Harrowing 52-Day Ordeal: Kaduna Mother Recounts Daughter’s Rape by Bandits After Ransom Payment

A wave of outrage and grief has swept through Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State as a mother, Mrs. Comfort Ezekiel, bravely came forward to detail the appalling abuse she and her daughter suffered during 52 days in captivity. The trauma did not end with the payment of a ransom, as bandits subjected her daughter to sexual assault in her presence while escorting them out of the forest after collecting money from their family. Several other female captives were similarly molested during their time in the forest camp.

“They collected the ransom and told us we were free to go. We thought our suffering was over, but it was not. They raped my daughter before my eyes. It is a painful memory that will never leave me,” Mrs. Ezekiel said amid tears.

The ordeal began when armed bandits invaded their community in Kachia LGA, marching the victims deep into the forest where they remained for 52 days. Life in captivity was a daily struggle for survival, marked by severe hunger, fear, and uncertainty. The captives slept on the bare ground, survived on little food and water, trekked for hours through the forest, and lived every day with the fear of being killed at any moment.

The emotional trauma of witnessing the abuse of her daughter remains the most painful aspect of the ordeal for Mrs. Ezekiel. She insisted that no mother should witness what she saw, and that even though they have returned home, they are not the same people who were taken away. The pain, she said, remains in their hearts.

Mrs. Ezekiel disclosed that her daughter has yet to recover physically or emotionally from the trauma and continues to experience health complications following the incident. She appealed to the federal and Kaduna State governments, security agencies, and humanitarian organisations to provide medical, psychological, and social support for victims of kidnapping, noting that many survivors return home with deep emotional and physical scars.

The incident underscores the deteriorating security situation in Southern Kaduna, which has been plagued by a series of violent attacks and abductions. Residents of the affected communities have expressed deep concern and are urging security agencies to intensify operations against bandit groups terrorising communities in the area.

Harrowing 52-Day Ordeal: Kaduna Mother Recounts Daughter’s Rape by Bandits After Ransom Payment

Police Arrest 10 Suspects Over Killing of Benue Miyetti Allah Chairman

The Benue State Police Command has arrested 10 suspects in connection with the killing of the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isa. The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation in Otukpo Local Government Area on the night of June 27, 2026, less than 24 hours after the victims were ambushed and killed.

The Benue State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the killing of the state Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isa. The suspects were apprehended on the night of June 27, 2026, during a coordinated operation by the Command’s tactical teams in Otukpo Local Government Area, following what police described as intensive intelligence gathering and tactical operations. Confirming the arrests in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, said the arrests marked significant progress in the investigation into the attack. The suspects arrested were 25-year-old Titus Thyodenda, 20-year-old Utibe Sam, 18-year-old Owoicho Ameh, 21-year-old Sunday Useni, 46-year-old Sunday Ogbanje, 23-year-old Daniel Raphael, 24-year-old Adokole John, 32-year-old Samuel Ogazi, 25-year-old Agbo Daniel, and 30-year-old Onazi James.

The MACBAN chairman and Yakubu Isa were reportedly ambushed and killed at Okudu community in Otukpo LGA on Friday by armed men, while returning from a peace meeting called by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Idekpa, Ohimini LGA. The peace meeting had involved community leaders and Fulani herders as part of efforts to ease tensions in the area. Reports indicate that after the meeting, Mohammed and Isa were travelling back when gunmen ambushed their vehicle along the Okwudu-Okpachenyi rural road and opened fire, killing both men on the spot. The incident has raised serious concerns among residents, especially in communities that have experienced repeated security challenges in recent months.

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Commending the officers involved in the operation, the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, praised the tactical teams and investigators for their swift response and professionalism. The CP said, “The Command has made significant progress in the ongoing investigation. Ten suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the incident following intensive intelligence and tactical operations.” He assured the public that investigations were ongoing and that efforts had been intensified to identify and apprehend other persons linked to the crime. According to him, “The Command remains committed to ensuring that all those found culpable are brought to justice in accordance with the law.”

The Benue State Government has appealed to members of MACBAN not to resort to reprisal attacks. The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Internal Security, Joseph Har, who addressed newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday, condemned the killing and described the deceased as an advocate of peace. Har stated that the incident was “not a Benue or Idoma agenda” but a criminal act, and called on security agents to promptly arrest the perpetrators. Chairmen from the Benue South senatorial district also condemned the murder, absolving the Idoma people of responsibility and describing it as the work of bandits. They appealed against any reprisal, noting that “any reprisal will be on innocent people.”

The Commissioner also appealed to residents of the state to remain calm and continue supporting security agencies with credible information that could aid the investigation. Reaffirming the Command’s commitment to maintaining law and order, the CP stressed that the Benue State Police Command remained resolute in protecting lives and property while sustaining peace and security across the state.

Police Arrest 10 Suspects Over Killing of Benue Miyetti Allah Chairman

NDLEA Seizes N12.4bn Cannabis at Lagos Port, Arrests China-Bound Businesswoman with Cocaine

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a massive 4,959 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis valued at N12.397 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos. In a separate intelligence-led operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the agency arrested a China-bound businesswoman with 7.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a false luggage compartment.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded multiple major anti-narcotics breakthroughs across Nigeria. The agency intercepted a 40-foot container of Canadian Loud cannabis worth N12.397 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos, arrested a businesswoman attempting to smuggle 7.5 kilograms of cocaine to China, and dismantled a criminal syndicate that plants illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at motor parks. The arrests and seizures were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

The agency said operatives had tracked the 40-foot container carrying the Canadian Loud shipment for over four weeks before intercepting it on June 23 during a joint examination with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies at the Apapa Port. A total of 4,959 kilograms of the illicit drug consignment, worth N12,397,500,000 in street value, was recovered. The container, which also contained a Ford and a Nissan vehicle, had been under surveillance since April 25, when it departed Toronto, Canada. The shipment traveled by truck to Montreal, moved by rail before passing through Tanger Med Port in Morocco, where it was loaded onto another vessel on May 23. It arrived at Tin Can Port, Lagos, on June 4, was discharged the following day, and later transferred to Apapa Port, where it was intercepted.

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In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 38-year-old businesswoman Iwebema Ogechi Peace at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport on June 21 while she was preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China. Acting on credible intelligence, officers searched her luggage and discovered four large parcels of cocaine weighing 7.5 kilograms, expertly concealed in a professionally fabricated false bottom compartment of her suitcase. The suspect reportedly told investigators she frequently traveled to China to purchase goods for sale in Nigeria.

The NDLEA also announced the dismantling of a criminal syndicate operating between Anambra State and the Federal Capital Territory that secretly plants illicit drugs inside the luggage of unsuspecting passengers traveling by commercial buses. The operation began after NDLEA officers intercepted a Sienna bus traveling from Nnewi, Anambra State, to Abuja at Abaji on June 20. During the search, officers recovered 467.7 grams of suspected methamphetamine concealed inside a waybill package hidden among passengers’ luggage. The woman identified as the intended recipient, Gloria Peter, was arrested at Utako Motor Park but denied ownership or knowledge of the drug package. Her denial prompted investigators to arrest loaders at the departure park in Nnewi. One of the loaders confessed that he had secretly placed the narcotics inside the woman’s luggage on the instructions of the driver, identified as Abdurrazak Isah. Further interrogation led to the arrest of another passenger, Onyebuchi Victor Okoye, who was identified as the actual owner of the illicit consignment.

In another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 57-year-old Ikechukwu Uwakwe at Iddo Motor Park in Lagos with 209.5 kilograms of Scottish Loud, another potent strain of cannabis, allegedly being transported to Enugu State. Similarly, two nationals of the Benin Republic—Hossou Tito Julien, 30, and Mancellim Dossou, 19—alongside a Nigerian, Jackson ThankGod, were arrested after operatives intercepted their truck on the Mile 2 Bridge in Lagos. A search of the vehicle uncovered 558,900 pills of Tramadol 250mg concealed inside a specially fabricated compartment after the consignment was allegedly smuggled into Nigeria from Togo through the Benin Republic. Along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, NDLEA officers also arrested Lucky Abonga and Osas Azamobo while transporting 118 kilograms of skunk concealed among legitimate goods in a truck traveling from Lagos to Onitsha. In another Lagos raid, Helen Ese Idiji, 40, and Rashidat Sa’adullah, 53, were arrested with 28.8 kilograms of skunk at a residence in Amukoko. Investigators said Helen allegedly used the premises to store and distribute illicit drugs.

Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised their sustained efforts in reducing drug supply while intensifying preventive drug education, urging them to remain resolute in the fight against illicit drug trafficking. Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said it sustained its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitization programs in schools and communities across Yobe, Lagos, Kano, Kogi, and Enugu states.

NDLEA Seizes N12.4bn Cannabis at Lagos Port, Arrests China-Bound Businesswoman with Cocaine