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...

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has proposed to carry out drug tests for single ladies before embarking on marriages. NDLEA Chairman, Mohammed Mustapha Abdalla, revealed this on Friday, August 21, while destroying seized illicit substances in Maiduguri.
Abdalla said drug tests may be included in premarital screenings due to the increase in the rate of drug addiction among girls and married women. He revealed that the target of illicit trafficked drugs which hitherto used to be among the male youthful population was fast expanding to now include teenage girls, young women, and old married women.“As an extension of the proposed Drug Integrity Test Policy for the public servants, the agency is considering partnering with religious leaders to make drug testing a prerequisite for marriages in churches and mosques as the case for HIV/AIDS”, he said. According to him, the essence of the event was to ensure that all seized illicit drugs were put out of circulation, adding that 19,234.58 kilograms of illicit substances including controlled prescription drugs, cannabis Sativa, cocaine, and heroin were destroyed.
Abdalla said drug tests may be included in premarital screenings due to the increase in the rate of drug addiction among girls and married women. He revealed that the target of illicit trafficked drugs which hitherto used to be among the male youthful population was fast expanding to now include teenage girls, young women, and old married women.“As an extension of the proposed Drug Integrity Test Policy for the public servants, the agency is considering partnering with religious leaders to make drug testing a prerequisite for marriages in churches and mosques as the case for HIV/AIDS”, he said. According to him, the essence of the event was to ensure that all seized illicit drugs were put out of circulation, adding that 19,234.58 kilograms of illicit substances including controlled prescription drugs, cannabis Sativa, cocaine, and heroin were destroyed.