Enyimba have been deducted two points by the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, for the disruption of their game against Doma United.

The points’ deduction was sequel to the NFF disciplinary committee’s decision to upturn the victory that Enyimba had over Doma United.

The match was disrupted after 88 minutes with the scoreline at 0-0. Then Enyimba scored a goal which was initially admitted, then the referee consulted with the Assistant Referee 1 who raised his flag for an offside.

The referee agreed that the goal was scored from an offside position.

The referee was faulted for using an unorthodox means of consulting an Outside Broadcasting Van outside the Enyimba International Stadium to arrive at a decision.

The NFF has therefore ruled that the result of the match at the point of the restart of the game after over ruling the goal scored as offside is hereby upheld at (0-0).

Enyimba dropped to third position following the verdict.

The Aba giants are expected to appeal the ruling.

A senior Islamic State, ISIS, commander, Abu Huzeifa who had a $5 million bounty on his head has been killed by a joint force including troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Huzeifa had been linked to several high-profile raids in the Sahel region which includes a 2017 attack that killed four US soldiers and several troops from Niger.

He was killed on Sunday in an operation in the Northern town of Indelimane in the Menaka region.

Mali state TV described it as “a victory against a bane of evil”.Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have all suffered from relentless attacks by jihadist fighters.

All three countries are under military rule and have been developing close links with Russia while cutting ties with Western allies including the US.

They have been welcoming Russian military help while forcing troops from other countries to leave.

The report said Huzeifa, who was also known as Higgo, was a Moroccan national and a commander in IS’s self-styled Sahel Province.

The US government said Hufeiza was wanted in connection to an attack on a US Special Forces team in Niger in 2017 which led to the deaths of four American and four Nigerien soldiers.

President Bola Tinubu has sympathized with victims of the gas explosion at Ita-Oshin, Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

An explosion from a solitary gas truck occurred in the community, resulting in loss of lives and property.

Commiserating with the victims, the President sympathizes with the Ogun State Government and residents of the state over the tragedy.

The President, through a statement by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale on Tuesday, commended Governor Dapo Abiodun for his efforts to arrest the situation and immediately restore calm to the community.

The President assured the people of Ogun State, particularly the victims of the incident, of his fervent support in their moment of grief.

The Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, has granted amnesty to three prison inmates as part of efforts to decongest correctional facilities across the state.

Justice Dipeolu who paid a visit to the Ilaro Correctional Centre in Ilaro, Yewa South local government area of the state on Tuesday, said the exercise would further decongest the facility.

She decried the dire conditions plaguing correctional facilities in the country, saying that the state cannot afford to lose inmates as a result of overcrowding.

“The conditions here at the correctional centre have not improved, It is evident that overcrowding is rampant, even without official statistics, this overcrowding particularly concerns those awaiting trial, as they suffer without having been found guilty”, she said.

She, however, promised to take action against decongestion, noting that while courts work to expedite cases, the root cause of congestion must be addressed.

Justice Dipeolu identified some inmates who had been awaiting trial since 2018, a situation that, according to her, was unacceptable.

Joseph Apan, Nureni Oladosu, and Babatunde Fagbayi were released during her prison visit and jail delivery exercise.

In his remark, the Controller of the Correctional Centre, Saliu Adepoju, appreciated the chief judge and her entourage for the exercise, extolling her adherence to the ethics of the judiciary.

King Charles III will be returning to public duties after the positive effect of his cancer treatment.

King Charles has been on cancer treatment since he was diagnosed early February this year.

According to NAN, in spite of the welcome news of responding positively to the treatment, the king still has cancer.

He will continue to be treated for the undisclosed form of cancer even while performing public duties.

Charles and Queen Consort Camilla have been scheduled to visit a cancer treatment centre on Tuesday (today) to meet medical specialists and patients.

The event aims to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis and to highlight innovative research, supported by Cancer Research UK, taking place at the hospital.

In January, King Charles spent three nights in hospital for a procedure on an enlarged prostate, during which the cancer was discovered.

After his diagnosis was announced on February 6, he postponed all public engagements but continued with his duties as head of state behind palace walls, conducting audiences and Privy Council meetings.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, on Monday, released the results of the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, showing that 1,402,490 candidates out of 1,842,464 failed to score 200 out of 400 marks.

The number of candidates who failed to score half of the possible marks represents 78 per cent of the candidates whose results were released by JAMB.

Giving a breakdown of the results of the 1,842,464 candidates released, the board’s Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, noted that, “8,401 candidates scored 300 and above; 77,070 scored 250 and above; 439,974 scored 200 and above while 1,402,490 scored below 200.”

On naming the top scorers for the 2024 UTME, Oloyede said, “It is common knowledge that the board has, at various times restated its unwillingness to publish the names of its best-performing candidates, as it considers its UTME as only a ranking examination on account of the other parameters that would constitute what would later be considered the minimum admissible score for candidates seeking admission to tertiary institutions.

“Similarly, because of the different variables adopted by respective institutions, it might be downright impossible to arrive at a single or all-encompassing set of parameters for generating a list of candidates with the highest admissible score as gaining admission remains the ultimate goal. Hence, it might be unrealistic or presumptive to say a particular candidate is the highest scorer given the fact that such a candidate may, in the final analysis, not even be admitted.

“However, owing to public demand and to avoid a repeat of the Mmesoma saga as well as provide a guide for those, who may want to award prizes to this set of high-performing candidates, the Board appeals to all concerned to always verify claims by candidates before offering such awards.”

Oloyede also noted that the results of 64,624 out of the 1,904,189, who sat the examination, were withheld by the board and would be subject to investigation.

He noted that though a total of 1,989,668 registered, a total of 80,810 candidates were absent.

“For the 2024 UTME, 1,989,668 candidates registered including those who registered at foreign centres. The Direct Entry registration is still ongoing.

“Out of a total of 1,989,668 registered candidates, 80,810 were absent. A total of 1,904,189 sat the UTME within the six days of the examination.

“The Board is today releasing the results of 1,842,464 candidates. 64,624 results are under investigation for verification, procedural investigation of candidates, Centre-based investigation and alleged examination misconduct.”

Oloyede also said the board, at the moment, conducts examination in nine foreign centres namely: Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Buea, Cameroon; Cotonou, Republic of Benin; London, United Kingdom; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Johannesburg, South Africa.

“The essence of this foreign component of the examination is to market our institutions to the outside world as well as ensuring that our universities reflect the universality of academic traditions, among others. The Board is, currently, fine-tuning arrangements for the conduct of the 2024 UTME in these foreign centres,” he said.

Cameroonian fighter, Francis Ngannou, says he has been left devastated after losing his 15-month-old son, Kobe, the former Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) said in a statement on Monday.

Without stating the circumstances surrounding the demise of his son, Ngannou said “his little joy” was gone too soon, stating he shouted Kobe’s name repeatedly but did not respond as he was laying lifeless.

“Too soon to leave but yet he’s gone,” Ngannou said. “My little boy, my mate, my partner, Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he’s laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he’s not responding,” he added.

“I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most.

“How do you deal with such a thing? How can you live with it? Please help me if you have an idea because I really don’t know what to do and how to deal with this,” the statement also said.

Meanwhile, many on social media have been sending condolences and messages of support to the devastated father and his family.

In his message, Afrobeats megastar, David ‘Davido’ Adeleke said, “Be strong my brother… praying for you.”

David had experienced such bereavement recently following the death of his son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, in 2022.

“President Bola Tinubu oversees the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, tasked with directing petroleum resources and activities in Nigeria. At the helm of the NNPCL stands Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), whose tenure has been marked by the worst fuel crisis in recent memory. Nigerian students have never witnessed such prolonged shortages and disruptions to fuel supply, and we refuse to accept this as the new normal.

“The consequences of this fuel crisis are dire, with electricity supply remaining unreliable, prices soaring, and essential services paralyzed. Nigerian students, along with the rest of the population, are bearing the brunt of this crisis on a daily basis.

We demand immediate action from the NNPCL to resolve the fuel crisis and restore stability to our nation.

“This includes transparency and accountability in providing information about the state of fuel supply and distribution. The NNPCL must also improve infrastructure and logistics to ensure the efficient distribution of fuel across the country. Bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the supply chain must be addressed promptly.

“Additionally, the NNPCL should engage with stakeholders, including student representatives, to understand the impact of the fuel crisis and collaborate on solutions. If Mele Kyari fails to take decisive action to resolve the fuel crisis, we call for his resignation or removal from office.

“Nigerian students cannot afford to suffer any longer under ineffective leadership. If the NNPCL fails to act swiftly and decisively to address the fuel crisis, Nigerian students are prepared to take mass action. It is time for the NNPCL to fulfill its mandate and prioritize the well-being of the Nigerian people. The future of our nation depends on it.”

The West African Examinations Council, WAEC Nigeria, has said that the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, for school candidates will commence on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 and end on June 24, 2024.

While speaking on Monday at the WAEC Lagos Office, Head of Nigeria Office, Dr Amos Dangut, said the council was ready to conduct the examination.

He further stated that it would run for seven weeks and six days.

“I am delighted to inform you that WASSCE for School Candidates, 2024 will take place between Tuesday, April 30 and Monday, June 24, 2024, in Nigeria, spanning seven weeks and six days. The examination will be conducted in four WAEC member countries, namely: Nigeria, Gambia, Sierra-Leone and Liberia.”

“We want to intimate candidates of the council’s readiness to conduct WASSCE.

“We are set for the conduct of WASSCE for School Candidates, in 2024 in Nigeria. The Council also, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, the State Ministries of Education, the Nigeria Police, other security agencies and other stakeholders, delivers on its mandate to conduct credible examinations for the Nigerian Child and the general public.

“We remain ever grateful to the Honourable Minister of Education, the Honourable Minister of State, for Education, all the State Ministries of Education, the Inspector-General of Police, and indeed, all our stakeholders, for their usual support and cooperation, even as we count on them once again,” Dangut said.

Cambodia’s anti-drug police have arrested a gang of six local people for allegedly trafficking and possessing illicit drugs, seizing more than 188 kg of narcotics.

The Anti-Drug Department (ADP) said this in a statement released on Monday.

The suspects, two men and four women, aged between 23 and 60, were apprehended on April 24 during raids on five locations in the capital, Phnom Penh.

This took place after a thorough probe for more than three months.

“A total of 188.1 kg of crystal methamphetamine, ketamine, and heroin were seized from the suspects’ possession during the crackdowns,’’ the ADP said.

More than $300,000 in cash and millions of dollars in their bank accounts, as well as their properties and cars, were also confiscated during the raids, the ADP added.

The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for a drug trafficker.

Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grammes of illicit drugs could be jailed for life.

According to the ADP, Cambodia arrested 5,489 drug-related suspects, including over 100 foreigners, between January and March this year, confiscating a total of 3.65 tonnes of narcotics.

Most of the seized drugs were ketamine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine tablets, heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine.

An accident involving two vehicles at Igbariam junction on the Onitsha-Nteke-Awka expressway has claimed the life of a male passenger.

FRSC sector commander in the state, Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident in Awka on Monday, said it occurred on Sunday.

Mr Irelewuyi said the crash could be attributed to speeding and loss of control.

“The fatal crash involved a broken down commercial Benz truck, with registration number UKP381ZU and a green-coloured Sienna car, with registration number KRD429AG.

“Eyewitness reports indicate that the driver of the Sienna was approaching at speed. Unknown to him that the truck had broken down, he tried to control the motion but to no avail. He, however, crashed into the truck.

“The Sienna had 10 passengers: seven male adults and three female adults. A male adult was injured, while another male adult was killed in the crash.

“Before the arrival of the FRSC rescue team, sympathisers had taken the injured victim to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, while the body of the dead was taken to the mortuary at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku,” he said.

While condoling with the family of the dead, the sector commander warned drivers of articulated vehicles to endeavour to place caution triangles and reflective tape to indicate signs of cautionary alert to other moving vehicles.

“Motorists should also desist from carrying overload, ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and maintain a safe speed limit to prevent road accidents,” Mr Irelewuyi.

A Pakistani judge kidnapped by gunmen over the weekend has been freed.

He was freed on Monday amid a deadly crackdown by security forces that killed about six militants, officials said.

The judge was whisked away by 15 militants who intercepted his car on a highway in the northern town of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday night, local police officer Naeem Khan said.

The kidnapping, which has been blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, prompted a crackdown by the army, with six militants killed in separate raids at the weekend, a military statement said.

The judge’s release circumstances were unclear, but Mrcer Khan said he was freed in a raid.He did not give any further details.

The Pakistani Taliban, a group different from their Afghan counterparts, though both follow the same hard-line interpretation of Sunni Islam, has stepped up violence in the region.

This month, the militants killed several civilians in separate gun attacks in the town, including six officials from Pakistan’s customs department.

The Pakistani Taliban was pushed back in a series of offensives starting in 2014 but has been seeking to regroup in Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul to the Afghan Taliban.

On Monday, the Maitama Division of the Federal Capital Territory High Court slammed N10 million in costs to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and three others for fundamental rights violations.

Other respondents were Abdulrasheed Bawa, a former EFCC boss, an EFCC officer, Calistus, and Fidelity Bank Plc.

Justice Peter Kekemeke slammed the cost on the respondents when he delivered judgment in a suit filed by Michael Kundera to enforce his fundamental rights.

The judge held that the respondents violated the applicant’s fundamental rights by arresting and detaining him from May 15 to May 16, 2023, without charging him to court or releasing him on bail.

He added that a 75-year-old man should not be subjected to such treatment.

“I hereby declare that the arrest and detention of the applicant from May 15 to May 16, 2023, was unlawful and violated the applicant’s fundamental rights. The harassment of the applicant in a matter already decided by the court is a violation of his rights, and the 1st to 3rd respondents exceeded their bounds.

“The case of the applicant succeeds, and the respondents are ordered to pay the sum of N10 million severally or jointly to the applicant for violation of his fundamental rights,” the judge said.

The judge also ordered the respondents to pay N2 million as a cost for the action.Mr Kundera, through his counsel, O. Orji, in suit no CV/6258/23, told the court that the applicant was invited, detained, and refused administrative bail in a matter decided already by an FCT high court.

He said that the subject matter was a plot of land at the foreign affairs quarters, which lawfully belonged to the applicant. According to the applicant’s counsel, the matter is also pending at the court of appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/533/2021 against the principle of pendente lite.

The applicant prayed for the order of the court to declare that the arrest and detention of the applicant from May 15 and May 16 was unlawful. He added that it was unconstitutional and a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights as guaranteed under sections 35 (4)(5) and 36 (1) and (5) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

“A declaration that the respondents have exceeded their bounds by their continued invitation and threats on the applicant. An order restraining the respondents from the continued invitation, a threat to re-arrest and detain the applicant.”

Payment of the sum of N500 million as exemplary or aggravated damages is an unconstitutional, inexplicable, unjust, uncouth, and barbaric infringement of the applicant’s fundamental rights,” the applicant’s counsel said.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected speculation about nuclear cooperation with Pyongyang following the arrival of a North Korean business delegation in Tehran.

The group, headed by Minister for External Economic Relations Yun Jong Ho, travelled to the Iranian capital a week ago for an economic conference, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.Any link to co-operation on nuclear matters was not found, he added.

There was speculation in South Korea that military cooperation between North Korea and Iran could be discussed during the visit.

The two countries, both of which have faced strict international sanctions and isolation on the diplomatic stage for their nuclear activities, have repeatedly been accused of active cooperation.

The accusations were particularly in the field of missile technology.

Iran’s controversial nuclear programme has been the subject of renewed interest in recent months following the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Mr Kanaani has denied again that Tehran is striving to build nuclear weapons.

Duke of Duchess Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are to visit Nigeria in May as they prepare to meet with servicemen and women and partake in arrays of cultural activities, the Defence Headquarters has said.

The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, said the visit of Prince Harry and his wife are part of Nigeria’s preparations for the 2024 Invictus Games, an annual sports event for injured and sick military veterans.

Prince Harry, a former military helicopter pilot, invented the competition in 2014 for servicemen and women in the Commonwealth, and will travel to Britain for the 10th anniversary of the Games before joining his wife on the trip to Nigeria.

In 2022, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan revealed in a Archetypes podcast session that a genealogy test she took showed that she’s 43 per cent Nigeria.

She later donated an undisclosed amount to flood victims in Bayelsa, Anambra and others the following month.

Nigeria made their first-ever appearance in the Invictus Games at last year’s tournament in Germany with Prince Harry’s visit expected to prepare Nigerian military veterans ahead of a second outing in Germany again.

The statement indicated, “It also gives soldiers awareness and recognition in society to support their path in rehabilitation. The Invictus games had about 500 participants at the last outing and 21 nations in attendance, including Nigeria which made heads ways with gold and silver at its first outing last year. The visit is to consolidate Nigeria’s stronghold at the game and the possibility of hosting the event in later years.’’

Hundreds more people were arrested at college campuses across the US on Saturday as student protests against the war in Gaza continue.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein was among those detained by police.

Protestors are demanding institutions boycott companies and individuals with ties to Israel.

But some Jewish students have complained about alleged antisemitism from some demonstrators.

A spokesperson for Ms Stein said she was one of around 80 people to have been arrested at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri. The Green Party presidential candidate was not currently believed to be facing charges, the spokesperson added.

California State Polytechnic became the latest to announce it would move to remote teaching. The protests have seen in-person teaching cancelled and graduation ceremonies postponed.

Tents first appeared on the college green at Columbia on 17 April.

The protests then spread across the country after police in riot gear were sent to clear the tents, arresting more than 100 students.

Shortly after, students erected another protest camp at Yale University in Connecticut.

At Northeastern University in Boston, over 100 protesters were arrested for trespassing on Saturday by the Massachusetts State Police after refusing to clear their tents from college grounds, according to a police statement.

The camp was cleared by police.Northeastern University wrote on X that “demonstrations had been infiltrated by professional organisers” with no connection to the university.

Antisemitic slurs had been heard, it added, saying: “We cannot tolerate this kind of hate on campus.” Protest leaders strongly rejected the allegations.

At the University of South California, pro-Palestinian demonstrators returned to campus days after police were called to clear a protest at the university’s Alumni Park.

The protest was reportedly mostly peaceful but the university administration reported “vandalism” to campus property after Saturday’s protest.

The university said the campus had been vandalised “by individuals who are part of the group that has continued to illegally camp on our campus”, adding that a statue and fountain had been damaged. The campus would be temporarily closed to non-residents, the university said.

Twenty-three people were arrested at Indiana University on Saturday.

Other campuses, including Columbia and Emory University in Georgia, were reportedly quieter Saturday.

The protests were sparked by anger at Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The Israeli military launched the offensive after about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, mostly civilians, were killed and 253 others were taken to Gaza as hostages, when Hamas attacked Israeli communities near Gaza on 7 October last year.

No fewer than 50 widows were empowered at the 2023 edition of the Widows Support Programme held in Lagos State on Saturday.

The programme was organised by His Heavenly Light Ministries.

The convener and chief host, Reverend Cecelia Onitiri, cautioned against taking advantage of widows.

Onitiri, who lamented cases of organising empowerment programmes to deceive widows, said people who plan to help them should also win their confidence in the process.

She added that the Widows Support Programme was a genuine one that looked after their needs.

She said, “We do genuine programmes and look after the widows. When we started, some of them thought it was a hoax. Even when we were distributing fliers to them, people did not take it. Most of them said the one they were asked to come in the past, they attended and they did not do anything for them. They would only have a big party and it ends there. People need to win the confidence of the widows. I am a widow, we don’t have to take advantage of them. If they understand what you are and what you are doing to support them, they will not doubt you.”

Onitiri also expressed fulfilment in the programme, while noting that it was carried out based on an instruction she received from God.

“I feel very happy that I am doing what the Lord asked me to do, to impact the lives of widows. When you have to do something and you see that people appreciate and are happy about it, you will feel fulfilled.

“We need support. That is why I publicise it. This programme is an expensive programme. We had 100 last year. It is supposed to be 100 or more this year, but we have to 50 with the additional 100 of last year in attendance today.”

The programme featured medical check-ups, medical advice and financial advice on money management. The facilitators also included Doyin Osindero, Mabek Ogbeni, Ekaette Nyang, and Ngozi Obienu.

A partner in the ministry, Pastor Chizoba Nwachucku, while speaking on the feedback from the last programme, said, “A lot of them had great testimonies; they were able to feed themselves, pay their rent and even train their children in school. Those we empowered last year, we asked them to do savings of a thousand naira every month, and whatsoever they have accumulated, we add money to it and return it to them to invest in their business.”

The programme also featured the distribution of cash and clothes to widows.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has sealed 50 outlets in Kaduna State for selling edible oil under unhygienic conditions.

The operation was said to be part of a sensitisation workshop for dealers, focusing on Registration Procedures and Food Management.

This was disclosed in a statement posted on the agency’s X handle on Saturday.

The statement partly read, “NAFDAC has sealed fifty outlets in Kaduna for dispensing edible oil under unhygienic conditions, aiming to prevent potential health risks associated with contamination.

“The Director, North-West Zonal Office, Mrs. Josephine Dayilim highlighted the dangers of consuming oil processed in unsanitary environments, emphasising the risks of food poisoning, gastroenteritis, and even cancer due to inadequate processing and corrosive equipment.”

Dayilim also emphasised the importance of using food-grade materials and maintaining hygienic production environments to ensure consumer safety.