Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Israel hit a vehicle in the south Lebanon city of Sidon, on Friday, killing a Hamas commander. The Palestinian militant group and the Israeli military said. It is the first strike of its kind in Sidon since Hamas launched its October 7 attack on Israel. The attack triggered war in Gaza and prompted its Lebanese ally Hezbollah to begin trading near-daily cross-border fire with the Israeli army in a bid to tie down its troops. Hamas said in a statement that its “commander” Samer al-Hajj was killed “in a Zionist strike in the city of Sidon”. A Lebanese security source…

A former president Olusegun Obasanjo has called for moral rearmament and positive reorientation among Nigerians, describing the current situation in the country as sitting on a keg of gunpowder. He made the call in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital while receiving in the audience six members of the House of Representatives, and co-sponsors of the bill on a single six-year term and rotation between the North. They were led by a former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Downstream Petroleum Ugo Chinyere during the visit to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library. “Nigeria is a nation where we take…

A downpour has severely damaged the federal highway connecting Kano to Maiduguri, particularly between the Malori and Guskuri villages in the Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The flood has created a large crater in the middle of the road, forcing motorists to find alternative routes. While on a visit to assess the damage, the Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammad highlighted the road’s significance as a crucial link between Nigeria’s Northwest and Northeast regions. Briefing journalists on Thursday, Governor Muhammad urged the Federal Government to urgently repair the damaged road to facilitate the transportation of goods and services for…

The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee has demanded the dismissal of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in response to the killing of protesters. This demand was made during a candlelight symposium held in honour of the victims at the Rights House in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Friday. Recall that the committee, based at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park in Ojota, Lagos, had declared three days of mourning for those killed nationwide during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests. The hunger strike, which was intended to last for ten days, is now on its ninth day as of Friday. Amnesty International has accused…

Chelsea have reached an agreement to sign Portugal winger Pedro Neto from Wolves for £54million. Standard Sport understands the 24-year-old will join Chelsea for £51.4m plus £2.6m in bonuses. Neto has made just 51 Premier League appearances across the last three seasons due to a number of injuries, but he was wanted by both Tottenham and Chelsea this month. Chelsea and Spurs both made player-plus-cash offers on Thursday, but Wolves were uninterested in both proposals. Then Chelsea failed with a straight cash offer that night but were successful with their third bid on Friday. In total, Neto scored 14 goals…

Lee Carsley has been appointed interim England manager as the search for Gareth Southgate’s successor continues. The 50-year-old has stepped up from his role as England Under-21 boss to replace Southgate, who resigned two days after defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final last month. “As I am very familiar with the players and the cycle of international football, it makes sense for me to guide the team while the FA (Football Association) continues the process to recruit a new manager,” said Carsley. “My main priority is to ensure continuity and our goal is to secure promotion in the…

As Kebbi State residents prepare for the upcoming Local Government elections, the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party, has withdrawn its participation from the election. The state party chairman, Bello Suru, announced this in a press statement made available to journalists on Thursday. He alleged that the Chairman and all the commissioners of the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission are card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state, which he claimed has given the APC candidates an undue advantage. “You will recall that during the last PDP stakeholders’ meeting, we agreed to participate…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has requested a refund of ₦4.71 trillion from the Federal Government to cover debts incurred from importing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol. This claim is categorised under “Exchange rate differential on PMS and other joint venture taxes” for the period from August 2023 to June 2024. Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, revealed this information during the June meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee. The minutes of the meeting, obtained on Thursday, provide further details. Exchange rate differentials refer to the variances in currency values…

President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to intensify efforts to crack down on illegal miners in the country. He gave the order while receiving a presentation titled, ‘Harnessing the Mining Industry for Enhanced National Security and Development: Strategic Options for Nigeria by 2035,’ by Course 32 participants of the National Defence College (NDC) on Thursday in Abuja. He also said his administration will ensure that companies engaged in mineral exploration prioritise the health and safety of Nigerians and the host communities. The course 32 participants were tasked by Tinubu, to use their findings during their 11-month study focused on…

The Federal Government has taken delivery of 60 locally assembled Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) hybrid buses. Revealed in a post through its official X handle on Thursday, the buses were delivered by Jet Motor Company under the Presidential CNG Initiative. According to the statement, the development is in continuation of efforts to provide affordable and comfortable transport solutions for Nigerians. The vehicles were handed over to a team comprising the Ministry of Finance and representatives of the Presidential Initiative on CNG (Pi-CNG) at the company’s car manufacturing plant in Ajah, Lagos State. President Bola Tinubu’s national broadcast during the #EndBadGovernance…