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Alleged Money Laundering: EFCC Witness Insists Bello Not Involved In Property Transactions

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The 17th prosecution witness in the ongoing alleged money laundering case filed against a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, and two others, has maintained that the former governor was not involved in any of the property transactions before the court.

The witness, Shehu Bala, told the court, while being cross-examined by the defendant’s counsel, Paul Daudu, SAN, that the second defendant also did not participate in any of the transactions.

He noted that one Farouk Bello served as the agent.

On cross-examination, he, however, noted that he was aware that the title documents — deed of assignment and power of attorney were returned to Efab Estate by Farouk Bello.

The witness had earlier said he was not in any way related to Ali Bello and Farouk Bello, whom he had mentioned in his examination-in-chief.

He also confirmed that he was not from Kogi State, implying that he was not related to the former governor.

The witness, a commodity trader, who said he was from Katsina State, noted that he met Ali Bello about 14 years ago.

He said he knew Ali Bello in the course of his business, which is commodity trading, and they had done quite a number of businesses like buying grains from the North.

Counsel for the second and third defendants, A. M. Aliyu, SAN, asked the witness if he knew the third defendant; he said no, noting that he did not also partake in the transactions.

He told the court that at the time the title documents were returned to Efab Estate, Farouk Bello, who was his father’s friend, had passed on.

Counsel for the defendant asked if he would be correct to say that it was the children who said they wanted to collect the money on the property after the death of Dr. Farouk Bello.

The witness responded that someone came to him with documents concerning the property that they wanted to sell the property but he could not confirm if he was Farouk Bello’s son.

He confirmed that he took the documents back to the chairman of Efab Estate.

He also said the second property that was not marked by the EFCC was the one bought by Farouk.

When counsel for the defendant asked if it was correct to say that Ali Bello inherited that property from his mother, the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, interjected that the evidence the witness gave was not about inheritance.

But the defendant’s counsel said he was entitled to lay foundation for his defence and that he could ask the witness within his capacity.

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Strait of Hormuz Will Be Closed Until Further Notice, Says Iran’s Guards

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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Sunday the Strait of Hormuz would be closed “until further notice” after they fired warning shots at a vessel they said used an unauthorised route, state media reported.

The move threatens to further complicate efforts to salvage US-Iran negotiations after both sides exchanged strikes over the past few days and traded threats.

News outlets Axios and Politico reported that Washington had given Tehran until Saturday to stop firing on commercial ships transiting Hormuz and formally acknowledge that the waterway is open.

A key roadblock to a final agreement is the future of the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran insisting it will control shipping through the waterway and Washington demanding unrestricted navigation.

The Guards said the vessel was “hit by warning shots and stopped” after ignoring repeated instructions to use an approved shipping corridor, according to a statement carried by state news agency IRNA on Sunday.

“Following this incident… the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice and until the end of American interventions in this region, and no vessels will be allowed to pass through,” the Guards said.

The Guards also said they would target “new enemy bases in the region” if new military action was carried out against them.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

Around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade normally passes through the waterway, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets.

Iran closed the strait to commercial shipping during its war with the United States and Israel, contributing to sharp rises in oil prices and disrupting maritime traffic across the region.

Iran insists it has the right to regulate passage through the strait and has announced plans to charge fees for vessels using the route.

Iranian officials have repeatedly said there will be no return to the pre-war system of unrestricted navigation.

The United States has rejected that position and maintains that commercial shipping must be able to move freely through the waterway.

Under customary international law, countries are generally not permitted to impose tolls on straits used for international navigation.

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Senegal Part Ways With Coach Thiaw After World Cup Exit

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Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has been sacked in the wake of his side’s last-32 elimination at the World Cup, the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) announced Sunday.

“Following a meeting of the (FSF) executive committee, it was decided to initiate proceedings to relieve national team coach Pape Thiaw, as well as the entire coaching staff, of their duties,” the federation said in a statement.

It added that FSF president Abdoulaye Fall will hold a press conference on Monday to explain the “reasons behind this decision” and “to discuss the future”.

Thiaw, 45 and a former Senegal international, took over as national team boss in 2024.

But he paid the price for a disappointing World Cup, in which the Lions of Teranga suffered two defeats in the group stage, against France and Norway, before a 5–0 victory over Iraq secured their place in the knockout rounds.

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Thibaut Courtois makes strange Belgium request after World Cup exit

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Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is willing to continue his international career but ⁠wants to be let off from playing for his country over the next few months.

Courtois, who was controversially taken off ‌in Friday’s World Cup quarter-final defeat by Spain, said during the tournament he was ‌thinking of retiring from the national team.

But the 34-year-old, who ‌has won 115 caps after debuting in 2011, is now open ‌to staying if he is guaranteed a reduced schedule.

“I’ve already ‌indicated that I’d like a quieter year, where I can stay in Madrid during the Nations League campaign to focus on my recovery. That way, ‌Senne (Lammens), Mike (Penders) or Maarten (Vandevoordt) could play,” he said, ⁠listing potential replacements.

“If they (Belgium) accept ‌that, then I’d be open to continuing,” said Courtois, who was taken ​off with a twinge in his leg against Spain and saw his replacement Lammens spill the ball to allow ​the Spanish to score an 88th-minute winner.

“It’s a shame to come off in such a special match,” Courtois said. “I felt really ⁠good in the second half ​and made a few saves. You want to stay on the pitch in moments like that.

“But I took two goal kicks, and on the second one, I felt pain in my quadriceps. I ‌let them know I couldn’t take long goal kicks anymore,” he told reporters.

“I could have stayed in goal, but the coach (Rudi Garcia) said: ‘If you aren’t 100%, I’m substituting you.’ That’s why I initially wanted to keep playing, but the coach decided to substitute me. That’s not a problem. The team comes first, of course.”

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