Gist Arena

In an interview with Saturday Tribune, Mercy Johnson Okojie opens up about life before the fame, money and marriage. She talks about how she once lived in an uncompleted building and how she was inspired to start acting after watching one of Genevieve Nnaji's movies. Excerpt below... Sometimes when I cry in movies, it isn't the script that makes me cry. When I recall my humble beginning, I give thanks to God. When I remember how we moved into an uncompleted building and had to take cover whenever it rained because of the condition of the house; how my brother did a menial job as a bricklayer to earn a living and those days when we rolled over a stick to cover the windows up till the point when I started acting and raised money to cover the roof… I recall those days we were living with lizards because the floor and the walls of the house were not plastered, or when I had scars as a result of my several falls."           ...

Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Malam Nasir el-Rufai stirred the hornet's nest on Thursday evening when he claimed that he is number 7 on the purported watch list of President Goodluck Jonathan. el-Rufai, who made the claim via his tweeter handle, identified four other prominent Nigerians including former military head of state, General (Retd) Muhammadu Buhari; a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu; the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and a former Osun State Governor and Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, as also making the list. The existence of a purported political watch list came to public limelight when a former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in a letter dated December 2, 2013, accused Jonathan of training snipers and putting 1,000 people on a watch list. Obasanjo had also accused Jonathan of clandestinely arming a killer-squad. However, the President denied the allegations in his own le...

A friend once told me that Nigeria "may not be easy in 2015", now am beginning to see why... Controversy has greeted the said watch list of President Goodluck Jonathan with a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, identifying himself and others as some of those on the list. El-Rufai's tweet on Thursday evening triggered another controversy when he wrote that he's number seven on the alleged Jonathan's secret snipers' watch list. El-Rurai also went ahead to identified others on the list as: Former military head of state, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu; Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Osun State Governor and Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande. Recall that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo had, in a letter dated December 2nd, 2013, accused Jonathan of training snipers and putting 1,000 people on a watch list. Obasanjo had al...

Amanda Ebeye tells Ademola Olonilua why she does more of soap operas than Nollywood movies You once said that some of your friends who are actresses encouraged you to become an actress. How did they manage to do that?  I had a particular friend who was taking me for auditions. Back then, auditions were held at the National Theatre and Winnie's Hotel in Surulere (Lagos). Actors would hang around and wait for audition notices. Those were the two most likely places artistes converge for auditions. My friend knew I always wanted to act and she was acting partly but in smaller roles. She was and is still more of an actress than a model till date. We are not really close friends anymore. You became popular in the television series, Clinic Matters; is there any difference between you and the character you portrayed in the soap?  Yes, it's a world of difference between the character, Abigail and I. Abigail is known to be very nosy, she is two-faced and has issues and controver...

The police in Ogun State have arrested a 37-year-old man, Kayode Olubunmi, for allegedly flogging his cousin to death on Christmas Day. Olubunmi was said to have allegedly flogged 20-year-old Haruna Adeoye to death for eating up a bowl of cooked rice earlier given to him (Olubunmi) by a friend. Adeoye said to be an orphan was alleged to have eaten the rice while Olubunmi was away from home – contrary to his uncle's earlier instruction that it should be reserved for dinner. The police claimed that Olubunmi, who returned home drunk, was infuriated by his cousin's effrontery and while meting out corporal punishment to Adeoye, it resulted in his death. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, explained that the tragedy occurred last December 25 at  Ajegunle, Ita-Oluwo, Ogijo, in Sagamu Local Government Area of the state at about 10.30pm. Adejobi said, " When the suspect, who went on a vi...