News
Children’ll Be Off Streets Through Squash — Premier League Founder
By Aderonke Ojo
Connor Tuodolo, Founder of the Squash Premier League and the Beacon of Positivity Foundation (BOPF), says the initiative aims to use squash as a tool to take children off the streets.
It is also to empower them with life skills and opportunities to shape them into responsible citizens.
Tuodolo said this to newsmen at the opening of the second edition of the Squash Premier League at Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament, themed “Breeding the Next Generation of Champions”, attracted 105 young athletes from squash academies across the country.
The week-long competition, which runs from Aug. 3 to Aug. 8, features the Under-15, Under-19, senior club members and doubles categories.
According to Tuodolo, the league was established not only to produce elite squash players but also to provide young Nigerians with positive opportunities through sports.
“We want organisations that believe in youth development to join us in taking children off the streets, empowering them through sports and creating opportunities for them to become productive citizens,” he said.
He said the initiative grew from his experience as a squash player, and his conviction that Nigeria needed a sustainable grassroots platform where young athletes could develop their talents through regular training and competition.
“What keeps us going is seeing these children smile and discover their potential. That is the greatest motivation for us,” he said.
Tuodolo said the league had recorded steady growth since its inception in 2025, with participation increasing from 26 athletes in the maiden edition to 105 competitors this season.
“When we started, we had only 26 athletes. The next competition attracted 45 players, followed by about 50, then 69, and now we have 105 participants. That shows the league is growing and that there is hope for squash in Nigeria,” he said.
He explained that the organisers deliberately limited participation to squash academies to encourage coaches to establish and strengthen grassroots development programmes across the country.
According to him, the league is organised three times annually during school holidays to provide young players with regular opportunities to compete and assess their development.
Tuodolo said the competition also incorporates coaching and officiating clinics for both players and officials in order to improve participants technical knowledge and understanding of the rules of the game.
He, however, identified inadequate funding as the biggest challenge confronting the initiative.
“Our biggest challenge is funding. Although I have a committed team working with me, many of them sacrifice their personal time and resources simply because they believe in giving these children opportunities,” he said.
He added that donor support had yet to meet the financial demands of the expanding competition.
“I had hoped donor funding would cover most of our expenses, but because the platform is still developing, much of the financial responsibility falls on me. It has been difficult, but giving up is not an option,” he said.
The league founder appealed to corporate organisations, particularly those in the oil and gas sector, to partner with the organisers through sponsorship.
“My appeal is to corporate organisations to support this initiative. By doing so, they will not only sustain the league but also invest in youth development and nation-building through sports,” he said.
Tuodolo added that BOPF also carries out community outreach programmes, including free eye tests and the distribution of medicated glasses, as part of its commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable people.
He expressed optimism that with sustained support, the league would become one of Africa’s leading grassroots squash competitions.
Some of the young participants described the championship as an opportunity to pursue their sporting dreams.
15 -year-old Edna Philip from Plateau said she hoped the competition would help her realise her ambition of becoming one of the world’s best squash players.
“I have been playing squash for three years, and I hope to become one of the best squash players in the world. I am grateful to my parents and my coach for supporting me,” she said.
16-year-old Nanme Rindaps, who finished as runner-up in the previous edition, said he returned to Abuja determined to improve his performance and win the title.
“I came here to learn new techniques, improve my game and compete for victory,” he said.
Another participant, Praise Chukwuemeka, thanked her parents for supporting her sporting career, expressing confidence that competing against stronger opponents would improve her performance.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Joseph Edeh
The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the arrest of a 22-year-old man, Umar Ibrahim Gandi Maradun, over a viral video allegedly showing him calling for the use of AK-47 rifles to kill Christians in Enugu and Plateau states.
Politics Nigeria reports that the suspect, a native of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State, was arrested for investigation after the video circulated on social media and sparked concerns over religiously motivated violence.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the Force Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Ani Iniedu, said the Zamfara State Police Command had activated its intelligence resources to identify those involved in the incident.
The police also confirmed that the command had engaged the leadership of Jama’atu Izalatil Bidi’a Wa’ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) at the national and state levels following the emergence of the video.
According to the police, the organisation disassociated itself from the alleged conduct and handed the suspect over to the authorities for investigation.
The video reportedly showed the suspect wearing JIBWIS uniform and appearing alongside pupils from two Islamic schools in Maradun: Nurul Islam Islamiya and Akidatul Sahiha Islamiya.
Preliminary findings by the Zamfara State Police Command indicated that the video was recorded on Friday, October 23, 2026, while the suspect was reportedly on his way to Aliyu Ibn Abi Thalib Mosque, where he and others allegedly provided security during Friday prayers and preaching.
The suspect was born on September 15, 2004. He reportedly attended Mualledi Model Primary School and Government Day Secondary School, both in Maradun.
He also reportedly joined JIBWIS in 2025 and recently gained admission to study Mass Communication at Zamfara State University, Talata Mafara.
The police said a comprehensive investigation had commenced and that the suspect would be charged before a competent court if sufficient evidence established an offence under applicable law.
Earlier, the Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Bello, said the investigation would consider allegations of incitement to violence, disturbance of public peace and criminal intimidation under Sections 77, 78 and 380(b) of the Penal Code Law applicable in the state, subject to the evidence gathered and applicable law.
The police also condemned statements capable of promoting religious hatred, threatening community safety or undermining peaceful coexistence.
“The Zamfara State Police Command remains resolute in its duty to uphold the law, protect lives and property, defend the rights of all citizens without discrimination, and work with relevant stakeholders to sustain peace and security throughout Zamfara State,” the commissioner said.
The development comes as JIBWIS has publicly distanced itself from the video and condemned calls for violence against non-Muslims.
The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Ashiru, stated this in a statement issued at its headquarters in Jos on Tuesday.
Ashiru said the organisation had yet to establish the authenticity of the video but maintained that its position against violence was clear.
“We are yet to confirm whether the video is authentic, but our position against violence remains clear,” he said.
He added that JIBWIS, under the leadership of Ash-Sheikh Muhammad Sani Yahaya Jingir, would not support calls to attack or kill anyone because of their religious affiliation.
Ashiru said banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and Boko Haram attacks were already affecting communities across the country, warning that statements promoting violence could heighten tensions and threaten peaceful coexistence.
“We would not support any call capable of disturbing the peace of Nigeria, as such comments are capable of inciting violence and creating unnecessary tension among Nigerians,” he said.
The JIBWIS spokesperson stressed that anyone making such statements in the organisation’s name did not represent its position.
He urged security agencies to investigate the video, establish its authenticity and identify those responsible, adding that anyone found culpable should face the law after a proper investigation.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has urged members of the public to remain calm, avoid circulating unverified information and refrain from sharing the video in ways that could escalate religious tensions.
The Force reiterated its commitment to protecting Nigerians irrespective of religious affiliation and taking lawful action against conduct capable of inciting hatred or threatening public peace.
Senator Victor Umeh has accused Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo of acting out of envy and hatred towards presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr Peter Obi.
Umeh claimed that Soludo was trying to surpass Obi's political record, insisting that the former Anambra governor remained more popular than his successor in the state and across Nigeria.
The senator made the remarks on Tuesday while fielding questions on Channels Television's Politics Today programme.
Umeh, who said he attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, alongside Obi and Soludo between 1980 and 1984, suggested that their shared academic background might have contributed to what he described as peer envy.
He said, “He (Peter Obi) cannot be drawn to what is called the peer envy and hate. You know, all of us were in the university together. Myself, Soludo, Peter Obi. We were at the University of Nigeria from 1980 to 1984, all of us graduated the same day.
“So sometimes when you see people talk, they talk out of maybe peer envy. He (Soludo) is running after Peter Obi's record.”
The senator further argued that Obi remained more popular than Soludo despite the latter's position as governor of Anambra State.
“Whether he likes it or not, today, no matter what Soludo does, Peter Obi will continue to be more popular than him, both in Nigeria and in Anambra State. Go there and see,” Umeh added.
Obi served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014. Soludo became governor in 2022.
‘Envy, hate behind Soludo’s attacks on Peter Obi’ – Senator Umeh
-
News3 days agoTroops rescued 70 abductees, recovered N10 million ransom: DHQ
-
Business3 days ago
CBN grants JP Morgan approval-in-principle to set up merchant bank
-
News3 days ago
Plateau Activates Ebola Preparedness Measures, Urges Residents to Observe Safety Guidelines
-
Business3 days ago
REA Ends 16 Years of Darkness in Two Kano Communities
