Metro

How We Arrested Terror Suspect Who Threatened To Kill Students, Teachers In Abuja — DSS

Published

4 days ago

April 17, 2026

Editor

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, heard how operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, trailed and apprehended a terror suspect, John Agbo who sent several messages to some elite schools in Abuja schools, threatening to kill their students and teachers.

An operative of the DSS, Michael Jego, told the court that his agency received petitions from three schools in Abuja in 2024 about text messages from some telephone numbers, with threat to kill students and teachers, and destroy property in the affected schools.

Jego spoke on Friday while testifying as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the ongoing trial of Agbo, in whose possession the witness said a Techno android phone, allegedly used by the suspect, identified as John Jude Agbo, to send the threat messages, was recovered.

Agbo, who was arraigned on March 17 on a two-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/06/2026, is being prosecuted by the DSS under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

The DSS, in a case summarily filed in court, said the defendant is “standing trial on charges of using the instrumentality of his GSM numbers: 08124412783, 08069781274, 08105715028 and 09139681108 to send SMS to some schools in Abuja.”

The secret police listed Premier International School, The Regent Secondary School and Oakland International British School, as the schools Agbo sent the threat messages.

The defendant was said to have, in the text messages, “threatened to attack the schools and kill both students and teachers,” stressing that it wouldn’t take them up to a minute to achieve that.

The DSS stated that the act constituted offences contrary to Section 24 (1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Section 18 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) (Amendment) Act, 2024.

Led in evidence by lawyer for the prosecution, Dr Calistus Eze, Jego said his team was instructed to investigate a petition received from Oakland International School on November 28, 2024.

The witness said his team, in the course of investigation, deployed technology to track the suspect to Otukpo in Benue State, where he was arrested and a mobile phone and a SIM card recovered from him.

Jego further told the court that the defendant was brought to Abuja and interviewed, following which he volunteered his statement in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACN).

The prosecution subsequently tendered the recovered mobile phone, a Techno android phone; petitions from the schools, a compact disc containing audio visual recording of the defendant’s interview and statement making sessions, a copy of the defendant’s extra-judicial statement, among others.

The court admitted all the documents and items in evidence in the absence of objection from the defence lawyer, Hamza Dantani.

The defendant, who confirmed being familiar with the Techno android phone, however denied being the owner.

While being cross-examined by Dantani, Jego said his organisation got complaints from the schools through petitions.

He said the petitions did not reflect the name of the defendant and that the phone numbers used to send the SMS were provided by the petitioners, who also provided the text messages.

Jego said he would not know if the phone numbers belonged to the defendant, but that the defendant admitted that he was part of those that composed the text messages.

The witness added that Agbo was arrested in possession of the mobile phone recovered from him and that he admitted being part of those behind the text messages.

At the conclusion of the cross examination, Eze sought an adjournment to enable the prosecution bring more witnesses and exhibits, a request Dantani did not object to.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik thereafter adjourned to May 12 for continuation of trial.

(DAILY POST)

Metro

How Police Arrested Killers Of Arise TV Anchor, Sommie Maduagwu – Witness Tells Court

Published

17 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

The trial of the eleven accused persons linked to the murder of Arise News journalist and anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, during a robbery at her apartment, continued on Tuesday, with the third prosecution witness giving details of how arrests were made.

An Assistant Superintendent of Police and member of the Scorpion Squad, CID FCT Command, Mr Maxwell Eje, at Tuesday’s proceedings, told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory that the arrest of the accused persons began with Shamsu Hassan.

He said that the police discovered on September 30 that Hassan had fled to Zaria after the robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe a day earlier, during which Miss Maduagwu jumped to her death from her three-storey apartment.

ASP Eje informed the court that Shamsu Hassan admitted to the crime and agreed to cooperate with the authorities to disclose the hideouts of others.

Hassan mentioned one Sani Surajo, who was receiving treatment at an unnamed hospital in Gosa, a suburb along the Airport Road in Abuja.

“Surajo was shocked at the sight of the security operatives of the Scorpion Squad at the hospital where he was receiving treatment,” the witness said.

“He too agreed to cooperate and assist with useful information on the whereabouts of others who took part in the robbery.”

The testimony of ASP Maxwell Eje did not get to the point of cross-examination, as Dennis Abu, counsel for the seventh to eleventh defendants, who also held brief for counsel to the first and third defendants, sought leave of the judge, Mohammed Idris, to attend a medical appointment.

This prompted an adjournment until Thursday, April 23, for the conclusion of the evidence-in-chief of the third prosecution witness and for cross-examination.

The prosecutor had earlier informed the court that he had two witnesses available at the start of Tuesday’s proceedings.

The FCT Police Commissioner had filed criminal charges against the 11 defendants bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder in connection with the September 29, 2025, armed robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe, Abuja.

It was during the incident that Arise News anchor/journalist Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami were killed.

The trial began on February 10, 2026, after earlier delays due to the absence of defendants and other issues.

The first prosecution witness, Sani Yusuf, a civil engineer and former resident of Unique Apartments, and the second, Fatou Toborteh, another former resident, have so far testified about the events of September 29.

Both described masked armed assailants raiding apartments but stated they could not identify any of the 11 defendants, who were masked during the attack.

The defendants are Shamsu Hassan, Sani Surajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, and Suleiman Badamosi. Others are Zaradeen Mohammed, Musa Umar ‘Aka’ Small, Mashikur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, and Abubakar Usman.

Metro

Again, Truck Crushes Another Dispatch Rider To Death In Lagos

Published

17 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

A dispatch rider has lost his life in a tragic road accident involving a truck at the Otedola Bridge axis in Lagos, occurring less than 24 hours after a similar crash was reported in the same corridor.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq.

The fatal crash occurred along the Ogudu–Otedola Toll Gate stretch, inward the Secretariat, where a heavy-duty Volvo truck reportedly struck the motorcycle, killing the rider instantly.

LASTMA officials on routine patrol responded promptly by securing and cordoning off the accident scene to avert further incidents, especially given the high volume of traffic in the area.

Operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, later took custody of the deceased’s remains, while personnel from the Alausa Police Division provided security during the evacuation.

The damaged motorcycle and the truck were subsequently cleared from the road with the aid of a towing vehicle, after which traffic flow was gradually restored.

However, the incident led to significant congestion, with gridlock stretching toward the Berger axis before normal movement resumed.

Reacting, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and urged all road users to strictly adhere to traffic regulations.

He emphasised the need for increased caution, particularly among drivers of articulated vehicles and dispatch riders, noting that the agency would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to curb road accidents and fatalities across the state.

“LASTMA remains resolute in its commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders in intensifying advocacy initiatives aimed at reducing road fatalities and fostering a sustainable culture of road safety across,” he said.

Metro

NAF Airstrikes Kill Several Terrorists In Sambisa Forest

Published

19 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

The Nigerian Air Force says the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI has executed precision airstrikes within the Yuwe axis of the Sambisa Forest, killing several terrorists on Monday.

The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ejodame said the military had sustained intense pressure on terrorist elements in the North-East.

He said the operation followed credible intelligence corroborated by Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, which confirmed the presence of active terrorist elements within fortified structures and bunkers.

According to him, NAF air assets engaged the targets with precision munitions, destroying the structures, neutralising multiple terrorists, and eliminating key logistics facilities, as confirmed by subsequent battle damage assessment.

He said, “The sustained tempo of air operations continues to degrade terrorist networks, leaving the terrorists increasingly exposed and disrupted, with mounting pressure forcing them into desperate and reactive actions.”

He quoted the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, as reaffirming the NAF’s resolve to sustain relentless, intelligence-driven air operations until terrorist elements were completely neutralised.

“We remain committed to the protection of our personnel, the security of our nation, and the safety of all citizens.

“The NAF will continue to intensify precision engagements across the theatre, maintaining decisive operational pressure while adhering strictly to rules of engagement and minimising civilian harm,” Aneke said.
(NAN)