security
Gunmen Abduct 18 Women in Benue, 47 Niger Farmers
From Attah Ede, Makurdi, and Dan Amasingha, Minna
Fresh fears over the worsening insecurity across the country emerged on Tuesday as more than 65 people were reported abducted in separate incidents in Benue and Niger states, triggering a road blockade by angry residents in Makurdi and renewed calls for intensified security operations.
In Benue State, thousands of women and youths from the Tyo-Mu community in Makurdi Local Government Area barricaded the Makurdi-Gboko Road, protesting the abduction of 18 women who were reportedly kidnapped while travelling to attend a burial ceremony in Kogi State.
The protesters, who gathered in the early hours of Tuesday, blocked vehicular movement around the Tyo-Mu axis, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded for several hours.
Community sources said the women were travelling along the route when they were waylaid by suspected kidnappers around the boundary between Adoka in Benue State and Ankpa in Kogi State.
The abductors were said to have initially demanded ₦30 million for the release of the victims. The community reportedly raised and paid ₦3 million, but the women were not released.
The development sparked outrage, with protesters demanding that the victims be rescued alive and unhurt. Security personnel, including military operatives, were deployed to the area as tension mounted between the protesters and security forces attempting to reopen the highway.
Motorists travelling between Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina-Ala and other parts of the state were forced to park along the road during the protest.
The Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Internal Security, Joseph Har, confirmed that an abduction had occurred, although he said he was yet to establish the exact number of victims.
Har said security agencies had been alerted and were working to locate and rescue the victims, adding that the Divisional Police Officer in Adoka and security personnel in surrounding areas were involved in the operation.
He cautioned against night travel along the route, describing it as a security concern.
According to him, rescue operations must be conducted carefully because the location from which kidnappers make telephone calls may differ from where their victims are being held.
The Benue State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Solomon Iorpev, also confirmed the incident. He said the affected women had hired Ejifa Travel Services to transport them to the burial in Kogi State.
Iorpev said the incident was brought to the attention of the authorities after the affected community commenced the protest. He added that the Commissioner of Police was liaising with the Transport Company and families of the victims to trace the abductees.
He urged the families to remain calm while security agencies worked to secure the victims’ release.
47 Abducted in Niger
In Niger State, no fewer than 47 people, including several women, were reportedly abducted while harvesting groundnuts around Tungan Rimi and Mukura communities in Mariga Local Government Area.
The victims were reportedly taken on Sunday, September 27, and moved through adjoining communities towards forested areas.
Chairman of Mariga Local Government Area, Alhaji Aliyu Bagga Muhamadu, confirmed the abduction and said one of the women reportedly gave birth while in captivity.
He said the abductors had contacted some relatives and demanded ₦2 million for each victim.
Bagga added that military personnel and local vigilantes had been mobilised for a rescue operation. A vigilante was reportedly injured after security personnel and local forces confronted suspected bandits around Alibani village.
The abductors were subsequently said to have moved through the Mangoro-Wamba axis towards the Bariki Forest, also known as Ma’undu, where the victims were believed to be held.
The Niger State Police Command separately confirmed that more than 20 people were abducted at Mukura village in Kasuwan-Garba District of Mariga LGA on September 27.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said joint security rescue efforts were ongoing.
The different figures provided by the Mariga council chairman and the police indicate that authorities were still working to establish the precise number of people abducted and their whereabouts.
Senate Demands Rescue
The fresh abductions came as Senate President Godswill Akpabio called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue citizens held captive by armed groups across the country.
Resuming plenary after the Senate’s annual recess, Akpabio said the upper chamber would use its legislative, appropriation and oversight powers to support security institutions and protect vulnerable communities.
He said the Senate could not consider itself free while Nigerians remained in captivity, urging security agencies to pursue the rescue of abducted citizens with renewed vigour.
Akpabio also called for stronger responses to flooding, the rising cost of living and other challenges confronting Nigerians.
With political activities building ahead of the 2027 general elections, he urged political actors to reject violence, intimidation, religious profiling and divisive rhetoric.
The latest incidents in Benue and Niger have once again placed the safety of rural communities, farmers and travellers under intense scrutiny, as families of the abducted continue to await the safe return of their loved ones.
The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening defence and security cooperation with Nigeria, with emphasis on military training, technology transfer and institutional capacity building.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pete Vowles, reiterated the commitment during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen.
Olufemi Oluyede, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.This was contained in a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Vowles reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to sustaining existing security initiatives and exploring new areas of collaboration to address evolving regional and global security challenges.
He described defence and security cooperation as critical pillars of the longstanding bilateral relationship between both countries.
The high commissioner also stressed the need for a mutually beneficial partnership that would promote regional stability and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to tackle contemporary security threats.
In his response, Oluyede highlighted the longstanding historical ties between Nigeria and the UK, noting that both countries had sustained productive defence relations over several decades.
He said the two countries had continued to collaborate in addressing shared security concerns.
The CDS emphasised the need to sustain and expand existing areas of cooperation, particularly in professional military education, technology transfer and institutional capacity building.
According to him, ongoing defence agreements and training programmes have contributed to improving the professional competence and operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Oluyede emphasised that continued collaboration with strategic international partners remained vital to strengthening the military’s capacity to respond effectively to emerging threats.
He added that such partnerships would also promote greater self-reliance, institutional resilience and operational efficiency within the Armed Forces.
Both parties expressed optimism about the future of the UK-Nigeria defence and security partnership, reaffirming their commitment to consolidating existing achievements and exploring further areas of cooperation for mutual benefit.
By Tambaya Julius, Abuja
Nigeria and Rwanda are exploring new areas of military cooperation, including personnel exchanges, specialised training and local defence equipment production, as both countries seek to strengthen regional security.
The proposals were presented by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, during an official working visit to Rwanda, where he held talks with the Army Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force, Major General Vincent Nyakarundi.
In a statement, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, said the discussions focused on expanding professional military cooperation and improving the operational capacity of both armies.
Shaibu proposed that two cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) undertake a four-year training programme at the Rwanda Military Academy, with similar opportunities to be made available to Rwandan cadets in Nigeria.
He also called for collaboration between the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and relevant Rwandan institutions to boost local defence production and encourage technology development.
Other areas identified for cooperation include logistics, Military Police training, pre-deployment preparation for peace support operations and the exchange of operational experience in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency.
The Army Chief said both countries could draw on their respective military experiences to tackle emerging security threats, improve operational readiness and promote stability across the region.
He further stressed the need for closer ties between DICON and Rwanda’s defence engineering and procurement institutions to support indigenous equipment manufacturing, technological advancement and greater self-reliance.
During the visit, Shaibu paid tribute to the courage and sacrifices of the Rwandan Patriotic Army, particularly the 600 personnel who defended Kigali during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
He described their resilience and patriotism as enduring lessons in national determination and military leadership.
In his response, Nyakarundi commended the Nigerian Army for providing specialised Military Police and Intelligence training to Rwandan personnel.
He called for expanded professional military education through institutions such as the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Army War College Nigeria and the National Defence College.
The Rwandan Army chief also welcomed the proposed cadet exchange programme and defence industrial partnership, describing the visit as a reflection of growing mutual trust and professional solidarity between the two armies.
The proposed initiatives are expected to provide a framework for deeper military engagement between Nigeria and Rwanda, particularly in training, defence technology and regional security cooperation
From Dan Amasingha, Minna
An Assistant Superintendent of Corps (ASC), Usman Isah Ndamaka, was moved to tears yesterday as he appeared before the Justice Mohammed Mohammed-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Minna.
He offered an unreserved apology over the death of 37 miners while in the custody of the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Ndamaka, who was the officer in charge of the command’s detention facility when the incident occurred on September 17, admitted full responsibility for the tragedy, describing it as a grave mistake.
The judicial panel was set up by the Niger State Government to probe the circumstances surrounding the fatalities, which reportedly occurred following the arrest of 58 suspected illegal miners comprising 33 males and 25 females.
Recounting the events that led to the deaths, Ndamaka explained that the facility was originally designed to accommodate between 28 and 30 detainees.
He stated that while female suspects were separated and relocated to another facility, accommodating the remaining male detainees presented a severe logistical challenge.
According to him, the suspects arrived late in the evening during a heavy downpour, making an immediate transfer difficult. An attempt to relocate some of the detainees to the old command facility failed after the Mining Marshal rejected the arrangement.
Ndamaka told the commission that heat, severe overcrowding, and distress caused the male suspects to scream and shout inside the cell.
However, he admitted that fear of being overpowered prevented him and his subordinates from unlocking the door
”An error has already been committed. I am very sorry for the death of the miners under my custody,” Ndamaka said in an emotional testimony. “It is unfortunate that this happened under my watch. I am pained, and I admit my mistake.”
Also testifying, the head of the NSCDC investigation unit, Chief Superintendent of Corps Sunday Oluwadere, confirmed that he profiled and investigated the suspects following their arrest and recovered several exhibits.
Under cross-examination by the Niger State Head of the Legal Aid Council, Mrs. Bolanle Jibogun, Oluwadere expressed regret over operational shortcomings during the handling of the suspects.
Earlier, the Chief Consultant Pathologist at the General Hospital, Minna, Dr. Alfa Sule, informed the panel that post-mortem examinations were required to determine the precise cause of death.
Dr. Sule stated that conducting the autopsies requires coroner approval, while obtaining toxicology and histology samples for forensic laboratory analysis in Lagos requires the consent of the deceased persons’ families.
He projected that full forensic results would be ready within two weeks once samples are dispatched.
Following the incident, the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, ordered the arrest of 22 officers, including the suspended Niger State Commandant, Siaka Zubeiru Anirive.
The officers were escorted to the corps’ national headquarters in Abuja for administrative procedures.
Eight personnel have so far testified before the judicial panel as proceedings continue.
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