Kolade’s killing: Command recommends inspector’s dismissal (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has recommended for dismissal Inspector Olalekan Ogunyemi from the Nigeria Police Force after an orderly-room trial found him guilty of unlawfully killing a football fan, Kolade Johnson, on Sunday. However, his co-accused, Sergeant Godwin Orji, was discharged and acquitted. The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, said in a statement on Thursday that following his dismissal, Ogunyemi had been handed over to the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, for prosecution in a conventional court. Read more
NJC advises Buhari to okay Tanko Muhammad for CJN (Nation)
With the recommendation of the National Judicial Council (NJC), the coast seems clear for Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad to mount the saddle as CJN. President Muhammadu Buhari is likely to accept the NJC’s recommendation that Justice Muhammad should be CJN, The Nation learnt yesterday. But Buhari is said to be weighing whether or not to accept the NJC’s recommendations on the suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria ( CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen. Buhari, who had a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the issue before flying out to Jordan yesterday, is also said to be seeking legal opinions on the NJC’s decisions. Read more
Court nullifies Ogboru’s gubernatorial primary poll, rules in Victor Ochei’s favour (Guardian)
A federal High Court, Asaba, Delta State has nullified the September 30, 2018 of 30th September 2018 All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary which produced Great Ogboru as the party’s candidate for the 2019 governorship election. The nullification followed a suit filed by Victor Ochei, who was dis- satisfied with the conduct of the primaries and had approached the court seeking cancellation of the exercise. Ochei had prayed the court to invalidate the results of the primary and declare that the list of delegates was not the one envisaged by the consent judgement, among others. Read more
INEC replaces APC senatorial candidate, three weeks after election (Punch)
The Independent National Electoral Commission has stopped recognising Lawrence Ezeh as the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Enugu East, citing a court order. On a list tagged, “Final list of senatorial candidates”, for the 2019 general elections published on its website on Thursday morning, the electoral body replaced Ezeh’s name with that of Adaku Ogbu-Aguocha. The change came about three weeks after INEC had concluded the National Assembly elections in which Ezeh was retained as the APC candidate, contrary to the February 19, 2019 judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu that nullified his candidature. Read more
Court nullifies sale of 9mobile to Teleology (Nation)
All steps taken from April 25, 2018 in respect of ownership transfer of Etisalat International Nigeria Limited (9mobile) to Teleology Nigeria Limited were yesterday voided by a Federal High Court in Abuja which set aside the sale of the telecommunication firm. Justice Binta Nyako voided all steps taken in relation to the exchange of ownership of Etisalat, despite pending orders for maintenance of status quo, restraining parties to a suit involving investors and other stakeholders from destroying the res (subject matter). Justice Nyako, who noted that parties were all aware of the suit, the defendants having been served between April 24 and 27, 2018 with the originating process, faulted the sale, as claimed by the plaintiffs in a motion filed on November 16, 2018. Read more
FUTO foursome sex: Police confirm death of third student (Punch)
The police in Imo State have confirmed the death of the third student who allegedly engaged in a sex romp in the state on Tuesday. The police who said that the three persons, including their female colleague were all students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, disclosed that substances suspected to be Tramadol and Indian hemp were found in the hostel where two out of the four students died on Tuesday. The state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, who confirmed the death of the third student, Aka Uche, 27, to our correspondent on Thursday, urged parents to discourage their children from taking to drugs. Read more
Gunmen kill Akure Anglican Church bursar (Nation)
A bursar attached to the Akure Anglican Diocese Secretariat, Alagbaka, Akure, has been reportedly killed. The deceased, identified as Gabriel Abiodun, was shot dead yesterday by gunmen suspected to be robbers, who were said to have trailed him after leaving a new generation bank at Alagbaka. An eyewitness, who was on the scene, said Abiodun was trailed from the bank by the three gunmen to the church where they rained bullets on him. He said: “The man (bursar) had just returned from one of the new generation banks to withdraw N500,000, which we learnt was probably meant for retirees. Read more
My mandate still intact as senator-elect, says Nwaoboshi (Guardian)
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Peter Nwaoboshi, whose re-election was quashed by the court on Wednesday, has said that his mandate remains intact. Nwaoboshi, at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, noted that contrary to report, no court sacked him as he was no longer the candidate of a political party but a senator-elect with certificate of return. An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court had on Wednesday sacked Nwaoboshi, as the senator-elect for Delta North Senatorial District. Read more
Driver allegedly molests four-year-old pupil at UNILAG Women Society School (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has commenced investigation into the alleged molestation of a four-year-old pupil of the University of Lagos Women Society Nursery and Primary School, Akoka, Lagos. PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim was allegedly molested on the school premises by a driver identified as Abiodun Matthew. Matthew, it was gathered, usually pick two other pupils at the school after closing hours on the instruction of their parents. The driver, in the course of time, was said to have become close to a teacher at the school, identified as Charity Madumere. Read more
Defence chief explains military’s role in polls (Nation)
CHIEF of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin yesterday defended the action taken by the military during the general elections. The Gen. Olanisakin noted that if such actions were not taken and deployment of the military personnel made, the security situation of the country would have been jeopardised. Speaking yesterday in Abuja during the orientation programme for senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect, Gen Olonisakin noted that the deployment of the army during the election was constitutional. Read more
Motorist nabbed for driving off with LASTMA personnel (Punch)
A 35-year-old motorist, Ogayi Deckland, has been arrested for aggressively driving off with an officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, who had to cling to his car bonnet along the Igbogbo Park Road in Ikorodu on (Thursday), March 28, 2019, around 6.55pm. Deckland was said to have disobeyed the instruction of the traffic personnel on duty in the area by driving on when he was asked to wait and attempted to hit a LASTMA officer, Adeyinka Seriki, who jumped onto the bonnet of the car to avert being killed. It was learnt that Seriki clung onto the bonnet of the car, while Deckland continued driving at a high speed, but residents of the area and other LASTMA personnel and policemen chased after the motorist and succeeded in arresting him. Read more
Nigeria, Cape Verde sign pact (Guardian)
The Federal Government and Cape Verde have reached Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) to operate flights that connect the two countries. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this pact after a meeting with Cape Verde representatives, on the sidelines of the just concluded International Civil Aviation Organisation/World Tourism Organisation’s (ICAO/UNWTO) ministerial conference on tourism and air transport in Africa, in Sal, Cape Verde. “We have just concluded a meeting with Cape Verde authority and they have signified interest to start flight operations into Nigeria. Cape Verde is willing to exercise their right in the Bilateral Air Service Agreement, and hopefully, to seek a Nigeria airline that will reciprocate through flight operation into Cape Verde. Read more
Christchurch attacks: NZ suspect ordered to undergo mental health tests (BBC)
The man accused of killing 50 people in last month’s attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been ordered to undergo mental health tests. He would be seen by experts to decide if he was fit to stand trial or insane, said high court judge Cameron Mander. The suspect faces 50 murder charges and 39 attempted murder charges. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, appeared in the courtroom – packed with relatives of some of the victims – via video link from prison. Read more
Jeff Bezos: World’s richest man agrees $35bn divorce (BBC)
The world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, and his wife MacKenzie have agreed a record-breaking divorce settlement worth at least $35bn (£27bn). Ms Bezos will retain a 4% stake in online retail giant Amazon which her husband of 25 years founded. She will also give up her interests in the Washington Post newspaper and Mr Bezos’ space travel firm Blue Origin. The deal dwarfs a previous $3.8bn record set by art dealer Alec Wildenstein and his wife Jocelyn. Read more
Mormon church pledges to reverse its anti-LGBT policy (BBC)
The Mormon church has pledged to roll back a series of anti-LGBT policies introduced four years ago. In a surprise move, the Utah-based religious group said it would no longer ban the children of gay parents from being baptised. Gay marriage will also no longer be treated as an offence worthy of expulsion. Around 1,500 people reportedly left the church in protest when its anti-LGBT polices were rolled out in 2015. Members of the church worship Jesus Christ, but have substantial differences in belief to the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christian denominations. Read more
Fossil of ancient four-legged whale found in Peru (BBC)
The fossil of a 43-million-year-old whale with four legs, webbed feet and hooves has been discovered in Peru. Palaeontologists believe the marine mammal’s four-metre-long (13 ft) body was adapted to swim and walk on land. With four limbs capable of carrying its weight and a powerful tail, the semi-aquatic whale has been compared to an otter or a beaver. Researchers believe the discovery could shed light on the evolution of the whale and how it spread. Read more
Moise Kean: Racist abuse of Juventus forward intolerable – Roberto Mancini (BBC)
The racist abuse of Juventus forward Moise Kean was “intolerable”, says Italy manager Roberto Mancini. Kean scored in Juve’s win at Cagliari on Tuesday and celebrated by holding his arms outstretched, seemingly in response to racist chants. Mancini gave the 19-year-old his international debut in November and Kean scored in both of his country’s Euro 2020 qualifying wins in March. “It can’t go on. It needs action and it needs to be tough,” Mancini said. “Even in England, where they are far ahead of us in the fight against racism, these things still happen – but we must do a lot more to eliminate them altogether.” Read more
Danny Rose on racism: Tottenham defender ‘can’t wait to see the back of football’ (BBC)
Tottenham defender Danny Rose says he “can’t wait to see the back of football” and is frustrated at the lack of action taken against fans’ racism. Racist chanting was directed at several England players, including Rose, during the Euro 2020 qualifier in Montenegro. Uefa has charged Montenegro with racist behaviour but Rose, 28, does not expect a significant punishment. The left-back said: “When countries get fined what I probably spend on a night out in London what do you expect?” Read more