The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Teenage girl rescued as Lagos communities battle floods, erosion

    Teenage girl rescued as Lagos communities battle floods, erosion

    Two communities in Lagos State with similar tales of floods caused by erosion and resulting in loss of property worth millions of naira are crying for urgent intervention by state authorities, report KUNLE AKINRINADE & VICTORIA AMADI.

    PENULTIMATE Tuesday was tough for residents of the Alagbado area of Lagos. At about noon, the sky opened up for a downpour that flooded the streets adjoining the Old Ota Road and overran buildings and drainage system.

    But for Providence, a teenage girl in the area would have been swept away by the ravaging flood. It was said that the girl was pulled out of water by some young men around as water submerged buildings including makeshift shops and business outlets.

    An eyewitness said: “The girl was running errands for her mother on Omisesan Street when the flood seized her leg and was sweeping her away.

    “But some men dared the water and pulled her out before she could be submerged.

    “A similar incident had occurred  in the area a few days earlier when a flood resulting from heavy rain swept away a man that was returning home from an outing.”

    A cross-section of residents of Omisesan Street lamented that the entire landscape of area was on the cusp of being destroyed by erosion, appealing to the state government to reconstruct the poorly constructed drainage in the neighbourhood.

    They explained that the gully erosion had led to loss of lives and property running into millions of naira owing to poorly constructed and abandoned drainage.

    According to the distraught residents, flood water passing through Saka, Owu, Emmanuel, Oloruntedo, Laccal, Adeoluwa, Malomo, and Soyinka streets flow through Omisesan Streets to a nearby river, thereby causing gully erosion in the community.

    A resident identified simply as Ahmed described flooding as a perennial problem in the community and blamed the situation on the indifference of state authorities.

    Ahmed said: “Flooding has become an annual problem in this community and it appears that we have been abandoned by the concerned authorities despite several cries for intervention to salvage the situation.”

    Secretary of the community development association, Mr. Idowu Lasisi, said former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration only constructed a drainage on one side of the street, leaving the other side unattended to and resulting in poor passage of water to the nearby Iro River.

    He said: “The present drainage was constructed by ex-Governor Fashola’s administration.

    “The construction company that handled the contract worked to an extent and stopped.

    “We were thinking they would take it to Iro River but they stopped the work midway.

    “We are pleading with the government to come back and reconstruct this road in Omisesan Street in Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area of Alimosho Local Government.

    “They built a reserve in the drainage, but whenever it rains heavily, the reserve overflows and floods the building opposite it,  causing damages.”

    Lasisi added that the situation had led to the relocation of many residents lately as floods continue to wreak havoc once it rains.

    He said: “The Iro River is supposed to serve as a collection point for the flood coming from the main Ibari Road through Omisesan Street down to old Ota Road in Alagbado here.

    “But the way the drainage in the street was constructed, water could not flow directly into the river but into the street thereby causing massive erosion.

    “Property worth millions of naira were badly damaged. And whenever it rains, nobody dares stand on the street, otherwise the person might be carried away by flood.

    “Residents are leaving this area because of that. Those who own houses here have no alternative.”

    A landlord in the community, Kazeem Sunmonu, appealed to the relevant authorities to construct another drainage on the other side of the street, to enable easy passage of water.

    Read Also: Ondo flood victims get relief materials

    He said: “We are pleading to the government to build drainages on the two sides of the road so that the water that has been passing through one side, would be passing through two sides.

    “There is a floating from the major road. When it rains heavily, the floating overflows thereby channeling water into the street.”

    He added that efforts to draw the attention of  the relevant authorities to their plight had yielded no result.

    “We have made different efforts for the government to come to build the second one, all to no avail.

    “We have written to the local government and  other relevant authorities in Lagos State but we have not received any response,” he said.

    A resident, Shola Odebunmi, said residents were relocating from the street, appealing to the state government to intervene in their plight.

    He said: “I was born and brought up here. The last rain caused a lot of damage and gully erosion.

    “No form of vehicle comes into this street anymore because of the bad road.

    “Ironically, we have a local government chairman living next street to ours.

    “He recently brought a heap of stones to fill the potholes, but when it rained, erosion washed the stones away, causing another damage.”

    Like the residents of Alagbado, poor drainage construction has become the nemesis of Alade Close off Iju Road in the Fagba area of Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos.

    According to the residents, the drainage, which was constructed in 2011 by a construction company with the approval of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), was left uncompleted. It was also poorly constructed, thereby resulting in the washing away of the soil, a huge gorge of over 100 feet, and breakage of the half-constructed structure.

    The worst affected are residents of Harmony Estate, Alex Kehinde Street, Bucknor Estate, Nelson Cole Avenue, and Alade Close 1 and 2.

    Speaking with The Nation, some community leaders in the area appealed to the relevant authorities to rescue them from the perennial destruction of houses worth millions of naira around the area, noting that some buildings currently stand the risk of being submerged.

    They also alleged that efforts made to draw the attention of the local government council to the menace proved abortive, as the council said it was beyond its power.

    Chairman of the Community Development Association, Mr. Ganiyu Kasal, explained that some buildings had caved in to the gorge, adding that attempts to draw the attention of relevant authorities to their plight have yet not yielded fruits.

    He said: “This drainage was constructed in 2011 during the the Fashola regime.

    “They constructed the drainage to some length, then stopped halfway.

    “They kept saying they would return to the site (to finish the job), but we didn’t see them.

    “After a newspaper publication, they came and did a little work but did not complete it totally. About two weeks ago, the drainage started sinking.

    “It is washing away buildings. A building close to it is sinking and the gorge is washing the street away.

    “We wrote to our local government council but they said the matter was beyond them.

    Expatiating further, Kasali said: “We have to start dumping refuse there to fill the hole up.

    “A house has been pulled down by the drainage and the drainage is about pulling the closest house down.

    “We are calling on the state and federal governments to come to our rescue because we don’t want this to affect more houses and even lives.

    “The damage is coming inside the street and this is dangerously alarming.

    “We have talked to the  chairman of the local government and we have already written to the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources.

    “The local government personnel said it was beyond their capacity.”

    Lamenting the depth of the gorge, a resident of the community, Deji Oke, said the people had tried everything in their power to fill it in but to no avail.

    He said: “When the construction company left the drainage halfway, we pleaded with them to complete the construction, but they didn’t.

    “Members of the community, contributed money to fill the gorge with stone but the flood kept washing the soil away.

     “When the construction firm came the second time, they didn’t complete it.

    “We have written letters and sent a video of this place, yet nothing has been done.

    “The gorge is getting worse.”

    Another resident, Mr. Joseph Abogunde, said: “The way they built the drainage is not good at all. It shows incompetence and negligence. 

    “The constructors diverted the water from Fagba area, Iju Water Works Road and the surroundings to this drainage.

    “We really need urgent help from respectful authorities. Lives are at stake.”

  • MOTHER OF ALL SCAMS: How Farmforte owners duped investors of billions of naira, relocated abroad to live large

    MOTHER OF ALL SCAMS: How Farmforte owners duped investors of billions of naira, relocated abroad to live large

    • 40,000 investors lose capital, interest
    • Medical doctor loses N40m, retiree N21m

    THEIR plan was hatched and carriedout with brutal precision. They opened shop in 2012 as “a value chain development firm focused on transforming the agriculture landscape of Nigeria”. They came out loud on both traditional and social media, showcasing their activities in newspapers and on radio and television stations, not forgetting Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and other popular online platforms. For effect, they claimed affiliation with an agro-allied company in Europe.

    The design of their company’s website, www.farmforte.com, was creative, eye-catching and mobile-friendly.

    Playing to the rules for five years, Osazuwa Osayi and Uyi Osayimwense, co-founders and co-CEOs of Farmforte Agro Allied, gathered strength and patronage in government circle and the community.

    By this time, they had acquired a state-of-the-art cashew processing facility in Edo State and attracted the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, to commission it alongside other influential figures home and abroad.

    The commissioning received flamboyant hype in the media.  Like hunters, they set their trap and waited patiently for their prey. The groundwork settled, they came out in their true colours. First, they branched out of the buying and selling of agricultural products and launched AgropartnershipsTechnology Limited, a digital investment subsidiary of Farmforte. According to them, “the fund and portfolio management company is licensed by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC)”.

    At the same time, they announced that Forest Capital, another subsidiary of Farmforte, had acquired Kayvee Microfinance Bank, “to create greater synergy between socio-economic empowerment, agriculture and the finance sector.

    Thus, Farmforte became a digital investment platform, where investors are attracted to investing in farm produce with mouth-watering returns on investments (ROI).

    According to the company’s website, “Agropartnerships is a simple and secure collaborative platform that enables you to engage in profitable agribusiness opportunities from your home. You can invest in farms, trade in commodities and count your profits in no time.”

    This, it seemed, was the original plan of Osayi and Osayimwense. With a strong digital presence, they gradually reclined into the shadow as investors fall on themselves to invest millions of naira in their mouth-watering products called portfolios, with the hope of doubling their investments within a few months.

    People of letters and professionals like bankers, doctors, civil servants, teachers, accountants and retirees fell into their trap.  

    By December 2021, Farmforte suddenly stopped capital and ROI citing “some challenges”. Two months later, they came out via Zoom conference to allay investors’ fears, and that became the last time anyone heard from the joint CEO.

    They shut down their Lagos office, plants, investors’ accounts and all contacts and literally vanished into thin air with billions of naira of investors’ funds.  

    ‘How I lost my N21m gratuity to scam outfit’

    Olukanmi Ayoola is yet to come to terms with how a certified accountant like him could fall into the hands of fraudulent young men who conned him of his retirement benefit up to the tune of N21,600,000. He came out in frustration to tell his story “so that people can be aware and they will not go on to scam other innocent people.”

    Even at that, he could not afford to use his real name in print for the societal and economic backlash.

    He said: “I am a respected person in my community and people come to me for investment advice because I’ve been an accountant all my life,” said Ayoola, who retired in 2021 after more than 30 years in service.

    The 62-year-old did not have any premonition of what was about to befall him until he was caught in the web of lies and deceit.

    He started by putting small amounts into the Agropartnerships digital platform powered by Farmforte and receiving huge profits on his capital as and when due.

    Upon receiving his gratuity, he decided to multiply his investments for bigger profits. Instead, he lost the capital and expected turnover.

    Ayoola said: “I came across Farmforte in 2018 when a friend introduced their product called Farmforte Food Valley to me. He said they were reliable and responsible and were into agric.

    “Then, the government was talking about agriculture and  the huge investment that was going into it. I picked an interest and began to do an independent investigation.

    “I checked out the company’s website and it seemed genuine. So, I started with N500,000. I got my money and ROI after one year.

    Read Also: Agro firm refutes research report, releases evidence

    “Thereafter, I decided to increase the moneyto N1 million, and any time I had excess cash, I would put it in.

    “I had money in another investment outlet -money market- and due to government policy, the interest became flat.

    “At the same time, I was nearing retirement where I worked. I reasoned that I needed to take a decision now to stand on my own. So, I requested for my retirement benefits and was paid. This was in 2019. I retired same year.

    “That was how I invested the whole money into the business, which is exportation of agricultural products. As a son of a farmer, I know a little about it, that there is huge profit in it.

    “Agropartnerships claims to be in agro-processing and export with affiliation to a company in Holland. I saw one of it videos where Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki commissioned a large expanse of farmland and a cashew processing plant and there were many local farmers saying they had been selling their products to them. It was very believable.

    “I also investigated the SEC website and saw that they  were duly registered with a registration number.

    “On top of that, they had not failed to pay up on due dates on my investments. All these gave me confidence that the company was real.”

    At this point, Ayoola decided to push all his earnings into the business.

    He said: “I started buying all theirproducts: Poultry 02 Investment, Rice Value Chain, ChickenUp Scale, Palm Oil Processing, Cashew Exporting Scheme, and all sorts of products.

    “They  were aggressive in the way they advertised their products.  Within six hours, if you didn’t invest in it, they would it had sold out. Any reasonable human being would want to invest.

    “They were well organised. I call it organised crime.

    “I spread my investments in such a way that as one was getting due, another one was starting.  

    “I invested N21,600,000 of my money and my ROI also runs into millions of naira.  I’ve not receive a kobo.”

    By December 15, 2021, the due date for one of Ayoola’s investments, the proceeds did not come.

    “I was alarmed at first, but they wrote a letter to me that they were having some challenges and would pay me in due course.

    That, however, became the beginning of Ayoola’s travails.

    “I immediately went to their office and met other investors who were agitated and needed answers,” he said.

    Office shut down

    In a video on Agropartnerships Facebook page on February 16, Osayimwenme explained the problem: “For a fact the delayed circle payout happened due to two major reasons: first, the global chain supply disruption, which impacted on our ability to obtain parts of our machinery for our processing facility.

    “Secondly, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business operation affected us… We have taken corrective measure to ensure that this never happens again.

    “We appreciate your passion, your endurance, and we take seriously our responsibility to ensure the safety of your investment.

    “To this end, we have designed specific payout timeline, and we look forward to sharing this with you on the 18th of February.” 

    Ayoola said: “Two days later, the company addressed us in a town hall meeting on Zoom, and raised our hopes that we would get our money soon.

    “That was the last time we heard from them. They closed down their office, shut down their lines and investors’ accounts, and disappeared.”

    ‘I lost N40m’

    Ayoola is not alone in his ordeal. A businessman, who wants to be known simply as John, also joined the scheme in 2019.

    John said: “I started investing in the company in 2019, and by late 2021, I had just doubled my investment by N20m when the problem erupted.

    “I was in their office where I met Ayoola and we started sharing notes.

    “Because the transactions are done online, individually, and with no access to other investors, we don’t know ourselves or able to share our stories until it was too late.”

    Altogether, John has N40 million locked up in Agropartnerships’accoun.

    Another victim, David, who had invested in three portfolios worth over a million naira with Agropartnerships, has a similar story to tell.

    He said: “I started with N500,000 in April 2021 and received the interest promptly on the due date.

    “The ease with which the profits were paid spurred me into opening two additional portfolios with the firm.

    ”However, things took a different turn when Farmforte stopped paying capital and interest at the end of 2021.

    Another investor loses N300,000

    The loss of another investor, Serah Lawal, is small in comparison to those of Ayoola and John.

    Lawal said: “I invested in Agropartnerships Potato Scheme in January 2021 and I was supposed to get my investment and ROI by October 27.

    “On the due date, I sent an email to the company and got a reply. They told me that they were going through some challenges and needed to reconsider how they made their payouts.”

    She noted that the company promised to pay her by February of the following year (2022), but failed tofulfil the promise, and multiple attempts she made to reach them were futile.

    According to Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), she lost N300,000 after investing in three units of the scheme, while Adetoun Adekanmbi, a Lagos State-based medical doctor, lost close to N600,000 after investing in the company.

    “I started investing in Agropartnerships in 2020 and I invested over N800,000 in various cycles.

    “Some of the cycles lasted nine months and some 12 months. I was promised an ROI of 36 per cent.

    “Initially, I got my ROI and capital as and when due. But by 2021, investors started complaining about the inability to withdraw pay-out funds from their wallets.

    “When the admin of the company was contacted, they apologised and blamed it on technical errors.

    “However, in February 2022, it was apparent that there was more to the issues than the earlier stated reason.

    “Thereafter, we were told in a Zoom meeting that some pay-outs would be delayed because of the loss the company incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic. They said they were structuring their investments so that pay-outs could recommence in July 2022.

    “However, since that meeting, no more updates have been given to investors, and people can no longer log in to see their records of investments and expected returns.

    “Also, their numbers and emails have been unreachable.

    “I know I still have an estimated N400,000 investment in the company and likely an expected ROI of about N200,000, but I can’t log in to validate this.”

    ‘I lost more than N1m’

    Another investor, Oyinkan, a banker, said he lost more than a million naira.

    Said she: “When I started the investment in April 2021, I would always receive a payment of N50,000 at the end of every three months. That was like 10 per cent quarterly payment on my capital.

    “By the beginning of 2022, when I was supposed to receive my third quarterly ROI, nothing came in for me. Since then, the firm has not paid me a dime.

    “It is not even certain  that I would get my capital back.”

    He said he was encouraged by the timeliness of the initial profit payment to invest in another product that was on offer by the firm.

    “I put N700,000 capital on Agropartnerships’ Poultry 02 Investment, and another N400,000 capital on thefirm’s Rice Value Chain.

    “The only ROI I got was N72,000 on both investments. I am concerned that we have seen different patterns like this before, where the CEOs run off with investors’ billions.

    “This is Nigeria; I have seen huge investments disappear.”

    Lawal Seyi, another investor, related how he lost out after investing N96,000 in the firm’s Poultry 02 plan in 2001, and N250,000 in its Cashew Value Chain in January 2021.

    60,000 investors’ money gone  

    A visit to Agropartnerships’ Instagram page showed the enormity of investment monies stolen. It is filled with comments from angry investors swindled of their monies, and they are in hundreds.

    Their Facebook account shows hundreds of investors bemoaning their losses. On their Twitter and Instagram pages, there are hundreds more who are yet to come to terms with the fact that their monies were gone.

    Osayimwense, during the Zoom meeting with investors, claimed that the firm had over 60,000 subscribers with 20,000 paid off.

    If his words were to be taken seriously, 40,000 investors must have lost various degrees of capital and interest, translating to billions of naira.    

    Mode of operation

    From the investors’ explanation, there is a clear pattern in Farmforte’s operation. It was able to hoodwink investors with a promise of unbelievable Returns on Investment (ROI).

    Ayoola corroborated the notion, saying: “At times they would say 15 per cent or 26 per cent and up to 40 per cent depending on the duration of the investment.

    “One year’s investment could attract 46 per cent. It is normally graduated and it goes on like that.”

    Another pattern is to spur unsuspecting investors with prompt payments to make them commit enormous capital.     

    “Initially, I was getting my returns exactly on due dates. They would be the ones to even call me to check my wallet, that money had been deposited there.

    “They were so professional about it and that is why I put my life savings into it. I did not know they were merely setting me up,” informed Ayoola.

    He said living had become a tough experience for him.

    He said: “I’ve lost everything. I can’t buy fuel in my car. My children are out of school.

    “Each time I think about it, I cry. My life savings are gone.

    “What kind of country are we in? You cannot invest, you cannot trust anybody.”

    Ayoola, who said he had three children in the university,  added: “I can’t fend for them or provide for their needs in school. My wife, who works in a ministry, is the one helping out now. That is what is keeping me going.

    “I should be enjoying years of labour in retirement, but I still hustle to make ends meet. I am in pain.”   

    Ayoola believes that investors’money trapped in Farmforte would be in excess of N2 billion. 

    “I have over N20m with the company. I’ve met other people that have invested more than that. Imagine the thousands of people who have invested millions.

    “This company cannot be allowed to go scot-free or allow other Nigerians to suffer this problem.”

    Ayoola said if he had not printed out his investment details on his account in December 2021, the only proof that he and most other investors would have of their dealings with the firm would be the email addresses they were assigned at the point of registration.

    “Now, you cannot log into your account, thereby erasing all the dealings you had with them. They planned all these from the beginning.”

    The sec angle

    A new dimension was introduced into the matter on March 11, 2022 when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sealed off Farmforte’s office.

    According to a statement issued SEC, Farmforte “is one of the companies sealed for engaging in fund management-related investment activities without proper registration.”

    Investigation 

    Claims on Agropartnerships’ website that all their portfolios were insured by Leadway Assurance Plc also proved to be another lie. While Farmforte, the parent company of Agropartnerships, is under Leadways’ Agri-Techpartnership, Agropartnerships is not.

    Even for Farmforte, very few of the products they dealt in were insured.

    Efforts made to reach Agropartnerships through text and calls were futile.

    Attempts to get an insight into the operations of Farmforte led the reporter to thecompany’s former Human Resource Manager, Seyi Soremekun, who confirmed that Osayi and Osayimwense defrauded the company. Soremekun said: “I left the company in 2021 when the owners began to cut corners. They became evasive and stopped paying the salaries of staff in June 2021.

    “I had to leave them because I did not see a good ending in the way they were running the company. I received calls from investors every day.

    “If I had not left long before the problems started, I would have been culpable too.”

    Soremekun reasoned that the CEOs ran the company aground.

    An email to Andre Schaap, former CEO of Farmforte Europe, their parent company, also turned up valuable information on the conmen and how they ran the company.

    According to André Schaap, who played an advisory role when Farmforte started operation in Nigeria, the company was not set up for digital investment. The owners had other plans for going in that direction.  

    He said: “That my name came up during your investigation is not strange, as I was the CEO of Farmforte Europe BV. I was in Nigeria many times at the Farmforte head office and advised them in the development of the farming operations. This is regarding the packaging and processing of products that were grown at the farm in Benin City.

    “I know that all the phone numbers are not working anymore from Farmforte Agro Allied and From Farmforte Europe BV.

    “I left the company in March 2021 as I was not paid for several months, and I did not want to continue anymore.

    “There was such an issue with the trust of the brothers (Osayi and Osayimwense), as I was not ever even notified that anything was not going the right way.

    “Farmforte Europe BV is still at the address in Meppel but fully abandoned and there is no staff working there anymore. The company is on the edge of bankruptcy.

    “Farmforte Europe BV was set up for different reasons, and not as a scam!

    “The first was to develop an access market into the EU for sweet potatoes that were grown on a farm near BeninCity.

    “The second was to develop products that were made from sweet potatoes like sweet potato beer and sweet potato crisps, sweet potato fries, sweet potato flower, etc.

    “The third reason was to organise an off-take of processed cashew nuts in Nigeria.

    “The fourth was to build an organisation that was able to sell fruits and vegetables that were grown in Africa and other countries in theworld.

    “The fifth and last was to build a market for African food products like fufu and gari, etc, and to export and distribute these from Nigeria and other African countries through the Netherlands into the supermarkets in the EU.

    “The announcement on the 15th of December 2021 to the investors came for me as thunder and lightning, totally unexpected as a huge surprise.

    “Suddenly, they announced they could not pay investors funds with interest that they should pay that date.

    “Six days before that, they were in Holland and did not ever mention there were any problems!

    “Looking back, I think thencompany was set up with the best of intentions. However, it was mismanaged by the owners and things could have gone totally differently with different decisions.”

    To put a nail in the coffin, Schaap said the CEOs are somewhere abroad living large with investors’ monies and unpaid salaries of workers, suppliers and builders.  

    “I am quite sure the owners are not the losers in the whole story, and they are still having a very good life living outside Nigeria.

    “The people that suffered were the staffs that were not paid for months of the labour they did put in, the investors that lost their money, as well as some suppliers that lost money. For example, the building company that did the construction.

    “I hope this gives you some insight into what has happened.”

    It is apparent that Osayi and Osayimwense have bolted with billions of naira put in their trust, and investors are not the only ones gnashing their teeth. Scores of employees, suppliers and builders are also writhing in pain for ripping them out of their daily living.

    Ayoola warned: “I have petitioned the Economic and Finances Crimes Commission (EFCC) with evidence several times, but I did not get any reply. I don’t think the government is doing anything about this matter.

    “These people are fraudsters, and if they are not brought to book, they will return again with another name and company.

    “We are calling on the EFCC to investigate this case and bring Osayi and Osayimwense to book.”

  • Take Me Home excites Ooni of Ife – Producer

    Take Me Home excites Ooni of Ife – Producer

    The emergence of a new cross-cultural film, ‘Take Me Home’ is currently the delight of its producer, Ambassador Alfred Oladotun Taylor and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; Ojájá II.

    The two figures, who are positioning the film to project the Yoruba culture and race, have opened up on the production as it nears production.

    ‘Take Me Home,’ Taylor said, seeks to connect African Americans with their roots and Yoruba heritage.

    The Ooni emphasised the importance of knowing one’s origin and root, stating that it brings joy and a sense of belonging.

    Read Also: Ooni applauds publisher over The Drum festival in Canada

    “The ‘Take Me Home’ project is a commendable initiative that seeks to connect African-Americans with their ancestral home. I cannot overemphasise the joy and fulfilment that comes with identifying one’s origin and connecting with their roots,” said Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

    The ‘Take Me Home’ project has been well-received and praised for its approach in promoting cultural awareness and heritage preservation.

    ‘Take Me Home’ features Hollywood actors like Dave Sheridan, Felissa Rose, Amber Rivette, Mefi Black and Nollywood stars like Abdullateef Adedimeji and Bayo Bankole aka Boy Alinco, Dotun Taylor and a cameo appearance of the Ooni of Ife.

    According to the producer, the $100,000 movie is already in post-production stage and being edited by a Hollywood editing company.

  • TRICKY FINAL IN TURKEY: Inter can upset Man City tonight at Ataturk Olympic Stadium

    TRICKY FINAL IN TURKEY: Inter can upset Man City tonight at Ataturk Olympic Stadium

    EIGHTEEN years on from Liverpool’s miracle of Istanbul, treble-chasing Manchester City will strive to emulate their Merseyside counterparts’ feats in the same city when they butt heads with Inter Milan in the final of the 2022-23 Champions League tonight.

    The two continental behemoths clash for the first time in competitive action at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on the back of differing domestic fortunes, as Pep Guardiola added another two English football trophies to his cabinet, while the Nerazzurri’s title charge in Serie A was fleeting at best.

    The Premier League champions obliterated holders Real Madrid 5-1 over two legs in the semi-finals to punch their ticket to the showpiece event, while Inter earned the local bragging rights with a 3-0 aggregate triumph over fellow San Siro tenants AC Milan.

    Adding yet another Premier League trophy and FA Cup crown to his distinguished CV in 2022-23, Guardiola’s list of domestic achievements at the Etihad is endless, but the coveted continental honour has consistently eluded him since he left the comfort of Camp Nou behind.

    Up until the 2020-21 campaign, Guardiola had never taken Man City beyond the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier competition, and as fans slowly filtered back into the stadiums in the wake of untold COVID-19-related disruption, the perennial Premier League winners have come close, but no cigar.

    Leaving the Estadio do Dragao with their tails tucked between their legs in 2021 thanks to Kai Havertz’s solitary strike for Chelsea, Man City fell victim to the Real Madrid juggernaut in the 2021-22 semi-finals, but revenge was a dish best served with a side of four unanswered goals during their reunion at the same stage this time around.

    Following two moments of individual brilliance from Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne in a circumspect first leg, many were careful not to write Carlo Ancelotti’s charges off completely ahead of their reunion in Manchester,. After all, Los Blancos have proven the doubters wrong time and time again when European silverware is the prize.

    However, the 53,000-strong crowd at the Etihad may have witnessed the passing of the continental torch, as Man City tore the reigning champions to shreds with goals from Bernardo Silva (2), Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez, making them the firm favourites to finally end their Champions League hoodoo in Turkey.

    Since teaching their La Liga adversaries a footballing lesson, Man City successfully defended their Premier League title with 89 points to stave off the threat of Arsenal – whose challenge was a floundering one at best late on – before winning just their second FA Cup under Guardiola versus bitter rivals Manchester United.

    Read Also: Man City must disregard history in UCL final, says Guardiola

    Amid incessant speculation surrounding his future, Man City’s end-of-season specialist Ilkay Gundogan sparkled in the Wembley sunshine – netting a beautiful opener within just 12 seconds, the fastest goal ever scored in an FA Cup final – before letting fly with another volley in the second half to render Bruno Fernandes’s penalty inconsequential and put Man City on the brink of a terrific treble of trophies.

    For all of their Etihad excellence this term, Man City’s triumph at Wembley marked just their third win from their last seven games away from their headquarters, with Guardiola’s side failing to win either of their last two European road matches against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, but few Citizens supporters will be overly concerned with recent failures on Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford’s territory.

    Scoring at least once in each of their last seven Champions League affairs, Man City could become the fourth team from England to lift the Champions League trophy aloft in the tournament’s current format. Only one other nation also boasts three previous victors in the competition, and they will be sending a crop of resilient representatives indeed. Inter’s attempts to thwart Napoli’s Serie A title mission proved futile, but while the pre-match discussions may be centred on Man City’s bid for a domestic and continental treble, a similar haul of success is on the line for Simone Inzaghi’s knockout gurus.

    Four months on from trouncing city rivals Milan 3-0 in the 2022-23 Supercoppa Italiana, Inter posted an identical triumph over their Rossoneri foes in the final four of the Champions League – albeit over 180 minutes rather than 90 this time around – to return to Europe’s grandest stage in some style.

    Following a 2-0 first-leg success where they were billed as the ‘away’ team at San Siro, Inter extinguished any wafer-thin hopes of a Milan fight back through Lautaro Martinez’s second-half strike in the second leg on May 16, thereby advancing to a European final for the 11th time in their illustrious history.

    Eight days later, Inter clinched a Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia double by putting Fiorentina to the sword 2-1 in the showpiece of the latter – the first of two final heartbreaks for the Viola, whose dreams of Europa Conference League glory ended in tears against West Ham United – and Inter will be out to avoid sharing the same fate as their Calcio counterparts when they step out for just their second Champions League final.

    Two-time winners of the European Cup in its old format, Inter’s dry spell in the Champions League now stands at 13 seasons since serial continental champion Jose Mourinho – at least until this year – oversaw a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in the 2010 final, where Argentina’s Diego Milito was the two-goal hero in Madrid.

    The Argentine’s legacy is certainly being continued by one of his countrymen in Martinez, who alongside ex-Man City striker Edin Dzeko should form the two-man strikeforce hoping to fire the Nerazzurri to a seventh continental honour; the Italian powerhouses also have a trio of UEFA Cup coups from the 1990s to boast about.

    Much has been made of Man City’s affinity for goal-laden showings, but Inter’s dogged defence has kept five clean sheets in six Champions League knockout matches in 2022-23 – the one aberration being their 3-3 quarter-final second-leg draw with Benfica – and only Arsenal’s beaten finalists in 2005-06 have recorded six knockout shut-outs before.

    A springtime lull prevented Inter from staking their claim for another Scudetto, but the Nerazzurri board the plane to Istanbul having won 11 of their last 12 games across all competitions, while they have only failed to make the net ripple in one of their last 17 contests.

    Inzaghi’s charges will walk out to the Champions League theme as just the fourth team to reach the final after losing their opening match of the tournament, after Milan in 1994-95, Bayern Munich in 1998-99 and Tottenham in the 2018-19 season. However, all three of those outfits ended up walking past the trophy en route to collecting their runners-up medals, and Inter will join that unwanted club unless they can discover the formula to prolong Man City’s European gloom.

  • Lotus Bank to sponsor Great Abeokuta 10Km Race

    Lotus Bank to sponsor Great Abeokuta 10Km Race

    Nilayo Sports Management Limited, organizers of the Great Abeokuta 10KM Race, has announced Lotus Bank as the race’s headline sponsor.

    Project Manager of the Great Abeokuta 10KM Race, Emmanuel Odeh, said: “We proudly announce Lotus Bank as the Headline Sponsor of the Great Abeokuta 10KM Race. Coincidentally, the Race will also commemorate Alake, the paramount ruler of Egbaland, His Royal Highness, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbedebo’s 80th birthday.

    “This milestone is a landmark for all Egbaland, and we felt it was important to incorporate the race as part of the weeklong activities to celebrate Alake’s birthday. The past two editions of the race have put Abeokuta on the world map as an amazing road race destination. This edition will further entrench that narrative.”

    Odeh added that several international runners are expected for the race, and several top elite runners will be invited for the race.

    Recall that during the first edition of the race in 2019, Biwott Alan Kemboi, a Kenyan runner was the first man to cross the finish Line, and Tadu Teshome Nare, an Ethiopian was the first woman to cross the finish line.

    Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10KM Race is scheduled for the 9th   September 2023. The route starts at Iyana Oloke and ends at Ake Palace. The race is greatly supported by the Ogun state government.

    The Managing Director of LOTUS Bank Limited, Kafilat Araoye, said: “This partnership with Nilayo Sports

    Management Limited signifies our commitment to promoting health, sports, and community development through this prestigious event.

  • Ochacho chants songs of development

    Ochacho chants songs of development

    SERIAL Nigerian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Oyame of Otukpo, King Mohammed Adah has urged the newly sworn-in governor of Benue state, Reverend Father Hycinth Alia and his deputy, Mr. Sam Ode to prioritize the issues of security and development as they seek to improve the livelihood of the people of Benue State.

    Adah, who is the chairman of the Ochacho Foundation, responsible for refurbishing several kilometres of public roads and deploying over 10,000 modern streetlights in the Otukpo Ohimini area of Benue state, made this statement on his social media pages.

    Widely referred to as Ochacho, Adah, who is also the Ondaje of Agadagba, noted that working tirelessly towards finding a lasting solution to these issues would go a long way in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Benue state, as he prayed that God would grant the governor and his deputy the wisdom and courage to govern the state with honesty, sincerity and integrity.

  • Aare Adetola Emmanuel King reiterates mission

    Aare Adetola Emmanuel King reiterates mission

    IN a decade, Aare Adetola Olaniyi Olaonipekun Emmanuel King etched his name in the real estate sector after founding Adron Homes & Properties Limited in 2012. He has consistently been one of the sector’s highest producers and is considered one of the top real estate whiz kids in Nigeria.

    Aare Adetola’s aim from the get-go was to help low-income earners get affordable homes after a full realisation of housing shortage in the low and middle-class bracket across different cities in Nigeria. In pursuance, Adetola provided some of the most exquisite estates and properties scattered across Nigeria, but his expertise extends across many neighbourhoods and property types, giving him the unique ability to present his clients with specific information as well as cater for their yearnings.

    Adetola and his team’s simplified model for low and middle-income earners allows a flexible payment plan that can run for five and ten years, payable daily, weekly and monthly, as well as recurring payments. On his reason for embarking on this journey with over 40 estates and a N100 billion in assets, Adetola is quick to reiterate that his existence is to serve humanity in his capacity and impact positively in the lives of people, directly or indirectly, near and far.

  • ‘How I seduced my younger sister’s husband, got pregnant for him’

    ‘How I seduced my younger sister’s husband, got pregnant for him’

    • •Husband: I only wanted to test my potency
    • •It was a joke we took too far, says errant woman

    The joy of Mrs Juliana Angulu nee Ageba, a diploma holder from Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia, overflowed when she got married to her heartbrob, Donald Angulu, in June 2018.

    She had met Donald in Lafia when she first came to the polytechnic for a pre-diplima programme while the young Donald was already in the final year for his HND programme.

    They established a relationship that later transformed into marriage after a year, and they signed the dotted lines in a traditional marriage ceremony in Withamba Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, with Julianah expressing joy and thanking God for giving her a man of her dreams.

    That remained the situation for several years as the couple settle down in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital, where Donald ran a business centre and a barbing saloon while the wife ran a POS business at a different location within the  city.

    Five years later, Juliana, who was in the habit of professing her husband’s true love to friends and relations at every opportunity, was unable to concieve a baby.

    The couple had sought medical help at a hospital called ‘Police Clinic’ Lafia where the husband was given a clean bill of health, particularly in respect of sperm count. The results of the tests Juliana too underwent showed that her reproductive organs were okay. Yet it remained a source of worries for the couple that they could not produce a baby.

    At some point, frustration gave in to desperation for both of them as they frantically searched for the fruit of the womb.

    Our correspondent reliably gathered that the husband was actually confused that his wife could not get pregnanct after almost six years of marriage, even though medical examination gave both of them a clean bill of health.

    Along the line  Donald was attracted into secret romance with Juliana’s elder sister, Charity Ageba, who had completed secondary school for a long time but was said not to be serious about furthering her studies and was also not lucky to find a husband.

    Read Also: Police burst illegal child trafficking home, rescue six pregnant girls

    Tired of sitting down at home, Charity decided to move to Lafia to stay with her younger sister (Juliana). In order that Charity would also not be bored at home in Lafia, both Donald and Juliana decided that she should assist Donald at the computer centre/barbing salon. It was thought that she would learn computer and manage that part of the business while Donald would concentrate on the barbing salon so that the business would thrive better.

    It turned out, however, that rather than concentrate on the aspect of the computer business, Charity started indulging in illicit affair with her younger sister’s husband.

    The family’s daily schedule, according to a source, was that both Juliana and her husband usually left home early for their different shops, leaving Charity behind to prepare the food they would eat at their shops later in the day.

    After cleaning his shop, Donald would return home to have a bath, and that became the opportunity Donald and Charity seized to indulge in illicit romance.

    Before they realised it, Charity was already two months pregnant without the knowledge of Juliana. Donald was, however, aware of the development and struck an agreement with Charity to keep the pregnancy even for the worst that could happen.

    Last month, Juliana was jolted by the realisation that her beloved husband had betrayed the love and trust she invested in him by not only having an affair with Charity but also impregnating her.

    To worsen matters, her husband is resolute about his decision to allow Charity deliver the unborn child in the house, and has already shown Juliana the yellow card if she was unwilling to accept both Charity and the baby. Donald was also said to have warned Juliana not to expose the issue to the public, friends or members of their families.

    Juliana, who spoke in an exclusive conversation with our correspondent,  said: “I was the one who allowed Charity to come stay with us in Lafia. She was matured enough but was not lucky to have a husband, so she was just at home doing nothing.

    “When she interest in visiting us, I couldn’t have said no. So she came and my husband received her well. They became the best of friends, but little did I know that it would become a joke taken too far.

    “As a housewife, things are normally hard. I decided that rather than stay idle at home and rely solely on my husband, I secured a capital of about N300,000 to start a small POS business. So, I was always away from home.

    “My husband runs a mini computer service centre and a barbing saloon in same place. They were two shops in one plaza and together,  we were managing well.

    “So when my sister came, we all agreed that she should learn some skills in the computer centre instead of staying idle at home while both of us were away hurstling.

    “My husband would normally leave the house very early to clean the shop and wait for his boys to come to work before he would come back home to have his bath.

    “I  was also going out as early as 8:30 am, sometimes to the bank to withdraw money before going to my station. So she would cook morning food and bring it to me most times. But sometimes I called her not to come; that I would sort out myself.

    “But my husband would come back around 9am to have his bath before going back to settle in the shop, and that was the point of their meeting at home. ment on her body. Her breasts had increased in size and she looked very heavy. After due monitoring, I discovered that she was pregnant, and I wondered who could be responsible for it, because I had never seen any sign of her getting into a relationship with anyone.

    “I kept asking her who was actually responsible for the pregnancy, and she would tell me not to worry. But I was disturbed because I didn’t understand why she would be carrying a pregnancy whilr staying with me. It didn’t make sense.

    “It was when I threatened to send her packing that she revealed to me that my husband, Donald, was the one responsible for it.

    “When I confronted Donald with the allegation, he confirmed it and went on to plead with me not to blow it open; that he decided to test the fertility of his sperm on Charity to convince himself about what the result of their fertility test had shown, since he was not able to impregnate me.

    “I screamed and cried and almost died of shock that such a shame would happen to me. How can my husband sleep with me and my elder sister in my matrimonial home? How can my husband impregnate my elder sister in the name of testing the strength of his sperm?

    “I would have felt completely different if he had impregnated a girlfriend outside, but not my own biological sister. Sleeping with me and my elder sister to the point of impregnating her is a taboo.”

    Juliana said the the development had thrown her into complete confusion; that her husband and her elder sister could do this just because she  was not able to concieve.

    Juliana, who had already moved all her belongings out of the apartment where she stays with her husband, told our correspondent that she had informed her father about the incident and she would not return home due to the shame of what her husband and elder sister did.

    She also said her parents were confused and short of words.

    She said: “My parents actually suggested abortion, but my elder sister is not disposed to it as she is afraid she might not get pregnant again in her life. My husband too is finding it difficult to buy the idea as he might not be able to impregnate a woman again.

    Read Also: Always remember that tomorrow is pregnant

    “For me, I have left the house for both of them and I am staying with a friend who is actually consoling me. I can’t bear the shame.” It is actually not the best of times for Juliana because darkness and despondency has set into her once blissful marriage. Donald and Charity have enveloped her in a cloud of uncertainty. Yet she spoke glowingly of her fond memories with Donald when they met at the polytechnic.

    She said: “Meeting Donald was actually the happiest moment of my life. I was on top of the world.  He showed me true love and I think I did too.

    “He is a struggling young man and I’m also rendering a very supportive hand. But because of my inability to conceive, suddenly all that crashed in one irrational moment orchestrated by my elder sister.”

    While Juliana is traumatised by the development, her husband seems to have no qualms even though he said it was not intentional.

    He said: “The whole idea started like a joke. Already, we were used to each other.

    “One day, I came back home at about 9:30am to have my bath. Charity had finished preparing morning food. She took her bath and tied a towel that left her laps open.

    “I demanded for food, and serving me half naked tempted me. The circumstances were not planned and there was no condom to protect ourselves.

    “That was how we continued in that direction routinely, resulting into pregnancy.

    “I’m not too happy about it, but it appears this is my first time of impregnating a woman, and I don’t know whether it will be the last.

    “I’m the only male child of my parents, so I prefer the risk involved by allowing the pregnancy to grow, because ordinarily I should be in the lead to push for abortion. But I’m constrained, so I will allow her to deliver.

    “I’m going to see my in-laws to explain all the circumstances to them. I’m fully aware of the shame, but I can’t help it.

    “I have married Juliana for almost six years, no child. If her parents find themselves in my situation, what would they do?

    “It is actually unfortunate and not expected, but it happened and that is the reality.”

    When our correspondent confronted Charity with the allegations from her younger sister, Charity said she regreted her actions on one hand and did not regret it on the other. She said there was no point for her younger sister to take the matter outside as doing so would not bring a solution.

    Giving a blow-by-blow account of how it all happened, she said the jovial moments had been there between her and Donald for some time.

    “But one early morning about three months ago, he came home after cleaning his shop to take his bath. I had prepared food and his wife went out early to make some withdrawal in the bank for her POS  business.

    “I had taken my bath and tied my towel, robbing my cream. The apartment is a two-bedroom one.

    “I didn’t plan for what happened, neither did Donald plan for it.  It came like a joke and later a reality, the pregnancy set in.

    “Already, both Donald and myself committed a big offence by allowing our sexual emotions to overcome us. Abortion would be a second offence, so we decided to allow it.

    “I deeply sympathise with my younger sister. I perfectly understand her pains, anger and frustration, but the worst has happened.

    “I’m actually not intending to abort the pregnancy because the worst harm has already been done.

    “Our parents too are shocked and are not happy with the turn of events, but there is nothing anybody can do.” 

    In a phone conversation with the father-in-law, he simply said, it is a  taboo and he would n’t be party to such. He then dropped the phone.

  • Court rules against SPDC’s application in suit over medical negligence

    Court rules against SPDC’s application in suit over medical negligence

    A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has thrown out an application by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) challenging a suit filed by a couple, Mr. Emeka Okoli and Mrs. Stella Emeka-Okoli, for alleged medical negligence concerning their son, Chinazam at a Shell Hospital in the state capital.

    Chinazam allegedly suffered brain injury arising from medical negligence during a surgical procedure for appendicitis.

    Joined in the suit (PHC /1744/CS/2022) are Shell PLC (UK) and two doctors, Alexander Dimoko and Dafe Akpoduado. who performed an appendectomy surgery on Chinazam sometime in September 2016.

    Read Also: Senate summons SPDC over alleged breach of contract

    The foremost oil company averred that it was not specifically mentioned in the suit and that the matter was statute barred pursuant to Section 16 of the Limitations Laws of Rivers State.

    The defendant also averred that no reasonable cause of action was made against it and that its name should be struck out of the suit.

     However, in his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice E.N Thompson noted that the defendant was specifically mentioned in the writ of summons and that it was incorrect to say that no cause of action has been made against it.

    The judge also said that whether or not the action can succeed or the parent company can be held liable for the action of its subsidiary ”is another ball game entirely.” 

  • Motunde: Celestial Church not fetish

    Motunde: Celestial Church not fetish

     ACTRESS, producer and skit maker, Motunde Sogunle has said that only those who do not understand the Celestial Church of Christ, question its doctrines.

    “People question why they don’t know, people question what they don’t understand and to be honest I’m really not going to blame them because we have seen and heard so it’s right for people to believe that they are fetish but trust me, ‘Ijo Mimo’ is not fetish.”

    Read Also: I want to change the narrative about Celestial church, says Lade

    Sogunle, a devoted ‘celestian,’ who is popularly referred to as Motunde told The Nation that although people have diverse perspectives about different churches including the celestial church, the CCC is not fetish but follows the right part of christianity.

    She noted further that although a lot has been seen and heard regarding the topic, she strongly believes the church remains clean.

    “Everybody has their own opinion about different churches and stuff like that but yes a lot of people believe that Celestians are very fetish and that is because they do not understand the whole thing,” said Motunde.