Barcelona offers Messi contract extension

 

Lionel Messi may have admitted defeat that he will not be able to force an exit from Barcelona.

Instead, there are reports that the 33 year-old striker could now sign a contract extension till 2022.

TyC Sports, the Argentine sports paper which broke the news of Messi’s faxed transfer request – has reported that Messi could now pen a contract extension, with a stay in Catalonia claimed to be ‘90 per cent likely’.

The report has been corroborated by Spanish outlet Marca, which also claimed Messi has been offered a new contract till 2022.

Messi’s current deal expires in 2021 and the offer from Barca is said to include a clause which means he can leave next summer if he so wishes.

Jorge Messi, who acts as his son’s agent, first met Barca chiefs on Wednesday and held further discussions on Thursday – and it appears a U-turn may be on the cards.

Messi informed Barcelona he wanted to leave at the end of August, and demanded he be allowed to invoke a clause in his contract which would allow him to walk away for free.

Messi’s apparent change of heart comes after his father’s talks with club chiefs.

Marca claim Barca are adamant they will not sell Messi, which means he would have to terminate his contract at a court of law, but he does not want to leave Camp Nou on such poor terms after a legal battle.

- PM NEWS

Lady arrested for alleged cyber bullying, blackmail

 

A lady identified as Frances Tabitha Olisa Ogbonnaya, has been arrested by men of the Nigeria Police from the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, Abuja, for alleged cyber-bullying and blackmail.

Frances was picked up by the police early this week for trying to blackmail a popular business man and owner of Peace Mass Transit Ltd, Sam Onyishi.

It was gathered that the suspect, who is resident in Lagos, had in a post on her Facebook wall sometime last year claimed that 18 passengers of PMT had died in an accident on the Ore-Benin road, ”knowing so to be untrue, particularly as no PMT bus carries such number of passengers at once.”

The arrest of Ms. Ogbonnaya followed a petition dated Feb. 3, 2020, and addressed to the IGP, on behalf of PMT, by Barr. Okani E.I.

In the petition, the lawyer stated that “Ogbonnaya had engaged in cyber-bullying, stalking, criminal blackmail and harassment of the transport company.

“She claimed in a Facebook post that 18 passengers of PMT had died in an accident on the Ore-Benin road, whereas, no PMT bus carries such number of passengers at once.

“Tabitha branded Peace Mass Transit a “morgue” with a promise to run them out of town except they settle her.”

According to the lawyer, the lady had also claimed the owner of Peace Mass was using his passengers for rituals, a development that led to the petition.

Consequently, she was trailed to her residence in Ibeju Lekki in Lagos and was arrested by men of IRT that came from Abuja.

Ogbonnaya is currently at the FCT Command facing interrogation.

“She has been picked up by our team from Abuja and has been taken to FCT Command where she’s giving police useful information that will aid their investigation.

“We will make known the outcome of the development as soon as investigation is concluded,” the company lawyer said in a statement.

- DAILY POST

Lagos, Ogun seek Buhari’s consent to take over, toll Lagos-Abeokuta road

 

The governors of Lagos and Ogun states have asked President Muhammadu Buhari for permission to take over the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway.

During a visit to the president on Thursday, Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun state governor, said the road will be tolled if the president approves that the states take over the road.

According to Tolu Ogunlesi, the special assistant to the president on digital media, Abiodun also asked that the state government be allowed to repair the Agbara-Atan road and get a refund from the federal government.

“The Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road is probably the second busiest road in this country,” Abiodun told state correspondents after the meeting.

“Roads are in such deplorable condition and we understand that the Federal Government cannot afford to build all the roads at the same time.

“The Lagos state government and I have written to Mr President, asking Mr President to transfer that road to us.

“It is a commercial road and we will commercialise it so that we can take that burden off the federal government.

“I am glad to say that Mr President was very pleased with these our discussions and these applications and has promised to see what he will do to give us the necessary support so that this can also help us in the economic uplift of our region.”

In June, the federal government had announced that states would no longer get refunds for fixing federal roads.

- THECABLE

A woman who refuses to submit to her husband is disobeying God – Oyedepo

 

Presiding Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, David Oyedepo has said that a woman who refused to submit to her husband is disobeying God.

He said the only way to a fruitful marriage was total submission on the part of the wife.

Oyedepo, on the church’s twitter handle, said until total submission was in place, every other thing she tried to do would be out of place.

He added that even when such women were gospel ministers and their husbands were not, they must submit to their husbands.

The bishop said a submissive woman is precious in the sight of God.

In his words: “The only way to a fruitful marriage is total submission on the part of the wife. Until it is in place, every other thing she tries to do will be out of place.

“A woman who refuses to submit to her husband is disobeying God. As a woman, you might even be a minister of the gospel, and your husband is not, the Word of God still says to submit yourself to him.

“A submissive woman is precious in the sight of her husband.”

- PM NEWS

Griezmann breaks silence on Messi leaving Barcelona

 

Barcelona forward, Antoine Griezmann, has said he hopes to continue playing along Lionel Messi next season.

However, he admits it is down to Messi and the club to resolve their differences.

Messi informed the LaLiga side of his desire to quit last week and leave as a free agent.

But Barca contested the exit clause Messi is trying to trigger, leading to tensions between both camps.

Manchester City are monitoring the situation and are ready to make a move for the 33-year-old.

Bur Griezmann admits he is hoping for good news, which will see the 33-year-old remain at the Camp Nou.

“We are trying to stay updated with the issue, but it is between him and the club,” he told M6.

“We only hope that he stays. I am trying to stay focused on the national team and prepare well for the next two games.

“We have heard a little of everything but we don’t know anything else about all this affair.”

- DAILY POST

With 124 new COVID-19 cases, NCDC reports lowest daily count in 4 months

 Nigeria’s daily figure of positive COVID-19 samples recorded a major drop with 124 new cases confirmed in 12 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the new cases in its update for September 3, 2020.

The daily count of new cases for Thursday is the country’s lowest figure since April 27 when 64 infections were confirmed.

According to the breakdown, Plateau which had topped the list of states with new cases for one week recorded no positive sample on Thursday; Lagos, however, confirmed the most infections with 42 new cases, followed by FCT with 25 and Katsina with 14.

Meanwhile, the number of discharged patients also decreased significantly when compared to the figure for Wednesday – 429 new recoveries were recorded on September 2.

With 188 persons confirmed to have recovered from COVID-19 on Thursday, a total of 42,627 people have now been discharged across the country.

Nigeria’s COVID-19 daily fatality record hit its highest in over two months with 21 new deaths confirmed on Thursday.

However, while clarifying the figure, NCDC explained that 20 fatalities were recorded in Kaduna within the month of August.

A total of 54,587 people have now been confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus, out of which 1,048 patients have died.

A total of 54,587 people have now been confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus, out of which 1,048 patients have died.

- THECABLE

Ogbonna Nwankwo arrested for attempting to cut off woman’s breast

 

Police in Anambra state have arrested a 41-year-old Nigerian, Ogbonna Nwankwo for attempting to kill a woman during a knife attack.

The suspect, Nwankwo stabbed the victim in the stomach inside a motel in Orumba South on Thursday before attempting to cut off one of her breasts for alleged ritual.

According to the police, a motel manager came to her rescue after hearing her cry out.

The victim was treated at a local hospital, but her condition was not immediately made public.

Nwankwo was also treated at the hospital after he was attacked by a group of bystanders apparently angered over his alleged attack.

Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of the attack.

-PM NEWS