Abdul's Blog: 12/19/17

Tuesday 19 December 2017

Lacazette Needs Better Service – Petr Cech

Arsenal need to offer Alexandre Lacazette better service in order to unlock his full potential, admits Petr Cech.

The Gunners broke their transfer record to land the France international over the summer, with Arsene Wenger spending big to secure the services of a striker he had been tracking for some time.

Immediate past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, has described the accusations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he purchased his Apo Residential House illegally as spurious, contrived and baseless.

Mark was reacting to the claim by the anti-graft agency that he illegally acquired his then official residence as his private property.

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that he used to smoke, chase women during his younger days.

The President while revealing some of his personal information also disclosed that he, however, stopped smoking in 1977.

Tim Lambesis, the longhaired front man of the California-based Christian metal band As I Lay Dying, apologized for the first time on Monday for trying to have his ex-wife killed in 2013.

Lambesis, who was paroled last year after spending two years behind bars, posted the lengthy apology to his band's Facebook page Monday night.

The world 100-metres champion Justin Gatlin has fired his coach, the Olympic gold medallist Dennis Mitchell, for telling undercover reporters athletes can dope without being caught.

An investigation published by Britain’s Telegraph newspaper on Tuesday, using journalists pretending to be making a film, approached Mitchell and an agent linked to Gatlin, Robert Wagner.

The anti-graft agency, EFCC, has confirmed that its officials arrested the owner of indigenous car manufacturing firm, Innoson Motors.

PREMIUM TIMES broke the news of the arrest of Mr. Chukwuma on Tuesday morning.
The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES, said Mr. Chukwuma had earlier jumped an administrative bail.

A 27-year-old man, Lawal Abubakar, on Tuesday told a Kubwa Grade 1 Area Court in Abuja, that a 12-year-old girl he allegedly abducted was his girlfriend.

‎Abubakar of Byazhin, Kubwa, Abuja, had pleaded guilty to charges of abduction and gross indecency of a minor leveled against him, but said the girl was his girlfriend.

There is crack in the Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following an alleged leaked audio in which Deputy Governor Prof. Hafiz Abubakar alluded that he would dump his principal, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje and return to the university.

Abubakar, a Professor at the Bayero University, Kano reportedly vented his anger over developments in the Kano chapter of the APC where he was reportedly sidelined in the scheme of things.

Former Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has filed papers to South Africa’s Constitutional Court, appealing against his 13-year jail term for shooting dead his girlfriend, a lawyer for the victim’s family said Tuesday.

A court last month increased Pistorius’s sentence for murdering Reeva Steenkamp to 13 years in the latest stage of a long court battle since his trial in 2014.

Boca Juniors have moved to deny reports suggesting that they have a deal in place to bring Carlos Tevez back to the club.

The Argentine striker has been heavily linked with a homecoming after struggling to make an impact in the Chinese Super League with Shanghai Shenhua.

Former Glee star Mark Salling has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

The actor appeared with a shaved head as he entered the plea in a downtown Los Angeles federal court on Monday and told the judge he is on medication for depression. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7.

A suspected female kidnapper was lynched and set ablaze by angry mob at Offa Garage area of Ilorin on Monday. The woman had gone to fetch a set of twins from an Arabic school in Kilanko area of Ilorin.

The woman had approached the school on the pretext that their mother had asked her to pick up the twins from the school.

The four-year old relationship between a church evangelist, Nchedo and his wife, Ogoo has crashed after Nchedo lured and impregnated a 15-year old church chorister because he was starved of s3x. It was gathered that the couple vowed after their introduction never to have s3x unless they concluded all the tradition marriage rites and church wedding before they will live together and have s3x.

A former Israeli Tourism Minister from the Yisrael Beytenu party has began his 15-month prison term on breach of trust charges.

Stas Misezhnikov arrived early Sunday morning at Hermon Prison, after pleading guilty as part of a plea deal. He was also fined NIS 70,000 (just under $20,000) as part of the agreement with prosecutors.

The Igando Customary Court, Lagos has dissolved the marriage between one Mr. Olasunkanmi Abdul-Kareem, 42,and his wife Bolanle Abdul-Kareem, over allegations of severe maltreatment, and forcefully making love to her in the presence of their children.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Bolanle had earlier told the court that her husband, Olasunkanmi, was always in the habit of molesting her whenever he got drunk.

The Ekiti State governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has said that if anybody can present evidence that he borrowed N56bn, he will resign as governor.

The governor reacting to reports that the State borrowed a total sum of N56 billion since he assumed office and that a fresh N25 billion loan was applied for;said on his Twitter handle that ‘’If they can present evidence that I borrowed N56bn, I will resign.’

Controversial media personality, Daddy Freeze has condemned the performance of Reggae musician, Majek Fashek at Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, Coza.

Freeze said it made no sense for a secular artist to perform in such gathering as Christian altars are supposed to be sacrosanct.

The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, has said that the controversy sparked over the decision of Nigeria’s 36 governors to allow the federal government use $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account to fight Boko Haram insurgency was unnecessary.

Masari stated this on Monday in Tahoua, Niger Republic while speaking with State House correspondents.

Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Military Head of State on Monday paid President Muhammdu Buhari a visit at the presidential villa.

The President’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Amad Basir announced the meeting via his twitter handle.

Donald Trump has been banned from entering the United Kingdom town of Greenwich by the Councillors.

Reuters reports that the Councillors in Greenwich, have voted to bar Trump from the borough ahead of his proposed state visit.

The Nation of Singapore on Tuesday issued a stern warning about the use cryptocurrencies.

This is coming after a recent surge in prices sent investors flocking to bitcoin, Agence France Presse, AFP, reports.

“The Monetary Authority of Singapore advises the public to act with extreme caution and understand the significant risks they take on if they choose to invest in cryptocurrencies,” the city-state’s central bank said in a statement.

Arsenal are lining up a shock £30 million bid for Chelsea defender David Luiz, according to a report from the Daily Express .

Luiz has made just eight Premier League appearances for the Blues this season, after falling out of favour with manager Antonio Conte.

Head of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, has revealed his plans for a significant increment in fines paid by traffic offenders in Nigeria.
While speaking on Channels Television on Monday, December 18, 2017, the FRSC boss said there’s a need to increase the fines to serve as deterrent to traffic offenders in the country.

According to him, the present fine regime, which he said is currently under review by the National Assembly, is too low to deter repeat offending on Nigerian roads as offenders can easily afford them.

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said it had sealed 16 filling stations for selling petrol above N145 per litre pump price.

The Operations Controller of DPR in Akwa Ibom, Mr Tamunoiminabo Sundaye, disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen in Eket on Monday.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has explained how the recently approved $1 billion for the Boko Haram war came about.

Governors gave an approval for the money to be withdrawn from the excess crude account (ECA) during the national economic council meeting last week.

Law enforcement officers said to be from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested Innocent Chukwuma, the founder and chairman of Innoson Motors.

Premium Times learnt from a spokesperson for the company, Cornel Osigwe, that Mr. Chukwuma was arrested at his residence in Enugu around 9:00 a.m. this morning.

Ace comedian Ali Baba, is of the notion that the world is filled with hypocrites who change the word of God to suit themselves.

Speaking on the issue of same-sex marriage and the payment of tithes, the veteran comedian said;

Amount stolen from a bullion van belonging to a major bank located along the Asaba-Benin Expressway has been disclosed.According to SaharaReporters, three senior officials of the bank reported to the state's police command, Asaba and had a meeting with the outgoing commissioner of police, Zanna Ibrahim and other officers and it was revealed that the sum of $2 million was allegedly carted away by the armed robbers during the robbery.

Nigeria’s blockbuster movie “The Wedding Party 2-Destination Dubai,” has made over 73 million naira on its opening weekend, its producers said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the movie was released in cinemas across the country on Friday, December 15.

Abdulrasheed Maina, embattled former Chairman of the defunct Presidential Pension Task Team, has declared that the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu knows his whereabouts.

Maina said the EFCC boss is aware that he is in Nigeria and working with the anti-graft agency to apprehend pension thieves.

Peoples Democratic Party members are right now protesting at the House of Representatives over the defection of a member, Mr. Mr. Raphael Igbokwe, to the All Progressives Congress.

Igbokwe, who is from Imo State, first came to the House in 2011.

Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday reacted to a statement credited to the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo that he and President Muhammadu Buhari are poorly paid.

The former Special Adviser on New Media to Jonathan rubbished the Vice President’s claim that his salary of N1.5million per month is “poor” and not commensurate with his office.

A member of the House of Representatives from Imo State, Nnanna Igbokwe, has defected from PDP to APC. Igbokwe’s letter of defection was read on the floor of the House of Representatives bY the speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

Igbokwe who represents Ahiazu Mbaise/Ezinihitte in the house, said the reason for defecting was because of the division in the PDP.

A man has spent big (about $60,000) in order to transform himself into a real-life elf. The 26-year-old fantasy fanatic identified as Luis Padron, from Buenos Ares, Argentina, has been determined to transform himself into a mythical creature since his teens after finding solace and acceptance away from bullies in the fantasy world.

Movement of vehicles and commuters was today put on hold around major areas of Abeokuta, Ogun State, as students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) embarked on a protest which resulted in some brutality from the police.

The students of the Ogun State-owned institution are protesting the delay of their semester examination, demanding the immediate resolution to the impasse on the inability of the students to have the examination.

A Karmo Grade 1 Area Court sitting in Abuja on Monday sentenced a security guard, Nasiru Ribado, to six months imprisonment for sleeping at his duty post.

Ribado, 37, who resides at Jabi Forest, Abuja, was arraigned on a one-count charge of negligent conduct.

The Right Reverend Sarah Mullally has been named as the first female Bishop of London, becoming the most senior woman bishop appointed by the Church of England. She takes over the role from Dr Richard Chartres, who retired in February.

Justin Bieber won't have to apologize, at least not in public legal docs for allegedly jacking a vocal loop for his hit single "Sorry."

Justin was sued in 2016 by indie pop singer Casey Daniel aka White Hinterland who claimed "Sorry" contained, "unique characteristics of the female vocal riff," similar to her 2014 single, "Ring The Bell."

An Ado-Ekiti High Court on Monday found Michael Adams and Abass Mutiu guilty of armed robbery and murder and sentenced them to death by hanging.

The Chief Judge, Ayodeji Daramola, convicted them for committing armed robbery contrary to Section (1) 2 (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2014.

With racial tensions casting a pall over American football, rap mogul Diddy wants to buy the Carolina Panthers and become the first African American owner of an NFL team.

The New York rapper, estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $820 million, voiced his interest as Panthers owner and founder Jerry Richardson stepped down in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

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.

Following the commitment of search giant, Microsoft, to commit $50million to the fight against climate change, benefits accruable to Nigeria, and other parts of Africa will include the protection of lives and creation of new jobs.

Giving more insight into what Nigeria and indeed Africa stand to benefit from the announcement, the Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Nigeria, Hakeem Adeniji-Adele, in a chat with The Guardian, said the American technology company sees artificial intelligence (AI) powering the next major transformation in this region.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction of one Joshua Dan-Daura a Deputy Superintendent of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps,NSCDC, who was prosecuted for job scam before Justice Dije Abdu Aboki of the Kano State High Court.

The House of Representatives yesterday summoned the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun and her counterparts in Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige and Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma.

The invitation by the House adhoc committee was to answer questions on alleged non-remittance of contributions by federal, states and local governments to the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF). Also, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, was summoned to answer questions on workers one per cent contribution from their monthly salaries.

Former Super Eagles and Inter Milan defender Taribo West has kicked against the recall of Shanghai Shenhua striker Obafemi martins to the national team ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The 43 year old who played for the Super Eagles of Nigeria between 1994 and 2005 revealed.

Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo is set to join Portuguese Primeira Liga giants Porto from current club Feirense during the January transfer window.

Etebo who in October initially penned a contract extension that will keep him at the 5,401-capacity Estádio Marcolino de Castro until 2019 will be moving as a result of a €10m release clause on the player’s head.

Chelsea have reportedly decided to hold contract talks with defender Andreas Christensen.

Ahead of this season, Christensen had only made two appearances for the Blues due to spending a two-year loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach, but the Danish international has emerged as one of Antonio Conte‘s key men during the current campaign.

The row over the $1 billion anti-Boko Haram battle fund to be withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) grew yesterday, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peopes Democratic Party (PDP) throwing darts at each other.

The APC described the allegation by the PDP that the government planned to pump the money into its reelection as “ludicrous and baseless”.

Buhari Youth Organisation (BYO), a coalition of youth groups across the country, has endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari for re- election in 2019.

The endorsement came at its meeting in Makurdi the Benue state capital at the weekend.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday received 167 stranded Nigerians from Libya, bringing the number of Nigerians brought back to the country in the last four days to 532.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Boeing 737-800 aircraft, marked 5A-DMH, arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 7:47p.m.