Author: Press Room

Barcelona could still make a big signing this summer, according to former club president Joan Laporta, who believes the Spanish giants have the financial strength to invest in a new star striker, Soccernet.ng reports. The Catalan club have been linked with several top forwards, including Nigeria and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen. Reports from The Athletic suggest Osimhen is among the players admired by the FC Barcelona hierarchy. His pace, power and finishing ability are seen as qualities that could suit the current Barcelona attack. The Nigerian forward joined Galatasaray for a record transfer fee last summer and quickly became a…

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has increased its Premium Motor Spirit gantry price to N995 per litre, marking a sharp N221 rise within four days, amid volatility in global crude oil prices and shipping costs. A senior official of the refinery confirmed the development to PUNCH Online on Friday, explaining that the latest price adjustment followed recent shifts in global oil market fundamentals. “Yes, the price has been reviewed. The new gantry price is now N995 per litre,” the official said. The new price represents an increase from N874 per litre, which itself was introduced earlier this week after the refinery…

Crystal Palace are no longer obligated to sign Super Eagles midfielder Christantus Uche on a permanent basis, as the conditions for his mandatory transfer can no longer be met, Soccernet.ng reports. ​Following a standout debut season at Getafe, Uche moved to Selhurst Park on loan last summer. At the time, the move was among the most controversial in Spanish football; Getafe were desperate to keep him but eventually succumbed to pressure just before the deadline to comply with La Liga’s stringent financial regulations. Christantus Uche after the Everton vs Crystal Palace Premier League match. Picture credit: ImagoxGareth Evans ​The clubs…

The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has urged the Ijaw ethnic nationality to sustain its agitation for the creation of additional states beyond Bayelsa, saying the struggle for constitutional restructuring must continue. Diri spoke on Friday during the 2026 national convention of the Ijaw National Congress held at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa. He said the Ijaw nation should not abandon its long-standing demand for the creation of two more states, in addition to the one already achieved. He explained that the ethnic group had originally pushed for three states, including Oil Rivers, Bayelsa and Toru-Ibe, adding that the quest…

By Animashaun Salman The Sokoto State Government has launched a statewide polio vaccination campaign aimed at stopping the transmission of the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 and protecting children from paralysis. The campaign, flag-off held on Friday at the palace of the District Head of Kware, Alhaji Muhammad Dan’iya, will run from Saturday, March 7, to Tuesday, March 10. Governor Ahmed Aliyu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Muhammad Bello Sifawa, said the exercise is designed to ensure that no child in the state suffers paralysis from the preventable disease. “This campaign is aimed at interrupting the transmission…

Arsenal star Bukayo Saka left Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Tems visibly stunned during the debut episode of the club’s new series, Soccernet.ng reports. The “Link Up,” filmed at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, featured the British-Nigerian forward and Tems in a question-and-answer scene. The 24-year-old winger’s candid admission that he had never heard of global music icon Celine Dion quickly went viral, with clips of the moment dominating social media feeds. Tems teams up with Bukayo Saka. Photo credit: X/NoteSphere The episode also featured acclaimed producer GuiltyBeatz, and focused on life off the pitch. Saka and Tems explored how performing in…

The family of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has declared his continued detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission as unlawful, saying the legal basis for holding him had expired and no fresh order had been obtained. In a statement signed and posted via Facebook on Friday by his son, Mohammed El-Rufai, the family said the 14-day remand order obtained by the ICPC from a magistrate’s court on February 19 had lapsed without the commission charging the former governor before any court of competent jurisdiction. “As of today, March 6, 2026, Nasir El-Rufai remains in…

Nigeria’s chances of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup are still alive, according to Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, Soccernet.ng reports.  Dikko says the country has not given up hope of returning to the qualification race despite recent developments that appeared to favour the Democratic Republic of Congo. Earlier this week, many Nigerians feared the Super Eagles’ dream had ended after FIFA released details of the upcoming intercontinental playoffs. In the announcement, DR Congo were listed as one of the six teams expected to compete for the final two places at the expanded tournament. Super…

Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG draped in traditional Kente cloth and gold beaded necklaces, seated overlooking a coastal Ghanaian city. Photo Credit: Fuse ODG/Instagram Ghana turns 69 today and the country has every reason to celebrate. On 6th March 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonial rule — a moment so significant it did not just belong to Ghana, it belonged to the entire African continent. The independence movement that started in Accra inspired nations from Lagos to Nairobi to demand their own freedom, and the ripple effects of that singular moment are still felt…

The United States is most likely responsible for a strike that reportedly killed scores of people at an elementary school in southern Iran, according to a New York Times investigation. The February 28 strike hit an elementary school in the Iranian town of Minab and killed at least 150 people, according to Iranian officials. Neither Israel nor the United States has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was in close proximity to sites controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The US Department of Defence has said it is investigating the incident. The New York Times reported on Thursday…