Author: Festus Adeloye

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has raised contempt charges against two defence counsel in the N80.2billion alleged money laundering charges against a former governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello. Bello is facing prosecution alongside his nephew, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88k( Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty-Nine Naira and Eighty- eight Kobo). At the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, June 27, 2024, EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinhero, SAN, prayed the court to exercise disciplinary…

The Ishieke Police Division in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State came under heavy attack by unknown gunmen on Wednesday night. It was reported that during the gun duel, five of the unknown gunmen were killed by the Police. According to sources, the incident started around 9:30 pm with heavy shootings, forcing residents into hiding. One of the sources, Mr Tony Nworie said the gunmen arrived at the police station with two cars and started shooting sporadically in the air. He said the gunmen engaged in a gun duel with the policemen on duty in front of the station…

The Economic and Financial Crime Comission (EFCC) has reportedly raided the Regional Annex Hotel in Iyana-Isasi, Ojo local government area of Lagos State. During the raid on Wednesday night, June 26, the EFCC operatives were caught on CCTV assaulting two women. https://youtu.be/oLFZpKeEPbo One video showed an officer forcing his way into a room with his team, repeatedly hitting a young lady, and then leading her out. Another video showed an operative flogging a cleaner while questioning her “who are you?”. The assaulted lady is said to be a cleaner in the hotel. Gunshots were fired as the hotel management and…

The Senate has passed has passed a bill for an Act to amend the implementation of the 2023 supplementary appropriation bill till 31st December, 2024. The implementation of the 2023 supplementary by implication would run in paripasu with that of the 2024 which stands at N28.78 trillion. The passage followed the emergency plenary convened which was presided by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio. After clause by clause consideration of the bill and after the Committee of Supply, the bill was then read the third time and passed. The 2023 supplementary budget bill was sponsored by the Senate…

The Senate on Thursday, June 27, observed a minute silence in honour of the late Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Etop Andrew Essien. Essien had on Tuesday, June 25, slumped while making a presentation before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts and later passed on at the National Assembly Clinic where he was taken for medical attention. The late Customs officer was in charge of Revenue and Excise of the NCS. Senate President Godswill Akpabio who expressed dismay at the incident said the investigation is ongoing to unravel what happened.

Three persons were confirmed injured when farmers and herders clashed around Baranda Forest in Kiyawa Local Government Area of Jigawa, the state Police Command confirmed on Thursday. “We received the information about the incident on Tuesday at about 2:15 p.m.,” DSP Lawal Shiisu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said in a statement. “On receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer of Kiyawa Division, alongside his patrol team, rushed to the scene. The team included Kiyawa Local Government officials, Chairmen of Kautal Hore and Miyetti Allah, Association of Farmers of Nigeria (AFAN), and village heads of the four affected…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Adeola Adedipe, on Thursday, applied to the Federal High Court in Abuja to withdraw his appearance for the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. Bello is facing a 19-count charge bordering on his alleged complicity in money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of about N80.2billion. Following his absence in court for his scheduled arraignment, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, urged the trial judge to dock his lawyers for failing to fulfil an undertaking they made to ensure his availability for trial. Lead…

The immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who is facing a 19-count charge, has written a letter to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, pleading to be allowed to face his trial in Kogi. Ex-governor Bello, in the letter he wrote through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, maintained that only Lokoja Division of the high court has the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the allegations that were raised against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. At the resumed proceeding in the matter on Thursday, Bello,…

The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has declared readiness for the commencement for another season even though the 2023-24 season was just concluded last weekend. The Chief Operating Officer of the NPFL, Davidson Owumi said as much on Sports Salsa anchored by Mitchell Obi, that the fixtures and probable dates for the start of the 2024-25 season are ready but pending ratification of the Club Owners and the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) during the league body’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) “Not that relaxed because the end of one game is the beginning of another,” Owumi said.“The pressure of events to begin…

Bolivia’s armed forces have arrested the general accused of launching a botched coup on Wednesday. Juan José Zúñiga, who commanded the South American country’s army, was detained in La Paz in front of television cameras on Wednesday night, capping a dramatic few hours in which armed soldiers attempted to storm the national palace. President Luis Arce gave a televised statement to denounce an attempted putsch shortly after an armoured military vehicle rammed into the entrance of the presidential palace and soldiers funnelled in. The troops had just taken the Plaza Murillo, a historic central square, outside. “Today the country is…