NSA launches global manhunt as Binance official flees custody (Vanguard)
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has called on the public and the international community to provide information that can assist law enforcement agencies in apprehending the Executive Manager of Binance for the African region, Mr Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped from detention.
Head of Strategic Communication, ONSA, Mr Zakari Mijinyawa, who made the call yesterday, said a manhunt had been launched for Anjarwalla’s re-arrest.
He said: “The Federal Government, like other governments around the world, has been investigating money laundering and terrorism financing transactions perpetrated on the Binance currency exchange platform.
“Until his escape, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who holds British and Kenyan nationalities and serves as Binance’s Africa regional manager, was being tried by Nigerian courts. Read more
CBN sells FX to BDCs at N1,251/$1 as naira rebounds (Channels)
As the naira gradually appreciates against the dollar after months of unprecendented uncertainties, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on Monday, announced the sales of $10,000 to each of the eligible Bureau De Change (BDC) operators in the country at the rate of N1,251/$1.
In a circular to the President of the Association of Bureau De Change Operators of Nigeria on Monday, the apex bank said the BDCs are to sell to eligible end users at a spread of not more than 1.5% above the purchase price.
The circular was signed by the bank’s Director of Trade and Exchange Department, Hassan Mahmud. Read more
2 doctors arraigned for involuntary manslaughter (Punch)
Two medical doctors, Michael Atiba and Ugbeye Michael, were on Monday arraigned before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over the alleged involuntary manslaughter of a patient, Ejiro Ugorobi.
Atiba, a doctor at the Gbagada Hospital, and Michael, a consultant with the National Orthopaedic Hospital, are facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.
The state prosecution counsel, A. O. Azeez, told the court that the offence happened on October 21, 2023. Read more
Internet Outage: $1b needed for new cables, repairs to take 8 weeks (Leadership)
The recently broken subsea cables that disrupted Internet service in Nigeria and some other West African countries will now require six to eight weeks to fix before the network can be fully restored, according to information released by MainOne.
LEADERSHIP recalls that in the early hours of Thursday, March 14, 2024, there was a nationwide outage on multiple networks in 12 African countries, including Nigeria.
The affected undersea cables were the West Africa Cable System (WACS), the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), MainOne, and SAT3, which negatively impacted data and fixed telecom services in several countries of West Africa, notably Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire and far beyond to eastern and southern Africa. Read more
Ajasa Estate residents send SOS to Governor Sanwo-Olu (ThisDay)
One month after land grabbers invaded and laid siege on a Lagos Community at Ajasa-Command Area of the State, the 20,000 strong residents have sent a strong ‘Save Our Souls’ petition to the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, asking him to save them from daily harassment and bullying by the land grabbers.
On February 16, 2024, the residents of Ifelagba and Aniya Community Development Areas woke up to the invasion of notorious land grabbers from Ogun State with over 200 thugs, to invade the community on the pretext of executing the judgement of a Lagos High Court over a land tussle between Oba Subaru Odualabe, and Kehinde Ologunebi families over an expanse of land measuring 11.370 hectares and delineated in survey plan no: AGB 247A and lying at Igbo Esinsin. Owoeye is well known and feared in Ogun State, particularly at Atan-Ota, where he has his base. Read more
Gumi has been invited for questioning over comments on bandits — FG (Channels)
The Federal Government says Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has been invited by security agencies for questioning over some comments he made on the activities of bandits.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, who briefed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday, said nobody is above the law and found guilty, Gumi will be reprimanded.
“The security agencies are up and doing. Sheikh Gumi or any other person is not above the law. If he makes suggestions that are constructive enough for the security agencies to take, they will take but if they think that he is also making some statements that appeared to be reckless, he will also be reprimanded. Read more
Tinubu okays infrastructure fund to fast track project development (Independent)
Worried by infrastructural deficit in the country, President Bola Tinubu has approved the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund.
The Fund, which is a replica of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, is meant to facilitate effective infrastructure development across the areas of agriculture, transportation, ports, aviation, energy, healthcare, and education in Nigeria.
According to the proponents, the Fund will invest in critical national projects that will, among other things, promote growth, enhance local value-addition, create employment opportunities, and stimulate technological innovation and exports. Read more
FRSC launches task force to enforce ban on overloading on Kaduna-Abuja highway (DailyTrust)
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has launched an inter agency task force to enforce a ban on overloading trailers along Kaduna Abuja highway.
The agency said the Kaduna-Abuja highway is becoming a death trap for motorists due to crashes involving trailers carrying goods, animals, and passengers on the road.
According to the commission, in the last couple of months, the highways have been bedeviled by avoidable road crashes involving trailers often overloaded. Read more
Senegal election result: Opposition’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye set to win (BBC)
Senegal’s ruling coalition candidate Amadou Ba has called the opposition’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye to concede victory in Sunday’s presidential election, a government official said.
Unofficial results showed that Mr Faye had a strong lead over Mr Ba.
Mr Faye had been in prison 10 days before the vote and campaigned on the promise of radical change.
Official results from an election which was originally due last month are expected in the coming days. Read more
Scarlett Johansson tipped to star in new “Jurassic World” movie (FilmNews)
Scarlett Johansson is believed to be in talks to star in the new “Jurassic World” movie.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed the Lost in Translation actress is talking to Universal about the lead role.
The new film, which is set to be released in July 2025, will feature a totally different set of characters from the previous movies that star Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Read more
Federal agents raid multiple properties of Sean ‘‘Diddy’’ Combs (Guardian)
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Monday that agents have raided properties in Los Angeles, Miami and New York that local news outlets have reported are tied to rapper and mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
NBC News and local stations in Los Angeles and Miami first reported the activity at Combs’s properties on Monday. Federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement were conducting searches of the properties as part of a sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, two law enforcement officials told the Associated Press.
It’s not clear whether Combs was the target of the investigation. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Read more
India’s top court untangles nexus between politicians and businesses (RFI)
India’s Supreme Court forced the disclosures on Thursday – a month after striking down as “undemocratic” the controversial policy called the Electoral Bond Scheme, introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2017.
The election commission has now published a list detailing buyers of electoral bonds, revealing the close ties between businesses and the ruling BJP party.
Critics have argued the scheme violated citizens’ right to information and that it was designed to favour the BJP, which came to power in 2014 and hopes for a third term in parliamentary elections this spring. Read more
Israel cancels Washington visit after US allows UN Gaza ceasefire resolution to pass (CNN)
Tensions between the United States and Israel were exposed on Monday when Washington stood aside and allowed the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The US decision to abstain on the vote prompted Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel a scheduled trip to the US by two of his top advisers, two Israeli officials said.
The US had previously vetoed similar resolutions calling for a ceasefire. Its position evolved last week when on Friday, it put forward a ceasefire resolution tied to the release of hostages. That resolution fell when it was vetoed by Russia and China. The US abstention on Monday’s vote allowed the latest resolution to pass, when the other 14 members of the 15-strong council voted yes. Read more
Ryan Gosling’s ‘‘The Fall Guy’’ heads to China cinemas (Variety)
Universal’s “The Fall Guy” will open in mainland Chinese cinemas next month, ahead of its debut in the U.S. and star Ryan Gosling’s native Canada.
The film is set to release officially in China on April 30. That puts it a few days behind the film’s first commercial outings on April 25 and 26 in Europe and other parts of Asia, but a week ahead of its May 3 release in North America.
Directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Bullet Train), the film co-stars Gosling and Emily Blunt, with Gosling playing a veteran stunt double for a self-obsessed movie star. Read more
CBS, Golden Globes agree 5-year broadcast deal after period of uncertainty (ScreenDaily)
CBS and the Golden Globes have struck a five-year deal to broadcast the ceremony on the network and stream live on Paramount+.
The deal follows a one-off arrangement with CBS and Paramount+ for the 2024 show and ends a period of uncertainty over who might become the ceremony’s regular broadcast partner.
The show went off air in 2022 after former longtime broadcaster NBC withdrew in the wake of an LA Times exposé alleging financial impropriety and a lack of diversity at former Globes organisation Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Read more
Trabzon Brawl: My teammates suffered cuts, bruises, says Osayi-Samuel (Punch)
Super Eagles defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has spoken for the first time about the drama that ensued during a Turkish Super Lig game involving Fenerbache and Trabzonspor last Sunday, The PUNCH reports.
Osayi-Samuel was seen in a video fighting back following an attack by angry Trabzonspor fans after their team’s 3-2 home loss to Fenerbahce
In the footage, Nigeria international was seen to have knocked down a pitch invader while protecting his teammate from the invading supporters after they charged at the visiting players. Read more
Coco Gauff toppled by Caroline Garcia at Miami Open (StraitsTimes)
Caroline Garcia on March 25 pulled off a gritty 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 upset of third seed Coco Gauff to book her first trip to the Miami Open quarter-finals while fourth seed Elena Rybakina powered past Madison Keys 6-3, 7-5.
Frenchwoman Garcia’s serve was clicking early and she never faced a breakpoint in the opening set before Gauff raised her level to even the affair at a set apiece.
In the pivotal first game of the deciding set, Garcia fended off four break points to hold serve and broke at love to take a 2-0 lead she would not relinquish against her 20-year-old American opponent. Read more
Nottingham Forest lodge appeal against points deduction (France24)
Nottingham Forest lodged an appeal Monday against the four-point deduction imposed upon them for a breach of Premier League financial rules.
“Nottingham Forest can confirm that it has today lodged an appeal against the four point sanction imposed by the Commission in relation to the Club’s breach of the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability Rules,” the club said in a brief statement on its website.
“The club will not be making any further statement at this time,” added Forest. Read more
Lagos FA board impeaches Oki, names Gafar new chairman (Punch)
The board members of the Lagos State Football Association, at its General Assembly held on Saturday, impeached their chairman Fouad Oki and voted Gafar Liameed as the new chairman of the state FA, Sunday PUNCH reports.
In a counter move, however, Oki told Sunday PUNCH he remained the chairman of the embattled association.
The board issued a vote of no confidence on Oki after he was voted out by 12 out of the 14 members of the congress following allegations against him, including maladministration, high-handedness, corruption and fraudulent practices. Read more
Declan Rice sends passionate message to Ben White after Arsenal star snubbed England (Express)
England midfielder Declan Rice has claimed Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale will join him in attempting to persuade Arsenal team-mate Ben White to reconsider his international snub. The Gunners defender hasn’t represented England since flying home early from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Rice will captain the Three Lions on his 50th senior cap in Tuesday night’s friendly against Belgium at Wembley Stadium.
But White will do no more than watch from home after causing a stir by rejecting Gareth Southgate’s call-up for this month’s double-header, which started with a 1-0 defeat to Brazil on Saturday. Read more
Shohei Ohtani denies betting on sports, says ex-interpreter stole money to pay debts (UPI)
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Monday steadfastly denied any involvement in sports betting or the gambling activities of his friend and former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.
Appearing on a live video feed set up by the Dodgers as they prepared for their domestic home opener this week, baseball’s biggest star declared he had never bet on any sporting events in his life and was unaware that Mizuhara had tapped his bank accounts to pay off millions of dollars in illegal gambling debts.
“I’ve never bet on baseball or any other sport, or ever asked anyone to do it on my behalf,” the Japanese star said. “I never went through a bookmaker.’’ Read more