The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos State Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has said that actress Laide Bakare was stopped for contravening traffic laws and fined for the offence on Sunday.

Hundeyin made this known in a post he shared on his verified X handle, @benHundeyiy.

Taking to her Instagram page on Sunday, actress Bakare lashed out at the police for entering her car and driving away with her 14-year-old daughter to an unknown destination.

According to her, the incident occurred on Saturday along Ikorodu Expressway after the police accused her of driving on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Lane.

“For the first time, I experienced the brutal way Nigerians are being treated along that axis.

“I can’t imagine how someone with a brain and sanity will enter someone’s car and drive it away with a minor in it.

“My daughter was left terrified over the incident, a lot of things are happening in this country that need to be attended to.

“The police only target big cars and vulnerable people to exploit and rob. Just because they needed our ATM card to take out ₦70,000,” she said.

Responding, Hundeyin said that the actress disobeyed traffic laws and paid fine as punishment.

“You were stopped for contravening traffic laws by driving on the BRT lane.

“You chose to create a scene. You chose to remain out of your vehicle when it was being taken to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) office.

“The officers were not going to succumb to your gimmick to hold them down at that spot.

“You rightly paid the correct fine for your offence – ₦70,000 – into government coffers.

“You left with the receipt and your vehicle. Not a finger was laid on you,” the PPRO said.

Financial analysts have raised concerns over Davido’s newly launched meme coin and warned about the associated risks.

The introduction of the coin into the market has sparked a debate within financial circles.

Experts have highlighted similarities to historical Ponzi schemes, such as MMM, where millions of investors lost substantial amounts of money.

Analysts argued that such coins often capitalise on the popularity of individuals without strong underlying fundamentals or a clear business model.

A financial analyst, Vincent Nwani, stated that if such a coin was allowed to flourish, it would negatively affect the Nigerian financial system.

He said, “To begin with, I’m a huge fan of Davido, his music, and his family, and I will continue to enjoy his tremendous contribution to the Nigerian entertainment industry. Notwithstanding, the recently launched Davido coin is a bit overboard for me because of its semblance to various Ponzi schemes that we have contended with in this economy.”

He noted that Davido’s celebrity status and fan base were the primary drivers of the coin’s value proposition.

“I say this for so many reasons. First, the workings of the coin seem to be conceived on the strength of Davido’s popularity, which he follows with a firm belief that the platform can successfully leverage his brand. If such a coin is allowed to thrive, what it does is that other popular personalities in Nigeria will quickly follow suit, and gross cases of abuse become inevitable. No doubt, this reality has a downside implication for the Nigerian financial system.

“The MMM experience remains so fresh in our minds. Three million Nigerians lost about N18bn to MMM, and this must not be allowed to happen again.”

The Security Exchange Commission has stated that the meme coin did not get regulatory approval and warned capital market operators not to associate with it.

Another financial analyst, Ambrose Omorodion, advised anyone without financial knowledge to avoid investing in cryptocurrency, adding that the SEC would not take the business to court if investors suffered losses.

“In the financial market, we need more products to fall into. However, meme coins are highly risky and I believe that is why the SEC came out to warn people that they are risky.

“Also, since cryptocurrency has emerged in the global space, I can see that people are now venturing into it, but my advice is that if they do not have the financial knowledge, they should not go into it or invest at all. The SEC will not sue the company if investors become victims,” he explained.

Nollywood actress Osas Ighodaro has explained how losing her mother made her become more carefree and less worried about people’s opinions about her.

Speaking on Arise TV, the actress opened up about the shift in her approach to life, which made her more free-spirited.

“I know a transition happened for me because I used to be in my head a lot and I used to worry about what people thought about me a lot. But when I went through the experience of losing my mum in 2020, I realised how much she gave to so many people and she didn’t take care of herself.”

“I used to be in my head a lot”

– Osas Ighodaro pic.twitter.com/GXFuPY8DIf

— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) June 21, 2024

She stressed that losing her mum led her to prioritise her self-expression and self-love over worrying about others’ opinions. Ighodaro stated that changing her mindset also enabled her to enjoy life and what it has to offer and she has been happier since.

The actress explained, “I said ‘Wait a minute? I’m not going to end up like that. I’m going to live my life and I’m going to the the best that I can be and I want to represent her legacy to the best of my abilities. It’s been free since then, I’ve been living life and being happy and enjoying every moment; whether it’s good or bad. You either learn from it or enjoy it and that’s how I live my life.”

“A lot of people come up to me and say ‘I love your dancing,’ and that’s part of the freedom for me. I used to be so self-conscious before but who cares at this point, I am a thespian but I’m also someone who loves life and loves to travel and enjoy herself and dance,” she concluded.

See the full interview below: