Entertainment
‘I was labelled a thief in school’ — Alex Asogwa recalls past trauma
Alex ‘Unusual’ Asogwa, the ex-Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) housemate, has recalled the traumatic past that shaped her.
In a recent interview on the Unpack podcast, the reality star opened up about how she endured abuse and bullying from family members and colleagues in school.
Alex narrated how she was lashed for giving her aunt’s pigs clean water to drink. The reality TV star, who had visited her aunt during holidays, said she was accused of “intentionally trying to kill the pigs”.
“They had flogged me for giving the pigs clean water instead of dirty water. How in the name of the Lord I am supposed to go and get dirty water to go and give something that is living?” she asked.
“I literally washed all their (pigs) buckets and gave them clean water. Then these pigs refused to drink water all day.
“And next thing they came back and said I was trying to kill the pigs. They were like it was intentional. That I knew what I was doing.”
Alex said during her secondary school days, she was “labelled a thief and perceived to be very stubborn”.
The reality star recounted how she was a victim of mob action after accusations of stealing her colleague’s provisions.
“The reason they were able to label me a thief was something they caused. They would punish me through the night and I would become the last person to leave the hostel the next morning,” she added.
“So when we came back and something was missing it was me that they would hold. And again, I am not a good liar. A friend of mine who offended me, I had packed all her provisions and went to hide them. I returned it to her when she finished crying. So they now said ‘It was Alex that stole it’, not ‘Alex that took it’.
“I went to class one day and everybody was standing outside. I got inside and they started to beat me. They asked me ‘Which biscuit did you eat in class today?’ I told them I did not eat any biscuits. I had not even eaten all day. Everybody just landed on me. They now said somebody saw me eating biscuits in class. They opened my locker and found the provisions of one of the seniors in my corner. They started beating me that day and I called my mother and I told her I did not do what they accused me of.
“A friend even asked me if I had a sickness of people who steal without knowing. They said they needed to take me to church and pray for me.
“The next day everyone went to class and as usual I went to dodge. Then the hostel mistress was like she could see a movement inside the hostel. Some students that were down there started searching and I also joined. I joined them because if anything had gone missing they would have accused me. While everyone went back I searched that part everybody avoided and saw one of the girls at the corner. She had white powder all over her body.”
Entertainment
Bimpe Akintunde warns Nigerians against scammers impersonating her on WhatsApp
Bimpe Akintunde, the Nollywood actress, has raised an alarm over a fake WhatsApp account created in her name to scam unsuspecting individuals.
The film star took to her Instagram story to share screenshots of the impersonator, posing as her to solicit money from her followers.
Akintunde expressed her frustration and disappointment, cursing the scammer for attempting to profit from her hard work. She warned the public to be cautious of the impersonator on any media platform.
The actress urged her fans to help report the scammer’s WhatsApp and bank accounts.
She also prayed that God should keep such fraudulent individuals away from her and her loved ones.
“What a morning. Tell me how this country wants to be great, when a lot of people are struggling, working hard to build a name and brand, and boom, one person will take their pictures and name only to be defrauding people up and down,” she wrote.
“Who gave birth to such a child? Useless children, may God keep them away from us.
“Please disregard any message from anyone, either in your DM or WhatsApp, asking you to send money.
“Please, it not me. I do not own this above number. I would appreciate it if we could find a way to report both the WhatsApp and the Opay account.”
Entertainment
Davido advises black Americans not to relocate to Nigeria, says ‘the economy is in shambles’
Davido, the Afrobeats star, has advised black Americans against relocating to Nigeria, citing the country’s economic challenges.
In an appearance on The Big Homies House podcast, the singer shared his thoughts on the struggles bedeviling Nigeria, stating, “It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles”.
Davido also mentioned Nigeria’s struggles with bad leadership, a high exchange rate, and skyrocketing oil prices, which are negatively impacting the country.
“It is not cool back home. The economy is in shambles. I do my part, I am an ambassador. When I go home and I am filming, I am no going to show the bad parts,” he said.
“I am talking about the situation in the country. Now the exchange rate is messed up, a lot of stuffs are not going well.
“The economy is just not good enough. The oil price is too high. Imagine the country that produces oil, paying more for it than a country importing oil.”
Despite the challenges, Davido emphasised the entertainment industry’s positive impact on Africa’s global image.
“Regardless, entertainment is one of the thing that has made Africa look good. We do not have the best leader, that is a fact,” he said.
Entertainment
US actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction for staged attack overturned
American actor, Jussie Smollett’s conviction for fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime in Chicago in 2019 was overturned Thursday on due process grounds.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that Smollett, 42, should not have been charged again by prosecutors after a prior agreement saw over a dozen original charges dismissed.
It is the latest twist in Smollett’s legal saga, which began with his initial claim in January 2019 that he had been attacked on a Chicago street.
The gay African-American actor, then a cast member of the hit TV series “Empire,” said two masked men assaulted him late at night, shouting slurs and placing a noose around his neck.
Smollett staged the attack after receiving a legitimate piece of hate mail which he felt was not taken seriously by his employers, prosecutors said.
But those charges were suddenly dropped in March 2019, under an arrangement in which Smollett forfeited his $10,000 bond and agreed to do community service.
The dismissal was met with anger by some city officials, including then-mayor Rahm Emanuel, who argued $10,000 was only a fraction of the actual investigation costs.
A special prosecutor eventually took over the case and several charges were reinstated.
Smollett, who has always maintained his innocence, was found guilty in December 2021.
Though he was sentenced to 150 days in prison with 30 months on probation, he was released pending the outcome of his appeal.
He was also ordered to repay $120,106 to the Chicago Police to cover their investigation costs.
The case had initially sent shock waves through a deeply divided country still plagued by racial and sexual discrimination, and the actor had immediately received support from celebrities in political and cultural circles.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruling said that bringing the charges a second time after “the defendant has performed his part of the bargain” represented “a due process violation.”
“We therefore reverse (the) defendant’s conviction,” the ruling said.
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