Passengers overpower bandits in Zamfara, kill 1, seize 2 AK-47 rifles (Vanguard)
In a courageous act, the family of a bride-to-be and a group of passengers thwarted a kidnapping attempt by killing a terrorist in Zamfara State.
PRNigeria reports that the incident unfolded when the family of the bride-to-be and other travellers were ambushed by bandits along the Talata Mafara-Gusau highway.
The bride’s family had embarked on a journey to purchase clothing and other wedding materials in Kano. However, their plans took a harrowing turn when armed bandits targeted them. Read more
Lagos: FRSC records 111 road crashes, 17 deaths in 3 months (DailyTrust)
The Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it recorded 111 Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) in the first quarter of 2024.
The Sector Commander, Babatunde Farinloye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos that 535 people were involved in the road crashes, out of which 17 died.
He said, “We had a total of 179 casualties which comprised 162 injured persons and 17 deaths; a total of 111 cases was recorded, 14 was fatal, 65 serious and 32 minor cases.” Read more
High Commission to sanction workers barring Nigerians from Indian school (Punch)
The Indian High Commission in Nigeria has vowed to sanction the workers at the Indian Language School, Ilupeju, Lagos who refused The PUNCH correspondent access to the school facility for inquiries.
Following online reports that the school was not admitting or welcoming Nigerians on its premises, our correspondent on Monday proceeded to the school to investigate the claims.
While reacting to a post by @DejiAdesogan on Sunday, bordering on discrimination against Nigerians at an Abuja-based Chinese store, an X user @decommonroom, shared his experience about the Lagos Indian school. Read more
Yahaya Bello moved $720k from state coffers to pay child’s school fees — Olukoyede (Channels)
Fresh revelations have emerged on the probe of former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the anti-graft commission says the embattled ex-governor withdrew $720,000 from the state’s accounts to pay his child’s school fees in advance just before he left office on January 27, 2024.
EFCC chief Ola Olukoyede made this known in a chat with journalists at the Commission’s headquarters in the Jabi area of Abuja on Tuesday.
Olukoyede alleged that Bello moved the money from the state coffers to a Bureau de Change operator, and used the money for his child’s school fee in advance. Read more
Lagos: APC stakeholders mobilise for Ambode comeback (Sun)
The All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders stressed the need for the party to give the governorship ticket of the party to the former governor of the state, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, saying he has the Midas touch to transform the state.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders in Lagos, a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, Oluwaseyi Bamigbade his four-year tenure as a governor in the state witnessed massive development of infrastructure.
This is coming on the heels of Muslims in Lagos State yearning for one of their own as governor come 2027 as disclosed by an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). Read more
Council, NBTE abolish pharmaceutical technologists’ training by polytechnics, others (Leadership)
Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) has achieved its effort to redress the training of pharmacy support professionals, pharmaceutical technologists in the country, by abolishing the certificate in the country.
The PCN in collaboration with the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) announced an end to the training of pharmaceutical technologists by polytechnics and other institutions in Nigeria, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the parties in Abuja recently.
PCN has over two decades made efforts to stop the training of pharmaceutical technologists by Nigerian polytechnics and other institutions outside the control and supervision of schools or colleges of health education, whose programmes and training are not duly regulated by the national pharmaceutical administrative body. Read more
Ihedioha dumps PDP after 26 years (Channels)
A former governor of Imo State Emeka Ihedioha has left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), 26 years after joining one of Nigeria’s leading political parties.
Having been one of the party’s founding members, Ihedioha cited a variance of “personal beliefs” as part of his reason for quitting the PDP.
“Regrettably, in recent times, the party has taken on a path that is at variance with my personal beliefs. Despite my attempt to offer counsel, the party is, sadly no longer able to carry out internal reforms, enforce its own rules, or offer credible opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress,” he said in a Tuesday letter addressed to the party’s chairman in the Mbutu Ward of Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. Read more
NYSC swears in 1,635 new corps members in Enugu (Independent)
The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has sworn in 1,635 corps members of the 2024 Batch A Stream two set, deployed to Enugu State for the one-year mandatory national service.
The state Coordinator, NYSC, Mrs Christiana Salmwang, disclosed this on Tuesday during the swearing-in ceremony at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Awgu Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Salmwang said that the corps members comprised 825 males and 810 females. Read more
Zoe Kravitz drops trailer for “Blink Twice” (FilmNews)
Zoë Kravitz has debuted her thriller movie, starring partner Channing Tatum.
The actor, model and singer’s first directing role is finally in the public eye after Amazon MGM released the trailer for “Blink Twice”.
Starring Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie, the film hits cinemas this August. Read more
Rebel Wilson claims a royal family member once invited her to a drug-fueled orgy (PageSix)
Rebel Wilson claims in her new memoir, “Rebel Rising,” that a member of the British royal family once invited her to a drug-fueled orgy in Southern California.
Although the Australian actress, 44, does not name the royal, she claims the individual is male and possibly “fifteenth or twentieth in line to the British throne,” per the Daily Mail.
Wilson alleges she got a “last-minute invite” in 2014, recalling that the royal told her “more girls” were needed at a flashy, medieval-themed shindig hosted at the home of a U.S. tech billionaire just outside Los Angeles. Read more
Bruce Willis was ‘‘so generous’’ to Armageddon crew, recalls Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (People)
As legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer gears up to release several movies this summer, including “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Young Woman and the Sea”, he’s looking back on one of his past seasonal blockbusters.
In the 1998 hit Armageddon, which Bruckheimer produced, NASA enlists a group of oil drillers to fly into space, land on a massive asteroid that’s hurtling towards Earth, drill into the rock and insert a nuclear bomb to destroy it.
The movie starred Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thornton and Owen Wilson. Read more
Alec Baldwin alleges a ‘‘stunning abuse of prosecutorial power’ in ‘‘Rust’’ case (Variety)
Alec Baldwin‘s lawyers alleged a “stunning abuse of prosecutorial power” in the “Rust” case on Tuesday, arguing that a favorable plea offer was withdrawn last fall due to a misunderstanding about Baldwin’s role in a documentary about the case.
Baldwin is facing a trial in July in Santa Fe, N.M., on a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. If convicted, he faces up to 18 months in prison. Read more
Slipknot announce one-off intimate gig tomorrow (NME)
Slipknot are set to play a one-off intimate gig this week.
Per the band’s new You Can’t Kill Me website – which first made headlines after a new billboard popped up in California earlier this month – the band will be playing to a crowd of 350 attendees at the Pappy + Harriet’s barbecue bar in Pioneertown, California on Thursday (April 25). Read more
US Senate passes bill to force TikTok divestment or ban (VOA)
The U.S. Senate voted late Tuesday to send legislation to President Joe Biden that would require Chinese owner ByteDance to divest the popular short video app’s U.S. assets within about nine months or face a ban.
The measure, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday, has been driven by concerns that China could access Americans’ data or surveil them with the app and Biden has said he will sign it into law.
“For years we’ve allowed the Chinese Communist party to control one of the most popular apps in America that was dangerously shortsighted,” said Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee. “A new law is going to require its Chinese owner to sell the app. This is a good move for America.” Read more
Couples sue fertility clinic after women were allegedly implanted with dead and toxic embryos (ABC)
Brooke Berger and Bennett Hardy turned to in vitro fertilization in May 2022 with the hopes of expanding their family.
In January, Berger was implanted with two embryos at Ovation Fertility in Newport Beach.
“Knowing that there was no possibility, that they put me through that, is kind of horrifying,” she said.
“When it didn’t work, I had a lot of self-doubt,” Berger said. “Kind of wondered, ‘Is there something wrong with me?’ Read more
Ighalo sets 3-year football retirement plan (Punch)
Former Super Eagles striker, Odion Ighalo, has dropped a cryptic retirement hint after saying he has not more than three years left in his football career, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 34-year-old joined Al-Wehda last August from Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League.
Ighalo, a late bloomer, made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2015 as the Eagles lost 1-0 to Uganda in a friendly. Read more
Arteta says Arsenal are “excited” by prospect of Premier League glory (DailyMail)
Mikel Arteta believes his Arsenal side are excited about the prospect of Premier League glory after the Gunners thrashed Chelsea to move three points clear at the top of the table.
Arsenal brushed aside Chelsea on Tuesday night at the Emirates with Ben White and Kai Havertz both scoring twice in a 5-0 win, after Leandro Trossard opened the scoring.
Arteta admitted his side would enjoy the crushing win over their London rivals, but stressed he will keep demanding more of his players ahead of their final four games of the season. Read more
Andy Cole and John Terry inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame (Sky)
Andy Cole and John Terry have been inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame. The pair join Ashley Cole, who was voted in earlier this year.
The Hall of Fame honours players and managers that have made significant contributions to the success of the top flight, with 22 figures already inducted prior to Monday.
The duo were selected from a shortlist of 15 former professionals after votes from fans worldwide were combined with those of the Premier League Awards Panel. Read more
Sinner plays down Djokovic, Alcaraz comparisons (France24)
Jannik Sinner on Tuesday dismissed the idea that he is the best player in the world right now, saying he should not be compared to his fellow top-three rivals, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
The Italian world number two can come within touching distance of the top-ranked Djokovic in the standings should he triumph in Madrid this fortnight and he arrives in the Spanish capital brimming with confidence and carrying an impressive 25-2 win-loss record for the season.
The reigning Australian Open champion, who owns a tour-leading three titles in 2024, is ranked number one in the ATP’s Race to Turin, and is 1,650 points ahead of second-placed Daniil Medvedev. Read more
Tyrese Maxey wins NBA Most Improved Player award in close race with Coby White (NBC)
In the minds of many awards voters, the hardest leap to make in the NBA is the one from good to great. That’s what won Ja Morant the Most Improved Player award in 2022.
It’s what won Tyrese Maxey the Most Improved Player award this year. The Philadelphia 76ers guard won a close vote over Chicago’s Kobe White for the award this year — Maxey had 319 points to White’s 305. What separated Maxey was the 51 first-place votes from the 100-person media panel of voters (each voter had to select a top three for the award). The Rockets’ Alperen Sengun finished third. Read more
Jake Paul mocks Tommy Fury for rematch call-out before Mike Tyson fight (Mirror)
Jake Paul has mocked Tommy Fury’s rematch demand whilst preparing for his fight against Mike Tyson.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul is back in the ring on July 20 when he faces boxing icon ‘Iron Mike’ at the 80,000 seat AT&T Stadium in Texas. Paul admitted Tyson wasn’t his first choice of opponent and he was pushing for a rematch against Fury after losing to him last year, but claims the Love Island star priced himself out of the fight. Read more