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Kidnappers demand N100m ransom to release Kaduna doctor, husband

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Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan

Kidnappers demand N100m ransom to release Kaduna doctor, husband

Kidnappers of Kaduna-based ophthalmologist, Ganiya Olawale-Popoola; her husband, Nurudeen Popola, and their guest, AbdulMugniy Folaranmi, are demanding a N100m ransom for their release from captivity, one month after the abduction.

Despite family efforts to negotiate a reduction, the abductors remain firm on the N100m demand.

The incident occurred on December 27, 2023, when gunmen allegedly broke into the ophthalmologist’s residence at the National Eye Centre Quarters in Kaduna, kidnapping the doctor, her Air Force officer husband, and their 16-year-old guest.

The kidnappers contacted the family on the fourth day, demanding the specified ransom for the victims’ release.

The kidnappers allegedly threatened to kill the couple if the N100m was not paid before January 18.

The family source disclosed that the kidnappers reached out to the family on Friday insisting that they would kill the victims if the ransom was not paid.

The source said, “The kidnappers reached out to us on Friday. Anytime they reached out, they asked one of the victims who understood Hausa and English to speak with us. They insisted that they were not going back on the N100m ransom.

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“We have pleaded with them to even consider collecting N20m which the family was able to raise but they refused. Everyone in the family is in a state of confusion as to what could be done.”

The source further stated that when the family reached out to the Air Force and police authorities, they were told that they were working to secure their release without getting the victims hurt while appealing to the necessary authorities to help secure the release of their family.

“We have reached out to the police and the Air force but what they kept telling us was that they were working to get them released from their abductors. They (the police and Air Force) told us that they had been careful not to get the victims injured while rescuing them.

“We are appealing as a family to the Nigerian government to help us secure the release of our family members. It has been over a month since they were abducted and we are exhausted as a family. There is no way we can raise the N100m ransom the kidnappers are demanding,” the source said.

When contacted on Monday, the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, said the command was making efforts to get the abductees released without casualties.

“There are lots of kidnapping cases that we recorded in recent times. We have been able to rescue some of the victims and arrest some of the kidnappers. The police are not relenting in making sure that all the abducted victims are rescued from their abductors but we want to make sure there is no casualty while we are rescuing them,” Hassan disclosed.

Kidnappers demand N100m ransom to release Kaduna doctor, husband

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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

 

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)

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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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Dr. Samuel Ekerenam
Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel Ekerenam and k!lled his driver in Eket town, the headquarter of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Ekerena, the owner of Hephzibah Mall, was abducted about 10:00pm on Saturday, 23 November, 2024.
It was gathered that the gunmen trailed the victim to the shopping complex, shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away before whisking him away to an unknown destination.
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The body of Ekerenam’s driver was discovered in the pool of his blood, while his police orderly was severely wounded in the gun attack.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident on Monday, November 25, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has deployed tactical operatives to comb for the abducted businessman.
The PPRO added that the police were on top of the game and very soon the kidnap victim would be rescued and the perpetrators made to face the full weight of the law.

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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