A Nigerian national, James Junior Aliyu, has been sentenced to a 90-month jail term in the United States over $4.1 million wire fraud and money laundering.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a statement on Saturday, said Aliyu was ordered to forfeit $1.2 million and return $2.4 million as restitution to victims.

The immigration agency said the Nigerian will be removed from the US after completing his jail term.

In July 2022, the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), with assistance from members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), arrested Aliyu for defrauding dozens of US citizens.

Aliyu was arrested in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Nigerian national was said to have been part of a cybercrime ring involved in phishing, internet scams and money laundering.

After Aliyu was extradited to the US, he pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him.

Eight other defendants, who were co-conspirators, also pleaded guilty in the District of Maryland in separate cases related to the same conspiracy.

Prosecutors had said Aliyu and his co-conspirators gained unauthorised access to email accounts associated with individuals and businesses from February 2017 to July 2017.

The co-conspirators, who are US residents, were said to have sent “false wiring instructions to the victims’ email accounts from “spoofed” emails — accounts associated with forged sender addresses — to deceive the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by the scheme’s perpetrators”.

The prosecutors said the Nigerian national was directly involved in at least $4,162,211 wire fraud.

1. No fewer than 74 terrorist bodies were recovered by the Nigerian Army following intensified operations that led to their killing in the North-East.

The Defence Headquarters said troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed several terrorists and foiled what it described as a complex drone-assisted attack during the operations.

2. The Emir of Kano, Mohammadu Sanusi, on Friday urged Muslims to sustain the spiritual lessons of Ramadan by showing compassion to the less privileged and promoting peace in the society. Sanusi II, made the call while delivering his sermon after leading thousands of faithful in the Eid-el-Fitr prayers at the Kofar Mata Eid Ground in Kano.

3. Outrage has trailed scenes from a festival in Delta State, as police confirmed the arrest of the event’s organiser and four other suspects over the assault of women in Oruamudhu community, Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area. The backlash followed the emergence of viral videos showing young women being harassed, stripped, and groped by groups of men during the “raping festival”.

4. Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a fresh increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit, citing escalating global geopolitical tensions and rising crude oil costs as the driving factors. In a notice sent to petroleum marketers late Friday, the refinery revealed that its ex-depot (gantry) price would rise from N1,175 to N1,245 per litre, while the coastal price increased from N1,512,648 to N1,606,518 per metric tonne.

5. No fewer than 8,300 inmates have been pardoned or had their sentences reduced at different custodial centres across the country between January 2022 and March 2026, as federal and state authorities step up efforts to address overcrowding in correctional facilities. Pardons are usually granted after being recommended by a judicial or advisory body, often referred to as a Prerogative of Mercy Committee.

6. The Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division, has nullified the judgment of the Federal High Court in a fundamental human rights suit filed by a former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The court ordered a fresh hearing of the suit before another judge. In a unanimous judgment delivered on March 17, the Certified True Copy sighted on Friday, the court held that the trial court proceedings were conducted in breach of the appellant’s constitutional right to a fair hearing.

7. The Presidency on Friday dismissed reports suggesting that Nigeria had agreed to accept foreign deportees under a newly signed migration agreement with the United Kingdom, clarifying that the deal strictly covers Nigerian citizens residing illegally in the UK. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the clarification became necessary amid what he described as widespread misinformation surrounding the agreement.

8. The Nigerian Army has arrested 53 suspected criminals and extremist group members during coordinated operations in Plateau State within the last 24 hours. According to operational reports made available to the NAN on Friday, the troops of Operations Ensuring Peace conducted targeted raids in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area and Jos North Local Government Area.

9. Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has rapidly transformed from a massive industrial project into a critical ‘fuel lifeline’ for nations scrambling to keep their economies moving. According to a report by Bloomberg on Friday, several African governments, most notably South Africa, have begun aggressive outreach to the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility for immediate supply.

10. Nigeria stands at 106 in the 2026 World Happiness Report, indicating a steady slip from 105 in 2025 and 102 in 2024. The report unveiled on Thursday showed the happiness ranking of 147 nations as the world observes the International Day of Happiness.

The Federal Government has explained that the agreement it signed with the UK government only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK.

It explained that the Nigerian government was not taking foreigners, as the UK was not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens.

“For clarity, it is important to state that the agreement signed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu on behalf of the government of Nigeria, and Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, on behalf of the UK government, only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK.

“Nigerian government is not taking back non-Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens. This clarification becomes necessary because of those who have already revved up their misinformation machinery,” a statement signed by a presidential aide, Temitope Ajayi, partly read.

It further noted that the agreement guarantees that returnees who are citizens of Nigeria would be treated with dignity, rights retention under domestic law, and may re-enter in the future if they meet the applicable immigration requirements.

Quoting a social media post by the Ministry of Interior, the statement added, “It also provides detailed arrangements for the dignified return and reintegration of NIGERIANS who do not have the legal right to remain in the UK.

“This arrangement includes: the use of secured travel documentation, case-by-case identity verification, and safeguards for vulnerable individuals and potential victims of trafficking.

“This framework also sets out clear definitions, scope, and areas of cooperation, including information sharing, capacity building, training, and joint research on migration management and border security.”

Under the agreement, the UK will, for the first time, be able to return affected individuals using “UK letters,” an alternative identification document issued to those without valid passports, after the Nigerian government agreed to recognise them, according to the Home Office.

“Visa overstayers, foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers will be removed from British soil far more easily under a new agreement struck this week during the state visit of Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu.

“UK letters, an alternative identification document issued to individuals without a valid passport and used to support the return of people with no right to remain in the UK, will be recognised by the Nigerian government for the first time.

“The agreement, reached between the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, removes one of the major administrative hurdles to returning people, meaning the UK will no longer have to wait for emergency travel documents to be issued by Nigeria,” the statement by the UK Home Office read partly.

UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said the agreement reinforced efforts to tackle illegal migration.