Crime
Anambra police rescue 4 children sold in Bauchi State
By Our Reporter
Anambra Police Commissioner Nnaghe Obono Itam has announced that four children who were sold in Bauchi State were recovered in Anambra state.
This is coming as the Commissioner announced that by the end of this year 2025 , the rate of crime would have been reduced to thirty percent in line with the Gov Charles Soludo security program known as Operation Udo Ga Di.
The Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam, while speaking to reporters in Awka also stated that security operatives in the state will do everything within their power to reduce the crime rate by 30 percent in 2025.
He called on stakeholders in the state, including the Traditional Rulers and President Generals of various communities, and residents, to partner with the police for effective policing.
The State Commissioner of Police made the statement on Monday while briefing journalists at the police headquarters in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area, on the activities of the command in 2024.
During the briefing, 13 criminal suspects involved in murder, kidnapping, and other criminal activities were paraded.
The police commissioner revealed that in 2024, they arrested 325 criminal suspects, secured 30 convictions, and rescued 14 kidnapped victims.
Speaking on the fate of the four children he announced that the suspects confessed to the crime and narrated the role each of them played.
Itam said that one of the children had been identified, and efforts were already in place to reunite the child with their parents.
“The Command wishes to use this opportunity to request that you, the media, assist in sharing the pictures of these innocent children for possible identification and reunification with their parents,” he said.
He further stated that in the early hours of December 24, 2024, a joint security operation led by the Nigeria Police Force, comprising the military, civil defense, and Anambra Vigilante operatives, successfully dismantled a criminal camp located in Nimo, Njikoka Local Government Area.
According to him, the operation resulted in the destruction of several makeshift structures within the camp, the recovery of 19 unexploded improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and significant injuries inflicted on fleeing suspects.
He said the operation followed credible intelligence regarding the activities of the criminal gang in the area, coupled with information obtained during the interrogation of suspects arrested in ongoing police operations across the state.
Itam also reported that police operatives attached to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad, Enugu-Ukwu, acting on credible information, arrested one Miracle Mwakalor, 18 years old, from Umubele village, Awka-South Local Government Area, on December 6 and they recovered one AK-47 rifle and one magazine from him.
According to him, the operatives raided the criminal gang’s den during a debrief about their plans to commit havoc in Nibo, Awka South Local Government Area.
He said that while Miracle was apprehended, his other gang members escaped and during interrogation, he confessed to the crime and led the operatives to an apartment in Ubuofu, Awka, where the recovered rifle had been hidden in the roof.
The commissioner stated that the command rescued four children allegedly stolen from their parents in Bauchi State and sold into the state. He called on those looking to adopt children to follow the proper process by going to orphanages rather than buying stolen children.
“Police operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Squad in Enugu Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, raided an identified black spot in Umunaga Village, Awka South LGA, in the late hours of Saturday, December 7, 2024. During the operation, one Okechukwu Chinwuko (27 years) of Umunaga Village and Ezenwa Chinedu (22 years) of Umuneri Village were arrested. Other incriminating items recovered included one pump-action gun, four live cartridges, a cutlass, criminal charms, and substances suspected to be hard drugs. The operatives also rescued two female victims who had been sexually assaulted by the suspects,” he stated.
The commissioner also noted that they had suspects who murdered their brother and buried him in a shallow grave in a compound at Oko. The deceased, Chibuzor Okeke, was accused of burglary and theft.
According to him, his brother, Chidiebere Okeke, and his cousin, Emebo Ogochukwu, caught him and beat him into unconsciousness and Chibuzor was rushed to the hospital, where he was confirmed dead, inorder to cover up the incident, the two suspects dug a shallow grave in their compound and buried Chibuzor.
The United States has said Nigeria has yet to make sufficient progress in addressing attacks on Christian communities, warning that the country’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) should remain in place.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, stated this while responding to questions from US Congressman Riley Moore during a congressional hearing on violence in Nigeria on Thursday.
Moore questioned the Nigerian government’s efforts to dismantle militia strongholds and kidnapping camps in the Middle Belt, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.
He also demanded explanations for the exclusion of Benue and Plateau from the 10 states covered by Nigeria’s new forest guard initiative, despite persistent attacks in the areas.
The congressman further expressed concern that 1,000 presidentially approved forest guards for Plateau State had yet to be deployed.
Moore maintained that the US should not remove Nigeria from the CPC list, arguing that the country had not done enough to address the violence.
“Before you answer that, we cannot take this CPC designation off of this country. They have not done enough,” he said.
Responding, Garcia acknowledged that Nigeria had not made sufficient progress but maintained that the government was taking steps to address the concerns, although the measures had yet to produce the desired results.
“I think we would agree, as Under Secretary Hooker stated, after our CPC meeting that progress has not been there, but that doesn’t mean that Nigeria is dismissing concerns, and it doesn’t mean that they’re not taking actions, but it does mean that it hasn’t had an impact to this point,” Garcia said.
He identified the establishment of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as an important step towards ensuring accountability, noting that the platform would provide a framework for monitoring Nigeria’s commitments and assessing their implementation.
Garcia also acknowledged US-supported counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin but noted that such efforts had not necessarily addressed the activities of Fulani militants operating across the Middle Belt.
“I would have to characterise the Nigerians’ placement at this point as in building capacity. And that capacity is not deployed, is not being effective yet, and is not moving fast enough, as far as I’m concerned. But we do see a seriousness, and a deployment underway with the Nigerian government,” he said.
In his prepared testimony, Garcia said President Donald Trump’s administration had prioritised the persecution of Christians in Nigeria since the country was redesignated a Country of Particular Concern on October 31, 2025.
He noted that attacks had continued despite diplomatic engagements, citing an attack on a Christian community in Kaduna State on July 27 and killings in Plateau State in August and September.
“Unfortunately, the violence has not stopped,” Garcia said, describing the attacks as an ongoing atrocity.
According to him, the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, which held its inaugural meeting in Abuja in January and another meeting in Washington in August, had been engaging the Nigerian government on improved security deployments in vulnerable Middle Belt communities, faster responses to early warnings and accountability for perpetrators.
He added that Washington had provided training and equipment to police units responsible for protecting vulnerable communities through its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
The US had also expanded biometric information-sharing with Nigeria to help identify and prosecute perpetrators and engaged Nigerian financial institutions on measures to disrupt terrorist financing networks allegedly funding attacks on churches.
Garcia further disclosed that US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, had raised concerns about civilian casualties, the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons and transparency in humanitarian aid delivery during the Joint Working Group’s second meeting.
However, he acknowledged that Nigeria’s security architecture remained stretched, while judicial access to some parts of the Middle Belt remained limited.
Garcia said the US would continue to deploy diplomatic engagements, the CPC designation and targeted security cooperation to press for the protection of Christian communities and accountability for those responsible for attacks.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Federal Government has consistently rejected allegations of a Christian genocide or systematic religious persecution, maintaining that the country’s security challenges are driven by broader issues, including terrorism, banditry, communal violence and resource conflicts, which affect citizens of different religious backgrounds.
Couple Sentenced To Five Years In Prison Each For Attempting To Sell One-Year-Old So
A Nigerian couple have been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for attempting to sell their one-year-old son for exploitation in Cross River State.
The couple, identified as 28-year-old Emmanuel Okechukwu Ogbodo and 22-year-old Peace Ufeabuchi Nnamonu, were convicted by the Federal High Court in Calabar after pleading guilty to conspiracy and attempted child trafficking.
The convicts were sentenced on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, after they were arraigned on November 3, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and attempted child trafficking.
The charges were brought under Sections 27 and 29 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie sentenced each defendant to five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and two and a half years for attempted child trafficking.
However, the court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, meaning the couple will each spend a total of five years in prison rather than serve the sentences consecutively.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which announced the conviction in statements shared on its Facebook and X accounts, said the prison terms would take effect from the date of the couple’s arrest.
NAPTIP condemned the couple’s actions and reiterated its commitment to prosecuting human trafficking offences and protecting vulnerable persons, particularly children.
The agency also urged members of the public to report suspected cases of child trafficking to the appropriate authorities.
Six fresh graduates of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), have reportedly been found dead in an apartment around the Hilltop area of the university community in Enugu State.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday morning, has thrown the university community into mourning and sparked panic among residents and students.
According to a report by Daily Post, the victims, comprising five females and one male, were said to have graduated on Wednesday, a day before their bodies were discovered.
Their graduation celebration has reportedly turned into tragedy, with the circumstances surrounding their deaths yet to be established.
Efforts to reach the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, for confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls put through to his telephone were not answered.
Meanwhile, anxiety has gripped the Hilltop area and the wider university community, with students and residents seeking answers over the tragic incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Security agencies have launched a manhunt for two convicted inmates who escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okene, Kogi State.
The Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed the incident, which reportedly occurred on Sunday, November 8, 2026, saying efforts were underway in collaboration with other security agencies to recapture the fleeing inmates.
The Service’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Jane Osuji, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to Osuji, the Controller-General of Corrections has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the escape and identify any possible security breaches.
She explained that the investigation would examine potential lapses in the facility’s security arrangements and determine appropriate measures to prevent a recurrence.
The correctional authorities assured members of the public that all necessary steps were being taken to track down the escapees and return them to custody.
The Service also pledged to provide further updates as verified information emerges from the ongoing investigation.
The incident comes weeks after an awaiting-trial inmate escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Auchi, Edo State, where he was being held over allegations of conspiracy and stealing.
Saudi Arabia has executed five Ethiopian nationals convicted of smuggling hashish into the kingdom, bringing the number of executions carried out in the country this year to 205.
The Saudi Interior Ministry announced the executions on Thursday, November 5, 2026, saying the five men were found guilty of participating in the smuggling of hashish into the country.
According to a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency, the executions were carried out in the Asir region in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The latest executions bring to 32 the number of Ethiopian nationals put to death in Saudi Arabia in 2026, making Ethiopians the largest foreign nationality among those executed this year.
Five Ethiopians were reportedly executed in June, while another five were put to death in July over similar drug-related offences.
The latest development comes amid growing international concern over Saudi Arabia’s increasing use of capital punishment, particularly against foreign nationals convicted of drug-related offences.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a report published in July, warned that at least 79 Ethiopian nationals remained at imminent risk of execution over similar charges.
The rights organisation also raised concerns about alleged violations of fair trial guarantees, including inadequate access to legal representation and interpretation services for some Ethiopian migrants facing capital punishment.
Saudi Arabia recorded 356 executions in 2025, its highest annual figure on record.
Thousands of Ethiopians live and work in Saudi Arabia, many of whom migrate in search of employment through the dangerous Eastern Route connecting the Horn of Africa to the oil-rich kingdom through Yemen.
The route exposes migrants to serious security and humanitarian risks during their journey.
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