CS News

It was an evening of breathtaking football, tension and late drama at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, on Friday, as Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC), popularly known as the Oluyole Warriors, secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bendel Insurance FC, nicknamed the Benin Arsenal, in a thrilling Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Matchday 13 encounter. In a contest that maintained a high tempo from the opening whistle to the final minutes, the home side eventually found a way past a resolute Bendel Insurance defence, with all three goals arriving towards the closing stages of the encounter. Both sides approached the fixture with determination, producing an entertaining contest characterised by intensity, tactical discipline, physical battles and attacking ambition. Shooting Stars enjoyed spells of attacking dominance, particularly in the opening half, creating opportunities that could have put them ahead much earlier. However, Bendel Insurance’s goalkeeper, Adewale Adeyinka, proved to be an enormous obstacle for the Oluyole Warriors, producing several impressive saves to keep his side in the contest. His outstanding performance between the sticks frustrated the home supporters and repeatedly denied 3SC the breakthrough they desperately sought. Even when the goalkeeper was beaten, the woodwork came to his rescue, ensuring that the first half ended goalless. The second half witnessed an even greater display of urgency from both teams, with Shooting Stars increasing their attacking pressure while Bendel Insurance remained organised and dangerous on the counter. The Benin Arsenal demonstrated why they are regarded as one of the competitive sides in the Nigerian top flight, combining defensive organisation with purposeful movement and an impressive understanding among their players. Their ability to withstand sustained pressure without abandoning their tactical structure was particularly noticeable. Despite the home side’s determination, Adeyinka continued to stand tall, making crucial interventions and giving his teammates hope of securing at least a point from the encounter. However, the deadlock was finally broken in the 84th minute when Shooting Stars’ midfield maestro, Olakunle Akala, produced a moment of brilliance to send the Adamasingba faithful into wild celebrations. The midfielder capitalised on a loose ball before unleashing a low, powerful effort that found its way past the previously outstanding Adeyinka. It was a decisive moment that rewarded the Oluyole Warriors’ persistence and attacking commitment. Akala’s strike was more than just an opening goal; it was the breakthrough that transformed the atmosphere inside the stadium and shifted the momentum firmly in favour of the hosts. With the visitors still attempting to recover from the setback, Shooting Stars delivered another devastating blow in the second minute of additional time. Qamar Adegoke, who had come on as a substitute, found the back of the net after a well-executed attacking move involving Damilola Akinola, who provided the assist. The goal appeared to have settled the contest, sending the home supporters into another round of celebrations. Qamar’s contribution underlined the importance of squad depth and the impact substitutes can make in closely contested league fixtures. Nevertheless, Bendel Insurance refused to surrender without a fight. The Benin Arsenal pulled one back through Alex Oweilayefa in the seventh minute of added time, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by the hosts. The late goal briefly reignited hopes of an unlikely comeback and introduced another layer of tension into an already dramatic encounter. However, Shooting Stars held their ground, managing the remaining moments to secure all three points. The final whistle confirmed a 2-1 victory for the Oluyole Warriors in what was undoubtedly one of the more entertaining fixtures of the matchday. Beyond the result, Bendel Insurance deserves considerable recognition for the quality of football displayed in Ibadan. Speaking with some football enthusiasts, fans and dignitaries after the encounter, the general assessment was that the Benin Arsenal possess a very good and well-drilled team capable of competing strongly against any side in the league. Their organisation, tactical awareness, discipline and collective understanding were among the qualities that attracted positive comments from spectators. Although the result did not favour the Edo State representatives, their performance suggested a team with considerable potential and the quality to challenge for important honours. Their goalkeeper, in particular, deserved special commendation for keeping the scoreline respectable for much of the encounter. For Shooting Stars, the victory represents an important boost to their NPFL campaign, taking them to seventh position with 18 points from 13 matches, while Bendel Insurance remain second with 21 points. Although the Benin Arsenal will undoubtedly rue the late collapse that cost them valuable points, their overall performance offers encouragement as the season progresses. Ultimately, Adamasingba witnessed more than just a football match; it witnessed a contest between two ambitious sides, a goalkeeper’s remarkable resistance, a midfield moment of brilliance and a late surge of attacking quality. Shooting Stars claimed the victory, but Bendel Insurance left Ibadan with their reputation as a formidable and well-organised side very much intact. By: CS News

By CS News. Prospective pilgrims from Singapore planning to perform the 2027 Haj will have more travel packages to choose from, following an announcement by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). In a media statement issued on November 5, MUIS disclosed that it had appointed 10 authorised travel agents to offer 37 approved Haj 2027 travel packages, an increase from the 25 packages approved in 2026. The new options include an 18-day itinerary, alongside existing 23-day, 25-day and 28-day packages. The shorter option is designed to provide greater flexibility for people balancing work, family and other personal commitments. MUIS said the expanded package options were intended to make the Singapore Haj pilgrimage 2027 more accessible to a wider segment of the community while accommodating different needs and circumstances. Singapore has been allocated 900 places for the 2027 Haj by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. The 900 prospective pilgrims are expected to begin receiving their letters of offer through SMS and email from November 16. Successful applicants must retrieve their offer letters through the MyHajSG portal, purchase an approved package from an authorised travel agent and complete the required procedures by November 30. The approved packages range from $13,864 to $21,199, depending on the duration of the trip and room-sharing arrangements. The prices include services such as accommodation arrangements during the peak pilgrimage days, transportation, meals, crowd management, safety provisions and medical services. However, the package prices exclude airfare on Saudia Airlines, estimated at around $3,300 for an economy ticket before taxes, as well as emergency medical assistance coverage costing $295. MUIS has advised prospective pilgrims to consider additional travel insurance and warned them against unauthorised operators or claims of guaranteed Haj visas outside official channels.

A public road is a shared public space. Muslims, Christians, traditionalists, atheists and agnostics all have the right to use it, and no religious group has the right to prevent others from using a major public road unnecessarily. It has been observed that in some communities, worshippers obstruct roads and cause unnecessary hardship to road users, a practice that sometimes happens around Muslim places of worship and also occurs in some Christian communities. Whether it happens more among Muslims or Christians is not the issue, the practice is wrong regardless of who does it, and in a multi religious country like Nigeria, public roads belong to all citizens irrespective of religious affiliation. A recent video showing a lady expressing anger over Muslims obstructing a road prompted this message to her and to others who may have experienced similar obstruction, whether on Fridays or during Ramadan, do not blame Islam for poor logistical planning by mosque leaders. Islam does not permit Muslims to unnecessarily obstruct public roads or cause avoidable hardship to others, since people have appointments, businesses, emergencies and livelihoods to attend to and should not be kept captive because others are worshipping, particularly those who do not even share the faith. Mosque leaders should therefore plan adequately for large congregations, and where a mosque is too small, arrangements should be made for additional space without unnecessarily blocking major public roads, particularly where road users have no reasonable alternative route. Mosques with limited space should consider expansion, while those planning new mosques should think ahead about future growth and provide adequate space for worshippers from the outset. Mosques are places of worship and roads are public infrastructure, and major public roads should not be turned into worship centres that inflict avoidable hardship on other citizens who have every right to move freely. Some non Muslims have mistakenly assumed that road obstruction during Muslim worship is a fundamental feature of Islam, but it is not. This misunderstanding has even surfaced in recent discussions around a proposed government bill on preaching in public vehicles, with some Christians citing road obstruction by Muslim worshippers as grounds for government to also restrict such practices, an argument that should not be necessary in the first place, since road obstruction is not a teaching of Islam and should not be defended simply because those involved are Muslims. At the same time, this issue should be addressed with wisdom. Fighting worshippers or verbally abusing them for road obstruction will only make matters worse, whereas polite engagement with the leaders of affected religious centres, alongside appropriate intervention by relevant authorities, can achieve far more lasting results. Muslims building new mosques should have a clear plan for future expansion from the outset, so that today’s congregation does not become tomorrow’s road obstruction. The principle remains simple, worship freely, but respect the rights of others, because no religion has a monopoly on public roads. By Abdul-Ganiyy Raji, National Da’wah Officer, NASFAT

By CS News. A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has convicted and sentenced 10 persons to various prison terms for illegal dealing in petroleum products. Justice H.A. Nganjiwa delivered the judgment on Friday, November 6, 2026, following the arraignment of the defendants by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The convicts are James Terry, Gift Ezewu Godfrey, Obidi Peter Obi, Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo, Victor Edem and Sunday Ndem Eyere. They were arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products. The charge against one of the defendants, Victor Edem Udo, alleged that he dealt in Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) that was not of the quality expected of the product at Koko, Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, on August 8, 2026. All the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, to urge the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. In his judgment, Justice Nganjiwa sentenced James Terry and Gift Ezewu Godfrey to two years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a N300,000 fine. Obidi Peter Obi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo and Victor Edem received three-year prison terms each, with an option of a N300,000 fine. Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a N350,000 fine, while Sunday Ndem Eyere received three years’ imprisonment or a N400,000 fine. The EFCC said the defendants’ arrest followed intelligence from the Office of the National Security Adviser concerning their suspicious activities in Koko, Delta State. They were subsequently investigated and prosecuted.

By CS News The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigations into the alleged diversion of N515 million from a customer’s account by Obinna Nwaobi, a former Head of Operations of a new-generation bank. The investigation is being handled by the Commission’s Enugu Zonal Directorate following a petition dated June 22, 2026, submitted by the bank against the former banker. The petition alleged that funds belonging to DAHUA Paper Company were transferred from its Debt Service Reserve Account (DSRA) without authorisation. According to the petition, the EFCC N515 million diversion investigation concerns three transactions of N200 million, N150 million and N165 million, allegedly carried out on July 17, 2024. The bank alleged that the account had been reactivated in June 2024 but was not placed on Post No Debit (PND), as required. It further claimed that the transactions were processed through its Okpara Avenue Branch in Enugu using forged documents and were allegedly authorised by Nwaobi. Preliminary investigations by the EFCC reportedly revealed that the account was a Bank of Industry loan repayment account, which was not ordinarily accessible for customer withdrawals or transfers to third parties without the approval of the Account Officer, Regional Manager and Credit Monitoring Team. The Commission further stated that the transactions were allegedly carried out with forged documents and authorised by the suspect, who was serving as Head of Operations at the time. Nwaobi is also standing trial before a Federal High Court in Enugu over an alleged unauthorised withdrawal and diversion of $510,000 belonging to another customer of the same bank, Lantern Gate Nigeria Limited. He was arraigned on a nine-count charge bordering on forgery and criminal diversion in November 2025. The EFCC said the suspect would be charged to court over the N515 million allegation upon the conclusion of investigations.