Category: Crime

The Anambra State Police Command has appealed to members of the public for information that could help rescue a 3-year-old boy, who was allegedly stolen by an unidentified woman in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area.

In a statement on Monday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the child, identified as Chimaobi Nwadike was stolen while in the custody of his mother.

The statement read, “The Anambra State Police Command seeks assistance from members of the public, especially residents of Anambra State, regarding a case of child stealing that occurred on 26th September 2025 at Obosi, Idemili North LGA.

“Preliminary information reveals that the victim, Master Chimaobi Nwadike, a 3-year-old boy, was stolen by an unidentified woman while in the custody of his mother.

“The Command is calling on anyone with useful information on the whereabouts of the child or the suspect to kindly report to the nearest Police Station or call the Command’s emergency numbers.”

In related incident last week, the Command has arrested one Okwuchukwu Ezimuo, male, aged 45 years, for allegedly stabbing his relative to death over a family land dispute in Umunocha Village, Awka-Etiti, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.

The suspect struck the deceased, identified as Joseph Dike, a 65-year-old, on the chest during a quarrel over the land dispute on Monday evening, said the Command.

The Borno Police Command have confirmed the arrest of two Internally Displaced Persons for allegedly beating a 72-year-old man to death in Ngala Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Nahun Daso, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri on Monday, that the incident occurred at the ‘ISS IDP camp’ in Ngala on Saturday.

He said that the suspects, identified as Modu Mohammed, 25, and Annami Modu, 32, conspired and attacked the victim, Abba Mustapha, with sticks over allegations of witchcraft.

“The suspects accused the victim of bewitching the wife of one of them and causing her ill health.

“They beat him up in his house at the camp,” the spokesman said.

He added that policemen at the camp rescued the victim and rushed him to the General Hospital in Ngala, where he was confirmed dead by medical personnel.

According to him, the suspects were arrested at the scene, and the police have also recovered some exhibits.

Daso said the corpse of the deceased was released to his family for burial in line with Islamic rites after an autopsy.

He said the Criminal Investigation Department, Maiduguri, had begun an investigation into the matter.

PUNCH Online had reported that Zulum’s administration had resettled 6,000 displaced families in Dikwa and Mafa Local Government Areas.

He made this known during a visit to the Muna IDP camp in Maiduguri, which shelters over 11,000 families and remains one of the largest in the state.

Nigeria continues to grapple with the humanitarian fallout of insurgency in the North-East, where millions have been displaced from their homes.

Borno State, the epicentre of the conflict, hosts some of the largest camps for internally displaced persons.

The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed that a commuter bus belonging to Big Joe Ventures Ltd was attacked on Friday, and all twelve occupants were abducted.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya, revealed that the police, in collaboration with the military, managed to rescue eight of the victims, while efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining four still held by the kidnappers.

A statement issued by the command late on Friday evening in response to an enquiry confirmed the abduction but noted that about eight of the victims were rescued, with the police and army searching for the remaining four.

The statement reads, “Kidnappers attacked a Big Joe Ventures Ltd Toyota Hiace commuter bus (Edo FUG 13 XY) along Okene–Auchi road. During the incident, the kidnappers abducted all 12 passengers commuting from Abuja to Benin in Edo State.”

He said that subsequently, the DPO Okene Division, CSP Nasir Muhammad, immediately mobilised police personnel in conjunction with the military and vigilantes in pursuit of the kidnappers.

He added, “In the process, eight victims, including the driver, were rescued, while efforts are still underway to rescue the remaining four victims and possibly arrest the perpetrators.”

On September 12, 2025, PUNCH Online reported that troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, in conjunction with Hybrid Forces and local vigilantes, rescued 17 kidnapped victims, including 13 adults and four children.

This was contained in a statement issued by the acting assistant director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi.

(https://punchng.com/troops-rescue-17-kidnap-victims-in-kogi/#google_vignette)

The Kwara State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, has intercepted a vehicle transporting 127 bags of suspected cannabis concealed under tubers of yam.

The interception took place on Friday, around 4pm along the Babanla–Oreke–Oke-Ode axis during a joint operation involving the police, operatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Forest Security Service, and local vigilantes.

Two suspects, Dan-Teni Haruna and Rabiu Ibrahim, both from Saliku in Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, were arrested in connection with the cannabis smuggling.

According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, cannabis remains the most abused illicit drug in Nigeria, with seizures running into thousands of tonnes annually.

In a related breakthrough, three men identified as Mohammed Abubakar and Hussain, both from Tsaragi, and Tukur Ibrahim, a suspected notorious kidnapper, were also arrested for their roles in the invasion of Babanla.

On 8 August 2025, gunmen attacked Babanla, targeting a police station, looting shops, and causing fatalities.

Confirming the development in a statement on Saturday, the spokesperson of the command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, quoted the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, as commending the synergy that led to the arrests.

“This success is a result of effective collaboration between the police, the NSA operatives, the Nigeria Forest Security Service, and local vigilante groups,” Ojo said.

He vowed that criminal activities would not be tolerated in the state.

“We are determined to maintain security across Kwara. Let it be known that Kwara State will not be a safe haven for criminal elements,” the CP warned.

Ejire-Adeyemi added that the suspects are currently undergoing discreet investigation and will be arraigned in court upon conclusion of the process.

The Edo State Special Security Squad has dismantled five suspected kidnappers’ camps in Edo North Senatorial District following a major bush-combing operation in the Ekeke Erah Forest, Owan East Local Government Area.

In a statement by Governor Monday Okpebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Monday Itua, the operation, carried out on Thursday and Friday, was coordinated by the Governor’s Principal Security Officer in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, local vigilantes, and other security agencies.

Operatives reportedly trekked nearly five kilometres deep into the forest between Afuze and Ora, where the camps were uncovered and destroyed.

A member of the squad, Eribo Ewanta, said after the six-hour exercise that evidence confirmed the camps were still in active use.

“We discovered five camps with clear indications that their occupants had only just fled. We found fire still burning and a pot of food left on the fire. This confirms the presence of suspected kidnappers in the area,” Ewanta said.

He explained that the operation escalated into an exchange of gunfire at a riverbank, as suspected kidnappers, apparently alerted to the presence of security personnel, attempted to evade capture. He also noted evidence of cattle grazing in the forest, raising suspicion that the hideouts may have been linked to armed herdsmen.

“We engaged the suspects in a serious gun duel, but they escaped deeper into the forest. Nevertheless, we are on their trail. Their camps have been dismantled and destroyed. Edo State will no longer provide a haven for criminal elements,” he declared.

Ewanta assured residents that the exercise was part of ongoing efforts to flush out kidnappers and violent groups from the state.

“We are battle-ready. The directive of the Governor is clear: Edo must be free of criminal elements. We will pursue them relentlessly until they are apprehended.”

He also commended Governor Okpebholo for his commitment to fortifying security, noting that the administration’s coordinated strategy is restoring public confidence and sending a clear message to criminal gangs.

The clampdown comes against the backdrop of persistent insecurity in Edo and neighbouring states. Kidnapping and cult-related violence have remained major threats, particularly along the Benin-Auchi axis.

In September, police rescued 16 abducted travellers along the highway, while earlier this year the ESSC arrested 18 suspected kidnappers and armed robbers near an army checkpoint along the same route. https://punchng.com/edo-security-outfit-arrests-18-suspected-kidnappers/ https://punchng.com/kidnappers-abduct-travellers-in-edo-police-rescue-16/

Since assuming office in 2024, Okpebholo has prioritised security by launching the Edo State Special Security Squad, codenamed Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers.

The outfit has since led raids on criminal hideouts, arrested suspects, demolished buildings used by cultists or kidnappers, and targeted the heads of cult groups to weaken their networks.

Kidnapping and cult-related violence have remained persistent security threats in Edo and neighbouring states in recent years.

In spite of vehicular and human restrictions on Mapo Hall, venue of the installation of Senator Rasidi Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadan, hundreds of vendors beat security to display their wares around the vicinity of the event.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that petty traders, as early as 6.30a.m., arrived at the venue to beat security agents to display their goods.

Some petty traders invested in printing pictures of the new Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, on T-shirts, key holders, calendars, wrist bands, and large frames to make quick profits from the teeming crowd that wished to be identified with the celebration.

Also, food vendors, snacks, and soft drinks sellers who secured spots close to the venue were seen making brisk sales in the carnival-like atmosphere of Mapo Hall.

A food vendor, Mrs Idiat Adeyemo, said that she had been cooking continuously since early hours of the day due to demand for different kinds of food by people.

A soft drink vendor, Miss Grace Emmanuel, said that she increased the price of her drinks a little above the normal price because she sourced ice blocks to make the drinks cold for customers.

“I need to add the extra cost of an ice block to make a little profit, “she said

Another group of people who made quick money at the event were traditional drummers, who stood guard outside, singing praises of dignitaries entering the venue for some token.

NAN reports that Ladoja, who turned 81 on Thursday, emerged as Olubadan from the civil line of the Chieftaincy line.

Before his nomination to the throne, he was the Otun Olubadan and ascended to the Olubadan position after the demise of his predecessor, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, on July 7.