META CEO Mark Zuckerberg is celebrating two scientists for their innovative work in cancer treatment.Immunologists Carl June and Michel Sadelain were announced winners of the prestigious Breakthrough Prize award on Thursday.

The immunologists engineered T-cells that successfully target and kill cancer cells. A statement on the Breakthrough Prize website on their work read,

“Carl June and Michel Sadelain genetically engineered T cells – key players in the body’s immune system – with synthetic receptors termed chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to instruct T cells to recognize the cancer cells of individual patients.

“These CAR T cells have remarkable rates of success against liquid cancers including types of leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. For some patients, the tumors have been entirely eradicated and have not returned, years after treatment.

“Taking to his Facebook page Thursday, Zuckerberg congratulated the laureates on their win writing, “Priscilla and I helped create the Breakthrough Prize to celebrate scientists who are pushing the boundaries of life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics.

“This year’s winners have made incredible progress in understanding the causes of major diseases and developing new treatments, like Carl June and Michel Sadelain, who won for their work in engineering T-cells to successfully target and kill cancer cells.

“Congratulations to all the 2024 Breakthrough Prize laureates!”

A petition written by the late Nigerian artiste Ilerioluwa Aloba aka MohBad, over an alleged threat to life by music promoter Samson Erinfolami Balogun, aka Sam Larry and others, has surfaced online.

The petition alleged that Sam Larry and 15 others stormed a video shoot where the deceased and another artiste, Zlatan Ibile, were working, armed, and threatening to wreak havoc.

They eventually did wreak havoc, destroying equipment worth over N5million at the scene, and assaulting the deceased who narraowly escaped with injuries, the petition claimed.

It was also stated that Sam Larry claimed to be working for Oba Elegushi of Lagos State.

“Sir, I call on your good office to save my life from the above mentioned persons and bring them to book,” the petition partly read.MohBad, who was signed to Marlian Records owned by singer Naira Marley, a known associaite of the said Sam Larry, died on Tuesday, September 12.

The petition dated 27th June, 2023 read,

“PETITION OF THREAT TO LIFE, MALICIOUS DAMAGE OF PROPERTIES VALUED THE SUM OF FIVE MILLION NAIRA, ASSAULT OCCASIONING HARM, OPPRESSION AND CONDUCT LIKELY TO CAUSE BREACH OF PEACE AGAINST SAM LARRY ELEGUSHI, ELELE, OBELE AND OTHERS.

The Elegushi Royal Family of Eti-Osa, Lagos State, has released a statement stating that music promoter Samson Balogun is not a member of the royal family as reported in some quarters.In a statement released Thursday by the Palace, the Royal Family denounced any involvement with the music promoter.

The statement reads, “The Elegushi Royal Family of Eti-Osa wishes to put on record the misinformation on the media space involving Samson Erinfolami Balogun (AKA Sam Larry).

“Samson Balogun is not a member of the royal family and does not work for the royal family or king in any capacity. Like other celebrities, politicians, religious and community leaders, he visits the palace to pay homage to the king and seek royal blessings just like other members of the public.

“While expressing our condolence to the family and friends of late Ilerioluwa Aloba (known as MohBad) we would like to add our voices to the calls for a thorough investigation into circumstances surrounding his death to unravel any foul play.

“We ask our friends in the media to be mindful of the sensitivity of the issue and desist from spreading falsehood that may jeopardise the investigation.”

A Nigerian actress, Cindy Amadi, who is known for her role in the lesbian-themed movie titled, “Ife”, is dead.

This was confirmed by the producers of the movie, “Ife”, in a statement on their Instagram page on Thursday.

The statement read, “We are greatly, deeply, and unbelievably saddened to learn about the passing of Cindy Amadi, who played Adaora in #ìféthemovie.

“We cannot begin to imagine the pain and loss her family feel right now. On behalf of our entire cast and crew, we send our deepest condolences to her family and wish them all the comfort they need at this time.

“Rest in Peace, Cindy. Thank you for sharing your gift with us. We will always remember you and you live on in our hearts forever.

“A filmmaker and producer of “Ife”, Pamela Adie, also confirmed the actress’ death on her Facebook story saying, “This wasn’t the plan, Cindy. I promised you we’d make the sequel and you were excited. I’m sorry we couldn’t complete it in time. But we will complete it…for you. Rest in peace for now.

“The cause of Amadi’s death is not yet known as at the time of filing this report.

The Eko Electricity Distribution Company has announced that the power supply has been restored.

There was a widespread blackout across the country following the total collapse of Nigeria’s electricity grid early Thursday morning.

PUNCH earlier reported that the grid collapsed totally around 12:40 a.m. on September 14, 2023, leading to the massive loss of supply to power distributors nationwide.

Multiple sources in the power sector, as well as electricity distribution companies, confirmed the development to our correspondent on Thursday morning.

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc issued a notice titled, ‘Notice of Total System Collapse’ on Thursday, and the Eko Electricity Distribution Company also did the same.

However, in a statement via X, (formerly Twitter), Eko Disco affirmed that the national electricity grid had been fixed and power supply had been restored.

The statement read, “Dear valued customer, kindly be informed that power supply has been restored from the grid. Thank you for your patience.”

Grammy-winning artiste, Wylcef Jean, has taken to social media to felicitate Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Dr. Yahaya Abubakar, on his birthday and 20th coronation anniversary.

In his tweet on Thursday, in which he tagged @MobilePunch, Wyclef noted that although he would be absent for the birthday party, he wished to congratulate the monarch, whom he described as a friend and partner, on his birthday and 20th year as leader of the Nupe people.

He tweeted, “To all the distinguished guests in attendance, Although i’m unable to make the celebration tomorrow I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to my friend and partner HRH Dr. Yahaya Abubakar and congratulations on your 20th year of rule as Etsu Nupe.

“May the Light continue to always shine upon you. I will see you all soon many blessings.”

One Lot Dauda has been arrested by troops of Operation Safe Haven in Southern Kaduna for the murder of one Mrs. Dorathy Jonathan.

Jonathan was murdered on Friday, September 1, while fetching firewood at Afana village in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of the state.

This was made known in a statement on the official X handle of the Nigerian Army on Thursday.

The statement read that Dauda narrated “that he approached Mrs. Dorathy while working on a farmland and wanted to get intimate forcefully with the victim, who put up a struggle leading to her gruesome murder.

“It further read that Dauda, who admitted to committing the crime with an accomplice still at large, was arrested through a manhunt launched by troops of the OPSH who acted swiftly in response to reliable intelligence reports.

Efforts are ongoing to arrest the accomplice, while the arrested suspect would be charged to court once the investigation is completed.

A yet-to-be-identified student of Gombe State University has been arrested by the school security outfit and handed to the police for allegedly killing her newborn son after delivery.

It was gathered that the baby was thrown from a three-storey hostel located within the university premises.

The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mohammed Abubakar, confirmed the incident, saying that the culprit had been handed to the police.

The Ogun State Police Command is trailing one Joseph Nwakpe and others for alleged theft and diversion of Knorr seasoning goods worth N40.6m.

PUNCH Metro learnt from a police source that Nwakpe and others had been contracted by a transport manager at Lap Global Resource identified as Pedro Okanlawon to deliver 2,085 cases of Knorr seasoning from Agbara to Onitsha and Port Harcourt.

According to the source, the truck conveying the products was a customised coloured Mercedes Benz with Registration Number 3364N244722 and Engine Number 3364N244722, bearing “Never give up” and “Ifeomachukwu” as inscriptions at the front view.

Okanlawon, a Lagos-based transport manager, was said to have made several attempts to reach Nwakpe and others through the phone to find out about their movement.

But when all efforts to know the whereabouts of the fleeing suspects failed, the victim filed a petition against them at a police station in Agbara.

It was gathered that following an investigation by the police, the driver of the truck, identified as Danladi Suleiman of the Ayetoro area of Agbara/Badagry Expressway, was arrested on September 5, 2023.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident, noted that though the arrested suspect had since confessed to the crime, further investigation was ongoing.

The death toll from devastating floods that struck eastern Libya could reach 20,000 in Derna alone, the mayor said.

“We expect a very big number of victims. It can reach 18,000 to 20,000 deaths based on the destroyed districts in Derna,” Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said.

Mr Al-Ghaithi said the city was suffering a humanitarian disaster due to the massive floods that followed a heavy storm in eastern Libya on Sunday.

Two dams in the mountains above Derna collapsed.

While rescue workers and relatives continue to search for survivors, about 10,000 people were reported missing, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

The flooding in eastern Libya has also left more than 30,000 people homeless, according to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration, particularly in Derna.

Two rival governments are vying for power in oil-rich Libya, plagued by unrest in recent years.One is based in the east, and the other in the capital, Tripoli, in the west.

Diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve the ongoing civil war have failed

The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) announced a total collapse of the electricity supply system at 12:40 a.m. on Thursday across the South-East.

The situation was confirmed in a statement issued by EEDC’s spokesman, Emeka Ezeh, in Enugu.

The EEDC statement said the situation had resulted in the loss of supply currently being experienced across the network.

“Due to this development, all our interface Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) stations are out of supply. We are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.

“We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo,” EEDC explained.

The death toll from Storm Daniel, an “extreme weather event,” that caused the Sunday Libya flooding stands at 6,000, CNN has reported.

Saadeddin Wakil, the health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli, one of two rival governments operating in the country, said, “The death toll rose to over 6,000 people as of Wednesday morning local time.”

The agency reports that mortuaries are full in hospitals that remain out of service despite the desperate need to treat survivors of the disaster, according to staff.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday said his government was ready to provide all essential support to the Libyan people hit by the devastating floods that followed the Mediterranean storm Daniel on Sunday.

“Nigeria is ready to provide all necessary support to assist the Libyan people in overcoming this harrowing tragedy,” read a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, on Wednesday.

In a separate report, the BBC reported that there have been desperate calls for more humanitarian support as victims lie wrapped in body bags and others have been buried in mass graves.

“The sea is constantly dumping dozens of bodies,” Hisham Chkiouat, a minister in Libya’s eastern administration, said, according to the BBC.

“In Egypt, the government buried 87 Egyptian victims who died in Libya, according to the country’s emigration ministry.

“Around 10,000 more are missing, potentially either swept out to sea or buried beneath rubble that’s strewn throughout the city, once home to over 100,000 people, authorities say,” the agency added.

The United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration in Libya stated that more than 30,000 people have been displaced by the flooding in Derna.

The significant damage to infrastructure in the region has made some stricken regions inaccessible to humanitarian groups.

Only two out of the seven entry points to Derna are now available.

Emergency teams are searching through piles of debris for survivors and bodies as officials attempt to honour Islamic beliefs that the dead should receive burial rites within three days.

President Tinubu extended his profound condolences to the government and people of Libya in the aftermath of the flooding.

He commiserated with all families who have lost loved ones in what he described as a “monumental disaster.” He sent his best wishes for a speedy recovery to all injured during the tragic incident.

The Nigerian leader assured the Libyan people of Nigeria’s “unwavering solidarity and goodwill during these trying times,” adding that “this disheartening loss of lives, homes, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure remains a shared grief that further unites the people of both nations.”

Multi-award-winning artiste David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, paid tribute to the late singer Mohbad during his Timeless concert in Manchester, London, on Wednesday.

Displaying a photo of MohBad on stage, the ‘Unavailable’ crooner noted some artistes go through hard times as well but never let that stop them from doing their job.

“As we come on stage to perform for you guys, you might not know what we artistes go through. We are human beings too.

“It takes a lot for us to come out to perform and deliver but we do that because we love you.

“I want to give a special shout-out to my brother, I know you are in heaven watching down. Tonight we gonna turn out for you,” he said.

MohBad passed away on Tuesday, September 12.

The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Wednesday, announced adjustments to the fees that students of the institution will be required to pay for the upcoming academic session.

This decision, according to a communique released by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, was taken by the Senate at its emergency meeting held yesterday, Tuesday, September 12, 2023.

Olarewaju said, “Those in the Faculties of Arts, Law and Humanities, the ‘freshers’ will pay N151,200 while returning students of the same faculties will pay N89,200.”

Returning students in the faculties were paying N20,100 before the increase while Faculties of Technology and Science paid N28,100. Also, the Faculty of Pharmacy students paid N31,100 per session.

Olanrewaju added that “in the Faculties of Technology and Science, the new students will pay N163,200” while returning students are to pay the sum of N101,200.

He added that the newly admitted students into the Faculty in the College of Health Sciences, and Faculty of Pharmacy are to pay N190,200 while returning students pay N128,200.

“The management, therefore, wishes the students resounding success in their academic programmes. The above adjustable fees are just for an academic session,” he added.

It was said that on March 24, 2023, that the leadership of the Students’ Union Government of the university said it was holding a crucial meeting, following a new “professional fee” purportedly introduced at the university’s College of Health Sciences by the administrators.

It was gathered that the college management at a colloquium announced a N100,000 professional fee to be paid by the students beginning from the next session.

The Students Union leaders in a statement by the President, Secretary-General, and Public Relations Officer, Olayiwola Festus; Odewale Damilare and Ogunperi Taofeek respectively, stated the union was holding an “emergency meeting.”

“This evening, it was brought to the attention of the leadership of the Union that there is an increment of N100,000 tagged ‘medical professional fees’ in the College of Health Sciences of the University.

“In order to address this issue properly and tackle the increment, and for the benefit of students, the Central Executive Council is holding an emergency meeting immediately,” the statement said.

In 2018, medical students at the college unanimously rejected the introduction of an N85,000 professional training fee.

The Nigeria Police on Wednesday declared one Gift David Okpara aka 2 Baba, wanted over the murder of the late Ahoada Divisional Police Officer, Bako Angbashim, in Rivers State.

This was contained in a post shared on the official X account of the Rivers State Command on Wednesday.

Okpara, according to the post, is wanted for “conspiracy, cultism and murder of SP Bako Angbashim.”

“The Nigeria Police Force has declared one Gift David Opara aka (2baba) wanted for the below offences, 101 million naira bounty has been placed on him by the Rivers State Gov and The NPF. Give us info and cash out from us,” the post caption read.

Angbashim was ambushed and killed in Odumude community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state on Friday night.

The Ekiti State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has adjourned the case of a 24-year-old man, Isiaka Yinusa, who allegedly impersonated a member of the Nigeria Police Force, to October 3 for hearing.

Magistrate Olatomiwa Daramola granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N50,000 in the like sum and must swear to an affidavit of means.

During proceedings in court on Wednesday, the police prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, accused the defendant of parading himself as a policeman.

The charge read, “The defendant, on 10th September, 2023 around 11:35 a.m, at Ifaki Ekiti in Ido Ekiti Magisterial District, did intent to be taken to be a member of the Nigerian Police Force, have in possession police shoulder flap and also conduct himself in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace in a public place.”

Adejare, said, “The offences are punishable under Sections 90(b) and 181(1)(d) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.”The prosecutor told the court that he would assemble his witnesses on the next adjourned date.

When the charge was read and interpreted to the defendant, he claimed to understand the charge but pleaded not guilty.

Counsel to the defendant, Aduni Olanipekun, prayed the court to admit her client to bail in liberal terms, saying, “I am ready to provide a substantial surety for the defendant.”

A medical doctor, Harvey Olufunmilayo, has expressed his opinion on why an autopsy should be carried out after the demise of any individual.

This is coming after the death of a Nigerian artiste, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji, who was buried on Wednesday.

Olufunmilayo, who via his X handle gave an exposition resulting from the singer’s death, said, “An autopsy will not bring back the dead. What an autopsy, however, does is that it provides answers to burning questions like ‘what exactly killed this person?’, ‘Was this person murdered?’, ‘Could it be an undiagnosed unknown medical condition that killed this person?’, ‘How did this person die?’

“It helps the family get clarity on what killed their loved one; it also helps immediate and sometimes extended family members take better health steps to prevent similar unfortunate fate repeat itself, especially if the cause of death is an inheritable disease that can be treated or managed.”

Olufunmilayo had also posted earlier on Tuesday, saying, “If Mohbad had an infection, was given an injection then he passed out and never woke up, especially if he was normally healthy prior to that point, then this will count as a sudden unexpected death in a young person.”

And if those reports of him having an infection are accurate then an autopsy must be mandated and executed to clarify objectively and conclusively the cause of death.

“Because if truly he had an ‘infection’ and was given an ‘injection’, there are very important questions that beg for urgent answers.”

“This is a ‘suspicious unexpected death’ that deserves a full comprehensive autopsy and analysis of all the events that happened in the last 24hours,” he added.

The Delta State Police Command rescued four victims on Tuesday, who were kidnapped while on transit along Abraka-Eku expressway by Orerokpe Bridge.

This was disclosed in a statement on the Command’s official X handle on Wednesday.

The statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP. Edafe Bright, revealed that the kidnap victims were rescued based on an intelligence report recieved at the Orerokpe Division on Monday.

It added that the kidnappers, who were demanding a N10m ransom, were trailed by the police in collaboration with troops of the Nigerian Army and members of the Oreorokpe community vigilantes, fled after sighting the rescue team.

Consequently, all the kidnapped victims were rescued and taken to the hospital where they were treated, discharged, and have since been reunited with their families.

Efforts to arrest the fleeing suspects are ongoing.

An old video of singer Bella Shmurda discussing the late MohBad’s mental health issues has resurfaced.

Shmurda in the interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo in January, disclosed that Mohbad was suicidal.

According to Shmurda, the late singer dealt with depression stemming from the end of his contract with Marlian Music owned by popular artiste, Naira Marley.

Shmurda said, “I do not want to say this but I will. I and Mohbad were in an apartment when he suddenly said he felt like jumping from the floor we were on, downstairs all because of the issues he was having with his label.

“It was his girlfriend who came to alert us that he was at the edge of his window and was about to jump to his death.

“Anything that will make anyone attempt to take their own life is extreme and when it does happen, these people will join the many tweeting RIP.”

Mohbad’s death was announced on Tuesday evening.