Author: Chronicle Editor

Inter Milan will ask for France forward Antoine Griezmann, 29, in exchange for striker Lautaro Martinez if Barcelona try to sign the 22-year-old Argentine from them. (La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Marca) Barca will try to sign Sweden forward Alexander Isak, 20, from Real Sociedad if they fail to land Martinez. (Marca) Manchester City could reignite their interest in Barcelona and Portugal right-back Nelson Semedo, 26. (Express) Liverpool lead the race to sign Olympiakos’ 23-year-old Greece left-back Kostas Tsimikas, with Tottenham Hotspur also interested. (Team Talk) Chelsea and France midfielder N’Golo Kante, 29, is part of a three-man shortlist of transfer targets in his position drawn up by Real Madrid. (AS, via Mail) Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, 33, will reject offers to return…

US President Donald Trump has said he is going to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) because it has “failed in its basic duty” in its response to the coronavirus outbreak. He accused the UN agency of mismanaging and covering up the spread of the virus after it emerged in China, and said it must be held accountable. In response, the UN’s chief said it was “not the time” to cut funds to the WHO. Mr Trump has been under fire for his own handling of the pandemic. He has sought to deflect persistent criticism that he acted…

Kano State Government has announced that five new coronavirus cases has been confirmed in the state. Confirming the development, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on his official Twitter account said this takes the total number of cases to nine. “Tests conducted on persons closest to the state’s index case of COVID-19 have revealed five additional cases,” he said. “We now have a total of nine cases in the state and more testing is ongoing to box the spread of the pandemic. He urged citizens to please stay home. “Please stay indoors and give us a fighting chance,” he pleaded. Governor Ganduje on…

The Nigerian military says it is investigating an alleged bombing of innocent civilians by its aircraft in a village in north-eastern Nigeria during an operation against Boko Haram militants. In a statement, the Nigerian military said “credible intelligence” had confirmed that the targeted area was occupied by Boko Haram militants. But it was later reported that the victims were civilians including women and children. The authorities now say they are investigating the incident. It happened in the village of Shokotoko in Borno state on Thursday during an overnight military operation on suspected Boko Haram positions. Nigerian Army arrests soldiers who…

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has criticised US President Donald Trump for wanting to cut funding to the World Health Organization, saying now was “not the time” to reduce resources for the WHO. “Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” Guterres said. Trump had earlier accused the WHO of “severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus” and said the US would halt funding pending a review of the situation. Guterres however stressed the WHO was “on the front…

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state on Tuesday imposed an indefinite 7pm to 7am curfew in the state to check the spread of the deadly COVID-19. Akeredolu announced the imposition at the Government House, in Akure. A third positive case was confirmed by the state government on Monday. According to the governor, the third case was not a member of the NYSC as earlier believed, “but an employee of the Nigerian Army Barracks, who served the nation as a medical doctor in the same facility three years ago and was retained.” The governor further explained that the third positive case…

The Katsina State committee on COVID-19 headed by Deputy Governor Manir Yakubu, has called on citizens to report any returnee from Lagos and Abuja. The chairman of the sensitisation sub-committee and Commissioner for Information, Hadi Mohamed Serika, told reporters on Tuesday, that the house to house search for returnees have become necessary because some of them escaped and evaded screening at the border. He said, “The committee has been receiving calls from members of the public reporting people suspected to be living with the virus. COVID-19: FG gives money to poor Nigerians in Anambra, Nasarawa, Katsina “He said the committee…

A Councillor in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State has disappeared with COVID-19 palliative grains meant for vulnerable households in his ward. The Councillor is said to be nowhere to be seen after been given 30 bags of palliative grains which should have been distributed to people in his ward. The Nation gathered that the Councillor was part of the committee set up for the distribution of the grains for his community. The Secretary to the Niger state government and Chairman of the Niger state COVID-19 taskforce, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane confirmed the incident which he described as unfortunate.…

NIRSAL Microfinance Bank (NMFB) has resolved that the business plans for the N50 billion Targeted Credit Facility as a stimulus package to support households and MSMEs is no longer mandatory. Before arriving at this decision, the bank had received 80,000 applications but ran into social media storm when it was discovered that it was charging between N5,000 and N10,000 from applicants to access the bank’s business plan. Given the interest shown for the intervention, the disbursement of the N50 billion fund will commence next week. Addressing reporters on the development in Abuja on Tuesday, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIRSAL…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 11 new cases of coronavirus in Lagos, the epicenter of the pandemic in Nigeria. The newly reported cases takes the new total to 373 cases. The disease control centre had earlier reported 19 new cases on Tuesday evening before reporting another 11. “Eleven new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Lagos State,” NCDC said on its official Twitter account. “As at 11:00 pm 14th April there are 373 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Nigeria. 99 have been discharged with 11 deaths. A breakdown of cases by states shows that…