Mystery as police detain businessman, woman he met on social media after hotel robbery (Nation)
Friday, April 22, 2022, was supposed to be a normal business day at ADWAJ Hotel and Suites in Oko-Oba, a Lagos suburb, but some dare-devil robbers turned it into a regrettable one for its lodgers, revellers, and workers. A seven-man robbery gang stormed the hotel in an unregistered Honda Pilot car at about 1.48 am and unleashed terror on workers, lodgers and other people unwinding at its bar and poolside.
“Where is the manager? Where is your money?” The robbers reportedly shouted at the front desk officers before proceeding to drag lodgers out of their rooms and dispossess them of their belongings. Armed with pistols, unwanted visitors, some of whom were said to have covered their faces with handkerchiefs and face masks, manhandled and tied their victims after dispossessing them of cash, phones, and jewellery.
One of the victims was a lodger named Stephen Junior, who was said to have brought in a lady he allegedly met on social media and identified simply as Ariyo for a night of fun at an agreed fee. According to a police source, the lady, described as an online hooker, allegedly had a link with the robbers who arrived at the hotel moments after she joined Junior.
In an exclusive footage of the robbery scenes obtained by our correspondent, the robbers pounced on two security men attached to the hotel, brutalised them and locked them up in a toilet inside the security post. They then rushed through the staircase to the floor and started invading the rooms to rob lodgers. Read more
UTME 2022: Downpour delays conduct, candidates miss exam in Lagos (Sun)
The early morning downpour nearly marred the conduct of the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Lagos yesterday. The early morning downpour made it difficult for many of the candidates to leave their homes for the UTME, scheduled for 7.00 am.
Also, operators of the Computer-Based Test stopped candidates from entering the exam hall with money, insisting it was part of the rules and regulations guiding the UTME.
AS a result of the downpour, many of the candidates came late and in some cases, the exam started behind scheduled.
At three of the CBT centres monitored at Egbe, Ikotun and Iyana Ejigbo, the UTME started late because of the rain and late arrival of candidates. The candidates were screened. Those without face mask were asked to get one while some were also asked to go and dress properly. Read more
Lagos communities lament epileptic power supply by EKEDC, IKEDC (Guardian)
Residents of Apapa road and Ebutte Metta, in Lagos State, have protested a 32- day power outage by Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Lagos.
The residents, under the aegis of Concerned Community Development Associations (CDAs), staged a peaceful rally on major streets and submitted a protest letter to the EKEDC District Manager in the area.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions such as: “EKEDC, our mumu don do,” “This extortion must stop,” “We are your customers, we know our rights,” “Stop distributing bills when there is no supply” and “Enough is enough.”
Speaking with The Guardian, a businesswoman Mrs. R. Omolara said: “Nigerians are deprived of basic utilities. We can’t use our fridges, fans, and air conditioners and even catch up with the news on television. Read more
Tinubu behind Sanwo-Olu, GAC insists as controversy surrounds second-term bid (Punch)
Controversy has surrounded the second term bid of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
While the Governor’s Advisory Council maintained that it has cleared Sanwo-Olu to return in 2023, it is not clear whether or not the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has endorsed the governor’s second term bid.
There had been reports (not by The PUNCH) that Tinubu had dumped Sanwo-Olu for another loyalist, Mustapha Olorunfemi, ahead of the May 23, 2022 governorship primary in the state.
Efforts to get the reaction of Tinubu’s spokesman, Tunde Rahman, on whether Sanwo-Olu had the nod of the APC leader proved abortive as he did not take calls and reply to the message to his line on Thursday. Read more
Again, LASG suspends Ad-hoc teams of committee on removal of abandoned vehicles (Independent)
The Lagos State Government has again placed an indefinite suspension on the entire ad-hoc teams of the Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles (RAVC) operating in the 20 Local Governments (LGs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State with immediate effect.
The suspension was contained in a directive issued to the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, as a result of several complaints of extortion and harassment of members of the public by RAVC. The development has caused embarrassment to the State Government despite several reviews conducted on the operational guidelines of the team.
The directive warned that any ad-hoc team found operating after this notice will be handed over to the Law Enforcement Agencies for trial and prosecution in accordance with the Law of the State as captured in the Traffic Sector Reform Law (TSRL) 2018.
The order should be noted by the general public, while owners of abandoned vehicles posing environmental nuisance as well as security and traffic impediments must remove them from the roads. Negligence will not be condoned as an excuse for violation of the Traffic Laws of the State. Read more
ActionAid raises alarm, soon Nigerians won’t afford bread, fertilizer, others (Vanguard)
A report released by ActionAid, Friday, revealed that soon Nigerians would not be able to afford a loaf of bread, fertilizer and other essentials for their wellbeing due to unabated soaring prices of these commodities across the country.
The report made available to Vanguard by ActionAid Nigeria, AAN, showed that the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 59 per cent, 67 per cent, and 127 per cent in Kwara, Yobe, and Lagos States respectively.
While in Kaduna, fertiliser prices have increased up to 111%, and in Lagos sunflower cooking oil price increased by 111 per cent.
The report reads in part, “In Nigeria, findings show that the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 59 % in Sanrab semi-urban community in Kwara state. In the Yobe state urban community of Nasarawa, the prices of wheat bread have increased up to 67 %. Read more
2023: Another minister declares for Presidency
(DailyTrust)
The Minister of Science Technology and Innovations, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has formally declared to contest for the presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidency.
Onu’s declaration swells the number of presidential aspirants, including ministers, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC National leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and some state governors among others.
While formally declaring on Friday in Abuja, Onu, also a former governor of old Abia State said Nigeria can no longer look to foreign countries for its salvation.
According to him, the fact that Nigeria has the key to unlocking its own prosperity, is enough for the citizens and his party to elect him as Nigeria’s next ‘Chief Servant. Read more
Sand storm kills 1, injures 3 in Gombe (Nation)
One person has been confirmed dead following a huge sand storm that blew across Gombe metropolis on Thursday evening.
Eyewitness said the victim, who was on motorcycle, ran into a trailer at Rainbow roundabout in Gombe while trying to avoid the heavy sand storm.
Three other persons were also injured while trying to rush to safe areas during the incident.
Residents, who were caught in the storm, said they had to tie clothes around their heads to protect their hair and eyes from the sand rain.
Sheryl Crow gets candid about sexual harassment, depression and fighting cancer in new documentary (USAToday)
Sheryl Crow wasn’t initially keen to document her life.
“I’ve always felt like documentaries were told after someone has already gone, or after a fiery plane crash,” she said at a recent Television Critics Association panel.
But her manager of 30 years, Scooter Weintraub, convinced Crow that her decades as a woman in the music business meant she had a potent story to tell.
So the perennial hitmaker accepted the assignment of “remembering, reflecting and revisiting” her life. Read more
James Earl Jones only made $7k to voice Darth Vader in ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ (NYPost)
A resurfaced clip from the American Film Institute reveals that “Star Wars” director George Lucas paid actor James Earl Jones only $7,000 to voice Darth Vader in the first-ever “Star Wars” film.
Actor David Prowse — who died in 2020 at age 85 — famously wore the Darth Vader suit in “Star Wars: A New Hope” in 1977, but Lucas did not envision his natural voice for the now-iconic character.
“George wanted, pardon the expression, a dark voice,” Jones said. “So he hires a guy born in Mississippi, raised in Michigan, who stutters. And that’s the voice. That’s me.”
Jones didn’t complain about the paycheck in the interview. In fact, he was geeked about the four figures. Read more
Jack Harlow opens up about homophobic reactions to Lil Nas X’s music (NME)
Jack Harlow has opened up about Lil Nas X, saying that some of the homophobic reactions to the latter’s work shows there’s still much “progress to be made” in hip-hop.
Harlow was speaking in an interview with The Guardian where he reflected on working with Lil Nas X on their 2021 hit ‘Industry Baby’.
After calling him a “boundary pusher”, Harlow added that some of the reaction to Lil Nas X’s work showed there was still much work to be done in hip-hop when it comes to eradicating homophobia.
“The totally inappropriate reaction to [Lil Nas X] lets you know that we still have some progress to be made,” Harlow said when speaking about LGBTQ+ artists in hip-hop. Read more
Paul McCartney plays video of friend Johnny Depp at Seattle concert amid defamation trial
(Independent)
Sir Paul McCartney played a video of Johnny Depp accompanying him on guitar during a recent concert in Seattle amid the actor’s ongoing defamation trial against Amber Heard.
The former Beatle and Depp are reportedly close friends as well as longtime collaborators – Depp has starred in several of McCartney’s music videos.
In footage shared on Instagram on Tuesday (3 May) by philanthropist and former model Jill Vedder, McCartney is seen performing his song “My Valentine” in front of a black-and-white video of Depp playing the guitar and reciting the song’s lyrics in sign language.
The clip is taken from the original music video for the song, which also features Natalie Portman, and has been used in McCartney’s concerts for almost a decade, Joe.co.uk reports. The Independent has contacted representatives for McCartney for comment. Read more
‘1917’s’ George MacKay, ‘Candyman’s’ Nathan Stewart-Jarrett set to star in drag queen revenge thriller ‘Femme’ (Variety)
“1917’s” George MacKay and “Candyman” actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett are set to star in drag queen thriller “Femme.”
The feature, which is set to shoot in London, U.K., next month, is directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, based on their short film of the same name. Anton are repping global sales at the Cannes Marche.
“Femme” tells the story of Jules, who is targeted in a horrific homophobic attack, destroying his life and career. Not long after, however, Jules encounters Preston – one of his attackers – in a gay sauna. He quickly realizes he has the perfect opportunity to get revenge on the “deeply-closeted” Preston and seizes the opportunity.
“Unrecognizable in his boy form, Jules insinuates himself into Preston’s life, but in so doing discovers power in a new kind of drag,” reads the synopsis. “What unfolds is a dangerous seduction that risks discovery and backlash at every moment.” Read more
Cinemark sees higher admissions amid reduced film slate (THR)
Cinemark saw positive box office recovery in its first quarter across all categories of films, as the movie theater chain tries to shake off lingering effects from the pandemic.
In addition to momentum built from blockbuster films such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and Batman, Cinemark said Sonic the Hedgehog 2 gave the movie theater chain its biggest opening weekend in close to a decade.
“Nearly every film released in 2022 to has performed in line or better than pre-pandemic expectations, benefitting from favorable opening weekend results and strong week-to-week holds, which in many cases exceeded historic trends,” said Sean Gamble, president and chief executive of Cinemark.
Gamble said he believes mid-tier and smaller films will also see recovery over time, as broader categories of audience members have already begun returning to theaters. Read more
China accuses NATO of ‘sowing seeds of conflict’ worldwide (Newsweek)
China accused NATO of causing conflict and humanitarian crises worldwide as the country commemorates the anniversary of the NATO missile attack that struck the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, on May 7, 1999.
“NATO’s repeated eastward expansion after the Cold War has not only failed to make Europe any safer, but also sowed the seeds of conflict,” Chinese Ambassador to the U.N. Zhang Jun said during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday.
“Contrary to its claim to be an organization defensive in nature, NATO has wantonly launched wars against sovereign countries, causing colossal casualties and humanitarian disasters,” he added.
Zhang made his remarks during a meeting discussing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as he called for a peaceful resolution and ways to minimize the impact of the war, the South China Morning Post reported. Read more
Despite fear of ‘structural defect,’ Teslim Balogun Stadium goes all-covered (Guardian)
The decision by Lagos State government to convert the Teslim Balogun Stadium to an all-covered complex has raised fears in some Nigerians that the complex might not be strong enough to withstand the heavy equipment being added to it.
The fear of ‘structural defect’ being raised in some quarters notwithstanding, an official of Lagos State Sports Commission, Mrs. Oluyomi Oluwasunmi, has said there is no cause for alarm. She explained that a team of engineers had certified the complex safe for the additional work to commence.
Construction of the stadium, located directly opposite the National Stadium in Surulere, started in 1984 under the administration of military governor, Gbolahan Mudasiru. But construction later got stalled and the stadium became a white elephant project. By the time the stadium was completed in 2007, it had taken 23 years to build and cost Lagos State over N1.386 billion.
When The Guardian visited the complex during the week, some pillars had been mounted around the seating arena, preparing it to become an all-covered stadium. A bulldozer was also seen leveling the tartan track, which was re-laid in the build up to Eko 2012 National Sports Festival.
RSDF boss redeems cash pledge to Flamingoes, awards scholarship to Captain (Leadership)
President of Ratels Sports Development Foundation (RSDF) and girl-child advocate, Barrister Paul Edeh, has redeemed the cash promise made to Nigeria’s U17 female team, Flamingoes, ahead of their FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Egypt.
The philanthropist who made a presentation of N600, 000 cash to the team yesterday shortly after their training said he had promised to reward the team with N100, 000 per goal scored against the Egyptians.
The team ended up scoring 6-0 on aggregate to move to the final round of the qualifying campaign against Ethiopia.
While redeeming the pledge, an elated RSDF boss commended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) for the opportunity offered the young girls to represent the country and also thanked the coaches and other backroom staff for their commitment. Read more
Erik ten Hag made player sign a contract with ‘termination’ clause if he was late (DailyStar)
Erik ten Hag won’t suffer fools gladly at Manchester United as he once made a player sign a contract that included a termination clause if he turned up late for training.
Ten Hag, 52, will take over from Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford at the end of the season. And Daily Star Sport has been finding out all about United’s new man at the helm from one of his former players.
Esbjerg fB defender Kevin Conboy played under Ten Hag during the Dutchman’s spell in charge of Utrecht. He says that the current Ajax boss is good at getting the best out of players earmarked as trouble, but that his good nature only extends up to a point.
“He would do anything to protect the team,” Conboy tells us. “At the time [at Utrecht], maybe we had 25 players and the staff. And he said, ‘let’s say we have a balloon, everyone on the outside is trying to poke it and say ‘this is not good enough’ or find holes.’ Read more
Frank Lampard responds to FA misconduct charge (Independent)
Everton manager Frank Lampard insists his priority is to fight for what is best for the club after landing a Football Association misconduct charge this week.
The charge relates to the former Chelsea’s midfielder’s comments about Stuart Atwell’s officiating of the Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield last month, which it is alleged constituted improper conduct as they implied bias and/or attack the integrity of the match referee.
Lampard was unhappy his side did not get a penalty with the score at 0-0 when Anthony Gordon, who had already been booked for diving, went down under a challenge from Joel Matip.
In his post-match press conference, the Toffees boss suggested that had the incident happened to a Liverpool player the outcome would have been different. Read more
Tiger Woods leaves crowd in hysterics after club prank on young rival Collin Morikawa (Express)
Tiger Woods left a crowd of golf fans in hysterics following a prank on fellow PGA Tour star Collin Morikawa. Both Woods and Morikawa shared their wisdom whilst out on the driving range, when the pair were seen hitting a number of wedge shots and giving tips to those fans watching on.
During the session Woods took the chance to play a prank on his fellow tour pro whilst talking through their routine when playing a wedged approach shot. The pair began by hitting a number of balls with their 60 degree wedge, before Tiger suggested the pair moved on to hitting their 56 degree club.
Morikawa of course obliged however when he turned round to his bag to find the club he looked a little confused. Revealing he was unable to see his 56 wedge, the Open champion said: “You know I had 20 clubs in my bag this morning and I think I might have taken out my 56, so I’m stuck with a 60.”
Little did Morikawa know though that Woods had already made his way through his bag prior to the request and taken the club in question, without the two-time major winner knowing. Seemingly giving the game up, Tiger handed Morikawa back the stolen club, however the joke was not over yet. Read more
Lewis Hamilton on collision course with F1 bosses over jewellery rule as FIA get tough (Mirror)
Lewis Hamilton is on a collision course with Formula One bosses after they confirmed a major clampdown on drivers wearing jewellery.
The seven-times world champion has already insisted he will NOT be removing various studs and piercings as they have special meaning for him. But ahead of the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, race director Niels Wittich has repeated his intention to get tough on drivers who do not comply with FIA rules regarding jewellery.
In a letter to all teams on Thursday night, Wittich emphasised the regulation that states: “The wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start.” Wittich then goes into extensive detail explaining why jewellery is forbidden, saying that it can reduce the effectiveness of flame-resistant clothing, can get snagged and, among other things, can get dislodged in an accident.
Hamilton, 37, is not the only driver who wears jewellery but he is certainly the most high-profile. And when asked about the prospect of a clampdown earlier this season, Hamilton – who has continued to race with piercings in both ears and a nose stud – said: “I don’t have any plans on removing them. Read more
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs Dmitry Bivol: Russian hits back at Wladimir Klitschko’s ‘sad’ claim (GMS)
Dmitry Bivol has hit back at Wladimir Klitschko after the Ukrainian claimed he should be banned from fighting Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Russian boxer Bivol faces Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez in a mandatory defence of his WBA light heavyweight title at the weekend aiming to extend his undefeated record of 19 straight wins – 11 by knockout.
The pair’s clash will take place on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – a far cry from where the Klitschko brothers continue to defend Ukraine’s capital Kyiv from his country’s military invasion.
However, Klitschko, whose brother Vitali is the current Mayor of Kyiv, has urged the WBA to ban Bivol from boxing as a result. Read more