Headline

‘I’ve Forgiven BSM President After Several Interventions But…’ – Lawyer

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

A Benin-based human rights lawyer, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, Esq., has said that he has forgiven President of Benin Solidarity Movement, BSM, Curtis Ugbo, over the case of defamation he (Afolabi) slammed against him ( Ugbo).

Afolabi, however, warned that any attempt by the BSM president or his representives to threaten journalists who publish his arrest with legal suit or threat to life would bring him (Afolabi) in and that he would expose the rots of the president to the whole world.

INFO DAILY had reported that Ugbo was arrested on Tuesday evening by operatives of the Nigeria Police, Zone, Benin, over his Facebook post wherein he accused the Law Attorney of collecting N10m from one Johnson Atseleghe as a bribe.

The BSM president was thereafter to be charged to court before it was halted after interventions from several quarters including the most respected Benin palace.

Ugbo, after coming out of the police detention and the consequent withrawal of the case by Afolabi at the Federal High Court due to intervention from notable persons, had threatened law suit against some journalists who reported his arrest without hearing from him.

He was said to have used an online medium to demand a retraction of the publication about his arrest within 48 hours, threatening that after that he would go to court.

But the lawyer, in a phone call he put through to INFO DAILY after hearing of the threat to journalists said if Ugbo tried it, he would regret it for life.

Mr. Afolabi who noted that the BSM president has been making it through blackmailing of people, said trying to blackmail him (Afolabi) was a wrong one Ugbo did.

“Did he say he wants to take journalists that write the story to court… If he tries it, he will regret it in life. He has done many bad things of which I had defended and covered him up. Now, he wants to blackmail me that helped him in many police cases and threatening journalists that helped me write the story with law suit? Then I will expose all his rots to the whole world.

“He has been making money through blackmail. But he tried it with me and failed. He now knows that he did it to the wrong person.

“Besides, was he not arrested? So, why is he threatening journalists for reporting his arrest? If not for intervention by many persons including the palace, he had already been charged to court. But people called me and begged me. Even, he himself called me that Wednesday when they were taking him to court and started begging, so I had to quickly send one of my lawyers to the court where he went to inform the court that we have withdraw the case. So what is he talking about or threatening about? He shouldn’t try it,” Afolabi noted.

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

5 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

6 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

6 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.