Author: Chronicle Editor

Annual inflation in Nigeria slowed for the 11th month in a row in December, to 15.37 per cent from 15.90 per cent a month before, the head of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a tweet on Tuesday. Yemi Kale also said on his personal Twitter account that a separate food price index showed inflation at 19.42 per cent in December, down from 20.30 per cent in November. “December 2017 Headline Inflation report published. Inflation drops to 15.37% year on year in Dec 2017 from 15.90% in November. Food drops to 19.42% from 20.30% and Core to 12.10%…

A policeman was killed on Sunday by presumed separatists in a restive English-speaking region of Cameroon, where the situation remained extremely tense on Monday, sources told AFP. No further details were released about the incident in Dian, in Cameroon’s Southwest Region, but other officers may have also been killed, an official added. “According to some information, other police were killed but we are still looking into this,” the official said, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Reports of multiple killings also circulated on social media. Witnesses said panic had gripped several schools, including in Buea, the main city in the…

Arsenal are in talks to sign Borussia Dortmund and Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a replacement 29-year-old Chile forward Alexis Sanchez. (Mirror) The Gunners are pressing ahead with a £53m move for 28-year-old Aubameyang. (Mail) And Jose Mourinho says he is “not confident but not unconfident” of bringing Sanchez to Manchester United. (Mirror) Chelsea have also entered the race for Sanchez but United are confident that offering Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 28, as part of the deal would make them favourites. (Telegraph) Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 32, wants to return to Manchester United. (As.com – in Spanish) Midfielder Emre…

Manchester City have decided not to pursue their interest in signing Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez. The club have decided the cost of pursuing the 29-year-old would be prohibitively expensive. Manager Pep Guardiola, the club’s owner Khaldoon al Mubarak and other senior officials are all in agreement. It is understood the wages being demanded by Sanchez would have put him ahead of all City’s star men, something the club decided they would not do. Manchester United are favourites to sign the Chile international after indicating they are willing to meet the Gunners’ £35m asking price for the forward. Sources with knowledge…

The Nigerian government on Monday summoned the United States ambassador to explain reported remarks by US President Donald Trump that some immigrants from Africa and Haiti come from “shithole” countries, Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said. He was responding to a text message from Reuters in which he confirmed that Ambassador Stuart Symington had been summoned. He gave no more details. Trump reportedly made the remarks at a private meeting with lawmakers on immigration on Thursday. READ: Buhari vows to punish those behind Benue violence A US senator who attended the gathering said the president used “vile, vulgar” language, including repeatedly…

Nigeria will punish all those behind an outbreak of deadly clashes between cattle herders and farmers, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday pushing back at accusations that he failed to take action against members of his own ethnic group. At least 83 people have been killed since the start of the new year in violence between the mainly Christian farmers and the semi-nomadic herders, who are mostly Muslims from Buhari’s Fulani ethnic group. The outbreak of violence, mostly in the central state of Benue, has become increasingly political ahead of elections in February 2019, with Buhari’s opponents accusing him of…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has injected another 210 million dollars into the inter-bank Foreign Exchange Market to meet customers’ requests in various segments. Giving a breakdown of the intervention, the bank’s acting Director, Corporate Communications, Mr Isaac Okorafor on Monday in Abuja said that 100 million dollars was offered to authorised dealers in the wholesale segment of the market. He said that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment received the sum of 55 million dollars. Also, customers requiring foreign exchange for tuition fees, medical payments and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA), among others were allocated the sum of…

Barcelona’s £96.8m forward Ousmane Dembele will be out for another month because of a hamstring injury. The France international – the third most expensive player in history – was injured during Sunday’s 4-2 La Liga win at Real Sociedad. It was only the 20-year-old’s fourth game after returning from a hamstring problem he sustained in September. Though both injuries have been to his left thigh, the latest setback is not a recurrence of the earlier problem. Dembele was injured in just his third game after joining Barca for a then club record fee last summer, and the former Rennes player…

Ryan Giggs has been appointed Wales manager on a four-year contract. The 44-year-old former Manchester United winger succeeds Chris Coleman, who left for Sunderland in November. Coleman’s assistant Osian Roberts, former Wales striker Craig Bellamy and Mark Bowen were also interviewed. Giggs had long been a target for the Football Association of Wales (FAW) and was the favourite for the role once Coleman departed after Wales failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. ‘I can’t wait to start’ – Giggs The FAW confirmed the appointment on social media and in a statement Giggs said: “I am so proud to…

Nigeria’s vice president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has denied ignoring a letter from Governor Samuel Ortom, stating that he was shocked by the claims. In a statement by his media aide, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo, SAN, said “he was shocked by a news report ostensibly quoting the Benue State Governor Sam Ortom as saying that the VP was warned of the savage and inhumane killings by alleged herdsmen in Logo and Guma local government areas which took place on the 1st of January 2018. Osinbajo noted that he does not believe that the Governor could ever have said so. “It will be…