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PHOTOS: At Ladoja’s coronation, Tinubu says ‘Nigeria’s economy has turned around’

Published

2 months ago

September 27, 2025

President Bola Tinubu, on Friday in Ibadan, Oyo State, said the economy of Nigeria has turned the corner for good, following the success of the economic reforms introduced by his administration over two years ago.

He assured Nigerians that they would soon begin to enjoy the fruits of the reforms and thanked them for their patience and support.

The President spoke at the coronation of his friend and political ally, His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Sen) Abdul-Rashidi Adewolu Akanmu Ladoja, as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

President Tinubu said the reforms have been successful because of the support, endurance and sacrifices of Nigerians.

“Today, I am honoured to bring the cheering news that our economy has turned around and there is now light at the end of the tunnel,” the President stated.

The President commended the Olubadan of Ibadan for his contributions to Nigeria’s democracy and for overcoming an illegal impeachment as a governor.

Tinubu and Ladoja

“Today is an exciting day for me, Kabiyesi. Happy birthday to you. It is also a happy day for you. As President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is a great honour to witness this history unfold.

“All the things we started together with great expectations, and the history we shared are coming to pass. I pray that you will live long and be celebrated as one of the rare leaders in history to ascend the throne of your forefathers.Lagos property listings

Oba Ladoja

“I pray that God will grant you more years of joy, prosperity and relevance,” the President said.

President Tinubu said that the Olubadan of Ibadanland played a significant role in Nigeria’s political history, and had remained a pillar of hope through the experiences of impeachment, perseverance and resilience as a former governor of the state.Lagos property listings

He thanked all former and serving governors, and traditional rulers for attending the coronation.

Tinubu

“It is a joy and great excitement for us. I appreciate you all. As for me, this is homecoming,” he stated.

Governor Seyi Makinde presented the new Olubadan, a former governor of the state and a senator, with the staff of office and a certificate.

Governor Makinde said Oba Ladoja’s coronation has ended the disputes among families regarding who occupies traditional thrones.

“It is a great honour to celebrate the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland. All sons and daughters of the state at home and in the diaspora are proud of this historic moment. We must uphold our tradition.

“I also want to say all challenges associated with the Ibadan traditional institution are now over, and put behind us. This means that the process is now sacrosanct,” the governor said.

The Governor thanked the President for taking the time to honour the traditional ruler and the people.

“There is no more rancour about the kingship in Ibadanland, ” the governor added.

Oba Ladoja said his ascension to the throne reflected the race of life and place of destiny.

“I accept not just the paraphernalia of office but also the responsibilities attached to it
“I want to sincerely appreciate my brother and friend, President Bola Tinubu, for honouring me and all the sons and daughters of Ibadanland with his visit here today.

“It is not by power, influence, connection or money that we are here today. I appreciate God for taking me to the finishing line from the starting point as the Mogaji of the all-inclusive Arusa family, Isale Osi, Ibadan, in 1992 till date,” he added.

The Olubadan noted that he would uphold the trust the Olubadan Council members and kingmakers reposed in him while thanking the governor for ratifying his selection.

Some of the dignitaries at the event included the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; the Governor of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji; and the Governor of Osun State, Sen. Ademola Adeleke. The former Governors were Donald Duke of Cross River, Olagunsoye Oyinola of Osun State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, and Senator Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State.

President Tinubu was accompanied to the event by Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service Zacch Adedeji.

The Sultan of Sokoto and co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria, Alhaji Sa’ad Muhammad Abubakar III, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, were also at the ceremony.

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News

TikTok restricts late-night live access for Nigerian users

Published

6 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Newsbreak365_Admin

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.

punch.ng

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News

Nnamdi Kanu acted like Awolowo by disengaging lawyers — Consultant

Published

7 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Newsbreak365_Admin

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.

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News

U.S. Court Jails Nigerian Fraudster Oluwaseun Adekoya To 20 Years For Impersonation And 2M U.S.Dollars Fraud

Published

7 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

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.”

Source: Newsmakerslive

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