Senate suspends Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for 6 months (Channels)
The Senate has suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghen for six months for violation of the Red Chambers rules.
Her suspension followed her dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio who she accused of sexual harassment.
“That the Senate do suspend Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months for her total violation of the Senate Standing Rules (2023 as amended for bringing the presiding officer and the entire Nigerian Senate to public opprobrium,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio said on Thursday while reading out the recommendations of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct probing her claims. Read more
Court orders final forfeiture of $1.4m linked to Emefiele (DailyTrust)
Justice Ayokunle Faji sitting at a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday, ordered the permanent forfeiture of $1.4 million linked to a fraud involving the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
In his ruling, Justice Faji stated that the sum was proven to be proceeds of unlawful activities and must be forfeited to the federal government.
The court held in favour of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which had established the illegitimacy of the funds. Read more
Schoolteachers caught on camera fighting (Leadership)
A shocking video of two teachers engaged in a physical combat inside the staff room of Ibru College, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State, has surfaced online, sparking outrage and condemnation.
The video, shared on Facebook by a social media user called Nkeiru Udoh Ogosi on Wednesday, captured the heated altercation between the male teachers as their colleagues frantically tried to intervene.
“Two teachers fighting in Ibru College Agbarha-Otor in Delta State. What a shameful act. I wonder what they are impacting on the children,” Ogosi captioned the post. Read more
Kano says schools remain closed till April 6 (Punch)
The Kano State Government has directed all private and voluntary schools in the state to strictly adhere to the 2024/25 school calendar issued by the Ministry of Education.
The Director of Special Duties, Ministry of Education, Mustapha Yahya, made this known in a statement on Thursday and obtained by PUNCH Online.
“All primary and post-primary schools in Kano state must close on Friday, February 28, 2025, and reopen on Sunday, April 6, 2025,” it reads. Read more
EFCC arraigns trio for ₦74m fraud in Maiduguri (Sun)
The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, arraigned three defendants before Justice K. Dagat of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri.
They are Vincent Markus (a.k.a. Kayluvjaybaby), Ahmed Aliyu Maiizawaka alongside his company, Maizawaka De-Crawler Nigeria Limited, and Enoch Adebayo Richard.
The defendants were arraigned on separate charges bordering on money laundering, impersonation, obtaining money by false pretences, and internet-related offences to an aggregate sum of ₦74,636,943 (Seventy-Four Million, Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-Three Naira only). Read more
FG mandates licensing for all organ transplant facilities in Nigeria (Nation)
The Federal Government has announced that all health facilities involved in organ transplantation in Nigeria must be registered and licensed before operating.
Additionally, such facilities are required to establish independent, facility-based Organ Transplantation Committees separate from their medical transplantation teams.
The government also revealed that plans for a nationwide inspection of organ transplant facilities, aimed at accreditation and licensing by the National Tertiary Health Institutions Standards Committee (NTHISC), are at an advanced stage. Read more
FUOYE students protest over alleged plot to destabilize varsity (Guardian)
Students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), on Wednesday, staged a protest against what they described as a deliberate attempt by some external forces to destabilise their university.
The students accused the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) National Women’s Committee of being allegedly sponsored to disrupt the peace and smooth academic calendar through unending agitation for a change of leadership of Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina.
Some of the inscriptions on the placard read: “Stop spreading lies against our VC, stop cyberbullying of Prof. Fasina, Our VC is an ln honourable man, Prof. Fasina is a wonderful leader, SSANU national women Committee leave our University alone, among others.” Read more
Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner rumours can’t stop, won’t stop amping up after divorce from Lopez was finalized (CinemaBlend)
For as long as there have been famous people, celebrity couples have fascinated the public. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck know this all too well, as both of their relationships made countless headlines over the years. And after JLo and Affleck’s divorce was finalized, there have been countless rumors about what’s going on with him and his ex Jennifer Garner. Let’s break it down.
Lopez filed for divorce back in August, and the pair spent months finalizing the details without actually having to face off in court. Fans will likely continue paying attention to their personal lives for the foreseeable future, with JLo reportedly having some NSA fun rather than looking for a new longtime partner. Page Six is reporting that Affleck apparently “would love another chance” with Garner, who is his ex-wife and the mother of his children. The insider was also quoted saying: Read more
Disappointment in Lesotho after Trump’s remarks on “little-known nation” (AfricaNews)
Lesotho’s foreign minister, Lejone Mpotjoane, conveyed his shock and embarrassment after President Trump’s Congress address, in which he remarked that “nobody has ever heard of” Lesotho. Mpotjoane noted that this kind of behavior is not what one would expect from a head of state.
US President Donald Trump recently claimed that no one knows about Lesotho, a small African nation.
In response, Lesotho’s foreign minister, Lejone Mpotjoane, expressed his disappointment, stating that Trump should “speak for himself.” Read more
Russia hits Zelenskyy’s hometown with ballistic missile amid US aid freeze (ABC)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there can be “no pause” in pressure on Russia after another night of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, the latest barrage coming the day after the US confirmed it had stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv.
President Donald Trump’s decision to pause all U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing has raised concerns that Ukraine’s air defenses will become less effective in the days, weeks and months to come.
The pause followed last week’s explosive Oval Office meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump. White House officials have suggested the freeze may be lifted if Ukraine takes concrete steps towards a peace deal with Russia to end Moscow’s 3-year-old invasion. Read more
Harvard doctors reveal drug taken by 10s of millions of women is shockingly linked to Alzheimer’s (DailyMail)
Women who use a popular menopause treatment later in life may be at a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a study suggests.
Researchers found women who took hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in their sixties were at a much higher risk of dementia in their 70s.
These women had higher levels of a plaque linked to Alzheimer’s in their brains compared to their peers who never took the drug. Read more
Pope Francis asks Christians to start Lent ‘full of hope’ in the footsteps of Jesus Christ (CNA)
Pope Francis asked Christians on Ash Wednesday to set out in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, full of hope, throughout the season of Lent.
In his prepared March 5 catechesis, the Holy Father, who remains in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for treatment of double pneumonia, spoke about the 12-year-old Jesus’ desire to live his mission as the Son of God.
“Jesus wants to live his vocation as the son of the Father who is at his service and lives immersed in his word,” he said. “Jesus’ first words [in the Bible] recognize that this paternity traces his origins from that of his heavenly Father, whose undisputed primacy he acknowledges.” Read more
China raises military budget as Trump nominee warns of ‘catastrophic’ war (Newsweek)
China will raise defense spending by 7.2 per cent for a third consecutive year, the country said Wednesday, as it continues a military buildup that a Trump Pentagon nominee has warned is geared toward war with the United States.
Newsweek reaches out to the Chinese Embassy in the US and Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry by email with requests for comment.
Why It Matters
The figure, which state media noted marks the 10th consecutive year of single-digit growth, was released during the annual session of China’s rubber-stamp congress this week, bringing the country’s defense budget to about $250 billion. Read more
Jack Daniel’s hits out at Canada pulling US alcohol (BBC)
Canadian provinces pulling US alcohol off store shelves in response to Trump trade policy is “worse than tariffs”, the boss of Jack Daniel’s maker Brown-Forman has said.
Several Canadian provinces, including Ontario, which is by far the most populated, took action this week in retaliation for US tariffs on Canadian goods.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), one of the largest buyers of alcohol in the world, removed US-made alcoholic drinks from its shelves on Tuesday. Read more
English pundits begin campaign for Three Lions to cap Nwaneri (Guardian)
Nigeria’s hope of luring Arsenal star, Ethan Nwaneri, to dump Three Lions for the Super Eagles could be about to go up in smokes with the English gaffer, Thomas Tuchel, set to name his squad for the forthcoming internationals next month.
Nwaneri has been fantastic since gaining a regular spot in Arsenal’s lineup following the absence of the injured Bukayo Saka.
He dazzled fans once again on Tuesday, scoring one goal in the Gunner’s 7-1 demolition of PSV in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Read more
Amusan, Nwosu, others shortlisted for NSJID Awards (Leadership)
After weeks of anticipation and fierce competition, top sports journalists have been unveiled as the nominees for the inaugural 2024 Best Grassroots Reporting Award, organized by the Nigeria Sports Journalists in Diaspora (NSJID).
On Friday, March 7, the NSJID will announce the winners of this groundbreaking initiative, designed to highlight untold sports stories and elevate Nigerian sports to unprecedented heights.
In the Print Journalism category, nominees include Abiodun Adewale, Olawale Olaniran, and Jacob Ajom. For Radio Broadcasting, the contenders are Dayo Amusan, Maxwell Lawrence, and Tony Bekederemo. Read more
Gombe Utd names ex-Akwa Utd boss Abdullahi Umar as technical adviser (DailyTrust)
Gombe United FC has named Abdullahi Umar as its new Technical Adviser following the departure of Bala Nkiyu by mutual agreement.
The club’s Head of Media and Communications, Shuaibu Angazy, confirmed the appointment in a statement from Gombe. According to the statement, Umar was officially unveiled on Monday by Club Chairman Alhaji Anas Bamusa.
Bamusa emphasized that Umar’s selection was based on merit and a shared vision for the club’s future, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the team to success. Read more
‘Uncalibrated’ scales drama as Jonas & Price weigh in (BBC)
Trainer Joe Gallagher complained about “uncalibrated” scales before world champions Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price successfully weighed in for Friday’s welterweight unification fight.
Just as WBA belt-holder Price was about to step on to the stage, Jonas’ trainer Gallagher questioned why the scales were missing a sticker of authenticity.
He claimed all undercard fighters were “about a pound lighter” than they should be, and demanded the weigh-in be postponed until the scales were calibrated. Read more
Ex-football chiefs deny wrongdoing on first day of fraud retrial (AfricaNews)
After leaving court at the end of their first day of their fraud retrial, former football chiefs Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini strongly denied any wrongdoing.
Blatter, the former president of FIFA, said, “I’m only defending my case, and naturally Michel’s as well. We did nothing wrong. Nothing. Nothing. It will be difficult to prove that we did anything wrong.”
Platini, the former president of UEFA, described the proceedings complex, but maintains his innocence. Read more
Spanish prosecutors demand Rubiales forced kiss trial be re-run (AlJazeera)
Spanish prosecutors have requested that the trial of the country’s former football federation chief Luis Rubiales for his forced kiss on Jenni Hermoso be annulled and re-run, notably questioning the judge’s impartiality.
The request, on Thursday, comes after Spain’s top criminal court last month found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for the kiss, which occurred after Spain’s women’s football team won the World Cup, and fined him 10,800 euros ($11,370), sparing him jail in a sentence considered lenient by feminist groups.The sentence fell well short of the demands of prosecutors, who had sought a total of two and a half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso to downplay the kiss. Read more