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JUST IN; Zamfara: Kidnapped Government Secondary School Students, Others rescued

Published

4 years ago

November 23, 2021

The Police Command in Zamfara State says it has rescued 24 persons, including five students kidnapped while writing their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ayuba Elkanah, stated this while handing over the rescued victims to the state government on Tuesday in Gusau.

Elkanah said police operatives deployed to various locations in the state succeeded in rescuing the kidnapped victims.

Among those rescued, he said, were four students of Government Secondary School, Birnin Yero, who were writing their SSCE examination and one other student of Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda.

“On Nov. 22, at about 1900hrs, Police Tactical Operatives deployed on the Shinkafi axis, while on search and rescue operations, with regards to the abduction of the students and other victims, acted on intelligence and rescued the students, along with eight others.

“The victims, who spent 60 days in captivity, have now been rescued unconditionally,” Elkanah said.

He said they would undergo medical checks and police debriefings before being handed over to the state government to be reunited with their families.

The police commissioner also said the police tactical team deployed on Gusau-Tsafe-Funtua road on Nov. 22 succeeded in rescuing 11 passengers abducted by armed bandits while travelling in the night.

He added that the travellers were plying the road at about 11.30 pm. in two Golf 3 vehicles, with registration numbers: AE 535 ARG and GUS 274 XF.

Elkanah, however, said all the rescued travellers had been debriefed and reunited with their families.

“I want to use this opportunity to warn members of the public, especially travellers and commercial drivers, that the order of the state government restricting the movement of travellers into the state at night time is still in force.

“Considering the time and period in which the bandits block the road and abduct innocent people, the command, under my watch, will arrest and prosecute any person or group of persons found violating this order,” Elkanah said.

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

1 day ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

1 day ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

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US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

1 day ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”