Police intercept N10m hard drugs, reject N.5m bribe (Punch)
THE Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of four suspects over alleged possession of illicit drugs said to be worth N10m in the Mile 2 area of the state.
Confirming the development in a statement on Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspects were arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad.
He said, “Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad in the early hours of Sunday, April 3, 2022 intercepted a busload of illicit drugs at the Mile 2 area of Lagos State.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the drugs which were loaded in a bus with the number plate AGL 205 YD belonged to one Alhaji, better known as General in Mushin. Read more
FRSC confirms casualty figure in Ojuelegba accident (Vanguard)
Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC, Lagos Sector Command has confirmed that only one person died in Ojuelegba, Surulere area of Lagos after a 40ft container veered off the bridge to the service lane and fell on a Honda Civic car.
The command said the casualty was that of a male driver of the Honda Civic car with number plate EKY849BP.
The Federal Road Safety Corps Lagos disclosed this on Sunday, the Corps Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide warned owners of articulated vehicles plying the roads to ensure they are well maintained at all times.
He said henceforth, that any crash caused as a result of recklessness and negligence of the driver will be prosecuted. Read more
Gunmen allegedly kill 2, kidnap 3 in Ayobo area of Lagos State (Guardian)
There was confusion between Friday and Sunday in Ayobo Housing Scheme Extension, Oshin area of Ayobo-Ipaja in Lagos State, as some gunmen invaded the area, allegedly kidnapped three persons and killed two others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some yet-to-be-identified gunmen on Friday allegedly kidnapped two married women before a repeat of the same incident on Sunday in the area.
The Financial Secretary of the Landlords’ Association in the area , Mr James Ojuade, told NAN on Sunday that the gunmen, who allegedly killed two men and kidnapped two sisters on Friday, allegedly kidnapped another man on Sunday.
He said that the gunmen came through the boundary between Lagos State and Ogun and escaped with their victims inside a boat. Read more
BIG graduates another batch of bakers under UNDP, LSETF programme (Nation)
Another batch of bakers trained by the Bakery Initiatives Group (BIG) has graduated.
The programme had the backing of the Lagos State Employability Trust Fund (LSETF) under the auspices of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
During a Bake-Fair to mark the completion of their practical training at the Lagos State Youth Centre, Alagomeji, Yaba, on Thursday, Country Representative/CEO, BIG, Ephraim Mbanaso, expressed pleasure that his company was counted worthy of partnering with the LSETF and the UNDP for a life changing initiative of this magnitude.
He said: “the programme’s impact in creating opportunities for youths to acquire life changing skills that can turn around their fortunes from being unemployed dependents to becoming successful bakery entrepreneurs is laudable.”
Oyetola, Kwara First Lady, others for Eko Chocolate Show 2022 (Vanguard)
OSUN State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, Kwara State First Lady, Chief Abiola Dosumu, Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, among other dignitaries are billed to grace this year’s Eko Chocolate Show and Royal Cocoa Film Festivals.
The 2022 edition of the events is scheduled to hold between 7 and 11 April 2022.
Speaking in Lagos during a press conference to herald the events, the President Eti-Oni Development Group, Queen Angelique-Monet Gureje Thompson, said the 2022 edition is themed: ‘Our Cocoa, Our Chocolate, Our Climate’.
According to her, Eko Chocolate Show 2022 will be kicked off with a dinner and Nigerian Cocoa Awards on Thursday 7th April 2022 and it is themed: ‘Celebrating Women in Cocoa. First Lady of Kwara State, Dr Olufolake Abdulrazaq, will be the Special Guest of Honour while the Founder and CEO of Temple Productions, Mrs Nwakaego Boyo, will be the Special Guest Speaker. The evening will be chaired by Erelu Abiola Dosumu, Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos. Read more
Grammys 2022: Wizkid, Femi Kuti, Son lose to Angelique Kidjo (Channels)
Femi Kuti, Made Kuti and Wizkid have been defeated in the battle to win a Grammy at the 64th edition at the MGM Arena in Las Vegas.
Wizkid, Femi, and Imade lost out in the Best Global Music Performance and Best Global Music Album categories.
As the Nigerians lost to Arooj Aftab for her single ‘Mohabbat’ in the Best Global Music Performance, Angelique Kidjo clinched the Best Global Music Album.
In her acceptance speech, Kidjo lauded African youths who have collaborated with her to promote the continent. Read more
Abiola’s Daughter: Why I accepted to lead Yahaya Bello’s presidential campaign (DailyTrust)
The Director-General of the Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation, Hafsat Abiola, has given a hint on why she accepted to lead the Presidential campaign of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
The daughter of late Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, said having studied Bello, she concluded he had the qualities needed to take Nigeria to its right destination.
She said one of the similarities between her late father and Governor Bello is their refusal to have political godfathers.
This, she said, was responsible for the “persecution” the Governor had faced by different interests and the controversies around his administration. Read more
Kaduna/Abuja Highway now safe for the public —IGP (Tribune)
The Inspector-General of Police, Baba Alkali Usman has assured that the Kaduna/Abuja highway is now safe for the public.
He gave the assurance during an interaction with newsmen after undertaking a patrol on the highway with some senior officers.
According to him, adequate deployment of men and assets to protect lives and property along the route has been provided to make the road safe.
He also said he had mapped out some salient and strategic points along the expressway which were immediately fortified with the deployment of operatives drawn from the different units of the force. Read more
Oyetola inaugurates committee to resolve Benue community crisis (Nation)
Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has inaugurated a committee to resolve the leadership tussle in Benue community in the state.
Oyetola, inaugurating the committee yesterday in Osogbo at a meeting with the leaders of Benue indigenes living in the state, urged the warring factions to withdraw cases pending in court, for peace to reign.
Represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the governor noted that Osun was a peaceful state and encouraged indigenes and non-indigenes to live in harmony.
He said: “Osun is known as a peaceful state and as a responsible and responsive government, we will always ensure a peaceful environment for indigenes and non-Indigenes. Read more
Billie Eilish rocks out in rain-soaked Grammy performance of ‘Happier Than Ever’ wearing Taylor Hawkins shirt (Variety)
Billie Eilish was Grammy-er than ever at Sunday night’s awards show, being a major presence on the telecast for the third year running in her young life. Besides being nominated for seven awards, she performed the song that was responsible for several of those noms, the title track from her “Happier Than Ever” album.
Starting out in an upside down house, Eilish and her brother Finneas then made their way to the roof to rock out in the rain, with Eilish sporting a Taylor Hawkins shirt. The Foo Fighters drummer died on March 25 at age 50.
It’s a song that should certainly be up for “most extreme dynamics of the year,” if there were such a category, since it shows off the full range of what Eilish can do vocally and mood-wise, going from a whisper to full-on screamo-rock.
That explosive coda to Eilish’s Grammy performance stood in contrast to her more understated performance of “No Time to Die” a week earlier at the Oscars, where Finneas picked up the best original song Academy Award after performing. Read more
COVID-19 temporarily stops Daniel Craig’s return to Broadway (ABC)
Could it be the curse of the Scottish play? Daniel Craig’s return to Broadway in a new version of “Macbeth” has been temporarily halted after the actor contracted COVID-19.
Wednesday’s matinee and evening performances were canceled when the James Bond actor tested positive. When he’ll return was not immediately known, but protocols indicate it could be several days at least.
Craig stars in a revival of Williams Shakespeare’s tragedy, with Ruth Negga making her Broadway debut playing Lady Macbeth.
“Macbeth” is playing the Lyceum Theatre, with an opening set for April 28. Tony Award-winner Sam Gold is directing. Read more
Grammys 2022 nominees Rüfüs Du Sol say They reconnected and rediscovered ‘Love for Music’ during pandemic (People)
Rüfüs Du Sol is feeling “Alive.”
Ahead of the 2022 Grammy Awards on Sunday, the Australian electronic dance group comprised of Jon George, James Hunt and Tyrone Lindqvist — who are up for best dance/electronic recording for their single “Alive” — opened up to PEOPLE about how “special” it felt to be back at the show.
“We spent two years like a lot of the world isolated and working on music ourselves without getting to bounce it back with an audience,” said George. “So it’s really nice after two years to see people resonating with the music that we made. I feel like we were in a good spot — as much as you could be — during that time. We got to reconnect with each other and rediscover our love for music.”
“Alive” was released as the lead single from Rüfüs Du Sol’s fourth studio album Surrender, their first record since their Grammy-nominated 2018 album Solace. Read more
Foo Fighters take home 3, bittersweet Grammys (AVClub)
Just over a week after the death of long-time drummer Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters swept the rock categories at the Grammys tonight, taking home all three golden gramophones it was nominated for. The Foos won Best Rock Performance (“Making A Fire”), Best Rock Song (“Waiting On A War”), and Best Rock Album (Medicine At Midnight).
The category included mostly legacy acts, many of which the Foo Fighters rose to fame alongside. The band fought AC/DC (Power Up), Black Pumas (Capitol Cuts—Live From Studio A), Chris Cornell (No One Sings Like You Anymore Vol. 1), and McCartney (McCartney III) for Best Rock Album. It also beat AC/DC (“Shot In The Dark”), Chris Cornell (“Nothing Compares 2 U”), and Deftones (“OHMS”) for Best Rock Performance. And for Best Rock Song, Foo Fighters won over Paul McCartney (“Find My Way”), Kings Of Leon (“The Bandit”), Mammoth WVH (“Distance”), and Weezer (“All My Favorite Songs”).
Obviously, given the tragic week, the last thing the Foo Fighters need is another Grammy, so no, no one from the band was on hand to accept the awards. The group has 12 to date, and 29 nominations in total.
Hawkins was found dead in his hotel room in Bogotá, Colombia on March 25. Since then, the band, which was on a global tour, canceled all upcoming tour dates. Read more
Steve Coogan defends controversial BBC drama The Reckoning (DailyMail)
Steve Coogan has defended the BBC’s controversial new drama The Reckoning in which he plays the shamed sexual predator Jimmy Savile.
The actor, 56, appeared on Sunday Brunch to talk about the upcoming miniseries and said we need to look at individuals like Savile ‘to prevent it happening again’.
Coogan, who famously portrays fictional comedic character Alan Partridge, added that he spoke to actors playing the victims to put them at ease.
‘I think that’s because Jimmy Savile played a trick on the entire nation so there’s a real feeling of antagonism about it,’ Steve told hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer. Read more
Inside the remains of the bombed Mariupol theatre, in Ukraine’s Donbas region (ABC)
The badly damaged interior of a theatre in Mariupol bears testimony to the scale of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian port city.
Ukrainian authorities said about 1,000 people had sought shelter in the theatre as Russian forces destroyed the city.
On March 16, an attack was carried out on the theatre, despite the fact the word ‘children’ had been written in enormous letters on the ground outside to indicate young families were sheltering there.
Survivors like mother-of-two Victoria Dubovytska spoke of the terror in the moments after the attack. Read more
Michelle Materre, Champion of Black Independent Film, Dies at 67 (NYTimes)
Michelle Materre, a distributor and educator who promoted Black women’s voices in film and released influential independent movies by Black creators, died on March 11 in White Plains, N.Y. She was 67.
A friend, Kathryn Bowser, said the cause was oral cancer.
Ms. Materre was an early proponent of independently released works by Black female directors, beginning at a time when diversity in independent film was far from the forefront of the cultural conversation.
Her company, KJM3 Entertainment Group, worked on distribution for major films; one of its first projects was the marketing of Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust.” Widely viewed as a masterpiece of Black independent cinema and said to have been the first feature film by a Black woman to have a wide release, “Daughters of the Dust” was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry in 2004. Read more
NPFL: Kwara overcome Remo as second stanza begins (Punch)
Kwara United on Sunday defeated visiting Remo Stars 2-1 in Ilorin as the Nigeria Professional Football League second stanza resumed.
The hosts lost 3-0 the reverse fixture to Remo on match-day 19 at Ikenne, but in Ilorin, they raised their game and ensured they claimed the maximum three points at stake to enhance their chase for a continental ticket.
Before the clash, Kwara United, in preparation for the second round, signed two players: Al Bahrain Sports Club striker Akinade Moses and defender Mannir Imrana from Zaria-based Golden Light FC, while highly sought after captain Christopher Nwaeze left for champions Akwa United.
Remo drew first blood when Haruna Adi opened score in the 37th minute to stun fans at the Ilorin stadium, but Stephen Jude restored parity in the 45th minute, before Samad Kadiri grabbed the winner in the 74th minute to send the home supporters into wild jubilations. Read more
Louis van Gaal reveals he has an ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer (IrishIndependent)
Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has revealed that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
In an interview with Dutch television, Van Gaal was asked about a revelation he made in his upcoming film ‘Louis.’
“You say in that film that you had or have prostate cancer,” presenter Humberto Tan said. Van Gaal replied: “Have.”
He added: “(Director)#] Geertjan Lassche not only films the coach, but also the person behind the coach. Then you have the choice: do you show it or not? Read more
Kieran Trippier suffers setback in recovery from broken foot (DailyMail)
Kieran Trippier has suffered a setback in his recovery from a foot injury but Newcastle boss Eddie Howe still hopes the England defender will return before the end of the season.
The right-back, 31, suffered a broken metatarsal in his left foot in February’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa.
The £12million January signing had a scan on Friday and Newcastle were hoping it would allow him to push on his recovery.
However, although the results were encouraging, the healing process was not going as quickly as hoped. Read more
Kupcho’s sentimental first major title win (WestAustralian)
American Jennifer Kupcho has taken the last victory leap into Poppie’s Pond, ending the tournament’s half-century run at Mission Hills, after winning the first major golf championship of the year.
Kupcho triumphed by two shots from Jessica Korda (69) in the Chevron Championship at Mission Hills, despite faltering late in a final round of two-over 74, claiming a major title with her first LPGA Tour victory.
The tournament, which started in 1972 as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle and became a major in 1983, is moving to Houston next year after failing to attract a sponsor willing to keep it at the popular venue.
The winner and their caddie traditionally leap into Poppie’s Pond, beside the 18th green, and Kupcho got to take that splash for the last time. Read more
Haas to think carefully about ‘over-rated’ upgrades (PlanetF1)
Haas boss Guenther Steiner is keen to make sure any upgrades introduced by the team this season will be worthwhile.
The American outfit bypassed development of their 2021 car to focus fully on the new 2022 regulations, which has paid off in the form of Haas going from bottom of the pile to now running towards the front of the midfield.
Of course, the challenge now is for them to stay there, since the teams around them with superior budgets will be looking to use that advantage to upgrade and improve their cars.
Haas too expects to upgrade the VF-22, but Steiner does not want to do so just for the sake of it. Read more
Nick Kyrgios: My girlfriend wants to see Paris, I’ll return to French Open in 2023 (TennisWorld)
Six-time ATP champion Nick Kyrgios has confirmed that Houston will be his first and lone clay tournament of the year. In Australia, Kyrgios suggested he would skip the entire clay season for the third consecutive year. Fewly clay tournament of the year,” Kyrgios said in Houston.
Kyrgios hasn’t played at the French Open since 2017 but he will return to the tournament next year.
“Next year I’m going to go to Paris. I’m announcing now that I’m going to the French Open. I hadn’t played there in four years. I’ll be back next year,” Kyrgios revealed. Kyrgios was asked whether there was a reason for his French Open return in 2023. Read more
Cavs cry foul after Embiid scores 44 in Sixers’ 122-108 win (ABC)
Joel Embiid did plenty of damage on his own. The Cavaliers, though, felt the big man got some unwarranted help.
Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff was highly critical of the officiating after Embiid scored 44 points – and made 20 trips to the free throw line – in Philadelphia’s 112-108 win over the Cavs on Sunday night.
“That game was taken from us,” Bickerstaff said. “We deserved to win it.”
Embiid added 17 rebounds and James Harden had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his second triple-double with Philadelphia as the 76ers locked up a playoff spot. Read more
