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How we were terrorised with poisonous snakes – Kidnap victims

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How we were terrorised with poisonous snakes – Kidnap victims

Some Nigerians recently freed from captivity have revealed that kidnappers use poisonous snakes to terrorise them.

Some of them, who recounted their ordeals in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), said that there were many snakes in the forests inhabitated by the bandits.

They said that the snakes often bite both the kidnappers and the victims.

One of them, who craved anonymity, told NAN that kidnappers threw them into snake-infested spots.

“The kidnappers know the areas infested with snakes and would often throw the victims there.

“Immediately they see snakes, the fear-stricken victims will want to run away. The sight is used to frighten people.

“That is the time a victim can ask friends and family members to sell everything – house, land, cars, household items, shoes, just everything – to raise the ransom.”

NAN investigation revealed that the worst snake-infested forests are in Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State, and Kala-Balge, near Lake Chad, in Borno.

Other areas included Shaki in Oyo State, Borgu and Kagara in Niger, Karim Lamido in Adamawa, and Lau in Taraba.

Some of the victims told NAN that the situation is worse now with the current heat as snakes leave their holes in search of fresh air and food.

“The nights are often more traumatising. You are left outside, in the dark, and a reptile may just creep through your legs.

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“While I was in captivity, snakes bit some victims. The kidnappers were not spared as some of them also got bitten,” a victim, who was taken to a thick forest in Kagara, in Niger, told NAN.

According to him, in Kagara forest, the snakes are so common that the locals refer to them as “kadangarun Kagara (Kagara lizards).”

Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, Chairman, Echitap Study Group, the outfit in charge of Echitap Anti-Snake Venom(ASV), who spoke on the development, confirmed that banditry was associated with areas prone to snake bites.

Nasidi, whose group collaborates with Micropharm UK Ltd and Instituto Clodomiro Picardo (ICP), Costa Rica, to bring the drugs to Nigeria, decried the rising cases of snake bites in Nigeria.

“Unfortunately for us, the cost of snake bite treatment has gone well beyond the reach of the poor,” he said.

While confirming that some abductees indeed returned with snakebite wounds, he said that the cost of treatment could only be affordable if the ASV drugs were produced locally.

“The ASV manufacturers are ready to collaborate with us to produce the ASV in Nigeria.

“It is only when we produce ASV locally in Nigeria that we can make it available at a reduced cost.

“The rise in the value of the dollar has made the cost of foreign production so high that the poor man who, in most cases, is the victim of snake bites, cannot afford it.

“In the past, villagers used to contribute money to purchase ASV, that is no longer possible.

“An ample of the Echitap G ASV, which takes care of venoms from a carpet viper, costs 59 Pounds factory price. 97 per cent of poisonous snake bite cases in Nigeria are from carpet vipers.

“For Echitap plus ICP ASV, which treats venom from puff adder, carpet viper and black cobra, an ample is 24 dollars factory price.

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“If you add the cost of transportation from the two countries – UK and Costa Rica – plus the charges for clearance at the ports, the price becomes a different thing.”

He identified the most poisonous snakes in Nigeria as carpet viper, puff adder and black cobra.

“But, we even have an equally dangerous snake – Black Mamba – in Abuja. So, we also need an ASV for it,” he said.

According to him, in the past, Nigerians bitten by snakes had 40 per cent chances of survival.

“But, if the black mamba is added, the chances shrink to 10 per cent. It means we desperately need to produce ASV locally,” he said.

On kidnappers deliberately exposing their victims to snakes, he pointed out that snakes do not know the difference between a kidnapper and his victim.

He lamented the prevalence of snake bites among poor Nigerians that were already hungry.

“If a snake bites a hungry person, his case is only pathetic as he is already economically traumatised without much hope.”

He particularly condemned the inhuman behaviour of exposing abductees to snake bites, and regretted the “zero” premium placed on human life.

“From the accounts of victims, kidnapped people could see a snake coming toward them and are not allowed to run. Nothing is more traumatising.”

Nasidi said that his group had submitted a proposal to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), for the local production of ASV.

“The proposal has been approved and we are waiting for the money to start up.

“The foreign manufacturers are ready to offer the technology. So, we are hopeful that we shall soon start local production of ASV,” he said.

Nasidi advised Nigerians to be careful while moving at night, noting that snakes were moving closer to human habitats.

“We must all be very watchful and observant. Treating snake bites is very expensive. So, prevention is better than any form of cure,” he said.

How we were terrorised with poisonous snakes – Kidnap victims

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Elderly Man Flung to Death as Truck Overturns in Lagos

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Elderly Man Flung to Death as Truck Overturns in Lagos

Elderly Man Flung to Death as Truck Overturns in Lagos

An elderly man has died after being flung out of a moving truck that overturned following a tyre burst around the TREM axis of Gbagada, inward Oshodi, Lagos State.

The fatal accident occurred around midnight on Sunday, November 8, 2026, involving a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz six-tyre truck conveying assorted goods, including sealed bags and newly branded event chairs.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) disclosed the incident in a statement issued by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq.

According to the agency, preliminary findings indicated that the truck, with registration number ABJ 37 AC, was travelling at considerable speed when one of its front tyres suddenly burst, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle.

During the ensuing struggle to stabilise the truck, an elderly male passenger seated in the front cabin was thrown out of the vehicle.

He reportedly struck his head against a sharp object, sustaining fatal injuries and dying at the scene.

LASTMA said its Night Rescue Team, which was conducting surveillance along major traffic corridors, promptly mobilised to the accident location, cordoned off the area and evacuated the deceased from the busy carriageway.

The body was subsequently moved into an ambulance operated by the Lagos State Emergency Medical Services to prevent further exposure to approaching motorists and reduce the risk of another accident.

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Personnel of the Pedro Police Division and the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service also participated in the emergency response.

The traffic management agency said its operatives deployed traffic cones and emergency warning signals around the scene to alert approaching motorists and ensure the safe movement of other road users.

However, the overturned truck could not be immediately recovered because of the volume and nature of its cargo.

LASTMA explained that arrangements had to be made to transfer the goods into another empty truck before the accident vehicle could be removed from the road.

Reacting to the incident, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased, describing the fatality as a painful and avoidable loss.

Bakare-Oki condemned excessive speeding, warning that it reduces drivers’ reaction time, compromises vehicle stability and increases the severity of road accidents, particularly when unexpected mechanical failures occur.

He said the consequences of the crash could potentially have been less severe if the truck had been travelling at a controlled speed, despite the sudden tyre burst.

The LASTMA boss urged operators of heavy-duty vehicles, commercial transporters and other motorists to observe speed limits and conduct regular mechanical inspections before embarking on journeys.

He specifically advised truck operators to pay attention to the condition of their tyres, braking systems and other critical vehicle components to reduce the risk of road crashes.

He also urged drivers to remain composed and apply appropriate vehicle-control techniques when confronted with sudden mechanical failures.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to traffic surveillance, prompt emergency response and collaboration with relevant authorities to protect lives and property across Lagos State.

Elderly Man Flung to Death as Truck Overturns in Lagos

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Zamfara: Bandits Allegedly Burn 13 Family Members Alive After Locking Them Inside Room

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Bandits Demand N30m Ransom for Six Abducted Clerics in Zamfara

Zamfara: Bandits Allegedly Burn 13 Family Members Alive After Locking Them Inside Room

 

By Newstrends Correspondent

 

MARADUN, Zamfara State – Tragedy has reportedly struck Gidan Taba community in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State after suspected bandits allegedly killed 13 members of the same family by locking them inside a room and setting their house ablaze.

 

The victims were identified as Sani Ɗanwawo and 12 members of his family, who reportedly died in the inferno during an attack on Saturday night, November 7, 2026.

 

According to a report published by Daily Post on Sunday, November 8, the attackers allegedly confined all 13 occupants inside a room before setting the building on fire, leaving them with no opportunity to escape.

 

The incident was disclosed by Bakatsine, a security and conflict reporter who monitors banditry and other security developments in Nigeria’s North-West region, in a post on X.

 

The reported killing represents another disturbing incident in Zamfara State, which has continued to experience attacks by armed groups, including killings, kidnappings and destruction of property.

 

Maradun Local Government Area and other parts of the state have witnessed repeated security challenges, leaving residents exposed to violence and displacement.

 

However, details surrounding the latest incident, including the identities of all the victims and possible reactions from security agencies, remain unclear.

 

As of the time of filing this report, independent confirmation of the reported 13 deaths from the Zamfara State Police Command or other security authorities had not been established.

 

Zamfara: Bandits Allegedly Burn 13 Family Members Alive After Locking Them Inside Room

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[ICYMI] Lagos Summons DisCos, Regulators Over Persistent Power Outages, Seeks 24-Hour Electricity

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Is Nigeria's Electricity Tariff Going Up? FG Finally Breaks Silence

Lagos Summons DisCos, Regulators Over Persistent Power Outages, Seeks 24-Hour Electricity

 

By Newstrends Correspondent

 

The Lagos State Government has summoned electricity regulators, distribution companies (DisCos), power resellers and suppliers to a major energy summit aimed at addressing persistent electricity shortages and finding lasting solutions to the state’s unreliable power supply.

 

The initiative is part of efforts to develop a roadmap towards achieving reliable, round-the-clock electricity across Lagos State, amid growing complaints from residents and businesses over frequent power outages.

 

The Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Biodun Ogunleye, disclosed this on Thursday during a press briefing ahead of the 2026 Lagos Energy Summit.

 

The summit, themed “Lagos Energy Evolution: Transforming the Future,” is scheduled for November 10 and 11, while a technical tour will take place on November 12 at selected energy infrastructure facilities.

 

Ogunleye said the gathering would bring together critical stakeholders across the electricity value chain to examine structural challenges affecting the sector and develop practical solutions capable of improving electricity supply.

 

He explained that discussions would focus on electricity sector reforms, energy efficiency, renewable energy, metering solutions and alternative sources of power.

 

According to the commissioner, the government intends to move beyond policy declarations and ensure that the summit produces practical outcomes that can improve electricity access and strengthen Lagos’ energy infrastructure.

 

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ibilola Kasumu, said the summit would adopt a different approach from conventional industry gatherings by placing actual problems before experts for possible solutions.

 

She explained that the objective was to bring stakeholders together to identify challenges within the electricity value chain and develop workable strategies for addressing them.

 

Kasumu added that the government hoped to establish a framework for reliable electricity supply that could eventually serve as a model for other states.

 

Ogunleye also disclosed that the Lagos State Government was engaging the Federal Government on issues surrounding their respective regulatory responsibilities and the need to strengthen the state’s control over its electricity infrastructure.

 

The discussions are expected to cover the development of renewable energy, alternative power sources and other initiatives that could reduce dependence on conventional electricity generation.

 

The summit will also showcase clean-energy innovations by young Nigerians, including projects and prototypes developed by secondary school students.

 

The development comes amid persistent complaints by Lagos residents over erratic electricity supply, which has continued to affect households, commercial activities and small businesses across the state.

 

The Lagos government says achieving a more reliable energy system is essential to supporting economic growth, attracting investment and advancing its ambition of building a 24-hour economy.

 

However, residents will be watching closely to see whether the summit produces concrete measures capable of addressing the electricity challenges affecting communities across Lagos.

 

Lagos Summons DisCos, Regulators Over Persistent Power Outages, Seeks 24-Hour Electricity

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