Crime
Prominent Businessman, Politician’s Bail Revoked Amid Grandstanding Video Controversy
In a significant development, Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has nullified the bail previously granted to Ericbona Ushie, a well-known businessman and politician facing allegations of a N35 million fraud.
The court has slated the next hearing for June 20, 2024, providing an opportunity for the defense to contest video evidence presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The footage suggests that Ushie, originally from Cross River State, was not in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service as expected.
The EFCC had formally charged Ushie on February 12, 2024, with a total of 13 offenses, including stealing, obtaining under false pretenses, use of false documents, forgery, and possession of fraudulent documents, amounting to N35,397,000.
One of the counts reads: “Ericbona Eliom Ushie, sometime in 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted the total sum of N35,397,000.00, property of Calibration and Non-destructive Services Limited for your own use.”
Another count reads: “Ericbona Eliom Ushie, sometime in 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud the aggregate sum of N35,397,000.00 property of Calibration and Non-destructive Services Limited under the pretense that the said sum was for the purpose of securing an award of contract from Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.”
Pleading “not guilty” to the charges, Ericbona Ushie initiated his defense.
Subsequently, Bilikisu Buhari, representing the EFCC, informed the court about the prosecution’s plan to present 13 witnesses in support of their case.
In response, the defense counsel, C.C. Orji, apprised the court of the defendant’s bail application.
C.C. Orji stated, “We have also served the same on the prosecution.”
In response, Bilikisu Buhari conveyed that the prosecution opposed the bail and had submitted a counter-affidavit.
Orji urged the court to grant bail to the defendant, highlighting that Ushie had been in EFCC custody since December 2, 2023.
Emphasizing the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, Orji made a case for the defendant’s right to bail.
He said “He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Orji continued to assert that Ushie posed no flight risk and appealed to the court for self-recognition.
However, the prosecution countered, citing a court order as the basis for his detention in EFCC custody and pointing out additional pending cases with various courts.
Justice Abike-Fadipe, rejecting release to the defense counsel, ordered Ushie’s remand in prison custody.
The court scheduled the next hearing and ruling on the bail application for February 22, 2024.
In the verdict on the bail application, Justice Abike-Fadipe approved bail for Ericbona Ushie, setting the sum at N35 million.
The conditions included two sureties of equal value, required to reside and possess property within Lagos, along with proof of tax payment for the last three years.
While granting bail, the court also directed Ushie to be remanded in prison custody until the fulfillment of the specified bail conditions.
On February 26, 2024, Bilikisu Buhari alerted the court to a viral video circulating on social media.
The video depicted the defendant, Ericbona Ushie, comfortably posing in his Lekki residence in Lagos State, claiming he was never arrested, detained, or sent to prison by any court.
In the video, presented in open court, Ushie, who was supposed to be in prison custody, sat at his dining table with a plate of jollof rice, a bottle of water, and a pack of juice, boldly asserting, “I wasn’t arrested.”
Boasting further, Ushie retorted: “It baffles me, the energy [some people] use to try to destroy…It is disheartening… I am sitting in the comfort of my house… Today is the 18th February [2024] Sunday, the day before yesterday was 16th… I don’t know, one element of no commercial value posted something on Facebook; anybody can sponsor any post… and then, they go ahead to say that me, Ericbona Eliom Ushie, Honourable, [that] I am in prison… e be like say Nigeria Prisons dem don dey get prison wey dey [fine] like this [my beautiful house] o.”
Justice Abike-Fadipe, taken aback by the video, revoked the previously granted bail to the defendant.
The court issued a new order, mandating Ushie to stay in prison custody until June 20, 2024, the scheduled date for the defense to counter the contents of the aforementioned video.
The Ogun State Police Command has taken a 56-year-old man, Madarikan Emehinola, into custody in connection with a suspected arson incident that claimed the life of his 40-year-old wife, Igbagbo Erobe, in the Igbo-Edu area of Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
The incident was reported at the Abigi Divisional Police Headquarters on Sunday, October 18, 2026, following information that a house had been set ablaze, resulting in the woman’s death.
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The Ogun State Police Command disclosed the development in a press release issued on Sunday, stating that the husband was in custody in connection with the incident.
The deceased’s body has been deposited at a mortuary for post-mortem examination to establish further details surrounding her death.
The police also disclosed that the case was being processed for transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, psc, FCSS, MNIPR, assured the public that the matter would be investigated diligently and professionally in accordance with the law.
According to the statement, the commissioner assured the public that “the matter will be investigated diligently and professionally in accordance with the law.”
Ojajuni reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that allegations of serious crimes would receive appropriate investigative attention.
The command also called on members of the public to report suspicious activities promptly and provide credible information that could assist crime prevention and ongoing investigations.
“The Command urges members of the public to report suspicious activities promptly and provide credible information that may assist crime prevention and ongoing investigations,” the statement read.
The circumstances surrounding the fire and the alleged involvement of the husband remain subject to investigation.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 85-year-old woman, Grace Ehimeka, after recovering 179 kilogrammes of skunk from her during anti-drug operations in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Ehimeka was among six suspects arrested during raids conducted by NDLEA operatives in the area as part of a series of nationwide operations targeting illicit drugs.
The operations in Edo State also led to the recovery of another 220.8 kilogrammes of skunk, alongside smaller quantities of cannabis and other controlled substances.
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The arrest was one of several recorded during the agency’s nationwide operations, which resulted in major drug seizures across multiple states.
In Lagos, the NDLEA seized 8,725 kilogrammes of tramadol hydrochloride powder worth over ₦6.98 billion at Apapa Port. The shipment, which originated from India, had been declared as maize starch.
The agency also intercepted cannabis concealed in palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The consignment was allegedly intended for Saudi Arabia, while two suspects were arrested in connection with the case.
In Ondo State, operatives destroyed an estimated 7,500 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated on three hectares of farmland and arrested five suspects.
Other seizures were recorded in Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, including large quantities of tramadol, Exol-5 tablets and cannabis.
The operations formed part of the NDLEA’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs across the country.
A 70-year-old man, Alhaji Saleh Kasim, has been killed during a bandit attack on Gamji Village in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State, while 27 abducted residents have been rescued by security forces.
The Katsina State Government disclosed this in a press release issued on Saturday by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mu’azu.
According to the statement, about 40 armed bandits, led by a suspected gang leader identified as Kachalla Alhaji Bawa Kabir, invaded the community in the early hours of October 16, 2026.
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The attackers reportedly arrived on 20 motorcycles, abducted 27 residents, mostly women, children and elderly people, and rustled six cows.
The government said Kasim was shot dead during the attack.
Following credible intelligence, troops of the 17 Brigade, working with local hunters and the Community Watch Corps, moved to block the attackers’ escape routes towards the Madaci forest enclave.
At about 6 p.m. on the same day, the troops engaged the bandits at Tashar Bawa forest and successfully rescued all 27 abducted residents.
The rescued victims were subsequently taken to the Machika Military Forward Operating Base for medical attention.
The statement added that joint security teams had commenced clearance operations to flush out the remaining members of the gang and prevent possible reprisal attacks on the community.
The Katsina State Government, under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, reaffirmed its commitment to protecting residents across the state.
Mu’azu commended the troops and community-based security groups for their swift response to the incident.
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