Connect with us

society

Mohbad Will Get Justice When His Family Members Are Ready …Turkey Based Activist, Tenny Omoologo

Published

on

Mohbad Will Get Justice When His Family Members Are Ready

Turkey Based Activist, Tenny Omoologo

 

Turkey-based Nigerian activist and blogger, Beatrice Opeyemi a.k.a. Tenny Omo Ologo, had a brief chat with select journalists about her experience as an independent justice advocate, former member of the Yoruba Nation movement, justice for Mohbad proponent, and more. Excerpts…

 

Tell us briefly about yourself.

I am Beatrice Opeyemi popularly known as Tenny Omoologo.

 

Did you leave Nigeria for Turkey in search of greener pastures?

Yes, I left Nigeria for Turkey for greener pastures. I am into private businesses.

 

You became a known face on the internet during the ‘Yoruba Nation’ struggle; tell us about your experiences at that time as a female.

You’re not far from the truth. But I have been on the internet before the Yoruba Nation struggle. However, it is the Yoruba Nation saga that made me more popular. My experience taking part in the Yoruba Nation struggle was quite challenging. It was life-threatening. But I thank God I’m still alive.

 

How did you become a member of the Yoruba Nation movement?

I joined the Yoruba Nation movement in 2020. I was approached by a group to join the struggle because they knew that I had been speaking about the Nigerian leadership situation on my own. They said they wanted me to join them and add my voice as a Yoruba to advocate for an independent Yoruba nation. I agreed with them because it was my passion to talk about Yoruba liberation and better life for all Nigerians. The challenge started when the EndSars protest came amid the campaign for Yoruba Nation. That protest was timely because it was actually about ending bad governance. So, it was a sort of liberation call. On my Facebook live programme, I was showing and analyzing the EndSars activities live. This didn’t go down well with some people who are pro-government. So, they would come on my show to attack, abuse and curse me.

 

Did you ever suffer a physical attack?

It happened on December 26, 2020. I left home to get a laptop for my programme because the phone I was using was already full. And I had a lot of information that I needed more gadgets to be able to accommodate them. Before then, I had been hearing that some people were paid $100 each to track and physically assault me. I didn’t believe it until that incident happened. So, while on my way to get the laptop after exchanging the forex I wanted to use, I spotted three men and overheard one of them saying ‘that is Tenny Omoologo passing along’ I was shocked. So I increased the pace of my movement. It was already getting dark. But as I tried to change the direction of my route, I saw the men getting into a vehicle. The vehicle went to make a u-turn, came back suddenly and hit me. I fell on the road and hit my head on the ground. I was conscious for close to one hour. When I became conscious, I found a lot of people around me who later helped me to the hospital where the bruises on my face, head and mouth were stitched.

 

Did that stop you from the campaign?

Not at all. I was not deterred. I continued talking about Yoruba liberation. It was after that that Chief Sunday Igboho visited Igangan to chase the Fulani herdsmen out. It was after that that Chief Igboho’s house was attacked by the DSS. In April 2021 before the attack, I had a vision and warned Chief Igboho to be very careful. Also on June 20, 2021, I had information that Igboho’s life had been paid for. I made a lot of noise about it but people were against me thinking I was raising a false alarm, including fellow freedom fighters. I said then that Chief Igboho must not ignore the warning because if he escaped the attack, he may end up in captivity and spend more than one year. It came to pass. When Igboho’s members were arrested and taken to Abuja, it was through my personal efforts that they were later released. I did a fundraiser and got a lot of money that was used for their court case until they were freed. After Igboho was arrested, most of the Yoruba Nation members ran away. Only me and a few others stayed. I was the one begging those that left to come back, telling them it was wrong to abandon the struggle at a time like that. But for all I did I was still betrayed and treated like an outcast. After that I got information that I was the next target of the government attack. I ignored the warning and continued with the campaign. But I stopped going out. I was just doing my thing within my premises. Again, in March 2022, I left home and saw those guys again. They ordered me into a vehicle. I refused and they bundled me into the vehicle and burned my laps with hot iron. Those are a few of the challenges. There were many.

 

Were you part of the group that declared Yoruba Nation independence in Ibadan?

When in 2022, they told me that they were going to declare Yoruba Nation with Dupe Onitiri and others, I saw it as a joke. On December 20, 2022, I was invited to a meeting. Some of them were already campaigning for Tinubu to be president. They called themselves ‘Asiwaju Bloggers’. I didn’t join the meeting in time. When I decided to join, I changed my profile picture and name and joined the zoom meeting. They never knew it was me. That was how I discovered that the zoom meeting was meant to drum up support for Tinubu. People at that meeting were topmost Yoruba Nation campaigners. At the meeting they decided to use their platforms to campaign for Tinubu and agreed that if Tinubu did not win the presidential election, they would return to the Yoruba Nation struggle. I was shocked and shed tears because of the calibre of people I saw at that meeting.

 

Did you find out if those people were campaigning for Tinubu without the knowledge of the Yoruba Nation movement leaders?

I did. I sent a message to the person that introduced me to the group asking if Sunday Igboho and Pa Bani Akintoye were aware of the group’s campaign for Tinubu and the person said yes they knew about it. I was amazed. So I withdrew. When there were issues between them later, some people wanted me to fight on the side of Igboho and I said I couldn’t. Instead of siding with any of them, I used some episodes of my show to expose how they have turned the Yoruba Nation movement to a political platform. I told the public to stop donating money to the struggle. That was how they launched a series of attacks against me. It got to the extent that I was almost deported back to Nigeria in April 2023. Those experiences gave me the opportunity to discover that the Yoruba Nation struggle was a scam, mere plot to enrich some people. It wasn’t a genuine liberation movement. They are using it for politics and to defraud people abroad. Most of the members who were poor became very rich overnight.

 

 

You appear to some people as a traditionalist. What exactly is your religion and what religion were you born into?

My mother is from a Muslim home. My father is a Christian and I am married to a Christian. But as a Yoruba I value Yoruba traditions. Christianity is Jew’s religion and Islam is Arab’s religion. I would say that I belong to the three popular religions. Islam, Christianity and traditional worship. It’s left for people to assess me.

 

You became more popular as one of the voices fighting for justice for Mohbad; why did you decide to join the Mohbad warriors group?

I am a human rights activist. I became a fighter for justice for Mohbad by chance. I traveled to Cairo. I was in a market there when I received a call from someone who asked if I had heard about a young Nigerian musician who just died. I have never heard of Mohbad. So I searched the news on Google and saw RIP all over and his music videos have spread everywhere on the internet. I became more interested when on the second day the young guy was taken for burial and when his casket was opened, we saw that his body was stuffed in the casket and his neck was broken. People were already talking about the family and the wife’s negligence or culpability. Besides, Mohbad’s label owner, Naira Marley, were also mentioned and also Sam Larry. Unfortunately, Sam Larry made a post after Mohabd was buried suggesting that he had been buried and there was no more issue or something like that. That was how I took it upon myself to use my platform to fight for justice for the young man.

 

 

Are you disappointed that one year and four months after Mohbad’s death, justice is still not in sight, and what is your hope?

I am very disappointed. First of all, I would put the blame on the Lagos State government. When Mohbad was exhumed, the Lagos State government promised to investigate his death and ensure that justice was done. We wouldn’t be at this stage of stress and disappointment if the government had done the right thing on the boy’s death. As a Nigerian citizen I am deeply saddened and embarrassed that the Nigerian government does not act on matters that affect its citizens. Secondly, as a mother, I am disappointed in the parents of Mohbad and his entire family. We have not been able to get justice for Mohbad’s death because his father, mother, wife and other members of his family were selfish and greedy.

 

Please, share some of the challenges you faced fighting for justice for Mohbad.

The challenges are numerous. There is a diversity of opinions and it’s tough responding, coordinating and pleasing people. The other challenge is fishing out the anti-justice and fake justice seekers in the ‘Justice For Mohbad’ fight.

 

You are very beautiful and have a unique sense of style. Please, tell us your fashion routine.

God made me beautiful (laughs). I took beauty after my parents, especially my mother. I am bulky just like my parents. In fashion, I’m stylishly traditional. I love dressing in aso oke and other Yoruba traditional wears with beads.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

society

TYBLI Unveils 2025 Initiatives to Promote Reading Culture Among Nigerian Students

Published

on

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.

 

TYBLI Unveils 2025 Initiatives to Promote Reading Culture Among Nigerian Students  

 

 

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.

Continue Reading

society

Group Accuses Kaduna Governor of Keeping Political Prisoners

Published

on

Group Accuses Kaduna Governor of Keeping Political Prisoners

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”.

Continue Reading

Business

Rite Foods Partners NASRE Foundation to Support Ailing Journalists

Published

on

Rite Foods Partners NASRE Foundation to Support Ailing Journalists

*Rite Foods Partners NASRE Foundation to Support Ailing Journalists

 

Rite Foods Limited, a leading indigenous manufacturer in the Food & Beverages sector, has partnered the Noble Association of Social and Resourceful Editors(NASRE) Foundation to provide support for ailing journalists and widows of deceased media practitioners in the country.

 

 

This collaboration comes as part of NASRE’s ongoing efforts to assist journalists facing health challenges across the country, having embarked on three outreach programmes last year.

Rite Foods Partners NASRE Foundation to Support Ailing Journalists

The NASRE team was warmly received on Wednesday, February 5th, 2025, by the management of Rite Foods at its Head Office in Ikeja, Lagos State.

Receiving NASRE team on behalf of the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Saleem Adegunwa, the Head of Corporate Communications and Brand Management , Mr. Ekuma Eze was elated with the visit.

Earlier during the visit, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NASRE, Mr. Adeyemi Obadimu had outlined the foundation’s mission and the purpose of the meeting. He revealed the health and financial challenges facing most veteran journalists, who had, during their active years, served the country meritoriously, but are now struggling to survive.

Obadimu highlighted that NASRE’s outreach programme last year was a success, benefiting over 70 individuals, including journalists suffering from partial stroke, widows, and widowers of deceased practitioners . He emphasised the importance of taking care of journalists in need, especially, the veterans who have contributed greatly to the industry.

“Journalism is a thankless job, and as much as we may be appreciated in our bylines, it is crucial that we care for our colleagues who have dedicated their lives to the profession,” said Obadimu.

Butressing his point, the Director, Public Engagement, Mr. Bunmi Obarotimi who represented the President of the association, Mr. Femi Oyewale said: “NASRE’s intends to launch the Foundation officially in this current year and we are proud to have Rite Foods as our partner going forward.”

In his response, Ekuma Eze commended NASRE Foundation for its noble and impactful initiatives, recognising the significant difference it has made in the lives of journalists and their families. He praised the foundation’s efforts in providing assistance to over 70 journalists and their dependents last year. Eze reiterated Rite Foods’ unwavering commitment to supporting initiatives that foster the well-being of the media community.

“At Rite Foods, we are deeply invested in contributing to the development of our society. We understand the importance of health and well-being, especially for those who dedicate their lives to sharing vital information with the public. We believe in the mission of NASRE and are committed to supporting your work in every way possible,” Eze stated.

“This partnership will go beyond just providing financial support; we are dedicated to helping create an ecosystem where journalists can thrive, even in the face of adversity,” he added.

He also spoke about the company’s long-term goals, highlighting Rite Foods’ plan to expand beyond Nigeria and into other African countries. “We have exciting plans for the future,” he added. “Rite Foods is committed to not only strengthening its footprint within Nigeria but also extending our reach to the wider African continent. We believe that our growth will not only benefit our business but also contribute to the national economy, creates job opportunities, and foster the development of the beverage and food sectors.”

Eze emphasised that Rite Foods has been actively involved in national economic development, focusing on reducing unemployment and improving service delivery. As one of the leading manufacturers in the beverage, drinks, and sausages sectors, Rite Foods remains committed to excellence in all its business operations, he said.

Through innovation, quality products, and partnerships like the one with NASRE, the company aims to continue breaking new ground in the industry.

He concluded that, “Our mission at Rite Foods is clear: to improve lives, deliver quality products, and contribute to the economic growth of Nigeria and Africa as a whole. We are proud to partner with organizations like NASRE that share our values of social responsibility and community development.”

The partnership between Rite Foods and NASRE marks a significant step in supporting the health and well-being of journalists, ensuring that those who have dedicated their careers to the industry receive the care and recognition they deserve.

Continue Reading

Cover Of The Week

Trending