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FG Keeps Mute as FBI Indicts Over 75 Nigerians for Fraud

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has clamped down on a number of Nigerians – counting up to 80 in an ongoing investigation over fraud related offences.

US Attorney, Mr Nick Hanna, disclosed this in a press statement released in Los Angeles, California on Thursday revealing a grand indictment on the Nigerians for participating in a massive conspiracy to steal millions of dollars through a variety of fraud schemes and launder the funds through a Los Angeles-based money laundering network.

“Indictments showed very specific allegations against these suspects many of whom are based in Nigeria in terms of stealing money from victims. The indictment also focuses on those responsible for enabling these fraud schemes including operatives in Los Angeles,” Mr Hanna said.

He further explained that a total of 252 count charges ranging from “conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, aggravated identity theft” have been filed against the suspects.

The indictment alleges that the defendants and others used various online fraud schemes – including business email compromise (BEC) frauds, romance scams, and schemes targeting the elderly – to defraud victims out of millions of dollars.

Business Post gathered that a criminal complaint unsealed on Thursday showed that co-conspirators were based in Nigeria, the United States and other countries and contacted the lead defendants in the indictment. Some of these include Valentine Iro, 31, of Carson, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, of Gardena, both Nigerian citizens – for bank and money-service accounts that could receive funds fraudulently obtained from victims.

The indictment released further exposed the names and nicknames of the defendants, these are listed thus:

  1. VALENTINE IRO, aka “Iro Enterprises,” aka “Valentine Obinna Iro ,” aka ” Obinna Iro ,” 16 aka ” Obinna Nassa,”

  1. CHUKWUDI CHRI STOGUNUS IGBOKWE, aka ” Christogunus C. Igbokwe,” aka ” Chris Kudon ,” aka “Atete ,” aka “Still Kudon ,”

  1. JERRY ELO IKOGHO , aka “J Man,”

  1. IZUCHUKWU KINGSLEY UMEJESI, aka ” Kingsley Umejesi, ” aka “Armeni an Man,” aka “Kingsley LA,” aka “I zuking Aka Aku ,”

  1. ADEGOKE MOSES OGUNGBE , aka “P & P Motors,” aka “Pp, ”

  1. ALBERT LEWIS CATHEY, aka “Alb, ” aka “Abert Jag,” aka “Al,”

  1. TITYAYE MARINA MANSBANGURA, aka “Tityaye Igbokwe ,” aka “Marina Mansour,” aka “Marina Mansaray,” aka “Marina Tityaye Mans Bangura,”

  1. CHUKWUDI COLLINS AJAEZE, aka “Thank You Jesus”

  1. EKENE AUGUSTINE EKECHUKWU, aka “Ogedi Power,” aka “Power,”

  1. CHUKS EROHA, aka “Chuks Nassa Iro,” aka “Nassa,” aka “Prince Chuddy,” aka “Nurse Chuddy,”
  2. COLLINS NNAEMEKA OJIMBA, aka “Collins Emeka Ojimba,” aka “Ojimba Collins,” aka “Charly.Africa,”

  1. FNU LNU, aka “Xplora G,”

  1. UCHENNA OCHIAGHA, aka “Urch Agu,” aka “Advanced Mega Plus Ltd,”
  2. NNAMDI THEOJOSEPH DURU, aka “Duru Theo Joseph Nnamdi,” aka “Williams High School,” aka “Ifytyns,”

  1. ERICSON UCHE OFORKA, aka “Oforka,” aka “Eric Oforka,”

  1. MARK IFEANYI CHUKWUOCHA, aka “Mark Iheanyi Chukwuocha,” aka “Chukwu Mark,” aka “Markife,”

  1. AUGUSTINE NNAMDI, aka “Nnamdi Augustine,” aka “Jazz,”

  1. CHIEMEZIE CHRISTOPHER CHILAKA, aka “Fanta,”

  1. CHARLES OHAJIMKPO, aka “Giggs,” aka “Ryan Giggs,” aka “Charles,”

  1. STANLEY UGOCHUKWU UCHE, aka “Ugo Law,” aka “Uche Stanley,” aka “He is risen.Happy Easter!,”
  2. CHIKA AUGUSTINE ODIONYENMA, aka “Tony Augustin Odionyenma,” aka “Chika Tony,” aka “CTA Finance Source Intl,”

  1. PASCHAL CHIMA OGBONNA, aka “Chima,” aka “Paschal,”

  1. SAMUEL NNAMDI ONWUASOANYA, aka “Sammy Lee Nnamdi,” aka “Onwuasoanya Samuel Nnamdi,” aka “Enugu Ogo,”

  1. MACWILLIAM CHINONSO CHUKWUOCHA, aka “ChiBoy,”

  1. EMMANUEL ONYEKA UZOKA, aka “Emmanuel Mansion,” aka “Mansion,” aka “Son of God,” aka “Ezirim Uzoma,”

  1. JOSHUA ANIEFIOK AWAK, aka “Joe Awk,” aka “Kwee Tin Law,”

  1. GEORGE UGOCHUKWU EGWUMBA, aka “George Ugo,” aka “Ugo Aunty Scholar,”

  1. UCHECHUKWU SOLOMON EZIRIM, aka “Uche Nwanne,” aka “Uche Ezirim,”
  2. AUGUSTINE IFEANYI OKAFOR, aka “Zero,” aka “St.Austine,” aka “Austine,” aka “Ifeanyichukwu Okafor,”

  1. FNU LNU, aka “Okay Sam Mal,” LESLIE N. MBA, aka “Mystical,” aka “Nwachinemere Leslie,”

  1. OGOCHUKWU INNOCENT IKEWESI, aka “Ogoo UK,” aka “Innocent Ikewesi,”

  1. EMMANUEL UZOMA OGANDU, aka “Nwachinaemere,” aka “Uzoma,”

  1. AMARACHUKWU HARLEY ANYANWU, aka “GodisGod,” aka “War B,”

  1. BRIGHT IFEANYI AZUBUIKE, aka “Bright Bauer Azubuike,” aka “Ifeanyi Jnr,”

  1. EMEKA MOSES NWACHUKWU, aka “All Man,” aka “Omalitoto,” FNU LNU, aka “Donatus Izunwanne,” aka “Izunwanne Donatus Chibuikem,” aka “Deworlddonmax,”

  1. CHINWENDU KENNETH OSUJI, aka “Father,”

  1. EUSEBIUS UGOCHUKWU ONYEKA, aka “Ugo UK,” aka “sly19 sly,”

  1. CHIDI ANUNOBI, aka “Anunobi Chidi,” aka “Chidioo,”

  1. ANTHONY NWABUNWANNE OKOLO, aka “Eric West,” aka “Erci West,” aka “Code,”

  1. OBINNA CHRISTIAN ONUWA, aka “Papa Chukwuezugo,” aka “Obinna Onuwa Abala,” aka “Obyno Abala,”

  1. CHIJIOKE CHUKWUMA ISAMADE, aka “Mr CJ,” aka “CJ,”

  1. LINUS NNAMDI MADUFOR, aka “Madufor Nnamdi,”

  1. CHRYSAUGONUS NNEBEDUM, aka “Cris,”

  1. UGOCHUKWU OKEREKE, aka “Blade,” aka “Kingsly Cris,” aka “Okereke Ugochukwu,”

  1. FIDEL LEON ODIMARA, aka “Fiedel Odimara,” aka “Ndaa,” aka “Dee Dutchman,”

  1. KINGSLEY CHINEDU ONUDOROGU, aka “OBJ,”
  2. DESSI NZENWAH, aka “Desmond Sage,” aka “Des Nzenwa,” aka “Saga Lounge,”

  1. CHIMAROKE OBASI, aka “Chima Russia”

  1. JAMES CHIGOZIE AGUBE, aka “Smart,” aka “Smart Agube,” aka “Smart Chigozie Agube”

  1. CHIMAOBI UZOZIE OKORIE, aka “Omaobi,” aka “Mobility,”

  1. OGOCHUKWU OHIRI, aka “Ogomegbulam Ohiri,” aka “Ologbo,”

  1. KENNEDY CHIBUEZE UGWU, aka “Kennedy David,”

  1. IFEANYICHUKWU OLUWADAMILARE AGWUEGBO, aka “B😎😎$$ IFF¥,”

  1. VICTOR IFEANYI CHUKWU, aka “Ifeannyi Soccer,” aka “Vic Chux,”

  1. CHIDI EMMANUEL MEGWA, aka “Cantr,” aka “Canta Jr.,”

  1. PRINCEWILL ARINZE DURU, aka “Arnzi Prince Will,” aka “Arinze,”

  1. DESMOND IWU, aka “Desmond Chigozie Iwu,” aka “Lalaw,” aka “Odo Desmond,”

  1. ONYEKA VINCENT CHIKA, aka “Chyco,” aka “Chika Ejima,” aka “Vincent Chika Onyeka,”

  1. IFEANYI KINGSLEY MEZIENWA, aka “Ifeanyi Ali,” aka “Ifeanyichukwu Mezienwa,”

  1. VICTOR UCHENNA AGUH, aka “Orch Sod,” aka “Uche SP,” aka “Rich Homie Urch,”

  1. KEVIN AMARACHI ESHIMBU, aka “Humble,” aka “Humble Amarachukwu,” aka “Dato Humble,”

  1. VITALIS KELECHI ANOZIE, aka “Kelechi Vitalis Anozie,” aka “Kelechi Anozieh,” aka “Pastor Kel Anozie,” aka “Pastor Kc,” aka “Choice,”

  1. WILLIAMS OBIORA AGUNWA, aka “Don Williams,”

  1. GEORGE CHIMEZIE DIKE, aka “Chimekros,” aka “Slim Dad…No…1,”

  1. MUNACHISO KYRIAN UKACHUKWU, aka “Muna,”
  2. NWANNEBUIKE OSMUND, aka “Osmund Nwannebuike,” aka “Olivite,” aka “Nikky Bro.,”

  1. CHIDIEBERE FRANKLIN NWANGWU, aka “Frank Chidi,” aka “Franklin Nwangwu,” aka “Agogo,”

  1. DAMIAN UCHECHUKWU AJAH, aka “Uche Ajah,” aka “Ajah Damian Uchechukwu,” aka “Uchechukwu Demian Ajah,”

  1. EMEKA P. EJIOFOR, aka “Ejiofor Emeka,”

  1. LAWRENCE CHUKWUMA UBASINEKE, aka “Ubasineke Chuks,” aka “Chukwuma Ubasineke,”

  1. CHINEDU BRIGHT IBETO, aka “Doggy,” aka “Doggy Lucino,”

  1. VALENTINE AMARACHI NWANEGWO, aka “Satis,” aka “Satis Amarachi Satis,”

  1. EMMANUEL CHIDIEBERE DIKE, aka “Emmanet,”

  1. JEREMIAH UTIEYIN EKI, aka “Uti,” CHINAKA DAVIDSON IWUOHA, aka “Tmrw Afrika Will Wake Up,” aka “Cookie,” aka “All Africa Media Network,”

  1. CHIMA DARLINGTON DURU, aka “Kajad,” aka “Kajad Jesus,”

  1. IKENNA CHRISTIAN IHEJIUREME, aka “Piper,” aka “Am Happy!,”

  1. OBI ONYEDIKA MADEKWE, aka “Odu Investment,”

As at the time of this report, there has been no response or comment by the Nigerian Government over this issue.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Lagos to Get New Building Code in 2025

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Lagos State Government has expressed its readiness to get a brand-new Building Code next year, to achieve the high-performance standards needed to make Lagos a sustainable and Smart City.

The government’s readiness was disclosed at the Lagos State Executive Council Retreat on the Domestication of the Lagos Building Code, organised by the Office of the Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development, held at Ikeja GRA on Wednesday.

Speaking during the retreat, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu emphasised the need for more collaboration among all the ministries and agencies in the built sector, to ensure the state development in line with global best practices.

He said the motive behind the Lagos Building Code is to have a building regulation that would make Lagos much more resilient.

“We (Lagos State Government) are the first to domesticate the National Building Code, which is the creation of the Federal Government. We are not doing anything outside the vision at the sovereign and sub-sovereign levels. But what is unique about our own is the fact that all the cabinet members see the need to have an input because it would be an outcome that would affect lives and different ministries and agencies.

“So, there is a need for everybody to have a say, and at the end of the day, collectively we will resolve to have a way.

“What we are trying to do is for Lagos State to do what is obtainable internationally: have a building regulation in which we have a standard of construction in design, manner of land use occupancy, and use of building materials, which we believe would eventually improve and help with health, safety, and occupancy issues.

“It is all about building sustainably, making Lagos a lot more resilient and able to absorb shock in the future and able to stand in the comity of developed cities and city-states as we see in various parts of the world,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban Development, Mr Olajide Babatunde, stated that the Lagos Building Code is to complement the existing regulatory framework and provide a comprehensive solution to the challenges of land use, physical development, and urban planning.

Mr Babatunde said the Lagos Building Code will regulate building control, planning permission, and address the issues of setbacks; take care of the safety and sustainability of the environment; and also prevent the collapse of buildings.

“We have been working on the domestication of the National Building Code, and by next year, we are going to have our own brand-new Lagos Building Code. We have worked with professional bodies and people from academia, market women, and the public in general, and through a participatory approach, we can come out with a document that is acceptable to everyone and useful to the entire state,” he said.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure, Mr Olufemi Daramola, described the Lagos State Building Code initiative by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration as the next step to Green Lagos that will enable the state to plan buildings properly and ensure durable infrastructure in the state.

During the retreat, members of the Lagos State Executive Council brainstormed and advocated aggressive sensitisation for residents of the State on the Lagos Building Code before implementation.

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Apostle Femi Lazarus Emerges Most Streamed Podcast in Nigeria on Spotify

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Apostle Femi Lazarus

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A report released by Spotify has revealed that in 2024, Apostle Femi Lazarus was the most streamed podcast on its platform, closely followed by Motivation Daily by Motiversity.

Podcasts are one of Africa’s favourite ways to tell stories. With almost 4 billion minutes of podcast audio played in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, the continent’s appetite for this content is loud and clear.

South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya listened to the most shows this year, with South Africa contributing over 2 billion minutes. If you started playing podcasts on one device today, it would make for about 30 centuries of listening.

“The numbers don’t lie. Podcasting is here to stay because it lets creators take control of their narratives and tell these stories on their terms while bringing their community along for the journey,” the Sub-Saharan Africa Podcast Manager for Spotify, Ncebakazi Manzi, stated.

Motivational shows around issues like managing finances, relationships, personal goals and health remain popular across the three leading countries. Shows like “The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett”, “Motivation Daily by Motiversity” and “The Success Addicted Podcast” have attracted listeners who want to get their lives in order and learn from the stories of inspirational people.

Audiences in Nigeria and South Africa embrace shows about spirituality. “Christian Motivation” had one of the most shared episodes in South Africa while “Apostle Joshua Selman” maintained his popularity in Nigeria for another year. As the continent’s second-largest podcast market, Nigeria listened to 700 million minutes in 2024 and it created half of the new shows published in Sub-Saharan Africa this year.

Even though spirituality dominated Nigeria’s top charts, the continued popularity of shows like “I Said What I Said” and “The HonestBunch Podcast” tell us that listeners also want conversation-style shows. Listeners in Kenya and South Africa also showed an affinity toward these shows.

A good laugh with friends

The “ShxtsnGigs” podcast, an opinion show hosted by two best friends James and Fuhad, tapped into audiences’ hunger for conversational shows. The humorous podcast has made its way to the top charts in six of the top 10 podcast-playing African countries. In Kenya, The 97s Podcast has been inspired by this approach where funny and frank chats between hosts Trevor, Frank and Dante have led the podcast to take the number-one spot in the country for the first time.

Kenya’s broader listening data shows that relationships are a meaningful taking point. Seven of the 10 most shared episodes in the country discuss love, sex lives and dating. Julia Gaitho’s “So This Is Love” holds three out of the top five most shared podcast episodes in the country. Her interviews resonated because she draws lessons from her guest’s stories about lost lovers.

Some listeners just wanted to laugh through the pain. Ensemble shows like “Mic Cheque Podcast” and “The Sandwich Podcast” made Kenyans feel like they were hanging out with a close circle of friends. When difficult topics come up, moments of infectious laughter help lighten the mood.

Women creators like Murugi Munyi, Julia Gaitho, Sharon Machira and Lydia K.M. take this comedic approach to a new level on shows like “The Messy Inbetween” and ‘It’s Related, I Promise’. This genre contributed heavily to the country’s 400 million podcast minutes streamed in 2024.

Below are the most streamed and shared podcasts for the year;

 

TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN SOUTH AFRICA

TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN KENYA

TOP SHARED PODCAST EPISODES IN NIGERIA

  1. Serial Killers – Killer Nurse Kristen Gilbert

  2. True Crime News: The Podcast – Pam Hupp charged with murder of Betsy Faria

  3. The Diary of a CEO – The Happiness Expert That Made 51 Million People Happier

  4. The Joe Rogan Experience – #2152 – Terrence Howard

  5. The Joe Rogan Experience – #2219 – Donald Trump

  1. The Sandwich Podcast – MAISHA YA STUNNA Ft (LIL MAINA)

  2. So This Is Love – Melody and Kev ep1

  3. So This Is Love – Mathew & Scarlet – S4 | E1

  4. So This Is Love – Njoki & Njue – S4 | E2

  5. Heart II Heart With Mike and Shiko – EP 1 | Genesis – How it all began

  1. David’s Christian Centre – Worship with Minister Dunsin Oyekan (A) | Mainland

  2. Apostle Femi Lazarus – Trauma

  3. Apostle Femi Lazarus – How To Deal With Pain That Is Not Going Away

  4. Success Addicted Podcast with the voice of Earl Nightingale ; Napoleon Hill ; Jim Rohn and many more – How To Start Working On Your Goals and Visions, Even If You Don’t Like This (Proven Strategies and Hacks) | Jim Rohn

  5. Apostle Femi Lazarus – Trauma & Marriage

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Watt Renewable Secures $15m Loan for Hybrid Solar Power Plants in Nigeria

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Oluwole Eweje WATT Renewable Corporation

By Dipo Olowookere

A $15 million debt facility has been obtained by Watt Renewable Corporation from the AfriGreen Debt Impact Fund to finance hybrid solar power plants to be built and operated by the former, especially in Nigeria.

WATT intends to use the projects to serve commercial and industrial clients in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunication and financial services sectors.

By integrating solar hybrid solutions, the firm aims to significantly reduce diesel consumption and CO2 emissions, enabling its clients to achieve substantial energy cost savings while promoting environmental sustainability.

As a pioneer in renewable energy solutions, WATT continues to drive innovation in Nigeria’s energy sector.

The company’s robust roll-out plan includes deploying hundreds of hybrid solar power sites nationwide to meet the growing energy demands of commercial & industrial clients.

This strategic expansion aligns with WATT’s vision to revolutionize energy access across Africa, enabling sustainable development and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

The funds from AfriGreen provide the critical capital needed to accelerate WATT’s ambitious projects, strengthening its market position and empowering businesses with reliable and affordable energy solutions.

Business Post gathered that to mitigate the currency risk for WATT in the event of devaluation of the Nigerian Naira, AfriGreen is offering a local currency facility that matches the payment structure of the power purchase agreements.

“We are thrilled to partner with AFRIGREEN on this transformative journey to expand reliable and sustainable energy solutions across Africa.

“With this support, it enables us to accelerate our shared mission of providing hybrid solar power to businesses, reducing carbon emissions, and supporting economic growth while enhancing energy security for our clients,” the Managing Director of WATT, Mr Oluwole Eweje, said.

“We are delighted to support WATT in rolling out hundreds of hybrid sites across the country.

“This represents another key transaction for AFRIGREEN in Nigeria. The combination of high energy prices, good solar irradiation, and strong demand from industrial and commercial energy users makes this market particularly attractive for companies like WATT.

“By leveraging these favourable market conditions alongside WATT’s exceptional operational performance and a well-structured financing solution, we are setting the stage for a strong and lasting business partnership,” the Managing Director of AfriGreen, Mr Alexandre Gilles, stated.

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