By Francesca Hangeior

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra State Chapter, has debunked reports identifying the suspect accused of killing an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) officer in Awka as a medical doctor.

In a statement released by Dr. Obiaeli Ifeanyi, the State Secretary of the NMA, via X (formerly Twitter), on Monday, the association clarified that the suspect, Joshua Ikechukwu, is neither a licensed medical practitioner nor a member of the NMA.

Ikechukwu allegedly killed an EFCC officer, Aminu Salisu, during an operation in the early hours of Friday, January 17, 2025, at Dr J.O. Ukwutinife Close, Ifite, Awka.

The EFCC said Ikechukwu was allegedly involved in “online medical supplies of doubtful legitimacy.”

An online publication was said to have reported that the suspect was a staff member of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital.

Addressing these claims, the NMA expressed concern over the misuse of the title “medical doctor” by impostors.

“The attention of the leadership of NMA Anambra State has been drawn to online and newspaper publications alleging that a medical doctor shot an EFCC officer in Awka,” the statement said.

“In one of the publications, the suspect was described as a staff member of NAUTH. However, following our investigation, we wish to clarify that: Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu is not a staff member of NAUTH, as confirmed by the hospital’s management.

“He is not a member of the NMA Awka Zone, nor has any member identified him as a colleague. He is not a medical doctor (not even an academic doctor), though he deals in medical supplies and has been erroneously addressed as one.

“The NMA Anambra State hereby notifies the media and EFCC that the said suspect is not a medical doctor. We demand an immediate retraction of all defamatory publications where he was referred to as such. We urge the media to conduct due diligence before publishing claims.”

By Francesca Hangeior

An Iranian court has sentenced popular singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, known as Tataloo, to death on appeal after he was convicted of blasphemy, local media reported on Sunday.

“The Supreme Court accepted the prosecutor’s objection” to a previous five-year jail term on offences including blasphemy, reformist newspaper Etemad reported online.

It said “the case was reopened, and this time the defendant was sentenced to death for insulting the prophet”, referring to Islam’s Prophet Mohammed.

The report added that the verdict was not final and can still be appealed.

The 37-year-old underground musician had been living in Istanbul since 2018 before Turkish police handed him over to Iran in December 2023.

He has been in detention in Iran since then.

Tataloo had also been sentenced to 10 years for promoting “prostitution” and in other cases was charged with disseminating “propaganda” against the Islamic republic and publishing “obscene content”.

The heavily tattooed singer, known for combining rap, pop and R&B, was previously courted by conservative politicians as a way of reaching out to young, liberal-minded Iranians.

Tataloo even held an awkward televised meeting in 2017 with ultra-conservative Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who later died in a helicopter crash.

In 2015, Tataloo published a song in support of Iran’s nuclear programme that later unravelled in 2018 during the first US presidency of Donald Trump.

By Francesca Hangeior

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has announced the e-auction of some forfeited vehicles to the public.

The commission noted that the exercise is slated to take place on Monday, January 27, 2025, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, as it’ll be conducted online.

Also, the exercise is spread across 16 lots with auctioneers in Abuja, Edo, Kwara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Lagos and Kano states. Interested persons can go through the official web addresses provided for each lot.
Reports have it that some vehicles are still open to bids while some others have closed, as the vehicles have varying bidding amounts.
According to a tweet via its X handle on Monday, the commission said the e-auction will be done according to the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004, Public Procurement Act, 2007 and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery & Management) Act.

“The General Public is hereby notified that the @officialEFCC through its appointed Auctioneers will conduct e-Auction of the under-listed vehicles that are subject to final Forfeiture orders in accordance with the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004, Public Procurement Act, 2007 and the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery & Management) Act, 2022,” the tweet partly read.