Author: bibncollar

A U.S. federal court has sentenced Nigerian national Kingsley Uchelue Utulu to five years and three months in prison for his role in a large-scale identity theft and wire fraud scheme that defrauded the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and private individuals of more than $2.5 million. The sentencing was announced over the weekend by U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and FBI New York Field Office Assistant Director-in-Charge, Christopher Raia. According to court documents, 38-year-old Utulu was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors said he was part of a…

President Bola Tinubu has reportedly forgiven Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu following a plea from members of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC). The reconciliation took place during a meeting between President Tinubu and members of the GAC on Sunday. The delegation, led by GAC Chairman Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, visited the president to appeal on behalf of Governor Sanwo-Olu and others who may have offended him. Alhaji Olusi acknowledged that the president had been displeased with certain individuals in Lagos State, particularly Governor Sanwo-Olu, and personally requested forgiveness. In response, President Tinubu assured the delegation that the matter had been resolved.…

Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, has distanced himself from the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term by All Progressives Congress (APC) governors. Speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme, Ndume said he does not support the early endorsement, recalling how former President Goodluck Jonathan was backed by 22 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors in 2015, yet lost the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. Last month, 22 APC governors unanimously endorsed Tinubu as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election during a meeting at the Presidential…

It is better to be deserving of an honour and don’t get it than to get an undeserved honour. Truly, the hood does not make the monk. An undeserved honour stinks. A man or woman adorning an underserved recognition is decorated in borrowed robes. He is as uncomfortable as a con man, an unworthy fellow. No matter appearances and bold faces, such a cheat feels empty inside. A deserved honour or recognition is an elixir, a fillip, motivation to do more. For sundry reasons, awards and recognitions in this clime are often fraught with controversies and heated debates. To put…

Reacting to a breaking news-headline about the recent passing of a very respected Chief Justice of Nigeria, Emeritus, Hon Justice Mohammed Uwais, learned senior colleague and notable human rights advocate who is an emeritus First Vice President of the NBA, John Aikpokpo-Martins, Esq, has declared that “Nothing is sad about his passing on. He lived a fulfilled life and left indelible positive marks behind. He died an old man.” ➖➖ Dear distinguished learned Aikpokpo-Martins, Sir, while I agree with everything you have written, it’s difficult for me to agree that Hon Justice Uwais as Nigeria’s CJN “left indelible positive marks…

On Sunday, April 13, 2025, a heartwarming literary milestone unfolded as a devoted mother, Eno-Obong Bassey Akpan, Esq. and her daughter, Alma Stella Akpan, launched their touching book, Alma’s Love Notes to Mum, at a captivating event that celebrated love, family, and creativity. This unique collection immortalizes twelve years of Alma’s heartfelt love notes to her mother, preserved in their authentic, handwritten form. Each page radiates the purity of a child’s affection, offering readers an intimate glimpse into a cherished mother-daughter bond. Alma’s Love Notes to Mum stands out for its raw, unfiltered charm, with every note meticulously reproduced in…

On May 30, 2025, Ghana’s Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) issued what it termed a “final caution” against individuals, especially politicians, entrepreneurs, and other public figures whose vanity drives them to flaunt honorary doctorates and professorships as though these titles had been academically earned. “The Commission will henceforth take legal action against individuals found flouting these directives, alongside publicly naming and shaming them,” GTEC said in a statement signed by Professor Augustine Ocloo, the Commission’s Acting Deputy Director-General.  Ghana’s commendable stance follows Malawi’s National Council for Higher Education, which, on March 27, 2025, categorically stated that honorary doctorates and professorships confer…

Today Saturday, June 7, 2025, Amaka and Sylvester Udemezue stood before God and community to dedicate their daughter, GoodFaith Ezinna Sophia Udemezue, through the sacred Sacrament of Baptism, a moment they describe as a testament to divine grace and resilience. In a heartfelt announcement, the couple shared the profound journey of their seventh child, born on December 24, 2024, and baptized five months later after surviving a life-threatening ordeal. “On this sacred day, Saturday, 07 June 2025, we stand as grateful witnesses to the infinite mercy of God, presenting our beloved daughter, GoodFaith Ezinna Sophia Udemezue, for the holy Sacrament…

In a message brimming with warmth and professional solidarity, Chidi Ezenwafor, MCArb, a respected past Secretary of the NBA Abuja Branch, has extended heartfelt congratulations to the Chairman and members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Uyo Branch on the occasion of their 2025 Bar Week celebration themed “Standing Together for the Legal Profession.” Ezenwafor praised the branch for its unwavering dedication to unity, justice, and professional excellence, describing the theme as “a powerful reminder that in solidarity, we find strength to uphold the rule of law and defend the integrity of our profession.” He commended the Uyo Branch for…

The Edo State Police Command has arrested 28 suspected cultists during a coordinated house-to-house operation in Benin City. The Command’s spokesperson, SP Moses Yamu, confirmed the arrests in a statement issued to journalists on Friday. He disclosed that 19 of the suspects were found culpable after thorough screening and have since been charged to court. Yamu explained that the raid, conducted on June 4, 2025, between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., targeted known criminal hideouts as part of the Command’s ongoing efforts to combat cultism through visibility policing and community engagement. According to him, the intensified crackdown is aimed at…