Yinka TNT Relaunches 2024 Song Track, ‘Iya Ajarabuka’
+Relationship with K1, MC Oluomo

Friends of the Nigerian born UK based relationship expert, Oluyinka Ayanda a.k.a. Yinka TNT, have defended her closeness with some popular male celebrities, describing it as platonic which they note is more realistic for women of her status.

The subject was being discussed based on the perception of some people about Yinka’s open relationship with star personalities like Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall a.k.a. K1 De Ultimate, Musiliu Akinsanya Ayinde (MC Oluomo) and few other society figures.

Although, Yinka would not speak on the relationship controversy, her friends say there’s nothing wrong with her being friends with the male counterparts as both K1 nad Oluomo are both like senior brothers to her and, according to them, “it’s a lot easier and more likely for a lady, as opposed to man, to seek and maintain strictly non-romantic relationships with the opposite sex.

Yinka, who started her showbiz journey as a radio broadcaster and later delved into singing and hosting relationship topic shows online, few days ago, relaunched via her social media pages, an audio-visual musical track titled ‘Iya Ajarabuka’ (failed motherhood), which she released first on the YouTube in August 2024.

The song, according to Yinka, examines the impact of mothers’ influence on their children’s moral development, as well as the moral burdens and social implications a mother’s carelessness and waywardness could have on her children’s conducts. Reacting to the theory that the album is a diss track targeted at a certain rival in the talk-show business, the popular life coach denied the claim as ‘a piece of gossip’. however, she asserted that the song was waxed to attack the failures of motherhood and help them to be better mothers.

TYBLI Unveils 2025 Initiatives to Promote Reading Culture Among Nigerian Students

Sahara Weekly Reports That The TY Buratai Literary Initiative (TYBLI) has launched its 2025 activities aimed at fostering a stronger reading culture among Nigerian students.

The initiative, founded and sponsored by Lt. General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd.), seeks to enhance literacy, encourage creative writing, and reward young literary talents across the country.

Speaking at a press briefing, Dr. Lizi Ben-Theanacho, Chairperson of TYBLI, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to advancing literacy through book placements and literary prizes.

“Our foundational mandate is to contribute to a more literate Nigeria through book placements, ensuring quality, age-appropriate leisure reading materials for youths. Further, we exist to incubate literary potential through the TYBLI Young Adult Literature Prize (YALP). “TYBLI is an educational outreach and community give-back service initiated and sponsored by Lt. General TY Buratai (Rtd.),” she stated.

Reflecting on the successes of 2024, Dr. Ben-Theanacho highlighted key milestones, including the placement of TY Buratai Book Boxes in three schools—one in Nasarawa State and two in the FCT—and the expansion of literary awards in Nigeria.

She noted that the organization created the largest number of winners for a single literary prize in Nigeria, pushing the boundaries of creative recognition and reward. As part of its 2025 agenda, TYBLI plans to build on these achievements with a series of new initiatives: Publication of an Anthology: The best 10 entries from the 2024 YALP competition will be compiled and published at no cost to the participants, with copies distributed to secondary and tertiary institutions nationwide. Increased Prize Money: The Grand Prize for the 2025 YALP winner has been raised from ₦1 million to ₦1.5 million, thanks to sponsorship from Amb. Babagana Kingibe, GCON, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Additionally, each of the six geopolitical zone winners will receive ₦500,000, doubling the previous amount. Expanded Book Placements: TYBLI will place Book Boxes in five more schools, spanning Kaduna, Nasarawa, and the FCT.

Forerunners and Illustrators Award: This year’s honorees include Kola Onadipe and Frances Effiong, both pioneers in Young Adult Literature (YAL) in Nigeria. 2025 Timeline of Activities February 2025 – Flag-off Press Conference April 2025 – Call for YALP 2025 Submissions May 2025 – Book Placement Exercise June 2025 – YALP Submission Deadline July 2025 – Unveiling of Judges August 2025 – Announcement of Longlist September 2025 – Shortlist Adjudication October 2025 – Final Shortlist Announcement November 1, 2025 – Grand Winner Announcement & Award Ceremony.

Dr. Ben-Theanacho called on corporate organizations, government agencies, and individuals to support the initiative. “We are making an impact one reader at a time, transforming literary fortunes six winners at a time. With clarity and focus, we will continue working towards a more literate Nigeria as a vehicle for social transformation. Please partner with us,” she urged.

Also speaking at the event, Dr. M.S. Abubakar, Vice President of TYBLI, lamented the decline of reading habits among Nigerian youths, attributing it to the proliferation of digital entertainment and mobile gadgets. “It is a sorry state. People now prefer to watch movies instead of reading books. If you mention Things Fall Apart, they ask for the movie instead of the book. Unfortunately, there is no way you can compare reading with watching,” he said. Dr. Abubakar emphasized the need for early reading habits among children, noting that failure to cultivate such habits at a young age could have long-term consequences.

“Someone once said, ‘If you want to hide something from an average Nigerian, put it inside a book.’ But readers are leaders. This initiative should be encouraged and sustained,” he added. He also praised Lt. Gen. Buratai for his commitment to the literary initiative and urged more wealthy Nigerians to invest in literary development, similar to the way industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford funded educational projects in developed nations.

Group Accuses Kaduna Governor of Keeping Political Prisoners
…Urges Amnesty International, others to wade in

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as the Voice of Truth Nigeria (VTN) has accused the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani of keeping political prisoners in spite of valid and subsisting orders of court of competent jurisdiction granting them bail.

In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja by VTN’s Programmes Coordinator, Dare Quadri, the group stated that the political prisoners are Jimi Adebisi Lawal, the former Senior Advisor and Counsellor to ex-Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Umar Waziri, the former Accountant-General of Kaduna State; Bashir Saidu, a former Kaduna State Commissioner of Finance and Yusuf Inuwa, also a former Commissioner for Finance in the state.

The statement reads in part “It is worrisome that a man who parades himself as an activist and a member of the civil society would abuse his office and resort to using his position to compromise the judiciary and victimize political opponents who were charged on trumped on charges even when the court has granted them bail and they have since met the bail conditions. It is commonplace that an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But, in Governor Uba Sani’s Kaduna State, the reverse seems to be the case.

“It is a sad commentary on our judiciary that the application for the variation of the bail terms have been stalled over one flimsy excuse or the other.

“According to credible information available to us, while Saidu was accused of laundering N155 million; Lawal, Waziri, Inuwa and a company known as Solar Life Nigeria Limited were charged for allegedly laundering N64.8 million by the Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) on the 21st of January, 2025, contrary to the earlier unfounded claim of misappropriating the sum of N423 billion.

“After taking their non-guilty pleas, the Federal High Court heard their bail applications and consequently granted them bail.The court ordered the defendants to provide two sureties with N50 million each, who must have landed property in Kaduna with verified Certificates of Occupancy.

“Shortly after the defendant were granted bail, the agency responsible for the verification of Certificates of Occupancy (Cs of O), Kaduna Geographical Information Service (KADGIS), suddenly suspended verification services for Certificates of Occupancy (Cs of O), just as its Director-General was said to have suddenly travelled out of Kaduna to an unknown destination and without any information as to when he would return.

“All these schemes, we were reliably informed, were at the instance and under the direction of Governor Sani who has vowed to keep the defendants behind bars for as long as he desires. And to make through his boastings the defendants has remained in prison custody since the 21st of January, 2025 even when they have met all the bail conditions because KADGIS, acting on the instruction of Governor Sani, refused to verify the Certificates of Occupancy (Cs of O) in spite of two letters written by Mrs Anthonia Layi Oyibo, the Deputy Registrar of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, seeking their verification. The first was dated 21st day of January, 2025 and the second was dated 3rd February, 2025.”

The group therefore urged all well-meaning Nigerians, the international community and foremost human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS), among others, to prevail on Governor Sani to stop the abuse of power and free all the political prisoners “without further delay”.