BURUNDI COUP - LEADERS OF UNSUCCESSFUL COUP ARRESTED AS PRESIDENT RETURNS.

President Pierre Nkurunziza

Burundian authorities said Friday they arrested the military generals behind an attempted coup shortly after the President returned to the nation.

Those arrested will be charged with mutiny in a military court, said Willy Nyamitwe, a government spokesman.

He did not specify the number of arrests, but said President Pierre Nkurunziza is scheduled to address the nation.

Army Gen. Godefroid Niyombare, who announced the coup on radio Wednesday, was among those arrested, the spokesman said.

MANCHESTER UNITED SET TO PAY £45MILLION FOR HARRY KANE.

Harry Kane is the striker at the top of Manchester United’s list of transfer targets this summer. 

Louis van Gaal has identified a number of players in preparation for United’s return to the Champions League, with a forward, a right back, a centre half and a central midfielder on his radar.

He already has a winger in Memphis Depay but Kane, who became the first Spurs player since Gary Lineker to score 30 goals in a season, is the striker United’s manager wants despite the 21-year-old signing a five-and-a-half-year contract in February. 

Manchester United would expect to pay upwards of £45million for Kane, who has already featured heavily in the promotional shots for Tottenham's new home kit for next season.

SHOCKING!!! - CHUMA UMUNNA PULLS OUT OF RACE TO LEAD BRITAIN'S LABOUR PARTY.

Chuka Umunna has today shocked Labour and withdrawn from the race to succeed Ed Miliband because of the 'scrutiny' and 'attention' he faced in the 72 hours since launching his campaign. The 36-year-old MP for Streatham in south London - once described as 'Britain's Barack Obama' - said he could not cope with the 'pressure that comes with being a leadership candidate'.

He had been the favourite to take over the party after Labour's disastrous election defeat and launching his campaign on Tuesday had said he was the person to save the party and win in 2020.

But within three days he quit because he was uncomfortable with the increased level of scrutiny directed at him and members of his family, including his girlfriend Alice Sullivan.

JONATHAN IS NOT SUPPORTIVE IN THE TRANSITION PROCESS. - BUHARI.

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has accused the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan government of not giving him “tips” on how to kick-start his administration on May 29.

He spoke on Thursday when a committee from the   Centre for Human Security of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, presented a five-point policy document to him at the Buhari Support Organisation office in Abuja.

Hours before the event which held behind closed doors, the All Progressives Congress, insisted   that the Federal Government was not cooperating with the transition committee set up by the President-elect.

HOW WE DEFEATED JONATHAN - ASIWAJU BOLA TINUBU.

All Progressives Congress, APC, leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, yesterday, attributed the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last presidential election to a commonsense revolution anchored on a rebellion against the excesses of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

He spoke at a book launch in Lagos where Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka extolled him, and Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as the drivers of the uprising, which he said, was fast-tracked by President Jonathan’s mishandling of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF crisis.

The public presentation of the book “Dynamics of Change: The Amaechi Years”, was witnessed by a cross section of the political class and civil society including governors, former governors, senators among others.

BODE GEORGE AND MUSILIU OBANIKORO ARE AT WAR AGAIN.

Despite the fact that the next general elections will take place in four years’ time, the two biggest personalities of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos State, Musiliu Obanikoro and Chief Bode George, have renewed their rivalry over the control of the party structure in the state.

Obanikoro, who is the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and George, who is a former National Vice Chairman of the party, are currently battling for the control of the State Working Committee which is the decision making organ of the party.

The Chairman of the party, Capt. Tunji Shelle (retd.), is widely believed to be a stooge of George who was his superior in the Nigerian Navy. It was believed that for the influence of George to be curtailed, Shelle must be removed.

POLITICAL BUMPS @MBUHARI MUST AVOID.

With a few days to May 29, the handover date, two major talking points have gained prominence and remained in the front burner of public discourse as Nigeria marches to a new start at the presidency. Surreptitiously though, there is a third.

One, the possible composition of General Muhammadu Buhari’s new cabinet. and, who is qualified in character, experience, exposure and acceptability, to lead the Senate, as well as the Lower House, and other leaders of the National Assembly.

Understandably, these deserve the scrutiny and attention they are getting seeing that any mistake by whatever means and proportion, would spell doom and largely put a clog on the wheel of the incoming administration. Equally, such mistakes will equally hamper the delivery of the much elusive dividends of democracy and put the nation at grave risk having walked this far in search of people-centred leadership.

APAPA GRIDLOCK - LAGOS GIVES TANKER DRIVERS 48 HOURS ULTIMATUM TO RELOCATE.

Lagos—Following persistent traffic gridlock in Apapa area which has spilled over into some parts of the state, the Lagos State Government, yesterday, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to tanker drivers parked within 300 meters of fuel depots in the state to relocate to safe parking lots pending the availability of petroleum products

Hundreds of tankers had suddenly emerged on the Eko Bridge towards Funsho Williams Way, as well as Mile 2 Expressway, queuing to load fuel.Apapa

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa gave the ultimatum while reading the communiqué arrived at after a meeting between the Lagos State government, National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Petroleum Tankers Drivers, PTD, National Association of Road Transport owners, NARTO and other stakeholders.

VC OF UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN FAULTS WIDELY CIRCULATED REPORT ON HOW MAYOWA ALARAN DIED.

The Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has said the report circulated in the media on how a 100L student, Late Mayowa Alaran died is false.

The student's death led to protest in the school. Fellow students had claimed that the medical staff at Jaja clinic refused to attend to Mayowa because he didn't have a medical card.

Below are the words of the Vice Chancellor when he spoke to newsmen.

PWC REPORT CONFIRMS $18.5BN OIL MONEY WAS DIVERTED. - SANUSI LAMIDO SANUSI.

Just over a year ago President Goodluck Jonathan suspended me from my position as governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria after I questioned an estimated $20bn shortfall in oil revenues due to the treasury from the state oil company. As I said then, you can suspend a man, but you cannot suspend the truth. The publication last month of a PwC audit into the “missing billions” brings us a step closer to it.

When I was central bank governor I raised three broad questions. First, did the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation remit to the government the entire proceeds of its crude oil sales? Second, if it did not, is there proof of the purpose to which the unremitted amounts were applied? And third, did NNPC have the legal authority to withhold these funds?

Contrary to the claims of petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, the audit report does not exonerate the NNPC. It establishes that the gap between the company’s oil revenues between January 2012 and July 2013 and cash remitted to the government for the same period was $18.5bn. And it goes into detail about the NNPC’s account of how it used that money, which raises serious questions about the legality of the state oil company’s conduct.

WHY WE KILLED THE 3 POLICEMEN - LEKKI ROBBERY SUSPECTS.

Four suspected members of a robbery gang that unleashed terror on the Lekki area of Lagos on Thursday, March 12, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command.

Our correspondent learnt that the suspected robbers ─ Duke Odogbo, 38, said to be the gang leader; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi Tosan, 20; and 30-year-old Ekelemo Kuete ─ were arrested in Delta, Ogun, Ondo and Lagos states.

It was reported on Friday, March 13, that three policemen and a fish seller were killed by the gang which stormed the First City Monument Bank Limited on Admiralty Way in the Lekki area.

NDIC DRAGS DOYIN OKUPE (@DOYINOKUPE) & TWO OTHERS TO COURT OVER UNPAID DEBT.

The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, (NDIC), Liquidator of Gulf bank Nigeria Plc in a debt recovery suit before a Federal High Court in Lagos, against the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe and two others filed an application to place the suit on an undefended list.

Joined as Okupe’s co-defendants in the suit are an investment company, Value Trust Investment Limited, and a Director of the company Mr. Ray Ahazie.‬

NDIC is claiming Okupe, who is the chairman of the company and other defendants owe the sum of N34,168,064.51.‬ as outstanding balance of a loan they took from liquidated Gulf bank Plc.

POLICE PARADES DEADLY LEKKI BANK ROBBERY SUSPECTS.

The police in Lagos, western Nigeria, have arrested four suspects who allegedly robbed a bank and killed three policemen and two civilians and carted away millions of naira.

The deadly robbery incident that led to the death of five persons happened on 12 March, 2015 in Lekki area of the state. The suspects were pararded on Wednesday by the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti at Ikeja, Lagos.

The four suspects are gang leader, Duke Odogbo, 38, Lawrence Kingsley, 31, Ebi Tosan, 20, and Ekelemo Kuete, 30.

DOWNLOAD - KING KONG REMIX - @VECTORTHAVIPER FT REMINISCE, PHYNO, CLASSIQ & UZI.

Download the remix of Vector's hit single King Kong here.

BURUNDI ARMY GENERAL OVERTHROWS PRESIDENT PIERRE NKURUNZIZA.

PIERRE NKURUNZIZA

 A Burundi army general says senior officers are have dismissed President Pierre Nkurunziza, amid unrest over his bid to be re-elected for a third term.

Maj Gen Godefroid Niyombareh announced that a national salvation committee had been set up to run the country.

However, it is not clear how much support he and the other officers have. President Nkurunziza is currently in Tanzania meeting other East African leaders to discuss the crisis. His aide dismissed the coup claims as "a joke".

DOWNLOAD VIDEO - 69 MISSED CALLS - @JAHBLESSME FT OLAMIDE, REMINISCE, LIL KESH, CDQ & CHINKO EKUN.

69 MISSED CALLS

The music video for Jahbless‘ “69 Missed Calls” which features Olamide, Reminisce, Lil Kesh, Chinko Ekun & CDQ has been released. Unlimited LA shot the video in Lagos.

“69 Missed Calls” is housed on Jahbless’ “I aM Me” album, slated to hit stores on the 29th of May 2015.

Download 69 missed calls here.

JONATHAN SACKED SULEIMAN ABBA OVER INDISCIPLINE - MIKE OKIRO.

The Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mr. Mike Okiro, on Tuesday quoted President Goodluck Jonathan as informing the Police Council that he sacked Mr. Suleiman Abba, as the Inspector-General of Police because of the gross indiscipline he noticed among the rank and file under his watch.

Okiro spoke with State House correspondents after a meeting of the council during which Mr. Solomon Arase, who was earlier appointed as Abba’s successor in acting capacity, was confirmed.

He said the meeting deliberated on issues bordering on security and how to ensure that Nigerians live in peace.

ADAMU MUAZU'S (@MUAZUAA) MEDICAL TRIP - AN EVIDENCE OF 16YRS OF MISRULE BY PDP (@PDPNIGERIA).

Election loss is apparently an insipid pill that could demoralise the strongest of politicians. But some were muttering yesterday that it could have been worse for the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Adamu Mu‘azu, after his party’s historic loss in the recent general elections.

Recent whispers about the whereabouts of Dr. Mu‘azu were confirmed first by his office, and subsequently by the national secretariat: Mu‘azu is abroad on a medical.

However, against the suggestions of political detractors, Mu‘azu affirmed that his medical flight abroad was not on account of heartache arising from the PDP’s loss of his ward, local government, state and the country in the recent general elections.

THREE BRITISH JIHADI BRIDES ESCAPES FROM ISIS CLUTCHES.

Three British schoolgirls have escaped the clutches of ISIS and are on the run in Iraq, it was claimed last night. The girls, thought to be 16, are said to have gone on the run from the extremists, sparking a frantic bid to track them down by the brutal militants, a source within the ISIS-controlled city of Mosul revealed.

The exact identity of the girls and their fate is not known, but their reported ages match those of the three friends from east London, who ran away to join ISIS in February.

Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana - who were all pupils at Bethnal Green Academy - flew to Turkey together, before crossing the border into war-torn Syria earlier this year.

ADAMU MUAZU (@MUAZUAA) KICKED ME OUT OF HIS HOUSE TO MEET WITH TINUBU (@ASIWAJUTINUBU) - FAYOSE ALLEGES.

The ship of the PDP, the once acclaimed largest party in Africa seems to be coasting for total destruction as the war of words without empirical evidence between the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose and his party's chairman Adamu Muazu is becoming extremely embarrassing. 

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has alleged that the National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, was not totally committed to the party during the elections, claiming that the chairman even had a secret meeting with the national leader of All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Fayose said this during a Channels Television programme, ‘View from the Top’, aired on Monday.

He said, “Shortly before my election, he (Mu’azu) was to see me and I waited for him in his house for about five hours and then he came out to say he was sorry and that we should give him space. He said the Yoruba people should give him some space because he was expecting someone who did not want to see any Yoruba man.