Former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu might be in another trouble while serving his sentence in the UK.

Recall that he is currenlty serving 10 years in prison for human trafficking last year.

According to a new report by TheNation, Ekweremadu is currently under investigation by the London Metropolitan Police in a new case linked to him.

A documentary by Chude Jideonwo titled: “Daniel vs Ekweremadu,” the police are investigating a case involving Ekweremadu, although details are scarce due to the ongoing investigation.

Part 1 of the two-part docu-series was released on Friday, 23 August. It is written and directed by award winning filmmaker and TV host, Chude Jideonwo.

In an email from a spokesperson to the police, Alexandra Meek to the producers as shown in the documentary, she said: “With regards to the live investigation, which is linked – On Tuesday, 8 November 2022 detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime arrested a woman on suspicion of conspiracy to exploit for the purposes of organ harvesting.

“The woman, who is in her 50s, has been released under investigation. Enquiries remain ongoing.”

Ms Meek, who is senior communication manager for the MET Police, gave this as a reason for the police’s inability to participate in the documentary.

According to Chude: “‘Daniel’ is the name given by a journalist and adopted by the documentary filmmakers for the victim-survivor of the first conviction under the UK’s Modern Slavery Law – under which Ekweremadu became the first to be sentenced to jail alongside his wife, Beatrice and a doctor-friend, Obinna Obeta.

“It follows a directive from the judge of the case for the real name to remain undisclosed.

“‘Daniel vs Ekweremadu’ tells the story of Senator Ekweremadu’s fall from Nigerian deputy senate president to British jailbird upon his conviction for organ harvesting.

Shot in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, the series includes exclusive access to British prosecutors, police, the family of the survivor-victim amongst others in this first-of-its-kind thriller-style documentary from a West African independent studio.”

The Nigeria Immigration Service has deported a Zimbabwean Bishop, Eben K. Nhiwatawi, for participating in the Methodist Church leadership election process while on a tourist visa.

In a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Udo, on Wednesday, the NIS described the Bishop’s actions as a clear violation of the terms and privileges associated with the tourist visa, as outlined in the Nigeria Visa Policy 2024.

The statement read in part, “On 24th August 2024, Mr Eben K. Nhiwatawi, a Zimbabwean Bishop, was apprehended in Yola, Adamawa State, for violating Immigration protocols.
“The Bishop arrived in the country on 21st August 2024, with a Tourist Visa (F5A) meant solely for tourism purposes.

However, he was found to be participating in the Methodist Church leadership election process, which is in clear violation of the terms and privileges associated with the Tourist Visa as provided in the Nigeria Visa Policy 2024.

“In light of the above, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, with Ministerial approval, has ordered his immediate repatriation from the country.

“While the Service encourages the lawful inflow of Foreign Direct Investment and individuals engaging in business and social activities, as key facilitators of economic growth and development, it will not tolerate any violation of the country’s Immigration laws.

“The Service remains committed to preserving the country’s national security and will continue to monitor the activities of foreigners for such purposes.”

A policeman identified as Inspector Collins Wilson has reportedly killed three individuals in an attempt to cover up a theft committed by his girlfriend, known only as Esther.

The incident occurred on Monday, August 26th, when Esther was accused of stealing a phone from a tricycle driver who had been transporting her.

Eyewitnesses report that the theft became apparent when the stolen phone rang in her possession, prompting a confrontation between Esther and bystanders. As tensions escalated, Esther called her boyfriend, Inspector Wilson, to the scene.

Upon his arrival, Inspector Wilson, in a desperate bid to protect Esther and conceal her crime, drew his service weapon and ordered her to stand behind him. He then opened fire at close range, killing two individuals on the spot.

One of the victims was the tricycle driver who was transporting Esther, while the other was a bystander who was attempting to mediate the situation.

A third victim, the motorcyclist who had brought Inspector Wilson to the scene, was critically injured, and initially taken to Garki Hospital but was reportedly rejected. He later succumbed to his injuries at the National Hospital were he could not get proper attention as the doctors are said to be on strike.

After the shooting, Inspector Wilson commandeered another tricycle and fled the scene with Esther. He later abandoned the tricycle and switched to a motorcycle to evade detection. However, the motorcyclist who transported Wilson back to his post was able to direct outraged residents to his location.

Residents swiftly mobilized and apprehended Inspector Wilson and Esther at the estate where he was stationed. The vicious was cop and his girlfriend were later handed over to the police.

Authorities of the Force have yet to release an official statement on the incident, but residents on Tuesday are said to have brought two of the victims’ bodies to the police command, demanding justice.

The 2023 PDP Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s Federal Government for the 18-year age limit on NECO and WAEC exams, calling it absurd and a barrier to scholarships.

Recall that the Federal Government has banned individuals below 18 from participating in the NECO and WAEC exams.

This was revealed by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, during his appearance on Channels Television’s ‘ Sunday Politics’ program.

Mamman stated that the federal government has instructed WAEC, responsible for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, and NECO, which administers the Senior School Certificate Examination, to enforce the 18-year age requirement for candidates taking these exams.

In response, the former Vice President took to his verified Facebook page on Wednesday to criticize the policy as outdated.

Atiku labelled the policy as controversial and called for universal condemnation from those who value intellectual freedom and accessibility.

He stated, “Tinubu’s policy on age limit for tertiary education admission belongs in the Stone Ages.

“The recent policy of the Federal Ministry of Education pegging age limits for entry to tertiary institutions is an absurdity and a disincentive to scholarship.

“The policy runs foul of the notion of delineation of responsibilities in a federal system of government such as we are practising, and gives a graphic impression of how the Tinubu government behaves like a lost sailor on a high sea.

“Otherwise, how is such anti-scholarship regulation the next logical step in the myriad of issues besetting our educational system?

“To be clear, the Nigerian constitution puts education in the concurrent list of schedules, in which the  sub-national government enjoys more roles above the Federal Government.”

The former Vice President highlighted that the most effective global approach is to allow sub-national governments to establish their education laws or regulations.

Atiku continued, “Therefore, it is extra-constitutional for the federal government to legislate on education like a decree.

“The best global standard for such regulation is to allow the sub-national governments to make respective laws or rules on education.

“It is discouraging that even while announcing this obnoxious policy, the government inadvertently said it had no plan to cater to specially gifted pupils. That statement is an embarrassment to the body of intellectuals in the country because it portrays Nigeria as a country where gifted students are not appreciated.

“The irony here is that should the federal government play any role in education, it is to set up mechanisms that will identify and grant scholarships to gifted students not minding their ages before applying for admission into tertiary institutions.

“This controversial policy belongs in the Stone Ages and should be roundly condemned by everyone who believes in intellectual freedom and accessibility.”

Several passengers were injured following a late-night collision involving two Bus Rapid Transit buses at the Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos on Tuesday.

The collision happened within the BRT lane on Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way, near Danco Filling Station.

According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the injured passengers were rushed to a nearby medical facility for treatment. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident.

An additional statement by the head of the public affairs unit, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Nosa Okunbor said, investigations revealed that the accident occurred when one BRT bus attempted to avoid hitting a commercial motorcyclist illegally using the BRT corridor, resulting in a collision with an oncoming BRT bus.

According to Okunbor passengers from both buses suffered varying degrees of injuries and were taken to the hospital before the arrival of the response team.

“However, passengers of both buses reportedly suffered various degrees of injuries and were all taken to the nearest hospital before the arrival of the Agency’s Response Team,” he said.

He added that two tow trucks were deployed to remove the damaged buses from the road, ensuring a smooth flow of traffic.

A Yoruba Nollywood actor, Yusuf Olorungbede is reportedly dead.

His death was announced by some of his colleagues in the Yoruba movie industry.

Announcing his death, Nollywood actress, Foluke Daramola, wrote on her verified Instagram handle, “We lost Yusuf Olorungbede… We submit to God’s Will. Thank You Everyone!”

Another actor, Oladimeji Peter on Facebook said, , “It is Sad to hear you are gone.

“As an Actor you gave me courage, you are the first director that will invite me to movie location and pay me, not just that alone, my feeding and personal accomodation was settled without stress,how will I write up my stories in this industry and slide your name EGBON????Ko possible through you I met alot and I learnt so much from you. Good night Boss man ? Yusuf Olorungbede ???”

Olorungbede had been sick for a while and was placed on life support days before his death.

Popular prophet of the Celestial Church of Christ, Israel Ogundipe, has revealed how a bank offered him N1 billion loan.

Ogundipe, who is the founder of Genesis Global Ministry, Lagos, said he was offered the loan to help him expand his ministry to reach more members globally.

He revealed this while speaking on a show of popular Nigerian On-Air Personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, also known as Daddy Freeze on Tuesday.

He also mentioned that the bank, which he refused to name, showed him details of churches that have collected similar loans.

Ogundipe explained that from the list he was shown, some churches took loans ranging from N3 billion to N4 billion.

“A bank called me two months ago and said they wish to loan me N1 billion. They offered me the loan and I asked them what for. They replied that they know churches are getting it (loan) and I would be able to pay it back because they know my church is big.

“Then I asked them how they want me to be paying back, and they said when we are doing revivals, crusades, we’ll be paying back monthly.

“And they mentioned some churches who got loans from them ranging from N3 billion to N4 billion. And I asked them how they expected me to pay back such an amount and they said those that collect such loans, that’s why they would never stop doing conferences, crusades, and revivals, and from there, they would get money to pay back,” the pastor said.

Ogundipe was in 2020 convicted and sentenced to jail for defrauding a London-based architect and converting her property for personal use.

The pastor was arraigned on a seven-count which includes stealing, unlawful conversion of property, forgery, and fraudulently collecting sums of N14m and £ 12,000 from the victim between 2002 and 2005.

The International Criminal Police Organisation has arrested more than 300 people with links to one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks, Black Axe, and other affiliated groups.

In a series of covert missions, tagged, “Operation Jackal III” in 21 countries between April and July 2024, Interpol said the highly-coordinated cybercrime group was responsible for some of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud and many other serious crimes, BBC reports Wednesday.

While the police labelled the operation as a “major blow” to the Nigerian crime network, it equally warned of its worldwide reach and technological sophistication — making the Black Axe a global threat.

The report noted that Operation Jackal III had led to the seizure of $3 million of illegal assets and more than 700 bank accounts being frozen. 

A senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, stressed the significance of financial technology and cryptocurrency in aiding the operations of cybercrime syndicates which are renowned for multi-million dollar online scams.

He said, “They are very organised and very structured. These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies… A lot of fintech developments make it easy to illegally move money around the world.”

The Black Axe is a secretive criminal network involved in trafficking, prostitution and killing operations around the world. However, cybercrime is the group’s largest source of revenue.

The report noted that several members of the dreaded group are university-educated and were recruited into the group during their schooling.

In a 2022 report by Interpol, it said, “Black Axe and similar groups are responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud as well as many other serious crimes.”

Multiple so-called “Jackal” police operations have taken place since 2022. Dozens of Black Axe and other gang members had been arrested and their electronic devices seized during these transnational raids.

In one example, Canadian authorities said they busted a money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe worth more than $5 billion (£3.8bn) in 2017.

Dealing with highly sophisticated criminal groups requires a high level of technological expertise and personnel.

Interpol said it had launched the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system which enables the authorities in its 196-member countries to freeze bank accounts around the world with unprecedented speed.

The mechanism was used to halt a $40m scam targeting a Singaporean business in July 2024, the police said.

Kaya noted, “We need to have data and to collate our findings from these countries to help build a picture of their modus operandi. If we can gather this data, we can take action.”

In his view, the West Africa Regional Coordinator from the Institute for Security Studies, Dr Oluwole Ojewale, blamed the government for its laxity in curtailing criminal groups such as the Black Axe, among others.

He also said politicians use members of these syndicates for their gains, providing them with the necessary tools to defraud innocent people and commit other atrocities.

“The general failure of governance in the country has put pressure on people to be initiated (into the Black Axe). It is the politicians who are arming these boys,” he asserted.

Ojewale added that “the emphasis must be on prevention not on outright operations against these criminal groups.”

President Bola Tinubu, in February 2024, pledged increased support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to increase its capacity to tackle digital offences.

This was as he deplored what he termed “mislabelling and blanket stereotyping” of Nigeria as a country with the highest prevalence of cybercrime and other forms of corrupt practices among its population.

In November 2023, the Nigerian Senate expressed concerns over an annual loss of $500m to various forms of cybercrime across the country.

It warned that if the national cybersecurity programme was not effectively funded, the gains of the digital economy would be defeated.

The report also recalled that Interpol’s Jackal Operations originated from Ireland.

In 2020, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau identified 1,000 people with links to Black Axe and arrested several members, paving the way for the exposure of a far wider network.

A detective superintendent at the GNECB, Michael Cryan, who led the operation, said Ireland had experienced a surge in money laundering, owing to the criminal acts of the Black Axe.

“They were very under the radar, very low-key. The amount of money being laundered through Ireland was astronomical.

“Bank robberies are now done with laptops – they are far more sophisticated. This is not a typical or ordinary crime… People who make decisions need to know how serious this is,” Cryan said.

He estimated that €200m ($220m; £170m) had been stolen online in Ireland in the past five years and that only accounts for the 20% of cyber-crimes that are believed to be reported.

More than €1m in crypto-assets were also seized during one operation, the report added.

Award-winning cinematography and music producer, ThankGod Omori popularly known as TG Omori, has revealed that he had a failed kidney transplant after his brother donated to him to improve his kidney-related ailment.

Omori revealed this on Wednesday, shortly after disclosing that he was going through hell and that Nigerians should pray for him.

He wrote, “One year after my kidney crashed, I just had a failed transplant at St Nicolas Hospital Lagos. Pray for me.”

The cinematographer also noted that he had gone into the theatre three times already and that he was not just destined to die today.

The PUNCH earlier reported that Omori recounted his brother donating his kidney to him.

“Yesterday, my only brother gave me one of his kidneys so I could live again.

“Keep my spirit alive. I don’t wanna die,” he wrote.

The music producer, who has been away from the public for some time now, shared the picture of him crying on the hospital bed while receiving oxygen.

Although he has been making cryptic tweets about his health before the recent transplant.

Last month, the award-winning music producer wrote on his X handle, “If I cross your mind, sometimes say a prayer for me.

“Poor marijuana, they blame you for all my rasclaat.

“You wanna eat, I wanna live.”

These revelations have left netizens concerned about his health; many have left words of encouragement and prayers for his quick healing and recovery.

A user on X.com, who tweeted with the handle #Mr Ebony, said, “The biggest sacrifices are from families, especially brothers. Quick recovery bruh.”

Another user who tweeted anonymously with the handle #Ikorodu President wrote, “Ohh really, hadn’t been you tell me I would have gladly give you one of mine so you can live.”

“Stay strong, wishing you speed recovery. Nothing go do you in Jesus name,” A user with handle #Honest30bgfan said.

“When they tell you to stop smoking, you guys won’t listen. Thank God for giving you a second chance,” a user with the handle #Realtimmywrld opined.

One Winifred, who tweeted on X.com as Winifred, said, “Such a sweet soul he is. Wishing you a quick healing.”

TG Omori, also known as Boy Director, is a familiar name to Nigerian music lovers.

He has been active in the music industry since 2018 and has directed videos for a diverse range of music recording artistes, including Olamide, Wizkid, Burna Boy, Tekno, Kizz Daniel, Fireboy DML, Falz, Naira Marley, Asake, and many others.

The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has lamented the growing insecurity in Nigeria, fuelled by the activities of terrorists and bandits.

Obi, in a statement on Wednesday, decried the collapse of the nation’s security infrastructure, lamenting that Nigerians are at the mercy of terrorists and bandits.

Speaking against the backdrop of the recent killing of the Emir of Gobir by kidnappers and the subsequent return to abduct 150 innocent people, and steal 1,000 cattle by the bandits after the brutal killing of the traditional ruler, Peter Obi described the event as beyond tragedy and now a national emergency.

The former Anambra State Governor demanded the government take decisive action on the challenges of insecurity bedevilling the country, noting that it is time to put an end to rhetoric statements without corresponding action.

“Still reeling from the shocking news of the tragic murder of the Emir of Gobir, my earlier message reflected my deep sorrow and dismay. Yet, even those words now feel insufficient to convey the weight of one’s feeling of tragic loss.

“This most recent atrocity marks the tipping point in the decline of a failing state. The fact that, according to widely circulated reports, the terrorists returned to the emir’s domain, abducted 150 innocent people, and stole 1,000 cattle, after his brutal murder serves as a grim indication of the continued collapse of our national security infrastructure. We are now at the mercy of terrorists and bandits, with a nearly ineffective government to protect us. This is not just a tragedy, but a national emergency.

“We demand decisive action, not empty rhetoric, to confront this crisis. This is why I strongly advocate for a declaration of war on insecurity, the food crisis, and poverty—a stance that some have twisted, distorted, and used for their agendas.

“It’s time for us to take collective responsibility. We cannot stand by as our nation deteriorates to this unacceptable level. We must revive our commitment to the safety and security of all Nigerians. Enough must now be enough. -PO,” Obi wrote via his account on the X platform.