Suspended Senator representing Kogi West, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has raised the alarm that her official phone number has been cloned and is being used fraudulently to impersonate her and intimidate prominent Nigerians.

In a formal petition dated June 4 and addressed to the Director of the National Cybercrime Centre, Nigeria Police Force, Abuja, through her legal team at M. J. Numa and Partners, Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that unidentified individuals are impersonating her by making unsolicited calls and sending deceptive messages under her name.

According to the petition titled “Disclaimer Regarding Illegal Cloning and Unauthorised Use of Our Client’s Phone Number,” the Senator warned that the operation appears to be a “coordinated cyberattack” designed to compromise her identity, mislead influential Nigerians, and manipulate public perception.

“The development is not only alarming but constitutes a gross violation of her privacy and a potential breach of national security,” her counsel, Barr. Michael Jonathan Numa stated in the letter.

Notable figures reportedly contacted in the impersonation scheme include Senator Ben Obi, former presidential adviser, and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, former Governor of Edo State and ex-APC National Chairman.

Others are Chief Allen Onyema, CEO of Air Peace, Hon. Emmanuel Ukon and Seun Okinbaloye, a journalist with Channels Television.

Additionally, the Senator said she received a call from the Area Commander of Maitama District claiming to be returning a call from her — a call she never made.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Ifedayo Adams Adedipe, also alleged receiving a suspicious call that appeared to come from Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The Senator has disclaimed all such communications and urged the public and recipients of any suspicious messages or calls appearing to originate from her number to treat them with “extreme caution” unless directly verified.

She has offered to submit her devices for forensic analysis and called on law enforcement to launch a full-scale investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible

At least 11 people have been killed and many more injured in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in the southern Indian state of Karnataka to celebrate the home team’s victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s most popular Twenty20 cricket tournament.

“No one expected such a huge crowd,” India’s chief minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, said on Wednesday. “The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 200,000-300,000 people came.”

“Eleven people have died and 33 others are injured,” he said.

The incident took place earlier on Wednesday as thousands of fans gathered outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the state capital, Bengaluru.

India’s NDTV broadcaster also reported that at least 11 people died. Local TV news channels showed footage of police shifting the injured and those who fell unconscious to ambulances.

DK Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka, told reporters that “the crowd was very uncontrollable”.

The event was being held to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first IPL title win on Tuesday.

Stampedes often happen in India when large crowds gather. In January, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindu devotees rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, the world’s largest religious gathering.

The automated ball-strike system (ABS) could be officially headed to Major League games next season. Commissioner of MLB, Rob Manfred on Wednesday, said he plans to introduce a proposal to MLB’s competition committee that includes bringing the ABS system to MLB in 2026.

The ABS system was used at 13 spring training sites in 2025, which included 19 teams, and was employed in approximately 60 percent of spring training games this past spring. Teams started with two challenges each and lost a challenge every time they were not overturned. If the call they challenged was overturned, they retained their challenge.

The pitching teams saw a 54.4 percent overturn rate, while the club hitting was overturned on just 50 percent of calls, and catchers were the most successful at 56 percent of calls overturned. Pitchers’ challengers were overturned on just 41 percent of calls.

With a full spring training use of the ABS in the books and reviewed by players and officials within the MLB, commissioner Manfred will now propose to implement the system into games officially in 2026.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Should the system be approved for use, Manfred said human umpires will still make the majority of ball-strike calls themselves as they did in spring training and that the ABS system would be used just as it was in spring, with teams starting each game with two challenges they could use to challenge calls.

“I do think we’re going to pursue the possibility of changing that process, and we’ll see what comes at the end of that,” said Manfred. He noted that teams appear to be overall positive about ABS and that implementing it could diffuse players, coaches, etc. sending him emails to complain about balls, strikes, and umpires’ calls.

Kevin Slowey, the MLBPA managing director, noted that as they always have in the past, “players will review any proposed rule changes and provide their feedback and on-field experiences through the competition committee.”

Manfred noted that his biggest concern is implementing the system in a way the players will accept. The biggest note on the ABS system is that it is not a human making the calls, thus tightening or widening the strike zone on certain pitch counts, which will likely be different from that of a human umpire’s strike zone.

In years past and throughout history, it has not been uncommon for the league and the players’ association to disagree on rules or policy changes, and we have also seen lockouts and delayed seasons as a result of disagreements between the committees. With that, Manfred is making sure this is a completely transparent process that everyone agrees upon the implementation of before proceeding forward.

“I want them [the players] to feel like we respected the committee process and that there was a full airing of concerns about the system, and an attempt to address those concerns before we go forward,” said Manfred.

Along with the implementation of the ABS system, MLB is also testing a check-swing review system in the minor leagues this season. It likely won’t make its way to spring training games next year, as Manfred wants the focus to be on the ABS system and getting used to that. However, the ABS system was first used in the minor leagues, so it is likely that should that continue to go well in the minor leagues, it could be coming to spring training in the years to come, as the ABS system did.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored again as Portugal came from behind to beat Germany 2-1 in their Nations League semifinal on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old Ronaldo captained Portugal and scored his 137th international goal five minutes after substitute Francisco Conceição equalised with a blistering shot in the 63rd

Ronaldo became the oldest player to ever score against Germany while ending his “curse” against the country. The former Real Madrid star lost each of the previous five games he played against Germany.

Liverpool target Florian Wirtz had given the home team a 48th-minute lead with a perfectly placed header inside the right post, but Portugal coach Roberto Martínez made his changes count as he brought on Conceicao and Champions League winner Vitinha among the substitutes.

Vitinha excelled as Portugal finished the game in the ascendancy just four days after he helped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) win the Champions League final against Inter Milan in the same stadium on Saturday.

Germany needed goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen at his best to prevent the visitors from scoring any more.

PSG wing-backs Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes both started for Portugal, while Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade started for his Germany debut.

Conceicao only needed five minutes to make a mark with a brilliant long-range strike inside the far post after he surged past Robin Gosens like he was not there. Mendes gave Ronaldo a simple finish five minutes after that.

“It could have been more,” Mendes said.

The match was delayed by 10 minutes due to “adverse weather conditions” in Munich.

Streaming giant Netflix has increased its subscription prices in Nigeria for the first time in 2025, marking its third price hike since 2024.

The Premium Plan now costs N8,500 per month, up from N7,000, a 21.43% jump.

The latest update on the company’s website also shows that the Standard Plan (HD quality and multi-screen support) now costs N6,500, up 18.18% from N5,500.

The Basic Plan has risen by 14.29% from N3,500 to N4,000, while the Mobile Plan, Netflix’s most affordable tier, now goes for N2,500, up 13.64% from N2,200.

Continuous price hike 

In 2024 alone, the company raised prices twice within three months, first in April and the second one in July.

At the time, Netflix cited a global pricing strategy aimed at accelerating revenue and funding its growing slate of content.

“As we invest in and improve Netflix, we’ll occasionally ask our members to pay a little extra to reflect those improvements,” the company noted in a letter to shareholders.  

“This helps drive the positive flywheel of additional investment to further improve and grow our service,” it added.

While Netflix has not directly blamed inflation for the latest increase, the company did acknowledge that price changes respond to local market conditions, including taxes and inflation.

What you should know 

The Netflix price increment comes amid high inflation that has pushed up prices of every product and service being offered in the country.

While Nigerians grapple with skyrocketing food prices, home entertainment is becoming out of reach for many households as a result of price increases, a situation that may be worsened by the recent 50% increase in the cost of data by telecom operators.

Major Pay-TV operator in the country, Multichoice Nigeria, has also implemented multiple price increments in the past year, sparking negative reactions from many Nigerians. 

• Meanwhile, Netflix has been adjusting prices in key markets globally, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
• In Africa, Nigeria is not the only country where prices have been increased, as the company also implemented price adjustments in South Africa last month.
• The price hike in South Africa affected three of its four plans and is already in effect for new customers, while existing subscribers will see the new charges reflected in upcoming billing cycles.
• The most significant change comes to the Mobile plan, which increased by 20% from R49 ($2.67) to R59 ($3.21) per month—its first adjustment since the plan launched.
• The Standard plan moves from R159 ($8.70) to R179 ($9.78), while the Premium plan jumps from R199 ($10.87) to R229 ($12.53). Only the Basic plan, priced at R99 ($5.40), remains unchanged.

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has exposed how billions of naira were siphoned from public coffers through fraudulent subsidy claims.

Bawa in his new book, “The Shadow of Loot & Losses: Uncovering Nigeria’s Petroleum Subsidy Fraud,” alleged massive corruption in Nigeria’s fuel subsidy regime, detailing how billions of naira were looted through ghost imports, over-invoicin, forged documentation and systemic collusion between corrupt officials and private firms.

In a statement on Wednesday, Bawa, who served as EFCC chairman from 2021 to 2023 under former president, Muhammadu Buhari, revealed how single fuel shipments were used to obtain multiple subsidy payments, while subsidized fuel was diverted to black markets or smuggled out of Nigeria.

Bawa explained that perpetrators manipulated bills of lading to exploit international price fluctuations and maximise illicit gains, adding that the book is both a documentary of fraud and a call to action for reform, transparency, and accountability in Nigeria’s oil sector.

He said, “Companies routinely claimed subsidies for fuel never imported or inflated volumes to receive excess payouts.

“These crimes were enabled by forged documentation, regulatory failure, and entrenched corruption across government and business.

“In the book, published by CableBooks, an imprint of Cable Media & Publishing Ltd, Bawa details multiple fraudulent strategies including: Ghost importing and over-invoicing: Companies submitted claims for fuel that was never imported or inflated shipment volumes to receive excessive subsidy payouts.

“Manipulation of bills of lading: By altering shipping documents, fraudsters exploited international price fluctuations to claim higher subsidies. Round-tripping and double claims: Single shipments were often used to obtain multiple subsidy payments.

“Diversion and smuggling: Subsidised fuel was frequently diverted to black markets or smuggled out of Nigeria for profit.

“These practices, Bawa explains, were enabled by forged documents, weak regulatory oversight, and systemic collusion between corrupt government officials and private sector actors.

“The Shadow of Loot & Losses is not just a chronicle of fraud, it is a call to action — a demand for transparency, accountability, and reform in Nigeria’s public finance management, especially in the oil sector.”

The Department of State Services (DSS) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Pat Utomi, from making further public comments or staging rallies in connection with his plan to establish a shadow government in Nigeria.
The security agency raised the alarm in a fresh application filed on Wednesday, citing security concerns and a looming threat to public order and national unity if Utomi proceeds with his planned activities upon returning to the country on June 6.

In the application, the DSS is seeking an interlocutory injunction to stop Utomi, his agents, and associates from conducting any form of public mobilisation including road shows, rallies, media appearances, and publications—pending the hearing of the substantive suit already before the court.

“Unless this Honourable Court intervenes by granting this application, the defendant/respondent’s acts may foist a fait accompli on the court,” the DSS said in its affidavit.

According to the DSS legal team led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), intelligence reports revealed that Utomi, who is currently abroad, has concluded plans to return on June 6 and launch a series of public engagements in support of the controversial shadow government agenda.

“If not restrained, Utomi’s planned activities constitute a serious threat to the public order, safety, and national unity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the DSS warned.

The agency maintained that as the statutory body responsible for protecting Nigeria’s internal security, it must act to prevent any attempt to undermine lawful authority.

The DSS noted that the former minister and political economist had already been served with court processes and had entered appearance through his counsel, Prof. Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on May 20, 2025.

The substantive suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025, seeks to restrain Utomi from actions deemed capable of causing unrest or undermining national stability.

The agency accused Utomi of planning to disguise the mobilisation under the banner of free speech and civic engagement, with the ultimate aim of inciting public discontent similar to the 2020 #EndSARS protests.

“The planned protests, riots and agitations… may lead to mayhem with a potential for anarchy, loss of lives and property,” the DSS warned.

The DSS further cited Utomi’s remarks at the University of Lagos on May 26 during the Topaz Lecture Series, where he defended the concept of a shadow government and reportedly stated that if the court ruled against him, he would simply adopt a different name for the movement.

 
The security agency argued that such comments were capable of undermining judicial authority and instigating unrest.

Speaking after filing the application, Kehinde said the agency’s actions were guided by its constitutional mandate to prevent threats to Nigeria’s sovereignty and democratic institutions.

Kehinde said, “We, as counsel to the SSS have just filed an application seeking interlocutory injunction against the defendant and his group pending the determination of the substantive suit. The application, being a public document can be obtained from the registry of the honourable court.

“It is good that as members of the 4th estate of the realm you are keeping watch over the case filed against the formation of “Shadow Government” by Prof. Pat Utomi and his group.

“The civil suit, as you are aware, was filed by the State Security Service (SSS) in consonance with its statutory mandate of ensuring internal peace and avoidance of any form of insurrection and treasonable felony against the democratically elected government in the country.

“This fresh application is premised on the fact that despite the pendency of the substantive action, the service of same on the defendant and the entry of appearance to same by his Counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, the defendant has continued to make inflammatory statements capable of igniting chaos in the country instead of abiding by the hallowed principle that civilized parties before the court are expected to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive matter.

“What our client has submitted to the court is for the interpretation of the Constitution whether any form of government by whatever nomenclature can be formed or allowed outside the Constitution.

“Furthermore, our client is not interested at arresting anybody in respect of this matter having on its own accord submitted itself to the jurisdiction of the honourable court to interpret the Constitution and determine the legality or otherwise of the ‘Shadow government’ or any other nomenclature that it may be so named.

“It must be pointed out that our client under its current leadership is a very civilized organization with absolute confidence in the rule of law and that is why, it or any of its personnel will always approach the court of law whenever it feels that there is any infraction on its statutory duties by anyone or the rights of its personnel. Let the court have the final say.

“Gentlemen, we must all ensure that constitutional democracy and the rule of law have its way in Nigeria.”

Younger brother to the former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, Isaac, has expressed regret for fighting for the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara.

Naija News recalls that Fubara visited President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.

Reacting to Fubara’s visit, Fayose, in a video via his social media page, described Fubara as a weakling, claiming his destiny has been changed.

He said, “Fubara that was a governor three months ago, all he does now is to go and take pictures either with President in London or Lagos or stand outside Aso Rock or stand outside Wike’s house. They have changed his destiny. He is now taking pictures with his enemy. What a weak man, Fubara! You are very weak. I regret even fighting for you. Very weak man. Weakling!”

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), on Monday, started the grounding of over 60 private jets flying in the country airspace over alleged non-payment of import duty.

LEADERSHIP reports that in 2024, the NCS had attempted to ground some of the private jets but court processes stalled the action. 

The NCS had in October 2024, threatened to ground over 60 private jets owned by very important persons in the country over unpaid import duty.

It however halted the process by announcing the extension of the verification exercise for private jet owners by one month, from October 14, 2024, to November 14, 2024.

Our correspondent gathered that the aircraft were grounded at the International Wings of the Murtala Muhammed Airport and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.

It was further gathered that majority of the affected aircraft were foreign registered flying in the country. 

It was also gathered that the Customs also sealed off some of the foreign private jets at ExecuJet, a free trade zone at the Lagos airport.

A source close to some of the private jet owners, said that the impounded aircraft belonged to private individuals in Nigeria operating under the Permit for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF) license.

This permit is granted to individuals who want to own and operate aircraft for personal use and not for commercial purposes.

The official seal of the NCS stated that the exercise was in accordance with Section 221 of the NCS Act 2023, stressing that unauthorised removal of the seal attracts a fine of N100 million or 10 years imprisonment of both.

LEADERSHIP understands that this was not the first time the Customs would attempt to ground private jets in the country because of import duty.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State and Chairman, PDP Advocate for Peace and Justice (PAPAJ), Dr. Tom FredFish, has urged the party’s leaders to invoke constitutional provisions and expel the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, from the party.

FresFish made the call on Wednesday while speaking with journalists in Uyo. He was reacting to Wike’s assertion that no one has the power to expel him from the PDP.

While calling on the PDP to wield the big stick on Wike by moving swiftly to expel him, FredFish insisted that the minister has been working against the interests of the party in clear violation of the party’s constitution, ideals and principles.

The Akwa Ibom politician also faulted Wike’s claims that he is working hard for the PDP.

He said: “If Mr. Wike says he is working hard for the party, the right question that Nigerians should ask him is what kind of hard work is he doing for the PDP? Is the hard work positive or negative?

“How can a man who has been working against the interests of the party after he failed to clinch the PDP ticket in the 2023 presidential race still have the temerity to say he is working for the interest of the party? How can he say such a thing?

“Is he not the same Wike who openly worked against the PDP in the 2023 presidential election and further
connived with, encouraged and ordered the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly that are loyal to him to decamp to the APC and work against the interest of Rivers State controlled by the PDP?

”As far as the PDP Advocate for Peace and Justice is concerned, Mr. Wike was appointed to destroy the PDP and he’s doing the job very well. He should not expect party faithful across the country to clap for him for compromising the efforts of the party leadership.”

FredFish observed that “there is no one in the country that has de-marketed the PDP more than Wike who has continuously used demeaning words on the PDP and its leaders – the most recent is the way he spoke about the governor of Oyo State Mr. Seyi Makinde”.

He added, “The PDP Advocate for Peace and Justice (PAPAJ) is calling on the PDP Board of Trustees headed by Senator Adolfus Wabara, former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President, Senator David Mark and other leaders of the party to rally round and galvanize the National Working Committee (NWC) to invoke sections 10(6), 57 and 58 of the PDP Constitution, as amended in 2017, for which he (Wile) should be expelled under Section 59 of the PDP Constitution.”