Entertainment
Ufuoma McDermott Sponsors 100 For Merry Men 2


Top Nigerian actor, Ufuoma McDermott, has sponsored 100 Nigerians to see Merry Men 2 at IMAX Cinema in Lekki, Phase 1, Lagos.
PorkMoney said that it took the decision to support the project “in order to inculcate in young Nigerians the need to live a life devoid of crime and imbibe sound moral virtues, using the lead character Zara Aminu (played by Ufuoma McDermott) as a case study.”
PorkMoney is one of the largest privately owned pig farms in West Africa.
Speaking at a ‘Meet and Greet’ session with fans and journalists after the movie viewing, McDermott said that given the evolving age of Information and Communications Technology, the special viewing of the movie stood to endear more young Nigerians into embracing ICT, especially in curbing crime and other vices.
She said, “The movie and what we have done here today will further enable young people, and the Nigerian society as a whole, to appreciate the unflinching love mothers have for children and their willingness, at any point, to break the rules in order to save and protect a child from harm. Zara Aminu (Ufuoma McDermott) depicts this typical mother role in Merry Men 2.
“Just like a few Nigerian start-ups that do not give up, despite daunting challenges in the business environment, Zara Aminu never gave up on her beliefs and ideals.”
McDermott added, “With this project, young Nigerians will learn and realise the importance of not giving up on a struggle – health challenges, quest for freedom, acquisition of knowledge, passion, business, etc.”
While being interviewed, one of McDermott’s fans, Chris Chukwujekwe, described the movie as a classic, saying, “Zara made all the difference in the movie.”
He said, “Zara is smart, a master-mind and a fixer who is very skilled in handling arms. She is notorious, but a very skilled criminal.”
According to him, Zara’s intelligence surpassed the role played by Ramsey Noah.
“Ramsey Noah was very witty, but Zara often predicted all his strategies correctly,” Chukwujekwe said.
McDermott shared Chukwujekwe’s views, stating that the physicality and high energy involved in the movie made it a daunting task.
She, however, relished featuring in the movie, noting that the project took her to a new milestone in her acting career.
“It’s the most challenging in my career because I had to be physical and be as fit as I can. Merry Men 2 took me to a place that no other film has taken me to and I am grateful for that.
“The movie took me out of my usual happy, laughing character to a bit more serious one where I had to frown my face all the time. At the premier of Merry Men 2, I already had two offers on action films,” McDermott said.
She also said, “I think working on this project made me understand the importance of having the right crew members, so we had our martial artist on set. Believe it or not, that is one of the hardest things I had to do in my life.
“I am such a drama actor that act pretty well displaying emotions on the face and all of that, but when it has to involve getting physical, I was so scared. At a time, they were like ‘hit this guy’, and I said I don’t want to hit him.”
According to her, the most beautiful thing is understanding what martial arts should be and mixing it with filmmaking.
“It was an amazing combination. It slows down production a little bit, in all honesty. You know we could have got through those scenes faster, but it involved a lot more because martial art is involved.
“I give Ayo Makun, the producer, the credit on this one because that was a lot of money many people won’t have spent,” the actor added.
Sharing McDermott’s opinion, Makun, famously known as AY, said, “If you do a wishy-washy kind of production, it won’t take you anywhere and people won’t watch it.
“If you even use politics to push it out there, it still won’t make you money; it will only embarrass you.”
He added, “What that knowledge did is to make us buckle up and know that these people who come out to see films are wiser than what producers used to think. They know what they want, and they know shots, angles; they understand cinematography.”
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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