SMACIN GRACEFULL TEAM Who is Viktor Bout, the man at centre of US prisoner ‘swap’? Reports say US has proposed to Russia to release convicted arms dealer for Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. ADVERTISEMENT The United States government has reportedly offered to free Viktor Bout, an imprisoned Russian arms dealer, in exchange for the release of basketball star Brittney Griner and former US marine Paul Whelan, who are held by Russian authorities. ADVERTISEMENT Here is what to know about Bout, who was once dubbed the “Merchant of Death” and is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence. ADVERTISEMENT Who is Viktor Bout? Bout is believed to have been born in then-Soviet ruled Dushanbe, Tajikstan, in 1967. He was a former Soviet military translator who began his career in air transport in the early 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu-Uche, who was abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers has said the criminal elements expressed anger about President Muhammadu Buhari. SMACIN GRACEFULL TEAM What kidnappers told us about Buhari – Methodist Prelate During a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday, the cleric, who said the kidnappers showed him decomposing bodies of some past victims, revealed that they are Fulani boys. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT He said the assailants vowed that they would chew the president if he fell into their hands, saying Buhari has disappointed them. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT He said, “They even said that if they get Buhari, they will chew him to pieces because he had disappointed them. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT “We were taken into the bush and

The kidnapped female corps member, Faith Onoriode, who was abducted along Kaduna-Abuja road alongside other travellers, has regained freedom. SMACIN GRACEFULL TEAM Abducted corps member freed after N2m, five phones, N100,000 recharge card ransom SGT learnt that her relatives had paid N2million, a motorbike, five Tecno phones and N100,000 recharge card as ransom. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT The bandits had blocked Kaduna-Abuja road on March 21,2022, and kidnapped road users. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Among them were a Biology/Microbiology graduate of the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe, Oghara, who was posted to the orientation camp in Jigawa State. Few days after her abduction, the gunmen called her relatives to pay ransom. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT However, after negotiations, they agreed to provide N2m cash, five brand new techno phone