Metro

I Watched As Five Bandits Raped My Child Beside My Husband’s Corpse – Plateau Woman

Published

3 weeks ago

November 12, 2025

A widow in Plateau State, whose husband was killed by Fulani bandits has narrated how five of the bandits gang-raped her 13-year-old daughter in her presence while the body of her husband lay beside her.

The woman who narrated her horrific experience to our correspondence on Tuesday, said the Fulani bandits invaded her community in Bwai district in Mangu local government area of Plateau State in the night and went from house to house slaughtering people and livestock.

“The Fulani bandits, who were over 100, invaded our community around 12 midnight and went from house to house killing people, stealing our livestock, and killing some of them.

“They also burnt down some houses and food silos. When they got to our house, they asked about my husband, who was one of the leaders of the vigilante group. It was clear they knew my husband and had come purposefully to kill him.

“When my husband heard them, he ran into the toilet to hide but when they threatened to kill me and our 13-year-old daughter, he came out and surrendered himself. He begged them to kill him instead and spare me and our daughter.

“Luckily, our two older sons were in the boarding school; otherwise, they would have been killed too. One of the Fulani men told my husband, John, yau na ka ya kare. Ba kun kafa kungiya domin ku yi tare mu ba? Ina sauran mutanen ku?’ (John, today will be your end. So you people formed a group to stop us? So where are the remaining members of your group?)

“Having said that, he ordered one small boy who could not be more than 17 years old to shoot my husband, and the boy carried out the orders immediately.

“I was busy begging them not to kill me and my daughter and the leader said they were not out to kill women. The leader was looking at my daughter, somehow, and I feared for the worst. My fears were confirmed when he told my daughter to remove her clothes and lie on the bed, that they were going to have sex with her.

“I begged them not to defile my daughter, and out of desperation, offered to be raped in her place, but they said I was old and they needed to taste a young girl. That was how the five of them gang-raped my little girl, and even when she passed out, they still continued assaulting her.

“The most heartbreaking part of the ordeal was that they made sure I watched what they were doing, and every time I turned my face away, they would slap me and threaten to shoot me if I refused to look. For over one hour, I watched in horror as the animals took turns to rape my daughter.

“Since the ordeal, the girl has not been the same again. She has become a recluse and hardly talks to anyone. I have not shared this horrible experience with anyone to protect her, but I am opening up now to see if I can get help for my daughter, as her condition is becoming worse. She can no longer control her bladder and urinates on her body without control.

“I am a poor widow just managing to take care of my children but my life has been shattered,” she said, breaking down in tears.

Metro

Sowore Arraigned Over Alleged Cybercrime

Published

2 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned politician and online publisher Omoyele Sowore before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged cybercrime offences.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate, faced a five-count charge accusing him of defaming President Bola Tinubu by calling him a criminal in posts on X and Facebook. The DSS claims that his actions violate the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as the Criminal Code Act.

At the hearing, Justice Mohammed Umar granted Sowore bail on self-recognition. However, the court imposed strict conditions, barring him from making any statements capable of inciting the public or undermining national security. The judge warned that any violation of these conditions would lead to immediate revocation of his bail.

Justice Umar noted that Sowore, who previously contested for the presidency, was already under bail conditions with his international passport held by the court. He said these factors justified granting him bail without a monetary surety.

The arraignment on Tuesday came after two earlier attempts were unsuccessful. DSS counsel, Akinolu Kehinde (SAN), attributed the delays to legal obstacles introduced by Sowore’s defence team.

Sowore pleaded not guilty to all charges. His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, also filed a fresh bail application during the proceedings, which the court considered before ruling.

Two other defendants — X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Inc. — are listed in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025. The DSS claims that these companies aided Sowore in publishing the posts allegedly containing defamatory statements against the president.

The case is the latest in a series of legal battles involving Sowore, who has in the past faced arrests and charges over his activism and online publications.

The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, under which Sowore was charged, criminalises the online publication of false statements that can harm individuals or public institutions. The law also empowers the government to hold social media companies accountable if they facilitate the spread of such content.

Sowore’s arraignment has drawn reactions on social media, with supporters describing the charges as politically motivated, while others argue that public figures must exercise caution in their statements online.

Metro

Alleged Cybercrime: Court Grants Sowore Bail

Published

3 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Abuja Federal High Court, on Tuesday, granted former presidential candidate and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, bail on self-recognition, cautioning him to refrain from making any utterances that could incite the public against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sowore’s bail followed his arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS) before the court on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime.

In the five-count charge, Sowore is accused of allegedly making derogatory remarks about President Tinubu on his social media handles.

Sowore, who is the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to him.

Earlier in the proceedings, his counsel, Marshall Abubakar, had raised a motion challenging the competence of the suit, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction.

The prosecution objected, stating they had only just been served with the processes and needed time to respond.

In a short ruling, Justice Umar held that the objection on jurisdiction was not ready for hearing because the prosecution was served that morning, adding that the defendant needed to give them adequate time to file a counter-affidavit.

He then directed that the charges be read to the defendant.

When the charge was read, Sowore pleaded not guilty; his counsel applied for bail on self-recognition. The prosecution, however, opposed the application, arguing that Sowore posed a flight risk.

Justice Umar, in ruling on the bail request, granted Sowore bail on self-recognition and adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, for trial.

Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019, was accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal

The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.

Metro

Delta: Suspected Kidnapper Killed In Gun Battle With Police

Published

9 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

A suspected kidnapper has been killed during a gun battle with operatives of the Delta State Police Command in collaboration with Community Volunteers in Obiaruku Forest.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer,SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.

“Operatives of the Command State Anti-Cult Unit (SACU), in collaboration with community volunteers, were on intensive patrol when they received credible intelligence that suspected kidnappers were mobilising within the Obiaruku forest to carry out an attack.

“Acting swiftly on the information, the operatives advanced towards the location to forestall the planned criminal activity,” the statement said.

According to Edafe, on approaching the area, the suspects opened fire from multiple directions in a bid to repel the team.

“The operatives responded with superior firepower, leading to the death of one suspect, while others escaped into the forest with various degrees of injuries.

“One AK-47 rifle with forty-two rounds of live ammunition, nine mobile phones, and charms were recovered,” the statement added.