Brazil knocks Nigeria out of Olympic basketball

Nigeria’s D’Tigers on Monday crashed out of the ongoing Rio Olympics men basketball event, losing 69-86 to hosts Brazil.

The team showed some signs of exploit in the early minutes of the game but succumbed and never regained its focus from the second quarter of the game.

Alade Aminu, Ike Diogu, Uzoh Ben, Chamberlin Oguchi were all at their best as Nigeria dominated proceedings in the first quarter, having led 16-15.

The tide turned around in the second quarter when D’Tigers were forced to commit some fouls, leading to free throws which the Brazilians converted.

Brazilian point guard Raulzinho Neto, kept D’Tigers on check as the hosts made 18 turnovers against Nigeria’s 11 to rally to a 42-31 lead at the end of the second quarter.

D’Tigers came close to stealing the show in the third quarter but the combination of Chicago Bulls Felicio Cristiano and Houston Rockets forward Nene, ensured the Nigerians did not get more opportunities to shoot from the centre.

The third quarter, however, ended 59-52 in favour of the hosts.

The Brazilians continued their dominance and produced 10 steals against Nigeria’s three to end the last quarter 86-69.

The defeat ensured D’Tigers had no chance of progressing in the Olympics after raising the hopes of Nigerians with a stunning 90-76 win against Croatia.

The defeat of Croatia was Nigeria’s first win of the Olympics basketball event after a string of disappointing defeats to Argentina, Lithuania and Spain in their first, second and third games.

News24

Parents of kidnapped Chibok girls react to new Boko Haram video showing their children

Esther Yakubu gazes longingly at the familiar grainy photograph of her daughter and sings a favorite tune as she thinks of her.

But two long years after Maida and more than 200 of her classmates were kidnapped by Boko Haram, another image is now foremost in her mind: that of the teenager at gunpoint, pleading for her freedom.

"Seeing my baby standing with a terror[ist] with ... ammunition around his neck is not easy for a mother," says Esther. "But I also give thanks to God almighty. They say most of the girls are dead but mine is alive."

Maida's captors used her as an unwilling spokeswoman in a new video showing some 50 of the Chibok girls -- alongside graphic, grisly video scenes showing the lifeless bodies of young women, taken in the aftermath of what the terror group says was a Nigerian airstrike.

Wearing a faded black abaya and patterned headscarf, the 18-year-old looks down as a camouflage-clad militant armed with a gun instructs her to speak.

In contrast to the screensaver on Esther's phone, which shows Maida as a bright 16-year-old in her Sunday best, her life stretching out before her, in the new footage there is no happy grin, and Maida's future is decidedly uncertain.

The parents say the girl in the Boko Haram video is their daughter.

Hesitantly, she explains who she is, and where she is from, before issuing a scripted plea for freedom.

Behind her, fellow hostages in floor-length robes watch, stone-faced, as she urges their parents to press the Nigerian government to free terrorist fighters in exchange for their release.

For Esther and her husband Yakubu Kabu the clip, released by Boko Haram on Sunday, is the first proof that Maida is alive since she was taken from her school in April 2014.

"When I saw that video, I am very sad because this is my baby standing there with someone holding a gun," says Yakubu. "All of us we start crying.

"I give God the glory that she's alive. This video gives us hope that our daughter can be rescued."

Maida, named after her aunt, grew up as one of five children (two boys and three girls) born to the couple, a driver and a local government worker.

A hardworking student, she was known as Dorcas at school (like many Nigerians, the family has both native and English names), and had been looking forward to her graduation; the photo on her mother's phone was taken for a calendar planned to mark the occasion.

Her family says she was keen to continue her education, and hoped to become a lecturer.

"I promised her that I will try my utmost best to say that she makes first and second degree," says Esther. "Unfortunately ... she has not graduated from secondary school. Not only that she's nowhere to be found."

A proud member of the choir in Chibok, she loved to sing, even while cooking, Esther says, breaking out into her daughter's favorite tune.

"I used to hear her sing [it] always," she says. "Anytime I want to recall her to my soul, I sing that song."

Esther Yakubu is furious at what she sees as a lack of action by successive Nigerian governments to secure the release of her daughter and the rest of the girls.

"The government has not done anything," she says. "When they attacked Chibok, the girls that escaped managed to escape themselves, by dropping ... down from the truck -- some girls even broke their legs.

"[They got] no aid from the government, no counseling. Nothing at all. Amina Ali that escaped [in May 2016], she managed to escape herself. It's unfair."

The Nigerian government has said it is still "in touch" with Boko Haram and "working for the girls' release," the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture said on its official Facebook page.

Esther Yabuku says the ongoing trauma of Maida's kidnap has had a lasting impact on her health: "My blood pressure has risen and it's not coming down."

At least 16 of the Chibok girls' parents have died while their daughters have been in captivity.

But the family says its unwavering Christian belief has kept it going through the darkest times.

They pray together every morning and every midnight that their daughter will make it home safely. The video, though disturbing, has given them fresh hope that Maida will soon be freed.

"I'm very, very happy," says Yakubu, having seen the video. "Because as long as she's alive, we will see her one day."

CNN

Related story: Video - New video shows schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram

23 prison officers sacked after a number of jailbreaks

The board of Nigeria's Prisons Service is dismissing 23 officers from two prisons for allegedly colluding in jailbreaks.

Prisons Service spokesman Francis Enobore says the board also is suspending 11 officers while it investigates escapes from a third prison.

Jailbreaks are common in Nigeria, where prison guards are easily bribed. A new controller-general of prisons has promised to halt that.

Enobore said those dismissed include three senior officers at Kuje medium-security prison in Lagos, which houses many high-profile suspects in corruption cases being pursued by President Muhammadu Buhari's government. The jailbreak in June involved two men accused of kidnapping, raping and killing a woman.

In July, 13 inmates escaped from Koton Karfe prison in central Kogi state. Six have been hunted down and returned to prison.

ABC

Video - Nigeria’s new militant group threatens to blow up more pipelines

The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate group has vowed to blow up more oil installations, if the government does not meet its demand for inclusion in negotiations with other militant groups. The new group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack on an oil pipeline in the region. It wants to be included in talks with the government.

Video - Nigeria advances in Basketball and Football at Olympics

Nigeria earned their first win at the 2016 Olympic Basketball Tournament by pulling off the biggest upset to date in the competition with a 90-76 defeat of Croatia. Nigeria trailed by seven after the first quarter, but led by14 after the third quarter and held on for the win in its fourth of five preliminary round games as the African champions improved to 1-3 to keep alive their hopes of advancing to the Quarter-Finals.

Sports ministry refunds Mikel $4,600

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has refunded to Captain John Obi Mikel the $4,600 he paid for the team in São Paulo on their way to Salvador, a press statement from Nigeria Football Federation media officer, Ademola Olajire, said.

Mikel was said to have spent the money on the welfare of the football team.

Excited about the qualification of the Nigeria U23 team for the semifinals of the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports has again assured players and officials of the team that they will be given all that is due to them.

Addressing the players and officials after the 2-0 defeat of Denmark in Saturday’s quarter final match in Salvador, the Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Chinyeaka Ohaa, said they are happy for the result.

I am happy to be a Nigerian, because in spite of all the challenges, you have taken the world by storm; you have by your performance given happiness to more than 160 million Nigerians. Football is the biggest unifying factor in Nigeria today. From Mr. President to the average Nigerian you have made everyone proud today.

"I am humbled by your efforts, your commitment, your patriotism. I want to assure you that your sacrifices will not be in vain. Aside whatever the NFF have for you, we will as much as possible make you happy, if only you will be patient with us. Today, with your performance, I am convinced that you will get that gold.”

Responding, Captain Mikel Obi said: "We want to thank you for your fatherly support. In truth, there have been a lot of challenges, but every time we go onto the field, we forget about everything and make sure our fatherland comes first. We have done that so far and we will continue to do that, but we need more motivation."

News24 reported that President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday night praised the indomitable spirit of the Nigerian soccer team to the ongoing Rio Olympics, which saw them flying over Denmark 2-0 to qualify for the semi-finals.

News24

Video - New video shows schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram

The mother of one of the Chibok girls kidnapped more than two years ago by Nigeria's Islamic extremists on Sunday saw the first proof her daughter is alive - a video of her begging Nigeria's government to exchange detained militants for the girls' freedom.

Chibok community leader Pogu Bitrus to The Associated Press the video was being watched at the weekly rally of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign at Unity Fountain in Abuja, the capital.

Some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have been killed by Nigerian military airstrikes, according to a new video from Boko Haram, which shows one kidnap victim pleading for authorities to bow to the extremists' demands that they release detained militants in return for the girls.

It's not clear how many schoolgirls have died among the 218 who remain missing.

The video posted Sunday on Twitter shows a young woman, covered in a hijab with just her face showing, who was one of the students abducted from a remote school in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014. She claims that some of her kidnapped classmates died in aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force. She also said that 40 have been "married" to fighters.

The video shows a militant warning in the Hausa language that if President Muhammadu Buhari's government battles Boko Haram with firepower, the girls won't be seen again.

"Presently, some of the girls are crippled, some are terribly sick and some of them, as I had said, died during bombardment by the Nigerian military," the fighter says, appearing before a group of more than 40 young women in hijabs, some holding babies.

"If our members in detention are not freed, let the government and parents of the Chibok girls know that they will never find these girls again," he said.

The video, cited by the SITE Intelligence Group, was posted by Ahmad Salkida, a Nigerian journalist known to have good contacts in Boko Haram. Salkida says he was given the video by associates of Abubakar Shekau, who is in a leadership battle with a lieutenant named by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as the new leader of what it calls its West Africa Province.

The mass abduction brought Boko Haram to the world's attention and even got the participation of U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in the #BringBackOurGirls social media campaign, promising her husband would do all in his power to help liberate them.

The government came under increased pressure from parents and Bring Back Our Girls campaigners after the May escape of one young woman, a proof of life that they said should encourage the military and government to redouble rescue efforts. The escapee said some of the girls had died but scores remained in captivity under heavy guard.

Sunday's video is another proof of life.

"The girl in the video spoke in the Chibok language and identified her mother by name. Her mother has now seen the video and identified her daughter," Chibok leader Pogu Bitrus told the AP.

The young woman in the video, probably speaking under duress, begs for help.

"Oh you, my people and our parents, you just have to please come to our rescue: We are suffering here, the aircraft have come to bombard us and killed many of us. Some are wounded. Every day we are in pains and suffering, so are our babies ... No one cares for us.

"Please go and beg the government of Nigeria to release the members of our abductors so that they too can free us to let us come home."

The video goes on to show bodies from an alleged air raid, including that of a girl whose eyes flicker open briefly.

Nigeria's Air Force has reported near-daily bombardments of Boko Haram camps and the military of increased ground assaults in which they have freed thousands of captives, though none of the Chibok girls.

Boko Haram has been forced out of most towns and has turned to assaulting remote villages and using suicide bombers to attack soft targets such as mosques and marketplaces.

More than 20,000 people have been killed in the 7-year-old Islamic uprising that has spread from Nigeria to neighboring countries and driven 2.2 million people from their homes.

Aid workers say there is a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in newly freed but still dangerous areas where half a million people are starving and babies dying daily. There has also been a resurgence of polio in areas that had been under Boko Haram's control.

CBS

Video - Controversy looms as Nigerian army mulls recruiting civilians

A plan to integrate members of a Civilian Joint Task Force into the Nigerian army has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups. Around 250 young people, primarily from the country's north-eastern Borno state, are being considered for recruitment in the battle against Boko Haram. However, critics say the move violates the Constitution.

Video - Militants reportedly blow up another oil pipeline in Nigeria

More woes for Nigeria's oil industry. Militants have reportedly blown up another crude pipeline in the Niger Delta. And protesters are still blocking the entrance to a Chevron oil depot in the southern region. The Niger Delta Avengers have claimed responsibility for the bulk of the attacks on pipelines. But on Wednesday a new group emerged -- the Delta Greenland Justice Mandate. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has come under increased pressure from militants in recent months. They're calling for the country's oil wealth to be shared more equally, to benefit communities in the Niger Delta.

South Africa overthrows Nigeria as Africa's biggest economy

South Africa has regained the title of Africa's largest economy, two years after Nigeria rebased its GDP to claim the spot, according to IMF data.

A recalculation using current exchange rates put South Africa on top because the rand has strengthened against the dollar.

Nigeria's currency has fallen sharply since a peg to the dollar was dropped.

But BBC Africa Business Report editor Matthew Davies says both economies could be on the brink of recession.

Nigeria rebased its economy in 2014 to include previously uncounted industries like telecoms, information technology, music, online sales, airlines, and film production.

Most countries do rebasing, updating the measure of the size of the economy, at least every three years or so, but Nigeria had not updated the components in its GDP base year since 1990.

On the basis of these numbers, there's not a lot between the two. South Africa's economy is worth around $301bn (Ј232bn) and Nigeria comes in at $296bn.

The exercise in calculating the numbers using last year's IMF figures and this year's currency exchange numbers, technically puts South Africa back on top.

But look behind the league table and the light-hearted jostling about who has the largest economy in Africa and things, economically speaking, are a little bleaker.

Both economies contracted in the first quarter. Another contraction and they'll both be in recession.

Nigeria is almost entirely dependent on its oil exports. And as the price of oil slumps so does the flow of petrodollars coming into the country's coffers. South Africa's economy is more diverse.

Indeed, after Nigeria knocked it off the top spot two years ago, we started describing it as "Africa's most industrialised economy", rather than Africa second-largest economy.

But economic growth is unlikely to make it above 1% in South Africa this year and many, including the country's Reserve Bank, are forecasting it at zero.

Unemployment remains stubbornly high and a credit rating review is looming at the end of the year.

If the whole "largest economy in Africa" competition was a horse race, the two leading contenders would be virtually neck and neck.

But they wouldn't be galloping, they'd be trotting at best. And looking increasingly tired and in need of sustenance.

BBC

2 cases of polio reported in Nigeria

Nigeria has reported the first two cases of polio after more than two years, in an area newly liberated from Islamic extremists who attacked polio vaccinators in the past, the government and the World Health Organization said Thursday.

Nigeria's removal from WHO's list of polio-endemic countries in October had meant the entire African continent was free of the crippling disease.

Two children have been paralyzed by polio in northeastern Borno state in two different local government areas that had been cut off by Boko Haram's Islamic extremist uprising, Health Minister Isaac Adewole said in a statement Thursday night.

"Our overriding priority right now is to rapidly boost immunity in the affected areas to ensure that no more children are affected by this terrible disease," he said.

He ordered the deployment of a national emergency response team. WHO said it was working with the government to urgently prevent more children from being paralyzed, with large-scale immunizations and other measures.

It was unclear how accessible the two areas are. The United Nations last month suspended aid to newly liberated but still dangerous areas of Borno after Boko Haram ambushed a humanitarian convoy, wounding three civilians including a UNICEF worker. That came even as aid groups declared half a million people are starving in those areas and children are dying daily of starvation.

Because of the Islamic uprising in the northeast, health workers have been testing sewage and stool samples of refugees from areas too dangerous to access.

Nigeria's fight against polio has been dramatic. Two decades ago, it was recording 1,000 polio cases a year, the highest in the world.

The Islamic extremists opposed the anti-polio campaign. Boko Haram gunmen killed nine women vaccinators in northern Kano state in February 2013, but the vaccinations continued.

CTV

Related stories: Canada invests $20m in eradication of polio in Nigeria

Video - One year marked without polio in Nigeria

Video - Nigeria Central Bank allows commercial lenders to write off bad loans

The Nigeria central bank will allow commercial banks to write off bad loans this year to help the industry clean up its balance sheet. Pressure has been building on the country's banks, whose loan books have been hard hit by Nigeria's shrinking economy and low crude oil prices. Non-performing loans are expected to jump to 12.5% of total loans this year, up from the central bank's target of 5% at the end of last year. Permission to write off the bad loans is a once-off offer that will only apply until the end of this year.

Popular Nigerian blogger released by EFCC

A prominent news blogger in Nigeria has been freed on bail following his arrest on Monday for "offences bordering on cyber-stalking".

Abubakar Sidiq Usman's arrest by the anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was widely condemned in Nigeria.

His supporters launched a #FreeAbusidiq campaign on Twitter.

Last week, Mr Usman published allegations that EFCC acting chairman Ibrahim Magu was bullying his staff.

Mr Magu has not yet commented on the allegation.

An EFCC spokesman confirmed to the BBC that Mr Usman had been released on bail.

Mr Usman was grateful to Nigerians for speaking out against his detention of more than 36 hours, his lawyer Michael Bello told the local Premium Times newspaper.

His bail conditions required him to "make himself available to the EFCC whenever he received an invitation".

Mr Usman is an extremely popular blogger and a strong backer of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He is also a founding member of the youth wing of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement posted on its Facebook account after he was detained, the APC youth wing said he was being held on "spurious charges".

The EFCC was formed to investigate financial crimes and had overstepped its jurisdiction by detaining him, it said.

Mr Usman is the third blogger to be arrested in Nigeria since the Cyber Crime Act came into force in 2015, the Premium Times reported.

BBC

Related story: Nigeria arrests popular blogger

UK launches 24-hour visa application service in Nigeria

The UK has launched Super Priority Visa Service in Nigeria to allow customers to process their applications within 24 hours.

The British High Commission, on its website, said the new service was to particularly meet the needs of those who required urgent service to travel.

The High Commission quoted the British High Commissioner, Paul Arkwright, as welcoming the introduction of the Super Priority Visa service in Nigeria.

"I am pleased to see the Super Priority Visa service being launched in Nigeria.

"This comes with an additional cost but is designed to give greater flexibility to our customers and underlines our strong commitment to make improvements to the visa services we offer.

"We expect this new service to be particularly useful for business. We understand that business opportunities and urgent requirements can arise at very short notice.

"We recognise this and want to facilitate such travel to the UK with this new super-fast service", Arkwright said.

The High Commission said the introduction of the service allowed customers greater flexibility to choose from a number of visa products to meet their needs.

"It is offered alongside our current Priority Visa (front of queue processing five to seven-day) and standard (15-day) services.

"The UK is the only European country to offer a visa decision in 24 hours.

"The Super Priority Visa service is aimed largely at key business customers and those needing to travel urgently by providing a visa decision for collection at the Visa Application Centre the working day following submission."

It said the service costs 750 Pounds in addition to the visa fee and would be available to eligible customers applying in the Abuja and Lagos Visa Application Centres.

The High Commission said those applying in the "Visitors" or "Points Based System Tier 4" are eligible to use the Super Priority Service.

It said appointments are available from Mondays to Thursday from 8.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and Fridays from 8.30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Abuja and Lagos centres only.

"Extending the Super Priority Visa service to Nigeria is another example of how the UK is leading the world in the provision of premium visa services for those coming to the UK to visit, do business or study."

AllAfrica

Columbia beat Nigeria 2-0 in Olympic men's football

Nigeria and Colombia were the first and second place teams respectively going into their match on Match Day 3 of the Olympic men’s soccer tournament.

Following Colombia's 2-0 win, that did not change as both teams advanced to the quarterfinals.

Colombia got out to an early lead as Teofilo Guitierrez opened the scoring for his team in the fourth minute.

Harold Preciado nearly doubled Colombia’s lead in the 19th minute, but Nigeria goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi made a reflex diving save to keep his side in it.

Nigeria had its best chance of the first half when Oghenekaro Etebo received the ball at the top of the box, but he dragged his shot wide of the goal.

In the 63rd minute Colombia’s Dorlan Pabon converted a penalty kick to double his team’s lead.

Colombia maintained its 2-0 lead for the rest of the second half to earn three points.

NBC

Video - CBN Says No Bias In Favour Of Worshippers

Video - Nigeria's currency traded at 350 to the dollar

The Naira lurched to an all-time low of 350 to the dollar in a single interbank market trade of 100,000 US dollars. A total of 3.1 million dollars had been traded by 1230 GMT. The currency has been in free fall since late June when the central bank decided to float it, ending a long untenable peg of 197 to the dollar.

Nigeria to offer free digital TV service

Nigeria will be the first African country to switch from analogue to free digital television – and it is looking to a small British company to roll it out.

Although several other African countries – including Rwanda and Tanzania – have migrated to digital and switched off their analogue signals, they work on a subscription model, so consumers have to pay.

The Nigerian government, though, is following the Freeview model pioneered in Britain, and is aiming to get 30 channels into 20m homes via subsidised digital set-top boxes that cost $7.50 (£5.70) each. Viewers will only have to pay for the boxes and a licence fee of $5 a year.

Because about 16 digital channels can fit in the space of an old analogue one, this will mean that a spectrum worth about $1bn is freed up. The government plans to sell it to mobile phone companies to feed Nigerians’ growing appetite for 3G and 4G.

The cost of subsidising the boxes and installing transmitters across the country is about $500m, which leaves another $500m profit. Nigeria needs this money to plug the holes in its budget caused by low oil prices and production, the latter caused by armed groups blowing up its pipelines.

“It’s a well-costed model, and the Nigerian government knows it works because they’ve already sold off some spectrum to MTN [a South Africa-based mobile telecoms firm] for $170m,” said Nick Markham, the chairman of Inview Technology, the British company launching FreeTV in Nigeria. “So basically there’s a payback, and this is what we’re telling all the different African governments.”

Inview is close to persuading Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ivory Coast to follow suit. There should be a domino effect, as digital signals in countries that make the switch interfere with their neighbours’ analogue signals.

The main competition, StarTimes, is Chinese, but it works differently. It offers African governments cheap loans in return for control of the television service under a pay-TV model.

FreeTV did its first launch in Jos, a city in central Nigeria, in May, and in November the analogue signal will be switched off.

There should be a knock-on effect on the local film industry – Markham estimated that Nollywood studios, which at the moment struggle with piracy, would get an extra $250m a year.

Some Nigerians have questioned whether the country will really be able to meet its target of switching off the analogue signal by next year, pointing out that the government has already missed targets in 2012 and 2015.

But others say it could be “the new telecoms” industry, as its 30m households means Nigeria is a bigger market than any of the countries that currently have free digital television. They welcome the potential jobs in manufacturing the boxes, advertising and TV production.

Guardian

Pele cancels trip to Nigeria

Football legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento popularly known as Pele will not visit Nigeria this month as earlier announced because of ill-health.

Pele had also withdrawn from the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics citing health reasons.

In a statement, the three-time Fifa World Cup winner said: "I'm not physically able to attend the opening of the Olympics."

"Only God is more important than my health. In my life, I've had fractures, surgeries, pain, hospital stays, victories and defeats. And I've always respected those who admire me."

He said it was "my own decision, as a Brazilian. I ask God to bless all who participate in this event."

That statement has also had an effect on his appearance in Nigeria scheduled for this week.

Organisers of the trip, the Winihin Jemide Series and the Youth Experience Days Africa apologised for the inconvenience in a statement and revealed future dates will be announced as soon as Pele is fit to make the trip to Nigeria.

“The Winihin Jemide Series & Youth Experience Days Africa have both chosen to postpone the 2016 WJS/YEDA LEGEND EDITION with Pelé due to reports of his ill health on Friday 5th, 2016,” the statement read.

“We are sorry that we have to disappoint the many Pelé fans and Legend Edition supporters at this time, who were looking forward to this event. As we pray for his speedy and full recovery, we believe that it would be inconsiderate for us to put his health at risk.

“Our ticketing platforms will be offering a full refund on all tickets purchased and new dates for the event will be announced over the course of the next few weeks. We hope the new dates are suitable for everyone.

“The decision to postpone the event did not come easily and we want to express gratitude to sponsors and stakeholders.”

Pele, who recently got married to his long-time girlfriend has scored over 1000 goals in his playing career and won the World Cup with Brazil in 1954, 1962 and 1970.

Supersport

Related story: Football Legend Pele set to visit Nigeria in August

Nigeria arrests popular blogger

Nigerians on Monday night resorted to using social media platform, Twitter, to call for the release of a ‘controversial’ blogger, Abubakar Sidiq Usman, who was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of ‘cyber stalking.’

The anti-corruption watchdog issued a statement on Monday on its official Facebook page confirming the arrest of Usman following repeated calls for his release after news of his arrest went around.

‘‘The suspect who is the publisher of Abusidiqu.com was picked up at his Kubwa, Abuja home in the early hours of Monday August 8, 2016 by operatives of the EFCC and is currently being questioned over the alleged offence which contravenes sections of the Cyber Crime Act,’‘ the EFCC confirmed.

The hashtag #FreeAbuSidiq has been vibrant on Nigeria’s twitter space since his detention. With some questioning whether it was within the remit of the EFCC to deal with ‘cyber stalking.’

Tweets with the hashtag expressed worry at the seeming undertone of gagging the media. Others chose to look at the lighter side of the situation given that Usman is seen as a pro-Buhari advocate. The leading opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also weighed in on the issue calling for his release.

Even though he had been granted administrative bail, some local media reported that he had failed to meet the conditions and was set to spend Monday night in custody of the EFCC.

AfricaNews

Sports minister apologizes for Nigeria olympic travel chaos

Nigeria's sports minister apologized to the Olympic men's soccer team and took responsibility Monday for the travel chaos that resulted in players arriving on the same day as their first game in Rio de Janeiro.

The team was delayed last week in Atlanta, with one official saying it was because they tried to buy plane tickets to Rio de Janeiro at the last minute and then found a charter plane was too small to carry the entire delegation.

They eventually all made it onto a chartered Delta Air Lines jet, arriving in the northern Brazilian city of Manaus about six hours before their first game at the Olympics against Japan on Thursday. Despite the issues, Nigeria won that game 5-4, and then beat Sweden 1-0 on Sunday to become the first team into the quarterfinals.

Sports minister Solomon Dalung took responsibility for what he called the "unfortunate incident" and said in a statement that he went into the team's dressing room after the Sweden game to apologize to players. He didn't give details on how the mess-up occurred.

"I want to assure you that we appreciate your efforts, and I want to say that it's when a man faces challenges that his true ability is tested," Dalung said. "I am sure we all have learnt our lessons and will take the lessons to heart going forward."

Delta said a "communications mix-up" had grounded an earlier flight the team was meant to take, but there were reports that the problem was because the Nigerian government hadn't paid for the original charter.

Nigeria's soccer team is regularly beset by problems, often involving money.

A dispute over bonus payments for players at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil led to them refusing to attend a training session and almost caused the Nigerian team to go on strike midway through the tournament. The team also arrived late for the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil — a World Cup warmup tournament — after problems over player payments.

Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel recently denied reports that he gave $30,000 of his own money to some of his teammates on the Olympic team as an incentive.

NBC

Militants kill 3 soldiers in Bayelsa state, Nigeria

Militants have killed three soldiers in Nigeria's southern Bayelsa state, in the latest violence in the restive oil region, the army said Tuesday.

Gunmen attacked an artillery unit at Nembe Jetty Monday morning, the army said in a statement.

"During the incident, three soldiers lost their lives," it said, adding that a manhunt has been launched.

Local media said the militants, who had been disguised as mourners to deceive the soldiers, also made off with gunboats and other military hardware as well as ammunition.

Residents of the area were said to be fleeing over fears of a reprisal attack by the military.

Since the start of the year, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) militant group has claimed a string of devastating attacks on oil pipelines and facilities in the volatile region.

Oil majors including Shell, Exxon, Chevron, Eni and the state-run oil group NNPC have been targeted.

The attacks have reduced Nigeria's output by a third, hammering government revenue at a time of global low oil prices.

The Avengers claim to seek a fairer share of Nigeria's oil wealth for residents of the region as well as self-determination and political autonomy. They have rejected a government truce.

Daily Star

Nigeria looks abroad for over $1 billion budget funding

According to the debt management office (DMO), the country is seeking two lead managers and a financial adviser to organise the issuance of $1 billion (N315 billion) of Eurobonds in 2015.

This is coming a few weeks after Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, informed Nigerians that the country would be borrowing from foreign sources in the third quarter of 2016.

“We have been borrowing largely from the domestic market because we needed to get the exchange rate sorted out to enable us to borrow from the international market. The international borrowings will begin to come in Q3,” Adeosun said in July.

The issuance of the bond is part of a $4.5 billion Nigeria global medium-term issuance programme, which is to run through 2018.

“The move will enable Nigeria to have the flexibility of quickly taking advantage of favourable market conditions in the international capital market to raise funds if and only when the need arises,” Bloomberg quoted the statement to have read.

The government is reported as seeking to appoint two international banks as joint lead managers and a local lender as financial adviser for the whole program.

With bids expected to be submitted by midday on September 19, the Eurobond sales would be the first since July 2013.

Nigeria is aiming at spending its way through one of the worst economic crisis in about three decades, with gross domestic product (GDP) projected in negative territories.

Nigeria’s GDP shrunk by 0.36 percent in the first quarter of 2016, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Nigeria is expected to borrow about $10 billion to fund the 2016 budget deficit, around N3 trillion.

The Cable

Video - Boko Haram leader Shekau dismisses reports of his replacement in the group

Boko Haram's shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau has appeared in a new video shrugging off an apparent split in the hard-line jihadist group. Last week, Shekau said in an audio message that he was still the head of Boko Haram despite his purported replacement by former Boko Haram spokesman, Sheikh Abu Musab al-Barnawi. Shekau ridiculed suggestions that he was dead, and looked more composed and energetic than in previous appearances.

Video - German Gernot Rohr set to become new Nigeria manager

Nigeria's national soccer federation has finally found a technical advisor to the national team, the Super Eagles. After French coach Paul Le Guen turned down their offer, the NFF says ex-Burkina Faso coach Gernot Rohr is the new man for the job.

Video - Nigerian women trafficked to Europe for prostitution at 'crisis level'

The trafficking of Nigerian women from Libya to Italy by boat is reaching “crisis” levels, with traffickers using migrant reception centres as holding pens for women who are then collected and forced into prostitution across Europe, the UN’s International Office for Migration (IOM) warns.

About 3,600 Nigerian women arrived by boat into Italy in the first six months of this year, almost double the number who were registered in the same time period last year, according to the IOM.

More than 80% of these women will be trafficked into prostitution in Italy and across Europe, it says.

“What we have seen this year is a crisis, it is absolutely unprecedented and is the most significant increase in the number of Nigerian women arriving in Italy for 10 years,” said Simona Moscarelli, anti-trafficking expert at the IOM.

“Our indicators are the majority of these women are being deliberately brought in for sexual exploitation purposes. There has been a big enhancement of criminal gangs and trafficking networks engaging in the sexual exploitation of younger and younger Nigerian girls.”

Although a thriving sex trafficking industry has been operating between Nigeria and Italy for over three decades, there has been a marked increase in the numbers of unaccompanied Nigerian women arriving in Italy on migrant boats from Libya. In 2014, about 1,500 Nigerian women arrived by sea. In 2015 this figure had increased to 5,633.

“Already we have seen nearly 4,000 women come in the first six months of this year,” said Moscarelli. “We are expecting the numbers to have increased again by the end of this year.”

She warned that the current policy of placing Nigerian women in reception centres along with thousands of other migrants was playing to the traffickers’ advantage, with women regularly going missing.

“There is little understanding of the dynamics and nature of this form of trafficking,” said Moscarelli.

“The reception centres are not good places for trafficked women. Just last week six girls went missing from a reception centre in Sicily, they were just picked up in a car and driven away.”

Nigerian women who are entering Italy among migrants on boats from Libya should be immediately identified and treated as trafficking victims. Instead of being processed in reception centres, they should be placed in specialist shelters where they can be given the advice and support needed to break the chain of sexual exploitation, she said.

“Most Nigerian women who arrive in Italy are already victims of trafficking, many have been subjected to serious sexual exploitation on their journey. Many are forced into prostitution in Libya,” said Moscarelli.

“The women we are seeing are increasingly young, many are unaccompanied minors when they arrive and the violence and exploitation they face when they are under the control of these gangs is getting worse. They are really treated like slaves.”

Salvatore Vella, the deputy chief prosecutor in Agrigento, Sicily, who led the first significant investigation of Nigerian trafficking rings in Italy in 2014, said that the reception centres are increasingly being used as pick-up points by those intending to exploit Nigerian women.

The Nigerian women are given a phone number when they leave Nigeria, which they use to inform a contact in Italy that they have arrived.

“The mobsters just come to the camp and pick [women] up,” he says. “As easy as going to a grocery store. That’s what these women are treated like, objects to trade, buy, exploit and resell and the reception centres are acting as a sort of warehouse where these girls are temporarily stocked.

“They wait until the woman has her residence permit or refugee status document and then they just go and pick her up.”

Many Nigerian women arrive in Italy with debts of about £40,000 for their journey from Nigeria to Italy, which they are expected to pay back.

Nigerian trafficking gangs use a toxic mix of false promises of legitimate employment and traditional “juju” ceremonies to recruit and gain psychological control over their victims.

The women are led to believe that terrible things will happen to their families if they fail to honour their debts. They are then forced into prostitution on streets and brothels across Europe.

“Currently the shelters and services we have for those women we manage to identify are at breaking point,” said Moscarelli.

“We must give police prosecutors the financial resources to tackle the traffickers and improve access to legal services if we have any chance of reducing the numbers coming in.”

Guardian

Related story: Nigeria's international sex-trafficking ring

Argentina beats Nigeria 94-66 in Olympic Basketball

Perennial medal contenders Argentina eased past Nigeria 94-66 in each team’s Rio Olympic debut as Facundo Campazza scored 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point territory.

Manu Ginobili of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs added 12 points and the Brooklyn Nets’ Luis Scola 18 as the more experienced Argentines proved too much for the sloppy African qualifiers.

Argentina is the only country since 1988 to have won an Olympic basketball gold medal other than the USA.

They won in Athens in 2004 on the strength of their “golden generation” of core players including Ginobili, Scola and Andres Nocioni.

But with Ginobili now 39 and the other two 36 years old, time is running out for that decorated cadre to take home another medal.

Cheered on by a boisterous turnout of fans from their nearby homeland, which borders on Brazil, Argentina jumped out to an 11-0 lead.

They never looked back, using tough defence and superior ball movement to set up eight first-half three-pointers and take a 50-31 halftime lead.

More of the same followed in the second half, with the Argentines cruising to the final buzzer. They finished with 15 three-pointers.

Nigeria was led by Ikechukwu Diogu’s 15 points and 13 rebounds, and 14 points from Ebi Ere.

AFP

Nigeria beats Sweden 1-0 in Olympic football

In the first match of Group B play on Match Day 2, Nigeria defeated Sweden 1-0.

Nigeria started on the front foot, holding possession and putting pressure on Sweden’s defense. Nigeria almost took the lead as forward Sadiq Umar gotin on goal against Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Linde, but the keeper was up to the challenge.

In the 23rd minute Sweden had its best scoring opportunities of the first half as Mikael Ishak made a run behind Nigeria’s backline, but his volley attempt went wide of the goal.

Sweden had few chances the rest of the half as Nigeria established control in the match.

Nigeria’s Oghenekaro Etebo, who had four goals in his team’s first Olympic match, had a golden opportunity in the 36th minute. Imoh Ezekiel found Etebo wide open in the box, but he sent his header just over the crossbar.

Just a few minutes later Umar put Nigeria in front. Stanley Amuzie sent in a curling cross to Umar who placed his header past Linde.

Early on in the second half Sweden’s Linde was forced into multiple diving saves to prevent Nigeria from building on its lead.

First, Nigerian captain John Obi Mikel sent a hard strike toward the goal. Then, minutes later, Linde got his fingertips to an Etebo shot that was heading for goal.

Despite the small margin of victory, Nigeria dominated Sweden throughout. Nigeria had 10 shots on goal compared to Sweden's one and held 56 percent of the possession.

Nigeria now has six points and is in a great position to advance to the quarterfinals. Sweden remains at one point.

Next up for Nigeria is its final group stage match against Colombia on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. ET. Sweden plays its next match on the same day and time against Japan.

NBC

Video - Nigerian government resumes monthly stipend to ex-militants

President Muhammad Buhari has met his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan to discuss how to pacify Niger Delta militants. The former president has cautioned against calls for the Niger Delta to break away from the country.

Nigeria lose U17 football squad after failing age test

Nigeria have been forced to make last-minute changes to their U17 squad as a 26 first team players failed their mandatory age tests ahead of Saturday’s crucial qualifier against Niger.

The Golden Eaglets have been severely depleted as ALL the starting players have now been disqualified following the compulsory MRI tests.

This coaches must now recall the remaining 24 players who were part of the original 60 players in camp.

The 26 players rocked by the scandal have already left the team’s camp.

Nigeria are five-time FIFA U17 World Cup winners.

Meanwhile, midfielder Abduljabar Sani has been named as captain of the team.

TVCNEWS

ISIS imposes new leader on Boko Haram

Two of the purported leaders of Boko Haram are apparently pitted against each other in a power struggle within Islamic State’s west African affiliate.

Isis announced on Tuesday that the group that has ravaged northern Nigeria for the past seven years had a new leader – Abu Musab al-Barnawi. An Isis magazine carried an interview with him and said he was previously a Boko Haram spokesman.

However an audio message apparently recorded by Abubakar Shekau, the long-time leader of Boko Haram, who has appeared in many of its videos, was released on Thursday denying al-Barnawi’s claim. In the recording, a man who said he was Shekau said that he was still in control of the armed terrorists whose most notorious crime was the abduction of about 300 schoolgirls from their dormitory two years ago, leading to the Bring Back Our Girls campaign headed by Michelle Obama.

Shekau has overseen the brutal and bloody growth of the group: since he became Boko Haram’s leader in 2009 more than 20,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million driven from their homes. Thousands have been raped, abducted and enslaved.

According to some analysts, Isis rejected Shekau because of Boko Haram’s deadly attacks on Muslims. More than 40 people were killed in a attack in July last year on a mosque and a Muslim restaurant in the central city of Jos in one of a spate of incidents.

Boko Haram announced in March last year that it was Isis’s west African affiliate, switching allegiance from al-Qaida.

In the recording released on Thursday, the man purporting to be Shekau said that al-Barnawi was “an infidel” preaching “false creeds”. He said Isis’s announcement was a coup. “Today, I woke up to see one who is an infidel whom they want me to follow. No, I won’t … We cannot subject ourselves to people who are in ignorance of all holy books and teachings,” he said in a speech, which was posted on social media.

In the struggle for control, Boko Haram factions could turn on each other, further splitting the insurgents who have been beaten back from their strongholds in northern Nigeria over the past year, mainly since the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

An audio message that has been circulating in Maiduguri, Boko Haram’s “spiritual home”, says that the group’s third-in-command, a man known as Mamanmunari, had reported Shekau to the head of Isis for “killing his own members, particularly commanders, who are fighting for him just because they questions his attacks on mosques and markets … they tried to persuade Shekau to desist from giving orders to kill their fellow Muslims … but Shekau refuses.”

This message is believed to have led to the Isis announcement.

Freedom Onuha, of the National Defence College, was among experts who warned that it was difficult to verify that it really was Shekau speaking in the recording. However, he said he was not surprised that Isis would want to replace him. “Most of his members frown at the move to kill fellow Muslims. They, being the moderates, believe that any Muslims should not be targeted, unlike Shekau, who has never hidden that he is of the Takfir. Takfirism is a dangerous strand of salafi jihadi ideology.”

A UN security expert based in Maiduguri said that “massive movement” of the group around the borders between Nigeria, Chad and Niger in the past few weeks and new attacks on the army and a UN convoy suggested that its top echelons have been reorganised. “This suggests that there has been some renewed vigour in them. So it wouldn’t be a surprise that the leadership has changed,” he said.

Guardian

Video - Nigeria vs Japan highlights in Rio 2016 Olympics

After traveling the day of the game to Manaus due to an incredible traveling snafu, Nigeria beat Japan 5-4 on Thursday night in a crazy Group B showdown.

Japan had the first opportunity of the match in the 3rd minute. After nice link up play down the left side of the pitch, Hiroki Fujiharu curled in a cross to the backpost that midfielder Ryota Ohshima directed first time on goal.

No more than two minutes later, however, Nigeria would take the lead 1-0. Imoh Ezekiel turned his defender inside the penalty area and fired a shot on goal that was parried away by Japan goalie Masatoshi Kushibiki but right to the feet Sadiq Umar who tapped home the rebound.

Nigeria’s lead wouldn’t last long as defender Stanley Amuzie clumsily fouled a Japanese attacker in the penalty area in the 7th minute. Forward Shinzo Koroki promptly buried the penalty kick to even the match at 1-1.

However, the tie game wouldn’t last long. Nigerian defender Abdullahi Shehu broke free down the right side and lofted a long cross into the penalty area that was magnificently controlled and finished by forward Etebo.

But it seemed as though defending would be at a premium in this game as Japan would level things just two minutes later. Takumi Minamino took a weighted pass in stride towards goal and swiftly slotted the ball through Nigerian goalie Daniel Emmanuel’s legs. After only thirteen minutes, the contest was squared up at 2-2.

In the 19th minute, Amuzie ventured forward and rifled a long range shot that was pushed out for a corner kick by Kushibiki.

After a period of four goals in five minutes, the game settled down with both teams having spells of play in each others' ends of the field. However, out of virtually nothing, the back of the net would be struck again by Nigeria. On the stroke of halftime, Etebo would score his second goal of the game and give Nigeria a 3-2 lead as he capitalized on a failed clearance by a Japanese defender from six yards out.

That would be the final action of a crazy first half with the "Super Eagles" ahead 3-2 going into the interval.

Less than five minutes into the second half, Nigeria would earn a penalty after Umar was dragged down in the box by a Japanese defender. Etebo stepped up and ferociously completed his hat-trick, blasting the ball past Kushibiki to give his team a 4-2 lead.

As the game progressed, Nigeria's confidence continued to grow. Evidenced by spells of strong possession and attractive attacking movements, the Africans' grip on the game became stronger. A fifth goal was in the cards and that came in the 66th minute from Etebo, who impressively notched his fourth goal of the game. John Obi Mikel's cross was cleared by Kushibiki after he raced out of his net but it went right to the feet of Etebo, who then deposited the ball into the vacant net for the 5-2 lead.

After giving up three straight goals, Japan would get a goal back in the 70th minute after Fujiharu broke down the left side and slid a pass across the face of goal to Takuma Asano, who then cleverly backheeled the ball into the net to cut the scoreline to 5-3.

Japan pressed further in the final twenty minutes of the contest and were able to unlock the Nigerian defense one last time in stoppage time. Musashi Suzuku curled a shot from inside the box past Emmanuel Daniel after twisting his defender to shrink Nigeria's lead to one. And that was that. In perhaps the wildest game of the day, Nigeria emerged victorious over Japan 5-4.

The 2015 U-23 African Cup of Nations champions are now in first place in Group B, with Colombia and Sweden tied for second, and Japan in last place.

Nigeria’s next game is against Sweden on Sunday at 6pm in Manaus while Japan duels with Colombia at 9pm at the same venue.

NBC

Video - Nigeria army accepts inquiry's recommendations on murder of Shia Muslims

Nigeria's military says it will prosecute soldiers involved in the Zaria killings. At least 3-hundred and-49 people were killed in clashes in the northern city last December -- most of them dumped in mass graves. A judicial inquiry has found the troops used excessive force, and should be prosecuted.