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Lookman hits brace, Osimhen scores as Eagles trounce Benin Republic in AFCON qualifier opener

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Ademola Lookman scored once in each half as the Super Eagles of Nigeria defeated Benin Republic 3-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 qualifying encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium on Saturday.

The Atalanta winger punished a sleeping Benin defence and was joined on the scoresheet by Victor Osimhen who was a second-half substitute.

The victory is revenge for a 2-1 reversal suffered by the Eagles in Abidjan as interim coach Austin Eguavoen started Nigeria on a good path to Morocco 2025 qualification.

The Super Eagles created the better openings but a combination of wasteful finishing and good goalkeeping denied Nigeria.

Victor Boniface could not find the target when found from corner kick deliveries while Samuel Chukwueze’s free-kick was pushed over the bar by Marcel Dandjinou, Benin’s goalkeeper.

Dandjinou also saved at the feet of Boniface after good work from Lookman on the wing before the Atalanta winger would eventually break the deadlock on the stroke of halftime.

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Lookman pounced on a loose ball and dribbled his way into the box before slotting into the bottom corner to ensure Nigeria went into the break 1-0 ahead.

The attacker failed to double the lead after the interval as he could not get a shot away despite dribbling the goalkeeper and the visitors almost made Nigeria pay for the missed chance.

Nwabali, who had expertly tipped a free-kick around the post in the first period, was however on hand to prevent Gernot Rohr’s side from taking the lead with two quick saves to deny Steve Mounie.

The striker’s fierce shot was stopped before another strike was easily gathered by the Chippa United goalkeeper.

A flurry of changes included Osimhen and the crowd favourite did not disappoint. The Galatasaray striker scored a volley into the net for 2-0 to end a six-game drought with the national team.

Lookam completed his brace on 85 minutes to seal the well-deserved win. Nigeria top Group D of the AFCON qualifiers with all three points from the first match of the series, while Benin Rebuplic are rooted to the bottom.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

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Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

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“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: 2027: S’West ADC leaders revolt against Atiku

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1. Many leaders of the African Democratic Congress in the South-West have expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the marginalisation of the party’s structure in the region by the ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The ADC leaders, including some state chairmen and governorship candidates, alleged that Atiku had been conducting his political activities in the region through his friends and allies, while leaving the party structure sidelined as presidential campaign activities prepared to gather momentum.

2. A United States federal court has rejected an attempt to obtain discovery from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and DCI Group in an ongoing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

3. The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Bello, has confirmed the “rescue of three of the six Islamic clerics kidnapped on September 12 while travelling to Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.” Bello gave the confirmation in an interview with select reporters in Gusau. He said the rescue followed a multi-agency collaboration and seamless synergy between the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, the Department of State Services, DSS, and police operatives.

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4. The Grand Patron of the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, have set a target of at least 1.5 million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. According to a statement, the target was announced on Saturday in Osogbo during the inauguration of the movement’s state and local government structures.

5. Nigerians lose no less than N75bn annually to visa application expenses across foreign missions, with rejected Schengen visa applications alone accounting for an estimated €11.5m, equivalent to about N19bn in 2025.
This is according to a visa-cost analysis report obtained by Sunday PUNCH from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

6. With one accord, the governors of Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi, and Anambra States yesterday urged the people of the Southeast to avoid political distractions, and vote massively for President Bola Tinubu in next year’s presidential election. Governors Peter Mbah, Hope Uzodimma, Francis Nwifuru and Charles Soludo, said it was necessary for the zone to support Tinubu’s re-election bid to enable him consolidate the gains of his administration’s economic reforms

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7. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has said Nigeria’s security challenges predate the administration of President Bola Tinubu, noting that terrorism, insurgency and banditry had been entrenched in the country before 2023 when Tinubu assumed office. He said the country’s security problems were rooted in years of porous borders, illegal arms proliferation, youth unemployment and the spread of extremist ideologies.

8. Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike has directed supporters of President Bola Tinubu to deliver their polling unit in the forthcoming 2027 general elections. Addressing the supporters, Wike framed the upcoming general elections as a critical opportunity for residents of the nation’s capital to rectify past electoral missteps and unite under a strategic development banner.

9. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has removed the name of the Kano State governorship candidate of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, from its updated list of candidates for the 2027 general elections. A check on the commission’s website shows that the names of Gwarzo and his deputy were conspicuously missing from the updated list.

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10. Four young men have been arrested by the Bauchi State Police Command for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a 12-year-old girl in Sakwa District, Zaki Local Government Area of the state. The suspects were arrested following a complaint by the victim’s 50-year-old father, who reported the incident at the Sakwa Divisional Police Headquarters on Thursday.

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Atiku’s son Abba Abubakar promises to deliver Adamawa for Tinubu

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Abba Abubakar, son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has promised to deliver Adamawa, his father’s state, for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

He spoke on Friday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat in Abuja during the Haske Bola Tinubu Organisation (HBTO) unveiling and the launch of its subsidised public transportation support scheme.

Abubakar, HBTO founder, said his decision to back Tinubu is not an attempt to antagonise his father, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate.

“I recognise that political decisions, particularly those that differ from the positions of individuals with whom one shares personal and family relationships, often attract considerable public attention,” he said.

“However, political conviction is a matter of personal judgment, conscience, and the freedom of every individual to make independent choices.

“My decision to establish and lead the HBTO is a deliberate political choice made with a firm belief in the direction we have chosen.”

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He said democracy is strengthened when individuals can make independent political choices, engage in constructive dialogue, and support the leadership and political platforms they believe best represent their aspirations.

“It is within this spirit that HBTO was established,” he said.

He commended the economic reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), national infrastructure investments, increased statutory allocations to state governments, and transport support schemes as some of the key social intervention programmes.

Asked whether he would ensure the president gets maximum votes in Adamawa, Abubakar said: “Yes, yes, yes. We are going to deliver Adamawa state.”

He, however, said his decision should not be seen as a betrayal of his family ties or his father’s political aspiration.

“I’ve always supported my father since I started acting in politics, and I supported him because of what he has done for the country,” he said.

“But I believe that whenever a government comes out with policies that will help the people, I will join them.

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“It’s not just because it’s my father. I don’t think I am antagonising him; I simply believe in the current government’s policies and the reforms taking place.”

Abubakar joined the APC in January 2026, vowing to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election.

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