Author: Chronicle Editor

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 501 confirmed new coronavirus cases in the country on Sunday. The 501 cases announced by the Centre for Disease Control takes the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 78,434. The NCDC also announced the discharge of 519 patients from isolation centers across the country with three new deaths reported. Lagos state, the epicentre of the virus in Nigeria reported 218 new confirmed cases taking the total number of confirmed cases in Lagos alone to 26,708. Nigeria announces 930 new coronavirus cases The Federal Capital Territory recorded 112 new cases, Kaduna state…

Scott McTominay became the first player to score twice inside the first three minutes of a Premier League game as Manchester United climbed to third in the table with a remarkable victory over old rivals Leeds at Old Trafford. The midfielder found the bottom corner with a ferocious drive after just 67 seconds, before doubling his tally moments later with a clever finish from Anthony Martial’s pass. Bruno Fernandes and Victor Lindelof increased the home side’s lead, with Liam Cooper’s header reducing the arrears at the end of a pulsating first 45 minutes. Daniel James broke clear of the Leeds…

Leicester City climbed to second in the Premier League as they overcame top-four rivals Tottenham to move four points behind leaders Liverpool. In a hard-fought battle between the sides starting the day third and fourth in the table – Spurs one point above the visitors – it was the latter who established themselves as champions Liverpool’s closest challengers courtesy of Jamie Vardy’s penalty and a Toby Alderweireld own goal. Vardy confidently dispatched his spot-kick in the fourth minute of first-half injury time, after referee Craig Pawson was advised to review Serge Aurier’s needless shove on Wesley Fofana via the pitchside…

Rafael Leao scored the fastest goal in Serie A history as AC Milan netted after just six seconds of their game at Sassuolo on Sunday. The Portuguese forward, 21, took Hakan Calhanoglu’s pass in his stride to stroke the league leaders ahead virtually from the kick-off. Leao’s goal beat the record of 8.9 seconds set by Piacenza’s Paolo Poggi against Fiorentina on 2 December 2001. Milan were a point clear of city rivals Inter at the top going into the game. Belgium midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers added a second midway through the first half to double Milan’s lead against their sixth-placed…

A number of European countries have banned travel from the United Kingdom to prevent the spread of a more infectious variant of coronavirus. Both the Netherlands and Belgium have suspended flights. Trains to Belgium have also been banned. Italy’s foreign minister has indicated his government plans to ban flights. France and Germany are reportedly planning similar action. The new variant has spread fast in London and south-East England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday introduced a new tier four level of restrictions, scrapping a planned relaxation of rules over the Christmas period for millions of people. Top health officials said…

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “instruct the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Pantami, and Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) Mr Aliyu Abubakar to stop the push for registration of Nigerians for National Identity Number (NIN), and withdraw the threat to block SIM cards, as the data being sought already exist in several platforms, including the Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), driver’s license, international passport, and voters’ card.” The organization also urged him “to instruct Mr Pantami and Mr Abubakar to take concrete measures to promptly ensure that the…

Katsina State Police Command have rescued 84 kidnap victims, mostly Islamiyya school students, from the hands of bandits in Mahuta village of Dandume Local Government Area of the state. This follows a distress call received on Saturday at about 2200hrs, by the DPO Dandume, that some Islamiyya students of Hizburrahim Islamiyya, Mahuta village, numbering about eighty, were attacked while on their way back from Maulud occasion celebrated at Unguwan Alkasim village. In a statement released on Sunday by the police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, the students were accosted by bandits who had already kidnapped four (4) persons and rustled twelve…

The Insight by Lateef Adewole Let me first express my joy for the return of the students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina state, alive and in one piece. These boys were kidnapped exactly a week ago from their boarding school. After a headcount, and the back and forth on the actual number of students missing, about 333 were finally confirmed by the Governor of Katsina state, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari. On return, 344 was mentioned. Garba Shehu has apologised for giving such a ridiculous number as 10. The incident happened some hours after the arrival of President…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it is in “close contact” with UK officials over the emergence of a new variant of Covid-19. The new variant is spreading more rapidly than the original version, but is not believed to be more deadly. Large parts of south-east England, including London, are now under a new, stricter level of restrictions in a bid to curb the rapidly spreading virus. The Netherlands said it was banning UK flights because of the new variant. The ban comes into force on Sunday and will remain in place until 1 January at the latest, the…

The second term ambition of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, appears to have suffered a major setback. This followed indications that governors elected on the platform of the opposition party may have finally decided to have him replaced ahead of the 2023 presidential election. It was learnt that the governors want the Rivers State-born politician out following the exit of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State from the party and rising speculations that more of their colleagues may leave the party over issues relating to Secondus’ handling of the zoning debate that has…