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Sanwo-Olu Announce 2024 Afropolis Lagos Festival Open

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Sanwo-Olu Announce 2024 Afropolis Lagos Festival Open—-The maiden Afropolis Lagos Festival, an international festival of arts, creativity and innovation, has been declared open by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu was represented at the event by his deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat.
Thr governor, during the opening of the festival on Saturday at the JK Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, said that the celebration of richness of African culture, arts, creativity, and innovation had become the commitment of the state government.
Sanwo-Olu said: “This festival has become a unique gathering for us, a melting point of ideas where tradition and modernity converge, where we believe the past made the future.
“This year’s theme, “the New Myth”, is a powerful and timely call for reimagination, renewal, and a fresh understanding of who we are as Africans and what we aspire to become.
“The myth that we have inherited from our forebearers have been the foundation of our collective identity values and culture.
“These stories have carried the wisdom of our ancestors, guided our beliefs, and shaped our societies.”
He noted that as the world evolves, Africans must also recognise that its narratives must also evolve.
He said that the theme challenged Africa to create new stories that would not only honour its heritage but also speak to the modern African experience, stories that embraces Nigerian diversity, resilience, and limitless potentials.”
He said that through history, storytelling had been a powerful tool for shaping societies, influencing mindsets, and inspiring changes.
Sanwo-Olu said that new myths were not just about fantasies but about possibilities.
According to him, they are the imaginative spaces where dreams are made tangible, where visions are painted in bold colours, and where the narratives of African future can take shape.
Sanwo-Olu added that Africans needed new myths that would challenge stereotypes, breaks boundaries, that dismantles limitations.
He said that such myths must capture the spirit of innovation, creativity, and resilience and “that defines us as a people.
“Myths that can propel us towards a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous continent,” he said.
According to him, Afropolis Lagos is an event that testifies to the boundless energy, talent, and potential that resides within our creative industries.
Sanwo-Olu called for craft that would shape the myths, define the future of the state.
“As we open Afropolis Lagos 2024, I encourage everyone to engage fully with the exhibitions, dialogues, and performances that will unfold over the next few days.
“Let us immerse ourselves in the beauty of our diverse cultures, learn from each other’s perspective, and leave this festival with a renewed sense of purpose and the commitment to creating and crafting new myths that will inspire generations coming behind.
“Let us write the next chapter of our story, where Africa is the author of its own destiny,” he said.
Earlier, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, told revellers to expect an engaging season from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3.
Benson-Awoyinka said individuals would be occupied with electrifying cultural performances, music and all, as the festival also focused on technology, innovations, creativity, arts, music, dance and more.
“This is what we are made up in Lagos, this is about us, it is about music, dancing our culture. Everything is not engineering or science.
“The festival will feature, films, music, dance, comedy, poetry, games, exhibitions, panel discussions and more,” she said.
Also, Qudu Onikeku, founder of QDance Centre, the initiator of the festival, said the vision of Afropolis coming to fruition was in the power of collaboration which Lagos’s slogan harped on.
Onikeku said many brands had collaborated with him and the Lagos state government by putting in place pavilions like: vibe stage, groove stage, film lab, gemini gallery and more.
He appreciated the revellers for coming out in their numbers as well as the collaborators.
“We have to learn collaboration, without collaboration Lagos will never be great, it is not easy because it is not about inclusion.
“This is our way of making Lagos a local hub for creative energy.
“Participants from over 11 countries have arrived. We have people from: Dakar, Cotonou, Colombia, Netherlands, Cameroon, Ethiopia, UK, Germany, Brazil, France, Lebanon, Canada, Uruguay, the United States, Jos, Abuja and Kaduna,” he said.
The highlight of the opening of the event was the scintillating drama performance displayed by the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, entitled “Ijuba”.
Dancers from QDance Centre also displayed Oya dance performance and another on reincarnation.

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Crime

Ex-Gang Leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis Goes on Trial Over 1996 Tupac Shakur Murder

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Ex-Gang Leader Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis Goes on Trial Over 1996 Tupac Shakur Murder—-Nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting, Duane “Keffe D” Davis faces trial in the only criminal case brought in connection with the rap icon’s death.

Nearly three decades after Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas, the long-running mystery surrounding the rapper’s death is finally heading into a courtroom as former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis goes on trial Monday.

Davis, 63, is charged with murder with a deadly weapon with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He has pleaded not guilty. Jury selection is scheduled to begin in Clark County District Court, with the trial expected to last several weeks.

Prosecutors accuse Davis of helping orchestrate the September 1996 attack that killed Shakur. Authorities allege that Davis was involved in planning the retaliation after an earlier confrontation involving members of his South Side Compton Crips gang and Shakur’s entourage.

Davis has never been accused of personally pulling the trigger. Prosecutors instead contend that he helped organize the attack and supplied the firearm allegedly used in the shooting. The identity of the person who fired the fatal shots remains a central issue in the case.

Shakur was only 25 when he was shot while riding in a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight following a Mike Tyson boxing match in Las Vegas on September 7, 1996. He died six days later from his injuries.

For years, the investigation produced no criminal charges. The case was revived after Davis made public comments about his alleged involvement, including accounts contained in his 2019 memoir, “Compton Street Legend,” as well as interviews and documentary appearances.

Those statements are expected to form a major part of the prosecution’s case. Prosecutors have acknowledged that Davis’ various accounts contain inconsistencies but argue that his statements nevertheless provide evidence of his role in the killing.

The defense, meanwhile, is expected to challenge the credibility and reliability of those statements. Davis’ lawyers have argued that portions of his memoir and other public accounts were exaggerated or inaccurate, setting up a trial in which the jury may have to determine which parts of Davis’ numerous accounts can be trusted.

The case also brings renewed attention to the bitter East Coast-West Coast rivalry that surrounded the hip-hop industry during the 1990s. Shakur was closely associated with Death Row Records, while the rivalry with Bad Boy Records and figures connected to the East Coast had become increasingly hostile.

Davis was arrested in September 2023 after investigators obtained a new indictment in the case, making him the only person ever charged in connection with Shakur’s murder. He has remained in custody since then.

The trial has attracted enormous public interest because of Shakur’s enduring influence on music and popular culture. The rapper sold tens of millions of records during his career and remains one of hip-hop’s most influential figures nearly three decades after his death.

Shakur’s family and supporters have spent years seeking answers over what happened that night in Las Vegas. The proceedings now offer prosecutors their first opportunity to present a complete criminal case before a jury.

However, the trial is not expected to resolve every unanswered question surrounding the murder. With the alleged gunman never charged and key witnesses from the 1996 era no longer available, prosecutors face the challenge of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Davis was criminally responsible for the killing.

As jury selection begins Monday, the case enters a historic new chapter — nearly 30 years after one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries began.

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Entertainment

Watch Moment Davido Shows Carter Efe His Direct Messages with Cristiano Ronaldo (VIDEO)

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Watch Moment Davido Shows Carter Efe His Direct Messages with Cristiano Ronaldo (VIDEO)—-The Afrobeats superstar left streamer Carter Efe in disbelief after revealing his direct messages with football icon Cristiano Ronaldo during a live broadcast, reigniting buzz about their long-standing friendship.

Nigerian music star Davido surprised content creator Carter Efe and thousands of viewers after briefly showing his private direct messages with Cristiano Ronaldo during a live-stream session, offering fans another glimpse into his relationship with the Portuguese football legend.

The viral moment unfolded during Carter Efe’s livestream with Davido, where the singer scrolled through his phone and flashed what appeared to be an active conversation with Ronaldo. The revelation sparked excitement among viewers, many of whom had previously questioned Davido’s repeated claims that he shares a close relationship with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Carter Efe reacted with visible amazement, while clips of the exchange quickly spread across social media, with fans praising Davido for seemingly putting an end to doubts about his connection with one of football’s greatest-ever players. The livestream generated widespread discussion across X, Instagram and TikTok, where users debated the pair’s friendship and shared screenshots from the broadcast.

Davido has spoken publicly about his friendship with Ronaldo on several occasions. In interviews, the Afrobeats star has described the Portugal captain as “a very good friend,” while revealing that they have communicated privately over the years.

Earlier, Davido also recounted how Ronaldo personally invited him to watch a Manchester United match at Old Trafford, with plans for dinner and a post-match gathering. According to the singer, United’s defeat that evening left Ronaldo so frustrated that he cancelled the planned meet-up and went straight home—a story that sparked widespread debate online before fans pointed to the pair’s long-standing interactions on social media.

The latest livestream appearance has only strengthened public fascination with Davido’s ties to global sporting icons. While the singer kept the contents of the conversation private, the brief glimpse of the messages was enough to send social media into a frenzy and fuel fresh conversations about his friendship with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The viral moment once again highlighted Davido’s influence beyond music, with the award-winning artist continuing to attract global attention through his connections with some of the world’s biggest names in sports and entertainment.

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