No second CHAN(ce) for Iheanacho – Keshi

There will be no second chance for Nigerian Under-17 star, Kelechi Iheanacho in the Super Eagles build-up for the 2014 African Nations Championship (CHAN) scheduled for South Africa.

According to the Eagles head coach, Stephen Keshi, the youngster has missed one week training with the team since he opted to leave camp to sign for English club, Manchester City.

It is believed that the City deal may have fallen through leaving the youngster and his representatives considering other options.

But Keshi explained to supersport.com that Iheanacho had a bright chance of making the Super Eagles squad for the CHAN which kicks off on January 11 after impressing while in camp.

“Kelechi did really impress us and at the time he was in camp with us he had started getting used to our style of play, the players and officials. In fact he had started bonding well on and off the pitch with other players. Unfortunately when the call came that he was going abroad to sign a deal for Manchester City I couldn’t have stopped him since he had the backing of his family.

“Right now he’s not part of our plans for the CHAN because we’ve gone ahead with our preparation and team-building without him. And mind you he has lost one week of training and that’s a big gap to catch up with,” said Keshi said on Friday.

Keshi is now ready to soldier on with the players available in the build-up to the competition next month.

“There are other players in camp who are committed and we will have to work with them and get the best out of them for the tournament,” said the Delta-born coach.

The Nigerian squad will continue their pre-CHAN programme with a friendly against a Port Harcourt selected team this Saturday and round off with another game against the nation’s top flight champions, Kano Pillars next week.

7 persons burnt to death in auto crash on East-West road in Bayelsa

Seven persons were on Friday burnt to death following a collision between a passenger bus and a private vehicle in Zarama community on the Bayelsa flank of the East-West road.

The collision reportedly caused a loud explosion, after the passenger bus, an 18-seater Toyota Hiace with registration number YB 820 AAA, was thrown into a nearby farm.
The dead passengers were burnt beyond recognition following the explosion, while nine others survived with fatal injuries.

Market women and sympathisers wept uncontrollably at the accident scene while rescue operations were going on at the accident scene, close to the popular Zarama weekly market.
Mr Chukwuma Ukaegbu, the FRSC Unit Commander in Sagbama Local Government Area, blamed the accident on total disregard of traffic regulations by both vehicles.

``The Toyota Siena and the bus were on high speed, and they were both driving recklessly, before the accident occurred as a result of dangerous overtaking.
``We have been able to rush the victims to the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital at Okolobiri in Bayelsa,’’ he said.

Man arrested for allegedly raping, impregnating 14-year old daughter

The Police in  Lagos State said it had arrested a 36-year old man who allegedly raped and impregnated his 14-year old daughter.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ngozi Braide, made this known when he briefed newsmen in Ikeja on Friday.
Braide said the girl had been pregnant for the past two months and that the man claimed to be bewitched.                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                          She added that the mother of the girl divorced her father seven years ago.
Braide added that the matter was reported at Meiran Police Station of the Area 'M' Police Command.
The victim told newsmen that her father brought a native doctor who convinced her that sex was part of the treatment to cure her undisclosed sickness before she was raped.

``My father gives me native soap and sponge probably for ritual bath always. He once entered the bathroom with me and had sex with me forcefully.
``He took me to bed forcefully several times in his room and when I refused, he threatened to kill me with a knife.
``Since then, he had been making love to me under the guise that I will be cured”, she said.

NANS threatens war over killing of Poly student by soldier

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has threaten to declare war on the Nigeria's security arm if the killer(s) of a Poly student, Umar Aliu is not brought to book.

Umar Aliu, a National Diploma II student of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina was killed by soldiers at a check point in Katsina state on Thursday, 26th December, 2013.

According to a release by the President of the Senate, NANS, Comrade Maxwell Soye, the murder of Umar is an act of barbarism and a total breach of the deceased fundamental right to life as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He also alleged that the wanton killing of Nigerian students by security operatives, paid to secure their lives, is a threat to the future of the country.

The statement made available by the body alleged that Umar was killed by a police officer, Me, My Pen and I can confirmed authoritatively that the act was perpetrated by a soldier at a check point as attested to by Capt. Ikedichi Iweha, the JTF spokesman in the state.

A part of the statement reads: "The senate therefore call on the Inspector General of police to sack the Commissioner of Police of Katsina state Police Command and the DPO of that head Quaters or Face total war as will be Declared against the Nigerian Police for the Brutal killing of Nigerian Students"

It will be recalled that Umar, who was on his way to a wedding ceremony, was killed when soldiers in Katsina State opened fire on a commercial vehicle with reg. number AY504KTN when the driver allegedly attempted to beat a military check point at Batagarawa area of the state.

Read the full statement below:

PRESS RELEASE ON THE GRUESOME MURDER OF A NIGERIAN STUDENT BY A POLICE OFFICER IN KASTINA STATE.

The Senate arm of National Association of Nigerian Students led by the President, Comrade Maxwell Soye received with tears the news of the gruesome murder of Umar Aliyu of Hassan Usman Polytechnic, Kastina who was shot dead by an officer of the Nigerian Police yesterday 26th December, 2013.

The Senate, condemn in strong terms and in its totality the brutal and barbaric ending of the life of a Nigerian Student.
We can't understand what led to the killing of a harmless student by the same persons whose responsibility is to secure his life and property.

This act of barbarism is a total breach of the fundamental right to life of Umar Aliyu as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and can't be taken as this is a threat to the lives and security of the Nigerian students.
We therefore, demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of the enemy policeman who perpetrated this devilish act. We also call on the National Human rights commission(NHRC) to as a matter of urgency investigate this brutal killing Umar Aliyu and numerous other killings of Nigerian students which figure had risen to 30.

The senate therefore call on the Inspector General of police to sack the Commissioner of Police of Katsina state Police Command and the DPO of that head Quaters or Face total war as will be Declared against the Nigerian Police for the Brutal killing of Nigerian Students, We Also commiserate with the family of Umar Aliyu and the entire students of Kastina for this great loss of one of their future leaders whose life was shortened by a blood sucking policeman.
May his soul rest in peace. And May the Good Lord grant his family and friends the fortitude to bear the loss.

Comrade Okoye Robinson Chibuzo
SSA Media and Publicity
NANS-Senate

JFC shortlists three for Innovative Young Journalist Award

Journalists for Christ International Outreach has named the final nominees for the Innovative Young Journalist Award, organised by the fellowship in partnership with Media Career Services.

The award ceremony will hold on Saturday, December 28, 2013 at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Lagos by 12 noon.  It will also serve as JFC's 15th anniversary thanksgiving and end of the year fellowship.

The nominees are:
• Alade Abiodun.
Abiodun , a journalist, blogger and writer is a staff of National Mirror Newspaper.
The graduate of Journalism from Lagos State University was former Online reporter of The Nation Newspaper.
Apart from his regular job, he runs the blog, www.blazingchild.blogspot.com titled “Me, My pen and I”.

• Hannah Ojo
Ojo presently a freelance journalist with The Nation Newspaper while awaiting NYSC deployment is a graduate of English Language from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife.
She is the co-publisher of www.fussionexpress.com through which she actively blogs on majorly advocacy and human interest issues.

• Jennifer Ehidiamen
Ehidiamen, a poet, tech-savvy journalist and entrepreneur is a New Media Fellow at International Reporting Project www.internationalreportingproject.org.
The graduate of Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), on national service in Nasarawa State, also reports for Global Press Institute on global health and development in Nigeria.
She recently published a book titled Half a Loaf & a Bakery (Learning by doing before graduation)

Bizarre!!! He killed our son to hurt me- wife

The grieving mother whose estranged husband threw their 3-year old son off a Manhattan skyscraper in a murder-suicide on Sunday said the act was his "sick" way of retaliating against her over a bitter custody dispute.

Svetlana Kanarikov had recently agreed to Sunday visits between her estranged husband, Dmitriy Kanarikov, 35, and their son, Kirill, she said in a statement released late Monday through her attorney.

The couple, who were married in 2009 but separated in August, had been feuding in court over property and the custody of the child.

"I was nervous about the visits, but the father never did anything violent against the child before," Svetlana Kanarikov said in the statement. "When we first separated, Dmitriy told me that he would leave me alone only if I left him everything we had together."

As part of the temporary agreement, she said, the boy was to live with her and spend three hours each Sunday with his father.

After two Sunday visits earlier this month, she said her son was "happy after seeing his Dad."

On Sunday, according to New York police, Dmitriy Kanarikov took his son to the 52-floor rooftop of a residential highrise on Manhattan's Upper West Side and threw the boy off before jumping himself.

Both father and son were killed in the fall, police said.

Olamide wins big @ Headies 2013 + full list of winners

The Headies award 2013 has come and gone with surprising and not too surprising winners grabbing the Gold busts. Olamide, however, stole the night winning the Best Street Hop artist, Best rap album, and Album of the year awards.

Other winners include, Banky W, Sean Tizzle, Davido, 2face and others.

See the full list below…

BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR Presented by Mai Atafo and Stephanie Coker
I WISH – WAJE
GOOD MORNING – BRYMO – WINNER
NATURAL SOMETHING – SOUND SULTAN
THIS YEAR – JAYWON

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR – Presented by Seyi Law and Jumoke Alawode-James
PHEELZ – DUROSOKE
DTUNES – SHO LEE – WINNER
DEL B – LIMPOPO
LERIQ – LIKE TO PARTY
LEGENDURY BEATS – EMI NI BALLER

BEST MUSIC VIDEO – Presented by Funmi Iyanda and Kelechi Amadi-Obi
ALINGO – JUDE OKOYE/CLARENCE PETERS – WINNER
OLIVER TWIST – SESAN
GAGA CRAZY – AJE FILM WORKS
AZONTO– MOE MUSA
YES/NO – CLARENCE PETERS

BEST RnB/POP ALBUM – Presented by HIPTV’s Femi Daniels
IYANYA VS. DESIRE – IYANYA
O.B.O. – DAVIDO – WINNER
RnBW – BANKYW
BLESSED – FLAVOUR
AWAY n BEYOND – 2FACE

BEST RnB SINGLE Presented by Beat FM’s Koch
DON’T LET GO – CAPITAL FEMI
GOOD GOOD LOVING – BANKYW – WINNER
LIKE TO PARTY – BURNA BOY
RICH n FAMOUS – PRAIZ
OMOTE – ESE PETERS

BEST POP SINGLE Presented by Osas Ighodaro and Lynxxx
IHE NE ME – 2FACE – WINNER
The KICK – WANDE COAL FT DON JAZZY
GOBE – DAVIDO
CATCHING COLD – TUNDE EDNUT
UR WAIST – IYANYA
GOODY BAG – D’PRINCE

BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL SINGLE Presented by Toolz
I WISH – WAJE – WINNER
RIHANNA – OREZI
GIVE IT TO ME – GENERAL PYPE
GO DOWN – BABA DEE

BEST RAP ALBUM Presented by Basketmouth
OGA BOSS – ILL BLISS
THE SECOND COMING – VECTOR
YBNL – OLAMIDE – WINNER
BOOK OF RAP STORIES – REMINISCE

BEST COLLABO Presented by Chin and Kemi Adetiba
GHOST MODE – PHYNO FT. OLAMIDE – WINNER
TONY MONTANA (REMIX) – NAETO C FT. D’BANJ
BADDEST BOY – EME FT. WIZKID, SKALES n BANKYW
EZIOKU – LYNXXX FT. IKECHUWKU, ILL BLISS n PHYNO
EMI NI BALLER – CHIDINMA FT. SUSPECT n ILL BLISS
BABY MI DA (REMIX) – DR. VICTOR OLAIYA FT. 2FACE

BEST RAP SINGLE Presented by Illbliss and Yvonne ‘Vixen’ Ekwere
MAN OF THE YEAR – PHYNO – WINNER
ANAM ACHI KWANU – ILL BLISS FT. PHYNO
DUROSOKE – OLAMIDE
2 MUSSHH – REMINISCE
GHOST MODE – PHYNO FT OLAMIDE

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE) Presented by Deji Awokoya
RICH AND FAMOUS – PRAIZ – WINNER
OMOTE – ESE PETERS
DON’T LET GO – CAPITAL FEMI
YES/NO – BANKY W

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE) Tewa Onasanya
I WISH – WAJE
TOH BAD – NIYOLA
IRAWO – SEYI SHAY
TOTALLY YOURS – ZAINA
ONLY YOU – NIKKI LAOYE – WINNER

NEXT RATED Presented by Hyundai
SEAN TIZZLE – WINNER
DAMMY KRANE
BURNA BOY
SEYI SHAY
PHYNO

HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION Presented by Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi and Ayo Animashaun
W.A.J.E – WAJE
OMO BABA OLOWO – DAVIDO – WINNER
FRENZY – D’PRINCE
THE YEAR OF R’N’B – CAPITAL F.E.M.I

LYRICIST ON THE ROLL Presented by Efe Omoregbe
OLAMIDE – VOICE OF THE STREETS
BOOGEY – SANCTUM
MODE 9 – LET IT GO – WINNER
PHYNO – MAN OF THE YEAR

BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE Presented by Darey Art Alade
TERRY G – RUN MAD
DUROSOKE – OLAMIDE – WINNER
MY DEAR – DAMMY KRANE
SKIBO – SOLID STAR
ALAYE – LKT

BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG Presented by Cool FM’s Mercy and Freeze
REPETE – BLACKMAGIC – WINNER
OMO PASTOR – AJEBUTTER FT. BOJ
FEEL ALRIGHT – SHOW DEM CAMP FT. BOJ n POE
THIS YEAR – JAYWON

ALBUM OF THE YEAR Presented by Ali Baba and wife
IYANYA VS. DESIRE– IYANYA
O.B.O. – DAVIDO
RnBW – BANKYW
BLESSED – FLAVOUR
YBNL – OLAMIDE – WINNER

ARTISTE OF THE YEAR Presented by COOL WORLD
IYANYA – WINNER
DAVIDO
WIZKID
FLAVOUR
OLAMIDE
ICE PRINCE

SONG OF THE YEAR Presented by Uche Onwudiwe
DUROSOKE – OLAMIDE
UR WAIST – IYANYA
ALINGO – P-SQUARE
SHO LEE – SEAN TIZZLE
LIMPOPO – KCEE – WINNER

BEST AFRICAN ARTISTE (WINNER NOT ANNOUNCED)
R2BEES
MAFIKIZOLO
LIQUID DEEP
SARKODIE
MICASA

HALL OF FAME Presented by Chris Ihidero
KWAM 1

Boxing Day Disasters: Soldiers kill undergraduate, reckless driver crushes two

Soldiers in Katsina State on Thursday opened fire on a commercial vehicle with reg. number AY504KTN, killing one of the passengers.

An eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen that the driver allegedly attempted to overtake a truck at the check point.

The eye witness said that the deceased was later identified as Umar Ali, 22, and a National Diploma II student of Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina.

According to the witness, the deceased was travelling along with his friends to Minna, Niger, for a wedding ceremony when the incident occurred.

Capt. Ikedichi Iweha, the JTF spokesman in the state, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Katsina.

Iweha said that the soldiers opened fire on the vehicle when the driver attempted to beat a military check point at Batagarawa area of the state.

He said that one of the passengers in the vehicle was hit and died instantly.

The JTF spokesman said that the affected driver had been arrested while the vehicle had been placed under the custody of the army.

Iweha said that investigation into the incident had also commenced.

It was also a black Boxing Day for two hawkers at Doyin Bus stop, Orile area of Lagos state when an over-speeding passenger bus with plate number, FST-762XE, due to break failure crushed them to death. 

The identity of the hawkers could not be confirmed as at the time of this report.

 
Wishing you God’s maximum safety throughout this festive season, confirm with an amen

Match-fixing: Sodje claims he was framed

Nigeria defender Sam Sodje has maintained he was set up leading up to match-fixing allegations against him in England.

  

Sodje, who was quizzed by security agent alongside his brother Akpo Sodje and other four players over the allegations, said there was nothing like that and that he will not want to talk more on it as his lawyer is on top of the situation.

  

"The match fixing allegation was a set up, I don't care about what people believe, but the truth will be revealed soon. What people watch was a five minute video but that video was recorded over nine months,Sodje told the newspaper Complete Sports.

  

“I don't want to say much on the case as my lawyer is on it. The whole world will know the truth soon. They will be put to shame."

  

Sodje is under investigation after he allegedly boasted he deliberately got sent off and was paid 70,000 pounds.

  

The National Crime Agency is now investigating this claim, which was captured on camera.

  

The Football League said they will give the police the full assistance in this investigation.

  

According to Sun of Sunday, it was alleged that Sodje, who was capped by the Super Eagles and played in the EPL, made sure he was sent off during a game involving his club Portsmouth and Oldham Athletic this year.

  

Sodje allegedly showed footage of himself hitting Oldham's Jose Baxter and told the Sun reporter:

  

"OK listen. this is when I was playing. Do you know how much I got for that? £70k. Do you know how much I got fined? I got fined ten grand and I missed six games.”

Sunday Mba quits CHAN for France as Cardiff Chases Yobo

AFCON star Sunday Mba is a major doubt for next month’s CHAN as he is set to join up with French club Bastia, coach Stephen Keshi has said.

Keshi said on Thursday Mba, was on his way to France to join Bastia, the French side who first indicated interest in him after the Nations Cup triumph.

Assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi was to add that the player could leave camp as early as Friday, as he was not one of the players listed for the friendly in Port Harcourt on Saturday against a Rivers selected side.

“We have resigned ourselves to fate and working hard to discover those who can fill Mba’s shoes, as he seems to have nicked a deal with Bastia and may not be part of CHAN tourney. We just to brace up and wish him the best because it’s a career thing,” he said.

Meanwhile EPL side Cardiff City is still keen to have Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo, who they have been chasing before the start of this season.

  

Cardiff City were in contact with the AFCON 2013 winner for his signature in the summer, but met with no success.

  

The former Everton defender is poised to part ways with Fenerbahce this winter window after he has been consigned to the bench and Cardiff are ready to come in for the Nigerian, according to fanatik.com