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Gunmen kill 13 wedding guests, abduct others in Kaduna

A deadly attack by armed bandits disrupted a wedding celebration in Kahir village, located in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, leaving at least 13 people dead and several others abducted, while scores of others were injured.

Police authorities in the state have confirmed the incident, saying that they are still gathering full details, including the number of abducted victims.

According to a community leader, Musa Adamu, the incident occurred around 11:47 p.m. on Sunday.

He said the attackers, who arrived in large numbers and were armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the venue and began shooting indiscriminately at guests inside the hall.

Several attendees sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Kagarko, while those with more critical wounds were referred to facilities in Kaduna.

Residents said the gunmen operated for nearly an hour without resistance. During that time, they reportedly looted nearby shops, making away with food items, provisions, and drugs from a local chemist.

A manhunt for the attackers has also commenced with a view to arresting them and bringing them to justice, according to Police authorities.

Kaduna is one of the states in the North-West that has been under the siege of gunmen known as bandits.

Other states include Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Katsina.

Apart from bandits, another terror group – Lakurawa – has been blamed for many of the attacks on communities in parts of Kebbi and Sokoto states.

Its members stage raids from their forest base, rustling livestock and imposing “taxes” on locals.

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the United States military, carried out an air strike in Sokoto last Christmas that had targeted members of the group and “bandit” gangs.

Nigeria is also grappling with other armed groups that have compounded its security challenges in the north of the country.

Military crackdowns have yielded few results.

The conflict has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, prompting the formation of a regional military coalition to fight these groups.

But the coalition has lost steam in recent years after the withdrawal of Niger due to a diplomatic spat with Nigeria following a 2023 military coup in Niger.

Earlier this month, the United States began deploying troops to Nigeria to provide technical and training support to the country’s soldiers in fighting the jihadist groups.

The US Africa Command said 200 troops were expected to join the deployment overall. (Channels)

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Sinner overpowers Lehecka to win Miami Open

World number two Jannik Sinner powered past Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to win the ATP Miami Masters 1000 for a second time on Sunday, adding the title to his Indian Wells crown.

Sinner had to wait out rain delays before and during the match to complete his “Sunshine Double,” becoming the first man to sweep the elite hard court tournaments in California and Florida since Roger Federer in 2017 and the first to do so without dropping a set.

In fact, Sinner — who won Miami in 2024 but missed last year as he served a three-month doping ban — has now won three straight Masters 1000 events, starting with a victory in Paris last year.

“It means a lot to me, (completing) the Sunshine Double for the first time, it’s incredible,” Sinner said on court. “It’s something I never would’ve thought (I’d win) because it’s difficult to achieve. We made it somehow, so I’m very happy.”

Sinner’s victory, coupled with Aryna Sabalenka’s triumph over Coco Gauff on Saturday, mark the first time the Indian Wells-Miami sweep was achieved on both the men’s and women’s sides since Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka both did it in 2016.

It also saw the Italian gain a bit on Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the race for world number one as the clay court season beckons.

Early showers saw the match delayed for more than an hour. Sinner had just pocketed the first set when the showers hit again, halting the match for 90 minutes.

It wasn’t enough to unsettle Sinner, who fired 10 aces and won 33 of 36 points when he put his first serve in play.

His return game was also spot on as he handed 22nd-ranked Czech Lehecka his first service break of the tournament for a 2-1 lead in the opening frame.

Sinner trailed 0-40 in the following game but fired three service winners and a pair of aces to hold and made the advantage stand up.

The Italian gave himself a first set point in the ninth game with a blistering cross-court forehand service return winner.

Lehecka saved that one with a service winner and saved another set point with a volley, going on to seal the hold on his sixth game point before Sinner pocketed the set with a love game.

Lehecka fought off five set points before Sinner pounced for the lone break of the second set and a 5-4 lead.

Sinner didn’t face a break point in the second set and gave himself a match point with a forehand volley winner, thought he had it on a serve that was called a let, and polished it off with another winner at the net.

While Lehecka, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, couldn’t follow compatriot Jakub Mensik into the Miami winner’s circle, he will reach a career-high 14th in the world rankings on Monday.

“I came here with not good form and I was able to come back to the tennis that I want to play,” Lehecka said at the trophy ceremony. (JapanToday)

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Tiger Woods arrested on suspicion of DUI after rollover crash

Tiger Woods was arrested Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence after his Land Rover traveling at “high speed” on a residential road clipped a truck and rolled onto its side.

Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods was able to crawl out of passenger side and was not injured.

“He did exemplify signs of an impairment,” Budensiek said, adding that investigators believe he had taken “some type of medication or drug.” He said Woods agreed to a breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but refused a urine test and was arrested.

Under Florida law, he would have to spend eight hours in jail before he could post bail.

Budensiek said the sheriff’s office will follow the law regardless of who has been accused of a crime. He said Woods was being held in jail but separate from others.

“He’s not going to be with other inmates that could hurt him or try to capitalize on what he did,” he said. “He’ll pay the price, but he’s not going to pay the price by getting punished in jail.”

It was the second time Woods has been arrested for a DUI not as a result of the influence of alcohol. He said he took a bad mix of painkillers when authorities found him in 2017 asleep behind the wheel of his car, the engine still running and its driver’s side damaged. Woods pleaded guilty then to reckless driving.

President Donald Trump, whose former daughter-in-law is dating Tiger Woods, was asked about the golfer when he landed in Miami on Friday afternoon for an investment summit.

“I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump said. “Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.”

The crash occurred just before 2 p.m. not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island.

Budensiek said Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck while driving on a two-lane road with a 30 mph (48 kph) speed limit. He said authorities could not determine how fast Woods was going.

The Land Rover swerved to avoid a collision as he was passing the truck but clipped the back end of the truck’s trailer, Budensiek said. Woods’ car then rolled onto its driver’s side.

The sheriff said Woods was “cooperative, but he’s not trying to incriminate himself.” He said Woods has the right to refuse the urine test and that authorities “will never get definitive results with what he was impaired on.”

Woods’ manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.

This was the fourth time Woods has been involved in a car crash, most recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later doctors considered amputation. He also previously sustained multiple injuries to his left knee and his back during his golf career.

Woods returned from multiple back surgeries to win the 2019 Masters for his 15th major. His 82 titles on the PGA Tour is tied for the career record with Sam Snead. Since that LA crash, he has played 11 tournaments without being closer than 16 shots to the winner the four times he was able to finish 72 holes.

Friday’s arrest comes as Woods was trying to decide if he was fit enough to play the Masters, which starts April 9. He also was to be in Augusta, Georgia, on April 5 to unveil a golf course project with Masters chairman Fred Ridley.

Woods also was days away from what was described as a “soft deadline” to decide whether to be the U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland.

Woods, 50, had been working his way back to golf from a seventh back surgery in September.

His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024. Woods ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025 and that kept him off the course all season even before the back surgery. He managed to play in his indoor TGL golf league on Tuesday night.

He has remained deeply involved in PGA Tour affairs as chair of the Future Competition Committee that is restructuring the model of the tour. (JapanToday)

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Police arrest suspected stowaway at Lagos Airport

The Airport Police Command has intercepted a 14-year-old stowaway at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on Monday.

The police explained that the minor was discovered on the airport tarmac while attempting to unlawfully gain access beneath an aircraft, an act which the Command said constituted a serious breach of aviation security protocols within a highly sensitive operational environment.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Adeola, disclosed that preliminary findings indicated that the juvenile unlawfully entered a restricted area of the airport without authorisation, contrary to Sections 2 and 3 of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) byelaws, and engaged in actions consistent with a stowaway attempt.

“Upon interception, the minor was taken into protective custody in line with due process and established child protection procedures. His parents were promptly notified, and all necessary protocols were observed, including the conduct of the interview process in the presence of his parents.

“The Command also ensured that the minor was provided with appropriate care, support, and welfare considerations throughout the process.

The Commissioner of Police, Airport Police Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, Mnips, PhD, reiterated the Command’s unshaken resolve to safeguard the nation’s aviation infrastructure, describing the airport as a critical national asset that requires strict adherence to security regulations at all times,” Adeola stated.

While noting that due process would be strictly followed, the PPRO said that CP Ogunbode urged parents and guardians to exercise greater vigilance over their children and wards, particularly in relation to movements around restricted and high-risk environments such as airports.

He, however, said that the case would be handled in accordance with applicable juvenile justice procedures, and the minor would be charged before the appropriate juvenile court. (Channels)

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Foreign Affairs Minister Tuggar resigns

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has resigned.

The minister’s action followed the directive of President Bola Tinubu to all political appointees in his administration who intend to contest elective positions in the 2027 elections to resign from their posts on or before March 31.

The president had hinged his decision on Section 88(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for party primaries ahead of the 2027 polls.

Tuggar’s resignation comes amid the speculation of his interest in contesting the 2027 Bauchi State governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He is a seasoned diplomat, policymaker, and political figure who was appointed as minister by Bola Ahmed Tinubu in August 2023.

Born on March 12, 1967, he has built a distinguished career spanning diplomacy, politics, energy, and strategic consulting.

He is widely regarded for his role in shaping Nigeria’s global engagement and advancing its foreign policy priorities.

His political career includes serving as a member of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, representing the Gamawa Constituency in Bauchi State.

The diplomat later contested the governorship of the state in two election cycles.

From 2017 to 2023, Tuggar served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, where he played a key role in strengthening bilateral relations, enhancing trade cooperation, and promoting Nigeria’s interests in Europe.

As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tuggar led Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts under the Tinubu administration. (Channels)

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Obi, Tambuwal, Amaechi, others in Kano as Kwankwaso officially joins ADC

A former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The former minister of defence registered with the ADC and received his membership card at Gidan Kwankwasiyya, Miller Road, Bompai, Kano.

The event was witnessed by chieftains of the ADC and a crowd of supporters, mainly from the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

Among the prominent personalities were former Senate President and ADC National Chairman, David Mark; the party’s National Secretary and former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi.

Others are former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Senator Dino Melaye; former APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; and former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha.

Following his registration, Kwankwaso, who served two terms as Kano State governor and has been a mainstay in national politics, posted on his X handle: “New Dawn. We are ADC.”

His defection to the ADC comes a day after he officially announced his resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), under which he contested the presidency in 2023 and came fourth.

Kwankwaso said his decision to leave the NNPP was based on what he described as the “current trajectory of the nation’s political landscape, which calls for strategic realignment.”

“I wish to formally announce my resignation from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) with immediate effect. I seize this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the honour and privilege of serving as the Party’s National Leader and its Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General Elections.

“As a committed and bona fide member of the party, this was not an easy decision to make. However, considering the current trajectory of the nation’s political landscape, which calls for strategic realignment, I have found it necessary to identify with another political platform that offers the best opportunity to effectively change the nation,” a statement he personally signed on Sunday partly read.

Kwankwaso is the latest among top challengers of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 election to join the ADC, which the opposition coalition adopted last year as the umbrella platform to wrestle the presidency from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who came second behind Tinubu in the last election, and Peter Obi, who came third, had earlier joined the party.

Atiku wasted no time in welcoming Kwankwaso into the party with a post on his X handle on Monday, which read: “When men of conviction come together, power trembles. Welcome aboard, @KwankwasoRM.”

Before his official defection on Monday, Kwankwaso had held meetings with leading figures in the ADC, including Atiku, Obi, former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, among others.

The former governor of Kano and senator rose to prominence through his grassroots-oriented Kwankwasiyya Movement, which has played a decisive role in shaping electoral outcomes in Kano.

His political journey has seen him move across major parties before leading the NNPP into the 2023 general elections, where he maintained significant influence in the North-West state.

With his influence, the NNPP’s candidate, Abba Yusuf, won the Kano State governorship election, defeating the ruling APC in the keenly contested polls.

However, a political fallout saw Governor Yusuf defect to the APC. With Kwankwaso now in the ADC, Kano again looks like a battleground for the 2027 elections. (Channels)

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LA28 unveils a bold, superbloom-inspired look for the Los Angeles Olympics

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics has announced its official look, and it’s a blast of bold colors.

The graphic patterns and color palettes will be used to identify everything from credentials to staff uniforms to signage to competition venues and the athletes village.

The concept announced Monday is based on a California superbloom, a phenomenon that occurs every 10-15 years in the spring and results in a vibrant explosion of wildflowers across hills, valleys and deserts.

The LA28 design team studied past Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the 1984 Los Angeles Games, to inspire the look.

The orange Bird of Paradise, the city’s official flower, inspired the primary colors used in the concept as well as the 13 blooms that make up the full Superbloom. Graphics were built on a precise grid, with visual density reduced closest to fields of play to keep athlete focus unimpeded.

“We wanted the look to feel like Los Angeles itself,” Geoff Engelhardt, LA28 head of brand design, said in a statement. “LA is a city of incredible creativity, sitting at the intersection of sport and entertainment, and the Games will bring the world together here in 2028.”

On Monday night at Intuit Dome, where basketball will be played in 2028, fans attending the Los Angeles Clippers game will be greeted by a digital display of the LA28 look on the outdoor plaza’s giant screen. Inside, a video will play unveiling the look. (JapanToday)

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Obi shouldn’t have been allowed to contest in 2023 polls – Justice Ayo Salami

Justice Ayo Salami says former Anambra State governor Peter Obi shouldn’t have been allowed to contest the 2023 presidential elections under the Labour Party (LP) platform.

The former appeal court president stated this on Tuesday while briefing journalists at his residence in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

‎Justice Salami argued that by the time Obi left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary, the LP had submitted its list of members to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Peter Obi of the Labour Party ought not to have been allowed to contest in the presidential election in the sense that by the time he left the PDP primary, the Labour Party had submitted its list of members to INEC. The constitution says there can’t be independent candidates. How did he become a candidate if he doesn’t belong to the Labour Party?” Salami said.

“The same thing happened to the governor of Kano State, who has now defected to the APC. His name is not in the NNPP register, but they issued him a membership card, and the register is supposed to be the mother of the card. That is the source of the register for his membership. Even though the Tribunal and Court of Appeal frowned at it, and that’s the problem of competence.”

‎The retired jurist also faulted the actions of some judges for delivering wrong verdicts, attributing it to incompetence.

“Some of them have problems with learning; they are not sufficiently trained. They don’t have a good background to be such. And imagine appointing a higher registrar, a judge.

“All this may be responsible, not because they are dishonest or they take bribes or they are influenced. But maybe personally, they are inadequate. And that may be responsible for their wrong judgment.

“At times when you see or read judgment of some of them, even the Supreme Court judgment, you would be astounded and wonder what is happening,” he added. (Channels)

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World No.1 Alcaraz beaten by Korda in Miami Open third round

Sebastian Korda stared down Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, sending the world number one crashing out of the Miami Open third round 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Korda, ranked 36th in the world, notched his first victory over a world number one, sending Alcaraz to his second straight early exit in Miami following defeat to 55th-ranked Belgian David Goffin in the second round last year.

Since that defeat, Alcaraz had built a remarkable 73-6 record, including a 16-0 start to 2026 that included his historic Australian Open triumph and a title in Doha.

It looked like Korda had missed his chance to spring the upset when he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set and was broken at love.

Alcaraz won the next two games to force a third set.

The Spaniard stepped up his intensity to win five straight games. But Korda didn’t buckle and it was the American who seized a break for 4-3 in the third when Alcaraz sailed a forehand wide.

He held his next service game with confidence, slamming down an overhead winner on game point and after Alcaraz held serve to force Korda to serve for the match again, the American made no mistake, sealing victory on his second match point as Alcaraz sent a service return long.

“It feels great,” said Korda, who has been ranked as high as 15th in the world but has endured two seasons disrupted by injuries. “I took the scenic route, that’s for sure — a little more stress than I would want but happy with how I played, happy with how I stayed with it.

“He’s unbelievable in every aspect of his game, movement, volleys, forehand, backhand, there’s nothing he can’t do,” Korda said of 22-year-old Alcaraz, whose Australian Open title made him the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz, who fell in the semi-finals at Indian Wells this month, was on the defensive early against Korda, who broke for a 5-3 lead in the first set and pocketed the set with an ace.

He broke Alcaraz again for a 2-1 lead in the second before the Spaniard’s spirited fightback that ultimately came up short.

Korda will face either Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce or 14th-seeded Karen Khachanov for a place in the quarterfinals.

Sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz broke big-serving compatriot Reilly Opelka once in each set to triumph 6-3, 6-4 in just 63 minutes.

Fritz served just four aces to Opelka’s 10, but Fritz won 29 of 31 points behind his first serve and dropped just six points on his serve overall.

Fritz lined up a fourth-round clash with Czech Jiri Lehecka, who beat American Ethan Quinn 6-3, 7-6 (8/6).

Rybakina advances

World number one and defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka, coming off her first Indian Wells title last weekend, headlined the night session against 72nd-ranked American Caty McNally.

In early women’s action, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina — seeded third despite moving up to number two in the world this week — moved smoothly into the last 16 with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.

Rybakina next faces Australian qualifier Talia Gibson, who knocked off another seed with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over 18-year-old 18th seed Iva Jovic.

Gibson, coming off an impressive run to the Indian Wells quarterfinals, had ousted former world number one Naomi Osaka in the second round.

Fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, runner-up to Sabalenka last year, reached the fourth round with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 victory over Canadian Leylah Fernandez.

Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, runner-up in Miami in 2018, held off seventh-seeded Jasmine Paolini 5-7, 6-2, 7-5, emerging victorious from a see-saw battle that saw the Italian charge back from 0-4 down in the third set, recouping two service breaks to level at 5-5 before Ostapenko put it away.

Ostapenko next faces 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste, who upset ninth-seeded Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-5. (JapanToday)

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Newcastle vs Sunderland halted after discriminatory abuse from the crowd

The Premier League game between Newcastle and Sunderland was stopped on Sunday after there was a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, the league said.

Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida, who is Black, was the target of the abuse that resulted in play being stopped during the second half of the match at St James’ Park.

The league said the pause was in line with its anti-discrimination protocol. It added that an investigation would be launched.

“Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all,” the league said in a statement.

Newcastle also said it would investigate and “ensure any individuals are identified and held accountable.”

“Our stance is clear – we do not tolerate discrimination of any form,” it said.

Before kickoff in the local derby, there had been tense scenes between fans outside the stadium, with videos widely shared online. But Northumbria police said only one arrest had been made before the match.

Sunderland won the game 2-1 thanks to a late goal by Brian Brobbey. (JapanToday)