NewStats: 3,259,841 , 8,170,952 topics. Date: Monday, 26 May 2025 at 05:53 AM 1g5f73

He wrote 3-page exam before he was allowed to marry her

Deepspirituals:
Are you a Lawyer, Bros U are Super Intelligent, How I wish Her lawyer can do this , Sue her x 2

Well.....according to what I read, Professional photographers are free to take pictures of celebrities while in public and social engagements....and they(Photographers) own the property right. So you cannot sue them...cos the pictures bears their trademark...your collection of pictures might be someone else's estate.

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt has struck out a suit seeking to declare the seats of the 25 lawmakers of the State House of Assembly, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), following a misunderstanding between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of the state and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

The suit ed with number PHC/61/CS/2024 before Justice Chinwendu Nwogu and filed by 10 of Rivers Elders Forum, also asked the court to interpret if the eight point agenda of President Bola Tinubu on the Rivers political saga in December 18, 2023 was constitutional.

Also that “whether the decision or directives or resolution at the purported meeting of the defendants at Aso Rock, Abuja,on December 18, 2023, that the of the Rivers State Executive Council, who voluntarily resigned from their portfolios as commissioners should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval, is constitutional and valid.

‘Traces of Time’ As Otu Blends History, Vision at Carnival Calabar Theme Unveiling
Linus Obogo The venue was the plush five-star Transcorp Hilton Hotels, Abuja. In a spectacle…

“Whether the decision/resolution under the directives of the 1st defendant aforesaid that the 2nd defendant should represent the budget of the Rivers State already presented to the 4th defendant and duly debated and properly assented to as a law can be lawfully and constitutionally represented for the purpose of being debated and reed.”

Parties in the matter included Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, Dr. Kalada Iruenabere, Chief Marcus Atata, Chief Nwankwo Sunday, Cletus Zorbo-Or Nadukoro, Asigbor Lede, Michael Aloega, D Allen Abbi, Johnson Ogbodu and Mina A.K. Hart, for claimants.

While the defendants were President Bola Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Hon. Martins Amaewhule (for himself and other 24 state lawmakers), Rivers State House of Assembly and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, was one of the litigants in the matter.

Ruling on the Exparte application, yesterday, Justice Nwogu said his court lacked jurisdiction to hear the matter, and mentioned that similar matter was given judgement at a federal high court presided by Justice James Omotosho in Abuja.

Justice Nwogu also ruled that since President Tinubu was a party in the matter, the case should be transmitted to a higher court with jurisdiction to entertain it. He, therefore, struck out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/2024/01/24/court-strikes-out-suit-seeking-to-declare-seats-of-25-rivers-lawmakers-vacant/?amp=1

In a dramatic turn of events in the ongoing fraud trial involving Nigerian music star Peter Okoye of P-Square and their former manager Jude Okoye, the defence counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, on Friday accused Peter of deliberately misleading the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, with false and contradictory claims.

The EFCC had arraigned the defendant alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd on a four-count charge.

In one of the counts, Jude and his Northside Music Limited allegedly dishonestly converted the sum of $767,544.15 to his use.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In his evidence in chief on May 16, Peter had narrated how he was allegedly defrauded by his brother Jude and Northside Entertainment.

However during cross examination, on Friday, defence lawyer, Onwuenwunor pointedly told the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi that Peter’s testimony was riddled with inconsistencies and outright fabrications intended to mislead the EFCC and tarnish the reputation of the defendant, Jude Okoye.

During a heated cross-examination, the defence discredited Peter’s earlier statement to the EFCC in which he described himself as a graduate of the University of Abuja.

Contrary to that claim, Onwuenwunor revealed that Peter had, in fact, dropped out of the institution.

When confronted with the discrepancy between his oral claims and written EFCC testimony, Peter attempted to backtrack, stating that he had only said he “attended” the university.

However, the defence tendered the EFCC’s documented records in which Peter specifically described himself as a “graduate,” prompting him to it in open court that he had not completed his studies.

Jude Okoye, Psquare’s elder brother, released from Ikoyi prison after N1.3bn fraud charge
‘Family that breaks you isn’t worth it,’ Peter Okoye writes after testifying against brother Jude

Onwuenwunor further presented documentary evidence proving that Peter and his twin brother Paul were not only aware of but also had signatory access to Northside Entertainment Limited s.

Contrary to Peter’s earlier claim that Jude Okoye was the sole signatory and that he had no access to financial dealings, the defence produced a bank mandate clearly stating that Jude was a Category A signatory, while Peter and Paul were Category B signatories.

The defence counsel also submitted bank statements that showed Peter personally withdrew large sums in both naira and dollars from the company’s .

There were also multiple direct transfers made to him by Jude Okoye. These records stood in direct contradiction to Peter’s sworn statement that he never benefited financially from the company or from any deals executed under Jude’s management.


Onwuenwunor also questioned Peter over his claim regarding royalty payments from Mad Solutions, the company handling the P-Square music catalogue.

Peter had previously testified that he was unaware of the contract with Mad Solutions and had only received $25,000 and $20,000 in royalty payments, implying that Jude had siphoned the larger share.

But the defence countered the narrative by presenting documents to the court confirming that the agreement with Mad Solutions was signed by all three parties—Jude, Peter, and Paul—and that each had equal entitlement to royalty payments.

The document contrary to Peter’s assertion, according to the defence, revealed that he actually received $4,330.47 and $5,837.35 as his first and second payments, respectively—figures far lower than the $25,000 and $20,000 he claimed under oath.

“Peter’s testimony before the EFCC is riddled with lies and misrepresentations. He has made multiple assertions that have now been shown to be false under cross-examination. This is not just a matter of forgetfulness. This is an intentional effort to mislead investigators and this honourable court,”Onwuenwunor told the court.

Justice Oshodi, while itting several of the bank documents and EFCC statements into evidence, advised the defence to ensure all documents are made available to the prosecution ahead of further proceedings.

“If you intend to use a document, make it available to them to make the trial faster,” the judge said.

The trial was adjourned to October 10 and 17, 2025, for continuation of trial.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/05/p-square-peter-okoye-lied-about-education-royalties-bank-access-lawyer-tells-court/

FG directs AMCON to begin shutdown process

The Federal Government has inaugurated a new Board of Directors for the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, with a directive to strengthen asset recovery and commence a credible, time-bound wind-down of the Corporation.

According to a statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr Mohammed Manga, on Thursday, the inauguration, which took place on Tuesday in Abuja, was conducted by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, who stated that the new leadership of AMCON must reposition the institution in line with global best practices and ongoing macroeconomic reforms.

“AMCON must evolve from a stabiliser of last resort to a disciplined vehicle for value creation and responsible exit,” the minister said. “A credible wind-down will not only free up resources but also reinforce our broader goal of a transparent, investment-friendly financial system.”

Edun also stressed the importance of efficient asset recovery and institutional ability in a fiscally constrained environment, noting that these are essential for Nigeria to remain a competitive destination for investment and enterprise.

The newly appointed board is chaired by Dr Bala Bello. Other include Mr Gbenga Alade as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer; Mr Adeshola Lamidi, Mr Lucky Adaghe and Mr Aminu Mukthar Dan’Amu as Executive Directors; and Mr Yusuf Tegina (North Central), Mr Adeyemo Adeoye (South-West), Mr Charles Odion Iyiore (South-South), Mr Yahaya Ibrahim (North-West) and Ms Emily Chidinma Osuji (South-East) as Non-Executive Directors.

In his remarks, the AMCON Managing Director, Mr Gbenga Alade, assured the government of the board’s full commitment to the Corporation’s mandate, stating that AMCON was never intended to exist indefinitely.

“We are here to conclude, not to continue indefinitely,” he said. “We will benchmark our exit plan against global models and deliver a process that serves the national interest.”

The Federal Government described the reconstitution of the AMCON board as a strategic move to unlock balance sheet space for banks, financial sector reform, and strengthen private sector participation in the economy.

AMCON was set up in 2010 to help fix the banking crisis caused by the 2008 global financial meltdown.

Its job was to buy bad loans from troubled banks and stabilise the financial system.

However, AMCON has been criticised for lagging in transparency and lacking a clear plan to shut down, among other issues.

https://punchng.com/fg-directs-amcon-to-begin-shutdown-process/#google_vignette

Nigerian Musicians Ruggedman And Sunny Neji Detained Over Alleged £130,000 Theft From PMAN Secretariat


Nigerian rapper Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, popularly known as Ruggedman, and veteran musician Sunny Neji have been detained at Panti Police Station in Lagos following allegations of stealing $130,000 (£100,000) from the Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) national secretariat in Lekki. The arrests, which also involve other individuals, have sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

According to reports, Ruggedman, alongside three others—Fruitful Mekwunye, Boniface Itodo, and Faga Bem-Paul—was arraigned at Yaba Magistrate Court 1 on Friday, facing charges of burglary, conspiracy, and theft. The group is accused of forcibly entering the PMAN secretariat at 4B Hameed Kasumu Street, Chevy View Estate, Lekki, and making off with $130,000 in cash, as well as two Apple MacBook Pro laptops. Another musician, Zakky Azzay, is reportedly still at large.

The allegations stem from a petition filed on 12 May 2025 by PMAN’s legal representatives on behalf of the association’s National President, Pretty Okafor. The petition claims that the accused, described as either suspended or dismissed of PMAN’s National Working Committee (NWC), exploited Okafor’s absence to declare him suspended without adhering to proper procedures. The group is further accused of convening an unauthorised National Delegates Conference, during which they installed a parallel leadership, backed by a controversial consent judgment secured at the National Industrial Court using an unrecognised PMAN address.

Human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu confirmed Ruggedman’s detention on Thursday via an Instagram post, noting that the rapper was being held over an alleged dispute with PMAN. The police investigation has reportedly concluded, with the case now being prepared for prosecution. PMAN has urged the public and media to disregard claims of unlawful detention, asserting that the arrests are legally justified and part of efforts to uphold the rule of law within the entertainment industry.

As of now, neither Ruggedman, Sunny Neji, nor the other detained individuals have issued public statements regarding the allegations. The case has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with fans and industry stakeholders expressing a mix of shock and concern over the developments.

The incident raises questions about internal governance within PMAN and the broader challenges facing Nigeria’s music industry. Authorities have yet to disclose further details about the ongoing investigation or the status of Zakky Azzay, who remains at large. The case is expected to draw significant attention as it progresses through the courts.

https://govima.com/news/nigerian-musicians-ruggedman-and-sunny-neji-detained-over-alleged-130000-theft-from-pman-secretariat/

"My daughter is a virgin. It's rare at her age to be a virgin" — Bride's father says.

https://x.com/yabaleftonline/status/1926002587087630761?t=wtIgjwj2WFLUntPQnM7wVw&s=08

Jennifer Lopez has been sued $300,000 for sharing her own pictures without permission.

Jennifer Lopez is being sued for $300,000 by photographer Edwin Blanco and Backgrid USA for posting two copyrighted photos of herself on Instagram and X without permission. The photos, from a pre-Golden Globes event in January 2025, were allegedly used to promote her outfit and brand affiliations. U.S. copyright law s the plaintiffs, as photographers own image rights, and Lopez's commercial use weakens fair use defenses. The case is ongoing, with a response due by mid-June 2025.

https://dailypost.ng/2025/05/22/jennifer-lopez-sued-for-300000-for-posting-her-photos-without-permission/

Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Count von Count....my favourites

Oby Ezekwesili has been appointed advisor to Club de Madrid.

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has been appointed Advisor to a forum of democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers, Club de Madrid.

The Club de Madrid is an independent, non-profit organization composed of former democratic presidents and prime ministers from around the world. It was established in 2001 with the aim of promoting democratic leadership and good governance globally.

It is composed of 127 regular from 74 countries, including 5 Nobel Peace Prize laureates and 23 first female heads of state or government.

https://punchng.com/spanish-group-names-ezekwesili-advisor/

Clifford
Bernard
Alfred
Gregory
Churchill
Ebenezer
Evans
Alvan
Romanus
Ignetus

Court Issues Bench Warrant Against Reaprite’s Ayodele Toyosi in N600m, $50,000 Fraud Case


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has obtained a bench warrant against Ayodele Toyosi, the founder of Reaprite Global Limited and Agrorite Limited.

This update came through the EFCC on Wednesday evening. Toyosi and these companies, which promised investors exponentially high returns, have been on trial since August 19.

Reaprite was a digital money-saving platform while Agrorite was into export-oriented agribusiness. They were floated by Toyosi and hundreds of people poured their money into the schemes.

FIJ had earlier exposed how Reaprite abruptly shut down and became unreachable without releasing N1.4 million to Mary Chiamaka, a Lagos-based customer, several months after the payment was due.

Chiamaka desperately needed the money for her mother’s surgical procedure but she did not get it. Hundreds of others who saved their money on the Reaprite platform shared Chiamaka’s fate. They then reported to the EFCC.

According to the EFCC, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, issued a warrant for the arrest against Toyosi for being elusive from the court.

“Toyosi, alongside his two companies, is standing trial on an 11-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N600,000,000 ( Six Hundred Million Naira) and $50,000 (Fifty Thousand United States of America Dollars),” the EFCC stated on X.

“Investigation revealed that the defendant allegedly defrauded a number of persons on the pretence that he had an interest-yielding investment in agricultural export.”

Two count charges were levelled against Toyosi and both companies.

“That you, Ayodele Toyosi, Reaprite Global Limited and Agrorite Limited, sometime in June 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted to your own use the aggregate sum of N200,000,000.00 (Two Hundred Million Naira only) belonging to one K. C. Akoson Investment Limited and Kenneth C. Maduakor by dishonestly representing to them that you will help them transfer the said money to their importers in China whereas you expended the money for your personal use and committed an offence contrary to Sections 278(1) (b) (f) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011,” the first count read.

“That you, Ayodele Toyosi, Reaprite Global Limited and Agrorite Limited, sometime in June 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of N300,000,000 (Three Hundred Million Naira only), belonging to one K. C. Akoson Investment Limited and Kenneth C. Maduakor by dishonestly representing to them that you will help them transfer the said money to their importers in China, whereas you used the money to purchase a property known as Plot 17 Pinnock Beach Estate, Anyiran Town, Eti Osa Local Government Area, Lagos and committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

Toyosi had pleaded not guilty. Giving more details about what transpired in the court on Wednesday, the EFCC wrote:

The judge had, during the arraignment of the defendants on August 19, 2024, adjourned till May 20, 21 and 22, 2025 for continuation of trial, due to the absence of the defence counsel.

At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 , the prosecution presented its first witness, PW1, James Emadoye, a chartered ant and IT expert, who narrated to the court how he found out he and his family had been defrauded in the agribusiness investment scheme.

Emadoye, led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Deborah Ademu-Eteh, told the court that the defendant approached him and his wife with an offer to invest in agronomy.

He said: “ We committed a total of N40m and $50,000 across three investments. However, issues arose when we needed to pay the school fees of our daughter who is studying abroad,” he said.

In his further evidence, the PW1 said the defendant allegedly issued only two cheques when he ed him to liquidate part of the investment. He, however, said that the cheques were dishonoured due to insufficient funds when he presented them at the bank.

He also said that all efforts to reach the defendants were unsuccessful, a development that prompted him to write a letter of complaint to the EFCC. The prosecution counsel, thereafter, sought to tender the bounced cheques, and certificates of investment, which were all itted in evidence by the court.

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, Emadoye confirmed he understood the nature and risks of investment and that the were clearly outlined in the certificates. Though Emadoye acknowledged that such disputes “are generally handled in civil courts, he said he considered it as “criminal” owing to “Toyosi’s evasiveness and the dishonoured cheques.”

According to him, the defendant, in spite of the efforts made to resolve the matter out of court, failed to honour the agreed .

The defence counsel, thereafter, applied for an adjournment to enable him conclude his cross-examination of the witness.

Consequently, the case was adjourned till Wednesday, May 21, 2025 for continuation of trial.

The case, however, was stalled again on Wednesday due to the absence of the defendant and his lawyers on the grounds of medical emergency. Justice Abike-Fadipe, consequently, ordered the arrest of the defendant, and also ordered that he should show cause why his bail should not be revoked at the next adjourned date.

The EFCC was also ordered to investigate the alleged medical report tendered in the absence of the defendant.

The case was adjourned till July 8, 2025, for the continuation of trial.

https://fij.ng/article/court-issues-bench-warrant-against-reaprites-ayodele-toyosi-in-n600m-50000-fraud-case/

Ffk is deluded....see Obi with ADC

Welcome to the jungle.....

LASPPPA decries low building approval rate in Lagos.

The Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority has expressed concern over the alarmingly low rate of building approvals, despite the existence of over five million structures across the state.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, disclosed this while speaking at the Ministerial Press Briefing organised by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development through the Office of Physical Planning recently in Lagos.

He said, “On the number of buildings approved in Lagos state, I will not say that, but on record, we have over five million buildings/structures/properties in the state. However, the percentage of those with approval is very low.

“As part of its statutory responsibilities, the Office of Physical Planning received a total of 77 applications, granted 35 Provisional Layout Plan Approvals and six Final Layout Plan Approvals between 2024 and April 2025.

“During the period under review, a total of 36 estates were monitored for compliance by the Office of Physical Planning, through its routine monitoring of estate developments.

The monitoring exercise aims to ensure compliance with the layout plans approval granted by the office and achieve a sustainable environment in line with the state government development blueprint.

“The outcome of the exercise has been an increase in the level of compliance with approvals granted for estate developments and an increase in the number of applications for layout plan approval.”

Speaking on the treatment of complaints/petitions and provision of technical services, Olumide noted that the Office of Physical Planning, through its Technical Service Department, provided technical services to other MDAs in areas of physical planning and development issues.

He added, “In the same vein, the office received and investigated petitions submitted by aggrieved of the public and whistleblowers, relating to land use and development disputes as well as perceived physical planning infractions. A significant 70.24 per cent of cases were resolved through mediation to prevent costly litigation and minimise the burden on the courts. A mediation resolution rate of 70.24 per cent demonstrates the office’s effectiveness in resolving the majority of petitions amicably, minimising the need for enforcement actions and reducing the burden of enforcement and litigation.

“However, in instances where violations were severe, not condonable, or mediation proved unsuccessful, the office enforced compliance through regulatory actions, including service of statutory notices, sealing of contravening properties and/or removal of illegal developments (where necessary). It is noteworthy that 1.98 per cent of cases required total removal, while 0.4 per cent required sealing, indicating the office’s firm but balanced approach.

“The Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee received 95 petitions against government agencies, individuals, and public officials. The committee conducted hearings on all 95 petitions and delivered decisions on 35 of them, while 28 petitions are still ongoing. The appeals committee struck out 32 petitions due to petitioners failing to respond or returning to court.”

https://punchng.com/laspppa-decries-low-building-approval-rate-in-lagos/

Fela Was itted Into Music School Out Of Pity - Yeni Kuti

Yeni Kuti, media personality and daughter of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, recently shared a surprising story about her father’s entry into Trinity College of Music in London.

In a video, Yeni revealed that Fela’s ission in 1958 was not based on academic merit but rather comion.

She explained that Fela’s parents were initially reluctant to send him abroad due to his average school grades, especially compared to his younger brother, who was a top student.

However, Fela’s older siblings living in London misled their parents into believing that he had gained ission to study medicine.

When Fela arrived in London, he nearly faced rejection from Trinity College of Music because his qualifications did not meet their standards.

Speaking in a recent episode of the TVC programme, Your View, Kuti said, “I want to share a story about my father [Fela].

“When he was in secondary school, you know his parents were academics, so they were pressuring him to study hard. His older brother and sister had gone to university overseas.

“It was him and his younger brother who were with their parents at that time. His younger brother had excellent grades, but Fela was very average. So, his parents didn’t want him to go abroad for studies.

“But his brother wanted him to stay with him in London, so they lied to their parents that Fela was going to a medical school. That was how he got to England.

“They enrolled him in musical school because by time Fela was playing the piano. When he got to the music school, the ission officer said, ‘It’s only because you’ve come a long distance that I’m going to allow you into this school with these results.’ That was how Fela even got the music school out of pity. But look at it today, he is a legend.”

Source: YouTube | TVC

https://www.facebook.com/share/16csVp8qbL/

This is African court and justice, no need to have lawyers and witnesses😂This act is done to catch the thief 😁😁

https://x.com/JasperZiggle/status/1923779309321294210?t=iAxNMl957ubFSlRBWyYOnQ&s=08

Kobojunkie:
How could it have escaped the stomach? Do eels have iron teeth or something?

Stop arguing like Village mkpi.....read or ask AI......meanwhile

The aggression reach zoo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR7sZv706Dw?si=pJsjS3K5ok4Fpp

Nigeria Police Elite Squad In 2025 .....May God help us as a nation.

https://x.com/gani_jonathan/status/1920868140587651157?t=eO5i6_l-Y7JIXUBIE0rkOQ&s=08

Simon Mann, mercenary who was jailed for leading an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea

Old schoolmates recalled that at Eton he was always planning African coups at the back of the class

Simon Mann, who has died aged 72, was an Old Etonian, former SAS officer and soldier of fortune who made millions from providing mercenaries to protect diamond mines and oil refineries in Africa; in 2004, however, he bit off more than he could chew when he became involved in an alleged plot to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea.


The plot went disastrously wrong when Mann and 67 fellow mercenaries – mostly old sweats from Apartheid-era South Africa’s bush wars – were arrested by Zimbabwean security forces at Harare airport, where they had touched down in order to take on a consignment of arms. Mann claimed that they were on their way to protect diamond interests in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. But they were accused of setting out to overthrow Equatorial Guinea’s tyrannical president Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

The story of the alleged coup contained more implausible characters and plot twists than an airport paperback thriller. There was an African dictator who allegedly enjoyed feasting on human testicles, there was the promise of liquid gold – offshore oil reserves that promised to make millions for those daring enough to seize them; there were walk-on roles for mercenaries, business tycoons, the disgraced peer Jeffrey Archer, exiled politicians and Baroness Thatcher’s son, Mark.

At the centre of everything was Mann, maverick scion of the Watney’s brewing empire who seemed to be a throwback to the days of Cecil Rhodes, when white buccaneers toppled governments and ran private fiefdoms. The adventures on which Mann embarked would lead him, eventually, to a foetid cell in Harare’s notorious Chikurubi prison, from which he was extradited in secret in February 2008 to Equatorial Guinea, where he was incarcerated in the infamous Black Beach jail.

Mann with fellow defendants during their trial at a conference centre in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in 2008

Simon Mann was born on June 26 1952. His father, George Mann, was a former Guards officer who captained the England cricket team on their 1948-49 tour of the Cape (Simon’s grandfather had also been England cricket captain). Described by the cricketer’s bible Wisden as a “forceful batsman, prone to hitting hard”, he later became chairman of Watney’s.

Simon followed his father and grandfather to Eton, where he bucked the family trend by preferring rowing to cricket and, according to one friend, was always planning African coups at the back of the class; he was always known as “Maps Mann” because he always had maps in his hand.

Lacking academic ability, he sought an outlet for his daredevil instincts in the Army. After training as an officer at Sandhurst he took a commission in the Scots Guards and did a three-year stint as a troop commander in G Squadron of 22 SAS. Returning to the regular Army, he completed a tour of Northern Ireland and had postings in Cyprus, , Norway, Canada and central America.

In the mid-1980s Mann left the Army to go into “business”, the precise nature of which remained a mystery even to some of his closest relatives. After a stint selling computer software he moved into the security business, providing bodyguards to wealthy Arabs to protect their Scottish estates from poachers, before briefly getting back into uniform in 1990 to serve on British Gulf war commander Sir Peter de la Billière’s staff in Riyadh.


In 1993 he set up Executive Outcomes with the entrepreneur Tony Buckingham. A mercenary outfit, it made a fortune protecting oil installations from rebels in Angola’s civil war and training Angolan government troops. Two years later he established an offshoot, Sandline International, with a fellow former Guardsman, Lt-Col Tim Spicer, and shipped arms to Sierra Leone in apparent contravention of a UN embargo.

With an estimated £10 million in the bank, Mann bought Inchmery, a former residence of the Rothschild family on the banks of the river Beaulieu in Hampshire, together with a Cape Dutch gabled house in Constantia, a secluded suburb of Cape Town whose inhabitants at one time included Earl Spencer and Sir Mark Thatcher.

There, he and his third wife, Amanda, became well-known figures on the Cape social scene. As well as meeting Baroness Thatcher at a party thrown by Mark, in a rare foray into the public domain Mann agreed to play the part of Colonel Derek Wilford, commander of the paratroopers who fired on marchers in Derry, in a 2001 television reconstruction of Bloody Sunday.

The story of the alleged coup plot emerged from “confessions” made in prison by Mann and his alleged co-conspirator Nick du Toit, a former South African special officer and member of Executive Outcomes, who had been arrested a day after Mann in the Equatorial Guinea capital Malabo.

In his testimony Mann said that he had been approached in 2003 by the Chelsea-based Lebanese oil tycoon, Ely Calil, who had made his fortune trading oil in Nigeria and was a friend of Severo Moto Nsá, self-styled president of the Equatorial Guinean government-in-exile. Moto had long sought the overthrow of President Obiang, and at a subsequent secret meeting in Spain the three men allegedly hatched a plot to bring about the tyrant’s downfall.

It was claimed that the three men struck a deal under which Calil and Mann would arrange to put Moto in power in return for a lump-sum payment of $16 million. Mann would also get the rights to supply Guinea’s future security needs and Calil would become the country’s chief oil broker.

With the deal concluded, Mann and Calil were alleged to have set about raising the money needed to pay for the operation. The basic deal was that 10 investors would each contribute £100,000. In return they would share £15 million between them on the coup’s completion, with the hope of further dividends as the oil began to flow.

Du Toit was tasked with recruiting the 80 or so mercenaries needed and, from these, he would take a small advance guard to Guinea in the guise of being involved in a tourist business. Once they were installed, Mann would fly in under cover of darkness with the rest of the men. The president would be seized in his bed and Moto installed.

All began according to the alleged plan, and on March 7, with du Toit in Malabo, 64 mercenaries boarded an old Boeing 727 which Mann had bought for $400,000, and took off for Harare from Wonderboom airport near Pretoria.

When the aircraft touched down at Harare airport, it taxied to the military sector, where those on board were expecting to link up with Mann and pick up their weaponry. Instead, Mann, the three flight crew and all 64 mercenaries on board were arrested and their weapons seized. The next day, du Toit and his 14-strong group were arrested in Malabo.

All those named by Mann and du Toit in their testimonies denied any involvement in the plot and claimed that the men had been tortured to make false statements, and Mann later claimed that his initial statements had been made under duress. Relatives of those arrested in Harare maintained that they had been on their way to Congo to guard diamond mines. It was noted that the small-scale and rather amateurish nature of the operation hardly suggested planning for a military coup.

But other evidence seemed to lend weight to the coup-plot theory. A South African telecoms tycoon, Gianfranco Cicogna, recalled being approached by Mann to invest $120,000 in a “project” in Equatorial Guinea (he declined). Documentary evidence from one of Mann’s offshore companies, Logo Logistics, showed that a person by the name of JH Archer transferred £74,000 to the company just four days before the alleged coup attempt. “JH” are the initials of Lord Archer, a friend of Ely Calil. Archer’s lawyers denied that he had sent money and both he and Calil denied knowing of any coup plot.

The biggest fish to become entangled in the scandal was Baroness Thatcher’s son, Mark, who was alleged to have paid for a helicopter to fly Moto into Guinea on the night of the coup. His name entered the fray after an explosive but hilarious letter from Mann to his wife was intercepted by prison guards.

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In the letter, written shortly after his arrest, Mann asked her to elicit the help of chums on the alleged plot’s “wonga list” of financial ers: “Our situation is not good and it is very URGENT,” Mann wrote. “They [the lawyers] get no reply from Smelly [thought to be Ely Calil] and Scratcher [the nickname Mann used for Thatcher, on of the acne he suffered while at school]...”

But Mann then went on to suggest that Scratcher’s involvement amounted to more than using his s to lobby for their release. “It may be that getting us out comes down to a large splodge of wonga!” he wrote. “Of course investors did not think this would happen. Do they think they can be part of something like this with only upside potential – no hardship or risk of this going wrong? Anyone and everyone in this is in it – good times or bad. Now it’s bad times and everyone has to f---ing well pull their full weight… Once we get into a real trial scenario we are f---ed.”

He ended the letter with the words: “Anyway [another ] was expecting project funds inwards to Logo from Scratcher… If there is not enough, then present investors must come up with more.”

On July 22 2004 Mann was convicted in Zimbabwe on two counts of attempting to buy firearms illegally. He was sentenced to seven years, later reduced to four. Sir Mark Thatcher was arrested in August 2004 and given a four-year suspended prison term and a hefty fine after pleading guilty to breaking anti-mercenary legislation in South Africa by agreeing to finance the chartering of a helicopter, though he denied knowledge of the coup plot and maintained that his involvement had been unwitting.

Kept in solitary confinement at his own request, Mann was said to have endured torture and privation. In April 2007 he was said to be suffering multiple organ failure and had a life-threatening intestinal condition caused by poor diet. Hopes that the Zimbabwean courts would turn down any request for his extradition to Equatorial Guinea were dashed in May 2007 when, shortly after his release from jail, he was rearrested following a decision by a Harare court to reject defence arguments that he would not be given a fair trial in Guinea and was likely to be tortured.

After his extradition, in March 2008 he was allowed, or possibly encouraged, to give an interview to Channel 4 News in which he again fingered Ely Calil as the mastermind behind the “f***-up”, said that Sir Mark Thatcher was “part of the team”, but dismissed suggestions that Lord Archer or Peter Mandelson were involved.

Urbane, charming and apparently relaxed, despite the shackles and years of solitary confinement, Mann claimed not to have been put under pressure by the Equatorial Guinean authorities, though there were suspicions that he might have agreed to “spill the beans” in return for being spared the death penalty.

Simon Mann was married three times. His first two marriages were dissolved and he married thirdly, in 1995, Amanda Freedman, with whom he had four children. They survive him with three children of his earlier marriages.

Simon Mann, born June 26 1952, death announced May 9 2025

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/05/09/simon-mann-mercenary-coup-equatorial-guinea-died-obituary/

babyfaceafrica:


I thought na fraud he dey do, he dey grab land too

Yes very notorious...

lapintoz:
And the man is now a born again Christian. Infact, he now preaches in churches. Money na water ...........don run dry.

I hope Justice Dada will have mercy on the old papa fraudster.

You don't know this man very well. At present we have a case in court with him over land grabbing at Okpanam.....all the way from Ibusa come dey grab land for Okpanam....he is a notorious land grabber.

Bobloco:
Fred Ajudua. Alusi-ego (Onwa n'etiri ora of Ibusa)

A notorious land grabber....

geoworldedu:
How could Africa have originated from Israel. Be like say religion have scammed you

that's a chorus from distant relatives Album by Nas and Demian Marley

Alleged $1.04m Scam: Supreme Court revokes Ajudua’s bail, orders his remand


ABUJA – The Supreme Court, on Friday, revoked the bail that was granted to Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, who is facing trial over his alleged complicity in a $1.43m fraud.

In a unanimous decision, a five-member of the apex court ordered that he should be returned back to prison custody.

It equally ordered the resumption of hearing on the criminal charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.

The judgement followed an appeal marked: SC/CR/51/2019, which the EFCC filed in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, FRN.

Ajudua was listed as the sole respondent in the appeal.

In the lead judgment that was delivered by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, the apex court invalidated the bail that was granted to the respondent on December 10, 2018, by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.

Justice Nwosu-Iheme faulted the appellate court, stressing that it had no jurisdiction to grant the respondent after it had already declared as incompetent, a brief of argument Ajudua filed in of his appeal for bail.

Ajudua in the said appeal, challenged the July 5, 2018 ruling of trial Justice Mojisola Dada of the HIgh of Lagos State, Ikeja, which rejected his request for pre-trial bail.

According to the Supreme Court, having found that Ajudua’s brief of argument was incompetent and struck out same, the appellate court was wrong to still rely on it to accede to the Appellant’s prayer for bail.

“It is crystal clear that the lower court was on all fours with the law when it declared the appellant’s brief of argument incompetent and struck it out.


“At that point, the appellant’s (Ajudua’s) appeal was extinguished. There was therefore, nothing more to consider in that appeal. The lower court, at that point, had no jurisdiction to proceed further. It had become functus officio,” Justice Nwosu-Iheme held.

She held that the appellate court, in proceeding to consider the arguments canvassed in the brief of argument it earlier found to be incompetent, engaged in an exercise in futility.

“Since the lower court had no jurisdiction to consider other issues canvassed in the brief of argument, which it had declared incompetent and struck out, it would amount to an academic exercise to delve into any other issue in the appeal.

“This appeal, having been determined on the issue of jurisdiction alone, the issue of bail is inseparable from the appeal itself.

“This appeal succeeds and it is hereby allowed. The decision of the trial court dated the 5th day of July 2018 refusing bail to the respondent (Ajudua) is hereby restored.

“The respondent is to be remanded in prison custody. Accordingly, this case is remitted back to the Chief Judge of Lagos State to be assigned to the same trial judge, M. A. Dada J for the continuation of speedy trial and determination within the shortest possible time,” the Supreme Court held.

It will be recalled that the Embassy of the State of Palestine had in a letter dated August 26, 1993, which was addressed to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and copied the Inspector General of Police, alleged that Ajudua obtained about $1.43m by false pretence from a Palestinian, Ziad Abu Zalaf , who was based in .

Upon the completion of investigation, the EFCC filed a 12-count charge against Ajudua before the HIgh Court of Lagos State in Ikeja.

In the charge, the EFCC, among other things, alleged that Ajudua conspired with one Joseph Ochunor, who is still at large, to obtain money by false pretences from Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Ltd., a division of Mystic Company Ltd., a German-based company.

It also alleged that, with intent to defraud, Ajudua and Ochunor obtained $268,000 on April 2, 1993 from Zalaf and on May 12, 1993 again obtained the sum of $225,000 from Zalaf.

The EFCC equally claimed that Ajudua and Ochunor, in a bid to give credence to the alleged scam, forged Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, receipts and presented same to the foreigner as genuine.

Shortly after Ajudua was arraigned, his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, filed an application for him to be released on bail, pending the determination of the case.

Ojo claimed that his client had serious health challenge.

The application was refused by trial Justice Dada who ordered the defendant to submit himself for prosecution.

Dissatisfied with the decision, Ajudua lodged an appeal and secured a favourable ruling.

A three-member of the Court of Appeal reversed Justice Dada’s decision and granted him bail.

In its lead verdict that was delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba, the appellate court held that bail was the Appellant’s constitutional right.

Not happy with the judgement, the EFCC persuaded the Supreme Court to set it aside.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/05/alleged-1-04m-scam-supreme-court-revokes-ajuduas-bail-orders-his-remand/#google_vignette

" Africa must wake up.....sleeping sons of Jacob "

Which way Nigeria.......