The Nation Newspaper

Category: Celebrity

  • Omolara Sonoiki passes on

    A GLOOMY atmosphere pervaded Alade Market, Lagos on Thursday last week as buyers and sellers mourned the death of Omolara Sonoiki, a popular businesswoman and owner of upscale boutique, Dress Sense. Indeed, if tears could raise the dead, Omolara, who died of cancer, would have rejoined the living.

    Before her demise, she had established one of the most patronised boutiques in Lagos with branches at prime locations in Ikeja, Ikoyi and Lekki. Diagnosed of the terminal illness in May 2015, she promptly proceeded to America with her husband and father of her three kids, who remained with her in America for a couple of weeks before she died penultimate Thursday.

    Her body has been flown back home.

  • Munira Marwa regains groove

    Munira Marwa regains groove

    MUNIRA Marwa’s life is no doubt an adventurous one. For her, each day heralds a fresh thrill and animated exploration of excitement. But it is perhaps her captivating beauty that draws attention to the depth of her intelligence and the respect it arouses.

    No wonder her husband, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), a former military administrator of Lagos State and former Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, finds a lot of pleasure in having her around him. While she basks in the attention she receives from her husband and the bliss of matrimony, she is also making a momentous return to the social scene.

    Before her sudden sabbatical from the social scene, her name was like the signature to A-list attendance at high octane events.  After a fairly long absence, she is back with a bang, ready to reclaim her prized spot in the social circuit.

  • Happy times for Francis Atuche, others

    Happy times for Francis Atuche, others

    AFTER years of nightmares, Francis Atuche and his wife, Elizabeth, can finally breathe easy and end their repeated trips to the courtroom. For several years, the former Managing Director of Bank PHB, his wife and a former Chief Financial Officer of Bank PHB, Mr. Anyanwu, stood trial over a fraud allegation involving the sum of N25.7 billion.

    But now they are as free as birds after a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja ruled  on June 22 that the trio did not steal the said sum as alleged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The presiding judge, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, stated that the EFCC failed to prove that the defendants stole the money from the bank. Atuche, who is said to have become a born again Christian, was relieved beyond words.

  • London-based attorney, Adebisi Osungboun, holds beauty pageant

    LONDON-BASED lawyer, Emmanuel Adebisi Osungboun’s name may not ring a bell in his homeland. But in the United Kingdom where he is based, he is a household personality endowed with magic hands that make things happen.

    The CEO of Aries Entertainment and Promotions, which seeks to honour Nigerians and Africans who have distinguished themselves in business, politics, community development and humanitarian endeavours on the platform of Aries International Awards, Osungboun is presently cooking something new.

    In the next few weeks, his company would hold the Aries International Beauty Pageant, which he said is being packaged by a team of international production specialists with extensive knowledge of the Nigerian beauty pageant industry.

    Besides the mouth-watering prizes and consolation gifts that the winner and other participants would walk away with, the overall winner, apart from becoming the proud owner of a brand new Kia car and a monthly wardrobe allowance for a year, would also be designated as the official ambassador of the Aries International Charity Foundation, representing Aries at official events and undertaking projects in rural communities.

    Osungboun is currently in Nigeria to put finishing touches to the show.

  • Where is Olaitan Bankole?

    Where is Olaitan Bankole?

    Dimeji
    Dimeji Bankole

    A MILLION-DOLLAR question in dire need of an answer is the whereabouts of Olaitan Bankole, wife of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole. She had suffered a blow from fate as her dream of becoming the First Lady of Ogun State failed to become a reality.

    Indeed, she has had her fair share of disappointments after relishing her status as the esteemed wife of the Speaker. Reality, however, stared her in the face as soon as her husband relinquished his coveted position. Stripped of the perks that came with her husband’s former office, she seems to have finally come to acknowledge the vacuous nature of life.

    In the days her husband held sway as Speaker, Olaitan became a fashion icon, displaying fashion accessories that left other women green with envy. A retinue of aides and security detail was permanently on her train to pander to her whims and caprices. Now, neither Olaitan nor her aides are anywhere to be found on the social radar. Lif

  • Harry Akande celebrates 100-yr-old mum

    Harry Akande celebrates 100-yr-old mum

    TO many people, Ibadan-based billionaire, Chief Harry Akande, is nothing more than a shrewd businessman and a passionate politician. The other side of him that is unknown to them is the fact that the billionaire businessman dotes on his mother like any dutiful son. This explains why the former presidential aspirant spared no expense as he threw a lavish birthday party in her honour penultimate Sunday.

    Chief Akande and his siblings hosted the classy birthday party for Chief Mrs. Regina Olayinka Akande as she clocked a century. The high society shindig witnessed the convergence of the high and mighty, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Alhaji Aliko Dangote; former head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar; Chief Alex Duduyemi; the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, among others.

    On the bandstand was juju music maestro, Chief Ebenezer Obey. It was an utter display of affluence and luxury beginning with a thanksgiving service at The Cathedral Church of Saint David, Kudeti, Ibadan. That was followed by a classy reception at the prestigious Gaso Lucio Event Centre, also in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

  • Quiet birthday mass for IGP Arase

    Quiet birthday mass for IGP Arase

    IT IS often said that anyone who must succeed as a member of the Nigerian Police Force must have the heart of Hercules, the bravery of Achilles, the grace of Terpsichore, the memory of Macaulay and the hide of a rhinoceros.

    The foregoing seems to hold true for the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase.

    Arase simply exudes the aforementioned qualities, making his challenging tasks in the force to look like a walk in the park.

    Arase turned 59 last Sunday and marked it with a quiet mass at the Police House Chapel where he thanked God for His blessings.

  • Osun indigenes celebrate Bashiru Kuti

    THERE is a ton of reasons for fashion guru, Bashiru Kuti, to be in celebration mode. He is the proud owner of Bkk Ultimo, one of Nigeria’s leading fashion outlets with head office in Ibadan, Oyo State. The outlet also boasts branches across the country as well as in the Nigerian community in London.

    Popularly called Bashy, he did not attain success and fortune by mere luck. His rise to the top is attributable to years of tireless enterprise and thirst for excellence. Never resting on his oars, he forged ahead until his signature label became a household name in Nigeria.

    A few weeks ago, the popular wardrobe consultant added to his list of accomplishments as he was honoured in far away London for his contribution to fashion business in Nigeria. To celebrate the feat, some Osun State indigenes gathered some of his clients, friends and family members at his head office in Ibadan, Oyo State, to celebrate their own.

  • Dangote, Tunde Ayeni pioneer new city

    Dangote, Tunde Ayeni pioneer new city

    Whoever says money cannot buy happiness surely does not know where to shop. A paradise-like city is set to emerge in the heart of Lagos to cater for the high taste of wealthy men and women. Eko Atlantic is a serene environment designed for the rich and powerful.

    Every apartment in the city within a city screams affluence. It is a beautifully designed living environment built on the Atlantic Ocean and situated in Victoria Island, Lagos. The city offers living quarters and tastefully built blocks of office buildings; with its tree-line boulevards, waterways, manicure gardens, elegant plazas, three marinas and a stunning ocean front promenade.

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    Tunde Ayeni

    Already, the new city has attracted the attention of many Nigerian billionaires. Business magnates such as the Chairman of Skye Bank, Tunde Ayeni; Africa’s wealthiest man, Aliko Dangote and other men and women of affluence are among the early bidders at the luxurious city.

    The project, which has been going on for years, is said to be owned and operated by the Chagoury family.

  • Lara Banjoko hits it big

    Lara Banjoko hits it big

    Lara Banjoko was one name that seemed bound to rule the social space for decades. The former top manager at Spog Oil and Gas was once reputed as the goddess of the petroleum industry. Blessed with a blend of beauty and intellect few women could boast of, no one expected her to fall off the social radar the way she did a few years back.

    After leaving Spog on account of some issues she reportedly had with its Chairman, Chief Jide Omokore, she instantly went under the radar. But Lara is back, and her recent accomplishments echo her return to the social scene. The success-driven woman has floated her own oil and gas company, Zone 4 Energy, and it is said to have become one of Nigeria’s fastest growing indigenous oil and gas brands.