‘This marriage wrecked me’ — Man narrates how DNA shows he’s not father of SS ‘son’ (Vanguard)
A Nigerian man, Steven Opeyemi Moses, has cried out after a DNA test revealed that he is not the biological father of a child with an SS genotype, which his wife had claimed was his.
Moses had appeared on a Nigerian-based TV courtroom show last year to present the matter.
He revealed on the show that his wife gave birth one year after marriage, only to discover that while he was AA, his wife, who was AS, had an SS-carrier son. During the hearing, the judge reportedly ordered a DNA test to be carried out, and the DNA analysis revealed a 0% probability of paternity, indicating a negative result. Read more
Middleman bags 11-year jail term for N48.5m theft (Punch)
An Igbosere Magistrates’ Court sitting at Tinubu Square, Lagos Island, on Monday, convicted and sentenced an agent, Okwudili Ezeobi, to 11 years imprisonment for swindling a businessman of the sum of N48,580,000 under false pretense of helping him purchase phones from Dubai.
Magistrate Azeez Alogba ordered the convict to pay the complainant the full amount of N48,580,000 back on or before May 22, 2024, or serve the 11-year jail term.
Ezeobi was arraigned on June 20, 2022, on two counts of obtaining false pretence and stealing preferred against him by the police. Read more
Why some states should be local govt areas — Alibaba (Channels)
Public affairs commentator and media entrepreneur, Atunyota Akpobome popularly known as Alibaba, says some states created by the military regime should be local government areas.
The ace comedian, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday, said some of the 36 states of the Federation were created by the military to appease some commanders who were later deployed to the states as administrators.
Alibaba said subregionals unable to generate enough revenue to sustain their operations but depend solely on monthly allocations from the federal government should be local government areas. Read more
10 killed, 48 injured in trailer accident along Abuja-Kaduna road (Nation)
Ten people have died and 48 other sustained different degrees of injuries when a DAF trailer crashed into a ditch along Abuja-Kaduna highway.
The accident which occured at about 10:30am involved 172 male adults, according to the spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Assistant Corps Marshal.
Jonas Agwu, in a statement on Tuesday, March 19. He said: “The crash which involved a DAF Trailer occured as a result of excessive speed, Overloading and fatigue. This made the driver to loose control of the wheels thereby crashing into a ditch along the route.” Read more
Non-academic Staff Strike Grounds Varsities (Leadership)
Activities have been grounded in Nigerian universities by the strike embarked upon by non-academic across the country.
At the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi (ATBU) where the students are writing their first semester examinations, striking members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) grounded the conduct of all computer-based tests and examinations in the school.
The two groups separately declared the strike yesterday to press home their demands, forcing many students scheduled to undergo CBT exams to be stranded. Read more
NUJ demands release of abducted Lagos journalist, Segun Olatunji (Vanguard)
The national leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has demanded the immediate and unconditional release of a Lagos-based journalist, Segun Olatunji, who was said to have been abducted by armed men from his Lagos home last week Friday.
The union made the demand in a statement signed by its Assistant National Secretary, Akorede Opeyemi on Tuesday.
Olatunji is a former Kaduna State correspondent of Punch and and editor of FirstNews. Read more
Delta Gov meets Tinubu at Aso Rock over killing of soldiers (DailyTrust)
As tension continues to mount over the killing of military officers and soldiers on a peace mission in Okuoma community in Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has met President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Addressing State House Correspondent after the meeting, the governor said the situation is now under control.
He assured that there will be no more attacks.
The governor also stated that he had met with the security heads in Bomadi Local Government Area of his state but was yet to meet with residents of the community involved as the area had been deserted. Read more
Alleged terrorism: Again, Court refuses to grant Nnamdi Kanu bail (Tribune)
Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused to grant the detained leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) bail in the alleged terrorism charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.
The Judge, on Tuesday, turned down Nnamdi Kanu’s application for bail on the ground that an earlier application he filed to that effect had been refused by the court.
Justice Nyako held that the only option opened to Kanu was to go to the Court of Appeal to challenge the earlier refusal. Read more
Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s divorce is finalised more than 1 year after split (People)
Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s marriage has officially come to an end.
On Tuesday, Grande, 30, and 28-year-old Gomez’s divorce was granted in a Los Angeles Superior Court, the Associated Press reported.
Court papers confirmed the couple — whom PEOPLE previously reported had separated in early 2023 — had a prenuptial agreement, didn’t have any children and had no significant legal disputes amid the separation, allowing the divorce proceedings to move along quickly. Read more
Idris Elba to direct Nigeria-set film ‘Dust To Dreams’ (Deadline)
Luther and Hijack star Idris Elba is set to direct singer Seal, Nollywood stars Nse Ikpe-Etim (Shanty Town), Eku Edewor (Breath Of Life) and Atlanta Bridget Johnson (Man Of God), and former Nigerian Idol contestant Constance Olatunde in short film Dust To Dreams.
The film is a collaboration between Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife Films and African Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) through its Creative Africa Nexus (Canex).
Set against the backdrop of Lagos, Nigeria, the film follows the relationship between a mother and her teenage daughter as she meets her father for the first time. Read more
Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes charity single “Going Home”challenging Beyoncé for UK Number 1 (MusicNews)
Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes – a super-group containing everyone from Nile Rodgers and Sting to Joan Jett and Ringo Starr – and their cover of Going Home (Theme From Local Hero) is right now challenging Beyoncé for the UK’s Number 1 single.
The charity single – from which all proceeds go to Teenage Cancer Trust UK and Teen Cancer America – leads at the midweek mark by less than 1,000 chart units, so it will need all the support it can get to keep growing throughout the week.
BTS member V, aka Kim Tae-hyung, is approaching his first solo UK Top 10 single, with FRI(END)S expected to debut at Number 7. Read more
Leaving Neverland director slams Michael Jackson biopic, calls “‘complete whitewash’’ (EW)
The filmmaker behind Leaving Neverland is blasting the upcoming biopic Michael as a “complete whitewash” of Michael Jackson’s life, according to The Times of London.
“It’s an out-and-out attempt to completely rewrite the allegations and dismiss them out of hand, and contains complete lies,” director Dan Reed told The Times. “You never even see him alone with any boys, when it is a matter of fact that he shared his bed with small children for many years.”
Reed confirms to EW that he has read the draft Michael script, adding that he “would not have made those comments (to The Times) based on hearsay.” Read more
Abused and oppressed, Egyptian political detainees fast behind bars (MEMO)
A few bites may easily satisfy the hunger of those fasting behind bars in Egypt, but food will not relieve the bitterness of being unjustly imprisoned in political cases. One Ramadan after another, they wait for a glimpse of light that may help get them released.
Ramadan in Egyptian prisons brings political opponents a mixture of hunger and illness, and pain and suffering, but it may also bring them a few moments of hope and tears from supplications made to God amid hopes that one day they will get a fair trial that will allow thousands of innocent people to return to their homes.
Local and international human rights organisations estimate the number of political detainees in Egypt at about 60,000. These include journalists, human rights defenders, academics, doctors, former parliamentarians and activists from Islamic, liberal and leftist movements. Read more
Israel Gaza: US reports death of senior Hamas military leader Marwan Issa (BBC)
Hamas leader Marwan Issa died in an Israeli air strike, White House official Jake Sullivan has said.
As deputy military commander, Mr Issa would be Hamas’s most senior leader to die since the war began on 7 October.
The Palestinian group, which controls Gaza, has not officially commented on reports of his death.
Israeli media sources have reported that Mr Issa was killed in a strike on a tunnel complex under the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza last week. Read more
Gillian Anderson opens up about ‘Scary’ journo role in Prince Andrew drama (HuffPost)
Gillian Anderson may have played a prime minister and a first lady throughout her accomplished acting career, but her latest role was almost “too scary” for her to take on.
The Sex Education star plays British journalist Emily Maitlis in the upcoming film Scoop about the Newsnight presenter’s infamous interview with Prince Andrew.
The Netflix drama – which also stars Rufus Sewell, Keeley Hawes and Billie Piper – will follow how the BBC programme secured the 2019 interview surrounding the scandal of the Duke Of York’s friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Read more
Oshoala scores historic NWSL debut goal (Punch)
Bay FC forward Asisat Oshoala says she is poised to keep making history and winning trophies in her new clime, after scoring the first ever National Women’s Soccer League goal for her new club, as they marked their US women’s topflight debut with a 1-0 win against Angel City on Monday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
It took Oshoala 17 minutes to write her name in the club’s history books, scoring the only goal of the game by expertly turning home a pass from Tess Boade.
After the game, the 29-year-old, who joined the new American club from Barcelona, was unequivocal about her mission in the NWSL. Read more
Finidi George takes charge as Super Eagles battle Black Stars Of Ghana Friday (Leadership)
Former Nigeria’s forward, Finidi George, will occupy the chief’s corner in the dugout when the Super Eagles confront West African arch-rivals, the Black Stars of Ghana in an international friendly on Friday in Marrakech, Morocco.
The 52-year-old former Ajax and Real Betis winger, who made a scoring debut for Nigeria in an Africa Cup of Nations’ qualifying match against Burkina Faso in 1991, has been appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to hold the reins in the meantime as a group of 22 players take on Ghana and Mali in this month’s international window.
On his debut in 1991, George, who also featured for Calabar Rovers and Sharks FC in the domestic scene before heading to Europe, scored one and made four assists for legendary ‘goalsfather’ Rashidi Yekini (of blessed memory), and also assisted the latter to score Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal against Bulgaria in Dallas, USA on 19th June 1994. Read more
Sir Jim Ratcliffe reveals the Man Utd signing that Erik ten Hag needs the ‘‘most’’ (Football365)
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has revealed the player who he thinks is “most missing” from the current Man Utd squad under Erik ten Hag.
The British billionaire completed a deal to buy 25 per cent of the Premier League club last month with Ratcliffe taking over footballing operations as part of the agreement.
He and INEOS are currently in negotiations with Newcastle in an attempt to agree a compensation fee for their sporting director Dan Ashworth as he looks to give the former Brighton man a big say on transfers. Read more
Nantes re-appoint Antoine Kombouare as head coach (SportsMole)
Nantes have confirmed the return of Antoine Kombouare as the club’s head coach following the sacking of Jocelyn Gourvennec.
The 60-year-old was previously in control of the Canaris reins from 2021 to 2023, replacing Raymond Domenech following the former France boss’ ill-fated stint in the hot seat.
During his first spell at the Stade de la Beaujoire, Kombouare masterminded Nantes’ run to Coupe de France glory in the 2021-22 season and also led Les Canaris to the final of last season’s edition, where they were thrashed 5-1 by Toulouse. Read more
Francis Ngannou claims he was “tricked” as he makes excuse for Anthony Joshua KO (Mirror)
Francis Ngannou claims he was affected by the late start time of his fight against Anthony Joshua.
Ngannou took on former two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua in Saudi Arabia earlier this month – but was brutally knocked out in the second round. The fight didn’t start until 3am local time – and Ngannou claims he felt the effects.
“Listen, I think we both fight at 3am,” Ngannou told The MMA Hour. “It’s not like I fought at 3 a.m. and he fought at like midnight or something. We both fought at 3am. What I think, something that’s happened is that they get me to the arena very early. Like my pickup time was 10.30pm to go to the arena. And then when we get to the arena, they tell us that we are scheduled around 1.45am. right? Read more
Konstantin Koltsov, former NHL player and partner of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, dies aged 42 (CNN)
Konstantin Koltsov, a former professional ice hockey player from Belarus and the partner of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42, according to a statement from Russian club Salavat Yulaev.
Forward Koltsov represented Belarus at the Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2010 and also spent three seasons in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins between 2003 and 2006.
He was working as a coach for Salavat Yulaev, with whom he spent some of his playing career and won the team’s first Russian championship title in 2008. Read more