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‘How I forged GWR certificate’ – Ghanaian chef arrested for forging Guinness World Records award breaks silence

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Ebenezer Smith, the Ghanaian chef who claimed to have broken the Guinness World Records (GWR) for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, was arrested on Tuesday.

 

The cook, fondly called Millennium Chef Smith, was detained at the La police station in Accra for faking the GWR award.

 

Smith had publicly announced himself as the new world record holder, claiming he cooked non-stop for 802 hours and 25 minutes. He said he started the exercise on February 1 and ended on March 6, 2024 — about 33 days.

 

The Ghanaian chef also presented a certificate he claimed was given to him by authorities of the prestigious British reference book.

 

But on Wednesday, Alina Polianskaya, a GWR spokesperson, told BBC Pidgin that Smith’s claims were “not true”.

 

The spokesperson added that the certificate he presented “was not ours”.

 

“The current and true record holder for the longest cooking marathon (individual) is 119 hours, 57 minutes, and 16 seconds, achieved by Alan Fisher (Ireland) in Matsue, Shimane, Japan, from 28 September to 3 October 2023,” Alina said.

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The police arrested Smith following a disagreement with his sponsor, the Amadia Shopping Centre, Spintex, where he held his cooking marathon.

 

He was accused of breaching a contractual agreement by failing to inform the shopping centre about the alleged award.

 

The deception fetched Smith a chorus of condemnation on social media, with many Ghanaian users who supported his attempt, expressing shock and disappointment.

 

It, however, remains unknown if Smith has been released from detention or arraigned in court.

 

‘HOW I FORGED THE GWR CERTIFICATE’

“I have been following GRW for long. They (GWR) have a lot of certificates on their online pages. So I just picked one and edited it with my details,” Smith confessed in an interview with GHOne TV.

 

Narrating how he carried out the deceit, Smith said: “After Hilda Bassey did it, I have been thinking about it. And then all of a sudden I decided, after Afua did her sing-a-thon, I decided to make a step.

“Tracking the history has always been sequential, like numbers with the application reference. So I landed on the application reference of Adu Safoa. And then I built something for myself.”

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He also revealed that his assistant was not aware of his criminal act.

 

The chef said his sponsors spent more than GH¢300,000 on him, adding that he is ready to face any action from them.

 

“I can’t tell the exact amount my sponsors invested but it may be more than GH¢300,000,” he said.

 

“Words won’t be enough, at this point, I give my life out to my sponsors to do to me as they wish. I don’t even deserve to live because it’s too much for me to bear.”

 

Smith also apologised for his actions.

 

Alan Fisher, the Irish chef, is the current world record holder after cooking for 119 hours and 57 minutes.

 

Last November, the GWR certified Fisher as the record holder for the longest cooking marathon by an individual after he surpassed Nigerian chef Hilda Baci’s record of 93 hours and 11 minutes.

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Aisha Achimugu: From Business Powerhouse to Paris Style Icon

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Paris has always had a way of making fashion feel less like clothing and more like theatre. And when the world’s style aristocracy gathered for the Spring/Summer 2027 season, Nigerian high flying businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, arrived with the kind of polished glamour that commands attention without demanding it.

Against the timeless backdrop of the French capital, Achimugu stepped into the world of Paris Fashion Week in a look that married sophistication with modern femininity. Her ensemble was defined by a refined silhouette, impeccable tailoring and the kind of carefully considered styling in which every detail appeared deliberate. The proportions were elegant, the finish luxurious, while her accessories added just the right measure of sparkle and personality.

Her beauty look complemented rather than competed with the outfit. Immaculately styled hair, luminous makeup and a poised, confident bearing completed the picture, allowing the clothes to retain their quiet authority. It was a lesson in restraint: nothing appeared excessive, yet every element, from the jewellery to the finishing touches, contributed to the overall effect.

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The real strength of Achimugu’s Paris appearance, however, was in the details. The interplay of texture and silhouette gave the look dimension, while the accessories provided those subtle flashes of glamour associated with the best society dressing. There was an understanding of proportion, balance and occasion, a recognition that at Paris Fashion Week, being noticed is not necessarily about wearing the loudest look in the room.

For Achimugu, fashion has never seemed like an afterthought. It is part of the persona, the jewellery, the sculpted silhouettes, the luxurious textures, the immaculate finishing and that unmistakable confidence of a woman comfortable in her own skin.

Her Paris appearance offered yet another glimpse into the glamorous lifestyle of the Felak Concept Group boss, whose public persona has over the years straddled business, philanthropy, high society and fashion.

In the city, amid the fashion houses and international style elite, Achimugu appeared more than as a spectator but as a Nigerian woman confidently occupying a global fashion space. Her look spoke in the sophisticated language of Parisian dressing, polished, assured and intentionally glamorous, while retaining the unmistakable confidence of a woman bringing her own sense of style to the occasion.

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And as the lights of Paris dimmed on another fashionable season, her appearance left behind the unmistakable impression of a woman who understands that fashion, at its most powerful, is as much about presence as it is about clothes.

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70-year-old ex-Kogi senator Ocheja marries best friend’s granddaughter

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A video from the wedding of former Kogi East Senator Emmanuel Dangana Ocheja and his new wife has surfaced online.

According to a report by Punch Online, the white wedding was held in Abuja on September 19, 2026

Ocheja, 70, is said to have held his traditional wedding with his new wife, identified simply as Winifred, on September 13.

The traditional ceremony was followed by their white wedding on September 19.

Ocheja is seen in the video dressed in matching colours with Winifred as they danced together.

The former senator appeared cheerful as the couple shared an intimate moment while guests watched and celebrated with them.

A photo from their white wedding has also surfaced online, showing Ocheja dressed in a white suit and black bow tie.

Winifred, said to be the granddaughter of Ocheja’s best friend, wore a sparkly wedding gown and held a bouquet as she posed beside her husband.

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Ocheja is a Law graduate from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He ventured into politics in the early 2000s.

He represented Kogi east senatorial district in the national assembly between 2011 and 2015 under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Ocheja later resigned from the PDP and announced that he had joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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How I manage Davido’s finances, spending habits — Sharon Adeleke

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Sharon Ademefun Adeleke, the elder sister of Afrobeats superstar, Davido, has revealed how she manages her brother’s finances and her unconventional approach to marriage.

Sharon disclosed this while appearing on the Morayo Show, adding that she regularly discusses Davido’s finances with him, particularly his spending on cars and jewellery.

“One of the major things I’m always getting on my brother is jewellery and cars. My God!” she said.

“Me and him will sit down. We will have a finance meeting every week because I think it is important for him to know how his money is being spent.

“And I will now say, ‘David, please, no more cars, no more jewellery.’ Twenty-four hours later, you will start seeing it on the blogs that he bought another car.”

Sharon, a mother of three, also spoke about her marriage, saying she made it clear to her husband from the outset that she did not intend to follow a traditional approach.

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“When I met my husband, I explained to him that there isn’t going to be a traditional kind of marriage,” she said.

“I remember, I think in the first few months of us dating, I cooked and all the things. When he was eating, I was like, ‘Oh babe, are you enjoying the food?’ He said yes.

“And I said, ‘Good. Now you know I know how to cook, but I don’t like cooking, and I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”

The entrepreneur revealed how she built her wig-making business. She said she learnt to make wigs out of frustration with the difficulty of securing skilled hairstylists and wig makers, who were often fully booked.

“I learnt how to make wigs because I was frustrated because really good hairstylists and wig makers are always busy. Even if you drop your things with them, every week they will still be busy,” she said.

“So, one day I said, ‘What is this wig making? Let me just try.’ At that time, there was maybe one video or two compared to now, when if you go on YouTube, you can find thousands of videos about wig making.

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“I was heavily pregnant and very bored, so my husband took me to the beauty shop, and I bought all the pieces. I just started trying, and then I started doing it more and more. Then my friends started asking me to make wigs for them.”

Sharon said she believes people sometimes discover their businesses unexpectedly rather than through careful planning.

“I’m a big believer that when God gives you a business, you kind of fall into it sometimes. It is not something that you planned,’ she said.

“When I started going into it, I started going for training all over the world.”

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