Author: New Daily Prime

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has categorically denied reports claiming the appointment of an acting Chief of Army Staff (COAS) following the absence of Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, who has been on leave since September. The speculation surrounding his health was further fueled by recent rumors of his death, which the Army has firmly dismissed. In a statement issued on Monday, October 21, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, emphasised that no senior officer has been appointed as acting COAS, stating, “For the record, no such appointment exists within the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).” Gusau explained that Lieutenant…

The Federal Government has announced that it has commenced work on the construction of a multi-purpose dam upstream of the River Dura in the Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State to contain the heavy water that flows from that axis. The Deputy Director of Hydrology at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Robert Umezulike, disclosed this on Saturday while assessing the Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala highway, which was affected by the overflow of the River Dura that spilt onto the road. Umezulike stated that the flood was caused by continuous sediment deposits in the river, which have reduced its depth…

Prominent APC chieftain, Pharmacist Chinedu Ikeagwuonwu Klinsmann, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what he describes as Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s attempts to undermine the Supreme Court’s ruling on local government autonomy. Klinsmann’s remarks follow the controversial enactment of the Anambra Local Government Administration Law 2024, which he and other experts claim contradicts the Supreme Court’s directive affirming the autonomy of local governments. In a statement released today, Klinsmann warned that if Governor Soludo’s actions go unchecked, they could set a dangerous precedent that would threaten the autonomy of local governments nationwide. “If Soludo’s scheme succeeds, we…

The National Assembly has reignited discussions to implement a 5% excise duty on telecommunications, gaming, betting, and lottery services, reversing the previous exemption established under former President Muhammadu Buhari. The proposed tax comes as part of the “Nigeria Tax Bill 2024,” which seeks to levy an excise duty on various services, despite a suspension of such taxes signed into effect by President Bola Tinubu on July 6, 2023. The executive orders were intended to alleviate the financial burden on businesses and households amid rising tax concerns. According to the newly introduced bill, the excise duty will apply to the total…

Barcelona continued their dominant show in La Liga with a 5-1 victory against Sevilla over the weekend. Striker Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace alongside Pablo Torre who came on as a substitute. It was a much-needed confidence boost ahead of difficult fixtures against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.Barca dominated much of the proceedings right from the kickoff throughout the entire game. Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 24th minute from the spot after Raphinha had been fouled in the penalty box. Pedri doubled Barca’s lead after just four minutes with a powerful shot from the edge of the box into…

The Nigerian Army has officially refuted rumors regarding the death of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, which circulated widely on social media over the weekend. The rumors originated from a post by a Nigerian journalist, who claimed that Lagbaja had succumbed to stage three cancer in an undisclosed hospital overseas. The journalist’s report, which gained traction on social media, stated that the army chief had died 48 hours prior and suggested that the news was being suppressed due to internal lobbying among senior military officers vying for his position. Lt Gen Lagbaja, born on February 28,…

La Liga champions Real Madrid picked up three crucial points at Celta Vigo over the weekend in a narrow 2-1 victory. One of the highlights of the game was a moment of frustration for English midfielder Jude Bellingham when his teammate Vinicius Jr denied him a pass when he was in a better shooting position.The midfielder’s reaction, kicking at the turf and storming off, has sparked speculations about the state of his relationship with Vinicius Jr. However Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti does not think much of it and has dismissed the speculations making rounds. He was impressed with Bellingham’s courage,…

Kayode Akinwumi It was an unfortunate outing for Wolves against Manchester City on Sunday as a dramatic VAR decision cost them a valuable point and City scraped a late win. In response, Wolves manager Gary O‘Neil has claimed officials in the Premier League may have a subconscious bias for top teams, especially Manchester City.Wolves had held City to a 1-1 scoreline for most of the game before a controversial decision in added time gave a 2-1 win to the champions. John Stones scored a header in the fourth minute of added time which was initially ruled out as Bernardo Silva…

Liverpool remain top of the Premier League after Week 8 with an important victory against Chelsea. Curtis Jones was the hero, bagging the winner in the 51st minute, minutes after Nicolas Jackson’s 48th-minute equalizer restored the Blues’ hopes at Anfield. Arne Slot’s men needed the win after rivals Manchester City won in a heated contest with Wolves and was temporarily top of the league table.The win was their 10th from 11 encounters this season, and arguably their toughest so far. Slot himself admitted his team had had an easy schedule before the fixture with Chelsea. But the win against Chelsea…

It took a John Stones header at the death, and a controversial VAR call for Manchester City to earn all three points against Wolves. Jorgen Strand Larsen had opened the scoresheet for the hosts early in the first half before Josko Gvardiol scored an equalizer for Pep Guardiola’s men, who looked for the most part as if they would not take the chance to overtake Arsenal on the standings. However, Stone rose high to snatch victory from the jaws of disappointment in the fourth minute of added time, and met Phil Foden’s corner to put the ball at the back…