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EPL: Manchester City Trash Liverpool 4-1 At Etihad

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Manchester City maintained the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal by shrugging off the absence of the injured Erling Haaland to outclass Liverpool with a magnificent display at Etihad Stadium.

City’s 42-goal striker was ruled out with a groin injury, but Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions demonstrated their all-round strength by coming from a goal down against a Liverpool side who have made life so difficult for them in the past, to run out convincing winners.

Liverpool caught City with a counter-attack after 17 minutes to take the lead, Diogo Jota making the break before Mohamed Salah applied a thumping finish.

City responded in devastating fashion with the outstanding Jack Grealish, who made a crucial intervention on Salah when Liverpool had the chance to double their lead, crossing for Julian Alvarez to equalise after 27 minutes.

Alvarez was the creator as City went ahead 53 seconds after the break, his raking pass finding Riyad Mahrez, who crossed for Kevin de Bruyne to slide home from close range.

John Stones delivered a masterclass in an unaccustomed role which saw him advance into midfield but also drop back into defence when required, and with City in total control Ilkay Gundogan added the third after a goalmouth skirmish.

Grealish deserved a goal and it duly arrived in the 74th minute when he timed his arrival perfectly to turn in De Bruyne’s cross as Liverpool ended beaten and bedraggled.

When Grealish was substituted to a standing ovation late on, he fully deserved the accolade after a performance of the highest class.

The 27-year-old England winger tormented Trent Alexander-Arnold, delivered an equaliser on a plate for Alvarez and then scored the fourth goal that gave the scoreline a more accurate reflection of City’s supremacy over Liverpool.

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Among all of his contributions, the lung-busting run to chase back and block Salah as the Egyptian raced clear with the option of setting up Jota was vital. Seconds later he was playing in Alavarez and City were level.

Grealish has grown into his role at Manchester City and clearly has the faith of his manager, who embraced him in a bear hug as he left the field.

Even stripped of Haaland, City were scintillating and gave a graphic demonstration of the gap that has opened up between them and Liverpool, who have been the only side to provide them with serious opposition in the title race in recent years.

The stylish performance of Stones, spending time breaking up attacks and spraying passes around in midfield to show what a naturally gifted footballer he is, showed that Guardiola’s side have many strings to their bow and this was a huge reminder to Arsenal that they will not give up their title without a fight.

Liverpool have been the shadow on Manchester City’s shoulder in the title races of recent times – now they are simply a shadow of the side that chased a historic quadruple last season.

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NDLEA laments high intake of cannabis, loud in Oyo

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The Narcotics Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Oyo State Command, Mr Olayinka Joe-Fadile, has expressed worry over the high intake of illicit drugs in the state.

Joe- Fadile made the observation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Abeokuta at the sidelines of the “Public Destruction of Drug Exhibits” held at Ipara town, Ogun, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Way.

According to him, the high consumption of Cannabis Sativa in the state which has metamorphosed into loud with different strains like Scottish Loud, Canadian Loud, Arizona Loud among others is worrisome.

“These loud drug are even expensive and more dangerous than Cannabis Sativa,” he said.

He said that the illicit substance killed gradually and painfully.

Joe- Fadile said “I am using this medium to appeal to the youths, who will become the country’s future leaders, to stay away from drugs.

“You may think the drug is giving you inspiration now, but it will eventually kill slowly and painfully.”

He reiterated that the Command had cordial relationship with all security agencies saying the 1.6 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs destroyed was possible because of joint efforts.

“Each command used to burn its exhibits separately; that is, Oyo state Command will burn its exhibits separately, Lagos will do same, Ogun will do the same.

“But the three states and some strategic commands, shared under Zones 9 and 11, came together today to perform the task jointly.

“The Zones comprised Lagos Strategic Command, Ogun Command, Oyo State command, Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command, Lagos Seaports Idiroko Border Command and Seme Command.” (NAN)

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Agribusiness : FG denies exclusion of North-East from SAPZ programme

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The Federal Government said the statement by the National Assembly North – East Caucus that its zone was ” completely excluded” from the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) programme was not correct.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, stated this on Saturday in Abuja, while responding to the National Assembly North – East Caucus statement.

Kyari said that the Caucus in a statement had said that the North East was “completely excluded” from the SAPZ initiative.

The SAPZ is part of a strategic initiative of the Federal Government aimed at promoting agricultural industrialisation.

He said that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu has recognised the absolute need to avoid exclusion because one of the agenda is ‘Inclusivity’

Kyari said this was to ensure that all segments of the country and all relevant stakeholders and groupings were carried along in the design and implementation of government programmes.
He said that the SAPZ programme was inaugurated in 2022 based on its conceptual design of Phase 1 in 2019.

Kyari said that the project is a Federal Government enabled initiative with subscription by the State Governments of the Federation.

” All state Governments are expected to individually express Interest in the programme.

” For clarity the following steps were taken to arrive at the programme as it is today:The selection Process.

” In 2019, each state governor was notified in writing to express interest with an attached eligibility criteria that will enable them to participate in phase 1 of the programme,” he said.

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He explained that upon receipt of their expression of interest, a joint team comprising the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Finance, the African Development bank conducted a mission to each of the states to verify the fulfillment of the eligibility criteria as a selection process.

” This stage got eight States that qualified namely,Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Imo, Cross River, and FCT.

” However, upon the assumption of office by this administration, we reviewed development potential of this programme under the renewed hope agenda of Mr President and decided that no state will be left behind,” he said.

He said Vice – President Kashim Shettima’s first international mission was to Rome, Food System summit where he galvanised more funding to enable us take more states.

” He embarked on a second mission to the World Food Price meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. where he obtained a commitment of 1 billion dollars from the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the sole purpose of bringing on board more states,” he said.

Kyari further explained that SAPZ is a Subsidiary Loan Agreement Programme which meant that the Federal Government onboards the obtained loans to the state for the implementation of the programme.

” Considering this is a loan, it is solely the discretion of the state to participate or not, and we have cases where states have not expressed interest,” he said.

He said that the overall policy directive of President Tinubu was that all States must be brought on board adding that this would be in phases.

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” We are convinced that as other states see the actuality of this project, they get more interested and therefore express their interest in being the first stage of being onboarded.

” Perhaps, this is the case with the North East Caucus seeing two landmark events being held back-to-back in Kaduna and Cross River,” he said.

The minister said that the phase 2 of the programme had already commenced in earnest.

” I have personally communicated to all the states that are not in phase 1 in written notifying them of the programme and to express interest.

” We have received Expression of Interests from 27 States but only 10 States fully complied with the eligibility criteria which includes Gombe, Borno and Bauchi States for the first tranche of phase 2 as they will be 3 tranches of onboarding states in the phase two,”he said.

Kyari expressed confident that more States would do the needful to fulfill the eligibility criteria to enable government capture them in the second tranche funding of phase 2.

” I therefore also want to appeal to the legislators especially the North East NASS Caucus to appeal to the other Governors u of Taraba, Yobe and Adamawa to reinvigorate their interest in the programme and to ensure they fulfil the eligibility criteria for the second phase,” he said.

He said that beyond the SAPZ Programme, the Federal Government had continued to provide targeted support for farmers in the North-East and across the country.

” We will continue to listen; and we’ve heard the statements of the representatives of the North East and we assure you all that the SAPZ Programme is for all Nigerians and each and every State of the Federation will be brought on board,” he said. (NAN)

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NDLEA interdicts Malaysian returnee with meth consignment concealed in music speakers

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 41-year-old ex-convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu (aka Richard) with two giant music speakers used to conceal four large parcels of methamphetamine.

The methamphetamine weighing 2.700kilograms for distribution in Yola and Mubi, Adamawa state, and across the border into Cameroon.

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday via the agency’s X handle.

Mr Babafemi said Ndubuisi was arrested inside a commercial transport bus at an NDLEA check point at Namtari along Ngurore -Yola road, Adamawa on Monday 7th April 2025.

“He was found with two new music speakers used to conceal four packages of methamphetamine and monetary exhibit of N22,300.

“In his statement, he claimed he returned to Nigeria to continue his illicit drug trade after serving out his jail term in Malaysia where he had been arrested, convicted and sent to prison for drug trafficking offences”, he said.

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