Foreign
Blackmailed by boyfriend, Nigerian girl commits suicide in UK
Alanis was born in 1997 in the United Kingdom. She finished her A levels in 2016. She went to the University of Manchester where she studied Accounting and Finance. After that, she got a job with Marks Sattin as Finance Consultant and she did that for a year. She got another job with AM Fashion between 2020 and 2021. In 2021, she was hired by KPMG in the UK. She was employed so that she could do her ACA programme. Usually, people do it for three to or five years but she chose the one-year route. And she passed 14 out of 15 exams in 10 months. Everything was going well for her until last year when she met her boyfriend, Ryan Leggets, around June. He was introduced to her by one of her friends. The friend told Ryan that Alanis had access to free money.
How much did you know about your daughter’s relationship with the opposite sex?
I have always advised my daughter that she was able to complete her university because she was not in a serious relationship and I told her to wait until she completed the ACA and became chartered before she allowed a man to come in unless they were going to flop her. So when this guy came on board, it was sudden. She had just finished the 14th exam. She had been for over ten months she had not had any interaction, so she needed that interaction. It was this friend of hers who brought this guy from nowhere. I tried to discourage her but in a very smart way so she wouldn’t run away from me.
At what point did you get to know about their affair?
It was gradual but when I got to fully know was when she said Bryan was offering her a free gift to travel to Italy on her birthday on February 12 and I told her not to go. I told her not to accept a gift from him and that the guy was going to put her at his mercy. But before I knew it, she had actually gone. She now said the guy was paying for everything. This thing was not clear to me until after she had died before I got all the evidence. In less than one month of the relationship, he already said he wanted to marry her and take her to his mother. They met in June and by the first week of August, he had given her herpes. My daughter was ignorant that she thought she would not be able to meet anyone again due to the infection. She actually told her mother that she felt her life was ruined. She was stuck with the guy because of the infection. This is a girl who was a Director of my company in Nigeria, to whom I sent money regularly and who did not need his help for anything. If they wanted to do anything together, he would loan her the money so as to make her do it. He would first tell her it was a gift and then tell her it was a loan.
When did he start to blackmail her?
The whole thing escalated when they came back from Italy as he started asking for her bank statements on May 13. He started shouting at her. After she refused to give it to him, he waited till May 28 after he had found out that she was expecting 100,000 pounds and that her passport was required for this money to be sent. That was how he broke into her phone on May 28 around 10am while she was asleep.
What was the money meant for?
She was the Director of the company and we have been trying to involve her in so many ways. So the money was meant for a particular investment in the UK and we had been communicating about how we were going to send it. So it was possible that the guy knew about it. So after he broke into her phone and copied the information, he kicked her out of his flat violently and he seized the ID required to collect this money. At this point, my daughter did not realise that he had broken into her phone until he started to use the information to blackmail her. So he made her apologize to him and now used the apology to get to her agree in writing that she was going to pay him the coerced debt she owed her.
Since you didn’t know about this on time, was her mother also not aware?
On the day of the incident, she told her mother that she was going to leave Manchester because everybody was going to find out and that she was scared that she would lose her social group. The mother said the discussion with Ryan lasted the whole day as she was getting her to agree with his terms. Later in the day, she did her make-up, took her lipstick and car keys and she drove out of the house. The mother had no idea what she was up to as she did not look like anyone who wanted to kill herself. But she had more communication with Ryan on the phone and that is what I think led to the suicide. The police said the CCTV revealed that she was on a phone with someone when she suddenly jumped into a moving train. She did not survive it. She committed suicide four hours after she agreed to pay him.
Aside from manipulating her to apologise in writing, what other issues did Ryan raise to blackmail her?
He told Alanis that she traded and gambled with crypto with her money which was not his business. And she replied to him that she was doing that because of the both of them. Ryan also said he would expose her on how she had stayed awake and passed her university and professional exams by using stimulants. In the UK, there was a law against cohesive and controlling behaviours. Ryan’s action is geared towards that. Alanis had never had any issues with money until she met this guy.
At what point did you initiate a communication with Ryan?
I never spoke to him until a week after she died because I needed some clarity. I called him out of love even when I did not know what had really happened. That was when he shared what transpired between them with me. He showed me how my daughter begged him and how she was going through pain. He told me how he broke into her phone without a password. In the communication he shared with me, I discovered that after the apology, my daughter told her everything he had been saying was a lie. My daughter in the conversation said she was in pain. That was when I realized the guy had actually deceived her and got her to apologise and pay. The idea of sharing the information with me was to make me feel she genuinely apologized. But when I realized this, I told him the second day he was responsible for what happened and he started attacking me with all sorts of words.
What have the police authorities done since the incident happened?
Since she left her mum in the house to commit suicide and the police came to her door some minutes later, they have not collected her mother’s statement as I am speaking to you. What they have been using is the information this guy has shown them where she apologized to him. The guy was prepared, we were not prepared because it came as a shock to us. I complained on July 26 because the British Transport Police were going to close the case after their initial investigation. After I got the information from the guy and showed them the evidence, they ‘crimed’ that aspect and forwarded it to Manchester police. The officer they assigned promised to return in three days after he finished speaking to the suspect and check my daughter’s phone, but he never did. He just wrote his report that there was no evidence. We complained against him to the police watchdog and they promised to review what the officer did. That is where we are.
How concerned are you about the documents with Ryan and why he has not been arrested?
Nobody knows the extent of what he copied. His phone has not been collected. My daughter was the Director of my company. Do we know what else he had taken from that phone aside from what he showed me? He has not been arrested or questioned. They have based everything on Bryan’s own statement. That is the only person they have listened to. And it was because the guy was ahead of us and that is what has been helping him to date. He has been walking freely since the ‘criming’ of the evidence. He also tried to use the information with him to obtain money from me. How can he use that information to get away when there is a law in the UK called computer misuse? They have not even extracted the last communication they both had. I need justice for my daughter. This kind of thing should not happen to any parent.
The sentence was handed down on Friday by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania after Adewale pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud.
Announcing the sentence in a statement on Friday, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, David Metcalf, said Adewale was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
“United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 27, of Nigeria was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joel Slomsky to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud related to the sexual extortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,” the statement read.
According to Metcalf, Adewale was arrested in Nigeria on August 17, 2023, during a joint operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation targeting sexual extortion suspects preying on victims in the United States.
Metcalf noted that the convict was extradited to the US in February 2026 with the assistance of the US authorities and the Nigerian government.
Following his extradition, Adewale was arraigned and subsequently pleaded guilty in April this year.
Commenting on the conviction, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Philadelphia, Wayne A. Jacobs, said the sentence demonstrates that offenders cannot escape justice by operating outside the United States.
“Today’s sentencing illustrates criminals cannot evade justice, even outside of our borders,” Jacobs said.
“This final sentencing is the result of diligent investigative work and close coordination with our domestic and international law enforcement partners.
“Most importantly, today’s sentence represents our continued commitment to seeking justice for victims and their loved ones. Let today’s sentencing send a clear message: alongside our partners here and abroad, the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and bringing to justice those who prey on our communities.”
Also reacting, the chief of the Abington Township Police Department, Patrick Molloy, praised the collaboration between local and federal authorities.
“We are grateful for the federal agents and prosecutors who worked so hard to bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice.
“This could have been anyone’s child, and while this prosecution may provide some measure of relief, the pain and suffering for this family will never go away,” Molloy said.
The US authorities said Adewale was the last of three Nigerian suspects convicted in connection with the sextortion case.
His co-defendant, Samuel Abiodun, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in June 2025.
Another accomplice, Imoleayo Aina, also known as “Alice Dave,” pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud, and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in October 2025.
“I hope that their arrests, extradition, and prosecution make clear that the DOJ will go after those terrorising our young people — no matter where the scammers and sextortionists may be.
“Though this case is now closed, our thoughts will remain with a family and community forever changed,” Metcalf noted.
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has finalised a new rule limiting most foreign students and exchange visitors to a maximum stay of four years, unless they obtain an extension from the federal government, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
The new regulation, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ends the long-standing “duration of status” policy, which allowed international students to remain in the United States for the length of their academic programmes, provided they complied with visa requirements.
The restriction applies to holders of F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas.
According to The Washington Post, the DHS acknowledged concerns that some students may struggle to complete their academic programmes within the new timeframe, noting that many bachelor’s degree programmes take more than four years to complete, while doctoral programmes often require significantly longer.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the change was necessary to strengthen immigration enforcement and reduce visa overstays.
“For nearly half a century, the outdated ‘duration of status’ system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” Mullin said.
The policy has drawn criticism from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, which described the move as unnecessary and warned that it would create uncertainty for international students.
“DHS’ decision to end Duration of Status is a misguided and unnecessary policy shift that injects uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear into a system that has long worked effectively,” NAFSA Executive Director Fanta Aw said.
The new rule comes as many US colleges and universities continue to face challenges in attracting international students amid tighter immigration policies and visa restrictions introduced by the Trump administration.
A coroner’s court in the United Kingdom has ruled that a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, Beatrice Solomon, died by suicide after battling mental health challenges linked to personal difficulties.
Beatrice, who relocated from Nigeria to the UK on a skilled worker visa in November 2023, was found unresponsive in her home on Norris Road, Stanfield.
According to a report by The Sentinel on Sunday, the inquest heard that her husband, Damian Butler, had left home for his delivery job at about 4:30 pm on the day of the incident before returning approximately two hours later to use the toilet, where he discovered his wife unresponsive.
A police officer, PC Hinchliffe, told the court that emergency responders arrived shortly afterwards, but Beatrice was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:21pm.
According to the report, the investigators ruled out any third-party involvement in her death.
During the hearing, Butler told the court that his wife had struggled with her mental health over the past year, which he attributed to ongoing issues involving Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
He also disclosed that he later became aware that Beatrice had made two previous attempts to take her life.
“It is clear to me that Beatrice had researched and planned how to take her life. I can only extend my sincere condolences to Beatrice’s family and friends,” the coroner said.
Beatrice, who worked as a carer in the UK, is survived by her husband, a son, and her siblings.
This tragedy highlights the emotional and mental health challenges some migrants may face while adjusting to life in a new country.
According to the World Health Organisation, research from various countries has shown that some migrants face increased mental health risks due to factors such as separation from their families, financial stress, uncertainty, discrimination, and cultural barriers.
The WHO stated that the findings underscore the need for accessible mental health support and timely interventions for migrants experiencing psychological distress.
Israel recently shared intelligence with the US about a new Iranian plot to assassinate President Trump, according to a report.
The latest assassination plan, reported by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, comes after years of Iranian regime threats to kill Trump as revenge for the 2020 killing of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Gen. Qasem Soleimani by US forces.
When asked for comment, the White House referred The Post to Trump’s Wednesday remarks at the NATO summit in Ankara.
Trump traveled to Turkey on his new Qatari “palace in the sky” plane, but took a different Air Force One home. The plane switch was a strategic “distraction” to keep the commander-in-chief safe, the White House said.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who accompanied the president to the summit, was instructed not to travel to Israel as planned shortly before Trump chose to switch planes in Turkey. It’s unclear if the Iranian threat extended to the war secretary.
Trump terminates remaining members of Election Assistance Commission after landmark Supreme Court ruling expanded his powers
The Journal report did not include details of the alleged assassination plot.
The Israelis tipped the US off about the plot earlier this week. The specific threat was not being tracked by US officials before Israel’s warning and has yet to be vetted, CNN reported.
A banner against President Trump is held in Tehran as mourners gather on the day of burial of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The warning comes as Trump’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become somewhat fraught amid the Iran war.
Trump on June 1 told Netanyahu he was “f–king crazy” over his attacks on Lebanon, fearing they would provoke more war with Iran.
”You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” a US official summarized Trump’s comments, which the president later confirmed to The Post.
The world leaders have spoken on at least two occasions since the tense June 1 call, including Thursday, and have agreed to meet “in the near future,” according to Netanyahu’s office.
Banners vowing revenge against Trump were on full display in Tehran this week as Iranians prepared to bury late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war.
This was disclosed in a statement released on the website of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Wednesday.
The DHS claimed that these individuals have been placed on what it described as its “worst-of-the-worst” criminal register.
While the names and photos have been made public, the timeline for deportations remains undisclosed.
However, the US immigration authorities explained that the deportations are part of ongoing immigration enforcement, stressing that those listed were convicted of serious crimes, but declined to provide details about the offences or when deportations would take place.
The statement read: “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Under DHS leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here.”
The website then listed: “Sunday Adediora, Sunday Kunkushi, Mkpouto Etukudoh, Marcus Unigwe, Olaniyi Ojikutu, Boluwaji Akingunsoye, Ejike Asiegbunam, Emmanuel Mayegun Adeola, Bamidele Bolatiwa, Ifeanyi Nwaozomudoh, Aderemi Akefe, Solomon Wilfred, Chibundu Anuebunwa, Joshua Ineh, Usman Momoh, Oluwole Odunowo, Bolarinwa Salau, Oriyomi Aloba.”
Others are Oludayo Adeagbo, Olaniyi Akintuyi, Talatu Dada, Olatunde Oladinni, Jelili Qudus, Abayomi Daramola, Toluwani Adebakin, Olamide Jolayemi, Isaiah Okere, Benji Macaulay, Joseph Ogbara, Olusegun Martins, Kingsley Ariegwe, Olugbenga Abass, Oyewole Balogun, Adeyinka Ademokunla, Christian Ogunghide, Christopher Ojuma, Olamide Adedipe, Patrick Onogwu, Olajide Olateru-Olagbegi and Omotayo Akinto.
There are also Kenneth Unanka, Jeremiah Ehis, Oluwafemi Orimolade, Ayibatonye Bienzigha, Uche Diuno, Akinwale Adaramaja, Boluwatife Afolabi, Chinonso Ochie, Olayinka A. Jones, Theophilus Anwana, Aishatu Umaru, Henry Idiagbonya, Okechukwu Okoronkwo, Daro Kosin, Sakiru Ambali, Kamaludeen Giwa, Cyril Odogwu, Ifeanyi Echigeme, Kingsley Ibhadore, Suraj Tairu, Peter Equere, Dasola Abdulraheem, Adewale Aladekoba, and Akeem Adeleke.
Also listed were Bernard Ogie Oretekor, Abiemwense Obanor, Olufemi Olufisayo Olutiola, Chukwuemeka Okorie, Abimbola Esan, Elizabeth Miller, Chima Orji, Adetunji Olofinlade, Abdul Akinsanya, Elizabeth Adeshewo, Dennis Ofuoma, Quazeem Adeyinka, Ifeanyi Okoro, Oluwaseun Kassim, Olumide Bankole Morakinyo, Abraham Ola Osoko, Oluchi Jennifer and Chibuzo Nwaonu.
The latest action is part of the sweeping immigration enforcement measures introduced by the administration of US President Donald Trump after his return to office on January 20, 2025.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed a series of executive orders declaring illegal immigration a national emergency and directing federal agencies to intensify border security and accelerate the removal of undocumented migrants.
One of the orders, titled: “Protecting the American People Against Invasion, instructed immigration authorities to prioritise the arrest and deportation of removable migrants, particularly those considered threats to public safety and national security.”
Defending the policy, the DHS said the administration was delivering on Trump’s campaign promise to carry out mass deportations, beginning with what it described as the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders.
The department said officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been directed to intensify operations nationwide against non-citizens convicted of serious crimes.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the crackdown, saying the administration remained committed to enforcing immigration laws and removing undocumented immigrants with criminal records in line with President Trump’s immigration agenda.Executive Branch
Official US immigration data indicate that Guatemala has recorded the highest number of deportees since the renewed crackdown began, followed by Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador, reflecting the administration’s focus on migrants from Latin America.
The US has also expanded deportation flights to countries across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as enforcement operations continue.
Nigeria has also come under increased scrutiny by the Trump administration. In June, Washington imposed partial visa restrictions on Nigerian citizens, citing concerns over identity management, information sharing, visa overstay rates and security screening.Demographics.
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