By Seyi Balogun, Lagos

Big Brother Naija winner, Ijeoma Otabor, aka Phyna, has celebrated the fourth anniversary of her reality TV success with another victory, making history as the winner of Nigeria’s first female celebrity boxing bout.

Phyna won the seventh season of Big Brother Naija,
Level Up, on October 2, 2022. Four years later, the reality star marked the anniversary with a boxing victory over Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing by knockout.

Reflecting on the two milestones in a post shared on Friday, Phyna wrote:

“October 2nd will forever be a special date in my life.

“Today marks the anniversary of the day I won BBN, and now, years later, I’m celebrating another historic victory becoming the first female boxer to step into this ring and win this fight. ”

The victory came during Balmoral Promotions’ Chaos in the Ring event at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday.

The former reality star sees her transition from reality television to boxing as part of her determination to challenge herself and break barriers. She wrote:

“From reality TV to the boxing ring, I’ve always been willing to challenge myself, break barriers, and prove that there is so much more to Phyna than what people see.

“This one is for every woman who has ever been told she couldn’t. We can. We will. And we absolutely should.”

Phyna thanked Balmoral Promotions and Bet9ja for the opportunity, describing October 2 as “a date of victory, courage and new beginnings.”

She also received ₦50m as the winner of the historic bout and said she intends to pursue professional boxing, suggesting her victory over Nkechi could mark the start of a longer career in the sport.

Following the fight, Phyna named Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia as her next potential opponent, accusing her of disturbing her through direct messages.

“I came in, and I kept my cool and did the thing. Now I would like to fight Etinosa. I think it is time I teach her a lesson,” Phyna said after the bout.

Etinosa, who watched the fight from ringside, accepted the challenge, saying, “I have been advising you to carry the Edo name with pride. We do not run from any fight. I accept the challenge fully.”

Phyna’s victory came on the same night skit maker Carter Efe defeated musician Speed Darlington by technical knockout in their four-round celebrity bout.

By Seyi Balogun

Daddy Showkey, one of the veteran Nigerian singers, has expressed disappointment over the prolonged rift between twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye of P-Square fame, saying the duo have destroyed what is the biggest music brand Africa has ever produced.

In an interview with Goldmyne TV, Daddy Showkey opined: “P-Square destroyed the biggest brand that Africa produced. P-Square isn’t for them alone.”

He stressed that entertainers owe their success to the public, noting that fans should always be considered in major decisions.

Drawing from his personal experience, he said, “As an entertainer, I can decide to lock myself in my room and celebrate my 50 years on stage. I am celebrating because it is the people that made me Daddy Showkey. If the people have made you, you are not considering them but considering how much you guys are making.”

He warned that the consequences of the brothers’ ongoing feud would become clearer with time, adding that their relationship should take precedence over their differences.

“Dragging themselves like this, the future will tell. No matter what, you guys are brothers. No matter what, you should look for a place to resolve things because you have children. Tomorrow you will carry this beef to your children,” he warned.

Daddy Showkey’s comments come amid the lingering public dispute involving Peter, Paul, and their elder brother Jude, who previously managed the music duo. But their escalating disagreements have occasioned a court matter that may deepen the feud. The disagreements have continued to attract public attention.

By Seyi Balogun

Tyla, the South African Grammy-winning singer, is no more visiting Lagos for her scheduled APOP World Tour, after news of her planned December 22 concert in Nigeria triggered calls for a boycott over renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

Tyla’s official tour website on Friday showed that the Lagos stop, which was previously listed for December 22, had been deleted from the itinerary.

However, all other previously announced dates across Europe, North America and South Africa, remain.

Tyla had unveiled the APOP World Tour, with Lagos listed as the only Nigerian stop before the tour concluded with performances in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.

The announcement sparked mixed reactions on social media, though. While some Nigerians urged a boycott of the concert in protest against the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, others didn’t justify the boycott.

Some social media enthusiasts argued that no South African artiste should perform in Nigeria while reports of attacks on Nigerians continued, while others maintained that musicians should not be held responsible for political or social issues.

The controversy deepened on Thursday after activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his “Ratel Movement” to stop the concert, if it went ahead.

In a post on his Facebook page, Otse wrote, “TYLA SHOW WILL NOT BE HAPPENING IN NIGERIA.

“This is a message to SOUTH AFRICANS. WE ARE AFRICANS AND WE DONT UNALIVE OUR OWN, since you people have taken it upon yourselves to unalive other Africans because according to you guys other African nationalities living in South Africa are taking your jobs.

“WE ARE STANDING IN SOLIDARITY TO SAY NO TO THE PROMOTERS AND CELEBRITIES FROM SOUTH AFRICA WHO HAVE REFUSED TO SPEAK UP AGAINST THESE ATTACKS ON OTHER AFRICANS LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Earlier, the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, opposed the boycott campaign, saying Nigerians should not blame Tyla for xenophobic attacks.

“Nigerians should direct their anger at their real enemies… No one should hold a talented musician like @Tyllaaaaaaa vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia,” Sowore wrote on X, adding that “Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.”

The removal of Lagos from the tour schedule comes amid renewed concerns over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa following reports of alleged xenophobic attacks and the death of Nigerian nationals, including one Chika Ibe in Cape Town.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Tyla nor her management had publicly explained why the Lagos concert was struck off from the tour schedule.

No concert promoters have announced a cancellation or postponement of the show, officially.