Barcelona beat Atletico to set up cup final against Real Madrid

Barcelona narrowly edged past Atletico Madrid on aggregate to set up a meeting with Real Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey.

It will be the eighth time there has been an El Clasico in the Spanish Cup final, with the nation’s two most successful club sides set to meet on 26 April in Seville.

Ferran Torres’ first-half effort proved decisive for Barcelona at Metropolitano Stadium, with the Spain forward poking the ball past Argentine goalkeeper Juan Musso after Lamine Yamal’s superb pass had split the home defence.

It was no more than the visitors deserved, with 17-year-old Yamal a constant source of danger and Raphinha also twice threatening to extend Barca’s lead.

Unlike the thrilling first-leg tie in February, when Diego Simeone’s side twice scored late on in a dramatic 4-4 draw, this was a tighter and more tense affair without the grandstand finish from Atletico.

READ ALSO:

• NNPCL hikes petrol pump price to N950/litre
• Liverpool leap closer to title with narrow Everton win
• Deadly strikes in Gaza as Netanyahu says Israel will seize new military corridor

The hosts did have opportunities.

Substitute Alexander Sorloth elected to shoot instead of squaring the ball to Antoine Griezmann for a tap-in, while the Norway forward was also ruled offside after rattling in what he thought was an equaliser.

However, in truth, Atletico were second best to Hansi Flick’s side for long periods, with the record 31-time winners always appearing relatively comfortable as they extended their unbeaten run to 21 games across all competitions.

The Catalan club remain the only side in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to lose in 2025 and remain on course for a potential quadruple.

Barca, who have already won the Spanish Super Cup this term, lead the La Liga table by three points from Real Madrid.

They also host Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on 9 April (20:00 BST).

Meanwhile, the final against Carlo Ancelotti’s team in Seville will come just over two weeks before a potentially pivotal fixture between the clubs in the Spanish top flight.

Barcelona beat Atletico to set up cup final against Real Madrid

Wike congratulates Okpebholo on tribunal victory

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has congratulated Gov. Monday Okpebholo of Edo on his victory at the tribunal.

The Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting on Wednesday, affirmed Okpebholo as the duly elected governor of Edo.

A three-member panel, led by Justice Wilfred Kpochi, dismissed the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, against the election outcome.

The petition challenged the result of the governorship election held on Sept. 21, 2024 but was struck out by the tribunal for lack of merit.

READ ALSO:

• FG orders immediate reopening of independence bridge in Lagos to ease traffic
• Protect vulnerable Nigerians, IMF tells Tinubu
• Ex-NYSC DG Tsiga regains freedom after 56 days in captivity

Reacting, Wike, in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, urged the governor to remain focused on delivering good governance.

He advised Okpebholo not to be distracted but to remain dedicated to serving the people of Edo.

Teacher arrested in Osun for allegedly molesting 7-year-old pupil

22-year-old male school teacher, Rufai Akorede, has been arrested in Ilesa, Osun State, by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for allegedly molesting a seven-year-old female pupil.

The NSCDC stated that Akorede is accused of “thrusting his manhood” into the child’s mouth in a classroom after school.

Following a report, the Osun NSCDC Commandant, Igbalawole Sotiyo, ordered an immediate investigation, which revealed the alleged molestation began in 2024, according to a statement signed by the state command’s public relations officer, Kehinde Adeleke.

According to NSCDC, in his confessional statement, Akorede admitted to the crime, explaining that after school hours, he instructed the victim to close the windows in the classroom before assaulting her.

“The second incident happened on March 20, 2025, after school hours. It was only the teacher and the girl who were in the class, and he pressed her buttocks,” Adeleke said.

Akorede was arraigned before the Magistrate Court in Ilesa, Osun State, on March 26, 2025, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in the correctional centre. The trial has been adjourned.

In a separate case, 20-year-old Tiamiyu Samuel was arrested for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge of a 12-year-old girl in Gbongan, Osun State.

Adeleke, the NSCDC spokesperson, stated that Samuel had known the victim for three years and, after she rejected his advances, forcibly dragged her into his room on March 23, 2025, with the help of an accomplice.

The suspect allegedly threatened the victim with a cutlass before assaulting her, causing the victim to bleed. He then threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

“The accomplice is currently at large but will be apprehended to face the consequences of his actions. The suspect admitted committing the offence and a medical report confirms that the victim’s hymen was broken,” Adeleke said.

The NSCDC has assured the public that once the investigation is concluded, the suspect will be charged in court.

The Osun NSCDC urged parents and guardians to remain vigilant and safeguard their children from such predatory individuals. The Commandant also warned that those engaging in such heinous acts will face severe consequences

Teacher arrested in Osun for allegedly molesting 7-year-old pupil