Entertainment

Commotion As Burna Boy’s Police Escort shoots US Returnee, One Other At Lagos Club

Published

4 years ago

June 11, 2022

Editor

The Lagos State Police Commissioner’s Special Squad has detained five policemen attached to singer Damini Ogulu aka Burna Boy for attempted murder after they shot two fun seekers, Irebami Lawrence and another identified simply as Tolu, at Club Cubana in Lagos on Wednesday, The PUNCH can confirm.

The development comes just a few years after the Lagos State Police Command declared Burna Boy wanted for allegedly sending armed thugs to assault and rob fellow musician, Abiye Jumbo, aka Mr. 2Kay.

According to a preliminary police report by the Bar Beach Police Division in Lagos State, trouble started around 4am on June 8, 2022 when the musician and five police escorts visited Club Cubana in Victoria Island.

About four policemen waited outside while one of the policemen identified as Inspector Ibrahim, who was in mufti, accompanied the Grammy- winning artiste into the club.

According to multiple witness statements, the singer was in the VIP section with three women when he spotted another woman.

He was reported to have told Ibrahim to invite the woman to come join him.

However, the lady’s husband was said to have lambasted Burna Boy, insisting that it was disrespectful for any man to make advances at his wife.

After some minutes, Burna Boy was reported to have made fresh advances towards the woman.

This infuriated her husband further and his friends who had gathered at the club and the matter soon degenerated.

“As things were getting heated, Ibrahim brought out his service pistol and shot multiple times while Burna Boy was laughing,” said a senior policeman.

In the process, 27 year-old Lawrence was shot in the thigh while his friend, Tolu, was hit in the head by a bullet.

This caused commotion in the club.

Some people brought out their phones to record what was happening but the policemen began snatching and smashing phones.

“They eventually made their way out of the club and also shot into the air in order to escape. While all this happened, the Cubana management did nothing about it. In the first place, they ought not to have allowed anyone to bring in a gun into the club,” said a senior policeman.

It was learnt that Burna Boy and his crew drove off to one of his properties in the Elegushi end of the Lekk-Epe Expressway and later Lekki Phase 1.

“Aware of what he had done, Burna Boy took the next flight out without even informing his policemen. He only called them on video later to inform them that he had travelled to Spain. All his police escorts have been arrested and are currently at the command headquarters,” said a top source at the office of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.

Sources close to the victims said the police were already making attempts to protect Burna Boy because of his status while the victims were treating their wounds at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

“They want to focus all attention on the policemen and absolve Burna Boy of blame. It is obvious that the police will not do anything about the matter just like in the case of Mr 2Kay,” said a friend of the victims.

In a chat with The PUNCH, a brother to the victim, who identified himself only as Jide, said his brother had undergone a surgery to remove the bullet from his thigh on Friday.

Jide further stated that Irebami, who is based in the United States, had only arrived in Nigeria a week ago for a wedding when the unfortunate incident happened.

He also berated the management of Club Cubana for not doing enough to forestall the situation, adding that the club management had not even reached out to the family since the incident occurred.

Jide added, “My brother and his friends came in from the US for a wedding when this thing happened. The annoying part was that Burna Boy was even laughing when this shooting was taking place. He approved of what they did.

“One of the bullets grazed my brother’s friend in the head while my brother was shot in the thigh. He underwent a surgery on Friday.

“The Cubana people are even denying that anything happened. They have not even reached out to us. It was only the morning of the shooting that a manager at the club, White Lion, interacted with us.”

Attempts to get a response from Burna Boy’s manager, Mrs. Bose Ogulu, who is also his mother, proved abortive as she neither responded to calls nor a text message on Saturday.

Similarly, Chioma Nwachukwu, a media consultant for Cubana, did not respond to calls on Saturday.

But the Spokesman for the Lagos State Police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the focus of the investigation were the policemen.

Hundeyin also claimed that the police had not received any complaint from any victim.

He said, “It was the policemen attached to him that shot and it is an internal disciplinary matter. They will explain why they had to shoot into the air and the outcome of their explanation during the investigation will determine what steps to take next.

“So, it is an internal thing with the police officers that were with him. Except you have news that Burna Boy was the one shooting; then we will have to investigate how he got the gun and all that. But what we have for now is that the policemen were the ones that shot.

“We are treating the policemen internally for disciplinary matters. We didn’t get a report of somebody being hit by a bullet. If somebody was hit by a bullet, anybody treating the person is supposed to have reported but we didn’t get any report of such. The investigation is ongoing.”

PUNCH.

Entertainment

Amy Winehouse’s Father Fues Her Friends For Auctioning Late Star’s Clothes

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

The father of late British singer Amy Winehouse Tuesday defended his UK lawsuit against two of her friends after they sold some of her clothes at auction for around £730,000 ($970,000).

Mitch Winehouse told the High Court in London that Naomi Parry, the star’s former stylist, and her friend, Catriona Gourlay, did not have the right to sell dozens of items in auctions between November 2021 and May 2023.

Lawyer Henry Legge, acting for Winehouse, told the court on Monday, the first day of the trial, that the two women sold 150 objects which had belonged to Winehouse, including dresses which she wore on her last tour in June 2011.

The British singer-songwriter, who enjoyed meteoric global success, died a month later from alcohol poisoning, aged just 27.

Winehouse was a distinctive figure with her beehive hairdo, heavy black eye makeup, multiple tattoos and smoky voice.

She shot to international fame with her Grammy Award-winning 2006 album “Back to Black” which included the track “Rehab”, charting her battle with addiction.

According to court documents, Winehouse believed that any sums collected from the sales organised by Los Angeles-based Julien’s Auctions would be due to him.

The auctioneers had also been told that a third of the proceeds would be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation — a charity set up in the singer’s name working with young people to foster hope and self-reliance.

However, Winehouse’s team accused the women of failing to donate the share of proceeds to the foundation.

– ‘You’re wrong’ –

Ted Loveday, lawyer for Gourlay, said that most of the objects had been given or lent to the two women by the singer, even if there was no proof.

“If a 19-year-old gives a scarf or a pair of earrings to their friends, no one signs a contract,” he told the court on Monday, stressing the singer’s generosity.

Gourlay and Parry met Amy Winehouse in the early 2000s, before she shot to fame. Parry went on to create some of the singer’s most iconic looks — including the green bamboo dress worn on the June 2011 tour which sold at auction for $243, 200.

Beth Grossman, the lawyer for Parry, said the two “women are not thieves and they are not dishonest”.

She accused Winehouse of bringing the lawsuit against the women out of “petty jealousy”, which he strongly denied on Tuesday, saying “you’re wrong”.

Grossman also highlighted the financial differences between the multi-millionaire Mitch Winehouse and the two women who are “living pretty much hand to mouth”.

The hearing is set to last until Friday, with a judgement due at a later date.
(AFP)

Entertainment

FULL LIST: Shallipopi, Belove Olocha, Malumfoodie Win Big At TikTok Awards 2025

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2025

Editor

TikTok has announced the full list of winners for the 2025 TikTok Awards Sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigerian stars Shallipopi, Belove Olocha and South Africa’s Malumfoodie taking home some of the biggest honours of the night.

The ceremony held on December 6 in Johannesburg and attracted top creators, performers and industry figures from across the continent. The theme for this year’s event was New Era, New Icons.

The show featured performances from Ciza, Lord Kez, Thuli P, DJ Fif Laa and Thabsie. South African entertainer Bontle Modiselle Moloi hosted the event while Keegan Gordon and Zayaan Noorani handled the red carpet. Influencer Mihlali Ndamase made a surprise appearance to present the Video of the Year award. Olympian Akani Simbine also presented the Sport Creator of the Year category.

Brands including NIVEA, inDrive, Coca-Cola, PEP and Dis-Chem supported the awards.

TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba, said the platform is recognising creators who are shaping global conversations.

She said, “Tonight’s ceremony was a gathering of the trailblazers who have redefined what it means to be a creator in Africa. From Sokoto to Nairobi, and Accra to Pretoria, we honoured the creators who turned 60-second clips into cultural movements. We are honoured to celebrate them as they amplify their voices and take their stories from Africa to the world.”

The ceremony will be rebroadcast on December 11 at 20:00 SAST on TikTok LIVE through the @tiktok.africa account.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Creator of the Year
Raja’atu Muhammed Ibrahim @diaryofanortherncook (Nigeria)

Storyteller of the Year
Brian Nwana @briannwana (Nigeria)
He said, “Every single creator is a storyteller. We all tell stories that help drive the local communities, our cities, and our countries, and when we do that we change the perception that the world has about us”.

Video of the Year
Fanuel John Masamaki @zerobrainer0 (Tanzania)
He said, “I am truly grateful to my fans and the love I have received from Tanzanians. Thank you so much . This win was for all of us.”

Rising Star of the Year
@tunero_animations (Kenya)
Runner up: Esther Francis @estherfrancisbackup (Nigeria)

Social Impact Creator of the Year
Dejoke Ogunbiyi @noositiwantiwa_ (Nigeria)
Runner up: Sinethemba Masinga @ufarm_julia (South Africa)

Food Creator of the Year
@malumfoodie (South Africa)
He said, “From my humble beginnings of Haamanskraal, to Soshanguve and to all of South Africa, now we are in Africa!”

Runner up: Abena Amoakoaa Sintim Aboagye @chefabbys (Ghana)

Sports Creator of the Year
John Maingi Mbugua @zozasportscast (Kenya)
He said, “Winning isn’t the finish line, it’s fuel for the next chapter. Every piece of content, every discussion, every moment captured was driven by passion, and receiving this recognition means that passion is resonating far beyond my expectations.”

Runner up: Victor Ademola @ademolavictortv (Nigeria)

Entertainment Creator of the Year
Belove Olocha @beloveolocha (Nigeria)
Runner up: Jabulani Macdonald @jabu_macdonald (South Africa)

Education Creator of the Year
Izzi Boye @izziboye (Nigeria)
Runner up: @michelle_expert (South Africa)

Artiste of the Year
Crown Uzama @theycallmeshallipopipp (Nigeria)
He said, “Thank you, TikTok, for supporting all upcoming artists and giving them a spotlight to shine.”

Entertainment

TikTok Temporarily Restricts Late Night Live Feature In Nigeria

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2025

Editor

TikTok has restricted late-night LIVE access for Nigerian users, as the platform now blocks the feature during peak night hours.

The restriction started on Sunday at midnight when the app quietly shut down all LIVE activities across Nigeria, leaving accounts unable to host or even watch late night streams.

According to an in-app message sent to creators, TikTok wrote, “We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected.”

Many affected users shared that their screens showed a “No Access” label between 11pm and 5am, confirming that the shutdown was nationwide and not a technical glitch.

Reports showed that only creators with at least 1,000 followers received the notice, since they are the only ones allowed to host LIVE sessions on the platform.

Several of them confirmed that all LIVE activities stopped throughout the night, and no one could even view broadcasts from other countries during the restriction.

TikTok users who earn money through LIVE gifting said their balances were not touched, easing fears of sudden financial loss.

By Monday morning, LIVE access returned, but the whole situation triggered long conversations on social media as Nigerians questioned why the company picked late night hours, which usually record the highest traffic for match streams, entertainment shows and interactive trends.

TikTok’s latest move came a few weeks after the platform released fresh safety figures for West Africa at its Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal.

The company revealed that in the second quarter of 2025, it took action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 creators worldwide for breaking LIVE monetisation rules.

It also disclosed that Nigeria alone recorded 49,512 banned LIVE sessions within the same period.

TikTok added that it removed 3,780,426 Nigerian videos between April and June 2025 for violating Community Guidelines, noting that 98.7 percent were deleted before anyone viewed them, while 91.9 percent were taken down within 24 hours.

TikTok LIVE remains a popular feature among young users because it allows real time broadcasting, comments and gifting, unlike pre-recorded videos.

To go LIVE, a creator generally needs at least 1,000 followers, must be above 16 years to stream and above 18 years to earn money.