ARMED bandits set ablaze the home of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Nasiru Muazu Magarya, in Zurmi Local Government Area.

The Chairman of the Committee on Security and Prosecution of Bandits in Zamfara State, Abdullahi Shinkafi, confirmed the incident on Monday. According to Tribune, he noted that the bandits invaded the community and set ablaze some houses including that of the speaker. According to him, this was coming as a result of the ongoing onslaught by the military in Zurmi LGA. He said the bandits resorted to attacks on soft targets after they were forced to flee from their various hideouts by the military. The Chairman of the committee, who visited the affected community to assess the security situation, said the government also wanted to provide support for victims and deploy more security operatives to protect the people. However, the chairman of the committee refused to comment on if any life was lost during the invasion by the bandits. While confirming that two suppliers to the bandits were arrested, Shinkafi said the suspects used boats to convey foodstuffs and petrol suppliers from Sokoto to the bandits. The two foodstuffs and petrol suppliers have been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution, he added.

 recalled that the biological father and stepmother of the Speaker of the State Assembly and six others were abducted a few months ago and are still in captivity.

The sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer means that Manchester United have sacked 4 full time managers after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. All the four managers’ time at United will be termed as unsuccessful as none of them were able to win the Premier League or the Champions League which are the titles a club like Manchester United should be competing for. Many United fans will continue to sing Solskjaer’s name as he is still a popular man but success in football is ultimately measured in trophies. And, Solskjaer as a manager didn’t win any. Without further edo, let take a look at the best Manchester United managers after Sir Alex Ferguson based on ranking. 

David Moyes: June 2013-April 2014)

P51 W27 D9 L15

Honors won: FA Community Shield (1)

By the slenderest of margins Moyes, the man hand picked by Ferguson to succeed him, takes second in the list. Things started brightly with a Community Shield win and a 4-1 opening day success over Swansea.It soon unravelled though and he looked out of his depth - home defeats to City, Liverpool, Tottenham, West Brom, Everton and Newcastle eventually saw United finish seventh. Moyes wasn't even able to see out the season such was the poor run of results that ended, perhaps fittingly, with a 2-0 reverse at Goodison Park.

Louis van Gaal (May 2014-May 2016)

P103 W54 D25 L24 Trophies: 1

Honors won: Win the 2016 FA Cup final by beating Crystal Palace in extra time at Wembley. 

One of the greatest Dutch managers of all time, Van Gaal succeeded in arresting the slump at United and tightening the defence. Though known to many for his cheerful and charismatic personality, Van Gaal’s overly cautious approach soon disappointed fans.

Bad score: Sacked just two days after winning the 2016 FA Cup final beating Crystal Palace in extra time at Wembley.

Jose Mourinho (May 2016-December 2018)

P144 W84 D32 L28 Trophies: 2

The Special One’s tenure at the Theatre of Dreams is often looked down upon, despite the Portuguese manager delivering the League Cup, as well as the Europa League whilst managing to secure Champions League football as well. The downfall of Mourinho’s stint at United was his failure to get the best out of big-money signings Lukaku, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and most notably, Alexis Sanchez.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (December 2018-November 2021)

P168 W91 D37 L40 Trophies: 0

The former United striker transformed the mood at Old Trafford after initially taking charge on a caretaker basis, winning 14 from 19 games to earn the job permanently. Solskjaer led United to third in 2019-20 and runners-up last season, when they also lost the Europa League final on penalties. There has been clear progress and a much-needed cultural reset at the club, but losses to Liverpool, Manchester City and Watford – 4-1 on Saturday evening – compounded recent poor performances and proved to be the end for the 1999 treble hero.