Personality in Focus
The Day of The Jackal Author, Frederick Forsyth, Dies at 86
Best-selling author Frederick Forsyth, known for thriller novels including The Day Of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86, his agent has said.
“We mourn the passing of one of the world’s greatest thriller writers,” Jonathan Lloyd said in a statement.
Forsyth published more than 25 books, also including The Odessa File and The Dogs of War, and sold 75 million books around the world, he said.
His publisher Bill Scott-Kerr said: “Still read by millions across the world, Freddie’s thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire. He leaves behind a peerless legacy which will continue to excite and entertain for years to come.”
Born in Kent in 1938, Forsyth joined the RAF at the age of 18 before becoming a war correspondent for the BBC and Reuters. He revealed in 2015 he also worked for British intelligence agency MI6 for more than 20 years.
Many of his fictional plots drew on his real-life experiences around the world.
He made his name with his first novel, 1971’s The Day Of The Jackal, which he wrote when he was out of work.
“[I was] skint, in debt, no flat, no car, no nothing and I just thought, ‘How do I get myself out of this hole?’ And I came up with probably the zaniest solution – write a novel,” he said.
It is a gripping tale, set in 1963, about an Englishman hired to assassinate the French president at the time, Charles de Gaulle.
The Day Of The Jackal was turned into a 1973 film starring Edward Fox as the Jackal, and then became a TV drama starring Eddie Redmayne last year.
Mr Scott-Kerr said working with Forsyth had been “one of the great pleasures of my professional life”.
“The flow of brilliant plots and ideas aside, he was the most professional writer an editor could hope for,” he said.
“His journalistic background brought a rigour and a metronomic efficiency to his working practice and his nose for and understanding of a great story kept his novels both thrillingly contemporary and fresh. It was a joy and an education to watch him at work.”
Singer Elaine Paige, a friend of Forsyth, said she felt “total sadness” at the news of his death.
“His academic knowledge of places, palaces and geography was bar none,” she wrote on X. “He’ll be much missed for so many reasons.”
English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who worked with Forsyth on Love Never Dies, the follow-up to Phantom of the Opera, said: “He really understood the romance and thrills which make the Phantom such an alluring character.
“Thank you Frederick, for creating stories which will live on for generations in your honour.”
And Conservative MP Sir David Davis said his “great friend” was a “terrific man” and a “fabulous wordsmith”.
“He was a great believer in the old values – he believed in honour and patriotism and courage and directness and straightforwardness and [was] a big defender of our armed forces,” he told Sky News.
Forsyth followed The Day Of The Jackal with The Odessa File in 1972, which was adapted for the big screen in a film starring Jon Voight two years later.
The author had written a follow-up, Revenge of Odessa, with fellow thriller writer Tony Kent, which will be published this August.
His other best-selling works included 1984’s The Fourth Protocol, which became a film starring starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan.
He was made a CBE for services to literature in 1997.
He had two sons with first wife Carole Cunningham. His second wife Sandy Molloy died last October.
BBC
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, has died. He was aged 90.
Oba Olakulehin, who ascended the throne in July 2024, died in the early hours of Monday, July 7, 2025, after spending a year on the throne, and two days after his 90th birthday
Oba Olakulehin received the staff of office from Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde, on July 12, 2024, as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland.
Oba Olakulehin ascended the throne from the chieftancy rung of Balogun Olubadan, following the demise of Oba (Dr.) Moshood Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, who died at the age of 81 years on March 14, 2024.
Personality in Focus
Things Fall Apart Festival 2025: Chimamanda Adichie Calls for Igbo Unity, Honoured by ATPN
Global literary icon, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, has been inducted as an Honorary Fellow of theAssociation of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), in recognition of her remarkable contributions to promoting Nigeria’s cultural identity through literature. Her works, which have earned worldwide acclaim, continue to project Nigerian—and particularly Igbo—culture on the global stage.
The honorary induction took place during the Things Fall Apart Festival (TFA) 2025, held in Enugu and organized by the Centre for Memories – Ncheta Ndigbo, with endorsement from the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the ATPN, and in partnership with iTour Africa. The festival is a celebration of the legacy of Chinua Achebe’s timeless novel, Things Fall Apart.
Adichie, who chaired the festival, delivered a stirring address that emphasized the urgent need for unity and cultural pride among the Igbo people. Also present at the event were several dignitaries including Sir Ike Chioke, Managing Director of Afrinvest; Sir Emeka Mba, former DG of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission and founder of Afia TV; and celebrated actor Chief Nkem Owoh (Osuofia).
Speaking on behalf of ATPN National President Omo-Oba Adetunji Femi Fadina, the association’s Deputy President II, Wilson Uche Ugwu, emphasized the vital role of cultural identity in tourism development. He urged Nigerians—especially the Igbo—to take pride in their heritage and support initiatives that preserve and promote indigenous culture. Ugwu also reaffirmed ATPN’s commitment to professionalism among tourism practitioners and the need to avoid distorting Nigeria’s rich history and traditions.
In her keynote speech, Chimamanda Adichie made a powerful call for internal reflection and unity within the Igbo community:
“Ndigbo k’anyi tetalu n’ura. Let us wake up. Ife emebigo n’ala Igbo. Things have fallen apart in Igbo land,” she said. “We often speak of political marginalisation, and indeed any honest assessment of post-war Nigerian history acknowledges that. But before we can truly challenge external forces, we must first ‘clean house.’ We are giving those who want to marginalise us even more reasons to justify their actions.”
She stressed that unity does not mean uniformity but a conscious choice to collaborate for a greater goal despite differences.
“If all governors and senators from the Igbo-speaking states come together and set aside party affiliations, it would bestow a significant bargaining power to influence policies beneficial to the region.”
Adichie also delved into the erosion of Igbo language and identity, lamenting the decline of Igbo literature and the increasing pride in raising children who do not speak their native tongue.
“Languages are beautiful, and the more languages a child can speak, the better. But what’s happening in Igbo land is not about the ability to learn languages—it is about the lack of value for what is ours. Even our naming culture is eroding. We now give names not for their meaning, but for how ‘Western’ they sound.”
She drew parallels with the Germanic tribes, who despite having multiple dialects, united to form a modern German state. In contrast, she warned that internal divisions within Igbo society, often rooted in political rather than cultural identities, are weakening the community.
“Igbo is Igbo. Nobody is more Igbo than another. The distinctions we make today—‘Anambra Igbo,’ ‘Delta Igbo’—are political, not cultural. Our strength lies in our unity.”
The Things Fall Apart Festival 2025 served not only as a celebration of Achebe’s literary genius but also as a rallying point for cultural rebirth and communal introspection. It was a fitting occasion to honour Chimamanda Adichie, a torchbearer of African storytelling and cultural preservation.
Famous American televangelist, Jimmy Swaggart, has died at the age of 90.
Jimmy Swaggart’s death was announced on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
He reportedly died two weeks after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Louisiana home on June 15 2025.
The once most recognized Pentecostal preacher in the United States, was brought down in the late 1980s by sex scandals.
The pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, was reportedly caught on camera in 1988 with a prostitute in New Orleans.
Jimmy Swaggart was embroiled in a prostitution controversy in 1988 after he accused Marvin Gorman, his fellow preacher, of infidelity.
In retaliation, Gorman hired a private investigator who caught Swaggart with a prostitute.
The development triggered a national scandal, prompting him to temporarily step down from preaching.
Addressing the incident during a tearful sermon in 1988, Jimmy Swaggart apologized to his parishioners.
“I have sinned against you. I beg you to forgive me”, he said.
After the scandal, he, however, continued preaching for decades, but with a reduced audience.
