Murder Suspect Dies After Collapsing In Bayelsa Court

(Suspect Collapsed In Court. Photo by BarristerNG.com)

Bethlehem Nwanlia, a 50-year-old murder suspect, has died after collapsing shortly after appearing before the Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa.

He was on trial on Tuesday with two other men for conspiracy, kidnapping and the murder of three people in Kalaba community, Yenagoa Local Government Area.

It happened at Court 11, just after Justice Amadise Michael Ekadi adjourned judgment in the case to October 27, 2026.

Nwanlia reportedly complained of chest pain before he fell in the court's holding area.

Correctional officers, police and lawyers rushed to help and tried to revive him before medical staff arrived.

He was taken to a hospital where he was confirmed dead, and his body was later placed in the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.

The Bayelsa State Judiciary spokesman, Enoch Okunobo, confirmed the incident.

He said the man was a murder suspect who had been attending court regularly, and that his body is now at the FMC.

The three men were facing trial over the killing of three people in Kalaba in 2022.

The court had not decided the case before Nwanlia died.

Police spokesman DSP Musa Mohammed said he was not aware of the incident and would make inquiries.

He had not got back to our correspondent at the time of filing this report.