Man Utd ready to agree deal for 100m star even if Amorim is sacked


Manchester United are ready to negotiate the transfer of Brighton andamp; Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba next summer regardless of what happens with manager Ruben Amorim.

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My attempts to write a book have been unsuccessful – Tinubu

The president praised Governor Uzodimma for his book, “A Decade of Impactful Progressive Governance in Nigeria”. The post My attempts to write a book have been unsuccessful – Tinubu appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

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Champions League: Mbappe hat-trick fires Real Madrid past Kairat

Champions League: Mbappe hat-trick fires Real Madrid past Kairat

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Kwara denies claims DSS disarmed vigilantes before deadly Oke-Ode attack

The Kwara State Government has debunked viral claims that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) disarmed vigilantes in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, before gunmen struck on Sunday, killing at least 12 people and abducting several others. A widely circulated video had shown a grieving widow accusing the DSS of withdrawing weapons from
Kwara denies claims DSS disarmed vigilantes before deadly Oke-Ode attack

The Kwara State Government has debunked viral claims that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) disarmed vigilantes in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, before gunmen struck on Sunday, killing at least 12 people and abducting several others.

A widely circulated video had shown a grieving widow accusing the DSS of withdrawing weapons from local forest guards, which she claimed left the community vulnerable.

But in a statement on Tuesday, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, dismissed the allegation as false, stressing that at no time did the DSS disarm vigilantes in any part of Kwara.

The clarification came as DSS operatives and Nigerian Army troops killed several terrorists along the Kwara-Kogi border. Among those neutralised was a notorious kingpin identified as Maiwada, along with many of his fighters.

While sympathising with victims’ families, the government noted that the false narrative had demoralised security agencies. It urged residents to remain calm, united, and resist attempts by politicians or media outlets to exploit the crisis.

Kwara denies claims DSS disarmed vigilantes before deadly Oke-Ode attack

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Dangote Refinery row: You’re scaring off investors – Senator Karimi cautions PENGASSAN

Kogi West Senator, Sunday Karimi, has warned the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, to respect the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, saying the union’s directive to withdraw services affecting the Dangote Refinery risks damaging the economy and deterring investors. On Saturday, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, ordered members working at field
Dangote Refinery row: You’re scaring off investors – Senator Karimi cautions PENGASSAN

Kogi West Senator, Sunday Karimi, has warned the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, to respect the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, saying the union’s directive to withdraw services affecting the Dangote Refinery risks damaging the economy and deterring investors.

On Saturday, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, ordered members working at field locations to withdraw services from 6 am on Sunday, September 28.

The directive covered control-room and panel operations, outfield personnel and other services across companies, agencies and institutions, and specifically called for the immediate suspension of processes involving gas and crude supply to the Dangote Refinery.

Reacting, Karimi condemned the move as “economic sabotage,” saying the action exposed what he described as ulterior motives that threatened the oil sector.

In a statement he signed, Karimi said: “No investor will invest in any country where a union leader can easily destroy a multibillion-dollar private investment without cause. No serious nation will even allow such unions to survive.”

The senator urged the Federal Government and law enforcement agencies to intervene, arguing that the withdrawal of gas and crude supplies would cripple the $20 billion refinery and reverse gains towards self-sufficiency in fuel supply.

He noted that, despite reports of 800 disengaged workers, Dangote has said more than 3,000 Nigerians continue to work at the refinery, alongside numerous indirect employees, suppliers and contractors who depend on the plant.

Karimi contrasted the situation at the refinery with other privately run sectors where union activity is limited.

He noted that, after deregulation, many private investors discouraged unionism and introduced attractive compensation systems; as a result, unions such as NUBIFE lost influence in the financial sector.

He recalled that when Chief Gabriel Igbinedion founded the first private university in 1988, he prohibited staff membership of ASUU, and that ASUU remains absent from Nigeria’s private universities to this day.

Union activity is also restricted or disallowed in other industries such as aviation, tourism and electricity, where private investors are dominant.

“An employer has the right to refuse the existence of trade unions in their businesses, and a staff member has the right to walk away from any employer who doesn’t want unionism,” Karimi said, asking why Dangote Refinery should be treated differently.

The senator also pointed to past resistance by unions to private-sector involvement in refining.

He said that when former President Olusegun Obasanjo prepared to sell the moribund Port Harcourt refinery in 2007 and Aliko Dangote agreed to buy it, unions and labour groups opposed the sale, prompting Dangote to build his own facility instead.

Karimi contrasted that privately built refinery — now one of the world’s largest single-train refineries — with government-owned refineries that have continued to incur huge maintenance costs.

He accused some unions of continuing to profit from levies and dues while members work in or benefit from moribund state plants.

PENGASSAN’s directive has drawn strong criticism from politicians and sections of the public on social media.

The union said the action formed part of its industrial strategy in the statement signed by Okugbawa.

The Federal Government has not yet announced a response to calls for intervention.

Dangote Refinery row: You’re scaring off investors – Senator Karimi cautions PENGASSAN

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Alleged N27bn Fraud: witness details how ex-Taraba gov Ishaku directed cash collections, payments

The trial of former Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku, continued on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, before Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, with the first prosecution witness, Ismail Lawal, narrating how he allegedly collected and disbursed large sums of money on the instructions of the former governor. According to EFCC,
Alleged N27bn Fraud: witness details how ex-Taraba gov Ishaku directed cash collections, payments

The trial of former Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku, continued on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, before Justice S.C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, with the first prosecution witness, Ismail Lawal, narrating how he allegedly collected and disbursed large sums of money on the instructions of the former governor.

According to EFCC, Ishaku, alongside Bello Yero, a former permanent secretary at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, is being prosecuted by the Commission on a 15-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, and diversion of public funds amounting to N27 billion.

Testifying under cross-examination by defence counsel P.H. Ogbole (SAN), Lawal said the instructions he acted upon came verbally, by text messages, or through handwritten notes from the ex-governor. He gave a breakdown of several cash collections, including N10 million received from a liaison officer, Mr. Dauda, in Abuja on December 13, 2020, and N7 million collected two days earlier from Emmanuel Ifun, Director of Finance at Government House.

From his record book, which he said was “strictly between me and His Excellency,” Lawal detailed further collections: N50 million from the permanent secretary on December 20, 2020; N30 million on January 12, 2021; N20 million on January 27, 2021; N4 million on January 30, 2021; and several other sums ranging from N6.5 million to N30 million, some of which were transferred directly into his account.

According to him, Ishaku verified the records after every transaction. Justice Oriji adjourned the case to October 20, November 4, and November 6, 2025, for continuation of trial.

Alleged N27bn Fraud: witness details how ex-Taraba gov Ishaku directed cash collections, payments

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Tinubu Appoints New Heads of Agencies

Tinubu Appoints New Heads of Agencies

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved the appointment of three new Heads of Agencies.
A statement yesterday by Director Information and Public Relations Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, said that in the National Biosafety Management Agency, President Tinubu appointed Bello Bawa Bwari (Niger State) as the new Director-General for an initial term of four years, effective from September 18, 2025 in accordance with the provision of Section 5 of the National Biosafety Management Agency, 2015.

Also Aminu Junaidu (Zamfara State) has been appointed as Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer of the Investment and Security Tribunal for a five-year term, effective September 18, 2025.

The President also approved the appointment of Olayiwola Nurudeen Awakan as Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation for an initial four-year term, effective September 2, 2025.

The statement noted the appointments underscored the President’s commitment to strengthening key sectors and institutions in Nigeria.

It added that the President also charged the appointees to contribute their expertise in the development of the agencies for the good of the nation.

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Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved the appointment of three new Heads of Agencies.A statement yesterday by Director Information and Public Relations Office of the Secretary

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Asagba of Asaba urges stronger leadership in tackling Nigeria’s health challenges

The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, has criticised Nigeria’s slow progress in addressing key health challenges. He expressed his concern on Monday while receiving the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Institute of Trypanosomiasis Research, NITR, Dr. Joachim Ajakaiye, who paid him a visit. The monarch lamented that the country
Asagba of Asaba urges stronger leadership in tackling Nigeria’s health challenges

The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof. Epiphany Azinge, has criticised Nigeria’s slow progress in addressing key health challenges.

He expressed his concern on Monday while receiving the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Institute of Trypanosomiasis Research, NITR, Dr. Joachim Ajakaiye, who paid him a visit. The monarch lamented that the country appeared to be going in circles under the guise of making progress.

He wondered why an Institute established in 1947 would still be struggling to eradicate river blindness and sleeping sickness after nearly eight decades, noting similar concerns about malaria, which continues to claim lives.

While stressing that it was regrettable that Nigeria had yet to achieve self-reliance 65 years after independence despite abundant resources, he observed that some progress had been made in disease eradication with the help of international donors. However, he expressed disappointment at the inability of Nigeria to fully address fundamental health challenges.

“Mr DG, there always comes a time when a leader must stand up and show leadership, demonstrate leadership and make a difference. I believe that time has come, under your watch, to stand up and make a difference. You can run away with the issues around your mandate and make that difference.

“There’s work to be done. Is it because the Bill Gate Foundation, amongst others, has not veered into this? The one they’ve done is as if they’re achieving a lot of success on that. I always tell this country, we are a shameless nation.

“The money we fritter away; the money we lavish through nebulous ways, corruption, amongst others, is much more than what Bill Gate is bringing to Nigeria. Why must we rely on donors to address some of our basic issues? We are rich enough both in human and natural resources; more than enough to take care of our challenges. This is the time for us to take the bull by the horn.

“For me, from 1947 till date, we shouldn’t be talking about eradication, we should be mopping up in areas where you still have issues. We should be talking about total elimination at this point in time, almost 80 years after. That is what it should be.

“That’s why in the developed world, wherever they know they have ailments they attack them frontally. U.S and Europe, they are not sleeping over cancer. At any point in time you see them investing in research.

“I’m happy, though, that something is coming up in Delta, particularly at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba; we want to see that as a veritable instrument for addressing this issue and vigorously too, hopefully to make a turn around of the whole matter. Having said that, I want to welcome you. I believe I have sufficiently challenged you; I have sufficiently provoked your thoughts. There is really work to be done.

“More often in Nigeria, what we glamorise is the title of office, we don’t face the challenges of the office. We are not students of history because time will always fly past, the next thing you will ask yourself is “what have I been able to achieve on the saddle? If you challenge yourself of what you are capable of achieving on the saddle, then that will propel, motivate reinvigorate and energize you to achieve the best you can, not for yourself, but for the country” the Asagba stated.

Earlier, the DG/CEO of NITR, Dr. Joachim Ajakaiye, informed the Monarch that the Institute had in the past carried out extensive control interventions of African Trypanosomiasis in the three senatorial districts of Delta State, in collaboration with critical stakeholders. He expressed confidence that, if sustained, the partnership would significantly benefit rural communities, the state and its neighbouring areas by improving early diagnosis, reducing healthcare costs, and creating jobs.

According to him, the NITR’s mandate is to develop appropriate technologies and employ research tools and processes towards the elimination of African Trypanosomiasis, onchocerciasis, and their vectors, tsetse and black flies.

The DG further disclosed that the State Ministry of Science and Technology had agreed to partner with the Institute for the establishment of its proposed Diagnostic Centre at Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba. He assured that the Institute would fully take charge of the construction, equipping, and staffing of the centre.

Asagba of Asaba urges stronger leadership in tackling Nigeria’s health challenges

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Kwara Govt Denies Claims DSS Disarmed Vigilantes in Oke-Ode Attack

Kwara Govt Denies Claims DSS Disarmed Vigilantes in Oke-Ode Attack

As secret police, army neutralise terrorists at Kwara/Kogi border

The Kwara State Government has dismissed claims that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) disarmed local vigilantes in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, before a deadly bandit attack on Sunday.

Gunmen had invaded the community, killing 12 people, abducting several others, and leaving many injured. A video from the aftermath showed a grieving woman accusing the DSS of stripping the vigilantes of their weapons, thereby leaving residents vulnerable to the assailants.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, described the allegation as “false and demoralising.”

“There is no truth to the claim that the DSS withdrew weapons from forest guards at any time. The leadership of the guards themselves have also refuted this claim,” Ajakaye said.

He added that while the government sympathises with victims and shares in the grief of the bereaved, the claims risk undermining the morale of security agencies working to restore peace.

The statement coincided with a fresh operation in which DSS operatives and troops of the Nigerian Army reportedly killed several terrorists along the Kwara/Kogi border. Among those neutralised was a notorious bandit leader identified as Maiwada, alongside a number of his fighters.

The government urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified reports, stressing that divisive narratives only play into the hands of criminals.

“Politicians may seize on such moments for their own ends, but responsible citizens should not fuel unnecessary chitchat. This crisis will pass, and Kwara will emerge stronger and safer,” the statement read.

It also criticised the use of misleading images by some media outlets in covering the incident, noting that such practices inflame public anxiety.

The government assured that security forces remain on the offensive against bandits and reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of all communities in the state

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As secret police, army neutralise terrorists at Kwara/Kogi border The Kwara State Government has dismissed claims that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) disarmed local vigilantes in Oke-Ode,

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PENGASSAN strike poses threat to national energy security – NNPC

“Should the situation continue, the impacts are expected to intensify posing a material threat to national energy security,” the NNPC said. The post PENGASSAN strike poses threat to national energy security – NNPC appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

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