55 Feared Kidnapped As Bandits Ambush Katsina Wedding Train

Published

1 year ago

February 3, 2024

No fewer than 55 wedding guests who were said to be escorting a bride home along the Damari town in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State have been kidnapped by suspected bandits.

A resident confirmed to PUNCH Online on Friday in a telephone call that the incident occurred on Thursday around 9pm.

The source further informed The PUNCH that three local security volunteers lost their lives in the hurriedly coordinated effort to rescue the victims.

“Most of those the hoodlums attacked and abducted were those who were already crowded and riding in an open van called canter vehicle.

“The victims were initially over 70, mostly friends to the bride, in which several others escaped after jumping off the moving canter van when the terrorists hijacked the van,” he said.

The PUNCH gathered that the Sabuwa area is plagued by security challenges.

The local government area has been dealing with the presence of bandits and their accomplices, who are often informants.

The Chairman of Dandume Local Government Area, Alhaji Basiru Musa, confirmed the report.

While some unconfirmed reports suggest that a few kidnapped women managed to escape, the chairman promised to verify and provide updates.

He clarified that although the women were from Dandume, the bandits intercepted them on their way from Sabuwa Local Government Area at around 9pm.

Sabuwa and Dandume are among the local government areas being heavily tormented by bandits in Katsina State.

In a related incident around the same time, gunmen reportedly from the Siddi forest, have been confirmed to have infiltrated Tashar Nadaya, near the Gazari district border in Sabuwa LG.

The criminals were said to have killed a commercial motorcycle rider and made away with his bike.

It was also learnt that they opened fire on a group of four individuals and confiscated their motorcycles

Attempts by The PUNCH to get an official confirmation of this latest abduction from the police and other security agencies were said not be successful.

NDLEA Intercepts Drugs In Factory-fitted Lipsticks At Lagos Airport

Published

15 minutes ago

July 13, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of illicit substances concealed in factory-fitted female lipsticks at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The discovery, which marks the second of such in less than a week, was announced by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, via a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday.

“Ladies beware! It does appear like female lipstick is becoming attractive as an instrument for concealment and trafficking now,” Babafemi warned.

“With yet another consignment of factory-fitted female lipsticks stuffed with illicit substances intercepted at MMIA barely a week after NDLEA officers uncovered a similar cargo at a courier company in Lagos.”

He urged Nigerians, particularly women, to be cautious when purchasing or accepting cosmetic products, especially from unfamiliar or suspicious online sources.

The NDLEA has yet to reveal the identity of the suspect(s) behind the latest smuggling attempt, but investigations are said to be ongoing.

Metro

50-year-old Bandit, Two Informants Arrested

Published

24 minutes ago

July 13, 2025

Editor

The Zamfara State Police Command has announced the arrest of eight suspected criminals, including a 50-year-old bandit and two informants, as part of ongoing operations to dislodge criminal elements across the state.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Yazid Abubakar, the command’s Public Relations Officer, disclosed these successes during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Gusau.

Abubakar stated that the arrested individuals include Ibrahim Mohammed, a 50-year-old suspected bandit from Maru Local Government Area of the state, two bandit informants, a gun runner, and five other suspects.

He credited the arrests to credible intelligence received from members of the public.

Items recovered during the operations include assorted rifles, a stolen ATM card, leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, and a Toyota Corolla vehicle, among other items.

The arrests are part of the Zamfara State Police Command’s sustained efforts to combat banditry and other criminal activities plaguing the state.

Metro

Woman Dies After Falling Into 170-ft Well

Published

14 hours ago

July 12, 2025

Editor

A woman has died after falling into a 170-foot well at a construction site in Ijegun, Lagos.

Her body was recovered by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service after a prolonged multi-agency operation.

The agency said it received a distress call around 7:34 pm on June 30, about the incident at Abuba Anthony Street, near Obalagbe Bus Stop, close to Fadeko International Hotel.

According to a statement by the Fire Service’s Senior Public Affairs Officer, Maria Fadairo, on Friday, emergency responders from the Ejigbo Fire Station arrived to find that a female adult had fallen into a deep well located at the front of a one-storey building still under construction.

The structure reportedly consists of six two-bedroom flats on a fenced 648-square-metre plot.

According to The PUNCH, due to the complexity of the situation, a multi-agency operation was launched. After days of coordinated efforts, the woman’s body was recovered on Thursday (July 10).

“The victim was recovered dead and handed over to officials of SEHMU, while the Lagos State Ambulance Service stood by as the Nigeria Police observed proceedings,” the statement said.

The Director of the state Fire Service, Margaret Adeseye, expressed her condolences to the family of the deceased and emphasised the importance of safety at construction sites, noting that “a 170-foot uncovered well is a severe hazard that must never be left unsecured.”

Further investigations will be handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, according to the statement.