Nollywood star and politician, Funke Akindele, has opened up about the emotional and psychological toll of recent events in her life, revealing that she nearly broke down completely following a series of personal and professional setbacks.

Speaking in an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, the actress detailed how the death of her mother, the collapse of her marriage to Abdulrasheed Bello (popularly known as JJC Skillz), and her defeat in the 2023 elections left her deeply depressed.

“I do not like to mourn. I remember when my mom passed on, I just wanted to get out of it quickly. I like to get out of the situation quickly. I do not allow myself to break down, and it affected me after my mom’s death. And I almost died,” Akindele said.

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She also addressed her ongoing struggles as a single mother, alleging that her estranged husband has failed to take responsibility for their twin boys, born in 2018.

“I lost my mum, my marriage fell apart, I lost in politics, I have to get back to work, I have to earn a living. I have children I’m raising alone and you are stressing me,” she said.

Recall that Akindele and JJC Skillz were married in 2016 and ended their union in 2022.

The music producer announced their separation in a post on Instagram, stating:
“I’m making this announcement to clear the public that we both are pursuing separate lives. We still have issues such as the custody and wellbeing of our children to be addressed, as well as business interests which need to be disentangled, but I have no doubt that these will be resolved in one way or the other.”

However, Akindele’s recent comments suggest that the issues concerning co-parenting remain unresolved.

In the interview, she recounted a moment when online criticism pushed her to the edge.

“My heart was aching and something happened online. For the first time I took my phone, I went live on social media and I’m like, you all should leave me alone. Do I know this person? No, this person came to act in my movie, got paid, and left. Why are you accusing me of something I didn’t do wrong?” she said.

“Do you know what I’m going through?… So, for the first time, I cried. I broke down for weeks,” she added.

Nigerian street-hop sensation Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has withdrawn from his planned celebrity boxing match with fellow artist Darlington Achakpo Okoye, aka Speed Darlington.

The controversial singer made the announcement in a video shared on his Instagram, where he declared that he no longer wished to face Speed Darlington, calling the rapper an unworthy opponent.

Portable took it a step further by challenging former world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, to a match, demanding a prize purse of 100 million naira.

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“I’m not fighting Speed Darlington again; I want Anthony Joshua with 100m,” Portable boldly declared in the viral clip, which quickly gained traction online.

In the video, Portable also accused Speed Darlington of using the planned boxing match as a publicity stunt to promote his upcoming show set for April.

He further asserted that his standing in the Nigerian music scene is far superior to that of Speed Darlington, who had recently made headlines after his release from Kuje Prison in January, where he was detained for allegedly defaming Afrobeat star Burna Boy.

The announcement comes just days after Speed Darlington began training for the match.

In a mocking video, the rapper was seen buying a coffin, which many interpreted as a taunt toward Portable, before heading to the gym with his trainer to work on his fitness for the planned showdown.

The boxing event was originally scheduled to take place on April 18, 2025, at the Balmoral Convention Center in Lagos State.

However, Portable’s sudden withdrawal has cast doubt on the future of the fight, leaving fans uncertain about the prospect of seeing the two entertainers in the ring.

For now, the anticipated celebrity clash seems to be off the table — at least until another twist in this ongoing drama emerges.

Controversial cleric Jimmy Odukoya has revealed that his decision to keep dreadlocks was based on a direct instruction from God — a move that, according to him, ultimately saved a life.

In a sermon shared on Facebook Wednesday, the lead pastor of The Fountain of Life Church explained that the hairstyle, which has drawn both criticism and support, is not a fashion statement but a spiritual mandate.

“Before I came back, one of the things I asked the Lord was whether or not I should cut my hair. And the Lord told me not to cut my hair,” Odukoya said. “I said, ‘Lord, you sure?’ He said, ‘Don’t cut it.’ I said, ‘Alright. I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but I’m crazy enough to follow you, let’s do it together.’”

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He recounted how his sister and fellow pastor, Tolu Odukoya-Ijogun, initially questioned his appearance, urging him to consider how it might affect his outreach.

“She said, ‘This your hair… To clean a fish, you must first catch it,’” he recalled. “In other words, if you’re going to reach people and bring about change, you must first be relatable and accepted.”

Odukoya, however, insisted on following divine instruction. “Sis, I hear you, but go and pray. God will speak to you,” he told her.

According to him, she later returned with a revelation of her own. “She saw me preaching with my hair and came back to say, ‘You’re not supposed to cut it.’ And I said, ‘I know. He already told me.’”

The most striking part of his testimony came as he described a woman from Zimbabwe who traveled to Nigeria just to attend his service after recognizing him from a vision she had nine years ago.

“She said, ‘People think I’m crazy. I told everybody I am coming to Nigeria for the next three to four weeks. I’m just coming to church,’” Odukoya shared.

He explained that the woman had seen him in a 2016 vision while in New York during Thanksgiving. At the time, she said she was burdened by personal struggles and saw a man with long hair and a sword speaking words that released her from her pain.

“There was this dog on my shoulder. I knew the dog represented the weight I was carrying and you had this long sword. You began speaking to me and it looked like thunder and lightning was coming out of the sword and it burnt the dog into ashes,” she told him.

The woman said she had no knowledge of Odukoya at the time and assumed the man in the vision wasn’t real. Years later, in 2025, while battling depression after a divorce and the loss of her mother, she stumbled upon a sermon on YouTube — and recognized him instantly.

“She said, ‘I screamed. This is the man I saw. I didn’t know any pastor would have long hair. It’s him!’”

Odukoya noted that the timing of her vision in 2016 was particularly significant because he did not have dreadlocks then, highlighting how obeying God’s instruction played a role in what he believes was a divinely orchestrated moment.

“In 2016, I didn’t even have dreads. But the God who sees, hears, and knows, knew that in February 2025, one of His children would have to see a man preaching,” he said. “If He did not ask me to keep my hair, I would have cut it. And when I popped up on the screen, she would have seen me with no hair and it would have meant nothing.”

Odukoya, who succeeded his late father Pastor Taiwo Odukoya in 2023, has previously defended his appearance, stating that his mode of dressing is spiritually guided.