Gafar's blog

A 55-year-old man, Yekini Ogunjobi, who allegedly abducted a teenage girl for several days and assaulted her sexually, was on Wednesday in Lagos released on a N100,000 bail. Police have pressed abduction and s*xual assault charges at an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court against the security man, who lives at 12, Esuola St., Oko-Oba, Agege, a suburb of Lagos. r*pe-11 Prosecutor Rafael Donny told the court that the offences were committed between July 25 and July 28 at the residence of the accused. Donny said the accused lured the 14-year-old girl, who was sent on an errand, into his house and shut the door before assaulting her sexually. “The accused abducted the girl for four days and assaulted her sexually. “It was one of her relations who sighted her in front of the accused’s house that reported to the police,” Sgt. Donny said. According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene Sections 141(a) and 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. The accused, who entered a ‘not-g

Arsenal’s Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez gestures to supporters on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Watford and Arsenal at Vicarage Road Stadium in Watford, north of London on August 27, 2016. Arsenal won the game 3-1. A goal from Mesut Ozil on his first start of the campaign rounded off a much-needed win for Arsenal as they secured a comfortable 3-1 Premier League triumph at Watford. Santi Cazorla, from the penalty spot, Alexis Sanchez and Ozil were all on target to put the Gunners in total command by the interval. A 57th-minute debut goal from Hornets substitute Roberto Pereyra gave Walter Mazzari’s side hope, yet ultimately it proved in vain as their wait for a maiden win of their own continues –- placing their manager under the microscope even at this stage. The pressure had been on Wenger and his side too heading into the weekend after perfect starts from both Manchester clubs had left them playing catch-up. This, then, was just the performanc

2 popular cultists identified as Papa Obodo and Osazee were yesterday killed in a renew cult war between Eiye and the movement cult groups. One of deceased (Papa Obodo) was chased by members of the Movement and stoned to death at Oyenmwonsa street in Benin while the second cultists identified Osazee whose wife delivered a baby on Sunday was shot on the stomach while attempting to scale a fence around Osemwende street. The corpses of the deceased cultists have been deposited at the morgue.

Washington and Moscow made key steps towards agreeing a new ceasefire in Syria, but a final deal has not been reached, US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart said after talks Friday. Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the comments after the marathon talks at a luxury hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva. "Today I can say that we achieved clarity on the path forward" for a revamped cessation of hostilities, the top US diplomat said. He added that the "vast majority" of technical obstacles to a ceasefire had been agreed but that some issues remained unresolved. Lavrov echoed his American counterpart, telling reporters that "very important steps" had been made on a deal to stop the violence. There had been hopes of a definitive announcement to stem the fighting in the war-ravaged country or on a new round of UN-brokered peace talks. Kerry explained that US and Russian experts would continue to meet in Geneva in the

Bayern Munich’s French midfielder Franck Ribery during the first training session with new Bayern Munich’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti at the club training area in the southern German city of Munich. Bayern Munich’s new coach Carlo Ancelotti has defended veteran winger Franck Ribery, who has been dubbed ‘a ticking time-bomb’ in the German media for a string of on-field tussles. Pep Guardiola’s successor Carlo Ancelotti says he has changed little at Bayern Munich as the defending German champions drubbed Werder Bremen 6-0 on Friday to kick off the new season. The Italian is clearly a fan of the adage ‘never change a winning team’ after Guardiola led Bayern to the German league and cup double on his swansong last season. Under Guardiola, now head coach at Manchester City, and his predecessor Jupp Heynckes, Bayern won the last four Bundesliga titles in a row, a record in Germany’s top flight. Ancelotti says he made few changes to Guardiola’s set up as Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-tr

The Presidency has described as laughable, attempts to link President Muhammadu Buhari to the arrest and prosecution of Joachim Iroko, a 41 year old trader in Ogun State. Mr. Iroko was arrested by the Ogun Police Command for naming his dog ‘Buhari’. He was first arrested on August 14 by officers attached to the Sango Otta Division after receiving complaints from a neighbor, who said the name Iroko gave his dog was offensive. According to the complainant, Salihu Umar, the ‘Buhari’ name Mr. Iroko gave his dog was the same as his father’s name. He was subsequently arrested by the police and detained before he was finally charged with a one-count of attempted breach of public peace on August 22. He pleaded not guilty. Bolaji Ojikutu, the Chief Magistrate in charge of the case, remanded Mr. Iroko in prison custody pending fulfilment of his N50,000 bail. Mr. Iroko finally met his bail conditions on Wednesday after receiving about N90,000 through fundraising appeal coordinated by a huma

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is said to have reached an agreement with manager Jose Mourinho over his role in the squad, accepting that he will have a reduced role in the squad compared to last season under the management of Louis van Gaal. Mata played every single one of United’s league games last season, starting all but four of them, but looks set for a reduced role in the coming campaign even though he has started both of the club’s Premier League games so far. The Spaniard even scored the club’s first goal of the season, striking the opener in a 3-1 win over Bournemouth, but the Telegraph report that he has accepted after talks with Mourinho that he will not have the same guaranteed first-team role he enjoyed under Van Gaal. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is expected to come in and replace Mata on the right when he has bedded into his role at the club, but the Spaniard will not be sold this summer as Mourinho puts his own stamp on the squad. A number of players are still expecte

The Director General of the Nigerian Law School (NLA), Professor Olanrewaju Onadeko (SAN), has lamented that some lawyers were now in the habit of sitting for examinations for students in the law school. He said some had already been caught in the act and the students involved awaiting disciplinary measures. Onadeko made the disclosure in Port Harcourt on Thursday while presenting the report of the school at the on-going 56th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). “Some lawyers were caught sitting as surrogates for students at the Nigerian Law School. In other words, they were caught writing examination for students at the school”, he said. He however did not disclose the number of lawyers and students caught in the act but said the students involved had been sent to NBA for appropriate actions. He also urged the NBA leadership to take serious and drastic actions against such erring legal practitioners to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to fol

According to Hollywood Life, ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ is on the brink of cancellation, and it’s all because a number of the kids want to wipe their hands clean of the long-running reality show. The gossip site says, Kris Jenner is absolutely desperate to save the reality show, despite its recent ratings decline. But she can’t do that without her kids, and hardly anyone else in the family wants to keep doing the show. “They’ve got their own lives and don’t want to air their feuds anymore. Kris feels they’re betraying her, and it’s led to some huge fights”, a source close to the family revealed. HL added that, half of the Kardashians want to leave KUWTK, especially Kim. But that has a lot to do with Kanye West‘s influence. Kanye has reportedly been pressuring Kim to leave the show for years. “It’s no secret that Kanye never wanted to be involved in the show and feels it’s time for Kim to bail. He doesn’t see any reason to keeping caving in to Kris’ demands. Kanye thinks Kim i

International act, Wizkid has reportedly put pen to paper in what is the biggest music deal ever signed by an African artist. A highly placed source confirmed to our correspondent that, Wizkid has indeed signed with Sony Music Worldwide, and is expected to be officially unveiled at their New York office next week. When the new deal is announced, Wizkid will join a growing list of artists that includes Tiwa Savage and Davido, who are collaborating with international music companies to grow their music, influence, and achieve penetration into other markets. It is believed that his recent chart-topping collaboration with Drake ‘One Dance’ got him the deal with Sony Music.

Ogbaire, pictured above is a spare parts dealer in Warri, Delta State and has admitted that he callously murdered his associate, Lawrence Okoh, and buried his body in a shallow grave. On August 2, Okoh had left his Port Harcourt business outfit to supply generator spare parts to Ogbaire in Warri. After the supply, he did not return home and the police declared him missing. He had, earlier that day, sent a text message to his wife that he would not make it back to Port Harcourt and that he would pass the night with Ogbaire in Warri. His wife contacted Ogbaire, who claimed that he knew Okoh very well, but that he had not seen him for over a period of time. The police, however, raided the spare parts market in Warri where the wife was able to identify some of the parts Okoh left with on the fateful day. The shop owner, where the parts were found, took the police to Ogbaire, the person who supplied them. Ogbaire allegedly confessed to the police that he murdered Okoh and bu

A Self-confessed leader of Eiye confraternity in Somolu and Pedro areas of Lagos State made startling revelations, yesterday, on how he butchered two members of Aye, a rival cult group, to avenge the death of a fellow cult member. The suspect, an ex-convict, who has been on the wanted list of Lagos State Police Command, over his alleged involvement in various crimes ranging from robbery and arson, was arrested weekend at Petit Street, Somolu by policemen attached to Alade Division. Parading the 35-year-old suspect, identified as Oriyomi Ibrahim, popularly known as J-Pron, alongside 25 other suspects that have been terrorising the state, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, described his arrest as a major one. Owoseni disclosed that the suspect and members of his group allegedly set a building at Ilepo area of Somolu ablaze, during a recent clash with rival cult group, in which a woman was burnt to death. The father of two admitted to being le

The forward has scooped the individual gong for the second time in his career after helping Real Madrid and Portugal to Champions League and Euro 2016 glory respectively Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for the second time. Ronaldo, 31, claimed the prize ahead of his club team-mate Gareth Bale and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann. The forward, who first won the award in 2014, scored the winning spot-kick as Madrid beat Atletico in the Champions League final on penalties in May, And Ronaldo then went on to help Portugal to their first international title with victory at the Euros, scoring three goals during the tournament.

The Chile international has moved to the Etihad Stadium on a four-year deal to replace Joe Hart, who is now expected to leave the club before the transfer window closes Manchester City have completed the signing of Claudio Bravo for £13.75 million, plus a possible further £2.5m in performance- related add-ons. Bravo will earn around £100,000 per week after signing a four- year deal at the Etihad Stadium, almost double what he earned during his two-year spell at Camp Nou. The 33-year-old could make his City debut against West Ham on Sunday afternoon, and will also be registered in Pep Guardiola’s Uefa squad list for this season’s Champions League campaign. He won two La Liga titles during his time with Barca, although he did not receive a medal from Uefa when the Catalans won the Champions League in 2015 because he did not feature during their European campaign. It is believed the opportunity to play in both the league and the Champions League was a major factor in the

The Portugal international, a member of their Euro 2016-winning squad, signs a one-year deal at Stamford Bridge and will cover Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic Chelsea have completed the signing of goalkeeper Eduardo from Dinamo Zagreb. Eduardo, who was a member of Portugal's squad as they won Euro 2016 in France, has signed a one-year contract at Stamford Bridge, and is set to provide cover for Thibaut Courtois and Asmir Begovic. The goalkeeper has won 35 caps for his country, and made a total of 98 appearances for Dinamo. "Having the opportunity to come to the Premier League and to Chelsea, to such a big club, it is an easy decision to make," he told Chelsea's official website. "For me this is the best and the most difficult league and it is another level from where I have been until now. So it is a new challenge, at this moment I feel very good, so I am ready for this. "All the colleagues I have always say the dream is to come to the

The two-time Ajax Player of the Season has completed his move to Camp Nou, where he will replace Manchester City-bound Claudio Bravo Barcelona have announced the signing of Jasper Cillessen from Ajax on a five-year contract. The goalkeeper arrivs at Camp Nou for a fee of €13 million, with a further €2m for performance-related add-ons, and will replace Claudio Bravo, who is set to be announced as Manchester City's last signing. Cillessen's buyout clause has been set at €60 million and will be presented to the Barcelona fans on Friday. @jaspercillessen "Dreams come true," he said on Twitter, complete with a picture of him in a Barcelona shirt in front of the club's badge ahead of the confirmation. The 27-year-old started his career at NEC before moving to Ajax in 2011, and he would turn out on more than 100 occasions for the Amsterdam outfit. Moreover, he was named his club's side Player of the Season in each of the last two campaigns. Since d

Bayern Munich face a tough test against Atletico Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Sporting with Real Madrid and Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in an intriguing draw. Pep Guardiola will return to Camp Nou to take on Barcelona with Manchester City in the Champions League group stage. Barca and City, who reached the semi-finals last season before being defeated by eventual winners Real Madrid, will also face Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic in Group C. Defending champions Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund in Group F, with Cristiano Ronaldo returning to his first club to face Sporting and Legia Warsaw completing their list of first-round opponents. In Group A, Arsenal will meet Paris Saint-Germain in another clash of two big hitters, with Basel and Ludogorets also standing in their way of a place in the knockout stage. Leicester City and Tottenham will be optimistic of reaching the second round, with the Premier League champions facing Porto, Club Brugge and Copenhag

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived Nigeria earlier today, where he meet with the Sultan of Sokoto at his Palace. The top Diplomat was in the State to discuss counter-terrorism efforts with Political and religious leaders from the region. While at the palace, Mr. Kerry also delivered a speech on the importance of resilient communities and religious tolerance in battling violent extremism. Kerry will later today travel to Abuja to meet President Muhammadu Buhari. The Diplomat is expected to discuss the state of the economy with President Buhari during his trip to the capital. The visit, likely the last by a major American official during the Obama administration, comes as the two countries have gradually been stepping up their cooperation after a period of strained relations.

The Blues boss believes the Spain international is picked on unfairly and hopes he can channel his anger elsewhere for the good of the English game Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed he does not understand those who choose to criticise striker Diego Costa for his on-field behaviour. The Spain international has been booked for dissent during both of the Blues's first two Premier League matches of the season, with many believing he should have seen red after further misdemeanors later in both games. Conte has defended his player, but has called on the former Atletico Madrid forward to stay focused on the match once he steps out onto the field. "I don't understand that other players or managers or press all say bad (things) about him," he told reporters. "Diego must be focused on the match. Because for me, the most important thing is the match - it's important to pay attention, because he is an important player and he can score a lot of

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, described the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, as an ambassador of peace, promoter of national unity, champion of of national development, embodiment of tradition and culture and a source of inspiration to many Nigerians. Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, on the 60th birthday anniversary of the Sultan said he was specifically delighted to identify with the Royal father in view of his worthy lifestyle, egalitarian leadership, compassionate support for the downtrodden and acting as voice to the voiceless in society. Saraki said: "I am delighted to congratulate you on this epoch anniversary of attaining the age of 60. Your legacies as the Sultan of Sokoto, the head of Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), are visible to all. You have continued to diligently serve huma

The Manchester City boss is pleased with the Argentine's six goals so far this season but was at pains to point out that he must keep up his work-rate off the ball Pep Guardiola has told Sergio Aguero to keep up his pressing of opposition defenders, warning him not to "disappear" when out of possession. Aguero has hit six goals in his first three games of the season, including two at Stoke City on Saturday, helping Manchester City start life with a 100 per cent record under Guardiola. But the City boss, speaking after the 4-1 victory in the Potteries, was at pains to point out that the Argentine needs to carry on contributing when his side do not have the ball. Goal understands that Guardiola's technical staff highlighted Aguero's relative lack of effort when not in possession before the Catalan started work in Manchester this summer. The Blues moved to seal the £27 million signing of Brazil youngster Gabriel Jesus after being encouraged by his wil

The defender deserved to win the Player of the Tournament accolade after playing a decisive role in Portugal's Euros triumph, according to the Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo believes Portugal and Real Madrid team-mate Pepe should have been named the Player of the Tournament at Euro 2016 ahead of Antoine Griezmann. France international Griezmann netted six goals along with two assists to scoop the best player prize and the Golden Boot, but his side were beaten by Portugal in the final of the competition. Pepe was central to that triumph, and Ronaldo - who featured alongside him in the Team of the Tournament - claims the 33- year-old defender would have been a worthier winner. "In my book, Pepe was extraordinary this year," he told UEFA.com . "It was possibly his best season. "He was undoubtedly Portugal's best player and one of Real Madrid's best players in the Champions League. "I'm delighted he was selected in the Team

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed the reason why he is so cautious in the transfer market. Wenger who is known for being one of the most prudent football managers, confessed his reluctance to spend money at Arsenal is due to the fact that he treats the club’s transfer budget as if it were his own money. Although the manager has come under intense criticisms from their supporters, he has always upheld his policies with firm hands. Wenger disclosed: ‘I personally believe the only way to be a manager is to spend the club’s money as if it were your own, because if you don’t do that you’re susceptible to too many mistakes,’ In recent years, the Gunners boss has changed his ways, spending a little more to sign top stars like Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and lately Granit Xhaka. ‘You make big decisions and I believe you have to act like it’s your own money – like you’re the owner of the club and you can identify completely with the club, because if you don’t do that I think you canno

Manchester city boss Pep Guardiola has opened up on the future of English goalkeeper, Joe Hart ahead of their Champions league qualifier against Bucharest Steaua. Admitting the imminent arrival of Claudio Bravo, Guardiola confessed Joe Hart may be on his way out of the Etihad following a suspected heated exchange between the pair in the team’s training ahead of the match. Guardiola said: “Yes, he has chance to play tomorrow. I don’t know if it will be his last game. “I’ve said many times he’s our player. Until the 31st of this month, all the players here are our players, my players. Discussing their training ground exchange, Guardiola said: “We spoke about football. I have an excellent relationship with Joe. “I work with them like there is no end. After we will speak about everything, and the situation with Joe I have spoken about that in the last two press conferences.” Barcelona Goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is expected to join City for a fee around £17 million after the Catalan c

United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry on Tuesday affirmed that the use of force alone cannot end Boko Haram insurgents. Rather, he said the Federal Government should seek reasons Boko Haram terrorists are attacking NIgerians. During a visit to Nigeria, the American top diplomat condemned insurgency, stating that ‘Boko Haram boasts of no agenda more than to burn schools and places of worships. They also kill and maim people, especially teachers, and it is the opposite of religion.’ Mr Kerry commended President Muhammadu Buhari over his war against corruption and government’s efforts in recovering loots. He said corruption costs the world a whopping $2.6 trillion yearly. The money, he noted, was enough to provide decent livelihood for the people. “This is money that can be used to improve the living standard and provide decent livelihoods for them. Corruption is not only a crime, but very dangerous and it must be tamed,” he said. Commending President Buhari for his effor

Chinese scientists said they have discovered a small molecule that can regenerate tissue with ease. Professores Zhou Dawang, Deng Xianming, of the School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, and Yun Caihong of Peking University, the lead researches, disclosed this in Xiamen (China). They said that the findings were published in the latest edition of Science Transnational Medicine, on Aug. 17, saying in the future it could make tissue regeneration much easier for many. Zhou said they have discovered a drug, XMU-MP-1, which can promote repair and regeneration in the liver, intestines and skin. “In the future, the pills may do away the need for organ transplant or complex biomaterial and cell therapies. Xianming said the he and his colleagues specifically targeted a critical signalling molecule in the Hippo pathway, which controls organ size. He noted that the XMU-MP-1 has proven to inhibit the activity of MST1/2, the central component of this pathway and promote cell growth in fo

The Borno State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency has confirmed the death of one its staff who got drowned in a river while chasing a notorious drug baron. Ona Ogilegwu, NDLEA Commandant in Borno, said on Monday that the incident occurred during an operation in Gwange area of Maiduguri. He said, “In an effort to arrest a notorious baron, four men of the command were involved in a water mishap after diving into the Gwange River in pursuit of the suspect.” The narcotic boss said that the NDLEA officials were involved in the mishap because they could not swim. He said, “The sad incident led to the death of one of our officers in the hospital after a failed attempt to revive him. “The survivors were discharged from hospital today.” The NDLEA boss said that the command would still go after the suspect and arrest him. (NAN)

A woman in the UK has been reported to have placed her wedding dress for sale on eBay to pay for her divorce. Samantha Wragg, 28, was said to have placed her size 6 wedding dress up for sale on eBay along with a tongue in cheek description detailing her divorce from her “cheating scumbag of a husband.” She wrote, “I’m selling this designer Art Deco wedding dress in ivory. Mainly selling as I need to pay for my divorce which my ex-husband has left me to foot the bill for!” Wragg also warned potential buyers to dry clean the dress before wearing to “get rid of the stench of betrayal.” Wragg who wrote a blog post explaining the dress barely received any views in its first two weeks on eBay. She then took advice from her brother and wrote an hilarious description. “I work in social media for my day job so in the back of my mind I was hoping it would go viral – but I never expected this!” “A lot of people have got the wrong end of the stick and think it’s really bitter but anyone w

Clare Picciuto, a 100-year-old woman from Massachusetts, USA, was finally given the high school diploma she was unable to receive 80 years earlier. According to reports, she was about to enter high school during the Great Depression when her parents asked her to leave school to get a job while some of her brothers were allowed to continue their education. “I didn’t like it, because women should have education, too,” Picciuto said. Instead of working toward her education Picciuto sewed curtains in a factory for $6 an hour and taught herself using encyclopedias and the dictionary. “We’d pick up another big word and we’d find the meaning of it. And I tried to speak well if I could,” she said. As Picciuto’s 100th birthday approached her daughter Deborah Picciuto, 59, told ABC News she wanted to give her mother the graduation she always wanted. “She’s been to so many graduations – my high school, college and grad school ones, and a bunch more for all of my daughters, but she’s never

The Anambra State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday lambasted the Federal Government, describing Nigeria’s ‘economic doom’ as ‘laughable’. NLC through its State chairman Jerry Nnubia said it was laughable that salary paid when a bag of rice was sold for N9, 000 is the same salary being paid now that the price a bag of rice has risen to N23, 000. “A bag of rice today is N23, 000 or more and their minimum wage is N18, 000. This is laughable,” he said. Speaking at a rally in solidarity with Nasarawa workers who were allegedly brutalised by the police while protesting the reduction of their wages by the state government on July 29, Jerry maintained that any governor who could not pay salaries should resign. He said: “Why should workers be victims of every economic doom? When we have economic boom nobody remembers workers. “Our position is that any governor that can’t pay workers’ salaries should resign. Why haven’t the governors sliced their wages and those of

Barcelona’s Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo arrives to take part in a training session at the Sports Center FC Barcelona Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despi, near Barcelona on August 16, 2016, on the eve of the second-leg of the Spanish Super Cup football match between FC Barcelona and Sevilla FC. Pep Guardiola insisted on Tuesday that he will continue working with Joe Hart at Manchester City, even as Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo flew in to replace the unwanted England international. Hart has been the most high-profile victim of Guardiola’s new reign as manager of the Premier League club, with the City boss publicly announcing his preference for a goalkeeper who can play better with the ball at his feet. Willy Caballero replaced Hart for City’s first three competitive games, all victories, that Spanish manager Guardiola has overseen. Bravo flew in to Manchester from Barcelona on Tuesday to complete his reported £17 million ($22 million, 20 million euros) transfer from the Spanish

Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), a former Head of State,  today, met with President Muhammadu Buhari over missing Chibok girls and other matters in the country. It was reported in The Punch that Gowon spoke at the meeting, which was held inside the President’s office. He said seized the opportunity to pay his respect to the President. Speaking on the current anti-corruption fight, Gowon expressed the belief that Nigerians would soon be seeing results as far as ongoing prosecutions are concerned. He said, “I have come to pay my respect to Mr. President and to let him know that I will be going out of the country on holiday and for my programme, Nigeria Prays, in the US and UK. “We had cause to discuss the general affairs of the country, the problems we have in the country and his fight against corruption. “The expectation of the public is that they want to see result, though no one has been found guilty. We believe that will soon begin.” The former military leader said that corruption i

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has banned nine deposit money banks (DMBs) from the foreign exchange market, for hiding over $2 billion belonging to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA). According to Channels TV, President Muhammadu Buhari has been briefed on the breach by the banks, and they have all been mandated to move the monies to the treasury single account.

US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has arrived Nigeria and is presently at the Palace of the Sultan of Sokoto to discuss counter terrorism efforts in Nigeria. Speaking at the Palace on Tuesday, Kerry said:  “We are honored that Secretary Kerry has not only decided to visit Sokoto, but has opted to speak to our young people on dangers posed by intolerance and violent extremism. “To start with, Nigeria’s relationship with the United States is a glorious one steeped in history and shared values. As President Muhammadu Buhari pointed out during his last trip to Washington, Nigeria values the special relationship it has with the US, and will work closely with it and other allies to develop governance initiatives whose aim is to ensure that Nigeria’s wealth benefits all its people. “The election that brought the present administration to power has reaffirmed the confidence of all Nigerians in democracy as a system of government. Since coming to power in May 2015, concerted efforts have be

Usain Bolt brought the curtain down on his Olympic career with a record-equaling ninth gold medal, anchoring Jamaica to relay glory in a perfectly-scripted finale to complete his unprecedented “triple triple.” The 29-year-old superstar, widely seen as the greatest sprinter in history, stormed over the line in 37.27 seconds to trigger an eruption of adulation in the Olympic Stadium. Japan’s quartet took a surprise silver in 37.60 seconds while the United States claimed bronze in 37.62.

Usain Bolt won a third successive Olympic 200m gold on Thursday to keep his hopes of an unprecendented “triple triple” alive and deliver a perfect tonic to the doping-tainted world of track and field. The victory in his favoured event was Bolt’s 13th individual world or Olympic sprint title from a possible 14 since he took athletics by storm at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The 29-year Jamaican timed 19.78 seconds for gold, Canadian Andre de Grasse taking silver with 20.02sec and France’s Christophe Lemaitre winning bronze (20.12). As Guns N’Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” blasted out, huge cheers greeted Bolt, wearing black lycra shorts and a singlet in the green, gold and black colours of Jamaica. The sell-out Olympic Stadium crowd, which has been criticised for its jeering of some athletes, were raucous in their welcome of the Jamaican star. Bolt, in his favoured lane six, had Lashawn Merritt, the American 400m specialist and sole US hope of a medal after Justin Gatlin

US rapper Freddie Gibbs, who is charged with the sexual abuse of a female fan in Austria, was released on bail from a Vienna prison on Thursday, court officials said. The 34-year-old from Gary, Indiana, left the Wien-Josefstadt jail after paying 50,000 euros ($57,000) and surrendering his passport, court spokeswoman Christina Salzborn said. He has been barred from leaving the country while the case is still open, she said. Gibbs, whose real name is Fredrick Tipton, was extradited in late July from France where police arrested him on a European arrest warrant shortly before a planned gig in the southwestern city of Toulouse. The American is accused of drugging two girls — aged 16 and 17 at the time — after a concert in Vienna on July 6, 2015, and taking them back to his hotel where he is said to have abused one of the women.

Two new signings at opposite ends of the career spectrum have given the Red Devils their belief back under Jose Mourinho The merchandise sellers around Sir Alex Ferguson Way had new faces to stich into their scarves for the first Manchester United home match of the season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba may be at the opposite ends of their respective career paths but both represent the new face of this famous old club. United have had big signings before but they have their chests puffed out again now, employing as they are the most-expensive footballer in history and, arguably, the third-greatest forward on the planet. It has made for a sensational start to the season; the familiar relentlessness of a successful Jose Mourinho side is already in full flow. Southampton won here last season and the season before that but the days of underdogs coming to Old Trafford and taking away wins away look long gone. Mourinho presides over one of the proudest home records in foo

Stay away from our camp, players beg Dalung The Nigerian U-23 football team is leaving nothing to chance in their bid to qualify for the final of the event. The Nigerians, led by Coach Samson Siasia, will meet Germany tomorrow in one of the semifinals of the football event at the Corinthians Stadium, Sao Paulo. Since they beat Denmark 2-0 last week to qualify for the semifinals, the team has been training twice daily, except yesterday when they trained only once with emphasis on movement with or without the ball. The team also took some time to practice penalty shootouts, apparently getting ready for the lottery should the game end without a victor at the end of regulation. Meanwhile, the players have pleaded with sports ministry officials to stay away from their camp to avoid distractions that could work against them when they meet Germany tomorrow. The players told Nigerian journalists that they were yet to overcome the stress they were subjected to by the sports ministry, which

Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Chief Whip of the House of Representative, on Monday said that Mr. Abdulmumin Jibrin would not escape punishment for “bringing the image of the legislature into disrepute.” Former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Mr. Jibrin had accused the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, and three other principal officers of the House of padding the 2016 budget. Ado-Doguwa, who called Jibrin a “coward” said, “His rushing to court is sheer cowardice and an act of escapism. Jibrin’s legal strategy is to deploy a judicial instrument to protect himself against possible sanctions from the House over his baseless and fictitious allegations to defame and destroy our integrity in the eyes of the Nigerian public. “He has also succeeded in subjecting the National Assembly to disrepute and institutional damage, which apparently contravened our internal standing rules and specifically, sections 24 and 33 of the Legislatives House Power and Privileges Act

I Like Him A Lot – Mourinho Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has revealed his admiration for Marcus Rashford ahead of their Premier league kick-off today. Mourinho hailed the youngster’s ability and work-rate, having being impressed with his performances so far although the gaffer affirmed that the forward still has a lot to learn from older players. The Portuguese said: “Of course, he’s a young boy. He has a lot to learn. At his age, he can have ups and downs, and you have to be ready to support him if that’s the case. But potentially, he’s a very good player.” Marcus Rashford broke into the United first team under the former manager Loius Van Gaal scoring two spectacular goals against Arsenal after his debut for United in the Europa league against Midtjylland where he came in as a substutite for Anthony Martial and scored two goals as Manchester United eased past the Danish side. Rashford who became of the Red devils’ key players within a short time, securing a spot in the

Social-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has demanded the resignation of the embattled Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to save the image of the National Assembly. In an interview with an online platform, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the Executive Director of SERAP said: “If we got their story correctly, it means after they had agreed at the plenary on the 2016 budget, if the speaker and some groups, thereafter decided to make insertions into the budget, that is definitely criminal”. When asked weather the speaker should have resigned in a situation like this, he said yes stating that, “the mere mention of the name of the Prime Minister of Iceland in Panama papers allegation, he resigned the following day. “It is not the business of the President. It is the business of the anti-corruption agencies to come and begin a probe. They don’t need an order from the President”.