Female Permanent Secretary, Director, Others Kidnapped

This beautiful woman is in the hands of some bad guys at the moment. The Gunmen operating along the busy Lokoja-Okene road in Kogi State on Friday waylaid and kidnapped three officials of the Osun State government who were on official assignment.

They are the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs. Adebimpe Ogunlumade; the Director, State Audit in the ministry, Mr. Tajudeen Badejoko; and the permanent secretary’s driver, Mr. Oladapo Ajani Arogundade, who were all returning from Abuja.

The fourth occupant of the car said to be the state’s Auditor General reportedly escaped as the gunmen struck at Obajana on the highway.

The Head of the Osun State Civil Service, Mr. Sunday Owoeye, has confirmed the abduction.

Shedding light on the development, Mr. Owoeye said: “Preliminary information available to us indicates that the gunmen accosted them between Obajana and Lokoja the Kogi State capital and forced them to stop before the three officials were violently whisked away.

“The officials were returning from Abuja where they attended the briefing on the State and Local Government Reforms Project; a World Bank and European Union Programme.”

He said security agencies nationwide, particularly in Kogi State, “have been alerted to ensure speedy and safe release of the victims.”

Owoeye also appealed to Nigerians with useful information to contact the security agencies.

The victims were marched into a nearby bush by the kidnappers soon after the abduction. The vehicle in which they were traveling was abandoned by the road side.

Check Out Ebuka-Obi and His Wife's Beautiful Wedding Cake

I heard the couple are already expecting their first child, weeks after their wedding. We wish them well!

Another Crisis Looms In Senate As Saraki Rejects New Clerk

*Senate leadership splits || *Senators, Reps fault Saraki’s letter
A fresh storm is brewing in the Senate after last Thursday’s rejection by Senate President Bukola Saraki of the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori as Acting Clerk of the National Assembly.

Saraki’s action have pitched him on a collision course with National Assembly Service Commission which made the new appointment.

Also, many Senators are shocked by Saraki's action which they saw as unnecessary.

Saraki had ordered the withdrawal of the letter of the appointment to the new Clerk because, according to him, the Commission sidetracked due process in taking the decision.

Many senators said Saraki and his chief of staff did not even consult anyone, but acted on their own.

“When the news broke on Friday, many of us were hearing about the correspondence for the first time. The issue of who becomes the Clerk of the National Assembly is strictly the business of the civil service and there is a commission in charge of such matters,” a senator told The Nation.

“To tell you the truth, the last is yet to be heard of that matter. Many of us will not support such interference. And already, questions are being asked as some of the principal officers are also saying they were not aware of the decision to reject the appointment,” he added.

A Principal officer of the Senate said Saraki’s letter rejecting Sani-Omolori’s appointment was not discussed with other principal officers before it was sent to the commission.

“The issue will be revisited once we return next week (this week)," he stressed.

The Nation also learnt that some Senators and House of Reps members from Sani-Omolori’s home state of Kogi, are also not in agreement with the Senate President’s position on the matter.

A well placed source said Saraki’s letter was the culmination of weeks of intrigues over who becomes the acting clerk of the National Assembly.

While Saraki had wanted Efeturi all along, and had done everything possible to ensure his emergence, it was learnt that the commission for certain reasons, decided to give the position to Sani-Omolori.

The source said, “One major reason why Efeturi didn’t get the job was that he was not properly appointed as the deputy Clerk. Sani-Omolori’s appointment is in a bid to correct past politicisation of purely civil service procedures. The commission was well guided in its choice and that will be proven soon.”

50 Cents' son sheds tears of joy when he meets his father for the first time

50 Cent met his third son Davian for the first time yesterday and they took a photo together. Part of what he wrote that was funny was...'I was thinking why you crying I gotta pay for this shit"..this 50 Cent is a clown, lol.

Kim Kardashian shares raunchy photos with husband Kanye West on IG

Kim Kardashian who attended a wedding with her Husband Kanye West shared some raunchy photos with her Husband both on their way to the wedding and seemingly at the wedding. They are so in love with each other, love it! More photos after the cut..

Beyonce releases new album 'Lemonade' on Tidal

Beyoncé released her long-anticipated sixth album, Lemonade, exclusively on Tidal today.
"The 12-song album, the singer's sixth, arrived with a short film and is a "conceptual project based on every woman's journey of self-knowledge and healing," Tidal said in a statement.

The album features guest appearances by Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, James Blake and the Weeknd, among others.

Before the album's release, Beyoncé teased a mysterious, hour-long HBO special titled Lemonade. In the special, Beyoncé invokes her ancestral roots, dealing with emotionally hefty issues of race and misogyny.

Her proud mum, Tina Lawson, took to her IG page to toast to the release of the album.

Photos: Prince's ashes pictured after secret cremation

Prince’s body was released back to his family on Friday afternoon after undergoing a four hour autopsy at the Minnesota medical examiner’s office in Ramsey. From there he was driven to the First Memorial Western Chapel where he was cremated. His ashes were given to his only full sibling, 55 year old Tyka Nelson, pictured above in the multicoloured hair.

A family friend said Prince always wanted a small funeral when he died, he said he didn't want the pump and pageantry. He said:

"Throughout his life and following his Jehovah's Witness faith Prince made it clear to his family that if he ever were to be taken from us he wanted to die with dignity," said a family friend.

"He had very precise ideas about how he wanted his death to be handled and that didn't involve a huge funeral but a quiet service.

"He wanted it to be kept to the minimum of fuss. Prince was such figure you don't need a funeral to remember him by.

"The world has his music instead. He wanted to simply disappear with no fuss, no drama, no fanfare. It was just his style.

Samson Siasia reportedly picks Mikel Obi, Ighalo and Ahmed Musa as over aged players for Rio Olympics

Olympics football team coach Samson Siasia has reportedly picked Mikel Obi, Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa as the three over aged players to occupy the 3 over aged players slot ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics. These are the only over-aged players on the 60-man provisional squad for the summer games according to AfricanFootball. Read the full report after the cut...

'Samson Siasia plans to take to the Rio Olympics in August – Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi, Watford striker Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow. These are the only over-aged players on the 60-man provisional squad for the summer games, we have exclusively gathered.' 'This means the Olympics dreams of Lazio midfielder Ogenyi Onazi have been dashed.'

'The Olympics allows for three players who are beyond the eligible age of 23 to feature. Siasia himself reasoned Mikel, 28, is keen on playing at Rio after he missed out on Beijing Olympics in 2008. The coach has not hidden his admiration for 26-year-old Ighalo, who he made captain for the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt.

'He has also praised the striker’s form in front of goal even though he has struggled to score in recent weeks now for club and country.' Ahmed Musa though was a surprise choice after Siasia stripped him of the Super Eagles captaincy in March.

'The CSKA Moscow flying winger looks set to quit the Russian club in the summer with the English Premier League a likely destination. 'He has played at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2013 AFCON as well as the 2011 U20 World Cup.'

Photos: Prince's body cremated before family members and close friends in a private ceremony

Just two days after the legendary singer was found dead inside his Minnesota home, at the age of 57, his body has been cremated. He was cremated yesterday afternoon at his home. 
In a statement, his publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, said that the 57-year-old superstar’s family and friends gathered for a loving goodbye. She said:

"A few hours ago, Prince was celebrated by a small group of his most beloved: family, friends and his musicians, in a private, beautiful ceremony to say a loving goodbye,". "Prince's remains have been cremated and their final storage will remain private.  We ask for your blessings and prayers of comfort for his family and close friends at this time."

"The cause of death remains unknown and it will be at least four weeks before we receive the results of the autopsy.  An announcement will be made at a future date for a musical celebration."

Only very close friends and family members including Prince's sister 55 year old Tyka Nelson, who may inherit his fortune, gathered at his home- Paisley Park Saturday afternoon to pay their respects to the singer.

Hundreds of fans were gathered outside. People emerged from the estate and handed out purple boxes to some fans. Each box contained a handout with a color photo of the late musician and a T-shirt with “3121” printed on it, which is the title of a Prince album.

The Midwest Medical Examiner's office confirmed on Friday that an autopsy was performed on Prince and that results may not be available for several weeks to come.

I handed over a Nigeria that produced Africa's richest man – GEJ

Former President Jonathan has listed as one of his government's achievement, the emergence of a Nigerian, Aliko Dangote as Africa's Richest Man. Jonathan stated this while speaking to Friends of Africa Coalition at the office of the Mayor of the City of Newark in New Jersey on Thursday April 21

"I inherited a Nigeria in which the trains were not working, and handed over a Nigeria in which citizens can safely travel by trains again. I inherited a Nigeria that was a net importer of cement, and handed over a Nigeria that is a net exporter of cement.
In 2009 the richest Nigerian was the 5th richest man in Africa but I handed over a Nigeria that produced the richest man in Africa. These are but a few of the parameters that illustrate some of the economic transformations we engineered during my term in office. This was made possible by the fact that there was a stable political leadership in Nigeria that did not have to pander to any other constituency except the electorate who brought me to power. And these actions have a contagious effect.”