Monday, 9 October 2017

Ikeogu Oke Wins the $100,000 2017 NLNG Prize for Literature






Ikeogu Oke has been announced as the winner of the 2017 NLNG Prize for Literature at the World Press Conference hosted today.

Ikeogu Oke won the $100,000 prize with his poetry collection, The Heresiad, published by KraftGriots.

This announcement follows an initial longlist of eleven authors released in July which was later whittled down to a shortlist of three authors in August. Tanure Ojaide (Songs of Myself: Quartet), and Ogaga Ifowodo (A Good Mourning) made up the the shortlisted trio.

In a chat with Olisa Blogazine, the writer called the award a “great recognition” of his work as a poet, while urging for a “poetrymania” across globe, a dream he hopes would make poetry more “pleasurable.”

He said:

“I thank the NLNG. I thank the judges for the decision. I thank everyone that has supported my work over the years. This is a great recognition of my work as a poet. I urge everyone to keep working harder so that poetry received the recognition it deserves. I believe we can start a poetrymania in Nigeria and across the globe and this will come from poets working together to make poetry pleasurable. I am grateful. I am humbled. Even though I work hard at what I do, I am humbled by this honour.”

Past winners of the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature since 2004, include Gabriel Okara (co-winner, 2004, poetry), Professor Ezenwa Ohaeto (co-winner, 2004, poetry) for The Dreamer, His Vision; Ahmed Yerima (2005, drama) for his play, Hard Ground; Mabel Segun (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) for her collection of short plays Reader’s Theatre; Professor Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (co-winner, 2007, children’s literature) for her book, My Cousin Sammy; Kaine Agary (2008, prose) for her book Yellow Yellow; Esiaba Irobi (2010, drama) who clinched the prize posthumously with his book Cemetery Road; Adeleke Adeyemi (2011, children’s literature) with his book The Missing Clock; Chika Unigwe (2012, prose), with her novel, On Black Sisters Street; Tade Ipadeola (2013, poetry) with his collection of poems, The Sahara Testaments and Professor Sam Ukala (2014, drama) with his play, Iredi War, and Season of Crimson Blossoms, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (2016- prose).

Congratulations to him!




Nelly Accuser Says He Raped Her Without a Condom, Lawyers Calls Her a ‘Liar’






The lady who accused Nelly of raping her in his tour bus has given details of how the rapper allegedly raped her.

According to TMZ, the woman, 21-year-old partygoer, claims she and her friends partied and drank at the rapper’s table and he invited her to his tour bus, raped her without a condom before she was tossed out of his bus.

The yet-to-be-identified lady added that she told the rapper “no” when he tried to force himself on her without a condom, that he told her to “shut up” as she objected, and after he was done, one of his team members, a woman, kicked her off the bus and threw $100 at her.

But her claims is being dismissed by Nelly’s lawyer Scott Rosenbum who has branded her a ‘liar’. “It does not surprise me that she wanted to have her story publicized. That is playbook 101 of a person with an agenda and clearly she has one. The agenda is money, fame and notoriety,” the lawyer said.

He continued, adding that he already has an investigator working on the case and “we will be able to show by objective evidence and unbiased witnesses that she has zero credibility. he’s a person who is making a dangerous, fraudulent allegation to accomplish her own goals.”

This update comes a day after Nelly took to Twitter to tell his side of the story.

“Let me say that I am beyond shocked that I have been targeted with this false allegation. I am completely innocent. I am confident that once the facts are looked at, it will be very clear that I am the victim of a false allegation,” he began in the tweets.

Continuing, he assured that he would be vindicated while clarifying that he has yet to be charged with any crime. “I have not been charged with a crime, therefore no bail was required. I was released, pending further investigation,” he said.

Fans get Death Threat Ahead of Crucial World Cup Qualifier






Argentina sits on a knife edge in the ongoing World Cup qualifiers and the government now fears more than a few people might keel over from the tension.

After a string of disappointing results in Latin America’s bruising qualification series, Lionel Messi and his team-mates take on Ecuador on Tuesday in a make-or-mar clash where only a win will secure a place in the playoffs.

Following the unprecedented strain for millions of fans who have suffered more than their fair share of heartbreak, Argentina’s Ministry of Health has prepared instructions on how to avoid heart trouble during the match, Goal writes.

“The passion with which one watches a World Cup game can lead to people with a history of heart troubles suffering strokes or heart attacks,” the report, first published during the 2014 tournament, begins.


Argentina
Long-suffering Argentina fans. Image: Telegraph

“The emotional stress that a penalty shoot-out or a decisive goal can cause is potentially capable of increasing the risk of heart problems, as several studies have shown.”

This means that certain foods and drinks would be avoided in order to lower risks of cardiac failures and related breakdowns over the 90 minutes.

Sugary or alcoholic drinks are out, as are fatty foods and mozzarella cheese. Instead, fans are encouraged to prepare “oven-baked potatoes or sweet potatoes” and opt for breadsticks or carrot sticks over salt-laden crisps.

Also, fans are encouraged to take “active pauses” during the game, standing up, moving their arms and legs and walking around during the interval.

But it’s going to be hard to avoid incidents either way given the rush of emotions that accompany such a last-gasp heartbreak, or success.

Messi and co really are on the firing line.




How Evans Offered Police Guard $100,000 to Escape from Custody




Kidnapping suspect Chukwudubem Onwuamadike, alias Evans, offered a police guard between $50,000 and $100,000 to help him escape from custody just before he was charged, The Nation newspaper is reporting.

Evans who is facing charges of conspiracy and kidnapping alongside five others had tried to escape from a police cell in Abuja after he was briefly transferred there after his arrest in his residence in Magodo, Lagos.

An unnamed source told the newspaper that spoke of Evans’ plan to give between $50,000 and $100,000 to one of the guards manning his cell to facilitate his escape.

The source also revealed that while in police custody, several telephones were smuggled into his cell which he used to contact some of his gang members outside.

But his plan to escape was detected by intelligence officers attached to IGP’s Special Tactical Squad

The source said: “When Evans was in our custody, he tried to escape but we were able to abort all his plans. We discovered that he had access to phones which were hidden in the middle of loaves of bread, eba, semovita and so on.

“He was making calls from these smuggled phones in the middle of the night, making arrangements with some yet to be identified members of his gang to arrange for his escape.

“We intercepted how he was luring one of the guards with about $50,000 to $100,000. He wanted an insider to serve as an informant to him and members of his gang.”


Eatery Shuts down After Rpper TI led Protest Over Racial Discrimination





ATL rapper TI seems to be down for the cause of his brothers after leading a recent protest over racial discrimination by a few of Houston’s Restaurants in Atlanta.

TI was front and centre as some angry Atlanta youths decided to do something about it and boycott the eating establishments that have been accused of profiling, XXL writes.

“Ok so I’ve heard 4 different stories from 4 different sources about discrimination against US at 2 separate Houstons Steakhouse locations in my city. Tomorrow we get answers. #HoustonsWeHaveAProblem,” he wrote on Instagram.


And over the weekend, a group of protesters, including Tip himself, descended upon the Houston’s location on Lenox Road, armed with signs and yelling, “Whose City! Our City!” they made their presence known.

“We have closed the Houston’s down for the moment, indefinitely,” Tip says, in an Instagram video recorded at the protest. “When they figure out how to treat us, they can open back up.”

A post shared by TIP (@troubleman31) on




Davido Replies Accusations that He Killed His Friends, and it’s Emotional







It’s been one hectic week for Davido since the news of the death of his friends surfaced, and the singer struggles to remain positive in his response to trolls.

In case you missed it: DJ Olu, the son of billionaire businessman Dapo Abiodun, was found dead in his car on Saturday along with his friend who was simply identified as Chime. Shortly after the news surfaced, Davido took to his page to mourn Olu, noting that the deceased is his friend.

This news didn’t sit well with some people, because only a few days ago, another friend of Davido’s, Tagbo Umeike, died in a car and his corpse reportedly dumped at a Lagos hospital.

Many people felt uncomfortable with the similarities of both scenarios, and Davido’s hypeman, Spesh, took to his page to alleged that DJ Olu was killed.

Though Spesh did not point fingers, his comment was all folks needed to troll Davido, but the singer seemingly struggles to stay positive.

“God bless you,” he replied one of the trolls who hopped on his page to spew venom.





Bonang Matheba Accused of Lying About Ex-Boyfriend Abuse By Somizi

The drama between Bonang Matheba and Idols judge Somizi is getting nasty.

Recall that in the first edition of her memoir, Bonang From A to B, the media guru said Somizi hurt her when he became pals with an ex-boyfriend, Euphonik, who violently abused her in 2012.

Here’s what she wrote in the first edition of her book:

“In the end, it was one of the reasons I stopped being friends with one of my closest friends, Somizi Mhlongo, although not immediately...It took me a while to eventually leave that relationship, and years after I had, Somizi, who was my friend, suddenly became friends with my ex[Euphonik]. The same one whose violence towards me he had witnessed. That’s when I knew he had to go. I couldn’t trust him anymore so I cut him out of my life.”

Bonang Matheba, somizi

But Somizi has just denied ever witnessing the alleged physical abuse. Here’s what he told a caller on Metro FM: “Euphonik and I never spoke until after a year of our break up. I’ve never witnessed Euphonik abusing her.”

This may punch a hole in Bonang’s claims of abuse as her key witness denies witnessing the said altercation. Or Somizi saying this as revenge? Because, here’s what he told the caller:

“I was obsessed with her [Bonang], I was so loyal that I would even fight her battles even if it has nothing to do with me. To this day I would still want to know. If she respected our friendship, she would have confronted me, she never confronted me about anything. I would have done it.”



Guards Thwart Kidnap Attempt at FGGC Umuahia





Brave security guards at the Federal Government Girls College, Umuahia, Abia State and some youths near the school on Sunday foiled a kidnap attempt inside the school’s premises.

The Punch reports that three gunmen had trailed two parents who were visiting their children at the school and had successfully kidnapped one of them.

But as they tried to leave with their victim from the school premises they were confronted by the guards and some youths of the host community.

The tussle between the suspected kidnappers and the guards caused panic in the school, resulting in many parents and students scampering for safety to avoid being attacked, the newspaper writes.

The suspects were them subdued and handed over to the police.

“The members of the host community were worried about the several complaints of robbery attacks they had received from teachers of the school. Some hoodlums scaled the school’s fence to attack teachers’ homes in the school.

“A teacher’s house was burgled on Friday by some unidentified hoodlums and less than 24 hours after the reported crime, the gunmen struck in the school.

“We (teachers) are no longer safe here. Last time, we learnt that some of our colleagues were attacked in front of the school gate and some valuables were collected from them by some hoodlums at gunpoint.

“On Friday, some yet-to-be-identified persons, we learnt, broke into a fellow teacher’s home through the fence before someone raised the alarm. We want the police and other security agencies to increase their patrol around the school before the situation gets out of hand,” an unnamed source told the newspaper.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Michael Ogbizi, confirmed the incident. He said the suspects were in the custody of the police adding that they would be arraigned in court on Monday.




Sunday, 8 October 2017

T-Pain Set To Drop New Album "Oblivion" In November





T-Pain has been building up anticipation for a new full-length album release for some time now. His last effort in this regard was Revolver, which bowed in 2011. More than five years after that release, the auto-tune deity has finally shared the date when his new record will drop.
Titled OBLiViON, T-Pain's new album will be making its way to consumers as of November 17th. He shared the info in a new Instagram post that detailed a funny conversation that the rapper supposedly had with a passenger on an airplane. I mean, if you're going that hard to your own music while waiting for the descent to start, you must be doing something right, no?
A post shared by T-Pain (@tpain) on


There's no indication as to the artistic leaning of the LP overall, nor who may be featured on the album as vocal support. Two recent tracks from Pain - "F.B.G.M" featuring Young M.A. and "Goal Line" with Blac Youngsta - are both expected to grace this release's tracklist, but additional details have been largely kept under wraps so far. Whatever the sonic experience feels like in the end, there's no doubt that T-Pain has a penchant from crafting the smoothest of radio hits, as both the main artist and as a hired gun who always slays his verse. Between the Revolver era and now, he found success with the song "Up Down" with B.O.B., becoming a strong urban crossover track that helped raise his profile and pique fan interest in new offerings from the man whose voice has almost exclusively been draped in saturated vocal effects.

That being said though, maybe he'll be taking on a more soulful, less auto-tune reliant approach on OBLiViON. After his wildly successful appearance on NPR's Tiny Desk concert series, Pain has made an effort to move away from his previous, well-known sound and into a new, more stripped-down area of his musical ability. Will this be a more acoustic, less clubby vibe that he puts out on his forthcoming album? Or will be stick to the tried-and-true formula that he's been making work for him for over a decade? Only time will tell.

-Viewhiphop





Gas explosion: Death toll reaches 7; 132 injured, 64 discharged

                




The Presidency has confirmed that as at 11:30 am Sunday, at least seven people have been confirmed dead and 132 injured from Saturday night gas explosion at Atomic Junction near Madina.

A statement signed by the Information Minister added that out of those injured, 64 persons have been discharged from the hospitals with 68 others receiving treatment.

The Vice President on Sunday morning visited the site of the explosion to get the first-hand update.

He also visited a number of hospitals to comfort and support the injured.

Life is returning to normalcy after Saturday night gas explosion at Atomic Junction near Madina in Accra.




Sarkodie to embark on 'Highest' UK nationwide tour in November





Following the successful release of his fifth studio album Highest which dominated iTunes album charts around the world, Sarkodie is proud to announce that he will be embarking on a UK nationwide 'Highest' tour in November, with some special guests including Big Narstie, Jayso, Moelogo, Bobii Lewis and Suli Breaks.

The nationwide tour, presented by Sarkcess Music and Dice Recordings, in conjuction with Live Nation, GoldenVoice and Echo Location, will see the legendary Ghanaian rap star headline the O2 Institute in Birmingham on November 23, before heading to London to headline at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on November 24, and rounding up the tour in Manchester, headling Academy 2 on November 25.

In other news, Sarkodie, who released six music videos on the same day as his Highest album all at the same time, in an unprecedented move that was first of its kind for any African artist, is already gearing up to release his next music video from the Highest album, for early fan-favourite 'Far Away' featuring Mavin Records' very own Korede Bello.

Tickets for Sarkodie's 'Highest' UK tour are now available via Ticketmaster.

Sarkodie's Highest album is out now via Sarkcess Music and Dice Recordings, purchase it




Comedian Akpororo builds himself a huge mansion

Popular and very hilarious comedian, Akpororo is a proud owner of a huge mansion.

He shared a photo of the structure on his IG page writing:

''Except the Lord builds a house. The labourer Labours in vain. Father thank you for this one. I dedicate this to my wife and daughter''.

Big congrats to him.



How I Met Adekunle Gold And Falz - Simi





Popular Nigerian singer,  Simi who has for a while been romantically linked with former YBNL singer, Adekunle Gold, has revealed how they actually met.

Speaking with Sunday Scoop, she said:

“I met Adekunle Gold while I was performing at an event centre in Lagos. Unknown to me, he had been listening to me since I was a gospel artiste and he said he was a fan of my music. At that time, I just knew him as a graphic artist, popularly referred to as the ‘King of Photoshop;’ I didn’t even know he was a singer, but we just became close from there. As for Falz, he heard one of my works, and he reached out to me on Twitter. From there, we hooked up in the studio and did some things together. Soldier was actually my song, and when he heard it, we decided to work together on it,” she said.

On her relationship status, she said:
“I always like to keep my personal life away from the public. All I can say is that I am in a relationship but I just don’t want to disclose the person’s name.”

On her new album:
 “I am not afraid of failure because I feel you learn even when you fail. I was more interested in thinking of how people would react to the songs in the album. It’s not possible for everybody to like a particular thing. Even for the biggest legends in the world; they have some people who don’t like them. I was once signed to a record label for four years but things didn’t work out well. There were times that I was really frustrated, but I have never wanted to stop doing music. Music is the one thing that I’m very passionate about.”

Speaking on how her size and how it impacted her childhood, she said,
 “While growing up, I was a bit defensive. Because of my small size, I always thought that people were trying to take advantage of me. I’m not an easy person to bully. I have a mind of my own, and I always say whatever I’m feeling; I don’t hold back. But my voice has always worked to my advantage. However, I hate it when people mimic me, or treat me like a child because of my voice.”



Toke Makinwa Speaks Amid Allegations That She’s Dating a Married Oil Tycoon


Finally, Toke Makinwa has broken the silence ever since news surfaced that she is having an affair with a billionaire businessman alleged to be Festus Fadeyi, the Managing Director and Chairman at Pan Ocean Oil Corporation (Nigeria) Ltd.

In case you missed how it all started: the rumour started as a blind item on SDK, where the blogger gave all the juicy details of the alleged relationship between TM and FF.

The blogger gave all the hints about the oil tycoon’s company, adding that he is the mind behind TM’s luxurious lifestyle.

“No wonder the Guccis, Louboutins, Bottegas, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes et al, are all just mere names now on the list for the impressionable young lass, who counts Selfridges and Harrods as a must visit now, whenever she drops in London via her business class or first class flights,” the blogger wrote.

It wasn’t long before folks ‘deciphered’ the named persons, and they quickly hopped on Toke Makinwa’s Instagram to drag her for filth, with some alleging that the children of the oil tycoon are trolling the OAP.
A post shared by Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) on


Perhaps seeing that the trolling will not go away easily, Makinwa posted this succinct note, affirming that she will not be shaken.




Italy Legend Andrea Pirlo Announces Retirement From Football






It’s the end of the road for another football great as Italy legend Andrea Pirlo has confirmed he will quit at the end of the current Major League Soccer season.

Pirlo’s current contract with MLS side, New York City FC expires in the summer and, according to him, it will be his last as a professional footballer.

In a recent interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Pirlo, 38 said he came to the decision because of increased doubts about his physicality at this point in his career.

“You just realise that the time has come,” he said. “Every day you have physical problems, you cannot train as you like because you always have some stuff. At my age, that’s enough. It’s not that you can go on forever to 50. I’ll do something else.”

The great Italian will leave behind a legacy few can match in the modern era, having won all there is in the beautiful game and doing so in a style unique to him alone.




Davido hasn't reached out to anyone in the family - Tagbo's sister speaks up





Following the death of Tagbo, which shoot social media after actress Caroline Danjuma came out with claims that singer Davido, knows a thing or two about his death, sister to the deceased has revealed that Davido, till date is yet to speak with anyone in their family.



“I am a year older than he was, and October 3 was supposed to be his 35th birthday. They’re trying to portray him as a drunk or useless person, and that’s not true. There’s more to social media than what we see on the screen. He was not married and he didn’t have any kids. He was an engineer but he was trying to diversify into the music business. Not as a musician, but maybe as a record label owner,” she said.

“He could upload some pictures of himself hanging out with his friends, but that does not mean that he doesn’t have anything else he does with his life. He was a very caring and outgoing person, and he had a great future ahead of him. I would definitely not wish what we, his loved ones, are going through right now on anybody.

Nobody deserves to die the way he did; abandoned at a time he needed help the most. Nobody deserves the nonchalance that the parties involved are displaying. It’s really unfair. Our dad is late, and my mum is taking this one day at a time.

Davido has not reached out to anyone in my family; not me, my mum, or Tagbo’s brother. I only knew about my brother’s friendship with Davido through social media; I had never met him. But they’ve been friends for some time now because I often see pictures of them together. I’m not really familiar with many of the artistes in Nigeria, but I know that on the night of the incident, Tagbo was with Davido and Dammy Krane.

Right now, we’re trying to gather as much information as possible to aid the investigation. All we need is justice; we don’t need any financial gain from this sad incident. We would dig to the root of the matter and find out if it was the negligence of anybody that led to this, or there was any sort of tampering involved. The autopsy would be conducted on Monday; any contrary news is false.”

When Sunday Scoop reached out to Davido's team on their response to Tagbo's sister's claim, his manager Asa Asika said
 “We don’t have any comment on this matter; there is nothing to say.”

Meanwhile, the police have also confirmed that the autopsy would be carried out on Monday.






Nelly is innocent of the rape charges - Akon





Following reports that rapper Nelly was arrested for second degree rape yesterday, singer and friend Akon, has come out to support his friend saying he did not rape anyone.

Speaking with TMZ, Akon said:




We got the singer at LAX Saturday, and our guy throws him for a loop right away with the news. Akon’s clearly not buying it, though … and practically guarantees it’s not true because he knows Nelly.
Then it gets really interesting … Akon speculates the rape charge could be a case of mistaken identity or — even worse — the accuser might have made it all up to try to score an easy payday from the rapper.
Either way it’s evident — Akon thinks the rape allegations against Nelly are completely bogus … which is exactly how Nelly feels.




Nigerian Player Isaac Success Arrested After Clash Over £2000 Hotel Romp






Nigerian footballer, Isaac Success has been arrested in England following a clash with four escorts over a failed £2,000 hotel romp.

The Super Eagles star who plays for English Premier League side, Watford, reportedly failed to get any action after drinking 2 bottles of Baileys liqueur.

One of the escorts, Alexis Domerge said the player had boasted of his prowess in the bedroom but failed to get his game on after several attempts.

The ladies massaged Success for 90 minutes and when the player failed to get into action, they called off the romp which angered the Watford star.

The player angrily demanded a refund of the £2,000 he had paid the ladies for the tryst and their refusal to budge led to a shouting match.

Alexis, 24, said: “He accused us of ripping him off and asked for his money to be returned.

“It was terrifying. He had paid four of us £500 each to party with him and we all got naked as soon as the money came through on our phone bank accounts.

“He was drinking Baileys straight from the bottle.

“He must have chugged at least two. I pulled off his shorts and got down to it with three other girls doing everything you could imagine.”

The escort further blamed the Baileys liqueur for the player’s depressed libido after describing him as both shy and awkward during the encounter.

The UK Sun reports that Success was arrested in the hotel lobby after cops were called.




Beyoncé And JAY-Z Make First Public Appearance With Their Twins





Beyonce and Jay Z have been seen out with their twins for the first time during a family outing in New York.

The 36-year-old singer gave birth to twins Rumi and Sir four months ago but has yet to be seen with them – until now.

The super famous couple, plus their five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy were seen arriving at a helipad in New York with the latest additions to their family.
Showing he’s a hands on dad, Jay, 47, carried one of the babies in a car seat, while a minder carried the other.

Beyonce meanwhile looked her usual stylish self, wearing a pyjama style trouser set in blue and red, with a dash of bright red lipstick. Blue Ivy showed off her style credentials wearing a blue tracksuit and pink sunglasses, with matching pink trainers.

More photos below:









How This Ghanaian Actor Almost Committed Suicide Because Of His Stature





Ghanaian actor, Stephen Atanga also known as Don Little recently revealed that he almost committed suicide after his biological parents despised him because of his stunted growth.

In an interview with Angel TV, the actor said

“It got to sometime my parents despised me and never cared about me because my colleagues kept increasing in size but I remained where I was. I was contemplating ending my life”.

According to the actor, he has accepted his faith and he has come to the conclusion he will never increase in size because he believes it is his destiny. He also added that his sibling have normal growth and are much taller and bigger than him.

“My other sisters are grown and bigger than me. I believe my size is the work of God which I have to be content with. I have not made any attempt to go to the hospital to find out if there is something wrong with me medically or not. I trust in God and commit everything to prayer”.




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