Entertainment
Ekiti College of Education expresses readiness to collaborate with Council of Arts and Culture
Authority of the College of Education , Ikere-Ekiti, yesterday pledged its renewed commitment to collaborate with Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture in rejuvenation and promotion of creative arts, music and theater in the state.
The College Provost, Dr. Vincent Kehinde disclosed this while hosting the management of the council led by its Director General, Ambassador Wale Ojo Lanre in the school.
Dr Kehinde, who was represented by Dr Babatope Omoyajowo, Dean Postgraduate studies said the school was opened to any form of collaboration that would enhance academics , skill acquisition, discovery of talents and showcasing the diligence of its students and lecturers to the world.
” We have quality lecturers and diligently committed students who are adept, skilled , horned and professional in the major aspects of the creative industry, music, theatre and fine arts and who are ever ready to work, collaborate and form a synergy of creative purpose with the government”, he said.
He commended Governor Kayode Fayemi for instituting a regime of cultural and value renaissance at this point in time when the society has lost it moral sense
The Heads of Department of Music, Dr E.O. Olusegun,Theatre Arts, Dr Omololu Abe and Dr Odunayo Ajayi of Fine arts in their remarks commended the Ojo Lanre led management of Arts and Culture for the bold step taken in involving the academics as part of the stakeholders in Arts and Cultural sector in the state.
They also assured him of their support in organizing events, exhibition, performances and other activities that will enhance their skills and showcase their talents to the world .
The DG, Ambassador Wale Ojo Lanre in his address averred that the citadel of learning is noted for its outstanding record in developing talents in creative industry.
He added that the council will involve, consult and encourage all tertiary institutions and other stakeholders in building a formidable team that will champion and enhance Ekiti Arts and Culture through music , drama and others.
“Our mandate is to rebrand, rejuvenate and reawaken the consciousness of our people on development of arts and cultural rejuvenation in the state which is in line with the value reorientation of Dr Kayode Fayemi led administration.”
Ojo lanre, who was accompanied by two directors of the Council ,Director ,Arts and Artifacts Mr Tunde Adewumi and Director , Research and Documentation, Mr Abdul Babalola said that the task of enhancing the cultural and arts potentialities of Ekiti state was a collective endeavour which required all hands to be on deck .
Entertainment
Eight Stabbed, Hundreds Arrested at Notting Hill Carnival
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that eight people were stabbed and hundreds were arrested during last weekend’s Notting Hill Carnival, one of the world’s largest street festivals, held annually in west London.
In an update on their policing operation late Monday, the Met reported that five people were stabbed on the final day of the three-day celebration, which is internationally renowned for its vibrant display of British Afro-Caribbean culture.
This followed three other stabbings on Sunday. Three of the victims were left in life-threatening conditions.
Police made at least 230 arrests on Monday alone, including 49 for possession of an offensive weapon.
These arrests added to the scores of others made earlier in the weekend. In addition to the arrests, three firearms were seized, and 35 officers sustained injuries during the event, which attracts around a million attendees every August bank holiday weekend.
The number of arrests and incidents this year closely mirrors last year’s figures when there were 10 stabbings and approximately 300 arrests.
Despite the heavy police presence, with around 7,000 officers deployed, the carnival was once again marred by violence, particularly knife crime. Nevertheless, the vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of revellers enjoyed the event without incident, filling the streets of Notting Hill with colour, music, and dancing.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Ade Adelekan expressed his frustration over the recurring violence, noting that a woman attending the carnival with her child was among those stabbed.
“We only very narrowly avoided a fatality,” he said, urging attendees to report any crimes they witness.
The Notting Hill Carnival, a celebration of British Afro-Caribbean culture, has its roots in the 1950s, following the post-World War II influx of immigrants from former British colonies.
The annual event is known for its feathered dancers, steel bands, and earth-shaking sound systems, symbolizing the rich cultural heritage of the Afro-Caribbean community in the UK.
Entertainment
Portable Granted Bail After Night in Police Cell Over ₦14m Debt
The Lagos State Police Command has freed renowned street artist, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, following a night spent in police detention.
Portable was apprehended on Tuesday in Lagos’ Abule Egba vicinity for purportedly defaulting on the balance payment for a G-Wagon vehicle he had purchased from an auto dealer.
Reports suggest that although the ‘Zazoo Zeh’ maestro acquired the vehicle valued at ₦27 million, he only disbursed ₦13 million, leaving a ₦14 million outstanding balance.
In footage that went viral, Portable was observed scaling a gate as law enforcement officers approached him with an arrest warrant.
Subsequently, another video emerged depicting him being restrained, handcuffed, and conveyed by approximately four policemen into a waiting vehicle.
During the altercation, a female voice, purportedly that of the car dealer, was heard in the background, issuing profanities and recounting Portable’s alleged threats when confronted about settling the debt.
The Police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Portable was released on bail on Wednesday after spending Tuesday night in police custody.
He further disclosed that both Portable and the car dealer are expected to reconvene at a later date.
“He (Portable) has been released; he was granted bail on Wednesday to come back with the complainant later,” Hundeyin stated, stressing that “the outcome of that meeting will determine our next line of action.”
This incident marks not the first encounter between the singer and law enforcement.
In April 2023, Portable was detained by the police in Ogun State and arraigned on five charges related to alleged assault and theft at the Ifo Magistrate Court, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Subsequently, he was held at the Ilaro Correctional Centre before being released upon meeting bail conditions.
Entertainment
Autopsy Results Fail to Determine Cause of Mohbad’s Death
In a recent inquiry into the untimely demise of Nigerian musician, Ilerioluwa Aloba, better known as Mohbad, held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Prof. Sunday Osiyemi, a Forensic Scientist and Pathologist, revealed that the results of the autopsy conducted on the deceased failed to unveil the cause of death.
Speaking before Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi, who presided over the coroner’s inquiry, Prof. Osiyemi cited various factors contributing to the inconclusive findings, notably the significant decomposition of the body due to the extended delay of 21 days before the autopsy was performed.
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu, representing Mohbad’s family, emphasised that according to the pathologist, the body should have been exhumed within 12 hours post-burial to prevent decomposition, a critical factor in determining the cause of death.
Shittu further elucidated that the pathologist referenced the administration of certain drugs to Mohbad before his demise, suggesting a potential correlation between the drugs and the difficulties encountered in pinpointing the cause of death.
“He also went further to say that it may be attributed to reactions to certain drugs administered on him before he died. Again he then qualified that to say he does not know whether it is those drugs that actually led to his death,” Shittu stated.
With the cause of death remaining elusive, the coroner adjourned the proceedings to June 11th for further examination and cross-examination of the pathologist’s findings, signaling a continuation in the quest for answers surrounding Mohbad’s untimely passing.