Transfer news : Dortmund and Inter fight for Mkhitaryan

Manchester United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s future is seemingly under a lot of scrutiny.

The Armenian international has fallen massively out of favour under United boss Jose Mourinho and has seen the likes of Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial all preferred to him.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Serie A giants Inter Milan have expressed an interest in signing Mkhitaryan, who is said to be valued by United at a fee of £35 million.

However, it seems Inter will face competition from Mkhitaryan’s old club Borussia Dortmund. It’s claimed by the Independent that the Bundesliga side want to re-sign the playmaker and that they are the likeliest to put an end to the 27-year-old’s recent struggles at Old Trafford.

Mkhitaryan is likely to be keen on fighting for his place in the United side, but fresh reports from Italy have suggested otherwise. According to Corriere dello Sport (via talkSPORT), the player himself is interested in the prospect of moving to Inter Milan. - Read Sport

Premier League footballer charged with assault after street fight

Jason Puncheon, a Premier League footballer has been charged with assault and having a weapon after a fight erupted in the street near a nightclub.

The 31-year-old Crystal Palace midfielder had reportedly been partying with friends at the nearby Mishiko nightclub beforehand.

The player was arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning and taken into custody after officers were called to the disturbance in Church Street, Reigate, Surrey Police said.

A police spokesman said: “Jason Puncheon, 31, of Kingswood, has been charged with a Section 4 public order offence – causing fear or provocation of violence, possession of an offensive weapon and common assault.”

According to The Sun, the nightclub issued a statement which said Puncheon attended the venue with friends but, after it had closed, door staff intervened in a fight in the street some 50 metres away and police were called.

A police spokesman confirmed officers attended an incident at 2.20am but would not disclose further details.

Puncheon was released on bail and is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates’ Court on January 5.

New Austrian chancellor, 31, becomes world’s youngest national leader

Sebastian Kurz, 31, was sworn in as Austria’s chancellor on Monday.

Kurz is the youngest political leader in Europe and in the world.

Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), 48, is vice-chancellor.

The Austrian People’s Party, which Kurz belongs to, reached a coalition agreement with the Freedom Party on Friday.

Both parties have promised to tighten the country’s asylum and immigration regulations and maintain a firm commitment to the European Union.

“It will no longer happen for migrants who have never worked here a single day or paid anything into the social system to get thousands of euros in welfare,” Strache wrote on Facebook.

Kurz served as foreign minister in the outgoing government led by Chancellor Christian Kern, a social democrat.

“Our aims are quite clear. We want to ease the tax burden for people, we want to strengthen our economy, which will bolster our social system,” Kurz had said on Friday after the coalition was sealed.

“And first and foremost we want to increase security in our country, including by combatting illegal immigration.” - Cable Nigeria

SERAP to Buhari: Explain to Nigerians why $1bn needed to fight ‘defeated’ Boko Haram

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to explain why $1 billion is needed for the Boko Haram war.

SERAP said this will bring about transparency in expenses made by the government in the fight against insurgency.
During the national executive council meeting last week, governors had approved the withdrawal of the money from the excess crude account.
They said the money should be used to fight Boko Haram insurgents the north-east.

In a statement on Sunday, SERAP said the government needs to explain why the fund is needed “especially against the background of the declaration by the authorities that the anti-insurgency war has ended and the Boko Haram terror group defeated”.

The statement signed by Timothy Adewale, SERAP deputy director, read: “Nigerians should have some sense of what it is the government is doing in our name, especially against the background of the unresolved questions on how over $2bn was spent by former Jonathan administration to fight Boko Haram.

“The government also ought to tell Nigerians whether and how the legal requirements for approving the extra-budgetary allocations were met.
“As a government presumably pursuing a change-agenda, Buhari should do things differently from the former Jonathan administration including by proactively engaging the Nigerian people in an honest conversation about the fight against Boko Haram and the use of the public funds so far invested to prosecute it.”

SERAP said Nigerians do not have sufficient information “to evaluate, much less influence, the government’s policies, strategies and funding to end Boko Haram insurgency”.
It said Nigerians need to know the level of success that has been recorded against Boko Haram, and the security situation in the north-east, “as well as the amount of public funds that have been invested to combat terrorism”.

SERAP said: “The government should therefore emphasise transparency over secrecy on the spending on Boko Haram. Buhari should keep Nigerians up-to-date about what he’s doing to end Boko Haram, including by explaining why $1bn is needed at this time to fight the insurgency.
“Indeed, the health of our democracy depends upon the government’s willingness to ensure that the policies and programs it pursues in the interest of national security are truly relevant and effective in keeping us safe.

“Transparency in the spending on Boko Haram would also have an indirect effect on other branches in the sense of setting an example and changing the background tone of government. Such disclosure helps to ensure government’s adherence to the rule of law and promote confidence in the lawfulness of governmental action.” - Cable Nigeria

Mob sets suspected kidnapper ablaze in Ilorin

A yet to be identified young woman, suspected to be a kidnapper has been lynched and set ablaze by an Irate mob in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The suspect was reportedly caught at an Islamic school while forcefully trying to kidnap a set of twins.

It was gathered that the timely arrival of the children’s mother resulted in the rescue of the twins.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the state police command, Ajayi Okasanmi said some persons have been arrested in connection with the killing.

Okasanmi said, “Before we got the information, the deed had been done and as we speak, policemen are already there making effort to arrest the culprit and I can assure you we are going to do just that because it is lawless for people to take life of another human no matter the offence and allegation.”

He, however, advised residents to allow the law take its course and not indulge in jungle justice.

EFCC : Appeal Court Affirms Conviction Of Ex-Banker

The Kaduna Division of the Court of Appeal on Monday, December 18, upheld the judgment of the Kano State High Court which convicted and sentenced a former bank manager, Samuel Owoleye, to 19 years' imprisonment sometime in 2012.

Owoyele, a manager at the Union Bank Branch, Bank Road, Kano was prosecuted by the commission for offenses bordering on Obtaining by False Pretence contrary to sections 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,  2006 and section  371 of the Penal code law.

Upon his arraignment, the convict pleaded not guilty and the prosecution through its counsel A.T. Habib presented ten witnesses and tender numerous exhibits to prove its case.

On the 20th day of June, 2012, the Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Dije Abdu Aboki found the accused person guilty on the three count charge that was preferred against him and convicted him accordingly.

The appellant was subsequently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on count one, and 7 years imprisonment on count 2 without option of fine. However, on count three, he was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment with option of N300,000 fine. While the sentence in count one and two were to run concurrently,  the appellant was to serve consecutive sentence in count three.

Trouble started for Owoyele on when the commission received a petition  from one Ashiru Munzali Gambo  that the convict obtained the sum N27,000,000 (Twenty Seven Million Naira) under the pretext that he had $185,000 (one hundred and eighty five thousand United States Dollars) to sell to him.

Being dissatisfied with the judgment of the trial court, the convict approached the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment of the lower court.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Bdlya Ibrahim all the issues raised by the appellant  were resolved against the appellant and in favour of the respondents. The appeal was dismissed for lack of merit.

Gunmen abduct monarch’s wife, principal in Bayelsa

Unidentified gunmen at the weekend stormed the Ayakoro community in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State and kidnapped Mrs. Tina, wife of the community’s paramount ruler, Righteous Inegbagha.

The gunmen also abducted the Principal of the Government Craft Development Centre, Ayakoro, Mr. Egbele Jack, who hails from Ekeremor local government area of the state.

It was gathered that the victims were taken away to an unknown destination by the hoodlums on Saturday.

Sources from the community said the assailants disrupted the peace of the community at about 2:00 a.m. when they struck with three AK47 rifles, machetes and other weapons.

A member of the monarch’s family, who spoke in confidence, said the gunmen operated in the community for over two hours and looted properties and other valuables worth millions of naira.

A son of the paramount ruler, who narrated his ordeal, said he was beaten to a pulp by the hoodlums when he accosted them.

“When they came in through the window, they were asking of my father. I told them, he traveled but they asked me to take them to where he kept his money. I told them, I was not aware of any money in the house.

“They descended on me and started beating me merciless with machetes. My mother heard their voices and unknowingly came out. They seized and asked her to take them to my father’s room.

“They ransacked the room, scattered documents and searched for money. They carried a generator in and took my mother away. They threatened to shoot me if I move to stop them,” he said. - The Nation

Jungle republic : 66% of prison inmates in Nigeria awaiting trial - NPS

The Nigerian Prison Service (NPS) has said 66 per cent of inmates in prisons are awaiting trial.

Jaafaru Ahmed, controller general of the service, said this at the quarterly meeting of the Penal Reform Media Network (PERMNET) in Lagos.

Represented by Francis Enobore, NPS spokesperson, he said a total of 72,384 inmates are currently in prison across the country.

“As of today, December 15, 2017, the current population of prisoners in Nigeria is put at 72,384 while 48,527 of the figure are the awaiting trial inmates,” he said.

“The awaiting trial inmates therefore constitute about 66 percent of the prison population.”

He also commended the intervention of various stakeholders in the decongestion of the prisons across the country, adding that “there is a need for more collaboration among the three arms of the criminal justice system.

“This is to enhance synergy so that anybody brought to prison as awaiting trial, the case will be determined as quickly as possible. The other arms have to do their part so that there would be quick dispensation of justice.”

As at March 26, 70 per cent of inmates in Nigerian prisons were awaiting trial.

A fact sheet released by Prisoners’ Rehabilitation and Welfare Actions (PRAWA) had shown that the total number of inmates across the country was 68,110 – 66,774 males and 1,336 females.

It also showed that while 21,354 have been convicted as at that time, the remaining 46,756 were awaiting trial. - Cable Nigeria

Niger : Why I cut my cousin’s manhood – Man confesses

The Niger Police command has arrested one Aliyu Mohammed who allegedly cut off his cousin’s manhood for stealing his N3, 500.

The 25-year-old man, resident of Babana Borgu in New Bussa local government area of Niger State, cut off his cousin’s manhood with a cutlass on refusal to pay up money he stole.

It was learnt that Mohammadu and Ibrahim, who were not in good terms before the incident, engaged in an argument after Mohammed confronted him‎.

The suspect confessing to the crime, said he had no regret over his actions, threatening more harm on his cousin’s wife, kids if his money was not given to him.

“What I need is my N3,500, otherwise I am going to do more harm in the family. I have two wives and two children to cater for, I need my money to look after them.

“And when I confronted him on his way to farm, he told me to go and look for where I kept my money, insisting that I should not disturb him again about the money. I got annoyed and attacked him with my cutlass which resulted to cutting off his manhood.

“My cousin was rude to me after he made away with my N3,500, he fought me, that was why I cut off his genital organ leaving him in pool of blood,” he explained.

The Niger state Police Public Relations Officer, Peter Sunday confirming the incident said the suspect was arrested for cutting off his cousin’s manhood.

“Ibrahim was rushed to a specialist hospital in Ilorin, kwara State for treatment and he is currently undergoing treatment”, he added.

Shocking !!! Security guard shoots bread seller to death in Ondo

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a security guard, Jonah Sunday, who works with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Petrol Station at Shagari Village junction in Akure, the Ondo State capital for allegedly shooting and killing a bread seller, identified as Ojomo Tunji.

This was made known on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Femi Joseph.

According to the Police Spokesman, the command had begun an investigation on the incident.

He said, “The information reached us at about 9.30pm on Wednesday that the suspect killed somebody bedside the filling station.

“We were made to know that the suspect was shooting into the air, we don’t know the reason for that, maybe he was suspecting something, but unfortunately as he was shooting the bullets hit one of the people selling bread beside the filling station.”

He said the victim was quickly rushed to the hospital where he gave up the ghost, noting that it was the family of the victim that reported the case at the police station.

“It is a pure murder case and we have commenced investigation on the matter,” Joseph stated.

The PPRO also disclosed that the command has arrested four sea pirates in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.

He, however, did not reveal the identity of the four suspects for security reason but saying some dangerous weapons were recovered from them, which included gun and live cartridges. - Daily Post