David Beckham set for PSG move  

PARIS, Jan 31, 2013 (AFP) – Former England captain David Beckham was on Thursday set to join Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports, fuelling hopes of a celebrity boost for French football as it faces up to an exodus of top players.
The 37-year-old midfielder — one of the world’s most recognisable sportsmen with a pop star wife and an estimated net worth of 190 million pounds ($300 million, 220 million euros) — has been without a club since leaving Los Angeles Galaxy last year.

David Beckham: joining PSG

But the BBC and Sky Sports News both said that the ex-Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan star was due to be unveiled by the French league leaders later on Thursday after routine health tests.PSG sporting director Leonardo had no comment to make about the reports when contacted by AFP but the player was seen leaving the city’s Pitie-Salpetriere hospital that the club uses to conduct medicals.
News of Beckham’s pending arrival lit up the final day of the January transfer window, a year after the former Old Trafford playmaker was first linked with a move to the Parc des Princes, amid reports that he could sign up to an 18-month contract.
Whatever the terms of the deal with “Becks” — who is married to the former Spice Girl turned fashion designer Victoria — PSG’s Qatari owners have signed a celebrity brand with the clout to tap new markets for the club, particularly in Asia.
As a Manchester United player, Beckham was mobbed like a rockstar on visits to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand while in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, his distinctive mohawk hairdo sparked legions of imitators.
One Bangkok fan placed a sculpture of his idol in a Buddhist temple while a three-metre (10-foot) chocolate image of the Old Trafford playmaker was even created in Japan.
“He’s more than a player. He’s a brand, a pop star,” said Leonardo in 2011 after making an initial approach to the player, who has a host of lucrative advertising and endorsement deals and is seen as much on on red carpets as in the corridors of power.
France coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday said Beckham could provide a much-needed filip to Ligue 1, which lags other major European leagues for star power and this January has seen a glut of transfers to English clubs.
“It’s not yet official but if it’s the case it’s a very, very good thing for the media profile of Ligue 1,” said Deschamps, who played for Chelsea in 1999/2000 while Beckham was at Old Trafford.
“He’s a player whose personality goes beyond football like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It gives a greater visibilility to our championship internationally.”
Former AC Milan striker Ibrahimovic was brought to PSG in the close season last year as the club spent more than 200 million euros on the transfer market but is one of the few players of undisputed world class in France’s top division.
Beckham, capped 115 times for England — a national record for an outfielder — first came to prominence at Manchester United and in 1999 helped the club win the coveted “Treble” of the English Premier League, FA Cup and European Champions League.
Renowned as a dead-ball specialist for the quality of his delivery from free-kicks and corners, Beckham rose through the ranks as one of a crop of talented young players including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.
He made his United debut aged 17 in 1992 and went on to win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League with the English giants.
His England debut came in 1996 and two years later he was sent off during a last 16 defeat by Argentina at the 1998 World Cup in France, making him a brief hate figure for many England fans.
Beckham’s relationship with United boss Alex Ferguson soured towards the end of his time in Manchester, with the veteran manager concerned about his increasingly high profile after his glitzy wedding to “Posh Spice” Victoria

Nigeria’s ‘yahoo yahoo’ boys arrested  

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested twenty suspected internet fraudsters, otherwise called yahoo-yahoo boys.
The arrest which was carried out in a joint operation with officers of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, followed intelligence report on their activities.
They were nabbed in a surprise raid on their Caber office tucked in an old building located on Silk Road , Benin City .

At the point of arrest, the fraudsters had in their possession forty five (45) laptops of different make, twenty eight (28) telephone sets, eight (8) internet mobile modems and one Nissan car with registration number USL 375 AG.
The suspected fraudsters who are mostly in their twenties includes: Idehen Obabueki, Adesa Lucky, Usuagu Uche, Eloghosa Olikiabor, Larry Edomwonyi, Amowie Maike, Francis Ezegbede, Itua Samuel and Endurance John Egbeifo. Others are Amego Ovenseri, Iyen Ighodaro, Philip Agbodori, Lucky Robinson, Nnadi Obinna, Osabuohien Osahon, Chinenu Eze, Peter Sunday, Solomon Ogu, Niyi Femi and Osagie Aghedo.
The suspects have made useful statements.
Most of them confessed to be engaged in online dating of foreigners particularly widows.
They also confessed to using different pseudo names and faces to deceive their prospective victims.
EFCC said they will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.

Abductors Of Nkiru, Nollywood Actress Unveiled  

Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

Six suspects involved with the kidnapping of Nigeria’s Nollywoood actress and Senior Special Assistant to Imo state Government, Nkiru Sylvanus were on Tuesday paraded at a joint press briefing conducted by the State Security Sercice, SSS and the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, at the SSS headquarters in Abuja.

suspected kidnappers of Nkiru Sylvanus

The suspects, Ndidi Nwakoma Cletus, Stanley Asonna, Aminu Musa, Mohammed Abubakar, Obinna Okwuolisa and Sampson Chinedu Onwuka were said to have been arrested following joint operation by security operatives at the sister agencies.

They were also arrested in connection with the kidnapping of Mr. Uche Okoli and Kenneth Okolie on 15th December, 2012 at Nworie street, Akanchawa roundabout in Owerre, the Imo state capital,

Ndidi Nwokoma Cletus, 30 years old dismissed Mobile Police Constable, is said to be an indigene of Umuokedinma Awara in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo state. He confessed to being the leader of a notorious nine man armed gang which carried out the kidnap.

The Nollywood actress was released after a ransom of N8 million was paid. She spent six days in the kidnapper’s custody.

The suspected kidnappers admitted to other kidnapping incidents some of which include the kidnapping of one Okoro Okechukwu, an Electrical materials dealer on 15th October who was later released after a ransom of N1. 025 million was paid, Nkiruka Okwuosa, a civil servant who was kidnapped on 14 October, 2012 who was also released after a ransom of N3 million was paid, among others.

Balotelli quits City for AC Milan  

Mario Balotelli’s chequered career at English champions Manchester City came to an end on Tuesday when the temperamental Italian striker signed for AC Milan in a deal thought to be worth 20 million euros.
“Mario Balotelli to Milan, the player will come tomorrow for his medical and sign his contract,” the Milan Channel announced.
City paid Inter Milan £22 million ($34.5 million) for the Italy striker in August 2010, but his time at the club has been peppered with controversy both on and off the pitch

College provost jailed for 4 years over N3.3m fraud  

A day after Nigerians expressed outrage over the light sentence given to a former director of the Police Pension Fund,John Yakubu Yusuf over a N27billion theft, a court in the Western Nigerian city of Ibadan has demonstrated the partiality of justice in Nigeria, with the jailing for four years of the Provost of the Federal Cooperative College, Eleyele, Ibadan over a N3.3million fraud.

The provost Ruth Aweto, was jailed without the option of fine by the state High Court sitting in Ibadan. Justice Mohammed Talba of the Federal High Court Abuja gave Yusuf two year jail sentence, with the option of fine.

Also sentenced to four years imprisonment without option of fine was the Bursar, Adekanye Komolafe.

The duo were sentenced by Justice Moshood Abass who found them guilty of four out of the eight-count charge of fraud leveled against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The judge, however, said the sentence would run concurrently on each of the four-count charge.

The convicts between October 2005 and January 2006 were said to have conspired to mislead the Federal Government by submitting a defective budget proposal for the year 2006.

In the budget proposal, the convicts claimed that 41 casual workers were permanent staff of the college and entitled to N7million rather than the N3.7 million they were genuinely expected to collect.

Delivering his three-hour judgment, the judge said the prosecution had proven that both principal officers of the college betrayed the trust vested in them by government.

“You have used your positions to mislead and defraud the government of the money put under your custody for the smooth administration of the college,” he said.

The convicts had told the court that they agreed to present and submit the misleading budget proposal of N7million based on the fact that an interview had already been conducted for the said 41 casual staff.

The said interview was purportedly conducted under the leadership of one Mr Ubedie in preparation for the conversion of the casual workers to full staff of the college.

The convicts, however, admitted not returning the balance of N3.3million to the coffers of the government, saying it was used to off-set the outstanding salaries of 2004.

Abass, however, said that the convicts failed to show any document or give the name of a superior officer of the Federal Government who might have given them the authorisation to convert the balance as claimed.

The convicts committed an offence contrary to Section 26 (1) ( c ) and punishable under Section 17 (1 ) ( c) of the ICPC Act 2000.

The judge said that although the offence carried a five-year jail term without an option of fine, he took into consideration the fact that they were both first time offenders.

College provost jailed for 4 years over N3.3m fraud  

A day after Nigerians expressed outrage over the light sentence given to a former director of the Police Pension Fund,John Yakubu Yusuf over a N27billion theft, a court in the Western Nigerian city of Ibadan has demonstrated the partiality of justice in Nigeria, with the jailing for four years of the Provost of the Federal Cooperative College, Eleyele, Ibadan over a N3.3million fraud.

The provost Ruth Aweto, was jailed without the option of fine by the state High Court sitting in Ibadan. Justice Mohammed Talba of the Federal High Court Abuja gave Yusuf two year jail sentence, with the option of fine.

Also sentenced to four years imprisonment without option of fine was the Bursar, Adekanye Komolafe.

The duo were sentenced by Justice Moshood Abass who found them guilty of four out of the eight-count charge of fraud leveled against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The judge, however, said the sentence would run concurrently on each of the four-count charge.

The convicts between October 2005 and January 2006 were said to have conspired to mislead the Federal Government by submitting a defective budget proposal for the year 2006.

In the budget proposal, the convicts claimed that 41 casual workers were permanent staff of the college and entitled to N7million rather than the N3.7 million they were genuinely expected to collect.

Delivering his three-hour judgment, the judge said the prosecution had proven that both principal officers of the college betrayed the trust vested in them by government.

“You have used your positions to mislead and defraud the government of the money put under your custody for the smooth administration of the college,” he said.

The convicts had told the court that they agreed to present and submit the misleading budget proposal of N7million based on the fact that an interview had already been conducted for the said 41 casual staff.

The said interview was purportedly conducted under the leadership of one Mr Ubedie in preparation for the conversion of the casual workers to full staff of the college.

The convicts, however, admitted not returning the balance of N3.3million to the coffers of the government, saying it was used to off-set the outstanding salaries of 2004.

Abass, however, said that the convicts failed to show any document or give the name of a superior officer of the Federal Government who might have given them the authorisation to convert the balance as claimed.

The convicts committed an offence contrary to Section 26 (1) ( c ) and punishable under Section 17 (1 ) ( c) of the ICPC Act 2000.

The judge said that although the offence carried a five-year jail term without an option of fine, he took into consideration the fact that they were both first time offenders.

Nigeria, Burkina Faso qualify for q/finals, Zambia out  

Bamidele Olowosagba

Nigeria finally took its place in the elite league of African soccer, by qualifying for the quarter finals of the African Nations Cup, by defeating Ethiopia 2-0.

The two goals via penalties were scored by Victor Moses.

Zambia, the defending champions failed to make it, having earned only three points from three matches. It played a goalless draw in its last game with Burkina Faso, which qualified, along with Nigeria in the group.

Both Nigeria and Burkina Faso ended up with five points, but Burkina Faso led the group with goals advanatge, having netted four goals against Ethiopia in the second game of the group.

Victor Moses: brace saved Nigeria

Nigeria had waited for the last game of the Group C to make its qualification, having wasted its lead in two previous matches, against Zambia and Burkina Faso, conceding late goals to

Nigeria’s Echiejile struggles with the ball against Ethiopian players

Nigeria started on a bright note as the Eagles made two incursions into the Ethiopians’ defence within the first two minutes of the match.
The first attack came through Celtic of Scotland defender, Efe Ambrose, who connected with a header a free kick taken by Victor Moses from the far left of the field, but his shot went over the crossbar.

In less than a minute afterwards, Chelsea’s Victor Moses took a free kick, about 35 yards outside the Ethiopians’ penalty box, only to be deflected by the opponents’ wall into the waiting hands of Ethiopian goalie.

Biyadglign Eliase of Ethiopia was the first player to be cautioned by the centre referee when he got yellow carded in the 21st minute after he fouled Emenike.

With over half of the first 45 minutes already played with no serious threat from the Eagles, the Ethiopians increased in confidence and after getting their first corner in the 17th minute, threatened the Nigerian goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama in three quick successions but to no avail.

In the 33rd minute, Nigeria responded well to the Ethiopians’ threats as some swift exchange of passes among the attackers saw them go beyond Ethiopia’s defence for the first time in the match, but the final pass from Elderson Echiejile was too poor for Ike Uche to connect.

In the last seven minutes of the first half, caution was thrown to the dogs by both teams and this resulted in counter attacks from both teams.

Ethiopia got their second caution of the match in the 42nd minute when defender Degu Debebe was cautioned for a foul tackle on Mikel Obi, just outside their 18 yard box.

Nigeria could not utilize the resultant free kick as Moses’ kick was blocked into touch.

Nigeria’s brightest chance of the half, surprisingly, came the way of Eagles’ defender Kenneth Omeruo, who had a half chance inside the Ethiopians’ half, but his half volley went over the crossbar.

With few infringements and substitutions in the match, the centre referee ended the first half after the expiration of the one minute added time.

The second half started with both sides coming out to attack. Interestingly, the first real chance to score in the second stanza came the way of Omeruo, whose header from 12-yards out was way over the crossbar.

Nigeria’s desperation for goals began to show on the players as the players got three cautions within ten minutes through needless tackles by Godfrey Oboabona, Sunday Mbah and Fengor Ogude.

The Eagles got two goal scoring chances, in quick succession, in the 61st and 62nd minute through Emenike and Moses, respectively. In both cases, the Ethiopian goal keeper cleared the ball.
Both teams made their first substitution of the match, with coach Stephen Keshi bringing in Ahmed Musa to replace Ikechukwu Uche in the 66th minute, while Ethiopian coach Bishaw Sinet replaced Yusuf Saleh with Berhanu Bogale in the 68th minute.
With less than a quarter of the match remaining, Nigeria made their second substitution with Brown Ideye coming in for Emmanuel Emenike.
The substitutions inspired the Nigerian side as the two time champions increased their attack, though with some holes at their backline.
In the 78th minute, Nigeria were awarded a penalty after Moses was brought down by an Ethiopian defender in the box.
Moses took the resultant spot kick that beat the Ethiopian goalie to record Nigeria’s first goal of the match.
In less than a minute later, the Ethiopians almost got their equalizer but Nigerians had goal keeper Enyeama to thank as he parried the shot from Ethiopian striker into touch.

Nigeria’s Mikel and Ethiopia’s Alula Girma were cautioned in the 79th and 84th minute of the match.
When Nigerian fans inside the Royal Bafokeng Stadium were already calling for the Eagles kill the remaining time of the match, Nigeria got another penalty in the 86th minute, again through Moses who was brought down by the Ethiopian goalkeeper after he rounded him inside the box.

After about three minutes of delay after the referee sent off the Ethiopian keeper, Sisay Bancha, and was replaced in goal by a player because they had completed their maximum number of substitutes, Moses converted the penalty to record the second goal for Nigeria.

In the 94th minute, Ethiopia had a great chance to pull one goal back, but Kebebe fired over the Nigerian crossbar from close range.

After the seven minutes of injury time were exhausted, the centre referee ended the match with Victor Moses of Nigeria selected as Man of the Match.
Nigeria finished second in group C behind Burkina Faso who topped the group after they played a goal less draw with Zambia.. Nigeria will play the winner of Group D, Cote d’Ivoire in the quarter final.