Entertainment

Rape allegation: Lawyers want Fatoyinbo tried in Lagos

Published

7 years ago

July 9, 2019

Eric

A civil rights organisation under the aegis of Coalition of Public Interests Lawyers and Advocates, on Monday opened a fresh chapter in the allegation of rape against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Commonwealth Zion Assembly.

The organisation specifically said information at its disposal suggested that the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, was planning to transfer the case to Abuja.

The convener of COPA, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a statement in Abuja, said the case would be diligently monitored with a view to checking the abuse of the process by parties.

Rather than transfer the case to Abuja, he advised that priority must also be given to the security and convenience of the vital and primary witness and Fatoyinbo’s alleged rape victim, Busayo Dakolo.

Olajengbesi reminded the police that a valid and active warrant of arrest against Fatoyinbo had yet to be executed, adding that the police would be setting itself up for ridicule and suspicion, “and are in themselves in gross contempt of their oath of office and duties as enforcers of civil and criminal discipline.”

According to him, the handling of such a delicate, yet grievous allegation against Fatoyinbo “will go a long way to either mar or make the reputation of the Nigeria Police Force as an institution of discipline and an objective principal in the pursuit of justice.”

While demanding that the allegation of rape must not be moved to Abuja for Fatoyinbo’s sake, Olajengbesi said keen observation of the processes being undertaken by the police on the matter revealed “a lacklustre and suspicious plot underfoot to give a soft landing to the suspect.”

The statement read: “Our demands are simply that the matter be allowed its due course within the jurisdiction where the complaint was filed. Transferring the case to Abuja from Lagos where it was originally filed prejudices the complainant while extending a kid’s glove to the accused who perhaps feels too connected to deign to go to Lagos to answer to the serious allegations against him.

“We are vehemently opposed to such a move and demand that this matter be thoroughly investigated and the accused invited to the place of domicile of the victim especially given the matter was filed there.

“Let it be abundantly clear that we are sufficiently conscious of the law in matters of jurisdiction as to investigation and prosecution of criminal matters. In this matter, investigation can take place in Lagos, Nigeria and if any place should be given premium attention, it is the place of residence of the victim to aid and facilitate proper information needed by the police and not the place of residence of the accused.

“We have noticed with displeasure the usual mischievous moves that have come to characterise the Nigeria Police Force in the past whenever it is set to deliberately or negligently mess up a case of such importance.

“We do hereby state emphatically that the Nigeria Police Force is not handling the Fatoyinbo rape allegation with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. This is wrong, condemnable and very much in disregard of the need to ensure that justice is done in the matter regardless of whose ox is gored.

“A warrant of arrest was issued to secure Biodun Fatoyinbo to answer questions in line with the police investigation. Unfortunately, nothing has been done and Fatoyinbo has continued to walk freely without reporting to the police station. Instead of arresting him for proper interrogation, the police have now changed gear after days of filing the complaint with the victim now being unduly pressurised to relocate to Abuja or to fly to Abuja every day as the Nigeria Police Force intend to transfer the matter there. This is unacceptable.

“We totally reject all attempts by the IGP to unduly transfer the matter to Abuja where the accused is resident. This is like giving the accused person a red carpet treatment when he should actually be thoroughly investigated. Though we acknowledge the fact that the IGP has the administrative discretion to transfer matters to any division or jurisdiction for proper investigation, we make bold to say that same must be exercised judiciously and professionally.

“We call on the IGP to drop his personal interest in this matter, where any, and allow justice take its full course as a respecter of no one. We have sufficient information that the IGP has taken personal interest in the case as Mr. Biodun Fatoyinbo has influenced him into redirecting the case to Abuja where it would most likely be suffocated and dropped.

“In any case, where the Nigeria Police Force attempt to bring up argument of where the elements of the offence took place to determine prosecution, let it be known that it is Ilorin, Kwara State not Abuja. The alleged case happened in Ilorin years back. The victim now lives in Lagos and the suspect is in Abuja.”

blic Interests Lawyers and Advocates, on Monday opened a fresh chapter in the allegation of rape against Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo of Commonwealth Zion Assembly.

The organisation specifically said information at its disposal suggested that the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, was planning to transfer the case to Abuja.

The convener of COPA, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a statement in Abuja, said the case would be diligently monitored with a view to checking the abuse of the process by parties.

Entertainment

Davido to Perform at FIFA World Cup 2026 Concert in Los Angeles

Published

7 days ago

June 3, 2026

Eric

Award-winning artiste – Davido – is scheduled to perform at FIFA’s World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles, adding another major global platform to his career.

Davido will perform alongside Major Lazer, the music project led by producer Diplo.

FIFA announced the lineup on Instagram, noting that more special guests will be unveiled in the coming days.

The concert is part of FIFA’s first synchronised live entertainment series across the tournament’s three host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Featuring Diplo’s Major Lazer and Davido, and more special guests to be announced soon,” FIFA wrote.

The Los Angeles show will open doors at 5:00pm PT, with the live broadcast beginning at 6:00pm PT.

The series is designed to link audiences across the host countries, with simultaneous live performances streamed from Mexico City and Toronto.

FIFA said the event will stream globally across its digital platforms, including an exclusive livestream on TikTok.

Full concert and behind-the-scenes footage will be available on VuMe Live the following day.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11, 2026.

Entertainment

Renowned Singer of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, Peabo Bryson, Dies at 75

Published

7 days ago

June 3, 2026

Eric

Peabo Bryson has died at the age of 75. The singer was known for singing soul ballads, and particularly duets. In 1991, “Beauty and the Beast,” his duet of the title song from the Disney film with Céline Dion, became a massive hit. A year later, he and Regina Belle released “A Whole New World” from Aladdin, and it became the first song from an animated film to reach No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100.

Bryson died Tuesday, June 2 surrounded by family, just days after suffering a stroke.

“We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world,” Bryson’s family said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit. His legacy and music will live on for generations to come.”

Bryson was born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, S.C., in 1951. “And, as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been into music,” he told Soul magazine in 1978. “It’s all I ever wanted to really deal with, and of course, like everyone else, I had to make that decision — I guess when I was around 14 — as to what I was going to get into, career-wise. Well, I’d thought about being a doctor or something like that, but I really felt that music was my thing.”

His mother was concerned: “She figured I’d turn into a drug addict or something like that!” he told the outlet.

Bryson began performing professionally as a teenager, singing backup with a local group called Al Freeman and the Upsetters, an outfit he described as “terrible” in the Soul interview. Freeman had trouble pronouncing Peapo, and Bryson began using the name Peabo instead.

Later, Bryson toured the Chitlin’ Circuit with Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display. Bang Records heard them perform and was impressed with Bryson. He released one album, Peabo, with the label in 1976 before moving to Capitol Records.His first Top 10 hit on the R&B chart was 1978’s “Reaching for the Sky.” In 1979, “Gimme Some Time,” his duet with Natalie Cole, hit No. 8 on the chart, a preview of his duet success to come. They released “What You Won’t Do for Love” a year later, and it reached No. 16. Bryson also had a Top 20 hit with “Minute by Minute,” a cover of the Doobie Brothers song. In 1980, he released his first duet with Flack, “Make the World Stand Still.” It hit No. 13 on the R&B chart. They would also release the duets “Love Is a Waiting Game,” “You’re Lookin’ Like Love to Me,” “I Just Came Here to Dance” and their most successful, “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” which reached No. 16 on the Hot 100. They also released the 1983 duets album Born to Love.

“I think the secret to a really good duet is that you have to fall a little bit in love with your duet partner,” Bryson told Tatler Asia in 2015. “I was very fortunate in finding a duet partner in Roberta Flack who really knew what a duet was and knew how to play to a person’s strengths and weaknesses equally. I learned how to do a great duet from working with Roberta Flack because she’s that great.”

In 1984, “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again” was Bryson’s first Top 10 single on the Hot 100. He released “Show & Tell” in 1989, and it hit No. 1 on the R&B chart; he scored another R&B chart-topper with 1991’s “Can You Stop the Rain.”

1991 also brought “Beauty and the Beast.” Initially, Dion had been chosen to sing the song solo, but execs worried that she was too new and wanted a more established artist. “When you’re a great singer like [Dion], oftentimes you find yourself in situations where you have to dial back,” Bryson told the CBC in 2017. “I learned that from doing duets. The key to it is to play to your duet partner’s strength and weaknesses equally. So essentially that renders into a situation where there are no weaknesses because you’re playing to them both equally.”

He said Dion was very tentative at first, but they slowly built a rapport in the studio.

He remembered: “I looked across at her, and she looked back at me and what went on from the point of becoming relaxed was extremely intimate. You can’t buy that. You can record it, though.”

Their duet became a massive success, reaching No. 9 on the Hot 100 and winning them both a Grammy. Bryson told the CBC, “I never ever got tired of listening to it.”

Disney turned to Bryson again for 1992’s “A Whole New World,” which he sang with Belle. Bryson and Belle had also worked together on the song “Without You” for the 1988 movie Leonard Part 6, and she wanted Bryson to join her on the track because she knew they worked well together.

“That ‘Whole New World’ concept… that is what really took us over the top,” Belle told ABC Radio in 2019. “Because when you think about it, a ‘whole new world’ can be ascribed to most… everything… that has made a difference in your life.”

Bryson added: “It’s a song that represents every hope and every promise that you will ever have. I sang it in South Africa for the first time they allowed Black South Africans to enter into the Miss South Africa beauty pageant.”

Their version of the song hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and would remain the only song from an animated film to do so until “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto in 2022. Bryson and Belle also won a Grammy.

He returned to Disney again in 1997 and sang “As Long As There’s Christmas” with Flack during the end credits of Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, a direct-to-video sequel.

Bryson at times felt dissatisfied with how the music industry prized youth over experience. He and singers like Flack were never played by MTV, which he believed was “detrimental” to the industry.

“I don’t think there’s anything I can’t do,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1994. “I see myself as a true Renaissance man. I don’t like one-dimensional concepts of myself.”In total, Bryson released 20 studio albums. He was an eight-time Grammy nominee.

Bryson suffered a heart attack in 2019 but made a full recovery.

Bryson welcomed a daughter, Linda, in 1968. He wed Tanya Boniface, a member of the British girl group The 411, in 2010, and they welcomed a son, Robert, in 2018.

Entertainment

Regina Daniels: I’m No Longer Interested in Marriage But I Must Have a Female Child

Published

2 weeks ago

May 29, 2026

Eric

Nollywood actress Regina Daniels has said she is no longer interested in getting married again following her separation from her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko, but remains determined to have a daughter.

The actress made the remarks during a livestream session with TikToker Jarvis at her Children’s Day carnival held in Asaba, Delta State.

Speaking on her current outlook on relationships and motherhood, Daniels said she has mentally moved away from the idea of marriage.

“But for some reason, I’ve checked my mind out of getting married. I’m yet to have a girl. And I must have a girl,” she said.

The mother of two explained that her desire for a daughter comes from what she described as the unique emotional bond between mothers and female children.

“I feel like motherhood starts better. Like you would understand motherhood when you have a girl child,” she said.

“So, having boys is easy because at least you can groom them to have a role model in a father figure. But for your girl child, you have to be that role model for them to emulate.”

Daniels also revealed that she initially never wanted a daughter before becoming a mother.

“Before I had my first son, I said no, never. I will never have a girl child. Never, ever. But after my first, after my second, I remember, for some reason, it’s female kids that remember,” she added.

Reflecting further on family dynamics, the actress said women tend to maintain stronger emotional ties to their homes than men.

“Men will grow, get married and focus more on building family. But for women, she will always remember home,” she said.

Daniels married Nwoko in 2019, a union that drew widespread attention because of their age difference. The couple share two sons.

Their relationship later became publicly strained in 2025 following allegations by Nwoko that the actress was battling substance abuse and required rehabilitation.

Daniels denied the claims and accused the senator of manipulation, psychological control and abuse before eventually leaving the marriage and moving into her own residence.