Nigeria Will Overcome Present Challenges

Nigeria’ll overcome present challenges —
Jonathan
ON August 29, 2016 7:09 AM / IN News /
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By Samuel Oyadongha
OTUOKE —Former President Goodluck Jonathan
has said that Nigerians must be prepared to
protect and develop the country at all times.
File Photo: President Jonathan
He said that the current challenges Nigerians
were facing were transient as the country would
definitely overcome them and urged Christians to
continue to pray for the country.
Jonathan stated this at the public presentation
of a book entitled The History of St. Stephen’s
Anglican Church, Otuoke , his home town, in Ogbia
Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to him, the essence of history was to
know how societies or clans evolved and
emerged, adding that there was need to capture
the spread of Christianity in communities in the
Niger Delta.
He appealed to indigenes of Otuoke to read the
book and volunteer additional information for the
next edition.
The former President also eulogised the book
reviewer, Professor Emeritus, Ebiegberi Alagoa,
for his contributions to the documentation of the
history of the Niger Delta.
Unveiling the book, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha
Jonah (retd), deputy governor of Bayelsa State,
who represented Governor Seriake Dickson, said
that the book would engender the spiritual
upliftment of those who read.by Chibabynaija1

Ambode Inspects Ongoing Project In Lagos

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode
(2nd right); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Ajibada Caster
Bade-Adebowale (right); Commissioner for
Works & Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson
(2nd left); his counterpart for the Environment,
Dr. Babatunde Adejare (left) during the
Governor’s inspection of the ongoing
construction of multifaceted expansion
projects at Berger Bus Stop, along Lagos-
Ibadan Expressway, at the weekend.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode
(2nd left); with Commissioner for the
Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare (left);
Special Adviser on Transportation, Prince Anofi
Elegushi (right); and Commissioner for Works &
Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson (2nd
right) during the Governor’s inspection of the
ongoing construction of multifaceted
expansion projects at Oworosonki, Lagos, at
the weekend.
Ongoing construction of Iyana Oworo Bus
Stop, Oworosonki, Lagos, inspected by
Governor Ambode at the weekend.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode
(2nd right); Commissioner for Works &
Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson (right);
Project Manager, China Civil Engineering
Construction Corporation (CCECC), Mr. WuYao
and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works &
Infrastructure, Engr. Ajibada Caster Bade-
Adebowale (2nd left) during the Governor’s
inspection of the ongoing construction of
multifaceted expansion projects at Berger Bus
Stop, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, at the
weekend.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode
(middle), flanked by Commissioner for Works &
Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson (right)
and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works &
Infrastructure, Engr. Ajibada Caster Bade-
Adebowale (left) during the Governor’s
inspection of the ongoing construction of
multifaceted expansion projects at Berger Bus
Stop, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, at the
weekend.by Chibaby naija1

Nigeria Will Be Among Top 100 Countries Of Profitable Bussiness By 2019-Buhari

The President, in a statement issued in
Abuja, was speaking at a plenary session on
"Dialogue with the Private Sector" at the
sixth Tokyo International Conference for
African Development (TICAD VI) in Nairobi.
According to him, his administration is
implementing policies and measures to
create right and enabling environment for
business and investors in Nigeria.
Nigeria is currently ranked 169 out of 189
countries by the World Bank, according to
the Bank's 2016 Ease of Doing Business
report.
President Buhari told the session ,attended
by several African leaders, Japan's Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe and international
business executives, that his
administration’s vision and objective was to
make Nigeria one of the top investment
destinations in the world, within the shortest
possible time.
``We believe government has a particular
responsibility to create right and attractive
environment for businesses and economic
activities to thrive.
``In furtherance of this vision, we have
launched the Presidential Enabling
Environment Council, PEEC and Inter-
Ministerial Council to oversee the efforts of
government to remove various bottlenecks
that stifle businesses and economic
activities.
``This will create economic activities and
the right enabling environment and
investment climate in Nigeria.
``The secretariat will include strong private
sector representation that would be led by
experienced business professionals from the
private sector,’’ he said.
The president maintained that his
administration was committed to moving up
Nigeria’s ranking of the World Bank’s ease
of doing business index 20 places in first
year and be in the top 100 within the next
three years.by Chibabynaija1

How Herdsmen invaded Enugu,Killed Seminarian.

Four members of Ogbodo Nwarum family,
whose house the slain Seminarian was a
tenant, also sustained severe machete cuts
from the rampaging herdsmen, who ripped
open the stomach of a 6-month pregnant
woman, Mrs. Nwarum, in the operation that
started at about 2:15am.
The attack on the Enugu community came on
a day four persons, including the son of a
World bank consultant, got drowned in Egbe
River, Egbe, in Gbonyin Local Government Area
of Ekiti State, as they were on a World Bank
assessment mission to the dam and had
commenced work on Tuesday night.
Until his death,Nwafor,was a seminarian at the
Catholic Spiritan International School of
Theology, CSIST, Attakwu. The injured victims
are in critical conditions at the Mother of
Christ Teaching Hospital and Parklane
Teaching Hospital, Enugu.by chibabynaija1.

World Bank 7.5m:Shuaibu Debunks Allegation

How Herdsmen Invaded Enugu ,Killed Seminarian

Reekado Banks Picks Spotlight As Debut Album Tittle

Mavin Records artiste, Reekado Banks can’t
wait to prove his critics wrong.
Last week, his label boss and producer, Don
Jazzy hinted that the young act’s album would
drop this year.
Reekado Banks has however gone a step
further by releasing the title of the album as
Spotlight.
The album is expected to have songs such as
Katapot, Oluwa Ni, Sugar Baby, Tomorrow,
Corner and Standard.by chibabynaija1

16 Die In Ware House Fire

At least 16 migrant workers died in a fire
that broke out at a Moscow warehouse on
Saturday morning, Russian authorities said.
“When the fire was being put out, a room
that had been cut off by the flames was
discovered,” TASS news agency quoted the
regional branch of the emergency
ministry’s press service as saying.
“Firefighters tore down the wall and found
16 dead.”
Emergency workers arrived at the scene at
0500 GMT to put out a blaze that had
engulfed 200 square metres of a
warehouse in an industrial zone in the
Russian capital’s north.
The fire at the four-floor facility, which is
thought to belong to a local printing
company, was extinguished at around 0700
GMT, authorities said.
The head of the Moscow branch of the
emergency ministry, Ilya Denisov, told
Russian news agencies that the victims of
the fire were migrant workers from
Kyrgyzstan.
An AFP journalist at the scene saw about
three dozen migrant workers gathered
outside the warehouse, some of whom
wept as they awaited news on the people
who had been in the building when the
blaze broke out.
Denisov said the fire was thought to have
been caused by a broken lamp in a room
containing large quantities of flammable
liquids and paper products.
“The fire spread from the first floor
through the elevator shaft to the room in
which the people were killed,” Interfax
news agency quoted Denisov as saying.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin wrote on
Twitter that the people injured in the blaze
had been taken to a local hospital and that
the city would probe the incident.
“I am certain that those guilty will be found
and punished,” Sobyanin wrote.
The Moscow branch of Russia’s
Investigative Committee said in a
statement that it was still probing the
circumstances surrounding the incident.
A criminal investigation was launched to
determine whether the blaze erupted due
to arson or negligence.by chibabynaija1

Five Year Child Chained By Her Aunty

A 42 year-old woman, Mrs. Mary Matthew, has
been paraded by the Ondo State Police
command for allegedly maltreating her late
younger sister’s daughter, Miss Precious
Michael, Five years.
Mary who is a mother of six children, was
accused of chaining and caging the little
Precious in a kiosk for five months for allegedly
being possessed and suffering from Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Mary, an indigene of Enugu State but a resident
of Imafo in Akure North local government was
said to have traveled to their home town around
last year December, when she was informed
about the death of her younger sister and
returned to her based with Precious.
It was learnt that Precious was caged, when
Mary and her husband accused her of being
spiritually possessed and also suffering from
HIV.
The five year-old girl was always fed, defecated
and urinated in the cage for five months before
she was rescued last month by the police.
When she was rescued by the police, her
condition became pathetic, forcing an Assistant
Superintendent Police (ASP) officer in charge of
Special Children Centre at Akure “A” Division,
Mrs. Olayemi Ojumu to donate her blood when
the medical team demanded for blood
transfusion.
But, Mary, who denied ever caging the little girl
said she was always locking her in a shop when
going to farm, saying, when she returned, she
would remove her from the shop.
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Mary said she took to locking her up when she
observed few months after she brought her from
Enugu that one of her legs was swollen.
She said “Immediately, I called my mother in
Enugu that Precious’ leg was swollen up and she
said that she must have contacted HIV, which
she said was what killed her late mother.
“I became perplexed and in the cause of
preventing her from spreading to my other six
children, I always put her in a shop when going
to a farm and when I returned, I always remove
her from that place, God is my witnessed.
Precious accused her aunt of chaining her two
legs and hands and also flogging her before
putting her in a cage.
She also said that sometime, she would not be
fed by her foster parents.
The Police Commissioner, Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison
said the police came to the kid’s rescue when
their neigbours hinted his officers on the girl’s
situation.
Ibifuro-Harrison said the aunt also accused
Precious of being possessed, adding that only
medical personnel can confirm if the little girl
was HIV positive or not.
The commissioner said when she saw the kid in
her terrible state, she could not controlled her
emotion.
She, however, commended her officers,
particularly the one who donated her blood for
the survival of the girl.
The police assured that the suspect and others
who are have been apprehended in connection
with the case would be charged to court soon.by chibabynaija1

Fraud Pastor arrested By The Police

Members of a syndicate, which specialised
in confirming fake prophecies for pastors,
have been arrested by the police in Enugu
State.
Our correspondent gathered that the group
also faked healings for some men of God,
who contracted and paid them for their
services.
The suspected fraudsters were identified
as Obi Ejike from Ubaho Okija in Anambra
State; Mary Kuku from Ijebu Ode, Ogun
State; Joy Oluwakemi from Ojo, Lagos
State; Nwosu Chizoba from Umunze,
Anambra State; and Peter Uchechi from
Ebonyi State.
They were reportedly apprehended while
on their way to Abakiliki, Ebonyi State,
where they were contracted to stage
phoney miracles and healings for an
unnamed pastor in the state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspects were
apprehended on Friday during an argument
while waiting to board a vehicle at Holy
Ghost Park, Enugu.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu
State Police Command, Mr. Ebere
Amaraizu, who confirmed the development
on Sunday, explained that the argument
among the fraudsters drew the attention of
some policemen within the premises of the
park, who interrogated them.
Amaraizu said two members of the
syndicate, Ejike and Oluwakemi, opened up
on the group’s activities.
Revelations made by the duo led to the
arrest of other members of the group at P
and T bus stop, Enugu, on Saturday, where
they had assembled to board a bus to
Abakiliki, the venue of a church service.
A member of the group, Uchechi, said they
were usually recruited in large numbers
and kept in a house from where they would
shuttle to confirm fake prophecies and
stage-manage miracles for pastors.
Uchechi said they were usually paid
through a coordinator, who acted as a
middleman between the syndicate and the
pastors.
Upon their arrival in the church, a man,
who works for the pastor, would instruct
the syndicate on the nature of the
assignment.
Uchechi explained that before the
scheduled church service, they would list
their names and the fake ailments they
had, which would be given to the pastor
while ministering to the congregation.
During the ‘prophetic hour’ session of the
service, members of the syndicate, who
were already known to the pastor, would
come out when people who had problems
were summoned to the altar.
Subsequently, members of the syndicate
would announce before the congregation
that they had received healing following
the pastor’s ministrations.
In other cases, according to Uchechi,
members of the syndicate would come out
to ‘confirm’ a prophecy, which would be
made by the pastor in the course of the
service, based on the information they
provided before the session.
She added that the members of their group
usually fell under the ‘influence’ of the
pastor’s anointing, during worship sessions.
“Some pastors use us to grow their
churches and ministries and we are paid
later through our coordinator, depending on
our roles,” Uchechi said.
Ejike, who explained that he worked with
the coordinator, admitted that he was in
charge of the Abakiliki job, which the group
was going for when they were
apprehended.
He said he decided to go into the fake
prophecy business after his business
collapsed in Lagos.
Ejike added that he was mostly involved in
the recruitment of personnel for various
assignments.
Another member of the group, Chizoba,
said she started the ‘business’ in Abuja,
after finding it difficult to fend for her
baby, who she had out of wedlock.
According to her, she eventually relocated
to Onitsha, Anambra State, to team up with
the syndicate.
Two other members of the syndicate,
Oluwakemi and Kuku, claimed to be
widows with four children each, adding that
hardship pushed them into the crime.
The police spokesperson, Amaraizu, said
investigations were ongoing.by chibabynaija1

A Woman Gave Birth To A Healthy Baby during a Flight From Dubai to the Philippines

A woman gave birth to a healthy baby
during a flight from Dubai to the Philippines
– The newborn was called Haven and got free
flights for life on Cebu Pacific Airlines
The unnamed heavily pregnant woman was on
her way from Dubai to the Philippines when her
baby decided it’s hight time to appear.
Little Haven got free flights for life on Cebu
Pacific Air
The mother’s due delivery date was two months
ahead and she started panicking when she felt
sudden contractions mid-air.by chibabynaija1

World Bank Officials Drown

Four World Bank officials have drowned
at Egbe Dam in Egbe Ekiti, Gbonyin
Local Government Area of Ekiti State,
South-West Nigeria, the News Agency of
Nigeria is reporting.
Egbe Dam is the biggest of the six dams
in the state.
Folasade Akinrinmola, the chairman of
the council and the state police
command confirmed the incident to
journalists on Thursday.
Mr. Akinrinmola said the incident which
occurred on Wednesday night involved a
team of seven contractors employed by
the World Bank on an assessment
mission to the dam.
She said the team commenced work on
Tuesday night from a section of the dam
and that the incident happened when
they moved to the other section on
Wednesday.
She said the traditional ruler of Egbe
notified her of the incident.
“We immediately mobilised a rescue
team and an ambulance, and in the
process, those wearing life jackets were
rescued.
“The rescued people were the ones who
told us that others were in the water.
“The bodies of those that had drowned
were later retrieved by the local
fishermen.”
“One of the dead victims was said to be
the son of the leader of the team who
providentially escaped unhurt.
“We believe that they came to Ekiti
based on some of the proposals we had
written on the dam on how it can be put
to use.
“We believe that the World Bank has
started work on the dam based on their
findings,” she said.
The council boss, who described the
incident as sad and unfortunate , added
that the bodies of the dead had since
been deposited at the mortuary in Ode-
Ekiti, the headquarters of the council
area.
Alberto Adeyemi, the Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Ekiti
State Police Command, also confirmed
the incident.
“It is true that the boat transporting the
team capsized, four of them died while
three survived,” Mr. Adeyemi, a deputy
superintendent of police, said.
(NAN)by chibaby naija1

Boy 19,Stabbed his pregnant girl friend to death

After unsuccessfully trying to convince his
girlfriend to abort a pregnancy, a man has
resorted to google to find information on
how to make his problem go away.
Ask Google’ is a common refrain when
people need answers to issues they
cannot solve ordinarily. But a 19-year-
old undergraduate, Ade (surname
withheld), recently made wrong use of
the application when he used it to search
on what he could to do to a girlfriend
who refused to abort a two-month-old
pregnancy she had for him.
Suspect, Ade
At the end of his search, he got a knife,
went to his girlfriend’s house and
stabbed her twice on the stomach and
also slashed her throat.
The suspect is currently in police net at
the State Criminal Investigation and
Intelligence Department (SCIID), Oyo
State Police Command, over an alleged
murder attempt.
Crime Reports learnt that Ade, a 100
level student in one of the universities in
the South Western part of Nigeria,
allegedly committed the act on Thursday,
August 11, at the residence of his
girlfriend’s parents at Sango-Alaro area
of Ibadan at about 2:30p.m.
But for the presence of a policeman,
Sergeant Ayeni Oluwafemi, who was the
girl’s neighbour and who heard her cry,
Crime Reports learnt that the 19-year-old
victim would have died in a pool of her
blood while his assailant would have
escaped. But on rushing to the room
where the cry came from, the policeman
reportedly met the suspect, holding a
knife and about to walk out. He
promptly pushed him back, handcuffed
his hands and called for assistance to
save the girl.
Ade, who spoke with Crime Reports,
confessed that he acted the way he did
because “my girlfriend got pregnant for
me.”
The teenage also told Crime Reports
during an interview that he got the clue
on how to resolve the issue of his
unwanted pregnancy through the help of
Google.
According to the young man, “I met my
girlfriend about two months ago on
Facebook. We had a mutual friend and I
added her. She accepted my request and
we got to know each other. I proposed a
relationship to her and she accepted. We
had sex only once on July 4. I did not
protect myself.
“On August 10, she told me that she was
pregnant. The next morning, on
Thursday August 11, she called me that
her parents wanted to see me. I went to
her parents at Alaro area of Ibadan and
they wanted to know what my intention
was on the pregnancy. I suggested that
she had an abortion but they said they
could not abort for their daughter
because it was against their belief. I told
them that I would get back to them on
Monday, August 15.
“I left for home confused, but on the way
home, different thoughts went through
my mind because I didn’t want my
parents to know. I didn’t want to
disappoint them. I was with my phone at
home and I picked it and typed “What to
do if my girlfriend does not want to have
an abortion on Google”. It brought out
different options that I can deny, which I
didn’t deny.
“Another option was to convince her to
have an abortion, which did not work.
There were also other options but the
last one was that I could kill her. I chose
that option because she was the only one
who knew my house and I believed that
if I killed her, no one would be able to
trace my house and I would get away
with my action.
“To kill, Google gave me an option to use
poison, which I knew no pharmacy
would sell to me. Other options were to
use a gun or a knife. Knife was easy to
get, so I went to the market same day to
buy a knife and returned to her house. I
did not meet her at home so I called her
and waited for her. When she came in, I
attacked her with the knife but she was
resisting. I stabbed her on the right and
left sides of her stomach and slashed her
throat.
“Unfortunately for me, her screams got
to a neighbour and he came in.
Coincidentally, he is a policeman so he
handcuffed me and I was arrested. It
was the fear of disappointing my parents
that made me take the action.”
Crime Reports learnt that though the
lady survived the attack, she was still in
the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in
the South West part of Nigeria where
doctors had been battling to keep her
alive.
Confirming the incident, the police
image-maker in Oyo State, Adekunle
Ajisebutu, a Superintendent of Police,
said that the suspect would be arraigned
in court after the conclusion of
investigations.by chibabynaija1

Accident in nigeria

An accident, involving an Honda
Car, along, Abuja Airport Road,
Monday morning at about 5.30am. An
eye witness told PMNews,  that it
was due to overspeeding by the driver of
the Honda Car.One of the female
passagers lost her life.  Photos By
Abuja.by chibaby naija1

Saki. Living in fear of Nigeria biggest earth quake

Chibaby naija 1,who was in Saki, Oyo
State, writes about the panic that has
gripped the sleepy town following series of
earth tremors
Though a middle-aged housewife, Mrs.
Alimot Bisiriyu, who resides in Saki, Oyo
State, had never heard the word
‘apocalypse’ in her life, a disturbing
experience she had three months ago
made her think the world was about to
end.
“It was about 2.30pm that day; I had just
finished doing some laundry that
afternoon. I was hanging the clothes on
the line when all of a sudden the ground
started vibrating violently. I was so terrified
that I crumpled to the floor and held my
head in my arms. I began to say prayers,”
she said.
Bisiriyu stated that everyone in the house
thought the building would collapse.
She said, ‘‘They were running helter-
skelter; those inside were running out,
while the ones outside were running
indoors. When it stopped a few minutes
later, I couldn’t believe that I had survived.
“It was the worst experience of my entire
life. I had a pounding headache for the rest
of that week.”
Bisiriyu, like her husband, Abdulraheem,
and other residents in the town located in
the South-West, recently experienced the
rage of an earth tremor.
Speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH on a breezy,
quiet Sunday afternoon, Abdulraheem, said
he found the tremors perplexing since
there was no physical activity in the area
to cause the underground activity that
terrorised the villagers.
He said, “There is no quarrying in this area,
so we find it strange that we would be
experiencing such a strange occurrence 25
years after settling here and after 10 years
in this house.
“Between March and May, we heard it
constantly almost every day, like an
explosion happening underground. It was
extremely terrifying. But we have not heard
it in the last two days. We only hope the
tremors are gone for good. But from
experience, we know that such hope only
lasts a short while.”by chibaby naija1

65 year Woman Found dead In the Well In ilorin

PA 65 year old woman who was in charge of
ensuring proper sanitary condition of a
mosque in llorin, Kwara was found dead
inside a well at the mosque premises on
Saturday.
The incident occurred at AnsarulDeen
Mosque, Osere area, Sawmill in llorin West
Local Government Area of the state.
Eye witnesses’ said that the woman,
popularly known as “lya Majeobaje”, fell
into the well on Friday while fetching water
to clean the mosque.
They said that there was nobody within the
vicinity of the mosque to rescue her when
she fell inside the well at about 5p.m.
Some of the residents of the area who
discovered the dead woman immediately
alerted the state fire service in llorin.
The Director of the State Fire Service, Mr
Tiamiyu Raji, confirmed the incident. He
said personnel from the Fire Service
removed the woman from the well dead on
Saturday afternoon.
He said that the corpse of the woman was
taken to the B Division of Police State
Command, Surulere in llorin.
Effort to speak with the Public Relations
Officer of the State Police Command,
Samuel Okasanmi on the incident proved
futile.by chibaby naija1

Three University graduate arrested for arm robbery

Three University graduates
have been arrested in Ogun
State for allegedly snatching
a car in Lagos.
The Ogun State Police
Command Public Relations
Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, who
disclosed this to PREMIUM
TIMES on Monday, said the
arrest of the suspects was
jointly carried out by the
police and OP MESA attached
to 35 Artillery Brigade
Alamala Abeokuta.
“The joint operation teams of
the Ogun State Police
Command and OP MESA
attached to 35 Artillery
Brigade Alamala Abeokuta
have intercepted and
arrested a gang of young
graduates that robbed and
snatched a Toyota Highlander
Jeep at Festac Town Lagos on
February 4th at Ibafo area of
Ogun State about 8.30pm
same day,” he said.
Mr. Adejobi said the
suspected armed robbers who
were on top speed after the
operation along Lagos-Ibadan
expressway were intercepted
by the joint operation teams
who were on their routine
patrol along the same
expressway.
“The teams forced the moving
vehicle to stop when they
noticed the suspicious
attitude of the occupants who
were eventually found to be
armed robbers,” Mr. Adejobi
stated.
He said the suspected armed
robbers kidnapped the owner
of the snatched car before
they dropped him along the
road having used him to
operate the security device
fixed on the car.
“The vehicle was demobilized
and stopped at a point along
the expressway but the suspects hired
the services of a rewire (technician) to
start the engine again, and continued
their movement before the arrest”.
The police spokesperson said the
suspects have confessed to the crime and
are helping the police in their
investigation.
He said the Acting Commissioner of
Police, Haliru Gwandu, has ordered the
case be transferred to Lagos State Police
Command where the robbery incident
took place for proper investigation.
“He then commended the joint operation
teams of the Police and Nigerian Army
for the good job and charged other
operational outfits in the state to add
more pep in achieving adequate security
of lives and property in Ogun State,” he
said.by chibaby naija1

I knelt and begged him, yet he slaughtered my daughter in my presence .Mother of mtn worker murdered by suitor

The inch-long scar on the neck of 53-year-
old Mrs. Christiana Ashinwo, is one of the
physical reminders of the horror of Sunday,
April 24, 2016.
She sat on a chair quietly in the sitting
room of a house in Agbado area of Lagos,
which she built with the sweat and
suffering of many years as a single mother
and plank vendor. Her head was bowed
when our correspondent went to meet her.
But when Mrs Ashinwo looked up, her eyes
were glazed with a faraway look that would
easily giveaway the fact that she could
have witnessed trauma, great trauma that
she obviously had yet to recover from.
Who would blame her? Watching her
daughter killed before her presence, is
enough to give her chills every moment for
the rest of her life. The horrific incident
she witnessed and survived few months
ago in Kwara State remains so fresh on her
mind.
Our correspondent had reported on April 30
how Mrs. Ashinwo and her daughter, 30-
year-old Oluwatosin Ashinwo, an employee
of MTN in Ilorin, Kwara State were
attacked by a knife-wielding obsessed
suitor of the young lady, 45-year-old David
Ogundele.
Mrs. Ashinwo survived the attack, her
daughter didn’t.
The older woman’s injuries were no less
extensive, as she spent many days in the
emergency unit of a hospital in Ilorin as
doctors battled to save her life. She would
later spend another two months in the
intensive care unit of the hospital.
Our correspondent paid her a visit in
Lagos, days after she was discharged and
brought back home.
With a very raspy voice and intermittent
cough that came out with each word, one
would conclude that all was still not well
with the woman, who was left for dead in
the pool of her own blood in Ilorin that
fateful day.
For her, the agony she feels with each
morsel of food and gulp of liquid passing
through her knife-damaged throat was
nothing compared to the daily torment of
thinking about how she lost her first child,
breadwinner, and daughter.
“I knelt down to beg my daughter’s killer as
he held the knife that later took my
daughter’s life. I thought kneeling would
pacify him,” she said.
The story Mrs. Ashinwo told was one of
agony, climaxing at the moment she laid in
a pool of her own blood and tried with
every ounce of her waning strength to
crawl to where her daughter laid lifeless.
“I was dead; I don’t know why God brought
me back. But I am sure I was dead that
day. I tried to crawl and touch my daughter
but my strength failed. I could see she was
not breathing. There was blood
everywhere; mine and my daughter’s,” she
said.
According to her, the day of the attack
was the first time he would meet the killer,
Ogundele.
Mrs. Ashinwo said, “The first time we
spoke, he called me and introduced himself
as Engineer David. He told me he was my
daughter’s friend and I should help him to
appeal to my daughter to marry him.
Mrs Ashinwo
“I was surprised but I told him that my
daughter was a 30-year-old woman. She
was free to make her own decision about
who to marry.
“He called again some weeks later and
said he and my daughter had settled the
issue.
“The next time, he called, he was very
angry. He said he had never been
humiliated the way my daughter humiliated
him. It was few days after my daughter’s
birthday. He said he organised a birthday
party for her and invited his friends and
even bought a car as gift but she did not
honour the invitation.
“I did not know what to say. My daughter
already had a car and already has
someone else she wanted to marry. I told
him not to be annoyed and forget about
the issue since my daughter had made up
her mind.
“Prior to April 30, I started having some
bad dreams about my daughter and
became really concerned. I decided that it
was time to go and check on her to know
how she was doing.
“On my way to Ilorin, the man (Ogundele)
called again and said as soon as I get to
Ilorin, he would come and pick me at the
park. I said nothing. But since I did not
even know him I went straight to my
daughter’s place without calling him.
“When I met my daughter, she took me to
a woman, who seemed to be her
confidante. We ate and the woman told me
that my daughter had a fight with one man
called Engineer David that day and the
man threatened to kill her.
“I did not waste time; I stood up and told
her I must report to the police. But my
daughter told me to let the matter go. She
said I was just making a big issue out of a
small matter.
“She said that was why she did not like
telling me some things some times. I let
the matter go because I did not want to be
like an overzealous mother.”
But that was one decision that would
haunt Mrs. Ashinwo every second of every
day.
The following day, Sunday April 30, without
any hint about the danger that lurked in
the shadow, she and her daughter had just
got home from somewhere that day. As
they entered Oluwatosin’s flat, Ogundele,
who was said to be have been hiding
around the flat, cornered them in the flat.
Mrs. Ashinwo said, “He entered and locked
the door behind him and put the key in his
pocket. I had just finished bathing when
my daughter called out to me that he was
in the flat. I quickly dressed and prepared
to meet the man that had been disturbing
me so much with calls. When I saw him, I
said ‘Good day, pleased to meet you’ and
he replied that, ‘there is nothing good
about today.’
“As soon as I saw him, I sighted the knife
he was holding. I asked him what the
problem was and he kept quiet. I did not
understand what was happening. He was
saying so many things I did not
understand. I asked him if my daughter
owed him anything. I promised to pay back
everything. He said she did not owe him
anything. He was just angry.
“I told him that even if they offended each
other, it should not be that bad that it
would require the use of a knife. I told
them they could still be friends. When I
realised he had no intension of dropping
the knife, I went down on my knees. I was
begging him to drop the knife. Then, he
came to where I knelt and carried me up.
“Just when I thought the issue would end,
he rushed at Tosin and held her down on
the bed. He started stabbing her furiously.
As my daughter screamed, I rushed at him.
I could not just stand and he stared
stabbing me too over the body.”
Scars from stabbing on Mrs. Ashinwo’s back
By the time the attack was over, Mrs.
Ashinwo had been stabbed at least 10
times in her torso, with the knife going
through her throat in the
As all became quiet in the room where the
dying women lay, Ogundele, dropped his
weapon, the bloody knife and locked his
victims in the room, Saturday PUNCH learnt.
Minutes went by as Mrs. Ashinwo tried to
call out to her daughter who was bleeding
from every parts of the body.
She said she was so weak she could not
even call out to her daughter who had
become lifeless at that point.
Lucky for her, she heard someone in a
kitchen behind her daughter’s window. The
woman said she used the last ounce of her
strength to call the person, who later
raised the alarm.
By the time the door was broken down, it
was too late for Oluwatosin. She was
pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
As Mrs. Ashinwo told this story, there was
no doubt it was with tremendous agony as
she relived the gory details.
Saturday PUNCH had earlier reported that
Ogundele was arrested in Osun on
Saturday, May 14, after the police tracked
him down with undercover agents.
But Mrs. Ashinwo said the police have not
even contacted her to give evidence. She
said she could not understand why
Ogundele has not been charged to court.
The spokesperson for the Kwara State
Police Command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, said
he did not have information about the
prosecution of the suspect when our
correspondent called him.
He said he would call back to give update
about the status of the case but had yet to
do so as of the time of filing this report.By chibaby naija 1

Enemies jealous of my rising profile

EX-President Goodluck Jonathan has again
denied allegations that he is sponsoring
the Niger Delta Avengers.
He added that the allegation was being
sponsored by those who were intimidated
by his rising profile in Nigeria and abroad.
The former President said this in a
statement by his spokesman, Mr.
Ikechukwu Eze, on Thursday.by chibaby naija1

Edo cult members bury slain victim

It is no longer news that several youths have
been killed in a gruesome manner in the
recent cult war in Benin City , Edo State
capital.
The renewed cult war, which has left a lot of
casualties littering the street of Benin has
reportedly calm down following the
deployment of the federal crack squad
ordered by the Inspector General Police, Mr
Solomon Arase.
Before the IG’s deployment of special squad,
bodies of young men had littered everywhere
in the metropolis.
Meanwhile, some of the cult groups have
started burying their own, which they call
“fallen soldiers” or “victim of war.”
READ ALSO : Cultism: Police Captures 56
Suspects In Benin
Some members of the Supreme Eiye
Confraternity (Bird men), popularly known for
wearing blue beret, were recently pictured,
burying one of their own in Benin City.by chibaby naija1

Man arrested for allegedly impregnating 16 years old daughter

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a
36-year-old man, Kennedy Michael, for
impregnating his 16-year-old daughter and
persuading her to have an abortion, while also
molesting his neighbour’s 18-month-old baby girl.
According to the police, Michael was arrested
after his neighbour, Uche, whose child was
molested, reported the case. He disclosed that
“Michael’s girlfriend, Ijeoma Ndukwe, assisted in
procuring abortion for his teenage daughter,
Maria.”
Uche added that when she discovered that
something was wrong with Maria, she told her
father, who instructed that his lover should take
her to the hospital. It was there they discovered
Maria was pregnant. After much interrogation,
the girl confessed that her father was
responsible for her pregnancy.
Ijeoma got angry and immediately confronted
Michael, who confessed to her. They both
agreed to abort the pregnancy. One of their
neighbours learnt about the abortion and alerted
the police. Ijeoma and Michael were immediately
arrested.
After his arrest, Michael confessed that he has
been sexually molesting his daughter since 2014,
when she was about 14 years old. However,
Michael and Maria’s mother separated a long
time ago and he brought his daughter to Lagos
to live with him.
Michael was also alleged to have
‘fingered’ (molested) a neighbour’s 18-month-old
baby. The child’s father, Uche, said: “My wife
wanted to bathe our child and discovered she
had a tear inside her private part. Before then, it
was only Michael that was with the baby inside
his room.
“Upon confirmation from Mende Health Centre
that our daughter had been violated, I contacted
my lawyer. I also informed the police, so that he
could be prosecuted. But the police swept the
matter under the carpet.”
Uche added that when he heard from Maria’s
friends that her father impregnated her and
procured abortion for her, he didn’t want Michael
to escape justice again.by chibaby naija1

Doctor raped woman during abortion in

A doctor allegedly raped a
woman during an
abortion procedure two weeks after he
masturbated in front of her during a physical
examination, a court has heard.
According to Tribune 242 , after Dr. Gerald Mark
Forbes informed the 20-year-old she would need
a medical examination to work at his clinic in
Freeport, the Bahamas, last February, he was
alleged to have rubbed her vagina and
masturbated before her.
The report added that two week’s later, after
the victim asked him to terminate a pregnancy,
he was accused of raping her during the
procedure.
The 47-year-old is also said to have given the
alleged victim a packet of Methotrexate, a drug
used to induce abortions.
The defendant told the police as heard by the
Grand Bahama Court that the woman was a
‘friend of a friend’, who simply worked at his
office for two months. He denied the allegations
of rape and indecent assault.
However, he refused to answer officers when
asked about the alleged incidents, telling them
he ‘had nothing to say’.
The court was told that in a WhatsApp
exchange that took place after the alleged rape,
the doctor told the woman he didn’t owe her
salary because he had provided her with
medication.
During the police interview an officer told him,
“The virtual complainant informed you that she
will not return to work because she was
uncomfortable that you violated her, and you
said you were sorry she felt that way and you
told her to still come in for follow-up and
medication.”
The trial resumes at 11am on Friday.by chibaby naija1

Davido in 7m concert fee controversy

Hip hop singer, Davido, who was advertised
to be among the artistes to perform at the
Festival of India, which took in Lagos on
Saturday, was conspicuously absent.
This did not go down well with some
guests who obviously wanted to see him in
action.
Indeed, such people think that the
inclusion of his name was a fluke, to the
extent that some have expressed the
opinion online.
But our correspondent spoke with the
organisers who stressed that Davido was
indeed invited.
The chief organiser, Rosiji, also confirmed
this.
Although he said it was premature to say
much on the development, other vital
sources noted that the contract between
the Festival of India and the artiste could
run into N7m.
Read also: No stopping India festival until
mid-night
It was gathered that Davido informed them
on Friday night, a day to the event, that he
was indisposed.
It was further gathered on Thursday
(yesterday) night that the organisers have
accordingly communicated Davido’s
lawyers, as they hope to get a refund of
the fee said to have been paid.
Efforts by our correspondent to speak with
the artiste or his manager did not yield
fruits.
A call to his manager’s phone number and
a subsequent text message had not been
replied as of 8pm production time on
Thursday.by chibabynaija1

Court revises okezie ikpeazu cases

The court, in a unanimous decision, a five-man
panel of Justices of the appellate court,
vacated the June 27 verdict of Justice Okon
Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court held that Justice Abang erred in law
and occasioned a miscarriage of justice
against Ikpeazu.
Justice Morenike Ogunwumiju who delivered
the lead judgement, held that Justice Abang
"committed a grave violence against one of
the pillars of Justice" relating to fair hearing.
The court said Justice Abang placed the law
on its head when it directed INEC to issue
fresh Certificate of Return to Mr. Sampson
Ogah.
While upholding the appeal, the court awarded
N100, 000 cost against Ogah.by chibabynaija1

Woman die because of money

A textile trader in Gbagi Market, Ibadan,
Oyo State, Kudirat Oduola, has been beaten
to death by thugs allegedly sent by a co-
trader who lent her N2m.
Our correspondent learnt that the
deceased, who was three months pregnant,
had approached one Oriekun to assist her
with the money to buy textile materials.
The deceased’s brother, Abdulahi
Asimolowo, said Oduola paid the N2m debt
five months after it was borrowed, adding
that Oriekun, however, insisted that she
would collect N400,000 as interest for five
months.by chibaby naija1

Woman died because of money

A textile trader in Gbagi Market, Ibadan,
Oyo State, Kudirat Oduola, has been beaten
to death by thugs allegedly sent by a co-
trader who lent her N2m.
Our correspondent learnt that the
deceased, who was three months pregnant,
had approached one Oriekun to assist her
with the money to buy textile materials.
The deceased’s brother, Abdulahi
Asimolowo, said Oduola paid the N2m debt
five months after it was borrowed, adding
that Oriekun, however, insisted that she
would collect N400,000 as interest for five
months.by chibaby naija1

Lagos man stabbed by a prostitute

A Lagos prostitute has landed herself in
deep trouble. She is currently in police
custody after allegedly stabbing a man to
death after arguments over – wait for it –
oral sex.
The young lady isn’t denying that she
committed the crime; she’s saying,
however, that she killed the man in self
defence.
The 21-year-old lady, Kofoworola, said
when she boarded a Honda car at Borno
Crescent, Apapa, Lagos, at about 3.30 am
that fateful night, she was very grateful
to the driver. The driver, she said,
reportedly assured her he would not
collect any money since he wasn’t
driving a commercial vehicle.
Kofoworola, (other names are being
withheld by us) said she never knew that
danger was lurking around the corner
until the driver, identified as Patrick,
refused to stop at her destination -
Monalido Night Club, Apapa. Kofoworola
said when she protested, the driver
brought out a knife and threatened to
kill her if she failed to do his bidding.
Ironically, it was Kofoworola that ended
up killing the man with that same knife.
How did it happen?
“He threatened to kill me with the knife
if I refused to perform oral sex on him,”
she said. “He said I should use my mouth
to stimulate his manhood. I told him I
could not do it. I had never done such a
thing before. I begged him and even told
him that such act irritates me and would
make me vomit. All my pleading fell on
deaf ears. I later told him to allow me
ease myself. I told him I was not going to
run because my bag was on the back
seat. He stopped the vehicle, but as I
wanted to come down, he sped off again.
He held my neck with one hand as he
drove and was pressing my throat with it
while he controlled the steering with the
other hand. He then pulled over at a
dark spot along Hyndra Road, Apapa. He
pulled down his trousers and
commanded me to do what he wanted
me to do. I still refused. He stabbed me
in my foot to show how serious he was. I
screamed and begged him to leave me
alone.
He pressed my face to his lap and
ordered me to do what he wanted me to
do. I did not obey him. As he was
pressing my neck, the knife fell off from
his hands. I quickly grabbed it. When he
saw that I had collected the knife, he
attempted to collect it from me by force.
He bit me in the hand. So I first stabbed
him on the thigh and later stabbed him
in the chest several times.
“I didn’t mean to kill him. I was only
trying to defend myself since he had
vowed to kill me. I made a mistake.
Maybe instead of killing him I should
have allowed him to kill me. That would
have been better. I would not have been
in this problem now.”
She also explained how she became a
prostitute. Her words: “I am a Lagosian.
I come from Lagos Island. I live at Casco
Street, Old Ojo Road, Mazamaza with my
mother. I am also a mother, as I have a
three-year-old daughter. My father never
cared about me and that was why I am
into prostitution. My father is not
interested whether we survive or not. My
mother is just a petty trader. There is
little she can do financially. I needed to
do something so that I could be able to
take care of my child and myself. Now
that I am in trouble, who will take care
of my baby? I have to do something to
take care of my baby. I love my baby. I
love her so much.
“What am I going to do now? Who will
help me out of this problem? They said
they will charge the case to court. I have
not entered any court since I was born.
Now I am going there because of murder.
God, I should have allowed him to kill
me. If I had died, at least I will rest from
all these worldly problems. I don’t have a
helper. See what poverty has dragged me
into. If not for poverty, I should be
sleeping in my house instead of going to
the club. But I do it on part time basis. I
am not a full time prostitute.”
The lady said the man who impregnated
her abandoned her and the baby, saying
she even dragged him to the police
station over the matter.
“I tried to make Collins understand that
he is the owner of the baby but he
denied it. The police tried to settle the
matter. But you know you can take a
horse to the stream, you cannot force it
to drink water. My family were also
disappointed in him. Up till now he
never cares about his baby. He is not
interested in her. For three years now, I
have been the one rearing the baby
alone. All these problems made me look
for money by all means. I had to drop
my pride and take my destiny in my
hands.”
According to her, she is regretting ever
venturing into prostitution. She urges
women to avoid it as much as possible.
“Prostitution is not a job,” she said. “It is
immoral. It can put you in trouble at any
time. Please learn from my own
experience. I became pregnant during
my final year in secondary school. After
I delivered, I later went back to write my
WAEC examinations. Unfortunately, I
failed English language.”
An investigation by this reporter in
many night clubs in Apapa revealed that
the dead man might have violated
several prostitutes in the area before he
was finally killed.
At Wazobia Night Club, a lady called
Ngozi spoke of her experience in the
hands of the dead man. Her words: “One
day at about 2 am., I was leaving the
residence of one of my ‘customers’. He is
a white man. He lives at Calcutta
Crescent, Apapa. I was waiting for either
a commercial motorcycle or a taxi that
would convey me to a hotel on Azare
Street, Apapa, where another customer
was waiting for me. I saw this car and it
stopped in front of me. Only the driver
was inside. He beckoned on me to come
inside and I did.
He asked where I was going and I told
him. He said he was going towards that
direction and that he would drop me at
no cost. But instead to move towards the
direction I was going, the man brought
out a knife and threatened to stab me to
death if I failed to cooperate. He pulled
over at a dark spot along Hyndra Road,
Apapa. He pulled his trouser down and
ordered me to perform oral sex on him. I
was afraid. Tears rolled down my eyes
as I begged him that I could not do it. I
begged him to have normal sex with me
instead.
But he refused and threatened to kill me.
He claimed to be an ex-soldier. Since I
didn’t want to die, I had to do what he
wanted. Later he held my bag and said
he would do me a favour. He told me to
go down, open his boot and bring his
bag. Immediately I got down, the man
sped off. My two handsets were inside
the bag.”
The police said the lady would soon be
charged to court . by chibabynaija1

Picture of human tongues found with a ritualist arrested in Ibadan on Tuesday.

* Picture of human tongues found with a
ritualist arrested in Ibadan on Tuesday
It was learnt that the shocking revelation of
the forest of horror where hundreds of
innocent citizens have lost their lives to
kidnappers made an angry mob to attack the
ritualist who pretended as a mad man
in Ring Road area of Ibadan, western Nigeria.
It was gathered that the nabbed ritualist,
who had been staying by the side of the
pedestrian bridge at Oni and Sons bus stop,
had been perpetuating evil acts for some
months.
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An eyewitness who spoke under anonymity
with journalists, disclosed that luck ran
against the middle aged man when some
residents of the area who had been
suspecting his movement discovered his
notorious act, and decided to deal with him
with the support of the police.
It was gathered that while searching him,
more than 400 campaign posters of a Labour
Party, LP governorship aspirant was among
the items found under the bridge where he
kept his loot and dangerous weapon.
Also bras, pants and female clothes of
different sizes suspected to be those of his
victims were found on him.
Another eyewitness said “human bones and
tongues were also found at the scene.”
As at the time of filing this report, the police
at Oluyole Police Station were quizzing the
man, while people thronged the location to
view the materials found on him . by chibabynaija1

Kidnapped jos Council boss abductors die in auto crash

Kidnapped Jos council boss,
abductors die in auto crash
by chibabynaija1 , December 13, 2015 at
12:09 am in Featured , News
The Chairman, Management Committee of Jos
East Local Government Area of Plateau State,
Mr. Hosea Azi, has died shortly after he was
allegedly kidnapped from his home.
Azi died two days after he was sworn-in by
the state governor, Simon Lalong, as the head
the management of Jos East LGA.
Our correspondent gathered that Azi was
forcefully kidnapped by some unknown
persons last Friday night in Kufang along
Miango road in the central area of Jos, the
state capital.
A source said, “The kidnappers were heading
towards Abuja with the victims after
kidnapping him, but within Keffi, Nassarawa
State, the car of the kidnappers was involved
in a severe crash due to a high speed. The
kidnappers must have been on top speed with
the fear that the police might be pursuing
them.”
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the
State Police Command, Abuh Emmanuel, a
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP),
confirmed the incident. He, however, added
that he was yet to get the details as at the
time of filling this report.
Another family source said two of the
suspects, who suffered serious injuries in the
accident, confessed to the crime while
receiving treatment in an unnamed hospital.
The Director of Press to Governor Lalong, Mr.
Samuel Nanle, who also confirmed the death
of LG boss said, “The Council boss met his
death in a fatal motor accident on Friday night
at Garaku village near Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Family source said two other persons with
him in the car also died in the accident.
“However, there is no confirmation of his
abduction yet, though it is being rumored that
he was abducted in Jos. Security operatives
have been dispatched to the accident scene
to confirm that.”by chibaby naija1

9 year old crushed to death by Trailer in Anambra

A nine -year - old girl was , yesterday, crushed at
Afor–Nkpo -New Tarzan axis , near Onitsha ,
Anambra State by a liquor haulage van, which
injured 24 others .
The girl was said to be returning from an
errand when she met her death . According to
an eyewitness , the lorry driver was shouting
from afar to alert people that his breaks were
faulty, only for the vehicle to slam into a spot
where people were gathered, killing the girl on
the spot .
“ The driver could not control the situation and
he immediately jumped out alongside the
conductor. The lorry hit one L300 inside the
waterway ; smashed the little girl and rammed
into a hair -dressing saloon, ” Vanguard quoted
the eyewitness to have said .
The lorry also trapped an aged man under its
tyre, while the owner of the hair dressing
saloon managed to run away , leaving her five-
year -old child behind who was fortunate and
did not get hurt . The old man ’s legs were
reportedly shattered .
The lorry, with number plate XA 424- AAH
( Anambra) had full load of lager beer beverage
at the time of the accident.
The body of the 9- year -old victim had since
been deposited at Eyi Enu Hospital Mortuary,
Ogidi.
By chibabynaija1

Two die violently as they struggle over Tinubu's Ramadan gifts

Two elderly women lost their life on
Saturday, July 2 in a stampede while
struggling to get Ramadan gifts
– The gift items were shared to people in
the name of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,
at Onikan stadium in Lagos state
– A middle-aged man was reported to have
fainted in the violent struggle
– Several people sustained serious injury
during the sharing of the gifts by the Iyaloja
General of Nigeria and Tinubu’s daughter,
Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.
It was a black day for two elderly women at
the Onikan stadium, as they died struggling
to collect Ramadan gifts distributed on
behalf of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a one-time
Lagos state governor . by chibabynaija1

What a little boy did while playing with his father gun

A seven-year-old son of a lawyer has
allegedly murdered their female house-help
while playing father’s gun in Aba, Abia state.
A boy with a gun
Vanguard reports that the little boy who was
said to have picked the father’s gun from his
bedroom, thinking it was a toy gun ‘jokingly’
shot dead their househelp with the gun.
READ ALSO: We’ll shut down EFCC office
if… – Group issues strong threat
A friend of the lawyer, who pleaded
anonymity said: “The child pointed the gun at
the househelp and jokingly said ‘I will kill you’,
and pulled the trigger. The gun went off and
hit the househelp. She died before she could
receive medical attention.”
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By chibabynaija1

Five dies 13 injured in third mainland bridge crash

No fewer than five people, including two
children, have been confirmed dead and 13
others injured after three vehicles crashed
on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the accident
happened at about 6pm on Sunday around
the UNILAG Waterfront end of the bridge.
It involved a LAGBUS, a Rover Jeep and a
Hilux pickup.
An official of the Lagos State Traffic
Management Authority told our
correspondent on the telephone that the
accident was caused by the pickup.
He explained that the driver of the truck
drove at top speed and had a blowout
before somersaulting.
He said, “The truck driver was at top
speed when he had a blowout and
somersaulted. The truck crashed into the
other vehicles, including the LAGBUS. In
all, two vehicles somersaulted in the
accident. Five people died and 13 were
injured.”
A resident, Babajide Kabiawu, said there
was an influx of emergency response
teams at the scene of the accident.
“Fire service trucks and ambulances were
seen going to the scene to remove the
corpses and clear the wreckage.
Commercial vehicles are turning back from
the bridge,” he said.
The General Manager of the Lagos State
Emergency Management Agency, Michael
Akindele, confirmed the crash, adding that
two children were among the victims.
He said, “The accident occurred around
6.10 pm on the Third Mainland Bridge
inward Iyana Oworo, by UNILAG
Waterfront. It involved three vehicles, a
LAGBUS, a Hilux truck belonging to a local
vigilante group, and a Rover Jeep.
“Five persons were confirmed dead, among
which were three female adults and two
children (one female and one male). Five
persons were also injured and taken by
LASAMBUS to the Trauma Centre.
“The LASEMA response team towed away
the vehicles from the bridge, while the
dead bodies have been taken by the State
Emergency Health Monitoring Unit to the
Mainland Hospital mortuary.”
Akindele said proper investigation would be
carried out to ascertain the cause of the
accident, urging motorists to avoid
speeding and adhere to traffic rules and
regulations . by chibabynaija1

Trader arrested for naming pet dog Buhari

Sango-ota —A 30-year-old trader has been
arrested by the police in Ogun state for
naming his pet dog 'Buhari.'
The trader, Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, of No
10, Omikunle Street, Sango-Ota, Ogun State,
was reportedly arrested last weekend, after
one of his neighbours of Northern extraction
complained bitterly that he named his dog
after his father, Alhaji Buhari.
Vanguard learned that the complainant
reported the case at Sango Police Station,
last Saturday, after which the trader was
arrested and detained.
However, it was gathered that efforts by the
police to recover the dog, which they
intended using as evidence failed following a
clever move by the suspect.
The trader, said to be trading in female
wears at a popular market in Sango,
allegedly directed his friends secretly to kill
the dog and possibly eat the meat in order
to avoid being implicated. It was gathered
that consistent appeals by his friends and
relations for the police to grant him bail
failed as the complainant and his kinsmen
reportedly threatened to kill the trader if he
was released on bail.
Trader denied bail
The case, however, took a different
dimension two days later when Chinakwe’s
relatives went to Sango police station to
further plead for his bail only to be informed
that the case file and the suspect have
been transferred to Ogun State Police
Command headquarters at Eleweran.
A relation to the suspect, who simply
identified himself as Chiedozie, told
Vanguard that his brother was being
persecuted for no just cause and expressed
fears that he may either be poisoned inside
police cell or thrown into jail.
Chiedozie said: “Chinakwe is a lover of dogs
and he names them after things that tickle
him. He bought this dog a year ago and
named it Buhari. Unfortunately, some
Northerners, who dominate the vicinity
where he resides misconstrued his intention
and connived to take him up. The
complainant then claimed it was derogatory
because his father answers Buhari.”
Police sources, however, told Vanguard that
the actions of the suspect “were very
provocative.”
The source said: “he not only named the
dog Buhari but boldly wrote it on the body
of both sides of the dog and was seen
parading the neighbourhood dominated by
Northerners with it.”
As at press time, relations to the suspect
were still making frantic efforts to effect his
bail while his accusers are insisting that he
must be prosecuted.
Police confirms arrest
When contacted around 8pm yesterday, the
acting Police spokesman in Ogun State,
Abimbola Oyeyemi, ASP, said he was still
trying to get the Divisional Police Officer in-
charge of Sango for details.
Oyeyemi later called, stating that: “I have
made enquiries. The man bought a dog and
inscribed Buhari on both sides of its body.
One Mallam lodged a complaint and when
our men got there, we found out that it was
true. You know such thing can cause
serious breach of the peace and ethnic or
religious unrest. We are charging him to
court for conduct likely to cause a breach of
peace.”
Continuing, he said: “He was arrested last
Saturday and we are taking him to court
later today (Tuesday) or tomorrow morning
(today). You know an average Northerner
will feel bad over such a thing. It can cause
serious ethnic crisis or religious
confrontation because when you are
relegating such a name to a certain person,
you are indirectly insulting him.”
When asked about the whereabouts of the
dog that will be used as evidence against
the suspect, the police spokesman said:
“The dog cannot follow anybody except the
owner. We will use him as our evidence
because he did not deny it.”by chibaby naija1

54bn debt court dismisses Babalakin's300bn suit against Amcon

Dr. Olawale Bolanle Babalakin (SAN) and
his five companies yesterday lost a N300
billion suit he filed against the Assets
Management Corporation of Nigeria
(AMCON) for freezing the companies’
bank accounts. The suit was instituted
before the Federal High Court, Lagos
and was dismissed for lack of merit with
punitive cost of N10,000.
Babalakin’s companies that were joined
as claimants in the suit are Bi-Courtney
Limited, Chartered Investment Limited,
Resort International Limited and Roygate
Properties Limited.
Dismissing Babalakin’s suit, the trial
judge, Justice Muhammed Idris,
pronounced that: “It takes me to a very
important issue I wish to address arising
from the proceedings that led to this
judgement. The issue has to do with the
duty of a counsel to properly and fully
represent his client. Once counsel
accepts a brief from his client, he is
under a solemn professional duty to
properly and fully represent the client.
“As a repository of knowledge of law,
counsel must work hard on each
individual case he is handling, in terms of
researching afresh and always keeping in
touch with the facts of the case,
especially at the trial stage. This is
because he is duty bound by any
strategy or procedure he adopts, and he
cannot recline from it together with the
consequences flowing therefrom.
“Although the court may intervene in the
face of an obvious incompetence, it can
only do so if the intervention will not
occasion a miscarriage of justice to the
other side.
“In conclusion, I find no merit in this case
and it is hereby dismissed. N10,000 cost
is awarded in favour of AMCON,
defendant against Babalakin and his
companies.”
The claimants instituted the suit
following an ex-parte order made on
September 22, 2014, by Justice Okon
Abang, in suit number FHC/L/
CS/1361/2014, which stopped him from
withdrawing money from all his bank
accounts in the country.
In the suit, Babalakin and his companies
had sought for an order of the court to
direct AMCON to pay him a total sum of
N300 billion as general damage and
aggravated and exemplary damages.
The claimants had also sought for a
declaration that as at September 22,
2014, AMCON’s offer letter dated May 7,
2014, cannot create and/or could not
have created a new cause of action,
either to him or the defendant as same
arose from settlement process engaged
in by them in order to resolve the
dispute, which was the subject matter of
several court actions.
Babalakin and his companies also sought
for a declaration that AMCON
fraudulently misinterpreted and/or
concealed material facts in order to
procure the September 22, 2014 ex-parte
order.
However, AMCON in its statement of
defence, filed before the court by its
lawyer, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), stated
that as a statutory body saddled with the
responsibility of resolving non-performing
loans in commercial banks in Nigeria, it
acted in good faith and in accordance
with its statutory powers under its Act in
order to recover the over N54 billion debt
profile of Babalakin and his companies
purchased the non-performing loans of
Babalakin and his companies from
various banks, following their inability to
pay the said loans, and instituted
recovery actions against them.
AMCON also stated further that following
protracted litigation, both parties met and
agreed on out-of-court settlement, which
culminated in a debt settlement
agreement and an offer letter dated May
7, 2014, was issued to the claimants, but
they failed to adhere to the terms of the
offer letter . by chibabynaija1

Nigeria Soldiers Pluck Out Eye Of Road Safety Official Who Pleaded Mercy For Road Victim Being Tortured

Nigerian Soldiers Pluck Out
Eye Of Road Safety Official
Who Pleaded Mercy For Road
Victim Being Tortured
An official of the Federal Road Safety
Corps (FRSC), Segun Enikuemehin, who
dared to ask some military men who were
assaulting a civilian to desist from such a
dastardly act is currently at the Lagos
State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH)
with one of his eyes totally damaged by chibaby naija1

Central bank of nigeria sack a member

The Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) on
Friday, stated that if commercial banks
continue to sack their members of staff at
an alarming rate, they would be made to
give prior notice and reasons to the apex
bank before making such moves.
According to a Nigeria CommunicationsWeek
report, Kolawole Balogun , a representative of
the CBN, made this statement while speaking at
an interactive meeting in Abuja with Chris
Nigige, Minister of Labour and Employment, with
other stakeholders in banking and finance
sectors.
“ We have looked at our laws in terms of our
limitations. In as much as we cannot impose staff
on any bank, we can engage them on other
solutions and that is what we are doing now. We
have even gone a step further to look at how we
can, not in terms of regulation but in terms of
knowing why they are actually disengaging their
staff.
ALSO READ: Apex bank directs bankers to
declare assets »
“ We will soon come up with a circular for the
banks to ensure that if they are going to
disengage up to a certain number of staff they
should let us know and explain why. Although
times are challenging at the moment, they can still
manage to keep some level of their staff and
remain profitable ,” Balogun said at the event,
according to the report.
Commenting, Ngige said commercial banks had
a responsibility to obey the country's labour
laws.
“ You must obey all laws of the land, including
labour laws, such as the Trade Union Act, T14 law
of the federation concerning redundancy and the
Trade Dispute Act, which deals with the
management of trade disputes including
employee-employers’ relationship.
“ The ILO takes very seriously the issue of workers
maltreatment in various guises, be it in the
industries, construction sites or public service.
Workers should be treated with dignity and
decency ,” Ngige said, according to the Nigeria
CommunicationsWeek report.
Following the recent decline in the state of the
Nigerian economy, there have been several
reports of mass retrenchment in various banks
across the Nigerian financial sector . by chibabynaija1

Tiwa savage exposes her self

Among the many words that can describe
Tiwa Savage’s sojourn in the Nigerian music
industry, the most apt is ‘meteoric’. The
reason is not far-fetched. Just a few years
back, Tiwa, amidst fear of the unknown, left
the U.K where she already had everything
going for her as a backup singer and
songwritter for most UK’s high-flying
artistes to build her music career in Nigeria.
Despite facing series of discouragements,
she did not give up on her resolve to break
new ground in the nation’s music industry.
Today, she is one of the best things that
ever happened to the industry. Come on
board as she takes us on a journey into her
life, her career and the man in her life.
Your debut album will drop any moment
from now. What are your fans expecting
from you?
This
album is
straight
from my
heart and
it’s
something that I’ve worked so tirelessly for.
A lot of people wondered why it took me so
long a time to drop my own album. That’s
because we had to go through a lot of legal
processes to clear some of the samples
that we used, and that took us some
months.
Also, we wanted to work with notable
producers outside the shores of the country
like Oak who produces Rhinna. So, we had
to work around his schedule and waited for
them to have our time. But this album is
something that I really took my time with
because I didn’t want it to be the usual
Nigerian album that contains just party
tracks from the beginning till the end.
Why did you title your album ‘Once Upon A
Time?’
Once you hear ‘Once Upon A Time’, you
know it’s story time. My life has been an
amazing story and I wanted to reflect that
on my album. Also, I wanted to motivate
other upcoming artistes that, once upon a
time, I was a little girl living at Isale Eko and
I dreamt of doing this, and here I am doing
it. So, I want their ‘once upon a time’ to turn
into reality. It’s a 19 -track album.
There are tracks like Wanted, Ileke, Middle
Passage, Olorun Mi, Why Don’t You Love Me,
Fela Interlude, Love Me Love Me Love me,
Eminado ft Don Jazzy, Folarin, Oh Yeah ft
Don Jazzy, Shout Out ft Ice Berg Slim &
Sarkodie, Written All Over Your Face, Get
Low, Ife Wa Gbona ft Leo Wonder, Eji ma
fia, Baby Mo ft Flavour, Stand As One ft
General Pype, and Thank You. It also has
two bonus tracks like Without My Heart ft
Don Jazzy and Kele Kele.
Looking back to when you stormed the
nation’s music industry a few years ago,
how do you feel today?
Like you said, a lot of people tried to
discourage me from coming home. They
told me that people who came before me
were not really welcomed home, and that it
is even worse for a female singer. They
even said there was no way I could be on
the same stage with the likes of Tuface,
Wizkid and many others. I got discouraged
somehow. As a matter of fact, after I
dropped Kele-Kele, I moved back to Los
Angeles. Then, I dropped Love Me Love Me
and it grew even bigger. So, I decided to
move back to Nigeria because people
around me encouraged me that I could
make it if I’m consistent in what I’m doing.
That was how I was encouraged to do
more. I thank God for where I am today.
A lot of female artistes complain of being
marginalised in the industry.Do you have
the same experience?
I think every female artiste needs to work
ten times harder than the opposite sex and
that’s why I put much effort into what I do.
Usually, what most artistes do is wait until
when they drop their album to do an album
launch. But I think it’s important to do an
exclusive listening because the press are
the ones who are going to project my image
to the outside world. And that’s why I had
to organise a press listening party so that
you guys can assess me, and also, to let
you know how much you mean to me.
Now that you’ve become a big brand, aren’t
you scared of competition from other
female artistes?
Why would I be scared? Back in America,
we have the likes of Beyonce, Nicky Minaj,
Mariah Carey and other female acts
standing tall. So why would there be just
one person shining here? After all, here in
Nigeria, we have male acts like Davido,
Wizkid, M.I, Tuface and other big names at
the same time. It’s not fair to have just one
female act in the industry. So, I’m glad that
more female acts are springing up. Having
more female acts in the industry will open
more doors.
In the song, Ife
Wa Gbona, you
featured an artiste
and there’s this
scene where both
of you were in the
forest singing to
each other. He
spoke Yoruba to
you but you
replied in English.
Is it that you don’t
speak Yoruba?
Of course, I speak
Yoruba fluently,
omo Yoruba ni mi
(I’m a Yoruba ).
We did it for a
purpose because I
have a mixed
audience. If he
speaks Yoruba
and I reply him in
Yoruba language,
how will my fans
in South Africa,
Uganda and all
over the world be
carried along?
The track Eminado
has this special
kind of tone. How
did you come
about it?
That sound and
name is the handiwork of Don Jazzy. We
got the idea when we were in the studio
rehearsing. We were just playing around with
words and sounds. So when it came up, we
thought it was a good one and we decided
to turn it into a song.
What was growing up like for you?
Growing up was very interesting. There were
no barriers, I was just free. I had a very
healthy upbringing. My parents ensured that
I was grounded and I had lovely brothers.
You appear like someone who will easily be
affected by negative stories. Have you had
any scandal?
I don’t think I’ll feel bad whenever I read a
negative story about myself. I believe
everybody has an opinion and that’s life for
you. No matter how beautiful you look, ,
there’s someone somewhere who would still
say you are ugly. So, for me, I’ve only done
something from my heart and haven’t
compromised my integrity. In my album, I
have party songs and tracks for everyone no
matter your preference. So, I’ve satisfied my
fans and I think I’m going to leave the rest
to God.
A lot of people see you as a sex symbol.
Are you one?
No, I’m not. If you ask my family whenever
I’m home, I’m not like this. I’m far from the
Tiwa Savage you see on stage. I’m a quiet
person.
What has fame done to you?
Naturally, I’m the outgoing type but fame
has made me more reserved unlike some
artistes who would claim they haven’t
changed once they start making more
money. It’s a lie. There’s nobody that can
tell you they haven’t changed. I think I’ve
changed because I’m more wary of those I
move with, where I go and those that come
around me. I trust people less now because
I want to keep my sanity. I also think people
around me have also changed because they
expect more from me. I might make a
mistake and that’s normal for everyone but
because it’s Tiwa Savage, my mistakes get
blown up and exaggerated. So I’m more
conscious of what I do and say in public
than before.
Why did you suddenly go into partnership
with Tunji by co-owning 232 Entertainment.
Are you not scared of the unexpected?
Tunji is an exceptional man. We’ve worked
together and we trust each other. So, I’m
not scared that anything negative will come
up between us. I don’t work with fear
because fear is not of God.
Why was the Marvin crew absent at your
album listening session?
You well know that I’m also part of the crew
and the day I held my album listening
session was an important day in my life and
career. So, their absence wasnt deliberate.
They were away in South Africa for the
opening show of Big Brother Africa- The
Chase. They had to perform live. But they
surprised me on that day when they sent in
a live recorded message to me. It was
played for all to see . I was so happy
because I didn’t expect it, honestly.
Is there any track dedicated to Tunji in your
album?
Yes, there’s this track Written All Over Your
Face. I dedicated the song to him for the
role he played in my life. I met him at a time
when no one was ready to help because I’m
a female artiste. And whenever I wanted to
give up and cry sometimes, he always
encouraged me to be strong and move on.
He’s my back bone. I love him because he’s
been there for me. He wiped my shame
away when he put a ring on my finger.
Why did
you say
he took
your
shame
away.
Were you
ashamed
of being
single?
(Laughs).
You know
in Nigeria
when a
lady isn’t
married
and is
just
focused
on her
career, people think there’s something
wrong with her. But he understood my
journey. He was able to push me career-
wise and encourage me. So, I just had to do
a song for him.
There’s a mix up somewhere. Are you
signed to Marvin or 323 Entertainment?
I’m actually signed unto 323 Entertainment.
It’s owned by Tunji Balogun, T.J and he’s
also my partner, we own it together. 323 is
under Marvin but Tunji handles my day to
day business.
You’re signed to Marvin and 323. Where is
the place of Sony Records?
I’m still signed to Sony in America as a
songwriter. And even as I’m doing my album
there, I’m still writing for other artistes. I
just had to make that commitment. I just did
a song for Monica called Catch With Me Him
on her last album. And they just called me
few weeks ago that I have another song
with Fantasia again, and other songs I’m
writing for other artistes. So I’m still signed
to the label. .
Have you started your project?
Yes I have. I’ve met with a lot of
organisations and already put up something
to fight breast cancer. Very soon,
screenings will start especially for young
girls. I also visit the motherless homes quite
often but I don’t put it in the press because
I don’t want to expose those kids. And the
video I did, Olorun Mi is to give back to
people who lost their loved ones in those
tragic situations.
What inspires you?
I get inspired by a lot of things; life
heartbreaks, happiness and Nigeria as a
country. If you listen to the Olorun Mi track,
I wrote it because I missed those close to
my heart who have died. But I’m disturbed
because as a country when we lose our
loved ones, there should be statues and
memorials to remember them. But here, we
just move on as if nothing happened. So I
got inspired by those lives we lost during
the Dana plane crash to do that song.
What would like to be remembered for?
The late Whitney Houston is remembered for
what she accomplished while she lived. She
inspired many people. I want kids to say
when I’m gone that if Tiwa Savage could do
it, they can equally do it.
Is there anything you would like to change
in the Nigerian music industry?
I’d like us to be more international and be
the pioneer of African music and I think it’s
happening slowly. I’d like a situation where
I go to the UK and hear more of Nigerian
music on radio and have our artistes
nominated for the Grammy’s . In addition,
I’d like to put necessary structures in place
and ensure that piracy law is enacted in the
country . by chibabynaija1

Tiwa savage exposes her secret

Among the many words that can describe
Tiwa Savage’s sojourn in the Nigerian music
industry, the most apt is ‘meteoric’. The
reason is not far-fetched. Just a few years
back, Tiwa, amidst fear of the unknown, left
the U.K where she already had everything
going for her as a backup singer and
songwritter for most UK’s high-flying
artistes to build her music career in Nigeria.
Despite facing series of discouragements,
she did not give up on her resolve to break
new ground in the nation’s music industry.
Today, she is one of the best things that
ever happened to the industry. Come on
board as she takes us on a journey into her
life, her career and the man in her life.
Your debut album will drop any moment
from now. What are your fans expecting
from you?
This
album is
straight
from my
heart and
it’s
something that I’ve worked so tirelessly for.
A lot of people wondered why it took me so
long a time to drop my own album. That’s
because we had to go through a lot of legal
processes to clear some of the samples
that we used, and that took us some
months.
Also, we wanted to work with notable
producers outside the shores of the country
like Oak who produces Rhinna. So, we had
to work around his schedule and waited for
them to have our time. But this album is
something that I really took my time with
because I didn’t want it to be the usual
Nigerian album that contains just party
tracks from the beginning till the end.
Why did you title your album ‘Once Upon A
Time?’
Once you hear ‘Once Upon A Time’, you
know it’s story time. My life has been an
amazing story and I wanted to reflect that
on my album. Also, I wanted to motivate
other upcoming artistes that, once upon a
time, I was a little girl living at Isale Eko and
I dreamt of doing this, and here I am doing
it. So, I want their ‘once upon a time’ to turn
into reality. It’s a 19 -track album.
There are tracks like Wanted, Ileke, Middle
Passage, Olorun Mi, Why Don’t You Love Me,
Fela Interlude, Love Me Love Me Love me,
Eminado ft Don Jazzy, Folarin, Oh Yeah ft
Don Jazzy, Shout Out ft Ice Berg Slim &
Sarkodie, Written All Over Your Face, Get
Low, Ife Wa Gbona ft Leo Wonder, Eji ma
fia, Baby Mo ft Flavour, Stand As One ft
General Pype, and Thank You. It also has
two bonus tracks like Without My Heart ft
Don Jazzy and Kele Kele.
Looking back to when you stormed the
nation’s music industry a few years ago,
how do you feel today?
Like you said, a lot of people tried to
discourage me from coming home. They
told me that people who came before me
were not really welcomed home, and that it
is even worse for a female singer. They
even said there was no way I could be on
the same stage with the likes of Tuface,
Wizkid and many others. I got discouraged
somehow. As a matter of fact, after I
dropped Kele-Kele, I moved back to Los
Angeles. Then, I dropped Love Me Love Me
and it grew even bigger. So, I decided to
move back to Nigeria because people
around me encouraged me that I could
make it if I’m consistent in what I’m doing.
That was how I was encouraged to do
more. I thank God for where I am today.
A lot of female artistes complain of being
marginalised in the industry.Do you have
the same experience?
I think every female artiste needs to work
ten times harder than the opposite sex and
that’s why I put much effort into what I do.
Usually, what most artistes do is wait until
when they drop their album to do an album
launch. But I think it’s important to do an
exclusive listening because the press are
the ones who are going to project my image
to the outside world. And that’s why I had
to organise a press listening party so that
you guys can assess me, and also, to let
you know how much you mean to me.
Now that you’ve become a big brand, aren’t
you scared of competition from other
female artistes?
Why would I be scared? Back in America,
we have the likes of Beyonce, Nicky Minaj,
Mariah Carey and other female acts
standing tall. So why would there be just
one person shining here? After all, here in
Nigeria, we have male acts like Davido,
Wizkid, M.I, Tuface and other big names at
the same time. It’s not fair to have just one
female act in the industry. So, I’m glad that
more female acts are springing up. Having
more female acts in the industry will open
more doors.
In the song, Ife
Wa Gbona, you
featured an artiste
and there’s this
scene where both
of you were in the
forest singing to
each other. He
spoke Yoruba to
you but you
replied in English.
Is it that you don’t
speak Yoruba?
Of course, I speak
Yoruba fluently,
omo Yoruba ni mi
(I’m a Yoruba ).
We did it for a
purpose because I
have a mixed
audience. If he
speaks Yoruba
and I reply him in
Yoruba language,
how will my fans
in South Africa,
Uganda and all
over the world be
carried along?
The track Eminado
has this special
kind of tone. How
did you come
about it?
That sound and
name is the handiwork of Don Jazzy. We
got the idea when we were in the studio
rehearsing. We were just playing around with
words and sounds. So when it came up, we
thought it was a good one and we decided
to turn it into a song.
What was growing up like for you?
Growing up was very interesting. There were
no barriers, I was just free. I had a very
healthy upbringing. My parents ensured that
I was grounded and I had lovely brothers.
You appear like someone who will easily be
affected by negative stories. Have you had
any scandal?
I don’t think I’ll feel bad whenever I read a
negative story about myself. I believe
everybody has an opinion and that’s life for
you. No matter how beautiful you look, ,
there’s someone somewhere who would still
say you are ugly. So, for me, I’ve only done
something from my heart and haven’t
compromised my integrity. In my album, I
have party songs and tracks for everyone no
matter your preference. So, I’ve satisfied my
fans and I think I’m going to leave the rest
to God.
A lot of people see you as a sex symbol.
Are you one?
No, I’m not. If you ask my family whenever
I’m home, I’m not like this. I’m far from the
Tiwa Savage you see on stage. I’m a quiet
person.
What has fame done to you?
Naturally, I’m the outgoing type but fame
has made me more reserved unlike some
artistes who would claim they haven’t
changed once they start making more
money. It’s a lie. There’s nobody that can
tell you they haven’t changed. I think I’ve
changed because I’m more wary of those I
move with, where I go and those that come
around me. I trust people less now because
I want to keep my sanity. I also think people
around me have also changed because they
expect more from me. I might make a
mistake and that’s normal for everyone but
because it’s Tiwa Savage, my mistakes get
blown up and exaggerated. So I’m more
conscious of what I do and say in public
than before.
Why did you suddenly go into partnership
with Tunji by co-owning 232 Entertainment.
Are you not scared of the unexpected?
Tunji is an exceptional man. We’ve worked
together and we trust each other. So, I’m
not scared that anything negative will come
up between us. I don’t work with fear
because fear is not of God.
Why was the Marvin crew absent at your
album listening session?
You well know that I’m also part of the crew
and the day I held my album listening
session was an important day in my life and
career. So, their absence wasnt deliberate.
They were away in South Africa for the
opening show of Big Brother Africa- The
Chase. They had to perform live. But they
surprised me on that day when they sent in
a live recorded message to me. It was
played for all to see . I was so happy
because I didn’t expect it, honestly.
Is there any track dedicated to Tunji in your
album?
Yes, there’s this track Written All Over Your
Face. I dedicated the song to him for the
role he played in my life. I met him at a time
when no one was ready to help because I’m
a female artiste. And whenever I wanted to
give up and cry sometimes, he always
encouraged me to be strong and move on.
He’s my back bone. I love him because he’s
been there for me. He wiped my shame
away when he put a ring on my finger.
Why did
you say
he took
your
shame
away.
Were you
ashamed
of being
single?
(Laughs).
You know
in Nigeria
when a
lady isn’t
married
and is
just
focused
on her
career, people think there’s something
wrong with her. But he understood my
journey. He was able to push me career-
wise and encourage me. So, I just had to do
a song for him.
There’s a mix up somewhere. Are you
signed to Marvin or 323 Entertainment?
I’m actually signed unto 323 Entertainment.
It’s owned by Tunji Balogun, T.J and he’s
also my partner, we own it together. 323 is
under Marvin but Tunji handles my day to
day business.
You’re signed to Marvin and 323. Where is
the place of Sony Records?
I’m still signed to Sony in America as a
songwriter. And even as I’m doing my album
there, I’m still writing for other artistes. I
just had to make that commitment. I just did
a song for Monica called Catch With Me Him
on her last album. And they just called me
few weeks ago that I have another song
with Fantasia again, and other songs I’m
writing for other artistes. So I’m still signed
to the label. .
Have you started your project?
Yes I have. I’ve met with a lot of
organisations and already put up something
to fight breast cancer. Very soon,
screenings will start especially for young
girls. I also visit the motherless homes quite
often but I don’t put it in the press because
I don’t want to expose those kids. And the
video I did, Olorun Mi is to give back to
people who lost their loved ones in those
tragic situations.
What inspires you?
I get inspired by a lot of things; life
heartbreaks, happiness and Nigeria as a
country. If you listen to the Olorun Mi track,
I wrote it because I missed those close to
my heart who have died. But I’m disturbed
because as a country when we lose our
loved ones, there should be statues and
memorials to remember them. But here, we
just move on as if nothing happened. So I
got inspired by those lives we lost during
the Dana plane crash to do that song.
What would like to be remembered for?
The late Whitney Houston is remembered for
what she accomplished while she lived. She
inspired many people. I want kids to say
when I’m gone that if Tiwa Savage could do
it, they can equally do it.
Is there anything you would like to change
in the Nigerian music industry?
I’d like us to be more international and be
the pioneer of African music and I think it’s
happening slowly. I’d like a situation where
I go to the UK and hear more of Nigerian
music on radio and have our artistes
nominated for the Grammy’s . In addition,
I’d like to put necessary structures in place
and ensure that piracy law is enacted in the
country . by chibabynaija1