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celebrity radar - gossips

Obi Cubana and the drug pushers

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2022

Sahara Weekly

Obi Cubana and the drug pushers By Tunde Odesola

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OBI CUBANA– Globally, crime is the fugitive that lurks behind every insane quest for money, power and drugs. In most underdeveloped countries, Nigeria inclusive, crime walks unashamedly naked, bigger than the aforementioned threesome, bending the arms of the law over backwards like a twisted branch of a tree. In developed countries, however, crime – silent and unobtrusive – works hand in glove with money, power and drugs, wreaking havoc like cancer.

Let’s talk about numbers. For certain, three is a very powerful number in the physical and metaphysical realms. The integrality of three is universally seen in the body, spirit and soul composition of man, and in the three elements that make up the world – heaven, earth and water, as well as the division of day into morning, afternoon and night. When something happens three times, it’s neither a mistake nor a coincidence.

In Christian orthodoxy, the oneness of God the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit in a blessed threeness summarises the sojourn of man, his fall, and salvation. The horn-headed Lucifer tempted Christ thrice. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.

Trinity as a symbol has

universal significance. Traditional religion worshippers offer sacrifices to the gods at junctions where three footpaths meet. Every tribe has their own worldview about the perfection of number three. The Yoruba would say, “aro meta kii d’obe nu,” in agreement with the perfection in trinity.

Even the late British naval intelligence officer, journalist and writer, Ian Fleming, renowned for his James Bond 007 series of spy novels, buttressed the unignorable importance of three as a number, saying, “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.”

Last week, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency quizzed 46-year-old internet celebrity, Obinna Iyiegbu, aka Obi Cubana, over the payment of THREE different tranches of money by drug pushers convicted in New Delhi, India; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Lagos, Nigeria, into his various bank accounts.

Cubana inherited no fortune from his parents, just like his trusted 40-year-old second-in-command, Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, aka Cubana Chief Priest, who was a shoemaker in Aba, Abia State, with his father, a few years ago.

Cubana graduated with a B.A in Political Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1998, served in the National Youth Service Corps in 1999, and barely six years later, he had become a multi-billionaire in Nigerian currency, founding Ibiza Nightclub in Abuja.

From my findings over the weekend, Cubana came under the radar of security agencies when foreign intelligence services, in partnership with their Nigerian counterparts, established that THREE drug convicts separately paid various sums of money into his accounts.

A highly placed security source disclosed to me, “He (Cubana) has been under secret investigations for months based on what our foreign partners shared with us concerning the details of payments into his accounts by convicted drug pushers.

“Coincidentally, the NDLEA was the agency that arrested one of the drug pushers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, in 2016, securing conviction against the drug pusher in 2017.

“Apart from the NDLEA case against him, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is also looking into money laundering allegations against him. That was the reason why the EFCC also invited him.”

Eehhh! Mba! Mba! Mba! Cubana isn’t guilty of dealing drugs yet. He remains innocent until found guilty by a law court. The money paid into his accounts by the three drug convicts could be money for lifetime accommodations in any of his hotels in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, Enugu and Port Harcourt.

Cubana is street-wise. He defended himself in an Instagram interview with On-Air Personality, Daddy Freeze, on Saturday. But his defence was the most devious sleight of the tongue.

Cubana said, “I was in detention for four days and three nights. I didn’t feel bad because I knew the agency would do a thorough job and if I am cleared, I’d be let go (sic). There was no witch-hunt, nobody was after me. But to link me to drugs? I’ve never felt so low. To me, it’s repulsive.”

He continued, “I was never accused. I was never linked to anything but they said somebody paid money into my account, and I believe that the agency in question is a very responsible one. I know that at the end of the day, they would make their findings public.”

For me, there goes the stupidest defence since wanted-for-crime Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, alleged witch-hunt after collecting $20,600 from internet bandit, Abbas Ramon, alias Hushpuppi, to silence a smaller internet robber, Chibuzo Kelly Vincent, who threatened to expose a $1.1m fraud Hushpuppi was set to commit against a Qatari businessman. Kyari had hushed Vincent into silence by putting him behind bars and instilling fear in him, thus clearing the way for Hushpuppi to go ahead and defraud the Qatari.

For a celebrity role model with 2.5 million Instagram and 1.9 million Facebook fans to admit in an interview that he was linked to drugs, and to say in the same interview he was never accused, never linked to anything, was a dirty slap on the faces of his fans who he’s taking for idiots.

What Cubana probably wants his fans to believe is that he spent four days and three nights in NDLEA detention teaching the chairman of the agency, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd.) how to slaughter 500 cows for suya, juggle wads of naira notes with the feet, and stone friends with bales of foreign currencies.

In the Instagram interview, Cubana was careful not to condemn the NDLEA that detained him (an innocent man) for four days. I had expected Cubana not to be vague, and to disclose what he sold to or brought from the three drug convicts that warranted them paying monies into his accounts.

If the NDLEA detains a small me for ONE day and the EFCC quizzes me on allegations of drug and money laundering, I’ll demand unreserved apologies from both agencies, and head to court if they fail to apologise.

For someone in the hospitality business, drug and money laundering allegations would hurt Cubana’s brand as millions of rich Nigerian customers who stream into his hotels daily are likely not to want to associate with a patron alleged to have links with drugs and money laundering.

The crazy way millions of Nigerian youths idolise get-rich-quick celebrities has fuelled crimes such as Yahoo-Yahoo, ritualism, kidnapping, drug peddling, armed robbery etc. Poverty, unemployment and lack of life-changing opportunities occasioned by bad governance have imperilled Nigeria’s youths, exposing them to crime.

Unfortunately, instead of laying good example by sending fugitive Kyari to the US as requested by the FBI, the retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari-led regime has continued to shield the Kanuri police officer while another Nigerian wanted by the US for drug-related offences, the late Senator Buruji Kashamu, was commendably holed up in his Lagos residence for many days and almost sent to the US by the Buhari government.

The craze for living large is pervasive among Nigerian youths. The son of President Buhari, Yusuf, has many multi-million naira motorbikes that his job of being a first son cannot support. The son of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was seen in a viral video, clutching a bag of foreign currencies, and uproariously doling out dollars in a country whose National Bureau of Statistics says 83 million Nigerians live below the poverty line.

This is the same country, where two bullion vans ferried an undisclosed amount of money into Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s Bourdillon residence during the 2019 national elections. Another Nigerian, Obinwanne Okeke alias Invictus Obi, is currently serving time in US prison over multi-million dollar fraud. How this type of country would raise credible youths for critical nation-building responsibilities is beyond me.

I know Cubana is innocent and has nothing to hide because, in the dark world of drugs, power and money, three things cannot be long hidden: they’re the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

Facebook: @tunde odesola

Twitter: @tunde_odesola

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REVIEW OF, ‘THE LEGEND OF BURATAI 2’ By Hannatu Lot Dickson

Published

1 hour ago

May 15, 2024

Sahara Weekly

AMBASSADOR (LT. GENERAL RTD) TUKUR BURATAI, WOULD BE AN INVALUABLE ASSET TO THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU. By Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi

REVIEW OF, ‘THE LEGEND OF BURATAI 2’

By Hannatu Lot Dickson

The Legend of Buratai Volume 2 is authored by General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the former Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army. The book was Published by Sprezzatura Publishing Ltd. Cover design by Mereo Books. It was published October 13, 2021 in English Language. It has 125 pages with ISBN-10: * 186151915X and ISBN-13: * 978-1861519153.

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The author Tukur Yusuf Buratai CFR psc(+) NAM GSS ndc (BD) was born 24 November 1960. He is a retired Nigerian army lieutenant general, former Chief of Army Staff appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2015, and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1983 and has had multiple command, administrative, and instructional appointments.

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The Legend of Buratai 2 is a novel base on true-life story of General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the former Chief of Army Staff. It is a novel of eight (8) chapters and has one hundred and twenty-five (125) pages. Each of these chapters and pages is so richly engaging and informative from start to finish.
Just a recap of the plot summary, the book is the enthralling true-life story in his own words, General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, the Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army, who rose to legendary status by dint of hard work, bravery, diligence, excellence and honesty. His journey through life is presented as an exemplary story for all who would aspire to follow his path. His childhood and formative years were also captured.

The preliminary pages of “The Legend of Buratai 2” begins with the titled page where the titled of the book was boldly written and the author’s name. Then followed by the cover page design which contains the cover photo which was taken in Ngamdu. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Yusufu Buratai is clearly seen in the picture with troops during operations against Boko Haram terrorists at the Nigerian Army Special Super Camp Ngamdu, Borno State in April 2020. He was practically leading the combat operations. Them followed by the content page which outlines the book’s structure, listing chapters, which helps readers navigate the book’s organization and content.

The Photographic Acknowledgement section credits the sources of photographs used in the book, acknowledging photographs taken from the personal album of the author. Followed by a heartfelt message dedicating the book to all young people in Nigeria, and especially those of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy.

The Publisher’s Note and acknowledgement pages expressed gratitude while the Forward was written by Major General Paul Tarfa mni (Rtd), who described General Buratai’s records of service as Chief of Staff of Nigerian Army as legendary and cannot be surpassed. ‘He is a General who inspires his subjects by leading from the front’. He further, provided context, endorsement, and insights into the book’s significance.

The author begins chapter one by talking about the beginning which captures the lineage, nuclear family and the journey of Yusufu Buratai especially when he joined the RWAFF. Chapter four depict the miraculous escape from the pond as a child, Dr. Gidado Kumo and John Atanda spoke in chapter three and four, while chapter five and six described the author’s encounters with Snakes and Ghost respectively. chapter seven followed with matters bordering on patriotisms and chapter eight list several principles guiding Lt. General TY Buratai, a few out of those principles are: Do not bother about what people say,; Commit to improving yourself to the extent that you do not have time to compete or criticize others; Let excellence be your trademark anywhere you find yourself; Do not be too proud to retrace your steps back to the right path; Listen more and say less; Always lead with courage or not at all; Honour your words as your bond and never make a promise you can’t keep…
The plot is set in Buratai town, Biu Local Government Area of Borno State to Potiskum, Yobe State. The genre is non-fiction.

The book, ‘The Legend of Buratai 2’ is the best pick for young minds in need of inspiration and mentorship. It is a captivating and fascinating masterpiece, rich in original history, military tactics, strategies and important life lessons with a touch of spirituality straight from the mind and experiences of true and pragmatic General TY Buratai.

The Legend of Buratai 2 has the potentials to recoup reinvigorate patriotism to our fatherland Nigeria. It also has the capability and potentials to make a young mind dream and do everything in their powers to live their dreams just like Lt. General TY Buratai.

The book is so real, it’s not a conventional love story with a perfectly Happy-Ever-After. It was infused with strong themes, I love how Lt Gen. TY Buratai recollected his childhood and formative years, how he was educating us on how to be patriotic and how he described ‘the wretched rustic life of a terrorist’ infused in a poem titled, ‘ARE YOU A TERRORIST?’
The themes in “The Legend of Buratai: Volume 2” include

– Hard work: General Tukur Yusuf Buratai’s rise to legendary status is attributed to his diligence and hard work.

– Bravery: General Buratai is known for his bravery and military tactics.
– Excellence: General Buratai’s journey to excellence is presented as an exemplary story for all who would aspire to follow his path.

– Honesty: General Buratai’s honesty is one of the key characteristics that contributed to his legendary status.

– Patriotism: The book is capable of reawakening patriotism to one’s fatherland, according to Moses A. Uyang, author and humanitarian.

– Diligence: Buratai’s diligence is another factor that contributed to his success.

The book is practically a handbook or a catalyst for youngsters who dear to dream, who wants to love and serve their country whole heartedly, be patriotic and serve humanity in all earnest and honesty.

The book offers a wide range of literary appreciation and acceptance, historical sources, and educative values. It is a foundation for historical and otherwise critical evaluation.

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celebrity radar - gossips

Saturday Faaji : The Much Anticipated Neon Night With Osupa Saheed Is Here

Published

7 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Saturday Faaji : The Much Anticipated Neon Night With Osupa Saheed Is Here

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For some time now, the teeming fans of the undisputed King of Fuji Music, Saheed Osupa have been longing to see him back on stage on home soil due to his long absence oversee on tour.
Now, the much anticipated show, Neon Night with Osupa Saheed is here, the date is Saturday 18th May 2024, at prestigious RM Hall Magodo, Lagos.

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Saheed Osupa would be thrilling his fans live on stage this time in another dimension, as all necessary things have been taken care of, including maximum security for this much anticipated event.

In the uniqueness of this Neon Night, with Osupa Saheed, the Lord of music will not be alone on stage as other fast rising artiste, Suave, The Omalicha’s crooner will also be performing on the same stage with Saheed Osupa alongside some other popular artistes.
It’s going to be a Bomb as this is the first show he would be doing in Lagos since he came into Nigeria.

A large percentage of his fans have been calling to register their joy that their favorite Fuji king would be performing that day. According to LAWBELL Manager in Nigeria ,OLABANJI ADELANA, he said the Canadian entertainment company packaging the show is fully prepared for the event and no stone would be left unturned

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celebrity radar - gossips

Ogun Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Oludotun, Conferred Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers In Abuja

Published

7 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Sahara Weekly

Ogun Commissioner for Forestry, Engr. Oludotun, Conferred Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers In Abuja

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The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has conferred the prestigious honor of Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) on Engr. Taiwo Oludotun, the Ogun State Commissioner for Forestry.

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The conferment ceremony took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, and is a testament to Engr. Oludotun’s dedication and expertise in the field of engineering.

Our correspondent reports that Engr. Oludotun, popularly known as Twinny, has had a distinguished career in engineering and public service.

The Forest Commissioner is also a registered engineer with the Council of Registered Engineers in Nigeria (COREN) and has held various leadership positions, including General Manager at Unistar Hi-Tech Systems Ltd and Commissioner for Rural Development in Ogun State.

His experience in policy development and leadership has driven inclusive and sustainable development in rural areas, improving the quality of life for residents and promoting social and economic progress.

The conferment of FNSE on Engr. Oludotun is a well-deserved recognition of his achievements and commitment to the engineering profession.

Engr. Oludotun is actively participated in various technical and management trainings, workshops, seminars, and conferences, both locally and internationally.

The Commissioner’s contributions to humanity have been recognized by various NGOs, and he has earned several outstanding awards and accolades.

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