NEWS
Rivers Marathon: Fubara, Wife Dominate 30-Meter Race
Hosting the Rivers International Marathon 2024, was with the objective of opening up the state’s economy to global investment opportunities.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, made the assertion on Saturday, in Port Harcourt, during the closing ceremony and presentation of prizes and medals to the winners of Rivers International Marathon 2024, themed ‘Power On, Conquer the Distance’, which took place at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium.
According to Gov Fubara, his administration overcame lots of challenges to achieve the feat.
Biztellers reports that Gov Fubara and his wife, Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, dominated the 30-meter race by clinching first and second places respectively.
He expressed his administration’s commitment to youth development, which would be marked by expanding the space and exposing them to a variety of sporting activities to groom potential talents for excellence and attainment of their aspirations.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi detailed these in a statement he issued on Saturday.
The governor expressed delight that the event, the first of its kind was successfully hosted by the state, even though it was initially difficult, to reconcile the position of the organisers and the sponsors on its importance, objectives and how to make it glamorous.
He said, “When we started the planning, we had a lot of issues but somehow along the way, we finally agreed and resolved all the bottlenecks, challenges more especially, finances to host this event.
“But, I can say, on our part as a government and also as host of an event that has never taken place in Rivers State before, we were a bit far on our part from the organisers. This is because all they were saying was that if I could liken it to anything, the cost could even help me renovate a school.
“So, I asked, why should I spend such money for just a marathon? But they convinced us that this event would open the doors economically to the world and for Rivers State. And for that reason, we gave them all the support that was needed for it to be a success. And I can say to the glory of God that I am happy that we are here today witnessing it live and direct.”
The governor indicated that there would likely be a second edition, which would be better than the first because detected mistakes would be corrected.
Congratulating the winners of the competition, he assured that his administration would sustain support for all youths who want to explore their sporting talents in the state and help them to blossom.
“Let me also say that, we might not have gotten it very, very right in this first one because it is the first.
“I strongly believe that when we are going to host the second one, most of our mistakes, most of the areas that we did not consider, we will consider them and make the second event a more glamorous one that will be better than this.
“For us as a government, we know the importance of sports. We know that sports and youth development go together. For that reason, we are not going to joke about the aspect of youth development. We are not going to joke in the aspect of sports development,” Gov Fubara stated.
Gov Fubara also commended the Commissioner of Sports, Christopher Green, for his leadership in the ministry which had led to the state winning lots of trophies during his tenure.
He said such winning, on the side of women’s teams and the side of the male teams, clearly showed that so much has been done right to place the sports sector on a good footing in the state.
He said, “So, I want to commend the Commissioner, continue to do what you know how to do best. We didn’t bring you here for nothing, we know that you are a man who has made his name in the sports industry, continue to make us proud.”
He decorated the winners with their medals and presented them with their prizes while also announcing N5 million apiece to each of the first-place winners as support from the state government.
Gov Fubara announced a complimentary monetary award of N1 million to the athletes in the first 20 places behind the gold medal winners as an encouragement to them.
He expressed optimism that it would motivate others to consider joining the competition in the future.
Interestingly, in the 30-meter race, Gov Fubara emerged the winner and had his medal presented to him by the Chairman, Governing Council of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka.
The wife of the governor, Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, won second place in the 30-meter race and had her medal presented to her by the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu.
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
READ MORE: Tinubu Urges Stakeholders To Join Forces To Restart Oil Production In Ogoniland
They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
READ MORE: How Trump Plans To Grow American Economy By $1 Trillion Daily
The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
READ MORE: Thisday Awards: Diana Ross Arrives In Nigeria
The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
2Baba Disowns Divorce Announcement, Says Account Was Hacked
Shock As 2Baba Announces Separation From Wife, Annie Idibia
AC Milan Pull Off Thrilling Injury-Time Comeback To Beat Parma 3-2
Kano Businessman’s Daughter Kidnapped After ₦8m Ransom Payment
Colombia Blocks US Deportation Flights Over Migrant Treatment
Buhari Calls For Transparency Ahead Of Katsina LG Elections
OSSG Raises Alarm Over Murder Plot By APC Chieftain
NCC, SMEDAN, NAICOM, SEC, Others Set for SUPERNEWS SMEs Conf June 13
Sahara’s Tonye Cole resigns from GPHCDA
Niger Delta Avengers: President Buhari Reads riot Act …considers the carrot and stick option
Oando opens ultra-modern petrol station in Lagos
