NEWS: Popular Singer Dies in Plane Crash, Taaooma Tenders Apology, Fresh Trouble For Baba Ijesha

Brazilian singer, Mendonca, dies in plane crash

Marilia Mendonca, one of the hottest young stars of Brazil’s answer to country music, died in a plane crash on Friday, officials said.

The 26-year-old mega-popular “sertanejo” singer was killed when the small plane she was travelling in crashed in Minas Gerais state, firefighters said.

The crash also killed the Latin Grammy-winner’s producer and one of her uncles — who worked with the singer — as well as the two pilots.

Authorities have launched an investigation, said local police chief Ivan Lopes.

“We still cannot say what caused the plane to crash, but there is damage that suggests that the plane collided with a (power) antenna before falling,” Lopes said at a press conference.

Local TV showed footage of firefighters working to remove the bodies from the plane, which crashed in a rocky area next to a waterfall.

The accident took place in a rural area near the city of Caratinga, where the artist was scheduled to give a concert later Friday.

Mendonca, who won a 2019 Latin Grammy for best sertanejo album, was wildly popular in her native Brazil and beyond, with 22 million followers on YouTube and more than eight million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Taaooma apologises for meeting VP Osinbajo

Taaooma, a popular comedienne with the real name Maryam Apaokaji, has apologized for meeting Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Taaooma, alongside a team of skit makers, had on Wednesday paid a visit to the VP under the aegis of the Nigeria Skits Industry Awards, led by its promoter, Bimbo Daramola.

Others on the delegation were Josh Alfred (Josh2funny), Ayo Ajewole (Woli Agba), Adebamiro Adeyanju (Mr Hyenana) and Adeoye Adeyemi Elesho (Yemi Elesho).

Talking about the visit, Taaooma earlier claimed that she represented the youth, adding that she spoke to Osinbajo about the Twitter ban and police brutality.

However, she was being trolled by Nigerian youths who believed that there should be no friendship with the present administration after all that happened during #Endsars.

Taaooma, however, took to Twitter to apologize.

In one of her apology messages, she wrote: “Hey guys, I’m apologizing once again. I had clear intentions and nothing more.”

Baba Ijesha to face fresh defilement charge — Police

An officer of the Nigerian Police Force, SP Wahab Kareem, on Friday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that embattled Nollywood actor Olarenwaju Omiyinka popularly known as Baba Ijesha is facing another allegation of child defilement.

The police personnel attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos, stated that another young lady has come forward, claiming that the actor defiled her when she was 12 years old.

Kareem, attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos, testified as the fifth prosecution witness in Baba Ijesha’s trial for the defilement of a minor, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

Led in evidence by the state counsel, Mr Yusuf Sule, the police officer said, “During our investigation, another girl (name withheld) came forward and said the defendant assaulted her when she was 12 years old. We interviewed her and the defendant behind the counter, and he vehemently denied the allegation.

“The girl said the incident occurred at Agah area of Ikorodu, and we told a representative of the defendant to follow us to the house, we met the landlord. However, the landlord showed us an apartment and said, `This is where Baba Ijesha used to stay’. Meanwhile, the defendant had denied living in that area.”

Following the testimony, the statement of James’ former landlord, Alhaji Jameel, and his statement at the SCID was admitted into evidence.

During proceedings, a video recording of James at the SCID admitting to sexually assaulting the foster daughter comedienne Damilola Adekoya alias Princess was played.

“I harassed her, I touched her hand and I licked her hand,” the defendant said in the clip.

Earlier, Kareem testified that he was asked to take over the investigation of the case from a team due to complaints from Adekoya.

“I was asked to take over the matter from Team A because the complainant (Princess) had complained about the closeness between the defendant and members of Team A. After the conclusion of the investigation, I transferred the file to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice,” he said.

While being cross-examined by Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN), Kareem said that he never visited the crime scene, adding that the other minor who also accused the defendant of defilement was brought to the police by Adekoya.

He said that the statement of the defendant’s former landlord was recorded at the landlord’s residence and not at a police station.

Moreso, he told the court that the statement was taken to his superior, CSP Margaret Ighodalo.

When asked to show where his superior countersigned the landlord’s statement as required by law, the witness said the landlord’s statement was not countersigned.

Also, the policeman testified that a lawyer was not present when James made his initial statement to the police at the SCID.

He added that James was not taken to Ikorodu to counter the other claim of defilement due to security reasons.

“The defendant was the one who asked his brother to take us to Ikorodu. We did not take him there because of security reasons; his name was all over the news on televisions and radio stations. He could have been hijacked from us; that is why we told him to nominate someone and he nominated his brother to go with us,” Kareem said.

Baba Ijesha faces a six-count charge bordering on the indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault by penetration and sexual assault by penetration.

The offences contravene Sections 135, 259, 262, 263 and 262 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Actress and comedienne Adekoya, alias Princess, the foster mother of the alleged victim, was present in court.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned the case until November 12, 2021, for the continuation of trial.