Bandits attack Kaduna community, abduct residents, march them into forest

Bandits launched a brazen attack on Angwar Danko village in Kakangi Constituency, Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, compelling residents into the nearby forest.

The assault, occurring around 6 pm on Wednesday, saw a sizable group of armed bandits storming the community, unleashing gunfire indiscriminately.

Eyewitnesses report that men and women seized by the assailants are currently being coerced into the forest.

Yahaya Musa Dan Salio, the representative for Kakangi Ward in the State House of Assembly, confirmed the harrowing incident. While precise figures on the number of abducted villagers remain unavailable, Dan Salio acknowledged that the count is substantial.

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“I was just informed that dozens of my constituents have been taken captive. The bandits have encircled the village, and at this moment, they are ferrying their victims into the forest. The situation is extremely grave,” he remarked.

Dan Salio expressed deep concern, particularly noting the predominance of male victims and hinting at potential casualties.

He underscored the urgent necessity for authorities to intensify security measures in the region, urging the deployment of additional checkpoints to impede the movement of bandits.

ASP Mansur Hassan, the State Police Command’s public relations officer, indicated that he would seek information from the area when contacted and would not issue further statements.

Bandits attack Kaduna community, abduct residents, march them into forest

Edo court sentences three to death by hanging for kidnapping, murder

An Edo State High Court has sentenced three persons to death by hanging for armed robbery, kidnapping and murder.

They were convicted and sentenced by Justice Irele-Ifijeh of the Edo State High Court, Benin City.

The convicts are identified as Solomon Abuede, James Monday and Kelvin Edward.

They were sentenced to death for armed robbery, kidnapping and the murder of one Ephraim Akhere in Ihumudumun quarters in Ekpoma, the headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area of the state

Justice Ifijeh also sentenced one Oviasogie Sunday, alias Alhaji of Kano, to life imprisonment for receiving an Infinity Jeep with registration number EFR 218 FB, property of the late Ephraim, which was stolen after the murder.

The convicts were among the six persons arraigned before Justice Irele-Ifijeh in suit number: HEK/25c/24 on a six-count charge of armed robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy and receipt of stolen property.

The court, however, exonerated two others accused, David Williams and Monday Ozomo, for lack of evidence linking them to the robbery and kidnapping.

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In her judgment, Justice Ifijeh held that the kidnappers rode on a motorcycle, armed with dangerous weapons, kidnapped their victims and asked Ephraim, the driver and Sandra to move to the back seat and lower their heads while Solomon took over the driver’s seat.

The judge averred that the convicts then drove to the bank while two of them stayed with their victims inside the car.

She added that the other went to the bank with Ephraim’s ATM card to withdraw money from his account.

She disclosed that after the withdrawal, the convicts were said to have driven to an uncompleted building where one of them named Solomon Abuede threw Ephraim into a well after giving him rat poison to swallow, while the girl was given the option of jumping into the well or eating the rat poison.

The judge, further said that Solomon who provided the rat poison later spared the girl’s life but raped her instead.

The judge further added that James Monday who was said to have provided the gun used for the operation and Monday Ozomo took the Infinity Jeep and two other stolen vehicles to Kano where Oviasogie paid N420,000 for the Infinity Jeep out of the agreed N500,000

In a 91-page judgement, Justice Irele-Ifijeh said the confessional statements of Solomon Abuede, James Monday and Kelvin Edward that they participated in the armed robbery were corroborated by the evidence of one Sandra, a prosecution witness who was in the same vehicle and kidnapped along with the late Ephraim.

The judge, who said the offences were committed on June 13, 2023, said that the conviction of the three persons was in line with Section 3 of the Kidnapping Prohibition Amendment Law of Edo State 2013 and the Armed Robbery and Firearms Act.

Three to die by hanging for kidnapping, murder in Edo