Crime
10 dead as soldiers, youths clash in Imo, soldier stabs creditor to death
UMUAHIA— Less than 24 hours after soldiers and youths clashed in Izombe, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State which left many dead, no fewer than 10 persons have again, been reported killed and many houses burnt as soldiers from 14 Brigade, Nigeria Army, invaded Amangwu community in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State in search of their missing colleague.
Also yesterday, gunmen allegedly attacked a popular police checkpoint located along the Onitsha-Owerri road in Ihiala, Anambra State.
Similarly, a soldier, identified as Saeed Sabo, of the 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, is now cooling off in police cell for allegedly stabbing a middle-aged man to death in Umuahia.
10 killed, scores missing
Following the military raid of Amangwu community, scores of locals were also reportedly arrested and are yet to be sighted.
The community has been reportedly deserted as locals fled to different locations, abandoning their homes just to stay out of trouble.
The invasion was in the aftermath of an alleged abduction of a yet-to-be-identified soldier, said to be ” on pass in the area”.
The soldier, according to reports, was said to be on leave, and visited his village in nearby Ikwun in Cross Rivers State but got missing at the border between Amuma Ohafia and Amangwu.
It was learned that troops from 14 Brigade were deployed for a rescue operation on the missing soldier.
The soldiers allegedly burnt over 50 houses in the community, while 10 persons were killed, with many others missing.
Sources said the soldiers had also invaded Okon and Amuma with heavy shooting and broke into houses to arrest some youths.
His words: “The problem was with our neighbouring community, Amangwu, but the Army invaded Okon yesterday and burnt 5 houses. They were shooting everywhere. Some of them were using drones to take pictures of the community.
”They returned by 2 am today (yesterday) and burnt another house. They broke into houses and dragged youths into their vehicles. Any youth arrested is tagged a member of IPOB.
”The youths arrested are yet to be seen since their arrest. People are fleeing their homes to the IDP camps. We are now IDPs in our place. We are afraid they may storm the IDP camp in search of youths.”
A resident of Amangwu who spoke on the condition of anonymity, alleged that the number of youths killed in the community was above 20, contrary to the 10 reported by the media.
He said: “What soldiers are doing in Amangwu community amounts to ethnic cleansing. If any youth has committed an offence, the soldiers should arrest him, not burn houses and kill people.
”Everybody arrested is tagged a member of IPOB. Many youths have been killed. Even families who fled Amangwu have been searching for their loved ones. Those whose houses were burnt couldn’t save anything because the soldiers came in the early morning when the residents were still sleeping.
”Some people were lucky to escape through the bush path because the Army blocked the area searching for people. Amangwu is now a ghost town.”
Efforts to contact the Army Public Relations Officer, 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Lt. Innocent Omale, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls and a text message was sent to his mobile number unreplied.
However, a top military source in the Brigade informed that soldiers were currently on operation in Ohafia, fighting the rising insecurity in the area, but denied burning houses and killing innocent people.
The source, who pleaded not to be quoted, confirmed that there was a military operation in the community in search of the missing soldier, and against criminal elements who had allegedly taken over the area.
The source denied the killing of locals and destruction of houses, explaining that only shrines used by criminals were destroyed.
Said the source: “There is an ongoing operation in search of a missing soldier in Amangwu general area. Only shrines belonging to the criminals in the enclaves were affected.
”The Nigerian Army is a professional Army that respects law-abiding citizens and fishes out those with criminal intent disrupting the peace-loving people of Ohafia and its environs.
“We must fish out the criminals in our immediate society for peace to reign.”
On the justification for the alleged invasion, the source said: “But the criminals being executed in the criminal enclaves are irrelevant. Human skulls in different shrines? Mini Barracks in the bushes by these criminals? Missing innocent souls is (sic) of no concern? The Nigerian Army must fish out criminals in our society.”
IDP camps spring up in Ohafia
The IDPs, comprising women and children, are now quartered in primary schools, community halls, and churches in some communities yet to be attacked by the soldiers.
Some IDPs who spoke to Vanguard, stated that they escaped with nothing as the soldiers burnt their houses, adding that They lacked clothing, food, and medicine .
They urged the federal and state governments to call the soldiers to order.
Gunmen attack police checkpoint in Anambra
In a similar development, gunmen yesterday attacked a police checkpoint in Anambra State.
The attackers, who allegedly came from the neighbouring Mgbidi Local Government Area of Imo State, opened fire on the policemen on duty, who took to their heels.
Amid the confusion, passengers traveling to Owerri from Onitsha and Onitsha to Imo State had to make u-turn.
The development caused traffic gridlock in the area as the travellers parked their vehicles at nearby Nkwo Ogbe market, Ihiala, and at the Mgbidi end in Imo State.
Workers at Anambra-owned Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University who were on their way to the office, had to abandon work for the day and fled home.
Residents of the area also fled into a nearby bush for safety, while authorities of the nearby Abbott Boys Secondary School, Ihiala, directed students to immediastely leave the school premises.
The state Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, could not speak on the matter, but a police source confirmed the attack.
The source could, however, not confirm if there were casualties, although he said that the state police command had dispatched a special squad to Ihiala to quell the situation.
Police detain soldier for stabbing creditor to death
In a related development, te Police in Abia have detained a soldier for stabbing a man to death.
The victim, Uchenna Offor, 34, from Olokoro in Umuahia South, was said to have demanded that the soldier paid for goods bought previously on credit before another one would be sold to him.
An eyewitness said: “The soldier attached to a Chinese construction firm came to buy something on credit around Umuahia Railway station but the victim demanded payment for goods bought previously on credit.
”In the ensuing altercation, the suspect was said to have used the bayonet of his gun on the victim, stabbing him in the chest.”
The eye witness said the victim who slumped after he was stabbed, was immediately rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, where he was certified dead on arrival.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in charge of Abia State command, Geoffrey Ogbonna, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident.
He said investigations into the matter had commenced, assuring that justice would be served.
Dismantle Mgbidi army checkpoint, CSO tells CDS, CoAS, Imo govt
However, a civil society organisation, Security Situation Room, has drawn the attention of the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff and Imo State government to the army checkpoint of ‘extortion and oppression’ at Mgbidi, by St Joseph’s Catholic Church/Ray Jacobs Boarding School, Imo State.
Convener, Security Situation Room, Douglas Ogbankwa, in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said: “We, through our observers noticed with dismay the long, unconscionable and reprehensible gridlock, artificially spurned by extortionist army personnel, who force commuters to cross to the other side, with the attendant danger of fast moving vehicles on the ever busy Owerri- Onitsha Express Way, a clear case of ethnic profiling, as prohibited by Section 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , 1999 (As Amended), as majority of those that ply that road are of Igbo extraction.
“But in the hot bed of insurgency and banditry in the North, the Nigerian Army does not deploy such selective and targeted method used to humiliate people without any reason whatsoever. They collect money from those buses who do not disembark and keep all in a callously created gridlock, of which the only goal is to extort the poor commuters, who are mostly those perceived as the poor and the weak, while those in air conditioned private vehicles are given fast passes.
“There is no search conducted. Even at that, they need a warrant on each commuter in their name to conduct a search according to the law. The Security Situation Room condemns the actions of these brigades , masquerading as Army officials and we restate that there is freedom of liberty and freedom of movement as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , 1999 (As Amended), as the actions of these brigades are a flagrant infringement of the Fundamental Human Rights of the citizens who ply the road”.
Posters bearing the photographs of seven teachers and 39 pupils and students allegedly kidnapped from Community High School, Ahoro-Esinle, and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have appeared across several cities and communities in the state.
The posters revealed that one of the abducted teachers, Mr. Michael Oteodokun, was reportedly killed while in captivity.
The abducted teachers were identified as Mrs. Alamu Folawe, Mr. Ojo Jonathan, Mr. Olatunde Zacchaeus, Mr. John Olaleye, Mr. Michael Oteodokun, Mrs. Oladeji and Mrs. Mary Akanbi.
Also listed on the posters are 39 abducted pupils and students, including Rashida Tajudeen (11), Ahmed Ramoni (8), Abdulsalam Toyib (4), Baraka Abioye (16), Fatimo Jimoh (15), Hassan Azeez (14), Joshua Adeleke (13), Samuel Oyedele (7), Emmanuel Oyedele (4), Idowu Taiwo (4), Christianah Akanbi (2), Juwon Sunday (7), Sikiru Salami (3), Soliu Salami (4), Ojo Joseph (8), Lydia Adewole (8), Testimony Jacob (5), Kehinde Kadosara (7), Sewa Seyi (7), Waliya Bello (4), Lydia Olohunoluwa (7), Damilare Obeirinde (8), Deborah Adebowale (5), Aisha Oguntowo (10), Lege Taiwo (12), Balkis Ayanwale (8), Asa David (10), Shuaibu Aliyu (10), Ahmed Aliyu (7), Muiz Aliyu (5), Jomiloju Ogunlola (6), Agune Ndah (8), Elizabeth Abadi (5), Tosin Abadi (9), Pius Stephen (5), Hannah Ojo (14), Habiday Ayanwale (7), Mary Gabriel (6) and Jacob Gabriel.
According to information contained on the posters, the victims were abducted on May 23, 2025, during an attack on the two schools.
The posters carried the message: “Our teachers. Our children. Our future. They must all come home.”
They also appealed to government authorities, security agencies and members of the public to intensify efforts toward securing the safe return of the victims.
The campaign further called for unity, prayers and collective action, stressing that the safety and wellbeing of children remain non-negotiable.
It, however, called for intensified rescue operations to secure the release of victims abducted during the attack.
This resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the lawmaker representing Oriire State Constituency, Johnson Ogundele, during plenary, shortly after the House resumed from the Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) recess.
The motion highlighted growing insecurity in parts of the Oriire Local Government Area of the state.
Presenting the motion, Ogundele recounted the May 15 attack on Ahoro-Esienle, Oyo and Yawota communities, where bandits invaded during school hours, killing a teacher, a student and an okada rider, while abducting dozens of students, pupils and teachers.
The lawmaker expressed concern over the recurring attacks in the area, saying “Oriire had witnessed increasing bandit activities since January, including the attack on the National Park Service office at Oloka village, where five forest guards were killed.
“Let me use this period to call on Governor Seyi Makinde for his swift response, deployment of security operatives, rescue efforts and personal visit to the affected communities.
“I want to equally urge the state government to intensify support for security agencies and establish a permanent military base within and around vulnerable communities and forest corridors in the area.”
The Assembly also called on the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the State Universal Basic Education Board to immediately conduct security audits of schools located near forests and border settlements across the state.
It said, “The Assembly also urges the government to expedite the installation of solar-powered security lights, perimeter fencing and CCTV cameras in vulnerable schools and to develop a comprehensive Safe School Emergency Response Protocol for public and private schools across Oyo.
“The Assembly equally rejects suggestions and calls that the State Government should negotiate with the bandits who abducted teachers and students during the coordinated attack at the community in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, on Friday, May 15, 2026.”
Seconding the motion, the Majority Leader, Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South), renewed calls for the establishment of state police, urging the Federal Government to remove all obstacles delaying its creation.
Adedoyin said the recent rescue operations exposed the challenges conventional security agencies face while navigating dense forests, forcing them to rely heavily on local vigilantes and operatives of the state Western Nigeria Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps, to penetrate difficult terrains.
He argued that the security realities confronting states had further justified the need for state police and urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the initiative.
Contributing to the debate, Olubisi Oluranti (Ogbomoso North) commended the efforts of Governor Makinde and security agencies but stressed the need for increased deployment of personnel to vulnerable communities to prevent future attacks.
Also, Gbenga Oyekola (Atiba) blamed part of the security challenge on poor management of the expansive forest reserve owned and maintained by the Federal Government.
He lamented that despite the vast forest stretching across several parts of Oyo State and neighbouring states, security presence within the reserve remained inadequate.
Oyekola further expressed concern that despite reports of mining activities in parts of the forest, including sightings of helicopters landing and departing from the area, adequate security measures had not been put in place to protect residents and legitimate operators.
Also speaking, Babajide Gabriel (Ibadan North II) called for far-reaching structural reforms of Nigeria’s security architecture.
He recalled Makinde’s previous concerns about the limitations faced by governors who are constitutionally regarded as chief security officers of their states but lack direct control over security agencies.
Gabriel appealed to the governor to recruit more personnel into the Amotekun Corps to strengthen local security operations and condemned attempts by some individuals to politicise the insecurity situation for partisan gains.
He urged all stakeholders to approach the challenge collectively, stressing that insecurity had become a national concern requiring unified action.
Dawood Olalere (Ibadan North-West) observed that kidnapping had evolved beyond forest-based criminality and was increasingly affecting urban and semi-urban communities.
He cited the reported abduction of the sister of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, and her two sons earlier on Wednesday as evidence of the widening threat posed by kidnappers.
Olalere called for better equipment and improved weaponry for Amotekun operatives, arguing that personnel armed with locally fabricated weapons could not effectively confront heavily armed criminal gangs operating in forests and remote locations.
The House subsequently adopted several resolutions, including a call on the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Defence and relevant agencies, to establish a permanent military base in Oriire LGA.
Lawmakers also urged the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency to provide trauma counselling, psychosocial support and relief materials to affected families, while calling on traditional rulers, community leaders and local government authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering and community policing initiatives.
The Assembly further directed its Committee on Security and Strategy to undertake an oversight visit to Oriire LGA to assess the security situation, engage stakeholders and recommend urgent legislative interventions.
In his remarks, Speaker of the House, Adebo Ogundoyin, firmly “dismissed calls for the state government to negotiate with terrorists and kidnappers,” warning that “such a move could embolden criminal elements and encourage further attacks.”
While acknowledging the frustration, anxiety and impatience of families whose loved ones remained in captivity, the Speaker urged residents to continue supporting security agencies and the state government in ongoing rescue efforts.
Ogundoyin maintained that negotiating with terrorists would send the wrong signal and potentially strengthen criminal networks, insisting that the focus should remain on sustained security operations, intelligence gathering and coordinated rescue missions aimed at securing the safe release of all victims.
He, therefore, reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to supporting measures that would strengthen security across Oyo and prevent a recurrence of attacks on schools and communities.
A High Court sitting in Nnewi, Anambra State, has convicted two men, Chidozie Obinna and Ifeanyi Onyido, for criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and causing grievous harm to a businessman, Chief Lawrence Ezeifeka.
Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Vincent Agbata of the Nnewi Judicial Division found the defendants guilty and sentenced them to death by hanging.
Obinna, the first defendant, was convicted and sentenced in absentia after allegedly absconding while on bail during the trial.
The court heard that the convicts, alongside other members of their gang who are still at large, attacked Ezeifeka at his residence in Ekwulumili, Nnewi South Local Government Area, on December 12, 2020.
According to the prosecution, the assailants assaulted the victim, threw him from the first floor of his building, and abducted him to an unknown location. He was held captive for four days before regaining his freedom after his family paid a ransom of N7.5 million.
The prosecution further told the court that operatives of the Anambra State Police Command, working in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), tracked and arrested the defendants.
Lead prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Mary Ukaekwe-Onyeaharam, urged the court to continue Obinna’s trial in absentia following his disappearance while on bail. She relied on provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Anambra State, 2022, and the Anambra State Practice Direction for Criminal Matters, 2023.
Four prosecution witnesses testified during the trial, including the victim, the Secretary of Ekwulumili Town Union, the victim’s son who delivered the ransom, and the investigating police officer.
In his defence, Onyido denied involvement in the crime and claimed that he was also a victim of kidnapping. However, Justice Agbata held that evidence before the court showed that Onyido received part of the ransom and failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the funds.
The judge ruled that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, noting that the evidence presented was neither effectively challenged nor contradicted by the defence.
Consequently, the court convicted and sentenced both defendants for their roles in the offences.
(NAN)
Senior police sources confirmed on Wednesday that operatives of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) are probing allegations of database misuse, cyber-related offences and the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive national documents belonging to INEC.
As part of the investigation, an INEC electoral officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been taken into custody, while Lere Olayinka, media aide to the FCT Minister, was questioned by investigators on Tuesday at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
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The probe followed a petition reportedly filed on behalf of INEC, alleging criminal conspiracy, cyber intimidation and the unlawful release of classified electoral records.
The controversy arose after Olayinka shared screenshots on social media purportedly showing details of a voter registration transfer involving Nollywood actor and politician, Emeka Ike, from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.
The post, which came amid questions surrounding Ike’s eligibility to contest a House of Representatives seat in the FCT following his criticism of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary process, triggered widespread reactions.
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Many Nigerians questioned how the information was obtained, alleging that it could only have come from INEC’s restricted voter registration database.
Responding to the controversy on Tuesday, INEC denied reports of a breach or hacking of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) database, insisting that the disclosure resulted from the misuse of legitimate internal access credentials by an authorised official.
Investigations revealed that the detained electoral officer allegedly initiated contact with Olayinka through Facebook Messenger before forwarding voter registration documents to him via WhatsApp.
The documents were reportedly intended to show that Emeka Ike’s voter transfer request had recently been initiated and had not yet received final approval.
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During his interrogation, Olayinka reportedly told investigators that he had no prior relationship with the INEC official and was unaware that the documents shared with him were classified.
Sources said he maintained that the electoral officer did not indicate that the information was confidential or restricted.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) has also launched a parallel investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disclosure of the voter information.
Police authorities are said to be considering possible charges against both the INEC official and Olayinka, including criminal conspiracy, cyber-related offences, unlawful disclosure of classified information and actions capable of causing a breach of public peace.
Vanguard
The Enugu State Police Command has recorded another major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on violent crimes, foiling a kidnapping attempt and neutralising two suspected criminals in separate operations across the state.
Police spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that the operations led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, a Beretta pistol, a locally fabricated double-barrelled pistol, 30 rounds of live ammunition, a live cartridge, mobile phones and other incriminating exhibits.
According to the statement, the first operation occurred on May 30, 2026, at about 8:30 p.m. following intelligence reports that a gang of about five armed men was attempting to kidnap a resident along the Nowas–Abakpa Road axis in Enugu.
Operatives attached to the Trans-Ekulu Division, working alongside members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, swiftly responded to the distress call and engaged the suspects in a gun duel after the criminals reportedly opened fire on the security team.
One of the suspects was fatally wounded during the exchange and later confirmed dead at a hospital, while other members of the gang escaped with suspected gunshot injuries.
Items recovered from the neutralised suspect included an AK-47 rifle, two magazines loaded with 30 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and two mobile phones. Subsequent intelligence-led operations by the Anti-Kidnapping Sub-Unit of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) also led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol linked to the gang.
In a separate incident later that same day at about 9:19 p.m., police operatives attached to the Amechi-Idodo Division responded to reports of an armed robbery attack at a residence in Owo Community, Nkanu East Local Government Area.
The suspects were said to have invaded the home of a male resident and dispossessed him of personal belongings before police and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group arrived at the scene.
Upon sighting the operatives, the robbers allegedly opened fire, prompting a gun battle during which one of the suspects was neutralised. Other gang members fled with suspected gunshot wounds.
Security operatives recovered a locally made double-barrelled pistol loaded with one live cartridge from the deceased suspect.
The Command said efforts have been intensified to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, while investigations into both incidents continue.
Commending the operatives and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group for their courage and professionalism, the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property.
He also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to strengthen security and public safety across the state.
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