Psychic pig predicts Nigeria will reach the semi-finals in the World Cup

The psychic pig Mystic Marcus that predicted President Donald Trump’s victory has picked Nigeria, Argentina as semi-finalists for the 2018 World Cup. The psychic pig which has a history of sniffing out a winner – and is hoping to continue his unbroken record for this summer’s World Cup, thesportsbay reports.

Mystic Marcus has a 100 per cent track record of predicting sports results according to his owner Juliette Stevens.

The black micro pig has previously guessed the winner of the 2014 World Cup and the Wimbledon tennis finals by picking apples. With bad news for England fans, Mystic Marcus expects Belgium, Argentina, Nigeria and Uruguay to make it through. Farmer and micro pig breeder Juliette from Heage, Derbyshire, said: ‘Marcus is the seventh child of a seventh child and apparently they’re gifted with special powers so maybe that’s where it comes from. ‘A few years ago I was invited on a radio show because of Paul the octopus predicting results and they wanted to see if I had any animals that had the ability. ‘I hadn’t tried the seventh child theory out so thought I’d give it a go.’

Vanguard

Nigeria to recover $500 million from Abacha loot

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) rose from its weekly meeting in the State House Abuja Wednesday with cheery news of the forthcoming repatriation of $500 million loot from United Kingdom, United States and France to Nigeria.

The money was part of the huge sums stolen by the former despotic leader, Gen. Sani Abacha.

Making the disclosure while briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami, said the move was the fallout of negotiations between the federal government and the three countries.

According to him, the expected sum is coming barely a few months after the repatriation of $322 million Abacha loot to Nigeria from Switzerland following an agreement signed by Nigeria and Switzerland.

Malami, who said the processes leading to the repatriation and the aftermath were reported to the council Wednesday, also disclosed that the council approved the payment of N500 million as legal fee to lawyers engaged in the litigation between the federal government and MTN over the N1 trillion fine imposed on the latter by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).

"The council approved the payment of professional fees to lawyers engaged by the federal government relating to the MTN case instituted against the federal government in pursuance of penalty of over N1 trillion imposed by the government on MTN.

"MTN, as you will recall, instituted a case seeking to retrain the federal government from recovering the over N1 trillion imposed on it. The federal government engaged the services of lawyers to put up defence on its behalf. As a result, the case was eventually settled by the parties amicably and arising from that settlement the lawyers were entitled to their fees.

"The federal government has now sanctioned the payment of N500 million for the N330 billion agreed upon for the alleged certain breaches in their operations. This amount is less than one per cent of the fee instead of the internationally recognised fee which is pegged at five per cent.


"Finally was a report on the global forum on assets recovery. You will recall that in December 2017, the federal government participated in global forum on asset recovery in Washington DC and during that forum, Nigeria and Switzerland signed agreement that paved the way for the repatriation of $322 million relating to looted assets and on the account of that the amount was eventually repatriated back to Nigeria.

"What transpired was only reported back to the council today. The report today was not only about the signing of the agreement but the report of the eventual repatriation of the amount of money that was signed and agreed to be repatriated during the forum.


"Nigeria has also engaged other countries including the UK, US, France and others in further negotiations relating to repatriation and I am happy to report that we are almost concluding the processes relating to the repatriation of additional $500 million," Malami said.

Malami also responded to questions on the legality and legitimacy of the declaration of June 12 as a public holiday, as well as the conferment of posthumous awards on the late Chief MKO Abiola and Chief Gani Fawehinmi as well as Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe.

The president had on June 6, proclaimed June 12 as the new Democracy Day, replacing the hitherto May 29 Democracy in acknowledgement of June 12, 1993 presidential election described as the freest and fairest in Nigeria's history and won by the late business magnate, Chief MKO Abiola, but unjustly annulled by former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida.

Consequently, the president conferred the highest honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on Abiola on Tuesday.

He also conferred the award of the Grand Commander of the Order of Nigeria (GCON) on Abiola's running mate, Kingibe, and Chief Gani Fawehinmi posthumously in recognition of his gallant fight for the actualisation of June 12 mandate.

But the moves had been criticised by some Nigerians who argued that the president lacked the power to proclaim June 12 as public holiday without amending Public Holidays Act to pave the way for the replacement of May 29 with June 12 as the new Democracy Day.

The president was also criticised for unilaterally conferring the national honours on the recipients without consulting the National Council of State.

But Malami in his defence, said the president was only duty bound to consult the Governing Board in relation to the conferment of the National Merit Award, insisting that there is no law compelling the president to make any consultation before conferring national honours on anyone.

Malami also stated that it was not the first time that a posthumous national honours award was conferred on anyone, pointing out that former Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, had once been posthumously honoured.

However, he admitted that Public Holidays Act needed to be amended before June 12 Democracy Day can come into effect as a public holiday. Consequently, he said the process of amending the Act had already been put in place and the declaration would not be effective until the amendment is concluded.

"National Merit Award Act and the Nigerian National Honours Act are two distinct and different applicable laws as far as National honours awards are concerned. You have the National Merit Award on the strength of which we have the law of the governing board come into effect and then as it relates to the National Honours Act, the board does not have any relevance in terms of processing of the honours.

"Above all, we equally have in existence, a precedent as it relates to the award of posthumous honours. I can recall that a former Head of State, General Muhammed was equally honoured posthumously, among others.

"As it relates to public holidays, there is truly a Public Holidays Act, but it is about the process of amendment. At any rate, the Act can be amended and the process of amendment has been put in place.

"So, when the Act has been fully amended, the declaration of the President will come into effect. It is a declaration of intention, a declaration of desire and that will eventually be given effect with the act of amendment of the existing law," he said.

This Day

Inflation in Nigeria declines to 11.61%

For the 16th month, inflation rate continued a downward trajectory, declining from 12.48 per cent in April to 11.61 per cent in May.

This is just as the US Federal Reserve Wednesday hiked its benchmark short-term interest rate a quarter percentage point and indicated that two more increases are likely this year.

The Fed pushed interest rate to a range of 1.75 per cent to two per cent and this may have negative effect on capital flows to Nigeria and may compel the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to maintain its tight monetary policy stance.

THISDAY had reported on Monday that Nigeria’s external reserves has maintained a sustained decline in the past three weeks as foreign portfolio investors (FPI) continued to weigh the possibility that the US Fed would raise interest rate at its meetingWednesday.

Meanwhile, the latest inflation figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation stood at 11.61 per cent (year-on-year) in May 2018, saying: “This is 0.87 per cent points less than the rate recorded in April 2018 (13.34) per cent. “

However, by this claim, the NBS inadvertently contradicted itself, having put the inflation rate for April at 12.48 per cent last month, contrary to its latest report alluding to April inflation rate as 13.34 per cent.

But a closer look at the info graph contained in the report reflected the accurate rate for April.

The statistical agency stated that in the May figures, increases were recorded in all Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yield the headline index.

COICOP is a classification and analysis of individual consumption expenditures incurred by households, non-profit institutions serving households and government according to their purpose.

It includes categories such as clothing and footwear, housing, water, electricity.

On a month-on-month basis, the Headline Index increased by 1.09 per cent in May 2018, up by 0.26 percentage points over the rate recorded in April 2018.

The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12 months period ending May 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous 12 months period was 14.79 per cent, indicating a 0.41 percentage point decline from 15.20 per cent posted in April 2018.

The composite food index rose by 13.45 per cent in May 2018.

This rise in the index was caused by increases in prices of potatoes, yam and other tubers, vegetables, fish, bread and cereals, fruits and meat.

On month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.33 per cent in May 2018, up by 0.42 percentage points from 0.91 per cent recorded in April.

The average annual rate of change of the food sub-index for the 12-month period ending May 2018 over the previous 12-month average was 18.36 per cent, 0.53 per cent points from the average annual rate of change recorded in April (18.89) per cent.

The ”all items less farm produce” or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 10.7 per cent in May 2018, down by 0.2 per cent from the rate recorded in April (10.9) per cent.

On month-on-month basis, the core sub-index increased by 0.98 per cent in May 2018.

This was up by 0.11 per cent when compared with 0.87 per cent recorded in April.

The highest increases were recorded in prices of hairdressing saloons and personal grooming establishment, vehicle spare parts, fuels and lubricants for transport equipment, books and stationery, domestic services and household services, pharmaceutical products, paramedical services, medical services and passenger transport by road.

The average 12-month annual rate of change of the index was 11.83 per cent for the 12-month period ending May 2018; this is 0.19 per cent points lower than 12.02 per cent recorded in April.

Also, all items inflation on year on year basis was highest in Kebbi (14.65 per cent), Yobe (13.68 per cent) Jigawa (13.62 per cent), while Kwara (8.87 per cent), Kogi (9.07 per cent) and Delta (9.22 per cent) recorded the slowest rise in headline year- on -year inflation.

Month-on-month basis however, May 2018 all items inflation was highest in Adamawa (1.98 per cent), Kwara (1.79), and Kaduna (1.70 per cent), while Kogi (0.02 per cent), Lagos and Ogun (0.52 per cent) and Cross River (0.56 per cent) recorded slowest rise on a month- on-month all item basis in May 2018.

In May 2018, food inflation on a year-on-year basis was highest in Yobe (15.86 per cent), Kebbi (15.62 per cent) and Jigawa (15.56 per cent), while Kogi (8.54 per cent), Benue (9.93 per cent) and Akwa Ibom (11.13 per cent) recorded the slowest rise in food inflation.

On month-on-month basis, however, May 2018 food inflation was highest in Taraba (2.80 per cent), Adamawa (2.38 per cent) and Enugu (2.36 per cent), while Kogi, Oyo and Ekiti all recorded food price deflation or negative inflation (general decrease in the general price level of goods and services or a negative inflation rate) in May 2018.

The Federal Reserve hiked its benchmark short-term interest rate a quarter percentage point Wednesday and indicated that two more increases are likely this year.

The move pushes the funds rate target to 1.75 per cent to 2 per cent. The rate is closely tied to consumer debt, particularly credit cards, home equity lines of credit and other adjustable-rate instruments.

In an unusually terse statement that ran just 320 words, the Federal Open Market Committee changed multiple phrases from its previous missives, pointing to a more optimistic view on economic growth and higher inflation expectations.

Though the statement contained less than half the words of some of the committee’s typical communiques, there was a lot to unpack in the language.

This Day

Nigeria is the most stylish team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup

The World Cup has not started yet and Nigeria has already won -- for being the most stylish team in Russia.

It started with the fan frenzy to to buy the Nigeria Nike-designed World Cup kit, which sold out globally on the day it was released, with queues snaking round the block outside the Nike store on London's Regent Street.

Football fans queue outside Nike store in Oxford, London for the newly released Nigerian kits designed by Nike for the 2018 World Cup on June 1, 2018.

Nigeria had heads turning again for the team's outfits as they arrived in style ahead of the tournament in Russia. 

Fans are talking about their stunning white and green ensemble set off with a matching hat, worn at a jaunty angle.

The Super Eagles, as the team is known, arrived looking crisp in starched white traditional attire, known locally as the kaftan.

The knee-length white shirt was embroidered with a green eagle representing the country's green, white, green colors.

 
Social media was quick to react after the National Football Federation shared the images online.
There was so much chatter online that Twitter dedicated a 'moment' to it.

Twitter user Kirekaboy wrote: "Has anybody seen how the Nigerian team was dressed as they landed in Russia?...I have never seen a people so proud of their culture." While another wrote: "Nigeria's World Cup squad rocking that slick cricket umpire meets confident gospel choir singer look. Just give these guys the trophy now." 

There's no denying the love for the Nigerian players' outfits as they prepare for the start of the World Cup tournament on June 14. 

Nigeria's Nike-designed kit was voted the best of the World Cup in several polls, including UK broadcaster Sky. 

International men's magazine GQ also voted the Super Eagles strip top the best of all the 32 teams in Russia. 

The highly-sought after kit received three million pre-orders before it's release, according to Nigerian Football Federation.

'Nigerian swagger'

Design director Peter Hopkins told Fader magazine that the Nigerian team's confidence inspired him in his designs for the kit which has a bold neon green pattern that echoes the pattern of eagle wing feathers.

He said: "There's a confidence in all these young players, they're going to go for it and we were attracted to that."

"We've been following them from afar, and the players on social media...a lot of them are playing in some of the top clubs in Europe, and there's that boldness that aligns in Nigeria and Lagos and in London.

"We thought that there's something in here to do something different," Hopkins added. 

The kit has also been the subject of intense discussions in Nigeria where some people thought the football federation had missed an opportunity to boost local manufacturing.

One prominent politician said outsourcing the kits to be produced outside the country contradicted the Nigerian government's plans to expand and encourage production of 'Made in Nigeria' goods.
Senator Ben Bruce said the country could have made $100 million if the kit was made in Nigerian factories. 

The lawmaker said,"Just imagine if those 3 million Nigerian Super Eagles jerseys were made by a firm in Aba (a Nigerian state famed for local manufacturing) rather than Nike. Aba tailors have the capacity to produce them. 

"We just lost an opportunity to infuse at least $100 million into the Nigerian economy and provide jobs for our youths," he said.

Made by Nigeria for Nigerians

However, some enterprising young Nigerians have seized the initiative and are looking to cash in on the vacuum created by the sold out official Nike jerseys. 

One example is the 'Unity Collection," created by Chekwas Okafor, founder of e-commerce site OnChek in collaboration with designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal of Orange Culture and footwear designer Shem Paronelli.

The designers said they wanted to pay homage to the Super Eagles with their version of the jersey.
Okafor told CNN he conceived the idea to make jerseys for the national team back in 2014 when he noticed that Nigerian creatives were not active in the sports industry.

 
"My goal was to show that we can leverage our creative industry to make products like jerseys. We only stocks brands on our site that make their products in Africa. I also want to show that we could make similar products in Nigeria, in large scale," he says. 

The Unity kit is more than a jersey, it is also a medium to tell the Nigerian story, he adds.
"The Unity collection is made up of many parts, it tells a story of differences, cultures, traditions, and dialects. It's a story about the one thing that brings us together. A story about unity. The story of Nigeria."

CNN

Video - Muslim group offended by 'This is Nigeria' music video content

A muslim group has voiced concerns about the popular 'This is Nigeria' video by music artist Falz. The video, a spin on U.S. artist, Childish Gambino's "This is America", has been trending in the country for weeks now. But Muslims have taken offense with a part of the video that shows Chibok girls doing a popular dance move known as 'Shaku Shaku' and wants it removed. They also want an apology from the artist.

World Cup child trafficking bid caught by Nigerian authorities

Nigerian authorities say they have rescued nine young girls and one boy who were being trafficked to Russia.

Five suspects, including a policeman and a quarantine officer, were arrested for allegedly facilitating their travel, the government agency fighting trafficking says.

The victims were found while trying to board a plane from Lagos to Moscow.

They had football supporter ID cards in order to look as though they were fans heading to the World Cup in Russia.

The children, who were unaccompanied, are now in a shelter for victims of trafficking which run by the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (Naptip).

Five other potential victims, also children, were stopped from boarding a flight to Russia when staff noticed they had one-way tickets.

Criminals have been pressurising young Nigerians and their parents to take advantage of the World Cup to get Russian visas, Naptip says.

It warns that, once out of the country, the victims would be exploited by traffickers.

Many victims of trafficking from Africa to Europe come from Nigeria.

According to the UN's agency for migration, most of the potential sex trafficking victims arriving in Italy by sea are Nigerian.

BBC

Nigerians mourn the passing of reggae star Ras Kimono

Nigerian reggae singer Ras Kimono has died aged 60, after a short illness. 

Born Ukeleke Elumelu Onwubuya, Ras Kimono, alongside his Massive Dread Band, won several awards and was prominent in the Nigerian music scene for his socially-conscious lyrics.

 
Kimono's music addressed the country's various socio-political problems and his debut album 'Under Pressure,' was a huge hit in the Nigerian music scene in the late 80s. 

Kimono also addressed the ills of South Africa's apartheid regime through his song 'Kill Apartheid.'
The reggae singer, who recently celebrated his birthday, died on Sunday morning after taking ill ahead of a scheduled trip to the US, according to local media. 

Many Nigerians, such as lawmaker Shehu Sani, took to social media to pay tribute to the music star.
Sani spoke of Kimono's impact in tackling injustice through his music. 

"Ras Kimono.. made an immeasurable contribution in the field of arts. He used music for political awakening. He was not a praise singer for the establishment. His songs were for the poor and for his country. Adieu," Sani wrote on Twitter.

Nigerian musicians tend to avoid political commentary, partly due to an ingrained fear of persecution from the powerful ruling class. 

One notable exception was legendary Afrobeats star Fela Kuti who frequently clashed with Nigeria's military regime -- at huge personal cost to him. 

Another senator, Ben Murray Bruce also paid tribute to Kimono on Twitter, writing: "I feel so sad hearing about the death of reggae legend Ras Kimono. He redefined the face of music and there will be none like him. He will be dearly missed."

Others recalled how Kimono's music was a part of their childhood and a staple of birthday parties growing up.

CNN

Video - Nigerian chef hosts web series on Iftar dishes

A popular Nigerian chef, Akanji Abiola, is hosting a daily web series tagged "IftarWithChefStone." It is specifically for the month of Ramadan. The series has over 2,000 online subscribers and features a fusion of Nigerian and international dishes. The easy to make meals are a healthy way to start and end each day, during the fasting season. The shows are recorded and posted on various social media platforms.

30 people kidnapped by bandits in northern Nigeria - 2 killed

More than 30 people have been abducted and two killed by armed bandits in several attacks on a highway in northern Nigeria’s Kaduna state, local officials said Saturday. The attacks are the latest in a spate of kidnappings for ransom in the Birnin Gwari district over the last two months.

“Around 6.25 pm (1725 GMT) on Friday, 22 people were kidnapped by armed bandits along Birnin Gwari highway, between Udawa and Labi villages”, said Isah Muhammad Galadima, spokesman for local traditional ruler the Emir of Birnin Gwari. 

“The bandits, who carried heavy weapons on motorbikes, intercepted seven vehicles and kidnapped everybody, even a young mother with her baby,” Galadima told AFP. “Earlier on Friday, another 10 people were also kidnapped along this highway by the armed bandits.” 

He added that the bandits had contacted the husband of the kidnapped young mother and asked him to pay a ransom for his wife and baby’s release. 

Two local officials confirmed that “at least 30 people” were abducted on the highway, adding that two people were also killed. “Two passengers were killed and six others were injured from gunshots. The injured are now in hospital in Udawa village,” said Danladi Haruna, head of the National Union of Road Transport Workers’ Birnin Gwari branch. Yusuf Abdullahi Udawa, spokesman for the union’s Udawa branch, said that “when the vehicles stopped (the bandits) took away 30 passengers that were not affected by the shootings”. 

“The new strategy the gunmen employ is to open fire on on-coming vehicles, forcing them to stop or veer off the road and crash in the bush,” he said. “There are few policemen manning few checkpoints on the highway. They just flee when heavily armed gangs open fire instead of facing them.” In early May, about 100 people were abducted in just two days on another road in the Birnin Gwari region, where kidnappings have reached unprecedented levels. 

The gangs, who roam on motorcycles on the hunt for victims, are known to operate in northern Kaduna and Zamfara state. Kidnapping for ransom used to be a phenomenon isolated to oil-rich southern Nigeria. But it has spread further north and become lucrative due to economic hardship. Abductees are often released within days if the ransom is paid — if not, they are killed, according to security sources.

Vanguard

Video - Fears over pay overshadow Nigeria's World Cup campaign

Nigeria kick off their World Cup campaign on Saturday, when they face Croatia in Group D. The players from the West African nation will be hoping to focus on their performances without having to worry about the possibility of not being paid properly. Team officials say they want to avoid a repeat of what happened during the last World Cup in 2014, when Nigerian players refused to train ahead of their match over a pay dispute. They have promised prompt payment of allowances this time, promises that officials failed to keep in the past.

UK to deport gay Nigerian asylum seeker

A Nigerian asylum seeker who fled to Britain to avoid prosecution for being gay is facing deportation after being held for six months in an immigration detention centre.

The threat hanging over Adeniyi Raji, 43, who received death threats on social media, highlights the increasing number of claims to the Home Office by individuals from countries where homosexuality is outlawed.

In Nigeria, homosexual acts are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Gay marriage and displays of same-sex affection are also outlawed. After Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is the country that produces the largest number of asylum claims based on sexual orientation.

Home Office figures published last year show there were 362 such applications from Nigerians in the 21 months from July 2015 to March 2017. Of those, only 63 were allowed to remain in the UK after a tribunal hearing; the rest, 81%, were refused permission to stay.

Raji fled the city of Lagos and arrived at Heathrow airport in November. He claimed asylum and was immediately detained, being held at Harmondsworth and Tinsley House detention centres. He was recently given bail and released from detention.

“I decided to come to the UK to seek refuge and humanitarian protection [because] my life was in danger in Nigeria,” he told the Guardian.

“I was attacked on several occasions. [My] ex-wife caught me and my former partner in bed. As soon as she saw us, she immediately raised the alarm. People gathered and started beating us severely. After that, she divorced me.”

His employer in Lagos sacked him for being gay. “The Nigerian police started publishing my pictures and my name in the Nigerian national dailies,” he added. “They kept saying that anyone who has useful information that could lead to my arrest should come forward [so that I can] face the wrath of the land as a result of my sexual orientations.”

Threats against him on on social media in Nigeria included comments such as: “I really wish you were killed that very day …”, “You know gay practice is an abomination in our land …”, and “You better stop your gay practice, if not you could get yourself killed in this country”.

A first-tier immigration tribunal has rejected his asylum application. He is appealing against that decision.

Bisi Alimi, a Nigerian-born British citizen who runs a UK-based campaign supporting LGBT rights in his home country, criticised the Home Office’s treatment of gay asylum seekers. “They are often treated as liars. It becomes their responsibility to prove that they are gay and that that will put their lives at risk,” he said.

“In Nigeria, people put a tyre around your neck and burn you, and no one cares; or beat you until you die, and no one cares. The Home Office doesn’t believe in the impact of threats from non-state actors.

“Most of the time it’s difficult to prove [anyone is gay] because they live their private lives in hiding. Most don’t have a life history [of being openly gay]. There’s been an increase in the number of Nigerians seeking asylum in the UK on the basis of their sexuality.”

Raji’s solicitor, Bhaveshri Patel-Chandegra, an immigration specialist at the law firm Duncan Lewis, said: “The court has looked at his case and nullified all his evidence that he is at serious risk if removed to Nigeria but there’s been no evidence that his documents aren’t genuine.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection and each claim is carefully considered on its individual merits.

“We have worked closely with organisations and charities, including Stonewall, the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group, and the UN high commissioner for refugees to improve our guidance and training for asylum caseworkers.”

Guardian

Video - Healthworkers return to work in Nigeria as negotiations with government continue

A Union of Paramedics who led a one and half month long strike to force a pay rise have agreed to resume work while negotiations continue with government. The protest had crippled health care service delivery and escalated fatalities across government hospitals in Nigeria.

Nigeria FIFA ranking drops to 48th ahead of 2018 World Cup

Nigeria have dropped to 48th in the FIFA's global rankings in June, a week away from the start of 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The west African country also dropped to the seventh place in Africa.

Nigeria were on the 47th spot and sixth position respectively in the FIFA rankings and continental football in April and May.

An official statement on FIFA's website on Thursday said the recent flurry of pre-FIFA World Cup friendlies left its mark on the latest rankings.

Nigeria's Super Eagles were beaten 1-0 by the Czech Republic on Wednesday, during a last pre-World Cup friendly played in Austria.

Last Saturday, the team also saw a defeat by the Three Lions of England. The match, played at the Wembley Stadium, ended 2-1.

Nigeria had played a 1-1 draw on home soil against DR Congo on May 28.

Nigeria's World Cup opponents Argentina, Croatia, and Iceland are on fifth, 20th and 22nd positions respectively in the FIFA rankings.

Nigeria will face Croatia on June 16 at the football's greatest showcase.

Xinhua

The story behind Nigeria's World Cup jersey craze

After the sort of long lead-up that can only accompany a once-every-four-years tourney, the World Cup will officially commence next week. Every sports angle's been dissected—which means we can turn to more important ideas, like the fact that the jerseys are, at long last, getting their official releases. And this go-round, undoubtedly the most exciting and anticipated of these jerseys belongs to Nigeria’s national team. 

The kits are a genuine fashion item: there are a couple versions but the favorite features an unripe-lime green in the body with white-and-black sleeves and jagged vertical stripes that are meant to resemble the wings of the team’s mascot, the Super Eagles (but look a little bit like Mario Kart turbo pads). The jersey looks less like a traditional soccer kit than a hyped-up sneaker—particularly the coveted Nike design seen on Acronym’s version of the Vapormax. And the response has been fitting: the jersey has been near-unanimously considered the coolest of this year’s crop ever since it was unveiled in February, and it’s turned from a piece of athletic gear to rarest-provenance streetwear.

Since that February reveal, the jersey’s picked up an alleged three million pre-orders (more on that later), sold out at Supreme box logo speeds, and is now reselling like one of those BOGO tees on the secondary market. Every day ultra-limited sneakers and items from hyped up streetwear brands trade back and forth on secondary platforms like Grailed or StockX, but it’s unusual for a soccer jersey to find its way onto the secondary market. In a World Cup cycle that’s also seen themed releases from Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones, one of the coolest pieces of tournament gear is a regular-degular jersey. How did that happen?

Great design, to start. But once everyone caught on to the jersey’s appeal—especially in comparison to something like England’s jersey, plain white with a badge on the breast, which was revealed alongside Nigeria’s kit—the shirt was sent through the hype machine. Twitter users were enamored with the jersey and started spreading images of it around, it got picked up on streetwear blogs, and was worn by grime star and stylish man Skepta months before going on sale to the general public. 

Then Nike came out and announced that three million people had already bought the jerseys before they were even released. As Quartz notes, analysts were skeptical of those figures since there wasn’t any apparent way to even buy the kits when that was announced—and three million is more than what Manchester United, the most beloved football club in the world, sold in all of 2017. Still, this didn’t stop the internet from going after these jerseys with serious hypebeast passion.

The Nigeria jersey provides a case study in how the streetwear internet works in 2018: cool-looking object gets hyped up endlessly until its coolness is a fact carved into stone. We’ve seen this happen countless times, sure—just not usually with a soccer jersey. But it does feel about time for soccer to have a moment like this. Remember that just a couple years ago Drake Instagrammed himself in a pink jersey from the Italian club Juventus, bumping sales for that particular kit. And soccer has been the inspiration for other designers in the fashion world: Gosha Rubchinskiy collaborated with Adidas on several kits and labels like Versace and Burberry have taken inspiration from the sport in recent collections. 

When Abloh released his collection of soccer gear with Nike he noted how the sport had a defined visual identity. “The great thing about the vocabulary and history of football is that aesthetically it has its own look,” he said.

The Nigeria jerseys seem to tap into what designers already knew: soccer is fashion, or at least a sport worthy of being mined for fashion inspiration and turned into luxury soccer scarfs or streetwear-adjacent jerseys. And so why shouldn’t a team have jerseys befitting that status? When the Super Eagles line up against Croatia in Russia next week, they’ll certainly be the best-dressed dudes on the field. And if and when they make their exit from the tournament, they’ll be able to cushion the blow by flipping their jerseys on eBay.

GQ

Related stories: Nigeria Super Eagles World Cup kit revealed

Nigeria 2018 World Cup kit enjoying huge demand

Nigeria ranked 16th least peaceful country in the world in Global Peace Index

Nigeria has been ranked the 16th least peaceful country in the world, according to the 2018 edition of Global Peace Index, GPI. The report, released yesterday, ranked Nigeria 148 out of the total 163 countries surveyed.

Iceland is the most peaceful country, closely followed by New Zealand and Austria while Syria is ranked least peaceful, coming after Afghanistan and South Sudan respectively.

In Sub-Sahara Africa, Nigeria is ranked 40 out of 44 countries, with Mauritius topping the list, while South Sudan is ranked least. According to the report produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, IEP, global level of peace has deteriorated by 0.27 percent in the last year, marking the fourth successive year of deterioration. 

It also said the world is “less peaceful today than at any time in the last decade.” It added that 92 countries deteriorated, while only 71 improved. Nigeria is one of such countries, up one place from its 2017 ranking of 149. In 2016, Nigeria was pegged at 149, while the figure was 151 for both 2015 and 2014. 

The report said the global economic impact of violence was $14.76 trillion PPP in 2017, equivalent to 12.4 percent of global GDP, or $1,988 per person. The report covers 99.7 percent of the world’s population and uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from “highly respected sources” to compile the index. 

These indicators are grouped into three key domains: ‘ongoing conflict’, ‘safety and security’, and ‘militarisation.’ All three domains deteriorated over the last year. “There’s been a gradual decline in peacefulness over the last decade,” said Steve Killelea, head of IEP. “The reason for this slow, gradual decline in peacefulness really comes back to the conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, and the spillover effects into other areas.”

Vanguard

Video - Nigeria 0-1 Czech Republic highlights

Nigeria 0-1 Czech Republic highlights

Video - New air-conditioning directive in Nigeria is aimed at promoting tourism

All passenger service vehicles operating in Abuja have been directed to fix the air-conditioning in their cars. Authorities say the directive is aimed at promoting tourism - and will be enforced from the 1st of October.

Video - Military rescues 148 Boko Haram hostages in Nigeria

Our correspondent Kelechi Emekalam is following the Nigerian military's crackdown on Boko Haram. The army says it's rescued another 148 hostages from the militant group. They have been freed during an operation in Bama, a remote part of Borno State in north-eastern Nigeria.

China to invest $300m in mass housing in Nigeria

As part of measures to bridge the rising accommodation and shelter gaps in the country, Chinese investors have said they are investing a whopping $300m in mass housing schemes for low and middle income earners across the country.

The Assistant of Director, Director of the One Belt One Road Financing Operation in China, Mr Steven Kim, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja at the operational briefing of the ZVECAN Homes and Estate of the ZVECAN consulting and Engineering Limited.

This is as the Managing Director, Zvecan Homes and Estate, Mr Nicholas Ogbedo, said that over 5,000 civil servants, who are the initial off-takers and completing their documentaries with the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB), would be the first beneficiaries of the homes to be built on request in one bed-room, two bed-rooms and others bungalows in the allocated locations in the FCT.

The briefing was to update the developer’s inputs for the off-takers in the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) initiated by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, as part of measures to by the Federal Government to provide affordable housing for the Federal Civil Servants before they retire from service.

According to Kim, who spoke through an interpreter, Mr Sylvester Osagie Aigbe, most of the $300m would be spent on local raw materials and technical manpower, while some importations including some raw materials, not readily available in Nigeria, would be imported from China.

“The Chinese Government is reviewing some of its policies in some countries receiving aids and grants, some of the reviews involve direct investment in housing and other critical infrastructural needs. Like we are going to do in Nigeria, partnering indigenous organisations, we have been involved in similar mass housing schemes in Kenya and Angola, where we are building over 3000 units of different specifications of affordable housing,” Kim said.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director, Zvecan Homes and Estate, Mr Nicholas Ogbedo, said his organisation is working with FISH and other government stakeholders to realize their mandate.

He added that his organisation was involved in the Kenyan and Angola schemes, hence his efforts to get the investors to Nigeria for the benefits of the low and medium civil servants.


Daily Trust

Germany plans to deport 30,000 Nigerians

The German government is set to deport close to 30,000 Nigerians seeking asylum in Germany.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa disclosed this at a programme; "Developing a mixed migration strategy for UNHCR Nigeria" in Abuja on Tuesday.

"Germany said it has about 25,000 to 30,000 Nigerians seeking asylum and they can't guarantee they will get it. So, there is every possibilities that they will be returned to Nigeria," she said.

According to her, the reasons for asylum by the Nigerians were not genuine as "some who are from the East and West are saying they are running away from Boko Haram while some others say they are gays and were having challenges expressing themselves in Nigeria."

The SSA to the President said a date has not yet been set for the deportation of the asylum seeking Nigerians.

"Germany has set up a team working with the ministry of foreign affairs to see how the whole process [of deportation] can be made easier," she added.

While noting that Germany is offering more scholarships and easier process of regular migration for Nigerians, she appealed to young Nigerians to watch out for those opportunities and take advantage of them.

"We are looking at the option of reverse migration also where you can actually stay in your country and enjoy everything you are migrating abroad to get," Hon. Dabiri Erewa added.

She noted that irregular migration was no longer working as the foreign countries were also having their own challenges now.

she said the government was already doing much to tackle the issues that are encouraging irregular migration, adding that "we are fighting corruption, insecurity and trying to revive the economy."

Earlier, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Antonio Jose Canhandula told the stakeholders to suggest better ways of tackling irregular migration, adding that European countries were already closing their doors against migrants.

On her part, the South West Zonal Director of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) Margret Ukegbu lamented that Nigerians have started migrating to unpopular countries like Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Mali.

She noted that importance should be placed on education, stressing that the Nigerian society has been encouraging irregular migration.

Daily Trust

National Assembly threatens President Buhari with impeachment

The National Assembly on Tuesday, gave President Muhammadu Buhari 12-point condition to address urgently or face the invocation of its powers against him.

This was the outcome of closed-door joint executive session of both chambers of the assembly in Abuja.

President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, read the resolution from the session, which lasted over three hours, and declared that the lawmakers would not hesitate to move against the president if he failed to comply.

He enumerated the conditions as:

"1. The Security Agencies must be given marching orders to curtail the sustained killings of Nigerians across the country and protect lives and properties of Nigerians as this is the primary duty of any responsible government.

"2. The systematic harassment and humiliation by the Executive of perceived political opponents, people with contrary opinions, including legislators and judiciary, by the police and other security agencies must stop.

"3. There must be strict adherence to the Rule of Law and protection for all citizens by the President and his appointees.

"4. The President must be held accountable for the actions of his appointees and must be ready to sanction those that carry out any act which will ridicule or endanger our country and democracy.

"5. The Government should show sincerity in the fight against corruption by not being selective, and also prosecute current appointees that have cases pending against them.

"6. The sanctity of the National Assembly should be protected and preserved by the Federal Government of Nigeria by not interfering in its business, but prosecute those who invaded the Senate to seize the mace.

"7a. National Assembly should liaise with International Communities through the IPU, APU, ECOWAS, CPA, Parliament, Pan African Parliament, EU, UN, US Congress and UK Parliament to secure our democracy.

"b. Democratic elections must be competitive and inclusive by removing the present reign of fear and intimidation, particularly as we approach the 2019 elections.

"8. The National Assembly will work closely with Civil Society Organisations, Trade Unions and NGOs to further deepen and protect our democracy.

"9. The President must take immediate steps to contain the growing level of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria, especially now that we have advantage of the oil price having risen to 80 dollars per barrel.

"10. Both chambers of the National Assembly hereby pass a vote-of-confidence on the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the entire leadership of the National Assembly.

"11a. We reaffirm our earlier resolution of vote-of-no-confidence on the Inspector-General of Police, who does nothing other than preside over the killing of innocent Nigerians and consistent framing up of perceived political opponents of the President.

"b.The Inspector-General of Police has outright disregard for constitutional authority, both executive and legislative.

"12. Finally, the National Assembly will not hesitate to invoke its Constitutional powers if nothing is done to address the above resolutions passed today (Tuesday)."

Guardian

Video - New excise duties on alcohol and tobacco to kick in in Nigeria

Nigeria's new excise duty for alcoholic beverages and tobacco approved by President Muhammadu Buhari is taking effect from Monday, the 4th of June. Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun says the upward review of the taxes on alcohol and cigarettes is to raise the government's fiscal revenues.

Nigerian football star Nwankwo Kanu robbed in Russia

Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu had $11 000 stolen from his luggage in Russia as he arrived for a World Cup curtain-raiser.

The former Arsenal star was in Moscow to play for for the FIFA Legends against their Russian counterparts, and reported the missing money upon arrival in Kaliningrad, where the Super Eagles open their World Cup campaign against Croatia on June 16.

Russian Interior Ministry Irina Volk confirmed that two workers at the Sheremetyevo Airport had been arrested, saying: "The stolen money has been confiscated and will be returned to its owner."

The FIFA Legends team won the match 6-4, with Niko Kranjcar, Nuno Gomes and Cafu each scoring a brace.

ESPN

Muslim group in Nigeria threaten Falz with legal action for his This is Nigeria music video

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has asked Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana to withdraw his ‘This is Nigeria’ video and apologise to Nigerians, or face legal action.

In the recently released video, some girls dressed in hijab were seen dancing the “shaku shaku” dance.

Responding to criticisms that trailed the video, Falz explained that the girls were a representation of the abducted Chibok girls still in Boko Haram captivity.

But MURIC, in a statement by Ishaq Akintola, its director, said the dancers in the video in no way depict the situation of the girls.

The group also condemned “a character that dressed like a Fulani man, who suddenly abandoned his traditional guitar and beheaded a man” featured in the video.

Describing the video as “thoughtless, insensitive and highly provocative,” MURIC said it could brew religious and ethnic crisis.

It also said the video is spiteful and intended to denigrate Islam and Muslims.

“MURIC rejects Falz’ explanation that the girls in hijab in his ‘Shaku Shaku’ dance symbolize the Chibok girls because nothing in the video indicates that the girls represent the Chibok girls,” the statement read.

“At least none of the Chibok girls have been seen dancing like a drunkard. They are always in pensive mood. Do they have any cause to be dancing? Are they happy?

“The video manifests ethnic bias against Fulanis while it ignored the criminal activities of ethnic militia of the Middle Belt who have also massacred Fulanis and rustled their cattle in their thousands.

“It is a hate video. This video has the potential of causing religious crisis of unprecedented dimension.

“It is an assault on the self-dignity of every Muslim. It is freedom of expression gone haywire.

“We therefore demand its withdrawal and an apology to Nigerian Muslims within seven days or the authors and their agents will face legal action if they fail to comply.

“Only the scenes portraying police brutality and the money-swallowing snake in the video are near the truth.”

The group called on security agencies and the National Film And Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to clamp down on the video.

“We call the attention of security agencies to this hate action,” the statement continued.

“We remind Nigerians of the outcome of similar provocative actions in the past and their unpalatable outcomes.

“The National Film And Video Censors Board (NFVCB), a regulatory agency set up by Act No. 85 of 1993 to regulate films and the video industry has a case to answer. ‘Shaku Shaku’ video was shot and released under its watch.

“Instead of going violent, Nigerian Muslims should take those behind the ‘Shaku Shaku’ video to court in order to serve as a deterrent to others.

“We therefore give notice of impending legal action against the artist behind the ‘Shaku Shaku’ video unless the latter is withdrawn and an apology is widely published within seven days.”

The Cable

Attacks on Shell installations continue as oil output recovers in Nigeria

Nigeria’s oil wells may be flowing again, but the country’s largest operator says attacks continue to put a brake on output.

“Security in parts of the Niger delta remains a major concern with persisting incidents of criminality, kidnapping and vandalism as well as onshore and offshore piracy,” said Igo Weli, general manager for external relations at Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s local unit. The warning underlines the enduring threat of attacks even as production recovers from a major militant campaign in 2016.

Shell declared force majeure on Bonny Light crude shipments last month following pipeline leaks, while loadings of Forcados exports were also delayed. Weli didn’t specifically link those incidents to his comments on vandalism.

Militant assaults on Nigeria’s oil infrastructure in 2016 cut the country’s output to less than 1.4 million barrels a day, the lowest in 27 years. While there hasn’t been a major attack since, the security situation in the oil region remains fluid, according to Weli. Brent crude, which compares with Nigeria oil grades, has rallied almost 50 percent in the past year, trading at $74.35 a barrel as of 12.07 p.m. in London.

Crude Theft

“Facilities operated by both indigenous and international oil companies continue to be vandalized by attacks and other illegal activities such as crude-oil theft,” he said by email. “We are continuing to monitor the situation to mitigate any exposure and minimize risks faced by our personnel.”

Shell pumped an average of 631,000 barrels a day in Nigeria last year, about a third of the nation’s production. Despite the rally in output, the company still counted 60 cases of sabotage and theft, compared with 49 the year before. There were 10 such incidents recorded in the first two months of 2018, according to Weli.

Shell and its Nigerian partners are “currently evaluating opportunities to further increase production of the Bonga field,” a deep-water project which started production in 2005, Weli said, without providing further details.

Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, is scheduled to load at least 1.8 million barrels a day next month. That equals the production cap it agreed on with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which took effect in January.

Bloomberg

148 Boko Haram hostages including children freed by Nigerian Army

Nigeria's army rescued 148 hostages, most of them women and children, from Boko Haram militants, the army said Monday. 

Soldiers rescued the hostages during an operation Sunday as members of the terror group fled "troops' onslaught in the Lake Chad Islands and fringes of the northern borders of Borno state," according to a statement. 

The captives were freed in the large but remote town of Bama, about 45 miles southeast of Maiduguri. Borno state in northeast Nigeria borders Niger, Chad and Cameroon, all of which have experienced violent incidents with Boko Haram.

Seventy-five children, 58 women and 15 men comprised the rescued group, the army said. There were two pregnant teenagers among the hostages. 

The women told their rescuers they were "sexually violated and used as sex slaves," while the men were forced to carry out labor, the army statement said. 

The freed hostages will be transported to a Bama camp for internally displaced people, the army said.
Last month, the army freed 1,000 hostages after a weeklong battle with Boko Haram that left 50 militants dead, according to an army spokesman. That battle also unfolded in Borno state.

Boko Haram militants mainly inhabit areas in the northern states of Nigeria, specifically Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, Borno and Kaduna. The group has kidnapped more than 1,000 children in Nigeria since 2013, according to a recent report. 

The group sparked global outrage after militants seized 276 girls from a boarding school in Borno's Chibok town in 2014. Some of the girls were freed last year following negotiations between the government and Boko Haram. 

In April, the Nigerian government said a disagreement between members of the terror group had caused a breakdown in negotiations for the release of the remaining schoolgirls.

CNN

Senate president of Nigeria linked to heist that left 33 people dead

Nigeria's Senate President is linked to suspects involved in a notorious bank heist where 33 people died, Nigerian police has said. 

Police say the robbers attacked six banks in the remote town of Offa in Kwara State and fired at a police station, killing nine police officers and passersby including some pregnant women on April 5 this year. 

Five members of the criminal gang arrested after the robbery in central Nigeria allege the operation was financed by Bukola Saraki, Nigeria police said in a statement.

"Senate President, Bukola Saraki, is being invited to report to the police to answer allegations indicting him from confessions of five gang leaders arrested for active participation in Offa bank robbery and killings of 33 innocent persons," said Nigeria police spokesman Jimoh Moshood in a statement.

Saraki later sent a tweet saying that Nigeria police no longer required him to attend the station but had asked him to respond to the allegations in writing instead.

According to the police, the five suspects arrested in the robbery confessed they had been "sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles" by the lawmaker to carry out the bank robberies.
However, the leader of Nigeria's Upper Chamber released a statement Monday saying the allegations were "baseless." 

"Let it be known that there is no way I could have been associated with armed robbery against my people. I hereby state categorically that I have no link with any band of criminals. As a person who has utmost respect for the rule of law... when the invitation from the police is formally extended to me, I will be ready to honor it without any delay," Saraki said in a statement. 

A commentator online, Reno Omokri questioned why Saraki, who controls Senate's annual budget of around $300 million, would rob a bank.

"But why will politicians who can rob the treasury prefer to rob a bank? Which is easier and more profitable?" asked Omokri, a former aide to ex-Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan. 

The Offa bank robbery is one of the most audacious heists carried out in the country in recent years, police say.

 
The thieves got away with millions of naira in local currency after using dynamite to blow up a vault in one bank.

CNN

180 prisoners break out of Nigerian prison, 30 recaptured

Following combined efforts of the Nigerian Prisons Service and other security agencies in Niger state, 30 inmates who escaped from the Minna Medium Security Prison on Sunday night have been recaptured.

The Minister of Interior, General Abdulrahman Danbazau disclosed this after an on-the-spot assessment of the prison.

Mr Jibrin Ndace, spokesman to Niger Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, in a statement on Monday, added that about 180 inmates escaped during the jailbreak.

The Minister, who revealed that Federal Government is building 3000 capacity prison in each geopolitical zone and will recruit 6000 personnel, admitted that there were security lapses at Minna Prison.

“There are security gaps to be addressed in the prisons such as manpower, de-congestion,” he said.

Also speaking, the Niger state governor, Sani-Bello called for more commitment to duties, adding that Niger State Government would work with Federal Government on Prison reforms.

“I will like to appeal to public servants generally to take their jobs seriously. Niger State Government collaborate with the Federal Government to improve infrastructure of prisons across the state.”

In his comment, the Comptroller-General of Prisons, Jaafaru Ahmed said an investigative panel has been set up to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the jailbreak.

Daily Post

Video - Anti-tobacco campaigners look to tighten anti-smoking regulations in Nigeria

A new tariff hike to limit tobacco consumption takes effect from today amidst calls for stricter anti smoking laws. Nigeria has already banned smoking in public places but enforcement of the ban has hardly taken effect and its health ministry says tobacco consumption remains as high as 20 billion cigarettes per year.

Video - Bokom Haram ambush kills 5 soldiers in Nigeria

Five soldiers have been killed by improvised explosive devices planted by Boko Haram. A statement from the army said the soldiers ran into the explosives while fighting their way through a Boko Haram ambush.

13 killed by herdsmen in Nigeria

At least 13 people have been killed by gunmen in two separate attacks in central Nigeria’s Benue state, an area that has recently seen a wave of deadly clashes, officials said.

In one attack, attackers, who officials said were armed herdsmen, stormed the Tseadough village in the Kwande area shortly after midnight while people were asleep.

They killed seven people, including women and children, Terdoo Nyor Kenti, a local government leader, told AFP news agency.

"From what I gathered, they opened fire and shot sporadically in all directions which rattled everyone," Kenti said.

"Seven people were killed at the end, six others were injured while the herdsmen also went away with a woman after burning several houses and farmland in the area," he added.

In a separate attack on Sunday, six people were killed in what was described by local residents as cult violence in the twon of Otukpo on Sunday, according to officials.

"I am still expecting a clearer picture about this because the police have deployed their personnel," George Alli, a local official, said.

Disputes over territory in central Nigeria have killed more than 300 people in the past two years. Hundreds of thousands of people have also been displaced.

Al Jazeera

England players also in on the Nigerian 2018 World Cup Kit craze

It seems Nigeria's 2018 World Cup kit is not only a hit among fans - opposition players are also lining up to get their hands on the jersey.

The Super Eagles wore the new Nike kit in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to England at Wembley Stadium, and a Nigeria team official told KweséESPN that several Three Lions players requested and exchanged shirts with the visitors after the game.

Defender William Troost-Ekong was one of those who gave up his shirt, exchanging it with former Tottenham Hotspur academy mate Harry Kane, while Ahmed Musa swapped shirts with Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy.

The Nigeria kit has been in huge demand since it was launched in February. When retail sales opened on June 1, the shirts quickly sold out as fans queued for over two hours in London to purchase them.

In Nigeria, despite a flood of counterfeit shirts having been in the market for at least a month, and the originals being priced at over N30 000 (almost double the country's minimum wage), the shirts have flown off the shelves and demand continues unabated.

Midfielder Ogenyi Onazi tells KweséESPN that he tried to order some for friends and family, but he hit a roadblock: "I wanted to buy for my family and friends that morning, but they said it was out of stock.

Arsenal star Alex Iwobi was just as surprised: "I heard from some of my friends that they tried to buy some but couldn't find it. I don't know if that's good or bad for us."

An email to a NIKE communications representative remains unanswered.

ESPN

Video - England 2-1 Nigeria - Highlights

England's Lions took their preparations for the 2018 World Cup in Russia up a level with an assured performance and win against the Super Eagles of Nigeria. A driven finish from Harry Kane & a powerful header from Gary Cahill cancelled out Alex Iwobi's smart finish.