Category: PM News

Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given has shared his thoughts on this season’s title race, naming Arsenal as the club best positioned to lift the trophy in May 2026.

Given, who enjoyed a long career in England’s top flight and also represented Manchester City, believes that while Liverpool and City will remain in contention, it is Arsenal who currently boast the most complete squad.

‘This season feels like a genuine three-horse race,’ Given told Ladbrokes.

‘Liverpool are top right now, Arsenal are right on their heels, and Manchester Citydespite being five points off are never a team you can rule out.

I know City are down in seventh at the moment, but with the players at Pep Guardiola’s disposal, they can quickly close the gap.’

Liverpool are currently leading the league table, holding a slender two-point advantage over second-placed Arsenal. Jrgen Klopp’s side have been praised for their intensity and consistency, though they, like Arsenal, have already suffered one or two setbacks this campaign.

Manchester City, meanwhile, find themselves unusually placed outside the top four but still very much in the picture. Given highlighted Arsenal’s growth under Mikel Arteta, stressing the Gunners’ depth, balance, and hunger to finally end their two-decade wait for a league crown.

‘If I sit back and look at every squad in the cold light of day, Arsenal appear to be the strongest right now,’ he continued.

‘They’ve built a group with quality in every position-defensively solid, creative in midfield, and dangerous up front. For me, they’re the team to beat this season.’

However, the former Republic of Ireland international was quick to remind fans that Manchester City’s pedigree cannot be dismissed so early in the campaign.

‘City have won the league in tough circumstances before.

They thrive under pressure and have players who can change games in an instant. While Arsenal and Liverpool are flying high, you can never rule out City.

Come the business end of the season, I expect them to be right in the mix,’ he added.

As things stand, the Premier League race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in years.

With Liverpool setting the early pace, Arsenal growing in confidence, and City lurking in the background, football fans could be in for a thrilling battle for the title that may go right down to the wire.

The United States has denied entry to an Iranian delegation scheduled to attend the World Cup draw later this year.

According to Iranian Football Federation (FFI) spokesperson Amir-Mehdi Alawi, those affected include FFI President Mehdi Taj, national team Head Coach Amir Ghalenoei, and seven other officials.

The delegation was expected to be present for the draw, which is scheduled to take place on December 5 in Washington.

The FFI is now seeking FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s intervention to overturn the decision within the next two weeks.

The U.S. entry ban, first introduced under former President Donald Trump, has long been a point of contention between the two countries. Observers fear that while players and coaching staff may not face major restrictions, officials, sports journalists, and fans could be significantly affected.

The FFI has expressed hope that Iran’s matches will at least be hosted in Canada or Mexico if difficulties persist with U.S. visas.

Iran and the U.S. have not maintained diplomatic relations for more than 45 years, and the two nations remain political rivals.

Despite this, nearly two million Iranians live in the United States, and family visitsthough often complicated had previously been possible. The current restrictions, however, have also disrupted such reunions.

Sports experts warn that if the situation is not resolved, it could undermine Iran’s full participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Traditional rulers in Ife North Local Government of Osun, have threatened to drag Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi to court of he sis n to retract his recent allegation against the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi within 21 days.

The traditional rulers gave the ultimatum in a communique issued at the end of their meeting and read by Salu of Edunabon, Oba Adesoji Oladepo, on Thursday in Edunabon. The Oluwo had in a viral video posted on his official Facebook page, accused the Ooni of plotting to assassinate him by allegedly ‘packaging’ his ex-wife against him.

The traditional rulers described Oba Akanbi’s comments as an insult and disrespect to the Ooni of Ife.

According to them, Oluwo’s action is bringing the throne of the Obas in Yorubaland to disrepute and ridicule.

The traditional rulers expressed surprise that Oluwo, who’s the descendant of Luwo Gbagida, the 24th Ooni of Ife, could ‘behave irrationally’ to the Ooni. The Obas challenged Oluwo to petition the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun for investigation or sue Ooni to proof the allegation.

The traditional rulers, however, threatened to drag Oba Akanbi to court if he failed to take either of the two steps to proof his allegation against the Ooni.

The traditional rulers lamented that Oba Akanbi previously had issues with his fellow Obas in Iwo axis such as the Olu of Ile-Igbo, Olowu of Kuta, Olu of Songbe, and Agbowu of Ogbaagba.

They recalled that Oluwo’s alleged attack on Agbowu of Ogbaagba led to the Oba’s sustaining injury and hospitalised.

According to them, this action led to Oluwo’s six-month suspension from the meeting of the council traditional rulers in the state.

Other traditional rulers attended that attended the meeting were Oba Mufutau Oyekanmi, Alasipa of Asipa; Oba Meshach Oyediran, Olulamokun of Yakooyo; and Oba OluwaBusola Oloyede, Alakinlalu of Akinlalu.

A major fire broke out at the popular Bariga Market in Lagos on Tuesday, leaving traders in shock and despair after goods worth millions of naira were lost.

The blaze, which started in the early hours of the day, quickly spread through several stalls before emergency officials could arrive.

According to preliminary findings, the fire is believed to have started from one shop and then spread rapidly to others, largely because many of the stalls were built with wooden partitions that fueled the flames. Responding swiftly, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), supported by other first responders, battled hard to contain the fire.

Their prompt intervention prevented the inferno from reaching adjoining sections of the market, which could have made the situation far worse. Officials also ensured that there were no secondary outbreaks after the main fire was extinguished. Although no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded, the damage was severe. At least 26 shops were completely destroyed, with goods and property valued at several millions of naira turned to ashes.

Many traders, who rely on the market for their daily livelihood, were seen weeping at the site, lamenting the loss of their hard-earned investments. Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the fire, but an investigation is underway. LASEMA has urged traders to observe basic fire safety measures and called on market leaders to put stronger preventive structures in place, including fire extinguishers and better stall designs, to reduce risks in the future.

For now, many affected traders are left counting their losses, while residents of the area have praised the quick response of emergency workers for preventing what could have become a much larger disaster.

The Nigerian currency, naira maintained a lean difference on Thursday October 2nd trading between the official Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) and the parallel market as participants balanced improved dollar inflows against persistent demand pressures. Parallel market: ?1,490 per US$1

The official NFEM rate a volume-weighted figure derived from interbank trading and published by the authorities closed at about ?1,483 to the dollar, a slight shift from the previous session.

Traders noted that the official window remains sensitive to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) liquidity operations and order flows through the electronic matching system.

In the parallel market, the naira traded around ?1,490 to the dollar, leaving a spread of roughly ?7. This narrow gap contrasts with the wider double-digit spreads witnessed during periods of heightened market stress, suggesting partial convergence between the two segments. However, the parallel market continues to serve individuals and businesses unable to access dollars through official channels.

Market Drivers

Analysts linked the relative calm to moderate foreign currency inflows from diaspora remittances and import receipts, combined with CBN interventions that helped curb sharp intraday fluctuations.

Global factors also played a role, with the US dollar holding broadly steady in international markets following recent volatility.

Traders’ Perspective

Dealers observed that demand from importers, students, and travellers remains the major driver of parallel market volumes, while banks and authorised dealers handle most corporate flows through NFEM.

Analysts cautioned that the present convergence remains fragile, requiring sustained inflows, deeper FX liquidity, and consistent policy signals to stabilise the naira more permanently.

Outlook

Short-term forecasts suggest the dollar will likely trade within ?1,480-?1,495 in the official market and ?1,485-?1,500 in the parallel market over the coming days, provided dollar supply remains steady and demand does not surge unexpectedly.

Policymakers’ ability to manage measured interventions and improve liquidity will be central to maintaining exchange rate stability.

$25bn Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project Gets New Company

The $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline (NMGP) project has taken a big step forward with the creation of a special company to handle it.

This new company means the project is moving from the planning stage to putting in place the systems and money needed for actual construction. International financiers like the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) are already showing interest in supporting the project.

When completed, the pipeline will carry up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas every year. It will stretch more than 6,000 kilometers, passing through about 12 West African countries, linking Nigeria’s gas to Morocco, and then to Europe. Nigeria, which has Africa’s largest proven gas reserves, wants to reduce dependence on its local market by selling more gas abroad.

For Morocco and other countries along the route, the pipeline will increase energy supply and boost their roles in the global gas market.

The creation of a project company is important because it puts all the responsibilities, financing, and management of the pipeline in one place.

This makes it easier for investors and financial institutions to trust the process.

The final investment decision, expected by the end of 2025, will determine if the project has enough funding to move fully into construction.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Jigawa Command, has confirmed the drowning of a 15-year-old boy, Sunusi Abubakar in a pond.

The Jigawa Police Command’s spokesperson, Badaruddeen Tijjani, confirmed the incident in a statement in Dutse, on Wednesday.

Tijjina said that Abubakar, a resident of Gabari village in Chamo district, drowned on Tuesday while swimming in a pond in the area.

He said that the deceased was discovered lifeless inside a pond locally referred to as ‘Mahayin gidan Toro’, located about 1.5 kilometers to the north of Gabari village.

‘Prior to the discovery, the shoes and trousers of the deceased were seen abandoned by the river bank.

‘And according to his father, the deceased went to swim in the pond at about 5p:m., but failed to return home.

‘A search was immediately initiated by the community until the body was eventually discovered this morning,’ he said.

The Jigawa NSCDC image maker added that the body of the deceased, which showed no trace of injury, was handed over to his parents for burial.

He urged parents, guardians and community leaders to warn children and youths against unsafe swimming practices in open water bodies in order to avert future occurrences.

He assured that corps remained committed to its mandate of safeguarding lives and property across the state.

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, has arrested 92 suspects over alleged involvement in internet fraud in Benin, the capital of Edo State.

The suspects were arrested at various locations in the Edo State capital on Monday, September, 29, the spokesperson for the agency, Dele Oyewale said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the suspects were arrested following information about their involvement in internet fraud.

He added that 11 vehicles and different makes of mobile devices were also recovered from the suspects by the EFCC operatives.

The statement by Oyewale reads, ‘Operatives of the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 92 suspected internet fraudsters in Edo State.

They were arrested in a sting operation on Monday, September 29, 2025 at various locations within Benin City, Edo State.

Their arrest was based on credible intelligence about their suspected involvement in computer related crimes. All the lawful procedures of arrest were followed in the course of the arrest

Upon their arrest, 11 vehicles and mobile devices were recovered from them.

Preliminary investigations by the Commission linked the suspects with various forms of internet-related fraud

They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has also arraigned one Godslove Munachiso Obiwuru, a 26-year old Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, suspect before Justice M. T. Segun-Bello of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State.

He was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering.

Count one of the charge reads: ‘That you, Godslove Munachiso Obiwuru ‘M’ sometime in 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, retained 0.042 Ethereum (digital currency) equivalent to $50 (Fifty United States Dollars) in a Binance wallet account with the address 0xD62C9DA42BDe76a7Be113ABA225456C57320A569 which you know or reasonably ought to know, is a proceed of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 20 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022′.

He pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the two counts. In view of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE I A.Y Abdullahi prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the Correctional facility.

However, the defence counsel, Abel Anih, prayed the court for a short date to enable him file an application for bail before the court.

The matter was thereafter adjourned for hearing of bail application while the defendant was remanded at the EFCC custody.

The defendant was arrested on August 5, 2025, following a petition by the FBI alleging that the defendant was involved in auctioning a cryptocurrency account takeover scheme.

According to the petition, in November 2022, a Coinbase cryptocurrency belonging to a citizen of the United States of America was compromised, leading to the theft of 90,410.126 Gold Retriever Tokens (GLDN), worth approximately $307,394.00, at that time.

Further investigation by the FBI revealed that part of the stolen cryptocurrency funds were transferred to a Binance account belonging to the defendant.

However, preliminary investigations by operatives of the Special Task Force of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Commission, revealed that the defendant received cryptocurrency, allegedly stolen from two different victims.

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, on his 60th birthday celebration.

In his congratulatory message released on the 1st of October, the President described Abbas as a worthy partner in government and in implementing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

While affirming that the House under Abbas has passed many impactful pieces of legislation, the President commended the Speaker’s deep knowledge, wisdom, and openness.

‘Speaker Abbas has displayed uncommon capacity as a leader of equals. His drive for integrity, excellence and selfless service has proved helpful in maintaining stability in the House. I rejoice with the family, friends and associates of this fine lawmaker and leader of men on this milestone. I also congratulate the people of Zaria Federal Constituency in Kaduna State for picking Abbas to represent them in the House of Representatives since 2011,’ he stated.

President Tinubu also prayed for many more years and good health for Speaker Abbas.

Troops of 6 Brigade in collaboration with operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Taraba have arrested two fake police personnel with cannabis consignments in two vehicles.

A statement on Wednesday by Lt. Umar Muhammad, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations 6 Brigade, said the arrest was made in Wukari.

‘Acting on credible intelligence, troops alongside NDLEA personnel intercepted and apprehended two fake policemen at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area.

‘The suspects, who were dressed in mobile police uniforms, were found with two Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with substances suspected to be cannabis.

‘Preliminary investigation revealed that none of the occupants are serving policemen.

‘The cannabis-laden vehicles were traced to have been loaded from Akure, Ondo State, and were heading towards Adamawa State before interception.’

According to him, the occupants of the second Hilux abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on sighting the troops.

‘A total of 1,134 blocks of cannabis were recovered from the two vehicles. Both the suspects and the recovered exhibits have been handed over to the NDLEA office in Wukari for further investigation and prosecution.’

The Commander 6 Brigade, Brig. Gen. Kingsley Uwa, who commended the troops and NDLEA operatives for their synergy and resilience, reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to ensuring that Taraba remained unsafe for criminals.

Uwa urged members of the public to continue to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations across the state.