A Nigerian behind an online fraud network which engineered scams worth more than 60 million dollars has been arrested in the southern oil city of Port Harcourt. The suspect ran a network of at least 40 people working from Nigeria, Malaysia and South Africa which used malware and carried out the fraud. He also had money laundering contacts in China, Europe and the US who provided bank account details for the illicit cash flow. The fraudster and a second suspect face charges including hacking, conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences.
International charity Doctors Without Borders has warned that north-eastern Nigeria is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. MSF says at least 30 people die of hunger or illness every day in refugee camps in the region. With millions affected, the charity is calling on the United Nations to intervene -- as a matter of urgency.
Chef and blogger Ozoz Sokoh is turning traditional Nigerian recipes into an up market fine dining experience. Ozoz is part of a new generation of chefs, who are pushing the boundaries of African cuisine.
Nigeria resumed payments to former militants in the oil-rich Niger River delta and the military targeted gangs involved in sabotage of pipelines, as the government responded to sustained attacks on infrastructure that dragged crude production back to an almost 30-year low.
Paul Boroh, coordinator of the presidential amnesty program, told former militants that their delayed stipends would resume on Monday, his office said in an e-mailed statement. He also assured them that "President Muhammadu Buhari appreciates their patience" and attaches much importance to the amnesty, according to the statement.
Nigeria’s government is trying to engage militants and other stakeholders to establish a cease-fire, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Emmanuel Kachikwu said in a meeting broadcast on state television. Oil production has dropped to 1.4 million barrels a day, he said, close to the May average that was the lowest since 1989.
After several years of relative calm, Nigeria’s oil wells and pipelines are being blown up again by a rebel group that says it wants to expose corruption and earn justice for impoverished local communities. Attacks resumed after Buhari ended security contracts and payments that had turned earlier militants into protectors. The return of violence has worsened economic problems in Nigeria, where oil accounts for two-thirds of government revenue and almost all exports.
Talks between the government and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta started last week, but the group claiming responsibility for the bombing of pipelines and platforms this year -- the Niger Delta Avengers -- did not take part in the discussions. Nigerian military aircraft attacked hideouts in the creeks used by criminal gangs that steal refined petroleum products near the commercial capital, Lagos, Rabe Abubakar, Defence Headquarters spokesman, said by phone from the capital, Abuja Monday.
The interruption of the policy of amnesty payments to rebels had been temporary, Boroh said. "The hiccups in the payment of their stipends are already being addressed" and Buhari has promised to invest heavily in the region, he said in the statement.
The U.S. men's national basketball team finished off its pre-Olympics showcase with a 110-66 win over Nigeria on Monday night. The Americans had no trouble sweeping through their four-game exhibition schedule and enter Rio looking like the heavy favorites to take the gold.
The game at Toyota Center started out close but quickly turned into a blowout. Team USA went on a 30-6 run in the first half to blow things wide open then steadily built on its lead with good defense and shooting.
Even though the U.S. wasn't playing its best, its talent advantage is almost always present. The team's ability to spread size and length across all five positions makes mismatches a near constant. A shorter three-point line compared to the NBA means elite shooters like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson can start gunning from even closer than usual. Nobody has figured out how to score regularly on these guys, either.
Nigeria was able to get some penetration at times but found itself stuck from there. DeAndre Jordan, Durant and the other rim protectors were always ready to make things difficult. Nigeria doesn't have the three-point shooting to drive, kick it out and regularly make defenses pay, especially given the length that the U.S. has in closing out. Nigeria shot 4-of-29 from three in this game (including 0-of-23 to start), which was the biggest reason they fell behind so quickly. You can't shoot 14 percent from three against anyone, but especially not against Team USA.
The Americans shot 54 percent from the floor, including 13-of-33 from three. Carmelo Anthony led the team with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Klay Thompson wasn't far behind with 17 points, while Durant scored 14. Kyle Lowry almost had a triple-double with 11 assists, eight points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes.
For Nigeria, the leading scorer was Chamberlain Oguchi, who scored 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Oguchi hit all four of Nigeria's three-pointers. Alade Aminu, the brother of Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu, added 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting. The other Aminu is no longer participating with the national team this year, reportedly due to complications over insuring his NBA contract. Former NBA players Ike Diogu and Ben Uzoh added 10 points apiece.
It was another strong defensive effort for Team USA, which will enter Rio looking very strong on that end of the floor. The team's shooting came and went during the showcase, but defense ensured that the final results were never all that close. Coach K's team allowed just 56.3 points per game during the four exhibitions.
The competition will be much tougher in Rio, where the stakes are higher and the talent is more plentiful, but the past few games have made it clear the U.S. is yet again the team to beat. They're going to be brutally tough on defense and spread the floor with shooting galore. As we saw again against Nigeria, most teams won't really be able to match up against that.
