Japanese doctors have performed what doctors say is the world’s first lung transplant from living donors to a recovered coronavirus patient after operating on a Japanese woman whose lungs were severely damaged by Covid-19.
According to Kyoto University Hospital in Japan, the woman underwent an 11-hour operation by a 30-strong medical team on Wednesday, April 7, to transplant lung tissue from her husband and son.
Covid-19 which can cause severe lung damage in some patients, has made some patients who recovered from the disease receive lung transplants as part of their recovery from the disease.
But the Kyoto hospital said this case was the first in which lung tissue had been transplanted from living donors to a Covid-19 patient.
Dr. Hiroshi Date, who led the operation, said it gave hope to patients suffering from severe lung damage from Covid-19.
“We demonstrated that we now have an option of lung transplants (from living donors),” he said at a Thursday news conference.
The patient, identified only as a woman from Japan’s western region of Kansai, contracted Covid-19 late in 2020, and spent months on a life support machine that worked as an artificial lung, according to Kyoto University Hospital.
Covid-19 caused so much damage to her lungs they were no longer functional, meaning she required a lung transplant to live.
The woman’s husband and son then offered to donate parts of their lungs.
Transplants from brain-dead donors are rare in Japan, and live donors are considered a better option, according to the hospital’s statement.
The husband and son are in a stable condition and the woman remains in intensive care. She’s expected to be able to leave the hospital in about two months, according to the hospital.
Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth, has died at the age of 99.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who was married to Queen Elizabeth for 73 years, was said to be the monarch’s rock during her 69-year reign.
He spent his final days at Windsor Castle with his wife after a 28-night stay in hospital having been admitted in mid-February for an infection and a pre-existing heart condition.
Her Majesty announced her husband’s death at midday today, April 9.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
“His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.”
Bayern Munich veteran defender, Jerome Boateng will leave the club in the summer after a decade at the club, the German club have confirmed.
The Germany international’s deal at the Allianz Arena runs out at the end of the season and he won’t be given a new contract, meaning he can sign for another club on a free transfer.
“Jerome’s contract expires in the summer. It will not be extended,” the club sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic told Sky in Germany
“That was a joint decision of the club management and the coach was also involved. I explained that to Jerome and he was very understanding. He leaves through a big door – hopefully with titles.”
Austria’s David Alaba will also leave Bayern in the summer upon the expiry of his contract to join Real Madrid.
Boateng has played 31 games for Bayern this season, scoring two goals for the Bundesliga leaders.
He originally signed for Bayern in 2011 from Manchester City and has won eight Bundesliga titles while also claiming the DFB-Pokal on five occasions. In addition, Boateng won two Champions League titles with the club and two Club World Cup titles.
An item suspected to be an explosive has been found at the Union Primary School, Afaraukwu in Umuahia North LGA in Abia state.
The state Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, disclosed this in a statement released today April 8. According to Kalu, the state government is currently working with relevant security agencies in the state to unravel the source and nature of the suspected explosive devices found at the Union Primary School, Afaraukwu in Umuahia North Local Government Area.
The statement reads
“Abia State Government is currently working with relevant security agencies in the state to unravel the source and nature of the suspected explosive devices found at Union Primary School, Afaraukwu in Umuahia North LGA.
While initial examination of the devices show evidence of corrosion leading to suspicion of the materials being relics of the civil war era, we are awaiting a definite official report from the EOD squad of the Nigeria Police who are currently investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, necessary measures have been taken to protect the pupils and staff of the school with security sweeps ongoing while the school is temporarily closed.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has directed security agencies to embark on proactive checks in other vulnerable locations out of abundance of caution.
While we are grateful to God that there is no harm to life or property, we urge citizens and residents to continue to maintain vigilance and report suspicious situations to security agents.”
The gunman who killed five people including a prominent doctor in South Carolina, has been identified as former NFL player Phillip Adams.
32-year-old Adams played for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets in a five year career that began in 2010. He was drafted in the seventh round in 2010 by the 49ers. He also suffered multiple injuries in the NFL, including concussions and a broken left ankle.
It was learnt that after after the shooting, Adams was found by police in a home near the shooting site. After police surrounded the home, Adams is believed to have killed himself, law enforcement sources said.
The York County coroner’s office said Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5.
A man who had been working at the home, James Lewis, 38, from Gaston, was found shot to death outside, and a sixth person was hospitalized with “serious gunshot wounds,” York County Sheriff’s Office’s spokesperson Trent Faris said.
According to the reports, there was a prior connection between Adams and the victims. The football player’s parents live in the area and Phillip had reportedly been previously treated by Dr. Robert Lesslie.
Officials have however not said what the motive was for Adams to target Robert Lesslie and Lesslie’s wife, two grandchildren, and two maintenance workers who were at the house.
Five people including two children are dead following a shooting inside a home in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
The victims of the Wednesday evening, April 8, shooting near Rock Hill included a doctor, his wife, and their two grandchildren,the York County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet.
Police were called to the scene following reports of a shooting at 4:45 p.m.
The York County coroner’s office said Dr. Robert Lesslie, 70, and his wife, Barbara Lesslie, 69, were pronounced dead at the scene along with grandchildren Adah Lesslie, 9, and Noah Lesslie, 5, as a result of gunshot wounds.
A fifth victim, James Lewis, 38, from Gaston, was found dead outside.
In addition to the five people who were killed, another person was transported to the hospital with “serious gunshot wounds,” said Faris, who described the incident as a mass shooting.
“This is a very tragic, tragic situation and the family does ask that you respect their privacy during this time,” Faris said.
“Dr. Lesslie has been one of those people that everybody knows. He started Riverview Medical Center in Rock Hill and it has been a staple in Rock Hill for years,” Faris said.
Lesslie was the founder of Riverview House Calls & Riverview Hospice and Palliative Care, according to its website, and had been practicing in Rock Hill since 1981. In a personal bio page, Lesslie says he and his wife had been married for 40 years, raised four children, and had nine grandchildren.
“In my spare time, I enjoy ?writing, golf, hunting, growing fruit and hops, and bagpiping,” the bio page says.
As for the suspect, Faris said: “We have found the person we believe is responsible and we are with them at this time.”
“That’s all I can say about that suspect,” the spokesman added.
The sheriff’s office said authorities found the suspect “in a nearby house. Detectives are still in the area serving a search warrant & investigating this tragic event.”
Cardi B’s daughter was pictured rocking her new designer assessories after her rapper mom spent more than $26,600 during a “crazy” designer shopping spree for the child.
Cardi went shopping for Kulture, 2, on Tuesday. After the shopping spree, Kulture posed with her new Dior handbag, Chanel earrings, lavish Chanel bow on her head and UGG boots in a collection of sweet snaps shared to Instagram on Wednesday, April 7.
The Dior quilted handbag cost $4,212 and the Chanel earrings cost $439.
The rapper, 28, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, captioned the photos with: “Made in Belcalis. @kulturekiari my girly cheetah girl.”
Cardi showcased seven handbags and a bracelet, worth more than £26,600, that she bought her two-year-old toddler during a shopping spree at Chanel and Dior.
“Oooh I went crazy shopping, all for Kulture though, nothing mine. All KK. What? God gave me a doll for a reason. I shop more for her [than] I do for myself!”Cardi said on Instagram.
Barcelona forward, Antoine Griezmann and his wife, Erika Choperena have welcomed their third child together, a baby boy named Alba.
The France international, 30, took to his Instagram official page on Thursday, April 8, to announce the birth of his new child with the caption; “Alba 08.04.21 ”
Uniquely, Griezmann’s three children all share the same birthday. The Barcelona star’s eldest daughter Mía Griezmann was born on April 8, 2016, and brother Amaro Griezmann arrived on the same day in 2019.
Brazilian superstar, Neymar has been banned for Paris Saint-Germain’s next two Ligue 1 matches, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has announced.
The Brazil international was sent off following an altercation with Lille defender Tiago Djalo, who was also dismissed during Ligue 1 clash last weekend.
Neymar was given two yellow cards, the second for a late push on Tiago Djalo, who was also dismissed. Neymar also tried to confront Djalo again in the hallway leading to the dressing rooms.
The duo were each handed three-match bans, with one of those games suspended.
Neymar will miss Saturday’s game at Strasbourg and the match against struggling Saint-Etienne on April 18.
Djalo, who was also dismissed for a second bookable offence after clashing with the PSG man, was given a one-match suspension. Both players had a further one-game ban suspended.
The defending champions sit three points behind new Ligue 1 leaders Lille with seven matches remaining.
Meet the 40 year old Entrepreneur, a rose that grew from concrete – Mr. Ogundele, who built his company – Sujimoto Group, in few years into a Luxury Construction behemoth in Africa, focused on building extraordinary luxury edifices in premium neighbourhoods across Africa.
His look may be modest, but his ambitions are taller than the Burj Khalifa. With a current project portfolio of over $450 million, Mr. Ogundele is not slowing down anytime soon as he has risen above his current environ to start planning projects in the Middle East. Despite the economic barriers and challenges, the 40 year old entrepreneur keeps filling his glass with new and more challenging projects not only in Africa but also in Dubai, Miami and Turkey. As a superlative Entrepreneurat 40, we had a rare chance to seat in a chat with the young man from Agege, as he shares his journey with us.
Meet Sijibomi Ogundele, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Group
Tell us about your background?
My name is Sijibomi Ogundele. I am the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Construction. We are based in Lagos, Nigeria.
I was born into a corporately dynamic family where my Father worked 9-5 as a Manager and my Mother was a full-time Entrepreneur.
I grew up on the streets of Agege and attended state owned Schools – Oko-Oba primary School, Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Model College and finally Anglia Ruskin for my Law Degree. As the son of a woman who happens to be a trader, I was nurtured within the walls of Oke-Arinmarket, which was filled with enterprising Igbo traders—and that influenced my passion for business.
I consider myself a multi-tribal Nigerian and multi-linguistic. I speak Hausa, Yoruba, French, Spanish, a little bit of Arabic and Japanese. I am a Pan-African and a global citizen!
I grew up in Oko-Oba, a neighbourhood where only 2 households had a generator set in a street with over 19 houses, so I made a decision that I was never going to be poor. Poverty has remained a major driver for me, I have always consciously driven myself to excel and surpass my last big success.
What does attaining 40 mean to you?
It is a landmark age, not many people make it to 40 but here I am, strong and healthy. I remain grateful to God for bringing me this far and for enabling me win the ovarian lottery in the first place. I am profoundly grateful to my mother who took time to nurture me and impacted in me life-changing principles that have brought me thus far,though I wasn’t born with a silver spoon but the mother God gave me is a diamond in the coal.
For me 40 is significant, because it is the end of one era and the beginning of another. Our parents gave birth to us and planned most of our first 20 years, then life plans the remaining 20 years. So for me, one of my greatest responsibilities is to take full charge of the next 40 years if God gives me the privilege.
40 to me means more expansion and diversification. This year, more than ever, I see my life taking shape and my vision taking direction. This new age gives me the opportunity to see the world as a marketplace and export my vision to all corners of the world because, what seems incomplete has now become abundant, the sky is the starting point for us at Sujimoto.
People are of the opinion that one has a better chance of being successful, if one is highly connected or ones family is influential; how true is this?
Success is not served a la carte, it is a buffet! You have to go for it!Coming from an influential family or having the right connection with people at the top is not a bad recipe for success, but it is not a guarantee!
I was not born with a silver spoon! In fact, I had no spoon at all! But my mother always say to me that if I should go to school, work hard, and stay committed, I would be able to build a successful business.
Life has taught me that your location does not determine your allocation and the only remedy for success is hard work and an annoying spirit of never-giving-up!
What were the major events that shaped your childhood and upbringing?
Firstly, I will say winning an ovarian lottery and been born by a champion like Idayat Adebukola. My mum wakes up by 4am, sleeps by 10pm and on weekends you will see her working, calculating and counting her goods. Also, growing up in a business environment like Oke-Arin which was dominated by Igbo traders, helped shape my interest in entrepreneurship and my drive for success.
Growing up and supporting my mother in the busy market greatly influenced by passion and interest in business. There, I watched my mother move from being a small trader to become a major distributor for Nestle. Through the exposure to open market principles, I learnt some vital business lessons such as Integrity, Negotiation, Hard work and a Passion for what you do.
I also learnt the art of persuasion from my mother because to her, NO means nothing. She has a unique ability to persuade customers to patronize her and as a result, I learnt that anything I set my mind to do, I can achieve it. She also taught me that my growth or stagnation in life is dependent on my capacity to dream big or small.
So let me ask you Mr. Ogundele, what drives you?
Poverty and the desire to make an impact. Acquiring wealth is ultimate but for me when your neighbour is hungry, of course, your chicken is not safe. So, a rich man in the midst of the poor is also poor and has been enslaved with mental poverty.At the tender age of 5, my mother would wake us up very early in the morning while my mates are sleeping and she would say to me: “Ajaniogun wakeup, wake up! Ise l’ogun ise” meaning Ajaniogun, wake up, wake up! Hard work is the cure for poverty.During the holidays, while my friends were busy playing Nintendo and going on holidays, I would have to resume work at my mum’s shop in Oke-Arin, gradually learning the ropes and charting the path for my future! My mother’s words have been my driving force!
Value creation also drives. Nobody likes anyone who doesn’t give them value. If you are my brother and you are not adding value to me, I am not ready to do business with you. Though I grew up in Oke-Arin and in the slums of Agege, I have travelled to over 40 countries. I have had the privilege of staying in some of the best hotels, experienced exceptional customer service and have seen some of the best architectural structures. This exposure has consciously elevated my standards and expectations in life. This is why when I go anywhere and things are not done up to the highest standard, I can’t resist voicing my discontent, and in most cases, I refuse to pay the bill for mediocrity!
Any regrets at 40?
Regrets? None! I see every event in my life as an opportunity for learning and improvement. Every setback has been a strategic way of God setting me up for greater opportunities.
What makes you tick as a company, what is Sujimoto’s biggest strength?
Sujimoto is built out of the abundance of vision to set a new paradigm in luxury real estate. We studied projects from France to Italy, Dubai to New York and we decided to beat the best. Our vision for the next 10 years is to remarkably rebuild and turn Nigeria into a world-class country when it comes to luxury edifices. We are holding this vision dearly and working on it firmly.
I always say that we shall lower our standard for no man and I mean it. This means that from foundation to chandelier, compromising quality is not an option. When we started Sujimoto, we founded it on 2 fundamental principles, Integrity and Quality. Combining these 2 philosophies, we know that the sky is the limit.
I learnt from watching inspirational videos that if you want to go far in life and business, avoid bureaucracy as much as possible! Pull down every stronghold of bureaucracy before it pulls your business down! At Sujimoto, we like to describe our decision making system as a speed boat rather than a ship. This is because while a speed boat is capable of making quick and swift turns, a ship on the other hand is incapable of such flexibility. Swift decision making in 21st century workplace can be the difference between whether a business succeeds or ceases to exist!The choice is yours!
What’s your most memorable experience within the last 40 years?
There are two days that are memorable in my life; the first was the day I left Zaria to Lagos because I was missing my Mum. I was only 7 years old. That decision changed my life forever. All my siblings were in the North, but the love I have for my mother made me board the bus. After school, my mother had no other choice but to take me to the market with her. What looked like a punishment then was a business apprenticeship that shaped my destiny forever.
The second was the day I left Nigeria in search of greener pastures. I was only 16 years old. It is memorable because that experience opened me up to the world and shaped my view and perspective about life, my experience and introduction to luxury.
As the CEO of Sujimoto, what have you achieved?
About 6 years ago, I declared my intention to redefine luxury living in Africa, starting from Lagos. We started with just 6 staff members and 1 project, but today, we have numerous projects all in Lagos, Abuja and Dubai.
We are taking Abuja by storm with a Luxury Residential Tower- QueenAminaBySujimoto – the tallest residential building in the North; Sujimoto Diamond City (SDC), a 38,000m² development in the middle of Victoria Island and the S-Hotel. We are also looking at developing a new estate of 520 exceptional luxury villas. We also have a world-class 6-in-1 Mall coming up in the heart of Ikoyi; and our Sujimoto Dubai Project! All set to launch officially in 2021!
We have built our team from 6 staff to over 200 professionals comprising a team of International and local experts, over 100 skilled individuals, putting in approximately 584,000 hours of hard work annually!
We have adopted a client-oriented customer addiction perspective to feed the ever evolving appetite of our clients, putting integrity, value creation over profit maximization. We’ve made Home Automation the minimum standard for luxury development and brought the immersive experience of an IMAX Cinema to the comfort of customers’ homes.
Above all, we have added value to customers, developed and changed the lives of our staffs, and as a brand, we have grown from an Iroko tree to becoming a forest.
What were some of the challenges you faced?
I started Sujimoto Construction in Nigeria over 6 years ago and it has been the most difficult period of my life. Since I wasn’t born with a silver spoon, I had to prove myself 3 times over, work harder 3 times, and keep proving myself over and over again. Life will always challenge you but as a man, you must be courageous. Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability transform your challenges into opportunities.
I remember when we had challenges with the Lorenzo Project as a result of the recession and the crumbling economy, people said nasty things about us because we were bold and audacious enough to challenge the norm with our BIG dreams! Sujimoto would have been a thing of the past if we didn’t persevere and see every disappointment as an opportunity! So, while it is good to have big dreams, ensure your passion is twice as big because life will test you. When the chips are down, the bills are not paid, and the salaries are due, the only thing that will keep you going is the genuine love and the passion you have for what you do.
Let me take you on a journey. Year 2016 and 2017 were probably the most difficult and challenging periods of my life. I had conceived and developed the biggest project of my life, over $90 million to build the tallest residential building in Sub-Saharan Africa – the LorenzoBySujimoto. I invested all my money, time and passion into this project.
Unfortunately for me, as a result of the economy downturn, my Saudi Investors pulled out. The economy was so bad and things became very tough. I had to refund over 450 million to off-takers, out of 11 off-takers, I will never forget 3 of our off-takers who said “go ahead, we are with you,” especially Dr. Greg. On the verge of almost giving up, I visited him crying and he told me his own story, and encouraged me to move on. Immediately after that meeting, I reassessed my plans, reviewed all my decisions, identified my pain-point and made the much-needed adjustment.
The media was on my back, critics kept saying (we told you he couldn’t do it), Riding on the wings of criticism and media backlash, I found courage again and conceived the GiulianoBySujimoto project in Banana Island. 20 Months after, the Giuliano has metamorphosed from a proof of concept into a proof of product! It is home to music entrepreneur, Davido, and wasfully sold-out 6 Months before completion.
Many said all sorts of negative things about us, but today, we are building 6 of the most audacious projects in the whole of Nigeria – the LucreziaBySujimoto in Banana Island; Leonardo in Banana Island; Giovanni in Ikoyi; The HQ in Ikoyi; The S-Hotel Ikoyi and QueenAminaBySujimoto Abuja! Not to talk about our Sujimoto tower in Dubai, a 44 story building.
These are incredibly challenging projects that will revamp all sense of mediocrity in the luxury real estate industry, and we plan to complete all this projects before the end of 2023, some of them will be completed next year!
Tell us a bit about this Dubai project, how is it possible for a company like yours to leave Africa and build in Dubai?
It was forced on me by a friend who is from the royal family. Every time I saw reasons not too, he gave me several reasons to start thinking global. It was during the pandemic lockdown that I made numerous interviews on my vision and my dreams, Abdulaziz called me and told me about a 6500m² land in the corner of Downtown, and we ended up speaking for almost 2 hours on the phone. The Sujimoto tower is in the making and we are optimistic about launching it before October.
Unlike here in Lagos, anything below 40 floors cannot be constructed in Downtown, Dubai, so we are raising 44 floors of ultra-luxurious residences, hotels suites and top notch retail outlets. We are currently in talks with Four Seasons and Baccarat for the hotels, and other Luxury retail brands like Graff Private, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Vertu and many others. We hope to have tip top restaurants like Cipriani, Nusret and lots more. The Sujimoto tower will be the first African tower in the middle of Dubai, and the Middle East. It’s a project I’m extremely excited about because we have received a lot of support from our clients.
What does it take to build a successful business empire?
First and foremost, Integrity is a must have! It is the currency of my business – saying what you mean and meaning what you say. On many occasions, when I say something, I make sure I uphold that promise, even if it results in a loss, we will take it as a debt of integrity.
For us at Sujimoto,quality is our business, and our model is entrenched in diligence. We always think about how we could do things faster, better and cheaper. We think customers first, employees second and myself third.
You have achieved so much within the last 40 years, what should we look forward to in the coming years?
The coming years will be a very busy year for us at Sujimoto; aside from residential real estate, and our intention to take the Sujimoto brand to the capital of Luxury– Dubai, Sujimoto is divesting from Residential Projects with 80% of our real estate interest into Commercial Projects and there are 3 major projects in the pipeline already!
First is a luxury hotel brand called the ‘S-Hotel’ – an African-inspired luxury hotel that borrows from the unique design and exceptional service offered by the Four Seasons franchise. Our intention with this is to bring Sujimoto’s Exceptional Hospitality to every major city in Africa and other parts of the world, reinforcing the notion of African hospitality with a mixture of 21st century luxury experiences, making exceptional customer addiction our foundation. At the S-Hotel, we are our client’s maid.
The same passion with which we have redefined luxury living in Nigeria, is the same passion we are bringing into the Nigerian Hospitality and Commercial space. We have toured some of the best hotels in the world such as the Address Hotel, Downtown Dubai, the Baccarat Hotel in New York City, and the Dorchester Hotel in London, what we intend to do with the S-Hotel will be phenomenal!
We are also building a world-class Plaza – first of its kind, in Ikoyi and Abuja, with a 2022 projection for completion. This 6-in-1 Plaza by Sujimoto is a contemporary one-stop-shop retail and hospitality center, featuring innovative state-of-the-art equipment, rooftop lounge, and bar, premium restaurants, world-class gym, retail shops and other premium features. Upon completion, each project would be valued at approximately N67 billion, with a combined rental income of about N11 billion annually.
By 2030, we hope to have completed 80 different malls, hotels and residences, which has an estimated portfolio worth over $10 billion.
I am exporting the Sujimoto brand abroad because we can’t become a giant by playing in the local league. It’s time to step up and move up! It’s also a wakeup call for me that the world is still ready for big dreamers and that there is still power in the audacity to dream big.
How is the Sujimoto brand coping with the growing poor economy in Nigeria?
It may be right to say that the Nigerian economy is challenged, but not poor. We have the largest economy in Africa by GDP, we are the most populous country in Africa with 12% of the total 1.2 billion population of the continent, and we are the 7th most populous country in the world. A country with this amount of positive data cannot be described as being a poor country.
For me, I don’t see challenges but opportunities, its ok to blame government or the banking system and many other excuses but you see I’m a bricklayer; I don’t have the luxury to complain. Where people see land, I see bricks and mortar. At Sujimoto we are determined to keep sharing the positive stories of our success to encourage everyone and motivate every business to see the opportunity in our dear nation. PDP or APC, we have no preference, our only political affiliation is to Nigeria as a nation.
Breaking even is increasingly becoming difficult for young people in Nigeria. From your experience, what advice do you have for young Nigerians?
Nigeria is blessed with an incredible amount of youthful and talented individuals, but permit me to say that the biggest issue with this generation is the entitlement mentality. No one owes us anything but ourselves. If we don’t make a sacrifice for whatever we want in life, what we want will become the sacrifice.
The bar for opportunities can’t be set so low. This is a country that has produced the richest black man in the world, Aliko Dangote, I have always said to the youths and in my previous interviews that lack of vision is proof of mental bankruptcy.
I have travelled all over the world and trust me when I say that Nigeria is the biggest ground for uncommon opportunities. This same opportunity is what brings foreigners to our land and make them billionaires. Nigeria is the only land where the Lebanese man starts off as a Trader and becomes an Industrialist; or the Indian starts as a Storekeeper and becomes a Manufacturer.
In Nigeria’s super-fast, hyper-competitive environment, success isn’t necessarily determined by your background but your backbone. As a matter of fact, success is not served a la carte. It’s a buffet! The universe responds to innovation and inventions, not mere intentions and complains. I tell myself every day, that if the Coscharis, the Adenugas, the Dangotes and Alakijas can do it, I too can!
Readers are leaders! It’s been proven that reading two hours a day, which is 730 hours a year and 1,460 hours in two years; is almost an equivalent to earning a Ph.D. There’s no billionaire by mistake! If you see someone doing exceptionally well in any industry, invest your envy in studying him, not in trying to bring him down.
Don’t forget, the only person that can determine your tomorrow is the Almighty God, so don’t allow anyone use bread to lick your soup.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has described Aisha Buhari as an unusual first lady as she is the first in Nigeria’s history of first ladies to be on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
Osinbajo said this when he spoke during the presentation of the book titled “Aisha Buhari: Being different” by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Women Affairs, Office of the First Lady, Dr Hajo Sani, at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja today April 8.
The vice president said Mrs. Buhari has used her platform to start up conversations on issues that concern them.
“It’s unlikely that any First Lady in Nigeria’s history has, in such a few short years, captured the imagination of Nigerians as profoundly as Aisha Buhari. She’s, of course, the first First Lady to be on Twitter, on Instagram, and other social media platforms, getting her unfiltered views across to the Nigerian people and she’s probably the first to receive, in real time, the opinions of Nigerians on her views.
With her views, forthright, crisp, truthful and once in a while controversial, she has established an ongoing conversation with the Nigerian people.
The issues that concern them most, the issues that concern us the most; good governance, security, putting food on the table, the education of our children, prompt payment of pensions to army veterans, drug abuse, the violation and victimisation of women and every once in a while she airs her own personal struggles, her annoyance, in a manner, probably unprecedented in the role of the First Lady anywhere.
There is no question that Aisha Buhari is different. Her difference has been empowering for the Nigerian people and there is never any question that her comments come from a good place, a place of genuine love and respect for the Nigerian people and our several concerns.
But it’s unlikely that Aisha Buhari would ever be forgotten and even if there was a chance of this happening, this well written attempt to document her life and times and her contributions as First Lady to national life, through the causes that she has promoted, removes that possibility,” the Vice President said
One of Britain’s richest men, worth £301million, has been found stabbed to death in his country mansion.
Sir Richard Lexington Sutton, an 83-year-old Baronet, was attacked inside his £2million home in Higher Langham, near Gillingham, Dorset on Wednesday, April 7.
A woman, thought to be his second wife, named Anne Schreiber, 60, is also believed to have suffered knife injuries in the attack at the home, named Moorhill.
The female victim, who is aged in her 60s, was airlifted to the Southmead Hospital in Bristol. Her condition was today described as ‘critical’.
Police reportedly rushed to the scene after receiving a call from a member of the public concerned for the welfare of the occupants of the house at 7.30pm.
When they got there they found Sir Richard with fatal knife wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.15pm.
Neighbours confirmed that Sir Richard was married to his second wife Anne Schreiber, who was named as the other victim of the stabbing.
Immediate police investigations have linked to the attack to a Range Rover that was spotted travelling eastbound on the A303.
It was tracked by police as it sped across Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, and Surrey before it was stopped in Hammersmith, west London.
A 34-year-old man from the Gillingham area was arrested on suspicion of murder and was subsequently taken to hospital for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
Police have confirmed the suspect is known to the victim, who bought the Moorhill country estate in 2014 for £1.4million.
Alongside his two Park Lane hotels he owned a swathe of property and farms across the country. In total he and his family own close to 7,000 acres of land across the UK – more than double the amount owned by the MoD
A spokesman for the Sir Richard Sutton Limited (SRSL) said today: ‘We are deeply saddened and devastated by the sudden death of Sir Richard Sutton, announced this morning.
‘Sir Richard was a caring, generous and warm family man, who genuinely regarded those who worked for him as part of his extended family.
‘Sir Richard was passionately devoted to both his company and its people, setting the highest and standards for quality in the hotels, farming and property interests within the group.
‘His loss will be felt by everyone within the company, those who worked with him, and his family who have lost an incredible individual. Our thoughts are with the Sutton family at this tragic time.’
Detective Inspector Simon Huxter, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly died and the injured woman at this extremely difficult time and they are being supported by specially-trained officers.
‘We will be carrying out a full investigation to establish exactly what happened at the address in Higher Langham and I would appeal to anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area on the evening of April 7 to please contact us.
‘A cordon remains in place at the address and there will continue to be a heavy police presence in the vicinity as we carry out enquiries.
‘Officers can be approached by members of the public with any information or concerns.’
Sir Richard was described as an ‘old English gentry landowner’ who was worth an estimated £301million and was at number 435 on the Sunday Times Rich List.
He was head of the Sutton family, which owns land in Dorset, Berkshire, London and Lincolnshire, and Aberdeenshire.
The millionaire landowner, who is divorced from first wife Italian Fiamma Sutton, has two children, son, David, 61, and daughter, Caroline, 55, as well as five grandchildren.
His second wife, named locally as Ms. Schreiber, is believed to have three children, two daughters, and one son.
Rico “Orc” Ledesma, 41, is set to star in a Hollywood film after transforming himself into a monster-like creature with eyeball tatts, tusks, a stretched septum and split tongue.
Ledesma who lives in Brazil, is an avid tattoo addict.
He is married to Krishna Insomnia, 25, they have a daughter and are expecting another child.
Rico and his wife Krishna, who is a body piercing pro and goes by the name “Bat”, met online before getting married.
In the last couple of years, Rico has been turning himself into a monster-like creature with fanged teeth, a split tongue and tattooed eyeballs.
He spent £400 having two giant fake teeth fitted to his mouth and has eight subdermal piercings placed under his skin.
Rico explained: “I started to change seven years ago in order to look different but the project to look like an Orc is less than a year old.
“I got six false teeth placed in August 2020 and I’m going to put two bigger ones in, even though I’m having trouble eating and drinking.
“The new Orc modification project consisted of the implantation of two more tusks (two large teeth), body art which is almost all in black with some grey spots and some burns and modifications.
“Today I have 85% of my body tattooed.
“The teeth were the final touch to the Orc project and came after a lot of study and sleepless nights.”
Rico’s teeth were done by a dentist who “embraced” his project.
He said: “She did a perfect job and I’ve already scheduled in with her again for the next mission.”
His blackout tattoo was done to compliment the body mods and was “the most time-consuming and one of the painful parts” of his transformation. Most of the tattoos were done by his wife.
The artist says his family and friends love his new look – even his daughter.
He said: “She loves and supports me in all my transformations.
“If one day in the very distant future she wants to make some changes to her appearance too, I will be proud of her.”
His look has earned him the attention of film producer, Michel Reilhac, who is best known for his films Snow White and The Intruder and now he’s set to make his hollywood debut .
He said: “We will start filming in October in Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
“I can’t say much about the film but I can say that it will be innovative and playful – something that has never been seen before in cinema.
“Me and the whole team are very anxious for the cinema debut.”
European and World champions, Bayern Munich were stunned by PSG as they suffered their first champions league defeat since March 2019 on Wednesday night, April 7, losing 2-3 at home.
PSG took an early lead through star boy Kylian Mbappe after making an aggressive start as Bayern showed just how much they missed the absent Lewandowski.
Marquinhos scored PSG’s second, before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Thomas Muller both struck for a Bayern team that played with an intensity and intent that bordered lacked that magical finishing touch that Lewandowski had become known for.
Bayern fought back well, taking control in the second half to make it 2-2 but PSG struck on the counter to secure their advantage.
Fresh from outshining Lionel Messi in the previous round, Mbappe showed his world-class ability by scoring PSG’s third goal making a mockery of Bayern’s defence after exploiting the home side’s high defensive line .
Neymar’s disguised pass to Mbappe was perfect, and Mbappe’s finish squirmed past Manuel Neuer in the home side’s goal.
The last time Mauricio Pochettino faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League, his Tottenham Hotspur team were thumped 7-2.
Kylian Mbappe has been directly involved in 35 goals in 33 games for Paris SG in the UEFA Champions League (19 goals, 16 assists), while he’s scored six in seven games in the competition this season – already his joint-best goal tally in a single campaign (also 6 in 2016-17).
Former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar has said that there are over 6 million illegal weapons in circulation across Nigeria.
Abubakar who is the chairman of the National Peace Commitee (NPC), made the disclosure during a dialogue session of the committee with key stakeholders in Abuja on Wednesday April 7.
The meeting was attended by traditional rulers, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; John Cardinal Onaiyekan; Ekiti State governor and chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), Kayode Fayemi; Plateau State governor and chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong; religious leaders, the service chiefs, top military brass, police and other security agencies.
He said the proliferation of weapons has heightened insecurity in the country and led to over 80,000 deaths. Abubakar further added that the challenges facing the country is not only insecurity in the narrow sense of the military definition but that it has assumed an all encompassing nature.
Listing these challenges to include Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, increasing poverty, calls for balkanization of the country from different quarters, threat of hunger arising from insecurity that farmers have faced and continue to face, the increasing sense of collective despair and despondency among the populace among others, he also pointed out that security forces are not just over stretched but under strength and funded.
Abubakar said;
“The proliferation of all calibre of weapons not only in our sub-region in general and in Nigeria in particular is worrying. It is estimated that there are over six million of such weapons in circulation in the country.
“This certainly exacerbated the insecurity that led to over 80,000 deaths and close to three million internally displaced persons.
“We believe Nigeria must find a way out of these problems. Our hope is that perhaps among us, by listening to your different perspectives, we can begin to build up confidence among our people so that we can hold together.
“So our hope is that we shall not only share our collective lamentations about the current situation, bit propose some concrete suggestions that can point the way forward, suggestions that can inspire more confidence among our people and ensure that our country remains one.”
Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, has alleged that the attacks in the state on Easter Monday were sponsored by aggrieved politicians.
The governor said this Wednesday evening, April 7, while appearing on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’.
On Monday, April 5, gunmen attacked the Owerri Correctional Prison and set inmates free. The gunmen also set fire to the Imo State Police Command headquarters in Owerri and also burnt vehicles parked at the command headquarters.
Members of the Eastern Security Network were accused of being the masterminds behind the attacks, but the group, led by Nnamdi Kanu, denied this.
Governor Hope Uzodinma has now said that “a group of aggrieved politicians” sponsored the attacks “to destabilise the government of APC”.
Uzodinma said: “Their (tactics is that they try to identify grievances of people in a particular area. If it is in Imo State and probably there are some IPOB people who are not happy, they hire hoodlums from outside Imo State, they bring them in pretending to be IPOB and they commit these crimes and they go away.
“So, it is not about IPOB. Yes, we agree, we have aggrieved IPOB members but I can tell you those who are doing this destruction, most of them were brought in from outside Imo State.
“What is important for Nigerians to know is the plot by a group of aggrieved politicians to destabilise the government of APC.
“I have done some thorough investigation and I have some credible lead as to those who are sponsoring these activities of these hoodlums.
“I don’t want to pre-empt the investigations of other security agencies but I can tell you we are working hard to ensure the sponsors of this dastardly acts must be brought to book.”
A Senegalese man, Elhadji Adama Kebe, who stabbed his South African girlfriend, Sibongile Zenzile, more than 10 times before severing her head, has said he regrets what he did.
33-year-old Kebe, who arrived in South Africa from Senegal in 2016, pleaded guilty in February to killing Zenzile, 29, in their Kempton Park, Johannesburg flat on April 25, 2019.
Kebe left her head in the refrigerator and was arrested at a shop he ran not far from their flat the next day. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of violating a corpse.
Sentencing proceedings began in the high court in Johannesburg on Wednesday, where Kebe presented evidence in mitigation of sentence.
When asked by his lawyer, Innocent Mthembu about how he felt about killing Zenzile, Kebe cried and said he regretted everything he did.
“Sibongile was my girlfriend and accomplice and we did everything together. I deeply regret what happened,” said Kebe.
Prosecutor advocate Enock Makua, however, asked Kebe whether he would agree that he brutally killed Zenzile. Kebe said he accepted that he had killed Zenzile.
Makua said the question he asked was whether Kebe agreed that he brutally killed her. “Her head was completely chopped off. Would you not say this was a brutal act? If you show somebody the photos of the deceased with the head completely chopped off, that is a very brutal act,” said Makua. Kebe agreed.
Makua questioned how Kebe could go on and open his shop the next day and operate as if nothing had happened. Kebe said he was confused and could not stay at home.
“I do not know what happened to me that day. I could not stay at home as I could not see the body. I had no other place to go other than the shop. Even at the shop, I was confused. I knew I would be arrested. I was not even able to run away,” said Kebe.
Kebe agreed with Makua that he needed to be punished for the crime.
The prosecution called Zamelani Ncancashe, Zenzile’s stepfather. Ncancashe told the court that after her murder, the health of Zenzile’s mother, his wife Buyiswa Ncancashe, deteriorated and she now suffers from a heart condition.
“She spent two weeks in hospital in February because of heart problems,” Ncancashe said, adding that after Zenzile’s killing, the family went to a mortuary in Germiston to identify her.
“She was devastated to see her daughter with scars on her face. The head was cut.”
Presenting arguments in mitigation of sentence, Mthembu said Kebe was a first-time offender and had been in custody for nearly two years.
“He did not run away. He was found at a shop not far from the scene. He came clean and wanted to plead guilty.”
Mthembu said Kebe was remorseful. “It is my submission that this is a crime of passion. There was an argument that involved another Nigerian gentleman and there is also evidence that the deceased at one stage was the one who tried to stab the accused.
“And in retaliation, this is how we find ourselves in this position, where we have to deal with the death of the deceased.”
Makua asked for Kebe to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The court is expected to pass sentence next month.
Prince William “auditioned” Kate Middleton before asking her to marry him, a royal expert has claimed.
The 2nd in line to the British throne reportedly wanted to make sure then-girlfriend Kate would be a right fit for the Royal Family and be prepared for the highs and lows of royal life.
Before the pair married in April 2011, William had known Kate for almost 10 years after they met as students at St Andrews.
While appearing on the ITV special, The Day Will and Kate Got Married, royal expert Robert Lacey claimed William felt he had to “audition” Kate before he proposed.
He explained: “It’s been said that William was auditioning Catherine for her future role.
“And I think there’s a truth to that. William is the future King of Britain and the Commonwealth and, like it or not, part of his job was to choose a consort who would do the job well.”
Prince William had dated for four years before they briefly split up in 2007, which royal expert Katie Nicholls says the prince initiated.
“It was William who instigated that split,” she said. “Kate wanted a sense of commitment and at that point in time, William wasn’t able to give it to her.”
Robert Lacey also claimed in his 2020 book, the Battle of Brothers, that Prince William dumped Kate over the phone while she was working as an accessories buyer for Jigsaw.
However, they got back together after a couple of months.
Clergywoman, Laurie Idahosa, has responded to some Christians who tackled her and threatened to unfollow her after she shared photos and videos of herself taking the COVID-19 vaccine on her Instagram page on Tuesday, March 6.
Laurie shared videos of herself taking a jab of the vaccine and wrote;
”I got my first dose of the Covid vaccine today! … Yes, you can still be a person of faith and get the Covid Vaccine. #covidvacccine #vaccinationdone #vaccineisnotthemarkofthebeast”
Some Christians took to her comment section to question her faith in God as a Christian. One of the commenters even compared her with her father-in-law, Archbishop Benson Idahosa, who he claims wouldn’t have taken the vaccine. See The comments and Laurie’s response below
Pakistan Prime Minister and former cricketer, Imran Khan has sparked anger after he appeared to link the rise in rape to how some women dress.
The Pakistani leader made the comments during a recent live event dubbed “Prime Minister On Call With You” in which he answers questions from the public.
During his appearance on the show, Khan said the traditional Islamic head covering – would protect women from sexual assault and not lead men into temptation. He also said vulgarity and obscenity combine to destroy societies and families.
“If you keep increasing vulgarity in a society, then definitely there will be this impact,” he said. “What is the whole concept of observing the veil? It is so that there is no temptation in society. Each individual does not have the willpower or strength, if you keep increasing obscenity in the society and if you don’t care, then there are impacts of such things.”
“If our religion gives us the concept of observing veil, then there is some philosophy behind it and the philosophy is to save the family system and to protect the society from such things,” Khan added.
The remarks caused an uproar among Pakistani rights groups, which say such misogynistic remarks shame women and excuse rapists.
The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan called Khan’s comments unacceptable and appalling for suggesting the veil can contain sexual assault.
“Not only does this display a baffling ignorance of where, why and how rape occurs, but it also lays the blame on rape survivors,” it said in a statement. The commission chairperson Hina Jilani is a member of The Elders, a group formed in 2007 by Nelson Mandela.
The commission demanded an apology from Khan and a commitment his administration would tackle rape “as an act of violence, of power”.
Khan’s information advisor Raoof Hasan said the Prime Minister’s remarks were misinterpreted and claimed he advocated a “holistic” approach to sexual assault that includes both strong legal repercussions for rapists and sexual predators and efforts by society as a whole working to find remedies.
“Plucking a single line out distorts the prospective and does not serve the cause of the actual statement,” Hasan said.
A government statement quoted Khan as having said on the subject of sexual assault: “The whole society needs to fight it collectively. There are some wars which are won by societies.”
Pakistan has been rocked by high-profile sexual attacks, including an assault in September of a mother gang-raped before her children after their car broke down on a major freeway at night.
In the first six months of last year, nearly 1500 children were sexually assaulted in Pakistan, according to Sahil, a charity that monitors and fights sexual abuse of children.
It was also stated that figures represent only those that are reported in the more than 80 national, provincial and regional publications that the organisation monitors.`
A Turkish court has sentenced 22 former soldiers to life in jail for their roles in a failed 2016 bid to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The judgement was passed on Wednesday April 7 after a sweeping political crackdown, arrests and investigation of the role of 497 former soldiers, including members of the presidential guard.
A document obtained by AFP from one of the President’s lawyers, showed that the jailed soldiers include former lieutenant colonel Umit Gencer who was convicted of “violating the constitutional order” by making TRT television read out a “coup declaration”.
The court also handed ex-major Fedakar Akca an aggravated life sentence for leading a team from the regiment to the general staff headquarters on the night, state news agency Anadolu reported.
Former colonel Muhammet Tanju Poshor received his sentence for directing the occupation of the TRT building.
Another ex-major, Osman Koltarla, was in charge of the presidential palace’s security at the time. The court also handed him a life sentence.
Another ex-major, Osman Koltarla, was in charge of the presidential palace’s security at the time. The court also handed him a life sentence.
An aggravated life sentence has tougher terms of detention and replaced the death penalty after it was abolished in 2004.
The verdict which was read out in the country’s largest courtroom which was specially built to hear coup trials at Sincan prison complex in Ankara province, marks the end of the cases heard in the capital, nearly five years later.
The failed coup left 248 people dead, excluding 24 putschists killed on the night. Turkey accuses US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the failed coup, a claim he strongly denies.
The Secretive State of North Korea has reportedly decided to drop out of the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics due to concerns its athletes could contract coronavirus.
North Korea decided to sever ties with the outside world in 2020 to prevent an influx of coronavirus cases in the country.
The country has not reported a single case of Covid-19, and there have been no indications one has taken place, though health experts doubt Pyongyang’s claim the country has not seen a single case of the virus.
According to a report published Tuesday, April 6, on DPRK Sports, a state media outlet focused on sports affairs, North Korean officials announced that the country would not be participating in this summer’s Games in order to “protect players from the world public health crisis caused by Covid-19.”
The decision was made by the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Olympic Committee, which held a video conference meeting with committee members and sports officials on March 25 in Pyongyang, DPRK Sports reported.
The Olympic Games are currently scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 8. The Paralympics will follow, from August 24 to September 5.
This is the first time North Korea has missed the Olympics since it boycotted the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.
A young Nigerian girl is making headlines after she was recently crowned the new ‘Miss Toddler USA America Nation 2021.
Kleopatra Vargas ,5, a Mexican-Nigerian-American who was born in Chicago, Illinois won the crown at the fast-rising kid’s pageant contest held in the US, popularly known as ‘Miss America Nation.’
Speaking to Journalists after she was announced as the new Miss Toddler USA America Nation 2021, Princess Kleopatra, who speaks Igbo, Spanish and English language fluently, expressed gratitude to the Organisers of the pageant Contest. She also thanked her parents, for the love, guidance, and support they extended to her.
On the first pageant crown, she won, Princess Kleopatra said she was 10 months old when she won Baby Illinois 2016, after beating 20 other Kids.
Her proud mother also spoke about her win, describing her daughter as an outstanding kid with several rare abilities. She noted that with her new crown as Miss Toddler USA America Nation 2021, there will be more to expect from Princess Kleopatra Vargas.
The 5-year-old was crowned Winner of Miss Toddler USA America Nation 2021, after scoring highest in her Evening gown parade, described as elegance with 25%, a cultural parade with 25%, and community service through the individual platform at 50%, ahead of other Kids who participated in the Contest.
A Nigerian man, Dayo Ayoola, has taken to his Twitter handle to call off his five-year relationship with his girlfriend, Omoyele, over allegations of cheating.
Dayo in a now-deleted Twitter thread said he met Omoyele while they were in their final year and began a relationship with her that he believed would lead to marriage. He said in the course of their relationship, she confessed to him that she got raped and impregnated by her ex-boyfriend and that she had gotten an abortion done. He said because she was remorseful, he forgave her and continued with their relationship.
Dayo in his thread said she left for her Masters abroad in February and only recently discovered that she was seeing someone else. He shared photos of them together on his handle as he called off their relationship.
The Federal government has received 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines from India.
Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID19, Boss Mustapha, confirmed this on Tuesday April 6, at the national briefing by the PTF in Abuja, adding that more vaccines are coming from African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT).
“As you are aware, Nigeria received 3.94 million doses of the COVID-19 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on March 2, 2021.
These vaccines represented the first tranche of about 16 million doses allocated to Nigeria through the COVAX facility, aimed at vaccinating an initial 20 per cent of the population.
More vaccines are also expected from the African Union’s Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT).
We shall also be receiving about 100,000 doses of Covishield vaccines donated by the Government of India to Nigeria. This will further boost the number of Nigerians to be vaccinated by about 50,000.
The PTF through the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) and the National Primary Health Center Development Agency (NPHCDA) prioritised the initial consignment of vaccines to cover frontline medical personnel, strategic leadership, and those above the age of 50 years across the nation. Majority of sub-national entities have already received their allocation and administration is progressing.
As at April 5, 2021, 963,802 persons in Nigeria had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The overarching objective is to vaccinate 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population between 2021 and 2022.”
A Zimbabwean woman has been arrested after she being accused of strangling her 6-year-old stepson to death and trying to set her 8-year-old stepdaughter on fire so that she could inherit her husband’s house.
The 24-year-old suspect identified as Alice Chikono, allegedly killed Dean Dube with her bare hands on Easter Friday and hid his body in the house.
She then allegedly locked his sister in the bedroom after switching on a stove and covering it with a blanket, apparently hoping the blanket would catch fire and set the room on fire.
Chikono allegedly fled to Harare after making a false report to the police claiming the boy was missing. However, there was a power cut soon after she left the house thereby putting her plans off rail.
It was gathered that the suspect had allegedly been planning to kill the children for more than one year.
She was arrested in Harare on Saturday, April 3, where she had fled to and she was arraigned before Kwekwe magistrate Mrs Florence Nago facing a murder charge. Nago did not ask her to plead and remanded her in custody to 17 April.
According to court papers, Chikono strangled the boy to death “so that she would inherit the house belonging to his father, Mr Tonywell Dube,49, since he was the only son.”
Speaking to The Chronicle, the visibly shaken father gave a horrendous account of how his son was murdered.
“I was away at work when I was called that the boy was missing so I was constantly checking whether he had been found. I was only called by relatives and advised to rush home but they did not tell me what had happened. When I arrived, that is when I was told about the incident. It broke my heart and I am still in pain,” said Mr Dube fighting back tears.
After Chikono’s arrest in the capital, Mr Dube managed to talk to her on what led her to commit the crime.
“She told me that the plan had been in the pipeline for over a year. Her aunt (name withheld) who is based in Gokwe, was the one who was nagging her to kill Dean since he was the only son and if I die, it was going to be hard for her to inherit my house,” said Mr Dube.
She told me that she throttled the boy with her hands until he died while outside the house. She dragged the body inside the house before locking the elder sister who is about eight years old in the other room before attempting to burn down the house,” said Dube.
A neighbour, on condition of anonymity, said a power cut saved the life of the girl, whose name was not given.
“The girl is very lucky to be alive because Chikono switched on the stove and put a blanket on the stove so that it catches fire which was supposed to then spread to the rest of the room. She then fled to Harare. But soon after she did that, there was a power outage. That is what saved the girl,” said the neighbour.
He said after Chikono made a false police report that the boy was missing, the community organised a search party as they were unaware that he was already dead.
“We became suspicious when we found the doors locked as we came to check on progress. That is when we forcibly broke the door and entered inside only to find a lifeless body and the girl crying in the bedroom which was also locked. That is how we found out that she had killed the boy,” said the neighbour.
The boy’s body has since been ferried to Bulawayo where it awaits post-moterm.
A military veteran reunited with his primary school mates decades after their graduation and he took to Twitter to share photos of them when they were still in primary school and now as adults.
Barade, a criminologist and security expert, said they graduated from primary school in 1967.
He said he hosted them recently and this gave them a chance to reunite while reminiscing on things that happened 60 years ago.
He tweeted: “Today is one of the most memorable. I had the privilege to host my primary school classmates. I have not seen some since 1967 when we graduated. We had a good time catching up, remembering things that happened 60yrs ago when we began Primary 1 in 1961. To Allah be the glory.”
His tweet quickly went viral, with thousands liking it.
Following the recent killings of security personnel in the area, the Nigerian Military on Tuesday, April 6, launched an aerial bombardment of Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
Essien Udim, the council area of the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and has been under siege by criminal elements alleged to be members of Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB).
Last week, three police officers including a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP, were killed for unknown reasons, while four policemen were declared missing. Some security vehicles were also set ablaze.
To forestall further attacks by the criminal elements, the military, yesterday, launched an operation to flush out criminal elements in the area. Drones and helicopters were deployed by the military as they flew at low levels to ensure proper surveillance of the area. The military had on Monday, April 5, asked residents to vacate areas suspected to be used as camps by criminals.
Staff and students of the Federal Polytechnic Ukana located few meters from Akpabio’s residence were forced out of the school campus. The Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic in Ikot Ekpene was also shut down.
Confirming the bombardment, the Army Public Relations Officer, 2 Brigade Nigerian Army, Akwa Ibom state, Captain Godfrey Abakpa, said;
“The operation just started. The general security situation in Akwa Ibom state was very peaceful and calm before these miscreants started their problem two weeks ago. They attacked so many security agencies and carted away some weapons and this gave them the courage to continue with their nefarious activities. In the light of this the army commander and commanders of other security agencies decided that the criminals must be brought down”
Rhodri Giggs (top right), brother to Manchester United legend, Ryan Giggs (top left), has made new revelations, claiming his ex-wife Natasha Lever slept with ten other top-level footballers – including his own brother, Ryan.
Rhodri and Natasha split after her eight-year affair with Ryan Giggs came to light in 2011.
In a bombshell new interview Rhodri, 44, made a series of damning allegations against Natasha, 38, and a number of footballers – including one married man who currently plays for a Premier League club.
He also claimed Ryan Giggs has still not apologized for his actions.
He claimed the sexual relationships between Natasha and other footballers including Giggs all happened during their relationship, which started in 2003.
Rhodri said: “I could name ten footballers she had been with.
“After it had all happened I went to Portugal with two naughty lads and as I walked into one of the bars, one of the guys stood behind the door with his mate.
“And as I walked in and I walked to the bar, I turned around. And all you could see was the door shutting. “I could go on and on.
“They are all it. Everyone is s****ing everyone. It could be your mate. It is warped.
“One of his mates said, ‘Ryan, this is your kid’s wife – what are you doing?’ But no.
“Ryan deserved to be on a pedestal because of his career. But he ruined his legacy by doing what he did.”
Rhodri, has a biological son with Natasha and calls himself dad to her child from a previous relationship, but has revealed for the first time how he insisted they have DNA tests after the affair became public.
He added: “It was one of the first things I did that week.
“But you just know, it is instinct. That would have been more mentally damaging.”
Rhodri said him and Natasha attempted to repair their relationship but later divorced in 2013.
Rhodri said they have since put their differences aside so they can co-parent their son.
He also revealed that back then if he had seen Giggs on the road he would have killed him with his car.
In the James English podcast, shared exclusively with The Sun ahead of its release on Thursday, April 8 at 5pm, Rhodri added: “If I had seen him walking down the street I would have run him over.
“It took about four or five years to get over it. I talk about it, probably mostly to annoy people, so it keeps coming up. They had eight years to think about the repercussions.
“But me and Natasha have a good relationship now. We can’t be messing about, we have kids together.”
In a statement, Natasha told The Sun: “I am aware of the podcast and comments made.
“Whilst Rhodri’s recollection can differ from the truth sometimes, I have no issue with him talking about his version of events as it’s all part of his healing process.
Back in 2012, Rhodri Giggs spoke about how Ryan Giggs affair with his wife Natasha ‘ruined his life’ but now says he has moved past it.
“I have no desire to be drawn back into talking about events that happened ten to fifteen years ago as I have very much moved on.
“As far as I’m concerned Rhodri and I have worked hard over the last ten years to forge a great relationship as parents to our son.”
A police constable attached to Kenyan Interior Cabinet Secretary,Fred Matiangi’s office shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself.
Hadson Mkondo Wakise, who was attached to VIP protection at the Ministry of Interior, reportedly shot his wife Pauline Wakasa, a traffic officer attached to Nairobi’s Kilimani Police Station on Tuesday, April 6.
A police report seen by The Standard says that a domestic altercation ensued between the two officers, just minutes after he arrived home from work.
“They started exchanging bitter words and the wife accused him of infidelity. As a result, the said husband went out of the house and shortly returned to the sitting room. Suddenly, he drew out his Jericho pistol and fired several rounds at his wife’s chest killing her instantly,” the report says.
Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, who confirmed the events leading to the death of the two officers, on Wednesday morning, said the incident happened at 3pm.
“PC Wakise who had been off duty since April 1, reported back to work yesterday but left at 3.00 pm and retired to his residence at GSU camp. It is alleged that he shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself, ending both their lives,” Mutyambai said.
Police say the bodies were found in the couple’s sitting room. They also collected a pistol, nine spent cartridges, and two magazines.
The @NPSOfficial_KE sadly confirms the tragic demise of Police Constable Hadson Mkondo Wakise and his wife PC Pauline Wakasa in the early hours of the evening yesterday.
Meanwhile, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i has mourned the two officers as ‘young and vibrant’, while underlining mental health problems that many officers could be facing.
“I am deeply pained by the tragic incident involving PC Hudson Wakise and his wife PC Pauline Wakasa both young and vibrant Police officers with brilliant futures tragically ended in their shocking demise. It’s a rude awakening to psychosocial challenges amongst some of our young officers that we have no choice but to now pay greater attention to. My sincere condolences to their families” the Minister said.
Their bodies have been moved to the Kenyatta University Hospital morgue.
A new poll says Brits would rather have Prince William as the new King rather than Prince Charles when the Queen of England dies.
Prince William is the grandson of the Queen while 72-year-old Prince Charles is her son meaning Charles is next in line to be King if the Queen dies but in a new poll called Deltapoll, the Duke of Cambridge took 47% of the public vote in being next in line to wearing the crown, compared to 27% of respondents who want to see tradition continue with the Queen’s eldest child.
According to the poll, more than half – 51% – believe Harry, 36, along with wife Meghan, 39, have damaged the reputation of the monarchy.
Deltapoll interviewed 1,590 adults between March 31 and April 1 to get data .
The data, weighted to be representative of the British adult population as a whole, will come as a shock to the royal family, who launched a PR drive after Prince Charles’s divorce in 1996 from Princess Diana and their handling of her tragic death in 1997.
Just over 40% believe Queen Elizabeth, who turns 95 on April 21, should remain in her position until she dies.
A fifth believe she should abdicate if in good health compared to 27% declaring Britain’s longest-serving monarch should choose to abdicate if her health fails.
For millennials – those aged 25 to 40 –nearly twice as many people favour Harry taking over compared to Charles.
Among 18 to 24 year olds, Harry is the most popular choice, beating William 23% to 22%.
Suprisingly more people would like to see scandal-hit Prince Andrew on the throne before his younger brother Edward.
A margin of more than two to one – 58% against 23% – believe Harry and Meghan should be stripped of their royal titles.
But 31% of those polled believe their decisions have made no difference to the reputation of the monarchy, while 9% believe they improved the reputation.
Graham Smith, CEO of anti-monarchy group Republic, said: “No matter what the polls say Charles will be king.
“Yet this poll tells us people no longer care about the hereditary system, they want a choice.
“The huge gulf between generations underscores how disconnected the royals are from modern attitudes.
“This poll sets up the monarchy for a major crisis in support at the start of the decade that will probably see the succession of King Charles.
“As we approach the end of the Queen’s reign this medieval system is going to collide with modern British values. And the only credible solution is for the people to choose our head of state.
“It’s time Britain had a serious grown-up debate about who replaces the Queen. If voters want a choice that can only happen in a republic.”
English stage and screen actor, Paul Ritter, has died at the age of 54.
In a statement, his agent told The Guardian that he died of a brain tumour at home, surrounded by his wife and two sons.
“It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night,” his agent said. “He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons Frank and Noah by his side. He was 54 and had been suffering from a brain tumour.
“Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill. He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly.”
A familiar face to British television viewers and theatregoers, Ritter played Martin Goodman, the eccentric father of a London Jewish family, in the Channel 4 sitcom “Friday Night Dinner.”
He also played ill-fated nuclear engineer Anatoly Dyatlov in the HBO drama “Chernobyl;” the wizard Eldred Worple in “Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince;” and a devious political operative in the James Bond film “Quantum of Solace.”
Ritter was a frequent cast member in productions at Britain’s National Theatre, including “All My Sons,” “Coram Boy” and “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.” He also appeared in “Art” at London’s Old Vic and on a West End stage as Prime Minister John Major, performing opposite Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II in the royal drama “The Audience.”
He was nominated for an Olivier award in 2006 for his performance in Coram Boy, and a Tony award for 2009’s The Norman Conquests, which also starred Stephen Mangan and Jessica Hynes.
Reality TV star, Khloe Kardashian’s unedited bikini photo has been leaked on the internet.
The photo which was posted on Reddit shows Khloe, 36, looking fresh-faced while posing in a leopard-print bikini by the pool.
Holding her phone in one hand, she flashes a smile while posing at what looks like her mother Kris Jenner’s desert compound in La Quinta, California
She recently shared a photo wearing the same bikini on her Instagram and the difference is clear for all to see.
In the unedited snap, her waistline appears less defined, her curves less dramatic and her skin not as impossibly smooth as it looks in her carefully staged glossy fashion shoots.
In two other photos she shared, she has more defined hip curves and also a more flawless skin compared to the unedited one.
Fans have now accused the reality star of being ‘fake’ and editing her photos and reports say Khloe’s team is “desperate to scrub the unedited bikini pic from the internet”
One critic tweeted: “Khloe kardashian spending her easter trying to erase unedited pics of herself from the internet – she’s so pathetic.”
Another Twitter user wrote;” Khloe you got to own this photo. This is your body and it’s gorge. Don’t set an example that this body is bad to all your young fans”
Another posted: “HEY it’s 2021 let’s finally hold the kardashians accountable.
Soon after it leaked on various forums online, members of the Kardashian PR team reported the posts as copyright infringement, due to the photo being posted without permission.
Copies of the photo have been taken down under “legal threats” from the Kardashians’ team, according to Page Six.
Her team called the photo “beautiful,” but explained they wanted it gone because it was not authorized.
Tracy Romulus, chief marketing officer for KKW Brands, said in a statement: “The color edited photo was taken of Khloé during a private family gathering and posted to social media without permission by mistake by an assistant.
“Khloé looks beautiful but it is within the right of the copyright owner to not want an image not intended to be published taken down.”
It’s unclear how the photo originally leaked online. There is some speculation on Reddit that it was Kris Jenner’s mom MJ that posted it on her ‘finsta’ which is the term used for a ‘fake Instagram’ created by users to share more candid snaps with only with their closest friends and family.
However, screenshots of a Instagram conversation show Romulus contacting one poster and claiming the image of Khloe was ‘stolen and doctored and originated from a fake IG account.’
Well it seems nothing can come between Donald Trump and his Coke – not even his call for the boycott of the product.
A bottle of a drink that looks like Coke was spotted on the desk of the office of the Former US president — even though he recently urged his supporters to stop patronizing the drink for political reasons.
Stephen Miller, Trump’s former senior White House adviser, posted what seemed to be an innocuous photo on Twitter of himself with the ex-president in his Florida office.
“Just had a terrific meeting with President Trump!” Miller captioned the pic, in which both men smiled.
But eagled eyed fans noticed the shape of what appeared to be a glass bottle of Coke hidden behind a landline phone on his desk.
Over the weekend, Trump called on his supporters to boycott Coca-Cola and several other companies that condemned Georgia Republicans for enacting new voting restrictions that critics say are designed to disenfranchise Black voters in the state.
“Boycott Major League Baseball, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, JPMorgan Chase, ViacomCBS, Citigroup, Cisco, UPS, and Merck,” Trump said in a statement Saturday.
“Don’t go back to their products until they relent. We can play the game better than them.”
Trump is reportedly an avid Coke consumer. The former U.S. president consumed so much Coke while in the White House that he reportedly had a special button installed on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office that he could press whenever he wanted a drink. Once he pressed the red button, “a White House butler soon arrived with a Coke for the president,” according to an Associated Press report.
Some Twitter users criticized the Republican leader for his hypocrisy.
Reality star, Kim Kardashian is officially a billionaire.
On Tuesday, April 6, Forbes announced her inclusion on the World’s Billionaires list for the first time, citing her two lucrative businesses, KKW Beauty and Skims, as well as cash from “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and endorsement deals.
Kim’s worth increased from $780 million in October to $1 billion.
The mother of four launched KKW Beauty in 2017 after seeing the success of half-sister Kylie Jenner’s makeup company, Kylie Cosmetics.
“It’s the first time I’ve moved away from having licensing deals and transitioned into being an owner,” Kardashian told Forbes in 2017, when she announced her cosmetics line.
Kardashian, 40, went on to sell 20 percent of KKW Beauty to Coty for $200 million, which put the value of her company at $1 billion.
She launched shapewear company Skims in 2019 and pivoted it to include loungewear during the pandemic when women started leaning into cozier clothing while being quarantined. She holds a majority stake in the company, which hasn’t disclosed its revenues, Forbes reported.
A source familiar with Skims told Forbes about a transaction that values the shapewear company north of $500 million. As a result, Forbes estimates her Skims stake is worth a conservative $225 million, enough to lift her fortune to $1 billion.
The rest of Kardashian West’s fortune sits in cash and investments, including real estate. Every year since 2012, she has earned at least $10 million pretax, by Forbes’ count, thanks to paychecks from Keeping Up With the Kardashians, endorsement deals, and endeavors like the aforementioned mobile game and her now-defunct Kimoji app, Forbes reported.
She also has three properties in Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles, and a portfolio of blue-chip investments, including shares of Disney, Amazon, Netflix, and Adidas that her soon-to-be ex-husband Kanye West gifted her for Christmas in 2017.
Kim Kardashian now joins her own sister, Kylie, her estranged husband, Kanye West and other celebs that have gotten into the billionaires club
Three female farmers have been brutally attacked by suspected herdsmen in Irele-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
It was gathered that the assailants numbering about six invaded Irele Ekiti farm settlement in the early hours of Tuesday, April 6, and machetted the women.
A source who spoke with Tribune Online said the victims, who sustained life-threatening injuries, were rushed to the Ikole General Hospital, where they are currently receiving treatment.
The source added that the herders demanded money from the victims but were furious after the women failed to give them the money required and prevented attempts to rape them.
“The women were unable to meet up with the demand as they said they were only with just N200. The herdsmen collected all the money found on them and made attempt to forcefully sleep with the women,” the source said.
“The refusal of the women to grant their demand for such an immoral act led to the brutal attack before they fled the scene. The women were so macheted to the extent that it will take the grace of God for them to survive because they have lost so much of blood.”
Spokesperson of the state Police Command, ASP Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the attack on the three women, said investigations have begun in a bid to arrest the perpetrators.
“Yes, we got the report this morning that three persons were attacked and I can tell you that they are responding to treatment in the hospital. We have commenced investigation into the attack and the criminals will soon be arrested.” he stated.
Abutu urged residents of the community to remain calm and support the police with relevant and accurate information that would help in arresting the attackers who perpetrated the dastardly act.
Cardi B put her boobs on display as she went topless for her shoot with XXL Magazine.
The rapper’s dungarees straps covered her nipples in one of the photos. In the other, she’s seen wearing a top with a hand design covering her breasts.
She shared the photos to Instagram and so did XXL Mag.
Unidentified gunmen have razed another police station in Imo State, few hours after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and outgoing Inspector General of Police (IGP), Muhammed Adamu left Owerri, the Imo State capital.
Vice President Osinbajo led a delegation of Federal Government officials including the Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, to visit the state over Monday, April 5, attack on the correctional center in the state as well as the police headquarters.
Shortly after Osinbajo and his entourage left the state, the gunmen burnt Ehime Mbano Local Government Area Divisional Police Headquarters. The gunmen freed all suspects in detention before setting the Police Divisional headquarters ablaze.
The state police command is yet to comment on this development.
A Houston woman has been accused of killing her six year old son so she could earn his insurance money.
Ashley Marks took out two life insurance policies on her 6-year-old son before giving him lethal doses of medications and over the counter drugs that caused him frightening hallucinations before he died, prosecutors with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office have revealed.
Ashley Marks had taken out two life insurance policies, each worth $50,000, for her son and she was the sole beneficiary, investigators said in court documents.
The policies were taken out about a month before the boy’s death.
Prosecutors allege that Ashley Marks, 25, a licensed insurance agent, repeatedly drugged her son in June.
An autopsy ruled the boy’s death a homicide after finding toxic amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine and various antihistamines, according to court records.
The boy’s grandfather told Houston police that after Marks had given her son medicine, the boy started hallucinating and “believed there were bugs on his clothing” and that his grandson “became scared of his hallucinations,” according to court documents.
The grandfather, Adam Marks, told police that after he told his daughter that her son had hallucinated after taking his medicine, she told him to give him more. He told police he did not comply, according to court records. The boy and his sister were living with their grandfather at the time of his death.
Adam Marks told police that his daughter gave her son more medicine, Nyquil, a few hours before he died, police said. According to the drug manufacturer, Nyquil should not be given to children under 12 years old.
Marks, has now been charged with capital murder and is being held without bond.
Manchester City Manager, Pep Guardiola has blamed FIFA and UEFA for ‘killing his players’ due to an overly congested fixture list hence he’ll have to keep rotating players.
Guardiola made six changes to his starting XI as City moved closer to the Premier League title by beating Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The Spaniard has vowed to keep changing his line up ahead of a Champions League quarter-final meeting with Borussia Dortmund this week, insisting his players cannot be expected to play three games in a week without proper rest.
“They are human beings, they are not machines,” Guardiola told reporters. “I know the players, some of them are upset all the time because they want to play every day but this is not possible.
“To compete in all competitions in this year without spectators, in the shortest competition ever, (if) you don’t rotate you don’t compete in all competitions and you will not be in the position we are in now.
“Of course they could play, they have an incredible mentality but they need rest. UEFA and FIFA killed the players because it’s too much. We haven’t had one midweek off since we started, not even one.
“There is no player who can sustain (this), not just physically but mentally to be ready every day to compete against opponents to win the game. It’s impossible.
“I rotate I’m a genius, ‘well done Pep’ but when we lose and I rotate people say ‘why rotate? You have to play the players like normal’. But it’s unsustainable.
“The next game we are going to play fresh legs and against Leeds [United], more than ever, fresh legs.”
City also have an FA Cup semi-final showdown against Chelsea and a Carabao Cup final clash with Tottenham later this month.
The Nigeria Police Force says preliminary investigation shows that members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network(ESN) razed the Imo Police Command Headquarters and freed inmates at the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) in the early hours of Monday, April 5. Read initial report here.
A statement released by the spokesperson of the force, Frank Mba, states that the Inspector- General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu ordered the immediate deployment of additional units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) and other Police Tactical Squads to Imo State to strengthen security and prevent further attacks on security formations or any other critical national infrastructure in the State.
“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the attackers, who came in their numbers with sophisticated weapons such as General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs), AK49 rifles, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), are members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The attempt by the attackers to gain access to the Police armoury at the Headquarters was totally and appropriately resisted by Police operatives on duty who repelled the attackers and prevented them from breaking-in and looting the armory” the statement in part reads
Mba added that the armoury is intact and that the police command did not suffer any human casualty, apart from a Police Constable who sustained a minor bullet wound on his shoulder.
He said one of the operational vehicles of the attackers has been recovered by the Police and is being subjected to forensic scrutiny and investigations.
Mba stated that the Inspector General of Police described the deliberate and criminal attack on security operatives as an attack on the soul of the country and enjoined leaders in Imo State, the South-East and other parts of the country to speak out against the unfolding violence and criminality.
A woman discovered at her son’s wedding that the bride is her long-lost daughter.
The woman was attending the wedding in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, on Wednesday, March, 31, when she noticed the birthmark on the bride’s hand and realised that’s the daughter she abandoned at a roadside over 20 years ago.
According to Chinese media reports, the woman approached the bride’s parents to ask if they adopted their daughter over 20 years ago.
The family were shocked by the question as it had been a secret for so many years but revealed they had found a baby girl by the roadside a long time ago and she had been with them ever since.
When the bride heard the news, she burst into tears.
She had been so desperate to know her biological family that she described the moment as being “happier than the wedding day itself”.
However, the story took another twist when it was revealed that there would be no objection to the marriage as the groom was also adopted, therefore, they are not blood relatives.
According to Oriental Daily, the woman had adopted a boy after giving up hope on a search for her missing daughter.
She had searched for her daughter for years to no avail.
The bride had been concerned about marrying her elder brother but her long-lost mum said she had no objections to the marriage as they aren’t biological siblings.
The bride was relieved and went through with the ceremony.
All of the guests who came to the wedding heard about the double celebration and sent their best wishes to the couple and the mother and daughter.
Jesse Lingard is currently trending on Twitter following the stunning goal he scored for West Ham against Wolves on Monday night, April 5.
Lingard signed for the Hammers on a short-term loan deal in January, after the Man United academy product was not given an opportunity to shine under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Fast forward two months, and Lingard is one of the most in-form players in the Premier League.
He opened the scoring for West Ham away at Wolves with a stunning solo goal showing so much confidence as he carried the ball forward from behind the halfway-line before holding his nerve and beating Rui Patricio.
The Wolves defenders followed him, but his long run with the ball for such a distance and ability to keep his composure in front of goal, has even got some Twitter users saying he should be nominated for the FIFA Puskas goal of the year.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin has signed legislation formally granting him the right to stay in power until 2036.
Putin’s second consecutive and fourth overall presidential term ends in 2024, the year when Russia’s previous Constitution would have required him to step down.
But an overhauled Constitution that Russians approved in a nationwide vote last year allows Putin to run for two more six-year presidential terms.
If elected both times, he would remain president until 2036, surpassing Josef Stalin as the longest-serving leader of Russia since Peter the Great.
The law which was signed on Monday April 5 by the 68-year-old leader, resets his number of terms served, allowing him to extend his 20-year rule until he turns 83.
Former President Dmitry Medvedev, who served in 2008-2012 when Putin was constitutionally mandated to step down after his first two consecutive terms, is also granted the right to run two more times.
Putin has previously said he hasn’t yet decided whether to run for president again, saying 2024 is still far off.
The US Supreme Court has wiped away a lower court opinion holding that then-President Donald Trump violated the First Amendment when he blocked followers from his Twitter account.
Ruling on Monday, April 5, The Supreme court dismissed the case because Trump is not in office so there is no longer a live case or any controversy.
Trump created his Twitter account in 2009, and in May and June of 2017, while serving as President of the US he blocked seven individuals who had expressed displeasure with him.
Lawyers from the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University sued on behalf of the seven individuals, arguing Trump’s action violated their First Amendment rights.
In court papers, they said Trump’s account, @realDonaldTrump, “functions as an official source of news and information about the government, and as a forum for speech by, to, and about the President.”
A district court ruled that the then-President’s action of blocking followers violated the individuals’ First Amendment rights because it excluded them from a public forum based on their viewpoints — a decision an appeals court later affirmed.
The case was transferred to the Supreme Court as Prosecutors argued that Trump’s account is personal, even if it is sometimes run by his assistant Dan Scavino.
“By ignoring the critical distinction between the President’s (sometimes) official statements on Twitter and his always personal decision to block respondents from his own account,” Then Solicitor general Wall argued, the lower court opinion “blurs the line between state action and private conduct — notwithstanding this Court’s repeated and recent exhortations to heed that line carefully in applying the First Amendment.”
But since Trump has lost the presidential election and Trump’s ban from Twitter, the Supreme court decided on Monday April 5, to toss off the case.
The Nigerian Correctional Service has said that six inmates who escaped during the attack at the correction facility in Owerri, Imo state on Monday, April 5, have voluntarily returned while 35 others refused to escape from custody during the attack.
The acting Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS, John Mrabure, disclosed this in a statement signed by the spokesman for corrections, Francis Enobore. According to the statement, 1, 844 of the inmates are currently on the run. The Correctional Service boss has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and appealed to the good citizens of Imo state and Nigerians to volunteer useful intelligence to recapture the fleeing inmates.
The statement reads
“The Owerri Custodial Centre in Imo State has been attacked by unknown gunmen and forcefully released a total of 1,844 inmates in custody.
The attackers who stormed the facility at about 0215hrs on Monday 5th April 2021, gained entrance into the yard by using explosives to blast the administrative block.
They were said to have arrived at the centre in their large number in several Hilux pick-up vans and Sienna buses armed with sophisticated weapons and immediately engaged the security personnel on duty in a fierce gun battle. They eventually detonated the explosive to gain entrance.
The Acting Controller-General of Corrections, John Mrabure has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and in collaboration with other security organizations, commenced a search and recovery operations to recapture the fleeing inmates.
While appealing to the good citizens of Imo State and indeed Nigerians to volunteer useful intelligence that will facilitate the recovery effort, the Ag. Controller-General wishes to assure that the security of custodial centres in the country remains sacrosanct.
He equally directed all officers attached to custodial facilities to remain vigilant at this trying moment in our history. As at the last count, 6 inmates have so far voluntarily returned to the facility while 35 inmates refused to escape from custody during the attack.”
According to historian and biographer Robert Lacey, who has written a new book looking at Prince Harry and Prince William, Meghan Markle was a "massive problem for the royal family.
A royal expert claims Prince Harry has demanded “an apology” from the Royal Family over what he perceives as the mistreatment of his wife, Meghan Markle.
One of the main bones of contention is over an alleged racist comment made by one member of the Royal Family regarding the skin colour of Harry and Meghan’s baby, Archie before he was born.
Oprah Winfrey later said the comment wasn’t made by the Queen herself or Prince Philip.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also claimed that Meghan, who admitted that she had suicidal thoughts when pregnant with Archie, was denied help with her mental health.
And a source has now reportedly told Us Weekly magazine that Prince Harry is demanding an apology from the family in the UK.
The source claimed: “The problem with Harry is that he’s hooked on being right and regardless of saying he wants to move on from this.
“He won’t back down until he gets some form of apology from his family.”
The family of veteran rapper, DMX held a vigil on Monday evening, April 5, outside White Plains Hospital in New York where the 50-year-old is hospitalized.
DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was hospitalized last Friday after suffering a drug overdose that triggered a heart attack and is now “facing serious health issues,” his family said.
There are reports he has “some brain activity” and is in a “vegetative state” and doctors have cautioned he may not make it.
The crowd that attended the vigil, joined in prayers, chanted “DMX!” and crossed their arms in the shape of an X. Many were seen crying while a recording of the rapper was played.
A business owner surprised people with the action he took after he woke up to find a burglar stealing from his business.
Carl Wallace was woken by his alarm system and saw a man in a hooded tracksuit on CCTV using a brick to smash his restaurant’s front window in Diablo’s Southwest Grill in Augusta, Georgia.
The man then forcibly removed the cash register and shook it to find there was nothing in there.
Despite the damage done to the building the fateful day, which also happened to be his 45th birthday, Carl Wallace decided against pressing charges against the burglar and instead, offered him a job.
“Within 45 seconds, he was back out the front door… no money was taken,” Mr Wallace said.
“Really frustration and damage was the only thing done… we get woken up in the middle of the night, you have to run into the store, clean up the big mess and scramble to get the store back open by 11 o’clock.
“It made me realise, as a robber, this guy’s really not doing a good job – there’s got to be other career paths for this guy.”
Mr Wallace shared photos of the break-in on social media.
He also included his personal phone number and asked the robber to “please wing by for a job application”.
“No police, no questions. Let’s sit down and talk about how we could help you and fix the road you’re on,” he wrote.
The Facebook post has been shared thousands of times around the world.
Other local business owners got in touch with Mr Wallace and shared CCTV clips suggesting the same man had broken into their properties.
Mr Wallace said the break-ins were putting the man’s life at risk and he is “extremely hopeful” he will be in touch regarding the job.
“That would be one of the greatest stories… you take somebody that was on the wrong path, someone gives them a hand,” said Mr Wallace.
“Maybe this guy’s never been given that opportunity. Maybe he’s always been put down in life.”
He wants to “break the cycle” of the burglar’s actions.
“Your first reaction is anger and frustration, then you think about Easter weekend and think, what’s a better response?” he said.
“What would Jesus do? Would Jesus have somebody locked up or would he offer forgiveness?
“We all as humans have to have a level of forgiveness to each other, and try to find a better way because there’s so much hate in this world… we don’t understand each other’s problems and challenges in life.”
Actress Ummi Ibrahim, aka Ummi Zee Zee, has revealed why she was depressed days after sharing a suicidal post on Instagram.
Over the weekend, the Kannywood actress shared a depressing photo of herself and wrote in the caption that she feels like committing suicide.
She has now revealed that she became depressed after losing N450million to a business partner.
Speaking in an interview with Voice of America (Hausa Service), she said: “The reason for my post was because one Igbo man from the Niger Delta, with whom I started crude oil business, said there’s a certain amount of money I had to give for us to start the business, and that I will make half payment and then give the remaining later.
“I didn’t know the man is a fraudster. He defrauded me of huge amount of money and ran away.
“I sent him N450 million in dollars and he left with it. I called his number severally but it is switched off. When I checked his social media accounts, I found out that he had blocked me in all of them.
“I now live in Lagos. It was here that I met him and this is not the first time I had done business with him. What surprised me was that he came with some Europeans to prove to me that the business was real and a serious one. So, I never believed he will cheat me.”
The leader of a bandit group in Zamfara state has been killed by officers attached to operation Puff Adder II, with an AK47, a military uniform, and a motorcycle recovered from him.
A statement by Mohammed Shehu, the spokesman of the state police command, said police operatives were on a routine patrol on Sunday, April 4 when they intercepted some bandits, who were reportedly on their way to attack a community. Shehu said during a gunfight, the leader of the group who has been on the radar of the police was killed, while others reportedly fled with “possible” gunshot injuries.
“The Command, in continuation of such kinetic actions against the recalcitrant bandits, has succeeded in neutralising a notorious armed bandit kingpin who specialised and has been on the radar of the Police for terrorising the innocent people of Maradun and other neighbouring LGAs of Zamfara State,” the statement reads.
“On 4th April, 2021, Operatives attached to Operation Puff Adder II of the command, while on confidence building patrol along Tsibiri village, near Sububu forest in Maradun LGA, intercepted a group of armed bandits who were believed to be on attack mission to the village.
“On sighting the Police operatives, they engaged them in a gun duel which the personnel quickly returned fire. As a result, one of the bandits was gunned down, while other bandits fled into the forest with possible gunshot wounds.
“In the course of profiling the scene, an AK-47 rifle with breech no. AK 103- 2051361627 and one magazine containing four (4) rounds of live ammunition, one operational motorcycle, and a bag containing bundle of charms, and a set of military camouflage uniform were recovered.”the statement read
Zamfara state has been one of the strongholds of the bandits. In March, 279 students from the Government Girls Science Secondary (GGSS) School in Jangebe, a community in the state, were abducted by bandits who stormed the school in the early hours of the day,.They were however released.
A Nigerian man, Tolu Babatunde, is currently in search for his mother who disappeared shortly after his birth.
Tolu sent a mail to TM seeking the public’s help to find his mother. Read the mail below
In search of my Mother (A cry for help to locate her).
I am in search of my mother and I have truly little details to trace her. Her name is Kuburat Shola (unfortunately, I do not have her maiden name). I do not know any of her siblings or family either.
She gave birth to me in 1975 and a few months after she disappeared only to reappear in 1998, briefly, as I only saw her on two occasions. On those occasions I tried to get more details from her, she promised to be back but never did. Although she mentioned she had other children after me (I happen to be her first).
Please if anyone has information on her whereabouts as well as her other children (my siblings from her) please can you share by contacting me on +2347053937249.
N.B The first picture was taken in 1975 and I have used Faceapp to simulate the second picture to have an idea of her possible look today”
A new bill passed in Utah, U.S. will require biological fathers in the state to pay for half of the out-of-pocket costs of pregnancy.
The bill, sponsored by Republican state Representative Brady Brammer was signed by Governor Spencer Cox after receiving widespread support from lawmakers in the state.
The bill now requires fathers to pay 50% of a mother’s insurance premiums while she is pregnant and pregnancy-related medical costs, including the hospital birth of the child.
According to the legislation, if paternity is disputed, the father of the child owes no money until paternity is established.
The bill also states that if a mother receives an abortion without the biological father’s consent, the biological father owes no money, unless the abortion is necessary to avert the death of the mother or if the mother was pregnant as a result of rape or incest.
Utah appears to be the only state to mandate pre-birth support, according to Brammer and the state’s Planned Parenthood association
The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has apologised to Nigerians over the strike embarked upon by the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
The resident doctors began an indefinite strike on Thursday, April 1, over salary arrears and owed allowances.
Addressing journalists on Sunday April 4 in Abuja, Enema Amodu, NMA chairman of the federal capital territory (FCT) chapter, said the association is “very sorry” but has to continue the strike for the sake of doctors’ welfare, to allow them meet the needs of patients.
Amodu said: “We are not insensitive; we hope that government and those in charge of the discussion with NARD will take it seriously, with a view to settling the issues at stake.
“To our patients, we are very sorry that you have to suffer this epileptic irregular healthcare service delivery; we have taken an oath to take care of you.
“But if a doctor is not in a sound state of mind and is not happy with what he or she is getting from the job, the doctor may not be in right frame of mind to discharge his or her duty right.
“And this will invariably affect you; by the time we get placed properly, renumeration and other welfare matters and facilities that we need to serve you, we will be able to serve you better with productive results.”
The Indigenious People of Biafra (IPOB) has denied carrying out Monday’s attacks on Imo Police Headquarters and Correctional Centre.
It was reported earlier that over 2,000 inmates were freed after the attack on Monday, April 5. The group averred that it is not their mandate to attack security personnel or prison facilities.
A statement released by IPOB’s spokesperson, Emma Powerful read;
“The attention of IPOB has been drawn again to the fallacious and fabricated news that IPOB and ESN are involved in the attack of prison and police headquarters in Owerri Imo State.
“IPOB and ESN are known groups not unknown gunmen. ESN is in the bush chasing Fulani terrorists, why linking IPOB and ESN to this attack. IPOB and ESN were not involved in the attack in Owerri Imo State. and the recent attack on Onitsha Owerri road at Ukwuorji junction. It is not our mandate to attack security personnel or prison facilities.
“The Nigeria Government and her compromised media outfits should stop linking IPOB and ESN to the multiple attacks going on in Nigeria now. IPOB was formed on principle of peace and we are still in it. Unknown gunmen is a different people which we don’t know them and they not IPOB or ESN security outfit.”
A novel vaccine approach for the prevention of HIV has shown promise in Phase I trials.
IAVI and Scripps Research reported that the vaccine which is being developed to act as an immune primer, to trigger the activation of naïve B cells via a process called germline-targeting, as the first stage in a multi-step vaccine regimen to elicit the production of many different types of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs), successfully stimulated the production of the rare immune cells needed to generate antibodies against HIV in 97 percent of participants.
European Pharmaceutical Review reported that stimulating the production of bnAbs has been pursued as a holy grail in HIV for decades. It is hoped that these specialised blood proteins could attach to HIV surface proteins called spikes, which allow the virus to enter human cells, and disable them via a difficult-to-access regions that does not vary much from strain to strain.
Dr William Schief, a professor and immunologist at Scripps Research and executive director of vaccine design at IAVI’s Neutralizing Antibody Center, whose laboratory developed the vaccine said;
“We and others postulated many years ago that in order to induce bnAbs, you must start the process by triggering the right B cells – cells that have special properties giving them potential to develop into bnAb-secreting cells.
“In this trial, the targeted cells were only about one in a million of all naïve B cells. To get the right antibody response, we first need to prime the right B cells. The data from this trial affirms the ability of the vaccine immunogen to do this.
“This study demonstrates proof of principle for a new vaccine concept for HIV, a concept that could be applied to other pathogens as well. With our many collaborators on the study team, we showed that vaccines can be designed to stimulate rare immune cells with specific properties and this targeted stimulation can be very efficient in humans. We believe this approach will be key to making an HIV vaccine and possibly important for making vaccines against other pathogens.”
One of the lead investigators on the trial, Dr Julie McElrath, senior vice president and director of Fred Hutch’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division said the trial was “a landmark study in the HIV vaccine field,” adding that they had demonstrated “success in the first step of a pathway to induce broad neutralising antibodies against HIV-1.”
In the Phase I IAVI G001trial, 48 healthy adult volunteers were enrolled to receive either a placebo or two doses of the vaccine compound, eOD-GT8 60mer, along with an adjuvant developed by the GlaxoSmithKline.
The company’s said this study sets the stage for additional clinical trials that will seek to refine and extend the approach, with the long-term goal of creating a safe and effective HIV vaccine. As a next step, the collaborators are partnering with the biotechnology company Moderna to develop and test an mRNA-based vaccine that harnesses the approach to produce the same beneficial immune cells. According to the team, using mRNA technology could significantly accelerate the pace of HIV vaccine development, as it did with vaccines for COVID-19.
Dr Dennis Burton, professor and chair of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, scientific director of the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center and director of the NIH Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development added;
“This is a tremendous achievement for vaccine science as a whole.
“This clinical trial has shown that we can drive immune responses in predictable ways to make new and better vaccines, and not just for HIV. We believe this type of vaccine engineering can be applied more broadly, bringing about a new day in vaccinology.”
It is also believed that same approach could be applied to vaccines for other challenging pathogens such as influenza, dengue, Zika, hepatitis C and malaria.
