Author: Chronicle Editor

At least two people were killed in a suspected suicide bomb attack on University of Maiduguri campus in northeast Nigeria, a local resident, a lecturer and emergency services told AFP on Monday. The blast happened at 5:25 am (0425 GMT) at a mosque in the staff quarters area of the University of Maiduguri and is thought to have been carried out by a teenage girl. Suspicion will likely fall on the Islamist group Boko Haram, which has repeatedly used young women and girls as human bombs to target worshippers. There were reports locally of a separate explosion but details were…

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Sunday inaugurated the remodelled Guards Brigade cemetery located off Murtala Mohammed Way, Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that inauguration of the cemetery was part of activities to commemorate the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. Speaking at the occasion, Buratai said that he had directed all Units and Formations in the army to set up their own cemeteries. “I want to state here that I have directed that all units and formations should maintain their cemeteries. I took cue from that of the 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army then in…

Chelsea striker Diego Costa, 28, rejected the offer of a new £200,000-a-week contract at Stamford Bridge before a reported bust-up with manager Antonio Conte. (Times- subscription required) Costa is ready to call a truce with the Blues – amid rumours of a move to China – and stay with them until the end of the season. (The Sun) He is set for clear the air talks with Conte this week but will leave at the end of the season after refusing to sign a two-year contract extension. (Daily Express) Conte expects Costa to be back at work this week after…

Manchester City are out of the Premier League title race after a 4-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park, according to manager Pep Guardiola. City are now 10 points behind leaders Chelsea after defeat on Merseyside – the heaviest league loss in Guardiola’s managerial career. Asked if the gap was too great, he said: “Yes. Ten is a lot of points.” Guardiola, 45, has told his players to unite “in the bad moments” and “forget the table” until the end of the season. He added: “At the end of the season, we are going to evaluate our level and how…

With many Democrats announcing their boycott of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the incoming president has said that the day would turn out to be bigger than expected. NAN reports that no fewer than 16 Democrats Congress members had publicly announced their boycott of Trump’s inauguration following recent intelligence reports confirming Russians meddling in the November 8, 2016 election. Congressman John Lewis, had particularly declared that he did not regard Trump as a legitimate U.S. president because Russians helped him to win the presidency. According to Lewis, Democratic Hillary Clinton, who defeated Trump in popular vote, would have…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s late equaliser earned Manchester United a point they fully deserved after a typically thunderous encounter with Liverpool at Old Trafford. Liverpool led through James Milner’s 27th-minute penalty, awarded after Paul Pogba inexplicably handled a corner as he went up to challenge with Dejan Lovren. Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was Liverpool’s hero with superb first-half saves from Ibrahimovic’s free-kick and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as Jurgen Klopp’s side put up stern resistance and threatened on the break. It looked like the visitors were going to hold on and move back to second in the Premier League, but United finally forced the goal…

Everton produced a brilliant performance to stun Manchester City and deliver a serious blow to Pep Guardiola’s Premier League title hopes. The Toffees willingly soaked up 71% of City possession but restricted Guardiola’s side to few chances and scored with four of just six attempts at goal. Romelu Lukaku coolly side-footed in a Kevin Mirallas cut-back and the Belgium internationals combined again after the break, Mirallas drilling Lukaku’s through-ball across the keeper. Tom Davies sent Goodison Park into raptures on just his second league start by dinking a third over Claudio Bravo and £11m debutant Ademola Lookman fired between the…

Men of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, over the weekend, arrested one Segun Akuntola, who is alleged to be the kingpin of a syndicate that specializes in defrauding innocent citizens within the State. The suspect, popularly known as Okadigbo, was apprehended by the Decoy Team of the squad in his shrine at Ijora over his involvement in fraud perpetrated by the 4 – man gang under him. The fraud, which was perpetrated in Ikorodu about a year ago was supervised by accomplice Christian Odokor, 43. The syndicate had duped a lady known as Joy (not…

The Borno State Government said on Sunday that it had banned the sale of charcoal and firewood on major streets in the metropolis to prevent pollution in the city. Alhaji Kakashehu Lawan, the Commissioner for Justice, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri. Lawan said that sellers of the commodities were expected to relocate to a new market on Damboa Road designated for the sale of charcoal and firewood. “Sales of charcoal and firewood along major streets is hereby banned. “All those engaged in the business should relocate to the Charcoal…

Fifty companies recently submitted bids to partake in the provision of sea worthy Tug boats on charter time basis for the maritime operational requirements of the NNPC in Lagos, Warri and Port Harcourt. The public bid opening event which was held at the Abuja Corporate Headquarters of the Corporation had in attendance representatives of the bidding companies with officials of the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, and some members of the civil society as observers. Successful companies would be engaged on a…