Author: Our Reporter

  • Frank Lampard explains Chelsea’s approach to the January transfer window

    Frank Lampard explains Chelsea’s approach to the January transfer window

    Frank Lampard says Chelsea won’t be ‘jumping up and down’ to do lots of business in the January transfer window and admitted he will be looking at opportunities to trim his bloated squad.

    The Chelsea manager insists his primary focus will be on working with his current players but wouldn’t rule out the club strengthening in ‘the right way’.

    Chelsea splashed more than £250million on transfers this summer but currently find themselves outside the coveted Champions League spots in sixth.

    They are, however, just three points behind fourth-placed Everton, with the top half of the table incredibly tight.

    And Lampard is keen to make sure his new arrivals and young players continue their development in order to make sure Chelsea qualify for the Champions League again next season.

    READ ALSO: New Year: Buhari To Address Nigerians On January 1

    ‘I’m not absolutely sure yet, to be honest,’ Lampard said of Chelsea’s transfer window plans.

    ‘I have ideas. We have a big squad, we’ll have to see if that changes, if there are opportunities for players that aren’t playing so much. That will be a conversation between player, club and myself.

    ‘And then we’ll see if we feel we can strengthen in the right way. ‘But we’re not jumping up and down to do so.

    ‘My focus this year is purely on work because we have new players, because we have young players. ‘I’m focusing on that. But we’ll see. It’s a long month.’

  • 2021: Your survival is in your hands, says Adeboye

    2021: Your survival is in your hands, says Adeboye

    The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, says the survival of individuals in the Year 2021 is in their hands.

    He stated this in his ‘Prophecies for 2021’ released on Friday morning shortly after the church’s virtual crossover service held from 9pm on Thursday to about 1am on Friday.

    The cleric also said some of the events of the Year 2020 will recur in the New Year 2021.

    The Year 2020 was marred by economic and health turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic. T

    he West African nation also suffered the #EndSARS nationwide protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings which degenerated into morbid violence and mass destruction of lives and property.

    READ ALSO: New Year: Buhari To Address Nigerians On January 1

    Adeboye said, “God wants us in Nigeria to know that only God can lift a siege. 2 Kings 7:1-end.

    “The humble who put their trust in God will see the end of the siege. James 4:6.

    “The erstwhile ignored will become vessels unto honour in God’s hands. 1 Corinthians 1:27.

    “God says there will be sounds from heaven.”

    For individuals, the 78-year-old cleric said, “Your very survival and restoration will be in your own hands. Psalm 91.”

  • COVID-19 affected  constitution amendment, says Omo-Agege

    COVID-19 affected constitution amendment, says Omo-Agege

    Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, has said the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the plans for votes to be taken on the constitution alteration bills in December 2020.

    Omo-Agege who chairs the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Review of the 1999 Constitution, however, promised that the votes will be taken in a not too distant time.

    READ ALSO: New Year: Buhari To Address Nigerians On January 1

    He said this in a statement titled, “New Year: We must not give in to despair – Omo-Agege’, which was signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga.

    The Deputy Senate President said, “The Coronavirus pandemic disrupted our earlier plans to have the constitution alteration bills voted on sometime in December last year. Consequently, we will have those votes taken on each of these bills separately in a not too distant time.

    “I firmly believe that we are on course to true greatness. Let us keep hope alive as we renew our collective resolve to ensure that the dreams and labour of our heroes past are transformed into a better future for succeeding generations”.

    He assured that the Senate would be fair to all and promised to make the report of the panel ready in record time.

  • Troops rescue 10 victims, kill bandits in Katsina, Zamfara

    Troops rescue 10 victims, kill bandits in Katsina, Zamfara

    The Defence Headquartres,  says  troops of Operation Hadarin Daji have rescued 10 kidnapped victims from bandits, eliminated one of the bandits and arrested one in Katsina and Zamfara States.

    The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Friday, said the operations were conducted on Thursday at different locations.

    He said the troops on Thursday, encountered the bandits while on routine patrol around Gidan Dan Nunu and Dutsi villages in Zurmi Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara.

    He said that the troops successfully rescued seven victims during the encounter.

    He also disclosed that troops of Forward Operating Base Dangulbi, arrested one Zayanu Abdullahi from Shinkafi district with huge amount of money while on stop and search patrol.

    According to him, preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect was involved in buying stolen cows from bandits.

    “Further investigation revealed that the suspect has been a collaborator with bandits. The suspect is in custody for further action.

    READ ALSO: New Year: Buhari To Address Nigerians On January 1

    “The gallant troops acting on credible intelligence that bandits were operating in Kimbisawa village of Batsari LGA of Katsina state, swiftly mobilised to the village and rescued two women and a child kidnapped by the bandits.

    “Rescued victims were immediately reunited with their families,” he said.

    Enenche further disclosed that troops on the same day,  eliminated one bandit in an ambush, while on routine patrol along Batsari-Jibia Road.

    According to him, bandits engaged the troops from a high ground but contact was successfully cleared due to troops’ superior firepower.

    “One bandit was neutralised, while others escaped with gunshot wounds,” he said.

  • Abia Govt. approves reopening of schools on Jan. 11

    Abia Govt. approves reopening of schools on Jan. 11

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, has approved the reopening of all schools in the state on Monday, Jan. 11, for the continuation of the first term of 2020/2021 academic session.

    This is contained in a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Kanaelechi Nwangwa, in Abia on Friday.

    Nwangwa directed all school heads and proprietors to ensure the observance of COVID-19 protocols for the safety of teachers and students.

    READ ALSO: New Year: Buhari To Address Nigerians On January 1

    He said that this was imperative following the the second wave of the COVID-19 in Nigeria.

    “They should also note that by this directive, the first term of 2020/2021 will now officially end on Wednesday Feb. 10, 2021.

    “This is to ensure that the first term runs a full course as expected.

    “Any school proprietor that shortchanges this schedule and decides to cut corners by running an abridged term will be appropriately sanctioned.

    “The duration of the first term for the 2020/2021 academic session is from Nov. 2, 2020 to Feb. 10, 2021 with the Christmas break in-between,” he said.

    Nwangwa urged school heads and proprietors to be properly guided by the directive to avoid unwanted consequences.

  • 5 Animals that went extinct in 2020

    5 Animals that went extinct in 2020

    This year has seen hundreds of thousands of people lose their lives to coronavirus, but in the animal world full-blown extinctions continue to stalk various species. 

    Environmental experts have long been warning that we are entering a sixth ‘extinction event’ – and the realities of those fears have become ever clearer in 2020, with countless types of animals now considered extinct.

    The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) latest report said that more than a quarter of the species it has on its Red List are now ‘threatened with extinction’ – some 35,765 out of 128,918 species. 

    It comes as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned that animal populations have declined by an average of almost 70% in less than 50 years, as eco-systems break down and animals struggle to cope in a rapidly changing world.

    READ ALSO: Troops rescue 23 victims, arrest bandits’ collaborator in Katsina

    Climate change, human actions, a loss of habitat and other factors have combined to leave many animals facing a bleak future – and some facing none at all.

    Here, we take a look at five species that have been officially labelled extinct this year and five more that may be set for the same fate in 2021 and beyond.

    Though there is some dispute about what should count as ‘extinct’ – and many animals not seen for years are still not given the classification – this list is based largely on the IUCN Red List, which tracks the status of animal species.

    See list below:

    1.Splendid poison frog: This wonderfully-named creature is one of three Central American frog species to have been newly declared extinct. The tiny red animal, from Panama, was highly sought after for the pet trade, and the IUCN has admitted it does not know if the animal could still be alive in a private collection.  

    Elsewhere, 22 frog species across Central and South America were listed as critically endangered. The main driver of the declines is said to be a disease called chytridiomycosis.

    2.Smooth Handfish:  Greenpeace highlight how this species, which lived on the sea floor, is the first marine species to be declared extinct in ‘modern times’.

     Remarkably, the animal was last seen in 1802 and, despite extensive searches, has not been found since.

    That highlights how difficult it is to officially declare a species ‘extinct’ and suggests many other types of fish may well never be seen again, despite not yet falling into the same category. Will McCallum, Head of Oceans at the environmental pressure group, explained: ‘The smooth handfish, declared extinct this year, was the first marine species to be declared extinct in modern times, unfortunately showing that even the seafloor is not safe from the extinction crisis.

    ‘For ocean life to recover and thrive we need to put at least 30% of the oceans off limits to all human activities. It’s vital that the world’s governments also commit to legally binding national biodiversity objectives.’

    3. Jalpa false brook salamander:  The newt-like creature used to be relatively common in Guatemala but has not been recorded for decades. Females used to guard their clutch of eggs in the highlands and only lived in the Jalapa region. There are very few pictures available of the little creatures, who have slightly curved tails and various cousins in the false brook subspecies. Since the Jalpa lived in trees and wood, logging and farming activities are believed to have been a major contributor to its decline.

    4.Spined dwarf mantis: This insect lived in shrubland in central Italy and confirmation this year that it is extinct bodes badly for other similar creatures around the world. Only one specimen was ever found, in Tolentino, many decades ago.  But the praying mantis has countless sub species and a high number of them are concerning experts at the IUCN. The closely-related Canary Dwarf Mantis, found only on La Palma in the Canary Islands, is in decline and endangered. There is better news, however, for the Giant Asian Mantis, which is now increasing in number and in the category of least concern.

    5.Bonin pipistrelle bat: Like the handfish, this animal is also likely to have actually died out years ago.   Only one specimen has ever been found but it was only officially classed as extinct in this year’s Red List.  London’s Natural History Museum has that specimen – though it is not on display to the public because of its scientific importance. Roberto Portela Miguez, a Senior Curator in Charge of Mammals, told Metro.co.uk: ‘The sad fact is that we know next to nothing about this species and even the reason for the extinction of Sturdee’s Pipistrelle is not known yet.

    SOURCE: Metronews Uk

  • Algeria signs contract for supply of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, says Minister

    Algeria signs contract for supply of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, says Minister

    Algeria has signed a contract for the supply of Russia’s Sputnik ‘V’ vaccine against the COVID-19, government spokesman Ammar Belhimer said.

    “Algeria’s health minister has confirmed that a contract was signed… for the purchase of a vaccine against coronavirus with a Russian laboratory.

    “Algeria’s Pasteur Institute held a series of talks with the Russian company that produces the Sputnik V vaccine, negotiations are continuing with other parties,” Belhimer said.

    READ ALSO: Troops rescue 23 victims, arrest bandits’ collaborator in Katsina

    On Dec. 20, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed the government to decide which coronavirus vaccine from those available on the market would be used in the country in order to start vaccination of the population as early as January 2021.

    Earlier in December, Algerian Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid said the final decision on the choice of vaccine had not yet been made, but vaccination would be free for all population groups anyway.

    According to him, the choice in favour of this or that drug will be made on the basis of data to be provided by a special committee on science after analysing the world’s advanced developments in the area.

    According to the health ministry, the overall number of coronavirus cases in Algeria had exceeded 99,000, including about 67,000 recoveries and 2,751 deaths.

  • Alarming rise of Avian flu breaks out in India

    Alarming rise of Avian flu breaks out in India

    Authorities in India have confirmed the outbreak of Avian influenza disease and said the case was being handled by a joint team from the forest and animal husbandry departments.

    After several crows died in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar district on Thursday due to the Avian flu, the district administration imposed emergency measures in the area.

    ”Avian influenza disease has been confirmed. Samples are being sent to National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal for examination.” reports quoted Ngikya Gohain, Jhalawar’s Collector as saying.

    READ ALSO: Troops rescue 23 victims, arrest bandits’ collaborator in Katsina

    “Section 144 has been imposed in the affected area in the Radi area.

    ”A Rapid Response Team has been constituted to collect samples from poultry farms and shops,” Gohain said.

    He further said if the flu was found to have infected poultry in chicken farms, all the chickens will have to be culled and suitable compensation would be given to the owners.

  • Guinea begins COVID-19 vaccinations on govt ministers

    Guinea begins COVID-19 vaccinations on govt ministers

    The West African nation of Guinea has begun administering coronavirus vaccines, making the country among the first on the continent to roll out the vaccinations, an official said on Thursday.

    Ministers were seen on television receiving their doses at the presidential palace on Wednesday evening.

    They were reportedly injected with Russia’s Sputnik V shot, a vaccine that has been met with scepticism in the international medical community but which is also being used in places like Belarus and Argentina.

    “We are the guinea pigs,” Guinean Parliament Speaker Amadou Damaro said after getting the shot.

    READ ALSO: Troops rescue 23 victims, arrest bandits’ collaborator in Katsina

    “The government’s permanent concern is to fight this disease … We hope that this vaccination will be extended to the rest of the people and that it will be the beginning of the eradication of this disease,” he said.

    In Guinea, 13,680 infections have been registered so far, according to figures from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Eighty people have died.

    Russia became the first country to introduce a vaccine against the novel coronavirus five months ago, in August, with the state-produced Sputnik V vaccine.

    But the vaccine, endorsed by Russian government officials while it was still undergoing clinical trials, has courted controversy among the international scientific community amid questions of whether it was sufficiently tested. (dpa/NAN)

  • Troops rescue 23 victims, arrest bandits’ collaborator in Katsina

    Troops rescue 23 victims, arrest bandits’ collaborator in Katsina

    Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji have rescued 23 kidnapped victims comprising 18 women and five children in Katsina State, the Defence Headquarters has said.


    The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Wednesday, said the rescue operation took place on Tuesday at Wurma Village in Kurfi Local Government Area of the state.

    READ ALSO: Gbajabiamila expresses sadness over Prof. Odekunle’s death


    Enenche said the troop also recovered 75 rustled livestock during the operation.


    He said troops in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force swiftly mobilised to the location following credible information on the bandits activities in the village.


    According to him, the troops engaged the bandits who had kidnapped some locals and rustled some livestock from Kwayawa Village in Safana Local Government Area.


    “With superior firepower and support by Nigerian Air Force helicopter gunship, the armed bandits were forced to abandon the kidnapped victims.


    “Consequently, troops rescued 18 women and five children as well as recovered 75 rustled livestock.


    “During the encounter, troops also arrested one informant of the bandits named, Mohammed Saleh along with some arms and ammunition.


    “The rescued kidnapped victims have been successfully reunited with their families and the recovered livestock handed over to the owners.


    “The arrested bandits’ informant has been handed over to appropriate prosecuting agency for further action,” he said.