The online space was thrown into chaos this past week after a group of Internet personalities took the feud with controversial actress, Liz Anjorin, to another level by staging her mock burial. The bizarre stunt, which involved printing an obituary, cooking food, and performing rituals, was led by a TikToker known simply as Oko Awon Single Mother. According to him and his followers, the actress had gone too far with her online rants, insults and curses, especially against fellow actress, Iyabo Ojo, and her supporters. However, the burial wasn’t a light-hearted skit. It was a dramatic affair that mimicked a real funeral. A massive banner featuring Anjorin’s photograph was printed, while people “mourned” and ate. The obituary read, “Never to be forgotten and forgiven. Gone too soon. With deep sorrow and a heavy heart, we announce the passing of Mrs. Lizzy Anjorin, a woman of quiet strength and tender grace, who left this world under painful and sorrowful circumstances. She lived a life filled with silent battles and quiet endurance. Despite having no life and now flourished as he final call her tlear followed her till her final breath (sic). We pray that her soul finds peace and rest in the bosom of the Lord. Her memory remains with those who knew her sorrow and sacrifice.” While it might seem shocking that such theatrics took place over a social media war, it didn’t end there. Before the event, the TikToker challenged Lizzy to retaliate, saying, “I will surprise you. Lizzy, carry your police to the centre of Ikorodu garage. You too come and eat your akara (bean cake), it will not be well with you. You will think you have died. In fact, you are dead. Lizzy, I know you are here (on the livestream). Use your real page to approach me. It is aura for aura, curse for curse we are doing here. Nobody has a monopoly of madness. You are not the only crazy person.” Not done, the TikToker and his associates held what they called a “back to sender ritual,” which was live streamed on TikTok. The session involved chanting incantations and killing a hen as a form of spiritual retaliation. Viewers watched in disbelief as the TikToker danced and received money and other gifts while the mock funeral took place. When Saturday Beats called the number displayed on the banner used for the ceremony, it was switched off. Meanwhile, Anjorin, undeterred, continued to take vicious swipes at Ojo. In a recent viral video, she cursed Ojo’s daughter and her soon-to-be-born grandchild. Also, when Saturday Beats reached out to Anjorin, she remained defiant. She said, “She has been cursing my children. She is a very tricky person and I just pray she does not happen to anybody. I only reacted to what they do to me and people who are conversant with social media can testify to this. Why would I fight who is not fighting me? When she was bullying me for years, I kept quiet. She even dared me to mention her name. She engages in so many things and if I offend her, let her come out and defend herself. She joined people to perform rituals on my children on Facebook Live. They printed the pictures of my children and took them to the burial ground and she was there. She even joined some social media pages where people were doing a ‘curse festival’. She will drop comments and cheer them on. She is someone that will destroy you if you don’t stand firm.” Anjorin insisted that the group who held the mock burial for her was sponsored by Ojo. Meanwhile, her online feud with Ojo intensified after controversial social commentator, VeryDarkMan, alleged that Iyabo and some others tried to frame singer, Naira Marley, for the death of singer, Mohbad. In one of her reposts, she wrote, “We dey hustle to make our parents and the whole nation proud … oloribu**** Iyabo dey create WhatsApp group they destroy glorious hardworking people with lies for donations and ransom.” Her constant attacks eventually prompted a response from Fola Tinubu, the estranged wife of Lizzy’s husband. Fola lashed out at Anjorin via Instagram, writing, “Only if there’s no God you will go scot free, Lizzy Anjorin, for wishing death on yourself not us. Only if you have power than God.” Actress, Bridgett Adebayo, also waded into the matter, calling for public action against Anjorin. She said, “Can’t we find one person that can beat up this woman or use scissors to shut her mouth up? We are tired. Her rants are too much and I see her every time on my page.” Not one to back down, Anjorin responded in a video, attacking Bridget and claiming her husband was a fraudster, therefore disqualifying her from criticising anyone. As fans and observers continued to express fatigue over the drama, Lizzy’s former manager, Dayo Badmus, stepped in to give historical context to the rift. In a lengthy Facebook post, he detailed the origins of the over-15-year feud between Anjorin and Ojo. Opening up about his broken relationship with Lizzy (whose real name is Ibukun), Badmus described her as paranoid, dishonest, and prone to exaggeration. He traced the origin of the feud to a celebrity-packed event in 2009 held somewhere around Agidingbi, Ikeja. “According to my friends who were at the event, Liz came quite late into the event. In her usual conditional respectful manner, she greeted most of the celebs including Iyabo Ojo who didn’t like Lizzy’s manner of greeting. My whispering birds told me Lizzy said something like, ‘Iyabo, bawo ni…. (Iyabo, how are you?)?’ This, according to my whispering birds, angered Iyabo on the spot and their outburst nearly brought the event to a premature end. It was a weekend, and the fight between two superstar actresses dominated the front pages of most soft sell magazines. That I can tell laid the foundation for what has now dragged on for over 15 years,” he wrote. Badmus further accused Anjorin of spreading lies about sponsoring his 2009 wedding when she only allegedly gave him N20,000. He also denied ever leaking any of her information or pictures to bloggers. He claimed he had been offered money by blogs but stayed loyal to her. He criticised Anjorin’s behaviour, noting that despite being a graduate, she had “little grace and self-control,” in contrast to Iyabo Ojo who he described as more “strategic and composed”. He also dared her to repeat her claim of never dating or sleeping with any actor, saying more revelations may soon follow. As the online drama grows increasingly messy and emotional, many fans have begun pleading for peace while others appear invested in watching the feud unfold like a never-ending soap opera.

Burnley came from a goal down to win at nine-man Watford and take a big step towards sealing automatic promotion back to the Premier League. Strikes either side of half-time from striker Zian Flemming and captain Josh Brownhill saw Burnley recover after Mamadou Doumbia gave Watford an early lead. Leeds United's 1-0 win at Oxford meant they lead the table on goal difference from Scott Parker's side, who equalled the club's record unbeaten league run of 30 games. The Clarets are just the second team in Championship history to go 30 consecutive, non play-off games without losing after Reading. And Burnley can rubber-stamp their top-flight return as early as Monday if they beat third-placed Sheffield United at home. Mid-table Watford, who dropped a place to 12th following this defeat, ended the game with nine men after they had both their captain Moussa Sissoko and then Edo Kayembe sent off. Watford started positively and were rewarded in the eighth minute when Doumbia headed in Rocco Vata's left-wing cross, ending Burnley's hopes of claiming an English record-equalling 30th clean sheet of the season at Vicarage Road. Flemming passed up two chances to level for Burnley, and Parker's men were fortunate not to fall a further goal behind midway through the half. After more good work down Watford's left, Caleb Wiley crossed for Kayembe but he could not keep his header down, instead directing the ball over. Burnley dominated possession after that without overly troubling Watford goalkeeper Egil Selvik until a frantic finish to the first half. Firstly, Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford produced a stunning flying save to fingertip Kayembe's drive on to the crossbar. While Trafford was still celebrating his save, the first of his three standout stops during the game, Burnley launched an attack of their own which ended with Flemming nodding in Jaidon Anthony's cross. Anthony then tested Selvik before Trafford denied Kayembe at full-stretch once again, and the two teams went in level at the break. Just before the hour, though, Burnley completed the turnaround. Following a slick passing move down the right, Connor Roberts' cross to the far post was knocked back into the middle by Hannibal Mejbri and Brownhill headed the visitors in front. Watford then suffered a double blow to their hopes of staging a recovery of their own when Sissoko and then Kayembe were dismissed, both after being shown two yellow cards in quick succession. With their two-man advantage, Burnley were the most likely next scorers and Brownhill was denied a second by Selvik. But they also had to remain alert at the death and needed a last-ditch CJ Egan-Riley tackle on Vakoun Bayo, and another big Trafford save to keep out Ryan Andrews' effort to preserve their lead. Watford head coach Tom Cleverley speaking to BBC Radio 3CR: "Barring an amazing saved by [James] Trafford [from Edo Kayembe], we would have gone in 2-0 at half-time and really in control of the game. "In that 20-second period where he's made an absolute worldie and they've gone down the other end, scored a real goal of quality, and the game is then 1-1. "That's what sides at the top of the league do. They really ride out the storms, capitalise on the waves, and they've done that well today. "For a team who is, we have to say, mid-table now, I thought that the guys looked motivated, full of life, quality and [that was] one of our best performances of the first half against the league leaders. "Unfortunately, through fault of our own, we've not seen the same level of football match in the second half, just because of the numerical disadvantage. We shot ourselves in the foot today. I've not got any complaints about the red cards. It's something we need to learn from." Burnley head coach Scott Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I'm delighted with the team. We came here for three points and managed to walk away with them. "They react constantly to adversity. They're reacting the right way. They find a way. There's quality there of course, but sometimes it's a mentality that can get you to that point [of winning a game]. It was brilliant today. "Watford are a very good side. Tom has done an incredible job here. We knew that and I knew that looking at the prep leading into the game. "We knew that this game was definitely a tough game for us and we needed to address it in the right way, and we've managed to do that and get out of it. "We'll enjoy this result. The next game is our biggest game of the season again, which is Sheffield [United]."

During the week, videos of legendary singer, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2baba, and Edo State House of Assembly member, Natasha Osawaru’s traditional wedding surfaced online, showcasing vibrant cultural moments, with stunning traditional attire on display. Expectedly, the ceremony—rich in love, music, dance, and Benin cultural heritage—has become a trending topic on social media, sparking a wave of diverse reactions. While some fans celebrated with the singer, others expressed reservations, with some even questioning his divorce status and legal eligibility for a new marriage. The singer had taken to social media in January 2025 to announce the end of his highly publicised marriage to actress, Annie Macaulay. Immediately after, he announced that he was in another relationship with Osawaru. He went on to propose to her shortly after. However, in an interview with Saturday Beats, a lawyer and legal expert, Oluwatodimu Ige, popularly known as Oga TheLawyer, stated that unless a man was properly divorced according to the law, he could not enter into another legally-sanctioned marital union. Ige said, “According to the law, if you are married under the Marriage Act—commonly referred to as a court wedding, where you are issued a marriage certificate—that marriage must be formally dissolved by a competent court before either party can remarry. This type of marriage can be conducted either at the marriage registry, which is superior to the local government registry, or at a licensed place of worship such as a church or mosque. Some churches are licensed to conduct such weddings, so couples don’t necessarily have to go to the registry. “Once a marriage certificate is issued, the marriage is considered valid under the Act. Therefore, any attempt to remarry without first obtaining a legal dissolution from a high court amounts to bigamy, which is a criminal offence. “However, if the marriage was conducted under traditional law, some customs permit a man to have more than one wife. In such cases, as long as it aligns with the relevant customs, it may be allowed. But if the marriage falls under the Act, the existing marriage must be legally dissolved before entering into another one.” Speaking further on the consequences, the lawyer added that if a marriage is not legally dissolved, any other marriage contracted is null and void. Echoing Ige’s statements, a respected professor of Law at the University of Lagos, Taiwo Osipitan (SAN), noted that unless a divorce had been finalised, neither party could enter into another legal union. He however explained that a couple can have an “introduction ceremony” without running afoul of the law. He said, “An introduction is not the same as a marriage. Under customary law, there are three key components of a valid customary marriage: first is the introduction, where both families are formally introduced; second is the payment of the bride price or dowry; and third is the formal handing over of the bride by her parents to the groom’s family. “All three steps must be completed for the marriage to be considered valid. If only one or two of these occur, there is no legal marriage; what exists is merely cohabitation or an intention to marry, but not an actual marriage.”

Former Rochdale midfielder Joe Thompson has died at the age of 36. He was diagnosed with cancer for a third time in April last year, five years after he retired from playing. Thompson was found to have stage four lymphoma - a type of blood cancer - which had spread to his lungs after twice recovering from the disease during his playing career. The Bath-born player began and finished his career with Rochdale, and had three spells with the club. Rochdale said they were "devastated" and that he had passed away peacefully at home on Thursday with his family by his side. "We first knew Joe primarily as a talented footballer, but we would soon grow to adore his loving, infectious personality," Rochdale said., external "He faced every battle head-on, both on and off the pitch. His journey and indomitable spirit have been an inspiration for everyone who has been touched by his story. "Above all of that, Joe was a loving husband to Chantelle and an incredible father to Thailula and Athena Rae. "Our thoughts are with Joe's family and friends at this incredibly sad time." Thompson was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013 and again in 2017. But, after twice being given the all-clear, he notably went on to score the goal which saw Rochdale avoid relegation from League One in 2018. He retired from playing in 2019 after making 203 appearances for Rochdale and saying he had "pushed his body to the absolute limit". Thompson's wife Chantelle said during his illness he had "walked every step with courage and pride". "Joe has made such an impact on so many people and we are forever grateful for him blessing us with his presence and for being so strong and staying with us as long as he did against the odds," she said. "I know he will be deeply missed by everyone and the world will not be the same without his contagious energy." Thompson came through Manchester United's academy from the age of nine before going on to join Dale, where he spent the majority of his 13-year career. He also played for Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United, Southport and Bury. He was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma while at Tranmere in 2013 and was given the all-clear the following year. After being diagnosed with cancer again in March 2017 during his third spell with Dale, he was able to return to football during the 2017-18 season after being told he was in "complete remission". In his finest moment for Rochdale, Thompson scored against Charlton Athletic to secure their place in League One for another season, describing his goal as "written in the stars, fate, destiny". Following the end of his playing career, Thompson worked in the media as a pundit as well as mentoring and as a motivational speaker. In October 2024, he took part in a 21-mile fundraising walk in order to raise awareness of cancer treatments following his third diagnosis. About 300 people took part in the walk from Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium to Rochdale's Crown Oil Arena home. Tributes to Thompson poured in following news of his passing. Manchester United described him as "a man who epitomised our club's values," before adding: "We are saddened to share that Joe Thompson has passed away. "A warm personality who had a deep connection with our club from a young age, our thoughts are with Joe's family and friends at this difficult time." Tranmere and Carlisle both sent their condolences to Thompson's family and said they would be holding a minute's applause at their home games on Friday. "Joe was an inspiration to all those who knew him," both clubs said. Bury added: "Our thoughts are with Joe's family and friends at this sad time. RIP Joe - Once A Shaker Always A Shaker." Southport said: "We are devastated to learn of the passing of former player Joe Thompson. We send our deepest condolences to all of Joe's friends and family at this tough time." In 2019, Thompson received the Sir Tom Finney award at the annual EFL awards ceremony, an honour presented to a player who has had an outstanding career and contributed an exception amount to the Football League and game in general. The EFL described Thompson as "an inspiration to so many" and added: "The EFL is deeply saddened by the passing of Joe Thompson. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and former clubs at this very difficult time."