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Actress and entrepreneur Nkechi Blessing has for the second time in two months escaped injury after a portion of the POP ceiling in her Lekki residence collapsed unexpectedly.

The actress shared a video of the damage on Instagram on Monday, where she voiced frustration and resolve to relocate.

In the post, Blessing described the event as another clear sign to leave Lekki, humorously stating that fans watch her films to help her afford a new home in Victoria Island or Ikoyi.

Nkechi wrote: ‘Lekki THANK YOU, another sign to pack my bags and leave. Second time in the space of 2 months.. Abeg make una watch my film make I fit go buy house for vi or ikoyi,I fit Dey smile oooo but deep down I am going through a lot.’

The Federal Government has launched a comprehensive revenue recovery exercise aimed at boosting inflows into the Federation Account.

As part of the initiative, more than 50 consultants have been inaugurated to identify and recover unremitted revenues across key sectors of the economy.

The exercise, which is being jointly coordinated by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), is expected to be completed within six months.

Speaking at the inauguration of the consultants at the RMAFC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Chairman of the RMAFC, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the move reflects the Commission’s determination to strengthen fiscal governance and ensure that all revenues due to the Federation are properly accounted for and remitted.

According to him: ‘This exercise is not a routine administrative action but a deliberate, result-oriented innovation designed to strengthen fiscal governance and ensure every recoverable naira due to the Federation is transparently remitted.’

Shehu explained that the engagement of consultants was a strategic decision designed to plug revenue leakages, enhance transparency, and improve the fiscal capacity of the three tiers of government.

He added that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

‘In line with the constitutional responsibility of the Commission, and with the full support of Mr. President and the Special Adviser to the President on Revenue, as well as the Executive Chairman of the FIRS, this initiative for special recovery projects to identify and recover unremitted revenues across sectors of the economy was brought into light,’ Shehu stated.

He assured that the RMAFC would continue to strengthen inter-agency collaboration to ensure that Nigeria’s revenue generation processes are both transparent and efficient.

Representing the FIRS Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, at the event, the Coordinating Director of the Service, Shettima Tamadi, commended the leadership of the RMAFC for taking proactive steps to improve the country’s fiscal position. He pledged the FIRS’s full cooperation to ensure the success of the revenue recovery programme.

‘Nigeria has a huge revenue gap, but with stronger collaboration between agencies and partners, we can bridge that gap and achieve sustainable fiscal growth,’ Tamadi said.

Mr. Joseph Nwaeze Okechukwu, Secretary to the Commission, urged the consultants to carry out their assignment diligently and ensure that all recoverable revenues are returned to the Federation Account within the stipulated six-month timeframe. He stressed that the recovered funds would support the implementation of the government’s national development priorities.

Delivering the acceptance speech on behalf of the consultants, the lead consultant, Mr. Temitayo Ojeleke, described the engagement as a ‘national call to duty’ and pledged to approach the task with professionalism and transparency.

‘We accept this assignment as partners in Nigeria’s economic renewal, ready to deliver results that will strengthen the nation’s revenue base,’ Ojeleke said.

The Nigerian Army (NA) has confirmed the death of Lt. -Col Aliyu Saidu Paiko and other soldiers stopped vicious attacks on unarmed civilians in Borno State by Boko Haram Terrorists.

The operatives attached to 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Operation HADIN KAI, resisted the terrorists on October 17, at Kashimri general area of Bama local government council of Borno State, Army spokeswoman, Lt.-Col Appolonia Anele, said on Monday.

According to her, the deceased Paiko was the commanding officer of 202 Tank Battalion.

Most of the terrorists were killed in the gun battle with troops with a handful of them sustaining injuries, forcing them to abort their mission to wreak havoc in the community.

‘The troops had successfully located and destroyed identified Boko Haram camps in the area, thereby frustrating the terrorists’ plans to attack civilians and disrupt socio-economic activities in the area.

‘During the operation, the troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun fight and neutralised several, while others suffered injuries.

‘However, the encounter took its toll on our side, as the Commanding Officer, 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko, and a few other valiant soldiers paid the supreme price, as they fell in battle.

‘These brave heroes fought for the peace of our great nation, and their legacies shall endure forever. The Nigerian Army will continue to honor the weight of their sacrifices as their loss comes with the reminder of our unyielding resolve to stamp out the scourge of terrorism from our great nation, Nigeria,’ said Anele.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, she said, commiserated with the bereaved families, adding

‘they were not just soldiers but fathers, brothers, and sons who expressed immeasurable courage by taking the last stand in the face of adversity, and we stand together in this time of grief’.

Anele said the COAS reaffirmed the army’s unwavering resolve to pursue all terrorist elements relentlessly until total peace and normalcy are restored in the region and the nation by extension.

‘In the spirit of respect and compassion, members of the public and the media are kindly advised to refrain from sharing or publishing images of personnel who have paid the supreme price during operations generally until their next of kin may have been duly informed. This is to preserve the dignity of such fallen heroes and protecting the privacy of their families,’ the Army said.

The Senate Committee on Army has condoled with the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, over the tragic death of Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko and other soldiers in Borno State.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’adua, in a statement described the fallen soldiers as heroes who exemplified the highest standards of military professionalism and patriotism.

The statement reads: ‘On behalf of the Senate Committee on Army, I extend our heartfelt condolences to you, the Nigerian Army, and the families of the gallant officers and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.’

The Committee assured the Nigerian Army of its continued support in ensuring the welfare and well-being of troops, saying, ‘We will work tirelessly to provide adequate resources and support to the Nigerian Army in its quest to maintain peace and security in our great nation.’

The Senate Committee on Army also extended its deepest sympathies to the families of the fallen heroes, praying that Almighty Allah grants them Jannatul Firdaus and comfort their loved ones during this difficult time.

‘May their sacrifice never be in vain, and may their memory continue to inspire us to work towards a safer and more prosperous Nigeria,’ Yar’Adua said.

Actress and filmmaker Iyabo Ojo has warned an alleged Facebook impersonator, using her name and picture to run a blog with 2.7 million followers.

In a video on Instagram, she claimed the impersonator has been making money from the page, posting false news and stories, and causing confusion among her fans.

Ojo stated she’s tried reporting the page to Facebook but wants the impersonator to remove her name, picture, and rebrand the page.

She said: ‘This video is directed to whoever it is that is impersonating me and using my name. It has 2.7 million followers on Facebook.

‘I have tried to report this account to Facebook. The person went and changed it to Iyabo Ojo Lovers. So at the time, Facebook was thinking it’s my fan page.

‘This is not my fan page. I don’t know who owns this. I don’t know who created this.

‘But this page has been going on for a very long time. Now, my problem with this page is that this person is a blogger. Because I will not sit down and carry other people’s news’.

She warned that if this isn’t done, she’ll take further action to have the page taken down.

Ojo also condemned others using her name to spread false information, saying they should ‘get a life and get a job’ and stop being ‘stupid on social media’.

She continued: ‘This person has constantly carried different news and stories and definitely is making money, right, with my name. Okay. Now, my problem is that a lot of people think I own the page.

‘In fact, the reason why I joined Facebook, was it last year? Or two years ago? The reason why I joined it was because of an issue like this. Why? To report all these pages.

‘Luckily, I found out that in Nigeria here, they can actually help you bring down this page if you report it. I found out recently and I’m very glad about it. So I want to tell this person that owns this page that is using my name to be deceiving people and be gathering followers and making money. If you know you want to be a blogger, don’t be greedy.

‘You have used my name to gather 2.7 million followers, right? Change my name. Remove my name. Remove my picture.

‘Because you and I know that I don’t know you and this is not my page. This is the last warning I’m going to give you because me, I’m not a blogger. Take my name off this page and my picture.

‘Take it off. Because the next time you will look for this page and it will be gone. I’m not capping with you.

‘The next time when I have your time, this page will disappear. So if you know that you want to keep your 2.7 million followers, remove my name and my picture. Create your own identity now.

‘Why are you using my name to be blogging? Making people feel like I’m a blogger. And it’s not funny anymore because you put my pictures there and you blog, you carry different news.

‘It’s madness. So please, I know there’s a lot of people impersonating me on Facebook, on TikTok, on everywhere. I know.

‘But this particular one, maybe because it is verified and it has a lot of followers. Every day in my DM, I keep getting messages like, did you write this? Did you post this? So I’m telling whoever it is that is in charge of this page. I’m sure you’ll get to see this video because you’re always on my page.

‘Everything I post on my page, you go and post it on this page, right? So you’re definitely monitoring me. You’re one of the monitoring spirits. Please, kindly change. Take my name off it. Take my pictures off it. Rebrand it.

‘You can stand alone now. You have 2.7 million followers. And for the rest of you that will just wake up one morning and go and use my name and write, Iyabo just said this, Iyabo just said that.’

Actor Kelechi Udegbe has shared an harrowing experience of surviving a near-fatal car accident in Lagos.

In a recent interview on the WithChude podcast, Udegbe described the November 2023 incident as a life-changing experience that strengthened his spiritual connection and took his faith to a new level.

According to Udegbe, the accident occurred shortly after he parted ways with friend and colleague Gregory Ojefua.

He recalled asking Ojefua about his destination and Ojefua replied that he was heading towards the Eko Bridge, while Udegbe said he was going through the Third Mainland Bridge.

Udegbe said his memory of the event cuts off at that point and he woke up in the hospital with no recollection of what happened.

He said: ‘That accident was crazy. I was with Gregory Ojefua, my guy. Greg is my guy. We just finished where we were. I asked him where hin dey go. And he said he was going through the Eko Bridge. I said I was going through Third Mainland. And that was it.

‘And I entered the car and drove off. The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital. I was like looking around and started asking what is going on? I said I was supposed to be on set.

‘The next thing was seeing a bandage around my neck. I could not turn my neck. I was told to calm down. I did not know what was going on.’

‘I couldn’t move my neck because I had a whiplash from the accident, so turning my neck became difficult and painful. I had to go for therapy. When I came in to see the doctor three days later, he looked at me, checked the car again, and said to me, ‘Go and sin no more.’ It felt like Jesus Christ was talking to me’.

He credited the accident with deepening his Christian faith, saying it had a profound impact on his spiritual journey.

‘I would say before the accident, I was a Christian. I believe in God, pray, and all that. Since the accident, my conversation with God, my belief in God is a notch higher,’ he added.

The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State, Professor Abayomi Fasina, has denied ordering the arrest of the leaders of the university’s chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

Speaking with select reporters on Monday evening, Professor Fasina said since he resumed office last Monday he has been concerned on how to achieve lasting peace on the campus despite alleged provocations from certain quarters.

He said he was out of Ekiti State when he heard that SSANU leaders were allegedly detained by the police and ‘I immediately called on the Police Commissioner to seek clarifications and eventually appealed for their release.’

He said there was no basis for him to call on the police to arrest anyone, insisting that what preoccupies his mind is ensuring peaceful atmosphere on the campus towards achieving smooth operation.

According to him: ‘Except they want to be unfair to me. As soon as I resumed office I approved the payment of the relocation allowance for these workers. About N160 million was released for that purpose. In fact, that of the academic staff is yet to be resolved. So how can I be the one responsible for any arrest again.’

He appealed to the workers and students to prioritise dialogue over violence, saying the university is bigger than anyone.

SSANU on Monday alerted the public that its leaders were arrested by the Police Command in Ekiti State, calling on stakeholders including the national leadership of the union to intervene.

According to a statement credited to the Vice Chairman of the union on the campus, Mr Olausi Simeon, five members of the union were arrested by police.

Those arrested, according to Olausi’ statement are Comrade Faleye Benjamin, who is the chairman of the chapter, and Comrades Ademola Mutiu, Oyelude Yekeen, Aluko Ayomikun, and Nwokeke Barnabas.

Olausi said the arrest was in response to a petition allegedly authored by the institution’s chief security officer as reportedly ordered by Professor Fasina.

In the statement with the title: Notice to All SSANU FUOYE Members and the University Community,’ Olausi said the development was concerning and unacceptable.

He said it is a direct attack on ‘unionism, workers’ rights, and freedom of association as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and Labour Laws.’

But Ekiti Police Public Relations Officer DSP Sunday Abutu, denied the arrest of the union leaders.

According to Abutu, the unionists were invited over ‘certain issues,’ and were later released.

‘The police did not arrest them, they were invited over certain developments, and they have been asked to go,’ Abutu clarified..

Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke said he has no plan either now or in the near future to leave the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adeleke, who is the Deputy Chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee of the PDP, also said the party will come out of its crisis stronger.

The Governor, who spoke shortly after the inaugural meeting of the Accomodation Sub-Committee of the convention, said everything would be sorted out so that the convention can proceed smoothly.

He stated: ‘Some people say I might be planning to join the APC because I have friends there or have been seen attending their events. I’m a very civilised person. If I have friends in the APC and they invite me to a wedding or social function, I will attend. That doesn’t mean I’m joining them.

‘As we speak, I am the Deputy Chairman of our convention, which holds on the 15th and 16th of October, and I remain a loyal member of the PDP. I also chair the Accommodation Committee.

‘The PDP does not believe in propaganda or endless talk. Many people from other parties are also defecting, that’s politics. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, but everyone has the right to do as they wish.

‘Our focus is on unity, organisation and success. By God’s grace, our convention will be a great success, and the PDP will continue to grow from strength to strength. Thank you, and God bless you all.’

The Ogun State Government has urged residents living in riverbank and wetland areas to prepare for the overflow of Ogun River in the next two weeks, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 3.

This is contained in a flood alert released by the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Ola Oresanya, in Abeokuta on Monday.

Oresanya listed the areas as Akute, Alagbole, Isheri, Magboro, Makogi, Orimerunmu, Iro, Kajola and part of Abeokuta specifically Lafenwa, Enugada, Adedotun, Iberekodo, Akin-Olugbade, and Ago-Odo

He said the alert was part of the government’s continued efforts at mitigating flooding in the state through its periodic flood alert.

‘The overflow from Ogun river would rise as a result of controlled release of water from Oyan Dam due to heavy rainfall from up-north.

‘This will increase the volume of water reaching the dam from that part of the country which will be compounded by increase in tidal level,’ he said.

He said the waterflow into the dam would inevitably force the release of water from the dam that would affect the areas.

He urged residents of the areas to exercise caution and avoid loss of lives and property within the period.

Oresanya emphasised the need for residents of the areas to avoid the riverbank, while those in the wetlands should move to higher grounds or elevate their stay for now as the overflow becomes inevitable.

He added that the state government had continuously dredged and opened up more tributaries for Ogun River to ease the pressure of the overflow on residents in collaboration with the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority.

He, therefore, enjoined residents of the areas not to panic, assuring that the tide would go down in about 10 days as the mitigating measures from the state government cannot stop the activities of nature.

Oresanya also used the opportunity to call on fish farmers in the areas mentioned to harvest their fishes in order to avoid inevitable losses.

The 2025 edition of the Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival will take place from December 18 to 22.

The chairman of the planning committee, Hon. Segun Dokun Odebunmi, disclosed this during a press conference held at the palace of the Soun of Ogbomosoland.

He described the carnival as one of the flagship initiatives of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, under the monarch’s 25-year development agenda for Ogbomosoland.

According to Odebunmi, the carnival was created to promote Ogbomoso’s rich cultural heritage, foster unity among its people, and showcase the city’s uniqueness to the world.

He stated, ‘The Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival is more than a cultural display; it is a vision-a platform to showcase our heritage, promote our identity, and restore the dignity of Ogbomosoland.’

He recalled that the inaugural edition in 2024 attracted over 10,000 visitors, including indigenes from the diaspora, corporate sponsors, and tourists, noting that the event has become a model for cultural celebrations in Oyo State.

‘Last year’s success inspired several communities across Oyo State. It also led to the establishment of a campus of the Nigerian Academy for Cultural Studies (NACUS) and its inclusion in both the state and federal cultural calendars,’ Odebunmi added.

He expressed hope that the 2025 edition would surpass the previous one in terms of colour, creativity, and impact, mentioning that new activities and innovations have been introduced to enhance participants’ experiences.

This year’s pre-carnival activities will be largely youth-focused, designed not only to showcase talent but also to elevate outstanding individuals on national and global stages.

Mr. Banji Ojo, the chairman of the pre-carnival committee, stated that areas not yet included in the current lineup would be addressed in future editions and encouraged young people to seize the opportunity to showcase their gifts through talent hunts and other activities.

He mentioned that, in addition to cash and material rewards, those who excelled would be promoted to national and global levels.

Mr. Muyiwa Oke, the secretary of the committee, reported that over 50 clubs and associations have registered to participate, with registration still open for other interested groups.

He assured that the carnival would reflect the unity and vibrancy that characterize Ogbomosoland.

The 2025 carnival will include Pre-Carnival, Main Carnival, and Post-Carnival events.

Key highlights will feature talent Hunt showcasing music, comedy, and traditional performances; Omidan Ogbomoso Beauty Pageant, crowning the cultural ambassador of Ogbomosoland; Arts and Crafts Exhibition (December 18-22); Oba Ghandi Golf Tournament, Football Competition, Tennis Tournament, Ayo Olopon and Draught Competitions, and a Marathon Race.

The Main Carnival will officially launch on Thursday, December 18, at the Soun Ogunlola Hall, featuring cultural displays, music, and addresses by dignitaries.

Subsequent days will include chieftaincy conferments, Jumaat prayers, the Odun Oole Festival, golf tournament, award night, and musical entertainment.

The grand finale, scheduled for Monday, December 22, will feature an official closing ceremony performed by the Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, alongside cultural displays from the five local governments in Ogbomosoland.

Hon. Odebunmi assured that comprehensive security measures have been implemented, with both serving and retired experts managing surveillance and crowd control.

He also mentioned that hotels and restaurants across the city have been well-prepared to ensure comfort and safety for visitors.

Prince Dotun Oyelade, the chairman of the media and publicity sub-committee, emphasised that the carnival was ‘programmed for success right from inception’ and called on journalists to project its vision of unity, culture, and economic revival.

In conclusion, Odebunmi urged all sons and daughters of Ogbomosoland to support this initiative.

‘As Helen Keller said, ‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.’ Together, under the leadership of His Imperial Majesty, we are rewriting our story with courage and conviction,’ he stated.

The Ogbomoso Cradles Carnival, inaugurated in 2024 as part of the Soun’s developmental vision, has quickly become one of the most anticipated cultural festivals in Oyo State, attracting both local and international attention.