THEWILL DOWNTOWN AUG. 15 EDITION

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

THE

EPIDEMIC THAT IS CYBERCRIME

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

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VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

I am simply ecstatic about this edition and you should be, too! Why is that so? It’s my birthday weekend. Yippee….

Jokes aside, what is most exciting for me so far is the story of our babies, “Downtown” – your favourite Sunday weekly print insert magazine and the newspaper itself – THEWILL.

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CONTENTS

COVER STORY: THE EPIDEMIC THAT IS CYBERCRIME

This journey has been dreamlike for me since the maiden edition hit the newsstands on Valentine’s Day, this year.

Going back to my childhood dreams, I had always been a creative type, wanted to own and run a successful news media company as far back as primary school. Back then, I was fanatically obsessed with the workings of a media house. I read newspapers, listened to news programmes on the radio and watched the news on television with so much admiration for the people in them. They were, indeed, my role models because they commanded the respect of everyone. However, I had no idea where this obsession with the media would lead me to…

Fast forward to 2010, as the world was battling one of the greatest economic meltdowns in history, access to the internet in Nigeria was coincidentally improving and everyone was hungry for reliable and trusted news. I saw a gap in the Nigerian media market, and knew deep in my heart it was the best time for me to bring my dreams to fruition. With God on my side and a not so buoyant bank account, I made that very bold leap to launch a Digital News Website infused with a Lifestyle and Culture Magazine.

Armed with a $3, 000 capital, THEWILL started from my small desk in my two bedroom apartment in Alameda, a former naval town just outside San Francisco, California.

I thought to myself, start small, work hard and smart at growing it. Little did I know it would take my blood, sweat and tears to the point where we are now: from online to the full blown weekly newspaper and magazine insert about a decade later. This is our 27th edition!

I want to personally thank the entire staff who made this dream possible and all our steadfast advertisers through the years – Access Bank, First Bank, Aiteo Group, Zenith Bank, UBA and GTB. Also, my mentors, family, friends and, of course, all our dedicated readers and followers on social media. This would not have been possible without your support. THANK YOU!

O LYM P I C S S P EC IA L

The Olympics Rundown L IVING

Enjoy your read!

@thisisogannah

AUSTYN OGANNAH

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editor: Latasha Ngwube Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya Beauty Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahluciaa Contributing Editor: Odun Ogunbiyi @oddbodandthecity Contributing Writers: Boluwatife Adesina @bolugram Uzo Orimalade @uzosfoodlabs House Photographer: Rachel Seidu @rachelseidu Graphics/Layout: Olatunji Samson Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun Interns: Kehinde Fagbule, Tilewa Kazeem Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’

Money Talk: What You Need To Teach Your Kids About Money

T H E R EVIEW Movie Review: The Suicide Squad B EAU TY Scents For Days T H E S C E N E D O W NTOW N

The Exclusive Pre-Wedding Dinner of Kehinde & Adebola Williams L IVING

4 Most Expensive Watches And How Much They Cost

04-05 10 11 12-13 14-15 16

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VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

OLYMPICS SPECIAL

THE OLYMPICS RUNDOWN

Simone Biles’ Emotional Outing, Team Nigeria’s Officials’ Embarrassing Display And A Class Tournament For Nigerians In The Diaspora.

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE

Blessing Okagbare And The Ten Disqualified Athletes

he 2020 Olympics finally came to an end on the 8th of August as Tokyo against all odds (and advice) hosted the world amid a pandemic. They however managed to pull it off, with the repercussions being events happening in empty stadiums and global viewership reducing significantly in comparison with last editions. However, there were a few talking points from the just-concluded games.

A lot of things disappointed Nigerians back at home; however, the news that star athlete, Blessing Okagbare Blessing had failed a drug test and was suspended indefinitely Okagbare came as a different kind of shock.

The Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, said Okagbare had tested positive for human growth hormone in one of the out-of-competition drug examinations she did on July 19.

The country had watched her dip 11.05 seconds to finish first in heat 6 to qualify for the women’s 100 meters semi-final. Expected to at least make a podium finish, her suspension came as a blow as it meant Nigerians’ hopes of getting a medal at the sprint event diminished exponentially.

Okagbare wasn’t the only disqualified Nigerian athlete. On July 28, barely a few days into the Olympics, the AIU disqualified 10 Nigerian track and field athletes for failing to comply with the out-ofcompetition testing (OCT) requirement.

AIU said Nigeria is among countries deemed to have the highest doping risk, and the athletes were expected to undergo “at least three no-notice out-ofcompetition tests (urine and blood) conducted no less than 3 weeks apart in the 10 months leading up to a major event.”

The 10 disqualified athletes fell short of the required number of tests and were thereby disqualified.

The affected athletes — Knowledge Omovoh, Ruth Usoro, Favor Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Glory Patrick, Yinka Ajayi, Tima Godbless, Chidi Okezie, Chioma Onyekwere and Annette Echikunwoke — later took to the streets of Tokyo to protest the disqualification caused by the incompetence of Nigerian authorities.

T

L-R: Ese Brume bronze medalist & Silver medalist, Blessing Oborududu

Blessing And Ese Make Olympic History Team Nigeria finished 74th on the medal table with just two medals courtesy of Blessing Oborududu’s silver at the women’s freestyle wrestling and Ese Brume’s bronze at the women’s long jump events respectively.

Ranked as the world number two woman wrestler, Blessing Oborududu went into the Olympics with an admirable reputation. The ten-time African champion (from 2010 to 2020) would go ahead to make history as the first wrestler to win an Olympic medal representing Nigeria.

Ese Brume, a three-time African senior champion in the long jump, added some gloss to Nigeria’s standing.

After placing 5th in the long jump final at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a leap of 6.81m, her bronze medal win at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, with a jump of 6.91m showed signs of her personal improvement.

She went on to win the bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics, with a jump of 6.97m.

‘Wash And Wear’ Olympics In 2019, the AFN (Athletics Federation of Nigeria) board under Ibrahim Gusau signed a four-year kits sponsorship contract with Puma. A section of the deal stated that Puma Chukwuebuka would supply Nigeria’s Enekwechi athletics team kits for four years.

With the 2020 Olympics in view, the contract also included monetary rewards for Nigerian athletes who wear the sportswear during medal presentations at the Olympic games — gold medalists were projected to earn $15,000, silver medalists getting 5,000, while a bronze medal will attract $3,000.

Fast-forward to the Games, an Instagram video of Nigerian shot put athlete washing his jersey ahead of the final went viral. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi who was the first Nigerian to qualify for the shot put final accompanied the video with the caption “When you qualify for Olympic Finals, but you have only one jersey.”

This single social media post shed light on the gross corruption and mismanagement of funds that had gone down within the AFN, ultimately resulting in a legal battle between the sports ministry and the factional board of AFN. In addition, Gusau, alongside Sunday Adeleye, technical director of the body, was dragged to court by the Nigeria Police Force for the alleged diversion of over $75,000.

Consequently, the ministry failed to allow Nigerian athletes to wear the Puma branded apparel at Tokyo Olympics, arguing that it’s “a subject of a criminal investigation.”

The developments culminated in Puma prematurely terminating the deal with the federation for alleged breach of contract.

Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, with both Nigerian medalists

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VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

OLYMPICS SPECIAL Nigerians by proxy From the European football leagues to the NBA and even the American Super Bowl, participants with Nigerian lineage are always present in major sports tournaments. This wasn’t different at the just concluded Olympics as a whopping five ‘Nigerians’ won medals for other countries, eclipsing the two medals won by Nigerians representing the country.

In a working system, poaching these athletes to come represent their fatherland would be a no-brainer. However, with a large number of Nigerian athletes disqualified in what was the AFN’s incompetencies as aforementioned, it is understandable to see why these ‘Nigerians’ chose their respective adopted nationalities.

These are the Nigerian medalists by proxy Desalu Eseosa (Italy) 27-year-old Desalu Eseosa was part of the Italian Men’s relay team that dashed to Olympic gold in Tokyo. Born and raised in Italy to Nigerian parents, Desalu who acquired full Italian citizenship in 2012 has come out to state his allegiance to the world.

“I have never been to Nigeria and, right now [2019], I don’t feel the need to go. I don’t even know the national anthem of Nigeria.

My roots are in Africa and I don’t ignore them but I consider myself deeply Italian,” Eseosa said.

As Desalu celebrated his victory for Italy, Nigeria failed to qualify for the men’s 4x100m events in Tokyo.

Akinradewo Foluke (USA)

Ujah Chijindu (England) London-born Ujah Chijindu won a silver medal at the men’s relay for Great Britain.

Born to Nigerian parents, the 27-year-old is currently studying Sports Science at Middlesex University in London. Ujah’s father was an engineer who moved from Nigeria to England as a boy.

The sprinter admits it was difficult convincing his father that a career in athletics was the right choice for him.

He came second behind Italy’s Eseosa.

Ajomale Bolad (Canada) Born in London, England, Ajomale Bolad moved to his parent’s home country of Nigeria at age three.

His family relocated to Canada when he was 11.

He would go on to help Canada to a podium finish in the Men’s relay race by winning a bronze medal; having also won a bronze medal at the previous Olympics in Rio. So technically, a ‘Nigerian’ was part of the gold, silver, and bronze-winning 4x100m men’s team at the

Bam Adebayo (USA) Born in Newark, New Jersey to a Nigerian father and an African-American mother, Bam Adebayo is one of the many Nigerian exports to the NBA. The Miami Heat centre played all six of Team USA’s Olympic games to help lead the team to the gold medal despite a slow start in their first match.

The Nigerian basketball team roster featured a handful of players raised in the United States just like

Akinradewo had a glorious outing in Tokyo helping the USA women’s volleyball team win gold on the final day of action when they beat Brazil. For the 33-year-old athlete with citizenship in Canada, Nigeria, and the U.S., this is her third Olympics.

Before winning gold in Tokyo, she had to settle for bronze in Rio 2016 and silver in London 2012.

In comparison, the Nigerian volleyball team didn’t qualify for the Olympics Games.

Apart from those that won medals, there were a host of other ‘Nigerians’ that featured for other countries in Tokyo.

Simone Biles Pulled An Osaka Simone Biles, widely regarded as the greatest woman gymnast ever, arrived in Tokyo 2020 carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. For the first woman to land a Yurchenko double pike (for casuals, it is basically defying the laws of gravity), expectations were through the roof as commentators predicted a clean sweep.

However, things began to go wrong in qualifying.

They fell apart when she stepped out of bounds during her floor routine, then aborted her vault in mid-air during the women’s team finals, narrowly avoiding serious injury and scoring one of the lowest marks of her career. Following this, Biles announced she would withdraw from the all-around women’s event and the team games, citing loss of her air-awareness (a phenomenon called “twisties”) and struggling with her mental health.

Shortly after her announcement, reports online claimed her withdrawal was due to an injury she had sustained on the beam. Biles immediately dismissed these reports, reiterating that her absence was due to mental health struggles, drawing a direct parallel between mental and physical health in what stirred up a lot of

conversations as armchair analysts couldn’t grasp her predicament.

She later explained that she had been inspired to talk about her mental health by watching Naomi Osaka and that she had quit to protect her “mind and body”.

A decision she was gutted by, as she said it “sucked” not to be able to compete when she had spent the past half-decade preparing.

Despite her troubles, Biles showed up to show her support for her US gymnastics teammates, whooping and cheering from the sidelines. “I’m proud of how the girls stepped up,” Biles told reporters.

Biles, who had to overcome incredible personal adversity growing up in foster care before being adopted by her grandparents and the trauma of being a survivor of sexual abuse by the US team’s former doctor Larry Nassar, came to the limelight when she became the seventh American woman and the first African American to win the world all-around title at the tender age of 16.

After a week of nonstop speculation about whether she would pull out of the Games entirely, she went ahead and won a bronze medal on the balance beam in an emotional comeback performance.

With a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles is tied with Larisa Latynina as the most decorated gymnast of all time.

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VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

COVER

F

BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE & TILEWA KAZEEM

or as long as we can remember, human relationships and its dynamics have been very dependent on the status quo. In every community regardless of race or nationality, society has always been structured in a way that pays a lot of attention to hierarchy and social standings. This creates a clear divide between upper class and the others; and because of the corruption and greed that comes with extreme capitalism, this wealth gap tends to widen. To close this gap, some young people turn to illegal means.

The concept of theft and fraud is not new, and so is the degree.

However, with the advent and incredible growth of technology and it’s widespread coverage, a new layer is being uncovered very frequently.

Cybercrimes are the crimes involving a computer and a network.

Due to the high volume of daily transactions and official communications taking place on the internet, there has been a surge of internet fraud. Popularly known as yahoo yahoo by the average Nigerian, this infamous means to wealth is perhaps one of the quickest in human’s history as it requires just a working computer (or smartphone in some cases) and an internet connection. Perpetrators would often target foreign individuals and businesses, and refer to them as “clients.”

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BEC According to the FBI, business email compromise (BEC) is one of the most financially damaging online crimes. It exploits the fact that so many people rely on email to conduct business — both personal and professional.

In a BEC scam, criminals send an email message that appears to come from a known source making a legitimate request, like in these examples: • A vendor your company regularly deals with sends an invoice with an updated mailing address.

• A company CEO asks her assistant to purchase dozens of gift cards to send out as employee rewards. She asks for the serial numbers so she can email them out right away.

• A homebuyer receives a message from his title company with instructions on how to wire his down payment.

Versions of these scenarios happened to real victims. All the messages were fake. And in each case, thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of dollars were sent to criminals instead.

There are several ways a criminal could carry out BEC scams. A scammer might:

• Spoof an email account or website. Slight variations on legitimate addresses (john.kelly@examplecompany.com vs. john.kelley@examplecompany.com) fool victims into thinking fake accounts are authentic.

• Send spearphishing emails. These messages look like they’re from a trusted sender to trick victims into revealing confidential information. That information lets criminals access company accounts, calendars, and data that gives them the details they need to carry out the BEC schemes.

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

COVER • Use malware. Malicious software can infiltrate company networks and gain access to legitimate email threads about billing and invoices. That information is used to time requests or send messages so accountants or financial officers don’t question payment requests. Malware also lets criminals gain undetected access to a victim’s data, including passwords and financial account information.

In Nigeria, this is a billion naira industry.

Romance Scam Another popular cybercrime young Nigerians practice is the online dating scam widely referred to as romance scams. Romance scams occur when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The scammer then uses the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim.

The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable. Con artists are present on most dating and social media sites.

The scammer’s intention is to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear himself to the victim, and gain trust.

Scammers may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money.

Scam artists often say they are in the building and construction industry and are engaged in projects outside the victim’s residing country. That makes it easier to avoid meeting in person—and more plausible when they ask for money for a medical emergency or unexpected legal fee.

In some other instances, the scammer requests for the victim’s bank account information to deposit money in a bid to use their account to carry out other theft and fraud schemes. This victim is often referred to as the picker as they are involved in the money laundering process without their consent.

Invictus Obi

Abidemi Rufai

As seen in the case of Invictus Obi, a convicted fraudster who was once featured in Forbes 30 under 30 list, until his arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation following a 13-month investigation, Okeke was a globally-renowned businessman who had investments in oil and gas, agriculture, private equity, alternative energy, telecom and real estate. He operated his holdings under the ‘Invictus Group’. Invictus Group operated in three African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia. He holds a master’s degree in International Business and Counter-terrorism from Monash University, Australia.

Okeke’s arrest was followed by the Department of Justice indictment of 80 other persons most of whom were Nigerian nationals. According to the statement released on August 22, 2019, the Department of Justice said that those indicted used various online fraud schemes including business email compromise (BEC) frauds, romance scams, and schemes targeting the elderly, to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. It called the fraud the “largest case of online fraud in US history”. According to the 145-page U.S. Department of Justice indictment, the victims lost or potentially lost $40 million.

The perpetrators list gets updated as frequently as could be - even during a global pandemic as an aide to Ogun State Governor, Abidemi Rufai, was arrested in New York on claims of COVID-19 unemployment benefits fraud.

Rufai, who worked as Senior Special Assistant to Mr Abiodun, reportedly used the stolen identities of more than 100 Washington residents to file fraudulent claims with ESD for pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

He is also accused of filing fraudulent unemployment claims with Hawaii, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, and Pennsylvania.

“Rufai used variations of a single email address in a manner intended to evade automatic detection by fraud systems,” the Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said. “By using this practice, Rufai made it appear that each claim was connected with a different email account,” she continued.

“Some of the proceeds were then mailed to the Jamaica, New York address of Rufai’s relative. Law enforcement determined more than $288,000 was deposited into an American bank account controlled by Rufai between March and August 2020.”

Birth Of The Nigerian Prince And 419 This is a bad look as the years of consistent indulgence to cybercrime has culminated to shape the perception of Nigerians all over the world. During the early days of the BEC, before Nigeria became infamous for internet fraud, scammers would often pose as a prince from Nigeria in an advance-fee scam also known as “419.” The number “419” refers to the section of the Nigerian Criminal Code dealing with fraud, the charges and penalties for offenders. The scam has been used with fax and traditional mail, and is now prevalent in online communications like emails.

An advance fee scheme occurs when the victim pays money to someone in anticipation of receiving something of greater value—such as a loan, contract, investment, or gift—and then receives little or nothing in return.

This scheme became so rampant, it inspired a 2018 Nigerian-American bilingual suspense thriller drama film written and directed by New York based Nigerian-American, Faraday Okoro titled Nigerian Prince.

As one of the poorest nations on earth according to reports, Nigerian youths have made a living off internet fraud since we got introduced to technology. The economy of internet fraud is so vast and intricate that it greatly influences the country positively in some areas. Job and wealth creation for instance is one of the merits (if one could call it that) as internet criminals popularly known as yahoo boys delve into businesses such as setting up supermarkets or buying properties in money laundering schemes.

Quazeem Owolabi Adeyinka

Ayodeji Jonathan Sangode

Olamide Yusuf Bakare

The Three Fraudulent Musketeers Three Nigerian nationals; Quazeem Owolabi Adeyinka, Ayodeji Jonathan Sangode and Olamide Yusuf Bakare were arrested for allegedly stealing over $2.6 million in bogus unemployment insurance claims in a conspiracy sting by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), along with other law enforcement agencies in the United States. They are believed to be part of a Nigerian syndicate of unemployment scammers operating in and outside of the United States.

This comes in the wake of four recent arrests made by the FBI. Osakpamwan Henry Omoruyi, 36; Osaretin Godspower Omoruyi, 34; Mark Arome Okuo, 41, and Mike Oziegbe Amiegbe, 42 were part of a six-man gang responsible for fraud on government assistance programs and romance scams totalling up to $4 million.

Adeyinka, Ayodeji and Olamide had successfully defrauded the state of California of over $1.2 million with the intention to defraud over $2.6 million. They filed 200 individual UI applications with approximately 97 of them getting approved. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) records show that all applications were all made from one apartment.

Upon deeper investigation, the EDD logically deduced that based on the size of the apartment there was absolutely no way 200 unemployment applications could have come from one place. Meanwhile, the alleged criminals had already received a total of 175 prepaid cards loaded with over $1.4 Million in UI benefit funds from at least four different state UI programmes (Arizona, California, Maryland and North Carolina). ATM surveillance from the banks where they had withdrawn the monies cracked the case wide open and proved to be the last piece of the puzzle to wrap up the arrests.

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VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

COVER

Dominic Ngene J the 21-year-old I

It’s really hard to feel ba example. There’s a signi must have to think that a guarantee 60 per cent on forex, oil and gas.

The Managing Director/ Brisk Capital Limited, D arrested for allegedly sh funds to float his extrava estate across 3 states in N Harcourt) parties and lu Once on the police web, crimes and appealed to b investors.

Glory Osei Wanted Poster

Muyiwa Folorunsho Wanted Poster

Gloria Igberaese and Muyiwa Folorunsho In the fullness of time, the crooked heads of Gloria Igberaese and Muyiwa Folorunsho proved not to be better than a straightened one. The couple’s involvement in multi-million dollar investment fraud bagged them the pseudonym Bonnie and Clyde as well as being declared wanted by Interpol.

Both entrepreneurs allegedly used several companies they owned such as Divergent Enterprise, Landlagos, PorkMoney, Hyberfactory, and Porkoyum, as a ruse to bamboozle thousands of Nigerians. A petition submitted to the federal authorities by the victims said the pickings were used to acquire luxury items, properties, and foreign citizenship.

Although the total amount is still unknown, one of the cases ostensibly says the matrimonial duo carted away with investors N1 billion. According to separate arrest warrants issued by the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, they are charged with obtaining money by false pretences and stealing.

While this might be the Nigerian Police’s first whiff of this, the fraudulent peas in a pod have been at it for some time. A couple of Twitter users claiming to be former employees of the CEOs slammed them with accusations of fraud, constituting a toxic work environment, unfair reduction of their salaries, or firing them over trivial mistakes back in 2019.

In her response, Mrs Osei denied she had ever mistreated staff after Ada, an alleged former employee, accused her and her husband of defrauding clients and keeping their marital status secret.

An article published by the Peoples Gazette shows that both Gloria Igberaese and her husband, Muyiwa Folorunsho secured steeply-priced passports from the Dominican Republic. On this small island in the east Caribbean Sea, fraudsters have set up shop to try to evade the law.

They offer diplomatic immunity for sale to the highest bidder.

To elucidate further, Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic are quite reputable for selling diplomatic passports to wealthy politicians, criminals, and corrupt businesspersons. The prices of these passports vary depending on the person. Starting prices to secure a passport ranges from $250,000 to $2 million according to Aljazeera’s 2019 documentary Diplomats for Sale.

Glory Osei’s Caribbean Passport

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Muyiwa Folorunsho’s Caribbean Passport

Dominic Ngene Joshua

Hushpuppi: The Celebrity Scammer The biggest heist in recent times would not come as a shock to Nigerians.

Instagram influencer, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, pleaded guilty to charges that include money laundering, wire fraud, felony amongst others, brought against him by the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Hushpuppi admitted in the United States to taking part in a scam to steal over $1.1 million from a business person attempting to finance the construction of a school in Qatar, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said in a statement that Ramon Abbas, 37, pleaded guilty on April 20th this year, according to documents ordered unsealed on Wednesday July, 28 2021.

Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 alongside 12 other members of his gang with about 1,926,400 people from different parts of the world reported to have fallen victims to the suspects. The Dubai Police later handed Abbas and his conspirators over to the FBI in the US and they have since been arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, among others.

A few days after he was extradited to the United States from Dubai, Hushpuppi, made his first court appearance where he was charged with accusations ranging from money laundering to participating in business email compromise (BEC) schemes targeting a US law firm, an English Premier League side, and a foreign bank.

In a report released by the U.S Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Hushpuppi is also being accused of conspiring “to launder hundreds of

Hushpuppi

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

COVER

Ngene Joshua, ar-old Investment Expert

The POV of Nigerian Internet Scammers

to feel bad for the victims of this next e’s a significant amount of greed one hink that a 21-year-old would be able to per cent on investments in real estate, gas.

Director/Chief Executive Officer of Limited, Dominic Ngene Joshua was legedly shunting N2 billion in investor his extravagant lifestyle, exotic cars, real states in Nigeria (Abuja, Lagos and Port ies and luxury watches. olice web, Dominic pleaded guilty to the pealed to be given time to reimburse

Abba Kyari

millions of dollars from other fraudulent schemes and computer intrusions, including one scheme to steal £100 million (approximately $124 million) from an English Premier League soccer club.” As written in the affidavit report, “The FBI’s investigation has revealed that Abbas finances this opulent lifestyle through crime, and that he is one of the leaders of a transnational network that facilitates computer intrusions, fraudulent schemes (including BEC schemes), and money laundering, targeting victims around the world in schemes designed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars.”

He was again accused by the Justice Department in February of helping North Korean hackers launder money and playing a supporting role in cyber scams perpetrated by three computer programmers accused of extorting $1.3 billion in cash and cryptocurrency.

In a recent turn of events, as reported on Downtown’s Websights last week, Nigeria’s Supercop, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, who is highly rated by members of the public, was mentioned in a bribery scandal involving Hushpuppi.

Hushpuppi, during interrogation by US authorities, alleged that he paid bribes to Mr Kyari, to have a fellow fraudster, one Kelly Chibuzor, arrested and jailed in Nigeria following a dispute over the $1.1 million fraud against a Qatari businessperson, after he felt shortchanged and threatened to expose the transaction.

Mr Kyari got Chibuzor arrested and jailed and then sent his pictures to Hushpuppi in addition to his bank account number details so that he could wire transfer for his team; compensation for having done a good job.

This goes to show how deep the rot runs.

It is officially an epidemic.

Defrauders are being arrested at an alarming rate, and as time marches on we should expect those numbers to double and in a couple of years maybe triple, but it doesn’t change the fact that scammers have enveloped the country in their numbers.

According to the FBI, in 2019 there were 80 young Nigerians suspected of being involved in a massive fraud operation in the United States. African Prince scams first sprung up on the Internet in the 1990s and have multiplied spawning new scams as time went on. Has anyone ever stopped to ask why?

Nigeria’s unemployment rate is 33.3%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. It is estimated that more than half of the 600,000 graduates find themselves without work each year and if you add the unemployed youths from the previous year the numbers are absolutely staggering.

Additionally, the country’s unemployment rate has quadrupled over the previous five years. With food prices rising 20% every year, people are finding it harder and harder to provide for their families.

Currently, a lot of unemployed and hungry youths are bumbling around the city without direction or a clue as to how to get anywhere. We all know what happens to idle hands.

Statista placed the Internet penetration via mobile phone in 2020 at 41.4 per cent; that puts mobile phone users at 85.26 million.

Future projections put those numbers at 64.9 per cent come 2025. An average jobless Nigerian is equipped with a phone that has internet access and that is all that’s needed for the initiation.

Now that the ‘why’ has been addressed, let’s highlight how a basic scammer processes information. Like everything on this earth, this way of life is based on one thing, the stimulus. It evokes the action and it comes in different ways. A handful just want to make money by any means necessary due to their peer’s aggressive showmanship of money on the gram.

For some, it’s an easy escape from the harsh reality of unemployment and for those who are still on the fence, the mantra ‘we are just collecting what was stolen from us by the oyinbos’ and just like that their mindsets are conditioned. When the guilt resurfaces, it is pushed to the back of their minds and eventually they become set in their ways.

There are so many moving parts and categories to running a basic scam as a result of that, a lot of them fall through the cracks and like a cockroach live to get caught another day. A freshman yahoo yahoo boy or girl usually begins small before going into the big leagues. From different forms of romance scams to requesting gift cards before then gradually moving to bigger and better things. Just like a 9 to 5 your zeal to make more money would determine how far you go and only those who fly too close to the sun get caught.

Kunle, who is part of the moving cog that is internet fraud, agreed to speak on the subject. He focuses more on the monetary side of things. His job is to receive the money in dollars and pay in naira- sort of like a Bureau de Change.

He says “someone cashes out every 30

minutes. It might just be a little cash-out or huge payout but trust me when I say this; someone is making money off a client’s gullibility right now.” Our conversation is rudely cut short. It’s one of his clients asking for one of his accounts for a money drop. When he returned, he reinstated his last statement, “ You see, someone just cashed out.” When asked how he’s able to access foreign bank accounts in Nigeria he says “It’s a patient task. You have to nurse a client for as long as you can until you are sure you have the client’s trust. Once that happens the rest is easy, you simply tell your client to open a bank account in his or her name and hand the control of the account to you and just like that, you set your rates and make your money.”

This job picker is done by thousands of other youths like Kunle around the country and just like a Hydra, when one is shut down, two more raise up in its place.

Upon first probing, the question ‘why are you unremorsefully being an accessory to fraud and why did you start in the first place?’ is carefully thrown into the mix, and he responded saying, “While I was at school I’d see people I’m close to suddenly buy things worth thousands of naira and I’d be struggling to pay for handouts and feed myself. There was no use calling home because if I did they’d ask me for money. I started doing this to provide for myself and my family. Although there are perks that come with it like the girls, occasionally splurging on clothes, gadgets and what have you, I started to financially uplift and shop my family. I don’t intend to do this for eternity but I’m willing to do it till I get that legal and steady cash flow.”

Kunle is just in his early twenties and turned to yahoo yahoo to support his family. There are more youths out there like Kunle who turned to scam to provide for his family. He’s been unemployed since leaving school in 2019.

All the predictions and estimations predict that Nigeria will sink even more into the mud, and as more youths and kids graduate into unemployment, scams will become the foremost option for getting rich quickly. Unemployed youths have benefited a great deal from scams and the vast ecosystem they have created.

As with everything harmful and vile in Nigeria, it is almost impossible to eradicate in its entirety. The government can at best provide alternatives and create jobs for the youth after they graduate, but then again a lot of them didn’t need to leave university to become scammers like Kunle.

They were sucked into it while at school.

The further decay of Nigeria allows yahoo yahoo and other illegal practices to flourish, and until a solution is found in the form of a permanent one, rather than applying bandages to an already dirty wound, nothing will change.

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VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

LIVING

N

Money Talk:

What You Need To Teach Your

Kids About Money

BY CHISOM NJOKU & KEHINDÉ FAGBULE When shopping with the kids, show them receipts with the amount you paid. By doing it over and over again, it becomes a habit to them. As they get older, they’ll start to understand. That’s how you introduce money to them.

Instill a Habit of Saving

Your kids’ early interactions with money will likely involve spending. They see you using it to purchase things, including things for them. So it’s important to teach them from a young age that money isn’t just for spending—they should be saving money regularly, too.

Learning to save isn’t just an essential money habit, it is a very important life skill that will give them an edge in a financially competitive world.

Teach Them Accountability

Give small children a clear piggy bank rather than using the traditional opaque piggy bank. A see-through container will help young children see their savings visually. Money is an inherently abstract concept and the more concrete you can make it for children, the better.

Davido & daughter, Imade Adeleke

A

s a parent, especially a Nigerian one, you want the best for your children. This doesn’t necessarily mean you want them to have the best clothes, the latest toys, or the coolest gadgets.

Most likely, it means you want them to be safe and secure. And you want to lay a foundation that they can build upon to do well in life.

The question, then, is whether you’re teaching your children a key lesson that will impact whether they will do well. That lesson is about money.

Money is central to transacting life, day-in, and day-out. Where we live, what we eat, the clothes we wear, the car we drive, health care, education, child-rearing, gift-giving, vacations, entertainment, heat, air-conditioning, insurance—you name it, money is involved.

Unfortunately, most parents miss opportunities to talk to their kids about money and finances. A survey by T. Rowe Price showed that the majority of parents are very reluctant to discuss financial topics with their children.

Kids, on the other hand, are eager for their parents to share their wisdom. Half of the children surveyed said they wish their parents taught them more about money.

Here’s how you can give your kids a head start.

Create Opportunities For Them to Earn Money

Kids need to have money of their own so they can learn how to make decisions about using it. An allowance can accomplish that. However, you should consider requiring your kids to do certain chores to earn their allowance. The truth is that most people value the money they

Start With The Basics at a Young Age

Once your kids are old enough to know they shouldn’t be sticking money in their mouths, you should introduce them to cash. Explain what money is and how it is used. Actually, showing them how money works is more effective.

Let them see you making purchases with cash and even if you pay with a debit or credit card, explain to your kids that you’re using your money to make purchases.

PAGE 10

Timi Dakolo & son, Alexander Dakolo

earn differently than the money they receive as gifts so it makes sense to set up a task and reward system.

Create A Budget From Their Allowance

Budgeting skills aren’t always taught at school, so it’s best to proactively guide your children as soon as they begin receiving an allowance.

There are various schools of thought on an allowance. Some people think it could either be earned based on a rate of pay done for household chores. Other parents provide spending money for their children as needed.

Some parents opt for a hybrid approach where you only pay for chores that are outside what is considered “normal” everyday responsibilities.

Help your child create a budget to prepare them for bigger budgeting later in life.

Teach Kids How Their Money Can Grow

Saving money is a great habit. But if you want your kids to learn how to truly build wealth, teach them about investing.

As they become aware of money and other financial concepts, it is smart to familiarize them with investing and arm them with knowhow and tools that they can take with them into adult life.

Of course, they’re still children so it may be a while before they’re ready to tackle concepts such as portfolio creation and asset allocation. However, the basics of investing can be taught when kids are quite young.

Long before your kids start checking company profiles on the internet, start by teaching them the basics of risk vs. reward, stocks and bonds, and profits and losses in a language they’ll understand.

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Apple Music)

Movie Review:

Scan this with your camera to access the playlist (Spotify)

Playlist for Week

The Suicide Squad Directed and Written by: James Gunn Cast: Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, John Cena as Peacemaker, Peter Capaldi as The Thinker, Flula Borg as Javelin, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2, Michael Rooker as Savant, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Mayling Ng as Mongal Nathan Fillion as TDK, Alica Braga as Sol Soria, Pete Davidson as Blackguard, Sean Gunn as Weasel, Joaquín Cosío as Major General Mateo Suarez, Juan Diego Botto as President General Silvio Luna, Storm Reid as Tyla, Bloodsport’s daughter, Steve Agee as John Economos, Tinashe Kajese as Flo Crawley, Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt

T

here’s a reason the movie is called The Suicide Squad and not Suicide Squad 2. Less of a sequel and more of a desperately needed do-over, this scabrous, side-splitting and surprisingly smart supervillain romp is the definite article.

In theaters and streaming on HBO Max, The Suicide Squad of 2021 springs from-as the marketing says- “the twisted mind of James Gunn”. His Guardians of the Galaxy movies injected weirdo sci-fi and a hefty dose of humor into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but when old tweets got him into hot water at Marvel, rival comic conglomerate DC snapped him up to revitalize another oddball ensemble: the neon-drenched, face-tattooed 2016 Suicide Squad movie misfire.

DC’s Dirty Dozen suits Gunn even better than the MCU’s Guardians. Freed of Marvel’s familyfriendly fetters, the man who began his career at B-movie trash palace Troma has found the perfect home for his gloriously bad-taste blend of gore and classic rock; ‘80s action flicks and forgotten comics; and the most scurrilous of humor and foulest of language. This is a movie where the US government hires a shark that talks like Sylvester Stallone to tear people in half. And it is sick. It is sick as hell.

Like the first movie, the plot involves a bunch of comic book convicts with questionable superpowers being pressed into the service of black ops puppetmaster Amanda Waller, played with dead-eyed steel by Viola Davis. This time they’re infiltrating a South American island to take out a newly installed military junta and wipe out a mysterious superweapon. Curse-filled complications and insanely violent hi-jinks ensue.

One of the first movie’s biggest strengths was the casting, and the same is true here.

Alongside Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney and Margot Robbie return from the first film.

After the anemic Birds of Prey, Robbie gets to deliver her most full-blooded turn as DC’s breakout star Harley Quinn, falling in love and machine-gunning henchmen in a torn frock and combat boots.

The newcomers include Idris Elba as exasperated hitman Bloodsport, combining natural leadership qualities with a foulmouthed antiheroic streak. He’s locked in a pissing contest with John Cena’s patriotic, psychotic Peacemaker. The pair clash hilariously as they try to one-up each other in homicidal creativity. Cena is so good and so funny as the uptight Peacemaker (earning a spinoff series on HBO Max next year) he seems like an entirely different actor from the block of wood he played in this year’s Fast and Furious 9.

Joining the Gunn show is a fantastic cast including Nathan Fillion, Michael Rooker, Pete Davidson, Alice Braga, Taika Waititi and Peter Capaldi. (And look out for comic creator John Ostrander as an obnoxious doctor.) Everyone is perfect and clearly having immense fun.

Gunn’s hyperactive camera bobs, weaves and punches at breakneck pace. The movie opens with a savage, and also hilarious, beach assault opening that plays like Saving Private Ryan on a cocktail of drugs. It escalates through inventively nasty action set pieces filled with various jaw-droppingly gory (and amusing) moments to a climax that dials everything up to 11.

So yeah, it’s enormous fun. But The Suicide Squad is far from a stream of self-aware gags in the style of Joss Whedon, another director who crossed between DC and MCU and whose jokey tone in films like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Justice League threatened to undercut the material.

In contrast, Gunn’s jet-black sense of humor oozes from a serious, even angry foundation.

This irreverent comic book movie takes shots at very big and serious themes, raging against Western imperialism, American

Fireboy DML - Peru

Mohbad - Feel Good

Buju - Outside

DJ Tarico; Burna Boy; Preck; Nelson Tivane - Yaba Buluku (feat.

Preck & Nelson Tivane) - Remix

Naira Marley - Drug Test

Naira Marley; Zlatan - Am I a Yahoo Boy

Olu Maintain - Yahooze

Kelly Hansome - Maga Don Pay

Eleniyan - Yahoo Lawon Oremi

foreign policy and government deception as it indicts interference in foreign countries. Representing this chilling bureaucratic evil, Amanda Waller emerges as perhaps the most hateful villain in the DC universe -- certainly the coldest. In this nihilistic world, Gunn finds sympathy for the devils, inviting viewers to feel compassion and empathy for even the biggest rampaging monsters and goofiest comic book characters.

The silliest and scariest are still just people (or walking sharks) with problems.

So rat-chatting millennial Ratcatcher (touchingly played by Daniela Melchior) is invested with genuine hope and heartbreak. And PolkaDot-Man’s very silly powers are reimagined as genuinely creepy body horror. David Dastmalchian brilliantly channels a tortured psychological torment that lends weight to the absurd character -- while also setting up a truly nonsensical non-sequitur of a visual gag, of course.

Gunn is also wonderfully interested in the little people in the background. Even the most anonymous extras get little details sketched in to make them feel like a person, even if that detail is swiftly followed by a gory and horrifying death. The squad’s backroom staff of button-pushers are entertainingly fleshed out (for reasons that become clear by the credits) and even enjoy a spot of karmic revenge for their bosses’ rather harsh treatment of the support staff in the first film.

While it’s clearly a cut above the muddled mess of the original 2016 film directed by David Ayer, the sequel is far from a riposte or rejection. Version 2.0 highlights the weaknesses of the first film (which

Qdot - Koshi Danu

incidentally won an Oscar), but also makes it make sense.

Watching Gunn’s version made me look back on the original and think: Ohhhh, so this is what they were trying to do.

Ayer took heat for his shamelessly obvious wedding-DJ-like needle drops, but Gunn opens the film’s prison scenes with Johnny Cash singing Folsom Prison Blues. The film’s playlist isn’t as showy as Guardians of the Galaxy’s much-loved soundtracks, but it provides yet another pleasure in this tour de force of trash.

The Suicide Squad is demented and delicious, heartfelt and horribly hilarious.

8/10

PAGE 11

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

BEAUTY

SCENTS FOR DAYS

BY ONAH NWACHUKWU

W Agarwood or Oud image

By Hassan Ammar /GETTY IMAGE

earing your favourite perfume may just be what you need at the time but wearing the right scent does so much more than you know.

Perfumers know and understand that smell is located in the same part of the brain that processes memory, emotion, and motivation, and so they put a lot of thought into the ingredients that make up each fragrance. From the sensual effect that vanilla gives to the power that oud exudes, knowing the right scent to wear will leave a lasting impression on the people you come in contact with.

OUD Often referred to as ‘liquid gold’, oud is one of the rarest and most expensive ingredients used in perfumery. Derived from the agar tree that grows in India, South-East Asia, and Bangladesh, it is said to be the most expensive timber in the world. Oud is described as warm, woody with a hint of damp rot, you will also find some to be smoky and sweet.

This fragrance can be very potent so go easy with it. You should wear this when you want to make a statement without saying a word.

Oud For Highness KRIGLER

PAGE 12

The Night FREDERIC MALLE

VANILLA Often described as ‘black gold’ by perfumers, vanilla is a key ingredient for them. This precious raw material is taken from the pod of a plant and is often seen as an aphrodisiac.

Folklore has it that the daughter of a goddess turned herself into a plant to give pleasure because she being divine could not marry a man. It gives off a sweet, warm, and round scent. Wear a vanilla-based fragrance when you want to bring out your inner sensuality. It is perfect when you are going out on a date.

Gypsy Water BYREDO

Tobacco Vanille TOM FORD

Dior Addict

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

BEAUTY

SANDALWOOD As the name suggests, sandalwood is distinctive with its woody fragrance.

Got from Santalum album tree, which is grown in India and southern Asia, sandalwood is listed as the second most expensive wood in the world due to its rarity. As a matter of fact, in India, it is considered a tree that brings you close to the divine and so it is a sacred and protected tree there. The scent is woody and comforting, so you should wear it when you need to feel calm.

ALMOND COCO CHANEL

Heures D’Absence LOUIS VUITTON

MUSK Known as the ultimate feel-good ingredient, musk is famous for bringing about an air of freshness.

A very long time ago, the first musk scent was taken from the sex gland secretion of a Tibetan deer.

Thankfully, today perfumers recreate this scent synthetically; to give a fresh, clean skin effect. Wear a musk-based scent on a ‘meet the parents’ outing; you’ll smell clean, fresh, and more importantly, it will keep you calm. It’s also great as an everyday scent.

It has the same sweetness as vanilla and is also a popular ingredient among perfumers. The interesting thing though is that a lot of them use synthetic alternatives; apricot kernel to be precise, to recreate the almond scent. It brings out the creaminess in a fragrance, plus it is milky and sweet. Use this fragrance when you need to be upbeat.

Orris & Sandalwood JO MALONE

L’Instant Magic GUERLAIN Jasmins Marzipane MAISON LANCOME

BERGAMOT

Bergamote 22 LE LABO

Bergamot is one of the favourite citruses of perfumers, it is quite bitter to taste but the sweetsmelling citrus aroma makes it perfect for use as a fragrance.

Because it is quite zesty and fresh, bergamot is a great ‘pick me up’ ingredient and so makes for the perfect scent to use at the start of the day.

Le Jardin De Monsieur Li HERMES

Velvet Oriental Musk DOLCE & GABBANA

JASMINE

Jasmine Rouge TOM FORD

Jasmine is one of the most expensive ingredients in perfumery and it is also one of the key ingredients in a perfumer’s palette. There are around 200 species that are native to tropical and warm temperate regions in Europe and Asia. It has a fresh, and opulent scent; think luxury, so it is perfect for very special occasions.

Wear it to an important meeting.

Baccarat Rouge 540 MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJAN

PAGE 13

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

THE SCENE DOWNTOWN

The Newlywed Mr & Mrs Williams

THE EXCLUSIVE

Pre-Wedding Dinner of Kehinde & Adebola Williams

BY LATASHA NGWUBE

I

t was an evening of love, good food and great ambience as friends of the newlywed Williams, threw an intimate pre- wedding dinner party in honour of the couple and their respective families. The event was held in Lekki, Lagos with a sumptuous spread by Chef Linda of Smolefikpots and tastefully decorated by Yventkouture. The evening was especially meaningful as there was a commemorative silence, fol lowed by heartfelt tributes and release of balloons into the night’s sky for the recently deceased Chef Emeka Eloagu - a close friend to both the couple and many others in attendance. These are some of the guests from the exclusive outing.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu

(From L-R) Olakunle Olaniyi-Edwards,Tosin Osunkoya, Tunji Amure, Tope Runsewe & Olakunle Kuponiyi

PAGE 14

Camille Shaiyen & Jokotola Adetunmbi

Omawumi

Bukola Eyitayo, Korede Oghinan, Kanyinsola Onalaja

Waje

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

THE SCENE DOWNTOWN

Lynda Baba & Bosayo Oyeleke

Seyitan Adeyemo

Chantelle Akpofure

Alexander Yangs

Glory

Chude Jideonwo

Amb Martins Acha

Bruno Ferreira

The Danjuma

Modupe & Temitayo Daniel

Danny Nazzal Hon. Seyi Adisa

Mayowa Daniel, Yvonne, Taiwo Daniel, Debola Daniel

Babatunde Surakat

Toks Ogun

Noble Igwe & Tola Odunsi

Torrera Sotinwa and Adim Isiakpona

Ayme Sinclair

Adim Ogbue

Bankole Eniola

PAGE 15

4

VOL 1 NO.27 • AUGUST 15 – AUGUST 21, 2021

LIVING

Most Expensive

Watches & How Much They Cost N = NAIR A

BY TILEWA KAZEEM

W

hen it comes to luxury watches, the word “expensive” must always be top of the list. The world’s most impressive, exclusive, and extravagant clocks cost between $1,000,000 to more than $1 billion and are certain to end up in private collections if not museums.

Watches of all kinds exist, but the world’s most expensive watches stand head and shoulders above the rest. Their purpose seems to be to smash world records, snatch the attention of top collectors, and encourage millionaires and billionaires to splash out.

These watches, made with the finest materials and adorned with precious stones, keep the interest of anyone even mildly interested in timepieces (think Patek Philippe, Rolex, Chopard, and Vacheron Constantin).

Keeping that in mind, here are four of the rarest and most expensive watches in the world.

Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010

(N12.7 Billion)

The beauty of this timepiece is that it has two dials, one on the front and one on the back, which is a nice addition to a 12 billion naira timepiece.

With over 20 complications, including five chime modes (hence the name), an acoustic alarm, and a date repeater, the Patek Grandmaster Chime is the most expensive watch ever sold by Patek. This Patek is built with a white gold case, navy blue alligator leather strap with goldapplied numerals, while appliques adorn both dials. The dial plates are 18K solid gold and the dials are blue opaline with gold numerals.

Graff Diamonds Hallucination

(N22.6 Billion)

Jacob & Co. Billionaire Watch

(N7 Billion)

The Jacob & Co. Billionaire watch is the most aptly named luxury timepiece ever.

189 carats of Akosha diamonds adorn the piece, creating the illusion that each diamond appears 30% bigger than a traditional emerald cut diamond.

Its skeleton face gives you a peek into the intricate and handcrafted tourbillon movement, which is composed of 167 components and 18 gemstones.

A rose-cut jewel finish on the crown anchors a bracelet made of 18k white gold and the dial is made of white gold seamlessly integrated into this expensive timepiece.

PAGE 16

Graff Diamonds creation is this dazzling and brilliantly fantastical timepiece, the Hallucination, which is the most expensive watch ever made.

Diamonds of different colours and cuts are set into a platinum bracelet set with 110 carats in kaleidoscopic fashion for this masterpiece. The Hallucination watch, unveiled by the Baselworld Jewelry Show at the end of 2014, is a culmination of designers, gemologists, and expert craftsmen’s efforts.

In my opinion, they couldn’t have come up with a better name than Hallucination.

JaegerLeCoultre Joaillerie 101 Manchette

(N10.6 Billion)

Manufactured in 2012, this intricately crafted Jaeger-LeCoultre timepiece was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the 60th year of her reign.

Made from white gold and featuring a series of polished, diamond-set links, this watch boasts an utterly unique profile. Encased in this glistening beauty is one of the world’s smallest miniature calibre 101 movement.