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An American airline carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided on Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington.
Witness reports confirmed multiple fatalities, but the precise number of victims was unclear as rescue crews search for survivors.
An Army official said three soldiers were onboard the helicopter.
There was no immediate comment on the cause of the collision. However, all operations at the airport were halted as dive teams scoured the site and helicopters while law enforcement agencies across the region flew over the scene in search for bodies.
“We are going to recover our fellow citizens,” District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a sombre news conference at the airport on Thursday morning where she declined to say how many bodies had been recovered.
Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas said, “When one person dies, it’s a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die it’s an unbearable sorrow.”
President Donald Trump said he had been “fully briefed on this terrible accident” and, referring to the passengers, added, “May God Bless their souls.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said the midair crash occurred before 9 p.m. EST when a regional jet that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, collided with a military helicopter on a training flight while approaching an airport runway.
The crash occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the world, just over three miles south of the White House and the Capitol.
Investigators will try to piece together the aircraft’s final moments before their collision, including contact with air traffic controllers as well as loss of altitude by the passenger jet.
American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet and a speed of about 140 miles per hour when it suffered a rapid loss of altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder.
The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004 can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.
A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National which was confirmed by pilots.
Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight.
The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.
The plane’s radio transponder stopped transmitting about 2,400 feet short of the runway, roughly over the middle of the river.
Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Centre showed two sets of lights consistent with aircraft appearing to join in a fireball.
“I know that flight. I’ve flown it several times myself,” said Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas.
He said that he expected that many people in Wichita would know people who were on the flight.
“This is a very personal circumstance,” he said.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed “deep sorrow” over the crash, saying the company was focused on the needs of passengers, crew, first responders and families and loved ones of those involved.
“It’s a highly complex operation,” said D.C. fire chief John Donnelly. “The conditions out there are extremely rough for the responders.”
The U.S. Army described the helicopter as a UH-60 Blackhawk based at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
The helicopter was on a training flight. Military aircraft frequently conduct training flights in and around the congested and heavily restricted airspace around the nation’s capital for familiarisation and continuity of government planning
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has given states and employers till the end of March to implement the new national minimum wage across the country.
The NLC said that stringent measures have been place against defaulters after the expiration of the ultimatum.
The President Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, stated this at a one day National Leadership Retreat organised for the union’s National Administrative Committee Members on Wednesday in Abuja.
The theme of the retreat was, ”Leadership Challenges amongst Activists”.
According to Ibrahim, who is also the National Internal Auditor of the NLC, the measures were imperative due to the continuous delay by states and institutions to manipulate wage payments.
He added that one of the issues in the implementation of the minimum wage is that of insincerity.
“The national minimum wage has been signed into law, and payments should have commenced nationwide.
“But in most institutions and states, what they did was just to award a certain amount or a figure they are merely using to play with the intelligence of workers as minimum wage.
“But I am happy that the NLC is not sleeping on this matter and we have been engaging.
“But going forward, I can assure you that we are taking very stringent measures to ensure that between now and the end of this first quarter, that the minimum wage and consequential adjustment will be implemented.
“Any state or employer of labour that refuses to implement the national minimum wage and the adjustment in workers’ salaries accordingly will face the consequences.
“The labour laws are there and we have all that it takes to enforce our rights against those employers,” he said.
Speaking on the theme of the retreat, Ibrahim said that some members sabotaged strike actions, weakening the effectiveness of industrial actions.
He also admitted that industrial actions had lost their effectiveness due to government indifference and worker fatigue.
The SSANU president explained that while strikes remained a last resort, the union would explore alternative negotiation strategies.
He emphasised the need for continuous training of university staff and better funding of tertiary institutions.
Ibrahim, however, said that universities must remain the centers of learning and innovation, requiring continuous capacity building for staff.
A former governor of Osun State, Bisi Akande, has alleged that the historic EndSARS protest that shut down the nation’s economy in 2020 was orchestrated to destroy President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview, State Affairs with Edmund Obilo, published on Wednesday via YouTube, Akande alleged that the protest was manufactured in America by the Obidient movement.
According to the former governor, the EndSARS, which was “organized with a lot of money from America”, aimed at stopping Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
He said, “EndSARS was designed to be the end of Tinubu. Those behind the protest know that that was what they were doing.
“The Obidients were behind EndSARS; it was manufactured in America and brought in just to stop him.
“They came from America to do the EndSARS and later became a movement to form a party but they can’t form a party. It was well planned and organized with a lot of money from America”.
Grammy-nominated afrobeat artist, Seun Kuti, has said he will exit heaven if he sees any Nigerian politician there.
He said it’s surprising that most Nigerian politicians want to make heaven despite being corrupt.
The singer emphasised that if Nigerian politicians are allowed into heaven, it then means that the place is another level of corruption.
Speaking in an Instagram live video, Kuti said, “Despite how corrupt Nigerian politicians are, they still want to make heaven. Yemi Osibanjo is also a pastor. With everything that is happening in this country, these politicians still want to go to heaven.
“If I died and the Christian and Muslim fantasy heaven happens to be true and see that people are actually going to heaven if I see one single Nigerian politician for heaven, I will go outside. Because that would mean that there’s corruption in heaven.”
Nigeria’s electronic payment transactions hit a historic high of N1.07 quadrillion in 2024.
This feast was revealed in recent data released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System.
The data showed that the N1.07 quadrillion mark is about $702.6 billion based on the closing exchange rate of N1,535 per dollar on December 31, 2024.
Accordingly, the value recorded on the NIBSS Instant Payment, NIP, represents a 79.6 percent increase over the N600 trillion recorded in 2023.
While the e-payment data shows a steady increase throughout the 12 months of the year, the highest value was recorded in December.
Being a festive period with lots of spending activities, Nigerians spent a total of N115.1 trillion over electronic channels in December 2024 only.
Meanwhile, the volume of transactions processed by NIBSS for the year also jumped from 9.7 billion in 2023 to 11.2 billion in 2024.
This represents a 15.5 percent increase in the volume of electronic transactions year on year.
Similarly, NIBSS data indicated that active bank accounts in Nigeria hit 311.6 million in 2024
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has described President Bola Tinubu as an embodiment of a desperate politician.
Atiku, in a statement on Wednesday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, said Tinubu is no longer the activist that people know as he has turned against the ideals that birthed his political career.
He also accused the President of turning state institutions into an extension of his will by appointing his political loyalists into such places thereby extending his monopolistic tendencies.
Naija News reports the position of Atiku comes as a direct response to a statement by the APC which berated the former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate over an allegation claiming that President Bola Tinubu’s administration paid ₦50 million bribe to buy out opposition parties ahead of the 2027 election.
Recall Atiku made the allegation while speaking as a panellist at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria in Abuja on Monday.
In response, the APC on Tuesday, said an elder statesman like him should not been seen making flippant allegations and challenged the former presidential candidate to provide proof to back his allegation.
Atiku, however maintained that he only spoke the truth to power and urged the APC under the leadership of Tinubu to stop undermining the democratic process in Nigeria by trying to force a one-party state on Nigerians.
He charged the President and the APC to desist from personal attacks and focus on issues.
The statement reads: “On the 27th of January, the Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development convened a distinguished gathering of civil society organizations for a two-day national conference. This event was intended to offer a platform for deep and critical reflection on Nigeria’s democracy and the pressing question of its sustainability.
“It was meant to be a moment of intellectual engagement, an opportunity for civil society to collaborate with political leaders in the pursuit of solutions to reinforce and elevate democracy in Nigeria.
“Among those invited to participate was Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria, a man whose reputation for statesmanship and deep understanding of the political landscape made him a key figure in the discourse.
“During the course of the discussions, Atiku voiced his profound concern regarding the APC’s growing monopoly on power, warning that the party’s actions were steadily eroding the pluralism essential to a true democracy. He accused the ruling party of undermining the autonomy of opposition factions, casting a dark shadow over the future of Nigeria’s democratic integrity.
“Rather than engage in a substantive dialogue to explore these critical issues, the APC, led by President Bola Tinubu, chose to descend into the depths of petty personal attacks against Atiku Abubakar. This was not a mere lapse in decorum, but a repeated symptom of a party gripped by paranoia and struggling under the weight of its own tarnished credibility.
“If there is any political figure in Nigeria who truly embodies the essence of desperation, it is none other than President Tinubu himself. Through his unchecked actions, he continues to blur the line between state power and personal ambition, magnifying his control over both the nation and its institutions.
“The fact that the APC has become a mere extension of Tinubu’s will is a matter of little consequence. What truly alarms political observers — both inside and outside the APC — is the president’s calculated and insidious strategies to systematically cripple any form of social or political opposition. These actions, which Atiku rightfully warns against, are a direct threat to the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
“It is an irony most bitter that a man who once rose to prominence on the back of civil activism and the call for democratic renewal has now found himself in opposition to the very ideals that birthed his political career. This shift from proponent to adversary of multi-party democracy is both tragic and dangerous.”
Atiku’s prophetic warnings have already begun to manifest. He was among the first to call attention to President Tinubu’s plans to populate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with members of his own political party, the APC. Today, the nation bears witness to this very scheme unfolding before our eyes.”
Tinubu On The Wrong Path
Atiku further submitted that since coming into power, President Tinubu has prioritized personal interest above national interest and therefore called for a change of ways by both the President and the APC before they lead Nigeria farther down the wrong way.
The PDP chieftain accused Tinubu of putting his loyalists in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a way of illegally perpetuating himself in power.
“Atiku also raised alarm over the president’s blatant conflict of interest, particularly with regard to the awarding of lucrative contracts to companies with direct ties to his family. He cautioned the nation against the authoritarian tendencies of the Tinubu administration, warning that it sought to suppress fundamental human rights by charging protesters with treason — a tactic eerily reminiscent of repressive regimes of the past.
“These warnings, though dismissed by some at the time, have proved prescient as each one materializes into a clear pattern of authoritarian behaviour by the current administration.
“Now, the opposition parties find themselves fighting for survival, infiltrated by fifth columnists who have been planted within their ranks, ensuring that no party— whether APC or opposition — remains capable of functioning independently of the president’s whims.
“Moreover, the Tinubu administration continues to consolidate its power by packing the Independent National Electoral Commission with loyalists, further hollowing out the institution’s independence and integrity.
“Therefore, it is with a heavy heart and a sharp admonition that we urge the ruling party to stand before the mirror and gaze upon the true face of desperation — a face that mirrors their own actions and ambitions,” the statement concluded.
The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has declared that eight tertiary institutions in the country would not be allowed to admit candidates into law for the 2025/2026 admission session.
This was made known on Wednesday by JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, who disclosed that the LL.B programme in these institutions has been suspended by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) for the period.
The affected institutions were listed as the Kwara State University, Bingham University in Nasarawa; Redeemers University in Osun, Western Delta University in Delta state, Taraba State University, Arthur Jarvis University in Cross River, Alex Ekwueme Federal University in Ebonyi state, and Nigerian Police Academy in Kano.
Benjamin said the suspension of the law programme at the Nigerian Police Academy will extend beyond the 2025/2026 academic session, and will cover the 2026/2027 session as well.
At the time of filing this report, Naija News could not independently report the specific criteria over which CLE suspended admissions to law programmes in the affected institutions.
It is, however, understood that the CLE regularly puts measures in place to ensure compliance with legal education standards.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, has reaffirmed the commitment of the federal government to addressing the out-of-school children crisis.
Naija News reports that Mrs. Ahmad emphasized that investment in girls’ education was necessary for the empowerment of families.
She stated this on Tuesday while speaking at the National Traditional and Religious Leaders Conference, which had the theme ‘Effective Partnerships on Girls’ Education and Addressing the Challenges of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria.’
The Professor of Science Education said the government was committed to a Nigeria where every girl can learn, thrive, and contribute to our nation’s development.
Professor Ahmad described the out-of-school children issue as a troubling reality
Parts of Chicago are seeing major changes under Donald Trump’s immigration policies, with communities retreating into the shadows amid intensified ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids.
In Little Village, a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood on the city’s south side, streets that were once lively now appear deserted.
Residents say fewer people are venturing outside due to fear of being caught up in the crackdown.
The initial focus, officials say, is on targeting migrant criminals, but there is also concern over ‘collateral arrests,’ where undocumented immigrants not initially targeted could be detained. As a result, even those with legal status are exercising caution.
One resident, Steve, shared his fears for his mother, who came from Mexico years ago without proper documentation.
“She crossed the border over here to get a better life for us when we were born, to get education and all. She’s scared to go out there, that she might get picked up,” he told Sky News.
At a local community center that provides support to migrants, staff have ramped up security measures.
A gate at the entrance now remains closed, and workers begin their day by surveying the streets for immigration officers. A notice on the front door advises migrants on what to do if ICE arrives.
Inside the center, Oliber, a Venezuelan migrant working legally in the U.S. with a valid work permit, described how fear has altered his daily life.
“I feel scared,” he said. “I go out feeling frightened. I don’t go out now like I used to. I used to go out every day until night-time, I’d work at any time, but now I can’t go out anywhere.”
He added: “There are rumours about migrants and I’m scared, that they might catch me, deport me. My family depends on me. I can’t go out like I used to, I’m scared, I’m scared.”
The impact of these enforcement actions is evident, with immigration officials reporting an increase in daily deportations compared to the final year of Joe Biden’s presidency
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has expelled former Minister of Interior and ex-Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, citing allegations of anti-party activities.
Aregbesola, who governed Osun State for two terms, had led a faction within the APC known as The Osun Progressives, later rebranded as the Omoluabi Caucus.
In a letter obtained by newsmen on Wednesday, the party’s leadership formally announced his expulsion.
The letter, titled “Allegations of Anti-Party Activities – Conveyance of State Exco Decision to You,” stated that Aregbesola had violated Article 21 of the APC constitution, which outlines disciplinary measures for members.
The letter read in part: “After a thorough investigation, the State Executive Committee (SEC) reviewed the Disciplinary Committee’s findings and recommendations. The SEC resolved to approve your immediate expulsion from the APC.
“This decision was based on clear evidence of actions that undermined the unity and integrity of the party. Consequently, you are no longer a member of the APC and must refrain from representing or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity.”
Aregbesola’s expulsion came shortly after a Sunday meeting of the Omoluabi Caucus, presided over by him. The caucus announced its decision to leave the APC, citing the party’s declining influence in Osun State.
Chief Bisi Akande, former interim chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has stated that although he occasionally visits Abuja, he may not always meet President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Edmund Obilo, monitored on the interviewer’s YouTube channel, Akande recounted his relationship with Tinubu, expressing his satisfaction at the Yoruba leader’s ascension to the presidency.
“My goal originally was for a Yoruba man to become president, and my choice was Tinubu. After he won, I was happy and returned to my village in Ila, Osun State,” Akande said.
“When he came back, I met him, and he said, ‘Baba, you asked me to run, I did, and became president, but now you (Akande) are running away.’
“It’s true! I went back to my village because I don’t want to be a minister or take any other thing” he explained.
On whether he advises the president, Akande dismissed the notion, saying, “How and where would I do that? Would I take the place of his wife in his bedroom? He is already in office; I won’t go there to interfere.”
He, however, acknowledged that the presidency is a very busy office and said he understands the demands of the role.
He clarified that he is merely observing how the administration is being run and believes Tinubu is steering the country in the right direction.
Addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges, Akande noted that the country had been struggling under the weight of debt inherited from previous administrations but assured that stability was gradually returning.
“Nigeria was almost gone with the rate at which the past government was borrowing. But peace is coming, and the economy is becoming more stable,” he said.
When questioned about the prevalent hunger in the country, Akande dismissed concerns, arguing that hard work could alleviate hardship.
“Come to my compound, and I will give you plenty of tomatoes. If you’re lazy in Nigeria, you’ll be hungry. Just plant a seed of corn, and in three months, you’ll harvest a thousand,” he remarked.
His comments have sparked mixed reactions, with some agreeing with his stance on self-sufficiency while others criticise his dismissal of the economic hardships faced by many Nigerians.
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A 16-yr-old secondary school student in Lagos has allegedly ran mad after confessing that he was sexually molested by a popular Lagos hotelier at Bucknor, Isheri Oshun area of the state.
The incident, which rattled his parents reportedly started before last Christmas when the student confided in his mother that he had a confession to make before the New Year.
The mother obliged her son of confidentiality only to raise alarm after the boy told her that the owner of a popular hotel in the area lured him and four of his fellow students to his hotel and sodomised them and warned them that if they disclose it to anybody, they would die.
The shocked mother of the estranged teenager said few minutes after her son opened up to her, he started misbehaving by talking to himself like a mad person.
According to father of the boy, a spare parts dealer at Ladipo auto spare parts market in Lagos, Edozie Christian, 44, “My son started behaving like a mad person after the confession.
“We rushed him to a prayer house and after some days when he became a bit sober, we took him to Isheri Osun police station where he made statement and narrated his ugly encounter with the hotelier.
“Shockingly, after he disclosed the names of his fellow students that took him to meet the Chief Executive Officer of the hotel, he relapsed and started behaving like a mad person. The police went to invite the students he mentioned but succeeded in getting only one of them who boldly came with a laptop and gave detailed accounts of how the hotelier sodomised them.
“He told detectives that they went to the hotel to partake in a Tik Tok programme only for the owner of the hotel, usually addressed as CEO, to lure them inside one of the rooms and promised to pay them N5,000 after sodomising them.
“The student said from all indications, he has been doing it to many other students who he usually pay and after using them, he will clean himself with white handkerchief and threaten them never to discuss the encounter with anybody and if they do, they will die.
“After they made statements to the police at Isheri Osun station, the condition of my son worsened and I had to take him to Mirabel Centre at the General hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, where he was examined by doctors.
“The doctors later told us that there were signs of sodomisation but it did not affect his brain. They advised that we take him to Psychiatric hospital for further examination, stating that he may be suffering from trauma of the abuse.
“When we got to the Psychiatric hospital, they also examined him and advised that we should take him to another hospital meant for teenagers which we did. After that, they gave us tablets and advised that we keep close checks on him, assuring that he will be okay after some time.
“However, we have been giving him the medications but he is getting worse daily. On the part of the police, initially, they told us that all the efforts they made to invite the owner of the hotel failed but he later sent his lawyer to talk with them.
“Another shock that befell us was that few days later, the police invited me that the owner of the hotel had transferred the case to Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, without even reporting to their station. At this stage, they continued pressurizing me to report to their station, that they will take me to Zone 2 and all efforts I made to know the unit handling the case at the zone were rebuffed by the police.
“I then decided to personally report myself to the AIG at Zone 2, who swiftly directed his men to arrest the owner of the hotel for explanations. Unfortunately, a team of crack and armed policemen that stormed the hotel later could not arrest him but succeeded in arresting some of his staff.”
According to police sources, the suspected owner of the hotel was arrested and interrogated by detectives. Meanwhile, the suspect is still in detention pending when detectives will conclude investigations.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Adegoke Fayoade confirmed the incident, stating that investigation was still ongoing
The Headies, Nigeria’s biggest music award, is set to return home with the hosting of two separate editions of the annual show in 2025, its organisers have said.
In a video shared on Headie’s X page, Ayo Animashuan, founder of The Headies, said the 17th edition of the award would take place on April 5, focusing on the music of 2024.
He also revealed that the nominations list for this 17th edition will be released on February 12,and the 18th edition would take place in December, celebrating music from 2024 and 2025 respectively.
He said: “This awards that is happening in April was meant to happen last year, but for some reasons, it didn’t happen last year.
“We did not want to miss a calendar year… So the next is going to happen in December. It is going to be a part of the Detty December trend.”
The Headies is a prestigious music awards show established in 2006 to recognise outstanding achievements in the Nigerian music industry.
The first edition, hosted by Darry Art Alade, was held at the Shell Hall of the MUSON center on Onikan, Lagos.
Some artistes who were on the honour’s roll at the maiden edition of the Headies include Don Jazzy, P-Square, Jude Okoye, Mode 9,DJ Jimmy Jatt, Keke Ogungbe and Dayo.
However the organisers took the 16th Headies Awards to the United States, hosting at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia on September 3, 2023.
The biggest winners of the night were Rema and Burna Boy, who took home three awards each. Other winners included Wizkid, Davido, Ayra Starr, Asake and Omah Lay.
The event was also marked by the induction of Angelique Kidjo into the Headies Hall of Fame.
In February 2024, the award organisers, disclosed that the 17th award event would return to Nigeria after hosting the 2022 and 2023 editions in the United States.(NAN)
‘It was bitter marriage experience’, Actor Boy Alinco recalls ordeal to obtain US citizenship
AFOLABI
Nigerian comic actor Bayo Bankole, popularly known as Boy Alinco has opened up about his difficult journey to obtaining United States citizenship.
Bankole, widely known for his role in the sitcom Papa Ajasco, shared his experience during a recent appearance on The Teju Babyface Show.
The 56-year-old actor revealed that he left his family in Nigeria in 2015 to pursue US citizenship through marriage.
Just seven months after meeting his partner, he tied the knot.
However, the first two years of the marriage proved to be challenging, marked by financial struggles and hardship.
Reflecting on that period, Bankole said he had to take on menial jobs to support both his family in the US and his loved ones back in Nigeria.
He attributed some of the difficulties to his joint financial arrangements with his wife and a lack of proper guidance in navigating the immigration process.
“My case was unfortunate because I had no one to advise me on the citizenship process,” he said.
Despite the hardships, the actor expressed gratitude that his life has since improved and that he now has his children from Nigeria with him in the US. He also emphasized that he harbors no resentment toward his wife and is focused on moving forward.
“I have had the opportunity of traveling way back in 1999 and 2000 frequently. But I came to the US for the first time in April 2015,” he recalled. “Then I met a lady. When I came back in October 2015, I got settled and decided to get married. But it was a bitter experience for me. Eventually, I had to stay back. Two years of an experience that I will not want to recall. It was just like what I wrote when I eventually got my green card that truly I am an Asunkungbade—one who fights to earn his crown. At the end of the day, all glory be to God.”
The actor spoke about the challenges immigrants face when seeking legal residency in the US, highlighting the various routes available and the difficulties that come with them.
“There are processes to citizenship. There are processes to getting a green card. Do you want to go through asylum? The process of immigration does not come easy. Some guys are fortunate. They get it so easily. But not all of us. If you bring 10 guys out, eight will have a nasty experience,” he said.
“You have situations that if you go through marriage, if you are fortunate to have a good woman, thank your star for it. And if you do not have a good woman, please endure and enjoy it. The situation becomes so difficult when you have your loved ones back at home who depend on you. You are struggling with their survival here and at home.”
As the ‘ganusi’ controversy between Muslim clerics and Fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde continues to get Nigerians talking, his rival in the industry, Abass Akande (Obesere) enjoys public approval as he marked his 60th birthday with heartwarming donations.
Born on January 28, 1965, Akande, also known as Omorapala, commemorated his birthday by building a mosque for his former secondary school in Lagos.
The Fuji artiste also donated essential learning materials, including books and school bags, to students.
Sharing a video of the mosque on Instagram, Obesere said he won’t stop his philanthropic gestures.
“To God Be The Glory! Today, we commissioned the newly built mosque at my alma mater and also donated learning materials to the pupils. This will continue and won’t stop for a bit,” the singer said.
Obesere’s birthday celebration and donations came amid a lingering controversy that followed the burial of his counterpart Wasiu Ayinde’s mother, popularly known as K1 de Ultimate.
Recall that K1 became a subject of conversation on social media following his controversial remarks about Muslim clerics and his refusal to apologise to them.
Ahead of his late mother’s 8-day Fidau prayer, K1 was seen in a viral clip conversing with a man. In their discussion, he used the words ‘ganu si’ in reference to the clerics who visited his residence after his mother had been buried.
“Alfas will not go to my father’s house; it’s my house they will, “Ganu si,” he said in Yoruba.
Many Muslim clerics found the word ‘ganu si’ insulting as many interpreted it to mean the clerics attended social events uninvited primarily for pecuniary reasons.
During the 8-day Fidau prayer, which took place on Friday, January 24, a respected and popular cleric, Sheikh Faruq Onikijipa — who delivered a sermon at the event — urged K1 to apologise for his purported disparaging comment about the cleric, but the musician refused.
He said he didn’t do anything wrong, adding that tendering an apology would amount to admittance of guilt.
His refusal to apologise sparked reactions among the Muslim community as some supported him while others criticised him for allegedly belittling the clerics