My life is in danger, NAFDAC DG cries out (Guardian)
The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Wednesday raised the alarm over threats to her life and that of the agency’s staff, calling on the authorities to protect the operatives who daily navigate a great deal of hazards while carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
This comes as the NAFDAC boss prescribed the death penalty for counterfeit and illicit drug peddlers in the country.
Prof. Adeyeye addressed newsmen at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where she had gone to speak on the agency’s recent large-scale enforcement operation across three major open drug markets—Onitsha, Aba, and Lagos—describing it as the biggest in NAFDAC’s history. She also disclosed that the value of the seized illicit and fake drugs was estimated at about N1 trillion. Read more
Policemen killed in gun duel with kidnappers (DailyTrust)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed two police officers during a foiled kidnapping operation around Little Rayfield community in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Alabo Alfred, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Jos, stating that four suspects had been arrested in connection with the attempted abduction.
Residents of Little Rayfield told our correspondent that at about 9 pm on Tuesday, gunshots were heard in the area. Read more
Bandits kill 5, abduct 100 in Zamfara, Katsina (Leadership) Bandits have killed five people and abducted 100 people in Zamfara and Katsina State.
The bandits hit back again, killing five people and abducting more than 50 people in a series of attacks across Zamfara State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that since the visit of the Chief of Army Staff last week, no fewer than ten Communities were attacked from six local government areas of Zamfara State, leaving five people killed and more than fifty people, all women and little children. Read more
Lagos, private sector begin exchange programme for workers (Nation)
Lagos State government has commenced an exchange programme for civil servants with the private sector to bridge the gap in work ethics, operational models and leadership strategies.
Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Mr Afolabi Ayantayo, at the official ceremony on the Public-Private Exchange Programme, said the effort marked the realisation of a bold and progressive initiative conceptualised by the state government.
Ayantayo said: “This programme was not born out of necessity alone, but out of a vision, a vision to build a civil service that is as dynamic, innovative and result-oriented as its private sector counterparts.” Read more
N1.9b fraud: Ex-accountant general seeks out-of-court settlement (Punch)
A former acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Anamekwe Nwabuoku, on Wednesday, urged the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant him time to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over an alleged N1.96bn fraud.
Nwabuoku is facing nine counts filed by the EFCC. He was initially charged alongside Felix Nweke, a director in the Federal Civil Service, but the anti-graft agency amended the charges, dropping Nweke as a co-defendant after he agreed to testify against Nwabuoku.
The amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/240/24, accuses Nwabuoku of violating Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by Act No. 1 of 2012), which carries a penalty under Section 15(3) of the same Act. Read more
APC passes confidence vote in Tinubu, Ganduje (Sun)
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has revealed that his administration inherited a whooping sum of N8.987 billion legal liabilities.
Ganduje, while delivering his speech at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, explained that the liability amount; “ranged from legal engagements during the pre-election matters, election cases and appeals for legislative, governorship and presidential elections.”
The former Kano State governor however made a passionate appeal to the presidency to give allocation for the building of a new national secretariat for the ruling party. Read more
Nigeria’s Capital Market ticket to economic stability – Shettima (NewTelegraph)
The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, has underscored the significance of the nation’s capital market, describing it as its ticket to economic stability.
He stated this at the 50th inaugural lecture of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi on Wednesday where he was ably represented by the Federal Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
According to VP, Nigeria’s capital market is not merely a platform for transactions; it is a driver of national development. Read more
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for roles in Buffy and Gossip Girl, dead at 39 (CBC)
Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, popular for her roles in buzzy millennial-era TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gossip Girl, has died at the age of 39, New York City police confirmed to CBC News on Wednesday.
Police said that Trachtenberg was found shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday at 1 Columbus Place, a 51-storey luxury apartment tower in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighbourhood.
Officers had responded to a 911 call and found the American actress “unconscious and unresponsive,” according to the NYPD statement, and “pronounced the victim deceased.” Her death is not being investigated as suspicious and the investigation is ongoing, police said. Read more
Little Simz announces new album “Lotus,” unleashes thunderous “Flood” (Consequence)
Little Simz has announced her new album, Lotus, out May 9th via AWAL Recordings. As a preview, she’s dropped the thundering new song “Flood” and its accompanying video. Stream it below.
Marking Little Simz’s sixth studio album, Lotus is the follow-up to 2022’s NO THANK YOU. According to a press release, its title “embodies renewal and growth” while “mirroring her evolving artistry and the album’s thematic voyage through life’s intricate phases.” Pre-orders are ongoing.
“Flood” features dynamic, thumping production from Miles Clinton James and contributions from longtime collaborator Obongjayar and Moonchild Sanelly. With a whispered flow, Little Simz lets loose a torrent of lyrics hitting back at her haters. Read more
Akon’s ‘Right Now (Na Na Na)’ video hits 1b YouTube views (Billboard)
It’s been 17 years since Akon dropped his Freedom single “Right Now (Na Na Na),” and this week, the song’s music video surpassed one billion views on YouTube.
The accomplishment marks the Senegalese American artist’s fourth clip to reach this milestone as a lead, featured artist or collaborator, after “Play Hard,” “Smack That” and “Lonely.”
In the “Right Now (Na Na Na)” music video, Akon is a secret agent who reminisces on a lost relationship, hoping to rekindle the fire. “I wanna make up right now, na, na/ Wish we never broke up right now, na, na/ We need to link up right now, na, na,” he sings in the upbeat chorus. Read more
UN voices concern over Sudan paramilitary’s ‘charter’ (VOA)
UN Security Council members expressed deep concern Wednesday over the announcement earlier this week by the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that it plans to establish a parallel governing authority in parts of the country under its control.
“This is a dangerous step that fuels further fragmentation in Sudan and derails ongoing efforts toward peace and dialogue,” said Algeria’s Deputy Ambassador Toufik Koudri on behalf of the three African members of the council plus Guyana. “We call for these actions to be reversed and urge the RSF and their allies to put the unity and national interests of Sudan above all other considerations.”
The RSF and allied political and armed groups signed a 16-page “charter” in Kenya over the weekend to establish a governing authority. The rebels control much of western Sudan, including most of the Darfur region. Read more
‘I need help’: Freed from Myanmar’s scam centres, thousands are now stranded (BBC)
“I swear to God I need help,” said the man quietly on the other end of the line.
The Ethiopian, who calls himself Mike, said he is being held with 450 others in a building inside Myanmar, along the country’s border with Thailand.
They are among the thousands of people who have been freed from the notorious scam compounds that have thrived on the border for years, in what appears to be the toughest action so far against the industry along the Thai-Myanmar border. Read more
Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. team with Howard Hughes for Summerlin Studios in Vegas (Deadline)
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery have teamed with Howard Hughes Holding for a planned studio in Las Vegas.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Along with Howard Hughes Holdings, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery have announced plans for a 31-acre world-class production facility in Las Vegas.
Dependent on the passage and approval of Assembly Bill 238, a film studio tax credit legislation in Nevada, the venture is expected to create tens of thousands of new jobs and have an economic impact of more than $3 billion.
“We are excited to work with Sony Pictures and with Howard Hughes to bring large- and small-scale film and TV productions to Nevada,” said Simon Robinson, chief operating officer of Warner Bros. Discovery. Read more
Dessers bags brace as Rangers overcome Kilmarnock in 6-goal thriller (CompleteSports)
Cyriel Dessers bagged a brace as Rangers defeated Kilmarnock 4-2 in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.
It is now 10 goals, two assists in 25 games in the Scottish topflight for Dessers this season.
Also, the 30-year-old has netted 17 goals across every competitions this term for the Glasgow giants. Read more
NIDCOM welcomes Super Bowl Champion Moro Ojomo (DailyTrust)
Nigerian-born Moro Ojomo, a Super Bowl-winning defensive lineman for the Philadelphia Giants, has returned to his home country, bringing with him a message of national pride and ambition.
Welcomed by the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Ojomo reflected on his Nigerian heritage and its role in shaping his success on the world’s biggest football stage.
“It’s been amazing,” Ojomo said when asked how it feels to represent Nigeria at the highest level of American football. Read more
Real Madrid win marred by more racism directed towards Vinicius Junior (AlJazeera)
Real Madrid secured a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad in a Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg clash marred by further racist abuse of Brazilian international Vinicius Junior.
Fellow Brazil forward Endrick scored the only goal of the game in the first half at Reale Arena in San Sebastian in the north of Spain.
However, there was controversy just before half-time when the match was paused because of chants of “Asencio die” being aimed at Real Madrid defender Raul Asencio. Read more
Ravens GM calls inappropriate sexual misconduct allegations against Justin Tucker ‘serious and concerning’ (CNN)
Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta called the multiple sexual misconduct allegations leveled against the team’s kicker Justin Tucker “serious” and “concerning” in a Tuesday news conference.
According to the Baltimore Banner, a total of 16 massage therapists have accused Tucker of inappropriate sexual behavior in alleged incidents between 2012 and 2016. Tucker has vehemently denied the allegations.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, DeCosta’s comments are the first public statement anyone from the Ravens have made since the allegations were first reported on January 30. Read more
‘A proper English performance’ against Spain (BBC)
It has been a rocky few months for the Lionesses but their latest victory over Spain was proof they are still up there with the world’s best.
Defensively solid, tenacious out of possession and dangerous going forward, this was England coming close to a complete performance.”We played proper English,” defender Millie Bright said moments after she danced along to the song ‘Sweet Caroline’ with fans at Wembley Stadium. Read more