Why I pleaded guilty to $11m fraud - Invictus Obi

Obinwanne Okeke, popularly known as Invictus Obi, arrested in the United States last August for fraud, has admitted to American authorities that his participation in the fraudulent schemes for which he has pleaded guilty “was undertaken knowingly, intentionally and unlawfully and not as a result of an accident, mistake or other innocent reason.”

Mr Okeke, who was charged with two counts of computer fraud and wire fraud, also said he decided to plead guilty because he realized that the findings by investigators and the ‘statement of facts’ filed in court by prosecutors are true and accurate.

He said had the matter proceeded to trial, he was sure the United States authorities would prove the allegations against him beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mr Okeke’s explanations are contained in the Statement of Facts submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia by G. Zachary Terwilliger (United States attorney), Brian J. Samuels (assistant United States Attorney) and Mathew P. Mattis ( special assistant United States attorney).

The document was filed in open court on June 18 as the ‘businessman’, also known as Invictus Obi in Nigeria, capitulated and pleaded guilty. He is to be sentenced on October 22.

Mr Okeke’s attorney, John Iweanoge, also agreed, saying pleading guilty remained the best course of action for his client.

“I have carefully reviewed the above Statement of Facts with him,” Mr Iweanoge said.

“To my knowledge, his decision to stipulate to these facts is an informed and voluntary one.”

The NATION

Akeredolu tests positive for COVID-19

Ondo Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who on Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19, has begun treatment at home.

Akeredolu said he is still very strong to continue working from home where he is self- isolating.

The Governor stated that he had malaria few days ago and was advised to undergo COVID-19 test by a colleague Governor.

The Nation

Redeemer’s University denies outbreak on campus

THE management of Redeemer’s University has frowned at the news of an outbreak of Covid-19 on its campus as reported by some media houses recently.

The report according to the institution  has the potential of undermining its efforts at safeguarding the health of the nation through free medical services being provided by Its  African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases.

The Nation

Court strikes out suit against Obaseki

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out a suit filed against Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The plaintiffs, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/553/2020, accused the governor of engaging in certificate forgery.

Listed as plaintiffs in the suit are Edobor Williams, Ugbesia Abudu Godwin and Amedu Dauda Anakhu.They accused Obaseki of forging his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) certificate in Classical Studies from the University of Ibadan.

The plaintiffs contended that the alleged certificate forgery contravenes Section 182(1)(i) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).They prayed the court to among others, hold that Obaseki is “not qualified to run or seek election to the office of the governor of Edo State” in the coming 2020 governorship election.

At the mention of the case on Monday, neither the plaintiffs nor their lawyers were in court.  The defendant too was not represented.

Following the development, Justice Anwuli Chiekere struck out the suit.

The Nation

Police in search of families of stolen children

Police in Abuja on Monday called on members of the public to come forward and identify three children stolen from their families since June last year.

The children consisted of two girls and one boy.

Force spokesman DCP Frank Mba said the three children were among six rescued by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in an operation that was launched following reported cases of child theft.

The Nation

Graduating pupils to resume for exams

Pupils who are to go to new classes can resume so as to write their examinations, the Federal Government said on Monday.

In effect, those in Primary Six, Junion Secondary III and Senior Secondary III who are to sit for the National Common Entrance Examination, the Basic Education Certificate Examination and the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) can return to school.

The schools must comply strictly with safety measures to be issued by the Federal Ministry of Education.The government said all daycares and primary schools, as well as secondary and tertiary institutions, are to remain closed until further notice.National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, who spoke during its briefing in Abuja, said: “Students in only graduating classes – Primary 6, JSS 3 and SSS3, will be allowed to resume in preparation for examinations.

“All day cares and primary schools remain closed till evaluation. Schools are encouraged to continue with the electronic learning and visual teaching, but the pupils may proceed to take the National Common Entrance as soon as it is feasible, provided that they are compliant with issued non-pharmaceutical interventions.

“For secondary and tertiary institutions, all schools are to remain closed until further evaluation.”

Aliyu said arrangements are to be made for graduating students in JSS 3 and SSS 3 to resume at both boarding and day schools as soon as possible for intensive revision.

Coronavirus: Worst is still to come on pandemic, WHO chief warns

World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the world that the "worst is yet to come" in the Covid-19 pandemic.

WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the virus would infect many more people if governments did not start to implement the right policies.

His message remained "Test, Trace, Isolate and Quarantine", he said.

More than 10m cases have been recorded worldwide since coronavirus emerged in China late last year. The number of patients who died is now above 500,000.

Half the world's cases have been in the US and Europe but Covid-19 is rapidly growing in the Americas.

The virus is also affecting South Asia and Africa, where it is not expected to peak until the end of July.

BBC News

Israel orders US-based Christian TV channel off air

Israeli regulators on Sunday announced they ordered a U.S.-based evangelical broadcaster taken off the air, saying the channel hid its missionary agenda when it applied for a license.

In his decision, Asher Biton, the chairman of the Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council, said he had informed “GOD TV” on Thursday that it had seven days to stop broadcasting.

“The channel appeals to Jews with Christian content," he wrote. “Its original request,” he said, stated that it was a “station targeting the Christian population.”

The decision was first reported by the Haaretz daily.

The controversy over GOD TV's “Shelanu” station has put Israel and its evangelical Christian supporters in an awkward position, exposing tensions the two sides have long papered over.

Evangelical Christians, particularly in the United States, are among the strongest supporters of Israel, viewing it as the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Some see it as the harbinger of a second coming of Jesus Christ and the end of days.

Israel has long welcomed evangelicals’ political and financial support, especially as their influence over the White House has risen during the Trump administration, and it has largely shrugged off concerns about any hidden religious agenda.

But most Jews view any effort to convert them to Christianity as deeply offensive, a legacy of centuries of persecution and forced conversion at the hands of Christian rulers. In part because of those sensitivities, evangelical Christians, who generally believe salvation can only come through Jesus and preach the Gospel worldwide, rarely target Jews.

In a statement, Shelanu said it was stunned by what it called Biton's “unprofessional decision.”

It said its existing license “stated unequivocally” that it would broadcast its content in Hebrew to the Israeli public. Most Christians in the Holy Land speak Arabic. “Therefore it is not at all clear what was wrong beyond political considerations,” it said.

Associated Press

Nigeria saddened by Christie's sale of 'looted' statues

Nigeria is "saddened" by the sale of two sculptures belonging to the south-eastern Igbo community, an official from the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, has said.

A prominent art historian had called on the renowned auction house, Christie's, to cancel the sale.

Prof Chika Okeke-Agulu said the two objects were "looted" from shrines during the civil war in the late 1960s.

The items were sold for just under $240,000 (£195,000) in Paris.

Christie's rejected the claim that the sculptures were stolen, saying the Monday sale was perfectly legal.The wooden objects about 1.5 metres high, one male and one female, represent deities from the Igbo community, their hands face upwards waiting to receive sacrifices and gifts.

Why is the sale so controversial?

Central to the controversy is when the statues were taken and where from.

"Christie's ought not be dealing in Nigerian antiquities that were probably taken out at a time of conflict, contrary to the Hague Convention of 1954," Babatunde Adebiyi, legal adviser for the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, said, adding that Nigeria "was saddened" by the sale.

The Hague Convention of 1954 was adopted to protect cultural property in the event of armed conflict. Nigeria joined the convention in 1961.

Prior to this Nigeria already had an antiquities ordinance law which made the trade of stolen cultural artefacts illegal, which was adopted in 1953.

The 1970 Unesco convention also banned the international trade in stolen artefacts.

Mr Adebiyi, who also advises the Nigerian government, says he believes these objects will always belong to the people of Nigeria.

"There is never going to be a universal principle that says something made by my forebears belongs to you in perpetuity because you bought it in an auction house. African antiquities will always be African, just like a Da Vinci will always be European."

BBC News

Lazarus Chakwera sworn in as Malawi president after historic win

The new President of Malawi, Lazarus Chakwera said his win in the rerun election was a "victory for democracy and justice".

He defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of votes in Tuesday's poll.

"I do feel like Lazarus, I've come back from the dead," Mr Chakwera said, referring to the biblical character of the same name.

In February, Malawi's constitutional court annulled Mr Mutharika's poll win in May 2019, citing vote tampering.

The country was bitterly divided in the run-up to this week's election. But Mr Chakwera said those who did not support him had nothing to fear.

"There's no cause for fear because I will be your president and my policy for inclusivity means we are building a new Malawi for all of us," Mr Chakwera told the BBC Newshour programme.

"I'm not a president of a faction, I'm a president of everyone in the country," he added.

Mr Chakwera dismissed allegations by Mr Mutharika that the poll was marred by violence and irregularities, saying his predecessor was "misled by rumours".

However, he said he would not stand in the way of Mr Mutharika should he want to challenge the election.

BBC News

Coronavirus: Number of Covid-19 infections tops 10m worldwide

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases around the world has passed the milestone of 10 million, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US.

The virus emerged in China late last year and spread across the globe. It has led to almost 500,000 deaths.

Half the world's cases have been in the US and Europe, but Covid-19 is now rapidly growing in the Americas.

The virus is also affecting South Asia and Africa, where it is not expected to peak until the end of July.

Outbreaks are still spreading in many parts of the world, with one million new cases recorded in the last six days.

BBC News

Somalia's refurbished national theater reopens in Mogadishu

Somalis can now boast a functional national theater after the facility located in the capital Mogadishu was formally reopened having been closed for refurbishment.

According to reports, the refurbishment was funded by some businesses, the chamber of commerce and contributions by civilian workers.

The reopening was made to coincide with the 60th independence day celebration with the president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and other top government officials in attendance.

The president officially cut the ribbon for the reopening before joining a sizeable audience to enjoy performances. The state-affiliated news agency reported that the president also cut the ribbons for recently renovated Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and the Police Command Headquarters buildings.

africannews.com

Outrage mounts over deaths in Indian police custody

Outrage is mounting over the deaths in custody of a father and son in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

P Jeyaraj, 58, and his son Fenix, 38, were arrested for allegedly keeping their stores open past permitted hours - Tamil Nadu is still observing a lockdown to curb the spread of Covid.

Both men were kept in police custody an entire night and died within hours of each other two days later.

Relatives of the two men say the men were subjected to brutal torture.

What has happened since their deaths?

As details of the alleged torture emerged, people began demanding action.

State opposition lawmakers have taken to the streets in protest, a traders body has condemned the actions of police, and a local court has taken up the issue for hearing.

The policemen who arrested the two men have been transferred, and the state government has awarded compensation of one million rupees (£10,716; $13,222) to their families.

The incident has also found its way to social media, which has in turn brought it into the national spotlight.

BBC News

US imposes visa restrictions on Chinese officials over Hong Kong security law

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Washington is imposing visa restrictions on Chinese Communist Party officials believed to be responsible for undermining freedoms in Hong Kong.

Mr Pompeo said the sanctions targeted "current and former" party officials.

He said the move followed President Donald Trump's promise to punish Beijing over a proposed security law that could erode Hong Kong's autonomy.

China said the US decision was a "mistake" that should be withdrawn.

It comes just days ahead of a meeting of China's parliament.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will discuss the new law at its meeting, which starts on Sunday.

China has proposed security legislation that would make it a crime to undermine Beijing's authority in Hong Kong, and could also see China installing its own security agencies in the territory for the first time.

The move has sparked a new wave of anti-mainland protests in Hong Kong.

BBC News

Instagram Celebrity Arrested

Dubai's police force say they have arrested Nigerian Instagram celebrity Raymond Igbalodely, known as Hushpuppi, on allegations of fraud amounting to $435m (£346m).

In an operation police called "Fox Hunt 2", 12 other people were arrested in six simultaneous raids in Dubai.

Nearly two million people from different parts of the world were said to have fallen victims to the plot.

The social media star was based in Dubai and claimed he was successful businessman.

The local authorities published video on Twitter, documenting the four-month investigation that led to the arrests.Police say they discovered a hidden online fraud network that was committing crimes outside the UAE, including money-laundering, cyber fraud, hacking, criminal impersonation, banking fraud and identity theft.

The group is accused of hacking corporate emails and cloning websites to redirect payments to their own accounts.

The Dubai police has not yet said when they would be charged

BBC

Coronavirus: US cases ‘may have topped 20 million’

At least 20 million people in the US may already have been infected with Covid-19, according to the latest estimate by health officials.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the true number of cases is likely to be 10 times higher than the reported figure.

It comes as the state of Texas halted its reopening as infections and hospitalisations surged.

The US has recorded 2.4m confirmed infections and 122,370 deaths.

Some southern and western states have been reporting record numbers of cases in recent days.

BBC News

No Nigerian State Safe, Secure Again —Ex-President, Obasanjo

A former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that no state in the country was safe and secure any longer as a result of the threat of bandits and terror organisations.

Speaking on Friday at the Sobo Sowemimo Annual Lecture organised by Abeokuta Club, Obasanjo said that all hands must be on deck to tackle rising insecurity in the country.

He said, “Let me lay more emphasis on the issue of security, which in itself is serious enough to make restructuring imperative. The South-West governors cried out and devised Amotekun as a solution or part-solution. We have yet to see how successfully that will be operated. Other zones are clamouring for a solution because in no state and in no geopolitical zone is life and property safe and secure. 

Sahara Reporters

'I'm just different': The family of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man killed by Colorado cops almost a year ago, is still waiting for justice

During his lunch breaks, Elijah McClain sometimes played the violin for animals at the local shelter. He thought they, too, deserved some music in their lives. He was not like other 23-year-olds. He craved space to be himself, and when officers of the Aurora, Colo., police department approached him on the evening of Aug. 24, 2019, that is what Elijah McClain tried to tell them.

“I am an introvert,” he explained to the officers who responded to a 911 call about a Black male walking down the street in a ski mask on a night when the temperature was about 66 degrees Fahrenheit. “Please respect my boundaries.”

Fifteen minutes later, McClain was on the cusp of death, having been choked by one of the original responding officers and then injected with the powerful anesthetic drug ketamine by a medic who arrived on the scene later.“I don’t even kill flies,” McClain said at one point as the officers continued to restrain him. It was a cry for help, an explanation of who he was. It went unheeded, not only by the three officers who first responded to the 911 call but by the many others who arrived later, and who chatted casually as McClain struggled for his final breaths. 

“Aurora, Colo., is corrupt,” says Mari Newman, a Denver attorney who is representing McClain’s family. “Aurora, Colo., is trying to cover up its wrongdoing.”

Only now, nearly a year after his death, is the case of Elijah McClain finally receiving the national attention his family has been seeking. That attention comes largely because 2020 has seen a number of Black men and women killed by police officers or vigilantes: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. The outrage over those killings has intensified outrage over killings past. And it has made Elijah McClain the latest symbol of what many Americans see as a law enforcement culture informed by racial animosities.

Earlier this week, Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., tweeted about McClain. So did Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who called the killing “absolutely crushing.” “Learning about this case broke my heart,” wrote Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Republican governor of California. “Elijah McClain deserves justice.” 

Alexander Nazaryan

National Correspondent

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Yahoo News•June 27, 2020

Outrage mounts over report Russia offered bounties to Afghanistan militants for killing US soldiers

Outrage has greeted a bombshell New York Times story that says American intelligence officials believe a Russian military intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing foreign soldiers in Afghanistan, including targeting Americans.

The story, citing its sources as unnamed officials briefed on the matter, said that the US had come to the conclusion about the operation several months ago and and offered rewards for successful attacks last year.

The Times wrote: “The intelligence finding was briefed to Trump, and the White House’s National Security Council discussed the problem at an interagency meeting in late March.” However, despite drawing up numerous options by way of a response, the White House has not taken any action.

As the news broke it triggered a fierce response from top Democrats, especially those who have long pointed to what they say is Trump’s overly close relationship to Russia’s autocratic leader, Vladimir Putin.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, said: “Trump was cozying up to Putin and inviting him to the G7 all while his administration reportedly knew Russia was trying to kill US troops in Afghanistan and derail peace talks with the Taliban.”

Michael McFaul, a former ambassador to Russia and a professor of political science at Stanford University, said: “I hope the American people will be as outraged as I am over Trump’s complacency. After he knew about these Putin-ordered contracts to kill US soldiers, Trump invited Putin to the G7.”

John Weaver, a Republican political consultant who helped found the anti-Trump Lincoln Project group, also expressed outrage.

The Guardian