Metro
Insecurity: Troops Neutralise 43 Terrorists, Rescue 39 Kidnapped Victims

Troops fighting against terrorists, kidnappers, and other criminal elements across the country have killed 43 terrorists and arrested 132 others, including oil theft perpetrators, in the first five days of 2024.
Troops also rescued 39 kidnapped civilians after several encounters, and a total of 87 assault weapons and 666 assault ammunition were recovered.
Director of Defence Media Operations, Major Gen Edward Buba, who made this known on Friday, added that troops in the Niger Delta discovered and destroyed 25 illegal crude oil refining sites, 24 cooking ovens, 29 boats, 31 storage tanks, one tricycle, and three pump machines.
Furthermore, troops denied the oil theft criminals the estimated sum of N159.65 million (one hundred and fifty-nine million, six hundred and fifty-two thousand, and six hundred and twenty naira).
READ ALSO: Troops Recover 500,000 Litres Of Crude Oil — DHQ
“Troops recovered 315,700 litres of stolen crude oil, 1,200 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 3,158 litres of DPK.
“The weapons and ammunition recovered are 11 AK47 rifles, one FN rifle, 2 pump action guns, 8 locally fabricated guns, 11 Dane guns, 2 locally fabricated pistols, one Macarrol pistol, one Berretta pistol, one fabricated SMG, one locally made mortar with one empty bomb, and 4 IEDs.
“Others are 17 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 592 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 4 rounds of 7.5mm ammo, one round of 9mm ammo, and 36 live cartridges, as well as the sum of N1,601,370.00, amongst other items.”
Reiterating the resolve against criminal elements, Gen Buba said, “The armed forces remain focused and are continuing their counter-insurgency campaign against terrorists and their cohorts operating across the country.
“Our operations have prevented these evil elements from accomplishing their strategic objectives.
READ ALSO: Army, DSS Troops Foil Terrorist Attack On Kano
“Accordingly, troops are hunting terrorists in their hiding places and conducting targeted offensives against them to destroy them.
“Combat teams have neutralised several of the terrorist leadership and their foot soldiers, as well as degraded their military capabilities.
“We assure that we will defeat the terrorists on the battlefield and in their hiding places so that our country can flourish again.
“We have no choice but to win this war for the betterment of our nation.
“We call on the public to continue to act responsibly and be forthcoming for the progress of our nation.
“Citizens are urged to see themselves as the outstretched arm of the military in this war and to create conditions that would hasten victory.”
Metro
Residents Flee Kogi Community Over Fear Of Bandit Attacks

Hundreds of residents of Okunran village in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have deserted their homes following persistent attacks by armed bandits.
A viral video circulating on social media showed the once-bubbling community completely deserted, with houses abandoned and streets empty.
“Okunran, once a bubbling town, is now a ghost town,” a resident said.
The villagers said they fled to escape incessant kidnappings, killings, and ransom demands that have plagued the community.
READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi
“The government has failed us, security agencies have failed us. If we remain here, we will be consumed by bandits. We are tired of paying ransom and contributing money for bandits,” said Akin Samuel, a fleeing resident.
The Guardian learnt that neighbouring communities, including Okoloke and Egbe, are also considering leaving if the attacks persist.
The abduction of the first-class traditional ruler of Okoloke, 90-year-old Pa. Dada James Ogunyanda, in May 2025, deepened the climate of fear in the area. Although he was released after a ransom was paid, the monarch has refused to return to his palace.
A native of Okunran, Auwal Maroof, who now lives in Lokoja, said the decision to flee became inevitable.
READ ALSO:One Dead, Five Injured In Kogi Road Crash
“We have been praying for God’s intervention, but the insecurity persists to the point that fleeing was the only option to stay alive,” he said.
Egbe, the commercial hub of Yagba, is feared to be vulnerable due to its close connection with neighbouring Kwara State, where the bandits are suspected to be coming from.
Local sources report that at least 10 people, including seven police officers and three civilians, were killed by bandits in Yagba within one week this month.
The Chairman of Yagba East Local Government recently imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in a bid to contain the crisis, while the Kogi State government and the senator representing the district have pledged to rid the area of bandits.
Metro
18 Dead, Dozens Missing In Zamfara Mine Collapse

Rescuers in Nigeria are searching for dozens of people missing after a boulder crashed onto an illegal mine during heavy rains, killing at least 18 people, local sources told AFP on Saturday.
The rock came crashing down on Thursday on the mine in the northern Zamfara state outside the Kadauri village in the Maru district, they said.
“We have managed to pull out 18 dead bodies from the pit and five other survivors who sustained various degrees of injuries,” Sani Lawwali, a miner who works in unauthorised pits, said from Kadauri.
A dozen other miners were still trapped inside and their fate remained unknown, said Lawwali, who took part in the rescue effort.
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“The process is slow and laborious as we use our bare hands to chisel the end of the boulder to make holes for limited access into the pit,” he said.
Rescuers have asked for a bulldozer being used at a nearby road construction site to be brought in to help, but had not yet received a response from the company using it, Lawwali added.
Abubakar Nabube, a local community leader, confirmed the death toll of 18. He said that 15 of those killed came from the nearby Maikwanugga and Damaga villages.
“If no help comes from emergency agencies soon, none of those trapped would come out alive,” he said.
READ ALSO:Bandits Attack Mosque In Zamfara, Kill, Abduct Worshippers
Zayyanu Ibrahim, a resident of Kadauri village said the collapse occurred at one of several newly dug sites in the recently established mining site.
“Dozens of miners were working in the pit while it heavily rained outside. A huge boulder at the mouth of the pit collapsed and buried miners inside,” said Ibrahim, who also confirmed the toll.
Sani Abdullahi, a councillor in the area, said it was difficult to say how many people there were in the pit at the time of the accident.
READ ALSO:Zamfara Gov Disburses ₦322m To Support 8,225 Schoolgirls
Officials from the Nigerian emergency agency NEMA did not respond to an AFP enquiry about the accident.
Zamfara, a poor agrarian state, is rich in gold deposits where illegal artisanal mining thrives in the countryside, despite several attempts by authorities to stop the practice.
The authorities have blamed illegal mining for the worsening of bandit violence, with criminal gangs getting money from protection fees they extort from miners.
Metro
Police Confirm Abduction Of 17 Passengers Along Calabar Waterway

The Police Command in Cross River has confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar Waterways.
The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, who made the confirmation on Saturday in Calabar, said that the passengers were abducted on Thursday.
Ewa said that the command had already swung into action to ensure the ‘immediate and prompt’ rescue of the abductees.
According to the police spokesperson, a serving police officer in Akwa Ibom and a popular politician in Cross River who were on board the boat narrowly escaped abduction.
READ ALSO:Six Arrested For Alleged Killing Of Police Constable In Bayelsa
A passenger who preferred anonymity told newsmen that the boat was attacked a few minutes after take-off from Oron en route Calabar.
“They stopped our boat, transferred some passengers to their boat, and when their boat was full, they took off.
“When we arrived at the Inland Waterways Jetty, we were thoroughly quizzed by the police. Our statements were later taken before we were allowed to go home.”
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