Football fans have a thrilling Sunday ahead, with key fixtures including a Madrid derby among others scheduled across Europe’s top leagues.

In the Premier League, Ipswich Town will face Aston Villa at 14:00. Villa, coming in as the favourites, will aim to secure an important away win.

The spotlight later shifts to a much-anticipated clash between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at 16:30, in what promises to be an intense encounter.

In La Liga, action kicks off at 13:00 as Celta Vigo hosts Girona. Girona enters the match as the favourites, while Celta hopes to upset the form book. Later, at 15:15, Athletic Club takes on Sevilla, followed by Real Betis facing Espanyol at 17:30. Both Sevilla and Espanyol are considered favourites in their respective matches.

The day in Spain wraps up with a blockbuster Madrid derby at 20:00 as Atletico Madrid locks horns with Real Madrid, with Los Blancos tipped to edge out their rivals.

Germany’s Bundesliga offers two key matches, starting with Holstein Kiel against Eintracht Frankfurt at 14:30. Frankfurt is expected to dominate the tie. Hoffenheim will then take on Werder Bremen at 16:30, where Hoffenheim is favoured to come out on top.

Over in Italy’s Serie A, Torino plays Lazio at 11:30, with Lazio tipped as favourites. Later, at 14:00, Como faces Hellas Verona, and Roma battles Venezia, with Verona and Roma expected to triumph. Fiorentina, the favourites, will visit Empoli at 17:00 before Napoli closes the day with a 19:45 fixture against Monza, where Napoli is widely expected to secure a win.

In Ligue 1, Toulouse will host Lyon at 14:00, with Lyon considered favourites. The afternoon will see two simultaneous matches at 16:00, as Reims takes on Angers and Nantes plays Saint-Etienne. Both Reims and Saint-Etienne are expected to take the points.

The day will conclude with Strasbourg facing Marseille at 19:45, with Marseille tipped to secure the victory.

With major teams in action and crucial points at stake, it promises to be an electrifying day of football across Europe.

The FCT police command has dismissed rumours of an alleged plan by some persons to abduct students from University of Abuja.

In a statement on Friday, Josephine Adeh, FCT police spokesperson, described the report as “baseless”.

“The report is nothing but baseless publications propagated by rumour mongers aiming to create unfounded panic and apprehension among FCT residents and university community,” she said.

Adeh restated the command’s commitment to safeguarding the lives and property of FCT residents.

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She added that personnel and equipment have been deployed to enhance security within the FCT.

She asked residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the FCT police command.

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, has asked Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), not to “put fire” in his state.

In August, Wike warned governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against interfering in the affairs of the party in Rivers state.

Wike and Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, have been at loggerheads over the control of the party’s political structure in the state.

The rift between both chieftains of the PDP has created two factions in the Rivers house of assembly, with each camp electing a speaker loyal to the minister and the governor.

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state and chair of the PDP Governors’ Forum, had said the party’s structure in Rivers state will be handed over to Fubara.

Displeased by Mohammed’s comment, Wike said he would “put fire” in the states controlled by governors of the PDP siding with Fubara.

Mohammed would later reply to the FCT minister’s threat, saying he had enough water to quench Wike’s fire.

But speaking on Saturday at an event organised in honour of the minister by the Ijaw Peoples Congress in Port Harcourt, Makinde pleaded with Wike to spare Oyo state should he decide to make bold his threat.

“I came to identify with my brother, the celebrant of today, the honourable minister of the federal capital territory and the immediate past governor of Rivers state,” Makinde said.

“When I showed up yesterday, I told him I brought peace offering because he has been boasting that he will put fire in some states. I said, please, don’t put fire in Oyo state.”

‘I’M BIGGER THAN ALL OF YOU’

Addressing the crowd, Wike said he is more powerful than all the governors siding with Fubara.

“All those who are moving around saying they are supporting somebody… you know it is not correct. You know some people don’t have shame. I cannot serve your boy,” Wike said.

“Now, they are not even waiting, they are even rushing after the boy. They are not even waiting for the boy to call them. They are now rushing to the boy. People don’t have integrity.

“Don’t ever think that they’re fighting me. They are not fighting me. I am too big. If you don’t recognise somebody bigger than you, you know you are sick. I’m far bigger— all of them put together. They cannot stand it.

“When people said they will put hand here (in Rivers). I told them: if you come here and put your hand, hand too will enter your place (state). Now they are crying.”

Wike claimed that the PDP lost the governorship election in Edo to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because governors of the party lacked strategy.

“Instead of them (governors) concentrating on how they would win election in their state, they were holding meetings elsewhere to discuss Rivers state,” he said.

“Who is the loser? This is a warning to others. Don’t touch Rivers state. It is a special state to God.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company says the country can get up to three million barrels per day of crude if all the stakeholders in the oil sector work in synergy.

The country currently produces an average of 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd), according to data from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Olufemi Soneye, NNPC’s chief corporate communications officer, spoke at an interactive session with reporters covering the national assembly in Abuja on Saturday.

Soneye said the country is now averaging 1.7 million bpd because of a recent directive President Bola Tinubu gave to security agencies.

“Three million barrels oil production per day is achievable in Nigeria if all the stakeholders work in synergy for that purpose from the security agencies both government and private owned, to oil companies and host communities,” he said.

“With the expected synergy from all the relevant stakeholders in the war against oil theft and pipeline vandalism, the enabling environment would be in place for optimal oil production to the volume of 2.5 to 3 million bpd.

“At a time, we felt that Nigeria was in trouble as far as oil theft was concerned, but with the intensity of the war against it (crude oil theft) has allayed our fears.”

Murtala Muhammad, NNPC’s deputy manager, command and control centre, said in six months, over 8,000 illegal refineries and 5,800 illegal oil pipelines were found and destroyed

Popular singer Bankole Wellington a.k.a Banky W is the latest of Nigerian entertainers who have relocated abroad with his family in recent times.

Few years back, the likes of actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Emem Isong-Mosidi, Joseph Benjamin, singer Tekno, Princess Chineke, Bukky Wright, Prince Eke, Jeta Amata among other top entertainers have left the shores of this country for reasons that are not unconnected with the worsening economic situation, insecurity and unending cases of kidnapping in the country.

Also, many other entertainers have said they relocated abroad in search of a better life. And the EME boss is no exception. The singer however revealed in an instagram post that relocating to America with his family was to enable him pursue a Master’s degree at Georgetown University in Washington DC.

Banky W’s relocating to America with his family has raised concerns about the steady mass exodus of Nigeria citizens, including celebrities. His joining the trend, however, speaks volumes of the hopeless situation that Nigerian youths have found themselves.

The federal government has declared Tuesday, October 1, as a public holiday to commemorate Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary.

Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of interior, announced the holiday on Saturday in a statement by Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary in the ministry.

The minister praised patient and hardworking Nigerians, adding that their sacrifices would not be in vain.

He also “reiterated the need for Nigerians to reflect on the labour of our heroes past and be inspired for the tasks ahead, realising that a Nigeria of our dream can only be built when we unite”.

“While wishing Nigerians a Happy Independence Day Anniversary, Dr. Tunji- Ojo urged the citizens to continue to be steadfast in nation-building,” the statement reads.

The federal government had announced that this year’s Independence Day anniversary will be a “low-key event” due to the economic hardship and spiralling inflation bedevilling millions of households.

THE Federal Government has made clarifications on the recent increase in passport fees, saying it is not feasible for the government to subsidise the issuance of the travel document.

Many Nigerians had criticized the government for increasing the passport fees by about 45 per cent.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, speaking at a news conference on Friday in Abuja, said the fee adjustment was caused by the high exchange rate between the dollar and the naira.

Recall that in August, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) announced an upward review of the fees for Nigerian Standard Passports.

With the new payment structure, the cost of a 32-page passport booklet with a five-year validity was hiked from N35,000 to N50,000, while a 64-page passport booklet with a 10-year validity rose from N70,000 to N100,000.

Tunji-Ojo maintained that the Federal Government could not subsidise passport fees for Nigerians, stressing that the travel document is an individual thing and not the same as National Identity Card that is produced free for Nigerians.

While also noting that the government was not exploiting Nigerians but simply covering the cost of passport procurement, the Minister, however, explained that the price increase did not affect the fees for Nigerians living abroad.

He said: “The increase in passport fees is a matter of cost-benefit analysis, especially when considering the exchange rate between the dollar and the naira.

“If the government were to subsidise anything, I don’t think it should be passports. The increase is just from N35,000 to N50,000 —only about 45%. There has been no increase for Nigerians abroad,” Tunji-Ojo said.

He added that Nigerians in the diaspora, particularly those in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, would soon enjoy more seamless passport acquisition processes.

“We are going to pre-launch these automated systems very soon. By October, they will be fully operational. In London, for instance, we have 16,000 Nigerians applying for passports, while the capacity of our systems at the Embassy is about 200.

“But now that we have this system in place, Nigerians will no longer need to undertake multiple journeys across the world to acquire a passport,” he stated.

He debunked claims on passport booklet scarcity while responding to a question, saying the NIS current has over 80,000 passports in stock.

He also noted that all passport backlogs had been cleared and that the Nigeria Immigration Service no longer owes its service providers for the printing and supply of passports.

Nigeria will be celebrating its 64th Independence Day on October 1, 2024.

While the government prepares for the traditional celebrations, certain groups have slated this day to begin sustained protests against the current hardship, which they attribute to ‘bad governance.’ This planned protest, tagged #FearlessInOctober or EndBadGovernanceProtestInNigeria 2.0, follows a similar 10-day protest in August where thousands across various states expressed grievances against government policies.

The August protests focused on reversing government policies, including the removal of subsidy on petrol, floating the naira, and increasing electricity tariffs. Despite passionate pleas and cautions from authorities, protests turned violent, with attacks on persons and infrastructure.

To prevent a repeat of the August violence, the presidency is engaging with protest organizers to reach an understanding before October 1. Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga said that the government supports peaceful protests but is apprehensive about potential riots.

“Government is not against any peaceful protest by Nigerians. After all, it is their fundamental right to stage any protest.

“But government is always apprehensive about such protests degenerating into a riot as we experienced in August or the 2020 EndSARS protest in many parts of the country.

“Security agencies have been discussing with some of the organisers and they are being monitored so that they do not plunge the country into chaos or allow themselves to be used by internal and external forces which want to subvert the country and the 16-month-old administration”, he said.

He highlighted that economic reforms have started yielding dividends, citing indicators from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Since the August protests, the economic situation has worsened. Petrol prices have risen to over N1,000, and the exchange rate exceeds N1,600

Makes U-Turn from supporting Tinubu

Joe Igbokwe, a staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), has alleged that those who will rescue Nigeria have not been born.

Igbokwe, one of those who campaigned actively for Tinubu in the buildup to the election, said this while commenting on the cost of living crisis.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Igbokwe lamented that a bag of rice now costs N100,000

“With all the rice mills we have in Nigeria, my wife just told me that a bag of rice is now ₦100k plus. Without sounding immodest, I am constrained to say that the men and women that will rescue this country from self-inflicted pains and tears are not born yet,” he wrote.

Recently, Igbokwe, who served under virtually every Lagos governor since 1999, has been critical of some policies of the Tinubu administration, marking a departure of what he stood for.

Two weeks ago, he lamented over the hike in electricity tarrif, asking Tinubu to look into it.

In a post on his Facebook page three weeks ago, Igbokwe lamented that N20,000 worth of units only lasted him for just a day.

He said: “PBAT, please look into the new electricity tariff in Nigeria. It will kill businesses if the government does not act as quickly as possible. I have a small office in Surulere with about 7 units of AC.

“We used to buy 300 plus units for N20,0000. Yesterday we bought N20,000 worth of units and it lasted for just one day. They call it band A group. I pray that we review this.”

David Umahi, minister of works, says the first phase of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project will be completed on May 29, 2025.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during an inter-ministerial press briefing as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 64th independence anniversary, the minister said after the project is completed, it will be tolled for five to 10 years to recover construction costs.

The construction of the highway began in March. The first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometres of dual carriageway, was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.

“We started the coastal highway, 700 kilometers that is traversing Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, ” Umahi said.

“People did not understand the merits of this project. People did not see this project as an investment. And so today, the first section is going to be completed by May 29 and we’re going to toll it, and we’re going to get back our money within five to 10 years.”

According to the minister, the federal government is planning to implement additional initiatives, including developing land along the corridor for tourism, factories, and housing, as part of efforts to further enhance returns on the project.

“We also acquired a number of land within the corridor, because we’ve seen that tolling of roads alone is not just going to give you return on investment immediately,” Umahi said.

“So, along these corridors, we are acquiring land where we use for tourism, where we use for factories, where we use for housing and so on and so forth.”

Umahi also said the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is designed to relieve the strain on Apapa Wharf.

“This has long faced challenges due to its shallow berths that limit cargo handling capacity. These constraints have necessitated the costly process of transloading, where goods are shifted between vessels, resulting in significant daily financial losses for Nigeria,” he said.

The minister further said the importance of the seven axle road under construction is to facilitate the seamless transportation of goods from the Dangote refinery, fertilizer plant, and other major industries within the Lekki free trade zone.

“This critical infrastructure will connect to the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, ensuring smoother logistics and supply chains across key regions, including the North, south-west, south-south, and south-east,” the minister said.

Umahi added that the project is set to tap into the renewable energy potential along the coastal corridor, with plans to harness wind energy for future development.