A couple has spent £12,000 (about N5.6million) to save their puppy’s life after the dog was born with a rare defect which meant she had a ‘gaping void’ in her heart.
Her owners Paul and Pauline Daley of Malpas, Cheshire, were warned by veterinary doctors that the one-year-old only had a few months left to live.
But thanks to a team of surgeons from the Royal Veterinary College in London, black Labrador Lottie underwent a double bypass surgery never performed on dogs before.
The puppy is expected to make a full recovery.
The complex heart procedure, which cost a whopping £12,000, repaired a valve in Lottie’s heart and divided the heart’s atrium back into two chambers.
It had never been performed in combination on a dog before with surgeons seeking advice from paediatricians before going ahead.
Explaining why they went on with the surgery, Pauline, 58, said:
‘When it came to making the decision about whether to go ahead with the surgery it was so difficult.
‘Lottie is such a special little dog and we thought there would be so much to gain by giving her a chance.
‘She’s the most adorable dog, the sweetest thing, she’s so angelic and has the most beautiful little face.
‘She just looks at you with these big brown eyes and my heart melts. She’s one in a million.’
Football icon, Lionel Messi who is not part of the Argentina team for the international friendly games against Colombia and Guatemala has been pictured with his family.
The 31-year-old is married to wife, Antonela Roccuzo and has three children with Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.
He flaunted his cute children and beautiful wife in a new photo on his Instagram page,
Nigerian Video Vixen and Model, Beverly Osu is one of the prettiest celebrities in town who is never shy to show off her beauty even though sometimes we get to see more than we expected.
The 2013 Nigerian Representative at that year’s edition of Big Brother Africa, blows our mind away with the remake of the popular cartoon characters, Jasmine, Mulan and Snow White.
The looks were created for OnoBello magazine, it was accompanied with a message that said women should embrace their skin colour. Everything about this photo shows how the ebony beauty will be sending “black girl and proud” goals to everyone.
The beautiful model took to her Instagram page to post the pictures with the message from the content creators.
It reads;
“We created a black version of the cartoon characters, as they offer a sense of magic and fantasy which comes to life.”
Senate President Bukola Saraki has said that his presidential aspiration was driven by an obsession for justice, fairness and respect for the rule of law.
“I want to be President so that I can ensure justice and fairness for everyone; I want a country where the rule of law will be respected by all,” Mr Saraki said on Monday in Makurdi, when he met with Benue State Working Committee of the PDP.
Mr Saraki’s visit was to solicit support for his presidential aspiration ahead of the 2019 general elections.
“We need leaders who are capable of representing all interest groups, and not a section of the country.
“My presidential ambition is a collective decision borne out of a desire to salvage the disunity that we are witnessing,” he said.
Mr Saraki claimed that it was the turn of the North-Central geopolitical zone to produce the nation’s President, declaring that he was ready to provide quality leadership.
“As a zone, we have paid our dues. It is the turn of our zone to lead Nigeria to stability.
“We have gone through bad times. The nation has become crises-ridden; the killings are uncalled for and the Benue valley is the worst hit.
“There should be justice to every citizen, regardless of geographical location.
“Democracy entails freedom or rights of the people. Our rights should not be imprisoned,” he said.
Saraki vowed to restore peace in the country if elected as President and called on Benue delegates to vote for him during the party’s convention in October.
In a brief remark, Sen. Dino Melaye appealed to the people of Benue to vote and guard their votes during elections, saying that they must promote and protect their rights to decide who led them.
In his remarks, Mr John Mgbede, PDP chairman in the state, thanked Saraki and his entourage for the visit and promised that Benue would always vote for justice.
Billionaire Femi Otedola’s daughter, DJ Cuppy is sparking breakup rumours with her boyfriend, Asa Asika with her new comment on a hot guy’s Instagram post.
Asa Asika and DJ Cuppy. [Credit: Bellanaija]Cuppy who is currently on vacation with her best friends in Ibiza, Spain, dropped a comment on Farouk’s shirtless photo, calling him her TYPE!
Errm Aunty Cuppy, What happened to Asa Asika? Can you have a boyfriend who is not your type?
Many people are feared dead after an explosion occurred at the Natson Filling Station, located opposite Police Clinic, Jos road, Lafia, in Nasarawa State, today, September 10th.
Large billows and dark smoke, with loud sounds of explosions could be heard from over one kilometre.
Olamide yet again drops another brand new tune tagged ‘Logba Logba‘ for his loving fans across the globe, this jam is produced by Killertunes.
With likes of ‘Criteria’, ‘Motigbana’, ‘Puna’ still enjoying massive air plays and topping music charts, shows Olamide is not Parking the bus anytime soon.
On ‘Logba Logba‘ Olamide gracefully sings and raps in this retrospective jam.
Disc Jockey and billionaire daughter, Ifeoluwa Florence Otedola, popularly known as DJ Cuppy, has taken her annual vacation to Ibiza, Spain with her bestfriends.
According to her, they have been best of friends for 20 years.
She took to her Instagram page to share pictures of herself alongside her friends while they enjoy the vacation away from home.
She wrote;
“Every year, my best friends and I take time off work to spend quality time together in Ibiza! ☀️??? This year is no exception! #DayOnes”
The daughter of Nigerian billionaire, Femi Otedola embarked on this trip in a private jet.
The Inspector General of Police has warned men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, F-SARS to desist from checking the bank accounts details of anyone they interact with while discharging their duties.
While speaking at a workshop on the reformed F-SARS in Owerri, Imo state, the IG also warned the F-SARS operatives not to invade people’s phones and laptops unless they have a court order or an instruction from the commissioner of police in charge of a state police command.
Represented at the event by the Deputy commissioner of police in charge of the IGP’s X-Squad, Amaechi Elumelu, the police chief also added that F-SARS operative who handles cases not related to armed robbery and kidnapping would equally be dismissed from the Nigeria police force.
“Under the reformed F-SARS, it is illegal to search suspects phones, computers, or inquire about their bank account details without proper authorization. Henceforth, the F-SARS Commanders must get directives from the State Commissioners before invading people’s privacies. Any officer who disobeys will be dismissed.” he said
Novak Djokovic defeated Juan Martin del Potro in straight sets to win the US Open men’s singles final on Monday. He stormed past his rival 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 to win his third U.S. Open title and 14th major overall.
In a match which was played under testing conditions, it was the Serbian who emerged on top after a contest which lasted more than three hours.
Reflecting on his hard-fought victory, Djokovic, while speaking at the post-match presentation said,
“To the support of loved ones. My kids, my wife, my team of people through the difficult times. With my injuries, I felt what Del Potro went through during his difficult times. I tried to take the best out of myself in those moments and thrive of my loved ones to get back into this position”.
“I was hoping Sampras would be here tonight but he’s not so I love you and he is my idol. I just want to congratulate Juan Martin with his injuries and coming back and I know he will be here again with the champion’s trophy,” an elated Djokovic added.
Nigerian pop queen, Tiwa Savage’s Ex-husband, Teebillz last night announced that he would be ‘temporarily unavailable’ as he seeks to undergo ‘Spiritual Maintenance’.
He made the announcement on his Instagram page, less than 48 hours after his post of encouragement to Nigerian singer Harrysong who recently announced he was battling depression.
The celebrity talent manager who managed his ex-wife in the early years of her blossoming career has also had his own battle with depression which caused him to almost take his own life by jumping off the Ikoyi link bridge in 2016.
To get his mind back on track, Teebillz revealed that he sort help from popular life coach Lanre Olusola whom he refers to as his ‘guardian angel’.
Tiwa Savage has continued to show the father of her son the support he needs as he plots his way back to reckoning in the Nigeria music industry and she was on his comment section, charging him to ‘come back stronger’.
Celebrity Blogger, Linda Ikeji had her maternity shoot few days ago and yesterday had her baby shower in Atlanta, Georgia.
The party had in attendance, the likes of Peter Okoye,Don flexx, Linda’s sisters Vera, Laura and her hubby, Ogbonna Kanu, Linda’s mum, dad and other friends of the family.
The single mum-to-be, Linda Ikeji with her mother, arrived in Atlanta, early last month, where she will deliver her first child.
Since her arrival, she has had a pre-delivery dinner, hosted by Dele Momodu.
The celebrity blogger has also been seen with her mother, who is there for omugwo, shopping expensive items for the arrival of her baby boy.
Meanwhile, she has been teasing fans with bits and pieces of her baby daddy’s identity, stating he is tall, dark and handsome and also from Delta state.
A mother-of-five repeatedly had intercourse with a 14-year-old boy as her husband and children slept in the same room, police say.
Justice Maryie McKay, 22, allegedly kissed the teen, removed his clothes and enticed him to have sex – she was at the boy’s home with her family in July to celebrate her birthday and that was when she lured the boy into a bedroom.
According to police in Lake Butler, Florida, the woman then had sex with the boy in front of her sleeping husband and young kids, all of whom are younger than five.
The next day, the young lady reportedly sent a message to the boy, saying she couldn’t forget him or what they had done. She told him she “wanted to be with him“.
Then, weeks later, police claim McKay picked up the boy from a bus stop, planning to take him to school – instead, she took him to her home and had sex with him again.
Days later, it is believed McKay picked the boy up from a petrol station and had sex with him again. During both of these encounters, all of the mum’s kids and their teenage cousins were reportedly at home. McKay was said to have left “hickies” and scratch marks on the young boy’s body.
The local paper said on August 22, the boy’s mother confronted McKay, showing her the photographs of the boy’s marks. When McKay learned that law enforcement had been contacted, she went missing with her five children.
McKay was arrested on Wednesday and is charged with sexual battery. She has reportedly filed a written plea of not guilty.
Popular sportswoman, Serena Williams has been fined a total of $17,000 for her three code violations during the US Open final against Naomi Osaka.
The six-time US Open winner was docked $10,000 for “verbal abuse” of chair umpire Carlos Ramos by the tournament referee’s office on Sunday.
Img Crd: Sputnik
Additionally, she has been fined $4,000 for being warned for coaching and $3,000 for breaking her racket. The money comes out of her prize money of $1.85 million as the runner-up. Williams lost 6-2, 6-4 to Osaka in Saturday’s final.
Under Article III, Section P, “verbal abuse” is defined as “a statement about an official, opponent, sponsor, spectator or other person that implies dishonesty or is derogatory, insulting or otherwise abusive.”
The section says a player is subject to a fine up to $20,000 for each violation. There are separate categories for coaching (“Communications of any kind, audible or visible, between a player and a coach may be construed as coaching”) and for abuse of rackets or equipment.
Img Crd: BBC
In the controversial final, Serena was adjudged to have recieved coaching from Patrick Mouratoglou; a claim he accepted before being penalised a point later for racket abuse.
She was then docked a game for verbal abuse after seven games in the second set. During the verbal tirade, Serena had called Ramos a ‘cheat’ and a ‘thief’.
A South African lady has taken to her Facebook page to share photos of the injuries she she sustained after her abusive husband ran her over with his car.
According to her, the abuse started off as emotional before becoming physical.
The lady with the name, Sakhe Feketshane on Facebook, wrote,
I’ve been with my husband for more than 10 years. He used to be so caring and over protective. Little did i know it was more of jealousy than anything.
He would go to my workplace and demand that i introduce him to my colleagues. I had to tell him everything i did, where im going and why i did things.
I always thought this is love and maybe one day he will change and realize that i love only him. He would demand things to be done, the way he wants and when he wants.
It was all emotional abuse before it got physical. I took him to many counselling sessions but he would always undermine the counsellors and say they know nothing about marriage.
Sakhe revealed how the physical abuse started a year ago when he objected to her having friends
A year ago we were in the car with two of my friends. He started an argument, because he didnt like me having friends.
We got outside of the car to talk. He burst out with anger and started beating me. With fist and i fell so he started kicking me.
Three men came to my rescue and beat him too. He then went to police station to say i did that to him. Police were confused and told us to sort it out. I forgave him as he promised it would never happen again. Proclaimed his love for me and i believed him.
In high hopes that he would turn a new leaf, she stuck by him but the worst was yet to come until he ended up running her over with his car.
Months went by and he still was his old forcefull self. Still i hoped he would change. Now this time Yes he did not lay a finger on me however he ran me over with his car.
We had an arguement and he went straight to his car, as i tries to speak to him, to try and resolve issue. He reversed his car.
I fell and hit my head on the pavement. He drove away and people stopped him to ask why is he driving away after knocking someone over. All he said was where? its not my fault she tried to jump into the car. Jump into a car..?? I tried to talk to him.
Now yes he did not beat me he just tried to kill me. Abuse is a serious issue and the percentage of women being killed through it is high.
I choose to speak out and leave before its too late. Because he never sees anything wrong with his actions or admits he was wrong. So one day he will kill me and see nothing wrong or even worse deny it like hes doing now
Canadian-American Rapper, Drake in 2015 had what is probably the most memed beef in the history of rap worldwide, with American rapper, Meek Mill.
Meek had accused the Canadian rapper of using ghostwriters and Drake had gone after him, relentlessly, with songs and memes.
It seems, though, that the beef is finally over, as Drake brought out Meek during his “Aubrey & the Three Migos” tour on Saturday in Boston.
Meek did his 2012 track “Dreams and Nightmares,” officially ending their ongoing feud
He later shared a photo on his Instagram, writing:
This really gave me peace of mind tonight. Healing and moving forward created one of the most electric and gratifying moments of my career. @meekmill I’m happy that you are home and that we could find our way back to our joint purpose ???? (Cue the Kevin Garnett “anything is possible” adlib)
Veteran Nollywood actor Babatunde Omidina who is popularly known as Baba Suwe opened up to Punch‘s Tofarati Ige and Joy Marcus on his case with the National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In 2011, the NDLEA arrested Baba Suwe at Murtala Mohammed International Airport on the suspicion of carrying cocaine in his stomach. He was detained for three weeks by NDLEA but no drugs were ever found.
A Lagos High Court ordered NDLEA to pay the sum of N25 million as for unlawfully detaining him and also tender a public apology to him, both of which wasn’t done till date, according to the actor.
Baba Suwe in the interview, said that he’ll be releasing a movie soon on his ordeal. He also opened up about falling in 2016, childhood, getting into acting and more.
On actor Yomi Fabiyi raising alarm that he was critically ill in 2016
He is my son and I don’t know why he did that. People told me about all what he said. There is nobody that cannot fall ill; we just pray that God shouldn’t visit us with a problem that is bigger than us. Truly, I was sick, but it wasn’t as bad as he painted it. As you can see, I am very well now. There was never a time when I was carried around.
On the nature of the illness
I am diabetic. As a result of that, my blood sugar level usually fluctuates but things are normal now. There was a time when I could not even talk. Very soon though, everybody will see me in another dimension in a movie.
On whether the detention by the NDLEA contributed to the illness
Yes, it did. I believe I was framed up in that particular case. That wasn’t my first time of travelling out of the country and I had never been arrested for something like that. They took me to a lot of big hospitals and laboratories but nothing was found in me. The judge who handled the case later told the NDLEA that if they did not retrieve any illegal substance from me, they should let me go.
On the day I was arraigned in court, the crowd that came to witness it was so massive; you would have thought they came to see a movie. At a point, I couldn’t bear it anymore and I shed tears. I was made to sleep on a bench in an office at the airport throughout the time I was in NDLEA’s custody. I usually ate three times in a day and I excreted more than 30 times while I was there; yet they couldn’t find anything. I was even taken to a place where they flushed my insides with water and they still came up with nothing.
When asked if he’s considering making a movie on his ordeal, he said: “Yes, it will be out soon. The title will be, ‘Oya’gbe ti’.”
Since model and video vixen, Emilia Samuel, accused media personality, Theo Ukpaa, of rape there have been different sides to the story on the internet.
Not long after the allegation was made public, Theo got relieved of his job as the head of programmes at Linda Ikeji Media.
However, Theo has since denied the allegations even as Linda Ikeji, who claimed to know more than what is in the public domain, threatened to get him arrested if he continues to assert his innocence.
Theo Ukpaa and Wife
However, a lady, Kaka, whose name was mentioned by Samuel in the rape saga, said she was surprised when Emilia accused Ukpaa of rape.
She said,
“Immediately after the Spice Girls competition, I left for Abuja, not Port Harcourt. From there, I went to Ghana.
I wasn’t in touch with both of them for years, but I ran into Ukpaa at some point and I told him I needed his help for the things I do. He then gave me his number and we’ve done things together afterwards.
“Though I don’t really know what happened between Ukpaa and Samuel because I didn’t witness anything, I have never seen him as a rapist and he has never given me reasons to think so. When I saw the story, I was surprised too.”
Kaka said the last time she spoke to Samuel was when she was going to Ghana, adding that when she (Samuel) mentioned her name in the post, she couldn’t remember her face until she went through her photos on Instagram.
“Immediately after the competition, I left for Abuja. I cannot remember if she called me or not but I know I told her I was going to Ghana.
Also, I am not sure we talked about a training as I didn’t attend any training after the show,” Kaka added.
Efforts to reach out to Samuel to speak further on the issue were unsuccessful.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige on Sunday said Nigeria would have been in ruins if President Muhammadu Buhari was not elected to pilot the affairs of the country in 2015.
Ngige who spoke with journalists in Onitsha, Anambra State, said the All Progressives Congress met the country in tatters when it took over from the Peoples Democratic Party about three years ago.
He expressed surprised that Nigerians were not “clapping” for Buhari for reviving the economy of the country from what he called a state of comatose.
Reminded that the general feeling was that Buhari had failed in areas of security and economy, Ngige said “Don’t just talk about that. We are wonderful with the economy; nobody, I mean no person would have done better than this present government in those two areas.
”I want you to take something away and that thing is that any other person handling this situation; economy, security, it would have been worse.
“We came in and oil nosedived to 37 dollars a barrel with a production of 600,000 per day, a drop from 2.2 million and yet we managed the economy out of recession.
“Nigerians should be clapping for us on daily basis, and after thanking God, they should thank us. Yes, because God has used Buhari and some of us to make Nigeria work.
The Minister said the Buhari government had created over eight million jobs through agriculture and allied industries, stressing that previous governments had depended on oil money and failed to diversify the economy.
He maintained that because of the enabling environment created by the APC government, the country now saved about $1.8bn annually from rice importation.
He added,” We’ve encouraged people and said there is dignity in labour with the hand. Today, we are second to America in world production of sorghum; today, we are importing about four per cent of the rice needs of the country.
“Prior to that, this country was spending $5m daily on rice and about $1.8b annually on rice importation. And you don’t want to clap for us!
He described those complaining against the Buhari government as ”loafers looking for appointments and air-conditioned jobs.”
A Nigerian woman is currently devastated after her ‘unclad pictures’ were leaked on social media recently.
According to multiple reports, the woman allegedly sent the ‘indecent photos’ showing her face to a total stranger she just met on Facebook. Days later, the stranger decided to use the picture to blackmail her, all to no avail. Seeing that the blackmailer couldn’t get what they wanted, the pictures were leaked online.
Human rights activist, Emeka Ugwuonye, who shared the picture – warned ladies about sending their nude pictures to male partners.
He wrote;
Seeing your excessive reactions about a woman that gave out nude pictures, I did not want to inform you about another woman that did worse. This one is more stupid because her face showed. She showed her everything and now she feels like dying when her picture goes viral.
By the time she came to us, the blackmailer had distributed her nude pictures. It is harder for us to intervene if the picture has been released. But we will still take steps to punish the man that did it. That will be a gradual process. We rush only when there is a chance of preventing it.
It is really unfortunate that a woman would send her nude pictures to someone she does not know, a total stranger she met on Facebook. It makes no sense.
But I have a problem with most of our members. What the women did is an act of stupidity. It is not a crime. The real criminals are the men. Why do you condemn stupidity more than you condemn criminality? Why?
The eldest son of the Sultan of Sokoto, Usman Sa’ad Abubakar, in person of Amir has been involved in a terrible car accident after he was reportedly driving at a very high speed around 12 noon within the Sokoto Airport, in an area called ‘Bado’.
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, Khalifa Maccido, son of Aliyu Macciddo, and another girl were with him in the car when the accident occurred. Witnesses at the scene of the crash said Amir had been drunk while driving, and that a bottle of Benelyn Codeine syrup was found in the car.
While he was being taken to the hospital, officials of the Sultanate Council were reportedly seen removing the Sultanate council plate number from the car so as not to expose the Sultanate Council. SaharaReporters contacted Faruku Ladan Ddaji, Secretary of the Sultanate, but he said he couldn’t confirm as he was out of town.
Amir, believed to have been dismissed from a UK school due to his drunkenness, was seen earlier on Sunday leaving a guest house with the girl and his friend Khalifa. He was taken to the Usman Danfodio Teaching Hospital, where he has been unconscious.
A very beautiful corp member has shared the text message she received from one of her student, who apparently is in SS1.
is currently trending on twitter after she shared screenshot of the text she received.
In the text, the S.S. 1 student named Benjamin told her he misses her and hasn’t seen her for a long time and also mentioned that he hopes to see her soon.
Genevieve Nnaji has been a prominent fixture in the Nigerian film industry for over 20 years, primarily as an actor.
Her contributions to filmmaking have received several awards and nominations over the course of her career. In recent years, she has moved into film production, acting as writer, financier, and producer through her production company, The Entertainment Network (T.E.N). “Lionheart” is her directorial debut.
In an interview with Women and Hollywood, the star actress made many women and men in Nigeria and abroad proud as she aligned herself with the feminist movement.
When asked to name her favorite woman-directed film and why. She said; Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman.” It was powerful and strong, and at the same time, feminine and sexy.
“I’m a proud feminist who embraces her femininity. I feel sometimes women are made to feel self-conscious and ashamed of their womanhood. Perhaps like “Wonder Woman,” we may wake up one day to discover that it is our superpower, and then we would be unstoppable”.
On the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, the Nollywood diva said she has noticed; “How quickly the oppressed have risen to the top, and yet the train has not stopped. If anything, they continue to create amazing content.”
“History has shown that in almost every situation where a group of people or a demographic is being oppressed, it’s usually because the oppressors are threatened by the potential of the oppressed to be great. I’m happy women all over the world are discovering their superpower and turning “why me?” into “not me.”
Nigerian lawyer, First Baba Isa is upset with men shaming women for being single. Read his post below.
“YOU ARE GETTING OLD O… YOU WILL REMAIN IN YOUR FATHER’S HOUSE.”
I find it very disgusting when I see young men going around making jokes, trolling ladies and trying to make them feel guilty for being single. Many of these dudes have even perfected this art into a manipulative tool.
Small thing, “you are getting old o, you will remain in your father’s house” or “that is how they will do and remain in their father’s house”. Abegi!
You toast girl she no gree, then you go, “that is how you will do and remain in your father’s house”. If she doesn’t reply your chats or texts, if she doesn’t pick your calls, if she refuse to visit you, if she refuse to send you nudes, if she refuse to take your rudeness; “leave that girl, she will remain in her father’s house… bla bla bla.”
Uncle, you are you married? Are all your sisters married? All the girls that accepted your toasting, sent you nudes, washed your smelling boxers, pound yam for you and gave you snake-in-the-monkey-shadow style on bed, which one did you marry?
Is her father’s house a prison? Leave her to remain there na. Abi is her father complaining to you?
Anyway, grand commander and identifier of girls who will remain in their fathers’ house, we greet you. I just pray that ladies grow more confidence to shove this rubbish down the throats of men.
Instagram comedian Samuel Animashaun popularly known as Broda Shaggi has opened up on how he got the idea to start a career as an Instagram comedian and how the act has brought him fame and wealth.
In an interview with Funsho Arogundade of PM Express and other journalists, the University of Lagos Graduate of Creative Arts shared his rise to fame as well as his future plans.
Read excerpts from the interview below:
Tell us how your journey into comedy begins?
Comedy has always been something I loved since I was a kid. As a child, people always compliment me and tell me how hilarious I was. So, as I grow older, I always dreamt of doing something creative and different from what everybody else were doing. That is how I came across the several characters I have developed through my skits.
At what point did you decide to focus on the comedy business?
I made that decision in December 2017 with Broda Shaggi’s character. Although I recently shot into limelight, I have been doing comedy skits for about five years. I actually started acting in comedy dramas while I was still a student at the University of Lagos. I was very popular in school and I remember people saying things like this guy will blow in the industry.
In school, I was just determined and certain that I was going to make my mother proud. My father was an actor before his death as well as a teacher in Mayflower Junior School, Ikenne, Ogun State, where he taught theatre, dance and music. I decided to focus more on acting because I know I am very good at it and it would be a good means for survival. So, while still in school at the University of Lagos, I was doing the regular style of comedy and skits but that did not bring fame my way, so I played with the ‘agbero’ style and it worked like magic.
How easy was it fitting perfectly into this Agbero style?
As a trained actor, I was to create characters and make them believable. Acting the character of an Agbero? In reality, I do not have any link to such lifestyle but I am in the comedy business in order to make a difference.
Before the Broda Shaggi character became popular, I had toyed with other characters like ‘Inspector Perry’. That was the first character I created back then when I was still in the university. I also always uploaded the skits on Instagram as well. After that, I created other characters like ‘Akanni Ibadan’ and ‘Lecturer Dele’. All these characters came into existence before Broda Shaggi but they never gained much recognition.
How did you come about the name Broda Shaggi?
The idea of Broda Shaggi came to me in December, 2017, when I went to my mechanic. While he was fixing my car, I overheard some guys talking. One of them asked the other to buy something for him but his friend refused, so he jokingly asked the guy, ‘Are you okay, have you forgotten that you were once my apprentice’.
He said it in Yoruba and sounded like a lout. I noticed everyone around was laughing because of the way he spoke and his mannerism. I liked the way he spoke and that was how I got the idea. The next thing I did was to get a name that would suit the character. I thought of Musiliu, then Shaggi Don Baba, but eventually, I decided to use Broda Shaggi.
There is this belief that Instagram comedians rarely connect with the live audience. Is that the case with you too?
Before I became an Instagram comedian, I had been into acting. That was what I studied in school. I have been acting in movies. I have done many works for ROK Studios and Africa Magic. I had featured in many Nollywood movies before I gained fame as a Instagram comedian. Some of the movies I have acted in included Dear Mummy B, Unfinished Business, and I was in Eniola Badmus’ recently released film, Ghetto Bred.
So your area of strength is comedy?
Actually, I can deliver any role given to me. Back then as a student at the University of Lagos, I acted in various stage plays. In fact, while I was in school, I had to take part in those stage plays in order to fend for myself. I did them to survive as a student.
We were taught about music, visuals art and theatre art. I was also into visual art and that is how I honed my skills as a painter. Initially, I directed all my strength to my paintings but I did not sell them as I expected, so I had to switch and embrace comedy.
At a point, I formed a group in school called, ‘The Stage Addicts’, it comprised of about 10 of us. We went for various shows and were privileged to perform before dignitaries like the former governor of Lagos State and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. We did this just to survive as students. I also write scripts and direct. I am saying all this to prove that I am not limited to Instagram comedy alone.
What inspires the stories behind your skits?
I am not an activist but when you watch most of my skits, you will see that beyond the comic, I am actually passing a message. My background also inspires my skits. I have always wanted to put a smile on my parents’ face knowing the situation of things at home. Basically, what inspires me is trying to be different and making a living out of it at the same time.
For any young talent, how can they leverage on the power of social media to showcase their talent?
Social media is very important because it has been the tool that made my brand to be recognized all over the world. I’ve been on social media for more than five years, but I think the fact that I kept on doing what I liked doing made it worthwhile.
I would have backed out because sometimes I see people that I’m funnier than having tones of likes and I just have about a hundred likes. There is much more to social media than what people think. People think it’s just to post pictures and do all of that. It’s more than that. Social media is a market. It is an office. I see it as my job.
I remember when I started, people told me that I would run out of ideas because I posted skits daily but I did not listen to them because I saw it as my career; my job is to do comedy. Today,I get some messages and they keep me moving. There was a day I didn’t post a video because I was busy on set, I got several messages from people who were waiting for my videos. I had to apologise to them. So I see it as a very big platform. I see it as my own office.
Is comedy paying off now monetarily for you?
Yes, it’s paying my bills now. When I started, it was with the advertisement of musicians who wanted to put their songs and needed my skits to help publicise the new projects. I charged them affordable prices. Now I charge more because I put in more work and creativity into my skits. Also, I need more people to act with me and I have to pay for their services.
How have you been coping with the ladies?
It has been fine. It is normal for the ladies to come.
With success comes criticism and controversy. How do you deal with those negatives?
I believe social media is filled with different people. While some could give negative comments, others send out positive comments. So when I see the negative comments, I just ignore them and laugh about them. I believe it is normal that not everyone will like you.
When not working, how do you unwind?
Well, I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. People don’t believe it, but it is true. For the fact that I don’t smoke nor drink, I hardly go to the club. But my manager tries to take me out some times to socialize and network. I just thank God for the kind of friends I have. Most of my friends are like me; they don’t do the things I don’t like and that make me happy.
What should people be looking for in the nearest future from Broda Shaggi?
I have concluded plans to shoot my own drama series. It will be coming out soon. I do not want people to think I am limited to Instagram, that is why I have been planning my own drama series modelled like Funke Akindele’s Jenifa’s Diary.
The drama series has been titled The life of Brother Shaggi and it is going to be a really big one. I plan on using big artistes in the industry and I am going to be working with billionaire Femi Otedola’s creative daughter, DJ Cuppy. She has replied positively and we will be kicking off very soon.
Wizkid’s First and Second Babymamas, Binta Diamond and Shola are still both bent on labeling their baby daddy, a Deadbeat.
Binta took to the gram to share a headline that reads; “Chris Brown’s Legal Team says Nia Guzzman Told Their Daughter He was A Deadbeat Dad”.
She captioned the photo:
Im not trying to bring her down but Damn Can I just swap baby daddy with her???? if only my child’s father treated my son the way he treats her daughter and payed half of the amount she’s getting in child support ?♀️ I am a single mom, I work my ass off and I pay for everything, imagine if someone was paying for my son’s school fees, nanny, and paying the bills boo boo let me just stop right here…
Sola Ogudu, his first babymama also responded to her post, “Someone should advice dia fav to start by paying his children’s school fees first before building schools for the masses… Charity they say begins at home??????”
Some comments:
ishaa.kx: What she needs to do is find a job ? mothers, single mothers are really out here struggling a job their families and paying bills with a 9-5 and she’s actually in need of money to live up to the lifestyle she portrays. She’s getting more than enough and is just being greedy @therealniaguzman be thankful sis and keep it pushin
lexycrownofficial: I still don’t understand the hatred, the neglect and makes me loves you more, I believe everything you said, there’s no picture of him and little ayo so there’s definitely no way he’s supporting, it’s a shame on him because it costs him nothing, David is spending time with his kids and uniting the mother of his kids, I think the name kid in wizkid makes him a kid and not grow, you gave him a healthy, handsome and brilliant son, so why the denial? He’s chasing dreams leaving his future behind, he won’t be this young forever and this kids will grow one day I hope it won’t be too late for him, this kids can grow and overthrow him, so would he like to make a rival with his kids? He doesn’t have a good counsel that’s his problem. Even if you hate the shell, you have to love the yolk. Even if he hates you, little ayo has no crime in this just an innocent boy in the world, he’s supposed to show love to his own blood, that was all you asked for not his money, I seen that since day one, you are a well to do woman, up and going, all you wanted was for him to man up, you don’t look the type that needs his money to survive and the last time interfered in this he blocked me on IG till this day and I don’t care because I said the right thing☝?️
miah077: Take that fool to court! He can’t make kids and just leave them while he can take care of them. Don’t listen to anyone who will call you names. He must fulfil his duties. You shouldn’t have to take care of Ayo on your own! I will never respect any man no matter how good his music is if he can’t take care of his kids or picks and chooses who he wants to be a father to. What kind of rubbish is that? May God fight for you sister, your son will be like Ishmael. He will be a blessing that no one expected. And I pray the same for the son of Oluwanishola.
yungmilli_razaki: Whenever I see you say this I get sad, am a die hard fan of wiz, and i became king ayo fan the very first day I heard he was wiz son, I know that wizkid is not a bad person, something must be wrong somewhere, pls mama ayo u have to check urself, and if the fail is not from u then I pray wiz realise his mistake soon and come for his son
mz_ha_pee: Why ain’t you dealing with it legally ma’am? Are you happier dealing with it online? I’m not saying you’re lying or what is going on is right but IG won’t do no good instead it’s causing more harm. Protect your son. Solve your issues properly or leave it out SM.
jorshwizzy: Do you know why Wizkid will never come closer? Because every man deserve a woman who can be there for him when there’s no one, ask yourself what’s your impact in wizkid’s life? Please stop being childish, if he’s not paying child support then sue him to court or call his family, stop spoiling this guy’s beautiful image he has been building for years without you being there for him, I love little Ayo but you the mother is making the father to avoid you because of your negativity and what you are doing right now, we all knows how he cares for Zion so why is your own different please change.
ishaa.kx: I wish he would just grow up and be a father figure to @king_ayo_ it’s so sad and that’s why he doesn’t really gain the acknowledgment that he so desires for. Although he is a “star” and is famous but girl he ain’t know where near @davidoofficial and which proves my statement correct davido had two kids and a whole girlfriend but yet he still finds time to see hailey whenever he’s in America and also regularly be with imade because she lives in Nigeria. It’s not something to be proud of being called out for not paying your dues to your child it’s embarrassing and it’s really bad
A Handsome Nigerian man took to micro-blogging website, Twitter to share the ‘unique but beautiful love story’ between himself and his wife, whom he got married to recently.
According to the groom, identified as Damola, his bride turned him down, seven years ago because he is a short man.
He went on to advise short men to always shoot their shot regardless of the height difference.
Read his account of what transpired between them below
“It all started with can I dance with you Her Response: No, I don’t dance with short people. 7 Amazing Years down the line, plenty ups and down. My engagement is today Sept 7, 2018 Grace found me. #TheWalkersExperience #Sunshine”
“Baby I’ll always wait for you. My #Sunshine My Baby girl. Damn you’re beautiful Now that dance is mine forever. Short guys… Don’t look at how tall she is…. Shoot your shot.”
39-year-old delectable actress, turned Movie director, Genevieve Nnaji, made an eye-catching appearance at the TIFF festival in Canada where her new movie, ‘Lion Heart’ is premiering.
The star made her directorial debut with new movie, ‘Lion Heart’ which has been picked up by Netflix.
In a media release on the Netflix website on Friday, the movie premiered yesterday, Saturday, September 8, 2018.
The movie is Genevieve’s directional debut, and features Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh, Pete Edochie, Onyeka Onwenu.
According to Netflix, “Lionheart marks the first Netflix original film from Nigeria.”
