Foreign
Citing EFCC’s letter, London court denies Ekweremadu bail again
The Central Criminal Court, London, otherwise known as the Old Bailey, has once again, denied former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, bail, on the grounds that he is a flight risk, citing the letter and assets forfeiture proceedings against the Senator by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The court gave its verdict at a pre-trial hearing in London on January 31.
In the bail application, Ekweremadu’s attorneys had argued that the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and the Attorney-General of the Federation had written the court that Ekweremadu was not a flight risk and gave a guarantee to produce him should he do otherwise.
They also reminded the court that the Nigeria High Commission in the UK had equally given the option of tagging Ekweremadu electronically to monitor his movement.
Also citing other character attestation by other well respected Nigerians and organisations as well as Ekweremadu’s involvement in other global courses that champion humanity and noting that Ekweremadu “is a highly regarded, well known public figure”, his defence equally argued that the lawmaker had shown himself a caring and responsible father and therefore could not possibly escape from London abandoning his wife and sick daughter.
The defence further told the court that they had sureties and securities of nearly half a million pounds sterling from 11 people to secure Ekweremadu’s release on bail.
However, just as during the July 2022 bail application hearing, the prosecution insisted that Ekweremadu was a flight risk, citing once again, the 18th July 2022 letter by the EFCC signed on behalf of the Executive Chairman, Abdulraheed Bawa by the Assistant Director Operations, Abdulkarim Chukkoi.
Prosecution equally cited the ongoing assets forfeiture proceedings against the former three-term Deputy Senate President in the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Although the EFCC had investigated Ekweremadu for many years without charging the lawmaker to court, the anti-graft agency had upon his arrest and a 17th July 2022 enquiry by the London Metropolitan Police, indicted Ekweremadu and vowed to immediately institute assets forfeiture proceedings and criminal processes against him while in custody in London.
The prosecution equally argued that as a holder of the international passports of two other countries, the lawmaker could also escape to any of the other countries other than Nigeria.
Having heard from both sides, the Judge said: “I am entirely satisfied there remains a flight risk,” noting that bail would not make much difference “as the trial is just over a month away.”
Consequently, he said his ruling was, “this bail application is refused.”
The trial of the Ekweremadus will now stand trial beginning from 31st January 2023. Recall that at an earlier hearing in November, the court moved the trial from May to January.
Meanwhile, the Tuesday proceedings appear to have confirmed claim in the Federal High Court, Abuja, by Ekweremadu’s lawyer, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), that EFCC truncated Ekweremadu’s bail application in July.
Awomolu also accused the EFCC of dishonestly obtaining an interim assets forfeiture order against the lawmaker by withholding vital information from Justice Inyang Ekpo.
Awomolu accused the EFCC of shielding the fact that the lawmaker was in detention in London, hence not in a position to defend himself and that while it started investigation of Ekweremadu for well over a decade, it only found it auspicious to indict and move against him he had issues in London and was facing trial.
It is recalled that the youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide and the civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA, have variously accused the anti-graft agency of complicity in Ekweremadu’s London travail.
In a statement by its National President, Mazi Okwu Nnabuihe, Ohanaeze youths accused the EFCC of double standard, persecution, and assets stripping of southern persons and businesses.
Faulting both timing and motive, HURIWA, on its part, held that EFCC’s letter and assets forfeiture lawsuit against Ekweremadu “at a time he was in custody, facing trial in the United Kingdom, and unable to defend himself or properly brief his lawyers was malicious, immoral, in bad faith, and tantamount to a country throwing her citizen under the bus”.
However, the EFCC, through its lawyer, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir (SAN), had however dismissed the allegations, saying it was a mere coincidence as there was no legally stipulated time frame for the EFCC to initiate forfeiture proceedings or criminal charges against a suspect.
Meanwhile, Ekweremadu is an opposition leader who has had running battles with the ruling party.
The Nigerian community in the United States has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of Eric Ezeokoli, a student of California State University, Long Beach.
Ezeokoli, who was born on October 6, 1960, reportedly died on Friday, April 11, 2026, at Saint Mary’s Hospital after a brief illness.
Until his death, he was studying Engineering at the university, also known as Long Beach State University. Sources disclosed that he had previously lived in San Jose before relocating to the Los Angeles area.
Tragically, at the time of his passing, Ezeokoli was said to be homeless and living in his car, with no fixed address.
The deceased was originally from Anambra State, although details about his exact hometown remain unclear. There are indications he may have hailed from Aguata, but this has not been officially confirmed.
Efforts are currently underway to locate his family members and relatives in Nigeria. Members of the Nigerian community and concerned individuals are appealing to anyone with useful information about Ezeokoli’s background or family to come forward.
A contact person, Paul Kizito Eze, has been designated to receive information that could help trace the deceased’s relatives.
The appeal has also been extended to people from Anambra State, particularly those familiar with communities in Aguata, to assist in identifying and notifying the family.
The situation has sparked renewed concern over the welfare of some Nigerians living abroad, especially those facing hardship and isolation.
Anyone with relevant information is urged to reach out urgently to assist in reconnecting the late Ezeokoli with his family for proper burial arrangements.
President Donald Trump doubled down Monday on his threat to wreck Iran’s civilian infrastructure, warning US forces could destroy every bridge and power plant in the country within four hours and that a truce proposal from international mediators was not yet enough.
Five weeks into the Middle East war triggered by a joint US-Israeli air assault on Tehran, the US leader has demanded that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping by midnight GMT on Tuesday, or face a newly devastating round of bombing.
Both Trump and Iran have said that a proposal touted by international mediators for a 45-day ceasefire is not yet ready, and in a Washington press conference, the US president dialled up his warlike rhetoric once again.
“We have a plan — because of the power of our military — where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said.
Trump had earlier accepted the ceasefire plan was a “significant proposal”, but went on to say it was not good enough. Iranian state media quotes officials stating that Tehran too “has rejected a ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict”.
Trump said intermediaries “are negotiating now” on improving the ceasefire proposal, which US media reported was being mediated by Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey.
Iran’s military said it would “continue the war as long as the political authorities see fit”.
Trump’s latest threats, including a profanity-laced social media post on Sunday, have sent shockwaves through the international community.
International Committee of the Red Cross chief Mirjana Spoljaric warned that “deliberate threats… against essential civilian infrastructure” are illegal.
But talk of a ceasefire came as the US and Israel were striking targets across Iran, including major petrochemical facilities, and as Iran continued missile and drone attacks around the region.
Iran’s virtual blockade of Hormuz has sent oil and gas prices soaring and pushed countries around the world to enact measures to contain the fallout.
Earlier Monday, Israeli strikes had hit major Iranian petrochemical facilities, including in Asaluyeh on the Gulf coast, the country’s biggest, and another outside Shiraz in central Iran.
Israel’s military said it had also struck Iranian air force targets, including planes and helicopters at airports in Tehran and elsewhere.
Iran’s Guards posted on Telegram on Monday that their intelligence chief Majid Khademi, had been killed at dawn in US-Israeli strikes.
Israel’s military also said it had killed Asghar Bagheri, commander of the Guards’ Quds Force special operations unit, on Sunday.
“We will reach anyone who seeks to harm us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
The Guards’ Intelligence Organisation vowed a “major retaliatory strike” against those responsible for killing their commanders, their official Sepah News website reported.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said they launched an attack targeting Israel, supporting their backer Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The war, which erupted on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has engulfed the Middle East and roiled the global economy.
The worldwide oil squeeze has hit aviation, with Indonesia on Monday saying it would increase a jet fuel surcharge and low-cost carrier Air Asia X announcing ticket price hikes of up to 40 per cent.
South Korea will send ships to fetch oil from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea port of Yanbu, avoiding Hormuz altogether, a ruling party MP said, while Taiwan’s government said it too would take the Red Sea route.
Gulf nations allied with the US have also been sucked into the war, with Kuwait and the UAE reporting strikes and injuries from Sunday to Monday.
Iran has continued to launch attacks at Israel, where the military and medics said four bodies were recovered from a residential building in the northern city of Haifa that was struck by a missile.
Iranian media reported several attacks on residential areas of Tehran, while the state broadcaster said gas outages hit parts of the capital after a strike on a university.
AFP
Some Nigerians in India have raised the alarm over what they described as increased racial profiling and brutalisation by the Indian police.
They lamented visa regularisation challenges and high renewal fees, which they said had made life unbearable in the Asian country.
Some of the residents alleged that some Nigerian students were physically assaulted, adding that reporting to the authorities had changed nothing.
NANS issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government for urgent diplomatic engagement, warning that it would escalate advocacy actions nationwide if the issues were not addressed.
Speaking with journalists during the demonstration, the NANS Vice President (Special Duties), Abubakar Mallawa, decried the alleged ill-treatment of Nigerians, adding that the association had received multiple distress reports from students in Indian cities, particularly Mumbai, over visa challenges, discriminatory practices and systematic profiling.
He noted that the affected students and other Nigerians engaged in legitimate businesses had faced difficulties in renewing visas, mass arrests linked to immigration status, denial of rental accommodation based solely on nationality, closure of Nigerian-owned shops, confiscation of goods, and, in some cases, forceful entry into residences and detention under degrading conditions.
The group also raised concerns over the visa application process, alleging that Nigerian applicants were often required to pay interview and processing fees but denied visas without clear explanations.
In a recent interview on Arise TV, the National Secretary of NANS, Anzaku Shedrack, said the group had been receiving disturbing videos showing the brutalisation of Nigerians in several parts of India, and called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene.
A video clip played by the tv station showed some suspected Indians attacking and stoning an individual, said to be a Nigerian, on the floor.
In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the Education Coordinator of the Association of African Students in India, Rajasthan chapter, Abisola Williams, said Nigerians were going through tough times in India.
Williams also admitted that Nigerian students were seriously affected by regularisation challenges.
The third-year physiotherapy student explained that India does not grant permanent residency to international students.
“It’s either you’re a student or a professional with a work visa. As for Nigerians, we have to renew our visas every year, as students or professionals,” she said.
Williams noted that Indian authorities reserved the right to deny visa extensions to students who failed to meet academic or financial obligations.
Another Nigerian student in Delhi, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that Nigerians were required to pay 10,000 rupees (about N146,000) every three months to renew their visas, a fee she claimed is lower for students from other African countries.
“Other students from other African countries do not pay for it. We were told it was an agreement between the Indian and Nigerian governments for students to pay every three months. I know Zimbabweans who are not paying to renew visas, while Ghanaians pay a maximum of 500 rupees, which is about N8,000. This is just unfair. That’s the cross Nigerians bear to regularise their stay in India. They don’t give us enough time to raise the money. But for other nationals like Zimbabweans, they get about eight months before their next visa expires,” the student said.
She added that the fee was not disclosed during visa processing in Nigeria and that many students only became aware of it after arriving in India.
The student further alleged that Indian police actively track Nigerians, whose visas had expired, leading to arrests, intimidation and deportation.
“When my visa was about to expire, I went to renew it, but was surprised to learn it was 10,000 rupees. After that, the police came looking for me because I had not renewed my visa.
“I have seen male students who were bullied and harassed because of this. They don’t believe we live by the rules. Anything that goes wrong is attributed to Nigerians, and it’s unfair.
“There are people who have faced serious injustice in the hands of these officers. Some were taken to deportation camps. I knew someone who was deported to Nigeria for this,” she said.
Drug crimes in India
No fewer than 50,000 Nigerians are believed to be resident in India.
Analysts believe that the Nigerian community is being targeted due to increased arrests of some people from the country for alleged drug trafficking.
In 2024, Indian agencies arrested 660 foreign nationals for drug-related crimes.
No fewer than 106 of the suspects were reported to be Nigerians, the second highest. Nepal was first on the list with 203 nationals.
Also, 2,356 Nigerians were deported by India between 2019 and 2024, with removals quadrupling from 339 in 2021 to 1,470 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Nigerians are police informants – Diplomat
But a diplomat in India said some Nigerians were being used as informants by the Indian police.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that such people were usually induced with money.
“Fellow Nigerians report one another to the police when they have disputes. They become informants because the authorities give them a share. When Nigerians are arrested, the police extort money from them, and the informants take a cut. These practices put the country in a bad light,” the source said.
The source also urged Nigerians to comply with local laws.
The official added, “People should ask why Nigerians are being maltreated. What offence did they commit? You are in another country and must obey their laws. Some individuals have overstayed for years without valid visas. Once caught, there may be consequences.”
On the quarterly visa renewal, the official said the issue also affects Nigerian diplomats and called for reciprocal measures.
“As diplomats, our families renew visas yearly. It is an issue we have raised at the highest level, but nothing has been done. The best approach is reciprocity. We should ensure their families get similar terms, while we consider shorter durations for their students.”
PUNCH
The UK Home Office has announced increases in fees for a wide range of visas, residency applications, and citizenship processes, effective April 8, 2026.
The revised fee schedule shows hikes across nearly all categories of applications made both within and outside the United Kingdom. The changes will impact Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking to visit, study, work, or settle in the UK.
Nigeria remains one of the largest sources of visa applicants to the UK, with hundreds of thousands applying annually for visit, student, and work visas.
Under the new structure, the short-term visit visa (up to six months) will increase from £127 to £135, while student visa fees will rise from £524 to £558. Applicants seeking indefinite leave to remain will now pay £3,226, up from £3,029. Similarly, the cost of naturalising as a British citizen will increase from £1,605 to £1,709.
In a rare exception, the fee for registering a child as a British citizen has been reduced from £1,214 to £1,000—a decrease of £214. Most other fees have either increased or remained unchanged. Notably, fees for the Tier 1 (Investor) visa and the High Potential Individual visa remain unchanged at £2,000 and £880 respectively.
Breakdown of Key Changes
Visit Visas:
Short-term (up to 6 months): £127 → £135
Long-term (2 years): £475 → £506
Long-term (5 years): £848 → £903
Long-term (10 years): £1,059 → £1,128
Visiting academic (over 6 months up to 12 months): £220 → £234
Private medical treatment (over 6 months up to 11 months): £220 → £234
Direct airside transit visa: £39 → £41.50
Landside transit visa: £70 → £74.50
Student Visas:
Student (main applicant and dependants): £524 → £558
Child Student: £524 → £558
Short-term student (English language): £214 → £228
Work Visas:
Skilled Worker (up to 3 years): £769 → £819
Skilled Worker (over 3 years): £1,519 → £1,618
Health and Care Visa (up to 3 years): £304 → £324
Health and Care Visa (over 3 years): £590 → £628
Innovator Founder: £1,274 → £1,357
Start-up: £465 → £495
Scale-up: £880 → £937
High Potential Individual: unchanged at £880
Graduate Route: £880 → £378.72
Settlement and Indefinite Leave:
Route to settlement: £1,938 → £2,064
Indefinite leave to remain: £3,029 → £3,226
Visitor extension (in-country): £1,100 → £1,172
Leave to remain – other: £1,321 → £1,407
Travel Documents:
Certificate of travel (adult): £300 → £320
Certificate of travel (child): £151 → £161
Convention travel document (adult): £94.50 → £102
Convention travel document (child): £61.50 → £66.50
Nationality and Citizenship:
Naturalisation (British citizenship): £1,605 → £1,709
Registration as British citizen (adult): £1,446 → £1,540
Registration as British citizen (child): £1,214 → £1,000 (reduced)
Renunciation of nationality: £482 → £513
Nationality review: £482 → £513
Status letter: £459 → £489
Non-acquisition letter: £459 → £489
The updated fees underscore the rising cost of migration to the UK, sparking concerns among prospective applicants, particularly from high-demand countries like Nigeria.
A 23-year-old Nigerian graduate based in the United States, Oluwalayomi “Layo” Fadero, has been killed after a wrong-way driver fleeing from police crashed into her vehicle in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to WSMV Nashville on Tuesday, the incident occurred last Friday when the suspect, identified as Ray Eugene Padgett, allegedly drove into oncoming traffic while attempting to evade arrest.
Fadero, a recent graduate of Fisk University, was reportedly heading into her neighbourhood along Murfreesboro Pike when the suspect’s vehicle struck her car on the driver’s side, killing her on the spot.
Metro Nashville Police confirmed the crash followed a series of incidents earlier in the day, beginning with the theft of a Ford F-250 truck from a car lot in North Nashville. Investigators said the suspect rammed the vehicle owner’s car while fleeing the scene before later crashing into an unmarked police SUV, triggering a pursuit that lasted about five minutes and reached speeds of approximately 80 miles per hour.
“At about 2:30 p.m., the suspect drove into oncoming traffic and struck the victim’s vehicle,” police authorities were quoted as saying.
The impact reportedly forced Fadero’s car about 100 yards into a ditch, with emergency responders confirming her dead at the scene. Authorities described her as an uninvolved motorist who had no connection to the chase.
Padgett, 52, was later arrested and taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries before being taken into custody.
Police said he is facing multiple felony charges, including criminally negligent homicide, vehicular homicide by recklessness, attempted criminal homicide, and reckless endangerment. Authorities also disclosed that the suspect was on parole at the time of the incident and had at least 20 prior convictions across five counties in Tennessee.
Fadero was said to have recently completed her degree and was pursuing an accelerated nursing programme at another institution before her death.
“She was one of the most compassionate and kindest of people that you would’ve ever met,” her former professor, Janet Walsh, said.
Another alumna, Jessica Williams, described her death as “heartbreaking,” noting that she was killed close to her residence.
A makeshift memorial has since been created at the crash site, while counselling support has been made available to students and members of the university community.
Meanwhile, a fundraiser organised by supporters has raised over $13,000 to assist with funeral expenses, as family and friends continue to mourn her sudden death.
Police said investigations into the crash and the events leading up to it are ongoing.
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