Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Video - Nigerian football fans stranded in Moscow with no return tickets back home
Nigeria may have been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup two weeks ago, but some fans are still in Russia -- stranded with no return tickets. A few dozen Nigerians have been sleeping outside the embassy in Moscow. They reportedly acquired Fan ID tickets back in Nigeria, with the promise they could watch the World Cup matches and then remain in Russia where work opportunities were awaiting them. About 200 Nigerians are believed to be stranded in Moscow, without flights home and no work visas permitting them to stay in the country.
President Buhari orders Aviation minister to bring back stranded football fans in Moscow
Stranded Nigerian football fans camped on the floor outside the country's embassy in Moscow have been ordered home by President Muhammadu Buhari, his aide said.
Around 200 Nigerians became stranded in Russia following the World Cup as they did not have a return ticket home, authorities said.
They had gone to support the national Super Eagles team, but some also planned to settle in Russia after the tournament.
Buhari has ordered the Minister of Aviation and Foreign Ministry to bring the fans back home, the President's Senior Special Assistant, Garba Shehu said.
Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode was also forced to step in last week to cover the return expenses of around 50 of the fans.
Some of them said they had paid agents large sums of money to obtain the Fan ID documents issued by the Russian authorities as a special traveling document during the World Cup.
Two brothers Ismail and Sodiq Olamilekan said they paid N250,000 naira ($800) each to a man in Lagos for their Fan IDs.
They said they planned to become professional footballers in Russia.
Others paid over one million in the local currency, naira ($3,000) for the document, they said.
"The man told us that with the Fan ID we could get a job and stay here," Ismail told AFP at a hostel on the outskirts of Moscow.
"But when we got here we discovered that it was a fraud, that he had just collected the money and lied to us," he said.
Rafiu Ladipo, of the Nigerian Supporters Club, told CNN: "Some of those who traveled for other reasons beyond the World Cup did so in ignorance and believing that Europe is all rosy and everything becomes available as soon as you touch down."
Around 200 Nigerians became stranded in Russia following the World Cup as they did not have a return ticket home, authorities said.
They had gone to support the national Super Eagles team, but some also planned to settle in Russia after the tournament.
Buhari has ordered the Minister of Aviation and Foreign Ministry to bring the fans back home, the President's Senior Special Assistant, Garba Shehu said.
Lagos State governor Akinwunmi Ambode was also forced to step in last week to cover the return expenses of around 50 of the fans.
Some of them said they had paid agents large sums of money to obtain the Fan ID documents issued by the Russian authorities as a special traveling document during the World Cup.
Two brothers Ismail and Sodiq Olamilekan said they paid N250,000 naira ($800) each to a man in Lagos for their Fan IDs.
They said they planned to become professional footballers in Russia.
Others paid over one million in the local currency, naira ($3,000) for the document, they said.
"The man told us that with the Fan ID we could get a job and stay here," Ismail told AFP at a hostel on the outskirts of Moscow.
"But when we got here we discovered that it was a fraud, that he had just collected the money and lied to us," he said.
Rafiu Ladipo, of the Nigerian Supporters Club, told CNN: "Some of those who traveled for other reasons beyond the World Cup did so in ignorance and believing that Europe is all rosy and everything becomes available as soon as you touch down."
Monday, July 16, 2018
Video - Nigeria floods worsen food shortages
Flooding and heavy rains are affecting many parts of Nigeria. Dozens of people have been killed and crops have been lost, raising fears of a food shortage. As the rains peak in a few weeks’ time, many farming communities living in Nigeria’s fertile basins are bracing for more losses, with wider implications on country’s agricultural output.
Video - Five officers, 18 soldiers missing after attack in Borno state, Nigeria
More than 100 Nigerian army troops are still missing following an attack on a military convoy on Saturday in Borno state. The attacking insurgents were believed to have been those who escaped the ongoing military offensive in the Sambisa Forest and Lake Chad region. Local media reports say the military was acting on intelligence when it mobilised the troops in a convoy of 11 trucks to clear the insurgents from the Bama Local Government Area in Borno State. Reinforcement troops have since been deployed from Maiduguri to Borno state following the attack.
China planning to invest $3 billion in oil operations in Nigeria
China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) is willing to invest $3 billion in its existing oil and gas operation in Nigeria, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said on Sunday following a meeting with the Chinese in Abuja.
During a visit to Nigeria’s state-owned NNPC, CNOOC Chief Executive Yuan Guangyu said the Beijing-based oil company had invested more than $14 billion in its Nigerian operations and expressed readiness to invest more.
Guangyu said Nigeria was their largest investment destination and also asked the NNPC to seek common grounds with CNOOC for enhanced productivity.
Nigeria has been holding talks with oil majors over new finance agreements for joint ventures since last year. The NNPC last year signed financing agreements with Chevron (CVX.N) and Shell (RDSa.L) worth at least $780 million to boost crude production and reserves.
Other western oil companies, including ExxonMobil (XOM.N), operate in Nigeria through joint ventures with NNPC.
During a visit to Nigeria’s state-owned NNPC, CNOOC Chief Executive Yuan Guangyu said the Beijing-based oil company had invested more than $14 billion in its Nigerian operations and expressed readiness to invest more.
Guangyu said Nigeria was their largest investment destination and also asked the NNPC to seek common grounds with CNOOC for enhanced productivity.
Nigeria has been holding talks with oil majors over new finance agreements for joint ventures since last year. The NNPC last year signed financing agreements with Chevron (CVX.N) and Shell (RDSa.L) worth at least $780 million to boost crude production and reserves.
Other western oil companies, including ExxonMobil (XOM.N), operate in Nigeria through joint ventures with NNPC.
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