Author: David Great

Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Wednesday, hosted the immediate past chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state at his private residence in Port Harcourt. The former chairmen visited to express their unwavering support for Fubara and his administration’s vision, encapsulated in the mantra “Rivers First.” Leading the delegation was Prince Ezebunwo Ichemati, former chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON) and ex-Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council. During the visit, the 23 former LGA chairmen reaffirmed their loyalty to the governor’s mandate, urging…

Embattled Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has issued an apology to former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, following a heated exchange between Ezekwesili and Ebonyi North Senator, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, during a Senate hearing. The altercation occurred on Tuesday during a session of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, where Akpoti-Uduaghan had lodged a fresh petition against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alleging intimidation, defamation, and sexual harassment. Ezekwesili, who attended the hearing as a witness alongside Abiola Akiode, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s counsel, and petitioner Zubairu Yakubu, clashed with Nwaebonyi, who was representing Akpabio. During the session, Nwaebonyi persistently interrupted Ezekwesili,…

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered the creation of temporary camps for residents displaced by the recent communal clashes involving Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin Osun. The governor also announced that the 24-hour curfew remains in effect, with security agencies intensifying surveillance in the affected areas. The crisis, which began as a boundary dispute between Ifon and Ilobu on Friday, escalated by Saturday, spreading to Erin Osun. In response, the state government upgraded the initial 12-hour curfew to a full-day restriction of movement in the three towns. The violence resulted in casualties and widespread destruction, with many houses set ablaze.…

Iran has secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after playing to a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium on Tuesday. Inter Milan forward Mehdi Taremi was instrumental in the match, scoring twice in the second half to ensure Iran’s qualification for a fourth consecutive World Cup and their seventh overall appearance in the tournament. Uzbekistan took the lead early in the 16th minute through Khojimat Erkinov, but Iran responded in the second half when Taremi equalized in the 52nd minute. However, just a minute later, Abbosbek Fayzullaev restored Uzbekistan’s lead, making it 2-1. Taremi then…

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has cautioned against the distortion of historical facts, emphasizing its role in fueling communal conflicts. Speaking at a methodology workshop organized by the Historical Society of Nigeria in collaboration with 12 South West universities, Adeleke urged historians to remain objective in their narratives. The event, themed ‘Cutting Edge Knowledge Production for 21st Historians and Diplomats’, was held at Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, on Tuesday. Represented by Dr. Abioye Oyewusi, a commissioner in the Osun Teaching Service Commission, the governor linked recent communal clashes in Ifon, Ilobu, and Erin Osun to historical distortions. He challenged…

The Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced Oguzie Chima Joseph, also known as Sergeant Flores Nguyen, to two years in prison for internet fraud. According to a statement released on Tuesday by Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Joseph was convicted by Justice Sergius Onah on two counts of cybercrime. One of the charges against him read, “That you, Oguzie Chima Joseph (a.k.a Sergeant Flores Nguyen), sometime in 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to obtain property and gain advantage for yourself, fraudulently presented…

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini have been cleared of corruption charges by a Swiss court, two and a half years after their initial acquittal. The Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court in Muttenz, near Basel, upheld their previous acquittal, rejecting the prosecution’s case regarding a 2 million Swiss franc payment Blatter authorized for Platini in 2011. Swiss federal prosecutors had appealed the 2022 ruling, alleging that Blatter and Platini fraudulently claimed FIFA owed Platini money for advisory work between 1998 and 2002. However, the court ruled that their explanation—an oral agreement for the…

Group C leaders in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, South Africa, face a potential three-point deduction after fielding an ineligible player during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho last Friday. The controversy surrounds midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who had accumulated two yellow cards earlier in the qualifiers. He was first booked in South Africa’s 2-1 win over Benin in November 2023, receiving a caution in the 54th minute. He received another yellow card in the 52nd minute during their 3-1 victory over Zimbabwe in June 2024. Despite these bookings, Mokoena started against Lesotho and played 82 minutes before being substituted.…

The Oyo State Police Command has indicted 17 out of 59 students arrested in connection with the destruction of science laboratory equipment worth over N25 million at Christ Apostolic Church Grammar School, Oniyere, Ibadan. The revelation was made during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Eleyele Police Headquarters, attended by the state Commissioner of Police, Johnson Adenola, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Fatai Owoseni (rtd.), and the Commissioner for Education, Salihu Adelabu, among others. According to Adenola, the students, who were from Government Technical College, Orita Aperin, stormed the CAC Grammar School premises and caused extensive damage.…

The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that it had launched airstrikes on two military bases in central Syria while also clashing with militants in the country’s south. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, “A short while ago, the Israel Defense Forces struck military capabilities at the Syrian military bases of Tadmur and T4.” The targeted bases, located in Homs province, have been subject to repeated IDF strikes in recent months due to their strategic position along arms supply routes. The IDF stated that its operations are aimed at military sites connected to Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah,…