Six vehicles burnt in Lagos multiple accidents (DailyTrust)
No fewer than six vehicles including two tankers, two trailers, among others were burnt yesterday in a multiple accident at the popular Otedola Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The multiple accidents which happened in the early hours of yesterday inward Berger, resulted in an inferno which destroyed the vehicles.
However, the quick response of the emergency responders especially the Lagos State Fire Service however prevented the explosion of another tanker carrying 45,000 litres of diesel.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that the accident disrupted vehicular movement along the ever busy expressway with gridlock extending beyond Alapere. Read more
Money Laundering Allegation: SAN’s wife secures N200m bail (Vanguard)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, arraigned the wife of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Cecilia Osipitan, on a nine-count money laundering charge.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Defendant, being the managing director of a firm, PJO Ventures Limited, in 2014, took possession of the sum of N6billion that was paid into the account of the company from Best worth Insurance Brokers Limited, being part of funds that were earmarked for the payment of outstanding insurance premium claims of deceased and incapacitated staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.
EFCC alleged that Defendant used the fund and acquired several landed properties in highbrow areas in Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo State. Read more
Leah Sharibu: Report of second baby heartbreaking, say parents (Punch)
Leah Sharibu’s parents, Nathan and Rebecca, have described as “heartbreaking rumours” reports that their daughter had given birth to a second baby in Boko Haram captivity.
Demanding that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), bring back their daughter with or without children, the traumatised parents said it was a big shame that the Buhari regime had abandoned their daughter.
Leah was one of the 110 female students of the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, who were abducted on February 19, 2018, by Boko Haram terrorists. Read more
Lagos to train police prosecutors on effective investigation (Guardian)
Lagos State Ministry of Justice is set to train Police Prosecutors quarterly on the techniques of effective investigation.
Director, Public Prosecution, Mrs. Adeyemi Olayinka stated this during a three-day working visit by a delegation from Kaduna State Ministry of Justice to understudy the working patterns of Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
Speaking on the challenges faced with the Judiciary system, Adeyemi said the Judiciary ought to include lawyers in disciplinary committee to investigate petitions filed against magistrates that delay the dispensation of justice.
Commenting during the delegation’s visit to one of the State District Prosecutors Office at Samuel Ilori Magistrate Court, Ogba, Magistrate Owolabi Lateef, who represented the Chief Magistrate, acknowledged that the introduction of Resident District Public Prosecutors in Magistrate Courts has helped to scrutinise and sift through every charge brought to the court, thereby eliminating unnecessary and frivolous allegations. Read more
Voters flee as explosion rocks aba polling unit (DailyTrust)
Voters and electoral officials fled in different directions when explosion rocked the polling unit at Umuola Hall, Ward 8, Ogbor Hill, Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State, on Saturday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is currently conducting a bye-election in Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency.
Ossy Prestige, the lawmaker who represented the constituency at the House of Representatives, died on February 6 and his seat was declared vacant.
Ahead of the bye-election, top politicians in the area had engaged in a heated argument. They had accused one another of plotting to instigate violence during the exercise. Read more
Abductors of RCCG members in Kaduna demand N50m ransom (Guardian)
The adductors of the eight members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Kaduna State have demanded the sum of N50 million before their release.
The abductors were said to have established contact with the leadership of the church in the state.The church has also contacted security agencies over the incident with the hope that they will help in securing the immediate rescue of the eight church members.
Recall that the eight members of the church were reportedly abducted in Kaduna on March 26, 2021.
The Public Relations Officer of the Church in Kaduna province, Alao Joseph, said that the bandits took away the church members to an unknown destination while the bus, which they were travelling with was abandoned by the roadside. Read more
Abeokuta to have regular water supply in June – Abiodun (Vanguard)
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said that regular and improved water supply would be restored to Abeokuta and its environs, as soon as the ongoing rehabilitation work on a dam at Arakanga waterworks is completed in June. Abiodun who expressed his concerns over the non-availability of uninterrupted pipe-borne water supply in the state capital disclosed that he had directed the management of Ogun State Water Corporation to come up with other water production and distribution infrastructure financing gaps for the government’s intervention.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on improved water supply and sector reform, held in Abeokuta, the governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Olatokunbo Talabi, identified lack of maintenance of water production and distribution infrastructures as a critical challenge across the state. Read more
Maiduguri in blackout again as insurgents cut power line (DailyTrust)
Barely 48 hours after the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) restored bulk power to Maiduguri and its environs, insurgents have cut off another section of the 330 kilovolts Damaturu-to-Maiduguri transmission line.
A senior official of TCN confirmed this in a text message on Saturday evening.
“After concerted effort by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to restore power to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, insurgents bomb tower 152 and 153 on Damaturu – Maiduguri (Molai) 330kv line at around 5:56am on 27th March 2021, putting Maiduguri and its environs out of power supply again,” the official said.
There was wild jubilation on Wednesday when the power was restored by the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC). Read more
2023: Obasa woos Northwest Speakers to endorse Tinubu (Vanguard)
Serving Speakers and their predecessors from the Northwest zone of Nigeria have declared their support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
Their declarations and promises are coming some weeks after a similar endorsement of Tinubu was carried out by their colleagues in the southwestern zone of Nigeria.
At a meeting held in Kano for the states in the northwestern zone on Friday, the senior lawmakers declared that Tinubu remains the right person for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, at this time.
Some of them argued that with the challenges currently being faced by the country, Nigeria deserves a leader who is detribalised and has shown over time that he has the capacity to lead the country. Read more
Myanmar coup: US ‘horrified’ by deadliest day since military takeover (BBC)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that Washington is “horrified” by Saturday’s deaths in Myanmar.
Dozens of people were killed by security forces during protests on the deadliest day since last month’s military takeover of the country.
The killings, reportedly of more than 100 people, show “that the junta will sacrifice the lives of the people to serve the few,” Mr Blinken said.
“The courageous people of Burma reject the military’s reign of terror.” Read more
Heart-wrenching scenes of whale hunt in Netflix documentary “Seaspiracy” has viewers in tears (Metro)
Fans have been left speechless over Netflix’s latest trending documentary, Seaspiracy, which looks at the effect of the commercial fishing industry on our oceans, and the future of our seas. Shocking social media users who tuned in this week amid its release, the Ali and Lucy Tabrizi-made documentary has been described as everything from terrifying to sobering and eye-opening as it lays bare man’s use of the ocean, including commercial whaling, our use of plastic, fish boat slavery allegations and overfishing. One scene, where Ali headed to village Hvannasund, in the Faroe Islands, to witness a whaling hunt, left viewers in tears as they reacted to the moment the waters were turned bright red from the blood of the slain animals. Read more
Coronavirus: Barcelona holds music concert with 5,000 to test hygiene measures (DW)
A concert by the band Love of Lesbians was held with an audience of 5,000 to test whether such an event can be held with strict hygiene measures. Audience members were screened before attending at three testing centres.
Barcelona held a large concert by the band Love of Lesbians with 5,000 people in attendance on Saturday, for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frederic Chopin am Klavier Gemälde
The concert took place at the Palau de Sant Jordi, which usually hosts up to 24,000 people.
The event was meant to test whether such an event can be held during the pandemic with strict hygiene measures. The show was sold out. Read more
Musicians hungry to perform make a Manhattan storefront their stage (France 24)
After a year that saw concert venues go dark and stages moved online, an empty storefront in New York has offered a glimmer of hope to artists and audiences ravenous for live music.
Musicians across the genres are performing pop-up concerts on Manhattan’s Upper West Side for lucky passersby: on a recent morning it was Beethoven and Debussy that harmonized with a city soundscape normally dominated by car horns, construction work and pigeon coos.
It marked the first time Michael Katz, a cellist, was able to play with piano accompaniment in a year; Spencer Myer performed on a white Steinway in an experience he said musicians worldwide have been “starved for.” Read more
Meghan Markle interview: Charity kept donation secret until Oprah interview (BBC)
A charity has said the Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah Winfrey prompted it to speak out about a £10,000 donation she made.
Meghan gifted the money to Himmah, which works to tackle racism and poverty in Nottingham, in August but the charity kept it a secret.
Director Sajid Mohammad said it was feared the duchess was “like Marmite” and could damage Himmah’s reputation.
But he added her comments about racism made them want to “show solidarity”. Read more
Taste and smell gone forever? The anguish of Covid survivors (France24)
Three days after testing positive for Covid-19, “everything tasted like cardboard,” recalls 38-year-old Elizabeth Medina, who lost her sense of taste and smell at the start of the pandemic. A year later, she fears she will never get them back.
Medina consulted ear, nose and throat doctors and neurologists, tried various nasal sprays, and is part of a group of patients undergoing experimental treatment that uses fish oil.
To try to stimulate her senses, she puts copious amounts of spices on everything she eats, pours aromatic herbs into her tea and regularly sniffs a bracelet soaked in essential oils.
But her attempts have been in vain. Medina, a guidance counselor at a New York school, says she has lost many everyday pleasures she once enjoyed, including eating and cooking.
She says she has cried everyday for months. Read more
Mozambique insurgency: Islamist militants ‘ambush workers fleeing hotel’ (BBC)
Islamist militants have ambushed a convoy that was trying to rescue civilians from a hotel amid fighting in northern Mozambique, reports say.
A South African man has been confirmed as dead, but many details are unclear.
Hundreds of people fled the fighting, which began on Wednesday in the town of Palma. Evacuees included foreign gas workers.
French energy giant Total said it was forced to suspend operations at a huge gas project nearby. Read more
Nigeria celebrate Cup of Nations place with Benin win (BBC)
Nigeria are through to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations – but Group L rivals Benin will have to wait after conceding an injury time goal to the Super Eagles and losing 1-0 in Porto Novo.
Nigeria had already been confirmed as having qualified for the tournament in Cameroon next year thanks to a 0-0 draw between Lesotho and Sierra Leone earlier in the day.
That result also meant Benin only needed a point from the game at home against Nigeria, and they held out for 93 minutes – until Paul Onuachu scrambled in Nigeria’s winner deep into injury time.
The Benin players looked completely shocked as the final whistle blew just moments later. Read more
‘Embarrassing’ Ireland suffer shock World Cup loss to Luxembourg (France24)
The Republic of Ireland fell to a shock 1-0 defeat by minnows Luxembourg in their 2022 World Cup qualifier in Dublin on Saturday with the home team described as “embarrassing” by their own captain.
Dynamo Kiev midfielder Gerson Rodrigues condemned the Irish to their second defeat in as many Group A games with a superb long-range effort five minutes from the end.
“It was a horrible and embarrassing night,” Ireland skipper Seamus Coleman told the BBC.
“We got what we deserved which was nothing. I don’t think we demanded the ball enough and looked to break them down as quickly as we could.” Read more
Joe Cole reveals his regret at leaving Chelsea to join Liverpool (Metro)
Joe Cole has revealed that he regrets opting to join Liverpool on a free transfer when his contract with Chelsea expired and would have taken ‘any money’ to stay at Stamford Bridge. After winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the League Cup in west London, Cole opted to leave Chelsea in 2010 as a free agent not long after suffering a serious, long-term knee injury. Having felt he could not join West Ham and Chelsea’s bitter rivals Spurs, Cole was only left with Liverpool but quickly felt he had made a mistake in moving to Anfield. Read more
Dillian Whyte knocks out Alexander Povetkin in Gibraltar rematch (BBC)
Dillian Whyte kept alive his hopes of a heavyweight world title shot by emphatically gaining revenge over Alexander Povetkin with an impressive knockout win in their rematch.
The Briton, 32, showed smart timing from the off in Gibraltar before a decisive attack in the fourth round.
A right hand sent Povetkin backwards, another sent him into the ropes and a left hook floored him heavily.
He found his feet but was rightly stopped to suffer his third loss.
Only Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko had previously beaten Povetkin in 39 fights. Read more
Verstappen on pole for Bahrain Grand Prix, Schumacher ready for debut – live buildup (DW)
The first pole position of the new Formula One season has been claimed by Max Verstappen, raising hopes of a challenge to Mercedes’ dominance. Meanwhile, Mick Schumacher will make his debut with ground to make up.
Max Verstappen edged out champion Lewis Hamilton by 0.39 seconds on his final qualifying lap to claim a fourth career pole position and secure a strong start for his Red Bull team on Saturday.
Hamilton will start in second, with his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in third and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth. With Mercedes having dominated the sport in recent years, the Red Bull car has been tipped by many observers to pose a serious threat this season, particularly with a driver as talented as Verstappen at the wheel. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo speaks out after storming off pitch over disallowed goal (Metro)Cristiano Ronaldo says he will ‘never change’ after storming off the pitch before the full-time whistle had been blown after seeing what appeared to be a legitimate goal ruled out in Portugal’s 2-2 draw with Serbia. The visitors went two goals up in the first half in Belgrade on Saturday night thanks to a brace from Liverpool’s Diogo Jota, but were pegged back in the second half by goals from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Filip Kostic. Serbia then had Nikola Milenkovic sent off in stoppage time and Ronaldo thought he had stolen all three points moments later when he latched onto a cross just ahead of the goalkeeper and rolled the ball into an empty net. Read more