An agent, who claims to be working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States' government has alleged that Instagram celebrity Hushpuppi has been slammed with fresh charges for laundering over $400k while in prison.

According to the documents presented before the U.S District Court of California on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, Hushpuppi was indicted as fresh evidence showed he committed fraud and money laundering in U.S Federal correctional facility.

The documents showed that Hushpuppi took part in the purchase and laundering of Economic Impact Payment debit cards fraudulently obtained from stolen data of U.S citizens and residents.

Economic Impact Payments are financial facility offered by the US government to its residents according to the CARES Act. One of the ways eligible US residents receive their Economic Impact Payments is by debit cards.

The documents shown in court also revealed that hackers used U.S. residents' data to file and obtain the Economic Impact Payments debit cards and sold them off to other cyber criminals in underground marketplaces.

Prosecutors say inmates are allowed access to phone calls, videos calls, the internet, exempt from being monitored in protection of their rights to privacy.

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For this reason, Hushpuppi was granted access to internet at the prison facility. However, between January 28 and March 4, security officers at the facility observed that he had gone beyond allowed internet use. 

The officers obtained a warrant to monitor the internet activities of Hushpuppi and his online dealing were recorded for seven days.

The surveillance caught Hushpuppi buying EIP debit cards from an underground cyber criminal marketplace called StimulusCard (“https://stimuluscard.com/”). 

Within the period, Hushpuppi had bought bought a total of 58 EIP debit cards with a total value of $429,800 on the site and laundered the money through one AJ.

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U.S. Prosecutors Say Hushpuppi Commits $429,800 Internet Fraud Inside US Prison

Tech giant, Google celebrated famous Nigerian potter, Ladi Kwali with a doodle on its search homepage on Wedne.

Google uses doodles to replace its logo on the homepage to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives and achievement of famous artists, pioneers, innovators, and scientists.

Kwali was an educator, ceramicist, glassworker, and potter, who has been credited with introducing the beauty of Nigerian art to the international community through through intricately decorated earthenware designs.

Born around 1925 to a family of potters in Kwali, Abuja, Ladi Dosei Kwali learnt the coil and pinch pottery methods from her aunt during her childhood.

Kwali later developed her own style which included fabricating everyday containers ornamented with animal iconography.

Local aristocrats soon showcased her masterful work as home decorations, and it was in a royal palace that Michael Cardew—the founder of Abuja’s first potter training facility—discovered her talent in 1950.

Kwali became the first Nigerian woman to receive training in advance pottery techniques, marrying her traditional style with innovative methods to craft a hybrid collection of pottery.

She later became a university lecturer and bagged a doctorate degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1977.

On March 16, 2017, an exhibition of Ladi Kwali's work opened at the Skoto Gallery in New York, and this was commemorated by Google’s doodle

She was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1963.

Kwali was honoured with the Nigerian National Order of Merit Award in 1980 and was also awarded the national honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger in 1981, in recognition of her contributions to academia.

Ladi Kwali is the first and only woman to appear on a Nigerian Naira note, N20.

Ladi Kwali: Google Celebrates Nigerian Potter With Doodle

Crystal Palace frustrated Premier League champions, Manchester City as the Citizens dropped two points in a goalless draw at Selhurst Park on Monday night.

The result has allowed Liverpool to close in on Man City on the table with just one point separating both sides with the former having a game in hand against Arsenal.

Crystal Palace were hoping to do a double over Man City after their 2-0 victory away at the home of the champions earlier in the season.

However, it was Man City who started the brightest creating couple of scoring chances but were rebuffed by the dogged Palace defence.

Joao Cancelo saw his speculative long range effort hit the upright and Aymeric Laporte aslo fired his rebound over the crossbar.

Man City went into the break frustrated as the brilliant Vicente Guaita in Palace goal made some decent saves to keep the honors even.

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The champions emerged from the break more determined as their host seemed content to sit back and soak in the pressure.

Meanwhile, just before the hour mark, Kelvin De Bruyne struck the inside of the post and Guaita also made an instinctive safe on Riyad Mahrez's shot.

Man City kept pushing for a breakthrough but they found the Guaita and Palace's defence too stubborn to break down.

Despite the stalemate, Man City forward, Bernardo Silva insisted that his side still hold the advantage over Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title.

"We couldn't score and we should've scored," Silva told Sky Sports after the game at Selhurst Park.

"Nine games to go, but it's still better to be in our position than in Liverpool's and they have to play in our stadium so it's going to be exciting."

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Crystal Palace Vs Man City: Champions Drop Points as Title Race Gets Closer

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has intimated President Muhammadu Buhari of his desire to join the race for the 2023 presidency.

Daily Trust quoted some sources as saying Osinbajo told Buhari he would like to succeed him in 2023 so that he can consolidate their achievements.

One of the sources that spoke to the newspaper said, “Certainly, VP Osinbajo has told the president that he wants to succeed him.

“The vice president had first consulted some prominent Nigerians who encouraged him to vie for the presidency and they also encouraged him to tell the president himself.

“They told him not to allow a third party to tell the president so that the ambition will not be misconstrued.”

Another source also revealed that after Osinbajo told the president his desire, Buhari responded with a smile and gave him the greenlight while also wishing him well.

“Buhari smiled in his usual characteristic manner…he listened to the VP carefully and while responding, he gave him the green light and wished him well without giving him any commitment or assurance of supporting him ahead of other contenders.

“He blessed the intention just the way he blessed Tinubu when he visited him in the Villa and unveiled his plan to vie for the presidency.

“And I think the president is being careful. Remember what he said while granting an interview to a national television,” the source said.

A third source also told Daily Trust that Osinbajo and Tinubu would slug it out for the APC ticket adding that whoever gets Buhari's support would have the upper hand.

“The projection in certain quarters that the VP will not contest against Tinubu is now over. The two of them who are from the southwest would confront each other. They both have their support bases but Tinubu, of course, is more of a politician than Osinbajo.

"He has more support base across the country but that notwithstanding, the truth is that whoever the president supports would surely have an upper hand,” the source said.

Although yet to officially declare his interest, Osinbajo would have the likes of Tinubu, Dave Umahi, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Rochas Okorocha to contend with for the APC ticket.

Other names that have also been touted for the APC ticket include Rotimi Amaechi, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Osinbajo: VP Reportedly Informs Buhari of His 2023 Presidential Ambition

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has suspended the APC from holding it's national convention as slated for the 26 of March due to internal squabbles the party is still facing.

Justice Bello Kawu made this order pending the determination of the suit marked FHC/HC/CV/2958/202.

According to a source, the party has made the necessary arrangement to ensure the court vacate the order by Thursday.

Mr. Salisu Umoru had dragged the APC, the Chairman Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and Governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC before the court to challenge the planned convention.

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In the motion, No FCT/HC/M/9655/21, the plaintiff prayed the court for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants, allies, agencies, representatives, associates or whoever is acting for them from organising, holding or conducting national convention of the APC in January and February or at any other date either before or after, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

The claimant informed the court that the mere inauguration of sub-committees for the March 26 National Convention when the order of the honourable court is in force is a demonstration of disdain for the rule of law in the country.

While March 30, 2022 was fixed for the continuation of hearing of the substantive suit, no date has been fixed for the commencement of contempt proceedings against the APC.

The claimant also commended INEC for standing by the provisions of the law and the order of the court, which is still in force.

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Abuja Court Suspends APC Convention Indefinitely

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has moved to extended its ongoing industrial action by another eight weeks.

The union had a month ago declared a 30 days strike action in the first instance in its face-off with the Federal Government.

The resolution to extend the strike action was reached after a meeting this weekend.

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An ASUU official, Prof. Abdulkadir Muhammad Danbazau, who confirmed the report, said the decision to extend the was to allow the union and government reach agreement in other to avoid any other strike in future.

He added that the two months was enough for the government to do the right thing on the lingering issues.

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ASUU Extends Industrial Action by Two Months

The Federal Government has said it’s still waiting for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to upgrade and return the Universities Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS), which failed the integrity test.

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, spoke to State House Correspondents at the end of Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 over a face-off with the Federal Government which included the non-acceptance of UTAS as the payment platform to replace the Integrated Personnel and Payment Information System (IPPIS).

While government insisted that UTAS has failed the necessary tests that should qualify it to be used as a payment platform, ASUU accused the government of not being ready to accept its alternative platform to the IPPIS. 

Asked to give update on UTAS being one of contentious issues that led to the ongoing ASUU strike, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said he acted on the letter from the Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige, requesting a review of the submission and the technical ability of the software of the system, by forwarding it to NITDA for action.

“They (NITDA) conducted their  analysis, their testing and sent same back to me, and I drafted a cover letter which I forwarded to the Minister of Labor and Employment and copied the minister of education, minister of finance, budget and national planning, and also office of the accountant general of the federation and even National University Commission.”

Giving clarification on the position of UTAS, Inuwa said: “When we received the request to review, UTAS, you know, building complex system like UTAS that involves employees’ personal data, and also payment system, we have to subject it to do best practice tests before approving. Normally, when we are reviewing that kind of system, we perform three tests.”

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“Firstly, because when you’re building system, it’s not just about the technology, you need to consider the people that will use this system and the process. If you don’t align people, process and technology, you will never get result. No matter how good the technology is, if the people don’t understand how to use it, they won’t use it. And if the process is different from the way the people work, also, they won’t use it. So, that is a process of building technology.

“Again, you need to get the business requirement. What do you want to achieve? So, it’s not the technology that will come first, it is the business requirement, what do you want to achieve, then you need to identify the capabilities you need to achieve, that is your business objective.

“Part of the capability is the technology you need to bring in and the people that will operate the technology before you start thinking of the technology, because technology is always a tool that will help you to achieve an objective or to do your work. If you bring the tool before knowing what to do with it, it will be useless.

“So, when they came, we said okay, fine, we will do user acceptance test, ASUU you’ve built this system, but you are not the one that will use the system. There are people in bursary, and all those in finance that will use this system. So, we need to do user acceptance test with them, let them come and show the system, let them see if it can help them to do the work there.”

Strike: ASUU yet to meet govt’s demand –FG

Chidinma Ojukwu the alleged murderer of Michael Usifo Ataga, Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, has been crowned Miss Cell 2022.

She won a beauty pageant at the Kirikiri female prison, as they marked the International Women’s Day, with this year’s theme: “BreakingTheBias”.

Ojukwu, a 300-level, Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), who is facing trial alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri, for Ataga’s murder, competed with other inmates of the prison and won the coveted crown of Miss Cell 2022.

On the last adjourned date on February 21, Ojukwu’s trial was stalled due to the absence of the prosecution witness.

Ojukwu is standing trial before a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafa Balewa Square TBS.

The defendant is charged alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri, for alleged murder, stealing and forgery.

When the case was called on the last adjourned date the prosecution counsel, Mrs A. O. Oluwafemi, also Deputy Director of Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions, told the court that their witness was not in court.

She applied to the court that the earlier dates fixed for the hearing of the case be vacated to enable the prosecution to get the Toxicology and DNA results needed for the trial.

She said the results were not available yet, adding that the next witness would be examined with those documents.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however, vacated all the dates earlier fixed and adjourned the next proceeding until April 25 for the continuation of trial.

On February 17, an Investigative Police Officer, Inspector Ibrahim Isaka, gave his evidence before the court.

Isiaka, the sixth prosecution witness, narrated how police allegedly discovered Usifo Ataga, Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, in the pool of his blood.

The witness said that the police consequently called the emergency Unit at Yaba General Hospital and evacuated Ataga’s corpse.

He told the court that on June 16, 2021, a case of murder was reported at his place of work, Maroko Police Station.

According to him, at 11:30 p.m., one Mrs Nkechi Mogbo, came to the station and reported that a body was discovered at her short-service facility where people lodged.

He testified that Mogbo narrated to the police that the security guard at the facility informed her that the body of a man who lodged in the facility was discovered lying in the pool of his blood.

The witness said that Mogbo also told the police that a cleaner in the facility went to clean the apartment but there was no response from the people who lodged there.

He said that the security guard and the cleaner forcefully opened the door and discovered Ataga in the pool of blood.

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The witness said the police including the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) went to the crime scene.

He said the DPO immediately called the Emergency Unit at Yaba General Hospital and the hospital came and evacuated the corpse.

The witness also said the following morning, June 17, the commissioner of police advised that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section, Panti.

He said that a police team from Panti asked him to follow the team to the crime scene and he did.

Isiaka said that the police found some clothes and a travelling bag in the apartment and collected the items for investigation.

He said that he wrote a statement and handed the case file to the police at Panti.

The prosecuting counsel tried to tender the witness statement but the second defendant counsel, Mr Babatunde Busari, objected.

However, after all the arguments, the judge overruled the objection and admitted the witness’ statement in evidence.

The three defendants were arraigned on October 12 on a nine-count charge preferred against them by Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

Murder Suspect, Chidinma Ojukwu crowned Miss Cell 2022

The Senate has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to allow registered and eligible prison inmates to vote during all general elections in the country.

The Upper Chamber discussed this during plenary on Tuesday when it considered a motion on The prerogative of Prison Inmates to vote in general elections in Nigeria sponsored by Senator Abba Moro.

They called on INEC to determine the status of the inmates that are constitutionally and legally qualified to be registered as eligible voters and should vote at elections.

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They urged INEC and all relevant agencies to carry out a voracious voter’s enlightenment in prisons in Nigeria, to educate the inmates of their rights and necessity to exercise their franchise in general elections.

Also, according to the lawmakers, INEC register update its register of voters to take into account the prison population for the purpose of elections. INEC in collaboration with the Nigeria Correctional Service should also locate voting centers at custodial centers across the country to be used for voting.

The Senate further urged the INEC to allow duly registered and eligible prison-electorates to exercise their franchise during all general elections in Nigeria.

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Senate Urges INEC to Allow Prison Inmates to Vote In 2023

The spike in energy prices caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine will produce effects comparable to the 1973 oil shock, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warned on Wednesday.

The current energy crisis was “comparable in intensity, in brutality, to the oil shock of 1973,” Le Maire told a conference in Paris.

“In 1973, as you know, the response caused an inflationary shock, leading central banks to massively increase their rates, which killed off growth,” Le Maire added.

“This has a name: stagflation, and it’s precisely what we want to avoid in 2022.”

The first oil shock in the early 1970s was caused by the Yom Kippur war when Egyptian and Syrian forces launched an offensive against Israel.

Six Arab members of the OPEC oil cartel declared an embargo on exports to countries supporting Israel, notably the United States.

They quadrupled the oil price to $11.65 a barrel, provoking recessions in Western countries and steep inflation.

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European wholesale gas and crude oil have rocketed to record, or near-record prices this week due to supply fears linked to Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The United States and Britain announced Tuesday they were cutting off Russian energy imports in response to the war, triggering another surge in prices.

The price of Brent crude, the international benchmark, was up at almost $130 per barrel on Wednesday.

World Heading For 1973-Type Energy Shock, Says French Minister

Pasha Lee, a 33-year-old Ukrainian actor, was reportedly killed on Sunday by Russian shelling of northern Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s Odesa International Film Festival and local reports, Lee was killed in Irpin after joining the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend the country against the Russian invasion.

In an Instagram post tagged to Irpin on Saturday, Lee wrote: “For the last 48 hours there is an opportunity to sit down and take a picture of how we are being bombed, and we are smiling because we will manage and everything will be UKRAINE WE ARE WORKING !!!” according to a translation.

The actor appeared in films including “Meeting Of Classmates,” “The Fight Rules,” “Selfie Party” and “Zvychayna Sprava,” Deadline reported. He was also a host on the DOM channel and did voice work in “The Lion King” and “The Hobbit,” according to a Facebook post by Sergiy Tomilenko, president of Ukraine’s National Union of Journalists.

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At least four civilians were killed in Irpin, just west of Kyiv, on Sunday as Russian forces shelled an area being used as an evacuation route. Russian invaders have been pushing in on the town for days, according to The New York Times.

Ukrainian Actor Pasha Lee Has Killed By Russian Shelling

Benin Republic authorities have released Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, from prison to his medical practitioners, his lawyer, Yomi Alliyu, has said.

Mr Alliyu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said in a statement Monday that Sunday Igboho’s release was under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.

“I am to inform you that Chief Sunday Adeyemo, a.k.a Igboho, has been released from prison to his medical practitioners under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.

“Praises should be given to two prominent Yoruba personalities to wit: Prof. Wole Soyinka and Prof. Akintoye for this turn around in our client’s matter,” he said.

The incarceration of Mr Igboho in the Republic of Benin had been extended by six months after spending the initial six months in prison.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr Igboho and his wife, Ropo, were arrested on Monday, July 19, 2021, by the International Criminal Police Organisation at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, the Republic of Benin on their way to Germany.

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Sunday Igboho Released From Benin Republic Prison - Lawyer

Nigerian newspapers,on one page.