DEFAMED ENTREPRENEUR OBINWANNE OKEKE JAILED FOR 10 YEARS FOR FRAUD

 Defamed Nigerian entrepreneur Obinwanne Okeke has been jailed for 10 years by a US federal court for masterminding an $11 million cyber fraud. 

The court heard that "through subterfuge and impersonation, Obinwanne Okeke, engaged in a multi-year global business email and computer hacking scheme that caused a staggering $11 million in losses to his victims," Raj Parekh, Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement Tuesday after the sentencing.

British company Unatrac Holding Limited -- the export sales office for industrial machinery company Caterpillar -- were the victims of an online heist perpetrated by Okeke and his team, who had obtained their login details through phishing emails, the justice department said.

"The conspirators sent fraudulent wire transfer requests and attached fake invoices. Okeke participated in the effort to victimize Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers totaling nearly $11 million, which was transferred overseas," the statement added.

He flaunted private jets and luxury cars on Instagram. Feds used his posts to link him to alleged cyber crimes 

Okeke, who was hailed as a promising entrepreneur and appeared on the Forbes magazine '30 under 30 list,' had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge in June 2020, after he was arrested during a visit to the US.

"The conspirators obtained and compiled the credentials of hundreds of victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Virginia," the US justice department said.

"The FBI will not allow cyber criminals free reign in the digital world to prey on U.S. companies," Brian Dugan, the FBI's Special Agent in Charge of Norfolk Field Office said after the sentencing.

Okeke was arrested by the FBI at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, in August 2019, just before he got on a flight to Nigeria during a visit to the US.

A WOMAN BATTERED BY HUSBAND TOOK HER OWN LIFE

 Shocking as woman took her own life.

According to a report by Metro UK , Gemma Robinson, 34, took her own life as she felt 'petrified at the thought of facing' her ex-husband, Joseph Falconer, 33 in court’. 

Gemma had a fractured eye socket, cuts and bruises to her head, face, arms, neck and chest after Falconer grabbed her around the throat, repeatedly punched her in the face and spat on her. 

Gemma, a fitness instructor, from Dartford, Kent, was found hanged at her home in July 2020, hours before her former partner attempted to secure bail. 

Falconer was jailed for three years and four months on February 4.

 

Gemma’s devastated family has chosen to release the images as they ask for public support in their campaign to appeal his sentence, as he could be released in six months due to time spent on remand.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Kirsty Robinson, 33, said her ‘confident, funny, outgoing sister’ was ‘a shell of herself’ after the brutal attack. 

 

She said: ‘She was struggling, she was struggling at the thought of having to go and face him. It was eating her up every day.  

‘It was just going on and on. And obviously out of the blue, she did what she did. She just couldn’t take it anymore. 

‘She tried to always put on a front, saying she wanted to face him, but I know deep down she was so scared. 

‘She was a shell of herself, breaking down, not sleeping, just emotionally unstable since the attack.

‘At one stage, she thought about buying a protective dog, this is how frightened she was. ‘She just couldn’t get to grips with what he’d done to her. She would say, “how can someone who loves you do that?”’ 

Joseph Falconer was described in court as a ‘dangerous, jealous and controlling man who took full advantage of the physical strength he has’ 

The mum ‘thought she would die’ as Falconer dragged her into the bathroom and pushed her into the shower cubicle after she returned home from a night out on November 21, 2019. 

Grabbing her under her jawline, he made it difficult for her to breathe as he swore at her and accused her of having sex with another man. 

Ms Walters said: ‘He let go of her neck and then punched her repeatedly in the face. She was unsure how many times she was struck but he was saying “Yeah” repeatedly in a belittling manner while punching her.

‘She manoeuvred her head so it was behind the toilet to prevent further assault. The defendant then spat at her and left the property.’ 

He also smashed up Gemma’s TV and stole £500 to spend on online gambling during his stay with her. 

 

Kirsty added: ‘It’s awful seeing my family go through this. It’s not fair this has happened anyway and now we’re having to fight this sentence. It shouldn’t be like this, justice should have been served the day he was sentenced.’

'He’s a nasty man, he’s a very dangerous violent man. If you give these light sentences, where they going to learn from it? ‘Her mental health didn’t seem to come into the sentencing at all of. A domestic abuse victim’s mental health is at stake for years after somebody has done that to them.  ‘I think this is where it needs to be looked at more. It doesn’t just go away. The victim suffers for a long time, even a lifetime, from the impact.’

NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA: FIRST AFRICAN AND FIRST WOMAN TO LEAD WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

 Ngozi  Okonjo-Iweala, PhD; an  Harvard University graduate was appointed Monday to  be the next director-general of the World Trade Organization. She is the first African and the first woman to lead the body, which governs trade rules between nations.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a former two-time Nigerian finance minister,  earned her PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

During her first term as Minister of Finance under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, she spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club that led to the wiping out of US$30 billion of Nigeria’s debt, including the outright cancellation of US$18 billion.

Okonjo-Iweala said she was "honoured" to be selected to lead the organization, and vowed to take on global economic and health challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

"A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again," Okonjo-Iweala said.

"Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today," she added.

Okonjo-Iweala has received numerous recognition and awards. She has been listed as one of the 50 Greatest World Leaders (Fortune, 2015), the Top 100 Most Influential People in the World (TIME, 2014), the Top 100 Global Thinkers (Foreign Policy, 2011 and 2012),[93] the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (Forbes, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014),[94] the Top 3 Most Powerful Women in Africa (Forbes, 2012), the Top 10 Most Influential Women in Africa (Forbes, 2011) etc. the Top 100 Women in the World.etc.

She is married to Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon from Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria. They have four children.

 

FORMER SUPER EAGLES DEFENDER YISA SOFOLUWE PASSES ON @ 53

Former Super Eagles defender, Yisa Shofoluwe ,53,has been reported dead.

The Punch had reported the former left-back was initially diagnosed of mild cerebral atrophy at the Prince and Life Medical Hospital, Ikorodu, Lagos, but was moved to LUTH last Friday after his medical condition worsened.

Shofoluwe played 40 matches and scored one goal for Nigeria; he was a member of Nigerian the Seoul ‘84 Olympics and also featured at 84 and 88 AFCON.

Shofoluwe starred for Abiola Babes of Abeokuta, played professional football in Belgium and was an assistant coach for the Golden Eaglets under Alphonsus Dike.

He was also an assistant coach at Gateway Football Club of Abeokuta

“We lost a gem again in the legendary Yisa Otobo Shofoluwe minister of defence rest in peace,” former star player of Stationery Stores and friend to Sofoluwe, Taiwo Oloyede said Tuesday night

 

BISHOP WITH THE SWAGGER: SIR SHINA PETERS ORDAINED A BISHOP

Afro Juju Creator, Sir Shina Peters, has been ordained a bishop of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church.

The legendary Mega-Superstar was ordained at a ceremony held at a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in the Iju area of Lagos on Saturday.

The singer shared a video and photo of his ordination on his Instagram handle on Sunday with the caption, ‘‘Bishop with the swagger. God above all.”

Congratulations brother

 

SHOUT-OUT: GUEST DISCOVERS MULTIPLES CAMERA SECRETLY HIDDEN IN THEIR HOTEL ROOMS (VIDEO)

Guests who lodged in a hotel in Aiyepe, Ogun state; to be precise Pavilion Hotel ,Aiyepe, have gone on Instagram to express outrage after finding cameras secretly hidden in the rooms they lodged in the hotel.

 

The occupants of the rooms who discovered 5 cameras in the rooms they lodged in. 

 

 The question is why would any Hotel installed camera in their rooms? What for? 

The Pavilion Hotel management,Aiyepe, was accused of installing cameras in their rooms and inside each room AC (Air conditions) so lodgers won’t suspect or see the cameras. 

 Are they trying to see their nakedness and use it to blackmail them there after ?

The police needs to investigate the Hotel management. .

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

JUDGE CRIES AS DNA REVEALS THAT HE'S NOT THE FATHER OF HIS THREE GROWN UP CHILDREN

 A Nigerian High Court Judge,Justice Anthony Ezonfade Okorodas has raised alarm he's not the biological father of the three children he had with his former wife, Celia Juliet Ototo.In a statement last week, he accused his former wife, Juliet Ototo, of cheating during their marriage, which ended 11 years ago.

In a statement released on Thursday, January 28, 2021, the Delta State High Court judge said thus;

PRESS STATEMENT: BY HON. JUSTICE ANTHONY EZONFADE OKORODAS

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, I thank you for attending this press conference. I have taken the decision to address the Press in respect of certain traumatic developments that have arisen between me and my ex-wife, Barrister Celia Juliet Ototo of the Ototo Family of Ovom in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. It is now nearly 11 years since our separation and divorce. This Press Statement is important in order to prevent damaging speculations, half-truths and outright lies from persons who may want to cash in on the tragedy that has befallen my home.

Sometime during the coronavirus lockdowns early last year, I received information from an anonymous source that indicated that the last of the three children from my previous marriage was in fact not my biological child. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions at the time, I had to wait until August 2020 to carry out a DNA test. The DNA test result which came out in September 2020 confirmed that I was not the biological father of the child.

Consequently, I convened a joint meeting between my extended family on the one side, and Celia’s paternal and maternal families (i.e., the Ototo Family of Ovom Town and the Agbagidi Family of Yenagoa Town) on the other side, where I confronted her with the paternity fraud allegation.

Although she initially strongly insisted that I was the biological father, she has since confessed to having the child with another man during the course of our marriage.

This repulsive act of my ex-wife prompted me to conduct DNA tests in respect of the two other children. A few days ago, the results came out. Sadly, none of them is my biological child.

This abomination has caused excruciating mental trauma to me, my present wife, Barrister (Mrs) Ebi Okorodas and all of the innocent children involved. This is particularly so for Ebi, who has had to agree to have DNA tests on the four children of our own marriage. Thankfully, the test results confirm each of them to be my biological child.

It is important to state that Celia walked away from the marriage when her youngest child (who is now 17 years of age) was just 6 years old. Since then, all of her children have lived with my wife, Ebi and I, and we have been wholly responsible for their wellbeing and education.

Friends who are close to my family would readily attest to the fact that unless specifically informed, no one could tell that the children were not the biological children of my present wife.

Ebi and I would continue to support the children in any way that we can. Indeed, even after the release of the first DNA test result which proved that I was not the biological father of the last child, we have continued to pay for his education in a private boarding school. The two other children are University undergraduates. The first, a female, will be a graduate later this year, and the second will soon enter his 4th year of study. We pray for them to overcome the trauma and become responsible citizens of our country.

For Celia and her boyfriend or boyfriends, we leave them to their conscience. Thank you very much.

 

The Hon. Justice Anthony Ezonfade Okorodas, PhD. Judge

High Court of Delta State

January 28, 2021.