Man flees as girlfriend found dead in Lagos apartment (Punch)
A yet-to-be-identified boyfriend of a graduate of Lagos State University identified simply as Adija has absconded after his girlfriend was found dead in his apartment located in the Meiran area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered on Sunday that the incident occurred on February 26 when the lady visited her boyfriend following his request.
An Instagram user, @Eyeopener, who shared details of the incident in a post, disclosed that Adija’s family became concerned when she did not pick up her calls prompting them to check on her at her boyfriend’s place as she had notified them of her destination. Read more
Nigeria sitting on ticking time bomb, Catholic Bishops warn (Sun)
Catholic Bishops under the umbrella of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have raised the alarm of an imminent crisis that might befall Nigeria, urging the political leaders to take urgent action to address the growing challenges before they become late.
The Bishops, at the opening session of the 2025 first plenary meeting of the CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Abuja, highlighted the growing challenge of youth unemployment and their general dissatisfaction with the entire governance system, and warned that they might soon be forced to take the laws into their hands; a development they feared might be catastrophic.
The event was also attended by Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty, Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria; his Secretary, Rev. Fr. Paterne Koyassabia Kozondo; the new CSN Secretary General, Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo; and other ecumenical partners, including the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba; the Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, His Eminence Oliver Ali Aba, as well as the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh. Read more
NDLEA arrests wanted auto spare parts dealer over cocaine smuggling attempt (Channels)
Levi Ubodoeze was nabbed for attempting to export two kilograms of cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Lagos-based automobile spare parts dealer, Levi Ubodoeze, for attempting to export two kilograms of cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, announced the arrest in a statement on Sunday.
He said the arrest was made possible through bilateral intelligence sharing and synergy between NDLEA and Angola authorities. Read more
Akpoti-Uduaghan: Saraki, SERAP disagree with Akpabio (Vanguard)
President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, yesterday, cautioned critics against making uninformed comments on the affairs of the Senate, urging the public to understand parliamentary rules before engaging in debates.
This came as former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday, described as “cheap politics and trivialising of a serious issue” the claim by Senator Akpabio that the call on him to ensure that transparent and open process was instituted to investigate the accusation levelled against him was an attempt to remove a Niger Delta person from office.
Meanwhile, SERAP, yesterday, urged the Senate to rescind the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan or be sued. Read more
Minister seeks investments in women’s empowerment (Guardian)
Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has reiterated the urgent need for economic and social investments in women’s empowerment.
The minister, who stated this, at the weekend, during a symposium to mark the 2025 International Women’s Day organised by Nigerian Exchange Group Plc., in collaboration with Central Securities Clearing System Plc., under the theme, ‘Accelerate Action for all Women: Rights, Equality, and Empowerment in Lagos’, said that investing in women’s empowerment would ultimately drive national development.
In her keynote address, she highlighted the economic and social benefits of gender inclusivity, stating that providing women with education, vocational training, and financial access is essential for sustainable growth. Read more
Gunmen invade Benue communities, kill 13 (Leadership)
Palpable fear has gripped the people of Mbagena, Dikpo and Imande Gberihwa communities in the Mchihi council ward of Katsina/Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, who are fleeing in droves following the attack by armed men suspected to be herdsmen that led to the killing of 13 farmers.
The Council Chairman Shaku Justin, who disclosed this to our correspondent through telephone conversation, explained that the gunmen, who are herders, invaded the community at about 7 pm when most members of the communities were already in their homes shooting sporadically at anyone in sight.
The Chairman said, “After the operation that lasted for over an hour, Thirteen corpses were recovered from the scene and the surrounding bushes. However, security personnel still combine the surroundings of the missing persons. Read more
El-Rufai visits Aregbesola, Tunde Bakare in Lagos, Atiku in Abuja (DailyTrust)
A former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has paid a visit to former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and renowned cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare in Lagos.
El-Rufai’s media adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, disclosed the visit in a tweet yesterday.
“Malam Nasir @elrufai was in Lagos today to visit Ogbeni @raufaregbesola and Pastor Tunde Bakare,” Adekeye wrote. Read more
Rivers lawmaker dismisses Fubara’s invitation (Nation)
A member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Lolo Isaiah Opuende, has dismissed an invitation from Governor Siminialayi Fubara for a crucial meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt.
In an online video, Opuende stated that it was time for the governor to “dey his dey” (be on his own) while the lawmakers would do the same.
Representing Akuku-Toru Constituency 2, Opuende recalled that when the political crisis began, their principal had warned that a time would come for both sides to go their separate ways. Read more
Roxanne Shanté on winning 1st Grammy & what Drake should have done in Kendrick Lamar battle (Allhiphop)
It was a cold winter day when Roxanne Shanté stepped into WonWorld Studios. Draped in a stylish camouflage coat, she was ready to talk. She arrived with just her publicist, no entourage, no distractions—just an artist in her purest form.
The legendary battle rapper, Hip-Hop icon and now Grammy Award winner exuded warmth, maturity and confidence as she sat down with Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur and DJ Thoro, two longtime fans who couldn’t wait to chop it up with one of the culture’s pioneers.
With decades in the game, Shanté came prepared to drop gems about her historic career, from battling UTFO in Hip-Hop’s first recorded battle to being a pioneer for female MCs, all while navigating the male-dominated industry. Read more
Swiss police rescue 2 dogs stolen for more than $1m ransom (VOA)
Swiss police said Saturday they had solved a kidnapping involving two dogs and a demand for ransom of 1 million Swiss francs (about $1.135 million).
Zurich police said that two Bolonka dogs were stolen from the home of a 59-year-old man in Schlieren near Zurich last week, while the dog owner was away.
When the man returned, the dogs were gone, and he found a letter demanding money to release the small dogs. Read more
Canada gives $272m in aid to Bangladesh, Indo-Pacific as USAID shuttered (Global)
Canada’s Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, unveiled $272.1 million in new funding on Sunday for foreign aid projects in Bangladesh and the Indo-Pacific region.
“Canada continues to fiercely strengthen our long-lasting friendship with Bangladesh and the wider Indo-Pacific region with our long-standing people-to-people ties,” Hussen said in a statement. “By supporting vulnerable communities’ healthcare services, empowering women and addressing climate change, we are creating a brighter tomorrow for the global community.”
The money, to be spent alongside contributions from other foreign partners and donors, will provide new funding for 14 different projects in Bangladesh and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region. Read more
Mali to lift its suspension on the issuance of artisanal mining permits (AfricaNews)
Mali will partially lift its suspension on the issuance of mining permits on March 15, the country’s mines ministry announced in a statement on Friday.
The West African nation, a leading gold producer, halted the allocation of mining titles across its territory in November 2022, citing efforts to improve the permitting process. In 2023, Mali introduced a new mining code that increased taxes and granted the state greater stakes in mining assets.
The ministry said the suspension will be eased after “major work to clean up the mining register.” Under the new directive, authorities will accept applications for the renewal of search and exploitation permits, transitions from search to exploitation, and the transfer of exploitation permits. However, the issuance of new mining permits and the transfer of search permits will remain suspended. Read more
How slain Las Vegas journalist Jeff German may have helped capture his own killer (CBS)
Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German was a man who lived for his job. And as it turns out, may have died for it. In September 2022, he was stabbed to death by an assailant outside his home.
German was a local legend – renowned for his reporting on infamous mobsters, crooked politicians and murderers.
“Jeff German was guided by an innate sense of right and wrong,” said Las Vegas Review-Journal executive editor Glenn Cook.
“How big a list of people might have wanted Jeff dead?” “48 Hours” correspondent Peter Van Sant asked Glenn Cook, the Review-Journal’s executive editor. “That’s a line of people that runs from here to Los Angeles,” Cook replied. “This guy’s written about terrible people, who’ve done awful things for over 40 years. The worst kinds of people.” Read more
Ukraine reports 264 Russian drone attacks in 48 hours amid Trump aid freeze (ABC)
Russia launched a fresh wave of drone strikes into Ukraine overnight into Sunday morning as the country reeled from a bloody weekend of aerial attacks that Kyiv said killed at least 24 people.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 119 Shahed attack drones into the country overnight, 73 of which were shot down and 37 lost in flight without causing any damage.
Impacts were reported in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions, the air force said in a Telegram post. Read more
Pro-Palestinian activist arrested after 16-hour standoff on Big Ben (MEMO)
A pro-Palestinian activist who climbed London’s Big Ben while waving a Palestinian flag has been arrested after spending over 16 hours perched on the landmark.
The man scaled Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster just after 7am yesterday, prompting a major emergency response. Police, firefighters, and paramedics arrived as large crowds gathered beyond a security cordon, with Westminster Bridge closed and parliamentary tours cancelled.
Despite multiple rescue attempts throughout the day, the barefoot protester insisted he would descend “on his own terms.” Emergency crews used a crane to negotiate with him, raising concerns over his safety and an apparent foot injury. Read more
Valencia coach heaps praises on Sadiq (Punch)
Valencia coach Carlos Corberan has praised Super Eagles striker Sadiq Umar who led the line and fired the team to a 2-1 win over Valladolid on Saturday.
Los Ches continued their battle to stay alive in La Liga when they welcomed Valladolid to the Mestalla on Saturday and the Super Eagles striker rose to the occasion in the absence of their preferred striker, Hugo Duro.
Juanmi Latasa equalised late in the first half after Diego Lopez scored the opener for Valencia in the 7th minute but the Nigerian restored their lead 13 minutes into the second half with a sublime finish to make it 2-1. Read more
Emma Raducanu admits ‘lack of preparation’ led to Indian Wells exit after stalker incident (Metro)
Emma Raducanu admits a ‘lack of preparation’ was the reason for her Indian Wells exit in her first match since being targeted by a stalker.
Raducanu has refused to blame last month’s ordeal on her first-round defeat to Moyuka Uchijima, insisting it wasn’t on her mind on Thursday.
Japan’s world No.52 Uchijima defeated Raducanu 6-3 6-2, denying the British No.2 a second-round showdown with American star Coco Gauff. Read more
Alex Pereira loses title to Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 313 (AlJazeera)
Magomed Ankalaev scored a stunning upset with a unanimous decision to take Alex Pereira’s undisputed light heavyweight belt at UFC 313 in Las Vegas.
All three judges scored in favour of Ankalaev (21-1-1) in the Saturday night clash, with scores of 29-26 and two at 28-27.
Ankalaev fought a tactical, measured bout to unseat Pereira, who struggled to generate opportunities in the Octagon to unleash his signature left hook against the Dagestan fighter. Read more
Shapovalov advances with 2nd-round win at Indian Wells (CBC)
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov advanced to the third of the Indian Wells tennis tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Australia’s Adam Walton on Saturday.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., native went 5-for-6 on his break point opportunities and won 67 per cent of his first-serve points.
Shapovalov held Walton to just two break point conversions on 10 chances and the Australian only won 55 per cent of his first-serve points. Read more
Report: LeBron could miss weeks with groin strain suffered against Celtics (CBS)
The Los Angeles Lakers entered Saturday’s marquee battle with the Boston Celtics riding an eight-game winning streak, but they walked away having lost more than just the game.
With 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter, LeBron James exited the game while the Lakers made progress on their attempted 22-point comeback, but he did not return. He was ruled out for the game with a left groin strain, and when head coach JJ Redick spoke afterward, he did not have an update. One source told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, however, that the initial thought is that James will be sidelined for a matter of weeks, not days.
James took a more optimistic tone in his postgame availability, but did not offer a specific timeline when asked how concerned he was about the injury. Read more
A.J. Lawson makes first-ever NBA start (Global)
There was no hiding A.J. Lawson’s smile when Scotiabank Arena in-game host Mark Strong announced his name as part of the Toronto Raptors’ starting lineup.
The hometown boy had finally arrived.Lawson made his first-ever NBA start in Toronto’s 118-109 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday, validation after a long journey to the top men’s basketball league in the world. The 24-year-old guard finished with six points, three rebounds and an assist in 26:35 minutes of play, but he was still smiling in the Raptors locker-room post-game. Read more