Author: Adejuyigbe Francis

Al Ettifaq are ready to reduce the number of foreign players in their squad in order to sign Jesse Lingard. Lingard is training with the Saudi Pro League side, who are managed by Steven Gerrard, but has not yet signed a permanent deal. Saudi league rules only allow for eight foreign players to be included in a matchday squad and Al-Ettifaq, who have 10, are looking at ways to move on at least one. Sweden international Robin Quaison and Brazilian winger Vitinho are two possible departures. Gerrard is in charge of signing foreign players and has already brought in Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Demarai Gray since taking over…

The Police Service Commission (PSC) on Thursday cleared the air on the recruitment of “repentant thugs” in Kano State. According to PSC, the repentant thugs were recruited to fight crime in the nooks and crannies of Kano State. There has been controversy over the recruitment of about fifty “repentant thugs” into the Kano State command of the force. Nigerians had questioned the decision of the authorities to recruit such persons into force. The spokesperson of the Commission, Ikechukwu Ani in a statement released in Abuja argued that the “repentant criminals” were recruited as police constabulary because they had realised that crimes do not…

The Federal Government on Thursday announced the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos starting from the midnight of Saturday, October 21 to the midnight of Sunday October 22 to carry out repairs. The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, in a statement, said the government was ready to begin comprehensive rehabilitation works on the bridge starting with repairs of the critical portions. Kesha said the federal government wished to inform the motoring public that it was currently working on plans to carry out comprehensive repairs of Third Mainland Bridge. “However, in order to alleviate the pains…

Udengs Eradiri, the Labour Party (LP) Bayelsa gubernatorial candidate, has said that he is not campaigning under the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi. Eradiri stated that he was contesting the election to win, saying young people in the state were in support his candidature. “I have a secretariat, I am campaigning and I have a structure. If they come with 20 cars I come with two. “But I have come with a stronger message and I am communicating with the people. I give a summary of my plan to every community I go to. “I am not campaigning…

Liverpool have sent scouts to keep tabs on Victor Osimhen, with the Premier League outfit joining rivals Chelsea and Arsenal in the race to sign the Napoli star, according to The Sun. Jurgen Klopp reportedly sent scouts to watch the 24-year-old on international duty for Nigeria as they faced Saudi Arabia and Mozambique, with the Liverpool manager eager to have attacking targets ready for January amid uncertainty regarding Mohamed Salah’s future. It is reported that Liverpool are braced for further approaches from Saudi Arabia, who tested Liverpool’s resolve in the summer to keep the Egypt international. Salah has netted six goals and…

Borussia Dortmund are ready to offer Jadon Sancho an escape route from Manchester United in January, according to ESPN. Dortmund have publicly denied interest in signing their former player since his fall-out with United manager Erik ten Hag, but it appears that the German side would be interested in a January move if the financial parameters are right. A short-term loan until the end of the season is most likely, although Dortmund would still need United to pay part of Sancho’s £300k-a-week wage. The 23-year-old is still well regarded at Dortmund after spending four years at the Bundesliga club, between 2017 and…

Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, has promised university scholarship for 37 labourers involved in the construction of resettlement houses for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), in Nguro Soye village, Bama Local Government Area (LGA). He, therefore, said that any of them who could pass the tertiary education examination and secures admission into any university would be fully sponsored to pursue their education. “Let me know how many of you have completed secondary school and we will sponsor you to pursue undergraduate degree courses at the university,” he said. NAN reports that the governor also assessed structures destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents…

Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has called for “world leaders to come together to prevent further slaughter of innocent souls” amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. Health officials said hundreds of people were killed by an explosion at a crowded hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday night. Salah, 31, said humanitarian aid to Gaza must be allowed “immediately”. “There has been too much violence, heartbreak and brutality,” he said. Palestinian officials say the blast at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was caused by an Israeli air strike. But the Israeli military say it was the result of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian…

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Nigeria’s target of ending open defecation by 2025 could not be attained due to the slow pace of activities geared towards achieving the goals. To this end, the humanitarian organisation noted that it would take Nigeria up to 2046 to meet the national road map on open defecation free. The UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) specialist at the Zonal office in Lagos, Monday Johnson, disclosed this on Wednesday in Ibadan, Oyo State, during a two-day media dialogue with South West journalists. The media dialogue on ‘Eliminating Open Defecation in Nigeria’ was organised…

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, has said the President Bola Tinubu-led government is a stunt believer in press freedom, and has no intention to gag the media. The minister made this submission on Wednesday to State House correspondents shortly after he briefed President Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. According to him, even though the federal government has no intention to gag the press, it was not an excuse for Nigerians to use unpatriotic words online because freedom of the press comes with a certain level of responsibility. Iddris said, ‘That is a very delicate line to toe. While…

Ola Olukoyede, the new Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, during his screening at the Senate on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, told senators to champion the fight against corruption. While fielding questions from the lawmakers, Olukoyede urged the senators to ensure the anti-corruption fight starts from the National Assembly. He said he was ready to work diligently no matter whose ox is gored. Olukoyede said, “Let the fight against corruption begin from this hallowed chamber. If you are fighting corruption, you become the enemy of everybody.” He submitted that anti-corruption agencies should focus more on prevention rather…

About Fifty female orphans under the Zamfara state Ministry of Women, Children and Social Development Affairs are set to be married out by the first lady of the state, Hajiya Huriyya Dauda Lawal . This was contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant, SSA Media and Communication, office of the Governor’s wife, Zara’u Musau. She said that the First Lady made the declaration when she visited the orphanage home in Gusau, promising to cater for the upbringing and well-being of the orphans in the State. The statement further stated that the administration of Governor Dauda Lawal will do…