International

2 Nigerians in US face heavy jail term over fraud

Published

3 days ago

March 24, 2025

2 Nigerians in US face heavy jail term over fraud

Two Nigerian nationals based in the United States, Solomon Aluko and Nosakhare Nobore, alongside four others, are facing a possible 62-year prison sentence each after being arraigned before a New York court for allegedly defrauding the U.S. government of $50 million.

It was gathered from a court document obtained on the US Department of Justice website on Sunday that the suspects were arraigned on four counts bordering on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, conspiracy to defraud the government, and aggravated identity theft.

The court document indicated that the suspects committed the offences between March 2020 and March 2025, in the Southern District of New York and across other places in the US.

The charge sheet noted that “the defendants, and others, worked together to steal money that did not belong to them by passing counterfeit, stolen, and fraudulently obtained cheques. They submitted the cheques to banks and then withdrew or transferred funds before the banks could determine that the cheques were counterfeit, stolen, or fraudulent.”

According to the document, the defendants allegedly stole information and identities of different individuals and businesses and used the information and identities to open bank accounts through one of their members, who was a bank teller at the time.

The bank accounts were allegedly used to deposit fraudulently obtained cheques from different US agencies.

It continued, “Once the cheques were deposited, the defendants withdrew the fraudulently obtained funds in cash or transferred them to other bank accounts under their control.

“Throughout their scheme, the defendants attempted to obtain approximately $80 million in total. They succeeded in depositing approximately $50 million.”

In a statement accompanying the document on the DoJ website, it was revealed that the suspects created a ‘fraud bible’, which contained specific instructions on how each member of the syndicate would operate.

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It further noted that the syndicate also openly communicated its operations via a Telegram group where discussions on their operations were held.

Commenting on the activities of the syndicate, the statement quoted the US FBI Acting Assistant Director, Leslie R. Backschies, as saying, “These six defendants allegedly used sham businesses, stolen, and fake identities to operate a multi-year cheque fraud scheme, resulting in $50 million in illicit funds being deposited into their accounts.

“The defendants brazenly attempted to exploit multiple United States government programmes in their attempts to illegally enrich themselves. The FBI will continue to ensure fraudsters attempting to lie, cheat, and steal from the government answer for their crimes in the criminal justice system.”

Similarly, the US IRS Special Agent in Charge of the case, Harry Chavis, said, “This group of suspects openly communicated about their fraud, taking pride in the multiple schemes that stole nearly $50 million from the American public.

“They lied and cheated a benefits system meant to help struggling businesses that need it, all while stealing cheques from agencies that assist the elderly and veterans. This gang of ‘bag hunters’ will now face justice for multiple charges.”

Following their indictment, the statement noted that the suspects could be sentenced to 62 years imprisonment each for the four counts.

It acknowledged that the defendants were presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court.

“Anand, 34, of Queens, New York; Nobore, 29, of Edgewater, New Jersey; Pappas, 28, of Miami, Florida; Ujkic, 44, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Aluko, 29, of Hackensack, New Jersey; and Gonzalez, 28, of North Bergen, New Jersey, are each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; conspiracy to commit money laundering and engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specific unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy to defraud the government, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison.

“The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

“The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty,” the statement concluded.

2 Nigerians in US face heavy jail term over fraud

(Punch)

International

AI will replace doctors, teachers, others in 10 years – Bill Gates

Published

7 hours ago

March 27, 2025

Trends Admin

Bill Gates

AI will replace doctors, teachers, others in 10 years – Bill Gates

Bill Gates, a co-founder of Microsoft, has claimed that improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) over the next decade may render humans superfluous for the majority of work.

In a recent interview with comedian Jimmy Fallon on NBC’s The Tonight Show in February, the billionaire philanthropist discussed how AI may take over many facets of life and business.

Gates remarked that expertise is currently “rare”, emphasising the continuous reliance on human specialists in industries such as medicine and education.

For example, we continue to rely on highly trained individuals, such as “a great doctor” or “a great teacher”, whose knowledge cannot be simply replaced by AI.

However, “with AI, over the next decade, that will become free, commonplace — great medical advice, great tutoring,” Gates said.

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In other words, Gates believes that the world is entering a new era of “free intelligence”, as he described in a recent interview with Harvard University professor and happiness specialist Arthur Brooks.

According to Gates, this transition will result in rapid breakthroughs in AI-powered technology, making them more accessible and affecting almost every part of our lives.

These breakthroughs will vary from more effective treatments and diagnoses to widely available AI instructors and virtual assistants.

“It’s very profound and even a little bit scary — because it’s happening very quickly, and there is no upper bound,” Gates told Brooks.

The discussion of how humans will fit into an AI-powered future continues.

Some analysts suggest that artificial intelligence will improve human productivity rather than completely replacing labour, hence driving economic growth and creating new jobs.

However, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman cautions that technological improvements in the coming years will disrupt the nature of most occupations across nearly all industries, potentially exerting a “hugely destabilising” influence on the workforce.

AI will replace doctors, teachers, others in 10 years – Bill Gates

International

Poland suspends migrants’ right to apply for asylum

Published

10 hours ago

March 27, 2025

Trends Admin

Poland suspends migrants’ right to apply for asylum

Poland has temporarily suspended the right of migrants arriving in Poland via its border with Belarus to apply for asylum.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced it would be happening after the controversial bill, which will allow Polish authorities to suspend this right for up to 60 days at a time, was signed into law by President Andrzej Duda.

Tusk had said it would be adopted “without a moment’s delay” while Duda said the changes were needed to strengthen security on the country’s borders.

But the law has been criticized by rights groups including Human Rights Watch, which said the EU should take legal action against Poland if it was implemented.

The group urged the country’s parliament last month to reject the bill, saying it “flies in the face of Poland’s international and EU obligations” and could “effectively completely seal off the Poland-Belarus border, where Polish authorities already engage in unlawful and abusive pushbacks”.

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The government said previously the suspension would only be applied temporarily to people who pose a threat to state security, for example large groups of aggressive migrants trying to storm the border.

Exemptions will be made for unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, the elderly or unwell, anyone exposed to “real risk of serious harm” by being returned and citizens of countries accused of conducting the instrumentalization of migration – like Belarus

Tusk has dismissed criticism from human rights groups.

“Nobody is talking about violating human rights, the right to asylum, we are talking about not granting applications to people who illegally cross the border in groups organised by Lukashenko,” he said in October.

Since 2021, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland have seen a huge increase in the number of people crossing into their countries illegally from Belarus and Russia.

Polish authorities have sent thousands of troops and border guards to police its border with Belarus and built a 5.5-metre-high steel fence along 186 km of the frontier where at times several thousand migrants have been left stranded.

Rights groups estimate more than one hundred people have died on the borders between Belarus and Poland, Lithuania and Latvia since 2021.

EU eastern flank countries and the European Commission have accused the Belarusian and Russian authorities of weaponising migration to create a new route into the EU to destabilize the bloc.

Poland suspends migrants’ right to apply for asylum

BBC

International

Trump slaps 25% tariffs on car imports to US

Published

10 hours ago

March 27, 2025

Trends Admin

US President Donald Trump

Trump slaps 25% tariffs on car imports to US

US President Donald Trump has slapped new 25% import duties on autos and car parts entering the US, threatening to escalate the global trade war.

Trump said the additional duties would go into effect on April 2, with levies on businesses importing autos beginning the next day. Charges for parts are scheduled to begin in May or later.

The president stated that the proposal would result in “tremendous growth” for the auto industry, saying that it would boost jobs and investment in the United States.

However, analysts believe the measure will result in a temporary stoppage of significant US vehicle production, higher costs, and strained relations with allies.

Last year, the US imported approximately eight million cars, accounting for approximately $240 billion (£186 billion) in trade and roughly half of total sales.

Mexico is the top foreign supplier of cars to the US, followed by South Korea, Japan, Canada, and Germany.

Trump’s latest move could disrupt global car trade and supply chains. Many US car companies have operations in Mexico and Canada under the terms of the long-standing free trade agreement.

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However, the new taxes on parts from Canada and Mexico are exempt until US Customs and Border Patrol establish a method to assess the duties, according to the White House. Every day, billions of dollars in goods cross borders between neighbouring countries.

On Wednesday, General Motors’ stock fell almost 3%. The sell-off spread to other firms, including Ford, following the president’s speech that reaffirmed the tariffs.

When asked during a news conference if there was any chance he would change his mind, Trump responded no, later adding, “This is permanent.”

“If you build your car in the United States there is no tariff,” he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that his government would consider all measures in reaction to the taxes.

Japan, home to several major automakers, is the world’s second-largest vehicle exporter.

Japanese automakers’ shares, including Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, sank in early trading in Tokyo.

A tariff is a levy on imports levied by the government and paid by the company importing the goods.

Trump has welcomed the instrument, intending to use it to target a wide range of imported goods as part of a larger effort to defend American industries and increase production.

However, while the rules can protect domestic industries, they also increase costs for businesses that rely on imported parts, such as carmakers.

According to the Anderson Economic Group, 25% tariffs on parts from Mexico and Canada alone could increase the cost of a car by $4,000 to $10,000, depending on the type.