Category Entertainment News

Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has lauded Nollywood icon Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, describing her as ‘a treasure’ for the nation’s development.

He spoke at the actress’ directorial debut, Mother’s Love, which premiered in Lagos on Sunday at Alliance Française in Ikoyi.

When asked about the “A-list” actress, Obasanjo drew her close in a show of fatherly pride, stating, “We have a treasure that we must keep and utilise for the development and growth of Nigeria, and there are many (other filmmakers) like that.

“We have to keep them and bring them to make meaningful contributions.”

While Nigerian movie premieres attract high-profile guests, it was unusual to have a former president attend such events.

The 88-year-old former military head of state, adorned in a white ‘Agbada’ and blue ‘fila,’ did not just attend; he immersed himself in the festivities, taking pictures and engaging with the press.

As expected, the sight of ‘Baba’ at the movie premiere sent social media into a frenzy.

Reactions online were diverse: many netizens found the former president’s appearance heartwarming and a “big win” for Nollywood’s validation, while others viewed the high-profile guest list as a masterstroke of marketing.

READ ALSO: Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde Premieres Directorial Debut Mother’s Love In Lagos

The premiere served as a dual celebration, marking Omotola’s 30th year on stage.

Having started her career in the early 90s, she has appeared in over 100 films—including classics like Mortal Inheritance and international hits like Ije and Alter Ego.

Omotola’s latest stride is not a solitary one.

She represents a decade-long surge in Nollywood’s evolution, where talents are no longer just “actors” but significant cultural exports.

With Mother’s Love, she steps behind the camera to empower bold storytelling.

The film, which stars Olumide Owuru, Noray Nehita, and Ifeanyi Kalu, explores the visceral reality of sacrifice, a theme that resonates with Omotola’s own life as a mother of four and wife to Capt. Matthew Ekeinde.

By taking the director’s chair, she joins the ranks of visionaries like Kunle Afolayan, Funke Akindele, Niyi Akinmolayan, Toyin Abraham, and Genevieve Nnaji, all of whom have contributed significantly to the industry’s economic and creative growth.

British rapper “Ghetts” was jailed on Tuesday by a London court for 12 years for killing a student while speeding and over the drink-drive limit.

The award-winning grime artiste, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, failed to stop after his BMW hit Nepalese national Yubin Tamang, 20, in northeast London last October.

The 41-year-old defendant admitted causing death by dangerous driving.

At his sentencing at London’s Old Bailey court, judge Mark Lucraft handed down the 12-year prison term and disqualified him from driving for 17 years.

He told Clarke-Samuel that CCTV footage showed a “quite appalling litany of incidents” leading up to the fatal collision, which was “simply shocking”.

The judge noted the father-of-two’s “genuine remorse” and letters of support, including from his partner, setting out how he had used his career in music to make a positive impact on his community.

READ ALSO: Suspected Drug Dealer Arrested After 13 Years In Hiding

Ghetts, who has collaborated on tracks with Ed Sheeran and won the best male act prize at the Music of Black Origin (Mobo) Awards in 2021, was said to be one-and-a-half times over the legal drink-drive limit before the crash.

He went through six red traffic lights, repeatedly veered onto the wrong side of the road and was driving at more than twice the speed limit in a 30-mph (48 kilometres per hour) zone before his car hit Tamang as he was crossing the road, the court was told.

The defendant made no call to emergency services and Tamang died in hospital from his injuries two days later.

Clarke-Samuel had 12 previous convictions for 27 crimes from the age of 16, including robbery, aggravated vehicle taking and driving offences.

Sharmila Tamang, the victim’s mother, wept as she read out a statement about her only child in court.

“My son had come for his studies to the UK saying the UK had the best degree in the world,” she said.

Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy and other stars have descended on Birmingham for the “Peaky Blinders” movie world premiere, with England’s so-called second city in raptures over its signature show getting the Hollywood treatment.

Murphy was joined by fellow acting A-listers Tim Roth and Rebecca Ferguson, rockers Fontaines D.C. and a host of Premier League footballers for Monday’s glitzy unveiling of the hit TV series’ spin-off film.

Irish actor Murphy told AFP that Birmingham — nicknamed Brum in Britain — was “the only place it could ever happen” given the city was “a character” across the cult show’s six seasons and new big-screen offering.

The 49-year-old “Oppenheimer” star said getting compatriot Barry Keoghan — who features for the first time in the gritty historical crime drama as his wayward son in the movie — was “always the only choice”.

“I sent him a text on Father’s Day apparently — I’d forgotten it was Father’s Day! — and asked him did he want to be in it,” Murphy revealed on the red carpet. “We know each other… he’s just unbelievable on camera.”

Hundreds of fans, many dressed in the show’s beloved 1920s and 1930s attire, gathered near Birmingham’s famous canals for the premiere of “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man”, which lands in cinemas Friday and on Netflix March 20.

Pulsing music by Fontaines D.C., which helps soundtrack the movie, blared out as the cast posed for photos in front of a “Peaky Blinders” sign set ablaze with pyrotechnics.

The city station’s famous mechanical bull statue boasted one of the series’ emblematic flat caps, as locals and visitors also wearing them had their pictures taken by photographers dressed as show characters.

‘Fitting’

The BBC series, which first aired in 2013, helped put Birmingham — and the working-class flat caps donned by its characters — back on the global map.

The name “Peaky Blinders” comes from the city’s notorious street gangs of the late 19th and early 20th century who apparently kept razor blades in the headwear.

The show’s six seasons chronicle the exploits of crime boss Thomas Shelby (Murphy) and his clan between the two world wars.

The film — written by series creator Steven Knight — picks up the story during WWII, with Shelby returning to Birmingham from a self-imposed exile in the countryside as his estranged son Duke runs wild.

“I really wanted it to be set in the war,” Knight told AFP.

“In that time, when the bombs are falling, people become very hedonistic because they don’t know if they’re going to be alive the next day, so almost the Peaky Blinders ethos becomes a general ethos.”

The movie’s director, Tom Harper, said throwing Cillian Murphy’s character back into war-time drama felt “fitting”, given he had been moulded by “the violence and the trauma of the First World War”.

“Just having that kind of explosive nature of the Second World War, echoing the explosive nature of the narrative, feels fitting,” he added.

The film — which boasts several new characters including Roth’s Beckett and Ferguson’s Kaulo — could be the final chapter in the “Peaky Blinders” saga.

Northern Irish actor Packy Lee, an ever-present as Johnny Dogs, said it had been an incredible “rollercoaster ride”.

“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he told AFP. “It’s been almost 14 years of my life playing the same character!”

Barely two weeks after warning against alleged intimidation and harassment, Punuka Attorneys & Solicitors, counsel to Sophia Momodu in her child custody dispute with singer David “Davido” Adeleke, has issued a pre-action notice to the artiste, demanding ₦1 billion in damages and a public apology.

The notice follows a tense courtroom exchange between Davido and one of the firm’s partners, Ebelechukwu Enedah, during proceedings relating to the custody of his daughter, Imade.

The disagreement reportedly arose after Enedah mentioned the singer’s late son, Ifeanyi, during cross-examination. Davido subsequently took to his X page to criticise the lawyer.

In response, the firm condemned what it described as derogatory remarks made against Enedah and reiterated its commitment to pursuing justice strictly in accordance with the law.

READ ALSO: Dele Momodu Confirms Talks To Resolve Davido, Sophia Custody Dispute

In a letter dated February 24, and signed by Decency Nkume, Associate, and Nnamdi Oragwu, Partner, the firm stated that it acted on Enedah’s instructions and formally notified the singer of her intention to commence legal proceedings should its demands not be met.

According to the letter, the demands are in line with the High Court of Lagos (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019, which require parties to make genuine efforts at amicable settlement before initiating litigation.

The firm stated, “Our Client hereby demands as follows: Immediately cease from any further direct or indirect commentary, publications, posts, or statements (including via affiliates or cohorts) relating to this matter, our Client, opposing counsel, or the proceedings while the suit remains sub judice.

“Issue clear and unequivocal public statement across all your verified social media platforms (Instagram, X, etc.), expressly withdrawing all prior derogatory, defamatory, and abusive statements, apologising for the harm caused, and directing your associates, followers, and cohorts to immediately desist from any harassment, threats, intimidation, contact, or publication directed at our client or her family.”

The firm further demanded that the “If” crooner publish a formal written apology to Mrs Enedah, tagging her social media handle, and retract what it described as defamatory statements and acts of cyberbullying. The apology, it said, must be published with equal prominence on all his verified social media platforms and in at least two widely circulated national daily newspapers in Nigeria.

It also sought compensation in the sum of ₦1,000,000,000.

“We do not expect that you will fail to comply with the above demands. However, take notice that should you fail to comply with our Client’s demand within seven (7) days from the receipt of this letter, our Client shall commence an action against you at the High Court of Lagos to claim the above reliefs/demands. Please be assured of our utmost professional regards,” the letter added.

The dispute is the latest development in the protracted custody battle over Imade, whom Davido welcomed with Sophia Momodu in May 2015.

In June 2024, the singer approached the court seeking joint custody of his daughter, alongside unrestricted access to the child. The move followed a series of public and private disagreements between the former couple.

British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean triumphed Saturday at the Brit Awards, claiming four prizes at the UK’s biggest annual music celebration held for the first time in Manchester, northwest England.

After topping the charts at home and abroad with her monster hit “Man I Need” and lauded album “The Art of Loving”, the 26-year-old dominated the star-studded awards ceremony at the city’s Co-op Live arena.

Weeks after winning the best new artist Grammy, she bagged the evening’s most coveted Album Of The Year gong, beating out indie singer Sam Fender, rockers Wolf Alice, pop star Lily Allen and rapper Dave.

Dean also won best artist, best pop act and — alongside Fender — song of the year for their single “Rein Me In”, topping the likes of British stars Raye, Lola Young and Calvin Harris.

“Thank you so much for believing in me when I didn’t really believe in myself sometimes,” an emotional Dean said as she accepted the best album accolade.

“This album is just about love and loving each other in a world that feels lovelessness right now.”

READ ALSO: Olivia Dean, Little Simz, Central Cee Lead 2026 MOBO Nominations

Rising star Young did not leave empty-handed, picking up best breakthrough artist while Wolf Alice snagged group of the year.

“It is a great time in British music and music in general, and I’m just so proud to be a part of it,” 25-year-old “Messy” singer Young said in her acceptance speech.

Pep Appearance

Spanish singer Rosalia, who won best international artist, delivered an electric performance featuring Bjork. The Icelandic singer-songwriter emerged from a choreographed dance ensemble to showcase their hit song “Berghain”.

K-pop idol Rose — a member of Blackpink — and Bruno Mars won the international song of the year for their viral hit “APT” while Brooklyn rockers Geese bagged best international group.

Collecting the prize, band drummer Max Bassin was bleeped out from the British television broadcast of the event after telling the audience “free Palestine”

The Brit Awards have recognised the cream of British and global pop music since they were first held in 1977, but have often been peppered with scandal and farce.

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker famously stormed the stage in protest while Michael Jackson performed surrounded by children in 1996, while Madonna suffered whiplash injuries in 2015.

Its setting this year in Manchester, synonymous with legendary bands including the recently reunited Oasis, was notable.

The band’s Noel Gallagher was in attendance to collect the gong for songwriter of the year.

A die-hard Manchester City fan, the club’s manager Pep Guardiola made a special video tribute, telling the Oasis legend “I’m so proud of you… and I love you”.

Harry Styles Performance

Producer and DJ Mark Ronson was also honoured, with the outstanding contribution to music award.

He got behind the turntables for a mini-set that eulogised his former collaborator Amy Winehouse — who died in 2011 — and featured US rapper Ghostface Killah and Dua Lipa.

Late rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s wife Sharon and daughter Kelly collected the lifetime achievement award for the Black Sabbath frontman before pop star Robbie Williams performed a tribute track in his honour.

Earlier, Harry Styles had opened the night with a performance of his new single “Aperture”, ahead of the much-anticipated release of his new album next Friday.

Known for his style as well as his music, the former One Direction star was dressed in a Chanel pinstriped suit and was joined on-stage by a gospel choir.