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Court grants Yahaya Bello’s request to attend 2026 lesser Hajj

Published

1 month ago

January 29, 2026

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has granted permission to a former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the 2026 lesser Hajj.

Justice Emeka Nwite, on Thursday, ordered the temporary release of Bello’s international passport, which had been in the custody of the court, to enable him undertake the religious exercise.

Bello is currently standing trial before the court over alleged misappropriation of funds in a case instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC is prosecuting the former governor over alleged money laundering to the tune of N80.2bn, allegations which Bello denied when he was arraigned before the court.

The former governor, in an application dated January 20, and supported by a 24-paragraph affidavit deposed to by himself, sought the court’s permission to travel to Saudi Arabia for supplication.

Moving the application, his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, told the court that the request was to enable the defendant travel to the Holy Land during the month of Ramadan to observe the lesser Hajj.

Daudu informed the court that Bello had not visited the Holy Land in over eight years, adding that there was a need for him to go and pray to God to deliver him from the charges brought against him by the EFCC.

Responding, the lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, said the prosecution would not oppose the request for the defendant to travel for the lesser Hajj, but stressed that it would not concede any of the trial dates already fixed by the court.

In a short ruling, Justice Nwite granted the application for the release of Bello’s international passport, which was deposited with the Registrar of the court.

According to the judge, “I have listened to the submissions of counsel in this matter and am minded to grant the application”.

Consequently, the court approved the release of the passport from March 13, 2026, for a period of 10 days, and adjourned proceedings till Friday, January 30th, for the continuation of the examination of the seventh prosecution witness.

Earlier in his testimony, PW7, Olomotane Egoro, a subpoenaed official of Access Bank, told the court of cash inflows from local government areas of Kogi State into the accounts of Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Ltd.

Egoro also told the court that several cash withdrawals were made from the accounts.

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News

Ex-military chief gives reasons bandits kidnap people

Published

10 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Former Field Commander of Operation Safe Haven, OPSH, Maj. Gen. Anthony Atolagbe, rtd, says bandits kidnap people to use them as human shields from the military.

General Atolagbe made this revelation on Tuesday when he featured in an interview on Arise Television’s ‘Prime Time’.

He was speaking about the rising insecurity confronting the country.

“The bandits have a pattern of taking people into their enclave, just to use them as sex slaves, but also as shields for negotiation.

“What I can say also is that I will not be able to dwell on specifics. But in Sambisa, some abducted people were freed. In fact, the first thing that happened was that over 100 of them escaped, based on the heat that was brought on the adversary.

“Now, what is playing out is that these guys are being dislodged, and when they are dislodged, and they lose contact with all these women and these men that are running, who are sex slaves and liberals for them within the theater or wherever they are in their enclaves, what happens is that they try to move to other locations where they think they will be safe.

“And the next thing is to start looking for who they can also grab and bring into their new locations.

“The other side is that it is also another strategy by those that are expecting the arrival of the military that are coming into their enclaves to come and chase them out by using some of these people as human shields when the military approach their location.

“So you see that the analysis has brought it out that they have a pattern that they always want to take people into their enclave, not just to use them as slaves or whatever, but they will also want to use them to negotiate,” the retired military officer said.

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News

War: Federal govt begins evacuation of Nigerians from Iran

Published

10 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

The Federal Government has commenced the evacuation of Nigerians who wish to leave Iran, escorting them across the Armenian border to ensure their safety as tension continues to escalate in the Middle East.

The development was disclosed on Tuesday by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a post shared on her X handle.

According to her, officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran are coordinating the evacuation process and assisting Nigerians willing to depart the country.

The evacuees are being escorted to the Armenian border where arrangements have been made to facilitate their safe passage.

The evacuation comes amid growing concerns over the security situation in the region following a series of coordinated military strikes on Iran by the United States and Israel on February 28.

The strikes reportedly triggered retaliatory missile and drone attacks across parts of the Middle East, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

Despite the rising tension, Dabiri-Erewa reassured that no Nigerian in Iran has been affected by the ongoing hostilities.

She also noted that embassy officials remain stationed at the border to receive and assist Nigerians who decide to leave the country.

“Willing Nigerians being escorted across the Armenian border by officials of the Nigerian embassy in Iran for safe passage. No Nigerian in Iran has been affected by the war as officials remain at the border to receive all who want to leave,” she wrote.

This comes due to the ongoing military strikes between U.S, Israel and Iran.

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News

Insurgency: FG knows every terrorist by name, says Gumi

Published

12 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Kaduna-based Islamic scholar Sheikh Abubakar Gumi has stirred debate by claiming that the Nigerian government already knows the identities and hideouts of terrorists across the country. Speaking in a recent DRTV interview, he said his interactions with armed groups are coordinated closely with security agencies.

Gumi addressed rumours that he negotiates with bandits on his own, stressing the involvement of police, military, and other officials. “The government knows every terrorist by name and by location. I don’t go alone to negotiate I go with the police, military, and other security agencies,” he said.

The cleric revealed that some of his efforts take him deep into forests and remote communities, sometimes even accompanied by local women. “I would go to the Emirs. In fact, when we went to one forest, I even went with women into the bush,” he added.

Gumi has long advocated dialogue as a tool to reduce violence, often sparking controversy for interacting with groups considered enemies of the state. He argued that these efforts complement security operations rather than replace them, highlighting the importance of negotiation alongside law enforcement.

Observers note that Gumi’s approach underscores the complexity of addressing Nigeria’s insecurity, where military action alone may not suffice. His collaboration with traditional leaders and security agencies demonstrates a hybrid strategy aimed at curbing violence and encouraging disarmament.

Despite these efforts, insecurity remains high in several northern states, prompting debate on whether dialogue initiatives have tangible results. Critics argue that without accountability and transparency, negotiations could inadvertently legitimise armed groups.

Gumi’s statements have reignited national conversations on counterterrorism strategies, with many Nigerians discussing the balance between dialogue, intelligence gathering, and military action. His insights suggest that tackling terrorism in Nigeria may require innovative approaches that merge community engagement with formal security measures.

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