American music mogul and businessman, Sean Combs, popularly known as “P-Diddy” was sentenced on Friday to 50 months in prison on prostitution charges under the Mann Act.

Recall that Combs was convicted earlier this year on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said the court had seen a “massive” amount of evidence against Combs and added that a significant sentence was required to be a deterrence and to send a message.

“A substantial sentence must be given to send a message to abusers and victims alike that abuse against women is met with real accountability,” the judge said,

Along with serving four years and two months in prison, Combs also must pay a $500,000 fine.

In his final remarks to Combs, Subramanian noted that he will still have a life after prison, adding “there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

After the judge read his sentence, Combs appeared dejected and worn out as he turned to his mother and children, letting out a sigh and telling them, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,”.

Subramanian cited law that says no limitation can be placed on the “background, character and conduct” that a judge can consider in sentencing. He said the sentence is fair for the severity of Combs’ crimes and other mitigating factors.

During Combs’ sentencing hearing, the judge heard from the rapper’s children as well as multiple defense lawyers and other character witnesses.

The defense argued that Combs should be free for his family’s sake and that he has changed and deserves a second chance to be better.

Defense lawyer Brian Steel argued that “Combs has punished himself more than anyone will be able to punish him and it will stay with him for the rest of his days.

Mr. Combs does not need any additional time in custody. That is not the way we treat drug addiction and trauma today.

”Before the judge gave his sentence, Combs was given a chance to speak, saying that he has lost his business, his career, destroyed his reputation and lost his self-respect.

‘I’ve been stripped down to nothing,” he added.

“I want to thank you for finally giving me a chance to speak up for myself. One of the hardest things I’ve had to handle is to be quiet, not able to express how sorry I am for my actions,” Combs said.

Combs was sentenced under the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to transport someone across state lines for the purpose of prostitution or other illegal sex acts.

He was convicted on counts involving two former girlfriends, R&B singer Cassie and a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane.

During the sentencing hearing, federal prosecutors argued that the hip-hop mogul deserved at least 11 years in prison and his defense lawyers asked for a sentence of no more than 14 months,

“Mr. Combs, you’re being sentenced for the offenses of conviction, NOT the crimes he was acquitted of.

However, under law, the court ‘shall consider’ the nature of the offense and characteristics of the defendant,” Subramanian said as he sentenced Combs,

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has announced that strict enforcement of the ban on trailer parks across the state will start effective from October 29, 2025.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, who disclosed this in Lokoja, said that the decision followed credible intelligence reports that some trailer parks in the state, particularly those located at Zariagi and Osara, have become hideouts for criminal elements.

He emphasised that the government cannot fold its arms while such facilities are used to compromise the security of lives and property in the state.“

The directive of His Excellency, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, is clear. From October 29, 2025, the state will begin full enforcement of the ban on trailer parks.

Intelligence at our disposal shows that some of these parks, especially those at Zariagi and Osara, harbor criminals who threaten the peace and security of our people.

This is a proactive and preventive measure. We have decided to move ahead of the criminals instead of lamenting after lives might have been lost.

Government will not allow that to continue,” Fanwo said.

He revealed that security agencies across the state have been strictly briefed to enforce the order without compromise, stressing that violators will face the full weight of the law.

The Commissioner further noted that the enforcement is backed by law, as Governor Ododo has already signed into law a bill banning the movement of articulated trucks during the day.

Fanwo urged operators to comply before the enforcement date and called on residents to support the government’s action, stressing that protecting lives and securing communities remain the top priority of the present administration.

A Nigerian man deported from the United States to Ghana has alleged that he is now stranded in Togo after Ghanaian authorities secretly transferred him and five others across the border without informing Togolese officials.

According to on Wednesday, the man, who spoke anonymously, said he was initially held at a military camp in Ghana after being deported last month along with other West African nationals. He claims Ghanaian officials promised to relocate them to better accommodation but instead covertly transported them into neighbouring Togo via a back route.

“They did not take us through the main border; they took us through the back door. They paid the police there and dropped us in Togo,” he said.

The group, which includes three Nigerians, a Liberian, and others, is now sheltering in a hotel in Lomé, the Togolese capital. None of them have valid documentation, and they are relying on hotel staff to help receive financial aid from relatives abroad.

“We’re struggling to survive in Togo without any documentation,” the man told the BBC. “None of us has family here. We’re just stuck.”

He said life in the Ghanaian military camp was “deplorable,” citing poor water, lack of medical care, and harsh conditions. After complaints to authorities, the group was told they would be moved to a hotel. Instead, they were driven to the Togo border and allegedly coerced under false pretenses.

“When we arrived [at the border], we asked what we were doing there. They told us we needed to sign some paperwork to go to a hotel. We didn’t sign anything,” he said.

The man also shared the personal toll of his deportation. “I have a house in the US where my kids live. How am I supposed to pay the mortgage? My kids can’t see me. It’s just so stressful.”

He is reportedly a member of the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, an organisation campaigning for an independent Yoruba nation in south-west Nigeria. He fears persecution if forced to return to Nigeria and claims he had court-ordered protection in the US, which should have prevented his deportation. The US government has not publicly addressed this claim.

The deportee was part of a larger group of West Africans — including citizens of Liberia, The Gambia, and Togo — who were flown from US detention facilities to Ghana last month. Human rights lawyers representing the group have filed legal action against both the US and Ghana, citing violations of international protection and due process.

Ghanaian officials, including Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, have defended their decision, saying Ghana accepted the deportees based on “pan-African empathy” and denied receiving any financial compensation.

However, the deal — announced by President John Mahama — has drawn criticism from opposition lawmakers, who are now calling for its suspension until it is properly reviewed and ratified by parliament. Despite the controversy, the government is reportedly preparing to receive an additional 40 deportees.

As the legal battle unfolds and diplomatic pressure mounts, the fate of the stranded deportees in Togo remains uncertain.