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Nigerian music star, D’Banj, arrested, detained by anti-corruption agency

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Top Nigerian music star, songwriter and singer, Oladapo Oyebanji, popularly known worldwide as D’banj, has been arrested by an anti-corruption agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC).

The music icon who held sway in the early 2000s was reportedly arrested and detained on Tuesday by operatives of the agency after he honoured an invitation to visit the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

According to an exclusive report by an authoritative Nigerian newspaper, Premium Times, the ICPC had placed D’banj on their watch list after he had dodged summons for weeks, claiming to be outside the country for scheduled concerts each time he was invited to appear for interrogation over fraud allegations.

According to sources in the agency, D’Banj’s travails started after he was accused of fraudulently diverting millions of naira earmarked by the Nigerian government for an empowerment programme set up by the government in 2016 to address youth unemployment and increase social development.

The ICPC had alleged that D’banj colluded with some compromised government officials to introduce ghost beneficiaries into the payroll of the scheme known as N-Power project.

According to the allegations, the pop star and the corrupt officials ended up diverting stipends paid to the phantom beneficiaries into accounts linked to him.

It was learnt that after the musician failed to show up for interrogation despite multiple invitations, the ICPC moved to arrest him anywhere in Nigeria and abroad, forcing him to show up at the commission’s office on Tuesday.

On arrival, he was said to have been subjected to a prolonged interrogation session after which he was detained while his plea for administrative bail was rejected by officials who said he could not be trusted to attend a trial if released on bail.

Culture

Davido’s ‘Unavailable’ achieves milestone with 100 million views on YouTube, Spotify

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Nigeria’s Afrobeats sensation, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has landed another milestone after his hit single, “Unavailable’, surpassed 100 million streams on both YouTube and Spotify.

According to a release on Wednesday by his management team, the track which features South African artist, Musa Keys, also hit a major milestone as its music video crossed 100 million views on YouTube.

The hit track which was released on April 11, 2023, as part of Davido’s chart-topping album “Timeless”, grew to become the most streamed Afrobeats song of 2023 and received high praise, including being named by Rihanna as her favorite single of the year.

“The single, Unavailable, has also surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify to become Davido’s first single to achieve this feat,” the statement said.

“With the music video surpassing 100 million views, it becomes Davido’s fourth song to surpass the 100 million streams mark following his 2017 hit releases ‘If’, ‘Fall’, and ‘FIA’.

“Following the success of Unavailable, Davido released a remix EP that includes collaborations with Jamaican Dancehall star Sean Paul and American rapper Latto.

“Described by Rihanna as her favourite single of 2023, Davido’s Unavailable was the most streamed Afrobeats song released in 2023.

“Additionally, the single recently earned a SNEP Gold plaque after reaching 15 million streams in France, cementing its status as a global hit,” it added.

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Cameroon opens museum dedicated to oldest, influential kingdoms

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The Cameroonian government has inaugurated a historical museum which is dedicated to honouring its oldest and most influential kingdoms.

Known as the Royal Bomaun Kings Museum, it was inaugurated on Saturday, April 13, in Foumban, the Bauman Kingdom’s traditional capital, located in the western part of the country.

The edifice which is next to the royal palace of the Bamouns, has been described as an architectural masterpiece, pays homage to the emblem of the Bamoun – a double-headed snake, a spider, and a double-mounted gong, and houses over 10,000 historical artefacts most of whom are century-old objets d’art.

It was inaugurated by King Nabil Mbombo Njoya, the 20th ruler of the Bamouns, alongside Culture Minister, Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt.

Foremost Cameroonian historian and anthropologist, Professor Francois Bingono Bingono, who was among the visitors at the opening of the museum, spoke glowingly of the project.

“I was privileged to visit the museum. I can tell you that it is not only the culture of western Cameroon, the culture of the Bamouns that is celebrated inside those walls.

“I recognized the culture of the forest, meaning the culture of the inhabitants of southern Cameroon, a heavily forested region.

“I also recognized the cultures of the regions of East, Centre and South Cameroon. One can also come across the cultural heritage of Loum, of the Hauts-Plateaux department, and that of northern Cameroon.

“This museum is the ideal place for those who wish to go back to their roots or take a deep dive into the culture heritage of Cameroon.

“You can see valuable items inside such as thrones and chairs used by the King. Really anything that has to do with the Bamoun dynasty from the first rulers to the current monarch.

“This is patrimony that is handed down to future generations. For the Bamouns, it represents an achievement and a celebration of their culture. For Cameroonians at large, it is part of their history.”

The Bamoun Kingdom is one of the oldest in sub-saharan Africa with historians dating its creation to the late XIVth century.

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