Crime
Village Head, 49 Others Kidnapped In Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State
Suspected armed bandits have attacked and kidnapped the village head of Fugge community in the Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State, Mallam Abdullahi Zaure and 49 others.
An eyewitness in the community said most of those abducted during the last Friday attack were women, and children, while few of them were males, while castles were also rustled.
It was gathered that the terrorists invaded the village on several motorcycles and started shooting into the air to scare the villagers in broad daylight, while efforts to contact the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun proved abortive as his phone line didn’t go through.
In a text forwarded to him, Abiodun promised to make enquiries and provide details. The police spokesman however failed to do so as of the time of filing this report.
Gunmen have been wreaking havoc on Niger and other states in the North-West and North-Central regions despite the efforts of security agencies and the Federal Government to tackle the menace.
Abductions for ransom and intercommunal attacks have been on the rise again in the last few weeks after a brief calm period during February and March elections for the presidency and governorship posts.
Just last week, nine people, including a local chief, in Idon Gida community in nearby Kajuru district of Kaduna State, according to local sources.
Bandits burst into the Christian village around 8pm, taking away seven women and two men, residents said.
Mass kidnappings and bandit gangs in the northwest are just one of several security challenges facing president-elect Bola Tinubu when he takes the helm of Africa’s most populous nation later this month.
Nigeria’s military is also battling a grinding jihadist conflict in the northeast that has killed 40,000 since 2009 as well as simmering separatist tensions in the southeast of the country, where gunmen often target police.
Crime
Ebonyi: Gunmen Assasinate Another Traditional Ruler
The latest incident brings to five the number of traditional rulers killed in Ebonyi in recent times, deepening concerns over rising insecurity and targeted attacks on community leaders.
• Ebonyi map
Gunmen have assassinated another traditional ruler in Ebonyi State, in what residents describe as a brazen and targeted attacks.
The victim, HRH Eze Jehoshaphat Ikegwu of Ishinkwor community in Onicha Local Government Area, was reportedly shot dead at his private residence after the assailants gained access under the cover of darkness.
Eyewitnesses said that the attackers fired through a window before forcing their way into the building, and killed the monarch in his bedroom in the presence of his wife.
The Chairman of Onicha LGA, Ikechukwu Ogbofia, has condemned the killing as barbaric, confirming that security agencies have launched an investigation.
Police spokesman, SP Joshua Ukandu, also said that the command has commenced a full probe.
The latest incident brings to five the number of traditional rulers killed in Ebonyi in recent times, deepening concerns over rising insecurity and targeted attacks on community leaders.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received a detailed briefing on the recent deadly attack in Jos, Plateau State, and approved additional security measures to restore lasting peace in the affected areas.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State disclosed this after meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.
The governor described the Palm Sunday attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, which claimed over a dozen lives and left many injured, as “an act of terrorism.”
He said security forces have since restored calm following fresh disturbances involving looters on Wednesday morning.
“Additional security measures have been approved by the President in conjunction with state security architecture, while investigations continue to unravel the identities and motives of the attackers, who are yet to be fully apprehended,” Governor Mutfwang stated.
The governor also revealed that President Tinubu may visit Plateau State soon to commiserate with victims and affected families.
The meeting followed President Tinubu’s earlier high-level session with top security and intelligence chiefs to review the situation and chart a coordinated response to the violence.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, on Wednesday arrived at the Federal High Court in Kaduna for the hearing of his bail application in an ongoing alleged corruption trial.
The court premises witnessed a heavy security presence, with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies deployed to maintain order and control access to the facility.
Movement around parts of the court complex is restricted, reflecting heightened public interest and sensitivity surrounding the case.
El-Rufai, who has been in custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), is facing multiple charges, including allegations bordering on money laundering, possession of public property, and related offences.
More details later…
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