Transfer news :Man City set to confirm £78.5m double swoop for Danilo & Mendy

Manchester City are set to confirm the signings of Real Madrid's Danilo and Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy, Goal understands.
City have had a £52 million (€57m) bid accepted for Mendy following weeks of negotiations, a deal which will make him the most expensive defender in history.


That comes after Madrid agreed to sell Danilo for £26.5m (€30m) earlier this week.
City had been wary of competing interest from Chelsea in both players, but now believe they will get their men.
Danilo will join up with his new team-mates in Los Angeles in the coming days, and could even make his debut against his former club on Wednesday.

Madrid have been training in LA ahead of the International Champions Cup match, while City flew into California on Friday.
Goal reported in June that the Blues made an enquiry over the Brazilian towards the end of last season, but were informed he did not want to leave Madrid.
But while City pursued and subsequently missed out on Dani Alves, who left Juventus, the Italian club convinced Danilo to replace his compatriot in Turin.

The Bianconeri eventually cancelled the deal, however, leaving Danilo looking for a new club while City hunted for a new right-back.
Mendy, however, has been one of their priority targets for many months.
The Premier League side agreed terms with the France international several weeks ago, as reported by Goal in the aftermath of Bernardo Silva's signing.


Monaco let Silva leave for £43m but dug in their heels for Mendy. City knew the initial asking price was £40m at the end of May but attempted to negotiate that figure down.
But following the collapse of the Alves deal and the subsequent decision to spend an initial £45m, rising to £50m, on Kyle Walker, Monaco upped their asking price and asked for at least what Spurs received for Walker.

With pre-season now well under way and following Aleksandar Kolarov's unexpected request to join Roma, City agreed to meet the French club's demands on Friday evening.

If both deals are completed as expected, City's summer spending will top £200m, having already signed Silva, Walker and Ederson.

Jose will improve me - Lindelof

Victor Lindelof believes Jose Mourinho will help him improve as a player at Manchester United.
A long-standing target for Mourinho, the 23-year-old was the first player signed by United this summer after talks with Benfica were completed early.

Lindelof arrived for £30.75m but the deal could increase by a further £9m should certain performance-related clauses be met - something the Sweden international appears confident of.
The defender has slotted in seamlessly during pre-season and believes he will flourish under Mourinho.
"There was a lot of talk and in the end I am here - and I am very happy to be here," he said. "It has been good. All the lads in the team are helping a lot, so I am settling in.

"It's just been a week since we started training and played some games. It has been alright - I'm getting into it better and better every day.
"[Mourinho] is a very good manager. I like him a lot. He helped the players a lot when you speak to them, so I think I am going to develop a lot under him."
Lindelof, nicknamed 'the Iceman', is taking everything in his stride and cannot wait for the new season to start.

"I know it is going to be a tough season but we want to play as good as possible and win as many games as we can," added Lindelof, who will take on Real Madrid in the International Champions Cup on Sunday.
"That's the main goal but it is early in the season. We're preparing ourselves but our main goal is to win as many games as possible."

Alexis to PSG talks just media imagination - Wenger

 Arsene Wenger has dismissed talk of Arsenal selling Alexis Sanchez to Paris Saint-Germain as "media imagination".

The Chile international continues to be linked with a move away from north London and the Ligue 1 giants have emerged as strong candidates for his signature this week.

Goal understands Alexis met with PSG sporting director Antero Henrique in the French capital to discuss personal terms ahead of a €50 million move.
Wenger, however, claims there is nothing in the rumours, telling a news conference on Saturday: "It's only media imagination."
It has been suggested that Sanchez, who is eager for Champions League football, would be allowed to join PSG ahead of Manchester City or Chelsea as they are not a domestic rival.

However, when asked if the prospect of a foreign club buying the forward would change Arsenal's stance, Wenger replied: "No, it doesn't make any difference."
Wenger was speaking after watching his side lose 3-0 to Chelsea in a pre-season friendly in Beijing.
A goal from Willian and a double from Michy Batshuayi gave Antonio Conte's side the victory in front of a substantial crowd at the stadium known as the Bird's Nest.


The prospect of a 39th Premier League round of matches being played abroad has been put forward in recent years, with China one of the suggested locations, and Wenger can see the appeal of hosting games in Asia.
"I think it will happen one day, why not?" he said. "If we don't do it then somebody else will do it. That idea is in the air in France or Spain and certainly we could see it happen in the future, that some countries export some games.

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"At the moment it doesn't look realistic, in the next two or three years, but why not in the future?"

Meet the 40-year-old man who beats wife to death over upkeep money in Ogun

The Police in Ogun State have arrested a 40-year-old man, Femi Adebowale, for beating his 37-year-old wife Kuburat to death.

The incident happened in their residence in Agbado area of the state on Monday.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement yesterday said that on the day of the incident, the deceased had asked her husband for the money she would spend on her younger brother’s naming ceremony.
The PPRO said Femi gave his wife N10,000 but that the deceased insisted that the money was not enough, which led to a fight that resulted in her death.

According to Oyeyemi, the suspect was arrested following a complaint from the deceased ’s younger brother, Shakiru Alao, who reported at Agbado Division that his elder sister had been beaten to death by the husband over allegation of adultery.

Oyeyemi added, “In the suspect’s statement, he alleged that the deceased had been involving in act of infidelity for quite some time to the extent that she was dating their next door neighbour.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu has, however, ordered the transfer of the matter to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and possible prosecution of the suspect.

Prophet Matthew !!! Obasanjo reveals why God made Donald Trump US President

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed the reason God allowed Donald Trump to become the President of United States of America.
According to him, Trump became US President so that America can be humbled.

Obasanjo, who appeared to be mocking the US election last November, stated this at an event held at the French Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa.
He said that even though Africa still needed foreign direct investment, it was time for the continent to show the rest of the world that it can take charge of its own future,

The two-time Nigerian Head of state, who said he was happy about the turnout of events in America, added: ‘‘The fact that America can produce a Trump in this day and age, it means Americans are as human as we are.

‘”I am not justifying what African leaders are doing. If our leaders are doing wrong, we should say that they are doing wrong.
“Trump has come by Divine Will so that America can be humbled, and we can also learn a lesson.
“Nobody can do it for us, and it is all of us, and if we do it, we will get it right.” - Daily Post

War front !!! Lagos council polls: Police arrest five with incriminating materials

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Lagos State Police Command on Saturday arrested five men with incriminating materials in Ikeja, as the local government elections got underway.

The spokesman for the command, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Famous-Cole said that the suspects,  who claimed to be agents to a political party, were arrested with incriminating materials at 8.30a.m.
“They have been handed over to the Area F Command, which will send them to the special team for election crimes at the state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigations.”

Meanwhile, security agencies, including the police, military, Security and Civil Defence Corps and Immigration, have deployed their personnel to strategic locations in different parts of Lagos to ensure peaceful local government elections.
A senior police officer who sought anonymity on the Funso Williams Avenue in Surulere, where security men put barricades,  told NAN that the area command observed that some residents were flouting the restriction order.
He, however, gave the assurance that those with genuine reasons would be allowed to continue their journey.

NAN reports that the movement restriction began at 7.00am. It will end at 3.00pm.
Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission is conducting Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in its 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.
Twelve political parties are participating the election.

They are: Accord Party (AP), Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy ( AD ), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP ), Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The others are United Democratic Party (UDP), United Progressive Party (UPP), Kowa Party (KP), National Action Council (NAC) and Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). 

Terrorism : Capture Shekau `dead or alive’, Buratai directs Commander

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has has directed Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maiduguri, to capture Abubakar Shekau, self-styled leader of the Boko Haram sect, “dead or alive”.

Buratai further directed the Theatre commander to do so within 40 days.
A statement issued by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, on Friday night, said that Attahiru should “employ all arsenal at the disposal of the Theatre Command to smoke out Shekau wherever he is hiding in Nigeria.”

“The general public is please requested to also assist and volunteer information that would lead to the accomplishment of this task,” Usman said. - News Agency

PL transfer : Arsenal reject West Brom's Gibbs bid

Arsenal have rejected a £10m bid from West Brom for Kieran Gibbs, according to Sky sources.

Sky Sports News understands the Gunners are holding out for closer to £12m for the 27-year-old left-back.
Gibbs was not included in Arsene Wenger's squad for the pre-season tour to Australia and China.
Sky sources reported earlier this week that Baggies boss Tony Pulis sees Gibbs as his best option at left-back this summer and had approached Arsenal to discuss a potential transfer.
Pulis, who is currently with his squad in Hong Kong for the Asia Trophy, has been looking for a specialist left-back.

Gibbs, 27, made just eight Premier League starts last season and 22 appearances in all competitions overall - his second season struggling for first-team games.
Gibbs has 10 England caps but has fallen out of the national-team frame while his chances have been limited under Wenger.

Gibbs is a product of Arsenal's academy, who made his debut during the 2007/08 season after spending a short time on loan at Norwich City.
West Brom have so far made only two signings this summer; Jay Rodriguez from Southampton and Zhang Yuning from Vitesse but the 20-year-old has been loaned to Werder Bremen. - SKY

Van : Manchester United signed Lukaku at the perfect time

Manchester United's signing of Romelu Lukaku has come at "the perfect time", according to the club's former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The Belgium international completed a move to United this month for a reported fee of £75 million and has already netted twice in three pre-season outings, including in the 2-0 win over Manchester City in Houston this week.
Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in just 219 games for the Red Devils and became a favourite of the Old Trafford faithful before leaving for Real Madrid in 2006.

And the former Netherlands star expects Lukaku to achieve a similar status among the supporters if he makes the most of his move from Everton.
"I actually remember playing against Romelu Lukaku. I was at Hamburg, he was at Anderlecht, and it was in the Europa League," Van Nistelrooy told United's official website.
"I was so impressed with his fitness and physical ability, as well as his touch. His will to succeed was incredible, he never gave in and always kept fighting. Even from a young age, I was impressed by him.


"He's unbelievably strong and, with the pace he has, he often puts away the chances he gets. I think he's one of the true number nines, like Harry Kane at Tottenham – they're strong centre-forwards who are also a reference point during the build-up play. Romelu is strong on the ball but also when making runs and finishing chances.
"He's proven himself at Everton. His challenge now is to make another step up and to prove himself at his new club as well. It's different playing at United to playing at Everton, so it will be a mental step, too.

"The pressure is different, so if he's capable of dealing with that, I can't see any problems. I also think having better players around him will help and I think he'll fit in really well. I expect he'll start hitting his peak now.
"From the club's point of view, it's the perfect time to sign him. Over the next six, seven or eight years, United will hopefully have a great centre-forward in Romelu Lukaku."


Lukaku was sold to Everton by Jose Mourinho when he was Chelsea manager in 2014, but the 24-year-old said that working with the Portuguese again was one of the reasons behind his decision to join United.
Van Nistelrooy believes Lukaku will thrive under the ex-Inter and Real Madrid boss, adding: "I don't think he could be playing for a better manager than Jose Mourinho.

"He will help and guide Lukaku through this stage in his career and, if he has any difficulty, Jose has the experience and advice to get players back on track. I think that combination will prove a very successful one." Goal

Transfer news : PSG set for £35m Sanchez offer

PSG will make a £35m offer for Alexis Sanchez next week, according to Sky sources.

The dynamic Chilean forward has just 12 months left on his Arsenal contract and has been linked with several of Europe's top clubs this summer.
However, Arsenal's position is that Sanchez is not for sale and manager Arsene Wenger made a statement to that effect in China earlier this week.
"The decision has been made and we will stick to that," said Wenger. "The decision is not to sell."
Big-spending PSG want to sign both Sanchez and Barcelona's Brazilian forward Neymar this summer - and are reportedly ready to pay the £195m release clause in Neymar's contract.

Sanchez fuelled talk of his departure from Arsenal when he was quoted in Chilean media last weekend, saying he wanted to play Champions League football, which the Gunners will not be able to provide this season.
But Wenger added: "I don't give too much importance to things that are translated, you know. The whole interview that I got didn't really mean that.

"We played 20 years in the Champions League, that's 17 years before Sanchez arrived and three years with him, so he can get us back in there."
Sanchez signed for Arsenal from Barcelona in the summer of 2014 and has been one of the most outstanding performers in the Premier League since then.
Last season he was on the shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year award, was named the Arsenal player of the season, and was on the scoresheet when the Gunners beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Financial scandal : PPMC Seeks EFCC Support to Sanitize Oil Sector

The Nigerian Products Marketing Company (formerly Pipelines and Products Marketing Company) a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, is soliciting the assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in tackling sundry financial malpractices in the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil industry.

Umar Adiya, the managing director of the company made the plea when he led senior management staff of the organization on a courtesy visit to the EFCC head office on Friday July 21, 2017.
Adiya lauded the Commission for its giant strides towards eradicating corruption in the country. He said the visit was necessary as the EFCC was one of the stakeholders of the Company.

“We felt that any corporate system should identify with stakeholders that can help run their system. The EFCC is one of our stakeholders. We are here to appreciate your tremendous support to us at NPMC, especially in the area of revenue leakages.

“We are also here to show our support and cooperation as we move forward in what you are doing for us particularly. As for my team, we are spread all over Nigeria, especially, inland deport where we sell products to the entire market.

“From time to time, we will not hesitate to call on you for further support when we encounter difficulty that might require your intervention”, Abiya said.
In his welcome remarks, the acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, tasked the management of NPMC, to initiate new thinking in order to bring sanity into the sector.

The EFCC boss, while commending Adiya over his appointment as the managing director of PPMC described the sector as ‘critical’ to the country’s economy.

“I am happy to see you here. This sector is critical. I assure you that we have intelligence on the activities in the depots and we will soon sanitize it. We have a strategy to check the fraudulent activities in the depots. We will partner with you to put your house in order”, Magu assured.
He said the Commission would not mind raising joint teams that will, from time to time, deal with established cases of malfeasance, adding that the EFCC have the capacity to help the NPMC fight corruption in the downstream sector of the oil industry.
The visit had in attendance management staff of the EFCC including the Commission Secretary, Emmanuel  Adeboye Aremo; Ma’aji Abba Aji, Director of Organizational Support; Ola Olukoyede, Chief of Staff and Chile Okoroma, Director, Legal and Prosecution.

Face of corrption : EFCC to Appeal Acquittal of Ex-Adamawa Gov, Ngilari

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is to appeal the July 20, 2017 Court of Appeal ruling, which acquitted a former Adamawa State governor, Bala Ngilari, of the five-count charge of corruption, which the state’s High Court had on March 6, 2017 found him guilty of, and sentenced him to five years in jail.

Ngilari was arraigned before Justice Nathan Musa on a 17-count charge in September 2016, and after going through 52 exhibits tendered by the EFCC, as well as the testimony of six witnesses, the trial judge found him guilty of five out of the counts, and sentenced him to five years in prison on all the counts without an option of fine.
Rather than allow the rule of law to reign supreme, Ngilari secured a suspicious bail hinged on a letter sighting his “bad health situation”. The emergence of the letter, itself was shrouded in suspicion and controversy, as the Controller of the Nigeria Prison Service, Adamawa Command, reportedly expressed ignorance of the letter. This subsequently incurred the wrath of the authorities at the prison, which issued query to officials involved.

Ngilari was prosecuted by the EFCC along with Ibrahim Andrew Walye, his then secretary, and Sanda Jonathan Lamorde, his then finance commissioner, for their involvement in the approval of a contract in favour of El-Yadi Motors Limited to the tune of N167,812,500 for procurement of 25 vehicles without following due process.
Justice Nathan had ruled that: “All the allegations are criminal in nature, and the onus of proof is on the prosecution to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt, as well as it is clearly indicated that the provision of the Adamawa State Bureau for Public Procurement Law 2013 was violated in the award of the contract.”

Pundits consider the decision of the Appellate Court, which was read by Justice Folashade Omoleye, as shocking, and the last thing that the current war against corruption being spearheaded by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, needs.

It is curious that Justice Omoleye, delivering the ruling, alluded to the fact that Ngilari was not “a procurement entity” and that as a former governor cannot be charged “as if he was an ordinary procurement officer”.

The Commission has therefore resolved to appeal the ruling, because the EFCC believes that the judgment is a travesty of justice. - EFCC

Face of fraudster : Businessman Bags Five Years For N30m Fraud

Justice J.E. Oyefeso of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has convicted and sentenced a businessman, Segun Oyekanmi, Managing Director, Loben Investment Co-operative Multi-purpose Society Limited, to five years imprisonment for N30million fraud.

The convict alongside his company and  one Ade Bosede ( still at large) had been arraigned on October 26, 2016 on a three-count charge bordering on stealing, conspiracy to steal and issuance of dishonoured cheques to the tune of N30 million.
The convict had collected the sum of N30m (Thirty Million Naira) from one Olufunke Dada, with an assurance that he wanted to give it to some traders as soft loans with interest.

Subsequently, the accused, who was said to have converted the money to his personal use, issued a cheque to Dada when she asked for repayment.
However, the cheque was dishonoured upon presentation at the bank.
One of the counts reads: " That you, Segun Oyekanmi, Loben Investment Co-operative Multi-purpose Society Limited and Ade Bosede ( still at large) sometime between the month of May, 2011 and 1st August ,2011, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud ,conspired to steal money, property of  Olufunke Gbolahun Dada and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap C17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.”

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him, thereby setting the stage for his trial.
In the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, Ola Sesan, called four witnesses and tendered evidence against the accused.
Delivering his judgment on Thursday, July 20 Justice Oyefeso ordered the convict to pay the sum of N30m in restitution to Dada and sentenced him to three years imprisonment each on counts of stealing and conspiracy to steal. The sentences are to run concurrently.

The convict was also sentenced to two years imprisonment on the count of issuance of dishonoured cheque.
The sentence is  to run separately.
The company was ordered to wind up and pay the sum of N500,000 fine. - EFCC

Credit Card Fraud : Nigerian Arrested for $5,400 CAD

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested Yusuf Balogun Alabi, a suspected credit card fraudster, who allegedly masterminded the theft of $5,400 Canadian Dollars from  a catering entertainment outfit in Brantford, Canada. The fraud came to light after a young Nigerian undergraduate of Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia,Tony Ifeoluwa Adebero  was arrested in Toronto, Canada on charges of wire fraud.

The youngster who was expecting to receive his tuition from his dad, Mr Adebero Oyewole, did not suspect fraud when his account was credited by his bank. He however became worried when few days after, he got a call from his bank, TD Canada Trust Bank, asking for details of the person who made transfer to his account, within 12 hours.
He immediately called his father who in turn contacted a Bureau de Change operator, Kassim Ishola, who fingered one Idris Oni whom he gave the money to transfer, but Idris mentioned Yusuf Balogun as the man who effected the transfer while Balogun supplied the name Bacon Jamie Cecil as the person that actually wired the funds to Tony in Canada. Unfortunately, Bacon Jamie Cecil was discovered to be a fake name prompting the arrest of Tony in Canada.

The scam was brought to the attention of the EFCC through a June 2, 2017 petition by Mr. Oyewole wherein he informed the Commission that his son Tony was charged to court in Canada for engaging in internet fraud. He explained that sometime in 2016, he approached his bank in Nigeria when he wanted to pay his son's school fees in Thompson Rivers University BC Canada but had difficulty due to foreign exchange scarcity and the stiff forex regulations at the time. In the midst of the challenge, he met a church member,  one Mrs  Ibidola, who also  had children schooling abroad. She introduced him to a Bureau de Change operator that would help transfer the funds to his son.

Adebero said on 6th September 2016, Tony, informed him via telephone that the Canadian bank, TD Canada Trust Bank called him, requesting for the details of the person who made the transfer to his account. The information according to him was to be provided to the bank within 12 hours, as they suspected a fraudulent transaction. Adebero contacted the Bureau de Change to provide the details.

The Bureau de Change operator, Kassim Ishola claimed the transaction was made by one Idris Oni who also pointed to Yusuf Balogun Alabi as the person who initiated the transfer. Yusuf later sent the name, Bacon Jamie Cecil to him, but the name according to the bank authorities was false, which warranted Tony's arrest in Canada.
Investigation by the commission led to the arrest of the prime suspect, Balogun Yusuf Alabi, a.k.a. Monica Donal, a 20 year old Nigerian, who resides in Lagos. The EFCC found that Balogun Yusuf, in an online transaction, contracted a caterer in Canada, Bruce Morris, while posing to be a lady by name Monica Donal, based in the United States of America. He thereafter initiated the fraud, by placing request for 100 boxes of Lunch for a family reunion to Bruce Morris, owner of Kaizen Catering Entertainment, Brantford Canada. They arrived at an estimated  figure, while Bruce raised an invoice for payment.

Upon arrest, Yusuf told investigators he had several credit cards in his possession, which he kept trying, until one pulled through and about CAD $11000 was transferred to the catering company. He instructed Bruce to transfer the sum of  Five Thousand Dollars (CAD $5400) to Tony Ifeoluwa Adebero's account in Canada.

Tony's father, Mr Oyewole Adebero, paid the Naira value of about  N1.4 million to Kassim Ishola in Nigeria as equivalent of the sum of CAD $7400 being  money tranfered to his son in two instalments of CAD $2000and CAD $5400 by the Bureau de Change.

Yusuf Balogun Alabi has made statements to the Commission, confessing to the crime. He admitted he single-handely perpetrated the fraud, with the use of credit card numbers which he claimed to have accessed from an online site. Yusuf is presently in the EFCC custody, while investigations continue.

Premier league : Man Utd's midfield options

Manchester United have been linked with a number of central midfielders this summer, so who should they go for? Here, Whoscored.com pick out six of their best options. Wilfred Ndidi - Leicester City

Leicester City lacked a combative ball winner in the wake of N'Golo Kante's move to Chelsea last summer and it wasn't until January that the issue was rectified with the signing of Wilfred Ndidi from Belgian side Genk. The Nigerian midfielder slotted in seamlessly in the Premier League, adjusting to the rigours of English football with consummate ease. Indeed, only Kante (71) has made more tackles than Ndidi (68) in the Premier League in 2017.

Leicester are understandably loath to losing one of their prized assets, particularly with Riyad Mahrez set to leave this summer, but they could be powerless to deny Ndidi a move if a suitable offer comes in. The 20-year-old's passing qualities may leave little to the imagination, with the youngster developing a statistically calculated WhoScored.com weakness of 'passing' on account of a mediocre success rate of 75.9 per cent, but that number could easily improve in a team as dominant as United.

He has been linked with a move to Old Trafford already this year, and if Jose Mourinho fails to land other targets, Ndidi could be considered a workable alternative.

Fabinho - Monaco
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for Fabinho for much of the summer. PSG are also in the market for the Brazilian, but Monaco would prefer not to sell to a direct competitor, making a move to Old Trafford a possibility. He would be a better fit than Ndidi under Mourinho, with his pass success rate a respectable 84.4 per cent in Ligue 1 last season.
His averages of 3.1 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game show he's not one to shirk his defensive responsibilities, with the 23-year-old willing to carry out the necessary duties of a holding midfielder. His versatility is an added bonus, with Fabinho able to play right-back, which would boost Mourinho's squad options. He's the ideal midfielder for a Mourinho side, in that he is able to play in a number of roles in the middle of the park, while a willingness to drop deep would allow the centre-backs to play the ball out from the back.

Monaco are playing hardball over Fabinho and understandably so considering his importance to the side, but he could be the best match for United. Talk of a possible move to England has gone quiet in recent weeks, but with a month still to go until the transfer window slams shut, there is still a chance of Fabinho making the move to United. They could do a lot worse.

Marco Verratti - PSG
At the beginning of the week, Manchester United would not have had a snowball's chance in hell of signing Marco Verratti from PSG. However, the Italian's decision to change his agent and instead sign with Mino Raiola, who represents Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and summer arrival Romelu Lukaku, prompted tentative reports linking the Italian with a move to Mourinho's side. Factor in PSG's world record pursuit of Neymar and the French giants could be forced into selling Verratti in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Barcelona have courted the Italy international for much of the summer to no avail, which could present United with an opportunity to leapfrog their La Liga counterparts in the race to sign Verratti. His best quality is his ability to comfortably retain possession. Only team-mate Thiago Motta averaged more passes per game (91.5) than the 24-year-old (87.5) in Ligue 1 last season, while a success rate of 88.4 per cent was also respectable. Even more impressively, only Alexandre Lacazette gained a better WhoScored.com rating (7.57) than Verratti (7.54) in France's top tier last term.

His ill-discipline may be cause for concern, but an average of 3.1 tackles per league game last season was a respectable return for Verratti. Like Fabinho, he performs the required job of a holding player. He'd be more expensive than the Monaco man, but the former Pescara midfielder is certainly better on the ball. His signing would be a huge statement of intent for United.

Nemanja Matic - Chelsea
For a time, it seemed Nemanja Matic was destined for Manchester United. The Serbian seemed set for another link-up with Mourinho as reports circulated stating that a £40m fee had been agreed for the 28-year-old, but since the end of June, that talk has gone quiet. United's big money capture of Romelu Lukaku damaged relations between the Manchester side and Chelsea. and it now appears they are unlikely to entertain offers from their Premier League rivals for the foreseeable future.
That being said, Chelsea's big money capture of Tiemoue Bakayoko may force them to sell. Matic was left out of the club's squad for their pre-season tour of the Far East, and it's likely his departure will be confirmed before the close of the summer window. Juventus seem to be the front-runners for his signature, but they could be trumped by United, particularly if Matic prefers to link up with Mourinho once again rather than move to Italy.

Only Fernandinho (325) has made more tackles than Matic (320) of midfielders in the Premier League since January 2014, while he is also a tidy performer in possession with a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'passing'. For the time being, any deal seems to be off the table, but as the minutes tick towards the window closing, Old Trafford could again emerge as a viable destination for the former Benfica man. Matic is familiar with Mourinho's demands, so the move might make sense.

Naby Keita - RB Leipzig
If Manchester United could trump Liverpool to the signing of Naby Keita, it would be a real coup for Mourinho's side. Liverpool remain favourites to sign the 22-year-old, but United can rival the Reds financially, even if RB Leipzig are wholly against selling him this summer.

Only Ousmane Dembele (103) completed more dribbles than Keita (83) in the Bundesliga last season. The youngster's ability to ghost past opponents and drive his side on would be a major boost to United and offer them another dimension to the way they attack.
Eight goals and seven assists was an impressive return from Keita in Germany's top tier last term, but he also has impressive defensive strengths. His averages of 2.6 tackles and 2.6 interceptions per game were impressive to say the least, and he also won possession in the midfield third more times (180) than any other player in Germany's top tier last term.

Those attributes have led to comparisons with N'Golo Kante, but he offers much more than his French counterpart in the final third having played the second most accurate through balls (seven) in his debut Bundesliga campaign. That would undoubtedly benefit United's speedy attackers, with Paul Pogba one player who could potentially thrive with Keita in support. He is not a midfield destroyer by any means, but his box-to-box qualities and ability to create chances for others suggest he would be an inspired signing for United.

Eric Dier - Tottenham
Tottenham have no desire to sell Eric Dier but Mourinho is known to be a big admirer of the midfielder. With the onus on full-backs to break forward and provide attacking width for United, a player of Dier's ilk would go a long way to ensuring they retain their defensive solidity and don't run the risk of being caught short at the back.

Dier started 34 of 38 Premier League games for Spurs last season and Mauricio Pochettino is a huge fan of the former Sporting star considering his style and what he offers to Spurs. Only centre-back and fellow Spurs player Toby Alderweireld (212) made more accurate long balls than Dier (187) of all outfield players in the Premier League last season, with the latter able to spread the ball wide to help instigate attacks and stretch defences.
His ability to play in a three-man defence would also appeal to Mourinho, who would be acquiring a player comfortable in more than one position, akin to Fabinho. The United boss is thought to have tracked Dier for some time now and his ongoing pursuit of the versatile England international suggests he is high on his list of targets.- SKY

'No real offer' for Mahrez - Leicester VP

Leicester City vice-president Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha says there are no offers on the table for Riyad Mahrez.

The 26-year-old confirmed his desire to leave the club in May but there has been little progress on a possible exit during the transfer window.
Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare claimed this week that a bid had been rejected from Roma, who are seeking a replacement for Mohamed Salah, the star attacker having departed Stadio Olimpico for Liverpool.

Arsenal and Tottenham have also been linked with Algeria international Mahrez, who won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award after inspiring his side to the Premier League title in 2015-16.
However, speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League Asia Trophy match against Liverpool, Srivaddhanaprabha claimed the Foxes are still waiting for new bids.

"Actually, there's no real offer at the moment," he said. "We know his potential, but he also has to adapt to the team. If he performs well, he'll have his chance in the team
"Change is ordinary in football. I believe every player wants to play, obviously with big clubs. Mahrez also has his dream. [There is] nothing concrete at the moment, and he is still a Leicester City player.

"The transfer market now is really difficult to work with. I saw reports say that 'the offer's not good enough'; actually, there's no offer at all.
"Or, if there is one, it will be lower than those expensive done deals for players that never won the PFA [award], no Champions League stint, [and have] never been on [the] Ballon d'Or shortlist.

"I don't set the exact price tag, as we don't want to sell him. Reporters can have their say. I didn't say 40, 50 or 100 million [pounds] because I really don't know.
"You have to consider his value at the moment he left, and [the] value of his replacement accordingly. I can't see a player like Mahrez or a decent replacement in the market right now."
Srivaddhanaprabha also confirmed that Leicester are keen to sign Kelechi Iheanacho from Manchester City.

"Yes, we have interest in him," he said. "But we have to wait for Manchester City's stance on this, as they are still in their pre-season as well. If it happens, it will be soon.
"Leicester City's transfer market is not over yet. We just signed three players and there will be at least one more.

"We aim for a top-10 position this season. If we start well in the first half of the season, then we will also expand our focus to cup competitions." Goal

Ghanaian prostitute : I have killed over 100 men, rendered 70 impotent

 A 36-year-old Ghanaian prostitute, Katrine Obenewaa has confess to killing over 100 men and rendering no fewer than 70 impotent.

Obenewaa was reportedly introduced into prostitution by a Nigerian lady, Elizabeth Opeyemi at a very tender age.

The lady made the shocking revelation on Samuel Mprah’s show on Bryt FM.
She claimed going into the prostitute work due to lack of support from her poor parents.
She said, “I was initially working as a local prostitute but later went international after coming into contact with one Miss Elizabeth Opeyemi, an international sex worker from Nigeria.”

She said the Nigerian woman enticed her to take her prostitution business outside Ghana.
According to her, she spread her bounds to neighbouring countries like Benin, Togo and Burkina Faso.
“My eight years of friendship with Miss Opeyemi was a great moment that saw me with billions of cedis.

“I was able to buy two separates six-bed room apartments from the monies I made through my sex business and now own a lot of other landed properties from this same sex business.”
Katrine further said that she got greedy and wanted more money, thus had to go in for spiritual backup. However, her visit to a spiritualist, turned out to be her worst decision

She said aftermath of her visit to the spiritualist was that any man she slept with, lost his life afterwards, and she confronted the Spiritualist who told her it was the price she had to pay for her wealth while adding that it was irreversible.
She confessed that over 100 men had already died, and 70 more were rendered impotent after sleeping with her before she eventually found out what the cause was.

Katrine also said she’s having a big regret over the whole situation, saying “though I have acquired the needed wealth one could desire for in life, am still not a happy person because of this predicament in my life.” - Daily Post

'Liar Mohammed' : Buhari’s government being threatened

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said​ ​the growing cases of hate speech, disinformation and fake news in the​ ​country are being orchestrated by naysayers and their sponsors​.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari led government was being threatened and blackmailed in a bid​ to​ ​discredit the government, destabilize the polity and make the country​ ​ungovernable​.​

The Minister made the statement at the Extra-ordinary Meeting of the​ ​National Council on Information (NCI), which has the theme ‘​’​Hate​ ​Speeches, Disinformation, Fake News and National Unity”, in Jos,​ ​Plateau State​.
​
”The campaign (to discredit the government) is a multi-million naira​ ​project and the people behind this string of hate speech,​ ​disinformation and fake news are not about to stop. In fact, they will​ ​become more vicious in the days, weeks and months ahead,” he said.
Mohammed blamed the resurgent push for separatism, as well as
​ ​the rising cases of ethnic and religious disharmony on the ”growing​ ​phenomenon of hate speech, as well as the disinformation and fake news​ ​campaign”, and warned that hate speeches and incitement to violence​ ​set the stage for the genocide that left at least 800,000 people dead​ ​in Rwanda in 1994.

He traced the worsening cases of hate speech in the country to the​ ​period leading to the last general elections, when the then​ ​presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC),​ ​Muhammadu Buhari, was the target of a vicious campaign.

”Never in the history of electioneering campaign in Nigeria has such​ ​a quantum of hate speech been directed at any candidate. This did not​ ​stop even when he won the election and became President.
“For instance,​ ​the President had hardly left Nigeria for his vacation in London on 19​ ​January 2017, during which he said he would have routine medical​ ​check-up, when these hate and fake news campaigners circulated the​ ​news that he has died. Between then and now, they have repeated​ ​similar fakes news times without number,” the Minister said.

He cited three instances of disinformation and fake news targeted at​ ​him, including when he was quoted as saying the government does not​ ​know who will sign the 2017 budget, when what he said was that whe​n​ the budget is transmitted to the presidency, a decision will be taken.

Mohammed ​recalled​: ”On Wednesday, 26 April​ ​2017, after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, I​ ​briefed State House Correspondents on what transpired at the meeting.

“I​​ said, among others, that President Muhammadu Buhari did not preside​ ​over the day’s meeting because he decided to work from home that day.​ ​In reporting my briefing, one of the correspondents quoted me as​ ​saying the President would work from home henceforth, rather than on​ ​that day only.

”Also in May 2017, I travelled to China on official assignment. I had​ ​just arrived in that country, after a long flight, when I started​ ​receiving calls from Nigeria, seeking my reaction to a story making​ ​the rounds in the Social Media, quoting me as saying that though​ ​President Muhammadu Buhari is in a London hospital, he is using​ ​Made-in-Nigeria drugs. I purportedly made the comment in an interview ‎with Channels Television, after the Federal Government’s launch of the
Made-in-Nigeria campaign in Abuja a few days earlier.

”At first, I chose to ignore the story, saying Nigerians would easily​ ​see the folly of it. But the phone calls from Nigeria became more​ ​frequent and more intense, to such an extent that they could no longer​ ​​be ignored. I had to put a call through to Mr. John Momoh, and​ ​Channels Television promptly issued a rebuttal, saying it neither​ ​interviewed me nor​ ​carried any such story.”

On the way forward, he said ​”​Nigerians must say NO to hate speech and​ ​boycott any medium that is used to spew hate or that engages in​ ​disinformation and fake news​”​, adding that if left unchecked, the​ ​canker-worm of hate speech, disinformation and fake news is capable of​ ​undermining national unity and pushing the nation to the precipice.
The Minister also told the delegates to the meeting, which included​ ​government information managers from all the states of the federation,​ ​that every state must emulate what the Federal Government has done,​ ​through acting President Yemi Osinbajo, who held a series of​ ​engagements with key stakeholders to calm frayed nerves in the​ ​aftermath of the quit notice recently issued to section of the country
by northern youths​.​

”We must be resolute in tackling the canker-worm of hate speech,​ ​disinformation and fake news. We as government information managers​ ​​must embark on a relentless campaign against these evil tendencies at​ ​our various levels, whether federal or state,” he said, adding that​ ​the regulators must also be alive to their responsibility by​ ​sanctioning erring media outlets​. - Daily Post

Election or war ??? Police to deploy sniffer dogs, helicopters for Lagos LG elections

A  minimum of three helicopters,dozens of  sniffer dogs , anti-bomb experts and thousands of armed policemen are being deployed around Lagos State today as residents go to the polls to elect chairmen and councilors for the 20 local government area and 37 Local Council Development Areas.

Complementing the police  to keep trouble makers in check are  soldiers drawn from the army,navy and the air force.

The navy and marine police will be keeping an eye on the  waterways and coastal areas while  army and police personnel will   patrol the highways and other strategic areas.

The Commanding Officer of the 9th Brigade -Gen. Adiku Attu and his NNS BEECROFT counterpart , Commodore Maurice Eno, said yesterday ahead of the election that  every necessary arrangement had been made to ensure maximum security all through the election period.

Police Commissioner  Fatai Owoseni  help  a separate security meeting with heads of other agencies including the military, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), urging them to perfect all security arrangements.

He  warned against the use of firearms near polling units by stakeholders, likening such action to a suicide mission. Owoseni  gave the warning while candidates and party leaders signed an undertaking towards a violence-free exercise.

He said: “If you want to commit suicide, come out with your firearms. We have profiled you and have taken your biometrics. We have also interfaced with you personally and we will tell you what to expect from us.

“During this election, we don’t want political thuggery like we have witnessed in certain elections from different camps.”

He said some people have already been arrested by the  State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba.

He warned politicians against sponsoring thugs,saying “If any of the hoodlums are traced back to you, it will jeopardise your chances. Talk to your supporters not to be overzealous because we will not hesitate to write an intelligence report to your party and the government.”

Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), Justice Ayotunde Phillips pledged  a level playing ground for all the parties,and asked them  not to  cast aspersion on the integrity of the commission.

“The Commission shall remain committed to its responsibilities of conducting free, fair and credible elections into the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas,” she told reporters at the Sabo,Yaba, headquarters of LASIEC yesterday.

She added: “Nobody, therefore, has any cause to entertain any fear or doubt on the neutrality of the Commission as an electoral umpire at the Local Government level of Lagos State.  We are very much aware of our responsibilities as provided for in the relevant enabling laws.”

She said the Commission had,by yesterday, deployed non-sensitive materials to the 57 Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas of the State so that “Electoral Officers have adequate time to distribute the materials to locations where they would be used for tomorrow’s (today’s) elections.

“Deployment of sensitive materials to the various Local Government and Local Council Development Areas of the State has also commenced this morning (yesterday) and will be completed in due course.  With the early deployment of the materials, I am confident that the elections would be conducted without any hitch whatsoever.

“Accreditation and voting will take place simultaneously between 8.00 and 3.00pm. I want to reiterate that the results of the Chairmanship elections will be declared at the collation centre in each of the Local Governments or Local Council Development Areas while the results for Councillorship elections will be declared at each of the Ward collation centres.

“The only condition that may warrant the declaration of the results outside the collation centres is if it is discovered that the environment is not safe and conducive.”

She appealed to the media to be fair, objective and patriotic in their reportage of the elections.

“As patriotic citizens you owe the nation and the Lagos State the duty of performing your reportorial duties in a most responsible and patriotic manner, devoid of narrow self-centredness that could cast doubt on the electoral process and plunge the state into crises.  I need not remind you that pen is mightier than the sword. As holders of the pen, you must be circumspect in the way you use it so that the remaining part of the electoral process can be peaceful and hitch-free,” she said.

Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni, who was also at the briefing, media are the most important unit that would determine the success of the poll.

He appealed to journalists to verify issue before sharing it on social media. This, he said, will go a long way to mitigate the effects of misinformation.

According to him, the police have opened an Investigative Desk to handle cases of crisis during the elections, urging people to call 08063299264 or 08033040870 to report such.

Owoseni warned those who have stockpile ammunitions to surrender them before midnight as police will deal decisively with anyone found with ammunition.

He enjoined the politicians not to sponsor hooligans during the poll, vowing to prosecute them and the hoodlums if caught. - The Nation 

Senior advocate of corruption !!! EFCC releases more evidence against SAN accused of bribing judges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has given more incriminating evidence against Joseph Nwobike, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Nwobike is standing trial for an 11-count bordering on perverting the course of justice and offering of gratification to public officials.
The EFCC alleged that Nwobike offered gratifications to some judges of the federal high court and the national industrial court to influence them to act contrary to their official capacities.
At the Ikeja high court on Friday, Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to EFCC, presented evidence of text messages sent by Nwobike before he appeared in court to argue cases.
“On page 4356 on column 1158 shows that in September 21, 2014, you sent this text to Mr Jide which is suit no — FHC/L/CS/1133/2014 Dana Group of Companies and two others V Sterling Bank Plc, Mr Kunle Ogunba (SAN) and two others, this is a suit you filed,” Oyedepo said.
“Your colleague, Mr Kunle Ogunba (SAN), was also a party to the suit and this suit was assigned on September 23, 2014, and Justice Yinusa heard this suit. Can you confirm to the court who heard the suit?
“On column 1157, on September 21, 2014, you sent this text to Jide ‘Good afternoon Sir, Wafa and another V Diamond Bank and two others, Kurya J, thanks so much.
“On June 30, 2014, you sent the details of that suit again to Jide and you sent this text; ‘Thanks, please help me with this one, it has urgency, I will show tomorrow, goodnight, my lord. On the same day of June 30, 2014, at 5.26 pm, you forwarded the suit details of Lanre Olaoluwa Vs federal ministry of power and steel, Yinusa J, very important.
“I can tell you that this suit was instituted on the same day (June 30, 2014) and your firm paid N56,040 and Yinusa J ended up adjudicating in the matter.
“On June 26, 2014, you forwarded this text to Mr Jide ‘Nestlé Vs FIRS, FHC/L/CS/940/2014, Yinusa J, thanks.’ Jide, responding to your text said, ‘I did it last week, it is there already’.Earlier on that day, you received a text message from Collins one of the counsel in your chambers on the same day.
“The text from Collins communicated to the name of the parties and suit number of the Nestlé matter. The text from Collins was received by you at 7.16 am and you forwarded that text message to Jide suggesting Yinusa J at 7.31am.”
Responding, Nwobike denied the allegations.
“I don’t know how much my firm paid for the filing of the Lanre Olaoluwa suit. As at the time I sent the text message regarding the Olaoluwa suit, I thought the matter was already assigned,” he said.
“For the Nestlé suit, I think it was Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia that heard the suit and not Justice Yinusa.”
Oyedepo also revealed details of more text message between the SAN and the federal high court registrar.
After hearing listening to the parties, Raliatu Adebiyi, the judge, adjourned the case till July 26.