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.

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Barely one week after a Nigerian mother of three died of cancer in the United Kingdom, another Nigerian father of three, identified simply as Herbert, has been found dead in his apartment.

This is just as the deceased was said to have left behind a wife and three young children, as his family appeals for financial support to cover funeral and repatriation costs.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Sunday from a post by an X user identified as ‘The Stress Manager’ that Herbert, who lived in Thornaby, died suddenly in his sleep last week, in what relatives described as a shocking and heartbreaking incident.

According to the post, the deceased had been battling emotional and financial strain following the death of his father in Nigeria just days before his own passing.

The post read, “Herbert, a calm and devoted Nigerian husband and father of three young children, the youngest just eight years old, passed away suddenly in his sleep in Thornaby.

“Only a few days before his death, he was already dealing with the pain of losing his father in Nigeria. He could not travel for the burial, but he gave everything he had financially to ensure his father had a dignified farewell. That alone drained him mentally and financially.

“Then the unimaginable happened. Herbert passed away on the very day his father was laid to rest.”

The X user added that the incident was particularly traumatic for the family, as Herbert’s children were the ones who discovered his lifeless body.

He noted that Herbert was a devoted husband and father, survived by three children, the youngest aged eight.

He added that following his death, the family has been left with the burden of caring for the children and raising funds to repatriate his remains to Nigeria for burial.

“To make it even more heartbreaking, his children were the ones who found him that morning because his wife was away at the time. No child should ever experience that.

“Now his wife is left alone to care for three young children while also facing the heavy financial burden of funeral and repatriation costs,” he added.

A former president of Nigerians in the UK, Benjamin Kuti, also confirmed Herbert’s death in a post on his X page on Friday.

Kuti also appealed to the Nigerian community in the UK to support Herbert’s family.

Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign has been launched to support the family, with an appeal to Nigerians in the UK and the wider public to assist.

As of the time of filing this report, a sum of £2,633 had been raised out of the £7,000 target.

PUNCH Metro reported on April 13 that a UK-based Nigerian mother of three, Omotayo Abioye, died after a battle with breast cancer.

Kuti had stated that Omotayo died on April 5 at the age of 40.

She was described by her family as a devoted mother, loving wife, and compassionate individual whose life impacted many.

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Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham, has denied claims circulating online about payments made to her former protégé, Abike Shugaa, following a viral video in which the actress recounted her experience working with her.

Abraham, in a post on X on Friday, said she never paid the sums being speculated, insisting the figures being circulated were inaccurate.

“I never paid anyone such, I paid 500k for Malaika and 50k for two scenes in Ijakumo and the director removed it, pls I won’t say a word,” she wrote.

Her reaction followed an over eight-minute video featuring Abike Shugaa, whose real name is Pelumi Olawuni, speaking about her working relationship with the actress and alleged fallout around the film ‘Ijakumo: The Born Again Stripper.’

In the video, Shugaa recounted how she was initially grateful for early opportunities, saying, “After the job, she paid me 50,000 Naira immediately. She didn’t owe me.”

She described the payment as encouraging at the time, adding, “And I was sincerely grateful for that. Cause I… needed the money.”

Shugaa, however, alleged that she was later left out of the final version of Ijakumo despite participating in filming and promotion.

“I shot, I think I shot about two scenes… she paid me 50,000 naira for the two scenes,” she said.

According to her, she also actively promoted the project, noting, “We shot about 20 videos. I can’t remember.”

She added that she invited friends and believed she would appear prominently in the movie, saying, “I told my friends, this is my first cinema debut… I’m in the movie.”

However, she claimed her expectations were dashed when she later discovered she did not appear in the final cut of the film.

“When I saw the movie, I didn’t see myself in it,” she said, adding that she was later told the scenes had been removed.

Shugaa also described how the situation affected her emotionally, saying she confided in her family and chose not to confront Abraham directly at the time.

“I cried about it to my own family. I didn’t say anything to her,” she said.

The video has triggered renewed debate on social media, with users split between those criticising the payment structure described by Shugaa and others defending Abraham’s role in her career development.

Shugaa, who previously featured in Malaika, where she played a lead role, was once widely regarded as part of Abraham’s inner creative circle.

The relationship between both women is believed to have soured in recent years amid Shugaa’s growing involvement in projects linked to Funke Akindele and broader industry rivalries.

As of press time, Shugaa has not issued any new statement beyond the viral video, while Abraham’s X post remains her only public response to the controversy.

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