Entertainment

‘Astounding’ Roman statues unearthed at Norman church ruins on route of HS2

Statues of a Roman man, woman and child have been uncovered by archaeologists at an abandoned medieval church on the route of the HS2 high-speed railway.

The discovery was “utterly astounding”, according to Rachel Wood, the lead archaeologist at the site in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire. “They’re really rare finds in the UK,” she said.

“The statues are exceptionally well preserved, and you really get an impression of the people they depict – literally looking into the faces of the past is a unique experience.”

A hexagonal glass Roman jug was also uncovered. Despite being in the ground for what is thought to be more than 1,000 years, large pieces were intact. The only known comparable item is a vessel on display in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The statues were unearthed at the ruins of a Norman church, where a team of archaeologists has been working for the past six months.

Saint Mary’s church was built in 1080, and renovated in the 13th, 14th and 17th centuries. It was abandoned in 1880, and demolished in 1966 after being declared dangerous. Its ruins became overgrown with vegetation.

In May, archaeologists and engineers began removing the remaining structure of the church and excavating the burial ground that was in use for 900 years, with the last recorded interment in 1908.

Experts believe the location was used as a Roman mausoleum before the Norman church was built. About 3,000 bodies have been removed and will be reburied at a new site.

Wood said the discovery of the statues and jug “leads us to wonder what else might be buried beneath England’s medieval village churches. This has truly been a once in a lifetime site and we are all looking forward to hearing what more the specialists can tell us about these incredible statues and the history of the site before the construction of the Norman church.”

They have been sent to a laboratory for specialist cleaning and analysis.

More than 1,000 archaeologists have worked at more than 60 sites along the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands over the past three years.

At Saint James’s Garden near Euston station in central London, more than 50,000 skeletons were exhumed from a burial ground. In Birmingham, more than 6,500 skeletons were uncovered from an 18th-century cemetery.

Archaeologists began work on the 150-mile route in 2018.

Mike Court, the lead archaeologist at HS2, said the Roman statues found at Stoke Mandeville were “just some of the incredible artefacts uncovered between London and the West Midlands”.

He added: “HS2’s unprecedented archaeology programme has given us new insights into Britain’s history, providing evidence of where and how our ancestors lived.”

Entertainment

OAP Do2dtun calls out popular radio station over 8 months unpaid salaries

Popular On-Air Personality (OAP) Do2dtun has called out Soundcity Radio for allegedly owing its staff eight months of unpaid salaries.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the media personality criticized the station’s management, describing their actions as “cruel and inhumane.”

In a series of tweets, Do2dtun expressed his frustration, stating that operating a radio station should not come at the expense of employees’ welfare.

“It’s not by force to open a radio station. Owing your staff for 8 months is very cruel and inhumane. You don’t need a soothsayer to tell you this,” he wrote.

Revealing the station’s name in another tweet, he sympathized with his colleagues and friends at Soundcity, questioning how they have managed to cope under such conditions.

“My friends and colleagues at Soundcity, how do you guys cope? No salary for 8 months? Mehn that’s crãzy!!!!”

The allegations stirred an outcry on social media, with many users sharing their thoughts on the situation.

Entertainment

Speed Darlington drags IGP Egbetokun to court, demands N300m damages

Speed Darlington (Darlington Achakpo), a detained Nigerian singer, has taken the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to court for alleged unlawful detention.

He filed the lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The court has fixed January 13 for the hearing of the fundamental rights enforcement suit.

Justice Musa Liman fixed the date after counsel for the singer, Abubakar Marshal, sought an adjournment to enable the I-G’s lawyer, Garba Audu, study and to respond accordingly to the processes served on him in the open court.

Justice Liman had, on Dec. 23, 2024, ordered the I-G to charge Speed Darlington to court or release him on bail unconditionally within 48 hours.

The judge made the order in a ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by lawyer who appeared for Darlington, David Ihuoma, and adjourned the matter until Jan. 6 for the hearing of the substantive case .

Speed Darlington, 39, was allegedly arrested by the police over allegations of “defamation and cyberstalking” of the ace award-winning artiste, Damini Ogulu, aka Burna Boy but was released on bail on Oct. 8, 2024.

A lawyer and human right activist, Deji Adeyanju alleged that Speed Darlington was apprehended in Lagos State following a petition by Burna Boy, and was moved to Abuja where he had been in detention.

Upon resumed hearing in the matter on Monday, Marshal informed the court that the matter was scheduled for hearing of the originating motion on notice for the enforcement of Achakpo’s fundamental rights.

Although Audu said he was yet to be served with the process, the court however confirmed through the proof of service in the court record that the police were duly served.

The judge thereafter directed Marshal to avail Audu with a copy of the application in the open court.

Justice Liman then asked Marshal if the singer had been released but the lawyer responded in the negative.

Responding, Audu explained to the court that the I-G had already filed a criminal charge against Speed Darlington before the singer filed the motion ex-parte for his release.

He said the singer was admitted to administrative bail but allegedly jumped the bail.

The police lawyer said that the charge, which was filed before Justice Ekerete Akpan of Court 13, came up earlier in December 2024, but could not be heard.

He said an application was also written to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for the reassignment of the criminal matter to a vacation judge so that the defendant can be arraigned but all to no avail.

He explained that the criminal matter was now fixed for Jan. 15 for Speed Darlington’s arraignment before Justice Akpan.

The lawyer further explained that contrary to insinuation, the police did not flout the order of the court as it would have been difficult to arraign the defendant at the time the order was made going by the Christmas holiday.

Marshal, therefore, prayed the court to direct the police to release the singer to him pending when he would be arraigned.

“We shall be applying pending the trial and arraignment of the applicant that your lordship make an order admitting him to bail.
“If my lord will, as ministers in the temple of justice, we will ensure his presence in court on the day of arraignment,” he said, but Audu opposed the application.

Justice Liman, who agreed that the police were not in deliberate disobedience to the court order, advised Audu to ensure Speed Darlington is released to Marshal, having undertook to produce him in court.

“I don’t see anything the police will lose if granted bail,” the judge advised.

He subsequently adjourned the matter until Jan. 13 for hearing of the substantive matter.

In the fundamental right suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1832/2024, Speed Darlington sued I-G as sole respondent.

The artiste, who urged the court to declare that his arrest and detention violated his fundamental rights as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, sought four orders.

In the suit filed by Adeyanju, he sought an order directing the I-G to immediately and unconditionally release him from detention facility where he is being kept.

Alternatively, he sought an order mandating and compelling the I-G to produce him before the court to enable the court inquire into the circumstances constituting grounds of his arrest and detention and where it deems fit, admits him to bail.

He also sought “an order directing the respondent to pay the applicant the sum of N300,000,000.00 (Three Hundred Million Naira) only as general, exemplary and aggravating damages for their unlawful and continued detention since the 2024 till date.”

In the affidavit deposed to by Esther Eyisi, a secretary in the law firm, she alleged that Speed Darlington was first arrested on Oct. 4, 2024 for allegedly defaming Burna Boy.

She said he was illegally detained for five days and subjected to severe torture and maltreatment without being formally charged to a court of competent jurisdiction.

Eyisi averred that the artiste was eventually granted bail by the police after spending five days under inhumane conditions.

According to her, on Nov. 27, 2024, the applicant was arrested and detained by officers of respondent on the grounds that he allegedly jumped administrative bail.

This, she said, is in spite of notification from her client about his medical emergency and his inability to report on the scheduled date and obtaining the permission of the officers of the respondent to travel to Owerri, Imo for a performance.

She said the continuous detention of Speed Darlington without arraignment contravened his constitutional rights, describing him as the “breadwinner in his family.”

Entertainment

Nigeria Nathaniel Bassey to minister at Trump’s inaugural prayer breakfast in US

A Nigerian gospel singer and pastor, Nathaniel Bassey, has been invited to minister at the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on January 20 in Washington, D.C.

The Akwa Ibom-born cleric disclosed this on his Instagram page, sharing a poster of the event.

He wrote: “Let’s raise a sound in America. See you on January 20, 2025.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the U.S. prayer breakfast is a non-political and faith-based event that emphasises prayer and worship as a spiritual support for the U.S. government and presidency.

The event is held once in four years preceding every new administration, and this edition is scheduled to be held ahead of Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance’s swearing-in ceremony.

The prayer breakfast will be hosted by Reverend Merrie Turner at the prestigious Waldorf Astoria Presidential Ballroom, featuring a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Dr Alveda King and Pastor Mario Bramnick.

Bassey, an acclaimed trumpeter and convener of the Hallelujah Challenge, an online Christian worship movement, is known for his hit songs, including “Imela”, “Onise Iyanu”, and “Olowogbogboro.”