Okezie Ogbata, a 36-year-old Nigerian national, has pleaded guilty in a Florida district court to orchestrating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of over $6 million. The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that Ogbata and his accomplices sent fraudulent letters posing as representatives of a Spanish bank, falsely claiming that recipients were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased relatives abroad. The letters instructed victims to send money for purported fees, taxes, and other payments, warning them that failure to comply could lead to government scrutiny. Many of the victims, primarily elderly individuals,…

In a series of separate attacks, suspected bandits have abducted 22 residents from Kugauta and Kitanda, both within Kumana Chiefdom of Kauru Local Government Area, Kaduna State. A resident and student pastor, Emmanuel Johnson, said the attacks occurred around 10:30 pm on Friday. He explained that the bandits stormed Kitanda, abducting 12 people, mainly women and children, before attacking Kugauta, where 10 more were taken. Johnson expressed deep frustration over the persistent insecurity in the communities, lamenting that only three policemen were stationed to secure the village and nearby areas. “Our communities are constantly under attack. People are being kidnapped…

At least 20 fishermen have been killed in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno after Boko Haram insurgents attacked their village, fishermen and local security officers said on Thursday. Nigeria has been grappling with a 16-year-long Islamist insurgency in its northeast driven primarily by Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP that has led to huge human and economic losses, including mass displacement and a humanitarian crisis. Modu Ari, a member of the civilian joint task force, said the insurgents stormed the fishing community of Gadan Gari on Wednesday at about 11:00 GMT, and opened fire at fishermen working in the area,…

Beatrice Ekweremadu, wife of former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, has been released from a UK prison and has returned to Nigeria. A family source confirmed to the BBC on Wednesday that Beatrice returned to the country three months ago following her incarceration. In March 2023, Beatrice, her husband Ike, and a medical doctor, Obinna Obeta, were convicted under the UK’s Modern Slavery Act of 2015 for conspiring to traffic a young Nigerian man for organ harvesting. This landmark case was the first conviction under the legislation. On May 5, 2023, the court sentenced Ike Ekweremadu to nine years and…