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Fashanu, Dolapo Awosika and Prophet Controversy: The Complete Story

Published

7 years ago

November 10, 2018

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

In the recent past, the social media has been agog with the supposed co-habitation of one Dolapo Awosika, ex-wife of Nigerian-born former international footballer, John Fashanu, and her alleged lover, Muhideen Kasali, who is also said to be a prophet.

The report goes that the estranged wife of the former footballer, who is also a British citizen and has two children with Fashanu, abandoned her matrimonial home, and ran after a supposed prophet, whom she allegedly met while on a prayer mission in Oyo State.

The report further alleged that the said Prophet Kasali kept her against her will under an influence, which has also made her sell her house in Banana Island, and chose to live with the Prophet in a remote corner of Oyo devoid of modernity.

Dolapo Awosika was thoroughly painted black in the report, with some part alleging that she goes to pray ith the intention of trapping men, among whom is the richest man in Africa, who she allegedlt had a daughter with – a child she reportedly foisted on John Fashanu.

However, in a swift response, Fashanu, through his media team, dissociated himself from the reports, saying that he is a man of honour, and will not descend to the level of throwing stones. He described the report as ‘unscrupulous and malicious content emanating from those drowning and seeking cheap and undeserving fame’. He added that no matter the paternity of the girl in question, he still loves her.

The statement read in part: “This hineous rumour is coming as a calculated distraction at the time the BIG FASH is busy with tours and projects around the world to put smiles on the faces of millions in need, but he will remain unruffled and undeterred from his course. WHETHER THE GIRL IN QUESTION IS BIOLOGICALLY MY DAUGHTER OR NOT, I LOVE HER.

“To the fans and general public, kindly disregard all such news only built on falsehood, social greed, intellectual imbecility and pathological irresponsibility on the part of their promulgators and publishers. They are misleading and only a reflection of emotional drought and sensual starvation.

The statement added that the United Nations Ambassador is very busy at the moment, but at the appropriate time, if need be, he will grant personal interviews and voice cast!

Meanwhile, the lady in the eye of the storm, Dolapo Awosika, has dismissed the story of her running to live with a prophet as lovers, saying it was a calculated attempt by a detractor to ridicule her, adding that the effort has succeeded in making her more popular contrary to expectation.

She bared her mind in a radio interview via phone as recorded below, calling out a certain Mr. Soji as the originator of the rumours surrounding her:

This is Sister Dolapo online. Go ahead, ma

I needed to come out and speak because my family and my friends are worried. It’s getting out of hand because some people think I’ve been kidnapped, which is totally ridiculous. But I want to use this platform to just tell everyone who is worried about me that I’m fine; there’s nothing wrong with me; I’ve not been kidnapped neither am I under any voodoo or ‘jazz’. I do not believe in jazz. I don’t believe in voodoo so it can’t catch me and it will never work with me. I don’t have that background. My mother is a Catholic and I’m a Redeemer, so I don’t have any background of voodoo or jazz, so that is total nonsense.

If in this day and age, people still believe that people can be jazzed and all that, I am really sorry for them. Asides that, Mr. Soji who has been slandering and writing a lot of rubbish about me, is half a man, so I refuse to give him audience. I cannot speak to a man who does not respect women. We’re not in the olden days where you can just talk down on women. I’m a woman of integrity and I know my rights. So, I refuse to give audience to a man who does not know anything about me; has never met me and decides to take on another man’s house or personal issues and makes it his own. So, obviously he’s got a lot of issues going on in his life. And I’m not on this platform to insult him or anything, but I just pity him and I pity his wife, honestly.

I don’t listen to his show anymore, but people that are concerned have sent me one or two things that he is saying about me. To be honest with you, I laugh because I know the people behind this. Now, if you hold the kind of position that I hold, if you sit in the kind of place that I’m sitting, of course you are going to have enemies. You will have enemies. Daddy is a wonderful person, he is a man of God, he is well respected. Like I said to you earlier on, to the best of my knowledge, he was living separately with his wife ‘cause there are so many women out there who would love to be in my position. Please Dorcas, so why won’t they gang up and write rubbish about me? Of course they would do that. You know the funniest thing? Let me make you laugh. For you to know, I actually had a call from one of them this morning and the person called and was saying to me, asking me how frustrated I am. You know, wanting to know, like, “I hope we are getting to you” and everything. I was just laughing; a woman for that matter! Do you understand? So, there’s a lot of nonsense going on. I know where this is coming from and I realise that I’m the main target here, do you understand? I realise that I’m the main target here. The people who were stealing from him want me out. The people who want to be in the position that I’m in now want me out, so, hello Dorcas, of course, I’m going to make enemies. So, I’m just sitting and I’m laughing because I was already told about this a couple of months back, do you understand, that I’m going to face persecution, do you understand? Jesus Christ was persecuted, Buhari, the president of the federal republic of Nigeria, is being insulted and abused. Mrs. Jonathan Goodluck was insulted when she was the wife of the president. Who am I for them not write rubbish and blog about me? Do you understand? Even Ooni of Ife and his new wife, for God’s sake, are being insulted. So, why would I complain? So, I’m sorry. Sticks and stones won’t break me! Honestly. So, please Mr. Soji, continue to blog. You’re just making me famous for the next level of my life. I’ve always liked to do things from behind. I don’t like to show my face but I’ve just realised that when you have a calling and God wants people to know you, He will push you out whether you like it or not. Watch Baba’s Facebook, I don’t show my face. I’ve got nothing to hide; God has blessed me, in every possible way that a woman can be blessed. And for your information, all those of you that are listening, no, I did not go to Baba for anything. To the glory of God, I didn’t have any problem. I went there for a friend.

Do you want us to talk about this friend now?

No no no, there’s no need to bring that up, do you understand? A friend had issues and she asked me to go there for her. She doesn’t live in this country and I was coming back from London to Nigeria. And that’s what I went for. And Baba can say that; he can confirm what I’ve just said. So, I didn’t go to do anything, I don’t go to ori-oke. As for the picture that is being brandished up and down, Dorcas, I look good without makeup and I look good with makeup! Do you understand? I’m a party-popper! When I need to go to a party, I know how to put on the things that I need to put on and I will look like a million dollars. I was praying yesterday, why would I wear makeup to go and pray? I was praying; it was a praying period yesterday for me and I was praying, so I’m sorry, I love myself even if anyone doesn’t like me. And the people around me love me as well. So, please, this is a platform for me to tell all those people who are writing nonsense about me, who are hoping I’d leave where I’m at, tell them I said “I ain’t going nowhere”. I’m here and I’m here to stay. And then please, I don’t know why Mummy ….. is so upset with me and I love that woman. I don’t know. Do you know the funniest thing is, I was telling Daddy, I said “look, you guys are live, most of you are live. So please…”, but for reasons best known to Daddy, he said that God asked him to speak. So, if a man of God tells you God asked him to speak, what do you want me to say? He should listen to me? I would never impose myself on a man. I said my bit, he said he needed to listen to his God and I’ve left him to answer his master. So, it had nothing to do with me. So please, Mr. Soji can continue, you don’t have enough information, I’m sorry, you really don’t. So please, go ahead. And the people who are paying you to write the rubbish about me, don’t worry, they are coming back to me to check if it’s hitting me. Sweetheart, it’s not hitting me at all. I’m on my way to work now. (We even have proof of their payment, Soji ole. Ole). They are paying him and they are coming back to me. Look, Dorcas, when people send you messages and tell you we are going to destroy you and we will go to any length, do you understand? And then something like this happens, will you be shocked, surprised or pained? God prepared me for this and He’s fighting my battles for me. If it was someone else with common sense, maybe I will respond to him. If it was a woman writing this, I probably would respond. But for a man to stoop so low and try and, you know, drag a woman through the mud for a matter that does not concern you, I’m very disappointed. Every time I think about him, I just cringe. Why would a man go to such lengths to destroy someone you don’t know? I’m not surprised. Dorcas, let me say it out loud now for anyone who is listening to this. I have enemies and they are very plenty and I’ve just started having enemies because the sky is not my limit, it is the beginning. I’m going places and I’ve just started. And my enemies are making me stronger.

One other thing I want you to confirm just for the general public to know, so that Soji will know that we know where all this is coming from and prepare himself, because Soji needs to give me evidence. He mentioned a name this morning, Eddy. Is Eddy dead or alive?

The only Eddy I know is alive. He is a good looking, handsome man; he’s alive and I spoke to him last week. So, I don’t know what he is talking about. So whoever the Eddy he is talking about is, maybe in his family. He is getting his information all distorted. And he’s not saying things that would upset me. He’s just making me stronger. Honestly, making me famous. People didn’t know me this well. Now, D… is famous. Wow, thanks, Soji.

Headline

Opposition Parties Reject 2026 Electoral Act, Demand Fresh Amendment

Published

10 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Eric

Opposition political parties have rejected the 2026 Electoral Act recently passed by the National Assembly, which President Bola Tinubu swiftly signed into law.

The parties called on the National Assembly to immediately begin a fresh amendment process to remove what they described as “all obnoxious provisions” in the law.

Their position was made known at a press briefing themed “Urgent Call to Save Nigeria’s Democracy,” held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Thursday.

In a communiqué read by the Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Ahmed Ajuji, the opposition leaders stated:

“We demand that the National Assembly immediately commence a fresh amendment to the Electoral Act 2026, to remove all obnoxious provisions and ensure that the Act reflects only the will and aspiration of Nigerians for free, fair, transparent and credible electoral process in our country. Nothing short of this will be acceptable to Nigerians.”

Some of the opposition leaders present in at the event include former Senate President David Mark; former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, all from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The National Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ahmed Ajuji, and other prominent members of the NNPP, notably Buba Galadima, were also in attendance.

The coalition said the amended law, signed by Bola Tinubu, contains “anti-democratic” clauses, which they argue may weaken electoral transparency and public confidence in the voting system.

At the centre of the opposition’s concerns is the amendment to Section 60(3), which allows presiding officers to rely on manual transmission of election results where there is communication failure.

According to the coalition, the provision weakens the mandatory electronic transmission of results and could create loopholes for manipulation.

They argued that Nigeria’s electoral technology infrastructure is sufficient to support nationwide electronic transmission, citing previous assurances by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The parties also rejected the amendment to Section 84, which restricts political parties to direct primaries and consensus methods for candidate selection.

They described the change as an unconstitutional intrusion into the internal affairs of parties, insisting that indirect primaries remain a legitimate democratic option.

The opposition cited alleged irregularities in the recent Federal Capital Territory local government elections as evidence of what they described as a broader pattern of electoral compromise.

They characterised the polls as a “complete fraud” and said the outcome has deepened their lack of confidence in the ability of the electoral system to deliver credible elections in 2027.

The coalition also condemned reported attacks on leaders of the African Democratic Congress in Edo State, describing the incidents as a serious threat to democratic participation and political tolerance.

They warned that increasing violence against opposition figures could destabilise the political environment if not urgently addressed.

In their joint statement, the opposition parties pledged to pursue “every constitutional means” to challenge the Electoral Act 2026 and safeguard voters’ rights.

“We will not be intimidated,” the leaders said, urging civil society organisations and citizens to support efforts aimed at protecting Nigeria’s democratic system.

On February 18, 2026, President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) 2026 into law following its passage by the National Assembly. The Act introduced several reforms, including statutory recognition of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and revised election timelines.

However, opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have also called for further amendments, particularly over the manual transmission fallback clause, which critics say leaves room for manipulation.

The president said the law will strengthen democracy and prevent voter disenfranchisement.

Tinubu defended manual collation of results, questioned Nigeria’s readiness for full real-time electronic transmission, and warned against technical glitches and hacking.

The Electoral Act sparked intense debate in the National Assembly over how election results should be transmitted ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Civil society groups under the “Occupy NASS” campaign demanded real-time transmission to curb manipulation.

In the Senate, lawmakers clashed during consideration of Clause 60, which allows manual transmission of results if electronic transmission fails.

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (ADC, Abia South) demanded a formal vote to remove the proviso permitting manual transmission, arguing against weakening real-time electronic reporting.

The move led to a heated exchange on the floor, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially suggesting the demand had been withdrawn.

After procedural disputes and a brief confrontation among senators, a division was conducted. Fifteen opposition senators voted against retaining the manual transmission proviso, while 55 supported it, allowing the clause to stand.

Earlier proceedings had briefly stalled during clause-by-clause review, prompting consultations and a closed-door session.

In the House of Representatives, a similar disagreement came up over a motion to rescind an earlier decision that mandated compulsory real-time electronic transmission of results to IReV.

Although the “nays” were louder during a voice vote, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas ruled in favour of rescinding the decision, triggering protests and an executive session.

Headline

AFP: How Tinubu’s Govt Paid Boko Haram ‘Huge’ Ransom, Released Two Terrorists for Kidnapped Saint Mary’s Pupils

Published

3 days ago

February 24, 2026

Eric

The Nigerian government paid Boko Haram militants a “huge” ransom of millions of dollars to free up to 230 children and staff the jihadists abducted from a Catholic school in November, an AFP investigation revealed Monday.

Two Boko Haram commanders were also freed as part of the deal, which goes against the country’s own law banning payments to kidnappers. The money was delivered by helicopter to Boko Haram’s Gwoza stronghold in northeastern Borno state on the border with Cameroon, intelligence sources told AFP.

The decision to pay the militants is likely to irritate US President Donald Trump, who ordered air strikes on jihadists in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day and has been sent military trainers to help support Nigerian forces.

Nigerian government officials deny any ransom was paid to the armed gang that snatched close to 300 schoolchildren and staff from St. Mary’s boarding school in Papiri in central Niger state on November 21. At least 50 later managed to escape their captors.

Boko Haram has not been previously linked to the kidnapping, but sources told AFP one of its most feared commanders was behind the mass abduction: the notorious jihadist known as Sadiku.

He infamously held up a train from the capital in 2022 and netted hefty ransoms for the release of government officials and other well-off passengers.

Boko Haram, which has waged a bloody insurgency since 2009, is strongest in northeast Nigeria.

But a cell in central Niger state operates under Sadiku’s leadership. The St. Mary’s pupils and staff were freed after two weeks of negotiations led by Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, with the government insisting no ransom was paid. Nigeria’s State Security Service flatly denied paying any money, saying “government agents don’t pay ransoms”.

However, four intelligence sources familiar with the talks told AFP the government paid a “huge” ransom to get the pupils back. One source put it at 40 million naira per head – around $7 million in total.

Another put the figure lower at two billion naira overall. The money was delivered by chopper to Ali Ngulde, a Boko Haram commander in the northeast, three sources told AFP.

Due to the lack of communications cover in the remote area, Ngulde had to cross into Cameroon to confirm delivery of the ransom before the first group of 100 children were released.

Nigeria has long been plagued by mass abductions, with criminals and jihadist groups sometimes working together to extort millions from hostages’ families, and authorities seemingly powerless to stop them.

Source: Africanews

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Unlawful Invasion: El-Rufai Drags ICPC, IGP, Others to Court, Demands N1bn Damages

Published

4 days ago

February 23, 2026

Eric

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has slammed a ₦1 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for what he claimed was an unlawful invasion of his Abuja residence.

El-Rufai, in a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, also listed the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT, Abuja Magisterial District; Inspector-General of Police, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as 2nd to 4th respondents respectively.

According to the suit filed through his lawyers, led by Oluwole Iyamu, El-Rufai prayed the court to declare that the search warrant issued on February 4 by the Chief Magistrate, Magistrate’s Court of the FCT (2nd respondent), authorising the search and seizure at his residence as invalid, null and void.

Security operatives had stormed and searched the former Governor’s residence in the ongoing investigations against him.

However, he argued in the case marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, that the search was in violation of Section 37 of the Constitution, and urged the court to declare that the search warrant was “null and void for lack of particularity, material drafting errors, ambiguity in execution parameters, overbreadth, and absence of probable cause thereby constituting an unlawful and unreasonable search.”

In the suit dated and filed February 20 by Iyamu, ex-governor, who is currently under detention, sought seven reliefs.

He prayed the court to declare that the invasion and search of his residence at House 12, Mambilla Street, Aso Drive, Abuja, on Feb. 19 at about 2pm and executed by agents of ICPC and I-G, “under the aforesaid invalid warrant, amounts to a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to dignity of the human person, personal liberty, fair hearing, and privacy under Sections 34, 35, 36, and 37 of the Constitution.”

He urged the court to declare that “any evidence obtained pursuant to the aforesaid invalid warrant and unlawful search is inadmissible in any proceedings against the applicant, as it was procured in breach of constitutional safeguards.”

El-Rufai, therefore, sought an order of injunction restraining the respondents and their agents from further relying on, using, or tendering any evidence or items seized during the unlawful search in any investigation, prosecution, or proceedings involving him.

“An order directing the Ist and 3rd respondents (ICPC and I-G) to forthwith return all items seized from the applicant’s premises during the unlawful search, together with a detailed inventory thereof.

“An order awarding the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) as general, exemplary, and aggravated damages against the respondents jointly and severally for the violations of the applicant’s fundamental rights, including trespass, unlawful seizure, and the resultant psychological trauma, humiliation, distress, infringement of privacy, and reputational harm.”

The breakdown of the ₦1 billion in damages includes “a N300 million as compensatory damages for psychological trauma, emotional distress, and loss of personal security;

“A ₦400 million as exemplary damages to deter future misconduct by law enforcement agencies and vindicate the applicant’s rights.

“A ₦300 million as aggravated damages for the malicious, high-handed and oppressive nature of the respondents’ actions, including the use of a patently defective warrant procured through misleading representations.”

He equally sought ₦100 million as the cost of filing the suit, including legal fees and associated expenses.

Iyamu argued that the search warrant was fundamentally defective, lacking specificity in the description of items to be seized, containing material typographical errors, ambiguous execution terms, overbroad directives, and no verifiable probable cause.

He added that the warrant violated Sections 143-148 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015; Section 36 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) Act, 2000, and constitutional protections against arbitrary intrusions and several other constitutional provisions.

“Section 146 stipulates that the warrant must be in the prescribed form, free from defects that could mislead, but the document is riddled with errors in the address, date, and district designation;

“Section 147 allows direction to specified persons, but the warrant’s indiscriminate addressing to “all officers is overbroad and unaccountable.

“Section 148 permits execution at reasonable times, but the contradictory language creates ambiguity, undermining procedural clarity,” he submitted.

Iyamu stated that the execution of the invalid warrant on Feb. 19 resulted in an unlawful invasion of his client’s premises, constituting violations of the rights to dignity (Section 34), personal liberty (Section 35), fair hearing (Section 36), and privacy (Section 37) of the Constitution.

He further argued that the search was conducted without legal justification and in a manner that inflicted humiliation and distress.

“Evidence obtained without a valid warrant is unlawful and inadmissible, as established in judicial precedents such as C.O.P. v. Omoh (1969) NCLR 137, where the court ruled that evidence procured through improper means contravenes fundamental rights and must be excluded,” he said.

In the affidavit in support of the application, Mohammed Shaba, a Principal Secretary to the former governor, averred that on Feb. 19 at about 2p.m., officers from the ICPC and Nigeria Police Force invaded the residence under a purported search warrant issued on or about Feb. 4.

According to him, the said warrant is invalid due to its lack of specificity, errors, and other defects as outlined in the grounds of this application.

He said the “search warrant did not specify the properties or items being searched for.”

Shaba stated that the officers failed to submit themselves for search as provided by the law before proceeding with the search.

“That the Magistrate did not specify the magisterial district wherein he sits.

“That during the invasion, the officers searched the applicant’s premises without lawful authority, seized personal items including documents and electronic devices, and caused the applicant undue humiliation, psychological trauma, and distress.

“Now shown to me and marked as ‘EXHIBIT B’ Is the list of the items carted away.

“That no items seized have been returned, and the respondents continue to rely on the unlawful evidence.

“That the applicant suffered violations of his constitutional rights as a result, and this application is brought in good faith to enforce same,” Shaba said.

Source: Naijanews.com