Crime
Benue Court Sentences 5 To Death
Five men from Anchoha Village, Gwer-East Local Government Area of Benue State have been sentenced to death by hanging for culpable homicide by Justice T.A Kume of the Makurdi High Court.
The individuals, Terna Zwave, Jonathan Gbajime, John Bur, Gabriel Ianna, and Kwaghgba Zaki, were charged before a Makurdi Magistrates’ Court in 2021.
Charged under Sections 97, 349, 329, and 222 of the penal code laws of Benue, 2004, the five men were accused of criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, mischief, and culpable homicide.
On October 5, 2021, they trespassed on Oliver Jato’s land, cutting down trees for charcoal. A confrontation with Abraham Hwange, Peter Agber, and the deceased escalated into a violent scuffle, resulting in the beating to death of Biija by the convicted individuals.
Following legal advice, the case was transferred to the High Court, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
During the proceedings, the first defendant, Zwave, admitted guilt, whereas the others entered pleas of not guilty.
The defendants testified without calling any witnesses, while the prosecution presented seven witnesses.
In the final written address, R.B.N Amenger, the prosecution counsel, contended that the defendants’ plea of not guilty amounted to a mere denial.
Amenger argued that the defendants failed to provide a substantive defense, relying on denials and technicalities that, according to him, were not material or fatal to the prosecution’s case.
In his final written address, Defense counsel D.U Liam argued that the prosecution hadn’t proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt to justify the defendants’ sentencing.
Nevertheless, the trial Justice ruled that the prosecution had indeed established its case beyond all reasonable doubts. The Justice emphasized that denying the commission of an offense does not equate to not having committed it.
Justice Kume asserted that the burden of proof lay with the defense counsel, a requirement he deemed unmet.
Despite hearing the plea for mercy from the defendants and their counsel’s statement, which included the Lord’s prayers, Kume maintained the legal perspective on the burden of proof in the case.
Justice Kume emphasized that the applicable law in the case lacked the mercy found in the Lord’s prayer.
Consequently, he sentenced the defendants to death by hanging on the four-count-charge.
Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Basil Iwoba Ochili, Managing Director of Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, over alleged fraudulent activities involving N128 million.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday.
According to the commission, Ochili was arrested for allegedly using his company for fraudulent activities, including “obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-eight Million Naira).”
SEE ALSO: EFCC Warns Lawyers Against Charging Clients in Foreign Currencies
The EFCC said Ochili was arrested based on a claim by a petitioner who alleged that sometime in September 2022, the suspect falsely presented himself as the owner of five plots of land situated beside Anambra State Secretariat by Stamford Hotel, Aroma Junction, Awka, Anambra State, and falsely offered the property for sale.
“Relying on the suspect’s representation, the petitioner purchased the said plots in the sum of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Million Naira), which was paid into the suspect’s company account,” the EFCC said.
However, the commission said the petitioner was unable to take possession of the land.
Preliminary investigations, according to the EFCC, showed that the suspect knew that the land “encroached on Anambra State Government Secretariat’s land” but allegedly went ahead to sell it to the petitioner.
The commission further said that instead of refunding the petitioner’s money, Ochili “offered him two dud cheques.”
“Further preliminary investigations showed that the suspect used part of the money to settle his debts,” the EFCC said.
The commission also stated that Ochili’s company, Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, “has never been tax compliant.”
The EFCC said the suspect will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
“The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the commission stated.
The Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine convicted crude oil thieves to 10 years in prison without an option of fine following a joint intelligence-led operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Navy (NN).
The convicts were among 19 suspects arrested earlier this year after security operatives caught them allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil well head identified as Asabo-D in Ibeno Local Council of the state.
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Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joy Ikpeme found the nine men guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The judge sentenced each of them to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second count, with no option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The remaining 10 suspects arrested during the operation are expected to face further legal proceedings.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation conducted by the DSS in collaboration with the NN as part of efforts to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom.
The conviction was described by a security source as another significant step in the sustained campaign against oil theft, particularly along Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas.
According to the source, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering have continued to deprive the country of vital oil revenue while inflicting serious environmental damage on host communities.
The source said the latest conviction underscored the determination of security agencies to ensure that those involved in the theft of the nation’s crude resources are brought to justice.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on legal practitioners in the country to desist from the illegal and unethical practice of charging clients in foreign currencies.
The Commission disclosed this in a post on its official X account on Monday.
SEE ALSO: Expose Stolen Nigerian Assets Abroad, Get Up to 5% Reward — EFCC
The call was made on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Lagos by the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law, led by its Head, Moshood Abiola.
Speaking during the interactive session, Kaltungo expressed concern over the activities of lawyers who engage in “illegal and unethical practices,” stressing that the Commission would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable.
He also urged legal practitioners to desist from charging their clients in foreign currencies, warning that such practice could attract regulatory action.
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