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Bandits Kidnap 29 Wedding Guests, Demand N145m Ransom

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Gunmen who abducted 29 wedding guests on Saturday in Sokoto, have demanded N145 million ransom from the family of their victims.

The secretary-general of the Phone Sellers Association in the state, Nasiru Musa, told TVC News.

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Many of the hostages are mobile phone dealers at the Bebeji Communication Market in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State.

They were abducted on Saturday evening while returning from the wedding of one of their colleagues in Tambuwal in Sokoto.

“The bandits called twice on Monday morning to inform us of their stand regarding our members that are with them”

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“They said we should bring five million naira for each of the twenty-nine persons with them which in total is N145 million before they can be released,” Mr Musa said.

Immediately after the abduction, it was thought that 50 people were abducted but several of those thought to have been abducted returned home. Seven others were rescued by a member of a vigilante group operating in the area.

READ ALSO: Military Under Fire As Bandits Deploy Helicopter, Kill 32 In Southern Kaduna

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The chairman of the association, Mustapha Khalifa, told PREMIUM TIMES on the phone on Tuesday that some of them who escaped during the abduction are receiving treatment at the Talata Mafara General Hospital.

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Metro

Four Dead As 3-storey Building Collapses In Kano

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Four persons have been confirmed dead following the collapse of a three-storey building on Abedi Street, Sabon Gari area of Kano State.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening after a downpour that lasted several hours, leading to the building’s collapse and trapping its occupants under the rubble.

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Spokesperson for the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Yusif, who confirmed the development, said two other persons sustained injuries while nine others sustained minor injuries.

READ ALSO:Three-storey Building Collapses On Lagos Island, Many Injured

He said: “As of now, we have rescued 15 people. Four were confirmed dead, two sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment at Murtala Specialist Hospital, while nine others had minor injuries.

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“The rescue operation is still ongoing. We are carefully searching every part of the collapsed structure and evacuating the rubble, as it’s believed that more people may still be trapped inside.”

The rescue operation is carried out by men of the fire fighters, SEMA, NEMA and police among others.

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Gunmen kill community leader in Bayelsa

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Suspected gunmen have reportedly killed the Community Development Committee, CDC, chairman of Igbomotoru 1 Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the CDC Chairman, identified as Mr Goodnews Manash, was ambushed at the back of the community’s school compound about 10:30p.m., Sunday, while on his way to a relative’s house.

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Confirming the incident, the paramount ruler of the community, HRH Ayibaikie Ofongo, said: “Between 12 midnight and 2a.m., Sunday, somebody from the community called to inform me that gunmen have abducted the CDC chairman of our community.

READ ALSO:Gunmen Invade Catholic Seminary School In Edo, Kill One, Abduct Three

“It was not until this morning that I got concrete information that the CDC chairman was actually assassinated in the community. I can confirm that he is dead, but we intend to have meetings at the community level before we issue an official statement to the public”

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Also reacting , the Press Secretary to the Chairman of Southern Ijaw LGA, Mr Ayibaetare Easterday, condemned the incident, describing it as unfortunate.

He said: “The story is true but he was not killed in his house. He was killed close to another person’s compound, whom he was going to visit. It is an unfortunate incident and we pray that this kind of thing does not happen again.”

“We are all brothers and sisters, so if we offend one another in the community, we should exercise tolerance and make peace. The incident is not befitting of who we are and its condemnable.”

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Panic As Armed Robbers Kill 2 In Ebonyi

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There was fear and anxiety in Agba community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as a suspected armed robber shot and killed two persons in the community.

The town union president of the community, Mr Sunday Nwadibia, who confirmed the incident said the community has been under siege for some time due to the activities of armed robbers.

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He gave the names of the deceased as Sunday Oyibe, a school proprietor, and Chukwu Ebuka.

Nwadibia said the community has been witnessing attacks and robberies since last year, which has led to loss of lives, cash running into millions, and property worth millions of naira.

READ ALSO:Gunmen Kidnap Permanent Secretary In Nasarawa

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He revealed that before the killing of Sunday Oyibe and Chukwu Ebuka, the hoodlums attacked a POS operator in the community and dispossessed him of N2.7million.

The town union president, who said the hoodlums usually wear military camouflage with bulletproof vests, also snatched a Toyota Corolla car and five motorcycles from some members of the community when they started operating in the area.

He expressed dismay that their activities have crippled economic activities in the community and urged security agencies to come to the aid of the community.

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He said: “I was in my place when people started running because armed robbers were robbing at our junction.

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So, everybody started looking for safety not knowing that the hoodlums are coming very close to our side in the community.

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“Before we could notice it, we heard gunshots me and my workers also started running for safety. The hoodlums advanced to another junction near my house and that junction is called Orie Agba and started operating there and people started running.

“I climbed one upstairs and started watching the hoodlums. They started shooting heavily and approached my office which I had locked already when I noticed their presence in the community.

“They shot one Sunday Oyibe, the founder of Unique International School, who is also the chairman of the timber association in Ishielu. We rushed him to the hospital but he couldn’t make it.

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READ ALSO:Gunmen Invade Catholic Seminary School In Edo, Kill One, Abduct Three

They shot another person, Chukwu Ebuka who people said was dragging his iPhone with them,” Vanguard quoted him.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the killing of the two persons in the community.

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He promised to get the details of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ishielu Local Government.

Yes, I know there was an incident somewhere in Ishielu but I will call the DPO of the area to get more information about it,” he said.

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