Crime
Six Pupils Face Charges In Beheading Of French Teacher
The first of two trials in a case that shocked France began on Monday, with six adolescents on trial in Paris for their roles in the 2020 beheading of teacher Samuel Paty.
According to information gathered by Biztellers, the suspects entered the juvenile court behind closed doors with their jackets pulled over their faces.
In the Paris district of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, the 47-year-old history and geography teacher was stabbed, then decapitated, close to his secondary school.
His attacker, 18-year-old Chechen refugee Abdoullakh Anzorov, was shot dead at the scene by police.
The young radicalised Islamist murdered Paty after messages spread on social media that the teacher had shown his class cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Paty had used the magazine as part of an ethics class to discuss free speech laws in France, where blasphemy is legal and cartoons mocking religious figures have a long history.
His killing took place just weeks after Charlie Hebdo republished the cartoons. When the magazine first used the images in 2015, Islamic gunmen stormed its office, killing 12 people.
Last month another teacher, Dominique Bernard, was killed in Arras in northern France by a young radicalised Islamist.
Like Anzorov, Bernard’s suspected killer Mohammed Moguchkov also hailed from Russia’s mainly Muslim North Caucasus region.
– ‘Role of the minors’ –
Five of the adolescents on trial, who were 14 or 15 at the time of Paty’s murder, will be tried for criminal conspiracy with intent to cause violence.
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They are accused of having been on the lookout for Paty and identifying him to the killer in exchange for money.
A sixth teenager, who was 13 at the time, is accused of false allegations for wrongly saying that Paty had asked Muslim students to identify themselves and leave the classroom before he showed the cartoons.
A trial of eight adults also implicated in the case is scheduled for late 2024.
Paty’s family see the trial of the teenagers as crucial, according to Virginie Le Roy, a lawyer representing his parents and one of his sisters.
“The role of the minors was fundamental in the sequence of events that led to his assassination,” she said.
During questioning, the teenagers swore that at most they thought Paty would be “flagged up on social media”, “humiliated” or maybe “roughed up” but they never imagined “it would go as far as murder”.
They now are high school pupils and risk two-and-a-half years in prison.
“It is complicated,” said Dylan Slama, the lawyer for one of the accused.
“He will be associated with this for the rest of his life.”
The trial is expected to continue through December 8.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the alleged terrorism financing and illegal firearms possession case involving former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulaziz Malami, until April 15 and 16.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik granted the adjournment on Tuesday after the prosecution requested more time to prepare for the trial.
During the court session, lead prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), informed the court that he had only recently been assigned to handle the case and needed additional time to consult with witnesses.
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“I got the instruction to take over the prosecution of the case on Monday and so I need time to interface with the witnesses,” Kehinde told the court while asking for a new hearing date.
Counsel for the defendants, Shuaibu Arua (SAN), did not oppose the request for adjournment.
Following the application, Justice Abdulmalik granted the request and fixed April 15 and 16 for the continuation of the trial.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had earlier arraigned the former justice minister and his son on a five-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism financing and unlawful possession of firearms.
According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami was accused of allegedly aiding terrorism financing by failing to prosecute suspected financiers whose case files were reportedly forwarded to him while he served as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The defendants were also accused of illegally storing firearms and ammunition at their residence located in Gesse Phase II Area of Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State without lawful authority.
Items allegedly recovered include a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5’20 live cartridges, and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges.
The alleged offences are said to violate provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as the Firearms Act, 2004.
The trial is expected to continue in April when the court begins full hearing of the case.
A routine patrol by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle in Lagos and the exposure of a wanted driver, highlighting the importance of proper vehicle documentation and cooperation with authorities.
The incident occurred at the RS2.1114 Isolo Unit Command, where officers stopped an ash-coloured Toyota Sienna bearing registration number LSD438GK for a Vehicle Licence Violation (VLV) on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at about 5:11 p.m.
While the driver initially failed to present valid documents, further checks revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen and the driver was already declared wanted.
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The suspect was subsequently handed over in handcuffs to the Nigeria Police Force, Ajao Division, for further action.
The FRSC credited the recovery to the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS), a digital framework that strengthens vehicle verification and tracking.
The scheme has reportedly helped identify, trace, and recover numerous stolen vehicles nationwide, while curbing criminal syndicates involved in vehicle theft and identity manipulation.
In a statement, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide stressed that enforcement is not only about traffic compliance but also crime prevention and public safety, urging motorists to always carry valid documentation and cooperate with patrol officers.
Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed commended the Isolo team for their vigilance, affirming the FRSC’s commitment to leveraging technology, intelligence, and strategic partnerships to protect lives and property on Nigerian roads.
A major election scandal unfolded on Saturday in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as security agents apprehended a young woman in the Kabusa area for allegedly possessing 20 voter cards during the ongoing area council elections.
The woman, dressed in a black shirt and red trousers with a white scarf, was intercepted at Polling Unit 001 in Kabusa Primary School.
She was immediately escorted into a police van by security personnel, raising concerns about the integrity of the election process.
SEE ALSO: Chaos At Nyanya Polling Unit As PDP, ADC Accuse APC of ₦1,000 Vote Buying
Meanwhile, the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, was on the ground monitoring the elections.
He visited several polling units, including the Karu Chief’s Palace, to interact with adhoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and assess voter turnout.
Wike reportedly inquired about the progress of the voting and the challenges faced by election officials.
This incident comes amid reports of low voter turnout and other electoral irregularities in parts of Abuja, underscoring ongoing concerns about electoral security and transparency in the FCT area council elections.
Authorities have assured that investigations are ongoing, and the suspect may face legal action pending further verification of her actions.
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