Author: Chronicle Editor

Lionel Messi has become a free agent after his contract at Barcelona ran out without agreeing to a new deal with the Catalan club. The diminutive dynamite has been linked to a number of clubs including Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain. The Argentine superstar’s deal expired at midnight and despite months of rumour and conjecture, he has failed to commit to an extension. Talks over a new contract are believed to be ongoing, meaning he may well decide to stay at the Nou Camp. But, for now, he is available for absolutely nothing. Where will Messi play next season?…

Tottenham have appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager on a two-year contract. Nuno left Wolves in May after four impressive seasons, during which time he took the club from the Championship to a Europa League quarter-final. Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho in April and replaced him with 29-year-old Ryan Mason until the end of last season. “It’s an enormous pleasure and honour [to be at Spurs]. I’m happy and looking forward to starting work,” said Nuno. “We don’t have any days to lose and we must start working immediately as pre-season starts in a few days.”…

Pennsylvania Supreme Court has overturned the sexual assault conviction against US comedian Bill Cosby, who has now been released from prison. The judges said there had been a “process violation” by the prosecution, but admitted their ruling was unusual. Mr Cosby, 83, served more than two years of a three to 10-year sentence at a state prison near Philadelphia. In 2018 he was found guilty of drugging and molesting ex-basketball player Andrea Constand. Mr Cosby is best known for starring in the 1980s TV series The Cosby Show and was once known as “America’s Dad”. Dozens of women have publicly accused…

The Senate will on Tuesday, next week, consider President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to the National Assembly for the approval of N895.84 billion as supplementary budget for the 2021 fiscal year. The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, gave the hint in his remark during plenary following a request by the Appropriations Committee Chairman, Senator Jibrin Barau, for time to allow the Joint Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives come up with a harmonised report on the supplementary appropriations bill. President Buhari last week transmitted a supplementary appropriations bill for N895.842,465,917 billion naira to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.…

TikTok has removed more than seven million accounts of users suspected of being under age 13 in the first three months of 2021, the popular social media operator said on Wednesday in a transparency report. The Chinese-owned app which is wildly popular with young smartphone users, also said it took down nearly 62 million videos in the first quarter for violating community standards — including for “hateful” content, nudity, harassment or safety for minors. In its first disclosure on underage users, TikTok said it uses a variety of methods, including a safety moderation team, that monitors accounts where users are…

The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill which provides for 3 years jail term or N3 million naira fine or both, as penalties for anyone caught illegally possessing or dealing in firearms in Nigeria. Titled: Firearms Act (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the piece of legislation amends Section 35 (2) of the Principal Act which previously provided a fine of just N1000 naira as penalty. The amendment to Section 35(2), which is captured in Clause 4 of the bill, provides for stiffer penalties for the illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions by any individual, organization or corporate entity. The passage of the…

The Court of Appeal, Yola Division, Adamawa State has affirmed the conviction of Ibrahim Mohammed Umar, a former electoral officer with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Yola South Local Government Area. Umar and his accomplice had earlier been convicted of a three count charge by an Adamawa State High Court and sentenced to seven years imprisonment for receiving monetary benefit (bribery) to the tune of N362 million, being part of the bribe allegedly distributed by a former minister of petroleum resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 elections. Umar was arraigned alongside a former staff…

The Senate on Tuesday approved the sum of N74,773,601,916 billion as 2021 budget for the Nigeria Police Trust Fund. The approval followed the consideration of a report by the Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Police Affairs. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Dauda Halliru Jika (APC, Bauchi Central), in his presentation, observed that the 2021 NPTF budget is the second since the establishment Act came into being in 2019. He disclosed that the total revenue roll-over from 2020 was N23,632,857,141.30. Giving a breakdown of the budget, the lawmaker said the sum of N988,279,006.05…

…accuse opposition party of tyranny, leadership failure Three Peoples Democratic Party senators on Wednesday resigned their membership of the party and defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The lawmakers in three separate letters to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, attributed their resignation from the opposition party to internal crisis, tyranny and leadership failure within the PDP. Lawan read their letters of defection during the commencement of plenary on Wednesday. The lawmakers who defected are: Senators Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North); Lawali Hassan Anka (Zamfara West); and Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North). The defection letter by the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Sahabi…

Hours after welcoming Governor Bello Matawalle to APC on Tuesday, Zamfara lawmaker, Muhammad Ahmad was murdered by gunmen on his way back from the rally. The lawmaker represented Shinkafi constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly. Hon. Ahmad was killed on Tuesday night on his way to Kano after attending a rally to welcome Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State and members of the State House of Assembly to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Gov Matawalle formally defects to APC, becomes party leader The Director-General of Media and Publicity in the Zamfara State House of Assembly Mustapha Jafaru…