The Compass

Adetoyinbo Berachah   Princess Damilola Sonayon James, the Lagos State APC Deputy Governorship Candidate for 2027, attended the Lagos Campus Fitness Tour at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) Ikorodu Campus, rallying students and community members around youth wellness and productivity. Speaking as the central figure of the event powered by New Generation, James reaffirmed the government's commitment to youth development and tertiary institution engagement.  She emphasized that maintaining physical fitness is an essential foundation for academic excellence, personal growth, and effective leadership in Lagos State. The morning event, themed "Keep Fit for Lagos" with the slogan "Healthy Youth; Productive Future," kicked off at 7:00 a.m. with guided exercise sessions and wellness activities.  Joining her on-site were key university leaders, including Director of Information Mr. Lanre Kuye, Dean of Student Affair...

Future Eagles End First Stage with Draw Against Pakistan By Irikefe Oghenetega Victor  N igeria’s Future Eagles finished the first stage of the 2026 FIFA U-15 World Cup and Festival with a 1-1 draw against Pakistan in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday. Pakistan took the lead in the 21st minute through Kaleemulah before Timothy Ijach equalised four minutes later to restore parity. Neither side could find a winner as the match ended in a stalemate. The result left Nigeria with seven points from five matches in Group AD, recording one win and four draws. The Future Eagles began their campaign with draws against South Sudan (3-3), Jordan (2-2) and The Gambia (3-3), before securing a 2-1 comeback victory over Cyprus earlier on Monday. Nigeria finished third in the group behind Cyprus and South Sudan, who collected more wins. By placing third, the Future Eagles advanced to Tier C of the tournament phase, where all 32 third-placed teams from the group stage will compete. Under the f...

Irikhefe Oghenetega Victor  Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Mexico in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco after both teams finished second in their respective groups. The Flamingos secured their place with six points from three matches in Group B. They began their campaign with a 1-2 defeat to Poland on October 17 before recovering with a 2-0 victory over Puerto Rico on October 20. Nigeria sealed qualification on October 23 by defeating defending champions Korea DPR 3-1. Oluwakemi Adegbuyi opened the scoring in the 15th minute, Oluebube Umejiaku doubled the lead in the 38th minute, and Kanyinsola Yusuf made it 3-0 in the 56th minute before Korea DPR scored a late penalty consolation. Mexico also finished second in Group F with six points. After an opening 0-2 loss to Spain, they responded with a 3-1 win over Chile and completed their group stage with a 1-0 victory against Australia to confirm their progression. The Flamingos will look to bui...

By Irikhefe Oghenetega Victor  Galatasaray suffered a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, with Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen unable to find the net on his first start since returning from injury. The Turkish champions made a promising start in front of their home supporters, taking the lead through Aleksey Batrakov. However, Barcelona fought back and eventually turned the contest into a convincing victory. Galatasaray thought they had doubled their lead when Osimhen was involved in a move that ended with the ball in the net, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review for offside against Barış Alper Yılmaz. Barcelona capitalised on the reprieve, scoring four times through Joao Cancelo, Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi to complete the comeback.  Speaking after the match, Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk pointed to a loss of concentration and misfortune as key factors behind the defeat. He expla...

Salu Fatimoh  As Nigeria celebrates 66 years of independence, the green and white flags are flying, messages of patriotism are everywhere, and Nigerians are once again reminded of the journey we have made as a nation. But there is one question we should not be afraid to ask: Are we truly free when some Nigerians still live in fear of bandits? Across parts of northern Nigeria, banditry has become more than a security problem. It has changed the way people live. Farmers are sometimes afraid to go to their farms because of the risk of attack or abduction. Families worry about loved ones travelling through certain communities, while some parents have had to deal with the frightening reality of children being kidnapped from schools. A 2025 UNICEF study on insecurity in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger States found that banditry was the most prevalent and disruptive form of insecurity reported by respondents in the communities studied. The study also documented kidnapping as a comm...