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Kwara: Police Rescue 13 Hostages After Gun Battle With Kidnappers

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Thirteen kidnap victims in Oke-Ero local government area of Kwara State have been rescued by the police.

Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, in a statement on Saturday, explained that policemen successfully rescued the kidnap victims following a distress call on December 21, 2024.

The statement said the victims were forcefully abducted by armed assailants on their way to a wedding programme in Kogi State, stressing that they were rescued in a joint operation involving the police and the Oke-Ero local government security initiative personnel.

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Acting on credible intelligence and with the support of local informants, Ejire-Adeyemi stated that the security operatives swiftly mobilised to the suspects’ hideout located in the Idofin-Igbana area.

She said, “Upon sighting the security team, the kidnappers, six in number and some dressed to disguise in military uniforms, engaged the operatives in a gun battle but were overpowered by the superior firepower of the rescue team.

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“The suspects fled the scene with various degrees of injuries, abandoning their captives in the process.”

READ ALSO: Hit-and-run Driver Kills Two On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

The rescued victims, she added, included three females and 10 males from various locations, including Odo-Owa in Oke-Ero LGA, Ilorin, Ogbomoso in Oyo State and a group of trailer drivers en route Kogi State.

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The PPRO explained that two victims sustained minor gunshot injuries. All the victims were immediately provided with medical care at a nearby hospital, stabilised, and subsequently reunited with their families.

The commissioner of Police, Kwara State Command, CP Victor Olaiya, commended the resilience and swift response of the operatives and expressed gratitude to the local communities for the timely provision of credible information.

He further assured the public of the Command’s commitment to sustaining the fight against criminality in all forms.

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Lagos NURTW Boss Reacts To Alleged Threat To Voters As DSS Grilled Him Over Viral Video

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The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Lagos, Mustapha Sego, has confirmed that he was invited by the Department of State Services, DSS, over allegations of incitement following a viral video in which he made controversial remarks about the 2027 elections.

In the video, Sego, while addressing union members, had warned that “what happened in 2023 will not be allowed to repeat itself in 2027,” adding in Yoruba that “anybody who makes any mistakes in 2027 will be dealt with” and that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was the party voters must support.

His comments sparked public outrage, with many interpreting them as threats aimed at voters ahead of the next general election.

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However, in a follow-up disclaimer video, the NURTW boss denied threatening voters, insisting that his remarks were misrepresented and taken out of context.

READ ALSO:Court Remands NURTW Official In Correctional Centre Over Tricyclist’s Death

He confirmed that the DSS invited him earlier in the day to clarify the allegations, which he described as “false and baseless.”

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“I have always been a man of peace, and my messages are directed only to our members. Everyone has the right to associate freely and choose their affiliations, and I fully respect that,” he said.

Sego alleged that the controversy was being fueled by rival groups seeking to destabilize his leadership in the state.

“There is always an enemy in every job, and we know where this is coming from. This is clearly an attempt to destabilize me and the NURTW in Lagos State,” he stated.

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Lagos Man Shot Dead After Fight In Nightclub

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There was panic on Friday after a man, identified simply as Alex, was shot by suspected gunmen at Iyana Isashi in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that the incident occurred at about 8 pm.

A resident in the community who requested not to be mentioned due to the nature of the incident had told The PUNCH that the deceased was on his way to meet a friend when two men on a bike accosted him.

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One of them was, however, said to have pulled out a gun in the process and shot him at close range.

READ ALSO:Lagos Opens Portal For Teaching Job Applications

The source said, “Alex stays at Cele Niza here in Iyana Isashi. He had just come back from his place of work when he stepped out again, probably to meet a friend. He was on his way when some men on a bike stopped him on the way and shot him. It was the sound of the gunshot that attracted people around, who rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood. The gunmen were also seen trying to escape from the area while still on the bike.”

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According to the source, Alex was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was being attended to.

Giving an update on the incident on Wednesday, the source confirmed to that the victim succumbed to the gunshot injuries earlier in the day.

We lost him this morning. He had been in a coma since that Friday, and doctors tried all they could to save him, but he did not make it,” the source disclosed.

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Meanwhile, the victim, otherwise known as Fleximore, was said to have had an altercation with some strangers at a nightclub in the community a day before the incident happened.

Another resident who identified himself simply as Quadri and made this known to The PUNCH on Wednesday said, “Some of his friends who went to a club in the area with him said he had a serious fight with some guys there. They said it started with an argument that later resulted in a confrontation.

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“Although they tried to settle it but that is very unusual of him. You hardly hear anything of such about him. Alex is an easy-going person and does not make trouble, but we don’t know the kind of person he had issues with at the nightclub, and that is why some people said the attack was most likely a result of what happened at the club.”

According to Quadri, arrangements are ongoing to bury the late Alex.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident.

“I am not aware of the incident, but I will call the DPO in the area to confirm,” she said.

Communities in the Iba Local Government Area and adjoining communities along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway have, over the months, witnessed a series of cult-related attacks. The resident had also called for the intervention of the police authorities.

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Gunmen Invade Ex-Ogun LG Chairman’s Residence

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An armed gang on Thursday morning invaded the residence of former Ijebu-Ode Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Emilola Gazal, carting away valuables, cash, and his vehicle.

Gazal, who is also the publisher of The Roots Magazine, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview.

The three armed men broke into my residence at Ijebu-Ode GRA at about 2 a.m. They collected all the cash with me after which they forced me to open my bank apps on my phone and transfer everything there to an account they provided. They left only N5,000 in my account.

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READ ALSO:Police Foil Robbery On Sagamu-Benin Expressway, Recover Stolen Tricycle In Ogun

“They also made away with my wife’s trinkets and with my ash-colour car. They actually told me they would be going away with my car. I am just going to report the incident to the police at Igbeba and Obalende, Ijebu-Ode”, Gazal told our correspondent.

According to The PUNCH, that this incident comes amid a spate of violent robberies and home invasions reported across Ogun State, particularly in the Ijebu area.

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For example, earlier this year, the Ogun State Police Command killed a suspected armed robber in a gun duel along the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Expressway.

READ ALSO:Police Foil Robbery On Sagamu-Benin Expressway, Recover Stolen Tricycle In Ogun

The command, on September 12, 2025, also recently arrested a man linked to a burglary and armed robbery in Ayetoro, amounting to about N1.5 million in stolen goods.

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Meanwhile, the regional security network, Amotekun Corps, has in past operations engaged criminal gangs in shootouts, neutralising suspects in Ogun’s border zones.

Details later…

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