Number of illegal weapons in Nigeria very alarming – Army GOC (DailyTrust)
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen. Hassan Dada, has expressed concern about the high number of weapons in unauthorized hands in Nigeria.
He said this on Thursday in Enugu at a one-day seminar on the control of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria.
The seminar was organised by the South East Zonal office of the National Center for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALWS). Read more
Police rescue 3 toddlers locked up in Lagos home (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has rescued three toddlers allegedly locked up in a room at Agodo-Egbe in the Ikotun area of the state.
PUNCH Online gathered that the children, which included a girl and two boys between the ages of two and four years, were locked inside for some time by one Fatimo Ganiyu said to be their grandmother.
Some members of the community who became curious about their whereabouts were said to have immediately alerted the police on Wednesday. Read more
Dangote Refinery getting a third of Its crude from US, set to shake W’African supply market (ThisDay)
The 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Crude Oil Refinery near Lagos is getting at least a third of its crude oil supply from the United States, underscoring the cheapness of US oil compared to other producing countries’.
A report by Bloomberg said yesterday that Nigeria’s new mega Dangote oil refinery is slowly grinding into gear, with analysts and traders watching its ramp up closely to try to understand when it will start pouring petrol into the market.
“The 650,000 barrel-a-day Dangote plant outside Lagos is taking advantage of cheaper US oil imports for as much as a third of its feedstock as it starts up,” the report added. Read more
Alleged cybercrime: Police to arraign blogger, Ofoegbu (Tribune)
The case of alleged Cybercrime against a social media content creator, Mr Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu, by the Police is to shift from the Chief Magistrate Court, sitting at Zone 6, Abuja to the Federal High Court.
It would be recalled that Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna granted the Police an order to remand the blogger in prison while the matter was being investigated by the police.
Lawyers to the blogger, led by Marvin Omorogbe, had applied for the bail of the blogger pending arraignment. Read more
Reps warn against sabotage in Nigeria’s nuclear research centres (Vanguard)
The House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Renewable Energy, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, has called on personnel and nuclear scientists managing Nigeria’s nuclear research centres to avoid any act of sabotage that could lead to adverse incident that would jeopardize the security of the nation, in spite of their grouses over lingering non payment of the approved hazard and high-risk allowance due to them.
He assured them that the parliament is working towards ensuring that the Budget Office of the Federation “grant the two Centres of Excellence Financial Autonomy, by providing them with separate budget lines for Effective and Efficient discharge of their mandate.”
Hon. Ogene made this appeal on Thursday, in Abuja when representatives of the two Centres met with the Committee on Renewable Energy, at the National Assembly, in continuation of the investigation into why the hazard and high-risk allowances, which was approved for the scientists in the two centres were withheld by the Budget Office, but ironically, allegedly, paid to civil servants in the employ of Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), Abuja. Read more
FG sets up committee to verify property owners on Lagos-Calabar highway (Leadership)
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has inaugurated a committee to verify those whose property are within the right of way of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway for compensation.
The Minister, during the inauguration on Thursday in Abuja, said the verification was important to identify those that will be compensated for their loss owing to the road project.
He clarified that 250 meters after the shores belong to the federal government, thus, properties within the range won’t get compensation except with the waiver of the president. Read more
EFCC threatens to involve military in arresting Yahaya Bello (Nation)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has threatened to involve the military in executing the order issued on Wednesday by Justice Emeka Nwite for the arrest of the immediate past Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello.
EFCC’s lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), issued the threat on Thursday while accusing Bello’s successor, Usman Ododo of frustrating his client’s effort to execute the order on Wednesday.
Pinheiro said: “What happened yesterday was that a person with immunity (Ododo) came to whisk him (Bello) away to abort his arrest. Read more
Court restores Ganduje’s membership of APC, halts suspension order (Sun)
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano and presided over by A. M. Iman, yesterday, halted the suspension of the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, from APC.
The order followed an application for enforcement of fundamental rights to fair hearing brought before the court by the APC national chairman.
The respondents in the case included Haladu Gwanjo, Malami Mai, Mohammadu Baiti, Damalam Gale, Umar Sanda , Auwalu Galadima, Abubakar Dauda, the Nigeria Police, Kano State Commissioner of Police, the Inspector General of Police, the Department of State Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Read more
GloRilla arrested on DUI charges in Georgia as police say rapper refused to take breath test (People)
Rapper GloRilla has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence, possessing an open container in a motor vehicle and failure to obey a traffic control device.
According to an incident report obtained by PEOPLE, the “Tomorrow 2” performer received the charges in the morning on April 16 in Suwanee, Georgia, where she was arrested by police after allegedly making a U-turn at a solid red light.
The 24-year-old star, whose real name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, was then pulled over by an officer, who “immediately noticed her eyes to be watery and bloodshot” as they smelled marijuana in her vehicle and alcohol on her breath, per the report. Read more
Halle Bailey shuts down DDG breakup rumours despite Instagram unfollowing (HipHopDx)
Halle Bailey and DDG sparked rumors of a potential breakup over the past week that have now been debunked.
On Wednesday (April 17), soon after the chatter began spreading online, TMZ confirmed that the gossip was unfounded after all.
“The singer’s rep tells us Halle and DDG are still together and that all the reports they’ve split are straight-up false — point blank,” the outlet shared. Read more
Victims of nightclub fire that left 48 dead 43 years ago finally get justice (Metro)
A verdict of unlawful killing has been returned by the jury of the Stardust Fire inquests for all 48 people who died in the 1981 Dublin nightclub disaster.
Some Stardust family members jumped to their feet and clapped at the verdict, while some sat in their seats and were moved to tears.
Others embraced each other as soon as ‘unlawful killing’ was said by the foreman of the jury. Read more
Kenya’s military chief dies in helicopter crash (IrishExaminer)
Kenya’s military chief General Francis Ogolla has died in a helicopter crash near the country’s border with Uganda, President William Ruto has announced.
The helicopter was carrying 11 people, including Gen Ogolla, when it crashed on Thursday and caught fire over a remote area, killing nine people onboard, the president – who has declared three days of national mourning – said.
It is unclear what caused the crash. Read more
US vetoes UNSC resolution on Palestinian statehood after 12 countries vote in favor (TimesOfIsrael)
The US follows through on its pledge to veto a Security Council resolution to grant the Palestinians full-member status at the UN.
Twelve countries voted in favor, passing the threshold of nine required to force a US veto. The countries that supported the measure were Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Russia, South Korea, Mozambique, Malta, Japan, Guyana, France, Ecuador, China and Algeria.
The UK and Switzerland abstained on the resolution. Read more
As Hezbollah awaits Israeli retaliation, its second-in-command insists they are not seeking war (NBC)
Iran-backed Hezbollah is determined not to ramp up its monthslong firefight over Lebanon’s southern border, but will respond in kind to any Israeli escalation, the political party and militia’s second-in-command told NBC News in a rare and exclusive interview.
Naim Qassem faulted Israel and the United States for perpetuating tit-for-tat attacks that have killed hundreds in southern Lebanon and displaced tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border. The conflict started with Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which killed more than 1,200 people and sparked Israel’s bloody incursion into the Gaza Strip that has since killed nearly 34,000 people, according to the Ministry of Health in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
“We didn’t expect the war would last this long because we didn’t think that Netanyahu was that foolish, same for Biden and the other countries,” Qassem said, as Israel’s two-front conflict drags into its seventh month. Read more
Ghana’s John Akomfrah represents Britain at Venice Biennale (AfricaNews)
This year’s Britain’s national pavilion at the Venice Biennale began with video from the Tudor court that remembers the death of a British-Nigerian man, David Oluwale, who drowned in a Yorkshire river after being beaten by local police in 1969.
Along the way, in the Ghanaian film-maker Sir John Akomfrah’s exhibition, comes a sumptuously told visual and auditory story.
“It’s a project on memory and water functions for me as a very resonant image of memory. How it works, where it goes, and the form that it takes in our lives.” says John Akomfrah. Read more
Super Eagles will have A coach in next 1 or 2 weeks – Minister (Channels)
The Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh, has assured Nigerian football fans that the senior men’s national team, the Super Eagles, would have a new coach in the next one or two weeks.
The Super Eagles have been without a substantive coach following the expiration of the contract of Jose Peseiro after the Africa Cup of Nations in February where the team finished as runners up.
Finidi George, who was one of the assistants to Peseiro coached the team in the last two friendly matches they played against Ghana and Mali, but the Minister said the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will soon name a permanent coach for the team. Read more
NPFL schedule on hold for pending Rivers matches (Punch)
The Nigeria Premier Football League will take a break from Sunday, April 28, after match-day 32, to allow 2022 champions, Rivers United, complete their six outstanding matches, which piled up as a result of their involvement in the CAF Confederation Cup.
Secretary, NPFL Club Owners Association and chairman of Sporting Lagos, Godwin Enakhena, confirmed the decision on Thursday, adding that it was in the best interest of the league.
“The decision to suspend other matches to allow Rivers United play their outstanding games was made by the league managers and we are all in support. The club owners didn’t have to press that because it was the right thing to do and it was done. Don’t forget that this is the crucial stage of the league,” Enakhena told our correspondent. Read more
Stuttgart Open: Emma Raducanu beats Linda Noskova to set up quarter-final with Iga Swiatek (BBC)
Britain’s Emma Raducanu produced a dominant display against Linda Noskova to set up a last-eight meeting with Iga Swiatek at the Stuttgart Open.
Raducanu needed 81 minutes to claim a straightforward 6-0 7-5 victory.
The 21-year-old will face world number one and defending champion Swiatek in the quarter-finals after the Pole defeated Elise Mertens 6-3 6-4. Read more
Daniel Ricciardo could be replaced by Kiwi rival Liam Lawson this year (DailyMail)
The clock is ticking for Aussie F1 star Daniel Ricciardo with Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko tipping him to be replaced by New Zealand rival Liam Lawson before the end of the year.
Ricciardo is facing pressure to improve after a difficult start, having been outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the first four races.
Ricciardo has lost all qualifying sessions to Tsunoda 4-0 and trails him 3-1 in race finishes, with his only lead due to team orders in Bahrain. Read more
‘Terminally ill’ Roma fan confesses to lying about condition after tricking boss Daniele De Rossi (Mirror)
A Roma fan made a dying wish to the Serie A giants to win the Europa League under Daniele De Rossi and despite the Italian responding, it appears that the whole story was a lie
A ‘terminally ill’ Roma fan has admitted to lying about his condition after an emotional appeal from Daniele De Rossi.
The fan, thought to be called Edoardo, called Roman radio station Tele Radio Stereo earlier this week. Through tears, he confessed that he was suffering from a terminal illness and was travelling to Switzerland to undergo euthanasia. Read more
Former Guardiola’s assistant, Amuneke battle for Super Eagles’ coaching job (CompleteSports)
Former Pep Guardiola’s assistant, Domenec Torrent and Emmanuel Amuneke are battling for the Super Eagles coaching job.
The two coaches, Completesports.com learnt from a reliable source are the leading contenders for the job.
“Torrent is the number one candidate among the foreign coaches, who applied for the job,”the source told Complete sports.com. Read more