Tanker accident causes gridlock on Oshodi-Isolo expressway (Guardian)
Tragedy was averted yesterday when a tanker with registration number MKA-663ZF conveying 44,000 litres of PMS crashed on a Toyota Camry at 5-Star Bus Stop, which led to heavy gridlock on Oshodi-Isolo Expressway.
According to eyewitnesses, the crash occurred when one of the NNPC tankers hit a Toyota Camry from behind, which made the driver lose control of the car, bringing the vehicle to a halt.
No life was lost in the accident, but the back tyres of the vehicle pulled off while the truck was badly damaged.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness revealed to The Guardian that a sum of N480,000 was missing at the scene of the accident. Read more
My husband died on Friday, not Saturday, says Okei-Odumakin (Tribune)
Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, wife of late Yinka Odumakin, says her husband died on Friday, April 2 and not Saturday, April 3 as earlier reported.
Okei-Odumakin, a rights activist, in another tribute to her late husband made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said it was important to immediately put the record straight in the spirit of truth that Odumakin stood for.
The tribute is entitled: “Yinka: Basking in the shadow that you cast.”
The rights activist stressed that due to the principles of truth and saying it as it is, of which her late husband lived for all his adult life, it was important to immediately put the record straight. Read more
Firm leads volunteers to clean up Lagos beach (Guardian)
As part of its commitment to environmental protection, Rite Foods Limited has embarked on the clean-up of Alpha Beach in Lekki, Lagos State, where 1,640kg and 127.2kg of solid and recyclable wastes were cleared.
The clean-up was in collaboration with the Sterling One Foundation and Giving Beach Clean-up, and it saw the staff of Rites Foods joined by 116 volunteers and residents of the community picking up and removing plastics, solid waste, and other unwanted materials from the beach.
The solid waste recovered totalled 1,640kgs, while polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recyclables weighed 119kgs, carton 3.0kgs, nylon 1.0kgs, and returnable glass bottle 4.2kgs.
The clean-up was part of the company’s contribution to a cleaner environment and the preservation of one of Lagos beaches known as Alpha Beach, which serves as a tourist location in Lagos, where fun-seekers go-to for relaxation, picnics, parties, and other forms of social engagements. Read more
Buhari’s driver dies inside Aso Rock (DailyTrust)
Master Warrant Officer, Sa’idu Afaka, the official driver of President Muhammadu Buhari, is dead.
According to a statement from the presidency, Afaka died at the State House Clinic on Tuesday.
Gunshots As Another Police Station Is Set Ablaze In Imo
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Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media And Publicity, said his principal has commiserated with the family of the deceased.
“President Muhammadu Buhari extends heartfelt condolences to the family of Afaka on the passing of Master Warrant Officer, Sa’idu Afaka, his official driver, who died at the State House Clinic on Tuesday after a prolonged illness. Read more
COVID-19: Why states were directed to halt vaccination halfway – FG (Vanguard)
The Federal Government has explained why it asked all states administering the COVID-19 vaccine to stop the exercise the moment they used half of the doses allocated to them.
Minister of State for Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, gave the explanation at Tuesday’s media briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, in Abuja,.
Mamora explained that the directive became necessary since the country was not sure when next the second batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine would arrive the country. Read more
Military, politicians responsible for the rot in LGs – Obasanjo (DailyTrust)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has attributed the rot in Nigeria’s local government system to the military rule and politicians.
Obasanjo said the rot started with the military heads who wanted to have local government councils in their respective areas, adding that the political class took the rot further with corruption.
A statement by the former president’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, quoted him to have said this on Tuesday while playing host to the new President of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Akeem Olatunji Ambali, at his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Penthouse residence, Abeokuta. Read more
Abia reviews curfew to 8pm, includes Ohafia, Arochukwu (Vanguard)
Abia government has announced a review of the curfew imposed on Aba and Umuahia between 8 pm and 6 am as well as included Ohafia and Arochukwu.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Anthony Agbazuere, on Tuesday in Umuahia.
It stated that the decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Abia State Security Council on Tuesday.
“Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has approved that the curfew imposed in the state should henceforth commence from 8pm to 6am, and the towns involved are Aba, Umuahia, Ohafia and Arochukwu. Read more
Police confirm burning down of another division in Imo State (Tribune)
Barely 48 hours after gunmen attacked the Police Command in Imo State, gunmen again razed the police division in Ehime/Mbano in the state, setting some vehicles on fire on Tuesday.
Police spokesman in Imo State, SP Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the attack on the police division to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The attack occurred a few hours after the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; the former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and other government functionaries visited the state to inspect the attacked facilities. Read more
Favouritism responsible for nigeria’s backwardness – Jonathan (DailyTrust)
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the tradition of favouritism in leadership positions among families, friends, acquaintances rather than ability and capability to deliver is responsible for Nigeria’s backwardness.
Jonathan said this Tuesday at the Palace of the Emir of Bauchi during a one-day working visit.
He said the tradition in Nigeria is that before one can be appointed to an office or given a responsibility, he must know someone at the top echelon in the country, regretting that the development has taken the nation backwards. Read more
Pharrell Williams calls for federal investigation after cousin was shot dead by police (Metro)
Pharrell Williams has called for a federal investigation into the death of his cousin, Donovon Lynch, after he was shot by police. The singer marked his 48th birthday by sharing a memorial post to his cousin, telling his followers: ‘Thank you God for my 48th lap around the Sun. ‘This one is symbolic and a first because I had to speak at my cousin’s funeral, and was choked up with emotions. Too many unanswered City and State questions. ‘Respectfully, I am calling for a Federal investigation. I also humbly ask that you all keep the family in prayer. His name is Donovon Wayne Lynch.’ Read more
Dutch arrest over Van Gogh and Frans Hals museum thefts (BBC)
Police have arrested a man over art thefts in two Dutch towns several months apart last year.
The 58-year-old, arrested at his home in the central town of Baarn, is suspected of stealing works by Vincent van Gogh and Frans Hals from museums in the towns of Laren and Leerdam.
Neither of the paintings has been recovered.
Frans Hals’s Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer, is reputed to be worth some €15m (£13m; $17.5m). Read more
China’s bitcoin mining rush risks derailing climate goals (Guardian)
China’s electricity-hungry bitcoin mines that power nearly 80 percent of the global trade in cryptocurrencies risk undercutting the country’s climate goals, a study in the journal Nature said on Tuesday.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are minted by solving puzzles using powerful computers that consume enormous amounts of electricity — much of it produced by coal plants.
The Nature study found that unchecked, China’s bitcoin mines will generate 130.50 million metric tons of carbon emissions by 2024 — close to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from Italy or oil-rich Saudi Arabia. Read more
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos backs tax rise on companies (BBC)
Amazon boss Jeff Bezos has said he supports raising taxes on US companies.
The comments by the world’s richest man come as US President Joe Biden is pushing to raise the corporate rate from 21% to 28%.
The rise would help pay for a massive spending plan to upgrade America’s roads, ports, water pipes and internet.
In his speech unveiling the proposal, Mr Biden singled out Amazon as an example of a company that pays too little. Read more
Donald Trump drops 300 places on richest billionaires list after his wealth plummets (Metro)
Former President Donald Trump dropped nearly 300 spots on the 2021 Forbes billionaires list after losing $1.1billion in the four years he served in the White House. Trump is worth $2.4billion, landing him at No. 1,299 on the publication’s list of the world’s richest. That is down from No. 1,001 last year. Trump’s fortune was $3.5billion when he entered office in January 2017. ‘By refusing to divest his portfolio upon taking office, Trump bogged down his presidency with ethics issues for years, while also missing a chance to cash in on a market boom he helped propel’, stated a Forbes report on Tuesday, the day the list was released. Read more
COVID: US rules out federal vaccine passports (BBC)
The White House has ruled out introducing mandatory federal Covid-19 vaccination passports, saying citizens’ privacy and rights should be protected.
Schemes to introduce such passports have been touted around the world as a way to enable safe circulation of people while fighting the pandemic.
But critics say such documents could be discriminatory.
The US said it did not and would not support a “system that requires Americans to carry a credential”. Read more
National Sports Festival remains a Nigeria’s uniting factor – Buhari (Vanguard)
President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday night, in Benin City, Edo state, insisted that the National Sports Festival (NSF) remains a major uniting force in Nigeria and urged the participating athletes from the 36 states and the federal capital to ensure that they play by the rules of the game and not deviate from the dream of the founding fathers of the game which started shortly after the civil war.
Buhari stated this at the opening ceremony of the 2020 NSF where he commended the resilience of Edo state government in hosting the festival depite several postponements due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Represented by the Minister of Youths and Sports, Chief Sunday Dare, Buhari said the NSF could be rightly described as Nigeria’s Olympics because it has produced renowned athletes both locally and internationally that have gone to shine on the world stage. Read more
Liverpool outclassed by Real Madrid in first leg (BBC)
Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool made it “too easy” for Real Madrid to win the quarter-final first leg between the sides, but feels Mohamed Salah’s goal offers his side a lifeline in the return game at Anfield.
The Reds were largely second best throughout an entertaining game against a Real team missing their first-choice centre-back pairing, but packed with impressive attacking talent.
Much of the damage was done in the first half through Vinicius Junior’s low drive after he had chested down a superb long pass from Toni Kroos and a Marco Asensio’s close-range finish following a defensive mistake from Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Liverpool came out fighting after the break, pulling a goal back through Salah’s finish off the crossbar to spark their best 20-minute spell of the contest. Read more
Zinedine Zidane refuses to rule out Juventus move after Real Madrid’s win against Liverpool (Metro)
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane refused to rule himself out of a return to Juventus following speculation that he could replace Andrea Pirlo. The Frenchman spent five years in Turin before Madrid made him the most expensive player in the world with a £47.5million move to the Bernabeu in 2001. Zidane’s managerial career has been spent in the Spanish capital, with the 48-year-old returning to the Bernabeu for a second stint in charge in 2019 after 18 months away. Read more
Foden scores late winner as Man City edge Dortmund in first leg (BBC)
Phil Foden’s last-gasp strike gave Manchester City a crucial slender advantage in their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund at Etihad Stadium.
City’s hopes of reaching the semi-final looked to be in the balance when Marco Reus gave Dortmund what looked like a priceless away goal with a cool finish from Erling Haaland’s pass six minutes from time.
Kevin de Bruyne, who had given City the lead with a crisp finish after 19 minutes, played his part once more in the final minute of normal time when his fine cross was touched back by Ilkay Gundogan for Foden to stroke a finish past Marwin Hitz.
It was a bitter blow for an enterprising Dortmund side, who will leave Manchester nursing a burning sense of injustice directed towards Romanian official Ovidiu Hategan after he controversially ruled out Jude Bellingham’s second-half goal with City leading 1-0. Read more
Mikel Arteta endorses Arsenal’s push to sign Inter defender Achraf Hakimi (Metro)
Mikel Arteta welcomes Arsenal’s push to sign Inter right-back Achraf Hakimi, according to reports in Spain. The Gunners are expected to be in the market for a new right-back this summer, with reports claiming that Arteta will allow Hector Bellerin to leave at the end of the season. Hakimi joined Inter from Real Madrid last summer in a €40 million (£36.3m) deal and the Morocco international has played a key role for Antonio Conte’s side this season. Read more
Bryson DeChambeau excited by ‘secret’ club for Augusta National title tilt (BBC)
Bryson DeChambeau has a “secret” club for this week’s Masters as he continues to “go down numerous rabbit holes” in his quest to win a Green Jacket.
The American was favourite to win when the last Masters was held in November after his six-shot US Open triumph.
He claimed his length off the tee made him view Augusta as a par 67, rather than 72, but he finished in a tie for 34th, 18 shots behind Dustin Johnson.”There’s something in the bag this week that’s very helpful,” said DeChambeau. Read more