Truck crushes 10 women to death in Imo market [Photos]

No fewer than 10 market women were on Saturday afternoon reportedly crushed to death when a truck rammed into Nkwommiri market in Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State.

The incident also left scores of others wounded, The Nation learnt.

The truck was said to have lost its brakes while descending from Anara road towards Orlu.

It was said to have rammed into women trading on the roadside market parts of the market.

Village sources told The Nation some of the victims were crushed into a nearby river.

One of them said the community was working with government officials to rescue those trapped.

Imo police spokesperson Orlando Ikeokwu told The Nation that two persons had been confirmed dead so far, while rescue mission was ongoing.

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Messi's record-breaking boots auctioned for £125,000

Lionel Messi’s boots which scored him his one-club record-breaking goal have been bought for £125,000 at an auction.

The Barcelona captain scored his 644th goal for the club in last year’s December 3-0 win over Real Valladolid. The goal broke past record by Pele, who had netted 643 times for Santos, and set Messi as the player to have scored the most goals for a single club.

According to reports by ESPN, the pair of boots were donated to a charity for children’s health by the player, and sportswear company Adidas. They were thereafter exhibited in Cataluña’s Museum of Art (MNAC) in Barcelona for the auction which began on April 19 with a starting price of £40,000.

While the auction house, Christies, estimated the boots to sell for a maximum of £70,000, bids swamped in for the online auction at the last hour and bumped up the price till it was finally sold for a whopping £125,000 on Friday.

According to Christies.com all the proceeds from the sale are going to Barcelona’s Vall d’Hebrón Hospital where it will be used to “help children with cancer or other serious illnesses, as well as their families.”

Before the auction, Messi in a press statement released by Christie’s said, “Reaching the historic milestone of 644 goals with the same club gives me a lot of joy, but what’s really more important is being able to give something back to the kids struggling with their health, we hope this will raise a lot of awareness for this great cause.”

Applauding the generosity of the star player, Dr Albert Salazar, Managing Director of the beneficiary hospital said, “For the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, the funds raised through this auction will help us to continue to improve the health of many children and their families through the arts. I am sure that the generosity of Lionel Messi and Adidas will allow us to initiate further projects related to Arts and Health which are proven to have such a meaningful impact”

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UK-based Nigerian stabbed to death in son’s presence

A 40-year-old Nigerian man, Tunde Fadayomi, has been stabbed to death in London, in the presence of his son.

The incident happened on Thursday evening, as the victim died after being stabbed in Willesden, North London.

According to The Mirror, an eyewitness said the single father was protecting his teenage son who was being threatened on a bus.

After he was repeatedly stabbed, Fadayomi died at the doorway of a chicken shop.

The witness, who chose to remain anonymous, said the attack was caused by an argument between Fadayomi and the suspect, as Fadayomi tried to protect his son from the suspect.

The suspect had accused Fadayomi’s son and his friend of not allowing the bus to move. However, the vehicle was not moving because it was changing drivers.

“The bus had stopped outside Willesden Garage and the man just kept shouting that he need to see his mum and then he started accusing the boys of being the reason why the bus wasn’t moving,” the eyewitness recounted.

“I was on my phone and was thinking ‘why is this grown man shouting at these boys’ .

“The boys were trying to calm him down but then he reached into his crotch and pulled out a blade. The boys ran off the bus and one said he was going to get his dad.”

The eyewitness said that when Fadayomi came to the scene, he questioned the man about troubling his son.

“They started shouting at each other before the killer took out the knife again and said ‘I want to go and see my mum,” he said.

The eyewitness, who was a passenger on the bus, stated that the killer “calmly walked away” after that accident as if he did nothing. The eyewitness also pointed out that no one bothered to go after the killer who went away “without any care in the world”

“This is a very dangerous man who needs to be taken off the streets before he strikes again,” the eyewitness said.

According to a police spokesperson, “Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 5.11pm on Thursday, 29 April to a report of a man suffering from stab wounds on High Road, NW10. Officers attended.

“Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, the man, aged 40, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.”

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Kizz Daniel welcomes set of twins on his birthday

Popular Nigerian singer, Kizz Daniel, has announced the birth of his sons.

The singer revealed this on Instagram on Saturday as he celebrates his birthday.

The names of his twins are; Jelani and Jalil.

Alongside a picture, the 27-year-old singer on his Instagram wrote: “ There is no better way to celebrate my birthday than announcing the arrival of my sons ‘Jelani and Jalil’

He, however, did not disclose the mother of his twins.

Kizz Daniel has been off social media for a while since COVID-19 pandemic.

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Grammys scrap 'secret' nomination committees

The organizers of the Grammys on Friday, said they were scrapping the “secret” committees that select which acts get nominated for the prestigious music awards following criticism from artists and allegations of rigging.

The Recording Academy said nominations for the 2022 awards would be decided by its entire voting membership of more than 11,000, rather than the anonymous 15-30 member expert committees who had previously made the selections.

The Academy said the “significant changes” to the awards process “reflect its ongoing commitment to evolve with the musical landscape and to ensure that the Grammy Awards rules and guidelines are transparent and equitable.”

In its statement, the organization said it was also reducing the number of categories in which voters can vote and added two new award categories, in Latin and global music, to bring the total to 86.

The changes come after R&B star The Weeknd in November accused the Grammy organizers of being corrupt after he surprisingly received no nominations, despite a big year commercially.

“The Grammys remain corrupt. You owe me, my fans and the industry transparency…,” the Canadian, known for hits like “Blinding Lights” and “Starboy,” tweeted at the time and pledged to stop submitting music for awards consideration.

Harvey Mason Jr, chairman and interim president of the Academy, said it had “been a year of unprecedented, transformational change for the Recording Academy.”

“This is a new Academy, one that is driven to action and that has doubled down on the commitment to meeting the needs of the music community.”

Last year the Academy’s first female CEO, Deborah Dugan was fired over alleged bullying.

In a legal complaint, Dugan said she was ousted after raising concerns ranging from voting irregularities to sexual harassment and alleged rape.

Former One Direction singer Zayn Malik criticized the anonymous nomination committees in March.

“I’m keeping the pressure on & fighting for transparency & inclusion. We need to make sure we are honoring and celebrating ‘creative excellence’ of ALL. End the secret committees,” tweeted the singer, who has never been nominated either with his former group or as a solo artist.

“My tweet was not personal or about eligibility but was about the need for inclusion and the lack of transparency of the nomination process and the space that creates and allows favoritism, racism, and networking politics to influence the voting process,” Malik added.

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Eight passengers die as truck descends from bridge in Osun

Eight persons have been confirmed dead in a truck accident that occurred on November 27 Interchange Bridge, in Osogbo, Osun State, on Saturday morning.

The fatal accident happened around 1:20 am on Saturday.

Daily Post gathered that the Volvo FL7 truck with registration number KMC 35 ZJ was climbing the bridge when the driver lost control due to probably overloading.

The truck which was conveying palm oil and Kola nut to the north has 61 passengers with the driver on board.

The Osun State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps, Kudirat Ibrahim, who was at the scene of the accident said the injured passengers have been taken to Osun State Teaching Hospital and Asubisro General hospital in Osogbo.

She said that “the vehicle which was heavily loaded with Jerry cans of palm oil and over 60 passengers was trying to ascend the ramp but started rolling backwards and lost control. It fell sideways into the side drainage, throwing off the jerry cans over the passengers and killed some in the process.”

She added that the dead have been taken to mortuary.

She called on road users to be conscious always and obey traffic regulations to avoid being caught in accidents that could lead to loss of lives and property.

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I am not poor – Ex-Arsenal defender, Emmanuel Eboue

Former Arsenal defender, Emmanuel Eboue, has dismissed talk of suffering in poverty after his divorce.

In 2017, the Ivorian was involved in a legal battle with former wife, Aurelie.

It ended up with him giving up some of his assets.

The UK Mirror then quoted him as saying he was poor and homeless.

However, Eboue has now come out to state he may have been misunderstood.

“When [people] say Emmanuel Eboue lost everything, it’s not nice.

“Because I had a divorce [case] and they [court] said my wife won, they gave her all my properties – my two houses, money and the cars that I had in England.

“I wasn’t worried about it because I expected that she was going to use it to take care of my children.

“When they [court] said that, I was very disappointed… To be honest, for the first time, I was very down but after that, I prayed and forgot about all of that,” the 37-year-old said according to Citi Sports.

He added: “After that [divorce case], I left and returned back to Africa. I have my own properties in Africa and so I live with that.”

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Video: Mr Latin speaks on molestation case against Baba Ijesha

Actor, Bolaji Amusan alias Mr Latin has waded into the trending issue concerning the se.xual molestation of Yoruba actor Baba Ijesha and an underaged girl.

Baba Ijesha born Olanrewaju James was arrested by the Lagos State Police command for se.xually molesting a girl when she was 7 years old and then repeated it when she was 14 years.

The embattled Yoruba star, was filmed in a viral video begging for mercy and forgiveness as he confessed to committing the crime to Princess, the mother of the child after he was caught on CCTV.

Taking to his Instagram page, the Veteran actor addressed the people in the film industry about the ongoing issue. Bolaji Amusan fondly called Mr Latin berated the act the actor is being blamed of.

He noted that he has been receiving calls where many people are demanding for the ban of Ijesha from the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria.

Being the head of the association, Mr Latin said Ijesha cannot be banned from the association because he was never a part of it.

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A post shared by Mrlatin (@mrlatin1510)

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Barcelona manager, Koeman gets two-match ban

Barcelona manager, Ronald Koeman, has been handed a two-match ban by the Spanish FA (RFEF), after being sent off in their 2-1 defeat at home to Granada on Thursday.

Koeman will miss the visit of LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid next Saturday.

The Dutchman’s suspension however starts with Sunday’s trip to his former club Valencia.

Koeman was shown a red card, after Darwin Machis equalised for Granada at the Nou Camp.

The referee in his post-match report, said the Barca coach, having already been warned about his behaviour, spoke degradingly to the fourth official, shouting “What a character” at him.

The suspension, handed down by the RFEF Competition Committee, comes under the umbrella of “acts of disparagement or thoughtlessness towards referees, directors or sporting authorities,” for which two games is the standard punishment.

Barcelona have confirmed they will appeal against Koeman’s suspension.

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I had to choose between greatness and death –Burna Boy

Grammy Award-winning singer, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy, recently revealed in an interview with GQ Magazine that at a point in his life, he had to choose between greatness and death, and that was what led to his recent successes on the global stage.

He said, “Following several collaborations with foreign artistes of African heritage, I just made up my mind that I wanted it all. I wanted to be the greatest. That’s when it hit me really hard that I had to do it. It was that or death.”

The self-acclaimed African Giant also stated that winning a Grammy award broke the mental cycle of people who felt that certain things were unachievable.

 He added, “I was not celebrating because of myself. It was almost as if I had broken a mental cycle of our people. Our people had been very mentally oppressed to feel like they could not do certain things, and that certain things were unreachable.”

The singer also noted that he felt he had to think for a whole generation. He said, “Every day, I realise more that things are bigger than me. I have to think for a lot of people – basically a whole generation – before I think of myself.”

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Lagos Christian pilgrims set for Jordan not Jerusalem

The Lagos Government through the Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (LSCPWB) has opted for holy pilgrimage to Jordan instead of Jerusalem for its forthcoming May/June Pilgrimage.

This is because Israel has refused to open its border for pilgrimage.

Prince Anofiu Olarewaju Elegushi, the Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, disclosed this during the Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board Stakeholders/ Sensitization Forum held for its intending Pilgrims at the Chapel of Christ the Light, Alausa, Ikeja on Thursday.

Elegushi explained that the State Government in conjunction with the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) decided to embark on Pilgrimage to Jordan instead of Jerusalem after investigations revealed that Israel might not open its border for pilgrimage soon.

Also, officials of the Ministry visited Jordan during the routine State of Readiness to ascertain the level of preparedness of Jordan to host pilgrimage exercise.

“The Prophecy of our Lord Jesus cuts across many settlements, many countries not only Jerusalem. If we go through our Bible we will see the role of other countries like Jordan even Egypt, Christianity is not all about Jerusalem ” Elegushi noted.

“We decided to look at options but we cannot just make decisions without your consent, you paid your money, we don’t put the horse before the cart, we want to know your mind and whatever you, the stakeholders decide is what we will present to the Governor”.

Elegushi stated that the ministry decided to hold on to the memo written to the Governor on the decision reached to tour Jordan until after the Stakeholders meeting.

He thanked the intending Pilgrims for entrusting their funds with the State Government.

Mrs Adebunmi Adekanye, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, in her address noted that pilgrimage to Jordan is a worthwhile experience.

“Before now I heard people say they go to Jordan from the UK actually and I wonder what do they go to do in Jordan but now I have gone, have seen and believed. I believe it is going to be the same thing for you”.

She said that some of them had to go to Jordan on the State of Readiness to be convinced about Jordan before calling for the meeting and having visited Jordan they are convinced that in future intending Pilgrims would be going on holy Pilgrimage to both Jerusalem and Jordan while assuring them of a spiritual rewarding Pilgrimage.

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Notorious bandit leader Daudawa who led kidnap of Kankara students killed

Notorious bandit leader, Auwalun Daudawa, who led the kidnap of over 300 students of Government Science Secondary School Kankara, Katsina State, has bee killed.

It was gathered that Daudawa had laid down his arms and accepted Governor Bello Matawalle’s peace initiative on February 8.

But a few days ago, it was reported that Daudawa had returned to the forest to continue his banditry.

Government sources told Channels Television that the bandit has been killed.

Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs in Zamfara State, Abubakar Dauran told Channels Television that Daudawa left Gusau day two days ago.

He had reportedly told some people that he was going to attend one of his relatives’ wedding.

According to the commissioner, the bandit rustled over 100 cows and killed the herdsman in charge.

He said in retaliation, some people around the area organised and killed him too.

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Nigerian man swallows N360m worth of cocaine for N750,000 reward

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted a suspected drug trafficker, Chigbogu Obiora, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement disclosed that Obiora excreted 97 wraps of cocaine worth N360 million.

The 47-year-old trafficker was nabbed on Sunday, April, 25 during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline.

Obiora arrived in Lagos onboard the airline from Entebbe, Uganda via Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia.

MMIA Commander, Ahmadu Garba said Obiora was taken for body machine scan and the result was positive for ingestion of substances.

The suspect was promptly moved to the NDLEA excretion and observation facility.

Garba said barely an hour after, Obiora excreted 31 wraps of cocaine weighing 500 grammes and another 47 wraps (750 grammes) in the evening of the same day.

The next day, 19 wraps (300 grammes) were excreted, bringing the total to 97 wraps (1.55kg).

The NDLEA spokesman said that under interrogation, Obiora claimed he was promised $1,500 to move the drug.

“I opted for the ‘deal’ because I needed money. I did it so that I will be capable of feeding my family”, he was quoted as saying.

“I was living in Madagascar but due to the COVID-19 and the lockdown in the country, I cannot return to my place of work.

“I have never met the real owner of the drug. I don’t know him, they contacted me on the phone and asked if I can do the business,’’ Obiora claimed.

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