Police smash gang, recover fake 300m CFA, N9m in Lagos (Nation)
Operatives of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 2, Onikan, have recovered fake 300 million CFA, N9 million and some dollars in a major dismantling of a counterfeit currency syndicate.
Of the 300 million CFA, 180 million, the police said, was counterfeited Cameroonian CFA in 10,000 notes denomination.
Arrested during the operation were Olamilekan Oludare, 50; his wife, Oluwayemisi Olidare, 46; a printer, Adeniyi Quadri, 35 and an ex-serviceman, Johnson Ilelabayo, 62. Read more
Mourners throng Sisi Quadri’s father Iwo residence, Adeleke, entertainers grieve (Punch)
March 1, 2024, was a black Friday for the movie industry as popular actor, Quadri Oyebamiji, aka Sisi Quadri, passed away at the age of 44.
The actor was said to have had persistent hiccups, which were caused by a kidney-related ailment while in his hometown in Iwo, Osun State.
Toyin Olaiya, the immediate past governor of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Arts Practitioners in Osun State, told one of our correspondents that the deceased took ill while working on a movie set. Read more
Tinubu reappoints Anuwe, Lawal as FGN Power CEO, Secretary (ThisDay)
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of three new members for the management team of the FGN Power Company Limited.
This was in addition to the re-appointment of Kenny Osebi Anuwe and Prof Mamman Lawal as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Company Secretary/Legal Advisor of the company, respectively.
A statement issued yesterday by presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, listed the new appointees to include Chief Technical Officer (CTO) – Ebenezer Olawale Fapohunda; Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) – Babatunde Daramola Oniru and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) – Julius Oyekola Olabiyi. Read more
Onanuga denies $10b fine claim against Binance, says he was misrepresented (Leadership)
The special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, has made it clear that he never claimed crypto trading platform, Binance, was aware of the $10bn penalty or that Nigerian regulators decided the same.
“I said our government may impose heavy fines on Binance for what happened. I never said Binance had been informed about the fines or that it would definitely be $10 billion.
“I only said the amount may be imposed, which is because nothing has been finalised yet,” Onanuga explained. Read more
Benue APC crisis deepens as Police teargas anti-Austin Agada group (Channels)
There seems to be no end in sight for the intra-party crisis rocking the Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as policemen on Friday fired tear gas at anti-Austin Agada group who attacked the state’s party chairman while attempting to access the state secretariat of the APC in Makurdi.
The incident followed a letter written by the Chief of Staff to Governor Hyacinth Alia, conveying the governor’s instructions to the Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, banning all political activities in the state indefinitely, allegedly over the insecurity occasioned by the influx of herders into the state.
“I write to inform you that His Excellency Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alla has banned all political gatherings in any form, be it inter or intra party or groups in Benue State till further notice,” the letter dated February 27, 2024 read. Read more
‘Empty promises’: Ajaero knocks Tinubu, asks him to tackle hardship (DailyTrust)
Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has asked President Bola Tinubu to fulfil his promises to Nigerians rather singling the union out for criticism.
During the commissioning of the Red-Line Railway Project in Lagos, on Thursday, Tinubu had accused NLC of partisanship.
Rejecting the nationwide protest over widespread hardship in the land, Tinubu said the union was unfair to his 9-month-old administration. Read more
Police parade lawyer for brutalising 10-year-old househelp (Punch)
The Nigeria Police Force has paraded an Anambra-based lawyer, Adachukwu Okafor, who was recently apprehended for allegedly assaulting her 10-year-old househelp.
The police had declared the lawyer wanted and placed a N2m bounty on her for allegedly using a red-hot knife, an electric pressing iron, and other weapons to brutalise the underage househelp.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, while addressing the press at the Force Criminal Investigation Department on Friday in Abuja on Friday, noted that it was a case of attempted murder and child abuse. Read more
Senate extends retirement age of NASS staff to 65 (Nation)
The Senate on Thursday, February 29, passed a Bill that seeks to add five years to the retirement age of staff of the National Assembly Service.
If the Bill is signed into law, staff of the National Assembly Service would now retire at age 65 years instead of 60 years and 40 years in service instead of 35 years.
The Bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to Make Provisions for the Retirement Age of Staff of National Assembly Service and for Other Related Matters, 2024,” transmitted to the Senate from the House of Representatives for concurrence was last week stepped down by the red chamber to allow for further consultation. Read more
Joe Budden apologises to Beyoncé for country music criticism: ‘I like that song’ (HipHopDx)
Joe Budden, renowned for his unfiltered commentary, has extended an apology to Beyoncé for seemingly shading her country song “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
On Thursday (February 29), the rapper-turned-podcaster walked back recent comments he made on The Joe Budden Podcast, where he refused to share his opinion of the track because he’s “not a country music critic.”
When his co-hosts pressed him for his thoughts, Budden dug his heels in and declared: “I’m not listening to the Beyoncé country album!” Read more
Hailey Bieber’s sister Alaia Baldwin Aronow arrested, accused of throwing a tampon in bar fight (People)
Alaia Baldwin Aronow, the sister of Hailey Bieber and daughter of Stephen Baldwin, was charged with simple assault and simple battery after an alleged bar fight in Savannah, Ga.
A spokesperson for the Savannah Police Department tells PEOPLE that Aronow, a model and influencer who is also the sister-in-law of Justin Bieber, was taken into custody at a residence in the city following a physical altercation at a bar called Club Elan on Feb. 24.
According to a police report obtained by PEOPLE, security footage allegedly showed Aronow forcing her way into an employee bathroom. Two bouncers and a bartender say they told Aronow she wasn’t allowed in and needed to use the public restroom, when she allegedly became combative, the report claims. Read more
Legendary fashionista, designer Iris Apfel dead at 102 (TMZ)
Fashion icon Iris Apfel — famous for her quirky outfits and unique looks — has died.
The style icon passed away Friday at her home in Palm Beach, Fla … this according to her reps. An official cause of death wasn’t announced — but the assumption is that she died of old age via natural causes.
A socialite from New York, Iris became a fashion icon in her 80s and 90s … affectionately calling herself a “geriatric starlet.” Iris’ style was an eclectic mix … combining haute couture, vintage hippy-inspired looks, bohemian styles and super bright colors. Read more
Gunmen on moped opens fire in Clapham Common, injuring 3 (Metro)
A gunman on a moped opened fire at London’s Clapham Common during a police chase.
Three people have been injured, with one rushed to a hospital, while others were treated at the scene, the London Ambulance Service said.
Multiple Metropolitan Police vans and cars can be seen outside the Tube station as the suspect remains on the run. Read more
Hamas says 7 captives killed in Israeli army bombing of Gaza (AlJazeera)
The military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas says seven more captives held in the Gaza Strip have died as a result of Israel’s bombardment of the besieged enclave.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, made the statement on the Telegram app on Friday.
The group said it confirmed the news following investigations conducted over the past few weeks after it had lost contact with the fighters who had been holding the captives. Read more
Families of US hostages in Gaza set to attend State of the Union (NBC)
Family members of some of the Americans still held hostage in Gaza are expected to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next week after receiving an invitation from a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
The families also plan to send a letter to every member of Congress asking them and their staffers to wear yellow ribbons and dog tags to the speech on Thursday night in a sign of solidarity for those desperately working each day to bring their loved ones home.
“It’s a living hell. A living hell from the moment you get up in the morning until you go to bed,” said Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen who plans to attend the event at the Capitol with Sagui’s stepmother, Gillian Kaye. Read more
Russia: Alexei Navalny buried in Moscow under police presence (AfricaNews)
Under a heavy police presence, thousands of people bade farewell Friday to Alexei Navalny at his funeral in Moscow after his death two weeks ago in an Arctic penal colony.
As his coffin was removed from the hearse and taken inside the church, the crowd waiting outside broke into respectful applause and then chanted: “Navalny! Navalny!”
After the short funeral, thousands marched from the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Soothe My Sorrows to the nearby Borisovskoye Cemetery, where police were also out in force for the burial. Read more
Ndidi is an important player for Leicester City –Maresca (CompleteSports)
Leicester City manager, Enzo Maresca has described Super Eagles midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi, as an important player for the club.
He made this known while giving an update on the Nigerian international’s injury ahead Queens Park Ranger (QPR) on Saturday.
Maresca noted Ndidi could return to action before the international break with the midfielder making good progress in his comeback from injury. Read more
Bud Cauley leads, Thomas Detry scuffles at Cognizant Classic (ABC)
Bud Cauley is leading on the PGA Tour. That might not have seemed likely a few years ago.
Cauley, who was seriously injured in a 2018 car crash and is playing a tour event for only the third time in nearly 4½ years, shot a 6-under 65 on Friday at PGA National to take a one-shot lead after 36 holes of the Cognizant Classic.
Cauley has 11 birdies and no bogeys over his last 27 holes. He made a 12-footer for birdie at the par-5 18th on Friday as darkness began settling in, posting 11-under 131 and giving him his first 36-hole lead on tour since the Valero Texas Open in 2017. Read more
World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024: Christian Coleman beats Noah Lyles to 60m gold (BBC)
American Christian Coleman says he is “stepping into his prime” after beating Noah Lyles to 60m gold in their showdown at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Coleman, the world record holder in the event, clocked a world-leading 6.41 seconds to take an impressive victory.
World 100m and 200m champion Lyles, unable to add to his expanding list of global sprint titles, ran 6.44. Read more
Bahrain GP Qualifying: Max Verstappen claims first F1 2024 pole ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (SkySports)
Max Verstappen will start his quest for a fourth successive F1 world title from pole position in Saturday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix after seeing off a fierce challenge from Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc in 2024’s first qualifying hour.
George Russell took a promising third for Mercedes, within a tenth of Leclerc, in their much-changed new challenger although team-mate Lewis Hamilton was only ninth after taking a different direction on car set-up.
Verstappen, whose team boss Christian Horner oversaw the session in his usual position on the Red Bull pit wall and gave his driver a message of congratulations on the radio after the Dutchman claimed pole, delivered a best Q3 lap of 1:29.179 with his final attempt to edge out second-placed Leclerc by 0.228s. Read more
2034 World Cup: Saudi Arabia launches bid for tournament as sole contender to host (BBC)
Saudi Arabia, the only contender to host the 2034 World Cup, has formally launched its bid for the tournament.
The Gulf Kingdom became the sole bidder in October when Australia pulled out of the race hours before Fifa’s deadline for declarations of interest.
A Fifa congress will confirm the hosts later this year. Read more
‘He is one of the worst’… Alan Brazil tears into ‘shocking’ Manchester United midfielder (HitC)
Alan Brazil has given his verdict on Manchester United attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
The former United forward and talkSPORT presenter has not been impressed with some of Fernandes’s antics during football matches.
So, what has Alan Brazil said about Bruno Fernandes? Let’s take a look. Read more