Below The Headlines - 88
You can now find grenades in Mushin and if your name is Ojulari, this is your time
Hope you have had a good week. However April has started for you, there is no going back so stick with it.
Enjoy this week’s selection below
Inside Nigeria
One of those stories from Nigeria that is simply impossible to understand:
A yet-to-be-identified scavenger has been killed after a military-grade grenade exploded at Idi-Araba in the Mushin area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Online learnt that three other persons were injured in the incident, which occurred on Thursday.
It was gathered that some scavengers in a metal scrap yard were attempting to dismantle one of the grenades in their possession.
The device, however denoted in the process, killing one of them on the spot while three others sustained severe injuries.
A resident, Akin Olawale, told our correspondent on Friday that the explosion which occurred in the afternoon also resulted in panic among residents.
He said, “A sound of explosion was heard around past 12 pm and the police were immediately contacted because no one could ascertain the cause. It was later when the police arrived that we discovered that it was a grenade. The scavengers were trying to cut one of them open when it detonated.”
Two undetonated grenades were said to have been found after security operatives arrived at the spot.
To the surprise of no one, green spaces are fast disappearing in Abuja, a territory and a country that does nothing with care:
An increasing number of spaces designated as green areas in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are gradually disappearing, findings by Weekend Trust have shown.
Green areas, also being referred to as green spaces or open spaces, are areas covered in vegetation, like grass, trees and plants, which are normally set aside for recreation, conservation or aesthetic purposes, most especially in cities and major towns in various countries.
Findings by this newspaper in Abuja, however, revealed that for several months, there have been infractions on such specially designated areas, especially in highbrow districts like Guzape, Maitama, Central Business District (CBD), Katampe, Wuse and Kado.
In some instances, such specially designated areas are being turned into residential structures or converted for other purposes like construction of business outlets.
Equally affected in such obvious violations of the Abuja master plan, which was created since 1979 to ensure adequate planning and coordination of developmental efforts in the capital city, are waterways, drainages, areas meant for convenient passage of sewage, as well as electricity high tension wire pathways.
Residents and experts who spoke to our reporters described this development as “disaster in waiting,” considering that such areas are secured in order to preserve the natural setting of the capital city as a way of ensuring the safety of residents while also maintaining the beauty of the capital city.
A story about savings from conversion to CNG which strangely does not mention how much the conversion itself cost:
As the Federal Government push for CNG as a cheaper alternative to petrol, Lydia Samson, a motorist, has shared a testimonial about Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Amid rising petrol prices, the Federal Government recently launched the Presidential CNG Initiative (PCNGI) to reduce fuel costs and assuage Nigerians economic plight.
In a video shared by the PCNGI via its verified X handle on Thursday, April 3, 2025, Samson shared her success story, saying since she converted her car to CNG-compliant, she has been saving N31,000 on fuel monthly.
According to her, the switch reduced her monthly fuel costs from ₦45,000 to just ₦14,000.
She stated that the conversion took less than 24 hours at a certified centre and added that her family members are also willing to convert their vehicles.
“My vehicle was converted in just 24 hours, and now I save ₦31,000 every time I fuel up — from ₦45,000 (petrol) to just ₦14,000 (CNG)! My whole family wants to convert now,” she said.
This seems a very steep price to pay. But the law is the law I guess:
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered a United States of America-bound traveller, Olusola Okunfulure, to forfeit the sum of $20,000 confiscated by the Nigerian Customs Service to the Federal Government.
Okunfulure was arrested by the NCS officials on March 28, 2025, during inward clearance of passengers for an evening flight to the USA via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following his failure to declare the sum of $20,000.
Justice Dipeolu made the forfeiture order after Okunfulure was arraigned for the offence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Chineye Okezie, told the court that Okunfulure committed the offence on March 28, 2025.
However, Okunfulure pleaded guilty to the one count.
Following his plea, defence counsel, Joel Ogundire, made an allocutus on Okunfulure’s behalf, praying the court to temper justice with mercy, and for part of the money to be returned to the defendant.
Ogundire said: “He is a family man for more than 15 years. His bank account clearly shows that he’s into a legitimate business. He was shown the declaration form after he was cleared.
“We are not averse to forfeiting $20,000 out of the $30,000 as stipulated by law.”
Another day another Yahoo school:
The Police Command in Lagos State has uncovered and dismantled internet fraud training facility, commonly referred to as “Yahoo School”, operating in the Iju area of the state.
The Command’s Spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this in a statement, in Lagos on Tuesday.
Hundeyin said that the police apprehended four Yahoo experts and six trainees.
“During the successful operations, the police detectives apprehended four Yahoo experts, of ages 22, 23, 25, and 26, who were running the notorious school.
“The other six suspects, who are between the ages of 12 and 26, are their criminal trainees, all of whom were undergoing training in cybercrime and fraud.
I would like to know more about this story as I doubt this was all there was to it:
Security operatives in Taraba State have rescued an Israeli national, Gil Itamar, who was abducted by armed criminals in Atim Community along the Takum/Chanchangi Road.
The rescue operation, carried out by the Taraba State Police Command in collaboration with the military and local hunters, followed a fierce gun battle with the kidnappers, forcing them to abandon their captive and flee.
In a statement on Friday, the Public Relations Officer of the Taraba State Police Command, James Lashen, confirmed the successful rescue of the victim.
“On April 3, 2025, at about 10:30hrs, we received a distress call from one Alhaji Saidu, a staff of SCC company in Takum, that an Israeli national, Mr. Gil Itamar, was kidnapped by armed hoodlums at Atim Community along the Takum/Chanchangi road,” Lashen said.
Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Takum mobilized his men alongside personnel from the 67 Police Mobile Force (PMF), military operatives, and local hunters. The team stormed the suspected hideout of the kidnappers and engaged them in a gunfight.
“Our operatives conducted an intense cordon search-and-rescue operation, which led to the successful rescue of the victim at Kofai Ahmadu. The hoodlums, after a fierce gun duel, were forced to retreat and flee the scene,” Lashen added.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Taraba, Bretet Emmanuel, commended the security forces for their swift response and bravery.
Outside Nigeria
Story about Olutosin Aduloju, a chef who runs a Caribbean food truck(!), and how he was able to get a mortgage with an atypical income:
In 2019 I started Caribbean Kitchen, a pop-up food truck. We do Caribbean soul food, but we try to put a spin on things. Our menu can sometimes include ribs and lobster, plus we do a seafood grill. It can include traditional dishes like jerk chicken, but we add things like fried chicken and waffles with Canadian maple syrup, we do plantain mac and cheese — we try to innovate.
We had our food truck in places like Spitalfields Market, the Goodwood festivals, Greenwich Market, Shoreditch High Street, ExCeL London and Imperial Wharf in Chelsea.
We were doing well — then, in 2020, the pandemic hit. Our agent, who would find us sites, went into administration. The whole street food industry literally died overnight. I had to think on my feet and pivot. We went on the delivery platforms: Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. I hired a ghost kitchen and was still able to operate. But for the past year, we’ve taken a break from that. We’ve only being doing private catering for offices and small events.
The reason I took a break was I focused on trying to secure a property and find other bits of work so I could bolster my income. I even took on some part-time building work.
[…]
I paid £103,500 for the flat. I completed on January 20 and put down a deposit of £25,000. My monthly outgoings come to £800 — just shy of double what I paid as a council tenant. But I feel ten times better about it because it’s an investment rather than paying somebody else’s mortgage.
It’s a two-bedroom ground-floor flat, built in the 1960s. It’s poorly insulated. There’s a communal garden. There’s nothing really to write home about, but I feel grateful and lucky. For a long time I felt like the odds were stacked against me buying, especially with the Right to Buy conditions changing. So it was one of the happiest days that I’ve had in a long, long time when I completed. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I feel more responsible. To know your home is your castle, and it’s yours to a degree, gives you a sense of pride. Mostly I feel gratitude.
It’s helped in my career too — I’ve come out all guns blazing. As well as the private catering, Caribbean Kitchen (@caribbeankitchenlondon) is going back outside — I’ve purchased a new food truck. We’re registering for events and we’ll be popping up in different locations — including Notting Hill Carnival and Wing Fest, the world’s largest chicken wing festival.
What a sad story:
Nigerian boxing star Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju has tragically passed away after the fighter collapsed mid-way through a bout in Ghana.
Oluwasegun - a former national and West African champion at light-heavyweight - took on Jon Mbanugu (12-1-1) in an eight-round clash at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra on Friday.
The Nigerian fighter - who held a professional record of 13-8-1 - reportedly lost consciousness in the third round. Referee Richard Amevi was quick to step and and stop the fight - with ringside physician and EMS immediately rushing in to administer aid, including CPR. Oluwasegun was then rushed to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Unfortunately, just 30 minutes after his arrival, he was pronounced dead. Local reports state that the Nigerian fighter was just 40-years-old. A statement from the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) read: “Oluwasegun was declared medically fit by the Nigeria Boxing Board Control with his certification as a professional boxer before the GBA sanctioned and approved the international contest.
More from Spotify on Nigerian music:
Nigerian and South African music achieved unprecedented growth last year on Spotify, earning record-breaking royalties, the audio streaming platform said on Friday.
Led by international superstars such as Nigerian afrobeats giants Burna Boy and Ayra Starr, and South Africa's Grammy award-winning singer Tyla, African music genres have earned fast-rising popularity in recent years.
Spotify's 2024 report "has unveiled extraordinary growth across Sub-Saharan Africa's music industries, with Nigerian and South African artists achieving record-breaking earnings and global reach", the streaming giant said in a statement.
Royalties to Nigerian artists more than doubled compared to the previous year, reaching 58 billion naira ($37.8 million) in 2024, while South African artists generated 400 million rand ($20.9 million).
Why are British schools opening in Nigeria?
"African parents love the fact that they are giving their children international standing so they can compete with their counterparts in any other part of the world, but they don't want their children to lose their African-ness," says Ijay Uwakwe-Okoronkwo, the founder of Nkuzhi Learning Foundation in Nigeria's capital, Abuja.
The educational consultant, who advises parents and schools on international boarding options, explains the more relaxed, less respectful attitude children return with after going to school abroad is not always appreciated.
This cultural dilemma extends to the growing conversation around LGBTQ issues. Same-sex relationships and public displays of affection are illegal in Nigeria and homosexuality is not openly discussed or promoted.
It is something that the new crop of British schools has taken on board. For example, while Charterhouse UK displays a rainbow flag, the Nigeria school does not.
"We're a British independent school but sitting firmly within Nigerian cultural needs," says John Todd, head of Charterhouse Nigeria.
"There's this huge concern about Western cultural views.
"For parents here, we know it's a really big issue. It's a reason parents are worried about the UK schools.
"I'm not making a judgement - it's just the way it is."
5 Nigerian women who have done solo travelling around the world share some of the things their eyes have seen:
“When you think of Africa you are probably thinking of safaris, wildlife and dirt roads; well, today we are flipping the script,” she says in one YouTube video. “I’m about to tell you my top five African countries with the best roads … smooth, modern, luxurious roads that you can drive on without spilling your tea.”
Along the way, she has also alerted her 528,000-plus followers across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube to the challenges of travelling with a Nigerian passport.
In one of the most popular YouTube videos from her current trip, she describes crossing the border from Benin into Togo as “an absolute nightmare”.
“The whole experience felt like I was trapped in a system designed to bleed travellers dry,” she says, arguing that borderless travel is needed for Africans to move around their continent without hindrance.
Nigeria is one of 12 countries in the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), a regional trade and economic bloc that allows visa-free movement for citizens of its member states. Beyond west Africa, Nigerians require visas to enter 26 countries in Africa, after Kenya became visa-free for Africans in January 2024. But, as Ebaide found, border crossings do not always run smoothly.
The defending Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia Eagles, are signing some new players for the coming season:
Josh Uche
New Birds pass rusher Josh Uche has a long-standing friendship with Eagles legend Brandon Graham, dating back to Uche's time at Michigan from 2016-2019.
"Playing against the Eagles a couple times being in New England, there was always that big brother-type connection," Uche said of Graham. "Fortunately for me, I was able to jersey swap with him last year, which was a really cool moment for me. One 55 to another 55, which was pretty cool."
[…]
Azeez Ojulari
Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari and his younger brother, BJ Ojulari, who plays for the Cardinals, are descendants of Nigerian royalty.
Both brothers were born in Georgia to Nigerian parents, and their maternal grandfather is Twins Seven-Seven, a Yoruba painter, musician, and sculptor. His artwork was featured in the National Museum of African American at the Smithsonian. In the late 1890s, Twins Seven-Sevens' grandfather was the king of Ibadan, a city in southwestern Nigeria.
From a random story in Thailand about falling rice exports:
Thai rice exports are expected to tally 7.5 million tonnes, a decline of 24.2% year-on-year, with Vietnam's shipments decreasing 17% to 7.5 million tonnes and Pakistan's exports falling 18.2% to 5.3 million tonnes.
Major importing countries include the Philippines, expected to import 5.4 million tonnes, a gain of 1.9% year-on-year, with Vietnam taking in 3.4 million tonnes, down 10.5%, Nigeria 2.4 million tonnes (unchanged), and China 2.2 million tonnes, an increase of 35%.
From a couple of months ago:
Japanese and Nigerian police have jointly dismantled a criminal ring involved in social media investment and romance scams that defrauded victims in Japan, the National Police Agency announced on Feb. 18.
Nigerian authorities arrested 11 Nigerian nationals whose bank accounts were used to receive the victims' funds, while Japanese police apprehended nine Japanese individuals for their roles in converting the stolen money into cryptocurrency.
This marks the first instance where overseas suspects have been apprehended based on information provided by Japanese authorities regarding domestic fraud cases.
The NPA suspects that a Nigeria-based fraud syndicate may be targeting Japan and other countries. It is working with overseas authorities to identify the organizers.
According to the NPA, 14 Japanese individuals, ranging in age from their 30s to 80s, were swindled out of a total of 150 million yen ($986,000) between 2022 and 2023.
The perpetrators posed as astronauts, military personnel and doctors on social media platforms, soliciting investments and other forms of financial assistance.
In romance scams, victims were led to believe they were in a genuine relationship and were asked to pay for expenses related to the perpetrator's supposed relocation to Japan for marriage.
When tracing the victims' funds, the NPA discovered money was converted into cryptocurrency and ultimately deposited into accounts held by Nigerian nationals through overseas exchanges.
I guess this annoying PoS ‘innovation’ is not going away anytime soon:
A Chinese customer has placed a 1.7 million Norwegian kroner (approximately US$160,000) order for FAP 20 fingerprint biometric sensors from Next Biometrics for use in POS terminals in Nigeria.
The POS terminals will be used for authentication in a financial inclusion initiative, according to the announcement. The sensor order is based on a design win announced by Next in 2022. The same customer anticipates a further NOK 10-17 million ($0.9-1.6 million) this year.
The sensor is certified to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) specification, Next says.
“We predict future demand for biometric solutions in Africa will be met by Chinese and Indian OEMs, many of which are already customers of Next. As a result, Next is well positioned to benefit from the developments we are now seeing in Africa,” says Digvijay Singh Kanwar, SVP and head of sales for India, the U.S., EU and Africa (IUEA). “Our technology continues to make the lives of millions of people safer and more convenient every day. And, as the market for trusted authentication in Nigeria continues to expand, we anticipate growing order volumes, not just in Nigeria but also in other MOSIP countries where the need for modular and open-source technology for national identity systems is increasing.”