Fola Badmus, Author at Trendbrio.com

Osimhen Gifts Remo Stars N10m After Historic NPFL Title Win

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago02 mins

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has celebrated Remo Stars’ historic League title triumph by gifting the team N10 million. The Galatasaray forward praised the club’s determination and resilience, describing their achievement as inspiring. Osimhen’s gesture highlights his strong connection to Nigerian football and his admiration for one of the country’s rising football institutions. Remo Stars etched their name in history on Sunday after sealing their first-ever premier division title with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Niger Tornadoes. In doing so, they became the first club from southwestern Nigeria to win the league in 25 years the last being Julius Berger in 2000. Osimhen, who has a personal relationship with Remo Stars head coach Daniel Ogunmodede currently part of the Super Eagles’ technical setup personally called the team on Tuesday to congratulate them. He also announced a N10 million gift, split evenly between the players (N5 million) and the coaching staff (N5 million).

Osimhen Linked With Liverpool Move

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago05 mins

Liverpool are expected to sign a new No. 9 this summer and out-of-favour Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray, has now been linked. Osimhen has spent the season with Galatasaray after finding himself frozen out by Antonio Conte and replaced by Romelu Lukaku, and is set to move on permanently this summer. His position at Napoli comes despite scoring 76 goals in 133 games for the club and being widely considered one of the most talented strikers in Europe during their title-winning campaign in 2022/23. That should see him coveted this summer, but having seen proposed moves to Chelsea and Al-Ahli fall through a year ago, it remains to be seen who will pursue a deal. According to Sky Sports‘ Lyall Thomas, Osimhen is one of the strikers Liverpool are considering as they plot to replace Darwin Nunez in the next transfer window. The reporter claimed that Osimhen, Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko are all potential targets, with both Isak and Sesko also linked by reliable sources on Merseyside. While it is not the first time Liverpool have been purported as suitors for Osimhen this is the most concrete link so far this season. Unlike Isak, who is expected to be priced at upwards of £150 million as Newcastle hold firm in their no-sale stance, the Nigerian would be available for £63.8 million due to a release clause in his contract at Napoli. That would be lower than the fee quoted for another target, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, who is rumoured to be available for £80 million. Osimhen could suit Arne Slot‘s system at Liverpool as a powerful, pacy forward who can hold his own as a lone striker and, crucially, has scored 79 goals in 110 games in the last three seasons at Napoli and so far at Galatasaray. Scoring consistently has been the biggest issue for Nunez, who is set to be made available this summer having failed to establish himself as a key player under Slot. And though there could be question marks over whether his record would translate to the Premier League, only six players across Europe’s top 10 leagues have found the back of the net more often than Osimhen this season. Those are Viktor Gyokeres, Robert Lewandowski, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Mohamed Salah – all elite forwards and a marker of the company Osimhen merits among the best in Europe. Any suggestion that Osimhen is a genuine target should be taken with a pinch of salt at this stage, with Sky Sports’ claim yet to be backed up by Liverpool reporters. But it would be no surprise if those within the club’s recruitment team were not at least monitoring his situation as they weigh up a move for their next No. 9.

Conclave Announces Start Date To Elect New Pope

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago24 mins

A conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis will begin early next month with delays expected on the decision. The May 7 date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals at the Vatican on Monday, the first since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. The Catholic Church’s top dignitaries will retire to the Sistine Chapel in strict seclusion, with all contact to the outside world forbidden. A two-thirds majority of the 134 cardinals expected to be involved in the conclave is needed to choose Francis’ successor in a process that could take days, if not weeks. The 16th-century Sistine Chapel was closed to tourists on Monday to allow for vote preparations. The past two conclaves, in 2005 and 2013, lasted just two days. But Swedish Cardinal Anders Arborelius said he expects this conclave may take longer, as many of the cardinals appointed by Pope Francis have never met each other before. Francis made a priority of appointing cardinals from places that had never had them, such as Myanmar, Haiti, and Rwanda. “We don’t know each other,” said Arborelius, one of the cardinals under the age of 80 who will enter the conclave. Francis died aged 88 on April 21 in Vatican City. His funeral on Saturday and a procession through Rome to his burial place at the Basilica of St Mary Major attracted crowds estimated at more than 400,000. German Cardinal Walter Kasper told La Repubblica newspaper that the outpouring of mourners for Francis indicated that Catholics wanted the next Pope to continue with his reforming style of papacy. Francis, the first Pope from Latin America, largely tried to open up the often staid church to new conversations. He allowed debate on issues such as ordaining women as clergy and outreach to LGBTQ Catholics. “The People of God voted with their feet,” said Kasper, who is 92 and will not take part in the conclave. “I am convinced that we must go ahead in the footsteps of Francis.” However, a bloc of conservative cardinals are certain to push back against this and seek a Pope who reasserts traditions and restricts Francis’ vision of a more inclusive church.

U.S. Pressures West African Nations to Accept Deported Migrants Amid Trump Talks

Trump Says He ‘Could’ Return Wrongfully Deported Man But Declines to Act

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago52 mins

In a recent ABC News interview marking his 100th day in office, President Donald Trump acknowledged that he “could” facilitate the return of Kilmar Ábrego García, a Maryland resident mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Despite a Supreme Court order mandating the administration to assist in Ábrego García’s return, Trump has not committed to taking action. Ábrego García, who had legal work authorization and no criminal record, was deported in March 2025 due to what the administration later admitted was an “administrative error.” He is currently detained in El Salvador’s high-security prison, CECOT. During the interview, Trump suggested that Ábrego García had gang affiliations, referencing a photo purportedly showing MS-13 tattoos. However, experts have questioned the authenticity of the image, noting it may have been digitally altered. The administration’s refusal to comply with court orders has drawn criticism from lawmakers and human rights advocates, who argue it undermines the rule of law and due process. Senator Chris Van Hollen highlighted that El Salvador’s continued detention of Ábrego García is influenced by U.S. payments under a bilateral agreement. A federal judge previously ordered the Trump administration to provide details on efforts to return Ábrego García, but that order was temporarily halted pending further legal proceedings. AP News The case continues to raise concerns about the administration’s immigration policies and adherence to judicial mandates.

Nigerian Banks Raise SMS Alert Fees to ₦6 Amid Telecom Tariff Hike

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago11 mins

Effective Thursday, May 1, 2025, several Nigerian banks will increase their SMS transaction alert fees from ₦4 to ₦6 per message—a 50% hike. This change follows the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) approval of a 50% increase in telecom service tariffs, including SMS charges, due to rising operational costs faced by telecom operators. Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has communicated this adjustment to its customers, citing the increased telecom rates as the reason for the fee hike. Similarly, Ecobank Nigeria announced an increase in its SMS notification charges from ₦5 to ₦6 per message, effective May 1, 2025. Customers who prefer to avoid these charges can opt out of SMS alerts by updating their preferences through their respective banks’ official channels. Alternatives such as email alerts are often available at no additional cost. This development comes amid broader economic challenges, including a national inflation rate of 24.23% as of March 2025, impacting both consumers and service providers.

Akpabio Chairs New Pro-Tinubu Movement Ahead of 2027 Elections

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago22 mins

A new political platform, the National Council for Presidential Support (NCPS), has been launched in Abuja to rally nationwide backing for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and support his expected bid for re-election in 2027. The Council, which seeks to consolidate and coordinate the efforts of various pro-Tinubu groups, aims to boost grassroots mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The President of the Senate, Senator Dr. Godswill Obot Akpabio, chairs the NCPS and serves as its Grand Patron, while Maj. Gen. (Barr.) Garba Audu (rtd) also holds a prominent leadership position within the Council. Speaking during the unveiling ceremony, Hon. Muttaka Ibrahim, the National Coordinator, described the NCPS as a unifying movement dedicated to continuity, stability, and democratic progress in Nigeria. “Our mission is to mobilize national support, coordinate strategic policy implementation, and provide visionary guidance to ensure President Tinubu’s re-election and Nigeria’s continued progress,” Ibrahim stated. He concluded with a call for broad national participation: “Together, let’s build a brighter future for Nigeria.”

Spain Closes Surrogacy Loophole, Bans Registration of Foreign-Born Children by Embassies

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago33 mins

The Spanish government is tightening enforcement of its long-standing ban on surrogacy by prohibiting its embassies and consulates from registering children born through the practice abroad. New regulations, set to take effect Thursday, will cancel all pending registration cases and bar diplomats from accepting foreign birth certificates naming Spanish citizens as parents of surrogate-born children. Although surrogacy has been illegal in Spain since 2006, Spanish couples have long bypassed the ban by securing court rulings in countries where surrogacy is legal and presenting those documents at consulates to register the child in Spain. That loophole closed in December 2023, when Spain’s Supreme Court declared the practice of recognizing foreign surrogacy rulings as illegal. The crackdown comes amid growing political consensus against surrogacy. While rare in Spain’s polarized politics, the move has united voices from both the far right and far left, who oppose the practice on ethical and feminist grounds. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s left-wing government has been especially vocal, labeling surrogacy a form of exploitation in recent legislation and court submissions. In the 2023 reform of Spain’s abortion law, surrogacy was described as “violence against women,” and the Supreme Court echoed this sentiment, calling it a violation of the surrogate’s moral integrity and a commodification of children. The new regulations require that a child’s legal parentage can only be determined after the child arrives in Spain. In such cases, only the biological parent — typically the father — may be registered, while the non-biological partner must apply for adoption after the surrogate formally relinquishes custody. Spain is not alone in cracking down on surrogacy. Italy, under right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has criminalized traveling abroad for the purpose of surrogacy and restricted birth certificate registrations to biological parents only — a move seen as part of her broader campaign targeting LGBTQ+ families. Further restrictions in Spain are expected in a forthcoming human trafficking bill, which could codify even stricter measures against surrogacy.

Obi Doesn’t Need Coalition to Defeat Tinubu If INEC Ensures Free and Fair Elections

Fola Badmus5 months ago5 months ago14 mins

The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, does not require any coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party or support from political figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to win the 2027 presidential election. Speaking in an exclusive interview, the Deputy President of the NLC Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, asserted that Obi remains a formidable and widely accepted candidate, capable of defeating President Bola Tinubu in a free and fair contest. Ndubuaku dismissed any speculation about Obi rejoining the PDP, describing the opposition party as a “crisis-ridden and near-empty platform.” He said, “Peter Obi doesn’t need any coalition to win the 2027 presidential election. He is a sellable candidate. If you recall, he was already coasting to victory in the 2023 elections before the controversial glitches. He even defeated Tinubu in his own stronghold in Lagos, which shows Nigerians want him in power.” “For as long as INEC conducts a free and fair election, he will win. He can also leverage his local and international connections to make it happen,” Ndubuaku added. His comments come just days after the Obidients Movement declared unwavering support for Obi, regardless of the platform he chooses to run on in 2027. The National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, emphasised that Nigeria is in desperate need of rescue and said Obi remains the only candidate capable of leading the country out of its current economic crisis. Echoing Tanko’s position, Ndubuaku insisted Obi commands nationwide acceptance across all six geopolitical zones and warned against any return to the PDP. “No serious candidate will consider the PDP as a viable platform at this point,” he said. “Obi is a disciplined man. If people are suggesting he return to the PDP, on what basis? Compare the PDP’s issues with those of the Labour Party. While LP’s crisis—centering around Julius Abure—has been settled by the Supreme Court, the PDP is still battling a hydra-headed crisis. Moving from LP to PDP would be like jumping from frying pan to fire.” He further noted that fears about zoning and power rotation are unfounded, especially in light of Obi’s reputation for performance. “The only reservation some people have is that if Obi wins, he could take the full eight years, which the North fears may disrupt the zoning balance. But we know Obi doesn’t need two years to revive Nigeria. He’s not desperate for power,” Ndubuaku said.