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Bandits abduct 26 in Kaduna, 246 Borno terrorists surrender
Gunmen have abducted about 26 people along the Kaduna-Kachia road and Kugo village, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
While 21 of the victims were reportedly kidnapped along the Kaduna-Kachia road, five women were abducted at Kugo village, near Godani Railway Station on their way to the farm.
However, in Borno State, about 246 suspected Boko Haram members, reportedly, laid down their arms and surrendered as part of the current efforts at ceasefire.
The counsellor representing Zonkwa ward in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of the state, Luka Bako, was among those abducted along the Kaduna-Kachia road, but he miraculously escaped.
Bako told THISDAY that he was travelling from Zonkwa to Kaduna in a Sharon commercial bus when the bandits struck.
He said the incident occurred on Friday around 5pm after Doka village, Kajuru Local Government Area.
He said, “We were travelling in a Sharon commercial bus from Zonkwa to Kaduna. We were eight in the bus. As we approached the mango plantation after Doka, we saw two people in military camouflage carrying AK47 riffles standing on the road.
“Initially, we thought they were soldiers, but when we got closer, we realised that their dressing was not complete. But it was too late for us to turn back.
“They stopped us and asked us where we were coming from and where we were going. They asked the driver to open the booth of the vehicle. As the driver went to open the booth, they ordered the eight of us in the bus to come down.
“Four other vehicles carrying passengers were also stopped. They ordered everybody into the bush. As we entered the bush, other bandits came out from their hideouts to guide us into the bush. A driver that carried passengers from Jos and I miraculously escaped.”
Bako said based on his calculation, 21 people might have been abducted.
“I am not certain,” he stated. “They could be more or less. But based on my calculation, 21 people were abducted.”
He said he had since reported the incident to the Kajuru Divisional Police Station.
At Kugo village, five women were also abducted on their way to the farm on Friday. A resident of the village said that the women were going to harvest yam.
When contacted, spokesman for the Kaduna State police command, Mohammed Jalige, said he was not aware of the incident along the Kaduna-Kachia road, but promised to do his findings and get back.
At the time of filing this report, he was yet to respond.
Meanwhile, security agencies have captured three suspected bandits and rescued two kidnap victims. This was disclosed in a statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.
He said, “Troops under the auspices of Operation Thunder Strike rescued two kidnapped women, close to Gadanin Gwari, Gwagwada District of Chikun Local Government Area.”
Aruwan said operational feedback to the state government indicated “the women were suddenly abducted as they made their way to their farm.”
He said, “The troops on patrol tracked down the criminals and engaged them in a firefight, forcing them to abandon their captives and run for their lives. After securing the women, the troops pursued the bandits, destroying many bandit camps along the way.”
The statement said the bandits were eventually trapped in Gajina settlement in Chikun Local Government Area, adding that three suspected “kidnappers were apprehended and are now in custody, while the rescued women have returned to their homes.”
The statement also explained that police personnel rescued two persons, who were abducted at Kurmin Idon axis along Kaduna-Kachia Road in Kajuru Local Government Area.
In Borno, one of the leaders of the Civilian JTF, a security support group, Baba Shehu Abdul-Gani, who spoke to THISDAY, confirmed that the 246 militants surrendered at different towns in the state.
He said they surrendered to both the Army and members of his group.
“Two days ago, 100 members of Boko Haram surrendered in Bama, another 100 in Gwoza and 46 in Ngala” Abdul-Gani said, noting that all the 246 have been handed to the Army.
On the Chibok girls, who were said to have escaped from captivity after they were kidnapped, Abdul-Gani said he did not have any information to that effect.
General Officer Commanding, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Brig. Gen. Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim, said some insurgents and their wives had equally surrendered to them.
He said, “As GOC of 7 Division, I have no information of any escaped Chibok girls and I should know if any. But we are still pressing on, they will come out. However, some Boko Haram criminals and their wives are surrendering.”
When contacted about the case of the reported fresh escape at Chibok, the spokesman for Borno State Governor (Prof. Babagana Zulum, said there was “no official information yet from our end.”
He noted, “The military normally handles Chibok girls issue. They present them to the presidency.”
News
[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election
[UPDATED] [Breaking] APC’s Lucky Aiyedatiwa wins Ondo governorship election
Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate, has emerged victorious in the Ondo governorship election.
Olayemi Akinwumi, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, disclosed the results in Akure, Ondo’s capital, on Sunday.
Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor, secured 366,781 votes, surpassing Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
Nejo Adeyemi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, trailed behind with 4,138 votes.
The APC dominated the election, winning all 18 local government areas, while the PDP failed to secure any victories.
The off-cycle election in Ondo, contested by 17 candidates, took place peacefully, with minimal violence reported.
Prior to the election, Aiyedatiwa expressed confidence in his victory, citing his impressive record in office.
Aiyedatiwa emphasized that he was the sole candidate to have visited all 18 local government areas, adding that he’s willing to concede defeat if the election is free from manipulation.
Ajayi, Aiyedatiwa’s closest rival, expressed concerns regarding INEC’s capability to ensure a fair electoral process.
The PDP candidate also criticized the commission’s sluggish pace, alleging that it constitutes a “deliberate attempt to rig the polls”.
ONDO STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION RESULTS (UPDATED)
1– Akure North
APC 14, 451
PDP 5, 787
2–Okitipupa
- APC 26, 811
- PDP 10, 233
3—Akoko Northeast
APC 25, 657
News
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has shifted the collation of results for the Ondo State governorship election from 5am to noon.
The Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, had earlier announced that collation of the remaining five council areas will resume by 5 a.m. (Sunday), but later said it commences by noon.
Prof Akinwunmi is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lokoja.
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Akinwunmi, who announced the recess, said it is to give room for the arrival of results from the remaining council areas.
He said: “We have five more local governments but we are going to take our recess now until 5am to receive some receive from Akure North, Okitipupa and Odigbo, then Ilaje and Eseodo. We resume 5am for these local governments.”
According to results from 13 of the 18 local government areas announced so far by INEC, Aiyedatiwa has polled 259,851 votes ahead of his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Agboola Ajayi, who scored 81,031 votes.
Ondo election: Again, INEC shifts collation of results to noon
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Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group
Ondo gov: PDP, APC bought votes, says rights group
The Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD-West Africa), through its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), has said that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bought votes from the electorate for as low as N3,000 and N5,000 respectively during the Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State.
Prof. Victor Adetula, Lead, CDD-EAC Observation Mission Ondo 2024; and Dr. Dauda Garuba, Director, CDD-West Africa, said this in CDD’s EAC preliminary statement on the conduct of the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, presented by Ms Oluseyi Awojulugbe, a member of the CDD-EAC.
The report also said that the election recorded lower incidents of disinformation and information manipulation, also referred to as fake new compared to the recently concluded off-cycle September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
“CDD-EAC notes a lot of instances of vote buying. In Okitipupa LGA, Ward 09, Unit 003 (Irowa, Ilutitun 3), voters were solicited for their votes, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 per voter and PDP ₦3,000.
“In Odigbo LGA, Ward 01, Unit 001 (Oja Baale, Agbabu), reports of vote-buying were noted, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 and PDP ₦5,000 per voter.
“Our observers also noted that some party agents started transferring money to voters to circumvent having to hold cash. In Ese-Odo, Ward 07, Unit 013 (Tari Ama Zion Ugo Community, Arogbo Ward 2), Vote-buying was observed at this polling unit, with PDP offering ₦3,000 and APC offering ₦5,000 to voters.
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“CDD observers watching the process in Ward 5, PU 001, located at St Johns Primary School, Iba Akoko South East spotted APC leaders writing down the names of those who voted for their candidate.
“Subsequently, a card was given to them and they were instructed to converge at an agreed location where cash would be disbursed to them.
“In Ward 005, PU 001, St Barnabas Primary School, Ifon, CDD-EAC observers saw policemen arguing over money shared by a party stalwart.
“The policemen reportedly frowned that about 10 of them were given N100,000 while only one official from another branch of the armed services allegedly got N15,000,” the report said.
The CDD-EAC said that the vote buying incidents and behaviour of party agents sparked multiple conflicts during the voting process, listing Idanre LGA, Ward 06, PU 004 (Methodist High School), where APC agents were accused of strategically monitoring voters’ choices, a move initially defended by security officials but later curtailed after protests.
The report, however, commended the prompt arrival of electoral officials at polling units (PUs), with 99% of CDD-EAC observers reporting that the INEC officials were at their stations before 8:30am.
Observers also reported cases of rowdiness in the polling environment with some youths disagreeing in some cases about the initiative by poll officials to allow elderly voters to cast their ballots first, leading to the disruption of the process, despite the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Post Office Premises, Akungba Akoko, Akoko South West.
On disinformation and information manipulation, the report said that the numbers of false narratives, claims and counter claims in the Ondo State governorship election have been relatively low, compared to other recent polls.
It said, “In the campaign period, and on Election Day, 13 claims have so far been reported and fact checked by CDD War Room.
“This is low, compared to the 61 claims reported during the same period in the Edo election, representing a 79% increase between the two elections. While 12 of these claims have been assessed to be either false or misleading, the sole claim peddled on voting day was adjudged to be true.”
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