Nigerian couple jailed in UK for £433,000 fraud, Tinubu addresses opposition, US ambassadorial vacancies, and other top stories

A Nigerian couple, Luciana and Femi Akanbi, have been jailed for three years in the UK for a £433,000 tax rebate fraud. The scheme, which ran from September 2021 to January 2022, involved using stolen personal data of Transport for London employees to file 139 fake tax claims. Judge David Miller of Woolwich Crown Court noted that Transport for London experienced its worst data breach, with the fraud costing HMRC over £433,000. Prosecutor Andrew Evans described the fraud as sophisticated and requiring significant planning. Proceeds were laundered through complex channels, and deportation proceedings are possible after the couple serve their sentences. In political news, President Bola Tinubu addressed opposition criticism, reaffirming his commitment to his reform agenda ahead of the 2027 elections. Speaking at the State House with Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Tinubu stated he would not be intimidated and defended his reforms, saying he "took over from myself." His comments followed criticism from opposition figures like Atiku Abubakar and Rauf Aregbesola. Diplomatically, the US ambassadorial position in Nigeria and 116 other countries remains vacant, according to US Department of State records. These vacancies span multiple regions and raise concerns about gaps in US global engagement. In legal developments, a Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja sentenced 63-year-old cleric Chris Douglas to life imprisonment for raping a church member's daughter. Justice Rahman Oshodi sta