Metro
Kidnapping Of Five Sisters Sparks Outcry In Nigeria

The violent abduction of five young Nigerian sisters near Abuja has sparked a national outcry and raised fears about insecurity in the country’s capital.
The sisters were kidnapped at the start of the year by armed men who burst into their home just 15 miles (25 kilometres) from Abuja city centre, a family member told AFP.
She said the attackers killed one of the sisters, 21-year-old Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, when a ransom deadline passed. Negotiations were ongoing for the release of the others.
Kidnapping for ransom has been a major problem in Nigeria with criminal gangs targeting highways, apartments and even snatching pupils from schools.
After public outrage over the sisters’ case this week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned what he called the “recent spate of kidnappings and bandit attacks”.
First Lady Remi Tinubu also voiced concern, while politicians and the media questioned the government’s strategy after gangs targeted parts of the heavily guarded Federal Capital Territory, which is as big as some states but run by a minister rather than a governor.
One tabloid declared at the weekend that Abuja was “under siege”.
READ ALSO: Police Begin Orderly Room Trial Of Personnel Who Invaded Abia TV Station
The Nigerian risk consultancy SBM Intelligence told AFP it had documented 283 people abducted in the Federal Capital Territory alone over the past year.
Some experts believe the country’s economic crisis is driving a rise in kidnappings as desperate Nigerians turn to crime for income.
SBM analyst Confidence MacHarry said insecurity around the capital has been growing for years.
“It’s been getting worse for some time,” he said, citing a 2022 attack on a prison on the outskirts of Abuja as a landmark moment.
Gunmen bombed their way into Kuje jail and freed hundreds of inmates in the raid claimed by Islamic State-allied jihadists.
The minister for the Federal Capital Territory has urged residents not to panic and promised to find a solution.
MacHarry said the government needed a consistent approach and warned periodic crackdowns on criminals in Abuja’s satellite towns were not working.
“All the bandits have to do is lie low and buy themselves time,” he said.
READ ALSO: Court Orders Police To Pay MKO’s Wife N50m Damages
Nigerian law bans paying ransom to kidnappers, but many families have little faith in the authorities and feel they have no choice.
On the night the sisters were abducted, they were at home in Bwari inside the Federal Capital Territory, according to a cousin.
Asiya Adamu, 23, described how the attackers known as “bandits” in Nigeria struck at around 9 pm on January 2.
They demanded cash but the sisters’ father Mansoor had nothing to give and offered his belongings instead.
The attackers rounded up his daughters along with a cousin and tied their hands. They also took Mansoor captive and beat the seven family members before leading them away, Adamu said.
They shot Mansoor’s brother dead when he tried to help, and several police officers were killed in a gun battle, she said.
Mansoor was released on condition he raise a large ransom within days but the struggling family could not meet the deadline and the bandits killed Nabeeha, returned her body, and increased the fee, Adamu said.
The family is still trying to negotiate, even after raising the new total thanks to an online crowdfunding campaign and the intervention of a former minister.
Adamu said the youngest of the sisters is just 14.
READ ALSO: FG To Recruit More Women Into Paramilitary Agencies
Her account has been confirmed by politicians. Police acknowledged the “abduction of six young girls” and said a rescue was underway, but told AFP they could not provide details for security reasons.
Tinubu came to office last year vowing to tackle Nigeria’s insecurity, including jihadists in the northeast, criminal militias in the northwest and a flareup of intercommunal violence in central states.
But critics say the kidnapping crisis is out of control.
Opposition politician Peter Obi said, “The fact that these kidnappings, killings and other reported cases of armed robbery and violent attacks are now taking place in Abuja, the nation’s capital, is a clear pointer to how insecure the rest of the country now is.”
“The trauma being experienced by this family and the blood of this innocent child should prick our conscience as leaders,” he said.
The president said he plans to address the root causes of the violence through education, but did not outline a precise strategy.
Abductions became a major problem in Nigeria in the 2000s and are now a lucrative industry.
The kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in northeastern Nigeria by Boko Haram jihadists made global headlines in 2014, but daily abductions rarely gain attention.
“Every day now you hear about a new kidnapping, even whole families,” said Adamu.
She described Nabeeha as “smart, sweet and kind,” saying she had just finished university and was looking forward to her graduation.
“Nobody deserves this,” Adamu said. “It shouldn’t be happening to anyone.”
AFP
Metro
Sowore Arraigned Over Alleged Cybercrime

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.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: Police Declare Sowore Wanted
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.
READ ALSO:Why We Arrested Sowore – Police
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

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.
READ ALSO:Nigeria Urges Respect For Sovereignty At ICC Assembly
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.
READ ALSO:Sowore Mobilises Supporters For #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest
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

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.
READ ALSO:Reps Raise Alarm Over N1.65trn In PIA Funds Denied To N’Delta
“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.
News4 days ago(VIDEO) Obasanjo To Tinubu: Why Are We Negotiating With Bandits?
Politics4 days agoTinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate
Headline5 days agoFULL LIST: US To Review Green Cards From 19 ‘Countries Of Concern’ After Washington Shooting
News3 days agoInsecurity: What Sheikh Gumi Told Me After Visiting Bandits Hideouts — Obasanjo
News2 days agoBREAKING: Ex-CDS Musa meets Tinubu At Aso Villa
News4 days agoVIDEO: Jonathan Breaks Silence On Guinea-Bissau’s Military Takeover
News3 days agoFULL LIST: Wike revokes land belonging to Ilorin Emir, Lamido, Fayose, Iyabo Obasanjo, Others In Abuja
Entertainment4 days agoOrganizers Cancel Burna Boy’s US Shows After Fans Refused To Buy Tickets
News5 days agoWhy I Returned To Nigeria On Ivorian Jet — Jonathan
Metro5 days agoRetired Judge Killed In Delta
















