An unidentified American woman has narrated how two Nigerian internet fraudsters popularly known as “Yahoo boys” duped her of a huge sum of money in romance scams.

The not-so-little above 50-year-old woman also declared her love for Nigerian men, describing them as the “sexiest and most handsome men on this planet” despite her heartbreaking experiences.

In a viral video on Sunday, the woman spoke about how she met one of the scammers in 2020 on TikTok.

She displayed the young Nigerian’s picture and the one he used for his unsuspecting victims, adding that she got to know about his real identity and his girlfriend whom he is planning to get married to after he mistakenly dialled her contact with his Nigerian line.

“Back in 2020, I met this man, I was with him for ten months, and I got sick of him because he was always demanding money. He always wanted more and more, so I decided to say enough was enough because one day he made a mistake and called me from a Nigerian phone number, and he was trying to play it off that it was his friend’s number.

“So when I was finally done that I didn’t want to have anything to do with him again, he opened up to me. Now, he is about to get married to his Nigerian girlfriend (showed their picture).

“May God bless them and hopefully they have a long life together. God will bless their relationship. I also congratulated him. And I hope everything goes well for him,” she said.

Narrating her second experience, she asserted that it was with a young boy who played smart on her with another identity but later opened up that he did that to help his sick mother who later survived because he could foot the hospital bills.

The white woman said, “This second was a little different. He was more polite and considered my feelings, but then after a year with him, he decided to come out and tell me the truth that he was a young Nigerian boy trying to put himself through school and his mother was very sick. And he kept thanking me because I saved his mother’s life.”

“That one doesn’t hurt me much because I know that the money went for good. The other guy, that’s not good because I used to see videos of him throwing money around and spending it on Nigerian hook-up girls. I’m over it. I will bounce back one day.

“I still have love for the Nigerian people, the men are the sexiest and most handsome men on this planet. I pray that nothing like this ever happen to me again because now I know all those secrets. They destroyed my life financially. Please be safe in that country because I know that a lot of the people there are struggiling. But you have to remember that a lot of American women are struggling too because it is difficult being a woman here and struggling too especially when you don’t have partner.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has always cracked down on internet fraudsters across the states of the federation.

On May 2023, EFCC’s chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that the Commission secured  3175 convictions and recovered over N156 billion between May 29, 2023, and May 29, 2024, when President Bola Tinubu assumed office.

He stated this in Abuja at the launch of the Zero Tolerance Club at the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, Abuja.

Olukoyede, who spoke through the Secretary to the Commission, Mohammed Hammajoda said the EFCC  also recovered  $43,835,214.24,  £25,365.00,  €186,947.10, ₹51,360.00, C$3,750.00, A$740.00,  ¥74,754.00, R35,000.00, 42,390.00 UAE Dirhams, 247.00 Riyals and 21,580, 867631 Crypto Currency.

Speaking further, the chairman stated that though the EFCC put up impressive performance within the year, the involvement of youths in internet fraud continued to pose serious concerns to every stakeholder in the anti-graft war.

“In spite of this commendable performance, the commission is deeply worried about the increasing involvement of young people, including students, in cybercrime, popularly called Yahoo Yahoo. Hundreds of suspects are arrested monthly, with many of them ending up in jail,” he said.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has rescued a driver after a 40-foot loaded container fell on a Toyota Camry with the registration number LSR 293 HJ at Mile 2, enroute to Apapa.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, and shared on X.com on Monday.

According to the statement, a joint rescue team comprising LASTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency rescued the victim alive and rushed him to the hospital for immediate medical attention.

The statement read, “In a distressing incident, a 40-foot loaded container fell onto a Toyota Camry, registration number LSR 293 HJ, at Mile 2, en route to Apapa.

“Through the swift and coordinated response of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other emergency services, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the driver of the vehicle was rescued alive.

“The victim received immediate medical attention after being rushed to the hospital by the joint rescue team.

“Security during the operation was effectively maintained by officers from the Kirikiri Police Division, who ensured a secure and orderly environment for the emergency responders.

“Following the rescue, the Toyota Camry was successfully removed from beneath the container. Efforts to evacuate the fallen container are ongoing, while LASTMA officers continue to manage the scene to ease traffic congestion and restore normalcy.”

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, stressed the importance of truck drivers and owners properly securing containers.

He warned that negligence in this regard poses a serious danger to lives and property, urging strict compliance with road safety protocols.

Nigeria’s unemployment rate declined to 4.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2024, signalling improved labour market conditions.

According to the latest report released on Monday, by the National Bureau of Statistics, this marked a decrease from the 5.3 per cent recorded in Q1 2024 and reflected a gradual recovery from the 5.0 per cent in Q3 2023.

The Labour Force Participation Rate rose to 79.5 per cent, up from 77.3 per cent in the previous quarter, highlighting increased workforce engagement.

The Employment-to-Population Ratio also showed significant improvement, climbing to 76.1 per cent in Q2 2024 from 73.2 per cent in Q1 2024.

This indicates that a higher proportion of the working-age population was gainfully employed during the period.

Also, self-employment remained dominant, accounting for 85.6 per cent of total employment, an increase from 84 per cent in the preceding quarter.

Informal employment also rose slightly to 93.0 per cent, highlighting the economy’s reliance on informal jobs.

Urban unemployment stood at 5.2 per cent, a reduction from 6.0 per cent in Q1 2024.

However, rural areas recorded an even lower unemployment rate of 2.8 per cent, compared to 4.3 per cent in the previous quarter.

This disparity highlights the continued role of agriculture and informal activities in rural employment, contrasting with the urban dependence on formal and service-driven jobs.

The youth unemployment rate (ages 15–24) dropped significantly to 6.5 per cent, compared to 8.4 per cent in Q1 2024.

The report further revealed gender disparities, with the unemployment rate for females at 5.1 per cent, compared to 3.4 per cent for males.

This suggests a need for targeted gender-inclusive policies to bridge the employment gap.

The report read, “The unemployment rate is defined as the share of the labour force not employed but actively searching for and available for work.

“Unemployment is one of the components of labour underutilisation. The unemployment rate for Q2 2024 was 4.3 per cent, showing an increase of 0.1 percentage point compared to the same period last year.

“The unemployment rate among males was 3.4 per cent and 5.1 per cent among females.

“By place of residence, the unemployment rate was 5.2 per cent in urban areas and 2.8 per cent in rural areas. Youth unemployment rate was 6.5 per cent in Q2 2024, showing a decrease from 8.4 per cent in Q1 2024.”

Time-related underemployment, which measures workers seeking additional hours, dropped to 9.2 per cent in Q2 2024 from 10.6 per cent in Q1.

Labour underutilisation metrics also improved, with LU2 (unemployment and time-related underemployment) decreasing to 13.0 per cent from 15.3 per cent in the previous quarter.

LU3 and LU4 metrics, which include potential labour force participation, also recorded declines to 5.9 per cent and 14.5 per cent, respectively.

United States President-elect, Donald Trump, is reportedly planning to sign an executive order that would remove all transgender members from the country’s military.

Daily Mail reports that the development has raised concerns within the LGBTQ+ community.

The development is coming amid moves by the US Congress to stop first transgender lawmaker from using female restrooms and bathrooms in her new workplace.

According to the report, state officials had stated that transgender personnel would be discharged on medical grounds, deeming them “unfit” to serve.

DAILY POST recalls that during Trump’s first administration, he introduced a similar policy that prohibited transgender individuals from joining the Armed Forces.

He, however, allowed those already enlisted to remain in their roles.

President Joe Biden later overturned the military ban in his first week as President in 2021 after Trump left office.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.46%.

The growth showed an increase in economic performance from Q2 GDP of 3.19% and higher growth from 2023 Q3 GDP of 2.54%.

“Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.46% (year-on-year) in real terms in the third
quarter of 2024. This growth rate is higher than the 2.54% recorded in the third quarter of 2023 and
higher than the second quarter of 2024 growth of 3.19%,” it read.

According to the report released on Monday, the Q3 GDP growth was mainly driven by the service sector.

“The performance of the GDP in the third quarter of 2024 was driven mainly by the Services sector, which recorded a growth of 5.19% and contributed 53.58% to the aggregate GDP. The agriculture sector grew by 1.14%, from the growth of 1.30% recorded in the third quarter of 2023.

“The growth of the industry sector was 2.18%, an improvement from 0.46% recorded in the third quarter of 2023. In terms of share of the GDP, the services sector contributed more to the aggregate GDP in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023.

“In the quarter under review, aggregate GDP at basic price stood at ₦71,131,091.07 million in nominal terms. This performance is higher when compared to the third quarter of 2023, which recorded aggregate GDP of ₦60,658,600.37 million, indicating a year-on-year nominal growth of 17.26%,” it stated.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has responded to allegations from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors regarding manipulation of the 2024 Edo State governorship election.

During a recent two-day meeting in Jos, Plateau State, the PDP governors claimed that electoral irregularities prevented the party’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, from winning in Edo.

They PDP governors also accused INEC of rigging in the recent Ondo election.

They alleged that INEC altered results to benefit the APC and urged the judiciary and lawmakers to enhance electoral laws to combat what they referred to as “institutional sabotage of the will of the people”.

In response, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, called the allegations “unfortunate and inappropriate,” emphasizing that INEC, as a law-abiding body, cannot comment on ongoing court matters.

Oyekanmi criticized the PDP governors for engaging in a “media trial”, encouraging them to present their evidence in court instead of making unsubstantiated claims publicly.

He pointed out that the PDP has filed a petition at the tribunal to contest the Edo State governorship election results, suggesting they should provide their evidence there.

Regarding the Ondo State election, Oyekanmi defended INEC’s performance, labeling it one of the best elections conducted by the Commission.

He urged political parties to adopt a spirit of sportsmanship, stating, “It is not healthy to accept the outcome of an election only when you win.”

DAILY POST recalls that the electoral body had declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Edo election with 291,667 votes, with the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, securing 247,274 votes. Labour Party’s Olumide Akpata came third with 22,761 votes.

Similarly, in Ondo, INEC declared Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner of the governorship election that was held on Nov 14 defeating the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate Agboola Ajayi, and Olorunfemi Festus of the Labour Party.

The publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has revealed an aspirant gave $30,000 to each of the 774 delegates during the 2022 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary.

Speaking on the Key to Keys podcast show, Momodu expressed regret over spending nearly N50 million to purchase the PDP presidential nomination form, describing the primary as heavily monetised. 

He also stated he would not contest for any party’s presidential ticket unless adopted as a consensus candidate.

He said, “No, experience is the best teacher, and I have come to realise that there are powers you can describe as principalities that control Nigeria.

“Unless a major political party decides to adopt me through a consensus that Dele Momodu is best suited to change and lead Nigeria, then I can consider it.

“But if I have to pick my money to go and buy a presidential nomination form of about N100 million and the last one I spent about N50 million buying the form. This could have gotten me a property and it was a waste, nobody voted for me – not even one vote because everything was monetized.

“There was one of the candidates who paid as high as $30,000 per delegate and we had 774 delegates, so how do you compete with them? They have stolen the country blind and doing all kinds of deals to make money, especially those in the oil-rich areas.

“It’s not easy and that’s why you can’t compete with them – that’s why they insult Nigerians anyhow because of the amount of money available to them in raw cash. There is no country in the world where people control raw cash like Nigeria.

“The bulk of their money is not in any bank so they are not traceable. If today you ask some politicians that look you need $500 million to become a President, they will find it. So people like us where will I start from? I’m not bothered.”