10 Top Nigerian Neighbourhoods in London

London has continuously been considered a recreation playground of many travellers especially Nigerians. However, the city is typically defined by several ethnic neighbourhoods such as British, Chinese, Nigerians, Latinos and many others. There are some neighbourhoods in London, which have been settled largely by Nigerians; and you will find high concentration of Naija people living in these areas.

We scouted round London for neighbourhoods that have high concentration of Nigerians and we found some amazing areas, which have the genuine Nigerian appearance – reminiscent of Nigeria, with its restaurants, stores, foodstuff and everything ‘Naija’ you can think of.

So, we present to you the 10 top Nigerian neighbourhoods in London:

1. Peckham

Photo by Livvy Adjei on Flickr

Peckham has become a centre of Nigerian-British life and culture in London. Peckham is somewhat called, “mini Lagos” because there is nothing in Lagos that you will not find in this area. Peckham is located within the London Borough of Southwark and you will find a large population of Nigerians living here. The neighbourhood features Nigerian restaurants, stores and shops filled with Nigerian-made imports including food stuffs.

Insider Tip: For delicious Nigerian delicacies, head to Lolak Afrique restaurant, where you will find a variety of Nigerian cuisine. If you ever miss Suya, visit Obalende SuyaRestaurant and get Suya meat grilled over fire and seasoned with very hot spices.

2. Thamesmead

Photo Source: LagosinLondon

Located in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley, Thamesmead is one neighbourhood that is well integrated with many Nigerians. The district is bustling with plethora of ethnic restaurants, which offer a large variety of boiled, fried and cooked Nigerian delicacies. There is an array of  shops and stores, owned by Nigerians, such as Ade’s Cash and Carry, John and Biola Supermarket and manymore. These stores specialize in Nigerian imports, foods and other things you can find in any supermarket in Nigeria.

3. Abbey Wood

Photo Source: Mike Hedgethorne on Flickr

When you visit Abbey Wood, you will feel like you are in Nigeria. Abbey Wood is a district of South East London and located south of Thamesmead. In this neighbourhood, you get to meet ‘loud’ Nigerians on the street, speak your language and familiarize with each other.  Abbey Wood has a reputation for Nigeria residents, along with great Naija restaurants and stores.

4. Woolwich

Photo Source: Maurice on Flickr

Woolwich has always played home to some Nigerian residents in London. The district is home to some Nigerian businesses, churches, shops and restaurants. You will never believe you are actually in London when you are in this area. You might want to visit Tasty African restaurant for Nigerian delicacies especially their puff puff.

5. Deptford

Photo Source: Wikipedia

Deptford is made up of relatively beautiful buildings and streets, and is considered a notable neighborhood for some Nigerians. Located in South-East London, on the south bank of River Thames; Deptford functions as home to several Nigerian stores filled with imports and produce from Nigeria. If you love Nigerian foods, you should probably visit Tomi’s Kitchen, where you will find the finest Nigerian beers, palm wine and delicacies.

6. Lewisham

Photo Source: Edewing Blog

Lewisham offers housing developments for its residents, the neighbourhood is perfect for families and that is why most Nigerians in London prefer living here. Dedicated Nigerian business owners have made Lewisham more Nigerian, a fascinating focal point for businesses such as Covenant Cargo, Wotas and many others. If you are craving for Nigerian foods, you should visit Enish Nigerian Restaurant and Grill for delicious home-made foods.

7. Erith

Photo Source: newsshopper.co.uk

Erith is perhaps best known as home of several ethnicities including Nigerians. The area comes alive with its wide selection of bars and restaurants, which attracts residents and visitors. Nigerian culinary setting is well represented in restaurants such as Eko Wine Bar and Restaurant, Anedo Restaurant and Bar and many others.

8. Old Kent Road

Photo Source: Geograph.org.uk

Old Kent Road is a road that forms part of Watling Street in South East London. This neighbourhood is home to some Nigerian mosques and churches, and of course, stores that sell produce from Nigeria. Nigerians seem to have infused life into the neighbourhood, with a variety of Nigerian restaurants and bars such as 805 restaurant, Presidential Suya and Wazobia restaurant. This neighbourhood is really a place to visit!

9. Camberwell

 Photo Cropped from Google Street View

Crawberwell offers amazing restaurants, bakeries, stores and supermarkets that honour Nigerian culture and lifestyle. The area is teeming with entertainment venues, bars and clubs where you can mingle with Nigerian people and reminisce about home. If you are craving for authentic Nigerian foods, you should visit Emukay,Cannan restaurant, Legacy African Restaurant and many more.

10. Brixton

Brixton Market | Photo Cropped from Google Street View

For years, Nigerian immigrants have been setting up businesses and stores in Brixton. If you are looking for a place to get Nigerian groceries, where you can buy Yam, pepper, Okro, vegetables and perhaps even Garri, you should visit Brixton Market. This area is also speckled with small shops where residents can get everything Nigerian from produce to Nigerian clothing – Ankara and Lace materials.  Nigerian restaurants are not hard to find as Brixton is surrounded with a variety of neighbourhood cafés.

Have you lived or visited any of these neighbourhoods? Share your experience with us in the comment below:

Abuja Photos: Extremely Long Snake Found In Gwarimpa Abuja

A very long snake has crawled out from a bush at Gwarimpa, Abuja. I'm not sure if the snake is dead or alive. But from the looks of things, passer-by’s who found the animal were amazed at how long it was and STARTEDtaking pictures with it. A Ladun Liadi reader who was also there sent in the pictures yesterday.

UNILAG students use pure water to put out fire at their hostel

The popular Madam Tinubu Hall, MTH, was gutted by fire in the early hours of today after a student used a hot plate to cook and put it under her bed without totally putting out the heat. The fire started from the room and spread to other rooms but thankfully no student was killed. A few of them were however injured when they tried to jump from their windows to escape the fire.

The saddest part of it all was that students had to resort to using pure water to put the fire because there was no water in the hostel. Quite sad! See more photos after the cut...

Dilish bares boobs in traditional Himba Culture wear

 

The Namibian beauty and BBA winner shared photos from her visit with the women of Namibia's Himba tribe, considered the last (semi-) nomadic people of Namibia. Dilish went to spend time with them and they shared their culture with her. See more photos after the cut...

How Anita Oyakhilome endured fifteen years of an adulterous husband, finally gets to tell her side of the story

Anita Oyakhilome, the frustrated wife of Nigeria’s most flamboyant preacher, Chris Oyakhilome has obviously passed through 15 years of adulterous endurance and what she needs is our prayers and protective respect and defense of her choices to forget all the anti-rhapsody of heartbreak she endured all these years.

Fifteen (15) years of being abandoned by a preacher husband is not an easy way of life for a preacher’s wife. Fifteen (15) years of hearing that some mini skirted daughters of Jezebel have taken over YOUR possession is not a joke.

Fifteen years of a husband not staying with the wife for up to a week on a stretch, while spending time with some double breasted figure eight(ed) daughters of eve is not an easy thing to swallow.

15 years of being used as a showcase to make church MEMBERS believe in Rhapsodies of Blissful Union, while dying in silence, is not a palatable experience for any woman.

Fifteen years of being called Mama, Mummy, and other glorified names of Senior Pastor’s wife while some domestic harems sneer at the same Mummy behind is not a sweet experience. For goodness sake, this woman never probably had a good kiss in fifteen years and yet she is being accused of carnality for crying out loud. She was continually being led into temptation of seeking for s*xual satisfaction from outside for fifteen years and she managed to escape the traps of sin.

Fifteen years when their two lovely daughters would wake up and ask their mother why Dad had not cared to visit, and she would have to release a lie to stave off the frequent probing questions. Above all, fifteen years when Anita had to fake that all is well with their marriage, while she is actually dying emotionally. Every person she complained to among the pastoral cadre sided with the man, and she was left alone to bear her cross.

I warned some pastor friends with Christ Embassy early 2013 that they had better settle this marriage rift between Oga and his wife before it destroys the church. The same pastors have called me to express regret that a national embarrassment has ensued.

This woman has been called Jezebel by some pastors and MEMBERS of the church. Some claimed she was disrespectful while others claimed she was always bitter of recent. They have tried to castigate her before members of the church who came in private to ask for the way out. She was described as unreasonable and insubordinate.

Her husband, according to news reports has even followed to cast her in bad light. According to Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, “Bitterness is prolonged and accumulated anger. My wife is always angry and bitter,” Going further he told his MEMBERS to “Be careful of the friends you keep. My wife keeps friends who bring out the worst in her and help her see the worst in people, instead of keeping friends that will help her vision, especially as the wife of a global pastor like me.”
Please, which preacher woman who has been abandoned for fifteen years will not be bitter and angry? Was Anita expected to clap and dance while some hot legs are parading around the White House?

This pastor’s wife was also disclaimed by her husband who told his congregants in reaction to the divorce saga that Anita is not necessarily a Woman of God. According to Pastor Oyakhilome “Don’t act like those people. If you are married to a man of God, it doesn’t make you automatically mature. You can make mistakes; you can do something that is wrong. But some people expect the wife of a minister to definitely be at the level of that minister and so they may be looked upon and the expectation may be like that, but it’s a positional thing”. He clarified his theory by saying that “If a man of God is married, it doesn’t automatically mean that the wife of a man of God is therefore a woman of God. That’s not the way it is in the Bible.” Pastor Chris also added that “That’s why you don’t really find the wives of men of God mentioned in the Bible. How many of them? Who was Peter’s wife, did you ever know her name? You never find that out. Who was John’s wife? Did you ever read the name? What about all the other Apostles? How many of their names are written in the Bible. You never find their names.”

Anita Oyakhilome actually proved that she has fear of God in the manner she worded her divorce plea. She opted to use the word “inappropriate relationship with female staffMEMBERS” instead of out rightly accusing her husband of adultery. According to the statement, “the wife has discussed with the husband his appropriate relationship with some of his female staff MEMBERS. She has explained that this has given her cause for concern. The husband has minimised her worries and taken no step to alleviate her grievances.”
Anita Oyakhilome could have said that her husband abandoned her and ran into the arms of sister A or B, or gospel singer C or D and left her roasting and murmuring in the house. Anita could have said that her husband is a hypocrite who says a thing and means another, but she veiled her grievances of years of abandonment by saying in the divorce file that “The wife feels that she has been used to portray and enhance the husband’s image as a family man when the reality is that there is no existing relationship between them. She feels that she has been PRESENT for official functions simply for his convenience. On occasions she has been copied into his travel itinerary which has been given to him by his staff on a need to know basis”. “The wife has tried to discuss her concerns with the husband. He claims that she is carnal and he is insensitive to her feelings and her needs.”
Thus Anita had acted with much restraint in order to preserve the integrity of Christ Embassy and the work of evangelism, and all she got for her discretion was hate messages from many sections of church members who wanted her to sacrifice her marriage to keep them in a rhapsody of deceit.
This woman, according to the testimony of many British residents whom I spoke to and claimed they attend their church, is one person who is always willing to give gifts to the needy. She is ever ready to counsel people and does not breed class. She is a patient listener who laboriously introduced many things in the church for which the glory goes to her husband. LONDONERS believe that she is not that demon they want to portray her as. Those who know her closely have attested to an affectionate good naturedness and stickler for details. She was said to have lived a life of cautious display of affluence and rather preferred to build people and give to the less privileged, a course that did not go down well with some of their pastors in the UK. She also frowned at promiscuity among ministers of the gospel and some randy pastors in UK did not like what they called her ‘judgemental interference’
Whatsoever thing some misguided church members want to think, Anita had lived a lie for many years. Anita was said to have became born again at Believers Loveworld campus fellowship at Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma, while Chris was the pastor. She had probably paid her dues as a Christian and knows what it is to deceive the congregation. She cannot deceive herself and the church anymore thus she opted for divorce. Divorce, according to scripture is unbiblical, but between deceiving a congregation that already knows the truth but pretends otherwise and staying in unfulfilled marriage, which is better. It is a matter between her and her conscience.
Last year, a Nigerian personality blogger by name Ese Walter was lured by her Senior Pastor in Abuja into a cosy hotel bed space in LONDON and after two weeks of adultery, the man cleaned up, returned to Nigeria and told his congregation to shout some Hallelujah. The sin partner was arrested by the Holy Spirit and she sought a meeting with the COZA Chief to resolve the burden of guilt. She was continually shunned and described as agent of Satan even by other senior pastors in the church until she turned the internet into the confessional. Ese Walter freed her conscience and probably escaped eternal damnation but the entire Christendom took the brunt of the exposure.
Pope Benedict made several attempts to stop the incidences of homos*xual paedophiles among priest and leaders in the Vatican. His attempts were rebuffed by a cabal of officials who resisted probe and pious change. In exasperation, the Pontiff abandoned the Papacy and triggered the change that is being forced down on the resisting cabal. Pope Benedict freed his conscience and left with clean records before his God.
Anita has chosen to free herself from a life of deceit and lies. The truth had set her free. However, I still counsel her that if the misbehaving preacher husband demonstrates a verifiable change of heart, she should consider him back and so that somebody can shout some more Hallelujah. Fifteen years of adulterous endurance in the midst of charismatic rhapsody is not easy and Anita Oyakhilome sure needs all the defence and understanding she can get- Let somebody shout a better Hallelujah !

"I Didn't Kill Him, We Only Had One Round Of Sex"-Hairdresser Accused Of Killing 78 Year Old Lover

Ibrahim flanked by Moyegun and Friday

A  30 years old hairdresser who had an illicit love affair with a 78-year-old politician Adedayo Deru, is currently cooling her heels in Police custody, after her lover on September 30, 2014, collapsed during a round of sex and died on the spot. After his death, to avoid police issues, shedumped her late lover's body on the roadside, with the help of two accomplices.
Read how Punch Reports it below:

In a case that has underscored the thin line between pleasure and pain, Deru went from a steamy sexual session on his lover’s bed to a roadside where his corpse was dumped after his death.

The woman in the eye of the storm, Ijimo Ibrahim, a hairdresser, was still finding it difficult to explain her situation to police investigators at the Department of Criminal Investigation of the Ogun State Police Command, Eleweran, Abeokuta, when our correspondent visited on Wednesday. The police wanted to know how her lover died and how his body got to a roadside in the dead of the night.

Ibrahim, who was never married, has two children with two other men. Sitting on the floor with agony etched on her face, Ibrahim narrated how her lover, who was married to another woman, died.

“He only came for sex in the mornings so that his wife would not suspect,” the fair complexioned woman said, as her face revealed that she would prefer not to relive the sordid details of the affair.

The late Deru and Ibrahim met six years ago in Odogbolu, the suspect told our correspondent.

“There was a day I was with him. We had sex but the wife caught us. So, I had to leave the town shortly after. I went to Lagos to work as an apprentice hairdresser,” she said.

According to Ibrahim, after her apprenticeship and a love affair in Lagos that resulted in a child, she was back in Odogbolu, where another love affair resulted in another child.

“None of the fathers of my children were good. They never took care of me or the children. I turned to the only person who has been really helpful to me. My lover (Deru) was a good man. He helped me anytime I called on him.

“When we reconnected after I got back from Lagos, we continued our love affair secretly because he was always there when I needed help.”

Asked what sort of help Deru rendered, Ibrahim said he sometimes gave her foodstuffs or money for food, which she said was up to N1,000 on each occasion.

So, she and Deru enjoyed a sexual experience that endured until their final encounter, which has put her in police net as a murder suspect.

She said, “He came as usual on September 30 around 9am. I was on my way out of the house; I was going to work already that day. But he met me as I got out of the door and said he was visiting me.
“I told him I could spare some hours before I left for work, so I went back inside with him. As soon as we got in, he stripped and I did the same. It was just one round of sex that we had and I don’t know why that could have killed him.
“Our lovemaking was not even that long. He STARTED complaining that he was not feeling fine. He said he was feeling tired and dizzy. Shortly after, he collapsed and stopped breathing.”

When Deru became unresponsive, Ibrahim said she became frightened.

Confused about what to do NEXT, she dialled the telephone number of a male relation, explaining what had happened.

“My brother (the relation) told me to calm down, promising to come to my aid later that afternoon so that we could decide on what to do. But when I did not see him by evening, I realised he had run away and switched off his mobile telephone in fear,” she said.

Ibrahim had to turn to another acquaintance who eventually agreed to help her dispose of the body.

“We thought if I reported to the police, I would be in serious trouble. I didn’t know I was making a terrible decision.”

It was around 3am the following day when Ibrahim disposed of Deru’s body with the help of a commercial motorcycle rider living in her house.

The motorcyclist, Benjamin Friday, who tried his best to PRESENT his version of the events that led to his involvement in disposing of the body, said he had no idea that Deru was already dead.

“When they woke me up to help them carry a body, I was told it was her (Ibrahim’s) elderly relation. I was really sleepy, they only told me he was ill and they wanted to dump his body on a roadside so that he would not die in her house,” he said.

Asked how he could possibly help carry a body and would not know whether it was that of a dead man, Friday said he was 'sleepy' at the time.

“I told them I would not touch the man’s body. Someone sat behind me supporting the man’s body. I only drove them to the roadside. They put the body down and I left.”

Also in police custody was a photographer friend of Ibrahim, Funmilayo Moyegun, who said she was only requested to be there “to take his (Deru’s) photograph.”

“I only held the lamp when the body was being dumped,” she said.

Deru’s body was said to have been dumped about 100 metres away from his lover’s house on Oladipo Diya Road, Odogbolu.

The police were called to the scene when the body was found by residents of the area.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said after a thorough police investigation, the body was eventually traced to Ibrahim.

According to him, investigation would continue into the matter.

“We would determine how the man died and whether her version of the story correlates with the circumstances of the death,” Adejobi said.

He revealed that an autopsy would help the police determine the level of culpability of the prime suspect.

Daughter of former Military Administrator of Kano & Plateau states Brigadier Gen. Dominic Oneya’s Daughter Killed By Suspected Armed Robbers

Daughter of former Military Administrator of Kano and Plateau states, Brigadier GeneralDominic Oneya, Franca Oneya, was, on Friday, shot dead by suspected armed robbers inDelta State. Franca was said to be returning from a bank where she had gone to withdrawal N200,000 before the suspected armed robbers fired at her

The incident happened around 10am and within few minutes the robbery ended but Franca had lost her life. Franca is in her early 30’s and married with four children. May her soul rest in peace.