Former Ace Sports reporter James Williams dies in Freetown

By: Bodunrin Kayode

A former Sierra Leonean veteran reporter James Williams who escaped his country into exile in Nigeria during the reign of President Siaka Stevens has died.

James Williams a renowned sports reporter in the late 80’s popularly known as “Jay Willie” in the National Stadium Suru lere circle in Lagos died in the early hours of the 31st of August due to a protracted illness.

He actually escaped the tyrannical torment of the late President Siaka Stevens with his friend and colleague the late John Kolosa Kagbo who was one of the editors of Prime people magazine an entertainment outfit before his demise.

While in Nigeria, Jay Willie related very well with the sports writers of Nigeria and wrote in several news papers including punch and the rested Prime people magazine then in Ojodu.

He returned to Freetown after the civil war and contributed immensely to the media space of that country before his demise.

Announcing his demise recently, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) in a release said it was “saddened to announce the death of their elder brother and senior colleague, Commissioner James Bola Williams (popularly known as Jay Willie), which sad event took place in the early hours of Sunday 31st August 2025 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

“Until his death, James Williams was the President of the Stroke Survivors Association, Assistant Secretary General of the Veteran Journalists Union (VeJU), and a member of the Guild of Newspaper Editors.

“He was also former Board Member, Independent Media Commission (IMC), and former editor of several newspapers, including Premier News; AWOKO; Night Watch and a host of other newspapers” in Freetown where he lived before his death.

Funeral arrangements for the late journalist will be communicated at a later date.

Former Ace Sports reporter James Williams dies in Freetown

Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports
…72-year-old Grandma, Beninese, Ithers Nabbed in NDLEA Raids in Delta, Kwara, Lagos

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a former football player Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Chinedu over attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Chinedu who is a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport last Tuesday, when his carry-on bag was searched, 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800 grammes were seen to be concealed therein.

Babafemi said investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria.

He said further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.

In his statement, Hunkarin was said to have claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.

Another Europe based businessman Amen Okoro was last Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain.

He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.

Babafemi said Okoro, who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria, claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would have taken a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.

At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant Ezenwaka Chibuzor. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilogrammes and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.05 kilogrammes.

He revealed that the 38-year-old suspect was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bedsheets packed in his bags were discovered.

He noted that another passenger on board the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, 54-year-old Azu Kpodar was also intercepted at the Enugu airport by NDLEA operatives. When Azu, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a liquid soap plastic container marked YPE, was discovered in his luggage. The substance was promptly taken for analysis at the NDLEA forensic and chemical laboratory, Enugu where the substance tested positive to cocaine.

The substance which turned out to be liquid cocaine weighed 1.250 kilogrammes, the
suspect who is a toy seller in Brinquedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased while shopping for his wedding ceremony in Nigeria.

NDLEA operatives at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos last Tuesday intercepted a 26-year-old Beninese Vode Jean-Luck while trying to smuggle 69 balls of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 29.5 kilogrammes from Benin Republic into Nigeria.

In Kwara state, a notorious drug dealer Mary Oladele (a.k.a Iya Nafi) was arrested last Wednesday when NDLEA operatives raided her base in Omu-Aran in Irepodun local government area of the state where various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam were recovered from her.

Babafemi said a 72-year-old grandma Mrs. Christy Ejaro was last Tuesday arrested by NDLEA operatives at Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state, with several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size recovered from her.

The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Former Footballer, 4 Others Arrested, Over 22.6kg Cocaine, Meth Seized at Lagos, Enugu Airports

REJOINDER: ADDRESSING SLANDEROUS ATTEMPTS BY ABUBAKAR ABUBAKAR ON THE PERSON OF HONORABLE KHAMISU AHMED MAILANTARKI, PRESIDENT OF MAILANTARKI CARE FC, ABUJA

By Adamu Usman Ahmed

The management of Mailantarki Care FC, Abuja, has noted with grave concern, the false, malicious, and misleading claims made by Abubakar Abubakar (Yellow) while granting an interview to a Morning Sports, a weekday English program by Amana Radio on Friday 18th April, 2025 in Gombe.

The fabricated statements made by Abubakar (Yellow) in its entirety was disgraceful to the Nigeria’s National team (U-20) for its official (Coordinator) who is neither a Media Manager nor the Administrative Secretary, to appear suddenly and without authorisation, on air for such spurious assertions aimed at tarnishing the remarkable image and overwhelming efforts of Honorable Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki on football development in Gombe State and Nigeria at large.

Abubakar blatantly lied during the radio interview on an internal issue concerning two clubs that he (Abubakar) was never in any point in time part of both teams (Mailantarki Care FC and Doma United FC) in whatsoever capacity neither was he a representative of the player in question (Haruna Aliyu) nor a spokesman of the National Team (U-20) or its administrative secretary.
In fact, during the partnership formalities of Haruna Aliyu between the two clubs in 2023, Abubakar was a coordinator at Gombe United and until date, he has never been part of any of the two clubs regarding any partnership of whatsoever player hence he had no genuine information to disseminate in public domain.

In his desperation to attack our club president’s effort on football development and progress in Gombe State and Nigeria at large by directly linking the exclusion of Gombe-born defender Haruna Aliyu in the final list of the National team U-20 ahead of the upcoming 2025 AFCON in Egypt.

To set the record straight, Hon Khamisu Mailantarki’s effort to elevate/promote Gombe State indigenes to the highest level of their respective football career, ensured an agreement reached between the two clubs and secured the services of the player (Haruna Aliyu) who further facilitated his invitation for a trial and consequently amazed the technical crew under the then U-20 National team Head Coach Isa Ladan Bosso ahead of the 13th African Games held in Ghana.

While Hon Mailantarki was busy sponsoring qualified Gombe State indigenes to a historic European tour in Denmark and Norway through his club, Mailantarki Care FC, instead of receiving motivations through commendations and accolades from the stakeholders in the state, people like Abubakar Abubakar opted for tort against the humble person of the President of the Mailantarki Care FC despite the fact that he operates as club owner with many officials including the club Technical Director, multi award-winning gaffer Manu Garba OON, the head coach of National team (U-17).

Thanks to the likes of Honorable Farouk Yarma, who provided an annual sports awards event (Prudential Sports Awards) for honoring outstanding sports individuals in the state, and of course in its maiden event Mailantarki was awarded for his immense contributions to grassroots football development in Gombe State.

More so on the issue raised regarding Aminu Muhammed (Obi) and Ibrahim Yahaya, who Abubakar falsely claimed were maltreated by our principle, which stand in contrast to the fact that both Aminu and Ibrahim were players of Mailantarki Care FC through a legitimate contractual agreement by their respective owners, and in the spirit of sportsmanship and the love of Gombe State, both players were allowed on free loan to continue playing for Gombe United considering their significant impacts towards the performance of the club in 2022/2023 season.

Both players are still rightful players of Mailantarki Care FC and are highly indebted with the show of great concern, commitment, and unending support towards their career development at various levels which includes successful outings with the National team U-20 at Niger Republic 2022 WAFU games in addition to a recent trial trip for Ibrahim Yahaya at Danish Super League club Aarhus Gymnastik Forening.

The then acting General Manager of Gombe United Abubakar Abubakar had deliberately blocked a potential career development trip facilitated by Mailantarki Care FC for the duo (Aminu and Yahaya) when they were clear favorite to clinch a professional contract with top European clubs moment after their brilliant outings at the WAFU 2022 zonal competition in Niger Republic, a move that could have generate an income to Gombe United as well.

Hon Mailantarki’s unending efforts towards the success and progress of young talented footballers in Gombe State and across the country Muhammed that he fully sponsored the first Gombe player Auwal Muhammed Adamu (Auwalulu) to secure a professional contract in one of the European clubs (Gandzasar FC, Armenia) in addition to young sensational full-back Jabir Hassan who is currently trading tackles with a Serbian club.

So many other players are currently undergoing trials in various elite development squads, beside several opportunities offered to Gombe based players for their respective career development through his Abuja based main team and the Gombe based U-17 feeders, Mailantarki is on the verge of sponsoring more qualified talents to yet another European scouting tours before the end of the current 2025 football calendar where more potential transfers are expected.

Abubakar’s lame attempt to smear Mailantarki’s praiseworthy efforts in the development of footballers’ career had ridiculed himself against the well established facts and record of players sponsored by Mailantarki (Flight ticket, accommodations, feeding, visas etc) to successful or otherwise trials in various European clubs while others formed part of the contingents that travelled to the 2022 and 2024 glorious international tours in Denmark and Norway as follows.

(Other Geo-political zones players not mentioned as we intended to repute the wrongly assertions by Abubakar Abubakar, who discredited the efforts of Mailantarki on the progress of Northern Players)

Gombe State:
Auwalu Muhammed Auwalulu (Gandzasar FC, Armenia), Abdulrahman Saidu (Salgeuros FC, Portugal), Sadeeq MB (Jammerbug FC, Denmark), Babawo Ibrahim (Jammerbugt FC, Denmark) Isiyaku Ligu (Denmark and Norway Cups), Amos John (Denmark and Norway Cups), Hamisu Ibrahim (Denmark and Norway Cups), Abdulazeez Maiyadi (Denmark and Norway Cups), Ibrahim Sani (Denmark and Norway cups), Adamu Gambo (Denmark and Norway cups), Abdulazeez Musa Bappa (Denmark and Norway cups).

Bauchi State:
Manji Williams (FK Abdish-Ata Kant, Kyrgyzstan), Sadiq Abdullahi (Jammerbug, Denmark), Promise Damala (Jammerbugt, Denmark), Nasiru Jibrin (Jammerbugt, Denmark), Abubakar Lamido (Denmark and Norway cups), Idris Ashiru (OPS Finland), Abdullahi Isa (Mosta FC, Malta).

Kano State:
Miko Dalha (Denmark and Norway cups), Usman Muhammed (Denmark and Norway cups), Hashim Muhammed (DFK Daivana, Lithuania), Usman Ghali (Jammerbugt IF, Denmark), Ishaq Usaini (Çorum FC, Turkey), Sabi’u Ibrahim (Aarhus FC, Denmark), Khalil Sammani (FDC Vista, Russia).

Adamawa State:
Ishaya Yuguda (St. Andrews FC, Malta), Silas Alfred (Hibbernians FC, Malta), Simon Gaston (Jammerbugt FC, Denmark), Auwal Abba (Mosta FC, Malta).

Benue State:
Victor Ochayi (Septemvri Sofia, Bulgaria), Miracle Williams (Kryvbas Rih, Ukraine)

FCT, Abuja:
Izuchukwu Daniel (FC Van, Armenia), Joel Zachariah (Monaco FC, France)

Borno State:
Tijjani Mohammed (Hammarby IF, Sweden).

Yobe State: Muhammed Abdullahi (Jammerbugt IF, Denmark).

Katsina State:
Yusha’u Armiya’u (Fredek-Mistek FC, Poland)

Abubakar, who is deploying all possible means to divert the attention of Gombe State football stakeholders and enthusiasts of the round leather game from his inability to facilitate even a trial call-up to any of Gombe State talented stars in the National team U-20 hence his desperate defamatory and baseless claims on the person of Honorable Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki, who established himself as one of the brightest football club owners/administrators in Northern Nigeria and the country at large.

The Nigeria Football Federation NFF’s decision to de-list the player in question, Haruna Aliyu from the final list of the upcoming U-20 AFCON in Egypt was best known to them as the apex football governing body in the country, which has several committees under which respective decisions are made, and as at the time of writing this response there is no official statement issued yet by any of the NFF’s committees in that regard, beside they are at liberty of not issuing any statement since a certain number of players must be shortlisted from the invited players based on the recommendation of the team’s technical crew.

However, while we await a possible official statement regarding the reason for the player’s absence from the final list, we at Mailantarki Care FC are saddened with the development, especially on the part of the club president who champion the cause of Haruna’s National team assignment few years back.

Most likely, the decision could be connected to the conflict of interest on the player’s part whom was ill-advised and misled to signed another different contract despite having a binding pre-contract agreement with Mailantarki Care FC, a decision amount to a breach of contract, an act that can cause instability in the player’s psychological prowess as the shenanigans took place while he was in his final camping exercise ahead of the upcoming U-20 AFCON slated to kick start in few days.

Haruna Aliyu had already agreed and signed a pre-contract with Mailantarki Care FC that is binding, hence becomes a player of Mailantarki at the end of the current Nigeria National League (NNL) 2024/2025 season, the development ensured after the player’s decision not to extend his contract with his present club Doma United beyond the 2024/2025 season.

A pretence Abubakar Abubakar went further to even dragged the name of a high-profile staff of the NFF, Nasiru Jibrin, whom he said the latter clears ways and gave a go ahead to legitimized an act of ‘conflict of interest’ against the rule book of the apex football governing body.

Just so you know, Mailantarki Care FC made a name for itself in the football industry for its unique identity and accomplishments in just 4 years of existence so far where several talented players successfully transferred to various clubs in Europe, wins three International Youth Championships in a remarkable record breaking outings in Norway (Norway Cup) and Denmark (Dana Cup) in its debut year 2022 and 2024 respectively, won Abuja FA Cup, promoted to the 2nd tier of the league among others.

Furthermore, in its debut year of existence in 2021, the club held the first-ever scouting tournament (Gombe to Europe) involving European football managers in the history of Gombe State, a successful program held at the Pantami Stadium that paved way to so many Gombe State indigenes to travel to various European clubs especially Portugal and Denmark.

Upon completing its multi-billion naira ‘Mailantarki Sports Complex’ in the heart of Abuja, the club will become the standout among its peers not only in Nigeria but the continent at large, so the likes of Abubakar Abubakar, should rather follow suits in aiding headways to achieve an optimal desired success of the beautiful game of football in Gombe State and Nigeria at large.

Sunday 20th April, 2024

Adamu Usman Ahmed ASM, AMInsTA
Director of Media and Communications
Mailantarki Care FC
Abuja, Nigeria.

REJOINDER: ADDRESSING SLANDEROUS ATTEMPTS BY ABUBAKAR ABUBAKAR ON THE PERSON OF HONORABLE KHAMISU AHMED MAILANTARKI, PRESIDENT OF MAILANTARKI CARE FC, ABUJA