Author: Tunde Akingbondere

A chief magistrate court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the immediate arrest of popular social media critic VeryDarkMan (VDM) for the alleged criminal defamation of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo. Presiding judge Emmanuel Iyanna granted the order on Thursday after VDM failed to appear in court despite being summoned on March 5. Deji Adeyanju, VDM’s lawyer, requested reconsideration, assuring the court he would personally bring his client. However, the magistrate rejected this plea. Judge Iyanna instructed police and law enforcement agencies to arrest VDM to ensure his appearance in court regarding the alleged charges. VDM had accused Chinwo of…

Ayangbenle, known as ‘Baba Onilu,’ a distinguished drummer from Ibadan, has sadly passed away. He was renowned for his exceptional drumming skills and was a dedicated performer for Osun during the Osun Osogbo festival, hailing from Ede town in Osun State. His son confirmed the news of his passing, stating, “Baba Onilu has passed away overnight. May Almighty Allah grant him Aljanah Fidarus.” His last words were reported to be “La Ilaaha Ila lahu.” Throughout his life, Ayangbenle entertained students at the University of Ibadan during convocations and provided drumming performances for corps members in Ibadan. In April 2022, he…

Johnson Akinpelumi, widely recognized by his stage name Francis Akintade, is a distinguished figure in traditional music. Famed for his philosophical lyrics and enchanting melodies, he has charted a remarkable course through the complexities of life without the privilege of formal education. In this exclusive conversation, Akinpelumi shares his insights on his artistic journey, the cultural significance of his music, and the challenges he has faced along the way. Tunde Akingbondere: In What Year Did You Start Singing And Why Did You Prefer Music of All Jobs? I can’t recall the exact date, but I can share a few details…

The long-held aspiration of the Idanre community to establish a tertiary institution is moving closer to reality, thanks to the dedicated advocacy of Hon. Festus Akingbaso, the representative for the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. His recent efforts to establish a Federal ICT Institute in the area have gained significant traction. Akingbaso, who serves as the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, introduced the bill for the ICT Institute on October 31, 2023. His goal is to transform the narrative that has long portrayed Idanre as underdeveloped due to the lack of educational institutions. During…

A former member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Tajudeen Adefisoye, has appealed to the residents of the Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State to relax their ambition for the House of Representatives ahead of 2027, citing the need for balance in the sharing of power between the 2 Local Government Areas comprised in the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency. Adefisoye’s strictly pidgin expressions historically explored the political relationship and power-sharing mechanism between the Idanre/Ifedore people, taking into account their different terms of representation. He emphasized that the Ifedore people had spent a total of four terms in the House of…

Comedian and skit maker, Ganiyu Morufu, popularly known as Ijoba Lande, has claimed custody of eight videos of other men sleeping with his estranged wife, Dara, aside from popular Yoruba Nollywood actor, Baba Tee, who recently admitted sleeping with her. The comedian made this disclosure during a media engagement with media personality, Daddy Freeze, via Instagram livestream on Monday night. He admitted that it was so painful watching the men have rough sex with his wife. “I have eight videos of other men sleeping with my wife aside from Baba Tee. It’s so painful. I watched how these men were…

Angry youths in Naka, Benue State, has on Tuesday, razed the palace of Ter Nagi, Chief Daniel Abomtse, and parts of the Gwer West Local Government Secretariat while agitating over the killing of three people. The uncontrollable violence broke out after suspected armed herders reportedly terminated lives of three operatives of the Benue Civil Protection Guards at Garuwa community in the local government. Bringing the bodies of the victims to Naka in the early hours of Tuesday, triggered protests that resulted in destruction. The Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Victor Omirin, and Ter Nagi, Chief Daniel Abomtse, confirmed the incident…

One disturbing issue that has refused to disappear in Nigeria is ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the attitude or belief that one’s group, ethnicity, or nationality is superior to others. And because of this presumption, people who are steeped in ethnocentrism use their own culture or ethnicity as the standard of measurement to judge other cultures and groups. They will go to any length to defend their ethnic group and its members, no matter what they do. Therefore, whenever an issue arises—be it between the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, or between the Lagos State Speaker, Hon. Mudashiru…

The Presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress, on Monday, have derided the moves by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to organise opposition figures towards unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election. They lampooned El-Rufai over his alleged “inordinate ambition that is destined to fail” in his defection to the Social Democratic Party. Also on Monday, the APC stated that El-Rufai’s plan to mobilise against Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 would not yield any significant outcomes. El-Rufai, earlier on Monday, announced his defection from the APC to the opposition SDP, vowing to mobilise against the APC government in 2027.…

Nigeria’s government has further affirmed on Monday that it will not halt its policy of exchanging its crude oil for naira to local refineries. Dr. Adedeji, Charmain of the Technical Sub-Committee on Naira-for-Crude Policy, made this disclosure following rumours about the program’s future. “The Naira-based crude sales framework remains intact,” stated Dr. Adedeji. “There are no plans to discontinue this important economic initiative.” His statement was response to concerns after NNPCL explained that its current arrangement with Dangote Refinery was approaching its scheduled end date. Olufemi Soneye from NNPCL had earlier clarified the situation: “To clarify, the contract for the…