US-based Nigerian woman faces 10-year jail for $40,980 fraud (Punch)
A Nigerian woman based in the United States of America, Funke Iyanda, is at risk of 10 years imprisonment following her indictment in a $40,980 unemployment benefit fraud.
PUNCH Metro learnt in a statement by the US Department of Justice on Thursday that Iyanda was an illegal resident of the US and was not entitled to the benefit for which she filed claims.
The statement noted that between May 2020 and May 2021, the suspect applied for the unemployment benefit scheme using another person’s identity and received a sum of $40,980. Read more
Naira-for-Crude: Motorists engage in panic buying (DailyTrust)
There is anxiety over fuel price following Wednesday’s announcement by Dangote Refinery that it is suspending the sale of petroleum products, Daily Trust can report.
The development is fueling panic buying at some filling stations with marketers warning against such even as fuel prices remain stable, according to checks by our correspondent at some filling stations yesterday.
Dangote Refinery had on Wednesday confirmed suspending the sale of its products comprising PMS, diesel and Jet fuel in naira. Read more
Rivers: Tinubu used pipeline attack as pretext for emergency rule — PANDEF (Tribune)
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, accusing him of using recent pipeline attacks as a pretext to unseat Governor Siminalayi Fubara and impose federal control over the oil-rich state.
In a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting of its Board of Trustees and expanded National Executive Committee on Wednesday, PANDEF described the president’s actions as a “betrayal” of the Niger Delta people and an unjustifiable assault on democratic governance.
PANDEF rejected Tinubu’s justification for the emergency rule, which cited a blown-up pipeline as a security threat. Read more
FG clears full time HND graduates for NYSC (Nation)
The Federal Government has given the go – ahead to the National Youth Service Corps to mobilise full time Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates for tnational service.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, who broke the news, confirmed that only full-time HND graduates are eligible and can proceed with their mobilisation.
The government urged the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to expedite the collation of data for eligible HND graduates, adding that a circular has been sent to all Rectors of Polytechnics, instructing them to upload the necessary graduate data onto the newly created HND admission portal to facilitate the mobilisation process. Read more
Lagos to close PWD rail crossing May 1 (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Government says the PWD rail crossing will be closed effective from Thursday, May 1 to ensure safety of commuters.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
NAN recalls that the crossing has become rampant for collisions between trains and vehicles crossing the rail line into Ikeja and Maryland. Read more
Edo demolishes kidnapper’s house in Uromi (Guardian)
The Edo Anti-Kidnapping Task Force has demolished a property in Uromi, Esan North Local Government Area, belonging to Odianosen Oboh, due to his involvement in kidnapping activities in Edo Central.
A statement issued on Thursday in Benin by Fred Itua, Chief Press Secretary to the Edo Governor, confirmed that the demolition followed Oboh’s arrest and confession to his role in multiple kidnappings.
Itua in the statement said Oboh allegedly admitted that he had recently received N800,000 from a kidnapping operation. Read more
Commuters stranded as fallen containers paralyse movement on Lagos-Ibadan road (Channels)
Commuters going out of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic nerve centre, were stranded on Thursday afternoon as two fallen containers blocked the ever-busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The first incident was recorded at 10:50 am on the popular Kara Bridge with the second incident happening at 2 pm on the Long Bridge, both on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Channels Television observed that hundreds of vehicles were at a standstill as a result of the incidents. Read more
Security operatives arrest kidnap kingpins in Plateau (Leadership)
Security operatives have arrested some kidnappers operating in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Chairman of Qua’an Pan LGA, Christopher Manship, confirmed the incident to newsmen in a statement signed by his senior special adviser on media and publicity, Danaan Sylvanus.
He also confirmed that the sum of N2.25 million was recovered from the kidnappers. Read more
Selena Gomez crashes ‘‘Spring Breakers’’ Imax screening in New York and previews new song with Benny Blanco (Variety)
At a New York Imax screening of “Spring Breakers,” Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco crashed the party, saying hello to hundreds of fans who showed up to watch A24’s bikini-clad drug bonanza on the nation’s second-largest screen.
Moviegoers shrieked as Gomez and Blanco made their surprise appearance, and one was heard saying, “Oh my God. I need to call everybody I know.”
“Hi guys,” Gomez said to the audience. “Did you guys enjoy one of my favorite movies ever?” Read more
Keke Palmer says it’s “dehumanising” to be a child actor (FarOut)
American actor Keke Palmer has reflected upon spending her childhood in the limelight in the entertainment industry.
Palmer’s first role came as an 11-year-old in 2004 when she appeared in Barbershop 2: Back in Business. This led to a series of roles and also to her securing a record deal with Atlantic Records ahead of her debut album in 2007.
Most notably, Palmer was the star of the Nickelodeon series, True Jackson, VP, which ran for three seasons between 2008 and 2011. Last year, the conduct of Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider was the subject of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
Drake Bell, star of Drake and Josh, revealed he was sexually abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck, who went to prison in 2003 for child sex abuse, but the victim’s name had never been previously shared. Read more
Tanita Tikaram returns to London after almost a decade for a live performance (Standard)
Singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram will return to the capital after almost a decade for a live stage performance.
The 55-year old British singer will perform at this year’s EFG London Jazz Festival, taking the stage on Saturday November 15 at the Royal Festival Hall.
Known for her breakthrough album, Ancient Heart, the German-born singer will return to her hometown of London after eight years to perform new music as well as revisit her classic hits with a band “of all ages and different backgrounds”. Read more
Pete Davidson’s new girlfriend revealed as Benny Blanco’s ex (Independent)
Pete Davidson officially has a new girlfriend – Benny Blanco’s ex, Elsie Hewitt.
The 31-year-old comedian recently took a getaway to Palm Beach, Florida with Hewitt, as shown in photos shared by DailyMail.com on Wednesday. The couple was captured packing on the PDA at the beach, exchanging a passionate kiss while in the ocean.
One photo, shared by DailyMail.com, also showed Davidson and Hewitt holding hands in the ocean. Another snap captured the Saturday Night Live alum carrying his girlfriend while in the water. Read more
Sarah Jessica Parker shares new look inside quirky NYC townhouse (Hello!)
Sarah Jessica Parker is a fashion icon, so it’s no surprise that her impeccable style translates into a warm and inviting home.
The Sex and the City actress shared a glimpse inside her luxurious New York City townhouse on Instagram, showcasing a mix of bold patterns and stunning florals that perfectly encapsulated her eye for design.
The room that she captured looked inviting with the sun streaming in and illuminating a blue tartan lounge, contrasting with the bold bouquet of red flowers sitting in a brass vase on the coffee table. Read more
US Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady over Trump tariffs (France24)
The US Federal Reserve paused interest rate cuts again on Wednesday and warned of increased economic uncertainty as it seeks to navigate an economy unnerved by President Donald Trump’s stop-start tariff rollout.
Policymakers voted to hold the US central bank’s key lending rate at between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent, the Fed announced in a statement.
They also cut their growth forecast for 2025 and hiked their inflation outlook, while still penciling in two rate cuts this year — in line with their previous forecast in December. Read more
9 Nigerian athletes, 576 others chase glory in China (Guardian)
Nine Nigerian athletes will be on parade when the 20th World Athletics Indoor Championships begin in Nanjing, China, today. The championships, the biggest indoor athletics event of the year, will run till March 23.
An update from World Athletics, sent to The Guardian, on Wednesday, indicates that Nanjing 2025 will be an unforgettable championship as 11 defending champions and 20 Olympic medallists from Paris 2024 will compete at the championships. In all, a total of 576 athletes from 127 countries will battle at the event.
The Chief Executive Officer of Elite Athletes Development Board of National Sports Commission (NSC), Yusuf Ali, told The Guardian on Wednesday that the athletes would depart from their respective venues for China yesterday. Read more
Lookman, Chukwueze among Serie A’s top 50 dribblers (Punch)
Nigeria’s attacking duo, Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze, have been ranked among the top 50 dribblers in the Italian Serie A for the ongoing 2024/25 season, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
According to statistics published by Euro Football Rumours, Lookman and Chukwueze are the only Nigeria internationals featured in the list, which ranks players based on the number of successful dribbles completed in Italy’s top flight.
Lookman, the Atalanta winger, leads the way among Nigerian players, having completed 27 dribbles in 23 league appearances. That translates to an average of 1.2 dribbles per game, placing him 22nd overall in Serie A’s ranking of top dribblers. Read more
Japan first to seal World Cup spot as South Korea, Australia get closer (ArabNews)
Japan became the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday as South Korea were held but still inched closer along with a rampant Australia.
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to give Japan a 2-0 home win over Bahrain and take their place alongside hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico at next year’s finals.
The runaway Asian Group C leaders failed to sparkle on a chilly night in Saitama until substitute Kamada pounced for the opener in the 66th minute. Read more
IOC names outgoing boss Bach as honorary president for life (ArabNews)
Outgoing International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach was named honorary president for life on Wednesday, with the German due to step down in June after 12 years in charge.
The proposal was passed by acclamation with a teary-eyed Bach, whose successor will be elected on Thursday, earning a standing ovation from the IOC members at their session in southern Greece.
Bach, a German lawyer and former Olympic fencing champion, took over in 2013 and immediately introduced wide-ranging reforms both in relation to the Olympic Games and the IOC itself, including reducing the size and cost of the Games to make them more attractive to future host cities. Read more
Iga Swiatek gets advice from Martina Navratilova after recent frustrations (Tennis365)
Iga Swiatek will need to maintain a positive mindset and not let her frustrations get the better of her if she is to regain her title-winning form, according to Martina Navratilova.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Switek has not won a trophy since she successfully defended her crown at Roland Garros last June while she also hasn’t reached any finals since that glorious day in Paris.However, she has made a couple of semi-final appearances at the Australian Open, Qatar Open and last week’s Indian Wells Open. Read more