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The fugitive: ‘We don’t know where he is’ — Yahaya Bello’s lawyer begs court for more time to produce him

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Abdulwahab Mohammed, lead counsel to Yahaya Bello, former Kogi governor, has asked a federal high court in Abuja to give him four weeks to search for his client.

Mohammed added that the ex-governor’s whereabouts remain unknown.

 

Addressing the court shortly after a ruling which insisted on the arrest of his client, Mohammed said Bello has deep concerns about his safety.

“My lord, this has to do with his right to life. If someone has a genuine concern about his life, it ought to be considered,” the counsel submitted.

 

“At this stage, we don’t know where the defendant is. Therefore, subject to the convenience of this court, we will be asking for a reasonable time.

 

“My client does not have any problem answering to this charge. We ask for a reasonable time to enable us to access him.

 

“My lord, we will ask for four weeks.”

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Mohammed also prayed the court to stay further proceedings in the criminal charge.

 

However, Emeka Nwite, presiding judge, refused to stay the proceedings.

 

“I am shocked to my bone marrow that despite the ruling, the senior lawyer made this application,” Nwite said.

 

“Notwithstanding this flagrant abuse of court process, in view of section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, this court shall not stay proceedings in this charge.”

 

Addressing the senior lawyer, the judge said: “You, as a counsel ought to advise him correctly. Is he the only former governor that has been invited or charged by the EFCC?”

“How many people have been killed by the EFCC? This is a matter that has attracted the attention of the whole world,” the judge stated.

“If he reports himself and anything untoward happens to him, the EFCC will be held accountable.

 

“The law is very clear that an accused is presumed innocent. This is merely a charge, an allegation that has not been proved.

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“It is for you to advise him properly. Bring him here and prepare yourself. This is only an allegation that has not been proved.”

In his submission, Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to the EFCC, said his client, as a law abiding organisation, would not take any illegal action against the defendant.

 

He noted that the agency earlier undertook not to execute the arrest warrant should the defendant voluntarily submit himself for trial.

 

Turning to the defence lawyer, Oyedepo said: “The EFCC will not kill your client. We have never killed anyone before.”

“But my lord, Adoke collapsed in their custody,” Bello’s lawyer retorted light-heartedly.

 

Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter till June 13 for arraignment.

 

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

 

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Two killed as fuel-laden tanker collides with truck in Lagos

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Two people were confirmed dead following an early morning collision between a fuel-laden tanker and a tipper truck on the Lekki–Epe Expressway, Sangotedo area of Lagos state.

In a statement on Saturday, Margaret Adeseye, controller-general of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, said the accident occurred in the early hours of the day, prompting officers to rush to the scene.

“It was reported that a speeding 20-tonne tipper truck from the Epe end rammed into a stationary 30-tonne gas tanker that failed to pull over from the highway,” the statement reads.

Adeseye said the collision sparked a fire that spread to three warehouses and 10 roadside shops, including a gym and a generator house, before it was eventually brought under control.

She added that a Total petrol filling station, fully loaded with a 33,000-litre PMS tanker, narrowly escaped a major explosion.

“After the blaze was extinguished, three Sienna buses, one Toyota Corolla, and a forklift parked within the affected area were recovered. Tragically, the tipper truck driver and his assistant, both adult males, were burnt beyond recognition, while the gas tanker driver escaped unhurt,” Adeseye said.

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The agency said that efforts are ongoing to remove the remains of both trucks from the highway, though normal traffic has largely resumed at the scene.

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Cocaine trafficking: Court convicts, fines 10 Filipinos $6m

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The federal high court in Lagos has convicted 10 Filipino sailors and their merchant vessel of trafficking 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Apapa seaport.

The sailors were arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in November 2025 at Apapa seaport.

The vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, with registration number 9760110, arrived in Nigeria from Santos in Brazil.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges and entered a plea bargain agreement.

The anti-drug agency had disclosed that its officers discovered the “Class A drug” buried under the ship’s cargo on Sunday, November 16, 2025.

The NDLEA arraigned the sailors and the vessel on a four-count charge.

The defendants are Eugene Quinos Corpuz; Mark Joseph Jardiniano; Alexis Navidad Evarrola; Francis Gerard Niones Carpio; Franz Jude Mayran; Mahinay Junniel Lagura; Mario Ganiban Malvar; Hormachuelos Lordito Guivencan; Joshua Emmanuel Hufanda; and Edwin Baltazar Reyes.

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In his judgment, Ayokunle Faji, the trial judge, found the vessel guilty for an offence under section 25 of the NDLEA Act.

The judge ordered the vessel to pay the sum of N100,000 penalty for the offence and a restitution in the sum of N5.3 million to the federal government.

The judge convicted three principal officers of the vessel who are the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants. They were asked to pay N100,000 each and a restitution of $100,000 each to the federal government.

After conviction, the judge ordered the 5th to 11th defendants to pay N100,000 each in addition to a restitution of $50,000 each.

According to the NDLEA, the total money to be paid to the federal government by the vessel and the 10 sailors is $6 million and N1.1million as restitution and penalty.

Reacting to the judgment, Mohammed Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, said the conviction of the vessel and its crew members is a “lesson to international drug cartels and their local collaborators that Nigeria’s territorial waters are no longer a playground for the illicit narcotics trade”.

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“Let this judgment be an unambiguous signal to every shipping line, vessel owner, and sailor worldwide that if you turn your ships into floating warehouses for illicit drugs, you will not only lose your freedom but also your assets,” Marwa said.

“We have moved beyond mere seizures; we are now hitting the syndicates where it hurts most, their pockets and their operational assets.”

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VIDEO: Man caught trying to lure child hawker for sex with ₦1,000

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A man has been caught on video while allegedly attempting to lure a young girl hawking avocados with ₦1,000 for sexual purposes.

The unfortunate incident, which surfaced in a viral video, was shared by content creator LordZeus in a post shared on IG on Monday, who confronted the suspect.

When questioned, the man denied the allegation and claimed he was the girl’s father.

But the child contradicted him, stating that he approached her and asked her to follow him to a secluded place so they could “touch body,” promising to give her ₦1,000. She added that when she refused, the man brought out the cash in an attempt to persuade her.

During the confrontation, some bystanders pleaded on behalf of the suspect, claiming he was mentally unstable and alleging that the girl was not the first child he had approached.

Reacting, LordZeus challenged the defence, questioning why alleged mental illness should excuse such behaviour toward a minor.

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He also used the moment to caution parents against sending young girls out to hawk, noting that female child hawkers are often

He wrote, “Parents please, no matter how hard life gets, do not allow your girl child especially underage to hawk on the streets alone. Even If they must hawk, hawk alongside them.

“They are constantly at risk of se*xual harassment, and many of them will never speak up. I’ve hawked before, so I know exactly what life on the street is like.

“Imagine if this man was able to manipulate the little girl with just 1,000 naira , this will be unimaginable.

“Ihe na-eme nu o. Let’s do everything possible to protect our girl children. Their safety and dignity must come first before any other thing. It can only get better ”

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