Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended two former bankers, Idah Ogoh and Agbo Okwute, for their alleged involvement in misappropriating funds belonging to a deceased customer.

The arrests were carried out by the EFCC’s Markurdi Zonal Command in Makurdi, Benue State.

According to the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, the suspects were detained following accusations of unlawfully withdrawing N4,199,500 from the account of Emmanuel Azer Agenna, who is deceased.

“Their arrest followed a petition against them by the bank on fraudulent debits on a deceased customer, Emmanuel Azer Agenna’s account,” Oyewale stated in a release on Saturday.

The investigation was triggered when the family of the deceased sought clarity on the balance in Emmanuel Azer Agenna’s account, in preparation for probate proceedings.

Suspicions arose when discrepancies were noted between the amount disclosed by the bank and what the family expected. Subsequently, a complaint was lodged with the bank regarding unauthorized transactions on the account.

Further scrutiny by the bank revealed that a debit card had been issued in the deceased customer’s name on May 10, 2023, by Idah Ogoh, a Sales and Service Associate at the bank.

This issuance was reportedly sanctioned by the bank on the same day. Investigations indicated that the card was later transferred to Agbo Okwute, another Sales and Service Associate, who allegedly passed it on to an accomplice.

It is alleged that the accomplice then used the card for multiple withdrawals from the deceased customer’s account.

The EFCC has indicated that the suspects will face charges in court following the completion of their investigation.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) unearthed a hidden shrine guarded by a large black snake in Igor community, Benin City of Edo State.

The discovery exposed a covert storage facility for illicit drugs concealed behind fetish objects and wallpapers within a specially constructed wall cavity.

Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy for NDLEA, disclosed that the operation on Tuesday yielded substantial quantities of methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado, and Arizona variants of cannabis, totaling 8.743 kilograms.

“The snake-guarded shrine was a cleverly disguised depot for narcotics,” Babafemi remarked.

During the operation, NDLEA personnel apprehended Sonia Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani, allegedly involved in the drug trafficking ring protected by the formidable serpent.

In a parallel operation, conducted on Saturday, NDLEA operatives descended on the Usen forest in Ovia South West Local Government Area.

There, they arrested Obi Ferguson and Ernest Abanum, seizing 209 kilograms of cannabis and a motorcycle.

“This forest raid was part of ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking routes in Edo State,” Babafemi emphasized.

Further intensifying their crackdown, NDLEA intercepted a white Nissan Frontier pickup truck on Tuesday 18th June at Kiyi village, Kuje area of the FCT.

The vehicle, equipped with amber lights and bearing a fake registration of a security agency, concealed 454 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 340.8 kilograms.

Notably, Mr. Francis Omofa, a 76-year-old grandfather linked to the illicit shipment procured from Uzeba, Edo State, was taken into custody.

“These operations underscore NDLEA’s commitment to dismantling drug syndicates and securing communities,” Babafemi concluded, urging continued vigilance against narcotics proliferation nationwide.

A top Namibian court on Friday struck down the African country’s colonial-era laws criminalising same-sex relationships, in a victory for the LGBTQ community.

The high court in the capital, Windhoek, declared the crimes of “sodomy” and “unnatural sexual offences” as “unconstitutional and invalid” in a ruling hailed by LGBTQ rights groups.

“We are not persuaded that in a democratic society such as ours… it is reasonably justifiable to make an activity criminal just because a segment, maybe a majority, of the citizenry consider it to be unacceptable,” the judges wrote.

The judgement overturns rarely enforced laws dating back to 1927, which Namibia inherited from the colonial era but maintained after gaining independence from South Africa in 1990.

“Because of this decision, I no longer feel like a criminal on the run in my own country simply because of who I am,” said Friedel Dausab, the activist who brought the case.

London-based Human Dignity Trust called the ruling “historic”.

“LGBT Namibians can now look to a brighter future,” said its chief executive, Tea Braun.

The verdict comes against a backdrop of growing intolerance towards LGBTQ rights in southern Africa.

While a handful of African countries have legalised same-sex relationships, South Africa remains the sole African nation that allows gay marriage, legalised in 2006.

The United Nations AIDS program, UNAIDS, said the ruling marked a “significant victory for equality and human rights”.

“This decision… is a powerful step towards a more inclusive Namibia,” said Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAIDS regional director for East and Southern Africa.