Alleged ₦2.04bn Money Laundering: Court Reserves Ruling On Ex-NRC Finance Director, Felix Njoku’s Bail

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, May 11, 2026, reserved ruling till June 2, 2026 on the bail application filed by one of the defendants in the alleged ₦2.04 billion money laundering trial involving staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC.

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At the resumed sitting, Mordecai Adejo, counsel to the first defendant, Felix Njoku, a former Director of Finance, NRC, informed the court that he had filed a motion for bail dated February 3, 2026, supported by a four-paragraph affidavit and a written address, which he adopted as his argument before the court.

Court

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NiDCOM Condoles With Family Of Late Ayomide Bennett

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, has expressed deep sorrow and heartfelt condolences to the parents and loved ones of 6-year-old Amna Ayomide Bennett, whose tragic passing in Canada has been announced

According to reports, the young girl reportedly lost her life after a fall from a 28th-floor apartment building at 200 Chalkfarm Drive, Canada.

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The heartbreaking incident has left family members, friends, and members of the Nigerian diaspora community devastated.

Dabiri-Erewa described the incident as painful and heartbreaking, noting that no parent should ever experience the trauma and grief of losing a child in such a tragic circumstance. According to report the late Ayomide was said to be bright and promising child whose life ended far too soon.

NiDCOM Boss shares her thoughts and prayers with her parents and the entire family during this extremely difficult time.

NiDCOM

She also extends her sympathies to the Nigerian community in Canada grieving this painful loss.Dabiri-Erewa urged the family to remain strong in the face of the irreparable loss and prayed for God’s comfort, strength, and peace upon all those affected.

She further called on Nigerians in the diaspora to continue supporting the bereaved family with love, prayers, and compassion as they navigate this moment of profound sorrow.

E-signed:
Abdur-Rahman Balogun
Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit

Court Jails Truck Driver, Orders Forfeiture Of 25 Tons Of Lithium Minerals In Ilorin

Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State has convicted and sentenced a 50-year-old truck driver, Kasimu Bawa, to two years imprisonment for unlawful possession of minerals valued at N2.4million.

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Bawa was arraigned on November 1, 2022, by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Commission on a one-count charge bordering on possession of minerals without lawful authority.

The charge reads:

“That you, Kasimu Bawa, sometime in the month of September 2022, at Share, along Tsaragi Road, in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, without lawful authority, came into possession of minerals, to wit: 25 tons of minerals worth the sum of N2,498,000.00 (Two Million, Four Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand Naira), conveyed in a DAF truck with Registration Number KEY 777ZF and Chassis Number KLRAD85XCOE603462, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(8)(b)(i) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 1984.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, prompting a full trial.

During the proceedings, the prosecution called two witnesses, including a Chief Remote Sensing Officer (CRSO) of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Ifarinde Odeyemi, and the investigating officer. The defence also presented two witnesses, including the defendant.

Odeyemi told the court that laboratory analysis conducted on the seized minerals confirmed them to be lepidolite, a lithium-bearing mineral.

In his final written address, prosecuting counsel, Innocent Mbachie, urged the court to convict the defendant, having proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. He also requested the forfeiture of the truck and minerals to the Federal Government.

Trucks

Delivering judgment, Justice Awogboro found Bawa guilty and sentenced him to two years imprisonment with an option of N5 million fine. The court further ordered the forfeiture of the truck and the minerals to the Federal Government.

The convict’s journey to the Correctional Centre started when he was arrested by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on September 9, 2022, at Share, along Tsaragi Road in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, while transporting 25 tons of suspected illegally mined minerals valued at N2.4 million. He was charged to court and convicted.

The convict was the driver of a truck used in conveying minerals allegedly purchased without a licence by a Chinese national, Gang Deng, who was earlier convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment on October 19, 2022 by the same court.