Entertainment
“I’m Familiar with Grief” – Editi Effiong Discusses His Connection with ‘The Black Book’

By Milcah Tanimu
In response to critics of the portrayal of grief in the movie ‘The Black Book,’ Editi Effiong, the producer and director of the project, shared a personal connection with the main character, Paul Edima, portrayed by Richard Mofe-Damijo.
During a conversation with Chude Jideonwo, Effiong revealed that grief was not an unfamiliar emotion to him, as he had experienced the loss of two dear people in painful ways. He addressed the criticism by saying, “I read someone in the comments; one says the grief in the black book was so superficial and people don’t grieve like that… No, you do not know grief more than I do. You see, my youngest brother was my first child… I lost him to cancer; it’s the worst way to die.”
Effiong went on to share another heart-wrenching experience of losing his son after a lengthy struggle. He recounted the painful decision he had to make when he received a call about his wife’s condition while she was giving birth, saying, “I just left America, got back to Lagos, and then I got called. My wife is in the hospital, and we were having a child, and I had to answer the question, Who do we save? My child is born 24 months and then he’s not going to make it.”
‘The Black Book’ narrates the story of a father seeking revenge for the unjust killing of his son by an old adversary from his dark past. The film delves into the complexities of grief when a loved one is lost and touches on themes such as corruption.
Effiong also discussed the challenging journey of marketing the film for two years after completing production in 2020. He described the numerous rejections the movie faced, with feedback such as “It cannot be an original because there are certain standards it hasn’t met.”
Upon its release, ‘The Black Book’ achieved significant success, quickly becoming the third-most-watched film on Netflix globally between September 25, 2023, and October 1, 2023, with 11.2 million views and 21.3 million hours of viewing recorded. The film remained in the top 10 global rankings for English films on the streaming platform for an additional three weeks.
The movie garnered views from 69 countries, including South Korea, the United States of America, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Kenya, Martinique, Panama, Poland, Romania, Venezuela, and Nigeria, subsequently breaking global records.
Entertainment
Imisi has been crowned the winner of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) Season 10.

Show host Ebuka Obi-Uchendu made the announcement during the grand finale on Sunday, October 5, 2025.
She walked away with the ₦150 million grand prize, courtesy of the show’s sponsors
The top five finalists are Koyin, Dede, Imisi, Sultana, and Kola.
Earlier, Kaybobo, Isabella, Mensan, and Jason Jae were evicted from the show.
The BBNaija season 10, which began with 29 housemates, ended in spectacular fashion as Imisi triumphed over Dede, who finished as runner-up.
Recall that Imisi revealed that she has no fixed plan for the grand prize if she emerges as the winner, stressing she would first seek professional financial guidance before deciding how to spend the money.
During her final diary session with Big Brother on Sunday, the housemate appeared both excited and reflective as she spoke about her journey, the lessons she had learned, and her hopes for life after the show.
She said, “Honestly, right now I don’t have a set plan for the money.
“I need to seek financial advice first because I’ve never had such a large amount before. I Want to Avoid Costly Financial Mistakes”
Travel
Abuja-Lokoja Highway Gridlock: FRSC Blames Motorists’ Impatience

By: Fabian Apechihin
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has expressed frustration over motorists’ lack of cooperation in easing the gridlock on the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
Kogi State Sector Commander, Kumar Tsukwam, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that officials had been battling since Sunday to clear the traffic, which stretched from Ogbobo/Ozi to the Murtala Mohammed Bridge in Koton-Karfe.
He attributed the gridlock to ongoing road construction, broken-down vehicles on the single lane, and motorists’ impatience.
“Some drivers blocked opposing lanes, worsening the situation. We are doing our best to restore free movement for travellers,” Tsukwam said.
Motorists and commuters lamented the hardship caused by the standstill. Mohammed Yusuf, a driver, said he spent nine hours travelling from Abuja to Lokoja on Sunday.
“I left Abuja before 3 p.m. but didn’t reach Lokoja until midnight. The fuel wasted on the road is unbearable, especially with current prices,” he said.
Another traveller, Christopher Adamu, recounted spending the entire night in traffic after leaving Abuja in the evening. He urged authorities to take urgent measures to address the situation.
NAN reports that a construction company is currently working on the right lane of the highway between Koton-Karfe and Abaji, forcing traffic onto a single lane and worsening congestion.
Do you want me to make this more hard-news (short, direct, fact-heavy) or human-interest focused (emphasizing the commuters’ suffering and quotes)?
Entertainment
Singer Chike: “I Need Money to Be Happy, Marriage Is Not for Me”

By: Fabian Apechihin
Nigerian singer and Nollywood actor, Chike Osebuka, has dismissed the idea of marriage, describing it as a “stupid step” while stressing that his happiness is tied to financial stability.
The 32-year-old artiste made this known during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, where he revealed that he currently has no plans to settle down.
“In my personal opinion, I think it’s a stupid step to get married. For me to be happy, I need a lot of money. This is not even carnal—I just like money. I want money,” Chike stated.
Reflecting on his career, the singer admitted he never imagined music would become his profession until after completing university.
“I would say maybe right after my university, I knew music is what I’ll do for a living. Before then, I just used to sing and disturb everybody around me,” he said.
Chike also recalled enduring tough financial times early in his career, which pushed him into acting roles for about two years just to stay afloat.
Would you like me to make this rewrite more formal for a news report or more conversational for entertainment blogs?
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