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Reigning African Best Footballer, Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and 2016 nominee, Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, are among a shortlist of 30 players for the 2016 Ballon d’Or . Borussia Dortmund’s Aubameyang and Premier League winner with Leicester, Mahrez, are also in the running for the CAF-Glo Award. Mahrez won the Premier League with Leicester and was named Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year. Also, three-time world player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo, will have to take on Real Madrid teammate, Gareth Bale, for the Ballon d’Or title. Both were on the 2016 shortlist announced yesterday by France Football Magazine which also featured Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, and Juventus veteran goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. Ronaldo, who won the award in 2008 and 2013-14, set himself up for a fourth Ballon d’Or when captaining Portugal to Euro 2016 glory and inspiring Real Madrid to an 11th Champions League triumph. France Football released the names of the 30 shortlist...

Tottenham Hotspur’s Moussa Sissoko looks set for a three-match ban after being charged by the FA for appearing to elbow Bournemouth’s Harry Arter in the face in last Saturday’s goalless draw. Sissoko caught fellow midfielder, Arter, during the second half at Bournemouth’s Dean Court ground but escaped immediate sanction. A Football Association statement yesterday said that as the incident was not seen at the time by referee Craig Pawson or his linesmen, Sissoko had been charged with violent conduct. BBC Sport reports that Spurs have until 6pm today to respond to the charge, but manager Mauricio Pochettino indicated they would not contest it. “We accept that. We have reviewed the video,” said Pochettino, ahead of Tottenham’s visit to Liverpool in the fourth round of the EFL Cup today.

The incessant killing, raping and ravaging of innocent people, property and farmlands by some miscreants masquerading as Fulani Herdsmen is absurd, barbaric and morally disgustful. It sends a strong signal to the Government on the need to urgently create both the community and state police. This is because this type of violent campaign being propagated by the so called Fulani herdsmen against the host community pose a direct threat to the existence of Nigeria as one entity. The horrendous behaviour if left unabated would jeopardized Nigeria’s economic and further hatred among the components of a country described by the Tafawa Balewa as ‘mistake of 1914’ and reduced to ‘a mere geographic expression’ by chief Obafemi Awolowo. That is the reason why most Marxist analysts now refer to Nigeria as a ‘withering away state’. Most of them believe that Nigerian state has lost its distinctive feature which according to Marx Weber is to legitimately monopolise the instrument of coercion. In Nige...

When Chief Femi Fani-Kayode was rearrested on Friday, 21st of October, 2016, in the premises of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, we raised a number of issues which included that the re-arrest was not only unnecessary but that it was also reckless. We made known our fears that Fani-Kayode’s life was in dire danger as long as he remained in EFCC custody or in the custody of any agency of the federal government based on discreet information available to us. This is apart from the fact that his health has been badly affected since his incarceration for a whopping 67 days based on some questionable ‘detention orders’. This fact is well known to the EFCC as Fani-Kayode’s lawyers have written several letters to the Commission reminding them of the health conditions of the former minister of aviation It is therefore shocking that having known these facts, the EFCC still acted in a most unprofessional and crude way by re-arresting a man who has never been known to turn down their invitati...

Usman Bugaje, an ambassadorial nominee from Kastina state, has turned down his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari. Bugaje Bugaje is the second nominee to reject the offer, after Pauline Tallen, former deputy governor of Plateau state, turned it down as well. While Tallen announced her decision to decline the appointment in public, Bugaje prevailed on by top government officials not to announce his rejection of the offer in the media. Tallen had rejected her nomination on the grounds that there was no “proper consultation”. She had also explained that her decision was done in fairness to other parts of the state. Speaking to state house correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, Simon Lalong, Plateau state governor, commended Tallen for her decision. “Pauline is an astute politician from my state, and part of the issue we also raised was on some of the appointments that were made,” he said. “So, all the states that had complaints are going to ...

Facebook user, Bello Anny Lawrence, has posted graphic images of violent abuse of a teenage house-help by her guardian, a Redeemed Christian Church God pastor, in Igando suburb of Lagos. Bello Anny Lawrence identified the pastor as Clifford Ojugo of Reedeem Christian Church of God, Peace House, Idimu, who lives at No 9 Babatope Babatope Close Igando. According to the concerned Facebook user, the house-help, an orphan was punished by the pastor for lying that she had done an errand she was yet to do. The house-help is now under the care of a concerned family in the neighbourhood. Bello Anny Lawrence and other neighbours have taken to social media demanding for justice on her behalf.

The Dangote Group of Companies has denied reports that the disengagement of 48 workers from the company was due to economic recession in the country. Mr Tony Chiejina, its Head of Corporate Affairs, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that the 36 expatriates workers formed the bulk of those disengaged. He said that the expatriates were disengaged because of job overlap, while the 12 Nigerians that were affected were in the procurement department whose services were now redundant due to growth in the company. Chiejina said that Dangote group was rather expanding its operations in spite of the recession and this expansion would fire more employments in the company. He said that the company was expanding into oil and gas, rice and diary projects, fertiliser and petrochemicals, among others. He said that the current recession was a challenge to the company to impact more favourably on the Nigerian economy.