By Our Reporter

For Ugo Oswald, music is much more than entertainment. It is a responsibility—a vehicle through which artists can educate, influence, preserve culture and communicate important truths to society.
The multidisciplinary artist, author and songwriter believes music should carry messages that are meaningful, age-appropriate and rooted in the customs and values of the people.
“I believe that music is more than a sound. It’s a responsibility to the audience to influence, teach and share through age-appropriate storytelling, in the customs of our people,” Oswald said.
According to him, an artist has a solemn responsibility to confront society with the truth, mobilise communities towards communal living and promote values that strengthen society.
For Oswald, the genre is secondary to the message.
“We can rock it, ragga it, blues it, hardcore it, or simply oja it, to get the story across,” he said.
His approach to songwriting is also informed by his belief that music can communicate on several levels. He describes music as a “solid code” in which lyrics can contain deeper meanings beyond their immediate interpretation.
“I believe that music is a solid code, on two levels, or three levels, making lyrics deeper than what they seem to say,” he explained.
From Behind the Scenes to Songwriting
Although Oswald has only recently begun putting his own lyrics together in earnest, his relationship with music and the creative industry goes back many years.
A native of Ohaozara in Ebonyi State, he was involved in the music and entertainment scene during his university years, working largely behind the scenes.
He recalls being around the industry during the era of artistes such as McLoph, Ill Bliss, Obiwon and BigLo.
His experience also brought him into contact with some of the leading voices of the Nigerian music industry. While serving as a programme officer at the newly established NTA Asaba, Oswald granted Flavour, popularly known as Ijele, his first television interview.
Those experiences, he says, helped shape his understanding of music not merely as performance, but as a powerful medium for communication and social influence.
Today, Oswald sees himself primarily as a songwriter and music production operative rather than simply as an artiste.
His creative interest is centred on developing songs and productions capable of carrying substantial messages while remaining accessible to different generations.
Music With a Social Message
Oswald’s second album, Who Love Nigeria, reflects this philosophy.
The project explores family, history, anthropology, politics and African consciousness through a blend of conscious root rock reggae, dancehall, Afro-pop soul remix and alternative rock.
Rather than restricting himself to one musical style, he experiments with different genres in an effort to create what he describes as new paradigms for communicating deep messages about society.
Issues including conservation, governance and everyday living feature prominently in his creative worldview.
For Oswald, the power of an artist comes with an obligation to use that influence responsibly.
He is particularly passionate about positive and clean lyrics that can be enjoyed by families and audiences of different ages.
His philosophy challenges the notion that commercially successful music must necessarily sacrifice substance for entertainment. Instead, he believes music can be entertaining while simultaneously educating, preserving cultural identity and encouraging responsible citizenship.
A Multidisciplinary Creative
Beyond music, Oswald is a trained artist, brand and innovation expert, growth and marketing professional and author.
His multidisciplinary background informs his approach to creativity, allowing him to view music not only as an artistic expression but also as a tool for communication, branding, cultural preservation and social engagement.
He describes himself as a father, husband and “coffee-guzzling citizen”—a description that reflects the blend of creativity, family and everyday life that runs through his work.
As he develops his songwriting and production career, Oswald’s central message remains clear: music should do more than make people listen.
It should make them think, learn, remember, question and, where possible, act.
For an artist from Ohaozara in Ebonyi State who has spent years working around the music and media industry before stepping further into songwriting, the journey appears to be less about becoming another performer and more about finding new ways to use sound, words and culture to tell stories that matter.

A legal practitioner and author, Timothy Tugbiyele, has urged Afrobeats singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, to apologise to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his social media post displaying the governor’s alleged West African Examinations Council (WAEC) result.
Tugbiyele made the call in a trending video originally posted on Facebook on Monday while commenting on the ongoing political exchanges ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
Davido had shared what appeared to be Okpebholo’s WAEC result on his Instagram Story on Friday, shortly after the Edo governor criticised Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke over his penchant for dancing.
Okpebholo, who was campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, had mocked Adeleke’s leadership style.
“Before somebody signs paper, he will dance. Are you not tired? For four years, this man has been dancing. Before he takes breakfast, before he drinks tea, he will dance,” the governor said.
Davido, who has been actively campaigning for his uncle, subsequently posted the alleged WAEC result of Okpebholo without a caption.
Reacting to the development, Tugbiyele described Davido’s response as inappropriate, arguing that Adeleke should have responded to his Edo counterpart through official channels rather than allowing the singer to engage the governor.
He said, “Governor Adeleke, Ademola Adeleke, would have replied his contemporary governor, or caused one of his workers, maybe a commissioner of information or a special assistant, to reply. Not Davido, David Adeleke.”
The lawyer further argued that Davido and Okpebholo occupy different positions and should therefore not engage each other on the same level.
“I think what Davido did is disrespectful and I will plead with him, he should exercise some humility and apologise,” he said.
Tugbiyele also maintained that even if the alleged result was genuine and reflected poor academic performance at the time, it should not be used to ridicule the governor.
“The result is not good enough, but it’s possible. The governor did a resit. We are not aware of that, but I think Davido, David Adeleke’s publication is inappropriate,” he said.
He rejected the argument that the exchange should be dismissed as ordinary political rivalry, stressing that political disagreements should not descend into personal attacks or disrespect.
“I have heard it said by one of the political leaders that everything is fair in politics. No, when you are fighting below the belt, when you are insulting, when you disrespect elders, that is not fair in politics,” Tugbiyele said.
The lawyer appealed to Davido’s elders to caution the singer, while urging him to apologise to Okpebholo.
He recalled seeing photographs of Davido prostrating before elders, describing him as a well-brought-up Yoruba man.
Tugbiyele also argued that a person’s academic performance at one stage of life should not be used to define their entire life or career.
Using his own experience, he said he had also obtained results that were not impressive but was encouraged by his father to keep going.
“So, oh, Governor Okpebholo had a result that was not good enough. He’s governor today. All of that, the bad result is in the past. Politics does not really have to go to that extent,” he said.
He concluded with a direct appeal to the singer: “Davido, David Adeleke, please, as a proper Yoruba, please apologise to Governor Okpebholo. God bless you, David. God bless Nigeria.”
The controversy comes amid heightened political activity in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with Davido openly supporting his uncle, Governor Ademola Adeleke, in his bid for a second term.

Former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis faces life imprisonment if convicted

The trial of former gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis, accused of orchestrating the murder of legendary rapper Tupac Shakur, began on Monday, nearly 30 years after one of the United States’ most high-profile unsolved killings.

The proceedings, expected to last about a month, may not establish who fired the shots that killed Shakur on September 7, 1996, in Las Vegas, where the rapper had travelled to attend a Mike Tyson boxing match.

Prosecutors, however, will seek to prove that Davis, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips, ordered the killing and supplied the gun used in the drive-by shooting.

Jury selection began on Monday and is expected to continue throughout the week.

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Davis, 63, appeared in court wearing a light-blue shirt and blue tie. He faces life imprisonment without parole if convicted.

The killing of Shakur, also known as 2Pac, remains one of America’s most prominent cold cases and has generated decades of speculation among music fans over who killed the 25-year-old rapper and why.

Shakur was a major figure in the bitter rivalry between the East Coast and West Coast hip-hop scenes during the 1990s.

Known for hits including “California Love” and “All Eyez on Me”, Shakur was the son of a Black Panther and was raised in Harlem and Baltimore before becoming one of the defining figures of West Coast rap after signing with Los Angeles-based Death Row Records.

The trial is expected to revisit the rivalry between Death Row Records, founded by Marion “Suge” Knight, and Bad Boy Records, the New York-based label founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs and home to Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, who was murdered in March 1997.

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Prosecutors say Death Row Records was protected by Mob Piru, a Los Angeles gang affiliated with the wider Bloods alliance. Knight was associated with the group.

Bad Boy Records, meanwhile, had hired the rival South Side Compton Crips, led by Davis, as bodyguards.

After the Tyson fight at the MGM Grand casino, Knight and Shakur assaulted Davis’s nephew, Crips member Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, in retaliation for an alleged earlier attack on a Death Row employee.

Prosecutors allege that Davis subsequently sought revenge.

Later that night, a white Cadillac carrying Davis, Anderson and others pulled alongside Shakur’s vehicle in Las Vegas.

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Shots were fired from the Cadillac, fatally wounding Shakur.

The investigation stalled for decades amid a lack of evidence. The case was revived after the publication of Davis’s memoir in 2019.

In the book, Davis recounted that he was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Cadillac and handed a firearm to people in the back seat. He did not, however, identify who fired the shots.

The other people who were in the Cadillac that night have since died.

Davis had made similar comments to reporters previously, but the statements contained in his memoir ultimately contributed to his arrest in September 2023.

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He has since denied involvement and pleaded not guilty.

“I’m innocent. I ain’t killed nobody. Never did ever kill nobody,” Davis said in a March 2025 interview with ABC News from prison.

“They don’t have no evidence against me. They can’t even put me in Las Vegas,” he said.

Davis now claims he was in Los Angeles on the night Shakur was killed and says he has never read his own memoir.

He has alleged that his co-author exaggerated his account to boost book sales.

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“I just gave him details of my life,” Davis said. “And he went and did his little investigation and wrote the book on his own.”

Ahead of the trial, Davis’s lawyers unsuccessfully sought to prevent prosecutors from introducing the memoir as evidence, along with statements he made during a 2008 police interview in which he was questioned as a witness to the killing.

Regardless of the verdict, the trial may not resolve all questions surrounding Shakur’s death.

In May, Shakur’s stepbrother, Maurice Shakur, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit in civil court.

“There remain individuals who were involved in Tupac’s murder who, for 30 years, have not been held accountable for their crimes,” the complaint stated.

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The lawsuit also cites a television documentary series, Sean Combs: The Reckoning, in which Davis allegedly told police that Combs had offered him $1 million to kill Shakur.

Davis’s allegations have not been established as fact, and Combs has denied involvement in Shakur’s killing.

AFP

Documents reveal ownership dispute involving property gifted to Peller and Jarvis on their wedding day

Recent developments appear to have raised concerns that the ₦400 million fully furnished mansion recently gifted to popular Nigerian content creator Habeeb Hamzat Adelaja, popularly known as Peller, and his partner, Jarvis, may be located on a disputed parcel of land in Life Camp, Abuja.

Documents made available to newsmen indicate that the property may be situated on an area allegedly encroached upon by Paul-B Homes Limited and claimed by Yakoson Ventures and Urban Paradise Estate, behind Ochacho Estate, Life Camp, Abuja.

Urban Paradise Estate has alleged that Paul-B Homes Limited encroached on the property without its consent and subsequently commenced the sale of portions of the disputed land to real estate developers and investors, including King Ochacha, Silas Homes and NLG Cooperative.

The estate said the ownership dispute is currently before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Apo, Abuja, in Suit No. CV/116/2026.

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In a recent petition, Urban Paradise Estate alleged that Paul-B Homes Limited has continued construction activities on portions of the disputed property despite being served with relevant court processes through substituted means.

According to the petition, the continued development has raised concerns among affected investors and other interested parties, particularly regarding compliance with ongoing judicial proceedings and respect for due process.

The petition called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to prevail on Paul-B Homes Limited and other developers to respect the rule of law and the pending court proceedings and to desist from further activities on the disputed land pending the court’s final determination.

“It is important to stress that the ownership dispute remains sub judice and subject to the final determination of the court. No party should therefore be treated as having been finally vindicated or condemned until the court reaches its decision,” the petition stated.

The estate also commended President Tinubu for his emphasis on institutional reforms, the Renewed Hope Agenda and the strengthening of the rule of law and due process in Nigeria.

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It similarly praised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for his efforts to restore order, planning discipline and accountability within the Federal Capital Territory.

“It is in this same spirit that we appeal to the FCDA and other relevant FCT authorities to ensure that the rule of law is fully respected in this matter, that no development takes place in defiance of valid court processes or orders, and that the rights of all legitimate stakeholders are protected pending the determination of the court,” the petition stated.

The petition further urged members of the public and prospective investors to exercise caution and conduct proper due diligence before committing their funds to properties within the disputed area.

“Those already developing properties on the affected land are urged to seek proper legal clarification and take appropriate steps to protect their investments pending the resolution of the dispute,” it added.

The alleged land dispute does not, however, establish that Peller and Jarvis were aware of any ownership controversy or that they were personally involved in the alleged encroachment.

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The ownership claims remain before the court, and no party has been finally declared the lawful owner of the disputed property.

WHERE BUSINESS MEETS COMMUNITY: THE EVOLVING IDENTITY OF OC2HUB IN ABUJA

OC2HUB | Gordian Towers Limited

The role of a commercial centre is changing.

While location, accessibility and business facilities remain important, commercial developments are
increasingly expected to create environments that connect with the wider communities around them.
In Abuja, Orago Commercial Complex—better known as OC2HUB—is developing an identity that
reflects this shift.

The Garki-based commercial centre, managed by Gordian Towers Limited, is already positioned as a
destination for businesses, retailers and entrepreneurs. Its recent activities, however, show another
side of the brand: a growing commitment to the social, cultural and entertainment life of the Federal
Capital Territory.

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This has been particularly evident through its engagement with Abuja’s comedy community.

In 2025, Gordian Towers partnered with the MC Miti Comedy Show and subsequently supported the
MC Papi Comedy Show as both a partner and sponsor.

In 2026, the company continued this
engagement by sponsoring the Funny Bruno Comedy Show.
The consistency of that support is significant.

Comedy has become an important component of Abuja’s entertainment landscape, providing
opportunities for performers, event promoters, content creators and audiences.

By supporting these
platforms, Gordian Towers is participating in an ecosystem that exists beyond conventional
commercial transactions.
Its social and cultural engagement has also taken other forms.

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Gordian Towers offered support to Abuja Igbo Fest 2026, an event celebrating Igbo culture and
heritage in the Federal Capital Territory.

The company was also present at the 2026 Kilishi Festival,
reflecting its interest in activities that bring Abuja’s diverse communities together.
The company’s involvement is not limited to external events.

Through the Orago Trade Fair 2025, Gordian Towers created its own platform for business
engagement, bringing vendors, businesses and customers together within the commercial complex.

The 25th anniversary of Orago Commercial Complex provided another opportunity for community
engagement. Gordian Towers served as the event planner for the anniversary celebration, marking the
history of the complex while bringing together people and businesses connected to its journey.

These activities contribute to the emerging meaning of OC2HUB.

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The term “hub” increasingly describes more than a physical location.

It suggests a place where different interests meet and where relationships can develop.
For OC2HUB, those intersections are becoming increasingly visible.

Business meets entertainment. Commerce meets culture.

Vendors meet customers.

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Established companies meet emerging creatives. And a commercial property becomes a setting for experiences
that extend beyond buying, selling or leasing space.

This approach is particularly relevant to Abuja, a city whose identity continues to develop through the
interaction of business, government, culture, entertainment and entrepreneurship.

Commercial spaces that understand these connections can become more deeply embedded in the
communities they serve.

OC2HUB’s growing involvement in Abuja’s social and cultural activities suggests that this is the
direction the brand is pursuing.

Its support for comedy shows, participation in cultural festivals, organisation of a trade fair and
involvement in its own anniversary celebration all point towards a commercial brand seeking a more
active relationship with the city around it.

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Ultimately, the evolution of OC2HUB is not only about the development of a commercial property.
It is also about the development of a community around that property.

And in a city as socially and culturally dynamic as Abuja, becoming part of that community may prove
just as important as being a place where business is conducted.