Celebs

“How Much Does An Average Actor Make in Nigeria?” – Actress Hilda Dokubo Bemoans USD100K Ransom Demanded For Kidnapped Nollywood Actors

Insecurity is at an all-time high in the nation and our beloved celebrities are not being exempted from the increasing mayhem that continues to plague our communities and cities. Last week two Nollywood veterans (Cynthia Okereke and Cornel Clemson) were kidnapped with the captors requesting a whopping ransom of $100,000, approximately NGN71 million. Actress and Federal House of Reps hopeful, Hilda Dokubo has bemoaned the unfortunate incident.

In an Instagram post made on Sunday, July, 31st, Dokubo lamented over the incident describing how financial problems stemming from insufficient earing as well as terminal illnesses had become the bane of most Nollywood actors and actresses.

“Nollywood is about moving from one level of begging for alms to save an ill or dying colleague to now facing the worse of fears over two of their colleagues facing God knows what in the hands of kidnappers,” the actress wrote in the caption section of the Instagram post accompanied by a pictorial write-up that read; “One hundred thousand dollars ransom demand for 2 decent hardworking Nigerians whose only offense was that they were returning from work.”

Dokubo hinted at the poor judgment of the kidnappers saying how they were unable to differentiate between what was real and fiction portrayed in the movies by Nollywood actors.

She added;

“Where will we turn if not the public using our social media platforms? Well…Finally, the kidnappers have made their demands. They want money! 100k USdollars! From where? Unfortunately, they misjudged the financial status of the actors they kidnapped! And think that as it is in the movies that are how it is in real life. What a life!”

Dokubo further explained how she knew these two actors on a personal level and was sure that they had no such money anywhere to ransom their lives from their abductors.

“Where will we get one hundred thousand USdollars from? God save all of us from this pain and give us your grace for this period. I know some actors paint the wrong picture on social media all the time but it is only in line with the “Show” part of SHOWbiz. Hopefully, you’ll understand what I mean.”

“I am pained because I know these two personally, have worked with them and I know the truth of how it is with them. Just been asking myself one question all day, How much does an average actor make in Nigeria?”

Over the weekend the news that both Okereke and Clemson were kidnapped made it to the airwaves via a statement by Monalisa Chinda, the Communications Director of the Actor’s Guild of Nigeria (AGN). Both were returning from a movie set in Ozalla town in Enugu state on Friday, July 29 when they were unfortunately ambushed by the kidnappers.

Celebs

Davido gifts personal assistant Lati Range Rover as birthday gift

Afrobeats superstar Davido has once again shown love to those in his inner circle by gifting his longtime personal assistant and close friend, Lati Biola, a brand-new Range Rover as a birthday present.

The heartwarming gesture comes as no surprise to fans familiar with the duo’s long-standing friendship, which dates back to Davido’s childhood. Lati, who served as Davido’s best man during the singer’s high-profile wedding to Chioma in June 2024, has remained a constant in the artist’s journey, both professionally and personally.

In the early hours of June 25, 2025, Davido took to Instagram to celebrate his best bud, tagging him as his ‘favourite person’ and posting pictures from the birthday dinner and clubbing. He also posted the keys to the luxury vehicle with the caption, “Love you my brother, enjoy new keys from your boy.”

It is worth noting that this is far from the first time Davido has gifted Lati a car. In 2019, Lati revealed that the singer was so generous that he gifted him a new red Benz worth ₦70 million.

Celebs

Why I stopped womanising – Daniel Etim-Effiong confesses

Nollywood actor Daniel Etim-Effiong has opened up about his past as a womaniser, admitting that while it was a short-lived phase in his life, it was a significant learning experience, one he now warns young men against repeating.

In a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the movie star admitted to dating multiple women simultaneously in his younger years.

Maybe there was a time in my life I was a womaniser. Definitions would differ, but in that definition, maybe there was a period in my life that I was, I wouldn’t say for long periods of my life. Maybe for certain periods that I explored. So, perhaps.

He described those moments as “periods of learning”. Still, he emphasised that such a lifestyle can lead to long-term consequences, especially for those looking to build stable relationships or marriages later in life.

es, they were periods of learning for me. If I learned, then they were good periods. I learned that certain things don’t necessarily bring you the fulfilment that you think they would. On paper, it feels like that is the life, but in experientially maybe not.

He urged young people to avoid developing habits they wouldn’t want to carry into marriage, warning that commitment is a muscle that must be built.

I tell young people a lot that it is cool to be a player but if you develop that habit or lifestyle, you won’t automatically change overnight. So, don’t develop something you don’t want to continue for the rest of your life. If you are not able to commit to one person, if you jump from one relationship to another, that won’t automatically change when you marry.

When you marry that muscle hasn’t been developed so you encounter one challenge and you want to immediately jump or you just be like, ‘I’m talking to you; you are not listening to me, let me find somebody that would listen to me.

If you are the kind of person who, before you got married, it was easy for you to just walk away, keep different relationships, keep ladies on the string, that won’t change when you get married.

Celebs

Burna Boy gears up for the release of his 8th album with ‘Sweet Love’

Grammy award-winning global icon Burna Boy ushers in his highly anticipated eighth studio album ‘No Sign of Weakness’ with today’s release of the seductive new single ‘Sweet Love.’

The song is set to be followed by a music video, which will complement its breezy feel.

The song produced by Major Seven is a romantic, reggae-leaning track that showcases Burna Boy’s unmistakable vocal charisma and signature blend of global influences with melodic pop sensibility.

‘Sweet Love’ continues Burna Boy’s standout year, building on the momentum of No Sign of Weakness’s first single, ‘Update’.

Produced by P2J (Beyoncé, Tems) and built around a sample of Soul II Soul’s iconic 8 the track blends Afrobeats with anthemic, club-ready energy.

The official video, which weaves together powerful visual vignettes inspired by the album’s central themes, has already surpassed 5 million views on YouTube.

Burna Boy has previously released the bubbling ‘Bundle By Bundle,’ which has amassed over 24M Spotify streams and 8.5M video views.

Most recently, Burna Boy joined French-Haitian singer Joé Dwèt Filé for the remix of the viral hit ‘4 Kampé,’ fusing Afrobeats and Haitian Kompa into a cross-cultural anthem that continues to chart across platforms globally.

Last month, Burna Boy became the first-ever cover star of Billboard France, coinciding with his historic, sold-out show at the Stade de France, making him the first African artist to headline the iconic venue.

The multi-award-winning global star followed up on his Stade De France concert with another historic concert in Manchester, where he sold out the Co-op Arena, which is the biggest indoor Arena in England.