[BREAKING] UCL final: Chelsea beat Man City to win Champions League by Sodiq Oyeleke

Chelsea have defeated Manchester City 1-0 to win the Champions League in Porto on Saturday. This is Chelsea’s second Champions League title after their 2012 triumph, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City appeared in the final for the first time. Kai Havertz scored the decisive goal just before half-time, running on to Mason Mount’s excellent ball before knocking it past Ederson and then rolling into the empty net. City, who were looking to win the competition for the first time, never really showed the imposing dominance that had brought them the 2020-21 Premier League title, with Pep Guardiola’s bold team selection having failed to come off. The former Barcelona boss had left Fernandinho and Rodri on the bench as he named an attacking line-up but they struggled to take control of midfield in their absence. They did have a good chance to score before Havertz’s goal but Antonio Rudiger made an excellent block to deny Phil Foden. Riyad Mahrez flashed a shot just wide in the final seconds but it was not to be for City as Chelsea held firm to claim the trophy.

Abducted Greenfield students regain freedom By Nsikak Nseyen

14 kidnapped students and three staff members of Greenfield University Kaduna State have regained freedom Recall that the students were abducted on April 20 after bandits broke into the University. A few days later five of the students were found dead in a village close to the school. According to TVC news, they were released on a Saturday afternoon at a location along the Kaduna- Abuja highway. Parents of the abducted students had said they were told to pay a ransom and provide eight new motorcycles to the kidnappers before their children can be released. Details later…

Army vows to make Nigeria safe as 6,400 soldiers graduate from training - By Wale Odunsi

The Nigerian Army has promised to suppress the security challenges in various parts of the country. Maj.-Gen. Danjumma Ali-Keffi, General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Kaduna, spoke during the passing out of 80 regular recruit intakes. At the event held at Depot Nigeria Army Zaria on Saturday, no fewer than 6,000 soldiers graduated. Ali-Keffi, the Reviewing Officer and Special Guest of Honour said the army will not rest until the country is safe for all. He noted that since its establishment in 1924, the Depot has the mandate of transforming able-bodied civilians into soldiers to meet the manpower requirement of the Nigeria Army. “It is noteworthy that as you pass out today, the strength of Nigeria army has been enhanced by 6,400 able-bodied men and women.” The GOC added that the Depot has been able to evolve innovative ways of improving the standard of training in the Nigeria Army. Ali-Keffi noted that the Nigeria Army has been yielding a positive result, which is evident by the robust fighting spirit of the soldiers in various theatre of operations. “With the excellent display of drill exhibited on this parade ground today, I am certain that you have acquired the basic training that is required of you to be good soldiers.’’ The senior officers told the soldiers to always abide by their Oath of Allegiance and to avoid acts that are capable of tarnishing the image of the Army and Nigeria. The late Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru was to be the Reviewing Officer and Special Guest. Gunshots were fired in his honour and others who died in the Kaduna air crash last Friday evening.

BREAKING: Nigeria’s President Buhari wins 2021 all-Africa award for performance By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The selection committee comprises media representatives from the five regions of the continent who rely on media reports and experts on road networks, transport, and sustainable development. To the chagrin of elements, who would stop at nothing to block achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari from being noticed, more international bodies not only see those achievements but are nominating the Nigerian President for award competitions and global as well as continental leadership roles, none of which he has failed to pick. The latest being that on Friday 28 May, 2021, the Daura, Katsina State-born President of Africa’s most populous country, Muhammadu Buhari, was named winner of the 2021 Great Builder Super Prize for Trophée Babacar Ndiaye, taking over from Abdel Fattah al-Sissi of Egypt, who won the 2020 prize. According to a statement from the African Development Bank (AfDB) on Friday, Buhari was named winner during the inaugural Africa Road Builders Conference held on March 31 in Cairo, Egypt. The trophy would be awarded on June 24 on the side-lines of the AfDB’s Annual Meetings. Fattah al-Sissi, received the award “for his personal leadership and for the efforts made to ensure road safety and the health of the population in the context of transport”. The selection committee, however, cited Nigeria’s efforts to improve road safety and air quality for road users. It also commended efforts to obtain COVID-19 vaccines and for advancing major transport projects, especially in the rail sector that would ensure the optimal operation of roads and transport. The Babacar Ndiaye Africa Road Builders Award is organised by Acturoutes, an information platform on infrastructure and roads in Africa, and Media for Infrastructure and Finance in Africa (MIFA), a network of African journalists specialised in road infrastructure. The AfDB president sponsors the award. The selection committee comprises media representatives from the five regions of the continent who rely on media reports and experts on road networks, transport, and sustainable development. The award was created in honour of Babacar Ndiaye, President of the AfDB Group from 1985 to 1995. Each year, the Africa Road Builders selection committee carefully evaluates ambitious and tangible projects that have a real impact on the mobility of people in Africa.

Drama as Emir of Zazzau walks out of Army’s Passing Out Parade By Felix Kassim

There was a mild drama on Saturday involving soldiers and the entourage of the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli, during the Passing Out Parade of 6,400 new recruits enlisted into the Nigeria Army. A misunderstanding ensued between the entourage of the Emir and some soldiers maintaining security at the entrance of the Depot Nigerian Army, a development that forced the emir to return to his palace. It was gathered that the soldiers at the gate insisted that the entourage of the emir must put off the royal musical trumpet blazing the area, and this the emir and his entourage found insulting. However, the commandant of the Depot Nigerian Army, Major General Abubakar Ibrahim, with his lieutenants, later visited the palace to apologise to the emir. READ ALSO :Emir Bayero turbans elder brother as Wanbam Kano after 7 years in exile The emir later returned to grace the ceremony. The POP was scheduled for last Saturday but was postponed to honour the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a plane crash in Kaduna. GOC 1 Mechanised Division, Kaduna, Major General Danjuma Ali Keffi, who served as the Reviewing Officer, also read the speech of the late COAS. Late Attahiru said the Nigerian Army is determined to defeat all security challenges facing the country, as the Army has been professionally repositioned. He said, with the passing out of the 80th Regular Recruits, the strength of the Army had been enhanced with the 6,400 soldiers, who have acquired all the professional training that made them combat-ready and efficient. He urged the recruits to be patriotic in the discharge of their duties, assuring that the Army would not rest on its oars to deal with all criminal especially Boko Haram, armed bandits, kidnappers and IPOB. (DAILYTRUST)

It is true we are all angry but we must control it –Remi Tinubu by Kayode Oyero

Mrs. Remi Tinubu, wife of All Progressives Congress chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, says it is true that Nigerians are angry but people must learn to manage their anger and put their emotions under control. The Senator representing Lagos Central made this known on Friday while featuring on TVC breakfast show, ‘Your View’ monitored by The PUNCH. The rising insecurity, unemployment, injustice and worsening economy have been sources of worry in the country of late. But responding to a question on the television programme, Mrs. Tinubu said, “Why are we condoning that young people are angry, angry over what? Who said I am not angry? I am only keeping my anger. Are you (presenters) not angry about things? Everybody has to control their anger. Who is not angry? I am angry about a lot of issues. “You (presenters) were talking to me about a bill I have been trying to get for nine years ago and it is still alive. Do they (youths) understand what it means by waiting? Do they understand what it means by waiting in the morning and go to do your job? “I remember because they say there are not jobs, I said I am going to start a programme – Work Experience Programme. We got about almost 200 youths. “I know some people in some places and I said just employ them for just one-month internship. I will pay N40,000 for them to go. I will pay N20,000 for transport and then when they conclude and complete the one month, I will pay another N20,000. “We did an orientation for them – how to work in a workplace. Some don’t even know how to work in a workplace. They don’t have the etiquette for workplace. We did the training for them. Would you believe that they employed almost 80% of them, they retain them and they were screaming there were no jobs. “I need people to work with me but I need the right people. Morayo (Afolabi-Brown) knows that I am not one of those people you work with and you say, ‘No problem’. That’s no English. I know the people I interact with. Did I tell you there is a problem? That is a question I always ask. It is a slang that people are used to but in certain levels of governance, such languages are not ethical.” The PUNCH had earlier reported that the National Bureau of Statistics said Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose from 27.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 to 33.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020, adding that over 23.19 million people are unemployed in the country. Nigeria, with over 200 million people, has a vibrant youth population mostly between the ages of 18 and 35 but sadly, the nation has not made judicious use of its human resource gift to develop its industries and economic wealth.

I didn’t call Arinola Oloko thug, says Remi Tinubu by Kayode Oyero

Mrs. Remi Tinubu, wife of All Progressives Congress chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said she didn’t call an educationist, Arinola Oloko, a thug at the venue of a public hearing on constitutional review on Wednesday. According to her, she asked Oloko if she was a thug and not that she called her a thug. The Senator representing Lagos Central made this known on Friday while featuring on TVC breakfast show, ‘Your View’ monitored by The PUNCH. The PUNCH had earlier reported that viral video showed that Mrs. Tinubu was involved in a shouting match with some Nigerians who attended the event at the Marriot Hotel in Lagos. Tinubu led the Senate Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution in the South-West. However, there was a ruckus when Oloko was denied entry into the venue of the hearing. The 51-year-old woman, who protested her exclusion from the venue, was subsequently flayed by Mrs. Tinubu for being “rude”. Speaking about the incident on Friday, the former First Lady of Lagos State said, “It was the noise I heard and as somebody concerned, I went there, that they will be a bit respectful when they see that they put my name as chair and I came out to see them. “At least, we will be able to talk and dialogue. I didn’t know that it will turn into a noisy field and people will start screaming. “I looked at them and I saw a woman. I will tell you, most of the works I’ve done have been supported by women. I understand women more than men despite the men I work with and even the men I work with, I respect them when I have to respect them but in this particular incident, I looked at the man, he was angry, possibly he could have waited for a long time. I didn’t know who registered, I wasn’t on the registration desk but I looked at the woman screaming and I said I can talk to a woman. “I said, let me talk to you outside where everybody is, I’ve had COVID and I don’t think I want to be in a cramped place to want to be speaking. And I said, let’s go outside so that I can hear you and hear your complaint.” “Then, she kept screaming and I said what is going on, are you a thug? I am not going to take that. Are you a thug? Am I talking to a thug? Then her eyes were popping and popping. She is younger than I am, why would I call her a thug outrightly?” the senator asked.