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Sporting Lagos, the newly-promoted team to the Nigeria Premier League (NPL), has continued their giant-killing performance at the Naija Super 8 as they brushed aside Remo Stars to win the money-spinning maiden edition of Naija Super 8 through a penalty shootout which they won 4-2. Heading to the game, the Lagos team was regarded as the under dog seeing that they are a new team but they showed grit, tact and composure to face Nigerian topflight side of a couple of years, Remo Stars, and were not intimidated. In the dying minute of the second half, chaos was about to erupt when the referee canceled a goal scored by Remo , rulling it out for offside even though replay showed the player wasn't off side. The players were involved in an altercation on the field with fans throwing bottl...

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has strongly criticized the National Assembly's decision to allocate N70 billion as palliatives for its members, deeming it illegal and contemptuous. He stated this in a press statement released on Sunday. Falana highlighted the clear violation of relevant provisions in the Nigerian Constitution and urged an immediate reversal of these contentious measures. The allocation of N70 billion, distributed among 306 newly elected members, coupled with the N40 billion reserved for purchasing Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for principal officials and members, has ignited widespread public outrage. Falana, who isn't the first to condemn it, emphasized the National Assembly's callousness and lack of empathy, particularly in light of the...

The police in Anambra has arrested one Ukamaka Udugbo from Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state for allegedly beating her 75-year-old mother under her care. The divisional police officer of Abagana police station, SP Ifeanyi Umeh confirmed the arrest when an NGO, 50-50 Action Group of the WomenAid Collective (WACOL) visited him on the incident. Mr Umeh said that the police station was informed about how the suspect had been physically assaulting her septuagenarian mother and immediate action initiated which led to the arrest of the accused. Mr Umeh said that after investigation and documentation, the case would be transferred to the police command in Awka. Ify Unachukwu, the leader of the delegation, thanked the police for the prompt response and urged the force...

Mr James Lalu, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has advocated the need to ensure Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) get equal opportunity in the administration of federal government's fuel subsidy palliative. Lalu who disclosed while fielding questions from journalists on Sunday in Abuja, said persons with disabilities are the most vulnerable in this situation, hence the need to prioritise their welfare.  '' We stand by the federal government's fuel subsidy removal, while the government is working on the palliative to cushion the effect of the subsidy issue. ''Our request has already been forwarded and I am happy that the secretary to the government of the federation is handling the request.  '' We are hoping that to se...

Biden administration officials can freely communicate with social media companies — for now. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has put a pause on Judge Terry A. Doughty's order that prohibits most federal officials from talking to companies like Meta about content. According to The New York Times, the three-judge panel has ruled for Doughty's preliminary injunction to be put aside "until further orders of the court." If you'll recall, the state attorneys general of Louisiana and Missouri filed a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and other top government officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci. They accused the current administration of pressuring social media companies to censor certain topics and remove content. The lawsuit, the Washington Post reports, is based on ema...

Argentine star, Lionel Messi, has been signed by American professional football club Inter Miami. Messi penned a two-year deal that will have him remain at the club until 2025. Messi is expected to make his debut at Inter Miami this coming Friday when the club will host Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. The 36-year-old striker would be officially unveiled by the club on Sunday in a grand ceremony ahead of the club’s match on Friday. “I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” Messi, who moves from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) said in a statement. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival in Miami has already caused a sensation and is expected to spark greater interest in the game and MLS across the United States. It’s als...

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Federal Government have called on the youth to invest their time more in acquiring digital skills to be self-reliant. The call was made on Friday in Abuja at theWorld Youth Skills Day (WYSD) 2023 ceremony, centered on inter-generational dialogue between youth development stakeholders and young people in the green, digital and creative sector of Nigerian economy. The event with the theme: “Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future: Building Skills for Tomorrow” was organised by ILO through collaboration with the UN Nigeria, Nigeria Youth SDG, Youth Employ Africa and Africado Foundation. Vanessa Phala, ILO Country Director, for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, said the dialogue had become important for youth stakeholders ...

The 24-year-old midfielder, who joined the Hammers in 2014 after being released by Chelsea, has penned a long-term contract at the Emirates. Arsenal announced the deal by live streaming a video of Rice being introduced to his teammates in a meeting. Manager Mikel Arteta addressed his players during their pre-season tour of Germany before introducing Rice alongside fellow new signing Jurrien Timber, who was announced on Friday. As the camera panned to Rice in the back row, he said: "I'll say a few words. First day… really looking forward to playing with you all, to sharing memories together and see what you've been doing the last couple seasons. "I'm really looking forward to getting started and enjoying a few trophies together." Rice, who will wear No.41, becomes Arsenal's ...

Chief Dr Amb Ebosetale David Aigbefoh Esq has been Honoured with the esteemed Humanitarian Service Award by the Rotary Club of Abuja Utako, for his remarkable display of recognition for exceptional contributions and unwavering support to humanity. This prestigious international club acknowledged his outstanding efforts during a special ceremony held on July 15, 2023. The recognition bestowed upon Chief Dr Amb Ebosetale David Aigbefoh Esq by the Rotary Club stands as a testament to his remarkable dedication and commitment to improving the lives of others. Throughout his illustrious career, he has consistently demonstrated a deep compassion for humanity and a relentless drive to make a positive impact in the world.Mr Essien Patrick Ngasso was also honoured at the Ceremony for his c...

The Ebonyi government has approved N10,000 as addition to its worker’s salary as part of efforts to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. Chikadibia Okpor, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, announced the approval to reporters after the Executive Council Meeting on Friday in Abakaliki. “The issue of workers’ salaries was raised and deliberated by Exco. The sum of N10,000 will be added to every worker’s salary in the state to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal,” he said. On subvention to the Ebonyi State University, the commissioner noted that Governor Francis Nwifuru has mandated the Secretary to the State Government, Grace Umezuruike, to look into the finances of the institution. “The council also approved the employment of 1,454 into the state civil...

Abuja, July 15, 2023 - Mr. Zacchaeus Adedeji, the Special Adviser to Mr. President on Revenues Matters has called on all Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs)Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure timeous remittance of all revenues due to the FGN to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). Adedeji said in line with his mandate to bring sanity and improvement to the revenue architecture of the Federal Government of Nigeria, he had been taking measures to secure the FG’s basic revenue framework. The recently appointed Special Adviser (SA) to the Mr President made the remarks at an unscheduled visit to the Executive Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Victor Muruako on Friday. The SA apprised the Executive Chairman of FRC of the determination of the Presiden...

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, has called on government to engage civil society actors who represent the people for wider stakeholder consultations crucial to public trust and acceptability in proposed subsidy palliative to harmonize positions on various economic issues which should be given due consideration. Speaking on the proposed subsidy palliative in Abuja, the executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the fiscal space created by the subsidy withdrawal must be provided for wider public goods and the resources saved could be reallocated to those groups most affected by the reform by adopting complementary measures as about 27% of the country’s average household budgets is dedicated to fuel-related expenses. He said: "The reallocation of s...

A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet on Friday crashed in Makurdi, Benue State capital. The crash was confirmed by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet, in a statement on Friday. He said the crash occurred during training, two pilots onboard the aircraft survived and were being observed in a military facility. "An FT7-NI aircraft crashed today in Makurdi. The cause of the crash could not be immediately ascertained. It had two Airmen onboard. They ejected unhurt from the jet.” "Meanwhile, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has constituted a Board of Inquiry to determine the immediate and remote causes of the crash,” he said.

Manchester United striker, Mason Greenwood has announced the birth of his child in a rare post on Instagram. It is the first time Greenwood has posted an update on his Instagram profile since his arrest in January, 2022. Greater Manchester Police announced on February 2 of this year that the 21-year-old no longer faces criminal proceedings. Greenwood had been charged with attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour and assault. But all charges against him were dropped after key witnesses withdrew their involvement in the case and new material came to light during the police investigation. Greenwood remains suspended by United while the club continues an internal investigation into his behaviour before making a final decision over his future. The strike...

The Senate, on Thursday, confirmed the nomination of service chiefs newly appointed by President Bola Tinubu. The Senate screened the top brass and held a closed-door session where the service chiefs answered questions on defense-related matters and topical issues. President Tinubu had requested the Senate to confirm the service chiefs in a letter read on Monday. During the plenary on Thursday, the Senate started the screening process, with each service chief speaking about their plans to tackle insecurity in the country if confirmed. The confirmed service chiefs are Maj. Gen. C.G Musa (Chief of Defence Staff), Maj. Gen. T. A Lagbaja (Chief of Army Staff), Rear Admiral E. A Ogalla (Chief of Naval Staff), AVM H.B Abubakar (Chief of Air Staff), IGP Kayode Egbetokun (Acting Inspe...

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken the decision to suspend the operations of all Boeing B737 aircraft belonging to Max Air, a domestic carrier. This suspension comes into effect immediately, according to a letter sent by the regulatory body to the airline. The official communication, bearing the reference NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/363 and dated July 12, 2023, is titled 'Suspension of Parts A3 and D43 of the Operations Specifications Issued to Max Air with Immediate Effect'. The letter was signed by Capt. Ibrahim Bello Dambazau, Director of Operations, Training and Licensing at NCAA, on behalf of Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director General of NCAA. This therefore means that all domestic flights operated by Max Air will remain suspended until further notice. The letter p...

President Bola Tinubu has requested the approval of the Senate for an additional $800 million loan. This loan will be used to expand the coverage of shock-responsive safety net supports for all vulnerable Nigerians, helping them cope with their basic needs. If the loan is approved, 12 million Nigerians will receive N8000 monthly for a period of six months. These funds will be transferred directly to beneficiaries' accounts and mobile wallets through digital transfers. It is worth noting that President Muhammadu Buhari had previously sent a similar letter to the National Assembly, but no legislative action was taken due to its late submission. In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria aims to support 12 million poor and low-inco...

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Ibadan has dismissed the petition filed by the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) against the victory of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. The APM had challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission's declaration of Makinde as the winner of the election. The tribunal ruled unanimously to dismiss the petition, stating that it was frivolous and scandalous. They awarded N1 million each in favor of Makinde and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against APM. The tribunal also noted that the petition was filed 46 days after the party became aware that their candidate was not interested in pursuing it. The APM had applied for a withdrawal of the petition, as their candidate had lost confidence in it and congratulated Makinde. T...

A 32-year-old man named Yusuf Isah has been arrested by the police in connection with the attack on Apostle Johnson Suleman, the senior pastor and General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide. In October 2022, gunmen attacked the cleric’s convoy on the Benin-Auchi Road in Edo State, resulting in the death of six individuals, including three policemen. The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, addressed journalists in Abuja and stated that Isah was apprehended by the Intelligence Rapid Team after a thorough investigation. He noted that five AK 47, two K2 assault rifles, and 180 live ammunition were recovered from the suspect. He said, “Following an intensive investigation into the fatal attack on the convoy of Apostle Johnson Suleman, the senior pastor and General Overseer...

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Kogi State, Dr Hale Gabriel Longpet, shared his disbelief at witnessing a masquerade voting in the previous general election in the state. He revealed this during a stakeholders' meeting focused on a violence-free Governorship election in Kogi State in November 2023. Longpet said he was shocked after seeing a video clip of the incident. He expressed shock at the fact that the masquerade's confidence stemmed from politicians rather than INEC officials or security operatives. The REC urged politicians to adhere to the rules of the game, emphasizing that the commission's role is to conduct the election in accordance with the law. He also assured that the organization is taking measures to ensure a credible, free, and fair election i...