An Egyptian court has sentenced television personality Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death after finding them guilty of operating an organised criminal network involved in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs.

The Cairo Criminal Court handed down the sentences on Saturday, September 5, following a trial involving 28 defendants.

Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted. The death sentences are, however, subject to appeal and are not yet final.

Prosecutors accused the group of importing raw materials used to manufacture synthetic narcotics in Egypt for distribution and sale. The defendants also faced charges relating to the possession of firearms and ammunition without the required licences.

Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics and drug-manufacturing materials during investigations. Two apartments allegedly used as laboratories for producing the drugs were also identified, while weapons, manufacturing equipment and other items linked to the alleged offences were confiscated.

The prosecution relied on the testimony of 20 witnesses, alongside digital evidence including messages, photographs and videos. Chemical analyses and other forensic evidence were also presented before the court.

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Khalifa, 39, has consistently denied any involvement in the alleged drug operation. Her lawyer, Mohamed El Gendy, has announced plans to appeal the conviction, citing alleged procedural irregularities during the trial.

Before issuing the death sentences, the court referred the case to Egypt’s Grand Mufti, as required under the country’s legal procedure in capital cases. The Mufti’s opinion is advisory and does not legally bind the court.

Khalifa has often been described in international reports as a prominent Egyptian television presenter. However, Ahram Online recently disputed descriptions of her as a major national television personality, noting that although she had worked in television, her media profile before her arrest was relatively limited.

She was arrested in April 2025 and remained in custody while the case proceeded through the courts for more than a year. The trial attracted significant public attention in Egypt, particularly as details of the allegations and footage from the proceedings circulated widely online.

Khalifa is also facing a separate criminal case involving the alleged kidnapping and assault of a young man. That case is unrelated to the drug-trafficking convictions that resulted in the death sentences.

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The September 5 judgment represents the trial court’s conviction of Khalifa and the other defendants. However, the sentences remain subject to Egypt’s appeals process, which could result in the convictions or penalties being reviewed by a higher court.

Late Nasiru Marafa

The National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) has confirmed the death of its University Bursar, Mallam Nasiru Gusau Marafa, who was reportedly shot while returning from Gusau, Zamfara State.
The university announced his death in a statement signed by its Registrar and Secretary to Council, Oladipo Adetayo Ajayi, on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
According to the statement, Marafa died on Sunday in what the institution described as a sudden and untimely death.
“According to information available to the University, Mallam Nasiru Gusau Marafa was reportedly shot while returning from Gusau,” the statement said.
The university did not disclose further details about the incident or identify those responsible for the shooting.
Marafa was described as a dedicated and committed staff member who served the institution meritoriously and occupied several positions of responsibility during his career.
NOUN said he was appointed its Bursar in September 2026.
The university described his death as a profound loss, mourning him as a “distinguished colleague, dedicated administrator and valued member of the NOUN family.”
The institution extended its condolences to his immediate family, relatives, friends, colleagues and other members of the university community.
It also prayed to Allah to grant the bereaved family and the entire NOUN community the strength to bear the loss.
The university said details of the burial arrangements would be announced once released by the family.
It prayed that Allah forgive Marafa’s shortcomings and grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus.

At least 37 suspected oil thieves have reportedly died after inhaling a substance believed to be petroleum fumes during an alleged oil theft operation in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, September 3, 2026, around Okari Jetty.

According to reports, more than 100 people, mostly youths from Okrika and neighbouring communities, had converged on the area to allegedly siphon petroleum products from a pipeline linked to the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical facility and the Port Harcourt Refinery.

The suspects were said to have arrived in boats and were loading the products when a strong smell suddenly spread across the area.

Several of the youths reportedly collapsed after inhaling the substance, with some falling into the river.

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While 37 people were said to have died, several others who escaped the scene were reportedly taken to hospitals for treatment after developing serious respiratory complications.

However, details surrounding the incident remain unclear, and authorities have not independently confirmed all the reported figures or the exact substance responsible for the deaths.

The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Blessing Agabe, confirmed that an investigation had commenced.

According to Agabe, the victims were reportedly involved in an attempt to steal crude oil, although no formal complaint had been received by the police at the time of the report.

She said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the facts.

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The incident has once again highlighted the dangers associated with illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft, particularly in communities located around petroleum infrastructure.

Two police officers dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged killing of a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo, have been remanded in custody by a magistrate’s court in Port Harcourt.

The officers, Corporals Alfred Louis and Michael Ejekwu, were arraigned before the court on Thursday and ordered to be remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.

Obodo was allegedly shot dead on August 27, 2026, around Ada George Junction in Port Harcourt.

Their arraignment followed their dismissal from the police force over their alleged involvement in the incident.

Two other officers linked to the killing, identified as Fabian Kpeanabari and Assistant Superintendent of Police Solomon Nwogu, were not arraigned alongside the two corporals.

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Nwogu is reportedly still at large.

When the matter came before the Chief Magistrate, Helen Hardy, on Thursday, the charges were not read to Louis and Ejekwu, and they did not enter any plea.

The magistrate instead ordered that the two defendants be remanded at the correctional centre and directed that the case file be forwarded to the Chief Registrar for reassignment.

The case was adjourned until September 22, 2026, for plea and possible trial.

Speaking outside the courtroom, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch, Dr Chinedu Maduba, expressed concern that only two of the officers linked to the incident were brought before the court.

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Maduba said he contacted the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to seek clarification on why the third officer in custody was not arraigned.

According to him, the commissioner explained that Nwogu, being an Assistant Superintendent of Police, required ratification of his dismissal by the Police Service Commission before he could be prosecuted.

Maduba said Adepoju assured him that the process, which could normally take two to three months, would be fast-tracked and completed within a week.

The NBA chairman said the association would continue monitoring the case to ensure that justice was served.

He stressed that while the police officers accused of the killing must face trial, they were also entitled to due process and could only be convicted if the prosecution established their guilt.

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The arraignment came a day after the Rivers State Police Command paraded three officers allegedly connected to Obodo’s killing at its headquarters in Port Harcourt.

During the briefing on Wednesday, Commissioner Adepoju said the fourth officer, who allegedly fled after the incident, had been declared a deserter and would face the same consequences as the other officers if apprehended.

The case has continued to attract attention amid calls for accountability and justice over the death of the young UNIPORT graduate.

By Our Reporter

The House of Representatives committee investigating the activities of the Public-Private Infrastructure and Financing Commission (PFIPC) has uncovered 12 additional agencies it described as allegedly fake, as well as 58 bank accounts reportedly linked to the commission’s Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.

The development emerged during the committee’s ongoing investigation into the activities of the commission.

The lawmakers also accused Adeyemi of allegedly being connected to the widespread forgery of government documents, raising concerns over possible institutional failures and abuse of public office.

Following the findings, the committee called for the prosecution of the PFIPC Director-General, subject to the conclusion of investigations by relevant security and anti-corruption agencies.

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The committee said its findings and supporting evidence would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and necessary action.

The allegations remain subject to investigation and due process.