Actress Toni Tones is standing up for Isaac Aloma, better known as Zicsaloma, after he was criticised by netizens.
The skitmaker had shared a video narrating how his sick mother was treated when she was rushed to LUTH amid her cancer battle.
However, some people used the opportunity to shame him for not taking his mother to a hospital abroad despite going abroad himself to get plastic surgery.
Defending Zicsaloma, Toni Tones wrote on X: “Everyone saying Zic flew to Turkey to get surgery but took his mum to Luth for cancer, you’re all colossally stupid.”
A consulting firm, Melrose General Services Limited, has filed a contempt charge against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the Paris Club refund at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The company filed the suit after the apex bank allegedly failed to comply with a Supreme Court judgment that reversed the forfeiture of N1.22 billion and N220 million in an appeal filed last year.
The CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, the bank’s Director of Legal Services, Salam-Alada Kofo, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, were listed as respondents in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/532/2025.
Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed June 4 for the hearing of the matter.
The Supreme Court in June 2024 overturned a previous forfeiture order against Melrose General Services Limited’s funds, which were frozen following an investigation by the EFCC.
The disputed sums included N1,222,384,857.84 in Melrose’s bank account and N220 million paid by the company to Wasp Networks and Thebe Wellness as a loan and investment.
The apex court ruled that the EFCC had not proven the funds were proceeds of fraud, as alleged.
The court set aside the lower courts’ forfeiture orders and directed the release of the funds to their rightful owners.
However, despite the Supreme Court’s decision, Melrose’s lawyers filed a lawsuit at the trial court and alleged that the CBN and its top officials had only partially complied with the judgment.
Melrose, in its application, averred that while the N1.22 billion was refunded, the outstanding N220 million had not been paid.
The company, through its counsel Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), argued that the CBN’s refusal to release the full amount constitutes contempt of court and undermines the Supreme Court’s authority.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has pledged to support Quadri Yusuf Alabi, the 17-year-old who gained national attention during the general elections for bravely standing in front of Obi’s convoy.
Quadri was recently released from the Kirikiri Medium Security Custodial Centre in Lagos State after spending months in detention over alleged crime of armed robbery.
The development was announced on Friday night by human rights activist and Quadri’s lawyer, Mr. Inibehe Effiong.
According to Effiong, Obi has committed to supporting the teenager’s educational and vocational aspirations.
“We had a very engaging and productive meeting with Mr. Peter Obi in Lagos today to discuss the case of Quadri Alabi.
“He made a commitment to help Quadri to get the necessary training or education that he desires and deserves,” Effiong stated on X.
Quadri was discharged on Thursday by Magistrate A. O. Olorunfemi of the Apapa Magistrate Court. The ruling followed legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, who found no evidence linking him to the alleged crime of armed robbery.
The teenager was reportedly abducted near his home in the Amukoko area of Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government by two known street thugs, Lege and Baba Waris, and taken to the Amukoko Divisional Police Headquarters.
Quadri had been a target of harassment from area boys who resented the goodwill and donations he received following his viral encounter with Obi’s convoy. His family was allegedly pressured by community leaders, including the local Baale, to appease the thugs with gifts such as a cow and bags of rice.
In a controversial move, the police allegedly included Quadri’s name in a case with four unidentified adult suspects and misrepresented his age as 18 in an apparent effort to justify the charges.
Public awareness of Quadri’s ordeal grew after Ms. Hassana Nurudeen, co-founder of Ray of Hope Prison Outreach, raised the alarm, prompting intensified legal efforts for his release.
During Thursday’s court hearing, the magistrate cited the DPP’s legal advice, which explicitly recommended against prosecuting Quadri due to insufficient evidence.
His lawyer is now demanding a public apology from the Nigeria Police Force, as well as N100m in compensation for Quadri’s unlawful arrest and detention.
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign was launched on Thursday to help Quadri and his family relocate to a safer environment and support his rehabilitation, education, and skill development. At least N3m was reportedly raised within two hours.
Obi Pledges To Help 17-Year-Old Supporter Freed From Kirikiri Prison is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
SAN JOSE – The San Jose Sharks are guaranteed a top-three pick in this year’s NHL Draft and are confident they’ll be able to grab an impactful player that can, at some point, fit alongside other recent first-round selections Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund.
But this is the last time Sharks general manager Mike Grier wants to be in this spot.
“We’ve been lucky to get (Smith) and to get (Celebrini), and we’re going to get another really good player this year,” Grier said Friday. “But I hope not to be in this situation for a while after this year.”
That was Grier’s message to the Sharks this week after they ended with a record of 20-50-12, becoming the first team since the Buffalo Sabres in 2014 and 2015 to finish at the bottom of the league standings in consecutive years – and to lose at least 50 games in back-to-back seasons.
After shipping a handful of veteran players to contending teams before the March 7 trade deadline, the Sharks not only ended the season with the fewest goals scored per game (2.54), but also, for the second straight year, with the most goals allowed (3.78 per game).
The Sharks also lost 13 games this season when leading after two periods, including eight in regulation time.
The result is that the Sharks will have no lower than the third overall pick and again have the best chance, 25.5%, to win next month’s NHL Draft Lottery.
Regardless of where the Sharks draft, though, it’ll fall on the front office to make the right offseason moves, the returning coaches to get the most out of the players, and the players to improve for the organization to pull out of this years-long malaise.
“We were the worst team in the league, so we have to figure out a way to get better,” Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli said Thursday. “Obviously, there’s going to be conversations within the summer, and we’ll have to work on things. Whatever that is, we’re going to have to find a way ourselves.”
Other highlights from Grier’s media availability on Friday:
WHAT’S THE PRIORITY?: As much as the Sharks need to find more offense, goal-prevention is the top priority for next season, and that’ll come, at least partly, from making upgrades to the defense corps and finding the right goalie to pair with Yaroslav Askarov.
With Alexandar Georgiev out of the picture, Grier doesn’t want Askarov to tandem with another young goalie. Instead, they’ll be looking for someone with NHL experience who can push Askarov and challenge him for ice time.
Grier said the Sharks are not simply in the market for a backup who can start 20 games. “We need someone who’s going to challenge (Askarov), push him, and then even possibly be the guy if he doesn’t perform well,” he said. “It’s important for us to have competition.”
On defense, Grier said, “For us to improve, it’s going to start with us keeping the puck out of our net a little bit more, and that ties in with the breakouts, getting out of our end a little bit cleaner. Improving the back end is definitely something we’re going to have to take a look at.”
SMITH TO CENTER: Smith, who turned 20 last month, played the wing the last few months of the season, helping his adjustment to the NHL. But Smith was drafted fourth overall in 2023 as a centerman, and Grier said that’s where he’ll likely play next season, possibly from the start of training camp.
“I think Will is more than capable of being a really good center in this league, a point-producing center and an impactful center,” Grier said.
Smith had 11 points in his first 32 NHL games until the end of December, and 32 points in 42 games from January until mid-April. In his standout freshman season at Boston College in 2023-24, Smith, as a center, had 71 points in 41 games.
KOVALENKO’S FUTURE: Where do things stand with forward Nikolai Kovalenko, who expressed some frustration with how he was used by the Sharks this season?
Grier said he can’t control if Kovalenko opts to go back to the KHL. But as of now, Grier is planning to have the winger, a pending restricted free agent, back in the fall.
“There’s going to be an evaluation period with that, and I think he’s got to be honest with himself and talk to his agent and his circle about what he wants and what he’s willing to do,” Grier said.
Grier said it was too early to discuss where things stand with other pending RFAs, such as Noah Gregor, Klim Kostin, and Georgi Romanov, and others, such as Thomas Bordeleau and Danil Gushchin.
WHO’S YOUR CAPTAIN?: Following Logan Couture’s announcement earlier this week that his playing career is officially over, Grier said he’s in no rush to name a new captain, calling it a sacred honor. He also isn’t married to the idea of having a captain in place for the start of next season.
COACHING STAFF: Grier gave positive reviews to Ryan Warsofsky and his coaching staff, adding that he anticipates they’ll all be back next season. Warsofsky’s staff includes assistants Brian Wiseman, Doug Houda, Jeff Ulmer, goalie coach Thomas Speer, and video coaches Nick Gialdini and Cody Ward.
CONTRACT TALK: Grier didn’t rule out trying to re-sign veteran defenseman Jan Rutta, another pending UFA, saying, “he’s on a list with some other guys where it’s a possibility we bring them back. But we’ve got to look to do what we think is best. … We’ll just kind of see where it goes with him.”
TRADE THE NO. 1 PICK?: Grier would not rule out trading the No. 1 overall if the Sharks won the draft lottery, but, seemingly, it would have to be an impressive proposal.
“I’m not going to say no,” Grier said. “If someone wants to make a really good offer of established young players, it’s not something I’m going to close the door on. Last year I probably shut the door on everything. But you never know if there’s a Ricky Williams/Herschel Walker type offer.”
Grier said some fellow GMs had some interesting proposals last season to acquire the Sharks’ No. 1 pick, which they used on Celebrini.
“I got some good ones, probably some ones that were really pretty comparable to (the Walker trade),” Grier said. “As crazy as a couple of them were, we didn’t really think about it for more than 30 seconds.”
Prepare accurate and detailed electrical drawings using Revit, AutoCAD, Autodesk and MicroStation
Collaborate closely with engineers and project managers to ensure drawings meet project specifications
Maintain drawing standards and ensure quality control across all documentation
Coordinate with other disciplines for integrated project delivery
Requirements:
Minimum 2-3 years of experience as a Draughtsperson in an engineering consulting environment
Proficiency in Revit, AutoCAD, Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), Autodesk BIM 360 and MicroStation
Strong understanding of electrical systems and layouts for commercial and industrial projects
Ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Operatives of the Osun Amotekun Corps have arrested six suspected criminals, including ex-convicts and a prison escapee for armed robbery, burglary, and theft.
The suspects were apprehended at different locations across the state following intelligence reports.
The Osun Amotekun Corps Commander, Adekunle Isaac Omoyele, disclosed this while parading suspects in Osogbo on Friday, April 18, 2025.
Omoyele said a prison escapee identified as John Uba was arrested for alleged armed robbery on Thursday, April 18, 2025, in the Fiwasaye area of Osogbo.
He disclosed that upon investigation, the suspect was discovered to have previously escaped from the custody of the Nigeria Police at Ota-Efun Division.
The Osun Amotekun boss added that Uba disclosed that he was a repeat offender.
“We received intelligence from the Fiwasaye area in Osogbo about an ongoing armed robbery operation. Our officers responded immediately and successfully arrested one of the culprits, John Uba, a 26-year-old male, for the theft of mobile phones and other valuables,” he said.
“Further investigation revealed that the suspect had previously escaped from the Ota-Efun Division of the Nigeria Police Force. He also confessed to being a repeat offender.
“The suspect has since been handed over to the Ota-Efun Police Division for further investigation and prosecution.”
Other suspects paraded included a 28-year old man, Aderemi Sheriff, who was arrested for theft of electricity cables worth N5.6 million at Hemmed Omidiran University, Kola Balogun area, Osogbo.
Investigation showed that Sheriff was also an ex-convict with a history of cable theft.
Another suspect, Saheed Babatunde,26, was apprehended on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at Isale-Osun area of Osogbo for the theft of iron steel valued at N280,000 after a complaint by a concerned citizen.
Omoyele also revealed that Babatunde had previously served a jail term for a similar offence.
Idowu Tajudeen, 27, Bamanga Geoffrey 24, and Femi Adeniyi, 22, were also arrested by personnel of the security outfit for alleged burglary and theft of a pumping machine and other valuable items worth N8.5 million at GRA, Osogbo.
Omoyele called on the people of Osun State to continue supporting the efforts of the security outfit by remaining vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity to the Amotekun Corps or other security agencies.
He assured that they will not relent in their efforts until every criminal element is flushed out.
“Criminals can run, but they cannot hide,” he declared.
He also disclosed that all the suspects will be prosecuted accordingly.
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles have started wrapping up preparations for their partipation at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a win in a warmup game.
The Flying Eagles, led by coach Aliyu Zubairu, defeated Morak FC 2-1 in a test game in Abuja on Friday.
Kparobo Arierhi and Precious Benjamin were on target for the national youth team.
The seven-time continental champions, expected to play two more friendlies in Cairo next week, will fly out to Egypt for the competition on Sunday.
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Nigeria have been drawn in Group B alongside Tunisia, Kenya and Morocco. They take on Tunisia in Cairo on Thursday, 1st May.
Three days after the clash with the Tunisians, the Flying Eagles will face Morocco, before rounding off their group phase experience against Kenya on Wednesday, 7th May.
All four semi-finalists at the tournament in Egypt will fly Africa’s flag at this year’s FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile, billed for 27th September to 19th October.
The Donald Trump administration on Friday announced that it has begun releasing a collection of previously classified records related to the 1968 assassination of former U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
The initial release includes approximately 10,000 pages of documents, now available online for public access.
The move, ordered by Trump shortly after taking office, was supported by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the senator’s son.
Kennedy Jr. has long questioned the official account of his father’s death and believes the convicted assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, may not have been responsible.
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the release was coordinated with the National Archives and other agencies as part of Trump’s broader pledge for government transparency.
“Nearly 60 years after Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic assassination, the American people will finally have access to the government’s investigative records,” Gabbard said in a statement.
“We are honoured the President entrusted us to lead this historic declassification effort,” she added.
Gabbard noted that the documents will include only minor edits, mostly to protect sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers.
She also revealed that an additional 50,000 pages were discovered in Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) storage facilities and are currently being prepared for release.
It remains uncertain whether these newly released records will offer significant new insights into the case.
The Trump administration has also committed to releasing files related to the 1968 assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), as well as the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy (JFK)
While extensive records on the JFK case have already been declassified, it’s unclear how much new information exists regarding Robert F. Kennedy’s death.
Trump had, in January, issued the order to release records from all three high-profile assassinations. At a cabinet meeting on April 10, Gabbard said the RFK and MLK files would be made public within days, including many that had never been digitised or previously seen.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was 14 when his father was killed, expressed gratitude for the release. He has long expressed doubts about the official conclusion that Sirhan Sirhan acted alone.
In 2021, he supported Sirhan’s request for parole after meeting with him in prison—a stance different from many of his siblings.
Sirhan was arrested at the scene of the assassination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles and later convicted of murder.
He has offered different accounts of his actions, sometimes admitting guilt, while claiming memory loss or denying involvement at other times. He had cited Kennedy’s support for Israel as a possible motive for the assassination.
Although California’s parole board supported Sirhan’s 2021 bid for release, Governor Gavin Newsom ultimately denied the request, further stirring more public debate over the issue.
Trump Releases Classified Files On Robert F. Kennedy’s Assassination is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from enacting a policy that bans the use of “X” marker used by many nonbinary people on passports as well as the changing of gender markers.
In an executive order signed in January, the president used a narrow definition of the sexes instead of a broader conception of gender. The order says a person is male or female and it rejects the idea that someone can transition from the sex assigned at birth to another gender. The framing is in line with many conservatives’ views but at odds with major medical groups and policies under former President Joe Biden.
U.S. District Judge Julia Kobick, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, sided with the American Civil Liberties Union’s motion for a preliminary injunction, which stays the action while the lawsuit plays out.
“The Executive Order and the Passport Policy on their face classify passport applicants on the basis of sex and thus must be reviewed under intermediate judicial scrutiny,” Kobick wrote. “That standard requires the government to demonstrate that its actions are substantially related to an important governmental interest. The government has failed to meet this standard.”
The ACLU, which sued the Trump administration on behalf of five transgender Americans and two nonbinary plaintiffs, said the new policy would effectively mean transgender, nonbinary and intersex Americans could not get an accurate passport.
“We all have a right to accurate identity documents, and this policy invites harassment, discrimination, and violence against transgender Americans who can no longer obtain or renew a passport that matches who they are,” ACLU lawyer Sruti Swaminathan said.
In response to the lawsuit, the Trump administration argued the passport policy change “does not violate the equal protection guarantees of the Constitution.” They also contended that the president has broad discretion in setting passport policy and that plaintiffs would not be harmed by the policy, since they are still free to travel abroad.
