A Kansas woman wound up in cuffs after pretending she’d been shot as an April Fools’ prank, police said.
Arnthia Willis, 58, allegedly called her daughter Thursday, told her of the “shooting” and then hung up, according to Wichita outlet KAKE-TV.
Alarmed, the daughter called 911, prompting more than 15 cops to respond to Willis’ home in full protective gear with guns drawn and EMS in tow.
Officers broke the door down, but found no one inside, the report said.
They later learned that Willis was actually at work and had allegedly made up the shooting as a joke.
The prankster was arrested on suspicion of an unlawful request for emergency service assistance.
Police Lt. Ronald Hunt said that while April Fools’ jokes can be “good,” when police become involved, “it’s not funny anymore,” the Wichita Eagle reported.
“This is a situation that is very dangerous,” he said.
Pope Francis urged countries in his Easter message on Sunday to quicken distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, particularly to the world’s poor, and called armed conflict and military spending during a pandemic “scandalous”.
Coronavirus has meant this has been the second year in a row that Easter papal services have been attended by small gatherings at a secondary altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, instead of by crowds in the church or in the square outside.
After saying Mass, Francis read his “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message, in which he traditionally reviews world problems and appeals for peace.
“The pandemic is still spreading, while the social and economic crisis remains severe, especially for the poor. Nonetheless – and this is scandalous – armed conflicts have not ended and military arsenals are being strengthened,” he said.
Francis, who would normally have given the address to up to 100,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, spoke to fewer than 200 in the church while the message was broadcast to tens of millions around the world.
The square was empty except for a few police officers enforcing a strict three-day national lockdown.
The pope asked God to comfort the sick, those who have lost a loved one, and the unemployed, urging authorities to give families in greatest need a “decent sustenance”.
He praised medical workers, sympathised with young people unable to attend school, and said everyone was called to combat the pandemic.
“I urge the entire international community, in a spirit of global responsibility, to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries,” he said.
Francis, who has often called for disarmament and a total ban on the possession of nuclear weapons, said: “There are still too many wars and too much violence in the world! May the Lord, who is our peace, help us to overcome the mindset of war.”
Hunter Biden convinced his father in 2017 to give public approval to his relationship with his brother Beau’s widow, saying it would be best for the grandchildren.
“‘Dad,’ I told him, ‘if people find out, but they think you’re not approving of this, it makes it seem wrong,’ ” Hunter Biden wrote in his book, “Beautiful Things,” about his relationship with Hallie Biden, according to Fox News.
At the time, Joe Biden had recently left the White House after serving two terms as vice president for Barack Obama.
Hunter -- who was still married to his estranged wife Kathleen at the time said he and Hallie were “incredibly lucky” that their family supported the unusual liaison after Beau died of cancer in May 2015.
Hunter told his father that his grandchildren would suffer if the former vice president didn’t make a positive statement about the affair.
“‘The kids have to know there’s nothing wrong with this, and the one person who can tell them that is you,'” Hunter pleaded.
That’s when Biden agreed to put out a statement: “We are all lucky that Hunter and Hallie found each other as they were putting their lives together again after such sadness. They have mine and Jill’s full and complete support and we are happy for them.”
Hunter and Hallie later split, and Hunter wrote: “I was madly trying to hold on to a slice of my brother, and I think Hallie was doing the same.”
Unidentified hoodlums have set the Imo State correctional centre on fire, freeing hundreds of inmates.
Daily Post gathered that the hoodlums took advantage of the calm atmosphere of Easter to invade the centre at the wee hours of Monday.
This development came after the state Commissioner of Police, Nasiru Mohammed said that he had deployed over 4760 personnel to ensure maximum security during and after the Easter celebration.
It gathered that there was sporadic shooting on Monday morning which lasted for three hours before the centre was bombed.
Owerri residents and commuters who ply the Okigwe road are apprehensive as the situation is degenerating.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations officer, Orlando Ikeokwu proved abortive as his phone was unavailable at press time.
A Tennessee woman opened fire inside a Burger King drive-thru window after apparently becoming enraged about the wait time, police said.
Surveillance photos show the unhinged customer leaning through the Memphis fast-food joint’s open window while brandishing a black handgun.
In one image, released by cops Friday, the woman holds up the firearm with both hands and aims it inside the drive-thru window.
Cops said the woman pulled up to the restaurant Tuesday and got into an argument with workers because she felt that her order was taking too long to complete.
She then grabbed the gun from her car and fired several shots at the staffers, police said.
The employees fled through a back door and were unharmed.
Cops were searching for the deranged patron. A reward of up to $1,000 is being offered by Crime Stoppers of Memphis and Shelby County Inc., for information that leads to an arrest.
Singer Quindon Tarver, who gained fame as a child for his performance in 1996’s “Romeo + Juliet,” died in a car accident in Texas, a report said Sunday. He was 38.
His uncle, Willie Tarver, told the Daily Beast that the singer crashed his car into a wall on the President George Bush Turnpike in Dallas early Friday.
Born in McKinney, Tx., on August 4, 1982, Tarver started out singing in church choirs.
He appeared as a choir boy in Baz Luhrmann’s modern adaptation of the William Shakespeare tragedy, performing covers of Prince’s “When Doves Cry” and Rozalla’s “Everybody’s Free.”
The songs were included on the movie’s soundtrack album, which sold some 2 million copies.
Tarver also appeared in Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” video, and on seasons two and seven of “American Idol.”
In a 2017 interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Tarver said his career stalled after he spoke out about being sexually abused as a child in the music industry.
“I was hurting. I had been molested, I had been raped, I had lost my career, which is what I had dreamed of doing all my life,” he told the outlet.
After coming home to Texas, Tarver said he struggled with drugs, alcohol and suicidal thoughts.
In 2016, Tarver was invited to sing “When Doves Cry” at a Prince tribute in Los Angeles.
He said the performance was a turning point in his life, and motivated him to go to rehab and to resume his singing career.
Tarver released a new version of “Everybody’s Free” the next year, and came out with a single, “Stand Our Ground,” in October 2020.
“He loved everybody,” another uncle, Kevin Tarver, told the Daily Beast about his nephew.
“He loved music since he was young, and singing eventually took him all around the world. That was his passion.”
Two children, identified as Suraiya, 7, and Habib, 9, were burnt to death after a mysterious fire burnt down a flat at Anguwar Dawaki in Suleja, Niger state.
Daily Trust learnt that the father of the two kids, Alhassan Jibirin Yanji, who sustained various degrees of burns in attempt to rescue his two kids was still receiving treatment at a hospital in Suleja.
A resident, Bashir Ibrahim, said the incident happened in the early hours of Friday, at about 3am when fire gutted the flat in which the victims were living.
He said the two children were sleeping in their room, while their father was sleeping in his bedroom, when he woke up to discover that the entire house was filled with thick smoke.
He said, “Strangely, there was no electricity in the entire Dawaki area as of the time the fire incident happened so one was yet to know the cause of the fire.”
The remains of the two children were later buried according to Islamic rites on Friday morning.
He disclosed that no valuables were retrieved from the house, even as he said the victims’ mother was not at home when the incident happened.
Chaiman of Suleja local government council, Alhaji Abdullahi Maje, confirmed the fire incident saying investigation was ongoing to ascertain the cause of the inferno.
Valencia’s players walked off the pitch during their La Liga game against Cadiz on Sunday, after the club said their player Mouctar Diakhaby was racially abused.
After a short delay, the Valencia team returned to resume the match, this time without Diakhaby, who the club said had requested his team-mates continue.
Diakhaby had shared a heated exchange with Cadiz’s Juan Cala at the Ramon de Carranza stadium before indicating to the referee he was leaving the field, with the Frenchman’s team-mates then following him off in the 37th minute
Valencia posted messages on social media soon after, which read: “The team have held a meeting and decided to continue the game, in order to fight for the honour of the club, but denounce racism of any kind.
“We offer our complete backing to @Diakhaby_5. The player, who had received a racial insult, requested that his teammates return to the pitch. We support you Mouctar.”
Cala was then also substituted at half-time, having earlier scored the opening goal for Cadiz, with Kevin Gameiro equalising for Valencia.
Diakhaby was replaced by Hugo Guillamon and watched the second half sitting in the stands.
Fresh crisis rocks Kano Emirate Council as anti-corruption commission investigates fraud in a land sale that could go all the way up to the new emir.
Barely a year after he ascended the throne, Emir Aminu Ado Bayero of Kano is facing a similar corruption probe that shook the reign of his predecessor, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
This time, it is the sale of 22 hectares of land at Gandun Sarki, Dorayi Karama, in Gwale Local Government Area of the state and diverting the money into private royal pockets that have landed the Kano royals in hot waters.
Two court orders on March 31 and April 1 show that Kano State’s Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC), the same commission that had hounded Emir Bayero’s predecessor, Sanusi II, is investigating the emirate council under Emir Bayero for the transaction.
The first ex-parte order restrained Muhyi Magaji Rimingado (the chairman of PCACC), the Kano State Commissioner of Police and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (Zone 1) from “destroying construction work on the property and from further interfering by any means with the applicant’s peaceful possession of the property situated at Dorayi Karama (Gandun Sarki) subject matter of this suit pending the determination of the motion on notice.”
The applicant for this order, Alhaji Yusuf Shuaibu Aliyu, the buyer of the said property from the Kano Emirate Council, also got the court to restrain the three respondents from harassing him and interfering in his “possession” of the real estate.
“We know they targeted the Easter break declared for Friday and Monday to be able to carry out significant work on the property before we can get the court to vacate the order,” a source in the legal department of PCACC told Daily Trust.
The PCACC rushed to the same court presided over by Justice Usman Mallam Na’Abba of the Kano State High Court, sitting at Miller Road complex, and got the court to grant another ex-parte application, this time in favour of the PCACC chairman, who lawyers opined should not have been sued personally in the first instance as he was only an official of the PCACC.
“That after review of the affidavit in support, further to the interim order made by this court dated 31/03/2021, the court hereby orders that the parties maintain status quo pending the hearing of the motion on notice fixed for hearing on 12/4/2021”, the judge ruled.
Nigeria (JUSUN) commences a nationwide strike over the non-implementation of financial autonomy of the judiciary in line with the constitution of the country and other extant laws.
JUSUN has issued a 21-day ultimatum which elapsed on Sunday, April 4, 2021, after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held two weeks ago.
According to JUSUN President, Comrade Marwan Mustapha Adamu, “all courts will be totally shut until and unless government do the needful.”
Already, the union had issued a circular directing all its members, nationwide to commence strike on Tuesday and to shut down all court premises.
The circular with Ref.no.JUSUN/NHQ/GEN/111/VOL.11/65, dated April 1st 2021, and signed by the General Secretary, Comrade Isaiah Adetola, asked all members of the Union to comply with the directive of the NEC.
The circular read: “I have been directed to refer to the communique issued at the end of the last National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of JUSUN on 13th March 2021 in Abuja and particularly refer to paragraph 9 on the 21-day ultimatum to the government to implement the financial autonomy of the judiciary, failure of which JUSUN will have no option but to resume the suspended national strike.
“Therefore, as a result of public holiday on 5th April 2021, the strike has been postponed to Tuesday 6th April 2021.”
However, the communique issued at the end of the NEC read: “NEC-in-session frowns at the refusal of some states government to implement the payment of peculiar allowance due to the judiciary workers and therefore calls for prompt implementation of same.
“NEC-in-session frowns at the anti-labour disposition of Ebonyi State Government and therefore demands immediate payment of the withheld August 2020 salary and release of check-off dues accruing to the union.
“NEC-in-session condemns the proposed Bill No: HB: 1062 for the creation of State Judicial Council to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and demand the withdrawal of same.
“NEC-in-session frowns at the current law by Kaduna State Government subjecting the Judiciary under the Executive Arm of Government and hereby demands such law be repealed immediately.
“NEC-in-session frowns at the government’s in-action on the implementation of the financial autonomy of the judiciary in line with the constitution and other extant laws.
“NEC-in-session hereby issues a 21-day ultimatum to the government effective from Monday 15th March 2021 to implement the financial autonomy of the judiciary, failure of which the union have no option than to resume the suspended national strike action.”
A drug trafficker, Goodluck Odeh, has been intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport (NAIA) in possession of two kg of heroin with a street value of N564 million.
A statement by the Director, Publicity and Advocacy, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, in Abuja, said the heroin was found concealed in the lining of a false bottom on his suitcase.
Babafemi identified the 40-year-old suspect as hailing from Ikpoba Okha Local Government, Edo.
According to him, Odeh was arrested at the departure lounge of the NAIA during an outward clearance of Ethiopian aircraft 911 en route Addis Ababa to Italy.
“The suspect claimed he has been living in Italy since 2015, when he got into the country through Libya.
“He also claimed to be a labourer in Italy but came to Nigeria over two weeks ago to his family and also use same opportunity to buy foodstuffs to sell on his return to Italy.
“The suspect however denied having knowledge of how the drug found its way into his bag adding that he bought the suitcase from a second hand material open market in Lagos,” he said.
He further revealed that the case had already been filed against the suspect, while investigations were ongoing to explore other leads, on the case,” NAN reports.
The Police detectives attached to Sagamu Road Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Sagamu Road, Ikorodu, on Sunday, 4th April 2021, at about 10 am, apprehended one wanted serial killer cultist, Segun Agodo.
Agodo was arrested in the Odongunyan area of Ikoodu, Lagos State.
Segun, a senior member of Eye Confraternity, had been on the run for a while since he got the wind that he had been declared wanted by the police for his atrocities in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
However, he was sighted in Ikorodu today 4th April 2021, while the DPO Sagamu Road Division and his men were on Surveillance patrol around Ikorodu.
Agodo, who has been fingered in many murder cases, including the alleged killing of a policeman, in Ikorodu, was arrested in possession of 2 locally-made revolver pistols, each loaded with 7 and 14 rounds of cartridges, one axe, some cutlasses and assorted charms
Similarly, police detectives attached to Alakuko Division of the command, on 2nd April 2021, at about 5.30 am, arrested one Sola Akinwole, m, 27, where the suspect and his gang members were robbing at a car/motorcycles shop located at AMJE Bus Stop, Alakuko Area of Lagos State.
The police detectives raced to the scene while responding to a distress call from the shop.
The suspected armed robbers had shot one of the guards at the shop, Tairu Baba, m, 20, before the police arrived at the scene.
One Locally-made pistol and four (4) cartridges were recovered from the suspect.
Police operatives attached to Festac Division have arrested one Jonas Nnubia, m, 43, for defiling his wife’s niece (name withheld).
Nnubia was arrested on 3rd April, 2021, at about 3 pm at 1st Avenue, L Close, Festac, Lagos State.
The victim, who was taken to the police station in company of some officials of the Child Protection Network, Lagos State, alleged that the suspect has defiled her severally and warned her not to disclose his criminal act to anyone or else she dies.
The victim has been taken to the hospital for necessary medical examination and attention in order to assist the police in carrying out their discreet Investigation into the matter
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has directed that the suspects involved in the cases be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for proper investigation and possible prosecution.
CP Hakeem Odumosu further stated that the command will leave no stone unturned in making sure that Lagos State is rid of criminals, especially cultists who are the major perpetrators of crimes and social vices in the state.
He also promised to continually partner with the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and other interest groups in fighting against gender/domestic-based violence in the state.
Paris Saint-Germain forward, Neymar, on Saturday clashed with Lille’s Tiago Djalo, in the tunnel at the Parc des Princes following his side’s Ligue 1 1-0 home defeat against Christophe Galtier’s side.
Lille defeated PSG thanks to Jonathan David’s first-half goal as Neymar and Djalo were sent off late in the second half of the game.
Neymar saw red in stoppage time of the encounter, retaliating furiously after a rough challenge from defender Djalo.
The Brazilian earned his second-yellow for shoving Djalo, who was also sent off for his foul-mouthed rant aimed at the former Barcelona star.
Both players continued rowing as they walked off the pitch together, with Neymar taking a swipe at the 20-year-old centre-back once an official had got between both men in the tunnel.
Djalo then knocked one of the men trying to restrain him to the ground as he tried to retaliate before the furious footballers were finally ushered into their respective dressing-rooms.
Neymar will now face a ban and yet more time on the sidelines after only returning from injury for PSG’s 4-2 win over Lyon last month.
The winger has only managed 12 games in the league this season, with his season blighted by injury and suspensions.
The flare-up against Lille was Neymar’s second red card of the season, having been sent-off for his part in a mass brawl that erupted in stoppage-time as PSG lost 1-0 to rivals Marseille some weeks ago.
After 48 hours of disconnecting MTN customers from banking channels including the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data and banking apps, commercial banks on Sunday have reconnected MTN customers to banking channels, The PUNCH can confirm.
Punch correspondent gathered that the development followed the intervention of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami; and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The banks blocked MTN customers on Friday, leaving millions of MTN subscribers frustrated as they were unable to recharge airtime via USSD amid the Easter celebrations.
MTN, with about 77 million subscribers, making up about 45 per cent of the total telecommunication market share in Nigeria, is arguably the largest telecommunication operator in the country.
The blockade occurred when the telco reduced the banks’ commission from an average of 3.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent. The banks had written MTN to revert to the old commission, otherwise, they would block MTN airtime in all their channels.
The banks, except Zenith Bank which was connected directly to MTN, subsequently blocked MTN from their banking channels, leaving millions of customers stranded as they were unable to recharge virtually.
A family of five the Olalekan Baloguns of European Quarters, Meiran area of Lagos, has been rendered homeless after their landlord allegedly seized their belongings and locked them out of their room and parlour apartment since Thursday, March 25, 2021.
Also, efforts by the Nigeria Police Force, to wade into the matter was fruitless as the landlord did not honour their invite.
It was gathered that the family with three children ages 16, 9 and 7 are currently stranded as they have no access to their belongings at their rented apartment located at 10, Powerline, European Quarters, Meiran area of Lagos.
Vanguard gathered that the family rented the apartment in 2018 after effecting annual rent into a bank account unfortunately, they could not renew it before the outbreak of Covid-19 Pandemic and in January 2021, the landlord issued quit notices which lapsed a month after and their belongings were allegedly seized and they were locked out since March 25.
According to neighbours, five tenants were occupying the building but two had parked out before the quit notices were issued remaining three including a pregnant woman but two others were able to hang their belongings or put them up for sale while the Balogun’s, could not meet up before the arrival of their America -a based landlord who allegedly seized their belongings.
Vanguard ran into Olalekan Balogun in an uncompleted building and he has this to say, ” I have a cloth on me for days because my landlord denied us access into our belongings. I could not meet up with payment of rent due to the Covid-19 Pandemic which adversely affected my small scale business. Nigerians should help me talk to my landlord because I have nobody. Please come to my rescue, I’m still sleeping around without my family only cloth on our body please help us,” said the tenant.
Balogun said he reported the matter at Meiran Police Station followed by a petition to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police for quick intervention, yet the landlord did not honour the invite.
When Vanguard contacted the landlord Mr. Edwin Odigie on phone, he said, “I don’t know him except produces the proof of payment. I am an American citizen who has all it takes to deal with the pauper and won’t hesitate to get him arrested,” he said.
Vanguard gathered that the landlord was planning to convert the storey building to a hotel hence the short quit notices issued to the tenants.
Contacted, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi said the case will be handled professionally saying, “The DPO Meiran has been asked to do the needful. I have even involved the Area Commander Area P, ACP Adepoju to look into the matter. It will be professionally handled,” he said.
MTN customers in Nigeria now have alternative electronic payment platforms to recharge their phones as the mobile network operator on Saturday announced that customers can recharge airtime through payment solutions platforms such as Flutterwave, Jumia Pay, OPay, Kuda, Carbon and BillsnPay.
MTN in a statement on Saturday by its Senior Manager, External Relations, Funso Aina, also said customers could recharge airtime by dialing *904# and *606#.
This is coming barely 24 hours after commercial banks on Friday disconnected MTN customers from banking channels including the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data and banking apps, leaving millions of MTN subscribers frustrated as they were unable to recharge airtime via USSD amid the Easter celebrations.
MTN, with about 77 million subscribers, making up about 45 per cent of the total telecommunication market share in Nigeria, is arguably the largest telecommunication operator in the country.
The Punch had earlier reported that the telco reduced the banks’ commission from an average of 3.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent which predicated the actions of the banks.
The banks had written MTN to revert to the old commission, otherwise, they would block MTN airtime in all their channels.
The banks, except Zenith Bank which was connected directly to MTN, subsequently blocked MTN from their banking channels, leaving customers stranded as they were unable to recharge virtually.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, had said the matter would be resolved. “We have reached an advance stage of resolving the issues, for the services to be restored to our citizens,” he had said.But in the statement on Saturday, MTN said, “It will interest you to note that for the benefit of our customers who have been greatly inconvenienced by the service suspension, we now have alternative channels of accessing MTN services electronically.”
Speaking exclusively with Sunday PUNCH, a source in the industry said the most important factor is that MTN was able to quickly come up with alternatives through fintech companies.
“There are so many possibilities through fintech. It is about being responsive and flexible to alternatives for customers to enjoy MTN services as they have been enjoying before the disconnection by the banks. It is about being solution-focused,” the source said.
Asked whether MTN might have used the fintech platforms as alternatives before the disconnection, the source, who craved anonymity, said the development was totally new and spontaneous.
The source could not, however, give an update on the discussion the minister started with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission to broker peace between the banks and MTN.
But the source stressed that even after the issue becomes resolved, it would be wise for MTN not to put its eggs in a basket. The source said it would be wise for MTN not to abandon the fintech companies because “if it happens today, who says it will not happen tomorrow?”
Founder of Cleen Foundation, Innocent Chukwuma, is dead.
He died on Saturday evening at 55 after he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, an aggressive cancer of the blood.
His long time friend and associate, Edetaen Ojo, confirmed the sad incident.
Ojo, the Executive Director of the Media Rights Agenda(MRA), said: “With profound shock & sadness, I regret to inform you that Innocent Chukwuma passed away a few hours ago, in the evening of April 3. May his soul rest in peace.”
Chukwuma read religious studies at the University of Nigeria (UNN) but gained prominence as a student union leader.
He was a founding member of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) before he started CLEEN foundation.
The father of three daughters was just diagnosed with the cancer on Friday night but died before he could begin scheduled chemotherapy sessions on Saturday night.
