Full details of Sanwo-Olu’s multi-million dollar revelry while he abandoned Lagos
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Musicians Davido and Whizkid have a house each in Ghana to where they escape once in while from the Nigerian conundrum. Other Nigerians, especially Lagosians, cross the border at weekends to have parties in Benin Republic.
But Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu chose to traverse the Atlantic to the Caribbean to join jet setters in the 50th birthday party of Aisha Achimugu at one of the most expensive hotels in the world located in Grenada for seven days at a cost of millions of dollars.
PREMIUM TIMES reports Sanwo-Olu returned to Nigeria on Wednesday morning after spending six days partying on the Caribbean Island of Grenada to mark the 50th birthday of the businesswoman and socialite based in Abuja.
Sanwo-Olu flew in a private jet to Grenada and lodged in one of the most expensive resorts in the world, where Nigerian and foreign musicians and entertainers were flown to perform, nouveau riche was in full display, and dollar notes were sprayed (the foolish, wasteful Nigerian way) like water.
Many officials of his government did not know his whereabouts for days, with some saying he was attending an official engagement in London and others simply telling us he was travelling abroad.
However, while the Mandilas building burned on Lagos Island on January 21 and many Lagosians remained overburdened by poverty and insecurity, their Governor was reveling at a party on Calivigny Island, an 80-acre private and exquisite location which costs about $132,000 per night.
Those familiar with the event said organisers rented the Island for seven days, amounting to about $924,000 in total, in addition to other charges.
Celebration in luxury resort
Sanwo-Olu and other participants alternated between Calivigny Island and Silversand Grenada, an exotic five-year-old seven-star luxury resort located in Grand Anse beach, where some events of the posh celebration were held.
Those familiar with the Governor’s itinerary said he left Nigeria on Wednesday January 17 for Achimugu’s birthday carnival which began with “a scrumptious welcome breakfast” and “a spectacular dinner with an explosive finish” that day. Other guests had arrived Grenada on January 16.
But Sanwo-Olu was only able to join the party on January 18, the third day of the festivity. He remained there until January 23, leaving his state without his leadership for nearly a week.
It remains unclear as of the time of this report why he left his duty post in Lagos, flew 7,585 kilometres to Grenada for a birthday party, at a time the people who elected him are grappling with severe and unprecedented economic hardship.
Another yet unresolved question is how the Governor funded his trip and stay on that Caribbean Island.
Sanwo-Olu did not answer calls made to him by one of our reporters seeking his comments for this report. He also did not respond to a message sent to him on the matter.
The known telephone number of the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, rang out the multiple times he was called.
Aisha Achimugu, founder and Managing Director of Felak Concept Group based in Abuja, was born on 22 January 1974. She turned 50 on January 22 this year. The relationship between her and Sanwo-Olu is unclear.
Nonetheless, he was at the party to honour her. Some of the others who attended the gig said it was one of the most opulent parties they have ever witnessed or heard about.
Achimugu rented the Calivigny Island for one week and reserved rooms for her guests at Silversand Grenada. Several guests were also said to have been flown from Nigeria to the party in chartered jets.
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Achimugu shows off designer shoes, expensive jewelry
During the week-long revelry, Achimugu, a widow who lost her husband to Coronavirus in 2020, is said to have changed clothes at least 30 times, with each dress said to cost thousands of dollars.
Those were in addition to the high-end clothes she used for a photoshoot with a celebrity photographer ahead of the event.
For most of the time, she was decked in very expensive diamond jewelry, wore designer shoes and carried Hermes crocodile-leather handbags, each said to cost between $50,000 and $80,000.
One of the numerous parties took place aboard the Silver Angel, a Yacht sailing on the Caribbean sea under the flag of the United Kingdom.
Musicians and entertainers
Several local and international A-list musicians and entertainers flew in to perform at the various events – including Kenny G (American saxophonist and composer), Mr Killa (Grenadan musician) and Nigerian acts Waje, Flavour, Adekunle Gold, and Asake.
Hypemen, disc jockeys, make-up artists, hair stylists and masters of ceremonies were also flown to the Island and were all paid in thousands of dollars for their services, those close to the organisers said.
David Reeves, the official disc jockey for the event, was seen at the end of the party displaying bundles of crisp United States dollars (estimated to be up to $50,000) and saying excitedly, “who wan help you no go stress you”.
Some of the musicians were sprayed with dollars as they performed.
One attendee disclosed to PREMIUM TIMES that at the birthday, “exotic wines, expensive but delicious food, crisp dollars and obscene opulence were on display.” The source estimated the event to have cost the organisers billions of naira.
“We basically shut down Grenada and the citizens of that country knew that Nigerians were in town, they knew the eagles had landed,” the source said, asking not to be named to avoid being ostracised by friends.
“But what even surprised me the most was seeing Governor Sanwo-Olu at the event. Is he not sensitive to the mood of the Nigerian nation? What was he doing there as a public figure?”
