CRIME
Buhari Vows to Tackle NW Bandits
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that the Armed Forces will continue to take decisive actions against bandits terrorising the North-West.
Buhari made the vow on Thursday while inaugurating the Muhammadu Indimi Centre for Distance Learning and an International Conference at the University of Maiduguri.
“I have ordered and started receiving military hardware from the United States, military aircraft, helicopters and armoured vehicles and we are going to be very, very hard on them (bandits).
The President, who was pleased with the improved security in the North-East, decried the activities of bandits in the North-West
He said: “It is the same people stealing other peoples property and killing here and there.
What for?The president urged Nigerians to judge his administration based on what the condition was when he was sworn-in and what it is now.
“In the South-South, somehow they (militants) believed had a case and we told their leadership the truth when they came to visit me.
“When they sabotaged the oil pipelines or the wells, the land get polluted, the fish move further into the ocean and the ordinary people cannot farm and most of their people are farmers and fishermen.
“They can neither fish nor farm. So who are they hurting, other Nigerians or their own people? It is just common sense and maybe they listened to that and they have left the pipelines alone.
“But the problem now is the North-West. As I said, same people, same culture, we are going to deal with them.
“I ask Nigerians to please tell the less informed that in Africa, we are the biggest country and we are potentially the richest. Let us utilise this gift from God to empower our people, our region and our continent instead of wasting our time.
“I swear by the Holy Qur’an that I will uphold the constitution of the country and by that I must relinquish power in 17 months time. I will go, God’s willing. I hope whoever is coming after me will try to do the three things I tried to do.
“One, to secure the country. If I leave the country unsecured, it cannot be managed.
“Secondly, the economy. We have a lot of people who are unemployed.
“Only 2.5 percent of Nigerian arable land is being utilised. I didn’t know this when I was a governor. I was also minister. I was a Head of State, but to be honest with you, I didn’t know until when one Professor told me.
“We’ve been indoctrinated that we are oil rich and so we don’t need to work in the field. People are renting houses in the towns and the cities all to partake from oil money.
“Now oil has almost become irrelevant, but we thank God that oil is has been discovered in Bauchi and Gombe and that will help to balance the politics of oil in the country.
“We quickly developed that and a series of pipelines are being installed so that we start exploitation. Nigerians will be in position to judge what this administration has done under my leadership.
“When we came, the most difficult one was fighting corruption.
“When I came in uniform much younger and a bit ruthless, I arrested those I thought were corrupt and detained them. I had serious hope. Investigative panels were on in almost all the geopolitics zones investigating the ministers, governors, commissioners and those who headed parastatals.
“In those days, you have to declare your assets before you come on board. With the assets that you declared and what you have now, you have to explain the difference.
“If you cannot explain the difference, we take it away from you and we quietly put you in Kirikiri (Prisons) or somewhere else.
“But eventually I myself was arrested and for three-and-a- quarter years I was detained. I think when they found out that I did not get a kobo from anybody, they let me go.
“So I joined partisans politics; I said let me see what other Nigerians are gaining from this babban riga. I joined them and I am in my final term.
“We thank God for giving us so much resources, so much land and young, hardworking people that we need to educate more and guide so that they can lead the country in the future.“he said. (NAN)
CRIME
Delta Police Arrest School Bus Driver over Minor’s Kidnapping, Assault
A 28-year-old school bus driver, Onome Ughagha, has been arrested by operatives of the Delta State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old female student in Sapele.
The suspect allegedly demanded and collected ₦503,000 in ransom from the student’s father before abandoning her along Oton Road, Sapele.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement in Warri on Sunday.
According to Edafe, the incident was reported at the Sapele Area Command on October 20, 2026, by the victim’s father, who alleged that the suspect abducted his daughter while she was preparing to leave for school.
“The suspect subsequently contacted him (the father), demanded ₦503,000 and threatened to kill the minor if the ransom was not paid,” the statement added.
The police said the girl was abandoned along Oton Road after the ransom was paid and later reunited with her family in a traumatised condition, with indications that she had been sexually assaulted.
Following the report, operatives of the Sapele Area Command commenced an investigation, while the victim was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
The school principal and vice-principal were also invited for questioning as the police intensified efforts to apprehend the suspect, who had reportedly abandoned the school bus and fled.
Edafe said the operatives, acting on credible intelligence, traced Ughagha to his hideout in the Ajimele area of Sapele, where he was arrested on October 23, 2026.
The suspect reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime during preliminary interrogation.
The police spokesman added that arrangements were being made to transfer him to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Asaba for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Samuel Erale, condemned the incident and reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting children from all forms of violence and exploitation.
The commissioner assured that “investigations will be thorough and that anyone found culpable will be brought to justice”.
He also urged school authorities, parents and transport operators to “exercise greater vigilance in safeguarding children”, stressing that the safety of every child entrusted to their care must remain paramount.
CRIME
Enugu CP Orders investigation into Man’s Death During Police Operation
From Sylvia Udegbunam Enugu
The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Nnaji Izuchukwu (male) during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Section of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU).
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Oficer, Enugu State command, Daniel Ndukwe said that the CP has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) to establish the facts of the incident and determine whether the operation and use of firearms complied with established operational standards and extant laws.
Preliminary findings indicate that operatives, acting on credible intelligence, raided Bull Hotel, Asata, Enugu, where Nworie Chidera Kelvin, a.k.a. “Akidi,” an alleged notorious drug peddler and Vikings Confraternity member, was lodged with associates. Akidi is reportedly linked to multiple cases involving unlawful firearm possession and cultism, including one in which he was charged in absentia.
He was also suspected of keeping the gang’s firearms and other criminal tools. The operation led to the arrest of Akidi and nine other suspects, comprising males and females aged 17–28. Quantities of dried weeds suspected to be “loud” cannabis, a weighing scale suspected to be used for measuring illicit drugs, and ₦43,400 in various denominations were recovered.
During the operation, Nnaji and another suspect jumped through a window in an attempt to escape. While pursuing them, an operative was confronted by both suspects, who allegedly attempted to disarm him. In the ensuing struggle, the firearm discharged, leaving Nnaji with gunshot injuries, while the other suspect escaped. Nnaji was rushed to hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. His remains have been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
CP Giwa has urged the deceased’s family, associates and other concerned persons to remain calm, assuring them that the circumstances surrounding the incident will be thoroughly investigated and that any officer found culpable will face appropriate disciplinary action. He reiterated that professionalism, ethical conduct and strict adherence to operational standards, particularly those governing the use of firearms, must never be compromised in any police operation.
CRIME
Police Officer Shoots Female Colleague to Death, Kills Self in Kogi
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Kogi State Police Command has confirmed a tragic incident that claimed the lives of two police officers in Ajaokuta Local Government Area after a male officer allegedly shot his female colleague, before turning gun to shoot himself.
A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Aliu Afusat, an Assistant Superintendent of Police(ASP), on Sunday, said the Command was investigating the fatal shooting at ASCO Camp, Ajaokuta, on October 23, in which two serving police officers died.
According to the statement, “the incident was reported at 11:04 p.
m., and the Divisional Police Officer, Ajaokuta, led a team of police officcers to the scene.“Preliminary findings indicate that Corporal Amos Yusuf, who was on night duty, shot Woman Corporal Grace Onimisi and thereafter shot himself. Both officers were taken to separate medical facilities, where they were confirmed dead by medical personnel. Their remains have been deposited at the mortuary of ASCO Hospital.
“An AK-47 rifle and four expended cartridges were recovered at the scene as exhibits.
“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for in-depth investigation. The circumstances and motive remain subjects of investigation, and the Command will not speculate on matters yet to be established.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, psc, mni, extends his condolences to the families, colleagues and loved ones of the deceased officers over this tragic incident. The Command will provide verified updates as appropriate” the statement said.


