Author: Festus Adeloye

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has stated that he will not respond to the ultimatum given by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade. Oba Ogunwusi was issued a 48-hour ultimatum by the Alaafin over a recent chieftaincy title conferred by the Ooni on an Ibadan-based businessman. Oba Owoade has demanded that the Ooni revoke the title of “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” bestowed upon Chief Dotun Sanusi, the owner of Ilaji Hotels and Resorts. Reacting via his Facebook handle, the Ooni’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, disclosed that his principal instructed him against issuing a formal press release on the matter.…

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, has issued the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, a 48-hour deadline to revoke the Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title recently bestowed on Ibadan business magnate Engineer Dotun Sanusi. On Monday, the Alaafin’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, issued a statement calling the Ooni’s conduct an “affront”. He also stated that it was a direct challenge to his authority. The Alaafin reiterated that he holds the exclusive right to bestow titles that cover the entire Yorubaland. According to the statement: “The conferment of a Yoruba-wide chieftaincy title by the…

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must “urgently” take legal steps to prove they are not terrorist organisations, following a recent Canadian court ruling describing them as such. In a statement on Monday, Falana argued that the Nigerian political parties should clear their names instead of hurling insults at the Canadian court. “Instead of abusing the Canadian judge, the APC and PDP should, as a matter of urgency, adopt legal measures to prove that they are not terrorist organisations,” he said. The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)…

The Presidency has taken a swipe at the opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, following their poor outing in Saturday’s by-elections across the country. Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in a cryptic post on his X handle on Monday, mocked the coalition after the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winning the majority seats. “How is the market now?” Onanuga wrote, in a thinly-veiled jab at the coalition which had styled itself as a formidable political…

Olusegun Akinremi, also known as Chief Kanran, a veteran Nollywood actor and multiple award winner, is dead. He was 78. According to a family source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the well-known Yoruba actor died in a Lagos hospital on Friday following a brief illness. As of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, no formal announcement has been issued on his death. Chief Kanran was best known for his charismatic roles portraying affluent characters in Yoruba-language films and for his appearances on stage and in television productions spanning decades. In recent years, the actor had faced personal and financial challenges.…

Nigerian Gospel singer Mercy Chinwo and her husband, Pastor Blessed Uzochikwa, have welcomed their second child. Chinwo took to Instagram on Friday to announce the good news, expressing gratitude to God for the new addition to their family. The singer expressed that the birth of her second baby has multiplied their joy and laughter and reaffirmed their commitment to raising their children in a way that honours their faith. She extolled her husband for being a devoted father, noting that their growing family remains a source of happiness and thanksgiving. “The Lord has done it again! “He has added to…

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has formally lifted the no-flight ban initially imposed on Ibom Airline passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, over unruly and violent conduct on the aircraft the the weekend. The operators, in a statement by their Public Relations Officer, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said the lifting of the ban was necessitated by the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. The AON spokesman said the association considered all the circumstances of the matter, including the exhibition of remorse for her behaviour as reported, the withdrawal of the criminal complaint and consequent striking out of the…

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has withdrawn criminal charges against musician KWAM 1 and female passenger Ms. Comfort Emmanson, citing wide  consultations with critical industry stakeholders. Keyamo said recent events in the industry concerning unruly behaviour of certain individuals are unfortunate, regrettably, the minister declared that valuable lessons have been learnt by all sides to these incidents and airport security protocols. Keyamo said the lessons have been well highlighted for the travelling public. He said :” If nothing at all, the episodes have undoubtedly helped to raise public awareness about appropriate conduct within the aviation space. “As highlighted…

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has disclosed why Comfort Emmanson, a female passenger who allegedly assaulted Ibom Air crew members, was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde, also known as Kwam 1, who reportedly disrupted a ValueJet flight in Abuja last week, did not face any court action. The Uyo–Lagos incident on Sunday sparked public outrage and accusations of selective justice. Viral videos showed Emmanson slapping and kicking airline and airport officials, including a female air hostess, after she allegedly refused repeated instructions to switch off her phone before take-off. In one clip,…

Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of assaulting airline officials aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, has been charged in court and remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos. Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, confirmed the development in a post on his official X handle on Monday. “The more reason the flying public should be more careful, the unruly passenger on the Uyo–Lagos bound Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and she’s now cooling off in Kirikiri,” Moshood wrote. His…