Manchester United legend, Peter Schmeichel has criticised Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta’s decision to sign Brentford goalkeeper, David Raya for the Gunners.

Raya is due to undergo a medical with Arsenal on Thursday after Premier League North London club agreed a £30million deal with Brentford earlier this week.

The Spaniard will join Arsenal on an initial loan deal worth £3million, while Arsenal have the option to make the move permanent next summer for £27million.

Raya will now compete with Aaron Ramsdale to become Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper this season, while Arteta has already made it clear that he wants competition for places in all areas of his squad including the goalkeeping department.

But Schmeichel believes Arteta’s decision to have two strong goalkeepers in his squad could create a ‘bad atmosphere’ in the dressing room.

I absolutely do not get it, Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live.

I cannot understand how a manager can come to the conclusion that it is a great thing to have competition for the number one shirt.

A goalkeeper’s position is very reactive. You cannot create anything on your own, you have to wait for things to happen.

You are now asking your goalkeeper to prove you are better than the other one. That means you now have to go and do stuff, and you don’t want that. It is the one position on the pitch where you just want steady.

When you have a competition situation he also plays that game for himself and for that position, and I don’t get it.

What you do is you put a lot of insecurity into the two of them.

He said, At the same time, having two challenging for number one, you are also creating potentially a bad atmosphere in the dressing room because it is a straight up competition between two guys who will either start or not play.

KAA Gent manager, Hein Vanhaezebrouck has showered encomium on Gift Orban following the forward’s remarkable display in Wednesday night’s UEFA Europa Conference League clash against Polish club Pogon Szczecin.

Orban, 21, grabbed a hat-trick in the 5-0 victory.

The Nigerian has hit the ground running this season following a remarkable campaign last term.

The young striker has already registered four goals for the Buffalos this season.

Vanhaezebrouck singled out Orban for praise after the game.

He’s a phenomenon and he will continue to be a phenomenon. I’ve said it five times and I’ll keep saying it,

he told reporters after the game.

Even if he is no longer here, he will remain a phenomenon, and I will continue to say that. He is 21 and remains a young guy.

His hat-trick? That is nothing special in itself anymore, is it?

Nigerian defender, Ashleigh Plumptre has insisted that she is proud to be a member of the Super Falcons.

Plumptre spoke a few days after the Super Falcons’ elimination from the ongoing 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Recall that Nigeria crashed out of the FIFA Women’s World Cup after losing 4-2 to England via a penalty shootout 

The Round of 16 tie had ended in a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes.

In a tweet via her Twitter handle Plumptre wrote, Incredibly grateful for the opportunity to go deeper into my own identity, learn more about what it means to have Naija spirit and to showcase to the world what a unified, determined and empowered group of women are capable of achieving. Proud to be a Super Falcon.

Plumptre, 25, featured in Nigeria’s four games against Australia, the Republic of Ireland, Canada and England.

She is a free agent after leaving Leicester City at the end of last season

Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon has revealed the major challenges of actors in the country.

He said thespians in the Nigerian movie industry are criminally underpaid.

Okanlawon stated this while appearing recently on MTV Base Africa programme, Lights, Camera Stardom, alongside his colleague Daniel Etim-Effiong.

He said, I think [Nollywood] actors are not being paid enough. And the other hand, we are not financially literal enough to use what we do have and maximise it to protect ourselves in the future.

Etim-Effiong added, I also think that the way the [Nigerian movie] industry works, it doesn’t provide enough for the actors to work with both financially and otherwise.

For example, I don’t think actors are given enough time to prepare [for their roles]. I don’t think actors are given enough time even to work on themselves.

Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, has revealed that it has apprehended more than 7,000 criminals across the State since its establishment over three years ago.

Mr Adetunji Adeleye, the corps commander, stated that no fewer than 1,500 persons have been charged to court and many of them have already faced judgement for their crimes.

Adeleye disclosed this during an interactive session organized by the State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), titled The Platform.

He maintained that the outstanding achievement of the corps had showcased the agency’s commitment to maintaining law and order in the State.

The Amotekun boss also stated that the corps had played a crucial role in resolving the crisis of farmers/herders clashes that was once a nightmare for residents of the State.

Adeleye maintained that within the last two years, the clashes have decreased by more than 95 percent, stressing that the decline is a testament to the agency’s dedication in fostering peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders in the State.

The sister security agencies, particularly, the DSS has often assisted us in getting the requisite geo-location of kidnap victims and suspects.

All these coupled with our local intellect and unconventional methods assisted us in arresting to date, well over 7,000 suspected criminals out of which 1,500 of them have been charged to court.

He said, We’ve even secured judgement of very many of them.

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘D’, has between January 30 and August 9, 2023, seized contrabands worth N1.17bn.

Joseph Adelaja, the Acting FOU Controller, stated this at a press conference in Bauchi.

He said, during the period under review, the unit made a total of 88 seizures, prominent of which are 174,585 litres of petroleum products and nine sacks of pangolin scales and claws weighing 396.4kg.

He further explained that the unit seized 1,800 bags of sugar (50kg) each, 343 bags of fertilizer and 328 bags of 50kg foreign rice, among others.

According to him, the unit intercepted two birds (African crowned crane), one antelope, one piece of lion bone and a plastic container of lion fat.

The operatives, according to Adelaja, also intercepted 88 cartons of insecticides, 342 packs of foreign candy, 190 cartons of flavoured powdered drinks, 23 sacks of used shoes and 1,800 bags of sugar (50kg) each.

A member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Auwal Umar Bijimi has cried out over the abduction of his constituents.

Bijimi, representing Giwa West Constituency, said bandits are consistently attacking villagers in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State by taking advantage of a damaged bridge.

He raised the alarm on the floor of the State House Assembly.

According to him, the bandits have erected roadblocks at the compromised bridge to facilitate their criminal activities.

He said that the attacks have resulted in the displacement of residents from their ancestral homes.

The lawmaker said, The urgency of the matter led me to present it as an issue of immediate public importance during this session of the State Assembly for government and security personnel to take immediate action to arrest the situation.

The lawmaker further explained that the majority of inhabitants of those communities are farmers, and given the ongoing rainy season, their engagement in agricultural activities is vital.

He called on the state government to swiftly intervene by providing temporary shelters, relief materials, and food supplies to support the affected citizens, stressing the importance of reconstructing the damaged bridge to restore connectivity and facilitate normal life for the residents.

He lamented that the dire situation demands immediate attention and collaborative efforts to ensure the safety, well-being, and economic stability of the affected communities and the entire State.

Zamfara State House of Assembly has set up two separate committees to investigate the circumstances behind the non-payment of salary to civil servants in the State.

This was consequent upon a motion moved by Hon. Shamsu Hassan Basko representing Mafara North on the floor of the House.

Basko lamented that the civil servants were facing hardship as a result of the alleged ongoing verification exercise.

He urged the House to as a matter of urgency constitute a committee to investigate the circumstances under which the civil servants were denied their salary, including the Local Government workers and staff of the State Universal Basic Education Board.

The motion was seconded by Hon. Faruk Dosara and Hon. Nasir Maru.

After much deliberation, the lawmakers directed the House standing Committee on Finance and Appropriation and that of Local Government to investigate the problem associated with the non-payment of salaries of the State government workers and report back within 24 hours.

Hon. Haliru Kuturu is to head the committee on the State civil servants, while Hon. Hamisu A. Faru is to investigate the issues around the local government workers.

Former Militant leader, Asari Dokubo has boasted of having the manpower to defeat military junta in Niger Republic.

Dokubo said he and his boys can overrun Niger Republic if commissioned by the Federal government.

In a viral video, Dokubo said he and his boys can restore democracy in Niger Republic.

According to him, If the government commissions me and my people to go to Niger Republic, we will go. We will defeat them and we will come back victorious. It is not a boast.

If Benin republic likes, let them go and bring any body, they are human beings like us. We will go there, defeat them and restore democratic order.

Negotiations and reconciliation efforts are still ongoing between the Niger junta and African leaders.

Osun State House of Assembly has constituted its Standing Committees.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Adewale Egbedun announced the composition of the Committees during the Plenary 

Announcing the 23 House Committees, Egbedun said they were set up to enable the Assembly commence its oversight functions in earnest.

According to the Speaker, the Committees and their Chairmen include, Rules and Business, Adewumi Kofoworola, Industrial Relation, Olayiwola Taofeek Finance and Appropriation, Fatunmise Saheed, Media and Public, Enlightenment, Oladimeji Adekunle, Public Account, Lawal Bamidele Land, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Adeoti Olalekan.

Others include: “Environment and Sanitation: Ogundare Folorunso Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions and Legal Matters, Barrister Kanmi Ajibola, Agriculture and Food Security, Olatunbosun Oladimeji, Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Areoye Ebenezer, Health, Dr Ajibade Kasope, Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Rabiu Adesina, House Service Matters, Akerele Olawale, Education, Oderinwale Elisha and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Asagade Olujinmi.”

He revealed that the Committee on Public Works and Transport will be chaired by Abiola Waheed, Regional Integration and Special Duties by Ogunrinade Rotimi, Youth, Sports and Special Needs by Awoyeye Jeremiah, Women and Children Affairs, Barrister Popoola Simeon.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources and Energy is Ajibola Olaide, Rural and Community Development- Akinloye Sikiru, Security and Inter-parliamentary- Barrister Adeyemi Tajudeen while the Committee on Legislative Compliance is chaired by Ibrahim Olanrewaju.

Also, during Plenary on Tuesday, two bills, the Osun State Disability Protection Bill, 2023, and the Osun State Illegal Mining Prohibition Bill, 2023, scaled through the first reading.

The Policy Thrust of Osun State Local Content Bill, 2023, was also brought before the attention of the House by the Majority Leader, Kofoworola Babajide.

Babajide noted that the bill would help to gather data to increase the internally generated revenue for the State.

Babajide added, The bill would improve the welfare of the citizens.