The other 14 Premier League clubs have started discussing if the ‘Big Six’ clubs Arsenal, Liverpool, Machester. United, Manchester City Chelsea and Tottenham should face sanctions after they abandoned their plans to join a European Super League,
According to Sky Sports News, the talks are ongoing but the other 14 Premier League clubs are divided on whether the ‘Big Six’ should face sanctions.
One senior club official to the publication that they want to pursue the possibility of punishments because they feel there is a clear breach of Premier League rules, and a precedent must be set to act as a deterrent to possible future breakaways.
Premier League Rule L9 says any member club needs prior written approval by the Board to enter a new competition, and this official says that rule has “patently been broken” by the rebels signing an agreement to join the proposed Super League.
An executive at another Premier League club has told Sky Sports News that any sanction imposed on the ‘Big Six’, such as points deductions or fines would hurt the wrong people – the players, managers, and, crucially, the fans of those clubs.
Instead, they advocate the Premier League rules being tightened for the future, but they say the ‘Big Six’ should be welcomed back into the fold quickly, because “there has to be a measure of realism” here, with those six clubs so crucial to the “overall commercial and sporting success” of the league.
Another meeting of the 14 Premier League clubs is expected to take place later today to discuss what should happen next.
A notorious major supplier of illicit drugs in Abia state, Chibuike Apolos was on Wednesday, April 21, arrested during an early morning raid of his hideout at Mbausi in Isialangwa North area of the state.
A statement released by Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, says Apolos has been on the wanted list of the Abia state Command of the NDLEA since February following the arrest of one Chima Ukeleonu, the suspect behind the video that went viral in January 2021, showing a young man hawking illicit drugs on the street. As a result, 38-year-old Apolos was put on the wanted list.
Babafemi said that following APolos’s arrest in the early hours of Wednesday, the Abia state government has already marked his house that serves as his hideout for demolition.
According to the Commander, Abia state Command of the NDLEA, Bamidele Akingbade;
“The Command has been on his trail since February this year. Fortunately we got a tip-off that he just received some quantities of cannabis from Edo state. Notwithstanding the tense security situation in the south east especially Abia state, the Command still embarked on the operations which culminated in the arrest of one Chibuike Apolos with ten (10) bags of cannabis weighing 100kg, 1.6 grammes of cocaine, 1 gramme of heroin and 5 grammes of methamphetamine.
“The suspect is one of the major suppliers of illicit drugs in Abia State especially in the Isialangwa communities. The State governor has been notified and his building has been marked for demolition.”
In a related development, the Taraba state Command of the Agency has arrested 61-year-old Lawan Gambo Umar for trafficking 58.50kg of cannabis sativa. According to the state Commander of NDLEA, Suleiman Ajadi,
“The suspect was taking the skunk concealed inside sacks of beans chaff used to feed animals to Fune in Yobe state when our men intercepted him.”Babafemi’s statement read in part
Twin sisters, who had no idea the other existed, have reunited for their 36th birthday.
Identical twins Molly Sinert and Emily Bushnell were separated at birth in South Korea and adopted by different families.
The siblings spent most of their lives totally unaware of each other’s existence and little information about their birth family.
But after 36 years the two were able to find each other thanks to DNA tests and now they’ve met face-to-face for the first time.
Both twins were adopted by Jewish families in the US when they were just a few months old.
Molly went to live in Florida, while Emily’s family were from Pennsylvania.
The sisters were reunited after Emily’s 11-year-old daughter Isabel set about to find out more about her mum’s family.
She told Good Morning America: “I wanted to do the DNA test because she was adopted.
“I wanted to find out if I had more family on her side.”
Meanwhile halfway across the US, Molly also decided she wanted to take a DNA test to find out more about her history.
Molly said: “I clicked on the close relative and I didn’t understand it.
“[The results said:] ‘You share 49.96% DNA with this person. We predict that she’s your daughter’.
“This is obviously not right because I’ve never gone into labour, I don’t have children.”
It didn’t take long for Molly to figure out the results were connecting to her twin’s daughter.
The sisters were able to chat from afar and shared pictures, but decided not to have a video call until they met in person.
Even though Emily didn’t feel comfortable taking the test, she said finding out she had a twin “immediately filled a hole in her heart”.
She continued: “Although I have family who love me and have been wonderful, there was always a feeling of disconnection.
“Finding out that I had an identical twin sister just made everything so clear. It all makes sense.”
As the twins got to know each other, they found out they are similar in many ways. They both had cats and wore similar dresses, hairstyles and necklaces to prom.
Emily added: “Our senior prom picture… we were both wearing a beaded dress with a strapless style and our hair was exactly the same.
“I realised this is probably one of the many twin moments we’ll discover.”
Speaking of the moment they met, Emily concluded: “This was the happiest moment of my life. I can honestly say that.”
A mum left in a wheelchair due to a severe reaction to a Covid vaccine is still encouraging others to take the vaccine.
Sarah, of Glasgow, shared graphic photos of the horror rash which spread all over the body and face, the Daily Record reports.
NHS doctors confirmed the mum-of-one’s symptoms were caused by her body’s reaction to the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Sarah started having a tingling rash about seven days after taking the vaccine. She called her GP but ended up going to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital’s A&E department after the blisters spread across her body.
She said: “I ended up asking my husband to take me to A&E and when I got there, my heart rate was sitting at 160bpm which they were very concerned about.
“I got put on an ECG machine.”
She tested negative for a series of tests but a reaction to the jab was found on the second of two biopsies.
Sarah said: “Once they found out that it was a reaction to the vaccine, they put me on steroids and that really seems to be helping my progress.
“I’m currently using a wheelchair as well just because I can’t walk with my legs getting bandaged up every day and the blisters on the souls of my feet.
“For the first eight to nine days, I was on quite a bit of morphine but I started to gradually come off the stronger stuff.”
Sarah praised hospital staff after being allowed to recover at home on April 12.
She said: “I still believe people should be vaccinated and the amount of people that have had it and have been okay shows that it is safe for most.
“I just want people to be aware that there are some reactions that can occur and not to ignore any rashes.
“It’s not to scare people but just in case this does happen to anybody else, it means they’re going to get the treatment straight away.”
Sarah, who also developed the rash on her arms and buttocks alongside an abscess on her face, is urging others to be aware of changes in their body after receiving the jab.
An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesperson said: “We continue to urge anyone invited to come forward for their vaccine.
“It is normal for vaccines to cause potential side-effects.
“These side-effects need to be continuously balanced against the expected benefits in preventing illness.”
AstraZeneca said they cannot comment on individual cases.
A 28-year-old South African woman who survived a car crash was killed by a hit-and-run-driver while searching for her missing cellphone.
Reaction Unit South Africa’s Prem Balram, who disclosed this in a statement said the woman had been a passenger in a bakkie that overturned on N2 between uMhlanga and North Coast Road in the early hours of Monday, April 19.
The statement read;
“A passenger in a Toyota Hillux bakkie that overturned was killed while searching for her cellphone on the south bound lane of the N2 between Umhlanga and North Coast Road this morning (Monday).”
“A member of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) was on patrol on the highway when he noticed the bakkie lying on its side. The Officer called for assistance at 04:09. The driver of the overturned vehicle informed the Reaction Officer that he was travelling with his girlfriend from Pinetown to Cornubia. As they approached the Umhlanga offramp he lost control of his vehicle which veered into the south bound lane and overturned. The couple were not injured in the initial accident.
“Emergency Services began clearing the scene when the female decided to search for her missing cellphone. She was struck by an unknown vehicle which was travelling on the extreme right lane. The vehicle sped off without stopping. The woman landed approximately 50 meters away from the point of impact.
“Medics were called back to the scene and the female was pronounced deceased on their arrival.”
Police spokesperson, Captain Nqobile Gwala, said a case of culpable homicide was opened at Durban North police station for investigation.
“This morning at 5am, a 28-year-old female was allegedly knocked by a vehicle on the N2 South Bound Bridge” he stated on Monday.
An associate of singer R. Kelly has pleaded guilty to arson for setting fire to a car outside the Central Florida home of Kelly’s ex-girlfriend.
Michael Williams was one of three associates of R. Kelly who were arrested for allegedly attempting to intimidate and threaten women who have accused the singer of sexual abuse and harassment in August 2020.
On Monday, April 19, he pleaded guilty to arson after setting an SUV, parked outside an alleged victim’s Florida home, on fire.
“I drove from my house to Kissimmee, Florida and deliberately set a car on fire in someone’s driveway,” Williams said during a court hearing in New York Monday after pleading guilty to arson.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop the witness tampering charge against him.
“The plea agreement is fair in that the witness tampering charge as it relates to R. Kelly will be dismissed at sentencing,” said defense lawyer Todd Spodek.
The June 2020 fire was set outside the Polk County home of Azriel Clary, a former girlfriend of Kelly.
Clary, 23, has been outspoken with claims that she was sexually and physically abused by the R & B singer, whose real name is Robert Sylvester Kelly.
She was preparing to testify against Kelly in federal court, before Clary’s mother, Alice Clary, called 911 call to report the family’s car was on fire.
“We heard a big boom. And when my son looked out his window, somebody was running. But they threw something on the car and put it on fire,” Alice Clary told the 911 dispatcher. “The car is getting ready to blow up.”
“Kelly has nothing to do with this — nothing to do with it at all,” R. Kelly’s attorney Steve Greenberg told Vulture at the time of the trio’s arrest this summer. “He’s never reached out to a witness, he’s never tried to intimidate a witness.”
Williams, who is a relative of Kelly’s former publicist will be sentenced on October 5 and could face up to 71 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
A Nigerian lady has thrown a party to celebrate her divorce. Dr Ikea Bello’s divorce party was held last week and attended by her friends who wore red outfits.
Some of the party’s decoration had inscriptions which read “I do, I did, I’m done”, “Divorced at last”, “bye Felicia”.
She wrote on Instagram;
About last weekend, My divorce/ freedom party was lit. My 1st look for the day
The UK government is exploring the possibility of creating a new digital currency that could be known as Britcoin”.
The Bank of England and the Treasury said on Monday, April 19, that they will work together to assess the benefits of a central bank digital currency amid reports cash payments are generally on the decline, partly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The bank said the new currency if it comes to pass, would be a new form of digital money for use by households and businesses and would exist alongside cash and bank deposits, rather than replacing them.
“The Government and the Bank of England have not yet made a decision on whether to introduce a CBDC in the UK, and will engage widely with stakeholders on the benefits, risks and practicalities of doing so,” the BoE said in a statement.
At the financial industry conference, British finance minister Rishi Suna said: “We’re launching a new taskforce between the Treasury and the Bank of England to coordinate exploratory work on a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC).”
“Our vision is for a more open, greener, and more technologically advanced financial services sector,” he told a fintech conference. “And if we can capture the extraordinary potential of technology, we’ll cement the UK’s position as the world’s preeminent financial centre.
Soon after, Sunak tweeted the word “Britcoin” in reply to the finance ministry’s announcement of the taskforce.
Former US president, Donald Trump has revealed he is looking ‘very seriously’ at running for president again in 2024.
Speaking during his very first television interview since leaving office in January, Trump announced his Presidential ambitions. He also attacked Joe Biden for his handling of the southern border and then warned that Latin America was ‘sending rapists’ into the United States.
‘I am looking at it very seriously,’ he said. ‘Beyond seriously.’ Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
Trump invited Sean Hannity of Fox News into his Mar-a-Lago estate.
He said he believed his high poll ratings – what he termed his ‘tremendous numbers’ was due to disappointment in Biden’s rule.
‘I’ve got tremendous numbers. Nobody has ever gotten the numbers I got. No sitting president has come even close. There is more popularity now the end there was the day before the election,’ he said.
Trump, now 74, said he is not ready to officially declare his candidacy.
‘From a legal standpoint, I don’t want to really talk about it yet,’ he added.
He singled out having reduced taxes, reduced the cost of prescription drugs, created Space Force, and built parts of a wall along the border with Mexico.
More than 170,000 migrants were taken into custody at the U.S.-Mexico border in March – the highest monthly total since at least 2006. Now Trump says Biden’s undoing of his immigration policies was very bad.
‘All he had to do was leave it alone,’ said Trump, pointing out that tens of thousands of migrants are currently arriving, and claiming that they were criminals and drug traffickers.
‘They are sending us not their best people,’ Trump said.
‘They are sending us people that in many cases – not in all cases – are murderers, drug dealers, human traffickers, rapists, really bad people.
‘They are sending people from prisons.’
‘It’s a horrible situation,’ he said. ‘It could destroy our country. People are pouring in.’
He told Hannity that he was looking forward to campaigning on behalf of Republican candidates for the 2022 election, and said they should embrace his policies ‘if they want to win’.
‘We’ve got to take back the house in ’22,’ he said. ‘We have a real chance.’
Former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin was last night taken to a maximum-security prison and placed on suicide watch after being found guilty on all three counts of murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd.
Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts Tuesday, April 20 in the Hennepin County courtroom, where jurors spent three weeks listening to testimony about the day Floyd died under the weight of the 45-year-old officer’s knee during an arrest on May 25, 2020.
Judge Peter Cahill thanked the jury on behalf of the state of Minnesota for not only jury service but ‘heavy-duty jury service’.
Chauvin was taken in handcuffs from the courtroom as Judge Peter Cahill immediately revoked his bail pending sentencing. He was transferred to Oak Park Heights, Minnesota’s only maximum-security prison.
The Minneapolis police officer is being closely watched by guards at the prison to ensure his safety, not just as a suicide risk, but also from other inmates.
He faces a minimum sentence of 12.5 years and maximum of 40 years if he serves terms for each charge concurrently. If served consecutively, he faces between 29 and 75 years.
Joe Biden told the nation that the verdict sends the message that no one is ‘above the law’, as he demanded new action to honor Floyd after a killing he called a ‘stain on the nation’s soul.’
‘No one should be above the law. And today’s verdict sends that message. But it’s not enough. It can’t stop here,’ the president said.
A Nigerian couple, Mr and Mrs Ogeah have welcomed a set of triplets after eleven years of marriage.
The woman, Helen Ogeah gave birth to the triplets in Asaba, Delta state after several miscarriages.
A family member, Evelyn Odume, who shared the good news on Sunday, April 11, declared that God has put the devil to shame.
“You do not lie, you do not fail, what is hard for you to do it doesn’t exist o. it can never, ever exists ooo….. faithful God I worship for ur a faithful father and you never fail… Friends and family help me glorify the name of the Lord for this miracle.11years of marriage finally blessed with tripplets congratulations Mr and Mrs ogeah,” she wrote.
“Miracle working God you are worthy to be praised. Congratulations big Aunty …the Lord has put the devil to shame” she added.
One Lynda Ayebogbon, who shared the post on April 14, said the new mother had six miscarriages before the birth of the triplets.
“After eleven years of marriage, six different miscarriages, God Blessed her with triplets, what a wonderful God, He is awesome, please Glorify Him with me. Big congratulations my lovely sister, God will protect you and your babies in Jesus name. Amen” she wrote.
A Minneapolis jury has reached a verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with killing George Floyd after he knelt on his neck for over 9 minutes.
Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts Tuesday, April 20, for his involvement in George Floyd’s death, a verdict that could send the disgraced former Minneapolis police officer to prison for the rest of his life.
The judge announced that Chauvin was convicted of second- and -third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter. He faces up to 75 years in prison when he returns for sentencing in eight weeks.
Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 40 years. Third-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. Second-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years.
The third-degree murder charge had initially been dismissed, but it was reinstated after an appeals court ruling in an unrelated case established new grounds for it days before jury selection started.
Jury selection for the trial began March 9, and opening statements began March 29. The panel of seven women and five men began deliberating Monday evening, April 19, after three weeks of witness testimony.
Prosecutors called 38 witnesses, including the teenager who recorded the viral video that brought global attention to Floyd’s death. She and other bystanders who testified said they are haunted by Floyd’s death and that they wish they had done more to try to save his life. The defense called seven witnesses, two of whom were experts.
Derek Chauvin has been remanded in the custody of the Hennepin County Sheriff. He was directed out of the courtroom in handcuffs moments after the guilty verdict was read in his murder case.
Meanwhile, outside the Minneapolis courthouse where Judge Peter Cahill announced a guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin’s murder case, a crowd screamed joyfully.
The crowd has shouted “Guilty!” once news emerged. There have been huge cheers, with people shouting “Yes!”
People have been screaming and crying outside the courtroom.
“Whose victory? Our victory” the crowd has chanted. Cars driving by also honked their horns in celebration.
“Don’t let anyone tell you protest doesn’t work,” a man told the crowd through a bullhorn.
The attorneys for George Floyd’s family have released statements following the conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
Attorney Ben Crump commented: “Painfully earned justice has arrived for George Floyd’s family and the community here in Minneapolis, but today’s verdict goes far beyond this city and has significant implications for the country and even the world. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America. This case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement and sends a clear message we hope is heard clearly in every city and every state.”
“Today’s verdict is so critical in that it not only holds Derek Chauvin accountable for his horrific actions, but it reinforces significant police reforms underway in Minneapolis including use-of-force reporting, a requirement to keep body-worn cameras on, and a policy for officers to de-escalate non-threatening encounters by disengaging or walking away. Now we call on Minnesota state lawmakers to pass,” said attorney Antonio M. Romanucci.
Attorney L. Chris Stewart said: “Today the world had its hope and faith restored in the American justice system. All that people crave is accountability when an officer kills a Black American. For far too long that had never happened. Now George Floyd’s soul can finally rest in peace. Justice has been served.”
Lawyer Jeff Storms similarly stated: “The impact of George Floyd’s death on Minneapolis is impossible to explain, but today’s verdict is an important step toward healing. The community here has struggled to create accountability for officers who have used excessive force over many years and too many lives and caused so much pain and suffering. This jury has sent a clear and direct message that this can never happen again.”
France was aware that a genocide was being planned in Rwanda ahead of the 1994 killings and the French government bears responsibility for enabling it, a new report published by the Rwandan government claims.
Between April and July of 1994, some 800,000 people were slaughtered, mainly from the ethnic Tutsi minority but also some Hutus.
Critics blamed then France President Francois Mitterrand for failing to prevent the massacres with reports saying France even supported the Hutu-led government that orchestrated the killings.
“The French Government bears significant responsibility for enabling a foreseeable genocide,” the Rwandan government wrote in its report published on its main website.
The report was drafted by Robert F. Muse and the American law firm Levy Firestone Muse LLP, which was hired by the Rwandan government to investigate France’s role in connection with the genocide.
The Rwandan report said while in the end the responsibility lay in those who actually carried out the genocide, the French government helped establish the institutions they eventually used to carry out the killings.
“Ultimately, this report cannot be the final word on the French government’s role in Rwanda. That word will arrive after the French government makes public all of its documents and allows all of its officials to speak freely,” the report said.
Early in April, France said it will open the Rwanda archives of former French President Francois Mitterrand, to understand France’s role in Rwanda during the genocide.
Rwanda’s report also comes after a French commission released a report in March which said France was blinded by its colonial attitude to Africa in events leading up to the genocide and bore “serious and overwhelming” responsibility.
Police have arrested a man after he allegedly left his ID after breaking into a hotel room in Manhasset, New York on April 16.
Michael C. Lee, 29, allegedly entered another guest’s room at the Travelodge hotel on Northern Boulevard at around 3 a.m. through their unlocked sliding glass window, according to CBS New York.
The female guest, 33, called out to her boyfriend, 44, for help upon encountering Lee, Daily Voice reported.
The couple demanded to know why he was in their room and asked for his ID.
Lee willingly handed over his driver’s license and fled the room without collecting it back.
The woman informed the police after noticing her money was gone.
Lee was arrested at 5:05 a.m. the same day without incident, according to authorities.
He is charged with second-degree burglary and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Football manager/coach, Jose Mourinho has been paid a staggering £93.5 million for his sackings in football.
Tottenham ruthlessly sacked Mourinho and his coaching staff on Monday morning, April 19, following a poor run of form in the Premier League .
He lasted just 17 months with the 58-year-old in line to receive a whopping pay-out.
UK media claim Mourinho will pocket £30 million after club chairman Daniel Levy decided to end his four-year contract with the club.
It’s now been revealed that so many other clubs paid Mourinho huge amounts after sacking him midway into his contracts.
Mourinho has had four of his contracts terminated early since he first joined Chelsea – Chelsea in 2007, Real Madrid in 2013, Chelsea again in 2015, and Manchester United in 2018.
The cost of those early terminations is listed in the accounts of each of the English clubs in question.
Chelsea (first time): £23.07m, Chelsea (second time) £8.30m, Manchester United: £19.60m Real Madrid shelled out £17 million after sacking him now Tottenham is set to pay him about £30m after sacking him.
So, Mourinho has received an astonishing £93.5 million for his sackings during his illustrious managerial career.
The Nigerian army has said that Boko Haram suffered heavy losses in both equipment and personnel while trying to take over Dikwa in Borno state.
Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima said troops of Operation Lafiya Dole currently carrying out Operation Tura Takaibango stationed at Dikwa and Gulumba Gana supported by the Air Component inflicted heavy casualty on Boko Haram Terrorists who attempted to take control of the strategic town of Dikwa, the headquarters of Dikwa LGA of Borno State.
Yerima said the terrorists in their numbers mounted on 12 gun trucks and attacked the town on the eve of Sunday 18 April 2021, just as the locals prepared to break their Ramadan fast for the day.
The statement read;
“The troops having contained the initial wave of the attack had to occupy their alternative Headquarters at Gulumba Gana to enable the Air Component engage any gun trucks and other technicals in the vicinity of the attack to prevent fratricide. The troops launched a counter attack in the early hours of Monday 19 April 2021 and successfully reoccupied their main headquarters in Dikwa.
“The retreating terrorists suffered heavy losses in both equipment and personnel including some of their key leaders from the superior firepower of own troops both from the air and ground forces. The troops are currently patrolling Dikwa town and environs to assess the level of damage inflicted on the terrorists.”
The statement added that the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru has commended the troops for their doggedness and directed them to restrategise in order to prevent any further attacks in the area.
Jose Mourinho has broken his silence after he was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur after just 17 months at the club.
The Portuguese manager was sacked on Monday morning, April 19, less than a week before Tottenham take on Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
The 58-year-old had been in charge at Spurs since November 2019, signing a deal until the end of the 2023 season. But he was dismissed after a dismal domestic campaign and failure in the Europa League, with the club on course to miss out on Champions League football this season.
Speaking with Sky Sport, Mourinho refused to discuss his departure but disclosed that he doesn’t need a break from football.
‘You know me. I’m not going to say anything,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘No need for breaks or recharged batteries. I’m always in football.’
Mourinho leaves Spurs seventh in the table, five points off the Champions League places, and is in line for a huge pay-off of £30 million after his sacking.
It has also been revealed that so many other clubs paid Mourinho huge amounts after sacking him midway into his contracts.
Mourinho has had four of his contracts terminated early since he first joined Chelsea – Chelsea in 2007, Real Madrid in 2013, Chelsea again in 2015, and Manchester United in 2018.
The cost of those early terminations is listed in the accounts of each of the English clubs in question.
Chelsea (first time): £23.07m, Chelsea (second time) £8.30m, Manchester United: £19.60m. Real Madrid shelled out £17 million after sacking him now Tottenham is set to pay him about £30m after sacking him.
This means, Mourinho has received an astonishing £93.5 million for his sackings during his illustrious managerial career.
The Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB has rubbished calls made by some Nigerians for their security outfit, Eastern Security Network ESN, to collaborate with the newly created security outfit, EBUBE AGU.
To tackle the insecurity in the region, governors from the South-East state on April 11, announced the establishment of a security outfit called EBUBE AGU.
Some prominent Nigerians from the region have called for the ESN and EBUBE AGU to merge so they can form a formidable force to tackle the insecurity in the region.
In a statement released by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, IPOB condemned the calls for the merger. According to the statement, EBUBE AGU is a ghost group monitored by the Nigerian security agents, who are enemies of the ESN and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.” The group said asking ESN to work with EBUBE AGU is like asking Satan to midwife the birth of Jesus. The statement reads;
“We the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the command and leadership of our great and indomitable leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, have noted with keen interest, the genuine calls by some eminent Igbo for collaboration between our gallant Eastern Security Network, ESN; and the ghost Ebubeagu security network recently floated by the treacherous South-East governors. We have equally noted similar calls by some self-acclaimed but unreliable Igbo elders and Ohanaeze chieftains.
But we have a simple question for them all: can light and darkness work together? We all knew the circumstances that gave birth to ESN. It was when the cowardly governors woefully failed to stand with the people who were being raped and slaughtered daily by Fulani herdsmen and jihadists that our leader, based on the yearnings by the people had to establish ESN to save the situation. And ever since then, the narrative has changed.
Out of envy and jealousy as those being remote-controlled by the Caliphate, the South-East governors belatedly, and without coordination announced a ghost security outfit – Ebubeagu. For the discerning minds, the action of the governors and their slavemasters is a suspect. They are out for something sinister but we are too smart to fall for it.
The pro-Biafra group also revealed that the circumstances that heralded Ebubeagu were treacherous, adding that the South-East governors should have supported the ESN, instead of floating a ghost security apparatus without personnel.
Where are the personnel of the so-called ‘Ebubeoke na Ngwere? When Amotekun was formed by South-West Governors, did you not see their personnel and equipment? When our leader established ESN, did you not see our gallant men? How then are you asking ESN to collaborate with ghost Ebubeagu that has no identifiable personnel?
How can ESN collaborate with Ebubeagu that is being supervised by the compromised Fulani-controlled Nigeria security agencies? Heads of all security agencies in the South-East are all Fulani who have failed to protect our people against their kinsmen and foot soldiers of the Fulanisation agenda. These are those behind the formation of Ebubeagu, and you want us to work together with them?
Asking ESN to collaborate with Ebubeagu is like asking Lucifer to midwife the birth of Jesus Christ. But for the gullible, Ebubeagu was simply floated to spy on ESN and IPOB. The aim of the Caliphate in forcing their puppets called South-East governors to float the imaginary outfit is to scuttle the bonding unity among Ndigbo and set our youths against themselves but we are ahead of them in this game” the statement read
Former US vice president and liberal leader, Walter Mondale, who lost to Ronald Reagan in one of the most lopsided presidential elections in 1984, has died at the age of 93.
The death of the former senator, ambassador and Minnesota attorney general was announced in a statement from his family.
“It is with profound sadness that we share news that our beloved dad passed away today in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” his family said in a statement on Monday, April 19.
No cause was given for Mondale’s death, according to the statement from his family.
Before serving as Jimmy Carter’s deputy between 1977 and 1981, the Democrat had 12 years in the Senate representing his home state of Minnesota. Under Bill Clinton, he spent three years in Tokyo as the American ambassador to Japan.
“Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country’s history,” Carter said in a statement, extending his condolences to his former number two’s family.
“He was an invaluable partner and an able servant of the people of Minnesota, the United States and the world.”
President Joe Biden said of Mondale: “There have been few senators, before or since, who commanded such universal respect. … It was Walter Mondale who defined the vice presidency as a full partnership, and helped provide a model for my service.”
Vice President Kamala Harris said that she had spoken with Mondale “a few days ago” and that he was always “so generous with his wit and wisdom over the years.”
“Each time I open my desk drawer and see his signature there, alongside the signatures of 11 other Vice Presidents, I will be reminded of and grateful for Vice President Mondale’s life of service,” she said in a statement.
He ran as the Democratic presidential nominee against Ronald Reagan in 1984. He lost in one of the most lopsided electoral victories in modern American politics, winning only his home state, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia.
Mondale started his career as an activist in Minnesota’s Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, then by working on Hubert Humphrey’s Senate campaign in 1948.
He graduated from the University of Minnesota law school in 1956 and was the state’s attorney general from 1960 until he was appointed to the Senate in 1964 to finish Humphrey’s term after he became Lyndon B. Johnson’s vice president.
Mondale was elected to the Senate in 1966 and again in 1972.
His wife of 58 years, Joan, died in 2014 at age 83 after a long illness. His daughter, Eleanor, died in 2011 after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur have appointed Ryan Mason as interim head coach until the end of the season after Jose Mourinho sacking.
The Portuguese manager was sacked on Monday after 17 months in charge, six days before the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
Former Spurs and Hull midfielder Mason, who was forced to retire from playing in 2018, steps up from his role as head of player development at the club.
Chris Powell and Nigel Gibbs will assist him, while Ledley King stays on as a first-team coach and former goalkeeper Michel Vorm returns to the club as a goalkeeping coach.
Mason’s first game in charge is a Premier League match with Southampton on Wednesday April 20, before leading his boyhood club to face Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday in the Carabao Cup final.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “We have great belief in this squad of talented players.
“We have a cup final and six Premier League games ahead of us and we shall now focus all our energies on achieving a strong finish to the season.”
After joining the club at 8, Mason played 70 times for Spurs between 2008 and 2016 before moving to Hull.
However, just six months after joining Hull, he suffered a fractured skull that eventually forced him to retire 12 months later.
Mason later returned to Spurs soon after in a coaching capacity and was named as the club’s head of player development in the summer of 2019.
Two UK police officers were recently caught kissing in a patrol car at a Tesco supermarket in Lancashire.
One witness said they saw the officers kissing for 20 minutes in the carpark in Blackburn, Lancashire. The witness also said the female officer later got out of the car and walked round to the driver’s side to continue the mouth action through the window.
A man who saw them in a Tesco car park off Carl Fogarty Way, said: ‘I was sat with my friend in the car park, I’d gone to fix my car.
‘After we were done we were just parked in the supermarket car park having a little break.
‘My friend noticed the police officer in his mirror and saw that a woman had got into his car. It just didn’t feel right.’
He said the pair were initially in their own cars, the male officer in a police car and the woman in an unmarked car before she got out and got into his car.
The witness went on: ‘Initially they were in their own cars. They pulled up next to each other and were talking from car to car. She then got out and got into his car.
‘They were kissing in the car – their faces were colliding. They were sat in the car for about 20 minutes.
‘This is an on-duty police officer sitting in a car for 20 minutes doing b***** all.
‘It annoyed me. People were walking past and taking a double look into the vehicle and thinking ”Is that really happening?” They were laughing and joking and kissing. I don’t think they should be doing it on police time, even if he was on his lunch break it looks bad.’
And he added: ‘They were there for a long time – all in all about an hour if not longer. That’s what made me think it couldn’t be a lunch break.
‘It’s a big town, there will be a lot going on, enough for them to do. People are getting burgled and they don’t bother going out to them.’
A spokesman for Lancashire Police described it as an ‘isolated incident.’
A spokesman said: ‘Lancashire Constabulary appreciates the impact social media videos can have on public confidence.
‘This was an isolated incident involving one off duty and one on duty police officer.
‘The officers have since been spoken to and apologised for their conduct and understand how this may have been interpreted, the matter is now closed.’
14 premier league clubs have held an emergency meeting where they all reportedly agreed to tell the big six ‘rebel’ clubs to quit the Premier League over their decision to set the European Super league.
The big six clubs- Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal are part of the clubs who released a statement on Monday announcing their desire to set up their own European Super League to rival the UEFA champions league.
The big six argue they don’t make as much money as their brands deserve and feel that with the new ESL they will make much more money than given to them by UEFA. A deal is already in place to give the top six clubs a starting £310m to start up the ESL.
But the other 14 top-flight teams are planning their revenge, agreeing in a meeting on Monday to remove the top six from the premier league while UEFA also plans to kick the clubs out of Europe on Friday..
The top six believe they will be better served financially in their own European league and have already filed legal injunctions against UEFA to prevent the body from punishing them for setting up their own league.
At a Prem meeting on Tuesday April 20, from which the six giants have been excluded the other teams are set to agree to demand United, Liverpool, City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs all leave the league at the end of the season.
The outsiders are angry at what they called “underhanded” dealing by the Big Six, despite previous promises of unity collective agreements to back the Prem.
Clubs are said to be “angry and dismayed” at the actions of the Six, with a call for disciplinary charges and for the League to officially confirm they will not be granted permission to join the £4.6billion scheme.
But expelling the top six clubs is one option that is being discussed by club chiefs and one exec said: “Lots of options are being explored. They have underestimated the opposition.”
Under Prem rule B6, it would take a vote of three quarters of the 20 clubs to boot any of the Big Six out.
With a maximum of 14 clubs backing any such call, they would fall one vote short.
But Rule B11 gives “discretion, right and power” to the League’s Board – chief exec Richard Masters, chairman Gary Hoffman and non-exec director Kevin Beeston – to act in “sole and absolute discretion” to make “final and binding” rulings that are “not subject to appeal”.
Executives of the smaller clubs have hit out at the top clubs and their scheme to enrich themselves .
Aston Villa chief exec Christian Purslow said: “These proposals do away with sporting merit.
“It would enable a small number of clubs to be in this competition come what may and, for millions of people in football, that goes against everything the sport means and stands for.”
While Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish added: “This is creating a gilded elite that will not be challenged.
“If you can imagine uniting every football fan, every chief executive, every politician, Boris Johnson, [France President Emmanuel] Macron… a whole group of people who couldn’t agree on anything suddenly coming out instantly condemning something. So, it feels like a busted flush.”
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani said: “Absolutely against the sporting spirit, the dream of millions of fans to conquer the champions on the field, with planning, vision, work.
“Kill dreams of players and fans. The teams are fans and WE are custodians of the club.”
Denmark FA chief Jesper Moller revealed: “The Super league clubs who are still in Europe must go, and I expect that to happen on Friday.
“Then we have to find out how to finish the Champions League.”
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin also threatened to ban England and overseas stars including Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann from Euro 2020.
Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, has fired back at UEFA and its president, Aleksander Ceferin, accusing the European football body of not being transparent with it’s financial dealings.
In a statement on Monday, 12 European clubs, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter, Juventus, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham announced their desire to set up their own European Super League to rivals the UEFA champions league.
The clubs who signed up to the new league which will be given £310m each for a start.
Three more teams are expected to be involved annually for a total of 15, with a further five clubs able to qualify each season.
UEFA president, Ceferin (top right) on Monday April 19, branded Manchester United and Juventus chiefs Ed Woodward and Andrea Agnelli as “snakes” after they resigned from UEFA to take up executive positions in the new Super League.
Perez, who is the president of the new league, has reacted to Ceferin’s insults saying he shouldn’t insult any club president.
He also accused the UEFA leader and la Liga president of maintaining high salaries even during the Coronavirus pandemic when players and clubs were slashing salaries.
He then accused UEFA of being secretive with its finances despite majority of it’s money coming from big clubs, saying everyone knows the salary of basketball player, Lebron James, but no one knows Ceferin’s salary.
“President Ceferin insulted Andrea Agnelli today, it is not possible,” Perez said in an interview with El Chiringuito.
“It’s crazy to discuss a president of a world club like Juventus.
“This is something unacceptable, UEFA must change, we don’t want a president who insults other presidents.
“Why aren’t UEFA and La Liga salaries public? Why haven’t salaries been reduced like everyone else during the pandemic? We need more transparency. We know the salary of LeBron James but we don’t know the salary of the UEFA president.”
Perez also claimed the Euro Super League is needed to ‘save football’ in an extraordinary defence of the controversial plans.
“Whenever there is a change, there are always people who oppose it. We are doing this to save football at this critical moment,” he added.
“Audiences are decreasing and rights are decreasing and something had to be done. We are all ruined. Television has to change so we can adapt.
“Young people are no longer interested in football. Why not? Because there are a lot of poor quality games and they are not interested, they have other platforms on which to distract themselves.
“If we continue with the Champions League there is less and less interest and then it’s over. The new format, which starts in 2024 is absurd. In 2024 we are all dead.
“Together we have lost €5billion. In two seasons Madrid have lost €400m.
“When you have no income other than television, you say that the solution is to make more attractive matches that fans from all over the world can see with all the big clubs, and we came to the conclusion that if instead of having a Champions League we have a Super League we would be able to alleviate what we have lost.”
Florentino also revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be returning to Real Madrid who has recently been linked with a move back to Madrid where he won four Ballon D’or titles and three champions league titles.
Perez said that Real Madrid signing Ronaldo is “impossible”, citing that he is currently under contract with Juve, who would be one of the key clubs in this new “Super League” venture. He added that while he would “love” to have Ronaldo back in Madrid, a reunion just would not “make sense”.
Former US President, George W. Bush has expressed his shock over people’s reaction to his friendship with former US first lady, Michelle Obama.
Bush, a Republican, said he was shocked by how people reacted when he and Michelle, a Democrat, embraced each other at the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and their interaction at the late Sen. John McCain’s 2018 funeral where he gave her an Altoid.
“The American people were so surprised that Michelle Obama and I could be friends,” Bush said in an interview on CBS.
“Americans are so polarized in their thinking that they can’t imagine a George W. Bush and a Michelle Obama being friends.”
“It was a friendship,” former first lady Laura Bush added.
In the interview, Bush also reacted to the current immigration dilemma being faced at the southern border.
Bush called on Congress to tone down the “harsh rhetoric” on immigration, adding that he hopes that doing so will “set a tone that is more respectful” of immigrants and lead to more policy change.
The Kano state police command has rescued a 15-year old girl, Aisha Jibrin, who was allegedly locked up in a room by her parents in the Darerawa Quarters of Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State.
Confirming this development to newsmen, the spokesperson of the state police command, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said Miss Jibrin was confined to the home of her parents without proper feeding and healthcare. He said her mother, Rabi Muhammad, has been taken into custody but the father has fled.
A statement released by Kiyawa said;
“The Kano State Police Command wishes to inform members of the general public that on the 19/04/2021 at about 1100hrs, information received revealed that one Aisha Jibrin, ‘f’, 15 years old of Darerawa Quarters, Fagge LGA Kano State was solitarily confined for ten (10) years in a room by her biological parents, one Mohd Jibrin, ‘m’, and Rabi Mohd, ‘f’, of the same address inside their house without proper feeding and health care.
On receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State Command, CP Sama’ila Shu’aibu Dikko, fsi raised and instructed a Medical Team and a team of Detectives to proceed to the scene, rescue the victim and arrest the culprits.
The teams immediately swung in to action. The victim was rescued and rushed to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital Kano and admitted”
He said the case has been transferred to the Police Criminal Investigation Department for investigation on the order of the police commissioner.
Chad’s newly re-elected President Idriss Deby has died of injuries suffered on the frontline while fighting rebels in the north of the Sahel country.
The country’s army spokesperson, General Azem Bermandoa Agouna made the announcement hours after electoral officials declared 68-year-old Deby as winner of the April 11 presidential election, paving the way for him to stay in power for six more years after a 30-year rule.
Deby had postponed his victory speech to supporters and instead went to visit Chadian soldiers battling rebels, according to his campaign manager. The rebel group Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), which is based across the northern frontier with Libya had attacked a border post on election day and then advanced hundreds of kilometres south.
General Azem Bermandoa Agouna said in a statement read out on state television;
“Deby, 68 has just breathed his last defending the sovereign nation on the battlefield”
It is not known why the president would have visited the area or participated in ongoing clashes with the rebels who opposed his rule. Deby came to power in a rebellion in 1990 and is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.
General Mahamat Kaka, the son of the deceased Chadian leader, has been named interim head of the state.
The Libya media has once again reported that three more Nigerians converted to Islam in the country.
According to the latest report posted by Libya News on Sunday, April 18, three Nigerian men converted to Islam in Misrata city, in the Misrata District, situated 187 km to the east of Tripoli.
As usual, the conversion was greeted with mixed reactions from Nigerians, Libyans, Christians and Muslims in Libya.
One Samura Mohammed hailed the conversion, saying that people who do not believe in Islam, the Quran and Prophet Muhammad ‘are the worst creatures’ and will die in the Fire of Hell.
“Verily, those who disbelieve in the religion of Islam, the Quran and Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) from among the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrikun will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are worst of creatures”
One Kate Marvis said people shouldn’t criticise the men for converting to Islam as it is their fundamental human right.
“Pls guys, everyone has a choice to convert to any religion dey want,so far dey are not under pressure.Don’t try to force ur choice on someone, it’s called fundamental human right. As far as am concerned, we are serving desame God, don’t judge by religion but judge by d persons personality, no one is perfect, Christian, Muslim, Jews.I come in peace”
Manchester United and Arsenal football club of England have confirmed they have left the European Clubs Association (ECA) while United chairman, Ed Woodward and Arsenal CEO, Vinai Venkatesham have resigned from their positions with UEFA in staunch moves to show they are intent on going ahead with plans to set up their own European Super League.
A statement released on Sunday night confirmed 12 clubs, including United and Arsenal, had agreed to form a breakaway league which would be run by the founding clubs.
United’s executive vice-chairman Woodward was appointed to UEFA’s Professional Football Strategy Council as an ECA representative in September 2017.
His role was to advise and assist in the structure of European football’s governing body but, with the European Super League (ESL) breaking away from UEFA’s normal European competitions, he will no longer occupy that role.
In another move, Manchester United also confirmed co-owner Joel Glazer will be vice chair of the new league.
The ECA is the professional body that represents the interests of clubs in UEFA competitions.
A statement released late on Sunday said: “Twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs have today come together to announce they have agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, the Super League, governed by its founding clubs.
“AC Milan, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have all joined as founding clubs. It is anticipated that a further three clubs will join ahead of the inaugural season, which is intended to commence as soon as practicable.
“Going forward, the founding clubs look forward to holding discussions with UEFA and FIFA to work together in partnership to deliver the best outcomes for the new League and for football as a whole.”
According to the statement, the competition will feature “20 participating clubs with 15 founding clubs and a qualifying mechanism for a further five teams to qualify annually based on achievements in the prior season.
“Midweek fixtures with all participating clubs continuing to compete in their respective national leagues, preserving the traditional domestic match calendar which remains at the heart of the club game.
“An August start with clubs participating in two groups of ten, playing home and away fixtures, with the top three in each group automatically qualifying for the quarter-finals. Teams finishing fourth and fifth will then compete in a two-legged play-off for the remaining quarter-final positions.
“A two-leg knockout format will be used to reach the final at the end of May, which will be staged as a single fixture at a neutral venue.”
European football governing body, UEFA has slammed plans by some top clubs in European top leagues for plans to break away from the normal league and champions league format to set up their own European super league while also thanking French and German clubs for refusing to sign up to the scheme.
According to the Premier League and UEFA, the plans to create a European Super League, are anti-competitive and will undermine the integrity of the sport.
Reports of a rival competition known as European Super League emerged on Sunday April 18, just a day before UEFA were to hold a meeting to ratify the current Swiss model being used for the Champions league.
In a joint announcement on Sunday night, six English clubs — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur — alongside three teams from Italy — AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus — and three from Spain — Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid — laid out plans to form a breakaway competition, referred to in the announcement as the Super League.
The top clubs feel cheated by the current champions league format which does not give them enough financial protection.
The top clubs feel that it’s easier now for ‘small clubs’ like Leicester City, Everton, Atalanta, Bilbao to qualify for the Champions league than them. Most especially top premier league clubs feel cheated as they earn the same amount of television rights money as the likes of Burnley, West Ham, West Brom when they believe fans from all over the world will rather watch a Manchester United vs Chelsea than a West Brom vs Burnley.
UEFA, the premier league and the English FA have now released statements condemning the clubs.
In a statement, the English premier league said: “The Premier League condemns any proposal that attacks the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are at the heart of the domestic and European football pyramid.
“Fans of any club in England and across Europe can currently dream that their team may climb to the top and play against the best. We believe that the concept of a European Super League would destroy this dream.
“The Premier League is proud to run a competitive and compelling football competition that has made it the most widely watched league in the world. Our success has enabled us to make an unrivalled financial contribution to the domestic football pyramid.
“A European Super League will undermine the appeal of the whole game, and have a deeply damaging impact on the immediate and future prospects of the Premier League and its member clubs, and all those in football who rely on our funding and solidarity to prosper.
“We will work with fans, The FA, EFL, PFA and LMA, as well as other stakeholders, at home and abroad, to defend the integrity and future prospects of English football in the best interests of the game.”
UEFA in a statement said: “UEFA, the English Football Association and the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga, and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Serie A have learned that a few English, Spanish and Italian clubs may be planning to announce their creation of a closed, so-called Super League.
“If this were to happen, we wish to reiterate that we – UEFA, the English FA, RFEF, FIGC, the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, but also FIFA and all our member associations – will remain united in our efforts to stop this cynical project, a project that is founded on the self-interest of a few clubs at a time when society needs solidarity more than ever.
“We will consider all measures available to us, at all levels, both judicial and sporting in order to prevent this happening. Football is based on open competitions and sporting merit; it cannot be any other way.
“As previously announced by FIFA and the six Federations, the clubs concerned will be banned from playing in any other competition at domestic, European or world level, and their players could be denied the opportunity to represent their national teams.
“We thank those clubs in other countries, especially the French and German clubs, who have refused to sign up to this. We call on all lovers of football, supporters and politicians, to join us in fighting against such a project if it were to be announced. This persistent self-interest of a few has been going on for too long. Enough is enough.”
The FA in a statement also said: “It is clear that this would be damaging to English and European football at all levels and will attack the principles of open competition and sporting merit which are fundamental to competitive sport.
“For new competitions to be formed involving clubs from different assocations, approval would be required. We would not provide permission to any competition that would be damaging to English football, and will take any legal and/or regulatory action necessary.”
There have been no official comments from any clubs so far.
The Zamfara state government has announced that it has spent 2.9 billion on essential commodities which will be distributed to various categories of people as Ramadan welfare.
In a statement released by the state Commissioner for Information Ibrahim Dosara on Sunday April 18, it was gathered that the aim of the project is to help “reduce the hardship being faced by people and to enable them to conduct the Ramadan fast with relative ease and happiness.”
Dosara further said 450 truckloads of the welfare packages contained rice, millet, maize, beans, sugar and milk were being distributed to the vulnerable, less privileged, internally displaced persons, civil servants and other categories of members of the public.
The statement read;
ZAMFARA STATE GOVERNMENT
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Chairman, Committee for the distribution of this year’s Ramadan welfare packages and the Speaker Zamfara state House of Assembly Rt Hon Nasiru Muazu Magarya wishes to inform the general public that, Zamfara state government under the leadership of His Excellency Hon (Dr) Bello Matawalle, has purchased 450 trucks of foodstuffs and essential commodities worth 2.9 billion naira for distribution to the public as Ramadan welfare packages for the vulnerable, less privileged, internally displaced persons, civil servants and other categories of members of the public, to help in reducing the hardships being faced by people and to enable them conduct the Ramadan fast with relative ease and happiness.
The foodstuffs and the essential communities are as follows:
Rice………… 60, 000 bags
Millet………50,000 bags
Maize…………50, 000 bags
Beans………..30,000 bags
Sugar………….10,000 bags
Shadda/Attamfa….40,000 pieces
To ensure equity, fareness and justice in the distribution exercise, His Excellency the Executive Governor has ordered for the formation and or constitution of committees at both state, local government, ward and polling unit levels as follows:
State Committee.
Speaker, state assembly…….as Chairman
Members include:
State Party chairman
State House leader
House Committee Chairman on Religious affairs
Commissioner for Rural Development
Commissioner for Religious Affairs
Chairman state ALGON
Perm Sec ministry for local government
Sole Administrator, Maru local government council
Sole Administrator, Anka local government
9.Chairman, Zakkat and Endowment Fund
State Party Secretary
Hon Special Adviser ( Political) as the Secretary of the committee.
Local Government Committee
Local Government Sole Administrator as the committee chairman
Local Government party chairman
All members of the National and State Assemblies in the local government
All commissioners and Special Advisers in the local government
Permanent Secretaries and Directors General in the local government
Local Government Secretary
Representatives of the Emirs in the local government
Representatives of all security agencies in the local government.
Local Government party Secretary to serve as Secretary of the committee.
Ward Committee
Ward councillor as chairman.
Ward party chairman
Polling unit Party chairmen
Youth leader
Woman leader
Ward Party Secretary to serve as the committee’s secretary.
Polling Unit Committee
Polling unit party chairman as the chairman.
All members of his EXCO.
Polling Unit Secretary to serve as the committee Secretary.
All the appointed committee members are hereby warned to desist from any wrong doing in the distribution of these items as supervising committees have also been appointed to watch the distribution exercise and report how the exercise was conducted by both the 4 committees.
Members should ensure that the foodstuffs reach the targetted beneficiaries directly and without delay.
The pattern of the distribution is as follows:
Gusau local government
Rice……..2124 bags
Millet…..708 bags
c Maize……1416
Sugar. ….354
Beans……354
Kaura Namoda Local Government
Rice……….1050
Millet………350
Maize……..700
Sugar……..175
Beans……..175
Talata Mafara local government
Rice………. 1110
Millet……… 370
Maize…….. 740
Sugar…….. 185
Beans……..185
Gummi local government
Rice……….1116
Millet………372
Maize……..744
Sugar……..186
Beans……..186
Tsafe local government
Rice……….1200
Millet………400
Maize……..800
Sugar……..200
Beans……..200
Bungudu local government
Rice……….1326
Millet………442
Maize……..884
Sugar……..221
Beans……..221
Zurmi local government
Rice……….1140
Millet………380
Maize……..760
Sugar……..190
Beans……..190
8.Shinkafi local government a. Rice……….738
Millet………246
Maize……..492
Sugar……..123
Beans……..123
Maradun local government
Rice……….876
Millet………292
Maize……..584
Sugar……..146
Beans……..146
Anka local government
Rice……….762
Millet………254
Maize……..508
Sugar……..127
Beans……..127
Birnin Magaji local government
Rice……….738
Millet………246
Maize……..492
Sugar……..123
Beans……..123
Maru local government
Rice……….1284
Millet………428
Maize……..856
Sugar……..214
Beans……214
Bakura local government
Rice……….684
Millet………228
Maize……..456
Sugar……..114
Beans……..114
Bukuyum
Rice……….948
Millet………316
Maize……..632
Sugar……..158
Beans……158
Each polling unit is to receive a total of 14 bags of assorted foodstuffs and commodities.
This is in addition to the welfare packages to other cateries of people including orphans, people with special needs, internally displaced persons, imams, civil servants, Quranic schools and other relevant organisations.
Following mobile telephone numbers are dedicated for any complaints regarding the distribution exercise.
08089036555
08037754225
08067234742
08062703232
The Speaker, Rt Hon Nasiru Muazu Magarya also wishes the general public a happy Ramadan.
One Modu Ari accused of being a Boko Haram spy and supplying information on movement of troops to the terrorists, has been arrested in Yobe state.
Nigerian Army’s spokesperson, Mohammed Yerima confirmed the arrest and also disclosed that the information Ari gave out led to attacks against military operatives.
He said;
“Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have arrested suspected Boko Haram informant whose spying activities and that of his accomplices were responsible for the attacks on troops position by terrorists in Kamuya, Yobe State.
“The informant who was identified as Modu Ari was apprehended by troops of 27 Task Force Brigade.
“On interrogation, he confessed to have revealed troops’ movement 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.
“The unfortunate sabotage of troops movement by Ari and his accomplices made it possible for the terrorists to attack the rear element of troops on patrol.
“Though the attack was swiftly repelled by troops from the Tactical Headquarters of 27 Task Force Brigade and Army Super Camp 3 Buratai, own troops suffered some casualties.
“In spite of the setback, the Chief of Army Staff has encouraged troops of Operation Tura Takaibango to keep their fighting spirit up and to remain dedicated in the effort to flush out the remnants of the terrorists as quickly as possible.
“He charged them not to relent even in the face of gross unpatriotic acts of some locals who are snitching on their movements and positions.”
The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB has condemned plans by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria to deploy 5,000 vigilantes to the South-East region.
The Miyetti Allah group had recently announced it will be deploying the vigilantes to protect herders and their cattle in the South East.
In a statement released by its Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, IPOB said it was ready to resist the plan by Miyetti Allah, adding that the position of the cattle breeders association was an insult on Igbo land.
“The attention of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra has been drawn to the threat by Miyetti Allah to deploy 5,000 jihadists to Biafra land to protect their cows and herders following the floating of Ebube Agu security outfit by South-East governors.
We consider this utterance an insult to the entire Biafra and won’t tolerate it despite our grievances against the treacherous South-East governors and the political elite.
The Miyetti Allah and their terrorists group should know that they shouldn’t play God forever. They are trying to provoke ESN and IPOB to take a drastic action. IPOB and ESN are running out of patience with their insults.”he said
The Dean of Students’ Affairs, Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi in Edo State, Dr Shola Eshiobo, has been found dead in his office.
It was gathered that the lifeless body of the lecturer was discovered in his office on Sunday morning, April 18.
A family source who confirmed the incident to the Tribune, said the wife of the deceased raised the alarm after he did not return home from the office on Saturday.
“He left the house on Saturday, 17 afternoon that he was going to the office to attend to some official matter. He normally goes to the office when he has so much in his hands to do. At about 9 pm when he was not yet back home, the wife started calling his line but there was no pick-up and the call was not returned. She tried until late, still no response,” the source explained.
“Early on Sunday morning, she raised the alarm and told people around that the husband went to the office on Saturday but did not return. They went to the office, they saw his vehicle at the car park but when they got to his office they saw him dead in his office.”
The source added although no foul play was suspected, an autopsy would be carried out to ascertain the cause of the death.
“The corpse has been deposited at the mortuary. Although we are not suspecting any foul play, for now, an autopsy will be carried out,” he added.
The Public Relations Officer of Auchi Polytechnic, Mr Mustapha Oshiobugie, described the incident as unfortunate.
“We heard about the unfortunate incident. The body has been taken to the morgue. An official statement will be made available on Monday,” he stated.
A troubled man has been spotted on a telecommunication’s mast in Ikeja, the Lagos state capital.
The man stormed the mast in the early hours of Monday April 19, and climbed his way to the top of the mast. No one knows his motive for climbing but there are fears that he might be suicidal. Efforts are being made to safely rescue him from the mast.
In-form Super Eagles star, Kelechi Iheanacho has declared his special love for the FA Cup after leaving his Leicester City dreaming of lifting the trophy for the first time in their history.
Iheanacho scored the only goal, his 10th in the last seven games in all competitions, to end Southampton’s campaign and set up a Final clash with Chelsea, Leicester’s first since 1969.
Since his FA Cup debut in January 2016, the Nigerian international has scored 14 goals in 19 games – more than any other player in the competition.
‘The FA Cup loves me and I love the FA Cup,’ said Iheanacho following his impressive display. ‘I was in the right place at the right time. I’ve been unlucky in the past few years but it’s working out well now and I need to go to the next level.’
Vardy’s brilliant burst and cross created Iheanacho’s strike: ‘The partnership is outstanding. He has pace, he has everything. He set up the goal and I was in the right place at the right time.’ Iheanacho added
Leicester Boss Brendan Rodgers also said of the game: ‘The club have been waiting a long time to get to an FA Cup Final. It’s something I’ve been made well aware of and something that means a lot to the supporters.
‘We deserved it. We didn’t concede any efforts on goal, and as the game wore on we looked really bright.
‘The two of them [Vardy and Iheanacho] are a real threat. Jamie may not be scoring but he gives us so much and Kelechi is such a great guy who is at the top of his game in terms of confidence.’
The US has warned Russian president, Vladmir Putin, there will be consequences if Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny dies in jail after doctors warned his health is failing amid hunger strike.
Navalny, an anti-corruption campaigner and Putin’s most-prominent critic, was first arrested in January upon his return to Russia following a Novichok poisoning allegedly carried out by an FSB hit squad.
He was then jailed for two and a half years the following month over an old embezzlement case, and transferred to a penal colony on February 26.
Navalny, 44, has been on hunger strike since March 31 because he says Russian prison guards are refusing him proper treatment for acute pain in his back and numbness in his legs while Moscow insists he is being given adequate care.
US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan said on Sunday April 18 that Biden is weighing up a range of responses if Navalny dies, and that Russia is aware of the threat.
Sullivan said Washington is ‘looking at a variety of different costs that we would impose… if Mr Navalny dies’, while refusing to go into specifics.
The US’s position comes after Yaroslav Ashikhmin, a doctor acting on behalf of Navalny’s family, said test results carried out in prison show dangerous levels of potassium in his blood along with signs of kidney failure.
‘Our patient could die at any moment,’ Ashikhmin warned.
On March 15 Navalny uploaded his first Instagram post from inside jail, likening conditions to ‘a concentration camp’ alongside an image of him with a shaved head.
On Saturday Biden called Navalny’s treatment ‘unfair’ and ‘totally inappropriate’ when asked about it during a round of golf.
At least 11 people have been killed and 98 left injured after four carriages on a passenger train derailed in Egypt
The country’s railway authority said in a statement that the four train wagons ran off the rails at 1.54pm on Sunday in the Qalyubia province, just north of Cairo.
The train had been heading to the Nile Delta city of Mansoura from the Egyptian capital when the carriages derailed.
The health ministry confirmed that at least 11 people had been killed with about 98 people left with injuries, including broken bones, cuts, and bruises.
According to authorities, more than 60 ambulances had been dispatched to the site of the derailed train and had been working to transport those injured in the incident to the hospital.
Former US President Donald Trump has faulted Joe Biden’s timeline for removing troops from Afghanistan following a 20 year old war with the Taliban controlled state.
Last week, Biden said the withdrawal of American troops will begin on May 1, in line with the agreement the Trump administration made with the Taliban but finish on September 11, the 20th anniversary of the World Trade center bombing by Alqaeda that made the US enter into war with Afghanistan.
Though Trump offered his support of President Joe Biden’s plans to bring home American troops, he urged his successor to draw an end to America’s longest war well before the September 11 deadline that Biden set last week.
Trump said that while leaving Afghanistan is “a wonderful and positive thing to do,” he had set a May 1 withdrawal deadline and added that “we should keep as close to that schedule as possible.”
“I wish Joe Biden wouldn’t use September 11 as the date to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, for two reasons. First, we can and should get out earlier. Nineteen years is enough, in fact, far too much and way too long,” Trump said
“September 11 represents a very sad event and period for our Country and should remain a day of reflection and remembrance honoring those great souls we lost.” he added.
Trump’s statement didnt go down well with all his allies though .
One of his fiercest allies, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, tweeted Sunday evening: “
I could not disagree more with former President Trump regarding his support for President Biden’s withdrawal of all forces from Afghanistan against sound military advice.”
“With all due respect to former President Trump, there is nothing ‘wonderful’ or ‘positive’ about allowing safe havens and sanctuary for terrorists to reemerge in Afghanistan or see Afghanistan be drawn back into another civil war,” Graham added.
Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Tottenham after just 17 months in charge, despite being in the EFL cup final.
Tottenham have endured a disastrous 2021, crashing out of the Europa League while falling down the premier league table.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy gave Jose his marching orders on Monday morning, April 19 .
The club confirmed former midfielder Ryan Mason would be in charge of Monday’s first-team training session in the absence of Mourinho.
Spurs’ academy coach Mason is expected to take over as caretaker manager alongside Chris Powell until the end of the season. A permanent replacement is expected to be named in the summer.
The announcement of Mourinho’s departure comes just hours after Tottenham became one of six Premier League clubs to sign up for the controversial European Super League.
In a brief statement on their website, the club wrote: “The club can today announce that Jose Mourinho and his coaching staff Joao Sacramento, Nuno Santos, Carlos Lalin and Giovanni Cerra have been relieved of their duties.”
Chairman Levy added: “Jose and his coaching staff have been with us through some of our most challenging times as a club.
“Jose is a true professional who showed enormous resilience during the pandemic.
“On a personal level I have enjoyed working with him and regret that things have not worked out as we both had envisaged.
“He will always be welcome here and we should like to thank him and his coaching staff for their contribution.”
As well as crashing out of the Europa League, throwing away a 2-0 first-leg lead over Dinamo Zagreb in the last-16, Tottenham haven’t been in good form
In their last three games, Tottenham drew 2-2 with relegation-threatened Newcastle, were soundly beaten 3-1 by Man Utd and, most-recently, they drew 2-2 at Everton.
Tottenham now sit seventh in the Premier League, five points off the top four, with Liverpool and Chelsea – in sixth and fifth respectively
A Nigerian woman, Bimbo Grace Kolawole on Sunday, April 18, marked the 17th year since she married a dude she used to hate with passion.
According to Bimbo, she was in senior secondary school when she first saw the dude that later became her husband and it wasn’t even ‘like’ at first sight.
In fact, everything about the man made her stomach cringe…from the way he used to blast music to how he showed up at their house to eat all their food and pock nose into matters that had nothing to do with him. Read Bimbo’s funny but heartwarming love story below:
“Have you planned on embarrassing someone and you ended up embarrassing yourself Okay me too,” she began.
So back in the days there was this bros that came from God knows where to stay with our Neighbor four blocks away from my apartment, when he is driving his car he will be blasting music like he is a DJ. Infact that was a big put off, I hated this guy with every once in me because to me he was proud and was doing unnecessary show off.
So when I saw our neighbor I was asking him who that lousy person in his house came from, our neighbor said he was a new staff who just came from Calabar, I think I was confused or maybe I just decided in my small head that this new guy can be nothing but a driver,
Ha my hatred for this dude increased, unfortunately for him he saw me on my way back from the Well and he asked his flat mate who I was, the guy told him to remove his eyes because that girl no dey smile ooo plus her father na one of the retired Major for the Quaters and very strict.
Do you know that as much as his flat mate preached to this guy he still brought his two legs to our apartment? Infact the moment he knew my mother sold Provision he will come and buy the most irrelevant thing anyone can think off. My mother liked him ennnn, then my older brother then my Dad, he literally became friends with my whole family. At this point everything about this dude irritated my whole being.
Okay so he also had the hubby of showing up at our door step as soon as I finished cooking and he would eat the food like he had a chef he employed to be cooking for him, my parents will even be reminding me to ensure his food is saved ooo. Me I’ll be like abi I shu give this bros indocid ni. His mother did not teach him not to be doing long throat ni.
Okay so he continued coming to our house and he had another hubby of chooking his mouth in talks that was clearly non of his business. Ha my dear sisters my parents fell so much inlove with someone I detest so much and my parents were even praying he marries one of their daughters. Me I kukuma did not send them.since I was still in SS2 so I wasn’t in the picture of one of the marriable daughters but the thought of this dude becoming my brother inlaw made my stomach cringe.
Okay so my dad started complaining that I don’t read, as my dad was yelling at me and me in turn has swell up like 3 days soaked garri this dude came again to puknose into the matter. Ha in my head I’m like this guy no dey tire ni He even offered toe teaching me physics and chemistry. As he offered I was muttering curse words deep within me. As soon as my Dad gave him to go ahead to lecture me I knew within me that this guy should me taught a lesson of minding his business and not crossing my lane.
Okay so he started to lecture me and I had no choice but to pay attention unless my Dad will port me back to factory reset. Then I sat for my SSCE and passed, chaiiii that even made this uncle a Champ in out house ooo. He doesn’t only blast music and steal people’s family members he also has brain to show off like super Mario.
Then my hatred became times 1 million and I was desperate to embarrass him, but I did not know how to do it. (How do you even think of embarrassing someone who helped you pass WAEC ) well I hated him that much ojare.
So one day his village people pushed him to beakon on me one day on the street when I was coming from the Well, with water on my head faaaaa this guy said and I quote ” You know I like you alot right?” Hahahaha me i put my water down from my head and started hurling curse at uncle, he stood transfixed holding his steering like he was in shook.
Me I vomited all the things I’ve been keeping inside me for over 1 year. After I was satisfied I carried my water on my head and shook my fat bombom back to our flat. Then it dawned on me that he might telly Dad what I did I began to sweat like Christmas goat. As soon as I saw him approaching our flat I wanted to write my WILL because my dad will bury me alive but I remembered that I don’t have any dependants so I maned up and waited for my sentence. This guy did not even report me to anyone oooooo. I was happy and well that still did not change my mind about him.
So I told a friend about him and how much I disliked him but that I think his eyes are one… ha greatest mistake of my life. This girl now said spend his money, teach him a lesson he will never forget. Me still think he is a common driver ooooo, I now told him I wanted to go to Mr Biggs, everyone knows that was the top notch eatery back in the days.
Now The Embarrassment
He fell for the trap, he was very happy that I even spoke to him, so he took me and my friend to the eatery, I started to order ooooo
Meat pie 4
Fried rice 5
Jellof 4
Scotch egg 15
My friend… Bimbo order more, he is not even sweating
Me….. coslaw 4
Ice cream… 3 big bowl
I looked at uncle he was not even breaking a sweat but with a smirk on my face. I said I was done, well I was waiting for this guy to say he could not afford to pay do that I’ll tell him next time go approach your class not me. Me that I don’t have any achievements back then ooooo
Okay uncle responded saying double all her orders.
Me
My friend . Bimbo I thought you said he was a driver
Me… shaking my head like agama lizard in affirmation
My friend… ha this one no be driver oooo, abi did he not just say double her order abi I did not hear well ni
Me..
You kukuma hear well
At this point all the attendant at the eatery was laughing at me
That’s how we sha carry like 25 lylon filled bags of food that only wanted to eat. Sebi I wanted to act classy bros kukuma change am for me and turned me to ebina (food mongering moth)
I’ll drop my pen here…FYI. This year makes it 17 years and still counting that I married that dude.
Hollywood actor, Dwayne The Rock Johnson also known as The Rock and his wife Lauren Hashian have purchased a new mansion in California’s North Beverly Park.
Some of The Rock’s new neighbors include Eddie Murphy, Sofia Vergara, Denzel Washington, and Sylvester Stallone
The Rock purchased the home from actor and comedian Paul Reiser. Before Reiser owned it was owned by Alex Van Halen, who built the home in 1993.
The Mediterranean-style home includes a main mansion and a detached 2,500 square foot guesthouse, totaling around 18,000 square feet and occupying more than 3.6 acres.
The home features a top of the line gym, full-size tennis court, a baseball diamond, a movie theater, a music studio, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, an elevator, and dozens of olive trees spread around the property, as well as an olive-tree lined driveway.
The Rachakonda Cybercrime Police in Hyderabad has arrested a Nigerian football coach and his Indian accomplice on charges of cheating people in the guise of sending valuable gifts and foreign currency on social media.
The suspects identified as Henry Chukwudi Opara, 31, and and Suraj, 29, an auto-rickshaw driver from Uttar Pradesh were arrested on Saturday, April 17. Both are residents of Goutham Buddha Nagar in Greater Noida.
According to the police, Henry who came to India on medical visa for a surgery, married a woman from Karnataka and settled in Hyderabad. He further joined as part time football coach in New Delhi, where he met his fellow Nigerians who committed online frauds including gift frauds, job frauds and loan frauds.
“Henry too adopted the same modus operandi to earn easy money and joined them and started cheating people online. They fraudulently procured the bank accounts to carry out their transactions,” police said.
In December 2020, they cheated a person from Hyderabad on the pretext of sending gift and foreign currency and fabricated a story that the parcel was caught by customs people at Delhi Airport, and to get it released made the victim transfer money into bank accounts provided by Suraj.
Following a complaint from the victim, the cybercrime police booked a case and with the help of technical clues traced and nabbed the suspects. They were produced before the court on Sunday and remanded in judicial custody.
The Queenof England will be without her husband Prince Philip for the first time in seven decades when she celebrates her 95th birthday this week.
The widowed monarch will turn 95 on Wednesday, and to mark her birthday a new portrait of her which was to be released won’t be out again as she continues to grieve for her husband of 73 years.
A source told The Mirror: ‘The Queen will not be alone. ‘She will have others who care about her deeply and want to be there to support her in her most pressing hour.
‘In typical fashion, the Queen has insisted she is coping and despite the suggestion she had prepared herself for this day to come, everyone is well aware there is nothing like the experience when it comes.’
It comes after the Queen was reported to have said she was ‘coping’ after the Duke of Edinburgh’s death. She was seen on Sunday driving out of Windsor Castle in a green Jaguar wearing a headscarf.
The plan to support her was reportedly formed by the senior female royals, including Princess Anne, Kate Middleton, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, and Sophie the Countess of Wessex.
There also reports that Prince Harry may stay for the Queen’s birthday, instead of heading back to the US straight away to pregnant wife Meghan Markle as was expected.
Another source told The Sun: ‘If all goes well, he could stay for the Queen’s birthday.’
Instagram comedian, Mr Macaroni has explained why he is using his platform to call out the Nigerian police force.
This came after a follower engaged him in a tweet in which he (Mr Macaroni) alleged that there is always a “negative report or the other about the Nigerian Police every day as they’ve turned themselves to criminals.”
According to the comedian, he swore to use his platform to call out the evil Nigerian police perpetrate after they took turns to beat him after he was arrested during the botched #EndSARS protest months ago.
He tweeted;
Everyday, there is always one Negative report or the other about the Nigerian Police. The Police have turned themselves to criminals. Robbing us, oppressing us and doing everything in their power to make life miserable for the Average Nigerian.
I should promote the same police institution that oppresses Nigerians? Majority of your officers are just there to steal, rob, harass, brutalize and oppress the people. We see it happen everyday. You swore an oath to protect. Yet you kill and destroy. Zero conscience!
When I was at Adeniji police station, the police officers took turns to beat me up. They were even calling themselves to come and beat ‘Mr Macaroni’ They said in my life when next I hear police, I will run! One said if not that people would ask about me, he would have killed me.
That very day, I swore never to stop using my platform to call out the evil that the Police do. If they can do that to someone people know, imagine what they do to hundreds of thousands of unknown Nigerians. We are in court though. We filed since last month. Aluta Continua
The Hip Hop community has suffered another loss after the death of rap legend, DMX.
Former Bad Boy rapper, Black Rob has passed away at the age of 51.
The rapper, real name Robert Ross, passed away on Saturday, April 17 after suffering a variety of ailments including kidney failure. He had recently been discharged from the hospital and was reportedly planning to relocate to Atlanta because he was homeless.
His death was confirmed in a statement by popular New York City promoter, Van Silk.
“We’ve lost another member of our Hip Hop family,” Van Silk tells HipHopDX. “Many may have been unaware that Black Rob has been sick over the years until Mark Curry posted the video from the hospital. My memory of Black Rob was when he use to come by DJ Kay Slay’s studio to do the mixtapes. He was a someone who you would just wanna hang around with. May my brother Rest In Heaven.”
The death has left the Hip Hop community shattered considering DMX passed away just eight days ago with Black Rob offering his condolences from a hospital bed.
The Harlem rapper was featured on a variety of records with artists on Bad Boy, including G. Dep’s “Special Delivery,” as well as the remixes to Total’s single “What About Us,” Faith’s “Love Like Us,” Mase’s “24 Hrs. To Live” and others.
Black Rob released four albums over the course of his career. Life Story was released in 2000, followed by The Black Rob Report in 2005.
CNN host, Chris Cuomo has opined that police and gun reform won’t happen until “White people’s kids start getting killed.”
The U.S. has faced multiple major shootings over the past month, most recently in Indianapolis where a gunman opened fire at a FedEx facility, killing eight.
Also, tensions have grown in some parts of the US where protesters and rioters are on edge as they await the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial and demand justice in the police-involved killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota and 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago, among others.
Cuomo, however, feels the problem of police shootings will end when white kids start getting killed.
“Shootings, gun laws, access to weapons. Oh, I know when they’ll change,” said CNN anchor on his show “Cuomo primetime”.
“[When] your kids start getting killed. White people’s kids start getting killed.”
Cuomo continued; “What’s going on with these police? Maybe we shouldn’t even have police,” he said.
“That kind of madness. That kind of mania. That will be you. That will be the majority. Because it’s your people,” Cuomo said, apparently directed at the White members of his audience.
“How many more?” Cuomo asked. “Die of the pandemic, dying from police shootings. George Floyd, Daunte Wright. I wonder if you’ll remember their names six months from now because they’ll be replaced by so many others.”
Cuomo pointed out people have now started to focus on the past of the victims in police shootings rather than the police which is the main problem.
“Why do that? Because you wanna make the problem them,” he said. “Takes the onus off the idea that you’re wrong about policing needing to change.”
“Forget that police are trained to deal with non-compliance with force that is not lethal. Hey, comply or die,” Cuomo said.
At least 41 migrants drowned after a boat carrying African migrants sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, United Nations and Tunisian officials said on Friday, April 16.
The Tunisian costguard had so far recovered 21 bodies, all African migrants and rescued three people.
The dead included at least one child, 12 men and 8 women. Seventeen other people were missing.
“The boat sank during a trip that started late on Thursday from Sfax… So far, the coastguard has recovered 21 bodies and the search is still continuing,” Mouard Mechri, director of Tunisia’s civil protection service, told Reuters.
The coastline near the port city of Sfax has become a major departure point for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Africa and the Middle East and seeking a better life in Europe.
The U.N. migration agency IOM and the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said in a statement:
“This tragic loss of life underscores once again the need to enhance and expand State-led search and rescue operations across the Central Mediterranean, where some 290 people have lost their lives so far this year,”
“Solidarity across the region and support to national authorities in their efforts to prevent loss of life and prosecute smugglers and traffickers should be a priority.”
The central Mediterranean is the deadliest route for would-be migrants to Europe, who usually board makeshift vessels for the crossing.
“So far this year, sea departures from Tunisia to Europe have more than tripled compared to the same period in 2020,” the UNHCR-IOM statement added.
Meanwhile, Protegeons Les Migrants, Pas Les Frontieres have identified two of the African migrants as Mado and Adamo.
Bishop David Oyedepo has shared his thoughts about the COVID-19 vaccination which is currently ongoing in the country.
The Founder of the Living Faith Church Worldwide (aka Winners’ Chapel) who spoke during his church’s Covenant Hour of Prayer programme, said he won’t take the COVID-19 vaccine because he is not a guinea pig.
Bishop Oyedepo further stated that it is inhuman and immoral to force people to take vaccine. He said;
“A generation where people are forced to take vaccines. It is inhuman; it is immoral sir. I’m not a lawyer, but I do not think it is legal. You can’t come to my house and want to give me injections.
“On what? Did I invite you? They are confused. But the church has the answer. Did you see any outbreak of virus here? How will it enter the gate? Will it come through the air?
“How? One woman just got down after that injection in Kaduna. What kind of life? Are human beings now turned to guinea pigs? The world is confused but the church is lighted.
“So the triumph of the church will humble the pride of the world. They don’t know what to do sir. In the last days, the church will be reigning in power and glory. That is God’s agenda.
“No apologies. There is a big, big bird in our land, saying ‘don’t take it, they are deceivers’. Let me see someone who will come and inject me. By who?
“Are you going to tie my hands? How? Did I invite you? I know you are quiet, you will hear more of it. My job is to expose the devil and tell his agents, ‘get off, we are not guinea pigs.”
Two suspected drug traffickers intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, have excreted 191 pellets of cocaine, heroin.
Director, Media & Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, April 18, said Chukwudi Destiny was arrested during the outward clearance of an Italy bound Ethiopian Airline.
“On 10th April 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. Consequently, he was placed under excretion observation and in the process; he excreted 92 pellets of Heroin with a total weight of 1.300Kg,” the statement says.
On Friday 16th of April, 2021, another trafficker, Ezekiel Chibuzo who arrived Lagos from Brazil on board Qatar airline was also arrested for drug ingestion. He has so far excreted 99 wraps of cocaine.
Also on 12th April 2021, during the inbound examination of consignments on Ethiopian airline cargo flight from South Africa, operatives at SAHCO import shed made a seizure of 11.550kg of Heroin cleverly packed and concealed in corn flakes cartons. Four clearing agents are in custody in connection to the seizure.
According to the Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, a sting operation was executed on the address provided by one the suspects.
In the process, a Congolese, Kayembe Kamba Mazepy was arrested. After his arrest, he mentioned another person who is to receive the parcel from him.
On the strength of the information, another sting operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday 17th April, 2021 where the person that came to take delivery was arrested.
In a similar development, officers at export shed of the airport have also seized 822.950kg of khat leaves heading to UK and US.
Reacting to the latest drug haul at the airport, Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of the MMIA Command for their commitment to the nations crusade against illicit drugs.
“While I commend the officers and men of our MMIA Command, let me again warn unrepentant barons and traffickers that the game is up for them because well continue to disrupt their criminal trade as part of efforts to secure our country and protect the future of our youths, Marwa stated in his message on Sunday.” he stated.
The Duchess of Cambridge was pictured in Her Majesty’s jewels as she arrived at St George’s Chapel for Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral today.
Kate Middleton, 39, rocked the Queen’s pearls paired with drop pearl earrings, both from Her Majesty’s personal collection, with a black face covering and pillar-box hat with net veil for the funeral.
She completed her look with a black £1,605 Roland Mouret dress, the same outfit she wore for the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in 2018.
The Japanese Pearl choker necklace was worn by Kate for the Queen and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary dinner at Windsor Castle in 2017, and by her late mother-in-law Princess Diana in 1982.
The Queen loaned it to Diana, who loved pearls, for a banquet given by Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands at Hampton Court Palace during the Dutch royal family’s visit to the UK.
The Queen asked for the four-row Japanese Pearl Choker to be made from ‘the finest cultured pearls’ which were a gift from the Japanese government. It has four strands of pearls with a central curved diamond clasp.
The Monarch wore the choker in the 1980s and 1990s, and to a dinner celebrating former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s 70th Birthday in London in 1995.
At the funeral service, the Duchess sat alone in the Chapel as members of the congregation followed the social distancing guidelines.
A California mom suspected of murdering her three young children before going on a carjacking spree, has confessed to drowning them “as softly as she could” in a chilling jailhouse interview.
Liliana Carrillo, 30, claimed she wanted to protect her son and two daughters from their father, who she believes is a human trafficker and would have ‘abused them’.
Carrillo’s kids, Joanna Denton Carrillo, 3, Terry, 2, and 6-month-old Sierra were found dead on Saturday, April 10, by their grandma in her apartment in Reseda, Los Angeles. Their mother had vanished.
She was later arrested on suspicion of carjacking, having stolen a truck. She said in her interview that she wanted to drive off of a cliff and kill herself.
‘I drowned them. I did it as softly, I don’t know how to explain it. I didn’t want them to be further abused,’ an emotional Carrillo told KGET-TV, during an interview at the Lerdo Pre-Trial Facility in Kern County.
‘I promised them when they were born that I was going to protect them. I hugged them and I kissed them and I was apologizing the whole time,’ she said. ‘I loved my kids.’
‘I wish my kids were alive, yes,’ she said. ‘Do I wish that I didn’t have to do that? Yes. But I prefer them not being tortured and abused on a regular basis for the rest of their lives.’
She didn’t reveal how she drowned them.
‘I wish my kids were alive, yes. Do I wish I didn’t have to do that, yes? But I prefer them not being tortured and abused on a regular basis for the rest of their life.’
Carrillo hasn’t been charged with the deaths of her children in Los Angeles County pending further investigation.
Court filings showed there was a bitter custody dispute between Carrillo and the children’s father, Erik Denton.
On March 1, Denton petitioned a court for custody, alleging that Carrillo was delusional and had taken the kids and refused to tell him where they were.
In response to his filing, Carrillo filed a restraining order against him and claimed Denton was an alcoholic who may have sexually abused their eldest child.
Denton’s court filings tell of Carrillo’s post-partum depression following the birth of their middle child. She began therapy but quit, and self-medicated with marijuana, he claimed.
In texts and social media posts, she said things like ‘I wish I never had kids’ and threatened to kill herself, he alleged.
In her interview, Carrillo said she had dealt with depression, anxiety, and PTSD her whole life and had sought out a therapist for postpartum depression but claimed that it was her husband who posed a threat to the children.
Carrillo alleged that her daughter and a son had shown signs of abuse and that she had tried but failed to obtain help through social workers and law enforcement.
‘They were just going to hand them off to the dad,’ she said.
Through the courts, Denton and Carrillo agreed to swap Denton´s days to see the children for a few hours every other Sunday.
Last Sunday was supposed to be just his second visit with the kids under the new schedule, but it was late as the kids were all dead.
Carrillo said she expects to spend the rest of her life in prison.
Asked what her final message to her children, she replied: ‘I love you, and I´m sorry.’
A 39-year-old nurse in the US state of Florida has been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Niviane Petit Phelps was arrested following an investigation by the US Secret Service.
Acording to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, On March 3, Special Agent David Ballenger was notified of a threat to kill Harris.
The threats were sent by Phelps to her incarcerated spouse in Wakulla Correctional Institution via JPay, a computer application that allows sharing of media between non-incarcerated and incarcerated people.
A Secret Service special agent assigned to the case obtained the videos and photographs that were sent by Phelps to her spouse.
“Niviane Petit Phelps knowingly and willfully made threats to kill and inflict bodily harm upon the Vice President of the United States in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 871,” from February 13 through February 18, according to the complaint.
“The videos (that are of relevance to this investigation) generally depict Phelps complaining and speaking angrily to the camera about her hatred for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, among others,” read the complaint. “However, in these videos, Phelps also made statements about killing Vice President Harris.”
In one of the videos, “Phelps stated: ‘Kamala Harris you are going to die. Your days are numbered already,” added the complaint. In another video on February 18, Phelps stated, “I’m going to the gun range. … I swear to God, today is your day you’re gonna die. 50 days from today, mark this day down.” Phelps expressed how she believes Harris not actually ‘Black’ and how during inauguration she disrespectfully put her hand on her clutch purse instead of the Bible.
The complaint said investigators also found a photo that showed Phelps at a shooting range, holding a pistol and smiling next to a target with bullet holes. She also applied for a concealed weapons permit in February, the complaint said.
On March 3, the Secret Service and detectives from the Miami-Dade Police Department went to Phelps’ residence to interview her, but she refused to speak with them at the time, according to the complaint.
On March 6, a Secret Service agent went to speak with Phelps at her home. According to the complaint, Phelps said, “She was angry at the time about Kamala Harris becoming Vice President but that she is ‘over it now.’
Harris, 56, is the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice President.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Kenya, have arrested a 38-year-old married man over the brutal murder of his girlfriend.
The suspect, Evans Karani is accused of murdering 25-year-old Catherine Nyokabi in Witeithie area, Juja in Kiambu County.
Juja Sub-County Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO), Richard Mwaura, who confirmed the incident on Friday, April 16, said the suspect attempted to discard Nyokabi’s body on Wednesday but his efforts were thwarted by mud.
While transporting Nyokabi’s body in his car, Karani’s vehicle got stuck in mud on Bob Harris road in Juja, forcing him to flee, leaving the body and car behind, the DCI said.
Police, who arrived at the scene following a report by locals, verified the car ownership from the National Transport and Safety Authority’s Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
A hunt for Karani was, consequently, launched by a multi-agency team comprising police, DCI officers and the agency’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) officer
On Friday morning, April 16, detectives, via phone signal, tracked down Karani to his rented house in Githurai Kimbo area, where they arrested the suspect.
The authorities said Nyokabi’s body had been burnt using a corrosive chemical.
“She was badly disfigured. Besides the burn injuries, she had bruises on the face and head. It appears she was tortured before being killed,” a detective told The Standard.
Authorities said the suspect confessed to killing Nyokabi, a hotel worker in Kahawa Wendani, following a bitter conflict, which they had been embroiled in for the past two weeks.
Karani, who is married, reportedly told police Nyokabi was his secret lover.
The deceased’s father, Gitonga Njogu, told The Standard that initial reports suggested his daughter, the first born in a family of four children, died in a road accident.
“On Facebook, certain people were claiming my child was killed in a car crash in Juja. However, when we got to see her body at the City Mortuary, we were shocked. The visible injuries clearly indicated Nyokabi’s cause of death was not a road accident as had been alleged,” said Njogu.
“My girl (Nyokabi) was hard-working, cheerful and very loving. Her future was promising,” said Njogu while attempting to balance a tear in his eyes.
The old man said Nyokabi had, in the past, introduced Karani to him as her suitor.
“I knew them to be lovers. Just like in any other relationship, they had differences, which I would help them iron out. Two weeks ago, my daughter said she and Karani had broken up. I told her, it was okay; she shouldn’t cling onto a relationship in which she was unhappy. That was the last time I heard of the suspect.”
Karani will be arraigned on Monday, April 19, when detectives would seek to detain him longer to allow for investigations to be completed.
Prince William and Harry have appeared in public together for the first time in more than a year at their grandfather Philip’s funeral at Windsor Castle.
The princes, who were dressed in suits did not stand shoulder to shoulder behind the Duke of Edinburgh’s coffin but walked beside their cousin Peter Phillips to the St George’s Chapel for Prince Philip’s funeral this afternoon.
William, 38, and Harry, 36, are among nine members of the Royal Family who walked behind their grandfather’s typically unique coffin this afternoon, leaving the Sovereign’s entrance at Windsor Castle at precisely 2.45pm.
It’s the first time Harry and William have been seen together since March 2020, when they attended a Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey with other royals.
Royal aides have been ‘walking on eggshells’ as they try to navigate the rift between the brothers, sources said last night as tensions remain following Harry and Meghan’s acrimonious split from the Royal Family last y
Princess Shyngle has denounced her country and asked her fellow countrymen to stay away from her.
The 30-year-old actress, who is from The Gambia, took to Instagram to call Gambia the “worst country in history”. She also called the people of Gambia the “worst people “.
She said she never wants to have anything to do with the country and asked Gambians to unfollow her.
“I don’t ever want to associate with anything that has to do with Gambia,” she wrote, adding “I am not Gambian, I have nothing to do with Gambia.”
This comes one week after she revealed on Instagram that her weeks-old marriage to her best friend crashed shortly after they married.
ose Mourinho has hit back at Paul Pogba’s recent criticism of him, after the Manchester United star said he sees his current coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a different and better type of manager to Mourinho because he doesn’t “go against the players”.
Pogba notoriously had a bad relationship with Mourinho at Old Trafford, and recently admitted that he was unsure why that relationship went sour.
“What I have now with Ole is different, he wouldn’t go against the players. He wouldn’t go against the players,” Pogba told Sky Sports.
“Maybe Ole wouldn’t pick them, but it’s not like he puts them on the side like they don’t exist anymore. That’s the difference between Mourinho and Ole.
“Once I had a great relationship with Mourinho, everybody saw that, and the next day you don’t know what happened. That’s the strange thing I had with Mourinho and I cannot explain to you because even I don’t know.”
Mourinho, whose side Tottenham have exited the Europa league and are doing poorly in the premier league has now responded.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his Tottenham side drew Everton, Mourinho replied: “I would like to say that I couldn’t care less with what he says. I couldn’t care less. Not interested at all.”
