Kano explosion: We‘ve recovered 9 bodies, says NEMA (Vanguard)
The National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has disclosed that about 9 bodies have been recovered so far from a gas explosion that rocked a primary school building in Sabon Gari area of Kano state.
A statement by NEMA’s spokesperson, Manzo Ezekiel, revealed that the Director-General, NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated rescue operations.
The statement reads: “9 dead bodies have been recovered so far from the rubbles of a collapsed bulding beside a primary school following explosions from gas cylinder at Aba Road in Sabon Gari area of Kano.
“Director-General National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, was at the site of the incident and coordinated the rescue operations. He mobilised excavators being used for the rescue operations and said NEMA team will ensure complete removal of the rubbles to retrieve all trapped persons. Read more
Court dissolves marriage over doubtful paternity (Guardian)
An Igando Customary Court in Lagos State, on Tuesday, dissolved the marriage between Mr Jose Salami and Mrs Sola Jaiyeola on grounds of doubtful paternity of their only child.
The petitioner, Salami, who resides at No. 9, Bakare St., Igando, Lagos State, had told the court that he doubted the paternity of the only child produced by the union.
“In March 2013, she said she was a month pregnant for me; so, I arranged for a traditional marriage to be done.
“But to my surprise, my wife put to bed in July of that same year, and when I asked how possible it was, she waived it aside.
“The paternity of the child became worrisome and I summoned her parents to intervene and ask her how possible it is to give birth within five months. Read more
#JusticeforDave: We will not condone any kind of jungle justice, says Sanwo-Olu (Channels)
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reacted to the mob attack in which a sound engineer Dave Sunday Imoh was killed in Lekki.
Governor Sanwo-Olu in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, condemned the incident saying that Lagos will not condone any form of jungle justice in the state.
“Lagos has no room for savagery and anybody found to have been involved in this barbarism will surely face the law.
“We condemn and will not condone any kind of jungle justice, no matter who the perpetrators are”, he said. Read more
Lagos APC moves to smuggle aspirant into race for Senate after deadline (ThisDay)
There are plans by the Lagos State Chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to smuggle an aspirant into the race for Lagos West senatorial seat, after the deadline for the submission of forms and screening of aspirants.
A party source, who frowned at the development, said although he did not know what politics was going on in Lagos, some of the national executives of the party were disappointed at the desperation by the party leadership in the state to smuggle a yet-to-be identified aspirant into the race for Lagos West Senatorial seat after deadline.
According to the source, three people bought the form for Lagos West senatorial district, but two returned their forms and were screened by the party, not worried, however, why the third person refused to turn in her form.
The three candidates are the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and Akeem Opeifa. Read more
Residents, motorists raise doubts over 2022 completion deadline for Lagos-Ibadan expressway (Guardian)
Residents and motorists plying Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have raised doubts over the 2022 date for the completion of the road, following slow pace of work on the project.
According to them, despite assurances by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and senior officials of the ministry that the project would be commissioned before the end of 2022, realities on ground suggest that the 13-year-old reconstruction may not end by December.
Beyond that, there are also concerns about resolution of issues regarding houses marked for demolition at the Lotto interchange, a critical infrastructure along the expressway.
Recently, members of Ogunrun Ori community, in Obafemi-Owode Local Council of Ogun State, urged Federal Government to fulfill her promise of compensating them for the over 1,000 houses marked for demolition for the project. Read more
I have what it takes to address yearnings of Lagosians, Mustapha says (Tribune)
Ahead of the May 20 governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), an aspirant on the party’s platform, Mr Abdul-Ahmed Olorunfemi Mustapha, on Monday, said he has what it takes to address some of the yearnings of people of Lagos, listing education, healthcare and infrastructure as his topmost priorities.
Mustapha, a former permanent secretary in the state’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said he is determined to address and change the narrative in other sectors, including power, if elected as the next governor of Lagos State.
The governorship hopeful said the people would see a Lagos that works for everyone, irrespective of party affiliation, religion, tribe and other differences.
Mustapha, while speaking with newsmen, said he would bring his vast experience in both private and public sectors which he garnered at home and abroad to bear. Read more
Corps Member found dead in Abuja was killed by jealous rival (DailyTrust)
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has shed more light on the death of Stephanie Terungwa, a female member of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), who was found dead days after she went missing.
Terungwa and her one-year-old son were last seen in the Lokogoma area of the nation’s capital on April 14, 2022.
The news of her death had sent a wave of shock across the country, with the NYSC confirming that her corpse was found in the Maitama area of Abuja.
In a statement, Eddy Megwa, NYSC’s Director, Press and Public Relations, gave a chilling account of how Stephanie’s body was found dressed in NYSC Khaki trousers. Read more
Fayemi knocks Oshiomhole over rigging claims (Nation)
Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi has lampooned the former National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Comrade Adam Oshiomhole over a reported claim that he was once asked to manipulate the party’s primaries.
The former Edo Governor, while featuring on a political programme aired on Channels TV on Monday, alleged Fayemi asked him to commit electoral fraud while serving as APC National Chairman.
Oshiomhole claimed that Fayemi asked him to impose his preferred candidates but he told him that he can’t be used as an instrument to subvert democratic processes.
He said: “I said it in one of the meetings I had with Governor Kayode Fayemi who told me bluntly to my face that ‘chairman what we are saying is that, you can go and conduct an election to fulfil all righteousness but when we say this is the person that should emerge just make sure he is the person that emerges’ Read more
ICPC arraigns professor over alleged $40,000 bribe (Independent)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned a professor over allegations of $40,000 bribery and inducement of officers of the Commission.
In a single charge brought before Honourable Justice A.O. Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court 12, sitting in Apo, Abuja, ICPC accused the professor of issuing a cheque valued at the said amount to a staff of the Commission.
The cheque was part of the $50,000 and a house in Abuja, promised to the officer to compromise the investigation by retrieving the accused person’s devices, MacBook S/N CIML8BUGDTY3, MacBook S/N W80204J7ATN, and iPhone Pro11 which were in the custody of ICPC for investigative activities.
”In a single-count charge brought before Honourable Justice A.O. Otaluka of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court 12, sitting in Apo, Abuja, ICPC is accusing the Professor of issuing a cheque valued at $40,000 to a staff of the Commission,” the statement read. Read more
‘Game Of Thrones’ star Kit Harington cast in Mary Shelley film ‘Mary’s Monster’ (NME)
Kit Harington and Clara Rugaard have been cast in Mary’s Monster, a film about author Mary Shelley’s mental struggle to write her 1818 novel Frankenstein.
Set to be directed by Farren Blackburn (The Innocents, Shut In), Mary’s Monster is described as a “rock ‘n’ roll” take on the story, which depicts the 19th century “through today’s lens against a backdrop of contemporary music, spoken word, sex, drugs and Baroque ‘n’ Roll”.
Rugaard (I Am Mother) will play the lead role of Shelley, while Harington (Game Of Thrones) will play the Monster. The cast also includes Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (CODA) as Mary’s husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and Sebastian De Souza (Normal People) as Lord Byron.
A synopsis reads: “Terrified of giving voice to her own dark, transgressive thoughts yet at the same time driven creatively by them, Mary is seduced by her own inner monster catapulting her into a dangerous, destructive psychological romance the likes of which has never been seen before. Read more
Bleecker Street buys Emma Mackey’s Emily Brontë biopic from Frances O’Connor (Variety)
Bleecker Street has bought the U.S. rights for writer-director Frances O’Connor’s directorial debut, “Emily,” which tells the story of author Emily Brontë’s real-life romance in the lead up to her seminal novel, “Wuthering Heights.”
Bleecker Street is planning a 2023 theatrical release Stateside, while Warner Bros. will open the film wide in U.K. cinemas.
Promotional materials for the project describe “Emily” as imagining “the transformative, exhilarating and uplifting journey to womanhood of one of the world’s most famous, enigmatic and passionate writers.”
BAFTA nominee Emma Mackey (“Sex Education,” “Barbie”) leads a cast of young British talent, including Fionn Whitehead (“Dunkirk,” “The Duke”), Oliver Jackson-Cohen (“The Invisible Man”), Alexandra Dowling (“The Musketeers”) and Amelia Gething (“The Spanish Princess”) as well as BAFTA nominee Gemma Jones (“Ammonite”) and Adrian Dunbar (“Line of Duty”). Read more
Cannes Chief Thierry Frémaux responds to Russian oligarch question & Deadline’s censorship story (Deadline)
Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux took part in a ‘meet the press’ session with journalists in Cannes yesterday afternoon.
The long-time chief was asked multiple questions about the festival’s stance towards Russia and about Deadline’s censorship story from yesterday.
Given that the festival has a ban on Russian journalists from pro-Putin publications and on state-sponsored Russian delegations, he was asked the extent to which Cannes was concerned about the sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich being a financier of Competition film Tchaikovsky’s Wife (whose director Kirill Serebrennikov is a Russian dissident).
Frémaux, who noted that he received five emails a day with questions on this subject, explained that the festival decided to accept the film because it was shot before the war against Ukraine, when receiving Russian money wasn’t problematic. Read more
Sam Ryder’s Space Man closes gap on Harry Styles in race to Number 1 (MusicNews)
UK Eurovision hero Sam Ryder closes the gap on Harry Styles overnight in the race to become this week’s Official UK Number 1 single.
After placing second to Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra and their winning track Stefania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 last weekend, Essex singer and songwriter Sam Ryder continues to rocket up the midweek Official Singles Chart with Space Man.
Sam scored 466 points at this year’s competition in Turin, proving the UK’s most successful entry since Imaani’s Where Are You in 1998, and today closes the gap on Harry Styles in the increasingly-tight race for this week’s Official Number 1 single.
A very special Official Charts Company update shows Sam has rocketed overnight past Cat Burns and her hit Go, and now currently sits at Number 2. Just 1,880 chart sales separate SPACE MAN from Harry Styles’ Number 1 As It Was. Will Sam be able to catch up? Read more
Jamal Edwards to receive posthumous award marking contribution to music industry (Independent)
Jamal Edwards has been announced as the first person to posthumously receive the Music Industry Trusts (MITS) Award in recognition of his contribution to the sector.
The entrepreneur found fame after setting up the music platform SBTV in 2006, and was credited with helping to launch a string of UK music acts to stardom, including Ed Sheeran, Dave and Jessie J.
He died on February 20 from a heart attack at the age of 31.
The award will be presented to Edwards’ family on Monday 7 November at a gala ceremony at the Grosvenor House hotel in London. Read more
Victim of Stellenbosch University urine incident lays criminal charges (TimesLive)
The Stellenbosch University student whose laptop and other belongings were urinated on by a fellow student laid charges of breaking and entering, malicious damage to property and racism on Tuesday.
First-year student Babalo Ndwayana arrived at Stellenbosch police station to open a criminal case two days after videoing the incident, which happened at the university’s Huis Marais residence.
Outside the police station Ndwayana, an agriculture student, said he was exhausted after intense media attention.
Police spokesperson Captain Frederick van Wyk confirmed the charge: “A 20-year-old complainant opened cases of housebreaking unknown, malicious damage to property and crimen injuria at about 2.30pm today at Stellenbosch police station for investigation. Investigations continue. No arrest yet.” Read more
Dusseldorf dumps Aruna’s TTC in TTBL finals (Nation)
Quadri Aruna’s quest to play in the final of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) came to a close at the weekend as the Nigerian failed to save TTC-RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell from going 3-0 to defending champion Borussia Dusseldorf in the second leg of the semifinal.
Despite putting up a good fight against the star-studded Dusseldorf at home in the first leg of the semifinal on May 7, Aruna’s TTC went down 2-3 at home and went down 3-0 again on Sunday to miss the final of the German table tennis championship.
A disappointed Aruna blamed the loss on fatigue. “I think we have overworked ourselves in training for the semifinal matches and this affected our performance adversely because in the first leg, I could not just understand what happened to me as I was just playing wrongly.
“When we played the first leg, we were confident that we would win but I missed the opportunity to help my team to an emphatic 3-0 win after Alexandre Cassin and Fanbo Meng had beaten Kristian Karlsson and Timo Boll 3-2 respectively and I lost 3-0 to Dang Qiu to ignite Dusseldorf comeback in the match. Read more
US-based Ezekiel breaks Henry Amike’s 35-year-old record (Guardian)
Barely one month after US-based Nigerian sprinter, Favour Ofili, broke Blessing Okagbare’s 200 metres National Record, another Nigerian, Nathaniel Ezekiel, made big headlines on Sunday, as he broke Henry Amike’s 35-year-old 400 metres Hurdles National Record to win Big 12 title in Texas, USA.
Ezekiel, who moved to the US soon after representing Team Nigeria at the last World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, last year, competed for Baylor at his first Big 12 Championships. He stormed to a massive Personal Best (PB) of 48.42 seconds to break Amike’s National Record (NR) that was set in 1987.
The record qualified the young Nigerian for the 2022 World Athletics Championships holding in Eugene, Oregon, U.S., between July 15 and 25. He also set a World U-20 Lead, an NCAA lead and moved to fourth on the 2022 global top list.
With Amike’s 35-year-old record shattered at the weekend, only Yusuf Alli’s Personal Best record of 8.27 metres, which he set during the African Athletics Championships in Lagos in 1989, still stands as a Nigerian record. Read more
Arsenal set for second summer transfer as youngster attracts interest from 3 Championship clubs (FootballLondon)
Arsenal youngster Ryan Alebiosu is attracting interest from Bristol City, Blackburn and Preston over a potential move next season football.london understands.
The right back was a regular for Kevin Betsy’s under-23s side in the first half of last season, playing at right wing-back in the Young Gunners 5-3-2 setup and managing a goal and five assists. His impressive form saw him promoted to Mikel Arteta’s first team as he was included on the bench for both legs of the Carabao Cup semi final against Liverpool.
Following that experience, he joined Crewe Alexandre on loan for the second half of the campaign in the final days of the January transfer window. The 20-year-old enjoyed a positive start to life with the League One club starting four times in a row, but then had to miss a large chunk of his spell there following an operation on a back injury.
He was able to return before the end of the campaign though and earned rave reviews from many at Crewe with his displays. Now that appears to have garnered him some interest from several Championship clubs, who are all fighting it out to secure his signature. Read more
La Liga giants working on Manchester City pre-season friendly in the United States (SI)
Manchester City and Pep Guardiola can clinch a historic fourth Premier League title in five seasons with a win against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium this weekend.
The Blues have already secured the signings of Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland and River Plate’s Julian Alvarez ahead of the new season to go on and compete on all fronts again next term.
The Premier League champions announced in April they will meet Mexican side Club América in the first of two pre-season friendlies whilst on tour in the United States at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on July 20.
It was subsequently confirmed City will face off against Bayern Munich on July 23 at the Lambeau Field in Wisconsin – home to the Green Bay Packers with a capacity of 81,441 – to round off their United States tour. Read more
Paul Pogba sends “see you soon” message to Man Utd transfer target Paulo Dybala (Mirror)
Paul Pogba has sent a cryptic message to his former Juventus teammate Paulo Dybala with both players on the move this summer.
Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta has reportedly held fresh talks over a return to the Italian club, where he played alongside Dybala in the 2015-16 campaign. The Argentine forward is set to leave Turin at the end of the campaign as his contract expires.
United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick has all but confirmed that Pogba will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season for a new club. The France international’s deal at Old Trafford expires on 30 June and he has been free to speak to rival clubs since 1 January. The Juventus CEO has commented on the club’s ‘gentlemen agreement’ with United when speaking of talks with Pogba’s representatives.
Dybala, 28, is out of contract at Juve at the end of the season and was unable to agree to new terms with the Bianconeri. The club are resigned to losing Dybala on a free transfer and attention will quickly turn to his next move amid reported interest from Manchester United and Arsenal. Read more
Rafael Nadal ready for French Open despite ongoing injuries (ESPN)
Rafael Nadal has moved to ease concerns about his injury problems ahead of the French Open, posting a picture of himself training in full flow at his academy in Mallorca with the caption: “See you on Wednesday, Paris.”
The 13-time Roland Garros champion had said last week that daily training was a challenge and he would take a doctor with him to Paris after a chronic foot injury flared up during his defeat to Denis Shapovalov at the Italian Open.
Nadal, 35, who only recently returned from a stress fracture in one of his left ribs, struggled toward the end of his match against the Canadian as he went down 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the last 16.
But the world No. 5 looks poised to launch another bid for a Grand Slam title at his favourite hunting ground, having won his 21st major at the Australian Open earlier this year. Read more
Magnussen: F1 season ‘way more interesting and a lot more fun’ (F1i)
Kevin Magnussen says F1’s new regulations which have given “everyone a chance” this year are making for an interesting season and one that is “a lot more fun”.
Although Ferrari and Red Bull have isolated themselves at the front of the field, the battle behind the two front-runners is remarkably open, as Haas’ early results attest.
Courtesy of Magnussen, the US outfit has scored points in three of the first five races, while the Dane has qualified among the top-ten also three times.
“I think we can be pretty happy with the start to the year that we’ve had,” said Magnussen ahead of this week’s Spanish Grand Prix. Read more