Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has asked Nigerian student Lola Akinlade to leave the country over a fake acceptance letter she used to obtain a study visa and work permit.

Akinlade, who graduated with a diploma in Social Services from Nova Scotia Community College in 2019, shared her bitter experience with CBC News on Thursday.

According to her, she was unaware that the acceptance letter provided by an agent for the University of Regina in 2016 was fake until she was contacted by the IRCC a few weeks before her graduation from her new institution.

The mother of two noted that while receiving her diploma, she felt both happiness and worry upon realising that she had allegedly relied on a fraudulent document to secure her study permit, adding, “I was devastated. That was the beginning of my trauma.”

In an interview with the Canadian news platform, she said, “When the IRCC contacted me, I requested them to re-examine my case, arguing that I was a victim of a ‘rogue agent’ who supplied me with a fake acceptance letter to the Canadian school.

“Please review my file. I just want this to be resolved.”

Akinlade stated that the process of moving to travel to and study in Canada started in 2015 while she was working as a medical sales representative at a pharmaceutical company in Lagos, with a business administration degree from a Nigerian university.

She recounted meeting a man at her office who claimed to be an immigration consultant and offered to guide her through the process of becoming an international student by applying for a master’s degree in business administration.

Akinlade explained that she did not specify a particular university to the agent, only stating that she wanted to study at a reputable Canadian institution.

She described how she provided the agent with documents such as her passport and university transcripts, along with payment. Several months later, he provided her with a study permit for Canada, plane tickets, and an acceptance letter from the University of Regina.

“I flew to Canada in late December 2016, expecting to start classes in January 2017. However, I was stopped in Winnipeg en route to Regina when I received a call from the agent, who told me there were no spaces available at the university and that I would have to go on a waitlist.

Upon arriving in Canada, she began searching independently for a new school and programme and stayed with relatives in Winnipeg until she was accepted at Nova Scotia Community College for social services, starting in September 2017.

She said she chose social services because it better aligned with her previous work in the medical field.

Akinlade stated that she did not contact the University of Regina directly until two years later, when she received a letter from the IRCC informing her that the acceptance letter was fake.

“I was sceptical after receiving the IRCC letter, thinking it might be a misunderstanding or something,” she said. “So, I immediately contacted the University of Regina.

“And that was when I learned the truth,” she added.

Meanwhile, when CBC contacted the agent, Babatunde Isiaq Adegoke, he confirmed providing Akinlade with the acceptance letter but said it was supplied by a company located in Ejigbo, Lagos State, called Success Academy Education Consult, which he had hired.

CBC exchanged text messages with Adegoke, who stated that he guided Akinlade through the process of applying to enter Canada. However, he denied telling Akinlade that she would have to go on a waitlist at the University of Regina.

Akinlade lost her study permit in Canada due to a fake letter and was denied when she attempted to apply for a postgraduate work permit and a temporary resident permit.

In March 2023, an IRCC officer wrote to Akinlade, stating that the department believed she knew the document was fake “on the balance of probabilities.”

Her husband, Samson Akinlade, and their eight-year-old Nigerian-born son, David, joined her in Nova Scotia in 2018 but have now lost their temporary resident status. Their younger son, born in Canada in 2021, has Canadian citizenship but lacks medical coverage due to his parents’ status.

As the nationwide hunger protest enters its third day, different entertainers have taken positions either supporting or criticising the demonstrations.

Disc jockey and singer, Florence Otedola, aka DJ Cuppy, prayed for the country and its leaders. She wrote on social media, “Dear Lord, please bless Nigeria with peace, unity, and prosperity. Guide our leaders and protect our people. Let your love and grace fill our nation. Amen.”

On her part, singer, Tems, who was supposed to release a music video on Thursday, August 1, 2024, the day the protest began, postponed its release in solidarity with the movement. She wrote on social media, “Out of respect for the ongoing protest at home (Nigeria), I have decided to postpone the release of the ‘Burning’ music video. (I am) praying for the safety of those outside at this time. May the voices of the people be heard.”

Actress, Iyabo Ojo, encouraged peaceful protests, urging people to avoid restricted areas. She wrote, “My dear brothers and sisters, please, if you must protest, be aware of and avoid areas restricted by the government. For your safety and to avoid any potential conflicts, kindly stay away from zones where the government has prohibited gatherings or demonstrations. This is the situation we’ve found ourselves in. Let us comply, please; your health and life matter.” 

Actress, Regina Daniels, who is one of the wives of Senator Ned Nwoko, called for peace during the protests. She said, “Today is August 1, the first day of the national protests in Nigeria. We all know that the masses are suffering and want a better way of living, hence the protest. There is nothing wrong with protesting, but there is everything wrong with violence.

“Once violence gets involved, it defeats the whole purpose of the protests. I urge everyone to try and make this protest as peaceful as possible.”

Singer, Omah Lay, also stood in support of the protest, posting on X, “End bad governance in Nigeria.” 

On his part, controversial actor and politician, Yul Edochie, was of the view that the protest was not the right move. In a post on Instagram on July 19, 2024, he wrote, “I acknowledge the hardship in the country, the situation of things. It is affecting everyone. I believe all will be well. Protest is not the answer. People take advantage of protests to break into other people’s shops, steal and destroy properties, hurt and kill innocent Nigerians, who are already going through a lot. In the end, the aim of the protest will be defeated. Remember what happened during End SARS.”

Actress, Tonto Dikeh, also stated that rather than embarking on a protest, there should be a dialogue between the government and its people. She wrote, “I hereby call for peaceful coexistence, peaceful protest, and dialogue. I also charge the federal and state governments to attend to the plights of Nigerians, especially the youth. Nigeria belongs to all of us; there is no other Nigeria, and we must work collectively to make it a better place. God bless you all.”

Grammy Award-winning singer, Burna Boy, stated that he lost the zeal to protest in Nigeria in 2020 when some people refused to have his song played during the #EndSARS protests that rocked the country in October 2020. Referencing a post made in 2020, he wrote on his X page, “The fight in me died on this day. Ogun go doggy anybody who call my name this time around.”

After getting backlash from some of his followers, he maintained that he had never collected money from any politician. He wrote, “No politician has ever given anything. Go and ask Wike about the land he gave me, or which money he gave me.”

The former Governor or Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, had hosted the singer after he won a Grammy Award in 2021, and had promised him a landed property in a choice area of the state.

Nigerian singer, Paul Okoye, popularly known as Rudeboy, has said his twin brother Peter Okoye, also known as Mr P, was behind his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Naija News recalls that in June, Nigerian celebrity journalist, Stella Dimokokorkus, said the twin brothers are at war over joint funds being allegedly diverted by their elder brother cum music executive, Jude Okoye.

In a recent interview with City FM, Lagos, Rudeboy said Peter petitioned the anti-graft agency to invite him over alleged fraudulent dealings.

The singer said the EFCC requested details of his account statement and asked him to explain every transaction.

He said that despite the EFCC clearing him of all allegations after a thorough investigation, his twin brother refused to apologise over the false accusations.

He said, “This year, I was invited by the EFCC after they received a petition against me from my twin brother. I never thought it [our beef] would get to this extent. I thought it was just music.

“The next thing, people are asking me, ‘What do you do?’ Somebody said, ‘You’re going to go to jail for 20 years. They’re going to lock you up.’ I got to the EFCC office, they told me everything. They’ve already printed all my account statements. They asked me to explain every transaction.

“First of all, what entered my mind was, what if I was into fraud? That’s how my brother would have finished me? But I took it. Then they started the investigation. At a point, I was no longer comfortable with the kind of questions they were asking me. When I knew it was serious was when they asked me to get a lawyer and sureties. I did everything.

“One month ago, they called me, my twin brother and our elder brother [Jude Okoye], and said, ‘First of all, we have to say that after all investigations, Paul is innocent. Paul is cleared. Everything you accused him of, we’ve done our investigation and he’s innocent.’

“Despite the fact that I was proven innocent, my twin brother didn’t apologise for the false accusations.”

France’s grudge match with Argentina ended in ugly scenes after Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal to put the hosts into the Olympic semi-finals on Friday with a 1-0 win, joining Spain, Morocco and Egypt.

Tensions spilled over at full-time in Bordeaux with rival players and staff clashing on the pitch and confrontations continuing down the tunnel.

Crystal Palace striker Mateta struck five minutes into the  quarter-final, meeting Michael Olise’s corner with a superb near-post header.

That proved enough for the hosts, coached by Thierry Henry, to reach the last four, where they face Egypt.

Friday’s clash was the first meeting of the nations since Argentina players were recorded singing racist chants about their French counterparts as they celebrated winning the Copa America in mid-July.

FIFA announced it would investigate the chants, which targeted France’s star striker Kylian Mbappe among others and included racist and homophobic insults.

The Argentina team were met with a hostile welcome, where the crowd loudly jeered their national anthem as the sides met for the first time since the 2022 World Cup final, which the South Americans won on penalties.

Henry said midfielder Enzo Millot, who had been substituted late on, was shown a red card after the final whistle.

“He wasn’t on the pitch. Maybe you get sent off because you get a second yellow card to stop someone running through on goal, not when you are on the bench. I am really not happy about that,” Henry told broadcaster France 3.

Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez missed chances for Javier Mascherano’s Argentina, and the exit of the two-time gold medallists means the winner of men’s football gold will not come from Latin America for the first time since Cameroon triumphed in Sydney in 2000.

France could have won by a wider margin, but Olise had a late second goal disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

– Spain and Morocco march on –

They will now be heavy favourites to win a semi-final in Lyon on Monday against Egypt, who beat Paraguay 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Marseille.

Ibrahim Adel was Egypt’s hero, scoring a late equaliser in normal time and then converting the winning penalty in the shoot-out, in which Paraguay’s Marcelo Perez was the only player to fail to score.

Earlier a brilliant brace by Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez helped fire Spain to a 3-0 win over Japan in Lyon.

Lopez, a member of Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 squad, blasted in the opener from range in the 11th minute.

The Barcelona midfielder struck again on 73 minutes with another goal of the highest quality as he controlled a Sergio Gomez corner before volleying in from the edge of the box.

Captain Abel Ruiz wrapped up the win for Spain, Olympic champions in 1992 and silver medallists three years ago in Tokyo.

Spain go through to a last-four clash in Marseille with Morocco, who outclassed the United States, winning 4-0 in Paris.

Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after he was fouled in the box just before the half-hour mark.

That was a fifth goal in four games for the tournament’s top scorer.

Morocco doubled their lead on 63 minutes when Abde Ezzalzouli set up Ilias Akhomach to finish at the near post.

Captain Achraf Hakimi, playing on his Paris Saint-Germain home ground, ran through to make it 3-0 and substitute Mehdi Maouhoub added another penalty in stoppage time.

“If we keep playing like this we will deserve to be in the final,” said Akhomach.

“Other countries might be talked about more than us but we know what we want. We came here to win.”

The Convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday, urged protesters to continue with the #EndBadGovernance protests nationwide.

This comes after Human Rights Lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, asked youths to immediately suspend the demonstrations.

Adegboruwa is one of the lawyers of the Take It Back Movement, one of the groups participating in the nationwide protests.

He regretted deaths and losses recorded during the demonstrations, saying it was not the goal of the protests.

Adegboruwa said, “I appeal to the protesters to withdraw themselves from their various protest grounds and to suspend the protests immediately and indefinitely, in order to give room for meaningful dialogue and engagement with the government.”

Reacting, Sowore, in a statement on his X page (formerly Twitter), said, “Good day fellow conscious citizens.

“Thank you all for staying the course in the last 24 hours since the commencement of the #endbadgovernaceinnigeria REVOLT.

“Note: the daily barricades, marches, rallies and people’s congresses should be intensified.

“We want to notify the public that in addition to street marches, those at home should engage in pot & pan protests against hunger, poverty and starvation.

“Grab your pots& pans now and start banging them on your streets; take them with you to the roadside.

“Bang, bang, bang! #revolutions are “the festivals of the oppressed and the exploited!”

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has told President Bola Tinubu to address Nigerians over the protests by citizens against bad governance and harsh economic conditions.

Obi, in a statement on Friday by his spokesperson, Yunusa Tanko, said Tinubu is the one people elected, not his aides, so he should be the one to address Nigerians at such a critical time.

He said the President’s address would douse the tension in the country generated by the protest.

The former Governor was quoted to have made the call from his home in Onitsha, Anambra State.

“My appeal is for the President to come out and address the nation, he is the one the people elected, holding their mandate, and he should not be using aides or appointees to reach the people at such critical times,” Obi said.

Obi also denied reports of him being in Abuja to support the protesters, noting that he can’t be in two places at a time.

“I am here in Onitsha; I can’t be here and be in Abuja,” Obi said.

The former LP candidate also called on the protesters to avoid violence and ensure their demands are pursued within the limits of the law.

For those who died in the course of the protest, Obi extended his condolences to the families. He also expressed sympathy to those who got injured and those who lost their property in the protest.

CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Women Affairs, Senator Ireti Kingibe, LP, FCT has dismissed the allegation that she sponsored protest in Abuja. 

Yesterday, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Nyesom Wike, said that security agencies in the territory have identified a senator as one of those sponsoring the anti-government protest. 

Wike disclosed this shortly after an emergency FCT security Council meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

The unnamed Senator was said to be supplying the protesters incentives such as food and water.

However, Senator Kingibe has said that the video being misrepresented was recorded six weeks ago during the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) protests at the National headquarters of the LP in Abuja.

In a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Kennedy Mbele, Senator Kingibe said, “I am shocked and outraged by the blatant lies and misinformation being spread by mischief-makers! The video being circulated is from over six weeks ago, during a Labour Party NWC meeting, when the NLC was protesting outside the Labour Party office.

“As stakeholders, including Senators, House of Reps members, and Mr. Peter Obi, we went out to engage with the protesters and address their concerns. Now, these deceitful individuals are trying to pass off this old footage as current, claiming that Mr.@PeterObi and I are leading protests in Abuja yesterday.

“This is a malicious and desperate attempt to discredit us. Let me set the record straight: Mr. Peter Obi is not in Abuja, and I haven’t left my house since Wednesday due to illness, much less distributed food and water at the protest grounds, though that would be noble for whoever did.

 “I condemn this orchestrated attempt to spread falsehoods and cause confusion, using it as the basis to claim I sponsored the Abuja protest. It is a shameless and irresponsible act that will not be tolerated. We will not stand idly by while our names and reputations are dragged through the mud by these unscrupulous individuals”

“Recall that Mr. Peter Obi had in a statement explained that he was in his State, Anambra yesterday and as such, cannot be in Abuja and Anambra State simultaneously.

We therefore urge the general public to ignore the malicious video as our amiable Senator has made her position on the #endbadgovernance protest clear, in her most recent interview with Channels Television.”

Senator Shehu Sani who represented the Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the 8th Assembly, has urged protesters to discontinue the nationwide protest to save lives and properties of citizens. 

Reacting to what he described as unfortunate development , Senator Sani, in a tweet on X said the situation where hoodlums have hijacked the protest was unacceptable. 

He expressed disappointment over the manner hoodlums hijacked the protest and destroyed properties of innocent citizens in Kaduna; Kano and other parts of the country on day-one of the protest, and advised those willing to encourage continuation of the protest, especially in the North to reconsider their stand based on the potential danger ahead.

“With scores dead,hundreds injured and properties worth billions of Naira belonging to private businesses and government destroyed by hoodlums,mostly in Northern states,those wishing to encourage the continuation of this protest,especially in the North should reconsider.At our end its violent protest without visible leadership and must be discontinued.”

He said the protest is a constitutional right of Nigerians, but should be peaceful and without any threat to life and property and commended the proactiveness of the security agencies in the state for their quick intervention.

Senator  Shehu Sani pointed out curious patterns in protest participation, raising questions about the motivations and historical consistencies of different regions , with his comments sparking  discussions about the complex interplay of regional politics, economic concerns and public demonstrations in Nigeria.

Speaking further about the current situation,he noted the apparent absence of protests in the South East, despite what he perceived  as support for the cause among many South Easterners. “This observation highlights the complex political landscape of the region and raises questions about the factors influencing public demonstrations there.”

However,Senator Sani commended Governor  Uba Sani for” the proactive measures taken so far to calm raging nerves in the state, adding that dialogue and consultation are two instrument that have always helped in any crisis situation.”

The leaders of the nationwide protest against bad governance held in Katsina State, have been arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).

According to Vanguard, Kabir Shehu Yandaki and Habibu Ruma, the two leaders of the “Struggle for Good Governance” protest, were invited to the DSS office in Katsina and subsequently detained.

Similarly, Mujittapha Usman, who reportedly led the protest in Malumfashi Local Government Area was also arrested by the security forces.

Some friends of the detainees who disclosed the development to the local media said the DSS contacted the duo by phone earlier in the morning.

They requested their presence at their office to answer questions about the previous day’s protest.

However, upon arriving at the Katsina DSS headquarters, they were detained and are yet to be released as of the time of filing this report, the source stated.

The initial peaceful protest was disrupted when a disorderly mob, including many minors, converged on streets in the state capital, wielding sticks and leaves.

They chanted “Bamuyi Bamuyi” as they go about destroying public facilities.

Primarily, the protesters burnt down one NSCDC patrol vehicle in the state capital and razed down the ruling All Progressives Congress office in Dutsinma LGA.

Consequently, the Katsina State Government, Friday morning, imposed a 24-hour curfew on Dutsinma Local Government Area and a 7pm to 7am curfew on the remaining 34 LGAs of the state.

The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has appealed to protesters across the country to be patient with the government of President Bola Tinubu.

The Governor said the leaders of the country have heard the grievances of the protesters, and a lot more would be done to strengthen the economy and relieve the citizens.

Naija News reports Governor Abdulrazaq stated this on Friday shortly after observing the Jum’ah prayer in GRA, Ilorin, the state capital, according to a statement by his chief press secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.

While appreciating the people of Kwara State for remaining calm, the Kwara State Governor assured that President Tinubu is working to deliver more interventions to the citizens of the country.

“We have heard you, and a lot more will be done to strengthen the economy and ensure the welfare of the people. I urge all of you to please be patient with the President,” he said.

“The government appreciates the position of the people of Kwara State on this development. As a government, we have listened, and we have heard you clearly. The President is working on multiple interventions and palliatives to ease the burden.

“I appeal that we give the President more time and things will be resolved. I am glad that the people of Kwara state have decided to do just that. We continue to engage stakeholders and religious bodies, and they graciously understand, and they are patient. I can assure them that the President is working and very soon things will improve for good.

“Things like the student loan and all sorts of programmes are already going on. The Credicorp facility is also ongoing, among others. I just urge patience and patience. To those who are angry: Yes, we feel your anger, but the most important thing is to say that this is a listening government. We’ve heard (you) and the right thing will be done,” he added.