Arsenal and Manchester City are battling it out to sign two members of the Nigerian squad who won the Under-17 World Cup.
Kelechi Nwakali, 17 and Samuel Chukwueze, 16, who play for Diamond Football Academy in Umuahia, southeastern Nigeria have been scouted by several of Europe’s leading clubs after both scored three goals at the World Cup in Chile in November. The playmaker Nwakali was named as the tournament’s most valuable player, while Everton have been linked with the winger Chukwueze.
Reports have stated Arsenal are the favourites to sign both players for a combined £3m but according to Diamond Football Academy’s general manager, Prince Apugo, they have yet to reach a decision over their futures.
“Samuel is like my son, I am his legal guardian and I have been taking good care of him for many years now. Likewise Kelechi, so naturally I would want the best for them,” Apugo told News24.
“Both players have great potentials and we cannot afford to let money becloud our judgment in choosing a club for them. Our priority is their development and we are determined to ensure this is put into consideration before we accept any offers for them. Already we are deep in discussions and have gone very far with a big club with a rich history of encouraging young players and giving them chances.
“At the fullness of time, when the deal is sealed the whole world will know and agree with us that we made the best choice for the players.”
Bayern Munich and Belgian club Standard Liège are understood to also be interested in signing the duo, who are represented by Gareth Bale’s agents, the Stellar Group.
Guardian
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Monday, January 11, 2016
Switzerland to return $300m of stolen funds to Nigeria
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Monday, assured Nigerians that negotiations are ongoing with a number of countries on modalities for the repatriation of some of the funds that were stolen and stashed abroad.
The minister stated that the Federal Government is in touch with Switzerland, which he said had repatriated $700m, noting that another $300m that was recovered would soon be repatriated to Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja, Onyeama stated that the FG was in discussion with the United Kingdom, the United States, among other foreign governments on how all looted funds could be recovered.
He said, “We are in touch with Switzerland; they have recently recovered quite a significant amount of money and I met last week with Swiss representatives to work out the modality for the repatriation of this fund.
“The Swiss government has already repatriated over $700m from Abacha loot and that agreement has been reached on how the money would be applied.
“They have also now recovered in the same context another $300m of which there is ongoing discussion to have that repatriated as well. There are discussions with other countries; United Kingdom for instance, as you all know where there are ongoing discussions there.”
The minister explained that the goodwill generated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s visits to the US and other countries had helped enormously in getting various countries to cooperate with Nigeria on the fund repatriation issue.
PUNCH
The minister stated that the Federal Government is in touch with Switzerland, which he said had repatriated $700m, noting that another $300m that was recovered would soon be repatriated to Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja, Onyeama stated that the FG was in discussion with the United Kingdom, the United States, among other foreign governments on how all looted funds could be recovered.
He said, “We are in touch with Switzerland; they have recently recovered quite a significant amount of money and I met last week with Swiss representatives to work out the modality for the repatriation of this fund.
“The Swiss government has already repatriated over $700m from Abacha loot and that agreement has been reached on how the money would be applied.
“They have also now recovered in the same context another $300m of which there is ongoing discussion to have that repatriated as well. There are discussions with other countries; United Kingdom for instance, as you all know where there are ongoing discussions there.”
The minister explained that the goodwill generated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s visits to the US and other countries had helped enormously in getting various countries to cooperate with Nigeria on the fund repatriation issue.
PUNCH
Associate of President Buhari returns N100million to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
A former military governor of Kaduna State and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Jafaru Isa, has refunded N100million of the N170 million he allegedly received from embattled ex-NSA, Sambo Dasuki.
Mr. Isa, a retired brigadier-general, was arrested on Wednesday by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, at his Asokoro residence in Abuja.
Mr. Isa, a political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, was grilled for several hours in connection with about N170 million he received from Mr. Dasuki.
A reliable source familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES the APC chieftain and member of the 19-man Buhari Transition Committee was released after refunding N100million to the anti-graft commission.
The source said Mr. Isa pledged to return the remaining N70million soon.
“We let him go after returning the sum of N100million. We are expecting him to return the rest soon,” the source said.
According to him, some of the suspected recipients of the slush funds who claimed they had no idea the money sent to them was taken from the public till were handed opportunities to return what they got from the former NSA but refused.
“We offered them the chance of returning the money honorably but they keep deploying tactics to avoid prosecution, while also going away with the loot,” he said.
A close associate of Mr. Isa told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Dasuki lodged over N100 million into Mr. Isa’s account in instalments to buy a house, located on Mohammed Mohammed Avenue, Kano, for the former NSA.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that deposits were in turn made by Mr. Isa to the owner of the house, Ali Tukur, in two instalments.
However, the house purchase deal collapsed as a former Minister of Finance, Yarima Ngama, reportedly offered to pay the sum of N150 million cash when Mr. Dasuki reneged on the payment agreement.
Those familiar with their relationship say Messrs. Isa and Dasuki have been close friends since their cadet days at the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) and had spent four years together while on military training in the United States.
The Peoples Democratic Party had on Sunday protested the release of Mr. Isa barely eight hours after his arrest while its own spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, remained detained.
The PDP, in a statement signed by its National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, said there could be no clearer indication that the APC-led administration was on a manhunt against PDP leaders, and that it had a personal grudge against Mr. Metuh, ostensibly for his stance as opposition spokesperson, particularly his recent exchange with the government and the APC over their dictatorial activities.
““The release of Jafaru Isa, a known associate of the President and chieftain of the APC eight hours after his arrest while our spokesman remains in detention even when the two are being investigated over the same allegation clearly shows that the President Buhari-led APC government is not fighting corruption but using the much hyped crusade as a cover to persecute PDP leaders and decimate the opposition, a project the EFCC has clearly yielded itself as a willing tool,” the statement said.
Premium Times
Mr. Isa, a retired brigadier-general, was arrested on Wednesday by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, at his Asokoro residence in Abuja.
Mr. Isa, a political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari, was grilled for several hours in connection with about N170 million he received from Mr. Dasuki.
A reliable source familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES the APC chieftain and member of the 19-man Buhari Transition Committee was released after refunding N100million to the anti-graft commission.
The source said Mr. Isa pledged to return the remaining N70million soon.
“We let him go after returning the sum of N100million. We are expecting him to return the rest soon,” the source said.
According to him, some of the suspected recipients of the slush funds who claimed they had no idea the money sent to them was taken from the public till were handed opportunities to return what they got from the former NSA but refused.
“We offered them the chance of returning the money honorably but they keep deploying tactics to avoid prosecution, while also going away with the loot,” he said.
A close associate of Mr. Isa told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Dasuki lodged over N100 million into Mr. Isa’s account in instalments to buy a house, located on Mohammed Mohammed Avenue, Kano, for the former NSA.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that deposits were in turn made by Mr. Isa to the owner of the house, Ali Tukur, in two instalments.
However, the house purchase deal collapsed as a former Minister of Finance, Yarima Ngama, reportedly offered to pay the sum of N150 million cash when Mr. Dasuki reneged on the payment agreement.
Those familiar with their relationship say Messrs. Isa and Dasuki have been close friends since their cadet days at the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) and had spent four years together while on military training in the United States.
The Peoples Democratic Party had on Sunday protested the release of Mr. Isa barely eight hours after his arrest while its own spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, remained detained.
The PDP, in a statement signed by its National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, said there could be no clearer indication that the APC-led administration was on a manhunt against PDP leaders, and that it had a personal grudge against Mr. Metuh, ostensibly for his stance as opposition spokesperson, particularly his recent exchange with the government and the APC over their dictatorial activities.
““The release of Jafaru Isa, a known associate of the President and chieftain of the APC eight hours after his arrest while our spokesman remains in detention even when the two are being investigated over the same allegation clearly shows that the President Buhari-led APC government is not fighting corruption but using the much hyped crusade as a cover to persecute PDP leaders and decimate the opposition, a project the EFCC has clearly yielded itself as a willing tool,” the statement said.
Premium Times
Friday, January 8, 2016
Video - Bail for Nigeria defense minister and son set at $3 million
The High Court in Abuja, Nigeria has granted a staggering Three Million US Dollars bail, to the country's former defence Minister and his son facing money laundering charges. Bello Haliru Mohammed and Abba Bello's bail is equivalent to the money they are alleged to have stolen. As CCTV'S Kelechi Emekalam reports, the bail terms may be well beyond the accused means.
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