Crime
Court Declines EFCC’s Bid To Arraign Yahaya Bello Without Lawyers
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday suspended the arraignment of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, following the absence of his legal representatives.
Bello faces a 19-count charge involving an alleged ₦80.2 billion fraud.
The prosecution, represented by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, urged the court to proceed with the arraignment, arguing that the law only requires the physical presence of the defendant, not necessarily his lawyers, for the plea to be taken.
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Citing sections 271, 277, and 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, Pinheiro maintained that Bello’s presence in the dock fulfilled legal requirements.
However, Bello informed the court that he learned of the hearing late Thursday night and believed his lawyers were unaware of the rescheduled date. The case was initially adjourned to January 21, 2025, before being brought forward.
In his ruling, Justice Emeka Nwite declined to compel Bello to enter a plea in the absence of his legal team. He stressed that ensuring fair hearing is paramount.
“It would amount to a breach of fair hearing for the defendant to be docked in the absence of any lawyer representing him,” Justice Nwite ruled. “It would have been different if the defendant had no lawyer representing him.”
The court also acknowledged that during a previous hearing on October 30, Bello was absent, prompting the EFCC to seek permission to try him in absentia.
While a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest, Justice Nwite stated that procedural fairness must not be sacrificed.
“It is therefore my view that the interest of justice will be met by putting the defense counsel on notice about this abridgement of time,” the judge added.
Recall that Bello surrendered to the EFCC last week after months of evading arrest.
The EFCC alleged that an earlier attempt to execute a bench warrant at Bello’s residence was thwarted by the current Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, who reportedly whisked the former governor away in his official car.
Bello, alongside his nephew, Ali Bello, and two others, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu, faces charges of money laundering, breach of trust, and misappropriation of public funds.
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the FCT High Court had earlier remanded Bello in EFCC custody after he pleaded not guilty to a separate charge. On Friday, he was brought before the Federal High Court for the new charges.
Justice Nwite has ordered that Bello’s lawyers be formally notified of the rescheduled hearing date.
The matter was adjourned to December 13, 2024, to allow both parties to address whether the original January 2025 date should be abridged.
For now, the former governor remains in EFCC custody.
Crime
Shock in Abia as NDLEA Arrests Two Grandfathers for Selling Drugs to Secondary Students
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men aged 84 and 75 for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State, in a shocking case that has stirred public concern.
The suspects, identified as Godfrey Orji (84) and Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora (75), were arrested in separate intelligence-led operations by NDLEA operatives over their alleged involvement in drug distribution within school communities.
Drugs hidden in patent medicine shop
According to the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Obiora was arrested on June 19, 2026, after credible intelligence linked him to selling illicit substances to students from his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia.
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A search of the premises reportedly led to the recovery of 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
Babafemi stated: “Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store.”
Arrest at school exposes second suspect
In a separate operation, Godfrey Orji, a pensioner, was apprehended after he was allegedly caught supplying drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia.
Security guards at the school reportedly intercepted him and handed him over to the police, who later transferred him to the NDLEA.
One of the teenage students, a 15-year-old SS2 pupil, allegedly confessed during interrogation that the suspect regularly supplied him with drugs, which he also sold to other students.
Students moved to rehabilitation
The NDLEA confirmed that while the two suspects will face prosecution, the affected students have been placed under counselling and rehabilitation programmes as part of efforts to curb drug abuse in schools.
Nationwide crackdown continues
The Abia arrests come amid ongoing nationwide operations by the NDLEA, which also recorded major drug seizures across the country In Lagos, operatives intercepted 9.5kg of ADB-Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid concealed in a shipment from China.
Another raid uncovered 300 grams of cannabis (“Loud”) hidden in handbags at a logistics facility.
A drug dealer’s home in Ajah was raided, with codeine syrup and cannabis recovered.
In Kogi State, a suspect was arrested with 1.030kg of methamphetamine hidden in custard containers.
In Oyo State, operatives recovered 1,416kg of skunk during a major raid.
In Edo State, large cannabis farms were destroyed, with over 4,000kg of cannabis recovered or eradicated.
NDLEA vows stronger enforcement
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended operatives across multiple states for their coordinated operations and urged them to sustain the momentum.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to both enforcement and public sensitisation under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The NDLEA says it will continue its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks, especially those targeting vulnerable young people in school environments, as investigations and prosecutions continue in the Abia case.
Crime
Shock in Kano as Popular TikToker Is Detained Over Boyfriend’s Death
Popular TikTok personality, Fati Cele, has been detained by the Kano State Police Command following the death of her boyfriend, Isma’il Makaye, at her residence in Kano State.
The development was confirmed on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna, who said the social media influencer is currently in custody while investigations continue.
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“Yes, it’s true, the TikToker is currently being detained over the death of her boyfriend, Isma’il Makaye,” Haruna said.
The police spokesperson, however, declined to provide further details regarding the incident, stressing that investigations are ongoing.
Fati Cele, who is originally from Borno State, resides in a rented apartment in the Danbare area of Kano.
She is a well-known content creator on TikTok, where she has built a following of more than 32,000 followers.
According to a source close to the deceased who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident occurred after Cele allegedly raised an alarm from her residence, claiming there was a fire outbreak.
The source said Makaye was immediately rushed to Nassarawa Hospital for treatment but was later confirmed dead.
It was further gathered that officers attached to the Dorayi Babba Police Division subsequently took the TikTok personality into custody as part of ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The deceased, Makaye, was a cosmetics trader who lived in the Hotoro Tishama area of Kano.
Family associates disclosed that he was buried at Unguwa Uku Yan Awaki after his remains were released to relatives for burial rites.
The Kano State Police Command has yet to disclose the exact cause of death, maintaining that investigations are still underway.
Crime
Fake Job Offer Exposed as Police Rescue Young Women from Alleged Sex Trade
The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered an alleged human trafficking scheme and arrested a woman accused of attempting to traffic three young women from Kaduna State to Ivory Coast for prostitution.
The victims, aged between 18 and 20, were reportedly lured from Kaduna to Lagos with promises of legitimate employment at a restaurant.
However, upon arriving in the Ajegunle area of Lagos on May 23, they allegedly discovered that the job offer was a cover for a plan to send them abroad for prostitution.
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According to information obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), one of the victims became suspicious after learning of the suspect’s alleged intentions and immediately objected to the arrangement.
A police source disclosed that the young woman informed the suspect that prostitution was never part of the agreement and that they had travelled to Lagos believing they were coming for genuine employment opportunities.
“She immediately told the suspect that prostitution was not what they had been told they were coming to Lagos for,” the source said.
The source further revealed that the suspect allegedly took the girls to a motor park in preparation for their movement out of the country.
“The suspect allegedly took the girls to a motor park with plans to facilitate their movement out of the country.
“Alarmed by the development, one of the victims approached the police and lodged a complaint.
“Following the report, detectives launched an investigation and subsequently apprehended the suspect,” the source added.
Following the complaint, detectives launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspect.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, subsequently ordered that the case be transferred from the Tolu Police Division in Ajegunle to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for a thorough investigation.
The case is currently being handled by the Anti-Human Trafficking/Gender Unit of the SCID under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Mr. Dayo Akinbisehin.
Investigators are probing allegations of conspiracy, deception and human trafficking, while efforts are ongoing to rescue other victims reportedly being held by an accomplice and identify additional members of the suspected trafficking network.
The police source also disclosed that the victims were never informed about the alleged plan before leaving Kaduna and that one of them became alarmed only after learning of the intention to transport them abroad for prostitution.
Authorities said investigations have been concluded and the suspect is expected to be charged to court soon.





