Tag: UK

BREAKING: UK bans use of nitrous oxide for highness

From November 8, inhaling nitrous oxide to produce a ‘high’ will be illegal in the United Kingdom (UK) and those breaking the law could receive prison sentence for repeat serious offenders.

TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports nitrous oxide is a colourless gas, also known as ‘laughing gas’ that is misused for its psychoactive effects.

Nitrous oxide can be misused for its psychoactive effects, to ‘get a high’, by inhalation.

The ban follows increasingly growing concerns about misuse of nitrous oxide and its impacts.

It is already illegal to produce, supply, import or export nitrous oxide for psychoactive purposes in the UK.

However, the law has been updated to also make possession of nitrous oxide illegal, unless for a legitimate reason, making it a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

“It will be a criminal offence to be found in possession of the drug where it’s intended use is to be inhaled for psychoactive effects, or ‘to get high’.

“From 8 November, those found in unlawful possession will face either an unlimited fine, a visible community punishment, or a caution – which would appear on their criminal record – and for repeat serious offenders, a prison sentence of up to two years.

“The penalty for supply or production will double, to up to 14 years in prison,” the media fact sheet on nitrous oxide ban released by the UK government on Wednesday reads.

TNG reports heavy nitrous oxide use can result in serious health harms such as neurological damage and even death due to the risk of falling unconscious and/or suffocating from the lack of oxygen.

Other harms associated with nitrous oxide include dizziness, vitamin B deficiency and nerve damage that can result from heavy long-term use.

Meanwhile, there are a broad range of legitimate uses of nitrous oxide, for example pain relief in medical settings, including dentistry.

It is also used legitimately in industry, for manufacturing and technical processes, such as food packaging, but also in catering, as a whipped cream propellant.

Hobbyists also use it in activities such as drag racing and model rocketry.

“All sizes of nitrous oxide cannisters are illegal if the supplier or owner does not have a legitimate reason.

“The government is determined to crack down on the organised criminals behind illicit drugs supply.

“Anyone who plans to inhale the drug themselves for psychoactive effect, or suppliers or producers who turn a blind eye to buyers of their products will be committing offences.

“Anti-social behaviour on our streets won’t be tolerated,” the media fact sheet added.

Nitrous oxide abuse: Concerns in Nigeria

In Nigeria, nitrous oxide abuse was fast emerging, especially by young partygoers or funseekers to feel intoxicated or high.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently launched a campaign in Lagos State to clamp down on illegal sales and consumption of the substance.

Mr Umar Adoro, NDLEA Commander in Lagos had said the agency was working hard to tackle the emerging trend because of its implication on the nervous system.

“The abuse of the gas slows down brain and body responses. However, the effects of the drug varies depending on the quantity inhaled.

“Taking nitrous oxide can cause feelings of euphoria, relaxation, fits of giggles and laughter – hence, the nickname ‘laughing gas.

“The gas is often transferred from its containers into balloons, from where it’s inhaled for euphoric effects,” Adoro said.

He warned Nigerians who deals on the substance to have a change of heart as their activity negates morality.

He said the anti-narcotic agency would remain ever committed to its mandate of clearing the country of illicit drug trafficking.

NDLEA boss orders nationwide clampdown on illegal sale of laughing gas

Earlier in July, Chairman of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa had ordered a nationwide clampdown on illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide, otherwise know as ‘laughing gas’.

The order was contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi in Abuja.

Marwa directed all NDLEA commands and formations to immediately clampdown on ‘laughing gas.’

He explained that the directive was sequel to the abuse of the substance by people who use it for recreational purposes.

Marwa said the decision to clampdown on those involved in the illegal sale and use of nitrous oxide, followed the analysis of its effects on those who abuse the substance.

This, he said, included: dizziness; disorientation, headache; light headedness; fainting spells; hallucinations; falling unconscious and/or suffocating from lack of oxygen; and other neurological complications, especially psychiatric symptoms.

The NDLEA boss said pending when other measures were taken in consultation with other stakeholders, especially the Federal Ministry of Health, to curb the menace, it would not hesitate to wield the big stick against anyone.

He said, “no matter their social status, on those involved in illegal sale or use of nitrous oxide in the overall interest of public health, we will clampdown,” he said.

Marwa urged parents, guardians and other stakeholders to be vigilant, alert and warned their young ones against attempting experimenting or abusing the substance, which poses threats to their mental and overall wellbeing.

October 18, 2023
Euro 2028: UEFA approves UK and Ireland as host

The 2028 European Championship, will be hosted by the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, UEFA has confirmed.

The bid from UK and Ireland became unoppose when Turkey withdrew to focus on a bid with Italy for Euro 2032, which was also confirmed at a meeting in Switzerland.

This means that UEFA EURO 2028 will be hosted by all the entities in the UK namely; England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales.

The UK and Ireland focused on Euro 2028, with Uefa’s approval, after they ended a plan to be Europe’s preferred candidate for the 2030 World Cup.

According to the memoradum of Understanding between them, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium hosts the opening match of the 2028 tournament with the final at London’s Wembley.

“For me as a Welshman, I would love for Cardiff to host the opening match,” said former Wales captain Gareth Bale, who attended the presentation in Nyon.

“We have the stadium and infrastructure for it.”

The Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales have never hosted a major football tournament.

Matches at Euro 2028 are set to be held at 10 different grounds, including Glasgow’s Hampden Park and Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Belfast’s Casement Park and Everton’s Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, the former unbuilt while the latter is still under construction, were also included in the bid.

England were one of the 11 countries to host Euro 2020 along with Scotland, as well as being sole hosts of the 1966 World Cup and Euro ’96. England also hosted the record-breaking Women’s European Championship in 2022.

While Italy had only bid for the 2032 tournament, Turkey had initially bid to host both Euro 2028 and 2032.

October 10, 2023
Migrate to UK, go to jail in Rwanda – By Owei Lakemfa

THE United Kingdom, UK, and Rwanda who conspired to have hapless migrants flown from London to open prison in Kigali, are trying hard to keep their unholy alliance on track.

Ironically, the main driver of this criminal anti-immigration conspiracy, 43-year-old British Attorney General Suella Braverman, is of Indian origin whose parents, Uma and Christie Fernandes, migrated from Mauritius and Kenya.

Her boss, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s grandparents were Indians born in Pakistan, while his parents migrated from East Africa. The amiable King Charles III is a descendant of William the Conqueror who migrated from Normandy in France and whose forebears were Scandinavian Vikings. On the other hand, the Rwandan President Paul Kagame, knows what it is to be a migrant as his parents fled the country when he was two, and he was raised in refugee camps in Uganda.

It would have been expected that these leaders, given their backgrounds would be sympathetic to migrants, but the anti-migration conspiracies of the countries they lead, suggest otherwise. In order to carry out the inhuman act of rounding up illegal migrants, half of who are Indians and Africans, and sending them to an uncertain but difficult future in Rwanda, both countries tried to convince the world that what they are doing is compassionate work in the service of humanity. The argument presented by Braverman is that: “Many countries around the world are grappling with unprecedented numbers of illegal migrants and I sincerely believe that this world-leading partnership … is both humanitarian and compassionate and also fair and balanced.”

On the other hand, the claim of Rwanda as presented by its Foreign Minister, Vincent Biruta is that the UK-Rwanda proposals “offer better opportunities for migrants and Rwandans alike and would help with the British government’s goal of disrupting people-trafficking networks.” Behind these claims are cold financial statistics and calculations in which the migrants are mere figures, not human beings. The British establishment is uncomfortable that the migrants, in comparison with the indigenes, have high birth rates which has implications for the country’s future, and that the country spends over two billion pounds a year to accommodate migrants. So it seeks a cheap way out: offer a $95 million contract to countries willing to take in so-called illegal immigrants and ensure they never come back to the UK.

Rwanda, whose primary interests are financial gains, agreed in 2022 to receive thousands of illegally deported migrants for a fee of $146 million. Specifically on who is to be deported to Rwanda, under the April 14, 2022 “asylum partnership agreement” the British Interior Ministry says they would be: “Anyone who comes to the UK illegally – who cannot be returned to their home country – will be in scope to be relocated to Rwanda.”

Despite their agreement on how to treat migrants by virtually holding them in open prison, both countries still have differences. The Rwandan High Commissioner to Britain, Johnston Busingye, in a video aired on Saturday September 30, 2023, fired a missile at his host, saying although his country has a binding agreement with the UK on the migrants, the latter should stop posing as a compassionate country that has the interests of refugees at heart. He said this is “immoral” and that Britain should address the root causes of migration rather than treat its symptoms.

Busingye said: “They should have a long-term policy of making it a choice for people not to risk their lives coming to the UK. Because right now, many people are not coming here because of war in their country. No, they’re coming here because they are hopeless. They’re coming here because they have no future.” He added: “It is immoral for this country to still see themselves as the refugee country, the solace country, the protection country, the compassion country. They enslaved millions of people for 400 years. They destroyed India, they destroyed China, they destroyed Africa.”

A red-faced British establishment is yet to make a coherent response. It is likely it would ask the High Commissioner to be withdrawn. Finding the chicken feed offered by UK appetising, Rwanda, five months later, turned to Denmark for a similar deal to dump unwanted asylum seekers from that country in Rwanda for a fee. Denmark, a socially conscious country may with this agreement find itself in strange company. It is a country that has a full Minister in charge of foreigners and integration. Its Integration Act is to ensure that “newly arrived foreign nationals get an opportunity to use their abilities and resources to become active citizens on equal terms with other citizens in the Danish society”.

So, how does a country with such a model law, embark on a mission to deport migrants for a fee into an uncertain future? It is also not certain if Europeans from Poland, Ukraine, Romania and Germany who form the bulk of the migrants would be sent to the African country or it would be the comparatively small number of non-European migrants from Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Iran and India that would be sent.

The fate of the asylum seekers in Rwanda is not certain. But what is clear is that the 6,400-kilometre journey from UK to Rwanda is a “One way ticket”, so the victims cannot return. In Rwanda, the asylum seekers may be granted refugee status to remain in the country or seek asylum in another “safe third country”. Were they to remain in Rwanda, the possibility of eventually being expelled and forcibly returned to their countries of origin, is high.

There is the experience of Australia in 2012 seizing asylum seekers and seconding them to Papua New Guinea and Republic of Naru. There were long delays in determining their refugee status; they were virtually abandoned with little food and virtually no medical care even when a number of them developed mental illness. In some cases, 112 of them were cramped into a single dormitory. Some times when they ventured out of the detention centre, they were attacked, raped or beaten by the locals.

Four years later, it was discovered that at least 83 per cent of them were suffering from psychological disorder. The asylum seekers were so badly treated that some begged to be allowed to return to their home countries. Eventually, Australia was forced by international pressure to close the centres. In spite of this experience and the illegality of the UK-Rwanda agreement, most of the world is silent. This is worse in Africa whose ancestral land is to be desecrated. I am not aware of any African country that has called out Rwanda. The message out there is simple: migrate illegally to UK and go to jail in Rwanda.

October 7, 2023
UK midwifery council set to probe over 500 Nigerians for ‘fraudulent’ exam results

The United Kingdom Nursing Council is set to probe over 500 Nigerians for fraudulent exam results.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the regulatory body overseeing the nursing and midwifery professions in the UK, will be conducting the probe.

It has come to light that the applicants may have been involved in fraudulent activities during exams at a testing center in Ibadan, Oyo State. In order to be registered with this council, international professionals are required to complete two assessments: a Computer-Based Test (CBT) administered in their home country and a practical test in the UK.

After conducting an investigation into the activities of Yunnik Technologies, a test center based in Oyo State, evidence of extensive fraudulent activity related to CBT services was discovered. The Guardian reported that the NMC initiated the investigation in May after being informed about manipulated results at the test center.

The investigation into the fraudulent exam results involving over 500 Nigerian applicants by the United Kingdom Nursing Council has raised concerns about the integrity of the nursing profession. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has taken swift action to uncover the truth behind these allegations and protect the standards of nursing and midwifery in the UK.

It has been revealed that the applicants, who aimed to register with the NMC, may have participated in fraudulent activities during their exams at a testing center in Ibadan, Oyo State. The NMC requires international professionals to complete two assessments: a Computer-Based Test (CBT) administered in their home country and a practical test in the UK. However, evidence of extensive fraudulent activity related to the CBT services provided by Yunnik Technologies in Oyo State has been uncovered.

The gravity of these fraudulent activities cannot be underestimated. They not only undermine the credibility of the nursing profession but also pose a risk to the quality of healthcare services provided to patients. Nurses and midwives play a vital role in the healthcare system, and any compromise in their assessment processes could have serious consequences for patient safety.

The NMC’s investigation, initiated in May, serves as a strong reminder that dishonesty and fraud in the healthcare sector will not be tolerated. The Guardian, which reported the fraudulent activities, highlighted the NMC’s commitment to maintaining high standards and ensuring the credibility of the profession.

By launching this investigation, the NMC is sending a clear message to both the fraudulent applicants and the wider nursing community. Any attempts to undermine the integrity of the profession will be met with severe consequences.

The NMC aims to protect patient safety, maintain professional standards, and uphold public trust in the nursing and midwifery professions.

While the investigation is ongoing, it is crucial for the NMC to thoroughly examine the evidence and ensure due process for all involved. The reputation of the nursing profession is at stake, and it is essential to address this issue promptly and transparently

Furthermore, this investigation highlights the need for robust monitoring and evaluation processes within the nursing profession. It is vital for regulatory bodies like the NMC to continuously review their assessment procedures and strengthen safeguards against fraudulent activities. Regular audit checks, stricter protocols, and collaborative efforts with international partners can help prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

In conclusion, the United Kingdom Nursing Council’s investigation into over 500 Nigerian applicants for fraudulent exam results underscores the importance of maintaining the integrity and credibility of the nursing profession. The NMC’s commitment to thorough investigation and protecting patient safety sends a strong message that any attempts to manipulate the assessment processes will face severe consequences.

October 4, 2023
Ohanaeze lauds UK for establishing visa application submission centre in Enugu

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the socio-cultural umbrella of the people of the Southeast geopolitical zone on Monday lauded the British government for establishing a UK visa application form submission centre in Enugu.

It also expressed gratitude to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery for granting the request of its President-General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, for the establishment of the centre in the Southeast.

Its spokesman, Dr Alex Ogbonnia stated on Monday in Enugu that Iwuanyanwu requested the establishment of a visa office in Enugu on June 27 when Montgomery paid him a courtesy visit.

He recalled that during the visit, the Igbo Leader told Montgomery that Nigerians of Southeast extraction accounted for more than 70 per cent of Nigerians traveling to the United Kingdom on daily basis.

Ogbonnia stated also that Iwuanyanwu argued that it was unfair to subject that sizeable number of visa applicants to travels to Lagos and Abuja to submit their applications.

Iwuanyanwu, he added, seized the opportunity of the visit to highlight the longstanding relationship between the Southeast of Nigeria and the United Kingdom in the areas of religion, education and culture.

He stated that Iwuanyanwu cited the role of the Church Missionary Society, a Scottish religious body that arrived Onitsha, Anambra for evangelism in 1857.

“Iwuanyanwu reminded the envoy that there used to be a British Council office in Enugu and expressed surprise that the office was shut without sufficient reason.

“He assured Montgomery that a visa office in Enugu would promote bilateral collaborations that would enhance the growth and sustainable development of the southeast region’s economy,’’ Ogbonnia added.

He stressed that Iwuanyanwu was excited when he learnt that the British High Commission had announced the opening of a temporary visa application submission centre in Enugu State beginning from Sept. 13.

“The UK diplomatic office disclosed in a statement on Monday that the facility will operate at Independence Layout, Enugu and offer twice-a-week services in the interim,’’ he stated.

Ogbonnia added that Iwuanyanwu urged the people of the Southeast to avail themselves of the opportunity the visa application submission centre offers.

September 11, 2023
Health misinformation: YouTube begins verifying videos by UK doctors

YouTube has launched a verification system for UK-based doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals to help Britons dodge medical misinformation online.

UK-based users accounted for more than two billion video views of clips on health conditions in 2021.

YouTube added a new seal of approval to accounts run by licensed doctors, nurses, psychologists, and other health practitioners or organisations who have passed stringent verification checks to fight misinformation.

YouTube head of UK health Dr Vishaal Virani said the move to verified health videos for UK users was crucial due to the number of Brits accessing healthcare information through the video-sharing platform.

Virani told the BBC, “whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, whether the health industry is pushing for it or not, people are accessing health information online.

“We need to do as good a job as possible to bring rigour to the content that they are subsequently consuming when they start their care journey online.’’

The verification system began accepting applications from UK-based health care professionals to those with an active medical licence in June.

Accounts that applied to the verification scheme are now starting to receive their YouTube mark of authenticity of their videos.

This would help to make it easy as possible for users to know if the information has come from a qualified healthcare professional.

Potential health creators submitting their accounts have to go through a rigorous, multi-stepped verification process that works in partnership with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the National Health Service.

Health creators also have their past videos scrutinised and do not receive verification if previous videos uploaded to YouTube have contained any medical misinformation.

September 8, 2023
My first impressions in Nigeria – British Deputy High Commissioner

The British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Mr Jonny Baxter, says his first few weeks in Nigeria has revealed the people as passionate, full of energy, and with entrepreneurial spirit

Baxter, who is new in office, said this in his maiden media interview, NAN in Lagos, on Thursday.

“I have been here for three and a half weeks so I’m still very new. Nigeria has been an absolutely amazing place to be and as you will know, Nigeria, is well known to UK.

“I was really looking forward to coming to Nigeria, particularly to Lagos, to enjoy the vibrant culture, the vibrant food, all of the things that Lagos produces and is well known for and I have been lucky enough to come across all those things.

“Meeting Nigerians has been fantastic and the welcome I have had has been absolutely incredible. I love the fact that all the Nigerians I have met have been passionate, have been full of energy for the things that they are talking about and things they care about.

“ I have really noticed the entrepreneurial spirit and those things are just brilliant to be around, as you can’t help but be uplifted by it. And you know, I’ve been so lucky to meet an incredible group of people already,” he said.

He said that in his short time in the country, he had been able to visit the beach, amongst other exciting places.

“So I went I went out to a beach and I sat quietly for a while and read Jagua Nana, which is quite an old book by Cyprian Ekwensi, and really enjoyed doing that,” he said.

The envoy said that it was fantastic, when after tweeting about it afterwards, he got brilliant responses from Nigerians and suggestions on other things he could do.

He said he had also enjoyed his visit to the Lufasi Nature Park, where he got to see both the amazing work that had been done there, and also the children and the students who were enjoying the place of peace in the city that is alive all the time.

“Suddenly, there is this green space where you can sit down and enjoy the trees, hear the birds and that was a lovely, lovely trip, so I’ve enjoyed all of that,” he said.

On Nigerian cuisine, he said, “everyone has asked me about Jollof rice, and I already had Jollof rice, and I really enjoyed it. That has been fantastic.

“There are some things that I haven’t tasted, but I’m looking forward to eating more Nigerian food and just experiencing what there is,” he said.

He reiterated his commitment to strengthening the bilateral relations between both countries.

Baxter, before becoming the British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in Lagos, served as His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan from January 2021-July 2023.

He was Deputy Director, Finance and Performance Department at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office – FCDO (then DFID) from 2018-2020.

He has held various senior positions in the Department of International Development (DFID).

These include running the Human Development Department from 2017-2018, Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State from 2014-2016, and head of the Higher Education Taskforce Secretariat from 2013-2014 all at the DFID Headquarters, London.

Prior to these roles, he did postings in Sudan, Iraq, Guyana and Tanzania.

September 3, 2023
SEE health measures in place at Lagos airport to prevent new COVID-19 variant

The Officer-in-Charge, Port Health Services (PHS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Dr Omede Ogu, said on Friday that proactive measures had been taken to prevent the new COVID-19 variant from slipping into the country.

Ogu disclosed the measures available in an interview with NAN in Lagos.

The United Kingdom detected its first case of the new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86, on Aug. 18, and said the strain had also been identified in Israel, Denmark and the US.

“There is currently one confirmed case in the UK in an individual with no recent travel history, which suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK,” the UK Health Security Agency had said.

Nigeria and the UK record a high volume of travellers who shuttle between both countries on regular basis.

Ogu said that information on the new variant had been placed on the Port Health Services Emergency Platform, while other agencies at the airport had also been informed about it.

“Our mandate is health safety and security at the point of entry and it covers both routine and emergency situations.

“The new variant has been placed on the Port Health services emergency platform and we have also informed sister agencies at the airport of its existence and they are also on the alert.

“The ambulances are in good condition and our clinics round the tarmac are in the perfect shape to review any form of emergency, and facilities are inspected daily.

“Personnel are trained on a weekly basis and this training is called Weekly Pretentious Infection Training. The purpose of this training is to keep our personnel abreast of steps to take when confronted with emergencies like this.

“Our personnel are on ground and our structures are constantly reviewed, so we assure everyone that there is absolutely nothing to be worried about,” he said.

Ogu said that the Port Health Service collaborates with Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) across the country involving stakeholders who deliberate on different strategies and containment mechanisms for emergencies.

He said that there were cameras at the tarmac that capture the body temperature of passengers when they alight from the plane.

“For every passenger arriving at the airport, the first point of call is the port health services, and they are screened to check for irregularities in body temperature.

“The instruments are categorised into three: the hand held thermometer, a tripod tarmac scanner and the distant tarmac camera,” he said.

According to him, the distant tarmac camera is the most effective because it captures everyone and all the health information, and port health officials see the result on the screen.

“We intend to get more cameras in the nearest future for more effective coverage and optimal reporting,” he said.

He urged Nigerians not to panic, noting that the new variant was still at the observatory level.

August 25, 2023
Suspected russian spies arrested in UK security probe

In a shocking revelation, the British authorities have apprehended three Bulgarian nationals suspected of espionage on behalf of Russia.

The trio, identified as Orlin Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova, were detained in February as part of a significant national security investigation that has sent shockwaves through the intelligence community.

The suspects stand accused of possessing fraudulent identity documents and are believed to have been operating under the command of Russian security agencies. The list of fabricated documents includes passports and identity cards for multiple countries, including the UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, and more.

Orlin Roussev, one of the accused, arrived in the UK in 2009 and initially worked in the financial sector before transitioning to a business involved in signals intelligence, a field that centers on intercepting electronic communications. Meanwhile, Bizer Dzhambazov and Katrin Ivanova, who posed as a couple, resided in Harrow, London, for over a decade. Dzhambazov worked as a hospital driver, while Ivanova was employed as a laboratory assistant for a private health business.

The counter-terrorism detectives of the Metropolitan Police, acting under the Official Secrets Act, apprehended the trio. These arrests come against the backdrop of increasing concerns about espionage and state threats emanating from Russia. The UK has previously been targeted by Russian operatives in incidents such as the poisoning of former double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.

The suspects are slated to stand trial at London’s Old Bailey in January, with the court expected to deliberate over charges related to the possession of false documents with nefarious intent. The trial is expected to draw significant attention, shedding light on the evolving landscape of espionage and foreign influence in the UK.

August 15, 2023
Squatters invade abandoned UK home of Nigerian Ex- senate president

Squatters have moved into London’s billionaire’s row by occupying a nine-bedroom house worth millions of Pounds belonging to a Nigerian politician and the ex-president of the senate, the late Chief Evan Enwerem.

The men moved into the empty home in The Bishops Avenue, close to Hampstead Heath, two months ago.

The neighbours in the area include Lakshmi Mittal, Britain’s richest man, whose home a few doors down was briefly put on the market last year for £40 million. Other residents are said to include Prince Jefri, brother of the Sultan of Brunei, and various members of the Saudi royal family.

Trevor Abrahmsohn of Glentree Estates, the estate agency responsible for some of the biggest property deals in the area puts the estate value of the property at about £30 million.

According to the Evening Standard, the squatters said that the owners knew they were in there, and they did not mind. They also warned that other empty houses in the street could be targeted next.

One of the men, a 30-year-old who gave his name only as Eduard, said: “We moved into this place two months ago. After finding the property we contacted the owners and said look your home is empty and falling apart, we can look after it for you. They agreed to the deal.”

The property’s registered owner, according to the Land Registry, is Evan Enwerem, a senior Nigerian politician, who bought it in 1978 but who died in 2007.

Evan Enwerem is a former Nigerian senate President who served in the seventh senate in 1999.

He was removed about five months later when he was accused of falsifying his name causing a controversy as to whether Enwerem’s actual real name was Evan or Evans.

He was removed from office on 18 November 1999, in an ouster spearheaded by allies of the late Chuba Okadigbo, his rival.

Eduard said: “We knew that this is the billionaires’ row and there are other empty places like this here and maybe we can do the same for them.”

His associate, who gave his first name as Katalin, 33, added: “There are three people from our company Prep who are staying here. “More than 10 people have worked on repairing this building. When we came here it was falling apart. The roof was leaking for years and the water had caused so much damage. We’ve fixed the leak and began renovating.

“This is all with the owners’ consent and we have this same arrangement with other places in London.”

August 14, 2023