₦airaland Forum

Drinkwater

Racoon:
UK and Europe is still forming being woke while terrors have fully nestled down in their domain. It is good that the UAE is even prioritizing national security over political correctness. The UAE therefore has a lower tolerance for radical Islam than the UK.

Meanwhile, Israel seems to be the only country that knows and understands the minds of Islamic terrorists better than the ignorant West.

Is UK not in Europe again

OsinAmaka:
This will affect those people that always see Fuel Station as a dumping ground for "tear Tear money".

Hahahaha.......

Kobicove:
I ate sardines two days ago.

Go to Bokku Supermarket they sell it 950Naira

That one na fake Titus sardines

CodeTemplarr:
How can Asaba be closer to Abuja than Benin when you must go through Benin to reach Asaba? Maybe it is line-of-sight distance then or rail is involved.

Asaba-Onitsha-Enugu-Kogi-Abuja route

MaziObinnaokija:
ok.
U play AFCON and from there u go World cup. Shey those boys won't be over exhausted

Oga the next world cup na 2030 while AFCON na as from 2028

BBC Sport
Afcon to be held every four years from 2028

Ivory Coast won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on home soil after a dramatic run to the final which included sacking their manager mid-tournament


The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will be held every four years from 2028, Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has announced.

The tournament has taken place every two years since 1968, with a one-year gap between the 2012 and 2013 editions.

But it will switch to a four-year cycle after the 2027 Afcon in East Africa and a 2028 edition.

Motsepe has instead announced the creation of an African Nations League which will take place annually from 2029.

"We have the most exciting new structure for African football," Motsepe said.

"I do what is in the interests of Africa. The global calendar has to be significantly more synchronised and harmonised."

Meanwhile, Caf has increased the prize money for the winners of Afcon from $7m (£5.2m) to $10m (£7.5m).

The surprise announcement about the future of Afcon was made by Motsepe after a meeting of Caf's executive committee in Morocco before the start of the 2025 finals in Rabat on Sunday.

The biennial hosting of Afcon has long caused issues with the football calendar - with the vast majority of recent tournaments held midway through the European club season.

Caf had made a resolution for Afcon to be held in a June-July slot from 2019 onwards and began its new plan in Egypt that year.

But the Covid-19 pandemic and weather conditions in host nations in West Africa meant the 2021 and 2023 editions in Cameroon and Ivory Coast respectively were staged in January and February instead.

Fifa's expanded 32-team Club World Cup was held in June and July this year, forcing Caf to opt for mid-season dates once again.

As a result this year's Afcon in Morocco will take place over Christmas and the New Year for the first time, with the final on 18 January.

The dates for the finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027 are yet to be announced, and that will be swiftly followed by another Afcon in 2028 - with the hosts of that edition yet to be decided.

After that, the continent's biggest tournament will become a quadrennial tournament taking place in the same year as the European Championships.

Motsepe said the decision had been made in conjunction with Fifa president Gianni Infantino and the world governing body's general secretary Mattias Grafstrom - and that Caf "have to compromise".

African Nations League set for 2029
Motsepe also announced the creation of the African Nations League, which will take place in September, October and November every year from 2029.

The competition will see all 54 member associates split into four zones, with six nations in the Northern zone and 16 nations in the Eastern, Western and Central and Southern zones.

Matches will be played in September and October, with the champions from each region meeting in November to then decide an overall winner.

Motsepe said the new competition will be "the equivalent of an Afcon every year" and will be held in partnership with Fifa in order to attract top-class sponsors.

"Every year in Africa, the best African players who play in Europe will be with us on the continent," Motsepe added.

"Every year we will have a competition with 54 African nations with all the best players coming here to play.

"We are going to have a world-class competition every year."


Africa Sport
Football

Box18:
This will be a very tough fight for Chelsea just hope they win, FTC blues try and win this game for me

Dem go collect wotowoto!

Nice one for naija
Up Dangote

helinues:
From frying pan to fire. Popcorn

How other political party wan win Apc in FCT in the 2027 election is something I am not seeing coming

Meanwhile, na birds remain for LP..

APC no get level for grassroot politics for Abuja

They should allow them go join their brothers in the yeast so that Delta State capital can be jejely move to Warri

Following the crisis over the governorship primaries of the People’s Democratic Party scheduled for today by the National Working Committee of the Party, Governor Ademola Adeleke has resigned from the party.
Adeleke made his resignation known on Monday night via a letter dated November 4.

It would be recalled that the governor has been screened by the Party in October earlier before the Ibadan National convention.

The PDP National Working Committee has earlier scheduled its governorship primary for Tuesday, December 2 in Osogbo.

But in the latest turn of event, Adeleke released a resignation letter just hours to the event.

His letter partly read, “Due to the current crisis of the’ national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”

Source....insightlinks.net

A former Chief of Defence Staff is set to return to public service in a civilian capacity, as President Bola Tinubu prepares to reshuffle the defence portfolio following the exit of Mohammed Badaru.

Naija News had earlier reported that General Christopher Musa met the President at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Monday evening, arriving at the State House shortly after 7:00 pm for a closed-door session.

The visit was his first public engagement with the Presidency since his retirement from military service on October 24, 2025.


Top government sources told SaharaReporters that during the meeting, President Tinubu informed the retired defence chief that he would succeed Badaru as Nigeria’s next Defence Minister.

A presidency insider disclosed that Tinubu delivered the message directly, telling Musa, “You will succeed Badaru as Defence Minister.”

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Badaru, tendered his resignation late Monday night, citing health concerns as the core reason for stepping away from office.

In a letter dated December 1, 2025, addressed to President Tinubu, the minister said his decision to exit public service was based strictly on medical advice, according to a statement released by the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday.

The statement read, “President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Abubakar for his services to the nation.”

Badaru also received praise from the President, who expressed appreciation for his commitment during his tenure.

The Presidency confirmed that Tinubu would communicate the name of Badaru’s successor to the Senate imminently.

“President Tinubu will likely inform the Senate of Badaru’s successor later this week,” the statement added.

Before his appointment to Tinubu’s cabinet, Badaru served as a two-term governor of Jigawa State.

He governed Jigawa State from 2015 to 2023, before being appointed a minister on August 21, 2023, after the 2023 general elections.

Source......Naija News

Federal Government has unveiled a fresh list of individuals and companies accused of powering the financial lifelines of terrorist networks — a move officials said marks one of the boldest steps yet in Nigeria’s 2024 counter-terrorism drive.


The designations, drawn from a far-reaching inter-agency security review, identified nine individuals and six business entities alleged to have aided the flow of money, logistics and other support materials to extremist groups operating within and outside the country, according to reports from a security analyst, ZagazOla

Those named in the latest security brief include Tukur Mamu, Yusuf Ghazali, Muhammad Sani, Abubakar Muhammad, Sallamudeen Hassan, Adamu Ishak, Hassana-Oyiza Isah, Abdulkareem Musa and Umar Abdullahi.

In addition, the government flagged several firms — mostly Bureau De Change operators and general trading outfits — for allegedly enabling transactions tied to terrorist activities. The companies listed are West & East Africa General Trading Company Limited, Settings Bureau De Change Ltd, G. Side General Enterprises, Desert Exchange Ventures Ltd, Eagle Square General Trading Company Limited, and Alfa Exchange BDC.


Security operatives, who worked on the review, said the action was the result of “months of intelligence tracking,” during which investigators dissected suspicious financial flows and worked closely with international partners. According to one senior official, the move is aimed at “cutting off the oxygen supply” that allows terror networks to thrive.


Authorities say the clampdown is part of a broader national strategy to reinforce financial-sector compliance, curb the misuse of BDC operations, and bolster ongoing military missions in the North-East and North-West.

The Federal Government has also signalled that the dragnet will widen. Officials confirmed that more names are currently under scrutiny as agencies intensify surveillance of banks, money-changing outlets and cross-border cash movements.
Source..... National Accord Newspaper

Join bridge side by side
Bridge na road wey dem dey join side by side
Moon Moon pro max

Tupacx:
You join another one to it side by side na.. moonmoon

No be the sense wey una take dey reason be that?

Because there is an existing road, new one should not be built to connect through another route?

Sense far from una.

The 2nd niger bridge is a perfect example cos the 2nd niger bridge also connect Asaba to Anambra the same way the 1st bridge did but through another route.

Abeg enlighten me on how to increase the lanes of an existing bridge

asfrank:
There was no need for the Second Niger Bridge. The government should have repaired the first bridge and increase the lanes instead of a New bridge

Vanguard News


Senator Natasha’s Recall

GOING by the provisions of Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, those seeking to recall Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, from the Senate have 10 hurdles to scale

Sections 69, 110, and 160 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), along with Sections 2(c) and 113 of the Electoral Act, 2022, empower INEC to issue regulations and guidelines governing the recall of a member of the National Assembly, a State House of Assembly, or an Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

10 tortuous steps
Section 69 of the 1999 Constitution provides 10 clear but tortuous steps on how a senator can be recalled from the Senate.
The steps are:

1 Petition
More than half of the registered voters in the Senator’s senatorial district write, sign and send a petition to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC alleging their loss of confidence in the senatorial district senator

2 Signing of petition
The petition must be signed, and arranged according to polling units, wards, Local Government Areas, and constituency.

3 INEC notifies senator
INEC notifies the Senator sought to be recalled, stating that it has received a petition for his or her recall, if the petition is valid

4 Signatures verification date
INEC issues a public notice or announcement stating the date, time and location of the verification of signatures to the petition

5 Signatures verification
INEC verifies the signatures to the petition at the designation. The signatories must be individuals who appear on the voters’ register.

6 No referendum
INEC writes to the petitioners stating that the minimum requirements for a referendum were not met, if the number verified is less than one half of the registered voters in that constituency. The petition will therefore be dismissed.

7 Referendum
INEC fixes date for a referendum if more than one half (50% + 1) of the signatories are verified

8 Referendum within three months
INEC conducts a referendum within 90 days of receipt of the petition if the minimum requirements for a referendum are met. The referendum will be a simple yes or no vote on whether the Senator should be recalled, and will be decided by a simple majority of the votes of the persons registered to vote in that Senator’s constituency.

The conduct of a referendum introduces a major hurdle in the process as 50 per cent of registered voters must participate in a referendum. In the case of Kogi Central, 237, 277 voters constituting half of the 474,554 registered voters are needed. In the 2023 general elections, for instance, voter turnout was only around 27 per cent. In Kogi Central all the 12 candidates scored 106,491 votes of which Natasha had 51,763 votes.

Although not up to 50 per cent of registered voters elect their legislators, a high threshold is required to recall them as may apply in Natasha’s case.

9 Validity of recall
If the majority of the voters in the constituency vote ‘yes’ the Chairman of the INEC will send a Certificate of Recall to the Senate President to effect the recall.

10 Recall of senator
The Senate President will show the affected senator the way out of the Senate.

BBC Sport

Ex-Barca defender Alves has rape conviction quashed
Former footballer Dani Alves is seen on his release from Can Brians prison on March 25,
Former right-back Dani Alves won three Champions Leagues with Barcelona


Former Barcelona and Brazil defender Dani Alves has had a rape conviction overturned on appeal by a Spanish court.

The appeals division of Catalonia's High Court of Justice unanimously upheld the appeal by the 41-year-old and acquitted him, saying the case against him had "inconsistencies and contradictions".

Alves was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in February 2024 after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman in a Barcelona nightclub in 2022.

The former full-back, who earned 126 international caps, was released on bail in March 2024 while his appeal was heard by a higher court.

The appeal court said that the ruling in the original court case "contains, throughout the reasoning, a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions regarding the facts, the legal assessment and their consequences.

"The complainant's account, which should have been subjected to greater scrutiny, has not been compared with the fingerprint and biological evidence, which support the defence's argument."

Further, the court ruled that the complainant's argument that she went with Alves into the bathroom for fear that his friends might follow them did not appear reasonable.

It concluded that the alleged victim instead "voluntarily went to the bathroom area for the purpose of being with the defendant in a more intimate space".

The Catalan court also lifted all restrictions on Alves, including a travel ban and restraining order. However, the decision can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.

"Alves is very happy. He is innocent, that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken," his lawyer Ines Guardiola told RAC1 radio.

Alves had trophy-laden spells with Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus and Paris St-Germain and also helped Brazil win two Copa Americas and an Olympic gold medal at the age of 38.

He was playing for Pumas UNAM when he was arrested, which led to the Mexican club terminating his contract immediately.

Super Eagles

NIGERIA SUPER EAGLES LINE UP AGAINST RWANDA

Blatter and Platini back in court in Swiss Fifa fraud case

BBC News



Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini are facing Swiss justice for the second time in less than three years
Former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and French football legend Michel Platini are back in court in Switzerland to face accusations of fraud.

In 2022, the pair were acquitted in a trial over a payment of 2m Swiss francs (£1.6m) made to Platini and authorised by Blatter in 2011.

Both men denied wrongdoing and said the transfer was belated payment for Fifa advisory work by Platini, who formerly led European football's governing body Uefa.

But the Swiss federal prosecutor appealed against the decision. The new trial is expected to last until Thursday, with a verdict due on 25 March.

The pair appeared before an appeals court in Muttenz, near Basel, on Monday. Blatter, 88, reaffirmed that he was innocent.

"When you talk about falsehoods, lies and deception, that's not me. That didn't exist in my whole life," he told the court.

A lawyer for Platini, 69, said the lower court that acquitted the pair in 2022 had been "right to find that the disputed payment of 2m francs was lawful".

Platini had an illustrious playing career and is a three-time winner of the Ballon d'Or - Europe's highest individual football award.

He captained France to victory at the 1984 European Championship and won the 1985 European Cup with Juventus. He went on to coach the French national team and became Uefa president in 2007.

In 2015, prosecutors accused the pair of deceiving Fifa about payments made to Platini.

In his testimony at the first trial, Blatter said that he had asked Platini to work as his adviser in 1998. He added that at the time, Fifa could not afford the 1m Swiss francs annual fee requested by Platini.

They instead settled on partial payment, with the outstanding balance to be paid at a later date. Platini said during the trial: "I trusted the president, and knew he would pay me one day."

He stopped working for Fifa in 2002 but initially did not pursue the payment as he told the court he had not needed the money at the time, and - according to Blatter - Fifa was "broke". In January 2011, however, Platini felt he was in a position to send an invoice and the money was paid after approval by Blatter.

Following an investigation launched in 2015, Swiss prosecutors accused Blatter and Platini of forgery and fraud.

Also in 2015, Fifa suspended both men from football for ethics breaches - originally for eight years, although their exclusions were later reduced.

In 2022, Switzerland's federal criminal court in Bellinzona cleared the two after accepting their account of a "gentlemen's agreement" for the payment.

Swiss businessman and sports administrator Blatter joined Fifa in 1975, became general secretary in 1981 and then president of world football's governing body in 1998.

He remained in the role for 17 years until resigning amid corruption investigations. Platini later withdrew his own candidacy for president.

Blatter and Platini found not guilty following trial

iamnotillicit:
Who hear from Emefiele...?

Buhari

Collecting back to back
"Wotowotoliciously!"

Wahala no go finish ooooooo😄😄😄😄😄😄.
wife carry her A.T.M card give hubby to withdraw money and support his business🤷🤷🤷🤷 hubby carry the same A.T.M card give side chick 🤔😵😃🤗. Side chick use the same A.T.M. card go do shopping for wife boutique🙆🙆🙆🙆. Wife they receive debit and credit alert at the same time😭 .
Wife call police to come arrest side chick 🤔🤔🤔🤔 E just shock us say side chick na police wife 🙆🙆🙆🙆 I go update una later na the matter we dey settle since 🔥

ESPN
Paul Pogba's doping ban reduced to 18 months after CAS appeal
World Cup winner Paul Pogba's doping suspension has been reduced to 18 months from an initial four years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.

"The suspension is now 18 months, starting Sept. 11, 2023," CAS director general Matthieu Reeb told Reuters.

The decision means that the former France international will be eligible to make a return to competitive football in March 2025.

Pogba welcomed the decision in a statement.

"Finally the nightmare is over," he said. "Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again.

"I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes."

Four-year bans are standard under the World Anti-Doping Code but can be reduced in cases where an athlete can prove their doping was not intentional, if the positive test was a result of contamination or if they provide "substantial assistance" to help investigators.

Pogba, 31, has not played since August 2023 after he tested positive for DHEA -- a banned substance that raises levels of testosterone -- following Juventus' Serie A game against Udinese.

He was provisionally suspended by Italy's national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in September that year before being handed a four-year ban in February 2024.


Paul Pogba has not played a competitive game in over a year. Stefano Guidi/Getty Images
Pogba, who has a contract with Juventus until June 2026, denied any wrongdoing and said he would appeal to CAS.

"I play with integrity and, although I must accept that this is a strict liability offence, I want to place on record my thanks to the Court of Arbitration for Sport's judges who heard my explanation," he added in Friday's statement.

"This has been a hugely distressing period in my life because everything I have worked so hard for has been put on hold.

"I just cannot wait to get back on the pitch."

Sources told ESPN's Julien Laurens that Pogba has worked to maintain his fitness during his ban and he believes it won't take long for him to regain match sharpness, despite not playing a competitive game in almost 14 months.

Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022 after his second stint at Manchester United. After his return to Italy, he was hampered by injuries. He played in 178 matches for Juventus from 2012 to 2016.

He was ruled out of France's run to the World Cup final in 2022 with a knee injury.

Pogba helped France win the previous World Cup, scoring in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the final.

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Dru Hill is an American R&B group that rose to prominence in the 1990s. Formed in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1992, the group consists of four talented members:🎤💯👑🖤🌟

1.Mark Andrews (often known as "Sisqó" - He is the lead singer and one of the most recognizable faces of the group. Sisqó's distinct voice and charismatic stage presence helped define Dru Hill's sound. He also achieved success as a solo artist, with hits like "Thong Song" and "Incomplete."🖤🌟

2.Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin - Nokio is not only a vocalist but also a talented songwriter, producer, and rapper. His contributions to Dru Hill include his unique vocal style and his involvement in the group's creative process.🖤🌟

3.Larry "Jazz" Anthony - Jazz is known for his smooth and soulful vocals, which add depth and richness to Dru Hill's harmonies. He is also a songwriter and has contributed to the group's songwriting efforts.🖤🌟

4.James "Woody Rock" Green - Woody Rock is another vocalist whose powerful voice adds texture to Dru Hill's music. He brings a soulful and dynamic energy to the group's performances.🖤🌟

Together, these four members formed the core of Dru Hill and contributed to the group's success with hits like "Tell Me," "In My Bed," and "How Deep Is Your Love." Their vocal prowess, combined with their captivating stage presence, helped solidify their place in the R&B landscape of the 1990s. While the group has faced various lineup changes and hiatuses over the years, their impact on the R&B genre remains significant.🖤💯🌟👑
#BOOMchallenge

BBC H
BBC Sport

European Football
'Just the beginning' - Atalanta hat-trick hero Lookman eyes more glory nights
Ademola Lookman

Ademola Lookman scored with all three shots he took in Dublin

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist at Aviva Stadium
Published
Ademola Lookman etched himself into Atalanta folklore with a Europa League final hat-trick that he says didn’t catch him by surprise – although boss Gian Piero Gasperini admitted nobody could have expected his progress.

The London-born Nigeria winger became only the sixth player to score a hat-trick in a European final - the first since Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Monchengladbach in the 1975 Uefa Cup - with all three goals in the Italian side's win over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.

That is the Bayer Leverkusen side led by Xabi Alonso, which had not lost a single game of football for 361 days.

Lookman, 26, had never managed double figures in a season for Charlton, Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham or Leicester.

After this treble the former England Under-21 winger, who now represents Nigeria at international level, has netted 15 goals in each of his two seasons with Atalanta.

Gasperini said: "We had a senior manager at Atalanta [Lee Congerton] who had worked at Leicester, who saw the opportunity to bring him in and thought he was a possible useful player.

"Nobody could ever imagine he'd could make this much progress. He wasn't overly prolific in England. I changed his position to a more attacking role.

"Tonight he achieved something which will remain in the annals of football history - a stunning hat-trick."

Lookman was asked afterwards if he could have imagined this growing up in Wandsworth and when he started out at Charlton's academy.

"Probably, yeah," he replied. "I've always had the confidence in my ability.

"In the past two years I've been able to take my game to a new level and show it on a more consistent basis.

"Maybe it could have come earlier but it's come now. I'm pleased with the progress I've made but this is just the beginning. I hope for more nights like this."

'One of the best nights of my life'
Immediately after the final whistle Lookman told TNT Sports "it's one of the best nights of my life". Perhaps understated.

A Dublin party was "100%" planned, he added. "We've got to celebrate, we made history tonight."

Lookman joined Gasperini's post-match news conference midway through and after the manager had left he spoke about the role he has had in his career.

"The past few years, the club and coach have supported me in terms of giving me minutes… it's helped me elevate my game to a new level," he added.

"The first few conversations we had, made me look at football a bit differently. It made it simpler in my mind in terms of what he expected from me.

"It made me look at, and play, my game in a different light. I'm very grateful to him."

Lookman laughed when an Italian journalist claimed a street may be named after him in Bergamo one day.

The forward is one of about 120,000 people who live in the northern Italian city close to Milan.

"I feel the support from the fans from the first minute I was in Bergamo," he added. "The city of Bergamo gives me a sense of calmness. It's a very calm, relaxed city and that has helped me a lot with my living style. I'm focused on the important things.

Lookman's mentor and coach of former youth side Waterloo, Felix Emanus, also spoke to TNT Sports after the game.

"I really can't tell you my emotions - sky high," he said. "We've been dreaming about this for a long time, since Ade was a kid at Waterloo. Tonight was a dream come true.

"I cried when the third goal went in. I'm so happy for Ade. He works so hard, quiet lad. Sometimes misunderstood because of his quietness but he's a great kid. Wants to learn, wants to always get better and wants to reach the top."

Atalanta end trophy drought
Gasperini
IMAGE SOURCE,GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,
At the age of 66 years and 117 days, Gian Piero Gasperini is the oldest coach to win the Europa League

While this may be remembered as the Lookman final, Atalanta’s success is just as remarkable.

In their 116-year history, this was only their second trophy – after the 1963 Coppa Italia.

Just last week they lost the Coppa Italia final to Juventus. What a way to bounce back.

Gasperini's men also became the first Italian team to win this tournament since 1999.

"I am hugely proud for all of Italy because it was a cursed trophy," said the 66-year-old, who took charge of the club in 2016. "Having won it with Atalanta is perhaps one of those footballing fairytales that rarely crop up.

"It gives hope for meritocracy. It doesn't come down to Super Leagues. You can show faith in other teams without big bills and budgets.

"Let's try to savour this win before thinking about how far we can go next season. This team has grown with results. We've done so while making sure we balance the books or turn a profit and that's the most exceptional element of this club.

"Typically the clubs who are winning things struggle to keep costs down. Atalanta have managed to win things while being a financially sustainable club. That's extraordinary."

English Premiership Table

nifemi25:
This blade wey be say na ibo boys dey do am...dey play

Where the factory dey for Ibo land