Why My Marriage Crashed–Omoolope, Gospel Singer

Adejoke Bankole aka Omoolope recently released an album entitled, My Comfort. She spoke with Ayodele Lawal about her absence from the music scene and why her marriage to her promoter crashed.
Among others she also opened up on her relationship with fuji music star, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma. Excerpts:
Who is Omoolope?

Omoolope is Adejoke Bankole, a gospel singer. I attended St. Kizito Primary School, Iju Grammar School all in lagos and later, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State where I studied Mass Communications.

How did you come into gospel music?

I started at a very tender age. Then I was in my father’s band. He had a jazz band and I was one of the backup singers. I started professionally in 2001 when I met my former promoter and I released my first album in 2002.

How did you meet him?

I met him through one of my friends.

Was that the album in which you featured Wasiu Alabi Pasuma?

Yes and I thank God that the album was a hit.

After the album you went into oblivion, why was this so?

That is a long story because I later got married and after the marriage I decided to stay back to take care of the family among other things.

You got married to who?

My husband (laughter).

So, how was the experience?

It’s been rough and tough but I believe God will use this new album to compensate me.

Your fans will want to know what has happened to you because you said it’s been rough and tough?

My fans should just thank God for my life.

A lot of artistes complain about sexual harassment among other things on their way to the top, was your own experience like that?

I cannot really say anything because the promoter then was my husband and I did not have any bad experience.

Why did your marriage to your promoter crash?

That ‘s a long story. May be that was God’s wish. I did not pray for it but it happened. I really tried to make it work but I was helpless.

You were on the same record label then with Omoologo, Safejo, Tekoma and Shanko. What was the working relationship among you then?

It was very cordial. There was no problem though we were not really close but we had a good working relationship.

Your promoter was your husband. How were you able to cope?

I tried my best.

What happened along the line?

Nothing, the marriage did not work
Did you make money from the album, Omoolope, or were you cheated?

The story is not for today but another day.

Your marriage to the person that discovered your talent did not work, don’t you think some people might call you an ingrate?

I’m not an ingrate because what happened was beyond music.

Then why did it take you so long to come out with a new album?

Let me put it this way. Let’s say between four and five years Alphabet Music led by Dammy Damola Kolawole stopped promoting artistes and he did not care about my career so that really affected me, he decided to move into another business and kept on promising me.
Is that why you walked out of the marriage?

No.

How many kids do you have for him?

Three.

Were you legally married?

No.

Did you encounter any problems with other promoters?

No, I have not moved to any promoter after him, I have been playing at social engagements and church programmes among others.

But the Alphabet Music clan was very big then. Why did it collapse? Were you part of the problem?

No, I think the promoter should be able to answer the question himself.

Did you make money from the album, Omoolope in which you featured Pasuma?

I did not make money from it. All I got was the fame.

What was the experience like?

Nice but it was a case of mixed blessings. Some criticized me while others praised my effort.

What have you gained and what have you lost?

I have lost nothing but gained a lot and I believe I will gain more now.

When has been your happiest and saddest moments?

My happiest moment was on April 28, 2013, when I launched my new album entitled, My Comfort, because I see it as my first album.

But Omoolope was your first album?

To me the new album is my first album because I don’t think I had one.

But Omoloope shot you into the limelight?
I know but its controversy outweighed the benefits. The new album is pure Omooolope.
Was there rivalry between you and Omooologo when both of you were under Alphabet label?

No.

Why is it that most female artistes can’t keep a home.

I don’t know. Some may have problems because of stardom but mine was different.
So your husband dumped you?

No, that is a long story. My own case is different. I did not leave my husband because of fame. If that was the case I would have left him years back.

Let’s have a bit about your experience…?

Not now, it is a personal issue. I will tell the story when the time comes.
Any plan to remarry?

I will when I see the right man.

Teacher impersonates Fashola, Aregbesola’s wives, dupes govt

Fashola, Aregbesola and The suspect
 

A 53-year-old primary school teacher, Mrs. Asogbon Abosede, has been arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrate’s Court for allegedly impersonating the wives of Lagos and Osun states governors and defrauding officials of the Lagos State Government.

 

Abosede, a Grade 10 teacher, was said to have committed the crime between June and July 2013 through text messages in which she claimed to be Mrs. Abimbola Fashola and Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola.

 

The accused allegedly influenced her redeployment from a primary school in Alimosho area of the state to the Lagos State Basic Education Board by sending text messages to the Chairman of SUBEB, presenting herself as Fashola and later as Aregbesola.

 

The request was said to have been granted as she was redeployed soon afterwards.

The police also said among the many sins of the accused was that she sent more text messages to the Chairman of Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, and the Education Secretary of Alimosho, as Fashola, demanding Ramadan gifts.

 

The LCDA chairman, in response to the SMS, was said to have sent N100, 000, while the Education Secretary, sent three BlackBerry phones valued at N105,000.

 

The charges further stated that Abosede also impersonated Aresgbesola’s younger sister and misinformed another woman that Aregbesola was involved in a road accident.

 

The charge read in part, “That you, Asogbon Absosede,f,a Grade Level 10 School Teacher, sometimes in the month of June 2013, falsely representing yourself as sister to Her Excellency, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, First Lady of Osun State, gave false information to one Gbolahan Khadijat Daudu(Mrs) that Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola was involved in a road accident and could not attend wedding of Mrs. Gbolahan Dauda’s son, saying her the gifts were carted away as a result of the accident.”

 

The police said the offence was punishable under Section 96(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the ten counts.

 

The defence counsel, Mr. Gbolahan Samuel, urged the court to discountenance the content of the charges because it was a waterless paper tiger.

 

The lawyer prayed the court to grant the accused bail in liberal terms.

The prosecutor, Mr. Babatunde Sunmonu, however objected to it.

 

The Magistrate, Mrs. E. Fabanwo, observed that the charges were grievous, saying each of them could attract three to 15 years jail term.

 

Fabanwo admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties, whom, she said, must deposit N1m each, while one of them must have landed property in Lagos State with a government approved Certificate of Occupancy.

 

The matter was adjourned till September 2, 2013.

Wizkid's Girlfriend Tania Omotayo Opens Luxury Retail Store In Lekki

When you date a celebrity, you kinda become news yaself, right? Wizkid's girlfriend Tania Omotayo has taken over the affairs of popular luxury clothing and accessories store, Designers’ Club, which has been in existence for over 15 years.

Don't know if she bought it over but the management has changed hands and she's head person in charge now. Congrats to her...

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Cracks In St Janet’s Marriage…Husband Relocates To US

 

In June when the lewd singer, St Janet Ajilore changed her status message from being married to ‘Complicated’ it wasn’t too much of a problem for industry watchers to suspect that there was crack in her marriage. But recent event proved them wrong as after that change of status, the two were found again at each other’s arms.

As you are reading this now, the sensational artiste, St Janet, who is having a running battle with another female singer in Ikorodu who recently got involved with Police over the death of a girl, has not set her eyes on her husband for the past two months; we learnt, the husband, Olukayode Iyun has been away in the United State of America where he’s said to have taken up the service of a sound engineer for some studios and artistes.

Prior to his trip, St. Janet and hubby were battling with many issues at home and the band's management. Olukayode has since stopped managing his wife and attending shows with her, a responsibility that has since been taken up by one Alhaji SkyWay.

Sources close to the couple feared that they if they continued to keep each other at arm's length for so long, the union would naturally break. St. Janet and husband, according to sources have grown apart partly because of various marital allegations and differences.

To worsen it the reports that Olukayode allegedly had a carnal knowledge of St. Janet's love child definitely put a wedge between them. Though both have come out to clear the air on the matter but the fact that it happened has not brought any relief to the singer, our source insisted.
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Julius Aghahowa Supports 11-Year Old Daughter's Acting Career (Photos)

Daughter of former Super Eagles striker, Julius Aghahowa, Isabelle Aghahowa has made her first appearance in Nollywood with Uche Jombo film, unconditional.

Isabelle was not only loved by her beauty but was well thumbed up for her artistic ability in interpreting her role.

Shortly after the production ended last Friday, Julis came with a Benz G Wagon to fetch his daughter back home. The fear of child-marriage is the beginning of wisdom.

'Unconditional' is a story of identical twins separated at birth and given to two different mothers, played by Dakore Eguson and Uche Jumbo.

 

"God Will Place A Curse On You" - Toyin Aimakhu Blasts Critics

Toyin Aimakhu has had enough of all the negativities coming from her critics.

The actress who recently got married to fellow actor, Niyi Johnson took to her twitter handle @aimakhutoyin to condemn what she terms negative criticism faced by people in the entertainment industry.

Since she walked down the aisle with her handsome hubby, the pretty actress has come under criticisms. While some alleged that she's about three years older than her husband, others lambasted her for staging a low-key wedding ceremony as a celeb.

Not happy with all these, the Edo State-born actress has allegedly placed a curse on her critics and begged God to make it come to pass.

She tweeted, ‘I don’t understand anymore, people will insult us to get married after getting married you will be cursing us that is just a year, if the marriage breaks again you people will be shouting that we arr irresponsible. Anyways anyone who places a curse or say negative words about my home GOD of Abraham,GOD of GOD, ALLAH will place a curse on them and all their lives will bring negative meanings to people".

She added, "Blood runs through our veins and not petrol or diesel, being an actor or actress doesn’t mean we don't make mistakes, pleases keep praying for us. I will try my best to keep my head up and be the best wife, role model, actress, friend and mother. No more curses or abuse, we are human and not Holy Spirit".

The actress then rounded up her series of tweets, saying, "I rest my case till another day, for the future. I was never married, this is my first and only and last marriage till I die. I need your prayers to kip me going not curse."
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/41599.html

I Watched My Dad, Mum, 2 Siblings Burn To Death –20-yr-Old Woman

Relatives of the Gbadamosi family of Kajola-Ijesha in Atakumosa West Local Government Area of Osun state are yet to come to terms with the shocking death of four members of the family who were burnt to death in a late night fire, the cause of which remains a mystery days after.

Mr Lateef Gbadamosi, his wife and two children perished in the tragic incident. Family belongings including furniture, electronics, cooking utensils and other household materials were lost in the fire too.

One of the deceased’s children, Mutiat Gbadamosi survived, because she was absent from home during the inferno. She rushed back to the family home located at Isale Oja Street from the mosque where she had gone to observe the late night Ramadan prayers, only to watch her parents and siblings who were hale and hearty a few hours earlier being consumed by the raging inferno.

“I came back from the mosque where I had gone to pray at midnight and saw a large crowd in front of our house. I saw my father and mother being burnt by fire. He made an attempt to jump through the window but fire eventually caught up with him and he died. Also my brother made an attempt to jump out of the house but his clothes caught fire and he also died. We lost four people on the same day. It’s so painful,” 20-year-old Mutiat told Sunday Sun.

She debunked the claim that an electric power surge triggered the fire, saying it was a mystery as there had been no electricity supply to their house since it had been disconnected for over a month.

“It was a rumour that the fire was caused by an electric power surge. There was no electricity in the house for over a month now and the whole family had been sleeping in darkness. We all slept in darkness on that fateful day and no one lighted a candle or lantern. We were all using torchlights. My dad just labored in vain. He worked and he was not allowed to eat the fruits of his labour. He died when we needed him most.

He was not allowed to fulfill his dreams. He had told us of his desire to do certain things this year, but his untimely death has prevented him from doing them. My mum and dad were lovers of their people but they both died same day. That is why the whole community is mourning their demise and everywhere is gloomy in our town now.”

Explaining how she escaped death, Mutiat said, “I was also sleeping at home but left home for prayers at a nearby mosque and also woke my parents up to join me for the prayers but they declined. I also tried to convince my other siblings to join me for the prayers but they complained that they were tired. I later left home for the mosque to observe the prayers and it was at the mosque I got the news that our house was on fire.”

She added, “When I got home, we called officials of the state Fire Service in Osogbo and they responded timely but their efforts could not stop the fire. The fire spread despite the efforts of good Samaritans in the community and officials of the fire service.

“I heard my father shouting for help on top of his voice before he finally gave up the ghost, but it was too difficult for anyone to move close to him and others in the fire. I watched all of them as they were burnt to death. People really tried to rescue them but we could not help the situation.”

She appealed to the state government to assist her and her surviving siblings to complete their education.

Her late father, Mutiat said, had two wives and 12 children as well as many relatives who relied on him for survival, lamenting that the vacuum created by his death would be too difficult to fill.
Describing her father as good-natured, she said he was nice to all members of the community and they would all miss the assistance he rendered to most people free.
The incident has thrown the entire community into deep mourning. It was said to be the first fire incident in the history of the town.

Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Laoye-Tomori who visited the town to commiserate with the people expressed shock and concern at the death of the four family members in such a horrible circumstance, promising that the state government would take care of the remaining children.

Mrs. Tomori who gave some undisclosed amount to the eldest child of the deceased admonished residents of Kajola to be vigilant, assuring that the state government would ensure that measures were put in place to avoid a re-occurrence.
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/41605.html

Iretiola Doyle:"Quit acting? Not in this lifetime

Iretiola Doyle, one of popular soap opera, Tinsel's actress, in an interview talks about her marriage, career and of course, the premiere of her first movie.

According to her, her commitment to ‘Tinsel’ is on a first-call basis; which simply means that the production is considered above any other work commitments she may have.

Professionalism, integrity and plain common sense dictate that I would not play a character similar to Sheila Ade-Williams in any other production.

When asked if she would quit acting, she replied "Quit acting? Not in this lifetime. I’m going to be acting until I am old and frail. And even after that, for as long as I have my faculties in good working condition, I will still be involved in communication in some way: writing, producing, radio show hosting etc.

Quit acting? Not in this lifetime.

She further said she's a budding farmer. "I’ve always wanted to own something that was 100% mine, which could not be affected by someone else’s whims and caprices. I also strongly believe that in the years to come food and water will become a major deal.

I started out with a tiny snail farm in my backyard. It was an experiment, to see if I could do it and if it was something I could sustain."
READ MORE: http://news.naij.com/41606.html

Olamide Makes Acting Debut in Nollywood movie ‘Osun Funke’ [Trailer]

Rapper Olamide has made his acting debut in the DJ Tee-directed ‘Osun Funke‘ which stars the likes of drummer girl Ara, Yemi Shodinmu, Ricardo Argbor, Baba Wande, Peju Ogunmola, Dejo, Doris Simeon and more.

Watch the trailer below…

Mechanic Narrates Harrowing Experience In Ritualists Den

Eze Obasi is a motor mechanic from Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State. He resides at Oraifite Street, but has his workshop on Aku Street, all at the Ogui New Layout of the Coal City.

That fateful Sunday in April, Eze had dressed up and was set to go for a child dedication with one of his friends but never had any inkling that he was heading for an encounter with the devil.
By the time he got to Aku Street, he could not find his friend. He then decided to cross over to Edinburgh Roundabout to recharge his phone and call him. He never made that call. Rather, he found himself on a journey into a thick bush at Akokwa, Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State, where he was to be offered to the gods as sacrifice.
Two months after the traumatic experience from which God saved him, Eze is still in shock and has found it difficult to believe that he could have died three months ago. The following is Eze Obasi’s story as told by him.

“It was a Sunday and I came out at the popular Edinburgh Roundabout, (the home of newspapers and vendors) in central Enugu and I saw one man who told me he was looking for a mechanic that would help fix his car. I told him I am a mechanic and requested to know where the vehicle was. He said it was parked at the WTC junction nearby, so I went and brought some tools and followed him.

“By the time we got there, I discovered that there were four young men. I opened the bonnet of the car, a Mercedes Benz V-Boot, which was bearing a government number plate. I stood in front of the bonnet and by then all the four men were by my side. I asked them what was wrong with the car and they said it wasn’t starting, so I bent over to check the engine.

“In the split of a second, I discovered that a substance had been blown into my face and had entered my eyes. I screamed ‘my eyes oh’! And just as I struggled to regain balance and clear my face, the men guided me into the car, which sped off. Before we got to the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, UNEC, gate, I was already feeling sleepy and soon slept off.

“When I regained consciousness, I discovered that I was in a bush and it was later that I found out that I had been taken to somewhere in Akokwa, in the Ideato area of Imo State. I was very weak but was able to notice a group of young men inside a room nearby. It was then I said some prayers telling God that I only tried to help people in need and that in my town such gesture does not attract curse or condemnation.

“About an hour later, it was very dark and noise started coming from the room and a red curtain on the door began to shake. Suddenly someone came from behind the curtains holding something like a bottle that had a blinking light. He ran the light through my body from head to toe and went back. When he got close to the curtain, he asked who brought me to that place. He turned round and used the bottle to hit me and immediately I regained full consciousness. But as I tried to get up, I realized that I was tied to a bench. Three of them came forward and untied me and led me through the bush to a point where the men touched me and immediately disappeared and I started struggling on my own to find a way out of the bush.

“It was very late by the time I got to the main road. I didn’t know where I was but I continued moving until I saw a woman. I asked her where that place was and she said it’s Akokwa in Imo State and asked who brought me to that place. I told her my story and she directed me to go straight on till I got to a junction. She said one of the roads leads to Aba-Port Harcourt road and that the other leads to Arondizuogu, while the third leads to Nnewi. She advised me to take the route towards Nnewi that I would see a vehicle that would take me to Anambra.

“I told her that I didn’t have any money on me and she brought out N500 and gave to me. I asked her how I would see her again to return her money and the woman asked me to go first; that I didn’t realize what God had done for me.

“I boarded a vehicle and in the bus I narrated my story. The driver who took me to Anambra did not take a dime from me. I only paid a fare from Anambra to Enugu. And from New Market where the bus dropped me at about 12 midnight, I found my way back to my house at Oraifite Street.”

It wasn’t the end of his ordeal.

Weeks after the ugly experience, Eze continued to hear strange voices and noise similar to the ones he heard coming from the mysterious house in the bush he was taken to at night.

“After narrating my story to people, I continued to hear those strange noises and languages which I didn’t understand. It always happened when I was alone. There was a language they were speaking there which I didn’t understand. So, it kept reverberating until my colleagues took me to a prayer house for prayers and thanksgiving, since then I stopped hearing the strange voices and noises .”

It was difficult for Eze to recall what those voices were saying. The only thing he remembered was the voice that said ‘young man, go! go! go!’

He recalled that after some incantations that the man who appeared to be their leader chanted, he said they brought the wrong person and that he should therefore, be taken away immediately.

Describing the scenario inside the bush, Eze noted that a house was built there probably for ritual purposes. He said it has a red curtain and the ritualists wore blue uniforms. He described the room as a large one with members whom, he said, tied pieces of clothing round their heads with a cross on their foreheads. They were about 18 in number.

How These Girls Are Used As $ex Slaves In Lagos

It will shock you how this young girls (teenagers) are turned into sex slaves in underground cartels:

"I was in JSS3 at the time, and I was too young to understand anything. So, when I became pregnant, I told my boyfriend about it, but he denied it and ran away. That was how I stopped going to school. After about two years, I came to Lagos to hustle. One aunty then introduced me to this business."

Martha is a 15-year-old girl endowed with beauty but:

She faces a very bleak future as she is held captive in a brothel in Gbagada, a suburb of Lagos, where she has to sleep with men old enough to be her father and surrender her entire earnings to a woman designated as her aunty. In return, the aunty gives Martha a sum she deems sufficient to cater for her basic needs.

The more than two decades old brothel is located close to Sawmill Bus-stop in Gbagada. In it resides a cartel of mature prostitutes called aunties, to whom younger girls like Martha are responsible. The older prostitutes act as guardians to the younger ones aged between 14 and 19 years. Most of the girls are said to have been lured to Lagos from Edo and Delta states by their aunties. With a promise of the good life, the girls follow the aunties to Lagos only to be lured into prostitution.

The cartel’s mode of operation is similar to those that have been reported about innocent Nigerian girls lured into prostitution in Europe. The girls, who are mostly from poor parental backgrounds and broken homes, serve their aunties for as long as two years before they are deemed matured enough to stand on their own.

A source in the hotel told our correspondent that for a newly recruited girl to become a member of the prostitution ring, her aunty has to pay the sum of N50,0000 to the proprietor of the brothel as registration fee. After that, the aunty makes the young girl to sleep with older men. All the proceeds from her sexual activities go to the aunty who decides how much is returned to the young girl as “pocket money”.

Our correspondent visited the hotel on a sunny day last week and met one of the girls named Martha, an indigene of Delta State. She was decked in a gown that barely covered her backside. Like a famished tigress, she rushed towards the reporter, offering him sex. After a brief discussion, she led the reporter to the brothel’s bar and was quickly joined by three of her colleagues.

Martha was the first to order for a bottle of a popular herbal drink called Alomo Bitters. With promise of a long-term friendship from the reporter, she opened up on her past and her dreams, narrating how she became a sex worker in the hotel.

Surprisingly, she doubles as an apprentice hairdresser, hoping to settle down into hairdressing business someday. But for now, she is under contract to serve her aunty for 11 more months, during which she must hand over her entire earnings.

Martha said: “My aunty is very nice. She gives me money, depending on how much I make in a day. I am from Delta State, and I am learning to become a hairdresser. I will leave next year after my service. After that, I will open a shop and become a businesswoman.”

It took her no time to finish her drink and order for another bottle. At this stage, the discussion became livelier, as the four girls freely talked about their lives as prostitutes in the brothel.

“I am very brave,” said Martha, beating her chest as she spoke. “I can take on as many men as are available at a time.”

But going by her confessions, she is an endangered species. Besides the meager nature of her income, she is daily exposed to the danger of being defrauded or physically assaulted by the men that patronise her. Only a few days earlier, she lost her cell phone, which she said she bought for N32, 000, to a client from whom she had only reaped N2,000.

She said: “The man stole my phone after paying me N2,000. I called the number and he picked it, but claimed that the phone belonged to him.”

Asked if she was not afraid of contracting HIV/AIDS, she said she had received enough lessons on how to protect herself against sexually transmitted diseases and other dangers that come with her trade. She said apart from insisting that her clients must wear condom, she had been taught not to get carried away when entertaining them.

“The first thing they taught us was that men are cunning, and that we should be very careful with them. We also go for medical check-ups regularly. But one thing is that we don’t sleep with men without condoms,” she said.

Martha is not alone in this modern day slavery. She has a partner in soft-spoken Janet, an indigene of Edo State. At 17, the second child in a family of seven says she took to prostitution because she wanted to make a success of her life.

In her barely audible voice, she said she was forced to go into prostitution because her elder sister was not discharging her responsibilities towards their parents. She is expected to gain her freedom in November, when she would have served her aunty for more than one year.

She told a pathetic story of the events that led her into prostitution, saying that unlike Martha, she plans to go back to school.

“I want to go back to school. I came here because there was nothing else for me to do. But once I finish serving my aunty, I will leave this place completely and make sure that I go back to school,” she said.

Interestingly, Janet is in the business with her cousin, 15-year-old Pat. Evidently more daring and outspoken than her two other colleagues, Pat declared that she wanted the reporter to have a relationship with the three of them. “I like you. If you no mind, all of us fit be your friend,” she said, her colleagues nodding in affirmation while she continued to do justice to the bottles of Climax energy drink in front of her.

A quick tour of the brothel revealed that it contained 54 rooms, each allocated to an aunty. While a first-time visitor would only notice the front gate and the rear gates, a closer observation would reveal other entry and exit points.

The arrangement of the rooms makes it difficult for a non-regular visitor to master the terrain. The source at the hotel said the arrangement was meant to conceal the activities of the prostitutes.

According to the source, 14 of the rooms are allocated to teenage prostitutes while the rest are occupied by their older and more experienced aunties.

At Room 19, a busty lady, probably in her 30s, sat on a stool by the door. Asked why she was idle at that time of the day, she said she was waiting for prospective clients, adding that business had been dull because of the Ramadan period.

She jumped up at the reporter’s suggestion of a deal. After a quick negotiation, she agreed to take N750, down by N250 from the N1,0000 she demanded initially.

A visit to Room 32 revealed that the occupant was one of the aunties named Faith, from Edo State. She agreed to give a younger girl to the reporter for a fee to be agreed. But she argued that she was capable of anything the younger girls could offer.

Upon the reporter’s insistence, she dashed to Room 30, where some of her girls were sleeping at the time. The lot fell on 19-year-old Sarah, who quickly went to another room to prepare the bed.

The innocent-looking girl felt disappointed when she returned moments later and was told that the reporter had changed his mind, but with a promise to come back later in the evening. She ran back into the room, ostensibly to steal a few minutes of sleep before another client would come knocking.

Such has been the lot of the young girls in the brothel. They take care of the sexual needs of their clients at night and give the proceeds to the aunties. Yet the little time they have to rest or in the day time is repeatedly punctuated by clients who stroll in, in the day.

A funny incident had occurred at the brothel the previous night. Encouraged by the hotel source, the reporter had stormed the hotel at exactly 8:30 pm, hoping to take pictures of the girls’ activities. One needed no one to tell him that one had stepped into an ‘unholy’ ground. From one room to the other, both the young and the old prostitutes showcased their ‘wares’ with skimpy dresses.

One of them named Jessica said she had been expecting a customer for more than two hours without luck. The reporter’s arrival therefore gave her the hope of making some money, which she said had been scarce since the commencement of Ramaddan. Jessica, who claims to be a mother of one, lamented the lull that had occasioned the fasting period. She also said she had been unlucky with her love life.

According to her, she had her child, who is now 11 years old, after she was put in the family way by her boyfriend. The man later denied the pregnancy, leaving her and her poor family to cater for the boy.

She said: “I was in JSS3 at the time, and I was too young to understand anything. So, when I became pregnant, I told my boyfriend about it, but he denied it and ran away. That was how I stopped going to school. After about two years, I came to Lagos to hustle. One aunty then introduced me to this business.”

But in spite of all that she has been through, Jessica insists she has no regrets about her past. “What is there for me to regret now?” she asked rhetorically.

It is now more than a decade that Jessica took the unholy path of selling her body for money, but both joy and wealth, the twin reasons she opted for prostitution, have eluded her. Rather she has had an unsettled life, with no decent home or man to call her own.

While denied having any regret, it was obvious that Jessica was not the happiest of women. Her expectations from the trade were far from being met. Unfortunately, she has no other profession to turn to.

She said: “Let me confess, I thought I would have made it more than this. At a point, I even tried to travel to Italy, but the aunty who wanted to help me stole all the money that I saved. She asked me to bring N500, 000, promising to take me to Italy. I was able to raise about N400, 000, which I gave to her. But after that day, I never saw her again. If I didn’t lose that money, I might have stopped this business by now.”

For Jessica and the other young girls in the brothel, the future looks bleak. What with their meager daily earnings, most of which they spend on feeding, medicals and fairly used clothes. Whatever is left in the end cannot guarantee the flashy lifestyle that prompted them to go into the trade.

It is no longer a secret that more than one thousand Nigerian girls are trafficked to different countries by prostitution rings in Europe every month. The unholy trade has assumed a height never seen before in the last decade, with Italy as choice destination.

However, recent investigation has shown that the crime is gradually declining in Western Europe following strict laws on illegal migration and the efforts of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

But while the fight against the international prostitution rings may be gaining momentum, with relative success, locally-based prostitution rings are devising a model fashioned after the Europe-based rings to lure young and innocent girls into the world’s oldest profession.

Source: The Nation

PHOTO: Flying Dragon Captured Alive!

Flying Dragon lizard Draco volans, or the Flying Dragon, is a member of the genus of gliding lizards Draco.
It can spread out folds of skin attached to its movable ribs to form “wings” that it uses to glide from tree to tree over distances upwards of 8 metres (26 ft); however, like all modern reptiles, it lacks the ability to sustain powered flight, and is capable only of gliding.

Its wings are brightly coloured with orange, red and blue spots and stripes, and they provide camouflage when folded. The flying dragon can reach up to 19–23 centimetres (7.5–9.1 in) in length
Info from Scienceblog:

Flying Dragons, of genus Draco, are native to Southeast Asia on such islands as Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan. The name is a bit deceptive, as they are not capable of true flight; rather, like some arboreal mammals, these reptiles are capable of gliding surprisingly long distances from one tree to another.
Flying Dragons can glide several meters by stretching abdominal flaps of skin, with rib bones running through them and then using their tail to guide them while gliding; however, in order to achieve any real distance, the lizard must be fairly high up in the canopy. Draco lizards are only capable of gliding from high above – and the higher they are, the longer they are capable of gliding. When one of these phenomenal lizards is about to take off, they point their heads downward, in the general direction of their destination.

 

They are incapable of these amazing gliding abilities in times of substantial wind or precipitation, but these fascinating creatures have adapted an extremely useful, interesting means of escaping their predators by taking to the skies when the weather allows them to.

draco skeleton

Male flying dragons are highly territorial, often scent marking a few trees as their own and acting quite aggressively towards any other male dragons which trespass on their territory. Generally, each individual tree may house between 1-3 female dragons with whom the male dragon will mate. Similar to anoles and various other lizards, their aggressive display includes bobbing. Additionally, male flying dragons may also extend their membranous ‘wings’ (dewlaps) to make themselves appear larger; which is analogous to the throat dewlap extension of male anoles when they are behaving aggressively or territorially.

see image below

green anole

Flying dragons are similar to many other herptiles in their approach to hunting since they are largely sedentary, ambush predators; patiently waiting for unsuspecting prey to pass by them before they strike. This allows them to conserve energy and essentially have their food come to them. Draco lizards have a short, sticky tongue which they can quickly protrude and retract to capture their small, arboreal insect prey items (especially ants). They may be relatively small (generally less than 12 inches from tip of nose to tip of tail), incapable of true flight and unable to breathe fire; however, I find these miniature dragons much more interesting than the stuff of fables – precisely because they are real.

Photos:Dr. Sid’s House Warming Party

 

Dr. Sid has completed his multi-million naira mansion. He threw a small party with a few close friends to celebrate the new lush home, the house warming party was attended by the likes of Iceberg Slim, Tiwa Savage‘s manager and fiance -Tee Billz, MTV presenter Stephanie Coker, Lagos dimedoll Ms. Jaie, and many more. Congrats

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- See more at: http://topeorekoya.blogspot.com/2013/07/photosdr-sids-house-warming-party.html#sthash.jmpomM5K.dpuf

More Pictures From D’banj’s Younger Sister Taiwo And Cool FM’s Dotun’s Traditional Wedding

Dotun and Taiwo

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Bride and the make up drama

D’banj showing love to a beautiful sister, Taiwo

Stepping out: The beautiful bride

The groom: Dotun Ojuolape

Bride and the bridal train

The groom

Dotun and the grooms men

D’banj and mum

Bride and twins brother, K-Switch

K-Switch and the couple

Bridal train

Mr. and Mrs. Oyebanjo

Bride kissing the groom’s mother

The groom’s parents

D’banj and sister

The couple

Cutting of cake

Dancing time