A Nigerian king who Prince Harry called his “brother-in-law” is allegedly a conman and has been deported from the US twice.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex paid a three-day visit to Nigeria last weekend.
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The Sussexes kicked off their “faux royal tour” with a visit to Lightway Academy, a primary and secondary school in the capital.
They then went to Nigeria’s defense headquarters on Friday to meet military wives and senior officials.
The following day, Harry was spotted playing volleyball, before Meghan referred to Nigeria as “my country”.
During the visit, the duo also met with kings from four different states in Lagos on Sunday.
Among them was the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi of Osun State.
‘FAUX-ROYAL TOUR’
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are desperately trying to be rivals of the royal family to save their image, a royal expert has claimed.
Gareth Russell says he believes “an alternative royal family is emerging”.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive with Matt Wilkinson, he said: “To all intents and purposes, that is a real possibility.
“The problem for the Sussexes is that when you start doing something like this, people become much more critical of what you do outside of it – like business ventures or quasi-royal travel.
“People are going to put them under a microscope because they’re calling it ‘Harry and Meghan’s Office.’
“It’s interesting. I wonder if this is part of a plan to move away from some of the harsh headlines they’ve had over the last couple of years?
“Will it perhaps be a slightly more socially conservative direction and consider themselves royals in exile for lack of a better word?
“What I wonder is whether they are acting on the advice that people don’t want to hear them criticizing the royal family.”
Russell now believes Harry and Meghan may be planning more “fake royal trips” – including around the US.
He explained: “Their popularity at the moment is very low in America, but that could change.
“Public opinion is always a kind of rollercoaster.
“But they absolutely could (tour the US) and there are indications that they will.”
The 56-year-old, known as the “Funky King”, presented the Sussexes with several gifts and told Meghan: “Thank God you’re one of us.”
He also gave the duchess, 42, the Yoruba name Adetokunbo – which means “royalty across the seas”.
His wife, Queen Firdaus, posed for a photo with Meghan and later posted it to her Instagram account.
Akanbi, who drives a canary yellow McLaren supercar, was also photographed shaking hands with the Duke of Sussex, 39.
But the Nigerian royal is a convicted fraudster who has been expelled from America twice, according to the Mail on Sunday.
He was reportedly first arrested in Boston in 1998 after trying to cash a stolen £247,000 check from aviation company Boeing.
Akanbi posed as a successful businessman named Joseph Pigott, but cops were alerted by a suspicious bank teller at BankBoston.
The conman was also accused of forging a check for £59,000 using the name Thomas Eyring.
He was reportedly jailed for 15 months and deported to Nigeria in April 1999.
His £1,500 fine was waived “due to inability to pay”, the Mail reported.
Despite being banned from re-entering the US, he was reportedly caught trying to cross the border in March 2011.
Akanbi was with his then wife Rakiya Saidu and their son and stated that they were going shopping in New York.
Facing the prospect of a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a fine of £197,000, Akanbi pleaded guilty.
He was sentenced to time served, deported and banned from the US for life for a second time.
It is not suggested that Harry and Meghan knew Akanbi’s story.
The Sun has contacted the Sussexes for comment.
HEIR OF CONFUSION
PRINCE Harry posed for a humiliating selfie with a ‘German prince’
The Duke of Sussex received the Living Legend of Aviation Award at a ceremony hosted by John Travolta in Beverly Hills, California.
At the ceremony, Harry was seen smiling in a selfie alongside Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe at the Beverly Hills Hilton.
But it has been revealed that the Prince’s right to use that title is hotly contested, according to The Mail On Sunday.
Mario-Max, 46, has been accused of “harvesting the family name” and the Duke of Sussex has been warned to stay away from him.
The head of the family, Prince Alexander of Schaumburg-Lippe, told The Mail on Sunday: “It’s very painful for me, this guy has been harvesting our name for personal gain.
“Prince Harry cannot stoop to appearing with him. I would advise him to stay away from this man.”
Mario-Max – who claims the right to use the royal title after being adopted by a member of the Schaumburg-Lippe family – has been dubbed “the King of Trash TV” by the German press.
He gained a reputation after appearing on the local version of Big Brother and selling products on shopping channels, including the so-called “elixir of wealth”.
It turns out that the Archewell Foundation is no longer listed as “delinquent” by the California Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.
On Monday, the charity was listed as “delinquent” and a notice of default letter was sent to the foundation on May 3 for “failure to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees.”
But on Tuesday the Archewell Foundation’s status was changed to “current.”
The letter warned that an organization listed as delinquent is prohibited from “soliciting or disbursing charitable funds” and “its registration may be suspended or revoked by the registry office.”
On Tuesday, a statement from the California Department of Justice said the Archewell Foundation is “current and in good standing.”
A spokesperson for the California Department of Justice said: “After contacting our Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, the organization is up to date and in good standing.”
It is understood the issue arose from a payment thought to have been sent but was not received.
However, new records show that the required payment was sent last year and delivered on time.
The Archewell Foundation said after investigating it found payments were made “promptly” and that all paperwork was filed “without errors or irregularities.”
An Archewell Foundation spokesperson said: “We have diligently investigated the situation and can confirm that the Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing.
“Payments due were made promptly and in accordance with IRS processes and procedures.
“Furthermore, all necessary documentation was completed by the foundation without errors or irregularities.”
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Highlights of the trip to Nigeria
THE Sussexes touched down in the capital Abuja on Friday morning to promote the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada.
They began their “fake royal trip” with a visit to Lightway Academy, a primary and secondary school in the capital.
On Saturday, Harry showed his competitive side at an Invictus Games sitting volleyball event.
At a charity event that night, Harry and Meghan were photographed standing for God Save The King.
It happened when the duo visited Nigeria’s defense headquarters on Friday to meet military wives and senior officials.
He later visited a military hospital in war-torn Kaduna, about 200km north of Abuja.
The region has seen horrific fighting between nomadic Fulani herders and farmers, as well as an insurgency by Boko Haram Islamists.
Meghan referred to Nigeria as “my country” while co-hosting an event for Women in Leadership.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
