Parents lock up daughter for 10 years in Kano (Guardian)
The Nigerian police have rescued a 15-year-old girl imprisoned for 10 years by her parents, BBC reported on Tuesday.
Aisha Jubril was rescued in Kano State on Monday.
The girl had been locked in a room since she was five years old.
Police said they found the girl in a state of extreme hunger and in need of medical attention, adding that Aisha is currently being treated at the Murtala Hospital in Kano. Read more
YABATECH releases cut-off marks for 2020/2021 admission (Punch)
The Yaba College of Technology has released the cut-off marks for placement of candidates for its full-time National Diploma programme for the 2020/2021 academic session.
The Deputy Registrar of the college, Mr Joe Ejiofor, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Tuesday.
Ejiofor said the cut-off marks were fixed by the institution’s Admissions Committee for departments.
According to him, the cut-off marks have been ratified with fairness after the committee’s meeting. Read more
Groom-to-be allegedly murdered by next-door neighbour in Kwara for ritual purposes (Vanguard)
Exactly six days to his wedding, Mr Olokose Oluwasola Ojo in his early 30s, staff at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS )unit of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin was allegedly murdered in cold blood by his next-door neighbour, identified as Kazeem Mohammed, and his gang for ritual purposes.
Vanguard reliably gathered that unknown to the groom to be who was said to be a devoted Christian, his next-door neighbour with whom he used to eat together, was a serial killer and ritualist who had twice served jail terms.
The remains of the victim which had been cut into pieces by the suspected ritualists were recovered by the police, packed into a sack and deposited at the mortuary of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital last weekend. Read more
Lagos, UAE pick Alimosho for heritage centre (Nation)
The Lagos State Government in partnership with United Arab Emirates (UAE), has concluded plans to construct a world-class Lagos Cultural Heritage Centre at Ijon, Ayobo in Alimosho Local Government Area.
Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf inspected the site with the Lagos Consulate General of UAE, Economic and Media Researcher, Hashim Ali Abdallah, Consular and Citizens Affairs, Muhammed Basheer Raji and Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr. Solomon Saanu Bonu; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Investments, Solape Hammond and Chairman of Ayobo-Ipaja LCDA, Shakiru Yusuf.
The commissioner said: “This project will be one of the landmark achievements of this administration. Above all, it will strategically thrive and boost economic prosperity and further increase the Internal Generated Revenue of the state in particular. Read more
Passengers stranded over heavy shooting on Enugu-Abakaliki Road (DailyTrust)
The Ezillo axis of the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway has been made unpassable for motorists and communters following reported heavy shooting by unknown gunmen along the major road.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebonyi Police Command, DSP Loverth Odah, said that the command has dispatched a team of policemen to the expressway to ensure the security of lives of passengers and others plying the road.
LEADERSHIP gathered that vehicles going to Enugu and those coming to Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital are currently seeking for alternative routes to their destinations.
A passenger affected by the incident, who gave his name as Afam Cyprain Ani, in an interview with LEADERSHIP, said that though military and police personel were patrolling the axis, but the military men directed that they (passengers) should not pass the road yet for their safety. Read more
UTME Registration: Candidates decry delay in issuance of new SIM cards (DailyTrust)
Some candidates for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have decried the delay in the issuance of new Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards by the various Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
The candidates expressed their feelings in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Asaba.
SIM cards enable prospective candidates for the 2021 UTME and Direct Entry (DE) to acquire profile codes required for the registration for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Borad (JAMB)-organised examination.
Recall that the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy had lifted the ban on registration of new SIM cards and directed the MNOs to begin issuing new ones to the general public. Read more
Ondo poll: Tribunal strikes out Jegede’s petition against Akeredolu (Punch)
The Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal has struck out the petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the October 20, 2020 governorship election, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, against the victory of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the election.
Jegede had approached the tribunal seeking the nullification of Akeredolu as the winner of the election.
This was after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Akeredolu who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the election. Read more
Alleged Assault: Senate orders investigation of CCT chairman (ThisDay)
The Senate has ordered an immediate investigation into the assault allegations levelled against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct (CCT) Tribunal, Danladi Umar.
This was sequel to a petition brought to that effect at Tuesday plenary by Senator Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau North).
The President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, therefore referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions headed by Senator Ayo Akinyelure for immediate investigation.
Gyang, while giving a summary of the petition said: “Justice Umar Danladi assaulted him (petitioner), brutalized him and slapped him on the face and asked him to kneel down and, thereby, used his leg to hit him on the chest and inflicted bodily harm on him.” Read more
Jubilation in Ekiti as monarch regains freedom (Nation)
There was jubilation on Tuesday in Ekiti when the kidnapped traditional ruler of Ilemeso-Ekiti in Oye Council Area Oba David Oyewumi regained freedom.
Oyewumi was abducted by gunmen last Thursday around 8:30pm when they gained entrance to his palace through the fence.
The kidnappers contacted the family last Saturday and demanded a N20 million ransom for his release.
Confirming his release, Ekiti Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the monarch had been left off the hook and reunited with his family.
“I can confirm to you that the monarch had been released from captivity. He had also reunited with his family. Read more
Putin accepts Biden’s invitation to virtual climate summit (DW)
Even as relations fray between them, US President Joe Biden and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin agreed to address the worsening climate crisis in a virtual conference on Thursday. Dozens of other national leaders are also set to attend.
“Vladimir Putin will outline Russia’s approaches within the context of establishing broad-ranging international cooperation aimed at overcoming the negative consequences of global climate change,” the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday.
President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders to the online climate summit, including Xi Jinping of China, as part of his focus on addressing global warming.
Putin’s attendance signals that he is still open to dialogue with the United States despite a flurry of new sanctions. Read more
“Up to 200” militants killed in Russian airstrike on terrorist camp in Syria – Russian military (RT)
Russian jets have struck a terrorist training camp northeast of Palmyra, destroying 24 vehicles and half a ton of explosive materials while killing up to 200 militants, the Russian military has announced.
After confirming intelligence about a camouflaged terrorist camp in the Syrian desert, the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out the airstrike, and destroyed two terrorist structures, “up to to 200 militants, 24 pickups with heavy machine guns, as well as about 500 kg of ammunition and components for creating improvised explosive devices,” Rear Admiral Aleksandr Karpov, deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria [RRCS], told reporters on Monday.
The base was used as a staging area for militants to make improvised explosive devices (IED) and send “battle groups” to carry out terrorist attacks across Syria, according to Karpov.
“Terrorists train in militant camps on the territory not controlled by Syrian authorities, including the zone of At-Tanf, which is controlled by US armed forces,” he added. Read more
Czech Republic, Ukraine call on EU to take measures against Moscow (France24)
The Czech Republic has asked its EU and NATO partners to expel Russian diplomats in solidarity following a diplomatic spat between Prague and Moscow, a day after Ukraine called on the EU to extend economic sanctions against Russia over renewed tensions in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.
Czech Republic Foreign and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek said Tuesday that he would summon the Russian ambassador on Wednesday to disclose further steps after the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats believed by Prague to be secret agents, and of 20 Czechs from Moscow in retaliation.
“We are calling for collective action of EU and NATO countries aimed at solidarity expulsions,” Hamacek told reporters.
The call comes after Prague accused Russian secret services of orchestrating a fatal explosion on Czech territory in 2014. Read more
Man kills young mum, shoots son before taking his own life (NYPost)
An Alabama man killed a woman he claimed to be his girlfriend and shot her 4-year-old son before fatally shooting himself during a police chase, authorities said.
Katlynn M. Jones, 24, of Jacksonville, Alabama, was discovered dead in her home Saturday from multiple gunshot and stab wounds, Weaver police said in a statement.
An unidentified person had called cops to report that Alex L. Haynes, 21, had confessed to his mother that he killed Jones, describing the victim as his girlfriend, police said.
Responding cops found what appeared to a forced entry via a window on a rear door at Jones’ home, where her 4-year-old son, Mason, was also found shot in the head, but was clinging to life, police said. Read more
AnnaLynne McCord announces dissociative identity disorder diagnosis (PageSix)
AnnaLynne McCord revealed she’s been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), which was previously known as multiple personality disorder.
The “90210” star discussed her diagnosis in a conversation with Dr. Daniel Amen and said she was “uninterested in shame.”
“There is nothing about my journey that I invite shame into anymore,” McCord shared. “And that’s how we get to the point where we can articulate the nature of these pervasive traumas and stuff, as horrible as they are.”
McCord was diagnosed with DID prior to her visit with Amen Clinics and felt her acting roles brought her diagnosis to light. Read more
EU agency says benefits of Johnson & Johnson vaccine outweigh blood clot risk (France24)
Experts at the agency that regulates drugs for the European Union said Tuesday that they found a “possible link” between the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and very rare blood clots after a small number of cases were reported in the United States, but they confirmed the vaccine’s benefits still outweighed the very small risks of recipients developing the unusual clots.
The European Medicines Agency said a warning about the rare blood clots should be added to labels for Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. The agency said these rare blood disorders should be considered as “very rare side effects of the vaccine.”
Last week, Johnson & Johnson halted its European roll-out of the vaccine after U.S. officials recommended a pause in the vaccine, when they detected six very rare blood clot cases among nearly 7 million people who had been vaccinated.
European officials said they considered all currently available evidence from the U.S., which consisted of eight reports of serious cases of rare blood clots associated with low blood platelets, including one death. Read more
US banks deploy AI to monitor customers, workers amid tech backlash (NYPost)
Several US banks have started deploying camera software that can analyze customer preferences, monitor workers and spot people sleeping near ATMs, even as they remain wary about possible backlash over increased surveillance, more than a dozen banking and technology sources told Reuters.
Previously unreported trials at City National Bank of Florida and JPMorgan Chase & Co as well as earlier rollouts at banks such as Wells Fargo & Co offer a rare view into the potential US financial institutions see in facial recognition and related artificial intelligence systems.
regulated banking sector would be a significant step toward their becoming mainstream in corporate America.
Bobby Dominguez, chief information security officer at City National, said smartphones that unlock via a face scan have paved the way. Read more
Unsafe roads: Musa opts out of Pillars away games (Punch)
Kano Pillars’ new high-profile signing, Ahmed Musa, is set to miss over 80 per cent of the team’s away matches as the second stanza of the Nigeria Professional Football League begins April 28, The PUNCH reports.
The announcement of the Super Eagles captain as Pillars’ new signing elicited excitement among fans of the domestic league, but our correspondent learnt that the former Leicester City forward told the club’s management in clear terms that he would not be available for away games.
Chairman of the club Surajo Yahaya confirmed that although the player would be available for every home fixture, he would not be part of most of their away games. Read more
Tottenham Hotspur: Ryan Mason to remain as interim head coach for rest of season (BBC)
Ryan Mason will remain as interim head coach at Tottenham Hotspur for the remainder of the season after the sacking of Jose Mourinho.
The 29-year-old former midfielder, who retired from playing in 2018 after suffering a fractured skull, has been working with the club’s academy.
He took first-team training on Monday after Mourinho’s departure.
Mason will face the media on Tuesday before Wednesday’s Premier League game against Southampton. Read more
Nets in talks to add guard Mike James amid Knicks interest (NYPost)
The sudden retirement of LaMarcus Aldridge has created an opening, with the Nets looking at a couple options. And one that appears to be rapidly gaining steam is guard Mike James.
James is in New York and is on the radar of both the Nets and Knicks. And while sources have confirmed that Brooklyn is interested in James and in talks, both Eurohoops and mibaloncesto.com have gone a step further and reported that a deal is completed between the Nets and the veteran guard for the rest of the season.
Nets guard makes big statement as Kyrie Irving takes notice
“Mike is on a list of guys that they’re looking at,” a source had told The Post. But reports coming out of Europe have claimed a deal is done, with the New York Times saying they’re in advanced talks that could be completed by Tuesday. Read more
UFC 261: Usman promises knockout win against Masvidal (Punch)
UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, says Nigerian welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, has promised to knock out Jorge Masvidal when both fighters square off at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville on April 25.
Usman defeated Masvidal via unanimous decision in 2020, with the American stating he had less than a week to prepare for the fight.
The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ is unbeaten since joining the UFC franchise in 2015, raking in 13 wins, including a second round knockout win over former teammate, Gilbert Burns, in his last outing at UFC 258 in Las Vegas in February. Read more
Ibrahimovic injury doubt for Milan against Sassuolo (Guardian)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a doubt for AC Milan’s midweek Serie A home game against Sassuolo, coach Stefano Pioli said on Tuesday.
Ibrahimovic was suspended last weekend as Milan won at the San Siro for the first time in over two months against Genoa.
But the 39-year-old Swede and French left-back Theo Hernandez have both been hampered with muscular problems.
Midfielders Hakan Calhanoglu and Ismael Bennacer are also struggling with knocks.
“We have problems for Bennacer, Ibra, Calhanoglu and Theo, they all had difficulties training. Let’s see tomorrow (Wednesday),” Pioli told a pre-match press conference. Read more
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr hails Stephen Curry scoring streak after win over 76ers (BBC)
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Stephen Curry as “just amazing to watch” after he extended his scoring streak on Monday.
Curry hit 49 points as his side beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-96.
It was the 11th game in a row the 33-year-old has scored 30 points or more.”I don’t know what else to say,” said Kerr. “It’s the same thing after every game – utter amazement at this guy’s skill level, heart, mind and focus. Just amazing to watch.” Read more