I never imagined that the two women I loved the most would destroy each other under my roof. When I brought my mother to live with us, I believed I was doing the right thing. She was getting old her back bent, her hands trembling, her voice no longer strong. Since my father died, loneliness followed her everywhere. I couldn’t leave her alone. She was my mother. She carried me....

Stella Obasanjo   Stella Oluremi Obasanjo was the wife of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and served as First Lady of Nigeria from 1999 to 2005. She became known for her humanitarian activities, charity work, and advocacy for women, children, and vulnerable people in society. Although her time as First Lady was relatively short, Stella Obasanjo left a lasting impression...

Everyone feared Ajànàkú. His shrine sat at the edge of the village where the forest thickened and the air smelled of burnt herbs and old secrets. People came to him for protection, power, luck—and revenge. He never failed them, and that was the problem. Power had made his heart dry. When Kunle, a trader from a neighboring town, visited Ajànàkú...

Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida   In the ancient town of Minna in present day Niger State, on August 17, 1941, a boy was born into a modest Muslim family. His name was Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. No one could have predicted that the quiet child from the Nupe heartland would grow up to become one of the most powerful and controversial leaders in Nigeria’s history. Ibrahim...

Ernest Shonekan  Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan was a Nigerian businessman, lawyer, and statesman who briefly served as the Head of the Interim National Government of Nigeria in 1993. His leadership came during one of the most politically turbulent periods in Nigeria’s history following the annulment of the June 12 presidential election. Born on May 9, 1936, in Lagos, Nigeria,...