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Kano Pillars technical adviser Daniel Ogunmodede praised his players for responding to pressure with a 1-0 home win over Katsina United in their NPFL Week 9 North West derby.

The result ended a five-match winless run and gave Pillars a clean sheet to accompany the three points. ‘I will congratulate the boys for putting up a fight in the game. We had not tasted a win in the last five games and they delivered in the derby’ Ogunmodede said.

Ogunmodede said his side showed the balance needed to protect a narrow lead. ‘We attacked well and defended well to get the maximum points with a clean sheet’ he said. He also acknowledged the expectations attached to his job: ‘It is part of my job to win. I like winning because that is what I am paid for.’

Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets were knocked out of the WAFU B Under-17 Championship after a 1-1 draw with Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday. The team finished bottom of Group B. The result ends their chances of reaching next year’s Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which also serves as a qualifier for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. It is the fourth consecutive time Nigeria has failed to qualify for the tournament.

Head coach Eboboritse Uwejamomere acknowledged the disappointment saying fans ‘probably hate me right now’ but that such reactions were understandable given the expectations placed on Nigerian teams.

In an interview shared on Brila FM he asked supporters to forgive the team. He urged the players to learn from the setback describing the tournament as the start of their elite careers and a foundation for future improvement.

‘For the fans back home it is a bitter feeling. A lot of them probably hate me right now hate us right now but this is normal because they are fans and proud Nigerians’ he said in an interview shared on Brila Fm. ‘They expect us to win every game and every tournament. That is normal. If I were back home I would feel disappointed as well.

‘If there is anything I can say to them it is for them to forgive us. That is really it.’

The Eaglets struggled against both Niger and Côte d’Ivoire. Uwejamomere a Super Eagles video analyst was absent from the touchline during the matches because he does not hold a CAF coaching licence.

Despite the failed campaign Uwejamomere has reportedly been named assistant coach of the Nigeria U23 team according to SCORENigeria .

The squad is due to begin training camp ahead of a 2027 U23 AFCON qualifier against DR Congo next month.

SCORENigeria attributed the appointment to a ‘very powerful official’ at the Nigeria Sports Commission (NSC) who is also said to have been behind his original appointment as Golden Eaglets head coach. One source told the outlet ‘He is the Favoured One.’

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has killed two senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operatives including the group’s chief security guard and a member of its Shura Council in an airstrike in the Lake Chad region.

The NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame announced this in a statement yesterday.

According to him preliminary post-strike assessments indicated that the two operatives identified as Jindullah and Abul Kissa were among several fighters neutralised during the operation.

Jindullah was identified as ISWAP’s Chief Security Guard and a confidant of Abu Saleem while Abul Kissa was a member of the group’s Shura Council.

The strike conducted under the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) also destroyed logistical assets including boat engines and motorcycles believed to have been used by the terrorists for movement and operational activities.

Ejodame said the operation targeted an identified terrorist hideout concealed within the difficult terrain of the Lake Chad region.

He said the elimination of the operatives and destruction of the logistical assets would significantly weaken ISWAP’s operational capabilities particularly its ability to coordinate activities and threaten vulnerable communities.

According to the NAF spokesperson the operation underscored the service’s commitment to dismantling terrorist networks and disrupting their logistics in the North East.

He said the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Aneke reaffirmed the NAF’s determination to sustain air operations against terrorist groups.

Aneke said the service would continue to conduct decisive operations in support of broader efforts to restore peace and stability across the country.

The NAF also pledged to strengthen collaboration with other military services and security agencies to consolidate operational gains protect vulnerable communities and advance efforts towards lasting peace in the North East.

The operation was part of ongoing military efforts to degrade Boko Haram and ISWAP networks across the Lake Chad Basin and other parts of the Northeast.

The NAF however described the post-strike findings as preliminary and did not disclose the exact location of the hideout or the total number of fighters killed.

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has recognised Dr Mustapha Abdullahi as President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) following the federation’s elective congress on October 15 2026.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis conveyed this recognition in a letter dated October 19 congratulating Abdullahi and the newly elected board members on their election.

In the letter to Abdullahi Zagklis reaffirmed FIBA’s commitment to good governance and to electoral processes conducted in accordance with the NBBF constitution and applicable FIBA regulations.

The international basketball governing body also acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing NBBF board led by Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida as the federation begins a new four-year administrative term.

Abdullahi’s tenure from 2026 to 2030 is expected to focus on improving Nigerian basketball administration strengthening grassroots development and domestic competitions and expanding the sport’s international representation.

Other key expectations for the new administration include improved athlete welfare stronger talent identification and development and growth in both men’s and women’s basketball nationwide.

The board is also expected to build on existing structures and pursue reforms that create more opportunities for young players and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian teams at African and international levels.

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo has described the reign of the Oba of Benin Oba Ewuare II N’Ogidigan as a period of peace unity and reconciliation.

Governor Okpebholo in a congratulatory message signed by his Chief Press Secretary Patrick Ebojele said the 10 years coronation anniversary was a moment of celebration and thanksgiving for a decade of wise dignified and purposeful reign.

Okpebholo said the Oba of Benin has displayed the values of peace unity reconciliation service and leadership to the Benin Kingdom and to humanity.

He said the monarch’s efforts to advance the dignity of the Benin people helped strengthened the place of the Benin Kingdom among the great civilisations of the world.

According to him ‘As the revered custodian of the ancient heritage of the Benin Kingdom Your Royal Majesty has continued to preserve promote and project our rich culture traditions history and identity on a global stage.

‘We deeply appreciate Your Royal Majesty’s goodwill wise counsel and support for the Edo State Government’ he said.

On her part the lawmaker representing Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives Hon Omosede Igbinedion said the coronation anniversary embodied the history identity dignity and enduring greatness of the Benin people.

Igbinedion said the Benin Monarch has remained a symbol of unity wisdom cultural preservation and steadfast leadership.

‘Your reign has continued to strengthen the bond between our glorious past and the aspirations of future generations.

‘Your Majesty’s unwavering commitment to the preservation of our ancestral heritage and revered traditions has reinforced the pride of Benin sons and daughters throughout Nigeria and across the world.

‘On behalf of myself my son Prince Alexander Amafidon Avan Akenzua and the good people of Ovia North East and Ovia South West Federal Constituency I join the Benin Royal Family the Palace Chiefs sons and daughters of Benin Kingdom and well-wishers across the world in celebrating this magnificent milestone.’

Edo State Deputy Governor Hon. Dennis Idahosa described the milestone as a celebration of a decade of royal leadership preservation of sacred traditions as well as commitment to the peace unity and enduring cultural identity of the Great Benin Kingdom.

There is a familiar Nigerian proverb about living by the riverside while washing the hands with spittle. That proverb perhaps best captures the paradox of a country which despite proven natural gas reserves in excess of 200 trillion cubic feet continues to prioritise export over the domestic market.

This is nearly two decades of multiple policies aimed at making gas the foundation of her industrial economy.

The above is the grim summation by ‘Vanguard’ based on data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission NUPRC. The report is as telling as it is illuminating: 18 years of successive policies including the National Gas Policy Petroleum Industry Act PIA Domestic Gas Delivery Obligation DGDO Decade of Gas Initiative gas infrastructure projects and the proposed Gas Swap Framework Nigeria continues to live with that paradox.

Of course the paradox manifests in many ways. At a time domestic utilisation is said to have crossed the two billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) mark Nigeria continues to rely on imported liquefied petroleum gas LPG for cooking. With more than 80% of the country’s grid electricity depending on gas-fired thermal plants the power sector – no thanks to shortage in dry gas – continues to suffer severe supply deficits blackouts.

And whereas the thermal power plants require about 1588 to 1630 million standard cubic feet of gas daily (MMscfd) only an estimated 40% (around 652 to 692 MMscfd) is actually available to get the system running. As for domestic industries majority still face localised bottlenecks and infrastructure gaps.

Yet the same country is known to have exported between 2022 and 2025 3.83 Tcf as against 2.69 Tcf she sold domestically -a difference of about 1.15 Tcf or 43 per cent more.

Equally noteworthy is that the country also exported 733.8 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in the first eight months of the current year compared with 516.8 Bcf sold domestically.

Far from being a call for trade-off what the situation demands is a greater realignment between the pressing need for forex with the need to guarantee domestic supply for industries commercial concerns and households.

Such alignment will obviously have great merit in the long run.

As the renowned consultancy firm PwC aptly puts the issue in perspective: harnessing the country’s proven gas reserves will generate $18.3 billion in gross value added annually while the optimisation of the domestic utilisation of gas will also yield an estimated 6.5 million jobs for the domestic economy.

To the extent that the current situation impacts negatively on virtually everything from electricity generation manufacturing to fertiliser production and other gas-dependent industries homes and even jobs there is even now more compelling urgency for the Federal Government to take on the issues more frontally.

As far as we can see the issues are quite straight-forward. The problems as indeed the solutions are already well documented. Among the issues are the lack of last-mile processing local distribution pipelines and storage facilities; the wide gap between lucrative dollar-denominated export prices and local naira pricing with consequence in dis-incentivising investment in domestic supply networks and the generally poor financial health and debt across the electricity value chain and their impacts on gas-to-power offtake.

So also is the high cost of building pipelines. None of these of course requires rocket science solutions. And the government to its credit has done a lot in this regard.

Among these are the landmark 614km $2.8 billion / $2.592 billion AKK natural gas pipeline project said to have reached approximately 95% completion. There is also the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben (OB3) Gas Pipeline / ANOH Integration designed to boost domestic gas distribution. These are aside the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline the $25 billion mega-project linking Nigerian gas reserves via West Africa toward Europe with construction slated to start around 2028.

Perhaps what is required now is for the government to take a closer look at the policies to see which area needs fine-tuning to ensure that they deliver on their expected outcomes.

Professor Waziri Adisa thanked the Baale of Ajah Land High Chief Ismail Adewale Adeleke Ishola Adamson Ojupon VI (Olomodi XII) and the people of Ajah for celebrating his elevation to Professor of Criminology at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The celebration held at the Baale’s Palace recognised the academic milestone as a source of pride and inspiration to Ajah Land and the wider Eti-Osa community.

Expressing gratitude for the recognition and goodwill extended to him Adisa described his elevation as a collective achievement declaring ‘The victory belongs to all of us.’

His remark highlighted the importance of community support solidarity and the role of traditional institutions in celebrating academic excellence and promoting intellectual development.

The event attracted prominent personalities from the judiciary academia public service and the Eti-Osa community who joined in celebrating the professor’s achievement.

Among the dignitaries in attendance were Hon. Yahya Adeniyi Dosunmu; Justice Ganiyu Summonu of the Oyo State High Court; Professor Akin Afolayan Professor of Building at UNILAG; and Professor Olusegun Temilola Professor of Social Work at UNILAG.

Others included Hon. Ismail Azeez former Vice Chairman of Eti-Osa East LCDA; Alhaji Mustapha Kotun a director in the Lagos State Civil Service; Alhaji Kazeem Adesanya Auditor of Badagry West LCDA; Alhaja Zaynab Abdul Kareem a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria; Alhaja Maryam Summonu; and Alhaja Habibat Kotun a director in the Lagos State Civil Service.

Also present were Mr Idris Akinsanya; Mr Lawal Fatai Public Relations Officer of the Eti-Osa Heritage Organisation; Lawyer Saheed Sanni former Secretary of Eti-Osa East LCDA chartered accountant and prominent member of the organisation; and Mr Abdulraham Bakare Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) Eti-Osa East LCDA.

The Baale’s gesture highlighted the importance of recognising outstanding achievements and celebrating individuals whose accomplishments bring honour to their communities.

Professor Adisa’s elevation to professorial rank marks a significant milestone in his academic career. It encourages students young people and aspiring scholars to pursue knowledge remain committed to excellence and contribute meaningfully to society.

The celebration also demonstrated the value of collaboration between traditional institutions and the academic community in promoting education unity and community development.

In a related gesture Professor Adisa congratulated High Chief Ismail Adewale Adeleke Ishola Adamson Ojupon VI (Olomodi XII) on his second coronation anniversary acknowledging his leadership and contributions to Ajah Land.

The twin gestures of appreciation and congratulations reinforced the spirit of mutual respect shared accomplishments and enduring partnership between the traditional institution and the academic community.

The Kogi State government has attributed more than 80 per cent of criminal activities in the state to mining warning that illegal miners armed with dangerous weapons are contributing to insecurity.

The Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo stated this yesterday on national television.

Fanwo said there was a strong connection between mining and banditry noting that many areas experiencing heightened criminality also had significant mining.

‘There is a very strong link between banditry and mining in Kogi State. Most of those areas where you are having a lot of criminality right now are places where we are having a lot of mining activities going on’ he said.

He however clarified that mining was not the sole cause of criminality in the state but maintained that it was a major contributing factor.

‘We are not saying entirely that criminality is being fuelled by mining but we are saying that more than 80 per cent of the criminality that you are witnessing in Kogi State right now is being fuelled by mining activities’ he added.

The commissioner said security operatives had recently arrested more than 30 suspected illegal miners allegedly found with dangerous weapons including AK-47 rifles.

‘Recently more than 30 of them have been arrested and they were arrested with dangerous weapons. What do you need an AK-47 for when you are mining? So a lot of these illegal miners are the ones fuelling insecurity in the state’ Fanwo said.

He defended the joint security operations against suspected criminals insisting that anyone involved in criminal activities must be treated accordingly regardless of whether the person was a miner.

Fanwo also said joint security forces had killed more than six terrorist camps adding that many of those killed were Nigerians.

He said the state government was strengthening surveillance and deploying forest guards to tackle criminal activities particularly in remote areas.

According to him more than 500 forest guards have been deployed to monitor the forests and support security agencies.

‘We need to man the forest we need to improve on surveillance and also we need to engage the locals in intelligence gathering and then have proper channels to put that intelligence to use’ he said.

Fanwo added that the state was collaborating with neighbouring states to prevent cross-border criminality and strengthen the fight against banditry.

He however maintained that residents were not apprehensive about the security situation noting that the state House of Assembly had signed on to the state policing bill.

The commissioner said Governor Usman Ododo supported efforts aimed at improving security and making Nigeria safer.

Former Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan demanded round-the-clock commitment from his appointees sometimes calling them at 2 am or 3 am to attend to official duties a former commissioner Barrister Misan Ukubeyinje has recalled.

Ukubeyinje who served as Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources and later as Commissioner for Lands Surveys and Urban Development under Uduaghan said the late governor left no room for complacency among those entrusted with public responsibilities.

‘He told me that the job was 24 hours. He could call you at any time even at 2 am or 3 am or at times when you least expected it’ he said.

The former commissioner said he sometimes had to cancel visa appointments and shelve personal engagements to respond to the governor’s calls describing these sacrifices as part of the demands of serving under Uduaghan.

According to him the experience taught him that public service required discipline preparedness and an unwavering commitment to duty regardless of personal convenience.

Ukubeyinje who hails from Abigborodo Uduaghan’s home community and currently chairs its management committee said his relationship with the former governor extended beyond their time in government.

He described the deceased as ‘a complete gentleman and God-fearing man’ recalling his personal qualities alongside his demanding work ethic.

Uduaghan governed Delta State from 2007 to 2015. His death has continued to attract tributes from political leaders associates and others who served with him.

Praying for the repose of his soul Ukubeyinje said: ‘May his gentle soul rest eternally in Elysium.’

The National Association of Nigerian Students Ogun State Joint Campus Council has called for an independent investigation into the death of Taiwo Godwin a student of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Aro Abeokuta.

The council also distanced itself from a planned protest over the incident saying it had neither authorised nor organised any demonstration over the student’s death.

In a statement signed by its Chairman Habeebullahi Tijani NANS Ogun JCC urged the Students’ Union and other recognised student unions in the institution to engage the hospital management in dialogue to present their demands and seek clarification on the circumstances surrounding Godwin’s death.

It called on the hospital management to listen to the students engage them constructively and address their concerns with the seriousness and urgency the situation required.

The council said dialogue alongside a transparent investigation would help establish the facts promote accountability and prevent further tension.

The association however warned individuals and groups against exploiting the incident for financial gain intimidation or other selfish interests under the guise of fighting for students’ welfare.

‘For the avoidance of doubt NANS Ogun State JCC is not planning or authorising any protest over this incident. Any individuals or groups organising or threatening protests in the name of NANS Ogun JCC without the authorisation of its recognised leadership do not represent the Council or its position’ the statement said.

The council also urged security agencies to remain vigilant and take lawful measures against anyone seeking to exploit the situation to cause disorder engage in extortion or threaten peace and security in Ogun State.

It said its priority was a meeting between the Students’ Union other recognised student unions and the hospital management to address the students’ concerns and work towards a satisfactory resolution.

‘Students must be heard accountability must be pursued and the peace of Ogun State must be protected’ the council stated.

The hospital management has commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Godwin’s death which occurred while he was receiving treatment at its General Medical Practice Unit.

In a statement the hospital expressed sadness over the incident and assured students staff members and the public that the investigation would follow established procedures.

The statement signed by the hospital’s Public Relations Officer Abiola Ajibola on behalf of the Acting Provost/Medical Director said the management was committed to ensuring that the investigation was thorough impartial and transparent.

It added that measures would be taken to establish the facts address any issues identified and ensure that justice was served.