Gunmen have killed an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahaya Masussuka, and his friend, Adamu Abubakar, in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The Katsina State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued late Monday by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abubakar Sadiq.

According to the police, the attack occurred at about 7.30pm on Monday, October 26, 2026, in front of the cleric’s residence, when two armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on the victims.

“The victims were immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for medical attention, where they were unfortunately pronounced dead by the attending medical doctor,” the statement said.

The police said the Divisional Police Officer in Dutsin-Ma led a team of operatives to the scene after receiving a report of the attack.

The Commissioner of Police, Ali Umar Fage, has ordered the deployment of tactical and operational teams to the area, while an investigation has commenced to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.

The command said the commissioner extended his condolences to the families, friends and followers of the deceased, as well as residents of Dutsin-Ma.

It added that the police would continue efforts to apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice, assuring the public that further developments would be communicated.

This came barely a week after some gunmen killed a serving officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and abducted a businessman in Pushit community, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred at about 9:30 pm on Monday, despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew recently imposed in parts of the area following repeated attacks.

Source: punchng.com

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A prosecution witness, Dr Onuoha Okeigwe, on Monday told a Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja that social media influencer Blessing Nkiruka Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, allegedly misrepresented herself as the owner of a property for which he paid N69.15m.

Okeigwe made the allegation while being cross-examined by defence counsel during the continuation of Blessing CEO’s trial before Justice Rahman Oshodi.

The witness, who testified as the prosecution’s first witness, said he relied on the defendant’s representations, made through WhatsApp conversations and physical interactions, before paying for the property.

Responding to questions about the transaction documents, Okeigwe said he was a doctor of chiropractic and not a lawyer, adding that he did not understand legal terminology.

He, however, insisted that he had presented evidence to support his allegation that the defendant falsely claimed ownership of the property.

Okeigwe also told the court that the communications between them took place both before and after the payment.

“Blessing presented herself, claiming to be the owner of the property, and falsely collected money from me. She impersonated the owner of the property,” he said.

The witness disclosed that he had instituted a separate civil suit against the defendant to recover money spent on renovating the property.

He said he had spent more than N100m renovating it to meet the requirements of the medical facility he intended to establish there.

Explaining the distinction between the two cases, Okeigwe said the criminal proceedings concerned the N69.15m allegedly paid for the property, while the civil suit sought recovery of the renovation expenses and damages.

When asked whether the defendant had told him through WhatsApp messages that she owned the property, the witness said the alleged representations went beyond their online conversations.

He said he also relied on Corporate Affairs Commission documents and other materials he had submitted to the court in support of his claim.

Okeigwe disagreed with the defence counsel’s suggestion that Exhibit C was the only evidence he had tendered, insisting that he had presented other evidence.

Blessing CEO was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on June 9, 2026, on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and stealing involving N69,150,000.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until January 12, 2027, for the prosecution to call additional witnesses.

Source: punchng.com

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