Over 100 women protest murder of traditional ruler in Ebonyi (Vanguard)
Emotions ran high Thursday morning as women numbering over 100 came out en masse to protest the brutal murder of their Monarch in the Umuezeokoha community of Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The victim was the Chairman of Ezza Traditional rulers council, His Majesty Eze Igboke Ewa, who was last Sunday evening shot dead by unknown gunmen suspected to be political thugs in the State.
His offence, according to the investigation was because he was not supporting a particular party, ahead of the 2023 general election.
The women, who were in a mournful state, were seen matching along Umuezeokoha road with placards of various inscriptions, such as “We are not happy”, Enough of the killings”, Stop politicizing our Eze’s death”, “No more killings,” “Shed blood no more in Umuezeokoha”, “Our Igwe is gone”, “Umuezeokoha is sacred,” “We value life”, “Where is our Ezeogo” among others. Read more
LP’s Rhodes-Vivour confirms alliance talks with PDP in Lagos (Guardian)
Governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), has confirmed talks with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The LP candidate told his supporters in Lekki area of Lagos that discussing with the PDP became necessary to forge a common front against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the governorship contest next week.
According to GRV, the APC government has mismanaged the state’s resources; hence, he is in the race to give back the people what belongs to them. Read more
Atiku, Obi refuse to concede defeat, begin legal battle (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, have refused to concede defeat in the February 25 presidential election, vowing to recover their mandate in court.
The two candidates rebuffed the gesture of conciliation made by the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, who in his acceptance speech after he was declared the winner of the poll on Wednesday, asked them to support him in the task of building the nation.
Atiku and Obi spoke at separate news conferences in Abuja on Thursday.
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Tinubu as the President-elect after the 70-year-old polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Atiku and Obi who scored 6,984,520 and 6,101, votes, respectively. Read more
Christians back Sanwo-Olu for 2nd term (Sun)
Christians are backing Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a second term, saying he has done well in the last four years.
Leaders of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Lagos State chapter, rising from a meeting in Ikeja, the state capital, urging all Christians to vote Sanwo-Olu on March 11.
At the ‘emergency’ meeting were Apostle Enyinnaya Okwuonu, Chairman, Pastor Mahmood Akindejoye, Secretary, Bishop Dr. Theophilus Ajose, Director, DPG and other PFN leaders. The meeting was convened to review the February 25 election and the need to present a common front for the March 11 gubernatorial election. Read more
Fire service commends Lagos for infrastructure, upgrade (Punch)
The Lagos State Fire Service has said the fire and rescue management enjoyed development under the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the 50 years of its establishment.
In a statement on its official Facebook page, the agency said the administration rehabilitated 13 existing fire stations across the metropolis to increase the productivity and service delivery of firemen as a provision for a conducive working environment.
It said the governor also built six new fire stations which could be found in the Alausa Headquarters, Epe II, Ajegunle, Oniru, Ebute Elefun and Imota areas of the state. Read more
Former Ekiti governor, Fayose, resigns from PDP (ThisDay)
A former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, has announced his resignation from the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Fayose announced his resignation from the PDP on Thursday while appearing as a guest on a programme on ARISE News. Fayose served as Governor of Ekiti State from 2003 to 2007 and 2011 to 2015 on PDP’s ticket.
However, his decision to quit the party appears to be connected with perceived irreconcilable differences in the PDP, which according to him, has fractured the party. Read more
Police repel terrorists, kill 2 and recover rifles in Katsina (Channels)
Police in Katsina State on Wednesday neutralized two terrorists and injured several others at Yasore village in the Batsari Local Government Area of the state.
The incident occurred at about 07:30hrs after the command received a distress call that terrorists in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked the village.
Consequently, the Divisional Police Officer of Batsari led a combined team of Police and vigilante groups to the area, engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel, and repelled them. Read more
Man, son die in auto crash in Kwara (Guardian)
A middle aged man and his 15-year-old son, Thursday, were crushed to death in an auto crash along Jimba Oja, Idofian, Ifelodun Local council of Kwara State.
The deceased, whose identities could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report were riding on a wine colour Bajaj motorcycle, MUN957QA, also known as okada, and were rammed into by a lemon green Toyota Camry car with registration number LEM568TK, which was on high speed.
The incident led to a spontaneous protest by residents of the community as they expressed their grievances over frequent accidents and high fatality rate in the area recently. Read more
Alex Murdaugh convicted of murder in fatal shooting of wife and son (Fox)
Alex Murdaugh was convicted Thursday of gunning down his wife and son after a panel of 12 jurors returned a guilty verdict after less than three hours of deliberations.
The jury found Murdaugh, 54, guilty of two counts each of murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime without posing a single question to the judge while weighing the case.
Murdaugh looked shattered as the clerk read the devastating verdict. His only living son, Buster, sat in the gallery, shaking his head in disbelief and wiping his face with his hand. But he did not appear to shed a tear. Read more
Snoop Dogg reveals the only person who can out-smoke him (LadBible)
Snoop Dogg has revealed the one person who can smoke him under the table when it comes to puffing the herb.
It’s pretty much his calling card by this stage – wherever you find Snoop Dogg, you’ll find a cloud of pungent smoke following him around.
He’s famous for his prolific musical career, his many – many – collaborations with other artistes, and his love for the devil’s lettuce. Read more
Jazz great Wayne Shorter dies aged 89 (RTE)
Wayne Shorter, an influential jazz innovator whose lyrical, complex jazz compositions and pioneering saxophone playing sounded through more than half a century of American music, has died aged 89.
Shorter died on Thursday in Los Angeles, a representative for the musician said. No cause of death was given.
Shorter, a tenor saxophonist, made his debut in 1959 and would go on to be a founding member of two of the most seminal jazz groups – Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and the Miles Davis Quintet. Read more
Beyoncé hailed as an ‘‘icon’’ during US Congress speech (HipHopDX)
Beyoncé received more than a few kind words during a speech held on the floor of congress this week — the multi-hyphenate was hailed as an “icon” by California Rep.Robert Garcia.
Garcia wanted to help commemorate the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month by paying tribute to Queen Bey.
“She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is now and forever the moment,” Garica said. “I wanna celebrate none other than who I believe is the undisputed queen of pop and R&B: Beyoncé Knowles Carter.” Read more
Chris Rock addresses Will Smith Oscars slap for first time (FilmNews)
Chris Rock has spoken about Will Smith slapping him at the 2022 Academy Awards for the first time.
During the Oscars ceremony in March 2022, the King Richard actor walked onto the stage and slapped the comedian after he compared his wife Jada Pinkett Smith – who has the medical condition alopecia – to G.I. Jane.
While Rock has avoided speaking about the incident, he reportedly spoke about it while working on material for his upcoming special, Selective Outrage, during a set staged in January.
“The thing people want to know… did it hurt? Hell yeah, it hurt,” he told the audience, according to The Wall Street Journal. Read more
Disney’s ‘‘Haunted Mansion’’ movie comes alive in teaser trailer featuring Jamie Lee Curtis (CNN)
A classic Disney theme park attraction is coming alive in the new teaser trailer for this summer’s “Haunted Mansion” movie, and it appears to have some spooky thrills in store.
“This house has a way of playing tricks on you,” the film’s star Rosario Dawson says in the clip shared by the studio on Thursday.
The film follows a mother-son duo, played by Dawson and newcomer Chase Dillion, who enlist a group of “so-called spiritual experts” to help evict a gaggle of “supernatural squatters” from their new haunted home, according to Disney. Read more
Florida resident dies from brain-eating amoeba (BBC)
A Florida resident has died after becoming infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba, officials say.
Health experts in Charlotte County, in southwest Florida, say the victim was probably infected after rinsing their nasal sinuses with tap water.
Naegleria fowleri infects the brain through the nose. Officials say that drinking it is not dangerous.
Infections are almost always fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Officials have not identified the victim. Read more
Flying Eagles beat Uganda to qualify for U20 World Cup (ThisDay)
The Flying Eagles last night defeated Uganda 1-0 in Ismailia, Egypt to book their passage to the 23rd FIFA U20 World Cup finals scheduled for May/June in Indonesia.
The victory also means that Nigeria has qualified for the semi final of the ongoing 17th U20 Africa Cup of Nations. All four finalists will represent the continent at the global stage.
Ladan Bosso’s charges however remain largely unconvincing, lacking that cutting edge to take them far at the world stage. Read more
Barca beat Madrid in Copa del Rey semi-final 1st leg (BBC)
Barcelona bounced back from back-to-back defeats to beat Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg.
An Eder Militao own goal separated the sides at the Bernabeu despite the hosts having more possession and chances.
It is a welcome result for Barca after they lost to Manchester United in the Europa League and Almeria in La Liga.
Xavi’s side defended deep after taking the lead and their discipline earned a narrow advantage to take into the second leg at the Nou Camp on April 5. Read more
Gunmen threaten Argentina captain after shooting at in-laws’ store (ITV)
Gunmen left a threatening message for Lionel Messi after they fired at a supermarket owned by his in-laws in Argentina.
The armed-attackers left a menacing handwritten note for the footballing superstar which read, “Messi, we’re waiting for you” in the early hours of Thursday.
Police said two men, on a motorcycle, fired at least a dozen shots into a Unico branch in Rosario, Argentina’s third-largest city.
Messi has not yet commented. Read more
Canada Soccer says interim funding agreement reached with women’s national team players (CBC)
Canada Soccer says a deal in principle has been reached with the women’s national team players on an interim funding agreement for 2022.
The national governing body says the terms of the interim agreement mirror a similar deal with the men’s national team, including per-game incentives and results-based compensation.
“This is about respect, this is about dignity, and this is about equalizing the competitive environment in a world that is fundamentally unequal,” said Earl Cochrane, Canada Soccer General Secretary, in a statement released late Thursday. Read more
Russian ex-F1 driver Mazepin cleared to race in Europe (StraitsTimes)
Russian ex-Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin was on Thursday cleared to return to motor racing in Europe, a year after his career was brought to a halt by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The 23-year-old Mazepin had been racing in the world championship for the Haas team which was financed by the Uralkali company owned by his father Dmitry.
Both his contract and the title sponsorship of the team were cancelled on the outbreak of the war. Read more
Warriors’ Stephen Curry could return to action Sunday at Lakers (ABC)
Stephen Curry could return from the lower left leg injury that has sidelined him for a month as soon as Sunday. The Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena that afternoon.
Curry, who hurt his left leg against the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 4, has gotten a few scrimmages in over the past two days, including one Thursday morning. Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Curry looked good in those scrimmages and came out of them feeling fine.
Kerr has ruled Curry out of Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, but he will be reevaluated before the team leaves San Francisco for its three-game road trip Saturday afternoon. Read more