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Bandits kidnap ex-NBC director, daughter, 18 others in Kaduna
Bandits struck again in Kaduna on Monday night, abducting Alhaji Ahmed Abdulkadir, a retired director of the National Broadcasting Commission, and his 15-year-old daughter, Laila.
This is coming barely 24 hours after abducting family members of lawmakers in the Katsina State House Assembly.
The attackers stormed Bakori Housing Units and abducted Abdulkadir, and his 15-year-old daughter, Laila.
Three other residents were reportedly abducted by the bandits who carried AK 47 rifles.
They included Bello Aminu Bakori, Shamsuddeen Aminu and Habibu Rabe of Local Education Authority, Bakori.
The vigilantes in the area were said to have pursued the assailants and intercepted them in the Danja Local Government Area.
After a gun duel, three male victims were freed but Abdulkadir and his daughter were not that lucky.
Their whereabouts remain unknown and no demand for ransom yet.
Daily Trust also reports the attack on Keke, another Kaduna community, where 18 people were abducted Monday midnight.
It quoted eyewitnesses as saying the gunmen came in large numbers, created confusion in the area before seizing the victims and taking them away.
Bandits have been making life tough for many in a new wave of insecurity around the country, especially in the North. From Abuja to Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina and Kebbi states, gunmen have been breaking into homes and schools, abducting their people including students.
In August, Samuel Aruwan, the state commissioner for internal security and home affairs, confirmed some of the affected communities as Ungwan Magaji, Kigam, Kisicho, and Kikoba villages.
Aruwan had identified some of those killed by bandits as Joseph Maza, Timvan Cibi Ciwo, Monday Titus, Asabe Magani, Laraba Danladi, and Yosi Danladi.
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EFCC Busts Four Illegal Lithium Plants in Ogun, Arrests 14 Chinese Nationals
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 14 Chinese nationals and one Nigerian during raids on four suspected illegal lithium-processing plants in Ogere, Ogun State.
The suspects were arrested on Friday, October 23, 2026, by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance.
The EFCC announced the arrests on Monday, October 26, saying the operation targeted four facilities allegedly involved in illegal lithium-processing activities.
Items recovered during the operation included bags of lithium-bearing rocks, 18 mobile devices, four laptop computers, two decoders, a television remote control and a trailer truck.
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The commission did not disclose the identities of the suspects or the quantity of lithium recovered. It also did not provide specific details of the alleged licensing or regulatory violations involving the facilities.
The EFCC said the suspects would be charged to court after investigations had been concluded.
The arrests come amid increased attention on Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, as the government seeks to develop mineral resources and strengthen regulation of mining and processing activities.
Lithium is a key mineral used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, mobile phones, laptops and energy-storage systems. Growing demand for battery materials has increased interest in lithium deposits and processing opportunities in Nigeria.
However, authorities have repeatedly raised concerns about unauthorised mineral operations and the need to ensure that mineral resources are exploited in accordance with applicable laws.
The latest case remains under investigation, and the suspects have not been convicted of any offence.
The outcome of the investigation is expected to determine the next legal steps against the 15 suspects and clarify the circumstances surrounding the operations of the four facilities.
EFCC Busts Four Illegal Lithium Plants in Ogun, Arrests 14 Chinese Nationals
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Cancelled Wedding: Man Sues Ex-Fiancée’s Father Over Unpaid ₦70,000 Dowry
A man in Kaduna State, Bilyaminu Idris, has dragged his former fiancée’s father, Alhassan Dayyabu, before a Sharia Court over an alleged failure to refund the outstanding ₦70,000 from a dowry paid for a marriage that was later cancelled.
Idris filed the complaint at the Sharia Court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, seeking the recovery of the outstanding amount after waiting for five months without receiving the balance.
The complainant told the court that he had paid ₦220,000 as dowry in preparation for marrying Dayyabu’s daughter. However, the proposed marriage was subsequently cancelled.
According to Idris, Dayyabu refunded ₦150,000 but promised to pay the remaining ₦70,000 at a later date.
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He alleged that the defendant repeatedly promised to settle the balance over the following five months but failed to do so.
“He kept making empty promises on paying the balance for five months but failed. I pray the court to compel him to pay me the money,” Idris told the court.
In his response, Dayyabu reportedly acknowledged owing the complainant the outstanding ₦70,000 but appealed to the court for more time to raise the money.
After hearing from both parties, the presiding judge, Malam Mu’awiyah Shehu, adjourned the case until November 26, 2026, to allow the defendant to pay the outstanding amount.
The case highlights a dispute over the recovery of dowry following the cancellation of a proposed marriage, with the court expected to revisit the matter on the adjourned date.
Cancelled Wedding: Man Sues Ex-Fiancée’s Father Over Unpaid ₦70,000 Dowry
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Oyo Govt Draws Battle Line With Soun, Rejects Suspension of Ogbomoso Balogun
Oyo Govt Draws Battle Line With Soun, Rejects Suspension of Ogbomoso Balogun
The state government insists Dr Saka Adegbite Balogun remains the recognised Balogun of Ogbomosoland, citing the Chiefs Law, while the palace reportedly maintains that the chief was suspended over an oath-of-allegiance dispute.
The Oyo State Government has challenged the purported suspension of Dr Saka Adegbite Balogun as the Balogun of Ogbomosoland by the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, insisting that the action is inconsistent with the state’s chieftaincy law.
The government reaffirmed Dr Balogun as the duly recognised holder of the traditional title and urged members of the public to disregard reports suggesting that he had been removed from office.
The position was contained in a press release dated October 23, 2026, and signed by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Ademola Ojo.
In the statement, the government said it had taken note of media reports concerning the reported action against the Balogun by the paramount ruler of Ogbomosoland.
Citing Section 26(1) of the Chiefs Law of Oyo State, Cap. 28, 2000, Ojo maintained that the authority to appoint, suspend or depose a recognised Part II chieftaincy holder rests exclusively with the state governor.
He consequently questioned the legality of the action attributed to Oba Olaoye, arguing that it was contrary to the existing legal framework regulating traditional council operations in the state.
The commissioner stated, “By virtue of the provision of CAP 28, Section 26(1) of the Chiefs Law of Oyo State (2000), the power to appoint, suspend and depose a Part II Recognised Chieftaincy holder is vested exclusively on the Executive Governor of the State.”
He described the reported action against Dr Balogun as an aberration under the law, stressing that the state government continued to recognise him as the Balogun of Ogbomosoland.
“In the light of this, Dr Saka Adegbite Balogun is the duly recognised Balogun of Ogbomosoland,” the commissioner declared.
The government therefore called on members of the public to disregard any purported removal of the chief.
The intervention has brought the disagreement over the Balogun title into sharper focus, raising questions about the respective powers of traditional rulers and the state government in the administration of recognised chieftaincy matters.
Reports preceding the government’s statement indicated that Oba Olaoye had issued an indefinite suspension order against Dr Balogun in a letter dated October 20, 2026.
The monarch reportedly based the decision on the chief’s alleged failure to sign an oath of allegiance to the throne, which the palace considers a requirement for the proper assumption and exercise of responsibilities attached to the title.
However, the state government’s position centres on the statutory authority it says governs the suspension or removal of a recognised Part II chieftaincy holder.
The Balogun’s family also reportedly faulted the palace’s action, claiming that it received the suspension letter without prior communication, a query or an opportunity for dialogue.
According to a report by Nigerian Tribune, the family, through the secretary of the Balogun Chieftaincy House, Balogun Olajire Raufu, appealed to the state government to intervene in the dispute.
The family also alleged that Dr Balogun and his entourage had been denied access to the palace on two occasions during traditional homage proceedings. These claims have not been independently established in this report.
The dispute has therefore exposed a disagreement over both the circumstances surrounding the suspension and the authority to take such action against a recognised chief.
While the Soun’s reported decision was linked to the oath-of-allegiance issue, the Oyo State Government has maintained that the status of a recognised Part II chieftaincy holder is governed by the provisions of the state’s Chiefs Law.
The government’s statement, however, did not indicate that a court had ruled on the dispute, nor did it announce any separate judicial determination of the competing positions.
For now, the state government’s position is that Dr Saka Adegbite Balogun remains the duly recognised Balogun of Ogbomosoland, despite the reported suspension by the Soun.
The palace’s reported explanation and the government’s intervention leave the dispute unresolved, with any further clarification or legal action potentially determining the next stage of the disagreement.
Oyo Govt Draws Battle Line With Soun, Rejects Suspension of Ogbomoso Balogun
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