Author: Akintayo Adams

Sporting Lisbon have sacked manager Joao Pereira after just eight games in charge. Pereira, who replaced Ruben Amorim when he left to join Manchester United, was promoted from his role as Sporting Lisbon’s B team boss. However, Pereira’s tenure was short-lived as he won only three of his eight matches. Sporting Lisbon confirmed Pereira’s sacking on their official social media handle with a brief statement: “A Lion forever. Thank you, Joao Pereira.” The decision to sack Pereira came after a series of disappointing results, including a goalless draw against Gil Vincente and a heavy defeat by Arsenal in the Champions…

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has disclosed that the Nigeria Police Force recorded a total of 30,313 arrests, recovered 1,984 firearms, and 23,250 rounds of ammunition in 2024. A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, noted that Egbetokun made the disclosure at a strategic meeting held on Tuesday, with senior police officers of the Nigeria Police Force. According to him, the meeting, which took place at the Goodluck Ebele Peacekeeping Hall, Force Headquarters Abuja, served as a platform for reviewing the achievements of the Force in the year 2024. The statement partly…

The bald eagle, a symbol of the United States’ power and strength for more than 240 years, is now officially the national bird of the country. President Joe Biden signed into law legislation that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle as the national bird. The bald eagle has been a national emblem in the U.S. for years, appearing on the Great Seal of the U.S. since 1782. The final design was approved in 1782 and includes a bald eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-like shield, the motto “E…

The Central Bank of Nigeria has disqualified 41.65 million shares worth N822.60 million in Access Holdings Plc’s recently concluded rights issue. In a corporate notice filed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Wednesday, the disqualified shares, linked to five applicants, were flagged for reasons stated in the Capital Verification Report. “41,650,447 shares from five applicants among the 24,100 acceptances, valued at N822,596,328.25 were disqualified by the Central Bank of Nigeria for reasons stated in the Capital Verification Report. Therefore, 18,755,158,972 shares valued at N370.41 billion were accepted having been confirmed as valid and verified by the CBN,” the statement read.…

A military airstrike targeting Lakurawa terrorists struck the villages of Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa in Sokoto’s Silame Local Government Area at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 10 civilians and injuring several others, according to residents and community leaders. The operation also destroyed homes and livestock. Governor Ahmed Aliyu visited the affected areas, offering condolences and pledging a thorough investigation. He stated that the strike, though unintentional, was part of a broader effort to neutralize terrorists. “This was not deliberate. We must accept it as Muslims,” the governor remarked after participating in funeral prayers for the deceased.…

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police have detained Catholic Church officials in connection with a stampede that claimed ten lives during the distribution of food items at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama last weekend. The arrests follow public outcry, including demands from the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) group, for accountability regarding similar tragedies, such as the one in Anambra State, where 22 people died, and another in Oyo State that led to court proceedings. Reacting to the arrests, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, criticized the government’s approach, describing it as “misplaced zeal.” In his Christmas…

Former Liverpool star Stan Collymore has advised Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford to consider moving to Bournemouth. Collymore believes Rashford, who has not been used in the last three matches, should either go abroad or join a progressive Premier League club. He suggested Bournemouth as a potential destination where Rashford could enjoy his football in a less pressured environment. “Marcus Rashford should leave Manchester United. I’ve been saying it for probably a couple of years now, and he should either go abroad or to a progressive Premier League club. “Would that be a West Ham [United] or a Brighton [&…

Former Manchester United assistant coach Rene Hake has defended Erik ten Hag against claims that he was solely responsible for the club’s recruitment activities. In an interview with Voetbal International, Hake emphasized that Ten Hag did not handle transfers on his own and that Manchester United has a large scouting force. Hake also expressed sadness over their dismissal and believed that with more time, they could have turned things around at Old Trafford. “Manchester United has a scouting force of 40 people or so. Erik did not deal with transfers on his own and you now also see that Martínez,…

Thousands of passengers have flocked to designated motor parks in Abuja, Lagos, and other states to take advantage of the 50% reduction in transport fares provided by the Federal Government. The Ministry of Transportation announced last Thursday that it had agreed with stakeholders in the road transport sector to support Nigerians traveling during the Yuletide by covering half of the road travelers’ fare. Additionally, the government commenced free rail transportation for citizens on December 20, 2024. The implementation of the scheme faced funding challenges from the Ministry of Finance, delaying its commencement. This initiative, according to a Memorandum of Understanding,…

The Federal Government of Nigeria spent N8.73bn on airport power infrastructure in 2024, primarily to ensure a consistent electricity supply at the new international terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. This expenditure was highlighted in a report by BudgIT’s transparency platform, GovSpend. Significant payments were made to J. Marine Logistics Ltd for outsourced power supply, including N5.67bn for power supply between March and September 2023, N2.19bn on 9 May 2024 for services covering October to November 2023 and part of December 2023, and an additional N874.42m on the same day as a part-payment for power during that period.…