Thursday, November 5, 2026
Video - Nigeria faces rising heat threat as El Niño raises health fears
Nigeria could record an estimated 31,400 additional heat-related deaths between September 2026 and February 2027, as concerns grow over an intense El Niño. With millions lacking reliable electricity and affordable cooling, vulnerable households and businesses face mounting risks from extreme temperatures.
14 Nigerian-Americans secure victories in US midterm elections
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa identified 14 Nigerian-Americans among the winners of the State elections.
Their victories span Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Connecticut, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington, with the successful candidates emerging at different levels of government.
Mrs Dabiri-Erewa congratulated the politicians in a post on X on Wednesday.
“Hearty congratulations to Nigerian Americans who won elections in the US. Wishing all of them great success,” Ms Dabiri-Erewa wrote.
Among those listed are Segun Adeyina and Gabe Okoye, who secured seats in the Georgia House of Representatives for Districts 110 and 102, respectively.
Others include Solomon Adesanya and Phil Olaleye, representing Georgia’s 43rd and 59th districts.
In Maryland, Will Jawando was listed as the winner of the Montgomery County executive position, while Esther Agbaje secured a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 59B.
Ukeme Awakessien-Jeter was listed as the winner in Ohio’s House District 7, while Junior Ezeonu secured Texas House District 101.
The list also includes Olaleye Onikuyide, who won Connecticut House District 19, and Justin Onwenu, who secured Michigan State Senate District 1.
Janelle Anyanonu emerged victorious in New Mexico’s House District 19, while Carol Kazeem won Pennsylvania House District 159.
The other candidates are Odus Evbagharu, who secured Texas House District 135, and Oye Owolewa, who won an at-large seat on the Washington Council.
By Beloved John, Premium Times
Their victories span Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Connecticut, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington, with the successful candidates emerging at different levels of government.
Mrs Dabiri-Erewa congratulated the politicians in a post on X on Wednesday.
“Hearty congratulations to Nigerian Americans who won elections in the US. Wishing all of them great success,” Ms Dabiri-Erewa wrote.
Among those listed are Segun Adeyina and Gabe Okoye, who secured seats in the Georgia House of Representatives for Districts 110 and 102, respectively.
Others include Solomon Adesanya and Phil Olaleye, representing Georgia’s 43rd and 59th districts.
In Maryland, Will Jawando was listed as the winner of the Montgomery County executive position, while Esther Agbaje secured a seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives, representing District 59B.
Ukeme Awakessien-Jeter was listed as the winner in Ohio’s House District 7, while Junior Ezeonu secured Texas House District 101.
The list also includes Olaleye Onikuyide, who won Connecticut House District 19, and Justin Onwenu, who secured Michigan State Senate District 1.
Janelle Anyanonu emerged victorious in New Mexico’s House District 19, while Carol Kazeem won Pennsylvania House District 159.
The other candidates are Odus Evbagharu, who secured Texas House District 135, and Oye Owolewa, who won an at-large seat on the Washington Council.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
London court rejects ex-Nigeria governor's appeal in corruption case
James Ibori, who enjoys occasional access to President Bola Tinubu and remains influential in oil-producing Delta State, served more than four years in jail in Britain after his 2012 conviction.
He had pleaded guilty to laundering tens of millions of dollars in stolen public funds through British banks and properties during his time as governor of Delta from 1999 to 2007.
In 2023, a lower London criminal court ordered that £101.5 million ($136.05 million) of his assets should be confiscated. It was one of the largest confiscation orders imposed on an individual in British legal history.
Ibori appealed, seeking to have it reduced by some £4.3 million, but on Tuesday the Court of Appeal rejected his lawyer’s arguments.
The appeal has been holding up the confiscation. It should now go ahead, unless Ibori seeks to appeal to the Supreme Court.
He told Reuters he was speaking to his lawyers to decide his next steps. He also said it had been a very long time since his troubles started. “Give me a break,” he added.
In his heyday as governor, Ibori was a household name in Nigeria and a powerful figure, given Delta’s importance to the national economy.
After a joint investigation into his financial affairs by Nigerian and British anti-corruption police, he left Nigeria for Dubai, and was extradited from there to Britain in 2011.
After his guilty plea in 2012, he received a 13-year prison sentence. Taking into account both pre- and post-trial detention, he served about half of it.
He was released in late 2016 and returned to Nigeria in early 2017.
U.S. turns to Africa for help fighting a global threat after Americans lose $148 billion in just one year, with Zuckerberg’s Meta under fire
To combat an escalating global wave of online scams, romance fraud, and transnational cybercrime, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Michael Gonzales recently traveled to Abuja, Nigeria, to meet with senior government and law enforcement officials.
This diplomatic mission comes at a crucial moment for the U.S., as a alarming report from the Consumer Federation of America revealed that Americans lost an estimated $148.2 billion to digital fraud last year costing an average of $1,009 per household.
With financial harm reaching unprecedented levels, American authorities are expanding overseas law enforcement partnerships while major tech platforms like Mark Zuckerberg's Meta face mounting pressure over their alleged role in enabling fraudulent activity.
Rising fraud losses hit the U.S. while Meta faces growing scrutiny
The surge in financial crime includes cryptocurrency schemes, romance fraud, and AI-enabled scams, with total losses exceeding initial law enforcement estimates.
According to the Consumer Federation of America, the true financial cost of online scams is over seven times higher than the losses officially reported to the FBI in 2025.
Over half of all reported losses involved cryptocurrency, while newly measured artificial intelligence fraud added another $6.3 billion in damages.
Social media networks remain the primary channel for scam operations, with platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta accounting for the top three spots in scam reports.
Facebook (57%), Instagram (22%), and WhatsApp (8%). Investigative reports have further claimed that internal Meta estimates indicate that approximately 10% of its annual revenue (roughly $16 billion) stems from advertisements promoting fraudulent schemes and prohibited goods.
As public outrage grows, consumer advocate organizations and local prosecutors have filed major lawsuits against Meta for failing to sufficiently protect users from deceptive ads.
Ben Winters, Director of AI and Data Privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, emphasized the need for corporate responsibility, stating, "This update shows that the troubling trend of rapidly increasing scam losses continues while tech companies are too often allowed to avoid accountability".
Winters added that resolving the crisis "demands additional bold action through legislation, enforcement, and public education at every level, including holding tech companies accountable for the role they play in enabling online scams".
The U.S. and Nigeria deepen joint operations to dismantle cybercrime networks
To effectively combat cross-border offenses like romance scams and financially motivated sextortion, federal agencies in the U.S. have built direct, operational alliances with law enforcement bodies in Nigeria.
During his visit to Abuja, Michael Gonzales met with leaders from Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force to accelerate real-time intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and criminal extraditions.
This international law enforcement collaboration is already delivering significant results.
Since 2022, the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Abuja and the EFCC have executed 41 extraditions, including recent cases where suspects were extradited from Nigeria to face U.S. federal charges over sextortion schemes targeting American minors.
Michael Gonzales noted that "when the United States and Nigeria combine investigative, diplomatic, and law-enforcement capabilities, international borders do not provide sanctuary to those who prey on our citizens".
Both nations plan to expand proactive measures targeting illicit financial infrastructure, scam networks, and online facilitators before additional victims are targeted.
This diplomatic mission comes at a crucial moment for the U.S., as a alarming report from the Consumer Federation of America revealed that Americans lost an estimated $148.2 billion to digital fraud last year costing an average of $1,009 per household.
With financial harm reaching unprecedented levels, American authorities are expanding overseas law enforcement partnerships while major tech platforms like Mark Zuckerberg's Meta face mounting pressure over their alleged role in enabling fraudulent activity.
Rising fraud losses hit the U.S. while Meta faces growing scrutiny
The surge in financial crime includes cryptocurrency schemes, romance fraud, and AI-enabled scams, with total losses exceeding initial law enforcement estimates.
According to the Consumer Federation of America, the true financial cost of online scams is over seven times higher than the losses officially reported to the FBI in 2025.
Over half of all reported losses involved cryptocurrency, while newly measured artificial intelligence fraud added another $6.3 billion in damages.
Social media networks remain the primary channel for scam operations, with platforms owned by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta accounting for the top three spots in scam reports.
Facebook (57%), Instagram (22%), and WhatsApp (8%). Investigative reports have further claimed that internal Meta estimates indicate that approximately 10% of its annual revenue (roughly $16 billion) stems from advertisements promoting fraudulent schemes and prohibited goods.
As public outrage grows, consumer advocate organizations and local prosecutors have filed major lawsuits against Meta for failing to sufficiently protect users from deceptive ads.
Ben Winters, Director of AI and Data Privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, emphasized the need for corporate responsibility, stating, "This update shows that the troubling trend of rapidly increasing scam losses continues while tech companies are too often allowed to avoid accountability".
Winters added that resolving the crisis "demands additional bold action through legislation, enforcement, and public education at every level, including holding tech companies accountable for the role they play in enabling online scams".
The U.S. and Nigeria deepen joint operations to dismantle cybercrime networks
To effectively combat cross-border offenses like romance scams and financially motivated sextortion, federal agencies in the U.S. have built direct, operational alliances with law enforcement bodies in Nigeria.
During his visit to Abuja, Michael Gonzales met with leaders from Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force to accelerate real-time intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and criminal extraditions.
This international law enforcement collaboration is already delivering significant results.
Since 2022, the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Abuja and the EFCC have executed 41 extraditions, including recent cases where suspects were extradited from Nigeria to face U.S. federal charges over sextortion schemes targeting American minors.
Michael Gonzales noted that "when the United States and Nigeria combine investigative, diplomatic, and law-enforcement capabilities, international borders do not provide sanctuary to those who prey on our citizens".
Both nations plan to expand proactive measures targeting illicit financial infrastructure, scam networks, and online facilitators before additional victims are targeted.
By Awogbemila Temitope, Business Insider Africa
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Video - Lagos fashion week showcases Africa's blend of heritage and modern design
Lagos Fashion Week brought together African designers and fashion enthusiasts to celebrate traditional craftsmanship, bold creativity and contemporary design under the theme "CRAFTED." The event also highlighted the growing potential of Africa's fashion industry, with calls for greater investment, production and global recognition.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)