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333 Katsina schoolboys still missing, says Governor Masari as parents protest
Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has said 333 students are still missing after an attack on Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in the state.
He gave the number when a Federal Government delegation led by National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, visited him on Sunday.
Gunmen had invaded the school on Friday night, shooting into the air to scare away people in the area, giving them the opportunity to abduct many students.
Some people including parents of the abducted students took to protest on Sunday over the abduction and demanded immediate rescue of their children.
This came as Northern Governors Forum (NGF) condemned the Saturday’s attack by bandits on the school, describing the development as “unfortunate, regrettable and intolerable”.
The school is said to have a population of around 800 students. The police said when the gunmen attacked the school; some of the students scaled the fence to escape.
Spokesman for the Katsina Police Command, Isah Gambo, had earlier said 200 students were rescued as of Saturday morning.
On Saturday evening, Spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, said the armed forces had located the hideout of the bandits in a forest.
The president directed the security agencies to ensure the rescue of the abducted students and urged parents whose children fled home during the attack to notify the school.
The protesters in Katsina on Sunday demanded the immediate rescue of students abducted by bandits.
The protest was led by a woman who identified herself as one of the mothers of the abducted students.
They went around the school’s premises and some parts of the town with placards showing messages such as ‘Government must speak out’, ‘We want our children back’ and ‘We want security in Kankara’.
The Northern Governors Forum also condemned the attack and said through their Chairman and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, in a statement signed by his Director of Press, Dr Simon Macham, that they remained solidly behind the security agencies in the pursuit of the bandits to ensure that normalcy was restored and the abducted students rescued.
They appreciated the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to the security forces to deploy every available resource needed to deal with the situation.
They also expressed solidarity with the Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari, the government and people of the state and urged that everything possible should be done to ensure that no student was left behind in the bandits’ captivity or harmed
Lalong said the prayers of the forum were with the families of the students, the school authorities and called on the citizens to volunteer useful information to the security agencies and relevant government bodies to assist in the quick arrest of the situation.
Coalition of Northern Groups had earlier threatened to mobilise students and youths to go on protest in if the abducted students were not rescued on time.
Chairman of the North-West zone of the group, Jamiu Aliyu, who addressed a press conference in Katsina, said, “We condemn in totality this barbaric act and call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the culprits, we equally stress the inability of the government to protect those young, innocent, vibrant students from this horrible attack as uncalled for.
“Failure of the government to rescue the missing students within a shortest period of time, CNG will not hesitate to mobilize hundreds of thousands on the streets of Katsina state for a continuous protest, until the students are fully rescued, even if it’s going to cost our lives.”
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the deployment of additional forces to Katsina to assist in the rescue operations.
“The deployment, which includes personnel from the Police Tactical Squads and crack detectives from the Force Intelligence Bureau, will provide investigative support to the Katsina State Police Command,” a statement by the Police spokesman, Frank Mba, said.
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Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class
Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class
A 38-year-old woman, Yamini Krishna Lal Yadav, has died in Nagpur, India, after her husband allegedly assaulted her during an argument over cooking and her decision to attend a dance class.
The woman’s husband, Krishna Lal Yadav, 41, has been arrested and booked in connection with her death after a post-mortem examination reportedly revealed serious internal injuries.
The incident occurred in the Mankapur area of Nagpur, Maharashtra, where the couple lived with their two young children.
According to reports, Krishna returned home from work and asked his wife to prepare food for him and the children. Yamini, however, was reportedly preparing to attend a dance class within their housing society and declined to cook at the time.
The disagreement allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation. Police said the husband was reportedly under the influence of alcohol when he allegedly assaulted Yamini around her neck and abdomen. The incident reportedly occurred in the presence of their children.
After the alleged assault, Yamini complained of severe pain in her neck and abdomen and reportedly asked her husband to get painkillers. He allegedly went to a nearby medical shop but returned after finding it closed.
Her condition later deteriorated, with her abdomen reportedly becoming swollen. She was subsequently taken to a private hospital in the area for treatment but died while receiving medical attention.
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The case initially appeared to be an accidental death, prompting police to send her body for a post-mortem examination.
However, the examination reportedly revealed a fractured neck bone and severe internal injuries, including serious damage to the intestines. Reports also indicated injuries consistent with strangulation and abdominal trauma, prompting investigators to reconsider the circumstances surrounding her death.
Following the post-mortem findings, police questioned Krishna and subsequently arrested him. A murder case was registered against him as investigations continued.
Yamini’s brother reportedly said the family was aware that the couple had experienced disagreements in the past. He said Yamini had occasionally spoken about problems in the marriage but had asked relatives not to intervene because she feared their involvement could worsen the situation.
The family initially believed Yamini had died following a medical emergency and was reportedly shocked when the post-mortem examination revealed evidence of significant physical injuries.
Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Nagpur woman, while the accused remains in custody over the allegations.
The case has renewed concerns about domestic violence, particularly the need for victims experiencing abuse to have access to timely support and protection.
Woman dies after husband allegedly assaults her over cooking, dance class
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NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case
NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs breaks its silence on the former governor’s legal ordeal, citing “serious concerns” over possible sectarian agenda in the multiple prosecutions keeping El-Rufai in the spotlight.
ABUJA – The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has raised the alarm over what it described as “an extraneous involvement of an underlying religious bias” in the ongoing prosecutions of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The Islamic body, which had deliberately stayed out of the controversy until now, said recent developments had forced it to break its silence on the matter. In a statement signed by its Secretary-General and immediate-past Registrar of JAMB, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the NSCIA explained that its earlier restraint was based on its belief that El-Rufai’s prosecution, like those involving other political figures, was a standard judicial process and that the judiciary had the inherent capacity to uphold justice. However, the council said recent developments in the public domain had raised serious concerns that strongly suggested religious considerations might be creeping into a process that should be determined solely by law and evidence.
The NSCIA called on the Federal Government and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests were strictly prevented from weaponising public institutions or the legal system to pursue what it described as a sectarian agenda against El-Rufai. “Consequently, the Council calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Judiciary to ensure that individuals with vested religious interests are strictly prevented from weaponizing public institutions or the legal system to execute a sectarian agenda against him,” the statement read. The council stressed that its position was anchored on the Islamic principle of justice and fairness, regardless of political, religious or personal considerations, and clarified that its intervention was not intended to interfere with the judicial process but to emphasise the need for justice to be administered without religious or sectarian considerations. The Islamic body also appealed to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in the nation. “Furthermore, the Council appeals to the general public to refrain from incendiary comments that could prejudice the fair trial of Mallam El-Rufai or exacerbate the security situation in our nation,” the statement read.
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The NSCIA‘s intervention comes against the backdrop of a protracted legal battle that has kept El-Rufai in the spotlight since February 2026. The former governor is facing multiple prosecutions by different agencies on charges bordering on alleged abuse of office, money laundering, breach of national security, and wiretapping. The council’s decision to speak out followed comments by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), who accused El-Rufai of planning killings in Southern Kaduna while he was governor between 2015 and 2023. Musa had described the situation in Kaduna during El-Rufai’s administration as “toxic”, adding that many residents of Southern Kaduna remained unhappy with the former governor over killings recorded in the area.
El-Rufai, through his family, rejected the allegation and demanded that the minister withdraw the claim, with his eldest son, Mohammed Bello El-Rufai, giving Musa seven days to provide evidence supporting the allegation or publicly retract it. The controversy generated by Musa’s remarks has further widened the debate surrounding El-Rufai’s legal battles, with the NSCIA‘s intervention effectively placing the prosecution within a wider debate over the alleged politicisation and religious manipulation of state institutions. The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has taken a sharply divergent position, backing the Defence Minister’s allegations and demanding an independent investigation into alleged killings and human rights abuses during El-Rufai’s administration, with possible prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The NSCIA’s intervention, which did not identify any individual or group it accused of pursuing a religious agenda, serves as a significant development in a case that has become a flashpoint for broader debates about judicial independence, political persecution, and religious neutrality in Nigeria’s legal system.
The council concluded its statement by praying for peace, stability and security in Nigeria. “May Almighty Allah grant peace, stability, and security to Nigeria,” it said.
NSCIA warns FG against weaponising state institutions in El-Rufai case
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Bandits abduct Kaduna lawmaker’s brother, kill three KADVS operatives
Bandits abduct Kaduna lawmaker’s brother, kill three KADVS operatives
Suspected bandits have abducted the younger brother of a Kaduna State lawmaker and killed three personnel of the Kaduna State Vigilance Service (KADVS) in separate attacks in Kubau Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents, which occurred within hours of each other, have heightened security concerns in Pambegua and surrounding communities, with the attacks taking place along the Zaria-Pambegua axis before the lawmaker’s brother was abducted from his residence.
The KADVS Public Relations Officer, Yunusa Ibrahim, confirmed the incidents in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Ibrahim identified the abducted victim as Sanusi, the younger brother of Shehu Pambegua, who represents Kubau Constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly.
According to the KADVS spokesman, the suspected attackers arrived at Sanusi’s residence in a Sharon vehicle at about 10pm on Monday and forcibly took him away.
The abduction came after three KADVS personnel were killed earlier in the day while carrying out a routine security operation in the area.
The deceased personnel were identified as Dallami Dantani, the Second-in-Command of KADVS in Kubau, Abdullahi Hamisu and Zakariyya Musa.
Ibrahim said the incident began when the vigilantes attempted to stop a red Volkswagen Golf Salon during a routine check, but the driver allegedly refused to comply.
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The KADVS personnel reportedly pursued the vehicle in their patrol van in an effort to identify the occupants and establish why they were travelling through the area.
The occupants allegedly opened fire during the pursuit, killing Dantani.
The attackers reportedly turned back towards the KADVS office after the initial shooting and opened fire on the personnel there, killing Hamisu and Musa before escaping towards Zaria.
The killings occurred hours before Sanusi was reportedly abducted from his residence, creating renewed anxiety among residents and security personnel in the area.
Reacting to the deaths, the Kaduna State Commander of KADVS, CP Ali Audu (rtd.), condoled with the families of the three personnel and described their deaths as a major loss to the service.
Audu praised the deceased personnel for their courage and commitment to duty, assuring their families that their sacrifices would be remembered.
He also pledged the continued support of the service to the bereaved families.
The KADVS commander disclosed that security surveillance had been intensified in Pambegua and neighbouring communities as efforts continued to locate the abducted victim and identify those responsible for the attacks.
He urged KADVS personnel to remain vigilant while carrying out their duties and strengthen collaboration with other security agencies, particularly in communities regarded as vulnerable to bandit attacks and kidnapping.
Audu reaffirmed the service’s commitment to protecting residents and property across Kaduna State.
As of the latest reports, authorities have not announced the arrest of any suspect or the rescue of Sanusi. The circumstances surrounding his abduction remain under investigation as security agencies intensify efforts to locate him and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice.
The latest incidents have further underscored the security challenges facing parts of Kaduna State, where residents have continued to contend with threats linked to banditry, kidnapping and armed attacks.
Bandits abduct Kaduna lawmaker’s brother, kill three KADVS operatives
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