Author: Samuel Akpenpuun

Kylian Mbappe is available for selection as Real Madrid aim to overturn a 3-0 first leg Champions League quarter-final deficit against Arsenal tonight. Mbappe was dismissed in the first half of Los Blancos’ hard-fought 1-0 win in LaLiga at the weekend, with his initial yellow card for a bad challenge on Alaves midfielder Antonio Blanco upgraded to red following a VAR review. Mbappe should once again start alongside Vinicius Jr in attack for Madrid, with the latter having played only half an hour off the bench against Alaves in preparation for Arsenal. It was a similar case for Jude Bellingham,…

Former Governor of Sokoto State and Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has condemned in strong terms the latest round of violent attacks in Plateau State, describing them as “cruel, unjustified, and intolerable.” In a statement posted via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed deep concern over the killings and the destruction of communities in the North-Central state. “I strongly condemn the recent wave of horrific killings and destruction across communities in Plateau State. These senseless attacks are cruel, unjustified, and must never be tolerated”. The senator, who has consistently…

Fuji music veteran, Saheed Osupa, has withdrawn the defamation case against controversial hiphop singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable. The charges by the police, bordering on “criminal defamation”, were dropped following a private reconciliation effort led by mutual associates in the entertainment industry. Portable was arrested by the Kwara State Police Command following a petition by Osupa. He was consequently arraigned on Monday and granted bail. The rift between the two artistes began in March when Portable took to social media to make a series of disparaging remarks about Osupa, questioning his relevance and legacy in the music industry.…

Gabon’s military leader Gen Brice Oligui Nguema – who in 2023 led a coup that ended a near-60-year dynasty – has won Saturday’s presidential election with more than 90% of the vote, provisional results show. Ahead of the vote, critics argued that the new constitution and electoral code were designed to give Oligui Nguema a comfortable pathway to the top job. Some opposition heavyweights who could have posed a serious political challenge were excluded from the race. His election victory consolidates his grip on power, nearly two years after he masterminded the demise of President Ali Bongo, whose family had…

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga has dismissed a report of a United State (U.S.) court ordering two law enforcement agencies to release information on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a “purported federal investigation in the 1990s.” In a tweet on his verified X handle, Onanuga told those agitated by the directive that there would be nothing  revealing in the anticipated report. In an April 9, District Court for the District of Columbia Judge, Beryl ordered the Department of State, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Central Intelligence…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended Ndubuisi Udatu, a 41-year-old ex-convict also known as Richard, with 2.7 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in two large music speakers. The arrest occurred on Monday, April 7, at an NDLEA checkpoint in Namtari along the Ngurore-Yola road, Adamawa State. Udatu, a returnee from Malaysia, was caught on a commercial bus with the drugs intended for distribution in Yola, Mubi, and across the Cameroon border. “In his statement, he claimed he returned to Nigeria to continue his illicit drug trade after serving out his jail term in Malaysia where he had been…

Hundreds women in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday took to the streets to demand the reinstatement of suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu. According to reports, the demonstration began along Aba road and advanced to the Rivers State Government House. The women carried placards with inscriptions, “Bring back Fubara”, “Save our democracy”, “Is the law different for Rivers State?” and “God of justice, arise for Rivers State.” The protesters also chanted solidarity songs while appealing to President Bola Tinubu to lift Fubara’s suspension. They lamented what they referred to as “unconstitutional military rule masked as a…

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has condemned the recent decision by the National Broadcasting Commission to ban Nigerian rapper, Eedris Abdulkareem’s new protest song, Tell Your Papa, labelling the move a “clear violation” of the right to freedom of expression and access to information. In a press statement issued on Thursday, Amnesty International described the ban as “unlawful, arbitrary, and deeply worrying,” asserting that it reflected a dangerous trend of censorship and intolerance by the authorities under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. “The National Broadcasting Commission’s blatant ban of broadcasting Eedris Abdulkareem’s song Tell Your Papa is a clear violation…

Popular comedian Mr. Macaroni has publicly denied claims made by fellow comedian Seyi Law regarding their past collaborations, expressing disappointment over what he described as “unnecessary lies.” In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Mr. Macaroni revealed that Seyi Law first reached out to him in December 2019 with a project idea, which they went on to develop together. At the time, Mr. Macaroni said he had already built a strong online presence with nearly 100,000 followers — a factor he believes attracted Seyi Law to the partnership. He added that Seyi Law clearly saw value in their collaboration and benefited…

Dangote Refinery has announced a reduction in the petrol price to ₦865 per litre, down from ₦15 from the previous rate of ₦880 per litre on Wednesday. The refinery said this through a notice issued on Thursday morning. Marketers had anticipated a price reduction by the refinery by the end of the week after Chinedu Ukadike, the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), said they expected a drop in price while commenting on the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) directive to fully implement the crude-for-naira agreement with local refiners. On Wednesday, the FEC confirmed that…