Pay outstanding bursary, scholarship, students beg Lagos govt (Punch)
The National Union of Lagos State Students in tertiary institutions across the country has appealed to the Lagos State Government to release the outstanding payment of 2017/2018 bursary and scholarship of its members. The students made the plea in a petition to Mr Kazeem Adeniji, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Saturday. It was signed by eight representatives from eight institutions across the country including Miss Busola Okoya of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho; Qudus Olaguro of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education; Bolaji Ojoare of Lagos State University, Ojo and Ogunowo Olusola of the University of Lagos. Read more
Unemployment: Nigeria needs skillful youths – Buhari (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said that Nigeria at this point requires the youths to be highly skillful in order to solve the problem of unemployment, security and youth restiveness. The President, who was a Visitor at the 31st Convocation ceremony of the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), stated that the era of handing certificates to graduates without self-sustaining skills is no longer sustainable. Buhari who was represented by the State Minister of Education, Prof. Anthony Anwuka, observed that the growth and establishment of new industries to absorb the graduates is rather too slow. Read more
Adamawa election tribunal receives 19 petitions (Guardian)
The Adamawa Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Yola says it has received 19 petitions. The Secretary of the tribunal, Mr Godwin Ezenwa, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Yola. Ezenwa said the petitions comprised of two for Senate, seven for House of Representatives, and 10 for House of Assembly. Ezenwa said the tribunal would have its inaugural sitting on Monday, April 8. Read more
INEC silence on PDP access to server worrisome, says BMO (Nation)
The Buhari Media organization (BMO) has expressed concern over the long silence by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to claims by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to have had access to its backend servers saying the long silence was worrisome and frightening. Chairman and secretary of the group, Niyi Akinsiju and Cassidy Madueke, respectively said in a statement that the claim by the PDP that it had gained illegal access to the servers of INEC through the assistance of some INEC officials was too grave a criminal confession for the electoral Commission to keep mum, as if it had consented to such a notorious allegation of breach. The pro Buhari group said “This is most frightening. That INEC is not alarmed or bothered by such blatant claim by the PDP to have procured the hacking of its systems – whether it is false or not- is most worrisome. Read more
Ogun Police arrest, parade ‘serial rapist’ (Punch)
Ogun State Police Command on Saturday paraded a suspected serial rapist, Ayodele Odebiyi, 26, for allegedly raping a 22- year-old girl. While parading him before newsmen at State Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi said Odebiyi, reportedly raped the victim along Sango Ota – Atan road in Ado Oddo/ Ota Local Government. Oyeyemi said the suspect took advantage of the girl when she boarded his vehicle, while was allegedly pretending to be a commercial driver. Read more
19 die in road crash in Kastina (Guardian)
Nineteen people were killed when a truck veered off of the road in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state, a road safety official said on Saturday. “The accident happened around 7:00 am (0600GMT) on Friday when the driver lost control due to fatigue and overloading,” Ibrahim Abdullahi of the Federal Roads Safety Commission told AFP. “We evacuated 19 dead bodies and 38 injured passengers,” he said. The accident happened at Daudawa village, 130 kilometres south of the state capital. Read more
Army van knocks down Woman in Abia (Nation)
It was a sad day in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State as a hilux van belonging to the Nigerian Army allegedly knocked down a yet-to-be identified female pedestrian said to be apparently heading towards her home at Ogbor Hill part of the city. The incident our reporter gathered, took place at the popular Waterside Bridge along Aba/Ikot-Ekpene Expressway on Friday evening. Sources at the popular Aba abattoir located within the area stated that the incident happened at about 6PM when the soldiers were driving against traffic as there was gridlock that usually greet the Aba-Ikot Ekpene axis of the expressway especially in the evening, though they alleged that the heavy gridlock was because of the presence of a police team at the end of the bridge, conducting stop and search operation. Read more
Ex-Lecturer’s death: It wasn’t a suicide attempt, says UI management (Punch)
The management of the University of Ibadan has dismissed insinuations that a former lecturer, Mr Aminu Zubair, who died in his residence on the institution’s campus, committed suicide. The university’s Director of Communication, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Saturday that Zubair died in a fire outbreak that occurred at his residence. Oladejo said that if not for the timely intervention of the school’s Fire Service, the whole building would have been razed by the inferno. Read more
Lawyers mobilize 50 counsels to defend Bauchi Governor Elect in Court (Nation)
No fewer than fifty Lawyers have voluntarily offered free legal services in defense of the mandate of the Bauchi Governor-Elect, Sen. Bala A. Mohammad at the Election Petition Tribunal. This was disclosed by a group known as the Body of Bauchi Lawyers of Conscience (BOBOLAC ) BOBOLAC said the development was in response to the decision by the outgoing Governor of Bauchi state, Muhammad Abubakar and the All Progressive Congress, APC, to challenge the victory of the Governor Elect. In a press statement made available to newsmen on Saturday , the convener of the group , Shipi Rabo Esq said. Read more
Biometric data: Kaduna State captures 2,200 intending Hajj pilgrims (Guardian)
The Kaduna State Muslim Welfare Board has captured no fewer than 2,200 intending pilgrims of 2019 Hajj through its Biometric data. The Board’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Yunusa Abdullahi, made this known to newsmen in Kaduna on Saturday while giving an update on the registration of the intending pilgrims. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 2,200 pilgrims had been captured out of 6,636 hajj seats allocated to the state for this year hajj. Read more
Libya crisis: Fighting flares on outskirts of Tripoli (BBC)
Fresh fighting has flared near the Libyan capital, Tripoli, between pro-government forces and rebel fighters from the east of the country. Reports say rebel forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar are in three areas near the outskirts of the city. Tripoli is the base of the UN-backed and internationally recognised government. The UN’s Libya envoy has insisted that a planned conference on possible new elections will still go ahead. Read more
Protesters target London’s Dorchester Hotel over Brunei anti-gay laws (Punch)
Dozens of anti-discrimination demonstrators massed on Saturday outside the Brunei-owned luxury Dorchester Hotel in London over the southeast Asian country’s adoption of harsh new sharia laws, including death for gay sex. Led by human rights activist Peter Tatchell, up to 100 people gathered outside the Park Lane hotel, many armed with rainbow flags, placards and banners calling for homophobia to be stamped out. A tough penal code in the tiny country on tropical Borneo island — ruled by the all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah — came fully into force last Wednesday after several years of delay. Read more
Trump lawyer dismisses tax return demand (BBC)
Donald Trump has the right to keep his tax returns private and Democrats’ demand to see them are “harassment”, a lawyer for the president has said. William Consovoy’s statement hints at the shape of a possible future legal battle over the issue. On Thursday a Congressional tax committee demanded to see six years of Mr Trump’s returns, saying it was necessary to ensure accountability. Unlike previous presidents, Mr Trump has refused to publish his tax details. On Friday he said he believed that the law was “100% on my side”. Read more
Erdogan’s ruling AKP ready to accept election recount results (Guardian)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP will accept the results of local election recounts in Ankara and Istanbul no matter which party is declared the winner, a party spokesman said on Saturday. The AKP won most votes nationwide in last Sunday’s election, but results showed the ruling party lost Ankara and was also narrowly defeated in Istanbul in what would be one of their worst setbacks in a decade and a half in power. Electoral authorities are conducting a recount in scores of districts in Ankara and in Istanbul where tallies showed the opposition CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu with a very slim lead over the AKP. Read more
Brexit: UK couple issued different passport versions (BBC)
A British couple who applied for their passports on the same day received different versions – one with European Union on the cover, the other without. The new burgundy passports were introduced from 30 March, the day after the UK was supposed to leave the EU. Peter Brady said he was “very happy” he received one of the new passports and his partner was “unhappy” she did not. The Home Office said some people may still receive the old version until stocks run out. The decision to remove the European Union label was made in the expectation that the UK would be leaving the EU at the end of last month, as scheduled. Read more
Polish opposition warns of ‘Polexit’ ahead of European vote (Guardian)
A coalition of Polish opposition parties on Saturday launched its campaign for May’s European elections by warning that the governing eurosceptic PiS party could drive the country out of the European Union. The PiS government has stoked tensions with the EU by introducing a string of controversial judicial reforms that Brussels says pose a threat to judicial independence, the rule of law and ultimately to democracy. Warsaw has since backed out of some of the controversial legislation, but the opposition is still concerned that the PiS government’s clash with Brussels could pave the way to a “Polexit”. Read more
Woman murders baby for making noise (Punch)
A single mother has killed her two-month old baby in the process of trying to stop the child from crying and making a noise, Evening Standard, reports. Abigail Palmer had claimed she had fallen asleep on the sofa only to wake up and find her daughter, Teri-Rae, “blue and lifeless”. But the 33-year-old was found guilty of manslaughter after the prosecution alleged she crushed the baby to stop her from crying. Paramedics had been called to the home in Solihull, West Midlands, United Kingdom, but were unable to save the tragic newborn. Read more
J Hus performs with Drake after jail term for carrying knife (BBC)
J Hus made a surprise appearance on stage with Drake at London’s O2, four months after being jailed for carrying a knife. The rapper was sentenced to eight months behind bars in December after he was caught with the weapon at Westfield Shopping Centre in east London. He’s served less than half of that. “We’re about to celebrate one of our brothers tonight”, Drake told the crowd, before the words “welcome home” appeared on the stage floor. “I’ve missed you so much, I swear I missed you so much,” said J Hus as he joined Drake on stage. Read more
Mikel in full Acton as Boro records 6th defeat in a row (Nation)
These certainly are not the best of times for super Eagles captain and his Middlesbrough teammates as they recorded their 6th defeat in a row on Saturday. The Nigerian international and former Chelsea midfielder was in action for the entire duration of the match providing impressive passes that were however blocked by homers Swansea who began by converting a penalty goal in the 34th minute thanks to Matt Grimes. The score line stood at 2-0 at half time after Wayne Routledge increased the tally for Swansea in the 38th minute. Read more
Benzema double gives Madrid win over Eibar but Bale struggles again (Punch)
Karim Benzema is one of the few Real Madrid players to have had his future guaranteed by Zinedine Zidane and he repaid his coach’s faith on Saturday by scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Eibar. Madrid had to come from behind at the Santiago Bernabeu after a dismal first-half performance included Marc Cardona, playing after an injury to Pedro Leon during the warm-up, gave Eibar a surprise lead. But Madrid improved, and two excellent Benzema headers ensured the groans and whistles that had soured the atmosphere for much of the opening hour turned to cheers and applause at the end. Read more
Cruzeiro signs Ronaldinho’s 14-year-old son Joao Mendes (Nation)
You could say the magic runs in the family and you will be right as 14 year old Joao Mendes, son of former Brazil international Ronaldinho has sealed a contract with two time Copa Libertadores winners Cruzeiro. Mendes according to the contract has a training contract with the club till his clocks 19. The agreement was put in place between the club and player on Friday after Mendes had impressed in the club’s youth system. He’s been playing for Cruzeiro since last year and now looks set for a long stay with the Brazilian side, with the club’s director of grassroots football, Amarildo Ribeiro, revealing his best attributes. Read more
India earn top FIFA seat, eye 2026 World Cup (Guardian)
India set their sights on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup as Praful Patel became their first representative on the powerful FIFA Council on Saturday. Patel, one of six Asian delegates elected to the Council at the Asian Football Confederation Congress, said the World Cup was the next big step for India after making great strides in recent years. India’s confidence has grown after a positive Asian Cup in January, where they returned to the tournament after eight years and were unlucky not to reach the second round. Read more