Metro
Police Reveal Cause Of Death Of Bodies Found On Lagos Riverbank

The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed that the five bodies recovered along the Oreta riverbank in the Igbogbo community, Ikorodu Local Government Area, on Wednesday were victims of a cult-related attack.
Panic spread through the community after residents discovered the lifeless bodies of young men by the riverside.
A video clip, less than 30 seconds long, captured some of the corpses sprawled along the riverbank. One of the deceased was seen facedown in a blue hoodie, while another in a black-and-white shirt lay motionless with bloodstains nearby.
The killings add to a series of cult-related incidents across Lagos, which have so far led to the arrest of more than 26 suspects, according to the command.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Saturday, the state Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, said new interventions were being deployed in Ikorodu and other flashpoints across the state.
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He confirmed the incident was cult-related, adding that investigations were ongoing.
“That is why we are investigating. You know that we recovered the bodies and sent scene-of-crime experts to the place.
“The team has briefed me, and we have given more directives on areas to touch. We will make the outcome of the investigation public.”
The police boss explained that he had dedicated anti-cultism units established across all area commands in the state, as well as a central squad at the command headquarters to combat cult clashes.
“I have created anti-cultism groups in every area command. Parents and guardians must also be urged to advise and compel their children to stop cultism, as we are seeing attacks and counterattacks.
READ ALSO:Three Killed In Lagos Masquerader Festival Clash
“If you look at the last two days, you will see that we have been able to control the situation through constant patrol of all the areas,” the CP noted.
Jimoh further revealed that specialised forces had been deployed to coastal areas to maintain peace.
“The coast strike force has been deployed to Lekki. They have been working day and night. The areas are now peaceful.
“The five bodies we recovered – we are investigating the circumstances, but it is cult-related. We have been able to bring it under control.
“After the arrest of 26 suspects, we have arrested more suspects since then, and arrests are still ongoing.
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“Nowadays, it is not idleness or joblessness that forces people into cultism. These days, you will even see artisans and others engaging in cultism.
“The kind of successful operation we had in Mushin, where we suppressed cultism to zero level, is what we are replicating in Ikorodu. All residents should go about their lawful businesses, as everything is under control.”
The violence in Oreta came just a day after a man was gruesomely killed in Bayeku, another community in Ikorodu.
The Executive Chairman of Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Hammed Aroyewun, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Oluwaseun Ajayi, said, “The incident, which shook the community and heightened fears over safety, drew an immediate response from the Council Chairman.”
Earlier in the week, three suspected cultists were also murdered during a festival on Lagos Island, further heightening concerns about cult violence across the state.
Metro
Residents Flee Kogi Community Over Fear Of Bandit Attacks

Hundreds of residents of Okunran village in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have deserted their homes following persistent attacks by armed bandits.
A viral video circulating on social media showed the once-bubbling community completely deserted, with houses abandoned and streets empty.
“Okunran, once a bubbling town, is now a ghost town,” a resident said.
The villagers said they fled to escape incessant kidnappings, killings, and ransom demands that have plagued the community.
READ ALSO:Army Kills Notorious Bandit, Babangida, In Kogi
“The government has failed us, security agencies have failed us. If we remain here, we will be consumed by bandits. We are tired of paying ransom and contributing money for bandits,” said Akin Samuel, a fleeing resident.
The Guardian learnt that neighbouring communities, including Okoloke and Egbe, are also considering leaving if the attacks persist.
The abduction of the first-class traditional ruler of Okoloke, 90-year-old Pa. Dada James Ogunyanda, in May 2025, deepened the climate of fear in the area. Although he was released after a ransom was paid, the monarch has refused to return to his palace.
A native of Okunran, Auwal Maroof, who now lives in Lokoja, said the decision to flee became inevitable.
READ ALSO:One Dead, Five Injured In Kogi Road Crash
“We have been praying for God’s intervention, but the insecurity persists to the point that fleeing was the only option to stay alive,” he said.
Egbe, the commercial hub of Yagba, is feared to be vulnerable due to its close connection with neighbouring Kwara State, where the bandits are suspected to be coming from.
Local sources report that at least 10 people, including seven police officers and three civilians, were killed by bandits in Yagba within one week this month.
The Chairman of Yagba East Local Government recently imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in a bid to contain the crisis, while the Kogi State government and the senator representing the district have pledged to rid the area of bandits.
Metro
18 Dead, Dozens Missing In Zamfara Mine Collapse

Rescuers in Nigeria are searching for dozens of people missing after a boulder crashed onto an illegal mine during heavy rains, killing at least 18 people, local sources told AFP on Saturday.
The rock came crashing down on Thursday on the mine in the northern Zamfara state outside the Kadauri village in the Maru district, they said.
“We have managed to pull out 18 dead bodies from the pit and five other survivors who sustained various degrees of injuries,” Sani Lawwali, a miner who works in unauthorised pits, said from Kadauri.
A dozen other miners were still trapped inside and their fate remained unknown, said Lawwali, who took part in the rescue effort.
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“The process is slow and laborious as we use our bare hands to chisel the end of the boulder to make holes for limited access into the pit,” he said.
Rescuers have asked for a bulldozer being used at a nearby road construction site to be brought in to help, but had not yet received a response from the company using it, Lawwali added.
Abubakar Nabube, a local community leader, confirmed the death toll of 18. He said that 15 of those killed came from the nearby Maikwanugga and Damaga villages.
“If no help comes from emergency agencies soon, none of those trapped would come out alive,” he said.
READ ALSO:Bandits Attack Mosque In Zamfara, Kill, Abduct Worshippers
Zayyanu Ibrahim, a resident of Kadauri village said the collapse occurred at one of several newly dug sites in the recently established mining site.
“Dozens of miners were working in the pit while it heavily rained outside. A huge boulder at the mouth of the pit collapsed and buried miners inside,” said Ibrahim, who also confirmed the toll.
Sani Abdullahi, a councillor in the area, said it was difficult to say how many people there were in the pit at the time of the accident.
READ ALSO:Zamfara Gov Disburses ₦322m To Support 8,225 Schoolgirls
Officials from the Nigerian emergency agency NEMA did not respond to an AFP enquiry about the accident.
Zamfara, a poor agrarian state, is rich in gold deposits where illegal artisanal mining thrives in the countryside, despite several attempts by authorities to stop the practice.
The authorities have blamed illegal mining for the worsening of bandit violence, with criminal gangs getting money from protection fees they extort from miners.
Metro
Police Confirm Abduction Of 17 Passengers Along Calabar Waterway

The Police Command in Cross River has confirmed the abduction of 17 passengers by sea pirates along the Calabar Waterways.
The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, DSP Igri Ewa, who made the confirmation on Saturday in Calabar, said that the passengers were abducted on Thursday.
Ewa said that the command had already swung into action to ensure the ‘immediate and prompt’ rescue of the abductees.
According to the police spokesperson, a serving police officer in Akwa Ibom and a popular politician in Cross River who were on board the boat narrowly escaped abduction.
READ ALSO:Six Arrested For Alleged Killing Of Police Constable In Bayelsa
A passenger who preferred anonymity told newsmen that the boat was attacked a few minutes after take-off from Oron en route Calabar.
“They stopped our boat, transferred some passengers to their boat, and when their boat was full, they took off.
“When we arrived at the Inland Waterways Jetty, we were thoroughly quizzed by the police. Our statements were later taken before we were allowed to go home.”
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