Author: David Great

Super Eagles and Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi has surpassed John Mikel Obi’s record for the most minutes played by a Nigerian in the English Premier League. The former Everton midfielder played 90 minutes in Fulham’s recent 1-0 home defeat to Newcastle United, taking his Premier League minutes tally to an impressive 16,289. Iwobi’s remarkable feat broke the previous record of 16,218 minutes held by former Chelsea stalwart John Mikel Obi. Iwobi’s journey in the Premier League began with Arsenal, where he made his debut on October 31, 2015. After quite a successful stint with the Gunners, the versatile midfielder joined Everton in…

Joe Kinnear, a former Tottenham Hotspur defender and Wimbledon manager, died at the age of 77, his family announced on Sunday. The ex-Ireland international, who won 26 caps, had been suffering from dementia since 2015 and retired as Newcastle United’s manager in 2009. “We are sad to announce that Joe passed away peacefully this afternoon surrounded by his family,” said the statement reported by the BBC. In 10 years at Spurs, Kinnear won the League Cup twice, FA Cup and UEFA Cup before leaving in 1975 for Brighton & Hove Albion. He retired at 30 the following year after a…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says operatives intercepted 2,144 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic strain of hemp weighing 1,072kg, at the Tincan Seaport Lagos. NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement Sunday in Abuja that operatives seized the consignment on Wednesday, April 3. Babafemi said the seizure was made during a joint examination with the Customs Service and other port stakeholders. He said the container was marked GAOU 6699215 and came from Montreal but originated from Toronto, Canada. According to him, the drugs packed in 46 jumbo bags were found concealed in used 2009 Lexus RX 350,…

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has dispelled rumours circulating in the media of his impending exit from the party media due to the crisis rocking leadership of the party. Fielding questions raised by journalists in Gombe State shortly after donating a borehole to the ram market in Tike Pantami on Sunday, Peter Obi allayed fears that he may head to the Social Democratic Party to pursue his ambition. The Nigeria Labour Congress, through its spokesman, Benson Upah, had said that the former Anambra State Governor is free to leave the LP, noting that…

Relegation-threatened Sheffield United scored a late goal against Chelsea to keep hopes alive in the Premier League earning a hard-fought draw at Bramall Lane. Thiago Silva was returned to the starting XI for the Blues and he rewarded the faith of Mauricio Pochettino when he side footed a corner kick by Conor Gallagher. The Blues were in control of the game for most spell but Sheffield United got themselves into it when Dorde Petrovic fumbled Jayden Bogle’s cross into his net. The Blades gained confidence as the half wore on and were level at half-time. Chelsea restored their lead in…

Liverpool missed an opportunity to return top of the Premier League when they were held to a stalemate by Manchester United in another Old Trafford thriller as Mohamed Salah’s penalty gave the visitors a point. Manager Jurgen Klopp and his players will wonder how they failed to avenge their FA Cup quarter-final defeat here last month, as they paid the price for missing several chances after outrunning the hosts for extended stretches. Liverpool only had a Luis Diaz goal to show for their nearly complete first-half dominance, with 15 shots to none for United, whose manager Erik ten Hag was…

Rwanda on Sunday paid solemn tribute to genocide victims, 30 years after a vicious campaign orchestrated by Hutu extremists tore apart the country, as neighbours turned on each other in one of the bloodiest massacres of the 20th century. The killing spree, which lasted 100 days before the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebel militia took Kigali in July 1994, claimed the lives of 800,000 people, largely Tutsis but also moderate Hutus. The tiny nation has since found its footing under the iron-fisted rule of President Paul Kagame, who led the RPF, but the scars of the violence remain, leaving a…

Agro Rangers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have repelled an attack by suspected bandits on the Federal Government’s grain silo in the Dutsinma Local Government Area of Katsina State. The spokesman for the NSCDC, Mr Buhari Hamisu, said in a statement in Katsina on Sunday that the attack occurred on April 6, at about 1am. According to him, the bandits wanted to destroy the silo and abduct its Manager, Mr Lawal Shitu-Yar’adua. The Agro Rangers responded swiftly, engaging the bandits in a fierce gun duel for over two hours, Hamisu said. “The valiant operatives overpowered the…

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, arrested the General Overseer of CAC Freedom City Prophetic and Deliverance Ministry, Ilorin, Kwara State, Adeniyi James, for allegedly defrauding a member of the church to the tune of N3,980,000. A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, made available to the press in Ilorin on Saturday noted that the victim, Oluwole Babarinsa, had in a petition to the commission, alleged that James called him out during a church programme some time in 2021 that he had…

Bayer Leverkusen are just three points from a first Bundesliga title after a 1-0 win at Union Berlin on Saturday, with Bayern Munich letting a two-goal lead slip in a 3-2 loss at Heidenheim. Bayern were cruising at half-time thanks to strikes from Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry but conceded three times in the second half, losing their second match in a row. Florian Wirtz converted a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time as Leverkusen were made to work hard in the German capital against 10-man Union, extending their unbeaten run this season to 41 games. Leverkusen need just three…