Haunting photographs of Patrice Lumumba, Congo’s first Prime Minister, alongside his closest allies, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito, under guard as they await their fate, January 1961
It was not merely the image of three men under arrest, but of a young nation’s dream being strangled before it could take root.
Patrice Émery Lumumba was born on 2 July 1925 in Onalua, Kasai Province, in the Belgian Congo. By the late 1950s, as the winds of independence swept across Africa, he emerged as one of the sharpest voices against colonial domination. In 1958, he co-founded the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC), the first truly national party calling for unity in a country divided by ethnicity, class, and Belgian influence.
When Congo held its first elections in May 1960, Lumumba’s party triumphed, and on 24 June 1960, at just 34 years old, he was sworn in as the country’s first Prime Minister. At the independence ceremony on 30 June, before King Baudouin of Belgium and international dignitaries, Lumumba refuses to follow the expected script of polite gratitude. Instead, he delivered a speech that resonated with Africans everywhere and unsettled the colonial establishment. He spoke openly about the hardships of Belgian rule and reminded his people that independence had been won “through struggle and sacrifice, not a gracious gift.” That moment marked him as a symbol of African pride, and a target for those who opposed his vision.
Barely weeks after independence, Congo plunged into crisis. The army mutinied, their colonial officers supported the secession of the mineral-rich province of Katanga under Moïse Tshombe, and chaos spread. Lumumba turned to the United Nations, appealing for help to preserve Congolese sovereignty. But the UN limited its role to peacekeeping without challenging their colonizers involvement directly.
This left Lumumba increasingly isolated as his opponents consolidated power.
Seeking assistance elsewhere, Lumumba approached the Soviet Union. In the Cold War climate, this move raised concern in Western capitals. Western officials described Lumumba as a serious risk to Western interests, and their colonizers also worked with Katangan leaders to weaken him.
Internal betrayal cut deepest. Joseph Kasavubu, the ceremonial President meant to share power with Lumumba, announced Lumumba’s dismissal on 5 September 1960. Lumumba refused to step down, insisting on his legitimacy as the elected head of government. But days later, on 14 September, Colonel Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, an officer Lumumba himself had elevated seized power in a coup. Mobutu presented himself as neutral, but he was aligned with external backers. Lumumba was placed under house arrest by the very men he had trusted.
Still defiant, Lumumba attempted to escape in early December 1960 to Stanleyville (Kisangani), where his supporters had declared the Free Republic of the Congo. Betrayed en route, he was captured on 1 December by Mobutu’s soldiers. His humiliation began immediately: soldiers mocked him, paraded him through villages, and, according to some accounts, even forced him to swallow the written text of one of his own speeches.
On 17 January 1961, Lumumba and his closest allies; Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito were flown under guard to Katanga, then controlled by his rivals. During the flight, they were beaten by Congolese soldiers. In Élisabethville (today Lubumbashi), they were taken to a villa where Moïse Tshombe, Katangan officials, and colonial authorities awaited. That night, they were executed by firing squad.
In the days that followed, efforts were made to conceal what had happened. The authorities initially claimed that Lumumba had escaped custody and been killed by villagers. Few believed this, and when the truth emerged, it triggered outrage across the globe.
Protests and demonstrations broke out in many countries. In Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), crowds gathered outside the Belgian embassy chanting slogans in Lumumba’s honor.
In Nigeria, demonstrations erupted in Lagos, Enugu, and Onitsha. In Lagos, protesters converged at Rowe Park in Yaba, and anger spilled over into attacks on foreign-owned businesses before being dispersed by police. Across Africa and beyond, Patrice Lumumba had become more than a man, he was a symbol of independence and dignity.
Even in his final hours, Lumumba remained unbowed. In his last letter to his wife Pauline, he declared that though he might not survive, the Congo’s dignity and freedom would endure. He wrote that history would not be written in Brussels, Washington, or Paris, but in Africa itself, by peoples who had thrown off colonial chains. “Africa,” he promised, “will write its own history, a history of glory and dignity.”
Patrice Lumumba was only 35 when his life was cut short. His death was the result of a web of betrayals: by Kasavubu, who dismissed him; by Mobutu, whom he had promoted but who seized power; by the United Nations, which failed to intervene; and by foreign powers who opposed his leadership. Yet in death, he rose higher than his enemies. His name adorned streets and monuments from Lagos to Belgrade, Accra to Cairo, and beyond.
For decades, his family pleaded for the return of his remains. In 2002, Belgium formally acknowledged its role in his killing, but no amount of recognition could erase the injustice. In 2022 they handed back one of his teeth, the last physical fragment of the man.
Patrice Lumumba’s life was brief, his time in office shorter still, but his vision for an Africa united in dignity and independence endures. He remains not only Congo’s first prime minister, but one of the immortal martyrs of African freedom.
Popular Nollywood actor, Lateef Adedimeji, on Friday announced the arrival of his triplet sons with his wife and fellow actress, Adebimpe Oyebade, popularly known as Mo Bimpe.
Adedimeji made the announcement via his official Instagram page, sharing an emotional message in which he described the children as his world, responsibility, and legacy.
“I’ve been quiet… not absent. I was building, protecting, and embracing the greatest blessing of my life. God gave me more than I prayed for — a woman who became a mother of three, and three kings to call my own,” he wrote.
The actor, who closed the post with the Islamic expression of gratitude, “Alhamdulilah,” did not disclose the date of birth or the names of the children.
The announcement drew an outpouring of congratulations from fans and colleagues.
Fellow Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe wrote, “To God be the glory. Congratulations.”
OloyedeJuliana also wrote, “God is Good!!! God is Good!!!God is Good!!! Watching this again, I’m in tears, congratulations my fam, so happy for you two. Can’t believe
I’m an Auntie”
Also reacting, Omowumi Dada wrote, “Such GOODNEWS for the month of May. THANK YOU JESUSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Congratulations fam”
Adedimeji and Mo Bimpe, both prominent figures in the Yoruba film industry, had their wedding ceremony in 2021.
The husband of popular social media personality Eniola Fagbemi, known as Sisi Alagbo, Adesola Akeem, has issued a public apology over a leaked sex tape involving his wife, himself and another woman.
The video went viral on Monday and has since generated widespread controversy online.
The video, which depicted the trio in an intimate encounter, began circulating on WhatsApp groups and Telegram channels before spreading rapidly to gossip blogs, Instagram pages and explicit-content websites.
In the footage, Fagbemi is seen filming Akeem having sexual relations with the third woman while all three were unclothed. It remains unclear how the video made its way online.
Akeem, in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Thursday, said he took full responsibility for his actions and acknowledged the disappointment the incident had caused.
“I write with a deep sense of responsibility and sincere remorse to extend my heartfelt apologies to my family, friends, business associates, religious leaders, fans, loved ones, and the entire Nigerian public over the recent incident involving a leaked sex scandal.
“I acknowledge the disappointment, embarrassment, and concern this situation has caused, and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he wrote.
He added that his conduct had fallen short of the values expected of him by those who had trusted and supported him.
Akeem also directed specific apologies to family members, friends, business associates, and religious bodies.
“To my fans and supporters, I deeply regret letting you down,” he said.
He described the period as one of reflection and said he was committed to making better decisions and rebuilding trust.
“I am committed to making better decisions, rebuilding trust, and upholding integrity in both my private and public life going forward,” he added.
Sisi Alagbo had on Wednesday also apologised on her verified Facebook account, saying she had been unable to eat or sleep since the video emerged.
“I own my mistakes, and I apologize with all sincerity for the video circulating online. I am deeply sorry to everyone who felt disappointed in me,” she wrote.
Fagbemi rose to prominence through her promotion of herbal concoctions and became a social media sensation after a viral video of her kneeling to greet Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Social media stars Habeeb ‘Portable’ Badmus and Carter Efe traded fresh threats ahead of their celebrity boxing bout at Chaos in the Ring 4, as the main event fighters Ezra Arenyeka and Godday Appah also exchanged sharp words at a face-off ahead of the May 1 card at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Portable, who previously beat both Charles Okocha and Speed Darlington in celebrity exhibition bouts to win two belts, made clear he intended to add a third at Efe’s expense.
“I will use you to collect my third belt. Charles Okocha was bigger than you, Speed Darlington was bigger than you and I beat them. I will beat you now,” he told Efe directly.
Efe was unmoved, dismissing Portable’s record and warning that the bout would be brief.
“You can’t beat me. You that is scared of me — when we meet in the ring, I will beat you. One punch and you fall,” he fired back.
In the main event, Arenyeka and Appah, whose bout is billed as a symbolic WBO Peace Fight between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities of the Niger Delta, set aside any goodwill between them at the face-off.
Appah was unsparing in his assessment of what awaited his opponent.
“We were friends but there is no friendship in the ring. Right now, I am fighting for my belt, for my people and for the win. He knows who the king is. I am here for the knockout — this is war. You will not survive six rounds with me,” he said.
Arenyeka replied without hesitation saying, “I am going to break your head. You said six rounds — I will beat you in five. You will sleep in the ring.”
Elsewhere on the card, Ghana’s Elvis Ahorgah and Newcastle’s Joe Laws added their own flavour to proceedings, with Ahorgah delivering his threats in rhyme in the manner of Muhammad Ali, while Laws painted his face in the colours of the Nigerian flag in a bid to win over the home crowd against a fighter from a rival nation.
British southpaw Michael McKinson, whose father is of Nigerian descent, also features on the card against Algerian prospect Mohammad Sahnoun and said he was looking forward to making a statement while soaking in the Nigerian culture.
Balmoral Group Promotions CEO Ezekiel Adamu said the face-offs reflected the broader ambition behind the event.
“It’s entertainment, but I want these young guys to trust me that the world is watching. When you have a platform like this, it changes lives. This is what it is all about for us: giving these guys the opportunity and visibility and showing the best of African boxing. It’s wartime and let’s show the world what we have to offer here in Africa,” he said.
The nine-bout card, promoted by Balmoral Group Promotions in association with former world heavyweight champion Amir Khan’s AK Promotions and sanctioned by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.
It also features teenage sensation Raheem Animashaun against Tanzanian veteran Emmanuel Amos, national middleweight champion Rasheed Adeyemo against Tanzanian Nicolaus Mdoe, Basit Adebayo against Loren Japhet, UK-based Ghanaian Samuel Antwi against Congolese veteran Paul Kamanga, and a welterweight clash between Seun Wahab and Saidi Mkola.
