In a twist of fate, Nigerian-born UFC star Israel Adesanya succumbed to a fourth-round submission loss to South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis in their middleweight title showdown at UFC 305 in Perth on Saturday night. Despite leading on the scorecards heading into the championship rounds, Adesanya’s dream of reclaiming the belt got shattered by what he described as “a dumb mistake” on the ground that allowed Du Plessis to secure a rear-naked choke. Reflecting on the fight, Adesanya admitted, “I felt strong; I resisted his takedowns well. I just made a stupid, dumb mistake on the ground, and he adjusted…
Author: UZDO Media
•Boniface, Tella win first title as Nigerian stars begin 2024/25 season As the top leagues abroad began during the weekend, Nigerian stars are wasting no time in the 2024/25 season as some are already winning trophies while some newcomers also announced their entry on the big stage, ABIODUN ADEWALE reports Sunday ENGLAND Frank Owena (Brentford) Just like last season, Super Eagles midfielder Onyeka is being eased into the 2024/25 Premier League season. He was involved for just six minutes, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute in their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Cameroonian midfielder Bryan Mbeumo gave Brentford the lead…
Victor Osimhen is set to snub Chelsea and wait for long-time Paris Saint-Germain, who are now ready to make a final decision on his transfer, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Blues have been seeking the signature of the Nigeria international all summer but were initially rebuffed by Napoli, with the 2022/23 Serie A champions insisting that his £113m release clause must be paid in full. The 25-year-old is said to be ranking prominently on their wish list to lead their line during the 2024/25 season. The Lagos-born is one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe, having been linked with…
The Federal Government has mandated all higher institutions in the country to “regularly submit their matriculation lists to the Federal Ministry of Education not later than three months after matriculation ceremonies.” The list, the government said, must be submitted “through the dedicated channel of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.” The initiative is one of the recommendations made by a committee set up by the Federal Government to combat fake degree mills or racketeers in the country. In March, the Federal Government set up an Inter-Ministerial Investigative Committee on Degree Certificate Milling to probe the activities of certificate racketeers following…
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, has dissociated himself from the viral poster indicating his presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 election. The poster, which has the image of the former Kano governor as the APC presidential candidate and Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State as his running mate, was captioned, “The Winning Team 2027. Vote APC 2027.” But in a statement on Sunday by his spokesman, Edwin Olofu, the APC Chairman described the posters as the handiwork of the Kwankwassiyya movement belonging to ex-Kano governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso. While describing it as a malicious piece…
The General Overseer, Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr Daniel Olukoya, has predicted a bright future for Nigeria in spite of the current challenges, alluding to the position of the country on the African map. “There is a bright future for Nigeria. If you look at the map of Africa, it resembles a gun, with Nigeria positioned where the trigger is held. This is no coincidence—God has a plan for Nigeria. I am a steadfast believer in one Nigeria,” Olukoya declared on Sunday. The cleric spoke in an interview during the celebration of MFM’s 35th anniversary, emphasising the need…
The House of Representatives Committee on Banking and Other Ancillary Institutions has called for the establishment of a judicial task force to expedite the trial of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria loan defaulters. The panel made the call after the Managing Director/CEO of AMCON, Mr Gbenga Alade, said out of the 12,743 loans acquired, only 350 debtors accounted for over 80 per cent of the total purchased accounts, with 246 of them currently embroiled in legal battles with the corporation. In its response, the committee said the task force would ensure that the 350 debtors fulfilled their financial obligations…
The suspect behind the June 25 dynamite explosion at the Rivers State-owned Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt has been identified as 40-year-old Preye Josiah, with the police saying he will be prosecuted. In a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Grace Iringe-Koko, the Rivers Police Command said the suspect, whose one hand was chopped off during the explosion, had already undergone three different surgeries at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. The PUNCH had reported that a dynamite explosion happened on June 25 near Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt during a protest by some persons over the tenure of the…
The departure of numerous multinational corporations from the country due to the challenging operating environment has raised concerns about the potential exacerbation of youth unemployment, HENRY FALAIYE writes Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, boasts a youthful demographic, with nearly 70 per cent of its population under the age of 30. This demographic advantage is often seen as a potential driver of economic expansion. Yet, the actual circumstances reveal a more complex and challenging reality. In recent years, Nigeria’s economic indicators have suggested a cautiously optimistic outlook, with data indicating a drop in the unemployment rate and fuelling discussions of economic…
The Nigeria Labour Congress has hired forensic experts to comb its national secretariat in Abuja for possible bugs planted by the police, The PUNCH was told. The union said the forensic security audit would facilitate the return of its workers to their offices following the recent raid by the police. The PUNCH reported that security agents, on July 7, conducted a night raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja. According to the NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, the operatives burst into the building at about 8.30 pm and arrested the security guards, forcing them to hand over keys to the…