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Nigerian traditional ruler found guilty of fraud in the US
A traditional ruler in Imo State, Dr. Ekelekamchukwu Alphonsus Ngwadom, has been convicted and sentenced for committing Medicaid fraud in the United States after billing dozens of minors for therapy they never received.
Ekelekamchukwu, 61, is a Psychotherapist and Professor of Psychology and Sociology at University of Mount Olive, North Carolina, USA.
He was crowned the king of Mbubu, Amiri Kingdom in Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State in 2021 after the passing of his father.
US Attorney General Jeff Jackson, announced on January 13, 2025 that Ngwadom pled guilty to 27 counts of obtaining property by false pretenses.
Ngwadom was sentenced to 12-34 months, suspended for 36 months of supervised probation, which carried a 90-day house arrest and a payment of $72,014.66 in restitution.
“When people defraud the Medicaid program, they are stealing money from North Carolina taxpayers and from those who rely on this care. My office will not allow it, and we’re going to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to prevent fraud,” Jackson said.
Between February 18, 2020 and March 18, 2021, Ngwadom submitted $72,014.66 in fraudulent claims to Alliance Health, a North Carolina health insurance company that services state-funded plans and Medicaid, for providing behavioral health services to 27 Medicaid patients, including children, that were never provided.
Alliance Health paid Ngwadom the money, however, the integrity section of Alliance Health flagged the payment and the attorney general’s Medicaid Integrity Division (MID) began investigating.
Ngwadom was charged on January 30, 2025, three years after a probe by the N.C. Department of Justice and the State Bureau of Investigation, court documents show.
The investigation began after Alliance Health, which manages public behavioral health care for multiple Triangle-area counties, reported in 2020 that one of Almarch Counseling’s clients appeared to have overlapping services from two different providers, according to a search warrant.
The parents of the minor client told investigators they’d never received services from Ngwadom or Almarch, but records showed Ngwadom had submitted 52 claims for that family’s two children between January and October 2020.
Tracy Grimes, a prosecutor for the N.C. Attorney General’s Office, said in court that Ngwadom billed the minors for services he’d purportedly provided as part of an after-school program, but that program was not running because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He’d actually met the clients while participating in the program from 2016 to 2019, she said.
Families who spoke to investigators also reported Ngwadom would come to their house to offer services, but they would decline, Grimes said.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria will on Thursday, deliver judgments in two cases involving the leadership crises rocking the African Democratic Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
According to information on the official website of the court, the matters, listed under “Political Appeals”, have been added to the cause list for Thursday, April 30, 2026.
While judgment in the ADC matter, marked SC/CV/180/2026, has been fixed for 2 pm, there is no time yet for that if the PDP.
President Bola Tinubu has written the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of fifteen nominees to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The letter was read by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The letter seeks the reconstitution of the commission’s board in line with statutory provisions with the list comprising nominees from diverse professional backgrounds, including the media and legal sectors.
Among the nominees are the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and Editor, Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba; and Dr. Salamatu Hussaina Suleiman, who has been proposed as chairman of the board.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu (SAN) is to retain his position as the Chief Executive Officer.
Other nominees include Mrs Roseline Tasha, Ambassador Adam Yubak Baku, ACG Felix Lawrence, Mr. Edmund Chinonye, Mr. Chinonye Obiaku (SAN), Oluwakemi Asiwaju Okere-Odo, Professor Adedeji Ogunji, Kingsley Chidozie, Mohammed Adelodu, Maupe Ogun Yusuf, and Otunba Francis Meshioye as members.
Also nominated are Patience Patrick and Hawwa Ibrahim, listed as members.
The President said the nominations were made pursuant to Section 2(3) of the National Human Rights Commission (Establishment) Act, 2010, which empowers him to constitute the board subject to Senate confirmation.
He explained that the reconstitution of the board was necessary to enhance the commission’s institutional capacity and enable it to more effectively discharge its mandate to promote and protect human rights across the country.
If confirmed, the new board is expected to play a critical role in reinforcing the NHRC’s oversight functions, particularly at a time of heightened concerns over rights protection and accountability in Nigeria.
Following the presentation of the request, the Senate referred the nominations to its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for screening and report within two weeks.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has revealed that it investigated the founder of Streams of Joy International, Pastor Jerry Eze, for six months over suspected money laundering before clearing him.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Commission, disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking at the Jerry Eze Foundation Business Grant Award Ceremony in Abuja.
According to him, the probe was triggered by intelligence reports and petitions after the commission observed large inflows of foreign currencies into the cleric’s domiciliary account.
“We work by intelligence, we work by petitions. At some point, I saw there was an account, a domiciliary account. Dollars, pounds were dropping in like raindrops, from Colombia, from America, from Sri Lanka, even from Togo.
“I said who is this man? Yes, I’ve been hearing about his name, I’ve seen his face a couple of times. I never bothered about what he was doing. I knew he was a pastor.
“So they said this one pastor of streams of joy, go and investigate him. So we went to the investigation. We combed the books,” Olukoyede stated.
The EFCC boss said he subsequently invited Eze for questioning after preliminary findings were compiled by investigators.
He added that upon meeting the cleric and reviewing the findings of the investigation, the commission found no wrongdoing.
“So he came to my office. He told me what happens and all of that, and how the money came, what he does, how he has been helping people, and all of that.
“I said, you know what, I didn’t call you here to explain to me. We have already done our work. I called you here to commend you,” he stated.
The remark drew applause from the audience, as Eze, who was present at the event, acknowledged the commendation.
He noted that the commission has a responsibility not only to investigate financial crimes but also to recognise individuals found to have acted with integrity.
The EFCC chairman, however, stated that the agency would continue to monitor financial activities where necessary, stressing that its preventive mandate remains critical in tackling corruption.
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