Lagos CP removes DPO Okokomaiko over extortion (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, has taken swift action against the Okokomaiko Divisional Police Officer, SP Emmanuel Edebagha for failing to supervise his officers properly.
The move came after members of the Okokomaiko division were accused of forcefully extorting N101,000 from a phone dealer in Lagos, falsely labeling him a fraudster.
CP Owohunwa ordered the immediate removal of the DPO and initiated disciplinary action against him and all officers implicated in the incident. Read more
Police arrest persons over alleged Tiwa Savage kidnap (Guardian)
The Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi in Lagos, says it has arrested some persons in connection with the alleged attempt to kidnap Tiwa Savage.
The department’s spokesperson, CSP Oluniyi Ogundeyi, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
NAN reports that the news of the attempt to kidnap the musician broke out on Friday through the social media. Read more
I was on seventh floor when Banana Island building collapsed– Site engineer (Punch)
On Wednesday, the peace and serenity of Banana Island, Ikoyi, a highbrow Lagos community, was shattered after a seven-storey building under construction collapsed.
Like fire in harmattan, the news quickly spread as emergency management workers hurried to the scene to pull out people who were trapped under the rubble.
While some of the victims were taken to the Lagos Island General Hospital, others were admitted to the Falomo Police Hospital, Ikoyi. Read more
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan involved in auto crash on Abuja-Lokoja highway (Tribune)
Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Kogi Central Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25th general election, was involved in a ghastly motor accident on the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
The accident occurred on Friday while she was on her way to Abuja and was to return to Lokoja for the Sunday governorship primary.
According to sources, her Sports Utility Vehicle hit a curb on the road, causing injury to the passengers in the car. Read more
Nigerians in diaspora protest outcome of presidential poll in London (Sun)
The dust raised as a result of the outcome of the February 25 presidential election is yet to settle as some Nigerians under the aegis of Good Governance Institute, protested in London, alleging that the process was marred by electoral fraud and voters’ suppression.
The group reminded the United Kingdom that it spent £5 million during the Nigerian election, hence it should show interest in ensuring that the right things were done.
Founder of Good Governance Institute (GGI), Marcel Ngogbehei, who led the protest, knocked the Nigerian government for showing less attention to the security of the voters as political thugs harassed and intimidated voters. Read more
INEC declares Bomai winner of Yobe South Senate seat (ThisDay)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday declared Sen. Ibrahim Bomai of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the senator-elect for Yobe South.
INEC Returning Officer, Dr Abatcha Melemi of the Federal University Gashua, made the declaration in Potiskum.
Melemi stated that Bomai scored 69,596 votes to defeat Mr Halilu Mazagane of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 68,885 votes. Read more
Another FCT Monarch dies at 76 (DailyTrust)
The Sa’akaruyi of Karu chiefdom in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Chief Emmanuel Kyauta Yepwi, has died at 76.
A relative of the late monarch, Habaku Samson, who confirmed the death to our reporter on Saturday, said he died after a brief illness on Saturday morning at a private hospital in Kano State.
He said the late Sa’akaruyi was admitted at the Kano hospital before he passed on, adding that his remains would be brought to Abuja. Read more
CJN, NBA president, Fashola, Azinge others for Justice Idigbe centenary (Nation)
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Olukayode Ariwoola, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Yakubu Maikyau (SAN) and former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof Epiphany Azinge (SAN) are among dignitaries expected at events to mark the centenary of former Justice of the Supreme Court, the late Chukwunweike Idigbe.
Nnamdi Oragwu, Partner and Head of Litigation at PUNUKA Attorneys & Solicitors, a firm founded by late Justice Idigbe, said in a statement that the 100th anniversary events will be year-long.
“Our late founder served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from 1964 to 1967 and from 1975 to 1985. Read more
Box Office: The Super Mario Bros. Movie keeps winning with impressive 45% projected drop (Variety)
Mamma mia! The Super Mario Bros. Movie is staying on top at the domestic box office.
The Universal release added a commanding $22.6 million on Friday from 4,371 theaters. After achieving the biggest opening weekend of the year, “Mario Bros.” actually added 28 more locations in its sophomore outing.
The Universal, Illumination and Nintendo co-production is now projecting an $80 million gross for the three-day frame, which would mark an impressive 45% drop from its $146 million opening weekend. A major release that opens above $100 million hardly ever slips less than at least 50% in its second outing. In comparison to other recent family fare, “Mario Bros.” is putting up a stronger hold than Minions: The Rise of Gru (-56.9%) and Strange World (-58.2%). Read more
New ‘‘Lord Of The Rings’’ movie plans see Elijah Wood cautiously optimistic (Deadline)
Count actor Elijah Wood among those who are rooting for the new Lord of the Rings movies that are planned.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Swedish media company Embracer Group said earlier this year they will produce more films based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the massively successful LOTR Peter Jackson film trilogy, talked about what the new films might be in an interview with GQ. Read more
Petition to cancel Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra gains over 60k signatures (GreekReporter)
A petition calling for the cancellation of the Netflix documentary Queen Cleopatra has garnered over 62,000 signatures in just two days.
The Netflix documentary, produced and narrated by Jada Pinket Smith, has been widely lambasted for its depiction of Cleopatra VII Philopator as black, whereas the historical figure was a Macedonian Greek member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which ruled Egypt between 305 BC and 30 BC.
The controversial series has also sparked lively debates on social media on the issues of historical revisionism, race, ethnicity, and representation. Read more
Man trapped in a piece of public art rescued and arrested (Culture)
In a bizarre incident, a 26-year-old man found himself trapped inside the Talus Dome sculpture in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Firefighters were called to the scene on Easter Sunday, and the man was arrested soon after his rescue.
A Strange Sight at the Talus Dome
The Talus Dome, a monumental roadside sculpture created by Ball Nogues Studio in 2012, is made up of nearly 1,000 handmade stainless steel spheres.
It is located at a major junction of the city’s river valley trail system, making it accessible to a wide range of people. Read more
Australian comedian Jim Jefferies reveals he secretly wrote jokes for Brad Bitt (DailyMail)
Jim Jefferies has revealed he is Brad Pitt’s secret weapon when it comes to killer jokes.
The Australian comedian wrote gags for the Hollywood superstar to tell during the 2020 awards season.
‘[Brad Pitt] has been very good to me… and so I wrote him a couple of gags for some award shows’ the 46-year-old tells this week’s issue of Stellar Magazine.
It’s not like writing jokes for me. The best jokes to write are self-deprecating jokes. Writing self-deprecating jokes for Brad Pitt is easy because everyone loves him.’ Read more
Lil Durk changes lives of Howard University students with $350K donation (HipHopDX)
Lil Durk is about to change the lives of multiple students at Howard University with the development of his Durk Banks Endowment Fund.
In collaboration with Amazon Music, Durkio is providing two students from Chicago with $50,000 scholarships to attend the prestigious HBCU. According to The Shade Room, the recipients will be announced during Durk’s performance at Howard University’s 2023 Springfest on Friday (April 14).
The two students were selected from 20 participating in Lil Durk’s Neighborhood Heroes HBCU College & Career Readiness Cohort Program. He’s not stopping there, though. The Chicago native will also donate $250,000 to Howard’s GRACE Grant – a program created to help students needing tuition assistance. Read more
In a first, Iranian President addresses Palestinians in Gaza (VOA)
Iran’s president on Friday delivered an unprecedented speech to an annual pro-Palestinian rally in the Gaza Strip — a rare display of Iran’s importance to the Hamas militant group that rules the territory.
Speaking virtually to hundreds of supporters of Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group gathered at a soccer stadium in Gaza City, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi urged Palestinians to press on with their struggle against Israel.
His speech — the first of its kind to Palestinians — appeared to culminate years of quiet diplomacy aimed at mending a rift between Hamas and its longtime patron, Iran, over the devastating civil war in Syria. Read more
Wikki Tourists FC appeal IMC sanctions (Punch)
Wikki Tourists Football Club of Bauchi has appealed to the Interim Management Committee to review the sanctions against the club over the 2022/2023 Nigeria Professional Football League between the club and Bayelsa United FC.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Match Day 13 fixtures between Wikki Tourists FC and Bayelsa United at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi, on April 9, was alleged to be characterised by irregularities.
The IMC in its penalties after a review of the match imposed three points, goals deduction on Wikki Tourists, imposed a N2.5 million fine and ordered the stadium closed to all NPFL matches. Read more
Aston Villa boost European hopes at Newcastle’s expense (RTE)
Ollie Watkins’ hot streak continued as Aston Villa strengthened their European aspirations with a dominant 3-0 win over Newcastle at Villa Park.
The 27-year-old is loving life under Unai Emery and took his tally to 11 goals in 12 outings with a
second-half brace after Jacob Ramsey’s early opener laid the foundations of a seventh win in eight games for Villa.
That run of form has catapulted them up the table and, not only are they looking a good bet for a top-six finish, with Manchester United and Tottenham still to play they might have one eye on Champions League qualification, especially with Watkins in this sort of form. Read more
Chris Colbert still willing to face Frank Martin but only at 130 pounds (BoxingScene)
Chris Colbert was visibly despondent following his upset loss at the hands of Hector Luis last year. After sulking for months on end, Colbert (17-1, 6 KOs) dusted himself off and began preparing to make his return. Although 130 pounds is filled to the brim with talented fighters, Colbert opted to test himself one division higher.
Ultimately, before making the move, the flamboyant Brooklyn native and highly ranked 135-pound contender, Frank Martin, began to tussle verbally. With the two agreeing to settle their differences in the ring, Colbert’s wishes were never placated as he was forced to go in another direction.
On May 25th, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Colbert successfully made the transition to the lightweight division. Greeting him at the door, of course, was Jose Valenzuela. While the power difference was obvious from the very beginning, Colbert bounced back from a rocky start by winning a close unanimous decision. Read more
Pelicans VP David Griffin says Zion Williamson was not cleared to play (Fox)
Less than 48 hours after the Pelicans’ season was ended by a home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans’ executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin provided more clarity Friday (April 14) on star forward Zion Williamson’s progress.
Williamson suffered a right hamstring strain on Jan. 2 and was sidelined for the rest of the season, playing in only 29 of 82 games.
Williamson said last Tuesday he felt physically fine. He added he would return to the court when he felt like himself again. He was not available for the play-in tournament game against the Thunder. Read more
Butler, Strus lead Heat past Bulls and into playoffs (France24)
Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat caught fire down the stretch as they beat the Chicago Bulls 102-91 on Friday to set up a play-off meeting with the top seeded Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bulls went into the play-in game having swept Miami 3-0 in the regular season and it was a tight encounter until the final stages when Butler, helped by the three-pointers of Max Strus, secured victory for Erik Spoelstra’s team.
Butler put up 31 points, a tally matched by Strus who shot 7-12 on three pointers, including a crucial 26-foot jumper with 1:14 left that put Miami 96-91 up. Read more
Ticketing bungles plague FIFA Women’s World Cup matches in Australia (DailyMail)
Soccer fans who rushed to secure tickets for the FIFA Women’s World Cup feel duped over what they deem to be confusing information that has left them stuck in the nosebleeds.
The tournament is the first FIFA Women’s World Cup to feature more than one host nation, and is also the first senior World Cup for either sex to be held across multiple confederations.
Fans have hit out after a variety of ticketing bungles left some of the Matildas’ most dedicated supporters were pushed into the nosebleeds after unprecedented demand saw the national side’s Sydney-based group game moved from CommBank Stadium in Parramatta to the 82,500 capacity Accor Stadium. Read more