Sports
Nigeria’s paralympians get allowance, rewards, gold medalists $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze $500
Nigeria’s paralympians get allowance, rewards, gold medalists $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze $500
Two members of Nigeria’s 24-person contingent to the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games in Paris have confirmed receiving their full camp allowances and the cash rewards promised by the Federal Government.
Before the Games, the Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh, pledged equal treatment and monetary incentives for both Paralympians and Olympians.
Speaking to our correspondent, Sunday Odebode, President of the Paralympic Committee Nigeria (PCN), confirmed that all athletes received their payments before leaving Paris. He stated, “The athletes were fully paid all dues. Gold medalists received $1,500, silver medalists $1,000, and bronze medalists $500 from the PCN. Those without medals and their officials received $100 each, while the technical crew was rewarded $1,000 for their efforts.”
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Additionally, the federal government provided further cash rewards through the Ministry of Sports: $15,000 for gold medalists, $10,000 for silver medalists, and $5,000 for bronze medalists.
Folashade Oluwafemiayo, the captain of Nigeria’s Para-athletes who broke two world records in powerlifting, confirmed that all payments were completed before the team left Paris. She became the first para-athlete to lift 166kg, surpassing her previous world record of 165kg, stating, “The government and the committee fully paid us before we left Paris. This is a positive shift from the past, and we hope the momentum continues.”
Isaac Ogunkunle, who won bronze in the men’s class 4 table tennis event, echoed her sentiments: “Yes, they paid everything in the Games Village in Paris. I won bronze and received $5,000 from the government and $500 from the committee.”
While Onyinyechi Mark and Folashade Oluwafemiayo won gold in powerlifting, Bose Omolayo, Flora Ugwunwa, and Esther Nworgu secured silver medals, with Isau Ogunkunle and Eniola Bolaji winning bronze medals for Team Nigeria at the Paralympics.
Despite the Paralympians’ commendable performance, it represented a slight drop from their 10-medal haul at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Nigeria’s paralympians get allowance, rewards, gold medalists $1,500, silver $1,000, bronze $500
Sports
US court jails Nigerian socialite 11 years for $1.3m COVID-19 fraud
US court jails Nigerian socialite 11 years for $1.3m COVID-19 fraud
A Nigerian man was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for defrauding California and Nevada out of $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment and disability insurance benefits by submitting more than 100 fraudulent applications using stolen identities and using the money to build a nightclub and mall in Nigeria.
Abiola Femi Quadri, 43, of Pasadena, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
The judge also ordered him to pay $1,356,229 in restitution and a $35,000 fine.
Quadri is a Nigerian citizen who acquired permanent residency in the United States through what he described – according to court documents – as a “fake wedding” in messages to a woman who was not his wife, pleaded guilty on January 2 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Quadri, who lives in the San Gabriel Valley withdrew the fraudulent unemployment and disability benefits at ATMs from 2021 until his arrest in September 2024 at Los Angeles International Airport, where he was scheduled to fly to Nigeria.
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Quadri sent at least $500,000 abroad during the scheme. He also paid for the construction of a 120-room resort hotel in Nigeria, the Oyins International, that includes a nightclub, a mall, and additional high-end amenities. Quadri failed to disclose his ownership of the hotel as required when completing his financial disclosure to the court.
Investigators found on Quadri’s phone images of 17 counterfeit checks totaling more than $3.3 million, along with messages about negotiating the checks. Some of the checks were made payable to shell businesses held in the names of Quadri’s aliases.
California paid Quadri to provide daycare services to developmentally disabled children through his Altadena-based business, Rock of Peace. When agents searched Quadri’s residence, they found the children’s misappropriated food-aid debit cards.
The United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.
US court jails Nigerian socialite 11 years for $1.3m COVID-19 fraud
Sports
Super Eagles need miracle to qualify for World Cup – Ahmed Musa
Super Eagles need miracle to qualify for World Cup – Ahmed Musa
The substantive captain of the senior national team of Nigeria Ahmed Musa says it will take a miracle for the team to qualify for the 2026 world cup, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Nigeria are presently 4th in their world cup qualifiers group, six points away from the group leaders South Africa, who they will be up against in September when the games in the qualifiers resumes.
However there is an opening for them to move three points closer to the lead with FIFA set to dock them three points for fielding an ineligible player in their 2-0 win over Lesotho during the last round of games.
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Teboho Mokoena played over 80 minutes of the game, when he was supposed to have been suspended after picking up two yellow cards in previous games. Despite that Musa believe that it will be difficult for Nigeria to make it to the tournament.
“Only miracle would take Nigeria to the World Cup, because right now we are in a deep shits. Well we are hopeful that we will make it to the World Cup but right now honestly we are in a deep sheets only miracle would take Nigeria to the Tournament’, he said while addressing the press for the first time in his capacity as the General Manager of Nigeria Premier Football League side Kano Pillars.
Super Eagles need miracle to qualify for World Cup – Ahmed Musa
Sports
Tottenham sign West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus for £55m
Tottenham sign West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus for £55m
Tottenham Hotspur have officially announced the signing of Ghanaian international Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.
The deal, reportedly worth £55 million, marks Spurs’ fifth major acquisition of the summer transfer window.
Kudus, who joined West Ham from Ajax in 2023, made a notable impact with 13 goals in 65 Premier League appearances.
His dynamic playing style and versatility have earned him widespread recognition, making him a valuable asset for Tottenham as they look to bolster their attacking options under new head coach Thomas Frank.
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Before his time in the Premier League, Kudus began his professional journey with Danish side FC Nordsjaelland after graduating from Ghana’s renowned Right to Dream academy.
He joins a growing list of summer signings at Spurs, which includes Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic, and Kota Takai.
Tottenham will begin their pre-season campaign with a match against Reading on July 19.
Kudus’ arrival signals the club’s intent to compete aggressively this season, while reports also suggest that England international Morgan Gibbs-White is close to finalizing a move from Nottingham Forest to the North London club.
Tottenham sign West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus for £55m
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