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  • Passion alone won’t make you succeed in music industry – Owens

    The Chief Executive Officer, Money Making Machine Gang, MMMG, Mr Agbontan Godson Owens aka Owens Leo has disclosed that to excel in the music industry it requires more than passion.

    Speaking in a media chat, Owens said that money plays a key role in delivering the kind of quality music his fans will admire. The endowed artiste said MMMG as a record label is a coinage that he finds very motivational. “Name does several works in our life,” he added.

    He said music was his passion from childhood. “I love good music and I can sing as well. But I was never opportuned to chase that career at a tender age. In 2009, I venture into the music business and my record label was officially launched in 2017. This year I signed my first artiste“White man”.

    Speaking on challenges so far, Owen said “ Since 2017, it’ has not really been easy but we’ve both been together. My artist was first working with me as a hypeman in the club, then I found out that he actually got the talent and he’s a good entertainer. I decided to sign him after listening to his songs, which I noticed had good messages to deliver, unlike the regular Naija jams. His songs are inspirational and motivational.

    “We believe in working before eating, hence the reason for his genre. It was not easy because I was not financially buoyant. But I managed to release some songs while I also collaborated with some of my Russian friends. My music journey took me to Greece but I was only able to stay in Russia for 2 years while pursuing my education. I was unable to complete my education in Russia because the cold was too much. It wasn’t good for my chest, so I had to return to Africa and enrolled in Adonai Institute in, Benin Republic where I eventually finished and went for my youth service in 2016. I studied Computer Science and I have the plan to go for my Master very soon. ”

    Owen shares success tips to other young artistes – “You need to have another source of income. For instance, I have been trying to establish several businesses that will ensure the money keeps coming and for posterity sake. I have Saloon and also a night club where people can relax and have fun. Am a very ambitious person and I have the plan to set up more businesses. I usually stock farm products like red oil, melons and ogbolor when its cheap and sell when it increases in price.

    “ Music business needs the money and without funds to push it, your passion is wasted.”

    Reacting to a viral post of himself and Davido, on social media, he revealed that there is a working relationship between tge multiple award-winning singer and himself.

    His words, “I am working with Davido on something. Collaboration with Davido is cooking already. Am also looking at working with Burnaboy and Olamide.

    Owen is not bothered about what the future holds. To him, only present event and happenings matters. “The future is not sure for anyone, Maybe, you can call me the only man who doesn’t believe in insurance, because my life itself is not assured.”

  • Nigerians spent N1.2bn in cinemas for July, August

    Nigerians spent over 1, 294, 602, 827 billion naira watching movies in the cinemas for July and August.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the figures are according to data provided by the cinemas and compiled by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN).

    Following its lead in June, ‘Bling Lagosians’ led the first week of July by raking in 37, 409, 372 million naira. However, it was one of the only two Nigerian films in the top 20 movies.

    The other was Kunle Afoloyan’s ‘Mokalik’ starting the month at number nine while ‘Avengers: Endgame’ sank to 18th position, earning 151, 966 Naira that week.

    By the second week, ‘Spiderman: Far from home’ edged ‘Bling Lagosians’ out of the first position. It had a 34 per cent decrease in revenue while ‘Spiderman’ earned 64, 072, 680 million Naira.

    ‘Spiderman’ remained on top for the third week, although earnings decreased by 36 per cent. However, general grosses dropped by 20 per cent while ‘Lion King’ debuted for a few days, raking in 4, 040, 854 million Naira.

    By the fourth week, ‘Lion King’ had settled in and climbed to number one with 108, 447, 093 million Naira. ‘Bling Lagosians’ stayed at number three with ‘Mokalik’ at number 13.

    Other Nigerian films in top 20 included ‘Rant Queens’ at number eight, ‘The Gift’ at number eleven, ‘Wakill’ at 15 and ‘Coming From Insanity’ at 17.

    Buzz around ‘Lion King’ dropped by the fifth week with earnings down by 33 per cent, totalling 73, 040, 701 million Naira. All the top 20 films earned 136, 936, 341 million naira in total.

    Infographics showing revenue for July, August (NAN)

     

    ‘Fast and Furious: Hobbs and Shaw’ debuted and snatched the number spot with 104, 443, 577 million naira. On Nollywood’s side, ‘The Set Up’ entered late into the week and raked in 187, 500 naira.

    Although revenue dropped by 48 per cent, ‘Fast and Furious’ maintained the number one position while ‘The Set Up’ made its real box office debut at number three with 25, 634, 606 million Naira.

    By the next week, all films maintained their positions but the ‘Bling Lagosians’ sank to number eight after spending eight weeks in the box office. ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ debuted leading to a week total of 113, 615, 730 million Naira.

    In week nine, ‘Angel Has Fallen’ climbed to the number one spot, making 64, 227, 240 million naira. ‘The Set Up’ was pushed to fourth position with a 49 per cent drop in revenue.

    For the last weekend in August, ‘Bling Lagosians’ settled at number 20 with ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ struggling at number 19. ‘The Set Up’ had dropped to number five.

  • Three ‘kidnappers’ held in Abia

    THREE suspected members of a notorious kidnap gang have been arrested in Abia State, the police said.

    Two of the suspects were arrested by mobile policemen on stop and search operation along the busy Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway, the third by regular police through intelligence.

    Also recovered from the suspects were a mobile phone and an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card later discovered to belong to a kidnapped victim, a woman, who was still in their custody when they were arrested.

    Two of the suspects were nabbed while ransom negotiations were going on with the kidnapped woman’s husband, said to be a banker.

    Police sources told our reporter that the mobile policemen flagged down a commercial bus in which the suspects were travelling, and upon interrogation, determined that the two men were members of a notorious kidnap gang.

    The kidnap was later released by police, while the suspected third member of the gang was picked up.

    The three suspects were said to have made confessional statements of being behind a series of kidnappings in Aba and other parts of the state.

    The state police boss Mr Etim Okon confirmed the three suspects were in custody and would be arraigned once investigations were over.

  • Zamfara to probe radio, television stations

    Zamfara State Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary Alhaji Yakubu Tsafe on Thursday said he had set up a committee to investigate financial transactions at the Zamfara Radio and Television stations.

    Tsafe spoke in Gusau when he visited the stations.

    “In the civil service system, policies and due process must be respectfully adhered to and any violation will have to be investigated in order to put the records straight.

    “I have already set up a committee that will come to this station and verify financial transactions that took place in recent times covering activities of the present management.

    Read Also: ‘Impersonator’ of Zamfara CP nabbed

    “We will reorganise this station but before that, the management will have to give account of the revenue generated from the inception of the present administration.

    “This is so that we can return same to the state government coffers,” he said.

    Earlier, Executive Chairman of the stations Malam Saidu Maishanu appealed to the ministry to be releasing funds for running the stations.

    Maishanu’s request followed the directive by Governor Bello Matawalle for the station to start generating revenue and make returns to the government.

  • Floods sweep across, Kwara, Oyo, Niger, Edo, FCT

    THE seasonal disaster is here again. From the nation’s capital Abuja to Oyo, and from Kwara to Rivers and Edo states, floodwaters submerged homes and workplaces, and damaged bridges and culverts on Wednesday.

    In Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, a middle-aged man was washed away at Oluyole, in Ibadan South West Local Government Area of the state.

    In many parts of the city, scores of people were trapped when bridges and culverts became impassable due to the surging flood. Some people lost their belongings.

    Other areas that were affected by the flood are Alaro, Zartech, Oluyole Extension, Idi-Ayunre, Olodo, New Garagge, parts of Gbekuba area, Apata, and Omi Adio, in Ido Local Government Area of the state.

    At Alaro, Zartech area of Oluyole Extension, the only bridge that links the people to the city was completely submerged, while many residents were prevented from gaining access to their homes.

    The victim of about six hours rain was said to have been washed away by the flood when he attempted to cross a submerged  bridge in  the Sumal area of Oluyole Industrial Extension.

    People were seen around the area early yesterday still searching for the victim.

    An eyewitness said efforts of rescuers were undermined by the heavy downpour, as sympathisers were prevented from searching for the victim due to the rising level of water.

    The state government has sympathised with the victims of the flood,  promising to do everything possible to mitigate such occurrence in the future.

    The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Hon. Kehinde Ayoola who spoke with The Nation yesterday on the flood disaster admitted that there were damages to bridges, culverts and roads  on Wednesday, but said he was yet to receive any report of the missing person.

    “The area you just mentioned, the Alaro area, Oluyole Extension area, yes, there were flashes of flood there and it also happened at Joyce B, at Olodo area of Egbeda, and at an area called Jenriyin, Kute community , in Lagelu Local Government Area. So, we have been there to make an on-the-spot assessment, and we have taken note of what is to be done to the hydrological infrastructure there in those places

    “For example, culverts, bridges and water channels, we have taken note of what the government can do. And we have also appealed  to our people that they should stop dropping refuse in waterways , we have also appealed  to them not to wade through water floods and they should always evacuate anywhere when there is heavy rain and flood. The government is on top of the situation.

    In Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the rains started around 5pm lasting about four hours and claiming the life of one Lateefah Adeyemi.

    Read Also: Fishes worth millions lost in Delta flood

    Lateefah was reportedly going to the Maraba motor park when she slipped into the flooded drainage.

    The rains resulted in heavy flooding in the metropolis affecting mostly Obbo and Mubo all in the town.

    Houses and cars were in the process destroyed, it was gathered.

    Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commiserated with the family of the deceased, assuring them that a search team has been dispatched to look for her and that the administration would ensure that proper steps are taken to ward off such incident in the future.

    Residents attributed the floods to poor construction of the Asa drainage.

    The governor called on the Federal Government to order contractors handling the channelisation of the Asa River in the state back to site, saying the drainage was poorly done and is too narrow to prevent flooding in the areas and loss of human lives and properties.

    AbdulRazaq said he had written to the Federal Government about the threats the poor job poses to the people of the state, especially residents of Ilorin.

    “This (channelisation) was long awarded. They didn’t execute it properly. We have written them  a letter that they should come and finish it. What they did is too narrow,” AbdulRazaq said during an on-the-spot assessment of the project at Mubo community of Ilorin.

    He also reiterated government’s appeal for people in flood-prone areas to evacuate such vicinities following national forecasts about heavy flooding across the country, including Kwara State.

    The governor’s appeal came on the heel of a statewide sensitisation by the administration on the need for people to leave the flashpoint already identified by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

    Apart from the various sensitisation campaigns that began with a news briefing in August, officials from the ministry and the Government House have since Monday kickstarted a new sensitisation tour of various areas of the state where flooding is expected.

    The nation’s capital had its share of the disaster. A number of places were flooded, the Court of Appeal premises severely affected.

    In Edo State, the disaster was also felt in homes and public places, distrupting movement and business activities.

    In Niger State, there was more havoc. No fewer than 2667 houses and a swathe of farmlands were destroyed across 17 council areas of the state.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NDLEA arrests seven ‘drug barons’ in Kwara

    NATIONAL Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kwara State command on Thursday said it has arrested seven alleged drugs barons in different parts of the state.

    The agency added that it also arrested 19 other “drug offenders”.

    State Commander of the agency, Umoru Ambrose told reporters in Ilorin, the state capital, that 40kg of cannabis sativa was seized at different warehouses and joints owned by the drug barons and distributors.

    The NDLEA boss, who said that the arrest and seizure were made between August 14 and September 14, 2019, added that the suspected barons nabbed with cannabis were arrested at Ganmo, Maraba, Oja Iya, Osere; in the Ilorin metropolis, including Omupo, Jebba and Kaiama towns.

    He said that one of the suspects, Chukwuemeka Odehokewu Johnson, aka Chuks, was first arrested by the command in 1994, adding that the command located his drug warehouse and recovered 396 bags of cannabis weighing 4,356kg in 2017 and was declared wanted.

    The NDLEA commander also said that the suspect that had been on the watch list was eventually apprehended on August 26, 2019 due to intelligence.

    He said that raid carried out on some drug joints at such locations as Ilofa road GRA, Ajikobi, Adewole, Tanke, Maraba motor park, Oko Olowo, Malete and Omupo led to arrest of 19 suspected drug users.

    The NDLEA boss said that the warehouses had been sealed, adding that the suspected barons would soon be prosecuted.

    Read Also: NDLEA seizes 702.063kg of hard drugs

    “In the ongoing Operation Keep Kwara Drug Free, some people who use drug that were arrested have been counselled and released to their respective families, while seven are currently undergoing care, treatment, and rehabilitation at the state headquarters with a view to reintegrate them to the society”, he said.

  • Man jailed for drugging victim

    A 39-year-old man identified as David Onyema has been jailed by an Oredo Magistrates Court for drugging and robbing one Egbon Omonigho Khalim.

    David pleaded guilty to the two-count charge of causing harm through drug and stealing preferred against him.

    He was said to have met Egbon at the Iyare Motor Park in Benin City on May 25th, 2019.

    It was learnt that David gave Egbon food laced with drugs and stole his property.

    Police prosecutor, Patrick Agbonifo, told the court that the convict pretended to make friend with Egbon and gave him food laced with drug.

    Agbonifo said Egbon felled asleep and his belongings worth N715,000 were stolen by David.

    He said the offences were punishable under sections 337 and 390 of the Criminal Code vol II laws of the defunct Bendel State now applicable to Edo State.

    Presiding Magistrate, I A Osayande sentenced David to 44 months imprisonment without an option of fine.

  • Police shut down O’Pay Kano office

    The Kano branch of Opay office -an online payment outlet for commercial tricycle operators-  has been shut down by the police.

    The outlet was closed down during a raid  carried out by the Kano state police command over alleged non-compliance with the government rules and directives.

    The Nation reports that armed security personnel stormed the state office at Lodge road in Kano at about 11:00am on Thursday.

    The police officers also ordered all the staff and scores of commercial tricycle operators known as Adaidaita Sahu to immediately vacate the premises, threatening anyone who failed to comply with the order risked arrest.

    Read Also: Police arrest wanted Port Harcourt serial killer

    An eye witness told The Nation the commercial operators were planning to settle their balance for previous night’s work when the police arrived and dispersed them.

    The spokesman of the Police command,DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, who confirmed incident,told this reporter  that, the command received an order from Kano state government to close the office.

    Haruna, said the Opay company didn’t comply with some rules set for it by the state government in order to operate

  • ‘Killer’ prophet paraded in Imo

    POLICE have paraded a man dubbed a fake prophet who allegedly killed and buried one Christopher Anoruo on his church premises in Egwe, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

    Also arrested were three persons who allegedly took part in the act on March 2019 .

    Parading the suspects at the Imo State Police headquarters, Police Public Relations Officer, Orlando Ikeokwu explained that the arrest of the suspects followed discreet investigations and hard work.

    The police spokesman said on March 11, 2019, the suspect and some other hoodlums, numbering three, entered the house of the deceased, robbed them of their valuables like phones, laptop and abducted the same, Hon. Christopher Anorue.

    “They took him out and about two poles away from his house, they assassinated him,” he said.

    Read Also: Travelling with tears on Imo roads

    The Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo ordered an investigation into the matter.

    He said through painstaking and discreet investigation, the phones of the deceased were traced to Hassan Kabiru and he was consequently arrested, adding that one Chimezie and Solomon Onyemaechi were later arrested also.

    Similarly, the police paraded about 13 suspected cultists, arrested on their way from an initiation in an 18-seater bus.

    “Our stop-and-search team on suspicion decided to search them. It was discovered that they are members of the Black Axe confraternity. A locally made pistol, wraps of Indian Hemp and live ammunition were recovered from them.”

    Speaking to newsmen, leader of the group, Nkwocha Chinaza explained that they had initiated 13 new members the same day. He further stated that they were students of Imo State University, Owerri and Alvan Ikoku College of Education, respectively.

    In another development, the Police paraded a ‘Prophet’ and other suspected killers of one Princewill Ezeji in Emii, Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State.

    Ikeokwu said that command received an information on a missing person, one Princewill Obinna Ezeji and swung into action leading to the arrest of the fake prophet who was later discovered to have killed Princewill “who bought a Toyota Camry car and went to his Prophet with the sum of N10,000 and some drinks, to show him the car and ask for his blessings , in appreciation of God’s favour.”

     

     

  • PDP urges INEC to warn Bello, APC against violence

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the need to ensure that violence does not mar the November 16 governorship election in Kogi State.

    It called on the electoral umpire to issue a “direct warning” to Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to desist from any act of violence before, during and after the election.

    In a statement yesterday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said Kogi State people were prepared to confront the governor and his party on all fronts.

    It cautioned INEC not to attempt to use its extrapolations on violence as a cover and justification to manipulate the election, saying PDP was poised to win the poll.

    The electoral body had expressed apprehension about possible violence during the poll and had appealed to stakeholders to ensure a violence free election.

    But the PDP stressed that it was the responsibility of INEC to ensure a credible, free and fair poll devoid of orchestrated logistic failures that stoked agitations and violence in past elections.

    Read Also: INEC to officials: track election activities

    “Our party is already aware of the heinous plots by jittery Yahaya Bello to orchestrate violence, having realised that there is no way he can win in this election.

    “Our message to the sinking governor is that such cannot save him from a crushing defeat at the polls,” the party added.

    The PDP said while it would not support or preach violence, it must be noted that the party is standing behind Kogi State people in their determination never to allow anybody to intimidate or suppress them.

    It said: “The PDP wants INEC and Governor Bello to note that the November 16 election is a determined march by the people against a suppressive, cruel, chaotic, sadistic, acrimonious and inhuman administration.

    “It is a determined march against acute poverty, hunger and starvation, fear, general low life and despondency in the state, which Governor Bello and the APC represent.

    “The Kogi election will mark a definite and inevitable triumph of light over darkness, freedom over suppression, prosperity over poverty, justice over impunity, peace over violence, progress over stagnation, democracy over personality cult and self-centredness. No amount of intimidation can stop the people in this resolve.

    “The PDP, therefore, counsels INEC to desist from negative extrapolations and be ready to deliver a credible, free, fair, transparent election, devoid of deliberate logistic failures tailored to frustrate the will of the people.”