Suspected militants drove a van into pedestrians at high speed on London Bridge on Saturday night before stabbing revelers on nearby streets, killing at least six people and wounding close to 50.
Armed police rushed to the scene and shot dead the three male attackers in the Borough Market area near the bridge, as authorities urged Londoners on Twitter to “run, hide, tell” if they were caught up in the violence.
The attacks came just five days ahead of a national parliamentary election on Thursday. The ruling Conservative Party suspended national campaigning on Sunday, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said.
“Following updates from police and security officials, I can confirm that the terrible incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism,” May said in a statement as events unfolded.
The killings also occurred less than two weeks after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at a pop concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
“Sadly, six people have died in addition to the three attackers shot by police,” Mark Rowley, Britain’s top anti-terrorism officer, said. The three attackers had been wearing what looked like explosive vests that were later found to have been hoaxes.
The BBC showed a photograph of two possible attackers shot by police, one of whom had canisters strapped to his body. Hours after the attack the area remained sealed off and patrolled by armed police and counter-terrorism officers.
The London Ambulance Service said 48 people had been taken to five hospitals across the city and a number of others had been treated at the scene for minor injuries.
Streets around London Bridge and Borough Market, an area that is a major transport hub and is packed with bars and restaurants, was busy with people on a night out.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke of a “cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night.”
“STAB WOUND”
Witnesses described a white van careering into pedestrians on the bridge.
“It looked like he was aiming for groups of people. I froze because I didn’t know what to do,” Mark Roberts, 53, a management consultant, told Reuters. He saw at least six people on the ground after the van veered on and off the pavement.
“It was horrendous,” he said.
A taxi driver told the BBC that three men got out of the van with long knives and “went randomly along Borough High Street stabbing people.”
Witnesses described people running into a bar to seek shelter.
“People started running and screaming, and the van crashes into the railing behind. We went towards Borough Market and everyone went inside (the bar). Everyone in the bar started pushing people from the exits,” one witness, who gave his name as Brian, 32, told Reuters.
Another witness, who declined to be named, his white top covered in blood, described a scene of panic in the bar.
“They hit the emergency alarm. There was a line of people going down to the emergency exit. And then people started screaming coming back up,” the 31-year-old said.
“Around the corner there was a guy with a stab wound on his neck … There was a doctor in the pub and she helped him. They put pressure on the stab wound.”
BBC radio said witnesses saw people throwing tables and chairs at the attackers to protect themselves.
The BBC showed dozens of people being escorted to safety through a police cordon with their hands on their heads.
Islamic State, losing territory in Syria and Iraq to an advance backed by a U.S-led coalition, sent out a call on instant messaging service Telegram early on Saturday urging its followers to launch attacks with trucks, knives and guns against “Crusaders” during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Similar attacks, in Berlin, Nice, Brussels and Paris, have been carried out by Islamist militants over the past two years.
May was due to chair a meeting of the Cobra security committee later on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter to offer U.S. help to Britain. The White House said he had been briefed on the incidents by his national security team.
French president Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter that “France is standing more than ever side by side with the UK.”
The incident bore similarities to a March attack on Westminster Bridge, west of London Bridge, in which a man killed five people after driving into a crowd of pedestrians before stabbing a police officer in the grounds of parliament.
Several witnesses also reported hearing gunshots around London Bridge.
“We were in an Uber (taxi) going towards London Bridge and suddenly we saw people running. The Uber stopped, we asked people what was going on – people said there was shooting,” said Yoann Belmere, 40, a French banker living in London.
“Now the area is completely closed with police cars going one way and ambulances going the other,” he told Reuters.
The Manchester bombing on May 22 was the deadliest attack in Britain since July 2005, when four British Muslim suicide bombers killed 52 people in coordinated attacks on London’s transport network.
Singer Rotimi went on a podcast, the “85 South Show Podcast,” to talk about his career success.
Rotimi also discussed his role in bringing Afrobeats, a music genre with African roots, to the attention of American audiences.
Rotimi claims he was the first artist to introduce Afrobeats-inspired music in the US. This was even before collaborations with international artists became popular and helped spread Afrobeats globally (“Afrobeats to the World” movement).
Interestingly, Rotimi mixes R&B with Afrobeats in his own music. He even mentioned a song called “Love Riddim” that he released in 2018. Unfortunately, radio stations didn’t accept it well because of the Afrobeats sound.
“I remember bringing ‘Love Riddim’ to the radio stations in 2018 and the program director was like ‘This is not good’. They didn’t even understand it and this was before Wiz (Wizkid) got the record with Drake,” Rotimi narrates. “I can comfortably say I brought Afrobeats to America,” he added.
Rotimi deserves credit for contributing to the rise of Afrobeats in the US, particularly in the early stages when it was gaining a foothold. However, some might contest his claim of single-handedly introducing the genre.
Several Afrobeats tracks achieved success in the US before Rotimi’s breakthrough. Ayo Jay‘s “Your Number” (2015) stands out as the first Afrobeats song to chart on the Billboard R&B/Airplay chart without a collaboration with another artist.
Wizkid, another Nigerian artist, also enjoyed significant recognition through collaborations with Drake on “One Dance” (2016) and “Come Closer” (2017). These tracks gained immense popularity and played a role in bringing Afrobeats to the forefront of Western audiences.
Davido, another Afrobeats heavyweight, notched hits with “If” and “Fall” (both released in 2017).
Notably, “Fall” was one of the first Afrobeats songs to achieve platinum certification in the US.
The groundwork for Afrobeats’ US success can be traced back even further. Big names in the Afrobeats scene like 2Baba, P-Square, and D’banj actively collaborated with American stars like T-Pain, Rick Ross, T.I., and Snoop Dogg. D’banj even secured a record deal with Kanye West’s Good Music label.
These collaborations served as a bridge, introducing American audiences to Afrobeats and fostering their early popularity in the US.
In conclusion, the surge of Afrobeats in the US during the 2010s wasn’t solely driven by one artist. It stemmed from a confluence of factors: the rise of social media platforms, the accessibility provided by music streaming services, and most importantly, the collaborative efforts of numerous talented Afrobeats musicians.
While Rotimi’s music undoubtedly played a part in this growth, the overall success of Afrobeats in the US is a testament to the collective power of the entire Afrobeats movement.
Watch Rotimi’s full interview on the 85 South Show Podcast below.
Calling all Jenifa’s Diary fans! Get ready for a fresh serving of laughter with the return of your favourite comedy series. The show is getting a makeover, complete with a brand new name: “Everybody Loves Jenifa.”
This is fantastic news for fans who have been following the hilarious journey of Jenifa since her first appearance in 2008. The character, created by the talented Funke Akindele, proved to be a scene-stealer, and she quickly landed her own television series, “Jenifa’s Diary,” in 2015.
The show chronicled the adventures of Jenifa, a naive yet funny character, and it resonated with audiences, making it a ratings hit.
But the Jenifa series extends far beyond the original series. The character’s popularity spawned a whole franchise, allowing viewers to see different sides of Jenifa.
In 2011, fans were treated to “Return of Jenifa,” a sequel to the original movie. Then came “Aiyetoro Town” (2019), a spin-off series that transported audiences to Jenifa’s village, offering a glimpse into her roots. Even the challenges of a global pandemic couldn’t keep Jenifa down.
In 2021, a special titled “Jenifa on Lockdown” gave fans a hilarious look at how Jenifa was coping with the new normal.
By December 2024, Jenifa would be back for another round of laughs with “Everybody Loves Jenifa.” This new title hints at the universal appeal of the character and the series’ promise to deliver side-splitting comedy once again.
Whether you’re a longtime Jenifa devotee or a new viewer curious about the buzz, “Everybody Loves Jenifa” is sure to tickle your funny bone. So get ready to join the crowd and celebrate the return of this character!
A social media influencer named VeryDarkMan accused Nigerian chef Hilda Baci of scamming people who paid for her online cooking class but never received access.
Hilda Baci, who holds a Guinness World Record, isn’t taking these claims lightly. On April 23rd, 2024, she fought back against the accusations. Baci posted a screen recording of her online cooking class in action. The video showed activity within the online platform, including new students joining, media being shared, and overall engagement—all evidence to counter the claims that the class wasn’t happening.
Her caption read, “5880 active students, 156 recipes already posted, comprehensive editing class done, plating class done, official assignment given. LOL.”
Social media influencer VeryDarkMan didn’t hold back in his accusations. He went even further, suggesting this might be a criminal offence, specifically “obtaining money under false pretences.” This means VeryDarkMan believes Baci took people’s money with the promise of a class but didn’t deliver.
He said,
“Hilda Baci, you have worked so hard for your brand but it’s as though you’re trying to spoil the reputation of your brand. What you’re doing now is giving ‘Obtaining under false pretense’ which is fraud, by the way. You can’t collect money from a lot of people for something and then not do it and you’re not even addressing it.”
“You collected money for an online cooking class which was meant to start on the 22nd. But on the 22nd you didn’t start. You posted that registration closed on the 28th of March and since then you’ve been quiet. Don’t you see all the women complaining in the comment section? This is giving fraud. You can’t collect money from people and just ghost them,” he added.