News
CSOs, security expert knock Akpabio for linking soldiers’ killing to mercenaries
Civil society organizations, CSOs, and a security expert have berated Senate President Godswill Akpabio for linking Thursday’s killings of 16 military men in Delta State to foreign mercenaries.
Recall that the troops were killed while on a peace mission to the warring communities of Okuoma and Okoloba.
Akpabio spoke on Tuesday during plenary when the Senate resolved to set up a committee to unmask the circumstances behind the military personnel’s killings.
“I don’t want to conclude that these people are from Niger Delta because we respect men and women in uniform. That’s why I’m saying that your additional prayer should be to carry out a thorough investigation to know whether they were mercenaries outside Nigeria, who came in to commit this crime because I don’t think these people are from Niger Delta.
“We’re not at war. Even in the field of war, to lose such a large number of personnel, no community will go to the extent of doing that kind of thing; I don’t think they’re from Niger Delta. So, I think the first point should be that we should establish the culprits who committed this crime,” Akpabio said.
According to him, the panel would be saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that those involved in the killings were brought to justice.
Reacting to Akpabio’s claims, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, and Transparency International-Nigeria, TI-Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said: “A criminal is a criminal irrespective of where he or she comes from. So, to support or to give a kind of soft landing to people who have carried out this barbaric and murder against serving security officials, is condemnable.”
On his part, the Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation, Gad Peter, said political leaders should be careful about their comments “after incidents or crimes have taken place.”
“For Akpabio to say the people that killed those soldiers are foreigners means that he has information. So, he should provide the details of which nation invaded our country so that we can go to war with them for killing our soldiers,” he said.
In the same vein, the Team Lead/Convener Good Governance Team Nigeria, Tunde Salman, described Akpabio’s comment as very sad, unacceptable and condemnable, urging that the culprits should be identified and justice served.
National Coordinator, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, on his part said: “He (Akpabio) is simply guessing. So, he may be right and he may be wrong.
“Foreign elements could mean strange persons from outside of that community where the incident happened.”
A security expert, Haruna Garba, questioned why Akpabio made such a comment without seeing the outcome of the investigation.
Crime
UPDATE: Court Remands Former AGF Abubakar Malami, Son, and Associate in Kuje Prison Over Money Laundering Charges
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), his son Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe, at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of their bail applications on January 2, 2026.
The defendants were arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Emeka Nwite on a 16-count charge of alleged money laundering filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). All three pleaded not guilty to the charges, which involve conspiracy to conceal, retain, and disguise proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to billions of naira.
The alleged offences, said to have occurred between 2015 and 2025, include using corporate entities and bank accounts to launder funds, retaining large sums of cash as collateral for loans, and acquiring high-value properties in Abuja, Kano, Kebbi, and other locations.
Some of the acts are alleged to have taken place during Malami’s tenure as Nigeria’s chief law officer, contravening the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Acts of 2011 (as amended) and 2022.
Specific counts include the concealment of over ₦1.014 billion in a Sterling Bank account through Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited between July 2022 and June 2025, and the use of illicit funds to purchase luxury properties in Abuja districts such as Maitama and Asokoro.
Following the not-guilty pleas, defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN) made an oral application for bail. However, EFCC prosecutor Ekele Iheanacho (SAN) opposed it, noting that a written bail application had been served on the prosecution late the previous night and requesting time to respond.
Justice Nwite ruled that pursuing both oral and written applications simultaneously would undermine fair hearing principles and potentially “ambush” the prosecution.
He declined the oral request and adjourned the matter to January 2, 2026, for the formal bail hearing, ordering the defendants’ remand in Kuje Correctional Centre in the interim.
Malami had been in EFCC custody since early December following investigations into the allegations.
The case marks a significant development in the anti-graft agency’s probe into suspected financial irregularities linked to the former minister.
News
Updated: Malami, son plead not guilty in alleged money laundering case, denied bail till January 2 hearing
Among the charges are large-scale money laundering and the illegal acquisition of properties worth over N8.7 billion.
•Abubakar Malami in the FHC Abuja, Tuesday, 30 December 2025.
Trial Justice Emeka Nwike issued the remand order after he rejected an oral bail application the defendants made through their team of lawyers led by Mr J. B. Daudu, SAN.
The court stressed the need to allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which opposed the release of the defendants on bail, to file its counter-affidavit.
The former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his son, and one other person pleaded not guilty to alleged money laundering on Tuesday.
Malami and the others were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 16- count charges against him, his son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, and an associate, Hajia Bashir Asabe.
Among the charges are large-scale money laundering and the illegal acquisition of properties worth over N8.7 billion.
The EFCC’s witnesses include investigators, bank officials, bureau de change operators, and company representatives.
Consequently, the court ordered that Malami, alongside his son, Abdulaziz, and an accomplice, Hajia Bashir Asabe, should remain in Kuje prison till January 2, 2026, when their formal request for bail would be considered.
The Trial Justice Emeka Nwike issued the remand order after he rejected an oral bail application the defendants made through their team of lawyers led by Mr J. B. Daudu, SAN.
The court stressed the need to allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which opposed the release of the defendants on bail, to file its counter-affidavit.
Details later…
News
NISO restores national grid after nationwide blackouts
The previous day,there was a nationwide blackout as the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) recorded 0Mw total energy generation at 16:00 hour.
• A power generation site
The Nigeria Independent System Operator (NISO) has restored the national grid to 2,126 megawatts (Mw) total energy generation at 20:00 hour.
The previous day,there was a nationwide blackout as the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) recorded 0Mw total energy generation at 16:00 hour.
NISO also raised the total energy sent to the 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to 1,895Mw at 21:02 hours.
The grid developed issues that the NISO was yet to report its cause and restoration measures at press time, leading to the cut in the supply to the 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) from the average of 4,000MW on a normal day.
According to the NISO website dashboard, the system dipped from 148.30MW at 15:00 hour.
On its distribution profile, the NISO revealed that total energy sent to the 11 electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) at 16:46hour was 305MW.
UPDATE: Court Remands Former AGF Abubakar Malami, Son, and Associate in Kuje Prison Over Money Laundering Charges
Updated: Malami, son plead not guilty in alleged money laundering case, denied bail till January 2 hearing
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