Bishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto Catholic Diocese has condemned the manner palliatives were distributed to Nigerians.

He was reacting to the biting hardship facing the country.

Kukah said such moves were undignifying, calling on governments to map out better plans to tackle the nation’s issues.

He made this view known while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

Recall that the floating of the naira and the removal of fuel subsidy have pushed inflation levels to a new high leading to a hike in the cost of living.

As a response to the ensuing economic hardship and worsening hunger, governments across levels have rolled out palliative measures including the distribution of food items to the vulnerable as part of moves to cushion the hardship in the country.

However, Kukah said people just want to be able to get back to their lives, urging the government to end insecurity.

“We need to see a much more robust programme designed by the government to help us go away from just lining up and collecting palliative when we are not at war.

“I think it is the height of indignity to see Nigerians lining up every day under the sun and waiting to collect bags of rice which probably never come not because money has not been given but because everybody who gives out money in Nigeria from the Federal Government knows that a good part of this money is always stolen. Nigerians are not looking for handouts.”

The Niger State Police Command has arrested and detained a 19-year-old named Yakubu Tanko for the killing of his 14-year-old friend, Sikiru Tajudeen, in the Bosso Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, March 30, 2024, said the body of the minor was recovered from a septic tank in the community after he was declared missing.

According to the PPRO, the suspect hit the deceased with a stick, killing him instantly and then hid the corpse in a sack in the kitchen.

Tanko returned with a borrowed wheelbarrow, evacuated the corpse and dumped it in a nearby septic tank, in an attempt to cover the crime.

Upon arrest and interrogation, he confessed to the crime, claiming that he had no reason for his actions, but the deceased had given him a phone to charge for him.

“On 20/03/2024 at about 1900hrs, Police operatives attached to Bosso Div arrested one Yakubu Tanko 19yrs of Tudun-fulani area of Minna for a suspected culpable homicide of one Sikiru Tajudeen 14yrs of the same area,” the statement read.

"On the same date at about 0700hrs, the deceased was reported missing at Bosso Div, that on 19/03/2024 at about 2130hrs, the deceased was not seen at home, but his school uniform trouser, a stick and a stone were found with suspected blood stains in his room.

"Later around 1830hrs of 20/03/2024, information received from the community indicated that a strange odour was being perceived from a septic tank within the community, and after a proper check with the Police, a tied sack was found in the tank, evacuated and discovered the lifeless body of Sikiru Tajudeen.

"Further findings from the community pointed to Yakubu Tanko and he was immediately arrested. During interrogation, he confessed to the homicide of the deceased who was his friend.

"He stated that on 19/03/2024 at about 1400hrs, he met Sikiru in the room sleeping and he picked a stick from the kitchen, which he used to hit the deceased on the head. He said blood gushed out and he left the scene immediately, but returned after two hours.

"He narrated further that he hid the corpse in a sack and kept it in the kitchen till around 2000hrs, when he returned with a borrowed wheelbarrow, evacuated the corpse alone and dumped it in a nearby septic tank, in an attempt to cover the crime.

“He claimed that he had no reason for his actions, but he said Sikiru gave him a phone to charge for him, and that he personally conceived the idea and executed it. However, the suspect has been transferred to SCID for further investigation.”

Embattled actress, Eniola Ajao has sent a special message to Nigerians.

She thanked them for watching her movie, ‘Beast of Two Worlds’: ‘Ajakaju’ after it achieved a new record.

Recall that the filmmaker had faced severe backlash after crowning the controversial transvestite Bobrisky as the ‘Best Dressed Female’ at the movie’s premiere.

In a post on her Instagram page, Eniola appreciated the effort of everyone who supported her movie as it marks a milestone of 16M views on its first day at the Box Office.

While appreciating Nigerians for forgiving her, and the lessons learnt, she praised the likes of Odunlade Adekola, Funke Akindele, and many others.

She wrote: “The cinema run of AJAKAJU, #beastoftwoworlds has taught me lessons, lessons I will not forget in a hurry. But this is not the time to dish out the lessons because I am not yet an expert at the box office! Leave that to @funkejenifaakindele, @odunomoadekola, @femiadebayosalami, @iyaboojofespris @niyi_akinmolayan, @toyin_abraham and @realmercyaigbe what I am here to do today is to say THANK YOU. Nigerians, I am grateful. You allowed God to use you to turn my shame into testimony, sorrow into joy, and fear into courage. Eshe gan. I am glad we made 16m in one day, what an opening! But it is important I let you all know that this place I am in now is a journey that started before today. I am grateful to my dearest Boss @odunladeadekola for taking me under his wings and leading me through this part. He co-directed this movie, lent me money, and was there through and through. My Nollywood story won’t be complete without him. Eshe gan. To my daddy @adebayotijani, thank you for being a good director. You helped me succeed.

“I am grateful to my colleagues from the Yoruba industry for standing by me, for posting, for reaching out, for meet and greet, and many other things. I am grateful to fans who have sent gifts, and money, and offered moral support. God bless you. To my boss @femiadebayosalami and his beautiful wife @iyanaladuke thank you for your understanding. And to those who were dragged and trolled because of this movie, @dayoamusa, @bobrisky222, Nollywood, I am sorry but know that this success is for us all. You allowed God to use you to tell a beautiful story about me and Nollywood, Eshe gan. Oun rere la ma ba ara wase. And to those who have said they will not support us—cast and crew—and are waiting for us to fail, I want to appreciate you too. It was because of you that I ran to God and Nigerians. See now, with God and Nigerians behind me, the story will end well. To those I offended, forgive me. I’m just a small girl, treat me like your daughter and sister. Please let’s keep watching #beastoftwoworlds #ajakajuthemovie in all cinemas nationwide. Let’s create a new record together. @ajakajuthemovie.”

Nigerian singer, Duncan Mighty has made a shocking confession.

In a recent interview, the singer revealed that he was involved in the Niger Delta militancy some years ago.

According to him, God saved his life several times when he was involved in militancy.

Speaking in a recent interview with 3Music, Accra Ghana, Duncan Mighty said, “I was involved in the Niger Delta crisis.

“God has saved my life severally. I am a Port Harcourt boy. I am not from Lagos. I come from the South South, from the war zone before the amnesty.

“I have been involved with a lot of community activities that had to do with protecting of our people, oil.

“But when fame came, nobody know I am that boy who was in the creeks back in the days.”

He also revealed that he was a drummer in the church before switching to secular music.

“I was the first drummer for Christ Embassy in Port Harcourt,” he said.

First Lady, Sen Remi Tinubu has assured Nigerians that her husband, President Bola Tinubu would do all it takes to make the country better.

She said Nigeria would be better after the tenure of her husband as President.

She made the submission on Sunday when she hosted former first ladies, govenors’ wives, others to Iftar.

A statement by her Special Adviser on Media, Busola Kukoyi, quoted Mrs Tinubu to have said “Mr. President will do all it takes to make the nation better, that even when we live here, we will go back to a better Nigeria.”

She, however, called for all hands to be on deck in realizing the country gets back on track.

“We all have tasks to do to get this nation back on track,” she said.

Mrs Tinubu noted that the various social investment programmes of the administration are all on track, and the results are becoming evident.

Those in attendance include former First Ladies of Nigeria, female justices, wives of governors, female ministers, wives of ministers and wives of service chiefs.

The women offered prayers for the nation, the President and the world.

Dare Samuel Akinrodoye, a swimming instructor, has purportedly achieved an astonishing feat by swimming a remarkable 11.8-kilometre stretch of water near the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

Akinrodoye, better known as Coach Dreh started swimming from Oworonshoki, Mainland, and finished at Adeniji Adele on Lagos Island.

The feat was done to raise awareness of mental health and it was supported by the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).

Akinrodoye announced his intention on Instagram to swim the 11.8 km length of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge on March 30, 2024.

In a viral video, he disclosed that it was to raise awareness and sensitise people to the issues of mental health, suicide and depression.

He said: “On the 30th of March, 2024, I am going to be swimming the entire length of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge to raise awareness and sensitise the public on mental health, suicide and depression.

“It is an 11.8 km swim from Mainland Oworoshoki to Island Adeniji Adele. My years of experience in the aquatic premise is over a decade and swimming for me, I can do anything and become anything I want with it.”

According to him, his choice of location for the event was because many individuals who committed suicide publicly in Lagos jumped off the Third Mainland Bridge.

However, on Saturday morning, the professional swimming coach embarked on the task from Oworonshoki, Mainland, to Adeniji Adenle on the Island.

Coach Dreh was accompanied by his close teammates, supporters, journalists, and medical personnel.

Coach Dreh jumped into the water at around 9:28 am and swam for 2 hours, 33 minutes at a stretch, to complete the journey.

A 39-year-old man named Dolapo Babalola has been apprehended by the Ondo State Police Command. He is accused of murdering his childhood friend, Evangelist Opeyemi Oyelakin, aged 34, and subsequently stealing the deceased's motorcycle. Babalola then sold the motorcycle to a buyer in Ibadan for N130,000.

The suspect and his accomplice, Sikiru Mutiu, who is at large, committed the offence on March 15, 2024, in Ondo town.
 
Babalola, who confessed to the crime, said he and Mutiu deceived the deceased to take them to Oke-Igbo, a few kilometres from Ondo town, to check a piece of land.

 
On getting to the land, which was situated inside a bush, Sikiru grabbed the deceased from behind while Babalola, struck him with a stick and stone until he died.
 
Police said the suspects dragged the corpse to a shallow pit and covered it with leaves before making off with the motorcycle.
 
The family of the father of one lodged a complaint with police after efforts to locate his whereabouts proved abortive.
 
Detectives swung into action and arrested Babalola at his residence in Ondo town, headquarters of the Ondo West Local Council Area of the state, after the tracking of the call logs of the deceased.

Babalola, who spoke after he led the police to the spot where the victim was dumped, said he regretted killing his close friend and blamed the devil.
 
“It’s the work of the devil; I can’t explain because this person that we are talking about is my close friend. Truly, his bike is not the first I will ever snatch, but I have never killed one before. Even those that are not related to me, I snatched bikes from them, and I did not even do anything harmful to them,” he said.
 
"At least I have snatched about 15 bikes, but I have never killed before. His own is the first; my buyer is in Ibadan. But we sold this one at the rate of N130,000, and we share the money equally because we are two in the business.
 
"When we intended to collect the bike from him, he dragged it with us, and I hit him with a stone. I know his mum and younger brother. I can’t really explain why I killed him. I am a trader. I sell oranges, but I don’t have a shop. I do go to villages to buy oranges. I am from Oyo State, Ibadan, precisely. But I reside in Ondo town.”
 
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Abayomi Oladipo, who led detectives and medical personnel to evacuate the decomposing body of the deceased from the pit where it was dumped, said the suspect has a large syndicate and that efforts were on to arrest other members of the gang.
 
“He has snatched an uncountable number of motorcycles. Through technical intelligence, the suspect was arrested and upon interrogation he confessed to how he committed the crime,” the CP stated.
 
“I want to use this opportunity to alert the members of the public, most especially those who ride Okada to be careful of the passengers that will engage their services to far areas and take them to isolated roads.
 
“Also, I want to say that the residents of this area, especially those who farm here since on the 15th of March, when this incident happened till date, kept mute which is not supposed to be. So what we are saying is that if you see something you must say something."

Controversial Nigerian activist, Martins Otse aka Verydarkman, has finally been released from police detention in Abuja.

His release was facilitated after several days of legal intervention and public advocacy, as confirmed by Deji Adeyanju, on Sunday.

Verydarkman, 27, found himself in police custody over allegations of cyberbullying, with former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore highlighting the case as an example of the police’s misuse of power, purportedly under the influence of prominent individuals aiming to suppress dissent.

Deji Adeyanju took to the social media platform X to announce the release, expressing gratitude to all who supported the effort, including Sowore and the legal team representing Verydarkman.

He emphasized the collective effort that contributed to securing the critic’s freedom after a contentious five-day period.

He wrote, “After five days of back and forth, we have secured VDM’s release. Thank you to everyone that made this happen especially Sowore, Kefiano & VDM’s wonderful lawyers.”

This incident marks the second arrest of Verydarkman within the year, following an earlier incident in January where he was detained after a complaint by actress Tonto Dikeh.

He was accused of making derogatory comments related to the late Nigerian singer Mohbad’s case, involving Dikeh and her colleague Iyabo Ojo, which he termed as ‘chasing clout’ following the singer’s death.