No biometric verification, no examination, JAMB tells candidates (Punch)
Ahead of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculations Board, said the board has introduced new innovations for the successful conduct of 2019 UTME. Oloyede made this known in Abuja on Monday at the meeting of critical stakeholders on strategic planning and preparations for supervision and evaluation of administration of 2019 UTME slated to hold between April 11 and April 15. He said, “A separate indicator had also been created for the deaf to differentiate them for special attention at the examination centre. Efforts are on to provide the option of special centres or mainstreaming for the blind. Read more
Army faults INEC position on Rivers State guber elections (Nation)
The Nigerian Army on Monday faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over the position it adopted regarding the governorship election in Rivers State. It maintained that the INEC failed to look at the circumstances surrounding its intervention during the conduct of the exercise and more so when it made a presentation to the INEC fact-finding committee during its visit to the State. In a statement issued by the Deputy Director Army Public Relations in Charge of 6 Division, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, the Army accused the Festus Okoye committee of lack of sincerity in its final report. Read more
Group accuses Ebonyi APC governorship candidate of diverting campaign funds (Nation)
Some aspirants, who failed to secure the APC ticket to contest elective positions in Ebonyi, have urged the APC leadership to probe the deployment of funds released for all elections in the state. The group, who addressed a press conference on Monday in Abakaliki, accused Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji, the Ebonyi APC governorship candidate, of anti-party activities and diverting funds released for the prosecution of all elective positions. Mr Ogbonnaya Onu, an aspirant for the Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency seat, who spoke on behalf of the aspirants, urged APC chairman Adams Oshiomhole, to “urgently institute a probe panel to investigate the governorship candidate”. Read more
Landmine kills eight in Borno (Punch)
Eight people were killed in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, near the border with Cameroon on Monday when a vehicle hit a roadside mine, security sources told AFP. The vehicle, part of a civilian convoy under military escort, veered off the road in an attempt to overtake another vehicle when it hit the device. Military and civilian militia sources blamed Boko Haram jihadists for planting the mine, underlying the persistent threat to civilians in the remote region. “The vehicle exploded and all the eight people inside were killed,” said a military officer. Read more
Army probes killing of Garrison commander (Nation)
Army authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the Garrison Commander of 33 Artillery Brigade, Colonel Mohammed S Barak, The Nation learnt yesterday. Findings by our correspondent revealed that the Commander was killed by yet to be identified assailants while travelling along Jos -Bauchi road. The news of the death of the commander created panic within military circles. Read more
Southern Kaduna community blasts El-Rufai for bias, arrest of leaders (Nation)
Adara Community has lambasted Kaduna State Government for what it called ‘failure to arrest the criminals responsible for killings in six consecutive attacks’ on villages in Kajuru and Kachia local government areas. The community under the auspices of Adara Development Association (ADA) lamented despite six attacks on different Adara villages with hundreds killed and thousands displaced, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has arrested their ‘sons’, while none of ‘the killers’ has been arrested. ADA, in a statement on Monday, accused of arresting and keeping its members in detention wrongfully, instead of apprehending those responsible for killing them. Read more
Delta suspends head teacher over Success’ viral video (Nation)
The Delta State government has suspended the headmistress of Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1, Sapele Local Government of the state, Mrs. Vero Igbigwe. She was suspended following the viral video where little Success Adegor was sent home over her parents’ failure to pay her examination levies. Igbigwe was suspended on Monday when the Delta State Commissioner for Education, Barr. Chiedu Ebie visited the school. Read more
Russia human rights: Chechnya court jails Memorial activist (BBC)
A court in Russia’s Chechnya republic has sentenced a prominent rights activist to four years in jail for possessing illegal drugs. Oyub Titiev, who heads the regional branch of rights group Memorial, said the case was “politically motivated”. Amnesty International said the court verdict was “an affront” to justice. In recent years, Memorial has investigated alleged abuse by Chechen authorities, including kidnappings, torture and the persecution of gay men. Chechen authorities have repeatedly denied the allegations. Read more
Ukraine measles outbreak kills 11, infects 30,000 (Guardian)
Eleven people have died and more than 30,000 have been infected this year in a major measles outbreak in Ukraine, the European country worst hit by the disease, Kiev said Monday. The latest victim was a nine-year-old girl who died from complications Saturday after contracting the highly infectious disease, the health ministry said. Some 30,500 people, including 17,000 children, have been infected so this year. Read more
Third Brexit vote must be different – Speaker (BBC)
Speaker John Bercow has thrown the UK’s Brexit plans into further confusion by ruling out another vote on the PM’s deal unless MPs are given a new motion. In a surprise ruling, he said he would not allow a third “meaningful vote” in the coming days on “substantially the same” motion as MPs rejected last week. With 11 days to go before the UK is due to leave the EU, ministers have warned of a looming “constitutional crisis”. The UK is currently due to leave the EU on 29 March. Theresa May has negotiated the withdrawal deal with the EU but it must also be agreed by MPs. Read more
Three dead in record flooding in US Midwestern states (BBC)
Thawing snowpack and heavy rains have brought historically high flooding to several Midwestern states and have led to thousands of evacuations. Three people have died, including a man who officials say was trying to rescue strangers from freezing flood waters. Record-breaking flooding in at least five states has led to emergency declarations. Several communities have been cut off from outside help. It follows a powerful winter storm that slammed the US last week. Read more
Koffi Olomidé guilty of rape of 15-year-old girl (BBC)
Koffi Olomidé, one of Africa’s most popular singers, has been found guilty of the statutory rape of one of his former dancers when she was 15. He was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence by a court in France in absentia, as he failed to turn up. The ruling means the Congolese star only faces arrest if he commits further offences, says the BBC’s Nadir Djennad. Olomidé, 62, was ordered to pay 5,000 euros ($5,700; £4,300) in damages to the former dancer. The court in Nanterre, outside Paris, also ordered him to pay a fine of the same amount for helping three women enter France illegally. Read more
Warner studios head steps down after reported affair with actress (Punch)
Warner Bros studios chief, Kevin Tsujihara, who has been dogged for weeks by reports of an affair with a young British actress he allegedly helped secure roles, is set to step down, the WarnerMedia group said on Monday. “It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros,” WarnerMedia chief executive John Stankey said in a statement. “Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the company’s leadership expectations and could impact the company’s ability to execute going forward,” he said, without explicitly referring to media reports that the married 54-year-old studio head had an affair with 26-year-old actress Charlotte Kirk in 2013. Read more
Couple jailed for two years over maltreatment of maid (Punch)
A Singaporean couple was on Monday jailed for abusing a Myanmar maid after the pair force-fed her with a funnel, made her eat her own vomit and threatened to kill her family if she reported the maltreatment. In a case described by Singapore prosecutors as “arguably one of the worst of its kind” in the city-state, the married couple — who were sentenced two years ago over the abuse of another maid — beat and kicked their helper and made her clean the house in her underwear. Moe Moe Than, 32, was also given little food, limited use of the toilet and faced threats that her parents in Myanmar would be killed if she reported the abuse, court documents showed. Read more
AFCON Qualifier: Ighalo, Iwobi, Ajayi early birds in Eagles’ camp (Guardian)
Odion Ighalo, Alex Iwobi, and Semi Ajayi were among the first arrivals in the Super Eagles’ camp in Asaba on Monday ahead of Friday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against Seychelles. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three-time African champions, Nigeria, have already booked a place in the AFCON holding in Egypt in July, with the encounter against Seychelles hardly more than an academic exercise. But the Eagles have spoken of the need to end the qualification series on a high and maintain their reputation while using the game to kick-start preparations for the continental competition. Read more
Callum Hudson-Odoi: Chelsea winger called up to England squad from Under-21s (BBC)
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi – who is yet to start a Premier League game – says he is “shocked” to have received his first England call-up. The 18-year-old was brought into the England squad on Monday for the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against the Czech Republic and Montenegro. He has played 19 games for Chelsea this season, scoring five times, but is yet to start a Premier League match. “It’s been a crazy experience but I’m delighted,” Hudson-Odoi said. He was with England’s Under-21 squad, having received his first call-up at that level last week, when he was told he was being promoted to the senior squad by U21 manager Aidy Boothroyd. Read more
La Liga: Struggling Rayo Vallecano sack coach Michel (Punch)
Rayo Vallecano on Monday sacked coach Miguel Angel Sánchez Munoz, known as Michel, after a desperate run of seven straight La Liga defeats which has them staring relegation from in the face. “Rayo Vallecano have taken the decision to dismiss Míchel as coach of the first team,” the club said in a statement. Rayo did not name a new coach or say who will be in charge of training in the coming days. Michel was sacked the day after losing 3-1 at relegation rivals Villarreal on Sunday, a defeat that leaves Rayo second from bottom and six points from safety. Read more
Napoli goalkeeper Ospina out of hospital after head injury scare (Punch)
Napoli goalkeeper David Ospina has been discharged from hospital and is recovering from his frightening collapse after a knock to the head at the weekend, the Serie A club announced on Monday. The 30-year-old, who is on loan from Arsenal, will miss Colombia’s international friendlies against Japan on March 22 and South Korea four days later after suddenly falling to the ground 41 minutes after receiving treatment following his collision with Ignacio Pussetto during Sunday’s 4-2 win over Udinese. “David Ospina was discharged this afternoon from the Pineta Grande Clinic where he had been admitted last night for a series of checks,” Napoli wrote in a statement. Read more