Killings: Be ruthless with kidnappers, Buhari orders service chiefs (Punch)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said he had directed heads of security agencies in the country to clear the bandits killing innocent citizens in Zamfara State and neighbouring states immediately. He also ordered that kidnappers operating in all parts of the country should be given a similar treatment. The President had met with service chiefs and heads of other security agencies behind closed doors specifically to address the Zamfara nightmare and the rising kidnapping incidents in the country. Read more
FG cautions Atiku against overheating polity, instigating political crisis (Guardian)
The Federal Government has issued a stern warning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the February 23, 2019 presidential polls, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to “henceforth, stop overheating the polity and quit trying to instigate a political crisis in Nigeria as he goes about fighting to claim his mandate to be determined by the courts.” It warned that the former vice president should not give the impression that he does not have confidence in the judicial process, thus “resorting to self-help.” Read more
APC group opposes Gbajabiamila, wants Speaker’s position for South-East (Punch)
The All Progressives Congress South-East Renaissance Group on Thursday called on the leadership of the party to zone the position of the Speaker, House of Representatives in the Ninth National Assembly to the South-East. The group’s convener, Chris Onyemechara, made the call at a press conference in Abuja. Onyemechara claimed that the APC denied the South-East principal office positions in the National Assembly in 2015 on the grounds that the zone did not have a ranking member on the platform of the party. Read more
Plateau denies diverting IDPs’ N20b (Guardian)
Plateau State government has denied allegations by the opposition that it diverted N20 billion meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state. The denial came during the 2019 budget breakdown by the Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Sylvester Wallangko, at the ministry’s conference hall of the cabinet office. Wallangko explained that it would be callous to divert any money meant for IDPs, stressing that the state runs a responsible and accountable government. Read more
Victory for PDP as Supreme Court dismisses APC’s, Cole’s appeals (Guardian)
The end of the road for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections in Rivers State came yesterday as the Supreme Court dismissed the three separate appeals filed by the party and Tonye Cole, its factional governorship candidate in the state. Both Cole and the APC had approached the apex court through their notices of appeal, praying it to make them participate in the 2019 general election. The court however dismissed the separate appeals on the ground that the notices were incompetent in law. Read more
Shehu Sani optimistic about getting justice from tribunal (Guardian)
Senator Shehu Sani representing Kaduna Central on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed hope of getting justice in his petition challenging the result of the National Assembly election in the state. According to the lawmaker, part of the reasons the petition was filed was to seek justice and provide evidence, where necessary, to prove the case. Sani, stated through his lawyer, Kefas Kure: “We expect to get justice at the end of the case. It is equally glorifying to note that the judges have requested the cooperation of all legal practitioners to remain committed during the sitting.” Read more
Civil servant arraigned for buying $140,000 US property (Punch)
A director in the Federal Ministry of Education, Victor Igboanugo, has been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission for purchasing a property worth $140,000 in the United States of America and taking kickbacks worth millions of naira. During his arraignment before Justice V. B. Ashi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, Igboanugo was accused of using his office and position to also commit fraud worth N162m. The ICPC told the court that the accused, while acting as the Deputy Director of Procurement at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, bought the property in the US, whose cost was above his legitimate income. Read more
Sudan protesters defy military curfew (BBC)
Large crowds have remained on the streets of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, ignoring a curfew declared by the country’s new military council. Long-time President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown and arrested on Thursday after months of street protests. But demonstrators say the military council is part of the same regime. The fresh stand-off has raised fears of a violent confrontation between protesters and the army. There is also a real danger that different elements of the security forces and militia could turn their guns on each other, BBC World Service Africa editor Will Ross says. Read more
Julian Assange: Man ‘close’ to Wikileaks co-founder arrested in Ecuador (BBC)
A man with close ties to Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange has been arrested while trying to leave Ecuador, the country’s interior ministry says. Interior Minister María Paula Romo did not name the man but said he had been arrested for “investigative purposes”. An unnamed government official told the Associated Press that the man is Ola Bini, a Swedish software developer. It comes just hours after Assange was himself arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. “A person close to Wikileaks, who has been residing in Ecuador, was arrested this afternoon when he was preparing to travel to Japan,” Ecuador’s interior ministry tweeted late on Thursday. Read more
Dalai Lama discharged from Delhi hospital (BBC)
The Dalai Lama has been discharged from a Delhi hospital, three days after being admitted with a chest infection. The Tibetan spiritual leader said he felt, “normal, almost normal,” the Associated Press reports. His spokesman Tenzin Taklha said the 83-year-old had suffered from a “light cough” but was “doing very well”. The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, fled to India 60 years ago after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He now lives in exile in the Indian city of Dharamsala. Read more
Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft crashes on Moon (BBC)
The first privately funded mission to the Moon has crashed on the lunar surface after the apparent failure of its main engine. The Israeli spacecraft – called Beresheet – attempted a soft landing, but suffered technical problems on its descent to the Moon’s surface. The aim of the mission was to take pictures and conduct experiments. Israel hoped to become the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the Moon. Only government space agencies from the former Soviet Union, the US and China have made successful Moon landings. Read more
BTS casually reveal Ed Sheeran collaboration is on Map Of The Soul: Persona (Metro)
BTS really know how to bury the lede, don’t they? After leaking a number of details about their new album Map Of The Soul: Persona, including that they collaborated with Halsey on Boy With Luv, the boys have casually revealed that they have teamed up with a little English singer-songwriter called… what was it again? Oh, Ed Sheeran. A statement ahead of Map Of The Soul: Persona’s release today confirmed that Make It Right is a ‘delicate’ collaboration between BTS and Ed, and if there was anything to get us more excited about the album, it’s this. Read more
Eagles may face Ghana, Ivory Coast in Egypt (Punch)
The Super Eagles are among the top seeded teams placed in Pot 1 for the draw ceremony of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Cairo, Egypt on Friday (today). The six seeded teams put in Pot 1 for the draw are Egypt (hosts), Cameroon (champions) and the quartet of Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria and Morocco – based on their positions in the latest April FIFA World Ranking. Three-time African champions, Super Eagles, are in for a tough and tricky draw following the draw procedures released by the Confederation of African Football on Thursday. Read more
Arsenal take control of Napoli tie (BBC)
Arsenal’s Europa League quarter-final tie with Napoli is “still 50-50” according to Gunners boss Unai Emery, despite his side winning the first leg 2-0 at Emirates Stadium. Aaron Ramsey converted Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ pass to finish off a good team move and give the hosts the lead. Kalidou Koulibaly then scored an own goal when he deflected Lucas Torreira’s shot past goalkeeper Alex Meret. The impressive Meret stopped the Gunners winning by more. Napoli, who are second in Serie A, host the Gunners in the second leg next Thursday at the San Paolo Stadium (20:00 BST). Read more
Chelsea ‘suffer’ before Alonso’s late winner in Prague (BBC)
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said he was pleased with how his side “suffered” before beating Slavia Prague in their Europa League quarter-final first leg. Marcos Alonso’s late goal secured a 1-0 win from a difficult match in Prague. Sarri said his side have improved from earlier in the season, when they would “immediately concede” in difficult moments. “In the past we were not able to suffer in the difficult moments of a match,” said the Italian. “Now we are able to stay in trouble and suffer without conceding.” Read more
Bloodied Messi out of Huesca tie (Punch)
Lionel Messi is likely to sit out Barcelona’s trip to Huesca this weekend after being left with a bloodied face following a clash with Manchester United defender Chris Smalling, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC. Smalling clattered into Messi to win the ball in the first half as Barca won 1-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday to take a slender advantage into next week’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Camp Nou. Messi ended the game with bruising and swelling around his nose and cheek and will undergo tests back in Barcelona on Thursday to determine the severity of the blow. Read more