De Laet leaves Leicester for Aston Villa

Belgian defender Ritchie de Laet has left Premier League champions Leicester City for a move across the Midlands to Championship side Aston Villa, it was announced on Tuesday.

De Laet, 27, has arrived at Villa Park on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee, having helped Leicester win the Premier League title last season as well as being a member of the Middlesbrough team that gained promotion to the top flight while on loan to the north-east side.

He spent the first half of last season at Leicester, making 12 league appearances for the title-winning Foxes, before joining Championship side Boro on loan in February.

In all, De Laet made 129 appearances for Leicester in four years after joining from Manchester United, while also winning promotion to the Premier League with the Foxes in 2014.

Villa manager Roberto di Matteo said: “I’m very pleased to have brought Ritchie to the club.

“He is another player who not only has Championship experience but has also played a part in helping a team win promotion back to the Premier League.”

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Lassa fever: Don’t panic, Edo tells residents

Alexander Okere, Benin

The Edo State Government on Tuesday said it had reactivated its response and surveillance team for the prevention of Lassa ‎fever, a few days after four persons reportedly died from the epidemic.

The recent victims, including a medical doctor, were said to have died in Anambra State and their blood samples tested positive at the ‎centre for Lassa fever diagnosis and treatment – located within the Irrua Specialist Hospital, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

However, the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Eregia Ahianuwa, who disclosed this to The PUNCH in Benin, the state capital, said there was no need for residents to panic, adding that there had been no reported case of an outbreak in the state.

Ahianuwa said that disease surveillance officers had swung into action by moving into rural communities, where additional awareness was required.

She said, “We have taken the relevant measures already. We never really stopped. But we have reactivated our response team.

“We have disease surveillance officers. They started moving out yesterday to go beyond the cities.‎”

She also said efforts were being made to ensure that residents of the state maintain a hygienic environment.

According to her, such efforts were necessary due to the position of Edo as a transit state.

“Our jingles have been reactivated. So, we want to ‎acquaint people with this information, in case they have forgotten.

“Once that is back to its peak, we are already doing something. So far, there is no reported case in Edo. For that, we are grateful.

“We know that our state is a transit area and a lot of persons pass through. So, once people are aware that they should still take the relevant precaution, in terms of storage of their food water, washing of hands and proper disposal of their waste and avoiding touching the rat, then that means things will continue to be okay for us.”

The commissioner allayed the fears of residents of a possible spread.

Ahianuwa added, “There is no need for panic at all. Like I said, there is no reported case in Edo State. We have a centre in Edo for the management of Lassa fever‎.”

“Even beyond that, the point is prevention; that is what we need. A lot of persons should become more aware. Once people are reminded and they take the relevant precaution, there is no problem. There is no need to panic at all.”

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Oyo govt approves creation of 35 LCDAs

Olufemi Atoyebi, Ibadan

The Oyo State Government has approved the creation of 35 Local Council Development Areas from the existing 33 council areas in the state.

Mr. Gbade Ojo, the Chief of Staff to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, told journalists in Ibadan on Tuesday that the move was in accordance with the advice of the state House of Assembly, which argued that for effective grassroots development, creation of the LCDAs was vital.

During the briefing, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy, Mr. Bimbo Kolade, said the newly created LCDAs are financially capable; while the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun, commended the citizens for their support and compliance in the renewed Internal Generated Revenue drive by the state government.

Under the new council arrangement, Ibadan zone will get 14 councils, while Ibarapa zone will get two more councils. Four councils will be added to Oyo zone, Ogbomoso zone will get seven and Oke-Ogun area will get eight.

Presently, Oyo State has 33 council areas, but with the new move, the state will be divided into 68 council areas, with 35 new councils having LCDA status.

 

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NIS insists on re-screening 2,000 protesting recruits

The Nigeria Immigration Service on Tuesday insisted that it would go ahead with the re-screening of the 2,000 dismissed immigration recruits, in spite of their continued protest.

The recruits had intensified protests in Abuja following moves by the NIS to re-screen them before giving them any employment.

The Service spokesperson, Mr Ekpedeme King, said on Tuesday that screening of the dismissed “applicants” whose names were earlier published in newspapers would take place as scheduled at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 4.

He explained that the proposed ‎ background checks on the “applicants” which included security clearance, drug test, certificate verification and age on rank were mandatory before any employment into the NIS.

He said, “The background checks are a normal practice globally when recruiting personnel into military and paramilitary agencies.

“Let me say that failure to submit oneself for screening would be regarded as withdrawal of interest in the recruitment exercise.”

He said that the exercise was not a fresh recruitment and urged members of the public not to forward any employment application to the NIS.

The 2,000 dismissed recruits had been protesting at the National Assembly and the Ministry of Interior since 2015 for their reinstatement.

Their protest, however, took a different dimension on Monday when they joined ‎ members of the Bring Back our Girls movement to march to the presidential villa to demand their reinstatement.

They were employed by a Presidential Committee set up by former President, Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 following the tragedy that marred the March 2014 recruitment exercise.

Many candidates died and others sustained injuries during the recruitment exercise.

NAN

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Man on trial for bottle attack in Lagos

A 26-year-old man, Rasaki Sule, who allegedly attacked a man in the company of his wife with a bottle, is facing trial at a Surulere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

The accused, whose address is unknown, was arraigned for a two-count charge of assault occasioning harm and stealing.

According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Christopher Okoliko, the offences were committed at School Bus Stop, Orile-Iganmu on Aug. 14 at about 10.20 p.m.

He said the accused with others now at large attacked the complainant, Oluwasegun Ogundiran, when he was trekking home with his wife.

He said, “He was attacked with bottle on his forehead and they collected N17,000 from him.

“While the husband was trying to battle the assailants, the wife ran away for her dear life.

“He was bleeding at the scene when the police came and took him to the hospital for treatment.

“The accused was arrested while others disappeared with the money.”

The offences contravened Sections 285 (a) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused denied the charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs M.I. Dan-Oni, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety.

The surety must be gainfully employed with an evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government, she said.

The case was adjourned to Sept. 12

NAN

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Guardiola confirms Bravo on his way to replace Hart

Pep Guardiola insisted on Tuesday that he will continue working with Joe Hart at Manchester City, even as Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo flew in to replace the unwanted England international.

Hart has been the most high-profile victim of Guardiola’s new reign as manager of the Premier League club, with the City boss publicly announcing his preference for a goalkeeper who can play better with the ball at his feet.

Willy Caballero replaced Hart for City’s first three competitive games, all victories, that Spanish manager Guardiola has overseen.

Bravo flew in to Manchester from Barcelona on Tuesday to complete his reported £17 million ($22 million, 20 million euros) transfer from the Spanish club, a move that will see Hart, England’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper during this year’s European Championships, relegated to third choice at the Eastlands.

Hart’s plight has been compounded because potential moves to Everton and Sevilla appear to have fallen through, at least in part due to his high salary which makes even a loan move prohibitive for many potential suitors.

“I have an excellent relationship with Joe. We are clear – him with me, I with him. We spoke about football,” said Guardiola who was photographed talking to Hart during training ahead of City’s Champions League qualifying tie with Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday.

“So I can’t deny what everybody knows. Barcelona, seven to 10 days ago, were the first ones to announce contact with Manchester City.

“But I’m sorry guys, until the deal is complete or not complete (I can’t speak), but at the moment the player (Bravo) is not our player,” Guardiola also told reporters.

“Until August 31, all the players here are my players, and I will work with them like there is no end, so after that we can speak about everything.

“The situation with Joe, I spoke about in the last two press conferences. I am not able to speak about negotiations.”

– Strong Sterling –

Meanwhile, Guardiola has backed forward Raheem Sterling to cope with the abuse he is receiving from opposition supporters after he was roundly booed in the weekend victory at Stoke.

Sterling suffered more than most from England’s disappointing European Championship campaign and attracted unwanted attention off the field, but Guardiola has no doubt his player will prevail.

“The fans may boo because they know how good he is,” said the manager. “He has shown us, he has shown me, that in this team he is mentally strong and can focus on his job from the beginning of the game.

“He will make good things happen for us and for the England national team, I’m pretty sure of that,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss added.

“When people stop talking about him for what happens off the pitch and talk about him for what happens on the pitch then everything is going well.”

The City manager has made an impressive start to the new campaign despite being without injured captain Vincent Kompany and pre-season signings Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane, although he expects the trio to be available for the Manchester derby on September 10.

“Now we have this week and then 10 days to work with them in training sessions to improve their physical condition,” said Guardiola. “Hopefully when we come back from the international break they will be fully part of our training sessions.”

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Suspected Killers Of 3 Soldiers In Nembe, Bayelsa State Has Been Arrested By Task Force

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