Wembley Stadium has officially sold out for the highly anticipated IBF heavyweight world title showdown between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, scheduled for September 21.

The clash, which promises to be one of the biggest nights in boxing this year, has drawn enormous attention, with fans quickly snapping up all available general admission tickets.

The event, set to feature a stacked undercard and a performance by British rock icon Liam Gallagher, has generated immense buzz. Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, confirmed that all standard tickets have been sold, leaving only a limited number of platinum and hospitality options for those still hoping to witness the action live.

For Joshua, Wembley holds a special significance. It was here that he delivered his career-defining victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2017, a bout that solidified his status as a global boxing superstar. He also secured a decisive win against Alexander Povetkin at the same arena.

However, this time around, Joshua enters the ring as the challenger, facing Dubois, who was recently elevated to full IBF champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title.

Dubois, 26, views this opportunity as the chance to stamp his authority on the heavyweight division.

With a rigorous training camp under the guidance of his coach, Don Charles, Dubois is confident he can defeat the former champion.

“I’m just aiming to be the best. To fight the best and beat the best,” Dubois said.

“AJ has been the king for a long time, and we all know it, so on the night, I need to become a king-slayer. That’s my goal, and that’s the mission at hand. I’ve improved all around as a fighter and an athlete. I’m really up for this and ready to go.”

Joshua, fully aware of the magnitude of the task ahead, remains focused and determined, saying, “I’m not silly, either; I know the game. We’re all in the wild. We’re a pack of lions and hunters. It’s the next man up. I’ve had Dubois on my mind for a while.

“The goal is just to get through a successful training camp and then perform on the night.”

As the excitement continues to build, the sold-out crowd at Wembley is set to witness a battle of generations.

Joshua, with his wealth of experience and championship pedigree, is eager to reclaim his throne, while Dubois seeks to announce himself as the new force in heavyweight
boxing.

The Nigeria Police Force on Saturday confirmed the release of 20 medical students who were abducted along the Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu Road.

The students, who are from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos were travelling to Enugu for the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students’ annual convention when they were snatched by bandits.

Their abduction generated massive outcry, which made the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, order the deployment of tactical operatives and assets, including helicopters, drones, and tactical vehicles, to ensure the swift rescue of the kidnapped students.

Also, additional detectives were sent to Benue State to aid in the rescue of the abducted medical students.

A multiple vehicle accident has claimed the life of a dispatch rider, while two others were rescued along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, revealed this in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

He said the accident happened near Chevron, heading towards Ikota, along the expressway.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that a high-capacity ‘T&M’ bus (AKD 952 XZ) lost control due to brake failure while speeding, colliding with an oncoming ‘KIA RIO’ vehicle (BDG 853 DA).

“The impact caused the KIA RIO to crash into a dispatch motorcycle (KTU 695 QK) in the opposite direction.

“The dispatch rider was pronounced dead at the scene, while two others sustained serious fractures and were rushed to a nearby hospital by a good samaritan, who was driving along the expressway,” he said.

According to him, police officers from Ajiwe and Ilasan Police Stations provided security during the rescue operations conducted by LASTMA personnel and other emergency responders.

Bakare-Oki extended condolences to the family of the deceased and sympathized with the two injured victims.

He also urged motorists, particularly high-capacity bus drivers, to ensure their vehicles were in proper working condition, especially the brake system, before embarking on any journey within or outside the state.

The Comptroller General of Customs of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, has approved the appointments of the key management team.

Abdullahi Maiwada, the NCS spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

The appointments come following the retirement of some key management team members in Customs.

BM Jibo has been appointed as the Deputy Comptroller-General in charge of finance administration and technical services.

“OA Alajogun, acting DCG enforcement, inspection, and investigation; IG Umar, acting ACG headquarters; OA Salefu, acting Assistant Comptroller-General, training and doctrine command; BA Makinde, acting ACG, human resource development; Timi Bomodi, acting ACG enforcement, inspection, and investigation”, the statement reads.

In an effort to mitigate the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidy, the federal government on Friday, launched the Conversion Incentive Programme of the Compressed Natural Gas Initiative in Abeokuta, Ogun State

Speaking at the flag-off, Michael Oluwagbemi, the CEO and Program Director of the Presidential CNG project, stated that the goal of the project was to convert one million automobiles for free.

Oluwagbemi said to fulfil the President’s promise, the program would work with four conversion centres signed up in the state.

He said, “What we are doing here now is to flag off the incentive programme that the President announced in his last speech to the nation where he talked about the difficulties of all Nigerians.

“He mentioned that a million vehicles are going to be converted for free. We are here to fulfil the President’s promise here in the city of Abeokuta.

“We are going to be working with the conversion centres partners, we signed up four of them here in Ogun State today.”

Oluwagbemi said commercial drivers, as well as members of NATO, RTEAN, and NURTW, would receive the conversion kits.

“It’s going to be the 60th we’ve signed across Nigeria for the programme. The idea is that this conversion centre will get the conversion kit that the Federal Ministry of Finance has purchased for free.

“Fifty nominees from each of the three major unions will be utilising not just this facility but the three facilities to ensure that conversion starts.

“When that conversion starts, we will be able to fuel in any of the CNG refueling stations that are also present in Ogun State,” he added.

In his remarks, Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Energy, Jide Onakoya, said the programme would be a game-changer for the state and help to reduce pollution by a significant amount.

A broadcast journalist, late Jacob Haruna Zango, was on Friday laid to rest in his hometown Abuyab in the Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Late Jacob Zango, a staff with the Kaduna State Media Corporation died on Wednesday, 14th August, 2024, after a brief illness at the Kafanchan General Hospital.

Loved ones, friends, media practitioners, and well-wishers converged at Abuyab village on Friday to pay their last respect to the late media guru.

At the funeral service on Friday, the chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, Comrade Asma’u Yawo Halilu, thanked the Almighty for the life of late Jaco Zango while on earth, who gave all to his official engagements in the office and as council official.

She thanked all members of the council for showing solidarity whenever anything happened to any member of the council, saying that journalists in the state should continue to work as a family.

During the burial service, the officiating priest, Pastor Makurvet Dawuda, reminded all of the need to remember life after death and always live in peace with one another.

Late Jacob Zango was born on 17th April, 1968 to the family of late Mr and Mrs Zango Bwayin Kura in Abuyab, Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Directorate, have arrested 14 suspected internet fraudsters in a sting operation at the Federal Low cost Housing Estate, Makurdi, Benue.

The EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

According to him, their arrest followed actionable intelligence about their suspected involvement in internet fraud.

“The suspects are Austine Okwori, Osita Valentine, Skott King-David, Thomas Ifebuche, Akor Oche, Henry Adah, Scott Inalegwu, Ogbu Alpha, Samuel Moses, and Ogbonna Ckukwuaogwu.

“Others include Mustapha Adinoye, Sylvanus Ogbu, Emmanuel Adamu and Samuel Otene,” he said.

He said that Items recovered from the suspects included phones, laptops and charms.

Oyewale said that they would soon be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Barely 24 hours after a truck rammed into a vehicle and a pedestrian in the Lafenwa area of Ogun State killing four persons and injuring two, another truck has crushed two persons to death in the Papalanto area of the state.

The accident according to the spokesman for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, happened in the early hours of Friday. Akinbiyi attributed the cause of the accident which involved an Iveco Truck with number plate KJA 166 XJ and a Tricycle with number plate TRE 627 VP, to dangerous driving by the truck driver. He added that four people including two males and two females were involved in the accident with the two females crushed to death.

While narrating the accident, the TRACE spokesman added that the truck driver allegedly fled the scene after causing the damage.

He narrated, “According to an eyewitness account, the truck in an attempt to overtake the tricycle while both were in transit inbound Abeokuta, around Papalanto, dragged the tricycle along with it by the side in the process with the tricycle falling in its front before running over it, killing a grandmother and her granddaughter, who were the only occupants in the tricycle on the spot. “Regrettably, the truck driver escaped from the scene before being arrested.”

He added that the bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families while warning motorists against dangerous driving.

“However, the bodies of the dead victims have been collected by the families of the victims while the injured tricycle driver has been rescued to an unknown hospital by a good samaritan. Moreover, the accident vehicles have been deposited at the Itori Divisional Police Command. “While TRACE and the Police commiserate with the families of the deceased, motorists are again charged to avoid dangerous and reckless driving given its attendant consequences,” Akinbiyi concluded.

A Russian ferry loaded with fuel has been sunk by a Ukrainian attack, the Telegraph reports.

According to the report, the vessel was carrying 30 fuel tanks in the Russian port of Kavkaz in southern Krasnodar when the fire broke out.

Also damaged were jetty and port structures in the area, while any potential casualties were being assessed.

The report said more than 100 people were required to tackle the blaze. Photos on social media showed plumes of black smoke rising from the ship.

It also emerged on Friday that Russia had lost 605,330 troops since the start of its invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.

The toll includes 11,190 casualties in the past day alone, according to the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

Regional authorities on Friday announced that Russian strikes killed eight civilians across Ukraine.

The national police said the attacks killed two in the northeastern Sumy region.

Regional Governor Oleg Synegubov said that, further to the east, in the Kharkiv region bordering Russia, two civilians died in an attack.

According to him, rescuers also removed a body from the rubble from another attack that took place earlier this week.

Similarly, Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin reported another death in an attack on the region.

Moscow has pushed on with its offensive in the Donetsk region even as it tries to fight off a Ukrainian counter-assault into its own Kursk border region.

Ukraine is evacuating civilians from the city of Pokrovsk and its surrounding areas, about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the fighting, where officials say some 50,000 still live.

According to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin, in the southern city of Kherson, which was liberated in autumn 2022 but remains within reach of Russian weapons, two people died and five were wounded.

At least 13 people have died and 4.5 million others have been affected by devastating floods in Bangladesh, according to a report from the disaster management and relief ministry released on Friday.

The floods, triggered by torrential rains, have swamped large parts of the low-lying nation, adding to the challenges faced by the new government following weeks of political turmoil.

The South Asian country, home to 170 million people and crisscrossed by hundreds of rivers, is frequently impacted by floods, making it one of the most vulnerable nations to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index.

The ministry’s bulletin revealed that nearly 190,000 people have been evacuated to emergency relief shelters, with 11 of the country’s 64 districts affected by the rising waters.

The district of Feni, located approximately 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of the major port city of Chittagong, has been particularly hard hit.

“It’s a catastrophic situation here,” said Zahed Hossain Bhuiya, a 35-year-old rescue volunteer in Feni. “We are trying to rescue as many people as we can.”

A Nigerian woman, Faith Racheal, has been arrested by Indian authorities in Delhi for allegedly smuggling and supplying a substantial quantity of psychotropic substances.

According to reports, Racheal was apprehended on August 14 in the Mehrauli area of the capital city.

Police reports stated that Racheal was found in possession of 3.87 kilograms of mescaline, a potent hallucinogenic drug with a high value on the international market. The seized quantity is estimated to be worth approximately Rs15 crore.

Racheal had initially arrived in India in August 2022 on a medical visa but had overstayed her visa period.

During her extended stay, she allegedly became involved with a Nigerian national engaged in drug smuggling, ultimately joining a narcotics cartel.

The police revealed that Racheal played a key role in facilitating the delivery of narcotics between couriers, utilising her connections within the cartel.

Mescaline, a naturally occurring psychedelic substance derived from the Mexican Peyote cactus and the San Pedro cactus native to Peru and Ecuador, has effects similar to those of LSD and psilocybin (magic mushrooms).

It is often used as a party drug and can be found in various forms, including powder, tablets, capsules, or liquid.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Amit Kaushik stated that the drugs were smuggled inside packages of branded toffee and fish food, making detection more difficult.

Racheal’s arrest followed a tip-off, leading to a raid in the Mehrauli area, where the drugs were discovered.

Racheal remains in custody as the investigation continues, with authorities probing deeper into the network and her connections to the broader narcotics trade.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced September 2024 as a new date for the commercial commencement of Port Harcourt Refinery.

The Chief Financial Officer of NNPCL, Umar Ajiya disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists in Abuja.

According to him, the petroleum products will be ready for testing before it is usually supplied to the domestic market in September

Earlier, the national president of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry had hinted that the refinery is set for commencement.

This comes after several announcements of commencement dates that had not come to light.

Recall that in July, Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL had announced that the refinery, with a combined capacity of 250 barrels per day, would commence operation in August.

Similarly, the firm had announced March and July 2024 dates for the commencement of the refinery after its mechanical completion in December last year.

The Borno State government has disbursed N209.8 million to 170 primary health centres to enhance quality healthcare service delivery at the grassroots.

The state governor, Babagana Zulum, said this during the disbursement on Monday in Maiduguri.

He charged the local healthcare coordinators and facility managers to ensure quality services to the people.

“Healthcare is a shared responsibility. As we invest in our healthcare infrastructure, I call upon our health workers, community leaders and all stakeholders to collaborate in maximising the impact of these funds,” he said.

Mr Zulum announced plans to rehabilitate the primary healthcare centres across the 27 local government areas of the state, aimed at bringing quality healthcare closer to the people.

The governor also directed the Borno State Contributory Health Management Agency to enroll more vulnerable persons into its free healthcare scheme.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Baba Malum Gana, said the gesture was part of the Zulum administration’s commitment to enhance access to quality healthcare services.

He stated, “This occasion marks an important milestone in our collective efforts to ensure that every person in our state has access to quality healthcare services. This is a testament to our determination to improve the healthcare system in Borno State. These resources will go a long way in enhancing our primary and secondary healthcare facilities, enabling us to provide essential services that cater to the needs of our communities.’’

Former U.S. Congressman George Santos, on Monday, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity fraud to avert a trial that would have nailed him with over 24 charges that included money laundering.

Mr Santos syphoned his campaign funds to pay for cosmetic procedures, OnlyFans subscriptions and luxury designer items from Ferragamo and Hermès.

Mr Santos admitted that his actions of stealing funds from political donors to pay for personal expenses betrayed the trust of his supporters and agreed to make a refund $373,000 of stolen funds.

“I betrayed the trust of my constituents and supporters,” Mr Santos admitted in a New York court on Monday. “I deeply regret my conduct, I fully accept responsibility for my actions, and I understand my actions have betrayed the trust of my supporters; I made misrepresentations so that the NRCC would spend money on my campaign.”

The 36-year-old former Republican congressman also accessed unemployment benefits despite being gainfully employed, which compounded his legal woes.

Mr Santos is due to be sentenced on February 7, 2025.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has apprehended a trailer driver involved in a hit-and-run incident at Anthony Oke, heading towards Oshodi.

Taofiq Adebayo, LASTMA’s spokesman, confirmed this in a statement on Monday in Lagos.

Mr Adebayo said the driver, operating a trailer owned by Honeywell Flour Mill Plc (registration number JJJ 764 XV), was apprehended after hitting a pedestrian who was attempting to cross the motorway.

He added that the incident was near the Total Filling Station at Anthony Oke, inward Oshodi.

“The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the morning, sparked significant concern among witnesses and commuters.

“The pedestrian, who sustained a serious injury, including a broken left leg, was promptly attended to by personnel from the Lagos State Ambulance Service and transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.

“LASTMA officials on duty at the time responded swiftly, pursuing the fleeing driver and apprehending him at Oshodi.

“He has since been handed over to officers from Mosafejo Police Station for further investigation and prosecution,” he said.

Mr Adebayo noted that LASTMA remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all road users in Lagos.

He said the agency would continue collaborating closely with law enforcement agencies to bring traffic offenders to justice.

“Our thoughts are with the injured pedestrian, and we urge all road users to adhere to traffic laws and prioritise the safety of pedestrians and other motorists.

“For complaints, comments, or commendations on traffic management across the state, please contact the LASTMA toll-free call centre at 080000527862,” he said

The federal government says the “alarming increase’’ in attacks against humanitarian workers, particularly in Africa, has made the work of the heroes increasingly perilous.

Tijani Ahmed, the federal commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), stated this on Monday in Abuja at a news conference to commemorate the 2024 World Humanitarian Day.

The 2024 World Humanitarian Day theme is “Act for Humanity.”

Mr Ahmed emphasised the urgent need for the implementation of a framework for the protection of humanitarian workers amid a troubling rise in violent attacks.

He cited recent incidents across the continent, including in South Sudan, where aid workers have been abducted and killed, and in the Central African Republic, where humanitarian convoys have been ambushed.

Mr Ahmed lamented the situation in Nigeria, where between 2020 and 2024, 49 incidents were reported affecting 79 humanitarian workers.

The violence, according to him, included the tragic killing of an aid worker from Médecins du Monde and the attack on a United Nations Aid Facility in Borno State.

He said the violence resulted in the deaths of no fewer than 20 internally displaced persons.

“These attacks are not just crimes against individuals; they are blatant violations of international humanitarian law,” Mr Ahmed declared.

He said their protection was in line with the Geneva Conventions, which classify the intentional targeting of humanitarian workers as a war crime.

Mr Ahmed called for a renewed commitment from the global community to enforce these laws and end the cycle of impunity that allows such violence to persist.

“As a nation, Nigeria has been deeply affected by conflicts that have displaced millions and created an urgent need for humanitarian assistance.

“Yet, those who work tirelessly to bring relief often face life-threatening risks,’’ he said.

In addition to advocating for stricter enforcement of international humanitarian law, the commissioner urged the Nigerian government to strengthen its legal framework to prosecute those who commit the heinous acts.

He then called on all stakeholders to intensify their efforts to protect humanitarian workers and civilians in conflict zones, emphasising that protecting the individuals is a moral imperative.

Mr Ahmed also expressed his deepest gratitude to the humanitarian workers who continued to serve in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

The commissioner called on all Nigerians to stand together to defend the rights and dignity of every person, especially those most vulnerable.

He urged collective action to ensure that those who risk their lives to save others could do so without fear of violence or retribution.

Two brothers, identified as Zubairu Ibrahim and Sadiq Ibrahim, have died over the weekend after a mine collapsed in Kakaki village, located in the Paikoro local government area of Niger State.

The tragic incident followed three previous mine collapses in the Shiroro and Paikoro areas of the state in recent months.

The deceased brothers, aged 20 and 25, were said to have left home without informing their parents that they were heading to the mine to dig for solid minerals.

The father of the deceased brothers, Mallam Zubairu Ibrahim, said the family initially assumed the young men were out with friends but when they did not return, the family learned that the brothers had gone to the mine site, hoping to find gold or other valuable minerals.

He said he sent community members to search for his sons, and tragically, their bodies were found buried beneath the collapsed soil at the riverbank.

While speaking with officials from the state Ministry of Mineral Resources who paid a condolence and fact-finding visit to the village, Ibrahim lamented how he could cope with life after burying two sons in one day.

The team from the Ministry of Mineral Resources was led by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Yunusa Mohammed Nahauni and directors, the Miners Association State Chapter Caretaker Chairman, as well as the Nigeria Union of Mines Workers.

The Permanent Secretary lamented that the death was avoidable if the community had abided with the Governor’s order suspending mining in the state.

He stressed that the directive suspending mining in the state is still in force as the ministry will continue to crack down on illegal mining operations, warning that anyone found violating the regulations would face legal consequences.

Nahauni, who expressed the government’s condolences, reiterated the need to determine the cause of the accident, urging the community to inform the ministry whenever they discover any mineral elements in their vicinity to receive proper guidance.