IPOB: Court strikes out eight of 15 terrorism charges against Nnamdi Kanu (Punch)
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Friday, struck out eight of the 15 terrorism and felony charges preferred by the Federal Government against the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Justice Nyako freed Nnamdi Kanu on the eight counts while ruling on a preliminary objection filed by the IPOB leader.
“In this instant preliminary objection application, I have read the counts and come to the conclusion that counts six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 and 14 have not disclosed any offence against the defendant.
“‘Counts one, two, three, four, five, eight and 15 show some allegations, which the defendant has to answer. Read more
NURTW crisis: Uproar as Lagos govt appoints Oluomo parks c’ttee boss (Vanguard)
Lagos State Government’s appointment of Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly called MC Oluomo, as Chairman of Lagos State Parks and Management Committee, yesterday, generated angry reactions, as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and a socio-political organisation, Omo Eko Pataki, described it as an obnoxious choice.
The state government, however, justified the decision, saying it was aimed at restoring sanity within the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW.
This followed a lingering leadership crisis between the NURTW and its Lagos council, led by MC Oluomo, whose leadership had been dissolved by the national body.
The state government had suspended the NURTW operations in all parks and garages, following the tension sparked by some events in the union. Read more
Tension as Chinese stop police from sealing factory (Nation)
There was tension in the Satellite Town area of Lagos State yesterday after some Chinese nationals prevented the police from sealing their company despite a court order to that effect.
The company, located at 194, Marwa Close, Ijegun Water Site, Satellite Town, is accused of producing fake AKT light bulbs.
A businessman, Ugochukwu Amadi, sued the company before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing it of producing and importing fake AKT light bulbs.
He sought an order of the court to seal up the company and evacuate the fake products. Read more
NIS condemns illegal activities of migrants at Falomo, Liverpool jetty areas (Guardian)
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) on Friday condemned the illegal activities of some migrants at Falomo and Liverpool jetty areas of Lagos State.
Mr Kunle Osisanya, the Assistant Comptroller – General ( ACG) of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in charge of Zone “A” Ikeja, Lagos, gave the condemnation during a courtesy call on the management of the Western Naval Command (WNC) in Apapa.
He then called for renewed synergy between NIS and the Nigerian Navy to enhance effective marine border security in the state.
According to Osisanya, the attention of the “ Zone A” has been drawn to the rising activities of migrants from Falomo and Liverpool jetty areas of the state, where passengers boarded speed boats to Badagry but possibly end up at Port- Novo in Benin Republic.
“Similarly, passengers used to embark on waterways transportation illegally from Porto Novo through the riverine routes to Lagos. Read more
Gunmen invade Anambra cattle market, kill cows, goats (ThisDay)
Gunmen on Thursday evening invaded a cattle market in Igboukwu in Aguata local government area, killing cows and goats in the market.
THISDAY gathered that the gunmen headed to Igboukwu after they left Ekwulobia, the headquarters of Soludo’s Local government council, Aguata, where they burnt down structures and vehicles.
A video trending on social media also showed slain cows littering the cattle market, with traders bemoaning their losses.
Meanwhile, police in Anambra State have confirmed the incident, saying it happened on Thursday after the local government secretariat in Ekwulobia had also been set ablaze by unidentified gunmen. Read more
Dabiri-Erewa decries detention of Nigerians, others in Poland (Punch)
The Chairman and CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has condemned the Polish government for detaining Nigerians and other African students who had fled war-torn Ukraine for safety in neighbouring Poland.
Dabiri-Erewa said this in Abuja on Thursday at the commencement of a two-day Psychosocial Trauma Clinic for Ukraine returnees organised by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, NiDCOM and Project Victory Call Initiative, aka PVC-Naija.
The former parliamentarian expressed displeasure over the development, saying it was wrong and traumatic.
”Some Africans and Nigerians decided not to return home, now Polish authority is going around and capturing Blacks and putting them in detention camps. Read more
We’re creating economic opportunities for residents, says Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said his administration is determined to create massive economic opportunities for citizens through the roles of cooperatives.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mrs Lola Akande, stated this on Thursday during the convocation of the professional diploma programme of the Lagos State Cooperative College in Agege.
He said, “We established this college out of the need to complement efforts towards the creation of an economy that is knowledge-driven and skill-based in appreciation of the key role of cooperatives in enterprise development, job creation and generation of massive economic opportunities for the teeming population of the state.
“It is therefore expected that the existence of LASCOCO would help to enhance performance of bookkeepers and trustees of cooperative societies through the provision of need-based training while also helping to meet specific manpower needs of the state through the provision of high-level manpower with capacity for self-employment and job creation.” Read more
Delta Igbo people nominates Chief Diji for Ohanaeze Lagos president (ThisDay)
Following the anticipated Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos branch election coming up this year, the Anioma people of Delta State in Lagos have endorsed the Isama of Onicha Ugbo, High Chief Michael Diji, as their Presidential candidate.
It was reportedly the decision of the Igbo- speaking people of Delta State as was passed to the incumbent President of Ohanaeze Lagos State, Chief Solomon Aguene, during a courtesy visit by Chief Diji and his entourage at the Ohanaeze Secretariat in Surulere, Lagos.
During the visit to Chief Aguene, they informed him that Diji has been nominated to vie for the position of the president as they strongly believe that it is their turn to produce the next Ohanaeze leader in the state.
The stakeholders from the Igbo-speaking communities have unanimously agreed that all factors are considered. Read more
‘Osinbajo will address presidential ambition in matter of days’ (Leadership)
Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is set to speak formally on speculation that he is interested in running for the Presidency next year.
According to a source in the Villa, Osinbajo could be speaking “in a matter of days.”
Although different pro-Osinbajo campaign posters had been sighted in Abuja, a new campaign poster seen yesterday by LEADERSHIP indicates strongly that the vice president may be ready to throw his hat in the ring.
If he does, he would be the 5th aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to openly declare interest, potentially setting him against his former boss and Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Read more
J. Cole says he was “genuinely nervous” about hopping on Bia’s “London” (HNHH)
J. Cole shares the backstory behind how he got on Bia’s new single, “London.”
Bia’s about to have the summer on smash, once again, thanks to her new collab with J. Cole. Following the release of Dreamville’s D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape, the rapper came through with another solid verse proving his versatility outside of his solo work. “London” takes evident inspiration from the UK scene, and Cole even flexes his British accent at various points in his verse.
Despite being a seasoned MC with an undisputed legacy, the rapper explained that he was nervous to hop on the joint. The rapper shared a clip of Bia’s verse, explaining that she played it for him the time they met and he was hypnotized. “She played me this new song she had just made. Mannnnnnn [mind blown emojis] in that moment I was blown away,” he wrote, explaining that the song was stuck in his head for a month. “It was my favorite song and I only heard it one time,” he continued. Read more
Jimmy Wang Yu, pioneering Hong Kong movie martial arts star, dies at 79 (THR)
Jimmy Wang Yu, the trailblazing martial arts star who starred in classic Hong Kong movies Golden Swallow, One-Armed Swordsman and The Chinese Boxer and paved the way for the likes of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, has died. He was 79.
Wang died in a Taipei hospital on Tuesday, his daughter Linda Wang revealed on Instagram. He had been suffering from chronic ill health for a number of years.
On Facebook, Jackie Chan wrote, “Another martial arts hero has left us… The contributions you’ve made to kung fu movies, and the support and wisdom you’ve given to the younger generations will always be remembered in the industry. And your movies will always remain in the hearts of your fans. We will miss you!”
Born Wang Cheng-chuan in Shanghai in 1943, he migrated with his family to Hong Kong. Wang started acting in the early 1960s and caught the attention of the fledgling Hong Kong branch of the Shanghai-based Shaw Brothers Studio, which had begun to broaden its production slate with action movies and wuxia films.
A contract player at the start of his career, Wang’s early career was indelibly linked with Shaw Brothers, for better and worse, and he would become a mainstream star in the studio’s most famous wuxia films including One-Armed Swordsman (1967) which broke box office records in Hong Kong, Golden Swallow (1968), Return of the One-Armed Swordsman (1969) and ground-breaking kung fu film The Chinese Boxer (1970). Read more
Pink Floyd reunites to support Ukraine with ‘Hey Hey Rise Up,’ first new single in 28 years (People)
Pink Floyd got the band back together for a good cause amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The English rock legends released “Hey Hey Rise Up” on Thursday, their first single in 28 years, which reunites founding member and drummer Nick Mason with guitarist David Gilmour, longtime Pink Floyd collaborator and bassist Guy Pratt and keyboardist Nitin Sawhney. All proceeds will go to humanitarian relief in Ukraine.
“We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world’s major powers,” said Gilmour, 76, who has a Ukrainian daughter-in-law and grandchildren, in a statement.
The track features vocals from Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Ukrainian band Boombox, taken from a recent Instagram video of him singing Ukrainian protest song “Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow” in Kyiv’s Sofiyskaya Square. The title of the Pink Floyd song comes from the last line, which translates to “hey hey rise up and rejoice.” Read more
Muse debut new music at tiny comeback show in Exeter (NME)
Muse played an intimate comeback show in Devon tonight (April 7) – check out the full setlist below.
The trio took to the stage at the 220-capacity Cavern Club in Exeter, where they’d performed early live gigs back in the 1990s. It’s located approximately 16 miles north of Matt Bellamy and co’s hometown of Teignmouth.
According to Devon Live, Muse ran through a special 45-minute set as they filmed a new promotional video – presumably in relation to their upcoming ninth studio album, ‘Will Of The People’.
Lucky attendees had entered a limited Seetickets ballot that subsequently notified those selected as to the venue’s whereabouts. It had previously been listed as “a location in South West England”. Read more
AFI Writers’ Room ready awards honors 2020-21 screenwriting fellows (Variety)
The American Film Institute announced the recipients of its Writers’ Room Ready Awards on Thursday.
The annual awards program honors the best pilot scripts written by the AFI Conservatory’s screenwriting fellows. This year’s awards honor the 2021 and 2022 classes, after the prizes were delayed last year due to COVID-19.
“Congratulations to the 2021 and 2022 recipients of the Writers’ Room Ready Award,” AFI Conservatory dean and AFI executive vice president Susan Ruskin said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of the dedication these writers have shown to their craft, exemplifying the highest standard of excellence and creativity. Together with the mentors, we are committed to supporting this next generation of talented writers as they share their stories with the world.”
Suhana Chander, Gianmarco Maximilian Giacomelli, Christina Kelly Holmes, Lia Wang and Yancey Wang were announced as the winners of the 2021 class. Max Hersh, Adam Rottler, Marley Schneier, Anna Vecellio and Mariana Zavala were the winners for AFI’s 2022 class. Read more
Oscars governors set to discuss sanctions for Smith over slap (France24)
Academy governors including Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg were due to meet Friday to discuss possible sanctions against Will Smith for slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars last month.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board meeting was originally set to discuss suspending or expelling Smith from Hollywood’s top film body, before the “King Richard” actor preemptively resigned from the group last week.
Governors will now discuss what, if any, other actions will be taken against Smith after he assaulted Rock during a live global broadcast, stunning audiences and overshadowing both the night’s big winners and the Tinseltown showcase event itself.
“It is in the best interest of all involved for this to be handled in a timely fashion,” Academy president David Rubin said in a letter to board members Wednesday. Read more
AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes taps Google for help with super app push (StraitsTimes)
AirAsia, the budget airline that experimented with online commerce during the depths of the pandemic, is counting on a rebound in travel this summer to fuel a so-called “super app” to offer a suite of on-demand services from car-hailing to flight bookings.
The struggling carrier launched services such as meal delivery and car rides for revenue when air travel plummeted amid the outbreak, delving into areas already dominated by internet giants Grab Holdings and GoTo Group.
Now, that fledgling super app has signed a five-year tie-up with Google Cloud that it hopes will propel its ambitions to carve out a long-term online business, Mr Tony Fernandes, the airline’s founder and chief executive officer of newly rebranded parent company Capital A, told Bloomberg News.
Super apps, which offer everything from travel bookings to e-commerce and financial services, are gaining in popularity among South-east Asia’s more than 650 million people. Read more
Man City present toughest challenge in the world says Klopp (Guardian)
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said facing Manchester City is the toughest task in football and hailed Pep Guardiola as the world’s best coach.
Klopp’s side visit City on Sunday in a crucial clash in the Premier League title race.
Second-placed Liverpool are one point behind leaders City with eight games left for both teams.
A win for Liverpool would put them in pole position to lift the Premier League trophy for a second time in three seasons.
But a Liverpool defeat or even a draw would leave reigning champions City as the favourites to retain the title. Read more
12 players: Bayern win at Freiburg stands despite subs mix-up (Punch)
The result of Bayern Munich’s 4-1 win at Freiburg last weekend will stand as the German FA on Friday dismissed the hosts’ appeal after the Bundesliga leaders had briefly played with 12 men following a substitution mix-up.
Bayern had an extra man on the pitch for 18 seconds last Saturday after two players came on, but only one came off, leading to Freiburg lodging an appeal on Monday.
The sports court of the German Football Association has ruled Bayern were not at fault for the mix-up, but said the error was down to the “misconduct” of the match officials. Read more
Adepoju recalls One-derful goal ever (Nation)
Former Nigeria international and the country’s La Liga’s ambassador Mutiu Adepoju, has recalled some of his golden days in the national team set up starting with the Flying Eagles where he scored a brace against the supposedly invisible American goalkeeper Kessy Keller in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup at Saudi 1989. The Headmaster as Adepoju is fondly called, described one of the goals as his best goal ever in the famous green and white colours of Nigeria.
Mutiu Adepoju is one of the few ex-internationals who blossomed from the Flying Eagles to join the Super Eagles. The former captain of the Super Eagles was part of the Flying Eagles team that stunned the world at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Saudi ’89 where he emerged as one of the competition’s top scorers, with three goals to his credit.
Known as The Headmaster for his knack for scoring vital goals with his head, Adepoju reminisced about his unforgettable days playing for Nigeria, adding it was difficult to pick his best goal ever.
“This is a very difficult question (picking the best goal) for me,” the 51-year-old Adepoju said matter-of-factly as David Olamilekan prodded him on the margins of presentation of ‘ A Lifetime Achievement Award’ to the former Racing Santander midfielder.“ This is so because I have scored so many beautiful and match-winning goals in my entire football career, which spanned over 15 years. Read more
Europa and Conference leagues roundup: Lyon and Barca on edge, Marseille wins at home (France24)
Thursday saw the first leg of quarter-finals for both the Europa and Conference Leagues, with French teams Lyon drawing in London and Marseille settling for a 2-1 win on their home turf.
A second-half equaliser by Ferran Torres rescued Barcelona on Thursday as the Spanish giants were held to a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Torres’ equaliser makes them favourites for the return leg at Camp Nou next Thursday.
“We put in a superb performance and didn’t allow them much in the entire 90 minutes,” said Frankfurt scorer Knauff. “It’s almost a bit annoying that we didn’t hold on for the win, but anything is possible for the second leg.” Read more
Erik 10 Hag targets 3 Premier League players, told to sell Jadon Sancho (Mirror)
Erik ten Hag is reportedly drawing up a list of targets from three Premier League rivals ahead of taking the Manchester United manager’s job this summer.
The Ajax boss is expected to take up the reins at Old Trafford at the end of the season, where he faces the monumental task of revitalising the Red Devils’ fortunes on the pitch. An overhaul of the playing squad is expected, and Ten Hag reportedly already knows the names of three players he wants the club to sign for him.
It means the United starting XI could look very different come next season. And former England international Trevor Sinclair has told United to sell Jadon Sancho this summer as he’s “not quick enough”.
Manchester United have been told to cut their losses with Jadon Sancho as the winger “isn’t quick enough”. Read more
Tiger Woods finishes 1st round of 2022 Masters -1, S.J. Im leads pack (People)
Tiger Woods is back.
The iconic golfer completed the first round of the Masters tournament on Thursday, finishing his round -1, tied for 10th place. He trails behind leaders S.J. Im, who is -5, and Cameron Smith, who finished -4.
Woods, 46, teed off just after 11 a.m. EST on Thursday, paired with Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann.
Woods surprised golf fans when he announced last weekend that he was in Augusta, Georgia, with plans to attempt to mount a PGA Tour comeback at the tournament. The athlete was injured in a car accident in early 2021, suffering fractures to the upper and lower portions of his tibia and fibula bones, which were stabilized with a rod. In the year since, he previously seemed hesitant to assign a timeline to a return to professional golf, should he be able to make one. Read more
Matteo Berrettini to miss significant time, casts doubt over RG participation (TennisWorld)
Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini has announced his withdrawal from the Masters events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. Berrettini, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of No. 6 in the world, underwent a right hand surgery last week.
“Following advice from the medical experts, my team and I have decided that it is crucial I do not put time pressure on my recovery process. We have therefore decided I should withdraw from the Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome tournaments to ensure I give myself the proper amount of time to return at my highest level.
Withdrawing from these events, particularly Rome, was an extremely tough decision, however it is the right one to ensure many more years of competing at the highest level for the biggest trophies,” Berrettini announced in an Instagram post.
“Thanks very much for all the support. My recovery process is on track and I look forward to seeing you on-court soon. Read more