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Speaker Abbas Unveils Plan for National Sports Academy to Revive Grassroots Talent

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By Gloria Ikibah 
 
The Speaker House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has revealed plans to set up a National Sports Academy aimed at revitalising grassroots sports and nurturing young talents for international success.
 
Speaker Abbas disclosed this during the first-ever distribution of sports equipment to principal officers and members of the House Committee on Sports for their various constituencies, on Wednesday in Abuja.
 
He emphasised that returning to grassroots sports is key to restoring Nigeria’s former dominance in global sporting competitions.
 
Reflecting on his days as a student and later as a teacher in the 1970s, Abbas recalled how inter-primary and inter-secondary school sports tournaments were regular events that produced many of Nigeria’s sports legends.
 
He noted that early exposure to competitive sports is crucial, as it is during such school competitions that exceptional talents are discovered and nurtured for future greatness.
 
He said: “The time has come with the dwindling fortune of Nigeria in the sport sector particularly in the last appearances at the Olympics sports where we came back without a medal. 
 
“It is unacceptable for a country of over 200 million people to go for completions and come back without a medal.
 
“At the last Olympics, Saint Lucia with a population of less than 100,000 people won gold medal but Nigeria with over 200 million came back with nothing, it is unacceptable. 
 
“I have put in the budget to build a National Sports Academy with all outdoor and indoor games for children of secondary school age who are identified though grassroots competitions will be admitted to continue their sports development.
 
“I believe that at the end of the day, this initiative will bring a lot of international stars that Nigeria will be proud of”.
 
Speaker Abbas explained that one way to regain Nigeria’s glory is to discontinue the current system where athletes are picked based on who they know and return to grassroots competitions.
 
He therefore charged members of the house to prioritise sports in their constituency development projects; as he said rather than focusing on skill acquisition centres or clinics which may not achieve long term goals due to lack of funding, building sports centre and organising competitions will never go wrong. 
 
The speaker noted that sports will not only engage youths gainfully, it will spark development and revenue generation at constituency level for the country as a whole.
 
He further commended the committee for achieving the feat in a space of six months, which is the first of its kind in the history of the National Assembly.
 
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman House Committee on Sports, Rep. Kabiru Amadu commended President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly for the 288 per cent increase in the sports sector budget from ₦29 billion in 2024 to ₦113 billion in 2025.
 
Amadu said that the aim behind the distribution of the equipment is to empower communities with the tools need to foster talent, build discipline, and strengthen social ties through sports.
 
Amadu said that it will benefit 3,260 teams across the country as each state will receive between 80 to 120 sets of footballs and jerseys, distributed through the committee members and House leadership.
 
“Our goal is to build a sustainable sports ecosystem starting at the grassroots where champions are discovered, talents nurtured, and characters built. 
 
“Investing in grassroots sports means investing in the dreams of our young people; sports have the power to transform lives, but for too long, focus has been on elite athletes, today we begin to change that narrative. 
 
“These items are not just physical equipment, they are symbols of opportunity, empowerment, and national progress,” he said.
 
The chairman therefore urged all members to ensure the equipment reaches the intended beneficiaries, stressing that the impact will be measured not by quantity but by the lives transformed and talents discovered.
 
Also speaking, the Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko highlighted on the need to change Nigeria’s sports from being competition-driven to development-driven.
 
He said that the era where sports federations come to get money to participate in competitions must stop to focus on sport development.
 
He said that all that needed to done to guide the process, ensure necessary reforms and necessary legislations must be done.
 
Dikko said the aim is to make sport cleaner, more profitable and attractive to the private sector to complement efforts of government.
 
“The final outcome we expect is to make sports the driver of the economy, to create two to three million jobs annually and earn foreign exchange; we want to make sports an international asset that will bring social life together and make the country proud,” he said. 
 
The NSC helmsman said that a bill that will restructure the entire sports ecosystem in the country was on the way to the house.
 
He explained that the bill seeks to create all the necessary agencies and development funds to run sport.
 
He called on all the members to support the bill when it finally comes to the floor of the house saying that it is the game changer of the Nigerian sports
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Signatures of 3 senators on report suspending Natasha in 2025 were forged – Oshiomhole Declares As Fight Against Akpabio Continues

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In a fresh twist to the ongoing crisis in Nigeria’s Senate, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has claimed that signatures of at least three senators on the report that led to the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan were forged.

The allegation, made by the former Edo State governor and current Senator representing Edo North, comes amid heightened tensions between Oshiomhole and Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi Central, was suspended for six months in early 2025 following a Senate committee report on her conduct, which included allegations of unruly behavior and conflicts with the Senate leadership.

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According to reports circulating from Senate proceedings and shared widely on social media, Oshiomhole declared during a session or related discussion that the document authorizing or supporting the suspension bore forged signatures. He reportedly pointed out discrepancies suggesting that not all listed senators had actually appended their signatures to the report.

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Gunmen Kidnap Ondo Traditional Ruler, Police Begin Manhunt

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Some gunmen on Saturday reportedly invaded the Ode Oriya community in the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State and abducted the traditional ruler of the community, Adeniyi Adelana.

A source said the hoodlums stormed the community at about 8 pm on Saturday and went to the residence of the 60-year-old community leader, whisking him away to an unknown destination in the bush.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, who confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Sunday, said the state command had commenced a rescue operation in the forest.

“The Ondo State Police Command has launched a coordinated rescue operation following the abduction of a community leader by suspected kidnappers in Ode Oriya Village, Owo Local Government Area of the state.

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“Preliminary reports indicate that at about 8:05 pm on the reported date, a group of approximately six armed men stormed the residence of Mr Adeniyi Adelana, aged 60, the Baale of Ode Oriya Village. The assailants reportedly invaded the premises under the cover of darkness and forcefully whisked the victim away through a nearby bush path to an unknown destination.

“Upon receipt of the distress report, the Divisional Police Officer, B Division, Owo, immediately mobilised a combined team of police operatives and other security personnel to the scene. The area was swiftly secured, and a preliminary assessment of the crime scene was conducted as part of ongoing investigative efforts,” the PPRO said.

Jimoh added that the victim’s wife, who sustained a gunshot injury to her right hand during the attack, had been taken to the hospital, where she was receiving treatment.

“She was promptly rescued and taken to a nearby medical facility, where she is currently receiving treatment and responding positively to medical care,” he said.

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According to him, a comprehensive search-and-rescue operation was activated, with security operatives combing nearby forests, bush paths, and suspected escape routes “in a determined effort to track the movement of the kidnappers, secure the victim’s safe release, and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

“Tactical deployments have also been strengthened across the area and adjoining communities to enhance operational effectiveness,” he added.

The police spokesman also said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Felix Ohagwu, has directed all tactical units, intelligence assets, and operational teams of the command to intensify efforts toward the swift rescue of the victim and the arrest of those responsible.

“The command remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring that the victim is reunited safely with his family while all those involved face the full weight of the law,” the PPRO added.

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US Air Force B-52 bomber crashes after takeoff

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A United States Air Force B-52 Stratofortress has crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California, according to the base authorities.

The incident occurred soon after departure, prompting an immediate emergency response at the site.

“Emergency crews immediately ⁠responded to the scene ⁠and the situation ⁠is ⁠ongoing,” the base wrote on Monday in a ‌post on X.

At the time of reporting, officials had not confirmed any casualties, and the cause of the crash remained unclear.

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The B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic bomber designed to carry nuclear weapons, with a payload capacity of up to 70,000 pounds. Each aircraft is estimated to be worth about $110 million.

The crash comes less than 24 hours after another deadly aviation incident in the United States in which 12 people were killed when a plane went down near an airport in Missouri.

The fatal crash occurred on Sunday near Butler Memorial Airport in Bates County, south of Kansas City, the state’s largest city.

“Troopers are on scene assisting the Butler Police Department & Bates County Sheriff’s Office of a Fatal Plane Crash near the Butler Memorial Airport,” the Missouri State Highway Patrol posted on X.

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“At this time reports indicate all occupants (12 total) have perished,” it said.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sergeant Justin Ewing said the aircraft was being used for skydiving operations.

He added that emergency teams were alerted at about 11:30 a.m. local time on Sunday after reports of a crash and fire.

According to him, firefighters quickly contained the blaze, while describing the scene as “brutal.”

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“It landed in a field adjacent to the airport, but I think they’re shutting down the roadway just as a precaution,” Ewing said.

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