

























Loading banners


NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s leading online newspaper. Published by Africa’s international award-winning journalist, Mr. Isaac Umunna, NEWS EXPRESS is Nigeria’s first truly professional online daily newspaper. It is published from Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and media hub, and has a provision for occasional special print editions. Thanks to our vast network of sources and dedicated team of professional journalists and contributors spread across Nigeria and overseas, NEWS EXPRESS has become synonymous with newsbreaks and exclusive stories from around the world.

Late controversial American financier Jeffrey Epstein
A bombshell investigation by Drop Site News (DSN) has revealed that the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak collaborated for over a decade to leverage Nigeria’s security challenges for private profit.
The report, based on a trove of US Department of Justice emails, outlines how the duo marketed sophisticated surveillance technology—originally developed in Palestinian territories—to gain a foothold in Nigeria’s lucrative oil and logistics sectors.
The investigation details how Epstein and Barak viewed the Boko Haram insurgency not as a humanitarian crisis, but as a strategic “business opportunity.”
In a 2014 exchange regarding global unrest, Epstein remarked to Barak, “Isn’t this perfect for you?” to which Barak replied that it was “not simple to transform it into a cash flow.”
The duo successfully marketed “field-proven” biometric systems, such as those used at the Gaza border, to Nigerian institutions under the guise of counter-terrorism.
These included a biometric surveillance project at Babcock University and, later, a 2020 World Bank-backed initiative where Barak’s associates helped shape Nigeria’s national cyber-infrastructure.
Beyond security, the emails suggest these deals were “gateways” for broader commercial interests.
Epstein reportedly brokered high-level talks between DP World chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem—who recently resigned amid Epstein-related fallout—and Nigerian sovereign wealth officials to secure port ownership in Lagos and Badagry.
The correspondence further highlights the immense access the pair enjoyed, including a 2013 cybersecurity conference in Abuja designed as a cover to meet then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Despite legislative opposition, these high-level connections paved the way for controversial internet surveillance contracts for Israeli defence firms.
While Barak has expressed remorse for his ties to Epstein, the documents paint a picture of a calculated effort to parlay military intelligence into personal wealth at the expense of Nigerian sovereignty. (Daily Trust)