Big Brother Naija winner Ijeoma Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has marked the fourth anniversary of her reality TV victory after making history in the boxing ring.   Phyna won the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, Level Up, on October 2, 2022. Four years later, she celebrated the anniversary by reflecting on another major milestone after defeating Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing by knockout. The victory came during Balmoral Promotions’ Chaos in the Ring celebrity boxing event held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday. In a post shared on Friday, Phyna described October 2 as a special date in her life, noting that it marked both her BBNaija victory and her historic boxing triumph. She said her move from reality television into boxing reflected her determination to challenge herself, break barriers and demonstrate that there was more to her than her reality TV career. Phyna also dedicated the victory to women who had been told they could not achieve certain things, saying her experience showed that they could overcome such barriers. The reality star received ₦50m for winning the bout and indicated that she intends to pursue professional boxing, potentially making the victory the beginning of a new sporting career. Following the fight, Phyna called out Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia as a possible next opponent. She said Etinosa had been sending her direct messages and that she wanted to face her in the ring. Etinosa, who watched the fight from ringside, accepted the challenge. The event also featured a celebrity bout between skit maker Carter Efe and musician Speed Darlington, with Carter Efe winning by technical knockout. In the professional boxing contest, Ghanaian boxer Seth “Freezy Macbones” Gyimah defeated Nigerian champion Godday “Zodsolo” Appah by unanimous decision to win the WBO African Light Heavyweight Continental Championship.

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken publicly about his recovery from a brain haemorrhage, recalling the fear and uncertainty he experienced after undergoing emergency surgery in 2018.   Ferguson suffered the haemorrhage in May 2018 and returned to Old Trafford four months later to watch Manchester United play Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Despite spending 26 years managing United, Ferguson admitted he felt nervous about returning to the stadium. He was accompanied by his wife, Cathy, and received a standing ovation from supporters when they took their seats in the directors’ box. “I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn’t,” Ferguson said, according to BBC Sport, as reported by PUNCH. “My wife was with me, and she was nearly crying. When we sat down, she said, ‘That’s fantastic,’” he recalled. Ferguson was 76 when he suffered the haemorrhage, five years after retiring from management. His recovery was gradual, with the early stages proving particularly difficult. “I had lost my voice; I couldn’t speak,” he said, describing the experience as a frightening moment. He also recalled visits from his grandsons, who saw him struggling to speak during his recovery. A therapist later helped him regain his speech through exercises that involved writing down the names of birds, animals and rivers. “That way my voice came back,” Ferguson said. Now approaching his 85th birthday, the former Scottish manager says he is feeling well, although he has dealt with some minor injuries. Ferguson has also revisited his football career in his new book, Games of My Life, which examines 21 defining matches from his playing and managerial career. During his 26-year tenure at Manchester United, Ferguson won 38 trophies and became one of the most decorated managers in football history. His latest recollections provide a personal account of both his celebrated football career and the difficult recovery period following his serious health emergency.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday led top government officials and other dignitaries to the national premiere of MKO, a documentary chronicling the life and political legacy of the late businessman and politician, Moshood Abiola.   The premiere was held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, in Iganmu, Lagos, as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary. Tinubu attended the event with his wife, Oluremi Tinubu. Among the dignitaries present were Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. Also in attendance were Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, and former Ogun State Governor Segun Osoba. The MKO documentary was produced and directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker Ose Oyamendan. It examines Abiola’s rise as a businessman, publisher and politician, his participation in the 1993 presidential election, the annulment of the election by the military government and the pro-democracy struggle that followed. The film also covers Abiola’s detention and death in custody in 1998. Speaking at the premiere, Oyamendan said the documentary was intended to preserve the history of Abiola and the events surrounding the June 12, 1993 election for younger generations. He also paid tribute to Tinubu, recalling his involvement in the pro-democracy struggle following the annulment of the election. Oyamendan said Tinubu’s decision to serve as Chief Host was significant because of his connection to the events documented in the film. The 108-minute documentary features archival footage and accounts from several figures associated with the period, including former military Head of State Ibrahim Babangida, former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and Abiola’s running mate in the 1993 election, Baba Gana Kingibe. Former United States ambassador to Nigeria Walter Carrington, former US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Pickering, former Canadian High Commissioner Gerald Ohlsen and members of the Abiola family also feature in the documentary. Tinubu is among those featured in the film, reflecting his involvement in the pro-democracy movement of the period. The documentary had its international premiere at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the United Kingdom on June 12, 2026, before its national premiere in Lagos. The film is scheduled to begin its commercial cinema run across Nigeria on Friday, October 2. The premiere also marked Tinubu’s return to a major public engagement in Nigeria following his four-week working visit to Europe. He returned to Lagos on September 29 ahead of activities marking the Independence anniversary. The event brought together political leaders, members of the creative industry and personalities connected to Nigeria’s political history to revisit one of the defining episodes in the country’s democratic journey.

US President Donald Trump has warned that Iran could face a strong military response if it is found to have been involved in an alleged attack aboard a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.   Trump made the comments on Thursday as authorities in the United Arab Emirates investigated the incident, which forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked whether Iran was involved. He replied that, based on what he was hearing, the answer was yes, while stressing that investigations were still ongoing. Asked whether the US would retaliate if Iran was found responsible, Trump said Iran would be “hit very hard”. Investigation underway The incident occurred when the aircraft’s co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain during the flight, triggering a struggle for control of the plane. Saudi authorities said the co-pilot was subsequently transferred to the UAE under the supervision of an Emirati security team. Initial findings indicated that he had attacked the aircraft’s captain. Passengers reportedly rushed towards the cockpit as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude. According to Flightradar24 data cited by Channels Television, the plane lost about 17,000 feet in roughly one minute. The aircraft eventually landed safely in Saudi Arabia before the passengers, most of whom were Israeli, were flown back to Israel on a replacement flight. The UAE chief prosecutor said investigators would examine whether the incident involved terrorist activity or intent. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect had undergone what he described as “Islamist radical indoctrination”. He also identified the co-pilot as an Omani national. Israeli officials have described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack, although Netanyahu previously said investigators had not ruled out other explanations. Captain and passengers praised The captain, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was praised for his role in helping prevent the aircraft from crashing. Netanyahu described Machchhar’s actions as extraordinarily brave, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a “HERO”. The Indian Embassy in the UAE said the injured captain was recovering well. Passengers were also credited with helping overpower the co-pilot and regain control of the aircraft. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he would honour five Israeli passengers who helped restrain the co-pilot. Flydubai has suspended flights to Israel while investigations continue. US military buildup Trump’s warning comes amid reports of increased US military deployments in the Middle East. Channels Television, citing Axios, reported that additional Patriot missile batteries had recently been deployed to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to protect key energy facilities against possible Iranian retaliation. The report also said the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier and its strike group were heading towards the Middle East, potentially joining two other US carrier strike groups already in the region.