Transfer: Barcelona, Inter Milan speak on Messi joining Ronaldo in Serie A

Barcelona spokesman, Josep Vives, has spoken on Lionel Messi’s reported move from the club.

Vives said he cannot imagine Messi leaving the Camp Nou after Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid to join Juventus earlier this month.

Ronaldo had a release clause worth €1 billion in his contract, but Real Madrid allowed him to sign for Juventus for significantly less amount after he asked to leave.

Messi signed a new deal with Barca in November, with a release clause worth €700m, that ties him to the club through to the 2020-21 season.

“I cannot imagine that situation in which Messi is not with us,” ESPN quoted Vives as saying.

“I am already getting nervous because there have been many days without football [games]. We do not imagine this situation here.”

Earlier in the week, one of Inter Milan’s main sponsors, Marco Tronchetti Provera, the CEO of Pirelli, had suggested that the club’s owners would consider a move for Messi in response to Ronaldo’s arrival to Serie A.

But Inter vice president, Javier Zanetti laughed off that suggestion while speaking to Fox Sports Argentina.

“It’s crazy,” Zanetti said, adding that, “It’s devoid of any truth that we’re going to ask for Messi.”

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Nigerian passport now valid for 10 years

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the validity of passports issued in the country, should be increased from five to 10 years.

The Comptroller-General of Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammed Babandede, revealed this on Thursday, when he visited the Ikoyi passport office in Lagos.

He said the president also approved improved security features and quality for the passport booklets.

“He (Buhari) has approved 10-year validity for passports which is great news. When the report comes, passports will be valid for 10 years which is great news especially for adults from the age of 18 and above.

“Though people will pay more, if they can pay more and get the booklets quickly, it’s good with improved security for 10 years validity. They would pay more but the document would be available, that’s good.

“Ten years after the enrolment of the e-passport system, we need to improve the security features. You can’t keep documents for 10 years without seeing decreased values in them, so we are improving the security features which would raise the standards of the passports,” he said.

Babandede added that the new changes, will ease the stress of renewing passports and also help the country.

“And we will ensure it is done before the end of this year because the booklet has to change,” he added.

 

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Offa bank robbery: Police speaks on Saraki’s ‘exoneration’

The Nigeria Police has maintained that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has a case to answer.

The Police also insisted that as such, the lawmaker must report to the Force Intelligence Response Team, Guzape, Abuja to give more details on his alleged link to the act which claimed more than 33 people in Kwara State. 

The Nigerian police also waved aside reports that the Senate President was exonerated in the case based on a report from the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, which allegedly set him free on the grounds that it had no evidence against the senator.

Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, an acting Commissioner of Police, said this in a statement in Abuja.

He added that the reaction became necessary following reports to the effect that Saraki was exonerated on the basis that, “there was no evidence that linked the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and Kwara State Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed to the armed robbery attack that left 31 persons dead in Offa, Kwara State, in April”,this year.

“It is incumbent on the Force to educate the writer of the story that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) of the Federation in the legal advice did not restrain or restrict the Force from investigating further, the indictments against the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed by the principal suspects arrested in connection with the Offa bank robbery of 5th April, 2018, “the statement said. It added that” the DPP advice did not exonerate the Senate President, it only called for further investigations into the matter.

“It is in the course of further investigations into the case that a letter of invitation dated 23rdJuly, 2018 was sent to the Senate President to appear on 24th July, 2018 at 8.00am before the Investigation Team at Intelligence Response Team office, Guzape Junction, Abuja. ”

“Consequently, the Force is hereby re-affirming that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki has case to answer by virtue of the facts that the statements submitted by the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki earlier to the Investigation Team was not explicit and detailed enough, and was discovered to require further clarifications and interrogation, and coupled with the fact the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki in his statement, claimed that the full text of the statement of the suspects who indicted him in their confessional statements to the Police was not shown to him.

“It is therefore, imperative for the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki to report to the Police to make further statement after sighting the full text of the statement of the suspects.

“Furthermore, the Force wishes to inform the media and the public that investigation is still ongoing on the Offa bank robbery and the indictment against the Senate President from the confessions of some the arrested principal suspects, and that, there is no political influence or consideration in the matter.

“The media and the Police are veritable partners in crime prevention, protection of lives and property, and absolute compliance with the rule of law. The media are implored not to allow the pages of their esteemed publications be used to misinform the public.”

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Offa robbery: Court summons IG of Police Idris

An Ilorin High Court has summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to appear before it next Wednesday to justify the continued detention of Lekan Alabi, Personal Assistant to Kwara state Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed, who was arrested over the April 5, 2018 armed robbery in Offa.

This followed protest by lead counsel to the suspect, Adelodun Ibrahim, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

He bemoaned the failure of the police to release another suspect over the same incident, Alhaji Babatunde AbdulWahab, the Chief of Staff to the governor, who has been granted bail by another high court in the state.

Adelodun, leading four other lawyers, told newsmen after Thursday’s proceeding that the refusal of the police to obey the court order on AbdulWahab was worrisome as it portends grave dangers to the deepening of democracy and might lead to a loss of confidence in the fairness of the police to handle such cases among the populace.

The police was not represented at the proceeding although Adelodun told the court they had been served all the processes relating to the case. The case was brought to Ilorin following the refusal of a Federal High court in Abuja to hear it as the alleged crime was committed in Kwara state.

Alabi has been in detention since May 28, 2018 and has not been arraigned before any court of law, a development his counsel, Adelodun, argued is in contravention of the provisions of Order 4, Rules 3 and 4 of the Fundamental Rights enforcement procedure rules (2009) as well as Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 41 And 46 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In his ruling, Justice Adebayo Yusuf said there was nothing in the constitution that allows the detention of a suspect without trial for a period beyond 24 hours where there is a court or 48 hours in environment where there is no court.

“The position of the law is as stated by the leaned silk, however I’m inclined to hear from the respondent to come to court and show cause why the applicant should not be released from their custody, since they have been served the motion on notice,” the judge said, adding that it is clear that the police cannot change the constitution.

Adelodun, had while moving the application, pointed out that the detention of the applicant for 60 days without trial is a prima facie case of a breach of his rights to liberty as enshrined in section 35 (7) of the constitution and pointed out that Section 122 of the Evidence Act empowers the court to take judicial notice of the time involved in the exchange of written addresses and affidavit by parties which can compound the suffering of the applicant.

“We are not asking the court to declare our client guilty or innocent at this stage but the police has no right to keep a suspect forever”, he said citing the decision of the Appeal Court in the case of EFCC vs Akingbola, (2015 NWLR p1470,pgh249,pp290) to buttress his submission,” Adelodun said.

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What Buhari told outgoing French ambassador, Gauer

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday in Abuja lauded the Republic of France for its commitment to strong regional cooperation in the fight against cross-border crime and terrorism.

Speaking at a farewell audience with the outgoing Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Denys Gauer, President Buhari appreciated the roles and contributions of the French government to peace, security and stability in countries in the West and Central African region.

The President noted that Nigeria has placed the issue of combating terrorism in the region on international agenda and has received support and solidarity from France in the area of training, information, intelligence sharing, technical and equipment support.

According to the President, at the regional level where Nigeria is conducting joint patrols with neighbouring countries under the Multinational Joint Task Force, France has continued to encourage regional cooperation among Nigeria’s francophone neighbours aimed at addressing the security challenges and humanitarian conditions in the area.

The President also used the opportunity of the farewell visit to formally congratulate France for winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“The victory is very important and historic for the country and I think it has raised a lot of positive optimism for French citizens,” he said.

In his remarks, the French Ambassador, harping on the positive trends in Nigeria’s economy, said more French companies have indicated interest to do business here.

He said the French Agency for Development (AFD) which opened an office in Nigeria ten years ago, has provided a total of 2 billion dollars facility for projects in the country.

On cultural ties, Gauer said France has concluded arrangements to establish a cinema school in Lagos and some museums around the country in addition to formalizing an agreement on film production.

The Ambassador said he would always keep fond memories of Nigeria and wished the country successful elections in 2019.

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CAC pastor who dupes members for visa, immigration jobs arrested

Abidoun James, the founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, Freedom International City parish, Akure in Ondo State, has been arrested for alleged fraud.

James was arrested on Thursday by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) after defrauding one Mrs. Folasade Olukunini and some other members of his Church.

Awili Pedro, the Commandant of the NSCDC in Ondo State, confirmed the incident while parading the prophet on Thursday.

He told newsmen that the culprit duped Mrs. Olukinni to the tune of N 1.7million with a promise to secure a visa for her son to the United States.

He noted that the “prophet of doom”, who had been into the business of duping people for years, also has his spiritual way of defrauding people who approach him for cleansing.

“Prophet Adeniyi, earlier this year brought a man to his Church and introduced him to his congregation as Olamilekan Omole, whom he claimed was going to be his Personal Assistant.

“Some months later, he introduced this same man as a travelling agent and asked people to always contact him for their travel business.

“Olukinni approached the prophet to pray for her son who had the plans to travel abroad. After the prayer, this same prophet introduced the woman to Omole. They began the necessary procedure and she paid a sum of N1.7million to his account and since then the PA ran away,” he said.

Pedro added that Prophet James was apprehended due to complaints from victims.

“Several members of the church had come forward to testify about the escapades of the fake prophet.

“In fact, some youths claimed that the Prophet also promised to secure Immigration jobs for them for various charges ranging from N4m to N5m,” Pedro added.

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Transfer: Chelsea tell AC Milan amount to pay for MorataSports

Chelsea and AC Milan have opened talks over a deal for striker Alvaro Morata.

However, the West London outfit told the Serie A giants they want £62m for the Spaniard.

Morata joined Chelsea in a club record £58m deal from Real Madrid last summer but struggled during his debut campaign in England.

Morata joined Chelsea to work with former boss Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri’s appointment has increased the likelihood of him leaving Stamford Bridge this summer.

Sarri wants to bring in Juventus star Gonzalo Higuain, having worked with the Argentine at Napoli.

Sky Sports reports that their willingness to sell Morata, Chelsea will not let him go on the cheap and have placed a price tag of £62m on the forward.

Milan’s new sporting director Leonardo is believed to have initiated talks with Chelsea and believes Morata is keen on a return to Italy.

Milan, though, are already facing scrutiny over their £200m spending spree last summer and are unlikely to have the means to stretch to Chelsea’s valuation.

Morata’s future is likely to depend on Chelsea’s chances of signing Higuain in the next fortnight but the Blues know Juventus are keen to sell having spent £99m on Cristiano Ronaldo.

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