Author: Chronicle Editor

A London-based nurse who used voodoo threats to traffick vulnerable women from Nigeria to Germany to work as prostitutes has been jailed for 14 years. Josephine Iyamu exposed her five victims to a “real and significant” risk of death as they made hazardous journeys across north Africa and the Mediterranean to Italy. All five women were forced to swear oaths to hand over money during “juju” ceremonies which saw them ordered to eat chicken hearts, drink blood containing worms, and endure powder being rubbed into cuts. Iyamu, a married 51-year-old formerly of Wilson Grove, Bermondsey, is the first person to…

It has been alleged that some teachers in Kaduna state were eating the food meant for pupils in the ongoing Federal Government’s School Feeding Scheme. The School Feeding Field Monitors of the NGO – Connecting Gender for Development (COGEN), on Wednesday made the allegation during a town hall in the state. Ms Rachael Musa, one of the monitors said during a Town Hall Meeting on the Federal Government’s Home Grown School Feeding Programme in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government, said the ration do not usually go around. Musa also said although every child was supposed to be given an egg once…

The contractor handling construction of the iconic Oshodi Transport Interchange on behalf of the Lagos State Government, Planet Projects Limited has completed the hoisting of Skywalk Bridge linking terminals one and two of the interchange. The exercise, which started on Sunday evening and lasted till early hours of Wednesday, was supervised by relevant government agencies, and supported by Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), among others to ensure security and safety. The State Government had announced partial restriction of movement on Oshodi flyover to enable it advance the construction of the…

Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Wednesday dissolved the 10-year marriage between Mrs Florence Anyasi and her husband, Stanley Anyasi, over infidelity. The court president, Mr Akin Akinniyi, while delivering the judgment said that all efforts to reconcile the couple had failed. Stanley was dragged to the court by his wife accusing him of being a chronic womaniser. The 36-year-old trader told the court that apart from numerous cases of his following women around, her husband used to sneak into their maid’s room to sleep with her. “My husband is a womaniser, he used to leave me in the bed…

Barcelona have denied that former president Sandro Rosell illegally bought a liver for ex-France defender Eric Abidal. Abidal, 38, who is now the club’s technical secretary, had a transplant in 2012 after a tumour was found in his liver. Reports in Spain claim Rosell, who was arrested for money-laundering in 2017, purchased the organ. Barcelona say they “roundly deny any irregularity in the matter”. The claim has also been denied by Abidal and the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, where the player had the operation. READ: Real Madrid deny Kylian Mbappe deal with PSG Barcelona added: “The club are saddened by…

Nigerian police have discovered bodies of 41 men with their throats cut in a northern area that is notorious as a hideout for criminal gangs. Eighteen bodies were found in a river on Sunday while 23 others were discovered in a nearby forest in the Zurmi area of Zamfara state, police commissioner Kenneth Ebrimson said on Tuesday. Police arrested four suspects after searching the bush area and also found machetes and guns, he told reporters in Gusau, the state capital. He said the suspects were identified as members of a widely-feared local vigilante group “who decided to carry out the…

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said on Wednesday that the Guards were ready to implement a policy preventing regional oil exports if Iranian oil sales were banned by the United States. President Hassan Rouhani appeared on Tuesday to threaten to disrupt oil shipments from neighbouring countries if Washington presses ahead with its goal of forcing all countries to stop buying Iranian oil. Praising Rouhani’s remarks, Major-General Qassem Soleimani said he was ready to implement such a policy if needed. “I kiss your (Rouhani’s) hand for expressing such wise and timely comments, and I am at your service to implement…

Real Madrid have denied they have agreed a deal to sign Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe. The Spanish club had struck a deal with the French champions according to reports which circulated on Wednesday. “Real Madrid has not made any offers to PSG or the player and regrets the dissemination of this type of information,” a club statement read. The denial is the second of the week by Real, who refuted reports linking them with PSG’s Neymar on Monday. READ: Amuneke, Drogba, Lampard to pick FIFA Player of the year On Wednesday, Spanish publication AS cited tweets by a French…

In recent updates following the visit of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to Plateau and Lagos States respectively, Nigerians have taken to social media to applaud the efforts of Prof. Osinbajo in resolving the conflicts. Some have described him as a leader who feels the pain of the masses. Several Nigerians have affirmed their unwavering support and love for Osinbajo, while others called for the perpetrators to be brought to book in earnest. On Twitter, dboi‏ @ab_osayande wrote, “The man cannot call shots without authorization from President @MBuhari. The most I believe he is permitted to do is to call…

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta has destroyed about 1500 illegal refineries with swamp buggy in the Delta creeks in the last two months. The Commander of the ship, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, disclosed this to newsmen in Warri on Wednesday. Swamp buggy is an amphibious vehicle used to traverse a swampy terrain. Dewu said the destruction exercise was carried out in the creeks of Otumara, Ogbegugu, Okpuku in the Warri creeks. He added that personnel of the command were currently on the Bennett Island in Warri South Local Government Area of the state in continuation of the exercise. He said…