Happenings

Russian Defence Minister thought ‘outside the box’ on how to tell Putin of the Kerch bridge bombing

At his Monday morning briefing, Putin’s spidy senses told him something was amiss in Putinland.

Nigerian youths have been called upon to learn a skill as a step towards becoming assets to society.

This call was made on Saturday by Miss Aminatu Aderayo Animasahun of Derayo Vocational Limited at an event in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

''Nigerian youths should not be distracted by hard drugs, lawlessness and criminality, they should learn a skill so that they will become assets to society, rather than liabilities.

Nigerians are astonished that violent crimes have once again occurred in different parts of the country.

Numbers of lives have been lost and property running into millions of Naira has been destroyed, as a result of a few wrong steps by Those-in-Charge of governance at all levels.

Those who know are reluctant to expose the deep involvement of the acclaimed representatives of the people.

This is unfortunate, as can be seen in Olorunsogo, Molete, Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

The right beliefs ensures the preservation of life, just as the wrong ones results in disaster. By understanding the Word of God you will avoid the wrong beliefs. 1 Kings 20 : 1,20-30

And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter. 22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee. 23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. 24 And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their rooms: 25 And number thee an army, like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so. 26 And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were numbered, and were all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country. 28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD. 29 And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand footmen in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left. And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

Cases Brought by the Southern District of New York, the Northern District of California, and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH JAMES O’CONNOR, a/k/a “PlugwalkJoe,” a U.K. citizen, was sentenced today to five years in prison for his role in a wide array of cybercrime offenses.  O’CONNOR was extradited from Spain on April 26, 2023, and pled guilty on May 9, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff to two sets of charges: (i) conspiracy to commit computer hacking and other charges pending in the Southern District of New York relating to a fraudulent scheme perpetrated by O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators to use a cyber intrusion technique known as a SIM swap attack to steal cryptocurrency, then valued at approximately $794,000, from a Manhattan-based cryptocurrency company and then to launder the proceeds of the scheme (the “SDNY Case”), and (ii) a set of charges filed in the Northern District of California, and transferred to the SDNY under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20, relating to O’Connor’s role in the July 2020 hack of Twitter, computer intrusions related to takeovers of TikTok and Snapchat user accounts, and cyberstalking two separate victims (the “NDCA Case”).  Judge Rakoff imposed today’s sentence.

According to the publicly filed charging documents against O’CONNOR, court filings, and statements made in court:

The SDNY Case

During a cyber intrusion known as a subscriber identity module (“SIM”) swap attack, cyber threat actors gain control of a victim’s mobile phone number by linking that number to a SIM card controlled by the threat actors, resulting in the victim’s calls and messages being routed to a malicious unauthorized device controlled by the threat actors.  The threat actors then typically use control of the victim’s mobile phone number to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the victim that are registered to the mobile phone number.

Between approximately March 2019 and May 2019, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators perpetrated a scheme to use SIM swaps to conduct cyber intrusions in order to steal a large amount of cryptocurrency from a Manhattan-based cryptocurrency company (“Company-1”), which, at all relevant times, provided wallet infrastructure and related software to cryptocurrency exchanges around the world.

As part of the scheme, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators successfully perpetrated SIM swap attacks targeting at least three Company-1 executives.  Following a successful SIM swap attack targeting one of the executives on or about April 30, 2019, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators successfully gained unauthorized access to multiple Company-1 accounts and computer systems.  On or about May 1, 2019, through their unauthorized access, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators stole and fraudulently diverted cryptocurrency of various types (the “Stolen Cryptocurrency”) from cryptocurrency wallets maintained by Company-1 on behalf of two of its clients.  The Stolen Cryptocurrency was worth at least approximately $794,000 at the time of the theft and is currently worth more than $1.6 million.

After stealing and fraudulently diverting the Stolen Cryptocurrency, O’CONNOR and his co-conspirators laundered it through dozens of transfers and transactions and exchanged some of it for Bitcoin using cryptocurrency exchange services.  Ultimately, a portion of the Stolen Cryptocurrency was deposited into a cryptocurrency exchange account controlled by O’CONNOR.

The NDCA Case

Between 2019 and 2020, O’CONNOR participated in a variety of crimes associated with exploitation of social media accounts, online extortion, and cyberstalking.

In July 2020, O’CONNOR participated in a conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to social media accounts maintained by Twitter, Inc. (“Twitter”).  In early July 2020, O’CONNOR’s co-conspirators used social engineering techniques to obtain unauthorized access to administrative tools used by Twitter to maintain its operations.  Those co-conspirators were able to use the tools to transfer control of certain Twitter accounts from their rightful owners to various unauthorized users.  In some instances, the co-conspirators took control themselves and used that control to launch a scheme to defraud other Twitter users.  In other instances, the co-conspirators sold access to Twitter accounts to others.  O’CONNOR communicated with others regarding purchasing unauthorized access to a variety of Twitter accounts, including accounts associated with public figures around the world.  A number of Twitter accounts targeted by O’CONNOR were subsequently transferred away from their rightful owners.  O’CONNOR agreed to purchase unauthorized access to one Twitter account for $10,000.
O’CONNOR also accessed without authorization one of the most highly visible TikTok accounts in August 2020, which was associated with a public figure with millions of followers (“Victim-1”).  O’CONNOR and his associates obtained unauthorized access to Victim-1’s account via a SIM swap after discussing a variety of celebrities to target, and O’CONNOR used his unauthorized access to Victim-1’s platform to post self-promotional messages, including a video in which O’CONNOR’s voice is recognizable.  O’CONNOR also stated publicly, via a post to Victim-1’s TikTok account, that he would release sensitive, personal material related to Victim-1 to individuals who joined a specified Discord server.

O’CONNOR targeted another public figure (“Victim-2”) in June 2019.  O’CONNOR and his associates obtained unauthorized access to Victim-2’s account on Snapchat via a SIM swap.  They used that access to obtain sensitive materials, to include private images, that Victim-2 had not made publicly available.  O’CONNOR sent copies of these sensitive materials to his associates.  O’CONNOR and his associates also reached out to Victim-2 and threatened to publicly release the stolen sensitive materials unless Victim-2 agreed to publicly post messages related to O’CONNOR’s online persona, among other things.

Lastly, O’CONNOR stalked and threatened a minor victim (“Victim-3”) in June and July 2020.  In June 2020, O’CONNOR orchestrated a series of swatting attacks on Victim-3.  A “swatting” attack occurs when an individual makes a false emergency call to a public authority in order to cause a law enforcement response that may put the victim or others in danger.  On June 25, 2020, O’CONNOR called a local police department and falsely claimed that Victim-3 was making threats to shoot people.  O’CONNOR provided an address that he believed was Victim-3’s address, which would have the result of causing a law enforcement response.  That same day, O’CONNOR placed another call to the same police department and stated that he was planning to kill multiple people at the same address.  In response to that call, the police department dispatched every on-duty officer to that address in reference to an armed and dangerous individual.  O’CONNOR sent other swatting messages that same day to a high school, a restaurant, and a sheriff’s department in the same area.  In those messages, O’CONNOR represented himself as either Victim-3 or as a resident at the address he believed was Victim-3’s.  The following month, O’CONNOR called multiple family members of Victim-3 and threatened to kill them.

The NDCA Case was transferred to the Southern District of New York pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 20 and consolidated with the SDNY Case before Judge Rakoff.

*                *                *

O’CONNOR, 24, of the United Kingdom, pled guilty before Judge Rakoff to the following charges: (i) as part of the SDNY Case — conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering; and (ii) as part of the NDCA Case — conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, two counts of committing computer intrusions, making extortive communications, two counts of stalking, and making threatening communications.  In addition to the prison term, O’CONNOR was sentenced to THREE years of supervised release.  O’CONNOR was further ordered to pay $794,012.64 in forfeiture.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He also thanked the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for its assistance in the extradition.

The SDNY Case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Olga I. Zverovich is in charge of the prosecution of the SDNY Case.  The NDCA Case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (“CCIPS”) of the Department of Justice.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew F. Dawson and CCIPS Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne L. Rose are in charge of the prosecution of the NDCA Case.
<b>Source-FBI</b>

Farmers in Nigeria have continued to lament the hostile attitude of the government at all levels towards the enactment of a policy that would empower and safeguard them.
Of worry,are the numerous challenges weighing down the agricultural sector, among which is the astronomical costs of processing and distribution between the farms and markets.

Indeed, the insecurity in different parts of the country has resulted in the forced annexation of the ancestral land of the people by faceless actors backed by Those-in-Charge.

In so many states the real estate business has distracted the elected representatives of Nigerians form their primary responsibilties, while lawlessness and criminality have defied all solutions.
Difficulties in accessing credit, farm loss and policy-induced distortions have also contributed to the situation today, that has translated to hunger and poverty.
Sadly, the ailing sector has ensured the acute shortage of food, a high rate of unemployment, increase in the poverty rate and inadequate supply of raw materials to industry, while political office holders grapple with self-centered interest-outside economic development.

The Economic Status
Daily scenes, events and occurrences across the geographical locations in Nigeria indicate that millions of Nigerians are anxious to experience a positive change in their economic status very soon. How soon, Those-in-Charge would have to determine.

A former Oyo state Governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has called on wealthy Nigerians to cater for poor Nigerians this festive period.

Senator Ladoja made this call on Wednesday in an interaction with journalists at his Ondo Street, Bodija, Ibadan, Nigeria residence.

''We thank God for witnessing Eid, we pray that we will celebrate more Eids. I will plead with wealthy Nigerians to share with the poor the things they have to celebrate. The times are hard. Let us extend our hands of fellowship to others. I wish Nigerians Barka De Sallah. 

He expressed confidence that the present administration would make a positive impact, saying ''all of us know that we need to readjust and rejig Nigeria. It is now a question of how to redistribute wealth. We assume that he knows what he is doing and he will do well. We will get there.''

Nigeria's chronic budget deficit has brought about an unhindered increase in the national debt.

Indeed, the multiple taxation by the government at all levels may now be too embarrassing for an economy that majorly revolves around the motive of personal gain.

Without doubt, the redistribution of disposable income from the well-to-do to the indigent would increase the average propensity to consume, since the marginal propensity of the indigent to consume is higher than that of the well-to-do.

Sadly, this approach is not in the thoughts of the government, although the budget deficit may have stimulated private investments.

The government ought to cut down on expenditure on political office holders.

However, in view of the fact that the economy is ailing, the government at all levels must be decisive and proactive in interventions in health, transport, electricity, unemployment, hunger and poverty.

Of course, the protection of sectors such as education, health and agriculture which have direct bearing on the survival of citizens from unpredictable price mechanisms is desirable, but largely depends on the mindset of those in charge.

 Bad Eggs in Uniform The crime-friendly mindset and attitude of a number of those in law enforcement agencies in certain states, including Oyo, justifies the unabating lawlessness, criminality and violent crimes in the land. Curiously, the high levels of insecurity in Nigeria is partly due to unprofessional conduct and despicable acts of bad eggs in uniform.