Author: David Great

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has felicitated with the president-elect, Bola Tinubu on the occasion of his 71st birthday, praying to God to grant him more wisdom and strength in the years to come. In a statement signed by the Vice President, he stated that today’s occasion “is unique, as it occurs as you prepare to take on your most significant assignment yet as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” In Osinbajo’s message to Tinubu, he wrote, “Dolly and I rejoice with you, the family, friends and associates on this occasion of your 71st birthday. We thank the Almighty God…

Manchester United are preparing to make an £80m bid for Tottenham and England forward Harry Kane, 29, after club chief executive Richard Arnold sanctioned a potential deal. (Star) Bayern Munich want to sign Chelsea and England midfielder Mason Mount, 24. (Times) Manchester United have taken “no major steps forward” in agreeing a new contract for England forward Marcus Rashford, 25. (Athletic – subscription required) Chelsea have yet to open new contract talks with Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic, with Manchester City interested. The 28-year-old has 16 months left on his current deal. (Standard) Liverpool are willing to pay more than £60m for Napoli and South Korea centre-back Kim Min-jae, 26, who is also a target for Manchester…

Scotland’s Scott McTominay grabbed another brace of goals as they stunned a much-changed Spain side to earn a deserved 2-0 victory in their Euro 2024 qualifier at Hampden Park on Tuesday and maintain their perfect start to the campaign. The win was a first for the Scots over their Iberian opponents since 1984 and ensured they top Group A on six points from two games, while second-placed Spain have three. It was a first defeat for Spain in a Euro qualifier since a loss in Slovakia in 2014 and they had won 17 of their 19 fixtures since then. McTominay…

Visitors Belgium battled to a 3-2 win over Germany in a friendly on Tuesday to make it two wins from two matches in the past four days while piling pressure on the embattled Euro 2024 hosts. With both teams eager to bounce back from their shock group stage World Cup exits in December, it was Belgium who were the better side, earning their first victory over the Germans since 1954. The Germans were completely outclassed in the first half, as Belgium attacked at will. They took the lead with a superb five-pass move from deep in their own half as…

Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic’s double secured a 2-0 win away to Turkey in their Euro 2024 qualifier on Tuesday as they leapfrogged the hosts and moved up to second spot in Group D. Wales, who beat Latvia 1-0, lead the group on four points on goal difference from Croatia with Turkey third with three. Kovacic left Turkey goalkeeper Mert Gunok motionless when he scored from close range in the 20th minute following a failed attempt by the defence to clear the ball. Kovacic scored again just before halftime as he tapped home a rebound after Gunok saved Mario Pasalic’s effort.…

Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the presidential transition council (PTC) has disclosed that security operatives have been assigned to Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu, and his deputy, Kashim Shettima. Mustapha also announced on Tuesday that Tinubu has appointed the outgoing governor of Kebbi state, Atiku Bagudu, and Wale Edun into the PTC. He noted that there has been the refurbishment of offices for the president and vice-president-elect, as he details all efforts that have been put into a peaceful transition. He explained that the process of interface was necessary to keep Nigerians abreast…

President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has recommended that the new administration of president-elect Bola Tinubu give civil servants pay rises after removing a fuel subsidy in June. Buhari, who steps down in May, planned to remove the popular but costly subsidy in 2022 as part of fiscal and petroleum sector reforms but abandoned the plan because of fears of protests in the run-up to the 2023 election. Previous governments have attempted to remove the fuel subsidy, which most economists say is an unsustainable drag on public finances, but have failed to do so because of fierce opposition from citizens. Many Nigerians…

Self-styled human rights activist and spokesperson for the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa has declared a sit-at-home in Lagos, hoping it will cripple the economic activities of Nigeria’s commercial capital. The controversial Ekpa failed to implement the sit-at-home during the presidential and state elections despite vowing to disrupt the election. In a series of posts on his social media, he claimed that the Igbo traders in Lagos were targeted and that it was time to show their importance to the Lagos economy. In his divisive fashion, he wrote, “I have just watched another Igbo Biafra market in…

lwuozor Edward Chinedu and Monye Onuwa Peter on Tuesday were sentenced and convicted by a Federal High Court, Lagos for drug trafficking. Iwuozor was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on two counts charge of unlawful export of cocaine and heroin, by Justice Nicholas Oweibo, while Monye was sentenced to a three-year jail term for unlawful export of methamphetamine, cannabis sativa and ecstasy, a psychotropic substance similar to heroin, by Justice Akintayo Aluko. The prosecutor, Augustine Nwagu while arraigning the convicts told the court that the first convict who is 53 years old, was arrested on February 3, 2023, during outward…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, urged Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos to dismiss the application by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state seeking to vacate the forfeiture order in respect of 14 properties and the sum of N400m. The court had, on February 22, 2023, granted a preservation order of the properties linked to the Kogi State government and reasonably suspected to have been derived from unlawful activities, pursuant to Sections 9 and 10 of the Proceeds of Crimes (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022. The properties…