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Popular Nigerian dancer Korra Obidi who a recently in the news over a fracas she had with a Policeman in Lagos, has stated that despite having so much passion for dancing, he parents never supported her dream

Korra Obidi, who spoke in an interview with Sunday Punch revealed that she then resorted to street dancing just to keep her dream alive, but fortunately, in later years, she got the supports of her father.

Read excerpts from the interview below:

Background

My father is from the Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria, and I have two siblings. I grew up in the church, Deeper Christian Life Ministries, and my parents didn’t joke with the things of God. I began singing and dancing in the church. Then, I hadn’t pierced my ears or nose. My growing up days were conservative. I had tutors and I didn’t have the freedom to go out or do things my peers did. I always watched other children playing from the windows and wished I was in their shoes.

Education

For my secondary school education, I attended Command Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos. Later, I proceeded to the University of Lagos to study Business Education. My career in the entertainment industry started at UNILAG when I went on a tour with some Nigerian artistes as a professional dancer. However, my music career started later, in 2015 precisely. My debut single was titled, Man Like You.

Parental support

It was tough for my parents to let me do what I do now. When I saw that they were not ready to let me dance, I was doing it secretly. Later, they decided there was nothing they could do to stop my passion for entertainment. My mother passed on years ago and I miss everything about her. My dad is my biggest fan now, but this wasn’t always the case. We had a conversation, and he eventually let me pursue my dream.

Dance and music

I am a born entertainer; I couldn’t control myself even as a kid. I was yelled at and whipped but I couldn’t just stop dancing. While I ventured into music professionally in 2015, I started dancing in 2007. To be honest with you, both are fulfilling and lucrative depending on the level you operate in and how you sell your art.

As far back as 2007, I danced for female rapper, Sasha, and was paid N7,500. At the moment, you cannot imagine how much dancers earn. A dancer can turn an ordinary song into a popular one.

Upskilling

I have also improved myself by acquiring skills. I received formal training in belly dancing in Muscat, Dubai, and Cairo. I went for belly dancing as I found it easier to express emotions through dance. But belly dance is just one of the styles I have been trained in; I am more than a belly dancer.

Challenges

I have been cheated and exploited at different times in my career. We have people who enjoy taking advantage of young artistes financially and in many other ways. It was hard to find my team of people, Team Korra. But once it was sorted out, every other thing fell into place.

Criticisms

People are entitled to their opinions about me, but it doesn’t change who I am and I enjoy who I am. Social media bullies are not critics; so, I don’t care much about what they say about me or what I do. But I pay attention to constructive criticisms from friends and loved ones. There’s a revolution coming to Nigeria.

Nigerian women will no longer be bed wenches and kitchen stewards relegated to the other room. They will be equal to men and free to express themselves. They will be assets, not liabilities aspiring to be kept in a home. The change is coming and I want to be remembered as a pioneer in this cause.

Regrets

I am living my best life. Though there are challenges, it is not peculiar to music or dance alone. As humans, we face challenges every day. I see myself as living a privileged existence and I don’t take it for granted. So far, I have no regrets in life. I didn’t settle for dance; it is a thing of honour to be paid to entertain people. I have always wanted to be a dancer as a kid; so, being an entertainer is a dream come true for me.

Current projects

Soon, I will be releasing my music video, Money Be Person. I am also presently working on myself by undergoing some training in Los Angeles to better my craft.

Marriage

I am married to Dr. Justin Dean, a sports therapist. He is not a Nigerian and he is my biggest supporter. I chose him over every other man because he stole my heart and never let it go.

Relaxation

I like going to the beach and hanging out with friends a lot.

Fashion

I love my body and skin; so, I just put on whatever I like. I am not crazy about the brands but I invest in pieces that make a good statement.

https://lailasnews.com/i-became-a-street-dancer-because-of-my-parents-korra-obidi/

How women use herbal tea to suppress sex drive of their lovers at weekends

Women in Swaziland are reportedly using a special herb tea to suppress the sex drive of their husbands and boyfriends, especially at the weekends.

According to Times of Swaziland, women allegedly use the herb every Friday when making breakfast for their partners, especially if they have a spouse, whom they suspect is having extramarital affairs at the weekends.

The herb is sold in shops in Mbabane, the country’s capital.

It is usually made for men to drink like tea.

One of the shop owners, who sell the herb stated that originally, the herb was meant to normalise the sexual urge of men with very high sex drives.

According to the shop owner, interested men are expected to take the herb once a week in boiling water because when it was taken otherwise, it has side effects, one of which is infertility.

“I have been wondering why the herb is being bought on a daily basis of late and it is bought by women. I do not know who spread the rumour and gave these women the idea but I cannot turn them back when they come into the shop to buy it because nobody can turn away money,” the shop owner said.

Some women said after they discovered the herb, it gave them peace of mind when their men are away from home. One of the women, who uses the herb admitted that she kept the herb with her spices in the kitchen so that her husband would not suspect anything when she uses it in making him food.

These women have a group on social media of close to 50 members and more than half of them were married, while the others live with their boyfriends. The women said they are tired of their partners being unfaithful when they were out drinking with their friends on weekends, reports Times of Swaziland.

Another stated that she knew for a fact that when her boyfriend was away from home the whole weekend, he was with another woman.

https://lailasnews.com/how-women-use-herbal-tea-to-suppress-sex-drive-of-their-lovers-at-weekends/

lalasticlala

Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has joined the league of the tech-prenuers in the country after the launch of his new app Oga Work.

Oga work virtual application provides users with the opportunity to locate artisans who can render any kind of service within their locality anywhere in the country.

Reports say the app known as ‘Oga Work’ is especially designed for artisans who have a passion for their crafts but do not have a space or a store but crave for their services to be offered to end users.

According to Jim, the innovative idea of the app is to solve the issue of unemployment in Nigeria.

He said;

“It is an app where one can get artisans to render any kind of services. The app is specially designed for artisans who have a passion for their crafts but do not have space or a store and needs one to take their service to end users”.

The feisty actor also added that no matter what the skill involved, so far as it is legal, their job as the intermediary is to find an end user who needs the services of the artisan.

Oga work is poised to serve as a major competition for the leading Classified Ads websites in Nigeria as Jiji, OLX and the likes

https://lailasnews.com/jim-iyke-launches-oga-work-app-for-artisans-in-nigeria/

lalasticlala

Former Big Brother Naija housemates, Cee-C has just been signed as an ambassador to one of Nigeria's foremost betting company, Nairabet.

The reality TV star took to her Instagram page just some few moments ago to make the announcement to her teeming fans.

Sharing photos of herself sealing the deal in Nairabet office, she wrote;

The most powerful thing you can do right now is to be patient while things are unfolding for you .
Another one in the bag, I love my new family!!
Thanks @officialnairabet, looking forward to an amazing relationship.
Spartans!
There’s no Ceec without you guys, I’m humbled.
I love y’all

Her fans at the same have shown so much love and the congratulatory messages have been pouring in.

This is definitely a good season for Cee-C since she stepped out of the Big Brother Naija house. The lawyer-turned-entertainer has gone ahead to get countless endorsement from different brands across the country.

Even just recently Cee-C and her rumoured boyfriend Leo were just signed to a Property Development Company in Lagos and interestingly, the duo got a plot of land each at a choiced location within the state.

We believe more are still coming for her and most other ex-housemates of the Big Brother Naija reality TV show

https://lailasnews.com/cee-c-bags-endorsement-deal-with-naira-bet/

lalasticlala

Sylvester Stallone's former wife Brigitte Nielsen recently gave birth to her 5th child at the age of 55 and she has opened up on why she decided for that at that time of her life.

The Danish actress explained to People in an interview why she welcomed another child late in life after more than ten years of undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatment.

It is such a long road Nielsen says.

“What I want women to know is that everything is possible, but you have to be realistic.” Nielsen says that soon after meeting her husband Mattia Dessi, she started planning for their future together by freezing her eggs at age 40. “If you don’t want to use [donor] eggs, you have to preserve your own eggs at a reasonable age for there to be a possibility,” she says. “I wouldn’t even bother trying after age 42.”

According to her, Doctors gave her an incredibly slim chance of conceiving with her own eggs around 3-4%.

“There is a huge disappointment,” says Nielsen of undergoing the IVF process. “If you do IVF, 80 percent of the time, it doesn’t work. It’s that phone call going, ‘It’s negative.’ It’s the waiting. It’s a lot. It’s a big, big journey.”

Nielsen who welcomed the child with Italian TV producer Mattia Dessì, 39, added, “Another thing is it is expensive. It doesn’t come easy or cheap if you do it my way. I want people to know that.”

Brigitte Nielsen who is best known for 1985's Rocky IV, 1986's Cobra and 1987's Beverly Hills Cop II already has sons Julian, 34, Killian, 28, Douglas, 25, and Raoul, 23.

The Eighties icon has been married to Italian TV producer Mattia Dessì, 39, since 2006. He is her fifth husband.

She was previously married to Raoul Meyer from 1993 to 2003, Sebastian Copeland from 1990 until 1992,Sylvester Stallone from 1985 until 1987 and Kasper Winding from 1983 until 1984.

https://lailasnews.com/brigitte-nielsen-explains-why-she-had-her-5th-child-at-age-55-with-5th-husband/

lalasticlala

The coach of the home-based Super Eagles Team, Coach Salisu Yusuf has responded to the bribe taking accusation of undercover journalists led by Ghana’s Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

According to the coach, he didn't request for the money and he never promised them that the players would be selected based on the money received.

A sting video, which had been aired on the various platforms of the BBC showed Yusuf collecting a reported $1,000 to pick two players from the 2017 WAFU Nations Cup in Ghana for the 2018 CHAN in Morocco.

In his prepared defence, Salisu Yusuf, who is undergoing medical treatment in London, said he neither asked for the money nor did he promise the agents he would pick the players because of the cash they gave him.

He instead claimed that players were picked on merit and their consistency.

“There is nothing in the allegation pointing to a demand for the money from the agents of the two principals. Rather, the agent only handed the money to me after expressing ‘hope’ that the principals would play in the Championship.

“Be that as it may, I did accept cash handed to me by one of the said football agents, which I later discovered, upon checking, to be $750 and not $1000. Nonetheless, my understanding of the FIFA and NFF Codes of Ethics, particularly Sections 20 of the said codes, is that, gifts of any kind could be accepted by persons bound by the codes which are: of symbolic or trivial value; exclude any influence for the execution or omission on an act that is related to one’s official activities or fall within one’s discretion; are not contrary to one’s duties; do not create any undue pecuniary or other advantage and do not create a conflict of interest,” the coach defended.

https://lailasnews.com/coach-salisu-yusuf-reveals-why-he-collected-bribe/

lalasticlala

Popular social media influencer and CEO of Break Or Make Up, Blessing Okoro, has taken to her Instagram page to narrate how a man she was supposed to help get a job, was being unkind to her while they were inside KEKE NAPEP.

According her, they were supposed to meet at a designated spot and on the way to the agreed place, they met in the tricycle but didn’t know each other.

She had no idea he was the man she was going to meet and he didn’t also know she was the one he was going to meet for help.

Blessing wrote

“Always learn to be kind even to those who cant offer you nothing.

Yesterday I had to visit somewhere and it was raining so I did not want to drive there since I was not too familiar with the road ,so I parked my car somewhere close and used a keke.

While I was there I got a call from a long time friend reminding me of my promise tl her husband over a job,so I quickly told her my location, and asked her to tell her husband to meet me up asap since I will be leaving town soon,but I told her to tell her husband to meet me up were I packed my car since that place was a popular land mark .

I dont know her husband and we have never met before,as I sent her the address she called me back and was so excited that I was even around her area which will make it easy for him because he did not even have transport to come out,things was that bad. So I told her that he should pick a drop I will pay.

In other not to keep him stranded I had to start rushing back to were I packed my car . God I even entered under the rain,cold,just to meet up with him so he will not be stranded, as I was walking under the rain I saw a keke and stopped it,the keke man asked me to beg the man inside,so I started begging the man refused and said I was wet. I told him I will sit one side, and he refused, saying except I pay for both his fair and mine.

I agreed, then he allowed me. as entered this man kept me uncomfortable, saying if my wet clothes touch him again I will drop down. I just kept my cool until I finally got to my destination, I did not even reach I stopped at the junction and paid then used my legs to walk to my car ,since it was very close.

I was inside my car warning myself, then I got a call from my friend saying her husband was around, so I described my car and he came . I saw someone knocked on my car glass,wined down and it was this same man in a keke with me?.

I was suppose to pay the keke man,and recommend him for a job. Tears rolled down my eyes,I brought out 3k,gave him,started my car and zoomed off. My friend has been calling and sending me messages, I had to block her. Becaful many times men of gold dont wear gold . Be nice ….”

https://lailasnews.com/man-going-for-interview-speaks-rudely-to-prospective-employer-inside-keke-napep/

A Nigerian man with boobs has finally found a way to hide his them from the peeking eyes of the public after suffering a lot of embarrassment.

The man identified as Oluwatosin took to his Instagram page to show off of his new innovation and he sounded so delighted to have eventually found a way round the embarrassment the protruding boobs cause him.

Oluwatosin used a black cellotape to press his man boobs flat and keep it from showing through his clothes. He says he has to go this way because he can’t be bothered to go to the gym so his only option is to hide his boobs.

And he seems so delighted to have finally gotten the solution to the problem

Sharing a video online, he wrote:

“So I finally found a way to hide my boobs… I am tired of the unnecessary attention it’s been giving me, some will even say I should get a bra ?. I can’t hit the gym cos I work 8am-5pm, no time and I can’t kill myself. I decided to improvise this method and I am loving it. Thank God for this tape, no more boobs. (moobs)”

Some of his friends on Instagram actually found it funny anyways.

https://lailasnews.com/nigerian-man-with-boobs-finally-finds-a-way-to-hide-them-from-public/

lalasticlala

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Edgal Imohimi, has banned policemen in the state from patrolling in mufti and commercial vehicles.

He made this known to the public in a statement released today by the spokesperson of the Police command, SP Chike Oti.

Read the statement below

To ensure that policemen in Lagos are at their professional best always, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Edgal Imohimi has banned police operatives in the state from operating in mufti and commercial vehicles such as the yellow buses popularly known as Danfo or other commercial buses. Unmarked vehicles will only be used occasionally for covert operations targeted at a specific individual or group based on credible intelligence.

The Command is not unaware that some unscrupulous individuals impersonate as SARS operatives. To this end, the CP urges members of the public to take note of the dress code for SARS operatives in the Command. The dress code is as follows:
1. A black jacket and a fez cap.
2. In the front of the jacket, the word police is written in white at the top right part.
3. At the bottom left part of the jacket,
F-SARS 039 is written there.
4. At the back of the jacket are
inscriptions "F-SARS LAGOS," "SCORPION" and a red image of a Scorpion.
5. On the fez cap are inscriptions
"F-SARS" and "SCORPION."

The CP had, on assumption of office, set up a Citizen Complaint Hot Centre (CCHC) with the following telephone lines solely dedicated for lodging complaints against wrong actions of policemen. They are:
1. 08067945296
2. 08063025274
3. 08063104759
4. 08113615350
5. 08113683077
6. 08096283148
7. 08096283173
8. 08089781657
9. 08126404930
10. 08081426895

Members of the public are enjoined to always make their complaints against erring policemen including those who violate the patrol guidelines and the dress code by calling any of the lines above. The Command can also be reached on the social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) via @policenglagos.

It will be recalled that the Command as part of its disciplinary measures, recently dismissed eight policemen for various offences against discipline.

https://lailasnews.com/edgal-imohimi-bans-policemen-from-patrolling-in-mufti-commercial-vehicles/

lalasticlala

Baby Chanco boasted a full head of hair when she was born in Japan in December 2017, and her mane has continued to flourish.

Her Instagram feed is a hair diary featuring her precious photos sporting cute bobbles, clips, and bows in her legendary locks.

Followers worldwide are in awe, but while Chanco’s voluminous hair is enviable, there’s no guarantee it will remain that way into adulthood.

Because of hormones, some babies are born with plenty of hair, only to lose it in the following weeks. Chanco’s hair may not be lost, but its texture and color could change as she grows.


Born in December 2017 with a full head of thick black locks, Chanco’s parents might have expected her baby hair to become lighter over time—just like many other hairy babies who tend to lose their soft, downy hair (called lanugo) at around 32 to 36 weeks.

However, six months later, Chanco continues to rock her magnificent bouffant, making her a hit on social media.

Chanco’s mother posts regular images of her adorable daughter on Instagram, keeping her 70,000+ adoring fans up to date with a “hair dairy.” While Chanco’s impressive head of hair is mostly captured taking on a life of its own, her parents sometimes attempt to tame her mane with cute bows and accessories.

In a recent Instagram post, Chanco is filmed having her very first haircut. Don’t worry though—it was just a trim!

https://lailasnews.com/viral-photos-of-7-month-old-baby-chanco-with-full-hair-like-an-adult/

Nigerian striker Chrisantus Macauley has joined Finland side HJK Helsinki from Real Murcia.

Macauley who was the top scorer for the Golden Eaglets at the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup will hope to reignite his career again in Finland after several spells across Europe.

The 27-year-olds arrival in Finland it a year-long contract in which there is an option to buy at the end of the 2019 season.

A statement on the club’s official website by confirmed the deal for the Nigerian and also praised the qualities he brings.


The statement reads:

“Chrisantus is still a very potential striker, able to play as densely as on the land. Macky has done good things in quite a lot of times and we believe that HJK is an environment in which he is able to develop further.

“In this way, we get more competition and alternatives to our attacking equipment, and of course our look is already coming next season. In addition, Macky is a positive and cheerful person, which is always a good thing, backed by football leader Juho Rantala.”

Macauley also revealed in a statement that he is happy to have completed the switch to Finland.

He said:

“Nice to come to the Club. The sun shines and is a good sign. I'm going to do a lot of goals.”

Born in Abuja, Nigeria, Macauley has played for several clubs such as Hamburger SV, Karlsruher SC, FSV Frankfurt, Sivasspor, AEK Athens, Lamia, Reus Deportiu and Real Murcia.

https://lailasnews.com/nigerian-striker-chrisantus-macauley-joins-hjk-helsinki-from-real-murcia/

and more

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Photos from Mayorkun “mayor Of Lagos” concert in Ibadan

DMW's top music artiste, Mayorkun held the “Mayor of Lagos” concert over the weekend in Ibadan and it was a huge success as the show recorded a massive turn out from his fans in the city.

The show which held at the Palms Shopping Mall Ibadan, also featured special performances from ace entertainers like Davido, Duncan Mighty, Small Doctor, L.A.X, Idowest, Dremo, Peruzzi, Ichaba, Yonda, Terri, 1da Banton, Lyta and many others.

Asides the incident the fact that the concert was disrupted with violence as Davido’s bouncer assaulted a journalist to unconsciousness before he was revived at UCH, and the s*xcapades which took place the entire mall and it’s immediate environs were littered with used condoms as people had sex with reckless abandon, the concert and performances itself can be described as a success.

Mayorkun was captured having fun as he wowed fans with songs from his armoury of hits; as he treated with criminally underrated gems like “Eleko”, “Mama”, “Bobo”, “Che Che”, “Sade”, and “Love You Tire”; which he was joined by the DMW stars for hits like “Mind” and “Prayer”.

It was gathered that a total of over 13,000 people were in attendance surpassing the expected 5000 estimate. Meanwhile, his fans at Abuja remain expectant as they watch out for the next Mayorkun “Mayor of Lagos” concert in Abuja on the 11th of August 2018, at the Congress Hall of the prestigious Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

Abuja people. Get ready!!!

https://lailasnews.com/photos-from-mayorkun-mayor-of-lagos-concert-in-ibadan/

lalasticlala

A Nigerian man has been sentenced to life in prison for drug trafficking by a Phnom Penh Municipal Court in Cambodia, and another gets 30 years. They were also fined $17,500 each.

The convicts, Boniface Okoro Chukwuka, 28, and Frank Obiora Dozie, 34, were charged with smuggling more than a kilo of cocaine into Cambodia from Colombia. They went on trial on July 5th.

Presiding Judge Seng Rithy said the two were arrested on July 13, 2017 by Anti-Drug police working with customs police at the Phnom Penh airport.

He added that after their arrests, police seized 189 packs of cocaine, weighing 1.1 kilos, which were hidden in a box containing imitation jewellery that had been couriered to Cambodia.

During the trial, Mr Chukwuka, who got life imprisonment, had admitted to the crime while Mr Dozie claimed innocence.

Mr Chukwuka said that he bought the drugs for $15 000 from a Nigerian man in Colombia and intended to sell it in Thailand.

“The drugs seized belonged to me. I imported them from Colombia,” he told the court. “I acknowledge that I have made a mistake. I would like to request a lenient sentence.”

Mr Dozie said he knew Mr Chukwuka, but did not know anything about the drugs. He said that he was arrested because he was staying with Mr Chukwuka when police raided his rental house in Chom Chao commune last year.

“I am innocent,” he said. “I would like to ask the court to drop the charge and release me.”

However, deputy prosecutor Kol Bun said the two accused belonged to a group of foreign drug traffickers who were hiding in Cambodia.

Outside the courtroom following the sentencing, Mr Dozie said he plans to file an appeal.

"It's a great injustice, " he said. "I do not accept the judgement because I did not know about the drugs and was not involved in the trafficking. I will file an appeal"

https://lailasnews.com/nigerian-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-drug-trafficking-in-cambodia/

General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleiman, has responded to the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, Lauretta Onochie who on Sunday described the pastor as a gambler.

Onochie had castigated the man of God on the outcome of the recently concluded Governorship election in Ekiti State, where he previously predicted that the All Progressive Congress would be defeated in the election.

The statement by the Omega Fire Ministries through its Spokesman, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, reads:

”It is common knowledge that the quality of media management in the nation’s presidency has taken a nosedive since President Muhammadu Buhari took office, but the presidency hit a new low on Sunday when Onochie threw all pretences to the wind to rubbish a man of God with her unguarded vituperations and outright spewing of hate.

Even if a primary school pupil had written that tweet, the lies told therein could not have been so recklessly blatant and so devoid of any shred of professionalism.

Onochie lifted the purported prophesy from the wall of a facebook user who has since pulled the post down after discovering that it was false and unverifiable.

Isn’t it unbecoming that a presidential spokesperson is propagating an unverified report? Apostle never made the purported statement being credited to him at any fora and I challenge her to provide a contrary source to the one I just mentioned or produce any shred of evidence to support her claim.

But we hasten to say that we sympathise with Lauretta Onochie as we know that life itself has not been fair to her. Our appeal is that she should not vent her frustration on the church. The other day, it was the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that she attacked, today, it is Omega Fire Ministries. Who knows which Church is next?

After careful examination, we think that Lauretta Onochie is burdened by the challenges of life and is gradually going off her rocker.”

https://lailasnews.com/lauretta-onochie-is-burdened-by-the-challenges-of-life-apostle-suleiman/

A 34-year-old Nigerian national, Kingsley Otuya was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for his part fraud, money laundering and romance schemes in Austin, Texas that netted more than $1 million.

One of Otuya's victims killed herself after losing hundreds of thousands of dollars and being "emotionally devastated" by the romance scam, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas said on Tuesday, July 17.

Nigerian man jailed for 11 years for fraud in US after one of his victims killed herself lailasnews

Multiple victims faced serious financial hardship as a result of the schemes. According to court documents, Otuya used an online dating profile to target at least one of the victims.

“This case brutally illustrates how fraud schemes hurt victims not only financially but also emotionally,” said U.S. Attorney John F. Bash. “We will remain steadfast in our efforts to protect Americans from transnational criminal conspiracies.”

Otuya pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in April 2018.

Authorities began investigating him as part of a series of investigations in Austin into the activities of West African fraud schemes, officials said.

Acting as a "catcher," Otuya would quickly withdraw fraudulently obtained funds from bank accounts where the victims had deposited money, and would then send the money to his co-conspirators before victims tried to recover their funds.

Authorities said he used fake passports to open nine different bank accounts under false names in Austin and often withdrew $10,000 or less to avoid bank reporting requirements.

Otuya was paid a fee for the fraud proceeds that went through his accounts, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Court records show Otuya will likely be deported back to Nigeria following his prison term.

He has been ordered to pay more than $966,000 and be placed under supervised release for three years after he is released.

https://lailasnews.com/nigerian-man-jailed-for-11-years-for-fraud-in-us-after-one-of-his-victims-killed-herself/

lalasticlala

Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus has come under fire after she posted a photo of herself on Instagram. In the photo, the actress could be seen squatting for the gram and this did not go well with some of her followers, who didn't waste time to correct her.

According to the followers with the handle @mart_c_genius, the pose is strictly meant for kids and not for matured ladies, and she believed Eniola Badmus is one.

The fan wrote:

But madam to be honest , I’m a true fan of you ! And I won’t join people here praising this photo and end up laughing behind the camera ! 90% Unknown Fans you acquire on Instagram are not loyal. This pose is for young girls !

Don’t try to compete with these young girls and how they pose ! Thick women don’t pose this way ! Incase of next time cause I don’t want you to be a laughing stock ! Cause yours is to post pictures and see comments but you don’t know how it really is behind cameras with majority here praising this photo ! One love madam ! Enjoy the rest of the day

Then Eniola Badmus replies:

joker.......wat book of law do you Av dat.....Ma’am wake up do wat you want not minding who is looking or seeing, u came to dis world alone and u will leave alone so do wat makes you happy

Then another fan chips in, supporting the claims of the other person:

@eniola_badmus what @mart_c_genius said is truly the truth n notin but the whole truth..some of ure fans n people close to u meant praise n hail u while they mock u later. U could also do that same post with sometin longer than that but for this particular outfit..its no ansa

https://lailasnews.com/fans-blast-eniola-badmus-for-posing-as-a-kid-on-instagram/

lalasticlala

Apapa residents raise alarm as 3rd tanker loaded with petrol falls and spills content

Residents of Berger Suya bus stop, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, yesterday, July 18, 2018, have cried out for help after another petrol tanker fell and spilled its content.

This will be the third incident in recent times.

According to the residents in the area, the spilled contents flow into the road and gutters, risking an explosion.

A day before the tragic Otedola bridge tanker explosion occurred, a tanker loaded with petrol fell at the same spot at Berger bus stop in Olodi Apapa and two days later another with diesel fell, a resident said.

Concerned residents have raised alarm about the warning signs the government has turned a blind eye to. They fear lives and properties could be lost if action is not taken soon.

One resident, Roland Nduka, who reached out to LIB said:

Tanker loaded with petroleum product fell at Berger suya bus stop olodi apapa Lagos today 18/07/2018.

This is the third tanker that has dropped at this particular spot and the government is doing nothing because the police are there collecting bride from them.

Right now the petrols from the tanker have all poured into the gotters and the only saving grace is the weather. Even the road is not accessible to fire tankers to come rescue because the trailers with containers have blocked everywhere.

A day before the otedola tanker explosion one loaded with petrol dropped at the same spot and two days later another with diesel.

This spot has aboki that does suya, and also a lot of business investment waiting to go up in flames because of the amount of danger this possesses for them to keep turning at this spot.

The business owners are complaining but nothing is being done. As we know Nigeria, they will wait for lives and properties to be burnt before proper action will be taking.

https://lailasnews.com/apapa-residents-raise-alarm-as-3rd-tanker-loaded-with-petrol-falls-and-spills-content/

A man identified as Andrew Enahoro has taken to twitter to narrate his bitter experience in the hands of SARS operatives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to him, what he felt was his offence was driving in an expensive Toyota Venza car. The officers on sighting them asked them to park and started raining blows on them, he alleged.

Read his narration below:

Had my share of the SARS brutality this evening at Slaughter Round About in Port-Harcourt because I was inside a Toyota Venza with my cousin's driver heading to go pick up my pregnant cousin who was waiting for us in front of Slaughter market.

I accompanied my pregnant cousin with her driver to buy goat meat, cow head and other stuffs at Slaughter market. When we were done with the buy buy, after spending close to 5 hours in the market, then I and the driver carried the stuffs headed towards where we parked the car

Then my pregnant cousin said she couldn't walk anymore because she was so tired, so she was going to wait for us in front of the Slaughter Market gate, so we should go bring the car closer to her and it was about to rain.

After picking up the car from the car park, the the driver started heading towards the market gate where my cousin was waiting for us, then all of a sudden from nowhere SARS officers in a Hilux truck drove passed us and parked in front of us asking the driver to park one side

The driver was so confused and was looking around for my cousin so he can go park in front of where she was standing, then two of the officers rushed down to the car, then one of them gave him a hot slap from outside and the other officer opened my door and ask me to come down

And they were like who's the owner of this car and I said it's for my cousin and she waiting for us in front to pick her up, then they started calling us thieves and criminals, saying we stole the car. I told them my cousin was standing just in front and we should go meet her

Before I could say another word, the officer gave me a hot slap and he started dragging me to their Hilux and forced me to enter the Hilux and the other officer was dragging the car key from the driver.

When I was inside the Hilux, my cousin started calling my phone because it had started drizzling, when I tried to answer my call, then the driver of the Hilux dragged my phone out of my hand & gave me a punch on my face and other officers in the truck started to punch me nonstop

Instead of driving towards the direction where my cousin was waiting, they took a different route & one of the officers enter my cousin's car & ask the driver to follow up from behind, then they continued to punch me all over my body inside their Hilux & then handcuffed me

Then we drove along Trans-Amadi road heading towards Ordinance Round About, then they parked after Rivoc junction and ask my cousin's driver to come down so they can search the car and went through our phones, then they saw a picture of an Army General with his wife on my phone

And a few pictures of my military officer friends, then they started interrogating me who are they to me and how close am I to them, searched my pockets but unfortunately I forgot my wallet at home so they couldn't get anything from me but took some money from my cousin's driver

And started threatening me that they will just shoot me and the driver and NOTHING will happen because the driver was reluctant on following them with the car. I asked them what was my offense for all the battery and they said I should shut up

And the only reason they are letting us go is because they didn't see anything incriminating in the car and it's like my Dad is a military personnel and so they removed the handcuff and gave me back my phone with a broken screen & ask us to go before they will change their mind

Then we went to pick up my cousin who was standing under the rain with so much anger because of her condition, but after we told her all that happened, she's so pissed & wanted us to go track down the officers but they had gone & she started raining curses upon their generations

https://lailasnews.com/man-allegedly-brutalised-by-sars-operatives-in-port-harcourt-for-driving-a-venza/

lalasticlala

For every day, there will always be a bizarre story to report. This may really sound funny, but from the headline of this post, you sure know what you are about to read. A lady was able to detect her partner was cheating after she checked his sperm quantity.

Screenshots of a Whatsapp conversation between the man and his girlfriend (now ex) have gone viral on social media after the girl found out he was cheating because the quantity of his sperm had reduced.

The discussion started on a peaceful note as they were both complimenting each other and reflecting on the previous sex they recently had before the lady decided to ask the bombshell.

While the girl was really pissed that he had been cheating on her, the guy didnt feel any kind of remorse as he went ahead to thank her after she complemented him on his frolicking habit with other women.

She was so surprised that she had only gone for youth service for just 2 months and he had been sleeping around. But the guy made her understand he was done ever since she began her Youth service

This actually got the girl so pissed that she blocked him immediately after she was done blasting him. But in the end, the guy asked her to refund the N30,000 he had lent her, but she had already blocked him anyway

https://lailasnews.com/lady-busted-her-cheating-partner-after-checking-quantity-of-his-sperm/

lalasticlala

How to Identify real SARS officers

Nigerian rapper, Ruggedman has shared a video highlighting tips on how to identify real SARS officers.

According to Ruggedman, he had a conversation with the new OC SARS in Lagos state, CSP Peter Gana and he opend up that a lot of people have been impersonating and carrying out terrible acts as SARS officials and he showed him how to spot fake SARS operatives.


In the video he shows that, 'the real sars have a Red scorpion on their cap and jacket with the number 039 on them.

He then went ahead to enlighten the people on how to identify the real SARS officers:
SARS units are only allocated 2 riffles. So any group of alleged sars officials you see with more than 2 riffles are fake'.

I then told him that
1. Without a proper uniform, anybody (including armed robbers) can buy black t-shirts and print sars on them.
2. They need proper mode of identification e.g. name/number badge to make tracing their station easy.
3. Since they are a special unit with so much negativity around them at the moment, it's best to get them off the streets for now (unless when a special crime is happening) because the brutalisation, extortion, kidnapping and unlawful arrests of innocent Nigerians is too much.
We don't have a problem with them dealing with confirmed criminals, but treating innocent Nigerians like animals is turning the country into a ticking time bomb.

If you fall victim to the rogue officials, if a video is impossible just try to get a good picture of one of them. Then dm me or call

CSP Chike, PPRO, Lagos - 07065246927; CSP Dolapo, ZPPRO, Onikan - 09071555555 and CSP Peter Gana, OC FSARS Ikeja- 08033119661.

Just like us, he is also tired of the police impunity. While we wait to see the difference the new OC Sars has promised, the #Endsars campaign is here to stay until our demands are met.

https://lailasnews.com/how-to-identify-real-sars-officers-ruggedman-video/

lalasticlala

more screenshots

more

A lady identified simply as Blinky Da-Musical Ogbanje has called out another woman who she claimed took a loan from a man in a Facebook group and has refused to pay back.

The woman identified as Chinonye Onyeka then went further to block the lender on both the social media platform and on phone.

Read Blinky's post below:

This is a call out! You are free to share.

April this year, a post was made in one of those numerous groups, asking people to comment what they want and someone might grant it.

A lady by name Chinonye Onyeka (her pix is posted her as I can't tag her directly cos we are not friends) commented that she needed a loan of 40k to start up crayfish business and that she would pay back in one month with interest.

David Royce offered to loan her the money if she's was serious about it.

They got talking via inbox, he told her to come to a police station in his area to write an undertaken, she refused claiming that she was heavily pregnant and can't travel.

He asked her if she had a shop, Chinonye said no.

He asked how she intended selling the crayfish since she had no shop, Chinonye said she had a table and that all she needed was 40k to purchase the bag crayfish, once she has it, she would take her table to the market and begin business.

David asked for her account number and transfered the sum of 40,000 naira to Chinonye.

One month that she was supposed to pay back the money with interest passed without him and asking her for the money, according to him, he wanted to give her a little more time since he knows how new businesses can be.

The second month, he messaged her on Facebook asking for his money. Chinonye asked him for his account number and immediately he sent it, she blocked him.

When he noticed it, he became confused and tried calling on her cell but also discovered that she had blocked him there also.

He then used another account to trace her, he saw that she had changed her name to Benedicta Onyeka. He messaged her with that account and she blocked him again.

He tried reaching her with different lines, madam married pregnant woman made sure she blocked him on any line he used to reach her.

He then traced her closed friend and told her the situation. After that, he got a call from a man who said he was a pastor. The man started begging him to give Chinonye some time to gather the money, that she doesn't have the money yet that is why she has been avoiding his call, he told him to give her two weeks which he agreed.

After two weeks, he started calling madam again but madam will cut the call or won't pick.

Yesterday, David had to reach out to her husband Banarbas Onyeka and told him everything but from their discussion, he doesn't feel that these people will give him his money.

Now my anger is, why borrow money to start up a business without your husbands concent?

According to the screen shots below, the husband was bragging about how he helps people in need, so as his wife, you wanted to start up a business, why didn't you talk to your husband about it?

Now, you borrowed money and have refused to pay up, you have been acting silly and portraying dubious character by blocking the person who's only offence was lending you money when you needed it.

Now I doubt if she ever needed money to start up any business in the first place or is this what she does on Facebook?....Go to post where you comment for help, get help and block the people who helped her?

Please, anyone who knows madam @Chinonye Onyeka should please tell her to pay David his 40k immediately because this matter is also going to the police.

https://lailasnews.com/lady-calls-out-woman-who-took-loan-via-facebook-and-refused-to-pay-back/

lalasticlala

President Buhari has said that the 2019 general elections will be costing about 242.4 billion Naira. The President said this today in a letter sent to the National Assembly, seeking that the funds be drawn from the 2018 and 2019 budgets.

In the letter he explained that implementing a budget of 9.12 trillion Naira for 2018 will be extremely challenging and does not consider it expedient, to increase it to accommodate the funds needed for the 2019 general elections.

He had earlier criticised the National Assembly for reducing allocations for some projects and including thousands of projects into the budget without consultation with the Executive.

According to him, the National Assembly made cuts amounting to N347 billion in the allocations to 4,700 projects submitted to them for consideration and introduced 6,403 projects of their own amounting to N578 billion.

“Many of the projects cut are critical and may be difficult, if not impossible, to implement with the reduced allocation. He has, therefore, asked the National Assembly to transfer the funds appropriated for the new projects which are inserted in the 2018 budget to cover the sum of 228.8 billion Naira for the elections.

The President also noted that the balance will be provided in the 2019 budget.

See below a proposed budget for the 2019 election

The total amount for the 2019 general elections

2018 supplementary – N164, 104, 792, 065
2019 budget – N78, 314, 530, 535
Total – N242, 445, 322, 600

Office of the National Security Adviser
2018 supplementary – N3, 855, 500, 000
2019 budget – 426, 000, 000
Total – 4, 281, 500,000

INEC
2018 supplementary – N143, 512, 529, 445
2019 budget – N45, 695, 015,438
Total: N189, 207, 544, 893

NSCDC
2018 supplementary – N1, 845, 597, 000
2019 budget – N1, 727, 997, 500
Total – N3, 573, 534, 500

Nigeria Police
2018 supplementary – N11, 457, 417, 432
2019 budget – N19, 083, 900, 000
Total – N30, 541, 317, 432

NIS
2018 supplementary – N530, 110, 078
2019 budget – N2, 098,033, 142
Total – N2, 628, 143, 320

DSS
2018 supplementary – N2, 903, 638, 000
2019 budget – N9,309,644,455
Total – N12, 213, 282, 455

https://lailasnews.com/2019-general-elections-will-cost-n242-4bn-buhari-tells-national-assembly/

lalasticlala

A man identified as Ifeanyị Ọnwụnemea has taken to Facebook to express his anger on case of a boy whom his choir members refused to show up at his burial just because he owed Choir dues before his demise.

According to the man who narrated the story, the late Chima was even an orphan and it was so sad that his own colleagues could do this to him. Even those that showed up at he Funeral allegedly came to show pretence.

The man, who was obviously disappointed at their action went ahead to decry the attitudes of church goers, especially the modern day Church members

He wrote:

Because Chima couldn't pay all his Choir dues, his Church Choir - Immaculate Conception Parish, Owerri - refused to attend and sing at his Burial Mass.

Some of the said Parish members only arrived at his graveside just to show pretence.

That's too bad for a boy who had been an ORPHAN.

Sincerely, the Catholic Church is gradually becoming a monumental disappointment.

The post got a lot of negative reviews from his friends who pointed out that most people are only in the church nowadays to simply obey the commandments of going to church and not acting what is being preached in the church.

One wrote:

It has always been, our people are just too blind to see it despite the fact that it's obvious, churches these days are in for business, it may sound bad or rude but that's what it is..

https://lailasnews.com/choristers-refuse-to-attend-members-burial-because-he-owed-choir-dues/

Nigeria's anti-graft agency, EFCC, has said on Monday that Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State will face criminal trial after leaving office, Premium Times reports.

Mr Fayose, a vocal critic of President Muhammadu Buhari, is expected to leave office in October after handing over to the governor-elect of the state, Kayode Fayemi.


Mr Fayemi on Sunday defeated Mr Fayose’s preferred governorship candidate and current deputy governor, Olusola Eleka.

Both Messrs Fayose and Eleka, as well as their party, PDP, have said they will challenge the results of the election in court.

Hours after Mr Fayemi was announced winner of the election, the EFCC posted a tweet on its official Twitter handle that it would resurrect a poultry scandal involving the governor. The agency later deleted the tweet which was condemned by many Nigerians including the governor’s spokesperson.

“That tweet was totally irresponsible,” Mr Fayose’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, said. “The EFCC is not the court.”

“Ayo Fayose will remain governor until October 16, so they should wait until the end of his tenure,” he added.

Mr Fayose, like all Nigerian governors, enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office.

In a statement sent on Monday night, the EFCC spokesperson played down on the tweet controversy, but said only the court could clear Mr Fayose of his criminal trial after leaving office.

“While it is true that there is a subsisting criminal charge against Governor Fayose, the fate of the charge will be determined by the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, at the expiration of his tenure, not the EFCC,” the agency’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said.

Read the full EFCC statement by Mr Uwujaren below.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has observed with interest, reactions to a tweet that purportedly appeared on the Commission’s Twitter handle July 15, announcing the imminent revival of the criminal case against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.

In the opinion of most commentators, the tweet coming a few hours after Fayose’s protege, Kolapo Olusola of the People’s Democratic Party lost the governorship election to his All progressives Congress rival, Kayode Fayemi, betrayed the partisanship of the EFCC in the political contest in Ekiti State.

Against the background, Commission is constrained to state that the purported tweet does not represent the views of the EFCC. As a law enforcement organization the Commission is apolitical and was not involved in the recent Ekiti election. It therefore has no reason to gloat over the political misfortune of any candidate or political god-father.

While it is true that there is a subsisting criminal charge against Governor Fayose, the fate of the charge will be determined by the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, at the expiration of his tenure, not the EFCC.

https://lailasnews.com/fayose-will-face-trial-after-leaving-office-efcc/

lalasticlala

A female undergraduate student of the College of Education, Akoka, Lagos, has reportedly been barking like a dog immediately after her consultation with an Alfa,(Muslim cleric) for spiritual cleaning to avert calamity.

The alfa, one Mustapha Hammed, 23, who was subsequently arrested, admitted to putting a live frog in the water the undergraduate used to bath during the cleansing process.

An investigation by the police revealed that the suspect raped the lady upon discovering that she was a student.

Thereafter, he allegedly wiped the blood with a piece of cloth.

Briefing newsmen at the command headquarters, Monday, the command boss, Imohimi Edgal, said:

“On July 12, 2018, a case of sexual assault by penetration was brought from Bariga Police Station to Gender Section for further investigation. The suspect, Mustapha Hammed who claims to be an Alfa. was introduced to the survivor through a mutual friend.

“The Alfa deceived the victim that he saw in a vision that she was going to die within 24 hours. He took the girl to Ikorodu, Lagos for cleansing so that she would not die.

“At Ikorodu, he forcefully had carnal knowledge of the girl said to be a virgin as at then. He thereafter allegedly wiped off her blood with a white handkerchief and since then, her father alleged that the girl has been behaving abnormally because she was completely devastated and traumatized by the incident”.

When approached, the suspect admitted to having raped the victim but denied wiping the blood with a cloth.

He said that his girlfriend brought the victim to him for consultation and in the process, concluded to marry her.

He said:

“ I told her ( victim) that during divination, I saw that she had a spiritual husband. She confirmed it and said that had been the cause of her problem. I told her she would need to undergo spiritual cleansing in my house at Ikorodu.

“I instructed her to bathe and pray three times. After the first bath, I secretly put a live frog in her water. When she saw it, she ran out to inform me. I told her it was a bad omen and that the only solution was for her to sleep with a man.

“I told her to call her boyfriend but she said I should sleep with her since he was far away.

“I did it because I love her and intend to marry her. But because she is my girlfriend’s friend, I couldn’t express my love for her. I did not clean the blood with a cloth”.

The suspect, according to the police boss, would be charged to court.

https://lailasnews.com/female-student-barks-after-spiritual-cleansing-by-alfa/

lalasticlala

Veteran musician, Daddy Showkey has cried out that some people are after his life and this is coming after his recent outbursts on Tanker drivers parking their tankers on major roads in Lagos, especially around his resident in Ajegunle.

Daddy Showkey took to his Instagram page this morning to make the call out to the public and inform them of the threat to his life:

He wrote:

'Information reaching me is that they are planning to kill me I dey I look una, The Tankers and Trailers Parking around our neighborhood should leave now. We are crying out now'

Daddy Showkey had earlier called out the tanker drivers earlier this month and gave them an ultimatum to drive their long vehicles out of their community as it has been affecting the easy flow of traffic.

In a video message which he addressed to Governor Akinwumi Ambode, the governor of Lagos State, the ‘Diana’ singer decried a situation where the government only acts after the damage has been done.

“This message when I wan give this morning na to Governor Ambode. I see you for that place wen tanker burn. As that tanker burn, I hear wetin you talk. But I wan tell you, people life dey in danger for Ajegunle, you never go try to save am. But you dey talk for where tanker burn. Trucks, big trucks dey park along our street and tanker dey park along our street. If one tanker burn, all the Ajengunle go go. You no go talk say you never hear say I dey talk since all these days. But the day when e go happen, make you no take a take dey talk,” he said.

https://lailasnews.com/they-are-planning-to-kill-me-daddy-showkey-cries-out-video/

I rememebr one of Synord songs that year..that I always seem to put on repeat...cant even remember the title again...but you dey try..I must say

Much has been made about the role of the white man in the transatlantic slave trade but not much attention is given to their African collaborators who amassed great wealth and influence while selling off fellow Africans to foreign lands.

In this piece for The New Yorker, a Nigerian lady named Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani faced up to her family's grim past of slave trading and human sacrifice in a riveting article for The New Yorker titled 'My Great-Grandfather The Slave-Trader'.

Read below:

My parents’ home, in Umujieze, Nigeria, stands on a hilly plot that has been in our family for more than a hundred years. Traditionally, the Igbo people bury their dead among the living, and the ideal resting place for a man and his wives is on the premises of their home. My grandfather Erasmus, the first black manager of a Bata shoe factory in Aba, is buried under what is now the visitors’ living room. My grandmother Helen, who helped establish a local church, is buried near the study. My umbilical cord is buried on the grounds, as are those of my four siblings. My eldest brother, Nnamdi, was born while my parents were studying in England, in the early nineteen-seventies; my father, Chukwuma, preserved the dried umbilical cord and, eighteen months later, brought it home to bury it by the front gate. Down the hill, near the river, in an area now overrun by bush, is the grave of my most celebrated ancestor: my great-grandfather Nwaubani Ogogo Oriaku. Nwaubani Ogogo was a slave trader who gained power and wealth by selling other Africans across the Atlantic. “He was a renowned trader,” my father told me proudly. “He dealt in palm produce and human beings.

Long before Europeans arrived, Igbos enslaved other Igbos as punishment for crimes, for the payment of debts, and as prisoners of war. The practice differed from slavery in the Americas: slaves were permitted to move freely in their communities and to own property, but they were also sometimes sacrificed in religious ceremonies or buried alive with their masters to serve them in the next life. When the transatlantic trade began, in the fifteenth century, the demand for slaves spiked. Igbo traders began kidnapping people from distant villages. Sometimes a family would sell off a disgraced relative, a practice that Ijoma Okoro, a professor of Igbo history at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, likens to the shipping of British convicts to the penal colonies in Australia: “People would say, ‘Let them go. I don’t want to see them again.’ ” Between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, nearly one and a half million Igbo slaves were sent across the Middle Passage.

My great-grandfather was given the nickname Nwaubani, which means “from the Bonny port region,” because he had the bright skin and healthy appearance associated at the time with people who lived near the coast and had access to rich foreign foods. (This became our family name.) In the late nineteenth century, he carried a slave-trading license from the Royal Niger Company, an English corporation that ruled southern Nigeria. His agents captured slaves across the region and passed them to middlemen, who brought them to the ports of Bonny and Calabar and sold them to white merchants. Slavery had already been abolished in the United States and the United Kingdom, but his slaves were legally shipped to Cuba and Brazil. To win his favor, local leaders gave him their daughters in marriage. (By his death, he had dozens of wives.) His influence drew the attention of colonial officials, who appointed him chief of Umujieze and several other towns. He presided over court cases and set up churches and schools. He built a guesthouse on the land where my parents’ home now stands, and hosted British dignitaries. To inform him of their impending arrival and verify their identities, guests sent him envelopes containing locks of their Caucasian hair.

Funeral rites for a distinguished Igbo man traditionally include the slaying of livestock—usually as many cows as his family can afford. Nwaubani Ogogo was so esteemed that, when he died, a leopard was killed, and six slaves were buried alive with him. My family inherited his canvas shoes, which he wore at a time when few Nigerians owned footwear, and the chains of his slaves, which were so heavy that, as a child, my father could hardly lift them. Throughout my upbringing, my relatives gleefully recounted Nwaubani Ogogo’s exploits. When I was about eight, my father took me to see the row of ugba trees where Nwaubani Ogogo kept his slaves chained up. In the nineteen-sixties, a family friend who taught history at a university in the U.K. saw Nwaubani Ogogo’s name mentioned in a textbook about the slave trade. Even my cousins who lived abroad learned that we had made it into the history books.

Last year, I travelled from Abuja, where I live, to Umujieze for my parents’ forty-sixth wedding anniversary. My father is the oldest man in his generation and the head of our extended family. One morning, a man arrived at our gate from a distant Anglican church that was celebrating its centenary. Its records showed that Nwaubani Ogogo had given an armed escort to the first missionaries in the region—a trio known as the Cookey brothers—to insure their safety. The man invited my father to receive an award for Nwaubani Ogogo’s work spreading the gospel. After the man left, my father sat in his favorite armchair, among a group of his grandchildren, and told stories about Nwaubani Ogogo.

“Are you not ashamed of what he did?” I asked. “I can never be ashamed of him,” he said, irritated. “Why should I be? His business was legitimate at the time. He was respected by everyone around.” My father is a lawyer and a human-rights activist who has spent much of his life challenging government abuses in southeast Nigeria. He sometimes had to flee our home to avoid being arrested. But his pride in his family was unwavering. “Not everyone could summon the courage to be a slave trader,” he said. “You had to have some boldness in you.”

My father succeeded in transmitting to me not just Nwaubani Ogogo’s stories but also pride in his life. During my school days, if a friend asked the meaning of my surname, I gave her a narrative instead of a translation. But, in the past decade, I’ve felt a growing sense of unease. African intellectuals tend to blame the West for the slave trade, but I knew that white traders couldn’t have loaded their ships without help from Africans like my great-grandfather. I read arguments for paying reparations to the descendants of American slaves and wondered whether someone might soon expect my family to contribute. Other members of my generation felt similarly unsettled. My cousin Chidi, who grew up in England, was twelve years old when he visited Nigeria and asked our uncle the meaning of our surname. He was shocked to learn our family’s history, and has been reluctant to share it with his British friends. My cousin Chioma, a doctor in Lagos, told me that she feels anguished when she watches movies about slavery. “I cry and cry and ask God to forgive our ancestors,” she said.

The British tried to end slavery among the Igbo in the early nineteen-hundreds, though the practice persisted into the nineteen-forties. In the early years of abolition, by British recommendation, masters adopted their freed slaves into their extended families. One of the slaves who joined my family was Nwaokonkwo, a convicted murderer from another village who chose slavery as an alternative to capital punishment and eventually became Nwaubani Ogogo’s most trusted manservant. In the nineteen-forties, after my great-grandfather was long dead, Nwaokonkwo was accused of attempting to poison his heir, Igbokwe, in order to steal a plot of land. My family sentenced him to banishment from the village. When he heard the verdict, he ran down the hill, flung himself on Nwaubani Ogogo’s grave, and wept, saying that my family had once given him refuge and was now casting him out. Eventually, my ancestors allowed him to remain, but instructed all their freed slaves to drop our surname and choose new names. “If they had been behaving better, they would have been accepted,” my father said.

The descendants of freed slaves in southern Nigeria, called ohu, still face significant stigma. Igbo culture forbids them from marrying freeborn people, and denies them traditional leadership titles such as Eze and Ozo. (The osu, an untouchable caste descended from slaves who served at shrines, face even more severe persecution.) My father considers the ohu in our family a thorn in our side, constantly in opposition to our decisions. In the nineteen-eighties, during a land dispute with another family, two ohu families testified against us in court. “They hate us,” my father said. “No matter how much money they have, they still have a slave mentality.” My friend Ugo, whose family had a similar disagreement with its ohu members, told me, “The dissension is coming from all these people with borrowed blood.”

I first became aware of the ohu when I attended boarding school in Owerri. I was interested to discover that another new student’s family came from Umujieze, though she told me that they hardly ever visited home. It seemed, from our conversations, that we might be related—not an unusual discovery in a large family, but exciting nonetheless. When my parents came to visit, I told them about the girl. My father quietly informed me that we were not blood relatives. She was ohu, the granddaughter of Nwaokonkwo.

I’m not sure if this revelation meant much to me at the time. The girl and I remained friendly, though we rarely spoke again about our family. But, in 2000, another friend, named Ugonna, was forbidden from marrying a man she had dated for years because her family found out that he was osu. Afterward, an osu friend named Nonye told me that growing up knowing that her ancestors were slaves was “sort of like having the bogeyman around.” Recently, I spoke to Nwannennaya, a thirty-nine-year-old ohumember of my family. “The way you people behave is as if we are inferior,” she said. Her parents kept their ohu ancestry secret from her until she was seventeen. Although our families were neighbors, she and I rarely interacted. “There was a day you saw me and asked me why I was bleaching my skin,” she said. “I was very happy because you spoke to me. I went to my mother and told her. You and I are sisters. That is how sisters are supposed to behave.”

Modernization is emboldening ohu and freeborn to intermarry, despite the threat of ostracization. “I know communities where people of slave descent have become affluent and have started demanding the right to hold positions,” Professor Okoro told me. “It is creating conflict in many communities.” Last year, in a town in Enugu State, an ohuman was appointed to a traditional leadership position, sparking mass protests. In a nearby village, an ohu man became the top police officer, giving the local ohuenough influence to push for reform. Eventually, they were apportioned a separate section of the community, where they can live according to whatever laws they please, away from the freeborn. “It will probably be a long time before all traces of slavery disappear from the minds of the people,” G. T. Basden, a British missionary, wrote of the Igbo in 1921. “Until the conscience of the people functions, the distinctions between slave and free-born will be maintained.”

Nwaubani Ogogo was believed to have acquired spiritual powers from the shrine of a deity named Njoku, which allowed him to wield influence over white colonists. Among his possessions, which are passed down to the head of the family, was the symbol of his alliance with Njoku: a pot containing a human head. “You had to cut the head straight into the pot while the person was still alive, without it touching the floor,” my father said. “It couldn’t just be anybody’s head. It had to be someone you knew.” In Nwaubani Ogogo’s case, this someone was most likely a slave. When Gilbert, my great-uncle and a previous head of our family, died in 1989, his second wife, Nnenna, a devout Christian, destroyed the pot. Shortly afterward, her children began to die mysterious deaths, one after another. Nnenna contracted a strange ailment and died in 2009. Some relatives began to fear that dark forces had been unleashed.

Last July, my father’s cousin Sunny, a professor of engineering, visited my parents to discuss another concern: a growing enmity in our family. Minor arguments had led relatives to stop speaking to one another. Several had become estranged from the family. “We always have one major disagreement or division or the other,” my father’s cousin Samuel told me. My cousin Ezeugo was not surprised by the worrying trend. “Across Igbo land, wherever there was slave trade with the white people, things never go well,” he said. “They always have problems there. Everybody has noticed it.” My relatives thought that our family’s history was coming back to haunt us.

Prior to colonization, the Igbo believed that spiritual forces controlled events. If enough misfortune piled up, a family might come to believe that it was the victim of an intergenerational curse resulting from the actions of an ancestor. Family members would seek out a juju priest, who would consult a deity, diagnose the root of the curse, and then expel it through a religious ritual. When foreign missionaries arrived, they persuaded the Igbos to embrace Christianity—openly, at least. But belief in ancestral curses has remained, cloaked in Bible passages that refer to God “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” Many churches now offer services similar to the old rituals, in which a pastor replaces the juju priest and Jesus replaces the pagan god. This way, evil forces can be exposed without Christians engaging in idolatry. Deliverance usually requires a family to pray, fast, and renounce atrocities.

In 2009, the late priest Stephen Njoku wrote a book called “Challenge and Deal with Your Evil Foundations,” in which he argued that some people should change their names to rid themselves of curses. “It’s like building a house,” he told me. “If you don’t get the foundations right, if you used substandard materials or if the stones were not laid properly, the building will inevitably develop cracks and collapse.” A number of Igbo communities with names that extol gory histories have taken new ones. In 1992, people in my home town became concerned about several unexplained deaths of young people. After a period of communal prayer, people gathered in the village hall and voted to discard the community’s historic name, Umuojameze, which means “children of Ojam, the king.” Ojam was a deity whom the townspeople had worshipped before Christianization, and to whom they had made regular human sacrifices. They chose the new name, Umujieze, which means “children who hold the kingship,” to reflect our severance from the atrocities of the past.

My relatives disagreed about the cause of our family’s curse. Most believed that it was because of Nwaubani Ogogo’s slave trading. Some suspected that it was his broken alliance with Njoku. My father thought that it might have resulted from his human sacrifices. Sunny was not sure the family was cursed at all. “If our problems are because of the sins of our fathers, why are the white people making progress despite the sins of their fathers?” he said. Nevertheless, they agreed to hold a deliverance ceremony, and settled on a plan. On three days near the end of January, from 6 a.m. until noon, family members around the world would fast and pray. My father sent out a text message in preparation that included passages from the Bible. He has never been overtly religious, and it amused me to watch him organize a global prayer session. I teased him about the fact that he would have to skip breakfast, which was usually waiting for him at the same time each morning. “I’m a saint,” he declared.

On the first day of the fast, members of my family met in small groups in London, Atlanta, and Johannesburg. Some talked on the phone, and others chatted on social media. Thirty members gathered under a canopy in my parents’ yard. With tears in his eyes, my father explained that, in Nwaubani Ogogo’s day, selling and sacrificing human beings was common practice, but that now we know it to be deeply offensive to God. He thanked God for the honor and prestige bestowed on our family through my great-grandfather, and asked God’s forgiveness for the atrocities he committed. We prayed over a passage that my father texted us from the Book of Psalms:

Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

During the ceremony, I was overwhelmed with relief. My family was finally taking a step beyond whispering and worrying. Of course, nothing can undo the harm that Nwaubani Ogogo caused. And the ohu, who are not his direct descendants, were not invited to the ceremony; their mistreatment in the region continues. Still, it felt important for my family to publicly denounce its role in the slave trade. “Our family is taking responsibility,” my cousin Chidi, who joined from London, told me. Chioma, who took part in Atlanta, said, “We were trying to make peace and atone for what our ancestors did.”

On the final day, my relatives strolled along a recently tarred stretch of road to our local Anglican church. The church was established in 1904, on land that Nwaubani Ogogo donated. Inside, a priest presided over a two-hour prayer session. At the end, he pronounced blessings on us, and proclaimed a new beginning for the Nwaubani family. After the ceremony, my family members discussed making it a yearly ritual. “This sort of thing opens up the mercy of God,” my mother, Patricia, said. “People did all these evil things but they don’t talk about it. The more people confess and renounce their evil past, the more cleansing will come to the land.”

https://lailasnews.com/nigerian-lady-opens-up-on-her-familys-slave-trade-history-must-read/

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