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Citizen of Humanity: The World Celebrates Igho Sanomi at 45

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Nigeria is the proud bearer of countless individuals whose steps have rung, like Tennyson’s Ulysses, ‘far on the ringing plains of windy Troy’. May the 17th was the 45th birthday celebration of one of these individuals, and the spotlight is just right enough to chisel out a fitting profile.

Igho Sanomi (actually Igho Charles Sanomi II) is a renowned businessman, philanthropist, and public speaker who has in recent years enticed the world’s attention to the smarts and quickness of mind that is native to the people of Delta State. Having emerged on the global corporate scene as a young visionary of note and the Founder and Chairman of the Taleveras Group, Sanomi’s name is a badge of distinction and accomplishment.
Igho Sanomi dove into the corporate pool long before he clocked the climactic 30. It was during this time that he worked at Cosmos Oil as an Executive Director and milestone after milestone by negotiating fuel-oil exports from the Port Harcourt refinery. It is with this sort of experience—and an innate thing for the oil and gas sector—that he crafted the Taleveras Group from his numerous business activities in 2004, and has since grown it into the stellar energy-trading company it is today.
Curiously, although Sanomi’s business interests revolve around oil, power, logistics, telecommunications, the maritime industry, aviation, and real estate, he studied and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and Mining from the University of Jos, Plateau State.
Sanomi’s philanthropy, for the most part, follows from the influence of his parents, as well as a natural inclination. The result of this is a long list of non-profit enterprises and ventures, all primed towards aiding others from one disadvantage or the other, financially and health-wise. Along these lines, Sanomi is the CEO of the philanthropic Dickson Sanomi Foundation.
One of the more recent of Sanomi’s philanthropy is his demonstration of goodwill towards bowel cancer research in the United Kingdom. This is the reason behind the rousing recommendation that echoed all around the world, just over a year ago: Sanomi was praised for his continued sponsorship of the Bobby Moore Fund and Cancer Research UK—and his raising more than $1.5 million for the Fund through his Taleveras company.
At 45, the world celebrates an achiever, a considerate oilman, and a magnet of regard and esteem: Igho Sanomi

BIG STORY

Appeal Court Nullifies Rape Conviction Of Lagos Doctor Femi Olaleye

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The Lagos appeal court has overturned the “rape” conviction of Femi Olaleye, managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation. On Friday, the appellate court ruled that the lower court “erred” in its judgment.

Olaleye was arraigned in November 2022 on a two-count charge of “defilement of a child” and “sexual assault by penetration.”

He was convicted in October 2023 and sentenced to life imprisonment for “rape.”

However, the appeal court held that the lower court relied on “tainted” and “unreliable” evidence.

THE VERDICT

The three-member panel of the appeal court are Jimi Olukayode Bada, Mohammad Sirajo, and Folasade Ojo.

Bada read the lead judgment which was adopted by the two other justices.

The appeal court held that the lower court erred based on the “tainted” and “unreliable” evidence of Oluremi, the defendant’s wife, and the alleged survivor.

The appeal court stated that Oluremi’s conduct showed that she was motivated by greed and the desire to take over the appellant’s assets upon his incarceration.

The appellate court described Olaleye’s wife as a “tainted witness”.

The court also ruled that the lower court relied on the “hearsay evidence” of the other witnesses on the age of the alleged survivor.

The appellate court held that since none of the witnesses witnessed the birth of the alleged survivor, it was wrong for the lower court to rely on their testimonies.

The court ruled that the prosecution’s case that the alleged survivor was a 16-year-old child was bereft of evidence.

The court described the testimonies of the child forensic specialist, that of a medical doctor from the Mirabel Centre, and the investigating officer’s, as “worthless”.

The appellate court said the trial judge “interfered” in the proceedings by bridging the “yawning gaps” in the prosecution’s case.

The court held that the prosecution failed to present material witnesses such as two family members who witnessed Olaleye’s alleged confession.

The court said a trial within trial ought to have been conducted to ascertain the voluntariness of the appellant’s confessional statements while in police custody.

The court of appeal resolved all five issues in favour of the appellant.

The appeal court thereafter discharged and acquitted Olaleye.

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BIG STORY

US-Based Nigerian May Get 20-Year Jail Term Over Money Laundry

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A United States-based Nigerian, Samson Omoniyi, who was arrested alongside eight others for alleged money laundering and fraud, may be sentenced to 20 years in prison if found guilty by US authorities.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the Office of Public Affairs of the US Department of Justice late Wednesday.

The statement noted that Omoniyi, alongside his accomplices, was indicted on Tuesday on allegations of conspiracy to engage in money laundering following their arrest across three jurisdictions in the US.

It further indicated that the defendants, who remain innocent until proven guilty by the court, operated a money laundering organisation to launder proceeds from fraud amounting to millions of US dollars, allegedly obtained from defrauding multiple citizens.

The statement read, “An indictment was unsealed yesterday (Tuesday) in Nashville, Tennessee. It charges nine members of a multi-state money laundering organisation with laundering millions of dollars derived from internet fraud, including business email compromise schemes. The nine defendants were arrested in a coordinated takedown across three jurisdictions.

“According to court documents, Samson A. Omoniyi, 43, of Houston; Misha L. Cooper, 50, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Robert A. Cooper, 66, of Murfreesboro; Carlesha L. Perry, 36, of Houston; Whitney D. Bardley, 30, of Florissant, Missouri; Lauren O. Guidry, 32, of Houston; Caira Y. Osby, 44, of Houston; Dazai S. Harris, 34, of Murfreesboro; and Edward D. Peebles, 35, of Murfreesboro, were charged with conspiracy to engage in money laundering.

“As alleged in the indictment, the defendants were members of a long-running money laundering organisation operating since approximately November 2016 in and around Tennessee, Texas, and across the country.”

The statement further stressed that the defendants used the structured organisation as a guise to launder the proceeds of their fraud and to enrich members of the syndicate.

“The conspirators allegedly structured the organisation so that recruiters or ‘herders’ recruited and directed participants or ‘money mules’ to launder money obtained from Internet frauds that targeted businesses and individuals in the United States and abroad.

“The defendants allegedly used sham and front companies to conceal the fraud proceeds and enrich the conspiracy members. The conspiracy allegedly agreed to launder more than $20 million in fraud proceeds,” it stated.

According to the statement, each of the defendants could be sentenced to 20 years in prison under the US Sentencing Guidelines as the maximum penalty for their offence.

“The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the statement concluded.

Earlier reports had it that two Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, were sentenced by a US federal jury to 30 years combined jail time for defrauding some US citizens of $3,500,000.

According to the US Justice Department, the duo had deceived their victims by telling them that they had received substantial inheritances that required some money to claim.

The duo was said to have requested their victims send money with a promise to refund them once the inheritances were claimed.

It was also noted that the duo carried out romance scams by establishing romantic relationships with their victims and demanding that they send money after building trust with them.

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Australia Bans Social Media Use For Children Under-16

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Australia’s parliament on Thursday passed a world-first law banning social media for children under 16, putting tech companies on notice to tighten security before a cut-off date that’s yet to be set.

The ban came following the passage of a groundbreaking law in parliament.

The new law was drafted in response to what the Labor Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, described as a “clear, causal link between the rise of social media and the harm [to] the mental health of young Australians.”

“We want our kids to have a childhood and parents to know we have their backs,” Albanese told reporters afterwards.

The new law, passed by the Senate with 34 votes to 19, prohibits platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, X, and Reddit from allowing users under 16.

Companies found in violation could face fines of up to AU$50 million (US$32 million). YouTube has been excluded from the ban due to its educational content.

While the law has been hailed by some as a bold move to protect children, it has drawn criticism from academics, advocacy groups, and tech experts.

Concerns have been raised that the legislation could drive teenagers to unsafe spaces like the dark web or lead to increased isolation.

Questions about enforcement have also surfaced, with critics warning that rushed implementation could create privacy risks if companies require extensive personal data for age verification.

Amnesty International has recommended that the bill be reconsidered, arguing “ban that isolates young people will not meet the government’s objective of improving young people’s lives.”

The bill received over 15,000 public submissions in a single day, many opposing the measure, after tech billionaire Elon Musk drew attention to the proposal on X.

The law will take effect in 12 months, allowing time for the government to trial age-verification technologies.

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