ENDLESS CONTROVERSY OVER DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION.

After about three and a half decades of brutal repression of civil rights and liberties by successive military regimes, Nigeria returned to civilian rule. 

President Olusegun Obasanjo who emerged as the winner of the 1999 presidential elections organised by the General Abdulsalami Abubakar-led military junta, announced that with effect from the year 2000, May 29th of each year shall be observed as Democracy Day. 

SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI LIED ABOUT MISSING $49.8BN OIL REVENUE - SENATE COMMITTEE.

The Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday described as untrue allegations by the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, that $49.8bn was missing from the Federation Account.

The committee, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, which submitted its report also said the total crude oil lifting from January 2012 to July 2013 was $67bn and not $65bn as claimed by Sanusi.

MAYA ANGELOU PASSES ON AT 86.

One of the foremost black women ever is dead at the age of 86....

Read more as reported by Time Mag..

WOMAN CONDEMNED TO DEATH FOR REFUSING TO RENOUNCE CHRISTIANITY GIVES BIRTH IN PRISON.

A doctor who is facing execution in Sudan for marrying a Christian gave birth to a baby girl in prison today.Meriam Ibrahim, who has spent the past four months shackled to the floor in a disease-ridden jail, gave birth five days early.

Dailymail reports that the baby was born in the hospital wing at Omdurman Federal Women’s Prison in North Khartoum and is said to be healthy.Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, her lawyer Mohaned Mustafa Elnour said: 'This is some good news in what has been a terrible ordeal for Meriam.'

'I am planning to visit her with her husband Daniel later today. I think they are going to call the baby Maya.’

PARENTS BEAT 2 CHILDREN TO DEATH IN LAGOS ON CHILDREN'S DAY.

In two different locations in Lagos State, two parents on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 beat two kids to death, while other children were marking their day worldwide.

The incident, which happened last night in Agege and Oregun areas of the state, was confirmed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, a deputy superintendent of police (DSP).

She said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Pen Cinema Division received an anonymous call while on patrol with his policemen that one Paul Obiefule of 22 Omitola Street, Agege and his wife, had beaten a 12-year-old boy, Onyedikachi Mbanozo to a coma.

STOP ABUSING MY HUSBAND - PATIENCE JONATHAN.

Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Patience Jonathan has voiced out against people who abuse and insult her husband. Read more as reported by Punch.

BOKO HARAM MURDERS 20 SOLDIERS 20 POLICEMEN AND 9 CIVILIANS IN BORNO.

Boko Haram insurgents continued their rampage on Monday night, killing 49 security operatives and civilians in two communities in Yobe and Borno states.

In the attack on Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, they left 20 soldiers and 20 policemen dead while in   Chinene, Gwoza LGA of Borno State, they cut the lives of nine civilians short.

The Divisional Police Officer   and the Divisional Crime Officer of the Police Station in Bunu Yadi were believed to be among the victims of the attack by the insurgents who stormed the town with an Armoured Personnel Carrier and Toyota Hilux vans.

OUR HONEYMOON IS OVER. - FEMI FANI KAYODE

If they ever tell my story let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat but these names will never die…let them say I lived in the time of Hector, tamer of horses…let them say I lived in the time of Achilles”- the Iliad, Homer.

The words of Odysseus in Homer’s epic and ancient poem entitled,’’The Iliad’’, have always moved me. Those words are deep and profound; they stir my soul and rekindle my spirit.

How I wish Nigeria had it’s own ancient poets and great thinkers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Homer who could remind generations to come about our past exploits with their inspiring, compelling and historic prose.

Yet I look at our country today and I am not encouraged or inspired. Many have asked why I should say this. Permit me to answer that question by posing a few of my own.

(VIDEO) PASS YOU BY - BLACKMAGIC - FT ORITSEFEMI

PASS YOU BY

This collaboration is simply magical.

Black Magic and ever consistent Oritse Femi delivered their verses perfectly...

Enjoy the video.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CANNOT SUMMON ME WITHOUT THE PRESIDENT'S APPROVAL. - DIEZANI MADUEKE

We are in that era where ministers and government officials steal with arrogance. It is really disturbing that President Jonathan's favorite minister, Mrs. Diezani Madueke have refused to honour the summon by the House of Reps Committee who are currently investigating the N10bn she spent on chartered flights.

Read as reported by Punch.

WE WILL NOT NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS (BOKO HARAM) - PRESIDENT JONATHAN

Against the backdrop of divergent views on the need to negotiate with the Boko Haram Islamic sect for the release of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by the sect from Chibok, Borno State, President Goodluck Jonathan re-echoed the government position, yesterday, declaring that the Federal Government will not with the sect for the release of the girls. He said the abducted girls must be released unconditionally.

Senate President David Mark, on his part, had harsh words for the insurgents. He said Nigeria will never negotiate to exchange her people with animals who have declared war against parts of Nigeria even as former Chief of Army Staff, Lt General TY Danjuma argued that Boko Haram had friends among Nigerians and such people should prevail on the sect to release the girls unconditionally.

TWO REAL MADRID FANS DIE IN LAGOS DURING SATURDAY'S FINAL MATCH.

Two middle-aged men, who were said to be die-hard supporters of Real Madrid Football Club, on Saturday slumped and died during the Champions League’s Final between Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid when the former team failed to equalise the one goal at 90 minutes of the game. Punch reports.

The crucial final match between Athletico Madrid and Real Madrid on Saturday night had ended almost in favour of Athletico until Madrid broke the deadlock at 93 minutes with a header from defender, Sergio Ramos.

The two men, Mr. Olusoga Ogunbanjo, aged 39, was a refrigerator technician, while Mr. Bambo Sholeye, 42, was an employee of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority. The two fans were residing at Smith and Apatira streets, Lagos Island respectively.

SERIAL RAPIST OF UNDER-AGED GIRLS ARRESTED IN IBADAN

A teacher, identified as Olayinka Folarin, has been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command for allegedly defiling three under-aged primary school girls, including two orphans, who live in an orphanage, His Heritage Home.

The incident happened at a private school in Oluyole Estate, Ibadan. The victims whose ages were put between 10 and 11 years were said to have been serially abused by the teacher.

According to one of the rape victims, the teacher, who has four children, had been having sex with them since 2013 on a weekly basis.

READ HOW JOS SUICIDE BOMBER TARGETED OVER 400 FOOTBALL FANS BUT FAILED TO HIT MAXIMUM CASUALTIES.

Call it LUCK or DESTINY. Over 400 football fans who cheated death in the Saturday night bomb blast that rocked Bauchi Road area of Jos, the Plateau State capital will forever be grateful to God. Three people were confirmed dead on the spot in the blast while the fourth died on Sunday morning thus raising the death toll to four

A Punch correspondent who visited the scene gathered that the lone bomber had targeted a television viewing centre where youths were watching the finals of the UEFA Championship League match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

One of the football lovers at the centre, Muhammed Ibrahim, said over 400 youths were watching the match when the incident happened.

(VIDEO) MATCH HIGHLIGHTS OF REAL MADRID'S VICTORY PLUS 3 KEY THINGS FROM THE MATCH.

After the drama of Sergio Ramos' injury time equalizer, goals from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo gave Real a comfortable 4-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League final. Here are three quick things from Real's 10th European Cup/Champions League triumph:

YOUNG MAN MURDERED 6 AND INJURED 13 BECAUSE HE WAS STILL A VIRGIN AT 22 YRS OLD.

The gunman who went on a drive-by shooting rampage in a student enclave that left seven people dead had posted a chilling video warning of 'retribution' because he was still a virgin aged 22.

Elliot Rodger, who was driving a black BMW, is believed to have acted alone in the shootings at about 9:30pm on Friday night in Isla Vista near the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Now, authorities are examining a video posted on social media by the shooter - called 'Elliot Rodger's Retribution' - in which he rants about women who supposedly rejected his advances. 

Read more from Dailymail after the cut...............

SUICIDE BOMBER DIES IN FAILED ATTEMPT TO BOMB VIEWING CENTRE IN JOS

An attempt by a suicide bomber to kill football fans in Jos on Saturday night was unsuccessful but he was killed in the blast. Punch reports.

The bomber, who approached Jos viewing centre while people were watching the match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, could not get there before his car exploded. It was a few minutes into the second half of the match.

A source close to the scene told one of our correspondents that, “The suicide bomber wanted to attack a viewing centre where Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid fans were watching the UEFA Champion League final.”

CORRUPTION IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE & MILITARY IS THE HURDLE AGAINST THE WAR ON TERROR IN NIGERIA.

The United States Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, Sarah Sewall, has said that corruption is hindering Nigeria’s efforts at ending   insurgency in the North-East.

Sewall, who appeared before a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, alongside a Pentagon top Africa official, Amanda Dory, added that the military must overcome entrenched corruption and incompetence for it to   rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.

She said that despite Nigeria’s $5.8bn security budget for 2014, “corruption prevents supplies as basic as bullets and transport vehicles from reaching the front lines of the struggle against Boko Haram.”

DIRECT YOUR PROTEST TO THE KIDNAPPERS OF THE GIRLS AND NOT THE PRESIDENCY - PRESIDENT JONATHAN SPEAKS.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday urged those who have been protesting the abduction of over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, to henceforth direct their protest to the Boko Haram terrorists and not the government.

The President also urged the protesters to learn from citizens of other countries who do not blame their governments for any terrorist act.

He has however admitted publicly for the first time that his administration was currently consulting with some stakeholders with a view to exploring what he called alternative methods of resolving the present crisis.

US DEPLOYS AIR FORCE PERSONNEL TO LOCATE MISSING CHIBOK SCHOOL GIRLS.

Eighty U.S. Air Force personnel have begun their mission in Chad to help locate nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped in neighboring Nigeria, a U.S. military spokesman said Thursday.

The girls and young women were kidnapped on April 15 from a school in the northeast Nigerian town of Chibok by an Islamic extremist group known as Boko Haram. The group's leader has threatened to sell most of the estimated 276 schoolgirls still being held into slavery unless the Nigerian government releases detained militants. Reports say some girls were taken across borders into Chad and Cameroon.

Chuck Prichard, a spokesman at the U.S. military's Africa Command in Germany, said Thursday that the 80 Air Force personnel were moved to Chad from a location inside the United States. Prichard did not say precisely where the 80 were previously stationed.