Author: Festus Adeloye

The Kano State Government has extended the deadline for the ongoing recertification of Certificates of Occupancy by two months. The exercise, which began on November 25, 2024, was initially set to conclude on Friday, January 31, 2025, and will now continue until April 1, 2025. This extension of the deadline was contained in a statement on Friday by the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, Muhammad Yahuza. He commended the public for their overwhelming response to the recertification exercise. He, however, acknowledged concerns regarding the initial timeframe and assured property owners that the extension would…

A South Carolina man convicted of murder is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on Friday, the first execution in the United States this year. Marion Bowman Jr, 44, was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder the previous year of Kandee Martin, 21, a high school friend. Martin was shot to death and her body placed in the trunk of her car, which was set on fire. Bowman, who was 20 years old at the time, has acknowledged that he sold drugs to Martin but denied any involvement in her murder. “I am so sorry…

After months of speculation, Senator Ned Nwoko, representing the Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Nwoko cited deep divisions and factionalisation within the PDP as the primary reasons for his decision to leave the party, stating that the growing factions had become irreconcilable. In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Ward 8, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, Nwoko made his resignation public. The letter read: “I write to formally resign my membership from the People’s…

The UEFA Europa League knockout play-off draw was finalised on Friday, setting up thrilling clashes as teams battle for a place in the next round of the competition. The draw sees FC Twente taking on Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, while Turkish giants Fenerbahçe face Anderlecht in a highly anticipated fixture. Meanwhile, Belgian side Union SG will go head-to-head with Ajax, and PAOK is set to clash with FCSB. Dutch outfit AZ has been drawn against Galatasaray, while Midtjylland will face a tough challenge against Real Sociedad. Hungarian side Ferencváros will take on Viktoria Plzeň, and in one of the standout ties…

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, has announced that corps members will begin receiving a new monthly allowance of N77,000 starting February 2025. The NYSC DG disclosed this on Thursday while speaking to the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream II corps members in Katsina State. Ahmed confirmed that the increment has been included in the 2025 Federal Government budget and will take effect once the budget is passed. “This month (January) has already ended, but once the budget is passed, by next month (February), you will start receiving N77,000 instead of the usual N33,000,” he…

The UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off draw was revealed on Friday, setting up exciting clashes between some of Europe’s top clubs. The ties are scheduled to take place on February 11/12 and 18/19. The draw has paired Atalanta against Club Brugge, while Borussia Dortmund will face Sporting CP in a battle between German and Portuguese giants. England’s Manchester City will take on Spain’s Real Madrid in what promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the round. Elsewhere, Bayern Munich will meet Celtic, while PSV Eindhoven will lock horns with Juventus. AC Milan have been drawn against Feyenoord,…

South African model Tshego Gaelae has been crowned the winner of the 40th Mrs World pageant, held in Las Vegas, USA. Sri Lanka’s Ishadi Amanda was named the first runner-up, while Thailand’s Ploy Panperm secured the second runner-up position. Celebrating her win, Gaelae expressed her gratitude in an Instagram post, writing, “To God Be The Glory🙌🏽👑🇿🇦🙏🏽. Thank you so much for the love and support, I am beyond grateful and elated! My beautiful South Africa, the crown is coming Home.” Mrs World is the first beauty pageant for married women, conceived in 1984. The organisation that supported her journey, Mrs South…

A petrol tanker went up in flames on Thursday while offloading fuel at a filling station in Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa State, Northwest Nigeria.  Eyewitnesses said the fire erupted after someone answered a phone call near the tanker, igniting the highly flammable vapors. The flames quickly engulfed the tanker and part of the filling station. However, timely intervention from firefighters and local residents helped prevent the blaze from spreading further. Authorities confirmed that no lives were lost, but the extent of property damage is yet to be determined. Investigations are underway to ascertain the exact cause of the…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, in the sum of N10 million. Sowore faces 17 counts of cybercrime, including allegations that he referred to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, as an “Illegal IGP” on his verified X handle. Ruling on the bail application, Justice Musa Liman stated that an individual has the right to bail unless compelling reasons exist to deny it. He emphasized that the police failed to provide sufficient evidence to show that Sowore could intimidate high-ranking officers who would testify in the…

Real Madrid have ended the league phase on a high with a 3-0 victory over Brest, but it is not enough for a top 8 finish in the standings. Carlo Ancelotti’s side needed other results to go their way, but it was not to be in the end. It was a fairly even start to proceedings at the Stade du Roudourou, which was delayed due to smoke pre-match. Both teams have had chances, but Real Madrid took theirs – it was Rodrygo Goes that found the back of the net to continue his excellent recent form, as he capped off…