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Let Me Come Home, Teen Sentenced In Dubai Begs UAE Ruler
The British teenager, 18, jailed for a year in Dubai for having s3x with a 17-year-old girl has broken his silence over the sentence.
Marcus Fakana has pleaded with the ruler of Dubai to commute the sentence and be allowed to return home.
The 18-year-old was with his family in the UAE when he met and had s3x with the teenage girl, also from London. He now faces rotting in a maximum-security jail.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from the UAE where he faces 12 months in jail, the 18-year-old begged: ‘Please give me my life back’.
Marcus apologised for breaking the law and described his ‘devastation’ at the year-long sentence.
He said: ‘Today I was sentenced to one year in Dubai prison. My family and I are devastated and in shock.
‘I never intended to break the law. It didn’t occur to me at the time and for that, I’m sorry.
‘I am asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me. Let me go home. Please give me my life back”.
The teenager is out on bail while his lawyer prepares an appeal against the sentence.
He is being allowed to stay at a rented apartment that is being funded by the more than £30,000 raised in a GoFundMe campaign.
The teen is being comforted by members of his family who flew to Dubai ahead of his trial on Monday at the First Court of Instance.
They were forced to sit outside the courtroom while his lawyer argued for leniency and were not allowed to participate in the 15-minute hearing.
Under Dubai law, those accused are not allowed to take part in a trial with prosecutors and defence lawyers arguing the case.
His lawyer is filing paperwork today to expedite an appeal but the legal process in Dubai is notoriously slow, and it could take months before his case is heard.
Marcus, a construction apprentice, was arrested in August after the mother of the girl he had a secret romance with filed a complaint about Fakana to the Dubai authorities on her return to the UK.
She had checked her daughter’s phone and discovered they had been sleeping together. Since returning from Dubai the girl has turned 18.
Under strict UAE law, only tourists aged over 18 are legally allowed to sleep together.
Marcus has previously told how the couple had planned to see each other when they got home.
He said: ‘We had a wonderful time together. We really liked each other but she was secretive with her family because they were strict.
‘My parents knew about our relationship, but she couldn’t tell hers. She had to meet me without telling them it was to see a boy.
‘They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn’t tell me why. I couldn’t imagine what for. I was frightened and my parents were terrified.’
Ms Stirling added: ‘Marcus is 18 years old, but faces the demise of his entire life for being intimate with someone in his same school year, who is his same age.
‘This is where Dubai authorities need to be intelligent about their application of the law. Marcus had consensual relations with someone his own age, from his own country while on a short holiday.
‘He does not deserve to be locked up in Dubai Central Prison for a fling’.
News
UK-Based Blogger Maureen Badejo Set For Court Appearance
Popular UK-based Nigerian blogger and social commentator, Maureen Badejo, is set to appear before the Federal High Court on Monday to answer to a multiple -count charge being proposed by the police legal team to find fault, her lawyer, Barrister George Ogunjimi, has disclosed.
Chief Ogunjimi, the Bamofin of Ojo, Lagos and a dual jurisdiction practitioner revealed that Badejo recently returned to Nigeria in connection with an appeal court matter scheduled to hold in Ibadan on the 16th of February 2026 prior to her encounter with law enforcement authorities.
According to him, Badejo was arrested and interrogated by operatives of the Cybercrime Unit at Adekunle Police Station, Yaba, Lagos, following a petition reportedly filed by Apostle Johnson Suleman.
He clarified that contrary to speculation, the blogger voluntarily honoured the police invitation herself, presenting at the station without resistance.
“She was not picked up or abducted. She went to the police station personally in response to the invitation,” Ogunjimi said.
The lawyer added that while she was still at the station, another petition allegedly emerged, this time from the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Pastor Daniel Olukoya, which subsequently led to her being held and later detained at the Alagbon detention facility.
Despite the development, Ogunjimi expressed confidence in her legal prospects, assuring supporters that his team is fully prepared to defend her.
“We are optimistic. The alleged offences are bailable, and by God’s grace, we will secure her bail on Monday,” he stated.
The case has since drawn public attention, particularly among Badejo’s followers both in Nigeria and the diaspora, as proceedings at the Federal High Court are expected to begin next week.
As of the time of reporting, the police had not issued an official statement explaining the legal basis for Badejo’s arrest or detention.
Badejo has previously been involved in legal disputes with Apostle Suleiman, including a 2022 UK High Court ruling that dismissed his defamation claim and ordered him to pay her £19,601 in costs.
She has also publicised allegations made by a former MFM pastor against Dr Olukoya.
The case has sparked renewed concerns over press freedom and the use of cybercrime laws in Nigeria.
News
Photos: Dakore Akande And Timini Lay Father To Rest
Nollywood siblings Dakore Akande and Timini Egbuson have finally laid their father to rest.
Earlier this year, actor, Timini Egbuson, had announced the passing of his father. He said he never thought he would start the year by saying RIP to his dad, and promised to continue to make him proud.
His sister, Dakore Akande, expressed how heartbroken she is, yet glad that he was free from pain. She expressed gratitude for the memories and laughter, the legacy of excellence that he instilled in them, and his love for music and looking stylish.

Taking to his Instagram page, Timini shared photos from his low-key burial ceremony, which was attended only by family.
In his caption, he revealed that they said their final goodbyes as he bade his father farewell. The popular actor said his father’s strength and love will always guide them.
“We said our final goodbyes. Rest well, Papa. Your strength and love will always guide me”.

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US Mission Decries Horrific Kwara Massacre, Pledges Support For Tinubu’s Security Strategy
The United States Mission in Nigeria has condemned the horrific and senseless attacks in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State that reportedly claimed over 160 lives.
In a statement released on February 6, 2026, the U.S. expressed its condolences and backed President Bola Tinubu’s immediate security and humanitarian response.
JomogNews reports that while the Nigerian Police Force said 75 persons were confirmed killed in the assault on Woro and Nuku communities, local sources and international observers put the death toll significantly higher.
In a statement on X on Friday, the US Mission in Nigeria described the attack as “horrific,” saying more than 160 people were feared dead, with many still unaccounted for.
“The United States condemns the horrific attack in Kwara state in Nigeria, which claimed the lives of more than 160 people, with the death toll still unconfirmed and many still unaccounted for.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this senseless violence,” the statement read.
It welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to deploy security forces to protect affected communities.
“We welcome President Tinubu’s order to deploy security forces to protect villages in the area and his directive to federal and state officials to provide aid to the community and bring the perpetrators of this atrocity to justice,” the statement added.
The reaction adds to international condemnation of the attack, which had earlier drawn rebukes from the United Nations and the Republic of Türkiye.
Tinubu had ordered the deployment of an army battalion to Kaiama and approved the creation of a new military command to lead the operation, following the assault on Woro and Nuku communities.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had also ordered the immediate deployment of tactical and intelligence teams to Kaiama and surrounding communities to restore calm and prevent further attacks.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the deployment of troops under Operation Savannah Shield would help deter further violence, adding that security forces were already on the ground.
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