Metro

Kidnapping Of Five Sisters Sparks Outcry In Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

January 20, 2024

Kidnapped five sisters with their father

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”.

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.

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.

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

How Police Arrested Killers Of Arise TV Anchor, Sommie Maduagwu – Witness Tells Court

Published

19 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

The trial of the eleven accused persons linked to the murder of Arise News journalist and anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, during a robbery at her apartment, continued on Tuesday, with the third prosecution witness giving details of how arrests were made.

An Assistant Superintendent of Police and member of the Scorpion Squad, CID FCT Command, Mr Maxwell Eje, at Tuesday’s proceedings, told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory that the arrest of the accused persons began with Shamsu Hassan.

He said that the police discovered on September 30 that Hassan had fled to Zaria after the robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe a day earlier, during which Miss Maduagwu jumped to her death from her three-storey apartment.

ASP Eje informed the court that Shamsu Hassan admitted to the crime and agreed to cooperate with the authorities to disclose the hideouts of others.

Hassan mentioned one Sani Surajo, who was receiving treatment at an unnamed hospital in Gosa, a suburb along the Airport Road in Abuja.

“Surajo was shocked at the sight of the security operatives of the Scorpion Squad at the hospital where he was receiving treatment,” the witness said.

“He too agreed to cooperate and assist with useful information on the whereabouts of others who took part in the robbery.”

The testimony of ASP Maxwell Eje did not get to the point of cross-examination, as Dennis Abu, counsel for the seventh to eleventh defendants, who also held brief for counsel to the first and third defendants, sought leave of the judge, Mohammed Idris, to attend a medical appointment.

This prompted an adjournment until Thursday, April 23, for the conclusion of the evidence-in-chief of the third prosecution witness and for cross-examination.

The prosecutor had earlier informed the court that he had two witnesses available at the start of Tuesday’s proceedings.

The FCT Police Commissioner had filed criminal charges against the 11 defendants bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder in connection with the September 29, 2025, armed robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe, Abuja.

It was during the incident that Arise News anchor/journalist Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami were killed.

The trial began on February 10, 2026, after earlier delays due to the absence of defendants and other issues.

The first prosecution witness, Sani Yusuf, a civil engineer and former resident of Unique Apartments, and the second, Fatou Toborteh, another former resident, have so far testified about the events of September 29.

Both described masked armed assailants raiding apartments but stated they could not identify any of the 11 defendants, who were masked during the attack.

The defendants are Shamsu Hassan, Sani Surajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, and Suleiman Badamosi. Others are Zaradeen Mohammed, Musa Umar ‘Aka’ Small, Mashikur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, and Abubakar Usman.

Metro

Again, Truck Crushes Another Dispatch Rider To Death In Lagos

Published

19 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

A dispatch rider has lost his life in a tragic road accident involving a truck at the Otedola Bridge axis in Lagos, occurring less than 24 hours after a similar crash was reported in the same corridor.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq.

The fatal crash occurred along the Ogudu–Otedola Toll Gate stretch, inward the Secretariat, where a heavy-duty Volvo truck reportedly struck the motorcycle, killing the rider instantly.

LASTMA officials on routine patrol responded promptly by securing and cordoning off the accident scene to avert further incidents, especially given the high volume of traffic in the area.

Operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, later took custody of the deceased’s remains, while personnel from the Alausa Police Division provided security during the evacuation.

The damaged motorcycle and the truck were subsequently cleared from the road with the aid of a towing vehicle, after which traffic flow was gradually restored.

However, the incident led to significant congestion, with gridlock stretching toward the Berger axis before normal movement resumed.

Reacting, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and urged all road users to strictly adhere to traffic regulations.

He emphasised the need for increased caution, particularly among drivers of articulated vehicles and dispatch riders, noting that the agency would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to curb road accidents and fatalities across the state.

“LASTMA remains resolute in its commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders in intensifying advocacy initiatives aimed at reducing road fatalities and fostering a sustainable culture of road safety across,” he said.

Metro

NAF Airstrikes Kill Several Terrorists In Sambisa Forest

Published

21 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Editor

The Nigerian Air Force says the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI has executed precision airstrikes within the Yuwe axis of the Sambisa Forest, killing several terrorists on Monday.

The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ejodame said the military had sustained intense pressure on terrorist elements in the North-East.

He said the operation followed credible intelligence corroborated by Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, which confirmed the presence of active terrorist elements within fortified structures and bunkers.

According to him, NAF air assets engaged the targets with precision munitions, destroying the structures, neutralising multiple terrorists, and eliminating key logistics facilities, as confirmed by subsequent battle damage assessment.

He said, “The sustained tempo of air operations continues to degrade terrorist networks, leaving the terrorists increasingly exposed and disrupted, with mounting pressure forcing them into desperate and reactive actions.”

He quoted the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, as reaffirming the NAF’s resolve to sustain relentless, intelligence-driven air operations until terrorist elements were completely neutralised.

“We remain committed to the protection of our personnel, the security of our nation, and the safety of all citizens.

“The NAF will continue to intensify precision engagements across the theatre, maintaining decisive operational pressure while adhering strictly to rules of engagement and minimising civilian harm,” Aneke said.
(NAN)