Opay Agent Charged With Theft Of N.3m (DailyTrust)
An Opay agent, Rabi’u Isah Gaida, has been arraigned before a Kano Shari’a court sitting in Kwana Hudu for breach of trust,o cheating and theft.
The prosecutor, Aliyu Abidin Murtala, told the court that one Zubairu Musa Gaida, complained that the defendant stole his N300,000 through online transfer without his consent when he gave him his phone to open an Opay wallet account for him.
When the charge was read to him, he pleaded guilty, saying he used the money to stake bet with BetNaija. Read more
Killer herdsmen raid Benue community, kill policeman, 45 others (Punch)
Forty-six persons were reportedly killed on Wednesday as suspected armed herders unleashed a deadly attack on the Umogidi community of Entekpa Adoka district in the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The fresh attack came a day after suspected herders invaded the community and killed three persons on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Igbobi community in the neighbouring Apa Local Government Area of the state was also attacked, with three persons killed. Read more
Labour, NECA, NYCN reject subsidy removal, palliatives (Vanguard)
Opposition yesterday piled against the federal government’s planned removal of subsidy on petrol, otherwise known as premium motor spirit, PMS, and its decision to secure an $800 million World Bank facility as a palliative to cushion the effect on the people.
The resistance came from Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, and northern youths, under the aegis of the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN.
While NLC, TUC and NECA insisted that there would be no fuel subsidy removal without local refining of crude, while also kicking against the $800 million palliative, the northern youths threatened to embark on mass action should government remove subsidy, stressing that the $800 million palliative will be looted by government officials. Read more
Ekweremadu: Don joins Obasanjo to plead for clemency (Guardian)
Fellow and Visiting Scholar, Human Rights Institute, Columbia University, New York, Nnamdi Obiaraeri, has joined former President Olusegun Obasanjo in pleading for clemency to former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife and doctor in connection with their conviction in the organ harvesting case in London.
In an 11-paragraph statement entitled ‘Plea of allocutus for the Ekweremadus: I am 100 per cent with former President OBJ’ issued, yesterday, the former Dean, Faculty of Law, Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, after reading the letter written by Obasanjo, said the best legal option was to temper justice with mercy.
The statement reads: “I was overcome with emotion reading the letter from Nigeria’s former President Obasanjo pleading with the British authorities for leniency in the oncoming sentencing of the convicted Ekweremadus. Read more
Lagos LP suspends Salako, Salvador, others for anti-party activities (Guardian)
The Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, yesterday, suspended six members for anti-party activities. It, however, urged Nigerians to remain calm as it plans to reclaim its alleged stolen mandate in court.
The state’s Secretary of the party, Sam Okpala, who disclosed this in Lagos, said that the suspension followed a report from the disciplinary committee set up to look into the allegations leveled against the members.
The suspended members include former Chairman of the party, Olukayode Salako; Moshood Salvador, Opeyemi Taiwo, Olumide Adesoyin, Mutiu Okunlola and Theodore Ezeunara. Read more
BASL warns against criminal acts at MMA2 Terminal (ThisDay)
Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), Ikeja Lagos, has issued a stern warning against fraudulent and deceptive intentions, theft and other unlawful activities anywhere around the airport terminal, stating that anyone caught in the act would certainly be made to face the consequences of their actions.
In a statement on Thursday, its Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Oluwatosin Onalaja, said that sophisticated surveillance systems and other security measures are put on 24 hours guard to detect and deter any acts of criminalities at the MMA2 Terminal.
According to him, this warning had become necessary because of security and safety exigency, with reference to the event within the MMA2 terminal, which otherwise would have created panic, had it not been nipped in the bud. Read more
Court remands man for raping minor in Lagos (Punch)
A 21-year-old man, Onyeka Ubaka, was on Thursday, remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre by an Ikeja Magistrate’s court sitting at the Ogba Area of Lagos State, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a teenager, Favour Togbe, in the Ilasamaja part of Lagos State.
Magistrate E. Kubenje made the order after the defendant who is facing one-charge bordering on rape preferred against him by the police was arraigned.
The police prosecutor, DSP K. Ajayi, told the court that the defendant committed the offence in March, 2023. Read more
Igbo group preaches unity, demands release of IPOB leader (Vanguard)
Igbo youth group, under the aegis of Ohanaeze Youth Stakeholders has restated their belief in the non-negotiable unity of the Nigerian state, saying they would work hard to ensure that one Nigeria stands.
The group made up of past elected Ohanaeze youth leaders, condemned in strong terms, “all tendencies, elements, and factors that militate against the corporate existence and unity of Nigeria”.
Rising from their maiden meeting in Enugu, the group stressed the need for unity, peace and love for one another in Nigeria. Read more
Equities dip further by N14 billion ahead of Easter break (Guardian)
Ahead of the Easter celebration, profit-taking by investors on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) dragged market capitalisation further by N14 billion, as virtually all the blue-chip companies depreciated yesterday. The all-share index (ASI) fell by 24.84 points, representing a decline of 0.05 per cent, to close at 52,994.13 points.
Accordingly, investors lost N14 billion in value as market capitalisation declined to N28.869 trillion. The downturn was impacted by losses recorded in medium and large capitalised stocks, amongst which are Dangote Sugar Refinery, Eterna, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Lafarge Africa and University Press.
Analysts at United Capital Plc said; “We retain a positive outlook for the equities market in Q2, 2023. On one end, our prognosis is hinged on our expectation for a depressed yield environment in the fixed-income market, buoyed by the excess maturities (N2 trillion) expected in Q2-2022. Read more
Rap star Coolio died of fentanyl overdose – manager (BBC)
The death of US Grammy-winning rapper Coolio in September 2022 was due to the effects of fentanyl and other drugs, his manager has said.
Jarez Posey said the musician’s family had been informed about the findings by the Los Angeles County coroner.
The artist was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor of a friend’s LA house six months ago. He was 59.
Coolio, whose real name was Artis Leon Ivey Jr, won a Grammy for the 1995 track Gangsta’s Paradise. Read more
Laura Benanti shares she suffered miscarriage on stage (CNN)
Broadway star Laura Benanti has opened up about a pregnancy loss.
The Tony-award winning actress posted Wednesday on her verified Instagram account about enduring a miscarriage while performing during The Broadway Cruise, which traveled from New York to Bermuda.
The post shows Benanti on stage with a caption that began, “On Monday April 3rd, I performed on stage for 2000 people while having a miscarriage.”
“I knew it was happening. It started slowly the night before,” the caption continues. “If it had been our first loss, or even our second, I likely wouldn’t have been able to go on. But unfortunately, I am not a stranger to the pain and emptiness of losing a pregnancy.” Read more
The Resident officially canceled at Fox after 6 seasons (Deadline)
After six seasons on the air, the lights have officially gone out at Chastain Memorial Hospital as The Resident has been canceled at Fox.
The 20th Television series saw a significant decrease in ratings as the seasons went on. Season 6 averaged about 6.9M viewers per episode after seven days of delayed viewing, which was down 12% vs Season 5 and 35% vs. Season 1. In the 18-49 demographic, Season 6 episodes averaged about a 0.5 rating in L7. That’s down a significant 69% from the first season’s demo rating. Compared to the previous season, Season 6 was down 27% in the demo.
The series concluded on January 16 with the 107th episode of the series titled, “All Hands On Deck.” It was wrapped up with Conrad Hawkins (Matt Czuchry) finally getting his happy ending by declaring his love for Billie Sutton (Jessica Lucas). Ian Sullivan (Andrew McCarthy) came clean about his drug addiction and got to keep his job at Chastain Memorial after saving young Sammie, Bell’s (Bruce Greenwood) granddaughter. Sammie also helps bring together Leela Devi (Anuja Joshi) and Devon Pravesh (Manish Dayal) who finally become engaged. Read more
You should be dancing: Saturday Night Fever suit up for sale (France24)
If you’ve ever fancied yourself as a disco legend — and, let’s be honest, who hasn’t? — this could be your chance, as John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever suit goes up for auction.
The most famous three pieces of polyester in movie history are going under the hammer in California this month, offering one lucky buyer the opportunity to set the dance floor on fire — just don’t get too close to the naked flames.
The wing-lapelled suit, in which a dashing young Travolta broke many a 1970s heart, is the centerpiece of the “Hollywood: Classic and Contemporary” collection at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills. Read more
Stormy Daniels tells Donald Trump to ‘tell the truth’ before ‘people get hurt’ (Metro)
Stormy Daniels has urged Donald Trump to ‘just tell the truth’ about their alleged affair before ‘a lot of people get hurt’.
The former adult actress sat down with Piers Morgan to tell her side of the story following Trump’s historic court appearance in New York this week.
During the 90-minute interview she described feeling like ‘the King has been dethroned’ and the ex-President was ‘no longer untouchable’ when she saw him before a judge.
She also reveals she’s a registered Republican and says she doesn’t think his alleged crimes in relation to her ‘are worthy of incarceration’. Read more
Israel strikes Lebanon and Gaza after major rocket attack (BBC)
Israel’s military says it has struck targets linked to Palestinian militant group Hamas inside Lebanon and across the Gaza Strip.
The attacks come after a major rocket barrage on Israel from Lebanon, which the Israelis blamed on Hamas.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Hamas’ “terrorist” infrastructure was hit in southern Lebanon.
Tensions are high after Israeli police raided Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque on consecutive nights earlier this week. Read more
David Bowie’s son fumes over Donald Trump using his dad’s music again after arrest (Metro)
David Bowie’s son Duncan Jones has been left frustrated by former US President Donald Trump’s repeated use of his father’s music.
The 45th US president has become the first former or current president in history to face criminal charges.
Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, following a series of allegations of hush money deals in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential campaign. Read more
Ikeja Golf Club ready to rumble as April Monthly Mug begins (Guardian)
Members of Ikeja Golf Club and their families are set for their biggest funfilled activity since the 2023 general elections. The event is the April Month Mug, which, the leadership of the club believes, will take away all the strains of the past few months. It begins today.
Announcing plans to enliven the atmosphere at the course with fascinating activities for club members and sponsors, on Wednesday, Club Captain, Shina Akinyemi, said the two-day competition is aimed at refreshing the atmosphere and make it more engaging and interesting for members and sponsors.
“Our members and sponsors are in for an engaging and entertaining phase, as we will be rolling out a series of initiatives that will make every moment at the golf course and vicinity more thrilling and memorable. Read more
WTA must stand firm on Peng and China, says human rights advocate (DailyTrust)
The WTA should stick to its principles and not resume playing tournaments in China until the Peng Shuai issue has been resolved despite the financial impact of its stand, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch has urged.
The women’s tour was widely praised for suspending its tournaments in the country after former doubles world No 1 Peng said in a now deleted 2021 social media post that a senior Chinese government official had sexually assaulted her.
The WTA last week said it would soon announce whether or not it would return to a country in which it is heavily invested. Read more
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation pays for full-page ad to call on Italy to condemn racism (DailyMail)
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has told Italy ‘enough is enough’ as they took action after Inter Milan’s Romelu Lukaku was subjected to monkey noises in a soccer match.
The striker was racially abused after scoring a penalty against Juventus on Tuesday and the 29-year-old is a client of the music star’s agency.
Roc Nation paid for a full-page advert in Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, as first reported by TMZ, to insist ‘enough is enough.’ Read more
Dyche aims dig at Kane following Everton red card incident (Eurosport)
Everton manager Sean Dyche has joked he thought Harry Kane “snapped an eyelash” when the Tottenham striker fell to the ground following an altercation with Abdoulaye Doucoure.
Doucoure was given a straight red card for pushing Kane in the face during Monday night’s game between Everton and Spurs, which saw the England striker dramatically fall to the ground.
Dyche has taken aim at Kane for his theatrics, despite admitting Doucoure was in the wrong and was rightly dismissed. Read more
Kevin Na withdraws from Masters with illness after nine brutal holes (NYPost)
This was not a great start in what many consider a potential statement week for LIV Golf.
Kevin Na, who was a part of the first group off the tee, withdrew from the 2023 Masters with an undisclosed illness after an ugly front nine.
Na did appear to be struggling walking the hilly Georgia course.
As one Twitter user wrote in a video, “Why is Kevin Na so sad?” Read more
Lewis Hamilton shares hilarious story about getting ‘‘absolutely hammered’’ (F1News)
With Formula 1 drivers having to stick to strict diets and fitness routines, alcohol is likely something consumed very rarely by those competing at the pinnacle of motorsport, at least during the season.
Even when drivers are working through the junior categories, there is typically a strict diet and lifestyle involved.
Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton is a prime example, with the 38-year-old having “never” entered a pub as a customer during his teenage years. Read more