Oludayo Adeagbo, a British-Nigerian, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise (BEC) scheme.

According to the US Department of Justice, Adeagbo, who also goes by John Edwards and John Dayo, conspired with others to steal over $3 million from various entities in Texas, including local government bodies, construction companies, and a Houston-area college.

Adeagbo and his co-conspirators also defrauded a North Carolina university of more than $1.9 million.

The case began in August 2022 when Adeagbo and two other Nigerian citizens, Donald Echeazu, 42, and Olabanji Egbinola, 44, were extradited from the United Kingdom (UK), where they had been residing, to face charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

The US Department of Justice stated that the offences were committed in North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

On April 8, Adeagbo pleaded guilty in two cases against him in North Carolina and Texas for participating in a business email compromise scheme, which is also referred to as a “cyber-enabled financial fraud” scheme.

A business email compromise scheme can be initiated by scammers creating fake accounts that mimic companies a business regularly deals with.

Court records revealed that Adeagbo and his co-conspirators gathered information about significant construction projects across the United States, including a multi-million-dollar project at a university in North Carolina.

“To execute the scheme, Adeagbo, Echeazu, and others registered a domain name similar to that of the legitimate construction company in charge of the university’s project and created an email address that closely resembled that of an employee of the construction company,” the Department of Justice said.

“Using the fake email address, the fraudsters deceived and directed the university to wire a payment of more than $1.9 million to a bank account controlled by an individual working under the direction of Adeagbo and his co-conspirators.”

Adeagbo and his co-conspirators employed the same tactics in Texas, targeting local government entities and universities by impersonating construction companies. They stole over $3 million from the scheme, bringing their total haul to $5 million.

Adeagbo has been ordered to pay $942,655.03 in restitution and will serve seven years in prison.

Environmentalists are concerned that Donald Trump’s victory in the United States presidential election could undermine global efforts to address climate change.

On Wednesday, Trump defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris to become the 47th president of the US.

His win has sparked reactions from climate advocates, who fear that his return to power could weaken international climate commitments, especially as the world prepares for the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Daniel Gwary, director of arid zone studies at the University of Maiduguri, warned that Trump’s victory could dampen enthusiasm among nations attending COP29 to increase their emission reduction commitments.

Gwary cautioned that developed countries might be less inclined to provide greater financial support for loss and damage, as well as adaptation, which are key concerns for developing nations.

“He cannot continue to be in self-denial that we now have a climate emergency that requires united global action under the Paris Agreement to protect our planet,” Gwary said.

“Analysts believe that Mr Trump is likely to revise the US climate law and strike a cautious balance of staying with some commitment to reduce carbon emissions but not accepting his country to take the expected leadership of driving climate action.

“The European Union and China will have to drive the tricycle without the US under the Trump administration.”

Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, warned that Trump’s victory could lead to higher emissions and widen financial gaps in addressing climate change.

“It will be a sad day if Trump again pulls away from climate negotiations as he did during his first coming,” Bassey said.

“His campaign promises to ‘drill baby drill’ will also compound the climate crisis, seeing that existing oil reserves are unburnable if the world hopes to avoid catastrophic global warming.

“His victory will already damper whatever hopes some may have had on COP29, delivering any serious signals that the widening emissions and financial gaps would be narrowed.”

Faten Aggad, executive director of the African Future Policies Hub, expressed concerns about the potential consequences of Trump’s policies on Africa, particularly in relation to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which aims to enhance trade relations between the US and sub-Saharan Africa.

Aggad warned that a trade war with China could disrupt supply chains and impact access to key green technologies, making a successful green transition more difficult for developing nations.

“One of the key questions for Africa relates to the trade agenda of the Trump administration,” Aggad said.

“Specifically, how his administration will handle the negotiations around AGOA and what impact would a likely acceleration of the trade war with China have on supply chains—and, therefore, the affordability and access to key green technologies? A successful green transition hinges on trade cooperation, and the likely increased protectionism in the US, which is likely to be mimicked in the EU, is a concern.”

One of the most pressing fears surrounding Trump’s second term is the potential for a second US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a treaty in which nations committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

In 2017, during his first presidency, Trump announced the US’s departure from the accord, a decision that was met with global criticism.

Although Trump’s inauguration is not set until January 2025, his election has cast a shadow over the upcoming COP29, which is being billed as a “finance COP.”

The summit will see Global South countries, including those in Africa, calling for a new $1 trillion climate finance goal to help them adapt to climate change.

Mohamed Adow, founder of the climate think tank Power Shift Africa, said Trump’s victory “puts COP29 in great limbo,” noting that the world could not afford another US exit from the Paris Agreement.

He called for continued climate action and justice, as millions of vulnerable people are facing the impacts of climate change globally.

“The gavel has fallen on the US elections. The uncertainty of this election has disrupted progress in climate negotiations for months. At the Bonn session in June, developed countries were too cautious to pledge any money for climate finance,” Adow said.

“The victory of President-elect Donald Trump puts increased scrutiny on this COP.

“Baku is expected to and must deliver a clear plan for climate finance for the vulnerable communities of the world.

“Only an ambitious new finance goal in Baku will protect the current climate momentum from a potentially disastrous Trump presidency.

“This is a moment of profound apprehension in global climate diplomacy. But not one to cower from in dread.”

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga also weighed in, emphasizing the importance of US leadership in providing grants-based climate finance to meet the adaptation and mitigation needs of developing countries.

“Actions of the United States on climate change at home and globally will shape how Africa, a continent that is least responsible for the climate crisis yet suffering most from climate impacts, will navigate its development path, deliver energy access to over 600 million people who are without electricity access today,” Odinga said.

“Climate negotiations at COP29 in Baku, coming on the back of US elections, is a perfect opportunity for the US to step up and be a global steward of the planet.”

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) says instability in the national grid will likely persist as the system undergoes repairs after another round of shutdown.

The national grid collapsed again on Thursday, the second time in 72 hours, leaving the country in darkness.

Providing updates on the incident in a statement, Ndidi Mbah, general manager of public affairs at TCN, said the grid experienced a disturbance at approximately 11:29 am, caused by a sudden rise in frequency from 50.33Hz to 51.44Hz.

She said the frequency surge was triggered by issues at one of its substations, which was then shut down to prevent further complications.

“Recovery efforts began immediately, and the Abuja Axis was restored within 28 minutes. Recovery is still ongoing,” the statement reads.

Mbah said the TCN is actively engaged in significant repair work on several critical transmission lines and substations.

The facilities, according to Mbah, include the 330kV transmission lines along the Shiroro-Mando axis, major upgrades at the Jebba transmission substation, and the restoration of the second Ugwuaji-Apir 330kV transmission line.

The public affairs manager said following the submission of the investigative report on the causes of previous grid collapses, TCN has started working to address the identified weaknesses in the transmission system.

Mbah said efforts are afoot to address the gaps outlined in the report and to strengthen the grid’s overall stability and resilience.

“These efforts include both technical upgrades and strategic interventions based on the committee’s recommendations,” she added.

“However, it is important to note that while these repairs and improvements are underway, some degree of instability in the system is likely to persist until all major works are completed.”

Mbah, acknowledging the impact of the disruptions, appealed to the public for their patience and understanding during the challenging period.

She reaffirmed the company’s commitment to improving the reliability of electricity supply, acknowledging the crucial role that stable power has in supporting Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.

The TCN official also assured the public that all necessary measures are being taken to secure the grid’s long-term stability, following the investigative committee’s recommendations.

She added that the transmission company is addressing infrastructure issues, including damage from vandalised transmission lines.

On October 5, the grid experienced a collapse – the ninth time in 2024.

TCN had blamed a series of lines and generator trippings for the instability of the grid and a partial disturbance.

On October 17, Adebayo Adelabu, minister of power, said the frequent system failure at the national grid is inevitable due to the outdated infrastructure.

Adelabu also said the country will continue to experience grid disturbances until there is a complete overhaul of the system.