Author: Vincent Osuwo

A slight adjustment has occurred in how FIFA is creating league tables for the 2026 World Cup—and it could significantly affect the concluding group games. For the first time in a World Cup, FIFA is utilizing head-to-head records rather than group goal difference as the main tiebreaker for teams with equal points. Up until 1966, teams were distinguished by goal ratio, which calculated a team’s scored goals divided by the goals allowed. In 1970, FIFA adopted goal difference—up to this point. It aligns FIFA with UEFA, which has consistently prioritized outcomes between teams. The reasoning is that evaluating the direct…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday convicted and sentenced the mother and sister of late bandit mastermind Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo to 40 years in jail each. The convicted, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, were found to have given information to Battujo via telephone conversations in favor of his terrorist acts, thus committing an offense against and punishable under Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Prohibition) Act of 2022. The court, in a decision issued by Justice Hauwa Yilwa, also convicted the two ladies of concealing information by failing to report Battujo’s activities to law enforcement or security authorities…

The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) has distanced itself from a list of supposed candidates for Imo, Abia, and Anambra state elections that is now circulating on social media, calling it fraudulent and unapproved. In a statement issued on Friday by its National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, the party advised members and the general public to dismiss the lists, claiming that they did not come from the party’s national headquarters. The NDC maintained that it had previously submitted an authentic list of candidates who would fly the party’s flag in the impacted states to the Independent National Electoral Commission using the routes…

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Friday, threatened disciplinary action against members it accused of undermining the authority of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, amid efforts to resolve a growing leadership dispute within the organization. In a statement issued by its media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, the group warned that any member or faction violating Kanu’s directions or the organization’s Code of Conduct would face punishments such as suspension, removal from office, or expulsion. The warning comes following the disintegration of the third administration of IPOB’s Directorate of State, led by Chika Edoziem, and the inauguration of a…

Costa Rica’s president, Laura Fernandez, was evacuated by security officers on Friday after a loud explosion while on a visit to a mining location. Laura Fernandez, the conservative populist president, later told reporters that she was unharmed following the panic at Crucitas, near the Nicaraguan border. Fernandez and other politicians were exploring an area notorious for its unauthorized gold mines when a burst of unknown origin caused security with firearms to whisk her away in a car, video footage from the site reveals. “It felt like what you see in a movie,” Fernandez said. “They grab you by the hair, throw you…

President Bola Tinubu has authorized a last six-month tenure extension for Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller general of the Nigeria Customs Service, allowing him to serve until February 2027. Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, confirmed the extension in a statement made on Friday. According to the announcement, Adeniyi’s first tenure extension was set to expire on August 1, 2026, but Tinubu granted him another six months to accomplish important reforms at the Customs Service. Onanuga said the extension was granted “to enable him to consolidate the implementation of the National Single Window and ensure an orderly…

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has approved the appointment of CSP Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu as the new Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, just three months after his predecessor, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, took over the position. Placid, the outgoing Force public relations officer, said in a statement on Friday that Iniedu is a seasoned officer with vast experience in public communication, operational policing, intelligence management, institutional responsibility, and administration. Iniedu, a native of Akwa Ibom State’s Etinan Local Government Area, graduated from the University of Uyo with a bachelor of science in pure chemistry.…

The Kwara State Government has barred all public and private schools in the state from holding graduation, valedictory, or other end-of-session celebrations for students. Mrs. Bunmi Osanupin, a director in the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, wrote a letter on behalf of the commissioner, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, outlining the directive. The letter was addressed to Prof. Raheem Adaramaja, Chairman of the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), and made accessible to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital. According to the letter, the decision was made in light of current security challenges…

The federal government is considering a new project that would allow journalists to join military forces on specific operations. This was supposed to be in an effort to improve security reporting and provide the public with a better understanding of the reality of counterinsurgency and other internal security activities. Gen. Christopher Musa, Minister of Defence, announced the plan at the National Security Summit hosted by the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Abuja on Thursday. Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole, the minister’s special adviser, stated that the proposed arrangement would improve collaboration between media and security agencies and promote transparency in military…

The US Defense Department would seek Congress for approximately $80 billion to cover costs associated with the Iran conflict and other liabilities. President Donald Trump has faced criticism from Americans who accuse him of pouring billions of public funds into the Middle East conflict while oil prices and inflation soar in the United States. According to the Journal, Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg conveyed the proposal with senators this week, citing sources familiar with the deliberations. Pentagon officials have stated that unless Congress passes a new wartime appropriations package, they will run out of funds for operations in the coming…