Below The Headlines - 101
300% return on a baby and Sadiq Khan in soup over jollof rice
Regret to inform that today’s collection is heavy on the U.S. Department of Justice. As long term readers would know - your one job is to avoid appearing in this newsletter.
This week I wrote about Nigeria’s One Big Beautiful Bill following the signing of the Nigerian Tax Act by President Bola Tinubu. I found what I thought was an under discussed aspect of the bill.
Our latest podcast dropped on Wednesday and it is with friend of the house, Fola Fagbule trying to make the bull case for Nigeria. It’s also proving to be our most popular episode yet. Listen to find out why. Free for 30 days!
Enjoy the usual selection below.
Nigerian Media
Things are this bad now?
A growing number of Nigerian bank customers are opting to disable their SMS alert services, citing the rising costs as a major concern, Daily Trust can report.
The SMS alert service, which notifies account holders of transactions such as withdrawals, deposits, and transfers, has been a vital security feature. However, escalating fees associated with these alerts have made many customers reconsider their use.
Daily Trust reports that the federal government had approved for the telecommunications service providers to increase their tariffs across board.
This was followed by an increase in the maximum allowable SMS alert fee that banks can charge customers.
The increment took effect from May 1, 2025 and since then there has been an influx of customers opting out of the SMS service.
‘Dear Valued Customer’
“Please be informed that effective Thursday, May 1 2025, the SMS transaction alert fee will increase from ₦4 to ₦6 per message. This adjustment is due to a recent increase in telecom rates as communicated by the telecommunication service providers”, one of the banks had said in an email message to its customers.
An interview with the late MKO Abiola’s son contains this bizarre passage:
They usually begged him for shelter, school fees and even with food. They used to come and line up in front of this house every month to collect their allowances. My father would get some of them apartments or a house. Then they began to call themselves Mrs. Abiola, even though many of them were not. They would change their children’s names to Abiola and that was why my father wrote in his will that DNA test had to be done for all those who claimed to be his children.
About 120 children came forward to say they were MKO’s children but only 54 of them passed the DNA test at the end of the day (meaning 66 failed). So it was these women who were the ones coming to him and not him going around looking for them. When my father was alive back then, we saw women outside the house everyday.
About 10 to 15 different women, with different shapes and complexion, would come to see him for one thing or the other everyday. I think the main lesson I learnt from my dad was holding fast to religion.
Kind of sad. People know that education has some value but they just don’t know how to deliver that value:
The Sokoto State Government has issued a strong warning to secondary school principals across the state against the illegal collection of examination fees from students, following widespread complaints from parents and members of the public.
In a press release signed by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Ahmad Ladan Ala, the ministry expressed concerns over reports that some schools heads were still demanding payments from students before granting them access to sit for their examinations.
The ministry described the act as a clear violation of the directive of the Governor of Sokoto State, Dr. Ahmad Aliyu, whom it clarified had already approved and fully settled all examination fees for students statewide.
This includes the payment of outstanding debts inherited from the previous administration.
“No principal has the authority to collect any form of examination fee from any student,” the statement stressed, adding that, “Any student denied access to write an exam due to non-payment should immediately report to their parents or guardians, who are in turn advised to contact the ministry directly.”
Not many things will give you a 3x return like this in Nigeria:
The Anambra State Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Offences Court in Awka has ordered the remand of a 72-year-old medical doctor, Daniel Ikebuilo, alongside two women, Ifunanya Ogbonna, 23, and Chidiogo Ogbonna, 20, over alleged child theft and illegal sale.
The three defendants pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, child stealing, and unlawful sale of a minor.
Presiding Chief Magistrate U.E. Onochie directed that the accused persons be remanded at the Awka Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to August 13 for a ruling on their bail application.
According to the prosecution counsel, Chinyere Okechukwu, the incident occurred on April 30 at Okpoko in Onitsha. She told the court that the two female defendants conspired and fraudulently took a seven-year-old boy from his mother, Kosarachukwu Okpala.
“They sold the boy to the doctor for N700,000, and the doctor later re-sold the child for N2.3 million,” Okechukwu said.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Nigerian banks have once again started allowing customers to make international payments using their naira-denominated debit cards, following a long pause due to foreign exchange pressures.
Until recently, only Providus Bank used to allowed its premium customers to use naira cards for dollar payments abroad.
But now, Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), United Bank for Africa (UBA), and Wema Bank, Stanbic IBTC, and others have joined in, reopening access for customers to use their naira cards for global transactions.
GTBank, in a message to customers, explained that its Naira card now has a quarterly international spending limit of $1,000, enabling “you to pay for your favourite items anywhere in the world.”
“This limit includes up to $500 for ATM withdrawals abroad and up to $1,000 for online and POS transactions. Please note that the $1,000 quarterly cap applies to all international transactions, including cash withdrawals, online purchases, POS payments outside Nigeria, and other related services,” it stated.
What is “Marching Ground”?
The Benue State Taskforce on Illegal Levies and Criminality has arrested a well-known Marching Ground operator, Ade Simon Kator, for allegedly extorting N500,000 from a local pastor.
Kator, who lives behind Hotel Lucia in Achusa, reportedly demanded the money from Pastor Ogbu Emmanuel of Again and Afresh Church under the guise of a Marching Ground fee.
After receiving the payment, the suspect allegedly organized local youths to harass workers at the church’s construction site, disrupting construction and demanding further “youth levies” while threatening to damage the building.
Upon receiving a distress call, the Taskforce quickly acted, apprehending Kator, who subsequently admitted to the offense.
He has been handed over to the Police Area Command in Makurdi to face prosecution.
She never donates less than N1 billion. A very kind mother of the nation:
The first lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated the sum of N1 billion to the victims of the recent attacks in Plateau State, with the condition that this will be the last time she will respond to such a situation.
Senator Tinubu, who frowned at the persistent crises in the state, said that her heart bled each time she heard about killings, violence, or bloodshed in any part of the country.
The first lady, who was on a sympathy visit to Plateau State over the recent attacks in some communities, appealed to all stakeholders in Plateau State to find a lasting solution to the incessant killings, especially to protect children and women who do not bear arms and constitute a productive part of society.
“Today, I am here not just to give money, but to appeal to the men of this land to protect us. We women do not fight. Women, do you fight? We do not carry arms. But we are asking you, as men, to protect us, to ensure that our children can live in peace and grow up without fear. What legacy do you want to leave behind?
“I want to stress that this is the last time I will visit Plateau State to give money or aid. My desire is to visit here in the future to enjoy the beauty of Plateau’s tourism. The last time I visited, it was the speaker’s wife who represented me.
Why are people climbing telecoms masts in Bauchi?
Bauchi State Police Command has warned members of the public, particularly young and overzealous individuals, mostly political urchins, over the trend of climbing telecommunications masts for political reasons.
The Command PPRO, CSP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, who disclosed this, said, “Recently, the Command has reported three significant cases where individuals attempted to commit suicide by scaling communication masts.
“This perilous and reckless behaviour has culminated in several incidents, prompting the Command to take decisive action, henceforth.
“The first incident occurred on 16th June 2025, at about 12:00 hours, when one Adamu Salisu, a 22-year-old known as ‘Sarkin Malaman Samarin Muda Lawal Market’ ascended a network mast located near Kofar Dumi Primary School.
“He declared that he would not descend until Alhaji Bala Wunti returned his call to announce his candidacy for gubernatorial office in 2027.
“The second incident occurred on 18th June 2025, at around 13:00 hours. Usman Nanu, a 35-year-old resident of the Kofar Dumi area of Bauchi metropolis, climbed a network mast at the same site to express his unwarranted support for the incumbent Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.
What a story:
In a dramatic turn of events in Kano, the families of the young couple who recently conducted a secret wedding without parental consent have now agreed to a new, formal ceremony in line with Islamic teachings.
The breakthrough came after Fatima’s father authorized the local commander of the Hisbah Board in Kano Municipal to act as her guardian (waliyyi) for the renewed marriage process.
This decision followed an initiative by residents of Yakasai — the community where the initial incident took place — who came together to raise the bride price of ₦150,000.
The funds were deposited into the official account of the Hisbah Board, which will now oversee and officiate the new marriage in accordance with Islamic rites.
Yusif Garba, a key figure in coordinating the bride price collection, said the community felt compelled to support the young couple, who had acted out of naivety. He emphasized the importance of guiding such youths rather than condemning them.
Confirming the development, Ustaz Hamidan Tanko Alasaka, the chief Hisbah commander for Kano Municipal, said preparations are now underway for the new wedding.
He affirmed that the bride price of ₦150,000 has been paid in full and that the wedding will be conducted soon, this time with full compliance with religious and cultural expectations.
After years of dedicated research, TuFace has finally published his findings:
2Baba also argued that it is “biologically impossible” for men to be sexually committed to one woman.
“I’ll speak for myself, but a man is not built to sexually be with one woman. His heart, love, and respect can be with one woman,” he said.
“But sexually, it is impossible for a man. An individual can decide not to go that route but I’m talking about the biology of men.
“It has gotten so many people into trouble and it’s a simple fact that you need to accept. Because so many heartache and unnecessary stress will be avoided if we understand this simple fact.”
Since his separation, 2Baba has moved on with Natasha Osawaru, a member of the Edo state house of assembly.
Non-Nigerian Media
A story from Australia from last month:
A woman who allegedly lured people from Papua New Guinea to Australia with the promise of fully-funded scholarships has been charged with human trafficking.
Australian Federal Police allege 56-year-old Binta Abubakar forced 15 people — aged between 19 and their mid-30s — to work on farms against their will instead of receiving the education they had been promised.
Police allege she also forced the group to live in "oppressive conditions", including some in shipping containers.
Ms Abubakar, who had been based in PNG since 2023 and worked for what police described as a "legitimate business", was arrested by AFP officers when she got off a flight at Brisbane Airport on Wednesday.
She has since been charged with more than 30 offences, including human trafficking, deceptive recruitment and debt bondage — the most serious of which carries a 12-year term of imprisonment.
[…]
The dual Australian and Nigerian citizen was arrested on Wednesday after arriving at Brisbane Airport on a flight from Papua New Guinea.
Sigh, we go again to the U.S Department of Justice:
A Nigerian national pleaded guilty recently to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States.
According to court documents, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, 41, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before. Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly told a series of lies to victims, including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Akhimie and his co-conspirators allegedly collected money victims sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. Victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. In pleading guilty, Akhimie admitted to defrauding over $6 million from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
Of all the identities you can steal as an illegal immigrant:
The illegal immigrant accused of stealing the identity of South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s wife, Thembeka Mchunu, has been denied bail.
On Thursday, the Empangeni Magistrate’s Court denied 50-year-old Ndubuisi Okeke bail, ruling that releasing him would not serve the interests of justice, as he has a “tendency to commit crimes involving dishonesty”.
The court denied Okeke bail because he is considered a flight risk and is in South Africa illegally.
[…]
Okeke’s case stems from member of parliament and former King Cetshwayo District Municipality mayor Mchunu discovering that she was a victim of identity theft.
The minister’s wife has reportedly been blacklisted and is unable to make any credit transactions as a result.
According to the Zululand Observer, she discovered the fraud after attempting to buy a car in 2023, when her application was declined due to her name being flagged as a bad payer.
Mchunu later discovered that her name, ID number, and banking details had been used illegally to purchase two cellphones from a company in Johannesburg in October 2022.
The breakthrough occurred last month following Okeke’s arrest and subsequent remand in police custody.
Who is having babies in the UK?
The first rise in births since 2021 has been helped by a “notable” jump in the number of babies born to fathers over the age of 60, according to the Office for National Statistics, and a third of births in England and Wales last year were to mothers born overseas.
Some 33.9 per cent of children born in 2024 were born to mothers who were born outside the UK, the highest proportion since records began in 2001, when the figure was 17 per cent. India remained the most common country of birth for foreign-born mothers, having overtaken Romania in 2022. Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh were also in the top ten, along with Iraq, Poland, Ghana, Afghanistan and Albania.
People going hiking in Nigeria are nothing but brave:
A caravan of 100 or so cars snaked onto an unfinished highway and parked in a construction zone.
With no trail post in sight, the unmarked dirt lot outside the Nigerian capital seemed an unlikely place to hike -- but fans of the great outdoors in Abuja have long taken matters into their own hands.
"Most of the trails in Abuja are not properly mapped," said Adebayo Babatunde, founder of Naija Adventurers, adding it was a shame "because nature is a beautiful place where we all need to connect back to".
The group and a handful of others have cropped up to provide a service the government has long left untouched, organising hikes in a city where, despite being ringed by verdant hills, public trails are virtually nonexistent.
More than 400 people made Saturday's trip, a short, 1.5-mile (2.5-kilometre) jaunt up the steep, rocky outcrops that jut out of the central Nigerian plains.
Do you suffer from H-factor? You will suffer no more:
A Nigerian startup using artificial intelligence to build speech transcription platforms for African accents is expanding beyond an initial focus on health care, serving a growing demand for automation across the continent and filling a vital gap left by Silicon Valley tech giants.
Intron began testing speech-to-text models to help doctors with note-taking in Nigeria in 2022 and landed about 40 hospital clients in countries including Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, the company’s founder and chief executive Tobi Olatunji told Semafor.
It has expanded to courtrooms in southwest Nigeria this year, and is testing a rollout for call centers operated by banks and telecom companies where manual documentation eats into productivity, Olatunji said.
Nigerian food in the news yet again:
Sir Sadiq Khan has been accused of dodging questions about London to attend a lunch promoting his tour of Africa.
The London Mayor missed a meeting about his attempt to pedestrianise Oxford Street, choosing instead to visit a Nigerian restaurant.
As the London Assembly voted not to block his proposals, Sir Sadiq was helping to cook traditional dishes at The Flygerians in Peckham, south London, ahead of his five-day tour of Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa later this month.
But during the London Assembly debate, Susan Hall, the leader of the City Hall Conservatives, criticised Sir Sadiq’s no-show.
Ms Hall said: “Apparently, the Mayor is at a Nigerian restaurant. I hope is enjoying his Jollof pot. He is far more interested in Lagos than he is in John Lewis.”
On Thursday, when asked why he would not be able to answer questions earlier, Sir Sadiq replied: “I suspect I’m busy with other things.”
A Grenadian visits Nigeria and writes a guide to the country for his fellow Grenadians. Nice pictures too:
Returning to the mother continent of Africa has always been a dream of mine, but I never thought it would truly be possible due to the cost of travel. However, everything changed when I received a call about an opportunity to cover the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank) 32nd Annual Meetings in Abuja, Nigeria. This opportunity had just become available, and I had only about 3 weeks to gather the necessary travel documentation, including applying for a Nigerian e-visa, which cost around US$193.
[…]
One aspect of the trip that was not enjoyable was having to apply for a Landing Card 48 hours before my flight. This application had to be submitted via the Nigeria Immigration Service e-Portal. Unfortunately, I received an email stating that my application had expired — 4 times — 3 of which occurred in front of a Nigerian immigration officer at the airport. Coupled with poor internet connectivity, this made the entry process quite frustrating. However, it was eventually resolved once I was given access to a stable internet connection. After that, all I had to do was present my passport and explain my reason for visiting Nigeria.
Next, I proceeded to baggage collection and transportation to our hotel, the Abuja Continental. The atmosphere in Nigeria hit me hard — the commotion of being approached by numerous taxi drivers and the sight of heavily armed airport security officers with assault rifles and machine guns was overwhelming. I wasn’t expecting such a frantic scene as delegates were rushed from the airport to their destinations. The security presence was unlike what I was accustomed to, but you could say the same for places like the United States and, to a lesser extent, the UK. Thankfully, the team at AAM Transportation was there to connect us with our designated driver.
After spending the entire day settling into my hotel, I was treated to lunch the next day at the Afreximbank African Trade Centre (AATC). It was my first time tasting the popular Nigerian jollof rice, accompanied by Nigerian eggplant (also called garden egg in Nigeria) stew and smoked fish. I also tried Nigerian beans cake, popularly known as Akara, served with Pap and topped with Peak milk, a type of condensed milk. This is an average Nigerian breakfast, which costs N9,000 and, if converted, would cost US$5.87. As a pescatarian, I couldn’t sample all the delicious foods Nigeria has to offer, but what I did eat was excellent, although a bit spicy. The dishes in Nigeria are bursting with flavour and heat!
Who is Favour Nwaedozi?
Mississippi State women's basketball coach Sam Purcell hinted on June 17 that one more player could be added to next season's roster. That came true on June 30, with the Bulldogs announcing the addition of Nigerian forward Favour Nwaedozi.
The 6-foot-3 Nwaedozi moved to Japan in high school and began her college career there at Mukogawa Women's University. She played this spring in the Kansai Women's Spring Basketball Championship, where she averaged 26 points and 17 rebounds per game.
"Favour has a wow factor," Purcell said in a news release. "She's a versatile post player that can score inside and outside. She's extremely skillful on the court and can defend the full length of the floor. Most importantly, I look forward to seeing our fans fall in love with her million-dollar personality."
Meanwhile back at the U.S Department of Justice:
A Nigerian citizen who was arrested and extradited from the U.K. on an indictment in the Western District of Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Onomen Uduebor, aka Onomen Onohi, 39, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for the scheme to steal and use income tax data for fraud. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “He freely participated in the fraud and had a substantial role in the scheme. Thirty years old is not a young man and he ought to have known better.”
“This defendant participated in a conspiracy that involved tricking companies around the United States, including a Tukwila-based company, into providing W-2 information on their employees. If the targeted Human Resources employee resisted providing the information via email, a schemer berated them via email posing as the company CEO,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This conduct damaged companies, employees, and the Internal Revenue Service. While the IRS caught most of the fake tax refund filings, it left the individual victims with tax headaches and a sense of fear since their identities had been stolen.”
According to the indictment, between February 2016 and April 2017, the conspirators created false emails that appeared to come from a company executive asking the Human Resources Department for the W-2 data. The conspirators manipulated the email so that any reply would go to an email address that they controlled. The conspirators then used the information from the W-2s to file more than 300 bogus tax returns claiming more than $1 million in tax refunds. The conspirators targeted companies across the U.S. in this scheme.
Uduebor admits that he filed 150 of the false tax returns and tracked the refunds and payments to bank accounts that the schemers set up in the names of the victims. While the IRS paid out about $140,000 to the fraudsters, Uduebor says he received only $10,000 from the scheme. The IRS was able to seize some of the money back from the conspirators, so the total restitution owed to the U.S. Treasury is $122,720.
Baby Farm getting some love in the media. I haven’t seen it but I will after reading this:
Though it was released in Nigeria back in March, Baby Farm only became available on Netflix UK on June 20th 2025.
The series follows young Adanna (Onyinye Odokoro), who falls pregnant out of wedlock.
Faced by her parents' reprimanding attitude, she runs from home to find her boyfriend in Lagos, but instead, is seduced by an exploitative baby farming scheme called The Evans Foundation, masquerading as a benevolent NGO.
The Evans Foundation is run by a pair of married British expatriates, who, living in Nigeria, exploit vulnerable pregnant women for profit.
Adanna and her similarly imprisoned peers, including Ebun (Genoveva Umeh) and Emem (Ruby Akubeze), discover that at the heart of the Evans Foundation is a sinister operation with a hidden agenda.
'The series draws chilling parallels to real-life horrors, grounded by a powerful performance from Onyinye Odokoro as Adanna, a woman pushed to the edge, yet never backing down,' said Black Film Wire in their review.
'But it's Genoveva Umeh that left me cold. Her portrayal of Ebun isn't just haunting - it's the kind of performance that burrows under your skin and refuses to leave: layered, grounded, and absolutely haunting.'
Other compared the show to dystopian hit The Handmaid's Tale, which sees women oppressed by a Christian theocracy and forced to carry babies for the rich and powerful amid a global fertility crisis.
The Lagos-set series aims to highlight the reality of women trapped in exploitative baby factory institutions across the world.
Final one today from the US authorities and this one is a big one:
The Justice Department today announced the results of its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants, including 96 doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other licensed medical professionals, in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the United States, for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes involving over $14.6 billion in intended loss. The Takedown involved federal and state law enforcement agencies across the country and represents an unprecedented effort to combat health care fraud schemes that exploit patients and taxpayers.
Demonstrating the significant return on investment that results from health care fraud enforcement efforts, the government seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency, and other assets as part of the coordinated enforcement efforts. As part of the whole-of-government approach to combating health care fraud announced today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) also announced that it successfully prevented over $4 billion from being paid in response to false and fraudulent claims and that it suspended or revoked the billing privileges of 205 providers in the months leading up to the Takedown. Civil charges against 20 defendants for $14.2 million in alleged fraud, as well as civil settlements with 106 defendants totaling $34.3 million, were also announced as part of the Takedown.
[…]
Olatunbosun Osukoya, 67, of Plano, Texas, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with the submission of over $25 million in false and fraudulent medical claims to Medicare, TRICARE, and other insurers for electroencephalogram (EEG) testing. As alleged in the indictment, Osukoya, the owner of Ayo Biometrics, LLC d/b/a Cambridge Diagnostics, sought out individuals with insurance plans to undergo expensive EEG testing and recruited and paid kickbacks and bribes to physicians and others to refer patients to Cambridge Diagnostics. To conceal the scheme and to make it appear that the services were necessary, Osukoya and his co-conspirators allegedly falsified diagnoses and falsely labeled kickback payments as loans, medical directorships, and consultation fees, among other things. Osukoya, through Cambridge Diagnostics, was paid over $5 million for the claims and is alleged to have paid out over $450,000 in illegal kickbacks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
United States Attorney’s Office