Bayer Leverkusen and Nigeria striker Victor Boniface on Sunday shared video footage and photos of his smashed car after an accident.

The forward can be seen looking into the camera and then showing what appears to be his arm dripping with blood.

Other images show a black sports car which appears to have been destroyed in an accident. The post has since been deleted.

German tabloid Bild reported Sunday Boniface is “doing well considering the circumstances and is only slightly injured”, citing a source close to the striker.

Boniface wrote on social media on Sunday “god is the greatest” and “god says my time hasn’t come.”

The forward’s club Leverkusen are yet to comment publicly on the news.

The 23-year-old striker joined Leverkusen last season and played a key role as the club broke through for an unbeaten league and cup double — their first ever Bundesliga win — while receiving his debut Nigeria call-up.

This season he has seven goals in 10 games in all competitions. On Saturday, he missed a penalty but headed in the winner in a 2-1 home victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Leverkusen are away at French club Brest in the Champions League on Wednesday.

On-fire Lionel Messi on Saturday became Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer after scoring his second hat-trick of the week as the US-based club beat the New England Revolution 6-2.

With the hat trick, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner took his tally for the club to 33 goals.

Miami’s win, in their final game of the regular season, took them to 74 points – one more than the previous record, set by New England in 2021.

Messi, who came off the bench in the 58th minute and led the late flurry of goals, has now scored 20 goals in 19 appearances in MLS with his former Barcelona team-mate Suarez also notching 20, from 27 games.

The challenge of breaking the record added some spice to the final game of the regular season with Inter having already secured the Supporters’ Shield for the best record in the regular season to stamp themselves clear favourites in the MLS Cup playoffs which start next week.

Miami had trailed 2-0 before Suarez scored twice before half-time to send Gerardo Martino’s team in level at the interval.

Goals from Argentine Luca Langoni and Colombian Dylan Borrero in the 34th minute had the home crowd chanting for Messi’s introduction from the bench but it was Uruguayan Suarez who began the comeback.

A firm left-foot finish from the former Liverpool and Barcelona striker, pulled one back, after good work from David Martinez.

Then Suarez levelled with a fine solo finish, making space for himself and switching to his right foot before drilling home.

Messi, who had scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Bolivia on Tuesday, came off the bench in the 58th minute and immediately helped put the team ahead finding Jordi Alba who set up Benjamin Cremaschi for a tap-in.

New England thought they had drawn level with a goal from striker Bobby Wood but the effort was disallowed for handball following a VAR review.

Messi then made it 4-2, collecting a back-heeled pass from Suarez before brilliantly blasting into the far bottom corner.

The Argentine was on target again when he latched on to a superb pass from Jordi Alba and made no mistake and then he completed his hat-trick in the 89th minute when he met a volleyed cross from Suarez with a precise first time finish.

Messi’s three goals came within an 11-minute spell and after his two month injury absence after the Copa America he now looks back to his best.

– ‘ideal situation’ –

“I have the feeling that we have him in an ideal situation to face the most important part of the year,” said Martino.

At the post-game celebration of the Supporters Shield success, club co-owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas were joined by FIFA president Gianni Infantino who announced that the Shield had earned the team a place in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Elsewhere in the last round of the regular season in MLS, Montreal clinched a place in the playoffs with a 2-0 win over New York City.

The victory secured eighth place in the Eastern Conference and the Canadian side will play ninth-placed Atlanta United in the wildcard round on Tuesday for a chance to play Miami in the first round.

Atlanta took the final spot in the East with a 2-1 win at Orlando City.

There was a thrilling finale to the regular season in the Western Conference with the two Los Angeles clubs locked in battle for top spot and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

LAFC left the field thinking their 3-1 win over San Jose was enough to have secured the top seed with LA Galaxy losing 1-0 to Houston.

But a stoppage time penalty, converted by Gabriel Pec, looked to have secured LA Galaxy the point they needed to secure first place and left LAFC fans, in California, watching on their phones desolate.

But then in the 11th minute of stoppage time, Houston grabbed a dramatic winner with a header from Daniel Steres against his former club, meaning that LAFC snatched top seed on goal difference – by a single goal.

LAFC will face the winner of the wildcard game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers while the Galaxy will host the Colorado Rapids in the first round.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman noted that the country has recorded a drop in the performance of female students in examination. 

Mamman gave the expression at the end of a technical and vocational education training camp for girls in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.

Although he did not state the reason for the decrease in performance, however, the minister further noted that the camp would trigger female students’ interest in skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.

Mamman urged female students to show commitment to their studies.

According to him, the President Bola Tinubu-led administration was determined to produce students with both certificates and skills.

He also reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment towards providing knowledge and skill-based education for Nigerian youths.

According to him, implementing knowledge and skill-based education would promote rapid economic and industrial growth of the nation.

290 students drawn from 29 federal science technical colleges, participated in the two-week programme with the theme: “Painting for the Future”.

Addressing participants, Mamman said that the purpose of the camp was to stimulate innovative and creative abilities in female students, and to encourage healthy competition among them.

He commended the African Development Bank for partnering with the Federal Ministry of Education on the project.

In her remarks, the Commissioner for Education in Akwa Ibom, Idongesit Etiebet described the programme as timely and well-intended.

Etiebet urged the participants to take the lessons from the programme seriously, and to use it to add value to themselves in the interest of their future.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 election, Atiku Abubakar, has stated that he is preoccupied with issues affecting Nigerians.

Atiku, a former Vice President of Nigeria, accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and his collaborators of playing politics with the sufferings of Nigerians.

Atiku stated this in response to Wike, who had at an event in Rivers State, said having contested the presidential election in 2019 and 2023 as the PDP candidate and lost, Atiku has been rejected by Nigerians.

He said, “We never contested local government elections. Did we contest? Did we pick form? I hear Atiku Abubakar say, ‘Oh they have rejected me in Rivers State. Okay, assuming though not conceding, he had lost so many times, Nigerians have also rejected him.”

Reacting in a statement on Saturday, Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, noted that the former VP won’t descend into the gutters where the FCT Minister feels at home.

He stated that while Wike may seek to divert attention with his baseless rants, Nigerians must remain focused on the genuine issues affecting them.

Ibe said it is clear that Wike is more concerned with self-interest than addressing the real challenges faced by the nation.

The statement read: “Our attention has been drawn to the recent remarks made by Mr. Nyesom Wike, which can only be described as another of his theatrical outbursts. Ordinarily, we would not respond, but we recognize that silence might be misinterpreted.

“However, we remain calm, knowing that Nigerians are well acquainted with his antics, a lingering symptom of the bitterness he harbours from his defeat to the Wazirin Adamawa at the 2022 party presidential primaries.

“Mr. Wike’s comments are nothing more than a string of inanities, lacking substance and driven by personal grievances. If he truly believes Nigerians are content with the current state of affairs under the government he serves, it reveals a deeper truth: his priorities lie not with the people but with himself. This self-absorption is evident in his preoccupation with domestic affairs in Rivers rather than his ministerial responsibilities.

“While he may seek to divert attention with his baseless rants, we remain focused on the genuine issues affecting Nigerians. It is clear that Mr. Wike is more concerned with self-interest than addressing the real challenges faced by the nation. In contrast, our commitment remains unwavering, centred on the welfare and progress of the people.

“Mr. Wike appears to delight in conjuring fantasies, indulging in his imagination, and paying for live TV coverage to launch tirades against whomever he pleases. However, we shall not descend into the gutters where he feels at home. Instead, we prefer to rise above, maintaining our dignity while others revel in the mud.”

Nigeria have dispatched Ecuador in a Group A match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup to book their spot in the knockouts of the competition.

The Flamingos won the game 4-0. That victory sealed their spot in the next round of the competition having defeated New Zealand 1-4 in their first match of the tournament.

Nigeria scored once in the first half and had a hat-trick of goals upon resumption to win the game.

A brace from Shakirat Moshood – one in the 28th minute and the second in the 96th minute- saw Nigeria claim all three points in the match.

Harmony Chidi netted in the 54th minute while Peace Effiong scored in the 66 minute for the West Africans.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has blamed the most recent national grid collapse on the explosion of a transformer at the Jebba Transmission station. 

Several parts of the country were thrown into a blackout in the early hours of the day, the third time in a week.

NERC said it is concerned by the “escalating incidence of grid disturbances” which is “reversing many of the gains recently achieved in reducing infrastructure deficit and improving grid stability”.

“Initial reports on the grid disturbance that occurred this morning indicate that today’s outage was triggered by an explosion of a current transformer at the Jebba transmission station at 0815hrs and an associated cascade of power plants shut down arising from the loss of load,” the NERC said in a Saturday statement. “However, efforts to restore supply have advanced with power significantly restored, as at 1300hrs, in 33 states and the FCT.”

NERC said it is working to ensure a more “discipline in grid management and optimised investment in infrastructure”.

“In pursuit of finding a permanent resolution to the challenges of the national grid, the Commission shall shortly conduct an investigative public hearing with a view to identifying immediate and remote causes of recurring incidences of grid disturbances and widespread outages,” it said.

“The date and venue of the public hearing will shortly be announced in the national dailies and stakeholders are encouraged to participate.”

President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after spending two weeks in the United Kingdom (UK) for vacation.

The president arrived at the nation’s capital, Abuja, on Saturday evening.

Olusegun Dada, special assistant to the president on social media, announced Tinubu’s arrival in a post on his X page.

“The eagle has landed. Welcome home Mr President,” he wrote.

On October 2, the presidency announced the president’s departure from Abuja for a two-week vacation in the UK.

Ten days later, Kabir Masari, the senior special assistant on political matters to the president, said Tinubu had left the UK for France.

Tinubu has embarked on a series of trips to the UK and France since he was elected president in March 2023

On Wednesday, Vice-President Kashim Shettima also left the country for a two-day working visit to Sweden.

Nigerians have raised concerns over their absence, claiming that no one is in charge of the country’s affairs.

The presidency had stated that the absence of the country’s first and second citizens does not translate to a vacuum in the nation’s leadership.

The Federal Government has proposed a five per cent excise duty on telecommunications services, gaming, and betting activities as part of a new bill to overhaul Nigeria’s tax framework.

The bill, titled, “A Bill for an Act to Repeal Certain Acts on Taxation and Consolidate the Legal Frameworks relating to Taxation and Enact the Nigeria Tax Act to Provide for Taxation of Income, Transactions, and Instruments, and Related Matters,” was dated October 4, 2024, and obtained from the National Assembly.

An analysis of the proposed legislation on Friday showed that it seeks to introduce excise duties on services such as telecoms, gaming, gambling, lotteries, and betting provided in Nigeria.

A section of the bill read, “The amount of an excisable transaction is the amount chargeable for the service by the service provider, both in money or money’s worth.

“Services, including telecommunications, gaming, gambling, betting, and lotteries however described, provided in Nigeria shall be charged with duties of excise at the rates specified under the Tenth Schedule to this Act in a manner as may be prescribed by the Service.”

A breakdown of the excise duty structure in the bill indicates that telecoms services, including postpaid and prepaid services regulated by the Nigerian Communications Commission, will attract a five per cent duty.

The same rate will apply to gaming, gambling, betting, and lottery services.

The bill also introduces guidelines on currency transactions, specifying that any difference between the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria exchange rate and the actual transaction rate will be subject to excise duty.

The new tax regime forms part of the government’s strategy to boost non-oil revenue amidst fiscal pressures.

With rapid growth in the telecoms and betting sectors, authorities are looking to widen the revenue base.

The bill also aims to ensure that currency exchanges align with official CBN rates, with any excess payable as excise duty under a self-assessment model.

On Tuesday, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced inflation rate rose in September, ending a two-month consecutive decline.

The decline started in July when inflation rate dropped to 33.40 percent — the first drop in 19 months.

The development followed 11 consecutive increases in the monetary policy rate (MPR) — which benchmarks interest rates — by the monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to curb inflation.

It was increased from 11.5 percent to 26.25 percent between May 2022 and May 2024.

According to the NBS consumer price index (CPI), the decline extended into August, with inflation rate dropping to 32.15 percent.

However, data from the NBS showed that several factors, such as food prices and house rents, drove the inflation rate back to an upward trajectory in September, with inflation rate rising to 32.70 percent.

On a year-on-year basis, the September inflation rate is 5.98 percentage points higher than the 26.72 percent recorded in the same month in 2023.

Also, on a month-on-month basis, the inflation rate in the review period stood at 2.52 percent, which is 0.30 percent higher than the 2.22 percent recorded in August.

Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways from the report:

URBAN VS RURAL INFLATION

There is a notable difference between inflation in urban and rural areas.

Urban inflation in September 2024 was 35.13 percent, which is 6.46 percentage points higher compared to the 28.68 percent recorded in the corresponding period in 2023.

“On a month-on-month basis, the Urban inflation rate was 2.67% in September 2024, this was 0.28% points higher compared to August 2024 (2.39%),” NBS said.

“The corresponding twelve-month average for the Urban inflation rate was 33.95% in September 2024. This was 9.84% points higher compared to the 24.10% reported in September 2023.”

In the rural area, inflation was 30.49 percent last month, against the 24.94 percent recorded in September 2023 — a difference of 5.55 percentage points.

“On a month-on-month basis, the Rural inflation rate in September 2024 was 2.39%, up by 0.33% points compared to August 2024 (2.06%),” the bureau said.

“The corresponding twelve-month average for the Rural inflation rate in September 2024 was 29.76%. This was 7.97% higher compared to the 21.79% recorded in September 2023.”

FOOD INFLATION REMAINS A MAJOR CONCERN

Food inflation continues to be a critical driver of overall inflation, with the rate for September reaching 37.77 percent, up from 30.64 percent in the same month last year.

The increase in food prices is attributed to the rising cost of staples like rice, maize, beans, yam, and vegetable oil.

“The rise in Food inflation on a year-on-year basis was caused by increases in prices of the following items: Guinea Corn, Rice, Maize Grains, Beans, etc (Bread and Cereals Class),” NBS said.

“Yam, Water Yam, Cassava Tuber, etc (Potatoes, Yam & Other Tubers Class), Beer (Local and Foreign) (Tobacco Class), Lipton, Milo, Bournvita, etc (Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Class) and Vegetable Oil, Palm Oil, etc (Oil & Fats Class).”

On a month-on-month basis, food inflation also rose to 2.64 percent last month, higher than the 2.37 percent recorded in August.

RESIDENTS IN SOKOTO, GOMBE PAY MORE FOR FOOD

In September 2024, food inflation showed significant regional disparities.

On a year-on-year basis, the highest food inflation rates were recorded in Sokoto (50.47 percent), Gombe (44.09 percent), and Yobe (43.51 percent).

In contrast, Kwara (32.45 percent), Rivers (32.80 percent), and Kogi (32.83 percent) experienced the slowest year-on-year increases in food prices.

Month-on-month, Sokoto again led with the highest rise in food inflation (5.94 percent), followed by Taraba (5.76 percent) and Bayelsa (4.44 percent).

However, Kwara (0.88 percent), Cross River (1.29 percent), and Kogi (1.45 percent) saw the smallest month-on-month increases.

HOUSE RENTS, BUS FARES INCREASED

Core inflation, which excludes volatile items like food and energy, stood at 27.43 percent in September, up from 21.84 percent in the corresponding period in 2023.

The NBS report showed that the cost of rents and transportation, amongst others. is the reason for the increase.

“The highest increases were recorded in prices of the following items: Rents (Actual and Imputed Rentals for Housing Class),” the bureau said.

“Bus Journey intercity, Taxi Journey per drop, etc (under Passenger Transport by Road Class), Meal at a local Restaurant (Accommodation Service Class), Laboratory service, Consultation Fee of a medical doctor, etc (under Medical Services Class.”

On a month-on-month basis, core inflation was 2.10 percent, slightly down from 2.27 percent in August 2024.

ALL ITEMS INFLATION BY STATE

The report also highlights significant variations in all items inflation by state.

Bauchi recorded the highest inflation rate (44.83 percent), followed by Sokoto (38.74 percent) and Jigawa (38.39 percent).

In contrast, Delta (26.35 percent), Benue (26.90 percent), and Katsina (27.71 percent) experienced the slowest rise in inflation.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $100 million for the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank in Nigeria.

Akinwunmi Adesina, AfDB president, spoke on Friday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 90th birthday lecture of former head of state Yakubu Gowon.

“I am delighted to announce here today that just three days ago, the African Development Bank’s board of directors approved $100m for the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank for Nigeria,” he said.

Adesina said the initiative highlights AfDB’s commitment to supporting youths who he believes are critical to the development of the country.

The AfDB boss said the new bank will support the youths’ businesses in Nigeria using technical assistance, business incubation, quasi-equity, and debt.

Additionally, the bank will deploy guarantee instruments to de-risk the lending to the businesses by financial institutions in Nigeria.

“It will be a new day and a new dawn for Nigeria,” he added.

On June 25, 2023, Adesina said his institution was ready to establish an entrepreneurship investment bank in Nigeria.

Adesina said the establishment of such a bank is in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s plans and vision for young people in Nigeria.