Author: Amina Mohammed

Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles said Thursday he tested positive two days before his bronze medal-winning performance in the men’s 200m final. Lyles, who had been bidding to complete a 100m-200m double in Paris, was taken off the track in a wheelchair following the men’s 200m final, won by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo. The 27-year-old American, who has suffered from asthma in the past, had been seen wearing a surgical mask shortly before Thursday’s 200m final. However there had been no sign of illness when the American was introduced to the crowd before the race, bounding onto the track and gesticulating…

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, has expressed his deep sympathy and support to veteran Nollywood actor Francis Duru following the tragic loss of his son, Ifeanyi. In a moving statement, Abubakar conveyed his profound condolences to Duru and his family, reflecting on the deep sorrow of losing a child. His statement reads: “I extend my heartfelt thoughts and fervent prayers to Francis Duru and his cherished family as they traverse the sombre path of grief following the departure of his beloved son, Ifeanyi. The profound sorrow that accompanies the loss…

Five persons have died in a canoe accident in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State. The incident happened at about noon on Thursday when the canoe carrying twenty passengers capsized while crossing the Gamoda River near Nahuce village. In a statement, the Jigawa State Police Command said upon receiving the distress call, a team of policemen, local divers, and Good Samaritans rushed to the scene in a rescue effort. But “Regretfully, five of the passengers were found dead,” the spokesman of the Jigawa State Lawan Shiisu Adam said in the statement. The victims have been identified as Abdurra’uf Mohd,…

After a storied career spanning over two decades, Portuguese football icon Pepe has officially announced his retirement from the sport. The 41-year-old, who was widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world, hangs up his boots following a remarkable journey that saw him represent his country with distinction and achieve unparalleled success at the club level. In a video posted on his Instagram page on Thursday, Pepe announced with a caption, “OBRIGADO.” Pepe’s last game came at Euro 2024, where Portugal were defeated by France on penalties in the quarterfinals. He became the oldest player to appear…

In a display of sportsmanship, Nigerian cyclist Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye received crucial support from the German cycling team during the Paris Olympics. Ukpeseraye, representing Team Nigeria, found herself in a difficult situation when she had no bicycle to race with in the keirin and sprint events due to the short notice of her participation. “Due to the short notice of me competing at the keirin & Sprint, #teamNigeria I had no bicycle to race with on the tracks,” Ukpeseraye said in a post via her X handle on Thursday. However, the German team, Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, stepped in to assist…

A Miss South Africa contestant whose Nigerian heritage sparked a national controversy and a government investigation withdrew from the beauty pageant Thursday. Chidimma Adetshina’s announcement that she would not take part in Saturday’s final came a day after the Home Affairs ministry accused her mother of fraud and identity theft. “After much careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I,” Adetshina, 23, wrote on Instagram. Adetshina, a law student, has been the subject of vicious, xenophobic attacks on social media since she was announced…

Nigeria’s Odunayo Adekuoroye lost 8-10 to China’s Hong Kexin on Thursday in the women’s freestyle 57-kilogramme event of the 2024 Olympic Games wrestling competition. In the quarter-final match at the Champ-de-Mars Arena in Paris, both wrestlers were even by the end of the bout’s first period despite the Nigerian’s early lead. But Hong pulled away in the second period, scoring technical points freely as she headed into the semi-finals. NAN reports that Adekuoroye had earlier in the day in the first round overcame Algerian Chaimaa Aouissi who got injured. Meanwhile, reports suggest that she now hopes to fight for a…

The Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, has decried the impact of smuggling on the oil sector. He stated this before a Senator Opeyemi Bamidele-led Ad-hoc Committee over alleged economic sabotage in the petroleum industry in Abuja on Wednesday. “We all know what happens; smuggling does take place… No one can deny that smuggling takes place across our borders both for PMS and any other commodities that you can think of. This is real. Mr Chairman, when the details come, we will tell you what we know,” he said. The NNPCL…

The Central Bank of Nigeria in its ongoing commitment to support the proper functioning of the foreign exchange market by enhancing liquidity when necessary, has revealed that the net foreign exchange flows into the country increased to $25.4bn in the first six months of 2024. A statement by the apex bank on Thursday said the increase marks a 55 per cent increase from the figure recorded year-over-year. It also noted that this growth has been fueled by a rise in capital importation, which reached $6bn in June 2024, and record inflows from diaspora remittances through formal channels. The new development…

Kenyan police fired volleys of tear gas Thursday in the heart of the capital Nairobi as small groups of protesters gathered on what was billed as a fresh day of action against embattled President William Ruto. Riot police patrolled the streets of the central business district, roadblocks were set up on major arteries and many shops were shut, but barely dozens of demonstrators turned out, AFP journalists said. The East African nation, one of the most stable in the region, has been rocked by weeks of sometimes deadly protests against Ruto’s two-year-old administration, mostly led by young Gen-Z Kenyans. While…