The family of Opral Benson, the Iya Oge of Lagos, has dismissed claims that she is missing, saying she is currently out of the country.

A missing person notice released on Sunday had claimed that Benson’s whereabouts had been unknown. It added that she was last seen on January 13 and had not returned home since then.

However, a source close to the family told TheCable Lifestyle on Tuesday that the report was “inaccurate’.

“Mama Opral is in Liberia visiting family. Precious and her Assistant are with her,” the source said.

According to the source, the missing notice may have been issued due to a communication gap within the family, and that the person who circulated the notice may not have been informed of the trip.

The source added that Precious, Benson’s daughter, is currently with her in Liberia, while Bimbo Cardoso, who shared the notice online, is her stepdaughter.

“Bimbo, who put the notice out, has been described as drama queen. Maybe she wasnt told before they left,” the source said.

“Precious is Opral Benson’s daughter. Bimbo Cardoso is a stepdaughter.”

The African Refugees Foundation (AREF) also confirmed that Benson, who serves as its president, is “alive, safe and not missing”.

In a statement, Olujimi Olusola, chief executive officer of AREF, said Benson is “hale and hearty” and there was no cause for concern.

“AREF confirms that Mrs. Benson is currently in Liberia, her presence there is voluntary and known,” the statement reads.

“We urge members of the public, media organizations, and community stakeholders to disregard the false and misleading reports and refrain from spreading unverified information that may cause unnecessary alarm.

“The Foundation remains committed to promoting truth, protecting the dignity of individuals under its care, and ensuring that accurate information is made available to the public.”

Opral Benson, born on February 7, 1935, is an American-Liberian and Nigerian entrepreneur and socialite who holds the chieftaincy title of Iya Oge of Lagos.

She was married to T.O.S. Benson from 1962 until his death and has been active in fashion, beauty, and public service, including serving as Liberia’s honorary consul in Lagos.

Credit: The Cableng

The driver charged in the car crash that injured Anthony Joshua and killed two of his friends appeared in a Nigerian court on Tuesday, as the star boxer’s uncle questioned whether a trial was “really worth it”.

Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was driving the former two-time heavyweight champion, Joshua, and two of his friends, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, when their Lexus SUV rammed into a stationary truck.

Kayode faces multiple charges of reckless driving, as well as a charge of driving without a licence.

Dressed in black trousers and a hoodie, Kayode appeared downcast and tried to avoid journalists’ cameras outside the courtroom in Sagamu, in the country’s southwest.

“We are very lucky that our son didn’t die. But taking this man to court is something we don’t see any reason for,” Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, told AFP at the boxer’s family home.

“This is my own personal opinion that the trial is not really worth it. Because we think accidents can happen anywhere in the world.”

At the same time, he added, “we sense the opinion of the people of the town” is that “this man must be prosecuted. That he was overspeeding.”

The Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) in Ogun State, on the section of highway where the crash occurred, told AFP in the aftermath of the December 29 incident that preliminary investigations showed the vehicle was travelling at excessive speed and suffered a burst tyre before the collision.

Kayode’s court appearance on Tuesday was brief, as the judge adjourned the case until February 25 after the prosecution requested a delay.

His lawyer, Olalekan Abiodun, told journalists outside the courtroom that he agreed to the adjournment “in the interest of justice.”

Nigerian police and state officials said Ayodele and Ghami died at the scene, while Joshua and Kayode sustained minor injuries.

Ghami was Joshua’s long-time strength and conditioning coach, while Ayodele was his personal trainer, according to British media.

Adedamola Joshua told AFP that Kayode had been his nephew’s driver for three years and that there had never been any complaints.

His nephew, a British national of Nigerian heritage, frequently visits southwest Nigeria, where he has friends and family. (AFP)

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed the fresh suit filed by a factional National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, after he applied to withdraw the matter.

At the resumed hearing, Anyanwu’s lawyer, U. C. Njemanze-Aku, told the court that the suit had been overtaken by events.

“We don’t think it is proper for a matter that has been overtaken by events to continue. In the interest of justice, I apply to withdraw this matter to save the court’s time,” he said.

The dispute over the office of the PDP National Secretary began when Anyanwu vacated the office to contest the 2023 Imo State governorship election, which he lost.

His bid to reclaim the position thereafter sparked internal crises within the party, with Sunday Udeh-Okoye emerging as a rival claimant to be the party’s scribe.

On December 20th 2024, the Court of Appeal in Enugu upheld an earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, which removed Anyanwu and affirmed Udeh-Okoye as the authentic National Secretary of the PDP.

Anyanwu subsequently filed for a stay of execution and appealed to the Supreme Court.

In March 2025, the Supreme Court overturned the decisions of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court that had sacked Anyanwu. Despite the ruling of the apex court, the leadership tussle lingered, with different factions laying claim to authority at the PDP national secretariat.

In an effort to resolve the legal uncertainty, Anyanwu later filed a fresh suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking enforcement of his position and related reliefs.

In November 2025, the court granted his application to amend the originating summons, but awarded a cost of N30,000 against him in favour of each of the defendants and adjourned the matter until January 20th for hearing.

However, when the case was called for a hearing, Anyanwu, through his lawyer, opted to withdraw the suit, bringing the prolonged legal battle to an end.

Responding, counsel for the second defendant, Akintayo Balogun, argued that “the suit ought not to have been instituted in the first place,” urging the court to dismiss it with costs.

He added that the application for costs was still subsisting, requesting one million naira.

Counsel for the third defendant, M. O. Akpan, said he had no objection and aligned his argument with that of the second defendant, while asking for N1.5m as costs.

Ugochukwu Okanu, who appeared for the fourth defendant, also aligned with the submissions of the second defendant and requested one million naira as costs.

J. A. Musa, counsel for the sixth defendant, said he did not object and similarly asked for one million naira.

In his reply, Njemanze-Aku said the withdrawal was not a voluntary discontinuation but was due to circumstances beyond the plaintiff’s control.

“We owe a duty to the court… it is not fair to penalise the plaintiff,” he said, urging the court to allow the parties to bear their own costs.

Delivering his ruling, the presiding judge dismissed the suit.

“Since you have joined issues, I am going to dismiss this matter. The matter is hereby dismissed,” the judge said.

On the issue of costs, the judge declined all the requests, stating, “The delay is not on any of the parties. The situation made it so. For this reason, I award no cost.”