Gunmen behead farmer in Benue (Guardian)
Armed assailants beheaded a farmer, Gabriel Vandefan, on Thursday in Uikpam village, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, despite the presence of security forces in the area.
The victim, according to local residents, had returned to his millet farm out of desperation, after recent threats by gunmen had driven many farmers away from their lands. Vandefan was reportedly ambushed, killed, and mutilated.
“One of his hands and his head were taken away,” a resident, who asked not to be named, told AFP. “His body was later recovered and brought back for burial.” Read more
Plateau: Victims of Riyom attack buried amid tears (DailyTrust)
The 27 victims who were killed in Tahoss community of Riyom local government area of Plateau state have been buried on Friday.
The victims were buried at a mass ceremony.
Our correspondent reports that the victims were attacked on 15 July around 4 am when they were sleeping. Many residents of the community were also injured.
The state government, through the Special Envoy on Peace and Security to Governor Caleb Mutfwang, Prof Chris Kwaja, blamed the security forces stationed in the area for failing to prevent it. Read more
Gunmen kill scores in Imo communities as police blame IPOB/ESN for brutal attack (Nation)
Scores of youths were reportedly killed on Thursday night in a brutal attack by gunmen in Umualaoma, Ndiakunwanta, and Ndiejezie communities of Arondizogu, Ideato North Local Government Area, Imo State.
The horrifying assault, which occurred between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., has plunged the affected communities into fear and mourning.
Eyewitnesses said three unidentified gunmen riding on a motorbike opened fire indiscriminately, targeting residents gathered in shops and public spaces. Read more
FGCs: Minimum admission age into JSS1 remains 10 years – FG (Sun)
The federal government has stated that the minimum age for JSS1 admissions for the Federal Government Colleges (FGCs), otherwise known as Unity Schools, is 10 and not 12 as being circulated in some media reports.
Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, in a statement on Friday, appealed to the public to disregard the false information, describing it as a calculated attempt to mislead the people, particularly the candidates.
“The Ministry wishes to categorically state that the report is entirely inaccurate, did not emanate from any official source in the Ministry, and does not reflect government policy. Read more
Editors resolve to set up fact-check desks in newsroom to fight fake news (Vanguard)
Nigerian editors have agreed to set up fact-check desk in their various newsrooms as a measure to tackle fake news, misinformation and disinformation.
Rising from a one-day workshop organised by the European Union (EU) in collaboration with the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Lagos on Thursday, the editors said that having Fact-Check Desk would help media organizations verify news hints, with the view to publishing only accurate information.
Other key decisions taken at the end of the workshop include: Read more
FG to Unveil N50m STEEM Grant for Student Innovation in August (ThisDay)
In a giant stride to support innovation, entrepreneurship and economic transformation, the Federal Government is set to unveil a N50 million grant for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEEM) students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The project, which is referred to as the Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), is a pioneering initiative designed to empower the students towards building the next generation of scalable, job-creating ventures.
According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, Folashade Boriowo, Friday, the initiative will be formally unveiled in August by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa. Read more
Stakeholders advocate logistics index (Punch)
Stakeholders in the transport and logistics industry have called for a Nigerian transport index to strengthen data collection, enhance trade route efficiency, and provide a more accurate measure of the sector’s contribution to the economy.
Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, in an interview with The PUNCH, observed that the lack of reliable transport data has limited the country’s ability to track economic progress and implement effective development policies. He spoke on the sidelines of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Freight Forwarders Group Conference held in Lagos on Wednesday.
Opeifa noted that the Federal Government has to set up and consistently update a Nigerian Transport Index, alongside a Freight Index and Maritime Index, to enable policymakers to track the sector’s real contribution to the economy. Read more
‘We lived through hell,’ say Venezuelans released from mega-prison in El Salvador (BBC)
“We lived through hell,” says 29-year-old Mervin Yamarte as he steps into his mother’s home, wiping away the tears and sweat drenching his face.
He is one of four men from the neighbourhood of Los Pescadores in the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela, who were deported from the US to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (Cecot), a maximum-security jail in El Salvador.
Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has attempted to ramp up deportations of migrants. Many of them have been sent to Cecot, on allegations of criminality, under an agreement with El Salvador. Read more
Pastor & father of 3 arrested for overstaying visa a quarter-century ago (CNN)
A Maryland pastor who fled Honduras 24 years ago to escape poverty and violence is waiting to hear when he will face an immigration judge after his arrest this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for overstaying his visa in 2001, his family said.
Daniel Fuentes Espinal, a 54-year-old father of three, is expected to request bond during his initial hearing at the Louisiana immigration facility to which he was transferred. His family – especially his wife, whom he has been with since they were 13 – hopes for his release but is struggling with his absence.
“We’ve been on top of her for her to eat, sleep, but when she’s about it to eat, she just says, ‘I just don’t know if your dad ate already,’” his daughter, Clarissa Fuentes Diaz said, crying. Read more
Sequel director says ‘Happy Gilmore’ is part of his comedic DNA (UPI)
What We Do in the Shadows and Murder Mystery director Kyle Newacheck says the new comedy Happy Gilmore 2 was made for lifelong Adam Sandler fans like himself.
“I had to insert myself into the audience chair more than normal because I, too, am a fan of the first one, so I really tried to approach it with the love of the first one and I really enjoyed that,” Newacheck, 41, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.
“That’s a critical part of my comedic DNA,” he explained. “I was 12 when I watched it. I didn’t know I wanted to be a director at that point, but I think it did inform me of what I should do.” Read more
Russia weighs in on Palestinian statehood (RT)
The only way to resolve the Middle East conflict is through the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.
His statement followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France will formally recognize Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.
”Russia has always adhered to a two-state solution as the basis for resolving the Palestinian issue,” Peskov told reporters. Moscow’s recognition dates to 1988, when the Soviet Union endorsed the Palestinian declaration of independence. Read more
Hulk Hogan’s wife Sky Daily posts emotional tribute after his death, revealing he was dealing with ‘health issues’ (People)
Hulk Hogan’s wife Sky Daily posted an emotional tribute to the late professional wrestling and reality television star after his death, revealing that he “had been dealing with some health issues” as of late.
“I wasn’t ready for this…and my heart is in pieces,” Daily, Hogan’s third wife, wrote on social media Friday, July 25.
“He had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time.” Read more
University of New Mexico Shooting: What to know (Newsweek)
The University of New Mexico warned students on its Albuquerque central campus to shelter in place and avoid the area after a shooting killed one person and injured another early on Friday morning, July 25.
“The suspect remains at large and may still be on campus,” the university said in an update posted to its Facebook page.
The University of New Mexico, with a student population of over 22,000, is the largest educational institution in the state. Any disruption there has the potential to affect thousands of people. Read more
A 1st for Morocco or 10th for Nigeria – who will win WAFCON final? (BBC)
Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 2024 final: Morocco vs Nigeria
Saturday, 26 July (20:00 GMT)
Nigeria bid for a record-extending 10th continental title when they face hosts Morocco in the final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) on Saturday.
Both sides are unbeaten and the West Africans have only conceded one goal in five matches on their journey to the 21,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in Rabat.
Runners-up in that same stadium in 2022, Morocco are looking for redemption. Read more
Okogie returns to D’Tigers as Nigeria unveils Afrobasket provisional squad (Punch)
The Nigeria Basketball Federation has officially released a 17-man provisional roster for the senior men’s national team, D’Tigers, ahead of the 2025 FIBA Afrobasket tournament which will be held in Angola from August 12 to 24 PUNCH Online reports.
Headlining the squad list for the former AfroBasket champions, which was posted on the official X account of the Nigerian Men’s Nat’l Basketball Team on Wednesday, is Houston Rockets’ latest acquisition Josh Okogie, who is making a return to the national team set-up after a few years away.
The ex-Phoenix Suns guard represented Nigeria at the 2019 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup in China and at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan. Read more
Youngster on fire: Sadeeq “Mane” scores 10 goals in 10 matches (DailyTrust)
Sadeeq Umar, popularly known as “Mane” is a young vibrant player whose star is shining in the Kano Amateur League. He recently set a new record when he scored 10 goals in 10 matches while making six assists for his Kano based Amateur 1 club, SBS Waliyya.
Speaking to Daily Trust, the immensely talented youngster attributed his goal scoring prowess to hard work, dedication and discipline.
Like other talented Nigerian players, Sadeeq revealed that he started his football career in the street in the neighborhood from where he joined Togo FC of Brigade Quarters in Kano. Read more
NFF appoints Manu Garba as Golden Eaglets coach, Aduku for Falconets (Guardian)
The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, on Friday, approved the recommendation of the Federation’s Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the appointment of experienced strategist, Manu Garba, as Head Coach of the U17 Boys National Team, Golden Eaglets.
Garba was the Head Coach of the U17 Boys that won the FIFA U17 World Cup trophy for Nigeria, for the fourth time, in the United Arab Emirates in 2013, and has also led the team on two occasions since then, including qualifying the team to the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup finals in Brazil.
The Executive Committee also endorsed the proposal by the Technical and Development Sub-Committee for the appointment of experienced women’s football tactician, Moses Aduku, as Head Coach of the U20 Girls National Team, Falconets. Aduku takes over from Coach Chris Danjuma. Read more
Tour de France organizers shorten stage to avoid diseased cows (CNN)
Tour de France organizers have shortened Stage 19 of the competition to avoid a herd of cows which have suffered an outbreak of disease.
Organizers say that cattle near the Col des Saisies have experienced an outbreak of contagious nodular dermatitis, resulting in the culling of livestock and restricting access to the area.
“In light of the distress experienced by the affected farmers and in order to preserve the smooth running of the race, it has been decided, in agreement with the relevant authorities, to modify the route,” organizers ASO said in a statement. Read more