A syndicate that specializes in the stealing of electric service wires from residential buildings now operates in Ibadan, Nigeria.

The criminal group comprising some unscrupulous elements in the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) co-opted financially indisposed individuals to give out vital information that would be of mutual benefit to both of them.

On Tuesday, 17 December, 2024, between 2:45 pm and 3:10 pm in the afternoon, a marketer and a technician, both workers of the IBEDC, stole the four service wires that supply electricity to the four apartments at No. 3 Kehinde Aderibigbe Street, Olorunsogo, Molete.

Before the ugly act, the criminals had sat down and strategized at a shoemaker's shop at No. 6.

The shoemaker had in turn entertained them.

After the act, the criminals, who brought along a ladder, made away with the stolen items while residents of the community watched with keen interest.

In recent times, cases of the theft of the DISCO's equipment and materials have become rampant.

Cultists have, for over 5 years running now, taken over most of the communities of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

Trump sues CBS over Harris '60 Minutes' interview

These cultists, who operate with impunity, boast of their untouchable status openly, to the consternation of members of the public.

Their presence in the midst of unscrupulous law enforcement agents has not helped matters.

Indeed, residents have decided to keep quiet when all their complaints have never attracted any uplifting response from those in charge.

Of great worry is the nonchalance of the state government and the state legislature towards breathing constitutional and statutory life into the anti-cultism law in the state.

The cultists have, for long, broken into the houses of residents and forcefully made away with property documents.

On Monday, at about 7.40 am in the morning, cultists led by one Lekan Adewale made a failed attempt to break into an apartment at 3, Kehinde Aderibigbe Street, Olorunsogo, Molete.

Sadly, occupants of No. 5 (a two-story building) served as accomplices.

The leader of the cultists operates from No. 8 Kehinde Aderibgbe Street, Olorunsogo, Molete.

For long, the cultists have been forcefully evicting residents from their landed property and disposing of such property with the aid of erring law enforcement agents and government officials.

It is very disturbing that the lack of scale and coherence feature prominently in most of the initiatives to address the youth empowerment challenge in Nigeria. The population of youths who are gainfully employed in the critical economic and social sectors is very discouraging.

Indeed, a sizable number of the population do not possess relevant digital skills to fit into these sectors. Indeed, a lot still has to be done to the psyche, value and attitude of the youths in this clime, to enable them to have access to decent work and productive employment.

The government at all levels have, over the years, failed to equip young Nigerians with globally sought-after skills to ensure that they are useful not only to themselves, but also to society.

In the absence of the interventions of the government and the Organized Private Sector(OPS), the youths have now embraced lawlessness, crime and all forms of criminality as credible means to ends and the political class are taking full advantage of theis development.

Note- A number of state governments have persistently covertly supported lawlessness, crime and criminality.

In many state capitals, the brazen and daring attitude of those who are believed to be the supporters and loyalists of these state governments is the major discussion in every mouth.

These sets of people trespass on landed properties which do not belong to them, the heavy presence of roadside car outlets and make-shift shops has become an eyesore on the environment.

The Nigeria Baptist Convention among several others has a lot to state about its landed property and trespassers situated at the Scout Camp area of Ibadan, Oyo state.

Higher institutions in the country have for long contended with the activities of students and non-students, which causes  lawlessness, deviant behavior and criminality-on and off the various campuses in Nigeria.

Indeed, workers, petty traders and visitors have also been crucial participants in these problems, while the managements of the affected institutions  feign ignorance or are oblivious of the problems.

Of worry, is the unwritten consent by some members of management for the despicable acts.

Indeed, homosexuality is now prevalent in these citadels of learning and, surprisingly, members of the communities have taken the abnormal to be normal.

Stakeholders in the education sector have for long been silent, but rather dissipated energy on the establishment of more institutions. Perhaps.

However, for the Dean of Students' Affairs, University of Ibadan, Prof. Adekeye Abiona, the University, does not have such issues.

''We don't have such issues at the University of Ibadan. Maybe it is in Agbowo, where there are Polytechnic and other students who are not our students. If you want more information, ask the law enforcement agents. There is no way  non-students can get into our halls of residence. Besides, we have hall wardens. Students enter the halls with their identity cards. We are so strict about this, no one can get into the halls without permission. We don't have it in U.I, nobody has reported such.We have an Anti-Cultism Committee, we were at the College of Medicine for a social re-orientation program. The Center for Social Orientation(CSO) was established to take care of such vices. Our students will never indulge in that. There is what we call students' handbook. They have the matriculation oath. Our students are well behaved and we have the Students' Disciplinary Committee(SDC) to handle such issues,'' Prof. Abiona stated.

Nigerians have been called upon to be vigilant by watching out for those with criminal intentions residing in communities across the country.
This call was made by a cleric, Pastor Opeyemi Ajayi.
''Nigerians must always be security conscious and vigilant wherever they  live because criminals are moving into communities in droves with the intent of committing crime and only pretend to be neighbors while they seek information and observe communities for criminal purposes,'' Pastor Ajayi disclosed.

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Joshua is a Junior Secondary Schools student(JSS) of the Royal Seed College, Irepo Street, Idi-Odo, Challenge, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Influenced by his parents, Joshua always scales a neighbor's fence to steal at Olorunsogo, Molete,.
Be vigilant, watch out for the ''Joshuas'' in your community.

New Jersey Proud Boys Leader Sentenced on Felony Charge For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Defendant Joined Confrontation on Lower West Terrace

            WASHINGTON – A New Jersey man, a regional leader of the Proud Boys, was sentenced today on a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Shawn Price, 28, of Rockaway Township, New Jersey, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for interfering with law enforcement officers during a civil disorder. Price pleaded guilty on October 14, 2022, in the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered $2,000 in restitution.

            According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Price was a member of the Proud Boys and served as vice president of his local chapter. The Proud Boys describe themselves as members of a “pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world, aka Western Chauvinists.” According to the documents, Price traveled to Washington with 10-12 other members of the chapter. He and four or five of these associates then illegally entered the restricted area of the Capitol grounds, ignoring the police officers in riot gear and the clouds of chemical irritants in the air, which did not deter them. Even after being hit in the chest by a rubber bullet and sprayed with tear gas himself, Price was not deterred. He filmed a confrontation with law enforcement officers taking place on the Lower West Terrace, using profanities as he screamed at the officers, calling them “traitors,” “cowards,” and “scumbags.” He then proudly posted the video online

            At one point, as a crowd of rioters was ascending the stairs after breaching the line of law enforcement officers, Price said, “Let’s go … let’s go …. Let’s go!” and “They thought we couldn’t do it, they wanted to hold us back, now look at this s----.” After officers sprayed a chemical irritant in hopes of controlling the mob, Price continued shouting profanities.

            While on the Lower West Terrace, Price put on a pair of goggles to protect himself from the chemical irritants being used by the police to keep the rioters at bay and disperse the crowd. Sometime between 1:30 and 1:45 p.m., Price and several of his Proud Boys associates pushed en masse against the police in an attempt to breach the police line and access more of the Capitol grounds. The officers who were being pushed were attempting to aid a smaller group of officers on the scene but were unable to reach them because of the crowd’s actions. A few minutes later, Price and his associates forcibly interfered with officers working to arrest one of the rioters by trying to pull that man out of the police officers’ grasp. Later that evening, Price bragged online about how he had “led the storm” and inspired others to fight the police in an effort to keep the former president in power.

            Price was arrested on June 8, 2021.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Justice Department’s National Security Division prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey, the Middle District of Florida, and the Western District of Washington.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Newark and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 26 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
Source-FBI

ampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Reginald Roberts (22, Lakeland), a/k/a/ “Rudy,” Nathaniel Keith Carr (28, Riverdale), a/k/a “Nate,” and Chrishawn De’Earl Butler (22, Brooksville), a/k/a “Baby,” have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing and discharging firearms in the commission of crimes of violence. Each faces a minimum mandatory sentence ranging from 14 to 21 years, up to life, in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.

According to the plea agreements, and as depicted in the attached photographs introduced at the initial appearance hearing on May 12, 2021, between December 2020 and April 2021, Roberts, Carr, Butler and others engaged in a conspiracy to rob individuals they suspected of distributing narcotics. During that time, the conspirators engaged in numerous armed robberies in Hillsborough, Pasco, Polk, and Lee counties, some of which resulted in shootings. While committing these offenses, the conspirators impersonated law enforcement officers by wearing black clothing, gloves, and masks, often with law enforcement insignia, or vests with “Sheriff” affixed. In addition, during certain robberies, the conspirators drove a black Dodge Durango and white Chevrolet Malibu equipped with blue lights and sirens. 

Co-conspirator Jasmine Weber (28, Tampa) has also pleaded guilty, and is pending sentencing. Indicted co-conspirators Daniel Jackson and Darius Hudson are pending trial. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bartow Police Department, the Lakeland Police Department, the Dade City Police Department, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Arcadia Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source-FBI

Defendant Conspired to Illegally Export U.S. Goods and Technology Without Required Export Licenses

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Kambiz Attar Kashani, a dual citizen of the United States and Iran, was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric R. Komitee to 30 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to illegally export U.S. goods, technology, and services to end users in Iran, including the Government of Iran, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).  The defendant has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine. Kashani pleaded guilty to the charge in June 2022.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Joseph R. Bonavolanta, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division (FBI), announced the sentence.

“Kashani defied export restrictions and sanctions against Iran, a country that sponsors international terrorism,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “His scheme undermined U.S. foreign policy and national security interests, and warranted a substantial sentence of incarceration to deter others.”

“Kashani conspired to illegally export U.S. goods and technology for the benefit of the Central Bank of Iran, a designated entity that materially supports known terrorist organizations,” said Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “The Department remains vigilant against any efforts to circumvent our export control laws, which exist to protect the security of the United States and its people.”

“Kambiz Attar Kashani will now head to prison for strengthening the economy of one of the world’s most infamous state sponsors of terrorism to line his own pockets, while circumventing U.S. laws in place to protect our national security interests. He used two United Arab Emirates companies to procure items from multiple American technology companies, including one located right here in Massachusetts,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division Bonavolonta. “Today’s sentencing should send a strong message that the FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and hold accountable those individuals who illegally export our country’s sensitive information and technology to hostile nations such as the Government of Iran.”

Between February 2019 and June 2021, Kashani conspired to illegally export goods and technology to end users in Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). The U.S. government recognizes CBI as an agency of the Government of Iran and the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has classified it as a Specially Designated National (SDN) acting for or on behalf of a terrorist organization.  According to the U.S. government, CBI has materially assisted, sponsored and provided financial, material or technological support, goods or services to Lebanese Hizballah, a terrorist organization, and to the Qods Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which is a branch of the Iranian armed forces and represents the primary means of the Government of Iran to direct and implement its global terrorism campaign.   

Kashani and his co-conspirators perpetrated the illegal transshipping scheme through two separate United Arab Emirates (UAE) companies.  They used the UAE companies to procure electronic goods and technology from multiple U.S. technology companies, including one located in Brooklyn, for end users in Iran, including CBI, without obtaining required OFAC export licenses.  Certain of the goods and technology Kashani and his co-conspirators transshipped were classified by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security as information security items subject to national security and anti-terrorism controls.  Kashani and his co-conspirators intentionally concealed from the U.S. companies that they intended to send the items to Iran, falsely claiming that the UAE companies would be the ultimate end users.   

As set forth in court papers, by providing the Government of Iran and end users in Iran with sophisticated, top-tier U.S. electronic equipment and software, the defendant and his co-conspirators enabled the Iranian banking system to operate more efficiently, effectively, and securely.  In doing so, the defendant and his co-conspirators likely helped strengthen Iran’s economy and provided faster and more secure access to funds that enable the Government of Iran to further priorities including its nuclear program and terrorist agenda – exactly what the U.S. sanctions against Iran were intended to prevent.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section.  Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Meredith A. Arfa are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney S. Derek Shugert of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Defendant:

Kambiz Attar Kashani
Age:  45
United Arab Emirates

Source-FBI

Charges Include Conspiracy to Forcibly Repatriate PRC Nationals, Attempted Obstruction of a Criminal Prosecution, and Conspiracy to Act as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Country In three separate cases in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of New Jersey, the Justice Department has charged 13 individuals, including members of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) security and intelligence apparatus and their agents, for alleged efforts to unlawfully exert influence in the United States for the benefit of the government of the PRC. In the Eastern District of New York, an eight-count indictment was unsealed on Oct. 20 charging seven PRC nationals – two of whom were arrested on Oct. 20 in New York – with participating in a scheme to cause the forced repatriation of a PRC national residing in the United States. The defendants are accused of conducting surveillance of and engaging in a campaign to harass and coerce a U.S. resident to return to the PRC as part of an international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two People’s PRC intelligence officers with attempting to obstruct a criminal prosecution in the Eastern District of New York. The defendants remain at large. In the District of New Jersey, an indictment was unsealed today charging four Chinese nationals, including three Ministry of State Security (MSS) intelligence officers, in connection with a long-running intelligence campaign targeting individuals in the United States to act as agents of the PRC. “As these cases demonstrate, the government of China sought to interfere with the rights and freedoms of individuals in the United States and to undermine our judicial system that protects those rights. They did not succeed,” said U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to undermine the Rule of Law upon which our democracy is based. We will continue to fiercely protect the rights guaranteed to everyone in our country. And we will defend the integrity of our institutions.” “The actions announced today take place against a backdrop of malign activity from the government of the People’s Republic of China that includes espionage, attempts to disrupt our justice system, harassment of individuals, and ongoing efforts to steal sensitive U.S. technology,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The men and women of the Department of Justice will continue to defend the United States, our institutions, and our people from foreign threats that violate the law — no matter what form they take.” “These indictments of PRC intelligence officers and government officials – for trying to obstruct a U.S. trial of a Chinese company, masquerading as university professors to steal sensitive information, and trying to strong-arm a victim into returning to China – again expose the PRC’s outrageous behavior within our own borders,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI, working with our partners and allies, will continue to throw the full weight of our counterintelligence and law enforcement authorities into stopping the Chinese government’s crimes against our businesses, universities, and Chinese-American communities.” “These cases highlight the threat the PRC government poses to our institutions and the rights of people in the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We will not tolerate these brazen operations: the harassment and attempted repatriation by force of individuals living in the U.S.; the effort to corrupt our judicial system; and the attempt to recruit agents for the PRC under the cover of a front academic organization. Countering such threats is a cornerstone of the mission of the National Security Division.” United States v. Quanzhong An, et al., Eastern District of New York An eight-count indictment was unsealed on Oct. 20 in Brooklyn charging a total of seven nationals of the PRC – Quanzhong An, 55, of Roslyn, New York; Guangyang An, 34, of Roslyn, New York; Tian Peng, 38, of the PRC; Chenghua Chen of the PRC; Chunde Ming of the PRC; Xuexin Hou, 52, of the PRC; and Weidong Yuan, 55, of the PRC – with participating in a scheme to cause the forced repatriation of a PRC national residing in the United States. The lead defendant, Quanzhong An, allegedly acted at the direction and under the control of various officials with the PRC’s government’s Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection (Provincial Commission) – including Peng, Chen, Ming, and Hou – to conduct surveillance of and engage in a campaign to harass and coerce a U.S. resident to return to the PRC as part of an international extralegal repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” Quanzhong An and Guangyang An were arrested on Thursday and were arraigned that afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes Jr. The remaining defendants remain at large. “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a unilateral and uncoordinated law enforcement action on U.S. soil on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China, in an effort to cause the forced repatriation of a U.S. resident to China,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The United States will firmly counter such outrageous violations of national sovereignty and prosecute individuals who act as illegal agents of foreign states.” As alleged in the indictment, the defendants participated in an international campaign to threaten and intimidate John Doe-1, a resident of United States, and his family to force John Doe-1 to return to the PRC. These efforts were part of “Operation Fox Hunt,” an initiative by the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security to locate and repatriate alleged fugitives who flee to foreign countries, including the United States. The PRC government has targeted these alleged fugitives and their families to compel cooperation with the PRC government and self-repatriation to the PRC. The PRC government has taken such law enforcement actions on U.S. soil in a unilateral manner without approval, of or coordination with the U.S. government. Quanzhong An, who is a businessman operating in Queens, New York, and the majority shareholder of a hotel in Flushing, acted as the primary U.S.-based liaison for the Provincial Commission’s targeting of John Doe-1 and his family members, including his son, John Doe-2, both in the United States and in the PRC. As part of the scheme, various PRC-based conspirators forced a relative in the PRC (John Doe-3) to travel from the PRC to the United States in September 2018 to meet with John Doe-2 and convey threats that were intended to coerce John Doe-1’s return to the PRC. Yuan – John Doe-3’s superior at the PRC’s State Administration of Taxation – escorted John Doe-3 from the PRC to the United States, under the guise of a visit with a tour group. PRC-based defendants and coconspirators also engaged in a pattern of harassment targeting John Doe-1’s family members. In November 2017, Hou wrote John Doe-2 warning him that “coming back and turning yourself in is the only way out.” Hou further threatened that “avoidance and wishful thinking will only result in severe legal punishments.” The PRC government also harassed John Doe-1 and John Doe-2 through the filing of a lawsuit in New York State court, alleging that John Doe-1 had stolen funds from his former PRC based employer and that John Doe-2 had knowledge of and benefitted from his father’s scheme. In a series of recorded meetings in 2020, 2021, and 2022, Quanzhong An repeatedly met with John Doe-2 and attempted to persuade John Doe-2 to cause the return of John Doe-1 to the PRC. In these meetings, Quanzhong An acknowledged that he is a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), which enforces the rules and regulations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) abroad. At various times, he attributed his instructions to Chen, Ming, and Peng and acknowledged that the Fox Hunt operation was motivated by the PRC government’s need to “save their faces” and repatriate as many fugitives as possible. Quanzhong An admitted that he was acting as an agent of the Provincial Commission to increase his standing in the PRC. During his meetings with John Doe-2, Quanzhong An repeatedly transmitted threats on behalf of the PRC government. If John Doe-1 did not return, the PRC government would “keep pestering you, [and] make your daily life uncomfortable,” in addition to actions to “target and monitor” John Doe-1’s relatives in the PRC. On another occasion, he stated that “they will definitely find new ways to bother you” and “it is definitely true that all of your relatives will be involved.” As set forth in the detention memorandum, Quanzhong An met with John Doe-2 again on Sept. 29, 2022. During this meeting, Quanzhong An pressed for John Doe-1 to execute an agreement to return to the PRC in advance of the CCP’s 20th National Congress, which began on Oct. 16, 2022. As part of such agreement, Quanzhong An sought a written confession from John Doe-1, which would be submitted directly to the PRC government. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of acting as agents of the PRC, Quanzhong An faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The money laundering conspiracy charge against Quanzhong An and Guangyang An carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The remaining charges, including conspiring to act as agents of the PRC and conspiring to commit interstate and international stalking, carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon, Sara K. Winik, and Antoinette N. Rangel and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Morris of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. United States v. Dong He, et al., Eastern District of New York A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging two People’s Republic of China (PRC) intelligence officers with attempting to obstruct a criminal prosecution in the Eastern District of New York. The defendants remain at large. According to court documents, Dong He, aka Guochun He and aka Jacky He, and Zheng Wang, aka Zen Wang, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to steal files and other information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to the ongoing federal criminal investigation and prosecution of a global telecommunications company (Company-1) based in the PRC, including by paying a $41,000 Bitcoin bribe to a U.S. government employee who the defendants believed had been recruited to work for the PRC, but who in fact was a double agent working on behalf of the FBI. “Today’s complaint underscores the unrelenting efforts of the PRC government to undermine the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “As alleged, the case involves an effort by PRC intelligence officers to obstruct an ongoing criminal prosecution by making bribes to obtain files from this Office and sharing them with a global telecommunications company that is a charged defendant in an ongoing prosecution. We will always act decisively to counteract criminal acts that target our system of justice.” Dong He and Zheng Wang are charged with attempting to obstruct a criminal prosecution of Company-1 in federal district court in the Eastern District of New York. Defendant He also is charged with money laundering based upon a bribe payment of $41,000 in Bitcoin made in furtherance of the scheme. According to the complaint, the defendants are PRC intelligence officers conducting foreign intelligence operations targeting the United States, on behalf of the PRC government and for the benefit of Company-1. Starting in 2019, they directed an employee at a U.S. government law enforcement agency (GE-1), whom they believed they had recruited as an asset, to steal confidential information about the criminal prosecution of Company-1 in order to interfere with that prosecution. In actuality, GE-1 was working as a double agent on behalf of the FBI. In September 2021, the defendants tasked GE-1 with reporting about meetings that GE-1 was purportedly having with prosecutors in Brooklyn at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. In written communications, the defendants said they were particularly interested in knowing which Company-1 employees had been interviewed by the government and in obtaining a description of the prosecutors’ evidence, witness list and trial strategy. In October 2021, GE-1 used an encrypted messaging program to send the defendants a single page from a purported internal strategy memorandum from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York regarding the Company-1 case. The document appeared to be classified as “SECRET” and to discuss a plan to charge and arrest two current Company-1 employees living in the PRC. Dong He responded that the document was “exactly what I am waiting for” and that he was “waiting for the feedback from some guys” about whether there were any questions about the document. Dong He then paid GE-1 approximately $41,000 in Bitcoin for stealing that document. GE-1 also asked the defendants for any feedback about the “SECRET” document. In November 2021, Dong He stated that “[Company-1] didn’t give me specifically feedback now yet, but they are obviously interested in it, and my boss and they need further information.” Dong He further told GE-1 that “[Company-1] obviously will be interested” in GE-1 stealing another part of the strategy memorandum, and “maybe will offer more” for that information. In December 2021, in response to a further request by GE-1 for feedback or guidance from Company-1 about “what they want me to get,” Dong He explained that “they didn’t give me any positive feedback yet and demanded to communicate with you directly.” Dong He said that he refused Company-1’s request to speak directly to GE-1 because “it’s too dangerous.” The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Dong He faces up to 40 years of imprisonment and Wang faces up to 20 years of imprisonment. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander A. Solomon and Meredith A. Arfa and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. United States v. Wang Lin et al., District of New Jersey A federal indictment was unsealed today charging four Chinese nationals, including three Ministry of State Security (MSS) intelligence officers, in connection with a long-running intelligence campaign targeting individuals in the United States to act as agents of the PRC. As alleged in the indictment, from at least 2008 to 2018, Wang Lin, 59; Bi Hongwei, age unknown; Dong Ting, aka Chelsea Dong, 40; Wang Qiang, 55, and others engaged in a wide-ranging and systematic effort to target and recruit individuals to act on behalf of the PRC in the United States with requests to provide information, materials, equipment, and assistance to the Chinese government in ways that would further China’s intelligence objectives. These recruitment efforts included targeting professors at universities, a former federal law enforcement and state homeland security official, and others to act on behalf of, and as agents of, the Chinese government. As part of the conspiracy, MSS intelligence officers Wang Lin, Dong Ting, and others used a purported academic institute at Ocean University of China – referred to as the Institute for International Studies (IIS) – as cover for their clandestine intelligence activities. Acting under cover as the purported director of the IIS, Wang Lin, in coordination with other MSS operatives operating under the guise of academics at the IIS, targeted professors at American universities and others in the United States with access to sensitive information and equipment. According to the indictment unsealed today, MSS intelligence officers Wang Lin, Bi, Dong, and others, acting for and on behalf of the MSS and the Chinese government, systematically targeted United States persons, including but not limited to a coconspirator who was a resident of the state of New Jersey and a second individual who was a former federal law enforcement officer and state homeland security official and a professor at an American university. Among other things, the conspiracy targeted the second individual by inviting the individual in 2008 and 2018 on all-expenses-paid trips to China sponsored by the IIS. During those trips, Wang Lin, Dong, and others sought to recruit this individual as a human source, requesting that the individual provide sensitive fingerprint technology, information, and assistance with stopping planned protests along the 2008 Olympic Games torch route in the United States, which the conspirators expressed would be “embarrassing” to China. The individual also was requested to sign a contract for purported consulting services with a Chinese company whose “core value” was the “national interest and national security” of China, with an objective to “protect the national interest and Chinese enterprises’ overseas interest[s]” and to “build sources and channels to collect security information.” Recognizing Wang Lin, Dong, and others as Chinese intelligence officers, the individual refused these requests and reported them to law enforcement. The conspiracy also targeted the coconspirator in New Jersey by tasking the coconspirator to take specific action in the United States in furtherance of the MSS’ intelligence objective. Wang Qiang coordinated a meeting in 2016 between the coconspirator, Wang Lin, and Bi Hongwei in the Bahamas, at which time MSS intelligence officers Wang Lin and Bi directed the coconspirator to obtain U.S. currency and provide it to a designated individual in New Jersey. The coconspirator returned to New Jersey and did as Wang Lin and BI instructed. Wang Qiang then visited the coconspirator in New Jersey, at which time Wang Qiang and the coconspirator discussed in detail their and others’ activities taken on behalf of the Chinese government in the United States. Lin, Bi, Dong and Qiang, all are nationals and residents of the People’s Republic of China. They each are charged in the indictment with conspiracy to act in the United States as agents of a foreign government, namely, the People’s Republic of China, without prior notification to the Attorney General of the United States, as required by law, and to direct such unlawful action by others in the United States. The conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Brendan Day, Attorney in Charge of the Trenton Branch Office, and Joyce M. Malliet, Chief of the Office’s National Security Unit. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source-FBI

Russian National Charged With Conspiring To Have U.S. Citizens Act As Illegal Agents Of The Russian Government

WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today in Tampa, Florida, charging a Russian national, working on behalf of the Russian government and in conjunction with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), with allegedly orchestrating a years-long foreign malign influence campaign that used various U.S. political groups to sow discord, spread pro-Russian propaganda, and interfere in elections within the United States.

As alleged in the indictment, from at least December 2014 until March 2022, Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, a resident of Moscow, together with at least three Russian officials, engaged in a years-long foreign malign influence campaign targeting the United States. Ionov is the founder and president of the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGMR), an organization headquartered in Moscow and funded by the Russian government. Ionov utilized AGMR to carry out Russia’s influence campaign.

“As court documents show, Ionov allegedly orchestrated a brazen influence campaign, turning U.S. political groups and U.S. citizens into instruments of the Russian government,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Department of Justice will not allow Russia to unlawfully sow division and spread misinformation inside the United States.”

According to the indictment, Ionov — working under the supervision of the FSB and with the Russian government’s support — recruited political groups within the United States, including U.S. Political Group 1 in Florida, U.S. Political Group 2 in Georgia, and U.S. Political Group 3 in California, and exercised direction or control over them on behalf of the FSB. Specifically, Ionov provided financial support to these groups, directed them to publish pro-Russian propaganda, coordinated and funded direct action by these groups within the United States intended to further Russian interests, and coordinated coverage of this activity in Russian media outlets. Ionov also relayed detailed information about this influence campaign to three FSB officials.

“Secret foreign government efforts to influence American elections and political groups threaten our democracy by spreading misinformation, distrust and mayhem,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department is committed to ensuring U.S. laws protecting transparency in the electoral process and the political system are not undermined through foreign malign influence.”

According to the indictment, Ionov allegedly targeted U.S. Political Group 1 based in St. Petersburg, Florida. In May 2015, Ionov funded an all-expense paid trip to Russia for the leader of U.S. Political Group 1 (Unindicted Co-Conspirator-1, UIC-1) in order to “communicate on future cooperation” between U.S. Political Group 1 and AGMR. Following that trip, and for at least the next seven years, Ionov exercised direction and control over senior members of U.S. Political Group 1.

“The prosecution of this criminal conduct is essential to protecting the American public when foreign governments seek to inject themselves into the American political process,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to investigate these events, and we will continue to follow the evidence to ensure justice is done.”

Early in the conspiracy, senior members of U.S. Political Group 1, UIC-1, UIC-2, and UIC-3 exchanged emails about the fact that Ionov was working on behalf of the Russian Government. For example, in September 2015, Ionov paid for UIC-1 to attend an AGMR-sponsored “Dialogue of Nations” conference in Moscow. Upon his return to Florida, UIC-1 reported to the leadership of U.S. Political Group 1 that AGMR is “a solid institution of Russian politic,” and that it was “clear” that AGMR was “an instrument of [the] Russian government,” which, UIC-1 wrote, did not “disturb us.” The following week, in an email discussion, U.S. Political Group 1 leaders observed that it was “more than likely” that the Russian government was using AGMR “to utilize forces inside of the U.S. to sew [sic] division inside the United States.”

“The impact of Russian malign foreign influence cannot be overstated,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will aggressively pursue any foreign government that attempts to divide American citizens and poison our democratic process.”

Ionov used his control over U.S. Political Group 1 leaders to foster discord within the United States, to spread pro-Russian propaganda under the guise of a domestic political organization, and to interfere in local elections. For example, in January 2016, Ionov guaranteed financing for — and ultimately funded — a four-city protest tour undertaken by U.S. Political Group 1 in support of a “Petition on Crime of Genocide against African People in the United States,” which it had previously submitted to the United Nations at Ionov’s direction. Later, in 2017 and 2019, Ionov monitored and supported the St. Petersburg, Florida, political campaigns of UIC-3 and UIC-4. In 2019, before the primary election, Ionov wrote to a Russian official that he had been “consulting every week” on the campaign. After UIC-4 advanced to the general election, FSB Officer 1 wrote to Ionov that “our election campaign is kind of unique,” and asked, “are we the first in history?” Ionov later sent FSB Officer 1 additional details about the election, referring to UIC-4 as the candidate “whom we supervise.”

According to the indictment, Ionov’s relationship with U.S. Political Group 1 continued until at least March 2022. Specifically, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Political Group 1 repeatedly hosted Ionov via video conference to discuss the war, during which Ionov falsely stated that anyone who supported Ukraine also supported Nazism and white supremacy. In a report to the FSB, Ionov explained that he had enlisted U.S. Political Group 1 to support Russia in the “information war unleashed” by the West.

Alongside his malign foreign influence efforts with U.S. Political Group 1, Ionov also exercised direction and control over U.S. Political Group 3, an organization based in California whose primary goal was to promote California’s secession from the United States. In January and February of 2018, Ionov supported U.S. Political Group 3’s efforts — led by the organization’s founder (UIC-6)—to orchestrate a protest demonstration at the California Capitol building in Sacramento. Ionov partially funded the efforts and attempted to direct UIC-6 to physically enter the governor’s office. Later, Ionov sent various media reports covering the demonstration and U.S. Political Group 3’s broader efforts to FSB Officer 1, writing that FSB Officer 1 had asked for “turmoil” and stating, “there you go.” 

According to the indictment, Ionov also directed the efforts of U.S. Political Group 2, based in Atlanta. For example, as recently as March 2022, Ionov paid for members of U.S. Political Group 2 — including its founder (UIC-5) — to travel from Atlanta to San Francisco to protest at the headquarters of a social media company that had placed content restrictions on posts supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ionov sent UIC-5 designs for signs used at the protest and funded cross-country travel for UIC-5 and other members of U.S. Political Group 2. After the protest, Ionov sent UIC-5 a picture of a Russian news website’s social media page, which displayed a Russian-language news story about the protest.   

Ionov is charged with conspiring to have U.S. citizens act as illegal agents of the Russian government. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Risha Asokan, Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Trial Attorney Demetrius Sumner of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.

The FBI Tampa Field Office is investigating the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source-FBI

A number of cultists who have for long terrorized residents of Olorunsogo, Molete, Felele, and environs in Ibadan, Oyo State on Sunday 24 October 2021 unleashed terror on the residents.
Some of the cultists who reside at No. 5, Kehinde Aderibigbe Street, a two-story building, owned by one Mrs. Ajayi have been involved in several grievous and heinous crimes. In addition, other occupants of the building live questionable lives
On the fateful day, acting under the influence of Indian hemp and alcohol, the criminals attacked residents with dangerous weapons.
But for the intervention of some security operatives, the criminal would have gone on to break into houses and embark on a looting spree.
Before now, some community leaders had influenced the criminals to vandalize, loot, and convert the premises of  3 Kehinde Aderibibge street to a refuse dump.

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

                -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

               -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

               -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

                                                                  Press Release

Former senior executives convicted of participating in “side door” scheme to facilitate their children’s college admissions to the University of Southern California

BOSTON – Two former executives were convicted today by a federal jury in Boston in connection with conspiring to bribe athletic officials to facilitate their children’s admission to the University of Southern California (USC) as purported athletic recruits.

John Wilson, 62, of Lynnfield, Mass., and Gamal Abdelaziz, 64, of Las Vegas, Nev., were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery. Wilson was also convicted of three counts of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud, two counts of federal programs bribery, and one count of filing a false tax return. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 16, 2022 for Abdelaziz and Feb. 17, 2022 for Wilson.

In 2013, Wilson agreed to pay William “Rick” Singer $220,000 to facilitate his son’s admission to USC as a purported water polo player. More specifically, in October 2013, Singer sent Wilson a water polo profile for Wilson’s son that included fabricated awards and swim times. After Wilson’s son was accepted to USC, Wilson wired $100,000 to Singer’s sham charity, the Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF), $100,000 to Singer’s company, The Key, and $20,000 directly to Singer. Wilson paid the bribe from a corporate account and deducted it as a business expense. In 2018, Wilson agreed to pay Singer $1.5 million to have his twin daughters admitted to Harvard University and Stanford University as purported sailing recruits.

In 2017, Abdelaziz agreed to pay Singer $300,000 to facilitate the admission of his daughter to USC as a purported basketball recruit, despite the fact that she did not make her high school’s varsity team and did not play basketball at all during her junior and senior years in high school. In a July 2017 email, Singer asked Abdelaziz for an action shot of his daughter playing basketball to be used in an athletic profile for USC. A co-conspirator, Laura Janke, created a phony athletic profile for Abdelaziz’s daughter which included falsified awards and athletic honors. In October 2017, Abdelaziz’s daughter was admitted to USC as a basketball recruit and in March 2018, she was formally accepted and Abdelaziz wired $300,000 to KWF.

Singer and Janke previously pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Case information, including the status of each defendant, is available here: College Admissions

The charge of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of federal programs bribery provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Mark Deckett, Resident Agent in Charge of the Department of Education, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Frank, Leslie A. Wright, Kristen A. Kearney and Ian Stearns of Mendell’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

                -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

                -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

                -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

A Senior Police Officer in Zimbabwe has been remanded by a Magistrate court for obstructing the course of justice.
The Officer  Commanding the Police in Mashonaland West province, Commissioner Conneli Dube was arrested by officials of the  Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC), attempting  to shield four Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers, Detective Assistant Inspector Moses Million, Detective Assistant Inspector Newton Musende, Detective Sergeant Never Muchekawaya and Detective Constable Justice Mapfanya, who are facing charges of extorting money from one Washington Ongorani.
The police commissioner allegedly withheld the criminal docket for the four, thereby contravening Section 184 (1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act chapter 9:23.
The docket was prepared by Chief Inspector Elymas Silivani, who proceeded with it to court under prosecutor reference number A225/21.
The court further heard that on March 12, 2021, a public prosecutor returned the docket to the police station with instructions for the investigating officer to return it on March 19, 2021.
The accused, the court heard, instructed one Superintendent Ruwanda to bring the docket to his office, before ordering him to ignore the instruction from the public prosecutor.
The top cop is also said to have ordered Superintendent Ruwanda to keep the docket locked in the district office’s safe until further instructions.
The then Officer Commanding Makonde District, Chief Superintendent Elliot Magomo, the court further heard, approached the accused to inquire why dockets were being kept under lock and key, prompting the accused to claim that it was a directive from his superiors.
On May 13, Magomo wrote to Dube advising him of a complaint from Ongorani who queried why his case was taking too long, but Dube took no action.
The State opposed the bail application on the basis that the accused was a flight risk and was also likely to abscond and interfere with witnesses.

Dube appeared Tuesday before the same court for initial remand, and the matter was rolled over to Wednesday for determination of bail.
ZACC’s senior investigations officer, Patrick Madiye argued if granted bail, Dube could influence or intimidate some of the witnesses who were his subordinates.
Madiye also told the court that the accused had influenced the transfer of two senior officers from the province.
The Provincial magistrate, Ruth Moyo denied Dube bail insisting that the senior police officer could interfere with witnesses.

Also read-Legalizing Crime and Criminality

                -Landlords and Tenants Associations, Crime and Criminality

                -Law Enforcement: The Reactionary Approach

                -Government Workers-A Subject of Debate

For over a long period of time the Landlords and Tenants Association, community leaders, criminally-minded residents, some unscrupulous officers, and rank and file of the Police have ensured that various categories of criminals in Molusi, Solanke, Oyegbami, Olorunsogo, Molete, Oshodi, Scout camp, Aluko, Felele straight and Rab, among several other communities in Oyo state perpetrate crime with impunity.
Cultists, armed robbers, car snatchers, kidnappers, ritualists are just a few out of the long list of criminals, who have perhaps, been motivated by the comments of state actors during the end of SARS protests the previous year.Transfer Money with Wise
How can accountable and responsible leadership appeal to worried residents to dialogue with criminals?
The body language of state actors indicates that these criminals not only have their consent but also their blessings.
Interestingly, these criminals continue to commit heinous and grievous crimes on a daily basis without hindrance.
Notable among the criminals are one Samba, a barber at the Scout camp junction, linking Oshodi street and Aluko street, one samad, a generator repairer, Lekan and Segun Adewale of 8 Kehinde Aderibigbe Street, Olorunsogo, Molete, one Tobi Adesanya, a.k.a Ijoba, one Akin an electrician, who along with his gang operate from an abandoned building on the same street with the Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG)(    Potters house), Olorunsogo, Molete, the Okada riders operating at the Molusi street junction, Molete among others.

The Director of Information, Khartoum State, Sudan, El Tayeb Saad Eddin, has been arrested for leaking classified information to unauthorized persons who took an active part in the immediate past administration of Al Bashir.

According to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA), Saad Eddin's arrest was ordered by the Committee for Dismantling the System of 30 June 1989 and Restoration of Public Funds.

The News Agency also stated that investigations and charges are being drawn up in line with the Dismantling Act and the Public Service Act.

The allegation against the Director revolves around the fact that he has ''continued to communicate actively with elements in the dissolved National Congress Party”.

Pick pocketing is now a means of livelihood for the young and old in  major cities  in Nigeria.

Young men and women, including the aged are noticeable at bus stops and other public places such as markets and events centers plying their trade. 

At bus-stops they are always out waiting for their victims, who board buses, tricycles, motorcycles and cabs. Sadly, their collaborators are in the law enforcement agencies

Community policing can only be effective in Nigeria when equity and justice become entrenched in the system.

This assertion was made by the Ezendigbo of Ibadan and Oyo state, whoa also doubles as the Vice President(South) Ezendigbo in Diaspora, Eze(Dr.)Alex Anozie.

‘’Community policing will work out easily if justice and equity reigns in our society. I repeat again, community policing will work out if justice and equity reigns in our society. Why I continue to hammer on justice and equity every time I comment on national issues, is because if people are happy, if Nigerians are happy, if all the ethnic groups in Nigeria are happy there won’t be anything to worry about community policing, there won’t be crisis everywhere. If justice and equity reigns there won’t be the need for community policing.’’

Eze(Dr.)Anozie maintained that Nigerians were not happy that was why insecurity in the country was on the increase saying ‘’if the people are happy, then if they see anything bad or evil taking place anywhere, they will committedly expose the bad or evil, but when people are not happy and everyday they live in fear, they are apprehensive, bad news is the order of the day, killings, armed robbery, rape and so on, who then are you policing ? The Government still has a lot to do, that is why those elected are in government. Government should try to restore orderliness and fight crime to a standstill, then people can now start talking about community policing and everybody will show interest’’.

‘’When people see evil everywhere, from the Government, from the top to the bottom wrung of the ladder, nobody is happy, community policing would be difficult, because everybody is minding his or her business. When justice and equity are in place, everyone would become his or her brother’s keeper. If I see someone from another ethnic group, I would show concern. But when the system is not right everybody is on his or her own. The Goverment is encouraged to do the needful by nipping in the bud the injustice, inequity and injustice that are all over the country presently’’, Eze(Dr.) Anozie concluded.

The get rich quick syndrome has caught up with Nigerian youths and adults alike, and this has resulted in an unspecified number of unresolved cases of advanced fee fraud, ritual killings, armed robberies and other get rich quick crimes.

Distraught parents and guardians are helpless, even as law enforcement and security agencies, who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and property, have rather been more or less accomplices in these criminal acts

Indeed, a section of the elite and the political class are a different set of accomplices, whose roles in these crimes have heightened the insecurity in the land.

In this interview the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of Shafuadeen-in-Islam Wordlwide, Porf. Sabitu Olagoke opines that the elite in society are,to a very great extent, to blame for the get rich quick syndrome among the youth and it would only take a miracle to reverse the ugly trend.

Nigerians. most especially the youth are increasingly getting involved in get rich quick crimes. What do you think is the cause ?

The get rich quick syndrome has been with us over the years and it featured some bad elements of the then Nigerian decent society, in an environment of the era of discipline. At this period we began to learn about some elderly people becoming wealthy in society without commensurate work value in their hands.

The society’s suspicion drove them to realize that such people must have joined some secret societies, which makes it imperative that after death certain parts of their bodies are severed for recompense.

Another version, is the use of human beings for rituals, most especially one of their children or kinsman.

The cat would eventually be let out of the bag, either after protracted illness or sudden death after a short life span.

The reaction of members of the society to the mysterious end of these people

resulted in the placing of emphasis on the essence of discipline in their children, with the traditional philosophy of work as an antidote to poverty.

This was the basis upon which our educational foundation were built, with the hope that graduates even of secondary schools, who might not be capable of furthering their education would be able to support their lives with ready made work to justify the little knowledge acquired.

Unfortunately, people in high places started the bad culture of self-enrichment syndrome, against all odds of possible heavy penalties for breaking the ethics of the profession or the organization.

This was what led to the first coup in Nigeria, led by 29 year old Kaduna Nzeogwu, whose team struck because of what they term as 10 per cent corruption, in government and business circles.

The profile of poverty indices due to corruption and state of impunity xrayed by experts, put them into rising profile of 15 per cent in the first republic, 28.8 per cent in the second republic.

Babangida and Abacha era put it to the maximum of 65 per cent, while the fourth republic failed woefully to control and checkmate these orgies of corruption, to start at 70 per cent, which attracted people’s attention because of its uncontrollable nature, despite all the state apparatus on anti-graft exercise.

Psychologically, human beings are born robotic as education is for refinement, at least 20 per cent level from the classrooms, while the environment take 80 per cent charges to make or mar the animal called man.

If negative influences overwhelms man, he returns to the beastly level of operation.

Unfortunately in Nigeria, education is dysfunctional, with all the domains of education rendered ineffective.

For example, apart from the literacy advantage of education from the realm of affective domain, attitudinal rectitude is supposed to be critically addressed to be responsible for character building of any graduate produced.

Unfortunately, it is paradoxically ironical, to note that the so called enlightened elite, who we regard as educated, are to a great extent responsible for all the fraudulent acts in the society, not minding the oath of allegiance, loyalty and discipline already sworn to before taking up any appointment in the scheme of action building.

Equally unfortunate is that corruption and impunity have for long found their ways into the Judiciary, where the era of incorruptible Justices seem to have gone for good and profanity has replaced sacredness on matters concerning the house of God making justice, equity and divine interventions to elude the society. Hence the travail of poor practices in governance.

For our youth, they are products of these unfortunate circumstances and except through miracles, it would be very hard to produce children, who will not inherit the blood of timocracy and the culture of get rich quick syndrome. This is because the environment is hostile and all agents of socialization for the support of even growth of children have been broken down to pieces.Again, unfortunately, whenever we want to have any change of government, political manifesto is always absent with no ideological goals in place. Hence, our failure to address all these problems.

Sad, enough, vote buying has replaced the ethical principles of the conduct of elections, making the society to remain pawns in the hands of any emerging government, that would prefer self enrichment at the expense of the welfare of the people.

For sanity to reign therefore, we must put in place visionary leaders, who will be ready to sacrifice everything it takes to deliver.

Girls in Senior Secondary Schools in Ghana have been warned not to share personal information on social media.

This warning was given on Wednesday by the Head of Public Relations of the Accra Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge at at a Forum of Heads of Girls Senior High School (FOHGSHS) summer camp 2019 at Aburi Senior High School (SHS) in the Eastern Region.

Tenge noted that such personal information cuold be utilized by criminals, such as kidnappers, to perpetrate crime.

She also stated that to prevent kidnapping and related crimes, the members of the public be mindful of free rides, undue demands and gifts from strangers.

"Inform trusted people of your movements and avoid spontaneous schedule and also look out for potential threats and people who approach them in hostile environment," Tenge said.

The Polic image maker adviced the girls to ensure that their frienda are known to their parents and guardians, while warning them to avoid late night outings.

She also warned them to turn down odd job offers from people they know

A Durban Commercial Crime Court has sentenced a civil servant to 10 years in prison for stealing a fram and livestock that had been earlier awarded to a family.

The Shabalala family were still waiting  for government to transfer ownership of  the Ladysmith farm, where they had lived all their lives, 10 years after it had been awarded. The government is also supposed to provide assistance, in line with the country's land reform policy.

The  Durban Commercial Crimes Court Magistrate Judy Naidoo in reference to the lack of progress towards transferring ownership to the Shabalalas said "It must be placed on record that this is not even in the pipeline,"

"The Shabalalas were totally unsophisticated and had the wool pulled over their eyes when the accused appropriated the farm for himself and his family. The Shabalalas accepted this because they knew no better of their rights and because he was an official with land affairs."

"The head of the family, Wilson Shabalala, is very old and had to travel all the way from Ladysmith to testify. He was very emotional and even cried when testifying. In his twilight age, he needs to have some security and reassurance that he and his family would be given what was rightfully theirs - land they have lived on since birth."

She said that in considering an appropriate sentence, the court also needed to take into account the exorbitant costs incurred by the state in rectifying the wrongs of government officials in cases like this.

"The Shabalalas are still left in in limbo regarding their ownership of the property. They also deserved the assistance that had been promised them''"As we read about the government's new policy of expropriation of land without compensation, one sincerely hopes that the policies and procedures implemented will be more streamlined and effected in the interests of the community and not left to greedy individuals who only seek to uplift themselves at the expense of more needy people," the Magistrate concluded.

The civil servant, Masoka was found guilty earlier this year of fraud and two counts of theft amounting to R5.3 million.

The court heard that in working for the department as a project manager in northern KwaZulu-Natal, Masoka  corruptly took over ownership and control of a commercially viable farm, Kuickvlei, near Ladysmith, where he and his family lived.

In compliance with the land claim settlement, the Shabalala family ought to have become the rightful owners of the commercially viable farm, and in addition eligible for  grants and assistance in line with government's objective to support emerging farmers.

But this was not the case, as Masoka illegally took control of the farm and  relocated the cattle and sheep as if they were his own. He did this by creating a trust deed that omitted the Shabalalas as the new owners.

The accused also tampered with  a number of documents that enabled him and his family to move into the main homestead of Kuickvlei farm and benefit from agricultural development grants for livestock purchase, farm implements and livestock handling facilities. Masoka ended up defrauding the state and the Shabalalas of more than R5.3 million.