By Abigail David

Security operatives at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, on Wednesday night repelled another attack by suspected gunmen, killing one of the assailants during a gun battle.

The attack occurred at about 11 p.m. when the armed men allegedly attempted to breach the institute’s security perimeter but were met with resistance from security personnel.

In a statement issued on Thursday, NIPSS Head of Public Affairs, Osime Samuel, said the attackers were forced to retreat following a swift and coordinated response by security operatives.

According to the institute, one of the suspected attackers was killed during the exchange of fire, while others fled with varying degrees of injuries.

NIPSS said there was no breach of its security perimeter and confirmed that all participants, staff, residents and facilities remained safe.

The institute added that security agencies had intensified efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects while strengthening surveillance and other proactive security measures within and around the facility.

NIPSS reassured participants, staff, their families and the public that the protection of lives and property remains its top priority and urged residents to disregard misinformation capable of causing unnecessary panic.

The latest incident comes less than two weeks after suspected gunmen attacked the institute and nearby communities, leaving three people, including security personnel, dead and prompting enhanced security around the country’s premier policy and leadership training institution.

By Abigail David

Hours of heavy rainfall on Tuesday caused widespread flooding across several parts of Lagos State, submerging homes and roads, disrupting movement and triggering power outages after critical electricity infrastructure was affected.

Communities including FESTAC, Gbagada, Ikeja, Ajah, Victoria Island, Lekki, Mushin, Mafoluku, Evans, Olushi, Anikantamo and Adeniji Adele experienced varying degrees of flooding, with residents wading through waterlogged streets and motorists stranded on submerged roads.

In Ikeja, floodwaters entered homes and shops, forcing some residents to temporarily relocate. Residents blamed the situation on blocked drainage channels, poor road design and indiscriminate construction that obstructs waterways.

The downpour also affected electricity supply after floodwaters damaged facilities at the Oworo 132/33kV Transmission Station. Ikeja Electric said flooding impacted two power transformers and several 33kV feeders serving areas including Ladilak, Bariga, Oworo, Pedro, Alapere, Agboyi, Araba and Gbagada. The utility said it is working with the Transmission Company of Nigeria to restore power as soon as repairs are completed.

The flooding extended to neighbouring Ogun State, where residents of Gloryland Estate in Ibafo appealed for urgent government intervention, citing damaged homes, disrupted movement and recurring flood incidents linked to blocked drainage channels.

Meanwhile, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has approved the dredging of 28 additional primary drainage channels to strengthen flood control across Lagos.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, described the rainfall as an extreme weather event that overwhelmed existing drainage infrastructure, resulting in temporary flooding in several communities.

He said Lagos’ coastal geography naturally slows the discharge of stormwater during high tide, making temporary flooding more likely after exceptionally heavy rainfall. Wahab urged residents to stop dumping refuse in drainage channels, avoid illegal reclamation of wetlands and refrain from building on drainage alignments, while advising motorists to stay off flooded roads and comply with safety advisories.

By Abigail David

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the mother and sister of late bandit leader Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo to 40 years imprisonment each for offences linked to terrorism.

Justice Hauwa Yilwa delivered the judgment on Friday after Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi pleaded guilty to three counts of a five-count terrorism-related charge filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

The court found the two women guilty of aiding and abetting the activities of the late bandit kingpin by passing information to him through telephone conversations, contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Prohibition) Act, 2022.

They were also convicted for concealing information about Battujo’s activities and failing to alert law enforcement agencies, despite allegedly visiting his forest camp and seeing him in possession of firearms.

Justice Yilwa, however, discharged the defendants on two other counts relating to the alleged receipt of ₦490,300 and sponsorship for the Hajj pilgrimage, after the prosecution applied to have those charges struck out.

The prosecution had alleged that the women ought to have known that the funds and sponsorship were proceeds of terrorism, but the court did not convict them on those counts.

The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had urged the court to convict the defendants on the remaining charges after withdrawing the two financial-related counts.

According to court documents, the offences were committed in Katsina State, where the convicts allegedly maintained communication with Battujo and failed to provide information that could have aided his arrest.

Battujo, a notorious bandit leader, was killed by security forces on June 10, 2026, during an operation in a forest near Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.