Crime
Sean “Diddy” Combs Hit With Fresh Allegations As Lawyers Seek Gag Order
Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a fresh wave of legal challenges, as seven new sexual abuse lawsuits have been filed against him, further complicating his already substantial legal troubles.
The civil lawsuits, made public on Sunday and Monday, were filed by four men and three women, accusing the music mogul of sexual misconduct in incidents that occurred in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
While some allegations date back to 2000, the majority center around incidents in 2022, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Tony Buzbee, who announced the new claims on Facebook.
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Several lawsuits allege that unidentified celebrities also participated in the assaults on Combs’ accusers.
Combs, 54, now faces at least two dozen civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct, with 13 of those cases being handled by Buzbee’s firm.
However, Combs has denied all wrongdoing.
The founder of Bad Boy Records is also facing a criminal trial, having pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution.
He has been in detention for five weeks at a Brooklyn jail, which is notorious for its poor conditions, after being denied bail twice.
His legal team is appealing the decision.
The latest lawsuits add to a growing list of accusations against Combs, with prosecutors alleging that he coerced victims into participating in sex acts, bribed and intimidated them to keep quiet, and employed his staff to conceal the misconduct.
The seven plaintiffs in the new cases have used the pseudonyms John Doe or Jane Doe, and five of the lawsuits were filed in federal court, while two were filed in New York state court, all in Manhattan.
One of the more shocking allegations comes from a plaintiff who says she was 13 years old when Combs allegedly drugged and assaulted her at an afterparty for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards in New York.
The lawsuit claims that Combs and an unidentified male celebrity raped her while a female celebrity watched, after Combs reportedly declared, “You are ready to party.”
Another accuser, a 17-year-old aspiring artist, alleges that Combs assaulted him at a 2022 party in a Manhattan hotel penthouse.
According to the lawsuit, Combs promised the young man he could “make him a star” before drugging him, grabbing his genitals, and assaulting him in a room where others were engaged in group sex.
In response to these lawsuits, Combs’ legal team pointed to an earlier statement addressing Buzbee’s previous claims.
“Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process,” the lawyers stated.
“In court, the truth will prevail: Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.”
Buzbee’s firm, which claims to represent over 150 of Combs’ accusers, is moving ahead with the cases.
Combs’ legal team, led by attorney Marc Agnifilo, has requested a gag order to prevent potential government witnesses and their lawyers from making public statements that could interfere with the fairness of Combs’ trial.
Agnifilo has objected to what he describes as efforts to “assassinate Mr. Combs’ character in the press,” including false allegations of child sexual abuse.
Agnifilo has also asked the judge to determine whether prosecutors authorized the public statements from the accusers and their lawyers and requested that these statements be removed from online platforms.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the criminal case, has ordered prosecutors to respond to the gag order request by October 30.
The five new federal civil lawsuits have been assigned to different judges, two of whom have asked the plaintiffs to justify why they should remain anonymous.
As Combs prepares for his criminal trial, scheduled for May 5, 2025, the accumulation of civil and criminal cases continues to cast a long shadow over his career and reputation.
The trial, which involves three felony charges, adds significant weight to the growing list of allegations against the music mogul, who once stood as an iconic figure in the entertainment industry.
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has condemned in strong terms the setting ablaze of some suspected kidnappers by residents of a community in Uromi, East North East Local Government Area.
Describing the act as barbaric and condemn-able, the Governor represented by the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Government House, SP Solomon Osaghale, vowed to ensure that the perpetuators are brought to justice and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He stressed that such a barbaric act is strange in our climes and will not be tolerated in the State.
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SP Osaghale said he was in Uromi at the instance of the Governor to ascertain the level of damage done and to ensure that prompt and full investigation was carried out to ensure justice so as to forestall a reoccurrence.
He revealed that investigations have shown that the people who were killed had boarded a commercial truck and was stopped by members of local security who upon searching of the vehicle, discovered some guns, a situation that led to the mob attack by persons around the vicinity.
While condemning the act, he restated that nobody had the right to take another man’s life, stressing that the nature of the barbaric killing was a cause of concern to the Governor.
SP Oseghale said, “His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo on getting the news of this incident, directed me to immediately come here and find out what transpired as the news of what happened here is a sign of worry to our Governor whose desire is to create a prosperous State void of dastardly acts like this.
“I can assure you that the people involved in this unprovoked attacked will not go scot -free, as His Excellency has directed the Commissioner of Police to launch a full scale investigation into the matter. As I speak now, over four persons have been arrested for their involvement in this ugly incidence.”
The CSO called for calm, while assuring the law abiding residents of Uromi, especially the Hausa Community in the area to go about their daily activities, as men of the Nigerian police force and other security agencies have been deployed to restore peace and normalcy to the place.
Appreciating the Governor for his swift response, the leader of the Hausa Community in Uromi, Mal Aliyu Haruna, thanked Governor Okpebholo for deploying the CSO and other security personnel to the community.
Haruna acknowledged that their presence has brought calm and reassurance to the Hausa Community in the area, as there was palpable fear and unease in their camp following the unfortunate incidence which he noted has never happened before in the local government.
“We want to sincerely thank the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo for his swift response to the occurrence of this ugly incidence. I must tell you that this is the first time a thing like this is happening in Uromi and it baffles me because, Uromi people have been so accommodating to us in the Hausa Community.
“Over the years, we have lived peacefully among the indigenes. Our sojourn in this land has spanned over seventy years. I was given birth to here, and so are many other people you are seeing here today,” Haruna said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared prominent businesswoman and socialite, Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, wanted over an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
In a public notice released on Friday via the agency’s official X handle, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale called on Nigerians to provide any useful information regarding Achimugu’s whereabouts.
“The public is hereby notified that Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering,” the statement read.
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Achimugu, 51, hails from Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, with her last known address listed as 6C, Rudolf Close, Maitama, Abuja.
The EFCC urged anyone with relevant information to contact its offices across the country or report to the nearest police station or security agency.
The declaration follows Achimugu’s failure to honor an invitation by the anti-graft agency regarding an ongoing investigation into money laundering and a high-profile investment scam.
According to PUNCH Online, the EFCC had summoned her to appear at its Port Harcourt office on March 5, 2025, for questioning.
The summons, dated March 4, was signed by the agency’s acting zonal director in Port Harcourt, Adebayo Adeniyi, and delivered to her Abuja residence.
“This commission is currently investigating a case in which the need to obtain certain clarification from you becomes imperative. In view of the above, you are kindly requested to attend an interview with the undersigned through the Head of Investigation on Wednesday, 5th March 2025, by 10:00 hours prompt,” the letter stated.
However, rather than appearing before the EFCC, Achimugu reportedly left Nigeria on March 6. Her sudden departure prompted the agency to secure a warrant for her arrest before officially declaring her wanted.
The EFCC has urged members of the public with any information about her location to come forward, assuring that all details provided would be treated with confidentiality.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, March 24, 2025 busted a Ponzi Scheme Academy and arrested 133 suspects in Abuja.
They were arrested at the Compensation Layout in Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, following actionable intelligence on the existence of the Academy.
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The Academy, named Q University (a.k.a Q-Net) is in the business of recruiting gullible young Nigerians who are trained to recruit more gullible citizens into the scheme with the promise of getting unrealistic profit returns.
The suspects are enrolled into a training codenamed: “Special Training for New Generation Billionaire” and brainwashed to believe that they would graduate into the league of billionaires.
It was gathered that got into the training by obtaining a form the promoters called “Independent Representative Application Form” with promotional slogans such as: “I’m a Champion” “I’m Unstoppable”, “I’m Infinity”, among others.
The EFCC carried out the operation in collaboration with officers and men of 176 Guards Battalion, Nigerian Army.
Items recovered from the suspects include phones, computers and other electronic gadgets.
They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
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