Metro

Amotekun Arrests 19 Suspected Kidnappers, 17 Others In Ondo

Published

2 years ago

January 17, 2024

No fewer than 36 suspected criminals have been arrested by the Ondo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun, for alleged involvement in criminal activities in some parts of the state.

Parading the suspects at the headquarters of the corps in Akure the state capital, on Wednesday, the state Commander of the Corps, Akogun Adeleye, said 19 of the suspects were specifically arrested over alleged kidnapping activities while others allegedly committed other offences such as stealing, burglary and murder among others.

According to him, the 19 suspected kidnappers were picked from the northern senatorial district of the state.

“You will notice that you always find members of the Amotekun Corps in every junction and every major street and this is to prevent kidnappers from entering houses to pick people.

“Today again, we are parading about 36 suspects. I want to place it on record that in the last month, there were three kidnapped activities that we were able to file successfully. This means in the last one month, there have been no successful kidnapping activities in the state.

“Today, a cross-section of these criminals is different from what we normally have where we parade 20 people and 15 of them are kidnaping suspects. Today, we have more we have housebreaking and stealing suspects, and we remain resolute in our determination to flush them out of our society.

“Some of the suspected kidnappers and robbers that we were able to find were due to our intelligence report and we picked about 17 of them in a particular area in the state where we monitored.

“We equally have a suspected murderer, we have about eight cases of housebreaking and shops breaking.”

The commander noted that the arrest was made possible with the assistance of other security agencies in the state.

“I must say that with the cooperation of other state security agencies, we have been able to reduce the criminal activities in the state. The cross-section of these 36 suspects shows that their activities have dropped drastically in the state. We will still continue to ensure that people do their businesses normally and that they are not disturbed now that the state government is resolute in guaranteeing lives and property, we are also determined to ensure that,” he stressed.

He, however, appealed to the traditional rulers in the state to give the corps any useful information that could assist the Amotekun to flush out the criminals from the state.

“We want to appeal to the Olus, that once they see the connection of unknown people in the forest they should alert us immediately. I want to encourage the general public that once they see strange movement they should let the security agencies know,” he urged.

Metro

Police Bust Kidnap Ring, Rescue 23 Foreigners, Arrest 14 Suspects Near Abuja

Published

9 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismantled a transnational kidnapping syndicate that demanded N230 million ransom from foreign nationals lured into Nigeria under the guise of lucrative job offers.

Operatives of the command’s Scorpion Squad launched the sting operation around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State, a border community near Abuja.

Fourteen suspected kidnappers were arrested and 23 foreign nationals rescued in the process.

According to police findings, the victims, all West African nationals, were deceived into travelling to Nigeria by a criminal network posing as employment recruiters.

Upon arrival, the victims were held captive, and the kidnappers demanded ransom from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.

FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said on Friday that investigations identified the ringleader as Abubakar Jigiba, a suspected notorious cross-border criminal with known residences in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria.

The syndicate, she explained, demanded four million CFA francs (about N10 million) per person, a total ransom demand of N230 million.

Adeh confirmed that efforts are ongoing to track down the principal suspect, Abubakar Jigiba, and his brother, Sougule Zoubere, both of whom remain at large.

She said: “In a major breakthrough against kidnapping and human trafficking, operatives of the FCT Police Command’s Scorpion Squad have successfully arrested fourteen (14) suspected kidnappers and rescued twenty-three (23) victims, all foreign nationals, from captivity.

“The intelligence-led operation took place at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday, 21st October 2025, at Angwan Adamu Ruga Fulani Zone B, Riverside, Ado Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

“The operation followed a report indicating that several foreign nationals had been lured into Nigeria under the pretext of lucrative job offers. Upon arrival, they were held hostage by their abductors, who demanded ransom payments from their families via WhatsApp and other online platforms.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the syndicate is coordinated by one Abubakar Jigiba, a transnational criminal kingpin with known residences in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Nigeria. His younger brother, Sougule Zoubere, handles the recruitment, kidnapping and smuggling of victims from Mali into Nigeria, where they are detained pending ransom payments. The group demanded four million CFA (N10,000,000) for each victim.

“Further investigations revealed that the victims were trafficked into the country through illegal border routes in a journey lasting about three days. They were subsequently confined in two fortified two-bedroom apartments under inhumane conditions.

“Acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence, the Scorpion Squad traced the hideout to the above address, where a total of twenty-three (23) victims — fourteen (14) males, eight (8) females and one (1) child — were rescued unhurt, except one who sustained a minor ear injury and has been taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for treatment.”

Metro

Woman Begs Court Not To Grant Husband’s Prayer For Divorce

Published

9 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

A housewife, Fauziya Ibrahim, has begged an Area Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, not to grant her husband, Hamza Musbau’s prayer of divorce.

She told the court that she does not want her marriage dissolved.

“I have been married to my husband for 16 years and I want to remain in this marriage,” she told the court.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),Earlier, Hamza prayed for divorce on grounds of lack of love and affection.

The judge, Mr Toyin Aluko, said that on the strength of the provisions of the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah allows a wife to seek for settlement, just as divorce is allowed.

He, therefore, advised Fauziya to try her best to make peace and settle any misunderstanding between them.

Aluko adjourned the case.

Metro

Woman Seeks Divorce Over Alleged Abandonment, Abuse

Published

9 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

A married woman, Love Thomas, has dragged her husband, Joshua, before an upper Customary Court sitting in Kaduna, Kaduna State, over alleged abandonment and violence.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the complainant’s lawyer, Victoria Omajawu prayed the court to dissolve their marriage on the grounds of abandonment.

She also prayed the court to restrain the defendant from threatening and disturbing her client’s peace or tranquility.

The defendant was however not in court.

The judge, Mrs Patience Musa, adjourned the case.