Crime
EFCC Vs Yahaya Bello: Court adjourns trial to April 3 as first witness testifies
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned the alleged money laundering case trial against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to 3rd, 24th April, and 6th May, 2024.
Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the case for continuation of hearing after the first witness, Fabian Nworah, a property developer, was called to testify.
When the matter was called for hearing, the Prosecution Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that he had five witnesses to call for the day.
But Justice Maryann Anenih said she could only take one witness as she had other things lined up.
The court also announced that it would not be sitting tomorrow (Thursday) as previously scheduled.
Counsel for the 1st and 2nd Defendants, Joseph Daudu, SAN, however, informed the court that the prosecution had not made the statements on oath of the 2nd Defendant available to the defence team.
He said he was aware that the 1st Defendant had not made any statement yet. Daudu, SAN, also objected to the witness presented by the prosecution, arguing that the defendants had no prior knowledge of the witness and were only seeing him in court for the first time.
Citing authorities, he emphasised that legal proceedings should not be a “hide and seek” game, stating that the prosecution was required to provide the witness’ statements on oath in advance so the defence could adequately prepare for cross-examination.”
The statements of the second defendant have not been served on us to be able to know if we will be able to represent him or not.
“So, it is a serious handicap on us. They need to serve us all the statements made by the defendants.”
I understand the first defendant has not made a statement.
Fortunately, we are still within the house keeping stage of the proceeding,” he added.
Corroborating this, Counsel for the 3rd Defendant, Abubakar Aliyu, SAN, said, “Mine is not a comment but an observation my lord.
My application is for the court to order the prosecution to provide us with the statements of the 2nd and 3rd defendants.
“When the judge asked if he had previously requested for the statements, Aliyu SAN said, he discovered on Tuesday that the said statements were not part of the proof of evidence served on the defendants.
He stated, “I am also applying that the court order the prosecution to provide us with copies of recovered digital device and the report or the extract therefrom mentioned on Page 14 of Volume 1 of the proof of evidence and the report of the forensic expert if any.
“I am following the procedure followed in Okoye against the Commissioner of Police, which was adopted by the Supreme Court in Okemini Vs Comm of Police.”
The Prosecution witness, however, disagreed, saying the Defendants were trying to delay speedy trial.
He insisted that the proof of evidence had been served on the defendants on November 27.”
The constitutional provision, which they rely on, does not imply that the prosecution should provide all the documents which it relies on. “
The law only provides that the prosecution should oblige the defence with all the documents requested for,” Pinheiro argued.
He noted that the issues would be addressed whenever they receive formal applications from the Defendants and urged the court to proceed on the business for the day.”
As it is, we have almost utilised more than an hour on these arguments,” he stated.
The judge asked the Defendant’s Counsel why he did not raise the issues in December.
Daudu SAN replied that it was because it had to be done after arraignment.
“I have applied and they are not obliging me. It is absolutely necessary for our defence,” Counsel for the 3rd Defendant said.
The judge, however, declined the application for adjournment and directed the prosecution to proceed with the case.
The Prosecution then proceeded to call its first witness, Fabian Nwora, a property developer with Efab Property Nigeria Limited.
Nwora testified that he was invited to the Economic and Financial Crimes on February 8, 2023, regarding a transaction between Shehu Bello and EFAB Property concerning a property located at No. 1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama.
However, throughout his submission in court on Wednesday, he didn’t mention the name of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
He stated that he sold the said property to Shehu Bello but observed that the name on the sale agreement was Dr. Bello Ohiani, not Shehu Bello.
He said, in 2023, Shehu Bello approached EFAB Property, informing them that the property was under investigation by the EFCC.
He returned all documents related to the purchase and demanded a refund of the N550million that was paid.
Subsequently, he said, EFAB Property was invited by the EFCC to explain what transpired between them and Shehu Bello.
The EFCC instructed the company to refund the entire sum to an EFCC-designated account.
EFAB Property complied in two batches.
Since then, Nwora said he had not had any contact with Shehu Bello or Dr. Bello Ohiani until December 2024, when the EFCC summoned them to court to testify as witnesses in the case related to their transaction with Shehu Bello.
The court, after listening to the witness, adjourned the case to 3rd and 24th April and 6th of May, 2025, for continuation of hearing.
Crime
KWARA UPDATE: Massacre Claims Over 170 in Deserted Nigerian Town – Govt Silent (Video)
A devastating massacre has left a Nigerian town in ruins, with reports of massive civilian casualties and widespread devastation, as the local community reels from the horror.
According to accounts from the scene, the town now lies desolate, abandoned by survivors, with corpses littering the streets in scenes likened by witnesses to a poultry farm ravaged by disease bodies scattered indiscriminately, unrecovered, and contributing to an atmosphere of total abandonment and trauma.
Initial press reports have cited a death toll of at least 75, but local sources and eyewitness claims suggest the true figure is far higher, exceeding 170 killed in the attack. The incident has been described unequivocally as a massacre by military officials, including statements attributed to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the relevant army division, who characterized the event in those terms.
Despite the scale of the tragedy and the GOC’s public acknowledgment, the federal government team has yet to issue any official response or statement addressing the killings, recovery efforts, or security measures to prevent further violence. This silence has amplified local anguish amid the unfolding humanitarian crisis.
The attack underscores Nigeria’s persistent security challenges in vulnerable regions, where communities face repeated threats from armed groups, often leaving towns emptied and survivors displaced.
Authorities have not yet confirmed details on the perpetrators or the precise circumstances leading to the bloodshed, leaving many questions unanswered as the nation grapples with yet another episode of extreme violence.
More update soon. Watch video below:
Crime
Bandits Kill at Least 35 in Deadly Raid on Remote Kwara Village
Armed bandits launched a brutal overnight attack on the remote village of Woro in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing at least 35 people and setting homes and shops ablaze, according to local authorities and residents.
The assault occurred late Tuesday evening, around 6-7 p.m., when heavily armed gunmen stormed the community, shooting indiscriminately as panicked residents fled into surrounding bushland.
The attackers also torched buildings, including shops and reportedly the traditional ruler’s palace, leaving the king’s whereabouts unknown at the time of reporting.
Hon. Saidu Baba Ahmed, the lawmaker representing Kaiama in the Kwara State House of Assembly, confirmed the death toll had reached 35 by Wednesday morning, with many more residents still missing after escaping into the bush during the chaos.
Some sources described the attackers as terrorists possibly linked to groups spilling over from neighboring Niger State, amid rising insecurity in the border region.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the incident as a “cowardly expression of frustration by terrorist cells” in response to ongoing counterterrorism operations in parts of the state.
Authorities have noted that the attack marks one of the deadliest incidents in Kwara this year, highlighting the persistent threat of banditry targeting isolated farming communities with killings, arson, and displacement.
Security forces are said to be reinforcing presence in the area, though initial reports indicate some discrepancies in early casualty figures, with some local accounts initially lower before bodies were recovered overnight.
The incident underscores the escalating violence in north-central Nigeria, where armed groups continue to exploit rural vulnerabilities despite government efforts to curb banditry and terrorism.
Crime
DSS Arraigns Ex-AGF Malami, Son on Terrorism Financing and Illegal Firearms Charges
The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alongside his son, Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a five-count charge bordering on terrorism financing, aiding and abetting terrorism, and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.
The defendants appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. According to the charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami alone faces Count One, accused of knowingly abetting terrorism financing sometime in November 2022 by refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers whose case files were submitted to his office during his tenure as AGF.
In Counts Two to Five, both Malami and his son are jointly accused of engaging in conduct preparatory to committing acts of terrorism through the unlawful possession, without a valid licence, of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5.20 live rounds of cartridges, and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5.20 cartridges at their residence in Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, Kebbi State, sometime in December 2025. The offences allegedly contravene provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, 2004.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all counts when the charges were read to them in open court.
Following their pleas, prosecuting counsel for the DSS, Calistus Eze, urged the court to remand the defendants in DSS custody pending trial. Defence counsel, Shuaibu Aruwa (SAN), made an oral application for bail, informing the court that Malami had been in DSS custody for approximately two weeks and had attended the proceedings directly from the hospital.
Justice Abdulmalik declined the oral bail application, stating that the Federal High Court, as a court of record, required a formal written application. She ordered that both defendants be remanded in DSS custody and directed the defence to file a proper bail application.
The matter was adjourned to February 20, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
This development follows Malami’s earlier arrest by DSS operatives on January 19, 2026, shortly after he perfected bail conditions in a separate 16-count money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he, his son, and wife faced related allegations.
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