Kolade Johnson: Dismissed police officer arraigned in court (Guardian)
Lagos State Police Command on Friday said the officer who shot Kolade Johnson to death on Sunday has been arraigned in court. “Today 5th April 2019 … our Criminal Investigation Department, Panti has arraigned dismissed Inspector Ogunyemi Olalekan in Ebute Meta Magistrate Court and remanded in prison custody,” Lagos State police spokesman Bala Elkana said in a statement. Nigeria Police on Thursday said it dismissed Olalekan for shooting Kolade Johnson in Lagos. Johnson was hit by a stray bullet shot by the men of Anti-Cultism Squad on Sunday while watching the English Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham. Read more
Presidency keeps mum over Onnoghen’s resignation (Punch)
The presidency has yet to confirm the receipt of a letter of resignation by the suspended Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen. The News Agency of Nigeria reliably gathered that Onnoghen’s resignation letter was submitted to the Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, by some Justices of the apex court. NAN, however, learnt that the Justices who submitted the letter arrived at the presidential villa a few minutes after President Muhammadu Buhari had left Abuja for Jordan to participate in the World Economic Forum on Thursday. Read more
Police arrest two suspected killers of freshly graduated Doctor (Guardian)
Nigeria Police Force Friday said it has arrested two armed robbers suspected to be responsible for the death of Stephen Urueye, a student medical doctor working with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Bala Elkana told The Guardian that the two suspects were being interrogated. “We have two suspects arrested and we are questioning them,” Elkana said. He said the arrest was made few hours after Urueye was attacked. Read more
Court dismisses Anyanwu’s suit against Ihedioha (Punch)
A Federal High Court sitting in Owerri, Imo state capital has dismissed a suit filed by Senator Sam Anyanwu representing Imo East senatorial districts, challenging the emergence of Imo state Governor-elect, Chief Emeka Ihedioha as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. Anyanwu had approached the court seeking to nullify the victory of Ihedioha and rather be declared as the authentic winner of the primary election. He had accused Ihedioha of engaging in over voting, thuggery, which he alleged, swayed the polls in favour of him (Ihedioha). Read more
Drug trafficking: Another Nigerian arrested in Saudi Arabia – Presidential aide (Nation)
Saudi Arabia has arrested at least eight people, including two dual U.S.-Saudi citizens, in an apparent crackdown on supporters of women activists whose trial has drawn condemnation from abroad, an associate and a rights group said on Friday. The 11 women on trial had campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the Kingdom’s male guardianship system. Their case has intensified Western criticism of Saudi Arabia’s rights record, already in the spotlight after the murder of a journalist, Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in 2018. Read more
Shehu Sani accuses FG of bias in tackling northern security challenges (Guardian)
Nigerian lawmaker Senator Shehu Sani on Friday accused the Federal Government of being selective in addressing security challenges in some parts of the country. Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Constituency in the Nigerian Senate, alleged that the Muhammadu Buhari government has been more attentive to cases of extra-judicial killings in South-West than the rate of banditry and kidnapping in the north. “The FG shows more concern over the extrajudicial killing of one person from the South West over the mass and continuous killings and Kidnappings in the north,” Sani said in a Facebook post. Read more
Don’t bribe warders whenever you visit your jailed relations, prison Controller warns (Punch)
Lagos State Controller of Prisons, Mr. Tunde Ladipo, has advised families of inmates not to bribe prison officials when visiting people in custody. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos, Ladipo urged prison visitors to report to relevant authorities any official demanding money before seeing inmates. The prison controller said that the Command had received several complaints from the public and warn warders to desist from the practice or face disciplinary action. “We have notices in front of all our prisons that visiting is free of charge, you just have to go through the normal searching procedure to see any inmate. Read more
INEC replaces APC Enugu East senatorial candidate (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission has replaced Lawrence Ezeh, the All Progressives Congress’ Enugu East Senatorial candidate with Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha. The replacement comes after a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu nullified Ezeh’s candidature stating that he was not properly nominated by the party. Ezeh defected to APC from the opposition People’s Democratic Party after he failed to clinch the party’s senatorial ticket during its primary in October 2018. Read more
Residents nab ‘kidnap’ syndicate operating in Taxi (Nation)
Residents of Bariga have arrested members of a suspected kidnap and robbery syndicate operating in a taxi. The suspects including an old man said to be the driver were arrested on Wednesday after one of the victims identified their operational vehicle, a dark green Toyota Camry. It was gathered that the victim, a woman, had boarded the taxi on Tuesday on her way to work but was diverted towards Badagry Expressway where her hands, legs and mouth were tied. The gang comprising four men, allegedly dispossessed her of her phone, N20,000 and other valuables before pushing her out of the vehicle inside a bush, to find her way. Read more
Man in prison for stabbing friend to death (Punch)
An Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Friday ordered that a 51-year-old man, Rasaki Banjo be remanded in prison for allegedly stabbing his friend to death with a broken bottle. The Magistrate, Mrs A.O Salawu, remanded Banjo in Ikoyi Prison and ordered that the case file is sent to the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions for advice. Salawu adjourned the case until May 6. Read more
IGP launches Operation Puff-Arder to curb kidnapping (Nation)
The Inspector-General of Police, Ag. IGP Mohammed Adamu has launched Operation Puff-Arder to curb the rate of kidnapping. The operation was launched to tackle the increasing rate of kidnapping along Abuja-Kaduna highway and neighbouring communities. The Police chief while launching the operation at the Divisional Police Headquarters Katari in Kaduna State on Friday also disclosed that the operation will be extended to Kogi, Niger, Zamfara and Katsina States. Read more
Fayemi inaugurates 14 commissioners, five advisers Tuesday (Nation)
Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi will on Tuesday swear-in 14 commissioners recently screened by the State House of Assembly. This follows their confirmation by the State House of Assembly on Thursday. Also to be sworn-in are the Special Advisers recently announced by the Governor. The would- to- be Commissioners are Dr Adio AFolayan, Dr (Mrs) Moji Yaya Kolade, Chief (Mrs.) Moji Fafure, Mr. Emmanuel Foluso Daramola, Mr Folorunso Olabode, Engr. Dele Faparusi and Mr. Gbenga Agbeyo. Read more
ILO nominates Nigeria for titular position (Guardian)
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), has nominated Nigeria for titular position on its governing board to represent West Africa. Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, announced this on Friday in Abuja, via a statement issued by Mrs Rhoda iliya, an Assistant Director, and made available to newsmen. He said the nomination was made at the 3rd Session of the Specialised Technical Committee on Social Development, Labour and Employment of the Africa Union, which took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Read more
We’ve enough petroleum stocks, NNPC assures (Nation)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has advised motorists and other petroleum products consumers not to engage in panic buying, saying there is enough petroleum products stock in 55 depots across the country. Listing the depots that have adequate petroleum products stock, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, in a release on Friday in Abuja, stated that 23 depots in Lagos, seven in Port Harcourt, 11 in Warri, six in Calabar and eight in Kaduna were fully stocked with white products. He explained that two vessels of 50million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, would arrive the shores of Nigeria every day from tomorrow. Read more
Algeria protesters demand end to regime after Bouteflika’s fall (BBC)
Thousands have taken to the streets of the Algerian capital demanding a complete overhaul of the country’s political structure. This is the seventh successive week of Friday protests and Tuesday’s resignation of long-serving President Abdelaziz Bouteflika does not appear to have satisfied the demonstrators. According to the constitution, parliament’s speaker should take over. But protesters want all those associated with Mr Bouteflika to go. Read more
Teacher who had sex with three schoolboys, aged 15 to 16, spared jail (Metro)
A teacher who admitted to having sex with three underage schoolboys will not go to jail. Heidi Domangue Verett, 34, confessed on March 22 in court that she had sex with three boys, between the ages of 15 and 16, in her home in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana over the course of two months beginning in November 2016. Verrett was originally charged with three felony sex crimes, but she was offered a deal that allowed her to instead plead guilty to three misdemeanor counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, meaning she will not face jail time. Read more
Pensioner, 73, jailed for killing husband who ‘treated her like a slave’ (Metro)
A pensioner has been jailed for the manslaughter of her disabled husband. Packiam Ramanathan, 73, beat Kanagusabi Ramanathan, 76, to death with a wooden pole after suffering years of abuse, a court heard. Paramedics found former shopkeeper Mr Ramanathan dead in his bedroom in Newham, east London, after the defendant told her neighbour she had hit him. Read more
Teenager dies from overdose after stealing cancer drugs (Metro)
A teenager died of an overdose after stealing morphine tablets from a drug dealer, an inquest has heard. Joel Lewis, 17, had gone to buy cannabis with a friend but pocketed a box of ‘illicit’ blue tablets during the meeting. He initially said they made him feel ‘nice’ like ‘Mr Floppy’ but his mother later returned to their Treorchy home in South Wales to find him unresponsive and frothing at the mouth in bed. Read more
Nurses pay bail of dad arrested for speeding to hospital to save his choking baby (Metro)
A group of kindly nurses bailed out a father arrested for speeding to hospital to save his baby as she choked on a penny. Darius Hinkle’s 100mph drive to Touchette Regional Hospital in Centerville, Illinois, saw him pursued by multiple police cars and apprehended by cops as soon as he arrived at the hospital. He was instantly taken into custody for speeding and driving without a licence, with the dad explaining that he did both in a bid to save his one-year-old daughter Demani. Read more
Game Of Thrones’ The Mountain actor needs to eat every two hours to maintain his strongman body (Metro)
Hafthor Julius Bjornsson’s impressive size nabbed him the role of Ser Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane, as well as seeing him named World’s Strongest Man. But all that skull-crushing (on TV) and keg-throwing (in real life) works up an appetite. The Icelandic actor has revealed he needs to eat every two hours to maintain his physique, which sounds dreamy to us but in reality, is probably a bit of a pain. Read more
World Cup: NFF hires backroom staff for Falcons (Punch)
The Nigeria Football Federation has approved the appointment of Per Harlsson, a conditioning coach and Matti Demegard as a video analyst for the Super Falcons, ahead of the 2019 Women’s World Cup finals in France in June. Both were recommended by head coach Thomas Dennerby. According to a statement from the NFF’s Communications Department, the move will boost the preparations of the nine-time African champions and enable them compete favourably for honours at the Women’s World Cup in France. Read more
Unai Emery explains why he is ‘very happy’ with Mesut Ozil (Metro)
Unai Emery insists he has been delighted by Mesut Ozil’s recent return to form. The former Real Madrid playmaker has struggled to win over Arsene Wenger’s successor and was left out of high-profile matches earlier in the season for tactical reasons. Emery was also said to be frustrated with the 30-year-old’s lack of application in training and regular bouts of illness. Read more
FA Cup: Sterling invites former school Elvin Academy (Nation)
Raheem Sterling will provide 550 tickets for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final – to allow pupils at his former school to watch the big match. The generous Manchester City winger stunned staff at the Etihad Stadium by making the request ahead of their 5.30pm clash with Brighton and Hove Albion under the arch.Sources have told Sportsmail that in a joint operation with the club England man Sterling, 24, will meet pupils from Ark Elvin Academy in Wembley at City’s training complex on Thursday after they travel north from London. Then on Saturday, they will make the short journey to the stadium for the big match. Read more
Chelsea can cope with transfer ban, says Sarri (Guardian)
Maurizio Sarri says he is not worried about Chelsea’s looming transfer embargo, insisting he has confidence in his squad as he targets a top-four finish in the Premier League. The Stamford Bridge club, who host London rivals West Ham on Monday, are fifth in the table, level on 63 points with fourth-placed Arsenal, who have a game in hand. Chelsea were handed a two-window transfer ban by world governing body FIFA in February over the recruitment of foreign youngsters with the club’s appeal against the sanction set to be heard on April 11. Read more
‘Good signs’ for Ronaldo ahead of Ajax, says Juve coach Allegri (Punch)
Cristiano Ronaldo could be back in the Juventus line-up in time for their Champions League quarter-final with Ajax, coach Massimiliano Allegri revealed on Friday. Ronaldo hasn’t played for the runaway Serie A leaders since scoring the sensational hat-trick that saw Juve come back from a 2-0 first-leg deficit to knock out Atletico Madrid last month. He was rested in the subsequent 2-0 league defeat at Genoa and then picked up a thigh injury on international duty with Portugal last week, but Allegri is confident the 34-year-old will be ready for Wednesday’s first leg in Amsterdam. Read more
Jordan Pickford: Everton manager Marco Silva ‘not happy’ with goalkeeper (BBC)
Everton manager Marco Silva says he is “not happy” with Jordan Pickford after the England goalkeeper was allegedly involved in a street fracas. A video published on social media appears to show the 25-year-old involved in an incident outside a Sunderland pub. “No-one is happy with the situation – it was not a good thing,” Silva said. He said players had “duties and obligations” and the club would need to remind Pickford of what they are. Read more
Maurizio Sarri compares Gonzalo Higuain’s struggles at Chelsea to Luis Suarez’s slow start at Liverpool (Metro)
Maurizio Sarri has likened Gonzalo Higuain’s struggles at Chelsea to the start of Luis Suarez’s career at Liverpool but is confident the Argentine will improve. Higuain cut short his loan spell at AC Milan to link back up with Sarri at Stamford Bridge in January but has scored just three goals so far and just one in his last eight appearances. Suarez, meanwhile, faced a similar problem after joining Liverpool in January 2011 as he scored only four goals for the remainder of that season. Read more