Author: Vincent Osuwo

Brazil forward Richarlison netted a 90th-minute goal, while club record signing Sandro Tonali recorded his first score as 10-man Tottenham triumphed over London rivals Chelsea, 2-1, in a lively preseason friendly in Sydney on Saturday. Both teams presented robust line-ups, with Spurs taking the lead on 19 minutes via Tonali’s deflected shot before Estevao equalized just two minutes later. Tottenham defender Kevin Danso received a direct red card just three minutes after he came on at halftime for fouling Joao Pedro as Chelsea took control of the game in the second half. However, in front of 80,363 spectators at Stadium…

The Nigerian Army has rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lt Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following a 10-day combined search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State. This was stated in a military operations report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday. According to the military, the victims were liberated in the early hours of Friday morning after continued pressure on their captors. According to the military, the operation was carried out by forces from Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, which included personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced),…

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announces the cancellation of the controversial initiative to sell stakes in the governing body’s competitions to private investors due to extensive backlash. Infantino stated that it has become evident the initiative had “fostered divisions” that are “no longer aligned” with its initial goal. The Swiss official stated, “Consequently, this proposal will not move forward.” Infantino proposed $40m (£30m) to Fifa’s 211 member associations if they supported a plan for private investment in its events, including the World Cups for both men and women. Nonetheless, Uefa – the organisation overseeing European football – reacted by voting to…

Police in Kwara State have rescued a 26-year-old kidnapped woman, Shekinat Mukaila, and arrested a suspected collaborator with the criminal gang that kidnapped her during an attack on Wande Community in the state’s Ora Kingdom of Ifelodun Local Government Area. The rescue was part of a series of intelligence-led operations launched on Friday by Ojo Adekimi, the state commissioner of police in Ilorin. According to the police commissioner, the girl was kidnapped on July 15 when armed hoodlums stormed the community, and her father, the Baale of Wande, was shot while attempting to oppose the intruders. Adekimi said, “On 15th…

The US Mission in Nigeria has warned intending travellers against using artificial intelligence or digital editing tools on their passport photographs. The mission said such photos would not be accepted for visa applications. In a statement on its X handle on Saturday, the mission said passport photos must be recent and must clearly resemble the applicant. It added that submitting an altered image would delay the application process. “Do not use AI or digital editing tools on your passport photo. We will not accept photos that are edited or filtered. “Your photo should be recent (taken within the past six…

Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, often known as Portable, has apologized to organizers and fans for abruptly pulling out of his celebrity boxing rematch against actor Charles Okocha after the first round on Friday night. The apology came hours after the highly anticipated celebrity boxing battle, organized by Balmoral Group, ended in disappointment when Portable refused to continue after the first round, disappointing supporters at the site. In a statement made on Saturday by his management, Zeh Nation/Dr. Zeh, the artist apologized to the organizers, event staff, supporters, and everyone who attended the event, calling the outcome disappointing. “We sincerely apologize…

Controversial Nigerian street singer Habeeb Okikiola, also known as Portable, has explained why he left the ring during his celebrity boxing rematch with Nollywood actor Charles Okocha. The “Zazoo Zeh” singer said he was unfairly harassed throughout the fight and that Okocha turned to wrestling instead of boxing. He remarked in a video posted on his Instagram profile on Saturday, just hours after being eliminated from the highly publicized event hosted at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Portable appeared in the video with a wound on his back and body, claiming he was bitten during…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday described his decision to select former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election as his biggest mistake. Obasanjo made the comment in Lagos during a fireside chat with renowned performer and activist Charles Oputa, often known as Charly Boy, during the public launch of Charly Boy’s foundation and memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa. The former president, who served alongside Atiku from 1999 to 2007, said that while every leader makes mistakes in office, his choice of vice president was the one he…

Nigerian Street-pop singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, lost his celebrity boxing rematch against Nollywood actor Charles Okocha by disqualification on Friday after walking out of the ring before the end of the opening round at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. The bout, dubbed “Unfinished Business”, was scheduled as a rematch of their contentious first fight, which Okocha said was wrongly awarded in Portable’s favour. Portable appeared to have the upper hand before the bout devolved into a wrestling-style brawl, with the referee unable to separate the two participants. The round ended when the…

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has encouraged President Bola Tinubu to follow through on his vow to revisit unsolved cases of assassination and extrajudicial executions across the country in 2023. Soyinka made the appeal on Friday at the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture Series organised by the National Association of Seadogs (Pirates Confraternity) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The lecture, themed ‘Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage’, was chaired by former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Chief Timi Alaibe. The award-winning playwright also demanded justice for victims of unresolved killings, including Deborah Samuel, who…