Author: Chronicle Editor

Northern Ireland’s hopes of Euro 2020 qualification suffered a major blow as they went down to an agonising last-gasp 3-1 defeat by the Netherlands. Josh Magennis’s 75th-minute header gave NI the lead but Memphis Depay toe-poked home the equaliser five minutes later. Luuk De Jong’s hooked effort in the first minute of injury-time gave the hosts the lead and Depay slid the ball into the net for his second soon after. The Dutch move top of the group, ahead of Germany and NI on goal difference. READ: Euro 2020: Russia thrash Scotland 4-0 European giants Netherlands and Germany both have…

Scotland had their hopes of automatic Euro 2020 qualification finally extinguished as dominant Russia inflicted a thumping defeat in Moscow. All four goals came in 27 second-half minutes, Artem Dzyuba netting twice. Scotland did not muster a shot until the 74th minute. They have scored only three goals and shipped 14 in five games under Steve Clarke. The Scots remain fifth in Group I and can no longer finish in the top two spots to secure a finals berth. However, they can still qualify for their first major tournament since 1998 via the Nations League play-offs, which begin in March.…

The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has announced the jury for the 2019 Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF), slated to hold on 14 December in Lagos. This was announced in a statement signed by AAAN Publicity Secretary, Jenkins Alumona, on Wednesday. Members of the jury, according to the statement, include Gbemi Sagay, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dencil Limited; Stanley Lumax, a New York-based Communication Expert; Toni Kan Onwordi, Author, Editor and Public Relations Specialist; and Irene Donati, Head of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Lionheart Group, Ghana. Others are Ekenena Ezaga, Creative Director, SO&U; Yaa Boateng, Creative Director,…

Mrs Francisca Okhiria, wife of the Managing Director, Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr Fidet Okhiria, has been released by her abductors. A reliable source told NAN on Thursday that Okhiria, who was abducted by some unknown gunmen since Sept. 24 was released on Wednesday night and reunited with her family on Thursday. The Police in Benin had on Sept. 25 confirmed the kidnap and alleged that she was kidnapped by gunmen in Police uniform. Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the incident, said the gunmen trailed the woman from the airport and kidnapped her on the way to…

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with former Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House in Abuja. Jonathan arrived at the forecourt of Aso Rock around 2:58pm before proceeding to the President’s office for the meeting. This is Jonathan’s first visit to Buhari during the second term of his successor. Under Buhari’s first term, Jonathan paid two private visits to Nigeria’s seat of power. READ: Court strikes out N500m suit against ex-Boko Haram spokesman This is the first public appearance of the former president after the reports of the allegation against him by David Cameron, former British prime minister,…

An FCT High Court, Maitama, on Thursday struck out an N500 million aggravated suit filed by former Spokesman of Boko Haram, Ali Konduga. Justice Samira Bature struck out the suit following an application for discontinuance filed by Konduga’s counsel, Mr. Mohammed Tola, dated Oct. 17 and filed on Oct. 8. Bature noted that the Respondents had earlier pointed out that the court had no jurisdiction to handle the matter and with the motion for discontinuance by the applicant, the suit was struck out. Konduga dragged the Director-General, Department of Security Services (DSS) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister…

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday hosted members of Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) at State House, Abuja, promising to beam the searchlight on cost of governance, and weed out possible corruption that exists anywhere. The President appreciated members of the committee for the “major sacrifice they’ve made in accepting the assignment to serve the country,” noting, “Some of the elite won’t trust you, and you will be alienated, no matter how close you are to them.” Recalling experience of the past, in which assets were seized from officials who couldn’t explain how they got them, “only for those assets…

The Senate on Thursday reintroduced a bill seeking to establish the National Assembly Budget and Research Office (NABRO). The bill, which was passed by the 8th Senate on May 3, 2019, however, failed to receive assent by President Muhammadu Buhari. The move seeking to establish the National Assembly Budget office was first conceived in 2005 under the Senate Presidency of Senator Ken Nnamani, but failed to make it to the floor of the upper chamber. READ: FG pays £250,000 cost to P&ID over $9.6bn judgment Again, the idea to introduce the bill in the 6th Senate under the leadership…

A 64-year-old man, Bassey Archibong, of No. 10 Kunle Dipo Street, Majidun, Owutu, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, has been arraigned for having carnal knowledge of his four daughters aged between 12 and 20. It was learnt that Archibong had been having incestuous sexual relationship with the girls since 2016. Archibong was arraigned on three counts of continuous sexual relationship with his daughters, failure to get their consent and involvement in an amoral relationship with the victims before the Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court 1, Lagos. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecutor, John Iberedem, said Archibong…

The Federal Government has paid £250,000 to Process and Industrial Developments Limited as ordered by Justice Christopher Butcher of the Commercial Court in London on Thursday, September 26. The money was ordered to be paid to P&ID as its running cost at the September 26 hearing of the London court. According to the PUNCH, the government, on Wednesday, appealed against the order of the same court which asked that a $200m security payment be made into its account within 60 days as a condition for a stay of execution of the $9.6bn judgment earlier given in favour of P&ID. READ:…