Author: David Great

Newcastle’s 11-match unbeaten Premier League (PL) home run ground to a crashing halt as they were beaten 1-0 at St James’ Park by Brighton & Hove Albion, who maintained their impressive start to the season. Only goal difference separated Newcastle and Brighton in the table prior to today, and the pair were similarly closely matched on the pitch in the opening exchanges. Goalmouth action was few and far between, and even when a solid opening did arrive, Alexander Isak’s air kick with the goal at his mercy was somewhat symptomatic of both sides’ struggles. The Swede was at the heart…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Paulinus Ani before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar at the Federal High Court in Enugu State on allegations of land fraud amounting to N8.1 million. Ani is facing a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, a violation of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act. According to the EFCC, between October 2015 and June 2018, Ani allegedly deceived one Severus Ifeanyi Odoziobodo into paying N8,130,000 for seven plots of land in Enugu. The purported transaction included three plots at Emene Industrial/Residential Layout and four plots at Independence…

Troops of the Nigerian Army deployed for counter-terrorism operations in Yobe and Borno states killed no fewer than four terrorists. The two terrorists killed in Yobe were among those operating a tax collection point at Ngazargamu area in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. Troops who were acting on intelligence attacked the terrorists, leading to the death of the terrorists. In a post on Friday on X, the Nigerian Army said weapons were equally recovered from the terrorists. It partly read, “In Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, troops acting on verified intelligence launched an assault on Boko…

In a stunning twist, Brazilian footballer Vinicius Tobias has discovered that he is not the biological father of the child he believed to be his. The 20-year-old, who currently plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, had even gotten a tattoo in honour of the unborn child before receiving the devastating news. The revelation came after his ex-girlfriend, influencer Ingrid Lima, requested a DNA test, which confirmed that Tobias was not the biological father of the baby girl, Maitê. Lima shared the news on her Instagram stories, leaving her followers stunned. “As everyone already knows, Vinicius and I haven’t been together for a…

Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney has been given a one-match ban for misconduct in their 2-1 home victory over Blackburn Rovers in a Championship (second-tier) match earlier this month, the Football Association said on Friday. Rooney was charged for his behaviour in an eventful win over Blackburn where he was sent off for allegedly insulting the fourth official and returning to the pitch after his dismissal. Plymouth were leading 1-0 when Blackburn scored an equaliser in the 86th minute which Rooney and his players felt should not have stood, with the former Manchester United and England forward seen fuming at…

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo and midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White have been suspended while Brighton & Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler has been fined for misconduct in a 2-2 draw between the sides last month, the FA said on Friday. Both managers were shown red cards in a feisty Premier League clash, during which Forest’s Gibbs-White was sent off for a robust tackle which earned him a second booking. The midfielder appeared incensed by the decision as was Nuno who was sent off along with Hurzeler for “unacceptable technical area behaviour” following the incident. “Nuno Espirito Santo, Morgan Gibbs-White and…

The Libyan Football Federation is panicking after being asked by CAF to submit documents relating to the cancellation of the AFCON qualifying Group D match against Nigeria after the latter refused to play the match after their plane was diverted to Labraq Airport and held hostage for 18 hours without food and water. According to Libya Al-Ahrar Channel, the Secretary-General and person in charge of running the body, Nasser Al-Suwaie, confirmed in a special statement to Libya Al-Ahrar that CAF has given the Libyan and Nigerian associations until the 20th of this month to submit the documents related to…

Human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has written to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to oppose the view expressed by the ex-president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), regarding the legal status of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In a letter dated 17 October 2024, Falana disagreed with Agbakoba’s assertion that the EFCC is an “unlawful organisation.” The letter read: “Our attention has been drawn to separate letters addressed to the Senate and House of Representatives, dated 14 October 2024,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested permission from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, to allow two witnesses based in the United States to testify virtually in the ongoing trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). During the court session presided over by Justice Maryanne Anenih, prosecution counsel Abass Mohammed sought the court’s approval for the witnesses, I.E Obiora and Aisha Ahmed, to provide their testimonies via video links, citing logistical challenges in bringing them to Nigeria. “We filed a motion seeking my lord’s indulgence to…

Israel announced on Thursday that its forces killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in a Gaza operation, delivering a significant blow to the group it has been battling since the October 7, 2023 attack. “The mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was eliminated… by IDF (Israeli military) soldiers,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. The military later confirmed that “after a year-long pursuit”, soldiers “eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organisation, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip” on Wednesday. Hamas has not confirmed his death. Israel had…