News
Kaduna school kidnap: 26 students return, 140 still missing
Twenty-six students of Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, who were among those kidnapped on Monday morning from the school, have returned.
The police claimed they rescued the students but a source said the lucky students escaped from their captors and returned on their own.
But about 140 other students of the school are reportedly still missing as of 4pm on Monday.
Suspected bandits had invaded the school amid shooting while they seized the children and whisked them away.
The school is said to have a total of 180 boarding students. Only few of the students managed to escape being kidnapped.
The remaining students are presently unaccounted for, says a source working in the school.
Kaduna police spokesman, Mohammed Jalige, said the police “gave the bandits a hot pursuit” and rescued 26 students.
“In the early hours of today Monday 5th July, 2021 at about 0143hrs the command received a report that armed bandits in large number had gained access into Bethel Baptist Secondary School Kujuma in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State,” he said in a statement.
He also said, “They shot, overpowered the school’s security guards and made their way into the students’ hostel where they abducted an unspecified number of students into the forest.
“On the receipt of the unfortunate incident, a joint team of the Nigeria Police, Army and Navy Operatives were immediately mobilised to the area with a mission to rescue the abducted students unhurt. The Operatives gave the bandits a hot pursuit occasioned by a tactical application of weapons and succeeded in rescuing twenty six (26) students including a female teacher safely.
“However, the rescue operation is still ongoing to ensure that all victims are safely returned. Officers involved in the said operation are charged to ensure no stone is left unturned with a view to successfully accomplish the rescue mission since resources will be availed them without delay.
“The command is therefore encouraging parents not to be deterred by the recent bandits’ activities in the state targeting schools and learning institutions as strategic measures will be emplaced to forestall further occurrence of such dastardly act of criminality against innocent children.
“The command is saddened by the incident and call on all stakeholders on security to unite particularly at this very critical time to safeguard schools in order to guarantee a safe and secured learning environment and other meaningful businesses.”
Kaduna State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Joseph Hayab, said his son, who is also a student in the school, was among those who narrowly escaped being abducted.
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News
Four-Storey Building Collapses in Enugu, Workers Trapped Inside
An early-morning building collapse in Enugu has left one person dead and four others injured after a four-storey structure under construction suddenly gave way in the Independence Layout area of the state.
The incident occurred around 6 a.m. on Sunday on Ogbalu Street, where workers were reportedly sleeping inside the construction site when the building collapsed.
Four workers were pulled from the debris alive and taken to the Enugu State Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.

Authorities said six people had been sleeping at the site before the incident, but one of them had reportedly stepped out shortly before the structure came down. The body of another victim was recovered from the rubble.
The rescue operation has drawn the involvement of several emergency and security agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency, Nigerian Red Cross Society, State Emergency Management Agency, Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority and the Police.
Officials are still working at the scene to determine whether anyone else may be trapped beneath the debris.

The cause of the collapse remains unknown as of the time of reporting.
The incident has also renewed questions about compliance with construction standards, site safety and the effectiveness of regulatory monitoring in Enugu.
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News
Adeleke Orders Arrests After Associate Ajagungbade Is Reportedly Killed in Ife
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed security agencies to arrest anyone found to have been involved in the reported killing of his associate, Olamilekan Ajagungbade, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade.
Ajagungbade was reportedly shot dead in Ile-Ife on Sunday amid a dispute connected to the leadership of a motor park.
Reacting to the incident, Adeleke ordered Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zungura to take immediate action against those responsible. The directive was disclosed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.
The governor also ordered rival groups involved in the park dispute to leave the motor parks while security agencies work to restore calm.
“There will be no sacred cows as all culprits will be brought to book” Adeleke said, while urging residents to remain calm.
As part of his response, the governor announced plans to bring back the Park Management System across the state, saying an Executive Order would soon be issued to provide the legal backing for the arrangement.
The renewed system is expected to regulate the operation of motor parks and garages and address disputes over their management.
Ajagungbade was described in the report as a close associate of the governor and a member of the Accord Party.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting and the identities of those responsible had not been fully disclosed at the time of reporting.
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News
Police Arrest Two in Delta, Recover Guns, Daggers and Battle Axe
Two suspects are in police custody in Delta State following separate raids that resulted in the recovery of firearms, ammunition and other items, the state police command has said.
The latest operation involved the arrest of Chukwuka Nzete, also known as “Ododo”, in Isupe Community, Ndokwa West Local Government Area.
Police said Nzete was suspected of dealing in illegal firearms and alleged that he ran a shrine used to fortify suspected criminal elements.
Items recovered during a search of his residence included a pump-action gun, four dagger knives, a battle axe and pots containing substances suspected to be charms.
The command said detectives were investigating to establish the extent of Nzete’s activities and whether he had links with other criminal groups.
A separate operation also led to the arrest of Joel Iwomi, 36, in Umuebu, Obiaruku.
According to the police, Iwomi resisted attempts by operatives of the Command Anti-Cult Unit to enter his residence before officers eventually gained access and conducted a search.
The search allegedly produced a pump-action gun and 18 live cartridges.

Both suspects have been taken into custody while investigations continue.
The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Samuel E. Erale, said the command would continue efforts to keep illicit firearms away from criminal elements and prevent weapons capable of threatening public safety from circulating in the state.
He urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious movements, illegal firearms and other criminal activities.
The police said information supplied by members of the public would be handled confidentially.
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