Entertainment
Otedola Bridge tanker fire: Dotun Oladipo, Publisher, The Eagle Online, Narrates his escape with wife, child, and car, but lost his mechanic
▪︎Collage of Dotun Oladipo, Publisher, The Eagle Online, (left), and Rotimi Olaleye, the mechanic.
I write this from the point of ‘Pain’ and ‘Gratitude’.
Pain because of the death of a hardworking and honest man, Rotimi Olaleye, who was both a great father, as attested to by his children who he has been taking care of single-handedly since his wife died about five years ago, and an honest and diligent auto mechanic, as confirmed by his clients, including yours truly.
We met less than a week before his death, but he left an unforgettable impression on me, even in death. Gratitude?
I was less than 10 seconds away from where Mr. Olaleye was when the fire that took his life occurred with my wife and first child.
Let me start from the beginning. I met Mr. Olaleye on March 8, 2025, following a need to change my mechanic.
I was introduced to him by the best car air conditioning technician I had ever met, Mr. Akinola Ayeni. We drove the car together on that day.
He spotted some issues, including the fact that the former handler was as careless as not putting the knots that should be holding the connecting ABS wire to the wheel of the driver’s side, by just driving the car.
That was quickly fixed. And he told me, very honestly, that other things had to wait until Monday. That he needed to finish some other jobs. I left happily.
On Monday, I took the car to him. He appeared meticulous. Aside from the fact, that I told him that on completing the work on the Highlander, which my wife uses, I was going to send my car for servicing, he was not in a hurry to declare the vehicle fit. people behind me.
One woman came out of her car and started banging ours: “Move, move.”
She did it a second time and I wound down the back glass, addressing her and my wife who had also become agitated: “We have a man down there. Let’s see if there is still something we can do before we go too far.”
And then his line stopped ringing. My head immediately told me to call Mr. Ayeni. As soon as he picked it up, he asked me: “Have you collected your car? Rotimi has parked by the gate and is waiting for you.”
He did not even hear me saying there was trouble at the workshop until I shouted at the top of my voice.
Mr. Ayeni, who was at Agidingbi, immediately turned back. He, alongside others, discovered the remains of Mr. Olaleye, lying face down. His apprentices who were with him said as the truck crashed, he told them to flee that he needed to “save his customer’s car”.
Meanwhile, his own car was just behind mine. He succeeded in turning the car around to face the workshop. But that was as far as he made it. I cried that night. Something I have not done in several years. I wept bitterly.
In the short period I knew Mr. Olaleye, I learned a lot of lessons.
He left an impact I would never forget. But it was a pity he didn’t pick up my last call, which was to tell him to abandon the car and flee to safety.
His meticulousness on the job was second to none from what I saw in the three days of being with him. He also knew his job. Adieu Mr. Olaleye.
■ SylvaNews
Entertainment
India’s Bollywood legend Dharmendra dies at 89
Dharmendra, one of India’s most beloved actors, enjoyed a six-decade career spanning more than 300 films.
•Dharmendra Krishan Deol
Legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra Krishan Deol has passed away in Mumbai at the age of 89, marking the end of a remarkable era in Indian cinema.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes on his X handle Monday, describing Dharmendra’s death as “the end of an era.”
Dharmendra, one of India’s most beloved actors, enjoyed a six-decade career spanning more than 300 films.
Best known for his role as Veeru in the 1975 classic Sholay, he was celebrated for his versatility, excelling in romance, action, comedy, and drama.
Born on December 8, 1935, in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, Dharmendra rose from modest beginnings to become one of Bollywood’s most admired stars.
After winning a nationwide talent contest, he moved to Bombay and made his film debut in 1960.
His breakthrough came with Bimal Roy’s Bandini in 1963, followed by decades of box-office hits.
Entertainment
2Baba Natasha Deliver Baby Girl
The new arrival brings the number of 2Baba’s children to eight, shared among four different women, with Natasha now becoming the fourth woman to have a child for the Afrobeats legend.
Celebrity Nigerian musician, Innocent Ujah Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has welcomed a baby girl with his wife, Natasha, a lawmaker in the Edo State House of Assembly.
In the brief announcement, Natasha expressed gratitude with the caption: “It’s a Girl”, followed by prayer emojis.
The new arrival brings the number of 2Baba’s children to eight, shared among four different women, with Natasha now becoming the fourth woman to have a child for the Afrobeats legend.
The child was delivered in an Abuja hospital last week Thursday night.
This delivery comes a few months after the singer and his wife, Annie Idibia, reportedly parted ways following prolonged marital issues.
Entertainment
Hoodlums attack Fuji singer Obesere, cart away bag of money
The attackers eventually overpowered him and fled with the bag of money
Fuji music icon Alhaji Abass Akande Obesere and members of his crew were on Friday, November 21, 2025, attacked by hoodlums during a burial ceremony in Okitipupa, Ondo State.
The incident was confirmed in a statement issued by Obesere’s media manager, Ayonla Obesere Althentic, who disclosed that the assault began shortly after the musician concluded his performance and the team was about to depart.
He explained that multiple groups of touts surrounded the venue, with one group targeting him because he was holding a bag containing money.
“Despite our attempt to leave peacefully, my principal and I were aggressively confronted.
“They demanded that I hand over the bag. When I refused, a violent struggle broke out,” he said.
Ayonla recounted sustaining significant injuries, including a dislocated shoulder and several blows, some inflicted with a knife.
“While trying to get into the car, I was hit with a knife.“I cannot confirm a deep stab, but I suffered several blows and I’m in serious pain,” he added.
The attackers eventually overpowered him and fled with the bag of money.
Simultaneously, another group assaulted Obesere even after he attempted to calm the situation by giving out money.
Ayonla said that he managed to guide the musician into their vehicle to ensure his safety and access to medical attention.
He condemned the attack as “criminal and unacceptable,” noting that violence against performers and mourners at a burial ceremony should not be tolerated.
The media manager confirmed that the matter had been reported to the Okitipupa Police Division and called on authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
(From The Star.ng)
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