Bandits block Gusau-Sokoto highway, abduct 26 passengers – Newstrends
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Bandits block Gusau-Sokoto highway, abduct 26 passengers

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11 months ago

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Sokoto State Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Hayatu Kaigama

Bandits block Gusau-Sokoto highway, abduct 26 passengers

Bandits operating along the Gusau-Sokoto highway struck again on Tuesday afternoon, abducting more than 26 people.

The incident occurred near Kwaren Kirya village in Zamfara State’s Maru Local Government Area, where assailants blocked the road and took people from a Toyota 18-seater bus and a Volkswagen Golf.

According to a resident of the neighborhood who spoke on condition of anonymity owing to security concerns, the frequency of such attacks is worrying, with robbers now blocking the road every day.

“As I’m talking to you now, about 30 minutes ago, these bandits have blocked another side of the road. They cleared the passengers of an 18-seater bus and a golf. The situation is worrisome because it has become an everyday thing for these people to be blocking the road,” the source stated.

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The resident also raised concerns about the village of Balge along the highway, alleging that it serves as a hideout for suspected bandits.

“There is a village when you pass that Kwaren Kirya called Balge, about 80% of settlers in that village are bandits,” the source added. “There was a time they were chased out of the place but a majority of the people there were bandits. We just need the government to help us and station military around the area.”

Calls have been made for increased security measures in the area, urging the government to deploy security outposts to curb the activities of criminals.

As of now, police authorities in the state have not issued any statements regarding the latest abduction incident.

Bandits block Gusau-Sokoto highway, abduct 26 passengers

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Woman abducts 5-yr-old boy returning from Lagos mosque

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12 hours ago

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January 15, 2025

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Woman abducts 5-yr-old boy returning from Lagos mosque

A woman alleged to have abducted a five-year-old boy, Mohammed Naziru, who was returning from the mosque in the company of his eight-year-old sister, last week Friday, in the Iwaya area of Lagos, last Friday, has been arrested by the Police.

The woman, whose identity could not be immediately ascertained, was said to have covered herself with a hijab, apparently to appear as one of the women who had gone to observe the Jumat prayer in the community mosque.

She was said to have given the older sibling N500 to buy yoghurt worth N150 for her, while she held on to Naziru.

However, when the girl returned, the woman had disappeared with her brother, Naziru.

A search around the community yielded no results until Monday, January 13, 2024, when the woman resurfaced in the community. She was identified by Naziru’s eight-year-old sister as the alleged kidnapper. The suspect, as gathered, took to her heels but was caught by a mob who descended on her.

But for the swift arrival of policemen from the Sabo division, she would have been lynched.

The distraught father of the three-year-old boy, Alhaji Idris Adamu, lamented that his son’s whereabouts were still unknown, as the woman had refused to disclose where she kept him.

To make matters worse, she allegedly pretended to be mentally deranged upon arriving at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), where she was transferred.

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According to the abducted child’s father, , “I got a call at about 1 pm last Friday, informing me that my son had been kidnapped. I rushed to the house and found a mob descending on her. I begged them not to kill her because her death won’t bring my son back. I reported the matter to the Sabo Police Division, and they brought a vehicle to convey her to the station. But because of the crowd that besieged the police station, the Police took the woman to SCID.

“I prayed fervently every day for the safety of my son and for the woman to be arrested. Indeed, God heard my prayer. The woman walked into the community, covering herself with the hijab, and was identified. Immediately she sighted my wife, she started running, and when she was caught, she said she wasn’t the one who kidnapped our son without being asked.

“The woman is not mad; she is only pretending. When she was apprehended, we found some pieces of paper in her possession where she wrote an address where they should keep the boy and the injection they should give to him to put him to sleep. She also wrote down many telephone numbers on some sheets of paper found in the multi-coloured purse that was found with her.

“All I want is my son. She should tell us where she kept him so that we can go get him before any harm befalls him”.
Besides, the 40-year-old man also wondered why the woman, who had braids on as at the time of arrest, suddenly loosened them to change her looks to that of someone who had not combed her hair for months.

He therefore appealed to detectives at the SCID to do all they could, as fast as possible, to extract the truth that would lead to the rescue of his son from where the suspect kept him.

Meanwhile, detectives at the SCID said they would take the woman to a psychiatrist’s home to ascertain her mental state, as part of the investigation into the matter. It was also gathered that a man who initially claimed to be her father when the mob descended on her was picked by the police but later released.

Woman abducts 5-yr-old boy returning from Lagos mosque

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Final-year Akwa Poly student hacked to death in his room

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12 hours ago

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January 15, 2025

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Timfon John
Police Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Command, ASP Timfon John

Final-year Akwa Poly student hacked to death in his room

A final-year student of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, identified simply as Prince, was shot dead in his room by suspected cultists on Wednesday.

The tragic incident occurred around 1:00 a.m. at Prince’s residence on Abuja Street in Ikot Osurua. Prince, a Higher National Diploma (HND2) Computer Science student, had recently completed his final exams and was preparing to defend his project.

According to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen stormed the compound, went directly to Prince’s room, and shot him in the abdomen. His girlfriend, who was present during the attack, raised the alarm after the assailants fled, drawing the attention of neighbors.

A neighbor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Prince was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries. “The gunmen didn’t steal anything or rob anyone in the compound. They just shot him and left. He was popular in the neighborhood and active in his church choir. We were shocked at how he died,” the source said.

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The neighbor recalled seeing Prince with his girlfriend the previous day, noting their cheerful demeanor. “I saw them around 4 p.m. on Tuesday. They both wore face masks, and when I joked about it, we all laughed. It’s hard to believe he’s gone,” the source added.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command confirmed the incident. DSP Timfon John, the Police Public Relations Officer, stated that the area had experienced robbery and cult-related activities.

“Information at our disposal indicates that there were robbery and cult operations in the area. They invaded and robbed, during which a student was shot. Investigation is ongoing,” DSP John said.

The killing of Prince has raised concerns about the safety of students and residents in Ikot Osurua.

Community members have called for heightened security measures to prevent further tragedies.

 

Final-year Akwa Poly student hacked to death in his room

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ICPC arraigns boundary commission director for forgery, abuse of office

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12 hours ago

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January 15, 2025

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Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu

ICPC arraigns boundary commission director for forgery, abuse of office

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned the Director of Administration and Supplies at the National Boundary Commission, Aishatu Abdullahi, and the Assistant Chief Accountant, Ghaji Rahila, over allegations of forgery and abuse of office.

The two were charged on Tuesday before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

In a five-count charge, the ICPC accused the defendants of conspiring to allow the first defendant, Ghaji Rahila, to participate in the senior promotion exercise and secure her confirmation to the rank of Chief Accountant (Level 14) at the National Boundary Commission while also working for Galaxy Backbone Limited.

According to an ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, the commission also accused Rahila of forging an admission letter from Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda, purportedly addressed to her husband, Suleiman Mishara, in order to support her application for a leave of absence from the National Boundary Commission.

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The statement read, “That you, Ghaji Rahila (F) and Aishatu Abdullahi (F), sometime in 2021 or thereabouts in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, as Assistant Chief Accountant and Director of Administration & Supplies of the National Boundary Commission, respectively, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: conferring unfair advantage by allowing Ghaji Rahila to participate in the senior staff promotion exercise at the National Boundary Commission while Galaxy Backbone Limited simultaneously employed her. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

Bakare stated that the prisoners pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

He stated that the ICPC’s counsel, Fatimah Bardi, requested a trial date, while the defendants’ counsel, Akinyemi Aremu and Adebayo Eniwaye, sought bail on their behalf.

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Bakare stated that Justice Halilu granted the defendants bail on the condition that they produce two sureties each, who must be Abuja residents and civil officers holding the rank of director in any federal parastatal.

He said the judge ruled that the sureties must also submit evidence of their initial employment and latest promotion, sign letters of promise to ensure the defendants appear in court during the trial, and agree to incarceration should they fail to bring the defendants in court.

“Such directors must sign letters of undertaking to produce the defendants in court throughout their trial and agree to be put in prison upon failure to produce the first and second defendants in court.

“The said defendants shall also deposit their travelling documents with the registrar of the court. In the event that they (defendants) fail to meet these conditions, they should be remanded in Suleja Prison till the next adjourned date, “Bakare quoted the judge as saying.

The case was adjourned until March 17, 2025, for the commencement of the hearing.

ICPC arraigns boundary commission director for forgery, abuse of office

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