Entertainment
More Troubles for Baba Ijesha As Minor Narrates How She Was Defiled with Car Key
The video of the 14-year-old minor allegedly defiled by a popular Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, also known as Baba Ijesha, was played at an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Wednesday.
The video was a recording of the child forensic interview conducted on May 15 by Mrs Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode, a child expert and Executive Director of the Cece Yara Foundation.
The video was played during the cross-examination of Ajayi-Kayode by the defence counsel, Babatunde Ogala (SAN).
During the interview, the minor described the interaction she had with Baba Ijesha on April 19, when she met him at her foster mother’s house.
“He said, ‘You’re a smart young girl, my baby. Do you have a boyfriend? I said no, and he said since you do not have a boyfriend, now that you’re much more mature, you’re now mine; I am your boyfriend.’
“He said, ‘I used to teach you some things when you were small.’ I asked him what things so that I could record him with my phone.
“My phone was under the throw pillow because I thought he wanted to confess to what he did seven years ago, but I was unable to record him.
“He said, ‘Don’t you remember me and you used to play together; I used to teach you some things when you were small; me and you had a contract.’ I asked him what contract?
“He asked me to sit on his legs and I said no and he said, ‘You that when you were small, you were not afraid. Now you’re afraid,’” the minor said.
The minor then told Ajayi-Kayode that Baba Ijesha started touching her sexually and asked her to bring some water.
“When I went to the kitchen, he also followed me and it was at this point that my mother and the other men, the CCTV company staff, came in,” she said.
Earlier, the minor narrated to Ajayi-Kayode what transpired when the Nollywood actor allegedly defiled her seven years ago.
She said the first incident occurred when Baba Ijesha came to visit her sick foster mother when she was seven years old.
According to her, she was sitting on the carpet watching cartoons while he sat on the couch.
She said Baba Ijesha asked her to remove her underwear, while he brought out his private parts and asked her to wriggle her waist while sitting on his laps.
“My concentration was on the cartoon I was watching; I couldn’t remember how long I was on his laps before I felt some wetness.
“He cleaned himself with a handkerchief and asked me to clean myself up and I went to the bathroom to clean myself up with a towel,” she said.
The minor said Baba Ijesha told her not to tell anyone about what transpired between them.
She told Ajayi-Kayode that the next day, Baba Ijesha came to the house with some fruits for her foster mother and she was asked to pick up the fruits from his car.
“The car was parked at a T-junction and there was a wall and a gutter there; no one was on the other side.
“The fruits were on the back seat; he opened the door in front and asked me to take the fruits.
“When I stretched to pick the fruits from the back seat, he put the car key into my private parts, and at the same time, he was trying to kiss me. After this incident, I did not see him again until seven years later,” she said.
During the interview, the child expert gave the minor male and female dolls to depict how the defendant allegedly molested her seven years ago.
Using the dolls for narration, the survivor described where the defendant sat and invited her to sit on his laps.
The child gave a demonstration of how the molestation happened with the observation of Ajayi-Kayode.
Under cross-examination by the lead defence team, Mrs Ajayi-Kayode told the court that she was a qualified lawyer and certified child forensic expert trained abroad.
She also said she was not a child advocate but a child forensic expert who had received training on child psychology and development.
She maintained that the brain of the minor was well developed to recall events that took place seven years ago, adding that the minor gave a good account of what happened to her seven years ago without interference.
When asked how she was able to determine if the minor was telling the truth, she said she only asked her open-ended questions.
Actress and comedienne, Damilola Adekoya, also known as Princess, the foster mother of the minor, and Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, were present in court to observe the proceedings.
Entertainment
All White Service of Songs As Celebrities Bid Alex Ekubo Farewell
Members of Nigeria’s entertainment industry turned out in large numbers on Wednesday for the service of songs of late actor Alex Ekubo.
Ekubo died on May 11, 2026, after a battle with kidney cancer.
Colleagues, friends, and dignitaries filled The Monarch Event Centre for the ceremony, dressed strictly in white as requested by the Ekubo family.
Attendees included Funke Akindele, Kate Henshaw, Chioma Akpotha, Ebele Okaro, Nancy Isime, Ruth Kadiri, Nkechi Blessing, Stan Nze, Blessing Obasi, Ik Ogbonna, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, singer Chike, and socialite Cubana Chief Priest.
The evening featured worship led by gospel ministers Peterson Okopi and Ebuka Songs, with Pastor Jerry Eze, Nathaniel Bassey, and Kaestrings also ministering.
The Ekubo family had earlier released an obituary on the late actor’s Instagram page, asking the public to keep them in prayer.
Wednesday’s service of songs officially opened Alex Ekubo’s burial rites.
The funeral moves to Arochukwu, Abia State, for a wake-keep on June 17, with burial scheduled for June 18.
Entertainment
Tamuno Karibi-George Wins Miss World Nigeria 2026
Tamunosoye Karibi-George has been crowned Miss World Nigeria 2026 after emerging winner at the pageant’s grand finale held at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
The 26-year-old beauty queen, who represented Bayelsa State and hails from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, beat 19 other contestants in the competition themed “Pride, Power and Purpose.”
She succeeds Joy Mojisola Raimi, Miss World Nigeria 2025, and will represent Nigeria at the 73rd Miss World Festival scheduled to hold in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from August 9 to September 5, 2026.
Miss Karibi-George is the founder of Beyond Labels, an initiative that supports children with special needs and promotes inclusion and equal opportunities.
Joining Karibi-George in the top five were Dionne Chisom Nwagbo of Anambra State, who finished as first runner-up; Shuntell Ezomo of Edo State, who emerged second runner-up; Irene Irene of Abuja; and Gold of Rivers State.
Miss World Nigeria, organized by the Silverbird Group, is one of Nigeria’s leading beauty pageants and selects the country’s representative for the international Miss World competition.
Entertainment
Davido to Perform at FIFA World Cup 2026 Concert in Los Angeles
Award-winning artiste – Davido – is scheduled to perform at FIFA’s World Cup 2026 Countdown Concert in Los Angeles, adding another major global platform to his career.
Davido will perform alongside Major Lazer, the music project led by producer Diplo.
FIFA announced the lineup on Instagram, noting that more special guests will be unveiled in the coming days.
The concert is part of FIFA’s first synchronised live entertainment series across the tournament’s three host nations: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“Featuring Diplo’s Major Lazer and Davido, and more special guests to be announced soon,” FIFA wrote.
The Los Angeles show will open doors at 5:00pm PT, with the live broadcast beginning at 6:00pm PT.
The series is designed to link audiences across the host countries, with simultaneous live performances streamed from Mexico City and Toronto.
FIFA said the event will stream globally across its digital platforms, including an exclusive livestream on TikTok.
Full concert and behind-the-scenes footage will be available on VuMe Live the following day.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins June 11, 2026.






