Another 37 Nigerians deported from Italy

The Italian government has deported 37 Nigerians for committing immigration-related offences in the country.

The deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA) Lagos, on Tuesday night.

The deportees,who are all males, were brought back in a chartered aircraft with registration umber OM-IE.

DSP Joseph Alabi, the spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development.

The deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

Also on ground to receive them were officials the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN

The deportees were profiled by immigration authorities and were each given a stipend to facilitate their transportation to their respective states.

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It will be recalled that the Italian government had on Feb. 23 deported 33 Nigerians from the country for similar reasons.

Recall that just days after a set of Nigerians were deported from Libya and Cameroun, another 171 citizens have been repatriated to the country

The repatriation exercise was carried out by some organisations which collaborated with the National Emergency Management Agency

BREAKING: 3 Nigerian banks set to take over Etisalat today over N541.8 billion debt

Premium Times is reporting that three Nigerian banks are set to take over telecommunications firm Etisalat today, Wednesday, March 8, over unpaid N541.8billion debt.

According to the report, the move follows the failure of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to broker a peaceful resolution between Etisalat Nigeria and a consortium of banks.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blames referee for loss to Bayern Munich

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reacted to their 10 – 2 aggregate humiliation in the hands of Bayern Munich in their UEFA Champions league round of 16 tie.

The Gunners who lost 5 – 1 in the first-leg at the Allianz Arena, were demolished 1 – 5 at the Emirates in a tie many tag as an embarrassment.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blames referee for loss to Bayern

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Arsenal who were leading 1 – 0 in the first half of the reverse fixture were reduced to 10-men when Laurent Koscielny was shown a red card.

The visitors then romped to net five goals to knockout Arsene Wenger’s men in the round of 16 yet again, but Wenger believes the referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos from Greece was unfair to his side.

“When you are down to 10 men and you have to score four goals, it becomes in the head of the players, impossible. I think what is terrible is he’s offside, Lewandowski.

“There is no penalty. On top of that he gives him a yellow card and on top of that he gives him a red card.

"It is just not serious. When you see the importance of the game and you see an attitude like that I am absolutely revolted. Sorry to people who come and pay a lot of money to watch these kind of games.”

The result means the Gunners have been knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 for the seventh consecutive time.

EFCC Invasion;Andrew Yakubu seeks N1b damages

Disgraced Andrew Yakubu, a former group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), is asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to award N1 billion in his favour as damages against Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for violation‎ of his right.

Andrew Yakubu 

He is also asking the court for a declaration that he was entitled to the dignity of his person, personal liberty, freedom of movement, private and family life as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.

He further wants the court to declare that his continued detention by the EFCC without being charged to court or allowed to complete his medical procedure in the United Kingdom was a violation of his rights.

In an unannounced operation recently, the EFCC had stormed Yakubu’s house located at Chiku road, Sabon Tasha Area, Kaduna South local government area and recovered the sum of 9.772 million dollars and another £74,000.

TM gathered that Yakubu’s counsel, Mr Adeola Adedipe told the court that the matter was brought pursuant to Order 8 Rule 4 of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules.

Joined in the suit are the EFCC and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as first and second respondents.

Yakubu, who has been in detention, prayed the court for an order enforcing his rights to personal liberty, dignity of human person, freedom of movement, private and family life.

He wants to be admitted on bail so he can complete his treatment in the United Kingdom. He also wants an order of perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from further detaining him unlawfully.

Apart from these, he is asking the country to compel the EFCC to tender a public apology to him in two widely published national daily newspapers for the violation of his rights.

Opposing Yakubu’s application, the EFCC‎ through a counter affidavit deposed to by one Waziri Adamu, said the anti-graft agency was still investigating Yakubu and that the interim findings revealed that the monies found in Yakubu’s house were not gifts but suspected to be proceeds of crime.

According to the EFCC, Yakubu was a public officer and there were existing laws that barred public officers from accepting those kind of gifts under any guise.

The EFCC pleaded with the court to allow it continue to detain Yakubu especially as the search conducted in Yakubu’s house was backed with a valid court order.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the matter until March 9.