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R Kelly formally begs Trump to reduce 31-year prison sentence

R&B singer R. Kelly has formally asked President Donald Trump to lessen his 31-year federal prison term.

According to records from the White House pardon attorney’s office, the award-winning musician, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, recently requested a sentence commute.

Kelly’s appeal does not seek a full pardon, but rather a reduction in his sentence for federal racketeering, s*x trafficking, and child s*xual abuse offenses.

A White House official revealed that Kelly’s appeal is one of many clemency requests submitted by the administration and is not receiving special attention.

The official stated that all such petitions go through a routine review process before the president makes a final decision on whether to accept or deny them.

“This appears to be a random submission via the public portal, where anyone can submit an application,” the official told Rolling Stone.

“The submission of a pardon request should not be viewed as anything other than an individual’s decision to submit a request. The White House’s clemency review staff is not currently tracking this request. The White House has a detailed vetting procedure for all clemency requests, with the President making the final decision.”

Kelly’s attorney, Beau Brindley, filed a move for a new trial in June 2025, along with a request for Kelly’s immediate release on bond owing to health issues and a claimed conspiracy against his life.

According to the lawyer, Kelly was denied treatment for serious blood clots in his lungs, and “an avowed white supremacist” said prison officials recruited him to hurt Kelly while in captivity.

Last month, Brindley stated that he intended to directly appeal to Trump for assistance.

Kelly, best known for hits such as ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ and ‘Ignition (Remix)’, was convicted of federal racketeering and s*x trafficking in New York in 2021.

In February 2023, the R&B musician was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for child po*******hy and enticement offenses.

The three-time Grammy Award winner will serve the years concurrently with a previous 30-year prison term from a separate case in New York on July 29, 2022.

He is currently serving a combined 31-year term in a North Carolina federal prison and will not be eligible for parole until January 2046.

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Another Ponzi scheme: Will Nigerians ever learn?

Sir: This time, it is National Reading Culture (NRC), an online platform that convinced thousands of Nigerians to part with their money on the promise that they would earn extraordinary returns within a matter of weeks. Predictably, the website has gone dark, withdrawals have stopped, and the operators have disappeared, leaving billions of Naira in losses and countless investors wondering how they were deceived.

But perhaps the more important question is this: when will Nigerians learn?

The truth is uncomfortable but necessary. Every Ponzi scheme survives because people choose to believe that they have found a shortcut to wealth. The promise is always the same—invest a little today and receive much more tomorrow. Reason is suspended because greed takes over. The warning signs become irrelevant because everyone wants to believe they got in early enough to beat the system. Yet the outcome has remained remarkably consistent for decades.

National Reading Culture did not introduce anything new. It simply wrapped an old fraud in a different package. Participants were encouraged to complete simple tasks such as reading articles, clicking links and referring friends to earn daily rewards. Those who wanted even greater profits were persuaded to deposit their own money into higher investment tiers with assurances of larger daily earnings. The platform projected itself as an innovative online earning opportunity, but investigations later revealed that the website had previously operated as a Chinese job search platform before it was repurposed into an investment scheme. That alone should have raised serious questions.

As with every Ponzi operation, the illusion of profitability depended on fresh deposits from new participants. Early users received payments funded not by legitimate business activities but by money contributed by newer investors. Those initial payouts created excitement, attracted testimonials and convinced more people to join. The cycle continued until the inflow of new money slowed, at which point the inevitable collapse followed. It is the oldest trick in the financial fraud playbook.

This script has been performed repeatedly in Nigeria, yet each new production attracts a fresh audience. From MMM Nigeria, which collapsed after trapping millions of Nigerians with promises of 30 per cent returns in just 30 days, to MBA Forex, which lured investors with claims of lucrative foreign exchange investments before billions vanished, the story has remained unchanged.

One would imagine that after so many painful lessons, Nigerians would develop an instinct for spotting these schemes. Instead, every new platform is greeted with excitement, glowing testimonials and endless social media campaigns urging people not to “miss the opportunity.” Some investors even mock those who express caution, insisting that “this one is different.” It never is.

The uncomfortable reality is that many victims are not deceived because the fraudsters are exceptionally clever. They are deceived because they convince themselves to ignore obvious warning signs. They see unrealistic promises and choose optimism over reason. They hear unbelievable claims and silence their doubts with stories of people who supposedly got paid. They mistake early payouts—funded by newer victims—for proof of legitimacy. By the time reality catches up, the operators have disappeared.

This is not to excuse the criminals behind these schemes. They deserve to be investigated, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law. They deliberately prey on people’s desire for easy money, exploiting trust and manipulating emotions for personal gain. But while authorities pursue the fraudsters, individuals must also accept responsibility for exercising basic financial judgment. Personal responsibility remains the first line of defence against financial scams.

National Reading Culture has now joined the long and embarrassing list of failed Ponzi schemes that have drained billions of Naira from unsuspecting Nigerians. Sadly, it is unlikely to be the last. As long as people continue to believe that wealth can be created overnight without genuine economic activity, fraudsters will continue to flourish.

The tragedy is that Nigeria has had far too many lessons already. The real question is no longer why Ponzi schemes keep collapsing. We already know the answer to that. The question is why so many people continue to enrol in the same expensive class, expecting a different result every single time.

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Airport Controversy: Keyamo Accepts Offer To Pay Peter Obi's ₦25,000 Airport Fine

According to Daily Post reports, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has accepted an offer by a Nigerian, Nnaemeka Ikerionwu, to pay the ₦25,000 fine imposed on the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over an alleged violation of airport parking regulations.

The development follows Keyamo's earlier directive giving Obi seven days to publicly apologise to airport authorities and settle the fine after he was accused of breaching parking rules at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The controversy began after Peter Obi, during a podcast interview, alleged that he was being unfairly targeted by government authorities. He claimed his vehicle was clamped at the Abuja airport while other vehicles parked in the same area were left untouched. Obi also expressed concerns about what he described as increasing harassment against him and his associates, suggesting it could affect his political future ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In response to the allegations, Keyamo released CCTV footage which he said showed that Obi had violated the airport's parking regulations. The minister insisted that the enforcement action was based on established rules and not politically motivated.

The incident sparked widespread reactions, with many supporters of the NDC presidential candidate accusing the government of attempting to persecute Obi for political reasons.

Amid the controversy, Nnaemeka Ikerionwu wrote to the Minister of Aviation, apologising over the incident and volunteering to pay the ₦25,000 fine on Obi's behalf.

Reacting to the offer, Keyamo accepted the proposal and directed Ikerionwu to meet with the Director of Commercial and Business Development of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), where he would be guided on the official procedure for making the payment.

The minister also took a swipe at Obi, stating that the release of the CCTV footage had disproved his allegations. He argued that the incident should serve as a lesson, urging the former Anambra State governor to verify his claims before making public accusations.

Keyamo further maintained that Nigerians are now more politically aware and would not be easily influenced by claims aimed at generating public sympathy. He insisted that the enforcement of airport regulations applies equally to all airport users, regardless of their political status.

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FG arraigns three suspects over kidnapping of Oyo pupils, teachers

Department of State Services (DSS)

The Federal Government on Friday arraigned three men allegedly arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The defendants—Abdulrazak Umar (also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid), Yunusa Musa (also known as Yunusa bin Musa), and Shamsu Adamu Sani (also known as Abu Itisar)—were charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement, and illegal mining.

According to the charge sheet, the defendants, all from Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, allegedly conspired with Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed, and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

They were also accused of aiding the abduction and concealing information about the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the plot, offences said to contravene Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Act.

The Federal Government further alleged that on or about June 2, 2026, the three defendants professed membership of Darul Salam, described as an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru), a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism Act.

In separate counts, the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, was specifically accused of providing training and instructions to terrorists and inciting members to commit acts of terrorism through a WhatsApp group titled The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace. The offences allegedly contravene Sections 15 and 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, as well as Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

The 10th count accused Umar of engaging in unlawful gold mining at streams in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area between 2024 and 2026, contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

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How women fake pregnancies with steroids, buy babies to deceive husbands — Ex-NAPTIP DG

Former Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli, has alleged that some women use steroids to fake pregnancies before obtaining babies to convince their husbands that they gave birth.

Okah-Donli made the claims during an interview on the Kaa Truths Podcast, a clip of which resurfaced on Tuesday, where she discussed alleged fake pregnancy syndicates and baby trafficking in Nigeria.

According to her, women involved in the practice are allegedly injected with steroids that cause physical changes similar to those experienced during pregnancy.

They are injected with steroids. So when they inject them with these steroids, it gives them the semblance of a pregnant woman. Their faces are bloated up, and their tummies are actually very big. They look pregnant, but they are not pregnant,” she said.

She further alleged that the women mimic pregnancy symptoms, especially when their husbands are around.

When their husbands are around, they pretend to be suffering from morning sickness. They spit, they pretend to throw up and all sorts of funny things,” she claimed.

Okah-Donli also alleged that the babies are often presented to the husbands after arrangements have been made to keep them away during the supposed delivery.

When it’s time to have the baby, they usually have the baby when the man has travelled. Then he comes back to see a baby in the house. But sometimes if it’s the kind of man that doesn’t travel, they ask him to go and buy something… By the time the man comes back, it’s ‘Congratulations, you have a baby," she alleged.

The former NAPTIP boss claimed that some women even undergo procedures designed to resemble a caesarean section to strengthen the deception.

They actually do open them up to make it look like they had a CS. That’s how desperate these guys are. They stitch them back up,” she alleged.

Speaking on paternity disputes, Okah-Donli argued that maternity tests should also be conducted whenever paternity tests reveal that a child is not biologically related to the presumed father.

We started finding out that during a paternity test, a lot of children were not the children of the man. But one thing they failed to do was maternity test, which would have confirmed that the women did not have the children,” she said.

She maintained that maternity tests could help investigators uncover cases of alleged baby trafficking.

The man is thinking this woman cheated on me, whereas the woman bought the baby. So it’s not even the mother. You can have the maternity test to be sure that this woman is not the mother of the baby, and then you begin to investigate where the baby came from,” she said.

Okah-Donli further alleged that some women falsely claim to have given birth to multiple babies because it makes the deception easier.

Most of them say they have twins. They have triplets. They have quadruplets. Now everybody seems to be having twins and triplets and quadruplets because it’s easier for them to just buy them once and for all and deceive themselves and the world,” she alleged.

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EFCC Invites Peter Obi Supporters Mama P*e, Randy Peter

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained two supporters of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, identified as Precious Oruche, popularly known as Mama P*e, and Peter Akah, also known as Randy Peter.

The development was disclosed late Wednesday by Obi’s personal photographer, Esther Umoh, in a post on X.

According to Umoh, the two supporters honoured an invitation from the anti-graft agency in Abuja but had not been released several hours later.

She wrote, “*e__ and were invited by the EFCC in Abuja, and as respectful citizens, they honored the invitation today. But as I type this, they are yet to be released by the commission.”

Checks on the X accounts of Mama P*e and Randy Peter show that their last posts were made on Tuesday. The posts were comments relating to the alleged Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) scam involving self-acclaimed council Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi, and President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The EFCC has yet to state the reason for their invitation or continued detention as of the time of filing this report. Peter Obi has also not publicly commented on the development.

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