FCT Police Begin Enforcement of Tinted Glass Ban, Seize Over 30 Vehicles

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has commenced the enforcement of a ban on vehicles with tinted windows and covered number plates across Abuja, citing growing security concerns and the increasing use of such vehicles in criminal activities.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Muhammed, said the enforcement exercise was directed by the Inspector-General of Police and is aimed at enhancing security and reducing crime within the nation’s capital.

According to the police commissioner, intelligence and ongoing investigations have shown that vehicles with heavily tinted windows and concealed registration plates are frequently used by kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal elements to avoid identification and evade law enforcement.

Muhammed disclosed that more than 30 vehicles had already been impounded since the commencement of the operation, warning that violators would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

He urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory to cooperate with security agencies, stressing that the enforcement exercise is a necessary step toward improving public safety and strengthening security across Abuja and surrounding communities.

The commissioner also highlighted a series of major security breakthroughs recorded by the command in recent weeks, including the arrest of suspected kidnappers, illegal arms handlers and individuals linked to viral social media videos showing armed men dressed in military camouflage.

According to him, the command launched an investigation after videos surfaced online showing four unidentified men openly displaying AK-47 rifles, ammunition and communication gadgets while dressed in military uniforms.

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• Ekiti LG Vice Chairman Remanded Over Alleged Self-Kidnapping

Following a digital forensic investigation and intelligence-led operation, operatives of the FCT Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), working alongside officers from the Zuba Division, arrested three suspects at Runji Village in Zuba on May 25, 2026.

The suspects were identified as Umar Babangida, 25; Adamu Yeti, 22; and Yahaya Idris, 24, all residents of Rijana in Kaduna State.

Police investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly obtained the firearms from a gang leader identified simply as “Esco,” who remains at large. Authorities also recovered additional videos and photographs from the suspects’ mobile phones showing them dressed in military camouflage while brandishing firearms and communication equipment.

Recovered exhibits included one AK-47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of live ammunition, eight mobile phones, two jackknives, power banks and several incriminating digital materials.

Muhammed said efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing gang leader and dismantle the wider criminal network.

In a separate operation, the FCT Police Command arrested two suspects in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of 22-year-old Emmanuel Chukwuemeka.

The case was reported to the Apo Divisional Headquarters after family members raised concerns over the victim’s disappearance. Through intelligence gathering and collaboration with the Benue State Police Command, investigators tracked and arrested Emmanuel Acha Leku, a 32-year-old Cameroonian national, alongside his girlfriend, Kazan Vincent, in Adikpo, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect and the deceased had allegedly engaged in fraudulent dealings together. Investigators alleged that a dispute over proceeds from the scheme led to the killing.

According to the police, the suspect allegedly lured the victim to a mountainous area in Lokogoma, Abuja, where he was murdered. Authorities further alleged that the victim’s phone was subsequently used to demand a ransom of N5 million from family members in an attempt to disguise the crime as a kidnapping.

The suspect was reportedly planning to flee to Cameroon before his arrest. Police recovered two mobile phones, including one belonging to the deceased, and later traced the victim’s decomposing remains, which have been deposited at Sahad Hospital in Apo for autopsy.

The command also announced the arrest of a suspected ammunition supplier accused of providing logistics and weapons to terrorists, bandits and kidnappers operating across the North-Central region and the FCT.

The suspect, Yau Sule, from Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, had reportedly been on the command’s wanted list since 2023. He was arrested on June 2 while travelling along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway.

During the operation, police recovered 81 rounds of 7.62mm live AK-47 ammunition and 100 rounds of 7.62mm belted ammunition intended for a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).

Further investigations led to the arrest of Maria Sule, the suspect’s sister and wife of a wanted bandit identified as Buhari Shuaibu, who remains at large. Police alleged that she assisted in the movement and supply of ammunition to criminal groups operating in Abuja, Kaduna, Niger and neighbouring states.

The commissioner also confirmed the arrest of a suspected “one-chance” robbery suspect and the interception of a blue Volkswagen Golf vehicle conveying two additional suspects identified as Muhammed Muhammed, 22, and Muhammed Saidu, 20.

Muhammed described the arrests and recoveries as evidence of the command’s determination to tackle insecurity and protect residents of the Federal Capital Territory.

He commended members of the public for providing useful intelligence and urged residents to continue supporting law enforcement agencies with timely information that could help prevent crime and enhance public safety.

FCT Police Begin Enforcement of Tinted Glass Ban, Seize Over 30 Vehicles

Boko Haram Attack on Borno Military Base Leaves Eight Soldiers Dead

BORNO STATE — Eight Nigerian soldiers were reportedly killed and several others injured after suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked a military base belonging to the 162 Battalion along the Mandara–Buratai Road in Borno State.

Security sources said the attack occurred in the early hours of Friday during heavy rainfall, with the insurgents launching a surprise assault on troops stationed at the facility.

According to military sources cited by Sahara Reporters, the attackers struck at about 4 a.m., taking advantage of poor visibility caused by the weather conditions to infiltrate parts of the military formation.

“162 Battalion Mandara Buratai Road, eight soldiers were killed in action. They attacked us at 4 a.m. today when it was raining,” a military source reportedly said.

Another source familiar with the incident said the insurgents arrived in large numbers and mounted a coordinated offensive that overwhelmed parts of the military position before reinforcement teams were deployed.

Security sources said additional troops had been sent to the area to reinforce the base, evacuate casualties and prevent further advances by the attackers. Efforts were also underway to determine the full extent of the casualties and damage caused during the assault.

READ ALSO:

• Sharia Demand for Oyo Abductees’ Release: Kidnappers Do Not Speak for Islam — Muslim Community
• Ekiti LG Vice Chairman Remanded Over Alleged Self-Kidnapping
• Kidnapping in South-West Is a Business, Not a Religious War — Ex-Minister Olanrewaju

The attack is the latest in a series of renewed offensives by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) against military formations across Nigeria’s North-East region. In recent months, insurgents have intensified attacks on military bases, convoys and communities in Borno State, resulting in casualties among security personnel and civilians despite ongoing counterinsurgency operations.

Earlier this year, troops of Operation Hadin Kai reportedly repelled a major assault on a military base in Mallam Fatori, killing scores of insurgents with the support of air power. Security analysts say the latest attack underscores the continuing threat posed by insurgent groups operating in the Lake Chad region and surrounding areas.

The assault on the Mandara–Buratai Road military base also highlights the persistent security challenges facing troops deployed in the North-East, where terrorists continue to target military installations and strategic supply routes in a bid to disrupt military operations.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army and Operation Hadin Kai had not issued an official statement confirming the attack or the reported death toll.

Boko Haram Attack on Borno Military Base Leaves Eight Soldiers Dead

Sharia Demand for Oyo Abductees’ Release: Kidnappers Do Not Speak for Islam — Muslim Community

The Muslim Community of Oyo State has strongly condemned the recent Sharia-related demands made by abductors holding pupils and teachers hostage in Oriire Local Government Area, declaring that terrorists do not represent Islamic values and cannot speak for Muslims.

The leadership of the community issued this statement on Friday, June 5, 2026, following recent criminal acts where kidnappers attempted to justify their actions using religious rhetoric. The community clarified that Islam strictly forbids kidnapping, terrorism, and the extortion of innocent citizens, emphasizing that legitimate Sharia advocates for justice, peace, and the protection of human life—principles that directly contradict the violent actions of criminals.

Newstrends reports that no fewer than 39 students and seven teachers were abducted when terrorists attacked three schools in Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026. Two of the abducted victims have been killed, while the remaining captives—including toddlers as young as two years old—remain in captivity, exposed to harsh conditions in the forests. The attack marked one of the first mass school abductions of its scale in the South-West, a region previously considered relatively insulated from the mass kidnapping crises that have plagued Northern Nigeria. The assailants reportedly stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in a highly coordinated operation.

According to reports, the kidnappers have expanded their demands beyond financial ransom to include ideological and political conditions. The group is reportedly demanding ₦1 billion to be paid into a bank account in the Republic of Benin, two Hilux vehicles, the release of suspected accomplices held in Oyo and Ibadan prisons, and the implementation of Sharia law in Oyo State. The development was reportedly attributed to the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, who disclosed that the abductors had moved beyond financial demands to include ideological and political conditions. The Oyo State House of Assembly has since rejected negotiations with the abductors, insisting on intensified rescue operations instead.

Reacting to developments that have trailed the government’s efforts to secure the release of the abductees, the Muslim community in Oyo, in a statement signed by its chairman, Alhaji Ishaq Kunle Sanni, and secretary-general, Alhaji Murisiku Abidemi Siyanbade, issued a clear condemnation of the abductors’ demands. The group stated: “In the Holy Qur’an, Chapter 3, verse 32, Almighty Allah says: ‘Therefore, We have ordained that he who slays a soul for spreading mischief on earth shall be as if he had slain all mankind, and he who saves a life shall be as if he had given life to all mankind. And indeed, again and again, did our messengers come to them with clear directives, yet many of them continue to commit excesses on earth.'” The leadership called on all Muslims and residents of Oyo State to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and reject any attempts to distort the peaceful teachings of Islam.

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The League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland, the foremost Islamic umbrella body representing the Muslim Ummah across the South-West, has also strongly condemned the abduction and dismissed any association between the kidnappers’ demands and authentic Islamic teachings. In a statement signed by top Islamic leaders including the Chief Imam of Ekiti State, Sheikh Jamiu Kewulere; the Chief Imam of Oyo State, Sheikh AbdulGaniy Agbotomokekere; and the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Sheikh AbdulRasaq AbdulAzeez Ishola, the group declared that such criminal acts are unacceptable and contrary to the teachings of Islam. “Such criminal acts against innocent children, educators, and law-abiding citizens are unacceptable, condemnable, and contrary to the teachings of Islam,” the League stated. “Islam places great value on the sanctity of human life, security, and social harmony.” Quoting from the Qur’an, the clerics referenced Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:32: “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” They also cited the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW): “A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe.”

The Muslim community, under the aegis of the Chief Imam of Ibadanland and Grand Chief Imam of Oyo State, Sheikh Al-Imam Abdul-Ganiyy Abubakar Agbotomokekere, has announced a special prayer for the speedy and safe return of abductees from schools in Oriire Local Government Area. The prayer is scheduled for Sunday at Yidi Agodi Praying Ground, Ibadan, and will be led by the Chief Imam himself. “We implore all Muslims in Oyo State to join us at the prayer session,” the statement added. This follows previous spiritual interventions by the League of Imams and Alfas, who have commenced special prayers, supplications, and spiritual engagements across Yorubaland, seeking Allah’s intervention for the restoration of peace, security, and harmony in the region. Notably, during the recent Eid El-Kabir prayers at the same Agodi Eid Praying Ground, worshippers had already offered prayers for the safe return of the abducted victims.

The Muslim Community of Oyo State reiterated its full support for law enforcement agencies and urged authorities to track down the perpetrators swiftly. “We appreciate the intervention of the Oyo State government, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and pray to Almighty Allah to help them in their onerous intervention,” the statement read. “We also pray for our security agencies for the help and guidance of Allah in their rescue efforts so that there will not be any collateral casualty, as they conquer the criminals and bring back home safely the abductees, amongst whom are toddlers as young as 2 years old, exposed to very cruel treatment in the forests, in such a harsh condition. Our hearts bleed.” The League of Imams and Alfas similarly appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the lives and properties of all Nigerians irrespective of their sex, age, tribe or religion, and to arrest and prosecute those criminal elements fueling kidnapping, ritual killings, armed robberies, and other criminal activities in the country.

The Oyo State Government has urged journalists to refrain from publicizing details of negotiations with the kidnappers, warning that disclosure of sensitive information could jeopardize rescue efforts and lead to fatalities. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has visited the affected communities and ordered intensified rescue operations, with additional tactical and intelligence assets deployed to reinforce ongoing operations within the area and adjoining forests. The Defence Headquarters has also deployed special forces and aerial surveillance assets to Oyo State, with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, ordering a comprehensive security reinforcement across the general area. Security operatives have reportedly been slowed down by the presence of mines and improvised explosive devices planted by the kidnappers, who are also using the victims, especially children, as human shields. As the crisis continues, the Muslim community in Oyo State has made its position unequivocally clear: the abductors’ demand for Sharia law does not represent Islamic values, and terrorists cannot speak for the faith.

Sharia Demand for Oyo Abductees’ Release: Kidnappers Do Not Speak for Islam — Muslim Community