Brighton are getting their recruitment so right that even a player they would deem a flop would be worthy of Manchester United's consideration this summer.

Erik ten Hag's side are set to make Mason Mount their first signing of the transfer window, but work is already under way to follow up his signature with that of a goalkeeper and a striker.

It is no secret that signing a striker is the priority for United this summer, though the uncertain takeover situation has made doing so a lot easier said than done.

United have already all but given up any hope of signing Harry Kane, it looks like Victor Osimhen is set to remain at Napoli and even cheaper options like Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani could end up being over budget.

In the very worst case scenario, United might even have to delay plans to sign an elite forward for another year, and look to sign a cheaper, wildcard option to suffice in the short-term.

They might have left it too late to make such a realisation though, with one of the ideal cheaper candidates looking set to move before they can even give it consideration.

United fans might recoil at the suggestion of signing a literal second-tier striker this summer, but a move for Viktor Gyökeres could prove to be the exception.

The 25-year-old was the standout striker in English football outside of the Premier League last season and would have been gracing the top-flight for sure, had Coventry won the play-off final penalty shootout against Luton.

Some supporters might dismiss these exploits as misleading given they occured in the second-tier, but then it would be hypocrticial to expect big things from Amad after his loan spell at Sunderland.

He had scored 11 goals in 12 appearances in his first five months with the Brighton academy, helping them win promotion to the top flight of U23 football, but would suffer from the club's short-term needs at senior levle as they loooked to establish themselves in the Premier League.

Gyökeres spent three years at Brighton but never made a league appearance, and he only managed one goal in the eight senior appearances he eventually made for the club.

He went on loan to St. Pauli and Swansea, though it was a short-term switch to Coventry that would set him on the path to becoming one of the best strikers in the Championship.

The Swede netted three league goals during the loan spell but they were convinced to take a gamble on his signature for less than £1million, beleiving he had the raw attributes to perform at a higher level.

It proved to be a masterstroke. Gyökeres gradually settled into life at Coventry and relished the opportunity to be their main man in attack. He grabbed 18 league goals in his first full season and followed it up with 22 goals and 12 assists as his side finished fifth in the Championship last season.

Not only are the numbers impressive, but so too is his style of play. Gyökeres possesses the same frightening balance of pace and power that makes player like Erling Haaland so lethal, as well as the intelligence to make sure he is in the right place at the right time.

Of course, this is not to say he is on the same level as the likes of Haaland, Harry Kane or even Rasmus Hojlund, but he certainly has some of the key attributes required to be a success in the Premier League.

It would not be too harsh to say that the reason Coventry's quick counter-attacking was so successful last season was because of the brilliance of their striker who was able to make things out of nothing.

The striker also cites the insight of Coventy manager Mark Robins' own playing career at Old Trafford as a key element in his development as a player.

“He speaks to me about how I can be more effective and gives me little bits of advice on my movement," he told club media. "It’s helpful to have a coach who has played for the likes of Manchester United, because he knows the demands of the very top level and you can learn a lot from that.”

Since he joined Coventry no player has been involved in more Championship goals than he has (54), and his tally of 38 goals has only been surpassed by Aleksandar Mitrović (43, all in one season for Fulham) and Joël Piroe at Swansea (41).

That is even more impressive considering the side he has been playing for, and although he is still a raw talent, his output is still impressive given the circumstance he has often played in for Coventry.

What is perhaps the most encouraging though is his physical presence in the box and the way he brings the best out of his teammates as well, something that could be crucial in unlocking the true potential of United's wide players.

The issue for United is that they might have already missed their chance to get him. Gyökeres is understood to be closing in on a £18.5m move to Sporting Lisbon, meaning there is not long left for any side to try and hijack a deal.

The Portuguese giants are in a position where they can afford to take more of a risk on a striker than United this summer, but it would certainly not be a surprise if he quickly found form there either.

If that is the case then maybe United will be more open to taking such gambles in the future and the longer their striker search goes on, the more compelling a case it will become.

[manchestereveningnews]

American heavyweight boxer, Deontay Wilder has confirmed that the clash between him and Anthony Joshua will happen in December.

The much anticipated clash between both heavyweight boxers have generated a lot of reactions from their fans on social media.

Talks are also ongoing for Wilder to take an interim fight against Andy Ruiz, though these appear to have reached a stalemate.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ assured 78SportsTV that the blockbuster bout with Joshua in the Middle East is definitely happening.

“We coming baby, soon! The next fight, we’ve been working very hard, you’ve seen me training. It’s always been Ruiz, but if he doesn’t want to accept it then we will move on, or maybe hold out until the Joshua fight, because that’s definitely going down.

“Y’all need to get your money ready for that,” he said.

Skill Challenge Promotions are determined to stage Wilder vs Joshua, even if they can’t agree a deal for an undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on the same show, which now looks to be off the table for December, as per Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.

Wilder could be forgiven for perhaps wanting a fight before taking on Joshua, given he has not boxed since his one round demolition of Robert Helenius in October of last year.

Joshua is well accustomed to fighting in Saudi Arabia, which played host to both his successful rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr back 2019 and his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last summer.

Wilder has never boxed in Saudi himself, though he was seen in attendance at the Tommy Fury vs Jake Paul fight in February, where it is speculated that early talks for a fight with Joshua could have occurred.

However, Joshua has been billed to fight Dillian Whyte on August 12 in Saudi Arabia.

[TheNewsGuru]

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has charged the Senior Women National Team, the Super Falcons to pull efforts, talents and skills together and dominate at the 9th FIFA Women’s World Cup finals starting in Australia and New Zealand in 18 days’ time.

The First Lady threw this challenge to the nine-time African champions at a Send-Forth dinner held for them at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on Saturday, less than 24 hours before the team was due to depart Nigeria’s shores for a 15-day training camp in Down Under before the global spectacle.

“You are the shining star and pride of Africa. I charge you to go all out and do your very best to dominate other teams, and become the pride of the entire world,” she said in a speech read on her behalf by Dr. Betta Edu, APC National Women Leader.

“I am proud to note that our Super Falcons have remained in that mix of the very best globally in the world of football. They have featured in every single edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals since the competition started in 1991, and our country is also one of only seven countries worldwide to have done so.

“While our Falcons made it to the quarter-finals at the 1999 finals in the United States of America, and reached the second round at the last championship in France, our expectations as a nation and as a people is for a much better performance at what is certainly the biggest and best championship yet, in Australia and New Zealand starting from 20 July.”
The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar advised the girls to work as a team in order to achieve greater results, while President of NFF, Ibrahim Musa Gusau noted that the Super Falcons have won their last three matches and possess the winning mentality to be a strong force for any opposition in Australia and New Zealand.

“Our belief in the Super Falcons and what they are capable of achieving informed the NFF’s decision to spare no cost in adequately preparing the team for the finals, with tournaments and matches in Japan, Mexico and Turkey, and a 15-camping already planned in Australia before the tournament begins.”

The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu expressed confidence that the Falcons will go all the way to the Championship Final, and pledged to attend the quarter-final and semi-final matches if the girls get to the latter stages.
NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi urged the Falcons to observe the integrity of the sport and prioritize good character on and off the field of play at the finals.

Team captain Onome Ebi, on behalf of the players, said: “We are not just going to be part of the competition, but going to break records and surpass our previous outing which was Round of 16.”

The occasion was also attended by a representative of the Accountant General of the Federation, NFF partners and sponsors, members of the diplomatic corps, business moguls, NFF management and staff, members of the Supporters Club and other football stakeholders.

On Friday, the Australian High Commission in Nigeria treated the Super Falcons to a celebration dinner hosted by the Ag. High Commissioner, Leanne Johnston in Abuja, and which was also attended by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar, NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, NFF Management team and football stakeholders and enthusiasts.

[ThisNigeria]

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has said that 13 intending pilgrims from Nigeria lost their lives while performing the just concluded Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Head of the Medical Team of NAHCON, Dr. Usman Galadima, disclosed this to journalists Monday during the post Arafat briefing in Makkah with the Hajj stakeholders.

He said: “Seven of the victims died before Arafat, six died post Arafat (four in Arafat, two in Mina).

 “Three of the dead victims were from the private tour operators, while two each were from Kaduna and Osun States.

“Plateau, Borno, Yobe, FCT, Benue and Lagos States recorded one death each.

“The post Arafat figure for this year is higher than the combined figures of 2022 (two) and 2018 (two). 

“The figure is the same as that of 2019, while it is higher than the post Arafat figures of 2016 and 2017 when three deaths were recorded each.”

According to him, a total of 25,722 pilgrims were treated by the medical team throughout the post-Arafat period out of which the men were 10,454 and women were 15,268.

“There were 93 emergency cases out of which there were seven heat strokes, 22 severe malaria, seven DM emergencies and five psychiatric cases.

“There were also three reported cases of chicken pox, which the doctor said were all taken out of Mina to the hospital in Makkah to avoid contagion,” he stated.

Galadima also reported that two cases of deliveries by pregnant women, one on the roadside and another one in one of the NAHCON medical facilities.

He advised that elderly pilgrims should stop going to Jamarat, while all pilgrims should use the train service to access the place. 

He added that medical screening at state levels should be scaled up to stop medically unfit pilgrims from coming for Hajj.

[ThisDay]

Within one week, Mayowa Adesina staggeringly watched the fuel expenses for the generator in his barbershop soar, the highest-ever jump since he entered the haircut business over 15 years ago.

“I’ve never bought fuel and paid N10,000 [$13] before. Now I buy it and it lasts for three days,” says Mr Adeshina, a barber in Festac Town, Lagos.

On the day he assumed office as Nigeria’s 16th president on 29 May, Mr Tinubu announced the removal of fuel subsidy, a decision that saw the price of petrol jump three-fold across the country. In Lagos, the price of one litre rose from N180 to about N500. Outside Lagos, it costs even higher.

Mr Tinubu, who sacked the Central Bank of Nigeria governor Godwin Emefiele, also called for the unification of the country’s multiple exchange rates. While the move was widely lauded by economists, it has caused prices to skyrocket.

Several universities and other higher institutions across the country had increased their tuition by as much as 100 per cent.

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has explained how  President Bola Tinubu could have removed the fuel subsidy to reduce pains for Nigerians.

Galadima, who noted that President Tinubu took a hard decision to remove the fuel subsidy, said the President could have put palliative measures in place to mitigate the hardship it could cause for the ordinary people.

The NNPP chieftain stated this while speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Monday. 

He said, “If I were him (Tinubu), I could have done it differently. I could have inquired on why and how this fuel subsidy keeps accumulating and got us to this level where we are. That is the difference.

“And part of it would have been that if I were an adviser to the President, I could have advised him to take some measures such that the removal will not be painful with far-reaching effect on the social life of the country especially the ordinary man.

“Subsidy as we know, nobody is subsidizing the poor, because the poor doesn’t have a car. The poor doesn’t have a motorbike. We are subsidizing the elites. 

“But, I still believe that there are lot of things we can do to really inquire into this subsidy and a lot of money could be recovered.”

Recall that Galadima had earlier said decisions taken so far by Tinubu were poised to make the country better.

Galadima stated this at the inauguration of the Nuite De-Paris Restaurant owned by Maria Namvar, an Iranian investor, in Abuja.

He said Tinubu is starting well as president, adding that he hopes the tempo will be maintained.

“For those of us who have been in trenches in politics for the last 45 years, you will know that this time around the difference is clear,” he said.

“We do appreciate Mr President and so far he hasn’t disappointed us for having been on the right track so far.

“We do pray and hope that the action man will continue the work he is doing to make Nigeria a better place for us.”

[Vanguard]

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani has described the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari as the worst ruler in the history of Nigeria.

He described President Buhari’s 8-year tenure as a “waste.”

Sani made the claims on Sunday, in Abuja, during the launch of the book, ‘The Nigerian Dream’ written by activist, Moses Paul.

The rights activist said, “[Muhammadu] Buhari wasted Nigeria’s time for eight years. And he appointed people who failed and he kept on extending their period in office. That is very wrong.

“He has accused all [previous] governments of corruption. All the ills of Nigeria, he accused all the previous governments [ of being responsible for them]. Yet, his government has proven the worst in the history of Nigeria.”

The former lawmaker said Nigeria can be a united and prosperous nation if the leaders “lead with the fear of God and a determination and commitment to fulfil your pledges.”

In Sani’s words at the book launch, he said, “It has been 63 years since our political independence and when you go through the manifestos of Nigeria’s first-generation politicians, it’s about light, water, education, bridges, unity. And here we are, over six decades, we are still talking of the same thing. So, I believe that the Nigeria of our dream should be the different one that we inherited; an improved version of it.”

[DailyPost]

Rising cases of cybercrime in the banking industry is becoming a big headache to bankers, customers and law enforcement agencies in the country. With so many people highly skilled in hacking techniques desperate for quick wealth, cybercrime may soon be the biggest danger to banks and their customers. As we all know, cybercrime is a criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer or a computer network. In recent years, cybercriminals have been relentlessly attacking banks’ computer networks in order to steal money from customers’ accounts. As more and more Nigerians are taking to e-transactions – now estimated to be worth N30.2 trillion daily - cybercriminals are working hard to devise new ways to steal from them; and they have been successful.

Many banks and their customers have fallen victim. In June 2022, these hackers stole N1.755 billion from various customers’ account in Globus Bank and fraudulently transferred the money into various accounts in other banks. The bank was quick to recover N817.99 million, but is still fighting to recover N962 million from the fraudsters’ accounts. As a last resort, Globus has filed an action in a Lagos High Court against those banks holding the stolen funds. Resorting to court action is very expensive and underscores the difficulties lenders and their customers face in seeking to recover stolen funds. Why should it be so difficult to retrieve stolen monies from fraudsters’ accounts? Why is it even difficult to apprehend the thieves when all their details are available in the records of their banks? Globus officials are unwilling to speak about this experience. Its Executive Director, Nixon Iwedi, declined to comment when this writer contacted him, understandably so since the fraud was a very embarrassing experience for the young lender.

GT Bank is also in court with some of its big corporate customers from whose accounts hackers stole over N1 billion in foreign currencies. Again, the bank’s officials were tightlipped when I called. Heritage Bank is luckier. A viral story which turned out to be fake news had claimed that N49 billion was stolen from its customers’ accounts. It caused a considerable anxiety on the executive floor and unease among customers, prompting the bank to quickly issue a rebuttal, which described the story as ‘’wrong’’ and ‘’fictitious’’. Part of the statement reads: ‘’Heritage Bank began implementation of its long-term sustainability plans premised on restructuring the bank, ensuring cost efficiency, management of its assets and resources towards restoring the financial institution’’. Obviously, no bank the size of Heritage would lose this much from its balance sheet and still be standing. The bank deserve commendation for stoutly pushing back against the fake news.

Frauds do not only lead to loss of money and erosion of trust in the industry, they also constitute serious PR nightmares for the banks, with many affected institutions feeling too embarrassed to talk about it openly. I often have advised many banks that resorting to stonewalling and gaslighting when faced with crises is a bad strategy. It could exacerbate the problems. When an organization is dealing with uncomfortable situations and ensuing press inquiries, it is advisable for it to promptly issue a statement stating its own side of the story, including efforts being taken to minimize loss, protects its customers and forestall future occurrences.

Hackers are unrelenting in seeking various ways to attack banks. In addition to corporate customers, individual customers are constantly being bombarded with spurious phone calls from fraudsters who claim to be customer care officials of their banks. All they want is to trick unsuspecting individuals into revealing their confidential account details with which they can hack into their accounts. I was amused when I received such a call recently from a hacker on the Eid public holiday. The caller asked if I am a customer of a certain bank, and that he was calling from the bank. Perhaps, it didn’t occur to him that it was a holiday. I told him that all my money is at the World Bank. He couldn’t help laughing.

Although banks’ customers are understandably alarmed by the increasing risks of cybercrime in the industry, their chief executives are less worried. ‘’The problem is not as intense as the noise suggests’’, says the chief executive of one of the biggest banks. He noted that although hackers breach banks’ database often, ‘’it is nothing significant to give anyone significant concern’’. He continues: ‘’The risk is real and it happens quite frequently. Usually breaches occur when there is internal collusion so internal control and monitoring certainly helps to keep the incidents down’’. The chief executive reveals that the CBN is working through the Bankers’ Committee to create an industry Security Operations Centre (SOC) to manage cyber risks. That’s quite assuring.

Apart from the SOC of the Bankers’ Committee, the CBN had June last year rolled out risk-based cybersecurity framework and guidelines to other financial institutions (OFI). OFIs are made up of micro finance banks, insurance and others, apart from deposit money banks. The guidelines are very comprehensive and cover such areas as: Cybersecurity Governance and Oversight; Cybersecurity Risks management System; Cybersecurity Operational Resilience and Metrics, monitoring & Reporting, in addition to Compliance with Statutory and Regulatory Requirements.

All over the world, financial institutions are among the most targeted for cybercrime. With millions of customers and their sensitive data, our banks continue to face serious and persistent threats of cyberattacks every day. Each institution should invest heavily in robust guardrails and defense system while monetary authorities, regulators and the managers in the industry should stay ahead of the criminals. CBN’s recent requirements for customers to provide their social media handle as part of KYC is part of the initiatives to curb cybercrime. The Bankers’ Committee should develop simpler ways for individual customers to recover funds lost to hackers. I am often moved to tears by heartrending stories of small savers being asked to go from police stations to the courts to make reports and swear affidavits. The bank CEO I interviewed for this article had confirmed that internal collusion is also part of the problems. The banks should do more to scrutinize and supervise their staffs, especially the outsourced ones, who are more likely to collude with fraudsters.

The planned commencement of defence by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) was stalled this morning owing to the absence of its first witness.

INEC, the first respondent in the petition by Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP), was scheduled to open its defence today.

At the mention of the case around 9:30 am, lawyer to INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) , told the court that although his client plans to call three witnesses within three days, the one slated for today is unavailable because of some family issues.

Mahmoud then applied for an adjournment till Tuesday to enable the witness attend court.

Lawyers to other parties in the case – Livy Uzoukwu (SAN) for Obi/LP, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) for President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettma, and Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) – did not object to the request by Mahmoud.

Ruling, the Presiding Justice, Justice Haruna Tsammani adjourned till Tuesday by 9am for hearing.

The court has risen but with a promise to return at 2pm for the petition by Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).