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...
Missing Nigerian student, Caleb Obari found dead in Ukraine weeks after his parents issued plea to help find him

Caleb Obari, the 21-year-old Nigerian graduate who went missing in August after attending a yacht party with friends, has been found dead in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine. Caleb's body was found on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, near the coastline in Chornomorsk. According to the police, the cause of death is yet to be established and his case is currently being investigated as an accident. Recall that weeks ago Caleb's parents released a video begging for help in finding their son who attended a Yacht party with friends after they were invited by a woman only for them to return without him. They stated that the friends and the woman should be questioned about what happened to their son. According to a volunteer group called Rescue Platform 911, Obari was invited to a party on a boat by Vera Topalova, owner of a BDSM-themed bar Iznanka in Odesa. Out of about 10 passengers on the boat, Obari was the only foreigner. The boat set sail from the Sauvignon Yacht Club in Odesa and went four kilometers out from the coast but returned without Obari. The deceased friend who waited for him after the party was over said that when the boat arrived without Obari, other passengers gave his personal belongings, including a mobile phone, to him without any explanation of what happened.Few days after Obari’s disappearance, Topalova in a Facebook post, admitted to inviting him to the party but said he went swimming in the sea together with other guests and went missing which indicates he had drowned since he couldn’t swim. After his disappearance, friends took to Twitter to trend the hashtag #JusticeForCaleb and a protest was held near the Nigerian Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv on Aug 31.

