Music / News

Popular Igbo rapper Tidinz reportedly dies from drug related complications

Indigenous Igbo rapper Tidinz has been reported dead from a drug related complications. Tweets and images of the news of Tidinz death surfaced online on Monday, 10th October 2022. According to different accounts, the rapper was said to have died from drug overdose while others claim he was poisoned.

Dilichukwu Okonkwo popularly known by his stage name Tidinz was born on April 12 1996. He hails from from Enugu, Nigeria from where set up his base and established himself as one of the finest Igbo rappers. Tidinz has worked with popular artists including fellow Igbo rappers Phyno and Zoro. He died at the age of 26 and his death has been met with sadness from fans and colleagues.…

News / Oil & Gas / politics

Nigeria’s outgoing OPEC Secretary-General dies hours after meeting with Buhari

Nigeria’s Dr. Mohammed Barkindo, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is dead.

Mele Kyari, Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Company, confirmed the development on Wednesday.

Kyari spoke in a statement posted on his official Twitter page in the early hours of the day.

He tweeted: “We lost our esteemed Dr Mohammed S Barkindo. “He died at about 11.00 p.m. on Tuesday.

“Certainly a great loss to his immediate family, the NNPC, our country Nigeria, the OPEC and the global energy community.

“Burial arrangements will be announced shortly.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Barkindo, who is the outgoing OPEC Secretary General, was in Nigeria where he delivered the Chairman’s Keynote Address at the ongoing Nigerian Oil and Gas Conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

At his last official outing at the NOG, Barkindo was given a standing ovation by industry stakeholders for his outstanding contributions to the Nigerian and global oil and gas industry.

He had earlier in the day visited President Muhammadu Buhari in the Presidential Villa (see photograph used for illustration), where he was hailed by the President for being a “worthy ambassador to Nigeria.”

Born on April 20, 1959 in Yola, Adamawa State, Barkindo served as the Secretary General of OPEC since August 1, 2016 and would have bowed out on July 31, 2022 following the completion of his tenure.

He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria in 1981 and Masters of Business Administration degree from Washington University in 1991.

Prior to the MBA, in 1988 he earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Economics from Oxford University.

Also, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Federal University of Technology Yola.

Barkindo previously served as the acting Secretary-General in 2006 and represented Nigeria on OPEC’s Economic Commission Board from 1993 to 2008.

He also led the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation from 2009 to 2010 and headed Nigeria’s technical delegation to United Nations climate negotiations since 1991.

Barkindo will be replaced by Haitham Al-Ghais, a veteran of …

News / Transportation

Multiple accident claims three lives on Lagos/Ibadan expressway

The Federal Road Safety Corps has confirmed the death of three persons in an early Wednesday multiple accident at Mile 12 Ogere on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Ahmed Umar, the Ogun FRSC Sector Commander, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta on Wednesday morning.

Umar noted that the accident, which occurred at 3.50am, involved an unregistered truck, another marked T4916 LA and a Nissan Micra car marked BDJ 257 XF.

The Sector Commander explained that the accident was caused by speeding and dangerous driving on the part of one of the truck drivers. He added that one of the truck drivers was trying to negotiate a bend when the other truck, which was coming from Ibadan, rammed into it.

He added: “Since the crash obstructed the road, the driver of the Micra car ran into it but was able to control his vehicle with little damage on the car.”

He noted that seven people were involved in the accident: one woman and six men.

Umar said that the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the FOS Morgue, Ipara.

“Traffic has been diverted and FRSC personnel are still on ground trying to manage the situation and ensure that the obstruction is moved from the road,” he said.

The FRSC boss warned on “dangers of excessive speed,” especially when visibility is poor.

He advised motorists to drive cautiously, avoid speed and obey traffic rules and regulations.…

Entertainment / News

Davido’s official photographer, Fortune is reportedly dead

There are reports that Davido’s official photographer, Fortunate Umurname Peter is dead.

According to several posts on social media, the celebrity photographer passed away on Tuesday, September 21, 2021.

“Davido’s photographer Fortune is dead. Jesus Christ. F**k I’m heartbroken, he’s my friend. I’m so heartbroken. It shouldn’t have been fortune God, he’s hardworking, very ambitious, he worked so hard to gain the spot he achieved like wtf,” one of the tweets read.

He was the brain behind most of Davido’s photos on Instagram and a member of his crew.

Fortune was born and raised in Bariga, Lagos but hails from Owerri in Imo state.

He was 24 years old.

Until his death, the celebrity photographer worked with several celebrities including Davido, Pogba, Popcaan, Lil baby, Cassanova, Mayorkun, Wizkid, Jidenna, Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, Patoranking, Akon, DMW and many more.

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News / Production / Transportation

Four die as flood overruns FCT, damages 26 vehicles, 166 houses

Four residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have lost their lives to floods.

The FCT Emergency Management Agency on Monday said it established this in the course of its rescue operations.

The operations was from September 12 to 13, 2021.

“Following long hours of heavy rainfall on Sunday, September 12, Trademoore, Light Gold and Wisdom Estates, as well as Lugbe community were heavily flooded, resulting in the loss of lives,” FEMA Director-General, Alhaji Abbas Idriss, said in a statement on Monday in Abuja. Idriss added: “FEMA has established, in the course of rescue operations which began from 9p.m. of September 12 up to September 13, that four persons lost their lives to the floods and the recovered bodies have been taken away by family members for burial.

“Also, over 26 vehicles, including an articulated towing van, were swept away by the flood, besides a tarred road in Trademoore Estate which was completely washed away as a result of the strength of the flood water.“

The FEMA boss said a total of166 houses were affected, noting that the agency was still estimating the losses suffered by residents as a result of the floods.

Idriss conveyed the deepest sympathies of the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammed Bello, to the residents and families of those who were killed.

He appealed to FCT residents, especially developers, to desist from violating the approved building codes.

“We are also appealing to them to stop erecting retention walls to protect storm water from flowing. By doing so they are causing more havoc to the community,” he said.

Idriss advised that as the FCT enters the final phase of the rainy season, in which the rain is at its peak, residents should avoid dumping refuse in drainages.

He also advised them to clear all surrounding drainages and other blockages that obstruct the free flow of water.

The D-G enjoined residents to avoid driving or walking through flood waters.

He also called on those living along  river banks to relocate to higher ground when threatened by floods.…

Crime / News

25-year-old man drowns in Kano pond

The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the death of a 25-year-old man, Sani Alassan, after drowning in a pond in Saye, Bichi Local Government Area of the state.

This was contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the service, Saminu Abdullahi, on Monday in Kano.

Abdullahi said: “We received a distress call from one ASP Muhammed Zakarain of Bichi Fire Station at about 1:35 pm, on Sunday afternoon about the incident.

“On receiving the information, we deployed our rescue team to the scene at about 2:15 pm and Alassan was, however, brought out of the water dead.” He said the corpse had been handed over to the deceased’s father one Malam Alhassan Muhammed. The spokesman said the cause of the death was being investigated.…

Crime / News

NTA staff stoned to death, all staff arrested

A staff of the Nigerian Television Authority identified as Chukwu Odiahu has been reportedly stoned to death in Okene, Kogi State by yet to be identified assailants.

It was gathered that late Odiahu, who worked in the Engineering Department of the NTA booster station in Okene, was stoned to death on Tuesday evening after he closed from work.

A staff of NTA in Okene while confirming the incident said: “It is very unfortunate we all woke up this morning to see the death of one of our colleagues under the engineering department.

“When we closed transmission around 10pm on Tuesday, he left the office premises. “Unfortunately this morning (Wednesday), we discovered his corpse that he was killed with stones by some persons who we do not know.

All the staff on duty have been arrested because they are prime suspects.

“The incident has been reported to the Police for investigation.

“Odiahu is a gentleman who is committed to his duty.

“He died a horrible death.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP William Ovye Aya, failed to pick calls or messages sent to his mobile phones

News Express.…

News / Security

Niger Police gun down bandits’ chief informant Buba Baromi

The operatives of the Police anti-banditry team in Niger State have gunned down a notorious bandits’ informant, Buba Baromi.

Baromi was killed at his hideouts in Damba Forest, in the state.

PRNigeria gathered that local hunters led the Police to the hideouts of Baromi where he was recuperating from a gunshot wound, he had sustained in previous encounters with security personnel.

An intelligence officer involved in the operation told PRNigeria that Baromi was not only an informant but also led bandits to targets of attacks and kidnapping. “Shehu Buba Baromi was notorious in providing information to bandits, as well as leading them to targets of attacks, abductions and cattle rustling.

“In the middle of August 2021, he led bandits to rustle cattle and launch attacks on villages at Dogon Fadama, where innocent lives were also lost.

“It was in one of the encounters with policemen that he sustained a bullet wound and escaped to Damba Forest, where he was being treated.

“However, the police on Tuesday, stormed the forest and engaged the bandits protecting him, and gunned him down.

“His corpse has been deposited in the hospital so that his victims and those who knew his notoriety would be satisfied with his death,” he said.…

Entertainment / Music / News

Legendary singer Sir Victor Uwaifo is dead

Nigerian legendary singer Sir Victor Uwaifo has died at the age of 80.

According to The Nation, the music legend died on Saturday, August 28, 2021. A source close to the family says he passed away after a brief illness. He was the winner of the first gold disc in Africa (Joromi) released in 1965 and seven other gold discs in Guitar boy, Arabade, Ekassa series and Akwete music. He recorded under the name Victor Uwaifo and His TItibitis.

He is recognized as the most educated performing music legend, musical instrument inventor, artist, worldwide with a B.A Honors (first-class valedictorian), Masters degree and Ph.D. in Architectural Sculpture, (University of Benin, Nigeria)

Until his death, he was a professor at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin, Benin – City.

Uwaifo was a one time Honorable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism in Edo state.

May his gentle soul rest in peace

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Entertainment / Movies / News

Nollywood veteran Victor Olaotan is dead

Nollywood veteran Victor Olaotan has died. The movie star passed away on Thursday, August 26, 2021, after a prolonged illness.

His widow, Julia Olaotan, broke the news of his death to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday morning.

Mrs Olaotan said she is grateful that the 69-year-old actor can finally go to rest after suffering for years.

“He has tried. It is not easy to be trapped in your own body for five years. He can finally rest now,” she said.

Olaotan was bedridden for five years after he was involved in a ghastly accident in 2016.

At some point, several of his colleagues solicited funds to help get the movie veteran back to his feet.

Olaotan became a household name in the country after he starred in the award-winning TV drama series ‘Tinsel‘ where he played the role of Fred Ade Williams.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.

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News / politics

House of Representatives Hon. Adedayo Omolafe dies suddenly

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedayo Omolafe, is dead.

According to available information, the member of the House of Representatives was not ill before he suddenly became unconscious on Sunday night.

Omolafe was said to have been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where he died at about 2am on Monday.

The Rep, popularly known as Expensive, represented Akure South/North Federal Constituency. Before then, he had served as the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area. Before then, he had served as the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area.…

Movies / News

Another Nollywood veteran dies from protracted illness

Another veteran Nollywood actor, Rich Oganiru, has died.

His death comes a few weeks after that of another Nollywood household name, Rachael Oniga, in Lagos.

Oganiru reportedly died on August 10, 2021 after being sick for months.

The news of his death was announced via Facebook by his friend, EmstarVee. The post reads: “BREAKING……..Sunset At Noon, Tuesday 10th August 2021! Ahem… I’ve lost a good friend like a brother for years, a great Nollywood actor par excellence. I’m just speechless. R.I.P Amb. Rich Oganiru.” Meanwhile, weeks ago, a video of Oganiru lying on his sick bed while begging for financial assistance was shared online.

The Nollywood actor, who has appeared in a number of films, was arrested in 2012 for allegedly murdering his wife. According to news reports at the time, Oganiru was arrested after a petition was filed by the family and relatives of his late wife, alleging that she was poisoned by the actor in order for him to inherit her fortune. Mr. Oganiru has always maintained his innocence, claiming that he never killed his multimillionaire wife.…

Military / News

Nigerian Army confirms killing of General by gunmen

The Nigerian Army has announced the death of its former Provost Marshal, Major General Hassan Ahmed, who was killed by gunmen on Thursday.

The confirmation was made by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.

In a statement on Friday in Abuja, Nwachukwu said the incident occurred when the senior officer’s vehicle was attacked by gunmen while transiting along Lokoja-Abuja Road on Thursday.

He said: “With a heavy heart, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, Officers and Soldiers of the Nigerian Army regret to announce the passing on of Major General Hassan Ahmed, a former Provost Marshall of the Nigerian Army.

“A delegation from the Army Headquarters led by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Army), Major General Anthony Omozoje, has visited the widow and other members of the bereaved family.

“Members of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA) led by the Deputy National President, Mrs Stella Omozoje, have also visited the family to condole with them.

“The remains of the deceased senior officer will be accorded a befitting burial at the Lungi Barracks Cemetery on Friday, July 16 by 10am.”…

Entertainment / Health

Sound Sultan dies of throat cancer at 44

He died following a hard-fought battle with Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a group of related cancers that affect the lymphatic system.

Recall that in May, it was reported that the artiste was diagnosed with throat cancer in the United States.

He was said to have commenced chemotherapy in one of the hospitals in the country.

Sound Sultan, whose career in show business started in the 1990s, however, died two months later.

The versatile artist is survived by his wife, three children and siblings.

May his soul rest in peace.

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Foreign / News

Death toll in Philippine military plane crash rises to 50

Philippine security forces searched among coconut trees on a remote southern island Monday for the flight data boxes of an aircraft that crashed and killed 50 people in one of the country’s worst military air disasters.

The Hercules C-130 transport plane was carrying 96 people, most of them recent army graduates, when it overshot the runway while trying to land in sunny weather on Jolo island in Sulu province — a haven for Islamic militants — on Sunday.

Fifty people, including 47 military personnel and three civilians, died when the plane “skidded” and burst into flames in a village, said Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Major General Edgard Arevalo.

Another 53 were injured, most of them soldiers. It is not clear if the pilots were among the survivors.

The three people killed on the ground had been working in a quarry, village leader Tanda Hailid told AFP.

Photos of the scene released by the Joint Task Force-Sulu showed the damaged tail and the smoking wreckage of the fuselage’s back section laying in a coconut grove.

“We have people on the ground to make sure the integrity of the pieces of the evidence that we will retrieve, most particularly the flight data recorder,” Arevalo said.

“Aside from eyewitness accounts, we are also looking for recordings, radio conversation recordings between the pilot and the control tower.”

Arevalo said the military had secured the crash site and would ensure that militants on the island did not disrupt search efforts.

Most of the passengers had recently graduated from basic military training and were being deployed to the restive island as part of a counter-insurgency effort in the Muslim-majority region.

The military has a heavy presence in the southern Philippines where militant groups, including the kidnap-for-ransom outfit Abu Sayyaf, operate.

“This is one of the worst tragic incidents that happened in our armed forces,” said Arevalo. Last month, a Black Hawk helicopter went down during a night-time training flight, killing all six on board. The accident prompted the grounding of the Philippines’ entire Black …

Entertainment / News

Richard Mofe Damijo says he broke the specter of death in his family

The movie star made this known during a chat with Chude Jideonwo on his show ‘WithChude.’

RMD who would be turning 60 on July 6th, said his parents didn’t make it to 60 which is a big deal for him.

“None of my parents lived to be 60, so life for me is just about to get started. There’s been a specter of death around my life, that’s what I’ve been dealing with last year till this year. When I turned 59, it was a big deal for me, big deal for me! My mom died at 59, my father died at 57/58,” he said.

“So, it was like, can I break it? When people see me and I go on a weight loss, people think that… you know, it’s health. Both my parents were diabetic and hypertensive, I don’t want to be that. I don’t want to be diabetic and hypertensive, I want to be healthier.”

“Becoming 60 for me is even a bigger deal, so when July comes and I become 60. You know how the Bible says old things have passed away, I will truly truly become a new man because that is when I’ll make a bucket list. So all these things that you think I’ve achieved or done, for me it’s nothing, like zero.”

“So I’m going to now sit down when I’m 60 and do a bucket list … and then we’ll start.”

RMD is a Nigerian actor, writer, producer, and lawyer. He is also a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Delta State.

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Entertainment / Health / News

Obama DMW dies after driving himself to hospital

A member of Davido Music Worldwide crew, Obama DMW, Davido’s Road manager is dead.

It was learnt that Obama died at a hospital in Lekki, Lagos State on Tuesday (today), but the cause of his death was not disclosed.

Obama had driven himself to the hospital where he was admitted after complaining of having difficulty in breathing.

He however died shortly after. A video shared by media personality, N6, showed friends and loved ones at the hospital where DMW died. His corpse has been deposited in the mortuary ahead of his burial on June 30.…

Crime / Swift News

Details emerge on wife of Super TV boss killed by UNILAG student

Details have emerged in the identity of the wife of Super TV boss, Usifo Ataga, who was murdered by a 21-year-old student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu.

The 300 Level student of Mass Communication was paraded on Thursday by the Commissioner, Lagos State Police Command, Hakeem Odumosu, at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

According to According to Street Journal, the late Ataga’s wife, Brenda, is the National Project Coordinator of the LPG Gas Expansion Programs in the office of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

Brenda had previously served as the Special Adviser on Downstream and Infrastructure between 2015 and 2019.

She is a Mid/Downstream Commercial Strategist with over 15 years of experience in the Oil and Gas industry and a 2018 Nominee of the prestigious Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellowship.

Brenda also founded and sits on the board of a not-for-profit charity organization: True Foundation, which focuses on community and human capacity training for women and youths in Internally Displaced Persons camps.

She was reported to hold a Bachelor of Arts in Administration from the University of Lagos, BA in Business Management from Lincoln University and an LLM from the University of Salford.

Before being in public service, Brenda held key leadership positions in the private sector, where she attained recognition as the first female and first under-30 to serve in the capacity of Supply Manager at OANDO PLC (West Africa).

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