Afrobeats singer Davido has recalled how billionaire father, Adedeji Adeleke, gave him the stage name.
Davido, in an interview with Business Untitled, said his father initially hesitated before supporting his music career.
The Grammy-nominated singer said when his song played on the radio, his father heard it and started calling him “Davido”.
“I do not think my dad is tough. I blew up when I was 17. Imagine a 17-year-old child and you could not reach him, my dad is the sole parent,” he said.
“Like I told you, I am the first generation entertainer. I don’t think he did not want me to do music, he just want me to be successful.
“So when I moved back to Nigeria, he did not know. Then he heard my voice on the radio, shouting Davido and he gave me that name. My dad gave me Davido….. He just wanted me to go to school which I eventually did.”
In 2023, Davido revealed his father became overprotective of him after his mother’s death.
He also opened up about his father’s influence on his financial decisions.
Davido rose to fame with his 2012 hit ‘Dami Duro’.
He has received several awards and recognitions for his talent.
[TheNation]
Popular singer, Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, aka Kizz Daniel, has hailed the legendary 2Baba for his impact on his musical career.
According to him, his success story won’t be complete without working with the ‘African Queen’ crooner.
Referring to 2Baba as his mentor, Kizz Daniel expressed strong desire to collaborate with the legend.
On his X handle on Friday night, he wrote: “The Journey no fit complete without a 2baba Collabo @official2baba.
“Baba let’s step into the vocal boot together… Mentor.”
The naira recorded a weekly depreciation of N169.24 against the US dollar in the foreign exchange market on Friday.
FMDQ data showed that the Nigerian currency depreciated for the eighth time in recent days to N1339.23 per dollar at the foreign exchange market, compared to N1309.88 on Thursday at a daily depreciation of N29.35.
Similarly, in the parallel market section, the naira dropped to N1,380 per dollar on Friday from N1,370 on Thursday, recording a weekly slump of N210 from the N1,170 it raided last Friday.
The development comes despite the Central Bank of Nigeria releasing 10,000 dollars each to BDC at N1,021 to a dollar with a caveat to sell at 1.5 per cent maximum.
This is the third recent intervention for BDCs amid the bank’s effort to defend the naira.
BDC operators blamed peer-to-peer cryptocurrency platforms like Binance for the recent depreciation of the naira against the dollar in the foreign exchange market.
“My music career isn’t successful because of my dad’s money” – Davido dispels notion of success tied to family wealth
AFOLABINigerian music sensation David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has reiterated that his flourishing career in the music industry is not a product of his father’s wealth.
In an interview on the American podcast ‘Business Untitled,’ Davido debunked the notion that his success can be attributed solely to his family’s affluent background.
Addressing misconceptions surrounding his rise to stardom, Davido emphasized that while his father’s financial status might have initially posed challenges, it did not pave his path to success.
He highlighted the presence of individuals from wealthier backgrounds who attempted to carve their niche in the entertainment industry but failed to attain comparable levels of accomplishment.
The self-proclaimed “Omo Baba Olowo” shared that his early days in the music industry were marked by skepticism due to his family’s wealth.
However, he expressed gratitude for being acknowledged and accepted primarily on the basis of his talent and skillset.
“There are many billionaires in Nigeria, even richer than my father… And there are people [billionaire’s children] who have tried to do what I have tried to do: music, entertainment, business. But mine has been successful because of my values,” Davido said.
Reflecting on his journey, Davido credited his acceptance in the industry to his inherent talent and dedication to his craft.
He emphasized that his musical prowess and commitment to delivering quality content played pivotal roles in garnering widespread recognition and acclaim.
“The biggest challenge I had when I started music was that my father is wealthy. But I got accepted for one reason and that reason is that I am good, talented. I don’t think I would have ever been accepted if I wasn’t good at what I do,” he added.
VIDEO: 'I was sent out of my husband’s house the same day he was buried' – Actor Ajigijaga’s widow tearfully narrates
AFOLABIThe widow of veteran actor Mufutau Sanni Abdulahi, known as Ajigijaga, shared her heartbreaking experience with his husband’s family in an interview with Biola Bayo on the show, “Talk To B”.
She recounted being expelled from her matrimonial home on the day of her husband’s burial.
She further revealed how her husband shaped her choices, made her abandon her musical career, and withdraw from the Celestial church.
According to her, she was driven from her marital home because her in-laws couldn’t provide for her and her children.
She questioned the practice that denied a widow her rights when her father-in-law is alive.
Struggling to make ends meet, she revealed she resorted to street hawking to provide for her children, a hustle her late husband wouldn’t have allowed her to do.
In her words:
“I stopped medication because of my husband, is it someone that hasn’t eaten that would be doing hair? I stopped my musical career because of my husband. I was the one who converted my parents to Celestial church, but I dropped that religion because of my husband, Ajigijaga.
Those people who were hailing my husband are ready to use me and my children as slaves now.
The day he died, his family pursued me away from our house, saying they couldn’t take care of me and the kids. I didn’t take a dime from the house even clothes, it was just me and my kids.
Where in Yoruba land do you hear a woman who is legally married performing her widow’s nite at her parents’ home when her husband’s father is still alive. Sometimes I think about what to do
Now that he is dead, I am now a hawker, this was something he never allowed me to do when he was alive. I have to hawk so I can feed my children.
No one wanted to help me because they didn’t want people to misunderstand them and claim they were sleeping with her.
I am doing everything to make my children, parents, and everyone around me happy but where is my happiness”.
Watch the video below:
Media
He told us to bring his son’s head, heart, fingers and legs to him – accomplice
Lagos police burst den of ritual killers, arrest 10 suspects
The police in Lagos, recently, recorded a breakthrough by arresting 10 members of suspected criminals who specialize in exhuming body parts from cemeteries and killing human beings for rituals.
Among the arrested suspects was an 85-year-old traditional ruler in Benin Republic, Yusuf Lawal Muse, the son of a pastor said to be the kingpin, Ademola Akinlosota, 33, an Ifa priest, Sunday Badonu, aka Osekure, 25, his father, Vijamiya Badonu, an idol priest and Osetura’s father, Dada Trival, 33, Bale of Akalekumo in Badagry, Hunsu Segun,35, Balogun in Ogboni fraternity, Badagry, Amodu Wahab, aka Alhaji Bororo, 58, specialists in collecting human parts both fresh and dry, Kamolu Aderibigbe, 44, a trade-medical doctor in Ijedfodo and Muyibat Adesina, 49, the herbalist who uses human parts to prepare concoctions for people.
Crime Guard learned that the traditional ruler, Yusuf Lawal Muse is from Diasou in Benin Republic and is married to six women with 21 children. He reportedly relocated to Ibatefin-Ikpoka in Ogun state and later to Adodo in a same Ogun state where he lived with his wives and children until his arrest.
He told our reporter that he relocated to Ogun state after losing about 14 children in his domain and later married a new wife who gave birth to the son he wanted to kill and use his body parts.
His confession
The octogenarian told reporters that after getting married to their new wife, he wanted to have fun only to discover that she was already pregnant. According to him, I had no other alternative than to accept the child after birth and I named him Musa. While growing up, he became a torn in my flesh.
“He was into a lot of criminal activities, very stubborn, stealing, and even threatening to kill me. The whole thing came to a climax after he learnt that I wrote a will and excluded him. He then openly resorted to threatening to take my life. That was why I engaged people to kill him first and send his head, heart, fingers and hands to me for herbal purposes.
“Unfortunately, after I contracted the people, they met with an Idol Priest whom I had planned to do business with in the past who, not only discouraged the people I hired but also leaked the plan to my son’s mother. On hearing this, his mother fled to another town with him and we were still discussing the issue when the police arrested me.”
Regrets
Looking remorseful, the octogenarian told Crime Guard,” I regret what I planned to do to my son. I have now realized that he is my son and he will bear children tomorrow in my name. My greatest worry now is that my people in Benin Republic have heard this ugly story. I am afraid they may dethrone me. I just don’t know what next to do than to appeal to God to forgive me.”
However, while the traditional ruler was confessing to the team of policemen from Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Special Squad Team 3, led by DSP Toyin Omosebi, it was learned that the leader of the ritualist’s gang, Ademola Akinlosotu, 33, son of a Pastor, opened up stating that he was the person contracted by the traditional ruler to kill his son. He reportedly also stated that before then, they were taking dismembered body parts, both dry and fresh, to the traditional ruler after killing their victims.
He confessed that so far, they killed two victims since November, last year and taken the body parts to both the traditional ruler and other buyers who have all been arrested.
How it all started
According to him, I started by supplying dry corpses exhumed from cemeteries but my clients later coerced me to be supplying fresh body parts. That was how I graduated from supplying dried body parts from burial grounds to supplying newly murdered fresh body parts of newly murdered to my clients. My clients said dried human parts were no longer in vogue. “My first victim was a desperate job seeker whom I met at Okeho in Ogun state at a drinking joint where he normally relaxed with some bottles of drinks every evening. It was the boy who approached me saying he needed a job in Lagos. I then called my client, Alhaji Amodu Wahab and told him that I had seen somebody to kill. I took the unsuspecting boy from Okeho to Alhaji’s office where the boy was accessed and confirmed good for ritual.
How victims were killed
“While I was on my way, I called an Ifa Priest named Sunday Padonu popularly known as Osetura and informed him of the whole arrangements but on their way, Osetura wasn’t picking up his calls anymore. I had to call Baale to inform him but he called Balogun and briefed him that Osetura was not picking up his calls. Balogun then assures that he has a slaughtering ground where the boy can be killed. We took the boy to Ado Odo, slaughtered him dismembered his body and then took the body parts to Alhaji.”
He also told police investigators that he was introduced to Osetura, one of the arrested suspects, by Baale and they started chatting online. “Osetura asked me how I used to exhume bodies and I narrated the process to him. We know the hours when security men at the cemeteries stay out and after targeting them, we strike by exhuming the bodies quickly and disappearing from the scene. So, after this, Osekura assured me that he had a space in his house at Igbo-Ora, Ogun state where he could kill and dismember dead human bodies. He usually carried out divination after we had gotten a victim to know whether the ritual would work or not. Once he confirmed that our victim was okay, we would kill the person and cut his body which would be distributed and sold to clients.
Drama at the Slaughterhouse
“We nearly missed killing our second victim. When he was shot, the bullet missed and caught him in the hand. He did not suspect me when I led him to the enclave. As he was bleeding and crying out, we purposely allowed him to bleed to death after stamping on his stomach and body.
“We took the body which was still shaking from that spot to where he was being cut into pieces. I sat on the guy’s stomach while Osekura brought a knife to cut his head. Others held the victim’s legs and as Osekura was trying to strangulate him, his fingers mistakenly entered our victim’s mouth and got stuck. He had to quickly use a knife to slit his throat and that was how he was able to remove his fingers.
“I must say that I have not made enough money from this evil deed. I am from a scattered home because my father and mother separated a long time ago and I have not seen my father for a long time. I dropped out of school at the primary level because I could not cope. I ended up being a bricklayer until I started exhuming bodies from cemeteries. Now that I am in the police net, I regret all I have done. I leave my fate in the hands of God with a firm promise to change my ways if given another chance.”:
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended 34 individuals suspected of engaging in foreign exchange fraud through illicit dollar transactions in Abuja. The arrests, part of a broader crackdown on currency mutilation and economic dollarisation, were carried out in a coordinated sting operation in the Wuse Zone 4 area of the Federal Capital Territory on Friday, April 26, 2024.
According to a statement released on the commission’s website, these arrests were informed by credible intelligence that pinpointed the suspects’ illegal activities. The EFCC’s Taskforce on Currency Mutilation, Dollarisation of the Economy, and Forex Malpractice spearheaded the operation, reflecting the agency’s heightened focus on stabilizing and regulating the forex market amid escalating concerns over economic volatility.
The suspects, identified as individuals involved in significant currency speculation activities, include Usman Mohammed, Abdullahi Nasir, and 32 others. Their operations have been linked to fluctuating foreign exchange rates that have adversely impacted the Nigerian economy. The EFCC disclosed that the individuals were caught in the act of selling U.S. dollars illegally, a practice that has been a contributing factor to the naira’s depreciation.
The EFCC statement noted that “their arrest came on the heels of the EFCC’s consistent efforts to sanitize and stabilize the foreign exchange market.” It emphasizes the agency’s ongoing commitment to curtail financial malpractices that undermine the country’s economic integrity. The suspects are expected to be arraigned in court soon, following the conclusion of investigations.
This operation marks a significant step in the Nigerian government’s fight against economic crimes, particularly at a time when the nation grapples with challenges in the financial sector. The EFCC’s proactive measures aim to reassure the public and investors about the seriousness with which it is addressing irregularities and enforcing regulations within the financial marketplace.
The family of late Nollywood actor, John Paul Odonwondo, popularly known as Junior Pope, has released his burial arrangement.
Recall that Junior Pope, alongside four other Nollywood crew members, lost his life in a boat mishap.
The unfortunate accident occurred while they were commuting via water for Adanma Luke’s forthcoming movie, ‘The Other Side of Life’.
Junior Pope’s family, in the burial arrangement, disclosed that the deceased will be buried on 17 May 2024.
See the flyer below:
Junior Pope’s Mother Believes He Was Killed - AGN president
Speaking during a recent interview, the AGN president spoke about Junior Pope’s Cameroonian mother, who believes her son was killed.
Rollas noted that this resulted from rumours peddled on special media.
He said, “I was with his mother yesterday, and all the rumors online are making her feel that her son was killed. I had to let her know that I was also supposed to be in the boat.”
According to Emeka Rollas, CPR was conducted on Junior Pope immediately he was brought out of the water after being under for more than four hours.
“Anybody that said they didn’t perform CPR on Jnr Pope is a liar. He was brought out dead after spending over 4 hours under the water,” he added.
I Would Rather Stick To A Rich Cheating Man Than Be With Faithful Broke Partner – Reality TV Star, Yvonne
AFOLABIFormer Big Brother Titans Housemate, Yvonne Godwin, has said she would rather stay with a wealthy cheating partner than be in a relationship with a faithful broke man.
Naija News reports that the reality TV star made this known during an interview on the Big Friday Show With Tach on Cool FM, Lagos.
According to Yvonne, cheating is not a deal-breaker for her so long as there is mutual respect.
She said, “I prefer dating a rich man that cheats on me to a faithful broke man.
“Men are the same. You see that money? You can never take money out of relationship. I’m not saying it’s okay to cheat. Please, don’t cheat on me.
“You know the worst thing? When a broke man now cheats on you it’s like double suffering. So, I would rather stick to a rich guy that would apologise and keep it moving. But when the disrespect gets too much because I hates disrespect, especially when it’s on a public platform. I’m very big on respect. So if you disrespect me, I’m going to walk away.”
BBNaija Ifuennada Opens Up About Relationship Breakup Over Premarital S*x
Meanwhile, Ex-Big Brother Naija housemate, Iheme Faith Uloma, popularly known as Ifuennada, shared that her refusal to engage in premarital sex led to the end of a relationship.
Naija News reports that the reality star boldly expressed her stance against premarital sex in a video posted on her Instagram page.
She captioned the video, “I’ll always say no to premarital s*x even if it breaks my heart. God over man.”
Ifuennada shared that her partner humiliated and disrespected her due to her stance against premarital sex, as she revealed in another post.
Despite the pain, the reality TV star reiterated that she focuses on pleasing God rather than pursuing earthly relationships, putting her trust in His divine plans.
"I will never be the same again" - Husband speaks after his wife drove to remote location,set herself and two daughters on fire
AFOLABIA migrant mother-of-two who felt isolated in her new Australian home drove to a remote area and set herself and her two daughters on fire, after telling her husband she was taking the girls to McDonald's.
James Swan Palakamannil has given the Coroners Court of Victoria a harrowing account of what his life has been like since his wife Jasmine Thomas and daughters Carolyn and Evlyn died in a Melbourne car fire two years ago.
“To see the coffin go down with all of your favourite people in it changes your life,” he told the court on Tuesday, April 23, The Age reported.
"I will never be the same again. Never get to touch, feel or see them again. They will remain pictures on a screen.
“On March 24 (2022), the sky became three stars richer.”
Mr Palakamannil remembers how three-year-old Carolyn would drag a chair to reach the front door handle and open it as he arrived home from work every day. She would always be wearing her favourite colour, pink.
Her older sister, six-year-old Evlyn, “was the boss of the house”.
“She wore the pants,” Mr Palakamannil told the court.
Their mother Jasmine Thomas suffered from postnatal depression and then became paranoid during the Covid pandemic.
On the night of March 24, 2022, Mr Palakamannil had returned to their Lyndhurst home in Melbourne's south-east to find their daughters playing on a mobile phone and his wife laying in bed. A short time later, Ms Thomas told him she was taking the girls to McDonald's.
However, CCTV footage showed the mother first went to a service station in nearby suburb Cranbourne West where she bought and filled a jerry can. Ms Thomas then drove herself and her daughters to a McDonald's car park where they sat until about 7.30pm.
Less than 10 minutes later, she drove to a secluded spot on the Western Port Highway, covered her car in fuel and set it alight with herself and two daughters inside.
Emergency services rushed to the scene after a passer-by reported the fire, which was brought under control in 15 minutes. Ms Thomas, Evlyn and Carolyn all died in the horrific blaze.
“Suddenly, there is no one waiting for me at the door,” Mr Palakamannil told the court through tears.
“[I'm now] living in an empty and silent house.” Mr Palakamannil and Ms Thomas had married in India in 2012 after meeting on an arranged marriage website.
The couple, who were both born in Kuwait, moved to Australia and were granted permanent residency in 2015. Mr Palakamannil recalled how the Gulf War inspired him to teach Evlyn to be a good person.
“I watched her take her first steps, say her first words. I'd give her pep talks before bedtime … about famine and the war and how kids go hungry, about global warming and climate change to put a desire in her heart to … be a force for change,” he said.
Ms Thomas worked in Melbourne hospitals as a nurse but unexpectedly resigned from Mulgrave Private Hospital in 2021.
However, she stayed as a casual employee at Dandenong Hospital. During this time she told her family she was having marriage problems.
Coroner John Cain noted Ms Thomas had contacted a number of professional services, including police, and experienced postnatal depression. He found those services had no opportunity to prevent her murder-suicide.
“Despite child protection and Victoria Police holding concerns about her mental health, as she was not assessed as acutely unwell and did not wish to engage in services, she did not receive any formal assistance or diagnosis,” Cain said.
Instead, the court heard how Ms Thomas was socially isolated with her problems often disregarded by her extended family.
“My late wife, Jasmine, tried her best. I wish she had … sought help. She struggled to connect and engage with people and make friends. When she couldn't any more … in the process she took out my most prized possessions,” Mr Palakamannil said.
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A federal appellate court has upheld the conviction of disgraced and imprisoned RnB star, R. Kelly, in Chicago.
The "Ignition" singer was sentenced to 20 years in prison in his child porn case in Chicago, and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals just affirmed that sentence after he tried to upturn it, citing the statute of limitations had passed as his defence.
The court stated that Kelly's 30-year sentence in his New York case was the "elephant in the room" and the Chicago case sentence was set with that in mind.
According to the court, the sentence also makes sense in light of the "horrible, horrific" nature of the crimes Kelly was convicted in 2021.
In his New York appeal, Kelly argued the highly influential "Surviving R. Kelly" Lifetime docuseries influenced the trial before it even got off the ground and he was unfairly painted to be guilty.
But with this ruling out of Chicago federal court, the future may not be too promising for his chances in New York, but the courts will have the final say.
Actress, Doris Simeon, has said that she was not ashamed doing menial jobs in the United States of America, because she needed to pay her bills.
Speaking in an interview with her colleague, Kunle Afod, Simeon said, “This (US) is where my child is with his father, and that is one of the reasons I decided to stay back here. I have been here since 2018, and I really miss home (Nigeria). What I miss most about Nigeria are those street foods, such as roasted yam and corn. I also miss my friends and family.
“It was not easy starting all over, because in this place, only the tough will last. If one is lazy, one will be hungry. People who have been here for 20 to 50 years don’t find it easy, because with the kind of system they have, one cannot avoid paying bills. If one does not work, one won’t eat, and one won’t be able to pay bills.”
Simeon also stated that she still got a lot of admirers. She said, “A lot of men still send me messages on social media to ask about my relationship status. Those who know me know I don’t like to make a noise about my private life. The fact that I don’t post online does not mean I don’t have a man in my life. I have a man in my life, but I don’t reject gifts.”
Recounting some of the menial jobs she had done in the US, she said, “I have lost count of the number of jobs I have done here. I once worked as a delivery person, and even met people who recognised me, but what could I do? After all, they won’t pay my bills. I worked as a personal shopper as well, and hairdressing is something I still. Currently, I work for the government as a social worker.”
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency has temporarily shut down no fewer than five churches and 19 hotels over noise pollution between March 23 and April 26, a tally by Saturday PUNCH has shown.
Calculations by our correspondent also showed that no fewer than four markets and shopping complexes were also shut down over noise pollution and other environmental infractions.
The churches that have been temporarily sealed include St Monica’s Hall of Our Lady of Lord’s Catholic Church, Christ Rock of Fire Ministry, Wonderful Bible Prayer Ministries, God’s Porch Ministries, and an unnamed Catholic Church
Some of the hotels affected are School2bar, Blue Seasons Hotel and Suites, Sulerious Lakeside Hotel, Monero Hotel and Suites, and Lekki Hotel and Suites.
A post shared by the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on his X account on Friday, said various establishments, including churches, bars, and hotels, in areas like Ifako-Ijaiye, Abule-Egba, Alagbado, Command, Abesan Estate, and Dopemu, were also sealed due to noise pollution.
The statement read, “In a significant effort to address noise pollution and other environmental breaches, LASEPA conducted a comprehensive enforcement operation today in strategic areas of lfako-ljaiye, Abule-Egba, Alagbado, Command, Abesan Estate, and Dopemu within Lagos State.
“Among the affected establishments are the Catholic Church, Seventh Heaven Bar and Lounge, 1602 Hotel, Lourita Hotel and Suites, Wonderful Bible Prayer Ministries, God’s Porch Ministries, White Pavilion Hotel, Quest Hotel and Suites, Honey Comb Confectioners Limited, and Excel Hotel and Suite.
“These establishments have been temporarily closed to compel compliance with environmental regulations. LASEPA emphasised the vital importance of businesses adhering to environmental standards.”
The Oyo State Government has announced a restriction on movement throughout the state to facilitate the smooth conduct of Saturday’s local government elections.
The movement will be restricted from 8 am to 3 pm, during which elections for councillorship and chairmanship positions will take place in all 33 local government areas of the state.
This measure, endorsed by the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), is intended to ensure the elections are free from disruptions and to enhance the safety and effectiveness of the electoral process.
In an update on its verified ‘x’ handle on Friday evening, it said, “Please note this important announcement regarding movement restrictions in Oyo State on Saturday 27, April 2024
“The Oyo State Government has declared total restriction of movement tomorrow, Saturday, 27th of April 2024, the restriction will be in place from 0600 hours to 1600 hours.
“Only providers of essential services are exempted from these restrictions.”