A U.S. federal court has sentenced Babatunde Francis Ayeni, a 33-year-old Nigerian, to 10 years in prison for masterminding a sophisticated cyber fraud scheme that defrauded hundreds of victims across the United States.

The scheme, which targeted real estate transactions, resulted in losses exceeding $19.5 million.

READ ALSO: Accugas Denies Culpability In Akwa Ibom’s Power Outage

Court documents revealed that Ayeni and his accomplices gained access to the email accounts of real estate professionals by stealing login credentials.

They monitored these accounts to identify ongoing financial transactions and intercepted payments by sending fraudulent emails to buyers.

These emails contained fake wiring instructions that diverted funds into accounts controlled by the fraudsters.

The scheme impacted over 400 individuals nationwide, with 231 victims suffering irreversible financial losses. The total amount stolen from these victims was $19,599,969.46.

While Ayeni has been brought to justice, two co-conspirators—Feyisayo Ogunsanwo and Yusuf Lasisi—remain at large. Authorities believe both individuals are outside the United States and are working to secure their arrest and extradition.

In a swift operation aimed at curbing electoral malpractice, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday arrested a suspected vote-buyer during the Ondo governorship election.

The suspect was apprehended at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007, located outside St. Stephen’s Primary School in Akure, around 9 a.m. on election day.

According to eyewitness reports, the individual was found in possession of two bags of cash, believed to be intended for the inducement of voters.

READ ALSO: IMO Category C Election: Oyetola Inaugurates Inter-Ministerial Committee

The DSS operatives acted on intelligence reports and swiftly moved to arrest the suspect, who was allegedly attempting to distribute the money to influence voters at the polling unit.

The arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny and efforts by security agencies and electoral stakeholders to combat vote-buying and other irregularities that undermine Nigeria’s democracy.

As of the time of this report, the DSS has not disclosed the identity of the suspect or the amount of money recovered.

Further investigations are underway to ascertain the suspect’s affiliations and intentions.

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chukwuemeka Edeh, a Nigerian citizen, seeking ₦5 million in damages over alleged unlawful detention and torture by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Edeh had alleged that SARS operatives subjected him to severe abuse, including beatings, tear gas sprayed into his eyes, and a forced confession during his detention.

He argued that these actions violated his human rights as guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other international treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.

READ MORE: Kwara State University Responds To Police Killing Of Ex-Student

In his suit, Edeh also requested a default judgment against the Nigerian government for its failure to defend the case.

However, in a judgment delivered by a three-member panel of the ECOWAS Court, presided over by Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, with Justice Edward Asante reading the ruling and Justice Dupe Atoki as a member, the court rejected the claim.

Justice Asante stated that while the court had jurisdiction over the matter and the application met the necessary procedural requirements, the evidence presented was insufficient to substantiate the allegations or grant a default judgment.

“The court found that the claims lacked adequate proof to meet the required legal standard,” Justice Asante noted.

The case highlighted longstanding allegations of human rights abuses by SARS, a controversial police unit disbanded in 2020 following nationwide protests.

Despite the court’s dismissal, the ruling underscores the importance of robust evidence in securing accountability in human rights cases.

Edeh had claimed that his ordeal occurred in Enugu State, where he was allegedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse by SARS operatives.

He argued that the Nigerian government’s failure to protect him from such violations warranted compensation.