Presidency releases video of Tinubu strolling to office (DailyTrust)
The Presidency has released a video of President Bola Tinubu walking to his duty post at the presidential villa in Abuja.
This follows the storm generated over the refusal to release any picture or video of the president’s return to the country after two weeks abroad.
In a 27 seconds footage, at least 15 aides were seen accompanying Tinubu to his office from his official residence within the villa. Read more
Lagos-Calabar coastal highway: Provide guarantees, credit instruments for approval, Reps tell FG (Nation)
The House of Representatives on Thursday, May 9, asked the Minister of Finance and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to furnish the National Assembly all guarantees and credit enhancement instruments for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Project for approval
The House also resolved to investigate the procurement and award process of the multi billion Lagos to Calabar coastal highway.
In a resolution following a motion of urgent public importance by Hon. Austin Achado (APC, Benue), the House also asked the Ministry of Works to furnish the National Assembly with details of the procurement processes leading to the award of the contract. Read more
Police repel gunmen attack near Ojukwu Varsity (Vanguard)
The Anambra State Police command has repelled an attack by gunmen operating near the campus of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli in Ihiala local government area of the state.
The border town has been experiencing hit -and – run attacks from the nearby Mgbidi in Imo State, forcing many residents of the area to relocate to other communities.
It was gathered that the gunmen had operated for two nights, thus creating fear among the residents. Read more
TikTok bans account of content creator who buried himself for 24 hours (Tribune)
Popular social media platform TikTok has placed a ban on the account of a Nigerian content creator, Young Cent, after he buried himself alive for 24 hours.
Young Cent went viral on social media on Wednesday after announcing his intention to be buried alive for 24 hours.
In a video shared on his Instagram page before the commencement of the challenge, he stated that the now-completed 24-hour stunt was genuine. Read more
698 Lagos civil servants to get homes by ballot (Vanguard)
The Lagos State government says 698 civil servants will be selected through ballot to acquire homes in its various housing estates.
The Commissioner for Housing, Mr Moruf Akinderu-Fatai, said this during the 2024 ministerial press briefing to mark the first year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office on Thursday at Alausa, Ikeja.
He further said selected workers would be entitled to 40 per cent rebate in their service lifetime. Read more
Microsoft Nigeria realigning roles, not shutting down – Presidential aide (Punch)
Temitope Ajayi, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Bola Tinubu, has refuted media reports claiming the shut down of the Lagos office of Microsoft’s Africa Development Centre.
While noting that the shutdown was an “incorrect media report,” Ajayi said the organisation was “re-aligning roles” within its business, while “few roles will certainly be impacted.”
He stated this on Thursday on X.com. Read more
Tinubu’s govt throwing money on non-existing products – SDP’s Adebayo (DailyTrust)
Prince Adewole Ebenezer Adebayo is a businessman and politician who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of Social Democratic Party, SDP. Against the backdrop of the labour movement’s agitation for salary increment, Adebayo said beyond the talks, the government should concentrate more on social security investments which will automatically reduce the agitations of salary increment.
What is your take on the agitation by Labour for the minimum wage in the midst of the prevailing inflation?
With respect to increase in wages, the dialogue between labour and the government in economics is called economics of a farm. They are behaving in a micro economic way. They are talking within their industry alone. Both sides have their negotiating tactics, with some of the numbers they are throwing around which may appear to them unrealistic. But my message to them is to let them know that this debate arose not from the adequate of wages but the problems of purchasing power. Read more
Troops arrest 3 suspected gunrunners, seize arms in Adamawa (Leadership)
Nigerian Army troops have intercepted three persons suspected of gun-running in Sukuk Community in Madagali local government area of Adamawa State.
This is just as troops in another operation intercepted a group of terrorists on transit to unleash attack in Yola South local government area of the same state.
The Nigerian Army in a statement on its official X handle said the suspects identified as Yakubu Musa, Marcus Ziri, and Ishakwu Kumba were found in possession of various firearms and ammunition. Read more
Man jailed for 22 years for making testicle salad then eating it (Metro)
A man nicknamed ‘The Eunuch Maker’ who performed illegal castrations and livestreamed them on the dark web has been jailed for 22 years.
Marius Gustavson, 46, was the ringleader of an ‘extreme body modification’ group based in Kensington, London, which removed at least 29 people’s penises, testicles and other body parts.
The operations were filmed and uploaded to Gustavson’s ‘Eunuch Maker’ website to paying subscribers, netting the Norwegian over £300,000 over a six year period. Read more
Plane skids off runway in Senegal, injuring 10 people (AfricaNews)
A Boeing 737 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal’s capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
“Our plane just caught fire,” wrote Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko in a post on Facebook that showed passengers jumping down the emergency slides at night as flames engulfed one side of the aircraft. In the background, people can be heard screaming.
Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye said the Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako, in neighbouring Mali, late Wednesday with 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew. Read more
Russia’s Putin says ‘arrogant’ West risking global conflict (AlJazeera)
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the “arrogant” West of risking a global conflict, warning the nuclear power’s “strategic forces” are combat-ready, as he marked the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II.
In a defiant speech on Thursday at Moscow’s Red Square before thousands of soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire, Putin said that Western elites had forgotten the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazism and were now stoking conflict around the world.
“We know what the exorbitance of such ambitions leads to. Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash,” he said. “But at the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always in a state of combat readiness.” Read more
New ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie, ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ being produced by Peter Jackson (NBC)
Warner Bros. will release the first of its new batch of “The Lord of the Rings” films in 2026, which will focus on Andy Serkis’s Gollum.
Original “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the movie and “will be involved every step of the way,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an earnings call Thursday.
The project is currently in the early stages of script development from writers Walsh and Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, and will “explore storylines yet to be told,” Zaslav said. Read more
The Killers’ Mr Brightside overtakes Wonderwall to become the UK’s official biggest single of all time yet to reach Number 1 (MusicNews)
On its 20th anniversary, Brandon Flowers presented with a new Top 10 Award from Official Charts crowning the ultimate Top 10 hit.
The ultimate indie-pop crowd-pleaser. The climax to any night out and wedding party. Ed Sheeran even heralds it as the UK’s ‘national anthem.’
20 years ago this month, The Killers’ Mr Brightside came out of its cage, and it’s officially been doing just fine ever since. Official Charts today can confirm Mr Brightside to be the UK’s official biggest single of all time yet to reach Number 1. Read more
Smoke canisters set off in Malmö amid Eurovision protests (RTE)
Smoke canisters in the colours of the Palestinian flag have been set off in Malmö’s central square during a demonstration in Sweden against Israel’s participation in tonight’s second Eurovision Song Contest semi-final.
Protesters are carrying signs displaying images of Gaza civilians who have been injured amid the Hamas-Israel conflict.
A heavy police presence arrived at Malmö’s main square earlier ahead of the protests. Read more
Gym goes into lockdown with 250 people working out inside as armed police arrest suspected terrorist (Mirror)
Jonny Hart, of the Warehouse Gym, in Hindley, Manchester, received a frightening call to say his gym was placed on lockdown by the police due to a suspicious customer
Hundreds of gym-goers were left shocked when police stormed into a fitness space with dogs and drones to arrest a customer who had been linked to terrorism offences.
Cops descended into The Warehouse Gym, on Platt Lane in Hindley, Greater Manchester, and plunged the site into lockdown at around 7.30pm on Wednesday. Gym owner Jonny Hart explained that around 250 people were working out when officers suddenly entered the venue. Read more
Finidi right to pick foreign assistants – Pinnick (CompleteSports)
Former president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick claimed newly appointed Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George is right to insist on foreign assistants.
Finidi has reportedly turned down the chance to work with some of his former teammates.
The 53-year-old has instead opted to bring in an expatriate to help him on the job. Read more
Kylie McKenzie awarded $9m in sexual abuse case against U.S. tennis association (People)
A Florida jury awarded U.S. tennis player Kylie McKenzie $9 million in damages after she sued the United States Tennis Association (USTA), claiming that the organization failed to protect her from a coach that she said sexually assaulted her, the Associated Press, CNN and The Guardian reported.
“I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. I feel validated,” McKenzie, 25, said in a statement obtained by the outlets after the ruling. “It was very hard, but I feel now that it was all worth it. I hope I can be an example for other girls to speak out even when it’s difficult.”
According to CNN and Guardian, the tennis player filed a lawsuit in March 2022 claiming that the USTA committed “gross negligence” by employing her coach, Anibal Aranda, and “fail[ed] to properly supervise” him despite having previous knowledge of his “sexual predation” against another USTA employee. Read more
Wimbledon juniors finalist provisionally suspended (BBC)
The 2023 Wimbledon girls’ singles runner-up Nikola Bartunkova has been provisionally suspended for doping.
The Czech 18-year-old returned a positive test for trimetazidine in February and again in March.
Trimetazidine is a metabolic modulator sometimes used as heart medication. Read more
‘It got pretty messy’: Rory McIlroy’s efforts to rejoin PGA Tour policy board rejected (Independent)
Rory McIlroy has revealed that he will not be making a return to the PGA Tour policy board, citing uneasiness from current board members over his potential comeback.
The Northern Irishman only resigned from his player director role in November but recent reports suggested that the world number two was set to return to his post to help in ongoing talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Webb Simpson had offered to resign his place in McIlroy’s place but, speaking ahead of this week’s Wells Fargo Championship, the four-time major champion said that his potential return had made some feel “uncomfortable”. Read more
NHL playoffs: Tkachuk-Pastrnak melee highlights Panthers’ game 2 thrashing of Bruins (UPI)
A third-period scuffle highlighted another physical rivalry meeting between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers, with All-Stars Matthew Tkachuk and David Pastrnak exchanging punches in Game 2 of their playoff series.
The incident occurred with about 7:18 remaining in the Panthers’ 6-1 blowout victory in the Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The series is tied 1-1.
“Man, you are going to see that on the highlights, over and over and over again,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice told reporters. “I think it’s a good thing. You’ve got two elite offensive players. Tkachuk is a 100-point guy all day long. Pastrnak is this brilliant player. Read more
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic wins 2024 NBA MVP award, his third in the last four seasons (NBC)
Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player on Wednesday.
Jokic, who also took home the honor in 2021 and 2022, is just the ninth player in league history to claim three MVP awards. The only others since 1990: Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
The Serbian big man averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9 assists a game this season while shooting 58.3% from the field. Read more
