Former U.S Army officer, Captain Bish Johnson (retd.) says there is foreign support for banditry in Nigeria.
Johnson, who spoke during an interview with Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, however, said some of the sponsors may not necessarily be Nigerians.
READ ALSO: Gunmen Kill One, Abduct Pregnant Woman, Others In Kogi Church Attack
“I also believe that there are some foreign sponsors of this banditry that we see in the country where they kidnap and abduct people just to divert our attention to the abduction while they are abusing, illicitly mining our mineral resources in connivance with highly placed individuals in Nigeria.”
“Some of whom may be in the government, some retired, and some top-level government officials,” he said.
The former officer maintained that most of the security problems were syndicated operations that involved so many components, people, and elements all working together for the same purposes, which are commercial.
Johnson said that banditry, kidnapping had become a commercialised enterprise where people made a lot of fortune over the misfortune of others.
“Nigerians have always had this impression that the insecurity in the country is some kind of complicity from within the government. I have always insisted and maintained that most of the insecurity is syndicated operations that involve so many components, people, and so many elements, all of them working together for the same purposes, which are commercial reasons.
“Banditry, kidnapping has become a commercialized enterprise where people are making a lot of fortunes over the misfortune of others. Some of you are fueled by the unregulated and illicit mining of our mineral resources in the far North, and also fueled by the vulnerabilities in our borders around that sector between Niger, Chad, and northern Cameroon” he added.
He further said information or any allegation about some kind of connivance or complicity from anyone in Nigeria should be a matter of serious concern and should be thoroughly investigated.
However, we should not dismiss such accusations on the basis that it is just a terrorist that is talking or maybe that they are talking under compulsion.
Voting is now open for the Team of the Year award that will be presented at Sports Personality of the Year 2025.
England’s Euro 2025-winning women’s football team, the country’s Women’s Rugby World Cup champions, and the triumphant European Ryder Cup team have been shortlisted for the prize.
Voting will close and the winner will be announced during the live show on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Thursday, 18 December.
Last year, the Team of the Year prize was awarded to all-conquering rugby league side Wigan Warriors.
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6 days ago
2 December
Who are the Team of the Year contenders?
England women’s football team (Lionesses)
BBC Sport
England were once again crowned European champions after a penalty shootout win over world champions Spain in the Euro 2025 final in July.
Victory meant the Lionesses became the first senior England football team to win a major trophy on foreign soil.
They did it the hard way – conceding first in all three of their knockout matches and becoming the only side in Euros history to have three different matches go to extra time.
30 July
28 July
England women’s rugby union team (Red Roses)
BBC Sport
England won the Women’s Rugby World Cup in scintillating fashion in September, beating Canada 33-13 in front of a world record crowd of 81,885 at Twickenham.
It was the first time the Red Roses had lifted the trophy since 2014.
In their quarter-final victory over Scotland, they broke their own world record for the longest unbeaten run by an international rugby union side, and extended it to 33 without a loss in the final. Their last defeat came in the 2022 World Cup final.
27 September
27 September
27 September
European Ryder Cup team
BBC Sport
Europe held off a thrilling American resurgence to claim a Ryder Cup on US soil for only the fifth time, and the first since their legendary ‘Miracle of Medinah’ triumph in 2012.
Luke Donald’s side shrugged off a hostile New York crowd at Bethpage Black to open up a record seven-point lead after two days, having dominated the foursomes and fourballs formats.
They had to show nerve to survive a remarkable United States comeback on the final day, but secured a 15-13 win to make it back-to-back victories.
29 September
29 September
29 September
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The seven strong band have been formed by Cowell as part of his new Netflix series The Next Act
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Cowell boyband December 10 are already set to bring music out(Image: Photo credit: Gracey & Co.)
Simon Cowell’s new boyband have been unveiled and are now talking for the first time about how hard they have been trying to make it in the music business. Called December 10, the band are a seven-piece boyband who have signed to EMI/Universal.
Ending the series The Next Act where they were chosen, Cowell told the singers: “When this show airs your whole life changes. I am really, really proud of you individually. I am seeing you about to do what you always dreamt of doing. Probably the most important advice is, whoever becomes your very very first fan is the most important person in the world.”
The lads consist of Cruz (19), Danny (17), Hendrick (19), John (17), Josh (17), Nicolas (16) and Sean (19). They are from Chorley, Rochester, Dublin, London, Lisbon and Walsall, and between them Irish, Brazilian, Indian, Nigerian and Jamaican heritage. According to reports on Sunday they will release their first new music on YouTube today. But ahead of that they spoke to the Mirror and answered questions about their story so far…
CRUZ, (19, Uxbridge, West London)
What is your story in terms of where you grew up and when you started singing? I grew up in in Uxbridge, West London, and I started singing from the age of eight – my parents always used to play 2000s RnB in the house, and I just started dancing and singing along to it. And then when I was in year six, my school did Charlie & The Chocolate Factory musical and I got the part of Willy Wonka, and I remember everyone really loving my solo. I then went for an audition for Motown the Musical and I got the part of mini-Michael Jackson.
How long have you been trying to make it as a singer? 11 plus years. It’s been really long. It’s been hard. There was one point in my life where I was going to give up. I was 17, and I was like, nothing’s working… I was kind of just focusing on football at that time, and it’s not really until this whole band audition thing came up that I got back into it.
Why did you audition for the show? I wanted to try something else, try something different from the solo stuff.
How surprised are you to make it to the band? When I got that first call from Simon, after that first audition, I was so shocked and just so happy. This whole journey, even going to Miami, it’s just been mad, because I felt like I’ve had so much rejection in my life, and then this happened, the biggest thing I’ve done, and I just feel so fulfilled and happy.
What is Simon Cowell really like? What advice has he given you, what has he said is going to happen next? He’s like the most humble person you’ll ever meet. He says to just keep working hard and there’s going to be lots of challenges ahead, but you’ll face them together. And we’re lucky, because there’s seven of us, and we can support each other through anything.
What are your hopes for the band and the future? I’d love to go on a stadium tour and perform at Wembley Stadium. I’d also love to perform at The Brits.
NICOLAS (17, born/ grew up in Slough, West London, now lives in Lisbon)
What is your story in terms of where you grew up and when you started singing? I grew up in Slough until I was 10. I really got into music when I was about five or six, just watching videos of Queen, Bruno Mars and a bunch of artists that my parents would play to me. I started singing when I was about eight years old when I took a year of singing lessons.
How long have you been trying to make it as a singer? Probably since the age of six, since when I first fell in love with music, I knew that that was what I was wanting to do with my life, and I was ready to dedicate myself to it.
Why did you audition for the show? I auditioned for the show because I wanted to prove to the world that I can do it, whether I made it or not. I just wanted to give it my all and be proud and know that I’d literally given it my 100%.
How surprised are you to make it to the band? I’m very, very, very surprised! I’m extremely happy and very proud that my hard work paid off. And I’m really looking forward to the amazing future we’re going to have.
What is Simon Cowell really like? What advice has he given you, what has he said is going to happen next? Simon Cowell is very down to earth. Watching him on television, what you see is a persona. When you truly get to know him, he’s a really, really friendly guy, and I’m very glad to have met him and to have worked with him. In terms of advice, he’s just said, be yourself and always try to stay true to yourself when you’re on camera and when you’re doing performances, as that’s the most important thing you can do as an artist, And in terms of what we’re going to do in the future, Simon said it’s best to just take it one day at a time and enjoy it in the present.
What are your hopes for the band and the future? My hopes for the band in the future is to have a strong connection and a loyal fan base and to be able tour wherever we want to go in the world, and yeah, just to have fun with my brothers and keep touring.
DANNY (17, Chorley, Lancashire, near Manchester)
What is your story in terms of where you grew up and when you started singing? I grew up in Chorley without a musical background. I’m the first one in my family to pursue a career in music. I picked it up because when I got expelled from school, I didn’t think I had anything going for me, and I needed to find something that I loved, and that’s music.
How long have you been trying to make it as a singer? I’ve been trying to make it as a singer ever since I started singing, so maybe, like, since I was at least 10 years old, and it’s just been my dream forever, and now it’s potentially coming true.
Why did you audition for the show? I auditioned for the show because of my auntie – she really believes in me and kept on at me to. How surprised are you to make it to the band? I am pretty shocked. I got in the band out of over 1000 people that auditioned. The fact that I’m one of the seven that got to the final, final band. It’s crazy.
What is Simon Cowell really like? What advice has he given you, what has he said is going to happen next? Simon Cowell is the complete opposite of how I think people who only know him from the TV think he is. He’s very kind and generous. He shows you a lot of respect no matter who you are. Simon’s made it pretty clear that the journey we have ahead is going to be challenging and tough at times, but we will still have the best time of our lives.
What are your hopes for the band and the future? Of course we’ve got big dreams, but right now it’s about putting the work in, focusing on the music and building something we’re proud of.
JOSH (17, Chorley, Lancashire, near Manchester)
What is your story in terms of where you grew up and when you started singing? So I grew up in Chorley. And I grew up watching my mum sing, because she’s a singer. My mum used to play tunes in the car, dead loud. I used to love it, and I think that’s where my love of music came from.
How long have you been trying to make it as a singer? I’ve been gigging since I was like, since I was 15 to be honest. I did a few gigs, and then ever since then, I’ve just kept moving forward from there.
Why did you audition for the show? I got the email, I got the Instagram message, and then I just thought, right, this is actually happening.
What is Simon Cowell really like? He’s nice, he’s not, like “nasty”, like people say he is on TV.
What advice has he given you, what has he said is going to happen next? Always stay humble. And the fans are what make you. He says it’s going to be hard – it’s going to be like a hard path to go down in it, but that he believes in us.
What are your hopes for the band and the future? To play at Wembley
SEAN (19, Dublin, Ireland)
What is your story in terms of where you grew up and when you started singing? I grew up in Dublin, Ireland, and I started singing kind of around the house. I was big into some pop acts, like Justin Bieber. And then I kept singing, and my mom and dad like, we’ve got to do something with this fella, because he just doesn’t shut up! So they sent me to a choir in the city center in Dublin, and that’s kind of where I started.
How long have you been trying to make it as a singer? Well, probably since I was a kid, since I was about four. I just think that my dream has always been to perform music.
Why did you audition for the show? To make my mum proud! My mum heard about the auditions and she was like Simon Cowell is holding auditions, and I’ve signed you up! And I was curious about it all, really. Especially as I hadn’t really heard about any new boy bands coming out Ireland or the UK for a long time.
How surprised are you to make it to the band? I was surprised. On the last day, I was definitely cacking it. I was like, Oh, I don’t know if I’m gonna make it!
What is Simon Cowell really like? What advice has he given you, what has he said is going to happen next?
Simon is lovely. Simon has given us lots of advice. I think one piece of advice he’s taught us that has stuck with me is when you walk into a room, just always shake everyone’s hand, and make eye contact – eye contact is very important. I think he has aspirations for us to be massive, and so you kind of just have to trust him that way, as he’s obviously worked with a lot of bands globally, so he can visualise it, even if we can’t yet.
What are your hopes for the band and the future? I hope that the band has loads of fun and we all become best mates, and we all are best men at each other’s weddings.
JOHN (17, Rochester, Kent)
What is your story in terms of where you grew up and when you started singing? I grew up in Kent, and that’s sort of where I’ve been my whole life. I’ve never, like, moved houses, never been anywhere else, so that’s definitely my home. But in terms of, like, the music, it sort of started off with my dad always playing music around the house when I was younger. That got me interested, and then I remember hearing songs on the radio and, like, harmonizing and singing along. So, my mum noticed that I liked music and was into it. And we had a family friend whose daughter was in choir, so my mum was like, John, you should apply for this, because you like to sing. And then I did a little audition, and I got into the choir, and then from there, I’ve just been doing it ever since.
How long have you been trying to make it as a singer? I really can’t remember a time when I wasn’t singing or trying to make it as a singer. I’ve also been writing and producing for a long time too.
Why did you audition for the show? Oh, I think like, this show was just the biggest opportunity. I feel like Simon Cowell has such a great ear for music, and, yeah, I think that was what enticed me. I also thought, like, being in a band just sounded so interesting and so fun.
How surprised are you to make it to the band?
I think when I heard I’d made it, I was excited more than anything. Probably because I’ve just learnt not to set expectations for myself. I used to do a lot of acting and drama, so I’d get, like, rejected all the time. And so, I’m used to telling myself, don’t let it phase you, just keep on trying, whatever happens will happen.
What is Simon Cowell really like? He’s definitely not what he seems like, if you watch his old content. He is honest, which is very true, but he’s a down to earth person, very genuine, and I think maybe a bit softer than he came across on the TV years ago. He’s a very genuine character, and we all love him.
What advice has he given you, what has he said is going to happen next? He told us that that this should be fun, and if we’re not having fun, then this shouldn’t be what we’re going into. And I think that’s really valuable advice, because it’s not going to be an easy thing, obviously, going into this industry. But we all have each other, and so as long as we’re still enjoying it, together, then that’s the most important thing.
What are your hopes for the band and the future? I hope that we release great music, and can continue to release great music, and, hopefully, sell out shows. That would be the dream, because we’ve all worked so hard for this.
HENDRICK (19, Walsall, Birmingham)
What is your story in terms of where you grew up and when you started singing? I grew up in the town of Walsall, just north of Birmingham. My first Love was rugby, but then I kept getting injured round about in my early teenage years, and that’s when I started playing music. And then I just knew I wanted to do music. My mum was a professional singer growing up, so she really inspired me to sing. And she used to harmonise when me, when I was humming as a kid, when I was very young, and she said she knew that I was going to be some kind of singer one day.
How long have you been trying to make it as a singer? So I’ve been trying since when I joined a music school in year 10. That’s when I got really determined to actually make it as a singer. And that’s when I learned the guitar and bass and piano and all these different instruments to make me into an all-round musician.
Why did you audition for the show? I got a message on Tiktok. And I was working at Nandos, I’d just finished college. So I was like, why not? Like, let me go and get it. I’ve got nothing to lose.
How surprised are you to make it to the band? This is going to sound weird, but at the start, I had like, a good feeling from my audition. I was like, this feels right. But still, two weeks later, when I got a phone call from Simon, I was just like, what? What’s going on? And then when I found out I was in the band, I was like, that’s insane!
What is Simon Cowell really like? He’s down to earth – just a really good bloke. He’s sound.
What advice has he given you, what has he said is going to happen next? One main bit of his advice was you’ve basically asked to be in the public eye, and you’ve been asked to be very public in your life. So don’t complain when people come up to you asking for photos or anything like that, and be nice, treat everyone the same.
What are your hopes for the band and the future? I want us to have fun. That’s what I want. I want us to write mad records, record mad records, and get as much music out there as possible to inspire people.
Ruben Amorim’s first public observations on Mason Mount after his appointment as Manchester United head coach just over a year ago have stood the test of time.
It has taken longer than hoped for United’s fanbase to come to the same conclusion, but Mount’s goal and overall performance at Wolves last week had them purring.
Suddenly, the hole left by the impending departure of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) doesn’t look quite so difficult to fill.
Mount’s game intelligence plus his awareness and ability to play in tight spaces are coming to the fore. Now the phrase most used about him is: “His quality was never in doubt.”
Almost two and a half years into the five-year contract he signed in July 2023, Mount’s own bold declarations about the future have some meaning.
“I am hugely ambitious,” he said on his arrival at Old Trafford. “I know how amazing it feels to win major trophies and what it takes to do it.
“I will be giving everything to experience that again at Manchester United.”
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A Champions League and Club World Cup winner with Chelsea, Mount was an injury-time substitute for United’s 2024 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City. He started the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham in May and was part of the United squad that finished 15th.
Not that the 26-year-old regrets leaving boyhood club Chelsea.
Speak privately to people who know Mount well and you get the impression restoring United’s fortunes offered the kind of challenge that enthused him.
Under Erik ten Hag at the time, the club made it clear they wanted him. That matters. It still does. That is why Amorim’s first words were perfectly put.
As the former Sporting coach assessed the squad he was inheriting, he knew in Mount he was getting a high-level, flexible player who could fit into a variety of different positions within his system, something Amorim felt he did not have enough of.
Left, right, as an orthodox number 10, as a six, or an eight, Mount has a range of experiences that make him very useful for a coach who regards adaptability as a key weapon.
“He’s a very smart player,” was Amorim’s response when asked about Mount on Friday before Monday’s Premier League game with Bournemouth. “He’s really technical.
“Sometimes being a technical player is not just having fun with the ball. It’s the quality of the pass, the reception, how to receive the ball. Mason can balance our team quite well.”
Amorim is not alone at United’s Carrington training ground in recognising Mount’s qualities. He is certainly not the only one genuinely glad a player who can offer so much is able to put injury issues to one side and deliver performances on a consistent basis.
No-one would argue the past couple of years have been easy. Mount himself has admitted dealing with two extended absences and a couple of smaller frustrating ones was tough.
But staff around Carrington admired the professional attitude Mount adopted throughout his various recoveries.
Training-ground sources have said the player left no stone unturned in pursuit of staying fit and was regularly one of the last to leave after long stints in the ice bath and sauna sessions.
He is regarded as a link within Amorim’s squad – someone who knits groups of players together – which has been particularly evident this season when, it is generally acknowledged, United’s players have remained tight and focused on delivering better results.
Mount is also well liked by non-football staff because he is helpful, which is not something that can be taken for granted in the playing department at United or any other club. He spends time with a couple of kids who are regulars outside the training ground, has spoken with them and their parents and still wears a bracelet one of them gave him.
These traits are all positives on a human scale.
However, in the pressurised world of the Premier League, they are side issues compared to delivering on the pitch – and just now, he is on a roll.
Outstanding in the win at Crystal Palace on 30 November, Mount followed up with an excellent performance against Wolves, who were admittedly poor at Molineux but proved they can be obdurate and diligent in their unlucky loss at Arsenal.
Goals in both victories have taken his overall tally for United to seven, to match his shirt number, a fact not lost on the club’s content creators who put them all on the app and launched a vote for which was the best. His second in the Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao – a two-touch, 50-yard effort to seal a 4-1 win – came out on top.
‘Tuchel has not forgotten Mount’
Getty Images
Mount won the most recent of his 36 England caps in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in Qatar.
Despite three years without an international appearance, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has not forgotten him.
Mount revealed in the summer his former manager at Chelsea had been in touch. The pair were spotted chatting after last month’s home defeat by Everton and while competition for World Cup places is fierce and Mount is rated as unlikely to break in at this stage, it cannot entirely be discounted.
The player himself is not setting that as a target. Sources say his focus and drive remains on delivering on those first words following his arrival from Chelsea.
Mount recognises turning the United tanker around has to be a collective effort but there are signs it is heading in the right direction, even if the process is lengthy and not without the odd glitch.
He clearly has a significant role though. Mount has missed one game so far this season though injury. His impact is starting to be felt.
England have overlooked spinner Shoaib Bashir for the crucial third Ashes Test against Australia in Adelaide.
The tourists, who need to win to keep alive hopes of regaining the urn, have made one change from the team beaten in the second Test in Brisbane.
As expected, Josh Tongue replaces fellow pace bowler Gus Atkinson.
It is the omission of 22-year-old Bashir that is most striking for a Test where spin is likely to play an important role.
England have instead retained all-rounder Will Jacks after he played his first Test in three years in Brisbane.
It is a huge decision by England captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum for a Test where jobs and reputations could be on the line.
It calls into question the entire experiment involving Bashir, whom England have asked to learn on the job in Test cricket over the past two years.
Bashir’s absence from the first two Tests in Australia has been explained by the conditions.
Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon bowled only two overs in the first Test and then was left out of the second.
But Lyon will return on Wednesday (23:30 GMT Tuesday) on a ground where no other bowler has taken more than his 63 Test wickets, with legendary Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne just behind on 56.
The importance of spin will likely be accentuated by the extreme temperatures forecast in Adelaide – as high as 39C for Thursday’s second day.
England have previously backed Bashir as their frontline spinner, despite him not being the first-choice slow bowler for his county Somerset. Bashir’s deal at Taunton expired at the end of the season and he is yet to sign a new one.
Stokes and McCullum felt Bashir had the attributes to succeed in Australia, mainly a high release point and the ability to extract bounce from the surface.
His performances in an England shirt since making his debut in India at the beginning of 2024 have been a qualified success. Bashir’s 68 wickets in 19 Tests have come at an average of 39, and in May he became the youngest England bowler to reach 50 wickets.
But Bashir has not played for England since breaking his finger in the third Test against India in July. His best moment in an England shirt was also his most recent act – taking the wicket to win that thrilling Test at Lord’s.
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But he has struggled in Australia, returning figures of 2-266 in two tour matches. Bashir has also looked short of rhythm in the nets.
England did not select another specialist spinner in their squad – the likes of Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson and Jack Leach were overlooked.
It means England will rely on Jacks, primarily a batter and with six first-class wickets this year.
In contrast, Australia can call on Lyon, the 38-year-old who sits seventh on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers with 562. Lyon needs two in Adelaide to leapfrog great Australia seamer Glenn McGrath in sixth.
Speaking before England confirmed their XI, Lyon said: “I would be surprised if their number one spinner is not playing. Will Jacks, I thought he played a pretty decent role in Brisbane with the opportunity he had.
“I’m not really concerned what XI England produce. We’ll worry about what we’re doing, and control what we can control.”
Head coach McCullum previously admitted England were unlikely to make changes to their batting line-up, so Tongue is the only new face from the side beaten in Brisbane.
In the pace department, both teams are likely to rotate in the final three Tests, which are played back-to-back.
Australia will have the luxury of Pat Cummins returning in Adelaide after the captain missed the first two Tests with a back injury.
England’s Atkinson struggled in the first two Tests. His three wickets have come at a cost of 78 runs each and two of them were taken when the second Test was as good as over.
Tongue, 28, has taken 31 wickets in six Tests, including dismissing Australia’s Steve Smith in both innings when he played his only previous Ashes match at Lord’s in 2023.
Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook has recognised his own shortcomings in the series so far.
Brook made 52 in the first innings of the first Test in Perth, but has not passed 31 in his three other knocks. He said the shots he played to be dismissed in the second innings in Perth and first innings in Brisbane were “shocking”.
“Sometimes I’ve got to rein it in a little bit,” said Brook. “To learn when to absorb the pressure a little bit more and realise when the opportunity arises to put the pressure back on.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is unlikely to get any “protection” after making cryptic comments seemingly aimed at the club’s ownership, says former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.
The Italian described the build-up to Saturday’s Premier League victory over Everton as “the worst 48 hours” since he arrived at the club in June 2024.
In an extraordinary outburst, the 45-year-old suggested that he and his team had not been supported before refusing to clarify who his comments were directed at.
“For me it was very similar to the Mo Salah situation last week where it was very premeditated,” said the ex England striker on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show, which you can now listen to on BBC Sounds.
“He knows exactly what he is saying and who he is aiming it at and the board and owners at Chelsea will know it is aimed at them.”
Chelsea currently sit fourth in the English top flight but had only taken two points from the previous nine available prior to the weekend with a loss at Atalanta in the Champions League also thrown into that run.
And unlike the very public backing that Ruben Amorim received from Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier this season, Rooney believes that Maresca’s words will have done himself few favours if the club endure any further blips.
“You’ve got to respect the owners of a football club. They employ you and bring you in, so it’s their way and I feel he’s gone a bit against that,” Rooney added.
“It is something that’s clearly happened, whether it’s a disagreement or he feels his job is under pressure and he doesn’t feel it should be because of the two trophies he’s won and the points he’s picked up.
“I don’t feel like he’s a manager that will backtrack. He has got a passion about him and a drive about him. Whether he has heard things, like the club might want him out and he’s been proactive to go on the front foot, you don’t know why he’s done it. It’s very strange.
“I don’t think he’ll get the protection now he’s come out and done what he has done. That will be very difficult for the club to come and protect him, which is a shame.”
