Justin Fashanu was the first black footballer to be offered a £1 million transfer fee in 1981. He was also the first professional footballer to openly admit his homosexuality. Fashanu, a talented footballer beloved by many, committed suicide in the United Kingdom on May 2, 1998 after a 17-year-old boy accused him of sexual assault…
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Offa is a city in Kwara State and has a population of about 100,000. Offa is famous for weaving and dyeing with vegetable dyes made from indigo and other locally grown plants. Offa is also known for growing sweet potatoes and maize, which were a popular staple food of the city’s indigenous people. Offa is…
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Seated left to right: Captain Harley Empere, Major Gideon Orkar, Captain Perebo Dakolo, Lieutenant Cyril Ozoalor and Lieutenant Nicholas Odeh during their trial before the Special Military Court for their involvement in the failed April 1990 coup against the military government of Ibrahim Babangydy. Thanks for reading.
This is a photo of an old advertisement for Lipton tea that appeared in Toli Adenle’s Emotan magazine on February 2, 1980. Lipton tea was sold for 75 kobo back then. Thanks for watching,
General Yakubu Gowon officially ties the knot with his love interest Miss Victoria Zakari at the Christ Church Cathedral, Lagos It was a joyful and memorable day for Nigerians even though the country was at war. Below are some beautiful photos from the state wedding. Entrance of the bride accompanied by her father …
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The Men’s Revolt was one of several slave rebellions that occurred in Brazil between 1807 and 1835. It was probably the most significant slave revolt in Brazilian history. The Malê Revolt involved black slaves, mainly Hausa, Kanuri and Yoruba from what is now Nigeria, and freedmen, who attempted to seize power from the white authorities…
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Who was Bode Thomas? Olabode Akanbi Thomas, popularly known as Bode Thomas, was born in October 1919 to Andrew Thomas, a wealthy and influential Yoruba trader. He attended the C.M.S.Grammar School, Bariga, a missionary school founded on June 6, 1859 by the Church Missionary Society. Bode Thomas studied law in London with FRA director Williams…
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Adegoke Olubummo was the first professor of mathematics in Nigeria in 1964. He was born on April 19, 1923 to the first honored literate musician of Orin, His Royal Highness Oba William Adekolawu Olubummo II and Chief Abigael Osarayi Olubummo in Orin Ekiti. As a royal child, Olubummo received a quality education at the Methodist…
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The Owu-Ife War, as the name suggests, was a bloody conflict that broke out between the people of Ile-Ife and the natives of the nearby town of Owu between 1821 and 1828. It opened doors of tragedy to other wars in Yoruba land. Causes of the Owu-Ife War The Owu-Ife War broke out barely four…
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The Richards Constitution of 1946 is another link in the chain of colonial or pre-independence constitutions in Nigeria. After Hugh Clifford became Governor of Nigeria, three successive governors held the office (Graeme Thompson, Donald Cameron and Bernard Bourdillon) before another constitution was adopted, namely the Richards Constitution of 1946. Governor Bernard Bourdilloun took office in…
DetailsStanley Enekwe shortly before his execution The robber Stanley Enekwe was executed in April 1972 for stealing an official vehicle of the Nigerian Army. Stanley was reportedly a former Biafran soldier who fought in the Nigerian Civil War and returned in one of the official war vehicles. He was accused of theft and later sentenced…
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Lawrence Anini, also known as “Law”, was born in 1960, the same year Nigeria gained independence, to the Owuo family in Orogbo village in Orhionmwon region, about 30 km from Benin City, the capital of Bendel today’s Edo State, away, born. A 26-year-old thief has terrorized parts of Benin and several other nearby towns; With…
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Lest we neglect the under-represented sounds of West African funk, the folks at Afro Strut have put together a magnificent 3-disc compilation that celebrates the movement. Nigeria 70 reminds us of the spirit and diversity of the sounds that emerged around Lagos in the ’70s with nearly 150 minutes of music. At the outset, let’s…
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Market scene in Nigeria, undated trustees of the British Museum.
For hundreds of years, Christians around the world have celebrated Christmas as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a festival that Christians cannot miss as it involves lots of fun, joy, love, jollof rice and chicken. Although the actual birth date of Jesus Christ remains unknown, the Western Christian Church adopted…
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Muslim progressive Mallam Aminu Kano has not allowed things to continue as before. In politics, he fought against colonial rule from outside and contributed to Nigeria’s freedom. He also fought against internal oppression to put an end to the forced labor of the emirs and the slavery of local oppressors. Throughout his life he was…
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Kenule (Ken) Beeson Saro-Wiwa was a Nigerian writer, activist and television presenter born on October 10, 1995 in the family of Ogoni chief Jim Wiwa. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, a minority tribe in Nigeria. His homeland, the Ogoni Territory in the Niger Delta, has been the target of oil production…
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Chairman SL Akintola was expected to give a victory speech after the rigged regional elections of 1965 which brought him to power as Premier of the Western Region. On October 15, 1965, shortly before the radio broadcast of the Prime Minister’s speech, an armed man reportedly entered the premises of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)…
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Hajia Gambo Sawaba was a Nigerian politician and activist known for her charity events, including in support of the women’s freedom struggle in the north. The rights and status of women in Northern Nigeria remains a thorny issue to understand or resolve, although progress has been made. Recently, the #MeToo campaign reached the region. The…
DetailsPrince Idubor, also known as Arhuanran (sometimes spelled Aruanran), was supposed to be the Oba (King) of Benin because the great kingdom was doing well at the time. However, legend has it that his birthright was given to his younger brother, Esigie, who was born on the same day as Idubor. How It Happened Oba…
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