Foreign
Nigerian Arrested for defrauding 91 US Citizens of disability benefits
In September, U.S. authorities arrested 43-year-old Femi Quadri, a Nigerian socialite, for allegedly stealing the identities of approximately 91 American citizens to defraud them of their COVID-19 and disability benefits.
He was apprehended at around 9:30 a.m. on September 20, just hours before he was set to depart on a one-way ticket to Dubai. U.S. security agents believed he intended to evade capture by relocating to a destination beyond America’s crime radar.
A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on September 19 outlined Mr. Quadri’s alleged fraudulent scheme. It detailed how he appropriated the personal identifying information (PII), including Social Security Numbers (SSNs), of around 91 Americans to collect their disability, unemployment, and COVID-19 benefits between 2020 and 2024.
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) issued debit cards to eligible unemployed and disabled citizens. Mr. Quadri submitted benefit applications using their names and forged certifications from real doctors, whose information he had also stolen.
The EDD sent loaded debit cards, allowing unlimited withdrawals, to claimants. Each card featured a sticker with activation instructions, requiring recipients to call a number and provide their SSN for activation.
The cards, valid for three years, were linked to Bank of America and funded by the EDD for beneficiaries, allowing for unlimited daily purchases and withdrawals.
An EDD investigator discovered that Mr. Quadri had defrauded 19 disabled Americans, embezzling over $200,000 using their stolen identities.
“EDD Investigator Ivant Romo reviewed approximately 19 Disability Insurance (DI) claims filed online under different identities, totaling an actual loss of around $210,156 and a potential loss of approximately $436,488,” stated the criminal complaint.
Mr. Romo noted similarities among the claimants’ reported occupations, raising suspicions.
Having examined 72 Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims, the investigator determined that Mr. Quadri had scammed the U.S. government of $881,192 using the stolen identities of 72 unemployed Americans.
Surveillance footage confirmed Mr. Quadri was the individual withdrawing cash using the debit cards linked to different EDD beneficiaries.
Bank of America provided evidence showing Mr. Quadri withdrew funds “under different accounts for various individuals.”
Investigators noted discrepancies between the images of the debit card recipients and the person withdrawing the funds.
Mr. Romo identified Mr. Quadri as the individual extracting EDD funds from at least 38 accounts, including those of Michelle Davey, Ronald Tung, and Douglas Cost.
Pictures from Mr. Quadri’s social media accounts revealed him wearing the same clothing he used during the fraudulent withdrawals.
Mr. Romo observed Mr. Quadri on the streets, recognizing him as the person “conducting numerous fraudulent withdrawals.”
Doctor Lai, a medical practitioner who allegedly certified some of Mr. Quadri’s fraudulent documents, informed investigators that he had never authorized any claims bearing his signature.
Mr. Romo spoke with Ms. Davey, one of the scam’s victims, who claimed she had never applied for disability benefits, despite Mr. Quadri having collected $7,366 in her name. She noted that he correctly obtained her date of birth and SSN.
Mr. Quadri withdrew $19,500 under Mr. Cost’s name. The victim reported that he had never filed for unemployment insurance and hadn’t authorized anyone to do so on his behalf.
The U.S. government identified Roland Iwhiwhu Otega as Mr. Quadri’s accomplice. However, after investigators searched Otega’s apartment in August 2023, he fled the U.S. on a flight to Lagos, Nigeria.
Incriminating evidence related to identity theft was discovered in his apartment, and investigators established a connection between him and Mr. Quadri through at least one shared victim, Rosaly Ferrer.
Mr. Quadri’s bank records with JP Morgan revealed he wired over $500,000 to four Chinese companies: Prinx Chengshan Shandong Tire Co Ltd (Agricultural Bank of China), Eping City Hengxin Trading Co Ltd (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China), Prachi Exports (Yes Bank Ltd), and Shouguang Firemax Tyre Co Ltd (Jinan Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd).
As a permanent resident and not a U.S. citizen, Mr. Quadri will be deported once convicted.
Since he had no family in the United States and had purchased property in Nigeria, authorities worried that his chances of fleeing were extremely high, especially since his co-conspirator had already absconded.
That the scam exceeded $10,000 will cause his offence to be considered an aggravated felony, which attracts stiff penalties that include the loss of his immigration status.
He was currently being remanded by the U.S. Marshal Service and would remain there until October 29, when he was scheduled to be arraigned before Judge Jean P. Rosenbluth on October 29.
Mr Quadri’s charges bordered on aggravated identity theft and bank and wire fraud.
South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, as it staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Durban on Monday.
The group marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.
March and March had earlier led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented immigration and warning that its campaign would continue until its demands were addressed.
Announcing its latest action, the group said the September 30 deadline would mark the beginning of what it described as the “mother of all protests”, while urging South Africans to assist the police in identifying undocumented foreigners.
The protest took place as the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government got underway in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The demonstration has renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly citizens of other African countries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against foreigners, saying South Africa could not advocate regional integration at the SADC summit while practising exclusion within the country.
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.
March and March has continued to demand tougher action against undocumented immigration, while tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals have prompted some African countries to evacuate their citizens from South Africa.
The latest protest has brought the immigration dispute directly to the doorstep of the SADC summit, placing the issue before regional leaders whose citizens are among those affected.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, while calling on Tehran to surrender.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over future maritime navigation arrangements through the strategic waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said, referring to the discussions between Oman and Iran as Washington pursues its own negotiations.
Iranian and Omani officials have been holding talks for weeks, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration on the strait.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is under US control, despite Iran maintaining an effective blockade that has severely restricted maritime traffic.
On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, prompting Iran to insist that the strategic waterway “will remain Iranian.”
Trump also called on Iran to “put up the white flag of surrender,” according to Yingst.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, was previously regarded as an open international waterway and carries a significant share of global energy shipments.
AFP
There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.
Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.
“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.
The war between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 after the United States, joined by Israel, attacked Iran. It was followed by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, and a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
AFP
The family of Philip Ifeanyi Elobuike, an indigene of Eziama Village, Ebe, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, has appealed to the public for assistance in locating him after his photograph surfaced on social media following nearly two years without contact.
Elobuike first travelled to the United States around 2004 and initially settled in the Los Angeles area of California. He later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Dallas, Texas.
According to his family, Elobuike remained in contact with his relatives in Nigeria until around 2024, when communication with him suddenly stopped. Before losing contact, he was active on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
His family had continued searching for him, and on August 11, 2026, they were relieved when his photograph surfaced on social media. The picture provided them with at least some reassurance that he was alive.
Elobuike Philip
However, contrary to reports circulating in some media outlets and on social media, Elobuike has not been reunited with his family or located by his kinsmen in the United States.
His relatives and members of the Nigerian community reportedly spent the entire day on August 12 searching for him in different parts of Dallas but were unable to locate him.
The family is therefore appealing to members of the public, particularly Nigerians and other individuals in the Dallas area, to assist in locating Elobuike and ensuring that he is safely reunited with his family.
The family also urged people to disregard reports claiming that he has already been found and reunited with his relatives, describing such reports as inaccurate.
Anyone who has information about Elobuike’s whereabouts or comes across him is urged to contact any of the following:
Dr. Fred Ngwu: (214) 418-8145
Moses Onyejekwe: (213) 479-2340
Law Okolo: (646) 302-2597
The family expressed appreciation to everyone who has shared his photograph and appealed for continued circulation of the information until he is successfully located.
No fewer than 205 Nigerians were deported from Canada in June 2026 as Canadian authorities intensified enforcement of the country’s immigration laws, according to official figures released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Immigration removal statistics published by the CBSA showed that 10,607 individuals were removed from Canada during the month, with Nigerians ranking among the top 10 nationalities affected by the exercise.
The figures indicate that Nigerians accounted for nearly two per cent of all removals carried out in June.
India recorded the highest number of deportations, with 3,323 nationals removed, followed by Mexico with 1,573. The United States accounted for 372 deportees, while Colombia and Romania recorded 354 and 293 removals respectively.
Other countries with significant numbers of nationals deported included Bangladesh, with 227, and Pakistan, with 207.
Explaining the rationale behind the removals, the CBSA said enforcing immigration laws was critical to protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.
“Removing individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in Canada is essential to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who come to this country lawfully,” the agency stated.
The latest figures underscore Canada’s continued enforcement against individuals found to have no legal right to remain in the country, as authorities seek to ensure compliance with the nation’s immigration laws.
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