FIRS to go after 40,000 millionaire tax defaulters

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says it will go after 40, 000 millionaire who have been defaulting on taxes in 2019.

According to a statement released in Abuja on Thursday, Babatunde Fowler, FIRS executive chairman, made this known while receiving Mohammed Adamu, the acting inspector general of police.

Fowler said the FIRS recovered N23 billion from 45,000 people who had more than N100 million in their accounts in 2018 through substitution of their bank accounts.

“Let me put on record that the Nigeria Police Force has been extremely helpful to FIRS. Without the Police, I doubt if the Service would have been able to achieve what we have achieved,” the statement quoted the FIRS boss to have said.

“2018 was a successful year. The FIRS collected a total of N5.320 trillion of tax revenue. This is the highest revenue collection in the history of the service.

“Oil price was at an average of $100 to $120 per barrel between 2012 when FIRS collected N5.07 trillion.

“Oil component of the N5.320 trillion is N2.467 trillion, which represents 46.38 per cent, while the non-oil element of the collection is N2.852 trillion, which is equal to 53.62 per cent.”

Fowler said the service would give the police a list of the tax defaulters to enable collaboration between both agencies.

The acting I-G assured FIRS that the Police would continue to support the service because the job of revenue generation was critical to the survival of the nation.

Adamu said that the service rendered by FIRS is important for the survival of the country.

- THECABLE

Pastors whose ‘God is their belly’ are after me – Daddy Freeze

Controversial on-air personality, Daddy Freeze says pastors whose God is their belly are after him because he has been exposing how they milk the congregation.

His Instagram account was missing on the internet on Thursday. Searches made by PM News on Instagram to get his account was abortive.

But on Friday morning, Daddy Freeze has come up with his back up account on Instagram and posted: “Why are they so carnal? What are they afraid of? Why can’t they leave me to God? Because their god is their belly.”

According to Freeze, his messages on Instagram had been disturbing the pastors and their business formula and disrupted their earnings.

“We have definitely disturbed their business formula and disrupted their earnings, their god who is in their belly has been disgraced and they are raging.

“If not, why are they so desperate to shut me up?

“Even if they close all my social media accounts down and close down all the accounts of all #FreeNation members, they still cannot mute a conversation that is already gaining momentum,” a determinant Freeze said.

Freeze quoted from Philippians 3:19 to back up his assertion: “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”

- PM NEWS

Obasanjo is the greatest election rigger, says Tinubu

Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has described ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as the greatest election rigger in the history of Nigeria.

Tinubu said this at the presidential rally of the ruling party in Lagos on Saturday.

“When he was asked Umaru Musa Yar’Adua admitted that the election which brought him into office was rigged,” he said.

“Who conducted that election?” he asked and the crowd chorused “Obasanjo”

Continuing, Tinubu said “Obasanjo is the greatest election rigger in this country.”

He also accused Obasanjo of truncating the plan to have steady power in Lagos and by extension the country.

Tinubu lamented that major multinational companies like Dunlop and Michelin would not have left the country if the Obasanjo government had tackled the challenge of unstable power.

“Then, Obasanjo came. We taught them that there was no other way to have business evolution and revolution in this country without steady power supply,” he said.

“I introduced independent generating power projects in Badagry. What did he do? He and Atiku opposed it. I went to court. Who was my lawyer in court? Osinbajo. I won in court and we started generating 300MW, the first state to do it.

“Imagine, that was in 1999. If Nigeria was dedicated to electricity generation, you would not see Dunlop and Michelin move out of the country. Look at our roads, look at the vehicular density in Lagos alone.”

- THECABLE

Falz finally speaks on two men who raped, filmed 23-year-old girl in Lekki

Popular Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana, known as Falz has finally reacted to the case of two men who allegedly raped and filmed a 24-year-old girl in Lekki,Lagos.

Reports making the rounds had it that the suspects; Don-Chima Enyinnaya George and Olusegun Rasak who were arrested in connection with the case of rape at Lekki area of Lagos were later set free by the police.

This has since stirred reactions online as Nigerians called for ‘Justice for rape victim’, Asking Falz to weigh into the case.

However, the force in a press statement signed by CSP Dolapo Badmus, PRO Zone 2 has debunked the reports, saying the suspects are still in police custody.

Falz reacting on his Instagram page condemned the justice system in Nigeria, describing it as corrupt.

He further called on everyone with a voice in Nigeria to lend their voice to the case and demand justice.

He said: “Our crooked and corrupt justice system makes everyone tremble that such a vile and despicable act of rape may go unpunished.

“However, Information reaching me is that the accused persons have been detained and The Department of Public Prosecutions will respond ASAP. We will not back down until justice is done.

“Everyone in a position of influence should do all they can to ensure this isn’t another case swept under the carpet because someone used “long leg” to jump above the law.

“Do not remain mute. This doesn’t have to happen to your sister or family member before you react!”

- DAILY POST

Traditional ruler impregnates 13-year-old groundnut seller in Delta

A 69-year-old traditional ruler in Obiaruku community, Ukwuani local government area of Delta State, Chief Festus Akinima, has allegedly impregnated a 13-year-old groundnut seller, Miss Ijeoma Ishima, after allegedly luring her with gifts and huge sums of money.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, PPRO, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed this to journalists at the weekend in Asaba, disclosed that the little girl was put in the family way through the action of Chief Festus Akinima, a traditional ruler in the Community, adding that the pregnancy was blown open when it was five months old.

He said: “Little Miss Ijeoma Ishima, a 13 year old groundnut seller and JSS I student in one of the secondary schools in Obiaruku community was a victim of child abuse, one of the gravest ills at present in Nigeria. As a child from poor background, Ijeoma Ishima hawks groundnut everyday as soon as she returns from school.

“It was unfortunateCcircumstance of little Ijeoma’s life that the traditional ruler took undue advantage of her, and lured her into unwholesome sexual intercourse on several occasions and she got pregnant, and the pregnancy was five months before it was discovered by Ijeoma’s mother”.

Aniamaka explained that Ijeoma’s ordeal started sometime in July 2018, while walking across the compound of Chief Festus Akinima Idele at Wire road , Obiaruku community, and after patronizing her on her first day of meeting with her, Chief Festus Akinima developed interest and lust in her, telling her to always come to sell to him at home everyday because he loves eating groundnut.

Speaking with newsmen in the area, Ijeoma’s mother, Mrs Stella Ishima said: “When I noticed all the signs of pregnancy in my daughter, I questioned her and she admitted she was pregnant for Chief Festus Akinima, and that she has been having long sessions of unprotected sexual intercourse with him, I shouted and my husband heard me, came out of his room with a cultlass running towards his house when people stopped him on the way, and pleaded with him.

“We later informed the Police in Obiaruku who arrested him and detained him before he was granted bail few days after. Chief Festus Akinima agreed at the station to take Ijeoma for a wife and train her.”

- DAILY POST

Liverpool hit Bournemouth 3-0 to regain top spot

Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League with a composed display at Anfield that sent Bournemouth to an eighth successive away defeat.

Three days after Manchester City moved top on goal difference, Jurgen Klopp’s side responded to talk of the pressure of a title race showing in their performances in emphatic style.

After a fairly cagey opening which saw Ryan Fraser test Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, Sadio Mane settled any nerves by powerfully heading home James Milner’s cross.

According to BBC, Mane looked fractionally offside but the finish means he has scored in four successive Premier League games for the first time in his career.

Georginio Wijnaldum had not been allowed to stay in the Liverpool hotel on Friday because of illness but he was in fine form, doubling the lead with a sublime lob over the helpless Artur Boruc.

Moments after the break, Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino combined in a move Klopp hailed “world class” to present Mohamed Salah with a simple finish from 10 yards, his 20th goal in all competitions this season.

Klopp’s side never looked in danger of losing their lead and moved on to 65 points, a tally which would have been enough for at least a nine-point lead in the title race in any of the last five seasons after 26 games.

- PM NEWS

Iwobi scores as Arsenal bounce back with win at Huddersfield

Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazette gave Arsenal an unconvincing 2-1 win at Huddersfield to keep their top-four chase on track.

Iwobi opened the scoring against the run of play when his deflected effort from Sead Kolasinac’s cross was palmed into the corner of his net by Ben Hamer (16).

Huddersfield controlled possession for large periods of the game but nothing would fall for them inside the Arsenal area, and instead Lacazette doubled the lead just before half-time when turning in Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ low cross from close range (44).

The spirited hosts, who had lost 11 of their last 12, never gave up and finally got their reward in the third minute of added time in the second half when Kolasinac turned Adama Diakhaby’s shot into his own goal, but it was not enough to stop Arsenal pulling back within a point of fourth-placed Manchester United.

Arsenal arrived looking to arrest a run of three away defeats in a row, but found Diakhaby’s raw pace in behind Kolasinac tough to deal with early on.

The familiar problem of a poor final ball still dogged the hosts however, and instead Arsenal went ahead with their first real chance when Kolasinac’s excellent cross was met on the half-volley by Iwobi, but a deflection off Kongolo wrong-footed Hamer who could only push the ball inside the side netting.

Huddersfield failed to register a shot on target before half-time but looked like having something to build on with the break approaching, until their hopes were dashed a minute before the interval when Maitland-Niles found space on the right with Kongolo out of position, and his low ball in left Lacazette an easy finish.

After the break Huddersfield looked more dangerous but were close to getting caught out again as they committed men forward, with Iwobi denied by the onrushing Hamer and Christopher Schindler’s excellent challenge stopping Lacazette from scoring his second.

At the other end, Diakhaby forced smart saves from Bernd Leno with two efforts from the edge of the area and substitute Erik Durm’s cross was deflected onto the bar.

But just as the hosts looked to see their hard work and improvement on recent performances unrewarded, Leno failed to deal with another Diakhaby effort which bounced off him and goalwards, only for Kolasinac to poke it into his own goal under pressure from Laurent Depoitre.

-Sky Sports

Madrid continue revival with win at Atletico

Gareth Bale scored his 100th Real Madrid goal as they beat Atletico in the Madrid derby to overtake their rivals into second place.

Casemiro put Real ahead with a volley but Antoine Griezmann equalised after scoring a one-on-one.

Sergio Ramos restored the visitors’ lead with a penalty and Bale converted from Luka Modric’s pass to ensure the win.

Atletico ended with 10 men after Thomas Partey was shown a second yellow.

In-form Real Madrid have now won six of their past seven games, having drawn 1-1 with Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Wednesday and this deserved derby win moves them to within five points of La Liga leaders Barca.

Santiago Solari’s side opened the scoring when Casemiro was left unmarked and he sent an acrobatic volley flying past Jan Oblak as Atletico failed to clear a corner.

Atletico levelled as Griezmann chased onto an Angel Correa through-ball to slot under Thibaut Courtois, who had toy rats thrown at him by Atletico fans. The Belgian spent three seasons on loan at Atleti from Chelsea earlier in his career.

But Ramos scored his eighth penalty of the season to restore Real’s lead after Vinicius Jr had been fouled by Jose Maria Gimenez. Four of his previous seven had been ‘Panenkas’ – chipped down the middle – but this time he drove the ball into the bottom left-corner.

Vinicius was replaced by Bale in the second half and the Welshman smashed a low shot beyond Oblak for his landmark Real goal in his 217th game.

-BBC