Entertainment

Otedola Bridge tanker fire: Dotun Oladipo, Publisher, The Eagle Online, Narrates his escape with wife, child, and car, but lost his mechanic

Published

1 year ago

March 17, 2025

OhiBaba

446 Views

▪︎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

Related Topics:Featured Otedola Bridge tanker fire victims

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Entertainment

Burna Boy Overtakes Tyla as Africa’s Most Streamed Artist on Spotify

Published

2 hours ago

July 2, 2026

Charles Flames

7 Views

Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy has reclaimed the top spot as Africa’s most streamed artist on Spotify, surpassing South African sensation Tyla in a major streaming milestone.

According to the latest Spotify data and charts tracking, Burna Boy (Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu) has overtaken Tyla to lead the continent in key streaming metrics, including monthly listeners.

The Grammy-winning artist continues his dominance in 2026, building on his record-breaking 2025 performance where he amassed nearly 2 billion streams — the highest ever recorded for an African artist on the platform in a single year.

Burna Boy’s global appeal, driven by hits from his recent projects and consistent catalog performance, has propelled him ahead of Tyla, who had previously held strong positions in monthly listener counts.

This achievement underscores the continued rise of Afrobeats and African music on the world stage, with Nigerian artists dominating Spotify’s top African streaming rankings. Industry watchers note Burna Boy’s ability to maintain massive engagement across international audiences.

Fans and music enthusiasts have taken to social media to celebrate the feat, hailing the “African Giant” for flying the flag high. The development further cements Burna Boy’s status as one of the most influential voices in contemporary African music.

Spotify is yet to issue an official statement on the latest shift, but the numbers speak volumes about the fierce competition and growing global appetite for African sounds.

Entertainment

2026 BET awards: Cardi B, Teyana Taylor, Kendrick Lamar takes home biggest awards

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2026

OCHEFA

50 Views

• Teyana Taylor

American actress and singer Teyana Taylor and hip-hop duo Clipse emerged as the biggest winners at the 2026 Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards, taking home three awards each during the ceremony held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The event, hosted by comedian Druski and broadcast live on BET, also saw Kendrick Lamar and Kehlani secure two awards apiece, according to a post on Billboard.

Taylor capped off a remarkable year by winning Best Actress, Video Director of the Year and the newly introduced Fashion Vanguard Award.

She was also honoured with the prestigious Icon of the Year award, one of three honorary recognitions presented during the ceremony.

Clipse dominated the music categories, winning Album of the Year for Let God Sort ‘Em Out, Best Group and Best Collaboration for “Chains & Whips,” their hit collaboration with Kendrick.

Lamar added to his impressive BET Awards record by winning Best Male Hip Hop Artist for a ninth time, further extending his lead as the most decorated artiste in the category.

Kehlani claimed her first Best Female R&B/Pop Artist award, ending SZA’s three-year reign in the category, and also won Video of the Year for her hit song “Folded.

British singer Olivia Dean, who earlier won Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, replicated the feat at the BET Awards, becoming only the fifth artiste to win the category at both ceremonies.

Entertainment

Davido to release new single ‘I Know Who I Be’ June 26

Before the latest announcement, Davido’s last solo release was Be There Still, which dropped in March 2025.

Published

1 week ago

June 23, 2026

OCHEFA

92 Views

Nigerian singer Davido has announced the release of a new song titled ‘I Know Who I Be’, marking his return with fresh music after a period of limited solo releases.

The track, which features Jazzwrld and GL_Ceejay, is scheduled to be released on June 26.

Davido, whose real name is David Adeleke, is one of Africa’s most celebrated music stars.

He rose to fame in 2012 with the hit song Dami Duro and later founded DMW, a record label that has produced several successful artistes.

The singer made the announcement on his X page on Monday, telling fans that “the journey to the throne begins” as he unveiled plans for the forthcoming release.

He further disclosed that “my next single I Know Who I Be releases June 26th,” while sharing promotional photographs for the project.

The announcement has generated excitement among fans, particularly because the singer had revealed in May that he would be taking a temporary break from making music.

Before the latest announcement, Davido’s last solo release was Be There Still, which dropped in March 2025. He most recently appeared as a featured artiste on TxC’s track Nakupenda.

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