ONE WORD

Nigerian security agencies have surrounded the premises of African Independent Television (AIT) after the station reopened Friday, an official said. The private broadcaster returned on air late Friday after enduring over 24 hours of shutdown by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The Federal High Court in Abuja voided the government’s suspension of the station’s broadcast licence and asked it to return on air immediately. But shortly after it commenced operation, security forces gathered around the station’s premises, according to its group managing director, Tony Akiotu. As of 12.30 a.m. this morning, the premises of DAAR Communications Plc was surrounded by security operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the State Security Service, Mr Akiotu said in a message to US early Saturday. They came “heavily fortified and carrying out surveillance on the premises,” he added. Mr Akiotu described the surveillance as “unusual” and its motive “unclear” but said the s...

The former president of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), has been banned for life from all soccer-related activities for abusing his position and sexually abusing female players, FIFA announced on Saturday. Keramuddin Keram, also a former FIFA Standing Committee member, was accused by at least five Afghan female football players of repeated sexual abuse between 2013 and 2018. FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee found Keram breached article 23 (protection of physical and mental integrity) and article 25 (abuse of position) of its Code of Ethics. He was subsequently, sanctioned with a life ban at all levels of the game, with a fine of 1,000,000 Swiss francs ($1.01 million). The National Women’s team was formed in 2010, and FIFA, global soccer’s governing body, suspended Keram and five other officials in December as the investigation took place.

Manchester United striker, Alexis Sanchez, has been offered a three-year contract by Atletico Madrid as reported by Tribal Football. The report claimed that the La Liga champions want to sign the former Barcelona star in a bid to strengthen their squad ahead of next season. It was reported that the Chilean international was among 14 players which Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, gave the club’s board to sell this summer’s transfer window. The 30 year old’s contract with Manchester United will expire in June 2022. Sanchez left Arsenal in January 2018 to move to Manchester United with Henrikh Mkhitaryan going in the opposite direction. But things did not work out as much as the Chilean would have hoped at United. Those connected to the Red Devils are expecting the former Barcelona man to leave Old Trafford this summer.