Author: Tahir Ahmed

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Nigerian football icon Sunday Oliseh has hailed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as “one of my favourite teams to watch” after the Ligue 1 champions fought back to secure a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday night. The Premier League side stunned the Parc des Princes faithful in the 35th minute when Morgan Rogers tapped in a well-worked move, courtesy of Youri Tielemans’ precise pass, raising hopes of a famous upset. However, PSG’s lethal attacking prowess ultimately proved too much for Unai Emery’s men, who now face an…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Barcelona scored three second-half goals to thrash Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in their UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final first-leg tie at Olympic Luys Companies stadium on Wednesday night. Robert Lewandowski was on hand to torment his old club with a brace, with Raphinha opening the floodgates and Yammal sealing a very comfortable win in a match. Hansi Flick’s Barcelona dismantled the visitors on the counter. Raphinha, the on-form Brazilian winger, finished off Pau Curbasi’s kick from a free kick in the 25th minute to put the home team ahead. The Blaugrana had further chances to extend their…

Former President Muhammadu Buhari has called on governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) to prioritise a citizen-centric approach in governance, emphasising that leadership is both a challenge and an opportunity that must be balanced to advance national development. Speaking during a courtesy visit by members of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) to his residence in Kaduna, for the occasion of the Eid-Fitr celebrations, Buhari reaffirmed his confidence in the current trajectory of the APC-led states and urged leaders to stay focused on the welfare of the Nigerian people. A statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, the former…

By NEXTER The federal government has said the ongoing naira-for-crude sale deal with Dangote Refinery and other local refineries, facilitated through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, remains. This was disclosed by the Technical Sub-Committee on the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira Initiative through a statement on Wednesday. It explained that the naira-for-crude deal is a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining, bolster energy security and reduce reliance on foreign exchange in the domestic petroleum market and therefore not a temporary arrangement. “the initiative remains in effect and will continue for as long as…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a 90-day compliance window to telecommunications operators to resolve the long-standing issue of unutilised and unclaimed subscribers’ recharges. This announcement was made at a high-level virtual stakeholders’ engagement forum held on Tuesday, targeted at refining and enforcing new guidelines that protect consumer rights in Nigeria’s evolving telecom landscape. The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, whose speech was delivered at the forum by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, emphasised that the Commission was taking proactive steps to address unused prepaid credit on inactive lines, an issue that impacts millions…

By NEXTER Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC Borno South),has accused President Bola Tinubu of jettisoning the Federal Character guidelines in appointment into his government. Speaking on Arise Television, the vocal senator accused the president of favouring his section of the country over others. He said the president as been breaching the oath of allegiance and promise to carry everybody along while discharging any responsibility as government. Responding to a question on the list of political appointees by Mr President, which is in circulation and in favour of one ethnic group, Ndume said, “Well, I don’t think I have anything to…

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, has filed a N5 billion suit against her colleague, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, over alleged defamation. The suit was filed by Akpoti-Uduaghan through her lawyer, Michael Jonathan Numa, at the federal capital territory high court. In the suit, the Kogi senator asked the court to declare that the statements made by Nwaebonyi, senator representing Ebonyi north, during an interview on Channels Television on March 6, 2025, are false and malicious. Akpoti-Uduaghan said the Ebonyi senator labelled her a “gold digger, habitual liar, and habitual blackmailer” during the interview. The Kogi senator asked the court to rule…

By NEXTER Nigeria’s first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has donated N1 billion to the national cancer fund to support the fight against cervical cancer. Mrs Tinubu made the donation when she received a delegation of the national task taskforce on cervical cancer elimination led by the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Salako in Abuja. She said, “I am in support of what you are doing. We are on track, especially with the approach you have adopted: test, screen, vaccinate, and treat. “No matter what wealth you have as a nation, if your population or majority of your population is sick,…

The recent executive order by US President Donald Trump dismantling the US Agency for Global Media, which supervises Voice Of America (VOA) affected an estimated 16.9 million audience of the station. The order also puts 1,300 journalists and staff of the popular mews outlet on administrative leave, it was gathered. The VOA, through its various language stations worldwide, provides news and commentary to hundreds of millions of people. In Nigeria, the VOA Hausa service is one of the popular international radio stations in northern Nigeria, alongside the BBC Hausa Service. However, many listeners who had grown accustomed to VOA Hausa’s…

*18 boarding schools in Niger remain shut By Aideloje Ojo When the heat of attacks by Boko Haram terrorists on education facilities in Niger State became too intensive, the state government ordered the ministry of education to quickly force the closure of all its 56 boarding schools. The first of such schools to be shut was the famous Government Science College, Kagara in Rafi local government. Following the deadly attack in February 2021, a student, Banjamin Doma, was killed and 27 others kidnapped. However, in tackling the terrorists from that axis, the military moved into Kagara town, occupied and converted…