Japans gives $700 million loan to AfDB

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a $700.9 million loan agreement with the African Development Fund (ADF).

The loan is designed to provide an Official Development Assistance (ODA) and is part of Japan’s contribution to the African Development Fund’s Fourteenth Replenishment (ADF-14).

Steve Bannon questioned in Donald Trump-Russia probes

US President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon has been questioned by investigators examining alleged Russian meddling into the 2016 US elections.

Bannon, who left his position last August, was interviewed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller behind closed doors on Thursday for at least the second time this week, according to local media reports.

Man steals £5 million from wife to buy English club

The man who owned Portsmouth for six weeks during an ill-fated spell in 2009 has been sentenced to five years in a United Arab Emirates jail for stealing £5m from his wife to fund the purchase.

Sulaiman Al Fahim, who also fronted the Abu Dhabi United Group’s deal to buy Manchester City in 2008, was found guilty of forgery, using forged documents and aiding and abetting.

Defeat to Chelsea could be a turning point for Barcelona – Gerard Pique

Gerard Pique has told Barcelona to be wary of the threats posed by Chelsea ahead of next week’s last-16 Champions League tie.

Barcelona travel to the Premier League champions for the first leg of their clash on Tuesday, the Catalan giants having seen their comfortable cushion atop La Liga cut to seven points after back-to-back draws.

Coach Salisu Yusuf promises to make Nigeria proud at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Salisu Yusuf, Coach of U-23 national football team also known as Olympic Team on Thursday promised to make Nigeria proud at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan.

Yusuf stated this in Abuja that he had confidence in his crew and they would work collectively to achieve the desired results.

Arsene Wenger: I snubbed biggest clubs in the world

Arsene Wenger has rubbished reports suggesting he could leave Arsenal this summer, with the manager saying he’s snubbed the “biggest clubs in the world” to stay with the Gunners, Goal reports.

Once seen as untouchable, as he tasted Premier League title glory and pieced together a squad of ‘Invincibles’, the Frenchman has seen his position called into question of late.

NAC’s Olapade Agoro asks President Buhari to resign like Jacob Zuma

Olapade Agoro, the national chairman of National Action Council (NAC), on Thursday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately resign just like former President Jacob Zuma of South Africa.

Agoro, in a press conference addressed on the state of the nation at his Apata, Ibadan residence on Thursday, declared that President Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) have failed Nigerians.

Man remanded over alleged rape of 9-year-old girl

A Jos High Court on Thursday ordered the remand of 39-year-old Peter John, accused of raping his neighbour’s 9-year-old daughter.

Though the defendant pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of rape and criminal intimidation, the judge, Justice Nafisa Musa, ordered that he should be remanded at Jos Prison.

‘10 corruption cases that can fetch FG $74.5bn, N2.5trn’ - Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has listed 10 alleged corruption cases that can fetch the Federal Government not less than $74.5bn and N2.5trn if prosecuted.

The lawyer said without resolving these high-profile corruption cases in which the funds were trapped, it would seem that the Federal Government was chasing shadows in its anti-graft war.

Buhari to Ramaphosa: Let’s work together

President Muhammadu Buhari has told the new leader of South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa that he is looking forward to working with him to enhance the cooperation between Africa’s two biggest economies.

Buhari said this today in a letter of congratulation to Ramaphosa, who was endorsed today by the South African parliament as the successor of former President Jacob Zuma.

Florida school shooter ‘mentally disturbed’ – Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump in his tweets on Thursday called the suspected gunman in the massacre of 17 people at a high school in southern Florida “mentally disturbed”.

The 19-year-old, identified as Nikolas Cruz, was due in court on Thursday.

Babajide Obanikoro Declares For APC Today

A former House of Assembly and Chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State and son of the former Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ibrahim Babajide Obanikoro, is declaring for the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday (today).

THISDAY reliably gathered that the event would hold at the ward level at Mosley Road, Ikoyi.

Ex-Pope Benedict suffering from debilitating disease

Former Pope Benedict is suffering from a disease of his nervous system which puts him on a wheelchair regularly, his brother, George Ratzinger, said on Thursday.

Ratzinger added that he feared the paralysis could spread to Benedict’s heart.

Chinese Man Arrested Over N494m Elephant Tusks

The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit,  Zone A, has intercepted sacks of elephant tusks and pangolin shells with a combined duty paid value  of N493.5m.

The unit also arrested a Chinese suspect, Mr. Ko Sin Ying, in connection with the items.

Displaying the items at the FOU headquarters in Ikeja on Thursday, the Controller, NCS, FOU, Mohammed  Garba, said the seizures comprised 55 sacks of pangolin shells weighing 2,001 kilogrammes and valued at N408.32m and 218 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 343kg and valued at N85.2m.

Malabu Scandal: EFCC tells court it has begun moves to extradite ex-minister Adoke

Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, has adjourned to June 18, 2018 for the arraignment of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke and eight others over their alleged involvement in the sale of Oil Prospecting License, OPL 245.

The others are Dan Etete, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources; Aliyu Abubakar; Ralph Wetzels; Casula Roberto; Pujatti Stefen; Burrafati Sebestiano and Malabu Oil and Gas Limited.

Probe begins into incident, Delta Airlines begs AIB

The Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, Akin Olateru, says investigation has commenced into the serious incident involving a Delta Airlines’ aircraft.

“We look forward to receiving cooperation from Delta Airlines as we work to determine the cause of this serious incident in the interest of safety,” he said.

I didn’t say Hausa/Fulani won’t rule Nigeria again – Jang

A former governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang, on Wednesday described as a lie a report by Zuma Times (a publication in Hausa language), which reported that the ex-governor swore that the Hausa/Fulani “will never rule Nigeria again.”

The rebuttal by Jang, now the Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, was contained in a statement issued in Jos by his media consultant, Clinton Garuba.

Man hides $23,000 in birthday cake, smuggles it into Nigeria

Dim Chukwuneye Williams who allegedly attempted to smuggle $23,000 from US into the country by concealing it inside a cake, on Thursday appeared in an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

Williams, who resides in Anambra, is standing trial on two counts  of attempting to procure the commission of acts and unlawful smuggle.

Herbalist held for preparing charms for robbers

Detectives attached to Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos, have arrested a herbalist for allegedly preparing charms for armed robbers. The herbalist, Sunday Ogunleye (49), and his 27-year-old assistant, Azeez Muta, were arrested at Orile Agege area of the state on Tuesday last week.

Alfa Kills Co-Tenant Over N60 House Bill

The Ogun State Police Command has launched a manhunt for an Islamic cleric, identified only as Raheem, for allegedly killing a co-tenant, Monday Olaleye, aka Messiah.

The duo, who lived in a house on Adebayo Close, in the Ibafo, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state, reportedly had a disagreement which degenerated to fisticuffs.

The fight, which occured on Sunday, February 11, started after 49-year-old Olaleye demanded the N60 contribution of Raheem for the replacement of a burnt electric fuse.

Gunmen kill 41 in Zamfara

Bandits have killed about 41 people at Birane village in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. A resident of the area, Bello Muhammad Zurmi, said in a telephone interview with our correspondent that at about 5p.m. on Wednesday the gunmen ambushed a Cantar truck conveying over 20 people, slaughtered them and burnt their bodies inside the truck. Bello said the bandits invaded Birane market and started shooting indiscriminately at innocent people who were busy doing their business. According to him, some people were killed on the spot. It was learnt that the gunmen returned yesterday and more people, taking the total of victims to 41.

Registered voters: North-West, South-West lead

The North-West geopolitical zone has the highest number of registered voters in the country with a total of 18,505,984 voters, according to statistics obtained by The PUNCH from the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The South-West zone, which comprises Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, Ogun, Osun and Oyo states, comes second with a total number of 14,626,800 registered voters, while the South-East which has the lowest number of states has 8,293,093 registered voters.

JAMB official blames Boko Haram for missing funds, another says poverty ‘stole’ N7million

The Yobe State Coordinator of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board, Sanusi Atose, has blamed the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East for his inability to account for N613,000 belonging to the board.

JAMB had summoned Mr. Atose to Abuja to appear before an administrative panel led by Registrar Ishaq Oloyede to explain the disappearance of the cash after he received registration scratch cards of that amount.

Boko Haram member who served as guard in Lagos jailed 25 years

The Federal High Court in Wawa Cantonment, Kainji, Niger State, on Thursday sentenced Babagana Ali to 25 years imprisonment for participating in Boko Haram’s attacks in different communities in Borno State in 2015.

The court, although presided over by another judge, also sentenced one Sunday Abana of the Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State to 40 years imprisonment for participating in the attacks of the sect in 2013.

We can’t provide information on Buhari’s UK treatment – Emefiele, CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria and its Governor, Godwin Emefiele, have opposed a suit requesting them to provide information on the money spent on President Muhammadu Buhari’s treatment in London, United Kingdom.

The CBN and Emefiele argued that it was not within their immediate responsibilities to provide such information on the treatment of the President or on what it cost the country to keep the presidential aircraft and crew for 103 days at the Stansted Airport in the United Kingdom while President Buhari’s medical treatment lasted.