Nollywood & celebs
Reported
Mr Eazi on dollar-billionaire talk: money isn't the target
The singer and investor spoke about the idea of becoming a dollar billionaire and said wealth is not what drives him.
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AY Makun responds to backlash after missing Cardiff show, promises free return
Comedian AY Makun has defended himself after failing to appear at his AY Live show in Cardiff, which led to calls for him to be cancelled. He blamed repeated problems on the tour and promised a free return show, while saying ticket holders will still get refunds.
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Comedian and filmmaker Ayo 'AY' Makun has spoken out after facing a wave of criticism for not turning up at his AY Live show in Cardiff, Wales.
What happened
Fans who bought tickets for the Cardiff show on Sunday were left angry when the comedian did not appear. Many criticised him on social media, and some called for him to be cancelled. AY had earlier apologised, saying fans' time, money and trust deserved respect, but the apology did not end the criticism.
His side of the story
In a long statement reported on Friday, 30 October 2026, AY said veterans in the industry had advised him to stay quiet, but he felt his audience deserved an explanation. He said he had spent years performing at events where payment promises were broken, sometimes paying fellow performers from his own pocket. He said a five-hour drive from Sheffield to Cardiff, after repeated bad experiences on the same tour, became his breaking point, but added that the fans who turned up had done nothing wrong. He also complained that negative stories about him get more attention than his achievements, and said calls for cancellation would not make him give up.
What he promised
AY said he would host a free return show in Cardiff, paid for by himself, once a venue and logistics are confirmed. He said this would not replace refunds owed to people who bought tickets for the original event.
Background
AY is one of Nigeria's best-known comedians and has run the AY Live brand for many years, as well as producing hit films. His account of the tour problems has not been confirmed by the organisers.
Agbara Nla: The Return earns over $170,000 abroad ahead of US release
Mike Bamiloye's faith film Agbara Nla: The Return has reportedly earned about $173,650 in the UK, Ireland and Canada and opens in US cinemas on Friday. It has made ₦408 million in Nigeria and topped the local box office for four weekends.
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The faith-based Nollywood film Agbara Nla: The Return is reportedly breaking records abroad as it prepares to open in cinemas across the United States.
The figures
According to the film's distributor, the movie has earned about $173,650 across the UK, Ireland and Canada, including about £86,700 from the UK and Ireland and about CAD$82,200 from Canada. The distributor claims it recorded the biggest opening weekend ever for a Nollywood film in the UK, as well as record pre-sales. These figures come from the distributor and have not been independently verified. In Nigeria, the film has grossed about ₦408 million, making it the second-highest-grossing Nollywood film of 2026, and has held the number one spot for four weekends in a row.
US release
The film opens in American cinemas on Friday, 30 October 2026, with tickets available through major cinema chains, the distributor announced on Instagram this week.
Background
Agbara Nla: The Return is a modern retelling of the 1993 classic Agbara Nla by Mount Zion Faith Ministries founder Mike Bamiloye, who reprises his role as the herbalist Isawuru. The original film is one of the best-known Christian movies in Nigeria and was watched by millions on video. The new version has drawn church groups and families to cinemas in large numbers.
Why it matters
The film's success abroad shows the growing audience for Nigerian faith-based stories among the diaspora, and could encourage more Nollywood releases in foreign cinemas.
Sokoto ADC governorship candidate says his convoy was attacked near airport
Manir Muhammad Dan'iya, the ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, says his convoy was blocked and shot at near the Sokoto airport on Friday night, damaging his vehicles. He blames state security personnel, while police say anyone found responsible will face the law.
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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for governor of Sokoto State, Manir Muhammad Dan'iya, has alleged that his convoy was attacked near the Sultan Abubakar III International Airport in Sokoto on Friday night, 30 October 2026.
What he says happened
According to his media aide, Aminu Abdullahi, the incident happened at about 9pm, shortly after Dan'iya had seen off former governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal at the airport. He alleged that members of the Sokoto State Marshal and Community Guard blocked the convoy, saying they were acting on orders to keep ADC members out of the state. He said efforts to calm the situation failed before shots were fired. Dan'iya reportedly escaped unhurt, but his bulletproof vehicles were damaged, and he said two Department of State Services officers attached to his security team were taken away. He also said he had noticed unusual deployments at several entry points into the state earlier in the day.
Official response
The Sokoto State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Rufae, said the command would take necessary action and that anyone found responsible would face the law. The Sokoto State Government and the Marshal and Community Guard had not publicly responded at the time of the report, and the allegations have not been independently verified.
What he is asking for
Dan'iya reported the matter to the state Commissioner of Police and asked the Inspector-General of Police and the head of the DSS to investigate and secure the release of the two officers. He also called on the state government to explain the alleged orders.
Background
The incident is the latest in a string of reported attacks on opposition figures as campaigning for the January 2027 elections intensifies. On the same day, AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore said he was attacked in Ado-Ekiti, and an APC rally in Katsina was disrupted earlier this week.
Obi promises to go into the bush himself to rescue kidnap victims if elected
NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has reportedly told a rally in Bayelsa State that he would personally go into forests to rescue kidnap victims if he becomes president. He also promised free primary education and at least 10,000MW of electricity, and criticised President Tinubu's foreign trips.
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Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has reportedly promised to personally lead efforts to rescue kidnap victims if he is elected in 2027.
What he said
Speaking at a campaign rally in Bayelsa State on Friday, 30 October 2026, Obi said that if anyone kidnapped schoolchildren or anyone else under his government, he would go into the bush himself. He said he had recently travelled by road through several states, including Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa and Ebonyi, and that Nigeria's roads must be made safe. He said his government would start by uniting the country so that no region or group felt left out.
Other promises
Obi reportedly pledged that public money would be managed openly, that an NDC government would work with states to make primary education free, and that it would aim to generate, transmit and distribute at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity. He claimed current supply is far lower.
Criticism of Tinubu
Obi criticised President Bola Tinubu for not visiting Bayelsa, where oil was first discovered in Nigeria, and repeated his claim that the President spends a large part of the year abroad. The Presidency has previously rejected such claims, and had not responded to the latest remarks at the time of the report.
Background
Obi has held a series of town halls and rallies this week, including in Nasarawa, where he said election riggers would be jailed, and in Ebonyi. Insecurity, including kidnappings on highways and in schools, remains one of the biggest issues for voters ahead of the January 2027 elections.