SABINEWS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE FOR JUNE 16, 2017
EFCC set to reopen CCT chair probe
There were strong indications on Thursday that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission would reopen investigation into allegations of corruption against the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar.
Sources at the anti-graft agency in Abuja said the commission had started screening all outstanding petitions against the CCT Chairman. Read more
El-Rufai introduces Residency Card In Kaduna
The Mallam Nasir el-Rufai-led Kaduna State Government, on Wednesday, through his Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Alhaji Muhammad Abdullahi, formally announced the introduction of residency card for all its residents to enable it plan and provide social services.
Speaking after he was registered for the card at the North West Zonal Office of the National Identity Card Management Commission (NIMC) in Kaduna.
He said: “Kaduna State Government is currently providing a number of free social services for the people in the state. Read more
IPOB tackles Osinbajo over meeting without Kanu
The Indigenous People of Biafra on Thursday berated the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, for holding a South-East peace and conflict resolution meeting without involving its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement in Awka, Anambra State, by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Thursday, IPOB said those who attended the meeting had no major stake in the conflict intended to be resolved. Read more
Seven passengers abducted from a commercial bus in Rivers
Seven passengers have been abducted from a commercial bus traveling on a highway in Rivers State, the police have said.
The incident was said to have taken place Wednesday evening along Omoku-Elele Road. The bus was coming from Omoku to Port Harcourt, the state capital. Read more
IPAC appeals to Gov. Ugwuanyi to complete abandoned projects
Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the umbrella body of all political parties in the country, has appealed to Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State to complete projects abandoned by previous administrations.
Chairman of IPAC in the state, Mr John Nwobodo, made the call on Friday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.
Nwobodo said that the abandoned projects, which included the International Conference Centre, started by former Gov. Chimaroke Nnamani’s administration should be given attention. Read more
Nigeria may end multiple naira rates in quest for inflows
Nigeria will end a system of multiple exchange rates that has deterred investment in its stocks and bonds, according to the head of the country’s main currency-trading platform.
The central bank and Lagos-based FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange are taking a “phased approach toward a single foreign-exchange market,” according to Bola Onadele.
“There is [an] opportunity for convergence and there is no better time for it,” Onadele, also know as Koko, said in an emailed response to questions Thursday. “It must be on every participant’s radar. However, the multiplicity of rates will be dealt with probably over a period,” he said, without giving details of the timing. Read more
Germany faults new US sanctions against Russia
Germany on Friday lashed out at Washington over new sanctions against Russia that target the planned Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe.
The new penalties, approved by the US Senate on Thursday, include a paragraph that threatens to penalise European companies that push ahead with energy export programmes with Russia. Read more
Ramadan: Kano govt feeds 930,000 Muslims
The Kano State Government has fed over 930,000 fasting Muslims, from first day of the month of Ramadan to date.
The Chairman of the Committee on Ramadan Feeding and Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the Government House, Kano on Thursday.
He said that 250 people each from 186 centres across the state received food daily to break their fast. Read more
Saraki’s Trial: Legislator tasks EFCC on thorough investigation of corruption cases
A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Babajimi Benson (Lagos-APC), has urged anti-graft agencies in the country to apply more diligence in investigating and prosecuting corruption cases.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday, Benson said that there was need for anti-corruption agencies to be meticulous to avoid waste of public funds.
The call stemmed from the failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to establish a case against President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, over alleged false declaration of assets. Read more
A great asset to public life
PROFESSOR Yemi Osinbajo, currently the Acting President, is acquiring an almost heroic status in many circles because he is so polished and oozes integrity, erudition, competence, humility, courage, objectivity and compassion.
The man is, in a nutshell, a Class Act who also has a Common Touch. He is an elitist when international-level high standards are called for…and a populist when it is necessary to come down to earth and sincerely empathise with ordinary folks. Read more
Notorious Kidnapper ‘Evans’ reveals how he was Kidnapped
Once dreaded Billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudubem Onwuamadike also known as Evans has revealed how he was abducted by another kidnap gang operating in the South-East in 2015.
Narrating his experience to police investigators yesterday, Evans disclosed that the gang of desperate kidnappers trailed him from Nnewi, Anambra State before abducting him close to Onitsha in the same state.
Driving in his G-wagon, Evans disclosed that when he got to a spot close to Onitsha, the gun-yielding gang intercepted and whisked him into their waiting car and took off towards Enugu–Onitsha express way. Read more
Nobody wants El-Zakzaky as neighbor, so we built a House for him – Lai Mohammed
Lai Mohammed, minister of information, culture and tourism, says Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, is not in detention as widely perceived.
He said the Islamic leader is currently staying with his family in a house built for them by the federal government.
Mohammed made this known while speaking on a Channels TV programme on Thursday.
El-Zakzaky has been in custody for years despite court orders for his release. Read more
Chelsea Technical Director Among Nigeria’s Most Qualified Coaches, Acquires UEFA
Michael Emenalo has become one of the most qualified Nigerian coaches, with the Chelsea Technical Director acquiring the UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching certification in Europe.
The English Football Association has announced on its official webpage that the 1994 World Cup star was among the 25 candidates that recently graduated from the 18-month long course. Read more
Blues Make Club Record Bid For West Ham, Arsenal Linked Striker Henry
Championship club Birmingham City have joined the race to sign the in-demand Nigeria international Henry Onyekuru.
According to the Daily Mail, the Blues will have to break their transfer record to snap up the young striker from Eupen this summer, with a fee of 7.5 million pounds being mooted.
Birmingham City’s current transfer record is the six million pounds the club paid to Valencia to sign Nikola Žigić in the summer of 2010. Read more
Youngest Nigerian To Feature In Premier League Banned From Facing England At U21 EURO
Sunderland wonderkid of Nigerian parentage Joel Asoro will not be on parade at the Kolporter Arena, Kielce on Friday evening when Sweden tackle England in their first game at the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
It has come to light that the striker has been forced to sit out the game because he is serving a suspension.
The 18-year-old Asoro was sent off for picking up a second yellow card in the 88th minute of Sweden’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the final qualifier, after coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute. Read more
Don’t Blame Rohr, Players For Nigeria’s loss To South Africa – Aikhuomogbe
Despite Nigeria’s 2-0 loss against South Africa in Saturday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, ex-international, Andrew Aikhuomogbe has thrown his weight behind Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr and the players.
The loss was the first under manger, Rohr since his 2016 even though the Super Eagles are presently placed third in Group E behind Libya and South Africa. Read more
ROHR: Nigeria’s Key Players Will Be Ready For Cameroon
Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr says his key players will be ready for Cameroon in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Group B match in August 2017.
The Super Eagles are coming off a disappointing 2-0 defeat to South Africa in their first 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification Group E match. Read more
Dietmar Hamann to return for Germany at Star Sixes in London
The German midfielder is the latest addition to Michael Ballack’s team for this summer’s inaugural six-a-side tournament for former internationals, which will be staged at London’s O2 Arena from 13 to 16 July.
Hamann spent the majority of his playing career in England, after initially joining Newcastle United from Bayern Munich in 1998. But it was during a successful seven-year spell with Liverpool that he enjoyed his best football, winning all major domestic and European cup competitions with the Reds.Read more
Man United fans meltdown about Morata chances after Ronaldo quit news
Manchester United fans have started to panic about the possibility of missing out on Alvaro Morata after reports emerged claiming Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to leave Real Madrid.
The rumours seem to be gathering pace, and with Ronaldo unhappy about various things at the club, it seems he could actually leave this summer, of course putting United in quite a tricky position when it comes to buying Alvaro Morata, given Real Madrid won’t be keen on letting one of their forwards go should another leave.
Morata’s issue at Real Madrid is currently the lack of playing time he gets – but should Ronaldo leave, that could all change, and a spot in the starting line up would be opened up for him. Read more
Manchester United keeping an eye on Barcelona ace Andre Gomes
Gomes joined Barcelona last summer for £41.7m, rejecting interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid but he struggled to establish himself in his first season at the Nou Camp.
The 23-year-old arrived having impressed at the European Championships but he made just 17 league starts has he was mainly used as a deputy for Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic.
And with Marco Verratti being strongly linked with Barcelona, Gomes is facing the prospect of even less minutes for Barcelona next season. Read more
Media report: Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Spain following tax accusations
According to a report in a Portuguese paper, Cristiano Ronaldo has informed Real Madrid of his desire to leave Spain. The Portuguese star has been accused of defrauding the Spanish tax office of over 14 million euros.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made an “incontrovertible” decision to leave Real Madrid, according to report a report published in his native Portugal.
Sports daily “A Bola” reported that the 32-year-old was “deeply troubled” byallegations he has defrauded the Spanish tax authorities of 14.8 million euros ($16.5 million) in unpaid taxes between 2011 and 2014 and has informed club president Florentino Perez of his desire to leave the current Spanish and European champions. Read more
2017/18 SEASON TICKETS NOW ON GENERAL SALE
San Siro. Heaving, pulsating, throbbing. Black and blue everywhere. The bulging of the net. The roar of the crowd.
There’s nothing better than being a part of all that and with a season ticket you can secure your seat for the entire 2017/18 campaign.
With the renewals phase over, season tickets are on general sale as of Friday 16 June. And if you act quick, you can take advantage of the special early-bird prices until 31 July. Read more
Newcastle are interested in signing Saint-Etienne attacker Jonathan Bamba, according to a report.
French outlet Foot Mercato claim that the Magpies are preparing a move for the 21-year-old, but face competition from Italian club Atalanta for his signature.
It is understood that Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne are now set to make a decision on the future of the winger following the appointment of Oscar Garcia as their new manager. Read more
We may have killed world’s most-wanted IS chief – Russian army
The Russian army on Friday said it was seeking to verify whether Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had been killed after its warplanes hit the group’s leaders in a night raid in Syria last month.
The United States said it could not immediately confirm Baghdadi’s death.
In a statement, the army said Sukhoi warplanes carried out a 10-minute strike early on May 28 at a location near Raqa, where IS leaders had gathered to plan a pullout by militants from the group’s stronghold. Read more
UK police arrest man near parliament on suspicion of carrying a knife
A man in his 30s has been arrested near London’s Houses of Parliament on suspicion of knife possession, London Metropolitan police said.
The man was detained at the Palace of Westminster on Friday in the heart of the British capital.
The arrest comes after two recent terror attacks rocked the country, including one at London Bridge and the nearby Borough market in which eight people were killed earlier this month.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced an increased police presence after an attack outside Parliament on March 22. Read morel
London fire: Police commander warns some victims may never be identified
Three days after the high-rise tower blaze here that killed at least 17 people, police warned Friday that some of the victims may never be identified while British media reported that the number of dead could surpass 100.
Fire fighters are still searching for victims in the 24-story Grenfell Tower that went up in flames early Wednesday. Six victims have been identified and 11 others have been located, but with dozens of people still apparently unaccounted for speculation has increased that the number of dead could rise. Read more
Inquest into death of Manchester bomber Salman Abedi opens
An inquest into the death of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber, Salman Abedi, has been opened and adjourned.
Abedi, who was born in Manchester and of Libyan descent, killed 22 people and injured more than 200 when he detonated a device in the main foyer of the venue as people left an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May. Read more
Three Los Angeles police cadets arrested for stealing patrol cars
Three teenagers on a Los Angeles police cadet programme stole patrol cars and led authorities on wild pursuits that ended with crashes, the city’s police chief has said.
The trio – two boys and a girl aged 15, 16 and 17 – “gamed the system” and used a vacationing sergeant’s name to sign out stun guns and radios and drive the cars away, Charlie Beck said. Police are investigating whether the teenagers impersonated officers and pulled over drivers.
The three were arrested on Wednesday after two pursuits ended in crashes. A third police car was later recovered around the corner from a police station. Read more
Cologne rally: As many as 10,000 Muslims to protest Islamic extremism
As many as 10,000 Muslims are set to protest in a rally against extremism in Cologne on Saturday.
The protest comes in the wake of recent terror attacks in the UK and around the world.
“The attacks by people who justify their acts by invoking Islam, without justification, are becoming more frequent,” protest organisers write on a website for the rally called NichtMitUns, or Not With Us. Read more
Is North Korea’s tourism industry luring Americans into a trap?
Otto Warmbier went to North Korea as a bright-eyed 21-year-old student looking for adventure.
He left in a vegetative state.
The world may never find out exactly what happened to the former University of Virginia student, but his father believes he was tricked into visiting the country for nefarious purposes.
“The North Koreans lure Americans to travel to North Korea via tour groups run out of China, who advertise slick ads on the internet proclaiming no American ever gets detained off of our tours and this is a safe place to go,” Fred Warmbier said. Read more
Russia May Have Killed Baghdadi but US-Led Coalition Cannot Confirm it
Russia’s Defense Ministry revealed on Friday it was checking information that a Russian air strike in Syria may have killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in late May although the US-led coalition battling the terrorist organization said it could not confirm his death.
The air strike was launched near the Syrian city of Raqqa after the Russian forces received intelligence that a meeting of ISIS leaders was being planned, the ministry said in a statement posted on its Facebook page. Read more
Daredevil hangs by her teeth over Niagara Falls, shatters new record
It’s the type of record-breaking stunt that gives new meaning to the term “by the skin of her teeth.”
Daredevil acrobat Erendira Wallenda set a new world record Thursday when she hung by her teeth from a helicopter some 300-feet above Niagara Falls.
The precarious stunt was made to look graceful by Wallenda, who used an iron mouth piece attached to a hoop for support in accordance with New York state law. Read more
North Korea hackers could be behind NHS ransomware hack, say British security experts
North Korean hackers may have been behind the WannaCry ransomware attack that crippled the NHS last month, British security experts have said.
The National Cyber Security Centre has led an international investigation into the attack, which is estimated to have affected more than 300,000 computers in over 150 countries worldwide. Read more
260 miles, 5 stolen vehicles, 2 robbed homes: How 2 fugitives stayed on the run
Surrounded by law enforcement officers, Ricky Dubose and Donnie Rowe were handcuffed and lying face down on a home driveway in Central Tennessee.
Nearly 60 hours before, authorities launched a multistate search after they escaped from a state corrections bus in Central Georgia and allegedly killed two prison guards.
While they were on the run, the pair allegedly stole five vehicles, robbed two homes, tied up and terrorized an elderly couple; and led police on a chase where speeds reached 100 mph, officials said. Read more
What is Donald Trump’s Cuba policy and what impact will it have?
President Donald Trump will travel to Miami on Friday to announce his Cuba policy. The stage is set for him to reverse some of the changes that Barack Obama made when, in December 2014, he announced that the US was ending five decades of hostility towards the island.
Mr Trump’s choice of venue is telling: he will make the announcement at the Manuel Artime theatre – named after the civilian leader of the ill-fated 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion – in the Little Havana district. Read more
Thermomix sued in Australia after customers get burn injuries
The Thermomix is a luxury appliance that can steam, blend, chop and cook food in a short amount of time.
Australia’s consumer watchdog, which filed the lawsuit, alleges Thermomix in Australia misled consumers over the safety of the TM31 model.At least 14 customers suffered serious burns from faulty lid seals, it said.
Nearly 90 people had reported issues with a Thermomix, according to a report from consumer group Choice last May. Read more
