A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja has found guilty and convicted one Mrs. Ramat Mercy Mba, a mother of five children guilty of forging the signature of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, the late Abba Kyari.

The presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad however deferred the sentencing of the convict till Thursday, 16th of May, 2024 but directed that she should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had arraigned Mba in June, 2022 on a 5-count charge bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and Sections 320 (b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.

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One of the counts read: “THAT you RAMAT MERCY MBA (F) sometimes in the month of October, 2019 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently induce one Mr. Ismail Adewole Oladipupo, an unsuspecting job seeker and collected the sum of Seven Hundred Thousand Naira only N700,000.00 from him which sum was paid into your private account under the guise of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency.

“(NASDRA), AND you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria.”

In the course of the trial, ICPC’s Prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, Esq. led evidence before the court on how the convict dishonestly induced her victims in the guise of securing employment for them with government agencies like Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

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Furthermore, the documentary evidence tendered showed that the convict fraudulently forged a letterhead paper of the Office of the Chief of Staff to former President Muhammad Buhari, Abba Kyari and his signature.

The letter, addressed to the Chairman of ICPC was a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the Commission.

However, the late Chief of Staff, in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as exhibit distanced himself or his office for authorising the letter.

In his judgement, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad convicted the mother of five children on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5 that borders on cheating and forgery while she was discharged on count 4 that bordered on felony.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has expressed excitement after finding out through a genealogy test about her Nigerian heritage.

The Duchess said it’s been “humbling” to find out that she is partly a Nigerian as she met with women in in Abuja.

Meghan, on her second day in Nigeria, where she is visiting for the first time with Prince Harry to promote mental health for wounded soldiers and young girls, acknowledged Nigeria as her country.

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She said, “It’s been eye-opening to be able to know more about my heritage.”

“Never in a million years would I understand it as much as I do now. And what has been echoed so much in the past day is, ’Oh, we are not so surprised when we found out you are Nigerian,” she said an the event on women in leadership which had Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mo Abudu, amongst several other dignitaries.

“It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful,” Meghan told the audience.

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Her first reaction after finding out was to tell her mother, she said at the event in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “Being African American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage and background … and it was exciting for both of us,” she said.

Mo Abudu, the anchor and chief executive of EbonyLife media group, then asked the audience to suggest a Nigerian name for Meghan.

“Ifeoma,” someone shouted from the excited crowd, a name from Nigeria’s Igbo tribe which means ‘a treasured thing.’ “Omowale” another suggested, from the Yoruba tribe, which means ‘the child has come home.’

The world’s first patient with a transplanted pig kidney has died, almost two months after the operation.

In March, Massachusetts General Hospital transplanted the genetically-edited pig kidney into Rick Slayman, a 62-year-old man living with end-stage kidney disease.

The operation was a milestone in xenotransplantation – the transplantation of organs or tissues from one species to another – as a potential solution to the worldwide organ shortage, the hospital said at the time.

Slayman’s death was not linked to the transplant, the hospital reported.

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“Our family is deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick but take great comfort knowing he inspired so many,” his family said on Sunday.

Slayman’s family paid tribute to the medical team that cared for him.

“Their enormous efforts leading the xenotransplant gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts.”

The pig kidney came from a pig that was genetically-edited to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes to improve its compatibility with humans. Scientists also inactivated porcine endogenous retroviruses in the pig donor to eliminate any risk of infection in humans.

The hospital said it was “deeply saddened” by Slayman’s death.

“We have no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant,”

“Mr. Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,”it said.