President Goodluck Jonathan gives cash reward to under-17 World Cup winners

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday announced cash rewards to the victorious Golden Eaglets and their handlers for winning the Under-17 World Cup.

The Nigerian team beat Mexico 3-0 on Friday in Abu Dhabi to emerge as winners for a record fourth time.

Jonathan doled out two million naira (12,400 dollars) for each of the players, three million naira and 2.5 million naira for the head coach and his assistant.

Other officials got between 300,000 and 500,000 naira each.

"You won fairly and convincingly and we are very proud of you," Jonathan told the team at a reception in Abuja.

"This victory is for the whole of Africa and the beginning of a new era in the revival of the nation's competitive spirit," he said.

"Within just seven months, the team has transformed themselves from being second best in Africa to being the best in the world," he added.

AFP

Nigerian sex-traffickers arrested in Spain

Spanish police say they have arrested 25 people in a sex-trafficking ring that brought women from Nigeria to work as prostitutes.

The women, allegedly lured with the promise of good jobs in Europe, were first flown to Mexico or Brazil, travelling on false identity documents.

From there, they were flown to Paris, then smuggled into Spain to work in the sex trade, police say.

Five women who were victims of the sex ring were freed in the raids.

Police found one member of the gang performing an abortion on one of the five women, reports the BBC's Madrid correspondent, Tom Burridge.

Hidden goods
Arrests were made across Spain - in Madrid, Toledo, Cantabria and Palma de Mallorca.
More than 100 vans concealing luxury goods were also seized.

The gang used the vans to launder their profits and send them back to Lagos, police say.

The vans, with dark-tinted windows and welded doors, were stocked full of beer but had luxury items hidden deeper inside.

Goods worth an estimated 5m euros (£4.1m; $6.6m) were found in 94 vans seized in Madrid and another 26 in the port of Valencia, including high-end televisions and cases of alcohol.

Police say the gang was formed more than 20 years ago in Nigerian universities and was also known for sending so-called Nigerian letters by email, asking recipients to send money.

Eight of the 25 people arrested were in Spain illegally, they say.

BBC

Nigeria beat Mexico to win under 17 World Cup

Nigeria won the Under-17 World Cup for a record fourth time on Friday with a 3-0 win over champions Mexico.

Erick Aguirre's own goal put the Golden Eaglets in front in Abu Dhabi.
The Nigerians doubled their lead with a tap in from Kelechi Iheanacho before captain Musa Mohamed's free kick sealed the win.

Nigeria also picked up the tournament's fair-play award and Dele Alampasu was awarded the Golden Glove for being the best goalkeeper.

The first goal came after nine minutes from a Nigerian counter-attack moments after the Mexicans had threatened at the other end.

The Golden Eaglets broke quickly to create a three-against-one situation, and as Musa Yahaya was about to pull the trigger, Aguirre's attempted clearance ended up in his own net.

Yahaya nearly doubled the lead in the 39th minute but his shot crashed against the bar.
Moments later, Taiwo Awoniyi tried a spectacular overhead kick but it went straight into the arms Raul Gudino in the Mexican goal.

Mexico threatened the Nigerian goal a couple of times in the first half but found Alampasu in inspired form.

The Mexicans pressed early in the second half but it was Nigeria who doubled their lead when Gudino parried a long range shot into the path of Kelechi Iheanacho, who tapped in for his sixth goal of the tournament.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, the Mexicans had a great chance to score but Ivan Ochoa headed wide.

The title was sealed when captain Mohamed curled a free kick round the wall from the edge of the area with nine minutes left.

The victory in the United Arab Emirates caps a successful year for Nigeria after the senior team won the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa in January.

BBC

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