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The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of N17,100,595.40 to the Federal Government after the money was linked to an alleged romance fraud scheme currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice A.O. Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi gave the order on Monday, June 1, 2026, following an application filed by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 through its counsel, C.C. Okezie.

A statement by the EFCC said the funds, domiciled in an Access Bank account, are linked to Ifeanyi Alele David, who is being investigated by the anti-graft agency over alleged romance scam activities and related offences.

The court had earlier, on February 26, 2026, granted an interim forfeiture of the money and directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper to allow any interested party to show cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

During proceedings for the final forfeiture, Okezie told the court that the Commission complied with the directive by publishing the interim forfeiture notice in The Punch newspaper on April 10, 2026.

She further informed the court that no individual or organisation came forward within the stipulated period to challenge the forfeiture.

The EFCC’s application was supported by an affidavit deposed to by one of its operatives, Samson Aguma, who outlined the outcome of investigations conducted by the Commission.

According to the affidavit, the EFCC received a petition from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alleging that David was involved in a romance scam linked to the death of a United States citizen.

Aguma said a victim of the alleged romance scam died by suicide in a hotel room in Denver, Colorado, United States, on September 15, 2021.

According to him, investigators who recovered the victim’s mobile phone after the incident discovered multiple messages exchanged with an individual identified as “Garry Micheal” on the Google Hangouts platform.

Investigators said the suspect allegedly continued to solicit money from the victim using different fabricated stories. He also requested funds to secure his release from prison and enable him to travel back to the United States.

“The suspect repeatedly solicited funds from the victim under various false pretences, including requests for money to secure his release from prison and facilitate his return to the United States,” the statement said.

According to the affidavit, the suspect allegedly asked the victim for an additional $60,000 on the day she died, even after she had reportedly informed him of her severe financial difficulties and lack of funds.

The FBI’s investigation further revealed that the victim sent approximately $154,500 between August 30 and September 13, 2021, through various channels connected to the alleged romance scam.

Aguma told the court that forensic investigations traced email accounts, internet protocol (IP) addresses, telephone records and an Apple iCloud account linked to the alleged romance fraud activities to David in Nigeria.

He added that the N17,100,595.40 found in David’s Access Bank account was reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and part of the funds generated from the alleged scam.

After reviewing the evidence and submissions presented by the EFCC, Justice Owoeye held that the application had merit and subsequently ordered the final forfeiture of the N17.1 million to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Court orders forfeiture of N17.1m linked to alleged romance fraud — EFCC 

Six people were stabbed and 24 arrests were made at Arsenal’s victory celebrations in north London, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Most of those injured in the stabbings were not seriously hurt, but a man in his 20s was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition after being attacked in Hornsey Road shortly before 20:30 BST on Sunday. Police said he is now in a stable condition.

More than 500 officers were deployed for the event, which attracted hundreds of thousands of supporters celebrating Arsenal’s Premier League title success.

Police said one officer suffered a slash wound to the hand and another was struck on the head by objects thrown during the celebrations.

The 24 arrests included 10 people suspected of assaulting police officers, three on suspicion of sexual assault and one on suspicion of grievous bodily harm over an attack that caused a head injury.

Four police vans in Theberton Street, Islington were left with dents and broken lights.

On Sunday, the London Fire Brigade warned fans not to climb on rooftops after crews had to rescue 75 stranded fans.

In the evening, once most of the crowds had gone home, there were six stabbings, the Met said.

Officers were granted extra stop and search powers overnight.

Cdr Stuart Bell, who led the Met’s public order operation for the parade, said: “I would like to thank the vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of Arsenal supporters who attended the day to celebrate safely and responsibly.

“However, we had been clear that violence and other criminality would not be tolerated and unfortunately there were pockets of anti-social behaviour and incidents where officers needed to intervene, including assaults on their colleagues.”

He added: “As the evening progressed and the majority of the crowds made their way home, there was sadly further violence, including gang-related incidents.”

He said officers were “swiftly on the scene” to each stabbing and investigations were ongoing.

Six People Stabbed After Arsenal Victory Parade is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

MultiChoice Nigeria, a Canal+ company, has announced that the reunion show for the BBNaija ’10 Over 10′ season will premiere on Monday, June 8, 2026. Hosted by media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and featuring all 29 housemates, the show will air on weeknights at 10:00 PM WAT on Africa Magic and GOtv channels and will also […]

The post BBNaija season 10 reunion show premieres June 8 appeared first on Tribune Online.

Indigenous Ijaw and Urhobo people of the Warri Federal Constituency have staged a peaceful protest over the delay in the implementation of the Supreme Court-ordered fresh delineation of the Warri Federal Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The community also condemned the alleged interference of the Presidency in the matter. 

At the protest led by Ijaw and Urhobo leaders at the Ogbe-Ijoh market in Warri South, protesters bearing placards with major demands made demands asking the government to, “FG allow INEC to do its work, DSS stay away from Warri Federal Constituency delineation, First Lady, you are biased, INEC respect the rule of law.

“INEC implement the approved State Constituencies/RAS you presented to us on 20th May 2026 in Asaba, No allocation of Wards and Units”,

The list of demands was read out by the leader of the Ijaw and Urhobo group, the Spokesman of Gbaramatu Kingdom, High Chief Godspower Gbenekama.

The protesters said the interference by the Presidency is an attack on the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which the president took an oath to observe and protect. 

According to the protesters, “By Section 161 of the 1999 Constitution, INEC is independent in the performance of its duties and the Presidency has no power whatsoever to direct INEC. The 1999 Constitution clearly states that INEC shall not be subject to the direction and control of the President. 

“By Section 287(2) of the 1999 Constitution, the judgment of the Supreme Court is final, and all organs and agencies of government have a constitutional duty to implement orders of the Supreme Court without delay or hesitation. In this case, the Supreme Court gave a final decision in SC/413/2016: Hon. George U. Timinimi &Ors V. INEC and therefore, the Presidency has no constitutional powers to stop its implementation.

“We wish to alert the Nigerian people and the International Community that the interference by the Presidency in the implementation of the judgment of the Supreme Court is an attack on the rule of law and democracy in the Warri Federal Constituency of Delta State in particular and Nigeria in general.”

The protesters insisted that the rule of law must prevail in the matter, saying, “The threat to national security being alleged by the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, to stop the immediate implementation of the fresh delineation is only a subterfuge by the Presidency to alter the final report of the delineation to favour the Itsekiri ethnic group.”

They warned that, “If anybody or group is threatening the peace of Warri as a result of the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment, the Office of the NSA  should go after such a person and not disrespect the Supreme Court orders.”

The Ijaws and Urhobos of Warri called on INEC to comply with the dictates of the rule of law, to direct political parties to conduct primaries to nominate candidates for the newly created State Constituencies in Warri North and Warri South-West Local Government Areas. 

“The Ijaw people of Egbema Kingdom in Warri North LGA, for whom the new State Constituency was created after more than a century of political oppression and suppression, are eager to elect political party candidates to participate in the 2027 general elections into the Delta State House of Assembly.

“If the Itsekiris are not ready to participate in the election of persons into the new State Constituency in Warri South-West, the Ijaws are ready and should be allowed to participate in the election based on the newly created constituencies and fresh delineation of registration areas and polling units in compliance with the judgment of the Supreme Court.

FG allow INEC work – Ijaws, Urhobos protest alleged interference in Warri fed constituency

The Supreme Court has set aside an order of the Court of Appeal freezing the assets of Neconde Energy Limited, Nestoil Limited and two others, over an alleged $1.1 billion indebtedness to FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited and First Trustees Limited.

A five-member panel of the apex court, in a judgement, on Monday, held that the three-member panel of the appellate court went beyond their powers in granting an ex parte application against the appellants.

Justice Stephen Jonah  Adah in the lead judgment, berated the appellate court for assuming jurisdiction and issuing an injunction against Neconde and Nestoil, when the matter was not properly before the court.

Besides, the Supreme Court accused the appellate court of misuse of the judicial process, particularly when the Court of Appeal issued a stay of proceedings at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The dispute stems from debt recovery proceedings instituted by lenders, including FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited and First Trustees Limited, against Nestoil and Neconde Energy over financing arrangements tied to oil assets and operations.

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‎In October 2025, the Federal High Court in Lagos granted an ex parte Mareva injunction freezing the companies’ assets, bank accounts, and shares across more than 20 financial institutions.

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‎However, the companies challenged the order, arguing that it automatically lapsed after 14 days under the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules once a motion to discharge it was filed.

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‎in November 2025, Justice Daniel Osiagor held that the ex parte order had expired by operation of law and was no longer subsisting. 

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But, Justice Yargata Nimpar of the Court of Appeal on November 29, granted an interim restorative injunction returning the control of Nestoil’s assets and operations to the receiver manager appointed by the banks.

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‎He ruled that all steps Nestoil took after the November 20 ruling were set aside. The Mareva injunction continued to operate.

However, this decision of the appellate court has been set aside, paving the way for the matter to continue at the trial court, as well as Neconde and Nestoil oil fully in charge of their company.

Supreme Court sets aside order freezing Nestoil, Neconde’s assets

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that he has been living with and managing diabetes for more than 40 years, stressing that regular medical check-ups, healthy living, and early detection remain vital in tackling non-communicable diseases. Obasanjo spoke on Sunday in Abeokuta during the flag-off of the “Lagos to the World Expedition”, a campaign designed […]

The post I’ve been managing diabetes for over 40 years — Obasanjo appeared first on Tribune Online.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has criticised key opposition figures and political parties, arguing that recent disputes arising from their primary elections…

The post Wike mocks opposition parties over post-primary crisis appeared first on Tribune Online.

Traditional rulers and stakeholders in Kwara South Senatorial District have endorsed the Igbomina bloc to produce the next senator representing the district in 2027. The Chairman of the Igbomina Traditional Rulers Forum and Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Yahaya, made the remarks on Monday at his palace in Ajase-Ipo shortly after meeting with traditional rulers […]

The post Kwara South monarchs back Igbomina for 2027 Senate seat appeared first on Tribune Online.

Klinshak Longbak is on the verge of sealing a move away from Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, side Wikki Tourists, DAILY POST reports.

Longbak is reported to be undergoing trials with Slovakian side, AS Trencin.

The midfielder left the Bauchi Elephants after the completion of the 2025-26 NPFL season.

His departure comes as Wikki Tourists prepare for life in the Nigeria National League, NNL.

Longbak netted thrice and provided three assists in 32 appearances for Wikki Tourists in the just-concluded season.

He joined Wikki Tourists from Plateau United in 2023.

NPFL: Wikki Tourists midfielder set for Slovakia transfer

Former World No 1 and 23-time grand slam champion Serena Williams has confirmed her return to the sport after receiving a doubles wildcard to play at the HSBC Championships the Queen’s Club in west London, which starts on Monday 8 June, ahead of a likely return at Wimbledon later in the month.

Williams, who was last seen in competitive action almost four years ago before announcing her retirement, is set to play doubles at Queen’s with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, who idolised Williams growing up, and may play singles at Wimbledon.

Williams, one of the sport’s defining champions and greatest players of all time, has not played competitively since the 2022 US Open, where she reached the third round in a glittering farewell. Before that tournament, the American carefully said she would be “evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me”, rather than ever using the word “retirement.

Williams, who gave birth to her second child in 2023, sparked speculation that she would be returning to tennis when she reentered the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s anti-doping testing pool last year, and she has been cleared to compete competitively since 22 February.

A seven-time Wimbledon singles champion, as well as a six-time Wimbledon doubles champion with her sister Venus, the Championships are one of the most important tournaments in her hall-of-fame career. Her last appearance at Wimbledon came in a first-round defeat to Harmony Tan in 2022.

Serena Williams made her last appearance at Wimbledon four years ago, losing in the first round to unseeded player Harmony Tan.

This comeback is being seen as a major boost for women’s tennis, which many feel is currently offering more drama and intrigue than the men’s game. Whether this is a one-off appearance or the beginning of a longer return remains to be seen.

Serena Williams is widely considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, holding the Open Era record of 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

Over a dominant professional career spanning from 1995 to 2022, she revolutionised women’s tennis with her powerful style of play, spent 319 weeks as the world No. 1, and completed a rare Career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.

As a pioneering Black woman in a historically white-dominated sport, she shattered systemic barriers, advocating fiercely for equal prize money and maternal health rights for female athletes.

Serena Williams Makes Return To Tennis At 44 is first published on The Whistler Newspaper