NEWS
Drama in Court as Police Arrest Witness in Offa Robbery Case
A witness for one of the five accused persons in the April 5, 2018, armed robbery attack in Offa, Kwara, Ms Omolara Ogundiran, was on Friday arrested within the court premises by the Police.
Reports says that Omolara is a graduate of Ire Polytechnic, Osun State, and is the younger sister of the fifth defendant, Niyi Ogundiran.
Omolara Ogundiran, a resident of Odoota area of Ilorin metropolis, is a sister to one of the accused persons, Niyi Ogundiran, who is standing trial in the armed robbery case.
NAN recalls that Michael Adikwu (deceased), Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye and Adeola Abraham were arrested in connection with the bloody armed robbery incident.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, Omolara Ogundiran, who was called in as witness in the case by the defence counsel, Mr Mathias Emeribe, tendered a receipt which she said was issued by a spare parts seller in Osogbo to his brother.
Recall that Niyi Ogundiran had told the court while testifying that he was never in Offa town on the day of the robbery incident, but travelled to Osogbo to purchase spare parts for ther second defendant’s vehicle.
After arguments by both the defence and prosecution counsels on admissibility of a 10-paragraph affidavit brought by the defence counsel on the receipt, the Presiding Judge, Justice Halimat Salman, however rejected the admissibility of the receipt as evidence, describing it as a sham.
She said the defendant cannot seek to tender any evidence through the backdoor while they had all the opportunity to do so at various stages of the trial since it started about six years ago, but didn’t.
“For you to now remember after about six years to present receipt speaks volume.
“It seems like one looking back while facing front. Court doesn’t operate by application but by law.
“The receipt is not enough. It’s a sham. I won’t say more than that.
“The signature in the affidavit is also different from the one on the receipt. It lacked merit,” the court ruled.
She later adjourned the case till April 9, for adoption of written addresses by the counsels.
Earlier, while giving evidence, Omolara (PW11) had told the court that she went to Osogbo to collect a receipt for some motor spare parts of the vehicle bought by Niyi on the day of the robbery.
“When I got to Malam Ali shop (motor spare parts seller), I met him attending to a customer and he said I should sit down and pray for one not to be unfortunate in any situation.
“So he opened the receipt and saw the duplicate before he issued another one to me and I left.
“I saw Malam Ali inside the court premises today and he greeted me. But I can’t see him inside the court now,” she said.
However, during cross examination, Omolara told the court that “I am a religious Christian and attended primary school in Ise Ekiti.
“I also went to secondary school in Oro but don’t remember the name before I proceeded to Ire Poly for my OND.
“I can’t remember the day, month, but it was last year 2023 that I went to Osogbo for the receipt.
“Malam Ali wrote the receipt in my presence before he gave it to me and wrote the date that my brother came to buy the items (backdated it to April 5, 2018).
“I didn’t go to Osogbo with Niyi Ogundiran, the fifth defendant. I didn’t sign the customer section in the receipt, but Malam Ali did and I cannot remember who signed it.
“When I came back to Ilorin, the receipt was with me and I only gave it to my lawyer when they were talking about it.
“I was in court when my brother was giving evidence on the case. Niyi and I are siblings but it’s God that will fight for him not me,” she submitted.
The Defence Counsel, Mr Mathias Emeribe, later told newsmen that he would have to find out the situation regarding the development.
“Why they are arresting her, I don’t know. But she is one of our witnesses who had come to tender documents and I have been told that they wanted her at the state CID in respect of the matter.
“Until I get there before I know what the situation is.
“They intended taking her away earlier but I resisted it because she is a witness and I wouldn’t want a situation where after she had gone, the testimony she would give would be different from what she is supposed to give.
“So I sought the protection of the court which was graciously granted by the trial judge that she can only be taken away after the court has ruled in respect of the matter,” Emeribe explained.
However, the Prosecuting Counsel, Rotimi Jacob (SAN), said “there are bold consequences for trying to deceive the court”.
“You heard from the proceedings today where the witness went to Osogbo to collect a fresh receipt that bothers on the issue that her brother was there to buy spare parts on the day of the robbery.
”She was issued a receipt dated April 5, 2018, which she brought to the court.
“But you had her telling the court that the receipt was issued last year but backdated to the date of the crime,” Jacob added.
He said “both parties have closed their cases and will now proceed to address the court and for the adoption of our written addresses for the court to adjourn for judgement”. (NAN)
By Laide Akinboade, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will step down from his cabinet position if President Bola Tinubu fails to secure victory in both the FCT and Rivers State in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an engagement with leadership and members of the Apo Mechanics and Traders Association in Abuja, Wike stated that his continued tenure as a cabinet minister is directly tied to his ability to deliver political results for the president in his primary areas of influence.
Setting a specific timeline, the Minister announced that should the ruling party lose in the FCT and Rivers State at the presidential poll scheduled for January 16, 2027, he will formally tender his resignation the very next day.
“If I cannot deliver where I work, then I’m not worthy to be here,” Wike said, emphasizing that his political mandate requires concrete electoral success.
“If I lose FCT, I’m not supposed to be FCT Minister. By January 17, 2027, I will announce my resignation as FCT Minister should the President lose in Rivers State and the FCT,” he stressed.
Outlining his political strategy for the territory, Wike revealed that the administration is building a multi-party coalition to secure victory across various elective offices in the FCT.
He explicitly endorsed candidates across legislative tiers while reiterating total support for the president’s re-election bid.
“Let us be clear on direction: for the Presidency, it is Bola Ahmed Tinubu! For the Senate, Philip Aduda is a man of the people, unlike those who only appear on television. The two House of Representatives candidates we are supporting are also here. They are former Area Council chairmen.
“In the FCT, we are running a unified coalition across parties to deliver results.
“If I cannot deliver FCT as Minister, then I am not qualified to hold this office. We have a firm agreement, and today is the final affirmation.”
The announcement comes amid ongoing efforts by the FCT Administration to resolve the long-standing relocation and land allocation exercise for thousands of traders and mechanics operating within the Apo Mechanic Village corridor.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has extended the deadline for candidates with outstanding admission offers from the 2021 to 2025 admission exercises to Nov. 30, 2026.
JAMB spokesman, Dr.
Fabian Benjamin, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.Benjamin said the extension followed the temporary unavailability of the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) for about 96 hours.
He said the extension would give affected candidates a final opportunity to either accept or reject their outstanding admission offers.
“The Board has approved Nov. 30, 2026 as the final deadline for candidates in this category to indicate whether they wish to accept or reject their outstanding admission offers,” he said.
He recalled that the Board extended the deadline to Sept. 30, 2026, adding that the recent disruption to CAPS necessitated the further extension.
Benjamin warned that candidates who failed to act by Nov. 30 would no longer be allowed to accept or reject the outstanding offers within the current window.
“Any subsequent request to update an admission record relating to these previous years will attract the applicable penalty fee,” he said.
He said candidates whose admissions were not on the matriculation list could face difficulties accessing benefits, including participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme.
The spokesman advised all affected candidates to take action before the deadline rather than wait until the last day.
He said candidates who accepted their offers would be able to print their admission letters, while those who rejected them would have their dashboards reverted to “Not Admitted”.
According to him, the process would enable JAMB to update its records and ensure that the national admission database accurately reflected candidates’ current status.
Benjamin said candidates no longer studying at the institutions where they were offered admission could accept the offer and later apply for correction or deletion, where applicable.
He added that candidates currently pursuing a second degree programme, but still having an unaccepted admission offer from a previous year could reject the old offer and continue with their current programme.
“Candidates who have been offered admission in the 2026 admission exercise but still have an outstanding admission offer from an earlier year have no cause for apprehension.
“Such candidates may reject the previous admission offer, and doing so will not affect their 2026 admission,” he said.
Benjamin said the extension was also aimed at helping JAMB maintain accurate and reliable national admission records.
He reiterated that Nov. 30, 2026 was the final deadline for accepting or rejecting outstanding admissions from the 2021 to 2025 admission exercises.
“At the expiration of the deadline, all outstanding admission offers from these years that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically revert to ‘Not Admitted’ status on the Board’s records,” he said.
He urged all affected candidates to take immediate action, stressing that failure to accept an admission offer within the stipulated period could render the offer invalid.(NAN)
From Attah Ede, Makurdi
The Board of Directors of the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC) has inspected the ongoing maintenance and rehabilitation works at Taraku Mills Limited, ahead of the planned test run of the factory.
The inspection, led by the Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr.
Raymond Asemakaha, CFA, provided members of the Board with an opportunity to assess the level of work carried out at the facility and preparations for the commencement of operations.Conducting the Board around the factory, Dr. Asemakaha explained the progress made so far and assured that the facility would be test-run during the weekend as part of efforts to prepare the mill for full-scale production.
The Board Chairman, Lady Elizabeth M.N. Shuluwa, commended the GMD, the technical team and staff of Taraku Mills for their commitment and dedication towards restoring the facility to productive use.
Lady Shuluwa also expressed appreciation to the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, for his support and commitment to the revival of the state’s industrial assets.
She called on the people of Benue State to support the efforts to revive Taraku Mills and other state-owned industries, stressing the importance of collective ownership and support for initiatives aimed at creating jobs, boosting economic activities and improving the state’s industrial base.
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