LASPOTECH apologises to JAMB over molestation of officials (Punch)
The Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu on Wednesday said it would punish any of its non-teaching staff involved in the molestation of two officials of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board on the school campus, as claimed by the examination body. The Polytechnic spokesman, Mr Olanrewaju Kuye, said in Lagos that the institution and the Lagos State Government were already addressing the issue, while the police had begun investigation into the matter. Recall that JAMB had alleged that two of its officials were nearly set ablaze at LASPOTECH on March 29. Read more
Ganduje receives certificate of return as PDP members boycott ceremony (Guardian)
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a certificate of return to Kano state Governor-elect Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for the second term in office. Ganduje who received the certificate along with his deputy, Nasiru Yusuf Gawna and members of the state house of assembly under the platform of ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Lawmakers’- elect shun the INEC ceremony. PDP won 13 assembly seats while the ruling APC claimed 27 seats. Read more
NJC concludes probe of Onnoghen, Muhammad, silent on findings (Nation)
The National Judicial Council (NJC) rose from an emergency meeting on Wednesday and elected to be silent on its report on the probe of petitions against suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and Acting CJN, Ibrahim Muhammad. The NJC, which considered the report of its five-man committee constituted to investigate petitions against Onnoghen and Muhammad, said it has decided to send its report to President Muhammadu Buhari rather than making it public in view of “the nature of the decision reached Its spokesman, Soji Oye said, in a statement on Wednesday, that the NJC refrained from considering the allegation relating to asset declaration involving Onnoghen, “because it’s was subjudice.” Read more
Why our Kano Assembly members-elect shunned Certificate of Return issuance ceremony —PDP (Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party in Kano State says its 13 state assembly members-elect boycotted INEC’s issuance of Certificate of Return due to security reasons. A statement by Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, PDP’s spokesperson for 2019 Campaign Management Team in Kano State, made this known in Kano on Wednesday. Dawakin-Tofa said the party asked its members to boycott the exercise because the Sani Abacha Indoor Sports Hall, which was the venue of the ceremony, was not conducive due to serious security reasons. “We have a serious concern over the selection of venue for issuance of Certificate of Return to our state Assembly members-elect. Read more
FEC approves new employment scheme to employ 60,000 youths (Guardian)
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) Wednesday approved a new scheme that is targeted at creating employment for 60,000 Nigerians aged 18-25 years. The Minister of Budget and Planning, Udoma Udoma said the new scheme is called the N-Power knowledge multi-track youth empowerment programme. Udoma said this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting of the council chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari. Read more
I will reclaim my mandate from Okowa —Ogboru (Punch)
The governorship candidate of All Progressive Congress in Delta State, Great Ovedje Ogboru, has said he would challenge the victory of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of the Peoples Democratic Party at the just concluded governorship election will soon be reclaimed. Ogboru dropped the hint on Wednesday at his Abraka country home, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, while briefing journalists. He commended all Deltans who came out en masse to vote for him and all the candidates of the All Progressive Congress, stressing that the injustice done to the party will certainly be reversed. Read more
Accept terms of scholarship or quit, Amnesty office says as awardees reject N45,000 monthly feeding deductions (Punch)
The Presidential Amnesty Programme has urged its beneficiaries deployed to Admiralty University Ibusa, Delta State, for educational programmes to accept the terms of scholarship as applicable to the institution or vacate its premises. Mr. Murphy Ganagana, Special Assistant on Media to PAP Coordinator, Prof. Charles Dokubo, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. Ganagana said the call became necessary following the rejection of sponsorship letters by some delegates offered admission by the university for the current academic session. He said that some of them rejected the offer on the grounds that the centralised feeding arrangement by the institution was unacceptable to them. Read more
We recovered two bodies, Tramadol, Indian hemp from scene of suspected group sex —Police (Punch)
The Police Command in Owerri, Imo State, said they have recovered two male corpses, Tramadol tablets and Indian hemp from the scene of what appeared to be a group sex at a student lodge. The Command said it also rescued two unconscious persons — a man and a young lady — from the scene. The two young men described as undergraduate students at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, collapsed and died allegedly while having group sex with a female student, Police said. Read more
Three killed as cultists clash in Calabar —Police (Punch)
A clash between two rival cult groups, Black Axe and Klans, in Calabar South, Cross River State has resulted in the death of three persons. A source who witnessed the killing of one of the victims at about 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday on Ambo Street, narrated to our correspondent how it happened. The source who pleaded anonymity said, “We had just finished a church programme at about 11:00 p.m. and we were going home when some young men accosted a youth and began hitting him with a plank. Read more
Mozambique woman gives birth in mango tree during floods (BBC)
A woman gave birth in a mango tree while escaping floods in central Mozambique caused by Cyclone Idai. Single mother Amélia delivered her daughter, Sara, whilst clinging to the branches with her two-year-old son The family was rescued two days later by neighbours, following storms that have killed more than 700 people. It comes nearly 20 years after another miracle baby, Rosita Mabuiango, was born up a tree during flooding in southern Mozambique. Read more
113m people in 53 countries go hungry – UN (Guardian)
No fewer than 113 million people experienced high levels of food insecurity in the world’s most severe food crises in 2018, the Global Report on Food Crisis 2019 has found. The report, which was released on Wednesday in Brussels, warned that these food crises were primarily driven by conflict and climate-related disasters. One of the key findings of the report showed that nearly two-thirds of those facing acute hunger were in just eight countries. Read more
Brexit: Theresa May meets Jeremy Corbyn to tackle deadlock (BBC)
Theresa May has responded to criticism from her own MPs over talks with Jeremy Corbyn by saying all MPs have a responsibility to deliver Brexit. The PM said the public “expect us to reach across this House to find a way through this”. Mr Corbyn said he welcomed the PM’s “willingness to compromise to resolve the Brexit deadlock”. The PM’s move to hold talks has angered some Brexiteers, with two ministers resigning over it. Chris Heaton-Harris became the latest to quit on Wednesday afternoon, claiming his job at the Department for Exiting the European Union had become “irrelevant” if the government is not prepared to leave without a deal. Read more
Restaurant blast in southern Philippines wounds at least 13 (Guardian)
A bomb blast outside a restaurant on Wednesday wounded at least 13 people, including children, in the insurgency-plagued southern Philippines, authorities said. The explosion shattered a window at the front of the eatery, striking family members gathered for an event in the town of Isulan on Mindanao island, Mayor Marites Pallasigue told AFP. The southern Philippines is plagued by multiple armed groups ranging from communist insurgents to Islamic State-aligned jihadists, which leave the area mired in poverty and violence. Read more
Paris transgender woman ‘humiliated’ at protest (BBC)
A transgender woman has spoken out after a video went viral of her being attacked near a rally in central Paris against Algeria’s ailing president. Julia has described being targeted by three men in the Place de la République. “You’re a man, you’re not going anywhere, you’re not coming past,” she was told, as she was pushed and punched while trying get through the crowd. Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into the attack. Appearing on French TV and radio, Julia said she had never experienced anything quite like it. Read more
South Sudan leaders in ‘spiritual retreat’ in Vatican next week (Guardian)
The “leaders of South Sudan” are to visit the Vatican next week, a spokesman said Wednesday. Media reports said arch-rivals President Salva Kiir and rebel leader and former vice president Riek Machar were expected to be at the Vatican on April 9 and 10. “I can affirm that scheduled next week in the Vatican is a spiritual retreat for the leaders of South Sudan,” Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said. South Sudan country was born in a blaze of optimism in 2011 after it gained independence from Sudan. Read more
Pound rises versus dollar on May’s Brexit gamble (Guardian)
The British pound rose against the dollar Wednesday after Prime Minister Theresa May offered cross-party talks with the leader of the opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, in a political gamble aimed at resolving the Brexit impasse. Sterling won a boost after Conservative leader May declared late Tuesday that she would look for another Brexit delay and softened her position to try and avert a messy no-deal divorce from the European Union next week. Corbyn has consistently called for Britain to remain in a customs union with the bloc, while the government has so far ruled this out saying Britain should have an independent trade policy after Brexit. Read more
Woman played dead to stop man raping her after meeting on dating app (Metro)
A ‘manipulative and violent’ rapist has been jailed for 13 years for attacking his victim until she had to play dead to make him stop. James McNutt, 33, stamped on the woman, smashed her in the face with her own mobile phone, then raped her until she pretended to be unresponsive. He then strangled her before trying to smother her with a pillow, Birmingham Crown Court heard. McNutt, of no fixed address, met his victim on a dating app in April last year and turned violent soon after they began dating. Read more
Charges dropped in 2015 Texas biker brawl that left nine dead (BBC)
Not a single person charged for their suspected roles in a fatal shootout at a Texas biker bar in 2015 has been convicted, a prosecutor says. The newly elected district attorney in Waco said he is dropping all remaining charges against the bikers involved. The brawl resulted in nine deaths, 20 serious injuries and 177 arrests. McLennan District Attorney Barry Johnson blamed his predecessor for not properly prosecuting all those charged in the fracas. Read more
Angelina Jolie will ‘never say never’ to running for office (Metro)
She’s been trying her dang best to cement herself as a true humanitarian – and it’s working – and now Angelina Jolie has looked at the prospect of running for office one day and saluted it with a saucy wink. The actress and UNHCR Special Envoy is doing less acting these days and more making the world a better place through her tireless advocacy, which includes travelling to worn-torn countries to help refugees. It’s a pretty selfless and boss action from someone in Hollywood, right? Read more
Moise Kean: Raheem Sterling says Leonardo Bonucci racism comments laughable (BBC)
Leonardo Bonucci’s suggestion that Juventus team-mate Moise Kean was partly to blame for the racist abuse he received from Cagliari fans is laughable, says Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling. Kean, 19, spread his arms while facing the crowd after scoring Juve’s second goal in Tuesday’s Serie A win. Bonucci said Kean “could have done it differently” and “the blame is 50-50”. England international Sterling, 24, said: “All you can do now is laugh.” Read more
Andros Townsend set to miss Crystal Palace’s clash against Tottenham with injury (Metro)
Boyhood Tottenham fan Andros Townsend is set to miss tonight’s opener at the club’s new stadium after sustaining a late injury. The winger was desperate to feature for Crystal Palace as his former club officially open their new 62,000 stadium and had been in line to start. However, Townsend sustained a hand injury against Huddersfield on the weekend and is now a major doubt for the Eagles. Read more
Liverpool: Mohamed Salah ‘not bothered’ by lack of goals (BBC)
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah “doesn’t seem bothered” by his failure to score in the past eight games, says manager Jurgen Klopp. The Egypt international, who scored 44 goals last season, has 20 this term but none since 9 February. Salah played a key part in Liverpool’s late winner against Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. “It was an own goal but it was Mo’s header which forced it. It felt like it was his goal,” Klopp said. Read more
Brazil legend Pele taken to hospital in Paris after suffering from a fever (Metro)
Brazil legend Pele has been admitted to hospital in Paris, according to reports in France. RMC Sport report that the 78-year-old is suffering from a fever and his condition is not considered to be life-threatening. Pele was taken from his hotel in the 7th arrondissement district to a nearby hospital on Tuesday evening where he stayed overnight. The former Santos striker remained in hospital on Wednesday where he was monitored by doctors. Read more
Cardiff await Nantes response over Sala talks (Guardian)
Premier League club Cardiff have requested a meeting with French outfit Nantes to resolve their dispute over Emiliano Sala’s transfer fee, the Welsh-based side said on Wednesday. Cardiff also obtained from the world governing body FIFA — to whom Nantes had referred the case — an extension to the Wednesday deadline for the two clubs to hand over evidence, so they could rule on it, to April 15. Sala, 28, died along with the pilot David Ibbotson when the Piper Malibu aircraft they were travelling in came down in the English Channel on January 21, two days after Cardiff had signed the Argentinian striker for a club record £15million ($19.7million) from Nantes. Read more