The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, arraigned one Esther Ashivelli Dawaki and Shehu Aliyu Fatange before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja for financial crimes.
Ms Dawaki was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Chikun/Kajuru in the bye election held in August.
The opposition party had earlier accused security operatives of ‘abducting’ Ms Dawaki.
According to the commission, Dawaki and Fatange are facing prosecution on a five-count charge, bordering on accepting and making cash payments in excess of the amount authorised by law, conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N26 million (Twenty Six million Naira).
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Esther Ashivilli Dawaki (F) and other, now at large on or about 16th of August, 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did procure one Shehu Aliyu Fatange (M) to commit an offence to wit: accepting cash payment of the sum of N26,000,000.00 (Twenty-six Million Naira, only), without going through a financial institution, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by the law and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(C )(a) and 19(1)(d) of Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.”
Another charge reads: “That you, Shehu Aliyu Fatange (M) on or about the 16th of August, 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did accept cash payment of the sum of N26,000,000.00 (Two-Six Million Naira, only), which exceeds the amount authorised by the law to one Esther Ashivelli dawaki (F) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 2(1)(a) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition)Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.”
They both pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, following which prosecution counsel, M. O, Arumemi asked the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional centre.
While counsel to the defendants, E. N. Ogbu and A.A. Ashat had no objections, they made oral applications for their bail. They asked for a short adjournment as well as for the defendants to be remanded in EFCC’s holding facility, pending determination of the bail applications.
Justice Nwite ordered for the remand of Dawaki, the first defendant in the Suleja Correctional Center, while he ordered that Fatange, the second defendant be remanded in Kuje Correctional Center and adjourned the matter till Monday, September 15, 2025 for the hearing of the bail application.
The suspects were arrested on August 16, 2025, following credible intelligence that exposed them to have possessed the sum of N26,463,000.00 (Twenty-six Million Four Hundred and Sixty-three Thousand Naira), which they kept inside a Toyota Corolla 2010 model, belonging to Shehu and packed within a hotel premises in Kaduna.
While Fatange upon arrest, identified himself as the director general of the campaign office of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP flag-bearer in the the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency bye-election which held on the same August 16, 2025, the sum was suspected to have been earmarked for vote buying in the said election.
A Magistrate Court sitting at Nomansland in Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State has ordered the remand of a driver and two others over the alleged theft of jewellery, cash, and a mobile phone belonging to the wife of the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II.
The defendants, Sulaiman Yakubu Kulkude, Idris Musa, and Abdullahi Usaini, were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property.
Prosecuting counsel, Barrister Abubakar Ibrahim, told the court that Sulaiman Yakubu, who serves as the driver of the Emir’s wife, unlawfully entered her room and made away with jewellery reportedly valued at N60 million, alongside cash and a mobile phone.
When the charges were read, Sulaiman pleaded guilty to all counts, while the two other defendants pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to the defendants, Barrister A.A. Abdullahi, filed a bail application.
In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Halilu Abdurahman, granted bail to the defendants with conditions, including the provision of a surety who must be either a father or brother, a civil servant not below Grade Level 15, and a bail sum of N10 million each.
The case was adjourned to April 14 for further hearing, while the defendants were remanded pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions.
Two adult males have been killed in separate suspected cult-related attacks in Lagos and Ogun States.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the first incident occurred on Saturday around the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, in Yaba, while the second took place in the Magboro area of Ogun State.
The victim in the Akoka incident was reportedly hacked to death after being attacked by about six suspected cultists.
A police source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak for the command, described the attack on Tuesday as a suspected reprisal.
“The victim was accosted along the axis leading to the school gate, and what started as a confrontation led to a fight. He was stabbed in the head in the process. It was later discovered that the assailants were suspected cultists,” the source said.
In a video seen by PUNCH Metro on Tuesday, the deceased’s body was lying by the roadside.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident, adding that one suspect had been arrested.
“One suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident. Investigation is ongoing,” she said.
In Magboro, PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim in the Gas Line area was a suspected Eiye cult member identified as Cegaga.
According to insiders, he was stabbed to death during a clash involving rival cult groups in the community.
The incident, our correspondents gathered, occurred on Saturday around 11pm, following a disagreement between the deceased and a suspected Buccaneer member identified as Corner over money issues.
A suspected Vikings member, identified as Troup, who was reportedly at the scene, allegedly took sides in the dispute and stabbed the victim.
Residents said the victim’s body was discovered the following morning.
A resident who requested anonymity for security reasons said, “I didn’t witness the clash. I only came back to see that someone had been killed.”
Also speaking, a trader who asked not to be named said, “We had closed for the day.” It happened at midnight, and we only saw the body when we resumed work the next morning.”
It was gathered that tension had heightened in the community due to recurring cult-related violence in recent weeks.
Another resident, who identified himself as Suleiman, told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that such incidents had become frequent.
He said, “We have been experiencing a series of cult attacks in the area over the past few weeks. The one that happened on Saturday is just one of many incidents.
“We rarely experience situations like this, but it is now becoming regular. We need the intervention of the authorities before it escalates.”
The Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, could not be reached for comment, as calls to his telephone lines went unanswered.
A text message sent to him had not been replied to at the time of filing this report.
PUNCH Metro had reported on March 3 that two suspected cultists, identified as Monday and Efe, were shot dead in a fresh wave of cult-related violence in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The operation, disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, followed intelligence on trans-border criminal activities.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large shipment of cocaine hidden inside the heads of imported dry stockfish and arrested a key member of the syndicate linked to trafficking the drugs abroad.
The operation, disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, followed intelligence on trans-border criminal activities.
Babafemi said the intelligence led to a sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command of the Agency at the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
“In the course of the operation, three jumbo size bags were found in possession of the kingpin 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
“A search of the bags led to the recovery of Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as ‘Okporoko.’
“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India,” the statement read.
In a separate operation on Wednesday, March 25, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos.
“In one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine were found concealed in automobile filters while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.”
Babafemi added that on March 26, a Special Operations Unit (SOU) raided the home of 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, known as “Iya Ghana,” at 13 Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos.
She and her associate, 31-year-old Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka, were arrested after operatives recovered 135 blocks of cannabis weighing 76.30 kilograms.
“Same day, the SOU operatives also arrested Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos following credible intelligence. A total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg were seized from him.”
In Ekiti State, the statement added that “an 80-year-old grandpa, Oke Samuel, was on Thursday 26th March arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid operation at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye Ekiti. A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8grams of methamphetamine were recovered from him.”
Another suspect, 37-year-old Enuwa Kehinde Kingsley, had 894.72 kilograms of skunk seized from an uncompleted building in Ogbese, Akure North, Ondo State.
Elsewhere, 35-year-old Saater Nyam was apprehended at Pevi village, Guma LGA, Benue State, with 116.7 kilograms of skunk on Tuesday, March 24.
In Edo State, a warehouse raid in Ekpoma town, Esan West LGA, on Monday, March 23, led to the arrest of 25-year-old Felix Donald and the seizure of 576.5 kilograms of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
In Taraba State, Babafemi said NDLEA officers intercepted a truck carrying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135 kilograms concealed in animal feed bags from Garbachede to Gombe State on Tuesday, March 24.
Two suspects, 21-year-old Osama Mamuda and 22-year-old Auwal Umar, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Babafemi noted that the agency has also continued its War Against Drug Abuse social advocacy, conducting sensitisation lectures in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano, and Lagos states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended operatives from MMIA, SOU, DOGI, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba Commands for their efforts and praised all commands nationwide for balancing drug supply reduction with drug demand reduction initiatives.
