Veteran actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, who was loved for his comic roles in movies and skits, was confirmed dead on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at a hospital in Lagos. He was said to have suffered a cardiac arrest.

His death came barely 24 hours after another actor, Quadri Oyebamiji, aka Sisi Quadri, passed away in Osun State.

Paying tributes to the late Okafor, the president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas, wrote on his Instagram, “Sad day for the Actors Guild of Nigeria. Kate Henshaw lost her mother earlier today, and Mr Ibu suffered cardiac arrest, according to his manager of 24 years, Don Nwuzor. I announce with a deep sense of grief that Mr Ibu did not make it. May his soul rest in peace.”

On her part, an actress, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, wrote, “It is well…rest well, sir.”

Peter, a singer and member of the pop group, P-Square, wrote, “Rest well, Mr Ibu. We will definitely miss you, brother.”

Recall that had battled ill health for some time, leading to the amputation of his legs. This was after he had appealed to his fans and members of the public to prayer for him and render financial assistance to cover his medical bills.

However, as the actor lay on his hospital bed, members of his family were in a fierce battle, During this period, his family seemed to have been in a fierce battle, as they accused one another of wanting to embezzle the money raised by members of the public.

It was also alleged that the actor was involved in an affair with his adopted daughter, Chioma (Jasmine); though both parties denied the allegations.

Indeed, the actor’s last years had been tumultuous. On different occasions, he claimed to have survived several poison attempts. According to him, three attempts were made on his life but he survived them all.

Actors who have passed on this year include Sisi Quadri and Deji Akinremi, aka Olofa Ina.

Source: Punch.ng

Mbolé-pop star Mr Leo’s next musical mission is to break through to English-speaking audiences – and he hopes his new album will do the trick.

The singer-songwriter from Cameroon has been wooing French-speaking West Africa and the diaspora with his melodious love songs and infectious dance tunes since 2015.

Born Fonyuy Leonard Nsohburinka, Mr Leo shot to fame with E Go Betta. That first single was one of the biggest tunes on radio and TV in 2015 – in and out of Cameroon.

He fuses Afrobeats with the country’s home-grown mbolé music, a blend of the rhythms and sounds of Cameroon like makoosa.

He’s won multiple awards – and in 2021 he was selected to be part of the musicians who cast votes for the prestigious Grammys.

Mr Leo’s path into music wasn’t straightforward. As a schoolboy, he joined the school choir – only because that was the only way to spend time with a girl he liked. His father, a stern military man, blocked his path because he wanted his son to be a medical doctor.

But “music chose me”, says Mr Leo.

“Each time I sang, it got me into a place where I really enjoyed myself. I created a world that I could fully control – without my father telling me exactly what to do – and I could just be myself,” he says.

His third, 14-track album, Good Vibes drops in March – and as its title suggests it is full of positive lyrics and uplifting melodies. He sings in English, French and Lamso.

“I’m all about the One Love spirit, being there when people need and bringing out positivity,” he says.

“I just feel like if this is a gospel that people really preach around the world, it will change something, – because everyone is going through a lot of trying times.”

His music and musical growth has been influenced by the conflict in Cameroon. Since 2017, Cameroon’s mainly English-speaking north-west and south-west regions have seen a guerrilla war between government forces and insurgents fighting for the independence of the region they call Ambazonia.

Mr Leo has been personally affected – like hundreds of thousands other people, he’s been displaced and had to move from his hometown of Buea to the main town of Douala. And many of his friends and acquaintances have been killed.

“It makes me value my time more and it makes me want to do something as an artist,” he says.

“We’re not politicians, we don’t have seats in power – but we do have the power of our voice and the least I can do is use my voice to talk through one or two of my songs.”

Source: BBC

Sony Music Group is understood to have paid at least $600m (£475m) for half of Michael Jackson’s catalogue.

If accurate, it would mean the singer’s musical assets are worth more than $1.2bn (£950m).

The deal would also be the biggest ever for the work of a single musician.

Michael Jackson, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, is one of the most successful pop stars of all time, selling more than 400 million records worldwide.

That figure is disputed and may be much higher.

His 1982 album, Thriller, is still the best-selling record of all time, according to Guinness World Records.

The King of Pop is also hugely popular on streaming services, with almost 40 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

His songs Billie Jean and Beat It have each been played more than one billion times on Spotify alone.

An upcoming film biopic starring Jackson’s nephew in the title role will also undoubtedly increase interest.

The back catalogue deal is also reported to include tracks by other artists acquired by Jackson’s Mijac publishing group, said to include hits by Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin.

The sale would have been arranged with the Estate of Michael Jackson, who manage the late star’s affairs.

Source: BBC

Nollywood legend Kanayo Kanayo might not be visiting Cameroon anytime soon, but thousands of his fans both in English and French speaking Cameroon have made it clear that if he has any plans to come to Cameroon he needs to be prepared for a very different retelling.

The veteran Nigerian actor who became famous in Cameroon following the role he played in the movie Rituals, recently showered praises on Victor Osimhem, the Super Eagles striker after the victory over the Indomitable Lions in the Africa Cup of Nations 2023.

The reaction from Smiling George as he referred to himself in the movie has not gone done well with his fans in Buea, Bamenda, Douala and Yaoundé the nation’s capital.

“It is disheartening to read that Smiling George who has maintained a kind of silence of the lamb on every issue deep within the continent is now talking about football” a Kanayo fan in Buea told Cameroon Concord News.

“It is weird! weird! I think Amba fighters will eventually track him down whenever he comes here—hahahahahahaahahaha” another Kanayo fan in Douala quipped.

“Maybe Kanayo provided six human heads for Victor Osimhen to sign the contract with Napoli” Cameroon Concord News editor who always referenced the movie Rituals said of the renowned Nigeria movie star.

Kanayo Kanayo sang the praises of Osimhen, declaring him the Footballer of the Year.

Congratulating Nigerians, he added that to whom much is given, much is expected.

He said: “Eheeennnn. Victor Osimhen has shown the stuff a footballer of the year is made of. To whom much is given……….Congratulations Nigeria. Football lives here.”

By Kingsley Betek in Douala

Two of popular Nigerian actor John Okafor’s children have been arrested for allegedly stealing money raised to pay for his hospital fees last year.

Known as Mr Ibu, the 62-year-old had a leg amputated in November after fans had donated to a crowd-funding scheme.

His son Daniel Okafor and adopted daughter Jasmine Chioma are accused of hacking into his phone and taking $60,700 (£47,800) for themselves.

The pair have not commented since their arrest in the city of Lagos.

The police issued a statement about their arrest and their investigation into the alleged fraud after the siblings appeared at a bailing hearing on Thursday.

A court said the two could be freed if a $17,000 bond was posted. They remain in custody.

The police’s criminal investigation unit said it had discovered that they had allegedly installed an app on their father’s phone after the fund-raising began.

This allegedly enabled them to start transferring money out of his account.

They are expected to appear in court on 11 March for the next hearing.

Mr Ibu’s health issues first came to public attention last October, when the family posted a video on social media of the Nollywood star celebrating in hospital. In the clip he asked his fans for help with medical bills, eliciting a huge response.

The actor became famous 20 years ago in the Nigerian comedy Mr Ibu – which became his nickname. It is still regarded as one of the best Nigerian performances in a comic role.

He went on to act in several other notable movies in Nollywood, as Nigeria’s multi-billion-dollar film industry is known, in a career that has spanned more than two decades.

The star told a local newspaper a few years ago that he had a total of 13 children some of whom were adopted.

Source: BBC