Football fans in Nigeria are on edge as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to announce its decision today on the contentious 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match between Nigeria and Libya.

The match, part of Group D, was marred by controversy after the Nigerian team experienced what has been described as inhumane treatment upon their arrival in Libya for the second leg against the Mediterranean Knights last Sunday.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) lodged an official complaint with CAF following an incident where the Super Eagles were reportedly left stranded at the airport without support.

A video shared by the Eagles’ media team captured the players and officials surrounded by their luggage, apparently ignored by Libyan airport staff who were conversing in Arabic.

The logistical nightmare began when the Nigerian team’s flight was unexpectedly diverted to Al Abraq International Airport—over 200 kilometers from their intended destination in Benina, where the match was scheduled at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium.

The airport, typically used for hajj operations, lacked essential amenities, contributing to the exhaustion and frustration of the players and officials.

The absence of a welcoming team and the unavailability of arranged transportation compounded the difficulties, forcing the NFF to seek alternative travel arrangements.

The situation escalated when the Nigerian delegation was confined at the airport for more than 20 hours without access to food, water, or outside communication, leading to their decision to boycott the match.

The Libyan Football Federation responded to the complaints by alleging non-cooperation from the Nigerian side during both legs of the qualifiers, suggesting that the treatment received by the Libyan team in Nigeria was comparably challenging.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe addressed the issue during a press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, stating that a thorough investigation was underway.

The football community, both in Nigeria and across Africa, is anxiously awaiting the outcome of CAF’s deliberations, which could have significant implications for the standings in Group D and the broader dynamics of the tournament qualifications.

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over hosts Dominican Republic in the ongoing 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, thanks to a stunning 89th-minute goal by midfielder Shakirat Moshood.

The match, played early Wednesday in Santo Domingo, saw Moshood’s powerful left-footed strike from 25 yards beat the Dominican goalkeeper, marking her fourth goal of the tournament.

Earlier in the game, Moshood had an attempt ruled offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) just 15 minutes in, while team captain Taiwo Afolabi forced the Dominican goalkeeper into a save shortly after.

Despite mounting pressure in the second half, it wasn’t until the final minutes that the Flamingos broke the deadlock.

The victory was the Flamingos’ third consecutive win, placing them at the top of Group A with nine points, ahead of Ecuador, hosts Dominican Republic, and New Zealand.

Nigeria’s young stars have been in dominant form throughout the tournament, netting eight goals and conceding just one in their previous group-stage matches.

Coach Bankole Olowokoore expressed his pride in the team’s performance, thanking Nigerians for their continued support.

He said, “I will not change our messages to Nigerians but to thank and appreciate them for their support. They should keep supporting us and having kept these vigils, it will not go in vain. Anytime they are watching us, we will give them joy, and we are going to make them proud. This is a promise that we made to them before we left Nigeria, and we are fulfilling the promise to them for them to be proud of us.”

The victory over the Dominican Republic was witnessed by a record-breaking crowd of 13,535 spectators, the highest attendance for any Dominican Republic national team match, according to the official FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup X handle.

With their place in the quarterfinals secured, the Flamingos will next face the United States in a highly anticipated knockout stage clash.

Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently meeting in Abuja over the recent crisis rocking the opposition party.

The meeting which is ongoing in Abuja is being held at the lodge of the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.

Apart from Mohammed, governors present include Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau).

While others are being expected, members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), the Board of Trustees (BoT) as well as other prominent members of the party.

Although the agenda of the meeting is unavailable to journalists, issues about having a substantive chairman for the party, the convening of a national executive committee meeting, and preparations for the forthcoming Ondo state governorship election have dominated discussions in some of their recent meetings.

More to follow…

Five personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) were among 19 travellers who lost their lives in an auto crash at Hawan Kibo in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State on Tuesday.

“The unfortunate incident occurred around Hawan Kibo along the Jos-Akwanga Express Road,” said NAF spokesman Olusola Akinboyewa in a statement.

“Our personnel were heading for a sporting event in Abuja when their vehicle was involved in a collision with an oncoming truck.

“Consequently, statutory administrative protocols applicable in circumstances as this have been activated by the NAF to provide comfort and succour to the bereaved families.”

Another account of the accident was given by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The Corps said the accident occurred as the 18-passenger Hiace bus travelling from Yola through Jos to Abuja ran into a stationary articulated vehicle on the highway leading to the death of the driver and all the 18 passengers.

A spokesperson for the FRSC in the state, Peter Longsan, told Channels Television on the phone that all passengers died in the tragic accident.

Longsan attributed the tragedy to high speed which led to the impact of the bus on the articulated vehicle, leaving no survivor.

He stated that the manifest recovered from the vehicle indicated that 18 passengers were on board alongside the driver of the ill-fated vehicle.

He said the remains of the victims have been deposited at a mortuary and FRSC personnel have cleared the wreckage of the vehicles from the highway. in perfect peace.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has raised the alarm over the threats posed by cybercrime, revealing that Nigeria lost more than $500 million to the criminal activity in 2022.

Chairman of the anti-graft agency, Ola Olukoyede spoke during a National Cybercrime Summit in Abuja on Tuesday.

“As a matter of fact, the research I did earlier this year confirmed that cybercrime has become the third largest GDP in the world with approximately 2,328 cases occurring daily.

“The implication of all this is that if left unchecked, cybercrimes portend grave dangers to the entire world.

“Bringing it to Nigeria, in 2022 alone, Nigeria lost over $500 million to cybercrime,” he said.

The chairman of the EFCC noted that cybercrime constitutes a significant percentage of the convictions recorded by the agency since he took office a year ago.

However, Olukoyede revealed that the agency has made plans to rechannel the energies of young people who are mostly perpetrators of cybercrime.

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has disqualified the chairman and members of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission, KANSIEC, from conducting the scheduled local government elections in the state.

The court ruled that the KANSIEC chairman and other members of the Commission are card carrying members of the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and also are not civil servants above grade level 14.

This is coming barely four days to the Kano LG elections, scheduled for Saturday October 26, 2024.

The court presided by Justice S.A Amobede made the declaration while delivering judgement in a suit filed by Aminu Aliyu Tiga, an All Progressives Congress, APC, member against KANSIEC, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, and 14 others.

According to him, “The defendants being card carrying members of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) and in partisan politics contrary to the Section 197 (1) (b) and Section 200 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 4 of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001, are not qualified to be the Chairman and Members of the of the Defendant, (KANSIEC).”

The judge further ruled that “Kabir Zakirai, the Secretary of the Commission, not being an officer in the Kano State Civil Service not below the rank of Director prior to his appointment as Secretary of the Commission, is not qualified to be appointed to the position pursuant to Section 14 of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001”.

The judge added that “the 1st Defendant (KANSIEC) whose composition of members was made in contravention of constitutional provisions of Section 197 (1)(b) and Section 200 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Section 4 of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001, cannot validly and competently conduct Local Government Election 2024 in respect of 44 Local Governments in Kano State until and unless qualified persons are duly and legally appointed as chairman and members of the commission in line with relevant extent law.”

Justice Amobede further ruled that whatever the Commission “did or has done or is doing in preparation of 2024 Local Government Election in Kano State such as issuance of election guidelines, circulars, screening of candidates, sale of nomination and expression interest forms whichever and howsoever are null and void and of no effect whatsoever”.

“The defendants are forthwith disqualified and removed from their positions as chairman and members of the Commission.

“The 1st defendant (KANSIEC) is forthwith restrained from conducting 2024 Local Government Election in respect of 44 Local Governments in Kano State until and unless qualified persons are duly appointed.

“The defendants are mandated forthwith not to participate and monitor the conduct of Local Government Election 2024 in Kano State until and unless the provisions of sections 197 (1) (b), 199 (2) and 200 (1) (a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and sections 4 (b) and 14 (1) of the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Law 2001 are fully complied with in the appointment of qualified persons as Chairman and Members of the 1st Defendant,” the judge added.

Justice Amobede directed the Police and other security agencies to forthwith ensure full compliance with the ruling.

A Deputy Comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Services, NCoS, Emby Anukwara, has disclosed that crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, was kept in a ‘privilege cell’ during his jail term in Kirikiri Prison.

He explained that Bobrisky was sent to the privilege cell because he was examined and found to have both male and female sex organs.

The deputy comptroller disclosed this at the correctional centre while addressing members of the House of Representatives investigative committee.

The committee had visited the facility as part of their investigative hearing into the allegations against Bobrisky.

A Lagos Court had sentenced Bobrisky to six months in prison for naira mutilation.

But recordings of a conversation leaked by social media sensation, Martins Ortse aka VeryDarkMan, suggested that Bobrisky never served his jail term at Kirikiri prison as ordered by the court.

In the audio, the crossdresser said he served his jail term in a lodge due to the influence of his ‘godfather’.

However, an investigative panel has said there was no evidence that Bobrisky slept outside the prison during his six-month jail term.

However, the officer while addressing the House of Representatives committee, said: “I am Emby Anukwara, Deputy Comptroller of Corrections and officer in charge of Medium when Bobrisky was brought in here.

“On April 12, 2024, Bobrisky was brought here at about 10:30 pm and at about that time, we could not do the necessary documentation.

“So knowing his history as to if he’s a male or female, we decided to take a proactive action; so I directed that he should be given a single cell in the privilege ward – privilege cell.

“He was taken to P-ward room 2 where we are. The next day when we did the admission, he was taken to medicals where the doctor and matron examined him and said he had a male and female organ.”

Popular Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, also known as Bobrisky has now been moved from the custody of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, to the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos State.

The socialite was arrested by Immigration officers at the Seme border on Sunday night October 20 while trying to ‘flee’ to  Benin republic. 

Punch reports that Bobrisky was transferred from the Immigration service office to the FCID where he spent the night with the police.

Confirming this development, the spokesperson for the FCID, Lagos, Mayegun Aminat, said;

“He is detained at FCID Alagbon. He is with us and we are to get a remand to keep him in custody today.”