The Sussexes commenced their “faux-Royal tour” by visiting Lightway Academy, a primary and secondary school in the capital.
Subsequently, they made their way to Nigeria’s defence HQ on Friday to meet military wives and senior officials.
The next day, Harry was photographed playing volleyball, while Meghan affectionately referred to Nigeria as “my country”.
During their visit, the couple also had the opportunity to meet with the kings of four different states in Lagos on Sunday.
At the gathering, Harry playfully referred to the Nigerian royals as his “in-laws” and expressed, “I’ll skip the protocol because at this point we’re all family”.
Among the esteemed individuals was the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi of Osun State.
The 56-year-old, famously known as the “Funky King”, presented the Sussexes with various gifts and warmly said to Meghan, “Thank God you are one of us.”
He also bestowed upon the Duchess, 42, the Yoruba name Adetokunbo, which translates to “royalty from across the seas”.
His wife, Queen Firdaus, happily posed for a photo with Meghan and later shared it on her Instagram account.
Akanbi, who drives a vibrant canary yellow McLaren supercar, was also captured shaking hands with the Duke of Sussex, 39.
However, it has come to light that the Nigerian royal has a criminal record, having been convicted of fraud and subsequently deported from the United States.
Akanbi assumed the identity of a successful businessman named Joseph Pigott, but his fraudulent activities were discovered when a vigilant bank teller at BankBoston raised suspicions.
He was also charged with forging a cheque for £59,000 under the name Thomas Eyring.
wrongdoing.”
In April 1999, he was sentenced to 15 months in jail and deported back to Nigeria, with his £1,500 fine being waived due to his inability to pay, as reported by the Mail on Sunday.
Despite being banned from re-entering the US, Akanbi was apprehended in March 2011 while attempting to cross the border with his then-wife Rakiya Saidu and their young son, claiming they were going to New York for shopping.
Facing a potential maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a £197,000 fine, Akanbi pleaded guilty to the charges.
He received a sentence of time served, was deported, and permanently banned from the US for the second time.
There is no implication that Harry and Meghan knew Akanbi’s background.
The Sun reached out to the Sussexes for a response.
Recently, the Archewell Foundation is no longer categorised as “delinquent” by California’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.
Initially labelled as “delinquent” on Monday with a notice sent on May 3 for failure to submit required reports and fees, the foundation’s status was updated to “current” by Tuesday.
A warning letter had cautioned that delinquent organisations are prohibited from soliciting or disbursing charitable funds and may face registration suspension or revocation.
However, California’s Department of Justice confirmed on Tuesday that the Archewell Foundation is now considered “current and in good standing.”
The issue appears to have stemmed from a payment believed to have been sent but not received, although recent records confirm the payment was dispatched last year and arrived on schedule.
Following an investigation, the Archewell Foundation asserts that payments were made promptly, and all necessary paperwork was submitted accurately and without wrongdoing.
A spokesperson for the foundation stated, “We have conducted a thorough investigation and can confirm the Archewell Foundation’s full compliance and good standing. Payments were made promptly, adhering to IRS procedures, and all required paperwork was submitted accurately and without error.”
