I’m handing over a viable Imo to Ihedioha, says Okorocha (Punch)
Governor Rochas Okorocha on Monday said he was leaving behind a viable and secured Imo State to the governor-elect, Emeka Ihedioha. A statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, said Okorocha spoke when he received the new Commander 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze Yusuf Tukura. According to the statement, the governor was quoted as saying that he was going to the Senate to agitate for free education policy for all Nigerian students. Read more
Our Justices remain united despite Onnoghen’s exit, says Supreme Court (Punch)
The Supreme Court said on Monday that the exit of the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, has not caused any division among its judges and management of the court. Onnoghen reportedly resigned last Thursday barely 24 hours after the National Judicial Council submitted its recommendations to President Muhammadu Buhari at the end of its investigation into allegations of misconduct levelled against him. But the Supreme Court, through a statement by its Director, Press and Information, Dr. Festus Akande, said the exit of the top judicial officer had not caused any division within its judges and management ranks. Read more
Support Buhari to actualize your mandate – S/East lawmakers-elect urged (Nation)
Elected members of National Assembly from South East have been urged to support President Muhammadu Buhari and his party ideals to ensure the actualization of their political mandate to the people. Convener, All Progressives Congress (APC) South East Young Progressive Forum, Comrade Paschal Otimkpu, made the appeal in a congratulatory message made available to journalists in Awka Anambra State. He said there was no time for personal or self-serving agenda at the detriment of Ndigbo in particular and Nigerians at general. Otimkpu urged the lawmakers to be good ambassadors of Ndigbo with renewed resolve to attract more socio-economic development to the state and the region. Read more
Court dismisses Magnus Abe’s suit on Rivers APC primaries (Guardian)
The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit filed by a factional leader of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State Magnus Abe challenging the party’s governorship primaries in the State. Independent National Electoral Commission excluded the APC governorship and House of Assembly candidates from the March 4 general elections following the controversies that trailed the party’s primary held in October 2018. Abe on March 1 sought the court to rule against the Rivers State governorship primaries and make a final pronouncement on the legality of both direct and indirect primary polls conducted by the two factions of the party in 2018. Read more
PPP urges cancellation of Rivers, Kano gov elections, alleges exclusion (Punch)
The Peoples Progressive Party has asked the election petitions tribunals in Rivers and Kano to nullify the governorship elections held in the two states and order fresh elections. The party hinged its demand on the unlawful exclusion of its governorship candidates in the two states by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Mr. Clifford Edanuko was the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers State, while Hadiza Saba was its candidate in Kano State. The party’s National Legal Adviser, Chibuzor Ezike, in a statement on Monday said his party seeks the nullification of the elections that produced Nyesom Wike in Rivers and Abdullahi Ganduje in Kano. Read more
Three inmates processing NOUN admission —Prison service (Punch)
The Nigerian Prisons Service says no fewer than 157 prison inmates across the country have embraced formal education. Mr Ja’afaru Ahmed, Controller-General of the service, disclosed this at the deradicalisation workshop organised for senior officers of the service on Monday in Abuja. He said that many of the inmates, who sat for the Western African Examination Council examination passed with impressive grades. Ahmed was represented by Mrs Husseina Kori, Deputy Controller-General in charge of Health and Social Welfare at the service. Read more
Wounds on Offa robbery suspects not caused by gunshots, doctor tells court (Nation)
Medical doctor in charge of medical welfare of inmates, Kwara state prisons command, Olaleye Paul Olasunkanmi Monday told Ilorin High Court trying the Offa robbery suspects that the report of the medical examination on the suspects did not show that the wounds on their legs were as a result of gunshots. But the court admitted in evidence the medical examination report on the wounds allegedly inflicted on the suspects during the course of their interrogation by the police. The medical examination was conducted by Dr Obiora Adunichukwu. The suspects are; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salahudeen Azeez and Niyi Ogundiran. Read more
Nigerians in South Africa urge FG intervention as two killed in xenophobic attacks (Punch)
The death toll of Nigerians killed in South Africa has continued to rise, with another two being the latest victims in ongoing xenophobic attacks on foreigners in that country. The latest victims were stabbed to death during xenophobic attacks in Johannesburg and Cape Town on April 5 and 6, 2019, respectively. The Assistant Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Union in South Africa, Mr. Odefa Ikele, confirmed the killings in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria from Johannesburg on Monday. Read more
Autism is not spiritual, could lead to mental disorder, says expert (Guardian)
A speech therapist Akintade Ebenezer has warned parents, guardians and caregivers on the dangers of attributing autism in a child as a ‘spiritual attack’. Autism is a developmental disorder of variable severity that is characterized by difficulty in social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behaviour. Ebenezer, who has over 13 years of experience in examining speech impediment and other ailment affecting the reasoning of a child, said Nigerians often attach autism with spirituality which has been proven not to be true. Read more
Sudan protest: Clashes among armed forces at Khartoum sit-in (BBC)
Elements of Sudan’s military moved to protect demonstrators during deadly clashes in Khartoum between security forces and protesters, witnesses say. Soldiers tried to chase away pick-up trucks firing tear gas, on the second night of a sit-in protest calling for President Omar al-Bashir to resign. Protesters sought shelter in a navy facility, a witness said, as tension among the armed forces was laid bare. Seven protesters have been killed since Saturday, officials say. Mr Bashir, who has been in power for nearly 30 years, has so far refused demands to make way for a transitional government. Read more
Libya crisis: UN says thousands fleeing clashes (BBC)
At least 2,800 people have fled from the fighting near Libya’s capital, Tripoli, according to the UN. Other civilians are trapped by the clashes and are cut off from vital emergency services, it says. Forces under Gen Khalifa Haftar began an attack on the city last Thursday with aim of wresting it from Libya’s UN-backed government. Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj has accused Gen Haftar of attempting a coup and says rebels will be met with force. On Monday there was an air strike at Tripoli’s only functioning airport, Matiga. Reports indicate it was carried out by forces loyal to Gen Haftar but there was no confirmation. Read more
Jordan raises ‘exceptional’ marriage age from 15 to 16 (Guardian)
Jordan’s parliament on Monday amended marriage laws to allow judges in “exceptional” cases to permit minors to wed from the age of 16, up from a previous minimum of 15. The move was approved by both the house of representatives and the senate. The country’s minimum marriage age is 18 under normal circumstances — but unions involving minors can be granted by a judge, so long as they meet a string of conditions, including the consent of the girl. Women’s groups in Jordan have long campaigned against the marriage of minors. Read more
Florida python: Massive pregnant snake caught using new approach (BBC)
A national park in Florida has captured a record 17ft (5.2m) python using an innovative approach to tackling the invasive species. The female snake, the largest ever to be removed from Big Cypress National Preserve, weighed 140lb (63.5kg) and was carrying 73 developing eggs. Pythons pose a major threat to native wildlife in the state. Researchers in the park track down breeding females by fitting male pythons with radio transmitters. “The team tracked one of the sentinel males with the transmitter and found this massive female nearby,” the park said on Facebook. Read more
Kodak Black ‘sorry’ for Nipsey Hussle girlfriend comment (BBC)
Kodak Black has apologised for saying he planned to romantically pursue actress Lauren London following the death of her boyfriend Nipsey Hussle. “I’ll be the best man I can be for her,” the rapper said of Lauren London, adding that he’d give her “a whole year” to grieve for Nipsey. He’s faced backlash from the likes of T.I and The Game – and had his music banned from a prominent LA radio station – following the comments. His apology has also been criticised. “If I disrespected you Lauren London in any shape or form, I am sorry,” the 21-year-old rapper said on Instagram Live, before adding: “Even though I didn’t.” Read more
France 2019 shape up: Canada beat Super Falcons 2-1 (Nation)
Few days after world Cup bound Super Falcons walloped their Icelandic counterparts 6-1 in a friendly match in Spain, the Thomas Dennerby tutored side failed to continue the run losing 2-1 to Canada at the Pinatar Arena on Monday. Interestingly Super Falcons shot into the lead in the encounter thanks to Desire Oparanozie who found the net after enjoying a timely assist from Uchenna Kanu in the 26th minute. Oparanozie’s goal was beautiful to watch as she calmly displaced the goalkeeper Erin McLeod before placing the ball neatly in the right hand corner. The falcons only managed to maintain the lead for 45 minutes before Janine Beckie leveled up for Canada in the 46th minute. Read more
Walking off pitch would let racists win, says Sterling (Punch)
Raheem Sterling has rejected calls for players who receive racial abuse to walk off the pitch, saying that winning matches is a more powerful statement to silence abusers. The Manchester City forward was speaking just days after Tottenham’s Danny Rose said he was looking forward to retiring from a game that has done too little to tackle the problem. There have been calls for players to leave the pitch if they are abused but Sterling said he felt that would be the wrong move. “I wouldn’t personally agree with it because I think at the end of the day to try and go out and win the game if it’s going on at the moment, I think that will hurt them even more,” Sterling told reporters on Monday. Read more
Why Lionel Messi is Pep Guardiola and Man City’s biggest problem – Alan Shearer (BBC)
Barcelona and Lionel Messi are the biggest reason I don’t think Manchester City will win the quadruple. Looking at the Champions League draw, if Pep Guardiola’s side make the final then I would expect Barca to be their opponents in Madrid, and I don’t think they would beat them. It would be a great game, but any team with Messi playing for them would be the favourites. Read more
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals the biggest challenge he faces as Man United’s manager (Metro)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes the biggest challenge he faces as the Manchester United manager is installing a winning mentality in his players. Solskjaer won six Premier League titles during his time as a player at the club, and the 46-year-old insists the success he enjoyed was partly down to the positive mindset which Sir Alex Ferguson cast upon the squad. When asked about his own playing days at United, Solskjaer told ESPN: ‘We challenged each other every day in training. There were fights and there was an inner justice that I’ve not seen in too many teams. Read more
Dembele in Barca squad for United Champions League match (Guardian)
French striker Ousmane Dembele is close to shaking off a thigh strain and was named in Ernesto Valverde’s Barcelona squad on Monday for the Champions League quarter-finals first-leg at Manchester United. The 21-year-old World Cup winner has excelled on both flanks this season after slow bedding in process at Barcelona but has been on the sidelines since March 16 with a thigh muscle problem. Valverde said he had chosen the still-struggling winger in his squad for Wednesday’s game because he needed all hands on deck. Read more