In the last few days, I’ve watched the world dot on the picturesque Ojude OBA festival, held on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, three days after the Sallah celebration, being a tradition started over 200 years ago by Oba Adesimbo Atunwase.

Today, that the festival has continued to grow in leaps and, the Ijebu people, no matter how highly placed, permanently leave that day on their calendar, explains their high regard for their monarch, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.

This reverred monarch, despite his age, continued to be involved in the planning of the event each year, getting briefing from his distinguished Ijebu subjects, who served on the committee to make it happen.

Therefore, as we prepare for the premiere of the first ever Awujale biopic, the powerful story of Kabiyesi Kayode Sikiru Adetona in Ijebu, in five locations of Abeokuta, Lagos, London and America, we are more than pleased we did this project, which reveals how couragous and brave the current Awujale is and how important this king is to his people.

Directed by Tunde Laoye, Awujale, the biopic, stars Sola Sobowale, Debo Adebowale, Antar Laniyan, Jide Kosoko, Fred Amata, Yemi Sodimu, Dayo Amusa and Aishat Lawal, to mention a few.

We are excited, and certainly can’t wait.

Seun Oloketuyi

Producer

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Nigeria’s International music superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has dragged Sophia Momodu, the mother of his first child, Imade, to court, seeking custody of the daughter.

Davido requests “an order granting joint custody of Miss Imade Adeleke to the applicant” in an initial motion that was submitted to the Lagos State High Court on April 17, 2024 by his attorneys, Dr. Olaniyi Arije, Okey Barrah, and others.

In the alternative, the singer prayed to the court for “an order granting to the applicant unfettered and unrestricted access to Miss Imade.”

The suit, marked LD/1587PMC/2024, has as applicant Mr David Adedeji Adeleke, while Ms Sophia Momodu was listed as the sole respondent.

The originating motion was supported by a 44-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Davido himself.

He narrated that though he had a relationship with Momodu that led to the birth of their child on May 14, 2015, the relationship had ended some years ago “while we resolved to take care of our child as biological father and mother.”

Davido said, “That it is on record that I have been responsible for the payment of all the school fees of my daughter to provide her with the best education possible and to meet all her educational needs without a hitch.

“That I have also been providing money for the rent of the apartment where the respondent resides with our daughter.”

The singer said that as a result of the love he had for Imade, he purchased and offered the mother a N200m worth apartment in a condominium gated community with a swimming pool and 24-hour power and water supply at Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos. An offer he claimed was turned down.

He said, “The respondent rejected the offer to stay and live at the above-described secured Oniru apartment, which had been purchased already, but demanded that I continue to pay N5,000,000 annually for a rented facility as my own contribution towards my daughter’s accommodation.”

Davido said to ensure that the interest of Imade was well-catered for, “I bought a Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle for the use of the child and the respondent to meet the transport needs, including transportation of the child to and from school, etc.”

He added that sometime last year, he received a call from her daughter’s school that Imade had been absent for two weeks, and upon his inquiry from Momodu, “She began to make excuses and complained that the Range Rover SUV was not in a good condition, however, she refused to inform me about that.”

He added, “That sequel to the information about the said condition of the vehicle, I provided another vehicle, Highlander SUV, and in addition, the sum of N5.8m as requested by her for the repair of the Range Rover SUV, making it two vehicles in the custody and use of the respondent and our daughter.”

According to Davido, to further ensure that the interest of their child was adequately taken care of, “I also made commitments to pay for living expenses, the fees of the nanny to our child, provide medical and health care, insurance, periodic international travel expenses and tickets.”

“That notwithstanding my efforts in the overall interest of my daughter, the respondent has continued to make outlandish and Utopian demands to frustrate me,” the singer added.

Listing the other demands allegedly made by Momodu, he said, “The respondent, among others, is demanding that I should pay the nanny she hired the sum of $800 per month, and that the total sum of $19,600 per annum be paid as a lump sum.”

Davido claimed that despite his contribution towards ensuring a better life for their daughter, “the respondent has continued to show me unwarranted cruelty, inflicting so much pain on me.”

Davido and Sophia have often been at loggerheads.

In 2021, Sophia revealed that she was pained when their daughter, Imade, took Davido’s last name and not hers.

Momodu revealed this via her Instagram Story when she reacted to a post about children bearing their mothers’ names.

According to her, she cried bitterly because her daughter could not bear her last name ‘Momodu’.

She wrote, “I remember my mom and aunties laughing at me when I was crying because my daughter’s last name wasn’t going to be Momodu.

“I was genuinely distraught. I was even arguing and everything, that they put her father’s full name and not a single letter from mine.”

She further revealed that her mother made her understand that Imade should bear her father’s name so that she could gain from her father’s lineage and inheritance.

She added, “It made me shut up real quick, but I lowkey had so many questions.”

Popular Fuji musician, Adewale Ayuba, has said he chose Jesus Christ because he proclaimed, ‘I am the truth, the way, and the life.

He also revealed how he almost gave up his interest in music, relocated to America, and became a citizen of the United States.

Ayuba, in a chat with Teju Babyface on Tuesday, where he spoke about his career, religion, and marriage, disclosed that he and his band member travelled to America for their three-month summer show in 1995, but could not return to Nigeria due to threats from late military head of state, Sani Abacha.

The singer said he was threatened by the military government after he released an album advocating for the freedom of political detainees, particularly the late Moshood Abiola.

The Fuji star said while in the US, he enrolled in school and almost gave up interest in music to pursue a career in academics.

Ayuba said after Abacha’s demise, he returned to Nigeria to perform at the Benson and Hedges Concert in 1998.

“I left for America with my full band members in 1995 for a summer show and others. We came to America for about three months and then returned to Nigeria.

“I returned to Nigeria in 1998 when Abacha died. The three years I stayed in America were by the grace of God because he is a good planner.

“When I was in America, I realised that I could only perform shows on weekends. My Mondays to Fridays were free. So, I enrolled in school. That was where I met my wife.

“After that, I took part in a lot of activities. Doing so was like building another foundation in America. That was not easy. From there, I completed my documentation and became an American citizen.

“I don’t see myself continuing in Fuji music, I believe I have done well. This is America, there’s more to explore in life, trusting that God has a plan,” he said.

Speaking about his decision to convert from Islam to Christianity, Ayuba revealed that his decision was because he wanted “to be closer to God more than anything” but didn’t understand Arabic and was unable to pray in the language.

This, he said, prevented him from practising Islam, adding that he would always invite clerics to pray on his behalf.

He also said he was inspired by verses from the Bible quoting Jesus Christ as saying, “He is the way, truth, and life”.

Ayuba said the day he became a Christian was the happiest day of his life.

He explained that he prefers to worship where he “feels closest to God”, and that his choice of becoming a Christian “brings me happiness”.

“People claim Ayuba is a Muslim. Have they seen me in the mosque? If I were practising Islam, wouldn’t someone have noticed,” he said.

“Why is this an issue? Can they let me be? They say I should pray five times daily, but I’m not. My mother is an Alhaja, and although my father never went to Mecca, we practice Islam at home.

“So, my name is Ayub, which is Job in the Bible. It’s not that being a Muslim is good or bad. When I was practising Islam, I had to call some Chief Imams and Alfas to help me talk to God because I didn’t understand Arabic.

“I then asked myself, am I going to continue this, despite all that God has done for me, needing others to intercede on my behalf?

“There isn’t an album of mine where I haven’t referenced Muslim words. We all worship God. To me, religion is akin to education.

“I chose Jesus Christ because he proclaimed, ‘I am the truth, the way, and the life’. This is my personal choice, and it brings me happiness.

“Many of my band members are Muslims, and we pray together. I was unable to attend Arabic school due to my profession. I prefer to worship where I feel closest to my God.”

On his music career, Ayuba who said his parent were not favourably disposed to him going into music and entertainment, explained that he opted for Fuji music because the cost to acquire the instruments was invariably low compared to other kinds of music.

He said, “My parents didn’t want me to go close to entertainment talk less of singing because they believed once you’re doing this kind of thing, you would not be a good child anymore, you would be smoking, drinking and all atrocities. They come with that kind of business and I know that I have the talent.

“To acquire the instrument is just like peanuts, all you need is local drums, you don’t need a keyboard or guitar, so it’s easier to go into that kind of music. My parents were not ready to send me to music school. That was the reason I went into Fuji music.”

Asked if truly he almost lost interest in Fuji music, Ayuba confirmed, saying, “True, true true, particularly the kind of genre that I met myself singing Fuji. I’ve started developing a kind of interest in my education. From day one, if anybody asked me what would I wanted to become in life, I would love to become a lecturer or teacher. I can’t lie to you.

“I was thinking if I finished my bachelor’s degree, I would go for my master, and P.hD to be a lecturer. I don’t want the level of being a Fuji musician, I believe I’ve done well, and I’m OK, this is America, let me choose another line.”

Speaking of his dedication to marriage, Ayuba said he met his wife in America and remained committed to his union because he feared God and would live by His rule.

“Marriage is ordained by God and once you’ve decided to go into it, you obey the rules; the rules that come from God. They say, ‘The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom’, so if I do anything contrary to the rules of marriage, it will affect my career and everything. I’m not going to offend my wife, I’m not going to offend my God, that is it,” he said.

Ayuba released his first album, ‘Ibere (Beginning)’ in 1986, but said he began his music career as early as when he was seven years old.

The 59-year-old singer is famous for albums such as ‘Bubble’, ‘Turn Me On’, ‘Ijo Fuji’, and ‘Koloba Koloba’.