The Kebbi State Government has rejected reports claiming that bandits attacked Maku-ku village in Sakaba Local Government Area, labeling the news as false and misleading.
The claim, which was broadcast by a local FM radio station in Birnin Kebbi, suggested that several people were killed in the alleged attack.
The state’s denial of the alleged bandit attack on Maku-ku village is part of an ongoing effort to combat such misinformation, reassure residents, and maintain calm as security agencies continue their operations.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Kebbi State Governor, Ahmed Idris, clarified that the incident actually took place in Rijau, a community in neighbouring Niger State, not in Kebbi.
He emphasised that no such attack occurred within Kebbi State.
Idris said, “There was no such incident in Kebbi. The report is misleading and capable of causing unnecessary panic.”
He further stated that the military base established in Sakaba by the state government had strengthened security in the area.
Idris urged residents to disregard the report and go about their normal activities, reaffirming that security agencies were fully supported to maintain peace across the state.
Security operatives attempting to board a flight with over $6.1 million in cash were intercepted and arrested on Saturday at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 in Lagos.
The suspects, whose exact number was not disclosed, were reportedly caught during routine checks while trying to board an Aero Contractors flight.
Sources who pleaded anonymity to prevent official sanctions at the airport because they were not empowered to speak on the matter, confirm that the passengers were found with multiple boxes loaded with undeclared U.S dollars.
PUNCH Online gathered that the personnel had initially passed through airport security units before they were apprehended at the foot of the aircraft after Aero Contractors security noticed the heavy luggage.
The matter was then escalated and was reported to Aviation Security, who later handed it over to the Department of State Services.
A senior FAAN official who spoke under the condition of anonymity said the DSS later transferred the suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, where they are currently being held for further investigation.
Another airport source told The PUNCH that the suspects had claimed to be security agents escorting a suspect and exhibits, but failed to declare the cash or follow due procedures for transporting suspects on commercial flights.
Meanwhile, the source said this claim may have helped the suspects bypass the initial security screening. However, their activities raised suspicion at the boarding gate when AVSEC officers noticed the oversized boxes.
Speaking with our correspondent over the phone, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, confirmed the incident, saying his airline’s security team grew suspicious after the individuals refused to check in their heavy bags.
Sanusi explained that the bags contained money, and when asked if it had been declared, the suspects said no.
He explained, “What happened was that our security noticed some passengers trying to board our aircraft with bags that were quite heavy. Our security team advised them to check the bags in, as they could not be carried into the cabin.
They refused to check the bags, and later they said it was money. When asked if the money had been declared, they said no. At that point, our security personnel discovered that the individuals were either police officers or some form of security agents, who claimed they were escorting a suspect along with exhibits. That was why they resisted checking in the bags.
“We then informed them that if they were transporting a suspect, they were required to notify us in advance. There are standard procedures for moving suspects; we don’t mix them with regular passengers. There are boarding, deboarding, and in-flight protocols that must be followed in such cases. Since they failed to follow these procedures, they were not allowed to board, and they eventually left.”
Repeated calls and messages to the spokesperson of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Henry Agbebire, and the Director of Aviation Security, Igbafe Afegbai, were unsuccessful, as they neither replied to the messages nor picked up their calls.
The same for the Head of Corporate Communications, Ajoke Yinka-Olawuyi, of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of the MM2.
A tragic clash between soldiers and operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Bauchi State has led to the death of a police operative, Constable Ukasha Muhammed.
The Bauchi State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, SP Ahmed Wakil.
According to the statement, the confrontation occurred on October 10, 2025, in the Bayan Gari area of Bauchi metropolis.
Wakil explained that the command received a distress report concerning a serious altercation involving a patrol team led by Inspector Hussaini Samaila during a routine operation.
“The patrol team encountered an assault on one of its members, Constable Ukasha Muhammed (F/No 533164), by two individuals in front of Padimo Hotel. The remaining members of the team responded swiftly, resulting in the apprehension of one suspect while the other escaped,” the statement read.
The apprehended suspect was later identified as Private Usman Mubarak (23NA/84/5346), a soldier attached to the Joint Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, in Jos, Plateau State.
Wakil further revealed that the situation escalated when two other soldiers — Private Yakubu Yahuza (23NA/85/10185) and Private Godspower Gabriel (23NA/84/5654) — arrived at the scene armed and partially dressed in military uniforms.
“They approached the team and fatally shot Constable Ukasha Muhammed in the left chest before fleeing the vicinity,” Wakil said.
The injured officer was immediately rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel. His remains have since been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary.
The police spokesperson added that the command has taken the detained soldiers into custody and launched a full-scale homicide investigation.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has constituted a team of seasoned homicide detectives to conduct a professional, diligent, and timely investigation aimed at ensuring that justice is served,” Wakil stated.
He also called for calm among officers and men of the command while urging restraint pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Commissioner of Police extended his condolences to the family of the deceased officer, praying for the repose of his soul.
“May his soul rest in peace, and may Aljannatul Firdausi be his final abode. May Almighty Allah grant his family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” the statement concluded.
The Federal Road Safety Corps has alerted motorists plying the Onitsha-Owerri Road to be wary of a gully erosion that has eaten up the entire lane of the Ozubulu end, Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra State, axis of the ever-busy road.
It was gathered that the erosion, which started near the Sea Horse section of the road some months ago, has totally collapsed one lane of the road following the heavy rainfall recorded in the area on Tuesday, thereby posing danger to motorists.
A video circulating on social media showed the road totally taken over by the gully erosion, with the voice-over in the video calling the attention of motorists to be careful while driving on the road, especially at night.
However, reacting to the development in a press statement released on Saturday, the Sector Public Education Officer, FRSC Anambra State Command, Margaret Onabe, urged the motoring public to drive cautiously on the road.
Onabe said the road alert became necessary to ensure the safety of road users and prevent crashes while emphasising FRSC’s commitment to safety on the road.
According to her, the FRSC team, including the federal controller, the chairman of Ekwusigo LGA and a construction company, had visited the site to ensure safety and smooth flow of traffic.
She urged motorists to cooperate with safety officers and drive cautiously by following the laid-down guidelines, especially at the erosion site, adding that the construction company is helping to adjust barricades to prevent accidents.
The statement read in part, “The Federal Road Safety Corps RS5.36 Oraifite Unit Command has responded quickly to a distress call regarding the worsening condition of the erosion site in Ozubulu.
“Following directives from the Sector Commander, the Unit Commander and her team took immediate action to alert road users and key stakeholders.
“As of the time of this report, the FRSC team, in collaboration with Tamaic Construction Company Ozubulu, the Chairman, Ekwusigo LGA, and his team, are on-site to ensure safety and facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.
“The construction company is helping to adjust barricades to prevent further accidents.
“The Federal Comptroller of Works, Dr Emeka Okpara, is also present with his field office team to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
“The state Sector Commander, Bridget Asekhaauno, emphasised the Command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of road users and preventing crashes.
“We appreciate the collaborative efforts of Tamaic Construction Company Ozubulu, the Ekwusigo Mayor and his team, as well as the Federal Comptroller of Works, for their prompt response to this emergency. We will continue to monitor the situation and work towards finding a lasting solution to this erosion issue.
“The motoring public is urged to pay attention to the ongoing road development. They should cooperate with safety officers and drive cautiously, especially at the erosion site. Following these guidelines is essential for everyone’s safety.”
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, on October 9 2025, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to addressing erosion and flooding challenges affecting vulnerable communities across the state.
He pledged to intensify intervention efforts, particularly in flood-prone areas such as Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area, where residents continue to face severe environmental risks.
Soludo underscored the importance of comprehensive drainage and erosion control systems to safeguard lives, farmlands, and infrastructure from further damage. He noted that his administration remains focused on implementing practical, long-term solutions while collaborating with the Federal Government and development partners to scale up erosion mitigation projects across Anambra.
The Kano State Fire Service has confirmed the death of two children who drowned on Thursday while swimming in a stream at Hayin Yawa Gada in the Tudun Wada Local Government Area of the state.
Similarly, the agency also confirmed the death of a man whose body was discovered in a well at Jaba Masaka Shago Tara.
The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Saminu Abdullahi, disclosed the incidents in a statement made available to our correspondent on Saturday.
“On Thursday, 09th October 2025, the Emergency Response Unit of the Tudun Wada Fire Service received a call for emergency assistance from CG Hisba reporting an incident at Hayin Yawa Gada in Tudun Wada LGA at about 14:00 hrs.
“Our men from Tudun Wada attended the scene of incident and on arrival they found two children, by names Habu Sani and Haruna Isah, all about 15 years old, who had entered into a stream passing through a major road that crossed the main road bridge,” it read.
According to Abdullahi, the children drowned “in the water way with the intention of local swimming.
“Our men successfully rescued them unconscious and later confirmed dead and men handed over the victims to Inspector Usaini Iliya of Tudun Wada police division.”
He further explained that another tragedy occurred the following morning.
He said, “The second incident occurred on Thursday, 10th October 2025, at about 08:15 am, when the central control room received an emergency call from P & G Kwalli police division reporting the discovery of a human body in a well at Jaba Masaka Shago Tara.
“Our men from the state headquarters were mobilised to the scene of the incident, on arrival they successfully removed the victim from the well. The victim was handed over to the Ward Head of the area, Ado Idris.”
Abdullahi appealed to parents and communities to be vigilant.
He, therefore, appealed to parents and the community to prevent children from going near puddles and any place where water collects.
In a similar tragedy, a 17-year-old boy, Lurwanu Suleiman, in July, drowned in open water in Dandalama village, located in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State.
As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child, a non-governmental organisation, the Gender Educators Initiative (GEI), has called on the Federal Government to prioritise the creation of safe spaces for girls living in conflict-affected and crisis-prone communities across Nigeria.
The Executive Director of GEI, Shafa’atu Suleiman, made the call on Friday during a sensitisation programme on menstrual hygiene for female students in private schools across Sokoto State, held in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2025
Suleiman expressed concern that insecurity, displacement, and poverty have continued to expose young girls — particularly in northern Nigeria — to violence, abuse, and early marriage.
“Thousands of girls across northern Nigeria are growing up amid crises — from insurgency to banditry and forced displacement. “Many have lost access to education, healthcare, and the basic sense of safety every child deserves. It is therefore imperative that government, development partners, and community leaders act urgently to protect and empower them,” she said.
She explained that establishing safe spaces within internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and vulnerable communities would provide psychosocial support, ensure continuity of education, and offer mentorship for affected girls.
“When girls are safe, educated, and empowered, entire communities benefit. Investing in girls is investing in peace and progress,” Suleiman added.
The GEI boss also urged the Ministries of Women Affairs, Education, and Humanitarian Affairs to collaborate with civil society organisations to design gender-sensitive interventions tailored to the needs of girls in crisis zones.
As part of activities marking the day, GEI organised a menstrual hygiene awareness campaign to educate young girls on how to manage their health during their menstrual periods.
Speaking at Sahaba Academy in Sokoto, the school’s Principal, Mrs Ana, commended GEI for its efforts, while the Proprietor, Ahmed S. Fada, called on the government to give more attention to girls’ education and provide adequate facilities for their comfort and health in schools.
Also speaking, GEI’s Programme Officer, Linda Idoko, encouraged girls to take pride in their womanhood and prioritise their health.
“Being a woman is an amazing thing. Our organisation uses this opportunity to educate the girl child on the importance of menstrual hygiene and how to choose safe products to stay healthy and protected,” she said.
This year’s International Day of the Girl Child, themed “The Girl That I Am, The Change I Lead,” underscores the importance of empowering girls to lead change within their communities.
Reaffirming GEI’s commitment to advancing gender equality, Suleiman stressed that no girl should be left behind due to where she was born or the crises surrounding her.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kano State Command, on Friday, handed over an Indian Hemp dealer with two other suspects to the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Kano.
The suspects were arrested in Doguwa Local Government Area of the State.
The NSCDC State Commandant, Bala Bodinga, stated this while addressing newsmen at the headquarters of the command shortly after handing over the suspects.
He said the suspects were apprehended on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at Riruwai gate by the operatives of the corps in Doguwa division following a tip-off.
“You are invited here today to brief you on the recent milestone achieved by the Corps in its persistent efforts to rid Kano of criminally minded elements.
“On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at about 02030hrs, operatives of the NSCDC, Doguwa division acting on credible intelligence, intercepted on a motorbike and apprehended a notorious Indian Hemp (Wiwi) dealer, Yusuf Alasan, 25 years.
“The suspect, a resident of Doguwa town, was arrested along with two other adults, Muktar Musa and Musa Sani, carrying three sacks (sugar size sacks) filled with marijuana, transporting it from Doguwa town to Kafau, Doguwa local government area of Kano State,” he said.
Bodinga said preliminary investigations have been concluded by the corps, and in the spirit of synergy and collaboration, “we are handing over the suspected drug dealer, as well as the other two suspects, along with the exhibits to the NDLEA, Kano State command for further investigations and necessary legal action.
He reiterated the commitment of the command to continue to collaborate with all the sister security agencies in the state to decimate the evil intentions of criminals wherever they might be in Kano state.
On August 6, 2025, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Kano State Command, arrested two suspected criminals found to be involved in drug dealing and burglary in Kano.
The arrest was confirmed in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Abdullahi.
“The NSCDC operatives have recorded another breakthrough in the fight against crime, following the arrest of two suspected criminals in separate operations,” he said.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has revealed that the armed robbery gang responsible for the killing of ARISE News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, sourced their weapons from a supplier in the Niger Republic.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement on Friday while announcing the arrest of 12 suspects linked to the September 29, 2025, robbery and murder at Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Abuja, where Maduagwu and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, lost their lives.
Adeh said preliminary investigations showed that the syndicate procured its firearms — including a locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, a pump-action gun, and a pistol — from an arms dealer operating across the Nigeria–Niger border.
“All the suspects are from Kaduna and Katsina States and have confessed to obtaining their weapons from a yet-to-be-identified supplier in the Niger Republic,” Adeh said.
The police listed the arrested suspects as Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah (22), Abubakar Alkamu (27), Sani Sirajo (20), Mashkur Jamilu (28), Suleiman Badamasi (21), Abdulsalam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad (23), Musa Adamu (30), Sumayya Mohammed (27), Isah Abdulrahman (25), and Musa Umar (31).
Adeh said the suspects confessed to carrying out operations at Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo and Zuba, before the robbery that claimed the lives of Arise News anchor and the security guard.
“They have also confessed to participating in other armed robbery operations at Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and another in Zuba, all within the FCT, ” the statement added.
Adeh said further investigations confirmed that Hassan Shamsudeen fired the shot that killed the security guard during the attack.
“Further investigations confirmed that the fatal shot which claimed the life of the security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, was fired by one of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan,” she said.
Explaining how the operation to apprehend the suspects was carried out, Adeh said the Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, deployed a special investigation team led by DCP Aliyu Abubakar and assisted by ACP Victor Godfrey to track down and dismantle the network following the murder.
“Following the tragic incident, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ajao S. Adewale psc. mnips., established a Special Investigation Team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Aliyu Abubakar, and assisted by the Commander, Scorpion Squad, ACP Victor Godfrey, with a clear mandate to track down and dismantle the criminal network behind the attack. Leveraging digital reconstructive intelligence and conducting coordinated operations across the FCT, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States, the team successfully apprehended the suspects,” she said.
The police urged residents to remain alert and report suspicious movements through its emergency lines.
Nigeria has long struggled with the influx of illicit small arms and light weapons from neighbouring countries, especially Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
In 2016, the United Nations raised concern over the widespread proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons in Nigeria, estimating that about 350 million of the 500 million such weapons circulating in West Africa were concentrated within the country.
The figure is about 70 per cent of the regional total.
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has petitioned the Lagos State Police Command over alleged intimidation and threats to life by the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state, Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego.
The petition, dated October 8, 2025, and signed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, was addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command. It accused Adekunle and other members of the union of issuing violent threats against political opponents ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the petition, a viral video recorded on September 25, 2025, allegedly showed Adekunle warning Lagos residents against supporting any political candidate opposed to President Bola Tinubu in the next election.
Sego is heard issuing menacing statements, in a mix of Yoruba and English, interpreted as threats against opposition and dissenters. The lawyers described these statements as “chilling” and capable of inciting violence or panic.
PUNCH Online reports that before the petition, Sego had publicly denied that he made any inciting remarks, stating that he also complied with a summons from the Department of State Services.
Sego also insisted that his comments were misconstrued and not intended to threaten anyone politically.
Effiong, writing on behalf of Rhodes-Vivour and the Lagos leadership of the ADC on Wednesday, described Adekunle’s remarks as “chilling” and capable of inciting violence, noting that the conduct amounted to “criminal intimidation and a threat to life.”
Rhodes-Vivour, who was the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 election, is expected to contest again in 2027 under the ADC.
Reacting to the development in a post on his X page on Wednesday, Rhodes-Vivour said the petition was filed to put on record that his party had chosen lawful means to resist intimidation.
“Earlier today, the ADC submitted our petition to the police against Mustapha Adekunle of the NURTW. We did this for public record, so that in future it will not be said that we did not pursue civilised recourse to their aggression and intimidation,” he wrote.
He accused the All Progressives Congress-led administration in Lagos of using state-backed gangs to suppress opposition voices.
“For over twenty-four years, the President and his Lagos APC allies have controlled this state. After more than two decades in power, they have no credible record of achievement to run on.
“Violence is the last refuge of incompetence. We are the many and they are the few. In due course, Nigerians will demonstrate that we are not cowards,” he added.
World leaders on Thursday welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas, which could help end the two-year war in Gaza.
Palestinian Territories
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said he hoped that the deal “would be a prelude to reaching a permanent political solution”, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
United Nations
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for all hostages to be released “in a dignified manner” and for a permanent ceasefire to be secured.
“The fighting must stop once and for all,” he said, urging the immediate, unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
World Health Organisation
The Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus called the announcement a “big step towards lasting peace”.
The WHO “stands ready to scale up its work to meet the dire health needs of patients across Gaza, and to support rehabilitation of the destroyed health system”, he added.
“The best medicine is peace,” he said.
Egypt
The foreign ministry called the deal after indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh “a pivotal moment in the war in Gaza”.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia said it hoped the deal would “lead to urgent action to alleviate the humanitarian suffering… achieve a full Israeli withdrawal, restore security and stability, and initiate practical steps to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution”.
Turkey
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan singled out his US counterpart Donald Trump for praise, thanking him for demonstrating “the necessary political will to encourage the Israeli government toward the ceasefire”.
European Union
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and the head of the European Council, Antonio Costa, both praised the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey and called it an opportunity for lasting peace.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the deal “a significant breakthrough”.
Among European leaders, Trump ally Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy called it “extraordinary news”, while French President Emmanuel Macron said he hoped it would pave the way for a “political solution”.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the developments were “encouraging” and he was “confident” of a solution this week.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, said the civilian population should now be supported and “the atrocities experienced… never repeated”.
Ireland, which has also strongly criticised Israel’s military response, said the deal, “if grasped by all, can finally end the unconscionable human suffering”.
“It can stop the dreadful bombing, silence the guns, end the famine and genocide, and allow a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” deputy prime minister Simon Harris said.
UK
Prime Minister Keir Starmer praised the “tireless” diplomatic efforts of mediating countries and called the deal a “crucial first step”.
“This agreement must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza,” he added.
China
Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing hoped for a “permanent and comprehensive” ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, adding: “China advocates adhering to the principle that ‘Palestinians should govern Palestine’.”
