Missing Jet: Boko Haram released doctored video, says Air Force (DailyTrust)
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has denied that its missing alpha jet was brought down by Boko Haram fighters.
The jet, which was deployed against the insurgents went off the radar on Wednesday.
Although the air force has disclosed the identities of its men aboard the missing aircraft, it has been unable to account for them.
However, on Friday, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack and released a video to back up its claim.
But reacting in a statement, Edward Gabkwet, Spokesman of the air force, said Boko Haram fighters were not capable of bringing down the jet. Read more
Dad’s friend raped me, filmed the act – Victim (Punch)
A suspected rapist, Mr Onuoha Odih, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly raping a 25-year-old lady, Blessing (pseudonym).
The victim told City Round that the suspect was his father’s friend and colleague when they both worked as security guards at a popular church based in the Ijesa area of Lagos State. She said despite her pleas, he raped her and boasted that nothing would happen to him because he would bribe the police and be freed.
“I tried to resist him but he brought out a knife and threatened to kill me,” she added.
Blessing stated that after her father lost his sight and left the employ of the church about five years ago, things became difficult for them and Odih offered to help the family from time to time. Read more
Customs arrests 6 suspects with marijuana worth N661m from Ghana (Sun)
The Western Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), yesterday said it arrested six suspects with147 sacks of marijuana with an average of 45Kg per sack, giving an estimated total of 6,615Kg coming from Ghana.
The six suspects and marijuana worth ₦661, 500, 000 were handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for prosecution and destruction.
The Customs Area Comptroller of the Command, Olugboyega Peters, while handing over the cannabis to the Commander of Apapa NDLEA Special Area Command, Samuel Gazama, said the arrests were made on Saturday March 27.
He said the WMC operatives of Coastal and Harbour Patrol on credible intelligence along Ibeche Beach on the high sea accosted and arrested two wooden boats laden with sacks suspected to contain Marijuana HS Code 0602.90 of Common External Tariff (CET) together with six suspects. Read more
Lekki shooting: Falana slams US over ‘prejudicial, unreliable’ report (Nation)
Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) yesterday dismissed the United States’ report on the alleged shooting at the Lekki Toll Plaza last October as prejudicial, unreliable and contradictory.
Falana, in a statement in Lagos, said the report in which the US said there was convincing evidence of a massacre during the #EndSARS protest at the toll plaza, was nothing short of an attempt by Washington to cover up the killings.
“On the one hand, the report claimed that the members of the security forces were enforcing curfew by firing into the air to disperse protesters at the toll gate,” Falana said. Read more
Easter: IGP orders adequate police deployment nationwide (Punch)
The Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu, has ordered adequate deployment of police personnel across the country to ensure hitch free Easter celebration.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
Mba said the order was in line with the commitment of the force to ensure crime free Easter celebrations nationwide.
He called on all State Commissioners of Police and their supervising Assistant Inspectors General of Police to ensure total security of all public spaces and critical national assets. Read more
How UCH resident doctors lost 17 colleagues to COVID-19 (Vanguard)
Dr Temitope Hussein, the President of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan Chapter of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), says the association lost 17 doctors to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hussein, who was justifying the association’s reasons for joining the nationwide strike of NARD, explained that the families of the deceased doctors were yet to benefit from the Death-in-Service Insurance Scheme.
According to him, the striking doctors were also protesting the non-payment of salaries of some of their members across the country and demanding for an upward review of hazard allowance, among others.
He decried the agony its members nationwide had been made to pass through for three months now without salaries, despite their uninterrupted service delivery to the nation. Read more
Easter: Let’s unite against insecurity, govs, CAN tell Nigerians (Punch)
Amidst the rising spate of insecurity, Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria have called on Christians to tolerate one another, irrespective of ethnicity and religion as the country continues to grapple with the challenge.
Lalong, who is the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, called for a collective action against insecurity, urging Nigerians to put aside the differences of faith, ethnicity, political and ethnic affiliations to forge a common front in defeating the various forms of criminal activities that continued to pose serious threats to the nation.
In a statement on Friday titled, ‘Easter: Lalong calls for collective action against insecurity, COVID-19,’ the governor said the security challenges could be overcome when Nigerians work together in unity and support security agencies and relevant government bodies to enable the people pursue their lawful businesses in peace.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, while felicitating with Christians, urged them to emulate Jesus Christ by making sacrifices that will advance the course of development. Read more
Easter celebration: Be vigilant, prayerful, PFN tells Christians (Vanguard)
Against the backdrop of security challenges across the country, The president of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Francis Wale Oke has called on Christians across the nation to be more vigilant and prayerful before, during and after the Easter celebrations.
The PFN president made the call in a statement issued through his Media Office.
Lamenting the security situation of the country, the PFN head said it had become imperative for the government to direct its arsenal towards stemming the increasing cases of killings, raping, kidnappings and insurgency among others, in the country.
Besides, the PFN tasked the Federal Government to evolve a security mechanism that will further ensure the protection of lives and property of Nigerians, particularly Christians in the northern part of the country. Read more
Aisha Buhari assembles 12 billionaires for her book launch (ThisDay)
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has mobilised 12 Nigerian billionaire businessmen for the launch of her book, titled, “Aisha Buhari, Being Different”, authored by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs, Dr. Hajo Sani.
The event, which will hold on Thursday, April 8, 2021, is being jointly organised by the Office of the First Lady of Nigeria and the Women and National Development (WAND), at the Conference Centre, State House, Abuja at 9 am.
The billionaires listed as presenters of the book at the occasion to be chaired by the former Governor of Lagos State/National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, include Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Tony Elumelu, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Prince Arthur Eze, Bola Shagaya, Folorunso Alakija, Muhammadu Indimi, Jim Ovia, Kessington Adebutu, Daisy Danjuma and Idahosa Okunbo.
The royal fathers of the day are the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; and the Egbere Emere Okori Eleme, King Appolus Chu. Read more
Woman jailed for posting naked snap of ex o her 1,300 followers (Metro)
A jilted lover has been jailed after posting a naked picture of her ex on Instagram. Yasmin Walker, 30, uploaded the revealing image to her 1,300 followers with a caption of three laughing emojis and the comment: ‘What the f*** is that?’ York Crown Court heard the mum-of-two posted the revenge porn after the man said he ‘just wanted to be friends’ following a brief fling. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was at the cinema when people sent him messages and a screenshot of the Instagram post. Read more
USS Johnston: Sub dives to deepest-known shipwreck (BBC)
The USS Johnston has been relocated, surveyed and filmed at a depth of 6,456m in the Philippine Sea
A submersible has dived to the world’s deepest-known shipwreck.
The vessel reached the USS Johnston, which lies 6.5km (4 miles) beneath the waves in the Philippine Sea in the Pacific Ocean.
Explorers spent several hours surveying and filming the wreck over a series of dives.
The 115m-long US Navy destroyer sank during the Battle off Samar in 1944 after a fierce battle with a large fleet of Japanese warships. Read more
Putin is Russia’s sexiest man, Russian poll finds (NYPost)
And they say Russia doesn’t rig elections.
When asked who the most handsome man in their country was, 18% of Russia’s men and 17% of its women allegedly thought of their bare-breasted, horseback-riding, scandal-immune leader, Vladimir Putin.
The highly suspect and mildly terrifying poll by job board site Superjob.ru surveyed 2,000 Russians and determined that the 68-year-old bachelor is the sexiest man in the country, the Moscow Times reported.
The poll was published April 2 — not April 1. Read more
Bizarre Fast & Furious 6 scene between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel goes viral (Metro)
Perspective is everything – not least when you’re watching this mind-bending scene from Fast & Furious 6. A scene from the 2013 movie has gone viral after a viewer pointed out how small Vin Diesel looked in comparison to Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Note – pretty much all of us would look like children next to The Rock, but Vin Diesel isn’t exactly petite himself. Twitter user Lily (@lilyeliz) shared a clip of a scene where Johnson’s character Luke Hobbs is speaking to Diesel’s character Dominic Toretto. Read more
Justin Timberlake unaware manager urged Janet Jackson to forgive him (PageSix)
Justin Timberlake may want to muzzle his longtime manager Johnny Wright.
A source close to the singer told us he was “completely unaware” of a recent comment Wright made to Janet Jackson via social media to forgive Timberlake for his role in their infamous 2004 Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” blunder.
“Justin was not aware of his comment to her. Johnny did this all on his own,” the source told Page Six.
Jackson posted her weekly Sunday inspirational message to followers encouraging them to “always choose to heal, not hurt” and “to forgive, not to despise.” Wright — who once managed Jackson, as well as Timberlake’s ex Britney Spears — allegedly shot back: “You should take this advice and to apply it to your relationship with Justin.” Read more
Four UN troops die in major attack in northern Mali (Guardian)
Four United Nations peacekeepers were killed Friday when suspected jihadists staged a major attack on their camp in Aguelhok, northern Mali, the UN mission said.
The peacekeepers “bravely pushed back a complex attack carried out by several heavily-armed terrorists,” MINUSMA said in a statement, adding that four troops had died and others were wounded, according to a provisional toll.
The statement said the attackers had suffered heavy losses and had abandoned “several of their dead”.
A source in MINUSMA said the attack occurred around 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the Algerian border, targeting a contingent of peacekeepers from Chad. Read more
Taiwan: Prosecutors seek arrest after train crash which killed 50 (BBC)
Prosecutors in Taiwan want to arrest a construction site manager whose lorry is suspected of causing a train crash in which at least 50 people died.
The train hit the lorry when it slid onto the tracks from the site, trapping hundreds in the wreckage for hours.
The train, travelling from the capital Taipei to Taitung, was packed with people travelling to celebrate Taiwan’s Tomb Sweeping holiday.
Friday’s accident is the island’s worst railway disaster in decades. Read more
Iheanacho wins Premier League player of the month (Punch)
Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been named March’s Premier League player of the month.
The 24-year-old scored five goals in three league appearances for the Foxes in the lead-up to the international break last month, including his first Premier League hat-trick against Sheffield United.
Iheanacho, whose partnership with Jamie Vardy came to the fore in the absence of James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, also scored league goals in the 2-1 win at Brighton and the 1-1 draw against Burnley. Read more
Kevin Durant: Brooklyn Nets star fined and ‘sorry’ for Michael Rapaport exchange (BBC)
Two-time NBA champion Kevin Durant has apologised for the language he used in a social media exchange with actor and comedian Michael Rapaport.
Rapaport has shared images of private messages sent to him by the Brooklyn Nets forward which included homophobic and misogynistic language.
The NBA fined Durant $50,000 (£36,150) on Friday for the use of “offensive and derogatory language on social media”.
“I’m sorry that people have seen the language I used,” said Durant, 32. Read more
Evan Holyfield: Son of ring legend Evander plans to carve out his own legacy (Metro)
Sons following their fathers into the boxing ring is nothing new. ‘He comes from a fighting family’ is one of the sport’s most well-versed descriptors. But when your father is the former unified cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, it takes on more significance. From the first moment Evan Holyfield walked into a boxing gym people were aware of who he was – and who had opened the door for him. Stepping out of Evander’s shadow has been the goal ever since then. ‘I wanted to do something, not just to be proud of myself but to have something I could call my own,’ he said. The 23-year-old Evan is the middle child of the 11 Holyfield children and the first to follow in their father’s footsteps. After an amateur career that spanned close to 80 fights, he turned professional in November 2019, marking the occasion with a 16-second demolition job on his debut that went viral. The skilled super welterweight cuts an imposing figure in the ring at 6ft 2in, blessed with speed and power with one former trainer believing he has the talent to add to the Holyfield legend. Read more
African Champions League: Mazembe lose at CR Belouizdad to end quarter-final hopes (BBC)
Five-time winners TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo were eliminated from the African Champions League on Friday after losing 2-0 at CR Belouizdad of Algeria.
Substitutes Amir Sayoud and Youcef Bechou scored late goals with Ahmed Gasmi, who also came off the bench in the second half, creating both.
Defeat left Mazembe bottom of Group B on just two points with one round of games remaining which means they have no chance of finishing in the top two to reach the quarter-finals.
Mazembe faced Belouizdad with a weakened side as Ivorians Sylvain Gbohouo and Christian Koffi, Guinean Moustapha Kouyate, Ugandan Joseph Ochaya and Tanzanian Thomas Ulimwengu did not return in time from Africa Cup of Nations duties. Read more
Arsenal star pulls out of training due to sickness ahead of Liverpool clash (Metro)
Arsenal could be without four senior players for Saturday’s Premier League match against Liverpool. The Gunners hopes of qualifying for Europe next season hinge on making progress in the Europa League, but Mikel Arteta hinted he would still field his strongest possible XI against the reigning champions this weekend. Arsenal are in action again on Thursday against Slavia Prague in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, so Arteta could be forgiven for taking a cautious approach with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. Read more
Knicks back below .500 after blowing double-digit lead to Mavericks (NYPost)
A small but vociferous group of Knicks fans arrived at the Garden armed with boos and derisive chants to direct at Kristaps Porzingis, but what they wanted more than anything Friday night was a victory over the former Knicks All-Star and his current team.
Even with Porzingis mostly mired in a rocky shooting night, however, the Knicks followed Wednesday’s crushing loss at Minnesota by flushing a double-digit lead for the second consecutive game, in a 99-86 loss to the Mavericks. It was their third straight defeat and dropped them below .500 again at 24-25.Porzingis heard throaty boos and “KP sucks” chants throughout the game, and the 7-foot-3 forward finished with 14 points on 6-for-17 shooting from the floor. Read more