Kano Hisbah arrests 22 suspected crossdressers over alleged hook-up, drug abuse

The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested 22 suspected crossdressers in different parts of the state following complaints from residents over alleged immoral activities.

The suspects, comprising 10 women and 12 men, were reportedly arrested around Zoo Road, Court Road and other neighbouring areas in Kano metropolis.

Deputy Commander General of the Kano Hisbah Board, Dr Mujahid Aminuddeen, confirmed the arrests, saying the operation followed complaints received from members of the public.

Aminuddeen said preliminary investigations showed that most of the suspects had entered Kano State from other parts of the country.

He further alleged that the suspects admitted during questioning to engaging in hook-up activities and drug abuse.

The Hisbah official said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged activities and determine the appropriate action against each suspect.

He added that individuals found culpable would face the law, stressing that the arrests did not amount to a final determination of guilt.

The latest operation is part of the Hisbah Board’s intensified enforcement activities in Kano, particularly against conduct the agency considers contrary to the state’s religious and social values.

READ ALSO:

• Two Weeks of Silence: Families of 600 Abducted Muslim Worshippers in Niger Demand Govt Action
• ‘It’s a lie’ – Wike’s aide challenges Peter Obi’s ‘I don’t give shishi’ claim
• Osinbajo raises alarm over chemicals in fruits, recalls wife’s orange juice experience

Aminuddeen reiterated that the board would not tolerate what it described as acts of immorality in the state, warning that its personnel would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations in areas identified as hotspots.

The development comes amid increased attention on morality enforcement in Kano, with Hisbah officials carrying out operations in hotels, entertainment venues and other locations following complaints or intelligence reports.

In a separate operation earlier in 2026, the board arrested individuals during a raid on a hotel over alleged immoral activities. Hisbah officials have also previously announced arrests involving suspected crossdressers in Kano, particularly around entertainment and social venues.

The board has maintained that its enforcement activities are aimed at protecting public morality and addressing social vices, while critics of such operations have raised questions about due process and the treatment of individuals accused of offences.

The latest arrests have also brought renewed attention to the intersection of cross-dressing, drug abuse and alleged hook-up activities in Kano, particularly as authorities continue efforts to curb what they regard as social vices.

For now, the allegations against the 22 suspects remain subject to investigation. Any prosecution or further action will depend on the outcome of the investigation and the applicable laws.

Aminuddeen said the Kano Hisbah Board would continue working with residents and other relevant authorities to identify and address activities considered harmful to the community.

The board also urged members of the public to continue providing information about suspected violations, saying such cooperation would assist its efforts to maintain public order and morality across the state.

Kano Hisbah arrests 22 suspected crossdressers over alleged hook-up, drug abuse

Two Weeks of Silence: Families of 600 Abducted Muslim Worshippers in Niger Demand Govt Action

Desperate families of over 600 Muslim worshippers abducted during Friday prayers in Niger State say they have received no communication from captors since the August 22 raid that left dozens dead and hundreds missing. President Tinubu has ordered a manhunt, but rescue efforts are hampered by collapsed bridges and difficult terrain.

Two weeks after gunmen raided the northwestern Nigerian village of Dekera, killing dozens and kidnapping hundreds of Muslim worshippers during Friday prayers, residents and family members say they have heard nothing from the kidnappers and seen little action from the government. The attack, which targeted worshippers gathered at mosques across four communities, has left families in agonizing uncertainty as they await any word on the fate of their loved ones.

Mass kidnappings for ransom are relatively common across much of northern Nigeria, but the coordinated August 22 attack on communities in north-central Niger State was one of the biggest in recent years, underscoring the extent of insecurity as the country heads towards an election next year. The assailants, dressed in military-style clothing, simultaneously targeted mosques during Friday prayers across four villages—Dekara, Gidan-Zana, Sabon Gida, and Masaka—marching worshippers into nearby forests toward the Kainji Lake area.

“We haven’t heard anything from the kidnappers since the abduction,” Isa Zaki, a Dekara resident with 10 members of his extended family among those seized, told Reuters by telephone. Zaki said years of insecurity had already resulted in local schools and markets closing, but residents were increasingly desperate after the August attack, which he said had killed dozens and resulted in much of Dekara being burned. “People have fled, soldiers have taken over the town, houses have been burnt, there is nowhere to live, and it is raining. It’s been sadness over sadness since the abduction,” he said.

READ ALSO:

• ‘It’s a lie’ – Wike’s aide challenges Peter Obi’s ‘I don’t give shishi’ claim
• Osinbajo raises alarm over chemicals in fruits, recalls wife’s orange juice experience
• Lagos: Army rescues two kidnapped farm workers, kills suspected kidnapper

Residents say about 600 people, mostly women, children and older people, were abducted in the raid across the affected communities. At least 40 residents were also killed, they said. However, authorities have not commented on the number of hostages or deaths, creating a vacuum of information that has left families in agonizing uncertainty. Niger State Commissioner for Information Obed Nana acknowledged that the government was still verifying the number of those abducted and urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified figures that could heighten anxiety or compromise ongoing security efforts. The Borgu Local Government Area chairman dismissed media reports of 600 abductees, claiming that at least 60 people were kidnapped, while some residents put the figure at about 80. The conflicting estimates have made it difficult to establish an accurate toll. State officials said around 200 people were inside one of the mosques when the attack occurred, with the village head and the chief imam reportedly among those abducted.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to rescue the hostages, vowing that “those who carried out this cowardly attack on defenceless Nigerians are enemies of peace and enemies of humanity, who will not go scot-free.” “We have no update yet. When we have, we will share accordingly,” Wasiu Abiodun, Niger State police spokesperson, told Reuters.

Habibu Salihu, a civil servant, said his sister gave birth a week before she, her husband and three children, including the newborn, were kidnapped. Salihu said seven other family members were killed and he saw his sister breastfeeding her child in a video of hostages released by the kidnappers soon after the attack, but has had no news since then. “We have no information on what is going on. No one is telling us anything and we have no idea what action the government is taking to rescue the hostages,” he said. Two days after the coordinated raids, a video surfaced on Facebook and WhatsApp showing hundreds of seated captives guarded by armed men in a dense forest. Crying children can be heard in the background of the footage. A gunman speaking in Hausa directly addressed families, stating, “These are all your people. We are showing you this video so that you can identify your family members, your fathers, mothers, children and relatives.” Local residents reviewed the footage and confirmed the identities of several neighbors and family members. Ibrahim Abubakar stated, “The people in the video are from Dekara. I’ve identified 13 people that I know.” A local youth leader who recognized an elderly community member noted that families felt a mixture of relief and anxiety upon spotting their loved ones.

READ ALSO:

• JAMB Releases Underage UTME Results, Sets Strict Conditions for Admission
• Delta Police Arrest Minor, Five Others Over Alleged Illicit Drug Sales
• BREAKING: OPay Warns Customers Against Viral Shutdown Message, Threatens Legal Action

Security forces have launched rescue operations, but their efforts have been significantly hindered by challenging terrain and infrastructure damage. Police sources confirmed that a bridge connecting the town centre to the affected communities had collapsed, and the area’s rugged landscape and poor road conditions are complicating the search for the hostages. The attackers reportedly destroyed a solar-powered telecommunications network in the area, complicating communications and emergency coordination. Police said the gunmen who carried out the attack surrounded the central mosque in Dekara and led the worshippers away through a bush path. Officials noted that attackers planted improvised explosive devices as they moved abductees toward the forest, resulting in the death of a teenage boy who tried to escape. Niger State authorities have launched a joint security operation to locate the attackers and rescue the hostages, but they declined to disclose further operational details, saying doing so could compromise ongoing rescue efforts.

No group has claimed responsibility yet, but analysts suspect a breakaway sect of Boko Haram in the area was involved. The attack is the latest sign of worsening insecurity in the Borgu-Kainji corridor, an area where authorities and security analysts have raised concerns about armed groups operating around Kainji Lake National Park, which borders Kebbi and Kwara states and neighbouring Benin. Local authorities in north-eastern Benin Republic have confirmed a number of people fled into the country after the incident, but they gave no details on numbers. More than 200 residents have reportedly fled across the border into Benin, while others have sought refuge in Kwara State. The attack occurred barely a week after another assault on worshippers in the Ungushi community in Sokoto State, where gunmen killed at least 32 people during Friday prayers, including the mosque’s imam.

Residents say the deployment of soldiers has brought some relief, but families are still homeless and growing increasingly hungry. “Our town has been burnt,” said Aminu Inuwa, who lost two brothers in the raid. “I have only one shirt, no food to eat, nothing else and our houses are nothing but ashes.” Zaki said years of insecurity had already resulted in local schools and markets closing, but residents were increasingly desperate after the attack, which he said had killed dozens and resulted in much of Dekera being burned. Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe rescue of those abducted, warning that victims of previous mass kidnappings have reported severe abuses, including torture, starvation, sexual violence and amputation. According to the organization, at least 1,100 people were abducted across Nigeria between January and April 2026, although the actual figure could be higher. The Dekera attack is the latest in a wave of violence that has plagued Niger State and other parts of northern Nigeria. Only a day before the Dekera raid, on August 21, armed assailants struck a Catholic school in the state’s Agwara area, abducting over 300 students and teachers. The back-to-back abductions highlight the growing audacity of criminal gangs and extremist groups operating in the region.

Two Weeks of Silence: Families of 600 Abducted Muslim Worshippers in Niger Demand Govt Action

Osinbajo raises alarm over chemicals in fruits, recalls wife’s orange juice experience

Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised concerns over the alleged use of dangerous chemicals in fruits and vegetables, warning Nigerians about potential food safety risks associated with the production, ripening and preservation of fresh produce.

Osinbajo also recounted a personal experience involving his wife, Dolapo Osinbajo, saying she developed frequent headaches after she began drinking freshly squeezed orange juice every day, before a laboratory test reportedly found the juice “not fit for human consumption.”

He spoke at the Open Day for Gardeners’ Seminar in Lagos, held under the theme, “Leaving the Earth Better Than We Found It.”

Osinbajo said his wife had developed the habit of drinking a full glass of freshly squeezed orange juice daily after she stopped consuming carbonated drinks.

According to him, she later began experiencing unusual and frequent headaches, prompting her to examine the food and drinks she was consuming to determine the possible cause.

He said the family initially ruled out the orange juice because it was considered a healthy drink.

“We assumed, of course, it couldn’t be the ‘healthy’ orange juice,” Osinbajo said.

He said the juice was subsequently subjected to laboratory testing, with the result allegedly showing that the freshly squeezed drink was “not fit for human consumption.”

Osinbajo said the experience raised questions about the chemicals that may be introduced into fruits and vegetables before they reach consumers.

“Apparently farmers use dangerous pesticides for fruits and vegetables, and fruit and vegetable sellers use very dangerous chemicals sometimes to ripen or preserve fruits and vegetables,” he said.

READ ALSO:

• Lagos: Army rescues two kidnapped farm workers, kills suspected kidnapper
• JAMB Releases Underage UTME Results, Sets Strict Conditions for Admission
• Delta Police Arrest Minor, Five Others Over Alleged Illicit Drug Sales

The former Vice-President specifically raised concerns about calcium carbide, which he said is sometimes used to accelerate the ripening or change the colour of fruits.

“Calcium carbide is used very frequently to force fruits such as bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and tomatoes to change colour and look ripe very quickly,” he added.

To support his concerns, Osinbajo referenced studies from different parts of Nigeria which he said documented the use of chemicals among some fruit sellers.

He cited a 2024 study in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, saying that half of 20 fruit sellers interviewed admitted using calcium carbide. He also referred to another study in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he said 25 per cent of fruit sellers reportedly admitted using the chemical to ripen fruits.

Osinbajo further cited a 2023 survey in Lagos, saying 22 out of 50 fruit retailers interviewed admitted using chemicals to preserve their produce.

“These were the ones who agreed they do,” he said.

The former Vice-President said the issue should be viewed beyond individual consumers, arguing that the safety of food requires attention throughout the agricultural and food supply chain.

From farming and harvesting to transportation, storage, ripening and retailing, produce passes through several stages before reaching consumers. Improper use of agricultural chemicals at any stage can create food safety concerns, particularly where products are not used according to approved guidelines.

Osinbajo’s remarks have consequently renewed attention on food safety in Nigeria, particularly the need for stronger monitoring of agricultural chemicals and practices used by farmers and food vendors.

The concerns are also relevant to the work of regulatory agencies responsible for protecting consumers and enforcing standards, including NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

However, the specific laboratory report referenced by Osinbajo has not been independently published alongside the reports of his remarks. There is also no independent medical evidence establishing that the orange juice caused his wife’s headaches.

The former Vice-President’s account should therefore be understood as a personal experience and warning about food safety, rather than as independent proof that chemically treated oranges caused the reported symptoms.

Osinbajo’s intervention also forms part of a wider discussion about sustainable agriculture and environmental responsibility. His presentation at the gardeners’ seminar touched on issues including food safety, the future of seeds and the protection of trees and forests.

He urged greater attention to how food is produced and handled, stressing that the appearance of freshness does not necessarily guarantee that a food product is safe for consumption.

The issue places renewed responsibility on farmers, food sellers, consumers and regulatory authorities to promote compliance with food safety standards and discourage unsafe practices.

For consumers, experts generally advise washing fresh produce thoroughly and purchasing fruits and vegetables from reliable sources, while farmers and vendors are expected to follow approved guidelines for the use of agricultural chemicals.

Osinbajo’s warning has added his voice to calls for stronger oversight of Nigeria’s food supply chain and greater public awareness of practices that could compromise the safety of food reaching Nigerian households.

Osinbajo raises alarm over chemicals in fruits, recalls wife’s orange juice experience