Six people, including a husband transporting his deceased wife’s body for burial in Benue State, have reportedly been abducted by gunmen along the Adoka–Otukpo Road.

The attackers allegedly intercepted the travellers, who were returning from Kano to Okpoga in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, and took all six occupants of their vehicle, leaving the woman’s corpse behind.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 8pm on Friday, October 30, 2026, around Adoka, as the family was conveying the deceased woman’s remains to their hometown for burial.

According to a report by Daily Post, the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N15 million for the release of the six victims, who were still being held as of Monday, November 2.

An activist and citizen journalist, Meddy Olotu, reportedly raised the alarm in a video shared on social media, appealing to security agencies and relevant authorities to intervene and secure the victims’ release.

Olotu said relatives lost contact with the travellers after they arrived in Adoka on Friday night. He explained that the family subsequently received calls from the kidnappers demanding money for the release of the six abductees.

He disclosed that he had spoken with a family member who was communicating with the kidnappers in Hausa.

The situation has compounded the family’s grief, as relatives who were already mourning the deceased woman are now struggling to raise the ransom demanded for the release of their loved ones.

Olotu further disclosed that operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) discovered the woman’s remains the following morning. The corpse was reportedly taken to the police station in Adoka before being deposited in a mortuary.

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He appealed to the authorities to intensify efforts to rescue the six abducted persons and ensure that the deceased woman’s remains are returned to her family for burial.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondong, for confirmation and comments were unsuccessful as of the time the report was published.

Kidnappers Seize Husband, Five Others Conveying Wife’s Corpse, Demand N15m

The Nigeria Police Force reports seven homicide incidents within 24 hours, including the machete killing of a 67-year-old man in Osun, the death of a three-year-old boy in Adamawa and the arrow killings of two brothers in Borno State.

The Nigeria Police Force has reported a series of violent incidents across several states, including murder, armed robbery, cult-related attacks and suspicious deaths, with four suspects arrested during a 24-hour operational period.

Among the most disturbing cases documented in the police operational update for November 1, 2026, were the killing of a 67-year-old man in Osun State following an alleged dispute over ₦10,000, the death of a three-year-old boy who was reportedly thrown into a well in Adamawa State, and the discovery of two brothers allegedly killed with arrows in Borno State.

The incidents, recorded between October 29 and November 1, also included fatal knife attacks in Bauchi and Cross River states, the discovery of an unidentified man with a stab wound in Niger State and the deaths of two young farmers in a canoe accident.

In its operational summary released on Monday, the police said four suspects were arrested across the country, while investigations and manhunt operations continued in connection with several of the incidents.

In Osun State, police arrested a suspect identified as Oyebamiji Lekan for allegedly hacking 67-year-old Samson Gabriel to death with a machete following an argument over ₦10,000.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 8am on October 31. Gabriel, an Urhobo indigene, was said to have been attacked after a disagreement over money allegedly belonging to him.

According to the police, the suspect, who was reportedly a neighbour to the victim’s father, inflicted multiple machete cuts on Gabriel, killing him at the scene.

Police operatives subsequently recovered the suspected weapon and arrested Lekan. The victim’s remains were deposited at the mortuary of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital for autopsy.

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In another disturbing incident in Adamawa State, a 17-year-old girl, identified as Ummi Saad, allegedly threw a three-year-old boy, Abdulrazak Aminu, into a hand-dug drinking water well at Shuwa Village, Duhu District, in Madagali Local Government Area.

The incident happened at approximately 10:30pm on October 31.

The police said rescue efforts continued for several hours before the child was recovered and rushed to Cottage Hospital, Gulak, where a doctor confirmed him dead.

The incident reportedly sparked outrage among residents, who attempted to lynch the suspect and set her ablaze.

However, police operatives intervened and rescued her from the angry crowd. The Adamawa State Police Command said normalcy had since returned to the community, while the State Criminal Investigation Department in Yola had commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

In Borno State, police recovered the bodies of two brothers, identified as Umar Mohammed, 30, and Goni Mohammed, 20, who were allegedly killed with arrows.

Their elder brother, Usman Adamu, 25, reportedly discovered their decomposing bodies on October 31 at La’mallumti Village, Gamasuno Ward, in Gubio Local Government Area.

The police said the bodies bore apparent arrow wounds on their chests and other parts.

A joint team comprising police officers, Rangers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force visited the scene to document the incident. The remains were subsequently handed over to the family for burial.

In Bauchi State, police launched a manhunt for a 31-year-old suspect, Usuman Aliyu Isah, over the alleged murder of 25-year-old Usama Idris.

The suspect reportedly attacked Idris with a knife in the Zango area of Bauchi metropolis on October 31, inflicting deep injuries on his back and forehead.

The victim was rushed to the State Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, where medical personnel confirmed his death. His remains were deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy, while police intensified efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspect.

Similarly, in Cross River State, police began searching for suspected cult members allegedly involved in the killing of Patrick Alim in Ogoja.

The attack occurred at about 10:10pm on October 30, when armed cult members reportedly led by a suspect identified as Solo Nnamdi attacked and stabbed Alim during a fight.

The victim later died at Ogoja General Hospital, where his remains were deposited for autopsy. Police said efforts were ongoing to track down those responsible for the killing.

In another incident in Osun State, suspected armed robbers dressed in military camouflage reportedly barricaded the Ife-Osu Expressway in the early hours of October 31 and robbed motorists of their valuables.

The police said a commercial driver who refused to surrender his vehicle keys was assaulted and injured by the attackers.

He was subsequently taken to a hospital, where he received treatment and was discharged.

Operatives who responded to the incident reportedly forced the suspected robbers to flee into a nearby bush. The police said tracking and bush-combing operations were continuing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

In Niger State, two 20-year-old men, identified as Bandagi Yabagi and Keke Alhaji Shaba, drowned after a canoe capsized on River Dogo at Echegi Village, Katcha Local Government Area.

The incident occurred on November 1 as the victims were reportedly attempting to cross the river to their farms when their canoe overturned.

Police operatives later recovered their bodies, which were released for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

In a separate incident in Suleja, Niger State, detectives commenced an investigation after the body of an unidentified man, estimated to be about 30 years old, was discovered with a stab wound to his chest around Angwan-Kabula Junction.

The discovery was reported at approximately 7:20am on November 1.

The police evacuated the corpse to General Hospital, Suleja, for autopsy as investigators began efforts to establish the victim’s identity and determine the circumstances surrounding his death.

Meanwhile, in Ogun State, police commenced an investigation into the death of a 44-year-old Chinese national, identified as Yu Yan Jun, who worked as a storekeeper with Donfeng Chinese Company along Iperu-Ode Remo Road.

According to the police, Yu complained of ill health after leaving work on October 29. He reportedly had a history of high blood pressure and was receiving medication before his condition deteriorated.

He was rushed to Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan-Remo, where a doctor confirmed him dead.

Detectives subsequently visited the scene, documented their findings and deposited his remains at the hospital mortuary pending the arrival of his family members.

Separately, in Akwa Ibom State, police arrested two men, identified as Onyenenus Romanus and Ufanabasi Sunday, over alleged vandalism at a construction site belonging to Craneburg Company along Udo Udoma Avenue in Uyo.

The suspects were intercepted on October 31 during a stop-and-search operation along Abak Road while allegedly conveying stolen electrical cables and iron bars in a tricycle.

The police said the two men confessed to vandalising the construction site. They were subsequently taken into custody, while the State Criminal Investigation Department in Uyo continued investigations.

Providing details of the police operational activities, the Force Public Relations Officer identified in the report as CSP Ani Iniedu said four suspects were arrested during the 24-hour period.

The police also reported that no firearms, live ammunition or vehicles were recovered during the operations. No kidnapped victims were rescued, and no suspects were reported neutralised.

The Force’s operational summary further recorded seven homicide incidents, one armed robbery incident and one cultism-related incident during the reporting period.

It also stated that no cases of gender-based violence, kidnapping, banditry or terrorism were recorded within the period.

The incidents have once again highlighted the range of security challenges confronting communities across the country, from interpersonal disputes that escalate into deadly violence to suspected cult attacks, armed robbery and unexplained deaths.

Investigations into the reported killings and other criminal incidents were ongoing as of the release of the police update.

The growing disagreement between Nigeria’s two major labour centres, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has taken a fresh turn, with NLC President, Joe Ajaero, accusing his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, of being an absentee leader who allegedly resides in the United States and only returns to Nigeria to attend union meetings.

Ajaero made the allegation on Monday, November 2, 2026, during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he questioned Osifo’s commitment to leading Nigerian workers while allegedly spending much of his time outside the country.

Describing Osifo as an absentee president, Ajaero challenged him and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to establish how much time the TUC leader had actually spent in Nigeria this year.

“He is an absentee president of the TUC; he doesn’t live in Nigeria. He comes in from the US to attend meetings and rush back,” Ajaero said.

The NLC president argued that occupying a leadership position in a central labour organisation required regular presence in the country, particularly given the economic challenges confronting Nigerian workers.

He insisted that Osifo’s alleged absence could be verified through his travel records, challenging the TUC president to demonstrate whether he had spent even four to five months in Nigeria in 2026.

“You can’t be living abroad and be holding a position in the central-level organisation, and I challenge him and the Nigerian Immigration Service to prove if he has been in this country for four to five months this year,” he said.

Ajaero also rejected suggestions that he had failed to maintain communication with Osifo over issues affecting organised labour, particularly negotiations on workers’ wages and welfare.

According to him, he had made several attempts to reach the TUC president, including sending messages around June and July to harmonise the positions of both labour centres on the minimum wage.

He claimed that Osifo sometimes responded that he was travelling or in transit and promised to return his calls, but the conversations rarely materialised.

Ajaero maintained that his efforts to engage his counterpart contradicted claims that he had sidelined the TUC in important labour matters.

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“I’ve been trying to reach him. I sent him messages around June or July. I sent messages that we need to harmonise our position, and when I finish, I’ll forward it to you on this issue of minimum wage,” he explained.

He further questioned Osifo’s participation in meetings of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) board, alleging that the TUC president had not been regularly seen at its activities apart from one virtual appearance.

The NLC leader also expressed disappointment over what he described as Osifo’s failure to acknowledge his international recognition, claiming that he had informed his counterpart about receiving the Arthur Svensson International Prize for Trade Union Rights but received no response.

Ajaero described the award as a significant recognition for Nigerian organised labour, saying he was the first Nigerian trade unionist to receive it.

The latest confrontation comes amid an escalating disagreement between the two labour organisations over the Federal Government’s approval of a ₦70,000 transport allowance for public servants for six months, beginning in November 2026.

The allowance followed negotiations between the Federal Government and the NLC, but the TUC rejected the arrangement, arguing that it was not adequately involved in the discussions and that the intervention did not address workers’ broader financial challenges.

Osifo had earlier challenged Ajaero’s authority to negotiate on behalf of workers represented by the TUC, insisting that the two labour centres must participate in negotiations affecting their respective members.

Speaking separately on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Osifo described the NLC’s handling of the agreement as an aberration, maintaining that the TUC could not be bound by negotiations conducted without its participation.

He argued that the NLC’s larger number of affiliated unions did not give it the right to negotiate on behalf of TUC-affiliated unions without consultation.

Osifo also disputed Ajaero’s interpretation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) principles governing workers’ representation, challenging the NLC president to produce any regulation authorising one labour centre to negotiate independently for another.

He maintained that both organisations should participate in negotiations whenever the interests of their respective affiliates were involved.

The TUC president also questioned the procedure adopted in reaching the ₦70,000 agreement, arguing that the meeting which produced the arrangement did not constitute a properly convened meeting of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council.

The disagreement has exposed widening divisions within Nigeria’s organised labour movement, with both presidents exchanging criticisms over leadership, representation, communication and the authority to negotiate workers’ welfare with the Federal Government.

Their public disagreement comes at a time when Nigerian workers are grappling with rising living costs, high transportation expenses, increased food prices and concerns over the adequacy of existing wages.

Neither Ajaero’s allegation about Osifo’s residency nor his claims about the TUC president’s attendance at PenCom meetings have been independently established in the reports of Monday’s exchanges.

The latest accusations have nevertheless added another dimension to the dispute, raising fresh questions about cooperation between the country’s two major labour centres and their ability to present a united position on issues affecting Nigerian workers.

Sources: Channels Television, Punch, The Guardian and LEADERSHIP.

NLC-TUC Feud: Ajaero Questions Osifo’s Whereabouts, Challenges Immigration Service