NDLEA dismisses video of officers in Lagos minibus (Punch)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has disclosed that a trending video allegedly showing some of its officers operating in a minibus in Lagos State should be disregarded.
The agency disclosed this on Tuesday via its Twitter handle, through its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, with the caption “Trending video of NDLEA officers in a minibus is an old skit, not real.”
Babafemi noted that “those in the video are not NDLEA officers.”
He added that NDLEA had disclaimed the video on May 21, 2022. Read more
Liberian police arrest Empress Njamah’s ex-fiancée for victimising over 20 women (Vanguard)
Nicholas Jack Davies, also known as George Wade, the ex-boyfriend of actress Empress Njamah, has been arrested, according to the Liberian National Police.
According to the agency, about 20 Liberian women came forward with complaints against the suspect.
The Liberian police revealed this in a live broadcast shared on the agency’s Facebook page on Monday following his arrest.
The police chief said, “The notorious scammer has been arrested severally, investigated and charged to court, but he comes out and repeats the offence he was charged with. Read more
UNILAG student wins EY tax contest (Punch)
Moyosoreoluwa Dada, a final year student of the University of Lagos, has been crowned the overall winner of the ‘EY Young Tax Professional of the Year 2023’ competition.
A statement said she led nine other finalists to come tops in a fiercely contested competition, at the just concluded presentation of award certificates and gifts ceremony in Lagos.
The statement said, “Now in its 12th year running, the EY Global Young Tax Professional of the Year programme continues to demonstrate EY Tax’s commitment to the future of the tax profession by fostering the next generation of tax leaders. Read more
Rotary donates block of toilets, wash basins to secondary school (ThisDay)
In furtherance of its Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) initiative, the Rotary Club of Lekki Golden has led a partnership in donating a block of four toilets and two wash basins to Wahab Folawiyo Secondary School Ikoyi, Lagos State, at the weekend.
The project was brought to fruition by the leadership of the Rotary Club of Lekki Golden under the sponsorship of the Rotary Foundation International’s WASH project grant number 2237914, in partnership with Rotary International District 9110, Rotary International District 9150 and Rotary International District 7680, respectively.
In her remarks, the President of the Rotary Club of Lekki Golden, Rtn. Gbemisola Aruwayo-Obe noted that the facility is one of the many ways the Rotary Foundation is committed to making human communities more livable. Read more
AU Chief, Amb Yara, explains Tinubu’s Guinean citizenship (Leadership)
The African Union (AU) Ambassador for Agenda 2063, Ousmane Yara, has revealed how Nigeria’s President-elect, Bola Tinubu, acquired his Guinean citizenship.
After a viral video showing the President-elect, Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in an aircraft belonging to the Guinean government surfaced, Yara revealed the video was shot years ago.
Speaking to Daily Sun, he said the viral video was shot sometime in 2016 when Tinubu visited Guinea as guest of then President Conde during the country’s independence anniversary celebration and it was Tinubu’s second time visiting Guinea. Read more
Baptist convention to Tinubu: Provide exemplary leadership (Nation)
The Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) has called on President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to learn from the mistakes of past leaders to provide exemplary leadership for the country.
President of the Convention, Rev. Israel Akanji, gave the advice at the 110th National Convention held at the Baptist International Convention Centre, Lufuwape, on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. With the theme ‘Entering into Newness through Love and Unity’, the convention entered day four yesterday and will end on Thursday.
According to Akanji, ‘Nigerians are good people and easy to lead if their leaders show good examples. He urged Tinubu to use the goodwill he enjoys from Nigerians to serve them with the best leadership possible. Read more
ALDIN condemns discriminatory practice against disability (Guardian)
The Association of Lawyers with Disabilities in Nigeria (ALDIN) has condemned the discriminatory practice against Persons With Disability (PWD). Recall that there was an unpalatable news about a candidate, Ms. Precious Umoru, who was offered admission into the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences, after she had meritoriously passed her entrance test, but upon resumption, she was told to withdraw, because, according to the authorities, re-assessment reveals she could not withstand the physical rigours of the midwifery training owing to her weak gait and tremors.
The association warned that any discriminatory practice targeted to disqualify Ms. Umoru of the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences from her admission status won’t be condoned. Read more
Taraba APC suspends Senator-elect, former governorship aspirant (Leadership)
The State Working Committee (SWC), of the Taraba State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has suspended the senator-elect to represent southern Taraba at national assembly, Jikuta David from the party.
The SWC also expelled the governorship aspirant in the recent primary election Chief David Sabo Kente from the party.
In a statement signed by the state APC chairman, Bar. Ibrahim El-Sudi, the party said the decision on the two members of the party was done after proper scrutiny on their anti-party activities. Read more
Viola Davis celebrates ‘‘full-circle’’ moment at Chaplin Award Gala (UPI)
Viola Davis celebrated a “full-circle” moment in her career while being honored at the 2023 Chaplin Award Gala.
The 57-year-old actress and producer discussed her career on the red carpet ahead of receiving the 48th Chaplin Award from Film at Lincoln Center.
Davis is an EGOT winner known for such films as Doubt, The Help, Fences, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The Woman King. The actress also played Annalise Keating on the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder. Read more
Harry Belafonte, legendary performer and activist, dead at 96 (CBC)
Harry Belafonte, the American singer, actor and social activist known as the King of Calypso, has died. He was 96.
Belafonte died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at his New York home, his wife Pamela by his side, said Paula M. Witt, of public relations firm Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis.
Belafonte, whose family was Jamaican, spent part of his childhood on the island and popularized Caribbean music with international audiences in the 1950s through hits such as the Banana Boat Song. Read more
Metallica album debuts on chart at a strong no. 2; SZA finally earns her 1st Hot 100 no. 1 song with ‘‘Kill Bill’’ (Variety)
Metallica came in strong on this week’s Billboard 200 with a No. 2 bow for the group’s latest album, “72 Seasons,” which came in almost within sight of the chart’s recently indomitable leader, Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time.” Wallen extended his run at No. 1 to seven weeks at a time, and counting, with 166,000 more album-equivalent units added to his tally, while Metallica debuted with 146,000 units.
On the Billboard Hot 100, meanwhile, SZA finally landed in the No. 1 spot she’s been circling for many weeks with “Kill Bill.” The song had spent eight weeks at No. 2, then dipped to No. 4 last week, before getting the boost it needed to finally become a chart-topper in this latest frame.
In the April 14-20 tracking week, as measured by Luminate and reported by Billboard, “Kill Bill” was up 32% in streaming, to 28.3 million streams, which accounts for the chart jump, even as radio impressions for the long-running hit were down just 1% to 86.5 million. Read more
Taylor Swift reassures fans she’s ‘‘totally fine’’ after injuring hand during concert (MusicNews)
Taylor Swift has insisted she is “totally fine” after hurting her hand during a recent concert.
Following the Anti-Hero hitmaker’s Eras Tour show at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Saturday night, fans took to social media to share that she appeared to suffer a nasty graze to her left hand partway through the performance.
Taking to Twitter on Monday, Taylor explained exactly how the injury happened. Read more
Harrison Ford confirms he’s done with ‘‘Indiana Jones after Dial of Destiny’’ (Gamesradar)
Harrison Ford has confirmed he won’t be playing Indiana Jones again after Dial of Destiny is released.
Speaking to Total Film magazine(opens in new tab) for its new issue – which is out April 27 and features Ford’s whip-smart archaeologist on the cover – Ford asserted of the June release, “This is the final film in the series, and this is the last time I’ll play the character. I anticipate that it will be the last time that he appears in a film.”
While Ford is acutely aware of reports that an Indiana Jones TV show is in the works, he maintained that he will “not be involved in that, if it does come to fruition.” Read more
Sony Pictures launches CinemaCon with ‘‘Bad Boys 4’’, ‘‘Dumb Money’’, ‘‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’’ and more (Deadline)
Sony kicked off the first night of CinemaCon with a tape message from Will Smith and Martin Lawrence from the set of Bad Boys 4.
Smith beamed, “What’s up CinemaCon? We’re glad we’re not there, cause we’re here and they’re paying us to be here!”
“Bad Boys Four is coming, we’re hyped, excited. We’re in the fourth week of shooting, everything is going to be spectabulous” he added before bringing Sony Motion Pictures Group President Josh Greenstein on stage. The duo didn’t announce a title for the new movie which sees Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returning behind the camera. No date has been set for the sequel; the franchise currently counting $840.7M through three movies. Read more
French court halts controversial migrant expulsions from Mayotte slum (France24)
A French court halted the controversial clearance of a slum due Tuesday aimed at expelling migrants from its Indian Ocean island territory of Mayotte — a plan that has sparked clashes between locals and security forces and sparked tensions with neighbouring Comoros.
The operation, called Operation Wuambushu (“Take Back” in the local language), aims to expel migrants from urban slums on Mayotte to improve living conditions for locals in France’s poorest department.
Some 1,800 members of the French security forces have been deployed for the operation, including hundreds sent from Paris, with young locals and police clashing in the district of Tsoundzou outside the main town of Mamoudzou since Sunday. Read more
Dozy Mmobuosi Foundation boosts NPFL Super Cup with N1b star prize (Leadership)
Winner of the upcoming 2023 Dozy Mmobuosi Super Cup Football Tournament is expected to smile home with a whopping N1 Billion star prize.
The tournament, organised by The Dozy Mmobuosi Foundation, in partnership with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), is under the aegis of Nigeria Premier Football League Limited.
The organisers in a statement made available to journalists said the number of participating teams has been expanded to 12, adding that all teams were selected from the NPFL, Nigeria’s top tier league. Read more
Fans knock Okocha over €150m claim (Punch)
Some fans have disagreed with former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha after he said he would have cost around €150m in today’s transfer market with the general opinion that his dribbling displays didn’t end often enough in goals.
The legendary midfielder joined Paris Saint-Germain from Turkish giants Fenerbahce for a then-African transfer record fee of £14m. The move to PSG was finalised following his impressive performance for Nigeria at the France 1998 FIFA World Cup.
In an interview with Turkish outfit, hurriyet, the 49-year-old explained why he believed he would have attracted such a high transfer fee. Read more
Cristian Stellini: Tottenham sack interim manager after Newcastle thrashing (BBC)
Interim manager Cristian Stellini has been sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after four matches in charge.
The decision comes a day after Spurs were thrashed 6-1 at Newcastle – a performance chairman Daniel Levy has described as “wholly unacceptable”.
Stellini, 48, was appointed on 26 March after Antonio Conte’s 16-month spell as Spurs boss came to an end.
Ryan Mason, who worked under Stellini and took charge when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2021, succeeds him. Read more
Municipality of Naples lodges request to FIGC for Napoli-Salernitana to be postponed (FootballItalia)
The Municipality of Naples, through Gaetano Simeone, President of the Commission for infrastructure, mobility and civil protection, has officially lodged a request to the FIGC that Napoli’s fixture against Salernitana be postponed.
The match is currently scheduled for 14.00 UK time this Saturday, however, the local authorities have asked that the game be pushed back until 12.00 Sunday, so it can be played at the same time as Inter–Lazio.
If second place Lazio fail to beat Inter at San Siro and Napoli beat Salernitana, Luciano Spaletti and his team will be crowned as champions of Italy. Read more
Defending champion Jabeur to miss Madrid Open (France24)
Tunisian Ons Jabeur will not defend her title at the WTA Madrid Open after withdrawing Monday with a calf injury.
“Further to many medical exams done, it shows that I have a small tear in my calf and I will need more time to recover,” Jabeur announced.
“I am sad to announce that I won’t be able to compete and defend my title this year.” Read more
Mo Farah reveals he nearly quit during London Marathon as struggles affirm decision to retire (Standard)
Mo Farah said Sunday’s London Marathon helped confirm he was making the right decision to retire.
The 40-year-old finished the race in ninth place — and only the third British finisher — after struggling during the latter stages.
After clocking a time of 2hr 10min 28sec — a Masters record, but somewhat off the time he had anticipated — the Londoner said: “I was confident and thought I could do between 2:05 and 2:07, but the body didn’t respond today and it was a little bit disappointing. That’s when you know it’s time to call it a day.” Read more