Ondo Govt Allays Fear Over Security Alert By DSS

The state’s Department of State Services (DSS) memo to the 32nd Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Akure, the state capital, has sparked fears for the Ondo government.

According to the memo, members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) planned to attack some Ondo communities.

Idowu Ajanaku, the Ogun State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, stated in a statement that the memo was a part of regular intelligence reports that security agencies and the government share regularly.

He believes that these reports are routinely made as part of security operations to identify and avoid potential threats.

Ajanaku assured the public that the state’s government and relevant security organizations are taking necessary steps to improve security.

Also Read: Two Accomplices Arrested In Ondo, Suspect Illegal Arms Manufacturer.

The statement read in part as “the public can be assured that the government is taking necessary precautions to ensure safety and security” and that the government is acting on these reports.

“To prevent and respond to any potential threats, security agencies and the government must continue to cooperate and maintain vigilance.”

We urge all residents to remain vigilant and composed while contacting the security company that is closest to them for any suspicious activity. We want to reassure you that Ondo State is taking every precaution possible to stop any attack.

Read more: Police Arrest Father For alleged rape of a teenage daughter in Ondo.

According to the commissioner, the state government is making several safeguards for residents, particularly those who live in border communities, to keep Ondo State as one of the nation’s safest.

Newcastle explore bringing Anderson back – Thursday’s gossip

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Manchester United has yet to offer Harry Maguire a new deal, despite Bayern Munich’s chief saying there is no release clause in Michael Olise’s contract and Newcastle United considering bringing Elliot Anderson back to the club.

After selling England midfielder to Nottingham Forest in 2024, Newcastle United has looked into relocating him. (i Paper: Ascription required)

Michael Olise, a 23-year-old France winger who has been linked with a number of clubs, does not have a release clause in his contract, which expires in June 2029, according to Bayern Munich director of sport Max Eberl. (Talksport)

Angelo Stiller, a 24-year-old defensive midfielder from Germany, is still wanted by Manchester United, but Stuttgart’s asking price is expected to be higher than €50 million (£43.5 million). (Sky Sports Germany)

Conor Gallagher, a midfielder for Atletico Madrid, could be a replacement for Kobbie Mainoo, a 20-year-old international, but Manchester United also want to sign the 25-year-old. Football Insider

England defender Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United for free when his contract expires in the summer because the club hasn’t yet offered the 32-year-old a new deal. (Mail subscription required)

Samuel Omorodion, a 21-year-old porto and spain striker, has been in talks with Nottingham Forest and has previously been close to joining Chelsea. Aston Villa and Newcastle United are two other clubs interested in him. (Portuguese: A Bola)

England defender Fikayo Tomori has stated that he does not want to leave the Serie A side and is currently in talks with AC Milan about a new contract. (Romano-Fabrizio)

Jean-Philippe Mateta, 28, is reportedly interested in leaving Crystal Palace, with Tottenham, Newcastle United, and Manchester United among the options. (Caught Offside)

West Ham are interested in signing 24-year-old Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United on a season-long loan deal. (i Paper)

Borussia Dortmund may loan England international Jobe Bellingham, who they signed from Sunderland last summer. Bellingham is 20 years old. Football Insider

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US missionary abducted in Niger’s capital, State Department confirms

In the most recent kidnapping of a foreign national in Niger, the US State Department has reported that a US missionary working for an evangelical Christian organization has been abducted in Niamey.

On Wednesday, the US State Department confirmed the abduction to the AFP news agency, claiming that Niamey’s embassy was doing everything to secure the man’s safe release.

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A senior official told AFP that the victim, a 50-year-old man, was being “already on the verge of the Mali border.”

The man was a pilot for the evangelical organization Serving in Mission (SIM), according to a diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity.

More than 4, 000 people from SIM’s “global mission family, serving in more than 70 countries,” with a focus on “bringing the gospel to places where there are no, or very few Christians,” describes itself on its website.

As the victim approached the airport, the diplomat claimed three unidentified men kidnapped him in Niamey’s Plateau neighborhood. The group then made the journey to the western Tillaberi region of Niger, where al-Qaeda and armed fighters are known to operate.

The abducted man was reported to have been working in Niger since 2010 and had been abducted just a few streets from the presidential palace in central Niamey in a post on X by Wamaps, a group of journalists in West Africa. No organization claimed a ransom or was yet to be claimed for the kidnapping, according to the statement.

a number of kidnappings

Niger, a nation that has long been fighting armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL, has recently experienced a wave of kidnappings this year. After the military resurrected the country’s democratically elected government in July 2023, security threats increased.

Three months after the abduction of Austrian Eva Gretzmacher, 73, in the same city, 67-year-old Swiss woman Claudia Abbt was abducted in Agadez, three months later. neither has been made public.

According to AFP’s report, ISIL was cited as the perpetrator of the kidnappings carried out by local criminal organizations on its behalf, citing armed group observers in the area.

In addition to the abductions of foreign nationals this year, four Moroccan truck drivers were killed in January, two workers from China’s oil company were killed in February, and five technicians from Indian power companies were killed in April, according to Wamaps.

Niger is just one of the several West African nations that has fought armed conflict in Mali and Burkinabe over the past 12 years, killing thousands and causing millions to be displaced.

In an effort to maintain stability, Niger turned to Russian mercenaries as a result of its 2023 military coup, which resulted in the expulsion of US and French forces from the region.

‘Different England taught harsh and familiar lesson by Australia’

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Same outcome, different day.

There is a glimmer of hope, a slightly sluggish door, a creeping sense of “what if” lingering through the audience and the commentary box, but ultimately Australia triumph.

England’s long-awaited Ashes reunion was held at this venue since the team’s disastrous 16-0 defeat.

Given that both teams had already secured a spot in the Women’s World Cup semi-final, in some ways, this was a free hit.

England have shown throughout the tournament that this is not the same irate nation that left Melbourne Cricket Ground in February, hardly letting their rivals down, let alone a single punch, despite being far from perfect on numerous occasions.

At the beginning of the year, they engaged in something that was nothing more than a pipe dream: they once again competed against their formidable rivals in Indore.

The Australian seamers bowled too wide and lacked control in the opening eight overs, leading only Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont to win.

England were in unfamiliar territory when Alice Capsey made an inventive comeo to bring England to 244, which always felt below par, and when Lauren Bell removed Phoebe Litchfield’s off-spin with a beauty and Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry were dismissed shortly after, they were faced with a strange situation.

They won over everyone.

You can’t and won’t win a game in the face of a team of this greatness, a lineup full of stars from one to eleven and three bench members.

In Indore, England took home a valuable lesson. They appear more physically fit, appear more energetic, and appear to be a more cohesive unit willing to fight and sacrifice for everything.

You can still be outplayed despite all of that. With almost 10 overs left, you can convert a wobble into a crushing victory by taking four top-order wickets for 68 runs. Then, with the next two, you can add a chanceless 180.

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Sutherland is a sight to behold.

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Between England and Ashes vengeance, Annabel Sutherland’s main character energy ultimately stood in the way.

After collecting three single-figure scores to start the tournament, she finally decided to join the run-scoring party after taking her tally to 15 with the wickets of England’s openers and Emma Lamb.

Australia’s ruthlessness and what England need to learn from if they are to defeat their greatest rivals were the themes of the innings, which started with 112 balls and reached the middle at 24.

There is no such thing as a trend for Australia, despite England’s reliance on Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight’s recent promising returns from Jones and Beaumont.

Sutherland came up two short of a magnificent century, but Ash Gardner, her match-winning partner, delivered a brutal, counter-attacking 69-ball knock, earning her second appearance of the tournament.

Alyssa Healy, who was sidelined with a calf injury against England, has made two of her own while Beth Mooney saved them from 76-7 with a century against Pakistan.

Additionally, Alana King and Kim Garth have made significant cameos from the bottom of the scale.

Someone always rescues the player in charge, even though the lead role may change. It almost seems like they trick teams into thinking the plan will come unstuck and make them feel secure.

Middle-order confusion in England

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The middle order in England, in contrast, is much less trustworthy.

Without their contributions, the difference is stark, even though Sciver-Brunt and Knight have long been England’s glue and have long been world leaders.

Given the contradictions in her position at number seven, Capsey’s performances with the bat have been better than the numbers suggest. She has had to either try to save England from a top-order collapse or launch a first-team attack, but at Indore she showed signs of her destructive prowess with a crucial 38 that extended their lead over 240.

Charlie Dean again had the calmness to add 61 for the eighth wicket along with Capsey, but Sophia Dunkley and Lamb’s struggles are concerning.

As she nudged her way to a boundaryless 22 from 48 balls, Dunkley’s lack of intention caused Beaumont to play a careless shot off Sutherland to try to ease the pressure, which was brilliantly caught by a juggling Voll at long-off.

Lamb, who has already scored all of her runs in domestic cricket as an opener and has 36 runs in five innings, is being asked to play an unfamiliar role. She has just started playing the six-series role professionally and is out of her depth.

England got themselves stuck in the crease and looked utterly perplexed as King weaved a web of magic with her leg-spin, conceding 20 runs from her 10 overs. There was a sharp turn and she kept her grip on her control, but England never looked back and she was the catalyst of the 10-over period that set the tone of the game.

Between overs 21-30, England added 26 runs. Sutherland and Gardner crashed 77 at the same time as Australia.

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