Suspected political thugs have set ablaze the office of the African Democratic Party (ADC) at Ubima Community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Ubima is the country home of the former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.

The political thugs also attacked the Minister’s Community with heavy firepower, shooting sporadically in the area.

Amaechi,a two times governor of Rivers state between 2007 to 2015 is one of the leaders of the ADC, the political party seeking to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

Meanwhile, Amaechi is expected to visit Ubima , Friday, to officially register with the ADC at the ward level.

The thugs reportedly invaded the community, Thursday night, shooting heavily and setting the party Secretariat on fire.

Locals say the thugs may have caused the panic in the community to scare people from coming out to welcome the former governor of the state who is visiting the party office in his ward for official registration with the ADC.

They reportedly reappeared Friday morning mounting Road block on the Omuawa-Ubima toad stopping every bus with ADC banner from entering the community.

Meanwhile,intervention from security operatives mobilised to the area is said to have restored normalcy.

Photo: EFCC Chairman , Ola Olukoyede

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Ola Olukoyede, says that the Commission is investigating 100 senior lawyers for corruption-related offences.

In an address in Abuja during the second annual lecture of the Body of Benchers, the EFCC chairman expressed concern over the growing involvement of lawyers in financial crimes.

He noted that the anti-graft agency had received multiple petitions against members of the profession.

“We have had calls to investigate quite a number of senior members of the Bar,” he said.

Olukoyede, a lawyer, added that investigations uncovered offences ranging from the diversion of clients’ funds to aiding money laundering.

“Before I came here, I checked our database and discovered that we have about 100 senior members of the Bar that we are prosecuting at the moment for those offences.

“It has become very necessary for us to work together,” he said.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday granted bail to former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, his wife, and their son pending the continuation of the trial on March 16.

The former AGF is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside his wife and son on a 16-count charge bordering on alleged N9 billion money laundering.

At the resumed sitting, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, directed the EFCC to call its first witness after counsel to Malami, Joseph Daudu, attempted to draw the court’s attention to the defendants’ pending bail application.

The judge, however, reminded counsel that she had earlier ruled that the bail application and other motions would be taken after the prosecution’s first witness had given his evidence-in-chief.

Following the ruling, the EFCC called its first witness, David Ajoma, a compliance officer with Sterling Bank, Abuja, who told the court that he had worked with the bank for three years and handles compliance requests from law enforcement agencies.

According to him, the bank subsequently forwarded the requested documents, including the account opening package, loan account statements, and other supporting records.

Ajoma testified that on December 2, 2025, Sterling Bank received a request from the EFCC seeking details of loan facilities granted to Rayham Hotel Limited.

The witness further told the court that the loan facility granted to Rayham Hotel Limited was backed by a cash collateral from Metropolitan Autotech.He explained that both Metropolitan Autotech and Rayham Hotel Limited maintain separate accounts with Sterling Bank, adding that the signatory to the Metropolitan Autotech account is one Hassan Aliyu.