Category: Features

Featured posts

  • New Epstein document dump includes multiple Trump mentions; DOJ cautions some claims are false

    New Epstein document dump includes multiple Trump mentions; DOJ cautions some claims are false

    Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Justice (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
    2025-12-23 14:30:00

    According to Reuters, the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday released a new tranche of Jeffrey Epstein-related records—described as roughly 30,000 pages—that contains multiple references to President Donald Trump, including a prosecutor email summarizing flight-log information from the 1990s.

    The Reuters report says the prosecutor note flagged that Trump appeared in the records more than officials expected, and it describes flight logs listing Trump on Epstein’s plane multiple times in the 1990s, including entries where Ghislaine Maxwell was also listed as a passenger. Reuters notes the documents do not accuse Trump of committing a crime.

    In the same release, DOJ cautioned that not every item in the archive should be treated as verified fact, describing some submissions as “untrue or sensationalist.” In a separate Reuters report, the department also said a Trump-referencing ‘card’ purportedly sent from Epstein to Larry Nassar was determined to be fake, citing FBI review findings.

    Other outlets covering the same development—including The Associated Press and PBS NewsHour—said the new dump adds volume and context but relatively little confirmed, newly revelatory evidence, while NPR highlighted DOJ’s warning about disputed items and a subpoena mentioned in the files.

    Sources: Reuters (Dec. 23, 2025); Reuters (Dec. 23, 2025); AP (Dec. 23, 2025); PBS NewsHour (Dec. 23, 2025); NPR (Dec. 23, 2025).

    Reuters; Reuters; Associated Press; PBS NewsHour; NPR 2025-12-23; 2025-12-23; 2025-12-23; 2025-12-23; 2025-12-23
    https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-releases-new-tranche-epstein-files-2025-12-23/; https://www.reuters.com/world/us/justice-department-releases-card-mentioning-trump-purportedly-sent-epstein-2025-12-23/; https://apnews.com/article/new-epstein-files-trump-nassar-justice-department-101ba03107c32ba88869bc37e1d01849; https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-the-latest-epstein-files-release-reveals-and-where-trump-is-mentioned; https://www.wunc.org/2025-12-23/justice-department-releases-more-epstein-files-and-some-mention-trump

  • Wizkid Crowned Apple Music Nigeria’s 2025 Artist of the Year

    Wizkid Crowned Apple Music Nigeria’s 2025 Artist of the Year

    Photo Credit: Photo via Pulse Nigeria, Instagram/@wizkidayo

    Starboy continues to shine: Wizkid has been named Apple Music Nigeria’s Artist of the Year for 2025, topping the platform’s end-of-year rankings.

    According to Apple Music’s recap, Wizkid not only clinched the top artist spot but also secured Top Album of 2025: Nigeria with his project Morayo. The double win reinforces his status as one of Afrobeats’ most consistent global forces, still pulling massive streams years into his career.

    Wizkid FC wasted no time celebrating the achievement on X and Instagram, sharing streaming screenshots, edited graphics and throwback clips from the album’s rollout. Some fans used the moment to reignite debates about who owns the Afrobeats “GOAT” crown, while others simply congratulated Starboy for another landmark year.

    Source: Instagram, Pulse Nigeria – report on Wizkid topping Apple Music Nigeria’s 2025 year-end list.

  • 2Baba’s Cryptic ‘Help Me’ Post Sparks Concern Before Singer Clears the Air

    2Baba’s Cryptic ‘Help Me’ Post Sparks Concern Before Singer Clears the Air

    Photo Credit: Thumbnail via YouTube recap of 2Baba ‘HELP ME’ saga

    Legendary Nigerian singer 2Baba briefly worried fans this week after a cryptic “HELP ME” message appeared on his Instagram page before being deleted minutes later.

    The post, which contained only the short plea and no caption, was quickly screenshotted and circulated across X, Instagram blogs and WhatsApp groups. Many long-time supporters expressed concern, urging people not to make jokes about the message and instead to check on the artiste’s well-being.

    Watch: BREAKING 2Baba Says ‘HELP ME’ Then Deletes Post! Teni, Nasboi & Fans Refuse To Back Down 2025

    Shortly afterwards, 2Baba moved to calm the situation, explaining in follow-up posts and comments that people should relax and that everything was under control. Fellow entertainers like Teni and comedian Nasboi also weighed in online, asking fans to be kind and avoid overreacting to moments they may not fully understand.

    The incident has since evolved into a broader conversation about how quickly social media can amplify worry around public figures, and why conversations about mental health and support for entertainers should be handled with care.

    Source: Online commentary and recap videos discussing 2Baba’s brief “HELP ME” post and the reactions that followed.

  • Don Jazzy Claims Mavin Spent Up to $5m Pushing Rema’s Calm Down Global

    Don Jazzy Claims Mavin Spent Up to $5m Pushing Rema’s Calm Down Global

    Photo Credit:  Instagram/@blackxcellencee

    Music executive Don Jazzy has lifted the lid – at least partially – on what it allegedly cost to turn Rema’s “Calm Down” into one of Afrobeats’ biggest global records. Speaking on Toolz’s “Bounce” show on YouTube, the Mavin Records boss claimed the label spent roughly $4–5 million promoting the track worldwide.

    He explained that pushing a record to that level involves aggressive promotion across several markets, from radio and playlists to lifestyle content, tours and strategic collaborations. According to Don Jazzy, Mavin’s usual playbook is to dominate one territory at a time before expanding, and “Calm Down” was no different – only this time, the spend was massive to match its global ambitions.

    Clips from the interview, shared on X, quickly went viral. While some industry insiders agreed that global campaigns can easily run into millions of dollars, others questioned the figure, suggesting he might be exaggerating to emphasise how capital-intensive the music business has become. The comment section under reposted clips is filled with sceptics, stans and curious observers arguing over whether that budget could realistically have been recouped from streams, remixes and touring.

    Whatever the true breakdown, one thing is clear: “Calm Down” has more than justified its hype, with its Selena Gomez remix topping charts across Europe and North America and becoming one of the most recognisable Afrobeats crossovers of the decade. Don Jazzy’s revelation has now added a new conversation layer – not just about hits, but about how much money labels are really sinking into making Afrobeats global.

    Source:Instagram/@blackxcellencee, Gistmania – report on Don Jazzy’s claim that Mavin spent $4–5 million promoting Rema’s “Calm Down”.

  • AfDB Approves €25m Trade Finance Guarantee for Cameroon’s CCA-Bank to Boost SME Lending

    AfDB Approves €25m Trade Finance Guarantee for Cameroon’s CCA-Bank to Boost SME Lending

    ABIDJAN/YAOUNDÉ, December 2, 2025 — The African Development Bank Group has approved a €25 million trade finance facility for Cameroon’s Crédit Communautaire d’Afrique-Bank (CCA-Bank), aimed at expanding support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other businesses across key sectors of the economy.

    The facility, cleared by the Bank’s Board of Directors at a session held on 1 December in Abidjan, will be deployed as a Transaction Guarantee, a risk-sharing instrument that provides cover to eligible African banks for their trade finance operations.

    According to Lamin Drammeh, Head of the Bank Group’s Trade Finance Division, the guarantee will help unlock critical imports needed for Cameroon’s productive sectors.

    “The facility will support Cameroon’s economy by facilitating imports of equipment for the industrial, agro-industrial and telecommunications sectors. It will also enable the African Development Bank to provide up to a 100 percent guarantee to confirming banks, to facilitate the confirmation of letters of credit and other similar trade finance instruments issued by CCA-Bank for the benefit of SMEs in Cameroon,” Drammeh explained.

    Léandre Bassolé, Director General for the Bank’s Central Africa region, noted that the operation aligns with AfDB’s drive to deepen direct interventions in support of the private sector in Cameroon.

    “It will strengthen CCA-Bank’s capacity to support the activities of SMEs, including those owned by women and young people, to boost the local productive sector, facilitate economic growth, and create and maintain thousands of jobs,” he said.

    Welcoming what she described as a strategic milestone, CCA-Bank’s Managing Director, Marguerite Fonkwen Atanga, said the partnership would significantly enhance the bank’s ability to serve smaller businesses and emerging entrepreneurs.

    “We would like to express our gratitude to the African Development Bank Group for this important trade finance facility. This strategic partnership marks a major milestone for our institution and will significantly strengthen our capacity to support small and medium-sized enterprises, women entrepreneurs and start-ups in Cameroon and Africa,” she stated.

    Background: AfDB’s Transaction Guarantee

    The Transaction Guarantee is a trade finance instrument introduced by the African Development Bank in 2021 to support commercial banks operating in Africa. It covers a range of trade-related instruments, including confirmed letters of credit, commercial loans, irrevocable repayment undertakings, endorsed drafts and promissory notes, among others.

    The facility is available to banks registered and operating in Africa that have successfully passed the Bank’s due diligence process, helping them reduce perceived risk from international confirming banks and expand access to trade finance for their clients.

    About the African Development Bank Group

    The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s leading development finance institution, comprising the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). With representation in 41 African countries and a field office in Japan, the Bank supports economic development and social progress across its 54 regional member states.

    Source Credit:

    African Development Bank Group (AfDB) – press release distributed by APO Group, 2 December 2025.

  • Funke Akindele’s Fan Begging For A Phone Becomes Instant Meme

    Funke Akindele’s Fan Begging For A Phone Becomes Instant Meme

    Nollywood powerhouse Funke Akindele is currently on a major promo run for her latest cinema projects, but it is a random fan’s request that has stolen the spotlight on social media.

    In a clip that spread quickly across Instagram in September this year, a fan publicly begged the actress and filmmaker to buy them a phone. Rather than ignore the plea, Funke responded with her trademark humour, explaining that she cannot meet every personal demand while still encouraging fans to keep hustling and believing in their own journey.

    The exchange instantly became meme material. Users chopped her response into short skits, captions and sound bites, joking about how many people want celebrities to solve all their problems. Some praised her for keeping it real about boundaries, while others laughed that they would still try their luck if they saw her.

    All of this comes as red carpet photos from her recent movie premieres continue to dominate the timeline, proving that even when she is dropping life lessons, Funke Akindele knows how to keep both the box office and the banter busy.

  • Victor Osimhen’s GQ Türkiye Award Gets The Naija Twitter Celebration Treatment

    Victor Osimhen’s GQ Türkiye Award Gets The Naija Twitter Celebration Treatment

    Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is trending for all the right reasons after being crowned Sportsman of the Year at the 2025 GQ Türkiye Men of the Year Awards.

    According to entertainment and sports outlets, Osimhen received the honour at a colourful ceremony in Turkey, in recognition of his standout season and contribution to his club’s domestic double.

    As photos and clips from the event filtered onto X and Instagram, Nigerians wasted no time in flooding timelines with congratulatory messages, edited graphics and playful “No be small flex” captions. Some fans joked that Osimhen is now “our own GQ model,” while others used the moment to reignite the long-running “best African striker” debates.

    From memes about his trademark mask to serious conversations about his journey from the streets of Lagos to global stardom, the award has once again reminded fans why Osimhen remains one of Nigeria’s most loved football exports – both on and off the pitch.

  • Portable Claims He Has Helped More People Than Olamide, Davido And Wizkid

    Portable Claims He Has Helped More People Than Olamide, Davido And Wizkid

    Street-hop star Portable is stirring the waters again after boldly declaring in a fresh interview that he has helped more people than heavyweights Olamide, Davido and Wizkid.

    Speaking on a televised entertainment programme, the controversial singer boasted that his street charity and constant support for the young boys around him beat anything the bigger stars have done. The comments were clipped and shared online, where they quickly exploded into a full debate.

    Many social media users laughed off the claim as classic Portable drama and started listing scholarships, giveaways and life-changing opportunities linked to the three superstars. Others argued that the singer has also put upcoming artistes and crew members in the spotlight and deserved some credit for that.

    As usual, the conversation ended up bigger than the quote itself, touching on visibility, receipts and how to measure who truly does the most for the streets. One thing is certain though: Portable has once again turned a simple chat into prime timeline content.

  • Ooni of Ife Endorses Canada–Africa Real Estate Summit

    Ooni of Ife Endorses Canada–Africa Real Estate Summit

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has endorsed and agreed to attend the Canada–Africa Real Estate, Tourism & Hospitality Exchange (CARTHE) scheduled for May 2026 in Toronto. Organisers say his backing will draw investors and spotlight Nigeria.

    PUNCH, 11 Dec 2025

  • Police Raid Fake Drug Factory in Lagos, Hunt Mastermind

    Police Raid Fake Drug Factory in Lagos, Hunt Mastermind

    Lagos Police Command has uncovered a fake drug factory in the Mosafejo area of Ojo where counterfeit medicines were allegedly produced. Commissioner of Police Olohundare Jimoh says suspects have been arrested and the kingpin is being hunted.

    Vanguard, 10 Dec 2025