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Are your semantics on steroids?

By Chinua Asuzu

Many users of the language indulge in what I call steroidal semantics: the hypercorrection of idioms, phrases, and forms long blessed by usage. Instead of trusting established English usages, they rebuild them from turgid logic, and end up contorting or distorting them.

Take this example. A romantic partner is a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend,” not “man friend” or “woman friend.” The logic that an adult isn’t a boy or girl misses the point. “Boyfriend” and “girlfriend” are the standard terms, regardless of age. And each is one word. Both are closed compounds.

Another symptom of steroidal semantics is the unnecessary and undesirable apostrophe before shortened names. Don’t write ’Emeka or ’Laolu. These are not contractions, and they don’t need apostrophes. If your full name is Olaolu, you’re Laolu. If your full name is Chukwuemeka or Nnaemeka, you’re Emeka. Leave the apostrophe out unless you’re making a stylistic statement, like the poet e.e. cummings.

The condition shows up too in hyphenated-name capitalization. It’s incorrect to lowercase the second element of a hyphenated name. Write Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, not Okikiolu-ighile. Both halves of the name take capitals.

Grammatical errors also reveal this overcorrection. Say “two plus two equals four,” not “two plus two equal four.” The subject of the sentence is not “two and two,” but the math formula “2+2.” The formula is singular, so the verb should be too. Plus signals a mathematical operation, and the operation—not the individual numbers—is the subject.

Writers and lawyers caught in steroidal semantics forget that usage sometimes outweighs or overwhelms logic. “Birth anniversary” and “birthday anniversary” are unnecessary, clunky alternatives to the simple and correct “birthday.” They’re semantics on steroids. Consult any good dictionary. “Birthday” means both the day of one’s birth and the anniversary of one’s birth.

Finally, beware of phrases like “typo error” or “typo-error.” “Typo” already means “typographical error.” So just say “typo”.

If in doubt, check the dictionary. Trust me: it won’t bite. It might even cure your steroidal semantics.

Reports +Audio: How Auchi Poly lecturer was caught pants down in nursing mother’s bedroom

Three angles have emerged over the story and the video of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, lecturer, stripped naked and filmed in the bedroom of a nursing mother, that is making the rounds on social media.

More angles could still crystallise.

Two angles have been extensively published. One is that the alleged sex-for-mark scandal was intertwined with adultery. Then there was the cultism angle. These two angles have circulated widely.

The third angle is the post-event narrative of the woman allegedly at the centre of the saga: Her story, in a voice-recorded clip sent to THE CONCLAVE via WhatsApp, centred on a deliberate plot orchestrated by her and her husband to set the lecturer up for constantly harassing her sexually.

The angle that first trended on social media was that the lecturer’s sexcapade burst open while he was having her way with the woman, who was initially reported to be a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi.

Click here to continue reading.

Elon Musk forms political party to bring down Trump — and gives it a MAGA-friendly name

Elon Musk is starting his own political party.

On Saturday, July 5, the Tesla founder and former adviser to President Donald Trump announced on X that he has formed the America Party. The announcement came one day after Musk, 54, posted a poll on the platform with the message, “Independence Day is the perfect time to ask if you want independence from the two-party (some would say uniparty) system! Should we create the America Party?”

The poll — which garnered more than 1.2 million votes — resulted in 65.4% of respondents voting “yes.”

He followed up with another X post on Saturday announcing the launch of the America Party.

“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” he wrote. “When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”

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For Once Wike is Correct: The Skeletons in Malami’s Closet are Enough to Fill Two Cemeteries-Time for EFCC to prosecute the NDDC forensic audit that Malami swept under the carpet

By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

In the year 2021, I was nominated and awarded the Gani Fawehinmi Award of Person of Integrity.

The award is funded by the McArthur Foundation but administered by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA).

The award was in recognition of my efforts to expose and cleanse the corruption and embezzlement of public funds by a top official of a certain federal government agency wherein I was the Chairman of the Governing Board.

It was during this period that I worked under the Abubakar Malami, SAN as he was the supervising Minister of the said federal government agency.

Based on one-on-one interactions with him, what His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (NEW) has just said about Malami is 100% correct!!!

Throughout his period of eight years as Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Malami would be best remembered for the large number of reports of embezzlements that he covered up, swept under the carpet!!! It became his trademark, he was the go-to-public official whenever anyone wanted the skeleton in their cupboard to be hidden!!!

The number of Skeletons in MALAMI’s Closet Are Enough to Fill Two large-sized cemeteries!!!

I challenge the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence prosecution of the said Malami and see whether Nigerians would not come forward with a plethora of documentary evidence against the said Malami!!

During his interview on Channels TV dated 4th July 2025, Wike pointedly stated as follows:

“According to Wike, the forensic audit report, commissioned under the previous administration to probe massive financial mismanagement within the NDDC, has been suppressed to shield powerful individuals.

He pointed fingers at former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, alleging that Malami buried the report to protect those implicated.

“Who killed the audit report? It was Malami, the Attorney General then,” Wike said. “If President Tinubu really wants to help Nigerians, let him release the forensic audit of the NDDC. If what I am saying is not in that document, I will resign as Minister of FCT. I don’t worship office.” This is reported online at:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/pmnewsnigeria.com/2025/07/04/wike-accuses-amaechis-wife-of-n48bn-nddc-fraud-in-explosive-interview/%3famp=1

To conclude, the Chairman of HEDA, who served as the WHISTLE-BLOWER that uncovered the fraud surrounding the Malabu Oil Well scandal revealed to me that one of the most credible sources of Intel or information about corruption and embezzlement of public funds is to listen to when two former or current top government officials begin to fight against each other!!!

It is happening right now, the fight between Wike and Amaechi has exposed details about the forensic audit report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). A report that would have otherwise been swept under the carpet and neatly buried as one of the many skeletons in MALAMI’s Closet!!!

Grab your popcorn, this particular unfolding drama promises to be swell, if the EFCC would allow us watch!!!

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

MultiChoice fined ₦766m for data privacy violations by NDPC

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act.

NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s data protection authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.

The commission’s Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Bamigboye, the fine followed an investigation launched in the second quarter of 2024 into suspected violations of subscribers’ privacy rights and the unlawful cross-border transfer of Nigerians’ data.

“NDPC found, among other things, that MultiChoice violated the data privacy rights of its subscribers and individuals associated with them who are not necessarily subscribers.

“The commission also discovered that MultiChoice engaged in the illegal cross-border transfer of personal data belonging to Nigerian data subjects.

“The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate.

“This is a grave affront to the fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Bamigboye said.

According to him, Nigeria is entitled to protect its citizens and data sovereignty under both international and extant municipal laws, as these have far-reaching implications for the rule of law, national security, and economic growth.

Bamigboye added that in the process of the investigation, in line with the NDPA standard remediation procedure, the commission directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures.

“However, the commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.

“For want of cooperation, the commission has directed Multichoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act,” he added.

The NDPC’s National Commissioner, Vincent Olatunji, was also quoted as directing that all channels through which Multichoice collects the personal data of Nigerian citizens be investigated for non-compliance.

According to him, any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDPA is liable to a penalty under the Act.

NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s Data Protection Authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.

Natasha set to resume in Senate Tuesday

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, has stated that she will resume legislative duties in the Senate on Tuesday following a court order directing her recall to the Red Chamber.

The lawmaker disclosed this in a video shared on social media, which started trending on Sunday. She thanked her supporters for standing with her.

“I thank you for your support. I am glad we are victorious today.

“We shall resume in the Senate on Tuesday by the grace of God,” she said.

Her comment followed Friday’s judgment by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, which declared her six-month suspension from the Senate as unconstitutional, excessive, and a violation of her constituents’ rights to representation.

Justice Binta Nyako, who presided over the matter, ruled that the suspension lacked constitutional backing and ordered the immediate reinstatement of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The court, however, also found the senator guilty of contempt for a Facebook post described as a satirical apology addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The court held that the post violated an interim injunction issued on March 4, 2025, which barred parties from making public or social media comments on the ongoing suit challenging her suspension.

Justice Nyako imposed a ₦5 million fine on the senator for the post, which was deemed to have breached the court’s order.

Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Senate in March after a controversial plenary session that turned rowdy over disagreements about seating arrangements in the chamber.

Days later, the controversy deepened when she accused Senate President Akpabio of sexual harassment during a live television interview

In her ruling, Justice Nyako emphasised that the extended suspension of the senator was not only procedurally flawed but also deprived the people of Kogi Central of their constitutional right to representation.

She stated that lawmakers are required by the constitution to attend at least 181 sitting days in a legislative year and warned that long suspensions without due process undermine democratic governance.

The court also criticised the Senate’s disciplinary processes, urging the National Assembly to review its internal rules to conform with constitutional principles and ensure a fair hearing.

The age of the judicial impostor in Nigeria must end

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

“The mind grows old, no less than the body.” Aristotle, The Politics, Book II, Ch. 9, 146 (Penguin Classics, 1981)

A little over two decades ago, away from its perception as a shrine for the resolution of the most rarefied disputes in the country, the Supreme Court of Nigeria played host to a Nigerian drama. With less than two years to go before retirement, a senior justice of that court approached then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mohammed Lawal Uwais, with a discovery. A wise, old uncle of his from the village in one of the states of southern Nigeria had just informed him, the Justice disclosed, that there had been an error in the computation of his age as he had, indeed, been born two years later than the age disclosed in his documentation. He sought the consent of CJN Uwais for the rectification of that little error.

The CJN doubted that it was within his power to consent to the rectification sought. But before making up his mind, he had two requests to make of the Justice who approached him. First, he asked that the request be reduced formally into writing and that thereafter it should be circulated to all the other Justices of the court for their comments. This process effectively killed the request. By the time the written application arrived at the desk of the Chief Justice with the comments of his peers, it was clear that his application for age rectification was dead on arrival.

England, from where Nigeria inherited much of the traditions of its judiciary did not always have a compulsory retirement age for judges. The consequences were sometimes grim. Edward Foss tells the story in his Biographia Juridica of Salathiel Lovell, appointed a Baron of the Court of Exchequer “on the verge of ninety years of age” in 1708; whose judicial tenure (which lasted for the next five years) “was distinguished by his want of memory.”

England only introduced the compulsory age of retirement for judges in 1959. Judges appointed before then could serve for life. The last judge in that category was the famous Alfred Thompson Denning. Lord Denning, who had jocularly claimed to have “every Christian virtue, except resignation” was forced to do just that at the age of 83 in 1982 because of “illiberal comments in his declining years.”

By contrast, independent Nigeria always had a retirement age for judges. In a country with notoriously perfunctory attitude to documentation and evidence, however, attitudes to proof of date of birth and age in Nigeria have always been shifty and judges have proved to be avid practitioners in the game of genealogical chicanery. The result sometimes can be both chastening and dramatic.

In a State in southern Nigeria not too long ago, the local youths had to be mobilised on night before a high society funeral to mop up all the posters of the deceased on the road to and around his village, so they could be promptly pulped. The elder brother of the dead man, a serving judge of a state high court, had arrived home for the funeral to the sight of posters announcing the age of his late younger brother as 71 at a time when the judicial retirement age was 65. He was nothing if not genuine in his desire to spare his invited judicial peers due to arrive for the funeral the following morning the agony of the implausibility as to how he could still be a serving judge when his deceased younger brother was already over six years above the judicial age of retirement.

Imo and Yobe States have had a particularly hard time of judges messing about with their age. In Yobe State, two Grand Khadis in succession have suffered the indignity of being caught age racketeering. In 2020, the National Judicial Council, (NJC), found that over two instalments of falsification, Grand Khadi Shu’aibu Talba reduced his age by four years from 1955 to 1959.

Last November, the same NJC found that the man who succeeded Talba as Grand Khadi of Yobe State, Babagana Mahdi, was at least eight years over the eligible age at the time of his appointment into the position, having falsified his own age by at least 12 years. In effect, the NJC’s decision to approve his appointment into the office was unlawful.

On 26 June 2025, the NJC recommended the compulsory retirement of five judges of the High Court of Imo State and four judges of the Customary Court of Appeal of the same state whom it “found to have altered their dates of birth in their official records in order to confer on themselves the undue advantage of staying longer in service.”

This was the latest instalment in a growing scandal of judicial-age racketeering in the state. Last November, the NJC similarly required the compulsory retirement of the State Chief Judge, Theresa Chikeka, whom it found to have falsified her age by two years. In her case as with the Grand Khadis of Yobe State, the Council also ordered the refund to the public purse of the excess of emoluments paid to them for the years during which they should not have continued to serve as judges.

The judicial body count suggests that this practice of age falsification among judges could be rather more widespread. In July 2013, the NJC ordered the compulsory retirement of Shadrack Nwanosike, then acting Chief Judge of Abia State, for age falsification.

Three years later, in 2016, it was the turn of Idris Evuti and Tanko Yusuf Usman, both judges of the High Court of Niger State, whom it found to have changed their ages by two and a half years and one year respectively.

In 2018, the NJC retired Joshua Ikede, a judge of the High Court of Delta State, whom it similarly found guilty of age falsification.

In 2020, it was the turn of  Francis Abosi, Acting President of the Customary Court of Appeal of Imo State who altered his age by eight years; and Abdulkareem Babatunde Abdulrasaq, judge of the High Court of Ogun State who falsified his age by two.

Tanko Muhammad, the CJN who presided over the November 2020 decision to sack Abdulrasaq, Abosi, and Talba from the bench, was himself the focus of serious but unresolved allegations of age falsification. In May 2019, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory dismissed a case by Tochi Michael whose claim was that CJN Muhammad had falsely altered his date of birth from 31 December 1950 to 31 December 1953.

The court held that Tochi lacked the standing to bring the case having failed to show how he “has been injured by the defendant.” In other words, the court decided that it did not have jurisdiction over the case. As such, it disavowed the power to delve into Tochi’s claims and, therefore, lacked the power to dismiss it. Yet, Danlami Senchi, the judge who sat over the matter, didn’t just dismiss the case, he imposed punitive costs Tochi and referred his lawyer for disciplinary investigation ultimately by the same CJN whose age was said to have been falsified.

In June 2022, Tanko Muhammad was forced by “deteriorating health condition” to resign as CJN. He has hardly been seen in public since then.

A judge who sits beyond the lawful judicial age is a judicial impostor. The costs on society and litigants could be colossal. It is a crime of fraud and a theft of judicial salary. Even worse, the person afflicts the judicial process with corrosive reputational hazards.

The High Court judgment in the case of CJN Muhammad felt like a cover-up. It turns out that Tochi’s claim was, in fact, very well founded. Tonnie Iredia points out that “before Tanko Muhammad became a judicial officer, all his records including WAEC showed that he was born in 1950 and not 1953.” The NJC can no longer afford to be half-hearted on the issue of judicial age racketeering. It needs a more systematic response.

A lawyer and a teacher, Odinkalu can be reached at [email protected]

The views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of Law & Society Magazine.

Angelique Kidjo set to make history as first African on Hollywood walk of fame

Grammy-winning Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo is about to make history as the first African artist to be honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Kidjo was recently named among the 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame honorees announced by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Other notable recipients include American pop star Miley Cyrus, French actor Timothée Chalamet, and former basketball player turned sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal.

Also honoured are Filipino singer Lea Salonga, French actress Marion Cotillard, Indian actress Deepika Padukone, British actress Emily Blunt, and Canadian actress Rachel McAdams, among others.

Official dates for the star ceremonies are yet to be announced, but honorees have two years to schedule their inductions.

Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo is a Beninese-French singer-songwriter, actress, and activist. Kidjo has won five Grammy Awards and is a 2023 Polar Music Prize laureate. She has released many albums, performed around the world, and frequently collaborated with other artists.

She performed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on July 23, 2021.[4] On September 15, 2021, Time included her in their list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Kidjo is fluent in five languages: Fon, French, Yorùbá, Gen (Mina) and English. She sings in all of them, and she also has her own personal language, which includes words that serve as song titles such as “Batonga”. Kidjo often uses Benin’s traditional Zilin vocal technique and vocalese.

Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo was born in Ouidah, French Dahomey, in what is now Benin.[9] Her father is from the Fon people of Ouidah and her mother from the Yoruba people. Her father was a musician, and her mother worked as a choreographer and theatre director.[10] She grew up listening to Yoruba and Beninese traditional music, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, James Brown, Manu Dibango, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Fela Kuti, Stevie Wonder, Osibisa and Santana. By the time she was six, Kidjo was performing with her mother’s theatre troupe giving her an early appreciation for traditional music and dance.

Natasha’s Reinstatement: Senate says court judgment did not override its constitutional powers to discipline members

The Senate has given conditions for the reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the six-month suspension handed down on her by the Senate.

Justice Binta Nyako, in her judgment on Friday, ordered the Senate to reinstate the Kogi Central senator, describing her suspension as excessive.

In March, Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended by the Red Chamber for six months for alleged gross misconduct, following her face-off with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over the sitting arrangement.

Tensions intensified when Akpoti-Uduaghan, on national television, accused Akpabio of punishing her for rejecting his alleged sexual advances.

The Peoples Democratic Party senator submitted a petition to the Senate, alleging that she was sexually harassed by Akpabio, an allegation the Senate President had since denied.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025, challenged her suspension in court.

Delivering her judgment on the matter, Justice Nyako faulted the provision of Chapter Eight of the Senate Standing Rules as well as Section 14 of the Legislative Houses, Powers & Privileges Act, declaring both as overreaching.

The court stressed that the two legislations failed to specify the maximum period that a serving lawmaker could be suspended from office.

Justice Nyako stated that while the Senate had the authority to discipline its members, such disciplinary actions must not strip citizens of representation in the National Assembly.

She noted that since the Senate was constitutionally required to sit for only 181 days in a legislative year, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s 180-day suspension amounted to denying the people of Kogi Central effective participation in national governance.

“The court is not saying that the Senate lacks the power to sanction a member. However, such sanctions must not negate the constitutional right of constituents to be represented in parliament,” Justice Nyako ruled.

The court, however, found Akpoti-Uduaghan guilty of contempt over a satirical apology she posted on her Facebook page on April 27.

Justice Nyako held that after reviewing the post and the application before her instituted by the third respondent, she was satisfied that it was linked to the suspension matter before the court and therefore found the plaintiff guilty of contempt.

The judge ordered Akpoti-Uduaghan to publish an apology in two national dailies and on her Facebook page within seven days. She also imposed a fine of N5m.

Reacting to the judgment, the Senate Spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, said the Red Chamber would not immediately reinstate the embattled senator.

Adaramodu stated that the court judgment did not override the Senate’s constitutional powers to discipline its members.

“Which judgment are we appealing when they (the court) said the Senate has the right to discipline its erring members? The court has not ousted the Senate’s statutory right to punish any erring senator.

“It was established that the senator in question erred. The court has already told her to go and do some things, like restitution, so after the restitution, the Senate will now sit again and consider the content of that restitution, and that will inform our next line of action,” Adaramodu said.

The Senate, he explained, would only reconvene to deliberate on the matter after Akpoti-Uduaghan had complied with the court’s directives.

“The onus is no more on us now; it is already on her doorstep to go and apologise. Once she does that, then the Senate will sit and determine how to deal with her matter.

“The first reaction now will not be from us, the court has ruled, so once she takes the step to redress and does what the court has directed her to do, then the Senate will sit and look at the content of her reaction as prescribed by the court,” Adaramodu added.

Addressing journalists after the judgment, the Senate counsel, Paul Dauda, SAN, described the ruling as a partial victory for the Senate, particularly on the issue of civil contempt arising from social media posts made during the case.

Dauda said, “The first application filed by the Senate, that no social media posts should have been made, was decided in our favour. The court directed that the satirical apology be taken down and that a proper apology be published in two national dailies. Additionally, damages of five million naira were awarded to be paid to the court.”

On the substantive ruling regarding the suspension, Dauda noted that the Senate’s authority to discipline its members was not in dispute.

“It appears the court affirmed that the Senate, as an institution, has the right to discipline its members. While members are elected to represent constituencies, they are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Senate’s standing rules,” he said.

He explained that the court did not order Akpoti-Uduaghan’s reinstatement but merely suggested that the Senate could consider recalling her.

“There was no relief asking for the suspension to be lifted. The judge only made what we call an obiter dictum, a non-binding remark, that the suspension may have been excessive. We will consult with our colleagues, read the full judgment, and respond accordingly,” he added.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has commended Justice Nyako for lifting the suspension of Akpoti-Uduaghan.

In a post shared on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, Atiku also praised Akpoti-Uduaghan for seeking redress in court.

“I commend Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, for the courage in lifting the obnoxious suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central),” he wrote.

“I also hail Sen. Akpoti-Uduaghan for challenging the illegality of her suspension by not sleeping on her rights in a chamber where women are already vulnerable.”

He added that no price should be too high to pay in the pursuit of justice and the assertion of one’s rights.

Nigerian pastor jailed in the US over $4.2m COVID-19 fraud, as Osun monarch forfeits property

A United States District Court has sentenced Edward Oluwasanmi, a Nigerian pastor, to 27 months in prison for his role in a $4.2 million COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. His co-defendant, Joseph Oloyede, a traditional ruler in Osun State, has also forfeited property linked to the crime.

Oluwasanmi was convicted on Counts 1, 11, and 12 of a 13-count indictment and sentenced by Judge Christopher Boyko of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on July 2, 2025. The court also ordered him to forfeit $1.3 million to the U.S. government. His sentences will run concurrently.

The pastor and Oloyede, who holds the title of Apetu of Ipetumodu, were arrested in April 2024 and later charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.

According to court records obtained by our correspondent, between April 2020 and February 2022, the duo submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications using falsified tax and wage documents for businesses under their control.

Oluwasanmi reportedly used companies such as Dayspring Transportation Limited, Dayspring Holding Incorporated, and Dayspring Property Incorporated to obtain and misappropriate millions of dollars for personal use.

In February 2025, both defendants entered guilty pleas and submitted plea bargain agreements. While Oluwasanmi has now been sentenced, judgment in Oloyede’s case is still pending, though sources say properties linked to him in the U.S. have already been seized as part of asset forfeiture proceedings.

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