Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is convinced the club are on a clear path to a better future, on and off the pitch. It has been another testing week at Old Trafford. After escaping with a draw despite a woeful first 70 minutes at Everton last Saturday, 48 hours later chief executive Omar Berrada was telling staff up to 200 jobs could go in a second round of redundancies. It took a backs-to-the-wall second-half display against relegation-threatened Ipswich on Wednesday to claim a vital Premier League win after more defensive mistakes and Patrick Dorgu's red card threatened a sixth home defeat of Amorim's short reign. The Portuguese says life is "hard" just now - but remains convinced better times lie ahead. "I see a clear path, and I see that from the board also," he said in the build-up to Sunday's home FA Cup fifth-round tie against Fulham. "They are also doing difficult changes. "They are not popular but they are doing it because they have a vision. In the future we need to show some results. You can do a lot of changes but if you don't have results, people don't feel confident and happy. "The good thing is we have a clear path. Now [it] is hard but we are doing things to achieve success in the future." United's inconsistency puts even more focus on the two cup competitions they remain in - they face Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday - as it appears increasingly likely winning one of them is the only way they will qualify for European football next season. The issues he is facing are so extensive, Amorim could be forgiven for wishing he had stuck to his initial demand not to leave Sporting until the end of the season. However, he does think dealing with so many problems has made him a more rounded coach. "Better [coach] is hard to say, because I am not winning games," he said. "But in three months here, I live certain things that I think make me a more complete manager. "Sometimes you need to lose and be in a poor situation to grow. I am not going to die if I lose three games in a row. I learned that here. I can cope and maintain my energy. I am learning a lot about myself and the players - but I prefer to win games."

The Kaduna State Police Command has refuted reports of an explosion in the state on Tuesday, where two children were feared dead. Rather, the police said 12-year-old Abubakar Muhammed was killed by a discharge from a locally made firearm (Dane gun). Residents of Abakpa area of Kaduna North Local Government Area of the state, adjacent the old site of the Nigerian Defence Academy, had been sent into panic mode upon hearing what sounded like a blast. One of the residents recounted how he was gripped by fear upon hearing a loud sound. “I was taking my bath when I heard the explosion and ran out to see what had happened,” he said. “I saw one of the affected victims, Imam, and tried to take him to the hospital but he died before we got to the hospital,” he said. However, the police said preliminary investigations by the Officer in charge of the Police Anti-Bomb Squad indicated that the incident was caused by the discharge of a Dane gun, not an explosion. The police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, confirmed the incident killed one person and left seven others injured. The statement read, “On 22nd April 2025 at about 0830hrs, the Police received a distress call regarding a suspected blast in the Josawa Road area of Abakpa, Kaduna. “In response, a team of policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer, Kawo Division, was immediately dispatched to the scene. The incident claimed the life of a 12-year-old boy, identified as Abubakar Muhammed of Josawa Road. “Additionally, seven other individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries and are currently receiving medical attention. “Contrary to initial reports, experts confirmed that the incident was not an explosion. Preliminary investigations conducted by the Officer in charge of the Police Anti Bomb Squad indicate that a locally made firearm (Dane gun) was discharged, resulting in the unfortunate loss of life of the young boy.” The police further noted that it has launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances behind the incident. “The Commissioner of Police, Garrison Commander, State Director, Department of State Services (DSS) and the chairman, Kaduna North Local Government have all visited the scene and a thorough on-site assessment was carried out. “The police command assures the public that further developments will be promptly and transparently communicated. “The command extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured,” the statement added. However, residents of the area are still reeling in shock from the incident.

Continue reading

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Ikeja, said it recorded 82 interceptions, including used vehicles popularly known as Tokunbo and other contrabands worth N1.7bn within the last four weeks. The Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Kola Oladeji, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the command in Ikeja on Wednesday. He mentioned that the contrabands were intercepted within the southwestern states of Nigeria, including the Oyo and Ogun border axis, adding that six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures of the contrabands from neighbouring countries. According to Oladeji, the seized contrabands include 3,832 bags of foreign rice, equivalent to seven trailers. “Others include 27 units of used vehicles, also known as tokunbo vehicles; 494 kegs of premium motor spirit, equivalent to 14,820 litres; 27 bales of used clothing; 95 bags of charcoal; and 3,643 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, among others, which have a cumulative duty paid value of N1.7bn,” Oladeji said. The CAC pointed out that the unit recovered a total sum of N72.4m as revenue through the issuance of demand notices “as a result of the irregular declaration of consignments”. He vowed that the unit will continue to enforce the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as it relates to import and export goods to prevent revenue losses. Oladeji highlighted that the successes recorded so far were not on a platter of gold. “It took the painstaking efforts of our officers who spent hours on patrol and surveillance of our borders to achieve these seizures. Let me reiterate that we will not relent on our oars. Our resolve to tame the activities of illegal trans-border trade and other crime remains sacrosanct,” he said. According to him, the unit will continue to engage and sensitise the public on the social/economic implications of smuggling as well as perform the statutory function of enforcing compliance in line with government fiscal policy. He said that in line with the dictates of the NCS of promoting inter-agency cooperation and synergy, the seized 3,643kg of cannabis sativa will be handed over to the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency for further investigation and subsequent prosecution. Oladeji explained that the onslaught against smugglers through their operation codenamed ‘Swift Sting Operations’ trade has continued to record significant successes. “This unit has since keyed into these laudable initiatives of the CGC by collapsing some patrol teams operating within the Lagos metropolis. This is aimed at removing unnecessary trade impediments and facilitating a business-friendly environment,” he said.