Troops rescue 16 kidnapped Chibok girls with children in Borno (Tribune)
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, North-East, in Sambisa forest, have rescued 16 kidnapped Chibok school girls, who are now women with children.
Speaking to journalists at Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri on Thursday, the Theatre Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, Major General, Ibrahim Ali, said the theatre has employed both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies in rescuing the remaining Chibok girls.
He noted that the new strategy of the theatre has yielded positive results which lead to the rescue of 14 Chibok girls, apart from the two currently presented to journalists. Read more
Returnee students recount ordeal in Sudan, Egypt (Sun)
After nearly three weeks trapped in war-torn Sudan, and another week stranded in Egypt over visa and border clearance issues, no fewer than 376 stranded Nigerian returnees touched down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday night on board an Air Peace Airline and Nigeria Air Force (NAF) aircraft.
Their arrival followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s intervention which led to the resolution of challenges that hampered their safe passage through Egypt.
They were received by a delegation of the Federal Government comprising Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouk, Director General, National Management Emergency Agency (NEMA), Ahmed Mustapha and Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa. Read more
25-year-old dredging firm worker drowns in Lagos river (Punch)
A member of staff of a sand dredging company, FC Energy, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, Alex Eboh, was on Monday drowned in the Ibeshe River while on duty.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the 25-year-old man slipped from one of the company’s sand dredging ships and fell into the river.
Efforts by the company’s divers to rescue the Benue State indigene did not, however, yield any result as he was said to have died before help could reach him.
It was learnt that Eboh was initially working offshore with some of his colleagues before he got an instruction to go onshore. Read more
Sand traps, kills suspected vandal in Imo (Guardian)
A suspected water equipment vandal has been buried alive by sand while allegedly vandalising and looting water equipment owned by Imo State Water and Sewerage Corporation (ISWSC), at Owerri -Ebiri Waterworks Station, Orlu.
Communications Desk Officer of the corporation, Christopher Ononukwe, who confirmed the incident in a statement, yesterday, said the deceased was declared missing days before his body was found around the equipment and materials, including armoured cables at the station.
Ononukwe said an investigation carried out by the corporation indicated that the suspect had allegedly been vandalising the equipment in the past. Read more
Eko Innovation Centre empowers entrepreneurs with $50k equity funds (ThisDay)
Eko Innovation Centre, one of the leading tech hubs in Nigeria, has empowered young entrepreneurs with $50,000 equity investment funds at the recently concluded SecureHack 1.0 event.
Three teams emerged as winners at the grand finale of the hackathon, which was launched in February having garnered over 400 registrations from participants to form 100+ teams from 62 locations in four countries and across two continents.
In his welcome address, the Founder of Eko Innovation Centre and Curator of SecureHack 1.0, Victor Afolabi, emphasised the importance of cybersecurity and the need for innovation in addressing security threats. Read more
Apapa-Oshodi expressway: PSTT, truckers blame FG, Lagos for gridlock (Vanguard)
The traffic situation on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway has returned to the nightmare it was.
The entire expressway, inward and outward Apapa, has been on lockdown, following the breakdown of law and order leading to the hijacking of the situation by hoodlums.
In the past few days, the traffic situation on the expressway has remained chaotic as motorists, commercial bus drivers and articulated truck drivers struggle to manoeuvre their way through the only express lane that serves Apapa and Oshodi-bound road users. Read more
May Nigeria never experience war, Sudan returnees pray (DailyTrust)
Three hundred and sixty four Nigerian evacuees from crisis-ridden Sudan, who landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja late Wednesday night, narrated their ordeals and prayed that Nigeria never experience war.
One of the evacuated Nigerian students, Halliru Bello, who spoke to Daily Trust, prayed that Nigeria never experience war as it could crumble the citizens and the nation at large.
He said as a medical student at the International University of Africa, Sudan, his academic programme had been put on hold because of the war that suddenly broke out in the country. Read more
Organ Harvesting: Ekweremadu, 2 others to be sentenced Friday (Leadership)
Former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice and their middleman medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, will receive their sentence on Friday, May 5, 2023, following their their conviction for organ trafficking in March, in the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act.
Ekweremadu, 60, his wife, Beatrice, 56 and Dr Obinna Obeta, 51, were convicted of conspiracy to arrange the travel of a young man, addressed as David Nwamini to Britain in order to exploit him for his kidney, which was needed for the Enugu West lawmaker’s sick daughter, Sonia.
After a six-week trial and conviction at the Old Bailey, London’s Central Criminal Court, the Ekweremadus and their doctor might face a harsh reality of a possible 10-year jail term for violating the Modern Slavery Act. Read more
Prince will have major Minnesota highway stretch named for him (Deadline)
A seven-mile stretch of the Minnesota State Highway 5 is being renamed for Prince Rogers Nelson, the rocker behind such hits as “Purple Rain,” “When Doves Cry” and “Raspberry Beret,” among many other songs.
The roadway runs past his former Paisley Park headquarters and winds through the Minneapolis suburbs of Chanhassen and Eden Prairie. It will be called the Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway and the signs marking the road’s name will be purple.
Prince died at age 57 in 2016 from an accidental fentanyl overdose. Read more
Amber Heard has quit Hollywood after Johnny Depp battle (NYPost)
As a journalist prepares to publish a juicy look at the toxic relationship between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, The Post can confirm a new report claiming the Aquaman actress has gone off the grid to Spain.
“I can reveal that Heard has quit Hollywood and quietly relocated to Spain with her young daughter Oonagh,” Daily Mail columnist Alison Boshoff wrote Thursday. “A friend said: ‘She’s bilingual in Spanish and is happy there, raising her daughter away from all the noise.’”
Boshoff’s unidentified source says Heard, 37, could return to showbiz for the right role. Read more
Ed Sheeran wins “Thinking Out Loud” copyright case (BBC)
Ed Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On when composing Thinking Out Loud, a US court has ruled.
The British singer-songwriter had denied stealing elements of the song for his 2014 worldwide hit.
Heirs of Gaye’s co-writer argued that Sheeran, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Publishing owed them money for copyright infringement. Sheeran had said he would give up his music career if found guilty at the the trial in New York. Read more
Police plan ‘‘visible armed presence’’ as Liverpool hosts Eurovision Song Contest (BT)
Police in Merseyside are preparing for their biggest ever operation ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest.
A “visible armed presence” will be in place as tens of thousands of music fans descend on Liverpool for the competition, which will culminate with the grand final on Saturday May 13.
Chief Superintendent Jonathan Davies, tactical commander for Eurovision 2023, said there are “unique challenges” because the event is being hosted on behalf of last year’s winner, Ukraine. Read more
Ringless Christine Baumgartner seen for 1st time since Kevin Costner divorce (PageSix)
Kevin Costner’s estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, was seen out and about — without her wedding ring — just days after filing for divorce from the Yellowstone star.
The 49-year-old was photographed running errands in Los Angeles on Wednesday after blindsiding her husband of 18 years by ending their marriage.
Baumgartner was dressed casually in a denim jacket, tan sweater and white jeans. Read more
Woman killed in Atlanta mass shooting identified as CDC worker Amy St. Pierre (NYPost)
The woman who was killed in the mass shooting in an Atlanta medical center waiting room has been identified as a 39-year-old employee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Amy St. Pierre died after Deion Patterson, 24, allegedly opened fire Wednesday at Northside Hospital Medical Midtown, where his mother had taken him for an appointment, the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also confirmed that she was killed in the shooting. Read more
Forces kill 3 Palestinians behind deaths of British-Israelis (ABC)
Israeli troops on Thursday killed three Palestinian militants wanted in connection with a shooting attack that killed a British-Israeli woman and two of her daughters, the Israeli military said, the latest bloodshed in a relentless wave of violence.
In a rare daytime incursion launched as residents were starting their day, the military said forces entered the heart of the flashpoint city of Nablus and raided an apartment where the men were located. Troops and the suspects exchanged fire and the three men were killed.
The military said the men were behind an attack last month on a car near a Jewish West Bank settlement that killed Lucy Dee, the British-Israeli mother and two of her daughters, Maya and Rina. Leo Dee, the woman’s widower, told The Associated Press he was “comforted” by the news of the militants’ death. Read more
How Osimhen powered Napoli to 1st Scudetto in 33 years (ThisDay)
Victor Osimhen scored his 22nd Italian Serie A goal as Napoli drew 1-1 with Udinese on Thursday night to win their third Scudetto title .
It is the first league crown for the Naples-based club in 33 years since the era of legendary Argentine football great, Diego Armando Maradona in 1990.
They won their first league title two years earlier with Maradona leading the charge in the 1986/87 season. Read more
Victorious Nigerian athletes arrive from Zambia today (Guardian)
After a successful outing at the 2023 African U-18 and U-20 Athletics Championships, the first batch of Nigerian athletes and officials will arrive in Lagos today.
Team Nigeria, with a contingent of 41 athletes, finished second on the final medals table, behind South Africa with 17 gold, 10 silver and nine bronze. South Africa paraded a squad of 120 people, including 105 athletes, at the battle of Ndola.
Speaking with The Guardian shortly before their departure from Ndola, yesterday, president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Tonobok Okowa, commended the athletes for doing the nation proud in Zambia. Read more
Jose Mourinho says he wore a microphone during match to ‘‘protect’’ himself against the referee (CNN)
AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho said he wore a microphone during his team’s Italian Serie A game against Monza on Wednesday in order to “protect” himself.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Mourinho said: “I am not stupid, you know. I went to the game with a microphone. I recorded the match – from the moment I left the locker room to the moment I returned. I protected myself.”
The 60-year-old manager has been sent off three times in Serie A this season – most recently in February during a defeat against Cremonese. Read more
City host Allardyce’s Leeds as Arsenal face Newcastle test (France24)
Manchester City can take a decisive step towards a third consecutive Premier League title this weekend as they face struggling Leeds while Arsenal make a daunting trip to Newcastle.
Veteran Sam Allardyce takes charge of his first match in charge of Leeds against a City side that have won their past nine league games.
Second-placed Arsenal still have hopes of a City stumble but Newcastle have a huge prize of their own to play for, knowing victory at St James’ Park would put them on the brink of Champions League qualification for the first time in two decades. Read more
Jan-Lennard Struff stuns Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach Madrid semis (ESPN)
Jan-Lennard Struff thought he was done at the Madrid Open when he lost to Aslan Karatsev in the final round of qualifying last week.
Then he got an unexpected spot in the tournament’s main draw as the so-called lucky loser and has really made it count, upsetting fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3 on Thursday to set up another shot at Karatsev — this time in the semifinals.
The big-serving German is just the third lucky loser to reach the semifinals of a Masters 1000 tournament. Read more
Bucks fire Budenholzer after 1st-round NBA play-off exit (Straits Times)
Mike Budenholzer was fired on Thursday as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ousted after a first-round playoff exit only two years after guiding them to their first National Basketball Association (NBA) crown in 50 years.
The Bucks went a league-best 58-24 this season but the Eastern Conference top seeds were eliminated by the Miami Heat 4-1 in a best-of-seven series.
In an open letter to fans posted on social media, Bucks team president Peter Feigin and general manager Jon Horst explained their decision. Read more
