
News
EFCC threatens to involve military in arresting Yahaya Bello
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has threatened to involve the military in executing the order issued on Wednesday by Justice Emeka Nwite for the arrest of the immediate past Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello.
EFCC’s lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), issued the threat on Thursday while accusing Bello’s successor, Usman Ododo of frustrating his client’s effort to execute the order on Wednesday.
Pinheiro said: “What happened yesterday was that a person with immunity (Ododo) came to whisk him (Bello) away to abort his arrest.
“We know that he is being kept in his successor’s house. Immunity is not attached to a building but to a person.
“We can invite the military to enter the building where he is being kept to execute the order of this court,” he said.

Pinheiro noted the law allows the EFCC to break into a building to effect arrest, adding that “what is edifying for him (Bello) is to come to court and not to continue to play game.
”He urged the court to give the prosecution up till next week to produce the defendant, adding: “We know what to do. He cannot stand in the way of the Constitution.
“A former president of the United States was indicted, he is attending court. He did not play pranks by filing frivolous cases.
“If he believes he is innocent, he should come before the court and defend it here,” Pinheiro said.
Earlier at the mention of the case, Pinheiro told the case that the matter was slated for the arraignment of the defendant (Bello).
He said since the defendant was not in court but represented by a team of lawyers, they should be served with the charge filed against their client, who escaped being served and arrested the previous day.
Pinheiro urged the court to find out from the lawyer who announced an appearance for the defendant.
On being asked why Bello was absent, his lawyer, Abdulwahab Muhammed (SAN) said the ex-Governor was not in court because there is a subsisting order of a High Court of Koki State barring the EFCC from arresting and prosecuting him in respect of the current case.
Mohammed added that the restraining order the fundamental rights enforcement suit, HCL/68M/24 filed by Bello had since been appealed by Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) one of the lawyers who represented the EFCC in the case.
He said the appeal was pending at the Court of Appeal, adding that rather than await the outcome of the appeal, the EFCC rushed before the Federal High Court to file the 16-count charge and obtain an order for Bello’s arrest.
Mohammed said his client filed a preliminary objection, challenging the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to look at the charge and to also issue the arrest warrant it issued on Wednesday.
He added: “This court should ask them (lawyers to the EFCC) whether there is an order restraining them, whether they have not appealed and whether they are not trying to place this court on a collision course with the Court of Appeal.
“What happened in Wuse Zone 4 in Abuja yesterday when they laid siege on the house of the defendant was uncalled for. A major blood bath was averted.
“He (Bello) presented them (EFCC’s officials) with an order, they quickly ran to this court to obtain an order for a warrant of arrest.
“We are saying this court has no jurisdiction. The only business of this court today is to determine whether or not this court has jurisdiction to issue the order of warrant it made.”
Mohammed told the court that the substantive suit was decided on Wednesday in favour of his client, adding that the court held that Bello cannot be arrested or detained.
Responding, Pinheiro faulted Mohammed’s claim that the substantive suit was decided in Bello’s favour.
He read part of the judgment, where he noted that the Kogi court ordered that the EFCC must first obtain the leave of a superior court before arresting of prosecuting Bello.
Pinheiro added that since the substantive suit had been decided, the ex-parte order being referred to by Mohammed was no longer alive.
He said the EFCC has fully complied with the order of the Kogi court because it has filed a charge and has also obtain an order for his arrest.
Pinheiro then applied that since ‘attempt to serve the defendant and bring him to court in line with the court’s order was frustrated yesterday by person of immunity, we now apply that a lawyer representing him should be served or accept service on his behalf.
He cited Section 382(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and sought the leave of court to deliver the charge and supporting documents to the defence lawyer, who has unconditionally announced his appearance for the defendant.
He added: “Therefore, it becomes unnecessary to serve the defendant personally, since the objective of service is to bring to the knowledge of the defendant the subsistence of the charge, the defendant having fully briefed a counsel to represent him and the counsel has also filed processes on behalf of the defendant.
“The issue of impracticability or impossibility does not arise. More particularly, having formally filed processes on behalf of the defendant, the necessity for the complainant to file a formal application for leave is dispensed with, because in furtherance of the decisions of the Supreme Court, this court can make use of materials in its file to make any findings or decision it deems fit.”
Pinheiro noted that there was already an application filed on behalf of the defendant by his lawyer, who is physically present in court and announced an unconditional appearance for the defendant.
He added: “It therefore becomes unnecessary to bring a formal application to present the same materials to the counsel already before the court. Criminal proceedings before this court are summary trial.”
He faulted the prosecution’s suggestion that the charge be served on defendant’s lawyers, arguing that the procedure was that the prosecution must first attempt personal service before resorting to substituted service.
He added that the prosecution also needs to file a formal application for leave to effect service on the defendant through substituted means.
The defence lawyer said he did not appear unconditionally by virtue of the notice of preliminary objection he filed on April 12
He noted that the EFCC filed an application on April 17 in which it also prayed the court for order of substituted service, which the court refused to grant on Wednesday, but only issued arrest warrant.
Mohammed submitted that the only option to the EFCC was for it to file an appeal and not to make similar application again.
He added: “To repeat the same application orally is an abuse of the court’s process. In the unlikely event that the court wants to take cognisance of this oral application for substituted service, it is our submission that Section 382(5) of ACJA is subject to sub-section 4.”
Mohammed said sub-section 4 of Section 382 of the ACJA provides that there should be evidence that attempt was made at personal service, which failed before leave could be obtained for substituted service.
“There is no such evidence before the court. We urge this court to refuse the prayer, cognisance of the fact that it is a criminal trial.
“We don’t have the authority of the defendant to accept service of the charge,” Mohammed said.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned till April 23 for ruling on whether or not the prosecution could serve the charge on Bello through his lawyer. (The NATION)
News
US publishes fresh names, photos of 10 Nigerians to be deported
The United States Department of Homeland Security has added 10 Nigerians to its “Worst of the Worst” register, a database highlighting immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over alleged criminal offences.
The latest names were published on the official DHS website and include individuals linked to cases involving fraud, identity theft, drug offences, assault, conspiracy and offences involving children.
The 10 Nigerians listed in the latest update are:
Temitope Bashua — Wire fraud, identity theft and fraud — Allenwood, Pennsylvania
Ojehoro Lewis — Cruelty towards a child — Conroe, Texas
Osemudiamen Kingsley Oziegbe — Wire fraud — Louisville, Kentucky
Daniel Oworen — Dangerous drugs — Conroe, Texas
Raymond H. Ekevwo — Wire fraud — Oxford, Wisconsin
Franklin Dikeocha — Sex offence against a child – fondling — Dallas, Texas
Johnson Ogunlana — Fraud and identity theft — White Deer, Pennsylvania
Chukwuemeka Okorocha — Wire fraud, dangerous drugs, possession of a weapon and aggravated assault involving a non-family gun — Allenwood, Pennsylvania
Tunde Korede — Conspiracy — Allenwood, Pennsylvania
Chukwuemeka Chinye — Larceny from a banking-type institution, fraud, larceny, identity theft and conspiracy — Pollock, Louisiana
DHS said the register was established to draw attention to immigrants it describes as the “worst of worst criminal aliens” arrested by ICE.

“Every day, the patriots of ICE are working to target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from our country. Just yesterday, ICE arrested murderers, pedophiles, kidnappers, and other violent criminals to make America safe again,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, there will be no safe haven for illegal aliens, including in sanctuary cities which put illegal aliens over their own citizens. We will never apologize for arresting and deporting illegal aliens, because that’s how we protect American lives.”
The department said the latest immigration enforcement actions were part of the Trump administration’s deportation policy.
“Under DHS leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here,” the department said.
The latest publication comes after DHS released another list in July containing 124 Nigerians arrested by ICE and identified on the same register.
The July list featured Nigerians associated with a range of criminal offences, although the department did not provide specific deportation dates for those individuals
News
FG orders closure of first River Niger bridge for one week
…Orders CCTV installation to stop vandalism
The federal government on Friday announced the closure of the River Niger bridge for one week.
The closure is to carry out repairs on the vandalised sections of the River Niger bridge road and install security architecture in the area.
Minister for Works, Engr Dave Umahi, disclosed this at Ogbunike in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra during an inspection tour of the bridge and other roads under construction in the South East and South South geopolitical zones of the country.

The first River Niger Bridge linking Asaba and Onitsha
He said motorists would, at the closure of the bridge, be directed to the Second Niger Bridge in order to give the contractors an adequate time frame to carry out the necessary repairs.

Recall that suspected vandals had looted vital bolts and irons used in the construction of the bridge, thereby exposing the bridge to obvious collapse and, in the process, threatening the lives of millions of road users and passersby.
He explained that security measures are being taken to avert a repeat occurrence of vandalism on the bridge.
“Bridges are designed for light load and dynamic loads so we have directed that work should start immediately and the entire asphalt be removed and put another one and there will be solar lights on that bridge in the next one week and we shall fix CCTV and connect it to the one in the 2nd Niger Bridge so that security will observe and whoever that tries to touch the bridge again is going to be arrested.
“Now on the first Niger bridge, we have seen the wickedness of the underworld. We have seen the man’s inhumanity to man; those things that they are removing is very dangerous to the beauty of that bridge and we have commenced action on that bridge,” he said.
He added; “There Is so much accumulated workload on that bridge, like it was with the 3rd Mainland Bridge, and every government that comes will put asphalt, and it is causing a lot of gridlock on that bridge.
“So these are the actions that we have taken and then getting down we came to the Enugu – Onitsha express and they are working in three sections and there the Enugu -Onitsha and another one is 17.5 km and the last one is about 20km by two and so I have directed them not to start any asphalt work or concrete work so what they are to do is to take measurements of all the failed sections and it should be milled out and then use 16mm binder to cover them very well all the way from head bridge to 21.5 km and they will finish one carriage way before they go to the other one.
“We have to attempt to work at night so that we don’t interfere with traffic and we have to get the road safety involved and our own local traffic managers they should commence the desilting of the drainage before commencing.
“To that effect we may have to close down the first Niger bridge in seven days time and we direct traffic to the second Niger bridge for us to fix the first Niger bridge in good time,” he stated.
At the ongoing construction of the second Niger Bridge access road, Engr Timothy Emenike, Controller, and Engr Nnamdi explained that there would be no more slow pace of work on the project, adding that the project is being executed from both fronts in order to beat the deadline.
“The project starts from Obosi down to Mkpor and Ogidi and now we are in Ogbunike and along this alignment between the last time you came we are working on several stops along this alignment and you have just seen the second bridge that is ongoing and we are almost about to start the third one”.
“Work pace will not be a hindrance until we exhaust what was given to us by the Anambra state government and I am happy to inform you that since the new Commissioner took over we have been going to the new Commissioner’s office and have been pressuring him to give us more work space.”
According to him, in the next week we shall have another work space of 5km between Obosi axis, working from both ends.
“We are cutting through the hill at Ogbunike to continue the work in that area,” they stated.
Anambra State Commissioner for Works, Arc Okey Ezeobi, announced that the right of way being demanded by the contractors would be granted to them, adding that an additional 5km has been added to the contractors.
Ezeobi thanked President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Engr Dave Umahi for providing democracy dividends for the people of Anambra and the South East.
He reiterated the support of the people of the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“There is no better way to describe this as a renewed hope and not fit saying it and the Hon Minister with what you are doing with our wonderful President for the first time Easterners can come in and move out with ease and the bottleneck they had been a great harassment and that is sending people out of the South East, has been taken care of.
“One can now bypass Onitsha, bypass Asaba and you are on your way.
“You don’t know how glad the people of Anambra and the South East is and thank Mr President for us.
“There is no way to ask for democracy dividend than this and that is when you have a visionary leadership tailored towards alleviating the sufferings of the masses.
“Mr President is developing every part of Nigeria and regarding the right of way for this project, we are finalizing it and we are adding another 5km to what we have now and there will be more than enough for the contractor to work with,” he added.
News
Family announces funeral arrangements for former GOCOP President Dotun Oladipo
The family of The Eagle Online publisher, Dotun Oladipo, has announced September 10 and 11, 2026 as the dates for the funeral programmes of the journalist and media entrepreneur.
Oladipo died on Tuesday, August 25, at the age of 56.
According to the family, a service of songs will hold at DayStar Church, Oregun, Ikeja, on Thursday, September 10.
The burial service will take place at the same venue on Friday, September 11, followed by his interment.
Oladipo was president of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) from 2017 to 2021 and was among the foundational members who helped shape the association during its formative years.

GOCOP President, Danlami Nmodu, described his death as a painful loss to the Guild and recalled his contribution to the development of online publishing in Nigeria.Exploring African Diaspora Media
“Dotun played an important role in the development of GOCOP. He led the Guild for four years at a time when there was still a lot of work to be done to establish online publishers as an important part of the media. His contribution will always be remembered,” Nmodu said.
Nmodu said Oladipo brought his experience as a journalist and publisher to the leadership of the Guild.
“Dotun understood journalism and he understood the business of publishing. He was passionate about the place of online media in Nigeria and he gave his time to the growth of the Guild. We are saddened by his passing,” Nmodu said.
Oladipo was also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the International Press Institute (IPI Nigeria), and was active in the development of Nigeria’s online publishing industry.
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