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Alleged N1.4bn fraud: EFCC failed to establish any ‘prima facie case’ – Court acquits, discharges Ex-NBA President Usoro

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A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State has acquitted and discharged the immediate past President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Paul Usoro SAN.

Usoro, who had been standing trial on 10 counts of fraud and money laundering made against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),

had pleaded not guilty to the offence and made a no-case submission.

He insisted that the EFCC had made no case against him to warrant him to enter a defence.

In his decision on the no-case submission, the trial judge, Justice Rilwan Aikawa held that the anti-graft agency failed to establish any prima facie case against Usoro.

Justice Aikawa  also noted that the penal code, under which the former NBA President was charged, is not applicable to the southern states of Lagos and Akwa-Ibom, which were said to be the locations of the alleged offences.

“On the whole, I hold that the prosecution has failed to establish any prima facie case.

“Accordingly, the defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted,” Justice Aikawa held.

The EFCC had arraigned Usoro on December 18, 2018, before Justice Muslim Hassan on 10 counts, all of which he pleaded not guilty to.

Usoro was subsequently re-arraigned before Justice Aikawa on charges which alleged that he committed the offence on May 14, 2016.

The Ex-NBA President was alleged to have conspired to convert the sum of N1.4 billion, property of Akwa Ibom State Government, which the court says he ought to have known was part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity.

EFCC investigating officer, Abdulrahman Arabo, in his testimony before the court, said the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, hired Usoro who, in turn, invited other SANs to join him at the Election Tribunal where his victory was being challenged in 2015.

The EFCC witness also testified that the sum of N1.4 billion legal fee paid to the SANs was drawn from the treasury of the Akwa Ibom State’s account.

But, Usoro denied the allegations.

On February 25, the former NBA President had filed a no case submission where his counsel, Effiong O. Effiong SAN submitted that the EFCC called only two witnesses and closed its case because, according to him, it knew it didn’t have any case against the defendants.

He asked the court to allow the no-case submission.

But the EFCC opposed his application and asked the court to dismiss the no-case submission, citing the “overwhelming evidence” it said it had adduced and exhibits admitted in evidence.

It also asked the court to order the defendant to enter his defence.

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Crime & Court

Police Arrest Self-Styled PFIPC DG Hours After Court Orders His Arrest

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The police have arrested the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his arrest for failing to appear for his arraignment.

Justice Mohammed Umar issued the warrant on Tuesday after granting an oral application by the prosecution counsel, Mr Wisdom Madaki, who informed the court that the defendant had failed to honour the court’s summons.

Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.

According to the charge, the defendant allegedly held himself out as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of offences involving forgery and fraudulent misrepresentation.

Following the prosecution’s application, Justice Umar ordered the defendant’s arrest to compel his appearance before the court to answer to the charges.

The police subsequently arrested Adeyemi, paving the way for his arraignment before the court.

Further details on the circumstances surrounding his arrest were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.

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Crime & Court

NDLEA busts Oyo meth lab, arrests Mexican, four Nigerians

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered and dismantled a large methamphetamine production facility concealed inside a forest in Oyo State, arresting a suspected Mexican drug expert and four Nigerians in what officials described as a major breakthrough against an international drug trafficking syndicate.

The industrial-scale laboratory was discovered at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area during an operation conducted by NDLEA operatives on June 17.

Among those arrested was a 56-year-old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was allegedly recruited to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine.
Four Nigerians identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu were also apprehended during the raid.

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the clandestine facility was equipped with substantial quantities of precursor chemicals and industrial processing equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

According to the agency, forensic analyses conducted at the site confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, while all recovered substances, chemicals and equipment had been secured as exhibits for further investigation and prosecution.

The discovery came barely four weeks after NDLEA operatives dismantled another large methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in neighbouring Ogun State, heightening concerns over attempts by drug cartels to turn the South-West into a hub for synthetic drug production.

Marwa said the latest operation underscored the agency’s determination to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria.

He warned both local and foreign drug syndicates against viewing the country as a safe destination for illicit drug activities.

“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international, that Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade,” Marwa said.

“We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.

They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong.”

The NDLEA described the operation as another significant blow against organised drug trafficking networks and commended the officers involved in the raid for their professionalism, resilience and courage.

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Crime & Court

Police recover Rivers SUV stolen five years ago in Gombe

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Operatives of the Gombe State Police Command have recovered a Toyota Highlander reported stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, five years ago.

The vehicle was recovered on June 8, 2026, during a routine verification exercise conducted by detectives attached to the State Intelligence Department in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service vehicle licensing office.

The spokesperson for the command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, saying the vehicle was flagged as suspicious during the process of uploading and verifying vehicle records.

According to him, the joint team identified the Toyota Highlander bearing registration number FH823PHC and subjected it to further scrutiny, which revealed that it had been declared stolen on September 17, 2021.

Preliminary findings showed that the vehicle belonged to one Cecilia A. Duru of Akwaka Lane, Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Abdullahi said investigators subsequently uncovered a transnational movement of the vehicle, establishing that it was taken to the Niger Republic in 2023 before returning to Nigeria through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025.

He added that the sport utility vehicle was later sold in Kaduna State and eventually brought to Gombe for re-registration, where it was detected and recovered by security operatives.

“Investigation is ongoing, as efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend those involved,” the police spokesperson stated.

He urged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing vehicles, advising intending buyers to verify ownership documents and authenticate vehicle records through the appropriate authorities before concluding any transaction.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to combating vehicle theft and other trans-border crimes, assuring residents that efforts were underway to arrest all those linked to the theft and illegal trafficking of the recovered vehicle.

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