Petrol souvenir: Police arrest, arraign prime suspect (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and arraigned the prime suspect who distributed kegs of petrol as souvenirs at a party held at Havilah Events Centre, Victoria Island on March 4, 2022.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, on Tuesday.
According to Ajisebutu, the suspect, Ogbulu Chidinma Pearl, was arraigned on four counts of conduct likely to cause breach of peace, endangering human life by distributing combustible matter in a public gathering, intent to do harm to another and unlawfully carrying on the business of storage and containerising petroleum product without permit.
He said, “Ogbulu was arraigned yesterday 14th March 2022 at the Special Offences (Mobile) Court of Lagos State in the Ikeja Magisterial District, Holden at Oshodi. Read more
Judge threatens to throw out Abba Kyari’s
fundamental rights suit (Guardian)
A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, threatened to strike out a fundamental enforcement rights suit filed by suspended DCP Abba Kyari against National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Inyang Ekwo, gave the warning following the delay by Kyari’s lawyer, Cynthia Ikena, to serve NDLEA counsel, Joseph Sunday, her further and better affidavit after being served with the counter affidavit since Feb. 28.
At the resumed hearing, Sunday, a director of Prosecution and Legal Services of the agency, informed that Ikena only served him the further and better affidavit this morning.
“The matter was adjourned for the hearing of fundamental enforcement rights of the applicant (Kyari). Read more
3 die as truck crushes Okada rider in Lagos
(Punch)
Three people have been confirmed dead in an accident involving a truck and commercial motorcycle (Okada) in Lagos State.
The PUNCH gathered that the unidentified truck was carrying sand when the accident occurred on Tuesday morning around Eleganza Bus Stop in the Lekki area of Lagos.
The truck has since been vandalised and set on fire by mobs in the area. The accident also caused gridlock in the axis, with many commuters stuck in traffic for several hours.
The Lekki Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Ass. Corps Commander, Sani Abdullahi, confirmed the casualties to The Punch.
Lagos Civil Service Commission hosts maiden career week (Nation)
The Lagos State Civil Service Commission has organised a three-day sensitisation programme tagged: “Career week programme” for Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Human Resource and Administration and Schedule officers in the Administrative and Human Resource Directorates in the State Public Service.
The programme with the theme “Developing the state workforce towards a fulfilling career in the public service,” the first of its kind, was organised to bridge observed gaps in human resource management and build the capacity of officers for enhanced productivity.
Chairman, Lagos State Civil Service Commission, Mrs Olubunmi Fabamwo, said the Commission has continued to centre its activities on creating a competent and motivated workforce that is disciplined and productive.
She noted that in the last two years since the inauguration of the present Commission Members, a number of innovative programmes and activities had been introduced, stating the “Career Week Programme,” which is yet another initiative of the Commission, was a product of keen observations. Read more
Bewi Africa takes International Women Day to schoolgirls, emphasises on value placement
(Independent)
It was a day with a difference for over 1000 female students of Ifesowapo Aboru Senior Secondary School (IASSS), Aboru, Alimosho LG, Lagos, when Bewi Africa turned March 8 which is International Women’s Day into a day summit for the girls.
The event which was held to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) saw Bewi Africa talks about value placement that has to do with self-growth, self-development, self-confidence, self-respect and how women should stand by one another
BEWI Africa, a non-governmental social enterprise that is committed to gender empowerment, equality and developments that are consistent with its ethos, and conform with the tenets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also celebrated the beautiful day with refreshments.
The principal of the school made the opening speech around 09:00 am, and then, welcomed on the school podium the representatives for BEWI Africa to address the students. Read more
Lagos APC chairman says no room for injustice in party (Sun)
Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos state, Cornelius Ojelabi, has assured that his administration will be one of equity and fairness and that there will be no room for injustice.
He said this on Monday during the inauguration of the 36-member state executive at the party’s secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos.
He described the new executive as a rescue team that would ensure partiality would no longer be the order of the day. He charged the executives to harmonise genuinely with other members of the party in their various constituencies, saying that collective interest must be put ahead of personal interest.
“We must regard the members of our party as one, we must try and work hard to bring back our glory, we must try as much as possible to reconcile and deepen our democracy. This team is saddled with the responsibility of getting the party back on track. Everyone needs to work together to regain our lost glory,” he said. Read more
OAP Toolz slams men threatened by women’s success (Punch)
Media personality Tolu Oniru, popularly known as Toolz, has slammed men who feel threatened by a woman’s success, describing the act as “primitive and ghetto”.
The On-Air personality was defending a post she shared on Instagram, where a podcaster said that no man would want a very successful woman.
Toolz had asked her fans for their opinions as she wrote, “I personally think that men who are turned off by high earning/successful women give off little energy, but what do I know? What do you guys think?”
Taking to her Instagram story on Tuesday, Toolz made reference to her post, as she slammed men who do not want the very best for their partners. Read more
559 Ex-Boko Haram fighters graduate from rehabilitation camp in Gombe (DailyTrust)
About 559 repentant Boko Haram members have graduated from the Federal Government’s de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration (DRR) programme.
The DRR programme was established by the Federal Government in 2015 to deradicalise and reintegrate the ex-Boko Haram fighters into society.
Speaking at the event on Monday in Gombe, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier General Joseph Maina, said the repentant Boko Haram fighters swore an oath of allegiance to the Nigerian government.
He disclosed that 1,070 repentant Boko Haram fighters had been reintegrated into society after graduating from the DRR programme. Read more
NSEMA raises alarm over likelihood of outbreak of meningitis in Niger (ThisDay)
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has raised the alarm over the likelihood of the outbreak of meningitis and other related diseases as a result of the warm environment currently being experienced across the state.
NSEMA said people in communities across the state should therefore take precautionary measures including staying in well-ventilated houses and avoiding crowded areas.
It also admonished the people to wear light clothes as a result of the prevailing heat conditions.
The Director General of the agency, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Inga, in a statement in Minna on Monday, urged the people to stop indiscriminate felling of trees and also plant more trees to serve and preserve the environment against desertification. Read more
UK suspends priority visa applications in Nigeria
(Punch)
The United Kingdom Embassy in Nigeria has announced a temporary suspension of study, work, and family visa applications, as priority is now being placed on applications made under the Ukraine Family Scheme.
In a statement on Tuesday, the embassy announced that the Ukraine Family Scheme was launched in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine.
The statement titled, ‘Temporary Suspension of Priority Visas for Student, Work and Family Applications’, further noted that Nigerians, whose passports were ready for collection, would be contacted by the Visa Application Centre.
It read, “UK Visas and Immigration is currently prioritising applications made under the Ukraine Family Scheme, following its launch and in response to the humanitarian crisis arising from the invasion of Ukraine. Read more
Ebonyi Assembly declares seats of three PDP members vacant (Nation)
Ebonyi House of Assembly has declared the seats of three members elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vacant.
This followed a letter of resignation purported to have been written by the three lawmakers resigning from their seats.
Speaker Francis Nwifuru read the letter during an emergency sitting of the House on Tuesday.
The three lawmakers are Ali Okechukwu(Ishielu North); Franca Okpo Abakaliki (North) and Victor Aleke (Ebonyi West). Read more
Sir Steve McQueen discusses new Blitz film at Windsor investiture ceremony (Independent)
Sir Steve McQueen has said his next film, set to begin production this autumn, will tell the stories of Londoners during the Blitz.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker and artist, who directed 12 Years A Slave, was given his knighthood for services to art and film by the Princess Royal at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
Sir Steve said he was “very happy” for his mother, who attended the ceremony with him.
Asked what was discussed with Anne, he told the PA news agency: “We discussed pending projects I’m doing – I’m doing a film called Blitz and we discussed that. Read more
Mark Rylance won’t be attending Oscars this year because “they’re really boring” (NME)
Mark Rylance has said he won’t be attending the Oscars this year because they are “really boring”.
The actor, currently starring in sports comedy The Phantom of the Open, shared his thoughts on awards season and explained why he’ll sit this year’s Academy Awards out.
“I don’t think awards are a serious marker of what the greatest or most inspiring things are, but it’s nice to be celebrated,” he told Radio Times, according to the Independent.
Rylance has declined his invitation to the Oscars, at which Adam McKay’s film Don’t Look Up – in which he stars as tech mogul Peter Isherwell – is nominated for four awards. Read more
Riz Ahmed on ‘The Long Goodbye’ and how sharing pain can help the healing (LATimes)
Riz Ahmed may not be kidding when he claims that Aneil Karia — Ahmed’s co-writer and director of the Oscar-nominated live action short “The Long Goodbye” — “hasn’t returned a single one of my text messages” since the awards announcement. The two are video chatting from separate London abodes and Karia seemingly has no defense. But then he is deep in pre-production on, presciently perhaps, the BBC-ViacomCBS series “The Gold.” The title references the famed 1983 Brink’s-Mat heist, in which loot worth an estimated $35 million was stolen from a London Heathrow warehouse.
The project may indeed prevent its director from participating in Oscar week events. “We start shooting the week before,” Karia says, understandably ruefully, “so I won’t be able to do the whole soak-it-all-up type thing,” but he’s hoping to make the main event at least.
Ahmed made history last year as the first Muslim nominated for lead actor, for “The Sound of Metal,” and he will likely be in deep Oscars-soak mode — he’s also an executive producer of three-time nominee “Flee,” itself a history-maker and which treads similarly hostile ground as his short film.
“ ‘Flee’ is a story about home and belonging and so many universal, profound things that cut to the heart of the human experience,” he notes, a description applying equally to “The Long Goodbye.” Read more
Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja sells artwork to raise funds for Ukraine victims (Independent)
Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja is offering fans another chance to purchase limited-edition prints, which will help raise funds for victims of the Ukraine conflict.
“War in Ukraine. International Rescue Committee second print release. Due to the overwhelming support we are launching a second edition,” Del Naja wrote on Instagram.
Last week, the musician unveiled the artwork featured in a 14-day print sale, with all proceeds going towards the Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) Ukrainian humanitarian appeal.
Both prints are signed by Del Naja and come with 10 randomly selected hand-finished editions. Each one is priced at £150 plus VAT and will be available until 22 March. Read more
Benny The Butcher shows love to Lil Durk’s “7220” after they drop on same day (HipHopDX)
Benny The Butcher acknowledges Lil Durk’s 10+ year run in the game as “7220” aims to top the Billboard 200 next week.
Benny The Butcher returned with the release of Tana Talk 4on Friday. The latest project from the Griselda camp served as Benny’s latest installment in his Tana Talk series while simultaneously closing out his independent run as he preps for his Def Jam debut. As fans praise the new project, it seems like some have tried to pit the rapper against Lil Durk, who also dropped his new project on Friday. However, the Griselda MC has nothing but love for the Chicago artist.
Taking to his Facebook page, Benny The Butcher showed love to Durk, acknowledging the 10+ years it took the “Golden Child” rapper to get to where he is today. He explained that there’s a lesson to be learned in their respective come-up: hustle hard.
“I could never hate on smirk like y’all hate on me…see I respect the grind and know it took him 10 yrs after [Dis Ain’t What You Want] to get where he at me and bro got the same security and some staff so it’s all love…don’t hate or envy the next man …put in the work and wait your turn,” he wrote. Read more
Country music fans heartbroken after singer Brad Martin dies aged 48 (Hello)
Country music fans have expressed their sadness after it was revealed that singer/songwriter Brad Martin has died at the age of 48.
The Before I Knew Better hitmaker passed away on Friday, 11 March. While no cause of death has been disclosed, Brad’s sister, Melissa Lea Hobbs, revealed on an online fundraising page that he had suffered “severe internal damage” in “a work-related injury” in January ” that was exacerbated by an “already existing health crisis”.
On March 9, just two days before his death, Brad’s sister shared an update on his health, revealing he was “alert and oriented”.
John Ramey, who formed the duo Martin Ramey with Brad in 2008, shared the news of his friend’s death in a Facebook post: “I can’t believe I’m saying this… My dear friend and music brother Brad Martin passed away this afternoon.. I am heartbroken.” Read more
Zelensky urges Russian troops to surrender (BBC)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Russian soldiers to surrender.
In his nightly TV address, he said Russian forces had suffered worse losses during their invasion of his country than in the Chechnya conflict.
He said they had already begun to understand that they would not achieve anything by war.
“I know that you want to survive,” he said, adding that those who surrendered would be treated “as people, decently”.
Mr Zelensky also paid tribute to Marina Ovsyannikova, the woman who interrupted Russian state TV news by holding up an anti-war sign. Read more
Kida urges collaboration among basketball stakeholders (Nation)
Nigeria Basketball President, Engr Musa Kida has announced that it is high time all stakeholders came around the Nigeria Basketball Federation board to enable it to hit the ground running in its quest to start a domestic programme that players, technical officials and all stakeholders will be proud of.
In his first official response following the congratulatory message from the Federation of International Basketball Associations (FIBA) after the January 31st election in Benin City, Kida said so much time had been wasted on political gimmicks which has adversely affected domestic basketball.
He enjoined all stakeholders to join hands with the federation to create a domestic basketball system that will be all inclusive.
“Not everybody can be on the NBBF board at the same time. We need to support those there right now so that when it is your turn, you will have an existing structure to contribute your quota”, Kida said. Read more
PUC Season 2: OYFA disqualifies Saki East base for featuring unregistered player (Independent)
As the preliminary stage of the Peller Unity Cup Season II rounds off, the Oyo State Football Association (OYFA) has disqualified Saki East Base for featuring an unregistered player in a match played against Atisbo Eagles on Wednesday at OYSADA Stadium, Saki.
This was disclosed to the media by Pastor Fashola I.A., the Zonal Vice Chairman for OYFA, Saki zone, who explained that the action was in compliance with the rules and regulations guiding Peller Unity Cup Season II.
According to Fashola, “There was a petition written and forwarded to the OYFA by Atisbo Eagles where it was alleged that a particular unregistered Saki East Base player whose original name was Awolola Julius impersonated Adeleke Ebenezer whose name was on the registration form as a player.
“Consequently, a disciplinary Committee was tasked to ascertain the authenticity of the allegation, and after a thorough investigation with pictorial evidence, the committee discovered that the allegation was true. Read more
Kai Havertz willing to pay for own Chelsea travel amid budget restrictions: ‘It’s not a big deal’ (Standard)
Kai Havertz insists he is prepared to pay his own way to help Chelsea get around the financial restrictions that could see the European champions have to take a 10-hour-round trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday.
Chelsea have been restricted to a budget of just £20,000 for away travel under the special licence granted to them by the Government following the sanctions imposed on Roman Abramovich last week.
While their Champions League clash with Lille was already arranged and paid for before the sanctions took effect, they are now facing up to the prospect of taking a skeleton staff to any further fixtures in the competition, should they progress beyond the round of 16.
It is a measure of the cost of travelling that a flight to Middlesbrough for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final is now deemed too expensive. Read more
Allegri Confirms Juventus injury boost and praises Morata (FootballItalia)
Massimiliano Allegri confirms that Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala will be available against Villarreal tomorrow and believes Alvaro Morata has more freedom with Dusan Vlahovic.
Dybala and Chiellini remained on the sidelines for over a month due to muscle injuries but will be back to action tomorrow night against Villarreal.
“Chiellini, Dybala and Bernardeschi return. Hopefully, we’ll win in 90 minutes. Otherwise, we’ll need extra time. Substitutions will be important,” Allegri said at a press conference.
“Bonucci is out, he played at Empoli and against Villarreal despite not feeling well. He has a calf problem and can’t get over it. Alex Sandro felt something in the soleus muscle, it’s tricky, so I won’t take any risk. It’s not the last game of the season.” Read more
Scott Hall, pro wrestling legend and WWE star, dies at 63 (Global)
Scott Hall, professional wrestling’s “Bad Guy” who revolutionized the industry as a founding member of the New World Order faction, has died. He was 63.
WWE announced his death Monday night and aired a tribute video on its flagship Raw program. Hall, who also wrestled for WWE as Razor Ramon, was a two-time inductee into the company’s Hall of Fame. His longtime friend and fellow NWO member Kevin Nash wrote on social media that Hall was taken off life support on Monday following complications from hip replacement surgery.
Former WWE and WCW star Sean Waltman tweeted Monday, “He’s gone.”
Hall battled alcohol abuse for years and chronicled his decades of substance issues in an 2011 ESPN documentary in which he said, “I should have been dead 100 times.” Read more
Henrik Stenson to captain Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup team in Rome (ESPN)
Henrik Stenson is Europe’s choice to be the Ryder Cup captain for the 2023 matches in Italy, with an announcement Tuesday indicating the Swede has decided not to join a Saudi-funded rival league.
Stenson was a logical choice for Europe. A former champion at The Open who has won top honors on the European Tour and PGA Tour, he has played on five Ryder Cup teams and served as vice captain last September at Whistling Straits.
“The Ryder Cup is golf, and sport, at its very best,” Stenson said.
Luke Donald and Robert Karlsson also were considered. Read more
Daniil Medvedev faces Wimbledon ban unless he provides two Russia ‘assurances’ (Express)
World No 1 Daniil Medvedev could be banned from competing in Wimbledon this summer over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is understood that the Sports Minister is in discussions with the All England Club to bar Russian players from the prestigious Grand Slam tournament unless they provide “assurances” over their alignment with their country and Vladimir Putin’s beliefs.
Tennis is one of the few sports still allowing Russian and Belarusian players to compete but they must do so as neutrals with no mention of their respective countries or flags. The decision was announced by the ATP, WTA, ITF and four Grand Slams on March 1, with both countries’ national teams also banned from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup where Russia are defending champions.
But it now appears that Russian players could be banned from Wimbledon altogether unless they show distance from their country and Putin’s actions during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. It is understood that Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston is in talks with the All England Club to create a set of rules that would bar Russian athletes from the tournament if they don’t denounce the war.
Huddleston told MPs on Tuesday that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was looking into the issue of allowing neutral Russian athletes to compete in sporting events, and admitted this presented more challenges in individual sports including tennis. Addressing the department, he confirmed: “We are talking to various sports about this and what the response should be there. Absolutely, nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed or enabled.” Read more