Headline

Two Nigerian Siblings Plead Guilty To Sexual Extortion In US

Published

2 years ago

April 12, 2024

Two Nigerian brothers have pleaded guilty in connection with an international sextortion ring, in which they threatened to release a nude photo of a 17-year-old Michigan boy, driving him to commit suicide inside his home.

Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, each pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually exploit teenage boys, on Wednesday, April 10, US Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement.

The brothers face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years behind bars, US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said in a statement.

They were originally charged with conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child porn, and conspiracy to commit stalking over the internet in a plot against dozens of young men and teen boys in the US.

In exchange for the plea agreement, the other charges will be dropped.

“Today’s guilty pleas represent an extraordinary success in the prosecution of international sextortion,” Totten said in the release. “These convictions will send a message to criminals in Nigeria and every corner of the globe: working with our partners both here and overseas, we can find you and we can bring you to justice.”

He continued: “I hope these guilty pleas also bring a small measure of relief to the family of Jordan DeMay, who died as a result of this crime. Of course, the job is not done.

“The Ogoshi brothers await sentencing later this year, and we are still pursuing the extradition of the third defendant, Ezekiel Robert,” Totten added.

DeMay, 17, was found dead in his home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 25, 2022, after an Instagram account officials said was run by the three Nigerian men threatened to release explicit photos of the teen if he did not pay $1,000.

For DeMay’s death, Samuel had faced a maximum penalty of life in prison after he was additionally charged with sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death.

The Marquette teen took his his own life after he was contacted by an Instagram account with the username “@dani.robertts,” officials have said.

“I can send this [sic] nudes to everyone and also send your nudes Until it goes viral,” Samuel messaged DeMay after the teen sent an explicit photo of himself, officials said.

Though the account appeared to be run by a woman, prosecutors said it was actually one of the several hacked profiles the sextorting trio used to entice and manipulate DeMay and others.

Despite being asked for $1,000, DeMay sent only $300, which prompted Samuel to threaten to forward the image to the high school football player’s family and friends.

The Ogoshis, who had previously been extradited from Nigeria to stand trial, were remanded to the custody of federal marshals after pleading guilty.

A Nigerian court recently ordered Robert, 19, the third defendant, to be extradited to the US, but he has appealed that decision and the matter is before the country’s High Court, officials said.

“Financial sextortion is a rising and very serious threat targeting our minors nationwide and this case shook the very core of our Michigan community,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in a statement.

“We encourage the public to have open and honest conversations with their loved ones surrounding sextortion and to take heed of the warning signs,” Gibson said.

“If you believe you or someone you know has become a victim of this crime, please contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.”

Headline

12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide

Published

5 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.

The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.

Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.

Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.

It said the navy has been called in to help.

AFP

Headline

Nigeria Grants Asylum To Guinea-Bissau Opposition Candidate

Published

5 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau has granted asylum to Fernando Dias da Costa, the country’s opposition presidential candidate, following alleged threats to his life after last week’s military coup, The Cable Reports.

The coup was announced by military officers on Wednesday, just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election in which both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, claimed victory before official results were released.

Nigeria condemned the takeover and urged an immediate return to constitutional order.

In a letter to the President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Omar Touray, dated November 30, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum and protection for da Costa inside the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.

Tuggar wrote that the decision was made “in response to threats made against da Costa’s life.”

“In this regard, it would be appreciated if you would kindly mandate the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to provide him protection and security while in the premises of the Nigerian embassy,” the letter stated.

The foreign affairs minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed the letter’s authenticity to The Cable on Monday.

He said, “The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant asylum and provide protection to Fernando Dia Da Costa falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance.”

He added that Nigeria acted “in the broader interest of de-escalation,” saying the government had exercised its discretion “to prevent further deterioration of tensions and to promote social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.”

According to Abdulkadir, the intervention aligns with ECOWAS principles and reflects Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa.

Following the coup, ECOWAS held an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and subsequently suspended Guinea-Bissau from the regional bloc until constitutional order is restored.

Headline

Trump To Attend FIFA World Cup Finals Draw On Friday

Published

5 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The White House on Monday confirmed US President Donald Trump would attend the draw for the FIFA World Cup finals in Washington later this week.

The United States will co-host the 2026 tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

“On Friday, President Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Centre,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trump has made the World Cup a centrepiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.

But the giant sporting extravaganza has not escaped the political turmoil caused by Trump’s hardline stance on a host of issues.

Trump, a Republican, has raised the possibility of moving games from some US host cities amid a crackdown on what he says is crime and illegal migration in some Democratic-run areas.

AFP