An American, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, has told the FCT High Court Abuja how she was defrauded of $370,000 by a suspected Nigerian internet fraudster, Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley.

Sayers, who lives in Oregon, United States, narrated her ordeal as a witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Kingsley’s ongoing trial before Justice Peter Kekemeke on Wednesday, July 3.

This was disclosed in a statement on Friday by EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, saying the suspect is being prosecuted on a two-count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining by false pretence and criminal possession of fake documents.

Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a two-count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining by false pretence and criminal possession of fake documents. Credit: EFCC.

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Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Fatsuma Muhammad, the American identified the suspect before the court as the man who sent her messages on Facebook during her birthday.

“I know the defendant, the defendant messaged me on Facebook on my birthday and he said he was a member of the same spiritual organisation with me,” she was quoted as saying.

“We engaged in romantic discussions and phrases and we engaged in conversations that escalated into a relationship of a romantic type.”

Sayers further told the court that the defendant asked her for money to finance the award of a contract by the Ministry of Works and Housing, claiming that some men were threatening his life if he didn’t provide money to secure the contract.

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“Before we met each other, he had asked me for money about eleven days before, and his reason for asking for the money, according to him, was for the award of a contract by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and alleged that some men were threatening his life, if he did not provide the money to secure the contract.

“He asked me for help, and supplied me with the details of the contract and logo and all the information, I believed that because I was in a vulnerable state and I had developed an emotional connection with him,” she added.

According to her, Kingsley told her that if she gave him $15,000, he would repay her within 45 days and she believed him, and transferred the money to the defendant, with an instruction to repay her the money.

Sayers narrated how she transferred the money and how she got to meet the family of the defendant.

Sayers said, “I transferred the money using a money transfer app, he received the money and within one week, he asked me to join him in a FaceTime Video with his family. This was his parents’ house and his entire family was there, which included his sister Doris Nwachi, Kenneth Nwachi, sister-in-law Loveline, his father Chizom, his mother Victoria and his alleged daughter Princess who was then two years old.”

The matter was, thereafter, adjourned till November 7, 2024 for continuation of trial.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu plans to build 50,000 housing units across Nigeria to create jobs, uplift lives, and boost economic development.

The Minister stated this in Lafia at the ground-breaking of the 250-housing unit renewed hope estate in Nasarawa, adding the ceremony was a continuation of the nationwide groundbreaking exercise that President Tinubu launched in Karsana, Abuja with 3,112-housing units.

According to the Minister: “Under phase one of this programme, we plan to deliver a total of 50,000 housing units across Nigeria. This includes 7 Renewed Hope Cities that will have between 500 and 1,000 housing units per sits in each of the six geo-political zones in the country and the FCT, while the renewed hope estate will have 250 units per site in the remaining 30 states.

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“With this housing programme, we plan to unlocked the massive potentials of housing development to create jobs, uplift lives, and boost economic development. This is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President to stimulate inclusive growth, lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, and build a $1 trillion economy.”

He said that after the presidential launch of the programme in Abuja “we embarked on the first leg of this exercise with the groundbreaking of 1,500 housing units in the northern part of the country, this includes 250-housing unit Renewed Hope Estates, one each in Katsina,Yobe,Gombe, and Sokoto and a 500-housing unit Renewed Hope City in Kano.

“Work is currently ongoing at each of these sites, and our plan is to have all of them completed within the next couple of months. The second leg will see us break ground for a total of 2,000 Renewed Hope Housing Units across 8 States in the south and north central.”

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According to him: “This estate comprises 50 units of 1-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, 150 units of 2-bedroom semi-detached bungalows,and 50 units of 3-bedroom semi-detached bungalows.

“We have designed these housing units Ina way that makes them affordable for people to acquire by using organic designs to allow for future expansion as the income of beneficiaries , this means that a 1-bedroom unit can be expanded to 2 bedrooms as the owner financial situation improves or their family grows.”

Nasarawa Governor Abdullahi Sule commended President Bola Tinubu for initiating the Renewed Hope City and Estate programme aimed at addressing the housing challenges of low and medium income earners.

Throughout history, nations have undergone name alterations for different reasons, indicative of shifts in political dynamics, cultural identity, territorial scope, and alterations in governance.

These modifications frequently seek to reshape national narratives, assert autonomy, or update global perceptions.

In that light, here is a rundown of seven countries around the world that have recently altered their names and the circumstances surrounding them.

Turkey to Turkiye

On June 2, 2022, the United Nations declared that Türkiye would be the official reference for the country previously known as Turkey.

The decision was widely interpreted as Ankara’s strategic effort to rebrand the country and distance it from the avian namesake and any perceived negative connotations attached to it.

In a memo about the name change in 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilization, and values.”

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Holland to the Netherlands

In 2020, the Dutch government opted to abandon the use of “Holland” in favor of its official name, “the Netherlands,” as part of a broader effort to modernize its global image.

The name change is said to be a strategic move to distance the country from its associations with recreational drug use and legal prostitution, factors that have drawn international attention to Amsterdam, located in the province of North Holland.

The Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia

In 2019, the Republic of Macedonia, previously recognized as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, officially changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Unlike some other country name changes driven by cultural or historical factors, this transformation was primarily motivated by political considerations.

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Following its declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, the country chose to adopt the name Macedonia. However, this decision strained relations significantly with neighboring Greece, which also has a region known as Macedonia.

Swaziland to Eswatini

In April 2018, King Mswati III of Swaziland announced during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence that he was renaming the country “the Kingdom of eSwatini”.

The unexpected change to the name eSwatini, meaning “land of the Swazis,” was officially adopted by King Mswati, who had been referring to Swaziland as eSwatini for many years prior.

The King announced that the country was frequently mistaken for the European nation of Switzerland. “Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland,” he said.

Czech Republic to Czechia

Czechia’s decision to adopt the name was driven not by political or cultural considerations, but by marketing motives.

In 2016, the Czech government officially adopted the name Czechia and recommended its use to promote a shorter version in international contexts.

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The decision to propose the new name Czechia stemmed from concerns that “Czech Republic” was often perceived as too long and cumbersome, causing confusion and misunderstandings. Czechia was seen as a more user-friendly and modern alternative.

Cape Verde to Cabo Verde

In 2013, Cape Verde formally transitioned to Cabo Verde, a move advocated by Mario Lucio de Sousa, Minister of Culture. He highlighted the logistical challenges of frequent translations in diplomatic communications and tourism materials.

Intending to achieve a cohesive global identity, Cabo Verde officially requested the adoption of its new name in all United Nations languages, except for the longer form, Republica de Cabo Verde.

Cabo Verde aims to establish its identity through unique offerings, such as organic wines cultivated from volcanic soils.

Ceylon to Sri Lanka

In 1972, the island nation of Ceylon rebranded itself as Sri Lanka, drawing from the Sinhalese language, and declared itself a republic.

This change aimed to better represent the country’s multicultural identity and distance itself from its colonial history under British rule.

Although Sri Lanka officially changed its name from Ceylon upon gaining independence from British rule in 1972, it wasn’t until 2011 that the country formally removed the colonial name Ceylon from government use.