Author: News Room

Nigerian football fans have criticised Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea for what they described as biased and poor officiating during the Super Eagles’ 2-0 semi-final defeat to Morocco on Wednesday night. Nigeria lost 4-2 on penalties after Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi’s spot-kicks were saved by Yassine Bounou following a goalless draw after extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. The Eagles committed 29 fouls compared to Morocco’s 19, yet received two yellow cards while the hosts were not cautioned once, prompting accusations of one-sided officiating. The Nigeria-Ghana rivalry led many fans to believe the referee had an…

Austria-based Crypto trading platform Bitpanda is moving forward with plans for a public listing in Frankfurt, targeting a debut in the first half of 2026 with a valuation of 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) to 5 billion euros.The IPO could take place as early as the first quarter, with the company working alongside Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the offering. No final decisions have been made and the listing timeline may change.Founded in 2014, Bitpanda is a European fintech and crypto trading platform offering digital-asset services and investment products to more…

The New Mexico jail where Timothy Busfield is being held for alleged child sex abuse has a dark history of its own, Us Weekly can exclusively report. Busfield, 68, turned himself over to authorities at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) on Tuesday, January 13. The star, who is married to Little House on the Prairie actress Melissa Gilbert, faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse stemming from accusations that he engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two twin child actors on the set of The Cleaning Lady. Busfield has denied…

A couple who survived the Owo church massacre, on Wednesday, recounted at the Federal High Court in Abuja how gunmen shot their way into St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on 5 June 2022, killing and injuring worshippers during the horrific terrorist attack. The husband, a civil servant, told Judge Emeka Nwite that his wife was critically injured and later had both legs amputated and one eye damaged. The wife, a victim of the terrorist attack who testified in a wheelchair, showed the judge her damaged eye during her testimony on Wednesday. The couple who live in Owo, testified…

Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has approved the constitution of a high-powered committee to implement the White Paper Report on the Assessment of Grazing Reserves, Forest Reserves, Game Reserves, and Cattle Routes across the state. Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General (Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe, in a statement said the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, who conveyed the governor’s approval, explained that the committee comprises representatives from key security agencies, relevant ministries and departments, traditional institutions, farmers’ and herders’ associations, as well as technical and regulatory bodies. The statement said Retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG…

A Tinubu support group, on Wednesday unveiled what it described as evidence-based scorecard to rally Nigerians to back President Bola Tinubu’s reelection in 2027. The group identified measurable gains across key sectors of the economy while urging Nigerians to rally behind the Tinubu administration’s ongoing reforms. Presenting a comprehensive midterm assessment of the Renewed Hope Agenda at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, National Chairman of TIM, Chief Dr. Obinna Ebirim, noted that the early, often painful policy decisions of the administration are now yielding visible dividends in governance, service delivery and citizens’ welfare. According to Ebirim, the review…

Away teams took centre stage on the first day of second stanza of the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL. Four-time champions Kano Pillars, Bendel Insurance, and Warri Wolves all recorded important victories on the road. At the Lafia City Stadium, Kano Pillars boosted their survival hopes with a 1-0 win over Nasarawa United. Chiedozie Okorie netted the decisive goal in the second half. It was the Sai Masu Gida’s first away win of the season. Bendel Insurance beat Kwara United 1-0 in Ilorin. Emmanuel Akpan netted the winning goal for Kennedy Boboye’s side eight minutes before the break. At the…

Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has opened up on missing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, admitting that it has been difficult for him to accept the reality of being absent whenever his teammates are in action, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. Initially named in Nigeria’s 54-man provisional list, Aina was omitted from the Super Eagles’ final 28-man squad for the tournament, which began on December 21, 2025. The defender, who was part of Nigeria’s run to the final at the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, had been sidelined since September 2025 after sustaining a hamstring injury while on international duty.…

No fewer than 17 tricycles and two petrol tankers were destroyed in two separate fire incidents at filling stations in Kano State on Tuesday. The Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, confirmed the incidents in a statement issued on Wednesday. Abdullahi said the first fire occurred at about 8:45 pm at AA Ayagi Filling Station, Kanye Village, along Gwarzo Road in Kabo Local Government Area of the state. He stated, “Our control room received a distress call at about 20:45 hours from one of our staff, Muhammad Wada Abdulsalam, reporting a fire incident at AA…

In Nigeria, and in many countries with underdeveloped economies, the most important periods are the year right before a general election, the year of that election (when the winners emerge), and two years after that election (all the time the losers need to seethe over their losses as they await another opportunity). Elections are, of course, crucial in any society that runs a democratic structure, but their significance also takes on a different hue in poorer economies. That enduring vitality is a function of the political-economic structure maintained in those societies. In an undiversified economy like Nigeria, where the primary…