I Just Want One Last Hug - Mel B Pens Touching Tribute To Late Dad

In the midst of her divorce drama, Mel B,  penned a touching tribute to her late dad.

The singer took to social media to pen a touching tribute to her dad, revealing that she could;d make do with one last hug from him.

She wrote:

'I just wanted one last hug and for you to no how much I really love you #ripdad #daddysgirl #mostimportantmaninmylife #inoyourwithmestill (sic)'

May his soul continue to rest in peace.

Two fake blind beggars arrested at Imo State University

Policemen attached to the Imo State University, Owerri, have arrested two men who have been ripping off unsuspecting members of the public, by pretended to be blind .

Their arrest, Punch learnt followed intelligence information given to the police by some students of the institution.
A student leader, Chidi Onyeji, told Southern City News

 “The policemen attached to the entry gate of Imo State University, Owerri have uncovered swindle activities of a particular group who devise unlawful means to attract sympathy and rip off kind-hearted students of their hard-earned money under the pretext of being blind.”According to Onyeji, luck ran out on the suspects when one of the policemen called one of the beggars, and on approaching, the cop slapped him and asked him to open his eyes.

He explained that upon interrogation, the two fake blind persons confessed to the crime, saying they took to the crime to make ends meet because they were unemployed.

The suspects had been transferred to the state Police Command in Owerri, where they were being interrogated.

My partner in crime- Daddy Freeze shares lovely photos of his fiancee as she turns a year older

 Media personality, Freeze took to Instagram to celebrate his fiancee and mother of his son as she turned a year older.He wrote

 Happy Birthday to @tastebudzng the most wonderful person I have ever met. Everyday with you is a blessing, you turned my sorrow into joy, my tears into laughter and my pain into pleasure. You are my confidant, my best friend, my mummy GO, my partner in crime, my personal chef, and the fuel that keeps my engine running!
All my love to you today and always ♥️

More photos below

Controversy over whereabouts of Alhaji arrested for Badoo killings

There was a disagreement on Tuesday between the Lagos State Police Command and a 51-year-old resident of Magodo Phase II, Alhaji Alaka Abayomi, who was arrested in connection with Badoo killings in Ikorodu.

While Abayomi told Punch that the police lacked evidence and had released him, the command said he was still in custody.


The oil and gas operator was apprehended for his alleged involvement in the attack on a family of five in Oke Ota community, Ibeshe, on Sunday, which led to the death of a couple and two of their children.

The police had said the arrest of Abayomi and two others, whose names were not disclosed, led to the discovery of a Badoo shrine in Agbowa town.

There was, however, a mild drama on Tuesday when Punch's correspondent visited Abayomi’s mansion on PSSDC Road, Magodo Phase II, around 2pm.

His security guard, Usman Zibo, said he had been released by the police and resumed his business activities, adding that he would return home later in the day.

No policeman was seen in the area during the visit.

He said, “I think the matter has been settled. He has been released since morning (Tuesday). He is not around now; you can come back in the evening to see him. I can’t give you his number, but you can drop yours. He will call you when he returns home.
“I have been working with him as a security guard for 10 years and I have never seen any trace of ritual killings. We had lived together in the Agric area, Ikorodu; we moved here three years ago.”

Abayomi, who called our correspondent around 6pm, said the police did not have any evidence against him, adding that he did not write any statement.

The 51-year-old, who spoke in Yoruba, claimed to have inherited the shrine from his forefathers, saying it was being used for healing purposes.

He said, “I am at home now; you can come now. How did people arrive at the name Badoo? Nobody knows those who are perpetrating the attacks. I have been living in Ikorodu for over 30 years and everybody knows me. I am into oil and gas.
“I use the shrine for healing different ailments. I took the police there. They didn’t allow journalists to interview me and they didn’t take my statement. I will sue the police for blackmailing me. Let them bring out any exhibit found in the shrine or in my house. Why did they release me if indeed I have connection with Badoo? They said investigation would continue.”

However, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said Abayomi was still in custody.

He said, “He is assisting the police with investigations. Through investigations, we discovered that hoodlums in the area wanted to start protests. And it is possible that the evidence that may be used against him and others may be destroyed at the shrine, his home or place of business.
“We have gone to secure all those things, with the suspect in our custody. We will get back to you on what we have done. The suspect is still in our custody, but was told to go and protect those evidences with investigators.”

A resident of Agbowa, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being attacked, said the shrine was used for ritual purpose.

He said, “The shrine has been there since 2005. It was a hunter that first discovered it and we brought it to the attention of the police. But the police didn’t take it seriously then. A lot of evil activities are perpetrated in the shrine. The police need to carry out thorough investigations.”

$100M Lawsuit: Kim, LuMee Fire Back

Kim Kardashian and LuMee - makers of her fave illuminated phone case say they have proof they didn't steal another company's tech, and it includes a government stamp of approval.

LuMee is firing back at the $100 million lawsuit filed by Snaplight, saying if anything, it's the one getting ripped off. In fact, LuMee points out it sued Snaplight first, back in November 2016.

In those docs, LuMee includes its own patent, which was issued in 2016, and acknowledges Snaplight also has a patent issued in 2013. Still, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved LuMee meaning there are likely meaningful differences between the products.


You will recall Kim's company got sued by Snaplight, which says LuMee armed with Kim's promotions is killing it in sales.

Snaplight has however responded saying,it is ready to go to 'war'.

October 1 Igbo Quit Notice Stays, Arewa Group Insists

The coalition of Northern Group said in Abuja yesterday that the October 1, 2017 ultimatum given to Igbo living in the North to vacate the zone remained.

The coalition, which is made up of 16 different groups, spoke at a meeting it held with a former Governor of Abia State, Chief Uzor Kalu. The leader of the coalition, Mr Shettima Yerima, restated the group’s position during the meeting.

He said though the groups in the coalition had held meetings on the ultimatum, they had yet to lift the quit notice.


Addressing a joint press conference with Kalu and some leaders from the South-East, Yerima however, said the coalition was holding consultations with stakeholders across the country with a view to reviewing its position.

While acknowledging that they had been meetings to douse tension in the country, he said, “I do not also remember specifically saying we are going to finally withdraw the quit notice. No, certainly not. We have not.

But we said, within the week, we are going to make a statement.”

He, nevertheless, assured Nigerians that there was no cause for alarm as he expressed the coalition’s belief in a united Nigeria.

The coalition’s chairman said he and his colleagues were concerned about the unity of Nigeria and would not allow it to be threatened.

He added, “It is only those who are blind that will say the unity of this country is not being threatened. But you have prominent Nigerians like him (Kalu) who have shown a lot of worries over this situation.

“To us, we strongly believe that Nigeria is for us and Nigeria belongs to everybody and we are all equal in this project.

“We will not in any way accept anybody who wants to undermine the unity of this country. We want those who want to remain and who believe in the unity of Nigeria to remain.

Kalu called on southerners living in the north not to entertain any fear.

He said he would soon meet with the leader of the Independent Peoples of Biafra, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, and other Biafran agitators.

Kalu regretted that the agitation for the creation of Biafra had affected the Gross Domestic Product of the South-East, saying neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Chad and Niger had stopped patronising the zone.

While noting that the diversity of Nigeria was its strength, the former governor stressed that all parts of the country were equally important as they contributed in the same way to its well-being.

He advocated restructuring and called on the people in the north not to see it as being against its interest.

Kalu said, “Restructuring does not mean breaking the country. There are certain things we have outgrown. We need to address the issue of how our economy should be run so that the masses, the poor people will benefit from efforts of government.”

Punch

I've stopped receiving pension -Saraki

The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, said he had stopped collecting pension in Kwara state, where he was the governor between 2003 and 2011.

He said, on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, that he wrote a letter to the state government to stop the payment of the pension.


According to Saraki, the move was sequel to complaints from some quarters that former governors who are currently senators or ministers were receiving pension and salary in their new jobs, all from the government.

A civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), had accused the former governors of receiving double pay from government, and said it was illegal.

“No, I’m not collecting pension; the moment I saw that allegation, I wrote to my state to stop my pension.
“So, I speak for myself on that part; I’m not doing that, I am not receiving pension from my state,’’ he said.

On other senators involved on the issue, Saraki said

“I think I will leave everybody to their individual decision.
“Morally, if you have got another job, you should give it up until when you are truly a pensioner.
“Some of these oversights are not addressing the issues. What the states should do is to go and amend their laws to say that if you have another appointment then you are not entitled to that benefit.
“With this, we will just simplify the matter.”

US Financier Claims Russian President Is The Richest Man In The World

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were metaphorically sparring for the title of world’s richest individual last week, but the true leader might actually be Vladimir Putin.

Bill Browder, a US financier, reportedly told senators last week that the Russian President is richer than both Mr Bezos and Mr Gates combined.

According to Newsweek, the chief executive officer of Hermitage Capital Management said that he thinks Mr Putin is worth $200bn.

Newsweek said that Mr Browder’s company was once the largest portfolio investor in Russia and that Mr Browder was a shareholder in Gazprom, Surgutneftegas and other Russian state-run enterprises in the 1990s.


Around that time Putin reportedly made a deal with Russian businessmen that made him the “richest man in the world”.

Mr Putin’s personal fortune has been the subject of intense debate and speculation.

Newsweek reports that, according to Mr Putin's official asset form – a mandatory public disclosure for all Russian government officials – he earns $133,000 a year and has a modest apartment in Moscow.

Last week Mr Bezos briefly became the world’s richest person as a result of a surge in Amazon’s share price ahead of the e-retail giant’s quarterly earnings report. Shares later tailed off again, however, putting Mr Gates back in the top spot. Mr Bezos owns around 17 per cent of Amazon’s shares.

Both Mr Bezos and Mr Gates are worth more than $90bn according to Bloomberg data, with the latter occupying the top spot since 2013. But saying Putin is the richest man will just be fraudulent, lol.

I Didn't Acquire A New Plane, Tinubu Slams Latest Report

All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has denied reports claiming he just acquired a new plane, describing it has FALSE.

In a statement issued today in Lagos and signed by his Special Assistant, Mr. Ademola Oshodi, Tinubu lambasted THISDAY for the report. The full statement below...

“CLAIMS THAT BOLA TINUBU HAS PURCHASED NEW PLANE IS FAKE NEWS AT WORK”

“The THISDAY story of Sunday, July 23, 2017 claiming Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has recently purchased a new airplane is symptomatic of what happens when a publication divorces itself from any pretence of objective and impartial reportage. This is what happens when a newspaper becomes a mercenary tool for partisan designs. THISDAY has a partisan axe to grind and it seeks to grind that axe against someone like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu because that is what the paymasters of THISDAY demand of it.


“So eager to be seen as loyal to the whims of its paymasters, THISDAY stands disloyal to the very truth it professes to publish. Rather than practise journalism, this publication now specializes in peddling rumour and manufacturing fake scandal. One of the paper’s favourite excursions into fiction is to publish any and all things false about Bola Tinubu. Why THISDAY has such animus against Tinubu only the paper can answer. That such irrational hatred exists cannot be controverted

“THISDAY published a story that Tinubu purchased a new plane. The story was replete with pictures as if to authenticate the report. There is only one slight problem. The story is false and the pictures are doctored.

“Asiwaju Tinubu has not purchased a new plane.  He is currently using the same plane he has used for over a decade now. This is the same plane that was used during the elections of 2011 and more recently in 2015 to help the APC campaign to victory, much to the everlasting chagrin of THISDAY and those whose wishes it caters to. If THISDAY would have done even a cursory check of the photos it published it would have noticed the pictures reveal spaces with different interiors. They would have easily seen Tinubu’s picture was super-imposed onto a space he has not been.

“This is sensational, shoddy and false. In the rush to embarrass Tinubu, THISDAY bares itself as a mill of rumour and falsehood.  It is THISDAY that should be embarrassed not Tinubu. Had THISDAY done any investigation at all and had it even a brief acquaintance with the truth and the etiquette of proper journalism, it would not have published the false report.

“To clear the record, Tinubu has not bought a new plane. A simple investigation would have revealed the correct situation. But these merchants of fake news are more interested in attacking perceived enemies than in enlightening the public as should be the call of a newspaper.

“This is journalism that is not journalism. We send this message in hope that THISDAY will find some respect for the norms of the profession it claims to practice. While this hope is probably too optimistic given the newspaper’s track record, we shall continue to pray and hope that they turn to the truth and quit their romance with blatant rumour and outright falsity”.

Osinbajo Demands Ariaria Market Have 24 Hours Light

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has directed the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to intervene and ensure that the Ariaria International Market in Aba, Abia State, enjoys 24 hours supply of electric power.

The city of Aba is noted for its huge commercial activities, while the Ariaria Market is one of the most popular markets in the southern part of the country. It will be good if they make it possible

Photos: Governor Aregbesola Storms Hometown For Mother's Burial

He lost his mom today and because she was a Muslim, she would have to be buried today. The Governor stormed his hometown shortly after the news of her death, where he was surrounded by friends and family for her burial. More photos...

Man Commits Suicide After Killing Mother

28-year-old man, Ekene Ezeogo, has committed suicide in Ebonyi, after he allegedly beat his mother, Mary, to death.

Eye witnesses told the News Agency of Nigeria that Ekene killed his mother in cold blood at the family house at Agbaja Road, Abakaliki.

Ekene’s elder brother, Chidi, who confirmed the incident, said Ekene killed their mother when she was trying to settle a fight between Ekene and his younger sister.

“Ekene drank three bottles of rat poison in an uncompleted building at Onuebo area of Abakaliki after the dastardly act.

“After killing our mother, he drove his motorcycle to the central police station, Abakaliki and reported the matter.

“He, however, fled the station when the police wanted to arrest him and ran to an uncompleted building where he drank the poison,” he said.

Chidi said that Ekene was rushed to the emergency unit of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, where he eventually died.

Mr Sunday Chinedu, a tenant in the Ezeogo’s family house, collaborated the story, saying that occupants in the house helped rush Ekene to the hospital.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ebonyi, DSP Jude Madu,s aid:“I have not been in the state for sometime and I did not receive such report before I traveled.”

But Chief Silas Aliede, a community leader in the area, said, “ the whole community is still in shock over the incident.

“I will not say much for now except that the elders and community leaders would meet to review the situation and know the next step to take.”

NAN

APC, PDP Lack Internal Democracy – Atiku

Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has decried the lack of internal democracy among the nation’s political parties especially the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

Atiku accused the APC, the PDP, and others of refusing over the years to hold meetings of their vital organs and those meant for the selection of the leadership of the parties.

The former Vice-President said this at the 2nd annual conference of the Inter-party Advisory Council  with the theme, ‘Inter Party Democracy: A Recipe for Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria’ in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that any political party that violated the freedom of its members would not be able to offer freedom to the citizens of the country.


He described the practice where the executive organs direct the leadership of the party to fill vacancies in the party without election as undemocratic and bullying.

He said that the nation’s efforts at democratisation must involve internal democracy at the level of the political parties.

Atiku stressed that it would be impossible to build democracy on a foundation of dictatorship and intolerance.

He said, “In my view, there is a close relationship between democracy within political parties and democracy within the nation.  Put simply, you cannot give what you don’t have. You cannot build democracy on a substructure of dictatorship and intolerance. A political party that constricts the freedom of its members cannot really offer freedom to the citizens of the nation. Democracy is not just an idea; it is a cultural practice.

“For a number of years now, we have had political parties, even governing ones, which hardly hold meetings of their important organs, including those meant for the democratic selection of their leadership, or even constitute institutions prescribed in their constitution.

“In the absence of those meetings and elections, their existing leadership, often under the direction of the executive at the state or federal level, fills the void. That’s not party building but party bullying. And it’s certainly not a way to democratise parties and aggregate their members’ opinions, interests and aspirations.

“This means that efforts to deepen Nigeria’s democracy must include efforts at democratising our political parties. The institutionalisation of democracy in our internal party processes will help us deepen democracy in Nigeria. Leaders are more likely to tolerate opposition from citizens and other parties if they tolerate it within their own party.”

Atiku said that the lack of internal democracy in political parties was responsible for the clashes between parties and their elected representatives on the one hand and the legislature and the executive on the other.

He lamented that the loyalty of some lawmakers and members of the executive was with political godfathers who sponsored their elections rather than the party.

Also, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, restated the commitment of the commission to ensure that election results were determined by the votes cast by the citizens.

Mahmud said that the commission would continue to be courageous to ensure that only winners of the polls were returned.

He urged the political parties to create opportunities for women and people with disabilities to participate in the political process.

Punch

Reno Omokri Poses Shirtless On Facebook As He Sends Haters A Message

Reno Omokri, ex- Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, may have just given haters more than they can chew.

He took to Facebook to post this shirtless photo of himself, celebrating his achievements thus far.

He wrote:

“I just finished working out at the gym
and what I love about what God has done for me is that He made me a VP of a US political consulting firm at 33, spokesman to a President at 37, a bestselling author at 43 and today at 43 I am still happily married to my sweetheart for 14 years (on our next anniversary) and I still have a flat stomach and a sharp mind. Haters, please feast on that!”

Nigeria's Kelechi Iheanacho undergoes Medicals at Leicester City

Super Eagles' forward and Manchester City strike, Kelechi Iheanacho had his medical on Tuesday, as he is on the verge of joining the club for a fee of £25 million.


The Nigerian international had attracted interest from a number of clubs this summer but he was left out of City’s pre-season tour of the United States in July as Leicester emerged as front-runners to land his signature.

The principles of the £25m deal have been in place for some time but the move was held up due to an image rights issue between Iheanacho and his former agents.

The striker had his medical in the East Midlands on Tuesday and the move is set to be completed this week.

Photos: Dolapo Osinbajo Jets To JERUSALEM

The wife of the acting President is in Jerusalem and we are loving everything about her! Her simplicity and the simple ways she captioned the photos. About time she stepped out of the country too. All work and no play, but in her case it's all work and some prayers. Lol. One more photo below...

Eniola Badmus Explains Why You Must Be Stubborn

The actress who is a bit late on her Happy New month greetings took to IG 16 mins ago to tell her fans why they must be stubborn and at the same time flexible, while wishing them a happy new month. She wrote;

If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.That why I don't give up in every situation that comes my way.....I'm ENIOLA BADMUS I'm a GAME CHANGER.you can equally do better DO NOT GIVE UP.....Happy New Month August BAE let me hear you say yeah yeah

Christina Milian flaunts freckles and major boobs in beautiful pics

 Christina Milian showed off her boobies in makeup free photos she shared!She's a beauty: