LIONEL MESSI SENTENCED TO 21 MONTHS IMPRISONMENT FOR TAX FRAUD IN SPAIN.

Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud.

His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009.

They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay to conceal earnings from image rights.

OSCAR PISTORIUS GETS SIX YEARS JAIL TERM ONLY FOR THE MURDER OF REEVA STEENKAMP. #OscarPistorius

Oscar Pistorius‚ the once golden athlete who carried the flag for South Africa at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony‚ must now serve at least three more years in a jail cell as he pays for the night he pumped Black Talon bullets into his model girlfriend.

Judge Thokozile Masipa in the High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday sentenced the Olympic and Paralympic athlete to six years in jail for the murder of Reeva Steenkamp on February 14 2013.

HOW TUNDE AYENI & CO WRECKED SKYE BANK

The management of Skye Bank PLC today announced what it called the voluntary resignation of its top officers.  The action followed plans by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to take over the bank due to distress arising from bad loans and insider malpractices by board members.

In a statement, the management said the CBN has approved the appointment of Alhaji M.K Ahmad as the new Chairman of the Board, and Tokunbo Abiru the new Group Managing Director and CEO.   Bayo Sanni, Idris Yakubu, Markie Idowu and Abimbola Izu retain their positions as Executive Directors.

It was learnt that the Chairman of the bank, Tunde Ayeni owed the bank at least N102 billion that had remained unpaid for several years.   He was one of those who resigned today.

OLISA METUH AGREES TO RETURN N400M ARMS FUND, SUPPORTS PRESIDENT BUHARI'S ANTI-CORRUPTION CRUSADE.

The former spokes person of Peoples Democratic party has agreed to return the 400 million naira he was accused of receiving from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki. According to the statement issued by his lawyer Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) said his client Chief Olisa Metuh’s legal team  and officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have begun talks to facilitate the return of N400million traced to him from defence funds.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC CONFIRMS HE WILL BE JOINING MANCHESTER UNITED.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has confirmed football's worst-kept secret - he will be joining Manchester United this summer.

The Swedish superstar put millions of his fans out of their misery on Thursday - almost four weeks after it was revealed Old Trafford as his next port of call.

Ibrahimovic posted a message on social media, accompanied by a picture of United's badge. It read: "Time to let the world know. My next destination is Manchester United. #iamcoming."

IGGY AZALEA HEARTBROKEN - I CAUGHT NICK CHEATING WITH OTHER WOMEN ON SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE.

There’s still six months to go, but Iggy Azalea is having one terrible 2016. Fresh off her break-up with Nick “Swaggy P” Young and getting blamed for ruining hip-hop, the Aussie entertainer is now dealing with learning her former beau may have knocked up his ex-girlfriend again.

Several reports surfaced recently claiming Iggy kicked Swaggy P to the curb after he cheated and got is his son’s mother, Keonna Green, pregnant. Allegedly, Green is four months into her pregnancy. However, the “Fancy” pop star says she has no clue if any of the reports are true, tweeting Thursday morning, “I have never even been told by Nick that his baby mother is pregnant so if this is true I’m finding out via E news.”

Iggy also says the real reason she dumped her Laker fiance was because he cheated on her with a multitude of women, even bringing them over to his and Iggy’s shared California home. And despite teammate D’Angelo Russell’s leaked cell phone video of Nick admitting to stepping out on Iggy, it was home security camera footage that did him in.

SGF TELLS SARAKI & EKWEREMADU TO RESIGN OVER ALLEGED FORGERY.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Babachir Lawal, has thrown himself into the fray in respect of alleged forgery trial of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, asking the principal officers of the Senate to resign their positions. 

The Senate, in a swift reaction last night, said the two principal officers of the Senate will not resign, insisting that it was being assaulted by the executive arm of government in the ongoing trial of its leaders. But Lawal said, yesterday, that the Senate was not on trial for forgery, but that only the actors in the alleged act, the Senate President, his deputy and two others being prosecuted. He also said the honourable thing for the duo to do was to resign as former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salisu Buhari, who was accused of certificate forgery, did. 

15 FACTS ABOUT LATE MINISTER OJO MADUEKWE.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Minister of Transportation Ojo Maduekwe died on Wednesday June 29, 2016 at age 71.

Mr. Maduekwe died at about 7pm on Wednesday at a hospital in Abuja. A close associate of the former minister said that Mr. Maduekwe was returning to Nigeria from the U.S. via Dubai when he fell ill.

“He fell ill while on air from Dubai and he was rushed to the hospital as soon as the plane landed in Abuja, but he died before doctors could do much,” he said. The associate could not provide further details as he broke down while speaking on the phone.

PLEASE VOTE OLUKOYA YETUNDE A YOUNG LEADER IN FAMILY PLANNING FOR #120UNDER40.

OLUKOYA YETUNDE - DEMAND CREATION SPECIALIST

120 Under 40: The New Generation of Family Planning Leaders recognizes and highlights the achievements of the next generation of family planning leaders worldwide.

The project launched on 26 September 2015, World Contraception Day — an annual event that focuses international attention on enabling young people to make informed decisions about family planning and reproductive health.

120 Under 40 is organized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with sponsorship from Bayer.

Olukoya Yetunde. a 2016 nominee has been able to increase the uptake of Reproductive and family planning services using Behavioural Change Communication with providers. Annually, she trains a total of 120 Family planning providers on Balanced counselling skills.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR OLUKOYA YETUNDE

CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF AND HIS TWO WIVES ACQUIRED DUBAI PROPERTIES WITH PERSONAL SAVINGS - ARMY CLARIFIES.

The Nigerian Army has clarified that the two properties of Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff, in Dubai were acquired by him and his two wives in 2013 with personal savings.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Army denied reports that the properties were acquired and paid for in a single transaction.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, confirmed that the Buratai family had two properties in Dubai.

CHARLES OKAH DID NOT ESCAPE FROM ABUJA PRISON.

The Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS has denied news circulating that the leader of the Movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) suspected to have masterminded the 2010 Independence Day bombings, Charles Okah, has escaped from prison.

The Nigerian Prisons Service confirmed there was an incident yesterday night but it didn’t lead to Charles Okah’s escape.

Speaking on the alleged escape, the NPS spokesman, Francis Enobore said: “It is not true (that he escaped).”

UNCONFIRMED REPORTS INDICATES LINDA IKEJI IS IN TROUBLE WITH FIRS OVER N75M UNPAID TAXES, DENIES OWNING N500M BANANA ISLAND HOME.

Reports indicates the celebrity blogger Linda Ikeji may be in troubled waters with the Federal Inland Revenue Service over N75M unpaid tax.

According to a source in the FIRS, the celebrity blogger had been evading tax payment, which has amounted to the whooping sum of N75 Million. However, when asked about the purchase of the house, it was disclosed that Linda blatantly denied ownership of the N500 Million luxurious mansion which she allegedly purchased in 2015.

The FIRS has initiated measures to prosecute her in a court of law.  

We hope she can swim out of this wahala.

86-YR-OLD NARRATES HOW NOTORIOUS IKORODU RAPIST BADDO ATTACKED AND SENT HER INTO COMA. #SAYNOTORAPE.

An octogenarian, Madam Belawu Jimoh, yesterday, narrated her experience with the man suspected to be a serial rapist and murderer in Ikorodu area of Lagos State. 

The 86 years old woman, who lives in Oke Ota, Ibeshe area of Ikorodu, claimed she was attacked a fortnight ago. She, however, expressed happiness that her attacker, simply identified as Badoo, was arrested last Sunday after a three-day manhunt. 

The suspect, who allegedly raped and murdered a 27-year-old school teacher, Grace Jubreel, in her home in the presence of her 14-month-old baby in the Ibeshe community in Ikorodu, was nabbed by residents who would have lynched him if not for the intervention of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, that rescued him. 

RIP OJB JEZREEL, THE TALENTED SINGER/PRODUCER DIES AT 49.

Nigerian music producer and singer, Babatunde Okungbowa, popularly known as OJB Jezreel has been reported dead.

The music producer died from complications resulting from the kidney transplant surgery he had about two years ago. He would have been 50 years old in a month’s time.

The music maestro, who was flown for a Kidney transplant in India in 2013 and was said to be doing well, had a relapse about two weeks ago and was kept on daily dialysis before his urgent need for oxygen yesterday. Unfortunately, he didn't make it. He died early this morning June 14th at Isolo General Hospital in Lagos.

15-YR -OLD GIRL COMMITS SUICIDE AFTER HER FRIEND SHARED HER NUDE VIDEO ON SNAPCHAT. #STOPBULLYING

A Florida girl killed herself after a naked video of her in the shower was taken without her permission and posted on Snapchat, her family says.

Tovonna Holton, a freshman at Wiregrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, took her own life just hours after the video circulated on the app, WFLA reports.

The 15-year-old had taken a gun from her mother’s purse and shot herself in the bathroom of her home on Sunday.

Her mother, Levon Holton-Teamer, said that she had sent her daughter to clean her room that afternoon and a little while later, went looking for her.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S 500,000 TEACHERS RECRUITMENT PORTAL CRASHED SAME DAY IT OPENED.

The recruitment of 500,000 teachers by the Federal Government might have run into a hitch as the website for the exercise crashed on Sunday following what was suspected to be massive applications by prospective candidates.

The Federal Government had, last week, announced that the recruitment of the teachers would commence on Sunday, directing interested Nigerians to apply through http://portal.npower.gov.ng.

But attempts by one of our correspondents to register on the portal around 6.48pm on Sunday failed as the website was not available.

CUSTOM OFFICERS BEAT MAGISTRATE MERCILESSLY IN LAGOS FOR IMPOUNDING VEHICLES.

There was confusion in the Ikeja area of Lagos State on Friday after some officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, allegedly attacked a magistrate, Lekan Aka-Bashorun, for impounding their vehicles.

It was learnt that the customs officers allegedly slapped Aka-Bashorun, while two policemen and two paramilitary officials attached to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, were also beaten up.

It was gathered that court exhibits and recording gadgets were also allegedly damaged by the customs officials, who reportedly claimed that their vehicles could not be impounded by  the Lagos State Mobile Court.

AT LEAST 50 DEAD AND 53 INJURED IN GAY NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING IN #ORLANDO.

Fifty people are now known to have died in Saturday's shooting in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and a "state of emergency" has been declared, the city's mayor Buddy Dyer has said.

The gunman, named by officials as 29-yr-old Omar Mateen, was killed after taking hostages. Another 53 people were injured in the shooting at the Pulse club.

It is the worst mass shooting in recent US history. Police described it as an act of terrorism.

COURT SENTENCE BANKER TO 39YRS JAIL TERM FOR STEALING N30M FROM DEAD CUSTOMER.

OLAWALE GARUBA

Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court has sentenced Olawale Garuba to 39 years jail term for stealing over N30M from a dead customer of the new generation bank he was working.

The convict was arraigned alongside six others in July 2015 for conspiring among themselves to steal over N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira only) from the bank account a deceased customer of a new

generation bank where the convict works. ‪

REPS REDUCES AGE OF QUALIFICATION FOR PRESIDENCY, GOVERNOR AND SENATE TO 30.

The Bill seeking to reduce the age qualifications for interested candidates to contest for the positions of President, governor and senate in the country to 30 years yesterday passed second reading in the House of Representatives. 

The bill, which also makes provision for independent candidacy into the country’s electoral process, further reduces the age qualifications to contest for the House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly to 25 years. 

The Bill is an alteration of section 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the 1999 constitution which had prescribed qualification into the office of President to 40 years and above, office of governors and senate, 35 years and above as well as House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly to 25 years and above.