I didn’t send anybody to beg Afe Babalola - Dele Farotimi

 

Human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has stated that he did not ask anyone to plead with Afe Babalola (SAN). 

Farotimi is currently standing trial in Ekiti State for a defamation suit filed against him by the legal icon regarding his book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.’

Recall that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party and a close ally of Dele Farotimi, Peter Obi, recently paid a visit to Afe Babalola, and it was alleged that the visit was to plead with Babalola on Farotimi's behalf.

Speaking to Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, Temokun, a lawyer for Dele Farotimi, stated that during a prison visit on Friday, December 13, Farotimi denied asking Peter Obi to appeal to Afe Babalola or seek an out-of-court settlement.

“I visited Mr Dele Farotimi in a correctional service in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, yesterday afternoon. The events of the recent days, the visit of Mr Peter Obi, the (2023) presidential candidate of the Labour Party, to Aare Afe Babalola; his visit to Mr Dele Farotimi, created some lack of clarity. People are not so clear about some things. People are not clear about what is going on. It is based on this that I had to visit him yesterday, and we sat together and had a good discussion.

After Peter Obi left Ekiti, the news that filtered through the town to the issue of the conditions for release, the issue of apology, the issue of whether Mr Dele Farotimi can do this or that to come out.

I told him (Farotimi): the reason why I am here is to confirm from you, ‘What do you think should be done?’ The visit of Mr Peter Obi to you in person and the subsequent visit to Aare Afe Babalola: What do you know about it? What is your message to Aare Afe Babalola? What is your message to the people outside? What is also your message to me as part of your legal team?

He (Farotimi) said if anybody who is very familiar with his antecedents, with his principles, with his philosophy over time should join anybody to believe that in a matter where he had written a book that he had published and that had been in circulation, that if anybody, somebody who has a brain should join others to believe that he has sent anybody to beg anybody, he said he will be so disappointed in that person.

He told me categorically that even you, Tope, if you join anybody to believe that I could beg anybody or that I have sent anybody to beg anybody, I will be so disappointed in you.”

Temokun stated that Farotimi remains in high spirits and views the truth as his only weapon in the struggle.

EFCC arrests 792 foreigners over romance, investment scam in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 792 foreign nationals for their alleged involvement in cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams, marking the largest such operation in the commission’s history.

The commission in a statement released aid among those arrested are 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two Khazartans, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian. The agency said the suspects were apprehended in a surprise operation at their hideout, a seven-storey building known as the Big Leaf Building, located at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The EFCC revealed that the operation was the result of actionable intelligence and months of surveillance on the activities of the syndicate. It said the investigation confirmed that the foreigners used the building, which appeared to be a legitimate corporate office, to train Nigerian accomplices on how to execute romance and investment scams. They also used Nigerian identities to carry out their fraudulent schemes.

The facility, equipped with high-end desktop computers, contained several floors dedicated to criminal activities. On the fifth floor, investigators seized 500 SIM cards of local telecom providers, which were acquired for illicit purposes.

According to the EFCC, the foreign suspects recruited Nigerian accomplices to target victims primarily in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and various European countries through phishing schemes. 

‘’The Nigerian operatives were given desktop computers and mobile devices, creating fake profiles to engage victims in fraudulent romantic and business conversations. 

These accomplices communicated with victims using WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram, often pretending to be business professionals or romantic partners. The scammers encouraged victims to register on a fake online investment platform, www.yooto.com, where they were required to pay activation fees starting at $35 to open an account.''

The EFCC’s successful operation marks a significant blow to the international syndicate involved in these scams.

Rapper Diddy's alleged ‘three word excuse when victim woke up while being r@ped' revealed

A bombshell new lawsuit has claimed Sean 'Diddy' Combs told an alleged r@pe victim, 'I'm almost done' when he awoke to find the rapper s3xually ass@ulting him.

 

Combs, 50, has been accused of drugging and r@ping three men in shocking new filings

The anonymous complainants claim the disgraced music mogul plied them with spiked drinks before attacking them while unconscious.

 

The incidents allegedly took place between 2019 and 2022, according to the documents filed in New York State's Supreme Court by lawyer Thomas Giuffra.

 

One of the men, who says he used to work for Combs, claims he was raped by Diddy at a Manhattan hotel after he agreed to meet him to discuss missed payments.

 

He claims he was given a drink laced with drugs which caused him to feel sleepy, prompting Combs to encourage him to take a nap on a couch.When he awoke, he was on his stomach and found his boss on top of him r@ping him, according to the lawsuit.

 

'When Plaintiff questioned Defendant Sean Combs and attempted to resist his advances, COMBS told him to “stop” and that he was “almost done”,' the filing states.

 

Another man alleged that his attack was filmed and he was given $2,500 in cash after the incident.

 

The third man claims Combs and his associates 'from Bad Boy Records' took turns s3xually ass@ulting him at a party in the Hamptons.

 

'These complaints are full of lies. We will prove them false and seek sanctions against every unethical lawyer who filed fictional claims against him,' Combs' representatives said.

 

But one lawsuit states Combs, 'has a profound contempt for men and women and an ongoing practice of denigrating, drugging, blackmailing, and humiliating them.'

 

Giuffra insisted, 'Combs is a rich, powerful public figure who was able to take advantage by drugging these men.'

'After the ass@ults, he ensured their silence by threatening them and relying on their fear of his power,' he said.

 

'This is a long overdue opportunity for the victims to take the power back after carrying the burden of the ass@ults in silence for several years.'

 

The claims are the latest lawsuits filed against the embattled rapper which accuse him of r@pe and s3xual ass@ult.

 

Combs, 55, remains at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center where he is awaiting trial for federal criminal charges of s3x trafficking and racketeering which he denies.

 

In one lawsuit, Combs' former employee states that he has known the musician since 2006 when he was hired to run errands for Combs in his capacity as CEO of Bad Boy Records.

 

He claims that in February 2020, he was at a meeting at the InterContinental New York Times Square hotel when Combs poured him an alcoholic drink which was laced with something that made him feel 'excessively tired'.

 

He alleged Combs told him to take a nap and when he awoke he found the executive on top of him raping him.

 

'Defendant Sean Combs told Plaintiff that going to the police will make Plaintiff “look like an idiot” and that because Combs is “Diddy,” Plaintiff would never be able to substantiate his claims against Combs,' the lawsuit states.

 

It adds that Combs' entourage then called the alleged victim on his cellphone to threaten him further. 

 

Another man claims he was 'recruited' for an afterparty after he met Combs at the Marquee New York nightclub in Manhattan in 2019 through a club promoter friend.

 

Around ten people joined the party at the Park Hyatt New York, according to the filing.

 

Once there Combs, 'personally offered Plaintiff a cocktail which had been made in the other room', the document states.

The man claims he consumed half the drink and the room, 'started spinning and his mouth became very dry'. 

 

He alleges Combs,  'looked at him and the other people in the room and said, “he is ready to party”,' before he passed out and awoke to find himself being r@ped by the rapper.

 

He claims that in a brief moment of consciousness, he saw a man and woman recording the alleged assault.

 

When he awoke the next day, he was handed $2,500 on behalf of Combs, the lawsuit states.

 

'Out of fear and humiliation, Plaintiff never told anybody about the aforementioned incident, until now,' the filing adds. 

 

The third man claims he met Combs in 2020 through friends but quickly, 'fell victim to one more more criminal sex acts at the hands of Sean Combs and his associates'.

 

He alleges he was repeatedly r@ped by the group after attending a party at the rapper's Hamptons home.

 

The filings seek legal fees and an unspecified number of damages from Combs, as well as several entities linked to the rapper, to be determined at trial.

 

Bad Boy Entertainment Holdings Inc., Bad Boy Entertainment LLC., Bad Boy Productions Holdings, Inc., Daddy's House Recordings, Inc., and Sony Music Holdings Inc. are named as co-defendants. 

 

Combs has fiercely refuted all the allegations so far. Last month his request for bail was denied for a third time. 

 

He will now remain behind bars until his May 2025 trial.

Police arrest Benue lecturer for allegedly masterminding kidnap of his colleague’s wife

The Benue State Police Command has arrested a lecturer at the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Dr Ichor Tersagh Smart, for allegedly masterminding the abduction of the wife of his colleague, Mrs Susan Anyagh. 

 

 

The victim, whose husband, Paul Anyagh, is the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, JOSTUM chapter, was ambushed and kidnapped by some men along Otukpo Road, Makurdi, last Saturday. 

 

 

The spokesperson of the command, SP Anene Sewuese Catherine, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, December 13, 2024, said that the woman was later found along Yandev-Ugbema Road and rushed to Primary Healthcare Clinic, Ameladu, for treatment. 

 

 

According to the PPRO, the victim, after she regained consciousness, narrated how she saw her husband’s colleague close to where she was abducted and beckoned on him to save her life, but the lecturer walked away. 

 

 

While moving in the vehicle, her abductors received a call from Dr. Ichor, who ordered that she should be killed.  

 

“On the 7/12/2024 at about 0900hrs information was received at Police Headquarters, Makurdi, that Mrs. Susan Anyagh, wife of the chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Joseph Sawuaan Tarka University Makurdi (JOSTUM) chapter was kidnapped along Otukpo road, Makurdi and taken hostage in her car that was being driven to an unknown destination,” the statement read. 

 

"In quick response, the Commissioner of Police, Benue State command, Cp. Steve H. Yabanet, FCID psc(+) immediately ordered all patrol officers and check points to ensure her rescue and arrest of kidnappers involved. 

 

"At about 1300hrs another information was received along Yandev-Ugbema road that the said victim was attacked by her assailants and left unconscious by the road side. She was identified and rushed to Primary Healthcare Clinic, Ameladu for treatment.

 

"Subsequently, the victim started responding to treatment and gained consciousness. She stated that while she was driving from NNPC mega fuel station, Kanshio where she went to collect money from her customer, she was flag down at Otukpo road by persons who claimed to be in need and she stopped to render help. They quickly jumped into her car and pointed a gun at her, ordered her to drive towards Wurukum area. 

 

"Immediately, she looked outside the car and saw her husbands colleague; Dr. Ichor Tersagh Smart of JOSTUM standing by the car, she beckoned on him for help but he turned his back and walked away. While moving in the vehicle, her abductors received a call from Dr. Ichor ordering that she should be killed and she became agitated. 

 

"When they sighted a police check point ahead that was checking vehicles, they decided to reverse to a hidden place, they parked the car, brought her out, collected the sum of one million three hundred and fifty thousand naira ( #1,350,000 ) she had in the car, opened the car boot and took a vehicle jack which they used to hit the back of her neck and she fell.

 

"Dr. Ichor has been arrested in connection with the case and investigation is ongoing.Details of the investigation will be communicated in due time and necessary actions shall be taken.

 

“The CP has advised all concerned persons to be law abiding and patient with the police as diligent investigation will be carried out to establish the fact in issue.” 

 

Man shares shocking LinkedIn profile detail that cost a job applicant the offer.

 

A man is getting called out on X (formerly Twitter) after he revealed why he declined to offer a lady a job at the company where he works. 

He explained that he went on her LinkedIn and a number of things he saw put him off, including the fact that she had only 6 connections. 

He wrote: "Declined one candidate an opportunity today - I first check her LinkedIn, yes the LinkedIn you guys keep bashing every other day - she only has 6 connections. 

"girl, how are you in the market in search of opportunities and you don’t take seriously a marketplace of opportunities? 

"I start seeing grammatical errors and spelling mistakes on her bio and yet this person is in Media/PR. 

"I check her Facebook, she’s busy posting herself there with nothing of substance whatsoever. 

"Young people, take yourselves a little bit seriously. Just a little." 

Many X users called him out and he hit back while standing his ground.

 

 

Israeli air strike on Gaza home k!lls 19 including nine children

An overnight Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia has k!lled at least 19 people, including nine children, according to medical officials and the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency.

The airstrike targeted a three-story home near Kamal Adwan hospital, leaving dozens trapped under rubble.

Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told reporters that several missiles struck the house, where multiple families were residing.

Bassal added that rescue efforts were ongoing as authorities worked to recover survivors and bodies from the debris.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign to dismantle Hamas. The Hamas-run health ministry reports over 44,800 fatalities in Gaza since the conflict started.

On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed conducting a strike in the vicinity, stating it targeted a Hamas “terrorist.”

This attack comes amid a larger Israeli ground and air campaign in northern Gaza, launched in October to prevent Hamas from regrouping.

The UN has reported severe humanitarian conditions in towns like Beit Lahia, where residents face tightened sieges and lack access to basic necessities such as food, water, and healthcare.

The UN pointed out that no significant humanitarian aid has reached parts of northern Gaza for over two months, leaving tens of thousands without essential supplies.

In Gaza City, two individuals were killed in Zeitoun following another air strike, while a separate attack in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood claimed the lives of journalist Iman al-Shanti and her son.

The Palestinian Union of Journalists stated that al-Shanti was the 193rd journalist killed since the conflict began.

A family of four, including two children, was also killed in a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The IDF has ordered evacuations in nearby areas, citing rocket launches from the region.

Ukraine hits Russian border regions and sets oil depot ablaze

 

Ukraine launched attacks on Russian border regions early Wednesday, targeting the southern Rostov and western Bryansk regions with missiles and drones. The strikes caused a fire at an oil depot and damaged an industrial facility, according to officials.

Videos from Bryansk showed a fireball lighting up the night sky, while air raid sirens were heard in the Rostov region. Kyiv claimed responsibility for the Bryansk attack, stating it struck an oil depot supplying the Russian army. The Ukrainian army described the depot as a loading point for the Druzhba oil pipeline, a critical route for Russian oil exports to Central Europe. “A massive fire broke out,” Ukraine’s general staff confirmed, though no comment was made on the Rostov attack.

In the Rostov region, Governor Vasily Golubev reported that a Ukrainian missile strike had hit an industrial enterprise in the port city of Taganrog, causing significant damage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the strikes, calling them “tangible blows against Russian targets” that contribute to ending the war. In a Telegram post, Zelensky said, “We hit military facilities on the territory of Russia, as well as facilities of the fuel and energy complex, which is working for aggression against our state and people.”

Ukraine has intensified its targeting of Russian oil and gas facilities this year, aiming to cripple Moscow’s energy sector. These strikes have inflicted billions of dollars in damages. Meanwhile, Russia has taken steps to protect key refineries and depots, some of which have been equipped with air defense systems.

The governor of Bryansk, Alexander Bogomaz, stated that Ukrainian drones attacked a production facility but that the resulting fire had been extinguished. Ukraine views these strikes as legitimate retaliation for Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, which have left millions of Ukrainians without power.

Court jails Mama Boko Haram and two others for 15 years over N6m fraud

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri has sentenced Aisha Wakil, widely known as "Mama Boko Haram," along with two others, to five years imprisonment each. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed the sentencing on Monday through its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.

 

Wakil, serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Complete Care and Aid Foundation, was convicted alongside Programme Manager Tahiru Saidu Daura and Country Director Prince Lawal Shoyode. They faced amended charges of conspiracy, cheating, and giving false information amounting to ₦6 million.

 

One of the charges detailed that the trio induced Alhaji Bukar Kachalla of Abks Ventures Limited to deliver a Toyota Camry 2012 model worth ₦6 million under false pretenses of executing a contract. The prosecution, represented by Mukhtar Ahmed and Shamsudeeb Saka, presented three witnesses and submitted documentary evidence against the defendants, who pleaded not guilty.

Justice Kumaliya sentenced the defendants to five years in prison each, with no option for a fine. Additionally, the court ordered them to jointly refund ₦3.5 million to the petitioner or serve an additional five years imprisonment in default.

 

The EFCC stated that the convicts dishonestly obtained the vehicle but failed to execute the purported contract or return the car to the petitioner.

Ondo 'pastor' arrested over alleged multiple kidnappings

Security operatives have arrested a notorious kidnapper, Terry Tinate Augustus, popularly called “Black" in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. 

Augustus, an acclaimed pastor from Ajapa community in Ese Odo LGA of Ondo State, was arrested by the Amotekun Corps in collaboration with the Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Pipeline Surveillance and Waterways Security, Engr. Alore Omosuyi. 

The suspect was arrested on December 8, 2024 following a tip-off from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police Special Squad.

The media team of the Office of the SA to the Governor on Pipeline Surveillance and Waterways Security, in a statement on Monday, December 9 said that Augustus, a key figure in a violent kidnapping syndicate, had been linked to multiple abductions, including a recent high-profile case in Lagos.

"On December 8, 2024, a joint operation between the office of the Special Assistant to the Ondo State Governor on Pipeline Surveillance and Waterways Security, Engineer Alore Omosuyi and the Amotekun Divisional Headquarters in Ilaje Local Government Area led to the arrest of the notorious kidnapper, Terry Tinate Augustus, also known as “Black

"The arrest took place in Alape, Ilaje Local Government Area, following crucial intelligence provided by the Commissioner of Police Special Squad 1 in Lagos State. 

"Terry, a key figure in a violent kidnapping syndicate, had been linked to multiple abductions, including a recent high-profile case in Lagos.

"The operation was prompted by the arrests of two members of the gang, Promise Mafimisebi and Monday Ikuesan, in Lagos. 

"During questioning, Mafimisebi revealed that the gang had collected a ransom of $52,000 from the recent kidnapping of Isa Ososa in Lagos. He also disclosed that Terry Tinate Augustus, also known as Black, was a member of their group and hailed from Ajapa in Ondo State.

"The gang primarily operated in urban areas, targeting wealthy individuals for ransom. They used swift abduction tactics, often employing stolen vehicles to carry out their operations.

“Engineer Alore Omosuyi, with his strategic leadership collaborated closely with the Amotekun Corps Ilaje to orchestrate the successful operation. Their combined expertise in security surveillance ensured the swift apprehension of the suspect. ”