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Why Falconets overstayed at Istanbul Airport — NFF

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Wednesday gave clarification of Nigeria’s U-20 Women’s team, Falconets overstaying for 24 hours at Istanbul following their exit at the Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica.

Falconets were enroute Abuja after bowing out of the tournament on Sunday, following a 0-2 loss to Netherlands in the quarter finals stage.

Pictures of the team sleeping on the floor at the Istanbul Airport surfaced on social media with fans blaming the Federation for negligence.

However, Demola Olajire, NFF’s Head of Communications, said in a statement, that the situation was due to inability to secure transit visas for the team.

Olajire also reported Mohammed Sanusi, General Secretary of the NFF, as saying that the tickets were booked by FIFA and not the federation.

“The NFF did not book the team’s tickets from Costa Rica, FIFA did.

“FIFA also did not envisage the hitches that saw the team delayed for more than three hours in Bogota, and another one hour in Panama. By the time the team got to Istanbul, the flight to Abuja had left.

“Our officials pleaded for compassionate transit visas to take the players and officials to a hotel inside the town, but this was not possible.

“They were informed that Nigeria had been removed from the list of countries whose citizens were issued visa-on-arrival in Turkey.

“The airline then took the team to a sleeping area at the airport and gave them tickets to have meals every five hours.

“This situation has nothing to do with NFF, who had made arrangements to receive the team in Abuja before the complications in travel arrangements,” Sanusi explained.

Olajire also added that the NFF had implored FIFA to intervene with the Embassy of Germany to issue the team transit visas before their departure from Nigeria, for the team to travel through Germany, but failed to happen.

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Sports

Usyk beats Fury to become undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion

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Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury by split decision to win the world’s first undisputed heavyweight championship in 25 years on Sunday, an unprecedented feat in boxing’s four-belt era.

Britain’s Fury was the early aggressor but Usyk gradually took charge and the “Gypsy King” was saved by the bell in the ninth round before slumping to his first career defeat.

Ukraine’s Usyk, who remains undefeated, joins the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and Mike Tyson as undisputed heavyweight champion, the first since boxing recognised four major belts in the 2000s.

With the win, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion can legitimately claim to be the best of this heavyweight era, although a rematch expected in October could provide another twist.

“It is a big opportunity for me, for my family, for my country,” said Usyk, 37, who briefly served as a soldier after the Russian invasion.

“It’s a great time, a great day,” he said, adding that he was “ready for a rematch”.

Fury called it a “fantastic fight with Oleksandr”.

“I believe I won that fight, I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them,” he said.

“You know his country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war but make no mistake, I won that fight in my opinion and I will be back.”

Britain’s Lennox Lewis was the last man to unify the heavyweight belts — three at the time — after beating Evander Holyfield in 1999.

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News

Minister of Women Affairs Calls On IG to stop marriage plans of 100 orphans in Niger

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Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye has called on the Inspector general of Police, Kayode Egbetokun seeking an injunction  to stop the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, from marrying off girls who were orphaned after bandits attacked Mariga LGA on May 24.

The speaker recently announced that the gesture was “aimed at alleviating the suffering of the impoverished”, while also promising to pay the dowry for the bridegrooms.

The Minister said such an act is “unacceptable” which is why she petitioned the IG to halt the proposed marriage until it is certain that the girls willingly gave their consent and also to ascertain the ages of the girls and who they will be getting married to.

She said that the Child’s Right Act has to be taken into consideration with a full scale investigation. In her words, she stated that “These children must be considered, their future must be considered, the future of the children to come out of their marriage must be considered”.

She also noted that the girl-child should have access to education and should  also be empowered instead of being married off at the slightest inconvenience, which is why she said that  “the ministry has decided to take it up and we are going to educate the children.

“Those that do not want to go to school, we will train them in skill, empower them with sustainable empowerment machines to enable that child build his or her life and make up her mind who and when to get married”

She further stated that any contrary action by the speaker to hurriedly marry the girls off without proper investigation from the Federal ministry of Women Affairs would result in legal action against the speaker.

 

 

 

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Crime

5 persons remanded for kidnapping bus driver

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A Makurdi Magistrate’s court on Friday remanded five persons in Makurdi Correctional centre for alleged Criminal conspiracy, Armed robbery, Kidnapping and Act of Terrorism.

The defendants Terhile Iorkaana, Lanshima Orkunde, Msendoo Faasema, Nancy Shima and Mngusuun Hilega were arrested following a tip off.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Eunice Ndayaryo, did not take the plea of the defendants for want of jurisdiction.

She ordered that they should be remanded at the Makurdi Correctional centre pending the outcome of further investigations.

The Police prosecutor, ASP Stella Ngbede, told the court that the defendants were arrested by men of Operation Zenda tactical team led by Insp Amile Joseph.

He said the arrest followed a credible intelligence within Mbachegh council ward, Katsina-Ala axis, Benue.

The defendants, who are notorious members of a vicious armed bandit kingpin AKA Konyo, had on April 12, blocked the Ayati- Zaki Biam road and robbed motorists of their valuables.

They later demanded for the sum of N10 million through phone number 09154338395.

“Operation Zenda on getting the information of their hideout, stormed the area and arrested the bandits while five handsets and one 5.5.6x39mm live ammunition of type 06 rifle were recovered from them, ” she said.

According to her, the defendants during police investigation confessed to committing the crime while others are still at large.

The prosecutor said that investigation into the matter were still in progress and prayed the court to adjourn the matter to another date for mention.

She said the offence contravened section 6(b) and 1(1)(2)(a)(b) of the robbery and firearms special provisions Act 2004, Section 3(2) , 4(2) of the abduction

Others are, hostage taking, kidnapping, Secret cult and Similar prohibition law of Benue State 2017.

A Makurdi Magistrate’s court on Friday remanded five persons in Makurdi Correctional centre for alleged Criminal conspiracy, Armed robbery, Kidnapping and Act of Terrorism.
The defendants Terhile Iorkaana, Lanshima Orkunde, Msendoo Faasema, Nancy Shima and Mngusuun Hilega were arrested following a tip off.
The Magistrate, Mrs. Eunice Ndayaryo, did not take the plea of the defendants for want of jurisdiction.
She ordered that they should be remanded at the Makurdi Correctional centre pending the outcome of further investigations.
The Police prosecutor, ASP Stella Ngbede, told the court that the defendants were arrested by men of Operation Zenda tactical team led by Insp Amile Joseph.
He said the arrest followed a credible intelligence within Mbachegh council ward, Katsina-Ala axis, Benue.
The defendants, who are notorious members of a vicious armed bandit kingpin AKA Konyo, had on April 12, blocked the Ayati- Zaki Biam road and robbed motorists of their valuables.
They later demanded for the sum of N10 million through phone number 09154338395.
“Operation Zenda on getting the information of their hideout, stormed the area and arrested the bandits while five handsets and one 5.5.6x39mm live ammunition of type 06 rifle were recovered from them, ” she said.
According to her, the defendants during police investigation confessed to committing the crime while others are still at large.
The prosecutor said that investigation into the matter were still in progress and prayed the court to adjourn the matter to another date for mention.
She said the offence contravened section 6(b) and 1(1)(2)(a)(b) of the robbery and firearms special provisions Act 2004, Section 3(2) , 4(2) of the abduction
Others are, hostage taking, kidnapping, Secret cult and Similar prohibition law of Benue State 2017.

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