Aeesha's Blog

Category: Breaking News

  • Police capture notorious bandit linked to murder of officers in Benue, Nasarawa

    The Benue State Police Command has arrested a suspected notorious bandit allegedly responsible for multiple attacks on security personnel in Benue and Nasarawa states.
    Security expert, Zagazola Makama, confirmed that the suspect, identified as Yongu Justine Makwagh of Kadarko in Nasarawa State, was apprehended at about 8:00 p.m. on Friday at Balcony Park, Makurdi, after months of sustained surveillance.
    Makama said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Daudu led the operation based on credible intelligence, with support from operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on special duty.
    A security source told that Makwagh had been on the command’s wanted list over his alleged involvement in violent attacks within the Sankera axis.
    “The suspect was earlier linked to the killing of two Safer Highway Police personnel at Yelwata and two operatives of the Department of Operations (DOPS) in Daudu, during which firearms were carted away,” the source said.
    Police authorities described the arrest as a major breakthrough in ongoing operations to dismantle bandit networks across Benue and neighbouring states.
    They confirmed that the suspect is in custody and undergoing interrogation, adding that efforts are ongoing to recover additional weapons and track down his accomplices.
    Bandit attacks on schools and places of worship have intensified in recent weeks, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare a national emergency to address the worsening security situations.

  • Ex-Army Chief Yahaya Denies Terrorism Financing Allegations

    Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya (rtd.), has dismissed allegations linking him to individuals purported to be involved in terrorism financing.
    The allegation, credited to retired Maj.-Gen. Danjuma Ali-Keffi and published by an online platform, alleged that Yahaya maintained ties with persons suspected of financing terrorism.
    In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by retired Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman on his behalf, Yahaya described the report as “spurious, baseless and entirely untrue.”
    He said at no point in his career — before, during, or after serving as Chief of Army Staff — did he maintain any direct or indirect association with individuals involved in terrorism financing or activities capable of undermining national security.
    Yahaya accused Ali-Keffi of launching a personal vendetta allegedly triggered by disciplinary measures taken against him while in service, adding that the report was malicious and lacked factual basis.
    He also criticised the online platform for publishing the allegations without verification, saying the action undermined public trust and misrepresented his professional record.
    “These allegations run contrary to Gen. Yahaya’s impeccable service record, professional integrity and lifelong commitment to Nigeria’s defence,” the statement said.
    The former Army chief demanded an immediate retraction from Ali-Keffi, the online platform and others disseminating the report, warning that failure to do so would attract necessary legal action to safeguard his reputation.
    Yahaya reaffirmed his commitment to the fight against terrorism, saying the national campaign required responsibility, patriotism and truth rather than propaganda driven by personal grievances.

  • Court sentences herder to death for killing fellow herdsman in Borno

    A Borno High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced an 18-years-old herder, Adamu Mohammed, to death for killing a fellow herdsman, 19-years-old Adamu Ali, during a clash in Auno, Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.
    Justice Mohammed Maina held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the convict struck the deceased on the head with a cutlass during an altercation on Jan. 19, 2025.
    Ali was later confirmed dead at the Borno State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.
    Court records indicated that although Mohammed initially attempted to plead guilty, the court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf because the charge carries a death sentence.
    The prosecution called two witnesses and tendered exhibits, including the defendant’s statements and a medical report. In both statements, Mohammed admitted to fighting the deceased with a cutlass.
    The defence argued that the convict acted in self-defence, a claim the court rejected due to inconsistencies in his testimony and the absence of evidence showing he was unable to retreat.
    Justice Maina ruled that the force used was excessive and unjustified, adding that the elements of culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 191(a) of the Borno State Penal Code Law, 2023, had been satisfied. Mohammed was subsequently sentenced to death by hanging.
    The incident occurred against the background of ongoing tensions involving herders in various parts of the country, a situation that has led to fatalities and destruction of property.

  • Military Aircraft Crashes In Niger State, Pilots Survive

    A Nigerian Air Force jet on Saturday crashed near Karabonde in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, with both pilots reportedly ejecting safely.
    Local media platform Lapai TV confirmed the incident in a post accompanied by a short video, stating that the Alpha Jet went down close to the community but the two pilots survived.
    The aircraft appeared to have taken off from the Kainji Air Force Base before the crash occurred.
    “One of the villagers informed us that the incident happened at about 4.10 p.m.,” a resident, Lukman Sulaiman, said. “The aircraft landed very close to the town, but God was kind — the pilots ejected safely.”
    Residents said they heard a loud noise before the jet hit the ground, prompting fear among villagers before they moved towards the scene.
    Videos obtained by PUNCH Online showed the aircraft engulfed in flames at the crash site as locals gathered around.
    The Nigerian Air Force had yet to issue an official statement on the crash as at the time of filing this report.

  • Politicians Visit General Overseers for Electoral Influence, Not Prayers — Cleric

    Pastor Femi Emmanuel, Presiding Pastor of Livingspring Chapel International, says Nigerian politicians visit prominent General Overseers largely to secure electoral support and not for spiritual guidance.
    Emmanuel, who spoke with journalists on Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo State, said political office seekers often target the influence religious leaders hold over their large congregations.
    According to him, while clerics may pray for such visitors, the real motivation behind the visits is to mobilise votes.
    “When politicians visit popular General Overseers, they come mainly for political reasons — to get their members to vote for them,” he said.
    “I tell my congregation all the time: it’s your votes they’re after. When they say ‘Dad, pray for me,’ Dad will pray, but Dad can’t change anything. Politicians only listen to those who help them win their primaries.”
    He urged Nigerians to deepen their understanding of the political process, noting that many decisions are made at the ward and delegate levels by individuals who often lack the capacity for such roles.
    “Good Nigerians don’t attend ward meetings; we are too sophisticated. But if you attend ward meetings, you will cry,” he said.
    “People fight over ₦1,000 sent to them, yet these are the people who choose delegates. Delegates determine candidates, and candidates determine leaders. If you don’t have delegates, you can’t have candidates.”
    Emmanuel also appealed to the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu to prioritise national security, saying prevailing insecurity across the country demands urgent attention.
    “You are bold and courageous, but you have found yourself in a very difficult situation,” he said.
    “He didn’t start this terrorism, but he must ensure peace returns to every part of Nigeria.”
    The cleric further advocated a return to a regional system of government, insisting that it would resolve a significant portion of Nigeria’s challenges.
    “Our problem will be 90 per cent solved if we return to regional government. If we don’t, the problem will persist and may worsen,” he warned.
    Visits by politicians to religious leaders are common in Nigeria. In the build-up to the 2023 elections, several political aspirants also toured worship centres. Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, similarly visited various churches and was heard in a leaked audio with Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church, where he allegedly described the election as a “religious war.”

  • FBI Links Nigerian Tech Founder Izunna Okonkwo To Alleged $41m Insider Trading Scheme

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has named Nigerian tech entrepreneur, Mr Izunna Okonkwo, as a co-conspirator in an alleged insider trading and money-laundering scheme said to have generated about $41 million (N59.5 billion) in unlawful profits over five years.
    Okonkwo, 30, a co-founder of the Lagos-based tech start-up, Pastel, and a 2023 Forbes Africa 30-under-30 honouree, was identified in court filings submitted to the U.S. District Court for New Jersey, according to reports by Peoples Gazette.
    Investigators alleged that Okonkwo traded in stocks and securities using material non-public information passed to him through an acquaintance, Mr Saad Shoukat, who reportedly obtained the confidential intelligence from Mr Gyunho Justin Kim, an investment banker at Citibank.
    FBI special agent Antony Belitti, in a complaint filed on Nov. 24, said Okonkwo and Shoukat exchanged encrypted messages about acquisition deals ahead of their public announcement, including the multi-billion-dollar takeovers of Immunomedics, Five Prime, Sierra, GBT, Reata and Immunogen.
    The FBI said Shoukat was granted access to Okonkwo’s brokerage accounts under a profit-sharing arrangement which entitled the Nigerian entrepreneur to 50 per cent of illicit proceeds. Investigators also traced logins to the accounts to a London residence linked to Okonkwo.
    From the Gilead acquisition of Immunomedics in 2020 alone, Shoukat, Kim and their associates reportedly made $4.9 million, while Okonkwo allegedly earned $2.3 million, with a relative receiving over $465,000.
    Okonkwo was also said to have made significant profits from other takeover deals, including $166,000 from Five Prime, $370,000 from Sierra, $3.5 million from GBT, and $4.7 million following Biogen’s acquisition of Reata in 2023. Another $2.9 million was reportedly earned after AbbVie’s acquisition of Immunogen.
    Federal prosecutors told U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Hammer that combined profits attributed to Shoukat, Okonkwo and other individuals totalled at least $41 million.
    Mr Kim is currently facing six counts of insider trading, wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly leaking confidential Citibank intelligence over several years.
    It remained unclear if Okonkwo had been detained as at the time of filing the report. Court documents described him as a dual Nigerian-American citizen with business interests in Lagos and Atlanta.
    Online records show that Okonkwo, alongside co-founders Olamide Oladeji and Abuzar Royesh, established Pastel in 2021, raising $5.5 million in seed funding by 2023.

  • Doctor Charged With Sexual Assault Of 38 Patients

    A 38-year-old British doctor, Nathaniel John Spencer of Quinton, Birmingham, has been charged with sexually assaulting 38 patients across major hospitals in the West Midlands, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.
    According to information retrieved from the Staffordshire Police website on Saturday, Spencer faces multiple charges including 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assault by penetration on a child under 13, and one count of attempted assault by penetration.
    Police said the charges followed a “complex investigation” by the Public Protection Unit into alleged offences committed at the Royal Stoke University Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent and the Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley.
    The alleged offences occurred between 2017 and 2021, the CPS confirmed.
    Spencer is scheduled to appear before the North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Jan. 20, 2026.
    The CPS said the decision to prosecute followed a thorough investigation by Staffordshire Police, adding that further details could not be provided at this stage due to ongoing proceedings.
    The BBC reported that enquiries on whether multiple children were involved were declined by both CPS and Staffordshire Police.
    Authorities said Spencer has been suspended from medical practice in the UK pending the outcome of the criminal case.
    He previously worked as a resident doctor at the University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust between August 2017 and August 2020, and later at The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust between August 2020 and April 2021.
    Both trusts have set up helplines for individuals concerned about the care they received.
    Dr Paul Hudson, operational medical director at The Dudley Group, said the allegations had caused distress among patients, staff and the wider community.
    UHNM said it was cooperating fully with investigators and reaffirmed its commitment to patient safety.
    The General Medical Council (GMC) confirmed that Spencer remains suspended while his fitness-to-practise investigation continues and will only resume after the criminal case concludes.

  • 4,000 Nigerians Lose Millions To Alleged Real Estate Ponzi Scheme

    More than 4,000 Nigerians have reportedly lost millions of naira to a suspected Ponzi scheme operated under the guise of an online real estate investment platform known as EMAAR.
    The development comes barely six months after the collapse of the N1.3 trillion Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) Ponzi scheme, which left over 600,000 citizens stranded.
    Findings by journalists indicate that the promoters of EMAAR, who operated mainly through Telegram channels and fintech bank accounts, collected funds from subscribers between July and September 2025, promising 10-day returns. The platform reportedly crashed on October 27 before many investors could make withdrawals.
    The company had no known physical address, and its name was not found on the Corporate Affairs Commission database. It was further observed that the platform used a logo similar to that of a legitimate real estate company in India, though there is no evidence of affiliation.
    Victims across several states, including Oyo, Kaduna, Plateau and Rivers, narrated how they lost amounts ranging from N40,000 to nearly N2 million after paying into fintech accounts operated through Kuda and Moniepoint Microfinance Banks.
    A computer engineer in Ibadan, who declined to reveal his identity, said he lost N1.8 million.
    “There was no sign that they were about to fold up. Everything happened suddenly,” he lamented.
    In Kaduna State, an artisan and his family lost about N500,000. Some victims said the operators later demanded an additional N10,000 as “recovery fees” before disappearing and deleting their Telegram accounts.
    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urged victims to submit formal petitions to enable the agency to commence investigations. The commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, noted that the EFCC had earlier warned Nigerians about 58 unlicensed Ponzi operators still active in the country.
    “People are not adhering to our advisories and are not doing due diligence. Many are drawn into such schemes because of greed,” he said.
    When contacted, Moniepoint Microfinance Bank said victims must report to their banks and the police to activate investigation and possible account restrictions. A bank official confirmed that the merchant account linked to the EMAAR transactions had been deactivated for alleged.

  • Four Die In Separate Fire And Well Accidents In Kano

    The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the death of four persons, including two children, in three separate incidents that occurred across the state on Thursday.
    This is contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Public Relations Officer of the agency, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi.
    Abdullahi said the first incident occurred at Badawa Layin Day by Day in Nassarawa Local Government Area, where the service received a distress call at about 11:57 a.m. concerning a residential fire outbreak.
    “Upon arrival, our officers found a residential building engulfed in flames. A young girl was rescued but was later confirmed dead,” he said, adding that the body had been handed over to her family.
    He said in another incident at Badume Kanawa village in Bichi LGA, three men died while attempting to rescue one another during a well-digging exercise.
    Fire Service personnel were mobilised to the scene and recovered the victims, who were later confirmed dead and handed over to the police.
    Abdullahi said the third incident occurred in Danbatta LGA, where a 10-year-old boy fell into a well at Layin Abba Dabo. Although he was successfully retrieved, he died shortly afterwards and was released to his father.
    The Director of the Kano State Fire Service, Alhaji Sani Anas, appealed to residents to stop engaging in risky rescue attempts during emergencies.
    “The public should stop entering wells to rescue others. This practice has led to repeated loss of lives,” he said, urging communities to contact trained emergency responders instead.
    In recent months, Kano and other states have recorded multiple fire incidents and accidents related to unsafe rescue attempts, prompting repeated warnings from emergency authorities.

  • Seven Kidnap Suspects Arrested In Gombe

    The Gombe State Police Command says it has arrested seven suspected members of a kidnap syndicate, neutralised two others and recovered a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) during coordinated security operations across the state.
    The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Buhari Abdullahi, said in a statement on Friday that the operations were conducted in collaboration with the Gombe State Professional Hunters Association as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal groups involved in kidnapping and cattle rustling.
    According to him, the breakthrough followed credible intelligence received on Nov. 23 at about 4:00 a.m., implicating one Abdullahi Ibrahim, 40, of Tilde Village in Funakaye Local Government Area, in harbouring criminals suspected to be involved in kidnapping and cattle rustling.
    He said the suspect was immediately arrested and, during interrogation, confessed to participating in cattle rustling and several kidnapping operations within the state.
    Abdullahi added that the suspect also revealed the identities of accomplices believed to be part of a wider kidnap network operating across Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe and Adamawa states.
    He said the police, acting on the intelligence gathered, launched an operation on Nov. 28 with support from professional hunters, storming multiple criminal hideouts.
    Six additional suspects were arrested during the operation.
    They include Usman Mohammed, 30; Hussain Idris, 37; Adamu Tukur, 37; Yau Abdullahi, 25; Ali Umar, 18; Hassan Usman, 40; and the earlier-arrested Ibrahim, 40.
    “All the suspects confessed during preliminary investigations to being involved in several kidnapping operations and receiving about N150 million in ransom from victims,” he said.
    Further intelligence, he explained, led operatives to the Gadam bush area, where the gang had allegedly concealed firearms used for kidnapping.
    “As the operatives approached the location, they were attacked by unidentified armed men. A brief exchange of gunfire ensued, leading to the neutralisation of two suspected kidnappers and the recovery of one GPMG and eight rounds of live ammunition,” he said.
    Abdullahi said the bodies of the neutralised suspects had been deposited at the Specialist Hospital Mortuary in Gombe.
    He also linked the suspects to a Jan. 15 kidnapping at Barderi Village in Akko LGA, during which a victim was held for two weeks before a ransom of N15 million was paid.
    “The victim later identified suspects one, two and five as the individuals responsible for his abduction,” he said, adding that other victims had also identified members of the syndicate.
    He said all suspects remained in custody while investigations continued.
    “The recovered exhibits are undergoing discreet investigation and profiling, and the suspects will be prosecuted accordingly,” Abdullahi added.
    He assured the public of the Command’s continued commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property across the state and urged residents to provide timely and credible information to aid policing efforts.

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