This year, there was more than enough shame to go around.

University students have sex (gasp!) BABCOCK cannot handle

University students have sex that’s what they do isn’t it? Sometimes they get carried away and make a porno too. Two students of Babcock University were the stars of a sex tape that made its way to the internet, setting tongues wagging and whipping the moral majority into a righteous frenzy. The school, owned by the Seventh-day Adventist church was quick to pronounce judgement, dishing out expulsion notices to the female student. Apparently, her partner had been shown the way out earlier.

Much ado about IAAF money

Good riddance to former minister of sports Solomon Dalung who didn’t go away without dragging Nigeria through the mud one last time with his refusal to quietly refund some $130,000 which the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) claimed was credited to the country in error. Under threat of sanctions, Dalung eventually authorized part payment but it wasn’t until Sunday Dare resumed as minister that IAAF confirmed full payment. Meanwhile AFN secretary general Amaechi Akawu was arrested and grilled by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on suspicion of misappropriation.

FBI arrests Invictus Obi

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) apprehended Obinwanne (Invictus Obi) Okeke, a Nigerian serial entrepreneur and founder of the Invictus group who was listed among Forbes 100 most influential young Africans in 2018. Okeke is being charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud. He is being held for allegedly hacking into a steel company in America and stealing a whopping $12 million of the company’s money.

Divergent Enterprises is bad business

Twitter was shook to its core when allegations of shady business practices, scam deals and undignifying treatment of staff began to emerge across several business operated by Divergent Enterprises, the company set up and run by Glory Osei and Muyiwa Folorunsho. The picture that emerged was a workspace culture so toxic, self-respecting persons had no business existing there. Folks who had been watching closely noted that this terrible behavior by Osei and hubby Folorunsho has been documented extensively on Nairaland but for some reason the couple emerged unscathed. Osei showed not a bit of remorse for being caught out there and her implosion included perhaps the lengthiest Twitter rant of the year.

Allen Onyema indicted by US DOJ

Allen Onyema, man of the people and founder/ CEO of Nigeria’s largest domestic airlines, Air Peace was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on charges of bank fraud and money laundering for the alleged illegal movement of more than $20 million. Onyema was accused of transferring the monies from Nigeria through U.S. bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of airplanes. The airline’s chief financial officer Ejiroghene Eghagha was also charged with bank fraud and identity theft in connection. Both have maintained their innocence.

FBI uncovers Nigerian email scam ring

In a high profile, investigation going on for years, United States authorities charged 77 Nigerian nationals with participating in a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars. The fellows were accused of using business email fraud schemes and romance scams to con mostly elderly victims. The US Police arrested 14 suspects and a complimentary EFCC operation tagged operation re-wired & cybercrime-related fraud recovered $169,850, N92 million and four exotic cars from 167 Yahoo boys in 38 days.

BBC Africa Eye unveils sex for marks lecturers

Kiki Mordi did a solid act of journalism when she went undercover to expose several academics as part of a year-long investigation funded by BBC Africa Eye. Mordi’s expose gave a new face to the scourge of sexual harassment prevalent in top institutions in Nigeria and Ghana, sparked widespread social media outrage, explored alleged sexual harassment by members of staff at two top West African universities and triggered the “embarrassed” University of Lagos to suspend one of the culprits, Dr Boniface Igbeneghu.

The trials and tribulations of Omoyele Sowore

In a direct and revolting attack on human rights, free speech and the rule of law, officials of the Department of State Security (DSS) violated the sanctity of the courts when they swooped in in dramatic fashion to re-arrest journalist, political activist and former presidential aspirant Omoyele Sowore hours after he was freed on bail. Sowore is detained for calling for a nationwide demonstration against President Muhammadu Buhari and is charged with treason, money laundering and cyberstalking the President.

$9 billion energy scam

This one goes back to 2010 when the Nigerian government entered a contract with P&ID to oversee the conversion of Nigeria’s wet gas resources into usable dry gas. The deal, if completed was to have earned P&ID billions of dollars in profit. No surprise that the deal fell through and went into arbitration. P&ID successfully applied to a high court in London for an order that allows the company to seize $9bn in assets belonging to the country. After talking tough initially, a chastised government has announced a readiness to negotiate a settlement. No culprits have been identified yet.

Biodun Fatoyinbo’s past comes calling

This paper started an avalanche via an emotional interview with Busola Dakolo where she accused Biodun Fatoyinbo, founder of the trendy Commonwealth of Zion Assembly of raping her repeatedly when she was a teenager. Other women came forward and YNaija was on top of the story, pursuing it to wherever it would lead. And it led to places. Shady pastors, corrupt policemen, intimidation of plaintiffs. All of these and more were recorded in one of the biggest news stories of the year.