A United States District Court has sentenced a 34-year-old Nigerian, Adepoju Babatunde Salako, to six and a half years’ imprisonment for his role in a $5m COVID-19 pandemic relief fraud.

PUNCH Metro learnt on Thursday from a statement published on the website of the United States Department of Justice that Salako, who resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was handed a 78-month federal prison term after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

The statement added that as part of his plea agreement, Salako also agreed to plead guilty to seven additional counts of wire fraud in the District of Alaska.

It noted that the court further ordered him to pay $2,581,002.50 in restitution to victims of the fraud.

“The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Adepoju Babatunde Salako, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of money laundering conspiracy.

“As part of the plea agreement, Salako also agreed to plead guilty to seven counts of wire fraud in the District of Alaska. The defendant was ordered to pay $2,581,002.50 in restitution to the victims of his crimes,” the statement read.

According to court documents, Salako participated in the scheme for most of 2021, exploiting economic relief measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Throughout most of the year 2021, Salako was part of a conspiracy that stole more than $5m from the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan programme, and 30 state unemployment programmes through several complex schemes,” the statement added.

Providing further details, the statement said Salako and two accomplices used stolen identities to obtain fraudulent loans and unemployment benefits.

“In one scheme, Salako and two co-conspirators used information belonging to identity theft victims to fraudulently obtain PPP loans and unemployment benefits, and submitted fraudulent applications for EIDL loans.

“Salako’s role was to receive money from romance scam victims and government agencies and launder the proceeds, primarily to China and Nigeria, for a fee of approximately 25 per cent,” it stated.

Reacting to the sentence, the United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, Peter McNeilly, condemned the fraud and reiterated the government’s resolve to prosecute offenders.

“Mr Salako and his criminal associates exploited innocent people and stole millions of dollars from American taxpayers. We are committed to finding and prosecuting fraudsters and, as this sentence demonstrates, these criminals will pay a high price for their actions,” he said.

Also commenting, the Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, Matthew Modafferi, warned that severe penalties await those who abuse public trust.

“The sentence imposed on the defendant stands as a clear warning that serious consequences await anyone who exploits government resources to commit criminal acts,” the statement added.

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Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have abducted more than 300 residents during a deadly attack on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State midnight on Wednesday, forcing thousands of survivors to flee to neigbouring Pulka community, where many have been forced to sleep on roads and in school buildings for fear of further attacks.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that suspected Boko Haram insurgents killed an unspecified number of civilians and abducted several women after launching an attack on a military post in the community.

Sources told our correspondent that the terrorists first stormed the military base in Ngoshe before unleashing violence on residents at about 1am on Wednesday.

Eyewitnesses said the assault lasted for several hours, leaving panic and destruction in its wake, before the air component of Operation Hadin Kai was deployed to repel the attackers and disperse them into the surrounding forest.

They added that the insurgents burnt several houses before retreating.

According to reports on Thursday, the Nigerian military also killed scores of the Boko Haram terrorists after their attack on the Ngoshe military base, which reportedly left nine soldiers dead.

After the raid, surveillance aircraft tracked the insurgents along known escape routes and carried out precision airstrikes on their positions, killing more than 50 fighters, the reports added.

The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, confirmed the attack to The PUNCH, noting that many residents were still unaccounted for.

“Some civilians whose number is yet to be ascertained were affected or killed during the attack. Several others are still missing and may have been abducted and taken towards the Mandara Mountains,” he said.

Daso added that authorities were still working to determine the full extent of the abductions.

“As of now, we have not completed the process of establishing the total number of those taken away. If reports about the Chief Imam being missing are confirmed, we will verify and update you accordingly,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain an update from the spokesperson of the police and the spokesperson of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, were unsuccessful as calls placed to his phone were not answered.

Meanwhile, the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, condemned the attack during an interview with journalists on Thursday, revealing that more than 100 residents were still missing.

According to the senator, the insurgents overran the military formation in Ngoshe before unleashing violence on the community.

“The military base in the community (Ngoshe) was dislodged, with some major equipment destroyed. Residential houses and property worth millions of naira were also set ablaze,” Ndume said.

“As it is, details about the unfortunate Ngoshe incident are still sketchy, but information at my disposal revealed that many of the fleeing terrorists were neutralised by the air component of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai.”

He added that the attack also claimed the lives of several prominent members of the community.

“Unfortunately, the Chief Imam of Ngoshe and some elders, as well as soldiers, were among those slaughtered or killed,” the lawmaker said.

Ndume further disclosed that many residents remained unaccounted for following the raid.

“More than 100 people are still missing or abducted during the attack, while thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, have been displaced and are currently taking refuge in Pulka community,” he added.

Some survivors who fled the violence and are currently sheltering in Gwoza described the attack as devastating and appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance.

The District Secretary of Ngoshe, Shuaibu Dabawa, said the scale of the abduction was massive, claiming that more than 300 residents were taken away by the insurgents.

“When they attacked, we heard sporadic gunshots and immediately fled into the bush for safety, where we spent the entire night,” Dabawa said.

“More than 300 people were abducted by the terrorists during the attack. There is currently no military presence in Ngoshe, which has heightened security concerns,” he added.

Dabawa also expressed deep concern about the fate of elderly residents left behind in the town.

“Our immediate worry is that some elderly people remain trapped in the community alongside several dead bodies. Many of us escaped with nothing except the clothes we were wearing. The town has been completely deserted,” he said.

He added that displaced residents were now scattered across Pulka, with many sleeping in open spaces while others have taken shelter at the Central Primary School in the town.

“We are appealing for urgent military reinforcement and food assistance for the affected families,” he said.

One of the survivors, Audu Bello, said it was difficult to immediately determine the exact number of those abducted without proper verification from affected families.

“It was a mass abduction. Only families whose relatives were taken can give a clearer picture of the number of victims,” Bello said.

“For many of us, we managed to escape after hearing sporadic gunshots. It was an unfortunate incident that has devastated many families. Several households have now been split apart, with some members in Pulka while others are scattered in unknown locations seeking safety,” he added.

Another survivor, Amina Halidu, lamented the harsh living conditions confronting displaced residents who fled to Pulka following the attack.

According to her, many of the victims are currently sheltering at the Central Primary School in Pulka under extremely difficult conditions.

“Many people are now camped at Central Primary School in Pulka. There is no water, no food and no proper shelter. Most of the displaced persons are women and children. We are appealing for urgent government intervention,” she said.

When contacted for comments, the Director-General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Ali Abdullahi, neither answered calls nor responded to text messages as of the time this report was filed.

The Borno State Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, told The PUNCH on Thursday night that the state had intervened and provided support for the survivors.

He said, “There is a standing protocol by the state government for providing support to people that are affected by conflicts.
“In the case of Ngoshe, the people were assembled at Pulka, a nearby town to the area, and immediate support came from the local government.”

Tar added, “In addition, the state government, through the state emergency management agency, has dispatched palliatives to all the victims and each household. The items include rice, sugar, millet and blankets. It will get to them tomorrow (today).

“Currently, the people are comfortable and the military is on top of the situation and making sure that there is a security corridor for the transportation of the items to the victims.

“We have also dispatched healthcare and sanitation officials to the location to make sure there is no outbreak of a pandemic.”

On the number of missing persons, the commissioner added, “We are in the process of verification, the actual figure is yet to be ascertained.”

Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shuabi, will visit the Ngoshe community on Friday.

Security sources, who confirmed the visit to The PUNCH, said the COAS would interface with the victims and access the situation.

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Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade under 2 Division, in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps, have neutralised a suspected notorious kidnapper, rescued four abducted victims and arrested another suspect during separate operations in Edo State.

The operations were carried out under Operation IGBO DANU 1 in Warake Forest, Auchi Local Government Area, and Ujemen in Esan West Local Government Area.

This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu.

According to the statement, the troops conducted a night operation on Tuesday, following reports of gunshots in Warake Forest.

The statement read, “Troops during Operation IGBO DANU 1 working alongside personnel from the Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and local vigilantes carried out a night operation on March 3, 2026 in Warake Forest, Auchi Local Government Area.

“The troops responded to gunshots heard in the forest during a night patrol with aggressive pursuit and minimum use of firearms.

“The gallant troops neutralised a notorious kidnapper that has been terrorising Auchi and environs during the encounter. The superior firepower of troops forced the remaining criminals to abandon their victims and flee into the bush.”

The Army said four kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation and later reunited with their families.

The statement added, “Four victims including Stella Abbas (29), Tina Ododa (19), Razak Rashid (27) and Mutanibi Kalifa (16), were rescued unhurt and later reunited with their families.

“Items recovered from the neutralised kidnapper are cash amount of Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N650,000) only, footwear, power bank and mobile phones.”

The Army further revealed that troops carried out another operation the same day in Ujemen, Esan West Local Government Area, where a suspected kidnapper was arrested.

“In a separate operation on March 3 2026, troops in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps raided a house in Ujemen, Esan West Local Government Area suspected to be a kidnapper’s hideout.

“A 39-year-old suspect, Omogbegha Solomon, was arrested during the raid.

“During the operation, troops discovered a shrine containing charms and photographs of various individuals in an abandoned room within the compound. The shrine was destroyed in-situ, and the suspect was handed over to the Nigeria Police Force Ekpoma Division for further investigation,” the statement added.

The Commander of 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their efforts and urged them to intensify operations against criminal elements in the state.

“The Commander 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their dexterity and urged them to sustain the aggressive onslaught against all the criminal elements in line with directives from the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife,” the statement added.

Balogun also reassured residents of the brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property across Edo State.

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