Metro

Bandits Demand N1.7m Ransom For 85 People Kidnapped Last Friday In Zamfara

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2023

Bandits operating in Zamfara and Katsina States who abducted 85 women and children in Wanzamai community of Tsafe local government area in Zamfara State have finally agreed to collect N20,000 from each of the victims amounting to N1.7 million.

The bandits also demanded that military operatives deployed to Wanzamai village should be relocated to another axis, vowing that they would continue to kidnap if the military personnel were not removed.

A native resident of the area, Ahmed Usman told DAILY POST through a telephone interview that the bandits sent a message that they would collect only N20.000 from each of the 85 victims as ransom considering their economic challenges.

“The terrorists had earlier made a demand of N50 million for the kidnapped victims to regain their freedom. The 85 kidnapped victims are mostly women and children who went to the forest to get fire woods last Friday”

Usman explained that after a series of negotiations, the bandits reduced the ransom to N20,000 for each victim as they came to understand that, they are all from poor families.

“They also asked us to inform the appropriate authorities that they would continue to attack the village if the soldiers continue to remain in the area”.

According to Usman, the families of the kidnapped victims were currently trying to pay the money, lamenting that, “many of them have to sell their belongings to raise the amount”.

He said his sister’s daughter was among those that were kidnapped, pointing out that the family has launched an appeal fund to raise the amount and save the girl.

Usman further explained that the kidnap of the 85 people was a reprisal attack by the bandits whose people were killed in a raid by the military last Thursday.

“There was an attack on the bandits’ camp by the military last Thursday where some bandits were killed”.

“The people of the village were told not to go to the forest last Friday because of the fear that the bandits might attack them but unfortunately some women and children did not heed the warning”.

“They went to the forest to get fire woods not knowing that the bandits were hiding there and they were all abducted”.

He noted that two of the kidnapped victims were able to escape, while one was killed by the bandits.

Metro

Edo Police Arrest Four Suspected Cultists

Published

3 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

Edo Police Command said it has arrested four suspected cultists allegedly responsible for cult violence in Auchi and its environs of the state.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu said, the suspects, who were arrested during a joint operation, belong to different cultist groups.

The statement reads partly, “On 22/06/2025, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit in a joint operation with Jattu and Auchi Divisions embarked on a house-to-house arrest of cultists.

“These four (4) suspects were arrested in various locations in Auchi; Musa Murphy 25yrs of No 35 Ogeneni area Jattu, Auchi a member of Arobaga Confraternity, Gabriel Moses 25yrs of ECocota-Community, Auchi a member of Aye Confraternity, Michael Ayo 23yrs of No1 Emeke Uzuire, Auchi member of Eiye Confraternity and Philip Sunday 24yrs of Ebira camp, Auchi a member of Vikings Confraternity.”

Yamu expressed the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika’s assurance to the “general public of the Command’s resolve to rid the State of cultism while the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

Metro

Chaos In Court As Ex-convict Attempts To Escape

Published

6 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

A dramatic scene unfolded on Tuesday in an Ilorin Area Court as an ex-convict, Segun Samuel, attempted to escape from the court premises, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Samuel Mayowa, who witnessed the incident, told NAN that the ex-convict cunningly removed the chains from his leg with a broomstick, walked towards the restroom and scaled the court fence.

“He has four different criminal cases in this court. One of the cases was heard on Monday, and he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.

“In the second criminal case, he was sentenced to six months of community service, and the third case was supposed to be heard today, before he pulled that stunt,” he said.

Luckily, he said, the police officers in the court premises and the prison warder swung into action and pursued him.

He said that after a thorough search, and with the help of the community, the ex-convict was found in a dilapidated building at Oke-Suna Area, Ilorin.

The Correctional Service officer, he said, was called, and the ex-convict was captured and returned to custody

Metro

One Dead As Police Foil Kidnap Attempt In Kogi

Published

9 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The Police Command in Kogi has confirmed the death of one passenger in a foiled attempt to abduct passengers along the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road in the state.

A statement on Tuesday in Lokoja by SP Williams Ovye-Aya, the command’s spokesman, said the feat was part of a series of bold operations carried out in the command.

Ovye-Aya said that on June 23, the Obajana Division operatives foiled the attempted abduction of passengers along the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road.

“The police patrol team responded promptly to sporadic gunfire and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel, forcing them to flee.

“All passengers were successfully rescued, but six sustained injuries, and one later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

He further stated that the command, in a separate incident, arrested two suspects in Ayingba for possession of firearms and recovered several exhibits on June 21.

He said the two arrested suspects were found in possession of a locally made pistol, live cartridges, and suspected Indian hemp.

Again, he disclosed that on June 22, operatives of the Okene Division intercepted a Nissan vehicle with five passengers heading towards Auchi.

He said that during a search, one passenger escaped, leaving behind a bag containing a submachine gun (SMG) rifle, live ammunition, and other exhibits.

The spokesman listed the recovered items as “1 SMG rifle with breach number 5197, 1 magazine, 28 live rounds of 5.6 mm, 1 live G3 round, a locally made pistol, 2 live cartridges and other items.”

Ovye-Aya quoted the commissioner of police, Miller Dantawaye, as reassuring citizens of the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in the state.

(NAN)