Category: Metro

Suspected bandits have ambushed a police patrol team near the Nasarawa-Benue border, killing a civilian and injuring a police officer in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The attack occurred around 10:55 pm on Tuesday near Kadarako community. According to reports, the assailants opened fire on the police team in a surprise attack. The officers, however, responded swiftly, engaging the gunmen in a fierce exchange that forced the attackers to retreat into the surrounding forest.

Nasarawa State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday.

“The officers came under a sudden ambush by unidentified gunmen suspected to have emerged from the Benue forest axis. Despite the surprise attack, our men displayed tactical superiority and repelled the ambush,” Nansel said.

He added that one officer, Inspector Sunday Apochie, sustained gunshot wounds during the firefight but was quickly rescued by a reinforcement team from the Kadarko Division. His AK-47 rifle was also recovered from the scene.

Tragically, a civilian who lived near the area was struck by a stray bullet from the attackers and died at the scene.

The injured officer was first taken to the Primary Health Care Centre in Kadarko before being transferred to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, where he is receiving treatment and responding well.

SP Nansel said an intensive investigation and manhunt has been launched to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, has expressed condolences to the family of the deceased civilian. He also visited the injured officer in the hospital and assured the public that efforts are underway to bring the attackers to justice and prevent future incidents.

Suspected bandits have abducted three people—including two palace officials—and razed several homes in Bunyun community, Bashar District of Wase Local Government Area, Plateau State.

The attack, which occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, is believed to be a reprisal following a violent clash between local vigilantes and bandits last Sunday. That earlier confrontation reportedly left several vigilantes dead and homes destroyed.

Confirming the latest incident, the community’s traditional ruler, Abdulbari’u Muhammad, told journalists in Jos on Thursday that the attackers stormed the village in large numbers on motorcycles. He said the assailants looted valuables, including food items, clothing, and motorcycles, before setting houses on fire.

“We are completely confused and don’t know what to do. That’s why everyone fled to Bashar. People are afraid to stay behind,” the monarch said.

He identified the abducted palace officials as Waziri and Wakili, both of whom are also his younger brothers.

The attack has left the community deserted, with most residents fleeing to Bashar and other neighbouring towns for safety. A local resident, Abubakar Zubairu, confirmed the mass displacement, saying the village was virtually empty by Thursday morning.

Muhammad called on the government to urgently deploy more security personnel to the area to protect lives and allow residents—especially farmers—to return to their farmlands.

“Our crops have already been planted. Without security, we can’t tend to our farms. We need the government to act fast so we don’t lose our livelihoods,” he pleaded.

The attack is the latest in a string of violent incidents plaguing rural Plateau communities, underlining the urgent need for government intervention to restore order and protect citizens.

Efforts to get comments from Major Samson Zhakom, spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven, and Alabo Alfred, spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

The trial of 22 individuals arrested in connection with the June 20, 2025, mob attack in Mangun community, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, has been adjourned to Friday, July 11, to allow the prosecution to amend the charges.

The suspects were arraigned before the Plateau State High Court in Jos on Thursday, facing a four-count charge related to the killing of 13 wedding guests.

During proceedings, the prosecuting counsel, S.I. Ikutanwa, sought the court’s permission for the suspects to take their plea. However, defence counsel, Garba Pwul, raised an objection, stating that two of the accused were minors aged 13 and 17, making the charges legally flawed.

Pwul argued that trying minors alongside adults was improper and requested time to file a formal objection.

In response, the prosecutor agreed that the minors’ names could be expunged from the charge sheet, proposing that the remaining 20 suspects proceed with their plea.

However, Justice Boniface Ngyon ruled that it would be premature to proceed with the plea until the charges were formally amended. He adjourned the case to Friday, July 11, and ordered that all suspects be remanded in police custody.

The suspects are accused of taking part in a violent attack that led to the death of 13 wedding guests travelling from Zaria, Kaduna State, to Qua’an Pan LGA for a wedding. The victims, including men, women, and children, were riding in a bus belonging to Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) when they were attacked after stopping to ask for directions.

Several passengers were also injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, Plateau State Commissioner of Police, CP Emmanuel Olugbemiga Adesina, has reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring justice is served. Addressing journalists in Jos, he assured that efforts were ongoing to track down all perpetrators involved in the heinous act.

He urged residents, particularly the youth, to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and report suspicious activity to the police or other security agencies.

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

A two-year-old boy, Godwin Kumfa, has reportedly drowned in the Meme River, located in the Phase II area of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

His father, Mr. Mamtip Kumfa, disclosed that he received a distress call from a neighbour around 7:30 a.m. informing him that his son was missing.

Mr. Kumfa, a security guard at a private school, said he rushed home to find his wife searching frantically along the riverbank.

According to him, his wife had left Godwin seated by the riverside while she went to collect sand for commercial purposes. However, on her return, the boy was nowhere to be found.

“Godwin was left alone by the riverside while she gathered sand,” Kumfa said, his voice heavy with grief.
“Later, we found one of his shoes near Arigbede, about 10 kilometres downstream. I’m devastated. Godwin is my only son,” he added.

A family friend, Mr. Seun Babalola, said they followed the river path but could only locate the boy’s shoe further downstream.

He also recalled that a similar incident occurred at the same river two years ago, involving another young boy.

“Two years ago, a seven-year-old named Goodluck Friday also drowned here. It’s heartbreaking,” Babalola said.

The boy’s mother, Mrs. Lovina Kumfa, wept uncontrollably, calling for divine intervention.

“I left him just for a while. When I came back, he was gone. Please, God, help me find my child,” she cried.

The community remains in shock as family members, friends, and neighbours rally around the grieving parents.

As of the time of filing this report, local search efforts to recover the child were still ongoing.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that troops of Operation FASAN YAMA, in collaboration with Hybrid Forces, air components, and other security agencies, have neutralised the notorious terror kingpin Yellow Danbokolo during a major operation in Zamfara State.

According to a statement by Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, Danbokolo succumbed to severe gunshot wounds sustained during a fierce encounter with security forces. Several other terrorists were also killed in the operation.

Maj. Gen. Kangye revealed that the operation, conducted last week, was intelligence-driven and targeted bandits and fleeing terrorists who have long terrorised communities in the region.

“Yellow Danbokolo, who for years wreaked havoc on residents of Eastern Sokoto and parts of Zamfara, died on Monday from injuries sustained in battle with our troops,” Kangye said.

He described Danbokolo as more feared than the infamous Bello Turji, highlighting his role in the December 2021 attack in Shinkafi Local Government Area, where travellers were burned alive.

Kangye further noted that Danbokolo was heavily dependent on pentazocine to sustain his brutal activities.

“Our gallant troops are now intensifying efforts to track down Bello Turji, who remains in hiding,” he added.

The DHQ reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to restoring peace across Nigeria and called on citizens to support ongoing security operations.

The Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a taxi driver, Sabiu Haruna, to six months’ imprisonment for illegally possessing and attempting to sell 12 live endangered parrots.

Justice Yellim Bogoro handed down the sentence on Monday after Haruna pleaded guilty to a two-count charge filed by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) under case number FHC/L/534C/2025.

Prosecution counsel, Vivian Aigbadon, told the court that Haruna was arrested on June 2, 2025, along FESTAC Road 22, Lagos, following intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission, an international body dedicated to tackling wildlife trafficking.

According to Aigbadon, the parrots found in Haruna’s possession included six African Grey Parrots (Psittacus erithacus erithacus), four Senegal Parrots (Poicephalus senegalus), and two Budgerigar Parrots (Melopsittacus undulatus). These species are protected under Nigeria’s wildlife laws.

The prosecutor said Haruna’s actions contravened Sections 7(3) and 7(4) of the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade) Regulations, 2011, and Section 5(1) of the Endangered Species (Control of International Trade and Traffic) Act, Cap E9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as amended in 2016.

Following his guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to convict him accordingly. Haruna’s lawyer, however, pleaded for leniency, asking the court to consider his client’s remorse.

Delivering judgment, Justice Bogoro convicted and sentenced Haruna to six months in prison.

The charges stated that Haruna was caught with the parrots on June 2, 2025, and engaged in their illegal trade, violating laws prohibiting the possession and sale of endangered wildlife in Nigeria.

Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed the arrest of 53 suspects linked to the recent spate of violent attacks in Benue and Plateau states, which left dozens dead, injured, and displaced.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Egbetokun described the June 13 massacre in Yelewata community, Benue State, as a “coordinated act of terror.”

According to the police chief, 26 suspects were apprehended in connection with the Yelewata attack, 22 others for separate incidents in Plateau State, and an additional five suspects arrested over a more recent attack in Benue.

Egbetokun revealed that 47 people were killed and 27 injured in the Yelewata assault. He added that law enforcement recovered two general-purpose machine guns and eight AK-47 rifles used by the assailants.

The Inspector General assured that investigations are ongoing and pledged the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to bringing all perpetrators to justice and restoring peace to affected communities.

The Kano State Police Command has confirmed the recovery of nine unexploded ordnances (UXOs) from the scene of Saturday’s tragic explosion at Yongxing Steel Company in Mariri Quarters, along Ring Road in Kano.

The blast, which occurred around 11:30 a.m. on June 21, claimed five lives and left several others injured.

Contrary to earlier fears that the explosion was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), police investigations have confirmed it was triggered by a UXO that accidentally detonated while scrap materials were being offloaded at the company.

In a statement issued on Monday, Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Hussaini Abdullahi, said findings from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal – Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Unit revealed that the UXOs were unknowingly transported from Yobe State along with a shipment of metal scrap.

“Post-blast investigation reveals the explosion came from an Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), not from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as was initially speculated,” the statement noted.
“A total of nine UXOs have now been recovered from the scene.”

Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery. The injured are currently receiving treatment at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.

The police have assured the public that there is no ongoing security threat, urging residents to stay calm and report any suspicious items or activities to the authorities promptly.

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

Operatives of Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) has arrested  26 kidnappers in collaboration with the security agencies in a clean-up operations in Kogi West.

The State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), disclosed this while parading the suspects to newsmen on Tuesday in Odo-Ape, Kabba-Bunu Local government area in Kogi state.

Omodara noted that the operation, which was carried out in the last two weeks, was part of the government’s efforts to tackle insecurity in the state.

According to Omodara, the arrested suspects include natives who have been aiding the activities of bandits by supplying them with logistics such as food, drinks, water, and others.

“It is not only the kidnappers group in the forest that have been arrested, but also the natives that are collaborating with them.

“Our deep investigation after the death of the kidnapped retired major Joe Ajayi, revealed that some natives were involved and they are helping the security agencies to get to the root causes of the rising kidnapping in the area.”

“The Kogi Government is very serious about it, and that is why we are calling on Communities to imbibe first line of defense level, as vigilantes are allowed to carry certain levels of arms.

“We urge communities to develop some level of intelligence. Our women are currently being used to buy food and drinks and others, and sending it through some of the youths in the communities who are bandits collaborators.”

“Governor Ahmed Ododo is committed to ensure that peace return to every community not only in Bunu land but to all communities across Kogi State.”

“We have taken some proactive measures; when the heat is on in Benue State, as the border lines such as Olamaboro and Omala Local Government Areas have been barricaded as a defense to ensure that we don’t have influx of some criminals into the state,”‘ Omodara said.

The Security Adviser assured that the government would not take the issue of security lightly and would continue to work with security agencies to bring perpetrators to book.

He warned politicians, traditional rulers, and youth who are collaborating with kidnappers to desist from such activities, assuring that the government would take action against anyone found wanting.

Also speaking, Mr. Jeremiah Danjuma, Deputy Commandant of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) in Kogi West, attributed the success in combating kidnapping and banditry to the collaborative efforts of the state and federal governments.

Recalled that retired Major, Joe Ajayi, who was kidnapped on May 21, 2025, at his residence in Odo-Ape, died on June 9, in captivity despite his family paying a N10 million ransom.

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja

The Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Media Office, said it was revealed that the armed men again attacked the family home of the Senator and vandalised several windows.

In a statement issued on Wednesday from the media office of the Senator representing Kogi central senatorial district said “with the swift intervention of officers from the local police station, community vigilantes, and concerned youths, the attackers were repelled and one suspect was apprehended,”.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command has arrested one suspect following another attack on the family home of the suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

The suspect, identified as Jose Suberu, was reportedly apprehended at the scene of the attack in Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area, on Tuesday.

Confirming the development to newsmen on Wednesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, said the suspect had confessed to being part of the attack.

“Yes it’s true and one suspect, Joe Suberu was arrested at the scene. Efforts are on to arrest the fleeing others,” Aya said.