
FEATURES
The owner of Ibadan-based broadcasting station, Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, has perfected his bail conditions and has been released from Agodi Correctional Centre, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The broadcaster regained freedom with his co-accused, including Ooni of Ife’s ex-queen, Naomi Silekunola, and the principal of Islamic High School, Bashorun, Abdulahi Fasasi.
They were all remanded over their alleged involvement in the Ibadan stampede that resulted in the deaths of 35 children in December 2024.
Giving a ruling on his bail application on Monday, Justice K. B. Olawoyin admitted the suspects to bail with a bond of ₦10 million each and two sureties in like sums.
However, Hamzat, after regaining his freedom on Tuesday, was received by a mammoth crowd at his broadcasting station, where he was captured in tears while addressing the people.
He told the crowd, “Oriyomi is back. At this time, I am in a moment of silence. Thank you very much.”
Recall that the Oyo State Government filed an 18-count criminal charge against Silekunola, Hamzat and Fasasi after the tragic incident.
The case, which was filed on Friday, January 10, 2025, at the State High Court, is marked with charge number I/05C/2025.
The trio were accused of offences including conspiracy to commit murder, manslaughter, criminal negligence, and other related charges.
The charge sheet obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday revealed that the accused individuals failed to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities during the ill-fated funfair event held at the Islamic High School.
Their alleged negligence led to a stampede, resulting in the deaths of 35 children, with 14 victims identified in court documents.
The prosecution accused the defendants of conspiring to commit acts of criminal negligence, contrary to Section 517 of the Criminal Code, CAP 38, Vol II, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
According to the charge sheet, the trio “Did negligently omit to provide adequate security, crowd control mechanisms, and medical facilities, resulting in the death of Musiliu Sofiat, aged 8, and 34 other children.”
As we step into the new year, fraudsters are not taking a break from their schemes to exploit unsuspecting victims. From phishing attempts to fake websites and giveaway scams, their tactics are becoming more sophisticated.
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- Keep Your Password Confidential: Never share your account password with anyone, including family and friends.
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But as always, you can contact our customer support team via support@palmpay.com.
[TheCable]
A day after her election, the new Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, on Tuesday, visited members of the Governor’s Advisory Council, GAC, for their blessings”.
Meranda told newsmen she went to “brief them about what happened at the House of Assembly yesterday (Monday) and to seek their blessings, which we have gotten”.
The endorsement came just as Meranda, sought the cooperation and support of the council members to succeed.
GAC, created by President Bola Tinubu, is the highest decision-making body of the party on the state.
GAC’s endorsement was given when Meranda and some key principal officers met at Lagos House, Marina.
Speaking to newsmen after a closed-door meeting, the Speaker said: “We briefed the GAC about what happened at the state House of Assembly and to seek their blessings which we have gotten.”
Meanwhile, the GAC, led by Tajudeen Olusi, declined to brief the press.
However, it was gathered that the state governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, left Nigeria on Monday night for an official event.
Recall that former Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, who is currently abroad, was impeached by members of the House of Assembly on Monday (yesterday) over various misconducts and financial misappropriations.
[Opinion Nigeria]
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will any moment from now announce a new tariff regime for the telecommunications sector, that will see costs of data, voice, and SMS services go up.
This follows years of agitation and advocacy by telecom operators for a review of the current tariff regime, which was last adjusted in 2013.
The operators cited the astronomical rise in cost operations fueled by the forex crisis and the rising inflation in the country as justification for an increment in telecom tariffs.
According to them, players across all sectors of the economy have adjusted their prices in line with the economic realities, except telecoms where the regulator has withheld the approval for such a move.
However, after a meeting with the telecom companies in Abuja last week, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, announced that the government was willing to shift ground and allow price increments in the interest of the industry’s sustainability.
But the Minister was unequivocal in dismissing the 100% increment requested by the telecom operators
Cost of data in Nigeria and other markets compared
While the NCC has yet to reveal the percentage increment to be implemented, the general perception in the industry is that Nigeria currently has one of the lowest telecom tariffs in Africa, especially for data, hence, the operators want an increment that will be commensurate with what obtains in other markets.
- Based on the latest data released by the International Telecommunications Union, a comparative analysis of the cost of 2GB of data in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana, reveals that Nigeria indeed has the lowest cost.
- According to the ITU’s ICT Services Affordability Report 2023, the cost of 2GB data in Nigeria is $2.35, whereas the same costs $2.66 in Ghana.
- In Kenya, a 2GB data package costs $2.92, while in South Africa, the same package goes for $7.98, but still not the highest on the continent as Zimbabweans pay the highest cost for data at $10.23 per 2GB.
Similarly, a worldwide data pricing report published by cable.co.uk ranked Nigeria as one of the countries with the cheapest price for 1GB of data in the world. Globally, Nigeria ranked 31 out of 237 countries with Israel ranking as number one with an average of 1GB of data at $0.02.
According to the report, the average cost of 1GB of data in Nigeria is $0.39 and it is the cheapest in the West African region.
Economic imperatives
As Nigeria is preparing to review telecom tariffs which will bring the cost of data up to the same level as some other African countries and possibly surpass others, it is also imperative to look at the economic power of the subscribers.
For instance, a look at the GDP Per Capita of each of the four countries shows that Nigeria also has the lowest GDP Per Capita compared to South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya.
GDP per capita is a measure of a country’s average income, calculated by dividing its gross domestic product (GDP) by its population and it is often used to compare the standard of living between countries.
- In that regard, South Africa, which currently has one of the most expensive data on the continent is an Upper-Middle Income country according to the World Bank with the country’s GDP Per Capita at $15,194.2 as of 2023.
- Similarly, Ghana, a lower-middle-income country has a GDP Per Capita that is far above Nigeria’s at 7,543.0.
- Kenya, though in the same lower-middle-income economy category as Nigeria, has a higher GDP Per Capita per the World Bank’s 2023 data at 6,307.2
- The World Bank put Nigeria’s GDP Per Capita for 2023 at 6,207.4, which is the lowest among the four countries compared.
Justifications for increment
For telecommunications operators in Nigeria, there are more then enough reasons to increase tariffs for voice, data, and SMS services, and not just a slight adjustment but 100% increment.
According to the CEO of Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Dinesh Balsingh, telecom tariffs in Nigeria have remained static despite the dramatic increase in operating expenses, which have surged by over 300% in the last 18 to 24 months alone.
Balsinghsaid the increments are critical for maintaining high-quality services and enabling further advancements in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
- Sharing the same sentiment as Airtel’s CEO, Toriola said the telecom industry is now facing a sustainability threat that must be addressed through a tariff review.
- While emphasising that telecommunications is a fundamental human right and a critical element for driving an economy, Toriola noted that without a sustainable industry, the economy and the well-being of Nigerians will suffer.
- He highlighted how inflation, foreign exchange devaluation, and rising energy prices have drastically increased operational expenses for telecom operators.
- According to him, diesel costs have risen from pre-COVID levels of N230 to over N1,000 per liter.
- The official exchange rate has shifted from N424.50 to about N1,550 at the end of 2024, drastically increasing the cost of importing critical infrastructure like base stations, which now cost nearly four times more than they did two years ago.
[Nairametrics]
Counsel to the late Deputy Inspector General of Police, Moses Ambakina Jitoboh, Silas Onu, has said the late officer did not reach the Inspector General status because of former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Solomon Arase.
Naija News reported that the Late Jitoboh sued the PSC for his compulsory retirement. While he, unfortunately, died on Thursday, 27 December 2024; the Court, on Monday, ruled in his favour and granted his prayers.
“Today (Monday), DIG Moses A. Jitoboh wins his case against the Police Service Commission. Reinstated with effect from the date of his purported compulsory retirement and awarded 50m in general damages. Having passed on to glory, it is now official that he died in active duty to his fatherland,” Onu wrote on his X handle.
Some reports on the court victory, however, attributed the late officer’s sack to President Bola Tinubu and the current IGP of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. The reports wrongly claimed Jitoboh was sacked to pave the way for Egbetokun.
In a statement, on Tuesday, Onu clarified that the sack of the former aide-de-camp (ADC) to former President Goodluck Jonathan had nothing to do with Tinubu and Egbetokun.
According to him, the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi and IGP Egbetokun ensured justice was done in the case.
“I can state clearly here now that President Bola Tinubu and the IGP of Police had no hands in his sad compulsory retirement.
“It was 100% the handiwork of former IGP Solomon Arase as the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) which exercises control over all Police Officers, with the exception of the Inspector General of Police.
“The reason for his action was personal and very mundane and he was sacked by President Bola Tinubu upon our complaint through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
“As a matter of fact, the IGP ensured that the Police played no role whatsoever in the trial as they refused to cooperate with the PSC to fabricate lies against Moses,” he said.
Jitobonh’s counsel further disclosed that the current PSC Chairman, Hashimu Argungu, was against his client’s sack.
Onu explained that the President was unable to act on the issue because it was already in court.
“The new Chairman of the PSC, from my discussions with Moses, also was against the action taken by Arase and like the IGP, hoped to receive Moses back in the Force after the judgment. They both were talking with him before he passed. In fact, he stated that the IGP had a special place for him when he returns to the Police.
“The President could not act as we were already in Court, so the AGF said we should wait for the outcome and the government will respect whatever decision reached.
“So, it is not correct to mischaracterize their entire unfortunate events by saying it was done to favour the IGP. Recall that other DIGs retired along with Moses did not challenge the act because they all had less than 5 months to leave the Force, while Moses had 7 years then.
“If any President was unkind to Moses, it was Muhammadu Buhari who signed the Police Act, 2020 into law and flouted its provisions twice, simply to deny Moses his privileged lawful promotion to the office of IGP,” he added.
[NaijaNews]
Controversial Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly called Portable has condemned comparisons of his facial tattoos to those of his colleague Ahmed Ololade, also known as Asake.
Asake’s new look sparked reactions amongst fans after showing off his shaved face and new facial tattoos, which include dollar signs and “Believe” inscriptions, among others, in an Instagram post on Sunday.
Netizens had likened the Ololade master’s new look to that of Portable’s because of their facial tattoos.
Portable was not pleased with the comparisons, expressing his dissatisfaction with a frown and asserting that he resembles American rapper Lil Wayne more.
In a video message posted on his social media, he stated, “Don’t compare me to Asake. I don’t look like Asake. I look like Lil Wayne. Stop comparing me to an overrated artist,” he said angrily.
[Leadership]
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has described the removal of petrol subsidy as a direct blessing to state governments.
The governor said this during the inspection of some projects to celebrate the first year of his second term.
He said more money now accrues to the coffers of state governments for the development.
“In reconciling the negative effects of the fuel subsidy removal and the benefits in terms of socio-infrastructure, social benefits, and then the ease of doing business occasioned by the provision of the enabling infrastructure, I think it is a blessing.”
“It is a direct blessing, it is not a disguise to the sub-nationals because more monies are now coming to states and state governments must do things to show citizens that they are able to do these things because they now get more monies as a result of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.”
Uzodimma is not the first governor to make such claim.
Last year, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State asked Nigerians to hold governors to account over the improved allocation from the federation account.
Sule stated this while answering questions during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
He said that people were suffering, urging them to ask their state governors what they were doing with the improved revenues from the federal government.
Sule had said, “Most of the time people are looking at some of the hard economic decisions the president has taken. That is his own style. Two decisions taken are bringing these economic reforms.
“One, is the subsidy removal and the second is the floating of the forex. These are the two major policies people keep on complaining about. And people are asking where the money is. The money is there. It is being given to various people and places and coming to the people in different ways.
“That is why I give you an example of what we are doing in Nasarawa. Yes, there is going to be difficulties; but instead of just looking at the federal government let the people hold every state governor responsible. What are you doing with the improved revenue you are getting? Until every state governor comes back and says we are doing this and that.
“President Tinubu doesn’t have land anywhere. The lands belong to the state. He can’t go and do agriculture anywhere, for example. They have already started construction of highways from Badagry to Calabar. The one from Calabar is coming to Abuja and the one from Badagry going to Sokoto State. There are many of them.
“The federal government would continue to do its own part. The same improved revenue the states have seen is the same improved revenue local governments see. The local governments in Nasarawa State when they receive their own after the FEC meeting they are getting 100% increase in their revenue. They used to receive N2.2 billion. Today they receive more than N4 billion. Local governments in Nasarawa do not owe anybody salary. They have some savings.”
The Joint Committee on Livestock Development of the Senate and House of Representatives has rejected the 2025 budgetary provision of N11.8 billion for the takeoff of the newly established Federal Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee chairman, Sen. Musa Mustapha said lawmakers are aware of enormous challenges associated with taking off a ministry, hence, they will look into the budget with a view to re-adjust it.
The Federal Government had proposed a budget of N10 billion for capital expenditure and N1.8 billion for overhead in the 2025 budget of the ministry which commenced activities about three months ago.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha who appeared before the joint committee with officials of the agency listed numerous challenges confronting the ministry, stating that structures are still being put together.
He said: “The take off process is ongoing with necessary structures being put together from formative departments from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
“We are yet to have office accommodation,” he said.
Wale Raji, Chairman House Committee on Livestock Development, queried the amount of input from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the take – off of the ministry.
“There will be need for you to make special presentation on this or come up with supplementary budget that will reflect the hope of Nigerians.
“The budget is abysmally low to respond to the yearnings of Nigerians,” he said.
[DailyPost]
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Folashade Arinola Adekaiyaoja, as the Deputy Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The approval, the first of its kind by any President, it was gathered, seeks to revise the agency’s structure for better efficiency.
This, it was learnt, is in line with the original organogram of the Service.
Checks revealed that the DSS is structured to comprise three Deputy Directors General in its hierarchy.
The appointment and ratification by the President was based on the recommendation of the DG, through the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, The Nation learnt.
“It is line with its extant regulations and unprecedented in the history of the Secret Service,” a source said
The appointment of Adekaiyaoja, a native of Kogi state was celebrated by a cross section of officers and operatives who see her as eminently qualified for the position, it was learnt.
It was further gathered that President Tinubu had, in line with his promise to improve on the security of life and property of Nigerians, tasked the heads of security agencies to come up with proposals on how to improve on their service delivery.
“It was on this note that the President approved the DG’s recommendation, which many serving and retired officers are confident would boost career progression in the Service,” the source said.
President Tinubu had at the the investiture ceremony of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 graduates last December, promised to support the DSS and other security agencies with Artificial Intelligence- powered state-of-the-art equipment to combat insecurity across the country.
Speaking through the NSA, the president stated that he was not oblivious of the security challenges in contemporary times, and charged all security agencies to synergize for the common good of Nigerians.
The DSS Director-General, Mr. Oluwastosin Ajayi, had on assumption of office late August 2024, promised sweeping reforms in the Organization, which he assured would transform the DSS into one of the most efficient covert Security Agencies in the world.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has stated that documents signed by his predecessor, Hadi Sirika, indicate that a foreign airline would have taken over Nigeria Air.
In a viral video, Keyamo exposed some pages of the documents, explaining parts of the deed of agreements signed by Sirika and the Ethiopian government.
He insisted that the Nigerian government had no regrets about ending the agreement with Ethiopian Airlines over Nigeria Air, stressing that the country cannot give its aviation ecosystem to another entity.
Keyamo said, “You will be shocked if you look at this agreement. What it simply says is that a foreign government should come and take over our national carrier. Ethiopian Air was the single major shareholder in that deal. It is the same thing they did in Togo with Asky. We cannot be Togo. We are big and ambitious.
“We cannot give up our aviation ecosystem to another entity. What would have happened is that the Ethiopian government would now be the complete beneficiary of all our Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) routes.
“A national carrier has first priority over all the BASA routes we have negotiated all over the world. If we give them all the routes we have suffered to negotiate, where will all those profits go? It is not Nigeria.”
This comes as Keyamo explained that Nigeria did not lose any foreign direct investment by not agreeing to the terms of Nigeria Air.
He said what the Ethiopian government was going to do was to get wet-lease aircraft and fly them as national carriers, with all the profits going to Addis Ababa.
The CEO of Nigeria Air would have been an Ethiopian, the financial officer Ethiopian, the director of operations Ethiopian, and all other key positions would have been reserved for foreigners. That is not a national carrier.
“In the document, it also says the people that will run Nigeria Air will not pay any tax to the Nigerian government. They are not also building any investments in the country. The documents also say Nigeria will be the guarantor of any loss they suffer here,” Keyamo further explained.
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A prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has alleged that there are efforts to transform the party into a subsidiary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP made this remark on Tuesday, January 14, while appearing as a guest on Arise TV’s Morning Show.
Ologbondiyan stated that the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, is unlawfully occupying his position.
Ologbondiyan’s comments were made in light of external influences that he believes are attempting to undermine the party.
He emphasized that while Damagum hails from the Northeast, there is a desire within the Northcentral region for the National Chairman position to revert to their area.
According to Ologbondiyan: “Like a proverb said, if there is no spilt on the wall, the lizard can’t come in, so definitely there will be issues in the party, but how much these issues are managed is one side, and how external influences come into them to finally disrupt and reduce the party to nothing else is also there.
“There are issues in the party. In the case of the National Chairman, the Northcentral believes that the position should return to them. Damagum is from the Northeast, and he is occupying that position.
“No matter how long he continues to stay there, Damagum is staying there illegitimately. It’s an issue in the party.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asserted that the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, is desperate for recognition, and the party is not losing sleep over his political romance with the camp of ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and the Social Democratic Party, (SDP).
Recalls that El-Rufai, a prominent APC chieftain, held a closed-door meeting with the SDP leadership and some allies of Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The meeting, which took place at the national secretariat of the SDP, also had Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer of General Sani Abacha and a former spokesman of Atiku Abubakar, Segun Showunmi, among others.
Although the agenda was not made public, there were speculations that El-Rufai was aligning with the major opposition figures to oust President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
However, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Musa Gabam, dismissed reports suggesting an alliance between the party, Atiku Abubakar or El-Rufai.
Gabam, during an appearance on TVC’s Politics Today, categorically stated that there had been no discussions about forming alliances with political figures or parties.
Reacting to the development, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South-East), Ijeoma Arodiogbu, in an interview with Punch, said the ruling party was not worried over the moves by the opposition figures.
Arodiogbu stated that after the 2023 election, El-Rufai has displayed himself as someone who cannot be trusted across the regions of the country.
He argued that the controversial reforms that the opposition may be planning to campaign with are currently yielding the desired results Nigerians anticipated.
The APC chieftain also said Nigerians are beginning to understand Tinubu’s reforms and cannot afford to surrender the leadership to desperate politicians whose sole interest is state capture.
He said, “As it is in the Bible, surely they shall gather and they shall scatter. We are not worried that they are gathering because they will definitely scatter. We are not worried about what El-Rufai does next. We know that his trajectory in politics is highly disturbed now.
“After our election (in 2023), he displayed himself as a man who cannot be trusted across the regions. The way he disparaged Christians in Nigeria, a secular society, has made him a leper. Nobody goes anywhere close to him. El-Rufai is just desperate for recognition now and I wonder why the media is giving him that attention.
“We are not worried about the unholy alliance because it will amount to nothing. It is just a gathering of disgruntled people trying to lick their wounds. Tinubu remains the president and there is nobody that can stop him in 2027.
“So we are not worried about El-Rufai and their union. When 2027 comes, what will they use to campaign to Nigerians? Will you tell them that you plan to reintroduce fuel subsidy? Not possible. We are already bouncing back to the days of glory. They have seen that the forest is stabilised, and the people are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
“People are now beginning to understand the essence of all the reforms he (President Bola Tinubu) has implemented. Did you read where they reported that PMS is likely to sell at N500 before the middle of this year? You can see that the benefits and gains of the policy reforms implemented by the President are beginning to yield fruit.
“That is because we have allowed the market forces to determine the price and taken off the pressure that fuel subsidy has on our economy and currency. We are now looking at exporting fuel outside Nigeria. That is a massive gain for Nigeria. I am telling you that we have hope for a very brighter tomorrow for Nigeria.”
The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has expressed that the federal government’s removal of the petrol subsidy is advantageous for state governments.
During a project inspection in Imo State on Monday, January 13, commemorating the first anniversary of his second term, the governor noted that the removal of the subsidy has resulted in increased financial resources for state governments, facilitating their developmental initiatives.
Uzodimma emphasized the importance of state governments demonstrating their capability to the public, as they now receive enhanced allocations due to subsidy removal.
He said, “In reconciling the negative effects of the fuel subsidy removal and the benefits in terms of socio-infrastructure, social benefits, and then the ease of doing business occasioned by the provision of the enabling infrastructure, I think it is a blessing.
“It is a direct blessing, it is not a disguise to the sub-nationals because more monies are now coming to states and state governments must do things to show citizens that they are able to do these things because they now get more monies as a result of the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government.”
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, North West Zone, Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, has stated that the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of naira was necessary so the nation could save more funds.
He stated that the money saved From President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies is being diverted into developmental projects like infrastructure, agriculture, health and other critical sectors of the society.
Yakasai argued that the effect of fuel subsidy removal is gradually manifesting positively to the advantage of Nigerians.
He stated this while flagging off the distribution of rice palliative to residents of Nassarawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
According to him, “The hardship, yes, is caused by the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira, but these are programs that Mr President took a bold step because since the inception of this democracy from 1999 to date, we have been giving out this subsidy and it’s only going to the few.
“So Mr President took this bold step because we need to save more funds as we are doing now so that we can do other things, other developmental projects like infrastructure, like in agriculture, health and other critical sectors of the society. So we were so surprised that within all these years, none of this refinery has come on board. But within this administration of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we’ve seen Port Harcourt Refinery come on board.
“For years, our refineries were down and they have started working today which means they refused to repair the refineries. How much is the price for petrol now? It is dropping down by the day.
“This is a remarkable feat and it’s making its production at 60 per cent capacity. Just two weeks ago, the GMD of NNPC, Mele Kyari, also came out to say that the Warri Refinery is running and he has taken media houses, he has taken you people there, he has taken well-meaning Nigerians there to go and verify. So these are all things to tell you that His Excellency President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is so determined to make sure he turns around the fortune of this country.”
Popular Nollywood actress, Stella Damasus has disclosed that her family’s name was initially Ojukwu before the Nigerian civil war.
She said this during an interview with popular media personality, Ebuka Obi Uchendu.
While reacting to the mistake people make with her name, ‘Damasus’, she explained that her grandfather’s name ‘Ojukwu’ was changed during the civil war to avoid being attacked.
The actress stated that her family’s name was assumed to be related to the late Biafran war general, Ojukwu.
Ebuka said; ” It was interesting that so many people didn’t even understand that your surname was not what it was. So many people were shocked at the revelation, are you as shocked as a lot of people were?”
Stella responded; “Damasus is my granddaughter’s first name. It’s a Greek name. My original surname was Ojukwu but that changed during the Biafran war when my people were attacked in Asaba because they thought it was the same Ojukwu.
“I was born into Damasus, and when I asked why, that was the reason they gave me.”