A Maryland woman was stabbed to death inside her home over the weekend, and her estranged husband turned himself just a couple of hours later.

Shortly after 8am on Sunday, the Howard County Police Department responded to a report that 53-year-old Alexander Stephenson had stabbed his wife, Amethyst Stephenson, 47, and fled.

Officers quickly made their way to Amethyst’s home, a gorgeous $900,000 house nestled in the woods near Ellicott City, just outside of Baltimore.

When the officers arrived, she was already dead. The Howard County Police Department told the Daily Mail that she was stabbed multiple times but did not provide more details.

Police said that Amethyst was estranged from her husband and that he did not live in the home where she was murdered.

Alexander was immediately considered wanted for the fatal stabbing.

The Howard County Police Department said he turned himself in at 10.30am on the day of the murder at the department’s northern district station in Ellicott City.

A prosecution witness, PW17, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and Deputy Superintendent of the EFCC, DCE Ahmed Audu Abubakar, on Monday, February 9, 2026, narrated before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, how hundreds of millions of naira allegedly diverted from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account were used to acquire high-end properties in choice areas of the Federal Capital Territory.

The EFCC is prosecuting Ali Bello, the Chief of Staff to the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, and a nephew of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, on a 16-count amended charge, alongside Dauda Sulaiman and one Abdulsalami Hudu, the former cashier of the Kogi State Government House Administration Account (now at large).

The defendants are standing trial over allegations of misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of ₦10,270,556,800, funds allegedly withdrawn from the Kogi State treasury and delivered to a Bureau de Change operator, Rabiu Tafada, in Abuja, to keep or convert to foreign currencies for personal use.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, Abubakar told the court that the first defendant, Ali Bello, used ₦900 million to acquire a property located at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja, Spring Hall School.

“My Lord, the property belongs to an Honourable from Bauchi State and was put up for sale for that amount. The first defendant procured the services of a lawyer, Barrister Ramalan, to broker the transaction. Barrister Ramalan carried out the instruction as directed by the first defendant, and the property was eventually purchased.

The payment was made in cash at the office of the Bureau de Change in Zone 4, Abuja, after the naira equivalent was converted to dollars. That was the finding of our investigation regarding the transaction,” he said.

The witness further stated that the funds used for the purchase were withdrawn at different times from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account.

When shown Exhibit H by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness confirmed that it was a Deed of Assignment between Pauchi Ventures Nigeria Limited and Y3 Nigeria Limited.

Asked to identify Y3 Nigeria Limited, the witness explained:
“My Lord, Y3 is the company provided by the first defendant to his lawyer for the preparation of the Deed of Assignment.”

Moving to count four of the charge, Oyedepo, SAN, stated that the defendant allegedly used ₦920 million to acquire a property located at No. 2 Justice Chukwudi (or Oguta) Street, Asokoro, Abuja, funds he reasonably ought to have known were proceeds of unlawful activity.
Responding, the witness confirmed that the EFCC identified the property during investigations.
“My lord, the transaction was brokered by the former Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Yahaya Bello, himself. He approached a contractor friend who had recently acquired the property through Wastle Motors, owned by Alhaji Sa’id Dantsoho”
“They agreed on a price, and the owner accessed a facility from Access Bank. It was agreed that the property would be sold at the same amount it was acquired. Payment was to be made ‘in kind’ because His Excellency had just assumed office and promised to patronize the contractor during his administration.”

An account was provided into which loan repayments would be made. During the period, there were numerous cash deposits from Lokoja and transfers from the Bureau de Change operated by Rabiu Tafada, including through his company, Busynet. All BDC transfers were carried out on the instruction of the first defendant, Ali Bello. That is how the property was paid for, My Lord”, he said.
The witness stated that the total facility collected as of March 21, 2018, stood at ₦808,698,263.29.

Abubakar further told the court that on April 8, 2020, multiple cash deposits were made at the Lokoja Branch of Access Bank towards servicing the loan. He listed the deposits as follows:
• Victor Ashimo – ₦3,650,000
• Surajo Samson – ₦7,700,000
• Sikiru Lariyat – ₦6,650,000

Terrorists have killed five policemen and injured two others during a gun battle at Sabon Sara village, Darazo Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The officers who lost their lives were identified as DSP Ahmad Muhammad (SID), ASP Mustapha Muhammad (10 PMF), Inspector Amarhel Yunusa (10 PMF), Inspector Idris Ahmed (10 PMF) and Corporal Isah Muazu (AKU).

Two others identified as Inspector Isah Musa (SID) and Inspector Yusuf Gambo (SID), sustained injuries of varying degrees.

In a statement on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, said the attack occurred on Saturday, November 22, 2025, after police received intelligence from a good Samaritan who reported suspicious activities involving armed Fulani youths in the area.

Wakil said a combined tactical team comprising the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Mobile Police 10 PMF, Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU) and State Intelligence Department (SID) was on an intelligence-led visibility patrol to curb farmer-herder conflict when the officers were ambushed.

“The Bauchi State Police Command, regrettably and sorrowfully, wishes to inform the general public of an unfortunate and tragic incident involving combined police tactical teams on an intelligence-led visibility patrol within Sabon Sara village, via Darazo,” the statement said.

He said police personnel engaged the bandits in a fierce gun duel and neutralised a reasonable number of the attackers.

According to Wakil, police personnel and the units, “did not fall short of expectations as our personnel neutralise reasonable number of the bandits at the gun duel point.”

Wakil said that after the distress report was received, the Divisional Police Officer in Darazo, SP Auwalu Ilu, led a reinforcement team to the scene, where the injured officers were rescued and the bodies of the deceased were evacuated to the General Hospital, Darazo.

The police spokesman added that intensive efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing attackers, assuring the public that the Command remained committed to ensuring the perpetrators are brought to justice.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, later visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment and condoled with the families of the slain officers.

He reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to protect lives and property across the state.