Author: Akintayo Adams

Nigeria recorded a trade surplus of N5.81tn in the third quarter of 2024, reflecting a significant increase in export earnings, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). However, this surplus is lower than the N6.95tn surplus recorded in the previous quarter. The NBS reported that Nigeria’s merchandise trade for Q3 2024 amounted to a total value of N35.16tn, marking an 81.35% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and a 13.26% rise from the previous quarter. Total exports for the quarter surged by 98.00% to N20.49tn, compared to N10.35tn in Q3 2023. This represents…

The legal team of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Afe Babalola, has set conditions for the release of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi. According to Babalola’s lawyers, Farotimi will be released if he can prove the defamatory allegations he made against Babalola in his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’. During a press briefing in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Friday, lawyers Owoseni Ajayi, Olakanmi Falade, and Lawrence Fasanmi explained that Babalola had petitioned the police to investigate the defamatory claims. They stated that the charges brought against Farotimi by law enforcement were to allow the legal process…

Jose Mourinho has responded to comments made by Pep Guardiola regarding their respective Premier League titles. Guardiola had mentioned that he had won twice as many Premier League titles as Mourinho, holding up six fingers to signify his six titles during a press conference. Mourinho, who won three Premier League titles at Chelsea, retorted by saying, “I won my titles fairly and cleanly. If I lost, I want to congratulate my opponent because he was better than me. I don’t want to win by dealing with 150 lawsuits.” Mourinho’s comments were in reference to the ongoing legal dispute involving Manchester…

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, announced that Phil Foden, John Stones, Nathan Aké, and Mateo Kovacić will be unavailable for the upcoming match against Crystal Palace on Saturday. This comes after Manchester City secured a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League game. Guardiola stated, “Phil Foden, John Stones, Nathan Aké and Mateo Kovacić are not available for Man City against Palace this weekend. They are ruled out,” during his pre-match press conference on Friday. Currently, Manchester City sits in the fourth position on the Premier League table, behind Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool. Get instant and latest…

Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim, provided injury updates ahead of the team’s match against Nottingham Forest this weekend. He confirmed that Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are ruled out as they are not training with the squad. However, Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo will be available again after serving their one-match suspensions. Amorim stated, “Jonny [Evans] is still not training. Victor [Lindelof] returned to training but is not yet available. Maybe for the next game. Licha and Kobbie are back. We are prepared for the game.” Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community, X/Twitter or Google News online channel.

The FA Cup third-round clash between Arsenal and Manchester United has been scheduled for Sunday, January 12, 2025, with the match set to kick off at 3:00 pm. In their recent Premier League encounter, Arsenal triumphed 2-0 over Manchester United, courtesy of goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba. Liverpool will host Accrington Stanley on January 11 at lunchtime, while the evening fixture on the same day will see Manchester City take on Salford City. On Friday, Aston Villa will face West Ham in an all-Premier League clash. Meanwhile, on Monday night, non-league side Dagenham & Redbridge will travel to…

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the dismissal of 18 senior officers and the demotion of 19 others due to various acts of misconduct. This decision was announced by Ikechukwu Ani, Head of Press and Public Relations at the PSC, in a statement released on Friday in Abuja. During a plenary meeting held in Abuja, the Commission reviewed 109 outstanding disciplinary issues, 23 appeals and petitions, and 13 court rulings that required adherence. As a result, the PSC approved the dismissal of 19 senior police officers, including 10 Assistant Superintendents, six Deputy Superintendents, two Chief Superintendents, and one Superintendent.…

The Association of Nigeria Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners (PETROAN) and Dangote Refinery have agreed the direct sale of premium motor spirit (petrol), aimed at reducing fuel prices. This agreement, disclosed by PETROAN’s spokesperson Joseph Obele on Friday, follows a strategic meeting on December 2, 2024, between PETROAN’s National President, Bill Gillis-Harry, and Dangote Refinery’s management. According to PETROAN, the agreement is expected to guarantee lower fuel prices and prevent petrol scarcity during the yuletide season. The efforts of the PETROAN distribution technical committee were instrumental in planning and executing the zero-fuel scarcity strategy. The successful negotiation led to the…

The Nigerian Police, on Friday, December 6, 2024, filed fresh cybercrime charges against the detained human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi. A neww 12-count charge was submitted before a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti. This development comes after an earlier set of 16 charges was filed against him on Wednesday. Dele Farotimi was arrested in Lagos on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, by operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command. The following day, he was arraigned in a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti on a 16-count charge of defamation of character against Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola, based on his…

Nigeria has recently acquired 12 pre-owned Alpha Jets from France to strengthen its military capabilities. The deal was facilitated through SOFEMA, a French military and aeronautics company. This acquisition follows President Bola Tinubu’s visit to France, where he met with President Emmanuel Macron. The Alpha Jets, originally developed through a collaboration between France and Germany, are versatile light attack jets and advanced trainers. They can carry various weapons, including bombs, rockets, and missiles, and are equipped with a gun pod for close air support missions. In addition to the Alpha Jets, Nigeria is also expecting the delivery of 24 M-346FA…