The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three individuals and two companies before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged theft and money laundering involving ₦652.18 million belonging to Petrocam Trading Nigeria Limited.

The defendants — Jacob Acheneje Okolo, Yakubu Wisdom Onu Solomon and Issa Aloba Lateef, alongside Upper-Level Energy Resources and Crescent Integrated and General Merchandise Limited — were arraigned before Justice Olubunmi O. Abike-Fadipe on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to steal, stealing and money laundering.

The defendants had initially been scheduled for arraignment on July 8, 2026, but the proceedings were adjourned following the absence of Lateef and his lawyer.

According to the EFCC, one of the counts alleged that Okolo and Upper-Level Energy Resources dishonestly converted ₦343.76 million belonging to Petrocam Trading Nigeria Limited for their personal use between 2022 and 2025.

Another count accused the same defendants of allegedly stealing and converting an additional ₦200.93 million belonging to the company.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all eight counts.

Bail applications

Following the pleas, counsel to the first, second and third defendants, C.T. Ahmadu, asked the court to grant his clients bail on liberal terms.

Ahmadu argued that the defendants were presumed innocent until proven guilty and that the alleged offences were bailable. He also told the court that the defendants intended to call witnesses in their defence during the trial.

Counsel to the fourth and fifth defendants, Kola Gbadamosi, also made an oral application for bail, relying on judicial authorities in support of his request.

However, EFCC counsel, I.G. Akhanolu, opposed the bail applications for the first and third defendants, particularly on the grounds that they had allegedly failed to honour previous invitations from the commission.

The prosecution also urged the court to impose stringent bail conditions, citing the substantial amount involved in the case and the need to ensure that the defendants remain available throughout the trial.

Akhanolu told the court that the prosecution would call six witnesses to establish its case.

After considering the arguments from both sides, Justice Abike-Fadipe granted Okolo bail in the sum of ₦200 million, with two sureties resident within the court’s jurisdiction.

Solomon was granted bail in the sum of ₦50 million, with two sureties who must own landed property within the jurisdiction.

For Lateef, the court ordered that he should continue to enjoy the administrative bail previously granted by the EFCC pending the determination of his formal written bail application.

The judge further directed counsel to the fourth defendant to file the written bail application within seven days.

The case has been adjourned to December 8 and 9, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

The allegations against the defendants remain unproven, as the court has yet to determine their guilt.

The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a 30-year-old man, identified as Peter Sinamai, over the alleged killing of his father in Sangere Gombi Local Government Area of the state.

Sinamai, who is reportedly a resident of the community, was arrested following a report received by operatives of the Adamawa State Police Command.

According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Suleiman Nguroje, preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect allegedly killed his father and disposed of his body in an abandoned well within the community.

“The corpse has been recovered and deposited at the mortuary for autopsy,” Nguroje said in a statement issued on Friday.

The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, Kabiru Hassan, has consequently ordered a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The police said the suspect would be charged to court upon the completion of the investigation.

The Commissioner of Police condemned the alleged act and assured residents that the command would continue to protect lives and property while ensuring that justice is served.

Hassan also appealed to members of the public to avoid violence when resolving family disagreements, urging them to seek lawful and peaceful means of settling disputes and to involve appropriate authorities whenever conflicts arise.

The incident comes amid renewed attention on cases involving violence within families.

In a related development in April, an Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka sentenced Ifeanyi Anizoba Jnr to death by hanging after finding him guilty of killing his father, Ifeanyi Anizoba.

Justice Chukwudi Okaa, who presided over the case, held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

In the Adamawa case, however, the police investigation is still ongoing, and the allegation against Sinamai remains subject to judicial determination.

A 73-year-old farmer has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of murdering his lodger, dismembering his body, and concealing the remains in a concrete-filled barrel that went undiscovered for almost six years.

Christopher Wright was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court for the murder of 55-year-old Richard Dyson, who disappeared in November 2019. Investigators later discovered Dyson’s remains inside a barrel hidden in a locked livestock trailer on farmland near Barnsley.

The court heard that Wright shot Dyson with a shotgun after accusing him of stealing one of his firearms. Prosecutors said Wright became enraged when he learned Dyson had taken a valuable machine gun from his collection. Wright, described during the trial as a firearms enthusiast and collector of vintage weapons, farm machinery, and musical instruments, acted in a fit of anger and killed Dyson.

After the murder, Wright enlisted the help of his longtime childhood friend, 72-year-old Karl Schwalbe, to dispose of the body. Schwalbe was later convicted of perverting the course of justice and sentenced to three years in prison.

In addition to murder, Wright was found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, preventing a lawful burial, and six firearms-related offences.

Richard Dyson had been living in his car outside Wright’s cottage in Hoyland, South Yorkshire, while helping with farm work, including repairing tractors, cutting hedges, and driving Wright to appointments.

Dyson’s disappearance sparked years of anguish for his family, particularly his daughter, Bethany Dainty, who repeatedly appealed to the public for information about her father’s whereabouts.

In an emotional victim impact statement presented in court, Dainty described the ordeal as a “living nightmare.”

“Someone watched me suffering for years and said nothing. That level of cruelty is impossible for me to understand,” she said.

Although Wright and Schwalbe were questioned by police shortly after Dyson was reported missing in November 2019, both denied any knowledge of his disappearance.

The breakthrough came in July 2025 when investigators reviewing historical mobile phone records discovered Wright had contacted a neighbouring farmer just days after Dyson vanished. Wright requested permission to temporarily store a livestock trailer on the neighbouring property, claiming he was “tidying up” his own farm.

The trailer remained untouched until investigators later searched it and found Dyson’s remains sealed inside a concrete-filled barrel. Wright’s identification was also recovered from the trailer, providing crucial evidence that helped secure his conviction.

The case, which remained unsolved for years, has now ended with justice for Richard Dyson’s family after one of the region’s most disturbing murder investigations.

The Lagos State Police Command has intensified its campaign against crime with the arrest of 147 suspected criminals during a coordinated operation targeting notorious criminal hideouts across parts of the state.

The operation, carried out under the ongoing Operation KO S’AYE III, focused on identified black spots in the Boolar, Super and Ile Epo areas following persistent complaints from residents about hoodlums allegedly terrorising motorists, commuters and other road users, particularly at night.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, described the exercise as one of the significant achievements recorded over the weekend. According to her, the operation was intelligence-driven and involved a joint team of officers drawn from various formations of the Lagos State Police Command.

The raid commenced in the early hours of Sunday, July 19, 2026, at about 5:30 a.m., with security operatives moving simultaneously into identified criminal hideouts to flush out suspected offenders and restore public confidence in the affected communities.

Weapons, Charms and Suspected Drugs Recovered

During the operation, police recovered several items believed to have been used in criminal activities. The exhibits include:
250 spent cartridge cases
Two live cartridges
22 machetes
Five battle axes
Two knives
One pair of scissors
Assorted charms
One lighter
Substances suspected to be Indian hemp

The police said all 147 suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to determine each individual’s level of involvement in criminal activities. Authorities assured that anyone found culpable would be charged to court in accordance with the law.

Police Vow to Sustain Operation

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani Fatai, commended officers who participated in the operation for their professionalism and commitment to duty.

He reaffirmed that Operation KO S’AYE would continue across Lagos State as part of the Command’s strategy to dismantle criminal networks, eliminate safe havens for hoodlums and strengthen public security.

The Commissioner also appealed to residents to support law enforcement by providing timely and credible information that can assist in identifying criminal hideouts and preventing crime before it occurs.

Residents of a community along the Nasarawa–Federal Capital Territory (FCT) border were thrown into panic after suspected gunmen launched a deadly midnight attack, killing a retired Nigerian Army officer and abducting a woman.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 12:45 a.m. on Friday at Plot 038, PGC Community, near Jikwoyi, along the Nasarawa–FCT boundary.

According to security reports, the armed assailants stormed the residence of 46-year-old Silas Orite and forcefully abducted his wife, Bukola Oluwatoyin Silas, 40, before fleeing with her to an unknown destination.

In an effort to rescue the victim and confront the attackers, the Community Chief Security Officer, Master Warrant Officer Reuben Yelwa, a 61-year-old retired Nigerian Army officer, responded to the distress call. He was, however, shot and killed by the gunmen during the operation.

Police officers later arrived at the scene, where they documented evidence and launched an investigation into the attack.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama reported that security agencies have intensified efforts to rescue the abducted woman and apprehend those behind the attack.

According to the report, security operatives have also strengthened patrols and area domination operations across the community and surrounding locations to prevent further criminal activities.

The latest incident has heightened concerns over persistent insecurity in communities located along the Nasarawa–FCT corridor, where cases of kidnapping and violent attacks have continued to pose a serious threat to residents.

Authorities have urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide useful information that could assist security agencies in rescuing the victim and bringing the perpetrators to justice.

No fewer than 70 vigilantes have been reportedly killed in a clash with bandits at Kukawa and Bunyun communities of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to Seriki Adinoyi, Arise news reporter, residents of the communities said the clash happened on Tuesday afternoon about 2pm, when hundreds of vigilantes from Wase Local Government Area were ambushed while on their way to bandits’ hideouts.

Chairman of the vigilante group, Kukuwa, Aliyu Baffa, told journalists that “over 70 vigilantes were killed” in the ambush. Baffa added that more bodies could be recovered in the bushes as they were still searching.

He said the clash occurred just a kilometre away from Kukawa town, when bandits ambushed the vigilantes as they were heading to the hideouts at Government Forest Reserve, which shares borders with Bauchi and Taraba states.

Baffa stated that the remains of some of the vigilantes were recovered from farmlands after the clash.

He said, “We have buried more than 60 of the 70 bodies in Kukawa alone. It’s likely that more bodies could be recovered. Some of the vigilantes who escaped confirmed that they were overwhelmed by the bandits.”

A resident of Bunyun, Musa Ibrahim, who also confirmed the clash, said the bandits attacked the community and killed 10 vigilantes who were providing security in the area, adding that they also burned many houses in the community.

Governor Caleb Muftwang had raised the alarm over the high wave of insecurity in the state, lamenting that bandits have taken over 64 communities.

Muftwang had set up a fact-finding committee currently working to proffer lasting solution to the menace.

Following the Invasion of De Latinos Concept Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti has directed the Commissioner of Police to fish out the perpetrators of the violence and bring them to justice.

The popular Entertainment/Hospitality outfit came under attack on Sunday night, leading to the destruction of items and injuries on innocent persons.

Reports had it that trouble started when a police officer in mufti, who attempted to enter the premises with suya meat, was denied access owing to the company’s strict policy against bringing in food and drinks from outside.

It was gathered that the officer got frustrated and allegedly called for reinforcements, who stormed the place, and started beating the bouncers, firing tear gas on everyone around.

The incident was said to have left many injured and property of the company destroyed.

Reacting to the incident, the Governor, through a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, vowed that every single person involved in the attack would be prosecuted to serve as a lesson to others.

Governor Otti also sent the Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu Emetu who visited the scene and commiserated with the management and staff of De Latinos on behalf of the Governor and the State Government.

The Deputy Governor, who expressed regret over the unfortunate incident, reassured the management of the center that the government would do everything to protect investors and their investments in the state.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Danladi Isa expressed regret over the incident which he described as avoidable, and disclosed that officers behind the incident had been arrested and were being interrogated.

“Governor Otti wishes to reassure Abians that his government is committed to creating and sustaining the enabling environment for legitimate businesses to thrive and thus would not sit idly by and watch some unpatriotic persons instill fear in the minds of innocent residents and business owners in the state,” Ekeoma stated.