Entertainment
The Enugu concert rape syndrome


By Winifred Asogwa (Enugu)
Social media have been aflame the past few days with rants about the flavour live concert at Okpara square Enugu, where not less than twenty (20) female fans were ‘allegedly’ raped.
Rape is a serious crime against humanity. It touches the very sensibility of the raped while the rapist reflects the decadence in the minds of some people. It beats one’s imagination how a man would jump on a lady without her consent. No gesture supports such devilish tendencies.
The bedrock of the conversation lies in the fact that; this is not the first time female fans are been sexually harassed at a concert, it’s gradually turning into a norm. Tufiakwa! (God forbid)
Reports of rape at both PhynoFest 2016 and 2017 were recorded; we have now witnessed a similar repetition at flavour’s live concert. The almost sad side of this story is that these concerts were ‘free’; the fans were required to pay zero naira to attend. The artists see these free concerts as a ‘give back initiative’ to their fans and the city of their birth.
But when ‘giving back’ opens the door for women to be sexually harassed, it begs the question ‘is it giving or taking’?
It’s easy to blame the organizer of the concert, after all people showed up to watch him perform but throwing sticks and stones won’t help, who really is to blame?
I’ll take this from a three pronged approach. The media, security/crowd management and the artist.
When it comes to the media industry in Nigeria, Lagos state can be termed the ‘big brother’, where everything happens. It’s usually said that if you want to blow in entertainment, find yourself in Lagos.
As much as Lagos is the ‘big brother’ there are also smaller/younger brothers who are aspiring to do what Lagos does. Cities like Abuja, Port-harcourt, Calabar, Enugu etc are aspiring to nurture the fragile entertainment industry in their respective cities. When these smaller brothers hold concerts and shows and it’s not 100% perfect, are they not supposed to be encouraged rather than getting bashed?
The trace TV guy that made that very sensitive tweet about the concert turning into a rescue mission for women was slightly ‘off-tune’. He even went ahead to say he’s never visiting Enugu again, like your visit added to our GDP.
With no intent to defend the evil rape perpetrators, is he trying to say there have NEVER been a rape incident at all the concerts held in Lagos state?
After all, the official rape statistics 2015 as reported by Punch Newspapers show that Lagos was on top of the rape record in 2015 with 513 cases, followed by Delta, 205; Kano 189; Katsina 120; Ogun 76; Ondo 68 and Edo, 55.
Others are FCT 44; Ebonyi 41; Cross River 40; Bauchi 38; Oyo 35; Kaduna 33; Anambra 33; Bayelsa 31; Niger 29; Enugu 28; Plateau 25; Yobe and Zamfara, 21; Borno 20; Jigawa 18; Imo 17, Kogi 15 and Gombe 12.”
This brings us to the role of our media. One ‘Lagos person’ came and said something about the South East and we’re not able to overturn that. Can a south east influencer go to Lagos, make a tweet and it sparks conversation? Where are the south east bloggers, influencers, media majesties, on air personalities?
The hottest places in Hell are reserved for those who in time of moral crisis preserve their neutrality.
I heard some very funny arguments that the reason showbiz doesn’t grow in Enugu is because we feed on the cycle that the show must be free, a mentality that roadblock birthed.
Also that artists want big crowds for the sake of numbers. There is nothing wrong with wanting big crowds but a lot goes into crowd management/control/security. Enugu is not the only state to hold concerts, why don’t we hear rape cases in other places? It’s obvious more attention is paid to stage and artiste management than crowd management/security.
The artist in question is yet to release a statement. I’m sure he’s heard people are making allegations that his female fans were raped at his concert but he’s decided to keep mute. Has he no media team? To control what’s going on, to protect his brand? Or he just doesn’t care; he’s waiting for it to blow over like everything in Nigeria does.
Rape is a very serious issue, the victims have to deal with psychological trauma for the rest of their lives, at least show that you care.
If we must harness the entertainment, tourism and hospitality potentials of the Enugu State necessary steps must be taken to ensure such case as rape isn’t repeated in the future.
For now, let the he security agencies do the needful by apprehending and prosecuting the rapists; hence we become laughing stock among other States in Nigeria.
Entertainment
Elie Kamano’s Anthem Amplifies Pan-African Reparations Call with Striking New Music Video


Guinean artist and activist Elie Kamano has released a powerful new music video for his single, “Ils veulent l’Afrique sans les Africains” (“They Want Africa Without Africans”), delivering a bold artistic statement that fuses political resistance, cultural memory, and Pan-African solidarity.
Filmed on the sacred grounds of the Thiaroye mass graves in Dakar, the video honors victims of one of colonialism’s most heinous massacres. Kamano’s visual tribute transforms the site into a defiant stage, linking Africa’s historical trauma to the modern reparations movement. With raw lyricism and symbolic imagery, the video makes a clear demand: “Africa will reclaim what Europe stole.”
The release arrives at a pivotal moment. The African Union has declared 2025 as the Year of Reparations, providing institutional momentum to cultural and civic efforts across the continent. In Dakar, a recent high-profile conference reignited demands for justice surrounding the Thiaroye massacre, leading Senegalese authorities to launch archaeological excavations to document the scope of the 1944 French military crime—evidence that may substantiate formal reparations claims to France.
The reparations conversation has visibly moved to the streets. Dakar’s walls now feature bold graffiti murals demanding €50 trillion in reparations from former colonial powers—vivid calls for justice that cannot be ignored. In Bamako, Malian scholars and policymakers echo the urgency, calling for strategic frameworks that link historical redress with sustainable African futures.
Kamano’s work stands at the intersection of music and movement—galvanizing Pan-African youth, scholars, and policymakers alike. His anthem doesn’t just commemorate the past—it ignites the future.
“This is not just a song,” says Kamano. “It’s a voice for the voiceless. A call for dignity. A battle cry for what is rightfully ours.”
Entertainment
“His Death Leaves a Huge Void”, Gov Mbah Mourns Music Icon, Ejeagha


Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has expressed deep grief over the death of music icon, ‘Gentleman’ Mike Ejeagha, saying the legend had created a void that would be too difficult to fill.
Mbah described Ejeagha as an unassuming and easygoing personality, whose fanbase spread across international boundaries.
Recall that the news of the passing on of the ‘Gwo gwo gwo ngwo’ crooner at age 95 filtered into public space Friday evening.
Reacting to the sad development, the governor, who had celebrated the folklorist during his lifetime by reconstructing the popular Obinagu Road and the adjoining Chief Mike Ejeagha Crescent leading directly to his residence in Abakpa Nike, Enugu, a long wish of the icon left unfulfilled by successive administrations in the state, and by renaming Obinagu Road as Chief Mike Ejeagha Road in his honour, assured that his government would further immortalise the legend in death.
Taking to his verified social media handles, @PNMbah, the governor paid a heartfelt tribute to the Enugu-born musician
“I’m profoundly saddened by the death of music icon, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha.
“Mike Ejeagha was a legend, a cultural ambassador and a revered son of Enugu State.
“He was one of the finest musicians of his generation with an easygoing personality and humility that belied his towering celebrity status.
“I will always cherish fond memories of the time spent in his company – the warmth and wisdom he radiated; the joy he found in the ordinary.
“This is a loss not only for his immediate family; it’s a big loss for Enugu State, the entire music community, and the country as well.
“Ejeagha’s immense talent and genius lay in how he took simple indigenous folktales and turned them into unforgettable songs that resonate across cultures.
“Ejeagha’s fan-base transcended boundaries. He was easily one of the most recognizable voices in music.
“His death leaves a huge void that will be difficult to fill. But the legacies he has left behind will last a lifetime.
“On behalf of the Enugu State government, I offer heartfelt condolences to the Ejeagha family, and assure them of our support.
“As a government, we would ensure that his memory is duly immortalized.
“Above all, I pray that his family experiences the comforting grace of God’s love, and the fortitude to bear the loss.”
Entertainment
From Bomb Blast to Praise: Maureen J’s Miracle Song
–Lagos bomb blast survivor tells her story through soul-stirring gospel track


From the ashes of one of Nigeria’s most devastating tragedies has emerged a powerful testimony in song. “How Do I Kelee Gi?” — a soul-stirring blend of English and Igbo meaning “How do I thank You?” — is the heartfelt anthem of Maureen Onwuka, popularly known as Maureen J, a survivor of the January 27, 2002 Lagos bomb blast.
The blast, which rocked the Ikeja Cantonment area, left hundreds dead and thousands displaced in an unforgettable moment of national grief.
For Maureen, then a young evangelist, it marked the beginning of an emotional and spiritual journey that would change her life and eventually give birth to a song of thanksgiving.
On the day of the explosion, Maureen had stepped out for routine evangelism when she was caught in the chaos. Fleeing with a panicked crowd, she found herself at the edge of a canal near Ajao Estate. She couldn’t swim. Before she could react, the surging crowd pushed her into the water.
“I found myself stepping on bodies. People who had already drowned. It was like walking on human carpet, and I didn’t even know at first,” she recounts, her voice heavy with emotion. “Some were grabbing at me, trying to come up, but every time someone held my leg, I felt myself going under.”
Maureen screamed out a desperate prayer: “Lord, remember me! I was just out telling people about You! Please show me mercy!” In that moment, a stranger appeared in the water — a man who swam to her, pulled her to safety, and vanished without a trace. “I don’t know who he was. I believe he was an angel,” she says.
She escaped with her life, but the images of that day, especially the lifeless bodies of children, women, and men, remained etched in her memory. In the aftermath, she made a solemn vow to God: to tell the world what He did for her.
That vow found its fullest expression in “How Do I Kelee Gi?” — a song she describes as a sacred offering of gratitude. “Words weren’t enough to carry my story. I had to pour it into music,” Maureen explains. “Mixing English and Igbo was intentional — what God did for me was too great to explain in just one language.”
Though the song was written two to three years after the tragedy and initially recorded with little fanfare, Maureen never stopped sharing her story. Encouraged by those who’ve heard the track and urged her to push it further, she is now relaunching the song with renewed purpose.
“This song is my flagship,” she says. “It’s time to tell the world. I want people to not just hear my voice, but to know the miracle behind it.”
Maureen, who hails from Umukparo, Mbala Isuochi, in Abia State, has always been musically inclined, serving in choirs from her youth. But the 2002 experience gave her voice a new purpose. “After the blast, music became more than a gift — it became a mission,” she says.
Inspired by gospel icons like Mercy Chinwo, Sinach, and Nathaniel Bassey, Maureen hopes to reach hearts and stir worship through her sound. “Their songs move me toward God. That’s what I want mine to do too.”
“How Do I Kelee Gi?” is currently available on Audiomack and CD Baby, with plans for a full official launch slated for August this year.
From tragedy came a testimony. From near-death, a new life’s mission. And through it all, Maureen J stands — a living witness that miracles still happen, and when they do, the only fitting response is to sing.
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