Former England international Ashley Young has announced he will retire from professional football after a 23-year career. The 40-year-old shared the news ahead of a potential final match for Ipswich Town at Portman Road.  Young began his career at Watford before playing for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Everton, and Ipswich Town. During his career, Young won the Premier League title, Europa League, and Serie A.  He earned 39 caps for the England national team. READ ALSO : FIFA Approves Afghanistan Women’s Soccer Team for International Competition Known for his versatility, he played as a winger, left-back, right-back, and in central midfield. Clubs including Ipswich Town and Everton have sent tributes following his announcement.  Young said ending his career “ on his own terms ” could include helping Ipswich secure promotion if they finish the season strongly. In a statement posted on social media, Young wrote: " From Sefton Road to Vicarage Road to Villa ...

Nigerian singer Teni has launched a promotion to reward fans who stream her new single ‘Zion’ featuring Olamide. Teni released ‘Zion’ in late April, with the official music video premiering on YouTube on April 29, 2026. According to posts on social media, the singer is offering cash rewards to fans who stream the song 100 times or more and provide proof along with their bank details. Several fans have shared online that they received transfers after participating.  READ ALSO : Odumodublvck Calls for Police Action after Viral Video of Delta Killing One user, @abazwhyllzz, posted about receiving a payment and Teni responded publicly, encouraging fans to continue streaming. The promotion appears to be boosting the song’s performance. ‘Zion’ reached No. 18 on Apple Music Nigeria and No. 13 on the Spotify Nigeria daily chart.  Also, the track debuted with 85,000 streams on Spotify, while the YouTube video recorded close to 1.4 million views within two days of release.

Troops of Operation UDO KA, working with other security agencies, have recorded fresh successes across the South-East, rescuing kidnap victims in Enugu State and arresting a suspected criminal network member in Ebonyi State. According to the Army's statement on Facebook, the actions form part of the ongoing Operation Eastern Sanity, aimed at disrupting criminal activities and restoring security in the region In Enugu State, soldiers of the 82 Division Garrison responded to credible intelligence about a kidnap attempt along the Akama–Iwollo Road in Ezeagu Local Government Area (LGA).  During the operation, the troops pursued the suspects and engaged them, leading to the rescue of four abducted persons. The rescued individuals were identified as Chisom Kingsley and Chuoke Chinedu, both from Akama, as well as Jonathan Paul Chukwu from Akwa Ibom State and Patience John from Taraba State.  A motorcycle and a vehicle were also recovered during the operation.  The victims and re...

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has said his client, Mrs Udoka, Mary Queen, will honour an invitation by the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, today, Thursday, April 30, 2026. The invitation relates to a controversy surrounding a nursery school textbook. In a statement released Thursday, Effiong said the legal team would report to the police command “ as law abiding citizens and out of respect for the institution of the Nigeria Police Force .” He added that the team does not believe Queen committed any crime or that there is a basis for police involvement in the matter. READ ALSO : Human Rights Lawyer Condemns Police over Alleged Harassment of Nigerian Mother Effiong stated that Ayengbe Ebhohimen JB, the author of the textbook, “ will have to justify his actions ” regarding the complaint to police. “ We are hoping that the officers at Zone 2 Police Command will be able to explain to us what their business is with this matter ,” the statement read. He also hopes that officers wo...

The mother of slain Delta musician Oghenemine Ogidi, popularly known as OG Millan, has alleged that she has lost two sons to separate incidents involving police officers, reigniting public anger over the fatal shooting of her younger son in Effurun. Her allegation comes amid mounting controversy surrounding Nuhu Usman, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) currently in detention over the incident. The grieving mother made the claim during a condolence visit by former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Delta State Governor, Harrison Gwamnishu, whose visit was captured in a video later shared on social media.  In the footage, she broke down in tears as she recounted her loss. According to her, the death of Oghenemine was not the first tragedy her family had suffered in circumstances linked to police action.  READ ALSO : Odumodublvck Calls for Police Action after Viral Video of Delta Killing She said another son had been killed in 2022, leaving her devastated by what she...

The Federal Government has declared Friday, May 1, 2026, as a public holiday to mark International Workers’ Day. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government in a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Magdalene Ajani. The Minister congratulated Nigerian workers and acknowledged their contribution to national development. He encouraged workers to remain committed to productivity, patriotism, and dedication to duty. READ ALSO : FG Inaugurates NUPRC Board, Tasks Members on Transparency Tunji-Ojo stated that the government remains committed to improving workers’ welfare and creating an enabling environment for economic growth. He also called on Nigerians to remain peaceful and law-abiding, saying the importance of unity and hard work in nation-building. " The Federal Government has declared Friday, 1st May 2026, a public holiday to celebrate this year’s International Workers Day . " The Minis...

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed the nomination of Lamido Yuguda as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). CBN also approved the appointment of Peggy Onwu as an independent director on the board of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). The confirmations followed the adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions.  Committee Chairman Adetokunbo Abiru presented the report during plenary before lawmakers approved both nominees based on the panel’s recommendations. The announcement was made in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. “ The President charges them to discharge their responsibilities with renewed dedication, professionalism, and commitment to Nigeria’s economic stability and growth in their respective roles ,” the statement read. READ ALSO : Tinubu Names New Ministers: Bianca Ojukwu, Sola Enikanolaiye Yuguda is an economist who previously ser...

For almost five years, Afghanistan’s women footballers have lived in exile, scattered across Europe, Australia and the United States (US), unable to officially represent their country.  On Tuesday, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) allowed Afghan female players to compete as the Afghanistan women’s national team in official international matches with full sporting recognition. The decision, issued at a FIFA Council meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, updates a rule that previously required FIFA to recognize a national team only through the country’s own soccer federation.  Afghanistan’s federation, operating under Taliban control since 2021, has not recognized the women’s program, which prevented female players from competing internationally. The amendment gives FIFA’s council authority to approve a national team registration under exceptional circumstances, specifically to protect players from being excluded due to situations beyond their control...

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The appointment follows the resignation of Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who stepped down to participate in the 2027 elections. Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu previously served as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Tinubu also nominated Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye as the new Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.  Enikanolaiye's nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. READ ALSO : NCN Approves 10-year National Nutrition Policy, Sets Deadlines for States Until his nomination, the Ambassador served as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Foreign Affairs and International Relations.  Enikanolaiye, from Kogi State, has over three decades of service in Nigeria’s foreign service.  He previously served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and held diplomatic postings in Addis Ababa, Belgrade, Ottawa, London, ...

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday met with stakeholders from Plateau State at the State House, Abuja, to discuss solutions to recurring security challenges in the state. The meeting was attended by a 32-man delegation led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang.  It included former governors Senator Simon Lalong, Senator Jonah Jang, Chief Joshua Dariye, and Sir Fidelis Tapgun, as well as traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth representatives. Tinubu urged leaders to review previous government White Papers on security issues in Plateau and propose implementable resolutions for consideration.  “ Let us first of all accept one resolution – tolerance for every inhabitant ,” the President said. Speakers at the meeting identified issues including indigeneship, religion, ethnicity, and farmer-herder relations as factors in past conflicts.  They pledged to work toward lasting peace with governor Caleb Mutfwang describing the gathering as a sign of “ renewed spirit ” in the state. T...