Nollywood actress and film producer Allwell Ademola was laid to rest on Friday at Atan Cemetery, Yaba, Lagos State.
It was reported that the actress died on December 27, 2025, at the age of 49.
Colleagues from the film industry, including Afeez Abiodun, Rotimi Salami, Kunle Afod, and Abiola Adebayo, among others, attended the burial to pay their last respects to the actress, who was widely known for her role as “Mama Kate” in the 2018 film “Ile Wa.”
In viral videos seen by this newspaper, the actors who attended the final rites were visibly emotional, breaking down in tears as they poured sand on Ms Ademola’s coffin, which had already been lowered into the grave.
During a brief sermon at the cemetery, the pastor who officiated the burial urged attendees to reflect on their lives while they still had the opportunity.
Reminder
He said the burial served as a reminder that everyone would one day face the same end.
He added that the moment should prompt deep reflection on how one’s life journey would conclude, particularly for those harbouring malice or engaging in wrongdoing.
The pastor said, “Then you will discover that nobody has time. The will of God is that this should help us mend our ways before our Maker. He said the righteous will always consider this in their hearts. What are we going to do with this? She has lived her life. She has run the race and has gone to meet her maker, but what we are doing here is for you and me. As for her, she is rejoicing in the bosom of Abraham.
“How will you end your journey? That malice, wickedness, “I will not agree” — who knows what is next? That is the million-dollar question before us today. Because in the next few days, nature has a way of putting forgetfulness in things. But will you remember that one day it will be my turn, just as it is her turn today? What God expects of us when we see things like this is to look up to God and say, ‘Father, help me to make the best of the time that is left.’”
Candlelight procession and service of songs
At the candlelight procession and service of songs, actors gathered to offer special prayers in memory of their late colleague.
The event, which took place on Thursday, was attended by prominent figures in the industry, including Odunlade Adekola, Saheed Balogun, Bolaji Amusan, Iyabo Ojo, Fausat Balogun, Eniola Ajao and Fathia Balogun. Many attendees wore customised white T-shirts bearing Ademola’s portrait as a mark of tribute.
In an emotional moment captured on video, Salami, widely regarded as one of Ms Ademola’s closest friends in the industry, delivered a heartfelt tribute.
Fighting back tears, he asked for forgiveness on behalf of the late actress.
“If there’s anyone Allwell has offended, directly or indirectly, please, forgive her and keep praying for her. I think the only thing we can actually do is find a way, in unity, to keep her legacy. Even if she’s gone, let all that she has done stay with us and be with us.”
Salami also announced that he would offer one day of free work to anyone who approached him for a film project.
Meanwhile, one of the late actress’s brothers issued an apology to actress Ojo over remarks he had made following his sister’s death.
He offered the apology during the service of songs held in her honour. Previously, a video that went viral showed him criticising some of her colleagues for their public tributes at the time of her passing.
In the video, he said, “All the ‘Rest in Peace’ messages and public displays of love are fake and hypocritical. Where was this love when she was alive? When she produced Eniobanke, none of you promoted it. You all claimed to be friends, yet you never supported her work or career, even though she supported many of you. During the Jagun Jagun production, no one called her or offered her a role.”
“Some of you, the likes of Lateef Adedimeji, Owonikoko, Iyabo Ojo and others, came to our house to shoot movies, yet you never found it worthy to stand by her. If you couldn’t support her while she was alive, don’t perform loyalty now that she is gone.”
However, Ojo, a mother of two, responded publicly to the claims, affirming that she had supported the late actress during her lifetime.
She wrote, “I oversupported your sister when she was alive, when she was building her career as a Producer and director, I featured in her movies countless times for free, and I also supported her financially and emotionally. May her beautiful soul continue to rest in perfect peace,” she said.
While apologising, he said, “Please ma, don’t be offended. I did not mean to abuse you; I was not referring to you at all.”
The Federal Government has announced the death of Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Algeria, Mohammed Mahmud Lele, who died at the age of 50.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa.
According to the ministry, Lele died in the early hours of April 19, 2026, in Ankara, Türkiye, after a protracted illness.
The ministry described the late diplomat as a dedicated officer who served the country with distinction.
“The late Ambassador Lele, until his death after a protracted illness, was the Director in charge of the Middle East and Gulf Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Ambassador Lele, a career diplomat, was recently appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Ambassador-designate to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, following the Nigerian Senate’s confirmation of his nomination,” the statement said.
Born in Gamawa, Bauchi State, in 1976, Lele studied Economics at Bayero University, Kano, and went on to serve in Nigerian missions in Berlin, Lomé and Riyadh.
“Ambassador Lele was known for his intellectual depth, strategic insight and commitment to the advancement of Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives,” the statement added.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dunoma Umar Ahmed, who received the remains of the late diplomat at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, described him as “a hardworking, humble and fine officer, who will be sorely missed by the ministry.”
The ministry added that his death “is a monumental loss not only to his immediate family but also to the entire Foreign Service community and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Lele was buried on Wednesday in Kano in accordance with Islamic rites.
The ministry extended condolences to his family, associates, and the government and people of Bauchi State, praying for the peaceful repose of his soul and strength for those he left behind.
Comedian Kevin Chinedu, popularly known as Kevinblak, has revealed that officials of a political party offered him dollars to change his satirical skits criticising politicians and governance.
He made the disclosure on Monday in an interview on ARISEtv’s Arise 360 programme, where he spoke about the pressures facing content creators who hold public officials accountable through humour.
Chinedu, known for his character Governor Amuneke, said the approach came at a particularly vulnerable moment, shortly after his wife had a Caesarean section and he was under financial strain.
“They said they were going to change my life, that I’m earning crumbs, you know, give me dollars. They mentioned that my colleagues are in the game and all of that,” he said.
He declined to name the party, saying only that it was “Amuneke’s party”, a reference to the fictional political figure in his skits, and cautioned against any attempt to identify it publicly.
“Don’t mention names, trust me, don’t mention names,” he said.
Despite the financial pressure, the comedian said he turned down the offer, recalling how the officials had tried to lure him to Abuja with the promise of a life-changing sum.
“I had a lot of bills on my head and I just heard come, come to Abuja, let’s change your life. Dollars upon dollars,” he said.
He said he ultimately held firm, guided by a personal code he had maintained throughout his career.
“I looked at it, I said, no, I am who I am. I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve never been in any illegal thing, and I’ve never been somewhere, you know, I’m doing something because I’m being influenced, because of money.
“If I want to do it, it should be something I’m doing because I want to do it. So, you know, it is what it is,” he said.
When asked whether friends had urged him to accept the money, Chinedu said his inner circle was equally principled, and had themselves been approached and refused.
“I don’t have friends that are easily overwhelmed with money. I have people who have principles because they have, you know, approached them, they themselves. So, we always have that conversation,” he said.
Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system is facing renewed strain as no fewer than 4,691 doctors have relocated to the United Kingdom since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, fresh data from the General Medical Council shows.
The UK GMC is a public official register detailing the number of practising doctors in the UK alongside other details such as their areas of speciality, country of training, among others.
The mass migration represents not just a human resource crisis but a significant economic loss.
With the Federal Government estimating that it costs about $21,000 to train a single doctor, Nigeria has effectively lost at least $98.5m in training investments within less than two years.
The figure put the total number of Nigeria-trained doctors currently practising in the UK to about 15,692, making Nigeria one of the largest sources of foreign-trained doctors in Britain, second only to India.
As of May 28, 2025, official records showed that the number of Nigerian-trained doctors in the UK was a little over 11,000. The figure has grown significantly since then.
The exodus of doctors comes as Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio hovers around 3.9 per 10,000 people, far below the minimum threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation.
For many health experts, the numbers confirm what has long been visible: a system gradually losing its most critical workforce.
The Nigerian Medical Association has repeatedly warned that poor remuneration, unsafe working conditions, and inadequate infrastructure are pushing doctors out of the country.
“Our members are overworked, underpaid and exposed to unsafe environments daily. Many are simply burnt out,” the NMA said in one of its recent statements addressing workforce migration.
Similarly, the National Association of Resident Doctors has consistently highlighted the toll on younger doctors, who form the backbone of Nigeria’s tertiary healthcare system.
“Doctors are leaving because the system is failing them—irregular salaries, excessive workload, and lack of training opportunities,” NARD noted during one of its nationwide engagements.
Ironically, the doctor exodus persists even as Nigeria continues to spend heavily on healthcare abroad.
While official foreign exchange data shows only modest spending on medical tourism in recent years, broader estimates suggest Nigerians still spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually seeking treatment overseas.
For instance, a recent report by The PUNCH revealed that foreign exchange outflow for health-related travel by Nigerians surged to $549.29m in the first nine months of 2025, a 17.96 per cent increase from $465.67m in the same period of 2024, according to official data by Nigeria’s apex bank.
A public health expert, Dr David Adewole, noted that the Federal Government’s national policy on health workforce migration, aimed at curbing the growing trend of health professionals leaving the country—commonly referred to as ‘Japa’—is a good initiative, but may not do much to address the fundamental problems of the shortage of skilled healthcare professionals in Nigeria, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
According to him, many of the push factors for health professionals emigrating to greener pastures, like insecurity, emolument and lack of basic amenities like potable water, health facilities, cost of living and constant electricity, persisted.
He stated: “To make healthcare workers stay here, let the salaries be enough so that what you earn will be much more than the multiples of what you need for basic needs, like food, power supply, housing, and so forth.
“People still look at life after retirement. You might have a good policy, but its implementation is the issue. For example, you are retired, and for your retirement package, you don’t need to know anyone for it to be processed promptly.
“Then subsequently, your monthly pension, without pressing anybody, should be paid. Those things are not here.
“And when you go to the hospital abroad, if you tell them that you are in a hurry, you go to your home; they’ll bring the medicines to your doorstep.”
