Crime
Tinubu’s aide demands probe of Nigerian student’s killing in Canada
The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Students Engagement, Sunday Asefon, has called for investigation into the killing of a Nigerian student who was studying in the University of Manitoba Canada, Stephen Afolabi Opaso.
The 19-year-old was killed by the Winnipeg Police Service in Manitoba, Canada, on December 31, 2023.
Asefon, who described the killing as barbaric and heartless, in a statement on Saturday, urged the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to ensure that the incident was not swept under the carpet.
He said, “The impression in the public as gathered during an interaction with the official National Association of Nigerian Students earlier on the case is that the killing was racially motivated as the demised student was not welding a gun at the time of the incident and that the police officers would have acted differently if he were to be a white.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of NIDCOM should ensure that the incident is not swept under the carpet.
NANS and the entire Nigerian students should remain calm. We will follow the case up diligently until the Canadian authorities give a true account of the death of the Nigerian Student and compensate his family accordingly to avoid a diplomatic row that may lead to the closure of their embassy in Nigeria by Nigerian student Apex body NANS as earlier threatened if no action is taken by Federal Government of Nigeria within 3 working days.”
Supporting the SSA to the President, a human rights lawyer, Tolu Babaleye, called on the Federal Government to ensure justice was served on the matter, saying the threat the boy posed was not proportional to the defence method employed by the Canadian police.
He said, “The force applied by the police officer involved was too excessive. Assuming the boy was holding a gun, it would have been justified. The boy was said to be holding a knife; he would have looked for another means of disarming him instead of shooting him.
“I agree with the SSA that the issue should be investigated properly, but again, it depends on Canadian law. If it is under our criminal law in Nigeria for you not to be culpable in this kind of situation, the force you applied must be proportional to the threat the guy constituted at the time of the incident.
“You know this one has to do with diplomacy between the two countries because Nigeria and Canada have a very good relationship. I believe this incident will have to also be handled with wisdom because Canada is one of the countries that have opened its doors to our youths.”
Crime
Police Arrest 32 Suspected Bandits in Kwara Forest Crackdowns
the operation targeted criminal hideouts in forest areas around Awi, Kaiama, Patigi, and Babanla, where the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes
Photo: IGP Tunji Disu
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested thirty two suspected bandits during intelligence-led operations targeting criminal networks operating in forest corridors across the state.
The police said that two of those arrested are foreign nationals from Niger Republic who are suspected to have collaborated with local bandits in cross-border criminal activities.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed that the suspects were apprehended during coordinated raids carried out by operatives of the Kwara State Police Command and detectives of the Intelligence Response Team.
The police assures that the suspects will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.
She explained that the operation targeted criminal hideouts in forest areas around Awi, Kaiama, Patigi, and Babanla, where the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, during an operational visit to Kaiama, commended officers of the command and the Intelligence Response Team for what he described as a successful operation against forest-based criminal gangs.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday 6, at Eha-Amufu and Umuhu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, Enugu State, arrested a suspected notorious Eastern Security Network (ESN) commander, Sabastine Odo Odam, and Ejike Daniel, a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Security sources revealed that the arrest followed months of sustained intelligence gathering on activities of the suspects.
The arrests came on the heels of series of violent attacks on police stations and killings between 2024 and 2026, all in Isi-Uzo LGA.
“Both men have confessed to being masterminds of a chain of attacks on police stations and carting away of weapons. The attacks include the February 26 killing of 11 labourers, and that of five policeman between December 24, 2025 and January 26, 2026.
“The arrests represent a major success for the DSS in the fight against insecurity in the southeast and country at large,” remarked the source.
Residents of Isi-Uzo LGA expressed excitement as news of the arrests filtered in. Many noted that the arrests will restore some peace to the affected communities.
Both suspects are currently in the custody of the DSS and awaiting arraignment in court, the source added.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari of a 23-count charge alleging non-declaration of assets, brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, March 5, 2026, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt against Kyari and his co-defendants, including his two brothers.
The judge held that the NDLEA did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that the disputed properties allegedly linked to Kyari belonged to him or that he failed to declare them. He described aspects of the case as unsubstantiated and lacking credible proof.
This acquittal pertains specifically to the asset declaration and related allegations. Kyari continues to face separate ongoing charges, including those related to drug trafficking matters.
Kyari, once celebrated as a top police investigator, has been suspended amid multiple legal battles. The ruling marks a significant development in one of his high-profile cases.
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