Rave News Digest: Biodun Fatoyinbo Steps Down, Big Brother Naija 2019 Kicks Off, Taylor Swift + More
Well known for not addressing allegations against him, Biodun Fatoyinbo has finally addressed the latest accusation and has bowed to pressure. Meanwhile, BBNaija 2019 is finally here! Stay up to date with our Rave News Digest which summarizes some of the hottest global news you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.
Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics…
1. COZA protests: Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo bows to pressure
Senior Pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA), Biodun Fatoyinbo has given in to the outcry for him to step down as a minister of the church.
He took to his official Instagram account on Monday to announce that he had decided to step down after receiving counsel from Christian leaders around the world.
“Drawing from their counsel and that of the leadership of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly and owing to my love for God’s work and the sacred honour of my calling, I have decided to take a leave of absence from the pulpit of the church,” he wrote.
His stepping down comes after some well-meaning Nigerians staged a peaceful protest outside the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly in Abuja on Sunday, to force his resignation as the senior pastor of the Pentecostal church over allegations of sexual assault levelled against him.
The demonstrators which were estimated to be about 300 people, carried placards bearing a variety of condemnations of rape against Fatoyinbo at the COZA headquarters in Abuja. A similar and simultaneous protest was also held at the church’s branch in Lagos on Sunday morning.
According to reports, at about an hour into the protest, a sit-in at the entrance of the church premises, a counter-protest was started. A small group of people led by an alleged COZA member held placards of their own in solidarity and support of the beleaguered pastor.
Although Fatoyinbo had faced previous accusations of inappropriate sexual behaviour, he has recently come under fire after the wife of popular Nigerian musician Timi Dakolo, Busola Dakolo, accused the pastor of raping her as a teenager.
Fatoyinbo denied the allegations in a statement on Friday night, saying he would not rape any woman, “not even as an unbeliever”. The pastor also threatened to file a lawsuit.
Even as rape is a criminal offence in Nigeria, the authorities remain handicapped regarding the issue as Busola is yet to make a formal complaint despite many Nigerians urging her to do so. But some Nigerians believe the pastor should step down from his position regardless, and await investigation to clear his name.
2. Fresh violence sees at least seven dead in Sudan
At least seven people were killed as tens of thousands protested in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, on Sunday.
The protest was the largest mass demonstration since the deadly crackdown on a pro-democracy sit-in earlier in June.
The state news agency said seven people had died and 181 were hurt, citing the health ministry. The pro-opposition Central Committee of Sudan Doctors spoke of at least five protesters being killed.
The Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said there are “many reported critical injuries caused by the gunshots of Transitional Military Council’s militias” and that the wounded were being treated in hospitals.
Sudan has been in turmoil since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April. The people have clamoured for a civilian rule but the military council have refused to give in.
“There are snipers shooting at people, they shot three members of RSF and five or six citizens, we are upset, and we want to get things under control,” Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), said in a statement on state TV, according to Reuters.
The violence has led to the suspension of Sudan from the African Union (AU). But a military crack-down on protesting civilians has persisted.
3. BBNaija 2019 begins
The much-anticipated reality TV show, Big Brother Naija Season 4, kicked off on Sunday evening.
The housemates were introduced to BBNaija fans at an exclusive live screening show held at The Podium, Lekki, Lagos, on Sunday.
The host of BBNaija, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, at the premiere of new edition titled ‘Pepper Dem’, disclosed several changes which include that the reality show will run for 14 weeks rather than the earlier scheduled 12 weeks.
The 21 housemates in season 4 of BBNaija will, therefore, hustle for N60 million worth of prizes for 99 days rather than 90 days.
According to Big Brother, the decision was taken because of the interesting individuals in this year’s edition.
Teni the Entertainer, Zlatan and Burna Boy were among the artists who performed at the event.
In addition to the N30 million cash prize, the winner will also walk away with a trip to Dubai for two; a home make-over courtesy and a year’s supply of Pepsi drink.
There is also a bonus prize of two VIP Tickets to watch a European Football final game live, an Africa Fest VVIP experience; a year’s supply of Indomie noodles & Munch it; and a brand new Oppo mobile smartphone.
4. Taylor swift accuses Scooter Braun of “manipulative bullying” after he acquires her music
American singer and songwriter, Taylor Swift, has called learning that her music catalogue has been sold to a company owned by music manager Scooter Braun as her “worst case scenario.”
Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, acquired Big Machine Label Group from Scott Borchetta, who worked with Swift from 2006 until she left Big Machine for Universal Music Group late last year.
In a Tumblr post on Sunday, Swift claimed she learned about the acquisition of Big Machine Label Group on Sunday “as it was announced to the world.”
The 29-year-old also claims to have been bullied by Braun for years and explains how upset she is that her songs with Big Machine Label Group ended up with Braun, who manages artists such as Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and the Zac Brown Band.
The pop superstar accused Braun of “manipulative bullying” and targeting her at various points in her career with the help of other celebrities.
She mentioned Kim Kardashian West and accused her of having “orchestrated an illegally recorded snippet of a phone call to be leaked.” She added that “Scooter got his two clients together to bully me online about it.”
She then shared a screenshot taken from Justin Bieber’s Instagram account of a post made in August 2016, in which the “Sorry” singer shared a Facetime call between himself and Braun — who can be seen with Kanye West. “Taylor swift what up,” Bieber captioned the post.
She also accused Kanye West of having organized a “revenge porn music video which strips my body naked.”
“Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”
Borchetta responded to Swift’s Tumblr post, denying any bullying over the years by Braun. He also claimed that her father had a lawyer present for a shareholder meeting in which the news was shared.
Justin Bieber has also defended Braun in an Instagram post. “Neither Scooter or I have anything negative to say about you we truly want the best for you,” Bieber wrote.
“I usually don’t rebuttal things like this but when you try and deface the character of someone I love, that’s crossing a line,” he added.
5. Rave Soccer Roundup
The Super Eagles of Nigeria were dealt a humiliating defeat by tournament newbies Madagascar in their final fixture of the group stages. Madagascar scored a goal in each half to run out 2-0 winners.
Burundi was not spared either in their fixture against Guinea. They lost out 2-0 hence exiting the tournament without a single point.
The results mean Madagascar finish as group winners, Nigeria as runners up while Guinea will have to await their fate after the last set of fixtures of the group stage have been played to know if they qualify as one of the best losers.
Elsewhere in the competition, hosts Egypt trounced Uganda 2-0 to continue their perfect campaign. They finished as Group A winners while Uganda finished in second place.
In the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Haiti, Mexico, Jamaica and USA all booked their places in the semi-finals after an exhilarating round of fixtures. Haiti will now face Mexico while Jamaica will take on the USA for a place in in the finals.
It’s been a thrilling tournament so far in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. We are down to the very best four who will face off on Tuesday and Wednesday. The United States is on a mission to defend their crown but they face a very potent threat in the Lionesses of England.
In the other all-European affair, the Netherlands women battle the Swedish queens for the other final spot. Who comes out on top?
Meanwhile, in the Copa America, Lionel Messi and co are on a mission to bring an elusive title back home but they would have to get past host nation Brazil in order to stand a chance of doing that. Do not miss out on the blockbuster semi-final match between Argentina and Brazil on Tuesday. Chile will face Venezuela in the other semi-final match on Wednesday.
Muslihat Shaka reporting
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