Enyimba, Insurance to face North African clubs in CAF competitions’ opening round

Published

9 months ago

July 26, 2023

Nigeria’s representatives in the 2023/2024 CAF Champions League, Enyimba International Football Club of Aba and Remo Stars of Ikenne have been drawn to face clubs from Libya and Ghana respectively.

The draw was held in Cairo on Tuesday, with representatives of the 54 participating clubs drawn from 42 member-nations in attendance.

It has those paired together participating in the first preliminary stage, and Enyimba who are the reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions will face Libyan side Ahli Benghazi.

Enyimba already have a glimpse of what to expect from Libyan teams, having been ousted during their last participation in CAF inter-club competitions by Al-Ittihad in the knockout phase.

On the other hand, Remo Stars who are debuting in the competition will be wrestling it out with Ghana league leaders Medeama for a progression to the second stage in the Champions League.

The winners between Enyimba and Ahli Benghazi will get a chance to face either Benin Republic-based Cotonsports or Asec Mimosa from Côte d’Ivoire in the second preliminary round.

Should Remo Stars defeat their Ghanaian opponents, they will face Guinean side Horoya, in the second stage.

The first round matches are scheduled for Aug. 18 to Aug. 20.

In the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary draw, Nigeria’s Federation Cup winners Bendel Insurance of Benin are pitched against Algerian side ASO Chlef.

Should they win, the Nigerian side will face another north African side, RS Berkane of Morocco in the second stage.

This is the first time in a long while that Bendel Insurance are getting a chance to compete on the continent.

For Rivers United who have been regulars in the CAF inter-club competitions in the last three seasons, they drew bye in the preliminary round.

They head into the second round where they play the winners of the pairing of Etoile Filante of Burkina Faso and Ziguinchor of Senegal.

Fagbemi warns against obstructing EFCC from performing its lawful duty

Published

5 days ago

April 18, 2024

Fellow Press

The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .

Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.

“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.

“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.

“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.

He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.

“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.

“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.

“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.

He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.

“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.

NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.

Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.

The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.

On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

Headline

Unknown Gunmen Abduct Channelstv Reporter In Port-harcourt

Published

2 weeks ago

April 12, 2024

Ifunaya Emeka

Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.

The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.

Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.

Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.

His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.