Okuama: Army invades another Delta community, arrests 10 persons, razes homes (Vanguard)
Troops of the Nigerian Army conducting a cordon-and-search operation over the March 14 killing of 17 military personnel at Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday invaded another community, Olota, and allegedly whisked away no fewer than 10 persons.
This came on a day Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, and retired judges ripped apart the Board of Inquiry constituted by Defence Headquarters to investigate the March 14 killing of military personnel at Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government of Delta State, saying it had no powers to do so. Read more
Minister apologises for saying Nigerians keep freezers on due to low tariff (Channels)
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has apologised to Nigerians for saying that they keep freezers on for days due to low electricity tariff.
“Anything we have said that are considered offensive, we are sorry about that,” Adelabu said with slight remorse on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
The minister had come under fire by many Nigerians in the last one week for his comment which was considered offensive. Read more
Nollywood stars mourn Junior Pope (DailyTrust)
Some Nollywood stars have continued to mourn the death of Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwodo, popularly known as Junior Pope.
The late actor died with three of his colleagues while returning from a movie location in a boat when they fell into the Anam River in Anambra on Wednesday.
His colleagues took to their social media platforms to mourn Junior Pope who was finally pronounced dead on Wednesday at age 39. Read more
Kano: Mob lynches suspected killer of 6-year-old boy (Tribune)
A suspect who was allegedly believed to have beheaded a six-year-old boy was lynched by mob in Kano.
The 25-year-old man was allegedly accused of beheading a six-year-old boy, Mohammed Nabiyu in Kanwa village, Madobi Local Government Area of the State on Thursday.
It was however learned that Abdullahi was an almajiri boy who migrated to the village in 2021 and left the vicinity four months ago before his sudden return to allegedly perpetuate his heinous act. Read more
Eid-el-Fitr: Sokoto declares Friday public holiday (Nation)
Sokoto State Government has declared Friday, April 12, 2024, as a work-free day.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Abubakar Bawa, and made available to newsmen in the state on Thursday.
The statement said the public holiday was to enable civil servants to continue to celebrate Eid-el-Fitr with their families. Read more
Sanwo-Olu shuts down Dosunmu market after fire incident (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the closure of Dosunmu Market in Lagos Island after a fire incident on Tuesday.
Recall that no fewer than 14 buildings were gutted by the fire, and four structures collapsed as a result of the incident on Tuesday.
The fire was reportedly caused by the careless refuelling of a generator in the penthouse of one of the buildings. Read more
Yabatech gets N3.5b entrepreneurship centre (Punch)
Retired Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Civil Service, Tunde Fanimokun, has donated 150 hectares of land to Yaba College of Technology to establish a green campus.
According to a statement on Thursday, Fanimokun had pledged to finance the construction of a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship centre at Yabatech, at an estimated cost of N3.5bn.
It noted that the donation marks a significant milestone in the advancement of sustainable development and entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Read more
Rotary Club of Lagos honours peace advocates (ThisDay)
The Rotary Club of Lagos recently recognised individuals who have contributed significantly to peace and conflict resolution in the Lagos community.
The awards were given as part of the global observation of World Peace and Understanding Day, and they reflect the Club’s enduring commitment to promoting peacebuilding and conflict resolution at both local and global levels.
According to the Club’s Director of Public Image, Ifeoma Williams, the awards embedded in the principles of peace and understanding, underscored the club’s enduring dedication to promoting peacebuilding and conflict resolution at both local and global levels. Read more
GloRilla details wholesome Beyoncé encounter: ‘She loves me as much as I love her’ (HipHopDx)
GloRilla has opened up about a recent encounter with Beyoncé, proudly revealing that the love she has for the music icon is reciprocated.
In an episode of The Pivot Podcast — hosted by former NFL stars Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark — the Memphis rapper spoke about meeting Bey at the iHeartRadio Music Awards earlier this month.
When asked about her favourite celebrity interaction since rising to rap fame, Big Glo replied without hesitation: “Beyoncé.” Read more
Pacific castaways’ ‘‘HELP’’ sign sparks US rescue mission – and an unexpected family reunion (CNN)
A US Navy and Coast Guard operation on Tuesday rescued three mariners stranded on a tiny Pacific Ocean islet for more than a week after the trio spelled out “HELP” using palm fronds laid on a white-sand beach.
The mission also unexpectedly turned into a family reunion.
The three men had been planning to fish the waters around the Pikelot Atoll, part of Micronesia, on March 31 when their 20-foot open skiff was caught by swells and its outboard motor was damaged, according to US Coast Guard officials. Read more
Kris Jenner once cried over ‘tasteless and disgusting’ rumours about her having an affair with O.J. Simpson (People)
Nearly five years before O.J. Simpson’s death, Kris Jenner teared up over tabloid rumours of an affair with the controversial former athlete.
During a November 2019 episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Jenner, 68, reacted to articles circulating about a romance between her and Simpson, who was married to Jenner’s late best friend Nicole Brown Simpson at the time. She expressed particular irritation that the rumours surfaced on the anniversary of Brown Simpson’s death.
“They printed a story that I was sleeping with O.J.,” she told daughter Khloé Kardashian. “That f—ing piece of s—. It’s really kind of pathetic that when rumours get started, the media gives it life and breath and on the anniversary of Nicole’s death. It’s so tasteless and disgusting.” Read more
Billionaire sentenced to death for £35b fraud (Metro)
A real estate tycoon who rose to power from a street market vendor was sentenced to death after she was accused of defrauding £35billion in Vietnam.
Billionaire Truong My Lan, 67, faced a court in Ho Chi Minh City where she was found guilty of being behind the country’s largest ever financial fraud case.
The crime was so huge it accounted for nearly three per cent of the country’s GDP in 2022. Read more
Mexico calls on the International Court of Justice to expel Ecuador from UN (AlJazeera)
Mexico has appealed to the International Court of Justice to boot Ecuador from the United Nations, following a late night police raid on its embassy in Quito.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Mexico filed a complaint with the court on Thursday, calling Ecuador’s actions a violation of international law.
“The court, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, should approve the expulsion, and there should be no veto,” Lopez Obrador said at a news conference. Read more
Instagram to test blurring nudity in messages to protect teens from sextortion (NBC)
Instagram said it plans to test a new feature in an effort to curb sextortion on its platform.
The “nudity protection” feature, which has several functions, is designed to help prevent users from receiving unwanted sexual images and encourage “people to think twice before sending nude images,” according to a blog post the platform published Thursday.
The feature, which will automatically be turned on for users under age 18, will blur images that are detected as containing nudity. There will also be a warning that reads, “Photo may contain nudity.” Read more
South Korean opposition wins legislative election, deepens political deadlock (VOA)
South Korea’s left-leaning opposition won a decisive victory in Wednesday’s legislative election, as voters delivered a rebuke to the party of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The main opposition Democratic Party and smaller allied forces are projected to control about 184 seats in the 300-seat National Assembly, according to preliminary figures released early Thursday by the National Election Commission.
The opposition bloc is expected to fall short of a crucial two-thirds majority, however, which would have upended South Korean politics. With 200 seats, the opposition could have overridden Yoon’s legislative veto, proposed constitutional changes, and even impeached the president. Read more
Bay eager to watch Oshoala shine in Paris (Punch)
Bay FC are thrilled by the prospect of watching Asisat Oshoala strut her stuff with the Super Falcons at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The National Women’s Soccer League side expressed their delight in a post on their Instagram page on Wednesday following Nigeria’s qualification after defending their 1-0 first-leg advantage in a pulsating barren second leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday.
The club also felicitates Racheal Kundananji, another African player in their book who secured Africa’s second ticket to the Games with the Copper Queens of Zambia at the expense of Morocco. Read more
Christine Mboma: Olympic 200m silver medallist to make competitive return after 20 months out (BBC)
Namibia’s Olympic 200m silver medallist Christine Mboma is set to make her competitive return after 20 months out.
Tokyo 2020 runner-up Mboma is a female athlete classed as having differences in sexual development (DSD).
She was ruled out of last year’s World Championships after World Athletics voted to reduce the blood testosterone levels permitted for DSD athletes. Read more
Fury predicts victory in clash with Oleksandr Usyk for heavyweight supremacy (AfricaNews)
Tyson Fury, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, has asserted his dominance ahead of his highly anticipated clash with Oleksandr Usyk, declaring, “It’s my time, my destiny, my era, and my generation.”
Fury’s upcoming bout with Usyk, scheduled for May 18th in Saudi Arabia, is poised to be the first undisputed world heavyweight showdown of the century. Usyk, the reigning WBA, IBF, and WBO title-holder, poses a formidable challenge for Fury, having transitioned from unified cruiserweight champion to heavyweight contender in 2019.
Speaking at a press conference in Morecambe, Fury emphasised that the showdown with Usyk is strictly business, devoid of personal animosity. “There’s a lot of stuff on the line, but I don’t hate him, he don’t hate me,” Fury stated. Read more
Spanish TV station sack pundit after racist ‘joke’ aimed at Barcelona star Lamine Yamal (Mirror)
Former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper and coach German Burgos has been sacked by Movistar Plus+ after making a racist comment about Barcelona’s 16-year-old star Lamine Yamal
Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus+ have sacked pundit German Burgos after he made a racist comment about Barcelona star Lamine Yamal live on air.
Yamal, 16, was one of the stars of Barcelona’s exhilarating 3-2 away win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night. But the team’s result and his performance were overshadowed by a comment made by Burgos before kick-off. Read more
Tiger Woods 1 under at Masters but faces 23-hole test Friday (ABC)
Tiger Woods survived the swirling winds of Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday, but the five-time Masters champion’s biggest test is probably coming Friday.
After inclement weather delayed the start of the 88th Masters, Woods was able to complete 13 holes at 1 under before play was suspended at 7:51 p.m. ET because of darkness. The 15-time major champion, who hasn’t completed an official PGA Tour event since he returned from ankle surgery in April 2023, will have to play 23 holes Friday.
Woods, 48, will play the final five holes of the first round when it resumes at 7:50 a.m. The second round is scheduled to begin at 8. Woods, Jason Day and Max Homa are slated to tee off at 10:18. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo swaps red card rage for beach tranquillity as Al-Nassr superstar relaxes with partner Georgina Rodriguez (DailyMail)
Cristiano Ronaldo was spotted relaxing on the beach – just days after he was sent off for violent conduct.
Ronaldo, 39, lost his head on Monday evening during Al-Nassr’s Saudi Super Cup semi-final defeat by Al-Hilal, with the veteran superstar appearing to elbow and stamp on an opponent – before then inexplicably raising his fist towards the referee.
Al-Nassr were 2-0 down at the time of Ronaldo’s 86th minute dismissal, with the Real Madrid legend involved in a clash with Ali Al-Bulayhi. Read more