Police hunt Lagos party organiser as man kills friend over lover (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has started an investigation into the killing of two friends at a party in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Lagos State.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, said the police were searching for the party organiser to unravel the circumstances that led to the death of the friends.
PUNCH Metro gathered that 35-year-old Segun Afuye went to a naming ceremony with his friend, Sodiq Elewure, on Wednesday.
Afuye was said to have discovered that Elewure was allegedly having an affair with his girlfriend, identified simply as Kafayat. Read more
Police redeploy DPO over misconduct in Lagos (Guardian)
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the immediate redeployment of CSP Francis Ani, the Divisional Police Officer, Onipanu Division of the Lagos State Police Command.
The Lagos police boss also ordered the redeployment of some of his operatives for the harassment and illegal detention of Tunde Abass and one Kabir Mohammed at Onipanu on Friday, March 19, 2021.
Tunde Abass was allegedly attacked by the police operatives at Onipanu Division for recording the harassment and forceful arrest of Kabir Mohammed at Onipanu Area of the state on Friday, March 19, 2021, at around 5.pm.
Odumosu took the decision after reading the report of the investigation into the incident that had gone viral on the gross violation of Tunde’s human rights by the DPO and his operatives. Read more
Tourism practitioners get N1bn loan from Lagos govt (Vanguard)
Lagos State government gave loans totalling one billion Naira to some tourism and hospitality sector practitioners in the state on Thursday.
The loans were meant to be seed capital to help drive new growth in the sector in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that presentation of the loans to beneficiaries was held at the maiden edition of the Lagos Tourism, Hospitality, Arts and Culture economic summit.
The summit was organised by the Lagos State chapter of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Read more
Tortured Togolese: Police probe OPC members’ release from custody (Punch)
The police in Lagos have launched an investigation into the purported release of two members of the Oodua People’s Congress who were remanded for the alleged torture and murder of a Togolese, Frank Afavi.
PUNCH Metro also learnt that Frank’s 65-year-old father, Maweno, collapsed and died after seeing videos of his son’s torture.
Our correspondent had reported that 38-year-old Frank was a French teacher but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a security guard on an estate in the Ayobo area of Lagos.
The Togolese, who was born in Lagos, was attending a church service in November 2020 when he was called on the phone to come for his salary. Read more
Sanwo-Olu gets Assembly’s approval to buy 355 vehicles for officials (Guardian)
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, got the House of Assembly’s nod to purchase 355 vehicles for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) out of the 916 needed for various officials of the government.
The approval was done through a voice-vote supervised by the Speaker, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, during the plenary.
The Assembly had on Monday hinted that it received a letter from the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget seeking approval to procure vehicles for use by officials of the MDAs to aid effective and efficient service. Read more
Lagos kicks, nurses fault FG as alleged vaccine sale surfaces (Punch)
The federal government on Thursday said it was satisfied with the turnout of Nigerians for COVID-19 vaccination as the number of vaccinated persons rose to 325,514.
The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuiab, who stated this in a text message to one of our correspondents, said the progress recorded was better than what government envisaged.
The NPHCDA boss said this as the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives said it was not carried along in the exercise.
Also on Thursday, as allegations of the sale of the vaccine surfaced in Lagos, the state government challenged anybody with a proof of the illegal act to present it. Read more
Subsidy Removal: Fuel may sell for N230 per litre (DailyTrust)
The federal government on Thursday said the over N100 billion being spent monthly to subsidise petrol for Nigerians is not sustainable.
The Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, said petrol is currently being subsidised at between N100 billion and N120 billion on a monthly basis.
Kyari disclosed this while fielding questions from State House reporters at the fifth edition of the Special Ministerial Briefings coordinated by the Presidential Communication Team.
This is even as he said the cost of importation and handling charges now amounts to N234 per litre. Read more
Mega party eyes #EndSARS movement, to consult Jega, others (Punch)
The National Consultative Front said on Wednesday measures had been put in place to form a mega political party in July 2021 top save Nigerians from the “disaster” the ruling All Progressives Congress brought upon the country.
The NCFront explained that the move had become imperative based on the yearnings of Nigerians for “a Messianic rescue political alternative” to deliver the nation from the ruin foisted on the nation by the APC.
Cautioning well-meaning Nigerians to distance themselves from the “infatuation and desperation of the drowning APC”, the NCFront stated that it had last week inaugurated a historic merger committee known as ‘Leaders of Conscience in Nigeria’. Read more
100 New Nigerian Workers died awaiting entitlements – Union leader (DailyTrust)
No fewer than 100 retired and serving workers of the New Nigerian newspapers have died awaiting their entitlements from owners of the company, governors of the 19 northern states.
The chairman, Joint Union of the company, Comrade Friday Idoko, who disclosed this shortly after a congress in Kaduna, called on the northern governors to expedite action on sale of the company’s property to offset workers’ entitlements and other liabilities.
He disclosed that many staff had been evicted by their landlords, their children sent out from schools, while many others died due to heart-related ailments.
According to him, from 2012 till date, they have lost members awaiting their accumulated salaries and other accrued benefits that would have made life worth living. Read more
Jessica Walter: Arrested Development star dies aged 80 (BBC)
The award-winning US actress Jessica Walter has died aged 80, her family says.
“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of my beloved mom,” Walter’s daughter Brooke Bowman said.
“A working actor for over six decades, her greatest pleasure was bringing joy to others through her storytelling both on screen and off,” Ms Bowman said.
Walter is best known for playing icy matriarch Lucille Bluth in the Arrested Development TV sitcom in the 2000s. Read more
Pierce Brosnan joins The Rock in Black Adam as Doctor Fate (Metro)
Pierce Brosnan is taking on the first superhero role of his career, after being cast as Doctor Fate in Black Adam. The former James Bond star, 67, will suit up alongside Dwayne ‘The Rock Johnson’, who’s playing anti-hero Black Adam. Doctor Fate – aka Kent Nelson – is the son of an archeologist, who is given the magical Helmet of Fate. The character, created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, is one of DC’s oldest heroes, first appearing in 1940, but he has rarely appeared on screen. Read more
Rarely seen Van Gogh ‘Street Scene in Montmartre’ sells for over €13m (France24)
One of the few paintings by Vincent Van Gogh still in private hands, “Street Scene in Montmartre”, was sold for over 13 million euros Thursday at auction after going on public display for the first time this week, Sotheby’s said.
The painting — which emerged after a century spent in the same collection and has not been exhibited in public since it was painted in 1887 — fetched 13.091 million euros ($15.414 million), Sotheby’s said.
Reaching well above the estimate of 5-8 million euros, Sotheby’s said the sale price was a record for the artist in France.
The sale of the painting was the highlight of an auction of 33 works from masters including Degas, Magritte, Modigliani, Klee, Rodin and his muse Camille Claudel sold in an auction live-streamed by Sotheby’s in Paris. Read more
Bangladesh turns 50 as fears grow over deteriorating democracy (DW)
As Bangladesh marks 50 years of independence, the country has yet to establish itself as a substantive democracy. Observers say autocratic tendencies are becoming more pronounced than ever.
Ever since it emerged as an independent nation in 1971 following a bloody liberation war, Bangladesh has struggled to lay strong democratic foundations.
Just four years after independence, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, regarded as the “father of the nation,” was assassinated after a military coup, plunging the then newly-born nation into political turmoil.
The battle for power among various groups in the following years claimed the lives of several other top political leaders. Read more
Andrew Laming: Australian MP apologises over comments to women (BBC)
Another Australian government MP is under scrutiny for his actions towards women after he was accused of repeatedly harassing two women online.
Andrew Laming, 56, was ordered by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to apologise in parliament for his “disgraceful” behaviour, local media reported.
Both women accused him of slandering them online, with one saying it had left her feeling suicidal.
Mr Laming said he “unreservedly” apologised to both women. Read more
“Skybrator” bladeless wind turbines could save 500,000 birds from certain death each year (Metro)
When you think of a wind turbine, an image of an airplane-propeller hoisted high in the air comes to mind – but that might be about to change. Norway’s state energy company, one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, has named Vortex Bladeless, a Madrid-based bladeless turbine company, one of the most exciting in the world. The six-person startup makes 3 metre high bladeless wind turbines, which oscillate back and forth in the wind like a punching bag, generating electrical current from the movement.
Libyan militia leader wanted by ICC for war crimes killed by gunmen (France24)
Libyan militia leader Mahmoud al-Werfalli, wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, was shot dead in the eastern city of Benghazi on Wednesday, security sources said.
Werfalli, a member of forces loyal to eastern military strongman Khalifa Haftar, was “shot dead with his cousin, Ayman, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on his car”, said one source who requested anonymity.
The pair were seriously wounded, before being pronounced dead on arrival at Benghazi Medical Centre, located near the scene of the shooting, another security source said.
The ICC issued a first warrant for Werfalli’s arrest in August 2017, accusing him of having ordered or personally carried out seven separate rounds of executions of 33 people in 2016 and 2017. Read more
The Gambia reach first Nations Cup as five teams qualify (BBC)
The Gambia qualified for their first ever Africa Cup of Nations tournament when beating Angola 1-0 at home, joining Comoros, Gabon, Ghana and Egypt in qualifying on Thursday.
Assan Ceesay scored the all-important matchwinner after an hour, enabling The Gambia to clinch one of the two places from Group D.
The other slot was secured by Gabon who beat DR Congo 3-0 to ensure that they return to the finals after missing out on the 2019 edition.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Denis Bouanga and Aaron Boupendza scored the goals for the Panthers. Read more
MFM win 1-0 to halt Enyimba’s unbeaten run (DailyTrust)
MFM FC have ended a three match winless run with a 1-0 victory over Enyimba FC in yesterday’s rescheduled Match Day 15 of the Nigeria Professional Football League played at the Agege Township stadium in Lagos.
The victory also ended Enyimba’s eight match unbeaten run.
The game played at the Soccer Temple saw the Olukoya Boys determined to return to winning ways as Adeyinka Najeem had the first chance of the game in the 2nd minute to put his side in the lead but blasted his effort over the bar.
Buoyed by the encouraging start, the home side again in the 5th minute saw Elijah Akanni having the first shot on target, though weak, from a close range. Read more
England’s World Cup qualifier against Albania at risk of being cancelled (BBC)
England’s World Cup qualifier against Albania could be cancelled due to safety concerns. Gareth Southgate’s side are due to play at the Air Albania stadium in Tirana on Sunday. But the city’s police chief has warned the Albanian Football Association (AFA) that the game cannot go ahead as they ‘cannot guarantee’ safety measures. The game is due to take place without fans but nearby bars are expected to be full as there are no lockdown measures in place in Albania. Read more
Bahrain GP: Mercedes ‘not the fastest’ in 2021, says Lewis Hamilton (BBC)
Lewis Hamilton says world champions Mercedes are “not the fastest” team heading into the first race of the new Formula 1 season in Bahrain.
Mercedes struggled with their car in testing and Hamilton said the title fight would “absolutely” be closer than 2020, which he and his team dominated.
The seven-time champion said: “It’s massively exciting for us as a team.
“We’re not the fastest. How are we going to work to get to where we want to be? That challenge is so exciting.” Read more
Classy Germany see off Iceland as Joachim Löw’s long goodbye begins (DW)
Germany’s World Cup qualifying campaign got off to an ideal start with a fine performance and result against Iceland. The game was Germany’s first since Joachim Löw announced he will step down as coach later this year.
Germany were back to something like their best on Thursday night, seeing off Iceland with ease as Joachim Löw’s long goodbye began in Duisburg.
Germany’s previous game was the shock 6-0 defeat by Spain in Seville in November, their worst result since 1931 and a result that greased the wheels of Löw’s departure after 15 years in charge of the national team.
As Germany’s World Cup campaign got underway, they looked a lot more like their old selves again — despite Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Jonas Hofmann having to withdraw from the squad after a positive covid test and Marcel Halstenburg returning to Leipzig early as a precaution. Read more
Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante picks up injury on international duty with France (Metro)
N’Golo Kante will return to Chelsea from international duty early after picking up a hamstring injury during his time with the French national team, though the issue is not thought to be serious. The 29-year-old played 90 minutes on Wednesday evening in the World Cup holders’ 1-1 draw against Ukraine and did not appear to be carrying an injury when he left the pitch at full-time. But further examinations on Thursday have revealed that he has suffered a small injury to his left hamstring and he will be released from France so he can return to Chelsea for more treatment.
WGC Matchplay: Rory McIlroy beats Lando Griffin for first group win (BBC)
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy recovered from his error-strewn first day at the WGC Matchplay in Texas with a 4&3 win over American Lanto Griffin.
The four-time major winner, who found a swimming pool during his loss to Ian Poulter, led the 46th seed from the first to the 15th and final hole.
England’s Poulter is best placed to win Group 11 after a thrilling one-up win over Australian Cameron Smith.Poulter, seeded 60th out of 64, faces Griffin in his final group match. Read more