Author: David Great

The Nigerian Army have destroyed at 27 illegal refineries and seized stolen crude oil following raids this week on oil bunkering sites in the Niger Delta region, an army spokesperson said on Wednesday. Oil theft and sabotage of pipelines have hampered oil output in Nigeria, Africa’s top energy producer, and crippled exports, hurting government finances and leaving President Bola Tinubu with one of his biggest challenges. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Nigerian Army acting spokesperson said around 100,000 litres of stolen crude were seized during the raids on the refineries. He added that three vehicles loaded with illegally refined fuel were also…

Mounir Nasraoui, the father of Barcelona and Spain star winger Lamine Yamal, was stabbed late on Wednesday at a parking lot in the northeastern Spanish town of Mataro, La Vanguardia newspaper reported, citing official sources familiar with the matter. Reuters was not able to independently confirm the report. The regional Mossos d’Esquadra police force and a spokesperson for the Mataro local government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to La Vanguardia report, Nasraoui was taken to the Can Ruti hospital in the nearby city of Badalona and his diagnosis was “serious”. It added that local and regional…

Arsenal have had an offer for Real Sociedad’s 28-year-old Spain midfielder Mikel Merino, who has agreed personal terms to move to London, rejected. (Times – subscription required) West Ham have set their sights on a deal for Roma’s Tammy Abraham with the Serie A club willing to sell the 26-year-old England striker for £25m. (Gazzetta dello Sport via Football Italia) Paris St-Germain are cooling their interest in 24-year-old England and Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho and are also considering pulling out of the race to sign Napoli’s Victor Osimhen. (i) Manchester United are expecting formal bids for 32-year-old Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen, who has one year left on his contract. (Sky Sports)…

Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has revealed that crucial documents relating to corruption charges against former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje have been stolen from the state high court. The incident followed vandalism by hoodlums during recent nationwide protests against hunger and economic hardship. Governor Yusuf, who made the disclosure after visiting the damaged court premises for an on-the-spot assessment, described the vandalism as a deliberate and sponsored mission. The statement issued on Wednesday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin Tofa, emphasized the severity of the incident and implied that the acts of vandalism were orchestrated to disrupt the judicial…

Former Manchester United and Bayern Munich defender Daley Blind announced his retirement from international football on Wednesday after 108 caps for the Netherlands, making way for a “talented new generation.” Blind was part of the Dutch squad that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2014 and the quarter-finals in 2022, losing to Argentina both times. “A talented new generation is coming up and after a good chat with the national manager, it is time to fully focus on my club and my family,” Blind said in a message on X. “It was an honour to wear the Oranje…

The World Health Organisation, WHO, on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years following an outbreak of the viral infection outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighbouring countries. An emergency committee convened earlier Wednesday to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the outbreak is a “public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC. PHEIC status is WHO’s highest level of alert, that aims to accelerate research, funding, international public health measures, and collaboration to contain a disease. “It’s clear that a coordinated international response is…

The Minister Of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, on Wednesday, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria requires 200 million rounds of ammunition annually for its operations. This, he said, cost the government at least $2 per ammunition. Matawalle also blamed past governments for the nation’s failure to achieve self-sufficiency in defence production. The minister disclosed this during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Defense, Defence Industries Corporations of Nigeria, and the National Agency for Science and Engineering on the establishment of an ammunition production factory in Nigeria. He assured the president that before the end…

Bruno Fernandes has signed a new contract extension at Manchester United that will keep him at the club until 30 June 2027, with the option for a further year. The 29-year old Portuguese midfielder has scored 79 goals and made 67 assists in his 234 appearances for the club since he joined four years ago. “Everybody knows the passion I have for Manchester United. I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing this shirt, and the levels of dedication and desire required to represent this incredible club,” the Manchester United captain said. “I have had so many special moments here…

Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has left Juventus after reaching a mutual agreement to terminate his contract, the Serie A club said on Wednesday. The 34-year-old, who spent seven seasons at Juventus, had one year left on his contract, but is now available as a free agent and Italian media reports have linked him with Serie A club Monza and Al-Nassr of the Saudi Pro League. “In an instant, Tek conquered the Juventus fans of the world and we are sure that we will all always carry in our hearts the man and the professional who wore our jersey with pride…

Operatives of the Delta State Police have killed a suspected kidnapper during a gun duel in a Delta community. The operation, which also led to the arrest of three other suspects, resulted in the recovery of an arsenal of deadly weapons. The Police Public Relations Officer for Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement released in Warri on Wednesday. According to the statement, the incident occurred on August 12, 2024, when the CP Special Squad, based in Ughelli, embarked on an investigation with a previously apprehended suspect, Joel Ofoye. The investigation led them to the Ewu…