Super Eagles & Chelsea’s Victor Moses Hails Coach Antonio Conte For 'Best Year In His Career'

Nigeria/ Chelsea winger Victor Moses has heaped praise on Chelsea coach Antonio Conte for transforming his playing style this season, saying he never believed he could play the wing-back role, and that with every match he feels better and more confident at the position. Chelsea have been on a winning run, using Conte's preferred 3-4-3/3-5-2 formation where Moses has excelled as a wing back despite losing recently to Tottenham.

Moses has been one of the players to benefit the most from the tactical set-up.

‘I’ve never dreamed of playing in this position in my life, but I’m enjoying it and I think it’s probably one of the best positions to be honest. The more games I’m playing there, the more I’m improving,’ Moses said.

‘I’ve never played this formation before but I’m getting used to it and I feel I’m getting better and better with every game. 

‘I’m delighted with the way we’re playing, not just me but the whole team, with the formation the manager has brought. He’s played the game and he knows how to organise his players. 

‘Last year was one of the best in my career and I’m delighted with that and it’s thanks to the manager who gave me the opportunity to go out there and express myself. He gave me that chance, I grabbed it and now I want to keep enjoying my football.

Rivers United FC Gets Jersey Sponsorship Deal Of N10m As They Bid For Champions League Football

Rivers State owned football club, Rivers United FC, who won the Super Four tournament and will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions league this season have announced that they've received a new shirt sponsorship deal worth N10m from Eunisell Nigeria Limited. The company, which majors in Oil and Gas, made the N10m shirt sponsorship donation on Thursday during the club's Jersey Unveiling ceremony in Lagos. Managing Director of Eunisell, Chika Ekenga, said:

"We are extremely pleased with Rivers United for their achievement this past season. Their fans have been fantastic and I hope they can be rewarded with the league title this new season, "  

"We are encouraged by the good performance of Rivers United and in keeping faith with our promise to stay with the club whether they fall or rise. We have renewed our shirt sponsorship agreement with them irrespective of the economic situation in  Nigeria. 

"We are confident that their recent success provides them a strong platform to become not just the winners of the NPFL but continental champions."

Basketmouth Gets Knighted By The Queen Of England (photo)

This is wonderful..... Congrats BasketMouth. It's well deserved!! All hail Sir Bright Okpocha!

We Are Not Planning To Attack Gambia - Nigerian Army

The Nigerian Army released a statement denying a report by Premium Times that it was planning to send troops to Gambia to forcefully remove the incumbent President, Yahya Jammeh, who has refused to leave office despite losing in the Presidential election in December last year. Read the statement signed by Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, Director Army Public Relations, after the cut.

The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to a publication by Premium Times online news medium titled "EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria raises troops for Gambia, ready to remove Yahya Jammeh".

This is not true.

Consequently, Nigerian Army wishes to disassociate itself from such false information that exists only in the figment of the imagination of the medium. There was no time or place Nigerian Army disclosed such information to the medium. If there is any, we challenge them to name the officer or soldier that gave them such information and when.

For the avoidance of doubt, Nigerian Army is not planning to attack any country.

It should be noted that such reckless and unprofessional conduct is not expected of any reputable and responsible news medium as it is inimical to national security.

The publication apart from being false in its entirety, it is unethical and capable of endangering the lives of Nigerians in diaspora.

The medium is please requested to always clarify such matters affecting national security and diplomatic issues that may endanger the safety and security of Nigerians abroad to avoid such misleading and embarrassing publication.

Fire Incident At A Male Hostel In Lagos State Model College, Epe (Photos)

There was a fire incident in the male hostel of Lagos State Model College, located at Igbonla, Epe. Pictured is a bungalow raised during the incident as Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (Lasema) check out the damage done.

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Souther Kaduna: You Are Hypocrites- CAN Tells Imams Calling For Their Arrest

Few dayas ago,  the Council of Imams and Ulama in Kaduna state, held a press conference where they called for the arrest of some Christian religious leaders including CAN President, over some of the comments he has made on the lingering Southern Kaduna crisis.

CAN in a statement released yesterday, described the Islamic clerics as hypocrites for turning blind eyes to the real issues that have continuously caused the crisis. The statement signed by the Secretary General of CAN,  Rev. Musa Asake reads in part;

“To CAN, this is a surprising shameless, unveiled criminal support for evil. While, the killings of children, women, aged and the most defenseless of Southern Kaduna natives and the destruction of entire communities was at its peak, no one knew that a group called Council of Imams and Ulama existed in Kaduna state".

When Church leaders under the banner of CAN kept praying for Southern Kaduna and other affected areas in the country, visiting traumatized communities and softly calling on government to do the needy, this Council of Imams was silent and invisible. In a press conference in Kaduna on November 7th 2016, Jema’a Foundation, Miyetti Allah and Mobgal Fulbe Development Association confirmed that Fulani and Hausa Muslims have been behind the ethnic cleansing and destruction of villages and houses of worship in Southern Kaduna. They claimed they had to do this to entrench their rights to practice Islam, alleging they were being marginalized in Southern Kaduna. Those who addressed the press were Abdullahi Hassan Mohammed, Ahmad M. Yandeh and Abdulhamid Musa. Again, on December 31, 2016, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Assistant National Secretary of Miyetti Allah also echoed the same position that the Fulani were carrying out reprisal killings. In view of this glaring confession by all these Fulani men, is it not reprehensible, distasteful and vile that the Council of Imams and Ulama Kaduna State did not call for the arrest of these people who are in conspiracy with the murderers? With their position now, it is obvious that these Imams are part of the evil network desperately trying to decimate the Christian population of Southern Kaduna and the taking over of their lands by Islamist herdsmen terrorists. These are the Muslim clerics that encourage and inspire the jihad carried out by their foot soldiers. We have refused to keep silent as we are speaking up to government and telling the world the devilish plot against the Christian community in Southern Kaduna and other affected areas. While those they inspired through their wicked sermons to kill and conquer new territories for Islam are carrying out their instructions, they are now intimidating the victims with Gov. El-Rufai’s infamous position of “call for self-defense is hate speech. Our Lord Jesus Christ is exposing the enemies of His Kingdom one by one. For the records, the words and the way of life of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world before whom all knees shall bow, was never violent. CAN therefore, thrives under His inspiration and guidance. We can never call on a Christian to kill another human being. But we cannot tell a Christian to unjustly submit himself to murderers, his family wiped, his community taken over with crude violence so that a new community of herdsmen terrorists be established as it is happening now in Southern Kaduna, especially as government is not showing enough commitment to arresting the situation. CAN therefore, has no apology over what comment it has made on the religious cleansing in Southern Kaduna and other places in the country. It is clear fact that CAN has the more to lose with the continuance of these madness. Since May last year to date in Southern Kaduna alone, over 100 Christians have been killed; over 53 communities with their churches have been destroyed and not less than 16 villages have been conquered and are now being occupied by Fulani herdsmen terrorists".

Son Of Late Emir Of Kano, Sani Bayero And His Wife Welcome A New Baby (Photos)

Prince Sani Bayero, son of late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Dr. Abdullahi Ado Bayero and his wife Aysha have welcomed their first child together.
The baby girl was born yesterday at Netcare Linksfield Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. Also see a photo of Prince Sani vacationing in Dubai with his first wife last week.

Gbaga-un!!! MMM Nigeria Returns 24 Hours Ahead Of Schedule

Just this morning we were wondering if the popular Ponzi Scheme, MMM Nigeria will return as promised on January 14, 2017.

Well, Guess what? MMM Nigeria is back. This is according to a statement issued by the official twitter account saying, 'This is to officially inform you that MMM Nigeria is open for business a day earlier than promised! Let's go there Nigerians'.

Read the full statement:
 

Indian Hospital Builds New Unit To Operate On '500kg' Egyptian Woman

Mumbai's Saifee Hospital in India is currently building a special facility to contain an Egyptian woman, believed to be the World's heaviest at 500kg. The facility will have an operating theatre and an intensive care unit for the woman to undergo a weight reduction surgery and will be treated by a team of doctors led by well-known bariatric surgeon, Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala.
 

The 36-year-old woman identified as Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, is expected to arrive in the city on a chartered plane at the end of January and will remain at the hospital for at least six months. Eman who has not been able to leave home for twenty-five years (25), weighed 5kg (11lb) at birth and was diagnosed with elephantiasis, but Doctor Lakdawala believes she does not have elephantiasis but suffers from obesity-related lymphoedema, which causes gigantic swelling of legs.

The Indian embassy in Cairo had initially denied Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty a visa request as she won't be able to travel in person but later got a visa after Dr. Lakawala tweeted to India's foreign minister, Sushma Swaraj who did respond to help. According to BBC report, the 278 sq metre (3,000 sq ft) new facility is estimated to cost 20M rupees ($293,762) and will be ready by the end of the month.

DSS Arrests Herbalist, Driver Who Allegedly Killed 400L UNIOSUN Student

The Department of Security Service (DSS) in Osun State has arrested a herbalist, simply known as as Jelili-Ifa (oracle) and a commercial driver, Oyebode Elijah for allegedly kidnapping and killing a 400 Level student of Osun State University, Adebisi Rofiat Damilola.

The driver reportedly confessed that the herbalist gave him the assignment to bring a young lady and get N10,000 as reward.

Elijah said Rofiat boarded his vehicle from Ipetu-Ijesa to Osogbo while returning from the Ipetu-Ijesa campus of UNIOSUN where the lady was studying Science Education.

It would be recalled that Rofiat who left Ipetu-Ijesa for Osogbo on December 22nd, 2016 got missing along the way and her corpse was found on the roadside along Ikirun/Iragbiji road few days later.

Speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, Elijah who spoke in Yoruba language said: “I took her (Rofiat) from Ipetu-Ijesa. There were other passengers in my vehicle that day. The girl matched the specification that Ifa (herbalist) gave me. Ifa said I should bring a lady that has never bore a child. When Isaw the student, I was very sure that she had not given birth to a child.

“Ifa had given me a charm that I will use to hypnotise any lady that I want to bring. He said once I put the charm in my pocket, I only need to have body contact with the lady and she would be hypnotised. The charm was already in my pocket when I saw the lady and I ensured that my body touched her. From there, she didn’t know anything again.

“After dropping other passengers at the various destinations, I took the lady to Ifa at his house in Ikirun and he received her and gave me N10,000. I pity the lady when I was leaving because I knew she would not come out alive. My conscience was telling me that what I did was bad.

“When I left Ifa’s house, I went to a bush to dump the lady’s luggage which contained some clothes. Few minutes later, her phone started ringing. I knew her people must be looking for her. I took the phone to Yusuff to help me sell it. I told Yusuff that a passenger forgot the phone in my vehicle.

“The phone kept ringing and I later picked it. Yusuff told me that it was dangerous to receive the call because they could use it to trace us. I removed the SIM card and threw it away instantly to prevent her people from reaching us. We sold the phone for N20,000. We shared it N10, 000 each”.

In his comment, the herbalist said Elijah was his contract driver that he used occasionally, saying that all what he said was not true.

The Commissioner of police in the state, Mr Fimihan Adeoye said a joint team of DSS and policemen was investigating the matter.

Osun Govt Ejects Former Commissioners, Sas From Quarters

The Osun State Government has directed former commissioners and special advisers occupying the government’s officials quarters to vacate their various apartments.

Investigation revealed that the directive was contained in a memo signed by the Chief of Staff to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

Virtually all the former commissioners and special advisers that served in Aregbesola’s government in the first term were living in their various quarters.

All of them are making use of their official cars, while some are making use of their offices in the
ministries.

It was gathered that Aregbesola has concluded arrangement for the payment of severance package for the former political appointees.

It was also gathered that Aregbesola has also approved fund for the renovation of the quarters immediately after the former commissioners and SAs moved out.

Aregbesola Sets To Appoint Local Government Caretaker Committee, Asks Party To Nominate 3 Names

There are indications that Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State is set to appoint a five-member caretaker committee in all the 67 Local Government and Area Offices in the state.

It was gathered that the state leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed the party leadership at the local governments level to nominate three members of the caretaker committee at their various local governments and area offices.

It was gathered that the party would nominate three while Aregbesola would nominate two, as he has reportedly taken two slots in each of the local government.

The two slots, according to members of the APC, are the Chairman and one other member of the caretaker committee.

Investigation revealed that Aregbesola might compensate members of the Osun Forum of Women Aspirants and other women groups in the APC with one of the two slots with him in each of the local governments.

But a leader of the APC in the state who craved not to be named confided that Aregbesola has conceded a slot of the two to each member of the House of Assembly in their local government.

This implies that lawmakers in the state would nominate a member of the caretaker committee in their respective local government.

The nomination of three members of the caretaker committee is causing ripples in some of the local governments in the state, as party leaders are playing intrigues to protect their various interests.

It was authoritatively gathered the appointment of the caretaker committee would come before the end of this January.

The appointment is a relief to members of the APC who are yarning for political appointments, since Aregbesola refused to constitute his cabinet after two years of his inauguration for second term.

Love!!!: Lady Caught While Trying To Sneak Her Boyfriend Out Of Jail With A Suitcase

A 25 year old woman, Antonieta Robles Saouda was arrested after she tried to break her boyfriend out of prison by stuffing him into a pink suitcase and trying to wheel him out. Saouda took her 6-year-old daughter to visit her boyfriend, Ibrain Jose Vargas Garcia at the Jose Antonio Anzoategui prison in Venezuela with the plan to smuggle him out of the facility and live happily ever after as a happy family.

She successfully managed to get him into the suitcase but was unable to wheel him out of the prison because the bag was overstuffed and she didn't have the strength to successfully wheel him out.
According to Central European News agency, her prison-break plan was foiled when the prison guards noticed that she was struggling with the suitcase and asked to inspect it.

When they unzipped it, they discovered Garcia curled up inside.

Garcia was immediately thrown back in his prison cell, where he was already serving a nearly 10-year sentence for a car robbery while Saouda was arrested and their daughter was taken into temporary custody by Venezuelan social services.

Federal Government Grants Nigeria's Citizenship To 335 Foreigners

The Federal Government has granted Nigeria’s citizenship to 335 foreigners who met stipulated conditions for such rights, in line with the provisions of the constitution. Minister of Interior AbdulRahman Dambazau announced this to Newsmen Thursday after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Buhari. Dambazau said the people were carefully selected out of those who applied to the nation’s authorities to become Nigerian citizens for various reasons

Photos Of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu In Court

The trial of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, continued Thursday at the Abuja High Court. He is standing trial for treasonable offences leveled against him by the Federal government. The presiding judge adjourned his trial till February 10th.

Pro-Biafrans Stage Protest In Front Of Federal High Court Abuja (Photos)

Pro-Biafrans staged a protest in front of the Federal High Court Abuja Thursday where they called for the immediate release of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu and other members of their group still in DSS custody. 

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Goodluck Jonathan Pay A Condolence Visit To The Family Of Late Abdulkadir Kure (Photographs)

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday paid a condolence visit to the family of Niger State ex-governor, Abdulkadir Kure in Minna. Kure, who died in a German Hospital last Sunday, was laid to rest on Wednesday, January 11th according to Islamic rites.

"I thank God for making it possible for me to visit Minna this afternoon to condole with the family of the late ex- Governor of Niger State Engr. Abdulkadir Kure and His Royal Highness, Umar Farouq Bahago, the Emir of Minna," the former president said on his visit.

"The late Kure will continue to live in the hearts many as a distinguished public servant and highly principled politician who contributed so much to the development of our dear nation. May the Almighty comfort the family he left behind, and grant him al-Jannah Firdaus"

Robin Thicke's Ex-Wife Paula Patton Accuses Him Of Excessive Spanking Of Their Son

Robin Thicke is currently under investigation by Department of Child Family Services (DCFS) for alleged child abuse. His ex-wife, 41-year-old actress Paula Patton was in a Los Angeles court on Thursday to request an emergency hearing to ask a judge to restrict Robin's access to their 6-year-old son, Julian Thicke. She alleged that Robin has been physically abusive toward their son by spanking him excessively, hence requesting that Robin only have monitored daytime visits. Paula wrote in her declaration:

"Over the past year, I have become concerned about Robin's drinking and drug use, as well as the forms of punishment he is using to discipline Julian. "My concerns culminated on January 4, 2017, when Julian's school called Department of Child Family Services (DCFS) to report what they believed to be credible allegations of abuse from Julian against Robin."

"We asked him to show us how hard, and I asked him to hit me on my back," Patton claims, saying she responded with an "ow." She adds, "Julian said it was worse than that."

Thicke denied any wrongdoing and said:

"On a very rare occasion and only as a last resort, I will use light spanking, but it is consistent with the law, open hand on the butt. This is the type of discipline to which Paula and I agreed during our marriage."

"It is my belief that Paula holds residual anger toward me because I and my family would not permit her or her family to attend the funeral of my father on December 20, 2016."

Alan Thicke died suddenly on Dec. 13 at the age of 69. Robin says in the docs that Paula "did not have a positive relationship with my father."
Robin also wrote that he is complying with the DCFS investigation and is meeting with a social worker on Thursday with his son.

"I understand that the social worker has already met with Julian, Paula, and employees from Julian's school, and that DCFS has not sought to remove Julian from my care, placed any restrictions on my custody, nor instructed Paula to withhold Julian from me. I have certainly not heard from anyone in this regard at any time.

However, the judge denied her request for an emergency hearing. The court found "there is insufficient showing of great or irreparable harm, immediate danger, or any other statutory basis" to grant Paula's emergency request. Paula and Robin married in 2005 after dating since they were teenagers.

They welcomed son Julian in April 2010, but announced their split in February 2014 after almost nine years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized in March 2015.

Obama Awards Joe Biden With The Presidential Medal Of Freedom At Surprise Send Off Party

Yesterday, out-going US President Barack Obama surprised his VP, Joe Biden with a surprise send-off party at the White House where he presented him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

A teary-eyed Biden accepted the medal where Obama jokingly said, 'This also gives the Internet one last chance to talk about our bromance'.

Man Rescued Alive After Crashing Car Into Ditch At Ota, Ogun State (See Photos)

Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) South West rescued a man identified as Mr. Amos Bamidele, after he crashed his Volks Wagen Golf  into a ditch at an uphill after Odosebe bridge, around Odosebe Ota, Ogun State, at about 5:45am on Wednesday,  January 11th, 2017.  More photos after the cut.