Below The Headlines - 137
Canadian Loud numbers are loud and Nigerian baby exports are booming
The recording of our session with Funsho Doherty in Lagos is now up. Please forgive the sound quality issues in the first part of the recording.
We should be back with another podcast episode soon. Plus the next chapter of The Whispering Class drops on Monday. This time we are going to Tivland.
Enjoy the week’s selection below
Nigerian Media
Things are happening in the Canadian Loud market:
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 63-year-old Chinese woman for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large consignment of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.
The suspect, identified as Ting Kiong, who naturalised in Malaysia, was arrested on Sunday, May 17, 2026, upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, from Thailand via Dubai on an Emirates Airline flight.
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, NDLEA operatives attached to the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall intercepted her after she was found with two large travel boxes containing 31.0 kilograms of the illicit substance.
“During an interview, the 63-year-old suspect, who claims she works as a carer in Malaysia, stated that her daughter sponsored her trip from Malaysia to Thailand and subsequently to Nigeria.
“She further disclosed that she spent two weeks in Thailand before she was handed the illicit consignment at the Thailand airport to deliver in Nigeria,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA also announced the interception of another major drug shipment at the Lagos airport import shed.
“Following close monitoring of the consignment by NDLEA operatives since its arrival from India aboard an Emirates Cargo flight, the 29 large cartons containing 1,825,710 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, worth N2,190,852,000, were eventually handed over to the NDLEA by the Customs Service on Friday, 22nd May 2026,” it said.
There are now ‘ajo’ cows:
Mr. Idris Garuba, a trader said: “I can hardly take care of my bills. School fees, rent and other expenses this year.
“I just bought a bag of rice and 25 litres of vegetable oil, which I sent home to my mother. Myself and my extended family recently held an emergency financial meeting to plan for the upcoming festival.
“Instead of the three rams typically purchased by different households within the family, ten members contributed N100,000 each to buy a single medium-sized cow.
“If you look at the economy right now, individual sacrifice has become a luxury that honest salary earners cannot afford.”
“We had to be realistic. Food prices are rising weekly, electricity tariffs are high, and transport fares have eaten up our disposable income.
“By coming together, we ensure that our children can still enjoy the spirit of Ileya without plunging our households into deep debt.”
More on Canadian Loud:
OPERATIVES of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force have uncovered a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, seizing suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin, Eke Henry Ifeanyi.
The operation, carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, followed months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The raid, which took place in an apartment within an estate in Mende, Maryland, Lagos, led to the recovery of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect.
Addressing journalists at the scene on Saturday, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Olohundare Jimoh, disclosed that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
According to him, the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
He said: “The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
The Helen Ukpabio story rumbles on:
The High Court of Cross River State sitting in Calabar has heard extensive testimony on alleged witchcraft-related abuses in the N200 billion libel suit filed by Helen Ukpabio and her daughter against singer Bloody Civilian.
Justice Ukpai Ibitham adjourned the matter to July 6 and 7 for continuation of hearing after arguments by counsel to both parties.
A human rights advocate and religious studies scholar, Leo Igwe, testified for the defence, alleging that Ukpabio’s teachings, films and ministry activities contributed to witchcraft accusations and abuses against vulnerable persons, especially children.
Igwe told the court that he had spent nearly three decades researching and campaigning against witchcraft accusations across Africa, adding that some evangelical teachings fuel fear, suspicion and violence against persons accused of witchcraft.
He referenced Ukpabio’s film End of the Wicked and several church programmes centred on deliverance from witchcraft, arguing that such messages reinforced harmful stereotypes associated with Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
A most unusual divorce case. Or should that be un-divorce:
A 40-year-old businessman, Auwal Musa, has prayed a Sharia court sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, Kaduna State, to order his ex-wife, Hauwa, to return to their matrimonial home.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Auwal, in his petition, said that his ex-wife forced him to divorce her after a year of getting married to her.
“I signed the divorce papers under duress. I gave one pronouncement of divorce to her and later went to their house to cancel the divorce before she finished the Iddah, but she refused to come back.
“She had left with my plasma TV, gas cylinder, electric kettle, two caps and documents belonging to my father. I want them back,” he said.
In her defense, Hauwa said he came back too late.
She explained that she had already finished her waiting period (Iddah) before Musa asked her to come back.
“I only took his plasma TV and gas cylinder. I am keeping the items pending when he pays me the N31,500 he owes me.
“He gave me the electric kettle as a gift while we were courting.
“I have no idea where his caps and father’s documents are,” she said.
The judge, Malam Murtala Nasir, advised Musa to go home and search for the documents.
He then adjourned the case.
Amazing how much people will pay for ‘Hajj slots’:
The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested four suspects for allegedly defrauding two intending pilgrims of N9.290 million under the guise of securing Hajj slots for the 2026 pilgrimage.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
According to the statement, the suspects identified as Aminu Hassan Zauro, Tabiu Abubakar, Usman Attahiru and Mustapha Sani Zauro were arrested following a complaint lodged by the Kebbi State Pilgrims Welfare Agency.
Usman said four other suspects identified as Bello Jos, Atiku Stores, Umar Gimba and Usman Bunza are currently at large.
He explained that the principal suspect, Aminu Hassan Zauro, allegedly collected N8.6 million from one of the victims with a promise to secure two Hajj seats for the 2026 pilgrimage.
The police spokesperson added that the suspect also allegedly received N690,000 from another victim as deposit for a Hajj slot and later presented fake pilgrimage materials, including bags and medical records, to the victim.
Non-Nigerian Media
Latest Nigerian export:
Nigeria is the second most popular place for parents in England who use foreign surrogates to have babies, official figures reveal.
The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) disclosed that the number of applicants applying to become parents of children born to Nigerian surrogate mothers rose from 6 to 59 between 2015 and 2025.
This data, released under freedom of information laws, places Nigeria second only to the United States in its popularity among English “intended parents” having babies through international surrogacy arrangements. Last year, 125 court applications for legal parentage of babies born in the US were recorded.
Previously, Georgia and Ukraine were the second and third most popular places for international surrogacy with people in England. In 2023, the number of parental order applications for children born to surrogate mothers in these countries stood at 42 and 27 respectively.
These latest figures reflect a growing trend of people turning to foreign surrogacy to have children. In 2018, there were more than 150 applications for parental orders for children born to surrogate mothers abroad. By 2024, this number had increased to more than 300.
Family lawyers say Nigeria’s rise in popularity is being driven by “intended parents” with family ties to the country and the lower cost of the surrogacy process compared with the US.
Louisa Ghevaert, a surrogacy law expert, said: “For some, they have personal connections and family in Nigeria, providing them with a ready-made support network and help with logistics.
“Given limited availability of African donor eggs and surrogates in the UK, Nigeria can also offer more options for ethnically matched donor eggs and surrogates for people of African heritage. The costs of surrogacy in Nigeria are also lower than in other places, particularly the US, making it more affordable.”
However, both Ghevaert and other family lawyers warned “intended parents” to guard against unethical and unregulated surrogacy practices in Nigeria.
Hammed Danmole is a hero:
The heroic bystander who broke up a machete brawl in a London park in broad daylight explained he risked his life because he ‘wouldn’t have forgotten’ if ‘one of those boys died’.
Hammed Danmole ran towards the blade-wielding teenagers while others scattered in horror at Burgess Park on Sunday, May 17.
The 45-year-old Nigerian south Londoner had been playing his weekly Sunday league football match when he saw the youths take out the massive knives and start hacking at each other.
Instead of recoiling in fear, Mr Danmole couldn’t help but imagine his own teenage son in that situation and raced towards the fray.
He had noticed two black-clad hooded youths come into the park while taking a break behind the goalposts.
Another boy arrived on a scooter five minutes later but then an argument broke out, and two of the boys pulled out machetes, Mr Danmole said.
A video of the fight shows the first two slashing at each other and then a third pinning one of the boys to the ground while both chop at him with their knives.
‘I’ve got a 17-year-old boy and when I looked at them, I saw him. I would do anything to stop these young boys from killing each other,’ he told The Times.
While others cried out in fear or recorded the fight on their phones, Mr Danmole ran in to stop the brawl and forced them to separate.
Footage shows him running in and shouting: ‘Oi, stop that, what are you doing?’
He managed to get the boy pinning his victim to the floor off him and two of the knifemen run one direction while the third runs the other. Mr Danmole shouts at them to ‘Go away’.
Three teenagers were arrested at the scene and a fourth on Sunday, all aged between 16 and 17. They were charged with several offences, including possession of a bladed article, affray and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
Mr Danmole - a property investor living in Beckenham after arriving in London from Nigeria - said: ‘After I did it, people said I shouldn’t have done that and I should have left them.
‘But if I didn’t stop it, and one of those boys died, I wouldn’t have forgotten it for the rest of my life.’
Meanwhile on Masterchef Australia:
Throughout his time on MasterChef Australia, Olaolu Olorunnimbe has been determined to put Nigerian cooking front and centre.
Born and raised in the country’s bustling city, Lagos, the 34-year-old has always considered it home.
While he has been showcasing his culture throughout the competition, the turning point came when cooked beef efo riro with semo (semolina). The traditional Nigerian stew, which usually features spinach, was one of his late father’s favourite dishes.
The dish also earned him the $10,000 prize during Nostalgia Week, where the contestants were tasked with showcasing their family trees.
When asked how it felt to win that prize with a dish that was close to his heart, Olaolu exclusively told New Idea that it “feels like something from a movie”.
“I’ve had an up and down time in the kitchen, and I’ve often found myself overawed by the amazing chefs around me,” he explained.
As for what he’d spend the money on? He isn’t sure yet, but it’ll “almost certainly be food related”.
This sounds like a crazy idea. I will be there:
A romantic comedy spanning Nigeria, the U.K. and Hong Kong was unveiled at the Cannes Film Market, with A13 Films founder Chidozie Christian Ahaiwe and U.K.-based Hong Kong creative Hiu Man Chan attached as executive producers on “My Nigerian Fiancé.”
The project follows a successful London-based Nigerian man who enlists an Asian dancer to pose as his fiancé at a family anniversary celebration in Lagos. When the arrangement gives way to genuine feeling, both characters are forced to confront family pressure, ambition and identity. The film will draw on Nigerian music and fashion throughout.
“This is a rare opportunity to take a global relatable romantic comedy and reinterpret it through the richness, humor, complexity, and emotional energy of both Nigerian and British culture,” Ahaiwe tells Variety. “The themes of love, identity, family pressure, migration, and cultural collision are deeply universal, but we also believe there’s something fresh, commercially exciting, and globally relevant about telling this story from both a Nigerian and U.K. perspective.”
A new arrival into Nigeria from Britain:
A migrant sex predator who attacked lone women avoided deportation for almost a decade through ‘impermissibly speculative’ human rights judgments about what could happen to him back home, a court has found.
The man, 40, who came to Britain illegally, is finally being deported after lengthy legal wrangles dating back to 2017.
The hiatus continued despite a mental health tribunal concluding the paranoid schizophrenic still posed ‘a serious danger’ to the public after an incident with a knife three years ago.
The Home Office successfully overturned the most recent rulings allowing the man, named only as OSB, to stay on the grounds that if he is deported he may forget his medication, commit further offences and end up in prison in his homeland.
Appeal Court judge Mr Justice Bean said of the most recent previous ruling, by a first-tier immigration tribunal judge and backed by an upper tier panel of judges, said: ‘This is in my view impermissibly speculative.
‘It is not a sequence of events for which the UK can sensibly be held responsible. The consequences which are said to breach Article 3 (which prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment) are too remote.’
The Nigerian national, granted anonymity by the immigration courts and known only as OSB, had committed attempted rapes in 2009.
At Southwark Crown Court later that year, he was convicted of three attempted rapes and kidnapping with intent to commit a sexual offence, and detained in hospital due to his mental condition.
A sad story:
A driver and passenger who filmed themselves at speeds of over 130mph (209kmh) in a 30mph zone have been jailed over the death of a man they crashed into.
Uways Hussain and Usmon Mahmood filmed themselves inhaling nitrous oxide from a balloon, running red lights and weaving through traffic before hitting 50-year-old Sylvester Abayomi, who was on his way to work.
Hussain was jailed for 11 years and eight months for causing death by dangerous driving, while Mahmood was jailed for 12 years and nine months for aiding and abetting causing death by dangerous driving.
Greater Manchester Police said the crash on Manchester’s Kingsway was “one of the worst disregards of speeding” officers had seen.
Sentencing at the city’s crown court earlier, Judge Nicholas Dean said the collision on 9 March was “wholly unnecessary and entirely avoidable”.
“It was a sustained, deliberate and escalating course of highly dangerous conduct over a prolonged period,” he said. “It was terrifying.”
The victim’s partner Denise Doyle described him as “the most caring soul and gentle person you could ever meet”.
“Sylvester was simply on his way to work,” she said. “An ordinary hard-working man. He should have returned home to me safely that day. Because of your actions he never did.”