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BREAKING: Bandits Kidnap NECO candidates, teachers in Borno

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Suspected bandits have reportedly abducted several students sitting the ongoing National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, alongside some teachers, during an attack on Lassa town in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

The attackers, who stormed the community on Monday, reportedly struck on a busy market day, causing panic among residents and disrupting commercial activities.

According to reports, one teacher was killed during the assault, while an unspecified number of students writing the NECO examinations and teachers were taken away by the gunmen.

Eyewitnesses said the assailants, believed to be heavily armed insurgents, arrived in military-style camouflage and rode into the town on motorcycles, carrying out the operation without resistance.

The latest attack has renewed concerns over the deteriorating security situation in parts of southern Borno State, where communities have continued to experience deadly raids despite repeated military operations against insurgent groups.

As of the time of filing this report, the Borno State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Fulani kidnappers must vacate our lands—Sunday Igboho speaks after bandits ambush

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Sunday igboho

Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has dismissed reports claiming he was injured during an attack by suspected bandits in Oyo State.

Recalls that some members of Igboho’s private security outfit, Iru Ekun, were ambushed while searching for the abducted Oriire College students and teachers in the Old Oyo National Park three days ago.

 

The incident sparked rumours that Igboho had been injured and overpowered by the gunmen.

 

However, in a video released on June 28, 2026, Igboho refuted the claims, assuring his supporters that he was safe and remained committed to tackling kidnapping in the state.

 

He also provided an update on the condition of the injured members of his security outfit, stating that they were recovering well.

 

“Greetings to my mothers and fathers out there. It’s me, your son, Sunday Igboho. Greetings to my brothers and sisters at home and abroad. Today is June 28, 2026. A lot of rumours have been going viral, but I’m here to let my supporters know that I’m fine.

“There’s nothing wrong with me. The injured members are doing fine too. There’s no going back until the Fulani kidnappers vacate our land before we can relent. I’m assuring you of that,” he said.

 

2026 World Cup: Canada eliminates South Africa 

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Co-hosts Canada secured a place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating South Africa 1-0 in their Round of 32 clash.

A ninth-minute plus strike from Stephen Eustáquio proved to be the difference as the hosts held on to seal a hard-fought victory and progress to the next stage of the tournament.

South Africa pushed for an equaliser but were unable to break down Canada’s defence, with the North Americans producing a disciplined performance to book their place in the last 16.

 

The victory keeps Canada’s dream of a memorable World Cup campaign alive as they continue their quest for a historic run on home soil.

2026 World Cup: Messi sets historic FIFA record 

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Messi

Argentina captain Lionel Messi etched his name into the FIFA World Cup record books after scoring in his side’s 3-1 victory over Jordan in their final Group J match on Sunday.

Messi, who started the game on the bench, came on to score one of Argentina’s three goals, helping the reigning world champions maintain their perfect record in the group stage.

Messi

The Inter Miami forward has now scored six goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, having netted a hat-trick against Algeria, two goals against Austria and one against Jordan.

 

With his strike against Jordan, the 39-year-old became the first player in FIFA World Cup history to score in seven consecutive tournament appearances, having found the net in Argentina’s final four matches at the 2022 World Cup and their opening three games of the 2026 edition.

 

The victory saw Argentina finish top of Group J with a maximum of nine points from three matches.

 

Lionel Scaloni’s side will now turn their attention to the Round of 32, where they are set to face Cape Verde as they continue their title defence.

Transfer: Ex- Arsenal’s Xhaka set for shock move to Alonso’s Chelsea 

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Chelsea are reportedly considering a surprise move for Sunderland captain and Former Arsenal player, Granit Xhaka as new manager Xabi Alonso looks to strengthen his squad with experienced Premier League players.

According to the Daily Mail, the Blues are interested in bringing the Switzerland international to Stamford Bridge during the summer transfer window.

However, Sunderland are said to be adamant that Xhaka is not for sale and insist they have not received any formal offers for the midfielder.

Xhaka previously played under Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, where the pair enjoyed a successful spell together. The Chelsea boss is believed to be keen on reuniting with the veteran midfielder as he begins a new era at the club.

 

Despite Chelsea’s interest, Xhaka’s age could influence any potential deal. The former Arsenal star turns 34 in September, meaning the London club are unlikely to pay a significant transfer fee.

 

Although Xhaka remains under contract with Sunderland until 2028, reports suggest he is interested in working with Alonso again and becoming part of the Spaniard’s long-term project at Chelsea.

 

Sunderland signed Xhaka for £13 million last summer, and he played a pivotal role in helping the Black Cats retain their Premier League status last season.

BREAKING: NNPCL cuts petrol price again

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has reduced the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, for the second time in four days.

A market survey on Saturday showed that NNPCL retail outlets at Airport Junction and Wuse Zone 6 (Berger) in Abuja have lowered the pump price to N1,210 per litre, down from N1,260 per litre.

The latest adjustment represents a N50 per litre reduction.

The development comes just two days after Dangote Refinery slashed its ex-depot (gantry) petrol price by N50, bringing it down to N1,125 per litre.

The state-owned oil company had earlier reduced its pump price by N75 per litre to N1,260 only four days ago, following an earlier price cut by Dangote Refinery.

With the latest reduction by NNPCL, petrol now sells between N1,210 and N1,305 per litre across Abuja and its surrounding areas, depending on the retail outlet.

The fresh price cut comes amid a decline in global crude oil prices, with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude trading at about $69 and $71 per barrel, respectively, following the easing of tensions in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Newsphere reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has yet to respond to growing calls from Nigerians for a broader reduction in domestic fuel prices in line with the sustained fall in international crude oil prices.

US military largely ended slaughter of Christian populations in Nigeria- Trump 

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United States President Donald Trump has claimed that the US military played a key role in ending the killings of Christians in Nigeria.

Trump made the remark on Friday during an event in Washington, where he highlighted his administration’s security operations and counterterrorism efforts in different parts of the world.

 

According to the US President, American intervention in Nigeria significantly reduced attacks allegedly targeting Christian communities, particularly in areas affected by insurgency and violent extremism.

 

“As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” he said.

 

The Republican president said the security situation in Nigeria had been dire before the alleged intervention, claiming that thousands of innocent people had been killed in brutal attacks.

 

“They have a great Christian population. They were being butchered… butchered. Thousands and thousands of people were being killed, children, women, old people, just being slaughtered, hacked to death,” he added.

World Cup 2026: Confirmed Round of 32 fixtures [Full List]

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2026 World Cup: Five Round of 32 fixtures confirmed as knockout stage takes shape

The lineup for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup is gradually taking shape, with five knockout fixtures now officially confirmed following the conclusion of more group-stage matches on Friday.

 

Tournament heavyweights Brazil, France, Argentina and Germany have all secured their places in the knockout phase. Co-hosts the United States, Canada and Mexico have also progressed to the last 32.

 

However, several places in the knockout bracket are still to be decided, with the remaining group-stage matches set to determine the outstanding group winners, runners-up and the qualified third-placed teams.

 

The confirmed Round of 32 fixtures are:

 

Sunday, June 28

 

8:00 p.m. – South Africa vs Canada

 

Monday, June 29

 

6:00 p.m. – Brazil vs Japan

 

Tuesday, June 30

 

2:00 a.m. – Netherlands vs Morocco

6:00 p.m. – Côte d’Ivoire vs Norway

 

Thursday, July 2

 

1:00 a.m. – USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

More Round of 32 fixtures will be confirmed after the remaining group-stage matches are completed.

2026 World Cup: Six African countries qualify for Round of 32 as one is eliminated

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World Cup 2026

Six African countries have secured qualification for the Round of 32 at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, while one nation has crashed out of the tournament following the conclusion of the latest group-stage fixtures.

 

Morocco, South Africa, Cameroon, Senegal, Egypt and Tunisia have all progressed to the knockout stage after impressive performances in their respective groups.

 

However, Algeria became the first African side to be eliminated from the competition after failing to secure enough points to advance.

 

The six qualified teams will now join other nations already through to the Round of 32 as they continue their quest for World Cup glory.

 

The remaining African representatives still in action will battle for the remaining knockout-stage places in their final group matches.

Naira to Dollar Exchange Rate Today, June 26, 2026: Naira extends depreciation 

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The Nigerian naira closed the week on a weaker note after extending its losing streak against the United States dollar at the official foreign exchange market on Friday.

According to data published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the local currency depreciated to N1,380.93 per dollar on Friday, compared to N1,380.11 recorded on Thursday.

 

The latest figure represents a day-on-day decline of N0.82 for the naira at the official market.

 

The currency has now posted four consecutive losses against the dollar, shedding a total of N10.47 during the trading week.

 

Meanwhile, the naira remained largely unchanged at the parallel market, trading at N1,400 per dollar for most of the week.

 

The depreciation at the official market came despite continued growth in Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves during the week, highlighting persistent pressure on the country’s currency.