Entertainment
Nigeria is killing me – Yemi Solade
Popular actor, Yemi Solade, on Saturday said he has given up on Nigeria as the hardship in the country is killing him while also disclosing plans to relocate to another country.
He decried the state of Yoruba movie industry as money being paid him cannot provide basic needs for him and his family.
According to him, an actor who lives a luxury life does not get his money by solely acting as some of them work with politicians, governors to make ends meet.
Solade told Punch, “For the first time in a long while, I gave up on Nigeria. I might decide to relocate to another country and this is what I always criticise my colleagues for. Nigeria is killing me. I have been so patriotic, but I think I have to face the reality now.
“I have a job that is not putting meals on my table the way it should and I don’t want my children to suffer. It is terrible if we continue to lose our best minds to other countries. I don’t want to have money like Femi Otedola; I don’t pray for it and I don’t need it at my age. All I need are the basic things in life, which I can use to take care of myself, my wife and my children.
“I struggle to get good jobs; I have done my best. I should have left Nigeria 20 years ago, but I stayed to contribute my quota to its development. I am getting older; I am older than some of the governors in Nigeria and I cannot be running to them for survival. I cannot steal money like some people do and we all know that stealing is not good. I pay my bills with the pay I get from producers, but it is tiny. I am bleeding inwards right now and it is not good for my age. I have to begin to look elsewhere for survival.
“I am a thoroughbred professional. I don’t know what my colleagues do, though I see most of them running after people in government. I cannot serve one or two senators who will probably give me a jeep or any other car.
“Anytime I want to travel, the senator takes care of my ticket also. But that is not my orientation. I don’t need to run to anyone when I have a job. There is no way anyone will tell me that an actor who drives a luxury car gets the money from acting.”
“Inasmuch as I don’t want to go into details, we all know this. Once our profession is attractive, actors don’t need to struggle to pay their bills. I have been an actor for over four decades; so, if I ask for N2m for a role, is it too much? Wizkid and Davido only perform on stage for a few minutes and they attract millions of naira. I am happy for these young men, but it is not the case for actors who spend long hours on set.
“The Yoruba arm of the industry is not as lucrative as you think. For me, I just stick to the job and I depend on whatever I earn as an actor from producers. From the look of things, the few of us who started early in the industry are the ones suffering. ”
“I am happy for the likes of Odunlade Adekola, who came afterwards and they feel he is better. Since the younger people share the resources with each other, what do I do? I am not a producer and I don’t think there is anything wrong about that. Once a producer calls you and you demand a certain amount, they run away and bring in their untrained friends. The actors who are getting it right should tell us how they have been able to live very comfortable.
“I have people that I go to for one help or the other, but they trivialise it and I can’t be begging you because I want you to invest in a project. Once you go to them for assistance, they can ask you to link them up with one actress,” the thespian added.
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.
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