Man kills 70-year-old mother in Akwa Ibom (DailyTrust)
A 40-year-old man, Inyangake James Peter, has reportedly killed his mother, Mma-Offiong James Peter, claiming a voice directed him to do so.
Peter, who confessed to the crime, said he followed the prompting of a voice which told him to “kill her, kill her.”
He was said to have murdered his mother about 9am on April 4, at Ikpe Annang village in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Read more
Police arrest 22-year-old over unlawful possession of firearm (Tribune)
A 22-year-old Anambra-bound male passenger, one Francis Obinna Okoye, has been arrested by operatives of the Edo State Police Command over alleged possession of firearm.
The police said that the suspect was discovered to have been in unlawful possession of the firearm upon a stop-and-search of the vehicle carrying Okoye and others to Anambra State along Lagos-Benin expressway by Ovia River.
According to the press statement issued by the state police image-maker, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, the suspect upon interrogation confessed one Emma whose surname was not given as the person who gave him the gun. Read more
Tinubu declares April 7 National Police Day (Channels)
President Bola Tinubu has declared April 7 as National Police Day.
He made the declaration through Vice President Kashim at the maiden award and commendations event organised by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Abuja on Monday night.
Delivering the President’s speech titled, “Courage Under Fire: A Bouquet for Our Police Force,” VP Shettima said at a time in Nigeria’s history when the nation’s security architecture is being stretched beyond elastic limits, the citizens have been able to endure in the face of security threats as well as attacks on their lives and livelihoods due to the commitment of the police. Read more
Kano APC voids Ganduje’s suspension, sanctions ward leaders (Nation)
The State Working Committee of the Kano chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sanctioned some ward party leaders who earlier suspended the national chairman of the party, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje.
Leaders in Ganduje ward in Dawakin Tofa Local Government had on Monday suspended the APC national chairman.
However, in a quick counter, the party’s local government officials thwarted the suspension and sacked those behind it. Read more
Police arrest 46 suspected cultists in Kwara (Punch)
The Kwara State Police Command said that it had arrested 46 suspects allegedly terrorising the people in various areas of Ilorin, the state capital.
The command, in a statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, said that the suspects were arrested following a report of them causing disturbances in some black spots in the metropolis at the weekend.
She said that some suspected cult members allegedly killed one Adelodun Farouq at Film House/Bolanta area in Ilorin West Local Government Area on Saturday while another person identified as Abdullahi Alao, an Okada rider, was assaulted and injured by the suspected cult members on Sunday. Read more
Sylvester Oromoni’s death avoidable – Lagos coroner (Vanguard)
A Lagos coroner has ruled that the 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, Master Sylvester Oromoni, who died in November 2021 under controversial circumstances suffered “avoidable excruciating pain” due to parental and medical negligence.
The coroner, Mikhail Kadiri, revealed this while delivering his findings which lasted for seven hours, 20 minutes on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 32 witnesses testified in the coroner’s inquest which started sitting in January 2022. Read more
FG secretly paying fuel subsidy — El-Rufai (Leadership)
Subsidy on the premium motor spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, is back in a bigger measure without the the awareness of Nigerians.
Immediate-past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
El-Rufai said although he supported that the subsidy removal policy, he, however, criticised its implementation. Read more
Governor Radda launches armoured vehicles to support security in Katsina (Channels)
Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State has launched ten armoured personnel carrier vehicles to support the ongoing joint operation led by the police, the army, and the Katsina Security Watch Corps across eight local government areas of the state.
While performing the ceremony at the Katsina Government House on Monday, Radda pledged continued support for security agencies in the state.
He recalled that his government inherited insecurity but said the launch of the armoured carrier was in fulfilment of one of his campaign promises to provide all necessary support needed to restore peace in the state. Read more
Nelly Furtado falls and injures herself while joining Dom Dolla at Coachella (People)
Nelly Furtado sustained an injury while making her Coachella debut over the weekend — but she managed to laugh it off!
The pop superstar, 45, joined Australian EDM artist Dom Dolla on stage during his Coachella set on Saturday, April 13, and while they performed their hit 2023 collaboration “Eat Your Man,” Furtado fell and injured her hand. After the music festival, the “Maneater” singer took to Instagram to joke about the incident and share how she still had an incredible experience.
According to fan-captured footage that surfaced on social media, Furtado tripped and fell straight onto her hands and knees after singing the line in the chorus, “Movin’ my body like a nympho.” Read more
“Rust” armorer gets 18 months in prison for fatal shooting involving Alec Baldwin (France24)
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” during a hearing Monday in which tearful family members and friends gave testimonials that included calls for justice and a punishment that would instill greater accountability for safety on film sets.
Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was convicted in March by a jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe. Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust,” where it was expressly prohibited, and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols. Read more
Trump trial: Dozens of jurors rejected as they say they cannot be impartial (BBC)
Donald Trump’s unprecedented criminal trial has begun with half of a group of potential jurors ruled out within minutes on impartiality grounds.
Mr Trump denies falsifying business records to conceal a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Sixty of 96 potential jurors were quick to say in the New York court that they could not be impartial. Read more
Sydney church stabbing suspect is 15-year-old boy, police confirm (Metro)
The suspect arrested after a Bishop and worshippers were attacked in a church in Sydney is a 15-year-old boy, it’s been confirmed.
The attack, just after 7pm local time on Monday at the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, was captured on camera as the Mass was being livestreamed.
Footage shows the moment a suspect walked up to the altar and attacked Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel as he was saying mass. Read more
‘Crimes against humanity’ may have been committed in Sudan, says UN chief (AlJazeera)
Indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Sudan could constitute “war crimes and crimes against humanity,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said, one year after war erupted between rival generals in the East African country.
The United Nations has said nearly 25 million people, half Sudan’s population, need aid and some eight million have fled their homes amid the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Donors met in Paris on Monday to pledge humanitarian help.
“This is more than a conflict between two warring parties. It is a war being waged on the Sudanese people,” Guterres told reporters, referring to the tens of thousands of people killed and 18 million facing “acute hunger”. Read more
Atlantic City mayor and his wife accused of physically, emotionally abusing teen daughter (NBC)
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife are both charged with physically and emotionally abusing their teen daughter, officials announced Monday.
Small, a 50-year-old Democrat, and his wife, La’Quetta Small, 47, are charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said. Marty Small is also charged with third-degree terroristic threats, third-degree aggravated assault and disorderly persons simple assault.
La’Quetta Small, who is the superintendent of the Atlantic City Public Schools, is also charged with disorderly persons simple assault. Read more
Macron announces world donors pledge $2.1b in aid for war-stricken Sudan (AfricaNews)
World donors pledged more than $2.1 billion in humanitarian aid for Sudan after a yearlong war that has pushed its population to the brink of famine, French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday.
Macron spoke at the end of an international conference in Paris aimed at drumming up support for Sudan’s 51 million people. The aid will go to food, water, medicines and other urgent needs, he said, without providing a specific timeline.
Top diplomatic envoys, U.N. officials and aid agencies urged Sudan’s warring parties to stop attacks on civilians and allow access for humanitarian aid, and called for immediate international mediation efforts toward peace. Read more
CAF, Oliseh laud Boniface after league win (Punch)
Confederation of African Football and former Super Eagles coach, Sunday Oliseh, have both lauded Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface, after playing a starring role in Bayer Leverkusen’s historical Bundesliga triumph, The PUNCH reports.
Leverkusen emerged champions of Germany for the first time in their 120-year history, ending Bayern Munich’s stranglehold on the league after 11 title wins in a row.
Xabi Alonso’s side wrapped up the title with five games to spare after a crushing 5-0 win over Werder Bremen on Sunday with Boniface opening the floodgate. Read more
Andy Murray will not have surgery on ankle injury but no date given for his return (BBC)
Andy Murray will not have surgery on an ankle injury suffered last month but does not have a date for his return.
The Scot, 36, ruptured ankle ligaments at the Miami Open and no timescale has been given for his return.
A spokesperson said on Monday that the three-time Grand Slam champion’s rehab is “going well” and he is hoping to start hitting again on court soon. Read more
Caitlin Clark selected as WNBA No. 1 draft pick by Indiana Fever
headshot (Axios)
Caitlin Clark was selected as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever on Monday.
Why it matters: The selection comes as no surprise as the former Iowa guard garnered national attention for the “Caitlin Clark effect” that has brought with it a boom in NCAA women’s basketball viewership and tickets sales, and huge anticipation over this year’s WNBA draft.
The expected pick by Indiana has already caused an uptick in interest and ticket prices for the Fever, per ESPN.
Zoom out: A staggering 18.7 million people watched the NCAA title game between Clark’s Iowa and South Carolina earlier this month — setting a record for women’s college basketball and a five-year high for any basketball broadcast. Read more
Sports ministry teams up with Yucateco boxing promotions for inaugural boxing awards in Lagos (CompleteSports)
The Ministry of Sports, in collaboration with Yucateco Boxing Promotions, will hold the first-of-its-kind Boxing Award ceremony in Lagos.
The event, aligned with the Sports Minister’s agenda on athlete recognition and appreciation, is the brainchild of Yucateco Boxing Promotions, organisers of Nigeria’s inaugural boxing league.
According to the CEO of Yucateco Boxing Promotions, Omonlei Yakubu Imadu, the Award aims to celebrate and recognize Nigeria’s boxing heroes, including boxers, referees, judges, and others who have contributed to the growth of boxing in Nigeria over the years. Read more
Steelers prioritize offense in ESPN’s latest mock draft (Heavy)
With 10 days to go before the opening round of the NFL draft on April 25, ESPN’s lead draft analysts believe the Steelers will prioritize their offense in the first two rounds.
In his latest mock draft with Mel Kiper on April 15, Field Yates believes the Steelers will select Graham Barton, a center out of Duke, with the 20th overall pick.
Center remains one of the key areas of need for the Steelers after the team released Mason Cole, the team’s starting center for the last two seasons, on February 23. Read more
Scottie Scheffler wins The Masters to claim second green jacket in 3 years (Independent)
Scottie Scheffler fully justified his status as pre-tournament favourite with a nerveless second Masters title in the space of three years at Augusta National.
The world number one carded a closing 68 to finish 11 under par and four shots clear of Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, with England’s Tommy Fleetwood, two-time major winner Collin Morikawa and Max Homa three strokes further back.
Scheffler held his nerve as his rivals stumbled around Amen Corner and responded magnificently when Aberg kept the pressure on, the 24-year-old again demonstrating his enormous potential on his major debut. Read more