Gunmen on Saturday stormed Aqua Triton Company in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, abducting an expatriate worker and killing a police officer assigned to protect him.

The Nigeria Police Force confirmed the incident, saying the officer was fatally shot while resisting the attackers.

Police response

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said the assault was carried out “in a commando-style operation.”

“There was an attack at Aqua Triton Company in Ogunmakin, near Ibadan, where unidentified gunmen stormed the facility in a commando-style operation,” he said.

“One police officer tragically died while repelling the attack, injuring some assailants, and the Chinese expatriate principal was abducted.”

According to him, the Commissioner of Police, Femi Haruna, has ordered the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Operations to lead anti-kidnapping and tactical teams to the area.

Search and investigation

Police say bush-combing operations are ongoing across nearby forests, while investigators work to track the attackers and rescue the abducted expatriate.

Authorities have not disclosed the victim’s identity or the exact number of assailants involved.

Why it matters

The attack underscores persistent security challenges facing businesses and expatriate workers in parts of Nigeria, with implications for investment confidence and community safety.

Security analysts say the killing of a police officer during the operation highlights the risks faced by security personnel and the need for better intelligence-led policing.

What’s next

Police say tactical teams will remain in the area until the victim is rescued and suspects are arrested. Updates are expected as operations continue.

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has presented fresh bank records in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who is accused of laundering ₦110.4bn in public funds.

The evidence was tendered on Thursday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, where compliance officers from several banks detailed large inflows and withdrawals linked to government accounts and private companies.

Mr Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on 16 counts of alleged criminal breach of trust and money laundering.

The case is being heard by Justice Maryanne Anineh.

What the banks told the court

At the resumed hearing, EFCC lawyer Kemi Pinheiro said proceedings would continue with the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness Six, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank.

Mr Bata explained that transaction descriptions on Zenith Bank statements showed only the nature of transactions, not their purpose.

He pointed to a January 20, 2016 entry showing a ₦10m cheque payment to Abdulsalami Hudu and another ₦2.45m payment to Halims Hotels and Tours in Lokoja.

However, he told the court he could not determine how the funds were ultimately used.

Security votes and government accounts

Under questioning, the witness confirmed a ₦74.38m credit from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service on December 6, 2016, followed by a ₦10m cheque payment to Mohammed Jami’u Sallau.

He said the narration did not explain the purpose of the payment.

Counsel to the third defendant, Z.B. Abbas, confirmed through the witness that all withdrawals from the Government House account were made by cheque and signed by authorised officers.

According to the EFCC, the third defendant was introduced to the bank as an accountant.

An attempt by the defence to suggest he was merely performing official duties was rejected by the court.

Who controlled the accounts?

The witness told the court that the Government House account had three authorised signatories:

Chris Onyepola, Permanent Secretary; Onyechukwu Daniel L., Chief Accountant; and Abdulsalami Hudu, Accountant.

He detailed several inflows in 2016, including ₦60m paid in six tranches described as security or police reform funds.

Multiple ₦50m transfers with similar descriptions were also recorded.

He said the inflows were often followed by withdrawals made by the third defendant.

“Special Sec Vote” transactions

The court also heard evidence of transactions described as “His Excellency Special Sec Vote,” with large inflows and withdrawals recorded between August and September 2016.

The witness said abbreviations such as “sec” were not standard banking terms and could not be clearly interpreted.

He also confirmed that Yahaya Bello was not the sole operator of the Government House account.

With no re-examination by the prosecution, the witness was discharged.

More companies, more transfers

The EFCC then called Prosecution Witness Seven, Mohammed Hassan, an executive trainee with Keystone Bank.

He tendered account statements for Dantata and Sawoe Construction covering January to December 2021.

The records showed multiple ₦10m credits between February 17 and 22, 2021, totalling ₦100m.

Under cross-examination, Mr Hassan said he was not the company’s account officer and appeared in court only to comply with a subpoena.

School fees and web transfers

Another witness, Gabriel Ocha of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), tendered documents relating to Kunfayakun Global Limited.

He told the court that ₦30m was paid from the account on November 1, 2021, to the American International School for Abdul Bashir.

The same day, the account received three ₦10m web transfers from Haruna Gana and Haruna Gaddafi, as well as ₦25.96m from Behamas Global Ventures.

Further transfers, including payments to Zadakkayak Global, followed the next day.

Sterling Bank evidence

Prosecution Witness Nine, A.D. Ojoma of Sterling Bank, also testified.

He presented statements for Bespoke Business Solutions Limited, showing large credits described as commissions and contractor payments from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service.

The transactions included ₦57m in March 2019 and over ₦242m in August 2019, the latter described as payment for the purchase of OBPEH.

Why this case matters

The trial is being closely watched as one of Nigeria’s biggest corruption cases involving a former state governor.

It raises questions about transparency in the management of security votes and public funds, which are largely shielded from public scrutiny.

Anti-corruption experts say the outcome could shape future accountability for state-level spending.

What happens next

Justice Anineh adjourned the case until Friday, January 16, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The Delta State Police Command has ordered the redeployment of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Jesse Division, CSP Chidi Nwabuzor, following allegations of a ₦2.5 million extortion captured in a viral video.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Aina Adesola, also directed the X-Squad to investigate the conduct of three officers named in the video, including a constable identified as Bright and another officer, Usman.

The command confirmed that the video shows a woman alleging that the officers demanded ₦2.5 million in exchange for the release of her brother, who is currently in police custody.

According to the police, the incident dates back to January 1, 2026, when suspects were arrested in Jesse community by a youth leader and handed over to the police.

One of those arrested was a 20-year-old man, later identified as Israel Onojeruo, the woman’s younger brother.

Police said Israel was arrested following the confession of another suspect, Okoro Desmond, who allegedly claimed he sold a gun to him.

All suspects were later transferred to the State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU) for further investigation.

Police response

In response to the extortion allegations, the police said CP Adesola “listened to the complaint and took immediate action.”

The Commissioner ordered the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the X-Squad to investigate the allegations agains

The command confirmed that the constable identified as Bright in the video has been detained at the command headquarters.

It also said the DPO of Jesse Division has been removed from his position and redeployed to the command headquarters, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Police added that the redeployment followed “a series of complaints of extortion and unprofessionalism levelled against the DPO from different quarters.”

What the police are saying

The Commissioner of Police assured the public that disciplinary action would follow if the allegations are proven.

He said officers found to have acted unprofessionally would be “decisively dealt with in accordance with the extant laws as stipulated in the Police Act and regulations to serve as a deterrent to others.”

CP Adesola stressed that the command under his leadership “will not tolerate any form of extortion, intimidation, incivility to members of the public and unprofessionalism from officers.”

Why it matters

The case comes amid growing public concern over police misconduct and the use of social media to expose alleged abuses.

For many Nigerians, viral videos have become a powerful tool for demanding accountability from security agencies, especially in cases involving alleged extortion and abuse of power.

The outcome of the investigation could further shape public trust in police reform efforts in Delta State and beyond.

How to report police misconduct

The Delta State Police Command urged members of the public to report complaints against police officers through its Complaint Response Unit.

The command provided the following contact numbers:

09011112311, 09155570008, 09064308018, and 09066575187.

What’s next

The X-Squad investigation is ongoing, and the police say further actions will depend on its findings.

The case is expected to remain under public scrutiny as Nigerians await the outcome of the probe.