Author: Chronicle Editor

Manchester United are interested in signing Wolves’ Mexico striker Raul Jimenez, 28, and are looking at Lyon’s French forward Moussa Dembele, 23. (Sky Sports) Chelsea and Manchester United are likely to face competition from Juventus in the race to sign Dembele. (Calciomercato – in Italian) Sporting Lisbon’s president and sporting director have travelled to Old Trafford to negotiate the transfer of Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 25, to Manchester United. (Record – in Portuguese) Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and assistant Mike Phelan went to watch Fernandes in action this week. (Standard) And United are growing increasingly confident of signing Fernandes in a £60m deal. (Star) Tottenham have emerged as a potential threat to West Ham in the race to sign Benfica’s Portugal midfielder Gedson…

Iran says its military “unintentionally” shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet, killing all 176 people on board, Iran’s state TV reports. The statement said it had done so due to “human error” after the plane flew close to a sensitive site belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Mistaken for a “hostile target”, the jet was hit by a missile, the statement said. Those responsible would be held accountable, it added. Iran had previously rejected suggestions that one of its missiles brought down the plane near the capital, Tehran, on Wednesday. But pressure mounted after the US and Canada, citing intelligence, said…

Nigeria’s attorney general Abubakar Malami has withdrawn a $2 billion tax demand against MTN Group, the company said on Friday, in a closely watched case that investors say has damaged Nigeria’s appeal. In a letter filed with the Nigerian Stock Exchange, MTN said the government had decided to drop its case and refer the issue to tax and customs authorities “with a view to resolving contentious issues”. “We are very pleased with the decision of the (attorney general) and we commend him for his wisdom,” MTN Nigeria’s Chief Executive Ferdi Moolman said in a statement. In a statement, the office…

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) is to investigate the allegation of bribery against it personnel along the nation’s borders. The Public Relations Officer of NIS, Mr Sunday James, made the denial in a statement on Friday in Abuja. NAN reports that an online media had alleged that “with just N200 bribe per immigration check point, illegal Migrants were infiltrating Nigeria through Sokoto”. The report had alleged that NIS officials at patrol check points on various Nigerian highways have indirectly ‘legalised’ illegal migration with their cash-for-pass attitudes. James said that the Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), Mr Muhammad Babandede, had assured…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has denied media reports that it arraigned the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate on 9 January. The anti-graft agency said all the information in the story were false and should be disregarded by the public. “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to an online report which claimed that the Commission on Thursday, January 9, 2020  arraigned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos for an alleged fraud of N75.3 biilion and wishes to state categorically that nothing of…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has taken note of insinuations and phantom claims that the Commission is “prosecuting” Senator Shehu Sani, because he is a known critic of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. The Commission wishes to state that Senator Shehu Sani is currently facing criminal investigation, and he is being detained by the EFCC in very conducive environment, based on a valid court order. Invariably, claims in some quarters of the breach of his fundamental human rights, is merely in the imagination of the purveyors of such claims. Let it be stated clearly, that Senator Shehu Sani…

The Nigerian Police Force said it has commenced an investigation to unravel the authenticity of the video where some persons in Police uniform were captured, allegedly with POS machine and demanding ATM card from a member of the public. This was disclosed in a statement released by the Nigerian Police Force on Friday. The statement added that the Inspector General of Police condemned all acts of corruption and committed to ensuring any officer found guilty face the wrath of the law. The @policeNG has commenced investigations to unravel the authenticity of the video, location of incident and identity of persons…

An Apomu  Magistrates’ Court, Osun on Friday ordered that Pastor Philip Segun, Owolabi Adeeko and his mother, Bola who allegedly killed Favour Oladele, a final year student of Lagos State University (LASU), be remanded in a correctional facility. The police charged Segun, Owolabi and Bola with two counts of murder and conspiracy. Magistrate Faith Olukunle-Idowu, who did not take the plea of the defendants, orrdered that  they be remanded in an Ilesa Correctional Centre. Olukunle-Idowu ordered the police to duplicate the case file to the Osun Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice. She adjourned the matter until March 25 for…

Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Friday reiterated his administration’s commitment to improve security and development in the state. El-Rufai stated this while receiving some “heavyweights PDP members“ from Southern Kaduna who moved to the APC. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among those who decamped to the ruling party were former Commissioners, former Federal and State legislators, former Local Government Council Chairmen and other PDP officials. They were led by Chief Tony Hassan, the Dokajen Jaba, who said they came to align with Gov El-Rufai and his deputy, Dr. Hadiza Balarabe to move Kaduna State forward. Speaking…

A Manchester City fan, Ian Baldry, was banned from football matches for five years by Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday after he pleaded guilty to racially abusing England forward Raheem Sterling. Baldry made a racist remark after Manchester City forward Sterling scored against Bournemouth in an English Premier League (EPL) match in Dec. 2018, a previous hearing at the court was told. Tanzanian: police arrest 34 following killings of 4 villagers over witchcraft claims The 58-year-old, who told the court he has since regretted using the language, was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service. Sterling did…