My teacher forced me to perform oral sex for marks —Lagos schoolgirl (Punch)
An 18-year-old female pupil, Mary (not real name), of Fazir-I-Omar Senior High School in Iwaya area of Yaba, Lagos State, has narrated how one of her male teachers allegedly made her to perform oral sex on him in order to pass his subject. Mary, who is from Abia State and resides in Makoko, said she had barely spent a month at the school when the teacher allegedly asked her to give him oral sex in exchange for a good grade. The victim, a Senior Secondary School II student, narrated to The PUNCH how, on two different occasions, she succumbed to pressure and how the teacher allegedly further demanded for sex if she wanted to pass the subject he teaches. Read more
INEC suspends presentation of Certificate of Return in Zamfara (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission has suspended the presentation of Certificates of Return for the Zamfara Governorship and State House of Assembly scheduled for Wednesday. “The presentation of Certificates of Return for the Zamfara Governorship and State House of Assembly scheduled for Wednesday 27th March 2019 has been suspended,” INEC said Tuesday evening. The election authorities said it suspended the presentation after an Appeal Court judgment, which nullified the participation of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2019 elections in Zamfara State. Read more
Zamfara Police confirm abduction of expatriate doctor (Punch)
The Zamfara State Police Command has confirmed that a missing expatriate doctor, Jeng Sunail, might have been abducted by bandits. In a Press statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer SP Mohammed Shehu, the Police said Sunail was reported missing at the Tsafe Divisional Police office by one of his colleagues, Dr. Li Dong. “On March 26, Dr. Li Dong reported to the Police that his colleague, Dr. Jang Sunail, was missing from his apartment which he shares with three other colleagues from the hospital,’’ Shehu said. Read more
Reps decry underfunding of police, seek quick passage of Police Trust Fund Bill (Guardian)
The House Of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs says it is worrisome that the Nigerian Police Force is not well-funded despite the security challenges the nation is faced with. Members of the committee who condemned the act, said it was high time that the Police Trust Fund Bill currently before the Senate was passed and transmitted for presidential assent. They spoke on Tuesday when the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, appeared before the committee for the 2019 Budget defence in Abuja. Read more
25 elected Kebbi lawmakers receive certificates of return from INEC (Punch)
The Independent National Electoral Commission has presented Certificates of Return to the 25 newly-elected House of Assembly members in the concluded general elections in Kebbi State. The certificates were presented by the state Resident Electoral Commission, Muhammad Mahamud, in Birinin Kebbi on Tuesday. Mahamud urged elected lawmakers to provide dividends of democracy to the electorate in the state. The members, Isa Rukubalo representing Yauri constituency and Samaila Bui representing Arewa constituency, who spoke on behalf of the others, promised to provide dividend of democracy for their constituencies. Read more
I’ll not approach election petition tribunal — Yobe PDP governorship candidate (Guardian)
Amb. Iliya Damagum, Yobe governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday, said he would not challenge the results of the election at the petition tribunal. Iliya told newsmen in Damagum after a PDP stakeholders meeting which reviewed the outcome of the governorship election that he had accepted the election of MaiMala Buni of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the next governor of the state. “There may be areas and issues that bedeviled the elections, but a winner has emerged and that has been announced. “We have no option but to accept it as the will of God and move forward,” he said. Read more
Group faults suspension of Okotie-Eboh Primary School head teacher (Punch)
The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights has condemned the suspension of Mrs. Vero Igbigwe, Head Teacher of Okotie-Eboh Primary School, Sapele, Delta State. Executive Director of CASER, Mr. Frank Tietie, stated this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. The situation at Okotie-Eboh Primary School became public when seven-year-old pupil, Success Adegor’s video went viral after she was sent out of school for her parents’ inability to pay a levy. Following the incident, head teacher Igbigwe was suspended by the Delta State Education Ministry for allegedly collecting illegal fees from pupils of the school. Read more
Vandals destroy six power transmission towers of TCN in Delta (Nation)
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says six of its power transmission towers along Delta-Benin and Delta–Sapele-Benin 330kV transmission line routes have been vandalised with some of the towers removed. Ndidi Mbah, TCN’s General Manager, Public Affairs in a statement on Monday in Abuja said the vandalism, coupled with the heavy rainfall of March 17, caused the collapse of tower No 61 alone. Mbah said when the transmission line tripped, a patrol team was dispatched to investigate the cause and investigations revealed that the tower had collapsed and its aluminum conductors were on the ground. Read more
Justice Bage emerges new Emir of Lafia (Guardian)
Alhaji Sidi Bage, Justice of the Supreme Court has emerged as the 17th Emir of Lafia Emirate following the demise of Alhaji Mustapha Agwai I on Jan. 10. Mr Haruna Osegba, the Nasarawa state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs announced the selection of the Emir on Tuesday in Lafia following the state traditional council meeting. Osegba said the new emir was selected by the emirate’s college of selector, ratified by the state traditional council and approved by Gov. Umaru Al-Makura. Read more
Charlyboy remains our leader, says ‘Ourmumudondo’ group (Nation)
Executives and members of ‘OurMumuDonDo’ Movement, a civil society group that advocates good political leadership, on Tuesday said that Charles Oputa,a.k.a Charlyboy, remained their leader. Mrs Folake Agunbiade, who is the Knowledge Management and Learning Manager of the group, stated at a press conference in Abuja. Agunbiade described as baseless, trending reports in social media, that Charlyboy had been relieved of his position as the group’s leader because of an alleged financial misdeed. “In this wise, the management of Ourmumudondo restates that there is no change in the corporate governance of the movement, and Mr Charles Oputa (aka CharlyBoy) remains the chairman of the organisation. Read more
Boeing holds test flights for 737 MAX fix (Guardian)
Boeing has flown test flights of its 737 MAX to evaluate a fix for the system targeted as a potential cause of two deadly plane crashes, two sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The aviation giant, which has been under fire and its flagship narrow-body planes grounded since March 13, tested the system upgrade on Monday, two days after pilots from American Airlines did simulation flights in Renton, Washington, the sources said. Boeing needs authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration before the MAX can return to service. But the company still has not submitted its proposed software patch to the FAA, a government source told AFP. Read more
23 dead as Iran battles heavy rain and floods (Guardian)
Iran battled torrential rain and floods across most of the country on Tuesday, warning citizens to stay vigilant after unprecedented flash flooding killed 23 people. The authorities also announced for the first time that seven people were killed a week ago in separate floods that swept the northeastern provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran. The latest deluge claimed the lives of 19 people and injured 98 in the worst-hit southern city of Shiraz, the rescue services said. Read more
Italy bus attack: Salvini approves hero’s citizenship (BBC)
A boy who saved his classmates from an alleged school bus hijacker will be granted Italian citizenship, deputy PM Matteo Salvini has said. Ramy Shehata, 13, raised the alarm on his hidden phone when the driver seized them from other pupils. He and 50 other children escaped the vehicle before it was set alight near Milan. Mr Salvini said the boy should be rewarded with citizenship for his heroics, Ansa news agency reports. “Yes to citizenship for Ramy because it’s as if he was my son and he showed he understood the values of this country,” Mr Salvini told Ansa. Read more
North Korea’s Madrid embassy intruder contacted FBI, judge says (BBC)
The leader of 10 intruders who raided North Korea’s embassy in Madrid last month contacted the FBI days later, a Spanish high court judge says. Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican citizen who lives in the US, contacted the US agency after fleeing to the US via Lisbon, Judge José de la Mata said. The assailants interrogated an embassy official and tried to persuade him – unsuccessfully – to defect, he added. The group shackled, beat up and interrogated several staff inside. Read more
Sackler-owned Purdue Pharma settles opioid lawsuit for $270m (BBC)
Purdue Pharma, the drug-maker owned by the billionaire Sackler family, has reached a $270m settlement in a lawsuit which claimed its opioids contributed to the deaths of thousands of people. As part of the deal, the US firm will fund a new centre to study addiction. Purdue is one of several firms named in the claim which alleged they used deceptive practices to sell opioids. The deal is the first Purdue has struck amid some 2,000 other lawsuits linked to its painkiller OxyContin. Read more
Nigeria beat Egypt 1-0 (Guardian)
Paul Onuachu scored one of the fastest goals in world football, as Nigeria beat Egypt 1-0 in an international friendly played on Tuesday in Asaba. The Denmark-based striker scored in the opening five seconds of the first half, when he fired a thunderous shot past Egyptian goalkeeper, Abdelrehim Mahmoud from outside the 18 yard box. It was one of fastest goals that will go into football history. According to Total Sportek, Damian Mori, an A-League striker scored a goal in 3.69 seconds for his Adelaide City club against Sydney United in 1995. Read more
Petra Kvitova: Man who stabbed tennis star jailed for eight years (BBC)
The man who stabbed tennis champion Petra Kvitova in her home in the Czech Republic has been sentenced to eight years in jail. Radim Zondra, 33, went to her flat in 2016 saying he needed to inspect the boiler. He then grabbed Kvitova from behind and held a knife to her throat. She suffered severe wounds to her left hand in the fight to free herself but returned to tennis five months later. Appearing at a regional court in Brno, Zondra denied all charges against him. Zondra, who is currently serving a prison sentence for another crime, was convicted of serious battery and illegal entry into Kvitova’s apartment. Read more
Society must stop racist abuse – Barnes (BBC)
Banning Montenegro or calling for players to walk off the pitch when they hear racist abuse is not the answer to football’s problems, according to former England winger John Barnes. England’s 5-1 win in Montenegro on Monday was overshadowed by several of their black players being racially abused by home fans. “It can’t be tolerated but we’ve got it the wrong way around,” said Barnes. “You can’t get rid of it in football before you get rid of it in society.” Read more