Lagos to charge Chrisland School, others with manslaughter, negligence (ThisDay)
The Lagos State Government has said it would charge Chrisland High School, Ikeja, some members of staff and one of the vendors with the offences of “Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless and Negligent Acts,” following the death of a 12-year-old student, Whitney Adeniran, during a sporting event the school organised.
This is contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, which said, “On the 9th of February 2023, Whitney Omodesola Adeniran a student of Chrisland High School, Ikeja aged 12 years, slumped during the Inter-house Sports organised by the School at the Agege Sports Stadium and was subsequently rushed to Agege Central Hospital, Agege, Lagos, where she was confirmed “brought in dead” (BID) by the doctor on duty.
“The case was referred to the Nigerian Police Force which carried out a thorough investigation with the help of other agencies. The file was subsequently forwarded to the DPP’s Office on Monday 20th March, 2023, for review of the duplicate case file. Read more
#EndSARS memorial: Lagos right to appeal N5m awarded to driver – Ministry (Punch)
The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has explained why the state government is appealing the Federal High Court judgment that awarded a N5m compensation to a driver allegedly assaulted during the #EndSARS memorial rally in the state, Adedotun Clement.
The ministry in a statement on Saturday by its Public Relations Officer, Grace Alo, said during the hearing of the matter, the state government opposed the claims of the Applicant on grounds of law and facts.
Adedotun’s counsel, Inibehe Effiong, had in a statement on Friday, claimed that the Lagos government was rejecting the judgment of the High Court claiming a “lack of evidence for the torture.” Read more
Thuggery: Police arrest 17, recover 13 ammunition in Nasarawa (Vanguard)
Nasarawa State Command of the Nigeria Police said on Friday that it has arrested 17 political thugs, and recovered 13 firearms, 22 ammunition during the last general elections in the state.
Commissioner of Police, CP Maiyaki Baba who disclosed this while parading the suspects in Lafia said the synergy, on the eve of the March 18 governorship and state House of Assembly election between the military operatives patrolling along Umaisha, Toto Local Government Area led to the interception of a Toyota pickup vehicle and a Toyota Sienna loaded with persons suspected to be political thugs.
‘‘A thorough search was conducted on them where two English pump action guns, nine locally fabricated guns, twenty live cartridges, twenty-four handsets of different brands, two unregistered vehicles, fifteen pairs of desert booths, a bag containing belt, bulletproof jackets”. Read more
AbdulRazaq sympathises with residents over rainstorm, flood (Nation)
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has sympathised with residents of Ilorin and some communities in the state who were affected by the rainstorm and flooding of Thursday night.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, in Ilorin.
The statement quoted the governor describing the incidents as unfortunate. Read more
Ramadan: Sanwo-Olu seeks peaceful, harmonious coexistence in Lagos (Vanguard)
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has appealed to residents, especially the Muslim community to offer prayers for Nigeria, and Lagos in particular, for peaceful and harmonious coexistence.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, made the appeal at the Special Ramadan Lecture and Tafsir programme held at the Lagos House Mosque Complex, Ikeja.
The special Ramadan lecture and Tafsir programme was organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs to usher in the Ramadan Fast. Read more
Shema gives PDP 48-hour ultimatum to withdraw his suspension (DailyTrust)
Former Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, has given the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) 48 hours to rescind his suspension or consider him out of the party.
Shema also asked the NWC to disband what he called the “illegal caretaker committee ” of the PDP in Katsina state and recognise the “duly elected” executive committee in the state.
In a letter dated March 24, 2023 and addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, Shema said failure to rescind the decisions on the two issues he raised, the letter should serve as his formal and official withdrawal of membership from the PDP effective from Saturday, March 25, 2023. Read more
2023 World Water Day: Oyo borehole drillers commend Makinde over policy regulation (Independent)
The Oyo State Chairman of borehole drillers Association, Engr. Kolawole Olayinka has commended the state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde for putting measures in place to avert hap hazard drillings resulting in environmental degradation.
The chairman stated this on Friday to celebrate the giant stride of the governor in providing potable water for masses in the state and also safeguarding the environment from degradation.
World Water day is celebrated on March 22 every year to spread awareness about the water crisis all over the world. World Water Day 2023 aims to achieve the vision of sustainable water and sanitation for all by 2030. Read more
Imo elections marred by irregularities — Lawmaker (Tribune)
A lawmaker representing Oguta state constituency in the Imo State House of Assembly Hon. Frank Ugboma has expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as irregularities that marred the elections.
He urged his supporters to remain calm, confident of lawful reactions which would be decided upon by the PDP, following the outcome of the March 18 state Assembly poll.
He described the purported election as a sham adding that the conduct of INEC as the umpire in collaboration with the ruling party in the state and security agencies was barbaric, draconian, and antiquated. Read more
Reese Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth announce divorce after 11 years of marriage (People)
Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth are breaking up.
The Oscar winner, who turned 47 on Wednesday, and her talent-agent husband, 52, are ending their marriage, they announced in a joint statement on Friday, days before their 12-year wedding anniversary on Sunday.
“We have some personal news to share… It is with a great deal of care and consideration that we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” they said. “We have enjoyed so many wonderful years together and are moving forward with deep love, kindness and mutual respect for everything we have created together.” Read more
Taskmaster’s James Acaster joins Ghostbusters sequel alongside Marvel stars (DigitalSpy)
Ghostbusters: Afterlife did well enough for a sequel, and the cast for that sequel is starting to come together.
As reported by Deadline, the untitled film has added four new names, two from Marvel projects, one known for a Stephen King adaptation, and a Taskmaster alumni.
The publication states that Eternals’ Kumail Nanjiani, Agents of SHIELD’s Patton Oswalt, Doctor Sleep’s Emily Alyn Lind, and comedian James Acaster will be playing currently unknown characters, alongside a returning Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard and Carrie Coon. Read more
U2’s The Edge wants to be the vanguard of the resurgence of guitar music (MusicNews)
U2 guitarist The Edge wants to be ‘‘the vanguard of this resurgence of guitars’’.
The 61-year-old rock legend has revealed he has a lot of ‘‘great material waiting’’ and that he hopes frontman Bonos LP that he wants to release before ‘‘Songs of Ascent’’, which is a ‘‘noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album’’, will be their next project.
Speaking to the latest issue of MOJO magazine, The Edge said of U2’s planned rock album: “Well, I would love that to be the next U2 record! The lockdown was a very creative period for me, just in composing music. I don’t want to jinx ourselves… but there’s a lot of great material waiting. I think the guitar is coming back. I really feel it. And I would like to be part of that. Read more
Ukraine posts video of burning ship as Russia finally admits its loss (Newsweek)
The head of Ukraine’s armed forces has released a video of the aftermath of a strike against a Russian Black Sea Fleet vessel. The clip was made public following an admission by a Russian admiral after months of denial that the vessel Saratov had been sunk.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, put the clip on his Telegram channel which he said showed troops destroying the vessel in the port of the city of Berdyansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, one year ago on March 24, 2022.
Other vessels, Orsk, Cesar Kunnikov, and Novocherkask were also damaged, while Saratov “was destroyed” according to the post. “The myth of the invulnerability of the Russian fleet was destroyed by the well-aimed strikes,” Zaluzhnyi wrote next to the video. Read more
50 Cent agrees to settlement in penis enlargement lawsuit (HipHopDX)
50 Cent has agreed to a settlement to end his lawsuit against a Miami medical spa that he believes implied he’d undergone penis enhancement surgery.
The G-Unit mogul (real name Curtis Jackson) claimed plastic surgeon Angela Kogan and her company, Perfection Plastic Surgery & MedSpa, used a photo of him the two took during a trip to Miami in February 2020 to promote her company and its services.
The lawsuit alleged Kogan used the photo — which 50 Cent said he took believing Kogan was merely a fan — to promote Perfection Plastic Surgery without authorization and falsely implied Fif underwent a penis enlargement procedure. He maintains he’s never had a penis enlargement surgery or any kind of surgery at MedSpa. Read more
Lenny Kravitz teases new album and tour, talks Hunger Games and hosting the iHeartRadio Awards (Variety)
Lenny Kravitz is pumped for his first hosting gig at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
“I’m just ready to get out there and I’m grateful to still be here,” the 58-year-old rocker tells Variety. “After all the years I have behind me — to still be so vibrant and feel so inspired — is truly a gift. And in this very special case, it’s beautiful to meet and witness the people coming up now in this generation. It’s a special moment in my career.”
Fresh off his In Memoriam performance at the 95th Oscars ceremony, Kravitz’s schedule is as busy as can be. Aside from hosting the awards show on March 27, Kravitz is also set to deliver a “roughly four-minute” medley of at least three of his career-defining tracks — a challenging feat for the artist, whose catalog spans over three decades of hits. Read more
US, Canada announce deal on asylum-seekers during Biden trip (VOA)
U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an immigration deal Friday to stop asylum-seekers from crossing the U.S.-Canada border at unofficial crossings.
The United States and Canada are working to “address historic levels of migration in our hemisphere,” Biden told reporters at a joint news conference Friday in Ottawa during his first visit to Canada as president.
The migration agreement allows each country to turn away asylum-seekers who reach the border at unofficial crossings and is aimed at helping Canada limit the rising number of asylum-seekers who have crossed into the country from the United States after entering the U.S. elsewhere. Read more
AFCON: Peseiro blames referee over Nigeria’s loss against Guinea Bissau (Vanguard)
Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has blamed the referee – Kotey Alexander, who officiated the Friday match – his side’s 1-0 loss to Guinea Bissau in the 2023 AFCON qualifiers match on Friday.
Peseiro graded the Egyptian referee’s decisions as poor officiating even though the Nigerians wasted tons of chances in the flow of the match.
The sole goal from Mama Balde in the 29th minute put the Guineans top of group A and the Eagles capped down to second. Read more
PSG could part ways with Italian duo Donnarumma and Verratti (FootballItalia)
The futures of Azzurri stars Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marco Verratti in France have been cast under doubt, with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly looking to move a number of players on during the summer transfer window.
Despite leading Marseille in the Ligue 1 table by a seven-point margin, the Parisians’ games heading into the international break have been hugely underwhelming by their usual meteoric standards.
PSG were once again knocked out of the Champions League earlier than they would have liked after a 3-0 aggregate loss at the hands of Bavarian heavyweight Bayern Munich. Read more
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim submits new bid for Man Utd (France24)
Manchester United have received a second Qatari bid to buy the English football giants, British media reported Saturday.
The Press Association and the Guardian, among others, said Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber AI Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, had placed a second round offer overnight.
British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe made a revised bid on Thursday as Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus entered the race to own the Old Trafford club. Read more
Wout Weghorst sent on as sub after 33 minutes as the Netherlands are thrashed 4-0 by France in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier (DailyMail)
Wout Weghorst was used as part of an attempted rescue act, just 33 minutes into the Netherlands’ crushing defeat to France.
The Manchester United forward started Holland’s opening Euro 2024 qualifier at the Stade de France on the bench, and watched as his teammates were torn apart by the World Cup runners-up.
Goals from Antoine Griezmann, Dayot Upamencano and Kylian Mbappe put Didier Deschamps side 3-0 up inside 22 minutes and it prompted a quick response from the Dutch. Read more
Ben Simmons to remain out indefinitely after doctors discover nerve impingement (Fox)
The Brooklyn Nets announced Friday that Ben Simmons will “remain out of action” after an evaluation revealed a nerve impingement in his back.
Simmons has been out since Feb. 15. Even before then, he was in and out of the lineup, playing in 42 games.
The Nets will “determine the best long-term course of treatment.”
Simmons missed the entire 2021-2022 season for what he said were mental health issues, and he’s missed a significant amount of games due to injury since joining Brooklyn. Read more
Aston Martin boss delivers hope that Red Bull’s mighty advantage can be reduced (PlanetF1)
Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack says we should stay tuned to F1 2023, as he does not expect Red Bull to stay so dominant.
Red Bull truly have been in a class of their own in the early stages of the F1 2023 season, accounting for both pole positions and race wins on offer so far.
Max Verstappen took pole and the win in Bahrain, before Sergio Perez pulled off that achievement in Saudi Arabia as the drivers ensured a Red Bull one-two finish in both races. Read more
