Metro

Police Arrests Three Masterminds Of Abuja Kidnappings

Published

11 months ago

June 19, 2025

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have arrested three notorious kidnap suspects linked to a spate of deadly abductions in Abuja and neighbouring states.

According to a statement signed by the Force PPRO, Abuja Command, SP Josephine Adeh, on Thursday, the suspects, 27 years old Ya’u Shittu from Kaduna State; 30 years old Sale Usman from Niger State; and 28 years old Ibrahim Abdullahi from Abuja, were captured during sting operations carried out between June 13 and 18, 2025, in Kaduna, Niger, and Nasarawa states by the Command’s elite Scorpion Squad.

The suspects, who have been on the Command’s wanted list, reportedly confessed to multiple kidnappings and murders, including the 2024 killing of a pastor in Mpape and the abduction of children in the same area where their father was shot dead. Police also tied them to the kidnapping of a woman for whom N10 million was paid in ransom, with each gang member pocketing N500,000.

Adeh said the breakthrough followed “credible digital reconstructive intelligence” and was led by ACP Victor O. Godfrey.

According to the police, Ibrahim Abdullahi, who also doubled as the gang’s arms supplier, led officers to a hideout in Bukuru, Nasarawa State on June 18. Upon arrival, the police team was met with gunfire from other gang members, prompting a shootout.

“Abdullahi attempted to flee but was shot and rearrested. Other gang members escaped and are currently being pursued,” the statement added.

Exhibits recovered from the scene included a long knife and various charms.

FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao S. Adewale, commended the bravery of the Scorpion Squad and reassured residents of the Command’s commitment to public safety. He urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to security operatives.

“This is a major blow to violent crime in the FCT. We are determined to rid our communities of criminal elements,” he said.

The suspects remain in custody as investigations continue. Meanwhile, police have intensified efforts to track and arrest the fleeing members of the gang.
(PUNCH)

Metro

Two security Guards Bag Life Sentences For Sexual Abuse Of Minor

Published

3 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Editor

Two security guards have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for the repeated rape of a young girl over a six year period.

The convicts, James Sule 30, and Adamu Yau 25, were convicted by Honourable Justice S.M. Mayana at High Court 46 Apo, following a prosecution by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

The sentencing, delivered without the option of a fine, was carried out under the provisions of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.

A statement signed by the NAPTIP Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, revealed that the case, which first came to light in 2022, detailed a harrowing ordeal that began in 2016 when the victim was just six years old.

The court heard that Sule, then the family’s security guard at an estate in Lugbe, first assaulted the child in a toilet after offering to protect her from being disciplined by her grandmother. He subsequently used a knife to threaten the child into silence.

Over the following years, Sule recruited two other guards, the second convict, Yau, and another individual named Muhammed, who remains at large to participate in the abuse.

The men reportedly threatened to wipe out the victim’s entire family if she disclosed the assaults.

The agency said that the abuse was eventually uncovered after the victim’s parents noticed a drastic change in her behaviour, including extreme agitation in Sule’s presence.

Following a disclosure to a local pastor, the matter was reported to the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) and subsequently transferred to NAPTIP.

The prosecution presented five witnesses, including the victim’s mother, and tendered seven exhibits, including medical evidence confirming the physical trauma suffered by the child.

Despite pleading not guilty during their arraignment in October 2023, both men were found guilty of the charges.

Reacting to the judgment, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, hailed the verdict as a landmark victory for justice.

Bello expressed excitement “that indeed adequate justice which, is commensurate with the magnitude of the crime committed by the convicts, was duly served on them.

“This will go a long way to assuage the pain and traumatic experience of the victim and her family.”

The DG pointed that the conviction was a result of improved strategies to enforce the VAPP Act.

She issued a stern warning to service providers, saying “It will no longer be business as usual for them.”

Bello also urged the public to exercise greater caution when hiring domestic staff.

“I also want to use this medium to appeal again to all Nigerians, especially parents and school owners, to ensure they carry out due diligence and strict profiling on any service providers including drivers, security guards, and babysitters before employing them,” she said.

The victim’s mother expressed gratitude to NAPTIP and its legal team for ensuring that justice is served on the violators of her daughter.

The two convicts have been transferred to Kuje Correctional Centre, where they are set to serve their sentences.

Metro

Dozens Of Pupils Feared Abducted As Boko Haram Attacks School In Borno

Published

4 hours ago

May 15, 2026

Editor

Suspected members of Boko Haram on Friday attacked a Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and abducted many pupils and students.

The attack, which occurred around 9:00 a.m at the Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Mussa community, located on the eastern fringe of Sambisa Forest.

Confirming the incident to The Guardian in Maiduguri, the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance (BSYA),, Samaila Kaigama, said: “The insurgents stormed the school without resistance and took away an unspecified number of pupils and students.

“Yes, they came this morning, and forcefully packed some children, number unspecified yet. I was reliably informed that the abductors are the same faction that did the Ngoshe kidnapping of over 400 residents.”

Kaigama added that the victims were pupils of a day school and not boarders.

He further lamented: “They came this morning and picked some primary school pupils. It is a day school and not a boarding school. They attacked without any resistance.”..

The Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, Abdullahi Askira, also confirmed the attack but said details surrounding possible abductions were still unclear.

“Details of the attack are sketchy, but the information at my disposal has it that many of the students fled into the bush, but I don’t have details of those abducted,” he said.

He described the incident as disheartening, noting that the insurgents reportedly struck shortly after troops on patrol left the community.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said the command had yet to receive full details of the incident.

“As of now, I have not gotten any information. We are still making verification,” he said.

Efforts to reach the chairman of Askira Uba Local Government Area, Madu Saidu, were unsuccessful as calls to his line were not answered.

Metro

Drama As Teenagers Stage Secret Wedding With N3,000 Bride Price

Published

1 day ago

May 14, 2026

Editor

Young boys and girls in Bauchi metropolis have been apprehended for allegedly engaging in an illegal marriage arrangement among themselves despite being below the legally recognised adult age of 18 years, with a bride price reportedly fixed at N3,000.

The supposed bride, whose name was withheld and whom her father claimed is 18 years old, alongside the “illegal” groom, was on Thursday presented before the Action Committee on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence chaired by the wife of the Bauchi State Governor, Aisha Bala Mohammed.

They were arrested by operatives of the Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency led by Umar Aliyu Shayi in collaboration with the Bauchi State Police Command.

Also apprehended were wedding guests, the Imam who reportedly conducted the marriage, and an underage girl who allegedly acted as the bride’s mother during the ceremony.

Speaking on the incident, the Commander of Hisbah in the state, Mohammed Mohammed Bununu, declared the marriage invalid, noting that the bride’s father denied knowledge of the arrangement.

Bununu stated that Bauchi, which operates under Sharia law, would not tolerate such practices and urged families to uphold Islamic values and proper parental guidance.

Also speaking, the First Lady, Aisha Bala Mohammed, attributed the development to poverty, moral decadence, and parental negligence.

She urged parents to recommit themselves to proper upbringing and religious teachings, stressing that children should not be left without guidance and supervision.

According to her, poor parental care, uncontrolled family size, and the abandonment of children at an early stage have contributed significantly to such incidents.