Category: Uncategorized

High humidity during Nigeria’s rainy season creates ideal conditions for fungal skin infections to spread rapidly. Ringworm (dermatophytosis), athlete’s foot and similar infections thrive in warm, moist environments, especially when sweat, damp clothing and poor hygiene are involved.

Eighteen Senegalese football supporters convicted over a pitch invasion during the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat in January on Monday denied any wrongdoing.

A Moroccan court in February sentenced the 18 Senegalese football fans to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months over charges of hooliganism.

Prosecutors have sought lengthier sentences in the appeals court in Rabat.

The Senegalese argued Monday that they had been forced on to the pitch because of a surging crowd or to avoid being spat upon and projectiles thrown towards them.

They said it was not to protest a refereeing decision at the end of the contentious AFCON final on January 18 which Senegal won 1-0.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed Senegal’s win last month, awarding the title to Morocco two months after the final.

The Senegalese Football Federation immediately instructed its lawyers to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Defence lawyer Naima El Guellaf asked Monday that videos of the incidents be shown so as to verify the identities of the 18 Senegalese in court.

It is a move rejected by the prosecution, who said the Senegalese were caught in the act.

“The entire world saw these terrible images live,” it argued.

The judge is yet to respond to the request to replay videos of the incidents.

“There have been mistakes, the people involved in what happened are currently in Senegal and are not present here,” a second defence lawyer, Patrick Kabou, told AFP.

AFP

The post Jailed Senegalese fans deny wrongdoing in AFCON final chaos appeared first on Vanguard News.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has defended his record of frequently defecting to different political parties, saying what matters most is his principles.

Speaking on Monday while appearing on Arise TV, the former Labour Party presidential candidate said he will continue to reject transactions and personal interests while seeking a total destruction of what he called criminal structures in the country’s political system.

Obi explained that his first switch, from APGA to the PDP, was driven by a dispute with his successor as Anambra governor.

He explained, “I moved from APGA to the PDP because of issues with my successor. Rather than allow it to become destructive to governance, I moved out.”

According to him, the PDP offered no better environment, describing the party as one where members ignored rules and reduced politics to a game of favours.

“People were not playing by the rules. It was transactional. I cannot be part of a transactional system,” Obi said.

He also pointed to internal crises and legal disputes within the Labour Party as factors that eroded its viability as a platform.

Obi is currently working with opposition figures linked to the African Democratic Congress as part of efforts to build a unified front ahead of future elections

He acknowledged public doubts about some of his new allies but said their past affiliations were less important than their current commitments.

“What is important is not what people were yesterday, but what they are today,” he said.

He said the broader goal was to rebuild an opposition capable of offering Nigerians accountable leadership, and warned that he would not walk away from that fight regardless of obstacles.

“We are ready to work with people who are committed to change. If the process is compromised again, we will continue the fight,” he said.

Obi also described the current political system as one rooted in criminality that needed to be dismantled.

“We must dismantle this criminality that exists today,” he said.

Obi formally registered as a member of the ADC on March 7, completing his registration at his hometown in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, during the party’s membership registration and mobilisation exercise across the state’s 21 local government areas.

At the event, he said the South-East was working as a bloc for the 2027 elections and called on supporters to mobilise voters at the grassroots.

“In this particular journey of 2027, we in the South-East are working as a family and we are discussing with other regions. We are working to unite all opposition. The common goal is to create a new Nigeria,” he said.

Obi Defends Defections, Says Criminal Structures Must Be Dismantled is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, took the witness stand at Southwark Crown Court on Monday and firmly denied soliciting or receiving bribes during her tenure from 2010 to 2015.

Testifying in her defence, the 65-year-old ex-minister told the jury: “I did not abuse my office during that period.” She insisted she “did not ask, seek or solicit bribes” and had always acted in good faith while trying to reform Nigeria’s notoriously corrupt oil sector.

Alison-Madueke, who also served as the first female President of OPEC, described herself as an outsider who entered politics and pushed back against entrenched corruption. She claimed this made her a target of powerful interests.

“I became a target,” she said, adding that she had been threatened and scapegoated. She maintained that all expenses for her UK accommodation, hotels, chauffeurs, and related logistics were official, properly reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and tied to her ministerial duties.

She explained that a service company was established in London to handle logistics because NNPC’s financial systems were “in a mess” at the time.

Properties in areas such as Gerrards Cross, Regent’s Park, and St John’s Wood were used for government-related work, and supporting documents for reimbursements had allegedly “disappeared.”

Regarding specific allegations, including a £100,000 cash delivery by one of her chauffeurs, Alison-Madueke said she was not aware of it at the time and that the money had “nothing to do with her.”

She also denied influencing oil contract awards in exchange for personal benefits, stating that major decisions were handled by the NNPC and relevant committees, with her role often limited to rubber-stamping recommendations.

Alison-Madueke faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Prosecutors allege she received luxury properties, refurbishments worth millions of pounds, high-end shopping sprees (including over £2 million at Harrods), and other benefits from oil industry figures in return for favourable contracts.

She, along with co-defendants Olatimbo Ayinde (an oil executive) and her brother, Doye Agama, have all pleaded not guilty.

The trial, which began in January 2026, is expected to continue for several more weeks, with a possible verdict around late April.

The case has drawn significant attention in Nigeria and internationally as one of the highest-profile corruption prosecutions linked to the country’s oil sector. Alison-Madueke’s testimony marks the start of the defence phase after months of prosecution evidence.

Diezani Denies Bribery, Claims NNPC Funded UK Living Expenses is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Experienced tactician Hassan Abdallah has revealed that he was framed up for bribery during his time with Nigeria National League, NNL, side, Heartland.

DAILY POST reports that Abdallah managed Heartland during the 2021-22 season.

Abdallah spent around two months with the club.

The former Flying Eagles assistant coach insisted that he is still being owed by the Naze Millionaires.

“When I was here with Heartland a lot of things happened, people set me up with bribery allegations.

“My team, they were not paid, up till now I’m still being owed by Heartland that was how I left the club with no support,” the tactician said.

Abdallah is currently in charge of Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, side, Warri Wolves.

Warri Wolves suffered a 3-0 defeat to Owerri-based club Kun Khalifat FC in a week 34 encounter at the Dan Anyiam Stadium on Sunday.

NPFL: Abdallah reveals tough ordeal at Heartland

The presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, has said no other contender can match his plans for transforming Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi made the assertion during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday while responding to claims that he may struggle to secure votes in the region without the backing of key northern political figures such as Rabiu Kwankwaso and Nasir El-Rufai.

Addressing the concern, Obi said while collaboration with influential northern politicians is important, his vision for the region stands out.

“I work with them so that they can do that but I can tell you, nobody can do what I intend to do in the north,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor outlined agriculture as a key driver of economic transformation in the North, describing the region’s vast land resources as a major untapped asset.

“I will change the north, our greatest asset is in the north. The vast uncultivated land is our future. We can make more money from agriculture than we make from oil, and that we have to start doing immediately,” Obi stated.

He also linked economic development to improved security, arguing that investments in critical sectors would help address the root causes of instability in the region.

“If we want to secure the north today, we need to start investing in those critical areas (such as) agriculture, starting pulling people out of poverty, investing in education, investing in health, and that we can do,” he added.

Obi’s comments come amid the leadership crisis within the ADC, while opposition leaders seek to consolidate support across key regions, particularly in Northern Nigeria, which remains a decisive voting bloc.

The post 2027: Nobody can do what I intend to do for the North  -  Peter Obi appeared first on Vanguard News.

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Nigerian gospel musician, Moses Bliss, has shared a testimony of how his wife, Marie Bliss, battled an unknown ailment and recovered miraculously.

The singer shared this during his recent ministration at the Mountain Experience programme in Abuja, stating his wife suffered difficulty with breathing while she battled with the illness.

He said, “My wife and I were in the Midlands, UK, and all of a sudden, I don’t know when the devil came. My wife became ill with one side of her body paining her, her back was also paining her, she could not lie on her back and front, and before you know it, she could not breathe very well. It became serious that we had to take her to the hospital. And doctors said they don’t know the cause.”

Bliss noted that the ailment could not be diagnosed despite multiple tests.

“They were doing all sorts of tests and they did not know what was going on and I started crying. I had to quickly rush down to Nigeria for a programme. On the flight back to London, the spirit of God told me ‘What are you waiting for? Are you not going to put an end to this nonsense, to this harassment? What are you waiting for, who are you waiting for?’

“So when I got to the hospital, I started praying with my wife, preaching, and pumping the words of God into her heart. While on my way home, she called me to say that she had been discharged,” he said.

Moses Bliss and Marie, a Ghanaian-born lawyer based in London, tied the knot in March 2024.

Watch the video here.

The post Video: How my wife recovered from unknown illness – Moses Bliss appeared first on Vanguard News.

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has expressed confidence in his ability to secure support from northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections, stating that no other candidate can match his plans for the region.

Speaking during an appearance on Prime Time on Arise Television on Monday, Obi said he intends to transform the North, which he described as Nigeria’s greatest asset.

“Nobody can do what I intend to do in the North. We will change the North. Our greatest asset as a country is in the North. We can make more money from agriculture than we make from oil,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor also emphasized the importance of strengthening democratic institutions, calling on the government to support opposition parties.

According to him, a thriving opposition is essential for effective governance and accountability.

“The government should protect the opposition. In fact, they should make opposition stronger and make it work,” he added.

2027: Nobody can match my plans for the North — Peter Obi

Security agencies in Ekiti State on Monday launched “Operation comb the bush” as part of efforts to enhance safety and prevent criminal activities across the state.

The operation which commenced on Monday involved men and officers of the military, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Department of State Services, DSS, and Amotekun Corps, among others.

Addressing the joint patrol team at the Police Headquarters in Ado Ekiti before the commencement of the exercise, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Mr Falade Adegoroye, said the operation became necessary following intelligence reports indicating intensified security offensives against criminal elements in neighbouring Kwara, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states, as well as parts of northern Nigeria.

He noted that the pressure on the criminal groups in those areas could force them to seek refuge in the South-West, thereby posing potential threats to Ekiti State. This, he said, necessitated the proactive move by all security agencies in the state.

Describing the exercise as a proactive measure to safeguard lives and property, the police commissioner explained that the special operation would involve coordinated bush combing, clearance of criminal hideouts, visibility policing and raids across identified flashpoints, particularly in border communities.

Adegoroye maintained that the operation would help prevent crimes such as kidnapping, cattle rustling, vandalism and attacks on public infrastructure and worship centres, among others.

Stressing the need to also protect farmers who are returning to their farms with the commencement of the rainy season, Adegoroye said the operation would also help create a secure environment for farming activities by denying criminal elements access to forest and rural settlements.

The police chief charged the officers to exhibit discipline, professionalism and respect for human rights, assuring Ekiti residents that the operation would be carried out with utmost responsibility in line with global best practice.

He commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing security of the people and consistently providing necessary support, logistic and enabling environment for security agencies to effectively discharge their duties in the state.

He added that the demonstrated commitment of the governor has continued to strengthen the fight against crime and ensure the safety of lives and property across the state.

In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brig. Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd), described the operation as a proactive measure by the governor to sustain the prevailing peace and security in the state.

Ogundana explained that government had continued to invest in intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration and logistics support for security outfits, stressing that the operation is part of a broader strategy to ensure that criminal elements do not find safe haven in Ekiti.

While assuring residents that the Biodun Oyebanji administration will not relent in its resolve to keep Ekiti safe, secure and conducive for economic activities and peaceful coexistence, the special adviser charged citizens to support security agencies with credible information.

Security agencies launch ‘Operation comb the bush’ in Ekiti

he Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has called for joint efforts by the Federal Government and the Borno State Government to end the insurgency in the state