Nigeria, UK okay deal on return of looted assets

Nigeria and Britain have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the modalities for the return of stolen assets.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, signed on behalf of the Federal Government while the British Minister of State for Immigration, Robert Goodwill, endorsed the pact on behalf of his home government.

During the exercise which held at the Ministry of Justice yesterday, Goodwill stated that the MoU provides the mechanism by which looted funds could be returned to Nigeria.

Fayose to Buhari: Hunger is Killing Nigerians

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to the plights of Nigerians and stop tagging those with divergent opinions about the running of government as enemies of state .

Fayose said: “The reality our President must face now is that there is too much hunger in the land. Nigerians are hungry, they are suffering and the President should rather listen to those who are more knowledgeable than him in terms of management of the country’s economy instead of seeing them as threats.”

Return my son’s corpse to me, Oduah’s ex-hubby demands

Lt. Col. Satchie Emmanuel Etoromi (Rtd.), the bereaved father of late Maxwell Etoromi, has pleaded with his ex-wife, Senator Stella Oduah, to give his son’s corpse to him for him to be properly buried.

Etoromi, in a letter he dispatched to the traditional ruler of Akili Ozizor, Ogbaru in Anambra state, Igwe D.O Oduah, said the former Minister of Aviation, who had been in custody of their son, did not tell him of his death, adding that he only read about it from the social media.

He, however, pleaded with the royal father to prevail on his ex-wife to release his son’s corpse to him so he could be buried in Warri, his paternal home.

“I am surprised to see in the internet stories that my son Maxwell Omabuwa Temisaren Obiechina Wereyesigha Toritseju Chinedu Etoromi who Stella delivered for us on 14th March 1988 at 05.00 hour in St Mary`s Hospital Ugboroke Warri is dead.

“Up till now Stella has not told me my son died in her custody. There is rumour that my son will be buried in Akili Ozizor.  That is not acceptable at all. My son must be brought to me in Warri for internment.

Urhobo Militia Dares Military, Blows up Pipeline in Delta

Troops arrest suspected criminals, militants in oil region
Senator Iroegbu in Abuja and Sylvester Idowu in Warri
An Urhobo militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Movement (NDGJM), on Tuesday dared the ongoing military operation code-named “Operation Crocodile Smile,” dismissing it as toothless.
It however, launched its own counter exercise called: “Operation Crocodile Tears.”

To manifest its seriousness, the group claimed responsibility for breaching of an Ogor-Oteri major delivery line operated by the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Shoreline Petroleum in Delta State.

Cement price rises to N2,500

The price of cement yesterday rose to between N1,700 and N2,500 in Edo State and other parts of the country.

Before the hike, a bag of cement costs about N1,700 marking over 35 per cent rise in the cost of the raw material used in the building and construction industry.

Iheanacho topples Mikel as Eagles highest earner

MANCHESTER City starlet Kelechi Iheanacho is now the top Nigeria earner in the Premier League on £85,000-a-week to knock off Chelsea star Mikel Obi.
This month, Iheanacho signed a new two-year contract extension at City till 2021, saying his new contract will “change the lives of his family”. Mikel, who moved to England 10 years ago, has been the biggest earner from Nigeria for many years and he is now on 70,000 pounds a week at Stamford Bridge. The midfielder’s compatriot at ‘The Blues’, Victor Moses bagged a 50,000 pounds-a-week when he joined Chelsea from Wigan Athletic in 2012. Watford striker Odion Ighalo is believed to have improved on his 25,000 pounds-a-week after he recently signed a contract extension.

A​ctionAid ​condemns planned tax on phone calls, text messages, data

ActionAid Nigeria on Tuesday frowned at the proposed Communication Service Tax (CST) bill and urged the federal government to reject the bill.

The group, which is the Nigerian arm of the global movement of people working together to promote human rights and defeat poverty, said imposition of the new tax would worsen the poverty situation of consumers.

​The ​country ​d​irector of the ​organisation, Ojobo Atuluku, expressed displeasure over the draft bill aimed at imposing up to ​nine​ per cent ​tax​ on all phone calls, short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), data packages, and pay television services.

Joe Hart: Torino set to announce signing of Man City goalkeeper on deadline day

Serie A side Torino are set to announce the loan signing of Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart on Wednesday.

The Football Association gave Hart permission to leave the England camp on Monday so he could travel to Italy for a medical.

Hart has been told by new City manager Pep Guardiola that he is free to leave.

The 29-year-old was photographed in Turin on Tuesday and the deal is now set to be completed before the 31 August transfer deadline.

Iran: 'We Welcome War With the U.S.'

Last week, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sent four vessels to “harass” a U.S. warship near the Strait of Hormuz. A prim schoolmarm of a U.S. official called the Iranian action “unsafe and unprofessional.”

How a Nigerian schoolgirl escaped from her Boko Haram kidnappers

Sa’a jumped from a truck rumbling through a forest. The truck’s cargo: More than 250 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped in the dark at gunpoint by Boko Haram, the Nigerian terrorist group attempting to create an Islamic state in Africa.

Barcelona youth team adorably consoles crying Japanese opponents

For years, it was the paradigm-shifting senior team that brought so much aesthetic joy to soccer viewers of all stripes. Because, well, what other Barcelona team are you supposed to root for?

Nigerian rebels claim attack on state-owned pipeline

Warri (Nigeria) (AFP) - Nigerian rebels claimed a Tuesday attack on a state-owned oil pipeline and accused the military of "endlessly harassing" the country's south as they vowed to intensify their campaign of sabotage.

Arsenal complete signing of defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia

Arsenal have completed the signing of Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia for a reported fee of £35 million.

Mustafi, 24, is the third major signing for manager Arsene Wenger this summer after central midfielder Granit Xhaka joined in May from Gladbach and £17m striker Lucas Perez arrived from Deportivo La Coruna on Tuesday, taking the club's spending to over £90m in this transfer window.

The German solves a defensive crisis for Wenger's men after Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista were injured in preseason. While 20-year-old Rob Holding has impressed in the team's first three games, Mustafi is expected to earn an immediate starting role alongside Laurent Koscielny in Arsenal's back four.

Arsenal confirm £17m Lucas Perez transfer

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of striker Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruña for an undisclosed figure, although most news outlets are reporting the fee to be around £17m.

Perez arrives against a backdrop of close-season discontent among Arsenal fans, many of whom have criticised manager Arsene Wenger for his reluctance to loosen the purse strings.

Comedy legend Gene Wilder dies at 83

Gene Wilder, who delighted audiences with his comic turns in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and Mel Brooks classics including “Blazing Saddles” and “The Producers,” died Monday at age 83, Varietymagazine reported.

Concerns over Julius Agwu’s health as he misses London’s show

There was anxiety over the health of popular comedian, Julius Agwu, on Monday, as there were reports that he was ill.

He was said to be receiving treatment in a London hospital.

World class’ nickel discovered in Nigeria,

A private mining syndicate has made a potentially “world class and highly unusual” Nickel discovery in Nigeria, The Australian, an Australian national newspaper is reporting.

The private mining syndicate is reportedly headed by Hugh Morgan, a mining industry veteran.

“The discovery is unusual because the nickel is found in small balls up to 3mm in diameter of a high purity in shallow soils in what could be the surface expression of a much bigger hard-rock nickel field,” the newspaper said.

“The nickel balls, rumoured to grade better than 90 per cent nickel and thought to be a world first given their widespread distribution, offer the potential for early cashflow from a simple and low-cost screening operation to fund a full assessment of the find that has exploration circles buzzing.”

Nigeria’ll overcome present challenges — Jonathan

OTUOKE—Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that Nigerians must be prepared to protect and develop the country at all times.

He said that the current challenges Nigerians were facing were transient as the country would definitely overcome them and urged Christians to continue to pray for the country. Jonathan stated this at the public presentation of a book entitled  The History of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Otuoke, his home town, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Nigeria launches offensive against militants in Delta oil hub

YENAGOA, Nigeria, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Nigeria's military said on Saturday it had launched a new offensive against militants in the oil-producing Niger Delta, killing five and arresting 23.

Armed groups have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the southern region, reducing the country's oil output by 700,000 barrels day.

WWE LEGEND ULTIMATE WARRIOR PASSES AWAY

Just a few hours after delivering an emotional speech at Monday night's Raw, recently inducted WWE Hall of Famer Ultimate Warrior (birth name James Hellwig) died.

The WWE confirmed the passing of one of its greatest stars in the following statement on its website. "WWE is shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of the most iconic WWE Superstars ever," the statement read.

What's at Stake for Britney Spears's Big VMAs Comeback?

LAS VEGAS – If anyone has the right to say, “Don’t call it a comeback,” it’s Britney Spears, whose every public appearance since she bottomed out in 2007 has been labeled as the Possible Return to Form With Which She Might Finally Silence All Doubters. But however well or poorly you think she fared in any of those post-2007 appearances, none of them marked a return to the scene of the crime — the MTV Video Music Awards, site of her highest highs and single lowest low — until now.

On Sunday night, Spears will perform live at the VMAs for the first time since the great debacle of nine years ago. Will it be the definitively redemptive moment she’s been working toward for almost a decade… or just another night in Vegas, uneventfully transplanted to Madison Square Garden?

Wenger confirms Mustafi and Perez pass medicals

Arsene Wenger saw his Arsenal side win their first Premier League game of the season with a comfortable 3-1 victory at Watford before insisting there is more to come from his players as they close in on two new recruits.

An early Santi Cazorla penalty was added to by Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil as the Gunners raced into a commanding first-half lead at Vicarage Road.

They visibly tired after the interval and Watford pulled a goal back as club-record signing Roberto Pereyra scored a debut goal, but the hosts could not find a way to set up a grandstand finish.

And The No. 1 Scrabble Nation In The World Is ...

Nigeria is the English-speaking world's Scrabble superpower. Africa's most populous nation is home not only to the global Scrabble champion, but team Nigeria ranks as the world's top Scrabble playing nation — ahead of the U.S. in second place.

The Scrabble world champion is Wellington Jighere. He's 33, has a soft voice, a slow smile and a penchant for fedoras, earning him the nickname "the Cat in the Hat." Jighere acknowledges that he's taciturn by nature, but also has an explosive, infectious laugh, though he considers Scrabble is serious business.

"You can't afford to waste too much energy doing unnecessary chatter," he says. "During a tournament, I see it as business time. And that is no time to be joking around." Jighere plays chess to relax, "and for fun," he says.

Arsene Wenger agrees £35m fee with Valenica for Shkodran Mustafi

Arsene Wenger oversaw the biggest spending day of his 32-year managerial career on Thursday after a £35 million fee was agreed with Valencia for Germany centre-back Shkodran Mustafi.

The breakthrough in what have been drawn out negotiations with Valencia followed a deal earlier in the day to sign Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez Martinez for £17 million.

After coming under intense pressure for his lack of signings, Wenger’s summer spending is close to £100 million after the arrivals earlier in the transfer window of Granit Xhaka and Rob Holding.

Champions League: Guardiola handed Barca reunion with Man City

Pep Guardiola will return to former club Barcelona with Manchester City in the Champions League after the two sides were thrown together in Thursday’s group stage draw in Monaco.

Guardiola, a European Cup winner with Barca as a player in 1992 before twice guiding the Catalan giants to the Champions League title in 2009 and 2011, will also come up against Borussia Moenchengladbach and Celtic in Group C.

Defending champions Real Madrid, who won a record 11th European Cup last season, were paired with Borussia Dortmund in Group F alongside Portugal’s Sporting and Legia Warsaw of Poland.

Five-time winners Bayern Munich will play last year’s beaten finalists Atletico Madrid in Group D, which also features PSV Eindhoven and Russian competition debutants Rostov.

Arsenal transfer news: Lucas Perez's £17m deal close after Arsene Wenger's change of heart

Everton had been close to signing the striker from Deportivo La Coruna, after Arsenal did not want him, but a late change of heart means he will likely head for the Emirates next week

Arsenal are close to finalising a deal to sign Spanish striker Lucas Perez for £17million after a dramatic change of heart from Arsene Wenger.

Everton were on the brink of signing Perez from Deportivo La Coruna late last week, after agreeing to pay his release clause, and reaching a four-year deal with the player.

Arsenal had watched Perez at length last season, as he scored 17 La Liga goals for Deportivo, the best season of his career. But Arsenal were initially reluctant to spend money on a player who some at the club doubted was up to the level of competing in the Champions League and for the Premier League title.

Osinbajo: FG Saves N1.4trn from Stopped Oil Subsidy

The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, has disclosed that the Federal Government has saved N1.4 trillion from the discontinuance of oil subsidy.

He also assured Nigerians that very soon, the foreign exchange market will stabilize going by some radical policies already introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“With the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector, there has been a significant increase in the availability of petrol throughout the country plus the savings of N1.4 trillion on subsidy payments alone”.

$10.3b probe: EFCC to seize Diezani’s assets in America

Former Petroleum Resources Minister  Diezani Alison-Madueke is likely to lose some United States properties traced to her.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is  probing Mrs Alison-Madueke for over $10 billion slush funds. It has initiated a process for the seizure of the assets – in line with United States laws.

EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu has just returned from the United States where he discussed  with the authorities how to attach the properties, The Nation learnt yesterday.

In the last one year, the EFCC has traced assets and items worth about $10billion to Mrs. Alison-Madueke and her business associates, Mr. Kola Aluko and Chief Jide Omokore.

Some of the assets include an $18million peoperty (over N6.3billion at N350 exchange rate) in Abuja.

A top EFCC source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We have located some assets allegedly owned by Diezani and some of her business associates in the United States. We are already collaborating with the US Government to attach these assets.

BREAKING: Man City advance to Champions League group stage

Manchester City advanced to the group stage of the Champions League with a 6-0 aggregate defeat of Steaua Bucharest after winning 1-0 in their second-leg playoff match on Wednesday.

City controlled the game, but although Iheanacho, Nolito and Delph all hit the target in the first half, none of them came close to troubling Steaua goalkeeper Valentin Cojocaru.

After drawing a block from Cojocaru, Delph made the breakthrough in the 56th minute when he converted Jesus Navas’s right-wing cross with a glancing header.

But the home fans had other preoccupations and after a chant of “Stand up if you love Joe Hart!” had drawn almost everyone in the ground to their feet, his first save, from Adrian Popa, prompted a huge cheer.

IMMIGRATION INSISTS ON RE-SCREENING 2,000 PROTESTING RECRUITS

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), on Tuesday, insisted that it would go ahead with the re-screening of the 2,000 dismissed immigration recruits, in spite of their continued protest.

The service spokesperson, Mr Ekpedeme King, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja.

NAN reported that the recruits had intensified protests in Abuja following moves by the NIS to re-screen them before giving them any employment.

King said that screening of the dismissed “applicants” whose names were earlier published in newspapers, would take place as scheduled at the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, from August 29 till September 4.

He explained that the proposed  background checks on the “applicants” which included security clearance, drug test, certificate verification and age on rank, were mandatory before any employment into the NIS.

Kerry in Nigeria, warns against military crackdowns

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday congratulated Nigeria on its recent military successes against Boko Haram, but warned the country will face a blowback if it "cracks down" on the Islamists with excessive force.

Speaking at a press conference in the northern city of Sokoto, Kerry praised Nigeria for reclaiming swathes of territory from Boko Haram and releasing thousands of hostages over the past year.

Nigeria has made "important progress", Kerry said. "Nigeria and its neighbours are degrading Boko Haram's capabilities."

Police job applicants to undergo lie detector test

The Nigeria Police Force said successful candidates in the ongoing recruitment into the Service would undergo a compulsory polygraph test.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Force Spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (DCP) Don Awunah, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Awunah said the test would be in addition to the general background check, biometrics, medical, physical examination, aptitude, oral and psychological tests.

He said that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, who gave the directive, expressed satisfaction with the recruitment so far.

Idris said that no candidate would be admitted for training at the Police Academy and colleges without undergoing these prescribed tests.

NIGERIA’S BUHARI CONDEMNS ‘BLASPHEMY’ KILLINGS IN ZAMFARA

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to root out ethnic and religiously motivated violence after several people were burnt to death in northern Nigeria after an alleged incident of blasphemy. A student of Abdu Gusau Polytechnic, an educational institution in the Talata-Mafara area of Zamfara state, allegedly made a blasphemous statement regarding the Prophet Muhammad, Nigerian daily This Day reported. In the ensuing row, a mob set fire to a house and killed eight people. It is not clear whether the student accused of blasphemy was inside the house at the time. Newsweek attempted to contact Abdu Gusau Polytechnic and the Zamfara governor’s office but received no reply. Zamfara police have reportedly imposed a curfew in the town in a bid to restore peace. The police have also called on religious leaders to urge their followers to avoid violence.

Governor Oshiomhole And Tayo Akpata Universityy Of Education, Ekiadolor

THE Edo State owned College of Education, Ekiadolor recently upgraded to a university status, was renamed Tayo Akpata University of Education in honour of a former Commissioner for Education in the defunct Bendel State, Chief Tayo Akpata by the state government. Announcing the new development during the funeral service of the late elder statesman in Benin, the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole said that the state government’s decision was as a result of his (Akpata) contributions to the development of the state.

He said that the renaming of the university would serve as an inspiration to youths, whom he advised to emulate the virtues of the late Akpata, who was also a one-time Executive Secretary of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund and the first Chairman of the National Youth Service Corps (Mid-West State) in 1975.
When Edo State Government renamed the College of Education, Ekiadolor, recently upgraded to a university status, Tayo Akpata University of Education in honour of Akpata, the College community, college management, staff and students were happy about the elevation of the college of education to university status.

Herdsmen kill Redeemed pastor in Kaduna

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Sunday night killed one Pastor Luka Ubangari of Redeemed Christian Church of God at Shawa village, near Godogodo, in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Ubangari was said to have been ambushed, shot and killed while returning from evangelism to Golkofa village.

The incident occurred few days after Governor Nasir El-Rufai condemned incessant herdsmen killings during his visit to the area.

El-Rufai had described the killings as ‘senseless’ and promised that perpetrators are arrested and punished.

A source, who craved anonymity, noted that despite the governor’s promise herdsmen, “who are out to remove us from our ancestral lands, continue to kill our people.”

Suspected ritual killers arrested in Delta

TWO suspected ritual killers, disguised as mentally challenged person, were yesterday discovered under the Otokutu Bridge in Ughelli South council area of Delta State.

It was gathered a would-be victim blew the lid on the suspects after managing to escape.

The latest incident came 12 years after police recovered decomposing corpses under the same bridge in 2004 from a gang of ritual killers.

The suspects were reportedly handed over to the Jeremi Police Division.

Attempts by our correspondent to confirm the arrest were unsuccessful.

Calls placed across to the Police Public Relations Officer Celestina Kalu (SP) were neither received nor returned as at the time of filing the report.

Kaduna govt to ban sale of high energy bulbs

The Kaduna State Government said on Monday that it would soon ban the sale of high energy consuming bulbs, as part of a strategy to boost energy efficiency.

The state’s Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Muhammad Abdullahi made this known in Kaduna.

According to him, a state-wide campaign would be carried out next year for electricity consumers in the state to move to energy saving bulbs, before the ban is effected.

“We have already started moving from high-energy consuming bulbs to energy saving bulbs in ministries departments and agencies”.

Abdullahi said that the effort would cumulatively save N360 million, representing 30 percent of the amount spent on light bills and fuelling of generators annually by electricity consumers in the state.

He explained that that strategy was an idea postulated by Dr. Abdulkarim Mayere, who came third in the “My Great Kaduna Competition” organised by the state government in 2015.

He said that the competition was organised to source for ideas from members of the public on how to move the state forward and make Kaduna great again.

Air Force airstrikes kill 300 militants

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, has said that about 300 militants were killed Friday night during an airstrikes in Borno State. Mr. Abubakar made this known after commissioning a hospital and borehole built by the Nigeria Air Force for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Bama.
He stated out that the Air Force had carried out many successful airstrikes against Boko Haram in the last few weeks. “We have intensified airstrikes in recent weeks and have had outstanding results,” Mr. Abubakar said. “On the 19th of this month [August], 300 terrorists were killed by our night operations.”

The town where 100 young people have tried to kill themselves

When Justin Trudeau came to power in Canada, he promised to repair the country's relationship with its Aboriginal people, after centuries of discrimination. A disproportionate number of indigenous women have gone missing or been murdered in recent decades, and suicide attempts have risen dramatically in some communities, writes Stephen Sackur.

Turkey wedding suicide bomber 'was child aged 12-14'

A suicide bombing which killed 51 people in the Turkish city of Gaziantep was carried out by a 12 to 14-year-old, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Mr Erdogan said the so-called Islamic State (IS) was behind the attack, which targeted a Kurdish wedding party. Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, is known to have several IS cells.

The bomb wounded 69 people, Mr Erdogan added, 17 of them seriously.

The bomber targeted the wedding guests as they danced in the street.

The BBC's Seref Isler, who is from Gaziantep, says the city of 1.5 million was already on edge because of events in Syria, where IS has been battling Syrian Kurdish forces.

A suicide bomber believed to have links to IS killed two policemen in Gaziantepin May.

The choice of target seems designed for maximum effect: those enjoying a moment of a celebration at a wedding party.

Man kills wife, three others in Sokoto

The Sokoto State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the alleged murder of a 43-year-old woman, Yemisi Adio, by her husband, Taiwo Adio.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Spokesman of the command, El-mustapha Sani, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Sokoto on Sunday.

Sani said that the incident took place on Saturday at the old Airport Area.

He said that the suspect had used the same pestle with which he killed his wife, to kill three other persons.