EFCC Arraigns 2 Chinese Nationals, Nigerian For Cyber Crimee In Lagos

EFCC arraigns 2 Chinese nationals, Nigerian for cyber crimee in Lagos. EFCC alleged that they engaged in this foreign exchange without going through the official foreign exchange market authorised by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) on Monday dragged a Nigerian, two Chinese nationals, and their company before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged multibillion-naira cybercrime.

The defendants Huang Haoyu, Friday Audu, An Hongxu and a company, Gentting International Ltd., are standing trial before Justice Daniel Osiagor on a 12-count charge of cybercrime.
They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari, told the court that the defendants committed the offences sometime in 2024 in Lagos.

Ms Buhari said the defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to commit the offences with one Dualiang Pan, who is now at large.

She said the defendants allegedly willfully caused to be assessed computer systems organised to destabilise Nigeria’s economic structure.

Ms Buhari also said the defendants allegedly procured Nigerian youths to falsely represent themselves as persons of foreign nationalities.

They were alleged to have procured one Chukwuemeka Okeke to retain $1.2 million in his crypto wallet, which they ought to know forms part of fraudulent activities.

They were alleged to have also procured one Alhassan Garba and Ifesinaci Jacobs to retain $1.3 million in their crypto wallet, being proceeds of crime.

They were also alleged to have retained in the Union Bank account of Gentting International Ltd the sum of N3.4 billion, which also forms part of the proceeds of their fraudulent activities.

The prosecutor alleged that they transferred, among others, N106 million and N913 million to Mr Dualiang’s UBA account, which also forms the proceeds of their fraudulent activities.

The transfer and several other transfers were said to be made from Gentting Ltd.
Besides, the defendants were said to have illegally negotiated a foreign exchange transaction with one Alhassan Garba to the dollar equivalent of N1.1 billion, N962 million, and other sums.

EFCC alleged that they engaged in this foreign exchange without going through the official foreign exchange market authorised by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Court

All monies are said to have formed part of the proceeds of their fraudulent activities.
She said the offences contravened section 29(2) of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 2004.

It also contravenes sections 18 and 27 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act 2015, as well as sections 18(2)(d) and 21(c) of the Money Laundering Act 2021.

The court adjourned the case until March 20 to hear the defendants’ bail application.

The judge ordered the defendants to be remanded in EFCC’s custody pending bail.

Nigerian Music Star Rema Becomes First African Artist On Rolling Stone Cover

Nigerian music star Rema vecomes first African artist on Rolling Stone cover. Nigerian music star Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, has made history as the first African artist to be featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.

The American publication, renowned for its coverage of music, politics, and pop culture, announced Rema as the cover star for its April 2025 edition. Mavin Records celebrated the achievement on Instagram, calling him the “Afrobeats Visionary.”

Following the announcement, Rema delivered an electrifying performance at the Rolling Stone concert, thrilling audiences with hits like Dumebi, Woman, and Calm Down.

This milestone further solidifies Rema’s influence in global music, coming shortly after his feature on Dazed magazine.

Since rising to fame in 2019 under Mavin Records, Rema has continued to push Afrobeats to new heights. His hit song Calm Down, featuring Selena Gomez, became the most streamed Afrobeats track in history, surpassing a billion streams on Spotify and earning multiple platinum certifications.

Nigerian Music Star Rema

It also became the first African-led track to top the Middle East and North Africa’s official streaming chart, earning him a Guinness World Record.

Rema has also made history as the first African artist to perform at the prestigious Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2023, further cementing his status as a trailblazer for African music.

New York: Gene Therapy Offers New Sickle Cell Cure
In the US

New York: Gene therapy offers new sickle cell cure in the US. Sebastien Beauzile, a 21-year-old from Laurelton, Long Island, has become the first person in New York State to be cured of sickle cell anemia using the groundbreaking Lyfgenia gene therapy.

Administered at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, this innovative treatment provides hope for many suffering from the painful genetic disorder, Forbes reported on Sunday.

A Lifelong Battle
Sickle cell anemia causes abnormally shaped red blood cells, leading to severe pain and potential organ damage.

Beauzile, diagnosed at just four months old, endured frequent hospitalizations due to intense pain crises, which he described as “10 out of 10” in severity.

Sickle Cell Cure

Gene Therapy Breakthrough
Developed by Bluebird Bio and approved by the FDA in December 2023, Lyfgenia works by extracting a patient’s blood stem cells, genetically modifying them to include functional hemoglobin genes, and reinfusing them into the bloodstream.

This cutting-edge approach marks a major step forward in treating sickle cell disease.