An Abuja based lawyer, Jacob Solomon Agada has petitioned the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Bala Abubakar over alleged unlawful arrest, detention and torture of his client’s workers in Abuja by some Air Force personnel over a land dispute, in respect of which a suit is currently pending before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The land dispute is said to be between one Sheik Jibril Ibrahim and Stats Global Homes Ltd on one side and Alhaji Manir Lawal and three others on the other side, with the suit now pending before Justice Othman Musa of High Court No 7 of the FCT.
Agada said despite the pendency of the suit, marked FCTHC/CV/3844/2024, a group of Air Force personnel led by the Provost, Nigeria Air Force Camp, Mogadishu Barrack, Asokoro, Abuja, Flight Lieutenant Hussein Habib Denja, unlawfully dabbled into the property dispute with invasion and forceful abduction of workers of his client, Stats Global Homes Ltd, the 2nd plaintiff in the suit.
In the petition received by the office of the Chief of Air Staff on July 25, the said Flight Lieutenant Hussein was alleged to have taken sides with Alhaji Manir Lawal with the arrest of his clients’ workers twice and taken them to unlawful custody.
Agada alleged that the said Provost engaged in gross abuse of office on July 22, when he led a team of armed Air Force personnel and several young Airforce officers and invaded the premises of his Client’s property purportedly acting on the prompting of Alhaji Manir Lawal, the Ist Defendant in the pending court case.
The lawyer claimed that without any lawful justification or judicial backing, the said military personnel forcefully invaded his client’s property at plot 1317 and 1328, Extension I11 B Layout, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, FCT-Abuja, arrested three staff members and bundled them to the Air Force facility at Mogadishu Barracks for unlawful detention.
He said while efforts were being made to secure the release of the three workers, the same Flight Lieutenant Hussein Habib Denja in company of one Flight Lieutenant A. A. Abdulahi., a regular officer in Charge of Regiment Personnel, came back with additional troops and forcefully abducted two other unarmed workers and brutally assaulted them.
Agada claimed that the last two abducted workers, Omeje Usman Eneojo and one Sunday are currently on admission at Kubwa General Hospital, where they are receiving treatment for severe injuries inflicted on them during the unlawful assault.
He pleaded photographic evidence of attacks against the workers and their medical reports to establish the case of unprofessional conduct against the Air Force personnel.
The lawyer therefore demanded a full scale probe into the alleged unprofessional conduct of the personnel with a view to fish them out for sanctions.
He also demanded a sum of N300 million compensation for the victims of the unlawful arrest and detention as well as public apologies.
The lawyer threatened to take legal action against NAF should it refuse to meet the demands of the victims within 7 days of receipt of the petition.
The petition obtained by our correspondent read in part “We are Solicitors to Stats Global Homes Limited, the 2nd Claimant in the above mentioned suit, and beneficial owner of Plots 1317 and 1328, Extension I11 B Layout, Kubwa, Bwari Area Council, FCT-Abuja, hereinafter referred to as “our client.”
“We write upon our Client’s instructions and in utmost concern over a disturbing and unlawful incident that occurred on the 22nd day of July, 2025.
“On the said date, a certain Flight Lieutenant Hussein Habib Denja, a Direct Short Service Commission (DSSC) – Officer In Charge of the Provost Squadron (OC Provost) 053 HQ NAF Camp, Asokoro, Abuja and one Flight Lieutenant A. A Abdullahi a Regular Officer from NDA. The Officer In Charge of Regiment Personnel (OC Regiment) 053 HQ NAF Camp Abuja, led a team of armed Nigerian Air Force personnel and several young Airforce personnel to the premises of our Client, purportedly acting on the prompting of Alhaji Manir Lawal, the Ist Defendant in the above-referenced suit, which is currently pending before Court No. 7 of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
“Without any lawful justification or judicial backing, the said military personnel forcefully invaded our client’s property and arrested three staff members, who were subsequently taken to the Air Force facility at Mogadishu Barracks.
“Disturbingly, the same Flight Lieutenant Hussein Habib Denja in company of one Flight Lieutenant A. A. Abdulahi, a regular officer in Charge of Regiment Personnel (O. C. Regiment) 053 HQ NAF Camp, Asokoro, Abuja later mobilized additional troops, returned to a building adjacent to our client’s property and abducted two other unarmed members after
brutal assault and taken them away.
“The names of the victims are Omeje Usman Eneojo and one Sunday and are currently on admission at Kubwa General Hospital, where they are receiving treatment for severe injuries sustained in the unlawful assault.
“Photographic evidence and medical reports will be tendered during trial.
“This act of flagrant abuse of military power, carried out under the leadership of the personnel does not only undermine the sanctity of the judiciary and its processes but also violates the constitutional rights of our client’s staff to dignity of persons and protection from unlawful arrest and torture.
“We hereby state unequivocally that the Nigerian Air Force has no legal mandate to intervene in civil land matters;
“That the actions of the named officers, leading other personnel constitute contempt of court and a reckless attempt to use state apparatus to favor one party in an ongoing suit.
“That this conduct erodes public trust in the neutrality and professionalism of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“In view of the above, we respectfully demand the following:
“An immediate comprehensive investigation into the actions of Provost H.E. Hussein and all military personnel involved in the illegal operation of 22nd July 2025;
“Administrative sanctions and disciplinary measures against all identified officers;
“A formal apology from the Nigerian Air Force to our Client and the affected staff;
“Full compensation for the physical, emotional, and psychological trauma suffered by the victims valued in the sum of Three Hundred Million Naira only (N300M)
“Please take notice that failure of NAF to act within seven days of your receipt of this letter will leave us with no option but to proceed with legal action before the competent Court of law and petition the National Human Rights Commission and the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) without further notice.
Although Justice Othman Musa has slated suit in respect of the property for hearing, efforts to get reactions of the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame to the alleged unlawful invasion, arrest and detention of the victims were unsuccessful.
The NAF spokesperson did not respond to several calls and messages put through her cell phone.
The Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf had assigned the case on the disputed property to Justice Othman Musa for determination before the alleged unlawful involvement of the NAF personnel in the land dispute between civilians.
TikTok has temporarily restricted access to its LIVE feature for users in Nigeria during late-night hours, issuing an in-app notice to creators as part of what it described as an ongoing safety investigation.
At midnight Nigerian time on Sunday, the platform sent a system notification to users stating,”LIVE Notices
TikTok LIVE Update in Nigeria
We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected.”
File Copy: The notification gotten by the app users in Nigeria
Checks by PUNCH Online showed that LIVE sessions, which were active earlier in the night, became inaccessible between 11pm and 5am, with affected accounts displaying a “No Access” label.
The restriction also prevented creators from viewing LIVE broadcasts from other countries.
Only creators with at least 1,000 followers, the minimum requirement to host a LIVE session, received the notification.
Several confirmed that all LIVE activities had been halted overnight.
Despite the disruption, creators who earn through LIVE gifting have their balances and previous earnings intact, easing concerns of financial loss.
As of Monday morning, LIVE access had been restored, sparking discussions across social media as users speculated about the cause of the sudden, nationwide restriction.
Night-time hours are typically peak periods for Nigerian streamers who host matches, entertainment segments, trends and other interactive sessions that attract viewers and virtual gifts.
The development comes weeks after TikTok released updated safety statistics for West Africa.
During its West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, the company disclosed that in the second quarter of 2025, it took action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators globally for violating its LIVE Monetisation guidelines.
In Nigeria alone, 49,512 LIVE sessions were banned within the same period.
TikTok also reported removing 3,780,426 videos in Nigeria between April and June 2025 for breaching Community Guidelines, with 98.7% taken down before being viewed and 91.9% removed within 24 hours.
TikTok Live is an in-app feature letting users broadcast in real-time, fostering direct engagement with viewers through comments and virtual gifts, unlike pre-recorded videos, creating interactive sessions for Q&As, talent showcases, or just chatting.
To go live, you generally need 1,000+ followers (though sometimes less), be at least 16 (18 to earn money), have a clean account, and use the ‘+’ button to select ‘LIVE’, adding a title and effects before starting.
Aloy Ejimakor, legal consultant to the convicted leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra , Nnamdi Kanu, has likened him to the late Premier of the Old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, over his decision to represent himself in court.
In a conversation with our correspondent on Sunday, Ejimakor suggested that Kanu’s refusal to hire lawyers may be delaying the filing of his appeal against his life imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“MNK has not filed his appeal yet because he has refused to hire lawyers. You know he disengaged us as his lawyers, so we now act in the capacity of a consultant. I am a consultant to him,” Ejimakor said. “I don’t know why he does not want a lawyer, but I believe it is because he is a great man. Many great men are like that. They believe you can’t present their case like they can themselves. Even Awolowo refused to hire lawyers in his time. MNK wants to represent himself, and there are about four or five processes he has to follow to file the appeal before the Appellate Court.”
Ejimakor also backed Kanu’s request to be tranferred to Abuja from the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
He said, “The court already said he can’t be in Kuje prison, so that is fine, but he needs to be closer to Abuja, so if the court will grant his motion to be transferred to Suleja prison or Keffi. To me, there is nothing special about any prison in Nigeria. They are all the same, but MNK needs to be close to Abuja.”
During his trial, Kanu opted to represent himself after disengaging his legal team, headed by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi (SAN).
On November 20, the court found him guilty on all seven terrorism-related charges brought by the Federal Government and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Following his sentencing, Kanu was moved to the Sokoto correctional Facility due to concerns for his safety at Kuje, where previous prison breaks had been recorded.
He later filed a motion before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court seeking a transfer from Sokoto to a custodial facility closer to Abuja, such as Suleja or Keffi.
In the motion, personally signed by him, Kanu asked that it be deemed moved in absentia and sought an order compelling the Federal Government or Nigerian Correctional Service to effect the transfer.
Citing eight grounds in the motion marked FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, Kanu explained that his detention in Sokoto—over 700 kilometres from Abuja—made it impracticable to prepare his notice of appeal and record of appeal.
He stressed that all persons critical to assisting him, including relatives, associates, and legal consultants, are based in Abuja.
“The applicant’s continued detention in Sokoto renders his constitutional right to appeal impracticable, occasioning exceptional hardship and potentially defeating the said right, in violation of Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended),” the motion stated.
Kanu argued that transferring him to a facility nearer Abuja would enable him to effectively prosecute his constitutionally guaranteed right of appeal.
A U.S. federal court has sentenced Oluwaseun Adekoya, a Nigerian serial fraudster who operated under multiple aliases while running a sprawling nationwide bank-fraud and money-laundering enterprise, to 20 years in prison for masterminding schemes that stole and laundered more than $2 million through a network of impersonators, fake accounts, and coordinated withdrawals across several states.
Adekoya’s arrest and conviction capped years of sophisticated financial crimes that federal investigators say left a trail of victims stretching from New York to multiple U.S. states.
The case broke open after the State Employees Federal Credit Union (SEFCU), headquartered in Albany, New York, detected a pattern of suspicious impersonation transactions across Capital Region branches. SEFCU’s alert triggered a multi-agency federal investigation led by the FBI’s Albany Field Office, which eventually exposed Adekoya as the mastermind of an extensive identity-theft and bank-fraud ring involving at least 13 accomplices.
Investigators said Adekoya consistently reinvented himself with new identities, new roles, and new operational tactics, as he expanded the criminal enterprise. His run ended on December 12, 2023, when FBI agents executed a search warrant at his luxury apartment.
During the raid, Adekoya attempted to remotely wipe the primary cellphone used to coordinate the schemes. Agents nevertheless recovered a trove of incriminating evidence, including:
• Multiple burner phones
• High-end luxury items such as Rolex watches
• A $51,000 Tiffany engagement ring
• Designer handbags
• More than $26,000 sitting in a laundering account
All items have since been forfeited.
Following two superseding indictments that added charges and additional defendants, Adekoya was convicted on multiple fraud and money-laundering counts. He has remained in custody since his arrest.
In addition to the 20-year sentence, he will serve five years of supervised release, pay over $2.2 million in restitution, remit a $1,100 special assessment, and faces removal from the United States upon completing his prison term.
Federal prosecutors said the ring relied on coordinated identity theft, impersonation of account holders, and strategic branch-by-branch withdrawals. Accomplices posed as legitimate bank customers, using stolen personal data to siphon funds, which were then laundered through controlled accounts, cash couriers, and luxury purchases.
The ring’s operations were “structured, disciplined, and highly adaptive,” investigators said, changing methods frequently to avoid detection.
Thirteen co-conspirators earlier pleaded guilty to roles ranging from impersonation to cash-movement, account manipulation, and logistical support. Their sentences include:
• David Daniyan, 61 (Brooklyn): 54 months’ imprisonment, one year supervised release, restitution over $2.2m. • Kani Bassie, 36 (Brooklyn): 11 years’ imprisonment, five years supervised release; restitution pending. • Davon Hunter, 27 (Richmond): 42 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, $469,499.18 restitution. • Christian Quivers, 20 (Richmond): 42 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, $385,650 restitution. • Jermon Brooks, 20 (Richmond): 36 months’ imprisonment, two years supervised release, $385,650 restitution. • Akeem Balogun, 56 (Brooklyn): 21 months’ imprisonment, two years supervised release, $262,200 restitution. • Victor Barriera, 64 (Bronx): Time served, three years supervised release, $203,352 restitution. • Danielle Cappetti, 46 (Bronx): Time served, three years supervised release, $142,796 restitution. • Jerjuan Joyner, 50 (Brooklyn): 12 months’ imprisonment, three years supervised release, $135,998 restitution. • Gaysha Kennedy, 46 (Brooklyn): Time served, two years supervised release, $24,500 restitution. • Crystal Kurschner, 44 (Brooklyn): Time served, three years supervised release, $220,850 restitution. • Sherry Ozmore, 56 (Richmond): Time served, three years supervised release, $229,303.18 restitution. • Lesley Lucchese, 53 (Manhattan): Pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing in 2026.
U.S. prosecutors say the dismantling of Adekoya’s syndicate underscores the increasing sophistication of fraud networks operating across state lines, and the growing cooperation among federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies to disrupt them.
Officials noted that the investigation required extensive coordination across jurisdictions and financial institutions, describing it as “a model of inter-agency effectiveness.”
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