Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned from football for four years for a doping violation. The former Manchester United player was provisionally suspended in September after a drugs test found elevated levels of testosterone in his system. France international Pogba, 30, was randomly tested after Juventus' first match of the season on 20 August. BBC Sport has been told Pogba will appeal against Italy's national anti-doping tribunal's (Nado) decision. The failed drugs test was confirmed by Nado in a second sample in October, and the anti-doping prosecutor's office had requested a four-year suspension. A Juventus spokesperson told the AFP news agency: "We received notification from the tribunal this morning." The ruling means Pogba will be unable to play until 2027, when he will be 33, with the ban backdated to the date of the failed test. It is understood Pogba believes that if he did take a banned substance, he did so inadvertently. Speaking at the ...

     Ezenwo  Nyesom Wike The Senate has called upon the Minister of Federal Capital Territory and the Commissioner of Police in the FCT to brief the senate in a closed door session. The briefing will be on security in the FCT against the backdrop of the recent Galadima kidnap incident. The Senate announced the resolution after a motion moved by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North on the need to urgently enhance security measures in the FCT during plenary on Wednesday. Among other resolutions taken by the Senate include calls on the Inspector-General of Police to urgently increase security patrols and surveillance within Abuja and across the nation to proactively combat and prevent further kidnappings. They also mandated the Inspector-General of Police to see to the installation of CCTV cameras in strategic locations within and around Abuja, highways, and other major capital cities to bolster surveillance and deter criminal activities. The lawmakers also obser...

       Peter Obi The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 polls, Peter Obi, has aired that if he was Nigeria’s president at this time, he would also have implemented the Oronsaye Report. Responding to texts from persons wanting to know his stand on the Oransaye Report, Mr Obi stated via his official handle on X that prior to this time, he had during campaigns affirmed that he would have worked with the committee’s findings. The former Anambra State governor further asserted that implementing the report is one of the best ways to make governance efficient, cost-effective, and productive. He stressed that being in opposition does not warrant blind and thoughtless criticism, adding that whenever the government takes the right decision, we should agree and if need be, propose related or even better ideas to move the nation forward. Obi’s comments come just a day after President Bola Tinubu ordered a full implementation of the Oronsanye-led committee’s r...

The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has said the nationwide protest being held across the country today Tuesday, February 27, and Wednesday, February 28, is not about the pending minimum wage but ravaging hunger across the nation. The president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, who led thousands of the workers in the Abuja protest, said the living conditions of workers have deteriorated and workers can no longer eat ordinary food items such as the popular spicy Indomie meal. Later yesterday, the leadership of the NLC suspended the street protest scheduled to continue today. The decision was reached after the National Executive Council (NEC) of NLC held an emergency meeting in Abuja yesterday evening. In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, NEC said it had reviewed the outcome of the first day of the nationwide protest against “massive suffering and hunger facing the masses and workers” due to the government’s policies of in...

  Association of the Nigeria Labour Congress have started assembling on all parts of the country for the scheduled two days of nationwide protests. Reports gathered by our correspondents showed a heavy presence of security personnel in various states of the federation, as protesters expressed their frustrations at the current nationwide austerity. Our reporter who was on the ground at the scene of the protest at the Ikeja under the bridge area of Lagos State said that the Labour Congress has been joined by some other Unions, such as the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) among others. The unions are expected to hold the rally moving from the convergence point in Ikeja to the State House of Assembly in Alausa. The presence of Policemen manning every major junction along the three kilometres planned route was sighted, following the Force’s promise to ensure peace and order duri...

       Esther Okoronkwo Nigeria’s Super Falcons got a place in the final qualifying round of the 2024 Olympic Games following a narrow 1-0 victory against the Indomitable Lionesses of  Cameroon at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Monday. The Falcons defeated the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 1-0 at the MKO Abiola Stadium Abuja on Monday evening to go through on 1-0 aggregate after a 0-0 draw in Cameroon last week. Esther Okoronkwo scored the only goal of the match in the 14th minute. The Cameroonians ended the game with ten players after Enganemben Annie was shown a red card for a reckless challenge on Chiamaka Nnadozie. Nigeria will face the winner between South Africa or Tanzania for one of the two tickets in April. Video link https://youtu.be/6JDyeE-w3t8

  The trial of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) Mister Nnamdi Kanu has resumed at the Federal High Court in Abuja before Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako. The Federal Government had filed an amended 15-count charge of terrorism and treasonable felony against Mister Kanu in 2021. At the resumed court session on Monday, new lawyers announced appearances for parties in the suit.   Mike Ozekhome, who was formerly the senior counsel representing Kanu, has been replaced by Emeka Ejiofor, while the prosecuting team is being led by Adegboyega Awomolo who replaced David Kaswe, a lawyer with the federal ministry of justice. He was arraigned in July 2021 after he was extradited from Kenya. The trial Judge, Justice Murtala-Nyako had struck out eight out of the 15 counts after ruling on the preliminary objection filed by counsel to Mr Kanu challenging the legality of the charges. Mister Kanu had challenged the decision of the trial court to uphold seven out ...

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has determined to lift some sanctions on Niger Republic, Mali and Guinea. The decision was taken at the extraordinary summit on the peace, political, and security situation in the ECOWAS sub-region in Abuja on Saturday. While the regional bloc said the political and targeted sanctions on the Niger Republic remain, it lifted some financial and economic sanctions on Guinea and other sanctions on Mali. Following the military coup in Niger Republic on July 26, 2023, which toppled President Mohamed Bazoum, ECOWAS imposed several sanctions on the country. But reading the communique after the emergency summit of the West African bloc on Saturday, ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Alieu Touray, reeled out some of the sanctions the Authority resolved to lift. They include the closure of land and air borders between all ECOWAS countries and Niger Republic; no flight zone to all commercial flights to and from the Niger Republic, suspension of...

  Arsenal beat  Newcastle  4-1 in the Premier League on Saturday. It was the Gunners' sixth successive victory in the league. They have scored 25 goals and conceded just three in that run. Arsenal are the sixth side to win their first six Premier League matches of a calendar year - the last three have won the title. "We are living the dream," Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard told TNT Sports as his side moved two points behind leaders Liverpool in third. "We have all dreamed of being here. You see every week how competitive it is and that is where we want to be - we want to fight for trophies." While Arsenal have won every game they have played in the Premier League in 2024, they did lose to Porto in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in midweek, conceding a stoppage-time goal. But they responded in style with four goals in a 4-1 win against Newcastle on Saturday. "They look like a team really upset with the midweek performance. Their press a...

                                                        Image Courtesy- Johannes  Havn The Federal Government has said the Port Harcourt Refinery is 80 per cent completed and would produce two million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, and 2.2 million litres of diesel per day upon resuming operations. In a statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun on Thursday, noted that the old plant of the refinery would produce 54,000 barrels per day, while the new plant which is in its last phase of completion, would start production by the end of the year. According to the statement, the Minister of State, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha made the assertions after an inspection tour of the facility along with the leadership of organised labour, adding that the combine...

  Olayemi Cardoso – Chairman The Senate has confirmed the appointment of 12 persons as members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This confirmation comes after a report of the Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions Committee of the CBN was considered during plenary on Thursday. The confirmation of the new MPC members comes days to the first policy meeting of the apex bank under the new CBN governor. The meeting has been slated for February 26 and 27, 2024. The members are: 1. Olayemi Cardoso – Chairman 2. Muhammad Sani Abdullahi – Member 3. Bala M. Bello – Member 4. Emem Usoro – Member 5. Philip Ikeazor – Member 6. Lamido Yuguda — Member 7. Jafiya Lydia Shehu – Member 8. Murtala Sabo Sagagi – Member 9. Aloysius Uche Ordu – Member 10. Aku Pauline Odinkemelu – Member 11. Mustapha Akinwumi – Member 12. Bandele A.G. Amoo – Member In November 2023, Cardoso, who was newly app...

  Lionel Messi shown  an unforgettable skill during Inter Miami’s 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, the opening game of the  MLS season .  Argentina forward Messi played in Robert Taylor for the first, with the midfielder's first-half shot squeezing under visiting keeper Zac MacMath. Messi, 36, also had a hand in Miami's late second goal scored by Diego Gomez. He linked up well with former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez, who registered an assist on his MLS debut. "He looked loose, fine and showed a lot of speed," Miami coach Gerardo Martino said of Messi's performance. The 2022 World Cup winner missed the back end of last season for David Beckham's MLS franchise through injury. Earlier this week, Messi released a video to defend his absence from a friendly in Hong Kong on 5 February after a backlash from Chinese fans. Video link https://youtu.be/apzo-pm_Of8

          Image Credit -  jackmac34 The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, passed for second reading, a Bill for an Act to alter the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to make provision for the establishment of State Police. Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu and 14 other lawmakers, the Bill seeks to provide for the alteration of the 1999 Constitution to provide for the establishment of State Police and the transfer of Police as an item under the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List. Cue alterations to the proposed adjustment include; the transfer of “Police” from the “Exclusive Legislative List” to the “Concurrent Legislative List”, a move that effectively empowers States to have State-controlled policing; the introduction of a comprehensive framework to ensure cohesion as well as accountability and uniform standards between the Federal Police and State Police Forces. Others are the provision of pr...

       Benjamin Kalu   Deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has appealed to Nigerians not to lose hope in the face of current economic hardship across the country, but to be resilient and determined to overcome the challenges. Speaking at the resumption of plenary, Kalu said while sacrifice is a necessary step towards long-term stability and prosperity in the country, Nigerians must trust in the expertise of those tasked with guiding the economy, even as we hold them accountable for their actions. He stated that true progress cannot be achieved solely through policy pronouncements but requires the collective effort of every Nigerian. He said: “As we commence proceedings today, we are all aware of the challenges we face as a nation. The storm clouds of inflation gather the cries of economic hardship echo, and whispers of doubt threaten to dim the flames of our collective spirit. “But let me assure you, the Nigerian spirit does not cower i...

The meeting of the Federal Government, the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and other stakeholders on Monday ended with no agreement reached. The meeting was called by the government over the suspension of operations by tanker drivers who stopped lifting of petroleum products on Monday amid harsh economic realities. But the Minister of State for Petroleum Heineken Lokpobiri said the engagement will continue on Tuesday as the government would not fold its arms and allow Nigerians to go through more hardship as being witnessed. He explained that the Tinubu-led administration is working round the clock to address the current economic challenges in the country. There are indications that the NARTO leadership and other stakeholders within the oil and gas sector are billed to meet with the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for another meeting later on Monday night to avert the imminent fuel scarcity. NARTO members had threatened shutdown all over the country beginni...

       Omoyele Sowore Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Monday, struck out charges of treasonable felony brought against the convener of the #RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, by the Federal Government. Last week, the Federal Government had through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, filed a notice of discontinuance before the court. The notice read, “By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c} of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, SAN intend to discontinue charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/235/2019″. In a ruling on Monday, Justice Nwite held that the court was bound to trash the charge since the case was starting afresh before him. He subsequently struck out the charges. The court ordered the Department for State Servic...