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Sean Combs sentenced to four years in prison for prostitution offences

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Sean Combs sentenced to four years in prison for prostitution offences

Music mogul Sean Combs has been sentenced to more than four years in prison, after a jury convicted him of prostitution-related charges in July.

The sentence, less than what prosecutors sought but more than Combs pushed for, comes after a trial earlier this year in which the rapper-entrepreneur was also acquitted of more serious sex trafficking and racketeering counts.

Earlier at the hearing, he had looked on as six of his seven children — the seventh, Love, is a toddler — made tearful pleas to the judge to let him return home.

“We know he isn’t perfect . . . but your honour, he is still our dad,” his 18-year-old daughter Jessie Combs told the judge.

Combs’ lawyers played a roughly 10-minute video showing clips of him playing with his children, raising money for charity and giving motivational speeches.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik said Combs had “not expressed remorse for the actual offence” that he was convicted of, transporting people for the purposes of prostitution.

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“It’s clear that [Combs] doesn’t appreciate or understand the gravity of his criminal conduct,” she said, adding that he had booked a speaking engagement in Miami for next week.

“That is the height of hubris,” she said.

The trial this year, during which Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie Ventura described a violent and abusive relationship, had been the subject of a media frenzy and one of the music industry’s most high-profile reckonings with alleged sexual misconduct.

When the jury’s verdict was read out in July, Combs smiled and pumped his fists in celebration at being found not guilty of the more serious charges.

Combs has already spent more than a year at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he was sent while he awaited trial. Ahead of Friday’s hearing, Combs’ lawyers asked the judge to sentence him to no more than 14 months, which would allow him to be released soon after on the basis of time served.

Combs was the architect of a far-reaching business empire that included a partnership with drinks company Diageo, a record company, TV network and reality show. He settled a legal dispute with Diageo last year.

Combs’ defence lawyers said he had struggled with substance abuse, anger and anxiety in the past but his time in jail had been “life-changing” and he had “taken the time to achieve necessary rehabilitation . . . including getting clean of all substances”. He ran an educational course in jail called “Free Game with Diddy”, they said.

They submitted scores of letters in support of Combs, including from friends, family members and a handwritten note on behalf of a fellow inmate who said Combs had “inspired me” to “better myself”.

Another fellow inmate, the convicted Chinese businessman Miles Guo, said in a letter to the judge that Combs had asked him if they could create an AI platform together once they were released.

“Without minimising Mr. Combs’s conduct, this is in many ways a ‘sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll’ story,” his lawyers, led by Marc Agnifilo from the law firm Agnifilo Intrater, said in a filing.

Prosecutors had asked for an 11-year sentence, saying Combs had conceded that his past behaviour included “violence, domestic abuse, drug use and distribution, and bribery”.

They submitted letters including one from Ventura, in which she wrote: “Over the nearly eleven years we were together, Sean Combs would hit me, punch me, stomp on my face, pull my hair, and throw my body to the ground and against the wall” and said the sentence should reflect “the strength it took for victims of Sean Combs to come forward”.

Sean Combs sentenced to four years in prison for prostitution offences

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‘I didn’t eat or bathe for four days,’ Peller says after police detention

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Nigerian content creator and social media star Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller
Popular Nigerian TikTok content creator Habeeb Hamzat, widely known as Peller

‘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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Nollywood actress appeals for support as recurring cancer spreads to bones

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Nollywood actress appeals for support as recurring cancer spreads to bones
Nollywood actress Cynthia Anijekwu

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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Baba Ijesha Receives Chieftaincy Title, Brand-New Car from Ooni of Ife

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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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