Category: PM News

Former England captain Alan Shearer has predicted that Argentina will defeat Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

The highly anticipated match will take place on Sunday at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with Lionel Messi’s Argentina facing Luis de la Fuente’s Spain.

Shearer said the final is difficult to predict because both teams have been impressive throughout the tournament. However, he believes Argentina have what it takes to win.

He praised Spain for their excellent ball possession and control of matches, especially after their 2-0 victory over France in the semi-finals.

Despite that, he noted that Spain had some difficult moments earlier in the tournament.

Speaking about Argentina, Shearer highlighted the team’s fighting spirit and ability to recover from difficult situations.

He pointed out that the South Americans came from behind against Egypt and England to reach the final.

According to Shearer, Argentina’s determination and resilience make them strong contenders for the title.

He also stressed that having Messi in the team gives Argentina an extra advantage.

‘Spain are a fantastic team and very good at keeping possession,’ Shearer said.

‘But Argentina have shown great character throughout the tournament. They never give up, and when you have Messi on your side, you always have a chance. That’s why I am going with Argentina to win.’

Historically, Argentina and Spain have met only once at the World Cup, with Argentina winning 2-1 in 1966.

Spain enter the final unbeaten in their last 37 matches, while Argentina will be hoping to lift another World Cup trophy with Messi leading the way.

Operatives of the Zone 2 Command, Lagos have arrested a tenant at Ajah area of Lagos Henry Chijioke Chukwuma, 34, and dragged him before a Lagos Magistrates’ Court for allegedly partitioning his rented apartment located at Vintage Estate, Ajah, Lagos without the consent of his landlord, Moses Okeoma.

Police alleged that the defendant rented the flat in good faith and that shortly after parking his property in, he allegedly embarked on partitioning the apartment by changing the position of the bathroom door and damaging the wall.

Police said the unauthorized actions of the tenant breached the building plan regulating Law of the Government.

Following the development, the landlord petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Olohundare Jimoh who dispatched his men to the property to arrest the tenant before the situation would degenerate into breach of peace.

And after investigation by Inspector Odijile Eghonghon and his team, the defendant was charged before the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos on a one-count charge bordering on willful damage to bathroom wall and door.

Police prosecuting Counsel, Supol Reuben Solomon informed the court that the defendant ought to have obtained permission from his landlord before making any structural adjustment to his apartment since he didn’t complain about the apartment before parking his property in.

Solomon said the unauthorized action of the defendant is against the government building plan and is punishable under section 337 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendant, however pleaded not guilty to the charge and Magistrate, Mrs T.O Abayomi granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Abayomi adjourned the case till 14 August 2026 for mention.

The Labour Party presidential candidate, Dr Chibuzor Okereke, has promised to run an inclusive government driven by reforms, innovation, if elected in the 2027 presidential election.

Okereke who made the pledge while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Personality Interview Series in Abuja on Sunday, urged citizens to believe in Nigeria again.

He said that Labour Party had overcome all its internal crisis and was ready to pursue its mantra: ‘Nigerians First, Believe Again.’

If elected president, Okereke pledged to strengthen all the critical sectors for a more result-driven government.

He explained that his choice of a female vice-presidential running mate in the person of Hajia Bintu Konto, was a pointer to an inclusive government.

‘The message is simple. This is a Nigerian first project; Believe again. Our plan is to change the mindset of young people whose key plan is how to travel abroad. We will make them believe again in the Nigerian project.

‘Whether you are in the military or in the police, you are at the forefront of the war fighting, the country will care for you; that is the Nigeria we envision.

‘You are a woman who feels under-represented; a youth who feels social injustice and high inequality; a pensioner who feels abandoned after serving or a normal person working hard who wants to just get ahead, I ask you to believe again in the Nigerian project.

‘This is because we are going to run a government that will collapse ethnic considerations and geo-political expression, and focus on optimising the capacity of the Nigerian people for merit-based opportunities,’ he said.

Okereke told NAN that should he emerge president, he would not only be the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, but Commander-in-Chief of reforms, innovation and building a just society.

According to him, Labour Party is the only party that is not focused on power and control of resources, but on the desire to focus on delivering the demands of Chapter 2 of Nigerian Constitution.

Okereke said that there would be devolution of powers to states and local governments for effective delivery of dividends of democracy to all Nigerians.

He said that institutions such as Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), among others, would be strengthened and transferred to local authorities.

The presidential candidate also said that all agric institutions in Abuja would be relocated to their areas of comparative advantage, while some would be domiciled in universities for necessary research.

He condemned the present arrangement whereby some federal government establishments would be involved in executing projects in remote communities from Abuja, a template which he said had never worked.

The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Dr Chibuzor Okereke, has vowed to overhaul Nigeria’s budgeting and procurement systems if elected president in 2027.

Okereke, who stated this while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria Personality Interview Series on Sunday in Abuja, said the current system being run cannot address poverty and under-development in the country.

‘The envelop budgeting system being used cannot take the country out of the woods. We need a zero-based budgeting system if the country must catch up with developed nations,’ he said.

According to Okereke, every item that gets into the zero budgeting system has a clear economic impact to be made and it can be verified.

‘One thing to tackle is our budget, to address the issue of poverty. Nigeria has not been making workable budgets, and it is not a question of this government; we have never made workable budgets in this country. If you are doing a budget adopting an envelop system, you are not making budget that can drive economic development. Nigeria needs a zero-based budgeting system where every item that gets into that budget has a clear economic impact it is going to make, and that is what we are going to bring on board. You will not see the type of budgeting we are seeing in Nigeria since the First Republic to the Fourth Republic, which is making the government going back and forth.

‘If you solve budgetary and procurement problems in Nigeria, you have solved almost 60 per cent of poverty and security crisis. We will not govern Nigeria by projects and programmes; we will govern Nigeria by vision,’ he said.

Okereke said that if elected president, his government would focus on the well-being of Nigerians rather than just the geographical area called Nigeria.

The presidential candidate said that he would build a just and merit-based society, saying that this is a quicker way of addressing poverty.

According to him, one of the biggest problems in the country today is hopelessness.

‘People do not believe they can get what is due to them without attachment to where they come from or who they know. For instance, when job vacancies are advertised, many job-seeking Nigerians will not apply because they believe that the jobs have already been given to preferred candidates. Whereas Nigeria cannot achieve reduction in poverty if some people have appointment letters in their pockets and they are willing to give them to those they know while other people don’t have that opportunity,’ he stated.

Concerned bus drivers operating from the Obalende Motor Parks and commuters have cried out over the heap of refuse workers of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority abandoned in the area.

They appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to, as matter of urgency, come to their rescue and find solution to the rising heap of refuse abandoned by Lawma workers since weeks ago.

They said anytime the Lawma workers come to the area with a truck, they would pick little and leave, saying that is why the refuse keeps mounting and polluting the environment.

Some of them who spoke with PM NEWS at the scene stated that they decided to cry out following the offensive odour oozing from the refuse and affecting drivers, commuters, food sellers and other road users.

They appealed to the governor to act before the situation leads to an epidemic.

They want the governor to address the nonchalant attitude on the part of Lawma workers at Obalende.

They further appealed to the Governor not to shy away from replacing Lawma workers who are tired of the work, with some of the teeming jobless youths searching for jobs daily.

According to Mr Sunday Ojo, a driver, ‘Governor Sanwo-Olu has done extremely well in all areas of human endeavors, spending hugely on the environment but the nonchalant attitude of the Obalende Lawma workers is tarnishing the good image of the state.

‘We are appealing to the governor to urgently save us from a looming danger.’

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, working alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL), have foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Monguno, Borno State.

The military said the attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday when the terrorists attempted to invade the school, which is currently being used by the Borno State Government as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.

In a statement on Sunday, Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, said the terrorists reportedly gained access to the premises with the assistance of suspected collaborators in a bid to abduct the students.

He said alert security personnel immediately engaged the attackers, while troops from Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force swiftly reinforced the school, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire.

According to Goni, the coordinated response by the military and police overwhelmed the insurgents, forcing them to abandon the operation and flee without succeeding in abducting any student.

Although parts of the school infrastructure were damaged during the attack, he said the security forces successfully contained the situation and prevented what could have been a major tragedy.

Following the operation, all 46 students in the facility were rescued and evacuated to Kinnasara Barracks in Monguno, where they underwent medical examination and received necessary care.

‘The rescued students have all been confirmed medically stable, and no student was abducted,’ Goni said.

He, however, disclosed that some students lost their lives after being struck by sporadic gunfire fired by the terrorists during the exchange.

The military expressed condolences to the bereaved families and assured residents that efforts were underway to strengthen the security of communities and critical public institutions across the North-East.

Goni said security agencies had launched an exploitation operation to identify and apprehend suspected collaborators who facilitated the attack, while troops were pursuing the fleeing terrorists.

He reaffirmed Operation HADIN KAI’s commitment to sustaining military pressure on terrorist groups, degrading their operational capabilities and ensuring that schools and other critical infrastructure across the region remain secure.

Political parties in Osun State have signed a peace accord, committing themselves to a peaceful, free and credible governorship election in August 15.

The accord was signed on Saturday at the Governance and Election Integrity Summit held in Osogbo, the state capital.

The summit was organised by the Osun Development Association and brought together key stakeholders, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, political parties and civil society organisations.

Organisers said the initiative was designed to promote peaceful conduct and reassure voters of a safe environment before, during and after the election.

With less than a month to the poll and the tempo of election-related violence rising, participants stressed the need for restraint and education of all on the imperatives of peace and security.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Oluwatoyin Babalola, said safeguarding the integrity of the election was a shared responsibility, urging stakeholders to prioritise peace, patriotism and the interest of the state above political considerations.

In a keynote address titled ‘Peace Before Progress: Why the 2026 Osun Election is a Referendum on Southwest Nigeria’s Capacity for Peaceful, Development-Driven Democracy,’ the speaker emphasised that democracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere of fear, violence and intimidation.

The summit concluded with representatives of participating political parties signing the peace accord, pledging to conduct their campaigns without violence.

In continuation of the National Media Tour, which showcases federal and state governments’ landmark projects across the country, the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and members of the Presidential Communications Team on Sunday commenced the inspection of strategic federal and state government projects in Kogi State.

The team inspected the Kabba Junction section of the Abuja – Lokoja Expressway, which is also the starting point of the Lokoja – Benin Expressway.

The Kogi State Commissioner for Works, Barrister Salami Ozigi Dedaat, explained that the Abuja-Lokoja highway had been in a very deplorable condition due to abandonment by past administrations but has now been earmarked for completion by President Bola Tinubu.

The road has been divided into five different sections, each awarded to a different contractor to speed up its early completion.

Dedaat commended President Tinubu for approving the project and others across the state.

The team visited the state-owned Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara with a mixture of federal and state government projects.

According to the Director of Administration of the college, Mohammed Ahmed, the Federal Government through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), constructed the Faculty of Science Complex, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Complex, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences Complex as well as the Faculty of Anatomy, valued at over N2.3bn.

He said TETFund had also supported the institution through the 2025 Special Intervention (Renewed Hope Initiative) by the construction of the female hostel, Project Maintenance Intervention as well as in academic and research support.

The Renewed Hope Ambassadors also inspected the Barefoot Renewable Energy College and the Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant established in the university by the Federal Government through the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN).

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication and also the leader of the delegation, Sunday Dare, said the tremendous physical and academic development witnessed in the university was a fallout of the courageous reform policies taken by the President, which has freed more funds to the states.

‘When you look at the cardinal points of the eight – point Agenda of the President, education stands on a solid place in that list. There is no better adroit testimony to what we have seen at the Confluence University of Science and Technology.

‘For the 21st Century economy, there is primacy for science and technology. We have seen the investments that have come here. We have seen the benefits of continuity on the part of the former governor, Yahaya Bello and we have seen Governor Usman Ododo follow through.’

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, Mr. Otega Ogra, said the Barefoot Renewable Energy College and Green Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Pilot Plant will equip Nigerian youths with practical skills in renewable energy technologies, which will focus on developing a skilled workforce capable of installing, operating, and maintaining clean energy systems.

‘The College is the second globally, after the one in India. The Hydrogen Plant is the second in Africa,’ he said.

In Kogi West Senatorial District, the team inspected the Kogi State University in Kabba, which has seen marked development in just two years, Mopa Primary Health Centre, some completed inner roads in Kabba-Bunu and the erosion control project in Kabba under the Agro-Climatic Resilience in mid arid areas put together by Governor Ododo.

Earlier on Saturday at the reception organised in honour of the team, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Honourable Kingsley Olorunfemi Fanwo, said the Kogi Rebrand Initiative of the Governor Usman Ododo administration was meant to change the narratives of the state through impactful infrastructure and people – oriented programmes.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while celebrating Senator Yinka Omilani who clocked age 90 on Sunday 19 July, described the insurance mogul as a statesman, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and devoted Christian.

Tinubu said the life of the Ode-Omu, Osun State-born politician ‘has become a beacon of service, humility, integrity, and enduring impact.’

The President said this in his letter of felicitation to Omilani, released on Sunday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.

‘At ninety, your journey stands as a remarkable testament to God’s abundant grace, unwavering faithfulness, and the power of purposeful living.

‘Your philanthropy and investments in education, healthcare, youth empowerment, and humanitarian causes have brought hope where despair was present and opened closed doors.

‘May Almighty God continue to strengthen you and give you good health in your mission to make a difference to mankind,’ the President added.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking networks, intercepting 1.63 million pills of tramadol concealed in two articulated trucks bound for Kano from Lagos, while arresting an 80-year-old suspected drug dealer, a businesswoman, a Chadian national and several other suspects in coordinated operations across the country.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the seizures were part of sustained intelligence-led operations targeting a transnational drug trafficking syndicate smuggling tramadol from Togo through the Benin Republic into Nigeria.

According to him, the latest interceptions came barely a week after operatives recovered 558,900 tramadol pills hidden in a false-bottom compartment of another truck that entered Nigeria through the same Togo-Benin Republic corridor.

Babafemi disclosed that the first trailer, carrying 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed beneath its cargo floor, was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on July 2 while heading to Kano. The 22-year-old driver, Jabir Kabiru, was arrested.

He said operatives struck again on July 4, tracking and intercepting a second trailer on the same route. A further 777,000 tramadol pills hidden in a specially fabricated compartment beneath the truck were recovered, leading to the arrest of another 22-year-old driver, Muhammed Nuhu.

Investigations, according to Babafemi, revealed that the three trucks intercepted on June 21, July 2 and July 4, along with their illicit consignments, belonged to the same transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor.

In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted two consignments of Canadian Loud, a potent synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 4.70 kilograms.

Babafemi said the illicit consignments arrived from Canada aboard British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines flights in cartons boldly labelled ‘Odugwu.’

The investigation led to the arrest of two cargo agents, Ali Rotimi Samson and Orimolade Oluwagbenga, before another suspect, Edeh Onyeamachi Stanislus, was apprehended while attempting to collect the consignments from a logistics company.

Further investigations culminated in the arrest of the alleged owner of the shipments, 44-year-old businesswoman Chioma Nneka Mokeme, in Surulere, Lagos, on July 7 in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Area C Command.

Babafemi said the suspect, who claimed to operate a printing business, told investigators that a friend based in Canada, identified as Agbons Collins, introduced her to the illicit trade.

In Rivers State, NDLEA operatives arrested 80-year-old Chika Ugwoji at Ahoada after he was allegedly found in possession of 800 grams of skunk.

The agency also dismantled an alleged drug warehouse in Benin City, Edo State, where a couple, Christian Chukwuka, 32, and Nwanneka Christian, 33, were arrested.

Recovered from the warehouse were 22 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 219.5 kilograms and compressed blocks of Canadian Loud weighing 192.67 kilograms.

In another intelligence-led operation, Babafemi said a consignment of 50,000 tramadol pills intercepted in Kogi State was traced to a Chadian woman, Hajara Abdullahi, 38, and her Nigerian accomplice, Abdulkarim Jidda, 44, who were subsequently arrested in the Apapa area of Lagos.

Beyond enforcement operations, Babafemi said the agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools across Katsina, Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti and Kano states as part of efforts to reduce drug abuse through public education.

Commending officers involved in the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised personnel of the MMIA, Lagos, Rivers, Edo and Kogi Commands for their commitment to the agency’s anti-drug campaign.

He urged officers nationwide to remain vigilant and sustain the momentum in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse across the country.