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

Published

5 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

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

3 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.