Author: Chronicle Editor

A joint security team took the battle to the camp of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) located in a forest between Oyigbo and Eleme local government areas of Rivers State on Thursday night, killing seven of the members. Five other members of the ESN were arrested. The group was said to be preparing for an attack on a police station when the joint security team swooped, apparently acting on a tip off, and engaged the ESN members in a gun duel. Confirming the development, Deputy Army Public Relations Officer, Lt. Col. Charles Ekeocha, said: “6 Division, in conjunction with Keystone,…

Renewed violence has claimed at least 63 lives in four states -Benue, Rivers, Delta, Kaduna – in the last 48 hours, according to tallies from across the country. The figure excludes the scores said to have been killed by bandits in some communities in Wushishi Local Government Area of Niger State yesterday. Additional casualties were also averted after policemen repelled an attack on the Kwara State Police Command headquarters in Ilorin yesterday by suspected cultists. The spate of killings sparked another round of protests called National Day of Mourning in major cities yesterday by civil society organisations. The protesters, including…

It’s an all-English Champions League final – but will it be Manchester City or Chelsea who will be crowned champions of Europe on Saturday? Premier League champions City are looking to win the prestigious competition for the first time. Chelsea, European champions in 2012, have beaten Pep Guardiola’s side twice in the league and FA Cup in 2020-21. Up to 16,500 people will be allowed inside Porto’s Estadio do Dragao ground to watch. Both sides have fully fit squads to choose from, although City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan looked like he took a minor knock in Friday’s training session after a…

Juventus have reappointed former boss Massimiliano Allegri just hours after sacking Andrea Pirlo. Former Italian international Pirlo, 42, was a surprise choice when he took over from Maurizio Sarri last summer. Juventus ended fourth in Serie A under their former player to miss out on the title for the first time since 2012. Many fantastic years spent together and now many more still to come! ????????????#AllegriIN — JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) May 28, 2021 Allegri was in charge of Juventus from 2014-19, winning five successive league titles, four Coppa Italias and reaching the Champions League final twice. Juventus win to seal Champions…

Austria defender David Alaba has joined Real Madrid following his departure from Bayern Munich. The 28-year-old has joined the Spanish giants on a free transfer, signing a five-year deal. Alaba came through the youth system at Bayern Munich after joining the German club in 2008. ???? #WelcomeAlaba pic.twitter.com/AvVUwfyF8l — Real Madrid C.F. ???????????????? (@realmadriden) May 28, 2021 His arrival at Real Madrid comes just one day after manager Zinedine Zidane resigned following a trophyless 2020-21 season. Tuchel insists on Bayern defender as Aguero undergoes medical Alaba made 431 appearances for Bayern Munich during his 13 years at the Bundesliga side.

Nigeria’s broadcast regulator has suspended the operating license of Human Rights Radio for 30 days, commencing from Monday 31st May 2021. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) announced the suspension on Thursday in a press statement. The statement also said the broadcaster will pay an undisclosed fine, The punitive action was in reaction to an alleged assault of a woman by the host of the Brekete family programme, Mr. Ahmed Isah. Isah was seen physically assaulting a woman in a video that went viral. Channels TV apologises for violating broadcasting code – NBC The statement reads in part: “The Commission has…

A committee set up to probe the sale of Kwara State assets has recommended the prosecution of former Governors Bukola Saraki and Abdulfatah Ahmed, as well as other former government officials. This was contained in its recommendations to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. The committee’s white paper accused the ex-governors and other government officials of economic sabotage against the state for allegedly selling public assets to their cronies at giveaway prices. But Saraki described the claims as incoherent, fallacious and salacious. “It just shows how low governance has become in Kwara State,” he said in his reaction to the recommendations. Chairman of…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said 41 of its offices were attacked in 14 states since 2019. Its chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said this during an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. He said a preliminary assessment indicates that 1,105 ballot boxes, 694 voting cubicles, 429 electric generating sets and 13 utility vehicles (Toyota Hilux) were lost in the attacks. Yakubu said: “In the last two years, the Commission has recorded a total of 41 incidents involving deliberate attacks on the Commission’s facilities. “Nine of these…

Thomas Tuchel comes across as a deep thinker and someone who continually strives for improvement, but he is also a manager who likes a laugh. When you consider Chelsea’s previous managers, such as Maurizio Sarri, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho, a lighter touch has proven a welcome addition to the training ground at Cobham where the mood has improved significantly since January. Four months ago, with the dressing room split and former boss Frank Lampard set to be sacked, reaching the top four, an FA Cup final and a Champions League final would have seemed fanciful at best. But in…

Barack Obama has praised the anti-poverty campaigning of England footballer Marcus Rashford. In a Zoom meeting, the former United States president told Mr Rashford he was “way ahead of where I was” at that age. The 23-year-old footballer said it was “surreal” to be talking to Mr Obama from his kitchen in Manchester. Mr Obama backed young people such as Mr Rashford who are “positive forces in their communities”. The men, in a meeting set up by the publishers Penguin, discussed the former president’s memoir and shared experiences, such as being raised by single mothers and their involvement in community…