News Review

  Champions League Knockout Draw: City vs. Real Madrid Headline Blockbuster Clashes NYON, Switzerland – The UEFA Champions League knockout play-off draw, held on Friday, has delivered a series of captivating matchups, with Manchester City's clash against Real Madrid headlining the round. This highly anticipated fixture pits two of Europe's footballing giants against each other, promising a spectacle of skill and tactical prowess. The draw has produced a diverse range of intriguing ties. Italy's Atalanta will face Belgian side Club Brugge, while a battle of footballing philosophies will unfold as German powerhouse Borussia Dortmund takes on Portugal's Sporting CP. Bayern Munich, another perennial contender, is set to meet Scottish champions Celtic. Elsewhere in the draw, Dutch side PSV Eindhoven will lock horns with Italian giants Juventus. AC Milan, hoping to recapture their former glory, have been drawn against Feyenoord of the Netherlands. An all-French ...

  Senator Ned Nwoko Resigns from PDP, Cites Deep Divisions and Factionalism as Reasons for Departure Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after years of involvement with the party since its inception in 1999. In a resignation letter addressed to the party leadership in Ward 8, Aniocha North LGA, dated January 30, Nwoko cited deep divisions and irreconcilable factions within the party as the primary reasons for his departure. "The fragmentation within the party has made it difficult to unite and advance the collective interests of our people," Nwoko stated, reflecting on the growing unrest within the party. He highlighted a recent physical altercation among top party officials on January 29, which further emphasized the internal struggles. While thanking the PDP for the platform it provided him during the 2022/2023 elections, Nwoko expressed that the party's current structure in Delta State was hind...

  Bayelsa Police Commissioner Sentenced to Prison for Contempt Over Land Dispute with Yenizue-gene Families YENAGOA – The Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police has been sentenced to prison for contempt of court, after failing to comply with a court order regarding a land dispute.  The order stems from a 2016 ruling in favor of nine Yenizue-gene community families (Fabiri, Ayoko, Aku, Ugbon, Obediah, Sampson, and Boye) concerning land currently occupied by the state security outfit, “Operation Doo-Akpo.” Lead Counsel for the families, Ukunbiriowei Saiyou, confirmed the committal order, issued by Justice R. Ajuwa on December 27, 2024, followed years of legal battles and the Commissioner’s repeated failure to appear in court or challenge the rulings.  The families, represented by Chief Honest Boye Wilson and Hon. Manager Fabiri, are urging compliance with the court judgments and have called on the Inspector General of Police to intervene. The land in question, located in As...

  PDP Governors Back Ude-Okoye, Reject Anyanwu, and Set NEC Meeting for March 13 Amid Leadership Crisis Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have officially affirmed Sunday Ude-Okoye as the party’s National Secretary, in line with the Court of Appeal’s judgment in Enugu State. The decision was made during a meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum held in Asaba, Delta State, on Friday. Led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, the PDP governors distanced themselves from embattled former National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu and called on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately implement the court’s ruling. In a communique issued after the meeting and signed by Mohammed, the governors also directed the NWC to convene the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting no later than March 13, 2025. Deepening Leadership Crisis The PDP has been grappling with internal turmoil since the 2023 general elections, with leadership disputes exace...

  PSC approves retirement of police officers above 60 amid IG tenure controversy ABUJA – The Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced the immediate retirement of a number of senior police officers who have either served for 35 years or reached the mandatory retirement age of 60.  The decision was reached during the Commission’s first extraordinary meeting of 2025, held in Abuja and presided over by its Chairman, retired Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hashimu Argungu. Key officials, including retired Supreme Court Justice Adamu Paul Galumje, retired DIG Taiwo Lakanu, and Commission Secretary Chief Onyemuchi Nnamani, were in attendance. A statement released by Ikechukwu Ani, spokesperson for the PSC, clarified that this action is in strict adherence to Public Service Rule No. 020908 (i & ii). This rule stipulates that retirement from public service is mandatory upon the completion of 35 years of service or the attainment of 60 years of age. The move aims to ensure c...

NYSC Increases Corps Members’ Allowance to N77,000 Starting February 2025 KATSINA – A significant boost is on the horizon for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. Director-General, Brigadier General Yushau Ahmed, announced on Thursday that the monthly allowance for corps members will more than double, rising from the current N33,000 to N77,000, beginning in February 2025. Brigadier General Ahmed made the announcement while addressing the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream II corps members in Katsina State. He confirmed that the substantial increase has been incorporated into the 2025 Federal Government budget. The implementation of the new allowance is contingent upon the successful passage of the budget. “This month (January) has already ended, but once the budget is passed, by next month (February), you will start receiving N77,000 instead of the usual N33,000,” the Director-General clarified. Beyond the allowance increase, Ahmed emphasized the government’s dedication to the welfare and s...

  Convicted Kidnap Kingpin Evans Seeks Mercy, Claims Reformation as Court Adjourns Trial to 2025 Lagos —Convicted kidnap kingpin Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, told the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on Thursday that he has repented and has applied to the Lagos State Government for mercy. Speaking through his lawyer, Emefo Etudo, Evans made the plea after taking his plea on an amended five-count charge, including murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, brought against him by the Lagos State Government. The prosecution, led by Sule Yusuf, requested the court to re-arraign Evans and his co-defendant, C.N. Udeh, as the case was starting afresh. The charges stem from allegations that Evans and an accomplice killed Peter Nweke and Chijioke Ngozi on August 27, 2013, in FESTAC Town, Lagos. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Etudo revealed that Evans had applied for a plea bargain, highlighting his alleged transformation. He noted that Evans, now a 200-...

  NCWGG Moves to Counter NLC’s February 4 Protest Over Telecom Tariff Hike The Nigeria Citizen Watch for Good Governance (NCWGG) has declared plans to mobilize against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in response to the nationwide protest scheduled for February 4. The group argues that the NLC’s opposition to the recent telecommunications tariff hike is harmful to Nigeria’s economy. In a statement on Thursday, NCWGG President Collins Eshiofeh Idowu defended the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) approval for telecom operators to increase tariffs by up to 50%. He stated that the decision was crucial for sustaining the industry, which is vital for job creation and economic stability. NCWGG criticized the NLC for disregarding the financial struggles of telecom companies, warning that rejecting the tariff adjustment could jeopardize millions of jobs and disrupt essential communication services. “This protest is an act of economic sabotage against the Nigerian people and th...

  Midnight Heist Ends in Death Sentence: Ekiti Court Condemns Four for Armed Robbery An Ekiti State High Court in Ado Ekiti has sentenced four men to death by hanging for conspiracy and armed robbery, following a violent attack on residents in Ikere Ekiti. The convicts—Ojo Tope (37), Aderopo Temitope (37), Oyedele Oluwatobi (27), and Damilola Christopher (30)—were found guilty of robbing multiple victims at gunpoint on August 3, 2021, stealing valuables including laptops, phones, jewelry, and cash. The fifth defendant, Ekundayo Ajiboye (29), was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. One of the victims recounted how the robbers broke into his home at midnight, forcing him out of hiding in the ceiling and assaulting him before looting the house. The police later arrested the suspects, who confessed to the crime. During the trial, the prosecution, led by Oluwaseun Olasanmi, presented four witnesses and the defendants’ confessional statements. The defense, represented by Adeyinka...

Adult Content Creator Dies in Hotel Fall; Investigation into Filming Incident Underway NOVA IGUAÇU, Brazil – Brazilian adult content creator Anna Beatriz Pereira Alves, known online as Anna Polly, died after falling from a hotel balcony in Nova Iguaçu. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death, which occurred at the Mont Blanc Apart Hotel on January 23, though news of the incident only recently emerged. Alves had reportedly invited two men to the hotel for a filmed encounter. Their accounts of the events leading up to her fall are reportedly conflicting, and no arrests have been made. The Baixada Fluminense Homicide Unit is reviewing CCTV footage, interviewing hotel staff, and analyzing Alves's mobile phone. Authorities have not yet released the results of the post-mortem examination, including whether toxicology tests were conducted or if there were signs of sexual violence. Police described the case as "complex," exploring all possibilities f...

  Lagos Butchers Warn of Meat Supply Crisis as Cow Prices Skyrocket from ₦500K to ₦1.7M, Daily Slaughter Drops by 40% Lagos – Lagos State faces a potential beef shortage as the daily number of cattle slaughtered has dramatically decreased, according to the Lagos State Butchers Association. Alhaji Bamidele Kazeem, patron of the association, revealed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the daily slaughter rate has fallen from 5,000 to 3,000 cows. This significant drop is attributed to a confluence of socio-economic challenges plaguing the nation. Kazeem explained that the decline began in 2015 with the Boko Haram insurgency, disrupting cattle rearing and supply chains. The situation has worsened due to the current exchange rate crisis, rampant inflation, and the rising cost of cattle. "Previously, we could purchase a cow for between ₦400,000 and ₦500,000, depending on the breed, size, and location, but we now pay between ₦1.6 million and ₦1.7 million for a cow,...