A man is being made to pay for his foul act after he was discovered to have continuously r*ped his own wife's sister for several years.
Imeh Akpan, a 36-year-old man, is accused of molesting his wife’s 15-year-old step-sister for 10 years and has been arrested by the police in Lagos, The Nation reports.
The suspect, who was paraded before reporters on Wednesday afternoon, however denied the allegation, insisting that he only did it once.
Akpan, according to the Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, started defiling the teenager since she was five-year-old.
“The teenager has been living with him since she was small. He started molesting her when she was five-year-old.
“She lives with him and his wife, who’s her step-sister and he has been defiling her since then.
“But he was eventually caught at the weekend after the girl ran out of the house and was rescued by some policemen,” said Owoseni.
The victim (names withheld) disclosed that the man has taken advantage of her when her sister was not around.
She stated that she has complained to her sister once and when the older woman confronted her husband, he denied molesting her.
She said: “My daddy (suspect) raped me because my mummy travelled to Akwa Ibom last Wednesday. I was sleeping on Sunday, around 10pm, my daddy came and removed my clothes and slept with me.
“He used the towel to cover my eye and my mouth but I was still shouting and crying. He said nobody will come and help me. So, I ran out of the house when i got chance. After I ran out, I begged my neighbour to give me phone to talk to my mummy (half sister) and he said there is no credit in his phone.
“So, I ran towards the police station at the roundabout. On my way there, I saw one man who asked me where I was going. I told him everything and the man said he will take me to police station and to human right.
“So, he now took me to hotel that I should come and sleep in hotel till morning before he will take me to the station. I followed the man and I now said I cannot sleep with him inside the hotel.
“When I wanted to close my eyes, I was now seeing the man as if his hand was touching me in my dream. I could not close my eyes. Around 3am, I told the man I want to go and ease myself and he allowed me.
“The man now said since I want to go and report everything at police station that he will use his own money and that the money will be N50, 000, that I should do him a favour and enter the room. I did but the man wanted to rape me also and I shouted before the owner of the hotel came and opened the door.
“That was how I ran outside. As I was walking on the road, policemen saw me and I told them everything and they called one Okada man to take me to Lion Building.
“He has slept with me two times. The first time was last year. I told my mummy everything when she came back from church because my daddy told her that I ran out of the house. When I told her, she believed me but when my uncle now denied, he claimed that I left the door open and someone entered the house. That was why he kicked my left and I ran out,” she narrated.
But the victim who claimed he was drunk said he did not know what he did or how he did it.
“She is like my daughter and it is an abomination for me to sleep with her. I have been the one training her since she was a baby. I was drunk and I did not know anything. It was the police that invited me and told me I raped her. I did not even know. It is only this once I have done it. I do not know what came over me,” he said.
An angry man who suspected his niece of having s*x with a married man living in their neigbourhood has brutally whipped her to death.
A tragic incident has left Chikonohono residents in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe shocked after a 40-year-old man fatally assaulted the 19-year-old niece he was staying with. The man accused her of having an affair with a married man last Friday.
According to The Herald ZM, Vincent Muzeke has since been arrested and will appear in court soon. It was gathered that on Friday, Muzeke called his niece Edna Venganayi, a Form Four pupil at Nemakonde High School and started quizzing her over the alleged affair.
Not satisfied with her answer, Muzeke dragged her inside the house and started beating her all over the body using a hosepipe. Later, Muzeke locked her up in the room before leaving for the nearby shops to buy food.
When he returned, he was shocked to have found the girl lying unconscious and called Ronica Gwaze, a neighbour to help him administer first aid on the girl. He took the unconscious girl to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Muzeke was arrested. Mashonaland West Provincial Police spokesperson, Inspector Clemence Mabgweazara, confirmed the incident. He advised people to solve problems amicably.
“I can confirm that police in Chinhoyi on Friday arrested a male adult, Vincent Muzeke, aged 40 in connection with the death of a female teenager, Edna Venganayi whom he allegedly beat up with a hosepipe until she lost consciousness, leading to her eventual death.
“We would like to urge members of the public to solve their issues amicably to avoid unnecessary loss of life. People should engage relatives, friends and even police public relations officers stationed at all police camps whenever they have problems,” he said.
The girl’s body was still held at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital awaiting a post-mortem.
The Channels TV Journalist whose kidnap was widely publicized, has been released by the abductors.
Mr. Tope Kutiyi, the kidnapped Channels Television correspondent, has been released.
This development was made known by management of the Television station on Wednesday.
Tope Kutiyi
It would be recalled that Kutiyi, in the early hours of Monday was kidnapped by unknown armed men at his residence in Federal Housing Estate, Umuguma area of Imo state.
Meanwhile, the abductors who spoke with a friend of the victim had earlier demanded a ransom of N15 million.
It’s, however, unclear if the said amount was paid to secure the journalist’s release.
A Nigerian girl studying in an American University, has emerged student of the year in the school.
Nneoma Nwankwo from Lagos, who will graduate in May with a degree in Political Science, has emerged Undergraduate Student of the Year in Virginia Tech a University in USA, VTNews reports.
Nwankwo is minoring in public and urban affairs and creative writing. She has maintained a 3.9 GPA while engaging in domestic and international service and research on issues facing females in developing nations.
Nwankwo said: “At Virginia Tech, I have been challenged to live in service to others. I have learned how to lead boldly as I pursue my global development interests. Ultimately, I have discovered that Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) is an active verb, and when I serve those around me, I create a meaningful life for myself.”
The award recognizes a graduating student who has achieved overall excellence during his or her undergraduate career at the university.
It's the most prestigious non-academic undergraduate award given at Virginia Tech and is awarded to a student who has exceptional and balanced achievement in academics, leadership, and service.
The recipient exemplifies the qualities and values important to a Virginia Tech education, captured in the university motto, Ut Prosim. In fall 2013, she undertook an independent study on the negative effects of poor menstrual hygiene management (MHM) on the education and socio-economic empowerment of girls in underserved areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
She has held many leadership positions across campus. She served as the fundraising chair for the African Students Association and raised money for a local charity in Ethiopia.
Fluent in English and Igbo and conversationally proficient in French, Yoruba, and Swahili, she is a coach at the Virginia Tech Writing Center and was international columnist for the Collegiate Times student-run newspaper.
She was recipient of the Overton R. Johnson Scholarship and the Accenture Scholarship. She has accepted a full-time position at Citibank in New York City. She will continue to conduct research on MHM
A Harare man has cried out on Facebook after his wife confessed to bedding two men in a bid to help him secure a job.
Charlene Dzokese (24) said she cheated with Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition boss, Phillan Zamchiya and her husband’s best friend Beloved Chiweshe.
Dzokese said her husband, Mehluli Dube had been unemployed since 2004 and Zamchiya and Chiweshe had promised to help him.
Mehluli discovered the love affair last Wednesday when he rummaged through his wife’s WhatsApp chats.These affairs had been running concurrently since last year November. “Indeed I cheated on Mehluli not that I wanted to but I had no choice, we have been suffering for years now and we have a minor to fend for. I know how hard life can be because at some point I once stayed in the streets and I am an orphan, I only want the best for my son. “So when his best friend presented me that he would get my husband a job and his former boss Zamchiya promised to get him something at Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition where he is the director, I jumped at it,’ she said. “Chiweshe knew that I was going out with Zamchiya and we would arrange to meet in town and at times he would come to our home in Zimre Park when Mehluli was away,” Dzokese said. Dzokese and Mehluli have been married for three years and Mehluli says his wife was a victim of circumstances and he will make sure that his colleagues will pay for what they did.
“I have known Chiweshe since 2003, he has been my best friend since then and what he did really broke me down. “I have been Zamchiya’s right hand man since last year when he took over directorship at Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition. “I still have my son to think about so I have decided to forgive my wife and sort out our differences but I have decided to take legal route to deal with Zamchiya and Chiweshe,”said Mehluli.
Hundreds of millions of pounds of British foreign aid given to Nigeria to help combat Boko Haram terrorists is instead allegedly being used to fund a witch-hunt against opposition politicians, UK Telegraph reports. In a publication on Tuesday, Con Coughlin, UK Telegraph defence editor, said Britain committed to spending £860 million in foreign aid to Nigeria, to help support the country’s efforts to crush Boko Haram terror group, which has been responsible for a spate of outrages, including the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls.
“But Western officials are now raising concerns that the government of the country’s recently elected leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, is misusing the funds to persecute political opponents.
“Since Mr Buhari came to power last July, a number of prominent members of the former ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have been arrested and imprisoned without charge. Among those detained was the party’s official spokesperson.
“Most of the arrests have been sanctioned by the government-controlled Economic and Financial Crime Commission, which was set up to tackle corruption and receives funding from the Department for International Development.
“But while Mr Buhari’s government continues to use British aid money to target his political opponents, it is proving less effective at tackling the Islamist-run Boko Haram terrorist group.
“Much of the aid Britain provides to Nigeria is aimed at helping the country’s security forces to become more effective at tackling Boko Haram, which boasts of its links with Islamic State (ISIL) and achieved international notoriety two years ago after kidnapping 276 schoolgirls in northern Nigeria two years ago”, it read.
Coughlin noted that though scores of British military personnel – including members of the Special Forces – were based in Nigeria helping to train the military to tackle Boko Haram, there was growing concern among Western officials that the Nigerian military was failing to take effective action against the terrorists.
He said this had resulted in Boko Haram now being regarded as the world’s deadliest terrorist organisation, responsible for more deaths than ISIL, even as reports say that the sect is trying to train kidnapped children to act as suicide bombers.
“This is a scandal in the making,” he quoted a senior U.S. official.
“There is no doubt the growing strength of Boko Haram is because President Buhari is far more interested in settling scores with his political opponents that concentrating his energy on defeating terrorists.
“The result is that Nigeria is starting to look more and more like a police state while Boko Haram just goes from strength to strength.”
The defence editor quoted another western diplomat thus: “If Buhari was serious about fighting corruption he would be focusing all of his efforts on targeting corruption that is impeding Nigeria’s ability to focus its efforts on tackling Boko Haram.”
Continuing, the publication revealed that western officials have expressed concern about Buhari’s increasingly autocratic style of government since he came to power last year.
“Now political opponents claim he is returning to his old dictatorial ways, abusing British aid meant to improve Nigeria’s ability to tackle Boko Haram to consolidate his hold on power.
“Mr Buhari’s claim that he is winning the war against Boko Haram – (recently claimed the group no longer poses a serious threat) – has been undermined by recent revelations that the Nigerian authorities have tried to cover up the fact that hundreds of more schoolchildren have been abducted by Boko Haram.
“Human rights activists have confirmed that around 400 women and children were abducted last year by militants from the Nigerian town of Damasak.
“It is now believed that some of these children may have been trained as suicide bombers. U.S. counter-terrorism experts say at least 105 women and girls trained by Boko Haram have taken part in suicide attacks since June 2014,” the UK Telegraph publication added.
THE Edo State Police Command has arrested one Efe Monday for allegedly robbing a commercial sex worker after a round of sex in Benin, the state capital. It was learnt that the 27-year-old suspected robber had approached the woman at a hotel in Ofunmwegbe town where he demanded her services.
According to a source, Monday had negotiated a price and reached an agreement with the commercial sex worker, after which she offered him her services. But the suspect was said to have suddenly pulled a gun and ordered her to surrender the valuable items in her possession to him.
It was gathered that he dispossessed his victim of her belongings, after threatening to kill her if she did not yield to his demand. It was also learnt that the victim, seeing that her valuables had been forcefully taken away from her, raised the alarm, leading to the arrest of the suspect by some policemen and a vigilance group operatives in the area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Osifo Abiodun, who confirmed the arrest while parading 75 suspected armed robbers and cultists, said a locally-made pistol was recovered from the suspect. Abiodun said, “On February 27, 2016, at about 11.40pm, a commercial sex worker, reported that she was sitting in front of a hotel in Ofunmwegbe town. One Efe Monday, aged 27, approached her for sex.
“While they were inside the room, the suspect, with the aid of a locally-made pistol, robbed her of her belongings. “Immediately the suspect left the room, she raised the alarm, which attracted police operatives and members of a vigilance group in the area and he was arrested. The suspect confessed to the crime.”
Olumo Rock is one of the tourist destinations in the West African country where some indigenes of Egbaland hid during a civil war which broke out in the 19th century.The rock served as a shelter for many of the survivors, who were said to have hidden in specific areas inside the caves located inside the rocks to evade attacks from enemies.
Some of these people eventually built small apartments inside the rocks and created places where they carried out their daily activities for about three years without getting into town.
It was not until after the war that most of these people started coming out of their hiding to see the other people who survived the brutality of that period. In a chat with Vivian Plus+ , an elderly woman said she was the ‘Iya Orisa’ of Olumo (meaning the mother goddess) of the rock.
Chief Mrs Sinatu Aduke Sanni explained how she grew up under the rock and witnessed the coronation of about four Alake of Egbaland, as well as her strong belief in the god of the rock which has been protecting her. She claimed she was 131 years of age. “The rock is the protector of every Egba indigene till date and we are proud of what we have,”
Nigeria’s national women football team, the Super Falcons have secured qualification ticket for the 10th Africa Women’s Cup of Nations billed to take place in Cameroon later this year after they beat their Senegalese counterparts 2-0 in Abuja on Tuesday. The reigning African Champions sealed their place in Cameroon 2016 courtesy of a 3-1 aggregate score line having previously played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Dakar few days ago. Asisat Oshoala missed the chance to give Nigeria the lead in Tuesday’s game played at the Abuja National Stadium as she blew away a 31st minute penalty kick awarded to the Nigeria team.
However five minutes after that big miss, the Falcons broke the deadlock through Rita Chikwelu before Osarenoma Igbinovia sealed victory and by extension qualification, with her 46th minute goal. Pockets of fans including embattled NFF President, Amaju Pinnick, were present at the stadium to cheer the Falcons to victory. The victory confirmed the Falcons’ superiority over their West African opponents who were quite hostile in the reverse fixture.
A married woman who is also a gospel singer has met her tragic end after having an affair with a pastor. The woman identified as Yvonne Omoarebokhae has been found dead in a hotel in Delta State owned by a former lawmaker in the Edo State House of Assembly, The Nation reports.
She was said to have lodged in the hotel with a Lagos based Pastor whose name was given as Apostle Psalm Okpe of the Fresh Oil Ministry.
Husband of the deceased, Odion, said his wife met Apostle Psalm on Facebook and after several months of chatting, his late wife was invited last week Thursday by the Pastor to perform in Warri, Delta State.
Odion said Apostle Psalm claimed to have programmes in Warri, Asaba and Benin City where his wife was to perform.
He said his wife called him at about 10am last Friday that she would be home soon.
The physically peeved husband said: “At about 9:30pm, the police used my wife phone to call and invited me to report at the Airport Road police station.
“I waited for more than two hours at the police station until the police asked me to go home, but I insisted on knowing the whereabouts of my wife.”
“The DPO later told me that my wife was picked at an hotel in the GRA and rushed to the Benin Central hospital where she was confirmed dead.”
“I am yet to see the corpse of my wife to know what happened and who is responsible for her death. We have a three-year old baby at home.”
However, it was learned that the pastor has been arrested and helping police with the investigation.
State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ezike, confirmed the death of the woman and said the matter was under investigation.
Ezike said a post mortem examination will confirm the cause of death.
His words, “It is under investigation. The man is married and the woman is married. Not until a post mortem is conducted, we cannot conclude what happened. I have asked the matter to be transferred to the State CID.”
Soldiers from the 4th Brigade, Benin, Edo State attached to Presco Oil Plc, Ovre-Eku, in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State have been accused of stomping a 20 month old baby to death during an early morning raid at Eku community.
The soldiers, it was gathered, stormed the community, last Wednesday, in company of some policemen in three Hilux vans in search of youths suspected to have burnt down an excavator belonging to the company.
The company and the community have been at logger-heads over the former’s alleged acquisition of a disputed land, which did not go down well with indigenes of the community.
Recounting her ordeal to Niger Delta Voice, mother of the baby, Mrs. Maureen Atori, explained that she was in bed with her husband, Mr. Collins Atori when the door to their apartment was smashed open by a team of angry looking soldiers and policemen who tried to forcefully take her husband away.
According to her: “As they (soldiers and policemen) were beating my husband and dragging him on the ground, I and my second son were pleading with them to tamper justice with mercy and leave him alone. It was during the commotion that one of the soldiers stomped on my baby, David.”
Continuing, Mrs. Atori, who also suffered injury on her leg, said: “Though it did not occur to me that the impact on my baby was that serious as I was more concerned about the whereabouts of my husband, until he (David) started acting strange and later died as he was being rushed to the hospital.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of youths from the community, weekend, took to the streets in protest over the incident with an appeal to the Delta State government to caution the management of the company and also set up an investigation panel.
The youths, who described the action of the security operatives as reminiscent of the dark days of the military era, lamented that "though the country is in democratic dispensation, citizens are being brutalized and molested by soldiers in a 'slave and master' manner."
Though attempts to get the comment of the 4th Brigade Army Public Relations Officer, Eromosele J. Unuakhalu proved abortive as at press time, a police source at the Abraka police station, who spoke on condition of anonymity, dismissed as untrue the claim by Mrs. Atori that security operatives stomped on her baby.
He said the security operatives only arrested Collins, father of the late infant and two others, Shedrack and Christopher Usobotie fingered in the alleged burning of an excavator belonging to the company and that matter is being investigated.
Condemning the incident that led to the death of the infant, the member representing Ethiope East constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Evans Iwhurie, said: “As the lawmaker representing the area in the state House of Assembly, I will not sit back and watch this recurring sad development.
When I was informed about the incident, I contacted the District Officer of Eku police post, who informed me that no such entry as regards the incident was made at his police post, instead a similar entry was entered at the Abraka police station where Presco had filed a petition and made an entry to embark on the arrests made.
Personally, I will not allow this kind of criminality to happen under my watch while my people are being brutalized and molested over their land by a company using soldiers from the 4th Brigade and policemen to intimidate and harass them.”
Files obtained from the massive leaked data of a Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, has now shown that Mr. Joshua and his wife, Evelyn, own Chillon Consultancy Limited, a company incorporated on June 20, 2006 at the British Virgin Island (BVI).
Mr. Joshua is the second Nigerian mega preacher shown to set up offshore companies in tax havens.
Although other individuals were listed as shareholders and directors, that investigation was able to determine that the pastor’s teenage daughters – Sharon and Charlyn – were the real beneficial owners of the company.
Like many mega preachers in the country, Mr Joshua is reported to live in opulence. Last September, online news website, Sahara Reporters, claimed the televangelist bought a Gulfstream G550 aircraft in April 2015.
According to Sahara Reporters, the jet, registered as “Synagogue Of Nations,” was purchased using the Bank Of Utah trustee as front.
A Gulfstream G550 is sold for as much a $45 million and could take up to $3 million dollars in yearly maintenance cost.
Mr. Joshua did not respond to this newspaper’s multiple requests for comments. A person who picked his phone when he was called last week said the he was not available to take calls. He requested our reporter to send an email.
But an email sent to his church’s official email address was also not responded to.
The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ikenne Police Division, Ogun State, Mr. Patrick Onwu, on Monday allegedly beat up a female traffic warden for stopping his private vehicle at an intersection in Abeokuta.
The traffic warden, Anifat Bello, who was discharging her official duty at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation junction, on the IBB Boulevard Way, had flagged down Onwu’s car as he approached the junction, which angered him.
The DPO, who was travelling inward Abeokuta on the Siun-Kopabe-Sagamu Expressway, veered into a nearby NNPC Filling Station, disobeying the traffic warden.
Onwu was said to be in mufti when he allegedly disobeyed the traffic rule. He was said to have driven into the filling station, parked and changed into a police uniform, and allegedly descended on the helpless traffic warden.
He was said to have left the woman with a swollen face.
Bello had received many honours for her dedication to duty.
It will be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo had sometime during a courtesy visit to the state by the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, last year, recommended the traffic officer for promotion.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the Commissioner of Police, Abdulmajid Ali, was unhappy about the incident and had directed that the matter be thoroughly investigated.
He said, “The woman traffic officer has reported the matter to the CP and he has directed that the matter be thoroughly investigated. The CP was not happy when the woman came with a swollen face.
Troops of 14 Brigade Garrison based in Ohafia, on Sunday March 10, 2016 conducted an operation aimed and bursting a notorious kidnapping syndicate based in Nkporo community of Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State.According to the statement issued today by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman Acting Director Army Public Relations, during the operation, the troops were able to rescued a kidnap victim who was earlier shot and kidnapped by his abductors at Aba on 6th April 2016. However one of the suspected kidnappers Mr Chidiebere Sunday was apprehended while 2 of his suspected accomplices escaped. One other member of the gang in a bid to evade arrest through the roof of their den fell from a roof, hit his head on the hard floor and died.
The troops recovered the following items from the kidnappers; 2 AK-47 rifles, 9 AK-47 rifle magazine loaded with 124 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 1 Pistol, 2 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 2 machetes and the sum of Five Million, Four Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira (N5,490,000.00) only.
Other items recovered include a Toyota RAV4 jeep with registration number MUS 428 RZ, military camouflage jungle hat, 6 mobile telephone handsets, an iPad, Diamond Bank Debit Card, bunch of different keys, 2 empty bags and a wrap of suspected marijuana.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole seemed to be over the moon at this event, as he displayed that he could rock the dance floor like no man’s business.
Harrysong was on the microphone, performing is hit single “Reggae Blues” and the governor and his wife Iara displayed new dance steps to the excitement of the guests.
The function also had in attendance, Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and former Vice President Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme GCON.
A 35-year-old man, Stephen Ude of Amuzu community, Amasiri Afikpo North local government area of Ebonyi State has been arrested for allegedly defiling a ten year old boy, Victor Agha. The victim, who hails from Amuzu Ezeke, had followed the suspect to the farm where the man proceeded to defile him, The Nation reports.
It was gathered that when he returned from the farm in the evening, Agha looked very weak and sick prompting the father to ask what happened to him and he told the father that Stephen Ude had sex with him through the anus.
Police spokesman, ASP George Okafor confirmed the incident adding that the suspect had been arrested.
He warned that the command cannot tolerate any homosegxwal act in the state.
“By the time we conclude with the necessary investigation, get the medical report together as well as other necessary facts, we will send the suspect to court and ensure that the law takes it course,” he said.
Atlético have work to do as Barcelona come calling
Atlético Madrid took the lead at the Camp Nou but two Luis Suárez goals have given Barcelona the edge as they travel to the second leg at the Vicente Calderón.
Club Atlético de Madrid are looking to repeat their 2014 UEFA Champions League quarter-final win against FC Barcelona when the teams meet for the second leg at the Vicente Calderón.
• Diego Simeone's side must come from behind, however, having gone down 2-1 at the Camp Nou despite taking the lead through Fernando Torres. Torres was sent off before half-time and two Luis Suárez goals gave holders Barcelona their seventh successive win against Atlético.
Previous meetings • Before the first leg, the teams' sole previous European tie came at the same stage of the 2013/14 competition. Then, as now, the first leg was at the Camp Nou where Neymar's 71st-minute strike cancelled out Diego's 56th-minute opener for Atlético.
• The teams on 1 April 2014 were: Barcelona: Pinto, Alves, Piqué (Bartra 12), Mascherano, Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Fàbregas (Alexis Sánchez 68), Iniesta, Messi, Neymar. Atlético: Courtois, Juanfran, Godín, Miranda, Filipe Luís, Gabi, Tiago, Arda Turan (Rodríguez 77), Koke, Villa (Sosa 71), Diego Costa (Diego 30).
• A week later, a fifth-minute goal from Koke was enough to give Atlético a 1-0 win and a place in the semi-finals – ending Barça's six-year run of reaching the semi-final or better. Atlético are therefore the only team to prevent Barça from reaching the semi-finals in the past eight seasons, and one of only three clubs to have eliminated them in a UEFA Champions League quarter-final: Paris Saint-Germain (1994/95) and Juventus (2002/03) are the others.
• The teams at the Vicente Calderón on 9 April 2014 were: Atlético: Courtois, Juanfran, Godín, Miranda, Filipe Luís, Gabi, Tiago, Koke, Adrián López (Diego 62), Raúl García, Villa (Rodríguez 79). Barcelona: Pinto, Alves, Bartra, Mascherano, Alba, Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta (Pedro 72), Fàbregas (Alexis Sánchez 61), Messi, Neymar.
• Barça won both league meetings between the two teams this season 2-1. Diego Godín and Filipe Luís were both sent off in the game at the Camp Nou on 30 January. Koke opened the scoring for Atlético, but Lionel Messi and Suárez turned the game in Barça's favour.
• Atlético clinched the 2014 Liga title at the Camp Nou on the final day of the season, Godín cancelling out an Alexis Sánchez strike to give the visitors their first championship since 1996.
Match background
Atlético • This is the third season running that Atlético have reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals – and they have faced Spanish opposition on each occasion.
• Having got the better of Barcelona in 2014, Atlético lost out to neighbours Real Madrid CF in the last eight 12 months ago, Madrid's Javier Hernández scoring the only goal of the tie with two minutes left of the second leg at the Santiago Bernábeu.
• Madrid had also got the better of Atlético in the 2014 final, running out 4-1 winners after extra time in Lisbon.
• Atlético have hosted Barcelona 109 times before in all competitions with a record of 50 home wins, 36 Barcelona victories and 23 draws.
• Simeone's side were beaten 2-1 at home by SL Benfica on matchday two, but have nevertheless lost only two of their last 28 home European games, winning 23 of them.
• Atlético beat PSV Eindhoven on penalties in the round of 16, a tie that was the first to finish goalless over two legs in the UEFA Champions League era, and the second year in succession Diego Simeone's side had won their last-16 tie on spot kicks following their 2015 defeat of Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
• The Rojiblancos are in the quarter-finals of the European Cup for the eighth time and are seeking a fifth place in the semi-finals.
• Atlético have won seven and lost seven of their 18 European games against fellow Spanish sides. Since a first-leg loss against Villarreal CF in a 2004 UEFA Interhoneypot Cup final, Atlético's record in 12 European matches against compatriot teams is W5 D4 L3, the defeats coming against Real Madrid (twice) and now Barcelona.
• The Madrid club have won 11 of the 20 UEFA competition ties in which they lost the away first leg. That includes five aggregate wins from six ties when the first game ended 1-2, two of which were all-Spanish affairs; against Real Sociedad de Fútbol in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup third round (second leg 4-1) and Real Madrid in the 1958/59 European Cup semi-finals (second leg 1-0, replay 1-2).
• Following the win against PSV in the last 16, Atlético's shoot-out record in UEFA competition is now W2 L3: 6-7 v Derby County FC, 1974/75 UEFA Cup second round 1-3 v ACF Fiorentina, 1989/90 UEFA Cup first round 1-3 v Villarreal, 2004 UEFA Interhoneypot Cup final 3-2 v Leverkusen, 2014/15 UEFA Champions League round of 16 8-7 v PSV Eindhoven, 2015/16 UEFA Champions League round of 16
Barcelona • In the quarter-finals for a record ninth season in a row, Barcelona have won two and drawn two of their away games in this season's competition. They were 2-0 victors at Arsenal FC in the round of 16 first leg, going on to win 5-1 overall.
• Barcelona's European Cup quarter-final record is W14 L3.
• Barcelona have already got the better of Spanish opposition in European competition this season, defeating Sevilla FC 5-4 to win the UEFA Super Cup in Tbilisi in August.
• The Blaugrana lost to Sevilla in the 2006 UEFA Super Cup final at Monaco's Stade Louis II. Overall, their record against Spanish sides in UEFA competition is P23 W7 D6 L10; away it is W1 D3 L6.
• Barcelona's sole away win against Spanish opposition came at Real Madrid in the 2010/11 semi-final first leg, Lionel Messi scoring twice in the final 14 minutes for a 2-0 victory.
• In two-legged ties against fellow Liga sides, Barcelona's record is W4 L6.
• Barcelona have won 38 of the 40 UEFA competition ties in which they won the first leg at home, most recently against FC Bayern München in last season's semi-final (3-0 home, 2-3 away). Both defeats came against English clubs: in the 1983/84 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final against Manchester United FC (2-0 home, 0-3 away) and in the 1982 UEFA Super Cup against Aston Villa FC (1-0 home, 0-3 away).
• Barcelona's shoot-out record in UEFA competition is W5 L1: 5-4 v KKS Lech Poznań, 1988/89 European Cup Winners' Cup second round 0-2 v FC Steaua Bucureşti, 1985/86 European Cup final 5-4 v IFK Göteborg, 1985/86 European Cup semi-final 4-1 v RSC Anderlecht, 1978/79 European Cup Winners' Cup second round 3-1 v Ipswich Town FC, 1977/78 UEFA Cup third round 5-4 v AZ Alkmaar, 1977/78 UEFA Cup second round
Coach and player links • As a player for Sevilla and Atlético, Diego Simeone faced Luis Enrique, first of Real Madrid then Barcelona, 11 times. Luis Enrique won six games, Simeone two, and there were three draws.
• As a player, Simeone's record in Liga matches against Barcelona with Sevilla and Atlético was P7 W1 D3 L3. His only goal against Barça came in a 5-2 defeat for Sevilla in 1994, although he did help Atlético beat Barcelona in the 1996 Copa del Rey final.
• As a coach, his record against the Blaugrana is P17 W2 D5 L8.
• Messi has scored 25 goals in 29 games against Atlético, including three hat-tricks, making them the team he has scored most goals against. No other player has scored more against Atlético.
• Fernando Torres has scored 11 times against Barcelona in 15 games. Ten of those goals came for Atlético, while he scored for Chelsea FC in a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou in the 2012 UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg.
• International team-mates: Spain: Andrés Iniesta, Marc Bartra, Jordi Alba, Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Sergi Roberto & Koke and Juanfran. Uruguay: Luis Suárez & Diego Godín
• Koke was part of Spain's winning team at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship along with Marc Bartra, Martín Montoya and Cristian Tello.
• Bartra made his senior Barcelona debut in a 2-1 defeat at Atlético in February 2010.
• Arda Turan joined Barcelona last summer after four years at Atlético, where he won the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, the UEFA Europa League, the Copa del Rey and the Liga title.
• Also played for both clubs: David Villa, Julio Alberto, Sergi Barjuán, Simão Sabrosa, Bernd Schuster, Eusebio Sacristán, Julio Salinas, Miguel Reina, Thiago Motta.
• Coached both clubs: Luis Aragonés, César Luis Menotti, Radomir Antić.
Match facts
Atlético • Óliver Torres will incur a suspension with his next booking. Fernando Torres serves a one-match ban.
• Fernando Torres, Antoine Griezmann and Koke were on target as Atlético beat Barcelona's city rivals Espanyol 3-1 on Saturday.
• Griezmann has scored in nine of his last 11 appearances for club and country.
• In contrast, Luciano Vietto has not found the net since matchday six.
Barcelona • Busquets and Javier Mascherano are a booking away from a ban.
• Barcelona's Spanish record 39-match unbeaten run in all competitions (32 wins) ended when they lost 2-1 at home to Real Madrid on 2 April.
• Messi, Suárez and Neymar have scored 109 club goals between them in all competitions this season.*
• Messi's senior career total is 499.*
• Jérémy Mathieu sustained a right knee injury in France's 4-2 victory over Russia on 29 March and was ruled out for the rest of the season.
• Rafinha (knee, injured on matchday one) returned to action in the quarter-final first leg, playing the last 27 minutes.
"We will fight from the first minute to the last," promised midfielder Pizzi as he and team-mate Talisca talked through Benfica's chances of eliminating Bayern this week.
Midfielder Pizzi and forward Talisca tell UEFA.com how Benfica are itching to reach their first UEFA Champions League semi-final as Bayern visit Lisbon for their last-eight decider holding a slender 1-0 lead.
Pizzi: There is a fantastic atmosphere at the Estádio da Luz. Our fans show all their passion, and obviously everyone at Benfica expects another great European night.
Talisca: It's great for the club and the players to have these fans. They are marvellous because they always support us and motivate us. The club really benefit from them.
Highlights: Vidal's first-leg winner Talisca: Before, I'd only seen matches like these on TV, and today I can play in them, so for me it's a great thrill.
How has coach Rui Vitória helped Benfica take a step up this season?
Pizzi: He coached me at Paços de Ferreira and it's always good to have a coach who can improve you. It's also great to have so many youngsters coming through and playing and fighting as they have been. Benfica have always had a strong youth system and that is the case now with Renato Sanches, Nélson Semedo, Gonçalo Guedes and many more. A team isn't just made up of experienced players – it needs youngsters and that fearlessness they bring. Us older ones try to help them so they can really break through.
Talisca: He explains to us what is right and wrong. When he explains things to us, we understand them and do what he asks of us. He demands the right things and he knows the club and the team really well.
Benfica have not reached the semi-finals of this competition since 1990. Can you make it this time?
Talisca
Talisca: We have a lot of potential. We work hard every day and are doing well in Europe and the Portuguese league, so we are focused. We know it will be a difficult match but we will carry on doing what we've been doing so far.
Pizzi: We've been showing our quality in the Champions League. It's not just my dream but the dream of all my team-mates to be in a Champions League semi-final. We're close, we know it will be difficult but we will give everything – we will fight from the first minute to the last to achieve our goal.
Real Madrid have reached five straight semi-finals but must undo the damage caused by a 2-0 first-leg defeat at knockout debutants Wolfsburg to extend that run.
VfL Wolfsburg and Real Madrid CF are at the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of UEFA Champions League quarter-final experience as they prepare for the second leg in the Spanish capital.
Previous meetings • The first leg was the sides' first meeting – and only Wolfsburg's fifth game against Spanish opposition.
Match background
Real Madrid • Madrid are in the quarter-finals for the sixth season in a row – they have won their last five and nine of the last ten. Their European Cup quarter-final record is W26 L6.
• Madrid have won all four home games in this season's competition, including a 2-0 defeat of AS Roma in the round of 16 second leg for a 4-0 aggregate success, and an overwhelming 8-0 defeat of Malmö FF in December – the joint-biggest victory in 24 years of the UEFA Champions League. Overall at home they have scored 15 goals and conceded none.
• Madrid's record in two-legged ties with German clubs in UEFA competition is W12 L8. They have won each of their last four ties against German opposition, scoring 22 goals in the process.
• Madrid lost their most recent fixture against German opposition, 4-3 at home to FC Schalke 04 in last season's round of 16 second leg, yet still prevailed in that tie having triumphed 2-0 away.
• The Schalke defeat ended a run of four straight home wins and a 12-game unbeaten run at the Santiago Bernabéu (W10 D2), against German visitors.
• Madrid's overall home record against Bundesliga clubs is W22 D4 L3; overall, it is W28 D10 L23.
• Madrid have overturned a first-leg away defeat 22 times, failing on a further 16 occasions including the last five – most recently against Juventus in last season's semi-finals. However, they have retrieved large first-leg away deficits: against Derby County FC (1975/76 European Champion Clubs' Cup second round: 1-4 away, 5-1 home); RSC Anderlecht (1984/85 UEFA Cup third round: 0-3 away, 6-1 home); and VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach (1985/86 UEFA Cup third round: 1-5 away, 4-0 home).
• Madrid's shoot-out record in European competition is W1 L2: 5-6 v FK Crvena zvezda, 1974/75 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals 3-1 v Juventus, 1986/87 European Cup second round 1-3 v FC Bayern München, 2011/12 UEFA Champions League semi-finals
Wolfsburg • In the UEFA Champions League for only the second time following their 2009/10 debut, Wolfsburg are in the knockout stages for the first time.
• This is the German club's third quarter-final in a major UEFA competition. Beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Fulham FC in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League (1-2 away, 0-1 home), they also lost to SSC Napoli at the same stage of last season's competition (1-4 home, 2-2 away).
• Wolfsburg lost their first two away games in this season's competition, but have won the last two, 2-0 at PFC CSKA Moskva on matchday five and 3-2 at KAA Gent in the round of 16 first leg.
• Dieter Hecking's side have lost only two of their last nine European away games, winning five.
• The German club have won all four ties in UEFA competition in which they won the home first leg. That includes two 2-0 first-leg successes, most recently against Sporting Clube de Portugal in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 32 (0-0 away).
• Wolfsburg have never been involved in a penalty shoot-out in UEFA competition.
Coach and player links • Wolfsburg's Julian Draxler was in the Schalke team beaten by Madrid in the 2013/14 round of 16, the Germans losing 6-1 in Gelsenkirchen and 3-1 in Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema all scored twice in the first leg, Ronaldo adding two more at the Santiago Bernabéu.
• Toni Kroos scored at the VfL Wolfsburg Arena for Bayer Leverkusen, where he was on loan from Bayern München, on 18 April 2009. Wolfsburg went on to win 2-1.
• Josuha Guilavogui is currently on loan at Wolfsburg from Club Atlético de Madrid, for whom he has made just one appearance.
• Kroos faced Wolfsburg 12 times during his time in Germany with FC Bayern München (2007–09, 2010–14) and Bayer 04 Leverkusen (2009–10) with the record W10 D1 L1.
• Daniel Carvajal spent 2012/13 on loan at Leverkusen, recording a draw and two losses against Wolfsburg.
• André Schürrle and Kroos each scored twice as Germany beat a Brazil side containing Marcelo and Luiz Gustavo 7-1 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
• Kroos scored Germany's winner in a November 2014 friendly against Spain, with Kiko Casilla and Sergio Ramos in the home team. Max Kruse also featured for Germany, with Robin Knoche an unused substitute.
• Play for same country: Joshua Guilavogui & Raphaël Varane, Karim Benzema (France) André Schürrle, Julian Draxler, Max Kruse, Maximilian Arnold, Sebastian Jung, Christian Träsch, Marcel Schäfer & Toni Kroos (Germany) Luiz Gustavo, Dante & Marcelo, Danilo, Casemiro (Brazil) Vieirinha & Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe (Portugal)
• Have played together Toni Kroos & Dante (Bayern, 2012–14) Toni Kroos & Luiz Gustavo (Bayern, 2011–13)
Match facts
Real Madrid • Casemiro, Danilo and Sergio Ramos will incur a suspension with their next bookings.
• The defeat in Wolfsburg ended Madrid's six-match winning run.
• Cristiano Ronaldo took his Liga total to 30 for the season in Saturday's 4-0 defeat of Eibar; he is the first player to reach 30 goals in six successive Liga seasons.
Wolfsburg • Arnold, Diego Benaglio, Daniel Caligiuri, Vieirinha and Luiz Gustavo are a booking away from a ban.
• The victory over Madrid was Wolfsburg's first win in four games. Their 1-1 draw against Mainz on Saturday was their fourth successive Bundesliga game without a victory (D2 L2).
• Winter signing Bruno Henrique made his first start for Wolfsburg in the quarter-final first leg.
• Naldo, expected to miss the rest of the campaign after sustaining a right shoulder injury against Bayern on 27 February, returned to the side against Madrid.
• Caligiuri has been out since sustaining a groin injury against SV Darmstadt 98 on 19 March.
• Jung suffered a knee injury in Ghent on 17 February and was ruled out for the remainder of the season.
• On 12 January, Bas Dost fractured a metatarsal in his left foot during Wolfsburg's winter training camp in Portugal. He returned to play 71 minutes against Mainz on Saturday
A 2-2 away draw has left Manchester City well placed to reach the semi-finals for the first time, although Paris Saint-Germain have already won in England this season.
While Paris Saint-Germain are in a fourth successive UEFA Champions League quarter-final, Manchester City FC are making their first appearance – and it is they who hold a slight advantage in the tie.
Previous meetings • Paul Le Guen's Paris earned a goalless draw against a Manchester City managed by Mark Hughes at the City of Manchester Stadium in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage – their only previous meeting before the first leg and City's only prior tie against a French side. Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany were all in the City team.
• The teams in Manchester on 3 December 2008 were: Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Dunne, Ben Haim, Garrido, Kompany, Ireland, Elano (Benjani 49), Vassell (Hamann 76), Sturridge, Jô (C Evans 65). Paris: Landreau, S Traoré, Sakho, Z Camara, Bourillon, Makelele (Armand 59), Clement, Rothen, Pancrate (Giuly 69), Luyindula, Kežman (Hoarau 69).
• City finished first in Group A with Paris third, both sides progressing to the round of 32. Both eventually lost in the quarter-finals, City going down 4-3 on aggregate to Hamburger SV while Paris were beaten 3-0 over two legs against FC Dynamo Kyiv.
Match background
Manchester City • This is City's first European Cup quarter-final. Their last two UEFA Champions League campaigns both ended in round of 16 defeat by Barcelona, in 2013/14 and 2014/15.
• The 3-1 aggregate win against Dynamo Kyiv in this season's round of 16 – 3-1 away, 0-0 home – was City's first European Cup knockout win. Aside from those Barcelona defeats, their only previous tie was a 2-1 aggregate loss by Fenerbahçe SK in the 1968/69 first round.
• At home in this season's competition, City lost 2-1 to Juventus but then beat Sevilla FC 2-1 and VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach 4-2 before the goalless draw against Dynamo.
• While this is City's first quarter-final, their coach Pellegrini has been there with two different clubs – Villarreal CF (2005/06, 2008/09) and Málaga CF (2012/13). Only Villarreal's 2006 side won their last-eight tie, going on to lose to Arsenal FC in the semi-finals.
• City have won all six ties in UEFA competition in which they drew the away first leg, including two where the first scoreline was 2-2: against FC København in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup round of 32 (2-1 home) and AC Milan in the 1978/79 UEFA Cup third round (3-0 home).
• City's record in penalty shoot-outs in UEFA competition is W2 L0: 4-2 v FC Midtjylland, 2008/09 UEFA Cup second qualifying round 4-3 v Aalborg BK, 2008/09 UEFA Cup round of 16
Paris • Paris are in the quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row, having lost to Barcelona in 2013 and 2015 and Chelsea in 2014.
• Overall their European Cup quarter-final record is W1 L3. They beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in 1994/95, subsequently losing to AC Milan in the semi-finals.
• The French club have won three of their four away games in this season's competition, prevailing 3-0 at FC Shakhtar Donetsk and 5-0 at Malmö FF in addition to winning at Chelsea in the round of 16. They lost 1-0 at Real Madrid CF on matchday four.
• Paris are unbeaten in their last four matches with Premier League opposition, all against Chelsea, since a 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge in April 2014.
• The Parisian club have played 14 matches against English sides with the record W4 D6 L4. Away it is W1 D3 L3.
• Their knockout record in ties against English sides reads W3 L2.
• The Parisians have drawn the home first leg 12 times in UEFA competition and won six of those ties on aggregate. However, they have been held at home 2-2 three times and lost all those ties: against Juventus in the 1983/84 European Cup Winners' Cup second round (0-0 away), FC Karviná in the 1986/87 European Champion Clubs' Cup first round (0-1 away) and Barcelona in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals (1-1 away).
• Paris's European shoot-out record is W0 L1: 3-4 v Rangers FC, 2001/02 UEFA Cup third round
Coach and player links • Yaya Touré was a team-mate of Ibrahimović and Maxwell at Barcelona in 2009/10.
• David Luiz joined Paris in 2014 after three and a half years and 81 Premier League appearances for Chelsea. He scored against City in Chelsea's 2-0 home win in March 2011.
• Also played in England: Angel Di María, Manchester United (2014/15); Benjamin Stambouli, Tottenham Hotspur FC (2014/15)
• Played in France: Bacary Sagna, AJ Auxerre (2004–2007), Yaya Touré, AS Monaco FC (2006/07), Gaël Clichy (AS Cannes, 2002/03)
• Hart was in goal for England when Sweden's Ibrahimović scored four times in a 4-2 victory for the Blågult in a November 2012 friendly.
• Hart and Raheem Sterling helped England to a 2-0 Wembley win against Blaise Matuidi's France on 17 November 2015.
• Aleksandar Kolarov's scored Serbia's goals in a 1-1 friendly against France in Belgrade on 7 September 2014. Matuidi came on for the visitors.
• Blanc ended his playing days at Manchester United FC between 2001 and 2003, appearing in a 3-1 loss at Maine Road on 9 November 2002.
• Gaël Clichy made three appearances for Blanc's France side at UEFA EURO 2012, including the quarter-final loss to David Silva's Spain (2-0)
• Ibrahimović scored Barcelona's winner against Pellegrini's Real Madrid CF at the Camp Nou on 29 November 2009.
• International team-mates: Bacary Sagna, Gaël Clichy, Eliaquim Mangala & Blaise Matuidi, Layvin Kurzawa (France) Fernandinho & David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Lucas (Brazil) Nicolás Otamendi, Martín Demichelis, Pablo Zabaleta, Sergio Agüero & Javier Pastore, Ángel Di María (Argentina) Yaya Touré, Wilfried Bony & Serge Aurier (Ivory Coast)
Match facts
Manchester City • Jesús Navas and Otamendi will incur a suspension with their next bookings.
• City have won only four of their last 13 matches in all competitions (counting the shoot-out success against Liverpool FC in the League Cup final as a draw).
• De Bruyne scored in his first two appearances since returning from a two-month injury lay-off on 2 April, but was not among the scorers as City beat West Bromwich Albion FC 2-1 on Saturday.
• Making his first start since September, Samir Nasri scored the winner against the Baggies, his first goal following a long absence with a thigh injury.
• Touré (knee) came on against West Brom for his first appearance since 20 March.
• Sterling was ruled out for six to eight weeks after suffering a groin injury in the 1-0 home loss to Manchester United on 20 March.
• Kompany has yet to return after hobbling off early on against Dynamo on 15 March with a recurrence of a calf injury. Paris • Aurier, Ibrahimović and Marco Verratti are a booking away from a ban. Matuidi and David Luiz serve one-match suspensions.
• Aurier's start against Manchester City was his first for Paris since 10 February for disciplinary reasons.
• Paris retained the French championship with an unprecedented eight games to spare, wrapping up their fourth consecutive title with a 9-0 success at ES Troyes AC on 13 March, Ibrahimović scoring four times.
• Lucas Moura scored both goals as Paris won 2-0 at Guingamp on Saturday, with Blanc omitting ten senior players from his squad: Edinson Cavani, David Luiz, Ángel Di María, Nicolas Douchez, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Maxwell, Javier Pastore Thiago Motta, Thiago Silva and Marco Verratti.
• Verratti (groin) has not played since 20 February.
• Winners of the last two editions, Paris face LOSC Lille in the French League Cup final on 23 April.
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