On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, the Kano Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured the conviction and sentencing of social media influencer Murja Ibrahim Kunya before Justice Simon Amobeda of the Federal High Court in Kano.

Kunya was arrested for allegedly spraying Naira notes for fun during her stay in a hotel room at Tahir Guest Palace in Kano. 

She was initially arrested in January 2025 for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, Act which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the Naira. 

She was granted an administrative bail by the Commission pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court in Kano. However, when it was time for her court appearance, she absconded in her bid to evade the legal processes.

However, after weeks of intensive investigation and surveillance, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested the TikTok Influencer on Sunday March 16, 2025.  She was subsequently arraigned on 20 May 2025 where she pleaded guilty to the one count amended charge.

The charge against Kunya reads: “You Murja Ibrahim Kunya on the 28th of December, 2023 at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court whilst dancing in one of the rooms at Tahir Guest Palace tampered with Naira notes issued by Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying and matching on same in the said occasion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007”. 

Following her guilty plea, counsel for the prosecution,  Musa Isah reviewed the facts of the case and prayed the court to convict her accordingly.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday,  Justice Amobeda convicted Kunya and sentenced her to six months imprisonment with an option of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira only)  fine.

In a significant and rehabilitative dimension to the sentencing, Justice Amobeda also issued a consequential order appointing her as an Ambassador of EFCC and CBN in online advocacy campaigns against Naira Abuse due to her substantial following across various social media platforms.

This order mandates Kunya to utilize her social media reach to educate her followers on the importance of respecting the Nigerian currency and the legal consequences of its abuse or mutilation.

Nigerian influencer and brand ambassador, Priscilla Ojo, and her Tanzanian singer husband, Juma Jux, are officially sealing their union with a lavish grand finale in Tanzania.

The couple, who kicked off their wedding festivities in February, are currently hosting the final leg of their celebration.

Priscilla took to Instagram to share a dazzling video of their coordinating outfits, captioning the post with a heartfelt declaration, “Forever with my boo.”

From their intimate wedding introduction in Tanzania with close family and friends, to their star-studded civil wedding on the eve of Valentine’s Day, which featured the likes of Toyin Abraham, Chioma Good Hair, and Enioluwa, their love story has unfolded like a glamorous dream. 

In April, the couple tied the knot traditionally in Nigeria, with the event drawing in a galaxy of stars and dignitaries.

The guest list included Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, music legend, Chief Ebenezer Obey, and Nollywood icons such as Mercy Aigbe, Toyin Abraham, Sola Sobowale, Ruth Kadiri, and Femi Adebayo.

Just two days later, the couple held a white wedding ceremony on a picturesque beach in Lagos, opting for a more intimate affair.

Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has declared his decision to boycott all meetings of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and others he described as impostors are expelled from the party.

Lamido, a founding member of the PDP, was noticeably absent at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held Tuesday, May 27, in Abuja. The NEC, the party’s highest decision-making body, includes current and former presidents, governors, party officials, and other prominent stakeholders.

Speaking to journalists, Lamido accused Wike of undermining the PDP, despite being a major beneficiary of the party's platform. “Wike is a disaster. He is a product of the PDP, made relevant by the party, nurtured and celebrated by the party. But today, he turns around to destroy it,” Lamido said.

The former governor expressed discontent over the continued inclusion of Wike in PDP affairs. “I cannot sit in the same meeting with impostors. Until the party removes these people, I will not attend PDP meetings. I am still a loyal member, but I won’t dignify this rot,” he stated.

Lamido also condemned the recent sealing of the PDP national secretariat in Abuja by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), attributing the action to Wike’s influence. “To seal the PDP secretariat, an institution that gave you life, is un-African, un-Nigerian, and a total abuse of power,” he said.

He criticised the party’s national working committee (NWC) for what he described as a failure to act decisively against members who had allegedly breached party rules. “What exactly is the NWC afraid of? Why hasn’t Wike been expelled? Why is Samuel Ortom still on the board of trustees after publicly endorsing Tinubu? These are fundamental breaches. If this party is to survive, it must cleanse itself,” he said.

Lamido praised President Bola Tinubu for issuing a 14-day ultimatum to FCT ground rent defaulters, while alleging that Wike ordered the closure of the PDP headquarters in an attempt to gain favour from the president. “Ironically, the man Wike is trying to impress was the one who called him to order. That tells you everything. Even Tinubu is beginning to see that Wike is unreliable, without tradition and pedigree. And I assure you, he will soon abandon him too,” Lamido said.

He also warned against the threat of a one-party system in Nigeria, calling it “state-sponsored sabotage,” and blamed internal sabotage for the deepening crisis in the PDP, which has lingered since 2022.

An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alleged that former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, received $17.1 million in cash through a proxy over a period of three years.

Testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday, EFCC investigator Alvan Gurumnaan stated that the funds were delivered between 2020 and 2023 and handed over to Henry Omoile, an associate of Emefiele, at the ex-governor’s Ikoyi residence.

Gurumnaan, led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, said the financial trail was discovered through the statement of a dispatch rider, Monday Osazuwa, who previously testified for the prosecution.

“The personal errands Osazuwa ran for Emefiele, according to him, was when he received a call from Emefiele, who then sent him a phone number and asked him to call Mohit who was in London. After he called Mohit, Mohit gave him the contact of an individual,” Gurumnaan told the court.

“Osazuwa met the individual from September 2020 to 2023, and received monies in dollars on behalf of Emefiele — a total of $17,100,000. Upon receiving the sums, Osazuwa went to Emefiele’s house at Ikoyi and handed over the money to the second defendant, Henry Omoile, as instructed by the first defendant.”

He said the transactions typically occurred on Fridays and were coordinated through WhatsApp messages, which were retrieved and printed after the EFCC secured permission to access the phone.

“We obtained proper authorization before accessing the phone, and the relevant WhatsApp messages were sent to the email of my colleague, Musa Idi,” he said.

Gurumnaan, who has served in the EFCC’s Special Investigation Department since 2008, added that the commission had received several petitions against Emefiele, alleging abuse of office and financial impropriety.

“We wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission, Department of Legal Services, and Financial Market Dealers Quotations to request supporting documents,” he said. “After collating the documents, we invited officials from those institutions. Some were delayed while others were released on bail.”Nigerian home decor ideas

He said individuals close to Emefiele, including John Adetola and John Ogah, were interviewed during the investigation. One name, Eric Udoh, featured prominently, but efforts to reach him have been unsuccessful.

“There is a report tracing him to the Dominican Republic, Canada, and the United Kingdom. As an effort to bring him to answer questions, we contacted Interpol and have placed him on red. He is now wanted all over the world,” Gurumnaan said.

Emefiele and Omoile are facing a 19-count charge bordering on corrupt demands and gratification amounting to $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion. The court adjourned the case to October 7 and 8, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has issued a stark warning to U.S. President Donald Trump, invoking the threat of World War III following Trump’s criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The warning came after Trump stated he would "absolutely" consider new sanctions against Moscow, amid continued missile and drone attacks in Ukraine that have left many dead.

In a post on X, Medvedev wrote:

“Regarding Trump’s words about Putin ‘playing with fire’ and ‘really bad things’ happening to Russia — I only know of one REALLY BAD thing: WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”

Medvedev served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012 and as prime minister from 2012 to 2020.

Trump’s frustration over his inability to end the war, which he once claimed he could resolve within 24 hours, intensified over the weekend following a Russian drone strike that killed at least 13 people in Ukraine.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war have ramped up in recent weeks, but Putin has been accused of stalling peace negotiations.

Speaking on Tuesday, Trump warned of “serious consequences,” saying: “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realise is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia — and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!”

While Trump did not elaborate on the nature of the consequences, The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported that new U.S. sanctions on Russia could be announced as early as this week. On Sunday, Trump told reporters he was “absolutely” considering the move.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has yet to respond directly to Trump’s latest comments. However, earlier statements from Moscow blamed Ukraine for escalating tensions and claimed it was responding to increased attacks on Russian civilians.

Russian authorities reported intercepting nearly 150 Ukrainian drones in recent days, including 33 that were heading toward Moscow.

The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, on Tuesday, convicted and sentenced two oil marketers, Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor, to 14 years imprisonment each, having found them guilty of conspiracy and fraudulent collection of N2.2bn under the Petroleum Support Fund scheme.

Delivering judgment in the matter, Justice Mojisola Dada held that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt and found the convicts guilty on multiple counts of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, forgery, and tendering false documents.

The court further held that their conduct not only defrauded the Federal Government but also eroded public trust in the fuel subsidy programme.

Ali and Taylor were arraigned alongside their company, Nasaman Oil Services Limited, on an amended 57 counts brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, following fresh findings in the course of an investigation.

They had earlier been arraigned on a 49-count charge before the matter was reassigned to Justice Dada, following the withdrawal of Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

The EFCC said that the convicts, on or about November 9, 2011, fraudulently obtained N749,991,273.36 by falsely claiming the amount represented subsidy payment for the importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, allegedly purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd of the British Virgin Islands and delivered through MT Liquid Fortune Ex MT Overseas Lima, a representation they knew to be false.

The EFCC also told the court that on or about April 11, 2011, the defendants fraudulently obtained N1,480,074,125.61 by making similar false claims concerning the importation of 20,492,982.50 litres of PMS, purportedly brought into Nigeria via MT Liquid Fortune Ex MT Hellenic Blue and Ex MT Milleura. 

They pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.

The prosecution, led by Mr. Seiduh Atteh, called several witnesses and tendered numerous documentary exhibits, which were admitted in evidence by the court.

In sentencing the convicts, the court imposed 14 years’ imprisonment on each of them to run concurrently.

Additionally, Justice Dada ordered the forfeiture of identified assets and bank accounts linked to the fraudulent scheme.

The court further issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez, who are still at large.

Former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has petitioned the Court of Appeal in Abuja to overturn a judgment granting the government full control of a substantial estate in Abuja comprising 753 housing units.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier obtained a court order to seize the estate, situated in the Lokogoma district of Abuja.

Initially, the estate was linked to another unnamed former government official. However, Emefiele, through his legal representative A.M. Kotoye, contends that he ought to have been involved in the proceedings, as he holds an interest in the property. He is now seeking the Appeal Court’s reversal of the lower court’s ruling.

“I was unaware of the forfeiture,” Emefiele asserts.

He informed the court that the EFCC published the interim forfeiture notice in an obscure section of a newspaper, making it difficult to detect.

Additionally, Emefiele explained that he was simultaneously managing three criminal cases in both Abuja and Lagos, which hindered his ability to notice the publication.

He further accused the EFCC of deliberately concealing the forfeiture case from him, despite their ongoing engagement with him on other charges.

The trial court, however, dismissed his claim, ruling that the EFCC had followed due process and that the newspaper notice was sufficient.

The judge declared that the notice “could not reasonably be described as hidden.”

Dissatisfied, Emefiele lodged an appeal on April 30, 2025, requesting the Court of Appeal to: reverse the judgment delivered on April 28, 2025; annul the interim and final forfeiture orders dated November 1 and 2 December 2024 respectively; and grant his application filed on January 28, 2025.

He argued that the trial court had misconstrued his application and erroneously dismissed it without proper consideration of critical facts, asserting that the orders were founded on “hearsay, suspicion, and no proper evidence.”

Emefiele also maintained that he possessed both legal and equitable interests in the estate, despite the court’s assertion that he failed to provide proof of ownership.

“The entire ruling is a miscarriage of justice,” Emefiele declared.
He added, “The failure of the trial judge to properly evaluate the affidavit and documents before him is perverse and has caused a miscarriage of justice.

“The orders were made in breach of the 1999 Constitution and are therefore null and void.”

Meanwhile, Emefiele’s legal team has written to the Minister of Housing, urging the government to halt all plans to sell the estate until the appeal is resolved.

“We are aware that the properties may soon be sold to the public. We have already served the EFCC with a notice of appeal and an injunction,” the letter stated.

The federal government had recently announced intentions to auction the estate to low- and middle-income Nigerians.

Operatives of the Rivers State Police have arrested a 45-year-old Pastor of a new generation church simply identified as Lucky, for allegedly defiling a 10-year-old girl in the Ihuaje community in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.

It was gathered that the arrest of the said cleric was carried out by members of a local security outfit formally called ‘ONELGA Security Planning and Advisory Committee’ led by its Commander code-named OSPAC.

Punch Metro further gathered that the Commander of OSPAC in Ahoada East LGA, Precious Ihuruzu, led his men to the community after receiving the news of the incident.

The suspect, who is the pastor of a branch of the church in the area and handed over to the Ahoada Police Division.

Speaking to newsmen on the incident, a member of the association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Dennis Otobo, said he had received a call from the gender desk of the State Ministry of Health about a case of child abuse which they wanted him to follow up; which he obliged.

Otobo added, “In the course of my investigation, I got to know that one Pastor Lucky (surname withheld), who is also the proprietor of a group of schools (private) in Ihuaje community in Ahoada East, has been having sexual affairs with a 10-year-old girl in his care.

“This got to the knowledge of the parents. When the parents visited her on that Saturday at the Pastor’s house, the girl now informed them of what she had been going through. That anytime he had affairs with her, he would give her N500 to keep quiet.

“Her parents immediately took the girl to the hospital, where they did a preliminary investigation.

“On that level, I decided to call the Divisional Police Officer for assistance and arrest. It was in the evening that the DPO told me that they should come on Sunday and that he was going to handle the case professionally. Truly, he did that because, as we are talking, the man (pastor) is in Ahoada Police station, Ahoada East.”

Otobo commended the DPO of Ahoada Police Division, the Chief Security Officer of Ahoada East LGA, Hector Ekeakita, the OSPAC and a rights activist, Prince Wiro, who is the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights and Accountability Campaign, for their various roles in ensuring the suspect’s arrest.

The gender advocate, therefore, called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter and if found culpable, the suspect should be charged in court for prosecution.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the pastor’s arrest, saying it followed a complaint of alleged defilement by the parents of the tween girl.

Grace Iringe-Koko stated, “Yes, I can confirm his arrest. The Pastor is with us here in the Command. We received a complaint from the parents of the girl and our men working with a local vigilante there arrested him. Investigations are ongoing.”

The national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still under lock and key, over 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu’s directive to officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to unseal properties confiscated due to non-payment of ground rent.

Recall that the FCTA embarked on a mass sealing of properties on Monday, triggering an outcry, before Tinubu intervened and ordered the unsealing of the defaulting properties.

The President gave the defaulters a 14-day grace period to pay the ground rent with a penalty of ₦2 million, advising them to regularise all their land titles before the deadline.

According to Daily Trust, at about 10:15 am on Wednesday, the gate of the PDP headquarters in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, was still padlocked, with a seal of the FCTA pasted beside the lock.

Some staff of the party were reportedly seen sitting outside the main gate, while others loitered around, lamenting the development.

Commenting on the development, a staff member who spoke off the record said he suspects that there is an underlying instruction that PDP should not be opened.

The source said, “I was here yesterday when the FCTA staff came around. They went to FIRS, Ibro Hotel, NAPTIP and unsealed all of them. When they got to our office, they quickly drove away.

“I followed them to their office and met with the director of Lands but he said that they are still waiting for instructions from AGIS to unseal PDP.”

At the time of filing this report, the PDP is yet to issue an official reaction to the latest development.

Controversial Nigerian singer, Speed Darlington, has apologised to his fans following the backlash from a viral video in which he appeared to admit to sleeping with a 15-year-old virgin girl.

In the original footage, now widely condemned across social media, the artist described in unsettling detail a decade-old encounter with a teenage girl, sparking immediate outrage and prompting calls for legal action.

But in a follow-up video posted on his Instagram page on Wednesday, Speed Darlington claimed the viral story was nothing more than a publicity stunt, crafted to promote his latest music release.

He also apologised to his fans and anyone who found the video offensive.

‘’All my followers pissed off about the video I recorded in which I spoke about me sleeping with a 15-year-old, I am an artist. I need controversy to eat. If you are not trending, you are not getting booked. Simple! Nobody is booking something that is not trending.

“I have a new song now. The song is talking about f#ck this, f#ck that. This is my genre. I do not perform Christian music. When I dropped my song, I needed f#ck contents to push it,. That is what I was doing. Don’t give it more like than it is supposed to have.

“If any of you are offended, it’s alright. Apologies.” he said. 

PUNCH Online on Tuesday reported that Speed Darlington was criticised following a viral Instagram live video in which he seemingly admitted to defiling a 15-year-old girl.

The incident, which he narrated in Igbo, also prompted swift reactions from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

In 2022, Speed Darlington had in an Instagram live revealed an altercation he had with a neighbour who accused him of getting too close to a 16-year-old girl.

The singer filmed two women outside his apartment while he walked around his living room holding a knife to threaten them, saying, “They continually invade my privacy, opening my window, opening my curtain. I’m alone, two people attacking me.”

One of the women, also filming him, was heard saying, “You’ve met your match. Speed comes outside. I will deal with you; I will deal with you. Why are you running? Continue your live video, let them know you’re a rapist. You want to start messaging a 16-year-old girl, a house girl. Open this door, come out.”

PUNCH Online also reported in 2023 that Speed Darlington similarly got many talking following his search for a girlfriend who must be between the ages of 16 and 20.

“I’m looking for a girlfriend number two, 16 to 20 years old. Anyways all these announcements are a waste. I just need to do what I did before; which is go do a show and spend a week in the village after the show, find somebody to bring her to Lagos,” he said.

Watch video below: