Nigerian man caught smuggling 83,000 cigarettes into UK (Vanguard)
The United Kingdom authorities have arrested a Nigerian national trying to smuggle more than 83,000 cigarettes into Newcastle International Airport.
According to Daily Mail, Samuel Onyemenam was intercepted in the UK carrying his luggage as on flight from Nigeria via Germany.
Officers from Border Force X-rayed three of his suitcases and found that two of them were filled with cigarettes.
Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard a total of 83,600 cigarettes were found, which would have carried duty worth £28,000. Read more
“You were selected not re-elected”, Falz tackles Sanwo-Olu (Punch)
Popular Nigerian musician Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, has tackled the Lagos State Governor and winner of the just-concluded governorship election in the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, after he was announced returned for a second term as governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The PUNCH reports that Sanwo-Olu was declared winner of the governorship poll by INEC in the early hours of Monday by the Returning Officer of the governorship and state assembly elections, Prof. Adenike Oladeji, after winning 19 out of the 20 local government areas in the state.
The governor, at 9am on Monday morning took to Twitter to thank Lagosians for the chance to govern for a second term.
Sanwo-Olu wrote, “Thank you Lagosians! I am deeply humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support and trust of the good people of Lagos State. I am honored to be re-elected as your Governor and pledge to continue to work tirelessly to deliver a better Lagos for all. Thank you for believing in me. Read more
I don’t regret running for office, Funke Akindele breaks silence on election loss (Punch)
Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Funke Akindele, has broken her silence on her defeat in the March 18 elections, stating that she doesn’t regret running for office.
Akindele and her principal, Abdul-Azeez Adediran aka Jandor, were defeated by the incumbent governor and All Progressives Congress candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
On her Instagram page on Monday, she wrote, “It has been an amazing and insightful experience on my journey to the ballot, and I must say, it was an absolute learning curve for me. A lot of things have been learned and unlearned. I sincerely do not regret taking this huge step of running for office. Read more
Minister seeks firm’s contribution to FCT infrastructure plan (Tribune)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Bello has called on well-established companies in the territory to complement government’s efforts in providing and sustaining quality infrastructure in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
He stated this during the opening of Abuja Furniture Production (AFP) showroom at Maitama area of Abuja on Monday.
The Minister, who was represented by the director, FCT public building, Adebowale Ademo, said the administration is concerned with quality work in and around the city, and would always work with competent firms that could add value to the government efforts. Read more
INEC reschedules Benue governorship, assembly polls in Kwande LGA (Leadership)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled the conduct of the governorship and State Assembly election in Kwande local government area of Benue State to Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
This decision followed an inadvertent mix-up of some of the sensitive materials for the two State Assembly constituencies in the area i.e. Kwande East and Kwande West.
For this reason, voters and stakeholders agreed that the elections should be rescheduled for another day.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Governorship and State Assembly elections held last Saturday nationwide. Read more
Mechanic returns ₦10.8m ‘mistakenly’ sent to his account (Guardian)
A Nigerian mechanic addressed simply as Mr. Timothy has returned ₦10.8 million mistakenly sent to his bank account.
Timothy’s act of honesty and integrity has received a lot of commendations from Twitter users since the video went viral while some others slammed him for returning the money.
Popular Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, is among those who have hailed the mechanic for demonstrating true integrity and principle in the face of temptation and adversity in Nigeria.
“God bless Mr Timothy, who returned N10.8M naira that was mistakenly transferred to him. You will not lack, favour, peace and long life,” Henshaw tweeted in her reaction to the video. Read more
JAMB sets guidelines for direct entry, resumes registration (Channels)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has set guidelines for the registration of the 2023 Direct Entry nationwide to check the high level of forgery of the A Level certificate used for the registration.
In a press briefing on Monday in Abuja, JAMB’s Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede announced the examination had resumed the 2023 DE registration nationwide.
Professor Oloyede also stated that the DE registration would come to a close on April 28, 2023. Read more
PDP wins 13, APC 9 seats in Edo Assembly (Nation)
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo has won 13 out of the 24 Assembly seats.
But the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious in nine constituencies while Labour Party (LP) has two seats.
PDP won in Akoko Edo 1, Akoko Edo 2, Owan West, Esan Central, Igueben, Esan Southeast, Esan Northeast 2, Uhunmwonde, Orhionmwon 1, Ovia Northeast 1, Ovia Northeast 2, Oredo 1, Oredo 2 and Ikpoba-Okha constituencies. Read more
Ed Sheeran lets his guard down for Disney+ docuseries The Sum of It All (RollingStone)
Ahead of Ed Sheeran’s upcoming album — (Subtract), the singer will provide an inside look into his life, career, and new LP with the Disney+ docuseries Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All.
Premiering May 3 on the streaming service, the four-part docuseries will chart Sheeran’s rise from a child with a stutter to stadium-filling superstar, complete with never-before-seen footage from his personal archives, new interviews with Sheeran and his family, intimate performances, and more.
“Ginger hair, really short, he stutters. That guy doesn’t become a pop star. It’s so unlikely,” Sheeran says in the trailer of his rise to stardom. “You just have to work harder because there’s always someone who wants it more than you.” Read more
Persian artist dedicates London exhibition to ‘all the brave women’ in Iran fighting for their freedom (Standard)
An Iranian artist whose drawing of a woman without breasts and a groin went viral is to dedicate his upcoming London exhibit to “all the brave women” fighting for their rights in his country of birth, including murdered Mahsa Amini.
Forty-six-year-old Raoof Haghighi, who has lived in the UK since 2009, is to showcase some of his “favourite surreal and hyperrealistic portraits and drawings” in mid-April as part of solo exhibit Painting is Like Breathing for Me.
Mr Haghighi, who lives in Reading and was raised in a family of eight artists under authoritarian regime in Shiraz, Iran, told the PA news agency: “Being born in an artistic family was really helpful for my own journey into, and [my] relationship with, art. Read more
Tyga buys Avril Lavigne a custom-made $80k diamond necklace amid new romance (People)
Avril Lavigne is all blinged-out thanks to a new gift from Tyga!
PEOPLE can confirm that the “Rack City” rapper, 33, gifted the “Sk8er Boi” singer, 38, with a custom-made necklace from Mavani & Co Jewelry, which cost him $80,000. TMZ was first to report the news.
Mavani & Co Jewelry founder Eric Mavani says that the jewelry features 50 carats of white and black diamonds, as well as pink sapphires. Read more
Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding challenging Miley Cyrus for UK’s Number 1 single (MusicNews)
After performing a Miracle and debuting with last week’s highest new entry, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding are currently challenging Miley Cyrus for the UK’s Number 1 single, moving up one (2), while Miley’s Flowers battles for a 10th consecutive week at the top.
After dropping four surprise new songs to celebrate the beginning of The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift is now on course for the highest new entry with All The Girls You Loved Before (5) a previously unreleased cut that didn’t make the tracklist of 2019’s Lover album.
More than a year after its original release, Rema’s Calm Down could reach its highest peak yet in the UK (4), as could Libianca’s People following the release of a new remix with Cian Ducrot (6). Read more
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un calls for nuclear attack preparedness on US, South Korea (Fox)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called on his country to be ready to launch a nuclear attack to deter war as he accused the U.S. and South Korea of carrying out military drills with American nuclear assets, according to state media.
Kim’s remarks, carried on state media KCNA, came after the Hermit Kingdom launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Sunday. The missile flew across the country and landed in the sea off its east coast, according to South Korean and Japanese assessments – which reported that the missile traveled a distance of about 500 miles.
Kim, who oversaw the test, said the exercises improved the military’s actual war capability and highlighted the need to ensure its readiness posture for any “immediate and overwhelming nuclear counterattack” through such drills. Read more
Credit Suisse rescued after turbulent week (Newsweek)
Switzerland’s largest bank, UBS, is buying its rival Credit Suisse for $3.2 billion through an acquisition deal meant to protect the Swiss economy after panic erupted following the collapse of the U.S.-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank earlier this month.
“With the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS, a solution has been found to secure financial stability and protect the Swiss economy in this exceptional situation,” the Swiss National Bank said in a statement on its website on Sunday. The takeover of Credit Suisse was supported by
the Swiss federal government, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, and the Swiss National Bank.
The acquisition comes amid recent instability in global banking and fears about weak banks during a time where increasing interest rates has impacted the value of some financial assets, according to CNN. Read more
New film on the bombing of German cities in WWII (DW)
Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa’s latest film starts innocently enough — people go about their daily lives, stroll through Berlin, peer out the window in a southern German village and watch the goings-on in the village square. There is even a scene where a cow is herded onto a river ferry.
Then, 12 minutes into the film, the first bombs fall from thousands of planes, dropped on German cities, including Cologne, Dresden and Berlin.
In his new film “A Natural History of Destruction,” which celebrated its German premiere in Berlin on March 15 and opens in national cinemas on March 16, Loznitsa focuses on the Allied bombing raids on Nazi Germany. Read more
AFCON 2023 qualifiers: Ihenacho, Iwobi, Aribo, 7 others arrive Super Eagles camp (Vanguard)
The Super Eagles training camp in Abuja is bubbling as 10 players have hit camp ahead of the AFCON 2023 qualifiers against Guinea Bissau.
England-based Kelechi Ihenacho, Alex Iwobi, Joe Aribo and Semi Ajayi were among the early arrivals in camp and were later joined by Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Hoffenheim’s Kevin Akpoguma.
Joining in on Monday morning were the likes of Francis Uzoho, Daniel Bameyi, Kingsley Aniagboso and Wilfred Ndidi.
Nigeria will take on Guinea-Bissau in a doubleheader on Friday, March 24, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja before travelling to the Stadio 24 de Setembro in Bissau on Monday, 27 March.
Portugal defender Pepe out for opening Euro qualifiers (Punch)
Legend defender Pepe has been ruled out for Portugal’s first two Euro 2024 qualifying matches later this month, the country’s football federation announced Monday.
The 40-year-old Porto player already missed his side’s match against Sporting Braga this weekend due to a leg injury.
He had been included in new Portugal coach Roberto Martinez’s first squad since the former Belgium coach took over.
But medics for Portugal’s football federation have signed him off for the matches against Liechtenstein on Thursday and Luxembourg three days later, the Portuguese federation said in a statement. Read more
Peseiro ‘sacks’ Shorunmu, Finidi, picks U-20 goalkeepers’ trainer as replacement (Guardian)
Super Eagles’ assistant coaches, Finidi George and Ike Shorunmu, have been allegedly dropped by Technical Adviser, Jose Peseiro, ahead of the national team’s 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifying games against Guinea Bissau on March 24 at the MKO Stadium, Abuja.
Still shocked by the development, Shorunmu, the team’s goalkeepers’ trainer, said he heard from a top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official, yesterday, that Peseiro has replaced him with the U-20 goalkeepers trainer, Suleiman Shaibu.
“I have just been informed by a top NFF official that Coach Peseiro said he does not need my services in the Super Eagles again. No reason was given for the decision. Finidi George has also been sacked and replaced by another coach. At this point, I am no more a member of the Super Eagles’ technical crew. Read more
Arsenal cruise past Palace to go eight points clear (BBC)
Manager Mikel Arteta challenged his Arsenal players to maintain their mindset following the international break after they beat Crystal Palace to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners have won six consecutive league games as they aim to become champions for the first time since 2003-04.
They have 10 matches left, including clashes with Liverpool, second-placed Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle. Their next game is against Leeds at home on 1 April. Read more
Alcaraz routs Medvedev for Indian Wells title, return to No. 1 (France24)
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz swept past Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to win the Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 and secure his return to number one in the world.
US Open champion Alcaraz ended Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak, denying him a fourth title in as many tournaments to ensure he will supplant Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic atop the rankings.
Serbia’s Djokovic, barred from entering the United States because he hasn’t been vaccinated against Covid-19, sat out Indian Wells and will miss the Miami Open starting this week, where Alcaraz is the defending champion. Read more
Danny Lee wins LIV Golf Tucson with birdie in playoff (ESPN)
Danny Lee birdied his final two holes for a 2-under 69 and then won LIV Golf Tucson on the second hole of a four-man playoff on Sunday by making a 25-foot birdie putt from off the 18th green for his first win in nearly eight years.
It was the second playoff in LIV Golf since the Saudi-funded series began last year. Dustin Johnson won the playoff outside Boston last year.
Lee finished at 9-under 275 and got into the playoff with Carlos Ortiz (65), Brendan Steele (70) and Louis Oosthuizen (70). Oosthuizen bogeyed the par-5 17th to fall one behind, only to birdie the 18th to join the playoff. Read more