Benin
Victor Osimhen returns to training ahead of Bologna clash
Victor Osimhen has returned to full training ahead of Napoli’s Serie A game against Bologna at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday. The 22-year-old suffered head trauma after landing awkwardly on the turf following a collision with Cristian Romero in his side’s defeat to Atalanta on February 21. The forward spent the night in the hospital and underwent several tests but has been cleared of any damage to his head. The Nigeria international missed Napoli’s clash against Granada in the Europa League as well as their league games against Benevento and Sassuolo. The Parthenopeans have now confirmed the Super Eagles forward has rejoined the rest of his teammate in preparation for their league game against Sinisa Mihajlovic’s men “Osimhen did the whole session with the team,” read a statement from the clu...
AFCON: NFF confirms date of final qualifying matches for Super Eagles
On Wednesday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) took to the official Twitter account of the Super Eagles to officially confirm the dates and kickoff times for the final stage of the senior men’s national football team’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. For Matchday five, the Super Eagles will meet the Squirrels of Benin Republic on Saturday, March 27, in Porto-Novo, the capital of Republic of Benin, for a 1600 hours (GMT) kickoff. The next fixture against the Crocodiles of Lesotho, which will be the last of the series, will take place on Tuesday, March 30, in Lagos at 1600 hours (GMT) as well. At this point of the qualifiers, Nigeria has eight points from their first four Group L games and a draw from either of these matches will earn the Super Eagles the point they need ...
Okomu Oil Palm wants central bank to review anchor borrowers programme
Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc. wants a review of CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) to accommodate more farmers and to shore up the nation’s foreign earnings from agriculture. The ABP is targeted at smallholder farmers engaged in the production of rice, maize, wheat and cash crops like oil palm, cocoa and rubber, among others. Speaking with newsmen on Monday in Benin, Okomu Oil’s Managing Director, Dr Graham Hefer, noted that cash crop farmers were yet to fully benefit from the programme. He said food crop farmers had an edge because they could cultivate, harvest, sell and repay their loans within the specified one year period. “It is easy for farmers engaged in annual crops to meet their targets. “This doesn’t happen with cash crops because in the first three years of oil palm production...
AFCONQ: Super Eagles will fall in Benin – Razak Omotoyossi
Benin Republic forward, Razak Omotoyossi says he’s optimistic the team will defeat the Super Eagles 2-0 in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The last time the two teams met, Nigeria triumphed 2-1 over the Squirrels at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo. Currently, the three-time AFCON champions are top of Group L on Eight points while Benin sit second on seven points. However, in an interview with Footballlive, Omotoyossi said that they are battle-ready to defeat the Super Eagles at home. “I believe Benin will win 2-0, but you must tell Mr. Musa (Ahmed) to prepare the team, as the captain,” said Omotoyossi. “Nigeria won the reverse fixture, the Super Eagles picking up a 2-1 victory in Uyo. “It’ll be my dream to play for a bigger team and move to a team where I can play even in in th...
Super Eagles boss speaks on new players for AFCON qualifiers
Gernot Rohr has made his reservations known about calling up new players for next month’s AFCON qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho. The Eagles will make the short trip to Benin on March 22 and then welcome Lesotho to Lagos on March 30 to conclude the qualifying campaign for the 2021 AFCON. They need at least a point from the two matches to advance to the final tournament in Cameroon next year. Rohr has already announced that he will announce his squad for the games by the end of the month, but he was cautious about calling up uncapped players because the time between the matches is too short to see these players in action. “The time between the two games is too short to really look at new players,” he commented. Rohr has hinted on calling up the likes of Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniy...
Super Eagles boss wants Ahmed Musa to sort out his career before Afcon qualifiers
Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr hopes to see his captain Ahmed Musa back to action ahead of their 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March. The three-time African champions will take on the Republic of Benin and Lesotho in their last Afcon qualifying games next month. Musa has been without a club since October when he left Saudi Arabian side Al Nass by mutual agreement. The forward starred for Russian Premier League club CSKA Moscow before moving to England to team up with Leicester City. The Super Eagles winger struggled to establish himself at the King Power Stadium and in an effort to enjoy more playing time, he left for Saudi in 2018. The forward is now looking to returning to Europe and has been heavily linked to Premier League club West Bromwich Albion. Rohr is hopeful ...
Ondo Amotekun arrests illegal gold miners
The Ondo State Security Network also known as Operation Amotekun has announced the arrest of persons involved in illegal gold mining activities in the state. The suspects, according to the commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, were arrested at different locations in Owo forest reserves on Sunday. He gave the names of those arrested as Shuaibu Yahaya, Habbi Usman, Kabiru Waheed, Mohammed Nurudeen, Mohammed Sulaman, Ali Mustapha, Ismaila Wahab, Musa Zeehed, Gabbar Musa, Sule Adamu, Abba Suleman, Usman Kabiru, Yahaya Danladi and Usman Ali Zekeri. The Amotekun official told journalists in Akure, Ondo State, on Monday that the suspects were arrested while operatives were enforcing the order given by Governor Rotimi Makinde that all illegal occupiers of forests reserved should vacate. “The ar...
Governor Obaseki: Corruption level in Edo healthcare system alarming, unacceptable
Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has decried the level of corruption in the state’s healthcare system, describing it as a deliberate act to run down the system. Obaseki, who stated this in Benin. on Sunday, at a town hall meeting with health practitioners in the state, added that the meeting with the doctors, was convened to discuss the way forward for the state’s healthcare system. “I have seen corruption like never before in the healthcare system. The level of corruption in the healthcare system in the state is alarming and unacceptable. We have drawn the line; it will no longer be business as usual. It’s left to you to either join us or take a bow honourably,” he said. Obaseki queried the modality of having just one doctor in Igarra, the headquarters of Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the ...
Court restrains Edo NUT from embarking on strike
Nigeria Union of Teachers The National Industrial Court in Benin, on Monday, restrained the Edo wing of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) from proceeding on any strike in primary schools across the state. Justice Abiola Adewemimo gave the order after listening to the arguments by the state Solicitor-General, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN). Newsmen report that the state government and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are the applicants in the case, with suit number: NICN/BEN/04/2021. The defendants in the suit are the NUT Chairman in the state, Mr Pius Okhuleliegbe and the state Assistant Secretary- General, Moni Itua, for themselves and on behalf of the members of the union. Delivering her ruling, Adewemimo restrained the NUT chairman and the assistant secretary-general,either acting t...
Edo court sentences 32 people for not wearing face masks
A mobile court in Benin, Edo State, on Tuesday sentenced 32 persons to community services for not wearing face masks. Edo State has made it mandatory for residents to wear face masks and obey other COVID-19 protocols in order to check the spread of the viral infection. The prosecuting counsel, Orubosa Okubor, said the 32 persons were apprehended within Benin metropolis and that they pleaded liable. The Chief Magistrate, Rusberth Imafidon, directed the convicts to carry out community services in line with the Correctional Centre of Non-Custodial Regulation. Their punishment includes clearing drains, shrubs, picking of trash, compulsory community sensitisation, and grass-cutting. Mr Imafidon said the offenders would be punished for three hours for one day to serve as a deterrent to other vio...
Coronavirus: Nigeria now at tipping point – PTF
The Federal Government, yesterday, took stock of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic vis-a-vis the attitude of Nigerians to embracing safety precautions, and concluded that the country was now at a tipping point. This came as government announced its decision to establish oxygen plants in all states of the federation as part of measures to resolve the “oxygen crisis” that had engulfed some of the isolation and treatment centres in the country. Meanwhile, Edo State has recorded 28 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 270, as the state government cautions residents to abide by the precautionary health and safety guidelines. Vanguard, meanwhile, gathered that former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe and th...
Edo election: Court annuls Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gani Audu’s APC candidacy
An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, has nullified the candidacy of the Deputy Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the September 19, 2020 governorship election in the State, Mr. Gani Audu. The court presided over by Justice Courage Ogbebor, by extension, also nullified the candidacy of the party’s governorship candidate for the election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Audu is a former member of the State House of Assembly. The Plaintiff, Sunday Kadiri, from Ogbona ward, in Etsako West Local Government Area of the State, had asked the court to disqualify Audu from participating in the election on account of having given false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to aid his qualification for the election. Kadiri further prayed the ...
