The bleaching, chameleon crowd - By Reuben Abati

I wrote a piece recently, a tribute to the late veteran actress Bukky Ajayi and the multi-instrumentalist OJB Jezreel, in which I raised a number of issues, including how in Nollywood today, there is an obsession with the whitening of skin, an anti-Negritude yellowing, what I referred to as “the bleaching, chameleon crowd of Nollywood beauties.”


The various reactions to the piece conveniently ignored this subject; two young ladies who felt that I was probing an unpopular theme drew my attention to this. I was reminded that being light-skinned is now the in-thing, indeed the socially acceptable norm, because there is now a universalization of the

Photos: Stephen Keshi lowered into the grave amid tears

Former coach of Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi was buried this afternoon in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria . See more photos below...

Hillary Clinton accepts Democratic Presidential Nomination

Hillary Clinton has officially become the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.  The wife of former U.S President and former Secretary of State accepted her party's nomination in an address at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on Thursday evening. 

She was introduced by her daughter Chelsea, as she took the stage to make her speech.

"We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have," she said, during a speech that was regularly interrupted with

Three Nigerians executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking

Three of the six Nigerians convicted for drug related offenses have been executed in Indonesia by firing squad. The Nigerians were put to death along with one Indonesian on Thursday, after midnight Indonesian time.

It was not clear why 10 other drug convicts, who had been expected to face the firing squad, were not

Mary J. Blige speaks on filing divorce from husband, Kendu Isaacs

International RnB star Mary J. Blige has opened up after news of her divorce broke. The singer on Tuesday filed for divorce from her husband, Kendu Isaacs, after 12 years of marriage. 

"Ms. Blige is saddened to say it is true that she has filed for divorce, saying sometimes things don't work how we hoped they would. But, there is a divine plan and a reason for everything." A statement

Tv Star Khloe Kardashian hits back at fans for criticising her weight

Reality Tv star Khloé Kardashian has hit back on people who push her around over her weight, whether she lose or gain more ponds. She took to Twitter to vent her anger towards them. 

"I need to remember the date today!! Never would I have ever thought I would be in the media for

Six Nigerians, others to be Executed in Indonesia for drug related crimes

According to the above stated, Six Nigerians are among the 14 inmates arrested  and slated to be

Photos from former Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi's Burial in Edo

Burial Arrengements and  service of the late former coach of Super Eagles, Stephen Keshi was carried on today in Benin City, Edo State. See more photos from the burial service below...

Ex New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg endorses Hillary Clinton

Former mayor of New York and billionaire Michael Bloomberg has urged Independents to vote for 'sane' Hillary Clinton. Bloomberg, who has been a Republican, Democrat and Independent, called for electing Clinton ‘not for party loyalty but for love of country,’ as he hammered Donald Trump.

‘Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s running his business? God help us,’ Bloomberg says, after pointing out the fellow moguls bankruptcies and tendency to file lawsuits. I’m a New Yorker,

Obama & Hillary Clinton share hug on stage as he endorses her for President

President Barack Obama last spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where he gave reasons on why he ticked a huge positive mark for Hillary Clinton to be the next President of United States of America. In presence of the crowd gathered, Obama not only endorsed Clinton as U.S President, but also shared incredible hug with her on stage. Keep reading and see more photos…

"That’s the America I know. And there is only one candidate in this race who believes in that future, and has devoted her life to it; a mother and grandmother who’d do anything to help our children thrive; a leader with real plans to break down barriers, blast through glass ceilings, and widen the circle of opportunity to every single American – the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton.

Now, eight years ago, Hillary and I were rivals for the Democratic nomination. We battled for a year and a half. Let me tell you, it was tough, because Hillary’s tough. Every time I thought I might have

Asari Dokubo loses first wife, Zainab in car accident

Hajia Zainab Dokubo-Asari, the first wife of former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo has died. She died in a car accident on her way to Ibadan, Oyo State on Wednesday.  This was disclosed by Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni, the Chairman of the Oyo State Muslim community.

Sanni said Zainab was already a Muslim years before she married Dokubo-Asari.

 "When their lives was in danger during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime, she and

Adele and Beyonce top MTV Video Music Awards Nomination

International music Star Beyonce on Tuesday led nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards as she basked in acclaim for her film-album “Lemonade.” The pop diva was in the running for 11 awards at MTV’s annual extravaganza, which will take place August 28 in New York’s Madison Square Garden, a shift from the more common venue in Los Angeles.

Adele came in second with eight nominations. All but seven were for the chart-topping English balladeer’s “Hello,” which with more than 1.6 billion views is the fifth most watched video ever on YouTube. “Hello,” filmed by the Canadian director Xavier Dolan, shows Adele on the phone with a younger version of herself and was the first music video created for the high-resolution IMAX

PHOTOS: ISIS terrorist who slit the throat of Catholic Priest in France unveiled

The 19-year-old ISIS knifeman, Adel Kermiche, who went to a church in Normandy, France and slit the throat of an 84-year-old priest has been unveiled.  He had earlier been arrested twice in France and Switzerland for attempting to flee France to join ISIS in series and was being monitored with an electronic ankle tag.

Despite having been released early from prison, Kermiche's bail conditions allowed him to move

David Bowie receives four posthumous nominations at MTV Video Music Awards

The Late legendary musician, David Bowie has received four posthumous nominations at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. The four categories include, Blackstar nominated for Best Art Direction, while Lazarus got a nod for Best Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.


Both tracks were part of the Life on Mars singer's final album, Blackstar, which was released on

Former James Bond Actor Roger Moore loses Step-daughter to Cancer

Roger Moore, the former James Bond actor, has announced the death of his stepdaughter, Christina Knudsen. He said on social media and his official website that Knudsen died at age 47 on Monday following a battle with cancer.

Moore says on Twitter that "we were all with her, surrounding her with love, at the end." He adds "we

Prison inmate accidentally released sent back to prison after his Facebook post

Joshua Keith Ussery, an inmate who, was mistakenly released from a Georgia jail has been captured and sent back to prison after announcing his release on Facebook. He was set free from the Crawford County jail last Tuesday morning.

Ussery, who was in prison on burglary charges was re-captured shortly after posting a photo of

PHOTOS Meet the Dog with 100, 000 Instagram Followers

A cute and lovely dog, named Wally, seems to be making a career for his owners and has garnered almost 100, 000 Instagram followers. According to the owners of  7-year-old Wally, Marc, 31 and Cynthia Delangin, 34 enjoys the camera. 'Wally loves to smile and he always lights up the room. He brings joy wherever he goes and people just adore him.' See more photos of the dog below…

Community seals Church where Pastor chained his 9 yer old son

The Celestial Church where a 9-year-old boy, Korede Taiwo was chained by his pastor father has been sealed. The boy was dying of starvation, when he was found and rescued by NSCDC last week. The parish located at Wasinmi Ajibawo, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Council of Ogun State has now been sealed off by community members.

Electricity supply disconnected at Nigeria House in New York over Unpaid Bills

Electricity supply to the 22-floor Nigeria House in New York was yesterday disconnected by Con Edison, the local company that is the main provider of power to the city. Supply was however restored by the time of this report.

The company decided to disconnect the building from its grid following the failure of officials at the Consulate and the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations, which use it, to pay up bills of about $23,000. 

Members of staff of both offices told SaharaReporters that former officials in charge of the building, led by Ambassador Joy Ogwu, who served as Permanent Representative for many years, thoroughly mismanaged the property to siphon off funds meant for maintenance of the building, which is about

Anthony Martial’s ex-wife laughs at him as he loses No. 9 jersey to Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Samantha Helena, the ex-wife of Manchester United striker, Anthony Martial appears to have spitted on the Frenchman losing his number nine shirt to new Old Trafford signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic last week.

It has been rumoured that Martial was less than pleased with having the number taken from him, despite being handed Ryan Giggs' legendary old number 11 instead, and his former wife Samantha seems to have laughed at his expense.

Ibrahimovic had posted an image of his name above a number nine on Instagram after the switch was announced by the club and Samantha has since 'liked' the post.

World’s biggest drug dealer, El Loco bags 35 years jail term in US

A drug kingpin from Columbia has been sentenced on Monday to 35 years in a U.S. prison for engaging in a multi-million dollar scheme to manufacture hundreds of tons of cocaine that he trafficked throughout the world.

According to authorities, Barrera, 48, had been one of the most prolific drug traffickers of the last two decades before his capture in Venezuela in 2012 following years in hiding.

Daniel Barrera Barrera, also known as 'Loco' or 'The Madman', was sentenced by U.S. District Judge

PHOTOS: Buhari commissions Abuja-Kaduna Railway Project

Nigeria's President Muhammdu Buhari has on Tuesday morning commissioned the Abuja-Kaduna Railway Project. The President flaged-off commercial operations on Abuja-Kaduna standard-gauge railway line. See more photos below...

P-Square reunites – Peter Okoye announces

Peter Okoye took to his Instagram page to announce that P-Square has reunited after months of misunderstanding and practicing solo careers. Continue reading…

"My dear fans, P-Square is back. Ours is a journey that started from our mother’s womb. It was a journey that started from Primary School, continued to St. Murumba College, to when we were in University in Abuja. It was a journey in which we shared childhood memories and grown-up dreams. We are back because brothers do not let each other wander in the dark alone. We are back because we

Doctor shot at a Berlin hospital

A patient shot a doctor before committing suicide at a Berlin hospital on Tuesday, police said, adding there was no sign the incident was a terrorist attack.

A police spokeswoman told AFP that several shots were fired at a university hospital in the well-heeled southwestern Steglitz neighbourhood of the German capital.

“According to preliminary information, a patient at the hospital shot a doctor and then killed himself,” she said.

“The doctor is in intensive care,” the spokeswoman said, adding there was “no indication this was a terror attack”.

The shooting came with Germany already on edge after four brutal attacks in the south of the country.

A Syrian asylum seeker blew himself up outside a music festival and wounded 15 other people in Ansbach on Sunday, six days after four passengers on a train and a passer-by were wounded in an axe

Priest killed in France church hostage taking

A priest was killed on Tuesday after a hostage situation at a church near the northern French city of Rouen, a police source said.

A priest was killed on Tuesday when two armed assailants seized hostages at a church near the northern French city of Rouen, police said.

Five people were inside the church in the Normandy town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray when it came under attack, interior ministry spokesman Pierre Henry Brandet said.

He said the church was surrounded by France’s anti-gang brigade the BRI, which specialises in

Malawi president orders arrest of man paid to have sex with children

Malawian President Peter Mutharika ordered the arrest Tuesday of a man paid to have sex with more than 100 adolescent girls as part of a traditional ritual marking their passage to womanhood.

The order was issued after the man from the southern district of Nsanje gave a media interview confessing to have slept with the girls for a fee of between four and seven dollars paid by each of their families.

“I order police to immediately arrest Mr Eric Aniva, investigate him and take him to court forthwith for defilement cases,” Mutharika said in a statement.

This little-known local practice is performed in southern Malawi by men known as “hyenas” at the behest of a girl’s parents after her first menstruation.

The ritual is believed to train girls to become good wives and to protect them from disease, or

Housewife sentenced to death for killing husband over alleged phone call from lover

A twenty-eight-year-old housewife, Mrs. Mary Attah, was yesterday condemned to death by hanging by an Effurun High Court for stabbing her husband, who was a pastor, with a kitchen knife before setting him ablaze.

The court presided over by Justice Edward I. Oritsejafor, sentenced the accused person to death having been pronounced guilty of the one count charge proffered against her by the Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

The prosecution lawyer, Patrick Mekako Esq, had told the court that the accused, who was married to Darlington Attah (now deceased) with four children, did attack her husband with a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the neck as a result of an alleged phone call from the husband’s lover.

The court was further told that the accused was infuriated by the telephone call at a time they were having a ‘nice time’, which prompted her to rush to the kitchen, collected the knife and armed herself with grounded pepper, which she rubbed on her husband’s face to immobilize him before stabbing him in the neck.

PHOTOS: Airline Passenger proposes to Girlfriend on Air

Patrick Marsden, an airline passenger,  found a more romantic way to propose to his girlfriend on a long-haul flight. Marsden popped the question and surprised his girlfriend, Molly Beucher, as they flew from Washington, DC, to Sao Paulo, Brazil, recently. United Airlines staff helped him pull it off as he played a starring role in a fake video about in-flight meals, making it a marriage proposal no one on board will ever forget. See more photos below…

Singer Selena Gomez named Social Media A-list earner with $550,000 for one paid-for post

A Social media Analytics Company D'Marie Analytics has released a list of hottest celebrities’ social media presence and also determining what each of their posts would be worth to advertisers. According to AdWeek, the company found that of every single star and brand on social media, singer Selena Gomez has the most influence.

With her 90.5 million followers, that's not exactly a surprise. The 23-year-old also has 61 million

Nigeria's Senate president Dr. Saraki denies defecting to PDP

According to the statement released to press ; The attention of the Senate President's Media Team has been drawn to a false publication that is making the rounds on social media that Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has defected from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). This fabrication is entirely untrue as the Senate President stands committed to the APC; a party that he helped midwife

All Protocol(s) Observed – Reuben Abati

Nigerians love events and ceremonies. The engine of governance in fact runs on this special fuel, which in many ways has become an occasional excuse for waste and idleness. I have in the course of work attended and compered many of such events; one thing that I find curious is the obsession with acknowledgements. If you are the compere at any typical Nigerian event, the organizers are bound to give you what they call a protocol list, usually a long list of persons whose presence must be acknowledged. You are also expected to recognise persons, especially if they are government officials, according to an established ranking order.

This means you can’t recognize a Member of a State House of Assembly before a Member of the House of Representatives, and you can’t “acknowledge the presence (as it were) of” a Minister before a Senator. Any slight mix up is likely to fetch you a reprimand and complaints about how you are such an insensitive compere who wants to ruin an event that had been so well planned. Getting the pecking social order right is not even enough, you must be politically correct when you deploy such egoistic phrases as Your Excellency, The Distinguished, The Most Honourable, Your Honour, Your Worship, My Lord, Your Grace, Your Eminence…Only God knows what these honorifics do to the Nigerian big man or big woman’s mind. When you get it right, you can see the person actually believing the myth about he or she being so excellent, distinguished or honourable. Some would even

Songstress Mariah Carey stuns at Leonardo DiCaprio’s Fundraising Gala

Mariah Carey made a fashion statement at Leonardo DiCaprio‘s glamorous fundraising gala for his foundation, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in St. Tropez on Wednesday. She dazzled in a long black gown with a high slit and plunging neckline. The singer attended the event with fiancé James Packer separately, as Carey made her entrance surrounded by bodyguards. See another photo below....

Photos: 75 dead/missing as Flood hits hard in Beijing,China

China's Civil Affairs Ministry has said that about 75 people have died or gone missing in China’s worst flooding area. The announcement was made amid continuing heavy downpours that caused havoc across usually dry regions, including the capital Beijing.  Already, 576 people have been recorded as dead or missing nationwide in the first half of the year. Beijing has witnessed incessant rain since Tuesday. See more photos below…

We are negotiating with Niger Delta militants, Buhari says

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed that his administration was talking to Niger Delta militants through oil companies and law-enforcement agencies to find a lasting solution to insecurity in the region.

Speaking at a farewell audience with Mr. Michael Zinner, the outgoing Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria at the State House, Buhari said that government is studying the instruments of the Amnesty Programme inherited from the previous administration with a view to carrying out commitments

We are negotiating with Niger Delta militants, Buhari says

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has confirmed that his administration was talking to Niger Delta militants through oil companies and law-enforcement agencies to find a lasting solution to insecurity in the region.

Speaking at a farewell audience with Mr. Michael Zinner, the outgoing Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria at the State House, Buhari said that government is studying the instruments of the Amnesty Programme inherited from the previous administration with a view to carrying out commitments

Facebook Messenger reaches one billion users

Facebook said Wednesday the number of users of its Messenger application had topped one billion, a key milestone as it seeks to expand the platform to new services.

The growth in Messenger gives greater reach to Facebook, which is moving to create a “family” of applications beyond the social network.

“As part of this journey to one billion, we focused on creating the best possible experiences in modern day communications,” said Facebook vice president David Marcus in a statement.

Photos: Women activists protest against Dino Melaye

Some women activists were seen today protesting against Senator, Dino Melaye over his threat against Senator  Remi Tinubu at National Assembly Abuja. See more photos below...

Troops nab suspected Boko Haram terrorists’ Fuel Suppliers

The Quick Reinforcement Force (QRF) of 251 Battalion,  7 Div Gar on routine checks arrested a truck loaded with 25 jerry cans of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and other goods cleverly covered and concealed at Molai check point, outskirts of Maiduguri at about 8.00am today Tuesday.

The driver of the vehicle, Muhammadu Adamu, claimed ignorance of the contents of the vehicle and called the owner of the goods, Tijjani Gambo to explain. He too denied supplying terrorists fuel and

Nigerian man, others wanted in UK for alleged £12m scam

A Nigerian man, Bayo Lawrence Anoworin, has been listed among Britain’s most wanted con-artists. The 41-year-old, who hails from Lagos state is wanted by Lincolnshire Police over an alleged scam by a gang that stole over £12million from NHS Trusts in the UK and Guernsey between January 2011 and July 2012.

A gallery of ten alleged wanted rogues as released by the National Crime Agency, NCA and the City of London Police on Monday was compiled ahead of fresh figures that are expected to reveal the

Police Inspector rapes 15-yr-old girl on gunpoint, detains her in A’Ibom

A police inspector with Mkpat Enin Police Division in Akwa Ibom State has allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl at gunpoint. The victim, a senior secondary student of Community Secondary School in the area, on Tuesday said she was returning from church on Thursday, last week, when a police team accosted her.

She explained that the inspector pointed his gun at her, saying if she tried to stop him from touching her he would shoot her. She said the inspector then led her away from other members of the team to a dark portion of the road.

The policeman then forcefully caressed her breasts, saying “small you possess these types of breasts”

Photo: Jose Mourinho & Manchester United squad head to China

Manchester United’s manager, Jose Mourinho and his squad making their way to China for a pre-season match. 

Movie Director Garry Marshall dies at 81

 TV and Movie director, Garry Marshall, who created Happy Days and director of Pretty Woman, has died. He was 81. Marshall, most known for developing and directing some of the most beloved TV shows and films died on Tuesday evening of complications from pneumonia following a stroke at a hospital in Burbank, California.


"He loved telling stories, making people laugh, and playing softball, winning numerous

Man, arrested for allegedly impregnating daughter

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 36-year-old man, Kennedy Michael, for impregnating his 16-year-old daughter and persuading her to have an abortion, while also molesting his neighbour’s 18-month-old baby girl.

According to the police, Michael was arrested after his neighbour, Uche, whose child was molested, reported the case. He disclosed that “Michael’s girlfriend, Ijeoma Ndukwe, assisted in procuring abortion for his teenage daughter, Maria.”

Uche added that when she discovered that something was wrong with Maria, she told her father, who instructed that his lover should take her to the hospital. It was there they discovered Maria was pregnant. After much interrogation, the girl confessed that her father was responsible for her pregnancy.

Ijeoma got angry and immediately confronted Michael, who confessed to her. They both agreed to abort the pregnancy. One of their neighbours learnt about the abortion and alerted the police. Ijeoma and Michael were immediately arrested

Nigeria’s economy to shrink on Brexit, says IMF

From the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has come the not-so-cheery news that Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) would have negative impact on some nations including Nigeria.

Accordingly, the IMF has projected that Nigeria’s economy is to shrink by -4.1 per cent growth this year, down from the earlier projection of 2.7 per cent, to berth at a negative growth rate average of

Nigerian journalst, Didi wins BBC World News Komla Dumor Award

Journalist and presenter Didi Akinyelure has been awarded this year's BBC World News Komla Dumor Award, which aims to celebrate African journalism and reward exceptional talent.

EFCC seals Fayose’s Multimillion-naira Houses in Lagos and Abuja

Some properties said to belong to Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State have been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The properties located in the highbrow areas of Lagos and Abuja were seized as part of investigations into the N1.219bn the governor allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser when Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) held sway, through a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, as well as some kickbacks he (Fayose) allegedly received from the Ekiti State Government contractors.

Investigators told The Punch that the seized houses belonging to Fayose were allegedly purchased with stolen funds and the EFCC invoked the Assets Forfeiture clause to seize the properties in line with Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal

President Buhari celebrates graduation of children, Zahra, Yusuf & Halimat’s Call to Bar

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday celebrated the graduation of his children, Zahra and Yusuf Buhari and Halimat’s call to bar. See another photo below....

#France TruckAttack: Goodluck Jonathan, Ben Murray-Bruce Commiserate with Victims' families

Nigeria's Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator, Ben Murray-Bruce have penned condolence messages to victims of the horrific terror attack that took place in French city of Nice.  At least 84 people were killed and hundreds more injured in a French city of Nice tonight after a terrorist firing a weapon drove a lorry into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day. Continue to read their tweets…

Couple dies holding hands after 58 years of Marriage

A couple in San Antonio, Texas George and Ora Lee Rodriguez has died side by side while holding hands after 58 years of marriage. The couple reportedly met in San Antonio when George was working as a butcher at a local meat market. 

High school sweethearts, the pair met at the butcher shop, and married after George completed his time in the military, FOX 29 in San Antonio reports. They then had three children.