UEFA Champions League: Liverpool are heading into the Champions League 2019/20 competition as defending champions.

The Reds claimed the European Cup in Madrid against Tottenham after a sensational run to the final, having made it to the competition’s showpiece in the previous year too but losing out to Real Madrid.

The victory in June enhanced the club’s sparkling reputation in the competition, having won it six times, and Jurgen Klopp’s side are now one of the most feared opponents throughout the world.

The draw takes place on August 29 at 4.30pm and will be hosted in Monaco.

By beating Mauricio Pochettino’s side 2-0 in the Spanish capital Madrid on Saturday evening, Liverpool are top seeds for the draw and therefore in Pot 1.

Also in Pot 1 are Europa League winners Chelsea, Barcelona, Manchester City, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Zenit St Petersburg – meaning the Reds cannot face any of these sides.

President Muhammadu Buhari has felicitated with all the 2019 Nigerian pilgrims over the successful completion of their Hajj rites and the Eid-el-Kabeer celebrations.

Buhari also condoled with families, government, pilgrims and Hajj officials over the death of some pilgrims in this year’s exercise.

The Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, (NAHCON), Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad, represented the President at the occasion in Muna on Monday.

The president called on the pilgrims to intensify prayers for Nigeria to overcome all its socio-economic, political and security challenges.

Nine months after Gboyega Oyetola was sworn in as the governor of Osun State, he has refused to constitute his executive council. Rather than appoint commissioners, Mr Oyetola is running selected ministries with supervisors.

Mr Oyetola was sworn in as Osun governor on November 27, 2018.

It appears that his administration is following the antecedent of the former governor, Rauf Aregbesola, who during his second term in office refused to appoint commissioners for more than a year due to what he tagged financial constraints.

While the constitution provides for the appointment of commissioners, Mr Oyetola simply used his discretion to appoint supervisors for some ministries he considers very important.

Seven supervisors have been appointed to do the work of commissioners over the ministries of works, finance, agriculture, home affairs, education and information.

The governor has “simply rendered other ministries useless”, a political analyst, Kehinde Orioye.

“The governor has simply shown that he can manage the affairs of the state with his discretion. While the Constitution provided for the appointment of commissioners he has refused to do so. This, he may not consider key to his government.”

“Appointment of supervisors for some ministries is not even approved by the law. You don’t edit the provision of the law. The law says commissioner not ministries supervisors nor supervising commissioners. If the seven ministries are the only ministries considered key to running a government, then we should scrap others,” Mr Orioye said.

A source at the Government House told our correspondent that the delay was due to two basic reasons: first be sure that the governor will not be sacked by the court following the decision of the major opposition candidate, Ademola Adeleke, to contest the election results and secondly to make sure the presidential election was held before appointing commissioners to avoid any division that may occur from the selection.

Our source who pleaded anonymity because he is not permitted to speak with the media said: “By the time his Excellency was inaugurated, it was not certain that we will remain in government. In fact, there was high tension after the tribunal upturned the election. Appointment of commissioners at that critical points cannot be done. We need to be sure that all is well before nominating commissioners. The focus of the government then was simply how to remain in office”.

“Also, don’t forget that the appointment of executive cabinets also comes with interest. It was important for the state to wait for presidential and other general election to hold before making any appointment. The party will lose out some persons who may feel that they are not duly represented in the governor’s appointment. But now that we don’t have any election coming soon, if appointment is made and some people are not pleased, we would have mend fences before the next election”.

The Supreme Court on July 5 dismissed Mr Adeleke’s case and affirmed Mr Oyetola Osun governor. Also, the presidential election was held over five months ago. Therefore, both can no longer be considered impediments to the appointment of commissioners.

Several calls and text messages put across to Adelani Baderinwa, the supervisor of the ministry of information, on the topic, has not been responded to for over a week.

Kunle Oyatomi, the APC spokesperson in Osun, requested a text message be sent on Monday. He did not reply to the message and did not pick subsequent calls.

Ismail Omipidan, Mr Oyetola’s spokesperson, however, said the process of appointing commissioners was ongoing.

“The process of appointing commissioners has commenced. As a matter of fact, it is nearing completion. The governor wants party leaders in the state to get involved in the process. By so doing, whoever emerges as a commissioner will be responsible to his immediate Community. The idea is to avoid a situation whereby once people are appointed commissioners, they desert their community.

“Only yesterday (Monday), in an interactive session with journalists in Iragbiji, the matter was addressed by the governor, wherein he disclosed that some of the federal constituencies are already making their returns. Once the process of return is completed, the governor will seave through and send the final list to the House of Assembly for confirmation. It is therefore not true that he has refused to constitute a cabinet”

An Osun-based lawyer, Ibiyemi Aina, compared Mr Oyetola’s inaction to that of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Just like the way it took Buhari several months to make appointment, Oyetola is doing the same. We can’t condemn the president for failure to appoint cabinet members and watch the governors”, he said. “Some ministries that the governor abandoned are very important. For instance, you can’t have an administration without the ministry of justice. But, this ministry was not even considered as key to the governor likewise other relevant ministries.”

In its reaction, a socio-political group, Osun Transformation Forum, condemned the refusal of Mr Oyetola to appoint commissioners nine months after he was inaugurated.

The group in a statement on Monday said the state governor’s refusal to appoint commissioners has limited development in the state.

“We condemn the ‘I don’t care attitude’ of the government of the day to the running of the activities. Appointment should be made and not a one-man show.

“We use this medium to call on all political leaders in Osun to call on Governor Oyetola to make necessary appointment for effective running of the state,” the group said.

Operatives of Enugu State Police Command have arrested one Sampson Nwaobasi, an Enugu-based farmer, for allegedly killing his business partner, Friday Ani, over proceeds from farming business.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement, yesterday, in Enugu that the incident happened on July 31 in Agbani community, while the suspect was arrested on August 7.

He said the deceased and one Paul Eze were all partners in the farming of cucumber, as the deceased and Eze raised money for the suspect, who did the farming, sold the produce and shared profits.

Police statement

According to the statement, “it was gathered that his victim, Ani, a student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, and his business associate met his untimely death when he demanded his share of the proceeds.

“It was gathered that they were to share N6 million as the business thrived for four months.

However, the suspect allegedly started avoiding his partners, which made them believe that he may have craftily reinvested the proceed without them knowing.

“The deceased traced the suspect to the farm to find out what has been happening. In the farm, an argument arose between them, which allegedly resulted in the killing of Ani by the suspect, who buried him inside the bush.

Four teenagers have been brought before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly belonging to an unlawful society and terrorising their neighbourhood.

The defendants, Moshood Samad, Sikiru Rasaq, and Amzat Yahaya – all aged  19 – and 18-year-old Taiwo Amzat were charged with conspiracy, membership of unlawful society and breach of the peace.

They, however, pleaded not guilty.

Prosecuting Inspector Donjour Perezi said the defendants committed the offences at 11:30pm on July 27, at Ijora, Lagos.

Barcelona have stepped up their interest in Neymar with a €60million (£55m) plus Philippe Coutinho offer for the wantaway Paris Saint-Germain star.

Neymar left the Spanish giants for PSG back in 2017, in a world record £189m switch but is keen on a return to Barca before the European summer transfer window slams shut on September 2.

PSG, however, are reluctant to do business with Barcelona and, having accepted that Neymar’s future is best served away from Paris, would rather sell him to Real Madrid.

Relations between PSG and Barca soured after Neymar left Spain for France two years ago, with reports recently suggesting that the transfer may well have already happened had the potential suitor been another club other than Barca.

BBNaija housemates, Tacha, Ike and Joe received strikes and warning for inappropriate behaviour displayed during the ongoing fourth season.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the surprise strikes were issued by Biggie, who echoed that he wanted housemates to realise the consequences for their actions.

Before issuing the strikes, he said, “judgement delayed is not judgement denied”, leaving shocked expressions on the faces of housemates.

Biggie gave Tacha a final warning for constantly being involved in fights in the House.

He warned that such hostility would only get her into more trouble as his House is not a fighting ring.

He also advised Tacha to take better control of her reactions when angry.

Andy Murray announced on Monday he would not play singles at the U.S. Open after losing in his long-awaited return from hip surgery at the Cincinnati Masters.

The Scot lost 6-4 6-4 to Richard Gasquet in his first singles match since January before saying he had turned down a wild card into the men’s draw at the year’s final Grand Slam.

“I am not going to play U.S. Open singles,” the 32-year-old said. “I didn’t feel I was able to make that decision before today’s match.”

He indicated, though, that he would play doubles and mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows in two weeks and left open the door for possibly for playing before then.

“I may play Winston-Salem potentially,” he said of the North Carolina event, which starts in six days.

“But I’ll probably look at just playing doubles and mixed doubles. That’s what I will do at the U.S. Open.”

In his first match since the hip resurfacing surgery which he hopes will prolong his career, Murray started tentatively but improved as the went on, even if he was always up against it after Gasquet broke his serve to start both sets.

“I don’t really know what I was expecting, to be honest. I think I did okay,” he told a news conference.

“I think there was a lot of things I would like to have done better in the match, but, you know, you also have to be somewhat realistic, as well, in terms of what you can expect.”

Not having playing singles tennis for several months had an obvious impact, he said.

“I think physically, you know, my legs were a little bit heavy at the end of the match in comparison to maybe what they normally would be if you played a bunch,” he said.

“I was having to move quite a lot laterally, and I didn’t move forward particularly well. Like when he drop-shotted, there was a few times I didn’t even run to the ball, didn’t react to it, and that’s nothing to do with my hip.”

The former world number one arrived on centre court to huge cheers, recording a video of the moment as he offered a big smile.

But the first serve was far from what Murray and the crowd – particularly the fan waving the Scotland flag – wanted.

A two time winner of the tournament, Murray double-faulted and Frenchman Gasquet, who returned himself in May from groin problems, was quickly 2-0 up.

The Shehu of Bama Kingdom of Borno State, Kyari Ibn Umar El-Kanemi, has expressed delight after his people joined the rest of the world to mark the first Eid-el-Kabir celebration in his domains.

According to the monarch, this was the first time in almost five years the community partook in the religious feast celebrated across the globe by all Muslims.

“Today we are celebrating Sallah in Bama which we were not privileged to celebrate for the past five years,” an utterly elated Shehu stated on Monday.

“ Indeed we have to be grateful to Allah SWT for sparing our lives and non among us here today that is thinking to live up to this moment to grace this Sallah celebration in Bama.”

Bama was the target of Boko Haram terrorists in the past, forcing natives and other inhabitants to flee their homes.

Umar El-Kanemi, the traditional ruler wasn’t spared as his wife and daughter were reportedly abducted in 2014 and released two years after.

The monarch, alongside his counterpart from Dikwa, Masa II Ibn Umar El Kanemi, even fled their communities to reside in Maiduguri.

However, peace has since been restored to the area thanks to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Army under the dogged leadership of Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai.

As part of the rehabilitation and reconstruction process, the monarchs returned in July in company of local government staff and primary school teachers accompanied by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole who regained the Kingdom back from Boko Haram terrorists .

An eyewitness account revealed that there was free movement of people around the town, especially in public places without fear of any violence or attacks by Boko Haram throughout the Sallah season .

There was also a mass prayer on Sunday for the first time in a long while, led by the monarch himself.

All these feats have been attributed to the gallantry of the Nigerian military and a decisive leadership.

A 52-year-old man, Emmanuel Ikhine, has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly raping and impregnating his 18-year-old daughter.

Ikhine reportedly had carnal knowledge of his daughter several times, which resulted in the pregnancy.

The suspect was said to have divorced his wife a few years ago and since then had been having carnal knowledge of his only female child out of the three children the couple had together.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday.

Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested following a report by a neighbour, Yemisi Ashade.

The PPRO said the victim reported the case to the neighbour when she could no longer bear the sexual assault by her father.

According to Oyeyemi, the daughter said she was threatened not to reveal the affair between her and her father to anyone.

The PPRO said the command confirmed that the daughter was pregnant for her father after a test was conducted on her.

He added, “The victim stated that she could no longer bear the sexual assault hence, she confided in their neighbour.

“Upon the report, the DPO, Sango-Ota Police Station, CSP Godwin Idehai, dispatched detectives to the scene, where the randy father was promptly arrested.

“On interrogation, he made a confessional statement that he had been having carnal knowledge of the victim since he separated from his wife.”