The founder of Landmark Africa Group, Paul Onwuanibe, has spoken about the devastating impact of the sudden demolition of Landmark Leisure Beach, which wiped out over $30 million in investments and left thousands of lives disrupted.

Speaking on The KK Show via YouTube on Sunday, Onwuanibe described the emotional and financial toll of the event, which took place with just seven days’ notice.

“Let’s put this into perspective; Landmark consists of three parts—our business, our leisure, and our lifestyle. What was demolished was our leisure business, a significant part of both our revenue and our physical infrastructure. The initial reaction was shock, and then anger. You go through the five stages of grief—shock, anger, bargaining, concern, and finally acceptance,” he said.

Onwuanibe revealed that the beach site had been acquired in 2006 for $17 million and further developed with a $30 million loan secured abroad.

It was my life’s work—27 years of hunting, farming, and working. Six years ago, we borrowed $30 million to develop that beach. Half of that money was spent on infrastructure you couldn’t even see, like underground drainage, water reticulation systems, and fiber-optic cables. The demolition wiped out six years of investment in six hours,” he said.

The demolition affected not only Landmark’s ecosystem but also the livelihoods of thousands.

“We had over 1,000 employees and 50 small and medium enterprises directly impacted. Over 4,000 people were employed, and with Nigeria’s dependency factor of 16, the ripple effects are unimaginable,” he said.

Onwuanibe recounted the chaos and losses experienced by the businesses within the beach’s ecosystem.

“Many businesses didn’t have time to remove their equipment—TVs, fridges, even furniture. There were guests in the pool when Breeze was being demolished. It was tragic,” he added.

The demolition also disrupted services for the beach’s 160,000 members and violated existing contracts.

We had 9.2 billion Naira of members’ money in our accounts. There were over 200 contracts—supply of water, fumigation, lifeguard services—all of which had to be renegotiated. Sometimes, you wish there was a natural disaster so you could invoke force majeure, but this wasn’t the case,” he lamented.

Beyond the physical infrastructure, Onwuanibe highlighted the larger impact on the surrounding community.

“The guy parking cars on the streets lost his job. The person selling sweets at the gate had no customers. Hotels built outside Landmark that thrived on the four and a half million annual visitors were affected.”

Despite the immense challenges, Onwuanibe emphasised resilience.

“At some stage, you have to accept it and move on. You either lie down and cry or get up and go,” he said, underscoring his determination to rebuild and learn from the experience.

In April 2024, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, ordered the closure of Landmark Beach for demolition purposes.

According to him, the demolition was necessary because the landmark centre was on the federal government’s Right-of-way.

Popular Nigerian comedian and actor turned preacher, Oluwatoyin Bayegun, popularly known as Woli Arole, has announced the passing of his father.

The announcement was made late Sunday evening via his official Instagram page, where he shared a heartfelt post along with a touching photo of himself and his father.

In the emotional caption, Woli Arole wrote, “It has pleased the LORD to receive my FATHER in GLORY.

“It’s in total submission to the will of GoD to announce the demise of my Father, my HERO and my ROLE MODEL.“I am happy I spent your last moments with you in JOY, PRAYERS and FUN. Rest well Baba Jimmy.“Happy you left a LEGACY and that LEGACY is ME!!!!!! I would miss you so MUCH!!!!!”

A wedding in Jigawa State has turned tragic after a bride allegedly poisoned food served at the reception.

The incident is said to have left the groom critically ill and one of the wedding guests dead.

The incident occurred in the Jahun Local Government Area of the state.

Eyewitnesses suggested to PUNCH Online that the bride’s actions may have been driven by a personal vendetta.

Speaking to PUNCH Online on Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Shi’isu Adam, confirmed the incident and said an investigation was underway.

“We received a report that the bride had tainted the food served at the wedding reception, leaving the groom critically ill.

“Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged food poisoning incident that occurred during a wedding ceremony in the state,” Adam said.

He revealed that the two suspects are the bride and another female, adding that they are in custody and being interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department of the command.

The police spokesperson added, “We will do everything in our power to ensure that justice is served.”

According to the police spokesman, all the wedding attendants who consumed the poisoned food have been discharged from the hospital, except for the one person who was confirmed dead.

“The command is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, and we will provide more details as soon as possible.

“For now, we can confirm that the incident occurred, and we are working tirelessly to unravel the facts. We urge the public to remain calm and assured that justice will be served,” he concluded.

The identities of the deceased, the groom, and other victims have not been disclosed by the authorities.

source: punch

A Zambian police officer reportedly under the influence of alcohol released 13 detainees to celebrate the New Year, sparking a manhunt for the escaped suspects.

The BBC reported that Inspector Titus Phiri allegedly took cell keys from Constable Serah Banda at Leonard Cheelo police station in Lusaka on New Year’s Eve, freeing individuals held for crimes including assault, robbery, and burglary.

Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga described the incident, stating, “In a state of intoxication, [Phiri] forcibly seized cell keys… unlocked both the male and female cells, and instructed the suspects to leave, stating they were free to cross over into the new year.”