Posted by After being disrupted by the coronavirus for two years, Nigeria’s entertainment sector had a phenomenal year.
Social media was dominated with celebrity conflicts, scandals, deaths, and legal disputes.
Some performers were present when tragedy rocked the entertainment industry.
One such occasion was the passing of Ifeanyi Adeleke, the son of well-known musician David Adeleke, better known by his stage name Davido.
Crowded in-person events made a comeback this year; for instance, Big Brother Naija had its first live audience since it was interrupted owing to COVID-19 restrictions.
In 2022, a few famous people from the sector discovered love and got married.
They are Rita Domnic, MI, and Kemi Adetiba.
Rapper Jude Abaga, aka MI, married his fiancée Eniola Mafe in September. Rita Dominic wed her fiancé, Fidelos Anosike, in November. Kemi Adetiba wed her spouse Oscar Heman-Ackah in April.
As 2022 draws to a close, kuryaloaded takes a look back at some of the most significant events that shaped the entertainment industry in 2018.
Adeanyi Ifeanyi
On November 6, 2022, Ifeanyi Adeleke, the son of the musician Davido, was officially pronounced dead. While the parents were gone in Ibadan, Ifeanyi’s body was discovered in a swimming pool at his father’s home in the Banana Island neighborhood of Lagos State.
Fans and well-intentioned Nigerians were shocked to learn of the toddler’s death.
His maid and cook were taken into custody and questioned further about their duty of care. The singer of “Electricity” postponed his eagerly anticipated 2022 Away Festival, which was scheduled to take place in Atlanta on November 18.
To honor Ifeanyi, some of his coworkers delayed their concerts, project release dates, and birthday celebrations.
Arrest of Kizz Daniel
Oluwatobiloba Daniel Anidugbe, better known as “Kizz Daniel,” a Nigerian singer, was detained on August 9, 2022, for skipping out on an engagement at the Summer Amplified Show in Tanzania.
Daniel claimed that his flight had left without bringing one of his luggage, which included a gold chain he intended to wear while playing, thus he was unable to perform for his thousands of eager followers. He let down a lot of his global admirers with his actions.
However, Kizz Daniel expressed regret and promised to “make it up” to the supporters.
concert rush in Asake
At the concert of well-known Nigerian musician Ahmed Ololade, well known by his stage name Asake, a stampede that started resulted in two fatalities.
At Asake’s concert in London at the O2 Brixton Academy, there was a rush that left many other concertgoers hurt as well as Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and Gaby Hutchinson, 23, a security guard.
Asake paid a moving homage to those who perished in the stampede at his concert, expressing his shock and awe.
The event space where Asake’s concert was performed, which can hold less than 5,000 people, was built as a cinema theater in the 1920s, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Threat from Portable and Headies Award
Habeeb Okikiola, AKA Portable, a well-known street-pop artist, threatened other nominees in the Headies Award categories for “Rookie of the Year” and “Best Street-Hop Artiste” in May 2022.
According to Portable, those are his rewards, and if the organizer distributes the award, he will order “them” to murder the recipient.
A video of him telling some boys to beat up his estranged friend, DJ Chicken, appeared online shortly after the threat. The Nigeria Police Force responded by giving the artist until midnight to appear at any Ogun State police station.
The musician additionally asserted to be the leader of the notorious cult group “One Million Boys,” which is known for terrorizing and robbing Nigerians.
The organizers rejected him from the Headies Award as a result.
Apostle Suleman and Halima Abubakar
In June 2022, well-known actress Halima Abubakar revealed her relationship with contentious cleric Apostle Johnson Suleman.
The pastor claimed to be a divorcee with three children, and the actress said that this led her to have an affair with him.
She also claimed that he had broken his vow to wed her and was responsible for the long-term, life-threatening illness that had tormented her.
Additionally, Shan George and Iyabo Ojo were among the actresses with whom the cleric allegedly had sex, according to Halima.
However, the clergyman who had given the actress a warning letter refuted the claim in September 2022.
The priest accused Ms. Abubakar of posting harmful, defamatory, and insulting words about the Apostle on many microblog sites, most notably Gistlover, in the notice that was signed by Mr. Adzuanaga.
The letter claimed that Halima’s claims were incorrect, malicious, defamatory, unjustified, and meant to extort her.
Additionally, the cleric ordered that the actress publish a retraction of her prior words in five national dailies within three days through the representation of his attorney.
The Apostle was also had to get a letter from her outlining her full assurance and commitment to refrain from publishing any additional negative articles about him. She was also required to reimburse the Apostle for all expenses involved in defending and upholding his reputation.
Halima Abubakar was forced to appear in court by Ephesus Lex Attorneys & Solicitors, Suleman’s attorneys, after she failed to comply with their demands.
Prison term for Baba Ijesha
Olanrewaju James, aka Baba Ijesha, a Nollywood actor, was sentenced to 16 years in jail concurrently on July 22 by an Ikeja Special Offenses Court for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old kid.
Baba Ijesha, who was detained in April 2021, is currently embroiled in a complicated rape trial over the alleged sexual assault of Princess’s foster daughter, who is 14 years old.
Baba Ijesha was found guilty of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and indecent treatment of a child by the presiding judge Oluwatoyin Taiwo after a two-hour trial.
Four out of the six offenses he was found guilty of carry sentences of three to five years in prison.
The actor will serve five years in prison as part of his concurrent 16-year prison sentence.
Your second marriage, Yul Edochie
When actor Yul Edochie announced in April 2022 that he had wed Judy Austin, Nigerians were completely taken aback.
Additionally, Yul revealed that they have a son together. May, his first wife of 18 years, prayed for God to judge the marriage as a result of this.
The actor claimed he wed a second wife since he was unable to divorce his former coworker.
He claimed that she had had an effect on his life and that a guy could love more than one woman.
After the announcement, however, Yul’s family members openly distanced themselves from his choice.
May claimed that she will not be persuaded to accept polygamy since it goes against her faith, beliefs, and conviction, despite the fact that he has often apologized to his first wife.
NDLEA detain the general
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) agents detained Sunday Joshua, also known as De-General, a well-known Instagram comedian, in January 2022.
According to a statement by the NDLEA, his arrest followed the discovery of a reputed drug den in the Orchid Estate neighborhood of Lekki, Lagos State.
Tramadol 225mg, Cannabis Sativa, and other illicit drug exhibits, as well as other drug use paraphernalia, were also discovered at his home, according to the statement.
According to the NDLEA, De-General acknowledged possession of the drugs seized from his home in a confessional statement he made while being held.
Sentenced to prison, Hushpuppi
A 40-year-old international fraudster named Ramon Olorunwa Abbas
was given a jail term of more than 11 years by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II.
Hushpuppi, who was detained in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020, had previously entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in April 2021.
Additionally, he was mandated to give $1,732,841 in compensation to two fraud victims.
Prosecutors claim that Abbas and a Canadian man used email for commercial purposes and other online crimes to launder money.
Sex tape by James Brown
After a sexual intimacy video of James Chukwueze Obialor, also known as James Brown, with a woman went viral in October, it became the most talked-about Nigerian crossdresser.
The explicit footage of the self-described “princess of Africa” was released on Snapchat.
In the video, James Brown was seen engaging in sexual activity with an unnamed woman as his face and genitalia were on full view.
In response to the exposed sex tape, he expressed sadness and depression and claimed that the experience had kept him awake.
Although rumors of leaked sex tapes are nothing new in the Nigerian entertainment industry, James Brown’s tape shocked many who assumed he was gay based on his lifestyle and manner of clothing.