Famous English singer, Ed Sheeran has shared how being a musician affected his sexual life.
The 33-year-old multiple Grammy-winning singer said he would have been a virgin if he wasn’t singing.
He stated this in a recent video message shared via his Instagram account.
“If I wasn’t a musician, I’d be a virgin,” he shared.
Sheeran’s first publicly known relationship was with Scottish singer, Nina Nesbitt in 2012.
Nesbitt is the subject of Sheeran’s songs ‘Nina’ and ‘Photograph’.
In 2014, Sheeran was in a relationship with Athina Andrelos but they broke up in February 2015.
She is the inspiration of his song ‘Thinking Out Loud’.
In July 2015, Sheeran began a relationship with childhood friend, Cherry Seaborn.
They announced their engagement in January 2018 and were married a year later.
Cherry is the inspiration of Sheeran’s song ‘Perfect’.
The couple welcomed their first daughter in 2020 and their second daughter on 19 May, 2022.
[DailyPost]
- British High Commission, Otti celebrate Nobel Laureate at 90
Nobel Laureate and global literary icon, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has advised youths to add value to nation-building through deliberate and intentional effort in art and creative innovations.
The Nobel Laureate spoke at an event organised in his honour by the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos State in collaboration with the Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange (WSICE) on his 90th birthday.
He said: “Young people can significantly contribute to nation-building by cultivating the habit of curiosity. It begins with questioning and looking beyond the surface of things, which leads to creating alternative perspectives and innovative solutions. Young Nigerians aspiring to make a difference must also recognise the importance of building a supportive team that shares their vision.
“Understanding community responsibility and leveraging collective skills can transform simple ideas into impactful innovations. Always remember that individual and collective curiosity, supported by a nurturing community, leads to meaningful contributions.”
Tagged: A Creative Evening with Wole Soyinka, the event, which held at the British Deputy High Commissioner’s residence in Lagos, brought together public officials, corporate executives, diplomats, youth leaders and others.
The dignitaries interacted with the Nobel Laureate as he shared his ideas about good governance and nation-building.
The event featured youth creative expressions in poetry, fine art, music, fashion and cultural displays.
There was also a captivating fireside chat tagged: “Youth Engagement towards Nation-Building and Good Governance” during the event.
An opening of the “NINE Seasons of Wole Soyinka” exhibition, which spanned the laureate’s illustrious legacy from 1934 to the present time, highlighted his contributions to art, culture, humanity, youth development and the struggle for freedom and justice.
Each of the nine paintings symbolised a different aspect of Soyinka’s life and work, reflecting his brilliance and establishing him as a global icon.
British Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter said the Nigerian art has the potential to drive the country’s economy for needed growth, if the government could give it adequate attention.
He said: “I am pleased to host this creative evening with Wole Soyinka, to celebrate the immense legacy of a great literary icon whose contributions have profoundly impacted youth engagement in the Nigerian creative sector.
“Nigeria’s creative economy holds immense potential for driving economic growth, fostering cultural diversity, and empowering communities across the country. The UK Government is committed to a strategic partnership of lasting mutual benefit with Nigeria, which is why we recently delivered two creative trade missions focused on film, TV, fashion retail and beauty to help drive this sector and expand the UK-Nigeria trade relationship, which has blossomed in recent years.”
Abia State Governor Alex Otti, who joined the event virtually, praised the commission for honouring Prof. Soyinka who he described as “the needed light for youth towards nation-building”.
He said: “Youth engagement is crucial for achieving good governance in Nigeria. With 70 per cent of our population being youths, ignoring them in policy-making means ignoring the majority, which is dangerous for any economy.
“In Abia, we have initiated a N1 billion cooperative support fund to empower youth-led enterprises, and dedicated 20 per cent of our 2024 budget to education. We must be deliberate and intentional in supporting our young people to ensure they are prepared to compete in the global economy.”
Protests: Tinubu’s broadcast fell short of expectations— Organisers, Atiku, Soyinka, PDP, NLC, others
Admin
Organisers of the nationwide protest against hardship, former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, have described as the hollow response of President Bola Tinubu to the protest which was on its fourth day yesterday.
Recall that the protesters had asked the President to address the nation and respond to their 15-point demand if they were to call off the protests.
Not satisfied with the President’s response to the protest, organisers of the protest continued with their action at the Gani Fawehinmi Park at Ojota in Lagos, Osun, and Kano, among other states, yesterday, saying the nationwide broadcast did not address their demands.
The police, however, barred the protesters from holding a procession beyond the designated ground at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota.
President’s broadcast, complete disaster – Adeyanju
One of the main organizers of the nationwide protest, Mr Deji Adeyanju, described the broadcast by President Tinubu as a complete disaster.
Adeyanju said: “President Tinubu failed to address the demands of protesters, not even one, and it is very disappointing and unfortunate because there is no other way to explain it. ‘’Those people at the Villa cannot make the President see or hear what is going on in the country. The President could not order the arrest of people who killed peaceful protesters in the last couple of days and it is really sad.
“The President’s broadcast to the nation was just a complete disaster, a very disappointing broadcast indeed.
“Our expectations from the broadcast were so many, that he has spoken with political leaders at all levels, politicians are now willing to make sacrifices for the country because on day one of his administration he asked Nigerians to make sacrifices they are failing and refusing to make sacrifices.
“The issue of fuel subsidy, electricity tariff was on the front burner, and many other things we were expecting to hear from the President, unfortunately, none of these things were dealt with.’’
Coordinator of the protest in Osun State, Ajala Adetunji, said his group, Coalition of Concerned Nigeria Citizens, would meet to discuss the way forward but was emphatic that the ongoing protest would continued since the President did not address any of their concerns.
“Our protest is not a one-man show, especially as Osun’s case is concerned. Regarding President Bola Tinubu’s address this morning (yesterday), he did not address any of our concerns.
“The president was not specific on what the government will do to address the demands of the youth. The president’s call for dialogue is an open-ended appeal, which does not have a clear indicator of what will be done.
“However, we are still going to meet to deliberate but as it stands, the protest continues in Osun,” he said
Similarly, Mr Emmanuel Olowu, Secretary, Osun Coalition of Civil Societies, which is also part of the protest, said the President’s appeal for an end to the protest and dialogue would be discussed at a meeting of the various groups later in the day.
‘He said: As far as the President’s speech is concerned, he has not addressed our worries, but that not withstanding, we will converge later to discuss way forward on the protest.’’
Protests continue in Kano
In Kano, hundreds of protesters yesterday hit the streets in continuation of the ongoing nationwide protest against hunger and to end bad governance, expressing dissatisfaction over the President’s nationwide broadcast.
This is even as the state government yesterday relaxed the 24-hour curfew by six hours (8 am to 2 pm) to ease the toll the curfew was having on on residents.
The protesters, mainly youths, carried out the protest around Bakin Zuwo and Koki in Dala local government area; Sharada in Kano Municipal and Gadon Kaya in Gwale local government areas.
They were seen displaying the Russian flag, saying they would return to Russian President, Vladimir Putin, for help, while in some other places chanting, “koya gyara sai ya sauka”, meaning “whether he (Tinubu) adjust or not, he must go”.
An eyewitness in Bakin Zuwo, Malam Salisu, said the protesters in their large numbers hit the streets to protest against bad governance.
“I saw the protesters in their numbers around 10am. They were holding the Russian flag. They were protesting against the bad governance, issues of insecurity and hardship among others,” Salisu said.
Katsina churches were attacked, valuables stolen, and buildings damaged
In Katsina, hoodlums hijacked the protest, invaded churches, looting and destroying properties under the guise of the ongoing nationwide protest against bad governance.
The protesters earlier stormed the Living Faith Church in Daura local government area, damaging the building and stealing all its valuables.
The newly renovated church, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, suffered damage to its doors and windows as the hoodlums ransacked the building.
According to an eyewitness, the hoodlums also attacked two other churches, Deeper Life Church and Anglican Church, though the extent of the damages there was not immediately clear.
He explained that the hoodlums used Keke Napep (tricycle) to transport the stolen items from the church premises.
When contacted, Pastor David Jato, in charge of the Living Faith Church, confirmed the attack on the church premises.
Narrating the ordeal, he said: “It happened around 10;00am on the first day of the protest. The hoodlums, many of whom were in Keke Nappe (Tricycle), chased the church’s security guard away, broke the door and windows, and entered the auditorium.
‘’They packed and destroyed everything inside the church auditorium, including the pulpits.
The list of items reportedly stolen from the church auditorium includes three Plasma TV used for displaying church programmes, musical instruments, over 205 plastic chairs, pastor’s chairs, a desktop computer at the reception and a digital clock as well as a scoreboard where the accountant usually kept the church’s documents.’’
Pasto Jato revealed that as a result of the damage, today’s (yesterday) service could not hold in the church auditorium. They had to worship in their various home cells instead.
The hoodlums only succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life, but could not force their way into the Anglican church because of the strong protector at the gate.
Similarly, in Katsina, the state capital, the Power of Resurrection Church was also vandalised by the hoodlums.
Reacting to the development, the former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Katsina, Rev. Nelson Onyekachuku, condemned the violence.
He emphasised that the government needed to address the demands of protesters and ensure the protection of places of worship.
Tinubu’s speech hollow, fails to address hardship among Nigerians — Atiku
Also reacting to the President’s broadcast yesterday, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, dismissed the broadcast as a hollow speech, devoid of solutions to the hardship facing Nigerians.
Atiku, who spoke through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, in a statement in Abuja, said the broadcast intended to quell the fervour of public protests against his administration’s poor governance, utterly missed the mark.
He said: “ His (Tinubu’s) speech neglects the pressing economic hardships that have besieged Nigerian families since the very beginning of his tenure.
“This address lacks credibility and fails to offer any immediate, tangible solutions to the Nigerian people.
“Given the extensive publicity surrounding the protests and the threats issued by government officials against demonstrators, one would have expected President Tinubu to present groundbreaking reforms, particularly those aimed at reducing the exorbitant costs of governance.
“But alas, no such announcements were made. The President ignored the protesters’ demands, such as suspending the purchase of aircraft for the President, downsizing his bloated cabinet, or even eliminating the costly and burdensome office of the First Lady, who has been indulging in extravagant trips at the nation’s expense.
“In his lacklustre recorded speech, President Tinubu offered a superficial account of his so-called reforms, revealing his own tenuous grasp of policy as he failed to convince his audience.
“While the President has spoken, it is unfortunate that his words lack substance and respect for the protesters’ sentiments, leaving Nigerians with little faith in his reform agenda – if one exists at all.
“We urge the President and his team to own up to their failures over the past 14 months and abandon the absurd theory that the protests are orchestrated by the opposition.’’
Broadcast didn’t address Police brutality against protesters — Soyinka
On his part, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, faulted President Tinubu’s national broadcast for not addressing the violent crackdown by security forces on protesters.
Soyinka, who in a statement, expressed concern over the president’s omission of this critical issue, said: “I set my alarm clock for this morning to ensure that I did not miss President Bola Tinubu’s impatiently awaited address to the nation on the current unrest across the nation.
“His outline of government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis.
‘’My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short.
“Such short-changing of civic deserving, regrettably, goes to arm the security forces in the exercise of impunity and condemns the nation to a seemingly unbreakable cycle of resentment and reprisals.
“Live bullets as a state response to civic protest – that becomes the core issue. Even teargas remain questionable in most circumstances, certainly an abuse in situations of clearly peaceful protest.
‘’Hunger marches constitute a universal S.O.S, not peculiar to the Nigerian nation. They belong, indeed, in a class of their own, never mind the collateral claims emblazoned on posters.
“They serve as summons to governance that a breaking point has been reached and thus, a testing ground for governance awareness of public desperation. The tragic response to the ongoing hunger marches in parts of the nation, and for which notice was served, constitutes a retrogression that takes the nation even further back than the deadly culmination of the watershed #EndSARS protests.
“It evokes pre-independence – that is, colonial – acts of disdain, a passage that induced the late stage pioneer, Hubert Ogunde’s folk opera BREAD AND BULLETS, earning that nationalist serial persecution and proscription by the colonial government.
“The nation’s security agencies cannot pretend unawareness of alternative models for emulation, civilized advances in security intervention.
“Need we recall the nationwide 2022/23 editions of what is generally known as the YELLOW VEST movement in France? Perhaps, it is time to make such scenarios compulsory viewing in policing curriculum.
‘’In all of the coverage that I watched, I did not catch one single instance of a gun leveled at protesters, much less fired at them, even during direct physical confrontations.
“The serving of bullets where bread is pleaded is ominous retrogression, and we know what that eventually proves – a prelude to far more desperate upheavals, not excluding revolutions.
“The time is long overdue, surely, to abandon, permanently, the anachronistic resort to lethal means by the security agencies of governance. No nation is so under-developed, materially impoverished, or simply internally insecure as to lack the will to set an example.’’
Speech insensitive to Nigerians’ plight — PDP
Also reacting to Tinubu’s speech, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday, described it as diversionary and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Debo Ologunagba, in a statement, explained that the president failed to address the real issues bothering Nigerians, which is the high cost of living, especially the rising cost of food items and the volatility of the local currency against major currencies which has made planning almost impossible.
Ologunagba said: “PDP asserts that the speech by President Bola Tinubu over the ongoing protests in the country confirms the All Progressives Congress, APC, administration’s insensitivity towards Nigerians and the very precarious situation in the country.
“Our party is appalled that even though it took President Tinubu the prodding of the PDP to speak to the nation, it is distressing that the speech failed to offer any concrete measure to address the excruciating hardship in the country.
“Mr. President’s speech failed to respond to the demand by the citizens for immediate measures to reduce the price of petroleum products, halt the fall of the Naira and urgent intervention in the provision of food items to starving Nigerians.
“It is equally shocking that the speech did not order an investigation into the brutal killing of unarmed Nigerians by certain unscrupulous operatives of the APC-controlled security agencies while demanding good governance, protection, security and welfare, which are the primary purposes of government.
“Instead, the speech dwelt on APC’s counter-productive action of disregarding the feelings and pains of the people by focusing on self-praise, claims of imaginary achievements and empty projections in the face of the apparent and obvious failure of the APC in every aspect of governance.
“It is clear that the APC administration is overwhelmed and has no answers to the myriads of problems occasioned by its anti-people policies that are suffocating life in the country.’’
Protesters’ demands not addressed — Falana
Reacting to the broadcast, the chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, ASCAB, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, charged President Tinubu to address the demands of the peaceful protesters.
He noted that the presidential speech delivered fell short of addressing the key demand of the protesters – a reversal of the policy of withdrawal of fuel subsidies.
Falana in a statement, also condemned the repression of the peaceful protesters, while commiserating with all those who lost loved ones in the protest.
He called on the government to set up commissions of inquiry to bring to justice to those responsible for the reckless killings.
The statement read: “If the government takes the fight against corruption to oil dealers and crude oil is processed in government-owned refineries, there will be no basis for fuel subsidy, which is induced by the importation of petroleum products.
‘’A positive response to the key demands of the youths to review the protesters could make them review their actions. Insensitivity to their demands can only provoke continued action.
“We commiserate with the families of the patriots’ peaceful protesters that were killed and call on the federal and state governments to set up commissions of inquiry, which should include representatives of credible human rights organisations and the NBA to investigate the killings, to bring to justice the reckless murderers in Police uniform and ensure that.
“The family members of the deceased should be adequately compensated by the federal government. The victims of the barbarous police killings should be identified and celebrated as heroes and heroines of the struggle for the emancipation of the downtrodden Nigerian people. Participation in peaceful protests should never be criminalised in Nigeria.”
Tinubu didn’t listen to protesters — NLC
Reacting, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, lamented that the President’s speech did not address the anger of the protesters, especially the youths, saying the President heard the youths loud and clear but did not listen to them.
One of the leaders of NLC, who spoke to Vanguard, said: “We are completely disappointed with the President’s speech. There was nothing concrete, as usual, it was all about promises. Yes, the President heard the protesters or the youths loud and clear, but sadly, the president did not listen to their demands or pains.
“What we found strange was the care-free attitude to the mood of the nation, the loss of irreparable lives, the anger, the hunger and the frustration. No sign of empathy, but threats from the President.
‘’How has the speech addressed the hunger in the land? How has the speech addressed the poverty inflicted by the government’s policies? How has the speech solved the immediate needs and demands of the protesters? “
Address economic contractions, NECA urges govt
Similarly, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, urged the federal government to urgently address the myriads of economic contradictions strangulating the private sector to enable the economy open up and return to the path of rapid growth.
Reacting to the President’s nationwide address in response to the ongoing protest, the Director-General/Chief Executive of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said: “With the current rate at which businesses are declaring losses, especially in the real sector, the nation might be in for another round of business shutdown.
‘’A combined loss of over N533 billion by just four businesses in the sector in the first quarter, H1, 2024 calls for urgent action.
“Following the protests and the national address by President Bola Tinubu, urging protesters to sheath their swords, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, has joined the President to urge the protesters to embrace dialogue, while also requesting the government to urgently address the seeming economic contradictions that are strangulating the organized private sector and stopping it from fulfilling its role as the engine of development.”
Truckers rubbish Tinubu’s protest speech, says President bereft of ideas
Also, the National Association of Maritime Transport Operators, NAMTOP, condemned the president’s broadcast, saying the quality of his team cannot win the nation’s battle against hardship.
President of NAMTOP, Mr. Yinka Aroyewun, said that from Tinubu’s message to Nigerians, it was obvious that the President was disturbed by the protest and called on him to ensure that protesters killed by security operatives got justice.
He also said the authors of the President’s speech were oblivious to the reality of the situation in Nigeria, adding that the President did not talk about the unprofessional conduct of its security operatives that led to the loss of lives during the protest.
He said: ‘’The president is disturbed by the protest, he recognizes the right to genuine protest. He condemned violence in the protests and pleaded for the withdrawal of the protest
“He ordered security operatives to be more active in protecting lives and properties. He listed his achievements, and pleaded for more time. We are in trouble. Honestly, the author of this is oblivious to the real situation in the country.
“Who killed people during the protest? Everybody that died during the protest was killed by the actions or inactions of the law enforcement agents.
“One wonders why no aspect of the president’s speech mentioned the unprofessional conduct of some of the security operatives or the group or individuals whose alterrances and actions have the capability of fueling crises. While the President has not denied the right to a peaceful protest.’’
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted multiple shipments of illegal drugs disguised in Cerelac baby food tins and clothing, bound for the United States and the United Kingdom.
Naija News gathered that the operations took place at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos.
The NDLEA reported that 36 parcels of a highly potent strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 18.50 kilograms, were discovered in six cartons of Nestle Cerelac baby food tins, with six tins in each carton. The discovery was made at the SAHCOL export shed at Lagos airport on Wednesday.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed this information in a statement on Sunday. He stated that Salaudeen Suliat Abiola, a freight agent who attempted to export the consignment to the UK, was arrested.
A subsequent operation in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday led to the arrest of the sender, Bello Motunrayo Folu.
The cannabis was hidden in factory-sealed Cerelac tins, with the bottoms altered to conceal the drugs and covered with loose cereal to evade detection.
In addition, NDLEA operatives seized five separate shipments of opioids and psychoactive drugs, such as promethazine, pentazocine, diazepam, tramadol, and morphine. These were concealed in clothing and other items meant for export to the US and UK and were intercepted in Lagos.
Babafemi noted that one of the shipments, containing 820 grams of promethazine and pentazocine injections, was headed to the US, while the remaining four parcels, totaling over two kilograms of opioids like tramadol 225mg and NPS, were destined for the UK. These shipments were intercepted on Monday, July 29, at a logistics firm in Lagos.
In another operation, NDLEA agents at the Tincan port in Lagos seized 77 packages of Canadian Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain, from the body compartments of four imported vehicles—Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, Toyota Corolla, and Toyota Sienna—from Canada.
This operation was conducted jointly with the Customs Service and other stakeholders. The total weight of the seized drugs was 38.5 kilograms. Two suspects, Salami Abiodun Sunday, 34, and Lekan Atoyebi, 33, tasked with clearing the shipments, were arrested.
Additionally, Isiagu Sunday was arrested in Mushin Ojuoye, Lagos, on Thursday, August 1, with 1,740 bottles of codeine syrup (totaling 174 liters) and 1,070 molly tablets (weighing 600 grams).
In Isuada, Owo Council Area of Ondo State, 50 bags of cannabis, weighing 520 kilograms, were recovered, and five suspects were detained in Itaogbolu Forest, Akure North LG Area. The suspects include Jimoh Omotosho, 63; Donald Obi, 62; Emmanuel Patrick, 21; Kayode Oluwaseun, 39; and John Nsikan, 34, connected to the seizure of 42 kilograms of cannabis.
In Edo State, authorities confiscated 22.5 bags of cannabis weighing 220 kilograms in Egbeta Community, Ovia North East Area, on Tuesday, July 30, arresting a suspect, Osayede Aghoma. Another suspect, Ibrahim Abubakar, 55, was apprehended on Wednesday, July 31, with 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 19.2 kilograms along the Okene-Lokoja highway in a commercial bus traveling from Lagos to Kano.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and personnel from MMIA, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, Lagos, and Tincan Commands, and those of DOGI, for their diligence in these arrests and seizures.
Marwa praised their efforts in curbing drug trafficking while balancing WADA awareness activities, urging them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain their dedication and momentum.
See photos below:
Nigeria’s D’Tigress have made history by reaching the quarterfinals of the women’s basketball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
D’Tigress secured a decisive 79-70 win over Canada in their final group match at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.
This victory marks Nigeria’s first appearance in the quarterfinal stage of the Olympic basketball competition.
Nigeria advanced through the group stage with five classification points, placing them at the top of the standings. France is set to play against Australia later in the day.
Led by coach Rena Wakama, the Nigerian team rebounded from a loss to France in their second game after securing a victory against Australia in their opening match.
The first quarter saw both Nigeria and Canada neck and neck, ending in an 18-18 tie.
Canada managed to pull ahead slightly in the second quarter, leading 41-37 by halftime.
However, the third quarter shifted in Nigeria’s favor, as they restricted Canada to only five points, taking control of the game.
D’Tigress sealed their historic win with a strong performance in the final quarter, achieving a remarkable 9-point victory over Canada.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has raised alarm over an upsurge in the number of doctored and upwardly adjusted age declarations on NIN slips being submitted by candidates.
The exam body expressed worry that the trend of underage candidates falsifying their age to gain admission into the university has become dangerous, inimical and unnecessary.
JAMB has now insisted that only candidates who will be at least sixteen years old at the time of admission will be considered eligible for admittance into the university.
A statement by the board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the directive came from the Chairman of the 2024 tertiary admission policy meeting and Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman.
He said the extant 6-3-3-4 on education will be enforced only from the 2025 academic session.
The statement partly read, ”This position is informed by the discovery of widespread and unwholesome practice whereby some institutions collude with candidates to falsify vital details, such as backdated year of entry and subsequent age adjustments, to utilise certificates of genuine candidates with similar names to facilitate illegal admissions to enable participation of fake candidates in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.”
The Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja on Sunday changed his hard stance against his opposition to become a beaded crown monarch in Ibadanland.
Ladoja, a former Governor of Oyo State made the disclosure while featuring on ‘Agbami Oselu,’ a flagship radio programme on Fresh FM in Ibadan.
Ladoja is the next in the line of succession to the current Olubadan of Ibadanlan, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, Ige Olakulehin 1, who was officially installed as the 43rd Olubadan on Friday, July 12, 2024.
LEADERSHIP earlier reports that Ibadan has a unique and transparent traditional succession route to the Olubadan throne, which sees an individual – either from military or civilian line – from the lowest rung of the traditional ladder rise to the peak and ultimately becomes the Olubadan.
The throne of the Olubadan is traditionally swapped between the military and civilian lines, with the 89-year-old Oba Olakuleyin occupying the throne from the military line.
With the ascension of Oba Olakulehin, Ladoja is currently the most senior High Chief from the civilian line waiting in the wings.
However, a review to Section 4 of the 1957 Olubadan Chieftaincy Declaration in a gazette issued by the Oyo State Government and signed by Governor Seyi Makinde since 2023, mandated the candidate for the throne of Olubadan to be a bead-wearing king.
Section 4 of the new Gazette states that, “The person who may be proposed as candidate by the Line whose turn it is to fill a vacancy in the office of the Olubadan shall be the most Senior Beaded Crown Oba in that line.”
Speaking on Sunday, Ladoja said numerous Ibadan and non-Ibadan people had mounted pressures on him to consent to becoming a bead-wearing monarch to pave the way for his ascension to the throne when the time comes.
“By the grace of God, I will become Olubadan. God has been merciful to me. My blood pressure has been stable.
“Anyone God destined to become Olubadan will become Olubadan. There is not amount of obstacles that they may put on the road, if God says someone will become Olubadan, he will become Olubadan.
“I will do what Ibadan people want. Everything is being determined by God. We have had many people who became Balogun that did not become Olubadan, we have had many people who became Otun Olubadan but did not become Olubadan. Omiyale and Kuye died ten days apart.
“It is a tough decision but the voice of the people is the voice of God. That is what the people want,” Ladoja said in Yoruba.
An American woman who went to India a decade ago to study yoga and meditation has claimed she survived without food and water for 40 days after being shackled to a tree by her former husband.
U.S. citizen Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was found starving and emaciated on Saturday by a local shepherd in a remote forest in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra about 25 miles from Goa, according to reports.
The shepherd broke an iron chain that was used to secure her to the tree. Police said she was severely dehydrated and unable to speak.
Officers said Kumar met and married an Indian man while studying yoga in Tamil Nadu, the same province in southeast India where Kamala Harris’ grandfather comes from. The couple reportedly fell out and the ex-husband has now been charged with attempted murder.
According to the Indian Express, the police case is based on a letter written by the American woman, who has not yet talked about her ordeal.
“Injection for extreme psychosis which causes severe locked jaw and inability to drink any water. Need intravenous food… 40 days without food in forest—husband tied me to a tree in a forest and said I would die there,” the note read.
Police are said to be skeptical that Kumar could have survived for 40 days without food or water.
“When we discovered her, she was seriously dehydrated. It appears that she was stuck there for a minimum of 48 hours. Although she was mute,” said Amol Chavan, an inspector at Sawantwadi Police Station.
Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was married to a man from Tamil Nadu, the same region in South India where Kamala Harris' mother is from
“She is currently not in a position to talk. We are trying to get more details about her background,” said Saurabh Agarwal, superintendent of police in Sindhudurg, the area where she was found.
Kumar had her U.S. passport with her when she was found along with various personal belongings, including an identity card with a Tamil Nadu address. She is said to be out of danger but suffering from psychiatric issues.
Police said she had been living in India for at least 10 years and that her visa had expired.
Hoodlums have invaded a Living Faith Church in Daura local government area of Katsina State, looting about 205 chairs, musical instruments, and other valuable items worth millions of naira.
The attacks took place in the wake of #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests on Thursday with attendant violent clashes between hoodlums and security operatives.
The pastor in charge of the church, David Jato, disclosed this to LEADERSHIP, lamenting that they couldn’t hold Sunday service in the auditorium of the church because the hoodlums went away with everything inside the church building during the protests.
Pastor Jato explained, “We have two security men working in the church, one was on duty while the other was off. When the protest began around 10:00am, the hoodlums just diverted to the church, many of them in Keke NAPEP (Tricycle), and broke the doors and classes and penetrated the church auditorium.
“They packed everything inside the church auditorium, including the wall digital clock, musical instruments, pupit, pastor’s chairs, plastic chairs, and a desktop computer at the reception, as well as a scoreboard where the accountant usually kept church documents. They scattered everything.”
He added that three churches were targeted but the hoodlums only succeeded in invading the Living Faith Church and Deeper Life Church, but couldn’t force themselves into the Anglican Church because of the strong iron protector at the gate.
“We’ve informed the police and the Army about it, and the police told us yesterday that they have made some arrests.
“I’m surprised by this attack; when we are thinking about ending bad governance, which now escalated to the invasion of churches, it is something that everyone should seriously condemn. It is not food that we store in the House of God. It is a place of worship. Why is it only church? The government should come to the reality they are serving humanity, and God will judge us all, whether political or religious leaders.
“My prayer to the perpetrators is that they should repent from what they are doing because for you to enter church, a place of worship, is wrong and you know you are not fighting man, they should seek for repentance. I know God is forgiving and He will forgive them,” he added.
Similarly, the former state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN), Very Rev. Nelson Onyekachuku, whose church is named ‘Power of Resurrection’, was also affected in Katsina town, where the hoodlums vandalised the church windows, but they couldn’t enter because of the iron protectors of the church.
He, however, condemned the action in total, adding that the hoodlums should not add pain to the church, even as he called on the government to change its policy and address the grievances of the people and always ensure to protect the church whenever such an incident happens.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Sadiq Abubakar, was yet to repond to the message sent to him at the time of filing this report. However, LEADERSHIP observed heavy deployment of security personnel around churches across the state on Sunday to ensure hitch-free Sunday worship.
Nigeria’s Favour Ofili ran a season best time of of 22.24s to win her heat and book a spot in the semi-final of the women’s 200m event.
Ofili outran a field that also had Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and Gambia’s Gina Bass-Bittaye.
Ofili’s finishing time put her in overall second place only behind USA’s Gabrielle Thomas who ran 22.20s.
While Asher-Smith finished in 22.28s, Bass-Bittaye came home in 22.84s.
The Nigerian is participating in her first Olympics.
[Vanguard]
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Ethnic tensions are high in Lagos after the campaign started on social media under the hashtag #IgboMustGo.
Here are 10 things to know about the group behind the campaign.
1.The group operates on X, formerly Twitter, under the name Lagospedia.
2.It claims to be proclaiming the virtues of Lagos.
3.It has no fewer than 41,700 followers.
4.The handlers have consistently propagated hate tweets against the Igbo.
5.On July 27, the page tweeted a picture of bodies it claimed were Igbo.
6.On July 27, the group urged Yoruba to prepare for #IgboMustGo protest to commence on August 20 and end August 30.
7.On July 29, it warned all Igbo resident in Lagos to leave.
9.It also claims the Igbo are spearheading the #EndBadGovernance protest.
Prior to the #EndBadGovernance protest, the group announced that Oro (traditional rites) would be observed in various communities across Lagos from August 1 to August 15,making critics to call the exercise ‘Political Oro’.
[OpinionNigeria]
Two alleged fraudsters who are believed to be involved in high-value fraud schemes have been apprehended in Okwu Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA of Abia, while attempting to defraud another victim.
The suspects, who claimed to be indigenes of Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North LGA of Abia State, were apprehended by Okwu community youths in Olokoro and their operational motorcycle was also seized.
The two men, Uche Harrison, 42, and Lucky Nwohu, who refused to disclose his age, were apprehended by youths of Okwu who were carrying out an environmental sanitation exercise at the village’s market square on Saturday when the suspects rode into the community on their bike.
An indigene of Okwu who spoke to DAILY POST about the incident said: “On sighting the strange faces moving around the village, some villagers indicated interest in knowing who they were, but they took to their heels, making the youths raise an alarm that evil men have entered the community.
”But they later ran out of luck when their motorcycle suddenly went off at the market square, where the youths were doing sanitation work and they were eventually apprehended.”
He added that the two suspects initially claimed that they came from Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North, to Okwu Olokoro to look for a canteen to eat but after being interrogated by the youths, the suspects confessed that their occupation was to use tricks to collect money from people.
Upon further interrogation, the suspected fraudsters revealed how they duped one of their victims, Mrs Okwuchi Ihezie, from Ihete Uboma, Imo State.
Meanwhile, the female victim, Mrs Okwuchi Ohezie, who was duped of N350,000 two months ago, stormed Okwu Olokoro on hearing that the suspects had been apprehended by the youths.
The Imo woman told the youths how the suspects sold a fake business idea to her before duping her of her hard-earned money.
The suspects were later handed over to the Zone 9 Command of the Nigerian Police, Umuahia, by the Chairman of Okwu community, Mr Bartholomew Nwaeze, who warned criminals to stay away from Okwu Olokoro.
In Imo State, a dark cloud grief, despair and panic has enveloped residents of Umucheke Okwe autonomous community following the brutal murder of leaders of the enclave by gunmen.
A clutch of armed men invaded the community in Onuimo Local Government Area of the south-east State on Saturday and killed the seven community leaders.
Those killed are President General of the community and six village leaders.
It’s gathered that the gunmen brutally murdered the victims after they stormed the venue of their weekly meeting and opened fire on them.
“Gunmen have just shot dead the President General of Umucheke Okwe and six village heads,” a community leader who pleaded anonymity told newsmen.
It’s gathered that the attack took place at the President General’s shop in the community market, where the meeting was being held.
The source said the gunmen also set ablaze the shop after killing the community leaders, adding that the incident has forced many villagers to flee their homes to escape the terror.
The source further revealed, “Upon their arrival, the gunmen unleashed gunfire, killing all the community leaders before setting the place ablaze. All the community chiefs perished in the assault.”
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, as the source noted, “Nobody understands the reason for the assault. No one knows the purpose of the meeting.”
The community now stands deserted, with villagers fleeing their homes in terror.
The Imo State Police Command, through the Public Relations officer, ASP Henry Okoye, is yet to issue a statement on the incident.
Jamiu Abiola, son of the late Nigerian business mogul Chief MKO Abiola, claims that the forces that annulled the June 12, 1993, election are now targeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Abiola’s son, currently serving as Special Assistant to the President on Special Duties, believes those protesting against hardship and demanding better living conditions are reacting emotionally without considering Tinubu’s achievements.
In an interview with Channels Television, Jamiu addressed the ongoing protests, which began on August 1 and are expected to continue until August 10. Protesters have vowed to persist until their demands are met.
Jamiu argued that some Nigerians have not accepted that they were not destined to win the 2023 general election, leading them to create difficulties for the current government.
“There are some people with sinister motives. The forces that worked against my dad and annulled his election now target Tinubu. They wouldn’t want someone who supported my dad to become president and succeed,” Jamiu stated.
“Sometimes, things have to get tough before they get better. It’s a test from God. People need to realize that God’s hand is in everything, not just Nigeria.
“Many Nigerians view this president like previous ones because they have experienced broken promises. So, they see any difficulty as another broken promise.
“But the president we have now is different. He believes in democracy and loves the common man. He needs time. Those protesting are emotional and haven’t reflected on his achievements since taking office.”