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‘Dangerous-looking men shot at us’ — Falz recalls near-death experience in 2013

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Falz, the rapper, has narrated how he and his managers survived a near-death experience in 2013.

In a chat with Gbemi O, the rapper and his managers Femisoro Ajayi and Sidney Sule recounted how they were attacked by armed men.

The trio said they took a trip to Abuja after Falz was invited to perform at a wedding ceremony.

Falz said that, during their trip back, they were shot at by “turban-tying, AK47-wielding, dangerous-looking men” on the expressway.

He said their driver was killed and the vehicle headed towards the forest. He said they all passed out.

The rapper said the armed robbers eventually retreated into the forest after hearing the police sirens.

“It was after NYSC and this was me working in my dad’s firm as a lawyer in 2013,” he said.

“Then we got a call to come to Abuja for a show. The payment was N1 million and logistics will be taken care of. It was a wedding, so we took the trip.

“There was no flight from Abuja to Lagos. So we hired a car from Abuja to Benin. I led a solid prayer and it was probably what ended up saving us.

“It was broad daylight and we started the trip around 2 pm. We fell asleep during the trip.

“Then we just heard a loud bang. We woke up to see these turban-tying, AK47-wielding, dangerous-looking men in the middle of the expressway.

“The bang we heard was a gunshot they had shot at the car. They shot at our car again and the bullet came flying in between everyone. Everything happened so fast.

“They shot at us again and the bullet hit the driver in the eye. The driver died instantly. The car started moving. It was wild. I remember seeing the car heading for a ditch and just thinking this is it.

“Then we passed out. I was the first to come around. I got out of the car and saw one of the men asking ‘Where is the money?’ I told him there was no money. He goes to the car looking for cash.

“We had left Abuja but we hadn’t gotten to Lokoja. It was all forest. It was the peak of Boko Haram and we were somewhere in the north.

“We started to hear sirens from far away. The police did not come near. At this point, they increased fire and started shooting. They later moved away from us and retreated.

“We tried to stop cars on the expressway, but not a single soul stopped. A police guy eventually came and another guy said he was a doctor.”

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Oladips was dead for three days before coming back to life, says aide

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Abdulrasheed Opeyemi, the personal assistant of Nigerian rapper Oladipupo Oladimeji, aka Oladips, has disclosed that the rapper, who was recently declared dead by his management, actually died for three days before he came back to life.

News surfaced on November 14 that the ‘Chache’ crooner had died following an ailment he battled with for two years.

“We are saddened to inform the general public that Oladipupo Olabode Oladimeji, aka Oladips, passed away yesterday, November 14, Tuesday evening, at exactly 10:14 pm. We are still in shock as we speak!

“For over two years, he has kept his battles within himself; his body is now with his family. The family asked that we respect their privacy in this trying time. May God give us all the fortitude to bear this great loss. (amen),” read a statement from his management.

In an exclusive interview with PUNCH Online’s Tope Alabi on Monday, Abdulrasheed shed more light on the ‘management’ of Dipsciples Music, owned by the rapper, adding that Oladips was dead for three days before he came back to life.

He said, “I don’t know how to say this. It was a misinterpretation with the manager who has access to Oladips’ page. We all thought he was dead because he was not breathing until the third day when he was revived. By then, the manager had already shared the story.

“Even I could not reach him until the third day.”

Asked where the rapper was for the three days, Abdulrasheed responded, ”He was with his family.”

Abdulrasheed also revealed that the music outfit has since sacked the manager, whose identity he did not disclose.

“You are speaking with the right person in the label. The manager who shared the story has since been sacked. Oladips will soon address everyone on the issue,” Abdulrasheed added.

Oladips launched his label, Dipsciples Music, after his exit in 2019, from LRR/Edge Records, owned by Nigerian rapper Remilekun Safaru, aka Reminisce.

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Etim Effiong reveals why actresses in Nollywood don’t beg for money online

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Etim Effiong says his female colleagues in Nollywood do not publicly solicit financial assistance.

In a recent episode of the Bahd And Boujee Podcast, Effiong was asked why actors come online to seek aid.

In response, the actor said men are traditionally responsible for addressing women’s issues.

He highlighted society’s expectation for men to resolve their challenges independently.

Effiong added that when a man faces problems beyond his ability to solve, it forces him to turn to the world for aid.

“Traditionally, in society, women have been largely men’s responsibility,” the actor said.

“So whenever there is a problem with the woman, men are quick to rise to the occasion and meet that need.

“Whatever culture you come from in Nigeria, it would be taboo to the men when the women in that culture have a problem and the men are not solving it.

“So, if you flip that, the converse of that is when the men have issues, the men need to solve the issues. Women are not going to rise to solve the issues for men largely. Men have to sort themselves out.

“And when a man reaches a point where he can not solve his problems, he is not going to go to a woman, he is going to go to the world and be like, ‘Guys, I have reached my limit. I cannot help myself, come help me.’”

Etim Effiong, alongside Kenya’s Sarah Hassan and Catherine Kamau Karanja, showcased his talent in the 2019 film ‘Plan B’.

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Spotify sets to sack 17% staff members

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Music streaming giant Spotify said today it will reduce the number of its employees by around 17% in a bid to cut costs amid “dramatically” slower economic growth.

Spotify in October posted a rare quarterly operating profit of 32 million euros, compared to a loss of 228 million for the same period a year earlier, on the back of 26% growth in active users for the third quarter.

“I realise that for many, a reduction of this size will feel surprisingly large given the recent positive earnings report and our performance,” chief executive Daniel Ek wrote in a letter to employees, which was seen by AFP.

He said that in 2020 and 2021, the company “took advantage of the opportunity presented by lower-cost capital and invested significantly in team expansion, content enhancement, marketing and new verticals.”

“However, we now find ourselves in a very different environment. And despite our efforts to reduce costs this past year, our cost structure for where we need to be is still too big.”

Spotify has invested heavily since its launch to fuel growth with expansions into new markets and, in later years, exclusive content such as podcasts.

It has invested over one billion dollars into podcasts alone.

In 2017, the company had around 3,000 staff members, more than tripling the figure to around 9,800 at the end of 2022.

The company has never posted a full-year net profit and only occasionally quarterly profits despite its success in the online music market.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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