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Pedro Neto says Portugal can be delighted going into 2026 FIFA World Cup following their 2-1 friendly win over the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

Roberto Martinez’s side put up an impressive performance in the encounter played  at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa,  Leiria on Wednesday night.

Neto scored the curtain raiser for the hosts in the 23rd minute of the keenly contested encounter.

It was the Chelsea midfielder’s first goal in four months for club and country.

The winger’s superb strike was cancelled out by Sevilla hitman Akor Adams in the 37th minute.

Substitute Francisco Conceicao won it for Portugal 15 minutes from time.

Neto reflected on the win against Nigeria, and the previous encounter against Chile.

“Without a doubt. These games serve to assimilate ideas. In the Mexico training camp, some players were missing; we hadn’t been together for a long time. But we will be prepared,” he said after the game.

Friendly: Neto delighted with Portugal’s performance against Super Eagles 

 

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 22-year-old suspected armed robber and cultist, Odeshola Afeez, following several complaints over his activities in the state.

Afeez was arrested based on information that he was harassing passers-by and causing panic within the Lagos community. Following a search, a locally-made pistol, cartridge and local charms were recovered from him.

Also, preliminary investigation revealed the suspect as a notorious cultist who had allegedly been terrorising residents and engaging in activities capable of disturbing public peace. Further findings indicated that he had been evading arrest before his eventual apprehension by police operatives.

Commending the prompt response and professionalism of the operatives involved in the operation, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, reiterated the command’s unwavering commitment to combating cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the state.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue supporting the police with credible and timely information through the emergency lines.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command has debunked what it described as a false and misleading report that schools in Bosso, Kpakungu, Sabon-Wuse and Lambata local councils were attacked by hoodlums. 

The command’s spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, stated that a visit to all the schools mentioned in those areas proved that no such attack occurred. He urged the public to disregard the information as false, and possibly originated from mischief makers to cause panic and fear among the public and in school environments.

Abiodun said an investigation has commenced to unravel the source of the report and arrest the mischief makers. 

The Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, had earlier directed divisional police officers to work closely with school administrators, in line with the school protection initiatives, for the safety of students, staff and the community.

Nigerian Senate yesterday moved to confront growing pressure on the nation’s judiciary with far-reaching legislative proposals.

The proposals aim to expand the capacity of two of the country’s most critical courts.

The upper chamber is considering amendments that would increase the number of Justices of the Court of Appeal from 70 to 110, and expand the Federal High Court from 70 to 90 judges, in what lawmakers describe as an urgent response to an increasingly overburdened justice system.

The proposals, contained in two separate bills sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, scaled second reading during plenary with unanimous support, marking a rare bipartisan agreement on judicial reform.

Leading debate on the Court of Appeal (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 991), Bamidele painted a picture of a judiciary struggling to keep pace with Nigeria’s expanding legal landscape.

He told colleagues that the Court of Appeal—established under Section 237 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as the pivotal link between trial courts and the Supreme Court—was facing a workload that had grown beyond its structural capacity.

The appellate court, which handles appeals from the Federal High Court, State High Courts, National Industrial Court, election tribunals, Sharia Courts of Appeal and Customary Courts, has in recent years become the central battleground for Nigeria’s most consequential disputes.

According to Bamidele, the surge in cases is driven by a combination of population growth, expanding economic activity, rising electoral litigation, constitutional disputes, and increasingly complex commercial transactions.

He warned that without urgent intervention, the delays in appellate justice would deepen, undermining public confidence in the legal system and slowing down the final resolution of critical national disputes.

If passed into law, the bills would increase the Court of Appeal bench to 110 justices, adding 40 new judicial officers, while the Federal High Court would receive an additional 20 judges, bringing its strength to 90.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court will commence its 2026 yearly vacation across all its divisions from July 27 to September 11, 2026, with special vacation courts designated in four key judicial divisions to hear urgent and time-sensitive matters during the recess.

This was disclosed in a statement yesterday by the Director of Information of the Federal High Court, Dr Catherine Oby Christopher, on behalf of the Chief Judge, Hon. Justice John Terhemba Tsoho.

The statement said the yearly break was approved pursuant to Order 46, Rule 4(d) of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2019. It added that despite the vacation, judicial services would continue for cases requiring immediate attention through designated vacation courts in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu.

The biggest World Cup in history will unfold across the United States, Canada and Mexico on Thursday.

The Estadio Azteca in Mexico will once again come alive as co-host Mexico meet South Africa in the opening game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Today’s game will be a replay of the 2010 opener in Johannesburg when South Africa hosted the mundial.

The match in 2010 ended 1-1 with Mexico returning in the second half to cancel Bafana Bafana’s fantastic opening goal struck by Siphiwe Shabalala in the first half.

Over 80,000 fans are expected to pack the iconic Estadio Azteca for the high anticipated opener.

Today’s game in Mexico City will mark the start of a 39-day tournament, featuring 104 games – 40 more than we witnessed in the last edition in Qatar 2022.

With an expanded participation pool of 48 teams, the 2026 World Cup is the biggest in the sport’s history, and the first to be held in three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada.

FIFA had announced that four-time Grammy-winning superstar Shakira, Nigerian Pop Star Burna Boy and other notable artiste including Colombian singer J Balvin and South African singer-songwriter Tyla will lit up the stage before the opening match.

Ahead of this opening cracker, analysts have picked Mexico as clear favourites for the opening day win due to the home advantage and a higher FIFA ranking which is a 15th place as against South Africa’s 60th position. But with more than 80,000 attendees expected, the co-hosts may well find themselves under pressure to deliver the winning start their fans expect.

The El Tri are unbeaten in their last eight matches, equalling the longest unbeaten run they have taken into a World Cup and providing further encouragement for Javier Aguirre’s side before the tournament.

Speaking ahead of the game, South Africa coach Hugo Broos told journalists: “For us, it will be a fantastic experience.

“It is very important that we keep ourselves to the game plan and don’t listen to what is happening in the stands.”

Other opening week fixtures include Canada against Bosnia & Herzegovina, the USA against Paraguay, Brazil vs Morocco, Germany against Curacao and England’s clash with Croatia.

The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – proceed to the next phase, the round of 32, which has been introduced at the World Cup for the first time.

The 2026 World Cup will be played across 16 stadiums in 16 cities, many of which host matches in the National Football League (NFL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and Liga MX, the top-flight Mexican football league.

Although the World Cup hosting rights are being shared by three countries, the US is hosting 78 games – three times more than Canada (13) and Mexico (13) combined.

The majority of the high-stakes games, including the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, will be played in the US.

The prize money for the 2026 World Cup was confirmed at a FIFA Council meeting in Doha on December 17.

The prize fund for this year’s edition is 50 percent higher than that of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Winners this time will pocket $50m (£37.5m), runners-up $33m (£24.8m), third place $29m (£21.8m), fourth place $27m (£20.3m), from 5th-8th place $19m (£14.3m), from 9th-16th place $15m (£11.3m), from 17th-32nd place $11m (£8.3m), from 33rd-48th place $9m (£6.8m).

Each team also receives $1.5m (£1.1m) to cover preparation costs, meaning that every team is guaranteed at least $10.5m (£7.87m).

THE WHISTLER reports that FIFA’s most recent financial report showed football’s governing body will make $13bn from the four-year cycle culminating in the 2026 World Cup, almost $9bn of which will be in this year.

In comparison, FIFA earned $7.5bn in revenue through four years of commercial deals tied to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and $6.4bn for the 2015-2018 cycle leading up to the Russia World Cup.

The Paris 2024 Olympics generated $5.24bn.

The earnings from the 2026 World Cup, spread across North America, will make it the most lucrative sports event to date.

World Cup Begins As Mexico Tackle South Africa In Opener is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Super Eagles defender, Zaidu Sanusi says the team put up a good fight in the defeat to Portugal, DAILY POST reports.

The three-time African champions lost 2-1 to the Selecao in a friendly at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday night.

It was an impressive performance from the Super Eagles, who lost 4-0 to the Portugal in their previous meeting.

Éric Chelle’s side troubled the Portuguese defence with their movement in the first half, and created a coupe of chances too.

Sanusi was happy with his team’s performance, especially in the first half.

“The first half was very difficult for us, but we managed to control it a bit. Portugal is very strong; four years ago we conceded four goals, now we conceded fewer, which was good,” the left-back said after the match.

Sanusi currently plays in Portugal for Primeira Liga champions, FC Porto.

The 28-year-old insisted that he will be  rooting for Roberto Martinez’s side at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“I can’t say how far Portugal can go, but it’s my second country, so may they be world champions,” he added.

Friendly: Sanusi reflects on Super Eagles loss to Portugal 

Portugal head coach, Roberto Martinez has reacted to his team’s victory over the Super Eagles of Nigeria, DAILY POST reports.

The former European champions claimed a 2-1 victory over Éric Chelle’s men at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday night.

It was Portugal’s final preparatory game before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The hosts missed a number of scoring chances early in the game before finally taking the lead through Chelsea winger Pedro Neto in the 23rd minute.

Nigeria rallied, and got the equaliser through Akor Adams eight minutes before the break.

Substitute Francisco Conceicao however netted the winning goal for Portugal 15 minutes from time.

Martinez confessed the encounter was a difficult test for his team.

“It was a fantastic test, the opponent was demanding, from a different culture, we don’t usually play against African teams.

“I think today we had an opponent with players who have a lot of physical ability and use attacking movements very well, without needing much combination to get into the area,” Martinez said after the game.

Friendly: Portugal coach, Martinez reacts to victory over Super Eagles 

The Adamawa State Police Command has barred all local security outfits, including vigilante groups, hunters, Civilian JTF and other quasi-security organisations from the local government election scheduled for the 21 LGAs of the state this Saturday, June 13.

The command said Thursday that only personnel of the formal security agencies, notably the police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, deployed through the established election security framework would provide security for the election.

The Command which made the announcement through its spokesman, SP Suleiman Nguroje, assured that it has deployed adequate personnel and operational assets across the 21 LGAs to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.

According to Nguroje, the personnel deployment covers all polling units, ward collation centres, and local government collation centres to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral officials and election materials.

“As part of measures aimed at ensuring a secure and orderly electoral process, there shall be a restriction of human and vehicular movement throughout the state from 0600hrs to 1600hrs on election day,” Nguroje added.

He clarified that the restriction does not apply to accredited electoral officials, accredited election observers, media practitioners on election duties, and emergency service providers.

Adamawa police bans vigilante, Civilian JTF, other local security from LG polls 

A former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Reagan Ufomba has officially quit the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and defected to the Labour Party, LP.

 Receiving Ufomba and his supporters into LP on Wednesday at Okpuala Ngwa, Abia State Governor,  Alex Otti said the defection is a major boost  to the Labour Party  and to the development of the State. 

The Governor described the Labour Party as one founded on equity, inclusiveness and equal opportunities for all members and assured the new entrants that they would not be subjected to discrimination  by old LP members.

“The interesting thing about Labour Party is that there is no discrimination.

“We don’t have old and new members,” Governor Otti said.

The Governor commended Chief Ufomba for his commitment to the development of the State and acknowledged his support for the administration’s reform agenda.

Earlier in his speech, Ufomba pledged his commitment to contributing to the growth and progress of Abia State under the platform of the Labour Party.

He  thanked Alex Otti and the leadership of the LP in Abia State for receiving him into their fold.

Abia ex-guber candidate, Reagan Ufomba defects to Labour Party

The race for the 2025/2026 Nigeria Women Football League title will resume on Friday at the Adokie Amesiemaka stadium in the garden city of Port-Harcourt, Rivers.

In the crucial round, FC Robo Queens will face Bayelsa Queens, Abia Angels take on Nasarawa Amazons while Edo Queens clash with Rivers Angels.

In the results of match day three, Edo Queens moved to the top of the NWFL Super Six standing after a dominant 6-2 victory over Abia Angels.

The Benin City-based side produced another devastating attacking display to secure a second consecutive win, coming back from their opening-day defeat to Nasarawa Amazons.

Bayelsa Queens took the bragging rights with a 2-1 victory over Rivers Angels in the South-South derby.

Meanwhile, FC Robo Queens shrugged off their successive defeats to secure a first win of the tournament and Nasarawa Amazons’ perfect start to the Super Six with a 2-0 victory.

After frustrating the Lafia side for much of the contest, Robo struck twice in the second half through Opeyemi Ajakaye, who scored her seventh goal of the season, and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who netted her 11th to revive Robos’ hopes heading into the final rounds while handing Nasarawa Amazons their first defeat of the competition.

As it stands, Edo Queens sit atop the Super Six standings on goal difference, level on six points with Nasarawa Amazons. Bayelsa Queens occupy third place on four points, while Abia Angels, Rivers Angels and FC Robo Queens remain firmly in contention as the competition enters its business end.

Edo Queens Lead NWFL Super Six Ahead Crucial Fixtures Friday is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

 

The 12th Prosecution Witness, PW12, Christopher Odofin, in the trial of the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, told Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Abuja, how Sirika allegedly passed off an aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airline as that of the promised Nigeria Air by the government of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

The decoy aircraft, adorned with the livery of the promised Nigeria Air, found its way on the tarmac of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on May 27, 2023, being three days to the expiration of the tenure of the Buhari government and was flown back to Addis Ababa in the morning of May 29, 2023, being the handover date to the successor government.

Hadi Sirika is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on amended six-count, bordering on alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over N2 billion, alongside his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, son-in-law, Hamma Jalal Sule, and Al Buraq Global Investment Limited.

The contract for the setting up of Nigeria Air was awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited, belonging to Gabriel Tilmann, a close associate and friend of the former minister.

Reading from a portion of contract agreement with Ethiopian Airline, the witness, an investigator with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC said “The aircraft will depart from Addis Ababa (ADD) late evening of May 26, 2023 for it to be positioned early morning of May 27, 2023 at the Abuja (ABV) airport. The aircraft will stay in ABV airport for static display of Nigeria Air livery until May 28, 2023. The aircraft will leave ABV airport early morning on May, 29, 2023. The chartered flight will be operated by the Ethiopian Airline crew in Ethiopian Airline uniform. The Federal Government of Nigeria and Nigeria Air may put together local models who will be in Nigeria Air uniforms to pose for ceremonial pictures. The models may come to Addis Ababa so they may fly with the chartered flight to ABV.”

The witness told the court that the display of the aircraft in Abuja International Airport was deliberately planned to coincide with the end of the first defendant’s tenure as Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development on May 29, 2023 and to pass the aircraft off as the actualization of his promise of the return of Nigeria Air. After the less than 72 hours display of the aircraft, he stated that the Nigeria Air logo was removed from the aircraft and flown back to Ethiopian Airlines in Addis Ababa.

The witness further disclosed that the investigating team was also able to ascertain that Ethiopian Airlines entered into a charter arrangement for the static display of the Nigeria Air livery for a duration of just three days, beginning from May 27 to May 29, 2023 based on information and documents received from the airline following a letter from it, dated June 12, 2023, in response to the EFCC’s request for information regarding Nigeria Air. And that though the purpose of the contract was for the establishment of Nigeria Air, the charter agreement with Ethiopian Airlines was entered on May 24, 2023, five days to the expiration of the defendant’s tenure for just a static display of the Nigeria Air logo on an aircraft.

All the documents tendered in evidence by the prosecution were shown to have been duly signed, authorized, and accompanied by certificates of identification and were not objected to by any of the counsels to the four defendants.

Among the exhibits is a compact disk containing a voice note from the first defendant, Hadi Sirika, marked Exhibit 37, which the prosecution counsel applied to be played in the court at the next adjourned date.

Further in his testimony, the witness told the court told that though the contract for the start-up of Nigeria Air, which was awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited for over N299 million on April 4, 2022, saw a contract extension award to the company on October 17, 2022, to a sum, exceeding N599 million on the instructions and directives of the first defendant, based on his relationship with the company’s alter ego.

According to him “The investigating team arrived at this position when the phone of one Enitan Muyiwa Abel, who was a Permanent Secretary in the first defendant’s ministry was analysed, showing a voice note sent to the Permanent Secretary while the first defendant was in Spain instructing him to ensure that the contract was awarded to Tianaero Nigeria Limited.”

 Justice Oriji adjourned the matter till June 17, 2026 for the continuation of the trial.