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Falz, KCEE, Mayokun, Kaffy, Others, to Thrill Enthusiasts at First African Freestyle Football Championship in Lagos

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Feet and Tricks International, organisers of the first ever African Football Freestyle Championship in Africa have assured participants, stakeholders and ardent followers of the sport, that the first ever Championship in Africa scheduled to hold on September 13th -15th, 2018 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos will be one to remember for a long time.

This according to the organisers will have all the trappings of a grand event as all that needs to make it one, has been put in place to ensure that all in attendance get utmost value for their time.

The 2018 Africa Freestyle Football Championship which is being planned as a perfect fusion of freestyle football and entertainment will feature top musical, dance artists and world-renowned freestylers. Top among musical and entertainment stars are FALZ De Bad Guy, KCEE, MAYORKUN, VANESSA M’DEE (from Tanzania), SLIMCASE, MR. REAL and the renowned world acclaimed dancer, KAFFY who will bring a lot of colour to the event with a performance that aptly depicts the beautiful culture of Nigeria, the host nation. Other performances include Xplicit and Dream Catchers. The event will be hosted both in English and French by DJ Shoddy and Mimmie, to ensure that French-speaking audience is not left out.

Speaking on the plans for the three-day event, the Chairman, Feet ‘n’ Tricks International, Valentine Ozigbo explained, that preparations have been put in top gear to ensure that the pioneer African Freestyle Football Championship meets all expectations and more. “I want to assure all, that no stone was left unturned to make it world-class and a very memorable one for all the lovers of the sport.

Ozigbo noted that being the pioneer edition, “Feet ‘n’ Tricks is determined to effectively etch the sports in the minds of football lovers and its stakeholders across Africa.  To this end, we will be engaging African freestyle footballers, sports enthusiasts, sports officials and the general public with the sole aim of creating awareness about freestyle football, providing talented Africans with a new platform to showcase their skills to the world and ultimately deepening love for the sport”.

According to Ozigbo, the qualifying rounds and Nigerian championship will hold on September 13th -14th, 2018 at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos. After the qualifying rounds, the best 16 male and 8 female freestyle athletes in Africa will emerge to battle it out at the grand finale on September 15, 2018, in a keenly contested competition that is expected to produce the first African male and female Freestyle Football Champions.

“We are excited to pave a new direction for freestyle football in Africa,” said Valentine Ozigbo, Chairman of Feet ‘n’ Tricks International. “Feet ‘n’ Tricks International,  expects at least 120 freestylers from Africa to be represented at this Championship. We will work on the development of African freestyle talent and continually exploit all available resources to create more awareness for the sport and we are grateful to our sponsors and partners.” He added

Co-founder and Head of Partnerships for WFFA, Daniel Wood, expressed love for the energy and passion for freestyle football that can be found all over Africa, “We at the World Freestyle Football Association are so excited to see the best talents from all across Africa come together on one stage and compete for this title. Everyone will be competing for not only the prizes but for some world ranking points too with the winner, of course, putting themselves in a fantastic position to challenge the world’s best. I look forward to seeing you all in September,” he said.

The championship will also host international freestyle professionals; Guinness world record holder, Iya Traore of France and Female freestyler, Raquel Benetti from Brazil. Prizes worth over $50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dollars) which includes a brand new saloon car, as well as qualification and sponsorship for the global championship, will be won.

This event is proudly sponsored by Heritage Bank, Sprite, Startimes GAC Motors, MTN, Startimes, FIRS, Air Peace among many others
For more information, visit our website or check out our social media pages
Website: www.feetandtricks.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/feetandtricks
Twitter: www.twitter.com/feetandtricks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/feetandtricks

BIG STORY

“Twin Warrior”: Paul Okoye Accuses Peter Of Song Theft, Vows To Release ‘Original Version’

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Paul ‘Rudeboy’ Okoye, the Nigerian singer, has accused Peter ‘Mr P’ Okoye, his twin brother, of alleged intellectual property theft.

Mr P recently released the single ‘Winning’ — just a few months after the brothers confirmed that Psquare, their shared music group, was no longer active.

However, in a recent Instagram post, Rudeboy claimed that the song was his, stating that it was meant to feature on his upcoming album. He further alleged that the producer hijacked the track.

“Written and sang by Rudeboy. Produced by same producer. Now how come? Now am I supposed to release another version? Mr Producer, your case is for another day,” he wrote.

“Just a simple thing, bring 6 songs, let me bring 6 songs. I submitted 6 songs to the so-called management. Why re-singing my own song? word for word. Song that was supposed to be in my album next year June.”

In another post, the singer vowed to release “original versions of any copied songs,” adding that “the days of manipulation are over.”

“The days of manipulation are over. And to the management, make I hear any song wey na only me sing, I go release the original version. Oloriburuku! Music is not that hard,” he wrote.

Psquare split in 2017 following a feud between Peter Okoye and Paul. Though they reunited in November 2021, their reconciliation was short-lived.

Paul recently revealed another fallout, accusing Peter of orchestrating his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Peter, however, denied the allegations and accused Jude Okoye, their older brother, of diverting millions of dollars from their joint account into a secret company.

Paul also expressed frustration over his past role in the music group. He claimed to have done most of the work while others benefited.

Mr P has yet to respond to his brother’s recent allegations.

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BIG STORY

US Court Sends British-Nigerian To Seven Years In Jail Over $5m Cyber Fraud

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Oludayo Adeagbo, a British-Nigerian, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

According to the US Department of Justice, Adeagbo, who also goes by John Edwards and John Dayo, conspired with others to steal over $3 million from various entities in Texas, including local government bodies, construction companies, and a Houston-area college.

Adeagbo and his co-conspirators also defrauded a North Carolina university of more than $1.9 million.

The case began in August 2022 when Adeagbo and two other Nigerian citizens, Donald Echeazu, 42, and Olabanji Egbinola, 44, were extradited from the United Kingdom (UK), where they had been residing, to face charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

The US Department of Justice stated that the offences were committed in North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

On April 8, Adeagbo pleaded guilty in two cases against him in North Carolina and Texas for participating in a business email compromise scheme, which is also referred to as a “cyber-enabled financial fraud” scheme.

A business email compromise scheme can be initiated by scammers creating fake accounts that mimic companies a business regularly deals with.

Court records revealed that Adeagbo and his co-conspirators gathered information about significant construction projects across the United States, including a multi-million-dollar project at a university in North Carolina.

“To execute the scheme, Adeagbo, Echeazu, and others registered a domain name similar to that of the legitimate construction company in charge of the university’s project and created an email address that closely resembled that of an employee of the construction company,” the Department of Justice said.

“Using the fake email address, the fraudsters deceived and directed the university to wire a payment of more than $1.9 million to a bank account controlled by an individual working under the direction of Adeagbo and his co-conspirators.”

Adeagbo and his co-conspirators employed the same tactics in Texas, targeting local government entities and universities by impersonating construction companies. They stole over $3 million from the scheme, bringing their total haul to $5 million.

Adeagbo has been ordered to pay $942,655.03 in restitution and will serve seven years in prison.

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BIG STORY

Trump’s Election Victory Could Derail Global Climate Action, Activists Warn

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Environmentalists are concerned that Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election could undermine global efforts to address climate change.

On Wednesday, Trump defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris to become the 47th president of the US.

His win has sparked reactions from climate advocates, who fear that his return to power could weaken international climate commitments, especially as the world prepares for the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Daniel Gwary, director of arid zone studies at the University of Maiduguri, warned that Trump’s victory could dampen enthusiasm among nations attending COP29 to increase their emission reduction commitments.

Gwary cautioned that developed countries might be less inclined to provide greater financial support for loss and damage, as well as adaptation, which are key concerns for developing nations.

“He cannot continue to be in self-denial that we now have a climate emergency that requires united global action under the Paris Agreement to protect our planet,” Gwary said.

“Analysts believe that Mr Trump is likely to revise the US climate law and strike a cautious balance of staying with some commitment to reduce carbon emissions but not accepting his country to take the expected leadership of driving climate action.

“The European Union and China will have to drive the tricycle without the US under the Trump administration.”

Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, warned that Trump’s victory could lead to higher emissions and widen financial gaps in addressing climate change.

“It will be a sad day if Trump again pulls away from climate negotiations as he did during his first coming,” Bassey said.

“His campaign promises to ‘drill baby drill’ will also compound the climate crisis, seeing that existing oil reserves are unburnable if the world hopes to avoid catastrophic global warming.

“His victory will already damper whatever hopes some may have had on COP29, delivering any serious signals that the widening emissions and financial gaps would be narrowed.”

Faten Aggad, executive director of the African Future Policies Hub, expressed concerns about the potential consequences of Trump’s policies on Africa, particularly in relation to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which aims to enhance trade relations between the US and sub-Saharan Africa.

Aggad warned that a trade war with China could disrupt supply chains and impact access to key green technologies, making a successful green transition more difficult for developing nations.

“One of the key questions for Africa relates to the trade agenda of the Trump administration,” Aggad said.

“Specifically, how his administration will handle the negotiations around AGOA and what impact would a likely acceleration of the trade war with China have on supply chains—and, therefore, the affordability and access to key green technologies? A successful green transition hinges on trade cooperation, and the likely increased protectionism in the US, which is likely to be mimicked in the EU, is a concern.”

One of the most pressing fears surrounding Trump’s second term is the potential for a second US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a treaty in which nations committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

In 2017, during his first presidency, Trump announced the US’s departure from the accord, a decision that was met with global criticism.

Although Trump’s inauguration is not set until January 2025, his election has cast a shadow over the upcoming COP29, which is being billed as a “finance COP.”

The summit will see Global South countries, including those in Africa, calling for a new $1 trillion climate finance goal to help them adapt to climate change.

Mohamed Adow, founder of the climate think tank Power Shift Africa, said Trump’s victory “puts COP29 in great limbo,” noting that the world could not afford another US exit from the Paris Agreement.

He called for continued climate action and justice, as millions of vulnerable people are facing the impacts of climate change globally.

“The gavel has fallen on the US elections. The uncertainty of this election has disrupted progress in climate negotiations for months. At the Bonn session in June, developed countries were too cautious to pledge any money for climate finance,” Adow said.

“The victory of President-elect Donald Trump puts increased scrutiny on this COP.

“Baku is expected to and must deliver a clear plan for climate finance for the vulnerable communities of the world.

“Only an ambitious new finance goal in Baku will protect the current climate momentum from a potentially disastrous Trump presidency.

“This is a moment of profound apprehension in global climate diplomacy. But not one to cower from in dread.”

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga also weighed in, emphasizing the importance of US leadership in providing grants-based climate finance to meet the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries.

“Actions of the United States on climate change at home and globally will shape how Africa, a continent that is least responsible for the climate crisis yet suffering most from climate impacts, will navigate its development path, deliver energy access to over 600 million people who are without electricity access today,” Odinga said.

“Climate negotiations at COP29 in Baku, coming on the back of US elections, is a perfect opportunity for the US to step up and be a global steward of the planet.”

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