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The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old man, Gbolahan Adebayo, for allegedly beating his girlfriend to death at Ijedodo in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident occurred during the deceased’s visit to the suspect’s house on Friday.
A resident who identified himself simply as Akin told our correspondent on Monday that the 23-year-old victim was heard screaming for help around midnight while being beaten by her boyfriend.
Akin added that Adebayo later raised the alarm at daybreak after he found out she was no longer responsive after the assault.
He said, “The girl was a regular visitor to the suspect’s home and came around as usual on Friday night. But when it was about 2 am, neighbours started hearing someone screaming and later discovered it was the suspect who was beating her girlfriend in his room. The screaming lasted at intervals for about an hour.
“After that, the screaming stopped. It was in the morning that the boyfriend started shouting for help and when the neighbours who were around at that time went to attend to him, they saw the girl lying motionless on the bed.”
A police source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to speak on the matter, said the incident was reported at the Isheri-Oshun Police Division by the suspect’s neighbour on Sunday.
The source said the girl was first taken to the hospital where she later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the incident before it was reported to the police.
“When the neighbour came, he explained that the incident happened two days ago and that efforts were first made to resuscitate the girl but she eventually passed away. As a result, a team of policemen were immediately drafted to the scene, leading to an ongoing investigation.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.
The image maker said visible marks of violence were found on the deceased’s body, adding that her corpse had been deposited in the morgue.
He said, “One neighbour reported at Isheri Osun Division that on 21/02/25 at about 2 am, he saw his neighbour, one Gbolahan Adebayo ‘m’ age 23 years beating his girlfriend aged 25 years in his home in Ijedodo for a yet-to-be-determined reason. However, at about 7 am the said Gbolahan Adebayo reportedly screamed for help and on getting to his apartment, the said girlfriend was met lying unconscious on the bed with visible marks of violence found on the body.
“She was immediately taken to a hospital in Ijegun where he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. Based on the report, a team of detectives visited the scene of the incident. The hospital was also visited, where the corpse was inspected and photographed. The corpse was evacuated and deposited at the IDH morgue, Yaba for autopsy. The suspect was promptly arrested and an investigation is in progress on the matter,” Hundeyin concluded.
A new investigation by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa has uncovered that a former Nigerian National Security Adviser purchased a 127-acre horse farm in South Carolina in 2002 using questionable funds.
According to the report published on February 24, 2025, at the time of the purchase, the ex-NSA was the head of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, responsible for printing the nation’s currency.
The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, The Post and Courier in South Carolina, and The Houston Chronicle* in Texas, reveals that the ex-NSA’s wife applied for an American investor visa using the farm purchase as a basis.
The report stated that in her application, she told U.S. officials that the funds came from a $1m lobbying contract the ex-NSA allegedly secured as head of Nigeria’s Mint to influence officials in Ghana on behalf of a Texas oil company.
The report added that the U.S. authorities rejected the visa application, citing concerns over the source of the funds, though no further action was taken against the farm.
The report partly read, “Former Nigerian National Security Adviser purchased a 127-acre horse farm in South Carolina in 2002.
“At the time, he served as the head of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting, which was charged with, among other duties, printing Nigeria’s currency.
“In an application for an American investor visa based on their million-dollar investment in the horse farm, the ex-NSA’s wife told the US government that her husband obtained the funds through a lobbying contract he had as head of Nigeria’s minting operation. She told US officials that the ex-NSA was paid USD 1 million to lobby officials in Ghana on behalf of a Texas-headquartered oil company that sought access to an offshore oil platform, which took place during the time when ex-NSA was the head of Nigeria’s Mint.
“ In rejecting the visa application, the US government raised serious questions about the source of the funds used to purchase the property. Still, there is no indication the government took any further action concerning the farm.”
The report noted that the property was transferred to the ex-NSA’s wife, adding that it is now rented out as an Airbnb and wedding venue.
“The farm, which the ex-NSA transferred into his wife’s name, includes an equestrian centre described as having 55 stalls, 16 paddocks ranging from small to large, a quarter mile track, stadium ring equipment with jumps, four horses, four barns, and trails throughout. It is now used as an Airbnb rental and wedding venue,” the report added.
HEIRS ENERGIES LEADERSHIP FORUM 2025: Public And Private Sector Leaders Unite To Drive Nigeria’s Oil Production Growth
Admin
Heirs Energies, Africa’s fastest growing indigenous integrated energy company, hosted its inaugural Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja, bringing together public and private sector leaders to accelerate Nigeria's production growth.
Heirs Holdings’ subsidiary, Heirs Energies, convened the forum, moderated by CEO of Heirs Energies, Osayande Igiehon, and which featured distinguished speakers including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Chief Commission Executive, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; Chairman, OPEC Board of Governors and CEO, First E&P, Adewale Adeyemo-Bero; Executive Vice-President Upstream, NNPC Limited, Udobong Ntia and CEO of Seplat Energy Plc, Roger Brown.
With a new administration and ambitious targets for production critical for Nigeria’s economic growth, the Dialogue provided a timely venue for private and public sectors to continue the successful interaction, that has already seen Nigeria crude production grow by 25%, since May 2023. Speakers highlighted how a series of Presidential Executive Orders had radically reshaped the operating environment and catalysed industry growth. Indigenous oil and gas companies were now responsible for more than 60% of Nigeria’s crude output and the successful indigenisation programme was delivering a bold new chapter in Nigeria’s natural resources history.
Tony Elumelu, Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Chairman of Heirs Energies, in his opening remarks, paid tribute to the catalytic role that current government had played in reinvigorating the sector. Mr Elumelu also set out Heirs Holdings’ vision of transforming Africa's energy landscape, through indigenous leadership and sustainable development. Heirs Energies, in just four years, had rapidly grown its production from 21,000 to over 50,000 barrels per day of hydrocarbon.
Mr Elumelu also welcomed both public and private sector guests, emphasising the strong spirit of collaboration that underscored the successful indigenisation:
“Production growth, ambitious and sustained, is our shared national mission. I am honoured that Heirs Energies is bringing together distinguished peers from the industry and our partners in government.
As an investor not just in resources, but in Nigeria’s power production and distribution sectors, all of us, need to come together to ensure Nigerians get the benefits of our resources. As we build Africa’s largest integrated energy business, innovation and collaboration are central to our execution”.
The dialogue affirmed Nigeria's commitment to increasing production, while maintaining environmental responsibility and leveraging gas as a transition fuel.
Speaking at the forum, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, applauded Heirs Energies for hosting this inaugural event, "Let me express our gratitude to Heirs Energies for providing this platform for meaningful industry engagement." The Minister announced Nigeria's oil production had reached 1.8 million barrels per day in January 2025 and set an ambitious target of 2.5 million barrels per day for 2025. He also reaffirmed the administration's "drill or drop" policy to accelerate production growth.
The Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue, which will become an annual event, brought together key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including MD of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Osagie Okunbor; Managing Director of Aradel Holdings, Adegbite Falade and industry veteran and founder of Platform Petroleum & Managing Director A.A Holdings, Austin Avuru, among others.
NUPRC Chief Executive, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, empahsised the dialogues significance in advancing the sectors objectives, "I thank Heirs Energies for this beautiful initiative of putting together the Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue as a commitment to achieving our national objective in the upstream sector." He highlighted the surge in active drilling rigs to 38, with projections to reach 50 by March 2025.
OPEC Board of Governors Chairman for Nigeria and CEO, First E&P, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, commended the forum's timing, noting "It's apt. It's early in the year and it's about how we grow production. That's why you see all of us participating." He shared how indigenous operators have successfully increased production, citing his company's achievement of 57,000 barrels per day from previously untapped fields.
Heirs Energies CEO, Osa Igiehon, reinforced this perspective, showcasing Heirs Energies’ impact in Nigeria’s onshore sector. "Our success at Heirs Energies demonstrates what's possible in Nigeria's onshore sector, through our Brownfield Excellence Strategy, robust security measures, and genuine community partnership," he said. "By tripling our producing wells to over 100, we've shown how indigenous operators can efficiently unlock value while ensuring sustainable development of host communities."
The Petroleum Industry Leadership Dialogue also exemplified Heirs Energies’ commitment to Mr Elumelu’s Africapitalism, the private sector's transformative role in driving Africa's economic and social development through strategic, long-term investments hinged on partnership and collaboration.
Heirs Energies Limited is Africa's leading indigenous-owned integrated energy company, committed to meeting Africa's unique energy needs while aligning with global sustainability goals. With a strong focus on innovation, environmental responsibility, and community development, Heirs Energies leads in the evolving energy landscape and contributes to a more prosperous Africa. Heirs Energies is a key implementor of Heirs Holdings integrated energy strategy, Africa’s largest integrated energy business, whose objective is to ensure Africans benefit directly from their continent’s resources.
HEIRS ENERGIES LEADERSHIP FORUM 2025
L-R: CCE, NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe; CEO, Heirs Energies, Osa Igiehon; Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri; Founder/Chairman, Heirs Holdings and Chairman Heirs Energies, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR; OPEC Board of Governors Chairman for Nigeria & CEO, First E&P, Ademola Adeyemi-Bero; CEO, Seplat Energy, Roger Brown and Executive Vice President, Upstream, NNPC Limited, Udobong Ntia, at the Heirs Energies' Nigeria Petroleum Industry Discourse which held at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
MultiChoice Nigeria has announced an increase in the cost of subscriptions for its DStv and GOtv packages.
The increase comes nearly one year after MultiChoice hiked its subscription rates.
In an email to customers seen by TheCable on Monday, the pay-TV firm said the new rates would take effect from March 1.
MultiChoice said its rationale behind the price increase is due to the rise in the cost of business operations.
“Due to prevalent economic factors leading to increased operational costs, we have unavoidably had to adjust the prices of our DStv and GOtv subscription packages,” MultiChoice said.
“We understand the impact this change may have on our valued partners, and we have only taken this step after careful consideration and in-depth analysis.
“It has always been our mission to offer the best entertainment to our esteemed customers and we are committed to continue delivering high quality content and unparalleled service to our viewers across Nigeria.”
According to the pay-TV firm, from March 1, customers on the DStv premium bouquet will no longer pay N37,000 but N44,500 and those on Compact+ would pay N30,000 – up from N25,000.
Customers on Compact bouquet will pay N19,000 — up from N17,000.
To subscribe to Confam, Yanga, and Padi packages, customers will pay N11,000, N6,000, and N4,000 – up from N9,300, N5,100, and N3,600 respectively
MultiChoice also said GOtv Supa+ subscribers will pay N16,800 as against the old price of N15,700.
Similarly, subscribers on the GOtv Supa package are expected to pay N11,400 contrast to the N9,600; while customers on the GOtv Max bouquet will pay N8,500 instead of N7,200.
The company added that GOtv Jolli package will now cost N5,800 and no longer N4,850.
MultiChoice said the price of the GOtv Jinja and Smallie packages would rise from N3,300 and N1,575 to N3,900 and N1,900, respectively.
Omowunmi, the wife of the late singer Mohbad, has stated that Joseph Aloba, her father-in-law, is fully aware that Liam, her son with Mohbad, is indeed his grandchild.
In an interview snippet with BBC Pidgin that started trending on Monday, Omowunmi asserted that Aloba is “100% sure” of Liam’s paternity.
She added that she agreed to the DNA test to clear the “lies circulating in the media, not to prove anything to her father-in-law”.
Expressing her grief, she shared how much she misses her late husband, especially as their son recently started school—a milestone that deepened her sense of loss.
“I miss my husband with everything. My child started school and they wanted to write his name. And they wrote to Mr and Mrs Aloba. I remember him from every angle of my life. You know I have a child for him,” she said in Pidgin-English,” she said.
“…I want to do the DNA for the media that has been fed with lies, not my father-in-law. Because left to me, he is 101% sure that the child is his (Mohbad) son.”
Last week, Omowunmi also opened up about her love story with Mohbad, revealing that they first connected on the social networking platform 2go when she was just 13 and he was 15.
Mohbad passed away on September 12, 2023, and was buried the next day. However, on September 21, his body was exhumed by the police for an autopsy.
Aloba has insisted that Mohbad will not be reburied until a DNA test confirms Liam’s paternity. However, Mohbad’s mother, Abosede, has accused Aloba of deliberately delaying the test.
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Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), Nigeria’s former military president has shared a story how he married his wife, Maryam.
He also revealed that he was the one that converted her to Islam.
He opened up about his marriage to his late wife Maryam in his newly released autobiography.
The book, titled ‘A Journey in Service‘, was launched on Thursday. The event also featured a fundraiser for his presidential library.
In the memoir, Babangida said he first met Maryam, formerly Maria Okogwu, during their younger years in Kaduna.
He said at the time, they were both living in the unmarried officers’ quarters on Kanta Road.
The former military ruler said he was immediately drawn to Maryam’s striking beauty, and their friendship blossomed over time.
IBB said despite his training stints abroad, including in India and the United Kingdom, their bond endured.
The 83-year-old statesman said he would often visit Maryam at the home of his close friend and cousin Garba Duba, whose father was fond of him.
He said the connection allowed him to spend more time with Maryam and their friendship continued to grow.
“I first met Maria Okogwu (as she then was). As young officers, we shared digs in the unmarried officer’s quarters by Kanta Road in Kaduna, and I was now seeing more of Maria,” he wrote.
“She was stunning. Her ebony beauty set off enchanting eyes, and her dazzling smile showed off a lovely set of teeth; when she smiled – and she often smiled – her face lit up, and her eyes danced. Duba was as much a brother as a cousin to her, and, on the back of that, I often saw Maria at Duba’s house and when she visited us at Kanta Road.
“I was very fond of Maria, and she, eventually, of me. There was more than an element of predestination in our relationship.
“It was at NMTC that I began to notice Maria more. Duba’s father was fond of me, so I was mindful that my bonds with the family meant that I had to be more cautious than usual, a factor that synced with my natural shyness.
“She and I remained friends and maintained that friendship through my early years in the army, which included sojourns abroad for training in India and the United Kingdom.”
IBB recalled how his near-death experience at age 28 sparked his desire to get married. He said after being shot in battle, he was left with a piece of shrapnel lodged in the right side of his chest.
The former head of state said while receiving treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Idi-Araba, Lagos, he felt a sense of urgency to settle down.
IBB added that as his parents’ only surviving male child, he felt the weight of responsibility to start a family and secure his legacy.
“This was the first time I recall seriously thinking it was time to find a wife as a life partner. I was 28, and it seemed to me that it was time to settle down,” he wrote.
“While I was in the hospital, the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Yakubu Gowon, had gotten married to his lovely wife, Victoria, with much pomp and military pageantry.
“I cannot deny that their marriage and the accompanying ceremony further focused my mind on getting married myself.
“Lying in my hospital bed, I had lots of time to run through the various relationships I had had and try to decide which of them would best stand the test of time. Time and again, Maria Okogwu kept popping into my mind with her ageless beauty and enchanting smile.
“I had settled on Maria as the woman I would wed before being discharged from the hospital, and as soon as I was discharged, I made my way to Kaduna, where she lived with her mother and uncle. I was anxious to share the good news with her: I had decided we were destined for a life together. I admired her greatly for her reserved nature and the fact that she was well brought up.
“I wanted to make my intentions known to her and was determined not to accept No for an answer. Fortune favours the bold, and it smiled upon me; I counted and still count myself lucky. Initially, Maria was highly sceptical of me as marrying material.
“She knew that I had a track record of being something of a man about town, and those were not the qualities she wanted in a husband. She was unconvinced of my capacity to be serious, and many people said as much to her.”
IBB said with the support of Muhammadu King, Garba Duba’s father, he was able to win Maryam’s heart.
He revealed that his faith was an integral part of his life so he asked her to convert from Christianity to Islam.
Babangida said he also promised Maryam that he would not take multiple wives, a practice he had seen cause turmoil in other families.
“I shared with her the fact that my faith was an integral and essential part of my life and that I would require her to convert to Islam,” he said.
“Praise be to Allah; this was not a difficult decision for Maria. Being part-Christian and part-Muslim at birth and already living in a Muslim household, it was never going to be wholly uncharted territory for her.
“She adapted with relative ease to married life as a Muslim. In proposing to Maria, I assured her that, though a Muslim, I did not intend to take multiple wives and bring up children from different women. I knew full well that my chances of a stable family life would be significantly improved if I avoided polygamy. I had witnessed close up – both among professional colleagues and in my extended family – the headaches and heartaches this led to, and that was not the life I wanted to live or to share with her.”
Maryam died from ovarian cancer in a Los Angeles hospital on December 27, 2009, at the age of 61.
Babangida said coping without her had not been easy, but the memories of their life together provided solace.
IBB married Mariam on September 6, 1969. They have four children together — Aisha, Muhammad, Aminu, and Halima.
Eniola Ojajuni, the abducted national president of the Afenifere Youth Council, has pleaded for financial help to pay the ransom demanded by his kidnappers.
In videos circulating on social media, Ojajuni is seen sitting on the ground while a gunman points an AK-47 rifle at him.
Appearing distressed, Ojajuni appealed to Nigerians, particularly those from the Ilaje area of Ondo state, to contribute towards his release.
Ojajuni said he has been given a 24-hour deadline, warning that his captors have threatened to kill him if the ransom is not paid.
“Nigerians, please help me! Your donation, N100,000, N50,000, or N1,000,000, will go a long way to save my life. My name is Prince Eniola Ojajuni. God bless you. Aderohunmu, please help me spread this video,” he said.
His abduction was first announced by Abiodun Aderohunmu, national secretary of the Afenifere Youth Council.
Aderohunmu said Ojajuni was kidnapped on February 17, 2025, in Abuja and sustained a gunshot wound to his buttock.
“The Afenifere National Youths Council is deeply saddened to announce the kidnapping of its National President, Prince Eniola Joseph Ojajuni, in Abuja, Nigeria,” Aderohunmu said.
He added that the kidnappers have demanded N100 million for Ojajuni’s release.
MultiChoice, the pay TV company, is set to increase the monthly subscription rate of its DStv Compact bouquet from N15,700 to N19,000, industry sources have told TheCable.
This is coming almost one year after its last price review.
The fall in the value of the naira along with increased energy costs have been blamed for upward price reviews across across telecommunications, transportation and consumer goods in general.
Subscribers to Compact, Access and Family bouquets form the bulk of MultiChoice subscribers.
Family and Access bouquets may have their tariffs reviewed from N9,300 to N11,000 and N5,100 to N6,000 respectively.
Meanwhile, the two highest-priced bouquets, Premium and Compact+, will also be affected by the rate review.
GOtv Value customers, who currently pay N3,600, will start paying N3,900, while the tariff on GOtv Plus will rise from N4,850 to N5,800, sources further told TheCable.
“Since 2023, when the federal government began its economic reforms of fuel subsidy removal, naira floatation and electricity tariff increase among others, prices of goods and services have almost quadrupled, with the inflation rate at 34.80 per cent as at December, 2024,” an industry source said, adding that businesses have been forced to increase prices, with some doing so as many as three times last year.
Many companies have posted huge losses arising from foreign exchange instability.
How a woman who made me stumble during a program in U.S got pregnant – Oyedepo opens up to his congregation
AFOLABI
Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of Living Faith Church, widely known as Winners’ Chapel, recently revealed a remarkable testimony that left his congregation in awe.
He disclosed how a woman in the United States conceived simply by tripping him during a church program.
Addressing his congregation, Oyedepo recounted the incident, highlighted the woman’s unwavering faith in her quest for a miracle.
According to him, the woman had struggled with infertility for years and saw the church program as a rare opportunity to change her story. He revealed that she strategically positioned herself, maneuvered through the tight security surrounding him, and at the perfect moment, intentionally tripped into him.
The act, he said, was not accidental but a deliberate move rooted in her belief that a touch could ignite her miracle.
Following the encounter, Oyedepo disclosed that the woman went home and boldly declared to her husband that she had conceived. Her husband, taken aback by her sudden assertion, questioned how she could be so certain.
However, according to the cleric, the woman’s conviction was unshaken. She believed that the divine touch had already set things in motion, and her faith became her reality.
Nine months later, Oyedepo revealed, the woman gave birth, solidified her belief that faith had played a crucial role in her conception.
The revelation sent waves through the congregation, online world, drew gasps, intrigue, and a renewed sense of awe.