Bethlehem Nwanlia, a 50-year-old murder suspect, slumped and died shortly after proceedings began at the Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa on Tuesday. Nwanlia was standing trial alongside two other defendants on charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and multiple murder when he collapsed in the court's holding area after Justice Amadise Michael Ekadi adjourned judgment to October 27, 2026. Witnesses said he clutched his chest before collapsing, and efforts by Nigerian Correctional Service officers, police, and lawyers to revive him were unsuccessful. The Bayelsa State Judiciary's Public Relations Officer, Mr Enoch Okunobo, confirmed the incident, and the body was taken to a hospital for further confirmation.
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