Author: Akintayo Adams

A senior Saudi official defended Saudi Arabia’s handling of the hajj pilgrimage on Friday after several countries reported over 1,100 deaths, many linked to extreme heat, AFP reports. “The state did not fail, but there was a misjudgement on the part of people who did not appreciate the risks,” the official told AFP in the government’s first comments on the deaths. An AFP count on Friday, based on official announcements and reports from diplomats handling the situation, placed the death toll at 1,119, with over half from Egypt. The Saudi representative stated that officials had verified 577 deaths during the…

President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritânia in an interview ahead of the country’s presidential vote called on West African countries to come together to eliminate jihadism. The 67-year-old former army chief and defense minister is expected to serve a second term as leader of the 4.5 million-strong nation, strategically located between North and sub-Saharan Africa. According to him, the “security situation in the sub-region is not at all good” and has become “worse”. “The region must generate a common political will to be able to fight against insecurity,” Ghazouani told AFP on Friday, on the campaign trail ahead…

Revd. Fr. Mikah Suleiman, the parish priest of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, Gusau, Zamfara State, has been kidnapped. He was reportedly kidnapped around 3 am on Saturday at his residence in the Damba area of Gusau. The incident was confirmed by the spokesperson of Zamfara State Police Command, Yazid Abubakar. “Yes, the incident happened early hour of today, the Reverend Father was kidnapped in his residence, we were not informed when the incident happened but what I gathered was that the man stays alone not in the church,” he said. “We have deployed our Tactical squad to go after…

A disastrous own goal aided Portugal in clinching a 3-0 victory over Turkey in Dortmund, securing their spot in the UEFA Euro 2024 knockout stages with a match remaining. Turkey endured their fourth goalless loss to the 2016 champions. Goalkeeper Altay Bayındır, one of four new starters for Turkey after their win over Georgia, faced a quick challenge as Cristiano Ronaldo volleyed Bernardo Silva’s cross a minute in. Kerem Akturkoglu, also rotated in, missed a close-range chance from Zeki Celik’s cross five minutes later. Portugal capitalized midway through the first half when Nuno Mendes’ cross deflected to Bernardo Silva, who…

Celeste Arantes, the mother of acclaimed Football GOAT, Pelé, died on Friday at age 101. Arantes spent the past five years in a vegetative state. Till her death, she was not informed about her famous son’s death in 2022. The Pelé Foundation said on its social media channels that the mother of the only three-time World Cup-winning player was a role model. “Today’s feelings are mixed. We deeply mourn the departure of ‘Celestinha,’ as her son affectionately called her. “At the same time, we are eternally grateful for her existence,” the foundation said. “Dona Celeste is the queen mother and…

Sèyí Makinde, Governor of Oyo State has presented a total sum of ₦3.5 billion grants to 105 rural community schools across the state. Governor Makinde, who was represented by Barr. Bayo Lawal, the Deputy Governor made the symbolic cheque presentation at the Conference room of the office of the Secretary to the State Government, Governor’s office, Ibadan. Speaking, he reiterated his administration’s commitment to improving the standard of education in the state. He stressed that the government is committing necessary resources towards putting the state in good stead for every benefits from the Federal government and the global communities. He…

Roberto Martinez has strongly supported Cristiano Ronaldo, asserting that the 39-year-old forward is in excellent shape to manage a demanding schedule for Portugal throughout Euro 2024. CR7 has dominated headlines since Portugal’s 2-1 win over Czech Republic in their opening match despite not bagging a goal. His ability to shine on the biggest stage due to age has been questioned once more. Nevertheless, manager Martinez was quick to come to his side, and when asked if Ronaldo will play another 90 minutes in Saturday’s game against Turkey, the Spaniard replied bluntly: “Do you know how many minutes Cristiano played last…

A Polish fan fell from the stands during his country’s 3-1 defeat to Austria. The shocking incident occurred at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Friday afternoon. He was reportedly rushed to hospital. The man “fell three metres into a ditch between the tribune and the infield,” Yahoo reported. It is understood he was briefly unconscious, before medics took him away to hospital. The nature of his injuries has not been disclosed and his condition is unknown. Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community or Google News online channel.

A fake official of the State House in Abuja and other suspects have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for employment scam. Dele Oyewale, Spokesperson for the anti-graft commission made this known in a statement on Friday. He said the suspects were apprehended for alleged criminal conspiracy, false representation and employment scam. Augustine Enamegbai Umogboi, Eleojo Josephine Idakwo, Kingsley Onuh are the culprits. According to the statement, Umogboi claimed be a former staff of Aso Rock, Idakwo paraded as a fake staff of the Ministry of Information in the Registry Unit while Onoh was said to…

Afrobeats star David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, has, through his lawyers, sent a cease and desist letter to singer Oyindamola Emmanuel, also known as Dammy Krane. Dammy Krane had taken to his X accountto make allegations against Davido shortly after the latter announced his wedding to Chioma Rowland. The post garnered reactions from fans on social media, leading Davido to respond. In a letter from Davido’s lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, Dammy Krane was given 24 hours to retract all offensive statements about Davido from his social media platforms. He was also instructed to stop publishing defamatory statements about Davido…