Ali Nuhu, the director of the Nigerian Film Corporation and a prominent actor, emphasized the pivotal role of quality in Nigerian filmmaking in revitalizing the country’s integrity. In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, he highlighted that presently, only 35% of Nigerian films meet the desired quality standard, while the target should be between 70 to 75%.
He said,
“If you look at the films we produce in Nigeria’s film industry, you would see that only 30-35 per cent meet desired quality as against 70-75 per cent.
“So I will focus on this by making sure we are more educated and the provisions of quality equipment.
“We have ambition of transforming the industry into one of the world best because we don’t need quantity, what we need most is quality over quantity.”
“Some bad eggs among the industry have given Nigeria a bad name, so through these films, we will restore our integrity,” he added.
Renowned vocalist and Grammy nominee, Ayra Starr, discloses that her mother has prohibited her from wearing short skirts.
Known as the ambassador of mini skirts, Ayra Starr has consistently stirred conversations with her daring and revealing attire.
In a recent video, she is depicted wearing a long skirt while declaring her resolution to cease wearing short skirts, citing new directives from her mother.
While numerous individuals welcome the new change, there are also those who express discontent and recommend that she return to wearing mini skirts.
Explore various reactions to Ayra Starr’s recent announcement here.
@ophicialrex wrote: “Thank you mummy . Our girl don almost dey wear catapult 🥲”
@Jbrandy_YBNL said: “Mama Celestina finally spoke to her daughter 😂”
@phveektordrayne asked: “You sef gree for her? Una Don dey lose focus this year o🤔 what happened to “no gree for anybody”?”
@Tunmise01 noted: “Long skirt no fit you my baby 🥺🥺”
@I_A_M_WINNER commented: “Tell your mommy I said no. We like you like that”
@Chikodili7517 said: “Sabi girl please 🙏 we need back our short skirts 🥺🙏🙏 You are traumatizing me with the long skirts. Please forgive them and bring back my shorts.”
The night saw major wins for Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, boygenius, SZA and Billie Eilish
Album of the year
Jon Batiste – World Music
Radioboygenius – The Record
Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation
Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure
Olivia Rodrigo – Guts
Taylor Swift – Midnights – WINNER
SZA – SOS
Record of the year
Jon Batiste – Worship
boygenius – Not Strong Enough
Miley Cyrus – Flowers – WINNER
Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? from Barbie: The Album
Victoria Monét – On My Mama
Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire
Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
SZA – Kill Bill
Best new artist
Gracie Abrams Fred again.. Ice Spice Jelly Roll Coco Jones Noah Kahan Victoria Monét – WINNER The War and Treaty
Song of the year
Lana Del Rey – A&W Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero Jon Batiste – Butterfly Dua Lipa – Dance the Night from Barbie Miley Cyrus – Flowers SZA – Kill Bill Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? from Barbie – WINNER
Best pop vocal album
Kelly Clarkson – Chemistry Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation Olivia Rodrigo – Guts Ed Sheeran – “-” (Subtract) Taylor Swift – Midnights – WINNER
Best R&B song
Halle – Angel Robert Glasper featuring SiR and Alex Isley – Back to Love Coco Jones – ICU Victoria Monét – On My Mama SZA – Snooze – WINNER
Best country album
Kelsea Ballerini – Rolling Up the Welcome Mat Brothers Osborne – Brothers Osborne Zach Bryan – Zach Bryan Tyler Childers – Rustin’ in the Rain Lainey Wilson – Bell Bottom Country – WINNER
Best música urbana album
Rauw Alejandro – Saturno Karol G – Mañana Será Bonito – WINNER Tainy – Data
Best pop solo performance
Miley Cyrus – Flowers – WINNER Doja Cat – Paint the Town Red Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? from Barbie Olivia Rodrigo – Vampire Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
Best progressive R&B album
6lack – Since I Have a Lover Diddy – The Love Album: Off the Grid Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy – Nova Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure SZA – SOS – WINNER
Best R&B performance
Chris Brown – Summer Too Hot Robert Glasper featuring SiR and Alex Isley – Back to Love Coco Jones – ICU – WINNER Victoria Monét – How Does It Make You Feel SZA – Kill Bill
Coco Jones Photograph: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock
Best folk album
Dom Flemons – Traveling Wildfire The Milk Carton Kids – I Only See the Moon Joni Mitchell – Joni Mitchell at Newport (Live) – WINNER Nickel Creek – Celebrants Old Crow Medicine Show – Jubilee Paul Simon – Seven Psalms Rufus Wainwright – Folkocracy
Producer of the year, non-classical
Jack Antonoff – WINNER Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II Hit-Boy Metro Boomin Daniel Nigro
Songwriter of the year, non-classical
Edgar Barrera Jessie Jo Dillon Shane McAnally Theron Thomas – WINNER Justin Tranter
Best pop duo/group performance
Miley Cyrus featuring Brandi Carlile – Thousand Miles Lana Del Rey featuring Jon Batiste – Candy Necklace Labrinth featuring Billie Eilish – Never Felt So Alone Taylor Swift featuring Ice Spice – Karma SZA featuring Phoebe Bridgers – Ghost in the Machine – WINNER
Best dance/electronic recording
Aphex Twin – Blackbox Life Recorder 21f James Blake – Loading Disclosure – Higher Than Ever Before Romy and Fred again.. – Strong Skrillex, Fred again.. and Flowdan – Rumble – WINNER
Best pop dance recording
David Guetta, Anne-Marie and Coi Leray – Baby Don’t Hurt Me Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding – Miracle Kylie Minogue – Padam Padam – WINNER Bebe Rexha and David Guetta – One in a Million Troye Sivan – Rush
Best dance/electronic music album
James Blake – Playing Robots into Heaven The Chemical Brothers – For That Beautiful Feeling Fred again.. – Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022) – WINNER Kx5 – Kx5 Skrillex – Quest for Fire
Best traditional R&B performance
Babyface featuring Coco Jones – Simple Kenyon Dixon – Lucky Victoria Monét featuring Earth, Wind & Fire and Hazel Monét – Hollywood PJ Morton featuring Susan Carol – Good Morning – WINNER SZA – Love Language
Best R&B album
Babyface – Girls Night Out Coco Jones – What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe) Emily King – Special Occasion Victoria Monét – Jaguar II – WINNER Summer Walker – Clear 2: Soft Life EP
Victoria Monét at the Grammy awards on 4 February 2024. Photograph: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
Best rap performance
Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar – The Hillbillies Black Thought – Love Letter Drake & 21 Savage – Rich Flex Killer Mike featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane – Scientists & Engineers – WINNER Coi Leray – Players
Best melodic rap performance
Burna Boy featuring 21 Savage – Sittin’ on Top of the World Doja Cat – Attention Drake and 21 Savage – Spin Bout U Lil Durk featuring J Cole – All My Life – WINNER SZA – Low
Best rap song
Doja Cat – Attention Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua – Barbie World from Barbie: The Album Lil Uzi Vert – Just Wanna Rock Drake and 21 Savage – Rich Flex Killer Mike featuring André 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane – Scientists & Engineers – WINNER
Best rap album
Drake and 21 Savage – Her Loss Killer Mike – Michael – WINNER Metro Boomin – Heroes & Villains Nas – King’s Disease III Travis Scott – Utopia
Best country solo performance
Tyler Childers – In Your Love Brandy Clark – Buried Luke Combs – Fast Car Dolly Parton – The Last Thing on My Mind Chris Stapleton – White Horse – WINNER
Best country song
Brandy Clark – Buried Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves – I Remember Everything Tyler Childers – In Your Love Morgan Wallen – Last Night Chris Stapleton – White Horse – WINNER
Best country song
Brandy Clark – Buried Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves – I Remember Everything Tyler Childers – In Your Love Morgan Wallen – Last Night Chris Stapleton – White Horse – WINNER
Best song written for visual media
Barbie World from Barbie the Album, Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. and Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice featuring Aqua) Dance the Night from “Barbie the Album, Caroline Ailin, Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Dua Lipa) I’m Just Ken from Barbie the Album, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Ryan Gosling) Lift Me Up from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Music From and Inspired By, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Robyn Fenty and Temilade Openiyi, songwriters (Rihanna) What Was I Made For? from Barbie the Album, Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)— WINNER
Best comedy album
Trevor Noah – I Wish You Would Wanda Sykes – I’m an Entertainer Chris Rock – Selective Outrage Sarah Silverman – Someone You Love Dave Chappelle – What’s in a Name? – WINNER
Best global music album
Susana Baca – Epifanías Bokanté – History Burna Boy – I Told Them… Davido – Timeless Shakti – This Moment – WINNER
Best African music performance
Asake and Olamide – Amapiano Burna Boy – City Boys Davido featuring Musa Keys – Unavailable Ayra Starr – Rush Tyla – Water – WINNER
Best musical theater album
Kimberly Akimbo Parade Shucked Some Like It Hot – WINNER Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best alternative music album
Arctic Monkeys – The Car boygenius – The Record – WINNER Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd Gorillaz – Cracker Island PJ Harvey – I Inside the Old Year Dying
Best alternative music performance
Alvvays – Belinda Says Arctic Monkeys – Body Paint boygenius – Cool About It Lana Del Rey – A&W Paramore – This Is Why – WINNER
Best rock album
Foo Fighters – But Here We Are Greta Van Fleet – Starcatcher Metallica – 72 Seasons Paramore – This Is Why – WINNER Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman…
Best rock song
The Rolling Stones – Angry Olivia Rodrigo – Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl Queens of the Stone Age – Emotion Sickness boygenius – Not Strong Enough – WINNER Foo Fighters – Rescued
Best metal performance
Disturbed – Bad Man Ghost – Phantom of the Opera Metallica – 72 Seasons – WINNER Slipknot – Hive Mind Spiritbox – Jaded
Best rock performance
Arctic Monkeys – Sculptures of Anything Goes Black Pumas – More Than a Love Song boygenius – Not Strong Enough – WINNER Foo Fighters – Rescued Metallica – Lux Æterna
Best country duo/group performance
Dierks Bentley featuring Billy Strings – High Note Brothers Osborne – Nobody’s Nobody Zach Bryan featuring Kacey Musgraves – I Remember Everything – WINNER Vince Gill and Paul Franklin – Kissing Your Picture (Is So Cold) Jelly Roll with Lainey Wilson – Save Me Carly Pearce featuring Chris Stapleton – We Don’t Fight Anymore
Nollywood is on a path to globalisation, and the deep pockets of tech operators will help achieve global success.On August 25, Editi Effiòng, a Nollywood director, shared a list of executive producers for his film, The Black Book. It featured African startup founders and investors like Nadayer Enegesi (Eden Life), Olumide Soyombo (Voltron Capital), and Ezra Olubi (Paystack). While this is not the first time African tech players have invested in film projects, the long list of executive producers for The Black Book has shown that tech operators are increasingly funding film projects. For decades, inadequate funding has slowed Nollywood’s growth, affecting film quality and limiting profitability. Niyi Akinmolayan, a filmmaker, shared on X that because of these issues, many Nigerian films submitted to streaming platforms are underpriced compared to those from other industries or rejected. Anita Eboigbe, a journalist and film writer, told TechCabal that more money in the film industry could help solve some of these problems. “Right now, there are monopolies everywhere that can only be disrupted by more money. When it comes to streaming platforms, there are still a lot of negotiation problems that haven’t been solved. These all boil down to how we handle the process, and to fix this, we need money,” she said. Investments from streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime and partnerships with local studios like Inkblot and EbonyLife are improving film quality. It is translating to better commercial performance at the cinemas. The highest-grossing films in Nigerian box-office history as of 2022 have been local productions: The Wedding Party ($1.5 million) and Omo Ghetto: The Saga ($1.5 million); and Nollywood now accounts for 55% of ticket sales in Nigeria.
In the first quarter of 2023, Nollywood accounted for 42% of box office revenue.
In the firstIt’s in contrast to Nollywood’s early beginnings when direct-to-video sales at local markets were the preferred distribution method. Tech investors are now riding Nollywood’s newest growth wave. Subomi Plumptre, CEO of Volition Cap and one of The BlackBook’s investors, told TechCabal that she decided to fund Nollywood films because of the industry’s long-term financial potential. Olumide Soyombo, the founder of Voltron Capital, told TechCabal that he’s investing in Nollywood films to drive profitability in the industry.
Investors are building their appetite for Nollywood
Victoria Popoola, co-founder and CEO of TalentX Africa, a film-financing marketplace, told TechCabal that “the more significant revenue opportunities currently come from streaming, with cinemas helping to drive streaming leverage depending on performance.” TalentX has invested “close to $1 million” in Nollywood movies. Plumptre’s Volition Cap also provides structure around film investing by creating a model that “looks like traditional African cooperatives.” For The Black Book, investors participated via “relatively small ticket sizes”, said Plumptre, and were supported by more prominent institutional investors. She added that the film’s investors earned dollar payouts because Netflix took up the movie. Soyombo told TechCabal that the collaboration between tech investors and Nollywood has helped change how filmmakers approach filmmaking. “Now we are seeing (filmmakers) keep an eye on money and not just the creative side.”Another significant challenge the film industry faces is the lack of physical infrastructure and production talent. Being unable to afford the appropriate technical equipment and talent affects the kind of stories that get told, with filmmakers sticking to plots—mainly drama—that don’t require a lot of technicality, missing out on the revenue that popular genres like action produce. Patient capital can solve this problem.Soyombo told TechCabal that he has invested over £1 million in Rushing Tap Studio, a physical studio where filmmakers can rent studio space to create movie scenes. Plumptre told TechCabal that Volition Cap prefers creative projects with a maximum time frame of 24 months. The firm is also thinking of investing in physical infrastructure. Popoola echoed the same thoughts, telling TechCabal that although she believes that “there’s a critical need for investment in more distribution infrastructure” and “a need to rethink the cinema experience,” Talent X is not investing in physical infrastructure. To address the talent problem, Popoola and Plumptre told TechCabal that their firms were open to partnerships.
It’s in contrast to Nollywood’s early beginnings when direct-to-video sales at local markets were the preferred distribution method. Tech investors are now riding Nollywood’s newest growth wave. Subomi Plumptre, CEO of Volition Cap and one of The BlackBook’s investors, told TechCabal that she decided to fund Nollywood films because of the industry’s long-term financial potential. Olumide Soyombo, the founder of Voltron Capital, told TechCabal that he’s investing in Nollywood films to drive profitability in the industry.
Amazon Prime, the global streaming giant, is laying off staff and scaling back its local content production in Africa and the Middle East, according to a new report by Variety. The streaming platform, the third largest in Africa, is restructuring its business model to focus on its European market. Barry Furlong, the vice president of Prime’s EMEA division, told staff in an email that the decision was made to focus “on the areas that drive the highest impact and long-term success.” It’s unclear how many employees will be affected. Approved shows like “Ebuka Turns Up Africa” will still be rolled out as Amazon Prime will still be present in Africa, but the platform will stop approving local shows in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa. Africa’s streaming market is projected to have at least 18 million paying streaming customers by 2029, up from 8 million customers last year. With a combined 75% of the streaming market, Netflix and Showmax are the market leaders. Despite this growth, streaming penetration remains low, as most of these customers are in South Africa and Nigeria. By 2029, only 7.7% of African households would be paying for at least one of these platforms.
Amazon Prime was estimated to have 575,000 sub-Saharan customers in 2021, which was projected to reach 1.9 million in 2026.
From lofty goals to a retreat
Amazon Prime had lofty goals of being the biggest streaming platform in Africa, as it quickly hired lots of staff and signed at least four partnerships with local production studios when it landed in Africa in December 2021. Prime has two dedicated teams for Nigeria and South Africa, its two largest markets. While the Nigerian team operates out of London, the South African team works in Cape Town and Johannesburg. “We now have a dedicated local content strategy for the continent across the board, from originals to be developed and produced by Amazon Studios to an exciting licensing slate with top-tier producers,” Ned Mitchell, Prime’s head of originals for Africa, said in February. By then, Prime had announced multi-year partnerships with Nigerian studios like Anthill, Inkblot, and Greoh. But it was its partnership with Jade Osiberu’s Greoh that stood out. The three-year deal would allow all of Osiberu’s movies and shows to be exclusively available on Amazon Prime and the first movie out of this partnership, ‘Gangs of Lagos’, broke multiple records. Within two months, it was the 9th most watched non-English title on Prime. Its success also inspired the creation of a new film-financing firm, Capital Films.
Prime scaling back its presence on the African continent also offers a new challenge to a new business model where tech-focused professionals are increasingly financing Nollywood movies or even creating them to sell to international streaming platforms. This business model has seen successes like Netflix’s ‘The Black Book,’ which was watched more than 70 million times in less than three weeks on Netflix. African streaming platforms have also struggled in recent years, as Video Play, Telkom One and Kwese TV have all shut down. In November, TechCabal reported that IrokoTV, Africa’s oldest streaming service, had only 46,000 active users in December 2022, a 76% decline from the beginning of the year. IrokoTV’s CEO, Jason Njoku, shared that the service had invested $30 million in Nigeria but had yet to profit from the country.
Roma have sacked Jose Mourinho, with the club languishing in ninth place in Serie A.
His final game in charge was Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to AC Milan – which a suspended Mourinho had to watch from the stands – meaning the Stadio Olympico-based outfit had won just one of their past six league games, while they were also dumped out of the Coppa Italia by arch-rivals Lazio last week.In total, Roma have won just eight of their 20 matches in Serie A this season and sit behind the likes of Bologna, Atalanta and Fiorentina in the race for European qualification.
Despite him asking for a new contract – after ex-Chelsea and Man United boss was repeatedly sent off and led his team down to ninth in the table
In a statement, Roma owners Dan and Ryan Friedkin said: ‘We would like to thank Jose on behalf of all of us at AS Roma for his passion and efforts since his arrival at the club.’We will always have great memories of his tenure at Roma, but we believe that an immediate change is in the best interests of the club.
We understand Daniele De Rossi is the favourite to replace Mourinho as head coach.Talks are underway with the 40-year old who though he made over 600 appearances in Roma’s midfield, has limited coaching experience having worked with the Italian federation and Serie B side SPAL who sacked him a year ago.Former Chelsea and Spurs boss Antonio Conte and Graham Potter, also formerly of Chelsea and Brighton, are also being considered.Potter, 48, has been biding his time awaiting the best project ahead of making his return to management after a highly promising start. He is also understood to be in Manchester United’s thoughts should they make a change on manager.Mourinho joined Roma in May 2021 and spent two-and-a-half years in the role, leading them to the Europa Conference League title in 2022 when they beat Feyenoord, which was the club’s first European trophy since 1961.He also guided them to the Europa League final last season, before they were defeated by Sevilla on penalties.
Mourinho’s contract was set to expire at the end of this season and there had been increasingly speculation surrounding his future before Roma’s announcement on Tuesday. However, over recent weeks, he had outlined his desire to stay at the club, with the 60-year-old rubbishing speculation linking him with Saudi Arabia.Speaking after a 2-0 defeat to Bologna on December 17, Mourinho said: ‘I want to continue at Roma. And if I stay at Roma we’ve got to really think hard about the financial fair play limitations we have, because maybe it’s better to work with younger players and give them some chances.’That could present an opportunity for development, compared to players who have nothing left to develop. I want to continue and I’m open to a new approach.’ The former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss won 68 of his 138 matches in charge, but was repeatedly at the centre of disciplinary problems.Just last week, Mourinho was dismissed for the second match in a row after a violent and chaotic Rome derby in the Coppa Italia quarter-final which his side lost 1-0 to arch-rivals Lazio. The Portuguese coach had already accumulated a mammoth five red cards in total during 2023-24, which follows the three dismissals he received in 2022-23.
While Mourinho remained largely revered among Roma supporters following their European success, he only managed to lead them to two sixth-place finishes after spending heavily in his first season at the club.This included the additions of the likes of Rui Patricio, Tammy Abraham, Roger Ibanez and Matias Vina for an outlay of more than £100m, and has meant his attempts to strengthen in recent windows have been hampered by FFP constraints. Mourinho departing midway through his third season will remind fans of his similar struggles at previous clubs.
During his second spell at Chelsea and his time with Man United, Mourinho left during his third full campaign at the club. He leaves with Roma in danger of dropping out of the top half of the table, while they are 22 points behind leaders Inter Milan and 13 off AC Milan following Sunday’s defeat. Roma’s on-pitch struggles have been accompanied by increasing outbursts from ‘the special one’, with Mourinho dubbing himself ‘Jose ‘Harry Potter’ Mourinho’ after his side were knocked out of the Coppa Italia to Lazio.’The Roma fans are the most incredible I have seen. Their coach is Jose ‘Harry Potter’ Mourinho and he raises expectations,’ Mourinho said last week.’I don’t know how many derbies I’ve played, 200, 150, they are always special matches. I’ve won, I’ve drawn, I’ve lost, always with a different experience.’I have always understood that for a Chelsea fan, a game against Manchester City is not the same as a game against Arsenal. That for Inter, a game against Roma is not the same as a game against Juventus
A prosecution witness on Wednesday gave graphic detail of last year’s gruesome killing of Lagos lawyer, Symphorosa Otike-Odibi, by her lawyer wife, Udeme, before an Igbosere High Court, Lagos.The witness, Olusegun Bamidele, an assistant superintendent of police in the Homicide Section, State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Panti, told the court that Udeme, in her statement, confessed to killing her husband and cutting his manhood.Udeme was arraigned on June 13, 2018 on a two-count charge of murder and misconduct with regard to a corpse by Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Titilayo Shitta-Bey.According to the prosecutor, Udeme stabbed Symphorosa, also a lawyer, to death and mutilated his corpse by cutting off his genitals on May 3, 2018, at their Diamond Estate, Sangotedo, Lekki, Lagos home.
The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 165 (b) and 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.Udeme pleaded not guilty and was remanded in prison custody.At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the prosecutor called Bamidele, a police veteran, as the state’s final witness.Bamidele told the court that as the head of a team that investigated the killing, he personally recorded the defendant’s statement.He said that Udeme wrote a detailed confessional statement during an interactive session with her in protective custody in the police hospital.According to him, the defendant was recuperating from what doctors described as “superficial and self-inflicted wounds,” when she made her statement.
He said the defendant spoke freely after identifying herself as a lawyer.Bamidele said: “While she (Udeme) was writing her statement, it was an interactive session. I put questions to her, she would explain it to me and put it down in writing.“She stated in her statement that she was married to the late Symphorosa and that they were having marital issues.
“She stated that the deceased was having extra-marital affairs and whenever she raised the issue with him, his responses were not satisfactory, he appeared nonchalant.“She said that on May 2, 2018, she was preparing to travel to United Kingdom when she checked the bedside locker for her marriage certificate. When she could not find it, she went to the deceased where he lay on the bed and asked him about it but there was no response, the response given was not okay.“She had a discussion with him and there was hot exchange of words, which made her to go to the kitchen and get a frying pan and knife.“When she returned to where the deceased lay, she hit him on the head with the frying pan and said ‘Tell me, what is in your mind that you are withholding.
“She stated that the deceased called his mother to report her conduct. She continued to hit the deceased on the head again and again. Finally, she confirmed that she used the knife to stab the deceased in his abdomen.
“She also said while the deceased was lying on his back, she was still angry. She sat beside him, looking at his intestines coming out of the deceased and said: ‘If this your penis is the one that is giving you license to have the feeling of another person, it’s better we cut it off,’ she proceeded to do so with the same knife she used in stabbing him and hanged a piece of the penis in his right hand”.Bamidele explained that later that night, Udeme sent her “close friend” Maureen Offor, a WhatsApp message which read: “I have done something terrible.”The witness said further investigation showed that she sent two other WhatsApp messages, firstly to the husband of the deceased’s younger sister, Charles Akpoguma, which read: “Just pray for us. May God forgive.”He said the last message was to her mother in Calabar the same night. It read: “Sorry mum, we engaged in a fight.”However, things took a more graphic turn when the prosecution played pictures of the defendant on a hospital bed after the incident and her bloodied deceased husband on his deathbed.Shitta-Bey also tendered, through Bamidele, several exhibits recovered from the defendant.They included a big, shiny frying pan allegedly used by the defendant on the deceased, a blood covered kitchen knife Udeme allegedly used in killing Symphorosa, a blood stained pen, four phones, two of which were blood stained, Udeme’s Nigerian and British passports.But when the prosecutor sought to tender the two statements which Udeme allegedly made to the police, her counsel, Mr Olusegun Banjoko, opposed the admissibility of the statements.Banjoko prayed the court not to admit the statements as evidence, adding that they were not made in the presence of the defendant’s lawyer as required by law.Justice Adedayo Akintoye adjourned until February 25 to consider the admissibility of the statements in a trial within trial.
The draw for FA Cup’s fourth round has been made ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Wigan.Reigning holders Manchester City will travel to Tottenham while Liverpool’s reward for eliminating Arsenal sees them hosting the winner from Norwich City and Bristol Rovers’ third-round replay.
Whichever team emerges victorious at the DW Stadium is set for a trip to whoever triumphs in Newport County and Eastleigh’s meeting.The draw in full …
Watford v Southampton
Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham
Bournemouth v Swansea
CityWest Brom v Brentford/Wolves
West Ham/Bristol City v Nottingham Forest/Blackpool
Leicester City v Hull City/Birmingham City
Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Ipswich Town v Maidstone United
Liverpool v Norwich City/Bristol Rovers
Tottenham v Manchester City
Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle
Crystal Palace/Everton v Luton Town/Bolton Wanderers
Newport County/Eastleigh v Wigan Athletic/Manchester United
The immediate past Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele, illegally lodged billions of naira in about 593 bank accounts in the United States, United Kingdom, and China.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Investigator, Jim Obaze, disclosed that Emefiele opened the bank accounts without the approval of CBN’s Board of Directors and Investment Committee.Obaze disclosed that Emefiele deposited 543, 482,213 in fixed deposits in UK banks alone without authorisation.
This was contained in Obaze’s final report tagged, ‘Report of the Special Investigation on CBN and Related Entities (Chargeable offences)’ submitted to Tinubu.The report reads partly: “The former governor of the CBN invested Nigeria’s money without authorisation in 593 foreign accounts in the United States, China and the United Kingdom while he was in charge.“All the accounts where the billions were lodged have all been traced by the investigator, In the UK alone, Emefiele kept £543,482, 213 in fixed deposits without authorization by the CBN board and the Investment Committee of the bank.
The former CBN governor is currently in Kuje prison after he was arraigned by the Nigerian Government for alleged N1.2 billion procurement fraud.The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, had granted him bail in the sum of N300m but he had failed to perfect it.
Social media has been buzzing with talks surrounding and focusing on two of the biggest female artists in Africa, Tiwa Savage and Tems.Multiple award-winning singers Tiwa Savage and Tems were spotted together at a recent event in Lagos.The sensational singers and talented vocalists were at a DJ Obi’s house party together on Monday, December 18, 2023, and the meet up is something fans have not stopped talking about.
Many have categorized the link up as two of the heavyweight in Afrobeats hanging out and others could not help but speculate that Tiwa Savage and Tems might just be working on releasing a work of art together.This is a probability as Tems who has been working on putting out her debut album has been very secretive regarding what to expect from the album but her recently released singles Me & U and Not An Angel as well as a recent video of her in a studio session with Odumodublvck and Blaqbonez have kept fans salivating for more from her.
