One killed, many injured in clash between cultists in Lagos (DailyTrust)
One person was killed while many were injured when a fight broke out among suspected members of Aiye and Buccaneer at Ikosi area of Ketu in Lagos.
At least, 15 members of the two cult gangs were arrested in the clash which started around 6 am on Wednesday.
Several commercial tricycles and motorcycles were burnt in the fracas which grounded business activities in the area until the arrival of mobile policemen and policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) who were able to restore normalcy.
It was learnt that the fracas erupted over the collection of levies from fruit sellers at Ketu market.
The police recovered two locally made pistols and several rounds of ammunition from the suspects. Read more
FG to rehabilitate burnt Lagos Airport Link Bridge (Vanguard)
Alhaji Babangida Hussaini, Permanent Secretary (PS), Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, says the rehabilitation work will soon begin on the damaged Lagos Airport link bridge.
Hussaini announced this during a technical inspection of roads and housing projects in Lagos on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Airport link bridge was gutted by tanker fire in January.
NAN further reports that the bridge had since being closed to vehicular movements, making motorists face daunting difficulties along the route. Read more
Absence of prosecution witnesses stall trials of alleged kidnap kingpin ‘Evans’ (Guardian)
The absence of prosecution witnesses on Wednesday stalled the two of the trials of alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans which he is facing before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports in the first suit, Evans is facing trial alongside Victor Aduba, a dismissed member of the Nigerian Army.
The defendants are charged with four counts of kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.
Evans and the dismissed soldier are accused of kidnapping Mr Sylvanus Ahamonu, holding him hostage for at least nine weeks and collecting a ransom of 420,000 dollars from his family. Read more
Lagos to honour Lateef Jakande with leadership academy (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced plans to set up the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy to honour the first Civilian Governor of the state, late Lateef Kayode Jakande.
Sanwo-Olu stressed that the foundation will be supported by an Act of the State Assembly to give it legal backing.
The governor made the remarks on Wednesday, at “A Day of Tributes” held in honour of late Jakande at rehabilitated Mobolaji Olufunsho Johnson Stadium Arena, formerly named, Onikan Stadium.
The day of tributes organised by the State Government was attended by the deceased’s family led by the widow, Alhaja Jakande, former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, represented by Mr Tunji Bello, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, represented by his deputy, members of the State Executive Council, members of the state House of Assembly, former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, former deputy governors in Lagos, Governor’s Advisory Council of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Lagos, top government functionaries, captain of Industries, religious leader, market leaders, school pupils, among others. Read more
Ex-JAMB registrar Prof Ojerinde arrested over alleged N900m fraud (Punch)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arrested a former Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Prof Dibu Ojerinde, for allegedly misappropriating N900 million.
Ojerinde, who was arrested on Monday in Abuja, by ICPC operatives, was alleged to have committed multiple frauds while heading JAMB and the National Examination Council.
He has been detained by the Commission for questioning over allegations of multiple identities, abuse of office, money laundering, tax evasion and making false statements to public officials.
The former JAMB boss was also being questioned by the anti-graft agency for allegedly awarding fraudulent contracts to shell companies that cannot be traced. Read more
Ibadan man to wash public toilet for 30 days for being rude to court
(Guardian)
An Ile-Tuntun Customary Court in Ibadan on Wednesday, ordered a man, Jimoh Falola, to wash public toilets for 30 days for being rude to the court.
In his ruling, the President of the court, Chief Henry Agbaje held that Falola had no regards for constituted authority from the way he insulted the court while the court was sitting.
Agbaje consequently ordered Falola to be taken away by the police until he is ready to comport himself in a civil and orderly manner.
”He is ordered to embark on 30-day community service which includes clearing the bush, sweeping the cutting, road sweeping and washing of public toilets. Read more
Many Injured In Renewed Hijab Crisis In Ilorin (DailyTrust)
Many people were reportedly injured on Wednesday in Ilorin following the renewed hostility between some Muslims and Christians over the hijab crisis rocking the state.
This is coming on the heels of the state government’s directive on Tuesday evening ordering the 10 affected schools involved in the hijab controversy to reopen Wednesday for academic activities.
But the resumption, however, snowballed into a dangerous situation leading to the throwing of missiles that led to several injuries from both sides.
Some of the victims, who had hitherto engaged themselves in a war of words, were seen with blood on their heads and their uniforms while efforts were being made to get them treated. Read more
Family sues Ogun traditionalists over monarch’s corpse, demands N50b (Punch)
The family of the late Alaye-Aba of Aba Ayepe, Ogun State, Oba Rauf Raji-Suleimon, on Tuesday, dragged members of the Osugbo Society in Ijebuland before a court for allegedly hijacking the corpse of the traditional ruler.
The family dragged the traditionalists before a Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta.
In a matter of fundamental rights brought before the court against the traditionalists, the family said the monarch, who died on January 22, 2021, was a practising Muslim until his demise and he deserved to be buried according to Islamic rites. Read more
EFCC demands Asset Declarations Forms from banks from June 1 (Vanguard)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday said that from June 1, it will be mandatory for every financial institution in the country, especially banks, to make available their assets declaration forms.
Chairman of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, disclosed this to State House correspondents after meeting behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The new EFCC chairman said at the meeting with the President, a lot of things which bordered on the eradication of financial crimes were reviewed, adding that henceforth, it would not be business as usual. He said: “We reviewed a lot the things that we want to do towards eradication of financial crimes in Nigeria. As you are aware, I was here about two weeks ago before my taking over. Read more
Chinese government ‘orders media to downplay Oscars coverage’ after Chloe Zhao nomination (Metro)
The Chinese government has reportedly ordered the media to downplay its Oscars coverage after Chloe Zhao was nominated. Filmmaker Zhao, who is from Beijing, was nominated for her work on Nomadland, making history as the first woman of colour to be nominated in the directing category. However, according to Bloomberg, local sources have said the Communist Party’s propaganda department issued the order to all media, stating that coverage should focus on the less controversial categories. They are also thought to have been told that they should not broadcast the ceremony in real time. Read more
Pope Francis says he too ‘kneeling in the streets’ (VOA)
Pope Francis Wednesday appealed for peace in Myanmar, where clashes between police and coup protesters have left around 200 people dead.
At the end of his weekly audience at the Vatican, the pope said with great sorrow, he felt the urgent need to mention the situation in Myanmar, where, he added, “Many people, especially the young, are losing their lives to offer hope to their country.”
Daily nationwide protests have continued in Myanmar since the February 1 military coup pushed out the government of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
In his comments, Francis said, “Even I kneel on the streets of Myanmar and say, ‘stop the violence.’ Even I open my arms and say, ‘Let dialogue prevail.'” Read more
EU plans rollout of travel COVID-19 certificate before summer (BBC)
A digital certificate to kick-start foreign travel should be given to citizens across the EU “without discrimination”, officials say.
The aim is to enable anyone vaccinated against Covid-19, or who has tested negative or recently recovered from the virus to travel within the EU.
The 27 member states will decide how to use the new digital certificate.
Vaccine passports have faced opposition from some EU member states over concerns they might be discriminatory. Read more
Demi Lovato reveals she lost her virginity ‘during a rape’ aged 15 (Metro)
Demi Lovato has made the heartbreaking revelation that she lost her virginity while being raped at the age of 15. In her upcoming docuseries, Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil, the singer opened up about her childhood trauma which included being raped by someone she knew when she was a Disney star, rising to fame in the 2008 movie Camp Rock. Demi revealed: ‘I lost my virginity in a rape. I called that person back a month later and tried to make it right by being in control, and all it did was just make me feel worse.’ The Heart Attack singer said the horrific incident mirrored her being sexually assaulted by her drug dealer in 2018 when she was in the middle of a drug overdose. Read more
WHO experts advise J&J jab for coronavirus mutants (DW)
The COVID-19 vaccine developed by US pharma firm Johnson & Johnson has shown itself effective in countries where coronavirus variants are spreading, advisers from the UN’s health agency said on Wednesday.
The single-shot vaccine was approved by the World Health Organisation on Friday, joining the BioNTech-Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs, which both require two doses, in receiving the WHO’s blessing.
“After reviewing the evidence, we have a vaccine that shows to be safe and it shows to have the necessary efficacy to be recommended for use by us in people over the age of 18, without an upper age limit,” said Alejandro Cravioto, the chair of the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization. Read more
Dozens of soldiers killed in attack on northern Mali army base (France24)
At least 31 soldiers were killed in an attack in northern Mali this week, an army officer said Wednesday, in one of the deadliest assaults on the military this year.
Dozens of assailants on motorbikes and pickup trucks on Monday stormed a military post southwest of the town of Ansongo, near the borders with Burkina Faso and Niger, the army said on social media.
An initial statement said two soldiers had been killed and eight wounded, but late on Tuesday the army gave the higher casualty figures, specifying 11 dead and 14 injured with 11 still missing.
But on Wednesday, a Malian army officer, who declined to be named, said the death toll had further risen to 31. Read more
Charles Akonnor: Coaching Ghana as a ‘German with Black skin’ (DW)
After appearing in almost 350 games in Germany, Charles Akonnor is now pursuing a coaching career in his home country, Ghana. He’s determined to make the “Black Stars” African champions and World Cup contenders.
When the president of Ghanaian football, Kurt Okraku, introduced Charles Akonnor as the new national team coach in January 2020, he smiled — but also left the former Bundesliga player with no doubt about what was expected of him.
“Win the next African Cup of Nations and lead Ghana to the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar,” he says
Okraku could hardly have placed a heavier weight on the man’s shoulders. But Akonnor put on a brave face and did not contradict his boss: “Of course it will be difficult and we all have to pull together to achieve our lofty goals. But I also like to set the bar high because I want to make a difference in Ghana’s football,” he says. Read more
Paul Pogba, David De Gea and Donny van de Beek in Manchester United squad for AC Milan clash (Metro)
Paul Pogba, David De Gea and Donny van de Beek have been included in Manchester United’s travelling squad for their Europa League tie against AC Milan on Thursday. The World Cup-winning midfielder, who hit form over the winter period, has missed United’s last 10 matches due to a thigh injury. David De Gea has also been absent since the goalless draw with Chelsea on February 28 following the birth of his daughter in Spain. Van de Beek could also be in line to make his first appearance since February 14 after returning from injury. Read more
African Champions League: Sundowns, Wydad and Esperance reach quarter-finals (BBC)
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca and Tunisia’s Esperance qualified for this season’s African Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Owned by new Caf president Patrice Motsepe, Mamelodi Sundowns made it four wins from four in Group B with a 1-0 victory at home to TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lebohang Maboe scored the goal which put the South Africans into the knockout phase with a maximum 12 points and two group matches still to play.
In the same group, Sudan’s Al Hilal and CR Belouizdad of Algeria drew 0-0 in Omdurman. Both are on three points with Mazembe bottom of the group a further point back. Read more
Fury in Germany as UEFA says it wants fans at every Euro match (France24)
Plans by European football’s governing body UEFA to ensure fans can attend all fixtures at this year’s delayed pan-continental Euros has sparked fury in Germany, where Munich will host matches.
Held over from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the European championships are due to be held in 12 different countries from June 11-July 11, with London’s Wembley hosting the semis and final.
Yet UEFA has warned it could change the venues if a host city insists on holding a match behind closed doors.
“If a city proposes a ‘no fans’ scenario” the matches due to be held there “could” be switched “to cities able to welcome supporters”, UEFA told AFP on Wednesday. Read more
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp names Robert Lewandowski as the best player he’s ever managed (Metro)
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has named Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski as the best player he’s ever managed. Lewandowski was signed by Klopp at Borussia Dortmund in 2010 and during their time together at the club they won two Bundesliga titles and reached the Champions League final in 2013. The Poland international went on to join Bayern Munich and has established himself as one of the world’s best strikers with 284 goals in 323 appearances for the German champions. And Klopp has offered the highest praise to the 32-year-old. Read more
Football’s child sex abuse scandal: Sheldon review finds ‘institutional failings’ (BBC)
“Significant institutional failings” by the Football Association meant it “did not do enough to keep children safe” – according to the findings of an independent review into historical child sexual abuse in the game.
It found the FA was “too slow” to have sufficient protection measures in place between October 1995 and May 2000.
It said there was no evidence the FA knew of a problem before summer 1995.
The report focused on the abuse of children between 1970 and 2005. Read more
