Entertainment
How I overcame sex-for-role traps –Shasha Donald, actress
From child prodigy to adult actress, the Anambra State-born Shasha Donald a.k.a Bugatti has continued to win the hearts of movie lovers with her movies.
In this exclusive interview, the Insurance graduate of Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, talks about her journey to stardom. Enjoy it.
Can you give us an insight into your background?
My name is Shasha Donald, but people call me Bugatti. I am from Anambra State. I am an Insurance graduate from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu. We are nine in the family, and I am the last.
When I was growing up, we used to do drama rehearsals. I started as a kid dancer and actor, and along the line in my secondary school and university, I was already a public figure. So, later in life, I decided to start acting and that’s how I found myself in the movie industry.
Can you recall some of the movies you acted as a kid?
Oh no, I cannot remember because I was very small then.
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How was the transition from being a kid actor and grown up actor?
Everything about me was about acting then. As a matter of fact, I loved entertainment such as singing, dancing and acting. So, the transition was so easy for me.
Did you have any formal training in acting?
No! I started reading novels and watching foreign films. And I featured in magazines too. So, one day in Asaba, some people looking at my pictures in a magazine began to motivate me. They asked if I would love to give acting a trial. This gave me a lot of encouragements to fully go into the movies.
What was the first movie you acted in as an adult?
It was ‘My Worst Enemy’ where I played alongside Ini Edo, Ngozi Ezeonu and other stars. It wasn’t just a ‘waka-pass’ kind of role, but a real role for a first timer.
Which of the movies would you say announced you?
I have done quite a lot and I cannot say this is a particular movie that announced me, because people would always commend my roles in movies. My current film is ‘Boy Make Money’ and people are already going crazy about it.
Going into the movie industry, did you have the support of your family?
Of course, they all supported me except my dad who said he thought I wanted to be a footballer. Like I told you earlier, I am highly talented in almost everything entertaining. So, he thought I was going to be a footballer. But then, I had nobody to train me or sponsor my soccer kits, so I had to withdraw from football to pursue my acting career.
Did you encounter any challenges when you first came into the industry?
Of course, nothing was easy. That was why when I started, at a point, I felt I wanted to stop. I just had to pull back and complete my studies. So, when people tell me that they would like to be an actress, I always tell them to cool down and finish school first.
What would you say is the biggest sacrifice you’ve ever made for your career?
I slept in a car overnight when I came from Enugu to Asaba for a movie role, only to discover that the shooting was going to start the next day, and I didn’t have anywhere to stay. I remember someone said I should come and sleep in his room, and I said ‘no, I’d rather sleep in the car till the next day’.
Tell us your sex-for-role experience?
It wasn’t that bad, because as a fine girl, men were always asking me out. They would tell me: ‘if you do this, I will make you a star’. And me, I have always been a stubborn person because I know I’ve got the acting talent, and that was the reason I didn’t fall into the sex-for-role trap.
What’s the project you are currently working on?
I just finished the one I did with Sly Mmadu. It is an action film where the characters are bad, killing people and all that. Later on, they got converted, but due to their past evil deeds, some ended up with deadly diseases as a consequence of their sins.
Aside what we see on screen, who exactly is Shasha Donald?
I am an easy-going person; a selfless being and people always want to be around me because they like my vibes. I do not bear grudges; I do not compete with anybody but myself, I just want positive people around me.
Is Shasha single and searching?
Yes, I am single. I am not in any relationship at the moment.
What are the qualities you would want in your man?
He should be trusting, good-looking and financially stable. He should also be lovable and be able to take good care of me because I like to be loved. I am the last born in my family, so I like to be pet and cared for. I always show love but I never get love in return.
Does that mean you’ve had a fair share of heartbreaks?
Yes.
Can you share the experience?
It is one of those things you experience in a relationship. Something that cannot break you will make you.
If the man comes back begging, would you accept him?
No, not at all.
Do you have ladies trying to toast you?
Yes, sometimes. They always say ‘I love everything about you, can I be your friend?
Sun News
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Entertainment
‘I didn’t eat or bathe for four days,’ Peller says after police detention
‘I didn’t eat or bathe for four days,’ Peller says after police detention
Popular Nigerian TikTok content creator Habeeb Hamzat, widely known as Peller, has opened up about his experience in police custody, alleging that he spent nearly four days in detention without food or access to a bath following his arrest by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command.
The social media influencer made the claims in a series of posts shared on his Snapchat account shortly after regaining his freedom, describing the experience as the most difficult ordeal of his life.
According to Peller, the conditions in detention left him physically exhausted and emotionally shaken, adding that he had never experienced anything similar before.
“I am ugly now. I can’t show my face yet. Omo, I sleep cell for almost four days. It has never happened to me before in my life,” he wrote.
Peller and his associate, Bello Oladipo, were arrested on July 2, 2026, along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road in the Lekki area of Lagos after police officers intercepted their vehicle, which allegedly had no registration number plate.
The encounter reportedly escalated when Peller began recording the interaction with his mobile phone. He later alleged that one of the officers pulled his shirt and pointed a gun at him during the incident.
However, the Lagos State Police Command disputed the allegation, insisting that the duo obstructed officers who were carrying out their lawful duties during a routine operation.
The command subsequently charged Peller and Oladipo before a Lagos Magistrate Court on July 7 on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy to resist public officers, obstructing police officers in the discharge of their lawful duties, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace by allegedly threatening and filming police officers during the operation.
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Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their arraignment, the court granted each defendant ₦500,000 bail with two sureties. The magistrate directed that one of the sureties must be a blood relative, while both sureties are required to present tax clearance certificates covering the previous two years. The case was adjourned until August 11, 2026, for further hearing.
Reflecting on his days in detention, Peller claimed he neither ate nor bathed throughout the period, saying fellow inmates jokingly referred to him as their “001” shortly after he was brought into the cell.
“As dey put me for cell, people wey dey cell talk say, ‘You be our 001 now.’ Omo, I burst laugh once. I no follow anybody talk till I comot.
“001 wey una wan give water beans.
“I no chop for four good days. I no bath,” he wrote.
His account has sparked widespread reactions across social media, with many users expressing sympathy over his alleged experience, while others urged that the legal process be allowed to run its course.
The incident has also reignited public debate about police-citizen encounters, the treatment of suspects in detention, and the growing role of smartphones and social media in documenting interactions between law enforcement officers and members of the public.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had not publicly responded to Peller’s latest allegations regarding the conditions of his detention. His claims remain personal allegations that have not been independently verified, while the criminal charges against him and his co-defendant are still before the court.
The case is expected to resume on August 11, when the court will continue hearing the charges against the two defendants.
‘I didn’t eat or bathe for four days,’ Peller says after police detention
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Entertainment
Nollywood actress appeals for support as recurring cancer spreads to bones
Nollywood actress appeals for support as recurring cancer spreads to bones
Nollywood actress Cynthia Anijekwu has made an emotional appeal to Nigerians and well-wishers for financial assistance after revealing that she is battling cancer for the second time, with the disease now spreading to her bones.
In a video shared on social media on Tuesday, the actress disclosed that she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2023. She said she underwent surgery and chemotherapy after the diagnosis, and although the treatment initially appeared successful, the disease later returned.
According to Anijekwu, recent medical examinations revealed that the cancer has spread to her bones, making her condition more complex and significantly increasing the cost of treatment.
She explained that doctors have recommended radiation therapy and another surgery as part of her ongoing treatment, adding that the monthly cost of her medical care is now about ₦600,000.
Speaking emotionally in the video, the actress said she has spent several months moving in and out of hospitals as she continues her fight against the illness.
“I had cancer in 2023. I did my surgery and took chemotherapy, but later it came back again. I’ve been in and out of the hospital. The doctor recently told me it has reached my bones, and the treatment is now much more expensive,” she said.
Anijekwu also disclosed that the disease has affected both of her breasts and caused swelling in one of her hands, making her health challenges even more difficult.
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Appealing directly to members of the public, she pleaded for financial assistance to enable her continue treatment.
“I need to live. I need to survive. I’m asking Nigerians to please help me. Anyone that can help, please, I need help.
“Even my hands have swollen. The cancer has affected both breasts. I need to live. Please help me. I need to survive.
“Your one naira and your two naira can add up to something reasonable for me to get the proper treatment for this cancer. I’m begging you, please help me,” she said.
The actress noted that the financial burden of managing the illness has become overwhelming for her family, prompting her decision to seek public support.
Before her health challenges became public, Anijekwu built a career in Nollywood, featuring in a number of English- and Igbo-language productions.
While there is no widely documented record of her appearing in major blockbuster productions, she has remained active in the industry and is now receiving public attention following her emotional appeal for support.
Her story has drawn sympathy from fans and members of the public, with many expressing hope that she will receive the financial assistance needed to continue her treatment and recover.
Nollywood actress appeals for support as recurring cancer spreads to bones
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Entertainment
Baba Ijesha Receives Chieftaincy Title, Brand-New Car from Ooni of Ife
Baba Ijesha Receives Chieftaincy Title, Brand-New Car from Ooni of Ife
Nollywood actor Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has announced that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, conferred a chieftaincy title on him and presented him with a brand-new car during a recent visit to the monarch’s palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The actor disclosed the development in a Facebook post on Thursday, where he expressed gratitude to the revered traditional ruler for what he described as a warm royal reception, fatherly support and generous gifts extended to him and his wife, Afolashade Omiyinka, popularly known as Luminee.
According to Baba Ijesha, the Ooni bestowed on him the traditional title of “Baba Awada Konge Oduwa,” a recognition he described as a significant milestone in his life.
Sharing photographs from the palace visit, the actor thanked the monarch for the honour and the confidence reposed in him and his family.
“My deepest gratitude to His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife. Baba, thank you for the royal welcome, fatherly love and the confidence you gave my wife and me. For the luxurious gifts you blessed us with, including the brand-new car, I am truly humbled.
“As a son of the soil, I am honoured by the chieftaincy title of Baba Awada Konge Oduwa. Ile-Ife, Ile Oodua, and all the chiefs and citizens, thank you.”
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As of the time of filing this report, the Ooni’s Palace had not issued an official statement confirming the conferment of the title or the presentation of the vehicle. The announcement is based on Baba Ijesha’s public statement and photographs shared from the palace visit.
The reported royal recognition comes just weeks after the actor and his wife welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named King Kagar Omiyinka.
Baba Ijesha announced the birth on social media, thanking God for the new addition to his family and describing the child as a divine blessing. The couple later held a naming ceremony that attracted attention on social media after the cost of the Aso Ebi fabric generated mixed reactions among Nigerians.
The actor’s latest announcement has equally sparked widespread reactions online.
While many fans and well-wishers congratulated Baba Ijesha on receiving what they described as a prestigious traditional honour, others questioned the decision in light of his previous conviction.
In July 2022, Baba Ijesha was convicted by a Lagos Special Offences Court on charges relating to the sexual assault of a minor and sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.
However, following a review of the applicable sentencing provisions and credit for time already spent in custody, he was released in November 2025 after serving more than three years in prison.
Since regaining his freedom, the actor has gradually returned to public life, frequently sharing updates about his family and expressing gratitude for what he describes as a second chance.
The reported honour from the Ooni has reignited public debate, with supporters describing it as an act of cultural recognition and encouragement, while critics argue that public honours should take into account the broader societal implications of celebrating individuals with criminal convictions.
The development has once again placed Baba Ijesha, the Ooni of Ife, and the conversation around traditional honours and public accountability at the centre of public discourse.
Baba Ijesha Receives Chieftaincy Title, Brand-New Car from Ooni of Ife
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