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Nigerian man pleads guilty to defrauding 15 Americans of over $1M, faces five-year jail term
AFOLABI
Isaiah Okere, a 42-year-old Nigerian man, has pleaded guilty to charges of internet fraud that defrauded over 15 Americans and organizations out of more than $1 million.
Okere appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Liman in New York on Tuesday, admitting his role in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, revealed that Okere collaborated with members of the transnational criminal group, Black Axe, to carry out a series of romance scams, lottery frauds, and business email compromise schemes targeting vulnerable individuals.
The frauds primarily affected elderly and isolated victims, some of whom lost their entire life savings.
Okere was arrested in South Africa in December 2021 and extradited to the U.S. on August 23, 2024. He now faces a potential five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to “one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.”
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated, “Isaiah Okere and his co-conspirators preyed on elderly and vulnerable victims, some of whom lost their entire life savings. This office’s global reach ensures that he will be held accountable in the United States for his crimes.”
The scam, which began in 2015 and continued until November 2019, resulted in significant emotional and financial damage to its victims.
Some victims were tricked into believing they were in romantic relationships with Okere and his associates, leading them to drain their retirement savings and even borrow from family and friends. One victim reported becoming suicidal after losing her savings to the scam.
In addition to romance schemes, Okere and his accomplices used fraudulent lottery schemes and business email compromise (BEC) fraud to steal from individuals and companies.
“Many victims experienced severe emotional harm, including a woman who reported becoming suicidal after losing her retirement savings to this scheme.
“He used the phony lottery scheme to inform certain victims that they had won a cash prize but first needed to make certain payments to access the funds.
“Similarly, using the BEC fraud scheme to induce a corporate victim located in Manhattan to release company funds under fraudulent pretences by impersonating the founder of the company.
“Okere used accounts under false identities to communicate directly with his US victims. He also controlled multiple foreign bank accounts in South Africa that received funds from victims targeted by these schemes,” the US stated.
Okere’s accomplice, Timy Hakim, was sentenced to two years in prison in 2023 and ordered to pay over $1.4 million in restitution.
Two Nigerians, Shodiya Babatunde (43) and Jamui Ahmed (31), have been indicted by the United States for their alleged involvement in a $13 million fraudulent business email scheme targeting healthcare companies in Minnesota.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced the charges on Thursday, revealing that the two suspects, along with co-conspirators, siphoned millions intended for Fairview Health into accounts under their control.
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Babatunde and Ahmed manipulated unsuspecting employees of several Minnesota-based healthcare firms, deceiving them into redirecting payments to fraudulent accounts.
The scheme, which spanned from October 2020 to 2024, involved the creation of fake internet domains and email accounts impersonating top Fairview Health executives.
“As part of the scheme, Babatunde and Ahmed created a fake ‘spoofed’ internet domain designed to appear as though it was controlled by Fairview Health,” Luger said.
The duo used these fake accounts to carry out phishing attacks, acquiring sensitive information such as passwords and account details from vendors.
The statement added, “Unbeknownst to the vendor companies, the new accounts were actually controlled by Babatunde and Ahmed and their co-conspirators, not Fairview Health.
“In total, Babatunde and Ahmed fraudulently directed more than $13m in payments intended for Fairview Health from Minnesota-based healthcare companies to accounts controlled by Babatunde, Ahmed, and their co-conspirators.”
Babatunde and Ahmed have since fled and are currently fugitives from justice, residing in Nigeria.
Popular Nigerian singer David Adeleke, aka Davido, has opened up about how he handles the pain of losing loved ones.
The singer is no stranger to grief, having lost his mum, Mrs Victoria Imade Adeleke, at 11, and his 3-year-old son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, as well as associates, Tagbo, DJ Olu, Obama DMW, and personal photographer Fortune, in quick successions.
Speaking in a recent interview with Mystery Fashionist in New York, Davido said his faith has kept him going despite the tragedies.
“I have lost a lot of people. I lost my mum at the age of eleven. I’m just being strong. I did a song called ‘Stand Strong.’
“I feel like strength and obviously, my faith has kept me going,” he said.
Davido also addressed some misconceptions about him.
“I think sometimes, people think I am not approachable. Another misconception is that people also think I am too accessible.
“I grew up in a big family, I’m used to having people around me. My talent and success is God-given,” he explained.
Billionaire Barbadian singer Rihanna has opened up about motherhood.
According to the 36-year-old mother of two, being a “boy mom” is an Olympic sport.
Rihanna stated while sharing a clip of her first son, RZA, struggling to get out of the baby cot, via her X handle.
In the video, RZA eventually got out of the cot after several failed attempts.
She captioned the video; “Being a boy mom is an Olympic sport 
.”
Recalls that Rihanna and her partner, A$AP Rocky, welcomed RZA on May 19, 2022, barely a year after they confirmed their relationship.
In August 2023, the couple welcomed their second son, Riot Ross.
Earlier this year, there were rumours that Rihanna was pregnant with her third child but she debunked the rumours in a chat with ET.
She, however, added that she would “definitely” have more kids.
In April, Rihanna told Interview Magazine that she had been looking for a female child but kept giving birth to boys.
“I don’t know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl. But of course if it’s another boy, it’s another boy,” she said.
•Corrupt electoral officials must be punished
•Only electronic voting/transmission can guarantee credible polls
•Continued voter education necessary
To whom much is given, much is expected. Nigerians had invested their trust in the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to conduct a credible election in the country. Everything the Commission needed, including funds, had always been provided.
And Nigerians would sacrifice their precious time to cast their votes on the election date hoping their votes would count. But the electoral commission had always failed to live up to their expectations. Nigerians had hoped that INEC would have repented of its evil ways and would use the September 21 Edo State governorship election to redeem its image.
But 25 observer groups who monitored the election, in their reports accused INEC officials of manipulating the election. They specifically fingered collation officers at the Local Government and State Collation Centres for altering the figures that were obtained from the polling units.
The groups in a joint statement also said, “We reject the result declared because there are two sets of result sheets. One was taken to the field, and another to APC in Edo North, some parts of Edo South, and Edo Central. We observed that the military and police disrupted the collation of results at the wards and local government collation centres, including intimidation of INEC officials that collated results contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines. There is a significant concern about the credibility of the results collation process.
“We reject the result of the election which declared the All Progressive Congress Candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo. There was militarization and use of impunity at wards, local governments and state collation centres. INEC, Military and police have clearly violated the provision of Electoral Act 2022 concerning the collation of results in the governorship election.”
Nigerians in their reactions have expressed total disappointment with the conduct of the Edo governorship election saying it is sad that INEC hasn’t repented from its evil ways. Some have however proffered solutions on how to ensure future elections are credible and the votes of the people will begin to count.
While some called for a constitutional amendment making it mandatory for electronic voting and electronic transmission, and a law barring the President from appointing INEC chairman, others suggested readopting the Option A4 system to avert the manipulative tendencies of INEC officials.
Perpetrators of electoral fraud must be punished —Aborisade
Femi Aborisade, Human rights activist on his part said: ”Future elections may be protected against manipulation by electoral officials only if those suspected to have manipulated the results are made to suffer the consequences for their action. It is impunity that is responsible for electoral officials manipulating results. The critical challenge is whether the system will permit the culprits to be brought to justice. The non-governmental observers, including YIAGA, made a case against the appointment of the INEC Commissioner who conducted the election, arguing that by his relationship with some prominent personalities, he could not be trusted to be concerned with organizing a free and fair election in Edo State. They also decried the shifting of the counting of votes at some local governments to the central collation centre, which was contrary to the electoral law and guidelines issued by INEC. The INEC did not bother. Therefore, impunity, including not acting by the predetermined electoral procedure, is at the root of the votes of the electorate not counting in the emergence of those who rule. Nigeria’s democracy has thus become the democracy of the few and mighty politicians who have captured not only political power but also the wealth of society which they use in compromising institutions and their officers.
We may resort to Option A4 system —Clarkson
Amaebi Clarkson, a legal practitioner and former Spokesperson of the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta, MOSIEND, said: “The Edo poll has clearly shown that no amount of electronic intervention in our electoral process will cure election malpractices and manipulation unless we have reorientation of our value system as a people. This can only be done if we get the leadership question right because any positive change in the behavioural pattern of a people comes from the top and not the bottom. The president asking the losers to go to court in the face of such brazen manipulation of election results speaks volumes. It is frustrating that despite the huge resources allocated to INEC and the reforms on paper, it cannot conduct an acceptable election. We may need to look inward and readopt Option A4 system if it can give us any reprieve.”
Nigerians must begin to defend their votes to the last collation centre —Rev Hayab
Rev Joseph John Hayab, former Chairman CAN Kaduna State: ”It is very sad to see that INEC has not repented or learned any tangible lesson from the past electoral malpractices that were committed. INEC has not only again shown that it is Nigeria’s democracy’s biggest enemy but has confirmed that the will of the people does not matter as long as some INEC officials get cheap money from desperate politicians. A political leader who knows his or her victory is not from the people will never listen to the people or serve the people. INEC has failed to keep the trust of the people and the nation who are bigger than the few money bag politicians. The serious consequence of this unpatriotic action by some politicians and some greedy and selfish INEC staff is that we will continue to suffer together from leaders who have no legitimacy and are disconnected from the people. It is now left for the Nigeria public to unite and begin to defend their votes in future elections up to the last collation center since it is so glaring that you cannot find justice during election from INEC to the courts”.
Free, fair elections won’t happen now in Nigeria—Uwemedimo Nwoko, SAN
Former Attorney General of Akwa Ibom and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Uwemedimo Nwoko, asserted that Nigeria will never witness free and fair elections under the present crop of leaders in the country. His words, “I think for now Nigeria should just forget about free and fair elections or free and fair judiciary because it won’t work. If we want to be honest with ourselves, there’s no point hoping against hope, no need for us wasting our time. What is the moral pedigree of the present crop of leaders? What is their legal pedigree, what do they have to show in terms of decency in life? I will say it anywhere, Nigerians cannot have free and fair elections with the present crop of leaders and the judiciary will continue to be a victim. Our justices are individuals and we have people who know how to connive and threaten justices. This is not just about bribing them, people go to justices’ houses and threaten them to bend their will”
We must all turn a new leaf—Elder Ambakederimo
Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, Convener, South South Reawakening Group, said: “It is unfortunate that our electoral process is not improving, our elections are getting worse and from what I have seen, it is not going to get better because those shouting about manipulation are also involved, they were just out maneuvered. There was a time in this country when picking the ticket of a political party to contest the general election is as good as winning the poll. There were high profile assassinations and attempted assassinations then. Until all of us turn a new leaf there is nothing anyone can do about what is going on with our elections.”
Continued voter education necessary—Pastor Nwokocha
Pastor Innocent Nwokocha, Executive Director, Initiative For Ideal Development And Emancipatory Leadership In Nigeria “IDEAL-NIGERIA said: “The simple empirical approach cum solution to the whole of this nauseating situation that is fast eating up the electoral confidence of the masses on the electoral umpire and the leadership structure across board is continued voter education and by extension, the strengthening of the entire civil space. The level of corruption in the country now has fast gained traction and momentum. This can only be attributed to weak style of leadership and the increasing and uncontrollable quest for power. Unfortunately, too, the government in power in Nigeria does not have quick fix solutions at hand as it seems obviously embedded in the whole of the shenanigans constituting the rounds. It is high time all Nigerians rose to the occasion and challenged this sepulchral charade .”
Only the judiciary can correct the anomalies—Chief Osuoha
Also, Chief Ikechukwu Osuoha , two time Commissioner for Housing, Abia State, and the Deputy National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP called for resistance to a drift towards one party state. Osuoha who described the Edo election as a charade and open display of impunity by the ruling party, however, said that “only the Judiciary can correct the anomalies.” He acknowledged the erosion of public confidence in the Nigeria judiciary but added that “there are still few judicial officers who are still standing. What happened in Edo was a disgrace to our democracy. But shall we resort to violence? No! So, we still have to look up to the judiciary. The judiciary remains the hope of the common man, and that’s why as a party, we have resolved to go to court. There are still some judicial officers who are not compromised and we believe we will always get justice in the end “
Indicted electoral officials must be prosecuted—David-West
Mr David-West Bekinwariye David, Chairman, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Bayelsa State chapter said: “For our future elections not to be manipulated, we must as a people ensure that electoral officials who collect money from politicians to manipulate the process are prosecuted and sent to prison and the case must be disposed of on time.”
Hon Stephen Adewale, former Ondo SDP state chairman: “It’s unfortunate that our electoral system has been one stride forward, two steps backwards since 1999. What transpired in Edo State brings the question of autonomy to the forefront, particularly for sensitive agencies like INEC. As long as the country’s election umpire remains accountable to the president, no progress will be made. In addition, opposition parties can help improve our electoral system by ensuring that political infrastructure exists in every polling unit. In Edo State, like in other recent elections, the APC was able to present a polling unit agent in each polling unit. Even the ruling party in Edo State, the PDP, was unable to do this. As a result, the lack of polling unit agents from opposition parties makes it easier for the party with the most foot soldiers on the ground and the electoral umpire in its pocket to manipulate the election results. And by the time the aggrieved opposition parties decide to approach the court to contest the election results, they will have wasted the court’s time because they will not have genuine evidence from each polling unit to back up their claims due to a lack of reliable polling unit agents in each polling unit.
Edo election the worst in recent times — Peretei
Kennedy Peretei, Ondo state Publicity Secretary of People’s Democratic Party:
“The truth is that the present democratic dispensation is a product of the struggle of Nigerians through a process that caused loss of lives. The soldiers were forced to return to the barracks. Therefore, a civilian government ( with questionable credibility) cannot return to the dark ages. The Edo election was the very worst in recent times and those who rigged the election are asking the victims to approach the Courts, as if the Judiciary is dependable. What I know is that the people are already on edge and will resist any further attempt to subvert their wishes. If you ask me how? l will say, those who make peaceful change impossible, make violent change, inevitable”
There must be positive change of attitude by the electorates —Comrade Olaposi
National Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Comrade Oginni Olaposi Sunday said that, “Positive change of attitude by the electorates in Nigeria is needed to have the new Nigeria of our dreams as far as the electoral system is concerned in Nigeria. The sellers and buyers of votes are all culpable and nearly all Nigerian political parties and politicians engage in these illegal practices. The law enforcement agencies like EFCC and Police must ensure that both sellers and buyers of votes are prosecuted and committed to prison to serve as deterrent to others. INEC should also be very ready to perform an impartial role as unbiased umpire. There must be a level playing ground for all political parties and politicians. Any INEC officer(s) that compromises to manipulate election results should be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other corrupt officials. Lastly, until proper orientation is done and imbibed by Nigerians, the performance index of INEC will continue to be below average. Every Nigerian must be ready to vote for candidates of his or her choice without requesting for money or financial inducement.
The security architecture needs improvement—Ogunsuyi
Lanre Ogunsuyi, public analyst: “The electoral process is not a perfect exercise and a strong security framework is necessary to prevent unpatriotic activities. There is clearly inadequate voter education on the importance of voting and the detrimental effects of vote buying and selling. The lack of accountability and transparency in public office, coupled with the financial incentives, intensifies competition. Public offices should be less financially lucrative. The security architecture needs improvement, especially in violence prevention. Civil societies and the media require funding for election duties. There are no perfect elections; victories are often secured by the highest bidder. People are poor and hungry.”
INEC must fish out bad eggs within it— Balogun
Moruff Balogun, Immediate past Vice Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Ijebu Ode Branch: ”It is not within the contemplation of the law to have elections that will be holistically acceptable by all and sundry as credible and threat-free. Even the Electoral Act, 2022 does not contemplate that. If the elections are substantially conducted and hitch free, it is credible enough in the eye of the law. We are not unmindful that there are bad eggs in INEC; we have seen cases where INEC personnel were terribly involved in electoral malpractices in connivance with political parties. INEC authorities should be bold enough to fish out these scavengers within the commission before it is too late”.
Deola Abegunrin, a legal practitioner in Oyo State said, “except the electorates change, we should not expect any overnight miracle. We, the people should have attitudinal change so that things will work out. The Judiciary is doing its best.”
Similarly, Babalade Omoyefa, a politician said, “all of us are guilty, from the politicians to the electorates. When you are seeking an appointment into any political office, several people put pressure on you to spend for them. Once you do that, they are ready to go to any length to ensure that their candidates win the election”.
Ayodele Alake, Public Affairs analyst argued that: “the politicians, electorates and the judiciary are culpable even including the so called civil societies. Almost all our hands are soiled. There’s so much hunger in the country and when people are hungry, they will jump at anything that will put food on their tables. This is where the larger portion of the blame goes to the leaders of the country. If they provide all necessary amenities for the citizenry, the urge to be corrupt will be minimised. But, when people are starved, they do unimaginable things during elections and that’s when you see the electorates queuing for loaves of bread during elections”.
Pastor Olabode James, Joint Fellowship Pentecostal church: “the fear of God is lacking in the minds of our people. When you fear God, you will think twice before you sell your votes. There is so much impunity in the system, anybody can just do anything. Where the fear of God is lacking, you should expect anything to happen. That’s what is playing out in the country today. Until we see God as the only provider, people will continue to engage in shady activities.”
Barr Shogbeye Eli, All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain
“In view of the fast eroding confidence of Nigerians on the country’s electoral process, we must amend the constitution to remove the power of appointing INEC chairman from the President. It is not enough to cancel an election because of electoral fraud. There must be severe punishment for electoral offenders as well. The law should be made not to be a respecter of anybody. Whoever is involved in electoral crime must face severe consequences according to law. Nigeria is also ripe enough to consider the e-mail voting system as one of the surest ways of correcting electoral fraud. E-mail voting will also save Nigerians from the stress of queuing up for hours on election day.
Only electronic voting and transmission can guarantee credible polls —Dr Arabambi
Dr Abayomi Arabambi, National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party (LP) argued that electronic voting, and electronic transmission are the only factors that can guarantee free, fair elections in Nigeria.
He said, “As Nigerians, we can only ensure future elections’ success if the National Assembly can amend the 1999 Constitution to allow electronic voting and electronic transmission of results from polling units. When the Constitutional amendment is done, any elections that fail to abide by it should be rendered invalid and another election should be conducted in such circumstances.
This will assist all political parties to monitor polls process online and winners will know themselves by the conclusion of the elections and any form of manipulation through falsifications or alteration of results will be eliminated completely. Also, this will make our votes count and props up leaders that will serve their people and not god fathers. Also, elected officials across all political parties will be aware that they are responsible to the electorate only and that any attempt to undermine or under perform will spell doom for them in the next general elections as the people owe the right to either retain them or vote them out”.
[Vanguard]
Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, has pledged Nigeria’s support to a global campaign against lead poisoning.
Alake spoke during an exhibition at the Lead-Free Future event which took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
In a statement on Friday by Segun Tomori, media assistant to the minister, Alake announced the federal government’s plan to procure additional equipment for the detection of lead in communities.
He said clearing up lead from communities will restore child and maternal health.
Casey Bartrem, the USAID representative, appreciated the minister’s commitment to combatting lead poisoning.
She presented him rock samples retrieved from Zamfara state during a clean-up that followed a lead poisoning incident.
She said USAID hoped to collaborate with the ministry to reduce lead poisoning in mineral extraction and processing.
[TheCable]
Determined to maintain peace in the Niger Delta region, over 30,000 ex-agitators have opposed the planned protests across the country on October 1.
The repentant agitators, mostly youths, vowed not to allow any protest to take place in the region on October 1.
Speaking through their leaders at a stakeholders’ meeting, organised by the Presidential Amnesty Programme led by Dr. Dennis Otuaro, in Warri, Delta State, they called on the people of the Niger Delta region to avoid protests on October 1, assuring that the region’s challenges would be addressed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The youths disclosed this on Friday at the end of the three-day stakeholders forum held at KFT Hall in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
Earlier in his speech, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, the administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, revealed that the Federal Government has awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the East-West Road to a Chinese construction company, adding that work will commence soon.
He urged the people of the region to resist any calls for protests, emphasizing that the peace and stability of the Niger Delta lie in the hands of its residents.
Otuaro reiterated the importance of maintaining peace in the region, noting that constructive engagement with the government remains the best way to achieve progress and development.
According to him: “The East-West Road, a major artery in the Niger Delta, has been awarded to a Chinese company, and anytime soon, they will resume work.
“The President means well for the Niger Delta, and we must support his efforts to bring development to our region.
“The Niger Delta people will not be part of any protest. The problems of the Niger Delta will be resolved by the President, but it is up to us to ensure our region is not used as a base for protests.”
He added: “We have a responsibility to ensure that our region is peaceful. It is in our hands to keep the Niger Delta secure and support the Federal Government’s efforts to improve our communities.”
On his part, a Niger Delta leader, Paul Elvis, popularly known as General Ogubos, called for peace in the Niger Delta region, stressing that war is not the solution to the region’s challenges.
The former militant leader emphasised the importance of dialogue and cooperation in resolving conflicts. “Peace cannot be attained in a place of war. We must understand that violence will only lead to more destruction and suffering in our communities,” he stated, urging stakeholders to prioritise peaceful resolutions to grievances.
“Our people have legitimate concerns, but we must channel these grievances through dialogue, not violence, ” he added.
Elder T.K. Ogoruba, a prominent Niger Delta leader urged the Federal Government to address the longstanding demands of the region to avoid renewed protests.
Ogoruba noted that protests have been a consistent response to neglect since April 1949.
He said: “We must maintain peace in the region, but let’s not forget that protests have been ongoing since 1949. The signs are clear, and protests will continue if nothing changes.”
Ogoruba stressed that the government is fully aware of the region’s demands, which include fair treatment, infrastructural development, and environmental remediation.
He said: “I heard the administrator speak to us. What I came to hear was when he was appealing to all of us that we must maintain peace in the region, because protests are coming.
“Protest is not alien to the Niger Delta. We have protested all our protests, and those are the things that brought about things like the Presidential Amnesty Programme.”
He added: “Our protests have been made, and everybody is aware. So we want to give opportunities to the people the man has appointed to make sure that we get the dividends of democracy.”
Ahead of the planned cabinet reshuffling by President Bola Tinubu, a popular social critic, Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, or VDM, has called for the removal of the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu.
DAILY POST recalls that Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy had on Wednesday stated that cabinet reshuffling is eminent.
There are indications that some ministers may be removed while others may be given another portfolio.
Reacting, VDM in a video clip on his Facebook page on Friday pleaded with the president to spare performing ministers.
He, however, said the Minister of Power must be removed, explaining that the “segregation surrounding Band A, Band B and Band C” does not make sense.
He wondered why a section of Nigerians would enjoy power supply for 20 hours in a day while others cannot.
He said: “If at all any minister must be removed or reshuffled, it should be the Minister of Power. They need to remove that guy.
“My reason is this, the segregation surrounding the Band A, Band B and Band C issues makes no sense. What is the reason for that segregation? Are you trying to say that poor people do not have access to light?
“Is it that the poor people are not supposed to use light for 24 hours? It makes no sense because we are all Nigerians.”
Despite Nigeria’s deeply conservative and religious fabric, where sex is often a hushed topic, the sex toy industry is booming — and dildos are flying off the shelves, reflecting a surprising surge in this unconventional market as more citizens boldly embrace erotic pleasures amid economic hardships.
Most days of the week, Niniola (surname withheld) is as busy as a bee, catering to the diverse clientele who frequent her adult entertainment store.
Her well-lit store features a spa parlour alongside a wide array of intimate products and sex toys, including lingerie, sexual enhancers, lubricants, vibrators, dildos, and BDSM kits.
The microbiology graduate from a state university in the South-West, ventured into the sex toy business in 2020, a year after completing her National Youth Service Corps.
The 28-year-old believes her store’s location on an estate in the Ogudu axis has been a core selling point for her pleasure-enhancing business as most of her clients preferred a high degree of anonymity.
Niniola admitted that she sells more of her products via social media platforms and messaging apps to meet the demand for professional discretion.
“My customers don’t have to come down here physically, this business has evolved beyond that,” she told Saturday PUNCH.
“They can contact us, tell us which of their products they want, we give them a catalogue to make their choices and they pay for the services including delivery and we get it across to them.
“From time to time, I get nice feedback. Some of those who patronise us are married, some are single, some divorced, some have spouses outside the country, some of our clients are women and some are men. Their maximum pleasure is our goal,” she said, smiling brightly.
On her X and Instagram accounts, Niniola regularly showcases a variety of sex toys available in her store.
She also includes her WhatsApp number, encouraging potential clients to reach out to her through private messages.
In a recent post, she announced the arrival of new dildos, assuring women that they would provide “long-lasting pleasure.”
When our correspondent inquired from her about the patronage of dildos and whether the economic situation has affected its demand, she giggled.
“I started this business in the middle of COVID-19 and I can tell you that we made a lot of sales during that period. You know, the lockdown and social distancing affected many relationships. Many lovers were stranded and people sought sexual fulfilment from our adult novelty products.
“Even now, I can’t say the economy has affected our business because we still make good sales. We even receive orders from outside Lagos. No matter the economic situation, people will always have enough to attain sexual satisfaction because it’s important,” Niniola added.
‘I’m helping my husband’s weakness’
When Mrs Bunmi Awoyemi (not real name) was first introduced to sex toys a few years ago, she felt a tinge of shame, reflecting the influence of her strict religious upbringing.
The mother of two explained that she arranged for the delivery to a location slightly away from her home, ensuring that no one in the neighbourhood would recognise her or guess the contents of the package she was picking up.
“My husband was the kind of man who downloaded even before the play began. Within a minute or two, it was over. He is a lovely man and a good husband but that’s just our only problem.
“I wasn’t satisfied and rather than cheat on my husband, I decided it was time to try out sex toys. I ordered a vibrator and a dildo and so far, I can say they have made up for my husband’s weakness,” Awoyemi told Saturday PUNCH.
Like Mrs Awoyemi, Saturday PUNCH gathered that many married women and ladies in relationships use sex toys such as dildos to satisfy themselves.
Single ladies who have been jilted by men or have not yet found a man to warm their beds also use artificial penises to pleasure themselves.
“It’s safer to use dildos than to sleep around and get infected with venereal diseases. I would rather pleasure myself with dildos than allow men to lie to me, cheat on me, and break my heart like they like to do,” a hairstylist who gave her name as Cynthia, told Saturday PUNCH.
Dildo varieties
Dildos are adult sex aids that are often used to attain sexual climax for women and also for men.
“While they are sometimes meant to feel like a penis, they don’t have to look like one. They come in different materials, shapes, and sizes. Some dildos are curved to stimulate the prostate or G-spot,” according to WebMD.
Findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that there are different kinds of dildos based on their structure or designs.
Some dildos are made to look like a penis with testicles while some are made to be strapped on with a harness.
Some dildos are made with a suction base to adhere to a surface, others vibrate to stimulate the user while some, known as double-sided dildos, are designed for two partners to use at once.
The materials with which these dildos are made also vary. There are glass, silicon, rubber, plastic and wooden dildos, some of which are also sold by traditional herb vendors.
Phalluses as old as time
Far from being a novelty dreamed up by the Western mind, dildos have a rich history spanning centuries.
In 2005, German scientists uncovered what The Register described as “one of the world’s oldest sculpted phalluses, measuring 20cm and meticulously crafted from polished siltstone about 28,000 years ago.”
Egyptian paintings from 3,000 BCE also showed women wearing large phallic objects around their waists to pay tribute to Osiris, a major Egyptian god.
The ancient Greeks – the architects of Western civilisation – also made stuffed dildos out of leather, which men often gifted to their wives when they left to go to war.
During the Renaissance, elite members of society reportedly had dildos custom-made from materials like silver and ivory.
Later in the 17th century, English men who were fearful of how artificial phalluses could pose a threat to their sexual prowess passed some laws that prevented women from making them.
Following England’s steps, America banned the sale of rubber dilators, medical devices that help stretch the vagina, leading to the creation of an underground sex toy market.
It was during the sexual revolution in the 1960s that dildos were, once again, widely accepted as tools for pleasure and sexual liberation.
A booming business
In the conservative Nigerian society where an open discussion of sexual issues is often frowned upon, checks by our correspondent revealed that some vendors are heavily patronised and make millions of naira from sex gadgets.
Although frowned upon by Christianity and Islam, many patrons, both online and offline, frequently patronise adult entertainment stores to make up for what is missing in their bedrooms.
Sandra, a sex aid vendor whose store is located in Lekki, told Saturday PUNCH that dildo prices vary based on their sizes, colours and structures.
“The cheapest we have is N11,000 and that is for size 7. We also have size 10 which is N50,000. We have the one made with silicon, N85,000 and strap-on, N25,000.
“The bigger the size and the more realistic the dildo is, the more expensive it is. We have a strap-on dildo that uses a remote control also. That one is N40,000 and we get good patronage on all our products,” Sandra said.
Another vendor in Surulere who gave her name simply as Faith, noted that although there are still some states where sex toys are sold “under the counter,” they have many clients from across the social strata.
“I won’t give a specific figure, but we rake in millions of naira in an average of six months, give or take. We get both male and female customers across different social classes, ethnicities and religions. We don’t discriminate.
“Our products are mostly imported and their prices have risen over the last year due to the forex issues, but yet people still contact us daily for their needs,” Faith disclosed.
An estimate by Statista showed that “the global sex toy market is expected to grow steadily between 2019 and 2026, from approximately $27.17 billion to around $52.7 billion in that period, reaching a value of $80.7 billion by 2030.”
A 2022 survey in the US revealed that approximately 82 per cent of female consumers own some form of sex toys. Additionally, the findings indicated that these toys are most prevalent among individuals aged 25 to 29.
In a video which went viral in February 2022, a lady in Warri, Delta State, expressed astonishment after she found out that a shop which had restocked about 7,000 dildos of different kinds, sold them out within three days.
“They carry 7,000 dildos, different sizes: long, medium and small. They stocked the dildos at the woman shop on Friday and by Monday, we reached there, that place don empty. Who buy them? Who buy the dildos, na mama Destiny?” the woman told some men in Pidgin English.
Women’s sexual awareness
In September 2022, a Nollywood actress, Nkechi Blessing, caused a stir online after she distributed sex toys and dildos as souvenirs at an event in Lagos.
According to a short video of the actress recorded at the event, she said, “I am not saying men are scum because I have a man, but you need to have one (dildo) for yourself in case you don’t have a man.”
Responding to the widespread criticism which greeted her gesture, Blessing revealed that some of her critics begged her on WhatsApp messenger to have the dildos despite lampooning her on social media.
Similarly, in March 2020, popular vlogger and media entrepreneur, Toke Makinwa, advised ladies to please themselves by using sex toys.
“Why is it that we think that sex is something that men are meant to enjoy and something that we are meant to give to men? You deserve orgasms, you deserve a good time, and you deserve less shyness and more boldness.
“I think every female should have a vibrator. I mean, are you crazy, you don’t have one in 2020. Like, dude, how do you even know what your body needs? There are three types of vibrators I will advise every lady to get,” she said in the video clip shared on her Instagram page.
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy took a survey of 1,000 women aged between 18 and 94 and most of the respondents admitted that they could not reach their orgasms without clitoral stimulation.
An online sex toy store, Erotic Planet, in its Instagram post highlighted some of the common types of adult novelty toys used by women.
It listed vibrators such as wand, clit suction toys, rabbit and finger vibrators and wireless panty sets.
Others include anal toys such as butt plugs; nipple toys such as nipple clamps and penetrative toys which include dildos of various sizes.
Speaking on underlying medical conditions that could make men and women seek out the use of sex toys, the director of the first online adult novelty store in Nigeria, Iheoma Obibi, said, “This can be for individuals being treated for epilepsy and high blood pressure. There are, of course, other pre-existing conditions but individuals must make attempts at discussing with their medical professional as well as with their partners.
“The business has always had room for growth; the issue has been if we can ensure that we do not dump on the unsuspecting public badly made Chinese fake products which are cheaper.
“Getting staff who are willing to learn the special nuances of understanding what sex toys are and can speak about them without the conversation degenerating to gutter talk.”
Clients in same-sex relationships
When our correspondent contacted a sex toy vendor, Tunde (surname withheld) who resided in Lagos, he indicated that only seven-inch dildos were available in his stock.
This, he noted, was due to the high patronage that he receives, especially from clients who identified as gay and lesbian, adding that he had other pleasure gadgets such as poppers, enema bulbs, fleshlights, and different brands of ejaculation delay cream.
“Seven inches is a medium size penis. It’s not too big and not too small. I have the N23,000 one and the N25,000 one. Dildos are a necessity for lesbian ladies. Many queer guys like it too,” Tunde said.
On his X account and WhatsApp status, the vendor regularly posts videos of various male models to illustrate to clients how these gadgets are used.
“There is virtually no area inside Lagos that people have not requested for dildos, lubes and other products. The truth is, many young people today are more sexually explorative and are willing to try new things in the bedroom,” Tunde added.
One of his clients, who pleaded anonymity, told Saturday PUNCH, “I prefer using my dildo whenever I am horny and I need it in my anus. It’s safer than being ‘kitoed’ (set up by blackmailers) or being infected. This is my way of pleasuring myself.”
Sharing a photo of himself posing with several dildos, another client, Seun (surname withheld), who identified as bisexual, confessed that he uses dildos to pleasure himself whenever his girlfriend travelled out of the city.
A dildo patron, identified simply as Desola, who identified as a lesbian, noted that not only does the dildo help her attain sexual climax, it also protects her from exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.
“I use it often and it goes a long way to reduce my rate of exposure to STDs. It’s really no different from those who climb penis, so there’s no issue with it,” she told our correspondent.
Medical experts have noted that dildos can provide internal stimulation to the G-spot, a sexually sensitive area in the vagina, prostate, or other parts of the vagina or anus.
This sexual arousal has been noted to help the body release the feel-good hormones dopamine and oxytocin.
“Every man has a male G-spot. Stimulating the man’s G-spot will give a man the wildest orgasm he has ever experienced. Sadly, most men will never experience this in their lifetime.
“You have to pass his anus to get to a man’s G-spot. A lot of men who felt this probably had this weird feeling first in a hospital when they were getting their prostate checked by a doctor,” the co-founder of Priv Health, Dr Olusina Ajidahun, noted.
Pros and cons
A healthcare practitioner, James Lekwauwa, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, explained that dildos provide new and different sensations and offer experiences that manual stimulation alone may not achieve.
He further stated some sexual medicine experts have recommended sex toys as part of therapy.
“Sex toys are not high maintenance and only need a battery change. They are generally not harmful as long as you make sure they are properly cleaned, used for the intended activities and are also the right size for you,” Lekwauwa added.
However, he disclosed that sharing sex toys can spread sexually transmitted infections and advised that “it’s best used by the owner and not to be shared.”
“Furthermore, if you use a dildo that is too big or goes too hard, it might hurt. Always make sure to take it slow and see what feels right. Its psychological effect is that over-reliance on dildos might make it somewhat difficult to enjoy sex without them.
“There is another urban myth that if a sex toy is made with a platinum-grade material, it won’t harm. This is a myth that is often perpetrated,” he noted.
Also commenting on the negative side effects of the use of sex toys, a mental health expert, Kelechi Okwaraji, stated that overt users may not feel encouraged to socialise with other people because they have the option to fall back on.
“They tend to give users an unrealistic expectation of partner-to-partner sex. Some of these sex toys are powered by batteries and can last longer and faster than a human male. Once the mind gets used to this, it can make natural intercourse pale out.”
Experts urge caution
On her part, a psychologist, Olubunmi Onipede, explained that she did not personally buy the idea of the use of sex toys due to their nature of disrupting social interactions.
“I need to let people understand that sex toys make people feel anxious, asocial, and even terrified to go back and be amongst people later on. It affects social relations and it also leaves certain consequences on sex life.
“As much as people enjoy these items, it is a medium-risk activity for most sexually transmitted infections if you share them with a partner. Its prolonged use also damages the skin.”
While noting the social stigma attached to the use of dildos, Onipede further explained that a lot of dildos and other penetrative toys might be harmful to human health.
“They are made from rubbers and plastics which may be harmful to human health. Bacteria can grow in there, and they might never be fully sanitised. Toys that contact other people’s fluids are inherently unsafe,” she added.
Responding to questions about the dangers sex toys could pose to the human body system, Ajidahun, in a post shared on his X account in November last year, warned that a research study indicated that certain harmful particles are present on the materials used.
“Amongst the materials that were noted to have come from the friction of the toys were small particles known as ‘Micro and Nano plastics.’
“A critical analysis showed one in particular ‘Phthalates’ which is a known substance that has the potential to disrupt the organ in our body called the pancreas which produces insulin which can increase the risk of diabetes.
“They also noted that some of these particles had great potential to cause damage to our nerve cells increasing the risk of brain damage. Since this study might not be fully representative, it linked the risks and made recommendations for more research to be done to understand more,” he wrote
This report explores the increasing prevalence of cosmetic surgeries among women in Nigeria. The report delves into the reasons driving this trend, sheds light on the associated health risks, and examines the societal impact of these procedures.
For Gazelle, a 28-year-old American woman living in Nigeria, cosmetic surgery brought her fame and fortune, but at a cost. After her surgery, her body changed dramatically, with fuller breasts, a flatter stomach, and more defined curves. These changes catapulted her into a new social stratosphere.
“I basically became a celebrity based on my body,” she recalls. “It was just rare to see such a perfectly shaped body. The hips, the stomach, the butt, the breasts and with my smile already as a pretty girl, they enhanced my personality, and my confidence took me places.
“I’ve travelled the world. People have invited me to exclusive events just because of my body. So, it upgraded my way of thinking, my lifestyle, my goals and the group of people that I desire to be around,” Gazelle said.
After her surgery, Gazelle’s body underwent significant changes. Her breast size became more proportionate, and her figure more defined, which she said helped her feel more comfortable in her appearance.
Her physical transformation often drew attention in public spaces, she said. However, before 2016, this level of confidence was a far cry from her reality. At 20, Gazelle loathed her body, feeling insecure about her lack of curves and sagging breasts.
“I didn’t have any hips, butt, and my breast at 20 years old was already sagging. I’d gotten an abortion at 16 after I gave away my virginity. So, my breasts began sagging and they were not proportioned or plump as they should at that age.”
Her self-esteem took a nosedive whenever she compared herself to other women. The insecurity was so overwhelming that, despite her fears of a botched surgery or death on the operating table, she decided to go under the knife.
After researching for a while, she travelled to Columbia from the United States of America, without informing her family, and paid $10,000 at a hospital to get a new body.
At the Colombian hospital, she underwent three surgeries: lipo 360, which involves the removal of fat from the entire midsection, breast reduction with implants, and lipo transfer, a procedure that removes fat from specific areas of the body.
The next time her family saw her, they were in awe of her transformed figure, she said. “As long as I had the best results, I was ready to endure any pain. It’s like sitting in a salon chair for 12 hours getting knotless braids.”
Gazelle’s road to recovery was painful, with excruciating post-surgery massages to aid healing. “Beauty is pain,” she said, justifying it.
After the surgery, the 28-year-old said she stayed for 20 days and got the compulsory lymphatic drainage massage.
“Every time the nurse put her hands on me, even if it was a light touch on my stomach, it was like beating my bruises. I was crying from the pain but I knew that I needed that massage because if I did not, my stomach would not be healed and flat.
“The more she massaged the bruises, the slimmer my waist became. I had to undergo the massage for almost a month but I didn’t recover immediately. My body was still sore for a year before I could officially walk around without wincing in pain,” she added.
According to Gazelle, her doctor told her surgery alone wouldn’t do it to maintain her new shape. She needed to keep working to maintain her new body. So, eating healthy, exercising and constantly wearing waist trainers became a part of her new lifestyle.
“Without those things, you can gain the fat back, but not where you got surgery but in the area that you didn’t get surgery. That’s the downside of getting surgery. If you do not work out, your stomach might stay flat, but your back will become large, your arms will grow fat, and your face will get swollen. The same thing too with the butts,” she said.
Fame, stigma, regret
While Gazelle initially relished the attention and opportunities her new body brought, she eventually found herself trapped by societal stigma.
She said, “Over time, I began to regret my decision due to the judgment I faced. Women who get their bodies done are often labeled as prostitutes and escorts and that they are doing it for attention and they’re getting the attention so they can make money and that’s not a problem.
“But if you are a good girl and you’re a corporate or a professional girl, you should be very mindful of making a decision that can ruin your reputation. Even men don’t take me seriously in relationships. They see my body and think I’m just in it for casual flings.
“The societal stigma against women who have enhanced their bodies is real. I wish I could do things differently. I would’ve never got my body done. I would’ve never got my breasts done. I would’ve just been working out and had a physically fit body. I do regret undergoing those surgeries. It’s not even worth it.”
Gazelle’s story highlights the paradox many women face. While cosmetic surgery can provide a confidence boost, it also opens them up to criticism and judgment, often leading to emotional and mental tolls.
BBL, new nose in search of love
A woman claim her quest for love drove her to work on her body. But two years later, she had yet to find true love.
“I used to be very slim and pretty but I have never had luck with men. Men don’t really stay with me. It is as if there’s something wrong with me or I was not good enough,” the anonymous woman on Tuesday poured her heart out to @diaryofanaijagirl, Ifedayo Agoro, an Instagram influencer, who shares people’s stories with her followers for their advice.
Continuing, the woman wrote, “So, I fell into the peer pressure of getting BBL surgery and I did my nose too. Two of my friends told me that’s what men are going for now and it would boost my confidence.
“After the surgery, I was really happy because the doctor did a great job, to be honest. I knew my life would change from then. When I healed and started posting, people gassed me up and I have received so many DMs.
“It was just an interesting time for me. It’s been two years since I had this surgery. I have become more unhappy. I have done everything. I have submitted, acted like a bitch, acted nice and even accepted some things I am ashamed to admit here. Ife, no man has stayed with me. Is it a curse? I attract them now but they don’t stay.”
The woman noted that she is perfect physically and only wants to be married and settle down but none of that had materialised despite undergoing a cosmetic body makeover to attract a man.
Changing standards of beauty
The entertainment industry has established a standard for feminine body types, portraying video vixens with large backsides, flat stomachs, and voluptuous breasts as the ideal representation of women in real life.
The influence of music videos may have also distorted women’s views of their bodies and beauty standards. Actresses, Instagram influencers, and reality TV stars have embraced this, putting pressure on some women to meet these standards. This is especially difficult for those who come from homes where they are not valued or are constantly teased due to physical imperfections.
Women now want more. More bosoms, more buttocks, more Coca-Cola-shaped bodies. But this has come at a cost for some people.
Aesthetic professionals often showcase their creative patient transformations on social media. However, it has been observed that the most common surgeries sought by Nigerian women are Brazilian butt enlargement, liposuction, and breast augmentation.
Dark side of cosmetic surgery
However, for some unfortunate patients, cosmetic surgery can result in botched, permanently disfigured bodies or even death when poorly done by unqualified aestheticians.
This captures Omotola Taiwo’s case. In December 2019 when she was 28 years old, Taiwo, a social media influencer, had two simple desires; to have a flat stomach and a larger backside.
After undergoing cosmetic surgery with the now-convicted aesthetician, Dr Anu Adepoju of Med Coutour, where she paid N1.2m for the two procedures, Taiwo left the bed with a botched body that sent her spiralling down the path of mental illness, financial emptiness and fear for her life.
In a July 2020 interview with BBC Pidgin, Taiwo narrated the horrendous journey that befell her after going under Adepoju’s knife.
Just two days after the surgery, she said she began battling recurring infections, and fat necrosis – a benign condition in which fat tissue in the breast or other organs is damaged by injury, surgery, or radiation therapy.
“After the surgery, I started having complications. I started having belly burns, waist burns, and waist numbness and after two months, I started getting fat necrosis. The liquid fat that has turned to dirt starts to come out like a boil. As I stand up like this, my body is not complete, one is bigger than the other,” she said.
Since the surgery, she had spent more in treating her damaged body than she had on the enhancement itself. Once Taiwo said she spent N435,000 for staying six days in a hospital to treat some of the complications.
The woman braved the consequences and took to social media to call out the doctor, but she was still met with condemnation.
“People abused and cursed me. Some even came to my dm to say this money millions wey you take go do this thing, you no fit give me make I go do business. They called me useless woman, some wished me death,” she said.
Responding to Taiwo’s allegations during the interview on BBC pidgin, Adepoju denied any wrong, adding that she was qualified and certified to carry out cosmetic surgery due to her MBBS degree and also the certificate courses she had undertaken.
The doctor also clarified that she was not a plastic surgeon, but just a cosmetic surgeon.
However, four years later in May, 2024, Adepoju was convicted for the death of one Nneka Onwuzuligbo, an ex-beauty queen, who died after developing complications while undergoing cosmetic surgery in 2019. Her facility was also sealed by the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission in 2020 for violation of patient rights.
Recently, there was news of the death of a 36-year-old woman named Abiola. She had gone to undergo a butt enlargement procedure at an undisclosed aesthetic hospital in the Lekki area of Lagos state when she tragically passed away.
It was gathered that on arrival at the hospital, the clinic owner, one Idara Bassey, allegedly instructed a nurse to administer an injection to the woman but shortly after receiving the injection, Abiola began gasping for breath and lost consciousness.
To address the issue, the woman was rushed to another hospital in the area where she was confirmed dead. Following the death of the woman, the hospital owner, Bassey was declared to have been on the run by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.
Body enhancement business
Cosmetic surgery, also known as aesthetic surgery, usually involves an operation or invasive medical procedure in which a person chooses to change their physical appearance for aesthetic reasons.
Data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons indicated that breast augmentation, liposuction, and fat transfer procedures are among the most sought-after surgeries globally.
Data by the UK’s British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the American of Plastic Surgeons disclosed that in 2022, the top 10 surgical procedures requested by men and women were: breast augmentation, breast reduction, abdominoplasty, liposuction, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), rhinoplasty, face/neck lift, fat transfer, breast implant removal, labiaplasty, otoplasty (ear correction), brachioplasty, browlift, thigh lift and lower body lift.
Women accounted for 93 per cent of all cosmetic procedures recorded in 2022 whereas the men accounted for just seven per cent.
As of 2022, the Global Cosmetic Surgery Market was valued at $45.50bn and is projected to exceed $59.45bn by 2030, Yahoo Finance reported.
Cosmetic surgeries improve quality of live – Surgeon
A plastic surgeon, Dr Olaniyi Majaro, clarified that only dermatologists and plastic and burns surgeons can perform aesthetic surgery in Nigeria.
Majaro said aesthetic surgery is not only about giving a person the kind of body they want, it restores confidence, improves quality of life and also prevents long-term health implications for some people with certain conditions.
“For example, a woman with gigantic breasts. If the woman does not do cosmetic surgery to reduce the size of the breast, some of them have shoulder pain, and fungal infection and some may develop back pain and some other problems.
“You can improve the person’s life when the surgery is done. One cannot say they are ungodly. Some people have facial wrinkles that make them look older than they are, if you do plastic surgery, called face lifting, in which the person looks younger, the psychological aspect of a person’s life will improve and the tendency for the person to live longer. So, it is because people don’t have a full understanding of the surgery that is why they are condemning it.”
He bemoaned that unqualified personnel are infiltrating the industry in Nigeria thus putting patients at risk, noting that if done correctly, complications should be rare occurrences.
“Plastic surgeons are the only ones qualified to do this,’” he warned. “Anyone who doesn’t know anatomy, biochemistry and physiology of the body system and is allowed to be doing all these things, will put a lot of patients in problems, that is why you see patients dying from cosmetic surgeries.”
He also urged people seeking such surgeries to be sure they are counselled on the disadvantages or complications that may arise from it and also explore legal options when complications arise.
Cosmetic surgery driven by low self-esteem
A certified clinical psychologist, Oluwakemi Akintoyese, said the trend of body enhancement for aesthetic purposes is driven by low self-esteem, self-confidence and value.
Akintoyese said, “For some people, it is a way of making themselves happy. It could be for an aesthetic reason for some people; for some people it is to create a personal narrative; for some people, they are trying to find themselves, in a way they are lost and looking for who they are and in answering the question of who they are, they tend to look at other people, imitate them to find themselves and so they would conform to that.”
Body enhancement offers a temporary solution but the real issues the patrons grapple with had not yet been dealt with and the void has remained.
A consultant psychiatrist at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Dapo Adegbaju, also added that body dysmorphia could also be another issue fuelling the uptake of cosmetic body enhancements.
Body dysmorphic disorder or body dysmorphia is when someone has an obsessive focus on the way they look and is common in women, Adegbaju added.
“People exhibit signs of this condition when the thought of their body not being perfect is always there to the extent that it takes over practically the thinking of that person that no matter what other people are saying, the person does not think so. Such people usually have a negative attitude and they have low self-esteem.
“It is not until they satisfy their thinking that is when the obsession actually starts dwindling but research has shown that more often than not, such people are often not satisfied because there will be something they feel is not perfect so they keep on doing it over and over again,” Adegbaju said.
Quackery, standardisation issues
The founder and President of the Association of Practitioners of Spa and Medical Aesthetics of Nigeria, Dr Felix Avajah, explained that the two major issues bedevilling medical aesthetics in Nigeria are standardisation and quackery.
Avajah explained that aesthetics medicine is not taught in the Nigerian medical school system but with collaboration with various schools in Nigeria, the association introduced the course into some schools where people are trained and accredited as aesthetic doctors and nurses.
“No matter what you’ve studied, unless you’re a consultant in dermatology, consultant in plastic and burns in Nigeria, you have to go to school to study strictly aesthetics medicine,” Avajah said.
On the issue of quackery, Avajah observed that unqualified practitioners posing as aesthetic doctors and nurses pose a danger to patients hence, more collaborations with government and health agencies are necessary to sanitise the industry.
Just like in other areas of medicine, Avajah said there are different peIn June 2024, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Health pledged to regulate aesthetic healthcare practice in the country.
In a Guardian report, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Tuni Alausa, acknowledged that aesthetics is not just appearance but it is also intertwined with health and quality of life.
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More details emerged on Friday on what transpired during the six-month jail term of popular cross dresser, Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky.
Investigations by Saturday PUNCH revealed that the controversial social media influencer after being sentenced for spraying the naira, was taken to the Ikoyi Custodial Centre on April 12, 2024.
Sources confided in our correspondents that the convict, who had prison number S682/2024, was taken to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, as his presence began to attract attention and generate publicity.
A highly credible source said, “He was first moved to the Ikoyi prison where he spent a few days before the controller, Ben-Rabbi Freedman, moved him to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri.”
Another top source confirmed Bobrisky’s movement from the Ikoyi facility to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, adding that he spent some days there before he was again moved to the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri.
The source explained that he was visited by some relatives in the prison, adding that there was a record of all his activities.
“Many people visited him in the place, including three family members. Those people followed due process and that was why they were able to see and visit him. I also saw him in the prison. He looked gentle and sober,” the source added.
The special ‘cell’
Saturday PUNCH gathered that there was usually provision for some inmates considered to be “Very Important Persons” who might be at risk if allowed to mingle with other inmates.
“The place is like a back cell or a single cell originally reserved for well-behaved inmates. This is in accordance with prison rules. They are put there to compensate for their good behaviour.
“However, when warders bring in certain people, they are taken there. They live whichever way they want. Some of the inmates furnish the place to their taste,” the source stated.
Asked the cost of using the room, the source noted that such was usually determined by the officer in charge of the centre.
“They collect huge sums of money from them, depending on the kind of inmates they have. When you saw the fight between operatives of the DSS and prison service for (Godwin) Emefiele on the court premises, what did you think was the reason? It’s because of the benefits that come with having such a person in custody,” the source added.
The source noted that Bobrisky might have been put in the “special cell” during his time in the Kirikiri prison.
Another source, who confirmed the existence of such an arrangement, said negotiations usually start from the court between inmates and prison officials.
The source said the correctional service knew what it wanted to do, hence Bobrisky was allegedly shielded from inmates when he was admitted.
He said, “Inmates who saw him at the medium prison before he was moved to maximum prison were not many. It was all planned.”
But the spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Abubakar Umar, denied the report that there was preferential treatment for VIP convicts.
“We are not aware of such. They are alien to us. However, that information will be investigated. All inmates are given the same treatment. We don’t have any preferential treatment for anybody,” he insisted.
Efforts to get Bobrisky’s reactions proved abortive, as he did not respond to calls to his telephone line and messages sent to his official Facebook handle and WhatsApp on Friday night.
Controversial cross-dresser
Bobrisky has been in the eye of the storm since Wednesday, April 3, 2024, when operatives of the Lagos command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested and detained him over allegations of mutilating naira notes worth N490,000 and money laundering.
The arrest followed a viral video that showed him spraying naira notes at the premiere of the movie Ajakaju at Film One Circle Mall, Lekki, Lagos, on March 24, 2024.
He was subsequently arraigned at the Federal High Court in Lagos on six counts. The first four counts involved the abuse of the Nigerian currency, while the last two were on money laundering.
However, before the charges were read, the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Sulaiman Sulaiman, requested the court to strike out counts five and six.
“We have an agreement with the defendant to withdraw counts five and six. Therefore, we humbly urge the court to strike them out, leaving counts one to four,” he said.
The court then dismissed the two counts, and scheduled April 9, 2024, for judgement.
Bobrisky pleaded guilty to the remaining charges, and on Friday, April 12, 2024, Justice Abimbola Awogboro sentenced him to six months in prison without the option of a fine for abusing the naira.
While many Nigerians expected Bobrisky’s appearance to change following his time in prison, the controversial social media personality hosted a celebratory party just hours after his release on Monday, August 5, 2024.
Appearing more radiant than before, Bobrisky, in a viral video, boasted, “I came back from jail with a nice body,” prompting doubts about whether he truly served his sentence at a custodial centre or not.
The cross-dresser landed in fresh trouble on Tuesday when a social media activist, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, called him out over an unpaid debt.
In a trending video, VDM said a creditor approached him, pleading for help in recovering N4m that Bobrisky borrowed.
The creditor reportedly sent Bobrisky the sum when the latter was desperate to raise money for a private apartment in prison. He, however, allegedly refused to repay the loan after his release.
VDM subsequently played an audio clip in which the ex-convict purportedly admitted to paying unnamed EFCC operatives N15m for dropping the money laundering charges against him.
Bobrisky also allegedly claimed in the audio that he served his six-month jail term in a private flat near the prison after a “mentor” spoke to the prison authorities in Abuja.
After the tape went viral, Bobrisky took to his Instagram page to deny making such claims, saying that the audio was fake.
He said, “I didn’t pay any EFCC official N15m, and I served my jail term in full. Disregard any false information being spread.”
Suspension without due process
As the scandal gained momentum, the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Wednesday, initiated a probe into the allegations.
The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board also suspended the officers in charge of the Maximum and Minimum Custodial Centres.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Secretary of CDCFIB, Ja’afaru Ahmed, said the suspension of the officers was to allow for further investigation into the various allegations, assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded.
He said, “Following the viral video trending on social media on alleged infractions by officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service relating to Mr Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has suspended forthwith the following Senior Officers of the Service.
“Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State; and Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections, in-charge of Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos State.
“Also, the Board has suspended ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, for allegedly accompanying a convicted inmate out of the Custodial Centre to a location outside the facility.
“In another related development, the Board has equally suspended another Senior Officer of the Service, Iloafonsi Kevin Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections, In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje- Abuja, for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of an inmate”.
However, sources in the correctional service criticised the decision of the board to suspend the officers without due process
Saturday PUNCH learnt that Adekunle, who resumed at the maximum prison a few months ago, was not served a query like the rest of his colleagues.
“The action was a flagrant disregard for the civil service rules, which lays down the process for such a decision. None of the officers were served queries or allowed to defend themselves.
“Also, the board does not suspend directly. The queries are supposed to come from the correctional service, who will then make recommendations to the board.
“In addition, if there should be a suspension, it should be announced by the controller general of the correctional service,” a source said.
The source also wondered why the officers were singled out for punishment if Bobrisky’s allegation was against the controller general.
He noted that the panel constituted against the officers did not include any official of the correctional service, saying nothing would come out of it.
“It appears a grand scheme to cover up things. There is more to it than meets the eye,” the source said.
A spokesperson for the minister refused to comment on the matter.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said the commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had ordered an investigation into the matter.
Oyewale said the commission had also invited VDM and Bobrisky to its Lagos office to assist investigators into the alleged bribery.
“We have said we are investigating. The chairman has ordered that the matter be investigated,” he stated.
When pressed further on how many people were being investigated, he said, “I may not be able to tell you that because I don’t know. I will find out from the chairman.”
Activists demand justice
The President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Debo Adeniran, expressed concerns over the alleged corruption in Nigeria’s correctional facilities.
He said the practice raised serious questions about the integrity of prison officials accused of accepting bribes to allow inmates live in luxury behind bars.
Adeniran stated, “Bobrisky has denied that the voice is his, but we’ve been hearing rumors that such practices are common among our safety and security agencies. It’s not the first time we’ve heard of convicted individuals being allowed to leave prison—some are even escorted to nightclubs or taken to visit their spouses, only to be returned when senior ministry officials visit the correctional centres.”
He added, “There is every indication that this could be true. Those familiar with his voice might confirm it. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about prison officials accepting bribes to let inmates live as they please. Corruption like this is why the problem is so endemic in Nigeria. Similarly, there have been reports of anti-graft agents taking bribes to reduce charges or lighten sentences for suspects.”
Adeniran urged the EFCC chairman to identify staff involved in corrupt activities, stressing the need for accountability.
He also emphasised the need for transparency, warning that unchecked corruption in correctional centres and anti-corruption agencies undermined the entire justice system.
“If we don’t address these issues, it will lead to a vicious cycle, and the next victim could be anyone. Authorities must not let this matter slip away.”
Similarly, a lawyer and rights activist, Ridwan Abdulkareem, called for the law to take its course if the allegations turned out to be true.
He highlighted the scrutiny now surrounding the EFCC, an institution meant to uphold justice, for alleged bribery and corruption.
“If these allegations are true, the EFCC officers involved must be held accountable. The EFCC, as a symbol of justice, is now facing accusations of bribery. If the officers are found culpable, they should face the law so that others may learn from it,” Abdulkareem said.
He also pointed out that while Bobrisky had denied the allegations, the law must be allowed to run its course.
“Whether Bobrisky bribed officials with N15 million or not, and whether he served his jail term or not, are allegations. Section 36, Subsection 5 of the Nigerian Constitution is clear—he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. It’s up to those making the claims to prove them. The law doesn’t operate on sentiment, so let the facts be established, and let the law take its course,” he added.
Reps invite Correctional Service Comptroller General, EFCC chairman, VeryDarkMan, Bobrisky over bribery allegations
AFOLABI
The House of Representatives has summoned EFCC Chairman, Nigerian Correctional Service Comptroller General, Bobrisky, VeryDarkMan, and all officers involved in the prosecution of Bobrisky.
This was contained in a letter written by the Lead Chairman of the joint committee, Jon Ginger Onwusibe to parties on Friday over the disturbing allegation of corruption against the Economic and Financial Crime Commission EFCC, the Nigeria Correctional Services.
Others invited are ACG Ben Rabbi Freedman the Controller of Corrections Lagos Command as of then, Ja’afaru Ahmed Secretary Board, Micheal Anugwa DCC in charge of medium Security, Sikiru Adekunle DCC in charge of Maximum Security, Bobrisky and VeryDarkman.
Background:
In April, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested Bobrisky on six counts of money laundering and Naira mutilation.
During his trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Abimbola Awogboro dismissed the money laundering charges (counts five and six) but sentenced the social media personality to six months in prison for Naira abuse.
However, a little over a month after his release, Martins Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, posted a leaked audio recording on Instagram, in which Bobrisky narrated the events that transpired during his prison term.
In the audio, Bobrisky can be heard discussing with a friend how EFCC officials allegedly extorted N15 million from him to drop the money laundering charges.
VeryDarkMan explained that he released the audio after Bobrisky refused to repay N4 million borrowed from one of the people he approached to raise the N15 million.
On Tuesday night, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, in a statement obtained by this newspaper, ordered an immediate investigation into the bribery allegations.
Mr. Olukoyede also called for Bobrisky and VeryDarkMan to report to the EFCC’s Lagos office to assist in the inquiry.
In addition, Vanguard reported that the Minister of Interior has launched a separate investigation into Bobrisky’s claim that he bribed prison officials to avoid being jailed during his sentence.
A prominent figure in the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s anticipated cabinet reshuffle as lacking urgency in the face of pressing national issues.
Last week, the presidency announced that Tinubu is set to reshuffle his cabinet, though Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga did not specify a timeline for the changes.
“I don’t have any timeline. The President has expressed his desire to reshuffle his cabinet and will do it. I don’t know whether he wants to do it before October 1, but he will surely do it,” Onanuga stated during a briefing with State House correspondents in Abuja.
Despite this announcement, Galadima criticized the timing of the reshuffle, emphasizing that Nigerians are grappling with more significant challenges that require immediate attention.
He asserted that the focus should be on addressing pressing issues rather than shifting cabinet members.
Galadima said, “That [planned cabinet reshuffle] has nothing to do with me or any Nigerian. What is of importance to all of us is bringing down the harsh conditions of living and the buck stops only on the table of one man,” the NNPP chieftain said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s current affairs show Politics Today.
“That is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. No amount of reshuffling can make a difference. As far as that team is only ‘job for the boys,’ nothing will come out of it.”
There have been claims of underperformance by some ministers with critics saying the development is behind Tinubu’s plan to rejig the cabinet.
That argument, however, does not hold water with Galadima who said Tinubu should be held responsible for his ministers’ performances.
He said, Tinubu, like “Anybody that calls himself president or governor” is responsible for their cabinet’s performance.
The former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused Tinubu’s appointees of working for their “pockets”.
“He should be told that some of his appointees are more interested in their pockets than service delivery,” Galadima said.
According to him, while he expected much from Tinubu upon his assumption of office, the Nigerian president has not done better.
“I expected him to do better than this; and to hit the ground running,” the NNPP stalwart said and called on Tinubu to seek a solution to the country’s foreign exchange crisis which has seen the naira performing abysmally.
The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have criticised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the interest rate hike.
On Tuesday, the monetary policy committee (MPC) of the CBN raised the monetary policy rate (MPR), which benchmarks interest rates, from 26.75 percent to 27.25 percent.
In a statement on Thursday, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, the director-general (DG) of MAN, expressed concerns over the negative impact the interest rate hike would have on the manufacturing sector.
He said it would further exacerbate the challenges already faced by manufacturers, including rising production costs and declining consumer purchasing power.
“The decision to raise the MPR to 27.25 percent has far-reaching implications for the manufacturing sector in Nigeria,” Ajayi-Kadir said.
“The continued increase in interest rates, which now totals 15.75 percentage points since May 2022, would compound the challenges faced by the sector, including rising production costs in the face of declining consumer purchasing power.”
He said with borrowing costs now exceeding 35 percent, manufacturers are struggling to maintain competitiveness and expand production capacity.
“With the increase in borrowing costs, manufacturers will now pay over 35% on their credit facilities. Clearly, this will lead to an increase in production costs, higher prices of finished goods, lower competitiveness and production capacity expansion,” he said.
“For instance, over the first six months of the year, manufacturers incurred more than N730 billion in capital expenses due to the continuous rise in interest rates imposed by commercial banks.
“This dilemma hampers innovation, productivity and growth. Moreover, the manufacturing sector is grappling with depressed consumer demand, primarily driven by lower purchasing power.”
‘UNSOLD GOODS HAVE INCREASED BY 42.9% DUE TO WEAK MARKET’
The MAN DG said unsold goods in the manufacturing sector surged by 42.93 percent, reaching N1.24 trillion in the first half of 2024.
He said the growing stockpile of unsold products underscores the difficulties manufacturers face in a weakening market.
Ajayi-Kadir said the broader implications of the challenges threaten not only the manufacturing sector but also the Nigerian economy as a whole, as higher borrowing costs lead to poor access to funds, lower capacities and potential business closures.
‘EXPLORE MORE OF MONETARY/FISCAL POLICY OPTION TO CURB INFLATION’
Ajayi-Kadir urged the CBN to stop the rate hike and “explore more of the monetary-fiscal policy handshake option to curb inflation.”
He expressed concern that the CBN increased the MPR despite the modest improvements in inflation, adding that central banks in other countries were either retaining or reducing rates.
Ajayi-Kadir proposed several measures to mitigate the adverse effects on the manufacturing sector, including a comprehensive review of the impact of rate increases, accelerated disbursement of single-digit loans and the introduction of fiscal measures to ease the importation of essential raw materials.
“Conduct a comprehensive review of the effects of continuous rate hikes on inflation and the real sector over the past five years to guide future decisions, focus on promoting domestic production and economic recovery by allowing time for previous rate increases to take effect before implementing further hikes and strengthen the collaboration between the monetary and fiscal authorities to ensure that they are aligned to support growth,” he said.
“Accelerate the disbursement of the N1tn single-digit loan in the accelerated stabilization and advancement plan for the manufacturing sector to cushion the impact of the high MPR on borrowing costs, introduce fiscal measures that support the importation of essential raw materials and technology at concessionary rates to ease the burden on manufacturers and encourage backward integration and local sourcing to minimize dependence on imports and reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves.”
Ajayi-Kadir recommended promoting renewable energy and improving infrastructure within industrial hubs to reduce operational costs for manufacturers.
‘REASON FOR RAISING INTEREST RATE NOT SUSTAINABLE ARGUMENT’
Chinyere Almona, LCCI’s DG, said the CBN’s inflation control efforts had yielded some marginal gains but had done little to address the root causes of inflation.
“The marginal drop in the August headline inflation rate to 32.15 percent, down from 33.40 percent in July, is on a good note,” Almona said.
“While this represents a month-on-month improvement, the broader year-on-year comparison still highlights a troubling 6.35 percent increase compared to July 2023, and the interest rate raised to 27.25 percent both presenting a tense business environment.
“The marginal drop in inflation reflects some level of policy impact but is insufficient to address the deep-rooted challenges, particularly in food and core inflation categories.”
She said the CBN’s justification for raising the monetary policy rate due to fears of a petrol price hike is not a sustainable argument.
The LCCI boss urged the government to intervene in the controversies about the pricing dynamics of both imported and locally refined petroleum products arising from the lack of resolution between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited and the Dangote Petroelum Refinery.
She identified energy and transportation costs as major contributors to inflation, urging the government to accelerate energy reforms, especially in the power sector.
Almona highlighted the need for stable electricity for manufacturers, as well as small and medium enterprises and advocated a transition to renewable energy sources to reduce production costs.
“Accelerate energy reforms to improve electricity generation, reduce reliance on costly diesel and petrol, and ensure stable power supply for manufacturers and SMEs,” she said.
“The transition to renewable energy sources should be prioritised to reduce production costs.”
The LCCI DG also called for investments in transportation infrastructure, particularly rail and road networks, to lower logistics costs and reduce price volatility in consumer markets.
Almona recommended prioritising the adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG) mobility in the country.
She also stressed the need for transparent foreign exchange management to reduce speculation and stabilise the naira.
“A stable exchange rate will help moderate imported inflation, especially in essential commodities and raw materials needed for local production,” Almona added.
She recommended that the CBN should work with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to fix the import duty exchange rate for a certain period to aid business decisions on importation.
Almona called on the government to take a holistic and sustained approach to tackling inflation, combining the tips on boosting local production, stabilising energy and transportation costs, and ensuring alignment between monetary and fiscal policies.