Entertainment
My crises nobody knew about – Adekunle Gold speaks out.


The Nigerian artist, Adekunle Gold recently shared a part of his life story that has been a secret all his life. The singer poured out his heart on his Instagram page as he told his fans the battles and challenges he faced before gaining fame. He said he was a sickle cell anaemic patient who lived his life with pains because of the sickness.


He wrote: “It feels liberating to finally be able to share this part of my life with you, to finally be able to speak my truth. When I talk about how I struggled to get to where I am today, I need you to know that my struggle was real. I was born with sickle cell disease. It was life and death, it was physical, mental, financial, you name it and I went through it all. It was tough, painful, and frustrating. I lived with a sickness no one around me understood, I lived with restrictions all my childhood. “I wasn’t able to join some of the most minor child play and liberating activities like going out in the rain. The times when I insisted and rebelled against my parent’s orders and went out in the rain, I would end up having a crisis. The nights were painful and lonely, nights that no one could help me get through. It was just me, God, and my mind. The pains and shivers were unbearable. “They always came in the night, when my family had no means to transport me to a hospital. We simply couldn’t afford the constant hospital bills so I had no choice but to endure the pain. “My mum wanted me to be well, she did her best. She took me to all the churches she could find, I’m grateful for her because she saw a future for me.


“A future where no illness or sickness could hold me back from my purpose. From the life, I was destined to live. “Sickle cell disease took away my freedom, my childhood. I lost friends, a lot of them. Some didn’t understand the restrictions and rules I had to live by, some just didn’t want to deal with my Illness or thought it was a nasty or contagious disease that they could catch. I was a burden for some. Living with sickle cell is far from living a normal life. “One of the most intense crises I had was at the age of 20, I remember laying in my bed in the middle of the night asking for an end to it all. I begged God to take my life away because I couldn’t understand what I did to deserve the pain my body and mind were under. As usual with sickle crisis after some days, the pain subsided and God asked me; “That end you begged me for, do you still want it?” Of course, I said no and that’s when everything changed for me. That’s when I realized that I had been given another opportunity to live my dreams and to show those that mocked me that sickle cell anemia was never going to end me, that it was never going to hold me back from my dreams and aspirations. “My body caves in once in a while, and some symptoms come back but what this disease has taught me is resilience. Sickle cell anemia gave me hope, made me tough, gave me the discipline I needed to be who I am today, and built my character. I mean I went through a whole 5 weeks of back-to-back performances and didn’t fall sick. Grace. “My mind and body were challenged and I’m stronger, more determined, and ready to take on the world. I’m ready for Adekunle Gold Supremacy, I’m ready to live and enjoy the 5 Star life that I deserve, that my body toiled for. “I’m sharing my testimony with you because I hope that you can find strength in my truth. Some ailments hold us back but I’m thankful this hasn’t. I want to encourage you in whatever it is you’re going through, know that there is hope. You are strong and you must not give up. YOU CAN DO THIS! “Victory lies at the end for you just as it did for me. “If you know anyone going through any struggle, physical, health, or mental. Be kind, and show compassion. In fact, be kind to everyone, you just never know what they’re dealing with privately. Be supportive, be gentle, and love endlessly. “If you are a sickler, know that the disease does not define you. Don’t allow it to limit your dreams or cap your potential. Spread your wings and dream big! Hope to see you soaring in the big skies. “All my love.”


It feels good to know that he was able to overcome it all and be the star he is today, which was why he wrote his story in order to encourage other sicklers and people out there to keep pushing and believing, because miracle is real and will get to them too. Congratulations to the star on his success story.
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.