Metro

Bandits Abduct Newly-weds, Islamic Cleric, Others In Kaduna

Published

2 years ago

November 29, 2023

Some bandits have raided the Dan-Honu community in the Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State and kidnapped a new-wedded couple, Muslim leader and scores of others on Tuesday.

It was gathered that the hoodlums decked in dark dresses and wielding AK47 rifles in large numbers stormed the area around 9pm.

A source who is also a resident of the area told our correspondent that the bandits took away no fewer than eight residents of the community including the couple, the Imam and others.

However, the source added that the Imam and one other escaped while they were being led out of the community into the bush.

He said, “The bandits suspected to be kidnappers came on Tuesday night, attacked Dan-Honu II community in New Millennium City, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State and kidnappied eight persons.

“Among those abducted were a new couple who got married last Saturday, Imam of the community mosque, his wife and three children, including a 10-month-old baby.

“The bandits who stormed the community around 8:50pm numbering about 10, with AK47 rifles and other weapons, were in black, with one of them masked.

“We escaped being abducted. The bandits started by picking the Imam and his family who they met outside the community Juma’at Mosque before proceeding to other houses where they abducted the newly-wedded.

“I was inside my apartment when the bandits stormed our compound. At first, when they started banging the new couple’s door, because they went to their apartment straight, I thought they were security people who came to arrest my neighbour.”

He added, “They started banging his door and shouting ‘Dan Iska ba za ka fito ba?’, meaning ‘idiot, will you not come out? That was when I realiaed that they were kidnappers. So, when they could not force the door open, they broke his window and broke the burglary proof.

“On gaining entrance into the apartment, the bandits tried to open the door, they could not open it. So, they brought the couple out through the broken window. They injured the husband and blood was dripping from his body.

“They attempted to enter my apartment too. They broke the glass window, but as they were busy hitting the burglary proof to break into my apartment, one of the vigilantes in the community fired a shot into the air. On hearing the gunshot, the bandits became uncomfortable and left our compound.

“The new bride was also abandoned in the bush by the bandits when she could not cope with the pace of the movement. The Imam’s wife was freed when her baby’s cry almost exposed the bandits to vigilantes around Kakura area.

“The bandits were able to go with the new groom and two children of the Imam .They were yet to establish contact with the family.”

Meanwhile, the Imam, who escaped from the bandits, while narrating his ordeal, told newsmen that two out of the seven bandits that attacked the community were armed with AK47 rifles with chains of bullets.

“They beat the 10-month-old baby because he was crying. They even threatened to kill him because his cry was disturbing them. But I thank Almighty Allah my wife and the baby later escaped after I had escaped but the bandits went away with my two sons,” he said.

While confirming the incident, the Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, told our correspondent on the telephone that operatives of the command repelled the bandits and rescued the victims.

“What we know was that as they entered, police repelled the attackers and rescued those that were kidnapped,” he said.

Metro

Tragedy As UNIZIK Undergraduate Jumps From Three-storey Building, Dies

Published

5 hours ago

June 6, 2025

Editor

Tragedy struck at a private lodge near Royal Kitchen Junction, Ifite-Awka, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, late Thursday, when a male student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, jumped from a three-storey building and died.

It was gathered that the student (name withheld) jumped from the balcony of the building located near the school after allegedly consuming some unknown substances suspected to be “mkpurummiri”.

According to eyewitnesses near the scene, after the victim fell to the ground, all efforts to bring him back to life proved abortive, as he was later confirmed dead in a nearby hospital, where he was rushed.

One of the sources said, “We suddenly heard a loud thud yesterday (Thursday) evening, prompting a rush to the scene where the young man was found lying in a pool of his own blood, critically injured.

“The victim, whose name is being withheld pending notification of his family, was identified as a tenant in the lodge. Shockingly, when concerned residents checked his room, his roommate was found in an incoherent state, allegedly under the influence of the same substances they had taken earlier.

“Despite efforts to save him, the student was confirmed dead at a nearby hospital. Authorities are working diligently to contact the deceased’s family and investigate the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”

It was further gathered that the roommate of the victim is currently in custody and will be questioned further once he regains stability.

Contacted on the development on Friday, the Chief Safety Officer at UNIZIK, Ken Chukwurah, confirmed the incident, adding that the incident happened at a private lodge outside the school, and an investigation is ongoing.

Chukwurah said, “We are still investigating to be sure of what happened, how it happened and the proper identity of the victim.

“It happened in a private lodge outside the school, and we don’t have control over who is admitted to such lodges.”

Metro

Police Arrest 28 Suspected Cultists In Edo

Published

7 hours ago

June 6, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Police Command has announced the arrest of 28 suspected involved in cult-related activities across the state.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, the arrests were made during a raid on criminal hideouts.

He stated that following thorough screening, 19 of the suspects were found culpable and subsequently charged to court.

Yamu also revealed that three of the suspects confessed to being members of cult groups and have already been arraigned.

The statement reads, “The Edo State Command has sustained its fight against crime through visibility policing, community engagements and sustained raids of criminal hideouts in the State.

“On 4/6/2025 between 16:00 hours and 22:00 hours, operatives of the Command carried out raids of criminal hideouts within Benin-City.

“During the raids, twenty-eight (28) persons were arrested and professionally screened where nineteen (19) of them found implicated, were charged to court.

“In continuation of its fight against cultism, the command has commenced the house-to-house arrests of identified cult members in the state to ensure that cultism is either eliminated or brought to its barest minimum.

“Three suspects who were arrested from various locations have confessed to being members of the Eiye and Aye confraternities respectively. They have been arraigned before the court accordingly.”

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, in the statement expressed confidence that the public would feel more secure as a result of the command’s efforts.

He further warned known cultists to either renounce cultism, leave the state, or face the full consequences of the law under the Edo State Secret Cult and Other Related Activities Prohibition Law.

Metro

CBEX Fraud: EFCC Declares Two More Wanted

Published

2 days ago

June 5, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday declared two more individuals wanted in connection with an alleged fraud case linked to a digital trading platform, Crypto Bridge Exchange, popularly known as CBEX.

The suspects, identified as Folashade Odelana and Bamidele Ayodele Abiodun, were accused of orchestrating fraudulent activities that reportedly led to significant financial losses for unsuspecting investors.

12 persons had been declared wanted by the commission in connection with the same scheme.

In a notice published across its official social media platforms, the anti-graft agency asked members of the public with useful information on the whereabouts of the suspects to come forward.

The notice read, “The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear below are wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX). FOLASHADE ODELANA. Odelana is 31 years old and her last known address is at No. 17, Oremeta Street, Allen, Ikeja, Lagos State.

“BAMIDELE AYODELE ABIODUN. Abiodun is 32 years old. His last known address is at No.17, Oremeta Street, Allen, Ikeja, Lagos State.

“Anybody with useful information as to their whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices, or through these numbers 09-9044751-3, 08093322644, 08183322644, 07026350721-3, 0706350724-5; its e-mail address: info@efccnigeria.org or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies.”

No fewer than 600,000 Nigerians reportedly invested in the scheme and lost N1.3tn after it collapsed in April 2025.