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Breaking: DSS arraigns Malami, son over alleged terrorism financing, firearm possession

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A former Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and son, Abdulaziz were on Tuesday arraigned in the Federal High Court, Abuja for allegedly abetting terrorism financing and unlawful possession of firearms.

When the matter was called, the prosecuting counsel, Mr Callistus Eze, told the court that the defendants were to be arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on abetting terrorism financing and illegal possession of firearms.

“My Lord before you is a five-count charge dated Feb. 2 and filed on Feb. 3.

”Subject to the overriding convenience of the court, I apply that the said charge be read to the defendants,” he said.

Following their not guilty pleas, Eze prayed for a date for the trial to begin, and he also asked the court to remand them in DSS custody pending further proceedings.

For his part, counsel to the defendants, Mr Shuiabu Arua, SAN, made an oral application for the bail of his clients.

“We seek to make an oral application for the bail of the defendants.

“We know that it is the discretion of the court to grant bail, and given that they have been in DSS custody for two weeks and came here directly from the hospital, we seek to apply orally for the bail of the defendants,” he said.

The trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a short ruling, asked the lawyer to file a formal application for bail.

“This is a court of record, so I order counsel to file and serve a formal bail application,” the judge said.

She adjourned the matter until Feb. 20 for the trial to begin.

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The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the defendants are standing trial in a five-count charge filed by the Federal Government.

According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/63/2026, Malami is accused in count one of knowingly abetting terrorism financing while serving as attorney-general of the federation.

The prosecuting agency, the Department of State Services (DSD), alleged that sometime in November 2022, at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Malami refused to prosecute alleged terrorism financiers whose case files were brought to his office for prosecution.

The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 26(2) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In counts two to five, Malami and his son were jointly charged with engaging in conduct preparatory to committing acts of terrorism and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

The prosecution alleged that sometime in December 2025, at their residence in Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, the defendants were found in possession of a Sturm Magnum firearm without licence.

They were also alleged to have been in possession of 16 live rounds and 27 expended rounds of Redstar cartridges without lawful authority.

The offences, the prosecution said were contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as Sections 3 and 8(1) of the Firearms Act, 2004, punishable under Section 27(1) of the same Act.

The charge sheet stated that while Malami was the sole defendant in the terrorism financing count, both defendants are jointly charged in the remaining counts relating to possession of firearms and ammunition.

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The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts when the charges were read to them.

The trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, adjourned the matter until Feb. 20 for the trial to start and ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody pending the hearing and determination of their bail application. (NAN)

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PHOTOS: Troops thwart terrorist attacks in Borno and Yobe, k!ll 29 fighters

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Troops of the Nigerian Army have thwarted terrorist attacks across multiple fronts and neutralised 29 ISWAP/Boko Haram fighters in Borno and Yobe State.

Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI disclosed this in a statement on 22 February 2026.

According to the statement, troops of Sector 2 under Operation DESERT SANITY V neutralised 15 terrorists and destroyed a suspected logistics base during a precision operation around Lamusheri Village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe state.

The early morning operation in Gujba, on February 22, 2026 followed weeks of intelligence gathering supported by satellite imagery and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance air platforms, which identified the location as a terrorist attack launch point and logistics hub.

Troops, alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, came under fire while approaching the target but tactically outflanked the insurgents and cut off their escape routes.

During the ensuing firefight, 15 terrorists were neutralised, while several others escaped with suspected gunshot wounds.

In a related attack in Kukawa, Borno State, terrorists mounted on gun trucks, motorcycles, and on foot were repelled following heavy coordinated resistance and air support.

“Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have once again demonstrated clear combat superiority by decisively thwarted coordinated terrorist attacks in Limankara and Kukawa, Borno State,” the statement read.

“The failed assaults, launched on the night of 20 February 2026, clearly reflect the immense pressure being mounted on terrorist enclaves, logistics corridors, and leadership structures across the theatre.

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“Through sustained offensive operations and targeted decapitation efforts, OPHK continues to deny terrorists freedom of action, forcing them into chaotic withdrawals under heavy losses.

“In expansion of the offensive pressure, troops of Sector 2 under Operation DESERT SANITY V, acting on weeks of intelligence backed by satellite imagery and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance( ISR) air platforms, conducted a precision operation in the early hours of 22 February 2026 around Lamusheri Village in Gujba LGA, identified as a key terrorist attack launch pad and logistics hub.

“Despite coming under fire on approach, troops, in synergy with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, outflanked the terrorists and cut off their withdrawal routes.

“During the ensuing firefight and exploitation, 15 terrorists were neutralised while scores fled with gunshot wounds.

“Extensive defensive and life-support structures were destroyed, five terrorist tricycles and two vehicles used for attacks and logistics were set ablaze with their contents, and a cache of arms, ammunition, bandoliers and carmel pouches recovered.

“Furthermore, in the same night, terrorists in unconfirmed numbers attempted to infiltrate the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Limankara. Alert troops immediately engaged the attackers in a fierce firefight, bringing disciplined firepower and tactical coordination to bear.

“Rapid reinforcement at the contact point with support from the Air Component Command overwhelmed the assailants, compelling them to flee in disarray through the burial ground axis.

“There were no casualties or equipment losses on the side of own troops while human intelligence confirmed several casualties on the part of the terrorists. The situation remains firmly under control.

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“In a related incident , the same night, terrorists mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles, with additional fighters on foot, launched a coordinated multi-pronged attack on troops in Kukawa from the Alagarno and Jemmu axes.

“Anticipating such desperate attempts, troops mounted a determined defence, engaging the attackers in an intense firefight that extended into the early hours of 21 February 2026.

“Overpowered by superior fire and coordinated resistance from the ground troops and air support from the Air Component of OPHK, the terrorists withdrew dragging away casualties.

“The air platforms further conducted series of precision strikes, with one terrorist gun truck destroyed pulverizing four fighters in the gun truck.

“Persistent aerial surveillance subsequently tracked fleeing terrorists on five motorcycles to a convergence point, where another precision strike destroyed the five motorcycles and neutralised an additional 10 fighters.

“Following the strikes, troops conducted exploitation and recovered thirteen(13) AK-47 rifles, sixteen (16) AK-47 loaded magazines, three(3) handheld radios which the insurgents used for communication, terrorists stretchers used to convey their casualties, as well as shallow graves and blood trails left by the terrorists.

“Regrettably, one gallant soldier paid the supreme price, and some combat enablers were destroyed by rocket fire during the engagements.

“The wounded in action personnel were promptly evacuated by the Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and are all in stable condition.

“These coordinated air and land operations significantly compounded enemy losses and reinforced OPHK’s operational dominance.

“The sustained and synchronised operations across multiple fronts underscore OPHK’s resolve to degrade terrorists combat capacity. The Military High Command commended the troops for their impressive battle performance and urged them to sustain the operational tempo.”

See also  Troops arrest notorious cultist terrorising Delta communities, neutralize another

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Man arrested during the naming ceremony of his child in Ogun church for stealing three goats

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Operatives of the Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corps, also known as So-Safe Corps, have arrested a 27-year-old man for allegedly stealing three goats in Ipokia Local Council of the state.

The suspect, Emmanuel Awahnse, was apprehended in a church during the naming ceremony of his child.

The Corps Commander, Dr Soji Ganzallo, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued at the weekend in Abeokuta by the Director of Information, ACC Adegunwa Adegbuyi.

Ganzallo said the suspect was first sighted on February 6, 2026, at about 5:00 a.m., by operatives attached to the Ifonyintedo Division during a routine patrol along the Madoga–Ita-Ege road.

He was reportedly riding a motorcycle with an accomplice and carrying a black bag.

On noticing the operatives, the suspects allegedly sped off. During the chase, they abandoned the motorcycle and the bag, which was later found to contain three goats.

Following the incident, the Area Commander, Ipokia Area Command, ACC Aliu Yusuf, directed that a surveillance team to be set up to track down the fleeing suspects.

Ganzallo said Awahnse, also known as Ariwo Oja and a native of Odoforo in Ipokia Local Council, was eventually arrested on February 19 at about 1:30 p.m.

He added that the suspect allegedly confessed during preliminary investigation that he and an accomplice, identified as Ketonsu, also known as Ijagun, stole the goats at Ifonyintedo.

The suspect and the recovered exhibits have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Idiroko Division, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

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See also  PHOTOS: China-based Nigerian, 2 Angolans Excretes 236 Cocaine Wraps At Kano, Abuja Airports
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PHOTOS: Dad ‘r@ped daughters, 7 and 8, in front of 10-year-old son’

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A man has been accused of r@ping his seven and eight-year-old daughters in front of his 10-year-old son.

The man, 46, whose identity has not been disclosed following the allegations, was arrested on Friday, February 20, in Cascavel, in Paraná, southern Brazil.

According to Civil Police of Paraná (PCPR), he repeatedly r@ped the two young girls while they stayed with him at his home between January 2025 and January 2026.

Police said some of these alleged r@pes were witnessed by the girls’ older brother. Authorities citing evidence gathered before the trial phase led to the dad being placed in court-ordered pretrial detention.

Local media reported that, during the operation to arrest the alleged abuser, a search and seizure warrant executed at the suspect’s home was used to recover electronic devices. Those will be submitted for forensic analysis, with the man sent to prison, where he remains “at the disposal of the Justice system”.

Reports added that the official police investigation has been concluded, and the results will be sent onwards to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The allegations against the man come just days after another man of similar age was imprisoned for 29 years after being found guilty of r@ping his own daughter. The man, 41, was arrested by civil police in rural Guaraqueçaba, also in Paraná, on January 14 during an operation carried out in public.

Bruno Silva Rocha, the local chief of police, said he was sentenced to 29 years and two months behind bars for abusing the girl, whose details have not been disclosed.

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He added that police executed an arrest warrant in the town of Potinga, where the man is believed to have lived, and taken onwards to the Antonina Civil Police Station. He was transferred to the Paranaguá Public Jail immediately following his arrest, and he remains there following his conviction earlier this month.

Also on the 14th, another man, aged 23, was arrested on charges of r@pe of a vulnerable person and dissemination of child p0rnography.

Police arrested the man and reportedly solved the case “in less than 24 hours after the facts came to light”, local media reported, after the victim’s mum filed a police report. She reportedly went to a police station to complain intimate videos of her daughter, aged 13, were circulating on social media.

Officers reportedly conducted swift investigations and later identified the teen’s ex-boyfriend as a suspect, with the department alleging he released photos and videos of his young victim as a form of revenge.

Police went on to allege that the 23-year-old had confessed, and his mobile phone was seized ahead of being passed along to forensics teams for analysis.

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