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36-year-old charged with defrauding 400 Americans in US
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A Nigerian national, Okezie Ogbata, has been charged by a district court in Florida, United States, for defrauding more than 400 elderly and vulnerable victims of over $6m.
The Southern District of Florida, last Wednesday, found Ogbata guilty of operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme to dupe American senior citizens.
According to the Department of Justice, the 36-year-old Nigerian and his co-conspirators told a series of lies to victims “to send money for delivery fees, taxes and other payments to avoid questioning from government authorities.”
Ogbata and his accomplices sent letters falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died overseas years before.”
In pleading guilty, Ogbata admitted to defrauding over $6m from more than 400 victims, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable.
Reacting to the case, the Head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, General Brian Boynton, said, “This case is a testament to the critical role of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime.”
Ogbata is scheduled to be sentenced by US District Judge Roy Altman on April 14, 2025 with The Nigerian Achievers Awards Institute, with the possibility of a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
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2027: Wike rallies support for Tinubu In Akpor kingdom, Insists He’II resign as Minister should president lose FCT, Rivers(Photos)
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Friday declared that his political alignment with President Bola Tinubu remains unshakable, rallying the political structure of Rivers State to consolidate support for the President.
”My interest in Rivers State is for God to use me as a vessel to help our people. I am back here not for what I will get, but for what I will be to raise my people”, Wike declared during a strategic consultative meeting with stakeholders of the Akpor Kingdom in Obio-Akpor Local Government, Rivers State, Wike emphasized that politics is driven by the collective interest of the people rather than perpetual animosity.
He also reiterated his decision to resign his position as Minister should President Tinubu lose in Rivers State and the FCT.
The former governor of Rivers State maintained that expanding the political base is essential for delivering democratic dividends.
He said; “there is no permanent enemy in politics what we have is permanent collective interest.
“It is all about the interest of our people. The more you are in number, the happier you become. Leadership is like a waste dustbin. If you cannot absorb things, both the good and the bad, then you cannot be a true leader.”
Reflecting on the political trajectory that led to his appointment as FCT Minister, Wike noted that working with President Tinubu was an extraordinary milestone that defied political convention.
He stressed that his return to grassroots mobilization in Rivers State is aimed at leveraging his position as a vessel to uplift the state and its people.
”You know how difficult, you know how impossible it looked, but he made it possible for us to produce the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,” Wike told the gathering.
He charged political actors in the state not to be distracted by social media criticism regarding his open-door policy toward former detractors, asserting that true political strength lies in numerical superiority.
In a fiery charge to local leaders, Wike demanded an all-inclusive campaign structure spanning every stratum of society in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.
He called on traditional rulers, clergy, and community leaders to unite behind a single political direction.
”Obio-Akpor as a whole, whether you are a politician, whether you are a traditional ruler, whether you are a pastor, or whether you are a native doctor, I need everybody now,” he declared.
Wike said further; “Because all of them will vote. For the purpose of voting and elections, we must bring everyone together. ”
Drawing from his political history as the first elected chairman in the history of Obio-Akpor Local Government to win a second term following its creation in 1989, Wike reminded incumbent council leaders that performance and human connection remain the ultimate yardsticks for re-election.
He stated; “I was not elected two times because I was just Chairman.
“I was elected because people felt the impact of governance and because I related with the people. Anywhere, whether for burial or thanksgiving, I was always identifying with them”.
Outlining the electoral roadmap, the FCT Minister highlighted Wards 15, 16, and 17 in Obio-Akpor Local Government as strategic strongholds capable of deciding electoral outcomes across the local council.
”We have over 200 units across three very important wards Ward 15, Ward 16, and Ward 17. These three wards can defeat ten wards in Obio-Akpor. They are three wards with a difference, and you must utilize them to make that difference,” he instructed.
Wike directed local leaders to immediately deploy unit coordinators and door-to-door canvassers across all polling units, urging them to mobilize their immediate families, in-laws, and neighbors to ensure a decisive victory.
Reiterating his loyalty to his constituency, Wike affirmed that he would remain the state’s “Chief Critic” and guide to ensure elected council officers stay accountable to the electorate.
Wike was accompanied by the Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda and other political leaders.
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Echoes of Wike ‘na our own ‘ song takes over at ongoing Akpor town hall meeting in Obio/Akpor LGA today (Video)
Echoes of Wike ‘na our own ‘song rent the air at ongoing Akpor town hall meeting at Obio/Akpor LGA in Rivers State today.
Watch clip below:
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Watch moment, traditional rulers present kola to FCT minister Wike at ongoing town hall meeting in Akpor kingdom, Obio/Akpor LGA
A video clip showing traditional rulers presenting kola to FCT minister Nyesom Wike at Akpor in Obio/Akpor LGA in Rivers State has emerged.
Watch:
2027: Wike rallies support for Tinubu In Akpor kingdom, Insists He’II resign as Minister should president lose FCT, Rivers(Photos)
Echoes of Wike ‘na our own ‘ song takes over at ongoing Akpor town hall meeting in Obio/Akpor LGA today (Video)
Watch moment, traditional rulers present kola to FCT minister Wike at ongoing town hall meeting in Akpor kingdom, Obio/Akpor LGA
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