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Just in: Lookman hits hat trick to earn Atalanta Europa League victory

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Bu Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigerian winger, Ademola Lookman produced three fantastic finishes against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday to hand Atalanta the 2023/2024 UEFA Europa League title.

Lookman’s first goal came in the 12th minute of the Europa League final before pulling the trigger again to fire past Leverkusen’s goalie, Matej Kovar in the 26th minute of the game.

Lookman nutmegged Granit Xhaka before launching a stunning long-range effort from the edge of the box which went straight into the goal as he completed his brace within 26 minutes of the game.

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In a moment of magic, Lookman got his name on the scoreboard again in the 76th minute of play, completing his hat-trick to become the first player to score a hat-trick in a Europa League/UEFA Cup final since Jupp Heynckes for Gladbach in a 5-1 2nd leg away win over FC Twente in 1974/75.

The three goals scored by the Nigerian winger handed Atalanta the Europa League title, dishing a heavy blow to the German side’s dream of winning the treble unbeaten this season.

Born on 20 October 1997, Lookman is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie A club Atalanta. Born in England, he plays for the Nigeria national team.

Lookman made his senior debut in 2015, playing as a forward for Charlton Athletic of the Championship.

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He signed for Everton in January 2017, where he played mainly as a winger. He has represented England from under-19 to under-21 levels. In 2022, Lookman made his debut for Nigeria.

Born in Wandsworth, Greater London, to Nigerian parents, he attended St Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham where he achieved three A*s and five As at GCSE.

Lookman joined Charlton Athletic’s academy in 2014 after signing from Waterloo, a youth football club based in the London Borough of Lambeth.

His goalscoring record for Charlton’s U18 and U21 teams led to him making a rapid ascent through the Charlton academy ranks and he made his first-team debut for the Addicks on 3 November 2015.

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He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on 5 December 2015, and then followed that up with both Charlton’s goals in a 2–2 draw with Bolton Wanderers ten days later.

Lookman signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Everton on 5 January 2017 for an undisclosed fee, reported as an initial £7.5m potentially rising to £11m.

He made his debut for the club ten days later in a 4–0 victory over Manchester City, replacing Ross Barkley in the 90th minute and scoring the team’s fourth goal.

Lookman made his first European appearance for Everton in a 1–0 win over MFK Ružomberok in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg.

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Although manager Sam Allardyce stated that Lookman would not be leaving on loan in the January 2018 transfer window, the club eventually arranged a loan move to Championship club Derby County, where they hoped he would play regular first-team football.

However, the player insisted on an alternative move, and instead joined Bundesliga club RB Leipzig until the end of the 2017–18 season. In his first game with Leipzig, Lookman scored the winning goal in the away game against Borussia Mönchengladbach after coming on as a late substitute.

On 25 July 2019, Lookman returned to RB Leipzig on a five-year contract. On 30 September 2020, Lookman joined Premier League side Fulham on a season-long loan. He scored his first league goal for Fulham against Sheffield United on 18 October.

On 31 August 2021, Lookman joined Leicester City on a season-long loan. On 11 September 2021, he made his Leicester debut as a 73rd minute substitute during a 1–0 defeat to Manchester City. On 28 December 2021, Lookman scored the only goal in their 1–0 win over Liverpool.

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On 4 August 2022, Lookman joined Serie A club Atalanta on a four-year contract for a reported fee of €15 million. He scored on his debut for the club, a 2–0 Serie A win over Sampdoria on 13 August.

In January 2023, he scored braces in three consecutive matches: a 8–2 Serie A win over Salernitana, a 5–2 Coppa Italia win over Spezia and a 3–3 Serie A draw to Juventus.

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Angry investors raid CBEX office, loot assets in Ibadan after digital Platform crash

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A group of angry individuals, on Monday evening, stormed the CBEX office located in the Oke Ado area of Ibadan, Oyo State, looting furniture and other items after the digital trading platform reportedly crashed.

Eyewitnesses said the mob forcibly entered the premises, carting away tables, couches, and other office equipment.

The attack is believed to have been triggered by the sudden collapse of the platform, which allegedly left many users with zero balance in their accounts.

Following the incident, several users expressed frustration and grief over the loss of their investments, with some taking to social media to share their experiences.

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A video circulating online shows a large crowd at the CBEX office, with individuals seen removing various items from the building.

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‘Not something I’d wish on anyone’ — Melinda Gates opens up on divorce

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Melinda Gates, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has spoken about their divorce in her new book ‘The Next Day’.

Bill and Melinda got married in 1994 but announced their divorce in 2021 — after 27 years together.

In a recent interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, Melinda revealed that she chose to discuss her divorce openly to be true to herself and acknowledge others who have experienced similar situations.

She described the separation as “painful” but also a “transition that had some growth in it”.

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The 60-year-old also emphasised that divorce is a challenging experience for any family and expressed her hope that her story might offer some insight.

“It was important because if I am going to be my most authentic self. People knew I had gone through it,” she said.

“And it is hard on any family, so I write from my perspective. But it’s not something I would wish on anybody — and unfortunately so many families go through it.

“It is a big transition. And for me, while it was painful for sure, I ended up learning some lessons and there was some growth in there, too.”

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Bill and Melinda first met in 1987, when she became a product manager at Microsoft. They married in Hawaii in 1994 and founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to combating global poverty and disease — in 2000.

Following their divorce, Melinda resigned from the foundation in May 2024.

The former couple shares three children: son Rory, 25, and daughters Phoebe, 22, and Jennifer, 28.

In January, Bill described his divorce from Melinda as his “biggest regret in life”.

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SHOCKING! One month after giving birth, woman discovers another baby in her womb

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A woman who had given birth just a month earlier was rushed to the hospital after sensing something was wrong—only to discover she was still carrying another baby.

This unusual incident was shared in a viral post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Woman discover another baby in womb a month after giving birth
Woman discover another baby in womb a month after giving birth.
According to the post, the woman had initially given birth at a hospital and returned home after being stitched.

However, a month later, she began to feel unwell and went back to the hospital, where doctors discovered another child still in her womb.

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She was immediately put into labor again and successfully delivered the second baby.

The post read: “There’s a Xhosa lady on TT who gave birth to a child in March, got stitched and went home. Well, a month later, she felt something was wrong with her, it turns out there was another child in her womb. So, she gave birth again. She now has twins that are a month apart.”

As the post circulated online, concerned users flooded the comment section to share their thoughts and reactions.

See some reactions below:

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@Melo_Malebo: “Idk what’s more shocking, the fact that twins can have different fathers or this one. Also, wasn’t the other one big enough for nurses to see there could still be someone in there ?”

@Fifi_Kumalo: “So the ultrasound didn’t catch the other baby 😳 njani? I know they hide but so confused.”

@Ralph_Nzuza: “When my lil sister got operated they cut the baby on the cheek after the surgery they forgot those scalpels inside her.”

@StraightupGal: “Surely this incompetence is illegal. One can die giving birth, what more when they have stitched your baby up for a couple of more weeks? 🤯😭 Thanks to God she is safe and able to tell the tale.”

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@mgwatyu_: “Must have delivered at a clinic via NVD, Not booked so no scan or late booker. Cannot be a cesarean section. The stiching must have just been for tears.”

@phuti_mathobela: “God works in mysterious ways some people get to experience his ways in this form while some people in their near death experience. He is God’s of miracles.”

WATCH VIDEO:

There’s a Xhosa lady on TT who gave birth to a child in March, got stitched and went home. Well, a month later, she felt something was wrong with her, it turns out there was another child in her womb. So, she gave birth again. She now has twins that are a month apart. 😭

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— Musanathi Writes 🇿🇦 (@Musanathi2) April 14, 2025

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