Author: Opalim Lifted

Chelsea will face Copenhagen in the UEFA Europa Conference League’s round of 16. The first leg will take place in the Danish capital on March 6, with the second at Stamford Bridge seven days later. The Blues discovered their route to the final on Friday afternoon when the draw for the rest of the knockout phase took place in Nyon. Unlike in previous seasons – where separate draws took place for the round of 16 and the quarter-finals – the full bracket was revealed on Friday. As a result, the Blues now know that their potential reward for beating Copenhagen…

Manchester United were handed a tricky Europa League last 16 tie against Real Sociedad while Tottenham Hotspur will play Dutch side AZ Alkmaar after the draw was held on Friday. The two English sides have struggled in the Premier League this season, with Spurs 12th and United 15th, and winning the second-tier Europa League may be the only way they can return to the Champions League next season. United and Spurs finished in the top four of the Europa League group stage to avoid the playoffs and will play their respective second legs at home. United and Real Sociedad have…

The Champions League last-16 draw threw up some mouth-watering ties with holders Real Madrid playing local rivals Atletico Madrid while Bayern Munich were drawn against Bundesliga title challengers Bayer Leverkusen on Friday. Real Madrid thrashed Premier League champions Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate in the playoffs and the 15-times winners will now make the trip across town to face Atletico, the side they beat in the 2014 and 2016 finals. Bayern, having last won the trophy in 2020, take on Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen, who pipped them to the Bundesliga title last season. Bayern lead Leverkusen by eight points this term…

Premier League leaders Liverpool will face Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last 16, while Arsenal take on PSV Eindhoven and Aston Villa face Club Brugge. Holders Real Madrid – who knocked out Manchester City in the knockout phase play-offs – face local rivals Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich play Bayer Leverkusen in an all-Germany affair. It will be the first time Liverpool have faced PSG since 2018-19, when the Reds went on to be crowned champions of Europe for the sixth time. The winners of that tie will face Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals, while Arsenal…

The Isese Human Rights Community (ISHRIC) has decried the alarming rise in ritual killings allegedly perpetrated by some Islamic scholars in Yorubaland. In a recent statement, the group expressed concern over recent incidents involving Islamic clerics caught with human parts, describing these acts as a threat to public safety, particularly for young women and youths. Citing multiple cases, ISHRIC highlighted the conviction of two clerics, Folorunsho Abdulwahab and his father, Babatunde Folorunso, in Kwara State. The duo was found guilty of exhuming and mutilating the body of Abdulwahab’s friend, Mallam Suleiman Saka, for ritual purposes. Similarly, the group referenced the…

Nigeria’s former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has revealed an insight into the autobiography of former military President Ibrahim Babangida, “A Journey In Service.” The book, which was launched on Thursday at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, was described by Osinbajo as “an important book.” Osinbajo, who was the book reviewer, held the audience spellbound while giving a brilliant assessment of the book. He described the book as “the story of stories; it is the story of our nation.” He said IBB was one of the most charismatic and enigmatic leaders of the country, making his memoir a valuable…

A heated argument erupted between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, lawmaker representing Kogi central, over a change in seating arrangements. The disagreement began when Natasha Akpoti-seat was reassigned at the start of plenary, but she refused to comply with the relocation. Tahir Monguno, the senate chief whip, defended the decision, citing constitutional provisions and explaining that the adjustments were necessary to accommodate opposition lawmakers who had defected to the ruling party. Monguno warned that failure to adhere to the new seating arrangement could have consequences, including preventing the lawmaker from contributing to discussions in the chamber. Akpabio backed…

Former president Goodluck Jonathan has hailed ex-military president Ibrahim Babangida over the launch of his memoir and believes Nigeria’s history is incomplete without the former’s story. Jonathan said this in Abuja on Thursday during the launch of a book by Babangida titled, ‘A Journey in Service”. “So, Ibrahim Babangida as we all know, is one of the most charismatic leaders in this country. He is somebody that, up to date, people go as if they are going on a pilgrimage to consult him. We thank God for giving him that grace and the wisdom to continue to mentor people,” Jonathan…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has reported that its flow station, located around the Cawthorne Channel area of the Western Bonny Local Government Area in Rivers State, went up in flames. The company’s chief corporate communications officer, Olufemi Soneye, said in a statement on Thursday that the incident occurred at approximately 2:10 pm on Wednesday. “At approximately 14:10 hours on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, a fire broke out on the dry crude storage barge BESTAF5 at Cawthorne Channel 1, Rivers state, spreading to other barges,” he said. “Thanks to the swift response of our emergency teams and industry…

President Bola Tinubu approved the creation of two Federal Universities for Osun and Ekiti States after the bills backing their establishment were signed on Thursday in Abuja. Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said the two new universities are Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State, and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State. The president maintained that these specialised institutions are set up to address the educational needs of the populace while driving research and innovation and contributing to the country’s overall economic growth and development. According to him, these…