Giwa FC loses keeper to spinal cord injury

Giwa FC of Jos goaltender, Timothy Chichi Okere on Wednesday, succumbed to a protracted spinal cord ailment.

The late goalkeeper who died in Jos, Plateau State reportedly sustained a back injury in training two years ago and was treated at Bima hospital in Jos. He was said to have been readmitted in the hospital following a relapse.

The Media Officer of Giwa FC, David King, while confirming the sad development yesterday said that the club was awaiting communication from the late player’s family on the burial arrangements.

The late Timothy Okere was with Mighty Jets of Jos before he signed up for Giwa FC.

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Return to camp or lose your places, Siasia warns Enyimba, Pillars players

Dream Team VI Head Coach, Samson Siasia has warned the five Enyimba and Kano Pillars Football Club players that participated in Wednesday's midweek match in Kano to return to camp or forget the 2016 Olympic games.

The players Chima Akas, Daniel and Joseph Osadiaye of Enyimba as well as Ifeanyi Mathew and goalkeeper Yussuf Mohammed of Kano Pillars played in yesterday's game at the Sani Abacha Stadium which Enyimba won by 2 goals to 1.

“It seems some people don’t really understand the huge task ahead of us. We are in a tough group and only good preparations will help us in achieving our ambition in Brazil.

“I have told the invited payers that I will not permit them to go for the mid-week Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) games again maybe only the weekend games. So I am using this medium to plead with the clubs to bear with us because we have less than three months to prepare for the Olympics.

“As I speak with you now, we have five players from Enyimba Football Club and Kano Pillars that played in today’s mid-week match (yesterday) that are yet to join us. So this is what I am saying. We need to face the work at hand squarely and with all the necessary seriousness and commitment," Siasia told SportingLife.

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Buhari's visit to Katsina to promote state's economic potentials - Masari

The governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari said on Thursday that the expected visit of President Buhari on May 9 is not politically motivated , "but to promote the state's economic potentials.''

The governor told a press conference in Katsina that the forthcoming Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit which President Buhari will be attending would help to focus the attention of the world on the state's vast investment potentials.

‘’The President will visit the state to actively participate in the Economic and Investment Summit that is geared to uplift the economic status of the citizenry of the state.

‘’The people of the state should accord high respect to the coming of the President as a citizen and indigene of the state.

‘’The President should not be insulted as the gathering was not a political programme but an investment and economic summit,’’ he said.

Masari warned against turning the investment summit to a political affair, even as he pleaded for the presence of all the political parties in the state at the event.

‘’I call on the political class not to turn the economic and investment summit into a political affair.

‘’The government through intelligence report has gathered that some disgruntled elements are planning to sponsor restive youths to stage demonstrations so as to disrupt the summit.

‘’The Katsina State government will not fold its arms and allow mischief makers to scuttle the programme that was designed to create an environment for investors,’’ he said.

He assured of the safety of investment as bandits and cattle rustlers have been dislodged from the state and 11,000 stolen cattle recovered and returned to the owners.

NAN

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See what troops found when they stormed Boko Haram admin base at Alagarno

Troops of 156 Task Force Battalion, 29 Task Force Brigade, working with Civilian JTF in the early hours of Wednesday, embarked on a patrol to clear Ngula and Kukuruk villages in Alagarno  area of terrorists.

Here is what they found after a gunfight with the Boko Haram terrorists, according to Army spokesman Col Sani Usman.

"The terrorists escaped leaving trails of blood from gun shot injuries they sustained.

"The patrol team later made startling discovery in the area; they found out that it served as the Boko Haram terrorists’ administration and harbour area, Field Hospital and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) making factory.

"The troops recovered the following items at the base; 6 Motorcycles, 2 Bicycles, 4 Machine Gun Mounts, 1 Power Generating Set, 3 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) Tyres, 10 Bags of assorted foodstuff, 4 different Vehicles Radiators, a Wheel chair, 2 Clutches, 1 Stretcher and 11 different Car batteries. Other items include 3 Gas Cylinders, 2 Stabilizer 1 Welding Machine, 3 Motorcycle Batteries and 4 Gallons stuffed with grains.

"The troops also recovered 1 Toyota Buffalo Engine, 1 Toyota Hilux Engine, 1 Blanket, 1 Megaphone, 1 Ecolac Box, 4 Motorcycle Wheels, 1 Grinding Machine, 1 vehicle gear box, 1 damaged part of a Canter truck, military uniforms, an unserviceable laptop, 2 Wheel barrows and 3 Vehicle Jacks.

"Similarly, the patrol team recovered 3 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 31 IEDs Primers, 2 Flash Drives containing vital information, Surgical Gloves and Urine bags. Other items recovered include Bandages, 2 tyre pumps, .50 inch Browning Machine Gun parts, as well as a 60mm Mortar Bomb, Sphygmomanometer, Anti-Tetanus Injection, Penicillin Injections and other medications and medical equipment. They also recovered a trailer truck, damaged vehicle, 2 Slates, Holy Qur’an, Handcuffs and Solar Panels among other items."

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Troops on special operation free 400 hostages, recover arms and ammunitions

Troops of 7 Division acting on intelligence information, carried out a special operation at Chingurimi, Walasa and Masa villages on Wednesday, May 4.

The villages were believed to have a large concentration of abducted women and children  held hostage by  Boko Haram terrorists.

Army spokesman Col Sani Usman said in a statement that the "troops killed quite a number of Boko Haram terrorists and rescued 17 women, an old man and 24 children at the area.

" They also recovered 1 AK-47 rifle, 6 rounds of 7.62mm, 295 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO), 12 Dane Guns, 21 unserviceable mobile telephone handsets and one serviceable as well as150 different SIM cards.

"In all, over 400 persons held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists were freed by the troops," he said.

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Troops kill 18 bandits, recover 12 rifles in Zamfara

Troops of 223 Battalion, 1 Brigade Nigerian Army on Wednesday, trapped a group of cattle rustlers and armed bandits in an ambush near Dansadau in Zamfara State.

A statement issued by Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col Sani Kukasheka Usman said that the cattle rustlers and armed bandits were intercepted as they made their way to wreck havoc on communities in Dansadau District

"The patrol team laid an ambush for the suspected cattle rustlers and armed bandits who came in large numbers on motorcycles fully armed. It was gathered that they were enroute Ruwan Tofa and Babban Doka Villages in Dansadau District of Maru Local Government Area, Zamfara State to wreck havoc on the hapless innocents of those communities.

"The troops killed 18 and wounded several armed bandits. They also recovered 11 AK-47 rifles, 1 G3 rifles, 1 locally made pistol, 11 magazines of AK-47 rifle, a magazine of G3 rifle and 161 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunitions. The troops went further and destroyed the bandits’ camp at Babban Doka general area.

"They are also combing the area for the remnants of the bandits and all those that escaped with gunshot wounds in the general area. We would like to appeal to the public to continue to assist with information on cattle rustlers, armed bandits and other criminal elements in their areas."

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Happening now: Federation Cup 2016 draws, round of 64

Federation Cup 2016 Draw for Round 64 already underway.

Some of the draws so far made are : Sunshine FC Akure vs Giwa FC JOS;
Abia Comets FC vs Nembe City; Damaturu FC vs Dynamite Utd;
Defending Champions, Akwa United FC drawn bye in round 64;
Kwara United FC vs Galadima Best, Kano.    

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