My aunt was k!lled in front of me - Nigerian woman recalls ordeal in kidnappers’ denNigerian home decor ideas


My aunt was k!lled in front of me - Nigerian woman recalls ordeal in kidnappers? den
An Abuja based lady, Nka Jess Nka, who was abducted by kidnappers, has narrated her ordeal after regaining her freedom.



Jess was abducted along with her aunt and other victims last year.



In a Facebook post on Friday, February 21, 2025, she recalled how the kidnappers k!lled her aunt in her presence.

"My heart is full of pain today because today is the day that you were k!lled auntie, right in front of me, I'm here typing and wishing I had the power to protect you from those heartless kidnappers but it is beyond my power," she wrote.

“I wish it is something I could fight to win but is beyond just a fight. Keep resting. To anyone that is hands is involved in our kidnapping, they will never go unpunished. God will fight for our family and bring healing to our hearts thou is not easy, I miss you greatly dear auntie, hmmmmmmmm life. It's well.”



In an initial Facebook post on January 30, 2025, she shared photos taken after regaining her freedom and wrote.



“Lord I'm here to thank you for showing me mercy, thank you for keeping me alive , I want to also thank everyone of you for ur prayers and support during the time of my kidnapped. I didn't take it for granted, is a year now, thank God for my freedom, waking up today in my bed is a testimony and to my aunty that couldn't make it alive I'm in tears every now and den ,I miss her greatly.”

Police rescue kidnap victim chained to his neck and hands with padlocks in Niger State


Police rescue kidnap victim chained to his neck and hands with padlocks in Niger State
Operatives of the Niger State Police Command have rescued a kidnap victim who was chained to his neck and hands with padlocks.


Spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, February 21, 2025, said the victim, identified as Nasiru Idris, was abducted from Kebbi State.


According to the PPRO, his abductors abandoned him on sighting the police patrol teams.

“On 16th February, 2025 at about 4pm, Police tactical squad led by DPO 'A' Div Kontagora embarked on a routine confidence-building patrol along Bangi-Kontagora road, and in the process, one suspected victim was found within the forest of Mariga, and chained to his neck and hands with padlocks who was identified as Nasiru Idris,” the statement read.

"He was interrogated, and narrated that he was kidnapped from Kebbi State at Farin-Ruwa via Bena, Wasagu LGA.

"He said he was abandoned by his abductors on sighting the Police patrol teams, as the suspected kidnappers fled from the location.

“The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment, while the effort to locate his relatives is ongoing.”

Customs intercept N398m cannabis sativa in Lagos


Customs intercept N398m cannabis sativa in Lagos
The Nigeria Customs Service, Western Marine Command, said it intercepted 53 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 1,958kg with a duty-paid value of N398m in Lagos.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Lomba Benjamin, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, Feb. 21.

The Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Paul Bamisaiye, said that the contrabands were intercepted at Ilase Sea Beach, about 200 nautical miles from the Lagos Anchorage.

He said that the smugglers tried to run away but were overpowered by the officers, so “they abandoned the boat and jumped into the sea.”

“The boat was quickly secured and brought to the office where it was found to contain 3,793 loaves of cannabis sativa divided into 53 sacks and weighed 1,958kg. The duty paid value of the seizure is N398m,” he said.

He stressed that the contrabands, which were intercepted on Thursday, Feb. 20, at about 11pm, were a result of the intensified efforts by the ever-focused and eagle-eyed officers of the command.

He said that the interception was the highest single operational seizure of cannabis sativa under his administration.

Bamisaiye added that two months ago, the command made a seizure of 15 sacks containing 1,021 loves of cannabis sativa weighing 538kg worth N107m.

He added that in line with the established procedures, the hard drugs will be handed over to the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

He said that the command will continue to partner with other sister agencies in ensuring that the nation’s borders are well protected.

Romance scams: The FBI warns of a trend in online dating scams, where tricksters persuade people they meet on dating apps or social media to invest or trade in virtual currencies. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Centre fielded more than 1,800 reports of crypto-focused romance scams in the first seven months of 2021, with losses reaching $133 million.

Otherwise, fraudsters may pose as legitimate virtual currency traders or set up bogus exchanges to trick people into giving them money. Another crypto scam involves fraudulent sales pitches for individual retirement accounts in cryptocurrencies. Then there is straightforward cryptocurrency hacking, where criminals break into the digital wallets where people store their virtual currency to steal it.

Cryptocurrency fraud and cryptocurrency scams
Unfortunately, cryptocurrency crime is on the rise. Cryptocurrency scams include:

Fake websites: Bogus sites which feature fake testimonials and crypto jargon promising massive, guaranteed returns, provided you keep investing.

Virtual Ponzi schemes: Cryptocurrency criminals promote non-existent opportunities to invest in digital currencies and create the illusion of huge returns by paying off old investors with new investors’ money. One scam operation, BitClub Network, raised more than $700 million before its perpetrators were indicted in December 2019.

"Celebrity" endorsements: Scammers pose online as billionaires or well-known names who promise to multiply your investment in a virtual currency but instead steal what you send. They may also use messaging apps or chat rooms to start rumours that a famous businessperson is backing a specific cryptocurrency. Once they have encouraged investors to buy and driven up the price, the scammers sell their stake, and the currency reduces in value.

Cars:

Some car dealers – from mass-market brands to high-end luxury dealers – already accept cryptocurrency as payment.

Insurance:

In April 2021, Swiss insurer AXA announced that it had begun accepting Bitcoin as a mode of payment for all its lines of insurance except life insurance (due to regulatory issues). Premier Shield Insurance, which sells home and auto insurance policies in the US, also accepts Bitcoin for premium payments.

If you want to spend cryptocurrency at a retailer that doesn’t accept it directly, you can use a cryptocurrency debit card, such as BitPay in the US.

What can you buy with cryptocurrency?
When it was first launched, Bitcoin was intended to be a medium for daily transactions, making it possible to buy everything from a cup of coffee to a computer or even big-ticket items like real estate. That hasn’t quite materialized and, while the number of institutions accepting cryptocurrencies is growing, large transactions involving it are rare. Even so, it is possible to buy a wide variety of products from e-commerce websites using crypto. Here are some examples:

Technology and e-commerce sites:

Several companies that sell tech products accept crypto on their websites, such as newegg.com, AT&T, and Microsoft. Overstock, an e-commerce platform, was among the first sites to accept Bitcoin. Shopify, Rakuten, and Home Depot also accept it.

Luxury goods:

Some luxury retailers accept crypto as a form of payment. For example, online luxury retailer Bitdials offers Rolex, Patek Philippe, and other high-end watches in return for Bitcoin.

Cold wallet storage: Unlike hot wallets, cold wallets (also known as hardware wallets) rely on offline electronic devices to securely store your private keys.
Typically, cold wallets tend to charge fees, while hot wallets don't.

How to store cryptocurrency
Once you have purchased cryptocurrency, you need to store it safely to protect it from hacks or theft. Usually, cryptocurrency is stored in crypto wallets, which are physical devices or online software used to store the private keys to your cryptocurrencies securely. Some exchanges provide wallet services, making it easy for you to store directly through the platform. However, not all exchanges or brokers automatically provide wallet services for you.

There are different wallet providers to choose from. The terms “hot wallet” and “cold wallet” are used:

Hot wallet storage: "hot wallets" refer to crypto storage that uses online software to protect the private keys to your assets.

Step 3: Placing an order

You can place an order via your broker's or exchange's web or mobile platform. If you are planning to buy cryptocurrencies, you can do so by selecting "buy," choosing the order type, entering the amount of cryptocurrencies you want to purchase, and confirming the order. The same process applies to "sell" orders.

There are also other ways to invest in crypto. These include payment services like PayPal, Cash App, and Venmo, which allow users to buy, sell, or hold cryptocurrencies. In addition, there are the following investment vehicles: