No fewer than 229 suspected militants were on Tuesday arrested by the Joint Task Force (JTF) from different hideouts of the militants. Commander of the JTF, Brigadier General Sarkin-Yaki Bello, who stated this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, also debunked allegations of civilian massacre in the force’s encounter with militants around Elem Tombia, about two weeks ago.

He said the arrests were made possible following a tip-off and intelligence reports at the disposal of the task force, which indicated some areas as hideouts for militants.

“Gentlemen, for your information, early hours of this morning (Tuesday), we carried out an operation in which we arrested over 229 people from many areas.


“The operation happened in the following watersides; Abonnema, UTC, Njemanze, Afikpo, Aba, Ekwele, Nanka and Timber market,” he said.


Bello, who said his command would not lower its level of alertness in the state despite recent “unilateral truce” called by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), also revealed that virtually all militant camp locations in the state were now known to JTF.


Explaining what happened during the Elem-Tombia general area’s face-off with militants, the General said the location of the encounter was not residential, adding that the place is tagged Elem-Tombia general area because it was the most recognisable name around there.


“The encounter that happened was purely at a camp and not any residential area. We have a lot of responsibilities and the military officers I work with have been trained in the best military tradition in the world. We are very versed both in the military and the conventional laws, as well as in all the conventions that Nigeria is signatory to.


“Therefore, we are the last people that will be involved in any form of wanton destruction or the abuse of human rights. What we attacked was simply a camp which we are sure was military fortification with sandbags and everything,” he reiterated.


He then played a recorded video clip of the encounter. The filming was done while the fight was on and was done both from the air and on land.


He said further that with the aid of intelligence reports, the JTF now had records and knowledge of locations of virtually all the militant camps around and within Rivers State.


He said these militant camps had served as safe houses where kidnap victims from around the state were kept, noting that it was the duty of JTF to ensure that everything that constituted a threat to the citizenry be adequately taken care of.


“As a military outfit, part of our task, in order to achieve our objective, is to try and locate where these camps are and I am very happy to tell you that virtually 99.9 per cent of the camps in Rivers State are at our fingertips. We now know where they are,” he said.


On allegations of professional misconduct among the rank and file of his command, General Bello said he would not deny that there were some of the men who would be involved, but stated that no one under his watch would get away with corruption without facing the law.

The Second round of the MTN Lagos Street Soccer will commence this weekend after a successful draws conducted on Wednesday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.One Hundred and Nine football clubs qualified for the second round out of which Nineteen were given a wild card to next round.

Ninety teams will confront each other in a round of knock out after which forty five teams will join Nineteen teams that were given a wild card.

After the elimination round, Sixty four clubs paired in Eight groups will now play each other on a knock out basis to select teams that will move for the next round of thirty two.

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Lagos State To Host FIFA Under Seventeen World Cup.

The Lagos State Government is set to host the world as one of the venues for the FIFA under 17world cup competition next year.

The State commissioner for Youth,Sports and Social Development , Prince Ademola Adeniji- Adele made this known to our correspondent Abiola Fagbolagun in Abuja .

Adele noted that by December 20 this year,a FIFA certified stadium would be ready for the event.

He announced that the flood lights have been tested for intensity while the turf itself was tested during the finals of the obas cup.

In a related development,the the commissioner has again reiterated the state’s government’s commitment to develop sports at the grassroots.

Adele said this feat would be achieved through adequate funding and availability of able hands.

He stated that the state’s contingent is already getting set for o victorious outing at the national sports festival slated for November in Kaduna .

The Commissioner expressed optimism that Lagos state would soon return to the the number one position it belongs.

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NFF/MTN Lecture Starts On Thursday.

The second edition of the Nigeria Football Federation,NFF,football lecture was held yesterday in Abuja .The programme designed to improve the lot of football in Nigeria attracted a lot of sports personalities.

Delivering a lecture titled ‘Strentening the brand values of Nigerian football’the guest speaker Simon Johnson noted that for Nigeria football to achieve the desired success, the goals of the administrators should be trust,confidence and focus.

Johnson who is the chief operating officer of England 2018 World Cup Bid, said there is need to feel the pilse of the target audience to know what they want.

He stated that it is also pertinent to invest in football at the grassroots level to make things work out positively.

The highlight of the occasion was the formal launch of the NFF’s quarterly magazine,NFF news, which was launched the by former sports Minister Musa Muhammed.

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NFF Executive Committee Meets

The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation will today meet at the Federation’s Secretariat .Among the issues on the agenda is the trip of the National Under 17 Women’s Team, Flamingos to New Zealand for the inaugural FIFA Under 17 Women’s World Cup finals next month.

The U-20 Women’s Team to Chile for the 4th FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and the participation of the Super Falcons in the African Women Championship in Equatorial Guinea in November.

Matches are being arranged for the Flamingos team to tune up for the World Cup in Germany, while there are plans also for the U-20 team to have knock –around somewhere in Europe.

The Committee is also likely to whip support for Enyimba FC of Aba, which will tackle Al Ahly of Egypt in the semi finals of the CAF Champions League early next month.

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Newcastle set to unveil Nigerian bidder.

The identity of the Nigerian consortium interested in taking over crisis-torn Newcastle United Football Club may be unveiled tomorrow.

A frontman for the group, Chris Nathaniel, confirmed that talks had reached an advanced stage in the quest to buy the club.

Newcastle owner, Mike Ashley, who has pumped 250 million pounds into the club, wants to sell the club after fan protests against him following the exit of Kevin Keegan as manager earlier this month.

Since Keegan left the club over a dispute regarding control of player transfers, Newcastle has lost its last three league games and on Wednesday crashed out of the Carling Cup after a home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in front of a less than half full Saint James’ Park.

Nathaniel, said there is long-term potential at the club and there is a lot wrong at the club at the moment but they are determined to put that right by getting the right people in and using the right structure.

Meanwhile, former England manager, Terry Venables, rejected an offer to step into the hot manager’s seat at Newcastle.

Venables, who has been without a job since he was booted out with Steve MClaren over the failure of England to qualify for Euro 2008, was reported to have been offered the chance to come in as a caretaker manager.

Venables confirmed that he had been in talks with the St James’ hierarchy and said he would make a decision about whether to get involved.

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Ogun State Sets Up Committee Ahead of Governor's Cup.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Bukola Olopade, has charged members of the Organising Committee for the state Governor’s Cup to ensure that the competition is hitch- free.

The commissioner, who made this charge while inaugurating the 12-man committee in Abeokuta yesterday, said such a step would help to curb violent reactions from participants.

According to Olopade,the football competition, would draw participants from secondary schools in the state, adding that the committee must ensure that justice and fair play were upheld throughout the event.

The commissioner urged the committee and the relevant ministries involved in the competition to ensure “the full participation of the state schools” in the event, which will commence on the third of next month through thirty first.

He said the members of the committee,headed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth and Sports, Raheem Ajayi, were picked from the four divisions of the state.

Olopade expressed the hope that the committee members would live up to the responsibility of organising a successful competition.

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Blatter Believes Africa Will Host Subsequent FIFA World Cup.

FIFA President, Sepp Blatter has hinted that future World Cups could see a change in continental quotas to reflect football‘s international growth away from its traditional power bases of Europe and South America.

During his trip to South Africa last week, Blatter, commented on Africa’s chances of producing a World Cup-winning side, saying that teams from outside Europe were disadvantaged because they had fewer representatives at the eventual finals.

Blatter, hope that with all the power of Africa behind the continent, the Federation would see an African team in the semi finals, stressing that FIFA witnessed many surprises in the latest round of World Cup qualifiers.

Europe has Thirteen teams that are able to qualify for the event, while Africa is traditionally only given 5 spots to fill.

This may change in the future, but it will take a great effort from those at FIFA and a demonstration of quality from the African teams on the world stage.

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Glover Lambasts Gimba.

Former President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Lanre Glover, who is aspiring to become the boss of the African Handball Confederation, has expressed disappointment with the support he has received from the National Sports Commission.

Delegates from at least 40 countries, including the Confederation of African Handball President, Egyptian Mohammed Hassan, arrived yesterday for the opening of the Confederation's congress billed for this Friday, (today).

Glover, who is the current First Vice-President of the HFN, said NSC has only given HFN a minimal financial support which he regard as a token.

The President of HFN, said he was not surprised because the present Minister, Abdulrahman Gimba, is not serious and the commission has never backed a Nigerian wholeheartedly for international federation posts.

He, however, said that he was determined to emerge victorious in the CAHB presidency election, adding that he is confident that the delegates would vote for him because of his contributions to the sport in Nigeria and in Africa.

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Uchechi Out of Nigeria/ Sudan Clash.

Charlton Athletics and Flying Eagles sensation, Daniel Uchechi, has been ruled out of this weekend’s Africa Youth Championship qualifier against Sudan inside the Main Bowl of the National Stadium, Abuja.

This is because he failed to recover from the malaria fever he contacted in the last qualifier against the Junior Teranga Lions of Senegal last month in Nigeria.

Technical Committee Chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation, N.F.F, Taiwo Ogunjobi, said the team would play this weekend without the services of the player, but hope that the striker would be fit for the return leg of the qualifier fortnight time in Sudan.

Uchechi is doubtful for the Flying Eagles in this weekend’s qualifier against the Sudanese U-20 team in Abuja, but from the look of things, he is likely to be fit for the second leg tie two weeks time in Sudan.

Ogunjobi, who is optimistic that the football player would be available for the return leg in Sudan, said it was painful that Uchechi would not feature in the match.

Meanwhile, all the players invited for the qualifier are in camp preparing for the AYC qualifier against Sudan holding this weekend in Abuja.

The A.Y.C comes up January next year in Rwanda.

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WAFU U-20 assures hitch-free accreditation

The Accreditation Committee for the West African Football Union,WAFU, Under-20 football Championship has assured that it has put in motion a machinery that will ensure that the 12 countries coming for the competition enjoy a hitch free tournament.

Head of the Accreditation sub-Committee, Taye Ige explained that the Committee has already designated three centres where accreditation would be conducted .

According to him, there is AAC, which is the Airport Accreditation where all the countries would be accredited at the point of entry into the country, stressing that the move was aimed to forestall crowding and unnrecessary stress for players and officials.

He explained, the Main Accreditation Centre,M.A.C,situated at stadia designated for the Competition to cater for staff and all those Nigerians having business to do with the Competition while the third Accreditation spot will be the important personnels accreditation centre(PAC).

Ige, said the idea to establish such system was borne out of the committee's prior experiences in handling accreditation for two major CAF Competitions, the 2002 and 2006 CAF African Women Championships which were largely successful.

The WAFU U-20 Championship holds in Delta State, Nigeria between November 30 and December 14, 2008.