Dozie Info

 The draw for the quarterfinals of this season's Europa League was conducted Friday, with a quartet of intriguing fixtures coming out of the pot. One matchup particularly stands out as a contest that would be fitting of the tournament's showpiece match. Here's how the draw played out in full: Napoli vs. Arsenal Villarreal vs. Valencia Benfica vs. Eintracht Frankfurt Slavia Prague vs. Chelsea  The bracket was also mapped out for the semifinals of the competition, and breaks down as follows: Winner of Napoli-Arsenal vs. winner of Villarreal-Valencia Winner of Benfica-Eintracht vs. winner of Slavia Prague-Chelsea  The first legs of the respective quarterfinal ties will take place on April 11, with the decisive second legs slated for April 18.

 At least eight children have died and many more are feared trapped after a building containing a school collapsed in the Nigerian city of Lagos.  The school, which was on the top floor of the three-storey building, in Ita Faji on Lagos Island, reportedly had more than 100 pupils.  Images from the scene showed rescuers searching through piles of broken concrete and twisted metal.  The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.  The collapsed building was a residential block containing a number of apartments as well as the school, residents and rescue officials at the scene told.  Emergency teams pulled several injured children from the rubble, but many worried parents have arrived at the scene while others have gone to a local hospital to look for their children.

  Zinedine Zidane has returned as Real Madrid manager just 10 months after leaving the Spanish giants.  The Frenchman replaces Santiago Solari, who was in charge for less than five months. Zidane  Former Real midfielder Zidane, 46, who left in May after leading the club to a third straight Champions League trophy, has agreed to take over until 2022, the club announced.  Real are currently third in La Liga, 12 points behind leaders Barcelona.  Solari was sacked after a 4-1 win over Real Valladolid on Sunday - which followed a shock Champions League exit to Ajax.  That 4-1 home defeat and 5-3 aggregate loss to the Dutch side was the final straw for Real president Florentino Perez.

  Two persons were feared killed and another one critically injured Saturday at Oba Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government when political thugs engaged security men in gun battle at Oba Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government area, Ondo State.  Sequel to the disturbance, three vehicles including police van were vandalised by thugs just as a major beer depot was razed by irate youths.  A source said the crisis started when suspected thugs came to attack the collation centre for Akoko South West Constituency II.  According to the source, the thugs announced their arrival at the collation centre located within a primary school with sporadic gun shots.  Security operatives including soldiers were said to have repelled the assailant while officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quickly lied down as a safety measure.

  For the first time since May 2015 – a run stretching 46 months – Real Madrid is out of the Champions League.  Not since the semifinal against Juventus four seasons ago has Real tasted the bitterness of elimination from Europe's premier club competition.  This time, on an enthralling evening in the Spanish capital, it was Ajax which put Real to the sword, scoring four stunning goals – the third awarded after an agonizing four-minute wait for VAR – to stun the reigning champion 4-1 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate.  When the Bernabeu floodlights come on and the Champions League anthem plays, this team has -- at times in recent years -- felt unbeatable.  Real's season has now crumbled, the last trophy available to win this season evaporated from its grasp on a humiliating night on home soil

  Babalele Abdullahi, an associate of Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been released by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Abdullahi   Abdullahi is Atiku’s son in-law and Finance Director of companies owned by the Wazirin Adamawa. Segun Sowunmi, Atiku’s spokesman, confirmed the development Tuesday morning on Twitter. EFCC Arrests Atiku Campaign Deputy DG, Tanimu Turaki EFCC had on Monday said it had begun investigation of alleged money-laundering against Abdullahi. He declined to disclose the figure involved in the laundering allegation against Abdullahi.

  The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday night, said the Deputy Director General (Admin) of Akitu Campaign Organization, Barr. Tanimu Turaki SAN, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC). PDP warned that Turaki should be released immediately and unconditionally. Tanimu Turaki   It reads "Since the people candidate, Akitu Abubakar and the PDP expressed our unwavering determination to reclaim our victory at the tribunal, being armed with overwhelming evidence, our leaders have been subjected to escalated harassments, constant threats, blackmails, cajoling and contrivance by the APC to drop our legal option".  "It is instructive to state that Tanimu Turaki was arrested and detained upon invitation by the EFCC to endorse a ball document for the Finance Director of Akitu Abubakar's company, Babalele Abdullahi, who was arrested earlier by the commission over flimsy allegations. "The PDP, however, states in clear terms tha

  Following the collation of results of the 23 February election the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate and incumbent president,  Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the 2019  Presidential election on Wednesday. Buhari   Buhari defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and other presidential candidates with over 15,191,847 votes, winning in 19 of the states.

 Lassana Diarra is a free agent after coming to an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to end his contract early.  Diarra was a surprise signing for PSG last January and made 10 appearances as Unai Emery's side romped to the Ligue 1 title. Diarra  But under Emery's successor Thomas Tuchel he has played a minimal role, with only three league appearances this term.  Diarra's contract was set to expire at the end of the season but the former France international was let go on Thursday.  "The club thanks Lassana for his professionalism throughout his time at Paris Saint-Germain and wishes him well for the next steps in his career," said a brief PSG statement.  Diarra, whose former clubs include Chelsea, Real Madrid and Marseille, will be 34 in March.

 The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has pledged automatic employment to members of the National Youth Sevice Corps, NYSC, who are outstanding during the general elections, starting from Saturday.  INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu gave the assurance during a briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.  Answering questions on the welfare of corps members seen sleeping on the floor the night before the the postponed elections, Yakubu assured that the welfare of NYSC Corps members would be adequately taken care of during the conduct of the elections.  He said: “The youth corps members are among the most educated, most reliable, most patriotic, and most readily available ad-hoc staff we have… so we don’t joke with the wellbeing of corps members.  “Arising from my interaction with DG NYSC yesterday, they are looking at how they can mobilise mattresses, used by the youth corps members in camp to places where the youth corps members are going to stay the night so that the layover

  Manchester City have made inroads into China with the City Football Group (CFG) acquisition of third-tire club Sichuan Jiuniu.  CFG, which owns the Premier League champions, has bought the Chengdu-based side as part of a joint-purchase deal involving China Sports Capital and robotics firm UBTECH.  City chief executive Ferran Soriano said in a statement "Today marks an exciting new chapter in the growth of City Football Group. China is an extremely important football market, which we have been focused on for some time.  Sichuan Jiuniu become the seventh club to join CFG's global conglomerate.  Alongside Premier League champions City, CFG also controls Melbourne City, New York City and Club Atletico Torque of Uruguay, while it has invested in Girona and Yokohama F. Marinos. China Sports Capital has held shares in CFG since December 2015, while UBTECH has been one of City's commercial partners since 2016.

  Suspected gunmen have, Monday, shot dead, four officers of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Ondo state.  Report indicate that the assailants were suspected drug dealers.   The officers were said to have been conducting a stop and search on some vehicles along Owo/Ifon axis of the old Benin road when the assailants, said to have sped towards them on three motor bikes, and shot them dead at a very close range.   The gunmen were also said to have set ablaze the Hilux Van belonging to the officers. They equally carted away their riffles and some other belongings while villagers scampered for safety.  Confirming the development, the Ondo state commandant of the NDLEA, Haruna Dagara, said the corpses of the officers had been recovered from the scene. He also said that the agency will collaborate with sister security agencies to launch an investigation into the incident.

  Armed robbers on Sunday night killed the manager of a hotel belonging to Nigeria’s ex-international footballer, Osaze Odemwingie, located at Erediauwa Street off Upper Sakponba road in Benin-city.  The Hotel Manager, Osato Okunkpolo is married to a Journalist, Anita and works for a local tabloid in Bénin City.  Sources at the hotel said the robbers gained access to the hotel at about 9pm and shot Okunkpola dead instantly.  But Edo Police spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, said Okunkpolo was hit by a bullet in a shoot-out between two rival cult groups.  DSP Nwabuzor said members of Eiye and Aye engaged in a shoot-out in the area on Sunday night.

  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that its decision to postpone the general election few hours to the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for February 16, was not politically motivated.   The electoral body had in the early hours of Saturday announced its decision to reschedule the 2019 general election by one week, with Presidential and National Assembly earlier scheduled for February 16 moved to February 23, while Governorship, State Assembly and FCT Area Council elections scheduled for March 2 would now hold on Saturday, March 9.   The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while addressing a press conference immediately after meeting with stakeholders on Saturday, said that the one week postponement was a painful one but necessary in the overall interest of the nation’s democracy.

  Pelé led the tributes from around the world on Tuesday after the death of Gordon Banks, widely regarded as England’s greatest ever goalkeeper and a key member of the 1966 World Cup winning side. Gordon and Pele  The Brazil forward’s name will be forever linked with that of Banks as a result of one of the 1970 World Cup’s most memorable moments, with Pelé generously suggesting he is happy the goalkeeper kept out his famous header because it led to a subsequent friendship.  “I have great sadness in my heart today and I send condolences to the family Gordon was so proud of,” Pelé said. “I scored many goals in my life but people always like to ask about the one I didn’t score, because of that save. While it was indeed phenomenal my memory of Gordon is not defined by that but his friendship. He was a kind, warm man who gave so much to people. I am glad he saved my header because it was the start of a friendship I will always treasure. Whenever we met it was like we had never been