A 50-year-old man, Bethlehem Nwanlia, dies after collapsing at the Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa while awaiting or during trial proceedings on Tuesday. Reports say he slumps and is pronounced dead at the court.
Nwanlia was facing charges related to the alleged conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder of three people in the Kalaba community. He is reported to have been tried alongside two other defendants, identified in one account as Gideon Atama and Clever Ovo, with the case connected to killings in 2022. One outlet says he dies shortly after judgment is adjourned, while another describes his collapse as occurring shortly after proceedings begin, including in a court holding area.
Across the reports, the key points are consistent: the death occurs inside the Bayelsa High Court during the ongoing trial, and the suspect is a defendant in a case involving multiple alleged killings. The coverage differs slightly on the immediate timing—whether it follows an adjournment or begins shortly after proceedings start—and on the exact location within the court where the collapse happens.
