US Court Jails Nigerian Fraud Kingpin Oluwaseun Adekoya 20 Years for Nationwide HELOC Scam

A U.S. federal court has sentenced 40-year-old Nigerian-born fraud kingpin, Oluwaseun Adekoya, to 20 years in prison for masterminding one of America’s most sophisticated nationwide bank-fraud and money-laundering schemes. Adekoya, who used multiple aliases, led a highly coordinated network that targeted home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) across several states using stolen identities and fake IDs. Prosecutors described him as a “perpetual thief” who spent nearly two decades exploiting U.S. financial institutions. He must pay over $2.2 million in restitution and faces removal from the U.S. after serving his sentence. Thirteen accomplices have already pleaded guilty, with sentences ranging from time served to 11 years.

History was made today as Nigerian-born
Maryam Bukar Hassan emerged as the first
UN Global Advocate for Peace and Security, addressing the opening session of the 2025 United Nations General Assembly.
https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSDpp7HEY/

Nigerian Fraudster Rotimi Oladimeji Arrested in U.S. for Wire Fraud, ordered to pay over $1.1 million in restitution.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested Nigerian-born convicted fraudster, Rotimi Oladimeji, in New Orleans.

In a post on its verified X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, ICE described him as a “criminal alien” with a history of mail and wire fraud.
“Nigerian criminal alien Rotimi Oladimeji’s criminal history includes mail and wire fraud. He was ordered to pay $1.1M+ in restitution before ICE New Orleans arrested him,” the agency wrote.

In December 2023, U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Oladimeji to 3 years in prison for helping other scammers defraud a St. Louis woman of nearly $1.2 million. He was also ordered to repay over $1.1 million.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Oladimeji, then 38 & based in Texas, assisted fraudsters in Nigeria & the U.S. to deceive the victim, who thought she was in an online romance with a St. Louis veterinarian.
“They made plans to meet with her but never followed through, once leaving her waiting at the Missouri Botanical Garden,” the Attorney’s Office revealed.

He directed the victim to send cash and checks through FedEx to the home of his co-defendant, Olumide Akrinmade, whom he had recruited alongside another Texas resident, Adewale Adesanya.
“In all, the victim lost nearly $1.17 million. Oladimeji received 20% of the funds he generated,” the office stated.

Both Akrinmade and Adesanya were also convicted, receiving 15 months and four years in prison respectively, along with restitution orders.

Authorities had earlier said Oladimeji, born in Lagos, could be deported after serving his term. But with ICE’s fresh announcement, it is unclear what became of his three-year jail sentence.

Nigerian-Born Beninese Footballer Razak Omotoyossi Dies at 38.

Former Beninese international and Nigerian-born footballer Razak Omotoyossi has passed away at the age of 38, with the cause of death yet to be revealed.

His death was confirmed on Tuesday morning, sending shockwaves through the African football community. Omotoyossi, who began his career in Nigeria before switching allegiance to Benin, carved out a reputation as one of the nation’s greatest footballers.

He netted 21 goals in 55 appearances for the Squirrels, placing him among Benin’s all-time leading scorers. He remains particularly celebrated for his heroics in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, where he scored all four goals in Benin’s 4-1 win over Togo and finished the campaign as joint top scorer alongside Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o.

He later made history by becoming the first player to score for Benin at the AFCON finals. At club level, Omotoyossi enjoyed a journeyman career across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, featuring in leagues in South Africa, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Moldova, Sweden, and France.

His most memorable spell came at Helsingborgs IF in Sweden, where he impressed in the UEFA Champions League before securing a move to French side FC Metz.

His sudden passing represents a huge loss for Beninese football and the wider African game. The Benin Football Federation is expected to release an official statement in the coming days.

UK Court Fines Nigerian Woman £25,000 For Falsely Accusing Man Of R3pe.

A London-based Nigerian woman, Cynthia Chia, has been ordered by a UK High Court to pay £25,000 in damages to Idowu Ogunkanmi, a Nigerian-born businessman based in Dubai, after she falsely accused him of rape and launched a vicious nine-year campaign of harassment.

The two, having first and only once met under the circumstances of a one-night stand in 2015 at one of the Hilton Hotel, Paddington clubs, were involved in what a UK judge has now called a “horrific and malicious” smear campaign that was all based on fabrication.

Chia, who did not attend court or go through a lawyer, was convicted of harassment and libel, devoting years to spreading slander online, referring to Ogunkanmi as a “rapist,” claiming he had spiked her and fallen in love with her, impregnated her, molested her child, and even bribed police officers and hospital staff to cover up the alleged offense.

The court, however, ruled none of her claims true.

Mr. Ogunkanmi, a three-time father (aged 44) and Nigerian-born energy trader residing in Dubai and regularly commuting for work, said that he had first met Ms. Chia in 2015 on a night out at Steam Bar, Hilton Hotel, London, with his friend Prisca Okoye. They parted after a night in his hotel room and went their separate ways the following day.

But what was supposed to be one evening of adult playtime became a nightmare.
By January 2016, Ms. Chia started demanding money, asserting that Ogunkanmi had slept with her friend and would ruin his life if he did not pay her some. She called his office over 100 times in a day at one point, and he had to threaten her with the Metropolitan Police.

US-based Lawyer Owolabi Salis Becomes First Nigerian to Travel to Space.

Nigerian-born lawyer and politician Owolabi Salis has made history as the first Nigerian to travel to space. Salis was one of six passengers aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, which launched from West Texas on June 29, 2025.

The 10-minute suborbital flight, operated by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin under its New Shepard programme, took the crew past the Kármán line—the internationally recognized boundary of space—reaching an altitude of 105.2 kilometers. Salis flew alongside Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin.

He now joins the exclusive list of citizen astronauts who have ventured into space through private spaceflight initiatives. Before liftoff, Salis described the mission as more than a scientific feat.

“This mission is more than just a trip into space—it’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations,” he said, adding that he hopes his experience will spark space exploration interest across Africa.

Born in Ikorodu, Lagos, Salis is a chartered accountant and attorney licensed in both Nigeria and the U.S. No stranger to adventure, Salis previously became the first Black African to visit both the Arctic and Antarctic within the same season.

He has also been a prominent figure in Lagos politics—seeking the PDP governorship ticket in 2003 and 2007, contesting under the Action Party of Nigeria in 2007, and running as the Alliance for Democracy’s candidate in the 2019 elections. He later challenged the 2019 results in court, but the tribunal upheld Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s victory.

Nigerian Lawyer, Owolabi Salis Makes History As First Nigerian In Space.

A Nigerian-born lawyer and seasoned politician, Owolabi Salis, has etched his name in the annals of history as the first Nigerian to travel to space.
Naija News reports that Salis was among six civilian passengers aboard Blue Origin’s NS-33 mission, which launched from West Texas, USA, on Saturday, June 29, 2025.

Sali's crewmates on the New Shepard rocket included Allie Kuehner, Carl Kuehner, Leland Larson, Freddie Rescigno Jr., and Jim Sitkin.

In an emotionally charged statement before liftoff, Salis described his voyage as one with deeper significance.

“This mission is more than just a trip into space, it’s a spiritual journey, a call to inspire future generations,” he said.


He added that he hoped the mission would spark curiosity and commitment to space exploration among Africans, especially the youth.

Who Is Owolabi Salis?
Born in Ikorodu, Lagos State, Salis is a man of many accomplishments. He is a chartered accountant and a licensed attorney, qualified to practise law both in Nigeria and the United States.

Salis is also the author of Equitocracy, a thought-provoking political treatise that advocates a democratic structure built on fairness, equity, and inclusion for multicultural societies.

Finland Begins Terrorism Trial Against Biafran Separatist Leader Simon Ekpa

Simon Ekpa, a Nigerian-born Finnish citizen and self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Biafra Republic Government in Exile (BRGIE), appeared before the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Friday, May 30, 2025, as his terrorism trial commenced. 

Finnish prosecutors have charged Ekpa with participating in a terrorist organization and publicly inciting crimes for terrorist purposes. The charges stem from allegations that he used social media platforms to incite violence and unrest in southeastern Nigeria as part of his separatist activities.  

Prosecutors are seeking a six-year prison sentence, citing substantial evidence of Ekpa’s online activities and communications. Ekpa has denied all charges, including allegations of ordering weapons for pro-Biafra groups.  

The trial has garnered significant attention both in Finland and Nigeria, with supporters and critics closely monitoring the proceedings.

#SimonEkpa #Biafra #FinlandTrial #TerrorismCharges #BRGIE

https://x.com/nigeriastories/status/1928468696613220669?s=46