Noise pollution: Lagos seals 5 churches, 19 hotels (Punch)
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency has temporarily shut down no fewer than five churches and 19 hotels over noise pollution between March 23 and April 26, a tally by Saturday PUNCH has shown.
Calculations by our correspondent also showed that no fewer than four markets and shopping complexes were also shut down over noise pollution and other environmental infractions.
The churches that have been temporarily sealed include St Monica’s Hall of Our Lady of Lord’s Catholic Church, Christ Rock of Fire Ministry, Wonderful Bible Prayer Ministries, God’s Porch Ministries, and an unnamed Catholic Church. Read more
Yahaya Bello: Kogi Court orders service of suit seeking imprisonment of EFCC boss for contempt (ThisDay)
Justice I. A. Jamil has ordered the service of a suit seeking to commit the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr Ola Olukoyede to prison, for allegedly disobeying his orders.
The order was sequel to an exparte application made by former Kogi State Governor, Mr Yahaya Bello, seeking to jail the anti-graft agency’s board for moving to arrest him against the order of the court.
Justice Jamil had on February 9, restrained the Commission from harassing, arresting or detaining the former governor, pending the determination of the substantive suit. Read more
Police arrest 16 suspects for rape, kidnapping, others (Channels)
The Katsina State Police Command has arrested sixteen (16) suspects in connection with raping, culpable homicide, kidnapping for ransom, motorcycle and phone snatching as well as armed robbery among other major crimes in the state.
The suspects cut across six syndicates were paraded by the command’s spokesman Abubakar Sadiq on Thursday evening at the Command Headquarters, Katsina.
The first case was the arrest of a 35-year-old Surajo Magaji of Makwalla Quarters in Danja Township, Danja LGA, Katsina state. Read more
Oyo restricts movement on Saturday from 6am – 4pm (Nation)
Movement would be restricted for the duration of Saturday’s local government election in Oyo State, the State Government announced on Friday evening.
The restriction will help officials of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to conduct the poll without hindrance.
Election would hold into councillorship and chairmanship positions in the 33 local government areas of the State between 8 am and 3 pm. Read more
FGCO Odoogbolu 1976-1981 set commissions refurbished girls hostel (Tribune)
The Old Students of the Federal Government College Odoogbolu (1976–1981), set in their efforts to ensure a conducive learning environment for every girl child in the school, as well as complimenting the government’s commitments to delivering affordable and quality education for all and sundry irrespective of their status, commissioned a newly refurbished girls hostel in their Alma Mater.
Addressing journalists shortly after the cutting of the tape of the newly renovated girls’ hostel, the president of the 76-81 set of old student associates of the college, Mr Ayoola Olaitan, noted that it is very important to take good care of girls’ children.
He said, “These are young girls that have left their parents; I think we owe them a duty to put them in a comfortable environment. They will have this kind of mentality that they are comfortable, and they have to shun all vices we don’t expect them to do. There are certain things we’re expecting them to be doing right now, like focusing on their studies, and by providing this kind of conducive environment for them, I’m so sure it will really have a positive impact on them.” Read more
Tinubu appoints Barikor, Amgbare as heads of NESREA, NDRBDA (Vanguard)
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr Innocent Barikor as the Director-General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
The President also approved the appointment of Prince Ebitimi Amgbare as the Managing Director/CEO of the Niger Delta River Basin Development Authority (NDRBDA). Read more
Tajudeen calls for review of school curricula to foster national cohesion (DailyTrust)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has called for the review of the curricula of primary and secondary schools in the country to reflect the new direction of fostering national unity.
He made the call while delivering a keynote address at the Nation Integration Conference organised by The Kukah Centre (TKC) in Abuja on Friday.
The Speaker who was represented by Rt Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, at the occasion noted that education was an important tool in fostering national unity and could play a pivotal role in managing diversity. Read more
Troops foil attack, kill 7 terrorists in Sokoto (Leadership)
Seven terrorists have been eliminated by troops of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the Modachi general area of Isa local government area of Sokoto State.
A statement by the Nigerian Army on its official X handle (formerly Twitter), said the troops foiled the attack when they responded to a distress call and intercepted an armed terrorists’ group on rampage to wreak havoc in the area.
The statement stressed that the troops, in the joint operation, killed seven of the terrorists and recovered significant cache of arms from the slain hoodlums. Read more
‘The Young and the Restless’ star Marla Adams dead at 85 (People)
Marla Adams, known for her role as Dina Abbott Mergeron on The Young and the Restless is dead. She was 85.
Adams died on Thursday, April 25, in Los Angeles, PEOPLE confirms. A cause of death has not been announced.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Josh Griffith, the executive producer and head writer for The Young and the Restless, remembered Adams as someone who left an “unforgettable mark” on the soap opera. Read more
Gang of women weep in court after kidnapping and beating innocent stranger (Metro)
Two women who kidnapped an innocent victim before driving her to a secluded area and beating her have been jailed.
Bitterly jealous Nadia Gubran, 21, plotted to kidnap a nursery nurse after she suspected she had been exchanging Snapchat messages with a man she herself was interested in.
Gubran recruited best friend Alya Dahshan, 21, and Layla Obad, 20, to carry out the ambush at around 6pm on March 21 last year. Read more
Pusha T explains why artistes still choose to work with Kanye West despite controversy (HipHopDx)
Pusha T has had a love-hate relationship with Kanye West for years, but he recently shared his thoughts on why artists still choose to work with him despite his myriad controversies.
In an interview with Complex, which dropped on Friday (April 26), the “Burial” rapper said that artists still gain a lot from working with the controversial rapper, and it’s a net positive on their careers.
“I believe that there’s a level of visibility that comes along with being next to somebody like Ye,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s a level of musicality and genius-level production that comes along with being next to him. So you get a lot of things that I think artists are looking for these days in being next to him.” Read more
Qatar pledges $3m to Ukrainian human rights body (AlJazeera)
Qatar has announced that it will provide $3m to the office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, as part of a push to support “welfare and safety” in the war-torn country.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that the funds aim to support initiatives designed to improve the lives of children, citizens affected by armed conflicts and the overall population in Ukraine.
“Furthermore, the fund will contribute to increasing legal support and improving the necessary infrastructure required to provide the support needed for families affected by conflict in Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement. Read more
Paramedic sentenced to 4 years of probation for role in Elijah McClain’s death (NBC)
A Colorado paramedic was sentenced to four years of probation Friday for his role in the killing of Elijah McClain, bringing a close to the yearslong effort to prosecute those involved in the Black pedestrian’s death.
Jeremy Cooper, a onetime Aurora Fire Rescue paramedic, had faced up to three years in prison following his conviction on Dec. 22 for criminally negligent homicide.
Friday’s sentencing was the final trial court action against first responders who were accused of playing a role in 23-year-old McClain’s death. Read more
Yousaf insists he will not quit as Scotland’s first minister (IrishExaminer)
Scotland’s under-fire First Minister has insisted he will not resign, despite facing a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
The Scottish Tories have put forward a motion of no confidence in Humza Yousaf as First Minister, while Labour have put forward a similar motion, saying they have no confidence in the Scottish Government.
However, Mr Yousaf, on a visit to Dundee that was arranged at short notice after he pulled out of a speech in Glasgow, insisted he would seek to stay in post. Read more
UN calls for de-escalation as fighting intensifies for control of North Darfur state capital (AfricaNews)
Fighting has intensified in western Sudan. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed grave concerns over the worsening situation in and around the city of El-Fasher located in North Darfur.
The spokesperson for the UN human rights chief briefed reporters Friday (Apr. 26).
“Reports indicate that both parties have launched indiscriminate attacks using explosive weapons with wide-area effects, such as mortar shells and rockets fired from fighter jets, in residential districts,” X Magango said. Read more
Future Olympian: Yusuf Mohammed, the fastest man in Jos, Plateau at MTN champs (CompleteSports)
It was a sunny day in Jos, Plateau state and the second day of the ongoing MTN Champs tournament in J-town when Kwara born athlete, Yusuf Mohammed Kabir, competed and won the 100 meters race along with a gold medal in the Senior Men 100 meters category at the ongoing MTN Champs tournament.
While MTN Champs is all about discovering and nurturing Olympics athletes to represent Nigeria on the international stage, what makes Yusuf’s win a little different from the everyday one is the fact that he recently made the decision to compete in the 100m set, to perfect his speed for his original competing category, the 110m hurdles. Read more
‘No need to change Europe Ryder Cup eligibility for LIV players’ (BBC)
Ryder Cup stars Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton remain eligible for selection for Europe’s defence of the trophy next year, as long as they pay fines and serve bans that will follow their move to the rival LIV Golf League.
New DP World Tour boss Guy Kinnings insists there is no need to change existing rules on Ryder Cup eligibility, despite the defection of two of Europe’s mainstays from their victory over the United States in Rome last autumn.
Kinnings began his tenure as chief executive of the European Tour Group earlier this month when he succeeded Keith Pelley. The Englishman comes into the job at a time when men’s professional golf is mired in a battle for its future. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo’s shock Man Utd demand as Ralf Rangnick message revealed (Mirror)
More details have emerged regarding former Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive exit from Old Trafford in late 2022 after a controversial interview
Cristiano Ronaldo’s extraordinary demands while at Manchester United under interim manager Ralf Rangnick have been revealed.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner returned to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021 after leaving Italian giants Juventus and his arrival was met with huge excitement from the United faithful. At the time, Red Devils legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was at the helm, but the Norwegian was sacked from his post as manager less than four months later. Read more
Shared Olympic gold moment will not be repeated: Barshim (GulfTimes)
Two athletes sharing Olympic gold in a near-empty stadium in Tokyo caught the imagination of an expectant audience across the world, which was at the time ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mutaz Essa Barshim embraced his old friend Gianmarco Tamberi at the end of the men’s high jump as the judges confirmed the double gold for the Qatari and the Italian who have known each other for years dating back to competing as youths. “To be honest, it will never happen again,” Barshim said in an interview.
“That moment, we’ll never share that again. It was a one-time thing. Coming back from injuries and a dark place, I wanted to do something different, something with a different meaning. I’m glad it touched so many people’s hearts, but we are sportspeople, we are professionals, we always want to be the best, we have that fire, ‘I want to beat you, you want to beat me’.” Read more
Arne Slot to become next Liverpool manager after Feyenoord deal agreed (Independent)
Arne Slot is set to become Liverpool’s next manager after they verbally agreed a compensation deal with Feyenoord for the Dutchman.
The 45-year-old, who won the Eredivisie last season and the Dutch Cup earlier this month, emerged as Liverpool’s first choice, with Jurgen Klopp giving his blessing to the appointment by praising Slot earlier on Friday.
Liverpool had entered into negotiations with Feyenoord this week as Slot, who signed a three-year contract extension last summer when he chose not to move to Tottenham, had a deal until 2026 in Rotterdam. Read more
Edo rewards Queens with N5m for Super Six slot (Punch)
The Edo State Government has rewarded the state’s women football team, Edo Queens, with N5m for clinching a spot in the Super Six tournament after finishing second in Group B of the Nigeria Women Football League.
Wife of the Edo State Governor, Betsy Obaseki, during a reception organised to celebrate the team at the New Festival Hall, Government House in Benin City, disclosed the cash reward of N5m to the team, commending them for their indomitable spirit and commitment to excellence.
“I congratulate you and encourage you to do more and make us happy and proud,” Obaseki said. Read more