The hottest and most trending news articles for this week in all categories are captured in one shot. Find articles ranging from News to Sports, to Politics, to Entertainment, to Economy, to Metro plus, and many other categories. See below the top news for the week:
NEWS
- Shonekan Buried In Lagos Amid Tributes
The former Head of Interim National Government (ING), Ernest Shonekan, has been buried, ending a four-day funeral rite that began on Monday.Shonekan was buried at Ebony Vaults in Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday after a funeral service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ.
Dignitaries including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the Secretary to the Government of Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, Former Head Of State, Yakubu Gowon; the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki graced the service. Osinbajo, who led the Federal Government delegation, described the late Shonekan as a man of integrity, saying he steadied Nigeria’s ship at a turbulent time.
Friday’s burial was the culmination of funeral activities for the founder of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). Earlier, a service of songs and a Christian wake keep/night of tributes were held for Shonekan in Lagos.Prior to the burial, the Lagos Government had announced a 13-hour closure of roads leading to Marina where the funeral took place. Shonekan was born on the 9th of May, 1936, attended the CMS Grammar School and Igbobi College. He was head of the interim national government between August and November 1993.
- Release Igboho or we free him using traditional means, Agbekoya threatens Benin Republic
The President, Agbekoya Worldwide, Kamorudeen Okiki, has urged the authorities of Benin Republic to free the Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, or the group would use traditional means. Okiki spoke in Osogbo on Thursday during a peaceful rally held by the group, where it also demanded the restructuring of the country.
Speaking further after he had delivered a letter containing seven-point demand of the group to Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, in his palace following a successful rally on major streets in the state capital, Okiki also lamented the high rate of corruption in government business.
He said, “Sunday Igboho is not a criminal. We will continue to say that. We know that it is the Federal Government that is holding Igboho in Benin Republic, but we are telling Benin Republic authorities now to legally release him using their court. They should release him legally and quickly because they are not taking him to court again, or we will use our traditional means and powers to take Igboho out of detention.
- I see IPOB as poorly educated children, not terrorists – Okorocha
Former Governor of Imo State and Presidential hopeful, Rochas Okorocha, has stated that he saw members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra as poorly educated children, not terrorists. This was as he accused the current government of Imo state of mishandling the security crisis; stating that the proscription of the Indigenous People of Biafra as terrorists was an unnecessary move.
Okorocha disclosed this on Thursday to State House Correspondents shortly after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. Quizzed on the security crisis in Imo State and the Southeast, he blamed the “poor handling” by the current Imo state government, saying, “Wherever things are not working well, hold the leadership responsible. I was Governor of Imo state for eight years. And within those eight years, there was absolute peace in that land. IPOB did exist. And all these additional forces existed too.
- ‘Boko Haram forces children to attack families to demonstrate loyalty’
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has said about 8,000 children have been recruited in fighting the war against Nigeria since the start of the Boko Haram crisis in the North East in 2009. The UN agency, while calling for a step-up of effort to protect child victims and witnesses in terrorism-related proceedings in Nigeria, said that reports have shown that some boys and girls were increasingly being used as human shields and to detonate bombs.
According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s report from the Handbook of Children Recruited and exploited by terrorist and violent extremist groups, since 2009, about 8,000 children have been recruited and used by Boko Haram in Nigeria. “Some boys have been forced to attack their own families to demonstrate loyalty to Boko Haram, while girls have been forced to marry, clean, cook and carry equipment and weapons.”
The statement further said that the recently released propaganda video by Islamic State’s West Africa Province, showing children being taught military skills to train them for fighting and the latest attack on the Chibok community in Borno State by ISWAP are reminders of the importance to step up the efforts aimed to protect children from terrorist groups.
UNODC, working closely with national counterparts, have recently started to provide support aimed at preventing and responding to violence against children by terrorists and violent extremist groups, under a new European funded project called “STRIVE Juvenile.”
- FG uncovers 96 Boko Haram sponsors
The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit has uncovered 96 financiers of terrorism, including 424 associates/supporters of the financiers. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known during a briefing on the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime on Thursday.
The minister also said the fraud unit unmasked 123 companies and 33 bureaux de change linked with terrorism in the country. However, Mohammed did not give the names of the sponsors and companies linked with terrorism.
He said, “For its part, the analysis by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, in 2020-2021, revealed 96 financiers of terrorism in Nigeria, 424 associates/supporters of the financiers, involvement of about 123 companies and 33 bureaux de change, in addition to identifying 26 suspected bandits/kidnappers and 7 co-conspirators. The analysis has resulted in the arrest of 45 suspects who will soon face prosecution and seizure of assets.
- To tackle insecurity, let’s tame drug abuses — Marwa
The National Chairman National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa has said that for the country to successfully tackle the spate of insecurity, drug abuses should be tamed. Marwa said this in Akure, the Ondo state capital during a visit to honour the state governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the state Commander of Amotekun who is the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Chief Adetunji Adeleye with the agency’s Grand Patron.
Speaking through the Agency’s Zonal Commander on Narcotics, Zone J, Parah Julius Bawa, Marwa said that insecurity would be tackled if drug usage and abuses were tamed. Marwa emphasised the urgent need to address the issue of drug abuse before insecurity can be defeated.
POLITICS
- Ekiti 2022: We’II Teach APC Lesson It Would Never Forget In Ekiti, Say
Following the fallout of the last Thursday’s governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, the seven aggrieved aspirants have revealed that the party would be thought a bitter lesson during the June 18 poll, if it approved the contentious shadow poll. The aggrieved aspirants, Opeyemi Bamidele, Senator Dayo Adeyeye, Femi Bamisile, Bamidele Faparusi, Kayode Ojo, Demola Popoola and Olusola Afolabi had protested against the last week’s election, saying the emergence of former secretary to the state government, Biodun Oyebanji is unknown to the law.
Addressing newsmen and supporters across the 16 local government areas in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on Wednesday, Bamidele who was flanked by a House of Representatives member, Bamisile noted that the alleged injustice and electoral perfidy meted out to the seven aspirants would not push them away from the party, adding that they would remain in the party to fight their course. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and legal matters expressed regret that the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi betrayed the trust he had in him by not protecting the tenets of democracy, adding, “I thought I know him before, but events in the last few days have shown otherwise.”
- Tinubu Not A Threat To My 2023 Presidential Bid, Says Orji Kalu
A presidential aspirant, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, says former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, will not be a hindrance to him in his bid to become the next president. He stated this on Friday during an interview where he spoke about his plans for the country if elected to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.
Asked if he sees the former governor as a threat, Kalu answered, “No! and I am not a threat to his ambition. By the time we meet in Eagles Square, this issue will be settled. “Mind you, politics is not only about money; it is about the people you are going to govern … the people of the north-west, the people of north-east, the people of north-central, the people of the south-east, the people of the south-west, and the people of south-south, and we have the people. I can move the people and the people are with me.”
- APC will have a hard time marketing other candidates besides Osinbajo —Group
A civic group, the Identify the Right Leader Initiative, says the All Progressives Congress will have a hard time marketing any other candidate for the 2023 Presidency besides Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN). The group also said all political steps and strategies being taken by the APC towards the 2023 presidential election will end up in favour of Osinbajo.
The group, in a statement on Thursday, said it is convinced that the Vice President will declare his intention to run for the exalted office in Aso Rock and clinch the APC ticket.
Okesanjo stated that the Vice President does not need an ultimatum to declare interest to contest for President in the 2023 election, as choosing whether to run or not is no longer his call. Already, APC chieftains including former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, have declared interest in running for the 2023 Presidency and participating in the APC presidential primary later this year.
- APC Finally Writes INEC Over February 26 Convention Date
Ahead of its February 26, 2022 date for election of its substantive national officers, the All Progressives Congress Caretaker/Extraodinary Convention Planning Committee has finally conveyed notice for its national convention to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). A letter dated February 2, 2022 was received on Thursday, February 3, 2022 by the electoral body.
The letter read: “This serves as a formal notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 85 of the Electoral Act (2010) as amended. Kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly. While hoping to receive your cooperation, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem.”
- Women need legislation to ensure inclusion in political processes — Buhari’s Aide
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire has called for legislation to ensure adequate representation of women in politics. She said that without legislation that explicitly mandates women’s inclusion in political processes, women’s representation in the country will continue to be minimal.
“On political participation, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action set a global threshold of 30 per cent representation of women in any political or decision-making sphere. However, the global average of women’s representation in parliament is only 22 per cent. Here in Nigeria, women make up a mere 3.8 per cent representation in parliament at both national and sub-national levels – making it the lowest in Africa.
Orelope-Adefulire noted that the contributions of women to the socio-economic and political development of any modern society are essential and indispensable.
ECONOMY
- Ortom tackles Buhari, says Nigeria’s economy politicised
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State Thursday decried the worsening economic downturn in the country which he said has given rise to the fast declining purchasing power of Nigerians occasioned by the dwindling value of Naira. He said Nigerians were facing a dire economic situation and biting inflation due to the failure of the All Progressives Congress, APC led Federal Government to provide purposeful leadership in the country.
Ortom who raised the concern during the Praise and Thanksgiving Service in commemoration of the 46th Year Anniversary of Benue state in Makurdi regretted that the situation was made worse by the politicisation of every issue in the country. He said: “Security has been politicised, the economy has been politicised and so we cannot move forward. Prices of food items have skyrocketed. A dollar is now unbelievably exchanging for as high as N560. Our government at the centre has failed to provide the purposeful leadership that will help turn around the economy and provide security and all that is required of them,” Ortom stated.
The Governor recalled that both the World Bank and IMF had last year warned that if nothing was done to improve the productive sector of the country’s economy, Nigeria would become the poverty capital of the world by the year 2030. While regretting that more than 80 percent of Nigeria’s earnings were being used to service debts, the Governor observed that “with eight years to 2030, the prediction of the world financial institutions has already manifested.
- Nigerian milled rice can now compete favourably, match foreign brands – CBN Gov
The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele on Tuesday said that Nigeria’s integrated mills have increased drastically from 10 to 60 within a period of six years. This was also as he boasted that Nigerian milled rice can now compete favourably and match the foreign brand
Emefiele disclosed this while commissioning the multi-billion naira Gerawa Ultra modern rice mill factory with 420 metric tonnes per day capacity and flag-off of the 2nd phase with 560 metric tonnes per day capacity in Kano.
- Marketers, labour warn as FG pushes refineries repairs to Buhari’s successor
The regime of the President Muhammadu Buhari will not be able to complete the repairs of the comatose refineries and will be expecting the next government to continue with it. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said this on Tuesday on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria programme which was monitored by newsmen.
But in its reaction, the Trade Union Congress restated its warning to the Federal Government not to remove fuel subsidy until the commencement of the local refining of crude oil. On its part, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria warned that without repairing refineries, fuel price hike was imminent.
Earlier on the NTA, the minister said he was hopeful that the Buhari regime would be able to complete 60 per cent of the repair of the two Port Harcourt refineries before leaving office while the ones at Warri and Kaduna would take much longer.
The minister described as unfortunate the N3tn petrol subsidy budget for 2022. He said the money could have been used to achieve more important things that would have a direct impact on the lives of Nigerians. Sylva said in countries like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the petrol subsidy had been scrapped.
- Oil revenue plunges as Nigeria misses January OPEC quota
Nigeria missed its crude oil output target for January 2022, pumping 1.46 million barrels per day against a target of 1.683 million bpd as approved by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited said the country’s continued inability to meet its output target had caused the repeated plunge in oil earnings, leading to the monthly drop in the NNPC’s remittances to the Federation Account. They, however, attributed Nigeria’s prolonged inability to meet its OPEC production quota to the spate of oil pipelines vandalism, delay in the full implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, among others.
BUSINESS
- FEC approves $328.87m railway consultancy services, N115.4bn Katsina road dualisation
The Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, approved N115.4bn for the dualisation of the proposed Kano-Kazaure-Kongolam highway in Katsina State from single carriageway to a dual carriageway. The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who disclosed this to State House correspondents after the council meeting, explained that the project which covers 131.4 kilometers would be completed in 48 months.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said his ministry presented two memos involving the contract for sundry consultancy services for the supervision of the various railway projects across the country.
Continuing, the minister said the consultancy services were approved at a total cost of $183.7m for the contractors, including GIX Engineers Infrastructure Excellence/Yaroso & Partnership Limited, Core Consulting Engineering Plc.
Also speaking was the Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor, who explained that the council approved an Energy Transition Plan for the country. She explained that the memo was presented as a plan for Nigeria to achieve net zero carbon emission. Ikeazor added that FEC also approved a second memo to aid the Waste Battery Management Policy for Nigeria.
- Zulum distributes 610 taxis, others to 3,200 Borno youths
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has distributed 610 taxis, tricycles and buses to 3,200 unemployed youths to enhance urban mass transportation in Maiduguri and parts of Jere and Konduga Local Government Areas which fall under the metropolis. The Governor launched the 610 means of transportation which combine 100 Toyota LE cars for city taxis, 500 tricycles popularly known as ‘Keke NAPEP’ and 10 Ashok Leyland buses each with capacity for 41 passengers at the Ramat Square in Maiduguri, on Thursday.
According to him, the 500 tricycles were allocated to 2000 operators with each tricycle owned by a group of four unemployed persons. Aside the 2,200 persons the tricycles and taxis were allocated to, Zulum also approved N50m for 1000 members of different Keke NAPEP operators who did not benefit from the launch
“The 100 taxis were also allocated to 200 persons with each to be owned by two, making a total of 2,200, the number of persons who benefited from the tricycles and taxis. Modalities for the distribution were arrived at after Governor Zulum held meetings with leaders of different associations of Keke NAPEP operators who informed the governor that some of their members form groups to own tricycles and they have their ways of jointly managing them and sharing profits,” the statement read.
EDUCATION
- ‘Yahoo boys’: Abia varsity bans students from driving private cars on campus
The management of the Abia State University Uturu, ABSU, has banned students from driving private vehicles on campus. The ban was contained in a press statement issued Tuesday by the Registrar, Dr. Acho Elendu. The action is believed to be part of efforts to avoid an ostentatious show of affluence or flagrant display of ill-gotten wealth by students who indulge in internet fraud otherwise known as ‘Yahoo boys’.
According to the statement, “henceforth, only staff and accredited visitors would be allowed to drive their vehicles into the campus” It warned of severe penalties for violators of the directive.
- Investment in science, technology will rescue Nigeria from current woes, says Tomori
A Professor of Virology and member of the World Health Organisation’s Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition, Oyewale Tomori, has lamented the refusal of successive administrations in Nigeria to invest in science and technology. Tomori said rather than investing in what would bring positive returns on, Nigeria, consistently invested in corruption and immorality stressing that the returns on these were the numerous problems facing the country.
Speaking at the 79th Interdisciplinary Research Discourse of the Postgraduate College, University of Ibadan, put together by the Provost, Prof. Jonathan Babalola, on Thursday, Tomori said for Nigeria to get out of its woes, it needed to start massive investment in education, science and technology. He said, “While other countries are getting sumptuous results on their investments, we are wallowing in our own return on iniquity, and return on immorality. That is why we have 10.5 million of our children out of school, 4.5 million under-vaccinated, we become the poverty capital of the world.
“We are investing hugely in corruption and disdain for science and technology, and we now depend on IMF loans and the World Bank to pay our workers’ salaries, to import food which we should be producing. A recent study said the US government between 1988 and 2010 invested $3.8billion in the genome project and it is already generating $796billion. This is what is called return on investment.” Economic progress should be the direct result of advances in science and technology.
- We’ll soon take varsity conversion laws to NUC, says Sanwo-Olu
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the bills transmitting the Lagos State Polytechnic and the two Colleges of Education to universities will be taken to the National Universities Commission for approval next week. Sanwo-Olu said this on Wednesday while signing the bills transmitting Lagos State Polytechnic in Ikorodu, Isolo and Surulere campuses to the University of Science and Technology as well as Adeniran Ogunsanya Colleges of Education, Ijanikin and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe to Lagos State University of Education said Lagos and its indigenes were now blessed with two additional universities to the existing Lagos State University.
The signing ceremony, which took place at the Lagos House, Marina, was witnessed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, and the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), members of the Governing Councils and management staff of the tertiary institutions, among others.
Wahab said the establishment of the Lagos State University of Education and Lagos State University of Science and Technology, would solve issues relating to admission for Lagos State citizens. He also commended Sanwo-Olu for putting his full weight behind the establishment of the two additional universities. He also appreciated the Lagos State House of Assembly led by Mr Mudashiru Obasa for believing in the process.
HEALTH
- Health agencies, commissioners frustrating COVID-19 vaccination in South-East – NPHCDA
The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib, has lamented that the South-East region is lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccination. Shuaib, who spoke on Wednesday during the South-East zone Primary Health Care and COVID-19 Vaccination Review meeting in Enugu, said the region was projected to vaccinate about 100,000 persons per day, but had an abysmal turnout of about 6,000 per day.
Apart from the disinformation about COVID-19 vaccination in the region, he said infighting between the executive secretaries of state primary health care development agencies in the South-East and their health commissioners over the disbursement of funds sent by the NPHCDA was causing a major setback for the programme.
He, however, warned executive secretaries of the state primary health care development agencies to stop sidelining the ministries of health in activities that concern COVID-19 vaccination and childhood immunisation.
He urged the people of the South-East to rise up and show leadership in COVID-19 vaccination like they had always done in such issues like childhood immunisation and other preventable diseases vaccination.
- Nigeria’s health system can achieve greater coverage with resources –Osinbajo
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria’s public health system is still robust and when well resourced, can achieve greater coverage, including meeting targets set in disease prevention and eradication. Osinbajo stated this in Abuja on Tuesday when he received on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, a delegation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation led by its President, Christopher Elias, accompanied by the founder of the Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote.
“Clearly, we need to do a lot more, perhaps what needs to happen is increasing personnel in our public healthcare system, ramping up the numbers, so that we can achieve greater coverage and do a lot more. I am confident that our public health system is robust enough to deal with any situations so long as it is well resourced at the relevant times. We saw that with the response to COVID-19. So, it is really just ensuring that the system is well resourced and it works, and we will be able to deliver on those targets,” the VP was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesman, Laolu Akande
WORLD
- 10 Million People Died Of Cancer In 2021 – WHO
No fewer than 10 million people died of cancer across the world in 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said. The global health agency disclosed this in a statement to commemorate World Cancer Day 2022 which has the theme ‘Closing the Care Gap’. Stressing that the disease has become one of the world’s leading causes of death, it warned that the death toll would continue to rise in years to come.
According to the WHO, the survival of children diagnosed with cancer is more than 80 per cent in high-income countries and less than 30 per cent in low- and middle-income countries. It revealed that the survival for breast cancer five years after diagnosis has exceeded 80 per cent in most high-income countries, compared with 66 per cent and 40 per cent in India and South Africa respectively.
A recent survey, the agency stated, found that cancer services were covered by a country’s largest government health financing scheme in an estimated 37 per cent of low- and middle-income countries, compared to at least 78 per cent of high-income countries. This means that a cancer diagnosis has the potential to push families into poverty, particularly in lower-income countries – an effect that has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO alarmed.
ENTERTAINMENT
- Nollywood not responsible for increase in ritual killings – Fidelis Duker
Veteran filmmaker, Fidelis Duker, has countered the notion on social media that Nollywood movies are responsible for the recent upsurge in ritual killings in the country. Duker, who is also the Executive Director of the Abuja International Film Festival, told Saturday Beats, “I think to a large extent, I differ. In recent times, the generation of Nigerians involved in ritual killings are within the age bracket of 17and 26. Most of them did not watch those kinds of films. Most of the ritual films were produced about 10 and 15 years ago. What I am saying in essence is that Nollywood films cannot be blamed for the increase in ritual killings in the country. In films, even those who engaged in ritual killings usually ended up paying the price for it.”
Duker also blamed the dearth of moral values as one of the reasons for the malaise. He said, “In a recent Facebook post, I said one of the causes is that we have lost our moral values. A child of 17 years old would bring a new car home and the mother would be celebrating it. What work has he done at 17? A girl in year one in a tertiary institution would be using an IPhone of about N500,000, and one begins to wonder where she got the money from? Those are the issues we should look at. We should not look for an escape route and blame Nollywood films (for all these ills).”
- Singer 9ice, wife welcome second child together
Nigerian singer, Abolore Akande, better known as 9ice, and his wife, Sunkanmi, have announced the birth of their second child, Myla. Taking to his Instagram page on Friday, 9ice shared a picture of himself and his wife with an obvious baby bump, as he announced the news. “My baby just delivered a baby,” he wrote.
On her Instagram page, Sunkanmi wrote, “God has been beyond showing out in my life since the beginning of 2021. I am so grateful to him I can’t even begin to put it into words. 9ice and Sukanmi shared a five-year-old daughter before they tied the knot in a Lagos court two years ago.
SPORTS
- Nigeria Represented As Winter Olympics Opens In Beijing Amid Covid Concerns
Nigeria’s flag was hoisted in China on Friday as the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics commenced. The games are holding as the world continues to struggle to turn the page on a troubled build-up overshadowed by human rights concerns and Covid.
The lattice-shaped “Bird’s Nest” stadium took centre stage, just as it did at the 2008 Games — seen as China’s coming-out party on the world stage — as Beijing becomes the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympics. The opening ceremony was attended by President Xi Jinping, under whose rule China has adopted a more muscular attitude internationally compared to 14 years ago.
- Chelsea Set Sights On First Club World Cup Title
Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel will attempt to lead Chelsea to more silverware and a first Club World Cup title as the seven-team competition kicks off Thursday in Abu Dhabi.
The European champions fly out to the UAE following Saturday’s FA Cup tie against third-tier Plymouth, and are aiming to become the third English club to win the trophy after Manchester United and Liverpool.
“I have to say once you are in it you are pretty excited,” Tuchel told the Chelsea website. Once you are not in it, it is a competition that has not the highest focus and highest value. It seems like this in Europe, or only for me. But once you are in it and you start planning it and you see it coming on the horizon is it quite exciting.”
- Barcelona Sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Barcelona have signed former Arsenal captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang signing until 2025, the club said on Wednesday. “It’s Auba time!” declared the club in a tweet which included a video of Aubameyang declaring “I’m here Barcelona fans! Forza Barca!” The player will sign a contract until June 30, 2025, with an option to agree departure on June 30, 2023,” said the club on their web site, adding that the deal for the 32-year-old included a 100 million euros ($113 million) buyout clause.
“Aubameyang is a remarkably fast striker and has an eye for goal, having racked up over 300 as a professional. His powerful but accurate shooting have made him one of the most feared goal-getters in the European game,” said the statement. His previous club, Arsenal, on Tuesday released Aubameyang. That cleared the way for the striker, who was already in Spain, to sign for Barcelona as a free agent outside the transfer window which closed on Monday night.
METRO PLUS
- 150 Suspected Terrorists, Kidnappers, Robbers Arrested In Imo – CP
A total of 150 suspects have been arrested in connection with terrorism, kidnapping, and armed robbery in Imo State, the police have said. According to the Commissioner of Police in Imo, Rabiu Hussaini, the suspects were arrested within a period of one year, specifically between January 2021 and January 2022.
He made the disclosure on Friday while briefing the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, who visited the Police Command Headquarters in Owerri, the state capital. Giving a breakdown of the figure, Hussaini explained that 105 of those apprehended were suspected kidnappers and the remaining 45 were suspected terrorists.
He admitted that he met a series of security challenges on the ground on his assumption of office to take charge of the command in August last year. For the police commissioner, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) and proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and others are to be blamed for the problems.Hussaini revealed that the police were collaborating with traditional rulers, youth, and religious leaders, among other stakeholders on community policing.
- Police smash Lagos-Ibadan highway kidnap syndicates, gang members flee
The police have arrested 33 suspected criminals, including members of different kidnapping gangs terrorising motorists and travellers on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The suspected kidnappers, who were arrested by men of the Oyo State Police Command, included those operating at the Onigari section of the expressway, where some wedding guests were recently abducted.
The Commissioner of Police, Ngozi Onadeko, who briefed journalists on Thursday, gave the names of some of the suspects as Aliu Umaru, Isiaka Ibrahim and Tambaya Usman.
- Zulum warns about ISWAP threat, insists on hiring mercenaries
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has warned that the 13-year Boko Haram crisis in the North-East will be child’s play compared to the terror that will be unleashed by the Islamic State of West African Province if the government fails to wipe out the group early enough. This is as he once more appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari , to hire international mercenaries to overcome the growing insurgents.
ISWAP, which he said was more educated, is building up force in Borno state, exploiting its proximity to the Sahel region. Zulum sounded the warning on Thursday while addressing State House correspondents during the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
- Secure Kaduna before retirement, Shehu Sani urges Buhari
A former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has advised the President Muhammadu Buhari on his retirement plans, saying that the current administration needed to defeat insurgency and end all forms of terrorism for the President to enjoy his retirement. Buhari had on December 18 said he looks forward to 2023 when he will hand over power to a new president and return to tending to his farm.
However, in a post on his Twitter page on Thursday, the former lawmaker noted that it was important for the President to tackle challenges bordering on insecurity if he plans to retire and settle in Kaduna. He tweeted, “Bandits killed 1,192 and kidnapped over three thousand in Kaduna last year alone, outpaced the number of people killed and abducted in Yemen and Libya. If this is the state the president wants to retire and settle, he must secure it first.”
