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Tag: wife

  • Trabzonspor 2-0 Kasimpasa: Onazi dedicates debut goals to wife

    Trabzonspor 2-0 Kasimpasa: Onazi dedicates debut goals to wife

    Super Eagles midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi has dedicated his first goals for new club Trabzonspor to his wife, Sandra following an opening day Match-of-the-Match performance in the 2-0 win against Kasimpasa.

    The 23-year-old was the cynosure of all eyes as he netted a brace on his debut in the opening day of the Turkish league, which left fans of the club absolutely delighted with their new acquisition.

    He opened scoring in the 20th minute to give Trabzonspor a first half lead over Kasimpasa who had Chelsea defender, Kenneth Omeruo on loan last season and completed his brace on the dot of 90minutes to seal victory.

    In an exclusively chat with SportingLife, Onazi said: “My wife told me before I left for the game that I should score for her which I said ‘Amen’ so it’s only right that I dedicate the goals to her.”

    The former My People FC star also thanked his teammates for their support when he tweeted later in the day, he wrote: “When the grace of God speaks favour begins to come, thanks to my team mate, #debut2goals #debut2goals ????????”

    Onazi joined Trabzonspor this summer after five years with Serie A giants Lazio where he scored six times from 77 appearances.

  • With my wife, it was friendship at first sight —Ambassador Baju

    YOU have been quiet for some time. Any special reason for that?

    Times are changing. Even in the political domain, there has been a lot of changes. So it requires one to really adapt to the situation on ground. And, of course, things are usually quiet between one election and the other. One, when a new government comes in, they need time to settle down to forge a direction politically, economically and so on, and everybody recognises the fact that a new government needs time to settle down. So things are generally quiet during such periods. But once we pass the half way mark, things start getting warm and a lot of activities come up towards the next election.

    You talked about a new government coming in. Do you think the Buhari government is settling down well?

    Well, I think the government is taking a lot of time to settle down. Some may understand this because it is a change from one party to the other, but most Nigerians may be impatient and rightly so because what they expected to see was a lot of changes economically, which has not happened. So, I think the government has its own strategy and it is taking its time.

    Some may not agree with them. I think now the government should be fully settled after one year. The government should be fully settled so that in the next two years, we will see the full thrust of activities by which they will then be judged, when they will now be ready to present either the same candidates for the same election or bring in some new candidates.

    Talking about settling down, your former constituency, the National Assembly, also seem to be finding it difficult to settle down…

    Yes, that is true. Well, it has been a lot of problems, particularly from this current National Assembly. A lot of things now seem to be coming out, which shows that the National Assembly has not fully positioned itself to carry out its functions. My advice is that the leadership of the National Assembly has to really settle down to the business of giving legislative expression to the feelings and aspirations of the people. There is a lot of in-fighting, rivalry and all that. Of course, the ruling party has a lot to do to get them in the right direction.

    Talking about in-fighting, the Speaker and some principal officers of the House of Representatives are at daggers drawn with one of its members, Hon. Jibrin, over allegations of budget padding which runs into billions of naira. As a former member of the National Assembly, how do you see all this?

    You will appreciate that some of us were in the National Assembly for a very brief period. I was elected in 1992 and the transition had not been concluded. It would have been successfully completed with the election of M.K.O. Abiola as president, but it was annulled by the military and then everything came crashing down. That is a pity because I think we had in that National Assembly highly respected people who were totally committed to making Nigeria a great place. But all the manipulations at the time and the grand design of the military to perpetuate itself in power had serious consequences for the nation. It drew the nation back so badly. But then, with the coming of democracy in 1999, the sacrifice of people like Chief MKO Abiola and those of us who had the opportunity to be there paid off eventually with democracy coming back in 1999.

    While the President thought he had his hands full with executive work and concentrated on bringing changes, the National Assembly was left to its own devices and the result is what we are seeing. The National Assembly has been left so much to its own devices and unfortunately, they did not take advantage of this. To a large extent, governors have been very dominant in their states. So, you do not have too much of arm twisting by the legislature. Governors were able to put them in check and I think that is to the credit of the governors. At the national level, we have had at best some ad-hoc arrangements which did not work for the interest of the nation.

    I will give you one example: the so called constituency projects. I think it is very unfortunate. Because if you look deep, it means the legislators are executing, and that is not supposed to be. The executive has its duty clearly defined and the legislature has its duty clearly defined. But when it gets to this stage of legislators now executing, legislators having allocations, I think both the executive and the legislature are to blame. That is a kind of very shoddy arrangement at best, which was bound to lead to this kind of disastrous consequences we are now witnessing.

     

    In other words, you are seeing the crisis more from the fact that the legislators left their statutory responsibilities and tried to make incursion into what ordinarily should be the responsibility of the executive?

    Definitely, that was what happened. And having successfully created the so called constituency allowances, projects which the executive did not certify, they felt also that they are free to manipulate the budget.

    Are you saying legislators have no business executing constituency projects?

    Definitely yes. You see, the basic duty of the legislators is not even to propose budget. But when you start putting something like constituency projects, then you are also proposing budget. Mr. President was supposed to come and say, ‘I want to build this dam; it is going to cost me N700 million.’ The legislature is supposed to, one, check. Do we really need this dam? Is it in the right place? Is it at the right time? And then check whether the N700 million in the budget is in order. In other words, acting on behalf of the people to say, ‘This should not cost 700 million, it should cost N600 million. But a situation where the President says he wants to spend N700 million and the legislature says N700 million is too small, spend N800 million, it is crazy. That is totally out of it.

    Yea, it is possible that the executive has not done proper homework. In which case, N700 million may not finish the project. In such a situation, the legislators should reject the project and point out the deficiencies, not to now turn around and increase it to N800 million or one billion naira. That has been happening under this republic. I don’t think that it had been like that before. There are a lot of things that have gone wrong.

    Don’t you think the president was arm-twisted by the legislative arm into accepting the additions to the budget? I remember that after the initial alteration by the National Assembly, the President refused to sign the budget.

    A President who is competent should be able to stand his ground. That is why he has the mandate of the people to be President. If you want to stand firm and do the right thing, it is extremely important that he should. In fact, no president could have a valid excuse to say he was arm-twisted; that will never be a valid excuse. So, that is where we started getting it wrong. So, it now got to the point of the so called insertions and so on. Those things are wrong. I think this is an opportunity for us to go back to the drawing board and get it right.

    I think I have a lot of admiration for Hon. Jibrin for being able to come out. And also some of his colleagues. These things have been there for years. Now to see one of them come out and stand firm, I think he should be commended. And I think the government should seriously investigate and once and for all clear all these mess.

    You were the Nigerian Ambassador to Cuba. The Cuba you left behind then is not the Cuba we have currently. Its row with America has been settled, with the American President visiting the country. How do you think that this development will impact on the country and its relationship with countries like Nigeria?

    Well, in the last 60 years, Cuba has been changing. Don’t forget that Cuba was under the former ruler, Gen. Batusta. Things were very bad for the people and then the emergence of Fidel Castro. You know sometimes things have to get worse to get better. When Fidel Castro was there, a lot of Cubans migrated to America, and many of those people who migrated were the highly skilled and the rich people. There was great disparity between the rich, very rich, and the poor, very poor. At that time, life expectancy was very poor, particularly among the very poor. So, over the years, the government started this mass programme of paying a lot of attention to training in the area of medicine, health care and so on, which has paid off because after about 40 years, they became so self-sufficient that they began to export medical doctors and medical personnel all over.

    Of course, that came at some cost. One of the costs was incurring the wrath of the United States of America and coming under the embargo of the United States, a neigbour that was just 120 miles away, and a very powerful neighbour. The people have been able to withstand that at a great cost.

    But things started unfolding with President Obama coming into office some seven years ago. Apparently he has that as part of his plans to ease tension between the two countries. So, the development that we have witnessed in the past one year has been a tremendous boost to socio-economic development of Cuba, because as you know, Cuba depends a lot on tourism and Americans were barred from travelling to Cuba. It does not mean that no American went to Cuba. Some of them did go, but they had to go through a third country.

    Two years ago, Cuba still managed to have about two million tourists, but with the easing of tension, it has jumped to three million. I think that is a positive development; an initiative of President Obama. I think the two countries should be able to build on this and establish diplomatic relationship up to ambassadorial level.

    You have served your term in the foreign mission and you are a bit quiet on the political terrain. What are you currently into?

    I have always been in business since 1983. I have a profession, which is safety management. I am a safety management consultant. So, even in between the time when I served, I always had to come back to business. Since I returned from my diplomatic assignment in Cuba in 2011, I have been back in business.

    Of course, I have also been active in some sort in politics, giving support to my party. So, if I am called in any capacity to serve, I will. Otherwise, I will be back to business.

    How would you describe your early life?

    I am from Ile Ife. I was born in Ile Ife and I spent my first five years there. But my father was an inspector of education. He was an employee of the Western Region. So, every two or three years, he was moved from one town to the other. So, I found myself in Ilaro, now in Ogun State, where I had my primary one, and then to Lagos where I had primaries two and three.

    Again, I had to move to Sagamu in Ogun State and finished in Ado Ekiti. For secondary school, I was at Ekiti Parapo College and I had my HSC at CMS Grammar School, Lagos. I had a stint at Ahmadu Bello University. I studied Education. In 1978, I did my youth service in Lagos and started working for a number of years before I started my own company.

    Do you see yourself as one from a privileged home?

    I would say middle class home.

    How did your father’s position influence your growing up?

    It did. I was able to mingle with people from different parts of Nigeria from very early age. From age five to about 12, I moved to so many towns, even tried to learn the dialect. For a while, I thought I could speak Ijebu. And in Ekiti, I was able to grab some words. So, the exposure was very good for me. But I was always coming back to Ife for holiday, particularly in December. I was still able to maintain some level of contact with my age mates.

    Your father was an educationist. What are some of the things you picked from him?

    I discovered that in those days, inspectors of education were well respected. Any time he had to visit a school, the level of preparation that went into receiving him was so much that the pupils and the teachers would make sure everything was in order. And because the inspector would come at any time, they were always on their toes. The quality of education at that time was very good.

    Did that put extra burden on you?

    Well, I wasn’t thinking that far really. But I enjoyed schooling and everything. But one thing that was clear to me was that I would not end up in the civil service.

    Why?

    I wanted the freedom…

    And you don’t think your dad had that freedom?

    Well, I think he was confined in a way. If you are a civil servant, you were not supposed to make money, and you were not supposed to have any other job, and we were a fairly large family. So, I just reckoned he still had it tough paying school fees for all of us. I remember that my father paid my school fees in installments. My school fee was 60 pounds at that time, and he issued a cheque of five pounds a month to cover the year, because I had three people ahead of me and others behind me.

    I knew that despite his position, he still had to be meticulous for him to be able to cope. So, I did not see myself as a civil servant. I saw myself either in the private sector or going into business. That was very clear in my mind even though we did not discuss it.

    How was the home front with a large family?

    It was good. Everywhere we went to, we were well received and we quickly settled down. We enjoyed school and we made good friends along the way, then moved on, and equally made new friends again. So, it was nice and home was good.

    Let’s talk about your social life…

    I am an outgoing person even though I may be more reflective. But I enjoy meeting people. I enjoyed sports in school. I consider myself a sports enthusiast. I enjoy watching television, I enjoy watching sports channels, I enjoy watching documentaries. These days, I also play golf. I enjoy the exercise and the challenge the golf course proofs.

    I am a member of the Lions Club. I joined the Lions Club about 30 years ago. I was quite active there, I became the president of my club, Ikeja Lions Club and I held so many other positions at the district level and became the district governor. I have attended many conventions within Nigeria and internationally.

    How did you meet your wife?

    Well, we happened to work in the same area…

    Was it love at first time?

    No, it was not love at first sight. But it was friendship at first sight. She was working with First Bank in Marina and I was working at Femi Johnson also in Marina. So, we met, chatted and had a couple of lunch. Then we became interested in each other. It was like that for about five years before we eventually got married.

  • Man wrestles robbers after beating wife to coma

    Man wrestles robbers after beating wife to coma

    A man has foiled a robbery on his Ajegunle, Lagos home through his bravery.

    Segun Viho, according to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), fought with the three suspected robbers when they beat up his wife.

    One of the suspects, Wasiu Bashir, 22, was arrested through Viho’s bravery. Others fled.

    A statement yesterday by RRS said the suspects waylaid Viho at the car park, snatched his documents, phones and N15,000 at gun point before leading him to his flat.

    Two of them was said to have threatened to kill Viho in the presence of his children and wife on entering his flat last Tuesday.

    Bashir smashed Viho’s head with gun butt and beat up the wife when the family resisted them.

    RRS quoted Viho as saying: “When he started beating my wife, I summoned courage to engage him. As soon as we started fighting, his colleague took to his heels.

    He too tried to run but I held him and I called out to neighbours, seized his gun and just in the nick of time, RRS officers on patrol arrived and they arrested him”.

    Bashir reportedly told RRS: “We know he goes to work early in his car and we decided to ambush him. We were three, Michael and I followed him into his flat to collect more money while Joseph was monitoring the situation outside. The three of us met at a point near boundary in Ajegunle. That is where we plan and set out for our operations. We operate early in the morning and late evening.”

    Last Monday, RRS also arrested another armed suspected robber in Ikotun.

    Tunde Adedeji, 23 and his 10-man robbery gang invaded Muslim and Omotayo Streets in Ikotun, robbing the occupants of three buildings.

    Two of the three buildings are on Muslim Street; the third is on Omotayo Street.

    Over 25 victims relived their ordeal to the police when they stormed RRS Headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, on learning about the arrest of one of the suspects.

    Many of them were macheted.

    The victims, who came to Alausa in three commercial buses, were invited one after the other to identify the suspect and their belongings from the 18 mobile phones, trinkets and assorted jewellery, recovered from his back-pack.

    Adedeji reportedly told RRS: “Around midnight, Sadiq, Sule, Ijoba, myself and six others whose names I don’t know met and discussed about the robbery.

    I was invited for the operation by Sadiq. We met at Ikotun Egbe. We discussed the plan and at around 2am, we converged on Ikotun Roundabout.

    “The arms we used for the operation were cutlasses, wood and sticks. None of us had a gun. We used legs to break doors and took phones, jewellery, laptops from our victims. All the recovered items from me were from the victims. Sule and I were coming from the operation around 4am when a local security man intercepted us.

    “We ran away, but, I was later arrested by RRS officials on patrol.”

    Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP), said Bashir has been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), office in Ikeja.

    Adedeji, she added, was transferred to Ikotun Police Station with the recovered items.

  • How monarch was abducted, by wife

    How monarch was abducted, by wife

    •Family: no word from kidnappers

    •Lawmaker condemns king’s kidnap

    Who kidnapped the Oniba of Iba, Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni? This was the question many asked yesterday as sympathisers and security agents flocked his palace home after his abduction on Saturday night.

    The police and other security agencies have launched a manhunt for the kidnappers, who were said to have escaped through the bush at Iyegbe  close to the palace.

    Prayers were said in churches and mosques yesterday for the monarch’s release.

    Early yesterday, a voice echoed from inside a white garment church as prayers were said for Oba Oseni. “O God”, the voice began the supplication in Yoruba, “our Oba (Goriola Oseni) was kidnapped last night (Saturday night). This has never happened before in this town because many of us were born here and have lived in peace among ourselves. We, therefore, appeal to you Lord to touch the hearts of the kidnappers so that they will release him in peace…”

    One of the monarch’s wives, Alhaja Nofisat, who was with him when he was abducted around 8pm, said it might have been an insider’s job.

    “The time the kidnappers struck and its swiftness showed that insiders were involved”, she said.

    The Olori said: “Kabiyesi has an outstanding instruction not to see anybody again once it is 8pm. Even his children can hardly see him except it is urgent. So the kidnappers knew the palace was less congested and there was little chance of getting the king rescued. Kabiyesi has his private apartment upstairs but due to the pains in his leg, he stays in the apartment on the ground floor most times. We were both together in his bedroom that Saturday night when we suddenly began to hear loud shouts outside. Kabiyesi was getting uncomfortable with the shouts which he thought were coming from the children, and he angrily came out of the bedroom to warn them to keep quiet. That was when we came eye to eye with the kidnappers who were shouting ‘wey the king! Wey the king!!” in pidgin.

    “They were not wearing masks. Two of them then dragged Kabiyesi by his boxers but I held on to them not to take my husband away. When they realised I would not let go, one of them came forward and gave me a hot slap; that was when I relinquished my hold and dashed back to the bedroom to make some calls to the police. One of them also shot into the roof of the building twice. Meanwhile one of the wives had joined us and followed them as they dragged Kabiyesi outside the palace. When she also refused to let go, they shot her and the security man outside the palace. Then they started shooting into the air to scare people.”

    Another guard, who asked not to be named, said seven men entered the palace to abduct the king; others mounted guard outside. He said as soon as the abductors overpowered Sunday Okanlawon (the shot guard), they locked the palace main gate from behind to prevent residents or security from coming in on a rescue mission.

    He said the kidnappers trekked from the palace, shooting as they moved on before they escaped through the bush at  Iyegbe.

    While Okanlawon died on the spot, the source said the younger wife survived and has been taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) at Ikeja GRA.

    Mrs Adeezat Oseni, a daughter-in-law, said she was oblivious of what was happening until a stranger accosted her within the compound.

    “She said:  “The man asked me: ‘where is the way to the palace?’ Initially, I did not understand. The man grabbed my hand as I led him towards the palace. But As soon as we got nearer, I noticed through the kitchen window that some strange faces were already in the living room. That was when I ran and raised the alarm. The man then pursued me and by the time I was downstairs, I met another stranger who pointed a gun at me and asked me to kneel down and surrender my phone.”

    According to her, those who kept watch outside were masked.

    Among the callers yesterday Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Cornelius Ojelabi and some traditional rulers.

    Mrs Adebule pleaded with the abductors to consider the monarch’s age and health and release him.

    “We are appealing to the abductors to release our king because he is old. Our king is old and his health fragile. Besides, he has no money. We can only beg them to release him as quickly as possible,” she said.

    According to some residents, the kidnappers while fleeing through the waterways also shot dead a commercial transporter who was in his Coaster bus marked AGL 658 XL.

    Officers of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), OP MESA and police patrolled the community yesterday and frisked some people.

    The road in front of the king’s palace was lined on both sides with vehicles.

    The interior of the palace was a Mecca of sorts as sympathisers converged, discussing the incident in hushed tones.

    Family members said the abductors had not called to demand ransom, but police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP), told The Nation on phone yesterday that the kidnappers were pipeline vandals who switched to kidnapping after being stopped from destroying pipelines.

    Badmos said besides Okanlawon, the police attention have not been drawn to the two other persons reportedly shot dead.

    “They (abductors) are (pipeline) vandals who have now resorted to kidnapping using soft target because we did not allow them to have their way (in pipeline vandalism) again. This is why we have liaised with our counterpart in Ogun State to beef up security at the coastal lines to further check the excesses of these criminals,” she added.

    Two clerics from the Celestial Church of Christ Iba Parish Superintendent Evangelist Michael Toivde and Solomon Oladipupo came with some of their members and prayed for the family.

    Toivde said in Yoruba: “We have come to identify with the family of our king because he is a good man. Since last night when he was kidnapped, we have embarked on dry fast and we shall not taste anything until our king is found. We have also sent the name of the monarch to our branches for prayers on his safe return.”

    A member of the House of Representatives, representing Ojo Federal Constituency Tajudeen Obasa yesterday condemned the abduction of Oba Goriola.

    The monarch, who celebrated his 40th anniversary on the throne last year, is the father of a former Iba Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Chairman, Mrs Ramota Oseni- Adeyeri

    Obasa implored his constituents to remain law abiding, urging security agencies to unravel the mastermind of the “distardly act.”

    He urged those with information that can lead to the monarch’s rescue to come forward, to police promising that such information will be treated in confidence.

  • PEOPLE CALLED BUKKY AJAYI MY WIFE – TUNJI BAMISHIGBIN

    HAVING known the late actress BukkyAjayi for over 30 years, it was a jolt for actor, producer and director Tunji Bamishigbin to learn of death in Lagos on Wednesday morning at age 82.

    “We were on Village Headmaster,” said Bamishigbin at Atan cemetery, Yaba, Lagos immediately after the actress was buried according to Islamic rites.

    “She was one of the actress there when I was the sound producer. So, she’s been like a mother to me. We were so close. They call her my wife, until the time when I had to do some other works, which she was part of. As a matter of fact, the last soap opera she did was with me, which is still running on TVC now and some other stations. She played Mama Tom Jones in it. It’s called The Valley Between.

    “Aside, we were also members of NASFAT, a Muslim organisation in Nigeria. We’re both in the public relations committee and that’s why you see the prominence of NASFAT clerics here. All our members and even the National Missioner of NASFAT, Alhaji Gbade Akinbode , was the one that actually officiated the prayer in the house. She played a significant role, she was a committed Muslim, that I know about her. She observed her prayers diligently, even when she’s ill, she still managed to observe her prayers. We always shared good moments. I didn’t know it (her death) was going to come so fast.

    “When this Ramadan started, usually, as it’s tradition, I sent something to her. She was even insisting, telling my boy that I should come. And it’s very painful to me that I didn’t go. She said I shouldn’t just send anything to her, that I should come.

    “And I promised that I would come to visit her. That’s the only pain I felt that I wished I had gone to see her when I promised. She probably would have been able to express somethings. But for whatever it is, I’m happy for her that she returned home at the right time. I pray almighty Allah to guide her soul.”

    The late actress starred in many movies and television programme and was given an ‘Industry Merit’ award at the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award (AMVCA) in March.

  • Onoh’s wife’s burial August 5

    The remains of Mrs. Caroline Onoh, the wife of former Anambra State Governor Christian Chukwuma (C. C) Onoh, will be interred on August 5.

    She was 81.

    The burial date was fixed at the weekend, after an enlarged meeting of the Onoh family at their ancestral home at Enugu-Ngwo in Enugu State.

    A statement by one of the sons to the late matriarch, Dr. Josef Umunnakwe Onoh, said their mother would be buried on Friday, August 5 at their family home at Enugu-Ngwo, after various rites, such as church services.

    Onoh Jnr, who is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Special Projects, said his mother lived a fulfilled life for which their family is grateful to God.

    He said details of the burial arrangement would be made known in due course.

    The late matriarch’s children are: Nigeria’s Ambassador-nominee, Lilian Onoh; Nigeria’s  Ambassador to Spain and wife of the late Igbo leader, Dame Bianca Ojukwu and former Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Area, Chief G. B. Onoh.

  • Man relives how his wife was lynched in Kano

    Man relives how his wife was lynched in Kano

    •‘She was not beheaded’
    •Okorocha hails her as a martyr

    The husband to the late Bridget Agbahiwe, who was killed in Kano by suspected Musloim fanatics for alleged blasphemy, Pastor Mike Agbahiwe, yesterday relived how his wife was beaten to death in his presence.

    Agbahiwe, an indigene of Orodo in Mbaitoli Local Government of Imo State, visited Governor Rochas Okorocha at the Government House in Owerri, the state capital, in company of his relatives.

    The distraught husband said his wife was not beheaded, as widely reported in the media.

    He said the late Bridget was killed in his presence, while he escaped death by the whiskers.

    Agbahiwe said the attackers were out to kill him and his wife.

    He said: “One Muslim, identified simply as Dauda, came to my wife’s shop and was washing his leg in front of the shop. My wife told the man to move up a little so that she could arrange her goods, but the man refused. Instead, the man started to molest her. He gripped her in the neck. As she tried to free herself from the grip, Dauda started shouting Allahu Akba! A mob quickly gathered.

    “When we saw that danger was about to occur, we ran and took refuge in the home of a prominent Alhaji, who is a leader in the area. The Alhaji did all he could to calm the mob down. They refused and called him an infidel. The mob broke into his house and killed my wife in front of me. If not for the quick intervention of the police, who immediately used teargas to disperse them, they would have also killed me. But they destroyed everything I had: the shop, the car and so on.

    “My wife was never beheaded. But the hitting was on her head and it was with hard objects. The body of my wife is in the mortuary with the head. She was not beheaded as it was widely reported.”

    Okorocha described Bridget’s killing as “highly provocative, barbaric and the highest wickedness of mankind”.

    The governor said the state government shared with the Agbahiwe family its moment of grief.

    He said: “The problem is not the death of Mrs. Agbahiwe but the manner in which she was killed. In this country, we must learn to live peacefully. No religion supports killing. Anyone who kills in the name of a religion is an evil worshipper and should never mention the name of God. The cold-blooded killing of Mrs. Agbahiwe should be seen as a sacrifice for the unity of the country. She died as a martyr.

    “The Imo State Government will be with the family in this period of grief. We shall set up a committee to assist in making sure that she is given a befitting burial. She died a heroine as far as we are concerned, as it took more than 100 attackers to kill her. Those who killed the woman are cowards.

    “The chairman of the Traditional Rulers’ Council in the state will lead a delegation to the Emir of Kano to make sure that such ugly incident never reoccurs anywhere in the country.”

    He added: “We are monitoring the situation. The report reaching me is that five people have been arrested and charged to court. They have reportedly been remanded in custody in connection with the killing of Mrs. Agbahiwe. This is good enough. It means the Kano State Government and the police command in Kano are working to live up to their assurances to me that they would fish out the killers and make them face the full wrath of the law.”

  • My life as Sunny Ade’s wife -Modupe Adeniyi-Adegeye

    My life as Sunny Ade’s wife -Modupe Adeniyi-Adegeye

    One would naturally expect that being married to Nigeria’s Juju music legend, King Sunny Ade, would make his wife, Chief Mrs Modupe Adeniyi-Adegeye, also a popular figure. But if she enjoys any form of popularity, it will be on account of her office as the Regional Chairperson of Lions Club International. PAUL UKPABIO met her at a Lions Club International event in Lagos, where she bagged yet another ‘appreciation award’ from the outgoing District Governor of Lions Club International District 404B-2, Dr Christine Adebajo. An expert in hospitality and hotel management turned school administrator, Mrs Adegeye is enjoying life as a top but quiet socialite and grandmother. She shares the secrets of her happy home, how she met the legendary musician, the joy of serving humanity and the peace she found in marital life.

    You are a staunch Lion today, giving back to humanity. Did your early life prepare you for this?

    My 93-year-old mother is a selfless person who has always loved to put smiles on people’s faces, whether she likes them or not, and I was brought up seeing that kind of lifestyle. That prepared me well. That was how I grew up. It is not a surprise to me that I chose a life of selfless service to mankind. That is why Lionism (membership of the Lions’ club) came naturally to me. I also do service to mankind through the church. I couldn’t have turned out this way if I didn’t have my kind of parents.

    Where did you grow up?

    I grew up on Olateju Street, Mushin, Lagos.

    How was Mushin in those days?

    In those days, Mushin was okay. It was not the riotous Mushin that we have today. Although in every society or place there are bad people and there are good people, Mushin in those days was a good place to live in. It was a closed society. Mushin then was made up of people who were from there or were born there. People who came to join were not many; they could be counted. It was a good place to live in. Olateju was a popular street even then.

    Are there memories of Mushin you wish to recall?

    I did not school in Mushin. Rather, my school was at Yaba and was called Ideal Girls School on Montgomery Avenue. For secondary school, I went to Methodist Girls High School at Yaba too. Those were good old days where four of us girls who lived around Mushin area used to meet, get on the rail line and walk through that rail to Yaba. It didn’t use to take us much time at all.

    Along the line, the government introduced school buses for us, which usually picked us from school at Yaba and dropped us daily at Idi-Oro. From there, we walked home.

    Why did you choose a girls’ school?

    I didn’t choose a girls’ school. I did many entrance examinations but my parents felt that a girls’ school was good. Apart from that, Methodist Girls High School in those days was very high ranking. Even now, it is still of good status. In those days, it was Queens College, Methodist Girls High School and then Reagan Memorial High School.

    It seems your arents were particular about education

    My father was educated. He had a Cambridge certificate which was a high standard in those days, and there were some professional courses that he did. He later worked for the Post & Telegraph Department, rose to a high position as the Chief Investigation Officer for the federation. He definitely at that point must have wanted his children to be educated.

    So you were comfortable…

    (Laughs) Yes, we were. But we were not living in Ikoyi; we were living in Mushin.

    After Methodist Girls High School, where next?

    I had a stint with the Nigerian Police before I left for the US. There, I went to a college in Washington DC and later to Northern Virginia College in Alexandria where I majored in Business Management and my minor was in Psychology. Much later, I did Hotel Management from American Motel School, which was the one I used to work extensively.

    What was the reason for embarking on the journey to America?

    There was a lot of talk about going abroad then. I also had friends who had gone to America. We were talking regularly and they urged me to try it too. Then I already knew that studying more also meant being better off, because the more you studied, the better one became. So my mind became inclined towards travelling.

    How did America turn out for you?

    America was very good for me. The racism was there even then, but it was not as much as it is now.

    You read three different courses. What was the attraction for those courses?

    The interest was that in those days, my parents were not sending money to me for school fees. I was going to school from morning till 3pm. I had a job in a hotel. First it was a holiday inn and then later an inn. I took interest in the job. I waited on tables, learnt how to make the rooms and do housekeeping. I knew things about all the departments. That was why I decided to take a course in hotel and hospitality. However, the other courses that I did also helped a lot. That is because, no matter what anyone does, one has to have management skills, administrative skills, to make it work.

    How long did you stay in America?

    The first time, I stayed for four years. I came back and went back again. The second time, I stayed for three years before I came back to Nigeria. After that, I kept going and coming.

    After the first four years in America, what kind of Nigeria did you return to?

    The Nigeria that was much better than now. That is because then, you could present your certificate and get a job almost instantly. You would just say this is what you have done and you would get a job. I looked for a job and got one with the Nigerian Hotels Limited. They had hotels all over Nigeria. I got a job there and I was asked if I could go to Jos. I said I would go.

    So I went to Jos and from there to Calabar. I kept moving from place to place because they had hotels all over the country. I worked with that organisation for almost 20 years. I worked at the Airport Hotel Ikeja as the Front Office Manager, then to Ikoyi Hotel as Front Office Manager and later to the head office as the Group Marketing Manager before I retired.

    When you retired, what immediately occurred to you?

    I travelled out to America. I needed to rest. So this time around, I spent three years over there before I returned to Nigeria.

    You initially went to America as a youth. Was it all book and studies?

    (Laughs) It was not all book, book and book. It was book, socials and everything together.

    You were there as a young lady but it didn’t it occur to you to marry a white man…

    (Laughs again) I would say that I am not a racist, but you can call me one if that suits the situation. I could not and cannot marry a white man for all the tea in China. That is because I am an African to the core. I am also a Nigerian to the core. No matter the situation, though we have our problems here in Nigeria, I cannot live anywhere else as it is now.

    With such desire and love for a Nigerian man, you eventually got one…

    Yes, and that was when I came to Nigeria after my first four-year sojourn in America.

    How did you meet?

    Well, we first met in the US when he (King Sunny Ade) came on a musical tour. The meeting could be said to have been arranged by destiny because though I was a socialite, I was a quiet one. Even now, I am not a loud person. He was already a popular person, a popular musician for that matter. So in that regard, we were more or less opposites. We were in somebody’s house, where we got introduced to each another. We however lost touch after that time. But since it was God’s will, when I returned to Nigeria, we met again.

    How has marital life been with King Sunny Ade?

    I would say that it has been excellent. It has been good. We have children who are all fine and doing well. Though he has remained a popular musician and I have been on the quiet side, that has not affected our relationship and married life at all. It has been a smooth ride.

    You have been a socialite for almost all of your life, even working in environments that are related to socials and recreation. What motivated you to join the Lions Club?

    Joining the Lions Club came through an aunty. At the time, we were in another NGO. She invited us to come over to the Lions Club. I went with another lady, a friend. We liked what they were doing because the Lions Club is a place where we do things that the Bible talks about: things like helping the needy and the under-privileged in the society.

    When we see people that are blind, we assist to restore the sight. We see somebody that is hungry, we give him food. These are the things that Jesus Christ came to the world to do. It is not good enough for somebody to say he is cold and you replied by saying ‘get warm in Jesus name.’ That cannot make the person warm. So we give such a person a blanket to cover himself. That is what the Lions Club does.

    It is a large organisation that originated in the USA. Even now, we are affiliated with the US where we have the capital of Lions Club. However, we are also here as Lions. The Lions Club in Nigeria has grown in leaps and bounds. We take on all activities and projects that can touch the lives of a community, ease people’s problems and make them laugh or smile. That is what Lionism is about, and that is why I am there.

    How about younger women joining the Lions Club, how do they manage their marital lives vis a vis motherhood?

    Younger women in the club handle that situation successfully. Being a Lion is a calling. If it is something that your heart is tuned to doing, you will do it joyfully. There are couples in Lions Club, but most often, it happens that the husband may be a Lion and always returning to the house to tell his wife of the different things they do at the club, the woman may develop interest and decide to join. And others join from the younger Lions Club which is Leo. Some young men and young ladies meet themselves at this Leo club, grow up together and then get married and move into the main Lions Club.

    So in that regard, one can say that the Lions Club is a good social platform?

    Yes. But I would rather say that it is more of a service platform than social. That is because Lionism is not particularly just about socials. Lionism does not encourage religion or politics at its meetings. What we do at meetings is to talk about service to humanity.

    What about the fears by some spouses that they may lose their husbands or wives to other club members in the long run?

    No, that doesn’t happen at Lions Club. When we are at a meeting or at a site for a project, all we discuss is how we are going to serve. We ponder on the project on hand or project intended to be done, like organising operations for people or eye-sight project. So at meetings, we are always thinking and discussing how to raise money to carry out projects. Nobody has time for somebody’s husband or boyfriend. And no man has time for some other person’s wife or girlfriend.

    Can one consider Lions Club to be elitist?

    No, I do not agree that it is elitist. You can join whether you are rich or not. Socialites can join, so also those who are not social. Farmers can actually join. Teachers, doctors and anybody can join. As long as you can pay your dues! When we know that a person is Lion hearted and for certain reasons maybe unable to pay dues because of a sudden problem, some other persons within the club can volunteer to pay up the dues for such a person, especially if such affected person has been serving well in time past.

    You are retired now. What do you do these days?

    I am an administrator of a school located in Ikorodu. It is not a very big school but it occupies my time. I am usually there to oversee things and ensure that the school is running smoothly.

    What kind of lifestyle appeals to you now?

    What appeals to me now is a lifestyle of service: serving my children, my husband and family, serving in the Lions Club, running the school and giving time to the little ones.

    Any regrets?

    No regrets. I thank God for everything He has done for me, and for taking me to where I am today.

    Being married to King Sunny Ade, does that make you a music freak?

    He makes me like music. I love my husband’s music. I love gospel music. Oh yes, I am his fan. I have always been his fan from way back.

    How about your children, is anyone of them taking after their father?

    Yes, there are some of them who have shown that they are talented in music. We have also been able to encourage them. We let them be, especially when we see that it is their calling. Music has to run in the family by virtue of their birth.

    Let’s talk about your fashion sense; has it changed over the years?

    (Laughs) It has remained the same. One has to change with the times though. But because I have been a quiet person over the years, I have been able to keep my privacy, so only some sections of the society know about my fashion. I wear clothes that fit me, such that appeal to me. I am usually not interested in the vogue or cloths that trend. Anything that I feel comfortable in, which also looks good on me, is what I wear.

    Which accessory would you not do without?

    I wear accessories but I don’t make them too loud. I can wear gold, silver and I love beads too. But as a general rule with me, I do things in moderation. In those days, I wore high heels and so on. But these days, I wear mostly flat shoes. I am more particular about what gives my feet comfort. And I wear any colours for shoes. I am not much of a hat person. But if the situation warrants me to wear a hat in church, I wear it. Even then, as a lay reader and evangelist in my church, I robe all the time. As such, I do not have to wear a hat in church or do any extra fashion in church, because we wear cassocks.

    At what point did church come into all of this?

    Church has been there a long time ago. I love church right from my youthful days. But when I was in active service, I couldn’t give as much time to church because my job involved me being on shift. And most times, I was usually at work. But when I retired, I concentrated more on church. I attend the Holy Trinity Anglican Church. I read lessons, conduct bible studies, lead prayer sessions and conduct the sermon.

    To combine this with Lionism is the same thing, because the two are all about service. Whereas in the church you talk to people about helping one another, in Lionism, you do not just talk, you act the talk. If somebody is sick, you do not just say God bless you, you try to solve his problem.

    What do you do with your free time?

    In time past, I used to read books from big authors. But these days, I read more of the bible. I read magazines and newspapers too.

    How about exercise?

    I walk around.

    Do you have a memorable holiday experience that you want to share with us?

    There have been so many holidays. My brother lives in the US, so I am usually shuttling. I think I can say that one memorable holiday for me or even for the family was when my husband took the family, you know my husband has other wives, so he took us to the US for a holiday about two years ago. We went to Atlanta, and it was great fun.

    Are you still shuttling Nigeria and abroad now?

    I still do because I have two children in England and one in Ireland. There are also two in South Africa. They are professors. I go all over the place. But right now, I am stuck here because of my mother. It’s difficult for me to trust anybody with taking care of her. So I am taking care of a grandmother and at the same time taking care of grandchildren.

  • I DIDN’T GO BACK TO SCHOOL TO RIVAL WIFE –BABA IJESHA

    I DIDN’T GO BACK TO SCHOOL TO RIVAL WIFE –BABA IJESHA

    Popular comic actor, James Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as ‘Baba Ijesha’, who has been off the scene for some time now speaks to DUPE AYINLA-OLASUNKANMI, on his absence, comic song, ‘Olongbo’ currently making waves among other issues.

    YOU are known to act with the Ijesha dialect. Why is that?

    It is a long story; I am not a home video person. I have been working on TV and radio all the while, before joining the home video train. When AIT and Raypower started, I was always on the Mini Jojo programme. Along the line, a young guy from Ijesha picked interest in me and the rest is history. But there is no local dialect that I can’t speak. I speak Ijesha, Egun, Egba, Ijebu and others fluently too.

    You seem to be taking music seriously now?

    Music and theatre are intertwined. It is something that has become part of me for a very long time. I didn’t just start singing today, but I just felt that as a comedian I should be able to play around some things to the delight of my fans.

    Why did you do a cover song of Adekunle Gold’s Pick Up?

    I am very creative and I picked the song because I liked it. It is not just his song that I worked on; I have some other that I am presently working on too. They will hit the airwaves soon. I’ve been doing songs like that for long as I’ve been a comedian.

    Do you take permission from the originators of these songs?

    Well under comedy, I think we are free to make use of materials that we pick interest in. So as a comedian, whatever thing that will make people happy; especially my fans, I think I should be able to work on it. I don’t think I need to take permission to do that. If you listen to the song, it is like a preaching, it is not just a song. And that is the reason I just don’t do anything that people will feel disappointed in.

    You are presently in school; why did you decide to go back to school?

    I felt it was just time for me to go back, because I believe there is a need for it now. I have been in the entertainment industry for a while now, and I see the changes, so I need it.

    What are you studying?

    I’m studying Theatre Arts at the University of Lagos. Presently I’m in 300 Level and I won’t lie to you, I’m enjoying it. So far, I don’t regret going back. Whatever I have been experiencing, I know it is just for a short time, because it is what I have always wanted to do.

    Have you also been enjoying some privileges as a public figure in the school?

    No, there is no special treatment. As students, we are advised to drop our ego at the gate. I recently went for certain settlement, and it was hell; I was sweating like the others who were there to pick up theirs too. I don’t even want any special treatment because this is what I want; even when I go to canteen I eat as low as N200 or N150 and just get out.

    But as a celebrity, isn’t that below your standard?

    Like I said earlier, I want to go through school and feel what it is like to be a student too. It is not that I can’t afford going to eateries, but I usually go there in company of the other students too. Every time I am in the canteen, people look at me, waiting for what I want to do. But I play with everybody and that makes it different for me. When I am in school, I don’t see myself as a celebrity.

    Coming down to their level, do they take advantage of that?

    Yes and no; as a theatre student and being who I am, whenever they have a project to work on, they usually seek my opinion because of my experience. Some also come to me to show interest in the work too. So whenever I have my Sunday programme on radio, I usually go with them. The video for Olongbo that I’m working on presently; I featured them.

    So far, how would you say the journey has been for you as an entertainer?

    I have been doing music for a very long time now. It is not just hip-hop comedy that I do; I do other genres of music too perfectly, because it is my line. The talent is the most important thing here, and every time I pick up my pen to write, it flows naturally.

    Going back to your acting career, why have you been keeping a low profile?

    If you look at the movie industry now, things have taken a different direction. Piracy is there; the industry is no longer encouraging anymore, I’m sorry to say that. Everybody wants to be a writer and producer, and they end up writing and producing nonsense. I do not think I want to be part of that. That is the reason for my silence at the moment.

    But I am still coming back; I have a new comedy movie I am working on titled 2-ge-4 (Ijesha lo ko Ijebu).

    But do you think leaving is the right step?

    Honestly, I don’t care what people think; everyone is entitled to their opinion. But for now, the truth is I don’t want to be part of what is not credible. Having unprofessional producers in the industry is no threat to me, with what I have been able to achieve so far as a brand, all glory to God.

    Being a busy person, how do you make time at the home front?

    I don’t have any problem with that; there is time for work and there is time to relax and be with my family. And they also have to feed now, so we have managed to handle the home well.

    It came as shock to many when you married your wife; whose social status is above yours…

    As a man, I think you should be able to get what you want. She is my wife now, and I picked her to be with me. We are talking about love here; so I don’t think approaching her should be a problem. We have been dating and when it was the right time, it happened.

    Was her social status one of the reasons you decided to go back to school?

    Going back to school had always been part of my plans. I didn’t marry my wife under any condition.

    What would you say is the secret to where you are today?

    Humility and patience; I always take things easy everyday and I don’t copy people. If you have like up to 15 houses in Lekki and you are using a Land Cruiser, I don’t care. I believe in myself and I pray hard. Mo ki ki owo si nko to ba ju mi lo.

    How about endorsements, have you been getting any?

    I believe it is about time. In time, things will work out. When God, is ready for me, it will take place. It is not about what I’m doing or planning. If you want to talk about time, it is the clock that is doing the job most, but I am still working and I know things will work out soon.

    Now that you are not acting, what are you doing?

    I have a new programme on Faaji FM; it is a comedy preaching titled Wasui Efe and it airs on Sundays. I’m also planning to have another on LTV 8 and Radio Lagos.

    How lucrative has acting been for you?

    I really give glory to God. He has been doing so much in my life. Don’t let me go down the line because if you are doing something and you have been able to invest and do things with it, you need to thank God for that.

  • ‘I caught my wife with her supposed brother in bed’

    A 40-year-old man, Mr Sunday Oladipupo, has asked an Orile Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve his marriage with Bukola for alleged adultery.

    “I caught my wife in bed with her supposed brother, I want a divorce,” Oladipupo, a driver, told the court yesterday.

    The complainant lives on 7, Nmbosi Avenue, AIT Road, Alakuko, a suburb of Lagos.

    “I caught my wife red-handed with a man she introduced to me as her brother, they were both naked and in the act. She pushed me to beating her because I always feel jealous anytime I see her with another man. Before I kill her and myself, it is better we part ways,” he said.

    Oladipupo claimed that Bukola did not respect him and left home at will and returned when she liked.

    He said his wife left home since September 2015 with his children, aged four and nine.

    “She was pregnant when she left my house but the most painful part was that her man friend called me on phone and told me to ask my wife about the paternity of our two children,” he said.

    The complainant told the court that he was tired of the union and wanted a divorce.

    Bukola denied the allegation but supported the dissolution of the union.

    “I am not adulterous and I was not pregnant when I left his house in 2015.

    “I left home because he beat me anyhow; I did not have peace of mind with him; I am tired of the marriage; I support the dissolution,” she said.

    The court President, Dr Kayode Whenu, told the couple to maintain the peace and adjourned the matter to May 10 for further hearing.