Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
Germany’s government agency for disease control revised its official figures on the spread of coronavirus on Thursday, confirming that the number of infections had topped the 10,000 marks. The nationwide statistics went up by 2,801 to just under 11,000 infections, the Robert Koch Institute reported. This matched with DPA's own research, which tallied more than 10,000 cases on Wednesday across the country’s 16 federal states. The worst-affected regions are the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia with 3,800 cases, followed by Bavaria with almost 1,800 and Baden-Wuerttemberg with more than 1,600. Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg are both in the south. Dpa counted 28 deaths in the country from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, while the Robert Koch Institute was still reporting 20 in its latest figures. Chancellor Angela Merkel had appealed to the German public on Wednesday to stick to social distancing measures and stay indoors where possible in order to slow the spread of the disease. Merkel told millions of viewers in a pre-recorded statement aired by a number of broadcasters that: “it is serious. You should take it seriously too.’’Merkel’s government had held back from issuing draconian lockdown measures like those in Italy, France and Spain. In her speech, she stressed the importance of democratic values in the face of the crisis but appeared to warn of a stricter approach if citizens do not do their part. She said, “Stick to the rules that are in place for now. We will constantly reassess as a government what can still be improved, but also what may still be necessary.’’