Suspect arrested for trespassing, attempting robbery at Bauchi Emir’s palace

By: Zagazola Makama

A 20-year-old man, Umar Hamza, was apprehended Wednesday night for trespassing and attempting to steal from the Emir of Bauchi’s residence.

Sources said Hamza entered one of the Emir’s son’s rooms carrying a bunch of keys and tried to commit theft around 8:20 p.m. on January 23.

He was intercepted shortly after the act and taken into the Police custody for questioning.

Police said Preliminary inquiries indicate the suspect intended to steal from the palace.

Suspect arrested for trespassing, attempting robbery at Bauchi Emir’s palace

VP Shettima Returns To Abuja, Says Nigeria Firmly Back On Global Economic Frontline

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has returned to Abuja after a week-long diplomatic and economic mission to Guinea-Conakry and Switzerland.

This is just as he said Nigeria has reclaimed a frontline seat in global and regional policy conversations.

VP Shettima arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Saturday after representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the inauguration of Guinea’s President, Mamadi Doumbouya, and leading Nigeria’s delegation to the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos.

According to the Vice President, the trip is part of Nigeria’s renewed commitment to regional solidarity in West Africa and its determination to reposition the economy under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.

The Vice President had departed Abuja for Conakry, where he attended President Doumbouya’s inauguration, reaffirming Nigeria’s leadership role within ECOWAS, while opening new pathways for bilateral cooperation in agriculture and manufacturing.

From Guinea-Conakry, Senator Shettima proceeded to Davos, Switzerland, where he led the Nigerian delegation at the WEF 2026.

One of the highpoints of his engagements in that country was the commissioning of Nigeria House Davos, the Nigeria’s first-ever sovereign pavilion on the Davos Promenade, designed as a permanent investment hub showcasing opportunities in solid minerals, agriculture and the digital economy.

At a high-level WEF session titled, “When Food Becomes Security,” the Vice President outlined Nigeria’s new national food security framework, describing agriculture as a strategic pillar of national security and macroeconomic stability.

Vice President Shettima also joined former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, to advance the Accra Reset Initiative, a forum advocating African industrialisation driven by domestic capital and value chains rather than foreign aid.

On the economic front, the Vice President told investors that Nigeria’s macroeconomic indicators were stabilising, citing a projected 4.4 per cent GDP growth in 2026 and a decline in inflation to 12.94 per cent.

He also pointed to Nigeria’s imminent transition into a net exporter of refined petroleum products, anchored by the Dangote Refinery, and the growing export of digital talent.

VP Shettima Returns To Abuja, Says Nigeria Firmly Back On Global Economic Frontline

Ogwashi-Uku Palace Attack Trial: Gunshot Victim Identifies Mike Nwaukoni As Ringleader As Multiple Witnesses Place Defendants At Scene With Weapons

Ogwashi-Uku Palace Attack Trial: Gunshot Victim Identifies Nwaukoni As Ringleader As Multiple Witnesses Place Defendants At Scene With Weapons

Fresh revelations emerged at the Federal High Court, Asaba, as the trial over the October 12, 2023 terrorist-style attack on the Palace of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku resumed, with witnesses giving direct, consistent, and corroborated testimony identifying Mr Mike Nwaukoni as the principal actor who led an armed mob to the palace, resulting in gunfire, injuries, and destruction of property.

On Tuesday, January 13, the court heard the gripping testimony of PW2, Mr Lawrence Obasi, an Otulu vigilante who sustained gunshot injuries that left his right arm paralysed for months.

PW2 told the court that he was officially deployed alongside the police to protect the palace on the day of the attack, having undergone formal vigilante training by the police two years earlier. According to him, Mike Nwaukoni personally led a large mob armed with dangerous weapons to the palace gate at Ogbe-Nti.

He testified that despite clear warnings and instructions from the Divisional Police Officer and the police commander at the scene, the mob—acting on Nwaukoni’s direct encouragement—attempted to forcibly break into the palace.

“He told them to break the gate and said he had money to take care of anything that happened,” the witness told the court.

Moments later, gunshots rang out.
PW2 narrated how armed supporters opened fire, damaging police and vigilante vehicles and hitting him with live ammunition as he sought cover inside one of the vehicles. He positively identified Elue Adigwe and Francis Okolie as being present at the scene and fully armed.

His account directly corroborated the earlier testimony of PW1, the police commander who had testified last year that Mike Nwaukoni personally led the armed crowd, stressing that no police officer accompanied the mob and that it was not a lawful procession but an armed attack.

The police commander had also told the court that Nwaukoni had invited him and the DPO to his residence days before his testimony in what observers concluded was an attempt to obstruct justice by getting him to stop his testimony scheduled for the next week.

THIRD WITNESS CONFIRMS IDENTITIES, WEAPONS, AND HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
On Wednesday, PW3, Mr Emeka Nwaolisa, a palace vigilante, took the stand and reinforced the prosecution’s case, confirming the identity of the same defendants, their presence at the palace gate, and the use of offensive weapons during the attack.

PW3 testified that he was stationed at the locked palace gate when over 200 persons marched toward the palace, among them Mike Nwaukoni, Elue Adigwe, Francis Okolie, and others. He stated that on Nwaukoni’s orders, gunfire erupted as the mob attempted to force entry, leading to chaos and injuries.

During cross-examination, PW3 also revealed that Eugene Ojo Izediunor had previously boasted at a public drinking spot that he used money to “settle” his way out of an earlier case, a conversation witnessed by multiple persons.

He further told the court that the defendants had a long-standing history of orchestrated violence and unrest aimed at destabilising the community and undermining the traditional institution.

SPIN FAILS TO DENT CORE FACTS
While defence counsels consisting of four senior advocates attempted to divert attention to procedural arguments and minor inconsistencies, the central facts remained unshaken:
• Multiple eyewitnesses independently identified the same defendants
• Weapons were present and used
• Gunshots were fired
• A vigilante suffered gunshot injuries
• Vehicles were damaged
• The palace came under armed siege

The court admitted two statements made by PW3 as exhibits and adjourned the matter to April 21 and 22, 2026, with the trial set to continue.
The five defendants—Mike Nwaukoni, Elue Adigwe, Francis Okolie, Eugene Ojo Izediunor, and John Nwona—were all present in court.

As proceedings continue, the testimony so far paints a clear, consistent, and deeply troubling picture of a coordinated armed assault on a traditional institution, now firmly laid before the court under oath.