Adekunle Olufemi Adetiloye

Nigerian Man Sentenced to 17 years 10months for Large Credit Card Fraud Scheme

On Monday, January 23 2012, Adekunle Olufemi Adetiloye, a citizen of Nigeria and resident of Canada, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Ralph R. Erickson to 17 years and 10 months in federal prison for one of the largest and most complex credit card schemes in North Dakota banking history.

In Bismarck, U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon said, “The sentence imposed today should send a strong message to those who would seek to scam the citizens and businesses of North Dakota and the United States. We take the growing problem of foreign financial fraud seriously here and seeking justice for the victims of such crimes is a priority for our office.”

Adetiloye, 40, pleaded guilty on February 16, 2011, to participating in a scheme to defraud financial institutions and individuals out of money. Adetiloye was living in Toronto, Canada, from before January of 2005 to May of 2010, when he was extradited to the United States. During that time, Adetiloye funded a lavish lifestyle by conducting, with others, a massive fraud scheme accomplished by executing tens of thousands of fraudulent acts against individual people, financial institutions, commercial data providers, merchants, commercial mailbox companies, and state agencies. Adetiloye’s scheme compromised the personal and private information of approximately 38,000 American citizens.

According to US Department of Justice, the scheme involved tens of thousands of acts of illegal conduct throughout the United States, as well as in Canada and England. Adetiloye and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained the personal identification information from commercial data providers, such as LexisNexis and ChoicePoint, and with that information assumed the identities of those unsuspecting people to open credit card and other bank accounts at U.S. Bank and twenty other banks across the United States. Adetiloye used well over 100
different mail box addresses throughout the United States as well as approximately 100 different phone numbers with area codes representing all parts of the United States. Many of the 38,000 people whose identities were compromised filed statements with the Court detailing the awful disruption and chaos they experienced as a result of this fraud.

U.S. Attorney Purdon added, “This defendant was not easy to find and his scheme was not easy to investigate. I want to recognize the outstanding efforts of Postal Inspector Matthew Hoffman. Without Inspector Hoffman’s hard work and dedication to seeing justice done for the victims in this case, today’s sentence would never have been imposed. I also want to recognize our Canadian and British law enforcement counterparts. This case was conducted primarily from Toronto and to a lesser extent London. We could not have done this case without incredible cooperation from the Ontario Provincial Police and the City of London Police. Finally, I want to recognize the outstanding efforts by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Chase and his team in our office. The dedicated men and women of the North Dakota U.S. Attorney’s Office continue to work hard and produce great results for the people of North Dakota and the United States.”

Along with the prison term, Adetiloye will be on supervised release for three years. A hearing regarding restitution and forfeiture has been scheduled for Feb. 15, 2012, in U.S. District Court in Fargo, at 9:00 a.m.

Sources disclosed to Africaninterest.com that most Nigerians wanted by the US government for Identity theft and Credit card fraud now found safe haven in Canada.  Africaninterest.com relaibly gathered that One Taiye who escaped arrest in the arrest of over 40 Nigerians in 2008 in New York fled to Canada. Another  source disclosed that even some of these fraudsters live in Maryland, US.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Chase prosecuted the case.

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Press Statement on the State of the Nigerian Nation

It was with a sense of déjà vu that Nigerians resident in the Netherlands, like our compatriots all over the world, received the news of the removal of subsidy on PMS in Nigeria. While the furore resulting from the said removal of subsidy and the subsequent unilateral reduction of the pump price by the Presidency is yet to abate, we side with the millions of downtrodden Nigerians and ask that the price be returned to status quo while efforts are made to address the immediate effect of such removal.

The Nigerian Community in The Netherlands wishes to state that the Nigerian Government has never been honest and loyal in its intentions vis-à-vis previous removal of subsidy in the past. We join our people at home and abroad to say that “removal of the subsidy on fuel translates to another subsidy for the corrupt political and elite group in the country”.

We honestly see the subsidy as the only benefit that Nigerians get from the country’s oil wealth and remained assured that the money saved by ending the subsidy will only end up in individual pockets of our self-serving and corrupt leaders.

We implore the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to take a serious look at the size of his government and show honesty of intentions by first, reducing the size and openly begin to manage the “wastage in government”. The lack of trust of the people on the promises of the government cannot be condemned in any way considering Nigeria’s rating on the list of corrupt nations.

In the same breath, the NCN condemns the wanton attacks on life and properties by the Boko Haram terrorist group. We ask that the government takes its responsibility in the area of security of lives seriously and move proactively to address the issue before it becomes another divisive tool. We strongly believe that the financiers and backers of this monstrous group are not unknown to the government considering the arrest of a member of the senate and the pronouncement of the President that there are members of the group in government.

While commiserating with the families of those who lost lives and properties in the Kano attacks as well as all other previous attacks, we resolutely call on the security agents of the nation state, Nigeria, to rid itself of the corrupt elements and ensure the safety of our people.

The NCN is constituted for the betterment of sons and daughters of Nigeria living in the Netherlands within the context of the Diaspora and more importantly the overall wellbeing of Nigeria as a viable and prosperous nation. Our country Nigeria is in turmoil and has been in this state for a considerable period of time. Corruption, weak governance and abject cluelessness have contributed to a situation which is completely unacceptable to our people.

It should not come as a shock to the current government that Nigerian citizens require practical and concrete solutions to the problems facing the country now. We demand competence and credibility from our government officials of all genres. All aspects of government including security, management of oil and gas resources, education, financial management and planning need to be overhauled and recalibrated. Our populace deserves nothing less.

To this end, NCN will be organizing a seminar to discuss the situation in Nigeria at RCCG House, Hettenheuvelweg 18, 1101 BN Amsterdam Zuidoost, The Netherlands on Saturday, 28 January 2012 starting at 17:00 CET. Nigerians and other interested parties are welcome to attend.

Further mobilization activities will be communicated as the situation in Nigeria develops.

God bless Nigeria.

Signed:

The Steering Committee

Nigerian Community in the Netherlands

Amsterdam,

The Netherlands

January 24, 2012

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Agriculture as practiced by rural women in the north-west region of Cameroon is currently based on the ‘slash and burn’ method. ‘Slash and burn’ is an indigenous method of farming that our parents have been practicing from time immemorial – whereby grass is cut, covered with soil and burnt. Farmers use this method, commonly referred to as ‘ankara’, to get a better yield of crops like cocoyam and egusi (melon seeds), among others as the ash fertilises the soil.

But when the soil is burnt, its nutrients are destroyed and the soil is exhausted. And, when the grass is burnt, it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere thus contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and to climate change. Environmentalists know the threat posed by climate change and we also know that burnt, ‘sick’ soil anywhere means sick people. One can only imagine what will happen to the northwest region in particular where more than 96 per cent of farmers there practice slash and burn.

Rural women understand that this technique is unsustainable and that the soils are already damaged from this farming method. But they say that for them to change, they need an affordable alternative.

According to Wendi Bernadette Losha, “We think the alternative is to go back to nature.” As a result of this, Losha continued, “we are launching the ‘Go Green Campaign’ in rural communities of Cameroon.” Bernadette Losha who is the the Coordinator of ACTWID-Kongadzem, a rural women’s group added that this is a first step in adapting to climate change and avoiding climate crisis for all. Their campaign’s message is telling small scale farmers that they can gather poultry waste and compost manure as fertiliser for the farms. She argued that it doesn’t require a lot of finances and minimizes environmental damage. But there are problems. The waste and compost manure is not enough for all the farms and women also find that it’s a long procedure.

Cameroon’s background is purely agrarian and many households survive on subsistence agriculture in rural communities. In rural areas most farmers cultivate rain-fed agriculture as this is cheaper than irrigation technology. ‘Slash and burn’ is mostly practiced in the seven divisions of the northwest region where farming is the chief source of livelihood. Western, south-western and northern parts of Cameroon are the same. This issue is so important for the country.

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Nelson Mandela

Mandela To Miss ANC’s 100th Year Celebration

Nelson Mandela will not be attending the 100th anniversary of the African National Congress (ANC) due to health issues

Party Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe announced Friday that Mandela will miss the activities saying, “he is in good spirits, but very, very old.”

It is expected, however, that Mandela will send a message to be read at the celebration.

The aging South African statesman, who turns 94 this year, is idolized by his countryman and considered the father of the anti-apartheid movement.  When Mandela was released in 1990 after 27 years of imprisonment, South Africans of all races looked to him to stop their nation from falling into a racial civil war. And he did.  Serving as the ANC president from 1994 to 1999, the Nobel Peace Prize winner’s focus was to bring peace to his people.  Under his leadership, a long list of progressive social reforms were enacted to reduce inequalities amongst the country’s black population.

The ANC celebration is expected to draw more than 100,000 people and more than 40 heads-of-state and dignitaries. Emeritus Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu is expected to join Sunday’s festivities in Mangaung, Free State Province.  The party is said to be celebrating its core principles of allowing people to choose their own destiny in a “united, non-racial, non-sexist nation.”

Founded on January 8, 1912, the ANC has spiraled downward as far as its popularity.  Critics point out that the South African people are no longer the party’s focus and that corruption reigns supreme.

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Press Release: “OCCUPY NIGERIA” RALLY IN NEW YORK

New York, New York; January 5th 2012:

Nigerians under the auspices of the Nigerian Democratic Liberty Forum (NDLF) would be rallying in solidarity with the suffering masses of Nigeria over the government’s cruel increase in prices of petroleum products.

This ill advised, inhuman and sadistic 117% increase in price of fuel exposes the determination of the government to annihilate the poor Nigerian masses who are groaning under very deplorable conditions of living. A government that is incapable of rescuing  its people from the abyss of economic ruins should not exacerbate the hapless situation of the suffering masses.

To this end, Nigerians in the US would express solidarity with the Nigerian people:

Date: Tuesday January 10th 2012

Venue: The Nigerian Consulate, New York

Address: 828 2nd Avenue New York, NY 10017-4300

Corner of 44th street and 2nd Avenue

Time:     12noon

Speakers would include: Okey Ndibe, Laolu Akande, Sowore Omoyele, Adegboyega Dada, Bunmi Aborishade, Willie Nwiido and others.

1. That the Nigerian government revert to the old prices.

2. That the government institute a panel of inquiry that includes representatives of Labour, Civil society, professional bodies etc to investigate the practices of petroleum products importation, distribution and payments over the past 13 years.

3. That the report of this inquiry should form a basis for the prosecution of those individuals, companies and their collaborators who have defrauded the country through sharp practices associated with importation of petroleum products.

4. That the government ensures the four Nigerian refineries operate at installed capacities within the next 12months.

5. That the government unveil a Petrol Production and Distribution (PPD) policy that is aimed at 100% local production of petroleum products within the next 12-36months.

6. That the government audit and make public the Nigerian daily crude oil production, royalties paid by foreign oil companies, accurate local consumption inventory rather than the conflicting numbers released by various government agencies.

7. That corruption in the oil sector and other areas should be confronted and perpetrators brought to book. The poor masses should not be made to pay for the incompetence and corruption of government officials.

8. That the government should not underestimate the people’s ability and resolve to protest the continuous rape of the country by friends and cronies of government.

Join us as we express solidarity with our people at home.

Signed

Bukola Oreofe

Executive Director

NDLF

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JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCILS OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS AND THE TRADE UNION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA

In Defence of the Nigerian People on Fuel Price Increases!

Joint Communique of the Emergency Meeting of the National Executive Councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) Held on Wednesday 4th January, 2012.
The National Executive Councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) took place today, Wednesday 4th January, 2012.

The NLC and TUC noted that:

The Presidency announced the removal of petroleum subsidy and adjusted upward, the pump price of petrol on 1st January, 2012 even when it claimed it was consulting Nigerians.
Due to this upward review of prices, the pump price for petrol is now selling for between N141 and N200 per litre nation-wide rather than N65. This prohibitive increase in price of PMS once again confirms the position of Labour that deregulation to this government means incessant price increase of a strategic product (petrol) that impact on cost of living, cost of production and the general well-being of increasingly impoverish Nigerians.
The immediate generalized negative impact of this price increase on transport cost, food, drugs, schools fees, rents, indicate that government is totally wrong to underestimate the impact assessment of the so-called deregulation policy.

Due to the untoward hardship workers and other Nigerians are experiencing based on excessive increase in petrol prices, there have been sporadic protests by Nigerians in at least 10 cities;
These protests, which are peaceful have witnessed the use of unprecedented force by the Police leading to harassment, intimidation, arrests and the murder of a protester.
There is a subsisting understanding between Congress and the Federal government in 2009 that removal of subsidy will not commence until certain conditions have been met. These include the fixing of all the refineries and building new ones, regular power supply, and provision of other social infrastructure such as railways and repairs of roads as well as eliminating the corruption associated with supply and distribution of petroleum products in the downstream sector of the oil industry.

After exhaustive deliberations and consultations with all sections of the populace, the NLC, TUC and their pro-people allies demand that the Presidency immediately reverses fuel prices to N65. If the Government fails to do so, they direct that indefinite general strikes, mass rallies and street protests be held across the country with effect from Monday 9th January, 2012.
From that Monday, 9th January 2012 date, all offices, oil production centres, air and sea ports, fuel stations, markets, banks, amongst others will be shut down.
We advise Nigerians to stockpile basic needs especially food and water.
We call on all Nigerians to participate actively in this movement to rescue our country. The emphasis is on peaceful protests, rallies and strikes while refusing to be intimidated. Labour calls on the police, armed forces and other security agencies to reject orders that they turn their weapons on fellow Nigerians. We warn that anybody who does so, will be individually brought to justice.

The primary objective of this patriotic call and movement is to revert PMS price to N65, restore normalcy and reclaim Nigeria for Nigerians.
No Retreat!

No Surrender!!

Forward Ever!!!

Abdulwahed I. Omar Peter Esele

President, NLC President, TUC

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AMBASSADOR ADEFUYE OF NIGERIA MEETS WITH NASHVILLE POLICE CHIEF STEVE ANDERSON.

Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States, Dr. Ade Adefuye recently visited Nashville, Tennessee.

During his visit which lasted from December 1 to December 2, the Ambassador met with state and city officials, visited educational institutions and met with the business community.  The Ambassador was welcomed to the State by Deputy Governor Claude Ramsey who expressed optimism about the potentials of increased business relations between Tennessee and Nigeria.  At the end of the meeting, Mr. Ramsey proclaimed  Dr. Adefuye as “Tennessee’s Ambassador of Goodwill”.

The Ambassador also met with Mayor Carl Dean who was very appreciative of the Ambassador’s visit. “We hope to see an increased business relationship between Nashville and Nigeria”, said Council woman Erica Gilmore who facilitated the meeting with the Mayor.

The highlight of the Ambassador’s visit was as a special guest at the passing out parade of new recruits of the Nashville Police Academy.  On introduction by Mayor Carl Dean, the Ambassador was given a thunderous ovation by the obviously excited crowd who were pleased with the Ambassador’s presence. Later, Dr. Adefuye had a meeting with Police Chief Steve Anderson at the Police headquarters. They discussed potential security relationships between the Nigerian Police and the Metro Nashville Police Department. These include trainings in Community Policing, forensics, anti-terrorism and advanced crime detection.

Given the security threat posed to the Nigerian government by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram and the Niger Delta militants, assistance by the Nashville Police department will be a welcome development. Nashville Police department has one of the most advanced anti-terrorist units in the country and its forensic laboratory is second to none. It also has one of the best Police Academies in the country.

In the past, several countries including Swaziland, Gambia and Haiti have sought the assistance of the Nashville Police department. Several years ago police officers from Gambia and Haiti were given demonstrations in bomb disposal by the department. The Gambian government also sought assistance in developing its own police academy.

The Ambassador’s visit was organized and facilitated by Dr. Leonard Madu, President of the PanAfrica Conference. He is also President of the African Caribbean Center/Institute. 

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Three West African countries Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon are ranked among the top countries in the world where cyber-crime is most prevalent according to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria, Mrs. Farida Waziri. The world loses $557 million annually to cyber-crime, report by Adetayo Adelaja and Shamsydeen Badmus.

Nigeria, by far, leads the African group with eight per cent rate of the crime, followed by Ghana and Cameroun with 0.7 and 0.6 per cent, respectively, Ghana’s Daily Graphic reported.

The United States tops the world with 65 per cent, followed by the United Kingdom, 9.9 per cent, and Nigeria’s eight per cent.
Others are Canada, 2.2 per cent; Malaysia, seven per cent; Ghana 0.7 per cent; South Africa, 0.7 per cent; Spain, 0.7 per cent, and Cameroon, 0.6 per cent.
“Although we contribute an insignificant portion to cyber-crime, that is unjustifiable because any level of criminality cannot be accepted,” the EFCC Chairman stated.
Mrs Waziri was speaking at the opening ceremony of the first West African Cyber Crime Summit (WACCS) which is currently going on in Abuja, Nigeria.
More than 300 delegates, mainly law enforcement personnel, from 10 West African countries are attending the three-day workshop which is on the theme, “The Fight against Cyber Crime: Towards Innovative and Sustainable Economic Development.”
The objectives of WACCS are to position the fight against cyber-crime as a national priority to help the economic development of the region, provide a platform to develop capacity building with scalable and sustainable solutions and strengthen trust by developing partnerships among various stakeholders at the national and international level.

The summit is also expected to showcase best practices and case studies of partner organizations in combating cyber-crime.

The event is being hosted by the EFCC, in collaboration with Microsoft, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the participation of the Council of Europe, the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA).

Mrs. Waziri pointed out that the $557 million was the recorded figure from reported cases, adding that the figure could run into billions of dollars if most victims reported cyber-crimes.

She explained that most victims shied away from reporting their losses to the authorities for fear of being branded greedy, gullible or stupid.

She said the goal of West African governments should be to ensure that their countries dropped out of the top 10.

She also hinted that there was a gradual movement of cyber criminals from Nigeria to neighboring West African States.

Mrs. Waziri, therefore, urged political leadership across West Africa to adopt common measures and strategies for combating cyber-crime, which was gradually creeping into other West African countries.

The Vice-President of Nigeria, Dr Mohammed Namadi Sambo, in a speech read on his behalf, stated that as a follow-up to the summit, the Nigerian government would collaborate with stakeholders in the sub-region with a view to anticipating and pro-actively outlining policy initiatives to fight cyber-crime.

For his part, the General Manager of Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr Emmanuel Onyeje, urged banks, schools, health care institutions, among others, to find innovative ways of fighting cyber-crime, since it affected people from all walks of life.

Representatives from the UNODC, the Ministry of Justice, the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-corruption, ECOWAS, among others, pledged their readiness to help fight cyber-crime.

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B.I.G. Murder Cover-upEx-Investigator: LAPD Cover-Up In Notorious BIG Murder

Were LAPD officers involved in the murder of rap superstar Christopher Wallace, better known as “Notorious B.I.G.”? And if so, did the department try to cover up their involvement?

Fourteen years after the fatal shots were fired; these questions are still being asked.

On March 9th, 1997, Wallace was leaving a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax when witnesses say a lone gunman in a black Chevy Impala pulled up next to him, calmly rolled down the window, opened fire, then calmly drove away.

Eight years later in 2005, a civil trial brought by the Wallace family against the city of Los Angeles exposed evidence hidden by the LAPD that suggests two rogue police officers David Mack and Rafael Perez may have been involved in the murder of the rapper also known as “Biggie Smalls”.

This potentially explosive evidence involves an alleged conversation between former LAPD officers Rafael Perez and Perez’s cellmate in the L.A. County jail.

The federal judge in the case writes that the inmate reported that Perez had told him about his and Mack’s involvement with Death Row Records and their activities at the Petersen Automotive Museum the night of Biggie Smalls’ murder.

Death Row Records was the label behind another rap superstar, Tupac Shakur, who was murdered in Las Vegas just months before Wallace’s death.

The original lead detective investigating Wallace’s murder says Mack and Perez had close ties to Death Row.

Months after Wallace was killed, officers Mack and Perez were convicted for unrelated crimes — Mack for bank robbery, Perez for stealing cocaine and other serious felonies.

According to a newly-revealed court record, Perez’s cellmate told investigators “Perez and Mack were involved in Death Row Records. Perez got involved in Death Row through Mack.”

“They went to all their parties and stuff,” the inmate said.

Investigators say Perez also told the inmate he was at the scene of the Wallace murder.

“Perez was working security. Perez had a cell phone. Perez said he called over to Mack, David Mack on his cell phone. Perez told Mack that Biggie Smalls was in his truck. Perez never said that he set up Biggie Smalls but I have heard that he…had something to do with that murder,” according to the inmate.

Former lead investigator Russell Poole says these statements are just a glimpse into hundreds of pages of documents that were hidden from Wallace family attorneys.

Poole, who resigned from the LAPD in 1999 and alleges an cover-up by the department, says these statements are “crucial” and that the murder must be put into a historical context: first beginning with the Rodney King beating five years prior and the ensuing riots, followed by the criminal trial of O.J. Simpson in 1995.

Poole says in the racially-charged environment surrounding these key cases, the last thing the city wanted was a scandal involving sworn minority officers involved in the assassination of a hip-hop superstar.

Wallace family attorney says money could be another possible reason for any LAPD cover-up.

Officer Perez was on-duty the night of the murder, and if his involvement was affirmed, the city could potentially be liable for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Both Perez and Mack have repeatedly denied any involvement in the murder.

The LAPD says it can’t comment on the case since it is still under investigation — and sources say criminal investigators continue to follow up on new leads in this 14-year-old murder investigation that so far have come up empty.

Culled from CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc.

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Journalists from around the world who have covered Africa — whether the 2010 FIFA World Cup or one of the 16 countries on the continent that celebrated 50 Years of Independence — are invited to submit work for the 2011 Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards.

These awards launched in 2004 to recognize international journalists and editors who provide high-quality coverage of the business environment in Africa. Previous winners include the BBC World Service, Jeune Afrique Group and The Financial Times.

There are eleven categories, including ICT, tourism and green business or environment features. Blogs, podcasts, online content, print, radio and TV entries are all eligible. To qualify, submissions must have been published or broadcast between April 18, 2010 – March 20, 2011.

Last year, the awards attracted over 700 entries from 25 countries.

The gala awards ceremony will be held on June 20, 2011 in London. For more information, click here.

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