Author: Chronicle Editor

Russian scientists have published the first report on their coronavirus vaccine, saying early tests showed signs of an immune response. The report published by medical journal The Lancet said every participant developed antibodies to fight the virus and had no serious side effects. Russia licensed the vaccine for local use in August, the first country to do so and before data had been published. Experts say the trials were too small to prove effectiveness and safety. But Moscow has hailed the results as an answer to critics. Some Western experts have raised concerns about the speed of Russia’s work, suggesting…

The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Mr. Umar Abba Mohammed, has renewed calls for the establishment of Special Courts to try corruption cases. He made the call in Abuja on Friday while receiving members of the Monitoring Committee of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), who paid him a working visit. According to him, the only means of minimizing delay in the trial of cases, is to establish Special Courts to try financial and economic crimes. “Delay of cases in court is a challenge to us. This challenge can be addressed if there are…

The Presidency has lauded the judgment by a UK court granting Nigeria’s application for an extension of time and relief from sanctions in a $10 billion arbitration case with Process and Industrious Development Limited (P&ID) in Nigeria. The Presidency explained that the judgment is right, just and provides a strong prima facie case that the fraudulent gas deal with P&ID and the subsequent judgment debt of $10 billion against Nigeria was a clear attempt to cheat the country of billions of dollars by a company that had not invested one naira in our country. On the arbitration award, it is…

Chelsea have completed the signing of our second German international this summer with Kai Havertz putting his signature on a five-year contract. The transfer of the young, highly rated attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen follows on from the purchase of Timo Werner from another Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, and is in addition to the recruitment of Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva as Frank Lampard’s squad for the forthcoming season takes shape. The Blues have also signed young French defender Malang Sarr who is going out on loan with a view to gaining more experience before he is involved.…

Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer Lionel Messi says he is staying because it is “impossible” for any team to pay his release clause and he does not want to face “the club I love” in court. The Argentine, 33, sent a fax to Barca last Tuesday saying he wanted to exercise a clause in his contract which he said allowed him to leave for free. But the club said his 700m euro (£624m) release clause would have to be met. “I thought and was sure that I was free to leave,” Messi told Goal. “The president always said that at the end…

Police in Anambra said they have arrested a 21-year old Pastor, Uchenna Chukwuma for allegedly killing a 60-year old native doctor in Nkpo, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed who confirmed this in a statement on Friday, said the suspect claimed he was sent by God to kill the deceased. He said the machete used in committing the crime was recovered as exhibit, adding that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal investigation Department, Awka for discreet investigation. He said, “On the 3/9/2020 at about 2:10pm, there was a report of alleged…

Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Kai Havertz is on the verge of signing for Chelsea after being given permission to leave the Germany squad’s training camp. The 21-year-old could become Frank Lampard’s sixth signing of the summer. Leverkusen have said they value the highly rated player, who has seven international caps, at about £90m. Havertz will travel to London with the move potentially being completed in the next 24 hours. Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said he was “grateful to the national coach that Kai can now sort things out with our support on site in London”. Havertz was an unused…

Justice Muhammad Muhammad of the Sokoto State High Court, Sokoto, on Thursday convicted and sentenced one Aminu Malami to three years imprisonment for land fraud, with an option of fine of N30,000.00 (Thirty Thousand Naira only). The convict was prosecuted by the Sokoto zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on one-count amended charge of cheating to the tune of N450, 000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira). The charge read, “That you Aminu Malami (being an employee of Sokoto Central Market) sometime in June, 2019 at Sokoto within the judicial division of the High Court of…

Advertorial The Centre for Social and Economic Rights (CSER), a civil society organisation, is becoming increasingly worried about attempts by institutions of state in Nigeria to fix prices of goods and services in a free enterprise system. These have come in the shape of government organs/agencies issuing directives to private businesses on what prices they should charge for their goods/services. Ordinarily, these would have been dismissed, but for the fact that they are being championed by the Federal House of Representatives and very shockingly, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). On 1 September 2020, Daily Independent quoted acting NBC Director-General (D-G),…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested one Hajiya Hadiza Umar Abubakar for defrauding a job seeker, Nuraddeen Abubakar of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira only) through a fake promise of securing employment for him in the EFCC. The suspect was arrested in a branch of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), as she sent her son to make a transaction, unaware that the Commission has placed a Post No Debit (PND) on all her accounts. The detention of her son in the bank, led her to show up and her eventual arrest by the Commission. The suspect had charged her…