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Meet Nigeria’s Nationalist, Obafemi Awolowo

Rufus Okoro Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909 – 1987) was a Nigerian nationalist, lawyer, statesman, and one of the country’s most influential political leaders. Born Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo on March 6, 1909, in Ikenné, present-day Ogun State, Nigeria. He studied law at the University of London and qualified as a barrister. Awolowo founded the Action Group (AG) political party in 1951. He served as the Premier of the Western Region from 1954 to 1960, later emerged the Leader of the Opposition in Nigeria’s federal parliament. ALSO READ >>> Meet Nigeria’s First President, Nnamdi Azikiwe He served as the Vice-Chairman of the Federal Executive Council and Minister of Finance, during the Nigerian Civil War, 1967–1971. Awolowo introduced free primary education and free healthcare for children in the Western Region, which became a model in Nigeria. He advocated federalism as the best system for Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups. He was widely know...

Suntory CEO, Niinami resigns over Drug Probe

RostrumNews
The outspoken Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Japanese global liquor giant, Suntory Group, Takeshi Niinami, has resigned after police raided his house in a n ongoing probe on illegal drugs deal.

Niinami, 66, was put under police investigation following the arrest of a close ally in an illegal drug case in July, 2025.

Consequently, police searched Niinami’s house in August, but he has denied involvement, and no illegal drugs have been found.

“An investigation was conducted into supplements he purchased under the belief that they were legal,” Suntory president Nobuhiro Torii told news conference on Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

Niinami was reportedly suspected of importing products containing THC, an active ingredient in cannabis, from the United States.

During the search, Niinami told police that he thought it was a legal product, saying a female acquaintance sent it to him unsolicited.

Niinami, who also serves as the head of the country’s business lobby, joined Suntory Holdings in 2014, after serving as CEO of convenience store chain Lawson.

Suntory is known for its world-famous whisky and the company’s brands include Jim Beam bourbon, Laphroaig whisky and Courvoisier cognac.

In 2014, it acquired the United States' maker of Jim Beam for $16 billion to become one of the world’s biggest spirits makers.

NiinIt's noteworthy that Niinami is known as a vocal business leader. In 2023, he openly criticised Japan’s former biggest boyband agency following revelations about decades of sex abuse by its late founder.

Japan has strict drug laws and possession can result in jail time. In 2024, the German-born former CEO of optical equipment firm, Olympus, was found guilty of a drug charge.

In 2017, a German executive working at Volkswagen’s Tokyo office was arrested on suspicion of drug use.