Christantus Uche, Nigerian midfielder, has expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing standards in La Liga, claiming that officials in Spain have treated him unfairly since his arrival in the league.

In an interview with ESPN Africa published on X on Wednesday, Uche detailed his experiences during his first few matches, saying, “In my first two or three matches in La Liga, I saw it with my own eyes. The referees are so bad.

They are so bad. They kick me, and the referee just tells me to get up. No, it’s a foul, you have to blow the whistle.”

Uche further highlighted the inconsistency in officiating, stating that while other players would receive fouls for similar incidents, he was repeatedly overlooked.

“If they kick another player, the referee blows the whistle immediately, and it’s so painful. It’s so painful, and you cannot do anything because the referee has the power to do whatever he wants,” he lamented.

He also shared his disappointment at being ignored by referees even when fouled right in front of them.

“I get kicked and fall down right in front of the referee, and the referee does nothing. No, it’s not right.”

In addition to his complaints about officiating, Uche mentioned instances of racial abuse from some fans in the stands, describing how they would yell offensive slurs at him.

“Some fans yell abusive slurs at you… (censored) No, it’s not good. It’s not good.”

• Bill covers Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Osun and Oyo

The Senate on Thursday passed a bill seeking for the establishment of the South West Development Commission into law.

The bill was passed after the consideration of a report submitted by the Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan-led Senate Committee on Special Duties.

The Commission will be charged with the responsibility, among others, to receive and manage funds allocated by the Federation Account and donations and gifts for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructural damages suffered by the region and to tackle ecological, environmental and other developmental challenges and for related matters, 2024 (SB. 68).

The bill was presented by Senator Gbenga Daniel.

The representative of Ogun East Senatorial District presented the bill in August last year for consideration and subsequent passage.

Daniel, a former two-term governor of Ogun State said when established, the Commission would be saddled with the responsibilities of managing and administering funds received from the Federation Account.

The South West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill was reintroduced then for the second time, after it was first brought to the Senate in the 8th National Assembly on December 20, 2018.

Already in existence are the Niger Delta Development Commission and North East Development Commission, whose establishment bill received presidential assent in October 2017.

The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Gbenga Ashafa (APC-Lagos East) in the 8th Senate, was read for the first time at plenary presided over by the then President of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

Ashafa’s bill was entitled: “South West Development Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2018.”

The states covered by the bill are Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Osun and Oyo.

Social media influencer Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, has stated that he has more evidence to support his claims about Idris Okuneye, better known as Bobrisky, and the voice note in which Bobrisky claimed to have served his sentence in a private residence.

Otse also clarified that he did not intend to defame human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana, as some online comments have suggested.

“Now, let me tell you something even more interesting. I have another voice note to post, which I will share tomorrow, and it’s from a different person,” VeryDarkMan said in an Instagram post. “I want a thorough investigation into this matter because the EFCC was mentioned, the Comptroller General of Prisons was named, as well as Uncle Femi Falana and Falz. A deep investigation will reveal everything.”

This statement follows Falana’s denial of any involvement with Bobrisky and his issuance of a 24-hour ultimatum to VeryDarkMan to retract the statement linking him to Bobrisky.

Falana’s lawyer, in a letter to VeryDarkMan, had demanded a retraction and an apology.

The controversy began when VeryDarkMan shared a voice note in which Bobrisky claimed that, following his conviction and sentencing for the abuse of naira notes in April, his godfather, in collaboration with the Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, arranged for him to serve his six-month sentence in a private apartment.

According to the voice note, Bobrisky also allegedly claimed that he had been contacted by the rapper Falz and his father, Falana, who proposed to help him secure a Federal Government pardon for a fee of ₦10 million.

However, in the letter from his lawyers demanding a retraction and apology, Falana stated: “We wish to state, without any fear of contradiction, that our client (Falana) has never, in his life, spoken to Bobrisky regarding his alleged pardon or on any matter whatsoever.”

Reacting to the letter, VeryDarkMan clarified that he never defamed the human rights lawyer, but merely expressed doubt about his alleged involvement.

He said, “First of all, I did not defame Uncle Falana, and I never will. Uncle Falana, SAN, is someone I respect 100%. I respect him not just because of his position as SAN, but because of what he has used that position to achieve—representing people like me. People like me, speak out against societal ills, the abuse of power, and influence, and the misdeeds of the government.

“How could I ever defame him? I only responded to Bobrisky’s claim that Falz connected Uncle Falana with a ₦10 million deal. What I said was that I chose not to believe Uncle Femi Falana would be associated with such a thing, and if he was, I would be disappointed because of his standing in society and what he represents.

“I had the option to cut the video where Falz was mentioned, but I didn’t because I wanted the matter to be investigated. I want a thorough investigation into this issue.

“I want a deep investigation into this case. The EFCC was named, the Comptroller General of Prisons was named, and then Uncle Femi Falana and Falz were named. A deep investigation would uncover everything, and if Bobrisky is lying, he should face the law for using someone as prominent as Uncle Falana in such a way.

“Uncle Falana, I will never defame you, and I did not defame you. Thank you very much; I still love you. You are my daddy, and I love you 100%.”