No Boko Haram arrested in Lagos, say police (Nation)
The Lagos Police Command has described as untrue reports attributed to Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF) that hundreds of Boko Haram suspects were arrested in Lagos.
The command in a statement said Boko Haram has not been sighted nor seen anywhere in Lagos State, describing the report as false, malicious, and ill-intended to cause fear and apprehension in the minds of the public.
The statement by spokesman, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the Commissioner of Police (CP) Olohundare Moshood Jimoh directed an investigation following the claim. Read more
Tinubu working remotely from overseas, returns after Easter – Presidency (Punch)
The Presidency has said President Bola Tinubu continues to direct the affairs of state from Europe, despite being outside the country for nearly two weeks.
It also said the President will return on Monday, April 21, after the Easter holidays.
In a statement signed Thursday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, explained that the President, who travelled from Paris to London at the weekend, “remains fully engaged in Nigeria’s governance” and is in “constant communication with key government officials.” Read more
Chidinma tells court how she found Usifo Ataga dead in Lekki apartment (Channels)
Chidinma Ojukwu, a university undergraduate and the prime suspect in the murder of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, testified on Thursday before a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, recounting how she discovered his lifeless body in a short-let apartment in Lekki on 15 June 2021.
The former 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, who opened her defence before trial judge Justice Yetunde Adesanya, stated that she had returned from buying food and drinks, knocked on the door but received no response. She then pushed it open, only to find blood on the floor and Ataga lying in a pool of blood.
“I dropped everything and rushed to him,” she said, adding that his eyes were half-shut and he had no pulse. Read more
Plateau killings: Another crisis looms as Fulani allege poisoning of cows in Bassa (Sun)
Another crisis is looming in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State as the chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), in Bassa, Ya’u Idris, has alleged that 36 cattle were killed and 42 others poisoned on Wednesday around Tafi Gana Junction area of the local council.
But, Plateau State Government, through the Commissioner for Information, Joyce Ramnap, has refuted the claims.
The recent crisis in Zike, Kimakpa community in Kwall District of Irigwe Chiefdom in Bassa claimed more than 53 lives, with many sustaining injuries while many houses were razed. Read more
Community protests against outrageous school fees at Govt College Umuahia (Vanguard)
Natives of the Ihie Ndume community in Umuahia East state constituency have stormed the Abia State House of Assembly Umuahia, demanding a slash in what they described as outrageous school fees at Government College, Umuahia, GCU.
The protesters who arrived at the Assembly complex before the plenary session stated that they could not afford the outrageous school fees charged by the management team of GCU.
The protesters, led by the President of the Abia State chapter of Common Man Assembly, Nathaniel Nwoko, alleged that the present administrators of the school had converted the public school to a private institution and denied intelligent children from poor homes the opportunity to access quality education. Read more
Tinubu’s wife seeks monarchs’ support to end female genital mutilation (Guardian)
Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has stressed the need for traditional rulers to key into the resolve of ending female genital mutilation and hepatitis B, as well as other diseases afflicting the womenfolk.
While reeling out pressing health issues affecting the female gender in the country to include Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Syphilis, among others, the president’s wife maintained that the support to the royal fathers will go a long way in eliminating mother-to-child transmission.
The First Lady disclosed during her visit to Ondo State to flag off the South West zone of the Renewed Hope Initiative, designed to improve the well-being of women and girls across the country. Read more
Tinubu’s predecessors paid lip service to power sector – minister (DailyTrust)
Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has criticised past presidents and leaders for the rot in the sector.
The minister made the criticism while hosting a World Bank delegation in his office in Abuja.
According to him, previous governments have been responsible for the degeneration the sector is passing through. Read more
Demi Moore says ‘‘I didn’t feel gutted’’ by losing the Oscar (Variety)
Demi Moore said in a new interview with Time magazine that she was not devastated when she lost the Oscar for best actress to “Anora’s” Mikey Madison. In fact, Moore had such a strong gut feeling that Madison would prevail, she told her manager as much when the Oscars cut to commercial right before the best actress category was announced.
“I leaned over and whispered to my manager, ‘I think it’s going to Mikey,’” Moore said. “I don’t know why I knew, but I did. I was so centered and calm. I didn’t feel gutted. I didn’t feel any of those kinds of things. I just trusted, and am in trust of, whatever is going to unfold.” Read more
South Africa’s tax row heads to court as implementation date nears (AfricaNews)
The South African government is still embroiled in a tax row between the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The DA party has taken the government to court seeking to bar the 0.5% VAT increase to 15.5% as proposed by the government.
This increase is set to take effect on 1st May.
The government of South Africa has maintained that a 0.5% increase in VAT will help the country offset its budget deficit of R13.5bn. Read more
Disney heading to Annecy with ‘‘Elio,’’ ‘‘Zootopia 2,’’ and ‘‘Eyes of Wakanda’’ (THR)
Disney is heading to Annecy. For the first time, the Walt Disney Company will bring the full force of its animation empire to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, giving festival goers a sneak peak at Disney Animation’s “Zootopia 2”, Pixar‘s “Elio” and Marvel Animation’s Eyes of Wakanda, and screening early footage from Pixar’s upcoming 2026 titles “Hoppers” and “Toy Story 5”.
Lucasfilm will premiere Black, a new “Star Wars: Visions” short by Shinya Ohira at the festival, while Star Wars: Tales of the Empire will screen the episode Devotion as part of Annecy’s official TV competition. Read more
‘‘Surprised’’ Zak Starkey speaks out after being sacked by The Who (Independent)
Drummer Zak Starkey has said he is “surprised and saddened” that anyone would take issue with his Royal Albert Hall performance with The Who, after being sacked from the band he has played with for almost 30 years.
The British musician, who is the son of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and his first wife, Maureen Starkey, had been the band’s full-time drummer since he joined their Quadrophenia tour in 1996.
However, this week the band’s representatives shared a statement that a “collective decision” was made to part ways with Starkey after their Royal Albert Hall shows, during which frontman Roger Daltrey reportedly complained about his performance. Read more
Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has a message for critics who think the show is too “woke’’ (HuffPost)
Russell T Davies has dismissed claims that Doctor Who has become more “woke” under his second tenure in charge of the show.
Speaking on the BBC Sounds documentary Doctor Who: 20 Secrets From 20 Years, Russell lamented that the long-running sci-fi show has long faced scrutiny about “matters of diversity” and issues of social justice that are tackled in its stories.
“There are online warriors accusing us of diversity and wokeness and involving messages and issues,” Davies said, noting that he has “no time for this”. Read more
Iraq Premier accepts Turkiye invite to visit Ankara next month (MEMO)
Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, welcomed a Turkish invitation on Thursday to visit Ankara to attend a meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in May, Anadolu Agency reports.
A statement by Al-Sudani’s office said the Premier met with Turkish Ambassador, Anil Bora Inan, who delivered an invitation from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend the meeting.
The Prime Minister said Iraq is keen “on maintaining the momentum of relations with Turkiye, which are developing at various levels.” Read more
Olisa crowned Africa zonal chess king (Punch)
Tennyson Olisa wrote his name in chess history by winning the first-ever Africa Super Zonal Chess Championship in Lagos, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 22-year-old Nigerian was in beast mode, finishing with 7½ points from nine rounds to win the title in style.
He recently won silver at the Zone 4.2 Championship and dominated a strong field with precision and maturity beyond his years. The victory not only earned him the continental crown but also a shot at qualifying for the 2025 FIDE World Cup.
Olisa will now face the bronze medallist from the African Individual Chess Championship for a place in the global tournament, and has also earned a place in the prestigious FIDE Grand Swiss. Read more
David Raya sounds PSG warning to Arsenal team-mates despite Real Madrid triumph (Express)
David Raya has declared that Arsenal have made a “real statement” in the Champions League but has warned his side about their upcoming battle with PSG. The Gunners’ goalkeeper believes that the team are now prepared to “write their own history” by securing the trophy for the first time in the club’s history.
They sent shockwaves through Europe by eliminating 15-time winners Real Madrid, thanks to an incredible aggregate victory of 5-1 over both legs. This not only demonstrated their readiness for Paris Saint Germain in the semi-finals but also dispelled any doubts within the Arsenal camp. Read more
NHF lists 28 U-18, U-20 players for IHF women’s trophy Championship (Guardian)
The coaches of the national U-18 and U-20 women’s teams have listed 28 players (14 each) for the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Championship, which will hold in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, from April 20 to 24, 2025.
According to Nigerian Handball Federation’s (NHF) Media Officer, Cosmas Chukwuemeka Akisi, the coaches picked their players after a two-week training camp at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, ahead of their journey to Abidjan.
He said that the teams left Lagos, yesterday, en route Abidjan, Cote d’Voire, adding that Coach John Uzor of the U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes, and her sister, Omole Shola, alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy and right back, Faisat Balogun in the mix, while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo also made the cut. Read more
Steve Nash admits he “wanted to be black” growing up, praises Hip-Hop culture (Vibe)
Former NBA star Steve Nash has made the surprising revelation that he once wished he was born Black, pointing to his desire to embody and encapsulate the confidence and skill of his favorite athletes and entertainers.
On a recent episode of Mind the Game, LeBron James‘ new podcast, the two-time NBA MVP opened up about the deep influence Hip-Hop and urban culture had on his formative years.
For the Hall of Famer, who grew up in Canada, it wasn’t just basketball that captivated him—it was the entire world that came with it. Read more
Tour of Britain Women’s race heads to Tees Valley and North Yorkshire this summer (ITV)
One of the most prestigious events on the British cycling calendar is heading to the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire this summer.
The Tees Valley will host the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women for the first time this June, as the first two stages of the UCI Women’s WorldTour event come to the region on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 June.
The stages will also see a first visit to Dalby Forest and the North York Moors National Park, where the opening stage of the race will begin.
In the announcement on Wednesday (16 April), British Cycling confirmed day one of the event will see the peloton heading from the Forestry England visitor centre at Dalby Forest, across the North York Moors National Park via Pickering, Great Ayton, and Guisborough to a stage finish on the Coast Road at Zetland Park in Redcar. Read more