Author: The Whistler Newspaper

The Governor of Enugu State, Mr Peter Mbah, has rewarded players and the management of Rangers International Football Club of Enugu for winning the 2025/2026 NPFL title.

The beneficiaries were gifted with plots of land and the sum of N150 million. The rewards were announced during a dinner hosted in their honour by the governor. It held at the Government House, Enugu, Tuesday night.

Mbah expressed his gratitude on behalf of the people of the state to the team and its management.

He said, “We are providing you with a cash gift of N100 million for the players and N50 million for the technical and management crew. We have also approved a plot of land in Enugu for every player, while additional plots will be allocated to the General Manager, Head Coach, Secretary and Assistant Coach.”

He described Enugu Rangers as a symbol of resilience, unity, hope and social renewal established in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War.

According to him, the club carry a rich history and legacy associated with football legends, including the late Christian Chukwu, Emmanuel Okala and Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha. Mbah commended the players, coaches and management for their hard work, sacrifices and discipline throughout the season.

The trophy is the product of countless acts of determination and efforts, he said, and praised Rangers General Manager, Amobi Ezeaku, for his leadership, resilience and commitment.

He said the qualities required to build a successful football club were similar to those needed to build a successful state. He assured the team of continued government support.

He pledged to complete the ongoing renovation work at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, to make the stadium of international standards to host continental matches. He urged the team not to rest on their laurels and well-deserved accolades.

He charged them to “fight on, keep winning and ensure you bring the continental trophy home.”

The Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Lloyd Ekweremadu, commended Gov Mbah for his sustained investment in sports development, describing the league triumph “as a testament to the governor’s commitment to excellence and service delivery across sectors”.

The General Manager, Ezeaku, in a speech, said the celebration extended beyond the lifting of a trophy and represented a celebration of leadership, vision and the power of unity among government, management, players and supporters.

He said Rangers had enjoyed one of their most successful periods in recent history under the governor’s administration. “This is credited to the governor’s commitment to sports development, youth empowerment and excellence, helping to restore the club’s competitive edge,” he said.

He expressed confidence that with strategic investment and continued government support, Rangers could one day lift the CAF Champions League trophy and bring continental glory back to Nigeria.

“Every great achievement begins as a dream. Today, we dream of Rangers defeating Africa’s biggest clubs and bringing the CAF Champions League trophy to Enugu,” he said.

Gov Mbah Rewards Enugu Rangers For Winning 2025/2026 NPFL is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, says he knows the politicians behind the abduction of schoolchildren in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Speaking when he received the executives of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, led by Akinteye Babatunde, Igboho threatened to reveal the identities of the concerned politicians.

He accused politicians of sponsoring kidnappers operating in the state, claiming that he had volunteered to assist in rescuing the abducted pupils but was prevented from doing so by the Oyo State Government.

According to him, state authorities informed him that the kidnappers had threatened to kill the victims if he attempted to intervene.

“If I am permitted to burst into the hideouts, they will flee. They are neither gnomes nor mannequins; they are humans, so that they could be dislodged.

“I know the politicians behind them, and if they do not stop perpetrating their evil acts, I will mention them all. I know them. The politicians behind them are the ones giving them ammunition and money,” he said.

I know politicians behind Oyo school abduction – Sunday Igboho

China has accused the United States of distorting facts and smearing its political system.

This accusation followed remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated that censorship could not ‘erase’ the memory of the Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing in 1989.

It is important to remember that on June 4 of that year, the Chinese government deployed troops and tanks to suppress protests advocating for political reform in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing.

Reports indicate that the exact death toll from this incident remains uncertain, and discussions regarding the events are censored within mainland China.

During a news conference on Wednesday, Rubio asserted that “no amount of censorship can erase the past.”

He added, “Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday.”

In response, China’s foreign ministry expressed its strong opposition to Rubio’s statements on Thursday.

Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the ministry, stated during a regular news briefing, “The Chinese government has long since reached a clear conclusion regarding the political turmoil that occurred in the late 1980s.”

She continued, “The erroneous remarks made by the US side distort historical facts, tarnish China’s political system and development path, and interfere in China’s internal affairs.”

This year, reports have emerged that authorities prevented the families of those who perished in 1989 from visiting their graves at Wan’an Cemetery in Beijing, with Amnesty International labeling this action as “a heartless act.”

In recent years, Beijing has also taken steps to eliminate all public commemorations in Hong Kong, where an annual candlelight vigil had been observed for decades prior to the enactment of a national security law in 2020.

Tianamen: ‘That matter is buried’ – China accuses US of distorting historical facts

Residents of Efut Efio Ene Community in Calabar South Local Government Area of Cross River State are gripped by fear and uncertainty as worsening flooding and erosion continue to threaten lives, homes, and livelihoods in the settlement. The anxiety, according to community leaders, stems from years of neglect of a major drainage channel that has […]

The post Fear grips residents as flooding worsens in Cross River community appeared first on Tribune Online.

The political leader of Uyo Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Effiong Bob, has reminded  critics and those bent on ousting Governor Umo Eno in 2027 that the goalpost can never  be shifted while a match is going on.

He noted that the governor’s tenure should be allowed to run its full course.

Speaking with journalists in Uyo on Thursday, Bob urged those who want to contest for governorship or any other elective office to embrace issue based campaigns and not to resort to personal attacks on Governor Eno.

He added that the people of Uyo Senatorial District, where the governor comes from, will not allow anyone to either truncate the conventional eight year tenure for the governor or to embark on venomous attacks on his person.

“You cannot shift the goalpost while the match is on. He has just completed the third year in his first term. The governor’s mandate should run its full course.

“Uyo Senatorial District would not stand by and see our governor, that is supposed to do and will do eight years, being rubbished. If you want to contest an election, go and contest your election. Leave the governor alone,” he said.

Bob added, “We will resist every attempt, I mean every attempt, to bring down the governance structure of Umo Eno as a governor at this time.

“Anybody that wants to contest election should articulate what you are going to do, which you feel the governor has not done, and then, when you are there, you will do better.”

Akwa Ibom: Gov Eno must complete eight years – Sen Bob warns opposition

The National Bureau of Statistics has commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for making oil and gas data available and transparent.

The Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, gave the commendation when he visited the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja.

Adeniran, who was accompanied by top management of the NBS, said oil and gas contributes significantly to Nigeria’s economy and thus cannot be ignored in data collation.

He noted that the NBS is not only the central custodian of data in Nigeria but is also the apex agency responsible for developing, managing, and disseminating official statistics to guide government policies and national development.

This, he said, is done in collaboration with all 774 local governments, the 37 sub-nationals including the FCT, academia, multi-lateral organisations, non-governmental organisations and other federal agencies.

He said since the NUPRC is the custodian of all upstream oil and gas data, the NBS cannot effectively carry out its mandate without the help of the Commission.

Adeniran therefore called for a deeper collaboration between both institutions.

He said, “If we don’t get data on our oil and gas sector, we cannot release data on GDP.

“I want to commend the Commission because for years there are basic data that we have been getting from the Commission. So, we came to appreciate you for what you are doing because without this data, the government will not have the compass to drive the economy.”

The NBS boss therefore named a team from the institution that will interact more closely and regularly with the Commission especially with regards to data on crude production, gas reserves, oil spill incidents and exploration and production companies.

“Presently, we are implementing the Integrated System of Administrative Statistics where we have on boarded 15 MDAs for us to be able to exchange data seamlessly through digital platforms,” he stated.

“We are compiling Petroleum National Accounting which is under the Natural Capital Accounting system. So, we require a lot of data in order to build this,” the NBS boss added.

In her remarks, the Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said data had become almost impossible to do anything without data.

While appreciating the quantum of work of the NBS, Eyesan said the NUPRC releases data on a regular basis in line with the Petroleum Industry Act which is often published on the Commission’s website- www.nuprc.gov.ng.

“As government agencies, we must morph into the point where we automate our systems and then integrate,” she said.

NBS Commends NUPRC For Transparency In Oil, Gas Data is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Speaking in a viral video, Bassey lamented that several days after Children’s Day, dozens of children were still being held by their abductors.

The post VIDEO: How can we act normal with schoolchildren still in captivity — Nathaniel Bassey appeared first on Tribune Online.

Ahead of the 2027 elections, the gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Zamfara State, Barrister Mahadi Aliyu Mohammed, has denied reports of his withdrawal from the contest, saying he is still in the race. In a statement issued on Wednesday night in Gusau by the spokesperson to the ADC gubernatorial candidate, Salisu […]

The post 2027: I remain ADC guber candidate in Zamfara — Mahadi appeared first on Tribune Online.

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has awarded a full university scholarship to Master Obasi Victor Nnanna, the highest scorer in Ebonyi State in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Nnanna, a student of King David Gifted Academy, Abakaliki, scored an outstanding 356 marks in the examination, emerging as the best-performing candidate in […]

The post Umahi rewards Ebonyi’s top UTME scorer with varsity scholarship appeared first on Tribune Online.

The Chairman of the Accord in Osogbo Local Government Area of Osun State, Asimiyu Ajibola, popularly known as Baba Isila, was shot by suspected gunmen on Wednesday night in Osogbo.

The shooting has prompted a police investigation into what the state government described as an attempted murder.

It was gathered that the attack occurred at about 9:50 pm around the MDS area of Osogbo, near the Osogbo Community Bank axis, causing panic among residents as gunshots rang out in the neighbourhood.

A source in the area, who did not wish to be named, said, “The assailants opened fire on a blue Toyota Corolla conveying Ajibola and his associates while they were travelling through the area.

“The gunmen pursued the vehicle and unleashed a barrage of gunfire in what appeared to be a coordinated attack.

“We were coming from the MDS area of Osogbo at about 9:50 pm and all of a sudden, the gun-wielding men chased and released a volley of bullets on all of us in the car.”

The eyewitness said the occupants managed to escape and sought refuge at the Dugbe Divisional Police Headquarters in Osogbo before the attackers fled the scene.

“We managed to escape to the Dugbe Divisional Police Headquarters in Osogbo where we ran to for protection before the assailants retreated and ran away,” he added.

The Accord LG chairman was subsequently rushed to the University of Osun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, where he was admitted for treatment following injuries sustained during the attack.

Reacting to the incident, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, condemned the shooting and called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter.

“It is an unfortunate incident which should not be allowed to go uninvestigated. The culprits must be brought to book,” Alimi said.

He urged the police to conduct a professional investigation, adding that available indications suggested possible political undertones behind the attack.

“We are therefore calling on the police to carry out their investigation professionally, without fear or favour, in unearthing the masterminds of the attack,” he stated.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Osun State Police Command confirmed that it had launched a comprehensive investigation into the shooting.

Police spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the incident occurred along the MDS area of Osogbo when two armed men riding a motorcycle allegedly attacked Ajibola.

The Command said officers immediately responded to the distress call, evacuated the victim to a medical facility and deployed tactical teams to pursue the fleeing suspects.

“Medical personnel have confirmed that Ajibola is in a stable condition and responding positively to treatment.

“Exhibits recovered from the scene are undergoing forensic analysis as investigators work to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack,” the statement added.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, condemned the act and ordered a high-powered investigation into the incident.

He also directed all relevant investigative units to deploy every available resource to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack, identify those responsible and ensure prompt arrest and prosecution.

Accord Chairman shot in Osun, Police launch probe