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June 12: How Abiola fell for Abacha’s deceit – Babangida

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Former military president Ibrahim Babangida said he wanted MKO Abiola to head an interim government after the annulment of the 1993 presidential election but he turned it down.

 

He said after several brainstorming sessions with various groups, he had contacted Abiola to find a way forward.

“At one of my several meetings with Abiola, arranged this time by some traditional leaders, I offered Abiola an interim position pending when we could resolve the situation. Not surprisingly, Abiola turned down my offer,” Babangida wrote in ‘A Journey in Service’, his autobiography that was launched in Abuja on Thursday,

“How could anyone blame him? Since he was convinced that he had won the elections that the annulment had denied him, it seemed overtly inappropriate to accept an interim arrangement. For him, it was a matter of once bitten, twice shy!

 

“At another meeting, this time a more private meeting of both families, I articulated that our lives were in danger of being snuffed out by lurking forces that wished both of us ill.”

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Hinting that Abiola was already hobnobbing with Sani Abacha, the chief of defence staff, Babangida said the businessman was being deceived that the election would be revalidated and he would become president once Babangida was overthrown.

He said he thought Abiola and Abacha were very close but was surprised at the level of loathing Abacha had for Abiola.

“Unfortunately, Abiola turned his back on rapprochement with me and embraced the gimmicks of deceitful ‘friends’ who hid their real intentions from him. I read somewhere, I believe, in one of Abiola’s newspapers that Abiola thought that the moment these ‘friends’ overthrew me, the elections would be de-annulled and that he would be installed as President by his ‘coup plotting friends’,” Babangida wrote.

“As it turned out, Abiola was advised by these same ‘friends’ to leave the country to avoid death threats from fictitious military elements. Abiola’s departure paved the way for his ‘friends’ to consolidate their conspiratorial positions, eventually leading to another military takeover.

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“Without question, one of my biggest headaches at this time was Sani Abacha. I knew that Abacha was ambivalent about a return to civil rule. But I thought, in retrospect now, naively, that he would support our transition to civil rule programme. As I said earlier, Abacha and I had come a long way. We were good friends, and he had indeed been nice to me. As I have said elsewhere, he saved my life once and also risked his life to ensure that I took over in 1985. I could never forget those details.

“But it’s also correct that he was a complex character. He was capable of bottling up a lot inside without giving a hint of where he was. And then, suddenly, the bottle bursts, and we begin to see a different person. I obviously didn’t know everything about him! For instance, I was alarmed to discover that he and a handful of others mobilised negative opinions against me within the military, portraying me as the problem.

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“That campaign was geared towards a violent military coup to remove me as President forcefully. But even more bizarre for me was my discovery of the loathing that Abacha had for the person of Abiola, whom I thought had a good relationship with him.”

 

In November 1993, Abacha overthrew the interim government set up by Babangida in August and headed by Ernest Shonekan.

 

He clamped Abiola into detention after he declared himself president in April 1994.

Abacha died in June 1998 while Abiola, still in detention, died the following month.

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Charly Boy celebrates daughter’s engagement to female partner

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Former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Charles Oputa, better known as Charly Boy, has celebrated the engagement of his daughter, Adaeze, to her female partner.

The popular musician, also famously known as Area Fada, shared a video from the engagement ceremony on his Instagram page, describing Adaeze and her partner as his “beautiful Princess and her Husband.”

“Folks, wish dem well for me,” he wrote.

Adaeze also announced the engagement in a separate Instagram post, sharing a photograph of herself with her partner.

“WE’RE ENGAGED!” she wrote, using the hashtag #mrsandmrs.

She described the engagement as the beginning of a lifetime together, expressing excitement about their future.

“Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, growth, and making beautiful memories together. I can’t wait for everything God has in store for us. Forever sounds even sweeter with you,” she added.

The announcement has attracted mixed reactions from social media users.

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Nigerian-British social media influencer dies after $9,000 penis enlargement procedure in Thailand

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Igho Ubiribo, a Nigerian-British businessman and social media influencer, has reportedly died after undergoing a penis enlargement procedure during a luxury trip to Thailand.

According to findings from an inquest in the United Kingdom, 43-year-old Ubiribo died after the cosmetic treatment triggered a fatal pulmonary embolism.

The businessman, who was also known as “Tiny”, “Denisi” and “Ego”, was on holiday in Bangkok with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen, when he decided to undergo the procedure.

Reports from the inquest revealed that doctors injected about 40 millilitres of hyaluronic acid and lidocaine into his penis at an unnamed clinic in Thailand in March.

After the procedure, Ubiribo and his wife reportedly returned to their Marriott hotel, where they went for a massage.

It was during the massage that he complained of chest pain before collapsing and losing consciousness.

He was rushed to Sukhumvit Hospital, where he was initially able to respond to medical staff.

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His wife reportedly informed doctors that he had recently undergone penis filler injections, prompting concerns that the procedure may have been linked to his condition.

Medical personnel suspected a pulmonary embolism and recommended further scans, but Ubiribo reportedly lost consciousness before the examination could be completed.

Doctors later transferred him to intensive care, where attempts were made to revive him through prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

He was pronounced dead in the early hours of March 6.

A postmortem examination conducted in the UK later reportedly found material in Ubiribo’s lungs consistent with the hyaluronic acid used during the penis filler procedure.

Pathologist John du Parcq told the inquest that the substance discovered matched the material injected during the cosmetic treatment.

He said the findings supported the conclusion that Ubiribo suffered a pulmonary embolism caused by the procedure.

The coroner, Jean Harkin, subsequently ruled that the businessman’s death was caused by a pulmonary embolism linked to the cosmetic injection.

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A pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot or other material blocks a blood vessel supplying the lungs, potentially causing sudden breathing difficulties, heart strain and death.

During the inquest, information from Ubiribo’s doctor in London showed that he had previously undergone joint surgeries and had been described as pre-diabetic and suffering from gout.

However, his doctor reportedly said he had no other major medical conditions.

Penis fillers containing hyaluronic acid are marketed as a non-surgical option for increasing girth, but medical experts have warned that injectable cosmetic procedures can carry serious risks if complications occur.

Ubiribo was known for showcasing his luxury lifestyle on social media, where he had about 185,000 Instagram followers.

Reports said he owned a home in Los Angeles valued at about $1.1 million and a London apartment reportedly worth around $600,000.

He married Zimbabwean fashion designer Danielle Simba Allen in a lavish ceremony in 2022.

Following his death, Ubiribo was buried in London in a gold coffin, with reports claiming the funeral arrangement cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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Afrobeats singer Davido, who was described as a childhood friend of the businessman, attended the funeral and paid tribute to him.

The case has renewed attention on the potential dangers associated with cosmetic procedures involving injectable fillers, after medical evidence linked the treatment to the fatal complication.

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Help locate my husband! 68-year-old British woman cries out as 31-year-old Nigerian lover disappears after arriving UK

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For 68-year-old British citizen, Dawn Ottewell, it was literally love at first sight after she hooked up with 31-year-old Nigerian, Bright Emokpae on a popular dating App, Tinder.

But what began as a love story conceived in heaven and consummated on earth has ended in heartbreak and a desperate search for answers.

At the beginning,  Dawn, who obviously was consumed by love, quickly made efforts to facilitate Emokpae’s movement to the United Kingdom after their wedding.

But soon after he arrived in the UK on a spousal visa Emokpae disappeared into thin air. At the beginning, Dawn probably believed her new husband had simply stepped out and would be back soon.

But it soon dawned on her that new husband wouldn’t be coming back any time soon.

In a story published in the UK Sun, the love-struck 68-year-old said she met the Edo State born Bright when she was at the lowest ebb in 2021 and he brightened her life with love.

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At the time, Bright Emokpae was reportedly a student in Cyprus and Dawn went on a visit. The couple eventually got married in 2022.

In 2023 Bright was in Nigeria to complete formalities for his visa to the UK courtesy of papers filed by Dawn and he relocated thereafter.

Shortly after his arrival, Dawn claimed that Bright became withdrawn and was always asking for money from her and added nothing to the sustenance of the home.

The pair separated but reunited in October 2023. According to Dawn, Bright reconciled with her because she  received a £63,000 settlement following a botched NHS prolapse operation. But he bolted from their home once again.

Not willing to put up with Emokpae’s flight from home any more, Dawn wants a divorce but her man cannot be located to sign the papers with Dawn speculating that he may have relocated to Scotland.

“He’s done a runner and is refusing to sign the divorce papers because I believe he wants to cling on to his spouse visa,” she said.

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But Dawn’s main worry is that if she dies before the divorce papers are signed Bright could inherit her estate. “My biggest fear is that I’ll die before this is sorted out and he’ll run off with the money my three children should inherit,” she said.

She says she feels Bright simply used her to get into the UK and she’s appealing for help to locate him.

“I feel I’m being used,” Ottewell said.

She added, “I would advise people to be very careful who they marry, especially when the person is from abroad, because a lot of them are just doing it for a visa, and then they disappear.”

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