No Van Dijk change -Mauricio Pellegrino

 

Pellegrino has confirmed Virgil van Dijk's status as a Southampton player remains unchanged, and the defender will play no part in Saturday's game with West Ham.

Van Dijk has been the subject of much transfer speculation this summer, with Liverpool pursuing a deal before dropping interest after Southampton reported them to the Premier League for an alleged illegal approach.
Sky Sports News understands Chelsea and Manchester City are also targeting the defender, who submitted a transfer request at St Mary's on August 7, though Southampton maintain he is not for sale.

"Nothing has changed - it is the same as last week," Pellegrino said speaking prior to Saturday's game at home to West Ham.
"For that reason, I have nothing to say, he won't be available to play."
Southampton's uncertainty over the 26-year old's future has forced them to consider potential replacements, and Sky sources reported on Wednesday the Saints are in talks to sign Lazio defender Wesley Hoedt.

The Netherlands international has impressed for the Serie A side since moving from AZ Alkmaar in 2015, scoring three goals in 21 appearances last season.

Sky in Italy understand Southampton have made a £15.5m offer for the centre-back but Pellegrino refused to confirm the deal had been agreed.
"I know the player, but I will not talk about the market," 
"When you sign and you pay the player is for you, before that I have nothing to say.
"Right now, as you know, we have to be ready for a player to help us in the back four, he added." - Sky Sport

Barcelona terror attack: Police confirm dead and injured after crash

Police are hunting at least one driver of a van which is feared to have killed several people in a terrorist attack in Barcelona city centre.

A white van mounted the pavement of Las Ramblas, the main tourist area in the city, and struck several people, police said.

It came to a halt at the entrance to the Liceu metro station and the occupants escaped and ran off into the streets nearby, according to one newspaper. 
Spanish radio station Cadena Ser Radio and El Pais newspaper say 13 people have died. Catalan police have confirmed there is at least one dead and 32 injured, 10 seriously.
One social media video post shows bodies strewn across the pavement for several hundred metres along the famous street.

Catalonia's regional interior chief Joaquim Forn said during a news conference on Thursday: "Unfortunately the number of fatalities will likely rise."
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE says one man has been arrested, but his identity is not known.
One TV station said two armed men entered a Turkish restaurant and took hostages.
El Pais says the perpetrators are holed up in a bar in the Raval district, on Calle Tallers, towards the end of Las Ramblas but other reports say they are in another bar further south, on Carrer de l'Hospital.



Police have not confirmed the whereabouts of any suspects but said they were looking for a man of 5ft 5ins (1.7m) in height, wearing a white shirt with blue stripes.

The van used in atrocity is said to be a Fiat, that was hired from an address in Santa Perpetua Of the Mogoda about five miles north of the city.
El Pais has identified a man who the Civil Guard says is responsible. A Facebook account says he is from Marseilles and lives in Ripoll, Catalonia, about 50 miles north of Barcelona.
Security forces have found a second van connected to the attack in the town of Vic, 40 miles from Barcelona, 10 miles south of Ripoll, according to police sources.
Footage from reporters on the ground shows armed officers combing the streets and a market near where the van came to a halt, with a search said to be under way in several other shopping areas.
Numerous people have been trapped in shops after being told to hide following the initial crash. They are slowly being evacuated by armed officers. 

Emergency services in Catalonia say they have asked the Metro to be shut down and the Renfe stations nearby have been closed and evacuated.
Police have also cordoned off the Las Ramblas and several of the streets nearby and shut down several of the shops.
Social media footage showed many people fleeing the area in alarm and a helicopter flying overhead.
The National Police have told people to avoid the Plaza Catalunya area. An eyewitness, lawyer Aymar Anwar, who's at a conference in the city, said: "All of a sudden I heard a crashing noise, and the whole street just started to run screaming.
"I saw a woman next to me screaming for her kids." The Spanish and Catalan governments are meeting to discuss what has happened.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey said on Twitter: "To all administrations: the priority is to treat the wounded and aid the work of the security forces."
The Foreign Office released a statement saying: "The British Embassy in Madrid and Consulate General in Barcelona are in contact with local authorities and urgently seeking further information following reports of an incident in central Barcelona.

 "Local authorities have advised people to stay inside and stay away from the Las Ramblas area of the city.
If you're in the immediate area you should take care and follow the advice of the local security authorities." - SKY

PL latest : Klopp discusses Robertson exclusion

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool manager, has been discussing his reasoning for excluding Andy Robertson from his side in recent times.

The Scotland international secured a dream move to Anfield this summer, leaving Hull in a deal said to be worth around £10 million. Robertson had been tracked by the Reds for some time and with Klopp’s left-back options appearing to be limited, a move for Robertson was positive news for all parties.
However since then, the German boss has favoured Alberto Moreno at left-back; a player who was initially out of favour and poised for a summer exit, with the likes of Napoli and Watford keen.
Robertson is yet to even make the bench for the Reds in their two competitive matches against Watford and Hoffenheim so far respectively, prompting Klopp to explain his omission.

As quoted by the Mirror, Klopp discussed Robertson’s situation at Anfield:

“Whether he’s overly happy, I didn’t ask, but he’s in a good moment. He has developed really well so far. He’s a really good player but it’s how it is with specialist left full-backs. You either play or it’s possible you aren’t in the squad.”
“Everything is fine from my side. It’s still early. He came in late and still has to adapt to our style of play and all that stuff. Things will change during the season and I’ve told the players that.”

The former Hull man will be keen to make his debut in a Liverpool shirt in the near future.
“I was a player myself a few years ago, it’s not easy but it’s much too early to think about this. It’s a long season ahead.”
“The rule is that if you train really good and work really hard, you improve and develop, then everything will be good at the end'', he concluded. - Read Sport

PL news : Thierry Henry wants the Premier League trophy to be named after Sir Alex Ferguson

Henry has suggested the Premier League trophy should be named after Sir Alex Ferguson, to honour the Scot's unprecedented domestic success with Manchester United.

Ferguson, 75, retired from football in 2013 after winning the last of his 13 Premier League titles as Manchester United manager

In a special programme for Sky Sports marking 25 years since the league's inception, Henry insisted the United legend should be immortalised on the Premier League trophy.

"When I met him for the first time, I called him Mr. Premier League. Thirteen. this is ridiculous. The trophy we see right there should have his name," said Henry.

Henry appeared on the anniversary programme alongside former Manchester United captain Roy Keane and Kenny Dalglish, who won the title with Blackburn in 1995. 

"People might disagree with this, and I'm not a Man United fan. Thirteen times? This is too much."

The Frenchman, who turns 40 today, hailed Ferguson's ability to continuously adapt and rebuld his team, as well as is coaching staff.

"His ability to change his staff, bring a new number two and a new voice helped," said Henry.

"I think he knew what he wasn't good at and so he selected coaches to do the stuff he wasn't good at." 

Henry recently slammed his former club Arsenal for 'stagnating' under Arsene Wenger.

Speaking on Sky Sports' new programme, The Debate, the Frenchman, who rejected a coaching role with the club last year, suggested Arsenal have not remedied the defensive issues that have dogged them in recent seasons.

"I watched the game and I could tell you what was about to happen. Every time Leicester had the ball I thought they were going to score and every time we had the ball I thought we were going to score. - The Telegraph

UNODC : EFCC Adjudged Most Effective Govt Agency

A survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, indicates that as far as Nigerians are concerned, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, remains the most effective government agency in the country.

The report of the survey, which was published in the UNODC’s July 2017 publication, titled, “Corruption in Nigeria. Bribery: Public Experience and Response”, was based on data collected in a survey of 33,067 households on corruption conducted in all 36 states and FCT.

The anti-graft agency was ranked among sister anti-graft and law enforcement agencies including the Nigeria Police, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the Public Complaint Commission, Federal High Court, Federal Ministry of Justice, Bureau of Public Procurement, Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering and Technical Unit on Government and Anti-corruption Reform.

“The EFCC receives the highest perception of effectiveness rating at 78.3 per cent,” the report stated, an indication that more than 25,000 of the households surveyed believed that the EFCC was effective in the discharge of its mandate.

The report, formed part of the “Support to Anti-Corruption in Nigeria Project”, sponsored by the European Union (EU), and the UNODC, in partnership with stakeholders of the project. The project which launched the “Household Survey Report on Corruption in Nigeria” was rounded off with a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on August 16, 2017.

Cristina Albertin, UNODC’s country representative in Nigeria, acknowledged the efforts of the “partners and stakeholders in the collective journey undertaken to end corruption in Nigeria”. 

While commending the “14 anti-corruption agencies, 10 civil society organizations” and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), for their dedicated efforts, commitment and collaboration, Albertin said, “UNODC will continue to be a staunch ally to Nigeria in its efforts to erase corrupt practices, bring offenders to justice, recover stolen assets and educate and sensitize the people on the need for fair, accountable and transparent systems.”

Ibrahim Magu, acting EFCC Chairman, who was represented by the Director of Operations, Mohammed Umar, expressed his gratitude to the EU and UNODC for “being a reliable and committed partner in the global fight against corruption and their unrelenting effort and interest in the joint anti-corruption work in Nigeria”.

He commended the sponsors of the project for sponsoring 150 officers of the agency in the areas, and providing the agency with e-library hardware and software, sentinel analyzer tools, financial analysis software, and relevant publications. - EFCC
 

Shocking !!! How 12-year-old boy repeatedly raped 4-year-old sister after seeing porn movies

A 12-year-old boy has been arraigned before a Brighten Youth Court, UK, after he was caught raping his own sister having allegedly watched various pornographic movies downloaded on his mobile phone.

The matter was heard that the schoolboy raped his sister during games of hide and seek and bribed her with Skittles and had large amounts of porn on his mobile phone.

According to Metro UK, the 12-year-old boy is said to have repeatedly raped the girl, who was 4-year-old.
The girl eventually told her mother while having her bath and the boy has admitted to raping and sexually touching his sister.
He was found guilty of a second count of rape.
The court was told the boy owned a mobile phone and investigators had found a significant amount of porn on it.

Youth offending experts are to carry out weeks of assessment to decide whether he poses a risk to the public and whether he should face jail.
At an earlier hearing in the court, the mother of the girl, who is half sister to the boy, wiped away tears as she described how her little girl had told her.
The girl’s mother, recounting how her daughter told her about the incident, said, “She said to me ‘Mummy I want to tell you something.’ She didn’t normally say things with such an introductory manner.

“She wanted to tell me. It was something important to her. She said it happened while they were playing hide and seek.

“She said he offered her sweeties to do this. She said she didn’t like it but she liked the sweeties.
“I said to her liking sweeties was perfectly all right but he should never have offered her sweets to do something like that.
“She said ‘he made me like Skittles.’ She was clearly cross about that. I said to her ‘why didn’t you tell Mummy?’ and she said ‘He told me not to.’”

The presiding Judge, Teresa Szagun, said a significant amount of pornographic material had been found on the boy’s phone.
The judge warned the boy that he faces the possibility of a severe custodial sentence.
The court was told the boy has already been subjected to psychological assessments to see whether he can tell the difference between right and wrong.

The judge said, “I’m sure what she described is accurately what happened to her. The way she spoke was very factual and articulate.
“She was able to tell me about those experiences very well. What she describes was you making her take off her skirt and pants, telling her not to tell, it was a secret, giving her sweets.” Daily Post

South Africa : Again, another Nigerian killed

The Nigerian Union in South Africa on Thursday said that another Nigerian, Uchenna Eloh, has been killed in the Western Cape Province of that country.

Kanayo Onwumelu, Chairman, Western Cape chapter of the union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone from Cape Town that Mr. Eloh was strangled to death by South African policemen.
NAN reports that Mr. Eloh hailed from Eziagu in Eziagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

“We want to call the attention of Nigerian Government to the senseless killing of innocent Nigerians by the police in South Africa.
“At about 11.00 a.m. South African time on Wednesday, a Nigerian, Uchenna Emmanuel Eloh, popularly known as “Monkey’’, was killed by a South African police officer.
“He was walking out of his house toward the bus station when a police van stopped to search him, suspecting that he might be in possession of illegal substance.

“Three policemen accosted Eloh, one of them, by the name Williams, held him on the neck suspecting that he swallowed a substance, while another police officer held him by the legs,’’ he said.
The union official alleged that the policemen dragged Mr. Eloh on the ground until he started foaming and suffocated to death on the spot.

“This is not the first time such senseless killing of innocent Nigerians was carried out by South African police officers.
“We have reported similar killings to the South African Government and Nigeria High Commission in South Africa and nothing was done to bring the culprits to book.

“We want the Nigerian Government to intervene to stop this brutality against innocent Nigerians and stop killing Nigerians out of hatred, racism or xenophobia,’’ he said.
Ikechukwu Anyene, president of Nigerian Union in South Africa, who also confirmed the incident, called for an end to the incessant killing of Nigerians in South Africa.
“Our government needs to do something urgently to make it clear that Nigerian lives matter.

“We have made suggestions on what can be done, but it is now clear to us that the endless talks cannot yield any positive result,’’ Mr. Anyene said.
He said the union had engaged a lawyer to take up the case against South African Police Service.
“But, this kind of legal service should form part of consular services to provide legal services to victimised Nigerians,’’ Mr. Anyene said.
The union said the police had opened an inquest into the case.

The presidential aide had said during a meeting with the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Louis Mnguni, in Abuja that nearly seven in 10 of the killings were carried out by the South African police.
NAN recalls that the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had in February said that a total 116 Nigerians had been killed in South Africa through extrajudicial means in the last two years. - Daily Post

Updates : Costa releases statement after Chelsea order him to return

In the latest twist in the Diego Costa saga, the forward has confirmed he has no intention of returning to the club.

As per the Evening Standard, the striker has released a statement reaffirming his ambition to re-sign for Atletico Madrid this summer.
Sergipana de Futebol, a regional football association in Brazil released the following statement on the striker’s behalf.

“My destination is already made. I must return to Atletico Madrid. It turns out that there is the impasse that Chelsea does not want to release me. But I believe that this situation will be resolved now on my return to Spain.”
The striker has been ‘AWOL’ throughout the summer, spending his time in his native Brazil. The Premier League champions had been expecting him to return to the club in the latter weeks of July.

Reports so far have suggested that Atletico have been unable to agree on a fee with Chelsea, with the Blues determined not to lose the player on the cheap.

Costa himself has threatened legal actions, with Chelsea appearing to be no closer to completing a deal to sell the player. - Read Sport

Transfer news : Chelsea confident of £30m deal for Danny Drinkwater

Chelsea are said to be confident of completing a deal worth around £30 million for Danny Drinkwater, according to the Mail Online.

The report suggests that Chelsea will offer an initial fee of £25 million which will include £5 million in add-ons.
Despite putting pen to paper on a new deal at Leicester last summer, Drinkwater is believed to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, despite game time not being guaranteed.

The Premier League champions have already failed with one bid worth around £15 million.
Despite Leicester asking for closer to £40 million, there is a feeling that the £30 million offer could spark a break through in talks over a possible deal for the England international, who would go onto boost Chelsea’s home grown numbers should a deal be completed. - Read Sport

Transfer updates ! Tottenham midfielder Sissoko: No agreement with any club

Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko has dismissed reports an agreement has been reached for him to leave the club.

Sissoko joined Spurs for £30million last August but has failed to impress and fell out of favour with manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is reportedly keen to offload the France international by the end of the transfer window.
Trabzonspor have been credited with an interest in the former Newcastle United and Toulouse player, but Sissoko insists no deal has been reached with any of his reported suitors.

He posted on his Twitter account: "Is every fly that flies real information? No agreement with any club, so stay cool." - Goal

Shocking !!! Photos : Rivers community goes back medieval, strips man to take oath over alleged murder

A man identified as Mr Emmanuel Sunday from Okrika community, Rivers state who is accused of killing people with juju was on Wednesday stripped naked to take an oath over an alleged murder.

The incident which had large crowd including children at the Okrika market square is currently generating reactions in the social media spheres.





In a video already gone viral, Mr Emmanuel is seen denying the allegation, after which he is made to take hot drinks (Jin) severally in front of the crowd, while the chief priest is seen commanding the deities of the land not to let him go unpunished if found guilty, even if he runs to a church and repents. - Daily Post

OMG !!! 15 teenage boys rape donkey, contact rabies

Fifteen teenager from a rural Moroccan town of Sidi Kacemhave have been treated for rabies after reportedly raping an infected local donkey.

The infected boys spent a week at the Mechraa Belksiri Hospital receiving treatments after they contracted the disease from the animal.

According to Morocco World News, the number of boys who raped the donkey were more than 15, but many families secretly took their sons for treatment at hospitals outside the immediate area to avoid shame.
Only 15 of the boys were taken to the local hospital.
The local authorities are trying to find anyone who has “approached” or “admired” the animal closely to limit further spread of disease.

The occurrence, has become the subject of mockery and ridicule among the population of the small town, has also become a subject of fear and shame for parents who in the utmost secrecy had their children vaccinated in case they had touched the animal.

In order to avoid the further risk of spreading the disease, authorities have ordered the owner of the animal to slaughter it. - Daily Post

Face of corruption !!! N450m campaign fund: Ex-governor Sullivan Chime still a suspect – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said it is still probing former governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, and Rita Mbah, Secretary of the 2015 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in the state.

South East Zonal Head of Operations of the commission, Johnson Babalola, disclosed this in Enugu while briefing the press on the activities of the commission.
He also explained that the claims by former governor Chime after he decamped to APC that he had no case with EFCC was false and unfounded.

According to him, the commission has recovered N60m out of the N450m of the 2015 PDP campaign fund from the state.
He said, “Don’t listen to what politicians tell you. Chime and Rita Mbah are suspects and under investigation of the EFCC.
“We are doing our job professionally irrespective of whatever political party anyone of them belongs. Crime has no expiry date. Those money remaining with the two suspects over the 2015 campaign fund will be recovered.

“We have not recovered all the money yet but we are doing that on monthly basis.”
Babalola added that the commission was also investigating abandoned road projects and Independent Power Projects in the South East with the aim of prosecuting defaulting contractors.
“South East has the most deplorable roads network in the country, projects running into billions of naira abandoned are under investigation by the commission, '' he said. - Daily Post

Failed nation !!! ASUU strike: We didn’t fulfil our promise, minister of education confesses

Adamu Adamu, minister of education, says the government has failed on its own part to work with agreements reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Speaking after the federal executive council meeting in Abuja, Adamu said it is painful seeing the union embark on strike while he is a minister.
“Late last year, we had a meeting because ASUU gave one week notice of strike and we were able to work out some agreement,” he said.
“I must confess that government has not fulfiled its part of the bargain. I hope I will be meeting them later today (Wednesday) or tomorrow (Thursday) and I am sure we will be able to reach some agreement so that the strike will be called off as soon as possible.”

Adamu said the grievances of the lecturers would be looked at in the meeting with the leadership of the union.
“I am sure you are aware of the issues we agreed on. There is the issue of renegotiation which is the only one they agreed government has done what it promised because we set up the renegotiation team and negotiation is already ongoing,” he said.
“There is the issue of earned allowances and I think because of some miscommunications, what we promised could not be done, but am I assuring ASUU and the whole nation that this is going to be done.

“There is the issue of registration for Nigerian Universities Pension Commission. I think on that one, there are a few issues that need to be sorted out with the Nigerian Pension Commission. I believe there will be no problem with that.
“On the issue of their staff school, I think the court has given them verdict to go ahead with it. They have requested that they should be allowed to stay off TSA and I think the government will not do this.
“But there are some peculiar funds in the university like endowment which are monies kept and all the interest they generate, prices and so on are given.

“Government will exempt that one only. But universities are part of the peculiarities. They just must log on. I hope later on when I meet them today, there will be total agreement.”
Since ASUU announced that the union is going on strike, public commentators have called out Adamu who wrote in defence of ASUU before his appointment.
“Instead of hectoring ASUU to call off its strike, the nation should be praying for more of its kind in other sectors of the economy. Since the government has shown itself incapable of doing the right thing until it is forced, the nation should be thinking of organising the association of Nigerian farmers to go on strike to force the government to do for agriculture what ASUU has been struggling to make it do for education,” he had written in the past

Mega city oooo !!!The Economist: After Damascus, Lagos is the worst global city to live in

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister publication of The Economist of London, says Lagos, is the worst global city to live anywhere in the world — after Damascus in war-torn Syria.

According to its 2017 liveability report, which considers 140 major cities, Melbourne in Australia retained its crown as the best city to live anywhere in the world, for seven years running.
Vienna, Austria, where the headquarters of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is located, comes in as the second most liveable city in the world.

Vienna is closely followed by Canadian cities, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary at the third, fourth and fifth spots respectively. Calgary, however, ties with Australian city, Adelaide.
EIU considers stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure, in determining the liveability of cities across the globe. The unit blamed terrorism for the fall in the standing of Lagos, Nigeria.

“Terrorism has also been compounded by unrest and, in more extreme cases, civil war in some countries. Iraq, Libya, Syria and Turkey remain the subject of high-profile civil unrest and armed conflicts, while a number of other countries, such as Nigeria, continue to battle insurgent groups,” the report read.
“Of the more poorly scoring cities, 12 continue to occupy the very bottom tier of liveability, where ratings fall below 50% and most aspects of living are severely restricted.

“Continued threat from groups such as Boko Haram acts as a constraint to improving stability in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city.”
According to the rating, Tripoli in Libya is a better city to live in than Lagos, Nigeria. - Cable Nigeria

Update : Tighter security for Magu after gun attack on EFCC

A tighter security ring has been thrown around Ibrahim Magu and key officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after a gun attack on its Abuja office.

Also being protected are the EFCC Acting Chairman’s mother, who lives in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

The new security measures were taken after some gunmen yesterday attacked the agency’s office in Abuja.

The annex office is where high-profile suspects are investigated.

The gunmen stormed the facility at about 5a.m. shooting. They were repelled by guards.

They dropped a death threat for a senior investigator, Ishaku Sharu, who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud.

Sharu is saddled with the ongoing probe of several politically exposed persons and retired military chiefs.

The EFCC has reported the attack to the Police. Detectives have been deployed to investigate the incident.

Some forensic and ballistic experts are said to be part of the police probe team.

A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the anti-graft commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: “A major security breach was recorded at the headquarters of the EFCC in the early hours of Wednesday, August 16, 2017 as unknown gunmen attacked the office located at Wuse Zone 7, Abuja.

“The group of heavily armed bandits invaded the office at about 05.00 hours and began shooting into the premises, damaging vehicles parked in the premises in the process. However, the attack was repelled by guards on duty.

“The hoodlums escaped in a getaway vehicle but not without leaving a message; a white envelope dropped by the fleeing attackers was found to contain a death threat addressed to Ishaku Sharu, a senior investigator with the Commission.

“Sharu, who heads the Foreign Exchange Malpractices Fraud Section, is in charge of corruption investigation involving several politically exposed persons and retired military brass hats.

“The attack on the Zone 7 office, which houses the Commission’s AMCON Desk, Procurement Fraud and Foreign Exchange Malpractices Sections, is coming few weeks after another investigator, Austin Okwor, was shot and injured by unknown assailants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“The latest incident has already been reported to the police for investigation.”

An EFCC source said most top officers managing high-profile cases had been receiving threat messages in the past few months.

“None of us has been spared, but we did not envisage that the situation will degenerate to violent attacks on our office.

“Security has been beefed up at the affected annex office and other strategic safe houses of EFCC,” the source said.

The EFCC has been operating from makeshift offices and safe houses in Abuja.

Although the Federal Government on November 27, 2010 awarded the contract for the EFCC’s permanent headquarters to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc for N18.86 billion, the project could not be completed within the three-year timeline – no thanks to paucity of funds.

The Federal Executive Council on April 26, approved N5 billion more for the construction of the headquarters.

During a visit to the site,  House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara assured that the EFCC would move to its permanent headquarters this year. - The Nation

Shocking !!! Police uncover human parts in church, arrest pastor in Ogun

Nigeria Police in Ogun on Wednesday arrested a 77-year-old pastor, Samuel Babatunde and two other suspects in connection with the discovery of suspected human parts buried inside a church.

Babatunde is the founder of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Itedo Isinmi Ayo Parish, Egan Road in Iyana-Iyesi area of Ota in Ado-Odo Ota LGA of Ogun.
The state Police Commissioner, Ahmed Iliyasu, who paraded the pastor in Ota, told reporters that the discovery followed the arrest on Saturday of a suspected serial kidnapper, Jeremiah Adeola.
He said that Adeola, 32, who specialised in kidnapping children, confessed that the pastor of the white garment church was the receiver of the abducted children

The CP added that a 43-year-old herbalist, Haruna Afolabi, was among the suspects, who allegedly buried the human parts at the entrance of the church.
According to the police boss, operatives attached to the police Area Command in Ota on Sunday received intelligence about Adeola and arrested him.
Iliyasu said: “On the strength of the intelligence, detectives from Ota Area Command were detailed to effect the arrest of the suspect.

“At about 10.20 a.m. of the date, their efforts paid off when the said Jeremiah Adeola was arrested.
“On interrogation, Adeola confessed being a serial kidnapper and mentioned a prophet of a white garment church as the receiver of the kidnapped children.
“Upon interrogation, Adeola was taken to the house/church the said prophet at Iyana-Iyesi Ota, where one Prophet Samuel Babatunde, 77 years, the pastor in charge of the church and one Haruna Afolabi, 42 years, a traditional worshiper, were arrested.

“The floor of the church was dug as described by the first suspect and parts suspected strongly to be human parts were dug out,” Iliyasu said.
The commissioner said the police command would conduct forensic investigation into the case.
He assured that all those found guilty of the crime would be brought to justice, adding that Ogun State would never be a safe haven for criminals.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the pastor denied the allegation levelled against him.
Babatunde explained that a pig was buried alive inside the church contrary to claims that human parts were buried there.

He said that he carried out the act in order to bring good fortune, prosperity and comfort to his congregation.
Babatunde said though he met Adeola at a prayer mountain in Ibadan, he never had any dealing with the alleged serial kidnapper, whom he accused of being mentally unstable.

However, Adeola insisted that the pastor was the receiver of some kidnapped children.
In addition, he said the cleric paid him N50, 000 each for the two children he supplied to him. - The Nation

Updates : Evans knows fate August 29

Lagos Federal High Court will on August 29 deliver judgment in a N300million suit filed by suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans, against the police. Evans in praying the court to declare his detention illegal.

Justice Abdulazeez Anka fixed the date yesterday after taking arguments from Evans’ counsel Olukoya Ogungbeje and lawyers for the police.

The judge dismissed the police claim that the suit was not ripe for hearing. He also rejected the N300,000 “punitive costs” sought against Ogungbeje for alleged wrongful service.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Commissioner of Police (CP) Lagos State and Lagos Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) are the respondents in the case.

Counsel for both the IGP and the NPF, Henry Obiazi, urged the court to dismiss the suit for want of merit.

He said the case had to do with murder, armed robbery and kidnapping, which were all capital offences.

Citing Section 35 (7) of the Constitution, Obiazi argued that Evans’ fundamental rights were not absolute, adding that the ‘billionaire kidnapper’ would soon be arraigned by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

“Though the Constitution guarantees the fundamental rights of every Nigerian citizen, these rights are not absolute, particularly, when they have to do with capital offences. I urge the court to hold that the application is unmeritorious and dismiss it”, Obiazi said.

The CP’s and SARS’, Counsel Emmanuel Eze, argued that Evans had not shown any cause of action against his clients.

He claimed that Evans was arrested by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) set up by the IGP and not by his clients.

Eze faulted claims that the applicant was subjected to media trial, saying no material fact was placed before the court in that regard.

According to him, the nature of the offences allegedly committed by Evans was conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and murder.

Besides, he alleged that before his arrest, Evans was involved in many robberies, including series of attacks on bullion vans and many policemen were killed.

“My Lord, it is not up to 90 days that the applicant was arrested. Besides, there is an order of the court for his remand. The applicant is an international kidnapper terrorising states across the country.

“I urge the court to dismiss this application with punitive costs so as to serve as a deterrent to others who may want to file such frivolous applications in future”, Eze said.

But, Ogungbeje urged the court to hold that the respondents had run foul of the law by detaining Evans since last June 10.

He faulted the respondents’ arguments that a suspect accused of committing a capital offence can be detained without a court’s order.

According to him, the assertion may be applicable only at the point where the suspect is seeking bail after his arraignment.

“The proper thing for the respondents to do is to have the applicant arraigned and then inform the court about the capital nature of the offence upon which he may then be remanded in their custody”, he said. - The Nation

Transfer news : Conte trying to persuade Chelsea to sign Ivan Perisic

Frustrated by his club’s transfer activity this summer, Antonio Conte is at loggerheads with the Chelsea board regarding another of his top targets.

The Times claim that Conte is desperate for the club to sign Inter Milan attacker Ivan Perisic this summer to improve their wide options, but is struggling to convince the club to sanction a move for the Croat.
Chelsea have made a concerted effort to sign younger first-team players with strong re-sale values and all three major additions to the squad are aged 24 or younger, fitting that template.

Conte is frustrated by the club’s dithering attempts to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Alex Sandro from Juventus, both 26, because of this philosophy employed by the club in the transfer market.
Valued at £50m, Perisic has also been linked with Manchester United and is considered a top target of Conte’s, but as it stands, the club will not make a move for him unless Conte can convince them otherwise.

Perisic is 28 and is unlikely to have a strong re-sale value when the time comes for the Blues to move on from the former Wolfsburg man, which is an issue for the club when it comes to sanctioning a move to sign him - Read Sport

Ritual : Police arrest 10 over brutal killing of 4-year-old girl

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has announced the arrest of 10 persons in connection with the suspected ritual killing of a four-year-old girl at Iwaya, Lagos.

During a media briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, CP Owoseni, said the girl’s throat was slit and the body was dumped behind her parent’s window.

“A sad incident happened this morning when the Divisional Police Officer at Iwaya was alerted, after Mr Taiwo Sulaiman and his wife came with the dead body of a four-year-old girl.
“When questioned, they asserted that the child went with two of her siblings to pray at the mosque at 1:00pm and was no longer seen.

“After searching thoroughly for the girl, her dead body with slit throat was found behind her parent’s window, close to an Ogun shrine in the compound.
“The corpse had been recovered with the knife used to commit the murder and 10 persons are presently in custody for interrogation, including the parents.

‘’Investigations however revealed elements of conspiracy in the matter. We will continue to update you as investigation continues.
“We have deployed heavily into the area which is densely populated to prevent any form of jungle justice,” Owoseni said.

“This is the essence of the warnings we have been giving the public. If you cover crime at one time or the other, the crime will come and consume you,” Owoseni said.
The police boss who condemned the act, said people have thrown away their moral values.
He however appealed to members of the public to provide information that would assist in the investigation, adding that residents living around the shrine could not claim ignorance of the rituals being carried out at the site. - Daily Post

Pictured : Nigerian man allegedly stabs girlfriend to death in Germany

A Nigerian man, identified as Anthony I, is on trial in Muenster, Germany for stabbing and killing his girlfriend.

Anthony I who sought asylum in Germany and claimed to be gay and had fought against the Boko Haram terror group murdered his girlfriend Soopika Paramanathan, 22, earlier this year, after she broke off their relationship.

Soopika Paramanathan was a student and was locally called “Angel of Ahaus” for her volunteer work with refugees.
The accused refused to speak at the first day of his trial yesterday.
Persecutors says “Anthony I, 28, brutally murdered Soopika out of jealousy, he allegedly stabbed her repeatedly in her head, neck and breast with a long-bladed knife,” Daily Mail reported.
She tried defending herself with a pepper spray which she aimed at her attacker’s eye.

She was raced to the local hospital but died shortly after arrival from massive blood loss from over 50 stab wounds.
Police chief, Harbert Mengelkamp quickly focused on Anthony I, whose asylum application was in the process of being rejected by authorities.
He tried to stuff her body into a blue suitcase at the crime scene but fled when passers-by saw him.
He was caught two days later by police at Basel railway station after he fled to Switzerland.



The man will face life imprisonment when an expected guilty verdict is handed down on September 20. - Daily Post

Grand commanders of looters !!! N11trn ‘wastage’: SERAP asks ICC to probe Obasanjo, Jonathan

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to probe the administrations of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua and Goodluck Jonathan for allegedly wasting electricity funds.

SERAP had accused the trio of squandering a total sum of N11 trillion meant for provision of electricity to Nigerians during their respective regimes – between 1999 and 2015.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Timothy Adewale, SERAP deputy director, the organisation asked Fatou Bensouda, ICC prosecutor, to investigate whether the allegations of “widespread, systematic and large-scale” corruption amount to crimes against humanity within the jurisdiction of the court.
It also asked her to prevail on the Nigerian government to surrender all suspected perpetrators for trial by the ICC.

It said the allegations of corruption in the power sector in Nigeria have had “catastrophic” effects on the lives of millions of Nigerians, “akin to crimes against humanity as contemplated under the Rome Statute and within the jurisdiction of ICC”.
“The Rome statute in article 7 defines ‘crime against humanity’ to include ‘inhumane acts causing great suffering or injury,’ committed in a widespread or systematic manner against a civilian population. The common denominator of crimes against humanity is that they are grave affronts to human security and dignity,” the statement read.
“SERAP considers these allegations of widespread and systematic corruption in the electricity sector as amounting to crimes against humanity and therefore clear violations of the provisions of the Rome statute of International Criminal Court.”

SERAP added that the allegations have given rise to the individual criminal responsibility of corrupt persons in the power sector as entrenched in the Rome statute of the ICC.
“SERAP considers the apparent failure of successive governments and high-ranking government officials to prevent widespread and systematic corruption in the electricity sector as amounting to complicity under the Rome Statute,” it further said.
“SERA, therefore, believes that the widespread and systemic nature of large scale corruption in the electricity sector fits the legal requirements of a crime against humanity.”

While stating that alleged corruption in the power sector has denied citizens access to basic social amenities, the organisation asked the court to “urgently commence an investigation proprio motu on the allegations of widespread and systematic corruption in the electricity sector since the return of democracy in 1999, with a view to determining whether these amount to crimes against humanity within the court’s jurisdiction.”

“In this respect, we also urge you to invite representatives of the Nigerian government to provide written or oral testimony at the seat of the court, so that the prosecutor is able to conclude since available information whether there is a reasonable basis for an investigation, and to submit a request to the pre-trial chamber for authorization of an investigation,” SERAP said. -Cable Nigeria 

Corruption now culture !!!! NBS: Nigerians bribed govt officials with N400bn in one year

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has said government officials received an estimated N400bn in bribes within a year.

The bureau made this known in its National Corruption Report released on Wednesday.
A survey carried out in collaboration with the UN office on drugs and crime showed that 32.3 per cent of Nigerian adults paid bribes to public officials between June 2015 and May 2016.
“Taking into account the fact that nine out of every 10 bribes paid to public officials in Nigeria are paid in cash and the size of the payments made, it is estimated that the total amount of bribes paid to public officials in Nigeria in the 12 months was around N400bn, the equivalent of $4.6bn in purchasing power parity,” the report read.

“This sum is equivalent to 39 per cent of the combined federal and state education budgets in 2016. This means that every time a Nigerian pays a cash bribe, he or she spends an average of 28.2 per cent of the average monthly salary of N18,900.
“Since bribe payers in Nigeria pay an average of 5.8 bribes over the course of one year, 92 per cent of which are paid in cash, they spend an average of N28,200 annually on cash bribes – equivalent to 12.5 per cent of the annual average salary.”
85.3 per cent of bribery cases in Nigeria, the report said, were initiated either directly or indirectly by public officials.

“With such a large portion of public officials initiating bribes, which are paid upfront, it seems that many public officials show little hesitation in asking for a kickback to carry out their duty and that bribery is an established part of the administrative procedure in Nigeria,” it said.

Bribe takers: Police, judges, prosecutors

According to the report, police officers, judges and prosecutors are the highest recipients of bribes among government officials in Nigeria.
Police officers were however adjudged the highest takers of bribes.
Almost half (46.4 per cent) of all adult Nigerians who had direct contact with a police officer one year before the survey were said to have paid a bribe.

Other categories of public officials who were found to occasionally receive bribes from Nigerians were car registration/driving licence officers (28.5 per cent); tax and customs officers (27.3 per cent); road traffic management officials (25.5 per cent), public utilities officers (22.4 per cent) and land registry officers (20.9 per cent).
The report further read: “Police officers are the type of public officials to whom bribes are most commonly paid in Nigeria. Of all adult Nigerians who had direct contact with police officers in the 12 months prior to the survey, almost half paid the officers at least one bribe, and in many cases, more than one since police officers are also among the three types of public officials to whom bribes are paid most frequently in Nigeria.

“At the same time, the average bribe paid to police officers is somewhat below the average bribe size.
“Although fewer people come into contact with judiciary officials than with police officers over the course of the year, when they do, the risk of bribery is considerable: at 33 per cent, the prevalence of bribery in relation to prosecutors is the second highest, closely followed by judges and magistrates.”

Taking the frequency of bribe payments and number of people offering bribes into cognizance, the report estimated that a total of 82.3 million bribes were paid in one year. - Cable Nigeria

Transfer news : Sigurdsson seals Everton move

Gylfi Sigurdsson has completed a £45m move to Everton from Swansea on a five-year deal.

Everton manager Ronald Koeman confirmed Sigurdsson had completed a medical on Wednesday ahead of finalising the club-record transfer.
The 27-year-old former Tottenham midfielder had been the subject of long negotiations between Swansea and Everton, with the Welsh club having rejected £40m offers from the Toffees and Leicester City earlier in the window.

"This is an ambitious club and it is clear we are moving in a really good direction," said Sigurdsson, after finalising his move. "The most important thing is that this team keeps winning games and climbing the table - and does that throughout the season.
"For myself, I would like to score as many goals as possible and create as many goals for my team-mates as I can. These are my targets."
Sigurdsson becomes Koeman's eighth signing of the summer and the Iceland international revealed the Everton boss was one of the main reasons he wanted to switch to Goodison Park.
"He was a great player, one of the top players of his time," said Sigurdsson. "Now he is a really good manager and his vision for Everton is clear. He has built up a really good squad here, with strong players, both young and experienced.

"This was a key factor for me. Ultimately, that is a dream of mine and everyone at this club. I know the supporters and players would agree with that."
Everton have broken the £100m mark this summer in their transfer spending, and Koeman believes the large sum they have paid for Sigurdsson can help balance the loss of last season's top goalscorer Romelu Lukaku - who joined Manchester United for £90m.


"From the beginning, he was one of the key players we wanted to bring to Everton. That's because of his quality, first and foremost, and his experience in the Premier League.
"We need more productivity. We don't sign one player who will score 25 goals but we need several players around our striker to get that number. He is one of those productive players which he has shown at Swansea and also in the past."

Koeman added: "In my opinion, in his position he is one of the best in the Premier League. We have the player here and that's really good for the team. - SKY