Crime
Anambra: Isseke Youths Chase Gunmen Away, Hold Church Services After 4 Months
By Okey Maduforo Awka
After over four months of non ecclesiastical activities, the people of Isseke Community in Ihiala local government area of Anambra state would be holding church services this Sunday.
This is on the account of the insecurity in the area which has lasted for three years now occasioned by the deadly menace of the gunmen in the entire Ihiala local government area up to Imo state.
On the month of June this year gunmen stormed the St Joseph’s Catholic Parish and St Mary’s Anglican Parish Isseke fired several shots and stopped church services that were going on that fateful day; ordering both the clerics and their congregation to stop holding church services.
This latest development was made possible when on the 25th of September the youths and leaders of Isseke Community numbering over 130 stormed their town chanting war songs and engaged the gunmen that had taken over the town for years who fled the town for their dear lives.
When Sunday our reporter visited the Isseke Community, the markets , schools and other public places have been over grown by grasses while human skeletons were littered at most overgrown farmlands.
According to Rev Fr Obidiegwu Chukwuemeka Earnest the Parish Priest of St Joseph Catholic Parish Isseke, the church compound is being cleared and the church is being cleaned up preparatory for the Sunday Mass.
‘I have been parish priest for three years and half and I have been here for five years as Parish Vicah ”
“We are trying to clear our compound because we were forced to stop celebrating Mass for some months now ”
“We have been celebrating Mass casually for about three years now but last three months they came here and asked us to stop celebrating Mass”
“Since then the congregation dispased”
Obidiegwu whose happiness knew no bounds announced that he would be celebrating Mass this Sunday urging the congregation to attend as peace has returned to the Community.
“But today we are clearing our church compound that has been overgrown by grasses for years now to celebrate Mass tomorrow and after , both Morning Mass and Sunday Masses”
“We thank God for peace that is being restored gradually and every quarter if making efforts to restore permanent peace in Isseke and on our part as the church we have make our own contributions to this peace by opening and cleaning the church for the people of God to come and worship God ”
“By the grace of God I intend to celebrate Mass this Sunday and that is 6 am Mass and 9 am Mass ”
“To God be the glory that what we have been praying for has come and God has answered our prayers” .
“We thank our young men and women of Isseke for taking over their town and we pray that it is sustained” he said.
Also speaking the Pastors of St Mary’s Anglican church Isseke, Rev Princewil Usoetu and DSO Ezeani , re echoed the same announcement that there shall be church services this Sunday to show that the three years of gunmen captivity are over and that peace has returned to Isseke Community.
“Isseke people have resolved to reclaim their community that was taken over by hoodlums and it was not like this before”
They both recalled how gunmen came into the church on a Sunday and ordered them not to hold church services.
“Yes we were inside the church that fateful day when the gunmen stormed the church and told us to stop holding church services and shooting everywhere and so the congregation had to run away to other safe towns ”
“We urge the government to come and help us to rebuild our destroyed churches , schools and health centers”
“Even our market was destroyed by them ”
“Government should give us adequate security and we are ready to work with the state government to achieve that .
“We had general encounter on 15 of June they came here shooting so the church closed”
“We are going to hold church service this Sunday tomorrow and as you can see the congregation is here clearing and cleaning the church ” they promised.
One of the leaders of the Community and Special Assistant to Governor Charles Soludo of Assembly matters Hon Thadeus Elukaoha explained that the peace in Isseke Community is as a result of several meetings by group of youths , community leaders which has resulted in a huge success.
“As you can see we are cleaning everywhere including our markets , schools and churches and you can see people returning to their homes because peace and security has come back to our town ”
Elukaoha further reported that most buildings were either burnt down or vandalized by the gunmen adding that over one hundred persons had been killed by the fleeing gunmen.
“The number is not clear but an estimated over 100 persons have been killed by gunmen and countless buildings either burnt or destroyed by these hoodlums”
“We the people of Isseke have taken over our land and that was on the 25th of September this year when we mobilized everyone and we saw them and engaged them and they ran away out of our town ”
“But it is not over yet because we have taking steps at ensuring that they do not come back here ”
He expressed the appreciation of the community to the Police, Army Agunechemba and other security operatives for their assistance and protection while calling for reenforcmet.
“We thank Governor Charles Soludo for what he has done for us in the area of security as well as the NIgerian Army , the Police , Agunechemba and other security personnels for their assistance because we couldn’t have done it alone and we urge them to please give us more security architecture and personnel to sustain this peace ” he pleaded.
The Kano State Police Command has rescued nine passengers who were abducted after armed bandits attacked a commercial bus along the Jos-Kano highway in Doguwa Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Kano, saying the incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on July 26.
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Doguwa Division received a distress call reporting that a Toyota Hiace bus, with registration number BKK 6824 XA, travelling from Jos to Kano, had been attacked around the Folgore Forest axis, between Gate Two Safer Highway and Dogo Dutse.
Kiyawa said five suspected armed bandits, reportedly armed with machetes and a firearm, blocked the highway, attacked the vehicle and abducted 13 of the 20 passengers on board.
He said the DPO immediately mobilised tactical police operatives to the scene, where they engaged the attackers in a gun battle.
The police spokesperson said the swift intervention of the operatives led to the rescue of nine victims, while another male passenger later escaped from captivity.
He, however, disclosed that three victims — one male and two females — remained in the custody of the abductors.
The rescued passengers were taken to Doguwa General Hospital for medical evaluation and were reported to be in stable condition.
Kiyawa said the command had intensified operations, deploying additional tactical teams and enhancing intelligence gathering efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended members of the public for providing timely information that contributed to the rescue operation.
Bakori reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and urged residents to continue reporting suspicious activities to security agencies.
He added that investigations into the incident were ongoing, assuring that further updates would be made available to the public.
The arrest was effected by troops of Operation Hadin Kai according to an X post by security professional, Zagazola Makama.
Identifying the suspect as Private Mohammed Yusuf of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Training Facility, NAOTF, Lagos with service number: 23NA/84/1939, Makama said he was apprehended by troops of 7 Provost Group led by the Acting Commander at about 6:30pm on July 25, 2026 by.
He had earlier absconded from his unit and travelled to Maiduguri on July 7, 2026, where he allegedly went into hiding.
This made the army high command to declare him wanted.
According to Makama, “The suspect is currently in the custody of the 7 Provost Group, where he is undergoing further investigation into the alleged supply of military accoutrements to terrorist elements and the possible involvement of other collaborators.
“The arrest is a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle insider networks aiding terrorist groups, adding that investigations are continuing to establish the full extent of the suspect’s activities and identify any accomplices,” Makama said.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 55-year-old Lagos businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, over an alleged attempt to export 3.30kg of cocaine concealed in the walls of cartons used to package foodstuffs destined for the United Kingdom.
The NDLEA said Chinedu, a clothing trader at the popular Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, 2026, following the interception of the cocaine consignment at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, a day earlier.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, three cargo agents—Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim—were initially arrested for handling the shipment.
The agency said their arrests led to the apprehension of Kenneth Okakpu, who allegedly delivered the consignment to the cargo agents for shipment to the UK.
Okakpu’s arrest, according to the NDLEA, provided investigators with information that led to the identification of Chinedu as the alleged kingpin behind the operation. He was subsequently arrested while allegedly attempting to send another consignment of cocaine to the UK.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 31-year-old entrepreneur, Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo, at her residence in Surulere, Lagos, following the seizure of 2.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
The agency said the consignment arrived from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight on Monday, July 20, 2026, before Chukwu-Edo was arrested the following day.
Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives recovered 2.24 million pills of Tapentadol 250mg, with an estimated street value of over N2.2bn, from a shipment that arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight.
The agency said the recovery followed intelligence-led operations and a joint examination of the cargo on Friday, July 24.
This came shortly after NDLEA operatives intercepted a consignment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap and allegedly destined for the UK at a courier company in Lagos on Wednesday, July 22.
At the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also uncovered 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing 2,388.5kg, with an estimated street value of over N7.1bn.
The drugs were allegedly concealed inside three vehicles packed in a shipping container. The consignment was uncovered during a joint examination on Monday, July 20.
In Katsina State, NDLEA operatives arrested 30-year-old Mustapha Sani during a patrol operation at Baure, Safana Local Government Area, and recovered 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition allegedly concealed on him.
The ammunition reportedly comprised 200 rounds of 7.62mm and 123 rounds of 7.6mm.
Another suspect, 30-year-old Abubakar Amadu, was arrested during a stop-and-search operation at Jere, along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, with 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition allegedly concealed inside kegs of red oil.
The NDLEA said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, the agency said its operatives recovered 1,286kg of cannabis and 86kg of cannabis seeds during a raid on a warehouse in Ilushi community, Esan South-East Local Government Area, on Sunday, July 19.
The operation also led to the arrest of 45-year-old Ojore Onweze, who was allegedly found with 60kg of skunk, and 30-year-old George Agwumede, who was allegedly arrested with 13kg of the same substance.
According to a statement on Friday, the arrested officers are: “AP/No. 207454, ASP Elomore Sodayo; AP/No. 332012, Inspector Adefila Adewale; AP/No. 332449, Inspector Olorunfemi Opeyemi; and AP/No. 332369, Inspector Odusola Peter.”
Speaking at the command headquarters in Akure on Friday, the state Commissioner of Police, Felix Ohagwu, said the police had zero tolerance for indiscipline and unprofessional conduct.
He added that a comprehensive investigation had been ordered to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the level of culpability of each officer involved.
He added that officers were expected to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism, respect human dignity and comply strictly with the Force’s Code of Conduct and Standard Operating Procedures.
“The Nigeria Police Force is a disciplined and professional institution that does not condone any form of misconduct, incivility, or actions capable of undermining public confidence, promoting ethnic division, or bringing the Force into disrepute,” the commissioner said.
He assured the public that the investigation would be conducted to determine the facts of the case, adding that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action.
This was said to be part of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity.
Disu gave the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
According to the IG, the order followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the persistent insecurity in Benue State must be brought to an end.
He stressed that only authorised security personnel were legally permitted to bear firearms, warning that the era of passive policing was over.
“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” he said.
Disu disclosed that police officers had been empowered under Force Order 237 to respond decisively to armed threats without waiting for directives from superior officers.
“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers, and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow.
“They have been instructed to shoot at sight. They have been trained to do what is necessary. But we will not succeed without the cooperation of all of you.”
He called on residents to support security agencies with credible information, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to the fight against armed criminality.
Benue State has witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups in recent months, resulting in the loss of lives, displacement of residents and destruction of property.
The federal government has continued to deploy additional security personnel and adopt tougher measures aimed at restoring peace in the state.
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