News

Pernille Harder earns Chelsea Women Champions League win over Juventus

Emma Hayes said Pernille Harder had taken Chelsea to “an even higher level” after the Danish forward earned the Blues all three points in a narrow victory over Juventus in Turin.

Harder scored her 27th goal in 30 UWCL games to give last season’s runners-up a valuable win after Barbara Bonansea had cancelled out Erin Cuthbert’s opener.

“She had an outstanding performance,” said Hayes of Harder, who joined Chelsea in the summer of 2020. “She came to this football club, England is a difficult country to come to, it’s already an amazing team, and she’s taken us to an even higher level because her standards day in and day out are what every young person should look up to. She takes responsibility, she’s accountable, she’s there when it really matters, she’s there for this team and I’m so delighted she’s part of this squad.”

Living up to its group of death moniker, Group A currently has Wolfsburg top, after their 5-0 defeat of Swiss side Servette FCCF, Chelsea second, level with the Germans on four points, Juventus third on three points and Servette bottom and pointless. Chelsea, though, have back-to-back games against Servette while Wolfsburg and Juventus will trade body blows.

“We’re in a strong position, four points. It’s not about away goals anymore, it’s about points on the board and our intention and our objectives are clear and we’re one step close to that,” said Hayes.

It took half an hour before the Blues took the lead at the noisy Juventus stadium, where 17,000 tickets had been distributed of the 20,000 available prior to kick-off. Cuthbert made a blistering and dogged run before cutting inside and firing low into the bottom corner.

Eight minutes after Cuthbert’s opener Juventus punished the profligacy that had gifted Wolfsburg three goals in the preceding round. A sharp cross from the left to the far post was met by Bonansea and the Italian did well to hold off Guro Reiten and weaved in front of her marker to smash the ball home. It was too easy – once again Chelsea’s back three was found wanting.

Juventus currently sit top of Serie A with six wins from six and although Chelsea had played the Italian champions only once, in a pre-season friendly in 2018, the team has come a long way since then and the manager in the dugout was far more familiar.

After leaving Arsenal at the end of last season, Joe Montemurro joined Juventus in the summer. In 12 meetings between Hayes and Montemurro while he was in north London, the Blues won nine times and Arsenal once.

In the second half Montemurro was denied the chance to take the lead over his old foe when Cristiana Girelli fell in the box after a nudge in the back from Chelsea captain Magda Eriksson, but with no VAR until the knockout stages the appeals of the Italian side were waved away.

Instead Hayes’s team restored their lead after an hour. Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby linked up and attempted to weave into the box but were crowded out by black and white shirts and the stray ball fell kindly for the ever-alert Harder, who powered in.

“I feel good, I feel like I’m in a flow,” said Harder. “I had a good pre-season, worked hard and feel like I have adapted into the team. So I just keep building and keep developing, me and the team, and I love that.”

Almost instantly Juventus went in search of a reply but Hurtig’s effort rippled the side netting. Chelsea went close to extending their lead but a drilled Kerr shot was tipped acrobatically on to the post by former Arsenal goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin before being cleared.

Eight substitutions in 23 minutes killed the momentum of both teams. In a scrappy end to the game Chelsea clung on to take all three points that has kept them well in the mix.

News

Police arrest 9 suspects over communal crisis in Kogi

The Police Command in Kogi State has arrested nine suspects in connection with a communal crisis in Itamah area of Kogi.

The crisis occurred after the assassination of the community traditional ruler, Onu Itamah Job Shagari.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday.

The late Chief Job Shagari was on Aug. 12 assassinated by some gunmen who invaded the community.

The traditional ruler’s death had created rift between two families — the Okenyi Abu-Atika and Shagari-Ebijegor, resulting in communal crisis.

But the police said they had arrested nine suspects and they were trailing other suspects.

“What the police are calling for now is for peace to be allowed to reign in Itamah community.

“The destruction done in that community is very unfortunate and uncalled for.

“We want a situation where the aggrieved families should come to round table for dialogue toward finding a lasting solution.

A situation where the community members are involved in an eye for an eye, the whole community will be blind and there won’t be peace there at all,” he said.

Onuoha denied the allegation that the command did not respond to petitions brought before it on arson and hostilities that left some houses and other property razed destroyed.

Mr Akoh Jonah, spokesman of the Okenyi Abu-Atika, claimed that more than 40 houses were burnt during the crisis, alleging that the police arrested 11 members of his family

News

Police arrest two suspects with AK-47 rifle in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects with a fabricated AK-47 rifle and ammunition in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, September 12, 2024. He said the suspects were nabbed by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit while trying to sell the rifle for N580,000.

“The Bauchi State Police Command is unwavering in its efforts to combat the proliferation of small and light arms within the state. In furtherance of this commitment, the Taskforce operatives, led by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit attached to the Command, have successfully apprehended two suspects in possession of a fabricated AK47 rifle and ammunition at Boto Market in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi state,” the statement read.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects, who travelled from Plateau State to Boto market, negotiated the sale of the rifle for N580,000.

“The apprehended suspects are: Abdulgafar Mohammed, male, 18 years old, from Barkin Ladi, Plateau State and Yusuf Isa, male, 25 years old, from the same address.

“A discreet investigation is ongoing, after which the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.

Under the stewardship of the Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Musa Mohammad, psc, Anipr, the Command has escalated efforts to locate and apprehend the manufacturers of such weapons, irrespective of their location. Ultimately, the Command aims to assure the public of its dedication to eliminating illegal firearms in the state and urges the citizens to understand that.

“Mankind must put an end to organised crime, or organized crime will put an end to mankind”, and on the “ keyboard of life, let us as citizens always keep a finger on the escape key to survive.”

News

Police arrest 19 year old undergraduate for kidnapping, killing of a female student in Kogi

The Kogi State Police Command has arrested Paul Jeremiah, 20, for the alleged murder of Damilola, a 19-year-old first-year student at the Federal University, Lafia, Kogi State.

SP William Ovie Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed Jeremiah’s arrest on Thursday in Lokoja.

According to him, investigation is underway to determine the details surrounding the incident.

Damilola was reported missing on September 4, 2024.

Reports indicate that Jeremiah and his accomplices initially demanded a ransom of N10 million for her release.

However, after receiving N400,000 from Damilola’s family, Jeremiah, said to be a Kaduna State indigene, was dissatisfied with the amount and subsequently killed Damilola and mutilated her body.

The Police spokesman did not disclose how Jeremiah was apprehended but confirmed that he is currently in custody.