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Bandits, kidnappers Target Wedding Ceremonies in Niger

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From Dan Amasingha, Minna. 

As the spate of arms bandItry and kidnapping intensifies in Niger  East  senatorial district, it has emerged that the criminals are now targeting wedding ceremonies, which attract  large number of villagers. 


DAILY ASSET gathered that, despite the  COVID -19 complete lockdown, which started on the March 27,  most communities in Niger East senatorial district are still  engaging in social activities.

 


Sources confided in DAILY ASSET that, the  armed Bandits who have been  terrorising the  area became more daring during the  lockdown as security attention has been  shifted towards enforcing the  lockdown order.


 An eye witness disclosed to  DAILY ASSET that  the armed bandits’ new modus operandi  was to storm villages where wedding  fathiha or  church wedding ceremonies were beingheld and  kidnapp as many guests as they could lay lands on.

 Mallam Yusuf  Kokki, a community leader in one of the  affected  communities confirmed the story, saying  that the new trend is compounding the precarious security situation in Shiroro local government Area.


According to hin, on Sunday April 12, at Rumache village in broad day light during the wedding  fathiha, the bandits stormed the community and kidnapped large number of guest at the ceremony. 

“They took a large number of people away  and dispossessed others of their  assets and in the  process a passer by who was on his way to Bassa market was  gunned down by the heartless criminal.”


Kokki further disclosed that on the same day, the bandits  carried out the kidnapping of the village head of Dakachi of Tegina Kabata, who was about to wed.
” The village head and his entourage were in a church at the community  undergoing a wedding sermonization when they struck “


The community leader lamented the  helplessness of the communities to defend themselves against the  rampaging  bandits as they operate with sophisticated weapons. 


 ” As I speak to you at Ajatai in Kwaki & Chukuba ward , the story is the  same as the criminals stormed villages and unleashed mayhem in broad day light on unsuspecting locals,” he told DAILY ASSET.

CRIME

Police Arrest Three over 2024 Murder, Robbery in Abuja

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Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of Azubuko Nwakama, a staff member of Liberty Radio, who was attacked and robbed at Panteka Market in Mpape on June 14, 2024.

The Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh disclosed in a statement that the arrests followed months of sustained investigation and surveillance by detectives attached to the Mpape Division.

“Following the incident in June 2024, detectives from Mpape Division immediately launched a comprehensive investigation,” she said.

The suspects reportedly robbed the victim of his mobile phone and other valuables before stabbing him.

However, efforts to trace the stolen phone proved difficult for months, as the device remained switched off.

According to the police, the breakthrough came on August 2, 2025, when the phone — a Redmi 13C — was switched on and tracked to one Mutari Lawal, 32, of Kano State.

“Upon arrest, Mutari confessed to the crime and revealed the identities of his accomplices: Dan’Asabe Ibrahim, 22, from Zamfara State, and Danjuma Ibrahim, 18, both with no fixed address in Mpape,” the statement noted.

Lawal reportedly admitted he took the phone to Kano, where he kept it powered off for over a year. He returned to Abuja and switched it on only after attempting to wipe its data and insert a new SIM card.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ajao Adewale, commended the officers for their professionalism and perseverance, stressing that justice has finally caught up with the suspects.

He also warned criminal elements in the territory to either “repent or relocate,” as the law will eventually catch up with them.

“The long arm of the law is patient, persistent, and resolute,” the CP declared.

The FCT Police Command reiterated its commitment to public safety and urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities via its emergency numbers: 08032003913, 08028940883.

…Nab Herder with Ammunition, Six Suspected Robbers in Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State Police Command has arrested a herder in possession of an AK-47 magazine loaded with six live rounds of ammunition, along with six individuals suspected of involvement in robbery and kidnapping across parts of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ramhan Nansel disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday in Lafia.

According to him, the arrests followed credible intelligence from a concerned citizen, leading operatives of the Doma Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, to raid a known criminal hideout in Yelwa Ediya, Doma Local Government Area.

The suspects arrested include Dardau Shehu, Yunusa Malami Hashimu, Musa Abubakar, Ibrahim Musa, and Mohammed Musa, all residents of Yelwa Ediya Village.

During preliminary interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to their involvement in the abduction of a local councillor (name withheld) on May 26, during which two mobile phones, an Infinix Note 30 (valued at N250,000) and a Tecno phone (valued at N20,000) were taken.

They also allegedly admitted to staging a roadblock along the Doma–Yelwa road on July 19, 2025, around 9:00 a.m., during which they dispossessed one Ibrahim Haruna of a Bajaj motorcycle valued at N970,000. The motorcycle was later sold, with one of the suspects reportedly involved in arranging the sale.

“Officers recovered N100,000, identified as proceeds from the sale, which had been concealed in the bush. A Bajaj motorcycle was also recovered during the operation,” the PPRO stated.

In a separate incident, officers from the Keana Division arrested a herder accused of discharging a firearm during a dispute with local farmers at Gidan Zaki Hassan, Kuduku, in Keana LGA.

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Suleman Mohammadu, was arrested with support from community members. An AK-47 magazine containing six live rounds was recovered from him.

The Commissioner of Police, Shettima Jauro Mohammed, has directed that all suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and possible prosecution.

CP Mohammed reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to ensuring public safety across the state and called on residents to remain law-abiding and cooperate with law enforcement by providing timely and credible information.

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CRIME

Police Arrest Five Kidnappers, Recover N5m Ransom in Delta

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From Francis Sadhere, Delta

Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping in the state, with the arrest of five suspected kidnappers and recovery of N5 million ransom from the criminal gang.

In a press release issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, stated that the arrests were made during a series of coordinated operations carried out by the Command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad and the CP’s Special Assignment Team.

According to the statement, on July 12, 2025, at about 6:30 am, operatives led by Godwin Osadolor tracked and apprehended one Sanusi Abdulahi at a hideout in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Oshimili North Local Government Area.

Abdulahi was reportedly found in possession of ₦5 million, believed to be part of a ransom paid by a recent kidnapping victim.

Preliminary investigations linked the gang to multiple kidnapping incidents in Ibusa, Ogwashi-Ukwu, Obulu-Okiti, Isele-Uku, and Isele-Asagba. The gang was also fingered in the abduction of a young woman in Ogwashi-Ukwu on July 9, 2025. Based on intelligence provided by Abdulahi, police raided hideouts in Second Deputy and Oko, both in Asaba, leading to the arrest of four other members of the gang.

Meanwhile, in a separate sting operation on July 9, 2025, along the Patani-Ughelli Expressway near the Unenurhie axis, operatives of the CP’s Special Assignment Team stormed the hideout of a notorious gang led by one Solomon Danisco, alias “Picolo.”

Other gang members include Nelson Jacob, Oruma Saturday, Olise Jude, Precious Urhobowin, and Whisky Rufus, also known as “Asawana,” a native of Ewu community.

The suspects reportedly engaged the police in a fierce gun duel. Six of them sustained severe gunshot wounds and were later confirmed dead at the hospital, while two others are receiving treatment under police custody.

Items recovered from the scene include four locally-made guns and 19 rounds of live cartridges.

Edafe reaffirmed the Command’s commitment under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda to rid Delta State of criminal elements and ensure the safety of residents.

He also called on the public to continue supporting the police by providing credible information that could lead to the arrest of criminals.

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CRIME

Plateau Killings: Night Raid Assault Claims 20, Injure Many

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From Jude Dangwam, Jos

No fewer than 20 people were killed on Monday night in an attack by gunmen in the Bindi village, Ta-Hoss District of the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The assault, which also left many injured, is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued the state’s rural communities.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers stormed the village while residents were asleep, launching a coordinated house-to-house onslaught.

Women, children and the elderly were among the victims, as many were unable to flee the violence in time. Survivors described the assailants as heavily armed.

Senator Pam Dachungyang, representing Plateau North, condemned the killings and expressed concern over what he described as a “War situation.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Eric Dung, the Senator said the recurring attacks, including previous ones in Jol and Rim villages, point to a deliberate effort to terrorize and displace farming communities.

“This cycle of daily, unprovoked attacks is an indictment on all of us. The situation in Bindi (Jebu) last night is beyond tragic and stands to be condemned by all. These are people whose primary occupation is farming, and the continued violence is not only destroying lives but also threatening food security and livelihoods,” Dachungyang said.

The Senator further disclosed that he had reached out to the leadership of the National Assembly to push for a more practical and coordinated military response aimed at dislodging the armed elements behind the attacks.

He also called for an urgent review and strengthening of the state’s security architecture, especially the Special Task Force (STF) responsible for peacekeeping in the area.

Also reacting, the Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM), Riyom Chapter, issued a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Gideon Manjal and Publicity Secretary, Gadu Dong, condemning the attack and calling it part of a broader campaign to displace indigenous people and seize ancestral lands.

“This assault occurred despite the visible presence of security forces in and around the area, including armored military assets. The identities and hideouts of these attackers are known to authorities, yet no meaningful action has been taken to dismantle them,” the group stated.

COPDEM accused both the state and federal authorities of negligence, stressing that repeated attacks on communities like Ta-Hoss, Jol, Rim and Bachi have occurred without adequate protection or justice.

The group called on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Caleb Mutfwang to authorise a full-scale military operation to flush out terrorist elements from Plateau’s regions.

It also urged the government to provide urgent humanitarian aid, trauma counselling and reconstruction support for the affected communities.

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