Breaking: Erling Haaland Signs Record-Breaking 9.5-Year Deal with Manchester City Until 2034

 

Manchester City star striker Erling Haaland has signed a new contract extending his stay at the Etihad Stadium until 2034, when he will potentially be 34 years old.

The deal, finalized with all contracts sealed and an official announcement made, includes a record-breaking salary for the club and positions Haaland among the highest-paid footballers globally.

As part of the agreement, all previous release clauses have been removed. However, a new release clause will come into effect in 2029, reportedly set at an astronomical figure that remains undisclosed.

Nigerian Police Arrest Army Personnel With ‘Canadian Loud’ In Lagos

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The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended a soldier, Lance Corporal Sani Aminu with substances said to be Canadian Loud, an imported strong synthetic strain of cannabis.

Aminu with service number 13NA/70/11481 was arrested with the illicit drug consignment on Wednesday in Lagos State.

A police signal obtained by SaharaReporters confirmed the arrest.

The signal said a police patrol team led by one ASP Alex Dung intercepted the soldier attached to Abalti Barracks, Surulere area of the state, around 8pm.

“SITUATION REPORT X ARREST OF MILITARY PERSONNEL X TODAY BEING 15/01/2025 X AT ABOUT 2015HRS X PATROL TEAM LED ASP ALEX DUNG ATTACHED MINE X INTERCEPTED AND BROUGHT TO THE STATION 13NA/70/11481 L/ CPL SANI AMINU ATTACHED TO ABALTI BARRACKS SURULERE X WITH SUSBTANCE SUSPECTED TO BE CANADIAN LOUD X SUSPECT WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO CP TACTICAL SQUAD 1 FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION PLEASE X SUPOL 74 ORILE-IGANMU,” it read.

UBA, FCMB, Fidelity, WEMA Bank To Loose USSD Connection

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that Fidelity Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), and First City Monument Bank (FCMB) are among the banks owing telecommunications companies over Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) codes assigned to them.

According to the NCC, the affected banks must settle their outstanding obligations by January 27, 2025, or risk losing access to their USSD codes. The commission noted that some of the unpaid invoices have remained unpaid since 2020, indicating a prolonged financial dispute between the banks and telecom operators.

The NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, on Tuesday in a public notice disclosed that nine out of 18 financial institutions had not complied with regulatory directives. The total amount initially owed by the financial institutions was reported to exceed N200 billion.

However, the regulator did not disclose the precise debt currently owed by the affected banks. The affected USSD codes include 770, 919, and 822, among others. These codes are essential for enabling mobile banking services and could be reassigned to other applicants if the debts remain unresolved.

The other banks on the list include Wema Bank Plc, Jaiz Bank, Fidelity Bank Plc, Polaris Bank Limited, Unity Bank Plc, and Zenith Bank Plc.

Dangote Refinery Disrupts European Fuel Market – OPEC

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has highlighted how the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s efforts to boost Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) production are reshaping the European fuel market.

The refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, began operations in January last year and started PMS production in September.

This marked a significant shift for Nigeria, which previously relied entirely on fuel imports. The facility has since exported petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel to various countries, both within and beyond Africa.

An OPEC report on Wednesday noted that the Dangote Refinery has reduced Nigeria’s dependency on imported petroleum products from Europe.

“The ongoing operational ramp-up efforts at Nigeria’s new Dangote refinery and its gasoline (petrol) exports to the international market will likely weigh further on the European gasoline market.

“Continued gasoline production in Nigeria, a country that has relied heavily on imports to meet its domestic fuel needs in the past, will most likely continue to free up gasoline volumes in international markets which will call for new destinations and flow adjustments for the extra volumes going forward,” the report stated.

OPEC observed that in the last quarter of 2024, Nigeria’s petroleum product imports declined, enhancing the country’s external sector outlook.

Wike Revokes 568 Abuja Land Allocations Over Unpaid C-of-O Fees

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revoked the allocation of 568 lands in the nation’s capital Abuja over unpaid Certificates of Occupancy fees.

The FCT Administration, in a public notice, said the allottees of the plots of land in Maitama II, Cadastral Zone A10, Abuja, failed to pay for their Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) bills after the expiration of the grace period granted by the minister.

The notice said the allocation of the plots of land has been withdrawn, “pursuant to the provisions of Section 28 of the Land Use Act of 1978 for contravention of the terms of grant which obligated the title/interest holders to settle all bills. The general public is, however, invited to note that allottees/ title holders who

have completed their payments on or before 15/01/2025 are not affected by this publication”.

As reported by Channels TV, the names of the allottees/title holders whose titles have been withdrawn are:

FG To Distribute N75,000 To 70 Million Poorest Nigerians By 2025

The Federal Government has announced plans to distribute N75,000 cash transfers to an estimated 70 million ‘poorest of the poor’ Nigerians by 2025.

This was disclosed by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, during his appearance on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Wednesday.

Prof. Yilwatda revealed that the ministry aims to deploy the program across all 36 states of the federation by the end of January 2025, targeting the registration of up to 18.1 million Nigerian households through the National Identity Number (NIN) system.

“We want to deploy by the end of January across 36 states to ensure we start harvesting the NIN number of up to 18.1 million Nigerian households that we need to capture as fast as possible so that we can make payment for them,” the minister said.

“The target of the president is that we should target 15 million households. And an average household is about 4 to 5. We are discussing here roughly about 70 million households with about N75,000 per person this year,” the minister noted.

Soldiers, Civilians Missing As Terrorists Ambush Troops In Borno

 Unspecified numbers of Nigerian military personnel have been missing in a recent ambush by Boko Haram terrorists in Baga, at the fringes of the Lake Chad.

Personnel of the armed forces, who spoke Channels Television in anonymity, said soldiers were ambushed while trying to recover dead bodies of 40 residents killed by the insurgents and several soldiers were shot dead in the gun battle that ensued.

“Our troops went in search of dead bodies of civilians killed by the terrorists, we went too far in search of them and the terrorists played ambush on us; a combined team of the armed forces including civilians.

There was exchange of fire; they killed some of our soldiers. We are yet to ascertain the number because the dead bodies are yet to be collected and some soldiers are still returning to base, so we are yet to know the number of deaths,” the military source said

Another civilian source in Baga said about 50 civilians went to recover dead bodies of those killed yesterday but only one person has return so far.

The source said the 50 men include civilian joint taskforce, local hunters and some other young men.

“About 50 villagers mobilized and went out to recover the dead bodies of the villagers that were killed by Boko Haram terrorists and then the terrorists ambushed them. They killed several people, but we don’t know the number yet because one person has return to the village, we are awaiting others.

“I don’t know the casualty on the side of the military as such I cannot talk about it, but the civilians include civilian joint taskforce members, hunters and vigilantes,” the local source said.

This incident occurred on Tuesday in Baga after an attack that killed forty residents.

There was an attack in Gwoza which resulted in the death of six people, five of them are said to be repentant insurgents, civilian joint taskforce and hunters.

Economic Hardship: Why I Won’t Help Tinubu’s Government – Sanusi

 

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has made it clear that he will not offer any advice to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, on how they can tackle the economic challenges facing Nigeria.

The Emir stated this at the 21st Memorial Lecture of Chief Gani Fawehimi on Wednesday held in Lagos.

Sanusi stated that he started by helping the government but that he has now resolved not to help the government again.

He said: ” I can give a few points here about what we are going through and how it was predictable and avoidable. But I am not going to do that.

“I have chosen not to speak on the economy, or reforms or to explain anything because if I explain it, it will help this government. But I don’t want to help this government. They are my friends, but if they don’t behave like friends, I won’t behave like a friend.”

Continuing he said: ” They don’t even have people with pedigree that can come and explain to the people what they are doing. I am not going to help. I started by helping, but I am not going to help. Let them come and explain to Nigerians why they are pursuing the policies that they are pursuing.

”But I will say this one thing though. What we are going through today is at least in part, a necessary consequence of decades of irresponsible management. People were warning that if we continued the way that we were going, this is how we will end up but they refused to listen.

“Now, is everything being done correctly? No. When I am ready to talk about the economy, I will.”

5 gunmen Shot Dead As Joint Security Team Storms Anambra Hideout

 

Five suspected gunmen have been killed in their hideout in Ufuma, Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that a Joint Security Team comprising the Police, Military, and other security agencies successfully carried out an offensive operation on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 12:30 PM against a suspected armed secessionist gang on Umugem Road, Ufuma.

He said that in the course of the operation, the team neutralized five members of the armed group, while others escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds.

The Police Spokesman added: “During the operation, the security team razed the criminal camp and recovered four undetonated Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), two AK-47 assault rifles, one pump-action gun, one 75-volt battery, and other incriminating items.”

While attributing the success of the operation to the collaboration and coordination among the various security agencies, Ikenga revealed that operations are still ongoing in the area to apprehend the fleeing gang members.

He said: “The Commissioner of Police (CP), Nnaghe Obono Itam, has called for greater cooperation from the people in the area for patriotic involvement to ‘take back the space’ and deny these criminal elements the environment they use to cause tension in the state.”

Police Reject N1m Bribe From Lakurawa Suspects

Police officers in Kebbi State have rejected a bribe of ?1 million offered by suspects linked to the notorious Lakurawa bandits.

This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi State Police Command, Nafiu Abubakar.

Abubakar, a Chief Superintendent of Police, identified the three suspects as Umaru Garba (53) of Dangandu village, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji Mamman (51) of Maimaichi village, both in Arewa Local Government Area, and Usman Muhammadu (50) of Bakaramba village in Argungu Local Government Area.

He said the suspects conspired to offer a bribe of ?1,060,000 to the lead investigator, saying the bribe was intended to compromise the investigation and prosecution of a banditry case involving suspected Lakurawa terrorists operating in northern Kebbi State.

The attempted bribe occurred at the premises of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Gwadangaji, Birnin Kebbi.

According to the Command’s spokesman, the suspects were immediately arrested, and investigations are ongoing.

They will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation, Abubakar stated.

On his part, the state Commissioner of Police, Bello Sani, commended the detectives for their integrity and professionalism. He urged other officers to emulate their commitment to upholding justice.

Sani reiterated the command’s resolve to intensify efforts in combating banditry and other crimes to ensure socio-economic development in Kebbi State.

CBN Sanctions 9 Banks For Failing To Dispense Cash Via ATMs

 

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it has sanctioned some Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) for failing to make Naira notes available through automated teller machines (ATMs), during the yuletide season.

According to a statement by Hakama Sidi-Ali, CBN’s Director, Corporate Communications Department, this is a clear message of zero tolerance for cash flow disruptions.

The affected banks are Fidelity Bank Plc, First Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Plc,

Union Bank Plc, Globus Bank Plc, Providus Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, and Sterling Bank Plc.

Sidi-Ali said that each of the banks was fined N150 million for non-compliance, in line with the CBN’s cash distribution guidelines, following spot checks on their branches.

She said that the enforcement action followed repeated warnings from the CBN to financial institutions to guarantee seamless cash availability, particularly during periods of high demand.

“Communication with the banks revealed that the fines would be debited directly from their accounts with the apex bank.

“Ensuring seamless cash flow is paramount to maintaining public trust and economic stability.

“The CBN will not hesitate to impose further sanctions on any institution found violating its cash circulation guidelines,” she said.

She said the CBN’s investigations and monitoring would continue to scrutinise cash hoarding and rationing, both at bank branches and by Point-of-Sale (POS) operators.

She added that the CBN was working with security agencies to crack down on illegal cash sales and operational violations, including enforcing POS operators’ daily cumulative withdrawal limit of N1.2 million.

She urged all financial institutions to comply with its guidelines, warning that further violations would attract swift and decisive sanctions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CBN Governor, Yemi Cardoso, had earlier warned banks to strictly adhere to cash distribution policies or face severe penalties.

Cardoso gave the warning in his address at the Annual Bankers’ Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Nov., 2024.

He underscored the apex bank’s commitment to maintaining a robust cash buffer to meet the need of Nigerians.

“Our focus remains on fostering trust, ensuring stability, and guaranteeing seamless cash circulation across the financial system,” Cardoso had said

Inadequate funding: Senate Committee Rejects 2025 Budget For Ministry Of Information

 

The Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation has rejected the eight billion Naira 2025 budget for Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Emeka Eze, during the budget defense on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the budgetary provision for the ministry was grossly inadequate.

Eze also said that the committee would summon the Minister of Budget and National Planning to discuss how the budget of the ministry can be improved.

Fire Guts Building Materials Plaza At Nnewi

An early morning fire, on Tuesday, gutted a building materials plaza at Ahia-Mgbede, opposite Motor Spare Parts Market, in Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the plaza is a two-storey building.

Many other stores in the market at Uruagu, Nnewi, were, however, saved by firefighters.

The Chief Fire Officer, Anambra Fire Service, Mr Chukwudi Chiketa, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Onitsha, said that the service received a distress call about 2.15 a.m. on the incident.

“We received a distress call at 02.15 a.m. and immediately deployed firemen from Nnewi Fire Station and Ogidi Fire Station to the scene.

“The firemen fought tirelessly and contained the fire.

“The fire, however, re-ignited and the firemen are currently at the scene making efforts to stop it.

“The cause of the fire outbreak is still unknown,” he said, adding that no life was lost to the fire.

Chiketa urged members of the public to be fire conscious and avoid anything that could cause fire outbreak.

“Fire is dangerous. It kills but can be prevented,” he said.