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Burna Boy makes history as first international Afrobeats artist to land a number one album in the UK

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Nigeria’s Burna Boy has become the first international Afrobeats artist to secure a number one album in Britain with I Told Them…, the UK’s Official Charts Company said on Friday.

The Nigerian-born global star, whose real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, shot straight to the top spot in the British charts with his fifth full-length release.

He had come close to earning the accolade with last year’s Love, Damini, which climbed to second in the UK album rankings.

Homegrown British talents making Afrobeats music, such as J Hus, have enjoyed chart-topping success but Burna Boy is the first foreign artist to do so.

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The feat marks the continued rise of the Afrobeats genre in Britain and around the world, as artists like Wizkid and Davido also enjoy mainstream success and increasingly shape segments of popular culture.

Martin Talbot, chief executive of the Official Charts Company, paid tribute to Burna Boy for “blazing the trail” and landing a “fantastic

“British music fans have always been renowned for their love of new music and embracing cultures from around the world, and the explosion of interest in Afrobeats’ musical culture over the past decade has been a concrete example of this,” he said.

Afrobeats takes its name from the Afrobeat musical genre of the 1970s popularised by the music icon Fela Kuti and which exploded in Nigeria.

Western audiences were discovering its scene in 2016 thanks to the hit One Dance, featuring Canadian superstar Drake and Wizkid.

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The tune soared in popularity to secure a place as the most-played song of all time on Spotify, surpassing one billion streams.

Alongside Nigerian stars like Burna Boy and Wizkid, with millions of social media followers, Ghanaian musicians are also emerging to take their turn in the global spotlight.

Gyakie and Joey B boast hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, while KiDi, Sarkodie and Shatta Wale — who enjoyed success with a 2020 track featuring Beyoncé and Major Lazer – are also gaining in prominence.

Burna Boy’s album was also a hit on Apple Music. From 25 August to 31 August, I Told Them… broke the record for the biggest African album in Apple Music history by first-week streams worldwide, according to a DNA Brand press statement.

The album launched 10 songs to Apple Music’s Global Daily Top 100, setting a new record for the most simultaneous entries on the chart for an African artist, said the statement.

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Entertainment

Lizzy Anjorin Questions Court Order Over Priscilla Ojo’s Son

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Nollywood actress Lizzy Anjorin has questioned the authenticity of an interim order issued by the Lagos State High Court on 2 September 2026, restraining her from publishing photographs of Priscilla Ojo’s one-year-old son, Rakeem Mkambala, and from posting editorials concerning the family on specified social media platforms.

Anjorin raised the issue during an Instagram Live session on Friday, 4 September, after Priscilla shared a copy of the court order online.

The actress argued that publicising court documents before formally serving the respondent undermines the case.

“Your case na dead on arrival. If you post court letter on any platform before serving person wey you wan go serve, that court case na fake court case,” Anjorin said during the live session.

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Her comments came shortly after the High Court of Lagos State granted an ex parte application brought by Priscilla, her husband, Tanzanian singer Juma Mussa Mkambala, and their son, Rakeem.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya issued the interim order in Suit No. LD/ADR/6646/2026.

The order restrains Anjorin, as well as people acting under her authority, from publishing, posting, circulating, uploading or broadcasting photographs of Rakeem on specified social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok.

The court also directed Anjorin to cease publishing or broadcasting editorials concerning the applicants on the platforms covered by the order.

An ex parte order is made at an interim stage without the respondent being heard. The order is therefore not a final determination of the dispute and remains subject to further proceedings.

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Priscilla shared the certified copy of the order on her Instagram Story on Friday, bringing the legal development into public view.

Anjorin’s reaction centres on the timing and manner in which the court documents were publicised. Her assertion that such publication makes a case “fake” is her own claim and is not a finding contained in the court order.

The development marks another chapter in the prolonged public dispute between Anjorin and Priscilla’s family, particularly Priscilla’s mother, actress Iyabo Ojo.

The disagreement has played out largely on social media and has previously resulted in legal action, including a ₦1 billion defamation suit filed by Iyabo Ojo against Anjorin.

In recent weeks, the dispute has also drawn Priscilla and her young son into the controversy, following public comments by Anjorin concerning the family.

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BBNaija Kess Says Big Brother Makes Life Harder

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Kesiena Tony Adjekpovu, popularly known as Kess, has said that participating in Big Brother Naija can make life harder, offering a candid reflection on the challenges that may come with the reality television experience.

The former Big Brother Naija housemate made the comment in a statement shared on social media, where he suggested that winning or simply taking part in the reality show does not necessarily make life easier after leaving the house.

“Big Brother makes your life harder,” Kess said.

The remark has drawn attention because life after reality television can bring a different set of expectations, particularly as former housemates adjust to increased public attention and the pressure that can accompany visibility.

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Kess was a housemate on the seventh season of Big Brother Naija, which aired in 2022. He entered the show as a businessman and was among the contestants who competed for the season’s grand prize.

His time on the programme also placed him in the public eye, giving viewers an opportunity to follow his personality and relationships inside the house.

Kess’s latest comment offers a more reflective view of the reality TV platform, suggesting that the experience does not end when a contestant leaves the house.

However, he did not provide further details in the available post explaining which specific aspects of life after Big Brother he was referring to.

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Damilola Oni Suffers Backlash at Mama Deola Movie Premiere

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Damilola Oni

Nigerian actress Damilola Oni has come under heavy fire across social media over her controversial outfit at the star-studded Mama Deola movie premiere (more…)

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