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The 17th prosecution witness in the ongoing alleged money laundering case filed against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and two others, said on Wednesday that the former governor was not involved in any of the property transactions before the court. The witness, Shehu Bello Bala, told the court, while being cross-examined by the Defendant's Counsel, Paul Daudu, SAN, that the 2nd defendant did not also participate in any of the transactions. He noted that one Farouk Bello served as the agent.  On cross-examination, he, however, noted that he was aware that the title documents - deed of assignment and power of attorney were returned to Efab Estate by Farouk Bello. The witness had earlier said he was not in anyway related to Ali Bello and Farouk Bello, whom he had mentioned in his examination-in-chief. He also confirmed that he was not from Kogi State, implying that he was not also related to the former governor. The witness, a commodity trader, who said he wa...

Residents of Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State have been thrown into shock and grief following the gruesome killing of an 18-month-old girl by unknown assailants at a farm settlement in the area. The tragic incident reportedly occurred on Monday, June 8, 2026, at Agoti Settlement, a farming community in Idanre. The victim’s father, Mr. Bright Kalu, a peasant farmer originally from Abia State, is demanding justice for the brutal murder of his daughter. Speaking on the incident, Kalu explained that his daughter had been left in the care of her mother at the family’s farm camp while he went to work at another farmland located some distance away. Recounting the painful experience, he said: “On Monday, June 8, 2026, I was returning from a nearby camp where I had gone to purchase food items when I met my wife looking distressed and unsettled. “When I asked what had happened, she told me that an unknown person had invaded the camp and attacked her. She managed to rescue three ...

The Executive Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has challenged members of the 2026 Batch 'B' Stream I orientation course, to become active drivers of national renewal and community development through dedicated service, innovation and responsible leadership. The Governor gave the charge at the swearing in ceremony of the corps members held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ikare Akoko. He was ably represented by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Segun Henry Omoyofunmi. Addressing the newly sworn in corps members, Aiyedatiwa described the NYSC as one of Nigeria's most enduring platforms for promoting national unity and youth development. He urged them to embrace the service year as an opportunity to build bridges across ethnic and religious divides while contributing meaningfully to the growth of their host communities. He encouraged the corps members to take advantage of the orientation course and the Skill Acquisition and En...

The Imole Campaign Council (TICC) has received credible intelligence regarding an alleged plot by desperate opposition elements within the Osun State chapter of the APC to disrupt the official campaign flag-off of Governor Ademola Adeleke ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state. According to information available to the Council, certain APC actors recently held a clandestine meeting with some hoodlums allegedly recruited to disguise themselves as students, civil society activists, or advocates for the recently abducted school children in Oyo State, with the objective of staging a protest targeted at Governor Adeleke's official campaign launch. If true, such a scheme represents a disturbing attempt to exploit a painful national tragedy for partisan political gains. It is particularly unfortunate that a matter involving innocent school children, their traumatised families, and the collective concern of Nigerians could be converted into a tool for political despera...

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued a 36-year-old woman, identified as Grace Aniekuoku, who was allegedly chained and confined in a room by her brother for over one year and four months in Abuja. The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mohammed Sanusi, disclosed the development on Monday, revealing that the command received a distress report on June 12, 2026, regarding the victim’s alleged unlawful detention under inhumane conditions. According to the police commissioner, detectives attached to the Katampe Division were immediately deployed to investigate the report. He explained that upon arrival at the residence, the suspect allegedly resisted officers and refused to grant them access to the area where the victim was being held. The officers eventually gained entry and discovered the woman chained inside a room. Police said she appeared severely malnourished and was found lying in unsanitary conditions. The suspect was arrested at the scene, while the vict...

By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko, Ibadan  The Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo, has lamented that Africa’s three wealthiest black nations — Nigeria, South Africa and Democratic Republic of Congo – were “all in shreds for one reason or the other”. According to him, the continent at this point in time, urgently needs courageous leaders with patriotic vision. Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Ibadan, the cleric said the situation across the continent was “very unsettling”. “Africa really needs the help of courageous leaders with patriotic vision. “Look at Nigeria, South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, the three wealthiest countries of black Africa are all in shreds for one reason or the other. “This is very unsettling. These three countries aforementioned have a great responsibility to drag Africa out of the doldrums of centuries past,” Badejo stressed. The Catholic Bishop expressed concern that Africa’s development would ...

‎ ‎The Ondo State Government has assured residents that all necessary security and intelligence mechanisms have been activated to ensure the safe rescue of Mr. Adeniyi Adelana, aged 60, the Baale of Ode Oriya Village, who was kidnapped by suspected gunmen in Owo Local Government Area on Saturday. ‎ ‎2. The government wishes to reassure the family of the victim and the general public that Police and other security agencies, in collaboration with the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), have swung into action and are currently conducting coordinated search and rescue operations across strategic locations within and around the area of the incident. ‎ ‎3. The swift response to the unfortunate development underscores the effectiveness of the state's sustained investment in strengthening its security architecture. Through the provision of modern intelligence-gathering equipment, including surveillance drones and other technological assets, the Ondo State Government has co...