu faces new injury concern after Miami exit (France24)
Emma Raducanu faces more injury worries after exiting the Miami Open in the first round and saying she will seek fresh input on her troubling painful wrist.
Canadian Bianca Andreescu beat Raducanu 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 on Wednesday in a clash of two former US Open champions which produced some moments of quality from the British 20-year-old.
But Raducanu was visibly troubled by her wrist and after leaving the court she said that it was time to consider whether it was no longer an injury she could simply try to play through. Read more
Paul George suffers apparent leg injury late in Clippers’ loss to OKC (ABC)
LA Clippers All-Star guard Paul George left Tuesday night’s 101-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder late in the fourth quarter after appearing to suffer a right leg injury.
As George went up for a rebound, his right knee appeared to bang with Thunder guard Luguentz Dort’s knee in the air, before landing awkwardly. George crumpled immediately to the floor and stayed there for several minutes.
When George got up, he needed help to walk back to the locker room with 4:38 remaining in the game. The Clippers did not provide an immediate update on the injury. Read more