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News_Naija

Lagos Hunts Landlord After Two Die In Building Collapse
~2.7 mins read
The Lagos State Government has begun a probe into the collapse of a three-storey building at 10, Oremeta Street, in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos. The building, which housed the popular Equal Right Restaurant and Bar, collapsed around 9 a.m. on Saturday, trapping workers, customers, and a family of three. Two persons were confirmed killed in the incident, while 24 others had been rescued as of the time of filing this report. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said the owner of the building would face the law. “There is a procedure if there is any building collapse. The state government will find out how it happened. Naturally, the law will take its course — the owner of the building will face the law,” he said. The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said an investigation was ongoing. “Two dead, 24 rescued. Investigation is ongoing,” Hundeyin said in a message sent to our correspondent. When our correspondent visited the scene, emergency responders from several agencies, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps, the Police, Lagos State Ambulance Service, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency, were seen carrying out rescue operations. Rescue workers were clearing the rubble and loading it into trucks while sympathisers gathered at the site, praying for the trapped people to survive. According to residents, the building had remained uncompleted and abandoned for more than a decade. A resident, Akin Popoola, told our correspondent that construction recently resumed on the top floor before the collapse occurred. “The ground floor was being used for a bar, eatery, and parking lot, but the upper floors weren’t occupied,” he said. One of the restaurant’s disc jockeys, who narrowly escaped being trapped, recounted how he noticed block particles falling and tried to raise an alarm. “We noticed that one of the pillars had shifted and blocks were falling. I told the bricklayer, but he dismissed our concerns, saying it was nothing serious. I rushed upstairs to warn people, but some didn’t listen. I quickly left with a few others just before the building came down,” he said. Another resident identified as Wasiu said a family of three—a man, his wife, and their child—had gone to buy food at the restaurant and were about to drive out when the building collapsed on their vehicle. A 22-year-old restaurant worker, Ayomide Adebola, was said to be one of the trapped persons. Her sister, who rushed to the scene, was in tears while speaking to our correspondent. “When I heard about what happened, I came immediately. They told me she is still inside,” she said. Another eyewitness, Waheed Opeloyeru, narrated how a customer had stepped out to withdraw money when the building collapsed, leaving his brother trapped inside. Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said eight people had been rescued while efforts were ongoing to bring out others under the rubble. Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement, said, “Our teams arrived at the scene by 9:52 a.m. and discovered that several people were trapped. So far, eight victims have been rescued. One of them has been taken to the hospital for further treatment. Thankfully, no fatalities have been recorded yet.” He also noted that more victims might still be under the rubble and that rescue efforts were being carried out cautiously. “We’re going layer by layer to avoid causing further harm. We are using heavy- and light-duty equipment to reach ground zero,” he said. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson, Mr. Shakiru Amodu, stated that nine people had been rescued with various degrees of injuries. He warned about the dangers of leaving buildings unoccupied or abandoned for long periods. “The upper floors looked abandoned. Leaving buildings unoccupied is risky because they can deteriorate over time and suddenly collapse,” he warned.
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Buhari The Greatest Fraud That Happened To Nigeria Buba Galadima
~11.7 mins read
Former National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change and now a chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Buba Galadima, speaks with Ismaeel Uthman on the fate of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections, the crisis rocking the Emir of Kano stool, and President Bola Tinubu’s handling of national affairs In a recent interview, you said the APC is sending emissaries to compromise leaders of political parties, offering billions to them. Do you think the opposition will have its way in 2027 with this alleged inducement? You should believe in the ability of God to do anything. Everything in an election can change a day before the election. One mistake by a frontrunner can make him the last. There is nothing impossible. We have seen a lot of things; we saw how Abacha died when he was about to become president, endorsed by all political parties. As strong as Obasanjo was, he wanted a third term but couldn’t get it. We saw how Goodluck Jonathan spent a lot of money for re-election but couldn’t get it. So, what is it that will surprise you in Nigeria? What is your perception of the coalition of opposition being formed by Atiku, El-Rufai and others? I don’t know why people call such an arrangement a coalition. These are just a few individuals who came together to form a group they want to propel into taking political power. And that is their undeniable right. Whether it will happen or not is left to God. It is Atiku who is bringing people from the PDP, while El-Rufai brought himself from the APC. As far as I’m concerned, these are the only people in the so-called coalition. The PDP governors have issued a statement that they are not going into any coalition with anybody, and the National Chairman of the SDP has also said the party is not merging with any political party. It is also on record that we (NNPP) were the first to reject such an arrangement. But we were called names by uninformed Nigerians; they said we were working for Tinubu because we said we were not joining any coalition of strange bedfellows. We have gone through this before, and we know that it did not benefit Nigerians, and we are not prepared to test that path again. However, we are prepared to work with people of like minds, such that when we form a government, we know our direction because it will be based on principles and ideology. So, I don’t think people should lose sleep over this Atiku and El-Rufai coalition. I want to tell you that most political parties have their own internal problems, including the APC. If the coalition won’t work, how would you advise opposition parties to go about the plan to unseat President Tinubu in 2027? Most of the people in the opposition parties are not politicians. They are only interested in grabbing power and using it to enrich themselves and better the lives of their families. I don’t think they understand politics. If they did, they would know there is an area of convergence. Whether you agree with each other or not, at least we should pretend to be democrats. If we can do that, then we will take issues around the election process more seriously. Elections are the yardstick of democracy. There is no democracy without elections. So, all of us can come together and fight for free, fair and transparent elections. And whoever wins, we will give him the chance to govern. But we are not doing that. Everybody wants to be president, so they form their own small kingdoms without principles. They do whatever they can and steal public funds. These are not opposition politicians; these are opportunists in politics. If they are democrats, let us come together and fight for electoral reform that will guarantee one man, one vote. And once there is one man, one vote, even if your enemy wins an election, you will congratulate him, move forward, and wait for another chance. We should build confidence in the process and make sure that it is transparent. How do you view the spread of political appointments and resource allocation in Nigeria under President Tinubu’s administration? Right from Obasanjo’s time, I have kept on telling people that whoever wins an election should be allowed to pick a team that he thinks can help him govern the country fairly, bring about democratic dividends to Nigerians, build infrastructure, etc. I also told people 20 years ago that if Obasanjo left office and Nigerians found Iyabo Obasanjo, as the most appropriate person to be president, there would be nothing wrong with voting for her. So, it doesn’t matter to me where anybody in office comes from. The most important thing is that he must deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. If there is no hyperinflation, goods are not priced beyond the reach of the ordinary person, and the cost of fuel is affordable so I can travel or take public transport; if there is good healthcare and there are good and affordable schools for my children — do I care if Trump is the President of Nigeria? But because we are not democrats, when you say something correctly, some uninformed people will say you are supporting one person. The press should also stop using the words North and South, calling people Fulani, Yoruba, Edo, Igbo, Itsekiri, etc. We can’t build a nation when we keep reminding people of our differences. It doesn’t matter whether you are a Muslim, Christian, pagan, or atheist. The Constitution of Nigeria says any Nigerian — it didn’t specify religion or tribe — can be anything. Once people are promoting unity, Nigeria will be a better place. I can understand that some sections of the country, because they want to fight another section, are using all those primordial sentiments to garner support and run down the other part. But those times are gone. Nigerians are educated and informed enough to know what is good for them. If you use money to bribe people to vote for you, I will not blame you — I will blame those who took the money and voted for you. Because you can’t force people to vote for you. You also can’t write the figures if they don’t vote for you. We must work hard to build an electoral empire that would be fair to everybody. We must force the judiciary to stop listening to people in authority — people holding transient powers — and to do justice. At every point in time, we must ensure that the security forces owe their allegiance to Nigeria, not to an individual holding public office at a particular time. This is what will make Nigeria a great country. Why do you think both the ruling party and the opposition figures have turned former President Buhari’s home into a Mecca of sorts suddenly? Those are useless people; they don’t know their left from right. Of what use is Buhari to anybody now? How can I go to Buhari — to say what? What did he do while in office? How can I go and seek relevance from Buhari? Is he relevant? He is not. Do you mean the former president is not relevant in Nigerian politics? Buhari is not relevant in Nigerian politics. He was defeated in 2019 by Atiku. Because they did not declare Atiku as the winner does not mean he didn’t win that election. When I see people going to Buhari, I just laugh. Who is Buhari? The man should just go and rest and wait for his death, and start doing astaghfirullah (seeking forgiveness from God) for dashing the hopes of the people of Nigeria. You are one of the signatories to the formation of APC, and you campaigned for Buhari’s election in 2015. At what point did you see him as a bad person? I was number four on the list of the people who signed the form for the creation of APC. But I later discovered that Buhari is the greatest fraud that has happened to Nigeria. He was fake. I realised quite early, but my mentor, Sule Hamma, always kept on advising me as a senior brother. What exactly did he do wrong? Buhari was the greatest fraud because he managed to conceal his true intentions for 15 years. No Nigerian could predict what he would do once he became president. We didn’t know his true colours. For years, Buhari preached that he was for the masses—the talakawas—without realising he was actually the saviour of the bourgeois. Isn’t that enough of a fraud? What is your assessment of President Tinubu’s administration? I don’t want to comment on that. Nigerians should comment on his administration. They should express how they feel about it. If they are okay with what is happening, so be it. The time to deal with him is when you are given the ballot paper. But despite all this, if people claim that you voted for them in an election and you know you didn’t vote for them, and you sat down, it means you have accepted the verdict of what they have done. If the politicians do anything that we don’t believe in, there are a lot of ways we can show our anger constitutionally. The only time you can hold any elected officer to account for his misdeeds is at the time of the election. Nigerians have never told you that they cannot cast their votes for whosoever they want. But those votes must be sacrosanct. Some northern political leaders are embittered with President Tinubu’s administration. What do you think is responsible for the resentment? You know some of us claim that we brought Buhari into politics. Everybody has got his own version of his contribution to bringing Buhari into politics. But there is one thing that is not disputable — nobody remained as steadfast and unwavering as some of us did with Buhari for 13 years. Despite all that, when he got into government, the likes of El-Rufai kicked us out of that government because they are sycophants. Despite calling Buhari several names, they kicked us out. My daughter worked in the Villa for four good years without getting a salary. She was not paid for four years. Now, Tinubu, who is a Yoruba man from Lagos, came, and my daughters called him with my phone. They told him the country is hard, that they had finished school and there was no job. He gave one of them a job. This was misinterpreted to mean I am working for Tinubu. Nigeria doesn’t belong to Tinubu alone; it belongs to all of us, and my children have a stake, and they can take any job. It is not a political appointment. In comparison to Buhari, who is a better man? Is it Buhari, who denied my daughter four years of salaries, or Tinubu, with whom we have political differences? Who is my friend between them? I have been called names because of this. But if there is any politician of integrity in this country; I’m not praising myself; you can’t count three people without putting my name there. I have resisted juicy appointments from the time of Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan governments. I am still living in a two-bedroom flat after 50 years of graduation, despite holding public offices. I am living with integrity and honour. Whoever holds a certain view, apart from good governance, is just a misfit. Of course, people can continue to have their differences — it is part of nature and part of our lives. Is it true that Kwankwaso is joining APC? I am an NNPP person, and a supporter of Rabiu Kwankwaso, and he has not told anybody that he is joining any party or coalition. However, we are talking to people of like minds across the country. By the time we come out with a formidable platform, Nigerians will know that the party to take over the government of the federation in 2027 has come. You have many political associates who were members of the CPC in APC. Do you have any clue about the plan by the CPC bloc to dump the APC? I learnt that the CPC group within the APC is divided into two: those who are opposed to Tinubu and those who are for him. I want to ask all of them in all honesty: is there any CPC man who has more CPC credentials and participated more in the formation and development of the party than Sule Yahaya Hamma and Buba Galadima? Is there any of them? Today, are we in any of the equations? I also ask those who are not satisfied with what Tinubu is doing: why can’t they ask themselves, when they were in government under Buhari, what did they do for the CPC people they neglected? They should thank Tinubu for not running after them after holding public offices. Tinubu has given them a lot of concessions. Because if he likes, he can put any of them in jail. There is none of them he cannot put in jail if he wants. So, he did a gracious thing for them, and they should be grateful that they are free, walking on the streets of Nigeria. They should not carry their luck too far — I mean those who belong to the Buhari group. Do you think the anti-Tinubu CPC bloc is on a wrong mission? They will soon find out. I think they should thank Tinubu and not fight him. Could you explain the politics behind the controversies on the Emir of Kano stool? Everybody knows that all issues about chieftaincy matters end on the desk of the governor. The issue of the Emir of Kano will end on the desk of the governor. Even if the Supreme Court removes Sanusi, nobody will appoint an Emir for Kano from Abuja. That can only be done in Kano. So, why are they wasting their time? Why do they want to kill innocent people by instigating one brother against another, or an uncle against his nephew? All the instability in Kano is being cooked up in Abuja. You recently warned President Tinubu that meddling in Kano’s political affairs and the emirate crisis could “destroy his presidency.” Could you elaborate on this? When the grandfather of this Emir, Sanusi, was deposed in 1963, it was that issue, coupled with the wetie (political crisis) in 1964 in the Western Region, that led to the destruction of the civilian government of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in January 1966. President Tinubu has no business in deciding who becomes the Emir of Kano. But I also know that he participated in promoting Sanusi to be the Emir in the first place when Ado Bayero died. What is your take on the withdrawn invitation letter sent to Emir Sanusi by the police? Was there any reason for the police to invite the Emir in the first place? Why should they even call him? It is like charging Tinubu to court when a driver hits someone on the Lagos Mainland Bridge. What has Sanusi got to do with the killing on Eid-el-Fitr day? The man was riding on horseback one kilometre away when the problem happened. That’s why I said the instability is being fuelled by people in Abuja who have no political base, and who want to create one by force, by declaring a state of emergency in Kano. There is a resurgent large scale of insecurity in the North. What do you think is responsible for this? I think that some people are making a business out of it. The President should identify these kinds of people, because he knows who he gives money to — money that is not being utilised. You’ve cautioned against the creation of state police, suggesting it could lead to national disintegration. What alternative security frameworks would you recommend to balance state autonomy with national unity? The police and military postings are done by people as jobs for the boys. They should be jobs for the nation, because once you post people not because they are capable or qualified, but because they are close to you or you want them to make money, then you can’t get good results. That is exactly what is happening nowadays. All postings are political — for political gains or to make money for the boys. The truth of the matter is that we are all Nigerians, and we should place the country above all else and work for the development and progress of this nation. We should avoid using tribal, religious, sectional, or other primordial sentiments to judge people.
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Security Chiefs Under Fire Over Mass Killings
~7.0 mins read
Nigeria’s security chiefs have been slammed over increasing terror attacks that resulted in mass killings, especially in the northern part of the country. The security chiefs, according to stakeholders, may have been overwhelmed or treating the problem with kid gloves. The wave of terrorism has sparked public outrage across the country, especially with continuous killings in Plateau, Benue, Borno, and Katsina states, and the emergence of a new terror group, Mahmuda, aka the Mallam Group, in the North Central. Mahmuda adds to growing security concerns already worsened by Boko Haram, ISWAP, Lakurawa, and other bandit and militia groups. The security chiefs include the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. Also in charge of security matters are the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle. 250 killed in two weeks Sunday PUNCH noted that within two weeks, about 250 people were reported killed in separate attacks on Plateau, Benue, Borno, Kebbi, Katsina, Abia, and Kwara states. Reports indicated that at least 113 people were killed in Plateau State by suspected Fulani militants who invaded Zike, Kimakpa, and areas within Bokkos and Bassa local government areas of the state. In Benue State, attacks by suspected armed herders on communities in the Ukum and Logo LGs of the state claimed 20 lives on April 17, 2025. The death toll later increased to 55 after more bodies were recovered on Sunday, April 19. The new terror group, Mahmuda, also killed 15 vigilantes and villagers on Wednesday in an attack on Kemaanji, a community in Kaiama LG of Kwara State. Reports showed that the group had taken control of areas within Babana and Wawa districts of Borgu LG in Niger State. This is as some soldiers were seen in different videos accusing the authorities of not arming them with enough weapons to confront the terrorists and bandits. Bello Turji nightmare Meanwhile, notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has been reportedly unleashing mayhem on residents. In September 2024, President Tinubu ordered Matawalle, and the military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State as part of efforts to rid the state and the North-West of terrorism and arrest Turji. However, seven months after the presidential directive, the military has yet to apprehend Turji. The bandit leader has been linked to several mass killings, kidnappings, and attacks on villages in Zamfara, Sokoto, and parts of Katsina. In February, the Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, said the military was actively tracking the bandit kingpin and he would soon be neutralised. But Turji has remained elusive, with his fighters carrying out deadly attacks and collecting levies from some communities in the North-West region. He is also said to be controlling some villages in the region where his men operate with little resistance, despite the deployment of additional troops and intelligence resources. A civil society organisation in Kebbi State, the Association for Peace and Good Governance, berated the military for not arresting Turgi. Speaking in Birnin Kebbi, the Secretary General of the group, Usman Anache, stated that the service chiefs in particular had failed the north and President Bola Tinubu. “The north has been turned into a killing field with no concrete action taken by the service chiefs,” Anache said. Calls for security review Responding to the killings in Plateau, a lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Daniel Asama, who spoke on Channels Television’s programme, ‘The Morning Brief,’ claimed that security agencies were familiar with the whereabouts of the masterminds of the recent killings in the state. He said, “The security agencies know where these attacks have been coming from. The people in the community can show them the routes of these attackers.” Reacting to the rising terror attacks, a former Chief of Defence Training and Planning, General Ishola Williams (retd.), accused the service chiefs of benefiting from the insecurity in the country. He stated that the security agencies were not showing enough commitment to ending insecurity, noting that there was a need to restructure the security apparatus. “Early this year, we were clamouring for the review of the security architecture. They said there’s no reason for that. It appears that the service chiefs agree with the President that the military and police are doing well and they don’t want to push for a re-organisation; they don’t want any change. “They must be benefiting from the present situation. The police and the military are not ready to solve that problem. The president just accepts whatever they tell him. “We keep repeating the same old story. They are killing soldiers for selling weapons to bandits. Apart from that, hunters and vigilantes are accusing the DSS of covering up for the bandits. Remember that the DSS said communities should defend themselves, because the military and the police cannot defend them anymore. And it’s supposed to be the head of intelligence,” he said. The retired general called on the Federal Government to sack any service chief who didn’t align with its plans on security. He said, “The Federal Government should reorganise the security architecture, whether the service chiefs like it or not. And anybody who disagrees with him should be sacked. Service chiefs who do not align should be sacked or they should resign. This is a matter of integrity. “There is a need to run a special programme for the soldiers and policemen to tell them why they need to find a way to stop all these killings. Also, telling them to stop colluding with these bandits, kidnappers, and so on, because of money. Open borders, absence of intelligence A security expert and Chief Security Officer of Beacon Consulting, Dr Kabir Adamu, also slammed the security agencies, noting that they were not being properly coordinated. He said no meaningful impact would be made in the fight against insecurity if the agencies were not working together. Adamu said, “Each of them is operating in silos. The founding fathers of our constitution, when they created all of these agencies, the intention was that they would work together towards achieving Section 14(2) of the constitution. “But today, we are waking up to a situation where those who are supposed to coordinate them are more interested in carrying out operations than their coordination functions. The inability to coordinate the security agencies has created gaps that are being exploited by the criminals.” Adamu added that the inability to manage Nigerian borders effectively also indicated a lack of cooperation among the security agencies. He said, “Our borders are still porous because our security agencies don’t cooperate. They don’t work together. The customs and immigration that have responsibility for border security don’t have enough power to man the borders. So, they should have cooperated more with the military, as an example. But we’re not seeing enough of that. “The security agencies are not doing enough because they are operating in silos, with no coordination. As an example, when was the last time the National Security Council met?” Similarly, the National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, said the Federal Government had failed to secure the lives and property of its citizens. “Why do we have the intelligence arms of the Nigerian police, the army, and the rest of them? What information are they gathering? They are supposed to get prior information about the looming attack from the insurgents. They should know that there are ungoverned spaces in Nigeria, and they should ensure that they are secure,” he stated. According to Adeniran, the service chiefs needed to be given targets, and dismissed if they didn’t meet them. “There should be targets, and if they don’t meet up, they should be dismissed because they are incompetent, and they are wasting public funds. They should be punished for it. Once they have been given that mandate that either they conquer or they don’t return, that should be a kind of thing to be done. “This will not be the first time people have been calling for their removal. Their removal does not stop anything. All of them are walking hand in hand. If you remove them, they are still part of the same entity,” he stated. In his comment, the Chief Executive Officer of Security Watch Africa, Patrick Agbamu, argued that once the government provided the necessary resources, the security chiefs should be held accountable and dismissed if they failed to perform. “The security operatives are not angels. Providing them with what they need to work with is when they can be questioned or removed. Then the person being brought in will know they have the tools to do their work,” he said. ‘Govs must step in’ However, Lieutenant Colonel Abdulwahab Ademola (retd) said changing the service chiefs might not be effective, noting that there was a need to organise a national security summit. He explained that since the security forces had proved incapable, governors should explore ways to strengthen community-based defence and empower local communities to protect themselves. Ademola said, “The governors should ban group motorcycles and anyone found in the forest. After this, any group of motorcycles seen in the forest should just be neutralised. “Maybe the Federal Government is afraid of ceding power to the states. There is supposed to be state police, and till now, nobody is saying anything about it anymore. Otherwise, what is wrong with the president facing it squarely?” Ademola condemned the weapons used by the soldiers, adding that with such equipment, there was no clear end in sight to the insecurity. He stated, “We have gone through this before during Buratai’s long stay, and people were agitating that the service chiefs should be changed. It has become very clear that these institutions are confronted with a culture of sustaining themselves through what has become their mode of existence.” Speaking on the matter, the President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union, Samuel Tabara, urged the government to be proactive on the security challenges. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, did not take his calls or respond to a text message sent to him on the matter as of the time of filing this report.
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Osimhen Reaches Agreement With United Report
~2.1 mins read
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has reached an agreement with Manchester United over personal terms ahead of a potential summer move, according to Turkish journalist Serdar Çelikler. “Victor Osimhen has reached an agreement with Manchester United. But there is also the club side of the matter,” Çelikler said on a podcast. The Nigeria international, currently on loan at Turkish giants Galatasaray, has been in sensational form this season, netting 29 goals and providing six assists in 34 appearances across all competitions. United’s immediate focus in the transfer market is reportedly recruiting a top striker given Rasmus Hojlund’s dismal form this season, with the Dane managing a meagre three Premier League goals. New head coach Ruben Amorim is understood to want the struggling forward gone in the summer. While the personal terms have reportedly been agreed, negotiations between United and Napoli regarding the transfer fee are still ongoing. Osimhen has a release clause worth €75 million (£63m), but reports suggest the Serie A giants are prepared to offer the 20-time English league champions a discount. Juventus are also long-term admirers of the Nigerian hitman, but the Naples outfit have no intention to sell to a direct rival, which further strengthens United’s position in the race. United’s chances of landing the prolific striker may ultimately depend on their Europa League fate, as Osimhen reportedly wants to play Champions League football next season. The Red Devils have kept backup options like Liam Delap and Jean-Philippe Mateta ready in case the deal falls through. Turkish journalist Ali Naci Küçük had earlier revealed that the Premier League side has offered Osimhen a contract worth £ 660,000 a week before tax, which would make him the highest-paid player at Old Trafford. “There is a high possibility that Osimhen will say goodbye (to Galatasaray), but there is no decision made at the moment,” Küçük said. “Juventus and Manchester United clearly want Osimhen. Juventus and Manchester’s offer is a net €20m (£660,000-a-week).” Galatasaray, where Osimhen is currently enjoying his loan spell, remain eager to retain his services but are unlikely to meet his financial demands, with the striker reportedly asking for €15m from the Turkish club. “Osimhen’s words do not mean that he will leave,” Galatasaray’s vice-president Ibrahim Hatipoglu said recently. “He said that Galatasaray will always be in his heart even if he leaves in the worst-case scenario, but he did not say that he would leave. We want him to stay with us.” When questioned about his future last week, Osimhen remained coy, saying, “There are always rumours about me, of course. But I prefer to live in the moment. I am enjoying myself right now. I am enjoying both the club and my life here.” The Nigerian striker joined Galatasaray on loan at the start of the season and has had a phenomenal campaign in Turkey, with the Istanbul club covering €6m of his €10-11m net annual salary, while Napoli pick up the remainder.
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