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Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has threatened that its members will embark on a total and indefinite strike acros

Paris Saint-Germain have registered their interest in signing Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli.

According to French outlet L’Equipe, PSG have placed Martinelli on their shortlist as they look to reinforce their attacking options ahead of the summer window.

The report added that Luis Campos, the club’s football advisor, has already held talks with the Brazilian’s representatives about a potential move to the French capital.

In addition, PSG have also discussed a deal for RB Leipzig’s highly rated 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande, who is also attracting interest from Manchester United and Liverpool.

Martinelli, who joined Arsenal from Brazilian club Ituano for just £6 million back in 2019, is currently in his seventh season at the Emirates Stadium.

The 24-year-old has made over 271 appearances for the Gunners and has found the net 62 times.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Arsenal may be willing to part ways with Martinelli this summer, and would also listen to offers for the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Ben White, Ethan Nwaneri, and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Ligue1: PSG to sign Arsenal star

Kelechi Iheanacho fired a brace as Celtic thrashed St. Mirren 6-2 to book a place in the final of the Scottish Cup.

Iheanacho replaced Yang Hyun-jun in the 83rd minute.

Celtic led 2-0 through goals from Daizen Maeda, and Anthony Ralston.

Mikaël Mandron however scored twice for St. Mirren in the second half to send the game into extra -time.

Iheanacho fired Celtic in front again in the 96th minute.

The Nigeria international scored his second of the game in the 101th minute.

The 29-year-old has now scored six goals across all competitions for the Hoops this season.

Scottish Cup: Iheanacho’s brace powers Celtic to final

U.S. federal authorities have arrested Shamim Mafi, a 44-year-old Iranian national and lawful permanent resident, at Los Angeles International Airport over her alleged role in an arms trafficking scheme linked to Tehran.

Prosecutors say Mafi, who resides in Woodland Hills, California, acted as an intermediary in arranging sales of Iranian-manufactured military equipment to foreign buyers.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, she allegedly brokered sales of Iranian-manufactured military equipment, including Mohajer-6 armed drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition, destined for Sudan’s Ministry of Defense.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the arrest, stating that Mafi is accused of violating 50 U.S.C. § 1705. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Mafi became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016. Court documents reference her alleged involvement in a multimillion-dollar drone deal, including one reportedly valued at over $70 million.

She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon, April 20, 2026.

Mafi is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The case remains under investigation, and further details are expected as the federal complaint proceeds.

U.S. Arrests Iranian Woman In Alleged Sudan Arms Trafficking Case is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

 

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have rescued 13 passengers abducted from a Benue Links commercial bus along the Makurdi–Otukpo road.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the victims were among 17 passengers kidnapped last Wednesday while travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo in Benue

More details later 

Virgil van Dijk scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner as Liverpool won the first Premier League Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Beto had cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s strike for Everton before Van Dijk got on the end of Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner in added time.

Just two minutes after Everton had Iliman Ndiaye’s goal disallowed for offside, Salah got on the end of Cody Gakpo’s ball to give Arne Slot’s side the lead against the run of play in the first-half.

David Moyes’ side equalised when Beto got on the end of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s ball, before Van Dijk got the winner in the 248th instalment of this historic rivalry.

Liverpool are seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea and in a strong position to secure Champions League football next season.

Everton started strongly and came close, with Giorgi Mamardashvili making important saves to deny Beto and James Garner.

They thought they had taken the lead when Ndiaye’s strike hit the back of the net in the 27th minute and the home fans went wild, but the video assistant referee (VAR) deemed that Jake O’Brien was offside in the build-up and the goal was disallowed.

Two minutes later the majority of the stadium was silenced after Dwight McNeil lost the ball in his own half and Gakpo combined with Salah, who scored his ninth goal in a Merseyside derby. No player in the Premier League era has more.

Everton were gifted a way back into the game as Liverpool were punished for some sloppy defending when Beto got on the end of Dewsbury-Hall’s ball across goal.

To make matters worse for Liverpool, Mamardashvili was injured when Everton equalised and, with Alisson Becker sidelined, on came Freddie Woodman for his first appearance in a Premier League game since 2021, when he played for Newcastle.

The 29-year-old was tested by Ndiaye as both managers made changes in their search for a winner, with Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha blazing over in added time.

In the 10th minute of 11 added on, Van Dijk scored to break Everton hearts.

Liverpool have scored six 90th-minute winners against Everton in the Premier League – the most for one side against any team in the competition’s history.

Van Dijk’s 100th-Winner Sinks Everton is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Scientists have developed an injection that turns muscle into a temporary drug factory, offering a potential new way to

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has released the provisional timetable/schedule of activities for primary elections for the nomination of its candidates in the 2027 general election.

This was disclosed in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Dr Ejimofor Opara.

The statement also disclosed the fees for nomination forms for various elective offices.

“This in compliance with the revised INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election dated February 26, 2026, and pursuant to its powers under the APGA constitution 2019 and the Electoral Act 2026,” the statement said.

Details showed that purchase and return of expression of interest form is between April 20 and May 8, screening of prospective National Assembly aspirants is on May 11, those of State House of Assembly is for May 12 and Governor, May 13.

Recall that the party had during its South-East regional convention held in Awka on Saturday stated that it will sell expression of interest forms separately to aspirants, who will be screened before determining their eligibility for the purchase of nomination forms.

It added that purchase and return of nomination forms begins on May 14 and ends on 21.

The party stated that its expression of interest forms would sell as follows: President, N25 million; Senate, N6 million; House of Representatives, N4 million; Governor, N10 million and House of Assembly, N2 million.

The timetable showed that all primary elections would be held on May 23, 2026, through option A4, while all primary election appeals would be sorted out on May 28, 2026.

APGA releases timetable for primary elections, pegs presidential forms at N75m

The Federal Government has strongly rejected claims alleging missing federation revenue and hidden spending, insisting that deductions from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) are lawful fiscal processes and not evidence of diversion or leakage of public funds.

The position was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Taiwo Oyedele, who responded to recent media reports (Not THE WHISTLER) and commentaries interpreting the latest Nigeria Development Update of the World Bank as suggesting that a significant portion of federation earnings was being “diverted” or “hidden.”

According to the minister, such interpretations are misleading and reflect a misunderstanding of Nigeria’s fiscal structure and how federation revenues are managed and distributed.

“The misreporting in question incorrectly characterises Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) deductions as ‘waste’ or missing funds. This is incorrect,” Oyedele stated.

He explained that FAAC deductions, as clearly outlined in the World Bank report, include statutory transfers, savings and investments, security-related expenditures, cost-of-collection charges, refunds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and transfers and interventions to subnational governments.

The minister stressed that these deductions are not irregularities but constitutionally backed and legally approved fiscal flows within Nigeria’s public finance system.

“It is important to emphasise that refunds and transfers to states and other tiers of government are not leakages. They represent legitimate fiscal flows, including repayments of obligations and statutorily backed allocations,” he said.

Oyedele also cautioned against what he described as selective interpretation of data by some commentators, noting that reliance on outdated figures while ignoring ongoing reforms presents a distorted view of Nigeria’s fiscal position.

He pointed out that the World Bank report itself acknowledged recent reforms undertaken by the Federal Government in early 2026, including the signing of an Executive Order designed to strengthen transparency and ensure full remittance of petroleum revenues into the federation account.

“These reforms are already addressing concerns around deductions and are expected to improve transparency while increasing revenues available to all tiers of government by about 0.4 per cent of GDP annually,” he added.

The minister further noted that contrary to claims of fiscal instability, the broader assessment by the World Bank presented a more positive outlook for Nigeria’s economy.

He said the report highlighted that economic growth was becoming more diversified across sectors, inflation was gradually declining due to deliberate policy interventions, and Nigeria’s external position had improved with stronger foreign reserves and a current account surplus.

According to him, there have also been notable improvements in debt sustainability indicators, including a decline in the debt-to-GDP ratio for the first time in over a decade.

“These developments reflect the outcomes of ongoing macroeconomic reforms and public financial management improvements under the current administration,” Oyedele stated.

He emphasised that the World Bank did not conclude that Nigeria’s fiscal system was broken or that reforms had failed, but rather that the reforms underway are beginning to yield results and must be sustained and deepened.

“The World Bank’s message is clear: reforms are working, but they must be sustained to translate macroeconomic gains into inclusive growth that benefits Nigerians more broadly,” he said.

The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening fiscal transparency, improving revenue mobilisation, ensuring efficient and accountable public spending, and deepening reforms aimed at economic stability and inclusive development.

He urged media organisations, analysts, and the public to exercise caution and responsibility in interpreting fiscal data, warning that misrepresentation of official reports could undermine public confidence in ongoing economic reforms.

“An accurate understanding and responsible reporting of fiscal information are critical to maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s reform trajectory and economic outlook,” he said.

The statement concluded with a call for constructive engagement with government reforms, noting that transparency and accountability remain central pillars of the administration’s fiscal strategy going forward.

FG Rejects Claims Of Missing Federation Revenue, Defends FAAC Deductions is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide, on Sunday, urged Nigerians not to