In 1995, 10-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo joined Nacional for a symbolic transfer fee of €500.
A symbolic €500 was all it took to sign a 10-year-old boy who would go on to transform global football.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s first transfer is now remembered as one of the greatest bargains in sports history. Decades later, he has earned hundreds of millions, shattered countless records, and proved that true greatness is built through relentless dedication, not an expensive price tag.
Wanted Bandit, Abubakar Usman, Captured in Delta State After a G¥n Battle
A notorious suspected k+dnap kingpin, Abubakar Usman, has been captured by security operatives following a fierce g¥n b@ttle in a Delta State forest, days after the abd¥ction of a woman whose k+dnappers allegedly demanded a ₦100 million ransom.
According to security advocate Harrison Gwamnishu, the victim, Mrs. Blessing Chiedu, a native of Umunede Kingdom, was k+dnapped on July 2, 2026, along the Ani-Ifekide Farm Road in Ubulu-Uku. After receiving information about the incident, the matter was reportedly escalated to the Delta State Police Command’s Anti-k+dnapping Squad in Asaba, led by CSP Osakpolor.
Using the Hydra Tech Surveillance System, operatives launched a coordinated rescue mission that led to the successful recovery of the victim alive and unharmed along the Ubulu-Unor/Ashama Road.
Following her rescue, security forces immediately began tracking the fleeing k+dnappers. The manhunt reportedly lasted through the night until about 6:45 a.m., when surveillance technology traced the gang to a hideout in the Ogwashi-Uku/Adonta Forest.
A g¥n b@ttle broke out during the operation, with security personnel overpowering the suspects. Abubakar Usman, described as one of the most wanted bandits in the area, was arrested, while other gang members reportedly escaped deeper into the forest with their firearms.
Investigators believe Usman and his gang were behind several k+dnapping operations across Igbodo, Umunede and neighbouring communities, where they allegedly extorted millions of naira in ransom from victims’ families.
Gwamnishu commended Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Commissioner of Police, officers of the Anti-k+dnapping Squad, and DSP Paul Xdot for their roles in the operation, describing their efforts as instrumental in rescuing the victim and apprehending the suspected kingpin.
Ali Kwara didn't wait for court orders. He did not need a badge. If you were a thief, a kidnapper, or a killer, he came for you. And most times, you wouldn't even see him coming.
This was not a movie; this was real life in Northern Nigeria. And while politicians were sitting in their AC offices, security agencies were being bribed left and right, one man was deep in the forest risking his life to catch criminals. No uniform, no salary—just guts, a rifle, and a mission.
They called him many names. Belshazzar, the Lion of Azare. One of his former classmates even said that he was not fully human—that he was half-human, half-jin. Because how else—how else can you explain a man who could track bandits through the bush, sniff out hideouts, and bring down armed gangs all over the North, sometimes before even the police knew what was happening?
Ali Kwara was born in Azare in Bauchi State, and he started hunting from a young age. But he was not hunting animals—he was hunting humans, robbers, kidnappers, terrorists. And he didn't just chase small thieves; he went after the worst of the worst.
One of the most famous stories was his battle with a notorious highway robber called Alain Barkeji in the late '90s. That one was like a full action movie. Barkeji had been terrorizing people around Azare, robbing them at gunpoint.
Ali chased him through the forest across villages, and finally caught him after a shootout. But the gist is, after Ali handed him over alive, the police claimed that Barkeji died trying to escape. And Ali was like, "Escape? With a broken leg and no weapon?"
This man didn't hold back. Even though he walked with the police, he didn't trust them blindly. And he used to say that unless security officers started fearing God and doing their jobs right, criminals will keep growing stronger. And he didn't just say it behind closed doors; he took it straight to the top. Ali Kwara reportedly spoke directly to President Yar'Adua and to Buhari, warning them that as long as security personnel were aiding and abetting criminals, Nigeria would never be safe.
And he was right. Nigeria's security situation was and is still a mess. So, a lot of communities just started calling Ali Kwara directly. State governors would even send for him when their own police had failed. When ransom money disappeared, when women were kidnapped, when entire towns were being terrorized, they would call him and he would go. No questions asked.
In one case, Ali and his team recovered 43 rifles hidden inside Bura Forest. Another time, he helped arrest a ring of kidnappers in Ningi and he recovered ransom money and phones. He even exposed—this was a major scandal—where some NSCDC and military officers were caught selling arms to criminals. Like, full uniform officers secretly giving weapons to kidnappers. And it was Ali that exposed it. He was not scared of anybody.
The gist on the ground was, once criminals heard that Ali Kwara was in the area, they would disappear. Some even abandoned their camps overnight. He was that feared by criminals.
But here's the part that most people don't know: Ali Kwara wasn't just a hunter, he was also a giver in his hometown of Azare. He gave out sacks of grains to widows and orphans—over 500 bags in one year alone. He built houses for relatives, paid school fees... If you were hungry and you came to his house, he would feed you. If you needed help, he would help. No long talk.
People said he feared no man, no beast. That he could walk into a den of lions and walk back out like it was nothing. Whether that's just a myth or not, what we do know is this man had courage that most people can't even imagine. No PR, no fame—chasing just results.
Later in life, his health started failing. He had heart problems and a spinal injury from a past accident, and it got worse with time. He died on November 6, 2020, in Abuja. They flew his body back to Azare in a presidential jet.
I remember back in the day when I started playing football for real, I used to pick up clothes for the senior players and I was always the first person to every football match with the match jersey.
I paid my dues and I know how that helped me get a good foundation for my career.
Even the biggest names in world football today started as a young star who is humbled enough to learn things from others so he can apply them in his career.
Football will give you want you give to it and you will not get what you don't give it. FACTS!
Every star player was once a young kid looking up to someone who is their idol or role model and hopin they get to that level one day.
Luis Figo was the star man in the Portuguese national team when Cristiano Ronaldo came in and figo passed on the crown to him.
Ronaldinho was the FCB biggest star when Messi was coming up and he also pass down the crown to him.
Pele is one of the greatest players to ever played the game but he passed the crown to R9 and he was not involved in a single game during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in USA.
The bottom line is that as a young player you need to serve the people ahead of you so you can have those coming up serve you when you get to the top.
Fuji music icon King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1 De Ultimate) has composed a special celebratory anthem for Arsenal. The legendary musician voiced the track to mark the Gunners' historic Premier League title after 22 years.