Airstrikes by a military task force in Niger State have killed over 50 bandits with scores of the bandits scurrying to take refuge in communities.

The operation, led by the military, took place at River Kusasu in the Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

The bandits, terrorising some communities in the state, met their end on Wednesday morning when they attempted to escape the onslaught by the joint security task force in communities around Shiroro and Munya local government areas.

A resident in the area told our correspondent that the well over 300 bandits, fleeing from the military airstrikes in Kaduna and parts of Niger state, hijacked a wooden boat and ordered the driver at gunpoint to cross the river with them.

According to another source close to the task force, the air component of the military operation sighted the bandits while they tried to cross the river and bombed them, killing over 50 of them while scores of others suffered injuries.

According to the community source, the driver of the boat and his boat assistant were lucky to have escaped unhurt but his boat was completely burnt.

The bandits were said to have migrated and crossed over to communities around Tshohon Kabula, Beni and Gidan Wire, in Niger State in a frantic search for hideouts.

The security source disclosed that a detachment of men of the joint security task force stationed at Mangoro village, a route previously used by the bandits to launch attacks on communities around Sarkin Pawa, the headquarters of Munya LGA, were combing the bush in search of the fleeing bandits as at the time of filing this report.

A villager, who identified himself as Ibrahim Kure, told our correspondent on the phone that the arrival of the fleeing bandits put fear in the villagers as some of them had fled the village.

Kure said the bandits had only taken over the abandoned residences and food barns of the fleeing villagers without attacking the communities for now.

Attempts to get the Permanent Secretary, Homeland Security, Tariq Abdulraheem, to react to the incident were abortive as he did not respond to calls placed to his mobile line.

An unidentified lady was found dead on Friday in a hotel at Morogbo in the Badagry area of Lagos State, after she lodged in the facility with her male partner.

The lovebirds were said to have arrived at the hotel in the morning and made payment for a short rest. But hours later, the receptionist who wanted to assign the room to another customer went to the room and found it locked.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, stated that the hotel worker later used a spare key to open the door, after which she found the lifeless body of the lady lying on the bed.

Narrating the incident, the eyewitness said, “The two guests arrived at the hotel in the morning. After paying, they collected the key to their room and went inside. It was later around 10 pm when the hotel attendant wanted to assign the room to another customer that they started to search for the room key.

“When they got there, they discovered it was locked. They also knocked but no one answered. They banged on the door yet no one answered. They had to get a spare key and when the door was opened, only the female guest was found lying naked on the bed. Her body was covered with a bedspread. It was also discovered that her clothes and phone were taken away,” the eyewitness said.

The resident added that the hotel owner was immediately contacted while the workers couldn’t trace her male companion. But efforts to locate him were unsuccessful as their record was not taken by the receptionist when they first arrived.

“The hotel workers searched everywhere and they were also joined by some other persons in an attempt to locate the suspect. It was that same night that the hotel director went to report the matter to the police. The police came, took pictures of the lady and later took away the corpse.

It was difficult to locate her partner because the receptionist did not take the record of the customers. The hotel also does not have a CCTV camera,” the resident revealed further.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, said, “The corpse has been deposited in the morgue. The owner of the hotel has been arrested along with the receptionist. The case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.”

Dangote Cement Plc, Ibese, Ogun State, has donated multi-million naira worth of electrical items to 10 neighbouring communities in Ibese in the Yewa North Local Government Area of the state.

This is contained in a statement by the company’s Group Chief, Branding and Communication, Mr Anthony Chiejina, on Thursday in Abeokuta.

The statement said that the gesture was to enable the host communities reconnect to the national grid and have their power supply restored.

The team that presented the items to the affected communities was led by the company’s Head of Social Performance, Ademola Ojolowo.

Items presented included: 1,200 metres of aluminium conductor steel-reinforced cable (ACSR), 20 high tension poles, 40 pieces of pot insulator and 10 pairs of tie straps.

Mr Ojolowo said that the materials were donated to address the lingering power outage in the affected communities which had been in darkness for some months due to unhealthy high tension lines on their distribution network.

He further stated that the decision to intervene was borne out of genuine care for the people and the desire to help mitigate the negative impact of the outage on their socio-economic activities.

Mr Ojolowo reiterated the company’s commitment to the sustainable development of its host communities and continued collaboration on initiatives geared toward the general well-being of the people.

The items were presented to the communities at the constituency office of the lawmaker representing Yewa North State Constituency I, Adegoke Awoso.

The handover of the items was also witnessed by various stakeholder-groups across the 10 benefitting communities and officials of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company.

A resident identified only as Adeyanju, who spoke on behalf of the benefitting communities, expressed delight with the donation of the electrical items and urged the IBEDC officials to ensure that the installation was carried without further delay.

He commended the management of the firm for coming to the aid of the communities ‘at this critical period,’ promising to continue to work for promotion of peace and tranquillity in the communities for the greater good of his people.

A Zamfara State High Court has sentenced one Anas Dahiru to death by hanging for killing his friend.

Anas of Unguwar Dallatu area of Gusau, in Zamfara State, was accused of killing his friend, Shamsu Ibrahim with a knife during a dispute over one hundred Naira in 2017.

The presiding justice, Mukhtar Yusha’u said that having listened to both sides, the court was convinced that Anas commited the crime.

Justice Yusha’u sentenced the convict to death by hanging as enshrined in section 221 of the Penal Code.

In another development, the presiding judge also sentenced one Sadiqu Abubakar to life imprisonment for attempted armed robbery in Bungudu Local Government Area of the State.

Sadiqu was convicted for attacking one business man in Runji village, who gallantly arrested and handed him over to the police.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Speaking with newsmen at the court premises, the prosecution, Barrister Mansur Lawal, Assistant Director, Public Prosecution, Zamfara State ministry of justice, said he welcomed the judgment passed by the court.

On his part, the counsel to the two convicts, Barrister Muhammad Ahmad Jamo, who is the coordinator, legal aid council, Zamfara State office, said the judgment would serve as deterrent to others.

He, however, disclosed that they would look at the possibility of appealing the case.

The mother of the four missing pupils of Great Ambassadors School in Umuahia, Mrs Oluchi Chimobi Agha on Tuesday broke down in tears while narrating how her children, including a set of twins, disappeared last week, on their way to school.

Oluchi, who made the narration while receiving the Chairman of Umuahia North LGA, Victor Ikeji at the family’s residence in Umuagu Ibeku, said life had not been the same for her and her husband since their innocent kids were taken away to unknown destination by a tricycle operator, popularly known as Keke NAPEP.

She explained that she handed over the kids to the tricycle operator at 7:am on Monday, last week, to take them to their school at Nwoegwu, Ohuhu, but regretted that the kids never returned home at their supposed closure hour of 3:pm.

Flanked by her husband, Mr Chimobi Agha, Oluchi begged the local government chairman, the police, other security agencies and all concerned Nigerians to assist the family in rescuing their children alive.

The couple thanked the local government chairman and his officials for developing deep interest in their plight, saying that with the support and prayers of Abians and Nigerians at large, their kids would be found.

The Umuahia North LGA Chairman, Victor Ikeji, who visited the family of the missing children, assured the couple that his Council was doing everything in collaboration with the police and other security agencies in the State to rescue their children.

Accompanied by the Divisional Police Officer of Ohuhu Police division, Mr Jack Robin and other officials, the Umuahia North Mayor urged various security agencies in the State to do everything to rescue the children, even as he said that Governor Alex Otti had been informed about the unfortunate incident.

He further warned criminals operating in Umuahia North to turn a new leaf or face the music.

The Kaduna State Police Command said its operatives have arrested four suspects with 50 kilogrammes of Indian hemp at Unguwar Mai Hayi in Makarfi.

According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansur Hassan, a gun was recovered from the suspected drug dealers when the operatives raided their base.

Hassan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Kaduna that the arrest followed actionable intelligence received from a good Samaritan in the community on December 4.

“On getting the information, our operatives mobilised to the area where four suspects were arrested and one locally made gun recovered in the house,” he added.

Hassan, however, said the police were on the trail of the principal suspect.

The command spokesman said the four suspects would be prosecuted upon completion of the ongoing investigation.

Two men are in police custody in Nasarawa State for allegedly locking up their 35-year-old cousin and starving him to death over an allegation of witchcraft.

The acting commissioner of police in Nasarawa State, Shettima Muhammad, confirmed the duo’s arrest on Monday in Lafia, the state capital.

He said police received information on November 30 that the deceased, Mohammed Sani, had his hands and legs tied and locked away in his room, where he was starved to death over an allegation of witchcraft.

Mr Muhammad said the family hurriedly buried the remains of Mr Sani, but further investigation was ongoing to arrest others who might have been involved in the murder.

He added that the two suspects already arrested denied their involvement and claimed that they only participated in the burial after discovering the decomposing body of Mr Sani in his room.

In another development, Mr Muhammad said 16 suspects were arrested between October and November for various criminal offences across Nasarawa State.

He said 10 suspects were arrested for armed robbery, five for kidnapping and one for defilement.

The police spokesperson added that the police also recovered seven firearms and 27 rounds of live ammunition from the suspects.

In the case of defilement, Mr Muhammad said the suspect, Habu Yusuf (21), was arrested on October 31 for allegedly defiling a five-year-old girl.

He said the victim’s mother reported the case to the police on the fateful day when she found her daughter walking abnormally.

“Preliminary investigation showed that the suspect had also sexually molested two of his elder brother’s children aged eight and 10 years before nemesis caught up with him,’’ Mr Muhammad said.

He commended the collaboration of other security agencies and citizens with the police in the fight against crime in Nasarawa.

Officers of the Orile Division of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 27-year-old suspected cultist, Ahmed Ololade aka Small Mercy.

This was revealed in a post on the command’s official X handle on Sunday.

According to the post, Ololade was arrested in possession of one local pistol, live cartridges, and charms amongst others.

The caption read, “27-year-old suspected cultist, Ahmed Ololade aka Small Mercy, has been arrested by officers of Orile Division in possession of the following items: 1 locally made pistol, 2 single barrel shotguns, 6 live cartridges, 7 live 7.65mm ammunition, 1 live 9mm ammunition, two axes, and charms.

“It added that the investigation of the case was ongoing.

Two arrested as Kano government uncovers warehouse used for diverting food palliatives

Kano State Government has uncovered a warehouse where food items meant for palliatives were being diverted in the state.

The press secretary, Bature Dawakin-Tofa, who made this known in a statement on Sunday in Kano, said the warehouse was at Sharada Industrial Estate Dawakin-Tofa said Gov. Abba Yusuf and the government officials were conducted round the isolated warehouse where the hijacked food items were kept along drum of chemicals.

The governor expressed shock and vowed to punish whoever was involved in the scandalous act of diverting the palliative food items consisting of maize and rice.

He immediately directed the commissioner of police to take over the warehouse and conduct a swift investigation to fish out the culprits.

The development occurred following a tip-off from some community members in Sharada who discovered suspicious movement of unknown persons around the warehouse and reported the matter to the Sharada Police Division.

While briefing Mr Yusuf on the spot at the warehouse, one of the Sharada community leaders, Rabiu Amour, said thousands of bags branded with the governor’s portrait and designed as palliatives were discovered to be re-bagged.

“We know these food items are meant to be distributed to less privileged people. Therefore, we decided to blow the whistle.

“This is our contribution to the good efforts of the governor; he is trying his best to help the downtrodden but some people within the system are sabotaging his effort,” he said.

Shortly after the inspection, the governor directed the state commissioner for agriculture, Danjuma Mahmoud, to brief the media.

The commissioner told journalists that an investigation had commenced on the matter.

Mr Mahmoud said parts of the rice and maize hijacked were meant to be distributed to the people living with disabilities and widows of armed forces officers and other security agencies in Kano.

Although the commissioner declined to reveal the identity of the culprits, he confirmed that two suspects had been arrested and handed over to the police in connection with the crime.

“You will recall that after the official unveiling of the distribution of food items meant for the less privileged as palliatives to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal.

“The state government later set aside another large portion of the palliatives specifically to be distributed to people with special needs in the society.

“Besides people with special needs, the last round of palliatives was also meant for families and widows of members of the armed forces – the army, navy, airforce and police.

“Others are families and widows of the personnel of sister agencies like immigration, correctional centre, customs, civil defence, road safety and Hisbah commission,” he said.

The Abia State Police Command has declared four school children of the same parents missing.

The police spokesperson, ASP Maureen Chinaka, announced this in a statement on Sunday in Umuahia.

She said the children were identified as Chinweotiti Chimaobi (7) female, Nmesomachi Chimaobi (7) female, Testimony Chimaobi (4) male, and Godswill Chimaobi (2) male.

Ms Chinaka confirmed that the parents, Chimaobi Agha and his wife, Oluchi, residents of Umuagu-IBeku, Umuahia North Local Government Area, reported the matter at the Ohuhu Police Divisional Headquarters on November 28.

She said the incident happened in November when the mother took the children to school.

“The children’s mother escorted them to the junction of her street to board an unknown tricycle destined for Great Ambassadors College, Ukaiuga Nkwoegwu, Ohuhu, in Umuahia North LGA.

“No one escorted or went with them, considering that the eldest is seven years old and the tricyclist is unknown.

“Unfortunately, at the end of the school day, the children did not return home as anticipated,” Ms Chinaka said.

She stated that the police initiated an investigation into the whereabouts of the missing children.

According to her, further investigation had shown that the children were not present in school on the specified date, and the investigation to trace the missing children is ongoing.

The police spokesperson, therefore, urged anyone with information that could aid in locating them to promptly report to the nearest police station.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said nine passengers sustained varying degrees of burns in an auto crash on Ogbomoso-Oyo Expressway.

The sector commander in the state, Joshua Adekanye, confirmed the incident to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday.

He said the accident, which occurred on Saturday, involved a trailer and a truck at Sekona area along Ogbomoso – Oyo Expressway.

Mr Adekanye said that nine out of the total 13 people involved in the accident got burnt while four others escaped unhurt.

“The accident happened around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the truck vehicle caught fire while the trailer collided with it.

“The actual cause of the truck which went on fire could not be ascertained because it happened at night,” he said.

He, however, said the likely cause of the trailer colliding with the truck might be speeding and wrongful overtaking.

According to him, the burnt victims are being referred to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for treatment, adding that the RS11.31 Ogbomoso and RS11.312 Oolo Commands conducted a rescue operation.

“Other agency that carried out the rescue operation are the Fire Service and Odo-Oba Police Division,” he said.

Mr Adekanye called on motorists to shun night travelling, wrongful overtaking and dangerous driving to ensure safety on the road.

The GSM market in Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State was on Friday gutted by fire.

Spokesman of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), CSC. Adamu Shehu, confirmed the incident to DAILY POST.

He said the incident happened at about 10:30hrs, at Na Malam Zangi Shopping Complex, Bakin Kasuwa, Matsaro Ward opposite Sambajo Store, Hadejia Main Market.

Adamu said the fire incident consumed three phone shops, a stall, and part of a mosque in the area.

He said the cause of the fire is unknown but an eyewitness said it was a result of a spark from an electricity pole close to one of the shops.

The fire was, however, put out to prevent further escalation by the combined effort of the NSCDC disaster management response team, fire service personnel and residents living within the area.

He said no casualty was recorded but the inferno consumed property and valuables worth millions of naira.

The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said its operatives have arrested a suspected Indian hemp farmer in Sokoto State.

The Commandant of NDLEA in the state, Mr Adamu Iro, told newsmen on Saturday that “It is the first of such case in the history of the state”.

According to Iro, the suspect, Anas Sani, was arrested in Sayinna village, Tambuwal Local Government Area, following a tip-off.

He said the suspect planted a foreign variety of cannabis sativa in his maize farm, which was uprooted by NDLEA operatives who stormed the farm.

The Commandant further added that the suspect will be prosecuted after laboratory analysis of the uprooted leaves.

He thanked the residents for their support to the agency and urged them not to relent, warning that cultivating Indian hemp and dealing in illicit drugs attract heavy punishment.

Mr Idris said that the government was happy with the report of the death of the terrorist.

The Kebbi State Government has hailed members of the vigilance service in the Kanzanna general area for killing a notorious kidnapper, Dogo Oro, terrorising two local government areas in the state.

The commendation was contained in a statement by Alhaji Ahmed Idris, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris on Saturday in Birnin Kebbi.

He said that Oro had made life difficult for people living in Bunza and Kalgo Local Government Areas.

Mr Idris said that the government was happy with the report that the criminal was eliminated by some members of the vigilance service at Tunga village in Tilli ward of Bunza LGA.

“The successful operation has added a lot of hope for our communities to resettle in their various homes and villages and go about their normal business, especially in Kanzanna general area,” he added.

Mr Idris said that the recent successes recorded against criminals may not be unconnected with the holistic approach of security agencies to make the state safer for all.

He noted that Governor Nasir Idris pledged to render more support to security agencies, including the vigilance service, working to secure the state.

The Alumni Association of the Oyo State College of Nursing and Midwifery Eleyele, Ibadan, Oyo State, has donated a 3.5 KVA solar system and laptops to the school’s library.

The college’s set ‘M’ (1973-1977) Alumni Association made the donation on Friday in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of their admittance to the college.

Chairman of the set, Alhaji Babatunde Ola, said the donation was a token of appreciation to the college which had made them what they are today.

“It is also in a bid to give back to our alma mater,” he said.

Mr Ola appreciated the college’s Provost, Dr Gbonjubola Owolabi, for her understanding and unending support for the association.In his remarks, the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, appreciated the association for its efforts towards moving the college forward.

“We thank you for your unflinching support at all times,” the commissioner, represented by Owolabi, said.

He charged other sets of the college’s graduates to emulate the association’s kind gesture by giving back to their alma mater.

He pledged the state government’s unending support to the college and the entire health sector in the state.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed the arraignment of 12 agency officers before a disciplinary panel for various offences bordering on corruption.

The acting general manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare, confirmed this in a statement on Friday by the agency’s spokesperson Taofiq Adebayo.

Mr Bakare said the disciplinary action was in line with the agency’s extant rules, as guided by the Lagos State Civil Service Rules and Regulations.

The acting general manager, who was also part of the disciplinary panel, noted that while 11 officers were found guilty of corrupt practices, one officer was exonerated with the report of the panel.

According to him, the disciplinary panel adjudicated the cases of corrupt practices levelled against the 12 officers.

He said the panel had also forwarded its recommendations to the State Civil Service Commission for ratification, in line with the public service rules.

Mr Bakare explained that the panel recommended various punishments, ranging from dismissal and reduction in rank to immediate termination of appointment from the state public service.

“All officers are, hereby, warned to always carry out their duties without fear or favour, but in accordance with the stipulated laws guiding the authority.

“Any operative caught in the process of bringing the agency or the state government into disrepute shall equally face the consequences,” he said.

He warned the motoring public to stop inducing traffic personnel with bribes to avoid prosecution, as the law frowned on both the giver and the receiver.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Thursday, denied media reports that its operatives murdered two children at a secondary school in Gwarinpa, Abuja.

Ms Comfort Okomanyi, spokesperson for the NSCDC’s FCT command, stated that the students in question were alive and recovering at a medical facility in the FCT.

Mr Olusola Odumosu, the FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, visited the injured pupils on Thursday, according to Okomanyi.

According to media reports, two pupils from Gwarinpa Junior Secondary School were accidentally shot by NSCDC personnel after a skirmish between suspected cult groups.

Okomanyi declared that the NSCDC Commandant-General, Mr Ahmed Audi, had formed an inquiry team to look into the situation.

Audi further disclosed that the NSCDC was determined to implement an internal disciplinary system to punish any personnel found to be at fault in the regrettable situation.

“The corps apologise to parents and guardians of the two students who were injured unintentionally during the intervention and promise to pick bills incurred in the course of their treatment,’’ he said.