Popular Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has been appointed an executive member of the Actors’ Branch of the Academy, also known as Oscars.

She announced the big feat via a post shared on her Instagram page.

The actress, who moved to America a few years ago, shared a screenshot of a message she received from the Academy reminding her of an impending meeting to discuss improvements and goals for the current 95th award season.

Jalade-Ekeinde also shared another post in which she told her fans about her acceptance to the Oscars.

As caption, she wrote: “So this Man Upstairs, always making sure to give me my birthday presents first before anyone else… Won’t you just serve Him and chill!

“An honour to now be inducted as an Executive Member of the Actors Branch for the Oscars and Academy,” she added.

 

Talented Nollywood actress and producer, Toyin Abraham, has opened up about her life and spiritual gifts, revealing hitherto unknown facts about herself.

Toyin spoke in an interview with ThisDay.

She said: “I’m extremely spiritual. One of the problems I had back then was that I didn’t listen to myself. I would hear the voice of the Lord, and I would see it in my dreams, but I would still want to follow my flesh.

“But ever since I started following the lead of the Holy Spirit, things have drastically changed for me and I’m extremely happy about it. I’m actually dada – those people that naturally have dreadlocks from birth. Since birth, I have been spiritual.

“My parents told me that I was stillborn so they had to throw me away. Then there was a clergyman from Ibadan who came to the hospital and asked about me and I was brought back to life. I was told that I never cried or did anything until the day of my naming ceremony.

“It was the moment they named me Oluwatoyin that I started crying as a baby.

“Again, when they wanted to shave off my locs they had to tell me it was the Holy Spirit because I didn’t want them to do it.”

She further stated that there are voices in her head.

She explained: “I decided to have a small circle because there was too much noise in my head. There is always noise around me, both positive and negative. I am not a careful person. My heart is so free. I am someone you can trust with anything. You can do whatever you want to do in my presence.”

Because of her spiritual gifts, Toyin said she attended a Bible college to prepare her for a life as a religious leader.

However, everything changed when she was discovered by Nollywood actress Bukky Wright in Ibadan. She starred in her first movie in 2003.

 

Controversial street pop act, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, may find himself in more trouble following the release of his song titled ‘Kuku Do Ritual’.

The Police, traditional rulers, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and other national agencies have been notified about the song which gloried ritual killings.

The latest notice was issued on Monday by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).

The group in the statement described the song as disgusting, detestable, and egregious.

MURIC further called on security agencies to investigate the song and Portable who boasted to be the founder of a criminal group last year.

The statement from MURIC reads:

“Popular pop singer, Habeeb Okikiola, has released a new album under the title ‘Kuku Do Ritual’ in which part of the lyrics say, ‘Kuku do ritual. If you do ritual you go die. If you no do ritual you go die. Kuku do ritual’.

“We find this song disgusting, detestable and egregious. It is a brazen assault on Nigerian and African values. Portable’s latest song has reduced human life to the level of ordinary ants that can be stamped out under human feet without qualms and without consequences. It is an open invitation to criminality. It makes mockery of law and order. It is an open disrespect for human life.

“This song has the capacity to influence our young ones in a negative manner. It is also capable of destroying the future of the youth. Something must be done urgently. Already, there are several reports of young ones engaging in the shameful act for the purpose of getting rich in their tender ages.

“Three teenagers were caught attempting to kill a 13-year-old girl for money ritual in Bayelsa State in January 2022 (https://saharareporters.com/2022/01/04/three-teenagers-arrested-bayelsa-during-attempted-ritual-killing-13-year-old-girl).

“Four teenagers living in Abeokuta, Ogun State, killed the girlfriend of one of them for money ritual (https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2022/01/29/4-ogun-teenagers-slaughter-girl-burn-her-head-for-money-ritual/). In fact there is a plethora of ritual killings among young Yahoo practioners in the country (https://punchng.com/of-ritualist-yahoo-teenagers-and-a-sick-country/).

“MURIC calls on all men of goodwill, all mothers in Nigeria, Muslim and Christian leaders to rise against the madness called Yahoo Yahoo and ritual killings among young ones whose ambassador has just released this horrendous song in their praise. ‘Kuku Do Ritual’ is nothing but a eulogy to glorify and elevate the names of ritual killers to high heaven.

“This album calls for immediate action from Nigeria’s traditional rulers. They are the custodians of our tradition. We therefore take our cry for help to these royal fathers to speak up on this sacriledgious song released by ‘Portable’. They must put pressure on the authorities to stop the circulation and broadcast of this album on any radio or television station and through any medium whatsoever.

“We invite the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Performing Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) to take necessary action with military dispatch.

“We see no reason why the security agencies should not investigate the author of this most embarrassing and irrational song to explain the number of rituals in which he has indulged. A scape goat must be made of this album and its artist before the trend escalates.

“Nobody should hide behind artistic priviledge, poetic licence or freedom of expression to launch such barbaric offensive on our culture, our norms and our values. This is beyond free speech. It is criminal speech. It is incitement to commit murder. It is instigation to criminality. It is a bestial invasion on decency and good manners. It is Bohemian.”