Vehicle knocks groom dead on wedding day in Nasarawa (Nation)
A gay atmosphere was turned into a mournful one in Ikyangedu community, Keana Local Government Area, Nasarawa State last Saturday as a would be groom was knocked dead by a Toyota Hilux van two hours to his wedding.
The would be bride, Miss Rosemary Hudu, an entrepreneur, has been inconsolable over the tragic incident as she battles to come to terms with the reality of the death of her heartthrob less than two hours before going to the altar for their marital vows.
Rosemary and her would-be husband, John Abugu, appeared to have everything under wraps until tragedy struck as Abugu was returning from the drycleaner’s shop where he had gone with his friend on a motorcycle to collect the suit he would wear for the wedding scheduled to hold at the Baptist Church in the community.
Needless to say that the families had printed the invitation cards for friends and loved ones with a plan to lavishly entertain them with drinks and food that had almost being made ready the previous night. Read more
Lagos resumes clampdown of illegal abattoirs, veterinary premises April 19 – Commissioner (Guardian)
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya said the state would resume dislodgement of illegal abattoirs, slaughterhouses, animal markets and other veterinary premises, as from April 19.
In a statement, on Sunday, Olusanya said the exercise was in continuation of the state government’s sanitisation and reform of the red meat value chain.
She said that the goal was to produce wholesome meat for the consumption of residents.
The commissioner explained that the exercise was a follow-up to the dislodgement exercise following the re-inauguration of the state’s Monitoring, Enforcement and Compliance (MEC) Team in August, 2020.
She said the exercise was suspended as a result of the unrests that stemmed from the #EndSARS protests. Read more
Man held for assaulting Police ASP in Lagos (Nation)
Operatives of the Lagos Police Command have arrested a man, Victor Ebhomenyen, 33, for assaulting an officer on duty.
Ebhomenyen was captured in a viral video violently pushing the policeman identified as Erhator Sunday around Four Point Hotel, Oniru, Victoria Island, on Saturday morning.
The fully clad and armed policeman was also seen in the video exercising restraint despite provocation from the suspect, alleged to have been arrested for driving against traffic.
Although what transpired before the physical attack on the policeman was not recorded, different accounts of the incident have since surfaced on the social media. Read more
Nigerians must unite to survive as a nation – Lagos Dep Gov (Independent)
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat says Nigerians, irrespective of tribe or religion, must agree to come together as one in order to survive as a nation.
Hamzat made the remark at the Annual Public Ramadan lecture of the State Council of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, held at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos on Sunday.
The deputy governor noted that there must be unity of purpose as a nation for development to take place. Read more
“Suspension” of Kwankwaso by PDP faction causes stir (DailyTrust)
There have been reactions to the purported suspension of former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction in the state.
A faction of the PDP loyal to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali, had in a letter dated April 16, 2021, suspended Kwankwaso over the crisis that rocked the North-West Zonal Congress of the party in Kaduna last week.
Kwankwaso was accused of “leading his supporters into a shameful and embarrassing act of thuggery of disrupting the democratic process during the PDP Northwest Zonal Convention of April, 10th, 2021…”
However, some Nigerians on Twitter questioned the content of the letter, asking why a query and suspension would be handed to the former governor in the same letter. Read more
2 arrested drug traffickers excrete 191 pellets of cocaine, heroin (ThisDay)
Two persons detained by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) have excreted a total of 191 pellets of heroin and cocaine while under observation.
This is barely two weeks after a Madrid-bound trafficker, Okonkwo Chimezie, excreted 113 wraps of cocaine at the same airport.
A statement by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said on April 10, 2021, during the outward screening of passengers on Ethiopian Airline to Italy, NDLEA operatives at MMIA intercepted and referred one Chukwudi Destiny for scanning and the scan result proved positive to drug ingestion.
He was consequently placed under excretion observation and in the process, excreted 92 pellets of heroin with a total weight of 1.300 kilogrammes. Read more
Herdsmen: Ondo to auction seized cows, prosecute owners (Nation)
Ondo Government has said it would henceforth auction any cow seized for destroying farms in any parts of the state.
It said it would no longer give room for negotiation with farmers for compensation when herders destroy their crops through illegal grazing.
Ondo State Commander of the State Security Network known as the Amotekun Corps, Chief Adetunji Adeyeye, stated these while signing agreement for release of 250 cows.
He said owners of seized cows would be prosecuted and the cows sold off. Read more
Arik resumes Lagos-Kano flights (DailyTrust)
Arik Air is resuming direct flights from the nation’s commercial capital, Lagos, to the ancient city of Kano effective Tuesday, April 27, 2021 with three weekly flights.
The airline is resuming flights to Kano at a time passengers are complaining of reduced flight options due to the temporary cessation of operation by Azman Air, one of the airlines flying the route.
Gunmen attack police unit in Taraba
Five killed as soldiers storm bandits’ hideout in Benue
Arik explained on Sunday that the three weekly flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The airline in a statement said the decision to reintroduce direct flights between Lagos and Kano was informed by the importance of both cities as centres of commerce.
“Arik Air has always been known for the promotion of economic activities among the component states of Nigeria,” the airline said. Read more
Troops arrest terrorist informant, tighten security around Yobe community (Punch)
The Nigerian Army has announced that it has arrested a suspected Boko Haram informant identified as Modu Ari.
The suspect was arrested by troops of 27 Task Force Brigade of Operation Lafiya Dole.
The Army said Ari’s “spying activities and that of his accomplices were responsible for the attacks on troops position by terrorists in Kamuya, Yobe State. ”
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, on Sunday, April 18, 2021.
The statement partly read, “On interrogation, he confessed to having revealed troops’ movements and position to his Boko Haram collaborators. Investigation is however ongoing to unravel the network of local informants whose nefarious activities have endangered troops on clearance operations around the fringes of Timbuktu Triangle. Read more
Thousands stranded in traffic over Kenya COVID rules (BBC)
Thousands of motorists and passengers were stuck in traffic for hours after police blocked major roads in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to enforce a Covid curfew to battle infections.
Videos and pictures posted on social media showed ambulances struggling to manoeuvre through the snarl-up.
Many people have criticised the authorities for imposing the measure.
Last month President Uhuru Kenyatta introduced a 20:00-04:00 curfew to deal with a third Covid-19 wave. Read more
French unions sound alarm over hospital interns’ suicides, endless work amid COVID-19 (France24)
After a year working brutally long hours on the “Covid front-line”, hospital interns in France are at breaking point, to the extent that some of them have even committed suicide, according to a national union.
“These interns are invisible, but they are front-line soldiers,” hospital clinical psychologist Anne Rocher told AFP.
France has over 300,000 medical student interns, whose average age is 25.
In theory, they work 48-hour weeks, “but nobody cares” about that, said Marie Saleten, one of the interns and vice-president of the union for Paris hospitals interns. Read more
Charles Geschke: Adobe co-founder who helped develop the PDF dies (BBC)
Charles Geschke, the co-founder of the software company Adobe who helped develop the Portable Document Format, or PDF, has died at the age of 81.
Geschke set up Adobe in 1982, giving the world the ubiquitous PDF software, among many other audio-visual innovations.
He made headlines 10 years later when he was kidnapped at gunpoint and held for ransom before being released unhurt after a four-day ordeal.
Geschke died in California on Friday. Read more
Egypt: Dozens injured after train derails near Cairo (AlJazeera)
Ninety-seven people were injured when some train carriages derailed in Egypt’s Qalyubia province north of Cairo, the health ministry said in a statement.
More than 50 ambulances rushed to the site and moved the injured to three hospitals in the province, it said on Sunday. Local media reports said some people had been killed in the accident.
At least eight train wagons were derailed, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement. Videos on social media purportedly showed carriages overturned and passengers escaping to safety along the railway.
The train was travelling to the Nile Delta city of Mansoura from the Egyptian capital, Cairo the statement added. The cause of the accident was not yet clear. Read more
Syria to hold election in May after years of war (BBC)
Syria is to hold a presidential election next month, the country’s parliament says – a move likely to maintain President Bashar al-Assad’s grip on power.
Mr Assad is not expected to face serious opposition despite continuing conflict and a growing economic crisis.
After 10 years of war the Syrian government controls most of the big population centres in the country.
About 400,000 people have been killed and over half of Syrians displaced. Read more
Woman said she was hunting for ‘fit fellas’ when caught breaking lockdown (Metro)
A Covid rule-breaker who said she was going shopping has been fined after she confessed that she was on the prowl for men. Louise Whelan, 30, drove across the River Mersey from the Wirral to Liverpool because she knew there were ‘loads of fit fellas’ in the city. When she was pulled over on May 4 during the first lockdown, she said she had dropped off her niece and was going shopping. But PC David Cullen smelled a rat and found that she had crossed the river. Read more
China and US pledge climate change commitment (BBC)
China and the US say they are committed to working together and with other countries on tackling climate change.
It comes after several meetings between Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his US counterpart John Kerry in Shanghai last week.
They both agreed on further specific actions to reduce emissions, a joint statement on Sunday confirmed.
US President Joe Biden is holding a virtual climate summit this week, which China says it is looking forward to. Read more
Onuachu emerges top scorer in Belgium (Nation)
Super Eagles forward Paul Onuachu on Saturday night finished the regular league season as Goal King of Belgium topflight with 29 goals after netting a brace for Genk in a five-goal thriller at closest rivals Royal Antwerp.
The 26-year-old thus emerged the third Nigerian to top the goals chart in Belgium after Tosin Dosunmu and Joseph Akpala.
This record was a remarkable improvement from the nine goals he scored last campaign. Read more
2 Mbappe goals help snatch vital victory in PSG vs Saint-Etienne (BBC)
Mauro Icardi’s injury-time winner grabbed a vital three points for Paris St-Germain against Saint-Etienne.
The PSG substitute headed home Angel Di Maria’s cross in the 95th minute to cap a frantic last 12 minutes in which all five goals were scored.
Kylian Mbappe’s quickfire double had overturned Denis Bouanga’s opener but Romain Hamouma looked to have denied the hosts a win.
The result leaves PSG one point behind leaders Lille with five games to go. Read more
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix suspended after high-speed crash (France24)
A high-speed crash involving Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and George Russell in a Williams forced Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to be red-flagged as debris was cleared off the Imola circuit.
The pair collided at almost 300kmh on lap 34, both drivers shaken as their wrecked cars were lifted off the track.
The race was immediately suspended as strewn car parts were removed from the circuit.
The red flags appeared a lap after a rare mistake from Lewis Hamilton saw the Mercedes world champion hurtle off the circuit into a gravel pit when placed second. Read more
Eliud Kipchoge wins NN Mission Marathon in final race before Tokyo Olympics (BBC)
Eliud Kipchoge won the NN Mission Marathon in his final race before he defends his title at the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The Kenyan, 36, clocked two hours, four minutes and 30 seconds in his first outing since his shock defeat at last year’s London Marathon.
Compatriot Jonathan Korir was second, two minutes and 10 seconds back, with Eritrea’s Goitom Kifle third.
The invitation-only race took place at Twente Airport in the Netherlands. Read more
Eden Hazard set to be fit for Chelsea reunion as Zinedine Zidane confirms Real Madrid star is ‘ready’ (Metro)
Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard is winning his race to be fit for a reunion with former club Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals. The Belgian joined the La Liga giants in 2019 for a fee of around £100m after seven trophy-laden years at Stamford Bridge. But Hazard’s struggled with injuries since moving to the Bernabeu and he’s made just 14 appearances in all competitions this term. Read more
Andre Drummond helps Los Angeles Lakers beat Utah Jazz in overtime (BBC)
Andre Drummond scored a team-high 27 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 127-115 in overtime.
The Jazz, who lead the Western Conference, were without injured starters Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley Jr and Rudy Gobert.
The Lakers, defending NBA champions, were missing their two biggest stars in Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
“We didn’t allow adversity to get us out of our game,” said Drummond, who was returning after a toe injury.
The Lakers’ Dennis Schroder added 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also finishing on 25 points. Read more
Premier League plans social media blackout in response to online abuse (BBC)
The Premier League is planning a social media blackout next month in response to continued online abuse of players.
First reported by the Daily Mail, the proposal for 1-3 May is for clubs to boycott online media for 24 hours around their games, while the league will go silent for all three days.
It comes amid an increase in incidents of players receiving racist abuse.
Premier League clubs have been asked to confirm their support for the blackout by 14:00 GMT on Monday.Championship sides Birmingham City and Swansea and Scottish champions Rangers recently held week-long boycotts. Read more