Author: David Great

Barcelona’s title defence was derailed as Villarreal romped to a sensational 5-3 victory in La Liga on Saturday with three late goals. After Real Madrid moved two points clear of Girona at the top of the league with a win at Las Palmas, the pressure was firmly on Xavi Hernandez’s defending champions in third. In a see-saw match Gerard Moreno and Ilias Akhomach put Villarreal two goals ahead before Barcelona battled back. Ilkay Gundogan and Pedri struck before Eric Bailly headed into his own net to give the hosts the lead. However, Goncalo Guedes fired home in the 84th minute…

Cauley Woodrow scored a last-gasp goal and Luton Town knocked out Everton and sixth tier Maidstone United upset Championship Ipswich Town in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. Woodrow, who broke his hand during the match, netted in the 96th minute when he smashed a close-range shot past keeper Joao Virginia to seal Luton’s 2-1 victory in the all-Premier League tie in front of a stunned Goodison Park crowd. “To be fair I don’t really remember much. It just fell to me and I managed to tap it in,” Woodrow told the BBC. “It was a tough game and…

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has ordered the arrest of some persons trading on the completed section of the Aba axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, still undergoing rehabilitation. Umahi, who was in Aba to inspect the project, directed the security operatives attached to his motorcade to arrest the erring traders. He expressed disappointment over the activities of the traders, saying that they would be charged to court according to the law of the land. The minister expressed dissatisfaction that the traders’ activities disturbed construction works, as they used the completed section of the road for trading and dumping…

Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid came off the bench to score a late header in a 2-1 comeback win over Las Palmas, propelling his team to the top of La Liga on Saturday. After a sluggish first half, Real were stunned by the hosts in the 53rd minute when Javi Munoz tapped in from close range after Sandro surged up the right and fired in a low cross. However, Real responded in the 65th minute with a point-blank strike by Vinicius Jr, and in the 84th, substitute Tchouameni scored with a thunderous header from a Toni Kroos corner. Real Madrid…

The Abia State Police Command stated on Saturday that Prof. Godwin Emezue, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of Abia State University Uturu, was kidnapped while getting petrol at a filling station in Umuopara. Maureen Chinaka, the command’s Public Relations Officer, stated this in a statement on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie. “On 26/01/2024, at about 9.30 p.m., the Abia State Police Command received information that on the same date, at about 7 p.m., the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Uturu ABSU, ProfGodwin Emezue, while in the company of his wife in their vehicle, was abducted by hoodlums while purchasing fuel…

Gunmen have kidnapped Philip Aivoji, chairman Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, as well as many other party leaders. The Lagos State PDP publicity secretary, Hakeem Amode, said in a statement on Friday that Mr Aivoji was abducted by unknown kidnappers on Thursday. “Aivoji was abducted on Thursday, Jan. 25, at about 6.00 p.m. on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway while returning from a stakeholders meeting in Oyo State convened by Gov. Seyi Makinde and Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun. “It is disheartening that kidnapping has become a prevalent issue in our country, and the government’s inability to address this…

Tracka has uncovered a total of N9.3 billion paid by the Federal Ministry of Works to FIMS Microfinance Bank Limited between June and December 2023 for 62 projects, including the construction of road projects across the country, amongst others. Some of the projects uncovered by Tracka which were published on its Govspend platform, include the payment of N1.4 billion in September 2023 for the construction of Yaba-Yangoje Road in the Federal Capital Territory; the payment of N1.2 billion in October 2023 for the rehabilitation of a 2km road from Oriawo-Boroboro-Oke-Medina School of Science Road in Atiba, Oyo state; the payment…

Pope Francis defended Friday the Catholic Church’s recent approval of blessings for same-sex couples while attempting to soothe his conservative critics. In December, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, its department for Roman Catholic doctrine, said priests could bless “irregular” and same-sex couples under certain circumstances. That sparked an outcry in some quarters, particularly in Africa, with critics accusing the Church of back-tracking on the issues of gay marriage and homosexuality, both of which it opposes. “These blessings… do not require moral perfection in order to be received,” the pope said during an audience with members of…

The police say they have arrested a 39-year-old man for impersonating the speaker of Jigawa House of Assembly, Aliyu Haruna. Police commissioner Ahmadu Abdullahi told journalists that the suspect, Abduljabar Inuwa of Zai area in Dutse, was arrested on Monday. He explained that the suspect was arrested while in possession of forged complementary cards bearing the name and insignia of the speaker. The commissioner added that when search was conducted at the residence of the suspect, 20 additional fake complementary cards were recovered. According to him, the suspect confessed that he has secured financial favours from various council chairmen in…

Troops have destroyed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factory in the Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo in an operation jointly carried out by the army, navy, air force, police and civil defence corps. Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, the acting deputy director, 82 Division Army Public Relations, said this in a statement on Friday in Enugu. He said the troops destroyed the hideouts of the terrorists despite encountering several IEDs. The spokesman added that several camps of the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network members along Umulolo-Umukele-Amousu and Agbobu in Imo were destroyed. Mr Unuakhalu said the troops also…