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Court Shifts Yahaya Bello Trial To March 10 Amid Witness Testimony.
Olomotane Egoro, the 10th prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing alleged money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, testified that cash withdrawals by the individuals mentioned in his evidence complied with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) guidelines.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Egoro, a Compliance Officer at Access Bank Plc who has been with the bank since May 2023, confirmed that one of the account signatories, Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju—previously said to have withdrawn funds from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account—was a civil servant and Director of Accounts in the Kogi State Government.
He added that, as a bank official, he was not privy to how the funds were used beyond the details reflected in the transactions. He gave similar testimony before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The witness further stated that former Governor Bello was neither a local government chairman nor linked to any of the transactions presented in court. This included transactions between various Kogi Local Government Areas and entities such as Fazab Business Enterprise.
For instance, Egoro confirmed that a transaction dated May 6, 2022, involving N14,453,900.84, was for the supply of reading materials to Okene Local Government. Other payments covered items such as sporting equipment, agrochemicals, farm inputs, and medical consumables. He detailed that N10.6 million from Ibaji Local Government was for agrochemicals, N7.3 million from Mopa Muro Local Government was for relief materials, and N9.9 million from Ofu Local Government was also for agrochemicals.
During the examination-in-chief, the court admitted a subpoena signed by the Managing Director of Access Bank, which included account statements of the Kogi State Government House Administration from January 2016 to January 2024, as well as statements of companies including Westwood Motors Limited, Fozad Oil and Gas Limited, Bespoque Global Concept Limited, E-Traders International Limited, and Keyless Nature Limited.
Counsel to the 2nd and 3rd defendants, ZE Abbas, objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that the certificate of identification did not comply with the Evidence Act, promising to provide detailed reasons in his final written address. Prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, dismissed the objection as a fishing expedition, also noting she would address it in her final submission. Justice Maryann Anenih admitted the documents, stating that their evidential weight would be determined later if the objection was justified.
The Kogi Government House Account was marked as Exhibits AH1 and AH2, while statements of the 11 companies were labeled Exhibits AG to AR.
During testimony, Egoro confirmed credit inflows to the Kogi Government House Account from December 2018 to August 2019, as well as withdrawals by Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju and Abdulsalami Hudu. He detailed that multiple cash withdrawals were made, including N10 million each between January 15 and 16, 2018 by Olanrewaju, and withdrawals on March 8 by Hudu. The bank had filed Suspicious Transaction Reports with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in line with standard practice.
He also confirmed credit entries to Fazab Business Enterprise in May 2022, noting inflows from local government areas and withdrawals by Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege.
Under cross-examination, Egoro maintained that no laws were breached in any of the transactions, reiterating that all withdrawals complied with CBN guidelines.
Justice Anenih adjourned the trial to March 10–12, 2026, for continuation of the witness’s cross-examination.
An officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been arrested for allegedly firing gunshots into the air during a confrontation with traders at Kubwa Market in Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The officer, identified as Onoja Samuel, reportedly arrived at the market armed with a pistol following allegations that some traders had assaulted his wife.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed the incident while addressing journalists at the command on Wednesday, Naija News reports.
Sanusi said the police received a distress call from Kubwa Market, located in the Bwari Area Council, reporting that a man was shooting into the air.
Following the report, officers attached to the Kubwa Police Division were deployed to the scene, where they arrested the suspect.
According to the police commissioner, preliminary investigations revealed that Samuel holds the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Corps (DSC) in the NSCDC.
He explained that the officer allegedly fired several shots during an argument with the traders.
“During the ensuing argument with the traders, Onoja Samuel, who is a DSC with the NSCDC, fired several shots into the air,” Sanusi said.
The police recovered a CZ pistol and 17 rounds of live 9mm ammunition from the suspect.
Sanusi added that Samuel remained in police custody and would be charged in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The commissioner also urged personnel of other security agencies operating in the FCT to exercise restraint and notify the police divisions responsible for their areas before conducting authorised operations.
He stressed that effective coordination among security agencies was essential to preventing confrontations and maintaining peace across the territory.
Nigerian gospel singer Laolu Gbenjo has cautioned the public against spreading unverified information about the circumstances surrounding the death of his colleague, Bayonile Bolaji, popularly known as Toluwanisings.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Gbenjo’s warning comes amid growing controversy surrounding the late singer’s death and burial arrangements, with reports of disagreements among members of his family.
The gospel singer spoke on Tuesday during a night of tributes held in honour of Toluwanisings in Ibadan, Oyo State. He warned against allowing the situation to degenerate into a controversy similar to the one that followed the death of Nigerian singer Mohbad.
Describing the deceased as a devoted Christian and a genuine servant of God, Gbenjo said Toluwanisings was passionate about his faith and had a good relationship with people.
He urged the public to stop fuelling unnecessary controversy over the late singer’s death, particularly through social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
“You can never see Toluwani in the midst of jobless people. He had a good heart. He was a friend to everybody. He served the Lord with all his heart. Don’t turn Toluwani into Mohbad. That madness on TikTok and Instagram must stop. If you are jobless, go and look for a job,” Gbenjo said.
Meanwhile, comedians Ayobami Ajewole, popularly known as Woli Agba, and Olamide Oladimeji, also known as Dele Omo Woli, have threatened legal action against individuals allegedly linking them to Toluwanisings’ death.
Woli Agba disclosed this in a public notice shared on his Instagram page on Sunday.
In the notice issued by their solicitors, Gemgold, the comedians warned members of the public against publishing or circulating allegations they described as false and defamatory against them.
The legal notice maintained that the allegations were baseless and intended to damage the reputations of the two entertainers.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 2, 2026, for judgment in the ₦1 billion fundamental rights suit filed by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other respondents.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik set the date after lawyers representing the parties adopted their respective court processes.
However, El-Rufai’s lawyer was absent when the case was initially called. The judge subsequently deemed the former governor’s filed processes adopted.
Counsel to the ICPC, Abdul Mohammed (SAN), adopted the commission’s court processes and urged the judge to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
Similarly, the lawyer representing the Inspector-General of Police, ACP Ezekiel Rimamsomte, and Maimuna Lami-Shiru, Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law, who appeared on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), adopted their respective processes and asked the court to dismiss the case.
During the proceedings, El-Rufai’s lawyer, Ubong Akpan, arrived in court and apologised for his lateness.
When Akpan sought the court’s permission to adopt his client’s processes, Justice Abdulmalik informed him that the documents had already been deemed adopted.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter until December 2, 2026, when judgment is expected to be delivered.
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