By David Torough, Abuja

Terrorists intensified attacks across North Central Nigeria at the weekend, killing three worshippers and abducting at least 15 others during a night vigil in Kwara State, while several passengers kidnapped along a highway in Kogi State reportedly escaped after their captors fell asleep in the forest.

In Kwara, gunmen stormed a prayer ground at Ori-Oke Ajaiye on the outskirts of Ikiran Village in Ekiti Local Government Area on Saturday night, opening fire on worshippers during a vigil and causing panic across nearby communities.

The Kwara State Police Command confirmed that three worshippers were killed while 15 others were abducted to an unknown destination.

Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo described the assault as “Gruesome and barbaric,” saying tactical units, intelligence operatives, PMF personnel and drone teams had been deployed to rescue the victims and track down the attackers. Security agencies have also intensified bush-combing operations and intelligence gathering across the affected communities.

Residents said many families spent the night searching for missing relatives as fear spread across villages in the Ikerin/Ajuba axis. The latest incident adds to growing insecurity in Kwara South, where worship centres have repeatedly come under attack in recent months.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Kogi State, some passengers abducted by gunmen along the Itobe-Ajegwu-Anyigba road in Ofu Local Government Area regained freedom after reportedly escaping from captivity when their abductors slept off in the forest.

The attackers had ambushed two commercial buses, including one bearing Ebonyi registration number NKE 737 XA, and also abducted a motorcycle rider during the operation. Security operatives, local vigilantes and hunters reportedly launched a manhunt shortly after the incident, although the kidnappers initially evaded arrest.

However, three victims — identified as Micheal Adejo, Monday and Mariam Yakubu — later escaped and narrated how the heavily armed hoodlums, numbering about 10 and wielding AK-47 rifles and pump-action guns, marched passengers deep into the bush after robbing them of money, phones and valuables.

One of the escapees said they seized the opportunity to crawl away after noticing that some of the kidnappers had fallen asleep. The victims eventually found their way to a nearby village after trekking through the forest.

Security sources also disclosed that a suspect, identified as Monday Agi, had been arrested in connection with the attack and is currently in police custody, while efforts to rescue the remaining abductees and apprehend the fleeing gunmen continue.

“As he delivered 13,591 votes to president Tinubu in his Ward 8”

From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

As the 2027 political activities is gathering momentum and with Presidential Primary done and dusted by the Ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heneiken Lokpobiri has declared that Bayelsa state is for APC.

The Minister handed down this while answering questions from Newsmen after the declaration of results from the presidential primary election in Ward 8 in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa state.

According to him, “today is the presidential primary to nominate who will be the candidate of APC in 2027 presidential election. We started with the state Assemblies, then House of Representatives and Senate.Today is the nomination for who will be our presidential candidate”.

“As you can see, this is Ekeremor Ward 8, this is my own ward, over thirteen thousand registered members of the APC are here to participate in the primary, am not a voter, as a political appointee, the law says I cannot vote or be voted for, but am entitled to be an observer

“Am very happy, voting has been done and our candidate president Bola Ahmed Tinubu has won, the other candidate they don’t know and he got zero vote. As we are speaking here, the excercise is going on in all the 12 wards in Ekeremor LGA . So am very happy that this excercise started peacefully and is ending peacefully.

‘We are fully prepared for whosoever want to challenge our candidate from other parties. We have credible candidates to present against their candidates

“With me here is Barr. Tari-ere Joyce Gita APC candidate for Ekeremor Constituency 1. Hon. Living Mitin APC candidate for Constituency 2, and Barr. Berry Negerese as APC candidate for Ekeremor Constituency 3. While Chief Fidelis Agbiki is the Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate.

“There is no any other parties in bayelsa again outside APC, the state is APC, anyone you can’t find here is a retired politicians. Anyone you can find here is retired.

“We are sure of victory in Ekeremor LGA come 2027 general elections. We are United, strong to defeat any other candidates from other parties
Am not aware of any other candidates running against Mr President, take whatever you’re seeing here, zero result for whoever is contesting against Mr President .

“We can assure you that the same thing is happening in all the,105 Wards in the state. Bayelsa is for APC”, he said.

Declaring the results, the returning officer of the presidential primary in Ward 8 Ekeremor Local Government Area, Ashanti Bekomowei said, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu scored 13,591 votes, while his contender Stanley Osifo scored zero vote and therefore declared president Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner.

The Bayelsa West Senatorial District candidate Chief Fidelis Agbiki and the three Assembly candidates, said APC will come out victorious in all the elective offices come 2027 general elections.

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From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, polled 277,192 votes in the direct primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the 105 wards in the eight local government areas of the state.

Governor Douye Diri, who served as the state’s Coordinator/Collation Officer for the presidential primary, declared the results at the collation centre at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Yenagoa.

His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted Governor Diri as saying that the peaceful conduct of the exercise across the state, from the presidential to the National Assembly and the House of Assembly primaries, showed a shift from the party’s “toxic” primaries previously in the state.

He stressed that no single individual could win an election without collective support, urging members to close ranks ahead of the 2027 general election.

His words: “As our party chairman already informed us, the party at the national level graciously asked me to be the returning officer and the chief collation officer.

“You have conducted yourselves so well. The exercise has been peaceful, calm, and in some areas more of a festive mood.

“To all those who contested and lost, you still have to be party men. I’m seeing a lot of them here, and that shows they are sportsmen. They belong to APC and they are going nowhere,” he said.

The Bayelsa helmsman stated that with the party’s unity and the strength of incumbency at both the state and federal levels, APC was well-positioned to dominate the elections.

“If all of these people here will go back to our wards, can’t we deliver? Can anybody beat us in Bayelsa State? It is a very big capital No.

“We have the human beings that know the strategies of elections. With our numerical strength and incumbency, it is game over in Bayelsa State,” he said.

Giving a breakdown of the results presented by the returning officers in each of the local government areas, he said Tinubu scored 39,454 in Brass, Ekeremor 45,949,
Kolokuma/Opokuma 22,593, and
Nembe 32,487.

The president also got 24,896 in Ogbia, Sagbama 46,283
Southern Ijaw 34,692 and
Yenagoa 30,834.

His only challenger, Mr. Stanley Osifo, got only five votes from Yenagoa local government area.

Earlier, speaking to party faithful and supporters after the exercise in his Sampou/Kalama Ward 6 in Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area, the governor said the APC remained the only party offering hope to Nigerians through the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.

He said while there were two contestants in the presidential primary, the president was the overwhelmingly preferred choice among party members due to his leadership record and national visibility.

Diri acknowledged the reforms undertaken by the current administration were painful but maintained that they were necessary as the country would ultimately be repositioned for long-term prosperity.

He also expressed confidence that the restructuring of Nigeria was possible under Tinubu, describing him as one of the few leaders with the experience, democratic credentials, and political will to transform the country.

According to him, restructuring remains critical to addressing the nation’s recurring ethnic, religious, and political challenges.

Citing Tinubu’s role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle and his involvement in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) during the military era, he said the president was one of the best-qualified leaders to champion the restructuring agenda.

Collation of the results was observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa, Isah Ehimeakhe, the commission’s Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Eme Akpa, ‎as well as the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Daniel Iyamah and service commanders

In attendance were the Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, Senator Konbowei Benson (Bayelsa Central), House of Representatives members, Oforji Oboku (Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma federal constituency) and Rodney Ambaiowei (Southern Ijaw federal constituency) as well as the State APC Chairman, Hon. Warman Ogoriba

Also present were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, his counterpart in Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, Prince Ebitimi Amgbare, among other party stalwarts, stakeholders and members.